Data Analysis of Sport Specific Variables for Performance Consistency Evaluation in Critical Moments of College Tennis Matches

Abstract

Performance under pressure typically represents a significant factor in achieving desired athletic goals and competition outcomes. Dealing with performance under pressure can be an extremely challenging task for many athletes as competitions are not necessarily decided by talent or technique alone, but also by performance quality under pressure conditions. Even though coaches and fans can be quick to claim that recognition of suboptimal or superior performance under pressure is simple, clear definitions of individual performance patterns under pressure have not yet been established. This work introduces an approach for the identification of crucial moments in college tennis matches, presents a data collection methodology designed to capture measurements and observations of college tennis specific variables, and proposes data analysis procedures designed to evaluate performance quality in crucial moments of college tennis competitions. The crucial moments of college tennis matches were defined as a newly introduced variable, called the crucial point, and its identification was based on match scores. The study data were collected with 15 college tennis players in 60 tennis sessions using two wearable sensors. College tennis specific parameters evaluated in the study were swing speed and heartrate variables. The obtained results showed specific performance data pattern relationships between the study variables and the identified crucial points. The results provide evidence that the presented performance under pressure evaluation model, if developed further, could help college tennis coaches and players to develop individually tailored game plans and strategies to improve their chances for success in crucial moments of their college tennis competitions.