Pete Sampras beat Jim Courier 7-6(3), 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-3 in the Wimbledon final, 1993 on grass
This was Sampras first Wimbledon title, while with the result, Courier completed reaching finals of all 4 Slams. Sampras was ranked 1, Courier 2 and Courier had won Australian Open and been French Open finalist earlier in the year. Sampras would go onto win 6 of the next 7 Wimbledon's
Sampras won 135 points, Courier 120
Sampras players serve-volleyed off all serves, Courier serve-volleyed occasionally off both serves
Serve Stats
Sampras...
- 1st serve percentage (73/120) 61%
- 1st serve points won (60/73) 82%
- 2nd serve points won (32/47) 68%
- Aces 22 (3 second serves, 1 possibly not clean), Service Winners 6
- Double Faults 6
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (61/120) 51%
Courier...
- 1st serve percentage (74/135) 55%
- 1st serve points won (57/74) 77%
- 2nd serve points won (35/61) 57%
- Aces 9 (1 hits Sampras), Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 6
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (41/135) 30%
Serve Patterns
Sampras served...
- to FH 47%
- to BH 53%
Courier served...
- to FH 28%
- to BH 64%
- to Body 9%
Return Stats
Sampras made...
- 88 (22 FH, 66 BH), including 1 runaround FH & 3 return-approaches
- 2 Winners (2 BH)
- 31 Errors, comprising...
- 9 Unforced (5 FH, 4 BH), including 2 runaround FHs & 1 return-approach attempt
- 22 Forced (10 FH, 12 BH)
- Return Rate (88/129) 68%
Courier made...
- 53 (23 FH, 30 BH), including 2 return-approaches
- 3 Winners (3 BH)
- 33 Errors, all forcing...
- 33 Forced (18 FH, 15 BH)
- Return Rate (53/114) 46%
Break Points
Sampras 2/5 (4 games)
Courier 2/2
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Sampras 31 (7 FH, 6 BH, 9 FHV, 6 BHV, 3 OH)
Courier 29 (14 FH, 9 BH, 4 FHV, 2 BHV)
Sampras had 19 from serve-volley points
- 14 first 'volleys' (5 FHV, 3 BHV, 1 OH, 4 FH at net, 1 BH at net)
- 5 second volleys (3 FHV, 2 OH)
- 3 from return-approach points (1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 BH at net)
- 1 other BHV was a diving shot
- FHs - 1 cc and 2 dtl passes
- BHs (all passes) - 1 cc and 3 dtl (2 returns)
Courier's FH passes - 3 cc, 1 dtl and 1 lob
- BH passes - 1 cc return, 3 dtl, 1 inside-out return, 1 inside-in return and 1 lob
- regular FHs - 1 cc, 2 dtl, 4 inside-out, 1 inside-in and 1 longline/inside-out
- regular BHs - 1 cc and 1 dtl
- 4 from serve-volley points (3 FHV, 1 BHV), all first volleys
- 1 other FHV was played net-to-net
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Sampras 44
- 18 Unforced (2 FH, 9 BH, 3 FHV, 3 BHV, 1 BHOH)
- 26 Forced (8 FH, 10 BH, 2 FHV, 1 BHV, 5 BH1/2V)... with 1 BH at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 50
Courier 37
- 13 Unforced (4 FH, 3 BH, 2 FHV, 4 BHV)
- 24 Forced (11 FH, 10 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 BH1/2V)... with 2 FH running-down-drop-volley at net & 2 BH running-down-drop-volley/net chord dribbler at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 53.1
(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 for these two matches are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Sampras was...
- 75/105 (71%) at net, including...
- 64/86 (74%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 35/48 (73%) off 1st serve and...
- 29/38 (76%) off 2nd serve
---
- 3/3 (100%) return-approaching
- 0/2 forced back/retreated
Courier was...
- 23/43 (56%) at net, including...
- 12/21 (57%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 6/10 (60%) off 1st serve and...
- 6/11 (55%) off 2nd serve
---
- 0/2 return-approaching
Match Report
Very strong serving from Pete Sampras defines the match, relegating or/and shaping everything else to a secondary role. Courier serves well, hits hard and plays with gusto on his service games, but at no time looks like threatening the Sampras serve. Sampras fares a bit better - it would be hard not to - returning
Match can be divided into two. First two sets - when both players seem fit - and second two, when something seems to be a bit off with Sampras. The one constant... Sampras serves huge
Sampras' Serve Games
Sampras serves huge - first and second serves - and serve-volleys behind all of it
He's at his mightiest in first set when first and second serves are virtually indistinguishable. Second set, he eases back a bit on second serves and continues doing so for rest of match
Even easing back on second serves, they're still powerful enough to be forceful (and would be even sans serve-volleying). And he continues to throw down the odd 'first' second serve too
61% first serves in, 22 aces & 6 service winners, 51% unreturned rate. Where does that leave Courier with?
Basically, almost nothing. Not only can he barely get a ball back, but the ones he does are mostly putaway volleys (or even easier, groundstrokes at net) for Sampras. Of Sampras 14 first 'volley' winners, 1 is an OH and 5 are groundstrokes. The volleys are mostly high and easy. What he doesn't putaway are easy to put into corners, leaving Courier hopeless running passes
Not particularly good volleying from Sampras. There's 7 UEs and 9 FEs... he rarely faces a tough volley and when he does, usually misses. 7 UEs isn't high and he finishes points with winners and forcing passing errors far, far more often than that... but there is scope for doing better
To be clear, quality of Sampras' volleying rests within context of his -
a) not having to volley most of the time
b) having easy volleys mostly when he does
c) not doing well when he gets a tough volley
Courier mostly returns by trying to get balls in play anyway he can. He's not missing returns by hitting big, he's missing because the serves are too good for him. Nothing wrong with the returns... just too good serving from Pete. To the point of shutting Courier out almost completely
This was Sampras first Wimbledon title, while with the result, Courier completed reaching finals of all 4 Slams. Sampras was ranked 1, Courier 2 and Courier had won Australian Open and been French Open finalist earlier in the year. Sampras would go onto win 6 of the next 7 Wimbledon's
Sampras won 135 points, Courier 120
Sampras players serve-volleyed off all serves, Courier serve-volleyed occasionally off both serves
Serve Stats
Sampras...
- 1st serve percentage (73/120) 61%
- 1st serve points won (60/73) 82%
- 2nd serve points won (32/47) 68%
- Aces 22 (3 second serves, 1 possibly not clean), Service Winners 6
- Double Faults 6
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (61/120) 51%
Courier...
- 1st serve percentage (74/135) 55%
- 1st serve points won (57/74) 77%
- 2nd serve points won (35/61) 57%
- Aces 9 (1 hits Sampras), Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 6
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (41/135) 30%
Serve Patterns
Sampras served...
- to FH 47%
- to BH 53%
Courier served...
- to FH 28%
- to BH 64%
- to Body 9%
Return Stats
Sampras made...
- 88 (22 FH, 66 BH), including 1 runaround FH & 3 return-approaches
- 2 Winners (2 BH)
- 31 Errors, comprising...
- 9 Unforced (5 FH, 4 BH), including 2 runaround FHs & 1 return-approach attempt
- 22 Forced (10 FH, 12 BH)
- Return Rate (88/129) 68%
Courier made...
- 53 (23 FH, 30 BH), including 2 return-approaches
- 3 Winners (3 BH)
- 33 Errors, all forcing...
- 33 Forced (18 FH, 15 BH)
- Return Rate (53/114) 46%
Break Points
Sampras 2/5 (4 games)
Courier 2/2
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Sampras 31 (7 FH, 6 BH, 9 FHV, 6 BHV, 3 OH)
Courier 29 (14 FH, 9 BH, 4 FHV, 2 BHV)
Sampras had 19 from serve-volley points
- 14 first 'volleys' (5 FHV, 3 BHV, 1 OH, 4 FH at net, 1 BH at net)
- 5 second volleys (3 FHV, 2 OH)
- 3 from return-approach points (1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 BH at net)
- 1 other BHV was a diving shot
- FHs - 1 cc and 2 dtl passes
- BHs (all passes) - 1 cc and 3 dtl (2 returns)
Courier's FH passes - 3 cc, 1 dtl and 1 lob
- BH passes - 1 cc return, 3 dtl, 1 inside-out return, 1 inside-in return and 1 lob
- regular FHs - 1 cc, 2 dtl, 4 inside-out, 1 inside-in and 1 longline/inside-out
- regular BHs - 1 cc and 1 dtl
- 4 from serve-volley points (3 FHV, 1 BHV), all first volleys
- 1 other FHV was played net-to-net
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Sampras 44
- 18 Unforced (2 FH, 9 BH, 3 FHV, 3 BHV, 1 BHOH)
- 26 Forced (8 FH, 10 BH, 2 FHV, 1 BHV, 5 BH1/2V)... with 1 BH at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 50
Courier 37
- 13 Unforced (4 FH, 3 BH, 2 FHV, 4 BHV)
- 24 Forced (11 FH, 10 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 BH1/2V)... with 2 FH running-down-drop-volley at net & 2 BH running-down-drop-volley/net chord dribbler at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 53.1
(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 for these two matches are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Sampras was...
- 75/105 (71%) at net, including...
- 64/86 (74%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 35/48 (73%) off 1st serve and...
- 29/38 (76%) off 2nd serve
---
- 3/3 (100%) return-approaching
- 0/2 forced back/retreated
Courier was...
- 23/43 (56%) at net, including...
- 12/21 (57%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 6/10 (60%) off 1st serve and...
- 6/11 (55%) off 2nd serve
---
- 0/2 return-approaching
Match Report
Very strong serving from Pete Sampras defines the match, relegating or/and shaping everything else to a secondary role. Courier serves well, hits hard and plays with gusto on his service games, but at no time looks like threatening the Sampras serve. Sampras fares a bit better - it would be hard not to - returning
Match can be divided into two. First two sets - when both players seem fit - and second two, when something seems to be a bit off with Sampras. The one constant... Sampras serves huge
Sampras' Serve Games
Sampras serves huge - first and second serves - and serve-volleys behind all of it
He's at his mightiest in first set when first and second serves are virtually indistinguishable. Second set, he eases back a bit on second serves and continues doing so for rest of match
Even easing back on second serves, they're still powerful enough to be forceful (and would be even sans serve-volleying). And he continues to throw down the odd 'first' second serve too
61% first serves in, 22 aces & 6 service winners, 51% unreturned rate. Where does that leave Courier with?
Basically, almost nothing. Not only can he barely get a ball back, but the ones he does are mostly putaway volleys (or even easier, groundstrokes at net) for Sampras. Of Sampras 14 first 'volley' winners, 1 is an OH and 5 are groundstrokes. The volleys are mostly high and easy. What he doesn't putaway are easy to put into corners, leaving Courier hopeless running passes
Not particularly good volleying from Sampras. There's 7 UEs and 9 FEs... he rarely faces a tough volley and when he does, usually misses. 7 UEs isn't high and he finishes points with winners and forcing passing errors far, far more often than that... but there is scope for doing better
To be clear, quality of Sampras' volleying rests within context of his -
a) not having to volley most of the time
b) having easy volleys mostly when he does
c) not doing well when he gets a tough volley
Courier mostly returns by trying to get balls in play anyway he can. He's not missing returns by hitting big, he's missing because the serves are too good for him. Nothing wrong with the returns... just too good serving from Pete. To the point of shutting Courier out almost completely