Tuesday, 24 January 2023 / Published in Australian Open, Ben Shelton

Ben Shelton. The Biggest Serve In Tennis

G’day from Melbourne! 🇦🇺🐨

Twenty-year-old Ben Shelton has emerged as the sensation of the 2023 Australian Open. He has navigated his way to the tournament’s quarter-finals, where he takes on fellow American Tommy Paul this afternoon at 2.30 pm. Here are his results to the quarters.

Rd 1 def. Z Zhang 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(4)
Rd 2 def. N. Jarry 7-6(3), 7-6(3), 7-5
Rd 3 def. A. Popyrin 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-4
Rd 4 def. J.J. Wolf 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 6-2

Several elements of his game are simply spectacular. Here’s a snapshot of 10 match metrics highlighting what makes Shelton so good.

1: Fastest Serve Of The Tournament = 141.7 mph (228 km/h)

Shelton owns the fastest serve of the tournament, which was a 141.7 mph (228km/h) bomb he hit in the opening round. Shelton’s service motion drips of power. The lefty initially leans forward and then rocks back onto his back foot to build power and momentum. He then slides his back foot up and gets into a deep knee bend before launching himself up into contact. There is a tremendous use of the legs, and it certainly appears he is driving up into contact much more than other players.

Here’s a serve speed comparison from his Rd4 victory over JJ Wolf.

Fastest 1st Serve

Shelton = 226 km/h
Wolf = 216 km/h

Average 1st Serve Speed

Shelton = 196 km/h
Wolf = 181 km/h

Fastest 2nd Serve

Shelton = 189 km/h
Wolf = 173 km/h

Average 2nd Serve Speed

Shelton = 168 km/h
Wolf = 152 km/h

Shelton has hit 61 aces so far for the tournament while only committing 18 double faults. His serve is incredibly impressive.

2. Service Games Won = 95% (Tournament Average = 81%)

Shelton has served 84 times to the quarter-finals, winning 80 of them. That’s good for 95.2%, which leads the tournament in Service Games Won. His ability to stay in matches just with his serve alone means he is going to be so tough to beat against any opponent.

3. Break Points Saved = 11/15

Of the six players left in the tournament, Shelton and Djokovic lead the pack with the lowest number of break points faced. Here’s the list.

Break Points On Serve (remaining six players)

Djokovic = 12
Shelton = 15
Paul = 27
Rublev = 32
Khachanov = 33
Tsitsipas = 49

As you can clearly see, Djokovic and Shelton are in a class of their own in not letting opponents get to break points on serve.

4: Unreturned 1st Serves = 49% (Tournament Average = 37%)

Shelton is tied in 12th place in this category, with 151 of 308 first serves not coming back into play. Of the six remaining players in the tournament, he is the leader

Unreturned 1st Serves

Shelton = 49%
Paul = 46%
Khachanov = 46%
Rublev = 44%
Tsitsipas = 42%
Djokovic = 39%

5: Unreturned 2nd Serves = 28% (Tournament Average = 17%)

Shelton is tied for 7th overall with the highest percentage of unreturned 2nd serves. His first serve is big. His second serve is big as well and helps him keep points short when serving. He is the best of the remaining six players in the tournament.

Unreturned 2nd Serves

Shelton = 28%
Tsitsipas = 25%
Paul = 19%
Djokovic = 17%
Rublev = 15%
Khachanov = 12%

6: 2nd Serve Points Won = 65% (Tournament Average = 51%)

This outrageous stat is helping propel him deep into the second week. Typically, if you can win half of your second serve points, that’s generally a success. The tournament average at the moment is 50.6% (5113/10098). Shelton is wayyyy above that at 65% (123/189). Here’s how he has performed so far in the tournament.

2nd Serve Points Won

Rd 1 = 58%
Rd 2 = 70%
Rd 3 = 66%
Rd 4 = 69%

7: Average Rally Length = 3.25 shots

Shelton loves to play “first strike” tennis. He thrives on it, and it gives his opponents no rhythm to wear him down or expose a potential weakness. Here’s the average rally length of the six players left in the tournament.

Average Rally Length

Shelton = 3.25 shots
Tsitsipas = 3.68 shots
Rublev = 3.78 shots
Khachanov = 4.71 shots
Paul = 5.02 shots
Djokovic = 5.03 shots

8: Shelton = 67 Forehand Winners

Shelton’s forehand is his dominant shot from the back of the court. Here is his performance to the quarter-finals.

Forehands

67 winners
148 errors

Backhands

19 winners
121 errors

Being a lefty adds another offensive dimension to his ground game. He loves to take big cuts at the ball and can blast winners from anywhere on the court.

9: Serve & Volley = Won 76%

Shelton has served and volleyed 33 times so far in the tournament, winning a very healthy 25 of them. That is by far the most of the six players left in the draw.

Serve & Volley Points Played

Shelton = 33 (won 25/33)
Djokovic = 18 (won 14/18)
Tsitsipas = 13 (won 10/13)
Paul = 7 (won 4/7)
Rublev = 4 (won 2/4)
Khachanov = 3 (won 2/3)

Look for Shelton to mix in serve and volley against Paul. The reason why is to stop Paul from blocking/chipping/floating returns back slow and deep. If Paul has to also respect a possible serve and volley play, it will naturally create more return errors.

10: Baseline Points Won = 51% (263/516) – Tournament Average = 47%

With a huge serve and solid returns, Shelton would not be expected to have a high winning percentage from the baseline. But he actually does. Winning 51% of baseline points is a good number for him. He loves to take big cuts from the back of the court off both wings and lands enough heavy blows that opponents don’t want to drop anything short.

Baseline Points Won: Six Players Remaining

Djokovic = 57%
Khachanov = 52%
Shelton = 51%
Rublev = 51%
Tsitsipas = 50%
Paul = 46%

Shelton plays with a free spirit and without fear from the back of the court. He is going to play big against Paul and force as many errors as possible.

Summary

Ben Shelton is the youngest American in the Top 100. I think he is also the most exciting and possesses the most upside. I can’t wait to sit courtside today and watch him play Tommy Paul this afternoon on Rod Laver Arena.

Best of luck to both players!

Craig

The practice court is clearly broken. Here’s the proof.

Points are "front loaded". By far the majority of the action, and the winning, takes place in THE FIRST 4 SHOTS. The practice court is full of long rallies. Matches are dominated by short rallies. There is a massive disconnect occurring.

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There are 3 specific rally lengths in tennis. Here is their percentage breakdown of total points.

0-4 Shots = 70%
5-8 Shots = 20%
9+ Shots = 10%

The First 4 Shots is specifically the serve, return, Serve +1 groundstroke and Return +1 groundstroke. Those are normally the shots that get practiced the least, but matter the most to winning tennis matches.

The net is an extremely high percentage place to be!

If you love playing tennis for fun, spend as much time at the baseline as you like. But if you compete – if the score matters – then you must turn your attention to the net to maximize your potential.

The “herd mentality” in tennis thinks it’s too tough to approach the net in today’s game. The conversation starts with improved string technology, more powerful rackets, and finishes with stronger, faster athletes. The herd think approaching is a relic of the past. The herd is WRONG!

AVERAGE WIN %
Baseline = 46%
Net = 66%

Data from ALL Grand Slams provides the facts about approach and volley, and the data is crystal clear – it’s immensely better than staying back at the baseline, grinding for a living.

The baseline is a tough place to create separation. Here's how to do it.

At the 2012 US Open, only 7 men and 14 women had a winning percentage from the baseline. At Wimbledon 2016, Andy Murray won the title only winning 52% of his baseline points - and he is one of the very best at it in the world!

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Forcing Errors = 41% Men / 37% Women
Winners = 32% Men / 29% Women
Unforced Errors = 27% Men / 34% Women

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Every recorded match from the 2015 Australian Open - Rd2 to the final.

There is a lot happening on a doubles court. Situations and strategies are constantly being adjusted to create mis-matches with court position. It's hard to keep track of - until now. Dou8les Num3ers is the most comprehensive analysis of doubles data in our sport. The focus is on how a point ends, and it's broken down eight ways to Sunday. Specifically, you find critical information on:

Winners rise to the #1 way a point ends (over forced & unforced errors)

- The last shot of the rally is overwhelmingly struck at the net.
- Center Window: the most important part of a doubles court to control.
- Stephen Huss: an in-depth interview on Wimbledon's Centre Court with the 2005 Wimbledon Doubles Champion.

Dou8les Num3ers leaves no stone unturned. Percentage breakdowns of how often the server or receiver hits the last shot highlight the dramatic influence of the serve. The last shot of the rally is significant, and is broken down into the following categories: volleys, overheads, passing shots, lobs and groundstrokes.

When you play a match, you actually play two matches.

When you walk out onto a tennis court, there are two matches that you are about to play. The first is during the point - a part of the match that you have spent a lot of time preparing for on the practice court. But there is a second match, that takes place in the 20 seconds between the points. This is where the mental and emotional aspects of our sport kick in.

Let's face it, there will be adversity in almost every tennis match that you play. The storm clouds are coming. How bug they are, and how long they last for, are up to you.

Between the points is very tennis specific. It provides a roadmap for the 20 seconds between the points, teaching how to handle the adversity that will surely come, and how to build on the successes that will also be present. Your mind is your biggest asset in a match, and Between the Points takes your hand off the self destruct button and stops you beating yourself.

You don't have to be good at everything, but you have got to be good at something.

You can break tennis down into four key elements - serving, returning, rallying and approaching. Each part has specific patterns of play that consistently deliver higher winning percentages than the others. No more guessing. No more opinions. All facets of our sport are covered in this exceptional product, clearly outlining what patterns to gravitate to, and how to best construct the practice court. Data comes primarily from the 2015 Australian Open.

Building Blocks

MEN = 70% errors / 30% winners
WOMEN = 74% errors / 26% winners

Forcing errors is the best way to construct a point.
You can simply break tennis down into primary and secondary patterns of play - and they are all covered here. Primary patterns include serve and return direction, forehands v backhands, and the best way to approach the net. Secondary patterns include drop shots, serve & volley and 1st volley options. If you play tournaments, this product will greatly help you simplify the singles court.

The conversation starts & ends with the Center Window.

The doubles court is like an hourglass. There are two big ends, but a small neck in the middle where all the action happens. Once you learn the power of the Center Window, where you stand to start the point will take on a lot more significance.

Doubles is a lot more about situations, with four people on the court all "dancing" with one another. Learn all the best doubles patterns, broken down for the server, returner, server's partner and the returner's partner.

Doubles Situations

The "J" - the most ideal movement for the returner's partner to attack the net.

The "V" - a better way of understanding where the server's partner should move to.

Volley Targets - there are four main areas to attack. Know which ones are higher percentage. Beach Volleyball - the idea of a "setter" and "spiker" is ideal for the doubles court.

There are certain parts of the court that the ball travels to a lot, and other low percentage areas that you really don't want to cover at all - like the alley! In general, the serving team wants to keep the ball in the middle of the court as much as possible (to help the server's partner), while the returning team benefits from hitting wider and creating more chaos in the point.

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