Federer Vs Djokovic- What Does Stats Have To Say?

As we all get ready for the most awaited showdown tomorrow at US Open- Best Player of the Year  vs Greatest Player in the History : Djokovic against Federer , it will be a good idea to look at their stats so far in the tournament and year so far as to see where they both stand and how it compares to possibly the best match of the year-French Open Semi Final.

Roger Federer
	French Open SF	US Open  2011	Year So Far
1st Serve %	65	65	64
Unforced Errors	46	136
Winning % on 1st Serve	77	78	78
Winning % on 2nd Serve	50	57	57
Winners	48	169
Receiving Points Won (%)	40	47	27
Break Point Conversions (%)	16	43	39
Net Approaches (%)	79	68
Novak Djokovic
	French Open SF	US Open  2011	Year So Far
1st Serve %	67	65	66
Unforced Errors	41	110
Winning % on 1st Serve	60	72	75
Winning % on 2nd Serve	61	57	58
Winners	40	111
Receiving Points Won (%)	33	52	39
Break Point Conversions (%)	31	57	48
Net Approaches (%)	50	66

As one can clearly see from above that although Federer has not been playing at his best this year, at French Open he managed to defeat Djokovic who is having a record year and possibly the best season in the history (66-2). If you look at the stats, one will realise that although Federer did not play good this year but he raised his game at FO SF : His receiving points won and net approaches shots won were more than Djokovic in FO SF.

Djokovic played at a level less than his normal best this year as seen from above. His first serve points % won were less than this year average as well as receiving points won which made the difference.

If Federer has to win, he has to play at his current level that he has been playing in US Open  and If Djokovic plays at his current level, he has a major shot tomorrow at winning the match. But we have to remember that tennis is also a battle of minds and Federer has an edge over Djokovic with him being the only player to have defeated him in best of 5 match. But Djokovic was under a lot of pressure in French Open with No.1 position at stake. So this time he will be a bit relieved to play with less at stake.

All in all, it will be a battle of baseline for both these players and the one who can mange to keep his cool, will come out with flying colors. This time I will just end with- May the best player win!

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com
Link to Facebook Page and Twitter.
Also: Federer vs Tsonga- Reasons for Federer's Impressive Win!

Novak Djokovic- US Open 2010 and 2011- A Complete Turnaround!

Djokovic's brilliant performance yesterday was a reflection of howmuch a person can achieve in just one year's time frame. His opponent couldjust manage to take 2 games from him and he marched into the third rounddeservedly like the best player of the year.

Last year at the same time, he was considered to be the thirdfavorite with ~10% chance to reach the Finals and this year he is theclear favorite to win the US Open.  Amazed by the transformation!

So let’s take a look at his stats and see if the mystery issolved?

	US Open Final 2010	Australian Open Final 2011	Wimbledon Final 2011	US Open 2011 II Round
1st Serve %	66%	67%	73%	66%
Aces	5	6	7	5
Double Faults	4	0	1	0
Unforced Errors	47	33	12	15
Winning % on 1st Serve	64%	70%	72%	68%
Winning % on 2nd Serve	46%	60%	54%	63%
Winners	45	26	27	31
Receiving Points Won	32%	51%	38%	67%
Break Point Conversions	75%	39%	83%	50%
Net Approaches	62%	64%	73%	78%
Fastest Serve Speed	125	129	126	126
Average 1st Serve Speed	117	119	117	111
Average 2nd Serve Speed	94	98	93	91

Clearly the stats above tell us the picture of how this one playersingle handedly has changed the landscape of tennis. If one looks at the last 3finals and yesterday's performance, one can see the change in his serve %  against US Open 2010 (which he lost to Nadal). His serve points won (by almost 15%) have also improvedconsiderably along with his receiving points won showing how much hehas improved his shots. And the most important- His unforced errors  have gonedown  considerably (by 30-35)showing his accuracy on the court.

Just to wonder, at the start of Jan 2011, nobody could even thinkthat Djokovic will storm into the world of tennis uprooting the dominance ofthe two greatest players in the history of tennis! Calls for pure respectand admiration for Novak Djokovic-Hats off to him!

Also to find out more on this: don't forget to read Where There Is Djokovic. There Is A Way (My article describing how he has managed to achieve this transformation)

( PS- i will be at US Open for the coming weekend so my next post will be on Thursday. Till then, don't forget to join my Facebook Page and Twitter to catch the latest updates, pictures & videos of your favorite players. Stay Tuned!)

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com

Also: Roger Federer- Signs of Improvement Over US Open 2010 (Second Round Update)

Nadal's Service- A Potential Area Of Concern (US Open Round 1 Update)

US Open Preview: Time for Federer/Nadal Showdown Or The Name ‘Djokovic’ Will Elude Them Again?

This Article was first published on 10sballs.com as : US Open Preview: Time for Federer/Nadal Showdown Or The Name ‘Djokovic’ Will Elude Them Again? Written by: ApekshaHA on 26th August 2011

The biggest GS is all set to start from Monday! And with the draws released yesterday, it promises to be one of the most entertaining events of the year.  Before we start with the preview: here are some interesting facts:

1)   In last 20 years, only 6 times, a player has won RC and US Open together in a year.

2)   In last 20 years, only 4 times a player has won Cincy and US Open together in a year.

3)  Only 3 players have won RC and Cincy in last 20 years (So not a surprise that Djokovic felt a bit tired at the end of Cincy. These back to back masters take a toll on players physically as well as mentally )

4)  In last 20 years, only two players (Pat Rafter and Andy Roddick) have won all RC, Cincy and US Open           together!

5)  Of the current lot, only 4 players have won US Open in last 8 years:Roger Federer (5), Rafael Nadal, Juan Martin Del Potro and Andy Roddick. Dominance of RF!

After watching the draws yesterday, it was no surprise that Federer/Djokovic ended in the same draw and Nadal/Murray in the other.  Such is the dominance of these 4 at present that it is hard to recognize the effort of Ferrer being No.5 or Gilles Simon climbing up from 43 to being seeded no. 12 at present in US Open. 

Novak Djokovic: He has an easy draw for US Open until SF where he can possibly meet Federer. If Nole’s shoulder is alright, he shouldn’t have much of a problem reaching SF. Berdych/Monfils might be waiting in QF but I don’t think they are still ready to take down the best player of the year so far.

Roger Federer: He has a comparatively tougher draw in the top 4 but it might be actually good for him this year. As we saw in FO SF, glimpses of old Roger, it’s a strong possibility that getting a tough draw might awaken the champion in him. Frankly speaking, after winning 16 GS, You need something extraordinary to reignite yourself and this might be the trigger to show to the whole world- What RF is all about! So Tsonga/Fish/Cilic might be there, but if I were you, I would want to put my money on RF. If he doesn’t win this one, after 2003, it will be the first year without a GS for him.

Rafael Nadal: For him, it is a perfect draw  where he can easily reach SF and must be feeling confident. His poor performances prior to US Open does not account for his competence as playing in a GS is a totally different stage. It could be a repeat of last year when he played his best tennis at US Open. He might face Ferrer against whom he has 13-4 record and not withstanding that Ferrer might still have after effects of left hand injury! So a cakewalk for Nadal if he doesn’t let his emotions get better of him and play it out tough.

Andy Murray:He looks quite upbeat after his Cincy win. He has one major threat though -Del Potro in his way. Since Soderling will be coming back from an injury, I don’t see him leaving any mark. Del Potro hasn’t been consistent this year so I would want to pick Murray till SF. Plus Murray has 5-1 record against him! Wawrinka is also there but I think this time Murray is well prepared to take him on and battle out the tough conditions in New York- Thanks to his training session in Miami at 100F!

My Semi-Final pick would be Djokovic/Federer and Nadal/Murray. Federer will be double motivated if he faces Djokovic as no one has been able to defeat Nole this year except him so he would want it to keep it that way. Although if Djokovic’s shoulder is fine by then , it will be a showdown to watch and probably the second best match of the year! (Also the most awaited match, more than Fedal or Nadal/Djokovic match). In Nadal/Murray - I will pick Nadal. Although Murray will be motivated to defeat him as already his counterpart Djokovic has done it-5 times a year- So he has a point to prove this year. But after seeing his match against Fish, at crucial moments, people will agree a touch of frustration still creeps up in his play. Although Mardy was not able to capitalize on it, Nadal is not that sort of a player to let go of this weakness easily. Wimbledon SF a perfect example!

In the end, I will go for a FEDAL final and Federer would be my pick this year to win!

I will pick Mardy Fish as my dark horse- he is the one out of all (Del Potro, Sodering/Ferrer etc) who can cause a real upset and if he does that, then I think there is no stopping Djokovic from claiming his first US Open title! Also one thing to remember- The curse of Federer is something to keep in mind: Del Potro, Tsonga & Berdych;) Need I say more!

(For exciting updates on US Open, you can follow my Facebook Page,Twitter Account or Site) 

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com

Also: Is Nadal ready for US Open?

Not Tennis Anymore, It’s Officially Battle of Minds - Djokovic, Nadal and Federer- Part 2

This Article was first published on 10sballs.com as : 

www.­10sballs.­com/­2011/­08/­23/­not-­tennis-­anymore-­it’s-­officially-­battle-­of-­minds-­djokovic-­nadal-­and-­federer-­part-­2/ Written by: ApekshaHA on 23rd August 2011

INSIGHT INTO NADAL'S MIND AND HIS BATTLE AGAINST DJOKOVIC:

Just 8 months back, Nadal was at the top of the world recording easy wins over his opponents. It seemed that nothing can go wrong and was being thought of as the top contender to surpass Federer's record of 16 GS.

And all of a sudden, a wave free of Gluten hits him and knocks him down from his World No. 1 ranking as well as Wimbledon Crown.

5 times in a row, after being called as the best,you lose to a person who you defeated 12 times and he rips you apart clueless! Imagine yourself - Best worker year in and year out –Suddenly your co-worker (2 places down since 3-4 years) comes and takes away the crown not once-5 times! No matter how hard you try, you are not able to surpass him/her at work-place.

Result- You are bound to feel demotivated ,loss of self-belief in yourself no matter how many close ones tell you that remember you are the best! At least I will!Will coming second or beating other colleagues even matter to you?

Nadal who was the best all of a sudden has lost two rounds quite early!  The main reason, I feel, is the loss of self-belief, and the mind wanting to reverse his results against Djokovic! When he lost once or twice to Djokovic this year, he thought he would be able to bounce back! He believed he was the best- that’s why he defeated everyone in French Open/Wimbledon. He thought he can defeat Djokovic but now after 5 times, his confidence has been finally shaken and his mind can see a repetition of trend! Really started to doubt his game! And that’s why, although he is still the same, his mind has one thought-Will he be able to defeat Djokovic ever?

What I am trying readers to understand is the psychology of a human mind! Nadal is no different. He is also human. No matter as fans of Nadal, we would want him to win thinking why has he all of a sudden started to play so vulnerably, is his game over? My answer- No, simply because- he is still amongst the best. It’s just that he is trying to find a solution to defeat Djokovic. And once he does that, he will return to normal! 

We can look at Federer, after 2008 he has not been the same old Federer we were so used to see! Why? Because he still hasn’t been able to find a convincing answer to Nadal! And the trend has reversed for Nadal- with Djokovic posing a mental battle to his mind! I believe that till the time, he finds an answer to Djokovic, no matter where and against whom his wins are- he won’t be the same Nadal we have known since 2006.

HOW CAN HE OVERCOME DJOKOVIC?

It’s a step by step process:  A father took his boy (who was very good at mountain climbing) to the biggest mountain in the country and told him to climb that! He tried to climb, he failed. Tried it for multiple times, and still the same result. So the father after seeing this told the boy- you have been the best since last 5 years, stop thinking this is the biggest mountain- break it down into small goals and think you can do it! And when your mind poses doubt or fear, just think of me and moments when you have climbed mountains like this! And the boy thus climbed the mountain.

1) Shut out his mind about the past and stop thinking about Djokovic as the unstoppable machine:When Nadal played in Wimbledon- the thoughts of losing to Djokovic this year were present in his mind! And he admitted the thoughts had an effect on him! This time when he plays Djokovic, He will have to take the match game by game. Look at Federer when in French Open at 5-2 he crumbled and gave away the match.  Especially at the crucial points, he will have to shut out his mind.

2) Find out someone to look upto at crucial points:I know it’s difficult to shut out your mind- it is bound to go back, at those moments, he will have to find or think of someone ( & certainly his family can help showing positive signs and believing in him) whom he can look up to and give him the  strength and belief that he can win during the game. The outbursts of his father and family during Wimbledon could have made anyone nervous!

We all have one such person in our lives- Whenever I am in toughest of situations- I think about 1993- Wimbledon Finals (Steffi Graf against Jana Novotna 1-4 down 30-40 in the third set and how she managed to win Wimbledon) & instantly my fears vanish -be it my exams, interviews or anything!  My mind is instilled with a belief and confidence!  Only if at 5-4, In Wimbledon Final, Nadal could have not committed those 2 unforced errors! And no guesses why those two happened at crucial points!

And Nadal himself said last week - He didn’t suffer that much, the reason why it’s a bit tough on him.For Nadal fans: In words of Helen Keller:

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved."

So Nadal right now is in phase 1 of suffering and if we go by words of great Helen Keller, he is bound to rebound back and achieve success!                                                                                                                                      

I will be back with Part III On Federer! Stay tuned!(For updates, you can follow my Facebook Page, Twitter Account or Site) 

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com

Also:Not Tennis Anymore, It’s Officially Battle of Minds - Djokovic, Nadal and Federer- Part 1