RallyIQ

ATP · Right-handed · 3 charted matches · 1980–1986

Johan Kriek

Serve under pressure

Deuce court

1st serveUsageBreak ptWon when in
Wide 40% 63% ▲ 71% / 73%
Body 19% 0% ▼ 64% / 63%
T 41% 38% 61% / 75%

117 normal · 8 break-point 1st serves

Ad court

1st serveUsageBreak ptWon when in
Wide 51% 85% ▲ 64% / 73%
Body 10% 4% 56% / 63%
T 39% 12% ▼ 74% / 72%

94 normal · 26 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
Wide42% 56.3%±9.0 n=52
Body18% 53.0%±11.4 n=22
T41% 44.8%±9.1 n=51

Consistent with an optimal mix (p = 0.15).

Ad court

1st serveUsagePoints won
Wide58% 49.2%±8.2 n=70
Body8% 42.8%±12.9 n=10
T33% 50.3%±9.8 n=40

Consistent with an optimal mix (p = 0.30).

Repeating the previous direction to the same court: −13.0±3.8 points per 100 against switching. Negative means returners read repeats. Tour-wide, repeating costs women about 0.4 points per 100 and costs men nothing, so men's returners don't measurably anticipate direction. (104 repeats, 135 switches.)

Return by serve direction

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

ServeCourtDirectionPointsWonvs tour
1stAd courtBody 3 34% −3.4±13.5
1stAd courtT 23 25% −2.7±9.8
1stAd courtWide 27 32% +4.6±10.2
1stDeuce courtBody 11 34% −2.5±12.2
1stDeuce courtT 23 22% −3.3±9.3
1stDeuce courtWide 24 26% −1.0±9.8
2ndAd courtBody 11 48% −1.1±12.8
2ndAd courtT 1 48% −1.6±14.8
2ndAd courtWide 33 50% +1.6±10.4
2ndDeuce courtBody 25 54% +5.0±11.1
2ndDeuce courtT 16 50% +0.1±12.1
2ndDeuce courtWide 9 45% −3.4±13.1

Charted matches