Bia Haddad has an advantage in the 1st serve over number 1 – 06/07/2023 – Sport

The first Brazilian to reach the semifinals of the open era of Roland Garros, tennis player Bia Haddad, 27, has an above-average first serve, which could be a weapon in the most important dispute of her career so far.

At 1.85 meters tall, she has an advantage in the opening service in relation to great opponents in the female ranking, including the world number 1, the Polish Iga Swiatek, who she faces this Thursday (8) to try to guarantee a place in the French championship final.

Starting with the number of aces – points made directly on the serve. Bia’s average is 2.42 per game versus 1.50 for the Polish player, considering the number of games each played in 2023.

The Brazilian has a 70.8% success rate in the first service. It is above Swiatek (65.8%) and performs better than the average of the top ten in the professional ranking (62.4%). The data analyzed by Sheet consider the 2023 matches of the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association), which governs the circuit.

Bia usually confirms her service (winning the game in which she is serving) 75% of the time, in the match with the ten best placed –since she can reach the ranking, at the end of the tournament, if she wins this Thursday. The Polish woman surpasses her in this regard: she won in 82% of the games in which she was in control of the serve this year.

The tennis player is entitled to two attempts at serves per point, which allows him to risk more on the first service, with more strength and direction in the angles. Bia’s first serve is very fast (he reached almost 190 km/h in 2022, the fastest of the season, according to a Statista report), which increases his chances of aces.

The problem, in relation to the Polish opponent, is the maintenance of the service as a whole. The number 1 in the world may not show a first serve as powerful as Bia’s, but, when she misses, she guarantees herself in the second and commits fewer double faults (when a player misses both serves).

In 2023, Bia made more aces, but also committed more double faults than her opponent (2.5 per game, against just 1.2 for No. 1). Although it’s just one of many strokes, the serve has important weight in a tennis player’s set, giving him the pace control of a point.

Bia scored 49.6% of the second service against 55.6% of the Polish player in this year’s matches.

In the game against the Tunisian Ons Jabeur, number 7 in the world, Bia scored three aces. The serve was an important ally in the second set, when she started to turn the game around, as well as her ability to save break points (how much an athlete has a chance to win a game in which the opponent is the server).

This is another positive mark from Bia, who saved 58% of break points this year. The average of the top ten is 59%, and the Polish, 50% – who sometimes faces tougher opponents for being at the top of the ranking.

Bia reached the semifinal after beating Jabeur by 2 sets to 1, 3/6, 7/6 (7/5) and 6/1, in 2 hours and 29 minutes of play.

Since Maria Esther Bueno reached the semifinals at the 1968 US Open, no Brazilian had reached the bottom four for a Grand Slam title, which brings together the four biggest tennis tournaments in the world.