Rafael Nadal beat Tomas Berdych 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 in the Wimbledon final, 2010 on grass
It was Nadal's second Wimbledon title, he'd won the French Open shortly before and would go onto win US Open shortly afterwards. This is Berdych's only Slam final and he beat Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic among others in route to the final
Nadal won 93 points, Berdych 78
Serve Stats
Nadal...
- 1st serve percentage (62/90) 69%
- 1st serve points won (48/62) 77%
- 2nd serve points won (18/28) 64%
- Aces 5
- Double Faults 3
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (31/90) 34%
Berdych...
- 1st serve percentage (48/81) 59%
- 1st serve points won (35/48) 73%
- 2nd serve points won (19/33) 58%
- Aces 13
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (26/81) 32%
Serve Pattern
Nadal served...
- to FH 26%
- to BH 71%
- to Body 2%
Berdych served...
- to FH 19%
- to BH 75%
- to Body 6%
Return Stats
Nadal made...
- 55 (12 FH, 43 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 13 Errors, comprising...
- 6 Unforced (6 BH)
- 7 Forced (7 BH)
- Return Rate (55/81) 68%
Berdych made...
- 56 (13 FH, 43 BH)
- 26 Errors, comprising...
- 15 Unforced (6 FH, 9 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 11 Forced (4 FH, 7 BH)
- Return Rate (56/87) 64%
Break Points
Nadal 4/6 (4 games)
Berdych 0/4 (2 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding aces)
Nadal 23 (20 FH, 2 BH, 1 BHV)
Berdych 14 (8 FH, 3 FHV, 3 BHV)
Nadal's FHs - 8 cc (4 passes), 1 cc/inside-in, 4 dtl (2 passes), 6 inside-out (1 at net) and 1 cc/longline running-down-drop-shot at net
- BHs - 1 cc pass and 1 dtl
Berdych's FHs - 3 cc, 1 cc/inside-in, 1 dtl and 3 inside-out
Errors (excluding returns and serves)
Nadal 35
- 20 Unforced (13 FH, 7 BH)
- 15 Forced (8 FH, 7 BH)... with 1 BH running-down-drop-shot at net
Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 47
Berdych 39
- 24 Unforced (17 FH, 6 BH, 1 BHV)
- 15 Forced (8 FH, 6 BH, 1 BHV)
Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 46.3
(Note 1: all half-volleys refer to such shots played at net. Half -volleys played from other parts of the court are included within relevant groundstroke counts)
(Note 2: the Unforced Error Forcefulness Index is an indicator of how aggressive the average UE was. The numbers presented for these two matches are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Nadal was...
- 10/12 (83%) at net, with...
- 0/1 forced back
Berdych was 14/23 (61%) at net
Match Report
Good, fast court baseline match. Both players play well and play not dissimilarly of style and Nadal is just a bit better in most areas. Most so on the return and baseline play
Nadal's superiority isn't enough to guarantee a win, but it does put odds of result so going in his favour. The odd game here and there (in fact, at end of all sets) - well played by Nadal or the opposite by Berdych - is what decides matters. Its hard to imagine two more different Wimbledon champions than Nadal and Pete Sampras - but the way sets go comfortably on serve, 'til the end when Nadal snatches a break - is similar to the 7 time champion's modus operandi
Serve & Return
Nadal with just 13 total return errors, while he's aced 13 times too. Having as many return errors as being aced is usually a sign of extremely consistent returning (alternative explanation is returner taking return very early, thus getting aced disproportionately often). Here, the former explanation is at work. Great returning from Nadal, taking ball from regulation position, missing as little as possible and even taking returns early and hitting them attackingly wide occasionally. Returns deep and flat by his standard too. Berdych still wins 58% second serve points, so Nadal's returning isn't decisive by any means. It does shift liklihood of grabbing the break his way though. Very unusually, all his 13 return errors are BHs. Not a single FH return missed (he is aced on that side a couple of times. Berdych serves 15 times to FH and Nadal has 12 FH returns. In general, Nadal is very, very consistent returner off both sides but tends to be more so off BH, with the freer swinging FH rarely mishitting balls out. Not here. And, he returns significantly more attackingly than his norm. His returning in match is closer to a good Novak Djokovic showing than a typical Nadal
This is all against standard, strong Berdych serving display. He's still got good 32% unreturned serves, despite excellent Nadal returning. Second serves are good (as in, not easy to attack, though Nadal manages in moderation) and 0 double faults to go with 13 aces
On other side of the battle, Nadal serves solidly and consistently to BH where he directs 71% serves. Not much difference between first and second serves and about half directed in swing zone. When he needs to, he can find an extra wide serve and directs more out wide than his norm. Serving out wide to BH in ad court in particular is very successful for him. He barely loses a point so doing, and only goes to FH when well up in games on that side. Good serving, more widely placed than his norm but room for improvement for Berdych on the predictable return. He's not the only player to be rendered helpless by this serve of Nadal's. Roger Federer struggled similarly against it in Wimbledon finals '06-'08 - and Nadal's serving strength is stronger here
It was Nadal's second Wimbledon title, he'd won the French Open shortly before and would go onto win US Open shortly afterwards. This is Berdych's only Slam final and he beat Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic among others in route to the final
Nadal won 93 points, Berdych 78
Serve Stats
Nadal...
- 1st serve percentage (62/90) 69%
- 1st serve points won (48/62) 77%
- 2nd serve points won (18/28) 64%
- Aces 5
- Double Faults 3
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (31/90) 34%
Berdych...
- 1st serve percentage (48/81) 59%
- 1st serve points won (35/48) 73%
- 2nd serve points won (19/33) 58%
- Aces 13
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (26/81) 32%
Serve Pattern
Nadal served...
- to FH 26%
- to BH 71%
- to Body 2%
Berdych served...
- to FH 19%
- to BH 75%
- to Body 6%
Return Stats
Nadal made...
- 55 (12 FH, 43 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 13 Errors, comprising...
- 6 Unforced (6 BH)
- 7 Forced (7 BH)
- Return Rate (55/81) 68%
Berdych made...
- 56 (13 FH, 43 BH)
- 26 Errors, comprising...
- 15 Unforced (6 FH, 9 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 11 Forced (4 FH, 7 BH)
- Return Rate (56/87) 64%
Break Points
Nadal 4/6 (4 games)
Berdych 0/4 (2 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding aces)
Nadal 23 (20 FH, 2 BH, 1 BHV)
Berdych 14 (8 FH, 3 FHV, 3 BHV)
Nadal's FHs - 8 cc (4 passes), 1 cc/inside-in, 4 dtl (2 passes), 6 inside-out (1 at net) and 1 cc/longline running-down-drop-shot at net
- BHs - 1 cc pass and 1 dtl
Berdych's FHs - 3 cc, 1 cc/inside-in, 1 dtl and 3 inside-out
Errors (excluding returns and serves)
Nadal 35
- 20 Unforced (13 FH, 7 BH)
- 15 Forced (8 FH, 7 BH)... with 1 BH running-down-drop-shot at net
Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 47
Berdych 39
- 24 Unforced (17 FH, 6 BH, 1 BHV)
- 15 Forced (8 FH, 6 BH, 1 BHV)
Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 46.3
(Note 1: all half-volleys refer to such shots played at net. Half -volleys played from other parts of the court are included within relevant groundstroke counts)
(Note 2: the Unforced Error Forcefulness Index is an indicator of how aggressive the average UE was. The numbers presented for these two matches are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Nadal was...
- 10/12 (83%) at net, with...
- 0/1 forced back
Berdych was 14/23 (61%) at net
Match Report
Good, fast court baseline match. Both players play well and play not dissimilarly of style and Nadal is just a bit better in most areas. Most so on the return and baseline play
Nadal's superiority isn't enough to guarantee a win, but it does put odds of result so going in his favour. The odd game here and there (in fact, at end of all sets) - well played by Nadal or the opposite by Berdych - is what decides matters. Its hard to imagine two more different Wimbledon champions than Nadal and Pete Sampras - but the way sets go comfortably on serve, 'til the end when Nadal snatches a break - is similar to the 7 time champion's modus operandi
Serve & Return
Nadal with just 13 total return errors, while he's aced 13 times too. Having as many return errors as being aced is usually a sign of extremely consistent returning (alternative explanation is returner taking return very early, thus getting aced disproportionately often). Here, the former explanation is at work. Great returning from Nadal, taking ball from regulation position, missing as little as possible and even taking returns early and hitting them attackingly wide occasionally. Returns deep and flat by his standard too. Berdych still wins 58% second serve points, so Nadal's returning isn't decisive by any means. It does shift liklihood of grabbing the break his way though. Very unusually, all his 13 return errors are BHs. Not a single FH return missed (he is aced on that side a couple of times. Berdych serves 15 times to FH and Nadal has 12 FH returns. In general, Nadal is very, very consistent returner off both sides but tends to be more so off BH, with the freer swinging FH rarely mishitting balls out. Not here. And, he returns significantly more attackingly than his norm. His returning in match is closer to a good Novak Djokovic showing than a typical Nadal
This is all against standard, strong Berdych serving display. He's still got good 32% unreturned serves, despite excellent Nadal returning. Second serves are good (as in, not easy to attack, though Nadal manages in moderation) and 0 double faults to go with 13 aces
On other side of the battle, Nadal serves solidly and consistently to BH where he directs 71% serves. Not much difference between first and second serves and about half directed in swing zone. When he needs to, he can find an extra wide serve and directs more out wide than his norm. Serving out wide to BH in ad court in particular is very successful for him. He barely loses a point so doing, and only goes to FH when well up in games on that side. Good serving, more widely placed than his norm but room for improvement for Berdych on the predictable return. He's not the only player to be rendered helpless by this serve of Nadal's. Roger Federer struggled similarly against it in Wimbledon finals '06-'08 - and Nadal's serving strength is stronger here