a Top 20 player who wins the first set will go on to win the match 89.6 percent of the time! At the U.S. Open when Jimmy Connors has won the first set he has won the match eighty-eight out of ninety times! Winning the first set, then, carries significant weight. And getting off to a strong early start significantly boosts my chances of winning the first set. That’s why I’m so conscientious about preparing for the beginning of a match. It’s why you should do the same.
