Red Steps, Tennis Analytics and How IBM Watson Supports the USTA

American tennis player Madison Keys, ranked No. 14 in the world, reviews video and data produced by IBM. (Courtesy of IBM)At a meeting last year with staffers from IBM and the U.S. Tennis Association, former world No. 1 player Ivan Lendl recounted an insight he had gleaned from scouting Novak Djokovic against the player Lendl coached, Andy Murray. The Serbian star never hit a forehand down the line before the fourth shot of a rally.

Andre Agassi’s longtime strength coach, Gil Reyes, described intently watching how players stopped and restarted their lateral movement during a match. Did they stay low and push off or did they need an extra step to reverse momentum? That extra effort seemed to…