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Stolen Games

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(2019; Published in Tennis Pro, publication of the Professional Tennis Registry)

Domagoj Lausic

A stolen game is a game in which both players have a winning opportunity. It has a minimum of eight points, unless a no-ad scoring system is used. For example, if a returner has a breakpoint at 30-40 and does not convert it, but the server then wins the following three points, it can be said that the server ‘stole’ that game.

Stolen games bring a great deal of stress, drama, positive and negative emotions, and uncertainty. It typically lasts much longer than a regular game. The loser of the stolen game is likely to face a negative momentum shift (face a break point if serving or suffer an easy hold if returning) during the following game.

Analysis of the 2018 Nitto ATP Tour Finals revealed that the likelihood of a break point occurring following a non-stolen game was about 25%. However, the research showed that the probability of a break point following a stolen game was significantly higher.

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