Match Stats/Report - Pioline vs Hrbaty, Monte Carlo final, 2000

[Waspsting]

Cedric Pioline beat Dominik Hrbaty 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(6) in the Monte Carlo final, 2000 on clay

It would be Pioline’s only Masters title. He’d previously been runner up in 1993 and 1998. It was unseeded Hrbaty’s first Masters final and he beat among others top seed Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Alex Corretja and Gaston Gaudio en route to the final

Pioline won 130 points, Hrbaty 110

Pioline serve-volleyed close to half the time off first serves

Serve Stats
Pioline...
- 1st serve percentage (60/127) 47%
- 1st serve points won (47/60) 78%
- 2nd serve points won (34/67) 51%
- Aces 12
- Double Faults 5
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (41/127) 32%

Hrbaty..
- 1st serve percentage (57/113) 50%
- 1st serve points won (42/57) 74%
- 2nd serve points won (22/56) 39%
- Aces 7 (1 second serve)
- Double Faults 7
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (25/113) 22%

Serve Patterns
Pioline served...
- to FH 35%
- to BH 53%
- to Body 11%

Hrbaty served...
- to FH 31%
- to BH 65%
- to Body 4%

Return Stats
Pioline made...
- 81 (38 FH, 43 BH), including 14 runaround FHs & 7 return-approaches
- 4 Winners (3 FH, 1 BH), including 2 runaround FHs
- 18 Errors, comprising...
- 12 Unforced (7 FH, 5 BH), including 4 runaround FHs & 1 return-approach attempt
- 6 Forced (4 FH, 2 BH)
- Return Rate (81/106) 76%

Hrbaty made...
- 81 (30 FH, 51 BH), including 6 runaround FHs & 1 runaround BH
- 3 Winners (1 FH, 2 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 29 Errors, comprising...
- 15 Unforced (9 FH, 6 BH)
- 14 Forced (6 FH, 8 BH)
- Return Rate (81/122) 66%

Break Points
Pioline 4/8 (6 games)
Hrbaty 3/10 (5 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Pioline 27 (7 FH, 7 BH, 7 FHV, 2 BHV, 4 OH)
Hrbaty 30 (13 FH, 10 BH, 4 FHV, 2 BHV, 1 OH)

Pioline's FHs - 1 cc pass, 1 runaround FH return dtl/inside-out, 1 runaround FH return longline (dtl), 1 inside-out/dtl, 1 inside-in return, 1 longline at net, 1 net chord dribbler
- BHs - 1 cc pass, 3 dtl (2 passes), 1 inside-out return, 1 drop shot

- 8 from serve-volley points -
- 6 first 'volleys' (3 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH, 1 BH at net)
- 2 second volleys (1 FHV, 1 OH)

- 1 from return-approach points (1 FHV, 1 OH)
- 1 other OH was on the bounce

Hrbaty's FHs - 4 cc (1 runaround return), 1 dtl pass, 6 inside-out, 1 inside-out/dtl, 1 longline
- BHs - 3 cc (2 passes - 1 return), 3 dtl (2 passes - 1 return), 2 dtl/inside-out, 1 longline pass, 1 net chord dribbler

- 1 BHV was a swinging longline, non-net pass

Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Pioline 50
- 36 Unforced (14 FH, 21 BH, 1 FHV)... with 1 BH at net
- 14 Forced (7 FH, 5 BH, 1 BHV, 1 BH1/2V)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 44.4

Hrbaty 55
- 33 Unforced (15 FH, 16 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV)
- 22 Forced (12 FH, 7 BH, 1 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 1 BHV)... with 1 FH running-down-drop-shot at net, 3 BH running-down-drop-shot at net & 1 baseline BHV (a pass attempt)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 43.9

(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 are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)

Net Points & Serve-Volley
Pioline was...
- 40/52 (77%) at net, including...
- 25/30 (83%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 18/20 (90%) off 1st serve and...
- 7/10 (70%) off 2nd serve
---
- 5/7 (71%) return-approaching

Hrbaty was 11/24 (46%) at net

Match Report
Pioline’s serve-volleying and net play puts him over a fitness handicap to finish up in straight sets in a match that’s closer than it looks; for most of third set, Hrbaty looks at least as likely to take the match as not, with his opponent physically weakening and down a break

Having broken to start the third set, Hrbaty eventually comes to serve for it. And is unable to, with a somewhat desperate Pioline bringing out chip-charge returns to change his fortunes

Having squared at 5-5, Pioline endures a 24 point hold, saving 4 break points and seemingly more tired than ever (he’s been showing signs of weakening from late second set)
Prospects in ‘breaker would favour Hrbaty, in line with trend of the set. Its close to last fumes effort from Pioline to see it through. Set goes other way, Hrbaty starts 4th set favourite

There’s considerable ‘gamesmanship’ or at least, rule-bending near the end in Pioline’s pace of play. He must be taking 40 seconds or more between points, regularly delaying further by bailing on the ball toss. Including on second serves. Not a small amount of delaying return points either

All match, Hrbaty is quick between points. Quick enough to be uncomfy for reasonable paced player, without it being a big deal. Pioline as returner plays to his pace in accepted fashion for 2 sets but starts holding up more and more as third set wears on

Hrbaty would be well within his rights to ask the Chair to ask opponent to play at proper pace, and Chair left to himself, simply overlooks the whole matter. Hrbaty doesn’t appear to have any issue with it either and allows Pioline to dictate pace of play. Its bordering on unfair, and allows Pioline to mitigate effects of his failing stamina. Its cold, overcast day. Fans are bundled up in layers and its drizzling for parts of the match

The action itself isn’t as good as the stats that have come out of it
Stats are first rate. Pioline 27 winners, forcing 22 errors, 36 UEs. Hrbaty 30 winners, 33 UEs and forcing 14 errors

What makes action not as impressive as those numbers?

For starters, sloppiness of ground errors. In first two sets in particular, both players are prone to just missing routine groundstrokes in regulation rallies. Kind of misses that would be surprising in good clay court match become so common that its expected. One gets the impression that someone like Muster would roughly wreck players like this

Second, the lack of defensive vigour. Both players pretty bad on the sliding ‘get’. Even average paced shots that are wide enough to need a slide to reach tend to draw errors.

If general high quality clay action elicits a response of ‘what does it take to end a point against these guys?’, bulk of this match is the opposite of that

Finally, there’s some choking from Hrbaty near the end, especially in his inability to return-pass effectively. Nature of serve-volleying is such that credit tends to go to the server (rather than discredit to returner) when its successful. Pioline executes very nicely - but not winning 83% of 30 points nicely. That’s not ‘nicely’, that’s ‘obscenely’ - and a discredit to Hrbaty’s counter. Especially at the end, when a down-to-fumes Pioline becomes predictable with it, including behind very normal, thrashable second serves. Including in the final tiebreak

Pioline’s serve-volleying is the big difference in the match
He wins 25/30 so doing - 18/20 off first serve, 7/10 behind seconds
He’s also 5/7 return-approaching, most of it chip-charging at the end of the match

Wonderful figures and he volleys beautifully, behind a good first serve at least. The quality of his volleying is in placing and punching and dropping and putting away routine or simple volleys. The rarity with which he’s tasked with difficult volleys is more discredit to Hrbaty. Simply on percentage grounds, disappointing showing to not make Pioline’s life harder at net

For most of match, sloppiness and lack of defensive gusto pervade baseline action. Its same for both players, so things stay competitive. From end of second set to the end when Pioline is tiring, Hrbaty gains hitting advantage and controls and leads rallies more. Prior to that, he’s insignificantly harder hitter. Overall, Hrbaty getting better of baseline rallies, biased by weak last third from tiring Pioline

And Pioline with genuinely strong and better serve to give himself a head start going into court action

Serve & Return
Pioline serves better (more damaging), Pioline returns better (more damaging and more consistent). Hrbaty on the return also has to cope with serve-volleying opponent, which he’s very ordinary at

Both payers dishing out poor in counts (Pioline 47%, Hrbaty 50%). Might be worth it if winning high lot of first serve points and even more so, gaining a lot of freebies with first serve

First serve ace rate - Pioline 20%, Hrbaty 11%
Even 11% is pretty good for clay and Pioline’s is outstanding figure. Those rates good indicator of relative strength of serves. Pioline mixes up paces so his all-in serves are startlingly fast

High first serve points won (Pioline 78%, Hrbaty 74%) is bit deceptive for the latter. Hrbaty’s figure gets better and better as Pioline tires more and more, though at least, it always works the way first serves are supposed to (give server advantage for upcoming rally). Its an above average first serve. Pioline’s is genuinely strong and varied, in line with high ace count

Pioline with some successful, damaging second returning. All his 4 return winners are with Hrbaty on baseline. Willing to step in, runaround and launch into FHs. 2 are runaround FHs. Later on, he turns to chip-charging, but that’s more desperate as he’s tiring. Pioline also returning first serves with more authority, which here, just means ‘not leaving as good an initiative as Hrbaty does’

Hrbaty has to return both against on-baseline and serve-volleying opponent

Almost never presents Pioline with tough first volley, even against second serves. The extent to which he can’t do against first serves falls beyond ‘could-do-better’ and into negative territory

 

[Waspsting]

He’s got 3 return winners. 2 are passes, and if you can’t hit winners against those particular gentle second serves, you can’t hit them against anything. Dolly second serves in the 24 point game that are begging to be smacked away. He misses returns against similar calibre serves too. Even if not knocking those wide for winners, blasting them down low would be par return, especially since they lack surprise element at that stage

The non-pass is also against tiring Pioline at end and more product of him not being able to move for a ball that at start of match, would be less likely to draw an error than otherwise let alone go for winner

Unreturned rates - Pioline 32%, Hrbaty 22%, with Pioline’s figure bolstered by effects of serve-volleying. That factor wouldn’t cover that big a difference. And there’s near zero back-cutting effect of Hrbaty striking winning returns

Hrbaty also double faulting more often (13% to 7% of second serves)

Gist - Pioline with better more, damaging serve and it’s a genuinely good one, Pioline returning better both for being damaging and getting returns in play
He wins 18 more points via unreturned serves and doubles, and he wins 20 more points in the match overall, so could say serve-return is main result determinant

Play - Baseline & Net
Action can be divided into two parts: Pioline’s serve-volleying (and return-approaching) and points starting on baseline

Pioline serve-volleys 42% of the time off first serves, 58% not (excluding the 20% aces)
Wins 90% serve-volleying, 61% not
Off second serve, serve-volleys 16% of the time, 84% not (excluding 7% double faults)
Wins 70% serve-volleying, 52% not

In all, winning 83% serve-volley points. Clearly, a raging success. So much so, would think he’s wasted his time staying back at all, especially off first serves, where he wins 18/20

His frequency isn’t uniform. In first set, just a couple of serve-volleys of either serve. By end, he’s serve-volleying off almost all first serves and most seconds
Role of serve gets weaker as match goes on, though firsts remain solidly strong at the end

In words, he’s just shy of perfect serve-volleying.
On the ‘volley’, Pioline has 14 winners, 2 UEs, 2 FEs
Hrbaty on the pass has 2 return and 4 regular winners, along with 15 regular FEs
(That’s for all Pioline net points, not just serve-volley)

Great for him, bad for Hrbaty is outcome. Cause of it is tilted towards discredit to Hrbaty, particularly with the return, though Pioline’s net game is excellent

Serve-volleying, Pioline rarely has a make a difficult first volley. Some are putaway well above net, slightly under net at average pace is the hardest stuff he faces. Virtually nothing troublingly wide or low or even powerful

Very neat, efficient and controlled volleying from Pioline. Low UEs, doesn’t face much that could be an FE, placing volleys excellently, putting away whatever’s there to
Bad-return passing from Hrbaty. There’s no other way to say it. Just as percentage, would expect to get a few challenging returns off, but next to none. To win points, he’d need Pioline to mess up on volley, which doesn’t happen
Near end, there’s no surprise element to help the serve-volleys and Pioline’s second serve is on weak side. Hrbaty strikes couple of begging-for-it return-pass winners and misses the return against similar calibre serves

Pioline’s also 5/7 return-approaching. Makes a quick dash to net after couple strong return early on. Rest are chip-charges that he brings out late in the match. The play gets him a break with Hrbaty serving for the third set. That does have surprise element going for it and they’re good returns. That’s a ‘could-do-better’ against Hrbaty, but anything can happen over 2-3 points. Its good move by Pioline, though not a difficult idea to have given how dominant he is at net all match

In baseline rallies -
Return Winners - Pioline 4, Hrbaty 1
Winners - Pioline 4, Hrbaty 16
Errors forced - Pioline 5, Hrbaty 7
UEs - Pioline 34 (14 FH, 20 BH), Hrbaty 31 (15 FH, 16 BH)

Hrbaty being better in all ways is deceptive in that its weighed towards the end, when stamina trouble for opponent sees him move ahead. Most of which, his advantage is slight
When both players are fresh, Hrbaty hits a little harder, tends to play closer to baseline
He gets few more weak returns to commandingly start rallies (which corresponds to Pioline’s better servers drawing errors), which gives him a few more chances to hit winners and force errors

Still, that gap in winners is too large to ignore. And 1 of Pioline’s is a net chord dribbler. It’s a good move from him to look for choice aggressive second returns. He’s got as many winners from those as all his underway-rally ones - and that’s including the fluke net chord dribbler

Early on, Pioline hangs on for being more consistent. Neither player is particularly, both give up simple, routine errors to extent that it ceases to come as surprise. Its pretty sloppy stuff, but noting that when fresh, Pioline is less sloppy than Hrbaty

Error types very similar - both with 24 neutral UEs, both with 4 winner attempt UEs
Pioline has 8 attacking UEs, Hrbaty 5
(includes all shots, not just baseline rallies)

As Pioline tires, he falls back more, slices more, hits more weakly. Hrbaty correspondingly steps in, gains hitting advantage and also shaves back his errors. Then its genuine, Hrbaty leading/Pioline counter-punching dynamic (as opposed to neutral rallying, with Hrbaty slightly leading earlier), and Hrbaty dominates baseline action

Rallying to net is important piece of the whole - Pioline 10/15, Hrbaty 11/24

For starters, its not as bad as it looks for Hrbaty, with significant lot of his net points being forced approaches (he has 4 running-down-drop-shot at net errors and those aren’t the only points he loses from such situations), but it is pointing in right direction

Pioline passes well. Better than Hrbaty for starters, despite not being as strong in his groundies
Pioline has 4 passing winners, for just 5 FEs
He forces 2 ‘volleying’ errors (including on match point), draws 2 UEs, and Hrbaty has 6 volley winners at net

Not the best approaching form Hrbaty. Seems to be a baseline attacker without fine net instincts. Still, when he chooses to come in, does so strongly enough that he’d be favoured to win point. Nothing wrong with his volleying quality either, though its not as fine as the excellent Pioline

Mostly credit to Pioline’s passing for Hrbaty’s low net numbers. Its almost a sneaky game, where he’s not too powerful from back, but is precise in finding the successful pass when needed. Sort of the opposite of Hrbaty

Gist - when both playres fresh, Hrbaty slightly stronger hitter from back. Both players pretty sloppy with the errors
As Pioline tires, Hrbaty steps up to genuinely boss the baseline. Its not difficult task, but he does clean up his game error-wise at that stage too
Pioline’s net play and serve-volleying more than making up his baseline slack. His volleying is lovely, but Hrbaty’s return-passing is poor

 

[Waspsting]

Match Progression
An aggressive break to start the match by Pioline and a trade of poor breaks late in the set define first set

Pioline serves at just 36%, though with a good second serve. Still, Hrbaty returns badly
Hrbaty serves at 50% by contrast. He’s slightly stronger from back of court, but apt to miss routine shots for seemingly no reason. So does Pioline, but less so

Return winnners against second serves (runaround FH dtl/inside-out and very early taken BH inside-out) get Pioline break to start match. He needs 8 point and couple surprise second serve-volleys to consolidate

Another adventurous return and a neat BH dlt pass winner against surprise quick dash approach raises break point again for Pioline in game 5. He misses FH inside-in winner attempt, before Hrbaty goes on to hold

Pair trade breaks in moving from 3-4 to 4-5, both of them bad games from the server
Couple of doubles from Pioline in 6 point, all second serve game, with a couple of good returns from Hrbaty thrown in
Hrbaty hands back break to love - double fault, couple of ground UEs (the last one very simple) and a bold return approach after attacking dtl first return from Pioline

Pioline serves out to 30, first serve-volleying for first time in the match a couple times

Second set sees mostly baseline play, with occasional net forays and serve-volleys from Pioline. The rallies are still sloppy, and Hrbaty controls them more than earlier
Normal holds to 3-3, when things heat up

Hrbaty’s down 0-40. He finds 2 strong serves to reach deuce and strikes a memorable drive BHV longline from baseline pass winner afterwards before holding
Pioline’s down a break point game after, and Hrbaty misses an attempted early taken second return on it. Misses 2 more returns after that (1 UE, 1 against serve-volley, both first serves)

2 then trade breaks again
Its another poor game from Hrbaty, with 2 double faults and again, he’s broken to love. Pioline comes away with a winner at net after being on back foot for long rally too.

This time, it’s a good game from Hrbaty to break back, with Pioline serving for set. FH inside-out/dtl winner to end rally he was leading and a great BH dtl/inside-out shot from normal position in middle of game make score 30-30, after Pioline opened with 2 aces, Hrbaty barely moving and seemingly resigned to losing the set. He finishes with a dipping pass that forces low BHV error

Tiebreak. Not a very good one, and there’s luck involved in the result. Having got better of a great rally, Hrbaty misses an easy BHV early on. Sloppy errors from both keeps things even and on serve at 4-3, Hrbaty to serve
Pioline’s attacking FH dtl dribbles over net chord for a winner to put him ahead and BH UE next point makes it 6-3. He wraps up with a first volley, smash winner serve-volleying

Pioline’s been signs of tiredness in late set and it flows into the third. He’s broken in opening game, missing BH at net serve-volleying and an uncharacteristic third ball FH inside-out winner attempt set him down 0-40. Strong serves save first 2 break points, but Hrbaty comes away with FH inside-out winner form normal position to end the game

For only time in match, Hrbaty dominates baseline, with Pioline’s hitting growing weaker and his slicing more and more BHs; he does well not to get broken again, helped by a strong first serve

Hrbaty serves for the set at 5-4. Can only manage 1/6 first serves in the game, and for first time, Pioline brings out chip-charge returns to win last two points and put set back on serve

Takes Pioline 24 points to hold next game. He’s taking 30-40 seconds between every point, sometimes more. Sends down some feeble second serves, moves slowly
‘Only’ 4 break points in the game though, and Pioline’s serve-volleys or otherwise takes net to deal with 3 of them

Tiebreak soon after, with Pioline seemingly on fumes, Hrbaty still normal
Plenty of key points in there. Hrbaty misses FH return-pass winner by a hair opening point
Pioline doubles to fall behind 2-3
Deep return leads to Pioline taking net and getting back on serve
Very crucially, Hrbaty misses 2 second returns against serve-volleys. First one in particular is a sitting duck serve, the second isn’t anything special either
Hrbaty double raises match point for Pioline at 6-5
He loses just his second first serve-volley on it, but raises another match point after that

Match point is a fine one. The groggy looking Pioline defends like dickens to hang in while getting beat up from the back, and is able to get ball low and draw FH1/2V error to end the match

Summing up, this isn’t a bad match. Its fun enough, interesting with all the net play and tense. A good contest, but one between second rate clay courters, who look like they’d be routined by the top tier
Average or decent hitting just, with Hrbaty a little stronger
Plenty of sloppy ground errors from both, Hrbaty a little more
Below average defensive toughness
Failing stamina from Pioline; Its overcast, cold day

Best of things is Pioline’s serve-volleying and net play. Neat, nicely placed, smooth, barely a miss. And that’s shaped by Hrbaty’s return-passing being below par, and he can rarely offer Pioline anything more than routine first volley, let alone strike winning returns
And Hrbaty is able to command baseline, after Pioline’s ground-game shrinks with his fading energy, with pretty good, lead hitting, though against sub-par opponet

Success of Pioline’s serve-volleying and a good first serve is main factor in outcome