RallyIQ

Paris Masters · F · Hard · 2 Nov 2008

Jo Wilfried Tsonga v David Nalbandian

93–84 in points · Jo Wilfried Tsonga won

Why it went the way it did

Jo Wilfried Tsonga won 4.4 more points than David Nalbandian relative to what the serve alone predicted. David Nalbandian's biggest leaks: forehand execution −2.8, slice shot selection −1.3, serve 1st execution −0.9.

Each shot moves its hitter's chance of winning the point. Those moves are split into direction choice, shot selection and execution, and summed here. Read both columns together: one player's gain is the other's loss.

ShotJo Wilfried TsongaDavid Nalbandian
DirSelExecTotalDirSelExecTotal
Serve 1st −0.4 −0.2 +6.5 +5.9 −0.6 −0.3 −0.9 −1.8
Serve 2nd +0.1 −0.1 +1.0 +1.0 +0.1 −0.1 −0.8 −0.9
Return +0.3 −0.3 −0.6 −0.5 +0.5 −0.1 −0.3 +0.1
Forehand −0.8 +3.9 −4.4 −1.3 −0.7 +2.2 −2.8 −1.2
Backhand −0.3 +0.8 −3.4 −2.9 +0.1 +0.1 +1.1 +1.3
Slice ±0.0 −2.0 +0.1 −1.9 −0.1 −1.3 +0.4 −1.0
Net −0.1 +0.3 +2.3 +2.5 +0.5 −0.2 +1.9 +2.2
Touch ±0.0 −0.1 +0.6 +0.6 +0.1 −0.8 +1.1 +0.4
All shots −1.2+2.5 +2.2+3.4 −0.3−0.4 −0.2−0.9

Set by set

SetJo Wilfried TsongaDavid NalbandianNet, Jo
1+2.9−0.5 +3.4
2−2.3+0.2 −2.4
3+2.8−0.6 +3.4

Adaptation

First-serve direction mix set by set, with the share of points each direction won. The scores measure whether the server moved toward the directions that had been winning earlier in this match, set to set and every two to three service games, in points per 100 first serves. Read them as a habit, not a gain: across the tour, a direction's edge in early sets barely predicts the later ones. Whether the returner responded can't be told apart from noise within one match.

Jo Wilfried Tsonga serving

SetWideBodyT
1 46% 100% 21% 17% 32% 78%
2 46% 92% 18% 40% 36% 40%
3 58% 63% 15% 80% 27% 78%

Set to set +4.50 per 100 first serves in sets 2+

Within sets +0.76 per 100 first serves, every two to three service games

David Nalbandian serving

SetWideBodyT
1 38% 67% 29% 29% 33% 88%
2 38% 67% 19% 67% 44% 79%
3 50% 63% 22% 43% 28% 67%

Set to set −0.38 per 100 first serves in sets 2+

Within sets −0.27 per 100 first serves, every two to three service games

Counterfactual: the best direction every time

If each shot had gone in the direction that is usually worth most for that stroke and position, this is how many more points each player would expect to win. It's an upper bound: the best direction isn't always on, and the chart can't see the ball's pace or position.

Jo Wilfried Tsonga

8.2 points left on the table across 280 shots 2.92 per 100 shots

  1. Return of a 2nd serve, wide, ad court hit BH through the middle ×8; BH crosscourt rates higher · 0.44 pts
  2. Rally, shots 5–8: drive to your forehand side hit FH through the middle ×6; FH crosscourt rates higher · 0.30 pts
  3. Rally, shots 5–8: drive to your forehand side, you at net hit FH volley through the middle ×1; FH volley crosscourt rates higher · 0.28 pts
  4. Return +1: drive to your forehand side hit FH through the middle ×4; FH crosscourt rates higher · 0.23 pts

David Nalbandian

6.3 points left on the table across 250 shots 2.52 per 100 shots

  1. Serve +1: deep return to your middle hit FH through the middle ×4; FH crosscourt rates higher · 0.29 pts
  2. Rally, shots 5–8: drive to your middle hit FH through the middle ×5; FH crosscourt rates higher · 0.28 pts
  3. Rally, shots 5–8: drive to your forehand side hit FH through the middle ×5; FH crosscourt rates higher · 0.25 pts
  4. Rally, shots 5–8: volley to your middle, opponent at net hit BH through the middle ×1; BH down the line rates higher · 0.25 pts