So this is Borg's highest rate of winners that we've found so far. He had 47 clean winners (in the 33 games shown on my copy), or 1.42 per game. With aces it's a rate of 1.55.
Borg d. McEnroe 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (1)
(I'm missing the first two games of a copy from French TV; somewhere there's probably a full version from CBS).
Borg was 23, McEnroe almost 21.
The win put Borg up 4-3 in his rivalry with McEnroe. They had yet to meet in a Slam.
(This was the 1979 Masters Championship, played in January 1980).
The next day Borg won his first of two Masters championships. He had lost in the final round to Nastase in 1975 and Connors in 1978.
Per my count, over the last 33 games:
Borg won 120 points overall to McEnroe’s 106. Borg won 79 of 120 points on serve (or 66%), McEnroe 65 of 106 (or 61%).
SERVICE
In the 33 games I saw, Borg made 75 of 120 first serves (or 63%). McEnroe made 54 of 106 (or 51%).
In the first tiebreak McEnroe actually missed all 6 of his first serves but still won it, while Borg made 3 of his 6. Again in the last tiebreak, McEnroe missed only 1 of his 4, while Borg missed 2 of 4.
Borg’s service percentages by set:
68% (in 11 games)
56%
61%
McEnroe's:
41% (in 11 games)
57%
55%
If we assume they held in the first two games, Borg was broken twice, McEnroe 3 times. McEnroe was broken at 2-3 in the first set and broke right back. He was broken at 3-4 in the second set and in his next service game, to open the third. But he broke Borg back at 2-1.
Borg won 3 of 6 break points, McEnroe 2 of 12.
Borg faced 9 break points in the first set while McEnroe faced just 1 (not including the first two games).
Borg got his first serve into play on 10 of 12 break points (or 83%). He was broken once on first serve and once on second.
McEnroe got his first serve into play on 5 of 6 break points (also 83%). He was broken twice on first serve, though, and once on second.
Each man had 4 aces and 1 double.
Borg got 17 return errors from McEnroe (12 on first serve); I judged 3 as service winners.
McEnroe got 22 return errors from Borg (16 on first serve); I judged 2 as service winners.
I think that Borg stands in closer to receive McEnroe’s serve than he does at the U.S. Open, or even at Wimbledon.
WINNERS (not including the first two games)
Borg hit 47 clean winners: 14 FH, 19 BH, 4 FHV, 3 BHV, 7 overheads.
McEnroe hit 36 clean winners: 5 FH, 2 BH, 16 FHV, 10 BHV, 3 overheads.
Borg had 9 service return winners, all passes, including 6 BH’s. In addition he had 13 passing shots, including 10 BH’s (one of which was a lob). Altogether he passed McEnroe 22 times.
McEnroe had no service return winners, and just two passing shots (one off each side). Borg played the match mostly from the baseline.
Borg's winners by set: 17, 12, 18
McEnroe's winners by set: 16, 5, 15
Moose did stats for their Masters match one year later: http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=209610.
Borg d. McEnroe 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (1)
(I'm missing the first two games of a copy from French TV; somewhere there's probably a full version from CBS).
Borg was 23, McEnroe almost 21.
The win put Borg up 4-3 in his rivalry with McEnroe. They had yet to meet in a Slam.
(This was the 1979 Masters Championship, played in January 1980).
The next day Borg won his first of two Masters championships. He had lost in the final round to Nastase in 1975 and Connors in 1978.
Per my count, over the last 33 games:
Borg won 120 points overall to McEnroe’s 106. Borg won 79 of 120 points on serve (or 66%), McEnroe 65 of 106 (or 61%).
SERVICE
In the 33 games I saw, Borg made 75 of 120 first serves (or 63%). McEnroe made 54 of 106 (or 51%).
In the first tiebreak McEnroe actually missed all 6 of his first serves but still won it, while Borg made 3 of his 6. Again in the last tiebreak, McEnroe missed only 1 of his 4, while Borg missed 2 of 4.
Borg’s service percentages by set:
68% (in 11 games)
56%
61%
McEnroe's:
41% (in 11 games)
57%
55%
If we assume they held in the first two games, Borg was broken twice, McEnroe 3 times. McEnroe was broken at 2-3 in the first set and broke right back. He was broken at 3-4 in the second set and in his next service game, to open the third. But he broke Borg back at 2-1.
Borg won 3 of 6 break points, McEnroe 2 of 12.
Borg faced 9 break points in the first set while McEnroe faced just 1 (not including the first two games).
Borg got his first serve into play on 10 of 12 break points (or 83%). He was broken once on first serve and once on second.
McEnroe got his first serve into play on 5 of 6 break points (also 83%). He was broken twice on first serve, though, and once on second.
Each man had 4 aces and 1 double.
Borg got 17 return errors from McEnroe (12 on first serve); I judged 3 as service winners.
McEnroe got 22 return errors from Borg (16 on first serve); I judged 2 as service winners.
I think that Borg stands in closer to receive McEnroe’s serve than he does at the U.S. Open, or even at Wimbledon.
WINNERS (not including the first two games)
Borg hit 47 clean winners: 14 FH, 19 BH, 4 FHV, 3 BHV, 7 overheads.
McEnroe hit 36 clean winners: 5 FH, 2 BH, 16 FHV, 10 BHV, 3 overheads.
Borg had 9 service return winners, all passes, including 6 BH’s. In addition he had 13 passing shots, including 10 BH’s (one of which was a lob). Altogether he passed McEnroe 22 times.
McEnroe had no service return winners, and just two passing shots (one off each side). Borg played the match mostly from the baseline.
Borg's winners by set: 17, 12, 18
McEnroe's winners by set: 16, 5, 15
Moose did stats for their Masters match one year later: http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=209610.
Last edited: