Every week, Tennis Analytics dives deep into the data, bringing you a stat of the week to help you understand tennis better and become a little smarter.
February is Aussie Open month. Now that the AO has started, we will take the data from the matches and feature some key insights from the tournament next week.
Stat of the Week: 78%
Last week we looked at forehand winners – where they are hit from and to.
We also learned that more than double the amount of winners are hit from the forehand side compared to the backhand.
Obviously, however, you cannot avoid hitting backhands altogether. So, where are most backhand winners hit from and to what target area?
In a study at the 2018 Australian Open, Tennis Analytics’ partner Craig O’Shannessy, found that from 19 best-of-5 matches, there were a total of 178 backhand winners.
78% of all backhand winners were hit from position D and the rest from position C. Probably not that surprising since it is very rare that a player runs around a forehand!
It is the down the line backhand that yields the most winners. Even though you’re hitting over the highest part of the net and have less court to miss, you are taking away time from the opponent.
Point of the Week
While the winners and errors are important metrics, we must remember that these are only hit in the context of preceding shots or patterns of play. That backhand winner may only have been possible due to the 3 great shots you played earlier to create the opportunity.
Tagged matches allow you to search and filter specific match events (like all backhand winners from D) and view entire points as a “highlight” reel. This enables you to identify tendencies, both good and bad.
Get your match tagged here with coupon code statoftheweek for 15% off.
Photo of the Week
Stan Wawrinka’s one-handed backhand.
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