Michael Stich beat Goran Ivanisevic 4-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(3), 6-2 in the Stockholm final, 1993 on carpet
It was Stich’s second and last masters title and he would shortly after go onto win the Year End Championship, beating Ivanisevic in the semi-finals along the way. Ivanisevic, the defending champion, would win the next masters event in Paris right after
Stich won 139 points, Ivanisevic 133
Stich serve-volleyed of all serves bar one second serve, Ivanisevic off
(Note: 1 Point has been partially tracked via audio. It’s an Ivanisevic first serve that was returned, a net point for Stich, ending unknown. Most likely, not a serve-volley and a Stich volley winner
Point has been marked first served, unknown return type, not serve-volley, Stich net point, Stich wins point
Missing point - Set 4, Game 6, Point 4)
Serve Stats
Stich...
- 1st serve percentage (90/136) 66%
- 1st serve points won (71/90) 79%
- 2nd serve points won (27/46) 59%
- Aces 15, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 5
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (55/136) 40%
Ivanisevic...
- 1st serve percentage (72/136) 53%
- 1st serve points won (60/72) 83%
- 2nd serve points won (35/64) 55%
- Aces 31 (2 second serves - 1 whiff), Service Winners 3
- Double Faults 10
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (63/136) 46%
Serve Pattern
Stich served...
- to FH 34%
- to BH 57%
- to Body 9%
Ivanisevic served...
- to FH 30%
- to BH 60%
- to Body 10%
Return Stats
Stich made...
- 63 (20 FH, 42 BH, 1 ??), including 5 runaround FHs
- 5 Winners (3 FH, 2 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 29 Errors, all forced...
- 29 Forced (7 FH, 22 BH), incluidng 1 runaround FH
- Return Rate (63/126) 50%
Ivanisevic made...
- 76 (28 FH, 48 BH)
- 4 Winners (1 FH, 3 BH)
- 39 Errors, all forced...
- 39 Forced (11 FH, 28 BH)
- Return Rate (76/131) 58%
Break Points
Stich 2/5 (4 games)
Ivanisevic 1/1
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Stich 36 (10 FH, 4 BH, 9 FHV, 9 BHV, 4 OH)
Ivanisevic 23 (8 FH, 6 BH, 1 FHV, 5 BHV, 3 OH)
Stich had 24 from serve-volley points -
- 10 first 'volleys' (3 FHV, 5 BHV, 2 FH at net)... 1 FH at net was a drop shot
- 13 second volleys (6 FHV, 4 BHV, 3 OH)
- 1 fourth volley (1 OH)
- 12 passes - 5 returns (3 FH, 2 BH) & 7 regular (5 FH, 2 BH)
- FH returns - 3 cc (1 runaround, 1 not clean)
- BH returns - 1 cc, 1 inside-out
- regular FHs - 1 dtl, 1 dtl/inside-out, 1 inside-in/cc, 1 longline, 1 lob
- regular BHs - 2 cc
Ivanisevic had 14 from serve-volley points -
- 8 first 'volleys' (1 BHV, 1 OH, 6 FH at net)
- 4 second volleys (3 BHV, 1 OH)
- 2 third volleys (1 FHV, 1 BHV)
- 8 passes - 4 returns (1 FH, 3 BH) & 4 regular (1 FH, 3 BH)
- FH return - 1 dtl
- BH returns - 1 cc, 1 dtl, 1 inside-out
- regular FH - 1 cc
- regular BHs - 1 cc, 2 dtl (1 one-handed)
Errors (excluding returns and serves)
Stich 42
- 13 Unforced (1 BH, 6 FHV, 6 BHV)
- 29 Forced (2 FH, 14 BH, 6 FHV, 4 FH1/2V, 3 BHV)... 1 FH1/2v can reasonably be called a FH at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 53.8
Ivanisevic 37
- 11 Unforced (3 FH, 2 FHV, 6 BHV)... with 2 FH at net
- 26 Forced (6 FH, 12 BH, 4 FHV, 2 FH1/2V, 2 BHV)... with 1 BH running-down-drop-shots at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 53.6
(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...
- 84/118 (71%) at net, including...
- 81/114 (71%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 55/74 (74%) off 1st serve and...
- 26/40 (65%) off 2nd serve
---
- 2/3 (67%) forced back
Ivanisevic was...
- 58/91 (64%) at net, including...
- 55/83 (66%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 25/35 (71%) off 1st serve and...
- 30/48 (63%) off 2nd serve
Match Report
Fast court + 2 big serving, serve-volleying monsters = a point here, a point there and long term wearing down affair, amidst thorough server domination. Stich wins the the crucial point-here, point-there to move ahead and Ivanisevic gets worn down more to complete the result
“2 big serving, serve-volleying monsters” isn’t quite right. More like 1 obscenely big server who happens to move forward after dropping his obscenities and a strong serving, serve-volleyer. For Goran, serve does all the work, his ‘volleying’ (much of it is groundstrokes at net) is a hodgepodge; Misses and makes and and makes well and doesn’t make well anything and everything he’s faced with - putaway balls, easy balls, routine balls, low balls, powerful balls. Lot of double faults too
Stich by contrast serve-volleys classically. Excellent, strong serve though its made to look ordinary next to Goran’s bombs and excellent volleying to back it up. And it has to be
Goran hammers returns for what passes as regularly in a serve-bot match. The intent is always there though. Mode volley for Stich is firm, considerably under net, edging towards troublingly so - and from there, plenty of tough ones - low volleys, shoelace volleys, powerful wide passes. Tough task to cope, but he manages. While serve force is centerpiece of match, Stich’s volleying is the aesthetic and playing highlight of it
Stich returns however and in whatever way he can, stubbornly remaining on baseline to take the return no matter how many aces fly by. That position + Goran’s serve speed means any return that comes back is liable to catch Goran in unsettled position at least. Even volleys above net are played while moving forward faster than is comfortable to be volleying from. In extreme cases, he’s about half-way to service line when return is made (and more often than that, missed). Resulting in mishmash of ‘volley’s that follow
All against backdrop of high unreturned rates (40% for Stich, 46% for Goran). And neither player passes well in terms of percentages… not a lot of good looks at the pass, but just as a percentage, one would look and expect to nail a few more than either player manages
By set, Goran has better of the first and regularly rains down big returns (while ‘botting through his holds) to earn his break. What he taketh, he can give way too - and he flirts with handing it back on the serve-out
Second set is even. The aces continue to flow from Goran but the big returns don’t land as often and he’s erratic in forecourt. The change equalizes play and tiebreak prospects. The ‘breaker stays on serve for 13 points before Stich lands a running FH dtl pass winner - the kind of shot both players fail to make throughout match
Goran’s ace’ing fury subsides in third set, even as Stich delivers a few more. The serving from both players is more returnable than earlier (particularly Goran’s), but server still has loaded hand. There’s an element in learnt helplessness and perhaps mental weariness in returners being just as ineffective as before. Stich had been showing frustration when returning for most of match, and Goran joins him in it, even outdoes him in expression of the emotion. Stich looks better (as in, more likely to win return points) going into another ‘breaker and coolly delivers to take it
Goran’s serve weakens in 4th set, along with his mood getting worse and Stich breaks twice to seal his win
Match also features the one of the rarest sights in tennis; Goran Ivanisevic smiles. Down 40-0 and game good as over, he reaches a running BH pass and carelessly bangs it 1-handed. Carelessly, and perfectly for a dtl winner, which amuses both players
Serve-Volley, Serve & Return
Stich stays back off 1 second serve on which he takes net early
Goran 1st serve-volleys 35/39 or 90% of the time and 2nd serve-volleys 48/53 or 91%
Unreturned rates - Stich 40%, Goran 46%
Aces/Service Winners - Stich 16, Goran 34 (1 second serve)
Ace/Service Winner rate off 1st serve - Stich 18%, Goran 46%
Double faults rate off 2nd serve - Stich 11%, Goran 16%
Taking all that together, Stich’s serve is humanly good and he has work to do on the volley. Double faults rate isn’t small either. With Goran hammering returns and relatively not-easy first volley to make (and often harder), Stich would need to volley well to hold regularly. Which he does, facing just one break point in the match
Goran’s 46% freebies is in lockdown service games territory, but high double faults and his choppiness on the volley leave some hope for Stich. Not great ones, but better than one might fancy having with a 50% return rate. He has break points in 2 games in first 3 sets, on top of breaking twice in the last set
It was Stich’s second and last masters title and he would shortly after go onto win the Year End Championship, beating Ivanisevic in the semi-finals along the way. Ivanisevic, the defending champion, would win the next masters event in Paris right after
Stich won 139 points, Ivanisevic 133
Stich serve-volleyed of all serves bar one second serve, Ivanisevic off
(Note: 1 Point has been partially tracked via audio. It’s an Ivanisevic first serve that was returned, a net point for Stich, ending unknown. Most likely, not a serve-volley and a Stich volley winner
Point has been marked first served, unknown return type, not serve-volley, Stich net point, Stich wins point
Missing point - Set 4, Game 6, Point 4)
Serve Stats
Stich...
- 1st serve percentage (90/136) 66%
- 1st serve points won (71/90) 79%
- 2nd serve points won (27/46) 59%
- Aces 15, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 5
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (55/136) 40%
Ivanisevic...
- 1st serve percentage (72/136) 53%
- 1st serve points won (60/72) 83%
- 2nd serve points won (35/64) 55%
- Aces 31 (2 second serves - 1 whiff), Service Winners 3
- Double Faults 10
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (63/136) 46%
Serve Pattern
Stich served...
- to FH 34%
- to BH 57%
- to Body 9%
Ivanisevic served...
- to FH 30%
- to BH 60%
- to Body 10%
Return Stats
Stich made...
- 63 (20 FH, 42 BH, 1 ??), including 5 runaround FHs
- 5 Winners (3 FH, 2 BH), including 1 runaround FH
- 29 Errors, all forced...
- 29 Forced (7 FH, 22 BH), incluidng 1 runaround FH
- Return Rate (63/126) 50%
Ivanisevic made...
- 76 (28 FH, 48 BH)
- 4 Winners (1 FH, 3 BH)
- 39 Errors, all forced...
- 39 Forced (11 FH, 28 BH)
- Return Rate (76/131) 58%
Break Points
Stich 2/5 (4 games)
Ivanisevic 1/1
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Stich 36 (10 FH, 4 BH, 9 FHV, 9 BHV, 4 OH)
Ivanisevic 23 (8 FH, 6 BH, 1 FHV, 5 BHV, 3 OH)
Stich had 24 from serve-volley points -
- 10 first 'volleys' (3 FHV, 5 BHV, 2 FH at net)... 1 FH at net was a drop shot
- 13 second volleys (6 FHV, 4 BHV, 3 OH)
- 1 fourth volley (1 OH)
- 12 passes - 5 returns (3 FH, 2 BH) & 7 regular (5 FH, 2 BH)
- FH returns - 3 cc (1 runaround, 1 not clean)
- BH returns - 1 cc, 1 inside-out
- regular FHs - 1 dtl, 1 dtl/inside-out, 1 inside-in/cc, 1 longline, 1 lob
- regular BHs - 2 cc
Ivanisevic had 14 from serve-volley points -
- 8 first 'volleys' (1 BHV, 1 OH, 6 FH at net)
- 4 second volleys (3 BHV, 1 OH)
- 2 third volleys (1 FHV, 1 BHV)
- 8 passes - 4 returns (1 FH, 3 BH) & 4 regular (1 FH, 3 BH)
- FH return - 1 dtl
- BH returns - 1 cc, 1 dtl, 1 inside-out
- regular FH - 1 cc
- regular BHs - 1 cc, 2 dtl (1 one-handed)
Errors (excluding returns and serves)
Stich 42
- 13 Unforced (1 BH, 6 FHV, 6 BHV)
- 29 Forced (2 FH, 14 BH, 6 FHV, 4 FH1/2V, 3 BHV)... 1 FH1/2v can reasonably be called a FH at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 53.8
Ivanisevic 37
- 11 Unforced (3 FH, 2 FHV, 6 BHV)... with 2 FH at net
- 26 Forced (6 FH, 12 BH, 4 FHV, 2 FH1/2V, 2 BHV)... with 1 BH running-down-drop-shots at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 53.6
(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...
- 84/118 (71%) at net, including...
- 81/114 (71%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 55/74 (74%) off 1st serve and...
- 26/40 (65%) off 2nd serve
---
- 2/3 (67%) forced back
Ivanisevic was...
- 58/91 (64%) at net, including...
- 55/83 (66%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 25/35 (71%) off 1st serve and...
- 30/48 (63%) off 2nd serve
Match Report
Fast court + 2 big serving, serve-volleying monsters = a point here, a point there and long term wearing down affair, amidst thorough server domination. Stich wins the the crucial point-here, point-there to move ahead and Ivanisevic gets worn down more to complete the result
“2 big serving, serve-volleying monsters” isn’t quite right. More like 1 obscenely big server who happens to move forward after dropping his obscenities and a strong serving, serve-volleyer. For Goran, serve does all the work, his ‘volleying’ (much of it is groundstrokes at net) is a hodgepodge; Misses and makes and and makes well and doesn’t make well anything and everything he’s faced with - putaway balls, easy balls, routine balls, low balls, powerful balls. Lot of double faults too
Stich by contrast serve-volleys classically. Excellent, strong serve though its made to look ordinary next to Goran’s bombs and excellent volleying to back it up. And it has to be
Goran hammers returns for what passes as regularly in a serve-bot match. The intent is always there though. Mode volley for Stich is firm, considerably under net, edging towards troublingly so - and from there, plenty of tough ones - low volleys, shoelace volleys, powerful wide passes. Tough task to cope, but he manages. While serve force is centerpiece of match, Stich’s volleying is the aesthetic and playing highlight of it
Stich returns however and in whatever way he can, stubbornly remaining on baseline to take the return no matter how many aces fly by. That position + Goran’s serve speed means any return that comes back is liable to catch Goran in unsettled position at least. Even volleys above net are played while moving forward faster than is comfortable to be volleying from. In extreme cases, he’s about half-way to service line when return is made (and more often than that, missed). Resulting in mishmash of ‘volley’s that follow
All against backdrop of high unreturned rates (40% for Stich, 46% for Goran). And neither player passes well in terms of percentages… not a lot of good looks at the pass, but just as a percentage, one would look and expect to nail a few more than either player manages
By set, Goran has better of the first and regularly rains down big returns (while ‘botting through his holds) to earn his break. What he taketh, he can give way too - and he flirts with handing it back on the serve-out
Second set is even. The aces continue to flow from Goran but the big returns don’t land as often and he’s erratic in forecourt. The change equalizes play and tiebreak prospects. The ‘breaker stays on serve for 13 points before Stich lands a running FH dtl pass winner - the kind of shot both players fail to make throughout match
Goran’s ace’ing fury subsides in third set, even as Stich delivers a few more. The serving from both players is more returnable than earlier (particularly Goran’s), but server still has loaded hand. There’s an element in learnt helplessness and perhaps mental weariness in returners being just as ineffective as before. Stich had been showing frustration when returning for most of match, and Goran joins him in it, even outdoes him in expression of the emotion. Stich looks better (as in, more likely to win return points) going into another ‘breaker and coolly delivers to take it
Goran’s serve weakens in 4th set, along with his mood getting worse and Stich breaks twice to seal his win
Match also features the one of the rarest sights in tennis; Goran Ivanisevic smiles. Down 40-0 and game good as over, he reaches a running BH pass and carelessly bangs it 1-handed. Carelessly, and perfectly for a dtl winner, which amuses both players
Serve-Volley, Serve & Return
Stich stays back off 1 second serve on which he takes net early
Goran 1st serve-volleys 35/39 or 90% of the time and 2nd serve-volleys 48/53 or 91%
Unreturned rates - Stich 40%, Goran 46%
Aces/Service Winners - Stich 16, Goran 34 (1 second serve)
Ace/Service Winner rate off 1st serve - Stich 18%, Goran 46%
Double faults rate off 2nd serve - Stich 11%, Goran 16%
Taking all that together, Stich’s serve is humanly good and he has work to do on the volley. Double faults rate isn’t small either. With Goran hammering returns and relatively not-easy first volley to make (and often harder), Stich would need to volley well to hold regularly. Which he does, facing just one break point in the match
Goran’s 46% freebies is in lockdown service games territory, but high double faults and his choppiness on the volley leave some hope for Stich. Not great ones, but better than one might fancy having with a 50% return rate. He has break points in 2 games in first 3 sets, on top of breaking twice in the last set
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