RallyIQ

Game plan

Fabrice Santoro v Andy Murray

Every number combines what Fabrice Santoro does well with what Andy Murray allows, each measured against the tour average and shrunk toward it when the sample is thin. Flip perspective

Forecast

Fabrice Santoro wins, best of 3 7%90%: 2%–19% · best of 5: 3%
Serve points won 56.7% / 68.6% Fabrice / Andy · tour 65.7%
Strengths only, no similarity priors 8%serve 57.3% / 68.2%

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 At least one of them is no longer active or has too little charted in the last three seasons, so both are compared on their careers.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 Fabrice Santoro's record against Andy Murray's tactical lookalikes and in their charted head-to-heads (lookalikes: −13.2 on serve, −10.5 on return vs expectation (140 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

CareerFabriceAndy
Direction choice+0.19 ±0.11
better than 93%
+0.14 ±0.03
better than 87%
Shot selection−1.89 ±0.57
better than 0%
−0.45 ±0.05
better than 13%
Execution+2.60 ±0.69
better than 100%
+0.94 ±0.16
better than 95%
Points left on the table2.94 ±0.21
lower than 23%
2.23 ±0.05
lower than 90%

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.

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.

Fabrice Santoro serving

Deuce court

1st serveNowFabrice winsv AndyMatchupOptimal
Wide49%61%70%57.4%±5.946% ▼
Body10%58%59%53.9%±10.20% ▼
T41%64%76%64.8%±6.654% ▲

Optimal v Andy Murray: +0.3±0.7 per 100 first serves (faults included) over the current mix, inside the 90% margin. Serving T every time would read +4.8 per 100 first serves in before the returner adjusts.

Ad court

1st serveNowFabrice winsv AndyMatchupOptimal
Wide56%65%71%62.6%±5.869% ▲
Body9%62%57%56.2%±11.40% ▼
T35%61%68%56.2%±7.431% ▼

Optimal v Andy Murray: +0.5±0.7 per 100 first serves (faults included) over the current mix, inside the 90% margin. Serving wide every time would read +2.8 per 100 first serves in before the returner adjusts.

Andy Murray serving

Deuce court

1st serveNowAndy winsv FabriceMatchupOptimal
Wide47%71%73%70.8%±5.641% ▼
Body8%67%59%63.0%±10.70% ▼
T46%80%79%83.2%±4.759% ▲

Optimal v Fabrice Santoro: +0.6±0.6 per 100 first serves (faults included) over the current mix, inside the 90% margin. Serving T every time would read +7.3 per 100 first serves in before the returner adjusts.

Ad court

1st serveNowAndy winsv FabriceMatchupOptimal
Wide47%77%76%79.4%±4.960% ▲
Body8%61%56%53.9%±11.90% ▼
T45%70%66%63.3%±6.640% ▼

Optimal v Fabrice Santoro: +0.5±0.6 per 100 first serves (faults included) over the current mix, inside the 90% margin. Serving wide every time would read +9.2 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.

Fabrice Santoro returning

1st serve to the forehand

ReturnNowTourOwnv AndyValue
FH slice through the middle32%−4.2+3.1+1.4+0.3±1.9
FH through the middle20%+4.3+0.8+1.2+6.2±2.3
FH slice down the line17%−4.3+5.4+1.1+2.3±3.0
FH slice crosscourt15%−4.3+1.9+2.2−0.3±2.7
FH down the line12%+1.7+1.6+0.2+3.5±3.4

Lean FH through the middle: +3.8±2.1 per 100 returns v the current mix (263 returns charted)

1st serve to the backhand

ReturnNowTourOwnv AndyValue
BH through the middle42%+6.4+1.4−0.1+7.7±2.1
BH crosscourt37%+8.8−1.9+0.9+7.8±2.8
BH down the line10%+4.2−1.7+0.1+2.6±3.6
BH slice down the line4%−8.4+1.3−3.5−10.6±2.6
BH slice through the middle4%−4.2+0.6−0.4−4.1±1.4

Lean BH crosscourt: +2.0±2.0 per 100 returns v the current mix (214 returns charted, inside the 90% margin)

2nd serve to the forehand

ReturnNowTourOwnv AndyValue
FH through the middle27%−3.5+1.6+0.7−1.1±2.1
FH slice through the middle23%−12.7+2.5−0.4−10.6±2.3
FH slice crosscourt20%−12.5+2.6+1.1−8.8±2.6
FH slice down the line15%−9.4+1.1−1.4−9.8±2.4
FH down the line10%−1.8+1.4+2.6+2.2±3.0

Lean FH through the middle: +4.6±1.8 per 100 returns v the current mix (106 returns charted)

2nd serve to the backhand

ReturnNowTourOwnv AndyValue
BH crosscourt48%+1.0+2.3+1.8+5.2±2.5
BH through the middle42%−2.9+0.2+1.1−1.5±1.9
BH down the line11%−0.2+4.0+1.3+5.1±3.4

Lean BH crosscourt: +2.8±1.6 per 100 returns v the current mix (130 returns charted)

Andy Murray returning

1st serve to the forehand

ReturnNowTourOwnv FabriceValue
FH through the middle42%+4.3+1.4−1.2+4.4±2.1
FH down the line17%+1.7+6.2+2.1+10.0±3.5
FH crosscourt16%+5.5+1.9+3.6+11.0±3.4
FH slice through the middle14%−4.2+2.7±0.0−1.5±1.4
FH slice down the line5%−4.3+3.1±0.0−1.2±1.6

Lean FH crosscourt: +5.9±3.0 per 100 returns v the current mix (5314 returns charted)

1st serve to the backhand

ReturnNowTourOwnv FabriceValue
BH crosscourt27%+8.8+4.6+2.9+16.3±2.6
BH through the middle25%+6.4+2.2+0.2+8.8±2.1
BH slice through the middle25%−4.2+2.7+1.4−0.2±1.9
BH slice crosscourt15%+0.5+2.4+1.6+4.5±2.3
BH slice down the line4%−8.4+0.9+1.4−6.1±2.8

Lean BH crosscourt: +8.9±2.1 per 100 returns v the current mix (4642 returns charted)

2nd serve to the forehand

ReturnNowTourOwnv FabriceValue
FH through the middle43%−3.5+1.6+1.0−0.9±2.4
FH down the line28%−1.8+2.5+5.5+6.2±4.0
FH crosscourt23%−0.2+1.9−0.6+1.1±3.8
BH through the middle3%+0.1−1.3+0.1−1.1±2.1
BH inside-in1%+2.5+2.7+0.6+5.8±3.4

Lean FH down the line: +4.5±3.2 per 100 returns v the current mix (1297 returns charted)

2nd serve to the backhand

ReturnNowTourOwnv FabriceValue
BH crosscourt57%+1.0+1.7+0.6+3.3±2.5
BH through the middle29%−2.9+0.1+0.1−2.7±2.1
BH down the line7%−0.2+2.4+2.2+4.3±4.6
BH slice crosscourt3%−4.0−1.9+1.9−3.9±2.5
BH slice through the middle2%−11.3−1.4+0.5−12.2±2.3

Lean BH down the line: +3.3±4.5 per 100 returns v the current mix (2339 returns charted, inside the 90% margin)

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 on grass. Each player's grass record is shrunk toward their all-surface one, so a thin sample on it moves the numbers only a little.

Fabrice Santoro

Favour

ShotEdgeOwnTheirs
FH slice to their forehand · rally+8.7±4.3+5.4+3.3
FH slice to their forehand · return+5.7±3.5+3.2+2.5
FH slice to their backhand · return+5.3±3.7+4.6+0.7
FH slice to the middle · rally+4.6±3.0+5.4−0.7
FH slice to the middle · return+4.3±2.4+2.8+1.5
FH slice to their backhand · return +1+3.8±4.3+3.8−0.1

Avoid

ShotEdgeOwnTheirs
BH to their forehand · serve +1−2.1±4.7+4.0−6.1
BH to their backhand · return +1−1.5±3.5+1.2−2.7
BH to their backhand · serve +1−0.9±2.9+1.7−2.6
FH to their backhand · rally+0.4±2.6+1.1−0.6
FH to their forehand · rally+1.0±2.7+0.8+0.2

Andy Murray

Favour

ShotEdgeOwnTheirs
BH volley to their backhand · rally+7.8±6.5+0.9+7.0
FH to their backhand · return+7.2±3.8+2.4+4.8
BH to their forehand · serve +1+7.2±4.8+4.3+2.9
BH to their forehand · return+7.1±4.6+4.1+3.0
BH to their forehand · return +1+6.0±5.1+2.3+3.7
FH to their backhand · return +1+5.3±4.1+0.7+4.5

Avoid

ShotEdgeOwnTheirs
BH volley to their forehand · rally−4.7±6.6−0.3−4.4
FH to their forehand · serve +1−1.4±3.2−1.4+0.1
FH volley to their backhand · rally−1.2±6.6−1.5+0.3
BH to their backhand · rally−0.3±1.8+1.7−2.0
FH volley to their forehand · rally−0.2±6.3−2.8+2.6

Against Andy Murray-like opponents

Fabrice Santoro vMatchesServe pts wonReturn pts won
All charted opponents–54.6%36.7%
Players most similar to Andy Murray1 43.4%26.6%

Similar by tactical fingerprint: Learner Tien, Daniil Medvedev, Novak Djokovic, Karen Khachanov, Laslo Djere, Nishesh Basavareddy, Richard Gasquet, Andreas Seppi, Marcos Baghdatis, David Nalbandian. When two players have rarely met, their records against these lookalikes fill the gap.