RallyIQ

Wimbledon · R16 · Grass · 8 Jul 2019

Joao Sousa v Rafael Nadal

53–84 in points · Rafael Nadal won

Why it went the way it did

Rafael Nadal won 17.8 more points than Joao Sousa relative to what the serve alone predicted. Joao Sousa's biggest leaks: forehand execution −2.8, slice execution −2.3, slice shot selection −1.9.

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.

ShotJoao SousaRafael Nadal
DirSelExecTotalDirSelExecTotal
Serve 1st −0.7 −0.3 −0.3 −1.3 +0.1 ±0.0 −1.3 −1.3
Serve 2nd ±0.0 −0.1 +1.5 +1.4 ±0.0 −0.1 −0.6 −0.7
Return −0.4 −0.4 −0.3 −1.1 +0.2 +0.8 +4.9 +5.8
Forehand +1.1 +3.9 −2.8 +2.3 +0.8 +2.2 +0.6 +3.6
Backhand −0.3 −0.2 −0.9 −1.4 ±0.0 +0.6 +1.9 +2.4
Slice −0.1 −1.9 −2.3 −4.2 +0.3 −2.4 +2.3 +0.2
Net −0.1 +0.5 −0.4 ±0.0 −0.1 +0.3 +0.9 +1.2
Touch −0.2 −1.1 +0.2 −1.1 −0.1 −0.3 +1.6 +1.2
All shots −0.7+0.5 −5.2−5.4 +1.2+1.0 +10.3+12.5

Set by set

SetJoao SousaRafael NadalNet, Joao
1−2.1+2.9 −5.0
2−2.7+5.7 −8.5
3−0.5+3.8 −4.4

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.

Joao Sousa serving

SetWideBodyT
1 57% 58% 14% 67% 29% 33%
2 35% 27% 23% 43% 42% 77%
3 38% 78% 42% 40% 21% 40%

Set to set +0.05 per 100 first serves in sets 2+

Within sets −0.53 per 100 first serves, every two to three service games

Rafael Nadal serving

SetWideBodyT
1 33% 71% 19% 75% 48% 80%
2 53% 78% – 47% 100%
3 62% 69% – 38% 75%

Set to set +0.20 per 100 first serves in sets 2+

Within sets +0.08 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.

Joao Sousa

5.9 points left on the table across 244 shots 2.42 per 100 shots

  1. Return +1: slice to your backhand side, opponent at net hit BH lob down the line ×1; BH lob crosscourt rates higher · 0.23 pts
  2. Return of a 1st serve, wide, deuce court hit FH slice down the line ×2; FH slice crosscourt rates higher · 0.22 pts
  3. Rally, shots 5–8: drive to your backhand side hit FH inside-out ×7; FH inside-in rates higher · 0.20 pts
  4. Return +1: drive to your backhand side hit BH through the middle ×5; BH crosscourt rates higher · 0.20 pts

Rafael Nadal

5.3 points left on the table across 250 shots 2.13 per 100 shots

  1. Return of a 2nd serve, T, ad court hit BH through the middle ×5; BH down the line rates higher · 0.40 pts
  2. Return of a 1st serve, wide, deuce court hit BH crosscourt ×5; BH through the middle rates higher · 0.27 pts
  3. Return of a 1st serve, wide, ad court hit FH through the middle ×5; FH crosscourt rates higher · 0.22 pts
  4. Rally, shots 5–8: drive to your backhand side hit BH slice down the line ×4; BH slice crosscourt rates higher · 0.22 pts