Match Stats/Report - Rafter vs Rusedski, US Open final, 1997

Waspsting

Hall of Fame
Pat Rafter beat Greg Rusedski 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 in US Open final, 1997 on hard court

It was Rafter’s first Slam title and he would go onto defend it the follow year. This was the unseeded Rusedski’s only Slam final

Rafter won 127 points, Rusedski 106

Rafter serve-volleyed off serves bar 2 second serves, Rusedski serve-volleyed off all but 2 first serves and most of the time off seconds

Serve Stats
Rafter...
- 1st serve percentage (69/110) 63%
- 1st serve points won (57/69) 83%
- 2nd serve points won (19/41) 46%
- Aces 7
- Double Faults 6
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (37/110) 34%

Rusedski...
- 1st serve percentage (74/123) 60%
- 1st serve points won (47/74) 64%
- 2nd serve points won (25/49) 51%
- Aces 10
- Double Faults 4
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (44/123) 36%

Serve Patterns
Rafter served...
- to FH 34%
- to BH 57%
- to Body 10%

Rusedski served...
- to FH 51%
- to BH 46%
- to Body 3%

Return Stats
Rafter made...
- 75 (46 FH, 29 BH), including 2 runaround FHs & 3 return-approaches
- 6 Winners (4 FH, 2 BH)
- 34 Errors, all forced...
- 34 Forced (15 FH, 19 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- Return Rate (75/119) 63%

Rusedski made...
- 67 (22 FH, 45 BH)
- 1 Winner (1 FH)
- 30 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 FH)
- 29 Forced (14 FH, 15 BH)
- Return Rate (67/104) 64%

Break Points
Rafter 6/17 (10 games)
Rusedski 3/9 (5 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Rafter 37 (9 FH, 8 BH, 12 FHV, 3 BHV, 5 OH)
Rusedski 14 (5 FH, 2 BH, 1 FHV, 3 BHV, 3 OH)

Rafter had 18 from serve volley points -
- 10 first volleys (8 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)... 1 FHV can reasonably be called an OH
- 7 second volley (3 FHV, 1 BHV, 3 OH)
- 1 third volley (1 FHV)

- 1 from a return-approach point, a BHV pass

- 17 passes - 6 returns (4 FH, 2 BH) & 11 regular (5 FH, 6 BH)
- FH returns - 1 cc, 1 dtl, 1 inside-out, 1 inside-in
- BH returns - 1 cc, 1 inside-out
- FHs - 2 cc, 3 dtl (1 net chord flicker, 1 at net)
- BHs - 3 cc, 2 dtl, 1 longline (that hits Rusedski)

Rusedski had 6 from serve volley points -
- 4 first volleys (1 FHV, 2 BHV, 1 OH)
- 1 second volley (1 OH)
- 1 third volley (1 OH)

- 7 passes - 1 return (1 FH) & 6 regular (4 FH, 2 BH)
- FH return - 1 dtl
- FHs - 2 cc, 1 dtl, 1 inside-out
- BHs - 1 cc, 1 dtl

Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Rafter 42
- 10 Unforced (2 FH, 2 BH, 4 BHV, 1 OH, 1 BHOH)... with 1 FH at net
- 32 Forced (8 FH, 10 BH, 3 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 4 BHV, 5 BH1/2V, 1 Over-the-Shoulder)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 49

Rusedski 49
- 15 Unforced (2 FH, 2 BH, 2 FHV, 7 BHV, 2 OH)... with 1 BH at net
- 34 Forced (10 FH, 9 BH, 2 FHV, 2 FH1/2V, 8 BHV, 2 BH1/2V, 1 BHOH)... with 1 FH pass attempt at net, 1 FH running-down-drop-shot at net, 1 BH running-down-drop-shot at net & the BHOH was a flagrantly forced, baseline shot against an at net smash
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 55.3

(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...
- 73/103 (71%) at net, including...
- 67/95 (71%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 50/62 (81%) off 1st serve and...
- 17/33 (52%) off 2nd serve
---
- 2/3 (67%) return-approaching
- 0/3 forced back

Rusedski was...
- 61/110 (55%) at net, including...
- 55/95 (58%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 36/62 (58%) off 1st serve and...
- 19/33 (58%) off 2nd serve
---
- 1/2 retreated

Match Report
Serve-volley match and Rafter is better at the skillsets on on show, particularly the volleying, with Rusedski’s being poor much of the time and his serve making it difficult for him to get into proper position at net. Court is quick

Rafter serve-volleys almost always (stays back on 2 second serves). The serve and the volley are equal partners in his success serve-volleying. It’s a powerful serve, closer to in pace to Pete Sampras’ norm than that norm is to Rusedski’s serve, and when his in-count falls, he suffers

On the volley, he’s better at dealing with the not-easy and tough stuff than he is the routine. Greg returns with heat, and Rafter’s upto volleying under-net and lowish stuff into open court and near corners without missing much. Also makes more shoelace volleys and half-volleys than he misses

He’s not bad at dispatching or commanding routine volleys, but there is room for improvement and he’s not as good as against the tougher stuff. A little unusually, he likes to FHV inside-out and BHV line more than is normal

As a serve-volleyer, he looks like might be the future of ‘classic’ serve-volleying (where the volleying has big hand in success), as opposed to the then new norm of big serving, serve-volley as practiced by Sampras, Richard Krajicek, Goran Ivaniseivc etc. A strong enough serve to be challenging, without being overwhelming coupled with elegant volleying

To contrast, Stefan Edberg by the end of his career the year before (and for few years before that), looked like any given serve might get bashed for a winner. Rafter serve is better than that and is tough to handle on its own merit, without serve-volleying support

Greg by contrast is in line with overwhelmingly serving, ‘serve-volleyer’. Among other things, he apparently breaks the world record for the fastest ever recorded serve at 143mph in the match. He usually doesn’t serve that hard and when he does, he can’t get up to net properly. He can’t even get upto net properly even when he doesn’t. And he volleys poorly, dumping routine ones into the net or even missing putaways. For all that, even his serve doesn’t garner too many freebies

Nice returning form Rafter. Moves well and it doesn’t look like Greg’s serve is hard to read. Against such pace, blocked and short-swing returns are the way to go, and Rafter times ball well enough to still get them to go through at reasonable pace. Would need some volleying skills to cope with, which Greg doesn’t show. He’s either not upto net or if he is, misses routine volleys

Greg doesn’t putaway the volleys he makes either, and Rafter’s quick to move for the follow-up passes and strikes those well too

Greg has his moments on the return in particular, fewer on the pass. Strikes returns with enough power to be potentially troubling (drawing a few UEs and not good volleys he can have a crack at), getting a few down to feet. As noted, Rafter deals with tough stuff well though. Too rarely, he blocks or chips returns neatly to deliberately get them to feet. Given his fat serve, the subtlety comes as surprise. Would have done well to do it more - it’s a safer way to return (thus, way to get more returns in play) and it proves effective on the rare times he tries. Mostly, he sticks to trying to bash returns. Not too bad at that either, but would need help Rafter’s help in missing net high volleys to make head-way that way. Which Rafter doesn’t grant too often

Finally, Greg showing some brains by easing up on first serve to get more in and cutting back on second serve-volleying - both good moves, in light of how unreliable his volleying is

That’s match in words, and Rafter has much better of it

17 break points in 10 different games against the world record setting serve is a job well done.
Net points - Rafter winning 71% of 103 approaches, Greg 55% of 110 is also clear indicator of Rafter’s superiority

Action & Stats
Numbers are surprising

First serve in - Rafter 63%, Greg 60%
First serve won - Rafter 84%, Greg 64%
Second serve won - Rafter 46%, Greg 51%

If anything, that makes Rafter look like the bigger server and the more serve-shot dependent player, Greg possibly the better volleyer - the opposite of things

So why are the numbers like that?

For starters, Greg’s in count fluctuates and he usually isn’t all out with the first serve.
When losing first 2 sets 3 & 2, his in count is just 47%. He tones it down wisely after that to raise it thereafter

Its good idea for 2 reasons. His first serve is so big that if it comes back, he’s in no position to volley. And his volleying isn’t good either. Even with that low in count, he wins just 68% first serve points for first 2 sets

Record breaking serve, you’d think he’d look to win at least 80% when bombing them down, but no. He isn’t able to get them wide enough, and its raw pace that’s challenging to handle, not width

Good job by Rafter to make the returns against that heat too. He blocks returns back, timing ball well - and rest is up to Greg. Good job yes, still, mostly discredit Greg for his follow-up volleying. He’d do better going all in with the serve all the time and staying back to draw more errors and get more weak returns he can hammer off the third ball (as opposed to have server returner, find himself in awkward no-man’s land or/and screwing up routine volleys)

In time, he adjusts, and starts staying back off second serves (which are hefty too) and coming in behind third ball powerful FHs

Greg’s second serves
- serve-volleys 73% of the time, winning 58% (same as his first serve-volleying rate)
- stays back 27% of the time, winning 50%
(also double faults 4 times, or 8% of all second serves)

However bad he looks on volley, he’s still done better second serve-volleying than not, though much of the reasons are the same (bad volleying)

First serve ace rate - Rafter 10%, Greg 14%

An area where Greg would look for much bigger lead. The not good placement. His in count isn’t too good bombing them down even conservatively
 
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Waspsting

Hall of Fame
3/4 pace serving not wide is his most successful game - full blast leads to low in count,and 90% power serving leads to a bad time of it at net

1st serve winning rate - Rafter 83%, Greg 58%

Rafter doing well behind his 1st serve. Well as he volleys, he needs the advantage a strong serve gives him, as big drop to 52% won 2nd serve-volleying indicates. Greg staying equal is just his weird fluctuations in volleying quality and how big he goes on serves

Nominally, Greg stays back off 2 first serve serves. 1 is bona fida, the other a would-be serve-volley but return reaches him when he’s about 2 paces in court, so he has to play a groundstroke and stay back. Its not a big or early taken return either… that’s just whats apt to happen to with full-pace Greg 1st serves

A note on the world record 143mph serve. According to commentary, Greg hadn’t hit 140mph all year, until this tournament, where he’d reached that mark 7 times. They also add that 140 is common territory for Mark Philippoussis (exact wording escapes me, its something like “regularly” or “often”, though they don’t’ define whatever unspecific term they use)

Seems a little strange for 143 to be the world record if someone is hitting 140 “regularly” or “often”. There are 3 commentators - 2 are John McEnroe and Mary Carillo, neither renowned for attention to accuracy or specificity in their takes

He hits another at 146mph, but that’s a fault. It does bring home how much he’s taken off the serve, and its still huge
Not huge enough to hammer down Rafter though

Freebies - Rafter 34%, Rusedski 36%, Greg’s small lead accentuated by his double faulting less (Rafter 15% of the time, Greg 8%)

Like the aces, a smaller lead than Greg might expect to have. Good job by Rafter to return that many, and he doesn’t return softly, with well-timed blocks making up bulk. Greg hasn’t done badly on the return either, because as noted earlier, Rafter has a genuinely strong serve

Greg looks to hammer returns when he can. Natural enough, but Rafter’s adept at handling pace, even if its low-ish or low. Rarely, Greg chips the returns low with intent. He doesn’t look like he has much touch - his volleying is brick-handed - but these are some of his best returns

Would have done well to throw more into the mix, particularly with Rafter so able against he pacey stuff, whatever height they reach him

In numbers -

Volleying winners - Rafter 18, Greg 7
‘Volleying’ UEs - Rafter 7, Greg 12
‘Volleying’ FEs - Rafter 13, Greg 10

Passing winners - Rafter 17, Greg 7
Ground FEs (virtually, passing FEs) - Rafter 18, Greg 20

Clearly, Rafter having much things in almost all ways
Greg with just 7 volleying winners, for 110 approaches (and not overly high unreturneds) is sign of how poor he is. He’s got 8 winner attempt UEs (Rafter has 2), sign of the volleys he misses being easy ones

Greg passing and returning well comes through in Rafter’s high lot of volleying FEs. Especially considering how good he is in making the tough volleys. Its mostly powerful returns, he’s not too good at the follow-up pass, and he has fairly good looks at them. Greg has returned well enough to be threaten to break to what ordinarily might be a match winning level, but …

- Rafter coping with the difficult volleys and…
- Greg’s service games woes

… is why he’s lost readily. Could do with throwing in more low chip returns

Excellent passing numbers for Rafter. Greg volleys solidly, if not decisively and Rafter has less good looks at passes than Greg does, so considerably better passing by Rafter. And very good

A few surprises than, in context of expectation of Rafter the glorious volleyer whose not a great passer, and Greg a serve-bot

- Rafter’s serve volleying success as much about strong serve and good volleys
- Greg returning and passing well enough to be a threat to break. Not great passing, given good looks he has, but certainly good to break
- Rafter passing very well and precisely. Greg’s volleying isn’t good because of the routine misses, but what he makes, he makes solidly - Rafter coming away with winning pass as often as not against it is excellent

Match Progression
Excellent showing from Rafter for first two sets. He serves strongly and gets 72% first serves in. Faced with good lot of firm returns, several low and a few down to his feet, but seems to make them all. Picks up the shoelace stuff with same easy form as making a routine volley. Leaves Greg looks at the pass that Greg isn’t great at making, but far more credit to Rafter for his tough volleying for how that plays out

Greg serves quite big, is no no position to volley behind first serves and misses easy volleys regularly when he is. Low in count of 47%, but he’s no even too successful behind those. Bad volleying is his problem in this part of the match

Routine holds to reach 3-2, before Rafter breaks to move ahead 4-2, with Greg missing 2 easy BHVs and double faulting

He does hit back at once though, reaching 0-40 next game on back of forcing a shoelace BHV error, driving a FH inside-out passing winner after drawing a first 1/2volley and Rafter missing a not-easy OH. On first break point, his return narrowly misses the line. Rafter knocks away FHV winner and a delivers a strong serve to save the next 2, before going on to hold. Little while later, serves out to 15

Not too bad from Greg, though the lapses on volley have been worrying. He gets worse in second set though, though holding onto a deuce game for 2-1 featuring some good returns (and just 2/8 first serves)

Doesn’t win another game in the set. Rafter hits him with a lined up pass after drawing a half-volley, and dispatches a FH dtl pass winner to reach 15-30 next go around, and Greg finishes the job with a double fault and missing a particulalry easy BHV

Couple of nice 1/2volleys from Rafter in holding next game. And he breaks again after that in similar way - 2 good winning returns early and Greg making a mess of a very easy BHV and on break point, missing a FH inside-out, when he can’t make it to net because return reaches him too early. Rafter agains serves out to 15

Few changes in the third set. Greg takes something off first serves and gets more in, and occasionally, stays back off second serves, looking to approach early in the rally, usually off a powerful third ball FH. Rafter’s in count drops to 45% and he’s more regularly faced with powerful returns

Greg ends up breaking twice to Rafter’s once, but its Greg who endure longer tougher holds. He serves 8 points per game, to Rafter’s 6.2

Greg breaks and opens up a 3-0 lead to start, gaining the break with good passes. He misses a putaway OH to give Rafter break point game after, and doesn’t serve-volley next point but comes in early to deliver a BHV winner before going on to hold

Pair of double faults and slightly wide BHV UE give Greg another break point, but Rafter serves his way through to get on the board. And then breaks to level in a great game of low returns and great passes (helped by a little net chord clip and Greg missing a routine BH at net

Greg survives 2 break points to hold for 5-4, dealing with more good low returns and strong passes. A bullet of a BH dtl passing winner stands out among it

Beautiful game by Greg to break and take the set to finish up, lovely, chipped low returns that drawn half-volley and shoelace volley errors. If he can do this, why doesn’t he look to more often? He finishes with a brilliant, running BH dtl passing winner

Greg continues to not 2nd serve volley in the 4th set, but comes to net from such points more regularly. It’s a back and forth set, with Rafter delivering the best passing of the match, on par with the normal standard of the best passers in the game. He misses a few 1/2volleys and makes a few to keep his service games interesting too

Poor net play gets Greg broken for 1-2 and he narrowly staves off going down a second break next time around, saving 4 break points in 10 point game, eventually finishing with an ace
And then Greg breaks back by forcing shoelace ‘volley’ errors, including with a smart, chipped return

Its in game 9 that Greg delivers his record breaking 143mph serve (it draws a FH error). Up 40-0, he delivers 2 huge serves and double faults and is in danger of looking foolish when Rafter picks up next point to make it 40-30 before Greg delivers another unreturned serve. When he goes all in with the serve, it’s a scary sight

Superb game by Rafter to break to love with fine returns. HE forces 3 ‘volley’ errors, including 1 net-to-net, and Greg elects to retreat from net after a not bad drop-volley that sees Rafter come away with an OH winner. Probaby better to have stayed in forecourt

And Rafter serves the match out to 15. The ace he hits to bring up match point was out. There are a few wrong calls in the match, none of them crucial

Summing up, good match and an interesting one. Rafter serve-volleys virtually always, Rusedski starts off the same way, but (wisely) cuts back on doing so behind second serves as match goes on

Rafter’s good in all areas. Serve is strong enough to be troubling, even without serve-volley support. He volleys well, especially in coping with powerful and/or low returns, does well to move into position and firmly block high lot of returns in play and is swift in covering court and precise in passing

Rusedski’s showing is more up and down. At times, he volleys horrendously in missing routine, easy or even putaway balls at net but is solid in the ones he makes. Has troubling balancing pace of serve and where that’s likely to leave him when trying to serve-volley. Some powerful returns and too rarely used, very good low chipped ones. Room for improvement on the pass, where his strong returns give him few good looks at

Some poor runs by Rusedski and good, coping volleys against testing returns by Rafter are biggest differences in play, with Rafter having comfortably better of things
 

jrepac

Hall of Fame
I haven't seen this one since it aired...would be nice to re-watch some of it. I just remember Pat executing so much better on the S&V, which your stats support. He was uber impressive. I got a little nervous when Greg won the 3rd set...worrying that Pat was running out of steam, but he turned it around. I became a Rafter fan that day. Was even MORE impressed when he defended, partly because Pete was throwing so much shade at him (which was a bit petty and unprofessional).
 

Waspsting

Hall of Fame
...Was even MORE impressed when he defended, partly because Pete was throwing so much shade at him (which was a bit petty and unprofessional).

little tidbit I picked up on commentary from that one

John McEnroe had been quoted as expressing doubts about Rafter after his first win and wondering if he would be a 1 Slam wonder

As Rafter's on his way to victory in '98, the American commentators (Mac among them) take a peak at what the Aussies (commentating for a different channel are saying)

What they happen to be saying is Newcombe wondering what John McEnroe, who dismissed Rafter as a 1-Slam wonder, is saying right now

According to Mac, he never said anything of the kind and was misquoted. Says he apologized to Rafter at Wimby for being misquoted and cleared matter up with him at Wimby

Take it for what its worth... I don't assume anything Mac says is accurate - whether reading it, or actually hearing him say it

He takes what I'd interpret as a subtle dig at Rafter earlier in the match when he's talking about how well Rafter played in the semis in beating Sampras because (paraphrased) ... "...it can be tricky playing an injured opponent"

I suppose there's no to say that, if your going to bring up an injury, that isn't at least a little dig, but doubt he'd have mentioned it at all, if situation were reversed. "Sampras was impressive beating Rafter"
 

Galvermegs

Professional
I have no idea but wasn't mark phill the much touted golden boy by tennis australia and pat barely a dark horse?

Newcombe probably never rated him that much

It did give rafter added incentive in 1998 to settle all scores I think.
 

Waspsting

Hall of Fame
I have no idea but wasn't mark phill the much touted golden boy by tennis australia and pat barely a dark horse?

Newcombe probably never rated him that much

It did give rafter added incentive in 1998 to settle all scores I think.
Its complicated

Philippoussis had a spat with Newcombe, the Davis Cup captain and refused to play Davis Cup unless Newks apologized for something or another, so they weren't too chummy
Rafter was a Davis Cup stalwart with the old Aussie passion and committment for it

Scud was a breakout player with seemingly lots of potential. Rafter was a late bloomer
Things may have been how you descirbe them, but I doubt bulk of Australians liked Scud better than Rafter and am sure majority would have been rooting for the latter

Rafter was good mates with Scud's coach Tony Roche too
 

Galvermegs

Professional
Its complicated

Philippoussis had a spat with Newcombe, the Davis Cup captain and refused to play Davis Cup unless Newks apologized for something or another, so they weren't too chummy
Rafter was a Davis Cup stalwart with the old Aussie passion and committment for it

Scud was a breakout player with seemingly lots of potential. Rafter was a late bloomer
Things may have been how you descirbe them, but I doubt bulk of Australians liked Scud better than Rafter and am sure majority would have been rooting for the latter

Rafter was good mates with Scud's coach Tony Roche too
Yes maybe i just read the wrong sources but rafter certainly had to do things the hard way when he lost form and fitness and had to play challengers left and right. If nothing else he really built his mental game in time for his career peak. I just get the feeling the scud never had the same maturing process, and had a disadvantage in his rather questionable father influencing his career too.
 
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