RallyIQ

ATP · Right-handed · 2 charted matches · 2008–2016

Frank Dancevic

Serve under pressure

Deuce court

1st serveUsageBreak ptWon when in
Wide 58% 67% ▲ 75% / 73%
Body 8% 0% 62% / 63%
T 35% 33% 69% / 75%

66 normal · 3 break-point 1st serves

Ad court

1st serveUsageBreak ptWon when in
Wide 70% 50% ▼ 75% / 73%
Body 2% 0% 64% / 63%
T 28% 50% ▲ 65% / 72%

53 normal · 8 break-point 1st serves

Is the serve mix in equilibrium?

Game theory says a well-mixed server wins equally often with every direction they use. If one direction wins more, it's underused and points are being left behind. This is the minimax test Walker and Wooders ran on Wimbledon finals, applied to every charted first serve. Win rates include faults. "Optimal" allows for returners reading a habit. No measurable response (−0.05 ± 0.15 points per 100 serves for every 10 points of habitual usage), measured from ATP servers whose mix drifted between matches. Shifts stay within the range servers' habits actually vary, the only range that response was measured over.

Deuce court

1st serveUsagePoints won
Wide58% 65.5%±9.3 n=40
Body7% 55.8%±13.8 n=5
T35% 53.9%±11.2 n=24

Off equilibrium (p = 0.024): serve wide more. Gap 4.0 points per 100 first serves.

Ad court

1st serveUsagePoints won
Wide67% 59.4%±9.6 n=41
Body2% 58.8%±14.5 n=1
T31% 53.5%±11.7 n=19

Consistent with an optimal mix (p = 0.43).

Return by serve direction

Return points won against each serve direction, compared with the tour average.

ServeCourtDirectionPointsWonvs tour
1stAd courtBody 1 36% −1.2±14.2
1stAd courtT 18 26% −2.2±10.4
1stAd courtWide 21 26% −1.4±10.1
1stDeuce courtBody 1 36% −1.2±14.1
1stDeuce courtT 24 23% −1.9±9.4
1stDeuce courtWide 21 26% −1.4±10.1
2ndAd courtBody 6 55% +5.7±13.6
2ndAd courtT 2 49% ±0.0±14.5
2ndAd courtWide 14 49% +0.5±12.4
2ndDeuce courtBody 7 45% −3.9±13.5
2ndDeuce courtT 11 51% +1.3±12.8
2ndDeuce courtWide 3 50% +1.7±14.3

Charted matches