Jim's blog

Good bye and thank you

I've ceased posting here and will eventually take this blog down.

Meanwhile, thank you everyone that visited and to those that commented. 

I post photos on Flickr, and various items on Twitter and G+. 

Best wishes to everyone. / jim

Is Djokovic Getting Better in 2016?

ATP's stat guru Craig O'Shannessy thinks so. Look at the steady climb in return stats But .... remember back when I compared late-2015 to Nole's previous best year, 2011, his return stats were actually down. In 2011 Nole won 39% of return games, but only 34% in 2015. Instead, the big improvement Djokovic made in 2015 was in holding serve. So, like many curves, depends on when you start <g> 

 

​Francis Tiafoe Gives Groth the "Fake and Bake on Break" and it actually works!​

Teen turns his back and walks away on break point -- then pounces for the pass. 

 

Is Insulated World of Women's Coaches Holding Back WTA?

Or, why is best, forehand technique called the "ATP Forehand" because few on WTA use it?

Djokovic and Murray's Forehands Analyzed

ESPN showed a fascinating comparison of Novak Djokovic's and Andy Murray's forehands during their Australian Open final. I've overlaid two screencaps from analysis by Patrick McEnroe. 

Are ATP Pros Hitting with More Spin?

I don't know, given the paucity of data on trends. But there are some indications that ATP pros are hitting with more spin than ever.

 

Here's at the top of this image what the NYTs published back in 2012, based on data from www.tennisplayer.net. You see Fed's forehand at an average of 2,700 RPMs and Rafa's at 3,200. Flash forward. 

What New Hawkeye Data-Images Reveal About Novak, Fed Serves

This graphic is hot. Neither I nor, more importantly, Jim Courier have seen anything quite like it. This combines HawkEye's "Service toss cluster", which shows where the ball is when players hit in while serving, with a ray-trace for the subsequent ball path. As Courier notes, you can see a "tell" for Djokovic that he'd never realized. 

 

Tennis Shorts -- Back to the Future with this Sunday's finals

Tennis Fanz,

 

This Sunday features a pair of intriguing finals that are fitting for the 30th anniversary of Back to the Future. 

 

Fed and Rafa meet for the first time in nearly 2 years, this in the finals of Basel, while Maria Sharapova, who hadn't played a complete match since Wimbledon won her side of the WTA Singapore round robin, before her flux capacitors discharged in the semis. Two upsets give us Petra Kvitova vs Aga Radwanska for the title. So, Kvitova and Aga both lost 2 of 3 in their round robins, while Sharapova and Garbina Muguruza went 3.0, but Kvitova faces Aga could win it all. Peculiar year for both. Kvitova under-achieved while overcoming mono. Meanwhile, Aga had a terrible start, fired celebrity coach Martina Navratilova and is in the final. Muguruza was, by far, playing the best tennis of the event but after playing every day between doubles and singles, ran out of gas. She's still in the dubs finals with Navarro vs Hingis-Mirza.

 

 

Tennis Shorts -- Special Federer SABR-Rattling Edition

Tennis Fanz,

 

Here's a special issue dedicated to Roger Federer's hot new shot, the SABR. As you know by now, that stands for Sneak Attack by Roger. I have stats you won't find anywhere else, video of every single, SABR he hit in Cinci and the US Open, and select image captures. 

Tennis Shorts -- Asia swing update

Tennis Fanz, -- Oct 15, 2015

 

Ok so my prior transmission should have been called "Tennis Longs". But I had promised the Young Guns summary eons, back so I had tons of research to share. Hope you got something out of them. Back to the usual format this time.

 

The Shanghai Masters (not to be confused with the year-end WTA Finals, also in Shanghai), enters the quarters. Djoko is on cruise control. Good wins for Anderson over Nishikori, Tomic over Gasquet, and Nadal with a modest measure of redemption over Fognini.