RallyIQ

Cincinnati Masters · SF · Hard · 19 Aug 2023

Hubert Hurkacz v Carlos Alcaraz

100–98 in points · Carlos Alcaraz won

Why it went the way it did

Carlos Alcaraz won 1.0 more points than Hubert Hurkacz relative to what the serve alone predicted. Hubert Hurkacz's biggest leaks: forehand execution −2.9, slice execution −2.1, backhand execution −2.1.

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.

ShotHubert HurkaczCarlos Alcaraz
DirSelExecTotalDirSelExecTotal
Serve 1st +0.4 −0.2 −1.2 −1.0 −0.2 +0.1 −2.8 −2.9
Serve 2nd −0.1 +0.1 +1.0 +1.0 ±0.0 ±0.0 +1.3 +1.2
Return +0.3 +0.6 +0.1 +1.1 +0.3 −2.3 −7.6 −9.6
Forehand −0.1 +4.3 −2.9 +1.3 +0.8 +3.3 +4.3 +8.4
Backhand −0.1 +0.3 −2.1 −1.9 +0.3 +1.5 +0.5 +2.3
Slice +0.2 −1.4 −2.1 −3.3 +0.3 −2.3 +0.4 −1.6
Net −0.6 +0.5 −2.0 −2.0 +0.4 ±0.0 −2.1 −1.7
Touch −0.3 −0.2 +0.1 −0.4 +0.3 −0.6 −0.1 −0.5
All shots −0.1+3.9 −9.1−5.3 +2.2−0.3 −6.1−4.3

Set by set

SetHubert HurkaczCarlos AlcarazNet, Hubert
1+1.1−2.2 +3.3
2−3.5−2.0 −1.5
3−2.8−0.1 −2.7

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.

Hubert Hurkacz serving

SetWideBodyT
1 46% 59% 5% 50% 49% 67%
2 63% 68% – 37% 67%
3 48% 70% – 52% 64%

Set to set −0.08 per 100 first serves in sets 2+

Within sets −0.77 per 100 first serves, every two to three service games

Carlos Alcaraz serving

SetWideBodyT
1 45% 70% 9% 0% 45% 30%
2 45% 89% 17% 57% 38% 56%
3 58% 80% 8% 100% 35% 67%

Set to set +3.14 per 100 first serves in sets 2+

Within sets +0.80 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.

Hubert Hurkacz

8.7 points left on the table across 334 shots 2.61 per 100 shots

  1. Rally, shots 5–8: drive to your forehand side, you at net hit FH volley down the line ×3; FH volley crosscourt rates higher · 0.42 pts
  2. Return of a 1st serve, wide, deuce court hit FH down the line ×5; FH crosscourt rates higher · 0.35 pts
  3. Rally, shots 5–8: drive to your backhand side, you at net hit FH volley through the middle ×1; FH volley inside-out rates higher · 0.28 pts
  4. Rally, shots 5–8: drive to your forehand side hit FH down the line ×15; FH crosscourt rates higher · 0.27 pts

Carlos Alcaraz

6.3 points left on the table across 337 shots 1.86 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. Return of a 1st serve, T, deuce court hit BH slice down the line ×2; BH slice crosscourt rates higher · 0.23 pts
  3. Long rally, 9+: drive to your backhand side, you at net hit BH volley down the line ×2; BH volley crosscourt rates higher · 0.22 pts
  4. Rally, shots 5–8: drive to your backhand side hit BH through the middle ×5; BH crosscourt rates higher · 0.19 pts