Stats-Wrap: Vulcan Indoor National Championships Finals

Quick hits from the gold medal matches at the Indoor National Championships:

• First PPA Tour titles for James Ignatowich (Singles and Mixed Doubles) and Dylan Frazier (Men’s Doubles)
• Women’s Doubles had stats that surpassed any PPA gold medal match from 2022: Shots (3,022), Shots per rally (16.4), Shots in one game (931), total offensive lobs (34), and individual offensive lobs (20, Kovalova).
• Men’s Doubles: Federico Staksrud hit 19 third shot drives and zero third shot drops.

The gold medal matches appear in the following order:

• Mixed Doubles
• Men’s Doubles
• Women’s Doubles
• Men’s Singles
• Women’s Singles

***STATS BREAKDOWN***

PPA National Indoor Championships, Lakeville, Minnesota, February 26, 2023.

MIXED DOUBLES FINAL: Catherine Parenteau and James Ignatowich defeated Lauren Stratman and Julian Arnold, 11-4, 11-5, 9-11, 11-5.

RALLIES:

1,433 shots.

139 rallies.

10.3 shots per rally.

46.3 rallies per game.

84/139 rallies were 9 shots or less. (60%)

55/139 rallies were 10 shots or more. (40%)

Shortest: 1 shot (0), 2 shots (4), 3 shots (12), 4 shots (6).

(15% of the rallies were four shots or fewer.)

Longest: 44, 37, 33.

(5 rallies were 30 shots or more. 14 were 20+.)

THIRD SHOTS:

Frazier: 30 drops, 11 drives. (73% drops)

Johnson: 18 drops, 16 drives. (53% drops)

Frazier/Johnson: 48 drops, 27 drives. (64% drops)

Tellez: 19 drops, 22 drives. (46% drops)

Staksrud: zero drops, 19 drives (0% drops)

Tellez/Staksrud: 19 drops, 41 drives. (31% drops)

Third Shot Totals: 67 drops, 68 drives (48% drops)

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

Frazier: (6). 1 return-long, 2 third shot drives-net, 1 third shot drive-long, 2 third shot drops-net.

Johnson: (6). 1 return-net, 2 third shot drives-net, 1 third shot drive-wide, 2 third shot drops-net.

Tellez: (4). 1 return-long, 1 return-net, 1 third shot drop-net, 1 third shot drive-long.

Staksrud: none.

***Third Shots Kept In Play***

Frazier: 41/46 = 89%

Johnson: 34/39 = 87%

Tellez: 41/43 = 95%

Staksrud: 19/19 = 100%

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-.

Frazier: initiated and won 5, initiated and lost 3.

Johnson: initiated and won 11, initiated and lost 8.

Frazier/Johnson: initiated and won 16, initiated and lost 11. (59% success)

Tellez: initiated and won 8, initiated and lost 15.

Staksrud: initiated and won 2, initiated and lost 8.

Tellez/Staksrud: initiated and won 10, initiated and lost 23. (30% success rate)

Speed-up Totals: In the instances I counted, the team that initiated the speed-up won 26 and lost 34, for a 43% success rate.

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

Frazier: 2

Johnson: 4

Tellez: 7

Staksrud: 1

RALLIES ENDING IN THREE SHOTS OR LESS (excluding winners): 16.

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

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

Frazier: 8

Johnson: 14

Tellez: 6

Staksrud: 8

(26% of the rallies ended with a clean winner)

HIGHLIGHT REEL: (ATPs, Ernes, etc.)

Frazier: 1 Erne defended.

Johnson: 1 ATP.

Tellez: 1 ATP defended, 3 Ernes.

Staksrud: 2 ernes.

OFFENSIVE LOBS: none.

VOLLEYS INTO THE NET:

Frazier: 2

Johnson: 6

Tellez: 7

Staksrud: 8

GAME POINTS:

Frazier/Johnson: Won 3 out of 6.

Tellez/Staksrud: none.

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

Frazier/Johnson: none.

Tellez/Staksrud: Won 2, Lost 0.

DVR ALERT:

• Game One: 3-6-2, nice scrambling rally.
• Game Two: 8-3-2, Tellez and Staksrud both Erne.
• Game Three: 3-5-1, Match-high 44-shot rally.

MATCH NOTES:

• First PPA Tour title for Frazier, and the first PPA title for Frazier and Johnson as teammates.
• This was the first Men’s Doubles final for both Staksrud and Tellez.
• Stat of the match: Staksrud: zero third shot drops, 19 third shot drives.

**STATS BREAKDOWN***
PPA National Indoor Championships, Lakeville, Minnesota, February 26, 2023.

WOMEN’S DOUBLES FINAL: Callie Smith and Lucy Kovalova defeated Lea Jansen and Allyce Jones, 3-11, 11-8, 13-11, 12-10.

RALLIES:
3,022 shots.
184 rallies.
16.4 shots per rally.
46 rallies per game.
67/184 rallies were 9 shots or less. (36%)
117/184 rallies were 10 shots or more. (64%)

Shortest: 1 shot (1), 2 shots (1), 3 shots (9), 4 shots (3).
(7% of the rallies were four shots or fewer.)

Longest: 94, 66, 61, 52.
(24 rallies were 30 shots or more. 33 were 20+.)

THIRD SHOTS:
Kovalova: 12 drops, 7 drives. (63% drops)
Smith: 64 drops, 8 drives. (88% drops)
Kovalova/Smith: 76 drops, 15 drives. (83% drops)
Jones: 51 drops, 14 drives. (78% drops)
Jansen: 16 drops, 10 drives (61% drops)
Jansen/Jones: 67 drops, 24 drives. (73% drops)
Third Shot Totals: 143 drops, 39 drives (78% drops)
***Missed Serves/Returns/Third Shots***
Kovalova: (4). 1 serve-long, 1 third shot drive-net, 1 third shot drive-long, 1 third shot drop-net.

Smith: (2). 1 third shot drive-long, 1 third shot drop-net.

Jones: (3). 1 return-long, 1 third shot drive-long, 1 third shot drop-net.

Jansen: none.
***Third Shots Kept In Play***
Kovalova: 19/22 = 86%

Smith: 72/74 = 97%

Jones: 65/67 = 97%

Jansen: 26/26 = 100%

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-.

Kovalova: initiated and won 5, initiated and lost 3.
Smith: initiated and won 16, initiated and lost 17.
Kovalova/Smith: initiated and won 21, initiated and lost 20. (51% success)
Jones: initiated and won 7, initiated and lost 7.
Jansen: initiated and won 15, initiated and lost 14.
Jansen/Jones: initiated and won 22, initiated and lost 21. (51% success rate)
Speed-up Totals: In the instances I counted, the team that initiated the speed-up won 43 and lost 41, for a 51% success rate.

DINKS INTO THE NET OR WIDE: (Unstressed, “regular” dinks. Not speed-ups, blocks, etc.).
Kovalova: 5

Smith: 7

Jones: 5

Jansen: 11

RALLIES ENDING IN THREE SHOTS OR LESS (excluding winners): 9.

GOOD FUNDAMENTALS: The two categories above accounted for only 19% of the rallies.

CLEAN WINNERS: (No net-cord, no opponent’s paddle).
Kovalova: 10

Smith: 12

Jones: 11

Jansen: 13

(25% of the rallies ended with a clean winner)

HIGHLIGHT REEL: (ATPs, Ernes, etc.)
Kovalova: none.

Smith: 1 ATP, 2 Ernes.

Jones: 1 ATPs, 1 ATP defended.

Jansen: none.

OFFENSIVE LOBS: 34.

Kovalova: (20). 16 in, 4 out. Of the 16 in, won 6 of those rallies and lost 10.

Smith: (3), 2 in and lost those rallies, 1 out.

Jones: (11). 10 in and 1 out. Of the 10 in, won 6 of those rallies and lost 4.

Jansen: none.

VOLLEYS INTO THE NET:
Kovalova: 4

Smith: 7

Jones: 8

Jansen: 8

GAME POINTS:
Kovalova/Smith: Won 3 out of 11.
Jansen/Jones: Won 1 out of 6.

TIME OUTS: Did the team that called time out win the next rally? (excluding video reviews)
Kovalova/Smith: Won 3, Lost 2.
Jansen/Jones: Won 3, Lost 3.

DVR ALERT:

• Game Two: 0-0-2, three offensive lobs.
• Game Two: 7-6-1, 61 shots and an Erne.
• Game Three: 10-8-1, Jones ATP.
• Game Three: 10-8-2, 52 shots with an ATP and ATP defended.
• Game Four: 10-10-2, Match-high 94-shot rally.
  
  MATCH NOTES:
• The next-to-last rally of the match was 94 shots.
• Jansen and Jones had one game point in Game Three and lost that game, then four game points in Game Four and lost that game also.
• 34 offensive lobs. (28 in, 6 out)
• Kovalova’s PPA Tour-leading 17th women’s doubles title.
• 3,022 shots. The most shots in any PPA gold medal match last year was 2,466.
• Game Three had 931 shots, more than the total in any single game in a PPA gold medal match last year.

***STATS BREAKDOWN***

PPA National Indoor Championships, Lakeville, Minnesota, February 26, 2023.

MEN’S SINGLES FINAL: James Ignatowich defeated JW Johnson, 11-1, 11-8.

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

Johnson: 6, including 1 on the third shot.

Ignatowich: 12, including 1 on the third shot.

ERRORS on SERVE, RETURN, THIRD SHOT:

Johnson: 15

Ignatowich: 11

LONGEST RALLY: 15 shots.

GAME POINTS:

Johnson: none.

Ignatowich: Won 2 out of 8.

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

Johnson: Won 1, Lost 1.

Ignatowich: Won 1, Lost 1.

DVR ALERT:

• Game Two: 2-5, Ignatowich reflex-winner.
• Game Two: 8-10, Match-high 15-shot rally.

MATCH NOTES:

• Johnson won four PPA singles titles in 2022.
• Ignatowich won his first PPA Tour titles today (singles and mixed doubles)

***STATS BREAKDOWN***

PPA National Indoor Championships, Lakeville, Minnesota, February 26, 2023.

WOMEN’S SINGLES FINAL: Catherine Parenteau defeated Lea Jansen, 2-11, 11-6, 11-5.

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

Jansen: 14, including 2 on the third shot.

Parenteau: 10, including 3 on the third shot.

ERRORS on SERVE, RETURN, THIRD SHOT:

Jansen: 8.

Parenteau: 8.

LONGEST RALLY: 16 shots.

GAME POINTS:

Jansen: Won 1 out of 1.

Parenteau: Won 2 out of 2.

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

Jansen: Won 2, Lost 1.

Parenteau: Won 1, Lost 2.

DVR ALERT:

• Game One: 9-2, Match-high 16-shot rally.
• Game Two: 3-6, 13-shot rally with nice Jansen defense.
• Game Two: 9-6, 14-shot rally with a Jansen ATP and Parenteau ATP defended.

MATCH NOTES:

• Parenteau trailed 0-5 in Game Three, then scored 11 points on 11 rallies.