Based on the linked source; automatically prepared and checked against the original report.
Study scope
Researchers analysed video of 369 returns-of-serve by 19 players across 13 matches at international tournaments. They calculated ball-transit time, serve accuracy, movement initiation and movement duration, the player’s position before contact, and shot effectiveness. The study compared first and second serves using linear multilevel modelling.
Timing findings
Movement initiation time was the same after first and second serves. The analysis therefore examined several timing and task-related factors rather than treating serve number alone as the explanation for return outcomes. The research addressed a previously unresolved question: the time constraints facing professional wheelchair tennis players when returning serve.
Serve quality and implications
Faster, more accurate serves were associated with a more defensive return position and lower ratings of return effectiveness. Movement initiation time was not a statistically significant predictor of the outcome measures reported. The authors discuss what these findings may mean for the importance of early visual information and anticipation, while the available record does not establish treatment or training recommendations.
