RallyIQ

Game plan

Dusan Lajovic v Jenson Brooksby

Every number combines what Dusan Lajovic does well with what Jenson Brooksby allows, each measured against the tour average and shrunk toward it when the sample is thin. Flip perspective

Forecast

Dusan Lajovic wins, best of 3 22%90%: 7%–49% · best of 5: 17%
Serve points won 58.2% / 64.1% Dusan / Jenson · tour 63.4%
Strengths only, no similarity priors 22%serve 58.4% / 64.5%

Each player's serve and return strength is fitted against every opponent they were charted against, so a record built on weak opponents counts for less. At least one of them is no longer active or has too little charted in the last three seasons, so both are compared on their careers. The result is then nudged by Dusan Lajovic's record against Jenson Brooksby's tactical lookalikes and in their charted head-to-heads (lookalikes: −1.0 on serve, +2.1 on return vs expectation (783 points)). A game-by-game Markov chain turns point odds into match odds; the 90% range covers the uncertainty in the two strengths, not the nudges. Charted matches lean toward big events, so treat this as a scouting estimate, not a betting line.

Head to head, per 100 shots

CareerDusanJenson
Direction choice±0.00 ±0.10
better than 57%
−0.07 ±0.11
better than 37%
Shot selection−0.28 ±0.16
better than 25%
−0.31 ±0.11
better than 21%
Execution+0.03 ±0.42
better than 70%
+0.53 ±0.33
better than 84%
Points left on the table2.65 ±0.16
lower than 46%
2.27 ±0.16
lower than 86%

Each player's career against an average tour player in the same position, adjusted for opponent strength, with a 90% margin (shots clustered by match). Points left on the table is the gap to the best-value direction for the same stroke, so lower is better. Percentiles are within each player's own tour. A side is highlighted only when the gap is larger than the margin on the difference.

Structural compatibility

Expected edge per 100 rally shots from style alone: Dusan Lajovic +0.65, Jenson Brooksby +1.47. Each player's shot mix weighted by their own skill with each shot and by how much the other gives up against it. This is why some rankings gaps don't hold in a given matchup.

Serve plan

The share of points the server wins when a first serve lands in that direction (hover a rate for its 90% interval; ± is the 90% margin). "Matchup" combines the server's rate with how this returner handles that serve. "Optimal" is the mix that wins most against this returner once they start reading a habit, at the response measured across the tour, and only within the range servers' habits actually vary. The gain over the current mix is how exploitable that mix is.

Dusan Lajovic serving

Deuce court

1st serveNowDusan winsv JensonMatchupOptimal
Wide48%65%73%65.6%±5.535% ▼
Body10%61%67%64.9%±9.323% ▲
T43%67%76%69.0%±5.742%

Optimal v Jenson Brooksby: +0.2±0.9 per 100 first serves (faults included) over the current mix, inside the 90% margin. Serving T every time would read +2.1 per 100 first serves in before the returner adjusts.

Ad court

1st serveNowDusan winsv JensonMatchupOptimal
Wide57%66%75%68.6%±5.570% ▲
Body11%64%60%61.3%±9.811%
T32%63%66%56.0%±6.519% ▼

Optimal v Jenson Brooksby: +0.9±0.7 per 100 first serves (faults included) over the current mix. Serving wide every time would read +4.8 per 100 first serves in before the returner adjusts.

Jenson Brooksby serving

Deuce court

1st serveNowJenson winsv DusanMatchupOptimal
Wide45%70%77%74.4%±4.858% ▲
Body16%56%71%64.0%±9.33% ▼
T39%65%75%64.6%±5.839%

Optimal v Dusan Lajovic: +1.1±0.8 per 100 first serves (faults included) over the current mix. Serving wide every time would read +5.5 per 100 first serves in before the returner adjusts.

Ad court

1st serveNowJenson winsv DusanMatchupOptimal
Wide49%71%75%73.9%±4.962% ▲
Body14%62%67%66.2%±10.31% ▼
T37%66%69%62.7%±6.737%

Optimal v Dusan Lajovic: +0.6±0.9 per 100 first serves (faults included) over the current mix, inside the 90% margin. Serving wide every time would read +5.3 per 100 first serves in before the returner adjusts.

Return plan

Value of each return, in points per 100 returns against an average return of the same serve (direction, court, surface): the tour's result with that return, the returner's own edge with it, and what this server gives up when it comes back to that side. Returns with no charted direction are left out, so values compare with each other rather than with zero. Depth isn't a choice here: missed returns have no depth. Serve quality isn't charted, so a block through the middle partly reflects the serve that forced it.

Dusan Lajovic returning

1st serve to the forehand

ReturnNowTourOwnv JensonValue
FH through the middle46%+4.3+1.6+2.3+8.1±2.2
FH crosscourt27%+5.5+0.1−1.3+4.3±3.9
FH slice through the middle11%−4.2−0.3−1.4−5.9±2.3
FH down the line10%+1.7+1.2+1.7+4.6±4.4
FH slice crosscourt4%−4.3±0.0+0.9−3.4±2.6

Lean FH through the middle: +3.7±1.6 per 100 returns v the current mix (533 returns charted)

1st serve to the backhand

ReturnNowTourOwnv JensonValue
BH through the middle28%+6.4+2.6+2.8+11.8±2.1
BH slice through the middle24%−4.2+0.6±0.0−3.6±2.3
BH crosscourt23%+8.8−0.1+1.8+10.5±3.1
BH slice crosscourt16%+0.5−1.1−2.2−2.8±2.9
BH down the line7%+4.2−2.1+0.2+2.4±4.6

Lean BH through the middle: +7.5±1.8 per 100 returns v the current mix (727 returns charted)

2nd serve to the forehand

ReturnNowTourOwnv JensonValue
FH through the middle46%−3.5+2.4−1.1−2.1±2.6
FH crosscourt36%−0.2+0.8+1.2+1.8±4.3
FH down the line16%−1.8+0.6+2.8+1.6±4.6
FH slice through the middle3%−12.7−1.0±0.0−13.7±1.0

Lean FH crosscourt: +2.3±3.1 per 100 returns v the current mix (187 returns charted, inside the 90% margin)

2nd serve to the backhand

ReturnNowTourOwnv JensonValue
BH through the middle26%−2.9+0.9+2.5+0.4±2.2
BH crosscourt23%+1.0−0.7+1.2+1.5±2.9
FH through the middle18%−2.9+0.7−1.1−3.2±2.2
FH inside-in13%+0.6−0.9+1.2+0.9±4.3
FH inside-out9%+1.0±0.0+2.8+3.8±3.7

Lean FH inside-out: +4.1±3.5 per 100 returns v the current mix (462 returns charted)

Jenson Brooksby returning

1st serve to the forehand

ReturnNowTourOwnv DusanValue
FH through the middle52%+4.3+1.1+2.5+7.9±2.1
FH crosscourt21%+5.5+1.1+1.9+8.5±4.0
FH down the line19%+1.7−2.2+2.7+2.2±4.2
FH slice through the middle5%−4.2−1.2+0.5−4.9±2.3
FH slice down the line2%−4.3+1.0±0.0−3.2±1.7

Lean FH crosscourt: +2.6±3.5 per 100 returns v the current mix (544 returns charted, inside the 90% margin)

1st serve to the backhand

ReturnNowTourOwnv DusanValue
BH through the middle45%+6.4+1.8+1.9+10.1±2.1
BH crosscourt36%+8.8+1.5+2.6+13.0±2.8
BH down the line7%+4.2+0.2−0.9+3.5±4.4
BH slice through the middle6%−4.2+0.3−0.5−4.3±2.4
BH slice crosscourt4%+0.5−2.7+0.2−1.9±2.9

Lean BH crosscourt: +3.9±2.0 per 100 returns v the current mix (439 returns charted)

2nd serve to the forehand

ReturnNowTourOwnv DusanValue
FH through the middle51%−3.5−0.8+1.2−3.1±2.8
FH down the line26%−1.8+1.1+3.0+2.3±4.7
FH crosscourt20%−0.2+1.4+0.8+2.0±4.3
FH slice through the middle3%−12.7−0.5+0.3−12.8±1.4

Lean FH down the line: +3.3±3.9 per 100 returns v the current mix (144 returns charted, inside the 90% margin)

2nd serve to the backhand

ReturnNowTourOwnv DusanValue
BH crosscourt43%+1.0+0.3−0.9+0.4±2.8
BH through the middle43%−2.9+1.0−0.3−2.1±2.1
BH down the line14%−0.2+5.7+2.7+8.3±4.9

Lean BH down the line: +7.9±4.5 per 100 returns v the current mix (259 returns charted)

Rally plan

Edge, in points per 100 shots: the hitter's skill with the shot (own) plus how much the receiver usually gives up against it (theirs), both measured against the tour average.

Dusan Lajovic

Favour

ShotEdgeOwnTheirs
BH to the middle · return+6.2±1.7+2.8+3.4
FH to their backhand · serve +1+4.4±2.5+1.4+3.0
FH to their backhand · return+3.4±3.5+0.8+2.6
FH to their backhand · return +1+3.4±3.5+1.7+1.6
BH to their backhand · return+2.6±2.4+0.9+1.7
FH to the middle · return+2.5±1.7+1.0+1.5

Avoid

ShotEdgeOwnTheirs
BH to their forehand · return +1−5.4±4.7−1.4−4.0
BH slice to their forehand · rally−4.1±3.4−2.8−1.3
BH to their forehand · serve +1−3.6±4.4−3.0−0.6
FH to their forehand · return +1−2.2±3.4+0.4−2.6
BH to their forehand · rally−2.1±3.0−1.1−0.9

Jenson Brooksby

Favour

ShotEdgeOwnTheirs
BH to their forehand · return+5.9±4.1+4.7+1.2
FH to the middle · return+4.4±1.8+0.8+3.6
FH to their forehand · return+3.9±3.9+1.1+2.7
BH to the middle · return+3.4±1.5+1.8+1.5
BH to their backhand · serve +1+2.8±2.4+2.3+0.5
BH to their backhand · return+2.6±2.1+0.8+1.8

Avoid

ShotEdgeOwnTheirs
FH to their backhand · return +1−4.3±3.5−4.3±0.0
BH to their forehand · return +1−2.7±4.9−0.4−2.4
BH slice to their forehand · rally−2.1±3.5+0.3−2.4
FH to their backhand · serve +1−1.6±2.4−3.1+1.5
BH slice to their backhand · rally−0.9±2.2+0.4−1.3

Against Jenson Brooksby-like opponents

Dusan Lajovic vMatchesServe pts wonReturn pts won
All charted opponents–59.0%32.6%
Players most similar to Jenson Brooksby6 57.3%34.6%

Similar by tactical fingerprint: Alex De Minaur, Daniil Medvedev, Novak Djokovic, Karen Khachanov, Jaume Munar, Pablo Carreno Busta, Miomir Kecmanovic, Alexandre Muller, Andy Murray, Pablo Andujar. When two players have rarely met, their records against these lookalikes fill the gap.