7 Comments
Nov 29, 2021Liked by Matthew Willis

This is just great. I'll really look forward to your analyses of other players in weeks ahead!

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Nov 30, 2021Liked by Matthew Willis

Really enjoyed the analysis Matt (and the Scorecard concept overall).

Do you have an image of Djokovic/Schwartzmann/other strong returners’ return depth per wing to compare to Tsitsipas’ in the article? I’m very interested in seeing how elite returners perform per wing

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Seeing the data on stuff like this is phenomenal, thanks. I've long felt there is a "crab walk" trend in modern tennis, where running with one leg crossing in front of the other is a second choice to "sliding" sideways for an open-stance groundstroke. IMO it works fine as long as you only need to cover 4' or 5' inside both sidelines, but for more than that (e.g., defensive backhands) it's less efficient. I also wonder about the more modern slice backhand, with its follow through be less straight out behind the ball's travel (à la Rosewall) and more down and sideways with the elbow pulling out. It certainly works (see: Federer) but might it set a less effective foundation for chipped returns?

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