Australian Open Final: Novak Djokovic vs Andy Murray- What does the stats indicate?

We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.

Novak Djokovic in recent years has been an epitome of the above quote and the way he has stamped his authority in the Fedal era has not only been mind-blowing but in certain ways very inspiring for tennis players as well.

Andy Murray, who was known for his defensive game and attitude has turned the tables around and shown to the world that he is on the path of achieving his full potential. The way he played against Roger Federer today might just be a precursor to what’s in store for this Brit.

So what does the Australian Open stats say for the mouthwatering final on Sunday:

Stats	Novak Djokovic	Andy Murray
Aces	46	71
First Serve	66%	65%
1st Serve Points Won	80%	75%
2nd Serve Points Won	66%	53%
Net Points Won	74%	72%
Break Points Won	49%	54%
Receiving Points Won	43%	47%
Winners	233	203
Unforced Errors	157	162

*includes the SF data as well.

Believe it or not, but Murray’s return game has been better in this Australian Open. He has also served 71 aces as to a mere 46 of Djokovic. But there is one area where Murray seems to be outscored by Djokovic is in the winners hit (30 more winners) and the second serve points won.

To me everything will come down to who is strong mentally throughout the match. We know Djokovic is coming after losing 2 finals and 1 SF in the last 3 Grand Slams that he has played, which can play a little bit on his mind. Murray on the other hand showed to us that in spite of the improved game and mentality, he still is a bit fragile when it comes to taking full advantage.

Both players have the arsenal to become the Australian Open champion but the question is who it will be?

I would say – The person who will play big on the points, keep his composure and wither the ferocity of his rival because even rivers someday wash dams away.

Who knows history might repeat itself and just like Nadal in 2009,  Djokovic in 2011, 2013 might be the year where Andy Murray surprises us all?

Also : Thank You Roger Federer - A Letter to the Champion.

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

Thank You Roger Federer - A Letter to the Champion.

Success is not measured by whether you win, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.

You might have lost the Semi Final match today against Andy Murray but won the hearts of millions of viewers around the world. Yes, Andy Murray played well but to me what was heartening was to see your desire and the will power to take this match to 5 sets.

Clearly in the match, Andy was playing better but not once did I see your head dropping down or in other words giving up at any point in the match. You are just six months away from turning 32. Rewind it to 2 years back, and many people had predicted your doom. I can only imagine the intensity you were playing with.  I told myself, “Step back a moment and think about it. Close to 32 and still playing his heart out to win one more point.”

Today I was inspired by the way you played when everything looked gloomy. Your opponent had come out in firing form but still you never lost hope. So many times in our own lives, we lose hope and as soon as we face a setback, we give up on our goals thinking we will not be able to reach our destination. But not you today. You might have not reached your goal but the drive and the intensity is still there. You can see it in the eyes, movement and the spirit with which you played the match.

5-6 down in the fourth set and you could have easily given up considering the way Murray was playing. But then champions don’t do that and in my mind, there is no better a champion than you at present.

Lessons that I learnt from today's match are:

1) Age is just a number.

2) The drive and the intensity is what matters in life.

3) You might not win at first but you learn from your failure and come back stronger.

4) Never lose hope even though the situation might look hopeless.

5) A true champion does not give up in face of adversity.

6) An invincible determination can accomplish almost anything and in this lies the great distinction between great men and little men.

You might have lost but I feel privileged today to be able to watch your match.  What you taught us today will always be one of the precious gifts for a Federer fan. Keep your head up as I know that the champion that you are, you will come back stronger and better in the next GS. Failure can never overtake you because your determination to succeed is stronger and it will be foolish to underestimate the heart of a champion.

Thank You Roger Federer for the wonderful match today.

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

Roger Federer vs. Andy Murray - What does Australian Open Stats indicate?

“Be the Best in whatever you do”

Known to everyone, Roger Federer has nothing to prove in this regards as he is arguably the best in tennis ever. Andy Murray on the other hand showed us glimpses last year that he is on the verge of becoming the best in the tennis at present.

With the backing of Ivan Lendl, Andy Murray has transformed his defensive style to an offensive one. Not only this, he has also improved significantly in the area of mental fortitude. Roger Federer on the other hand does not require any introduction in this field. He is undoubtedly one of the most aggressive players in the history of tennis.

So then what will decide the fate of the most awaited clash in Australian Open?

In my opinion, it will be the numbers below which can show us a glimpse of what we might have in store. Here is a summary of how both these players have played so far in Australian Open 2013:

Stats	Roger Federer	Andy Murray
Aces	43	50
First Serve	65%	66%
1st Serve Points Won	82%	76%
2nd Serve Points Won	59%	48%
Net Points Won	79%	73%
Break Points Won	29%	58%
Receiving Points Won	40%	50%
Winners	189	141
Unforced Errors	139	115

  

Roger Federer:  Clearly we can see that he is way ahead of Andy Murray in terms of his service points, net points won and winners in the tournament so far (highlighted as yellow).

Andy Murray: He has a strong advantage in the form of being one of the best returners of the game and the numbers (highlighted as blue) also shows the same. In terms of unforced errors also, he is way behind Roger Federer.

Then one might ask what has these numbers told us?

The result is very clear to me:  The player who will attack his opponent where he is unprepared will be the one who will win.  IF Roger Federer is better in his return game than Andy Murray, he is the winner.

If Murray can come out and beat Roger in the area of service points won, he will be the winner.

As Sunzi had once said, Attack your opponent where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected”.  

Federer will come out thinking Murray’s service as a weak point in his arsenal and if he can attack that, he will win. Murray will think of Federer’s return game as a weak link. If Murray can attack and win more net points and service points than Federer, he will win.

If you don’t believe me, check out the stats for Wimbledon finals and Olympics finals. You will see what I am saying because in Wimbledon Federer outplayed Murray in return points and break points won. In Olympics, Murray outscored Federer in the service points and net points won.

Just a precaution: Don’t go by the age or three and a half hours QF match of Roger Federer because age is just a number and at this level, everyone is extremely fit to recover from a five hour match as well. By the way, Did anyone see Maria Sharapova's match yesterday - It can be the same for Andy Murray. Just saying:)

Who is your pick?

For the overall hard court stats, you can go on this link: 

The Big Three (Djokovic, Federer, Murray) & Del Potro- Statistical Precursor to Australian Open 2013 – Part 1

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

Also: Roger Federer & His Secret of Success.

Will Roger Federer Bounce Back And The Myth of Age 30?

The Big Three (Djokovic, Federer, Murray) & Del Potro- Statistical Precursor to Australian Open 2013 – Part 1

“Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected”. –Sunzi.

 If Roger Federer, Andy Murray or Juan Martin Del Potro wants to stop Novak Djokovic from claiming his third Australian Open title this year, they will have to do something similar to what was said by the legendary Chinese Military General and strategist Sunzi.

No matter what people predict, every year can prove to bring in new surprises. In 2011, it was Djokovic who stunned the world by displacing Rafael Nadal from World No .1, 2012 on the other hand was the year when Murray finally claimed his first grand slam title by defeating Novak Djokovic and not to forget a year where Roger Federer proved everyone wrong by winning a Grand Slam and becoming World no.1 once again.

2013 can prove to be the same this time. Will it be the year where Djokovic will continue his supremacy, or Murray will start to dominate the tennis world? Can it be the year when Roger Federer wins his 18^th GS title or maybe just maybe Del Potro finally breaks the big 4 barrier? Or will it be the year where we will see Rafael Nadal repeating 2010 performance coming back after an injury?

I want to start the Australian Open discussion with a series of articles where we will look at the game stats of these players and let you decide who promises to be the most threatening player of all:

In my first part, let's have a look at the 2012 hard court statistics of the Big 3 and DelPotro:

2012 Hard Court Stats (%)	Novak Djokovic	Roger Federer	Andy Murray	Del Potro
First Serve	63	61	59	64
First Serve Points Won	75	79	73	76
Second Serve Points Won	57	61	53	54
Break Points Saved	69	70	64	70
Service Games Won	89	92	83	88
First Serve Return Points Won	35	31	32	28
Second Serve Return Points Won	58	50	56	53
Break Points Converted	48	44	42	41
Return Games Won	37	26	32	24

 Here is the Graphical Representation of the above stats:

 Clearly we can see that Roger Federer (the red bar) is better than the other 3 when it comes to service. But when it comes to return games, there is no match for Novak Djokovic (the blue bar) as he is way ahead of the curve. To me, these stats clearly reflect why Novak Djokovic has been the player to beat on hard courts. Overall he has the best balanced game of all the four. 

If Roger really wants to claim his 18^th GS title, he will have to improve upon his return games won%. Murray on the other hand has to improve a little bit on his overall game.

For Delpotro, it’s simple. He has to improve on his return game and also the agility part in his game. Amongst the 4, he is the least agile and flexible player. 

The statistics are pretty revealing in themselves and if someone really wants to go past Djokovic, they will have to make sure to surprise him in an area where they are not considered to be very good at. Federer did it in Wimbledon and Murray in US Open. Can they do the same in Australian Open? 

Very difficult but not impossible.

If you have any questions- You can mail me at apekshaha@gmail.com, http://twitter.com/#!/ApekshaHA or http://on.fb.me/pouTOy