WTA · Right-handed · 3 charted matches · 1988–1998
Natalia Zvereva
Serve under pressure
Deuce court
| 1st serve | Usage | Break pt | Won when in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wide | 41% | 67% ▲ | 59% / 66% |
| Body | 20% | 17% | 62% / 57% |
| T | 39% | 17% ▼ | 57% / 68% |
82 normal · 6 break-point 1st serves
Ad court
| 1st serve | Usage | Break pt | Won when in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wide | 69% | 79% ▲ | 57% / 66% |
| Body | 8% | 5% | 57% / 56% |
| T | 23% | 16% | 63% / 64% |
62 normal · 19 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. A direction loses 0.19 points per 100 serves for every 10 points of habitual usage, measured from WTA 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 serve | Usage | Points won |
|---|---|---|
| Wide | 43% | 52.7%±10.0 n=38 |
| Body | 19% | 54.6%±11.9 n=17 |
| T | 38% | 46.9%±10.3 n=33 |
Consistent with an optimal mix (p = 0.37).
Ad court
| 1st serve | Usage | Points won |
|---|---|---|
| Wide | 72% | 45.1%±8.7 n=58 |
| Body | 7% | 47.4%±13.7 n=6 |
| T | 21% | 41.0%±11.8 n=17 |
Consistent with an optimal mix (p = 0.77).
Return by serve direction
Return points won against each serve direction, compared with the tour average.
| Serve | Court | Direction | Points | Won | vs tour | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Ad court | Body | 3 | 46% | +2.1±14.3 | |
| 1st | Ad court | T | 12 | 33% | −3.0±11.9 | |
| 1st | Ad court | Wide | 21 | 32% | −2.4±10.7 | |
| 1st | Deuce court | Body | 6 | 44% | +1.2±13.6 | |
| 1st | Deuce court | T | 24 | 33% | +0.5±10.5 | |
| 1st | Deuce court | Wide | 17 | 30% | −3.8±11.0 | |
| 2nd | Ad court | Body | 26 | 58% | +3.0±10.8 | |
| 2nd | Ad court | T | 4 | 52% | −3.5±14.1 | |
| 2nd | Ad court | Wide | 13 | 47% | −6.9±12.5 | |
| 2nd | Deuce court | Body | 21 | 48% | −6.7±11.5 | |
| 2nd | Deuce court | T | 3 | 54% | −2.1±14.3 | |
| 2nd | Deuce court | Wide | 17 | 41% | −13.1±11.8 |