[Neondreams]

Okay, on a serious note

I have a few questions, hope somebody will clear the things up

1. Why majority of tour is played on hardcourts ?

2. Why are there so few tournaments on grass ?

3. Why won't ATP divide the year into 4 quarters - Hard outdoor / Clay / Grass / Hard indoor (each surface played ~ 4 months)

4. Why there's only ~ one month between french open and wimbledon ? why the hurry ?

5. Why grand slam doubles are bo5 at wimbledon and bo3 anywhere else ?

6. Why won't atp introduce high frequency(speed?) cameras instead of challenges and hawk-eye?

7. Why can't I find a list of all-time greats on ATP site ? The person who won most grand-slams in singles/doubles/mix ? Only actual rankings

8. Why aus open is played on plexi and not on grass ? what happened ?

9. From which place in rankings in tennis profitable ?

10. Which tournament on the tour is a MUST SEE at least once in a lifetime ?


Thanks guys

 

[Paolo Pinkel]

Okay, on a serious note

I have a few questions, hope somebody will clear the things up

1. Why majority of tour is played on hardcourts ?

2. Why are there so few tournaments on grass ?

3. Why won't ATP divide the year into 4 quarters - Hard outdoor / Clay / Grass / Hard indoor (each surface played ~ 4 months)

There are probably a lot of historical reasons, but one actual reason is simply that today's tennis is about long rallies - and making nearly every surface play similar. Why did they completely eliminate carpet as a surface? Because of health reasons? Surely not. It was just too fast.

4. Why there's only ~ one month between french open and wimbledon ? why the hurry ?

Historical reasons plus weather/climate.

7. Why can't I find a list of all-time greats on ATP site ? The person who won most grand-slams in singles/doubles/mix ? Only actual rankings

In general, the entire GOAT concept is something quite American imho. Usually people don't care about stuff like this. I live in a football/soccer crazy country but to this day I never had a debate abt the Top 10 greatest football/soccer player in my entire life. It'd be a nice little feature, though, I agree.

9. From which place in rankings in tennis profitable ?

You shouldn't be too far away from the Top 100, methinks. #150 Cecchinato made ~ $35,000 in 2015 so far. That's before taxes, travel & coaching expenses, etc. Let's just say, I made way more.

10. Which tournament on the tour is a MUST SEE at least once in a lifetime ?

It's Wimbledon. No debate. Wimbledon. It's way bigger than tennis.

 

[Neondreams]

Thanks!

 

[Litotes]

1. Why majority of tour is played on hardcourts ?

Easier to maintain for the organizers.

2. Why are there so few tournaments on grass ?

Most difficult to maintain for the organizers.

3. Why won't ATP divide the year into 4 quarters - Hard outdoor / Clay / Grass / Hard indoor (each surface played ~ 4 months)

Have to ask them....

4. Why there's only ~ one month between french open and wimbledon ? why the hurry ?

Summer conditions are best for both. Neither wants to play in spring or during autumn.

5. Why grand slam doubles are bo5 at wimbledon and bo3 anywhere else ?

Tradition is most important in the UK.

6. Why won't atp introduce high frequency(speed?) cameras instead of challenges and hawk-eye?

Probably more expensive.

7. Why can't I find a list of all-time greats on ATP site ? The person who won most grand-slams in singles/doubles/mix ? Only actual rankings

Check here instead:
http://www.tennis-x.com/stats/tennisrecords.php
or here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATP_World_Tour_records#Earnings
or here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennis_tournament_records_and_statistics

 

[BackhandDTL]

Okay, on a serious note

1. Why majority of tour is played on hardcourts ?

2. Why are there so few tournaments on grass ?

3. Why won't ATP divide the year into 4 quarters - Hard outdoor / Clay / Grass / Hard indoor (each surface played ~ 4 months)

The answer to these questions all comes down to money. Most clubs don't offer grass or clay because they cost more to maintain. Likewise, tournaments struggle to do so because the more lucrative alternative is a hard court.

4. Why there's only ~ one month between french open and wimbledon ? why the hurry ?

Because scheduling comes down to more than just these two tournaments, but the surrounding ones as well. And since the ATP and ITF maintain a large degree of independence, coordination is especially difficult.

5. Why grand slam doubles are bo5 at wimbledon and bo3 anywhere else ?

ITF events (the Majors) set their own rules. They don't have to abide by the ATP regulations.

6. Why won't atp introduce high frequency(speed?) cameras instead of challenges and hawk-eye?

Money, probably.

8. Why aus open is played on plexi and not on grass ? what happened ?

See 1-3.

9. From which place in rankings in tennis profitable ?


10. Which tournament on the tour is a MUST SEE at least once in a lifetime ?

The answer to both of these is "it depends". For the ranking question, it's probably a guarantee if you can sustain a top 100 ranking, but should players forgo certain "luxuries" such as expensive hotels, a traveling team, a coach, a fitness trainer, first class flying, etc. they can probably make it work at any level as long as they win.

 

[MWW]

Now you bring it up, one question that I have to wonder is why the USO finishes the fifth set as a tiebreak, instead of being an advantage set decided by 2 games apart. That's got to be irritating for many (although it might prevent a repeat of Wimbledon Isner/Mahut 70-68 battle)

 

[JamesXP]

Now you bring it up, one question that I have to wonder is why the USO finishes the fifth set as a tiebreak, instead of being an advantage set decided by 2 games apart. That's got to be irritating for many (although it might prevent a repeat of Wimbledon Isner/Mahut 70-68 battle)

The thing I hate about that it's kinda anti-climatic as the long match ends abruptly in a shitty way by winning byjust two points rather than winning with possibly more competitive and drama filled games of tension. I don't know but a 5 set match should not finish with a tiebreak, but at least most US Open finals haven't gone that distance in recent times. Hopefully they change it in the future and stop living in the past.

 

[Litotes]

Now you bring it up, one question that I have to wonder is why the USO finishes the fifth set as a tiebreak, instead of being an advantage set decided by 2 games apart. That's got to be irritating for many (although it might prevent a repeat of Wimbledon Isner/Mahut 70-68 battle)

The tiebreak was invented in the US. Obviously they were the most keen on putting their invention to use. US Open introduced TBs in 1970, in all sets. The others waited a bit to see if they liked the idea. In Wimbledon TBs were first used in 1973, and then only on 8-8, not on 6-6.

 

[MWW]

The tiebreak was invented in the US. Obviously they were the most keen on putting their invention to use. US Open introduced TBs in 1970, in all sets. The others waited a bit to see if they liked the idea. In Wimbledon TBs were first used in 1973, and then only on 8-8, not on 6-6.

Thanks Litotes! I never knew that but it makes sense. I've seen scorelines for legendary matches and before TBs came into play, each set was an advantage set which looks quite odd now. They'd have quite weird scores like 10-8 4-6 8-6 3-6 15-13 but I can understand why they would have TBs especially in this era where S&V is rarer.

I like the idea of TB for all sets in GS apart from the decider which is sort of anticlimactic given the battle the two players have had. But US invention, it's fair enough they'd have it like that ok.

 

[Mountaindewslave]

really do wish there were more grass tournaments. people are just lazy- they don't want to deal with the constant upkeep that a grass club takes and they know that grass is not as accessible generally to the public/fans so probably shy away from it because of that. it is honestly appalling that there is no grass Master's 1000

people point out from time to time how many more HC events there are over clay, but the jip that has happened with grass is insane in comparison. this has been the same way for decades, sure, but its still disappointing