Wheelchair Tennis Match-Play Demands: Effect of Player Rank and Result.

PURPOSE: To examine the heart rate (HR) response and court movement variables during wheelchair tennis match-play for high (HIGH) and low (LOW) performance ranked players. Analysis of physiological and movement-based responses during match-play offers an insight into the demands of tennis, allowing for practical recommendations to be made. METHODS: Fourteen male, open-class players were monitored during tournament match-play. A data logger was used to record distance and speed. HR was recorded during match-play. RESULTS: Significant rank by result interactions revealed that HIGH winners covered greater forwards distance than HIGH losers (P<0.05) and had higher average (P<0.05) and minimum (P<0.01) HRs than LOW winners. LOW losers had higher average (P<0.01) and minimum (P<0.001) HRs than LOW winners. Independent of result, a significant main effect for rank was identified for maximum (P<0.001) and average (P<0.001) speed, and total (P<0.001), reverse (P<0.001) and forwards-to-reverse (P<0.001) distance, with higher values for HIGH. Independent of rank, losing players experienced higher minimum HRs (P