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  • 2021 US Open: Djokovic’s Stunning Net Statistics
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Friday, 10 September 2021 / Published in US Open

2021 US Open: Djokovic’s Stunning Net Statistics


Novak Djokovic Is A Short Ball Hunter

What are your chances of out-rallying, out-hustling, and out-thinking Novak Djokovic in a baseline rally?

It’s somewhere between slim and none.

You may be able to win some arbitrary points here and there, but nothing to form a game plan around. Nothing that allows you to create a pattern of play that you can consistently rely on to win points against the world No. 1. Think you are going to break down his backhand? That’s not happening. Maybe go toe-to-toe with Novak in a forehand duel? My money is on the Serb.

Novak is going to out-work you from the back of the court. He is going to have you on a string and jerk you from corner to corner like a rag doll. The lactic acid build-up is going to hit you hard. As Andy Roddick said a couple of days ago…

First he takes your legs ……. Then he takes your soul

— andyroddick (@andyroddick) September 7, 2021

So, if the point develops past the serve and return stage of the point, what other options do you have against the “Great Wall Of Novak” to win the point? Staying back and grinding may feel good for 10-20 minutes, but he has already cleared his schedule for 5+ hours and he plans on you leaving the court in a wheelchair.

Hey… here’s an idea! Maybe you go to the net to pressure Novak instead of digging a trench from deep behind the baseline. That idea has actually got some legs!

Novak has played five matches so far at the 2021 US Open. Here’s how his opponents have fared coming forward to finish points.

Novak’s five opponents to the semi-finals have come to the net just 118 times in 19 sets. That’s an average of 6.2 times per set. If you HATE the net, you are still going to average going to the six times a set to mop up some short balls, some shanked balls, and a couple of drop shots. In short, this is a disaster for these five players.

Now let’s have a look at Novak’s net numbers…

Novak has come to the net 151 times in 19 sets. That’s an average of 7.9 times per set.

Firstly, you simply cant’ let Novak swarm the net more than you. Simply. Can’t. Happen. Novak has been to the net 33 times more than his opponents. That’s great news for the Serb and tragic news for his opponents.

Secondly, even though his five opponents have not come in enough, they are still winning 55% of points, which is really, really good! I bet their combined baseline win percentage is somewhere between 40% to 45% won. There is simply no way that his opponents are enjoying a superior win percentage from the back of the court compared to the net.

These numbers look great for Novak. They are simply unacceptable from his opponents. Novak is loving coming to the net, and is winning a spectacular 70% of points when he does move forward to finish the point.

Novak plays Alexander Zverev at the US Open tonight. That’s going to be a very intriguing match. Sasha defeated Novak 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 at the Olympics recently. Here’s how they did in net and baseline points in Tokyo.

Net Points 

  • Sasha = won 72% (26/36)
  • Novak = won 43% (9/21)

Sasha came to the net 36 times against Novak in three sets, which equals 12 per set. That’s a great goal for Novak’s opponents. Remember, so far at the 2021 US Open his opponents are only coming to the net HALF that total. Players that come to the net more do better there as well. Sasha won 72% while Novak won only 43%. The net was a major factor in deciding this match.

Here are their baseline points.

Baseline Points 

  • Sasha = won 49
  • Novak = won 51

Both players were very equal with baseline performance in that match. They were certainly not equal at the net.

Keep your eye on who comes to the net more tonight to finish points. They will probably be shaking hands with a smile on their face at the end of the match.

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THE FIRST 4 SHOTS

The practice court is clearly broken. Here’s the proof.

Points are "front loaded". By far the majority of the action, and the winning, takes place in THE FIRST 4 SHOTS. The practice court is full of long rallies. Matches are dominated by short rallies. There is a massive disconnect occurring.

We spend too much time grinding, banging balls up and down the middle of the court – that have no real benefit to winning tennis matches.

There are 3 specific rally lengths in tennis. Here is their percentage breakdown of total points.

0-4 Shots = 70%
5-8 Shots = 20%
9+ Shots = 10%

The First 4 Shots is specifically the serve, return, Serve +1 groundstroke and Return +1 groundstroke. Those are normally the shots that get practiced the least, but matter the most to winning tennis matches.

Short Ball Hunter

The net is an extremely high percentage place to be!

If you love playing tennis for fun, spend as much time at the baseline as you like. But if you compete – if the score matters – then you must turn your attention to the net to maximize your potential.

The “herd mentality” in tennis thinks it’s too tough to approach the net in today’s game. The conversation starts with improved string technology, more powerful rackets, and finishes with stronger, faster athletes. The herd think approaching is a relic of the past. The herd is WRONG!

AVERAGE WIN %
Baseline = 46%
Net = 66%

Data from ALL Grand Slams provides the facts about approach and volley, and the data is crystal clear – it’s immensely better than staying back at the baseline, grinding for a living.

Num3ers

The baseline is a tough place to create separation. Here's how to do it.

At the 2012 US Open, only 7 men and 14 women had a winning percentage from the baseline. At Wimbledon 2016, Andy Murray won the title only winning 52% of his baseline points - and he is one of the very best at it in the world!

Num3ers deeply explores the data that rules points, especially from the back of the court. Take a "deep dive" into all three rally lengths (0-4, 5-8, 9+), and winner and errors totals from the elite level of our game. The numbers will shock you!

All 4 Grand Slams

Forcing Errors = 41% Men / 37% Women
Winners = 32% Men / 29% Women
Unforced Errors = 27% Men / 34% Women

Num3ers is very much like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. It's about bringing together different data sets together to create the big picture.

Dou8les Num3ers

Doubles Numbers

Every recorded match from the 2015 Australian Open - Rd2 to the final.

There is a lot happening on a doubles court. Situations and strategies are constantly being adjusted to create mis-matches with court position. It's hard to keep track of - until now. Dou8les Num3ers is the most comprehensive analysis of doubles data in our sport. The focus is on how a point ends, and it's broken down eight ways to Sunday. Specifically, you find critical information on:

Winners rise to the #1 way a point ends (over forced & unforced errors)

- The last shot of the rally is overwhelmingly struck at the net.
- Center Window: the most important part of a doubles court to control.
- Stephen Huss: an in-depth interview on Wimbledon's Centre Court with the 2005 Wimbledon Doubles Champion.

Dou8les Num3ers leaves no stone unturned. Percentage breakdowns of how often the server or receiver hits the last shot highlight the dramatic influence of the serve. The last shot of the rally is significant, and is broken down into the following categories: volleys, overheads, passing shots, lobs and groundstrokes.

between the points

When you play a match, you actually play two matches.

When you walk out onto a tennis court, there are two matches that you are about to play. The first is during the point - a part of the match that you have spent a lot of time preparing for on the practice court. But there is a second match, that takes place in the 20 seconds between the points. This is where the mental and emotional aspects of our sport kick in.

Let's face it, there will be adversity in almost every tennis match that you play. The storm clouds are coming. How bug they are, and how long they last for, are up to you.

Between the points is very tennis specific. It provides a roadmap for the 20 seconds between the points, teaching how to handle the adversity that will surely come, and how to build on the successes that will also be present. Your mind is your biggest asset in a match, and Between the Points takes your hand off the self destruct button and stops you beating yourself.

25 golden rules of singles strategy

You don't have to be good at everything, but you have got to be good at something.

You can break tennis down into four key elements - serving, returning, rallying and approaching. Each part has specific patterns of play that consistently deliver higher winning percentages than the others. No more guessing. No more opinions. All facets of our sport are covered in this exceptional product, clearly outlining what patterns to gravitate to, and how to best construct the practice court. Data comes primarily from the 2015 Australian Open.

Building Blocks

MEN = 70% errors / 30% winners
WOMEN = 74% errors / 26% winners

Forcing errors is the best way to construct a point.
You can simply break tennis down into primary and secondary patterns of play - and they are all covered here. Primary patterns include serve and return direction, forehands v backhands, and the best way to approach the net. Secondary patterns include drop shots, serve & volley and 1st volley options. If you play tournaments, this product will greatly help you simplify the singles court.

25 golden rules of doubles

The conversation starts & ends with the Center Window.

The doubles court is like an hourglass. There are two big ends, but a small neck in the middle where all the action happens. Once you learn the power of the Center Window, where you stand to start the point will take on a lot more significance.

Doubles is a lot more about situations, with four people on the court all "dancing" with one another. Learn all the best doubles patterns, broken down for the server, returner, server's partner and the returner's partner.

Doubles Situations

The "J" - the most ideal movement for the returner's partner to attack the net.

The "V" - a better way of understanding where the server's partner should move to.

Volley Targets - there are four main areas to attack. Know which ones are higher percentage. Beach Volleyball - the idea of a "setter" and "spiker" is ideal for the doubles court.

There are certain parts of the court that the ball travels to a lot, and other low percentage areas that you really don't want to cover at all - like the alley! In general, the serving team wants to keep the ball in the middle of the court as much as possible (to help the server's partner), while the returning team benefits from hitting wider and creating more chaos in the point.

Dirtballer

Dirtballer clay court tennis course

Getting Tight

Getting Tight tennis strategy course

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