Do returners win more points against first or second serves?

Returners have more exposure against first serves, as north of 60 per cent are typically made, but it’s always easier to make hay against second serves. So what’s your guess?

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of the current Top 10 identifies that, on average, players win slightly more second-serve points than first, but it’s a very close tussle. So far in 2019, seven members of the current Top 10 have won more points against second serves, while three have won more against first serves.

It’s important to note that one metric is not necessarily better than the other, as how many first serves an opponent makes, or misses, will also play a part. It’s more about understanding how different players, using different playing styles, find a way to navigate their way to victory from a returning standpoint.

Daniil Medvedev, who is up to a career-high No. 4 in the ATP Rankings following his run to the US Open final in New York, has won more second-serve return points this season than any other member of the Top 10, with 956. In taking the Cincinnati title, Medvedev comparatively won a higher ratio of second-serve return points compared to his season average.

Of the 1,637 return points Medvedev won in 2019 leading into Cincinnati, 52.4 per cent of those came on his opponents’ second serves and 47.6 per cent came on opponents’ first serves.

But in his six Cincinnati matches, 58.7 per cent of all points he won on return came on opponents’ second serves. That’s a significant increase of 6.3 percentage points on his season average.

Medvedev: First-Serve Return Points Won vs. Second-Serve Return Points Won
(bold = percentage second serve return points won)

Roberto Bautista Agut has just cracked the Top 10 for the first time, and he has won the second most number of second-serve return points among the Top 10 this season, with 937. The five other players who have all won more second-serve return points this season compared to first-serve return points are Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Dominic Thiem, Kei Nishikori and Karen Khachanov.

Rafael Nadal is one of three current Top 10 players who has won more points returning first serves compared to second serves this season. The other two players are Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The Top 10 combine to have a slender edge in second-serve return points won so far in 2019.

Current Top 10: 2019 Season Return Points Won
Total 1st Return Won = 7,683 (49.6%)
Total 2nd Return Won = 7,820 (50.4%)
Total Return Points = 15,503

Winning return points is never easy, and where elite level players collect the most from is not always the same.

Current Top 10: 2019 Return Points Won (bold = most)

With less than two months to go until the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at The O2 in London from 10-17 November, ATPTour.com looks at the numbers behind the 2019 ATP Tour season.

SINGLES TITLES LEADERS
Spain’s Rafael Nadal has won the most tour-level titles so far this year, with two Grand Slam championship crowns at Roland Garros (12) and the US Open (4), plus two ATP Masters 1000s at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome (9) and the Coupe Rogers (5) in Montreal. Twenty unseeded players have won titles this season.

Seven players have won two titles this season.

SINGLES FINAL APPEARANCES
Russia’s Daniil Medvedev has contested six hard-court and one clay-court final this year, with wins at the ATP 250-level Sofia Open in February and his first Masters 1000 trophy at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati in August. Italy’s Matteo Berrettini, a winner of two titles in 2019, won the MercedesCup trophy in Stuttgart without being broken all week (50 games). Overall, the player winning the first set of a final in 2019 has become the eventual champion 47 of 52 times (.904).

DOUBLES TITLES LEADERS
Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah have a 5-2 record in tour-level doubles final in 2019, including major championship successes at Wimbledon and the US Open. They also successfully retained the Masters 1000-level Rome crown in May.

YOUNGEST FINALS
The youngest (combined age) ATP Tour final of the year featured 23-year-old Serbian Laslo Djere beating 18-year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 7-5 on 24 February at the Rio Open presented by Claro.

OLDEST FINALS
With a combined age of 71, 37-year-old Spaniard Feliciano Lopez beat 34-year-old Gilles Simon of France 6-2, 6-7(4), 7-6(2) for his second Fever-Tree Championships singles title on 23 June. Later in the day, he also partnered British favourite Andy Murray to the doubles title at The Queen’s Club.

ALL TOP 10 FINALS (9)
There have been nine occasions in 2019 when two Top 10 stars have met in a tour-level final. Incredibly, the Mutua Madrid Open and Roland Garros mark the only two times this year that all four semi-finalists have been ranked inside the Top 10.

FIRST-TIME ATP TITLISTS (14)
Players trying to win their first ATP Tour title are 14-17 this season, which is the most first-time winners in a season since 1999, when there were 16 (13-11 in 2018 finals)

MATCH POINTS SAVED TITLISTS (10)

LONGEST WINNING STREAKS
Nadal built up an ATP Tour-best 17-match winning streak from 15 July in Rome to losing to Roger Federer on 12 July in the Wimbledon semi-finals. The Spaniard’s current 10-match streak began on 7 August in Montreal. Medvedev went 20-3 on North American hard-courts this summer, including a 12-match winning run.

LONGEST BEST OF THREE SETS MATCHES (TIME) – 24 Matches over 3 hours
There have been 16 instances of all tie-break scores in three-or-four-set matches in 2019, with the longest singles tie-break coming in the Australian Open second round when Thomas Fabbiano beat Reilly Opelka 7-6(15) in the first set. The longest doubles Match Tie-break was in the Tata Open Maharashtra quarter-finals when Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan beat Leander Paes and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela 6-7(4), 6-4 17-15.

OVERALL MATCH WINS LEADERS
Medvedev, the 2019 match wins leader, also has the most hard-court wins with a 37-9 record – 15 victories more than second-placed Roger Federer or Gael Monfils (both 23). The Russian is 8-1 on indoor courts, tied with Gael Monfils (8-1) and also Mikhail Kukushkin (8-3).

ATP RANKINGS IMPROVEMENTS (From year-end 2018 to 9 September 2019)
Two #NextGenATP players, Canada’s Auger-Aliassime, who has reached three ATP Tour finals in 2019, and Antalya runner-up Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia, have both made significant jumps into the Top 50 of the ATP Rankings this season. View Latest ATP Rankings

Statistics courtesy of Joshua Rey and Greg Sharko

Following a North American hard-court summer to remember, Daniil Medvedev returns to his home country at a career-high World No. 4 and will attempt to become the first Russian to win the St. Petersburg Open since Mikhail Youzhny 15 years ago. The 23-year-old Medvedev, who came up just short against Rafael Nadal in the US Open final, will be looking to reach a fifth straight final (Washington, Montreal, Cincinnati, US Open). 

Medvedev’s countrymen, Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev, also return to Russia as strong contenders for the ATP 250 title. World No. 9 Khachanov is an ATP Masters 1000 champion, claiming the Rolex Paris Masters title in November. Rublev recorded big upsets in August, posting back-to-back wins over Stan Wawrinka and Roger Federer in Cincinnati and knocking out Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round of the US Open.

In addition to the Russian trio, the St. Petersburg field includes US Open semi-finalist Matteo Berrettini, Borna Coric, Stan Wawrinka and Tomas Berdych.

Here’s all you need to know about the St. Petersburg tennis tournament: what is the schedule, where to watch, who has won and more. 

Established: 1995

Tournament Dates: 16-22 September 2019

Tournament Director: Olesya Gankevich

Draw Ceremony: Sunday, 15 September at 1:00pm on-site

Are You In? Subscribe To Get Tournament Updates In Your Inbox

Schedule (View On Official Website)
* Qualifying: starts Sunday at 11:00am
* Main draw: Monday at 3:00pm, Tuesday – Saturday 1:00pm
* Doubles final: Sunday, 22 September at 2:00pm
* Singles final: Sunday, 22 September at 4:30pm

How To Watch
Watch Live On Tennis TV 
TV Schedule

Venue: Sibur Arena
Main Court Seating: 7,120
Surface: Indoor Hard

Prize Money: US $1,180,000 (Total Financial Commitment: US $1,248,665)  

Tickets On Sale: Buy Now

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown

Honour Roll (Open Era)
Most Titles, Singles: Thomas Johansson, Andy Murray, Marat Safin (2)
Most Titles, Doubles: Nenad Zimonjic (3)

2018 Finals
Singles: [1] Dominic Thiem (AUT) d Martin Klizan (SVK) 63 61   Read & Watch
Doubles: Matteo Berrettini (ITA) / Fabio Fognini (ITA) d [3] Roman Jebavy (CZE) / Matwe Middelkoop (NED) 76(6) 76(4)  Read More

Social
Hashtag: #spbopen
Facebook: @FormulaTX
Twitter: @Formula_TX
Instagram: @formula_tx

Did You Know… Yevgeny Kafelnikov won the inaugural edition of the St. Petersburg Open in 1995. Marat Safin became the first player to win back-to-back titles in 2000-01. 

Converting break points at an unprecedented rate was the beating heart of Daniil Medvedev’s sensational North American hard-court summer swing.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of the 23-year-old Russian, who won 20 of 23 matches in his past four tournaments, identifies that his biggest statistical jump in Washington, Montreal, Cincinnati and New York compared to the rest of his 2019 season was when he got a look at a break point.

Break Points Won
40.2% = Medvedev 2019 Prior To Washington
45.7% = ATP Career Leader (Guillermo Coria)
49.4% = 2019 Tour Leader (Novak Djokovic)
52.4% = Medvedev Four North American Tournaments

Medvedev spectacularly jumped from converting 40.2 per cent (148/368) of break points from Brisbane in January to before Washington in late July, to converting 52.4 per cent (89/170) during the North American summer hard-court season.

Those metrics are superior to the 2019 break points converted leader, Novak Djokovic, and the career break points converted leader, Guillermo Coria, whose career-high ATP Ranking was No. 3 in 2004.

Medvedev’s best break points converted win percentage was at the Western & Southern Open (63%) in Cincinnati, where he won 17 of 27 break points en route to his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title. He dropped only one set for the tournament, which was to World No. 1 Djokovic.

Medvedev 2019 North American Hard-Court Swing: Break Points Won
63% (17/27) = Cincinnati
60% (12/20 = Washington
55% (22/40) = Montreal
45.8% ( 38/83) = US Open

It was in the important moments where Medvedev improved this summer rather than in his overall body of work serving and returning.

Medvedev Total Return Points Won
40.5% (1414/3492) won to Washington
40.8% (735/1800) won four North American tournaments

Medvedev Total Serve Points Won
65.4% (2143/3279) won to Washington
69.1% (1196/1732) won four North American tournaments

Medvedev is currently ranked fourth on Tour on the ATP Return LEADERBOARD, powered by Infosys Nia Data, with a 158.0 rating, and 21^st on the ATP Serve LEADERBOARD, powered by Infosys Nia Data, with a 277.0 rating.

See Who Medvedev Is Chasing On The ATP Return LEADERBOARD

Surprisingly, Medvedev’s points won returning first and second serves for the start of the season compared to the North American summer moved only a little, with his return points won against first serves actually declining a little.

Medvedev First-Serve Return Points Won
31.6% (681/2152) won to Washington
30.6% (332/1086) won four North American tournaments

Medvedev Second-Serve Return Points Won
54.7% (733/1340) won to Washington
56.4% (403/714) won four North American tournaments

In the US Open final against Rafael Nadal, Medvedev created 15 break points, but was able to break only five times (33%), including once out of five times (25%) in the deciding fifth set. Just one of those points could have been a difference maker to the final outcome.

Starting with Arnaud Clement’s triumph at the inaugural Moselle Open in 2003, Frenchmen have combined to win 10 of the 16 editions of Metz’s ATP 250 tennis tournament. The French contingent will look to continue the tradition of success in 2019, led by three-time singles champions Gilles Simon and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Simon and Tsonga will be joined in the field by 2016 winner Lucas Pouille, Benoit Paire, Pierre-Hugues Herbert, Richard Gasquet, Jeremy Chardy and Ugo Humbert. Two other former champions — David Goffin (2014), Peter Gojowczyk (2017) — and Nikoloz Basilashvili and Marin Cilic also feature. 

Here’s all you need to know about the Metz tennis tournament: what is the schedule, where to watch, who has won and more. 

Established: 2003

Tournament Dates: 16-22 September 2019

Tournament Director: Julien Boutter

Draw Ceremony: Saturday, 14 September

Are You In? Subscribe To Get Tournament Updates In Your Inbox

Schedule (View On Official Website)
* Qualifying: Sunday and Monday
* Main draw: Monday at 11:00am and 6:00pm, Tuesday at 11:30am and 6:00pm, Wednesday and Thursday at 12:00pm and 6:00pm, Friday at 1:45pm and 6:00pm, Saturday at 2:00pm
* Doubles final: Sunday, 22 September at 1:30pm
* Singles final: Sunday, 22 September not before 3:30pm

How To Watch
Watch Live On Tennis TV 
TV Schedule

Venue: Les Arènes de Metz
Main Court Seating: 5,000
Surface: Indoor Hard 

Prize Money: € 524,340 (Total Financial Commitment: € 586,140)  

Tickets On Sale: Buy Now

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown

Honour Roll (Open Era)
Most Titles, Singles: Gilles Simon, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (3)
Most Titles, Doubles: Nicolas Mahut, Edouard Roger-Vasselin (4)

2018 Finals
Singles: Gilles Simon (FRA) d [Q] Matthias Bachinger (GER) 76(2) 61   Read & Watch
Doubles: [1] Nicolas Mahut (FRA) / Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) d [4] Ken Skupski (GBR) / Neal Skupski (GBR) 61 75  Read More

Social
Facebook: @moselleopen
Twitter: @moselleopen
Instagram: @moselleopen

Did You Know… The Moselle Open has a new trophy for 2019, with Gilles Simon taking home the previous one after winning the Moselle Open for a third time last year. Read More

Le @MoselleCD57 a dévoilé ce matin le nouveau trophée du @MoselleOpen. Il a été réalisé par la cristallerie Lehrer, labellisée qualité #MOSL , avec des élèves de CAP et de brevet des métiers d’art au lycée professionnel Labroise de Sarrebourg. pic.twitter.com/sKWLZZx6ln

— Département Moselle (@MoselleCD57) September 11, 2019

Andreas Mies has had a breakthrough season on the ATP Tour alongside fellow German Kevin Krawietz. And for his efforts, the former Auburn University Tiger was recognised on Saturday evening in front of 85,713 fans at Jordan-Hare Stadium during the school’s football game against Tulane.

“It just means a lot to me. They showed our [US Open] semi-final match here on the big screen at Jordan-Hare and it’s just unbelievable,” Mies told Auburn Athletics. “It’s something you dream of as a kid playing in these big tournaments and to get recognised like this at the football game is incredible. They’ve supported me so well and it’s nice.”

Mies and Krawietz began their surge by winning the New York Open, and they captured their first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros. The Germans made another deep run at a major at the US Open, where they succumbed in a tight two-setter in the semi-finals.

Watching the #USOpen #Auburn style! @AndreasMies #WarEagle pic.twitter.com/4XPY5Er9hC

— Auburn Men’s Tennis (@AuburnMTennis) September 5, 2019

“It’s a dream come true to be able to play in the US Open,” Mies said. “During my four years at Auburn, I always dreamed of becoming a professional tennis player and playing at the US Open. It came true last week, and it is such an honour for me.”

Mies and Krawietz are currently the fourth-placed team in the ATP Doubles Race To London, putting them in strong position to earn a spot at the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. The season finale will take place from 10-17 November at The O2 in London.

Just three days after announcing that he would miss the rest of the 2019 season to get healthy, Kevin Anderson revealed on social media on Thursday that he underwent knee surgery.

“Thanks so much for your very nice messages! They’ve been great these past few days, especially as I came out of surgery,” wrote Anderson, who struggled with a right elbow injury earlier in the year. “My team, doctors and I decided to move forward with a procedure to help my knee. It went well and I look forward to rehabbing and getting back on court.”

Thanks so much for your very nice messages! They’ve been great to read these past few days, especially as I came out of surgery. My team, doctors & I decided to move forward with a procedure to help my knee. It went well & I look forward to rehabbing & getting back on court ? pic.twitter.com/1Bsmd5zFyQ

— Kevin Anderson (@KAndersonATP) September 12, 2019

On Monday, Anderson thanked his fans for their support when announcing he would not compete in any more tournaments this season.

“2019 has been a very difficult and frustrating year for me on the tennis court,” Anderson wrote. “I was so pleased to start well, winning the title in Pune, but since have not been able to get healthy to compete at the level I want to. I have spoken with my team, consulted with doctors, and we have decided that the best course of action is to take the rest of the year off and prepare for 2020.”

Anderson reached a career-high No. 5 in the ATP Rankings last July, and he qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time last year. The 33-year-old earned an 11-4 record this season, earning his sixth ATP Tour title in Pune and making the quarter-finals in Miami. He has not played a tournament since Wimbledon.

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray has accepted a wild card into the Rolex Shanghai Masters, which will take place from 6-13 October, the tournament announced on Thursday.

“I’m really looking forward to be going back to Shanghai, a tournament I have had success at in the past,” Murray said, according to the tournament’s website. “Thanks to the tournament for a wild card. It’s great to be able to continue my comeback and play more tennis in China. Shanghai is a great city; I feel comfortable there and the fans are always supportive.”

Murray has long enjoyed success at China’s ATP Masters 1000 event, where he has tallied a 22-3 record, lifting the trophy on three occasions. The 2010, 2011 and 2016 titlist won the first 12 matches he played at the tournament, and he also made the championship match in 2012 (l. to Djokovic).

The 32-year-old continues to battle back into form after undergoing hip surgery after the Australian Open. Murray made his singles return at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, and his other tour-level appearance came at the Winston-Salem Open. The 45-time tour-level titlist, who opted not to compete at the US Open in singles or doubles, reached the Round of 16 at the Rafa Nadal Open by Sotheby’s, an ATP Challenger Tour event held in the last week of August.

Although he has not yet won a tour-level singles match during his comeback, Murray has enjoyed doubles success, winning the Fever-Tree Championships (w/ Lopez) and reaching two additional quarter-finals. The Scot is scheduled to compete in Zhuhai, Beijing and Shanghai during the Asian Swing.

Did You Know?
Murray owns a 212-82 record at Masters 1000 tournaments. He has lifted 14 trophies at that level.

Fans will soon know which 18 countries are the first to qualify for the inaugural ATP Cup in Australia in January. By Monday (Australian time) ATP and event partner Tennis Australia will announce the first 18 countries – and the Top 2 committed players from each team. Those countries will then be drawn into groups Monday morning and later that day the group-stage schedule will be released.

Ahead of the country announcements and draw, get to know more about the event in Part 2 of our series explaining how the tournament will work. (Read Part 1)

How will the official draw work?
On Monday 16 September, the Top 18 teams will be divided into six groups, with two groups assigned to each of the three host cities. The first six seeds will be placed in Groups A to F. Countries 7-12 will then be randomly drawn into one of the six groups, followed by countries 13-18. (Protected ranking will not be used for seeding.) If Australia is outside the Top 18 countries on Friday it will gain entry as the host country and be randomly allocated to one of the six groups as the 19th team. 

I want to see a particular player in action. When are they playing?
The format of ATP Cup provides fans the unique opportunity to buy tickets in advance with confidence in seeing a particular country play. In addition to knowing on Monday into which groups the first 18 teams have been placed, the daily schedule for the group stage will be made.

The top two entered singles players from each qualified country will be known by Monday 16 September. Those players are committed to playing the event unless overtaken in the ATP Rankings by a countryman at the time of the second entry deadline on 13 November.

The remaining six countries will be announced mid-November, along with the full playing list. Each tie involves match-ups of the two top-ranked singles players and the two second-ranked singles players, followed by doubles. Selection for those match-ups will be finalised 3 p.m. the day before the Tie.

Is Australia guaranteed a place in the tournament?
Yes. If Australia is not one of the Top 18 teams in the ATP Cup Standings on Friday it will gain entry into the tournament as the host country. In this instance 19 teams will qualify at Friday’s first entry deadline and five (rather than six) additional teams will qualify at the second entry deadline on 13 November.

What are the ATP Cup Standings?
The ATP Cup Standings is a provisional entry list for the ATP Cup, ordered by the ATP Ranking (or Protected Ranking) of a country’s highest-ranked singles player. ATP Cup Standings also show which players within each country would qualify for a place in their country’s team, subject to player entry rules.

What if a country’s top-ranked singles player does not commit to play the event at the time of the first entry deadline?
The country’s eligibility to qualify at the first entry deadline is determined by the singles ATP Ranking of its next-highest ranked entered singles player.

When will the final five or six teams be drawn into groups?
The remaining teams will be drawn and announced 13 November after the second entry deadline using the 11 November ATP Rankings, with each additional team drawn at random to a group.