*Official* Tennis Thread

[Anil]

when did the clay courts change? hasn't federer or nadal played at all in the old conditions? i know wimbledon grass changed in the early 2000s but not sure on exactly when clay became firmer and faster...

 

[grecian]

when did the clay courts change? hasn't federer or nadal played at all in the old conditions?

They've generally got faster and faster for years, technology and rackets make everything faster though anyway. So it was much harder with wooden rackets to create pace on clay.

They needed to slow Wimbledon down for the same reason, or else nowadays we may have Isner and Karlovic Wimbledon finals.

Same with golf and cricket, the technology moves on, and everything has to change, rather than stop the technology moving on, which would affect sales of merchandise.

#against modern evolution

 

[Anil]

They've generally got faster and faster for years, technology and rackets make everything faster though anyway. So it was much harder with wooden rackets to create pace on clay.

They needed to slow Wimbledon down for the same reason, or else nowadays we may have Isner and Karlovic Wimbledon finals.

Same with golf and cricket, the technology moves on, and everything has to change, rather than stop the technology moving on, which would affect sales of merchandise.

#against modern evolution

right but when did it start? do we have an approximate timeline...? federer learnt the game on clay courts, i think he would have done very well on the slower courts as well but as you said in your other post, we will never know...

 

[grecian]

right but when did it start? do we have an approximate timeline...? federer learnt the game on clay courts, i think he would have done very well on the slower courts as well but as you said in your other post, we will never know...

Well wooden rackets stopped in the late seventies, but some still used them, them their were steel rackets which Connors used but were pretty hard to wield, but the real change was graphite rackets, big power but the same weight as wooden ones, court changes are harder to pin down, but Wimbledon definitely started changing mid-to-late nineties. The Gorans and kraijkeks were hitting ace after ace and it wasn't entertaining.

We will never know though, just an opinion.

 

[Jono]

This...

:-) did you see the new prediction i agreed with in the post above?

lol cheeky

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Serena with three double faults in the opening service game.

Would never happen closer to the match point, but nervy start to the Serena Slam chase.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Serena playing poorly. Lots of lesbians in the Royal Box.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Break back seems imminent.

 

[Jono]

Give up leads for handicap reasons only nowadays.

She seemingly can't serve again

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Still a perfectly fine effort for a debut finalist tbh. Serena is just amazing.

 

[Jono]

Yeah took it to her. Serena is just one of the best ever. You cop this

 

[Magrat Garlick]

This service game. First strike madness.

 

[Jono]

Amazing come back so far.

Serena did something similar at the French final if I recall correctly?

 

[Jono]

Get the feeling Serena will break here to win though

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Please remove John Inverdale. We've been "rushing to the end" for about half an hour. Clueless dick.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Amazing come back so far.

Serena did something similar at the French final if I recall correctly?

Not sure, was watching WTA qualies that day

That let cord (and the hawkeye in the previous game...)

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Unlike previous unlikely finalists Garbine will be back.

 

[Jono]

Second Serena Slam. Ludicrous.

Hope she wins the calendar grand slam now.

 

[Jono]

Unlike previous unlikely finalists Garbine will be back.

haha, weren't you bagging her quarter final match the other day? Or has she won you over?

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Bit of a limp moment for the Serena Slam there, shame on the crowd.