Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7(3), 9-7 in the French Open semi-final, 2013 on clay
Nadal would go onto beat David Ferrer in the final to claim his record extending 8th title and for the second time, 4th in a row at the event. Djokovic had won the Australian Open earlier in the year and more recently, beaten Nadal in the Monte Carlo final. The two would go onto contest the US Open final later in the year, with Nadal again winning
Nadal won 177 points, Djokovic 158 (including a point penalty)
Serve Stats
Nadal...
- 1st serve percentage (101/159) 64%
- 1st serve points won (73/101) 72%
- 2nd serve points won (35/58) 60%
- Aces 6 (including 1 whiff)
- Double Faults 3
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (33/159) 21%
Djokovic...
- 1st serve percentage (118/175) 67%
- 1st serve points won (76/118) 64%
- 2nd serve points won (30/57) 53%
- Aces 5
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (25/175) 14%
Serve Pattern
Nadal served...
- to FH 45%
- to BH 46%
- to Body 10%
Djokovic served...
- to FH 36%
- to BH 60%
- to Body 3%
Return Stats
Nadal made...
- 148 (66 FH, 82 BH), including 16 runaround FHs
- 1 Winner (1 BH)
- 20 Errors, comprising...
- 11 Unforced (4 FH, 7 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 9 Forced (6 FH, 3 BH)
- Return Rate (148/173) 86%
Djokovic made...
- 123 (71 FH, 52 BH), including 5 runaround FHs
- 5 Winners (4 FH, 1 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 27 Errors, comprising...
- 21 Unforced (9 FH, 12 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 6 Forced (2 FH, 4 BH)
- Return Rate (123/156) 79%
Break Points
Nadal 8/16 (10 games)
Djokovic 5/9 (5 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding aces)
Nadal 52 (35 FH, 13 BH, 2 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)
Djokovic 47 (26 FH, 10 BH, 1 FHV, 6 BHV, 4 OH)
Nadal's FHs - 3 cc (1 pass), 15 dtl (1 at net), 12 inside-out, 1 inside-out/dtl, 2 inside-in, 1 inside-in/cc and 1 longline
- BHs - 8 cc (4 passes - 1 return. 1 non-return was misjudged and left by Djokovic), 1 cc/longline pass, 3 dtl (1 at net) and 1 inside-out
Djokovic's FHs - 3 cc, 9 dtl (4 returns - 1 runaround), 9 inside-out, 2 inside-in, 1 longline, 1 longline/inside-out pass and 1 drop shot
- BHs - 5 cc (1 return, 1 pass at net), 4 dtl and 1 drop shot
- 3 OHs were on the bounce
Errors (excluding returns and serves)
Nadal 83
- 48 Unforced (28 FH, 19 BH, 1 Point Penalty)
- 35 Forced (17 FH, 15 BH, 2 FHV, 1 BHV)... with 1 FH running-down-drop-shot at net and 3 BH running-down-drop-shots at net
Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 46.4*
Djokovic 90
- 71 Unforced (32 FH, 34 BH, 4 OH, 1 Net Touch)... with 1 FH at net
- 19 Forced (10 FH, 8 BH, 1 FHV)… with 1 FH running-down-drop-shot at net and 1 BH at net
Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 47.6*
(Note *: Nadal's 'Point Penalty' UE has been excluded from his UEFI score. Djokovic's 'Net Touch' UE has been marked 'winner attempt' - the shot he played as he touched net)
(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 17/28 (61%) at net, with...
- 2/3 (67%) forced back
Djokovic was 31/48 (65%) at net, including...
- 1/2 serve-volleying, both 1st serves
---
- 0/1 retreated
Match Report
Great and highly competitive match with fortunes fluctuating back and forth throughout. Nadal is remarkably steady - given match length, style of play (heavy baselining), particularly given the surface - and able to turn it up from even than that overwhelming. Djokovic is more patchy and given Nadal's evenness of form, finds himself needing to turn it up a gear to make inroads. Which he does successfully too
It isn't the toughest of the pair's matches. In their encounters at Australian Open 2012 and US Open 2011 among others, neither player gave an inch and every single point seemed to be played as if it were the last by both men. Here, both focus more on their service games and are willing to ease up a bit on select return games or points. This is normal - what they did in Aus '12 and US '11 was abnormal
Thus, match has a relatively high proportion of easy holds. Note both players winning bulk of second serve points (Nadal 60%, Djoko 53%). On clay, this is often a sign of not good defence more than good offence
Overall stats are weighed in Nadal's favour due to third set that he wins 6-1. Remaining 4 sets are competitive - Nadal having better of the first, Djokovic the second and the last 2 virtually even. In fourth set, Nadal is twice up a break and even serves for the match, having gained his breaks mostly via Djokovic's errors. Both times, Djoko answers with a break, mostly via his own strong play. Djoko leads by a break in the fifth and is two holds away from the match at his closest. A famous (or infamous) goof where he touches the net after dispatching an OH on deuce probably costs him the game and match. In context of match, its not too surpising though... Djokovic's smashing is horrendous from start to finish, if there's been a worse demo of OH'ing in pro tennis, I haven't seen it.
Other noteworthy points of play are -
- Nadal hammering BHs
- Djoko's relatively high proneness to missing regulation returns
- Djoko's attacking play not being as strong as needed to overwhelm Nadal
Immediate Background of Playing Dynamics
The two are no strangers to playing on clay or in Paris - now, then or ever
Since 2006, they've met at least once on clay all but 1 year and usually more. And they've met more times in Paris (7) than any pair of players have met at any Slam
Around this period, prospects around their clay matches were about even. Djokovic was usually more proactive and apt to step in court and look to blast Nadal away or at least, beat him down
Djoko liked to use persistent FH cc's to break/beat down Nadal BH, while looking for FH dtl point finishers from that staple
More aggressively still, Djoko looked to attack Nadal's FH wing, especially with FH inside-outs and also, BH cc
Though the offense took the eye, Djoko's defense when called upon was as good as you could ask for too
Nadal generally was reactive. On BH, he looked to hold firm and have Djoko hit himself out going for more and more
With FH, he occasionally stepped up to contest command of point and when he got it, ran Djoko around with combinations of FH cc, inside-in and inside-out - the last being his favoured point finisher
He was often relegated to defending, scampering best he could and putting, or trying to put balls in play off back foot
Nadal would go onto beat David Ferrer in the final to claim his record extending 8th title and for the second time, 4th in a row at the event. Djokovic had won the Australian Open earlier in the year and more recently, beaten Nadal in the Monte Carlo final. The two would go onto contest the US Open final later in the year, with Nadal again winning
Nadal won 177 points, Djokovic 158 (including a point penalty)
Serve Stats
Nadal...
- 1st serve percentage (101/159) 64%
- 1st serve points won (73/101) 72%
- 2nd serve points won (35/58) 60%
- Aces 6 (including 1 whiff)
- Double Faults 3
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (33/159) 21%
Djokovic...
- 1st serve percentage (118/175) 67%
- 1st serve points won (76/118) 64%
- 2nd serve points won (30/57) 53%
- Aces 5
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (25/175) 14%
Serve Pattern
Nadal served...
- to FH 45%
- to BH 46%
- to Body 10%
Djokovic served...
- to FH 36%
- to BH 60%
- to Body 3%
Return Stats
Nadal made...
- 148 (66 FH, 82 BH), including 16 runaround FHs
- 1 Winner (1 BH)
- 20 Errors, comprising...
- 11 Unforced (4 FH, 7 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 9 Forced (6 FH, 3 BH)
- Return Rate (148/173) 86%
Djokovic made...
- 123 (71 FH, 52 BH), including 5 runaround FHs
- 5 Winners (4 FH, 1 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 27 Errors, comprising...
- 21 Unforced (9 FH, 12 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 6 Forced (2 FH, 4 BH)
- Return Rate (123/156) 79%
Break Points
Nadal 8/16 (10 games)
Djokovic 5/9 (5 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding aces)
Nadal 52 (35 FH, 13 BH, 2 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)
Djokovic 47 (26 FH, 10 BH, 1 FHV, 6 BHV, 4 OH)
Nadal's FHs - 3 cc (1 pass), 15 dtl (1 at net), 12 inside-out, 1 inside-out/dtl, 2 inside-in, 1 inside-in/cc and 1 longline
- BHs - 8 cc (4 passes - 1 return. 1 non-return was misjudged and left by Djokovic), 1 cc/longline pass, 3 dtl (1 at net) and 1 inside-out
Djokovic's FHs - 3 cc, 9 dtl (4 returns - 1 runaround), 9 inside-out, 2 inside-in, 1 longline, 1 longline/inside-out pass and 1 drop shot
- BHs - 5 cc (1 return, 1 pass at net), 4 dtl and 1 drop shot
- 3 OHs were on the bounce
Errors (excluding returns and serves)
Nadal 83
- 48 Unforced (28 FH, 19 BH, 1 Point Penalty)
- 35 Forced (17 FH, 15 BH, 2 FHV, 1 BHV)... with 1 FH running-down-drop-shot at net and 3 BH running-down-drop-shots at net
Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 46.4*
Djokovic 90
- 71 Unforced (32 FH, 34 BH, 4 OH, 1 Net Touch)... with 1 FH at net
- 19 Forced (10 FH, 8 BH, 1 FHV)… with 1 FH running-down-drop-shot at net and 1 BH at net
Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 47.6*
(Note *: Nadal's 'Point Penalty' UE has been excluded from his UEFI score. Djokovic's 'Net Touch' UE has been marked 'winner attempt' - the shot he played as he touched net)
(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 17/28 (61%) at net, with...
- 2/3 (67%) forced back
Djokovic was 31/48 (65%) at net, including...
- 1/2 serve-volleying, both 1st serves
---
- 0/1 retreated
Match Report
Great and highly competitive match with fortunes fluctuating back and forth throughout. Nadal is remarkably steady - given match length, style of play (heavy baselining), particularly given the surface - and able to turn it up from even than that overwhelming. Djokovic is more patchy and given Nadal's evenness of form, finds himself needing to turn it up a gear to make inroads. Which he does successfully too
It isn't the toughest of the pair's matches. In their encounters at Australian Open 2012 and US Open 2011 among others, neither player gave an inch and every single point seemed to be played as if it were the last by both men. Here, both focus more on their service games and are willing to ease up a bit on select return games or points. This is normal - what they did in Aus '12 and US '11 was abnormal
Thus, match has a relatively high proportion of easy holds. Note both players winning bulk of second serve points (Nadal 60%, Djoko 53%). On clay, this is often a sign of not good defence more than good offence
Overall stats are weighed in Nadal's favour due to third set that he wins 6-1. Remaining 4 sets are competitive - Nadal having better of the first, Djokovic the second and the last 2 virtually even. In fourth set, Nadal is twice up a break and even serves for the match, having gained his breaks mostly via Djokovic's errors. Both times, Djoko answers with a break, mostly via his own strong play. Djoko leads by a break in the fifth and is two holds away from the match at his closest. A famous (or infamous) goof where he touches the net after dispatching an OH on deuce probably costs him the game and match. In context of match, its not too surpising though... Djokovic's smashing is horrendous from start to finish, if there's been a worse demo of OH'ing in pro tennis, I haven't seen it.
Other noteworthy points of play are -
- Nadal hammering BHs
- Djoko's relatively high proneness to missing regulation returns
- Djoko's attacking play not being as strong as needed to overwhelm Nadal
Immediate Background of Playing Dynamics
The two are no strangers to playing on clay or in Paris - now, then or ever
Since 2006, they've met at least once on clay all but 1 year and usually more. And they've met more times in Paris (7) than any pair of players have met at any Slam
Around this period, prospects around their clay matches were about even. Djokovic was usually more proactive and apt to step in court and look to blast Nadal away or at least, beat him down
Djoko liked to use persistent FH cc's to break/beat down Nadal BH, while looking for FH dtl point finishers from that staple
More aggressively still, Djoko looked to attack Nadal's FH wing, especially with FH inside-outs and also, BH cc
Though the offense took the eye, Djoko's defense when called upon was as good as you could ask for too
Nadal generally was reactive. On BH, he looked to hold firm and have Djoko hit himself out going for more and more
With FH, he occasionally stepped up to contest command of point and when he got it, ran Djoko around with combinations of FH cc, inside-in and inside-out - the last being his favoured point finisher
He was often relegated to defending, scampering best he could and putting, or trying to put balls in play off back foot