Tennis News

When the WTA and SAP announced a multi-year sponsorship in 2013, most of us in tennis wondered what the technology company’s ultimate deliverable would look like. Flash forward three years and SAP’s vision on how its data solutions could elevate the women’s game has become clear: start with the on-court product.

After a full year of data collection from matches and opening up the development process to players and coaches, SAP launched its on-court coaching tablet last August. The tablet, which had to be retrofitted to work in tennis’ grueling sun and heat conditions, allows coaches to track real-time match data from the coach’s box and, if needed, use the tablet as a visual aid during on-court coaching timeouts.

“When SAP looked to partner with the WTA this was one of the main reasons why women’s sport was something that we were interested in,” said Jenni Lewis, head of tennis technology at SAP. “Because we saw we could work together in impacting the sport in a positive way with technology. Playing by the rules, but still being able to say there was a gap there we could fill. The On Court Coaching rule has been there for a long time. Now we have the ability to bring in some facts to that conversation.”

But there’s only so much information a coach and player can process during a match. Using feedback from coaches with respect to the data points they are most interested in during matches, SAP worked to curate the tablet experience to make sure they had what they needed at their fingertips.

Away from the matches, coaches and players now have access to a robust Tournament Performance Center, an online portal that provides access to even more data and information which can be configured by each user. While the coaching tablet has been heavily refined so as to not overwhelm the coaches with information while they are trying to manage the match, the TPC unlocks a wealth of information for coaches to use in analysis, scouting, and preparation. The courtside solution is only accessible via a WTA authorized tablet. The TPC can be used on a website, tablet, or mobile device.

“I think it’s a game changer,” said Nicole Pratt, who currently coaches Daria Gavrilova, “The data that’s now available to the coaches and what the coaches are giving back to the players.”

The hope is that access to information will give coaches the tools to become better coaches and result in better players and a better on-court product. As Pratt told WTA Insider last year, the hard data helps solidify the player/coach relationship and cuts through the debate as to what did or did not happen in a match so both can focus on reinforcing solutions or diagnosing the problems.

“Sometimes you see the player and the coach arguing on court,” Pratt said. “With this data you cannot have that argument on court because it’s real. It’s right in front of them.”

The result is an uptick in efficiency, driven by the needs of the coaches.

“The platform gives us the flexibility, but the people give us the ideas,” Lewis said. “So we’ve been very lucky to have that access and also the buy-in from the coaches and the players about telling us. We took some time because we wanted to make sure the adoption happened.”

The current databases are built off automated data from the umpire’s electronic scoring devices, meaning there is a guaranteed minimum threshold of data points for every match on tour, as well as Hawkeye data where available. In the future, Lewis hopes to be able to incorporate racquet technology and data generated from wearables into the full dataset. In the meantime, the next step is to provide more analytical tools for broadcast and media to be able to use the data to enhance their storytelling abilities.

#SAPCoachesView: See insights on how @Vika7 Azarenka got the upper hand against Kuznetsova in the @MiamiOpen final! pic.twitter.com/pYeqUgG5Hc

— WTA (@WTA) April 2, 2016

Speaking to reporters at the Miami Open, WTA President Micky Lawler highlighted the potential health benefits of SAP’s work as well. The more data the tour has on the physical effects of game on the players’ bodies could impact everything from the tour’s Sports Science and Medicine team to how best to reconfigure the circuit structure to protect the athletes.

BOGOTA, Colombia – Alexandra Panova was taken to the limit twice by a determined opponent but the Russian continued her run at the Claro Open Colsanitas, overcoming Conny Perrin 7-6(7), 7-6(7) for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Panova was the author of one the first round’s most dramatic upsets, emerging victorious in a rain-delayed three set comeback against the No.1 seed Elina Svitolina.

In the second round against Swiss qualifier Perrin, Panova was taken to two very tight sets. She built up a 5-2 lead in both sets before the Swiss came back twice to force a tiebreak in each one. Perrin held set points in both sets, but each time Panova was able to find a way shut her out.

“My opponent played really well, she has a really heavy forehand,” Panova said about 20-year-old Perrin. “I got really unlucky when I was trying to close it out with 5-2, but she was playing really well, nothing I could do. Just fight.”

Bogota’s high altitude and sharp change in climate – today being the first hot and sunny day after a week of cold and rainy weather – was almost too much for the Russian, who had to receive treatment during the second set due to dizziness.

“I felt fatigue, I felt like fainting. I couldn’t look up,” Panova said afterwards. “It was cold yesterday, today it’s hot. It’s still a high altitude and even if I’m in great shape and very fit, it’s very difficult.”

Also into the quarterfinals are Amra Sadikovic – who’s enjoying a successful return to competition in her first WTA tournament since her 2014 retirement – along with Sílvia Soler-Espinosa and Sachia Vickery.

STUTTGART, Germany – Fast-rising Timea Babos edged through a tense opening set and survived a late surge from Sabine Lisicki to defeat the German, 7-6(4), 6-3.

Watch live action from Stuttgart this week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

“I was really happy to play a night match on Center Court, especially after the opening ceremony,” Babos told press after the match. “I took it as a good chance; I knew I had to play solid against Sabine. She’s had many good results and is in front of her home crowd, so I tried to stay focused and solid.

Serving first throughout the match, Babos applied plenty of pressure to the Lisicki return from the start, earning the first break to take a 5-3 lead in the opening set. Despite failing to serve it out in the tenth game, Babos held firm to take the first set in a tie-break.

“I’m here with my fitness coach now, and he said I didn’t move so well!” Babos joked when asked about what she could have improved. “It’s my first match on clay since the French Open, so I have to adapt. It helps that it’s still indoors; it helps my serve. With the movement, it needs some adjustment. I grew up on clay, and I like clay, so there is no problem, but I need more time to get used to the movement.”

Lisicki dug an even deeper hole in the second set, but nearly pulled off a Houdini act for the ages; recovering from 1-5 down, she saved two match points before the Hungarian powerhouse sealed the match in just over 90 minutes.

“In the second set, she felt the match was going away from her and she started to punch the ball as hard as she could and started to serve even better, which is a huge weapon of hers.

“I’m happy that I was able to close it out at 5-3, because even at 5-1, I was doing only first serves and even some big serves and she ripped some winners.”

The tournament has had to deal with quite a few late arrivals thanks to a busy Fed Cup weekend, but Babos had her own reason for not getting to Stuttgart as early as she might have liked.

“I arrived last night; obviously I knew I was going to play today but I also had my five-year high school reunion on Saturday, so I wanted to attend that!”

Babos had a bright start on clay last year – reaching a final in Marrackech –  only to lose her next seven  matches on clay courts, despite taking out Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza to win the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in doubles with Kristina Mladenovic in between. This season, she is in the midst of playing her most consistent singles of her career, reaching quarterfinals in Shenzhen, St. Petersburg, and Katowice. Reaching the round of 16 in Miami, she pushed reigning Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber to three sets.

“I had a good start and an awful season! Last year was interesting because I played a lot better than what my results were, and I had to play a lot of qualies in the beginning of the season; I played eight tournaments in a row in qualifying. But everywhere I qualified, I lost early, so I was winning twice as many matches as I was losing but I couldn’t improve my ranking. I had a final on clay but then I didn’t play the way I should have, how I played in Marrackech. Then I got killed at the French Open by Angie [Kerber].

“This year, I was looking forward to it more; I’ve had some good results this year, and I improved my ranking a lot since the end of the season. I was one of the last to get here, and only wanted to play singles here, so I took it as a good opportunity. I tried to have fun and even with all the adjustments, I think it was a good start.”

Up next for the 22-year-old is No.3 seed Garbiñe Muguruza, who beat her in the round of 16 at the Qatar Total Open.

Earlier in the day, World No.22 Johanna Konta fell at her first hurdle on clay courts; playing one of eight German women in the main draw at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, the Australian Open semifinalist fell to Anna-Lena Friedsam, 6-3, 6-3.

“I think that is always to be expected first match on clay,” the Brit said after the match. “I think it’s not easy for anyone. I think she did a better job than I did today dealing with the conditions. So, I’m happy I’m involved in doubles here. So, I’m looking forward to that, just all the matches I can get going into Roland Garros on the clay is an added bonus.

“This was my first match on clay since last year, so for about a year,” she added with a laugh. “So, I just need to go a little easy on myself and also keep looking forward and keep enjoying the challenge of continuously trying to improve.”

ZHUHAI, China – Following their season-long success and resurgent Asian Swing performances, Johanna Konta, Carla Suárez Navarro and Petra Kvitova are set to lead a world-class field at the 2016 Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai.

Joining them at the season-ending event are Elina Svitolina, Roberta Vinci, Timea Bacsinszky, Elena Vesnina, Samantha Stosur, Barbora Strycova, Kiki Bertens, Caroline Garcia and wildcard Zhang Shuai. Timea Babos will be an alternate. Between all qualified competitors, they represent nine WTA singles titles won in 2016.

Here is a more in-depth look at the singles players competing in the 2016 Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai:

“We are looking forward to the second edition of the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai, showcasing some of the top athletes on the WTA,” said WTA CEO Steve Simon. “This event features many of our top stars who have accomplished much success during the 2016 season and now have the opportunity to compete against each other for the Zhuhai title.”

The 2016 WTA Elite Trophy will run from November 1-6, 2016 at the custom-designed and state-of-the-art Zhuhai Hengqin International Tennis Centre. The event features both singles and doubles and will be staged in the southern Chinese coastal city of Zhuhai with a total prize money of over $2.2 million on the line.

The players will compete in four round-robin groups of three, with the winners of each group advancing to the semifinals. The six doubles teams will be split into two round-robin groups, with the winner of each advancing to the final.

The doubles field consists of Zheng Saisai and Xu Yifan, Arantxa Parra Santoja and Andrea Klepac, Olga Savchuk and Anastasia Rodionova, and Tatjana Maria and Oksana Kalashnikova, as well as the two wildcard teams of Wang Yafan and Liang Chen and You Xiaodi and Yang Zhaoxuan.