Infosys launches new digital stats features for men’s ATP tennis
As part of its partnership with the ATP Tour, IT consultancy Infosys has developed a new range of online data-driven features for fans of men’s tennis, delivering real-time insights and analysis.
Tennis trainspotters will be in for a treat with ICT consultancy Infosys launching a fresh suite of match stats and analysis tools for even greater immersion in the game – the latest in its string of innovations as part of its partnership with the ATP Tour dating back to 2015. Underpinned by extensive real-time data, the new features and statistical insights will cover more than 60 ATP Tour events each season from around the world.
“The revamped stats center is another significant landmark as we navigate into the 7th year of our successful journey with the ATP,” said Infosys chief marketing officer Sumit Virmani. “The application of digital technologies is now becoming increasingly important in sports and business. As strategic partners in the digital roadmap and vision for the ATP, we are delighted to jointly bring innovative experiences to the world of tennis.”
Accessible via the ATP tour website (as this piece is being written, two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray trails current world number 3 Alexander Zverev by a set in their third round clash at Indian Wells), the new features include ‘MatchBeats’, which allows users to pick up on possible match trends with written and graphical point-by-point inputs of service speed and rally lengths, along with a description of the point’s conclusion.
The feature also includes filters and auto-generated insights. For example, filtering for aces, a small flashing tennis ball icon appears above one of Murray’s aces. Hovering over the icon tells readers that Murray has sent down a 210 kilometre thunderbolt to open the match (service speeds are also helpfully provided in miles).
Scrolling along, the dashboards shows that Zverev has eclipsed this later in the first set with a 219 km/h effort of his own.
Other new features include match stats that can be sorted by their significance – for example, Murray has gained a 14 percent advantage in second serve return points won, but this is naturally ranked below Zverev’s advantage in break points converted for its impact on the match – along with filterable rally analysis and stroke summary tabs rich with data. To date, Zverev has won the bulk of the points with rallies of between 5 and 8 shots; more or less, and the score’s even.
Lastly, and most grandly, is the pivotable 3D CourtVision feature, which can also be used in 2D mode. Returning to Murray’s first serve of the match, and switching to ‘player view’ for that authentic experience, a moving yellow trajectory line shows that the ace out wide on the ad court landed about a foot from the corner of the service box and rose to a height of 5.2 feet – leaving the viewer, or Zverev for that matter, with no chance to return it.
“As an organisation we are constantly looking for new ways to make the experience of our sport more compelling," commented Daniele Sano, the ATP’s Chief Business Officer. "Tennis is incredibly data-rich, and Infosys has both technological expertise and passion for tennis to bring it to life in an intuitive way. We are excited for fans to interact with these new features and look forward to future digital innovation together with Infosys.”
Post-note: Alexander Zverev defeated Andy Murray 6-4, 7-6.