Set-Level Strategic and Psychological Momentum in Best-of-Five Matches in Professional Tennis
8 Pages Posted: 7 Sep 2021
Date Written: 2021
Abstract
We provide a theoretical and empirical analysis of the set-level strategic and psychological momentums in best-of-five contests where players have asymmetric abilities. Theoretical predictions match observed Set 1 outcomes, the only set with no set-level psychological momentum, but do not match any other sets. We  find evidence of psychological reversal: in every set following a non-tie net score, the winner of the previous set underperforms as compared to theoretical predictions.
Keywords: tennis, best-of-N tournaments, contests
JEL Classification: Z20, L83, C73
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Depken, Craig A. and Gandar, John and Shapiro, Dmitry, Set-Level Strategic and Psychological Momentum in Best-of-Five Matches in Professional Tennis (2021). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3907627 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3907627
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