How Nadal's First-Strike Strategy Smothered Djokovic
11-Oct-2020 18:55:00 | ATP World Tour
The first shot after the serve is called “Serve +1” and it’s precisely where Rafael Nadal buried Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s Roland Garros final.
Nadal defeated Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 by stamping his authority at the beginning of the rally much more than grinding the Serbian down in longer exchanges. The lopsided scoreline suggests Nadal dominated all statistical facets of the final, but he only crafted a one-point advantage (53-52) once the rally was five shots or longer.
Nadal crushed Djokovic 53-25 in the “First Strike” 0-4 shot rally length, with the third shot of the rally being by far the most influential. Overall, the point ended 32 times on the third shot of the rally, which was considerably more than any other rally length for the match.
Serve +1 Performance (3-shot rallies)
Nadal
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