Stats Wrap: Championship Sunday at the Veolia Austin Open

Lakeway, Texas.

March 17 and 18, 2024.

MIXED DOUBLES FINAL:

(4) Anna Bright and Andrei Daescu def. (1) Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns, 11-3, 11-9, 11-3.

MATCH NOTES:

• Windy conditions.
• Waters and Johns lost only twice last year, and one of those was in pool play.
• Daescu won his first two PPA gold medals today.

RALLIES:

935 shots.

97 rallies.

9.6 shots per rally.

32.3 rallies per game.

60/97 rallies were 9 shots or less. (61%)

37/97 rallies were 10 shots or more. (39%)

Shortest: 1 shot (0), 2 shots (6), 3 shots (7), 4 shots (6).

(19% of the rallies were four shots or fewer.)

Longest: 38, 38, 29.

(2 rallies were 30 shots or more. 8 were 20+.)

THIRD SHOTS:

Bright: 13 drops, 3 drives. (81% drops)

Daescu: 6 drops, 31 drives. (16% drops)

Bright/Daescu: 19 drops, 34 drives. (35% drops)

Waters: 7 drops, 6 drives. (53% drops)

Johns: 7 drops, 18 drives (28% drops)

Waters/Johns: 14 drops, 24 drives. (36% drops)

Third Shot Totals: 33 drops, 58 drives (36% drops)

***Missed Serves/Returns/Third Shots***

Bright: (5). 1 return net, 1 return long, 1 third shot drop wide, 1 third shot drive wide, 1 third shot drive net.

Daescu: (1). 1 return long.

Waters: (2) 1 return net, 1 third shot drive net.

Johns: (4). 2 returns long, 1 third shot drive long, 1 third shot drop net.

***Third Shots Kept in Play***

Bright: 13/16 = 81%

Daescu: 37/37 = 100%

Waters: 12/13 = 92%

Johns: 23/25 = 92%

SPEED-UPS:

I counted the instances when a regular dinking rally or dinking opportunity was accelerated, and that shot or the ensuing hand-battle led directly to the end of the rally. (therefore, not including speedups that were eventually re-set during the same rally, or when a team became clearly defensive.) Here are those “starts”, and the ensuing result for that -team-.

Bright: initiated and won 2, initiated and lost 2.

Daescu: initiated and won 4, initiated and lost 5.

Bright/Daescu: initiated and won 6, initiated and lost 7. (46% success rate)

Waters: initiated and won 8, initiated and lost 6.

Johns: initiated and won 1, initiated and lost 8.

Waters/Johns: initiated and won 9, initiated and lost 14. (39% success rate)

Speed-up Totals: In the instances I counted, the team that initiated the speed-up won 15 and lost 21, for a 41% success rate.

DINKS INTO THE NET OR WIDE: (Unstressed, “regular” dinks. Not speed-ups, blocks, etc.).

Bright: 2

Daescu: 2 

Waters: 3

Johns: 3

RALLIES ENDING IN THREE SHOTS OR LESS (excluding winners): 12.

GOOD FUNDAMENTALS: The two categories above accounted for only 22% of the rallies.

CLEAN WINNERS: (No net-cord, no opponent’s paddle).

Bright: 2

Daescu: 9 

Waters: 3

Johns: 2

(16% of the rallies ended with a clean winner)

HIGHLIGHT REEL: (ATPs, Ernes, etc.)

Bright: 2 ATPs, 1 Erne.

Daescu: 2 Ernes.

Waters: 1 Erne defended.

Johns: 1 ATP defended.

OFFENSIVE LOBS: none

VOLLEYS INTO THE NET:

Bright: 4

Daescu: 7

Waters: 3

Johns: 7

GAME POINTS:

Bright/Daescu: Won 3 out of 4.

Waters/Johns: none.

TIME OUTS: Did the team that called time out win the next rally? (excluding video reviews)

Bright/Daescu: Won 1, Lost 1.

Waters/Johns: Won 1, Lost 3.

DVR ALERT:

• Game One, 3-9-2: Match-high 38-shot rally ends with Daescu winner.
• Game One, 9-3-1: Another 38-shot rally.
• Game One, 9-9-1: Anna Bright avoids getting hit by a ball landing out of bounds.
• Game Three, 10-3-2: Daescu Erne on championship point.

WOMEN’S DOUBLES FINAL

(3) Anna Bright and Rachel Rohrabacher def. Catherine Parenteau and Anna Leigh Waters, 11-4, 3-11, 11-6, 11-8.

MATCH NOTES: 

• Windy conditions.
• First loss for Parenteau and Waters since they joined together in Dec. 2022.
• Parenteau and Waters fended off nine championship points.

RALLIES:

1,351 shots.

155 rallies.

8.7 shots per rally.

38.7 rallies per game.

103/155 rallies were 9 shots or less. (67%)

52/155 rallies were 10 shots or more. (33%)

Shortest: 1 shot (2), 2 shots (6), 3 shots (13), 4 shots (12).

(21% of the rallies were four shots or fewer.)

Longest: 33, 31, 29.

(2 rallies were 30 shots or more. 7 were 20+.)

THIRD SHOTS:

Bright: 19 drops, 10 drives. (65% drops)

Rohrabacher: 16 drops, 32 drives. (33% drops)

Bright/Rohrabaher: 35 drops, 42 drives. (45% drops)

Parenteau: 14 drops, 32 drives. (30% drops)

Waters: 9 drops, 15 drives (37% drops)

Parenteau/Waters: 23 drops, 47 drives. (32% drops)

Third Shot Totals: 58 drops, 89 drives (39% drops)

***Missed Serves/Returns/Third Shots***

Bright: (3). 1 third shot drive wide, 1 third shot mishit, 1 third shot drop net.

Rohrabacher: (5). 1 serve net, 1 return net, 1 return long, 1 third shot drive long, 1 third shot drive net.

Parenteau: (5). 2 returns long, 1 third shot mishit, 1 third shot drive net, 1 third shot drop net.

Waters: (4). 1 serve net, 1 return long, 1 third shot drive long, 1 third shot drive net.

***Third Shots Kept in Play***

Bright: 26/29 = 89%

Rohrabacher: 46/48 = 95%

Parenteau: 43/46 = 93%

Waters: 22/24 = 91%

SPEED-UPS:

I counted the instances when a regular dinking rally or dinking opportunity was accelerated, and that shot or the ensuing hand-battle led directly to the end of the rally. (therefore, not including speedups that were eventually re-set during the same rally, or when a team became clearly defensive.) Here are those “starts”, and the ensuing result for that -team-.

Bright: initiated and won 9, initiated and lost 4.

Rohrabacher: initiated and won 11, initiated and lost 5.

Bright/Rohrabacher: initiated and won 20, initiated and lost 9. (68% success rate)

Parenteau: initiated and won 9, initiated and lost 3.

Waters: initiated and won 7, initiated and lost 8.

Parenteau/Waters: initiated and won 16, initiated and lost 11. (59% success rate)

Speed-up Totals: In the instances I counted, the team that initiated the speed-up won 36 and lost 20, for a 64% success rate.

DINKS INTO THE NET OR WIDE: (Unstressed, “regular” dinks. Not speed-ups, blocks, etc.).

Bright: 6

Rohrabacher: 6

Parenteau: 2

Waters: 3

RALLIES ENDING IN THREE SHOTS OR LESS (excluding winners): 17

GOOD FUNDAMENTALS: The two categories above accounted for only 21% of the rallies.

CLEAN WINNERS: (No net-cord, no opponent’s paddle).

Bright: 5

Rohrabacher: 14

Parenteau: 5

Waters: 3

(17% of the rallies ended with a clean winner)

HIGHLIGHT REEL: (ATPs, Ernes, etc.)

Bright: none.

Rohrabacher: none. 

Parenteau: 1 Erne.

Waters: none.

OFFENSIVE LOBS: none

VOLLEYS INTO THE NET:

Bright: 9

Rohrabacher: 10

Parenteau: 6

Waters: 10

GAME POINTS:

Bright/Rohrabacher: Won 3 out of 12.

Parenteau/Waters: Won 1 out of 2.

TIME OUTS: Did the team that called time out win the next rally? (excluding video reviews)

Bright/Rohrabacher: Won 3, Lost 0.

Parenteau/Waters: Won 1, Lost 2.

DVR ALERT:

• Game Three, 1-0-2: 29-shot rally.
• Game Three, 8-4-2: 31-shot rally.
• Game Three, 8-10-2: Match-high 33-shot rally.

MEN’S DOUBLES FINAL

(4) Andrei Daescu and Matt Wright def. (9) Christian Alshon and Zane Navratil, 11-4, 11-9, 11-4.

(Stats unavailable. The video feed is incomplete and unusable due to weather conditions)

MEN’S SINGLES FINAL

(1) Ben Johns def. (2) Federico Staksrud, 11-5, 11-7.

MATCH NOTES:

• Fifth straight final for Staksrud this year.
• Johns’ 35^th career PPA singles title.

CLEAN WINNERS: (No net-cord, no opponent’s paddle).

Johns: 5, including 4 on the third shot.

Staksrud: 6, including 2 on the third shot.

ERRORS on SERVES and RETURNS:

Johns: (4). 0 on serves, 4 on returns.

Staksrud: (9). 1 on serves, 8 on returns.

BASELINE DRIVE ERRORS:

Johns: 3, including 3 on the third shot.

Staksrud: 5, including 3 on the third shot.

WINNERS/ERRORS PLUS/MINUS (from above):

Johns: -2.

Staksrud: -8.

LONGEST RALLY: 12 shots. (Game Two, 3-0.)

GAME POINTS:

Johns: Won 2 out of 2.

Staksrud: none.

TIME OUTS: Did the player that called time out win the next rally? (excluding video reviews)

 Johns: none.

 Staksrud: Won 0, Lost 1.  

DVR ALERT:

•  none.

WOMEN’S SINGLES FINAL

(4) Judit Castillo def. (16) Kaitlyn Christian, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7.

MATCH NOTES:

• First PPA Final for both players.

CLEAN WINNERS: (No net-cord, no opponent’s paddle).

Castillo: 17, including 6 on the third shot.

Christian: 20, including 1 on the third shot.

ERRORS on SERVES and RETURNS:

Castillo: (6). 2 on serves, 4 on returns.

Christian: (6). 1 on serves, 5 on returns.

BASELINE DRIVE ERRORS:

Castillo: 9, including 6 on the third shot.

Christian: 4, including 1 on the third shot.

WINNERS/ERRORS PLUS/MINUS (from above):

Castillo: +2.

Christian: +10.

LONGEST RALLY: 18 shots. (Game One, 0-0)

GAME POINTS:

Castillo: Won 2, Lost 2.

Christian: Won 1, Lost 2.

TIME OUTS: Did the player that called time out win the next rally? (excluding video reviews)

Castillo: Won 4, Lost 0.

Christian: Won 0, Lost 2.  

DVR ALERT:

•  Game One, 7-8: Castillo ‘Tweener.
• Game Three, 5-4: Christian great side-to-side coverage.