Boris Becker beat Pete Sampras 6-4, 6-4 in the Stockholm Indoor semi-final, 1990 on carpet
Becker would go on to beat Stefan Edberg in the final. Sampras had recently won his first Slam at the US Open. It was the pairs first match
Becker won 62 points, Sampras 53
Becker serve-volleyed off all but 6 first serves, Sampras all. Both players serve-volleyed occasionally off seconds
Serve Stats
Becker...
- 1st serve percentage (34/55) 62%
- 1st serve points won (30/34) 88%
- 2nd serve points won (11/21) 52%
- Aces 8
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (26/55) 47%
Sampras...
- 1st serve percentage (34/60) 57%
- 1st serve points won (24/34) 71%
- 2nd serve points won (15/26) 58%
- Aces 5 (1 not clean)
- Double Faults 3
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (17/60) 28%
Serve Pattern
Becker served...
- to FH 36%
- to BH 49%
- to Body 15%
Sampras served...
- to FH 40%
- to BH 36%
- to Body 22%
Return Stats
Becker made...
- 40 (22 FH, 18 BH), including 2 runaround FHs & 2 return-approaches
- 12 Errors, comprising...
- 2 Unforced (1 FH, 1 BH)
- 10 Forced (5 FH, 5 BH)
- Return Rate (40/57) 70%
Sampras made...
- 29 (14 FH, 15 BH), including 1 runaround FH & 4 return-approaches
- 1 Winner (1 FH)
- 18 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 FH)
- 17 Forced (5 FH, 12 BH)
- Return Rate (29/55) 53%
Break Points
Becker 2/3 (2 games)
Sampras 0/2 (1 game)
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Becker 10 (4 FH, 3 BH, 2 BHV, 1 OH)
Sampras 16 (3 FH, 4 BH, 4 FHV, 3 BHV, 2 OH)
Becker had 3 from serve-volley points - 1 first volley (1 BHV) and 2 second volleys (1 BHV, 1 OH)
- FHs - 3 dtl passes and 1 dtl played as Sampras was retreating from net
- BHs (all passes) - 1 cc (a net chord pop over, without which Sampras had the ball covered), 1 dtl and 1 inside-out/dtl
Sampras had 7 from serve-volley points -
- 4 first 'volleys' (1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH, 1 BH at net)… the FHV was a net chord dribbler
- 3 second volleys (1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)
- 2 from return-approach points (1 FHV, 1 BHV)
- FHs - 1 cc return, 1 inside-out (a net chord pop over, without which Becker had the ball covered) and 1 inside-in
- BHs - 2 dtl passes and 1 at net
Errors (excluding returns and serves)
Becker 20
- 8 Unforced (2 FH, 5 BH, 1 FHV)
- 12 Forced (4 FH, 7 BH, 1 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 50
Sampras 23
- 13 Unforced (3 FH, 4 BH, 2 FHV, 3 BHV, 1 OH)
- 10 Forced (1 FH, 7 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BH1/2V)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 52.3
(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 these two matches are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Becker was...
- 22/28 (79%) at net, including...
- 21/26 (81%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 17/20 (85%) off 1st serve and...
- 4/6 (67%) off 2nd serve
--
- 1/2 return-approaching
Sampras was...
- 31/48 (65%) at net, including...
- 23/36 (64%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 19/29 (66%) off 1st serve and...
- 4/7 (57%) off 2nd serve
--
- 3/4 (75%) return-approaching
- 0/1 forced back/retreated
Match Report
Two big servers on a normal carpet court (meaning fast), mostly serve-volleying make for a match long level of percentage tennis. In other words, who wins how many points... doesn't matter unless its to the degree that breaks are threatened. It rarely gets that far
Becker converts 2/3 in 2 games - 1 per set. Sampras' two chances come in a game in the first set, and he can't convert. Game, set, match Becker
Boris stays back on odd first serve points (a total of 6 times), while Sampras serve-volleys behind all his first serves. Both players come in occasionally as a change up off their second serves
In the first set has easy holds til game 5. A strong BH inside-out return draws a weak reply from an at net Sampras and he's heading back to the baseline as Becker dispatches the winner FH dtl. Next point, Sampras misses an OH (later in the match, he'd fail to put away another and go on to lose that point also). Nonetheless, Sampras has game point but makes a BHV UE. Couple points later, he double faults on break point
As Becker serves for the set, Sampras has 2 break points and 15-40. Those are erased by serve-volley plays (and an ace). Set point is the volley of the match... Becker coming in behind a second serve, putting away a low, powerful return BHV inside-out for the winner
Few other good points. On 1, Becker deliberately softly chips a BH at an incoming Sampras, and Pete misses the BH1/2V. Becker wins 13/15 first serve points in the set, Sampras 11/14
Second set, Becker is the better player. He starts serving more aggressively (in first set, he'd served a lot to the body) and hitting more aces. Pete isn't bothered much on serve either, but he's largely playing the same as in first set. Sampras is taken to deuce in game 8, when he oddly misses 2 BHs at net off serve-volley points in 3 points. He survives that game, but its the same shot that costs him the set on his next service game
As would tend to happen in matches between the two indoors, breaks rarely come purely from servers bad play or returners good, but a combo of the two (with the normal pattern being server so good that returner has no chance). In the decisive break here, Becker hits a superb FH dtl pass winner and charges the net after making a strong FH dtl return to force a passing error. Sampras for his part, misses a FHV winner he tried to be too cute in angling acutely and on break point, misses a standard first BHV
The critical point is the one before that. Sampras again struggles with a third ball BH at net while serve-volleying and his shot hits the net chord, which slows it down to leave Becker time to line up the pass. And Boris is up to pulling the trigger
For good measure, Becker misses a BH at net too, when serving for the match. That and a lucky net chord pop over passing winner brings Pete to 30-30, but Becker powers through the next two points to seal the match
Serve & Return
Big serving from both, but I thought Becker served within himself. First set in particular, He's not going all out on power
Both players serve a lot of body serves - Becker particularly in the first set, Sampras throughout. This is not uncommon for Boris (he has days when he's going for aces and he has days when he's serving body-ishly), but I don't recall seeing Sampras go this heavy with the body serve. A full 22% of his serves are directed to the body - and decent chunk more that are close enough to it (likely, intended body serves that went a little to one side)
Becker even serves an ace with a body serve(!)… Sampras fully focused on getting out the way and not at all looking to return the ball. In second set, Becker lets loose with a bunch of aces (7/8 of his aces come there), but even then, continues throwing odd ones straight at Pete
Clearly, Becker has the better of the complex. 47% unreturned serves to Pete's 28%.... possibly the largest gap in any match between the two
Much of that is down to the return. Sampras just doesn't have a handle on Becker's delivery. Its a great serve of course, but a good returner wouldn't be quite as trussed up by it as Pete gets.
That and Pete's own odd choice of serving. 40% to FH and 36% BH is a strange distribution. Against Becker, obviously, but even if Sampras didn't know Becker's game (which seems unlikely), presumably he'd fall back on default serving pattern (and majority to FH is not it)
Some good aggressive return-approaching by Pete (he dropped the tactic completely against Becker within a couple of years)
Note 0 double faults from Boris
Becker returns Pete reasonably well. Not much authority in the balls he gets back, but he gets a lot back. 28% unreturned serves is low for Pete
One gets the sense from this (and play too), Pete was still in the process of finding his game
Net Play and Passing
Can't really give Becker a grade on this (thus, also Sampras' passing). Its mostly unreturned serves. He does hit an excellent low BHV winner but that's about it and misses a very easy high FHV (without which, he'd have won 90% first serve points)
0 approaches from rallies for Boris - its all serve-volley or return approach
With serve doing so much of the work, Boris has the luxury of taking things easy from the baseline also. 3 routine groundstroke errors and a couple of wild ones... it doesn't matter in the scheme of the match. Pete is less careless, but baseline play isn't a big factor in the match
Pete by contrast has 8 forecourt UEs (including 2 BHs at net), which is not a good figure for just 48 approaches (a large chunk of which ended in return errors). Just odd, random misses - the ones he makes, he makes well - either putting them away or leaving Becker with running passes
On the pass, Becker makes a couple good ones. He tests Sampras' net instincts with some soft ones too (possibly not deliberately)… and Sampras forecourt positioning is a bit off. Pete's serve being so strong makes getting his forecourt position down pat that much harder (some balls better to stay slightly back to, some to full charge at). Here, he still seems to be in learning phase
Summing up, quick fast match with Becker's serve proving too much for the new US Open champion. And Boris seemingly just knowing what he needs to do to win more
Stats for the final between Becker and Edberg - a performance for the ages from Becker - https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...becker-vs-edberg-stockholm-final-1990.646188/
Becker would go on to beat Stefan Edberg in the final. Sampras had recently won his first Slam at the US Open. It was the pairs first match
Becker won 62 points, Sampras 53
Becker serve-volleyed off all but 6 first serves, Sampras all. Both players serve-volleyed occasionally off seconds
Serve Stats
Becker...
- 1st serve percentage (34/55) 62%
- 1st serve points won (30/34) 88%
- 2nd serve points won (11/21) 52%
- Aces 8
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (26/55) 47%
Sampras...
- 1st serve percentage (34/60) 57%
- 1st serve points won (24/34) 71%
- 2nd serve points won (15/26) 58%
- Aces 5 (1 not clean)
- Double Faults 3
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (17/60) 28%
Serve Pattern
Becker served...
- to FH 36%
- to BH 49%
- to Body 15%
Sampras served...
- to FH 40%
- to BH 36%
- to Body 22%
Return Stats
Becker made...
- 40 (22 FH, 18 BH), including 2 runaround FHs & 2 return-approaches
- 12 Errors, comprising...
- 2 Unforced (1 FH, 1 BH)
- 10 Forced (5 FH, 5 BH)
- Return Rate (40/57) 70%
Sampras made...
- 29 (14 FH, 15 BH), including 1 runaround FH & 4 return-approaches
- 1 Winner (1 FH)
- 18 Errors, comprising...
- 1 Unforced (1 FH)
- 17 Forced (5 FH, 12 BH)
- Return Rate (29/55) 53%
Break Points
Becker 2/3 (2 games)
Sampras 0/2 (1 game)
Winners (including returns, excluding serves)
Becker 10 (4 FH, 3 BH, 2 BHV, 1 OH)
Sampras 16 (3 FH, 4 BH, 4 FHV, 3 BHV, 2 OH)
Becker had 3 from serve-volley points - 1 first volley (1 BHV) and 2 second volleys (1 BHV, 1 OH)
- FHs - 3 dtl passes and 1 dtl played as Sampras was retreating from net
- BHs (all passes) - 1 cc (a net chord pop over, without which Sampras had the ball covered), 1 dtl and 1 inside-out/dtl
Sampras had 7 from serve-volley points -
- 4 first 'volleys' (1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH, 1 BH at net)… the FHV was a net chord dribbler
- 3 second volleys (1 FHV, 1 BHV, 1 OH)
- 2 from return-approach points (1 FHV, 1 BHV)
- FHs - 1 cc return, 1 inside-out (a net chord pop over, without which Becker had the ball covered) and 1 inside-in
- BHs - 2 dtl passes and 1 at net
Errors (excluding returns and serves)
Becker 20
- 8 Unforced (2 FH, 5 BH, 1 FHV)
- 12 Forced (4 FH, 7 BH, 1 BHV)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 50
Sampras 23
- 13 Unforced (3 FH, 4 BH, 2 FHV, 3 BHV, 1 OH)
- 10 Forced (1 FH, 7 BH, 1 FHV, 1 BH1/2V)
- Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 52.3
(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 these two matches are keyed on 4 categories - 20 defensive, 40 neutral, 50 attacking and 60 winner attempt)
Net Points & Serve-Volley
Becker was...
- 22/28 (79%) at net, including...
- 21/26 (81%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 17/20 (85%) off 1st serve and...
- 4/6 (67%) off 2nd serve
--
- 1/2 return-approaching
Sampras was...
- 31/48 (65%) at net, including...
- 23/36 (64%) serve-volleying, comprising...
- 19/29 (66%) off 1st serve and...
- 4/7 (57%) off 2nd serve
--
- 3/4 (75%) return-approaching
- 0/1 forced back/retreated
Match Report
Two big servers on a normal carpet court (meaning fast), mostly serve-volleying make for a match long level of percentage tennis. In other words, who wins how many points... doesn't matter unless its to the degree that breaks are threatened. It rarely gets that far
Becker converts 2/3 in 2 games - 1 per set. Sampras' two chances come in a game in the first set, and he can't convert. Game, set, match Becker
Boris stays back on odd first serve points (a total of 6 times), while Sampras serve-volleys behind all his first serves. Both players come in occasionally as a change up off their second serves
In the first set has easy holds til game 5. A strong BH inside-out return draws a weak reply from an at net Sampras and he's heading back to the baseline as Becker dispatches the winner FH dtl. Next point, Sampras misses an OH (later in the match, he'd fail to put away another and go on to lose that point also). Nonetheless, Sampras has game point but makes a BHV UE. Couple points later, he double faults on break point
As Becker serves for the set, Sampras has 2 break points and 15-40. Those are erased by serve-volley plays (and an ace). Set point is the volley of the match... Becker coming in behind a second serve, putting away a low, powerful return BHV inside-out for the winner
Few other good points. On 1, Becker deliberately softly chips a BH at an incoming Sampras, and Pete misses the BH1/2V. Becker wins 13/15 first serve points in the set, Sampras 11/14
Second set, Becker is the better player. He starts serving more aggressively (in first set, he'd served a lot to the body) and hitting more aces. Pete isn't bothered much on serve either, but he's largely playing the same as in first set. Sampras is taken to deuce in game 8, when he oddly misses 2 BHs at net off serve-volley points in 3 points. He survives that game, but its the same shot that costs him the set on his next service game
As would tend to happen in matches between the two indoors, breaks rarely come purely from servers bad play or returners good, but a combo of the two (with the normal pattern being server so good that returner has no chance). In the decisive break here, Becker hits a superb FH dtl pass winner and charges the net after making a strong FH dtl return to force a passing error. Sampras for his part, misses a FHV winner he tried to be too cute in angling acutely and on break point, misses a standard first BHV
The critical point is the one before that. Sampras again struggles with a third ball BH at net while serve-volleying and his shot hits the net chord, which slows it down to leave Becker time to line up the pass. And Boris is up to pulling the trigger
For good measure, Becker misses a BH at net too, when serving for the match. That and a lucky net chord pop over passing winner brings Pete to 30-30, but Becker powers through the next two points to seal the match
Serve & Return
Big serving from both, but I thought Becker served within himself. First set in particular, He's not going all out on power
Both players serve a lot of body serves - Becker particularly in the first set, Sampras throughout. This is not uncommon for Boris (he has days when he's going for aces and he has days when he's serving body-ishly), but I don't recall seeing Sampras go this heavy with the body serve. A full 22% of his serves are directed to the body - and decent chunk more that are close enough to it (likely, intended body serves that went a little to one side)
Becker even serves an ace with a body serve(!)… Sampras fully focused on getting out the way and not at all looking to return the ball. In second set, Becker lets loose with a bunch of aces (7/8 of his aces come there), but even then, continues throwing odd ones straight at Pete
Clearly, Becker has the better of the complex. 47% unreturned serves to Pete's 28%.... possibly the largest gap in any match between the two
Much of that is down to the return. Sampras just doesn't have a handle on Becker's delivery. Its a great serve of course, but a good returner wouldn't be quite as trussed up by it as Pete gets.
That and Pete's own odd choice of serving. 40% to FH and 36% BH is a strange distribution. Against Becker, obviously, but even if Sampras didn't know Becker's game (which seems unlikely), presumably he'd fall back on default serving pattern (and majority to FH is not it)
Some good aggressive return-approaching by Pete (he dropped the tactic completely against Becker within a couple of years)
Note 0 double faults from Boris
Becker returns Pete reasonably well. Not much authority in the balls he gets back, but he gets a lot back. 28% unreturned serves is low for Pete
One gets the sense from this (and play too), Pete was still in the process of finding his game
Net Play and Passing
Can't really give Becker a grade on this (thus, also Sampras' passing). Its mostly unreturned serves. He does hit an excellent low BHV winner but that's about it and misses a very easy high FHV (without which, he'd have won 90% first serve points)
0 approaches from rallies for Boris - its all serve-volley or return approach
With serve doing so much of the work, Boris has the luxury of taking things easy from the baseline also. 3 routine groundstroke errors and a couple of wild ones... it doesn't matter in the scheme of the match. Pete is less careless, but baseline play isn't a big factor in the match
Pete by contrast has 8 forecourt UEs (including 2 BHs at net), which is not a good figure for just 48 approaches (a large chunk of which ended in return errors). Just odd, random misses - the ones he makes, he makes well - either putting them away or leaving Becker with running passes
On the pass, Becker makes a couple good ones. He tests Sampras' net instincts with some soft ones too (possibly not deliberately)… and Sampras forecourt positioning is a bit off. Pete's serve being so strong makes getting his forecourt position down pat that much harder (some balls better to stay slightly back to, some to full charge at). Here, he still seems to be in learning phase
Summing up, quick fast match with Becker's serve proving too much for the new US Open champion. And Boris seemingly just knowing what he needs to do to win more
Stats for the final between Becker and Edberg - a performance for the ages from Becker - https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...becker-vs-edberg-stockholm-final-1990.646188/
