The first serve comes barreling down. If Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic return the powerful delivery back into play, they just completely levelled the playing field.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of the Big Three returning first serves on hard courts and clay courts shows they combine to win 50.1 per cent (8555/17073) of first-serve return points when they get their return back in play. The data set comes from ATP Masters 1000 events from 2011-2018 and the Nitto ATP Finals.

On hard courts, Djokovic was the only one of the three players to be above 50 per cent (52.2%), while Nadal took the honours on clay, winning 50.6 per cent (1378/2723) of first-serve return points.

Hard Court
1. Djokovic = 52.2% (2321/4449)
2. Federer = 49.4% (1998/4042)
3.Nadal = 48.5% (1192/2459)
4. Average = 50.3%

Clay Court
1. Nadal = 50.6% (1378/2723)
2. Djokovic = 50.1% (1115/2224)
3. Federer = 46.9% (551/1176)
4. Average = 49.7%

Clay & Hard Combined
1. Djokovic = 51.5% (3436/6673)
2. Nadal = 49.6% (2570/5182)
3. Federer = 48.9% (2549/5218)
4. Average = 50.1%

When you break the service box down into the three target areas — wide, body and T — you gain a little more insight into the specific strengths of each player returning first serves.

What’s interesting is that Federer was the top performer returning wide in the Deuce court on both hard courts and clay courts. Nadal, with his lefty prowess, dominated five of the six Ad court locations (three each on hard and clay), while Djokovic was superior with his backhand return against first serves down the T in the Deuce court.

Hard Court: Best Performer Wide/Body/T vs First Serves

Clay Court: Best Performer Wide/Body/T vs First Serves

Of the 12 locations for clay courts and hard courts, Nadal was superior in five of them, followed by Djokovic with four and Federer with three. The stars don’t always put the first serve back in play, but when they do, they basically have as good of a chance as the server to win the point.

Editor’s Note: Craig O’Shannessy is a member of Novak Djokovic’s coaching team.

Established: 2019

Tournament Dates: 4-10 February 2019

Tournament Director: Mariano Ink

Draw Ceremony: 2 February 2019 at 3pm

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Schedule
* Qualifying: Saturday and Sunday at 3:30m
* Main draw: Monday – Friday at 3:30pm and NB 7:15pm; Saturday at 5pm; Sunday at 6pm
* Singles & doubles final start times TBD

How To Watch
Watch Live On Tennis TV

Live coverage on FOX SPORTS 2
Monday, 4 February:  From 15:30 p.m., From 19:00 p.m.
Tuesday, 5 February: From 15:30 p.m., From 19:00 p.m.
Wednesday, 6 February: From 11:30 a.m., From 15:30 p.m.
Thursday, 7 February: From 15:30 p.m., From 19:00 p.m.
Friday, 8 February: From 15:30 p.m., From 19:00 p.m.
Saturday, 9 February: From 17:00 p.m., From 19:00 p.m.
Sunday, 10 February: From 17:30 p.m., From 19:00 p.m.

Venue: Kempes Stadium
Central court capacity: 4,270. Court 1: 1,000. Court 2: 500.

Prize Money: US $527,880 (Total Financial Commitment: US $589,680)

View Who Is Playing, Points & Prize Money Breakdown

Tickets On Sale: 20 December 2018 – Buy Now

Social
Hashtag: #CordobaOpen
Facebook: Córdoba Open
Twitter: @CordobaOpen
Instagram: @cordobaopen

Did You Know… The city of Cordoba, 435 miles northwest of Buenos Aires, has hosted a number of international sporting events, including FIFA World Cup football qualification matches.

Established: 2016

Tournament Dates: 4-10 February 2019 (4th edition)

Tournament Director: Goran Djokovic

Draw Ceremony: Saturday, 2 February 2019 at 3pm

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Schedule
* Qualifying: Sunday and Monday at 12pm
* Main draw: Monday – Friday at 12pm and 6pm; Saturday at 2pm
* Doubles final: Sunday, 10 February at 2pm
* Singles final: Sunday, 10 February not before 5pm

How To Watch
Watch Live On Tennis TV 

Live coverage on Diema Sport
Monday, 4 February: From 16:00 p.m.
Tuesday, 5 February: From 12:00 p.m., From 18:00 p.m.
Wednesday, 6 February: From 12:00 p.m., From 18:00 p.m.
Thursday, 7 February: From 12:00 p.m., From 18:00 p.m.
Friday, 8 February: From 12:00 p.m., From 18:00 p.m.
Saturday, 9 February: From 14:00 p.m., From 18:00 p.m.
Sunday, 10 February: From 14:00 p.m., From 17:00 p.m.

Venue: Arena Armeec Sofia
Main Court Seating: 10,500

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
Most Titles, Singles: Roberto Bautista Agut, Grigor Dimitrov, Mirza Basic (1)
Most Titles, Doubles: Matwe Middelkoop (2)
Oldest Champion: Roberto Bautista Agut, 27, in 2016
Youngest Champion: Grigor Dimitrov, 25, in 2017
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 129 Mirza Basic in 2018
Most Match Wins: Viktor Troicki (7)

2018 Finals
Singles: [Q] Mirza Basic (BIH) d Marius Copil (ROU) 76(6) 67(4) 64   Read & Watch
Doubles: [4] Robin Haase (NED) / Matwe Middelkoop (NED) d [2] Nikola Mektic (CRO) / Alexander Peya (AUT) 57 64 10-4  Read More

Social
Hashtag: #SofiaOpen
Facebook: @sofiaopentennis
Twitter: @sofiaopentennis
Instagram: @sofiaopentennis

CHINA 2, JAPAN 3
Venue: Guangdong Olympic Sports Center Tennis Center, Guangzhou, China
Surface: Hard, Outdoors

Japan booked its place at the 2019 Davis Cup Finals in dramatic fashion on Saturday, recovering from 1-2 down to claim victory against China in Guangzhou. Having split the opening singles rubbers, Mao-Xin Gong and Ze Zhang earned China a 2-1 lead with a 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 win over Ben McLachlan and Yasutaka Uchiyama, as the host nation aimed to defeat Japan for just the second time in 10 Davis Cup ties. But Yoshihito Nishioka forced the meeting into a decisive fifth rubber after cruising past Yibing Wu 6-2, 6-0.

“Before going onto the court, I was so nervous because if I lost, we lost,” Nishioka told DavisCup.com. “It is the first time I have been in that situation. [Wu] is talented but I knew he would be feeling the pressure. So, from the beginning, I was trying so hard. He missed some easy shots and I was able to play the way I wanted to play.”

With a spot in Madrid on the line, Taro Daniel edged Zhe Li 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-3 in two hours and 44 minutes. Daniel, who defeated Zhang on Friday, converted seven of 16 break points to record his second victory of the tie.

AUSTRALIA 4, BOSNIA/HERZEGOVINA 0
Venue: Memorial Drive Tennis Club, Adelaide, Australia
Surface: Hard, Outdoors

Australia backed up its opening singles rubber victories, sweeping past Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-0 in Adelaide. John Peers and Jordan Thompson defeated Mirza Basic and Tomislav Brkic 7-5, 6-1 to claim an unassailable 3-0 lead, before Davis Cup debutant Alexei Popyrin claimed his first victory in the team competition, beating Nerman Fatic 6-1, 7-6(2) in 61 minutes.

INDIA 1, ITALY 3
Venue: Calcutta South Club, Kolkata, India
Surface: Grass, Outdoors

Andreas Seppi booked Italy’s place in Madrid, beating Prajnesh Gunneswaran 6-1, 6-4 to seal a 3-1 win in Kolkata. After establishing a 2-0 lead on Friday, Italy was forced into a fourth rubber following Pune champions Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan’s 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory against Matteo Berrettini and Simone Bolelli. But Seppi held his nerve, dropping just three points behind his first serve (25/28) en route to victory to earn qualification for the visiting nation.

KAZAKHSTAN 3, PORTUGAL 1
Venue: National Tennis Center, Astana, Kazakhstan
Surface: Hard, Indoors

Kazakhstan will also be present in the Spanish capital, following Mikhail Kukushkin’s 6-4, 6-1 win over Joao Sousa. Having lost both opening singles rubbers, Portugal forced the tie into a fourth rubber after Gastao Elias and Sousa defeated Timur Khabibulin and Aleksandr Nedovyesov 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. But Kukushkin found his best level in front of home fans in Astana, breaking Sousa on five occasions to settle the tie.

For every player competing on the ATP Challenger Tour, there is no sweeter feeling than clutching a trophy for the first time. That maiden moment of glory is the pinnacle, the validation of years of hard work on and off the court. 

A first title can change the trajectory of a player’s career. Steven Diez is hoping this is that moment.

On Sunday, Diez entered the winners’ circle for the first time, celebrating his first Challenger crown with an impressive run in Burnie, Australia. Needing to win six matches in seven days, he twice rallied from an early deficit, before reeling off 10 sets in a row to lift the trophy. Diez capped his week with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Maverick Banes in the final.

“As my first title, it was really special,” said Diez. “After all the hard moments last year and the ups and downs, it’s a really nice gift to myself to win the title in Burnie. I hope to continue moving up in the ATP Rankings in 2019.”

At the age of 27, it has been a long journey of sacrifice and struggle. Diez, who was born in Toronto, Canada, yet was raised and currently resides in Spain, is six years removed from reaching his first Challenger final in Noumea. In that span, Diez was forced to draw upon his mental resilience as he navigated his way through multiple injuries and struggles between the lines.

Shoulder and wrist ailments sent him to the sidelines for nine months in 2015, but he refused to back down. A year later, Diez would be rewarded with a career-high No. 162 in the ATP Rankings after clinching his first ATP Tour match win at the Rogers Cup. There, he stunned Kyle Edmund from a set down for the biggest victory of his career.

He’s an #ATPChallenger champion for the first time. Congrats @diezmonge!

The ?? takes the title in Burnie, 75 61 over Maverick Banes. pic.twitter.com/DE5UTSr488

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) January 27, 2019

Diez was hoping his big breakthrough would be a sign of imminent success as he returned to the ATP Challenger Tour. But few careers follow a linear path and the Canadian once again found himself battling to climb the ATP Rankings. He admits that these earlier struggles make his first title that much more satisfying.

“It was really, really special. A really nice feeling, especially with everyone from home supporting me and watching me on the livestream. It was just amazing to be able to lift the trophy. If you’re winning matches, you’re earning more money and you don’t have to think about things like buying a flight to the next tournament and how you can save. Money doesn’t buy you happiness but it helps.

“Last year, I pressured myself to win more matches at the Challenger level and I didn’t play that well. I also had a lot of issues with my racquets. I played with four different racquets and I ended up going back to my old one. Hopefully that will be better for me this year.”

Diez’s victory in Burnie makes him the first player from the newly-formed ITF World Tennis Tour to take the leap and claim an ATP Challenger Tour title. As of 2019, a redefined player pathway has been introduced, which encourages a more efficient and streamlined progression from one stage to the next. The best at the ITF level will eventually use their ITF ranking to play up and enter Challenger tournaments. Diez achieved exactly that, and thanks to his successful week in Burnie, the Canadian enjoyed an ATP Rankings surge of more than 100 spots to No. 307. This time, he hopes to stay at the Challenger level.

“This title will help me a lot,” Diez added. “Now I’ll be able to play most of the Challenger main draws with my ATP Ranking, like back in the day. Every tournament I’ll be playing will be for ATP points and hopefully I’ll be climbing even faster.

“It’s hard to tell what my goals are. The year is very long and I’ve started really well. With these 80 points, maybe finishing close to the Top 100 or 150 is possible, but I don’t want to think about that now. I just want to take it week by week and do my best.”

Adelaide will host some of the world’s best tennis stars in 2020 with a new week-long ATP and WTA combined tennis tournament set to take place at Memorial Drive.

The tournament, which is subject to ATP and WTA approval, is expected to attract more than 120 of the world’s top singles and doubles players and offer a minimum of $2 million in total prize money.

Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley and Tennis SA President Kent Thiele and CEO Steven Baldas were joined by SA Premier Steven Marshall and SA Minister for Sport, Recreation and Racing Corey Wingard MP for the announcement today.

A $10 million SA Government commitment to the Memorial Drive Centre Courts Redevelopment has enabled Adelaide to host the event. Stage One of the project will include:
• A new woven fibreglass membrane fabric roof covering the existing stands and centre courts
• Four refurbished ITF standard Plexicushion match courts
• New fencing and lighting
• Improved access between the centre and outside courts during tournaments.

Craig Tiley said Tennis Australia had a vision for the future of the Australian tennis summer which would see the global tennis season launched each year in more cities across the country.

“It’s important for us to continually improve on the great tennis offering we have in Australia to ensure there are more opportunities for players, more opportunities for fans to get to see them in their home towns and more global exposure for our sport,” Mr Tiley said.

“A major part of that vision is delivering more world-class tennis to capital cities around Australia which is what this tournament will help do. It is a vital piece in our vision to ultimately grow tennis and provide inspiration for future generations,” he continued.

Tennis SA CEO Steven Baldas said the new tournament in Adelaide and improved facilities at Memorial Drive will help attract new fans to the sport.

“The redevelopment of Memorial Drive and the securing of a week-long WTA and ATP combined tournament is extremely exciting for tennis in South Australia,” Mr Baldas said.

“We have a long tennis history in Adelaide and the upgrades to the facilities announced today by the Premier and Minister Wingard will help us connect to a whole new generation of fans across the country and the globe by providing a new source of inspiration for young athletes to choose our sport.”

The Mutua Madrid Open announced on Friday that it is awarding former World No. 3 David Ferrer a wild card for what will be the home favourite’s final tournament in May. It will be the 36-year-old’s 16th appearance at the event, which he first competed in at the age of 21

“David is one of our country’s biggest tennis players, with a memorable career, but above all he is an exceptional person, one of the best I have met on [the ATP [Tour]”, said Tournament Director Feliciano López. “I’ve shared many years with him and I can say that it has been a great pleasure. It’s an honour for us that he will play the last tournament of his career at the Mutua Madrid Open. I’m sure it will be an emotional goodbye, at home, in front of all the fans that have cheered on his grit, his passion and his dedication. Ferrer can leave with peace of mind because he has given his all.”

Ferrer has long wanted to complete his career in front of his home crowd, and he will get a chance to do just that in Madrid. The 27-time ATP Tour champion is 22-15 at the ATP Masters 1000 event, advancing to the semi-finals in 2010 and 2014.

“For me, it is a dream to say goodbye to my people in a tournament that makes me feel like I’m at home,” Ferrer tweeted. “Many thanks to the Mutua Madrid Open for making this possible.”

Para mi es una ilusión poder despedirme de mi gente en un torneo en el que me siento como en casa! Muchas gracias @MutuaMadridOpen por hacerlo posible!! https://t.co/x2OuxxVeKB

— David Ferrer (@DavidFerrer87) February 1, 2019

GERMANY vs. HUNGARY
Venue: Fraport Arena, Frankfurt, Germany
Surface: Hard, Indoors

Alexander Zverev has enjoyed plenty of success in Germany, winning back-to-back titles in Munich at the BMW Open by FWU. So it was no surprise that he performed well for a home crowd on Friday in the Davis Cup Qualifiers Round. The reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion gave Germany a 2-0 lead over Hungary with an emphatic 6-2, 6-2 win against Peter Nagy. Zverev struck 11 aces and did not face break point to triumph in just 69 minutes.

His veteran compatriot, Philipp Kohlschreiber, did not have his rubber anywhere near as easy. But Kohlschreiber pulled through nonetheless, battling past Zsombor Piros 6-7(6), 7-5, 6-4 in two hours and 39 minutes. The 35-year-old saved seven of the 10 break points he faced in his 17th Davis Cup win.

SLOVAKIA 1, CANADA 1
Venue: NTC Arena, Bratislava, Slovakia
Surface: Clay, Indoors

Denis Shapovalov and Martin Klizan both earned wins for their respective nations to head into Saturday locked at 1-1 in Bratislava, Slovakia. The Canadian, Shapovalov, who reached the Australian Open’s third round last month (l. to Djokovic), gave the visiting side a 1-0 lead with a 6-4, 7-5 victory against Filip Horansky in 49 minutes.

“It was a fun match for me,” Shapovalov told DavisCup.com. “Obviously there was a lot of pressure on me going into the match. I thought the level he played at was Top 50 tennis. If he continues his level like that, he’s going to achieve really good things.”

Home favourite Martin Klizan soon levelled the tie though, beating #NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-5, 6-3. Klizan converted five of 10 break points en route to a one-hour, 36-minute victory.

CZECH REPUBLIC 1, NETHERLANDS 1
Ostravar Arena, Ostrava, Czech Republic
Surface: Hard, Indoors

Jiri Vesely and Robin Haase both emerged victorious in a tight opening day in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Vesely got the home nation off to a winning start, recovering from a set down to beat Tallon Griekspoor 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, before Robin Haase grabbed the second rubber for the visiting Dutch after just 67 minutes. Haase won 90 per cent of first-serve points (27/30) and did not face a break point en route to a 6-2, 6-4 win over Lukas Rosol in 67 minutes.

AUSTRIA 1, CHILE 1
Venue: Salzburg Arena/Messezentrum Salzburg, Austria
Surface: Clay, Indoors

Chilean Nicolas Jarry and Austrian Dennis Novak ensured the tie went into Saturday’s third rubber level at 1-1. Currently ranked No. 41 in the ATP Rankings, Jarry earned the first point in Salzburg, Austria,  edging Jurij Rodionov 7-5, 7-5. But Novak found the perfect response for the home team, levelling the qualifiers round tie with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Christian Garin.