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Originally Posted by veloduffer
... having a game clock vs an open-ended game/match means endurance is a key factor.
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The vast majority of professional tennis matches are best-of-3 sets, and last an average of 90 minutes. Endurance isn't a big factor in those matches.
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Events like tennis and cycling require consecutive days of activity, instead of weekly or bi-weekly.
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Half the players in a tennis draw are eliminated in the first round, and have (at least) a week off before their next match.
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I'm not sure how football is more demanding than other sports - there's an average of 11 minutes of action in a typical game. It's demanding when there is action. But there's a lot of down time - separate teams for offense and defense means players may be on the sidelines for several minutes, and substitution is frequent.
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There's also a lot of down time in tennis. The average tennis point consists of 4 shots per player and lasts 10 seconds. There is 20 seconds between points and 90 seconds rest during changeovers. Overall, the duty cycle is only about 17%.
The physical demands of football are clearly not limited to endurance issues. High speed collisions with 250-350 opponents is extremely demanding on the body. There's nothing in tennis that compares to it.