Novak Djokovic has done it again – it’s his fourth ATP Masters final in a row against Rafael Nadal and also a fourth win.

So what is Djokovic doing right now that consistently allows him to beat everyone including Rafael Nadal who is currently ranked #1 in the world?

Novak Djokovic beats Rafael Nadal for the fourth consecutive time (AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLARO)

While we could dig deep into statistics and try to figure out all the small differences, I believe the answer is actually quite simple.

The difference is Novak’s ability to play with pace and accuracy off both sides. That’s it.

Players who are able to consistently play with high pace off both sides have been successful in the past against Nadal. Read the rest of this entry »

So far people are talking about how Nadal and Djokovic have officially usurped Federer’s throne for good.  But there is something much deeper here.

Roger Federer in action / Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images

Something that I think may change the way pro tennis is played for many years to come.

Federer alluded to this when he lamented the fact that hard courts are so slow now that they play like clay.

It is no secret that the game has been slowed down considerably over the last few years.  Not only are the courts considerably slower but the balls are also heavier.

Federer grew up playing on faster courts with a game that was perfected during the 90′s.  His tennis idols were all-court players who tried to end points at the net. Read the rest of this entry »

Novak Djokovic has succeeded in winning his second Masters 1000 tournament in a row and beating Rafael Nadal for the second time in a row.

Djokovic beats Nadal in Miami 2011 final / Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

This time it was even more close than in the the Indian Wells final as Djokovic won in the tie-break in the third set.

What was very interesting when we look at the stats of the third set is how aggressive both players were on their serve.

(Note: the official stats do not record forcing shots – only clean winners. I do since they show how the point was made.

The problem with official stats which contain only clean winners and unforced errors is that if you add them up you realize that a lot of the points played were not recorded.

That’s because they are neither winners or unforced errors – but they are shots that force the opponent into errors.) Read the rest of this entry »

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal met for the 23rd time in their careers yesterday evening in the semifinals of Miami ATP 1000 Masters tournament.

I probably watched at least 20 of their 23 meetings and this time I saw again Federer self-destruct with tons of unforced errors as it happened in most of his defeats against Nadal. (Nadal leads 16:8 in head to head).

Nadal and Federer at Miami Masters 1000 / (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Let’s take a look at the stats and then I’ll share my idea of why Federer refuses to play “smarter tennis” even when he is losing to Nadal… Read the rest of this entry »

Novak Djokovic continued his unbeaten run in 2011 by defeating Rafael Nadal 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the final of the Indian Wells ATP Masters 1000 tournament.

Novak Djokovic wins Indian Wells 2011 (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

I followed the match and was noting down the stats and this time I checked whether the last shot (winner or unforced error) was a down-the-line or a cross-court shot.

It’s a well known tennis strategy to play more cross-court since the court is longer, the net is lower and we’re hitting an inside ball. (in most cases)

The down-the-line is a more risky shot therefore in general players will most likely make more unforced errors when playing down the line but also more winners – since that’s usually how the neutral rally goes into offense.

Let’s see if this was the case in this match… Read the rest of this entry »

Novak Djokovic has beaten Roger Federer for the second consecutive time and won his third Dubai ATP title.

Novak’s run of consecutive won matches is now 15 – including his wins at the Davis Cup final, Australian Open 2011 and now Dubai.

Novak Djokovic beats Roger Federer for the 2011 Dubai Title / AFP PHOTO / KARIM SAHIB

I’ve analyzed the match and found some very interesting stats. They reveal exactly why Djokovic won so easily.

Here’s are 3 main reasons why Novak Djokovic won:

1. Better serving – Novak’s first serve percentage in the first set was 85% and he won 88% of points after the first serve. Roger’s stats were 61% and 64% respectively. Read the rest of this entry »

I recently had a chance to read a book by Steven White titled Bring Your Racquet.

Steven is a professional tennis coach and a former satellite tour player and has in my opinion done a great job condensing and simplifying often complex and massive topic of tennis instruction.

His book is aimed at kids wanting to know more about tennis and is explained simple language. It’s also illustrated with cool Manga images which add the fun factor to the book.

What Topics Does The Book Cover?

Steven does a great job of covering important fundamentals of tennis technique in the first part of the book without making things complicated. Read the rest of this entry »

Novak Djokovic deservedly won his second Australian Open against Andy Murray by 6-4, 6-2 and 6-3.

Novak Djokovic wins Australian Open 2011 against Andy Murray / AFP PHOTO / WILLIAM WEST

Here are my thoughts on the match…

First Set – Both players started the match very strong. They made some unforced errors but those were actually shots where they aimed close to the lines and attacked.

Djokovic’s forehand was working really well in attacks while Murray’s forehand worked really well in defense and counter attacks.

Their backhands were almost unmissable as usual. In fact, they missed drive 2 backhands combined in the first 5 games. Read the rest of this entry »

We all have that one move we know we shouldn’t make. We use it almost involuntarily at this point, and cringe every time thereafter.

While at first it wasn’t a big problem, it’s getting to the point where we are losing points—maybe even matches—because of it.

So how do you stop the vicious cycle?

First of all, recognize that it is a cycle: it’s self perpetuating.

The two main reasons you continue falling back on poor technique or a sloppy move are:

1)      You have become accustomed to it

2)      You are not confident in another technique
Read the rest of this entry »