Match Stats/Report - Safin vs Hewitt, Paris final, 2002

[Waspsting]

Marat Safin beat Lleyton Hewitt 7-6(4), 6-0, 6-4 in the Paris final, 2002 on carpet

It was the second of Safin’s 3 titles at the event. Hewitt would go onto win the year End Championship shortly afterwards on indoor hard court, beating Safin in the round robin along the way. It would be his only final in Paris

Safin won 108 points, Hewitt 84

Serve Stats
Safin...
- 1st serve percentage (52/91) 57%
- 1st serve points won (43/52) 83%
- 2nd serve points won (20/39) 51%
- Aces 13 (1 second serve)
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (33/91) 36%

Hewitt...
- 1st serve percentage (42/101) 42%
- 1st serve points won (28/42) 67%
- 2nd serve points won (28/59) 47%
- Aces 5, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 7
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (25/101) 25%

Serve Pattern
Safin served...
- to FH 34%
- to BH 60%
- to Body 7%

Hewitt served...
- to FH 37%
- to BH 52%
- to Body 11%

Return Stats
Safin made...
- 69 (27 FH, 42 BH), including 2 return-approaches
- 3 Winners (2 FH, 1 BH)
- 19 Errors, comprising...
- 10 Unforced (5 FH, 5 BH)
- 9 Forced (2 FH, 7 BH)
- Return Rate (69/94) 73%

Hewitt made...
- 56 (28 FH, 28 BH), including 5 runaround FHs
- 20 Errors, comprising...
- 5 Unforced (2 FH, 3 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 15 Forced (4 FH, 11 BH)
- Return Rate (56/89) 63%

Break Points
Safin 5/14 (8 games)
Hewitt 1/5 (3 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding aces)
Safin 26 (11 FH, 6 BH, 4 FHV, 5 BHV)
Hewitt 17 (9 FH, 1 BH, 2 FHV, 3 BHV, 3 OH)

Safin's FHs - 4 cc (1 return, 1 pass, 1 at net), 4 dtl (1 return, 1 pass), 3 inside-out
- BHs - 1 cc, 4 dtl (1 return), 1 inside-oout

- 2 from return-approach points, both BHVs

- 1 FHV was a swinging inside-out from just behind service line

Hewitt's FHs - 2 cc, 4 dtl 1 pass, 2 at net, 2 inside-out, 1 net chord dribbler
- BH pass - 1 inside-out slice

Errors (excluding returns and serves)
Safin 40
- 27 Unforced (16 FH, 9 BH, 2 BHV)
- 13 Forced (6 FH, 4 BH, 2 BHV, 1 BH1/2V)... 1 BH running-down-drop-shot at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 46.3

Hewitt 42
- 23 Unforced (10 FH, 12 BH, 1 OH)... with 1 FH at net
- 19 Forced (7 FH, 12 BH)... with 1 BH running-down-drop-shot at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 46.1

(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 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
Safin was...
- 24/33 (73%) at net, including...
- 1/3 (33%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 0/2 off 1st serves and...
- 1/1 off 2nd serve
---
- 2/2 return-approaching
- 1/2 retreated

Hewitt was...
- 15/21 (71%) at net, with...
- 1/1 forced back

Match Report
Consummate and brilliant all-court, all aspects of the game showing from Safin as he bullies Hewitt about on a fast, very low bouncing court

Strong serving, aggressive returning, power-baselining, shot-making, attacking point construction, adventurous net play, even a touch of serve-volley (off both serves) and return-approaching thrown in… there isn’t much Safin doesn’t show off. Doesn’t get to pass much or use drop shots and he doesn’t slice. That’s about it - everything else is there, all high end

Strangely enough, what stands out most amidst such variety and high quality is his movement. He’s as quick as Hewitt, who generally is the quickest of quick and doughtiest of defenders. Saf’s offence takes the eye, but defensively, he’s right up there with Hewitt. And Hewitt’s offence is both rarer and less potent than his

No shortage of thing to admire in Saf’s offense. He has the power to be pressuring or at very least, secure against being attacked, even when in neutral. For that matter, so is Hewitt, who despite getting thoroughly outplayed does not get overpowered from the baseline. Consistency’s a wash, hitting is good and close to equal, movement is splendid and equal, so what does Saf have that Hewitt doesn’t?

He’s more adventurous with the shot choices. Willing to go wide to open the court, willing to manufacture approaches when he’s pushed Hewitt back and sometimes, just quick dash to net. Hewitt by contrast, keeps plugging away with the groundies when he’s got Saf pushed back, and usually keeps his shots away from lines. For Hewitt to come out ahead, he’d need Saf to mess up attacking or have a big basic consistency advantage on bread and butter, stock shots

Neutral UEs - Saf 16, Hewitt 14
No basic consistency advantage there to speak off

Safin with 5 attacking errors, while forcing 19 errors out of Hewitt and 6 winner attempts misses while hitting 26 winners
No Safin screwing up attacking there

That’s more than enough to be decisive, but on top of it (actually, both on top of it and it all flowing out of), serve-return complex is wholly in Saf’s favour too

Serve & Return
Safin having much bigger serve is a given. His serving at much higher percentage (57% to 42%) accentuates the advantage he has there

Safin getting more freebies - check
Unreturned rates - Saf 36%, Hewitt 25%
Aces and first serve ace rate - Saf 23%, Hewitt 14%

Safin starting more rallies from commanding positions - check
Serve being bigger means he draws a higher lot of weak to not strong serves - and of course, he’s better than Hewitt at captilizing from that position too

Safin hammering more attacking returns, as is his way - check
He’s got 3 return winners (1 against a first serve). As is his way, he hammers second returns and with Hewitt serving at just 42%, there are a lot of those for him to have a go at

In fact, he hammers first returns not infrequently too. Again, as is his way. 10/19 of his return errors have been marked UEs (8 of them second serves). Price of going for big returns that he can afford. He gains his sole break in the first set on back of a couple of return-approaches

Safin’s hammering more attacking returns causing Hewitt to double fault - check
7 doubles from Hewitt, or 12% of second serves. He’s under pressure on second serve with Saf swinging freely, but still, this is blackmark territory. Saf has just 2 or just 5%

Particularly good second serving from Saf in fact. It’s a very low bouncing court, with groundies regularly taken around knee height, but Saf gets his kick serves to get up as high as Hewitt’s neck and head, from where, receiver can’t pack much punch on the return. Has a second serve ace too

Play - Baseline & Net
Winners - Saf 26, Hewitt 17
Errors Forced - Saf 19, Hewitt 13
UEs - Saf 27, Hewitt 23

Great numbers from Saf, as you’d expect given scoreline, but Hewitt’s good ones speaks to his having played well too

Safin’s FH with both match high 11 winners and 16 UEs. In first set in particular, it’s the most neutrally shakey shot (ironically, Hewitt’s, which is rock solid, gives way in the tiebreak). He does have consistency advantage amidst BH rallies though

FH UEs - Saf 16, Hewitt 10
BH UEs - Saf 9, Hewitt 12

While the difference in FHs is basic consistency difference, the BHs get more complicated. Saf goes for dtl winners and other attacking shots that he misses (he makes more than he misses), and even Hewitt leaves his comfort zone of firm cc’s to go dtl for the odd winner attempt (always misses). Just neutrally, Safin would have considerable advantage - credit to him, not discredit to Hewitt, whose BH steadiness is just fine

Hewitt’s FH with match best winner/UE differential of -1 (that includes a very poor FH at net miss). From equal starting position, he has the better FH because its more steady, but due to serve-return complex, starting position’s are loaded towards Safin in favourable position

Close to 0 damage done by Hewitt’s BH. Just the 1 winner, a net BH inside-out slice pass that he guides away while moving towards his left. Saf has 6 winners - all ground to ground shots (1 return), including 3 dtl. BH dtl winners are a big part of Saf’s normal game and this match is no exception

 

[Waspsting]

That’s 1 big difference in playing dynamics and players capabilities; Hewitt with damaging FH, steady BH game, Safin damaging off both wings. The trade off in even encounters is the steady BH player being more consistent but that’s not what happens here. Saf has steadier BH on top of doing all manners of damage with it. Hewitt’s BH is relegated to minimizing how far he falls behind off that side, which isn’t abnormal for a BH. He’s not bad - firm of shot and steady - but Safin better in all ways

Another key to play is net points. Rallying to net
- Saf 21/27 at 78%
- Hewitt 15/21 at 71%

Again, pretty good from Hewitt. He has fewer ready chances to come in because of difference in effectiveness of serves, but to repeat, not from rallies. He is not out-hit or outmanuvered in baseline rallies and chances to come in would be about equal in those. Hewitt quite successful, but he doesn’t look to come in

Safin does. His attacking is a thing a of beauty in its it variety. Goes for his dtl point enders (he’s got 5 dtl winners across both wings, Hewitt 1), usually after hitting the previous cc a little wider. From neutral position, he goes for the edgy shot to open the court a little (rarely missing) and takes to attacking from there (contending with Hewitt’s strong defence), both by coming to net or through combinations of attacking groundstrokes. And he does all this off both wings

Hewitt by contrast, doesn’t go for dtl point enders (and misses on odd occasions when he does), sticks to firm cc stock shots in rallies and isn’t proactive in seeking net

And most surprisingly, Saf’s just as good as Hewitt defensively and on the run

If Saf looks vulnerable to anything, it’s the slice. Hewitt though isn’t much of a slicer and rarely plays the shot. Very good option on this court. The few that are played stay shin high - and they’re not particularly good slices

To be clear, Saf’s big match long superiority - he wins 56.3% of points serving 47.4% of them - isn’t just due to the bagel. He has better of the other two sets too, though there is a potential bug to that in the first set itself…

Match Progression
One break apiece in first set and Saf’s better of things in getting into return games a little more than Hewitt. But its Hewitt who has the only break point other than break games

Saf’s more proactive and attacking, and wins his points that way. Hewitt’s much steadier off the FH (Saf has advantage on BH), and going into ‘breaker, FH UEs read Saf 10, Hewitt 0
In the ‘breaker, FH UEs are Saf 1, Hewitt 3 - all the points on Hewitt’s serve

Saf breaks to 15 to up 3-1 in an all 2nd serve game. There’s a big FH cc return winner, but more importantly, 2 strong, wide hit return-approaches. The approach part isn’t obvious option and credit to Saf for the variety. Doesn’t get easy volleys on them either but comes away with 2 BHV winners for the break

Hewitt breaks back for 3-4, with Saf making 4 UEs (3 groundies, 1 volley). And has break point next return game, brought up by working his way forward and finishing with FHV winner in a particuarly good point. Saf power serves it away, strikes a BHOH to win next point and draws a return error from a second error that kicks up to Hewitt’s head almost

Beautiful and rare BH inside-out winner by Saf in game 12. He’s completely in deuce court as he strikes it. Hewitt had a passing winner in the same direction earlier, but that was more circumstantial, with Hewitt rushing to left to meet the ball well up the court and push-slicing it inside-out for the winner

The FH that had been Hewitt’s safehouse cracks by itself in the breaker, though he is encouraged if not forced to go for more than he had been on it. Saf wins 3 net points and is otherwise strong of shot from the back. Hewitt’s FH UEs comprise a regulation shot to go down 0-2, a dtl winner attempt that he’d set up well with a wider cc the shot before to go down 2-5 and an attacking shot to an easy ball up court to lose the game

Then the bagel, which starts out chewy, and ends with an easy gulp. Takes 10 points for Hewitt to give up the first break, the only break point Saf has. Good shots from Saf in it - chancey FH inside-out/dtl approach from neutral position and a bold BH inside-out return that sets up a BH cc winner

Consolidation takes 16 points and Saf saves 3 break points in it. It’s a fine game from both players with good rallies and both players turning that into attack. Hewitt’s got a sitting duck pass on his last break point from around service line that he mishits and Saf’s able to come away with the point

Rest of set is more one sided. Saf wraps up with love hold with 4 unreturned serves - 3 of them aces

Big difference between 6-0 and 6-4, but not that much changes in the third set.
Saf doesn’t face break point, Hewitt does 4/5 games, but is broken just once

On top of all his other woes, double faults rears their ugly head for Hewitt, who has 5 of them in the set. Serves a woeful 15/39 first serves in, but saving grace is winning 13/15 first serve points to just about keep Saf from running roughshod

Couple of break points saved in opener, with Saf mishitting a BH dtl on first and a strong serve saving the second. Saf misses regulation return on game point. And holds to love - finishing with a second serve ace

2 winners bring up break point next game too - a by now fairly common BH dtl and a brilliant, full running hooked FH cc pass, which Hewitt saves by taking net. He’s not so lucky next time and Saf’s the one to come forward and snatch break with FHV winner for 3-2 lead

Hewitt’s down 0-40, 3 match points awhile later, but manages to come out of it. And even reaches 0-30 as Saf serves for the match, with a particularly good, low, wide BHV drop winner in there. Doesn’t win another point. 1 of the few things Saf’s been a bust with are drop shots, but he hits a good one that Hewitt needs all his speed to dig up, but Saf’s there to block the easiest of BHVs in for the winner. Couple of powerful serves close things out

Summing up, wonderful showing from Marat Safin whose on point in all areas. Big first serves, very good second serve kickers, big returns, hard hitting, bossy baseline game off both wings with willingness and ability to proactively take charge from there. Attacking play takes the eye - off the ground, he’s proficient with both combinations of groundies off both wings and shot-making, but net play plays a big part in it too. He’s even defensively superb, on par with his opponent, who needs to defend a lot more than Safin does

Pretty good showing from Hewitt too, bar a couple flaws in low service percentage and double faults trouble. Those alone would put him in trouble, even without Safin playing so well, and with it, his chances of victory are almost nil. Still, he plays well. As steady as Safin while being as firm of shot, excellent movement and defence, not giving much away. He’s less inclined to adventurously take charge of action and his offence is limited to just the FH. Solid stuff, but solid's not going to cut it against a well-playing, proactively aggressive all court opponet, who just also happens to be solid too

 

[Third Serve]

One of those mythical peak Safin matches huh? Might have to check this out.

 

[NAS]

One of those mythical peak Safin matches huh? Might have to check this out.

Hewitt was also under par in this match, he beat Safin and won Yec just in 2 weeks timw