Analysis of tactical situations of elite Turkish tennis players in terms of ‘5 game situations’

Abstract

This study analyzes the tactical situations of elite Turkish tennis players in terms of “5 game situations” (serve, baseline play, return of serve, net play, playing against a net player).

           The data were obtained by examining the video records of 94 matches, 44 of which were between women, and 64 of which were between men tennis players, attending adults’ championship of Turkey (2008 Winter Cup). The women tennis players were of 167,30±6,12 cm, 61,22±6,23 kg and 17,70±3,44 years old, while the men were of  176,10±6,43cm, 74,46±6,83 kg and 21,34±4,77.

            The statistical analyses of the data were made with the help of SPSS 15.0. T test was applied in order to see whether there was a difference between the game situations’ of men and women tennis players, and (P< 0.05) was accepted as significance level.

According to the study, there were significant differences (p<0.05). among of men tennis players: serve(2.stroke), aces, double fault, serve(1.stroke) and serve(2.stroke) winning strokes, in serve game; forehand and backhand winning and loss strokes in baseline play game; backhand winning stroke, forehand and backhand loss strokes in return of serve game; winning strokes in net player game.

Women tennis players: serve (2.stroke), aces, double fault, serve (1.stroke) and serve (2.stroke) winning strokes, in serve game; forehand and backhand winning and loss strokes in baseline play game; forehand winning strokes, forehand and backhand loss strokes in return of serve game; forehand loss strokes in playing against a net play game: winning strokes in net player game.

            As a result, both female and male tennis players won the match in the serve and baseline play scores to the game situation has reached higher scores than the other game situations. Lost game scores baseline and the return of serve in game play conditions were made ​​more errors than the other game situations. All this information can be used by coaches and to establish optimum training programmes and tactics for their players.