Win three-sets sports: Game patterns, gender comparisons, and comeback analysis

We conducted a broad longitudinal survey of three sports in which the winner must win three sets to prevail: American collegiate volleyball, international table tennis, and international men's tennis (Grand Slams and Davis Cup competitions). We found a uniform game pattern across these sports whereupon they were distinctly one-sided in their progression. This pattern persisted when we performed a more granular analysis in men's tennis studying Grand Slam tournaments separately and this slanted pattern held even within round progression. Only the ability to mount a comeback differed across sports and genders. We postulate that since the comeback narrative has a general positive appeal, greater crowds may propel a resurgent entity to win. We also conclude that scoring rules determine greatly how competitive the sport is.