RallyIQ

Australian Open · R64 · Hard · 16 Jan 2018

Rafael Nadal v Leonardo Mayer

113–90 in points · Rafael Nadal won

Why it went the way it did

Rafael Nadal won 13.7 more points than Leonardo Mayer relative to what the serve alone predicted. Leonardo Mayer's biggest leaks: backhand execution −1.2, serve 2nd execution −0.9, return direction choices −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.

ShotRafael NadalLeonardo Mayer
DirSelExecTotalDirSelExecTotal
Serve 1st −0.2 −0.1 +1.8 +1.6 +0.1 +0.3 +3.0 +3.4
Serve 2nd ±0.0 ±0.0 +0.7 +0.6 +0.2 ±0.0 −0.9 −0.8
Return +0.4 +1.5 +0.3 +2.2 −0.9 +0.6 +1.9 +1.6
Forehand +0.2 +3.4 +10.4 +14.1 +0.5 +4.3 +2.5 +7.4
Backhand +0.2 +0.6 +4.5 +5.3 −0.2 +0.1 −1.2 −1.2
Slice −0.3 −1.8 +2.1 +0.1 −0.1 −0.8 +1.0 ±0.0
Net ±0.0 +0.1 +0.5 +0.6 +0.6 ±0.0 +0.3 +0.9
Touch −0.1 −0.5 +0.2 −0.3 −0.1 −0.6 −0.1 −0.8
All shots +0.3+3.2 +20.6+24.0 ±0.0+3.9 +6.5+10.4

Set by set

SetRafael NadalLeonardo MayerNet, Rafael
1+3.5+0.8 +2.6
2+9.6+2.8 +6.8
3+11.0+6.8 +4.2

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.

Rafael Nadal serving

SetWideBodyT
1 26% 50% 16% 60% 58% 78%
2 38% 78% 13% 100% 50% 83%
3 44% 76% 10% 75% 46% 72%

Set to set −1.22 per 100 first serves in sets 2+

Within sets −0.59 per 100 first serves, every two to three service games

Leonardo Mayer serving

SetWideBodyT
1 63% 65% 6% 0% 31% 60%
2 39% 62% 6% 50% 55% 56%
3 43% 68% 11% 40% 45% 65%

Set to set −1.23 per 100 first serves in sets 2+

Within sets −0.25 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.

Rafael Nadal

10.4 points left on the table across 333 shots 3.13 per 100 shots

  1. Return of a 1st serve, T, deuce court hit FH through the middle ×8; FH inside-out rates higher · 0.84 pts
  2. Return of a 1st serve, wide, ad court hit FH through the middle ×6; FH inside-out rates higher · 0.63 pts
  3. Return of a 1st serve, wide, ad court hit FH crosscourt ×7; FH inside-out rates higher · 0.50 pts
  4. Serve +1: deep return to your middle hit FH through the middle ×6; FH crosscourt rates higher · 0.44 pts

Leonardo Mayer

8.8 points left on the table across 345 shots 2.56 per 100 shots

  1. Return of a 1st serve, T, deuce court hit BH slice down the line ×4; BH slice crosscourt rates higher · 0.47 pts
  2. Rally, shots 5–8: drive to your backhand side hit BH through the middle ×9; BH crosscourt rates higher · 0.35 pts
  3. Return of a 1st serve, T, deuce court hit BH down the line ×9; BH through the middle rates higher · 0.35 pts
  4. 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