RallyIQ

WTA · Right-handed · 2 charted matches · 1998–1998

Nathalie Tauziat

Serve under pressure

Deuce court

1st serveUsageBreak ptWon when in
Wide 38% 67% ▲ 70% / 66%
Body 5% 0% 58% / 57%
T 56% 33% ▼ 62% / 68%

78 normal · 3 break-point 1st serves

Ad court

1st serveUsageBreak ptWon when in
Wide 72% 47% ▼ 65% / 66%
Body 3% 7% 53% / 56%
T 24% 47% ▲ 67% / 64%

58 normal · 15 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 serveUsagePoints won
Wide40% 59.3%±10.3 n=32
Body5% 61.0%±13.8 n=4
T56% 58.5%±9.4 n=45

Consistent with an optimal mix (p = 0.99).

Ad court

1st serveUsagePoints won
Wide67% 54.2%±9.2 n=49
Body4% 49.0%±14.3 n=3
T29% 55.1%±11.5 n=21

Consistent with an optimal mix (p = 0.75).

Return by serve direction

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

ServeCourtDirectionPointsWonvs tour
1stAd courtBody 4 42% −2.2±13.9
1stAd courtT 18 39% +3.3±11.6
1stAd courtWide 20 35% +0.2±11.1
1stDeuce courtBody 9 40% −2.1±12.9
1stDeuce courtT 9 32% +0.3±12.3
1stDeuce courtWide 19 25% −9.1±10.2
2ndAd courtBody 4 57% +2.3±14.0
2ndAd courtT 8 51% −3.7±13.3
2ndAd courtWide 6 56% +2.2±13.6
2ndDeuce courtBody 11 57% +2.5±12.7
2ndDeuce courtT 5 51% −5.1±13.9
2ndDeuce courtWide 13 49% −4.6±12.5

Charted matches