Posts Tagged french open tennis

What’s the significance of the ninth game?

In a competitive final you could expect both players to try and play out of their skin. But, you could also expect that both would try do avoid doing anything stupid in the first set. It’s important to get off to a good start, but it’s equally important not to blow it early on. So a game of cat and mouse, probing your opponent and holding serve, is a quite likely occurance in a big match.

If the match goes to 4-4 in the first set, then an opportunity will open up in the ninth game. At this point if you can break the serve of your opponent you then serve for the set. So stepping up your game, trying a few tight or tricky shots will pay expectional dividends in the ninth game. If the game is 30-30, you are only potentially two points away from being a set up. If your opponent sends the first serve out, then you can step inside the baseline and look to get only one point from your target. The ninth game is very significant given the right circumstances.

When Soderling and Nadal step out tomorrow if they reach the ninth game they will be priced at 1.30 and 4.30, pretty much the same as they started at. One set to Nadal would see him trade at 1.13, if it went to Soderling, Nadal would be 1.72. Look at yesterdays Womans final for evidence of what happens if that ninth game is broken.

While breaks of serve are important, some are more important that others. There are many similar points throughout a match. Put yourself in the players shoes and you will soon understand where they are.

Stosur vs Schiavoone - Break in the ninth