Match Stats/Report - Stich vs Chesnokov, Hamburg final, 1993

[Waspsting]

Michael Stich beat Andrei Chesnokov 6-3, 6-7(1), 7-6(7), 6-4 in the Hamburg final, 1993 on clay

It was Stich’s only title at and Chesnokov’s only final at the event. Stich had been runner-up the previous year and Chesnokov became the first player to reach the final of all 3 clay Masters events since they became recognized as such in 1990

Stich won 151 points, Chesnokov 154

Stich serve-volleyed off all but 2 first serves and most of the time off seconds (occasionally in first two sets, virtually always next two sets)

(Note: I’m missing partial data for 1 point
Set 2, Game 1, Point 2 - serve direction, corresponding return and return error type - a Chesnokov first serve that drew return error)

Serve Stats
Stich...
- 1st serve percentage (95/165) 58%
- 1st serve points won (68/95) 72%
- 2nd serve points won (38/70) 54%
- Aces 14 (2 bad bounce related whiffs ), Service Winners 3
- Double Faults 8
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (50/165) 30%

Chesnokov...
- 1st serve percentage (93/140) 66%
- 1st serve points won (63/93) 68%
- 2nd serve points won (32/47) 68%
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (21/140) 15%

Serve Pattern
Stich served...
- to FH 30%
- to BH 69%
- to Body 1%

Chesnokov served...
- to FH 41%
- to BH 50%
- to Body 9%

Return Stats
Stich made...
- 119 (56 FH, 63 BH), including 1 runaround FH, 19 return-approaches & 7 drop-returns
- 2 Winners (2 FH), both drop returns
- 21 Errors, all comprising...
- 15 Unforced (6 FH, 9 BH), including 1 runaround FH, 2 return-approach attempts & 3 drop-returns
- 5 Forced (2 FH, 3 BH)
- 1 ?? (against a first serve)
- Return Rate (119/140) 85%

Chesnokov made...
- 107 (26 FH, 81 BH)
- 10 Winners (10 BH)
- 33 Errors, all comprising...
- 2 Unforced (2 BH)
- 31 Forced (13 FH, 18 BH)
- Return Rate (107/157) 68%

Break Points
Stich 3/11 (6 games)
Chesnokov 1/9 (7 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Stich 43 (7 FH, 8 BH, 13 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 11 BHV, 1 BH1/2V, 2 OH)
Chesnokov 41 (11 FH, 22 BH, 4 FHV, 1 BHV, 3 OH)

Stich had 23 from serve-volley points -
- 18 first 'volleys' (8 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 6 BHV, 1 BH1/2V, 1 OH, 1 FH at net)... 1 FHV was possibly a Chesnokov FH FE instead (it probably bounced twice before Chesnokov's shot)
- 5 second volleys (2 FHV, 2 BHV, 1 OH)

- 4 from return-approach points (1 FHV, 3 BHV)... the FHV was also from a drop-return

- FHs - 2 inside-out, 1 longline (that Chesnokov left), 2 drop-returns, 1 lob
- BHs - 2 cc passes, 1 dtl, 1 longline pass (that hit Chesnokov), 1 net chord dribbler

Chesnokov had 26 passes - 10 returns (10 BH) & 16 regular (8 FH, 8 BH)
- BH returns - 3 cc, 3 dtl (1 Stich left), 1 inside-out, 3 inside-in (2 Stich left)
- regular FHs - 5 cc (1 at net), 1 dtl, 1 inside-out, 1 longline/inside-out
- regular BHs - 5 cc (2 net chord flickers), 2 dtl, 1 inside-out

- regular (non-pass) FHs - 1 cc, 1 cc/longline, 1 dtl at net
- BHs - 1 cc, 1 dtl, 1 inside-out, 1 drop shot

- 1 FHV can reasonably be called an OH & 1 OH was on the bounce

Errors (excluding returns and serves)
Stich 84
- 45 Unforced (25 FH, 11 BH, 5 FHV, 4 BHV)... 1 FHV can reasonably be called an OH
- 39 Forced (9 FH, 11 BH, 6 FHV, 2 FH1/2V, 10 BHV, 1 Over-the-Shoulder)... with 1 BH at net that can reasonably be called a BH1/2V, 1 FHV and 1 BHV were both swinging pass attempts from the baseline
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 45.6

Chesnokov 58
- 18 Unforced (12 FH, 5 BH, 1 BHV)... with 1 FH at net
- 40 Forced (16 FH, 22 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BHV)... with 1 FH running-down-drop-shot at net & 1 BH running-down-drop-shot at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 45.6

(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
Stich was...
- 93/152 (61%) at net, including...
- 78/119 (66%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 50/76 (66%) off 1st serve and...
- 28/43 (65%) off 2nd serve
---
- 8/19 (42%) return-approaching
- 1/5 (20%) forced back/retreated

Chesnokov was...
- 27/39 (69%) at net, including...
- 2/2 serve-volleying, comprising...
- 1/1 off 1st serve and...
- 1/1 off 2nd serve

Match Report
There’s a lot going on in this tight match. Stich serve-volleys and drop-returns and chip-charges and drop-chip-charges and is often feeble and loose from the back, particularly with his FH. Chesnokov serves weakly and is solidly stable from the back, particularly with his BH and return-passes with break threatening success. The court is quick and low bouncing for clay and there’s quite a few bad bounces

Chesnokov has better of it all. And loses in just 4 sets
He wins 50.5% of the points, while serving 45.9% of them
Break points - Ches 1/9 (7 games), Stich 3/11 (6 games)

All 4 sets are different and in different ways, some in style of play, some in how well the players play at their style of choice (or the one they’re forced to take up). Ches has better of first 3 sets - individually as well as on the whole - despite losing 2 of them. Stich easily has better of the 4th, with Ches, who blows a 6-3 lead and 3 set points (2 on serve) in the previous tiebreak, dropping his head

First 3 sets, Ches wins 52.4% of the points, while serving 42.7% of them
Break points - Ches 1/9 (7 games), Stich 2/7 (4 games)

4th set, Stich wins 57.6% of the points, while serving 40.7% of them
Break points - Stich 1/4 (2 games), Ches 0

Each set is different, and not necessarily subtly

First set
Stich virtually serve-volleys off all first serves (stays back off 2 - 1 of them a ‘bluff’ serve-volley), rarely off seconds. Ches serves gently and is very solid from baseline

Ches regularly gets into return games - he has a break point in 3 different games, but can’t break
Stich breaks once. Other than that, wins 2 points in 3 return games

Not many freebies for Stich, so he has to volley. He doesn’t miss much, but tends to volley not far from Ches, who gets good looks at passes. So there’s contest between volley and pass, with Stich just about managing to keep his nose ahead (saves all 3 break points by forcing passing errors - 1 from rallying to net)

Stich returns easily and then they rally. Ches is very solid and almost literally doesn’t miss a ball, but Stich is artful and gets some fine, placement (not power) based attacking shots off while giving up ground errors

Stroke of brilliance gets Stich the break - he wins last 3 points with winners from BH dtl, FH drop return and BH drop shot - all superb shots, with the drop return coming as most surprising (as match goes on, he plays it regularly enough that it ceases to be a surprise, though often still effective)

Second Set
Largely same dynamic, but quality changes

Stich gets sloppy off the ground, giving up errors readily in short rallies. Ches is still rock solid. Stich misses bunch of returns, trying to be aggressive
Stich’s volleying is even less well placed than earlier, and Ches gets better looks at the pass

Ches again holds easily, while breaking and cruising before another against trend fine game by Stich seems him break back. Tiebreak though is easy for Ches and he takes it 6-1

Third Set
Stich takes to serve-volleying 100% of the time off all serves (in last 2 sets, he stays back twice, first 2 sets it was 17)
He’d won just 4/11 second serve-volleying in first 2 sets. Rest of match, its 24/32 (with last set far more successful than the third)

Ches’ solidity off the ground drops form near perfect. In first 2 sets, he’d made 3 ground UEs (+ 1 at net). He makes 13 in next 2. Stich helps by not being sloppy with errors, but is still far more error prone

No breaks but both players are challenged to hold. Ches early in the set, Stich late
To hold 6 times, Ches serves 43 points, Stich 46 - so you could say Ches edges things going into ‘breaker

Ches dominates ‘breaker almost as readily as he had the previous one and reaches 6-3 with 2 service points to come. He serves very gently in the ‘breaker, even more so than he’d done all match. Why not? - its gotten him this far. I’d say he chokes a bit to lose the set from there (more on that later)

 

[Waspsting]

Fourth Set
Stich dominates, serve-volleying all the time off both serves and Ches’ level drops like a stone as if he’s given up. Returns less regularly than before and leaves high easy volleys to be putaway, doesn’t chase balls, gives up errors off the ground

He does serve his hardest of the match, which isn’t hard, but at least he’s not rolling the serve in. Helps set up few quick, third ball point finishing points

Stich breaks once, threatens hard to do so again while never being overrun in return games. Plays his bag of aggressive return tricks (drop shots and approaches)
Easy win for Stich, more so than 6-4 scoreline might suggest

With so much going again and such changes and fluctuations, overall stats need good amount of amplification and explanation

For starters, the court isn’t good. Quicker than most clay as Hamburg tends to be, and bounce is particularly low. Watch and black and white and ignore Ches’ sliding and you’d probably think it’s a hard court
And plenty of bad bounces. 2 of Stich’s aces are whiffs - 1 flies over Ches’ swing, the other under. Bad bounces account for some lot of FEs in baseline rallies and contribute to passing errors too

Ches’ Serve, Stich’s Return
First serve in - Stich 58%, Ches 66%
First serve won - Stich 72%, Ches 68%
Second serve won - Stich 54%, Ches 68%

Ches serves being equal comes through here. The funny part is he serves “2 ‘second’ serves”, not “2 ‘first’ serves”
Ches’ serve goes beyond ‘harmless’ and into ‘spun in’ territory much of the time. Would be impossible to confidently tell substantial lot of his first serves from seconds, and one would think they’re all seconds

0 aces or service winners from Ches and 15/21 return errors he draws have been marked UEs. 1 is unknown and bad bounces accounts for a couple of the FEs, which aren’t low because Stich keeps making tough returns, they’re low because he doesn’t face anything strong enough to potentially draw FEs in the first place

Still, credit Stich for high 85% return rate. Just as a percentage, that’s excellent in light of many of his errors being attacking ones. Apparently, bashing returns is beyond him because Ches’ serve is there to be bashed if wants. He doesn’t. His offence is largely limited to chip-charges and drop-returns. Otherwise, he puts return in play safely and orthodoxly, not hammers them

He’s got 19 chip-charges (and 2 errors trying). And 7 clear drop-returns (3 errors trying), including 2 winners

I haven’t seen anyone hit so many drop returns or try to. Does it off both wings. Once combines it with an approach. The 2 winners have hand in 2 of his breaks. Rare and beautiful shot, well executed and nice to see. Should be noted that its effectiveness is a matter of style that other players don’t have, not quality. Many returners would be able to attack Ches’ serve with power, depth and/or width. Stich doesn’t (and probably doesn’t have the ability to), so uses the rare drop-return instead to do damage

Does Ches overdo the easy serving? In last set, he does hit normal first serves (as in, you can tell that they’re first serves), which aren’t troubling to return but at least have some pace to them. Draws a few weak returns that he takes advantage of with big groundstroke - normal tennis, in short

For most of match, he does very little of it. He ends up winning 68% of points behind both serves, with relatively small few of firsts attributable to the serve shot more so than the lot of seconds he wins playing passing shots (Stich wins just 8/19 chip-charges)

Particularly crucial is the third set tiebreak. 6-3 and 6-4, Ches spins in his first serves more weakly than even his norm for the match. He’d still be favoured to win the points because he’s so much better from the baseline, Stich’s unlikely to attack the first serve despite it being weak (Stich premeditates his attacking returns, not reacts to the serve in choosing them)

No obvious answers without benefit of hindsight. Ches’ done dandily in his chosen path of weak serving, so why change anything? On other hand, looks a bit foolish blowing set points doing something un-obvious, and particularly so when the orthodox, normal (not strong) first serve works for him well on rare times he turns to it

Baseline Contest
All of Ches’ service points are essentially 50-50 starting points and he wins 68% behind both serves. And Stich wins 10/19 not second serve-volleying)

Winning 68% of theoretically 50-50 points is indicator of just how much better from the baseline he is than Stich. Its not just baseline superiority either. Stich wins just 8/19 return-approaching (excluding 2 errors trying), and they’re not bad approach shots

Baseline rallies are dominated by UEs
Ground to ground UEs - Ches 16, Stich 36 broken down as
- Stich FH 25
- Stich BH & Ches FH 11 (excluding a net shot by Ches)
- Ches BH 5

Neutral UEs - Stich 26, Ches 9

Beyond self-explanatory figure of Stich’s FH UEs, the shot is the feeblest of force by some distance. Ches doesn’t even go out of his way to target it, but maintains standard shot directions of cc with occasional line change-ups. When ball gets on Stich’s FH, errors aren’t long in coming. They’re not aggressive errors either, just missing standard rally shots

Its also weak enough of force to open possibility of Ches stepping up to be aggressive were he so inclined. He rarely is. That seems to be foundation of Ches’ game - solidly neutral. He’s neither a hard nor soft hitter. He doesn’t change directions much or step in and hit harder to be pressuring, let alone attack. Just plays stock groundies off both wings with as much consistency as he can muster. He’s good at what he does, but not tested much because Stich’s FH is so loose

How sloppy the Stich FH is varies some across match (as in, how quickly it gives up UEs), but its barely adequate at best of times and almost never forceful. Irony is a FH inside-out winner set up by a stroke of luck has large hand in Stich gaining the only break of the 4th set, though trend of the set is all in Stich’s favour regardless

Ground to Ground winners (excluding Stich’s 2 returns)
- Ches 6, Stich 8

3 of Stich’s are drop shots, 1 is a net chord dribbler, 1 is a ball Ches misjudges and leaves - leaving 3 bona fida, forcing baseline to baseline winners
Drop shots do make up much of Stich’s offence. Doesn’t make many errors trying, but isn’t too effective with it either

Gist of baseline action - Ches winning big bulk of points, with Stich’s FH giving up errors easily and Ches’ BH the rock of the match

Rallying to net points - Stich 7/14, Ches 25/37

Despite Ches not being heavy hitter, Stich not able to find net much. He’s played a smart match by chip-charging so much and switching to second serve-volleying (despite not doing well with it when he makes the switch). Anythings better than being bled out from baseline. Ches’ figure looks high. Fair amount of it is to deal with drop shots, but there is indication that he has scope to be more aggressive by coming in, despite not having big hitting advantage

Again, crucial against trend point is in tiebreak when Ches comes to net at 6-6 but Stich makes a winning pass, but at least that’s not a set point and it’s a return point

Stich’s serve-volley and at net vs Ches return-passing
There’s something amusing in the visual of Stich serving vs Chesnokov returning. The most casual of service motions, the most nonchalant of returning ones. Looks like a gentle warm up of sorts
Amusing, and deceptive - Stich one of the deadliest of servers and Ches worthy competition against it

Normal, high quality Stich serving at 58% first serves in, helped some by bad bounces. He’s got 14 winners and 3 service winners or an unreturnable 18% of first serves. Good for clay

And good move from Stich to switch to all 2nd serve-volleying from rare, given how badly he’s outplayed in baseline rallies. It’s a bold move, seeing he only wins 4/11 doing so in first two sets and with Ches returning firmly and regularly

Questionable 69% serves directed to Ches’ BH. Standard operating procedure, but Ches seems to be a stronger BH than FH player, including on the return. He’s got 10 BH return winners, 0 FHs and 41% of his return FEs are FHs

Ches’ returning, like his groundstrokes, are firm and solid, occasionally getting the ball well wide for the winner. He’s not overpoweringly strong with it and he doesn’t get returns low too often. Around net high is his stock and when he can’t manage that, leaves comfy volley above net. At 68% return rate and Stich with not small 8 double faults (11% of second serves) - has makings of being a good contest, which it is

Stich’s volleying is a mixed bag. On the ‘volley’ (including half-volleys and groundstrokes at net)
- 28 winners, 9 UEs, 17 FEs

Ches on the pass (including return winners but not return errors)
- 26 winners, with bulk of his 38 ground FEs being passes (roughly 30)

On up side for Stich, he doesn’t miss many easy ones and none at important times. 9 UEs for 152 approaches is pretty good

On the downside -
- he’s not too good at the slightly difficult, wide volley and good lot of his FEs are on mild side
- his judgement errs strangely (he leaves 3 returns that land in for winners)
- at times, his placement is off. Hits a good lot of regulation volleys where they can be easily reached, including right back at Ches, leaving well-set passing chances

 

[Waspsting]

And Ches on the pass. Early on, gets racquet on balls to what look like sure winners. That undercuts Stich’s volley winners and inflates Ches’ passing FEs… just a statistical note, such volleys are as sure point enders as though they were winners

Passing is based more on precision placement than raw power. He’s also good at ‘rolling’ the soft pass wide. It’s a good move because Stich’s vulnerable to the wide pass. Not too many passes to the feet, seemingly for inability than design by Ches

In last set, Ches returning drops off and he leaves easy volleys that Stich dispatches, with Ches not trying to retrieve. Not that he could have, but earlier in match, he at least got racquet on these hopeless cases

In third set, Stich wins 14/24 second serve points - formula for a contest
In fourth, its 12/14 - formula for one sidedness

Good contest on the whole, far from flawless but usually competitive and fluctuating in who has better of things. There’s enough there for Ches to be a big threat - good, solid, return-passing and Stich not too convincing in his finishing, but Stich also being steady enough to keep his nose in front - at times, just and at the end, its not just his nose that’s well ahead of Ches

In all - that is, all points when return is made -
Stich 43 winners, forcing 40 errors and 45 UEs
Ches 41 winners, forcing 39 errors and 18 UEs

Great figures, amidst substantial fluctuations of who has better of things, Ches usually being in drivers seat

His huge lead in UEs is major difference statistically (though similar, nature of winners and errors forced are very different), which is cancelled out by serve-return freebies where Stich has same ball-park advantage

Match Progression
There’s a strange beauty in the first set, where Stich has the only break. Other than the break, he wins 1 return point in 3 games. Meanwhile, he has to serve 39 points for 5 holds, or 7.8 per game, saving a break point in each of his first 3 games

Stich’s serve-volleying is met by accurate return-passing. Ches can’t seem to miss a groundstoke and bleeds Stich out in baseline rallies, but Stich’s able to find some beautiful, well placed point ending shots in them

Bright start by Ches, who wins first point with a BH dtl and the second with a BH return-pass cc winner. Stich bluffs a serve-volley to draw return error and win his first point, before wrapping up the hold with 2 aces

Stich saves break point second time around too, this time off a second serve point on which he rallies to net. And break for 3-1

Beautiful game. Down 30-15, Stich pulls off a perfect BH dtl winner from routine position, pulls out a soft, drop -return winner and the BH drop shot winner he closes the game with is if anything, even better and out of the blue

Stich saves another break point in consolidating and needs a bit of luck to get out of the game. Ches misjudges and leaves a Stich FH that goes for a winner and a net chord dribbling winner seal the game

No more competitive thrills, and Stich serves out to 15, helped by his second bad bounce related ace of the set

Second set is highly in Ches’ favour, with Stich getting downright poor in giving up ground errors quickly and also faltering in his attempts to return aggressively. He’s not good on the volley either, often just pushing routine ones right back at Ches

Ches serves 34 points in the set to Stich’s 48

Break to love in game 4 is a terrible one from Stich. He leaves a return that lands in to start, double faults to end and makes to UEs (a volley and a groundstroke) in between them

Stich saves 2 break points on next go around in 16 point game, the second of them with a wonderful BH1/2V winner against a bullet return. There’s delay in play during game 8, with no one being able to tell where a weird, malfunctioning technology sound is coming from

Stich breaks the game after in another excellent game. 2 chip-charges wins him points and on break point, he strikes with another FH drop-return winner

He follows up by again leaving a return that lands in for a winner to start the next game. Plenty of good tennis for rest of set with no break points to the tiebreaker
Its an easy one for Ches, who opens up 5-0 lead. Has a bit of luck with a net chord flicking pass winner, but Stich’s groundies fail him and Ches

Third set is the most varied of all. No breaks, Stich serves 54 points to Ches’ 51. Both players are 0/4 (2 games) on break points, with Stich enduring an extra 10 point hold without break points in it
Stich switches to serve-volleying off all second serves, in one of the key moments of match. Gets perfect start with it, a love hold of all second serve points

All kinds of good stuff goes on in the set from both players. Stich’s more secure off the ground, there’s much good volleying and passing. Stich has better of early part of set, Ches late. Stich’s last 2 holds last 12 and 8 points, including being down 0-40 in the former, which is a particularly good game. He’s down 0-30 in the next one before holding through

Tiebreak. Ches forces FH1/2V error to start and deals with Stich’s drop shot to come away with a FHV winner of his own soon after, dispatches a FH cc winner after drawing another first half-volley and strikes BH inside-in return pass winner to reach 6-3, 2 serves to come

He doesn’t miss a first serve in the game, but simply rolls the last 4 in particular in. At 6-3, a smart inside-out slice by Stich catches Ches out - shades of the kind of the shot Stich made in first set. On second set point, Stich approaches right down the middle. Odds would favour Ches winning the point, but Stich comes away with it

Stich saves the last set point by putting away an easy BHV winner and point after is a throwback too. In first tiebreak, Stich had retreated from net on a point and lost it when Ches took net. Same thing happens here - only Stich gets a wide, error forcing pass off to move to 7-6

Ches rolls in his next 2 first serves too. He wins the first point, but on second, Stich approaches behind a drop shot and comes away with a net-to-net FHV winner to bring up his first set point on serve, on which he fires down an ace

Big drop off in Ches’ game in the fourth set and it looks like losing the third set has taken the wind out of his sail. Returns high over the net and Stich dispatches easy volleys. Ches does serve hard (by his standard) more regularly than he’d done at any other stage in match. It sets up some attacking third ball plays that he wins, but facts are facts

He has his lowest in-count and lowest first serve won of any set. Was serving softly earlier a mistake or not? His results in this set aren’t just about the serve - he plays pretty poorly too, which probably has more to do with his mental state than the serve shot. He does better of second serve points, winning 69% to 53% behind the not-rolled in first serves

Stich cruises on serve, losing 4 points in 5 games

Ches’ games are a struggle, but even so, he’s not too out of it. Broken just once - and despite lax, very unusual 3 ground UEs (2 of them third balls) - there’s a stroke of luck involved in the outcome of game, when a Stich mishit lands right on the back line and draws a not strong shot that Stich steps in to dispatch for FH inside-out winner

Tough hold for Ches in game 9 too, saving 3 break points in 12 point affair. Nice BH inside-out winner by Ches in it and on what turns out to be his last service point, hefty first serve followed by third ball FH cc winner to hold

Stich serves out to 30. He’s guilty of a thoughtless, tacky gaffe of behavior. He finishes at net, with Ches on baseline and immediately turns away to go celebrate with his team who are positioned behind him rather than meet Ches

By the time he’s done and returns to court, Ches’ packed his bags and looks to be headed back to dressing room. Stich grabs the back of his bag and the two shake hands and exchange words cordially enough

Summing up, one complicated, unusual but still very good match. Its usually the big server who has a few easy holds, and the small one who has to work for holds. Here, it’s the opposite but the big server comes up on top

Stich changes up his serve-volleying from rarely to always behind second serves, to join always behind first mid-way through match. And he’s creative with his aggressive returning, with drop-returns the surprise spice, amidst more commonplace chip-charges

His standard fluctuates across the match in various ways - from dumping routine volleys in middle of court to putting them in corners, fair amount of struggling against makeably difficult wide volleys, with a few great low ones thrown in and perhaps most key, he doesn’t get loose missing easy or routine volleys. His ground showing is even more up and down - at times, horrendously loose at others, fairly steady with knack for finding a well placed attacking shot, with drop shots starring

Chesnokov is less irregular but his curve is no straight line either. At best, can’t seem to miss a groundstroke and rarely, slipping to missing a few but always fewer than Stich. Return and passing fluctuates more - from staple solid and firm with a few perfect winners thrown in to ultimately, softly putting returns in play to be putaway. He serves gently almost all match, but whether that’s a bad move or not isn’t clear

Lot going on, Chesnokov having better of most of it, Stich coming away the win

 

[BorgTheGOAT]

For a moment I thought it was about their DC 95 match.