ACADEMY
Extending the point Kei Nishikori on the stretch at the US Open, where there are more longer rallies than at Roland Garros
0-4 SHOTS RALLY LENGTH For the past three years at Roland Garros, there have been more shorter rallies than at the US Open. WOW! Three years is a big data set, minimising as much as possible the effects of weather and playing style. Repeat after me: “Clay is a first-strike surface.” 5-8 SHOTS RALLY LENGTH The US Open had a slightly higher percentage of rallies in the mid rally length than Roland Garros. As you are about to see, once a rally got past four shots, the US Open had more action overall than Roland Garros. That’s stunning, to say the least. 9+ SHOTS RALLY LENGTH There were slightly more extended rallies of nine shots or longer in New York than in Paris. Who. Would. Have. Thought. That? Clay-court tennis is not about grinding - any more than hard-court tennis is. Clay- court tennis does not require more patience than hard courts. It is wrong to assume clay- court tennis needs more repetition work than hard courts. Clay court tennis is a “first-strike” surface because all surfaces are. That’s the nature of starting a point with a serve and a return. It’s rough. More errors in rallies of up to four shots than in rallies of nine shots or more. Welcome to the new rules of clay-court practice and competition!
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