The Coin Toss
Every pro tennis match starts with a coin toss and the match “strategy” begins at that moment when the player makes “the choice”. A player can choose to serve or to receive or choose the side of the court OR choose to let the other player choose. It is
very rare for a player to choose the last option, but there is a bit of “gamesmanship” and pressure on a player who does that in a way.
Most players always choose to serve or receive based on whether they have a lot of confidence in their serve! Rarely, a player will choose the side rather than choosing to serve/receive because he/she won’t know which side he/she will end up serving from first in that scenario. There are also situations where a player chooses to receive hoping to break the other player in the first game, figuring he/she may be more susceptible to being broken in the first game compared to later in the match. Roger Federer, who would usually choose to serve, opted to receive when he faced rising young American, Ryan Harrison, at the recent BNP Paribas Open. Harrison, who was obviously nervous on such a big occasion, started off with two straight double faults and lost the game at love. “Advantage Federer” before the first ball was hit by his shrewd coin toss choice!
Most players always choose to serve or receive based on whether they have a lot of confidence in their serve! Rarely, a player will choose the side rather than choosing to serve/receive because he/she won’t know which side he/she will end up serving from first in that scenario. There are also situations where a player chooses to receive hoping to break the other player in the first game, figuring he/she may be more susceptible to being broken in the first game compared to later in the match. Roger Federer, who would usually choose to serve, opted to receive when he faced rising young American, Ryan Harrison, at the recent BNP Paribas Open. Harrison, who was obviously nervous on such a big occasion, started off with two straight double faults and lost the game at love. “Advantage Federer” before the first ball was hit by his shrewd coin toss choice!
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