Daily Data Viz: Comparing Federer and Dimitrov's style of play
No. 3-seed Roger Federer and No. 27-seed Grigor Dimitrov will face off on Friday at the 2016 Australian Open for a spot in the fourth round. Federer and Dimitrov have met four times previously and the Swiss has won all of the matches, the most recent win coming a few weeks ago in Brisbane. Often nicknamed "Baby Fed," Dimitrov has tried to pattern his game after Federer’s, but the real question for Dimitrov is what happens to his game when he faces the player he aspires to be. Here’s a look at some key stats from their four head-to-head matches:
It basically comes down to serve, which is the cornerstone of Federer’s game. Federer’s serve performance actually gets better against Dimitrov (Federer won 80% of his 1st serves and 57% of his 2nd serves on tour in 2015) while Dimitrov’s serve performance declines (he won 75% on 1st serves and 52% on 2nd serves on tour in 2015). And most importantly, Dimitrov has not been able to take advantage of his opportunities to break Federer's serve.
Check SI.com's Australian Open Daily Data Viz hub page throughout the whole tournament for the latest data-driven infographics and charts from IBM, the official technology partner for the Australian Open. IBM captures and analyzes the data that powers all of the Grand Slams, as well as the digital platforms that extend the experience to fans around the world.
