Pete Sampras beat Pat Rafter 6-2, 6-4, 7-5 in the Grand Slam Cup final, 1997 on carpet in Munich, Germany
It was Sampras second title at the event and he would go onto win the Year End Championship at the end of the year. Sampras is the only player to win this event more than once and to win it and the YEC in the same year. Rafter had recently won his first Slam title at the US Open
Sampras won 96 points, Rafter 65
Sampras serve-volleyed off all serves, Rafter off all but 1 first serve and all but 7 seconds
Serve Stats
Sampras...
- 1st serve percentage (44/69) 64%
- 1st serve points won (38/44) 86%
- 2nd serve points won (23/25) 92%
- Aces 13 (2 second serves), Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 1
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (36/69) 52%
Rafter...
- 1st serve percentage (55/92) 60%
- 1st serve points won (40/55) 73%
- 2nd serve points won (17/37) 46%
- Aces 6, Service Winners 1 (a second serve)
- Double Faults 3
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (32/92) 35%
Serve Patterns
Sampras served...
- to FH 18%
- to BH 72%
- to Body 10%
Rafter served....
- to FH 26%
- to BH 58%
- to Body 16%
Return Stats
Sampras made...
- 57 (13 FH, 44 BH), including 1 runaround BH & 1 return-approach
- 9 Winners (4 FH, 5 BH)
- 25 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 BH)
- 24 Forced (7 FH, 17 BH)
- Return Rate (57/89) 64%
Rafter made...
- 32 (4 FH, 28 BH), including 1 return-approach
- 22 Errors, all forced...
- 22 Forced (2 FH, 20 BH)
- Return Rate (32/68) 47%
Break Points
Sampras 4/9 (6 games)
Rafter 0/1
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Sampras 29 (7 FH, 8 BH, 7 FHV, 6 BHV, 1 OH)
Rafter 12 (3 FHV, 6 BHV, 2 BH1/2V, 1 BHOH)
Sampras had 14 from serve-volley points
- 12 first volleys (7 FHV, 5 BHV)... 1 FHV can reasonably be called an OH
- 1 second volley (1 BHV)
- 1 third volley (1 OH)
- 14 passes (6 FH, 8 BH) - 8 returns (3 FH, 5 BH) & 6 regular (3 FH, 3 BH)
- FH returns - 1 dtl and 2 inside-in
- BH returns - 1 cc, 3 dtl and 1 inside-in
- regular FHs - 1 cc, 1 dtl and 1 inside-in
- regular BHs - 3 cc
- non-pass FH - 1 net chord dribber FH (with Rafter at net)
Rafter had 11 from serve-volley points
- 8 first 'volleys' (3 FHV, 3 BHV, 2 BH1/2V)
- 3 second volleys (2 BHV, 1 BHOH)
- 1 from a return-approach point (1 BHV), which was also a pass
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Sampras 20
- 6 Unforced (2 FH, 1 BH, 3 BHV)
- 14 Forced (3 FH, 7 BH, 1 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 2 BHV)... with 1 FH at net (a pass attempt)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 51.7
Rafter 28
- 7 Unforced (2 FH, 1 FHV, 4 BHV)
- 21 Forced (1 FH, 10 BH, 3 FH1/2V, 6 BHV, 1 BH1/2V)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 52.9
(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 this match are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Sampras was...
- 49/58 (84%) at net, including....
- 47/54 (87%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 26/32 (81%) off 1st serve and...
- 21/22 (95%) off 2nd serve
---
- 1/1 return-approaching
- 1/1 forced back
Rafter was...
- 46/76 (61%) at net, including....
- 45/74 (61%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 33/48 (69%) off 1st serve and...
- 12/26 (46%) off 2nd serve
---
- 1/1 return-approaching
Match Report
Near perfect display from Sampras wipes out a well-playing Rafter on a fast court
Pete serve-volleys 100% of the time and even by his standard, the serve is overwhelming. He loses 8 points in 15 service games. Not necessarily more impressive, but more importantly, he returns and passes with power all match. Enough to forcefully threaten breaking, despite Rafter volleying well
Rafter plays as well as he’s allowed (a strange assessment for a would-be 100% serve-volleyer on a fast court). His normal serving and constant serve-volleying. The second serve gets pounded, to a lesser degree the first too to the point that he stays back off 7 second serves and 1 first. Lots of difficult volleys to make - along with wide return winners from Pete and hammered passed after drawing weak volley
Moment of the match is Rafter’s though. He breaks Pete’s racquet with a serve. Good serve out, Pete frames it on the stretch - and his racquet breaks
Couple of years later in Cincinnati final, a Pete serve would tear through the strings of Rafter’s racquet. Two strange incidents and fun stories aside, both almost certainly a product of faulty equipment
Sampras serve game
64% 1st serves in, 86% of those won to go with 92% 2nd serves while all out serve-volleying. Losing 8/69 service points. Starting match winning first 20 service points, then after a 2 point lull, adding another 15
Doesn't need much expansion. Suffice to say, total domination by Pete on serve
Its more the serve than the volley that's behind it. Even sans serve-volleying, the serve is overwhelming. 52% go unreturned and what comes back is almost always feeble and weak. 12/14 of Pete's serve-volleying winners are first volleys and for him - usually a 2-part volleyer - that is very, very unusual. They're easy volleys and putaways and the serve is more to credit for setting them up then the volleying, but still, no fooling around on the volley from Pete. Swats them away
Powerful returns are scarce. Pete's got 4 FEs on the volley. He makes perhaps a few more then he misses, but he rarely has to. Doesn't matter much, given its in context of overwhelming bulk of unreturned serves and weak returns drawn, but scope to be better on the rare tough volley for Pete
Just 3 UEs. 2 are in the only game he faces break point in. Very little looseness to the net high volley, he guides it with authority to Rafter's BH, which has 10 FEs (just 1 on FH)
Just 1 'passing' winner by Rafter, where he follows a return to net after seeing Pete having to play a wide BH1/2V to it - and Rafter's at net to putaway a BHV. 0 groundstroke winners from Rafter (he's got 2 BH1/2V winners serve-volleying)
Gist - unplayable from Pete
Rafter's serve games
Rafter's out to serve-volley all the time too, but right out the gate, is faced with a fusillade of powerful returns
Early on, the less strong returns reach him under-net and powerfully. Those are the easiest volleys he gets. And a good lot around his feet hit just as hard and probably harder. With a few return-winners thrown in
After first set, he still regularly faces powerful returns. Regularly enough that its likely to get him broken and that he has to be particularly on point handling difficult volleys. But that's in context of drawing a lot of unreturned serves too. Enough to hold regularly
Drawing 35% unreturned rate, while having to make difficult volleys regularly is a losing game for serve-volleyer and that's where Rafter finds himself
On the 'volley', 5 UEs to 10 FEs speaks to what Rafter's up against. And that's not taking into account Pete's 9 return-winners (1 is a net chord dribbler) and 6 further passing winners. The winners are set up by power returns that draw not-strong volleys. Nothing wrong with Rafter's volleying - he's forced into leaving passing chances and Pete hammers them home
Rafter wins only 1st serve point he stays back on. He's 4/7 not serve-volleying off 2nd serves, as opposed to 12/26 when he does. And he's done pretty well to win 46% of those 2nd serve-volley points, given what he's faced with
Gist of Rafter's service games, he serves well enough to hold most of time, but is faced with enough powerful returns that he's likely to get broken. Copes with the power returns on the volley well but Pete's on point with the follow-up pass too. Looks like a matter of time before Rafter gets broken, which in light of Pete being untouchable on other end, isn't promising
Match Progression
100% serve-volleying in first set. Pete doesn't lose a point on serve and breaks twice to take it
Lot of 2nd serves to body by Pete. He draws soft, chest high return that he dispatches at a stroke. By contrast, Pete pounds Rafter's second serve, winning 11/18 such points
Rafter opens match with double fault. There's a Pete FH dtl pass winner in same game, but break comes via 2 volleying UEs. 2 superb BH cc winners from Pete (1 very powerful, 1 a deftly guided return) awhile later in game Rafter holds. Pete draws BH1/2V error and finishes with a FH inside-in return winner to break a second time, with Rafter double faulting and missing a regulation BHV to help. 6-2 to Sampras
2nd set is more of the same from Pete on serve. He loses 3 points - 1 to a double fault and 2 by missing shoelace volleys. Gets even more freebies with the serve than earlier
Rafter survives 12 point game to open, including a beautiful BHOH winner and a particularly nicely angled BHV one. He starts staying back occasionally. Survives 2 more break points in another deuce game. Is finally broken in an overwpowering game - all the points he loses are down to Pete (a BH return winner and 3 forecourt FEs)
The 3rd set is normal high quality serve-volley tennis and close to even. Pete serves 30 points, Rafter 34. Pete's taken to deuce once and faces break point for only time in match. Rafter also is taken to deuce just once, where he's broken in another game of powerful returns, with 2 BH winners
Pete serves out to 15, losing a second serve-volleying point for only time in match, before ending with a smash
Summing up, zoned-in showing from Sampras on the serve that leaves Rafter chanceless. Meanwhile, the winner gets powerful returns off regularly enough to make holding indefinately unlikely for even a well-playing Rafter - and so it proves
It was Sampras second title at the event and he would go onto win the Year End Championship at the end of the year. Sampras is the only player to win this event more than once and to win it and the YEC in the same year. Rafter had recently won his first Slam title at the US Open
Sampras won 96 points, Rafter 65
Sampras serve-volleyed off all serves, Rafter off all but 1 first serve and all but 7 seconds
Serve Stats
Sampras...
- 1st serve percentage (44/69) 64%
- 1st serve points won (38/44) 86%
- 2nd serve points won (23/25) 92%
- Aces 13 (2 second serves), Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 1
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (36/69) 52%
Rafter...
- 1st serve percentage (55/92) 60%
- 1st serve points won (40/55) 73%
- 2nd serve points won (17/37) 46%
- Aces 6, Service Winners 1 (a second serve)
- Double Faults 3
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (32/92) 35%
Serve Patterns
Sampras served...
- to FH 18%
- to BH 72%
- to Body 10%
Rafter served....
- to FH 26%
- to BH 58%
- to Body 16%
Return Stats
Sampras made...
- 57 (13 FH, 44 BH), including 1 runaround BH & 1 return-approach
- 9 Winners (4 FH, 5 BH)
- 25 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 BH)
- 24 Forced (7 FH, 17 BH)
- Return Rate (57/89) 64%
Rafter made...
- 32 (4 FH, 28 BH), including 1 return-approach
- 22 Errors, all forced...
- 22 Forced (2 FH, 20 BH)
- Return Rate (32/68) 47%
Break Points
Sampras 4/9 (6 games)
Rafter 0/1
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Sampras 29 (7 FH, 8 BH, 7 FHV, 6 BHV, 1 OH)
Rafter 12 (3 FHV, 6 BHV, 2 BH1/2V, 1 BHOH)
Sampras had 14 from serve-volley points
- 12 first volleys (7 FHV, 5 BHV)... 1 FHV can reasonably be called an OH
- 1 second volley (1 BHV)
- 1 third volley (1 OH)
- 14 passes (6 FH, 8 BH) - 8 returns (3 FH, 5 BH) & 6 regular (3 FH, 3 BH)
- FH returns - 1 dtl and 2 inside-in
- BH returns - 1 cc, 3 dtl and 1 inside-in
- regular FHs - 1 cc, 1 dtl and 1 inside-in
- regular BHs - 3 cc
- non-pass FH - 1 net chord dribber FH (with Rafter at net)
Rafter had 11 from serve-volley points
- 8 first 'volleys' (3 FHV, 3 BHV, 2 BH1/2V)
- 3 second volleys (2 BHV, 1 BHOH)
- 1 from a return-approach point (1 BHV), which was also a pass
Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Sampras 20
- 6 Unforced (2 FH, 1 BH, 3 BHV)
- 14 Forced (3 FH, 7 BH, 1 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 2 BHV)... with 1 FH at net (a pass attempt)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 51.7
Rafter 28
- 7 Unforced (2 FH, 1 FHV, 4 BHV)
- 21 Forced (1 FH, 10 BH, 3 FH1/2V, 6 BHV, 1 BH1/2V)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 52.9
(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 this match are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Sampras was...
- 49/58 (84%) at net, including....
- 47/54 (87%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 26/32 (81%) off 1st serve and...
- 21/22 (95%) off 2nd serve
---
- 1/1 return-approaching
- 1/1 forced back
Rafter was...
- 46/76 (61%) at net, including....
- 45/74 (61%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 33/48 (69%) off 1st serve and...
- 12/26 (46%) off 2nd serve
---
- 1/1 return-approaching
Match Report
Near perfect display from Sampras wipes out a well-playing Rafter on a fast court
Pete serve-volleys 100% of the time and even by his standard, the serve is overwhelming. He loses 8 points in 15 service games. Not necessarily more impressive, but more importantly, he returns and passes with power all match. Enough to forcefully threaten breaking, despite Rafter volleying well
Rafter plays as well as he’s allowed (a strange assessment for a would-be 100% serve-volleyer on a fast court). His normal serving and constant serve-volleying. The second serve gets pounded, to a lesser degree the first too to the point that he stays back off 7 second serves and 1 first. Lots of difficult volleys to make - along with wide return winners from Pete and hammered passed after drawing weak volley
Moment of the match is Rafter’s though. He breaks Pete’s racquet with a serve. Good serve out, Pete frames it on the stretch - and his racquet breaks
Couple of years later in Cincinnati final, a Pete serve would tear through the strings of Rafter’s racquet. Two strange incidents and fun stories aside, both almost certainly a product of faulty equipment
Sampras serve game
64% 1st serves in, 86% of those won to go with 92% 2nd serves while all out serve-volleying. Losing 8/69 service points. Starting match winning first 20 service points, then after a 2 point lull, adding another 15
Doesn't need much expansion. Suffice to say, total domination by Pete on serve
Its more the serve than the volley that's behind it. Even sans serve-volleying, the serve is overwhelming. 52% go unreturned and what comes back is almost always feeble and weak. 12/14 of Pete's serve-volleying winners are first volleys and for him - usually a 2-part volleyer - that is very, very unusual. They're easy volleys and putaways and the serve is more to credit for setting them up then the volleying, but still, no fooling around on the volley from Pete. Swats them away
Powerful returns are scarce. Pete's got 4 FEs on the volley. He makes perhaps a few more then he misses, but he rarely has to. Doesn't matter much, given its in context of overwhelming bulk of unreturned serves and weak returns drawn, but scope to be better on the rare tough volley for Pete
Just 3 UEs. 2 are in the only game he faces break point in. Very little looseness to the net high volley, he guides it with authority to Rafter's BH, which has 10 FEs (just 1 on FH)
Just 1 'passing' winner by Rafter, where he follows a return to net after seeing Pete having to play a wide BH1/2V to it - and Rafter's at net to putaway a BHV. 0 groundstroke winners from Rafter (he's got 2 BH1/2V winners serve-volleying)
Gist - unplayable from Pete
Rafter's serve games
Rafter's out to serve-volley all the time too, but right out the gate, is faced with a fusillade of powerful returns
Early on, the less strong returns reach him under-net and powerfully. Those are the easiest volleys he gets. And a good lot around his feet hit just as hard and probably harder. With a few return-winners thrown in
After first set, he still regularly faces powerful returns. Regularly enough that its likely to get him broken and that he has to be particularly on point handling difficult volleys. But that's in context of drawing a lot of unreturned serves too. Enough to hold regularly
Drawing 35% unreturned rate, while having to make difficult volleys regularly is a losing game for serve-volleyer and that's where Rafter finds himself
On the 'volley', 5 UEs to 10 FEs speaks to what Rafter's up against. And that's not taking into account Pete's 9 return-winners (1 is a net chord dribbler) and 6 further passing winners. The winners are set up by power returns that draw not-strong volleys. Nothing wrong with Rafter's volleying - he's forced into leaving passing chances and Pete hammers them home
Rafter wins only 1st serve point he stays back on. He's 4/7 not serve-volleying off 2nd serves, as opposed to 12/26 when he does. And he's done pretty well to win 46% of those 2nd serve-volley points, given what he's faced with
Gist of Rafter's service games, he serves well enough to hold most of time, but is faced with enough powerful returns that he's likely to get broken. Copes with the power returns on the volley well but Pete's on point with the follow-up pass too. Looks like a matter of time before Rafter gets broken, which in light of Pete being untouchable on other end, isn't promising
Match Progression
100% serve-volleying in first set. Pete doesn't lose a point on serve and breaks twice to take it
Lot of 2nd serves to body by Pete. He draws soft, chest high return that he dispatches at a stroke. By contrast, Pete pounds Rafter's second serve, winning 11/18 such points
Rafter opens match with double fault. There's a Pete FH dtl pass winner in same game, but break comes via 2 volleying UEs. 2 superb BH cc winners from Pete (1 very powerful, 1 a deftly guided return) awhile later in game Rafter holds. Pete draws BH1/2V error and finishes with a FH inside-in return winner to break a second time, with Rafter double faulting and missing a regulation BHV to help. 6-2 to Sampras
2nd set is more of the same from Pete on serve. He loses 3 points - 1 to a double fault and 2 by missing shoelace volleys. Gets even more freebies with the serve than earlier
Rafter survives 12 point game to open, including a beautiful BHOH winner and a particularly nicely angled BHV one. He starts staying back occasionally. Survives 2 more break points in another deuce game. Is finally broken in an overwpowering game - all the points he loses are down to Pete (a BH return winner and 3 forecourt FEs)
The 3rd set is normal high quality serve-volley tennis and close to even. Pete serves 30 points, Rafter 34. Pete's taken to deuce once and faces break point for only time in match. Rafter also is taken to deuce just once, where he's broken in another game of powerful returns, with 2 BH winners
Pete serves out to 15, losing a second serve-volleying point for only time in match, before ending with a smash
Summing up, zoned-in showing from Sampras on the serve that leaves Rafter chanceless. Meanwhile, the winner gets powerful returns off regularly enough to make holding indefinately unlikely for even a well-playing Rafter - and so it proves
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