Game plan
Mats Wilander v Jiri Novak
Every number combines what Mats Wilander does well with what Jiri Novak allows, each measured against the tour average and shrunk toward it when the sample is thin. Flip perspective
Forecast
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 At least one of them is no longer active or has too little charted in the last three seasons, so both are compared on their careers.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 Mats Wilander's record against Jiri Novak's tactical lookalikes and in their charted head-to-heads. 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
| Career | Mats | Jiri |
|---|---|---|
| Direction choice | −0.43 ±0.17 better than 1% | −0.07 ±0.09 better than 40% |
| Shot selection | −0.44 ±0.23 better than 14% | −0.11 ±0.18 better than 39% |
| Execution | +1.61 ±0.32 better than 99% | −0.16 ±0.53 better than 59% |
| Points left on the table | 3.26 ±0.31 lower than 11% | 2.47 ±0.19 lower than 65% |
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.
Mats Wilander serving
Deuce court
| 1st serve | Now | Mats wins | v Jiri | Matchup | Optimal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide | 46% | 61% | 74% | 62.1%±6.8 | 33% ▼ |
| Body | 16% | 60% | 67% | 64.2%±11.2 | 16% |
| T | 38% | 68% | 77% | 70.1%±7.8 | 51% ▲ |
Optimal v Jiri Novak: ±0.0±0.8 per 100 first serves (faults included) over the current mix, inside the 90% margin. Serving T every time would read +4.7 per 100 first serves in before the returner adjusts.
Ad court
| 1st serve | Now | Mats wins | v Jiri | Matchup | Optimal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide | 48% | 64% | 74% | 65.0%±6.8 | 48% |
| Body | 14% | 57% | 64% | 58.8%±13.4 | 1% ▼ |
| T | 38% | 64% | 68% | 59.3%±8.3 | 51% ▲ |
Optimal v Jiri Novak: +0.4±1.0 per 100 first serves (faults included) over the current mix, inside the 90% margin. Serving wide every time would read +3.1 per 100 first serves in before the returner adjusts.
Jiri Novak serving
Deuce court
| 1st serve | Now | Jiri wins | v Mats | Matchup | Optimal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide | 57% | 66% | 72% | 64.6%±6.4 | 70% ▲ |
| Body | 8% | 62% | 58% | 56.3%±12.2 | 6% ▼ |
| T | 36% | 65% | 69% | 59.1%±8.0 | 24% ▼ |
Optimal v Mats Wilander: +0.5±0.8 per 100 first serves (faults included) over the current mix, inside the 90% margin. Serving wide every time would read +2.6 per 100 first serves in before the returner adjusts.
Ad court
| 1st serve | Now | Jiri wins | v Mats | Matchup | Optimal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide | 45% | 71% | 69% | 67.2%±7.3 | 32% ▼ |
| Body | 14% | 59% | 57% | 53.3%±12.1 | 14% |
| T | 41% | 63% | 72% | 63.8%±7.7 | 54% ▲ |
Optimal v Mats Wilander: +0.4±0.8 per 100 first serves (faults included) over the current mix, inside the 90% margin. Serving wide every time would read +3.3 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.
Mats Wilander returning
1st serve to the forehand
| Return | Now | Tour | Own | v Jiri | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FH through the middle | 45% | +4.3 | +1.5 | −1.3 | +4.5±2.5 |
| FH down the line | 22% | +1.7 | +2.2 | +1.6 | +5.4±4.3 |
| FH crosscourt | 14% | +5.5 | −0.9 | +1.4 | +6.0±4.4 |
| FH slice through the middle | 12% | −4.2 | +1.7 | +3.0 | +0.5±2.3 |
| FH slice down the line | 4% | −4.3 | +1.5 | +0.1 | −2.6±2.9 |
Lean FH crosscourt: +1.9±4.0 per 100 returns v the current mix (605 returns charted, inside the 90% margin)
1st serve to the backhand
| Return | Now | Tour | Own | v Jiri | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BH through the middle | 38% | +6.4 | +0.8 | −2.2 | +5.0±2.5 |
| BH crosscourt | 17% | +8.8 | +1.5 | +1.3 | +11.6±3.5 |
| BH slice through the middle | 16% | −4.2 | +0.8 | +1.3 | −2.2±2.4 |
| BH down the line | 15% | +4.2 | +5.3 | −0.4 | +9.2±4.3 |
| BH slice crosscourt | 8% | +0.5 | +2.4 | +2.8 | +5.7±3.1 |
Lean BH crosscourt: +6.2±3.1 per 100 returns v the current mix (673 returns charted)
2nd serve to the forehand
| Return | Now | Tour | Own | v Jiri | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FH through the middle | 47% | −3.5 | +3.3 | +1.1 | +0.9±2.8 |
| FH crosscourt | 27% | −0.2 | +1.0 | −1.1 | −0.3±4.3 |
| FH down the line | 17% | −1.8 | +5.2 | −0.9 | +2.4±4.7 |
| BH through the middle | 6% | +0.1 | +1.2 | −0.8 | +0.4±2.0 |
| BH inside-in | 4% | +2.5 | +0.6 | +0.2 | +3.3±3.2 |
Lean FH down the line: +1.5±4.3 per 100 returns v the current mix (272 returns charted, inside the 90% margin)
2nd serve to the backhand
| Return | Now | Tour | Own | v Jiri | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BH through the middle | 41% | −2.9 | +1.7 | −0.8 | −2.0±2.3 |
| BH crosscourt | 36% | +1.0 | +2.8 | +0.2 | +4.0±3.0 |
| BH down the line | 17% | −0.2 | +2.5 | −3.6 | −1.4±4.6 |
| FH through the middle | 3% | −2.9 | +0.9 | +1.1 | −0.9±2.3 |
| FH inside-in | 2% | +0.6 | +0.8 | −1.1 | +0.3±3.7 |
Lean BH crosscourt: +3.7±2.3 per 100 returns v the current mix (598 returns charted)
Jiri Novak returning
1st serve to the forehand
| Return | Now | Tour | Own | v Mats | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FH through the middle | 51% | +4.3 | +0.4 | +2.2 | +6.9±2.4 |
| FH down the line | 35% | +1.7 | +2.0 | +4.8 | +8.4±4.0 |
| FH crosscourt | 14% | +5.5 | +1.4 | +4.3 | +11.3±4.0 |
Lean FH crosscourt: +3.3±3.9 per 100 returns v the current mix (228 returns charted, inside the 90% margin)
1st serve to the backhand
| Return | Now | Tour | Own | v Mats | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BH through the middle | 31% | +6.4 | +0.5 | −0.9 | +6.0±2.5 |
| BH crosscourt | 19% | +8.8 | +0.9 | +2.3 | +12.0±3.3 |
| BH slice through the middle | 19% | −4.2 | +0.4 | +2.3 | −1.5±2.1 |
| BH slice crosscourt | 15% | +0.5 | −0.3 | +2.8 | +3.0±2.8 |
| BH down the line | 9% | +4.2 | +0.2 | +1.3 | +5.7±4.3 |
Lean BH crosscourt: +7.4±2.9 per 100 returns v the current mix (216 returns charted)
2nd serve to the forehand
| Return | Now | Tour | Own | v Mats | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FH through the middle | 48% | −3.5 | +1.0 | +0.5 | −1.9±2.7 |
| FH down the line | 34% | −1.8 | −0.6 | +3.8 | +1.4±4.3 |
| FH crosscourt | 17% | −0.2 | +1.0 | +5.8 | +6.6±3.8 |
Lean FH crosscourt: +5.9±3.7 per 100 returns v the current mix (87 returns charted)
2nd serve to the backhand
| Return | Now | Tour | Own | v Mats | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BH crosscourt | 41% | +1.0 | −0.1 | +1.9 | +2.9±3.3 |
| BH through the middle | 38% | −2.9 | +0.2 | +1.9 | −0.8±2.5 |
| BH down the line | 15% | −0.2 | −0.3 | +0.7 | +0.1±4.9 |
| BH slice crosscourt | 3% | −4.0 | −0.6 | +2.7 | −1.9±2.0 |
| BH slice through the middle | 3% | −11.3 | +0.3 | +4.4 | −6.5±1.9 |
Lean BH crosscourt: +2.2±2.3 per 100 returns v the current mix (165 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.
Mats Wilander
Favour
| Shot | Edge | Own | Theirs |
|---|---|---|---|
| BH slice to their backhand · return | +5.9±2.9 | +3.2 | +2.7 |
| FH slice to the middle · return | +5.3±2.4 | +2.4 | +2.9 |
| BH slice to their backhand · rally | +5.3±1.8 | +2.6 | +2.7 |
| FH to their backhand · return | +5.2±3.6 | +4.5 | +0.7 |
| BH slice to the middle · rally | +5.0±1.9 | +3.5 | +1.5 |
| FH to the middle · return +1 | +3.8±2.6 | +1.3 | +2.4 |
Avoid
| Shot | Edge | Own | Theirs |
|---|---|---|---|
| BH to the middle · return | −1.7±2.0 | +0.2 | −1.9 |
| BH to their backhand · serve +1 | −0.6±2.9 | +0.3 | −0.8 |
| FH to their forehand · serve +1 | −0.4±3.6 | ±0.0 | −0.4 |
| BH to the middle · rally | ±0.0±1.6 | +0.5 | −0.5 |
| FH to their backhand · return +1 | ±0.0±3.7 | +2.3 | −2.4 |
Jiri Novak
Favour
| Shot | Edge | Own | Theirs |
|---|---|---|---|
| FH to their forehand · return | +7.5±4.0 | +2.0 | +5.6 |
| FH to their backhand · return | +5.8±3.3 | +1.0 | +4.8 |
| BH to their backhand · return | +5.2±2.9 | +0.6 | +4.6 |
| FH to the middle · return | +3.1±2.0 | +0.4 | +2.7 |
| FH to their backhand · serve +1 | +2.8±3.0 | +1.3 | +1.5 |
| BH to the middle · return | +2.3±2.1 | +0.4 | +1.9 |
Avoid
| Shot | Edge | Own | Theirs |
|---|---|---|---|
| FH to their forehand · serve +1 | −3.6±3.5 | −1.5 | −2.1 |
| BH to the middle · rally | −1.2±1.5 | −2.7 | +1.5 |
| BH to their backhand · serve +1 | −0.7±2.9 | −1.4 | +0.7 |
| FH to their backhand · return +1 | −0.6±3.7 | −0.6 | ±0.0 |
| BH to their forehand · serve +1 | −0.6±4.7 | −0.3 | −0.3 |
Against Jiri Novak-like opponents
| Mats Wilander v | Matches | Serve pts won | Return pts won |
|---|---|---|---|
| All charted opponents | – | 60.1% | 39.9% |
Similar by tactical fingerprint: Valentin Vacherot, Karen Khachanov, Richard Gasquet, Karue Sell, Andy Murray, Jarkko Nieminen, Thomas Johansson, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Magnus Norman, Brad Gilbert. When two players have rarely met, their records against these lookalikes fill the gap.