Match Stats/Report - Roddick vs Ferrero, US Open final, 2003

Waspsting

Hall of Fame
Andy Roddick beat Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-3 in the US Open final, 2003 on hard court

It would turn out to be Roddick’s only Slam title. He had won the Canada-Cincinnati double leading in and would go onto finish the year ranked #1. Ferrero had won French Open earlier in the year and this would be his third and last Slam final and only one on hard court

Roddick won 101 points, Ferrero 76

Roddick serve-volleyed a third off the time off second serves (rarely off firsts)

(Note: I’ve guessed serve type for a small number of points)

Serve Stats
Roddick...
- 1st serve percentage (55/87) 63%
- 1st serve points won (49/55) 89%
- 2nd serve points won (19/32) 59%
- Aces 23
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (44/87) 51%

Ferrero...
- 1st serve percentage (56/90) 62%
- 1st serve points won (41/56) 73%
- 2nd serve points won (16/34) 47%
- Aces 7
- Double Faults 1
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (27/90) 30%

Serve Pattern
Roddick served...
- to FH 44%
- to BH 56%

Ferrero served...
- to FH 26%
- to BH 73%
- to Body 1%

Return Stats
Roddick made...
- 62 (14 FH, 48 BH), including 1 runaround FH & 2 return-approaches
- 2 Winners (2 FH)
- 20 Errors, comprising...
- 9 Unforced (4 FH, 5 BH)
- 11 Forced (5 FH, 6 BH)
- Return Rate (62/89) 70%

Ferrero made...
- 41 (14 FH, 27 BH)
- 2 Winners (2 FH)
- 21 Errors, comprising...
- 3 Unforced (1 FH, 2 BH)
- 18 Forced (10 FH, 8 BH)
- Return Rate (41/85) 48%

Break Points
Roddick 2/5 (3 games)
Ferrero 0/3 (2 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding aces)
Roddick 17 (9 FH, 3 BH, 3 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)
Ferrero 21 (10 FH, 6 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV, 3 OH)

Roddick's FHs - 3 cc (1 pass), 1 dtl return, 1 inside-out, 1 inside-out/dtl, 2 inside-in (1 return), 1 inside-in/cc at net
- BHs - 3 dtl (1 pass - a net chord pop over)

- 3 from serve-volley points - 1 first volley (1 FHV) & 2 second volleys (1 FHV, 1 BHV)

- the OH was on the bounce from the baseline

Ferrero's FHs - 6 cc (2 returns, 1 pass, 1 at net), 2 inside-out, 1 inside-in at net, 1 longline
- BHs - 3 cc (1 pass), 1 dtl, 1 inside-out/dtl, 1 net chord dribbler

Errors (excluding returns and serves)
Roddick 26
- 17 Unforced (12 FH, 5 BH)
- 9 Forced (4 FH, 5 BH)... with 1 BH running-down-drop-shot at net
Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 48.2

Ferrero 39
- 22 Unforced (13 FH, 9 BH)
- 17 Forced (11 FH, 4 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV)
Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 46.4

(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 a measure of how aggressive of intent the average UE made was. 60 is maximum, 20 is minimum. This match has been scored using a four point scale - 2 defensive, 4 neutral, 5 attacking, 6 winner attempt)

Net Points & Serve-Volley
Roddick was...
- 18/21 (86%) at net, including...
- 11/12 (92%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 2/2 off 1st serve and...
- 9/10 (90%) off 2nd serve
---
- 1/2 return-approaching

Ferrero was...
- 12/16 (75%) at net, including...
- 1/1 serve-volleying, a 2nd serve

Match Report
Monster serving from Roddick is front and center of match but rest of his game also very good, just not called on too much. Ferrero matches him in all areas bar the serve - and he serves well too, but ‘monstrous’ is beyond him - and that one difference is enough to leave him in the dust. Court is quick

51% unreturned for Roddick (Fer has healthy 30% himself), including 23 aces or 42% off first serves (Fer has 7 and 13% respectively). Speaks for itself. I believe this is the only Slam final outside grass where freebies cross the 50% barrier (and on grass, all the entries belong to the 100% serve-volleying Pete Sampras)

No hit-&-miss, low percentage returning or poor movement from Fer to account. Just a shadow of learnt helplessness or making no effort for a few returns at the end, where its likely that any effort would have been in vain anyway. Rod’s serve just happens to be that darn good. His having no read on the serve is about extent of his crimes on the return. He returns from 3-4 paces back and is still rushed on serves not far away. Second serves offer little relief. Rod’s second serves would make decent firsts for most players, and few of them draw errors that have been marked FEs, without serve-volleying support

Somewhat amusingly, he second serve-volleys 10 times or 33% off second serves, while doing so just twice of firsts. He’d be about half-way to service line were he to try behind those first serves. He’s less than optimally far forward even behind the seconds

Good tennis from both players when return is made, with action hard hitting baseline stuff, with both players going for their shots too
-Roddick 17 winners, forcing 17 errors, 17 UEs
- Fer 21 winners, forcing 9 errors, 22 UEs

For all that, Fer’s conjured break points in 2 games (just 1 less than Rod). Good going, seeing as Rod’s numbers are in completely lock-down-serve games territory. It’s a quick court where low breaks would be normal, but Fer is reduced to matter being fully out of his hands. Stick around, hope for double faults, low in count for a given game (and the low in count wouldn’t help much either, given Rod’s would-make-a-decent-first-serve second serve) and Rod getting a bit sloppy. It doesn’t happen

Rod at least can get into rallies and holds his own in them. Fer’s 16/34 or 47% second serve points won is best indicator of how the two players stack up from equal starting position. Sans the sole double fault, its 16/33, so virtually 50-50

Rod’s second serves leave him healthy initiative by contrast and his second serve-volleying aids in seeing him win 59% second serve points won.

And of course, first serve points are more about quality of serves than rallying ability and both players win fat loads of those

Action & Stats
Unreturneds - Rod 51%, Fer 30%, broken down as -

Aces - Rod 23, Fer 7
Return FEs drawn - Rod 18, Fer 11
Return UEs drawn - Rod 3, Fer 9

Not much scope for Fer to make return UEs. Virtually every Rod first serve qualifies as forceful and about half the seconds. He also serve-volleys off 33% second serves, transforming whatever there wasn’t to forceful to

Aced 23 times, making 21 return errors is an ace heavy yield. Serve is so big that even reading it wouldn’t help much in making returns, but Fer doesn’t seem to have a read

Fer serves powerfully too, though its pushed into background next to Rod’s serves. Rod’s a fraction slow to react in returning, which is also true to his play in rallies

The little delay in Rod’s first-step movement (both return and often in rallies) is common part of his general game. Seems to be an eye-reaction rather than movement matter. Once he’s on the move, he moves quickly, but that first is a touch off

Unlike Rod, Fer sends down a few routine first serves. He has a good second serve too. Its moving a step for these that Rod’s slower reaction comes out. 9 UEs, 11 FEs is yield that either speaks to doing very well against tough stuff or not so well against routine stuff

Both players look to have a swing at the return when they can, Fer’s chances limited and both have 2 return winners (none of them passes). Rod also return-approaches twice. Fer reduced to trying to poke and block returns back in play anyway he can regularly
 

Waspsting

Hall of Fame
After the return -
Winners - Rod 17, Fer 21
Errors forced - Rod 17, Fer 9
UEs - Rod 17, Fer 22

Action is hard hitting, baseline stuff. Both players preferring FHs, but not shying away from BHs and BHs are hit pressuringly strong too. Both players take on shot-making winners to balls not obviously there for it, again, particularly off the FH. Fer’s more apt than Rod to do so off the BH too, while Rod occasionally has a nothing-to-lose go when down in return games

Quick court + such hard hitting = wide hit balls being potential point enders. Something between ‘slightly’ and ‘very’ on the wide hitting front is enough. Nor do the players have to take ball early to achieve this. Both are able to achieve it from couple paces behind the baseline and its not due to lax defence. Both are quick in covering court, with proviso of Rod’s earlier mentioned slow starts. Serves also draw weak returns that allow easy approaches or point ending shots from inside court

Very similar FH figures. Rod 9 winners (2 returns, 1 pass), 12 UEs, Fer 10 winners (2 returns, 2 net shots, 1 pass), 13 UEs. Fer’s 2 net winners being products of drawing very weak returns and not having anything to do with net play

On the BH, Rod with match low 5 UEs, and 3 winners, Fer 9 UEs, 6 winners

That’s a very strong game from Rod. FH powerful and pressuring, and able point finisher. BH steady, at times pressuring and never giving up weak balls. Fer similar with his FH, a little more adventuous with BH, but its also more apt to give up the UE

Neutral UEs - Rod 8, Fer 14. These are on the hard side for UEs, against good hitting. Third balls UEs are usually drawn by firm, deepish returns

Rallying to net - Rod 6/7, Fer 11/14

Not ‘rallying to net’ in conventional sense. The hitting is much to good for that to be a good option. The two reach net after drawing soft, short returns and coming in is easy. Fer very rarely creates an approach from normal position (once or twice), that’s about it. Rallying to net points says more about the serve than about either baseline or net skills

Nice move by Rod to second serve-volley so much. He’s 9/10 on the play, usually having to make a volley (he’s just 2/2 off first serve). Tidy as needed volleying from him. Couple of not-easy ones under net which block-directs to corner. In general, he tends to be a plonky volleyer that leaves balls in middle of court and sitting up, but not here

No volley UEs in match. Fer’s got a couple of FEs

Rod wins 59% second serve-points. Sans serve-volleying, that figure drop to 10/22. Sans 2 double faults, exactly 10/20. Doing the same for Fer (whose 1/1 serve-volleying and has 1 double fault), second serve points read 15/32

Essentially, two players are equal from even starting position, with both playing well. Rod’s returning accounts for missing a few second returns, so he’s won good lot more of second return points where a rally has developed. But his own second serve doesn’t lead to ‘neutral’ starting positions but one where he has at least bit of an initiative to start (plus, he also draws a few return errors, some of them FEs), so Fer has also done better when baseline rally develops on is second return points. That’s with firmly struck returning from both playes

Rod’s serve-volleying keeps him comfortably ahead overall on second serve-points

Match Progression
Its Ferrero who impresses more right at the start. Bangs away a superb FH cc winner from normal position in opening game, smacks a nice BH cc one in holding the next. And reaches break point game after that with a bold, BH inside-out/dtl winner. Good serves see Rod hold

Then he breaks with strong FHs, including 2 winners (inside-out/dtl and on break point, inside-in)

Rod wins 24/25 service points in succession, including 23 in a row right after breaking, which takes ends in middle of second set (25/26 is another way of looking at the run, starting after the first point he loses in the 24/25 run). 19/24 are unreturend serves, 9 of them aces. Fer isn’t troubled to hold either, but of course, the run see Rod take the first set and things move to 4-4 in the second by the time its done

In that light, its an odd tiebreak, with Rod losing both service points to fall behind 1-2, and Fer not winning any service points at all

Rod nails a FH cc passing winner on first point, in which Fer makes the most audacious diving volley I’ve seen on a hard court. Not even Boris Becker dived like this on this surface. Fer answers with a running FH cc passing winner of his own against a good, low volley to corner by a second serve-volleying Rod and Rod follows up missing a neutral third ball FH

Fer responds by mishitting a third ball FH UE against a decent return. Two players in lock-step it seems

Rod wins all the remaining points. Fer missing a FH inside-in winner attempt to start and he blinks another FH UE in a cc rally after a Rod ace. Down 2-6, Fer gives up. The FH cc winner Rod finishes with isn’t far out of reach, but Fer makes no move as it goes through to end the set

Rod with better of third set too. Fer holds 10 point game (no break points) for 1-1 and two trade long holds awhile later

Fer’s has to save 3 break points to hold 10 point game for 3-3, with a full running, on stretch Rod BH dtl winner the highlight of the game (and probably match). Dangerous drop shot by Fer to save first break point, a shot neither player had played at all until now. Having got to deuce, Fer gives up another break point by missing a mid court BH cc winner attempt that he’d set up beautifully, but good serves get him through the game

He’s got 2 break points himself next game, which he opens with a swatted FH cc return winner against a first serve and Rod throws in a rare double fault and less but still rare routine third ball BH UE. Good serve erases first break point but it’s a bad miss on a big swing FH return against second serve that takes care of the second. And Rod holds with couple more big serves - an ace and 1 that draws a weak return that he dispatches with a baseline OH on the bounce

Rod breaks next game. Bit of luck involved when his BH dtl pass pops over the net chord for a winner. Would not have been an easy volley for Fer had it not. Fer takes on a FH dtl winner but misses to raise break point, on which he double faults for only time in match

4 unreturned serves - the last 3 aces - later, match is done

Summing up, extraordinary serving display from Roddick is at forefront of a good match from both players. Both hit hard off both sides, both favouring the FH and willing to go for winning shots off it but neither afraid to use the BH and hitting hard off that side too (Ferrero a little more adventurously, but Roddick being steadier)

2 things Roddick has or does that Ferrero has no equalizer for; Demonic-ly powerful serving and related to that, serve-volleying behind second serves. The 51% fill of freebies from Roddick (Ferrero trails by 20%) and the nifty 9/10 second serve-volley points won (Ferrrero is 1/1), with other things equal, sees him home comfortably
 

NAS

Hall of Fame
Wow I haven’t seen his serving broken down into the numbers like that. I knew it was monstrous but not 51% unreturned monstrous. Never thought Ferrero returned particularly badly to account for that number.
Ferrero was done and dusted for this match, Us open organisers put American players interest above in that open which was rain affected
Many players complained, person like Ferrero was completely screwed, Us open wanted Agassi as champion, and Ferrero bit*h slapped them by defeating Agassi in semi, in a way he helped Roddick as Agassi may have taken down Roddick in final
Nalbandian vs Roddick was de facto final, who ever won was going to win us open final in hindsight.
Nalbandian was little bit injured but if he has finished Roddick in three( before aggravating his injury) he was going to beat Ferrero also in final
 

RS

Bionic Poster
Most don't deny Roddick played well in the final it's actually the SF that gets memed.
 

NatF

Bionic Poster
Most don't deny Roddick played well in the final it's actually the SF that gets memed.
The SF was a fine level. Will fight anyone on that. There have been far far worse SF's even in the so called golden era.
 

Galvermegs

Professional
Ferrero was generally not great on quicker lower bouncing courts. He did well to beat hewitt and agassi but this was too much .. the most in form player.

I didnt expect roddick to have the one slam by career end but i also wasnt sure yet if federer would figure out all the other majors. I do not think it was just federer preventing roddick from a 2nd or 3rd major either.
 

RS

Bionic Poster
Who would have thought in 2003 that would be Roddick's last slam. Probably looked like he could at least nab 3-4 slams then.
 

JasonZ

Hall of Fame
Who would have thought in 2003 that would be Roddick's last slam. Probably looked like he could at least nab 3-4 slams then.
yeah he turned just 21 then and with that reliable monster serve i was sure he would a few more.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RS

BauerAlmeida

Hall of Fame
Nalbandian was little bit injured but if he has finished Roddick in three( before aggravating his injury) he was going to beat Ferrero also in final


Nalbandian said he would not have been able to play the final (whether it's true or not who knows) had he won because he played with an injury in the abdomen that he picked up in the El Aynaoui game and a wrist injury he picked up in the Roddick game. Nalbandian took a month or so after the US Open and came back in Basel but withdrew from the final because of that wrist injury and was still affected by it in the YEC.

I think he would have played the final because it's a slam final but the wrist could have badly hampered him if it was still affecting him over a month after that. Ferrero could have secured YE1 and won 2 slams that year if Nalbandian converted MP.
 

JasonZ

Hall of Fame
Most of us were sure he wouldnt change his top 3 level forehand.
personally i never thought his forehand was great, not even in 2003/2004. he was a consistent baseliner with a good forehand, it was that monster serve that made him a very good player.
 

Galvermegs

Professional
personally i never thought his forehand was great, not even in 2003/2004. he was a consistent baseliner with a good forehand, it was that monster serve that made him a very good player.
It looked especially impressive in person on grass up close.. but maybe i was just seeing an opponent on the other side over the hill as well.
 

FD3S

Hall of Fame
personally i never thought his forehand was great, not even in 2003/2004. he was a consistent baseliner with a good forehand, it was that monster serve that made him a very good player.
I'm curious who you'd rate above it during his 2003/2004 prime - Federer and Agassi outclassed Roddick's as a total package but it gets real murky from there. There were a number of guys like Blake/Gonzo/PimPim/etc who could beat Roddick's FH for pure pace when it came to gunning it but Roddick's was significantly more consistent day in, day out without giving up a ton on either the MPH/weight of shot. I'd argue that Ferrero and Moya came close; the former had an excellent forehand that IMO was a little behind Roddick's overall (superior on clay, slightly lagging everywhere else) while the latter's overall game had cooled off just enough during Roddick's peak that the forehand wasn't quite what it was just a few years earlier, albeit still a very good shot.

EDIT: Safin's was up there too but it was every bit mercurial as the rest of his game was.
 
Last edited:
Top