James vs Rooney, Super8 Final: Some takes

Here are some quick data-driven takes from Patrick Rooney's victory over Declan James at the AJ Bell Super8 Final last week.

Rooney consistently hit more shots cross court than James, who’s known for his quality channel hitting.

This pattern was most visible in backhand shots from mid-court: James hit 8 out of 10 shots from mid-left down the line, Rooney 4 in 10.

From the front left, Rooney hit shots to all over. James opted for cross court or counter drop.

James’ counter drop or cross court pattern was even more visible from the front right:

Much has been said about Rooney’s high fitness levels at the AJ Bell. Small sample, but he won all 7 rallies over 25 shots in length against James:

On the backhand, Rooney hit Winners cross court to deep. On the forehand, he hit Winners with straight volleys:

James seemed to quicken the tempo in Game 2 and Game 3: fewer shots with place taken off and more shots volleyed. His high percentage of shots with pace taken off in Game 1 might also represent retrievals from Rooney’s stroke play: