John Newcombe beat Jimmy Connors 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(7) in the Australian Open final, 1975 on grass
It was Newcombe's second Australian Open title and the last of his 5 Open Era Slam titles. Connors was the defending champion, having entered the event for the first time the previous year. He would never enter again
Newcombe won 139 points, Connors 135
Newcombe serve-volleyed off all serves, Connors the majority of first serves and occasionally off seconds
{Note: I'm missing the beginning (serve type, direction, return type and serve-volley info) of 1 Connors point. The latter has been marked a net point but not serve-volley for Connors
Missing partial - Set 4, Game 8, Point 1}
Serve Stats
Newcombe...
- 1st serve percentage (84/135) 62%
- 1st serve points won (67/84) 80%
- 2nd serve points won (23/51) 45%
- Aces 17, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 7
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (44/135) 33%
Connors...
- 1st serve percentage (98/139) 71%
- 1st serve points won (63/98) 64%
- 2nd serve points won (27/41) 66%
- Unknown serve point (0/1)
- Aces 4, Service Winners 2 (1 second serve)
- Double Faults 1
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (39/140) 28%
Serve Patterns
Newcombe served...
- to FH 23%
- to BH 74%
- to Body 2%
Connors served...
- to FH 24%
- to BH 63%
- to Body 13%
Return Stats
Newcombe made...
- 101 (34 FH, 66 BH, 1 ??), including 4 runaround FHs & 1 return-approach
- 8 Winners (3 FH, 5 BH)
- 33 Errors, comprising...
- 4 Unforced (1 FH, 3 BH), including 1 return-approach attempt
- 29 Forced (7 FH, 22 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- Return Rate (101/140) 72%
Connors made...
- 84 (16 FH, 68 BH)
- 8 Winners (1 FH, 7 BH)
- 26 Errors, all forced...
- 26 Forced (7 FH, 19 BH)
- Return Rate (84/128) 66%
Break Points
Newcombe 4/7 (6 games)
Connors 3/10 (4 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Newcombe 35 (7 FH, 6 BH, 10 FHV, 6 BHV, 6 OH)
Connors 44 (2 FH, 15 BH, 11 FHV, 10 BHV, 6 OH)
Newcombe had 19 from serve-volley points
- 11 first 'volleys' (5 FHV, 5 BHV, 1 FH at net)… 1 FHV was a net chord dribbler
- 6 second shots (2 FHV, 3 OH, 1 FH cc)… 1 OH was on bounce from no man's land and FH cc was hit while retreating. Both have been marked forced back points
- 1 third volley (1 OH)
- 1 forced back shot (1 OH), hit from the baseline
- 1 BHV from a return-approach point
- 1 OH was a drop shot
- 8 returns (3 FH, 5 BH)
- FHs - 1 cc pass and 2 inside-in (1 pass)… the non-pass inside-in was against a non-approach, would-be 'delayed' serve-volley
- BHs (all passes) - 3 cc, 1 dtl and 1 inside-out
- 3 regular passes (2 FH, 1 BH)
- FHs - 1 cc and 1 lob
- BH - 1 dtl
Connors had 23 from serve-volley points
- 13 first 'volleys' (4 FHV, 8 BHV, 1 BH at net)
- 9 second volleys (5 FHV, 1 BHV, 3 OH)
- 1 fourth volley (1 OH)… a drop shot
- 1 other OH cc, gently struck at a sharp angle that can reasonably be called a drop shot
-8 returns, all passes (1 FH, 7 BH)
- FH - 1 inside-out
- BHs - 2 cc, 3 dtl and 2 inside-in
- 7 regular passes (1 FH, 6 BH)
- FH - 1 cc
- BHs - 3 cc, 1 dtl, 1 longline and 1 lob
- 1 BH at net chord dribbler
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Newcombe 45
- 12 Unforced (2 FH, 1 BH, 5 FHV, 4 BHV)
- 33 Forced (10 FH, 9 BH, 9 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 4 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 50.8
Connors 60
- 20 Unforced (11 FH, 1 BH, 5 FHV, 1 BHV, 2 OH)… including 1 FH at net, 1 OH from baseline and 3 approach attemtps
- 40 Forced (15 FH, 19 BH, 3 FHV, 2 BH1/2V, 1 Over Shoulder)…. including 2 BH at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index
(Note 1: All 1/2 volleys refer to such shots played at net. 1/2 volleys played from other parts of the court are included within relevant groundstroke numbers)
(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
Newcombe was...
- 81/121 (67%) at net, including...
- 72/110 (65%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 49/66 (74%) off 1st serve and...
- 23/44 (52%) off 2nd serve
---
- 1/1 return-approaching
- 3/5 (60%) forced back/retreated
Connors was...
- 71/105 (71%) at net, including...
- 57/84 (68%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 48/73 (66%) off 1st serve and..
- 9/11 (82%) off 2nd serve
--
- 1/10 (10%) forced back/retreated
Match Report
A very good match with some unusual tactics from Newcombe. Like many grass matches, it comes down to a point here, a point there and who-plays-the-important-points better plus a quixotic gesture from the loser
Essentially, the match is a volleyer vs passer affair. Newcombe serve-volleys off all serves. Connors stays back on some first serves and most seconds, but usually comes in early when he does. Overwhelming bulk of points are with 1 server at net and returner on baseline. Action can be depicted as (great server/great volleyer vs great returner/ great passer) vs (good server/good volleyer vs good returner/good passer)… the former referring to Newcombe at net, Connors on baseline and the latter Connors at net, Newcombe on baseline. Newcombe's extreme lob centered passing strategy is the standout feature that distinguishes action from other matches of the same basic type
Before getting to the action, lets get a couple of side issues out of the way
Connors' Attitude
I don't think Jimmy Connors took this match - and probably, the tournament - with his customary professional seriousness
He's joking and laughing and light heartedly interacting with the crowd and his opponent throughout the match. Including at the most critical junctures like when Newcombe serves for the match or in the deciding tiebreak. Commentators say more than once that Connors has and has won many friends/fans in Australia, especially on this trip... they make this comment both early and late in the match. This suggests that he played the whole tournament in this fashion, not just the finals
I've seen Connors play an exhibition with Bjorn Borg in 1982 in America and another in Japan, as well as what was very likely seen as an exhibition tournament in Boca Raton '77. In 2 of those matches, he had moments of lightness... but nothing close to how he conducts himself here. He also jokes a bit in '84 La Quinta final against Yannick Noah and in his US Open matches with Andre Agassi in '88 and '89. The Noah match was not a very big tournament and his relaxed way in the Agassi matches were used to waste time and/or when the match was good as over... and those aren't a fraction of what he shows here either
After the match, he speaks - and is referring to a piece of paper as he does so. He's full of praise for everything and everyone, like a diplomat. Calls the Australian Open 1 of the 4 biggest tournaments in the world.
He never played there again. And a few years later, took what can readily be interpreted as a veiled swipe at the tournament in reference to what he'd do to keep rival Bjorn Borg from completing a Grand Slam
Connors plays well. There's no need to think a more serious demeanour would have improved his play. Presumably, he played more seriously later in the year at Wimbledon and US Open - and was beaten in the finals far more convincingly than here. His attitude might even have helped his play
Still, worth noting. He does not appear to be taking this match too seriously. Almost as if coming across as a nice guy is more important to him than playing as hard as he can. Near 15 years later, he'd be on the other end, when Andre Agassi bent over backwards to try to be nice while playing a by then extremely popular Connors in US Open. Here, Newcombe goes his own way, serious and normal of face, amidst Connors' overdone niceness. A niceness that leads to...
Throwing a point and getting broken
With the match evenly poised at 1 set all and on serve, Connors is up 40-15. Two of the points he won were with unreturned serves that Newcombe somewhat irritably reacted to, feeling they had been faults. The crowd pick up on Newk's reaction and express their disapproval too
Connors responds by throwing away a point with an intentional double fault. And goes on to get broken. And goes onto lose the set, one break down
The first unreturned serve was very near the line, no telling if it was out or in for certain. There are at least half a dozen similar calls in this match and most others. The second is an ace and Newcombe holds his hands 6 inches apart to indicate where the ball had landed relative to the line. He's right. That's about how far inside the line the ball was - the ball is a clear ace
Connors throwing a point is in line with his overly eager to please conduct throughout the match. I think its more bone-headed than sporting
To his credit, I've never seen Connors himself accept charity of this sort. He clearly declined and more or less did so in similar situations when he was in Newcombe's position in matches against Henri Leconte and Andre Agassi in future matches
It was Newcombe's second Australian Open title and the last of his 5 Open Era Slam titles. Connors was the defending champion, having entered the event for the first time the previous year. He would never enter again
Newcombe won 139 points, Connors 135
Newcombe serve-volleyed off all serves, Connors the majority of first serves and occasionally off seconds
{Note: I'm missing the beginning (serve type, direction, return type and serve-volley info) of 1 Connors point. The latter has been marked a net point but not serve-volley for Connors
Missing partial - Set 4, Game 8, Point 1}
Serve Stats
Newcombe...
- 1st serve percentage (84/135) 62%
- 1st serve points won (67/84) 80%
- 2nd serve points won (23/51) 45%
- Aces 17, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 7
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (44/135) 33%
Connors...
- 1st serve percentage (98/139) 71%
- 1st serve points won (63/98) 64%
- 2nd serve points won (27/41) 66%
- Unknown serve point (0/1)
- Aces 4, Service Winners 2 (1 second serve)
- Double Faults 1
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (39/140) 28%
Serve Patterns
Newcombe served...
- to FH 23%
- to BH 74%
- to Body 2%
Connors served...
- to FH 24%
- to BH 63%
- to Body 13%
Return Stats
Newcombe made...
- 101 (34 FH, 66 BH, 1 ??), including 4 runaround FHs & 1 return-approach
- 8 Winners (3 FH, 5 BH)
- 33 Errors, comprising...
- 4 Unforced (1 FH, 3 BH), including 1 return-approach attempt
- 29 Forced (7 FH, 22 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- Return Rate (101/140) 72%
Connors made...
- 84 (16 FH, 68 BH)
- 8 Winners (1 FH, 7 BH)
- 26 Errors, all forced...
- 26 Forced (7 FH, 19 BH)
- Return Rate (84/128) 66%
Break Points
Newcombe 4/7 (6 games)
Connors 3/10 (4 games)
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Newcombe 35 (7 FH, 6 BH, 10 FHV, 6 BHV, 6 OH)
Connors 44 (2 FH, 15 BH, 11 FHV, 10 BHV, 6 OH)
Newcombe had 19 from serve-volley points
- 11 first 'volleys' (5 FHV, 5 BHV, 1 FH at net)… 1 FHV was a net chord dribbler
- 6 second shots (2 FHV, 3 OH, 1 FH cc)… 1 OH was on bounce from no man's land and FH cc was hit while retreating. Both have been marked forced back points
- 1 third volley (1 OH)
- 1 forced back shot (1 OH), hit from the baseline
- 1 BHV from a return-approach point
- 1 OH was a drop shot
- 8 returns (3 FH, 5 BH)
- FHs - 1 cc pass and 2 inside-in (1 pass)… the non-pass inside-in was against a non-approach, would-be 'delayed' serve-volley
- BHs (all passes) - 3 cc, 1 dtl and 1 inside-out
- 3 regular passes (2 FH, 1 BH)
- FHs - 1 cc and 1 lob
- BH - 1 dtl
Connors had 23 from serve-volley points
- 13 first 'volleys' (4 FHV, 8 BHV, 1 BH at net)
- 9 second volleys (5 FHV, 1 BHV, 3 OH)
- 1 fourth volley (1 OH)… a drop shot
- 1 other OH cc, gently struck at a sharp angle that can reasonably be called a drop shot
-8 returns, all passes (1 FH, 7 BH)
- FH - 1 inside-out
- BHs - 2 cc, 3 dtl and 2 inside-in
- 7 regular passes (1 FH, 6 BH)
- FH - 1 cc
- BHs - 3 cc, 1 dtl, 1 longline and 1 lob
- 1 BH at net chord dribbler
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Newcombe 45
- 12 Unforced (2 FH, 1 BH, 5 FHV, 4 BHV)
- 33 Forced (10 FH, 9 BH, 9 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 4 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 50.8
Connors 60
- 20 Unforced (11 FH, 1 BH, 5 FHV, 1 BHV, 2 OH)… including 1 FH at net, 1 OH from baseline and 3 approach attemtps
- 40 Forced (15 FH, 19 BH, 3 FHV, 2 BH1/2V, 1 Over Shoulder)…. including 2 BH at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index
(Note 1: All 1/2 volleys refer to such shots played at net. 1/2 volleys played from other parts of the court are included within relevant groundstroke numbers)
(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
Newcombe was...
- 81/121 (67%) at net, including...
- 72/110 (65%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 49/66 (74%) off 1st serve and...
- 23/44 (52%) off 2nd serve
---
- 1/1 return-approaching
- 3/5 (60%) forced back/retreated
Connors was...
- 71/105 (71%) at net, including...
- 57/84 (68%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 48/73 (66%) off 1st serve and..
- 9/11 (82%) off 2nd serve
--
- 1/10 (10%) forced back/retreated
Match Report
A very good match with some unusual tactics from Newcombe. Like many grass matches, it comes down to a point here, a point there and who-plays-the-important-points better plus a quixotic gesture from the loser
Essentially, the match is a volleyer vs passer affair. Newcombe serve-volleys off all serves. Connors stays back on some first serves and most seconds, but usually comes in early when he does. Overwhelming bulk of points are with 1 server at net and returner on baseline. Action can be depicted as (great server/great volleyer vs great returner/ great passer) vs (good server/good volleyer vs good returner/good passer)… the former referring to Newcombe at net, Connors on baseline and the latter Connors at net, Newcombe on baseline. Newcombe's extreme lob centered passing strategy is the standout feature that distinguishes action from other matches of the same basic type
Before getting to the action, lets get a couple of side issues out of the way
Connors' Attitude
I don't think Jimmy Connors took this match - and probably, the tournament - with his customary professional seriousness
He's joking and laughing and light heartedly interacting with the crowd and his opponent throughout the match. Including at the most critical junctures like when Newcombe serves for the match or in the deciding tiebreak. Commentators say more than once that Connors has and has won many friends/fans in Australia, especially on this trip... they make this comment both early and late in the match. This suggests that he played the whole tournament in this fashion, not just the finals
I've seen Connors play an exhibition with Bjorn Borg in 1982 in America and another in Japan, as well as what was very likely seen as an exhibition tournament in Boca Raton '77. In 2 of those matches, he had moments of lightness... but nothing close to how he conducts himself here. He also jokes a bit in '84 La Quinta final against Yannick Noah and in his US Open matches with Andre Agassi in '88 and '89. The Noah match was not a very big tournament and his relaxed way in the Agassi matches were used to waste time and/or when the match was good as over... and those aren't a fraction of what he shows here either
After the match, he speaks - and is referring to a piece of paper as he does so. He's full of praise for everything and everyone, like a diplomat. Calls the Australian Open 1 of the 4 biggest tournaments in the world.
He never played there again. And a few years later, took what can readily be interpreted as a veiled swipe at the tournament in reference to what he'd do to keep rival Bjorn Borg from completing a Grand Slam
Connors plays well. There's no need to think a more serious demeanour would have improved his play. Presumably, he played more seriously later in the year at Wimbledon and US Open - and was beaten in the finals far more convincingly than here. His attitude might even have helped his play
Still, worth noting. He does not appear to be taking this match too seriously. Almost as if coming across as a nice guy is more important to him than playing as hard as he can. Near 15 years later, he'd be on the other end, when Andre Agassi bent over backwards to try to be nice while playing a by then extremely popular Connors in US Open. Here, Newcombe goes his own way, serious and normal of face, amidst Connors' overdone niceness. A niceness that leads to...
Throwing a point and getting broken
With the match evenly poised at 1 set all and on serve, Connors is up 40-15. Two of the points he won were with unreturned serves that Newcombe somewhat irritably reacted to, feeling they had been faults. The crowd pick up on Newk's reaction and express their disapproval too
Connors responds by throwing away a point with an intentional double fault. And goes on to get broken. And goes onto lose the set, one break down
The first unreturned serve was very near the line, no telling if it was out or in for certain. There are at least half a dozen similar calls in this match and most others. The second is an ace and Newcombe holds his hands 6 inches apart to indicate where the ball had landed relative to the line. He's right. That's about how far inside the line the ball was - the ball is a clear ace
Connors throwing a point is in line with his overly eager to please conduct throughout the match. I think its more bone-headed than sporting
To his credit, I've never seen Connors himself accept charity of this sort. He clearly declined and more or less did so in similar situations when he was in Newcombe's position in matches against Henri Leconte and Andre Agassi in future matches
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