Data destroys myths.

Before 1991, statistics were not kept in tennis so players, coaches and fans had no other choice but to fill the gap with opinion and guess work. From 1991 to 2002, the statistics were simple, but in the last handful of years the data has become a lot richer in content.

Tennis statistics have matured past simply counting something because it can be counted. The focus has turned to better understanding how our sport is organised, and what matters most to winning tennis matches.

Know what happens. Know why you won.

An Infosys ATP deep dive into the past five Australian Opens shows that the organisation of our sport is drifting towards shorter points because that is naturally where the main difference between winning and losing lives.

Rally Length: Australian Open 2015-2019

The table above identifies just how our sport is organised. Longer rallies are becoming slightly less prevalent. It’s a wake-up call for practice courts all over the world, where consistency and shot tolerance of forehands and backhands are revered much more than the specific work of serves and returns.

It makes no sense to practise something 90 per cent of the time (extended rallies) when it only appears 10 per cent of the time (9+ shot rallies) in a match. It’s jaw dropping to know that seven points out of 10 in our sport require a player to touch the ball a maximum of just two times. With one of these two shots guaranteed to be a serve or return, shouldn’t they receive maximum attention on the practice court?

Where You Win
Every match begins as a 50-50 battle, but when you analyse where the match winners outperformed the match losers, it’s clear to see where they found their separation — significantly more in shorter rallies than long ones.

Match Winner Won More Points Than Match Loser In Specific Rally Length

Players who won their matches correspondingly won more points than the match losers 85 per cent of the time in the 0-4 shot rally length, which was significantly more than in either of the other two rally lengths. Only 33 per cent of the time did the match winner win more points than the match loser in all three rally lengths.

True to the data, Novak Djokovic crafted his advantage much more in the shorter rallies than the longer ones to win the 2019 Australian Open title. Djokovic won 112 more points than he lost in the 0-4 rally length, which was more of an advantage than the other two rally lengths combined (+90).

Djokovic won 202 more points than he lost (687 to 484), with 55 per cent of the 202 point advantage (112) crafted in the 0-4 shot rally length. It’s easy to remember Djokovic’s more spectacular longer rallies from the tournament, but he gained maximum separation from his opponents when he touched the ball just a maximum of two times.

Novak Djokovic’s Seven Matches: Rally Length Points Won & Lost

It’s clear to see that match data will create a paradigm shift with how we evaluate what actually happens in a match. This new learning will heavily influence the practice court where more focus will be given to the serve, return, serve +1 and return +1 shots rather than simply hitting forehands and backhands cross court ad infinitum.

AUSTRALIA 2, BOSNIA/HERZEGOVINA 0
Venue: Memorial Drive Tennis Club, Adelaide, Australia
Surface: Hard, Outdoors

Alex de Minaur and John Millman both claimed their first Davis Cup victories to give Australia a 2-0 lead in its Davis Cup qualifying round tie against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday. Bidding to reach the 2019 Davis Cup Finals, to be held 18-24 November in Madrid, Millman won 70 per cent of first-serve points (21/30) to defeat Damir Dzumhur 6-3, 6-2, before De Minaur doubled Australia’s advantage after 87 minutes, beating Mirza Basic 6-3, 7-6(0).

“It’s a dream come true for me, and I’m so happy I finally was able to get a win for my country in Davis Cup,” De Minaur told DavisCup.com. “I think it’s amazing that we had John Millman come out and get his first win, as well.”

On Saturday, John Peers and Jordan Thompson will have the opportunity to confirm Australia’s spot in Madrid when they meet Mirza Basic and Tomislav Brkic. Peers will be making his first appearance since reaching the Australian Open doubles final alongside Henri Kontinen (l. to Herbert/Mahut) last month.

INDIA 0, ITALY 2
Venue: Calcutta South Club, Kolkata, India
Surface: Grass, Outdoors

Italy made a strong start to its Davis Cup qualifying round tie against India, earning a 2-0 lead following straight-sets wins for Andreas Seppi and Matteo Berrettini. Seppi fired 23 winners to defeat 2018 Newport finalist Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-4, 6-2, while Berrettini needed just 57 minutes to beat Prajnesh Gunneswaran 6-4, 6-3. Simone Bolelli and Marco Cecchinato can confirm Italy’s place in Madrid with victory over Pune champions Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan on Saturday.

UZBEKISTAN 0, SERBIA 2
Venue: Saxovat Sport Servis Sport Complex, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Surface: Hard, Indoors

Dusan Lajovic and Filip Krajinovic handed Serbia a 2-0 advantage heading into Saturday in Tashkent. Lajovic dropped only nine points behind his first serve (36/45) to defeat Sanjar Fayziev 7-6(4), 6-3, before Krajinovic converted each of his three break-point chances to beat Denis Istomin 6-2, 6-4 in 61 minutes. Nikola Milojevic and Viktor Troicki can clinch victory for the visiting nation when they face Fayziev and Istomin in the third rubber doubles match on Saturday.

CHINA 1, JAPAN 1
Venue: Guangdong Olympic Sports Center Tennis Center, Guangzhou, China
Surface: Hard, Outdoors

China and Japan will head into Saturday tied at 1-1 after splitting the opening two singles rubbers in Guangzhou on Friday. Zhe Li earned China a 1-0 lead, beating Yoshihito Nishioka 6-3, 6-2 after one hour and 32 minutes, before Taro Daniel levelled the tie after overcoming Ze Zhang 7-6(3), 6-4.

Twelve spots at the 2019 Davis Cup Finals, to be held 18-24 November in Madrid, will be up for grabs this weekend during the inaugural Davis Cup qualifying rounds. ATPTour.com previews the action.

BRAZIL vs. BELGIUM
Venue: Sabiazinho – Ginasio Presidente Tancredo Neves, Uberlândia, Brazil
Surface: Clay, Indoors

Belgium leads the series 3-0, including a win during the 2016 World Group play-offs, but left-hander Thiago Monteiro, No. 107 in the ATP Rankings, will lead the home country in search of its first win against the European nation.

UZBEKISTAN vs. SERBIA
Venue: Saxovat Sport Servis Sport Complex, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Surface: Hard, Indoors

Serbia, behind Dusan Lajovic and Filip Krajinovic, will look to improve to 2-0 against Uzbekistan, who will be led by 32-year-old Denis Istomin, No. 105.

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

Australians will enjoy one more weekend of home summer tennis as the green and gold take on Damir Dzumhur and the squad from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sydney International titlist Alex de Minaur and 2018 US Open quarter-finalist John Millman will lead the home squad, along with John Peers, who fell in the Australian Open doubles final (with Henri Kontinen; l. to Herbert/Mahut).

Read More: Herbert/Mahut Complete Career Grand Slam In Doubles

INDIA vs. ITALY
Venue: Calcutta South Club, Kolkata, India
Surface: Grass, Outdoors

India, led by Prajnesh Gunneswaran (No. 102) and Ramkumar Ramanathan (No. 133), will put its four-tie grass-court winning streak on the line against the visiting Italians, led by veteran Andreas Seppi and Gstaad titlist Matteo Berrettini. Ramanathan reached the Hall of Fame Open final on grass last July in Newport (l. to Johnson).

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

A strong German squad, led by No. 3 Alexander Zverev and veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber, will lead Germany as it looks to book a place in the Davis Cup Finals. Hungary, without No. 47 Marton Fucsovics, is expected to have Zsombor Piros (No. 368) and Peter Nagy (No. 819) play singles.

SWITZERLAND vs. RUSSIA
Venue: Swiss Tennis Arena, Biel, Switzerland
Surface: Hard, Indoors

Visiting Russia carries all of its young talent to Biel, as Rolex Paris Masters champion Karen Khachanov, three-time ATP Tour titlist Daniil Medvedev and two-time Next Gen ATP Finals qualifier Andrey Rublev are making the trip. Henri Laaksonen (No. 142) and Marc-Andrea Huesler (No. 337) will lead Switzerland and attempt to stave off the Russians.

KAZAKHSTAN vs. PORTUGAL
Venue: National Tennis Center, Astana, Kazakhstan
Surface: Hard, Indoors

Joao Sousa will go for personal Davis Cup history when he leads Portugal against Kazakhstan. With two singles wins this weekend, Sousa (23-12) will match Joao Cunha-Silva’s record (25-28) for most Davis Cup singles match wins by a Portuguese player.

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

Czech Republic, 2012-13 Davis Cup champions, will play in its 211th tie this weekend as Jiri Vesely and Lukas Rosol lead the home nation against Netherlands, which boasts a roster of Robin Haase (No. 54) and Jean-Julien Rojer (No. 18 in ATP Doubles Rankings).

COLOMBIA vs. SWEDEN
Venue: Palacio de los Deportes, Bogota, Colombia
Surface: Clay – Red Clay, Indoor

Nitto ATP Finals doubles semi-finalists Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah will try to win their 10th Davis Cup doubles match together against Sweden, which will be led by the Ymer brothers – Elias Ymer and Mikael Ymer.

Watch Flashback: Elias Ymer Visits Home Ethiopia

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

Austrian Jurgen Melzer, who retired from singles at last year’s Erste Bank Open 500, is expected to play doubles with former doubles No. 2 Oliver Marach. Brasil Open finalist Nicolas Jarry will lead visiting Chile.

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

Canada’s #NextGenATP leaders – Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime – will try to secure their country’s 67th win in Davis Cup ties. Auger-Aliassime, 18, will be playing in his first tie. Martin Klizan (No. 37) and Filip Horansky (No. 199) will lead Slovakia.

CHINA vs. JAPAN
Venue: Guangdong Olympic Sports Center Tennis Center, Guangzhou, China
Surface: Hard, Outdoors

Visiting Japan, led by Yoshihito Nishioka (No. 66) and Taro Daniel (No. 69), leads their series 8-1, including the past five. But Ze Zhang (No. 208) and Zhe Li (No. 225) will try to snap the losing skid.

Andy Murray has a new fluffy friend to comfort him at the hospital, and it’s just about as big as the 6’3” Scot. Murray received a “get well soon” teddy bear from Stan Wawrinka and his girlfriend, WTA player Donna Vekic.

“Big thanks to @stanwawrinka85 and @donnavekic for the get well soon teddy bear,” Murray wrote on Instagram on Thursday. “It’s absolutely huge. My kids will be fighting over this when I get home! #stantheman”.

Murray underwent hip resurfacing surgery on his right hip on Monday in London. The former World No. 1 now has a metal hip and posted an X-ray photo of it to his Instagram account.

The 31-year-old initially underwent right hip surgery in January 2018 and returned to competitive tennis six months later, playing a total of 15 tour-level matches. Murray fell in the first round of the Australian Open to eventual quarter-finalist Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain.

Damir Dzumhur has had two of the best seasons of his career, winning three ATP titles in the past two years. Now if he could only remember where he put his keys.

Dzumhur, who’s representing Bosnia and Herzegovina in Davis Cup action against Australia this weekend, talked with ATPTour.com about “The Last Time” he lost those keys, the vital lesson his father taught him and why he still feels like he has to politely ask Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic for a photo after a practice session.

The last time… I lost something important?
My home keys I lost a few months ago, but it’s not the first time that I’ve lost them. I’m not really good with keys… I had four pairs of home keys at home. I always make enough so in case I lose a pair, I have one.

I paid money to rent a tennis court or buy tennis balls?
In March, in Los Angeles, between Indian Wells and Miami… I had to pay for a tennis court. Balls, I had with me from Indian Wells… I played at a club where my coach used to play sometimes, and he knows people at that club but we still had to pay… I definitely need better connections. I think we had two hours of court time, about $15 an hour.

Watch: Born Into War, Dzumhur’s Inspirational Journey To ATP Titlist

I strung a tennis racquet?
When I was a kid [ages 14-20], I was stringing my racquets. Of course, [with the support of my] father or even brother, because he learned to string racquets when he was very young and would sometimes help me. But I was the one taking care of it.

My father wanted me to know what are my responsibilities, that I’m not going to get everything served on a plate, so I had to work for something. That’s why today I don’t have problems with doing those kinds of things, with expecting everything to just come to me; I have to get it.

I like that my father was always trying to teach me, to get the things, to not wait for them… He wanted me to know that it’s one of my responsibilities. He’s working all day on the courts as well, he doesn’t have time to do it.

I cooked for myself and others?
Last time I did maybe two months ago when I was home… I cooked some beef. Beef is really easy to make, you just put one side, the other side, some oil, some salt, and if the meat is very good in five or six minutes, you’re OK. I like beef medium so I don’t have to cook it a long time and it goes very easy. With some beef I would get some corn with it. That’s easy.

I met a childhood idol?
Roger Federer, I met him four years ago for the first time… We played three years ago at Roland Garros and Wimbledon but I met him the year before, in Australia.

Meeting him [off the court] is a big thing, but I would say the real meeting was on the court. After the first match between the two of us, I had a chance to practise with him, to talk more with him, and I’m really happy to say that today when I see Roger he always comes and says, “Hi”. In your head, it’s a big thing when you know somebody who has won 20 Grand Slams, who’s one of the best players ever, and he comes and talks to you.

I think this is something special that can happen in your life, especially if that is a guy who you were cheering for and watching on TV when you were 11, 12 years old, winning Grand Slam tournaments. That is really something special.

Read more in the ‘Last Time’ series: Federer | Kyrgios | Tsitsipas

I asked someone famous for an autograph or selfie?
When I finished a practice with Roger, I asked for a picture. Of course I do it not just with him, but with other players as well. But I would say, with him, it’s a question, with other guys it’s, ‘Let’s make a photo.’ With him, it’s like, ‘Hey Roger, can we make a photo, please?’

Or with Novak Djokovic as well, with Novak, in Queens, in July, we were practising together and I just asked him… Those big guys who you have a lot of respect for, you just feel like you have to ask.