Tournament Round Research Articles

Analysis and prediction of unforced errors in men's and women's professional padel.

The aims were to I. assess the differences in unforced errors between men's and women's professional padel players, II. assess the differences in unforced errors between winners and losers of the set in professional padel players, III. analyse the evolution of unforced errors in professional padel. To do this, the unforced errors (which are provided by World Padel Tour (WPT)) were collected from 2,567 sets (1,476 men's sets and 1,091 women's sets) corresponding to matches from the final draw (round of 32, round of 16, quarterfinals, semi-finals and finals) of tournaments on the WPT men's and women's circuits during 2016 to 2022 seasons, which are available on the WPT YouTube channel and on the WPT TV website. The results with respect to the first aim indicate that the number of unforced errors was higher in women's padel than in men's, regardless of the set number, tournament round, season and court. With respect to the second aim, not committing unforced errors is a fundamental factor in professional padel to win the sets. Finally, regarding the third aim, the number of unforced errors decreased as the seasons progressed; therefore, to win, players should not only have to pass the ball without missing, but they might have to hit winners or generate forced errors of the opponent.

Using network science to analyze tennis stroke patterns

This research aimed to describe and quantify the stroke patterns profiling professional tennis players by constructing a complex network specifically related to ball bounce locations. A total sample of 16,863 points from 127 Australian Open matches played by 128 male tennis single players were gathered and scrutinized for creating the bipartite tennis stroke network (TSN) with court zones divided into 40 nodes. Afterwards, network metrics were used to assess the prominence of different court zones: in/out-degree centrality (I/ODC), eigenvector centrality (EC), betweenness centrality (BC) and shortest-path length. The results showed that zone-5 (zone-36) and zone-8 (zone-33) generally had higher levels of zone utilization considering their I/ODC, EC and BC. Zone-8 (zone-33) to zone-33 (zone-8) turned out to have the least short path length with a value of 0.0008 in all paths which had the most path utilization. Moreover, different rally lengths and tournament rounds can lead to a series of stroke patterns. As the tournament rounds progressed from the 1st round to the final, the consistency in ball bounces of the zones tended to decrease during short to medium or long rallies. Future investigations and sport performance analysts could adopt the TSN method to analyze tactics and specific striking styles of individual players.

An assessment of the relationships between ball flight results, impact factors, and golf performance

PurposeThe aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between golf players’ performance, impact factors, and ball flight results with individual clubs when performing a full swing.MethodsThe study involved 9 amateur golfers who performed a full swing test with 4 different clubs (short, middle, long iron, and driver) and then played a tournament round of golf. The players’ performance was assessed by handicap and by game statistics from the tournament. The ball flight results were based on the resulting carry distance and the resulting side deviation from the target line. The impact factors were the initial ball speed, the club head speed, the smash factor, the face angle, the club path, and the face to path. Relationships between the players’ performance, impact factors, and ball flight results were investigated.ResultsA significant relationship was found between the resulting ball flight distance and handicap for long iron (<i>r</i> = –0.85; <i>p</i> < 0.01) and driver (<i>r</i> = –0.9; <i>p</i> < 0.01). Conversely, the resulting ball flight side deviation from the target line correlated with handicap in short iron (<i>r</i> = 0.78; <i>p</i> = 0.02).ConclusionsBall flight distance of long iron and driver and ball flight side deviation of short iron are key attributes of performance. The results suggest that in order to improve long term performance, players should aim for maximal distance with drivers and long irons (high smash factor) and for maximal accuracy with short irons (low face angle).

Analysis of Game Performance Indicators during 2015-2019 World Padel Tour Seasons and Their Influence on Match Outcome.

A better understanding of the demands of in-game competition demands may improve coaching strategies, training designs, and injury prevention programs. However, there is limited information regarding performance analysis in professional padel. This study aimed to analyse performance indicators and their influence on match outcomes regarding sex, tournament round, and set number. The sample contained 1070 sets from 532 matches of the 2016 to 2019 World Padel Tour seasons. Variables including sex, round, game result, stroke effectiveness, and break points were registered through systematic observation. A non-parametric approach was applied to evaluate differences between sex, match outcome, and tournament round. The results showed significant differences between winners and losers regarding sex in break points (male d = 2.13, p = 0.00; female d = 2.22, p = 0.00), smash winners (male d = 0.85, p = 0.00; female d = 0.69, p = 0.00), groundstroke winners (male d = 1.01, p = 0.00; female d = 1.18, p = 0.00), volley winners (male d = 1.08, p = 0.00; female d = 0.91, p = 0.00), and errors (male d = 0.76, p = 0.00; female d = 0.65, p = 0.00). Furthermore, differences in shot effectiveness between winners and errors increased in the last set of the match and in the last round of the tournament (p < 0.05). Therefore, shot effectiveness seems to be a key factor in professional padel that distinguishes between winning and losing players. Such knowledge may have implications in the design of appropriate game strategies and specific training sessions to improve performance and to prevent sport injuries.

Injury incidence, severity and profile in Olympic combat sports: a comparative analysis of 7712 athlete exposures from three consecutive Olympic Games

ObjectivesTo describe and compare the epidemiology of competition injuries in unarmed combat sports (ie, boxing, judo, taekwondo and wrestling) in three consecutive Olympic Games.MethodsProspective cohort study using injury data from...

Tennis influencers: The player effect on social media engagement and demand for tournament attendance

Understanding the interest of sports fans in professional tennis has valuable operational and marketing implications for tournament organisers, marketeers, player sponsors and the media. In sports, professional tennis in particular, the player effect on social media user engagement is still elusive. Using data from the 2019 Australian Open grand slam period, the authors examine Adler’s (1985) theoretical construct in the context of sports and social media. A social listening tool is used to probe more than 2 million posts and comments mentioning elite male and female tennis players on four major social media channels: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, over the grand slam period. It is shown that the effect of professional tennis players on social media user engagement extends beyond their talent. A selection of players had a strong positive impact on prompting social media activity, even after accounting for factors related to their performance, the tournament rounds in which they were featured and the opponents against whom they played. Furthermore, the connection between social media research and sports economics is considered by examining the relationship between a player’s effects on social media engagement and her/his differential influence on demand for tickets at the Australian Tennis Open. The authors further discuss how the social media star influence can be used, in combination with other quantitative measures, to optimise tennis tournament scheduling, determine player appearance fees and lift participation in the sport.

The role of small bettors in price formation in betting exchanges

ABSTRACT The presence of small bettors in betting exchanges generates mispricing, which can lead to exploitation by informed traders or result in permanent price deviations. This paper shows that mispricing from this source is also dependent upon variables of established relevance such as tournament round, the level of attention to the event, the volume of the betting, and bet type, further confirming these findings by means of cumulative accuracy profile (CAP) curves. It also offers evidence of the relevant role played by the type of device used to place the bet, whereby higher mispricing is observed in live bets placed via a mobile device, which appears to be associated with impulsive betting. This last finding could have practical implications for the regulation of the use of mobile devices to access gambling platforms.

Momentum in tennis: Controlling the match

Although many studies examine if players in sports and especially in tennis bene t from a psychological or physiological boost (momentum) none examine whether the set score as a dependent variable or tournament rounds as independent variables are important determinants when assessing momentum. We empirically investigate whether professional female and male tennis players benefit from momentum. In contrast to previous work, we nd players we find players bene t from momentum as long as they control a match. Once players lose control over a match, they have a signi cantly lower chance to win the next set than their opponent. This loss of control results in what we call anti-momentum.

Energy expenditure and lactate concentration in sports dancers in a simulated final round of the standard style competition

PurposeTo determine the energy expenditure in dancers and the nature of energy transformations which take place during a simulated final round of sports dance competition in standard style.MethodsThe study involved 6 sports dancing couples in highest dance classes (4 couples in S class, 2 couples in A class) according to WDSF (World Dance Sport Federation). There were two phases of the study. The first phase was to determine anthropometric indices, the second – to carry out a simulation of a tournament round in standard style. During a simulated final round of sports dance competition, heart rate (HR) and lactate concentration (La–) were measured, respiratory indicators were recorded (VO&lt;SUB&gt;2&lt;/SUB&gt;, VCO&lt;SUB&gt;2&lt;/SUB&gt;, RER), and energy expenditure was calculated.ResultsThe VO&lt;SUB&gt;2&lt;/SUB&gt; values rated during each round differed statistically significantly between the group of men and women, (34.59 ± 3.82 ml • min&lt;sup&gt;–1&lt;/sup&gt; • kg&lt;sup&gt;–1&lt;/sup&gt; and 44.18 ± 4.34 ml • min&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; • kg&lt;sup&gt;–1&lt;/sup&gt;; F = 41.07, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.01). The mean respiratory exchange ratio was 1.08 ± 0.07 in men and 1.06 ± 0.07 in women. During a round, the lactate concentration increased, and at the end, after the last dance, it reached the value of 12.9 ± 2.1 mmol • l&lt;sup&gt;–1&lt;/sup&gt; in women and 13,3 ± 2.7 mmol • l&lt;sup&gt;–1&lt;/sup&gt; in men. The energy expenditure after the completed round in men was 16.6 ± 1.3 kcal • min&lt;sup&gt;–1&lt;/sup&gt; and was higher than in the group of women, 10.7 ± 1.0 kcal • min&lt;sup&gt;–1&lt;/sup&gt; (F = 3.67;&lt;i&gt; p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.01). The highest energy expenditure in all subsequent dances was noted during quickstep.ConclusionsThe study results complement the knowledge on the intensity of dance effort and confirm that the dance effort during sports competition is one of the heavy forms of physical activity based on aerobic and anaerobic energy processes. Therefore, the periodization of dance couple training process should considerably take into account the implementation of training loads that would help building solid aerobic and anaerobic capacity.

The match demands of international rugby sevens

The purpose of this study was to quantify the global match demands of international rugby sevens and to compare the match demands of forwards and backs, and between tournament rounds. To assess the match demands, global positioning system (GPS) and video analysis were collected from 27 international rugby sevens players from the same team across an entire International Rugby Board Sevens World Series season. Differences in running demands and match activities between forwards and backs were mostly trivial and small (ES = 0.05–0.84) while differences in running demands and match activities between Pool and Cup rounds were trivial (ES = 0.001–0.12). Cup round matches showed an increase in long-duration ball-in-play sequences (proportion ratio 0.46). These findings suggest international rugby sevens forwards and backs experience similar match demands while overall match demands remain consistent across tournament rounds.

Medical Reasons Behind Player Departures From Male and Female Professional Tennis Competitions

Background: The number of retirements, withdrawals, and “lucky losers” (the replacement of a player who withdraws before the start of the tournament by a losing player from the qualifying round) from professional tennis tournaments has increased, but the reasons behind such departures have not yet been analyzed. An official consensus statement has been conducted to allow a general categorization of injuries in tennis. Purpose: To determine the reasons for departure and injury rates in professional tennis. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: All reasons for departures were collected from official Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) web pages. All tournaments apart from the 4 major competitions (the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open) were included for the period 2001-2012 for men and women. Personal data, tournament information, surface, match setting, date, and reason were obtained for each departure scenario. Results: Variations in departure and injury rates were seen throughout the season. Women left and were injured significantly more than men. Women mainly left because of thigh injuries, whereas men left mainly because of back injuries. Playing surface only had an influence on the risk of lower back injuries. Only women’s departures were affected by the tournament round. Conclusion: A high number of departures from tournaments have occurred during the past 10 years on the ATP and WTA circuits. Injuries were the main reasons of these departures, regardless of the type of departure and player sex. The back and thigh were the main locations of injuries for men and women, respectively.

SEEDING IN THE NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT: WHEN IS A HIGHER SEED BETTER?

A number of methods have been proposed for predicting game winners in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) annual men’s college basketball championship tournament. Since 1985, more than 70% of the teams in the fourth, fifth, and sixth rounds of the tournament have been high-seeded teams (i.e., teams assigned seeds of one, two, or three); a method that can accurately compare two such teams is often necessary to predict games in these rounds. This paper statistically analyzes tournaments from 1985 to 2009. A key finding is that there is an insignificant difference between the historical win percentages of high-seeded teams in each of the fourth, fifth, and sixth tournament rounds, which implies that choosing the higher seed to win games between these seeds does not provide accurate predictions in these rounds, and alternate predictors or methods should be sought. Implications on gambling point spreads are discussed.

Are the official world golf rankings biased?a

Golf is a global sport with professional golfers playing on many organized tours throughout the world. The largest and most important tours for male professionals include the PGA Tour, European Tour, Japanese Tour and Asian Tour. The Official World Golf Ranking, or OWGR, is a system for ranking male professional golfers on a single scale. We say a ranking system is unbiased if otherwise identical golfers who happen to play on different tours have the same (or very similar) ranks. In this paper, we investigate whether the OWGR system is biased for or against any of the tours, and if so, by how much. To investigate any potential bias, we compare the OWGR system with two unbiased methods for estimating golfer skill and performance. The first is a score-based skill estimation (SBSE) method, which uses scoring data to estimate golfer skill, taking into account the relative difficulty of the course in each tournament round. The second is the Sagarin method, which uses win-lose-tie and scoring differential results for golfers playing in the same tournaments, to rank golfers. Neither the score-based skill method nor the Sagarin method use tour information in calculating player ranks, and therefore neither method is biased for or against any tour. Using data from 2002 to 2010 and comparing the results ranks from the OWGR and score-based methods, we find that PGA Tour golfers are penalized by an average of 26–37 OWGR ranking positions compared to non-PGA Tour golfers. Qualitatively similar results are found when comparing OWGR and Sagarin ranks. In all cases, the bias is large and statistically significant. We find a persistent bias through time and also find that the bias tends to be the largest for golfers with SBSE ranks between 40 and 120.

Do Professional Golf Tour Caddies Improve Player Scoring?

In this article, we compare daily scoring from the 1980s in periods when professional golfers were required to use local caddies at the Western Open professional golf tournament at Butler National and at the Masters professional golf tournament at Augusta National with daily scoring in adjoining periods when golfers could use their tour caddies in these tournaments. We have found daily scoring to be approximately one stroke lower in the tour caddy periods after controlling for player quality, weather, tournament round, and course changes.

Seed distributions for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament

Bracketology, the art of successfully picking all the winners in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) annual men’s Division I college basketball championship tournament, has become a favorite national activity. In spite of the challenges and uncertainty faced in this endeavor, patterns exist in how the seeds appear in each round, particularly the later rounds. This paper statistically analyzes tournaments from 1985 to 2010, finding that the distribution of seeds that win in the rounds beyond the Sweet Sixteen can be modeled as a truncated geometric random variable. This model allows one to consider any set of seeds in each tournament round and compute the probability that these seeds would win in that round; this methodology can evaluate the likelihood of each seed combination in each tournament round, based on past tournament history. Finally, each tournament from 1985 through 2010 is analyzed using this model to assess its likelihood and measure the probability of its occurrence.

A study of the tournament model with female managers

Reports the findings of the first study to test the tournament model of careers with female managers. Follows the careers of 3,800 women in a large internal labour market firm. Investigates the signals of early promotions, career velocity, education, tenure and entering position. Examines the relationships between these signals and career attainment. The results do not show the strong support of the tournament model that research with men has found. Using the variables previously found in the literature to be related to career attainment for men does not explain a major proportion of the variance for women. Suggests that the tournament model may not apply to women in organizations or women may be placed in different tournaments from men. Purports that women may have certain career paths on entering an organization regardless of the tournament rounds they win or that other signals affect women’s career attainment.

Social Psychological Aspects of Competition for Male Youth Sport Participants: III. Determinants of Personal Performance Expectancies

This field study examined predictors of generalized and specific performance expectancies for 76 male wrestlers, ages 9 to 14 years, who participated in the first two rounds of a competitive wrestling tournament. Generalized expectancies were defined as the participants' overall expectancies for successful performance. Specific expectancies were operationalized by asking wrestlers to indicate how sure they were about winning each of their first two tournament matches. High generalized expectancies were predicted by high self-esteem, greater outcome success in the preceding tournament, and boys' perceptions of (a) greater parental and coach satisfaction with their season's performance and (b) a lack of noncontingent performance reactions by their parents. Then high generalized expectancies, along with high perceived wrestling ability and perceptions of greater adult satisfaction with the season's performance, predicted high specific expectancies for the first tournament round. High specific expectancies for the second round were predicted by high generalized expectancies and high perceived wrestling ability. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for a nomological network of wrestlers' specific performance expectancies.

Social Psychological Aspects of Competition for Male Youth Sport Participants: IL Predictors of Performance Outcomes

This field study investigated sport-related and psychological predictors of children&amp;#x0027;s performance outcomes (win-loss) across two consecutive rounds of a competitive wrestling tournament. The 76 wrestlers studied were 9- to 14-year-old boys, and the sport-related variable examined involved their years of competitive wrestling experience. The psychological predictors investigated were the participants&amp;#x0027; prematch performance expectancies and their characteristic prematch cognitions including: (a) worries about failure and (b) concerns about the performance expectations and evaluative reactions of their parents and coach. The data for each round were separately analyzed by logistic regression analysis. The most influential and stable predictors of performance outcomes across both tournament rounds were competitive experience and prematch performance expectancies. In addition, characteristic failure cognitions significantly predicted win-loss in the first round of the tournament. In total, win-loss was successfully predicted in 78 and 80% of the cases for round 1 and 2, respectively, by these predictors.

Social Psychological Aspects of Competition for Male Youth Sport Participants: I. Predictors of Competitive Stress

This field study investigated the influence and stability of individual difference and situational factors on the competitive stress experienced by 9- to 14-year-old wrestlers. Stress was assessed by the children's form of the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory and was measured immediately before and after each of two consecutive tournament matches. Wrestlers' dispositions, characteristic precompetition cognitions, perceptions of significant adult influences, psychological states, self-perceptions, and competitive outcomes were examined as predictors of pre- and postmatch anxiety in separate multiple regression analyses for each tournament round. The most influential and stable predictors of prematch stress for both matches were competitive trait anxiety and personal performance expectancies, while win-loss and fun experienced during the match predicted postmatch stress for both rounds. In addition, prematch worries about failure and perceived parental pressure to participate were predictive of round 1 prematch stress. Round 1 postmatch stress levels predicted stress after round 2, suggesting some consistency in children's stress responses. In total, 61 and 35% of prematch and 41 and 32% of postmatch state anxiety variance was explained for rounds 1 and 2, respectively.