A few weeks ago I watched some old matches of James Blake including encounters against Kiefer (Vienna 2002), Agassi (Washington 2002), Safin (Hopman Cup 2004) and Moya (Indian Wells 2003) and it is quite obvious that today's game is far slower than it was then. James was able to generate direct winners off the forehand wing, whereas currently he has to fire his forehand at least two or three times to end the point. I just wonder whether his shots are less powerful now but looking at the shot and serve speeds it is probably not the reason. He uses the same frame as back then in 2002 or 2003, therefore it shouldn't be blamed on the technology of rackets. So what's the main reason - the balls or changes in surface? Or maybe James game is simply slower?
While the surfaces and playing styles differ, I'm pretty sure it's because players are physically better trained than ever, and faster to run to the ball.
Almost everyone is playing slower these days. I'd still say that Blake's service game moves faster than most players now even if it has slowed down. That's why I like Fish, Querry, and Blake matches, there's not a ton of stalling.
Blake likes to take the ball early and hit fairly flat. Agassi and Safin were real masters at this. When these players played each other, the pace was extremely fast. The players tended to be positioned aggressively, at the baseline, or even inside it.
In the current pro game, it seems to pay dividends to take a step back and hit with more topspin and margin for error. The new strings facilitate this. The improved physicality of the players allows them to cover more ground behind the baseline, and it makes it harder to hit winners with ball-striking ability alone.
The above comments are only part of the equation... surely the surfaces themselves have changed.
The game was definitely faster. It started slowing down a bit in 06 for whatever reason and imo hit its slowest in late 07 and through 08. 09 picked up a little bit, b/c a lot of big hitters were getting through, but it seems horribly slow atm.
Yea watch some old Blake-Federer matches, where both guys literally blast winners by huge margins (and these are two of the fastest players in the game at their movement peak).
So while the courts have slowed, I also think some of the tactics have changed a little bit, b/c of the success of spinning shots in and playing more consistent tennis. I kind of got that same sensation in 02-03 where the speed of the game kind of slowed down a bit b/c of the success of some of the more spinny, consistent baseline type players (the spanish contigent, Hewitt, etc)
The balls in use are bigger and heavier, while surfaces have gotten more coarse and sticky rather than slick. These change of conditions (along with the string technology helping out when players make gets at full stretch etc) call for players to rely more on movement as points last longer.
I am just turning 38 years old and watched and played tennis consistently since I was about 12-13 years old. I remember during the 1990's, many folks complained that the courts were too fast. We had some great serve and volley tennis players. Some players, like Sampras, Krajicek etc.. could get hot on serve and basically be unbreakable.
It appears to me that they started to slow the courts down about 10 years ago or so, and may have pushed it too far the other way. For example, my favorite player these days is Nadal. Nadal plays an excited brand of tennis. But, if he were to play on faster grass and hardcourts, I think he would be a lot more vulnerable to big servers than he is today.
Does anyone else think they moved to far the other way on court speeds? Especially on Grass?
I am just turning 38 years old and watched and played tennis consistently since I was about 12-13 years old. I remember during the 1990's, many folks complained that the courts were too fast. We had some great serve and volley tennis players. Some players, like Sampras, Krajicek etc.. could get hot on serve and basically be unbreakable.
It appears to me that they started to slow the courts down about 10 years ago or so, and may have pushed it too far the other way. For example, my favorite player these days is Nadal. Nadal plays an excited brand of tennis. But, if he were to play on faster grass and hardcourts, I think he would be a lot more vulnerable to big servers than he is today.
Does anyone else think they moved to far the other way on court speeds? Especially on Grass?
Now, this guy is 40 years of age and experienced tennis during the 80s, he specifically noted when they sped up the bloody courts. Next person that mentions 2008 as being the year things changed deserves to be fish slapped.
The ATP won't speed up the courts. That would mean Nadull loses more often.
They will continue slowing down the courts so that Nadull will continue to win everything.
The fact that courts have been slowed down so much is one of the main reasons Nadull has won 4 non-clay slams.
Tennis is dead, and will continue to be dead until the courts are speeded up or Nadull starts losing more often.
This era really is a sad era in tennis.
The ATP won't speed up the courts. That would mean Nadull loses more often.
They will continue slowing down the courts so that Nadull will continue to win everything.
The fact that courts have been slowed down so much is one of the main reasons Nadull has won 4 non-clay slams. Tennis is dead, and will continue to be dead until the courts are speeded up or Nadull starts losing more often.
This era really is a sad era in tennis.
It's not a question of whether people like two shot rallies or fifteen shot rallies. There should be a time and a place for all types of tennis. Variation of the surfaces which lead to variation of tactics and thus varying success rates is what lead to tennis to being far superior to other sports in terms of variation, not so long back. Tennis should be all about variation but how things have changed. We have the same tennis being played on absolutely every surface. Pretty much the only thing that leads to players having different success rates is how ones ability to move is altered.
I don't really follow any individual players anymore. When I was growing up, I loved Agassi & Courier. Now a days, I am 10-15 years older than most players on the tour, so I won't be hanging Nadal posters in my living room anytime soon. But, I do enjoy watching him play. I try not to get into the greatest of all time stuff because I have a bias towards my own generation, which of course is an argument in and of itself. Snowwy, you asked if folks liked the two shot rallies or fifteen shot rallies. I would hope that a balance could be drawn where both styles could find a place in tennis. I don't think Wimbeldon suffered much when it had faster courts. I really miss having some great serve and volley players on the tour. I thought one of the most exciting match ups was the great baseline player against the great serve and volley player. Who could impose their will the best. Those days appear to be gone for now.
I don't really follow any individual players anymore. When I was growing up, I loved Agassi & Courier. Now a days, I am 10-15 years older than most players on the tour, so I won't be hanging Nadal posters in my living room anytime soon. But, I do enjoy watching him play. I try not to get into the greatest of all time stuff because I have a bias towards my own generation, which of course is an argument in and of itself. Snowwy, you asked if folks liked the two shot rallies or fifteen shot rallies. I would hope that a balance could be drawn where both styles could find a place in tennis. I don't think Wimbeldon suffered much when it had faster courts. I really miss having some great serve and volley players on the tour. I thought one of the most exciting match ups was the great baseline player against the great serve and volley player. Who could impose their will the best. Those days appear to be gone for now.
I miss the S&V too, but think back to about fifteen years, what were the big complaints about men's tennis? Points were serve, return winner or serve, weak return, volley winner. To the average fan, that over and over is boring even though I really miss it in today's game.
Unfortunately the tennis authorities are biased in favour of Nadal and his fans who support him. This Australian Open is even slower than it has been in previous year, though that might also be the Stosur effect.
In any case, tennis died when Nadal won Wimbledon, and it can never be resurrected from such an abhorrent event.
Unfortunately the tennis authorities are biased in favour of Nadal and the uneducated garbage who support him. This Australian Open is even slower than it has been in previous year, though that might also be the Stosur effect.
In any case, tennis died when Mugboar won Wimbledon, and it can never be resurrected from such an abhorrent event.
As far as I'm concerned, tennis is still alive. And instead of complaining and inventing excuses because one's fave doesn't win everything, I would kindly suggest that we enjoy the positive aspects of our favorite sport, of which still plenty of them are left.
“If you were in control of the sport of tennis and you wanted to promote that kind of diversity of style, you’d have to promote diversity of speed of court because they have homogenized the surfaces around the world. If they had more surfaces around the world like Paris Bercy last year, which was ice, effectively, you’d see the return of a few serve and volleyers that could be succesful on tour. It’s just been impossible for the serve and volleyers to succeed which is why they’ve gone the way of dinosaurs.
When Roger Federer won his first Wimbledon he served and volleyed a ton. In that time Wimbledon has changed the surface. It has gotten slower and harder and more like this surface , which has allowed the baseliners to excel. See Nadal, Rafa.
You put that court back to the way it used to be at Wimbledon, and indoor tournaments like Paris Bercy, back to their original quick speeds, you’d see some players with some diversity in their games.”
I would just like to see more grass court tournaments which would be more conducive for serve and volley tennis. There should be at least one season which supports that style of play in order for players to opt for it. Maybe the world tour finals, being the most flexible tournament, could be held on grass.
Sure, speed up the courts as long as you make clay what it was before instead of hard court with clay dust on it, that way no S&V mug or baseline basher would ever get past the 3R of RG.
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