A chronometric analysis of the return of serve in wheelchair tennis

The time constraints associated with the return of serve in professional wheelchair tennis have yet to be established so the importance of advance (pre-contact) information and anticipation are unknown. The aim of this study is to quantify these time constraints and examine how temporal and task-related factors (e.g. serve number and serve accuracy) influence return outcomes. Video footage of 369 returns-of-serve by 19 players competing in 13 matches from international tournaments was used to calculate ball transit time and serve accuracy, together with the returner's movement initiation time, movement time, quality of position just before they contacted the ball, and effectiveness of the shot. The time constraints for first and second serves were compared and linear multilevel modelling was used to determine the relationship between the timing variables and the shot outcome variables. Movement initiation time was the same for first and second serves. Faster and more accurate serves predicted a more defensive returner position and lower ratings of return effectiveness; however, movement initiation time was a non-significant predictor. The implications of these results for the importance of early visual information sources in wheelchair tennis are discussed.