A discussion on how changing the order of the final matches can affect the outcome.
Tensions run high and endurance is pushed to the limit for players that have reached the final matches in the Winners and Losers brackets. To set up the Grand Finals, somebody needs to get knocked down to Losers–but how significant is the sequence of these final fights to the competitors?
In this blog post, Glenn discusses the difference between two match sequences that occur in Capcom Pro Tour events; the order of matches are either:
Sequence 1:
Losers bracket Semifinal, Winners bracket Final, Losers bracket Final, Grand Final [LSF/WF/LF/GF], or
Sequence 2:
Winners bracket Final, Losers bracket Semifinal, Losers bracket Final, Grand Final [WF/LSF/LF/GF]
The primary difference is whether the loser of Winners Finals has to play immediately after in Losers Finals (sequence 1) or if the winner of Losers Semifinals plays immediately afterwards in Losers Finals (sequence 2). Why is this significant? Because a player is playing their next match either immediately off of a high-stakes win or loss — and that’s going to have an impact on their mindset and momentum.
Glenn examines recent CPT results, and how the first sequence tends to result in poorer performance from the player that just lost their Winners Finals. After factoring in how much break time players get between fights, they argue that the second sequence is better for both the competitors and the spectators. Read the entire argument here!
Source: Glenn