RallyIQ

ATP · Right-handed · 4 charted matches · 2016–2019

Stephane Robert

Shot expected value

The share of points Stephane Robert goes on to win after each option in the positions they face most often, shrunk toward tour average when the sample is small. Showing the 8 most-used options; teal marks the best one with at least 30 shots.

Rally, shots 5–8: drive to your forehand side

position worth 44% to the average player · 69 shots

OptionUsedWin %Tour
FH crosscourt 41% 46.5%±11.8 46.6%
FH down the line 35% 43.1%±12.3 44.7%
FH through the middle 25% 49.5%±13.5 41.5%

Rally, shots 5–8: drive to your backhand side

position worth 46% to the average player · 65 shots

OptionUsedWin %Tour
BH crosscourt 45% 39.8%±11.5 47.6%
BH down the line 28% 53.4%±13.3 46.4%

Rally, shots 5–8: drive to your middle

position worth 51% to the average player · 52 shots

OptionUsedWin %Tour
FH crosscourt 23% 48.6%±14.5 52.7%
BH crosscourt 23% 43.2%±14.4 49.1%
FH down the line 23% 44.7%±14.5 51.5%
BH through the middle 19% 44.5%±14.9 46.8%

Serve under pressure

Deuce court

1st serveUsageBreak ptWon when in
Wide 40% 44% 67% / 73%
Body 8% 0% ▼ 60% / 63%
T 52% 56% 69% / 75%

136 normal · 9 break-point 1st serves

Ad court

1st serveUsageBreak ptWon when in
Wide 36% 32% 75% / 73%
Body 6% 7% 64% / 63%
T 57% 61% 63% / 72%

110 normal · 28 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
Wide40% 51.6%±8.8 n=58
Body8% 46.8%±12.8 n=11
T52% 52.2%±8.0 n=76

Consistent with an optimal mix (p = 0.54).

Ad court

1st serveUsagePoints won
Wide36% 52.6%±9.2 n=49
Body7% 51.0%±13.2 n=9
T58% 52.3%±7.8 n=80

Consistent with an optimal mix (p = 0.91).

Repeating the previous direction to the same court: −2.2±5.3 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. (108 repeats, 167 switches.)

Return by serve direction

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

ServeCourtDirectionPointsWonvs tour
1stAd courtBody 13 37% +0.4±12.1
1stAd courtT 44 29% +0.9±8.7
1stAd courtWide 23 27% −0.5±10.0
1stDeuce courtBody 17 36% −0.5±11.5
1stDeuce courtT 34 23% −2.4±8.6
1stDeuce courtWide 28 28% +0.7±9.7
2ndAd courtBody 24 44% −5.3±11.1
2ndAd courtT 6 49% +0.1±13.7
2ndAd courtWide 9 50% +1.7±13.2
2ndDeuce courtBody 32 50% +0.5±10.4
2ndDeuce courtT 10 47% −2.4±13.0
2ndDeuce courtWide 12 49% +0.5±12.7

Charted matches