Notational analysis of the professional men’s and women’s tennis a study of game strategies on hard court, viewed from the server’s perspective

The purpose of this study was to identify frequently used efficient strategies in male and female elite tennis players in Grand Slam tournaments Australian Open and U.S. Open in 2009 seen from the server's perspective. A total of 15 DVD matches were analyzed from Grand Slam Tournaments (2757 points, Men = 1,714 p, Female = 1,043 p) Australian Open (2009) and U.S. Open (2009). A total of 18 elite players (9 men, 9 women) with a world ranking in the top 30 or better were included in the study. This notational analysis was performed in video analysis software (Interplay Sport Analysis 2.1, Norway). Six different parameters were used. Results showed that male players served less to the middle of the service box and had a higher win percentage in their service games compared to the ladies. The majority of the rallies were finished within the stroke range of 1-3 strokes per rally and in zone 1 (shots performed behind the baseline) in both men's and women's tennis. The efficiency (percentage of points won) was highest in zone 3 (shots performed between the service line and the net) for both sexes. Male players used forehand shots (70%) substantially more than backhand shots (30%) directly after the return of serve and had a 10% significantly higher efficiency (p <0.05) when forehand shot were used directly after the serve. Female players used forehand (51 %) and backhand (49%) shots equally directly after the serve and had a 6% higher efficiency when forehand was used directly after the serve, however this did not reach statistical significance (p <0.2). The results also showed that specific players have some shot combinations which are more frequently and effectively used to win points in their service games. In conclusion this study demonstrate that notational analysis made through video analysis software is an effective tool for measuring strategy efficiency in both men´s and women´s elite tennis. By analyzing specific players using this method, the most frequently and effectively used game strategies in a particular match or several matches can also be identified. This can provide useful information for both players and their coaches to prepare effective game strategies.