[FedvsNole]

Here is the link http://www.fawcette.net/2012/02/hard-courts-fast-clay-slow-not-so-much-.html

Shows you percentage of winners over the last few years at the different slams and talks about what they have actually done to make tennis the same everywhere. Kinda sad and pathetic that this has changed in tennis so much. No variety in the game and the same old baseline tennis always everywhere.

great read. Oh and the people that hate on federer the article makes a great point why there will never be a player like him again with the variety and style he displays.

 

[rogeragassi]

great article. thanks for post. Now, the question...why (with the exception of WImbledon, which was explained) were these changes implemented? So someone other than Fed would win?

 

[bouncer7]

Winners mean nothing, just stats.

1 winner over Djokovic or Nadal = 10 winners over Roddick or Blake

 

[LisaKoh]

great article. thanks for post. Now, the question...why (with the exception of WImbledon, which was explained) were these changes implemented? So someone other than Fed would win?

Homogenizing the surfaces means that the same players are likely to show up each and every time. Tournament directors and television programmers are all over that kind of thing because they can command better ratings for Federer-Nadal X in the second week compared to, say, Berdych-Del Potro (see AO 2012). I mean, why even bother getting Olivia Newton John to sing and bringing out the fireworks for Australia Day unless it's Roger and Rafa, right?

To be honest, I find Wimbledon's slowing of surfaces atrocious. Lleyton Hewitt getting dumped out in the first round of Wimbledon by Dr. Ivo when he was defending champ was probably one of the reasons why they slowed it down but I also think the tournament directors were so eager for the second coming of Borg and McEnroe they decided to push for a super slow surface in '08 so they could get their dream final, sell it to the public and make millions out of a "rivalry" that never would have existed if they'd kept the grass the original speed. Safin making the SFs that year revealed what a joke the grass surface was and he was so surprised that he'd even made it there.

I guess baseline wars of attrition are more popular with the viewing public unlike the 90s which was full of big serving.

 

[norwood_10]

Great and factual article, but one thing he's missed out is that the US Open was finally slowed down in 2011 to bring it into line with the other snail paced 'fast court' slams.

Love how unforced errors absolutely dwarf winners in those slam finals. :lol: The game has 'evolved' though, best tennis ever yap yap yap yap

 

[munZe konZa]

lacking in logic and not really worht responding to

 

[munZe konZa]

Great and factual article, but one thing he's missed out is that the US Open was finally slowed down in 2011 to bring it into line with the other snail paced 'fast court' slams.

Love how unforced errors absolutely dwarf winners in those slam finals. :lol: The game has 'evolved' though, best tennis ever yap yap yap yap

In case you didn't notice, players play defense nowadays and "winners" category is often hard to determine.

 

[leng jai]

In case you didn't notice, players play defense nowadays and "winners" category is often hard to determine.

Yeah defense was only a concept introduced into tennis in the last 6 years...

Ajde.

 

[Action Jackson]

There was actual variation in the 90s in how to approach the game on the different surfaces.

Federer:

Anyway, every surface is very similar today, otherwise we couldn't have achieved all these things on all these different surfaces so quickly, like him (Rafa) and myself.

 

[munZe konZa]

There was actual variation in the 90s in how to approach the game on the different surfaces.
Federer:

Anyway, every surface is very similar today, otherwise we couldn't have achieved all these things on all these different surfaces so quickly, like him (Rafa) and myself.

And the variation was serving or pushing that promoted extremely one dimensional players that didn't show up for half the season?

 

[allpro]

surface speed is a red herring for the most part. it’s the strings which have radically altered how the game is played. banning luxilon and allowing only natural gut is the real answer for those who bemoan homogeneity. obviously that will never happen.

 

[allpro]

....as sampras said, luxilon is like "cheating".

 

[Action Jackson]

lacking in logic and not really worht responding to

Yes, you keep responding to it, please stop embarrassing yourself. It's clearly obvious you don't have a clue about the subject matter at hand. If you did, then you would be able to produce a coherent and counter argument to the points that were raised in the article.

For the above to happen this would require you to have watched tennis for a period of time before Djokovic became a top player, which is something that you didn't know.

It's like this, I don't know what a woman goes through once a month during her cycle or pregnancy, therefore I'm not going comment on it. Same idea applies here to you and this article.

 

[Action Jackson]

surface speed is a red herring for the most part. it’s the strings which have radically altered how the game is played. banning luxilon and allowing only natural gut is the real answer for those who bemoan homogeneity. obviously that will never happen.

It's never one thing, it's a combination of things. Technology advancements, that were unregulated cause the tennis authorities have a vested interest in these technologies and the lack of rallies on the faster surfaces. Of course there are the sports science developments put them all together, this is what you have, athletes that hit tennis balls, not tennis players for the most part. Yes, there is a difference.

 

[tektonac]

mods merge this thread with speed up the courts thread. we had one too many.

 

[evilmindbulgaria]

Interesting article.

"That's why some cynics say that Wimbledon has turned into a green, clay court tournament."

I wonder if the author is referring to MTF's "experts" who constantly refer to surfaces as "blue clay", "green clay", "purple clay" , etc.

 

[allpro]

It's never one thing, it's a combination of things. Technology advancements, that were unregulated cause the tennis authorities have a vested interest in these technologies and the lack of rallies on the faster surfaces. Of course there are the sports science developments put them all together, this is what you have, athletes that hit tennis balls, not tennis players for the most part. Yes, there is a difference.

it's a confluence of factors but string technology has had the greatest impact by far. the control and spin achieved by today's players was impossible pre-luxilon era. this results in superior passing shots (thus favoring defense) and longer rallies. volleys do not benefit from luxilon and i would argue it is dentrimental due to lack of "feel".

 

[Action Jackson]

it's a confluence of factors but string technology has had the greatest impact by far. the control and spin achieved by today's players was impossible pre-luxilon era. this results in superior passing shots (thus favoring defense) and longer rallies. volleys do not benefit from luxilon and i would argue it is dentrimental to due to lack of "feel".

It's easier to teach the defensive style as well, cause with the changes in technology, surfaces the impact can't be measured till further down the track. But for all that try and playing that style on fast low bouncing courts.

With volleying still got to meet the ball out in front, split step at the net, no matter what strings are used.

 

[allpro]

With volleying still got to meet the ball out in front, split step at the net, no matter what strings are used.

i disagree. volleying with natural gut is far superior in terms of "feel" and "spring" off the racket versus wire (i.e. luxilon).

 

[Action Jackson]

i disagree. volleying with natural gut is far superior in terms of "feel" and "spring" off the racket versus wire (i.e. luxilon).

Still got to have the fundamentals right on any stroke, yes including volleying. At the same time it's a moot point since it hardly a factor these days.