Analysis of game variables in a tennis match during a national tournament in Costa Rica

Abstract

Abstract: The number of tennis players has increased during the last decades in Costa Rica. Having a better development of the sport especially on the junior players is one of the reasons why it is important to apply the Human Movement Sciences resources to analyze the sport characteristics during a game in these categories. 

Methodology: subjects were 36 young players from 12 to 18 years old, 18 women and 18 men. The players participated in the third junior national tournament from the Costa Rican Tennis Federation (FCT) in the U-14, U-16 and U-18 categories. The data from each game included: forehand strokes, backhand strokes, serves, double faults, winners, unforced errors, strokes per point, played points, games, points per game, duration of points, duration of the full game and effective time of the game. Descriptive data is provided as well as the results from 2 ways ANOVAS (13).

Results: eleven variables showed statistical significance in the differences between genders and categories. In addition, a game profile was made for the two genders in the three age categories showing the competition tendency for each category.

Conclusions: the descriptive game profile during the competition for the six categories showed statistical differences in eleven of the thirteen studied variables. This finding can be used to develop training protocols for Costa Rican tennis players in the Junior division and to understand how the competition works in each category.