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This Swiss Can Be Perfect, Too

  • Posted: Dec 09, 2019

This Swiss Can Be Perfect, Too

Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers shows how Stan Wawrinka delivered perfection in 2019

Imagine hitting your first serve out wide in the Deuce court and winning a perfect 22 of 22 points. Impressive.

Now take it up a level and do it in the pressure-cooker situation of 15/40 on the big stage at ATP Masters 1000 events. That’s something special, and that’s exactly what Stan Wawrinka achieved this season.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of the year-end Top 20 of the ATP Rankings identified that Stan Wawrinka, Grigor Dimitrov, Fabio Fognini and Daniil Medvedev were all able to save 100 per cent of their break points at 15/40 to a specific first serve target in the Deuce court service box. The data set is comprised of Masters 1000 events in 2019 and the Nitto ATP Finals.

The leading five players out of the year-end Top 20 to save break point at 15/40:
Grigor Dimitrov = 96% (24/25)
Stan Wawrinka = 88% (44/50)
Fabio Fognini = 84.6% (33/39)
Denis Shapovalov = 83.3% (45/54)
Stefanos Tsitsipas = 80.5% (66/82)

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Winning 100 Per Cent To A Specific Location
Wawrinka’s effort to win 22/22 out wide in the Deuce court was jaw-dropping, but he wasn’t the only one to be perfect at a particular serve spot. Below is the breakdown of the four players saving break point from 15/40 to the three first serve locations of wide, body and T.

First Serves Wide at 15/40
Stan Wawrinka = 100% (22/22)
Grigor Dimitrov = 93.3% (14/15)
Denis Shapovalov = 88.2% (15/17)

First Serves Body at 15/40 (minimum of four attempts)
Daniil Medvedev = 100% (5/5)
Matteo Berrettini = 83.3% (5/6)
Fabio Fognini = 75% (3/4)

First Serves T at 15/40
T1. Fabio Fognini = 100% (16/16)
T1. Grigor Dimitrov = 100% (10/10)
3. Dominic Thiem = 88.0% (22/25)

Overall, the year-end Top 20 served almost the same amount out wide as down the T (421-419), but the T delivered the highest win percentage.

First Serve Breakdown at 15/40 – Total and Win Percentage

First Serve Direction

Total Serves

Win Percentage

Wide

47.7% (421)

74.6%

Body

4.8% (42)

64.3%

T

47.5% (419)

79.2%

Sometimes it’s about hitting your favourite first-serve location when the pressure meter goes through the roof. Other times it’s about hitting it where you opponent doesn’t expect it.

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Bautista Agut On First Meeting Nadal: 'He Was Already Showing The Champion He Is'

  • Posted: Dec 09, 2019

Bautista Agut On First Meeting Nadal: ‘He Was Already Showing The Champion He Is’

Bautista Agut is the highest-ranked No. 2 player from the ATP Cup’s 24 countries

Roberto Bautista Agut will be playing for Team Spain at the inaugural ATP Cup in January. His country leads Group B, which will be contested in Perth. Spain will compete against Japan, Georgia and Uruguay with the hopes of advancing to Sydney.

Bautista Agut is the highest-ranked No. 2 player for any country, coming in at No. 9 in the ATP Rankings. The 31-year-old joins Rafael Nadal, Pablo Carreno Busta, Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Feliciano Lopez in an effort to bring the title home for Spain.

The nine-time ATP Tour champion spoke to ATPTour.com about what it was like for him growing up in Spain, when he first met Nadal and what he most loves about his country.

What are some of your early memories of tennis growing up in Spain?
I remember when I was at the club, when I was spending almost every day there. My parents were dropping me off at 9am and they were collecting me at 9pm. I was almost there all day at the club, and this was the best thing. I remember I was playing all day with my friends, and that was nice.

Was tennis your main focus throughout your childhood?
I started playing tennis when I was five and I was playing soccer and tennis until I was 14. After that it was just tennis.

Growing up, who were the players from Spain you admired the most?
When I grew up I was watching TV and I was admiring the Spanish players. I was watching Juan Carlos Ferrero, David Ferrer. I was also admiring Carlos Moya, Sergi Bruguera, Rafael Nadal, all the Spanish players I was watching on TV.

What was special about them?
I like tennis and I like also the players that play for their country… it was fun to watch them.

Is there anything in particular about the ATP Cup that you’re excited about?
I’m excited because it’s going to be the first time [having this event] in Australia and Rafa and I are going to play there. I hope we have a good team and can play a good week for Spain.

Since you’re playing with Rafa, do you remember when you first met him?
Yes, we were playing in the Under 18s, a Spanish Championship. He was 16 and I was 14. I already heard very good things about him. I remember he left the tournament going to play Wimbledon juniors. I don’t remember if he won it or he played the final, but he was already showing the champion he is right now.

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What do you think will be the most special part about being on a team?
It’s always fun to play on a team. I spent a week at Laver Cup and team competition brings more emotions in the game. You play for your team and it’s really fun.

Who’s the funniest Spanish player?
Marc Lopez. He’s funny. He’s always open and he never says something serious.

Of all the Spaniards, if you could take one shot from them, what would it be?
I would take the serve of Carlos Moya, the courage and legs and the fighting spirit of David Ferrer. I would take Nadal’s forehand and Ferrero’s backhand.

What are three things you love about your country?
The weather, the kindness of the people and the food.

Is there anything in particular that reminds you of home?
I really miss the food from Spain. I really miss my family and my friends. It’s not easy to travel as many weeks as we do. But I really enjoy when I go back there and I spend a few days at home. It’s very powerful for me.

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Djokovic Aims To Raise $100,000 In Season Of Giving, To Match All Donations

  • Posted: Dec 09, 2019

Djokovic Aims To Raise $100,000 In Season Of Giving, To Match All Donations

Serbian continuing charitable work to support children

One year ago, the Novak Djokovic Foundation raised more than $100,000 during its Season of Giving campaign, allowing it to open two kindergartens in Serbia. And now, the World No. 2’s foundation is beginning another Season of Giving campaign, attempting to reach $100,000 again.

The goal of the campaign is to provide 200 children access to a quality preschool education by opening new kindergartens, and the Djokovic family is poised to match all donations for the second straight year.

“Every child is a unique human being, full of undiscovered potential and talents. The power to shape their future and make the world a better place is in all of us,” Djokovic said in a statement. “By investing in the early development of children, apart from helping to form these young individuals and empowering them to grow into their potential, we are also investing in the future of the entire society”.

In February, the Novak Djokovic Foundation opened its first kindergarten of 2019 in the Macvan Prnjavor village, funding the reconstruction of an old health centre, modernising it and providing tools for more than 150 kids to attend preschool for the first time. Three working rooms and a common area at a preschool in Svilajnac was reconstructed and refurnished to allow for 75 additional children in the area to attend.

“Providing equal opportunities to children from all parts of our country is the mission of the Novak Djokovic Foundation and something we strive toward at all times. We have been cooperating with “Dečja radost” pre-school institution and Svilajnac municipality since 2014, when we had reconstructed and adapted the pre-school institution after floods, and it is our pleasure to return for such a nice occasion,” said Novak Djokovic Foundation Co-Founder and Global CEO Jelena Djokovic at the opening of the Svilajnac kindergarten. “The expansion of the capacities of the existing kindergarten is an encouraging beginning for children who will be able to learn, play and get true support here.”

The Novak Djokovic Foundation is also in the process of opening a kindergarten in Indjija next year. It has opened 44 kindergartens throughout Serbia and impacted more than 22,000 children and 1,500 teachers with its efforts. It received an ATP ACES For Charity grant in 2013 and 2017. and in 2012, Djokovic was named the ATP Tour’s Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year.

Not only is the Novak Djokovic Foundation providing new opportunities for children, but it is also helping experts in the field with their research. In 2016, the Djokovic Science and Innovation Fellowship was launched at the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. Last year, the Djokovic Scholars initiative at the University of Belgrade was created to support new PhD students who are focussing their efforts on early childhood education and development.

Novak Djokovic and Jelena Djokovic also opened the seventh Friendship Games in Kopaonik this September, providing a week’s worth of activities for more than 130 local children who otherwise would not have the opportunity.

“Children always remind us what happiness is and how little it takes to get a genuine smile from them. Playing and spending time with friends are the best childhood memories, and our team is working daily to make sure every child in Serbia has those memories,” Novak Djokovic said at the time. “The smiling faces of these children are the best proof that what we’re doing, we’re doing right, and they are a motivation for us to keep going.”

The Serbian, who finished inside the top two of the year-end ATP Rankings for the eighth time, will begin his 2020 season at the ATP Cup in Brisbane before competing in Adelaide.

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