Match Stats/Report - Rafter vs Krajicek, Canada final, 1998

[Waspsting]

Pat Rafter beat Richard Krajicek 7-6(3), 6-4 in the Canada final, 1998 on hard court in Toronto

Rafter would go onto win Cincinnati and the US Open shortly after. Krajicek would win Stuttgart shortly after that

Rafter won 74 points, Krajicek 61

Krajicek serve-volleyed off all serves, Rafter of almost all serves

Serve Stats
Rafter...
- 1st serve percentage (45/69) 65%
- 1st serve points won (34/45) 76%
- 2nd serve points won (14/24) 58%
- Aces 4
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (22/69) 32%

Krajicek...
- 1st serve percentage (37/66) 56%
- 1st serve points won (25/37) 68%
- 2nd serve points won (15/29) 52%
- Aces 10 (1 second serve)
- Double Faults 3
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (21/66) 32%

Serve Patterns
Rafter served...
- to FH 22%
- to BH 64%
- to Body 13%

Krajicek served....
- to FH 33%
- to BH 60%
- to Body 6%

Return Stats
Rafter made...
- 42 (13 FH, 29 BH)
- 3 Winners (3 BH)
- 11 Errors, all forced...
- 11 Forced (2 FH, 9 BH)
- Return Rate (42/63) 67%

Krajicek made...
- 45 (10 FH, 35 BH), including 1 runaround FH & 2 return-approaches
- 2 Winners (2 BH)
- 18 Errors, comprising...
- 4 Unforced (2 FH, 2 BH)
- 14 Forced (3 FH, 11 BH), including 1 runaround FHs
- Return Rate (45/67) 67%

Break Points
Rafter 2/5 (4 games)
Krajicek 1/2 (2 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Rafter 26 (4 FH, 7 BH, 4 FHV, 9 BHV, 2 OH)
Krajicek 16 (2 FH, 3 BH, 3 FHV, 2 BHV, 6 OH)

Rafter had 15 from serve volley points -
- 11 first volleys (3 FHV, 8 BHV)
- 4 second volley (1 FHV, 1 BHV, 2 OH)

- 10 passes - 3 returns (3 BH) & 7 regular (3 FH, 4 BH)
- BH returns - 1 cc, 1 dtl, 1 inside-in
- FHs - 1 cc, 1 dtl, 1 dtl/inside-out
- BHs - 3 cc, 1 inside-out/dtl

- regular (non-pass) FH - 1 inside-out

Krajicek had 11 from serve volley points -
- 5 first 'volleys' (2 FHV, 2 OH, 1 BH at net)
- 6 second volley (1 FHV, 2 BHV, 3 OH)

- 4 passes - 2 returns (2 BH) & 2 regular (2 FH)
- BH returns - 1 dtl, 1 down-the-middle/inside-in (net chord flicker)
- FHs - 1 cc, 1 inside-in

Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Rafter 22
- 9 Unforced (1 FH, 1 FHV, 5 BHV, 2 OH)
- 13 Forced (3 FH, 4 BH, 2 FHV, 3 FH1/2V, 1 Sky Hook)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 57.8

Krajicek 23
- 7 Unforced (1 BH, 3 FHV, 3 BHV)
- 16 Forced (6 FH, 2 BH, 2 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 2 BHV, 1 BH1/2V, 1 OH, 1 BHOH)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 55.7

(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
Rafter was...
- 36/56 (64%) at net, including...
- 36/53 (68%) serve-volleying, comprising..
- 27/37 (73%) off 1st serve and...
- 9/16 (56%) off 2nd serve

Krajicek was...
- 32/57 (56%) at net, including...
- 30/53 (57%) serve-volleying, comprising..
- 16/28 (57%) off 1st serve and...
- 14/25 (56%) off 2nd serve
---
- 1/2 return-approaching
- 1/1 forced back

Match Report
Artsy serve-volley match, with nice contests of low returning, low volleying and subsequent passing chances. 1 even set, 1 where Krajicek fades with his shrinking first serve percentage - and Rafter wins both. Court is normal

Krajicek serve-volleys 100% of the time
Rafter does so 90% off the time off first serves, 73% off seconds (funnily, he does better staying back behind both serves). In all, he wins 68% serve-volleying, 73% not (excluding aces and double faults)

First serve in is main key to match

First set, Rafter serves at 68%, Kraj 65% - with Kraj naturally having bigger serve
Its an even set, with no breaks. To hold 6 times, Rafter has to serve 41 points, Kraj 32, so Kraj more comfy, but Rafter taking the ‘breaker

Second set, Kraj’s in count drops to 45%, Rafter’s too but 60% in is still good
Its not just first serve percentage that changes trend. Kraj’s second serve points won drops from 69% in first set to 38% in second, and even his first serve winnings drop

So, Rafter taking (from his point of view) equal-minus set, and convincingly getting better the other one, with a drop in Kraj’s standard accounting for the difference, not a rise in Rafter’s

‘Nice’ is often a cold-compliment and what one says when there’s nothing better. Its not meant that way here. The ‘nice’ contest between serve-volleyer and return-passers (both such contests) refers to teasingly testing time for both servers and having to deal with good lot of low-ish first volleys

Not perfect, wide winning returns and not full blast power ones. Average to above average paced returns (both blocks and swings) that get down low and lowish (not right to the feet)
Its sort of returning that’s bound to draw a few tricky errors. And unless volleying is pointedly skilled, likely to leave good look passing looks

Both players volley nicely too, with fair authority and passing looks presented are less than ‘good looks’. They’re not ‘bad looks’ either though. Volleying from that height to leave ‘bad looks’ would require top drawer, elite volleying. Something the very best volleyers achieve on their very best days and no one can count on doing on any given day

This is a day where 2 good volleyers volley well. Good enough to make most tricky, low to low-ish volleys with enough punch and placement to leave less than good looks on the pass

Passer has chances. Not very good ones, but would expect them to make a few, just on a percentage basis

In short, a good contest between return, volley and pass - low-ish returns made at average force (neat returning), well handled low-ish volleying (neat volleying), below-fair looks at pass (testament to quality volleying)

The relative contests are even in first set, Rafter having better of all of it in the second, so Rafter coming out ahead cozily overall

Lets get the non-serve-volley out the way now
Rafter stays back now and then randomly. 10% of time off first serves, 27% off seconds
Staying back, wins 3/4 or 75% off first serves (serve-volleying its similar 73%), and 5/6 or 83% off seconds (serve-volleying, its 6%) so total 80% staying back, 68% coming in

Small enough staying back frequency for it to not matter too much
Kraj has 4 return UEs. Much of Rafter’s first serving, sans serve-volley, wouldn’t qualify as forceful. These 10 stay back points are almost all potentially 50-50 points
Sans the 4 return errors, Rafter wins 4/6 points

Put Rafter winning fat lot of 80% points to off returning from Kraj. Its rare enough move that he likely plays return assuming serve-volley, without time to adjust if/when he notices Rafter not coming in, but its often enough that he really should be more on the ball. 27% off second serves being stay back isn’t insignificant, but 3/6 go unreturned

Generally speaking, serve-volleying matches hide slack returning, with pressure to make good enough return to prevent the first volley going for winner given credit for misses. While that’s obviously a factor, Kraj’s showing here is example of how many unnecessary routine returns they might be missing. 3/6 second return misses, 4/10 overall against an average serve; That’s a higher rate of freebies than Rafter has serve-volleying. Slack, bad stuff from Kraj

Onto meat of serve-volleying action

Kraj with big serve, Rafter above average at best. Rafter serving quite a lot to body
Rafter serving at 65%, Kraj 56%
First serve ace rate - Rafter 9%, Kraj 24%

What you’d expect. Rafter’s ace rate is lowered by high 13% body serving (Kraj has 6%), though one of his aces is very close to Kraj, who just inexplicably misses it entirely

Return rate - both 67%
A win for Rafter, especially with Kraj returning just 60% non serve-volley points
Facing bigger serves, Rafter returns same amount. Fewer weak returns (leaving easy volley putaways) too

First ‘volley’ winners - Rafter 11, Kraj 5
Second volley winners - Rafter 4, Kraj 6

… in line with Kraj giving up more weak returns. Most of the first volley winners are easy, well above net stuff. No real difference in how well each dispatches them, Rafter just getting more to do so
Rafter in particular finishing with cute, angled drop volleys

Volley UEs - Rafter 8, Kraj 6
‘Volley’ FEs - Rafter 6, Kraj 7

In context of Rafter 56 net points, Kraj 57. Virtually same. Rafter’s BHV at forefront of things because he wants it that way (it has 9/13 pure volley winners, and 5/6 UEs). Its pretty, its effective but considerable misses too. Kraj balanced across wings

 

[Waspsting]

Return-pass winners - Rafter 3, Kraj 2 (with identical return rate)
Regular pass winners - Rafter 7, Kraj 2
Pass FEs - both 7

Here’s another key to Rafter winning. Similar looks at passes, Rafter just making a lot more

Cute yield of FEs for Kraj and he has at least one of all the basic shots (FH, BH, FHV, BHV, OH) + unusual ones too (FH1/2V, BH1/2V, BHOH). Rafter for his part has a Sky Hook FE
2 smash UEs for Rafter. He's a little awkward against very high ball

Match in a few nutshells -
- Kraj bigger serve, Rafter higher in count

- Equal return rate a win for Rafter - both for facing tougher opposition and for giving up fewer very weak returns. Kraj careless on return sometimes

- Considerable lot of low and low-ish returns and subsequent corresponding volley. Both volleying about equally well for consistency and quality. This could be very different - these height returns could easily lead to lots of breaks, so good volleying from both

- not just making most such volleys, but making them to leave less-than-good-look passes (again, could be very different). Rafter much better on the pass

All that, + divided nature of match. First set close to equal, with Kraj shading things
Kraj fading behind in second set, not Rafter shining ahead

Match Progression
Tight first set with no breaks. Both players have 1 break point
Kraj makes more headway in return games (and is closer to converting his sole break chance), and Rafter holds back to back long games in middle of set (8 and 10 points - saving break point in the latter, quite dangerously)

Rafter serves 39 points for his 6 holds, Kraj 32

Action is as covered by earlier section. Quite a lot of low and low-ish returns and lively action thereafter (as in, the volleys aren’t easy, the passing looks are reasonable)

Rafter gets 2 feet ‘volleys’ in his opening hold. Makes both, but 1 is weak and Kraj is able to come to net and swat away an OH winner, wins the other by drawing FH pass error
Kraj gets a couple in his first too - does very well to make a wide volley but is passed FH cc, and can’t make FH1/2V on the other

Beautiful, difficult low, wide first FHV winner by Rafter in game 3. He stays back randomly off a second serve in the game, which draws a return UE
On next go around, Rafter puts away 3 consecutive, but different first BHV winners - 1 drop, 1 inside-out, 1 dtl

Kraj in next game hits a swinging FHV dtl winner on the first volley, but Rafter gains break point (easy second volley from Kraj and 2 passing winners from Rafter - BH dtl return and a very sweet BH inside-out/dtl after forcing a first half-volley). 3 unreturned first serves sees Kraj home

Kraj steps up pace and takes Rafter to 8 and 10 points in games 7 & 9, which sandwich a love hold

Rafter stays back 3 times in a row in the 8 point game, again drawing a return UE to end the game
Kraj with a gorgeous, angled second volley BHV winner game after
Kraj has break point at 4-4. Easy FHV miss, missing a high OH and a winning BH dtl pass get him to 30-40
Rafter stays back on the first serve for it and Kraj rams a strong BH dtl return. Rafer does well to scramble ball back in play and goes on to take the point with a winning, wide FH cc

He’s not out of the wood. Follows up a typical drop BHV winner with a BHV miss. And needs to pass Kraj BH cc to end the game, after staying back of another first serve; its not a good approach

Tiebreak soon after. Which Kraj open by missing a routine second return Rafter stays back on
Rafter mini-breaks at once with a lovely BH lob that forces OH error
Kraj gets back on serve with an excellent, running BH dtl pass, that Rafter on stretch can only half-volley with ball just past him into his own leg. 3-2 Rafter, on serve
Kraj misses one of those low-ish first volleys that have been the test of the match and follows up missing an easy BHV to fall behind for good. He’s in good position chip-charge returning to confront serve-volleying Rafter, but misses another BHV couple points later

Rafter wraps up with a swished BH cc return-pass winner to a second serve in his slot

First half of second set remains high quality and even. Rafter strikes an awkward looking, third ball FH inside-out winner from near the sideline from shoulder height in his first hold

2 trade breaks in moving from 2-1 to 3-2, both of them ‘half-games’ (half good play from returner, half bad from the server)

Kraj breaks to 30. He forces 2 FH1/2V errors, while Rafter double faults and misses a simple, reaction second volley
Rafter breaks back to 15. Brilliant, very unlikely BH cc pass winner from Rafter after running corner to corner and with his back almost to net when he makes the shot. He makes most of a crap ‘drop’ volley (its more like an invitation to dismiss ball from around service line) after that, and Kraj with consecutive double faults to end the game

That’s the start of Kraj weakening and he doesn’t play well for rest of match. For starters, including the 2 doubles, he misses 8 first serves in a row. Still, not bad second serves, and its good returns and passes that get Rafter 2 break points. Kraj is able to save both with volleys behind second serves, and finishes the hold with 2 first serves

In between, the 2 troubled service games, Kraj does pull off his best pass off the match, a short angled FH cc winner almost on the half volley, but that’s only point he wins in the game

Rafter wins last 12 points of the match
The break is another half-game - BH inside-in return pass winner and a shoelace FHV FE on positive side for Rafter, 2 volley UEs from Kraj (1 easy third volley, having done the hard work of making 2 difficult volley prior to it and a routine angled second BHV)

Not much effort by Kraj returning in the 2 love holds that sandwich the break

Summing up, nice little serve-volley match. The high point is both players getting good lot of low and low-ish returns in at medium pace, the neat volleying against such tricky height balls that leave below par passing looks, so a tense contest between pass and second volley
Its good enough returning to potentially break regularly. Its very good low volleying to stump the passer more often than not. When needed, good alert second volleying too

Rafter wins by taking tiebreak in set he’s had slightly worse of, and eventually, Krajicek’s game fading

On whole, Rafter returning better (gives up fewer weak returns, while returning at same rate) and passing better, while volleying with more variety and style (some lovely drop volley winners), if not categorically better than opponent
Krajicek’s strong most of the time, but there are near blackmark areas to his showing. Misses quite a few routine returns, both when opponent serve-volleys and rare times he doesn’t. And seemingly mentally fading at the end is disappointing