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?
Grass needs to be sped up considerably. USO needs a speed injection to the tune of Bercy indoors last year, to be frank thats the ONLY court i've seen in recent memory which is actually really fast.
It's a credit to Novak if he does it. Agassi would still be the only one who did it on 4 distinct surfaces, and when the clay actually played like clay and not a hardcourt.
Yep. Mark Petchy and Peter Flemming talked about it. Talking about how they painted crosswise vs lenthwise and how they used more sand in the paint plus the number of layers they applied which all leads to slower courts. Add tot that they're using a different ball which is softer and heavier, fluffs up more and is more difficult to hit through the court.
I'd love to know who pushed the USTA to do this b/c it certainly doesn't benefit the US players.
Federer admitted he struggled to adjust to the slow pace of the Flushing Meadows courts this year.
"It's just unfortunate maybe that all the slams are too equal," he said. "This should feel very different to the Australian Open and it doesn't. I don't think it's really what tennis needs."
Federer admitted he struggled to adjust to the slow pace of the Flushing Meadows courts this year.
Roger Federer eased into the second round then complained the court speed at the US Open this year is too similar to that at the Australian Open.
"It's definitely slower," five-time champion Federer said of the Arthur Ashe stadium surface after his 6-4 6-3 6-2 victory over Colombian Santiago Giraldo.
"It takes some getting used to."
"The issue for me is maybe did they make a mistake? Maybe they did paint the court a bit too rough.
"It's just unfortunate maybe that all the slams are too equal," he said. "This should feel very different to the Australian Open and it doesn't. I don't think it's really what tennis needs."
Roger Federer eased into the second round then complained the court speed at the US Open this year is too similar to that at the Australian Open.
"It's definitely slower," five-time champion Federer said of the Arthur Ashe stadium surface after his 6-4 6-3 6-2 victory over Colombian Santiago Giraldo.
"It takes some getting used to."
"The issue for me is maybe did they make a mistake? Maybe they did paint the court a bit too rough.
it's extremely funny and ironic that federina the ultimate beneficiary of homogenization and slow surfaces is now, after all the 16 slams he won, whining about the slowness of courts......
this is just downright sore loser attitude and pathetic attempt to degrade his peers to make himself look better......
it's extremely funny and ironic that federina the ultimate beneficiary of homogenization and slow surfaces is now, after all the 16 slams he won, whining about the slowness of courts......
this is just downright sore loser attitude and pathetic attempt to degrade his peers to make himself look better......
The beneficiary is Nadal. The biggest loser of the reduction of court speeds in Federer. He could have had *at least* 2 additional slams in 08 and 09 if the courts were not slowed.
It's a shame if they really did intentionally slow down the courts. The US Open was unique in the way that it rewarded players who took controlled but aggresive risks with their shots.
fuck you tennis- you were great in the 80s
you were perfect in the 90s when i was a kid and easy to fall in love with you
and when fed was around you were still good
but now you're just old, and shit- and you're no longer attractive to me
ATP needs to speed up the courts, not slow them down?
I am seriously beginning to lose interest in tennis as a professional sport. The ATP tour are destroying the sport by slowing down every court worldwide. Isn't it time they sped some of the courts up? I want to see variety, unpredicatability. Not the same two or three players winning every single tournament worldwide because all of the courts are the same speed. SLOW.
The likes of Llodra, Roddick, Isner, no longer have a chance of winning a 1000 masters tournament at the moment, let along a GS, as the courts are too slow for their games.
I am seriously beginning to lose interest in tennis as a professional sport. The ATP tour are destroying the sport by slowing down every court worldwide. Isn't it time they sped some of the courts up? I want to see variety, unpredicatability. Not the same two or three players winning every single tournament worldwide because all of the courts are the same speed. SLOW.
The likes of Llodra, Roddick, Isner, no longer have a chance of winning a 1000 masters tournament at the moment, let along a GS, as the courts are too slow for their games.
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