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.
Stat of the Week: 69.4%
In doubles, is it better to use I-formation or regular formation? Is it different for the deuce court vs the ad court?
We did an analysis of 17 WTA doubles matches from the past few years. The data below is for first serve points only, meaning they made the first serve.
Win Percentage in I-Formation
- Deuce: 77 / 111 = 69.4%
- Ad: 135 / 202 = 66.8%
Win Percentage in Regular Formation
- Deuce: 389 / 601 = 64.7%
- Ad: 260 / 414 = 62.8%
In these matches, I-formation was more effective no matter the side. Interestingly, the least commonly used strategy, I-formation in the deuce court, was the most effective.
Point of the Week
When considering a strategy, you need to balance effectiveness with frequency.
In the data above, if the teams used I-formation in the deuce court more often, we’d expect the win percentage to go down since the return team would get more looks and figure out what to do.
That’s why the surprise tactics often work so well. You’re giving the opponent something they have not seen.
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Photo of the Week
World #6, Elina Svitolina won the Bronze Medal at the Olympics. Here is a look at her forehand.
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