Match Stats/Report - Wilander vs Noah, French Open quarter-final, 1987

[Waspsting]

Mats Wilander beat Yannick Noah 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in the French Open quarter-final, 1987 on clay

Wilander would go onto lose in the final to Ivan Lendl. It was the third and last time the two met at the event, Noah having won the final in ‘83, Wilander a 5 set quarter-final in ‘84

Wilander won 94 points, Noah 71

Noah serve-volleyed off most first serves

Serve Stats
Wilander...
- 1st serve percentage (55/85) 65%
- 1st serve points won (39/55) 71%
- 2nd serve points won (16/30) 53%
- Aces 4
- Double Faults 1
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (13/85) 15%

Noah...
- 1st serve percentage (48/80) 60%
- 1st serve points won (29/48) 60%
- 2nd serve points won (12/32) 38%
- Aces 6
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (17/80) 21%

Serve Patterns
Wilander served...
- to FH 39%
- to BH 48%
- to Body 13%

Noah served...
- to FH 33%
- to BH 63%
- to Body 4%

Return Stats
Wilander made...
- 61 (21 FH, 40 BH), including 1 runaround FH & 1 runaround BH
- 4 Winners (1 FH, 3 BH)
- 11 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 BH)
- 10 Forced (4 FH, 6 BH)
- Return Rate (61/78) 78%

Noah made...
- 71 (33 FH, 38 BH), including 4 runaround FHs, 1 runaround BH, 13 return-approaches & 1 drop-return
- 9 Errors, comprising...
- 6 Unforced (3 FH, 3 BH), including 2 return-approach attempts
- 3 Forced (1 FH, 2 BH)
- Return Rate (71/84) 85%

Break Points
Wilander 6/10 (7 games)
Noah 2/5 (4 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Wilander 37 (7 FH, 14 BH, 6 FHV, 7 BHV, 3 OH)
Noah 26 (2 FH, 1 BH, 10 FHV, 7 BHV, 6 OH)

Wilander had 21 passes (7 FH, 14 BH)
- FHs - 1 cc, 4 dtl (1 return, 1 at net), 1 dtl/inside-out and 1 lob
- BHs - 6 cc, 3 dtl (1 return), 1 dtl/inside-out, 1 inside-out return, 1 inside-in return, 1 lob and 1 running-down-drop-shot cc at net

-8 from serve-volley point
- 6 first volleys (2 FHV, 3 BHV, 1 OH)
- 2 second volleys (2 FHV)

- 1 other BHV was a non-net shot

Noah had 9 from serve-volley points
- 3 first volleys (1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)
- 4 second volleys (1 FHV, 1 BHV, 2 OH)
- 2 third volleys (1 BHV, 1 OH)

- 4 from return-approach points (3 FHV, 1 BHV)

- FHs - 1 cc pass and 1 drop shot
- BH - 1 drop shot

Errors (excluding serves and returns)
Wilander 27
- 6 Unforced (4 FH, 2 BH)
- 21 Forced (8 FH, 13 BH)... with 1 FH at net
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 40

Noah 42
- 27 Unforced (6 FH, 14 BH, 5 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)
- 15 Forced (1 FH, 6 BH, 2 FHV, 1 FH1/2V, 2 BHV, 1 BH1/2V, 1 BHOH, 1 Back-to-Net)... the BHOH was a flagrantly forced baseline shot on the bounce against an at net smash
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 47.8

(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
Wilander was...
- 24/29 (83%) at net, including...
- 13/14 (93%) serve-volleying, all 1st serves

Noah was...
- 51/89 (57%) at net, including...
- 23/46 (50%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 19/36 (53%) off 1st serve and...
- 4/10 (40%) off 2nd serve
---
- 9/13 (69%) return-approaching
- 0/3 forced back/retreated

Match Report
A great, all court showing from Wilander as he easily pushes aside a slightly clumsy net rushing Noah

Mats with 37 winners, 27 total errors (6 UEs, 21 FEs) says most of what need be said. That and Noah with low 21% unreturneds would tell you all that happens in the match

More winners than total errors is very, very rare on clay. The blue moon on which it happens is most likely to occur when opponent has large unreturneds (so that he’s still winning points, its just not going into winners and errors columns)

Noah attacks the net. How much and how varies slightly across match, but essentially, all the time. He’s at net 89/165 points of the match or 53.9% (that’s including acs and double faults) of the time and wins 57% of them. Not bad

Mats is forced to pass and does so both very well and cleverly. He likes his 2-shot passing combos - the first pass not intended to win point outright but draw a not strong volley, the second pass for the winner

When they rally from the back, Mats misses little, Noah much - along expected lines. Ground UEs read Mats 6, Noah 20. All of Mats’ are neutral shots, Noah misses more of those and also indulges in BH dtl’s both sliced and driven that usually miss

And Mats comes to net himself, where he wins 24/29 or 83%. That figure is actually an under-representation of how good he is up there. 4/5 points he loses are net-to-net points, most of them hopeless ones from Mats’ point of view. In other words, he loses 1 point at net with Noah on baseline. He’s just shy of literally perfect in forecourt. Not faced with difficult volleys, but he knocks away whatever there is to knock away. Better than Noah does in same situation, as well as anyone possibly could. No 2-part volleying here, 1 is all he needs

Serve-volleying, Mats has 8 winners, Noah 9 - despite Mats doing so 14 times to Noah’s 46

He even serves damagingly when he wants to (he usually doesn’t). He’s got 4 aces to Noah’s 6 in about the same number number of first serves, which given the large disparity in the serves and Mats not trying for them overwhelming lot of the time is excellent from his point of view

As for the return, Noah’s serve-volleying wings are clipped by Mats’ returning to tune of winning just 50% points, with just 53% behind that fat first serve of his. Much of Mats’ returning vs serve-volleying is in line with his other passes - the return intended to draw not strong volley, the pass after the finisher, but he’s still knocked away 4 return winners (And Noah struggles with the tricky, not-easy-but-not-hard either volleys that Mats’ returns gives him)

Serve, return, groundstrokes, passes, volleys… check, check, check and check for Mats

And then there’s his movement. Just his usual, efficient self on that front. Both generally and here, he’s the kind of player who doesn’t seem abnormally quick but is always in perfect position. That’s more eyecatching here because of the way Noah moves

Noah’s all hustle and bustle and heavy, stomping feet… it all just looks unnecessary and a waste of energy. Part of it is his faking to approach. It doesn’t work. Its obvious when he’s faking and not once does Mats overhit a groundstroke for fear that Noah might be sneaking in. And when he does sneak in (he does so rarely), Mats hits strongly having read it

At net, part of it is not knowing which way Mats will go with the pass, but even allowing for that, Noah’s movements at net are off. Doesn’t get down for volleys well and is caught out by slightly wide, not too powerful passes. Doesn’t seem to anticipate at all where the ball will go, and is purely reacting to Mats shots. Mats is clever in his choices - he goes after Noah’s FHV more often than not - but not clever enough to justify Noah looking as at sea as he often does

The uncertainty extends to his choice to approach or not. Despite being at net so regularly, Noah’s not completely mad to get there. Pulls back a good few times when judging it not worth the risk (non-fake stuff), including off the return. And there’s getting stumped by deep balls or wrong footed. Lot of energy in Noah’s movements, it comes off inefficient rather than sparkling. And highlights Mats’, which generally and here, just tends to blend into the background of clockwork economy

Noah plays a net seeking game, which he toys around with. Initially, he seems ready to serve-volley behind all his serves. Doesn’t do too well on the seconds, and starts staying back a bit off them. He flirts with body and body-ish serving to go with serve-volleys - no great change in results he gets, and he drops it

Early on, return-approaches regularly and looks to. Then drops it, from middle of first set to start of third. Then brings it back in the third set to much success. Early on with Mats serving to his FH, the return-approaches are hard hit FHs. Later, he takes to charging up the court and slicing or pushing the return back as he takes net

Groundies don’t looks strong. Occasionally goes for big FH - ones he lands don’t bother Mats, and he misses a fair bit. Occasionally goes BH dtl, with both slices and drives, usually missing. Gets into a tangle against mildly challenging balls - deep ones or slightly wide - that’s the ineffective movement on show

Best of it are his drop shots. Not a significant factor for he rarely goes for them, but pulls out 2 gorgeous winners with them, and an even tastier drop-return though he loses that point

How does it looks in numbers?

 

[Waspsting]

Stats and Action
Good in-counts for both players - Noah 60%, Mats 65%

Noah has to take something off the serve to get that many in, as becomes apparent when he lets loose full blast. Off first serves, he’s -
- 19/36 or 53% serve-volleying
- 4/6 or 67% not

… usually coming in quickly when not serve-volleying. Might be worthwhile to not serve-volley so much while serving bigger, getting more aces and relying on quick approaches. But that’s given Mats return-passing very well and Noah in trouble with tricky first volleys, which wouldn’t have been a given

Mats’ count is interesting too. The only thing he has to fear is the return-approach, which Noah never tries against first serves, though much of it is weak enough to have had a go at. He could get higher lot in to completely narrow down Noah’s most dangerous weapon, the way he would the following year against Henri Leconte, at cost of damaging ability of first serves

That would be a sacrifice though, because Mats uses his first serve as a weapon when he chooses. Hurts his in-count some - he looks to serve-volley most in 3rd set, when it falls to 52% (as opposed to 70% rest of match, evenly balanced across sets), and has to contend with Noah’s return-approaches most at that time

Noah return-approaches 13 times and has 2 errors trying, against 29 second serves, so about half the time. He’s often looking to at other times, but backtracks if he doesn’t think he’s got enough on the shot. In all, pretty good 2nd serving from Mats to discourage it to that extent

High success return-approaching by Noah, winning 9/13 or 69%. Even with the 2 errors, its 60%, which is a lot better than he does even first serve-volleying of 53%

Off the ground, Mats 6 UEs, Noah 20. Not much explanation needed. All of Mats’ are neutral shots, Noah occasionally goes for big FHs or dtl BHs that miss. Not a bad choice given how he stacks up neutrally. He’s got 13 such UEs

Rallying to net -
Mats 11/15 at 73%
Noah 19/30 at 63%

Mats virtually perfect. All the points he loses are forced approaches to deal with drop shots or drop volleys where he has to face an at net Noah (and he wins a few of those too). When he chooses to come in, usually after moving Noah to side, he finishes perfectly

16 volley winners for Mats, while Noah has 7 ground FEs (not all of them passes). He has 2 ground winners at net too

Noah’s in a lot of trouble at net. Mats looks to 2-part pass - the first one offering a tricky (some combo of low-ish and wide) volley, the second going for the winner. Noah misses the first one often enough

7 net UEs for Noah. As UEs go, they’re not easy, but by definition, not hard either. 4 are in one game, so very good bar the outlier (for which he’s duly broken). But he can’t volley with authority, leaving Mats with the winner shot second up. The 6 FEs are very difficult, but Noah can rarely make a tough volley (to his feet). Makes maybe 3-4

21 passing winners from Mats (including 4 returns), 23 volleying ones from Noah. Not good from net players point of view. Most of Mats’ passing errors (he has 21 ground FEs, almost all passes) are product of powerful approach shots. Unless he comes in behind something very strong, Noah has a hard time of it at net. Sometimes, even when he comes in behind strong stuff too

For Mats, he’s doing well enough to win just outlasting Noah from the back and with his excellent passing (including the return). Aggressive serving, serve-volleying and coming to net are his reserves. That’s a hell of a lot to have just as reserve - hence, the one sidedness

Match Progression
Noah is all out net seeking at the start. Serve-volleys off all serves, return-approaches regularly, tries to approach from rallies quickly. He’s loose off the ground though and not too good at the front either

Mats serves mostly to Noah’s FH in opener, and Noah hammers the second serves as he approaches behind them. Mats is content on the baseline, to outlast Noah and pass him as needed

There are 5 breaks in the opening set and oddly, 3 are to love and 1 other to 15. Noah doesn’t face break points in just 1/5 games - and that goes to deuce. The break games are radically different from one another

After Mats holds to open, there are 3 breaks on the trot. Good returns from Mats gets him a love break, but Noah answers with a wonderful, dashing game to break back to 15. Points he wins include couple net points (1 return-approach, ending with a stop FHV winner), a charge, would-be approach return that forces an error and on break point, a beautiful angled drop shot winner

Mats breaks again right after, with Noah missing a series of tricky, not easy net shots - an Oh and 3 FHVs

2 trade long holds - Mats 10 points, Noah 12, with Noah saving 4 more break points. Then Noah puts things back on serve, in a rare game where Mats gives up 2 ground UEs as he’s broken to love

Noah holds a deuce game to level at 4-4, followed by Mats holding an all winners 6 point game. Including the ace the last game finished on, that makes 7 successive points ending with winners

And Mats breaks to love to finish, with strong passes and returns. A 1/2volley error by Noah, followed by 2 passing winners gets him to 0-40, where Noah misses an easy FHV

Some normalcy, in terms of server holding, comes in set 2. Noah eases back on serve-volleying and stays back off most second serves and a few firsts. He does seek net early on his service points though, but cuts back on return-approaching. Mats for his part starts serve-volleying occasionally and throwing out some bigger serves, without harming his in-count (it actually improves). He volleys superbly, putting away everything at a stroke

Fun games at the start with both players coming to net. Mats breaks for 2-0 in an 8 point game with just the 1 UE

Fantastic point in the next game, as Noah plays a drop-return out of the blue. Mats is stretched to fullest to reach it and can only loft the ball over the net, where Noah’s waiting to putaway. Only a back-stepping Mats manages to reflex lob volley the ball to send Noah scrambling back to baseline, and Mats much more comfortably ends the point with a BHV winner. Mats saves a break point with a good serve, serve-volleying

No more competitive thrills in the rest of the games, with servers holding comfortably til Mats serves out to love, with an ace, 2 serve volleys and a net point

Third is a great set from Mats in all ways. He’s at his most net seeking, serves quite well and passes the same. Noah gains counter-play with charge-approach returns. After saving 2 break points in his opening hold, Mats reels off the last 4 games to close out the match. Powerful passes and returns gets him the breaks and he serves strongly and serve-volleys to hold

Summing up, masterful showing from Wilander, one of his best performances showcasing all the skillsets of the game. Serves damagingly when he wants to, returns a powerful serve with comfortable authority, passes in his 2-part style superbly, volleys as well as anyone could and as ever, rock solid from the back

The completely outplayed Noah is a bit clumsy in how he gets around both front and back of the court. Expert return-approaching is the high point of his showing, which he might have looked to do more often

Stats for the final between Wilander and Ivan Lendl - Match Stats/Report - Lendl vs Wilander, French Open final, 1987 | Talk Tennis (tennis-warehouse.com)

 

[NicoMK]

Summing up, masterful showing from Wilander, one of his best performances showcasing all the skillsets of the game. Serves damagingly when he wants to, returns a powerful serve with comfortable authority, passes in his 2-part style superbly, volleys as well as anyone could and as ever, rock solid from the back

Great analysis @Waspsting as always. Not much to add after this. Indeed Mats played and excellent match with "all the skillsets of his game", as you wrote.

Yannick wasn't quite there physically but I may recall that he had a exhausting match against Kent Carlsson in the previous round. It could explain why he wasn't able to take at least a set from Mats. But I remember Mats playing really well yeah.

It's one match that I'll have to watch again, thanks YT.

Pitty that Mats decided to play exclusively from the baseline against Ivan in the final before changing his tactics but it was too late. It's been discussed before though.

 

[Waspsting]

Great analysis @Waspsting as always. Not much to add after this. Indeed Mats played and excellent match with "all the skillsets of his game", as you wrote.

Yannick wasn't quite there physically but I may recall that he had a exhausting match against Kent Carlsson in the previous round. It could explain why he wasn't able to take at least a set from Mats. But I remember Mats playing really well yeah.

It's one match that I'll have to watch again, thanks YT.

Pitty that Mats decided to play exclusively from the baseline against Ivan in the final before changing his tactics but it was too late. It's been discussed before though.

This is one of the best showings I've seen from him. He's been part of a lot of great matches, but doesn't have too many masterpieces, a'le Mac '84 Wimby final, Connors '75 Wimby semi, Lendl '85 US Open etc.

The one I've heard mentioned most often is '88 French final with Leconte, but I thought that was more Leconte playing badly than anything extra special from Mats. Come to think of it, that's not spoken of so much as a masterpiece as mentioned because of missing 2 first serves

My favoutite though is the '85 French final - thoroughly ouplays a strong Lendl there

 

[NicoMK]

This is one of the best showings I've seen from him. He's been part of a lot of great matches, but doesn't have too many masterpieces, a'le Mac '84 Wimby final, Connors '75 Wimby semi, Lendl '85 US Open etc.

Well, the 1988 US Open final against Ivan or the 1988 Australian Open final vs Pat Cash are classics, I believe.

The 1985 US Open semis against Johnny Mac ain't bad either