Speed and speed – where’s tennis and spectator interest?
View(s):The North American hard court series is the prelude to the US Open, it is on now. The event organisers rely lot on TV for their promotion. It is also is the base for so many other appealing attractions such as cinema and realty shows.
In USA, what more would be attractive is US talent. Spectators do not drive to the venues to watch matches. An extra interest comes in if the players are from America. Elites of today are not homegrown anywhere in the world. Elite players of today come from academies. This used to be Florida, and it is no more.
Events prior to the final Grand Slam of the year the US Open are on the same surface. Named as US Open series venues literally zig-zag USA and Canada.
Following the events, in four men’s matches I saw in full, I could only count less than 10 full fledge rallies. The spectator grand stand was nowhere half-full. Popularity of Tennis in USA? Alternatively, un-inviting exhibition of an interesting game of tennis.
Well over 60% of the rallies died with the service. Even 90 miles per hour cut away service was a winner. The two players are from the Top 20 of the ATP ranking. The surface has no reaction to reduce ball speed with the bounce. Casper Ruud’s strong stroke making exponent struggled to take the game into his favourite realm; the surface was not friendly towards groundstroke rallies. Ruud could not get on top and lost in the very first round. Good few of the Top 30 big names simply vanished.
This aspect shows in North American player development being not all-rounders. They cannot rally, just pace the shots and hope for the best. American players are tall and well built. Their service can reach speed up to 159 miles per hour. Surface influences development. Clay court brings out all court groundstroke with limited net play. They are best on the French Open courts. Longest rallies of the game since inception.
Modern rye grass courts are getting ever so popular in continental Europe. Prior to Wimbledon, rye grass speed provide appealing spectator interest. These events registered the most courtside attendance this year. Reason, there are emotion stirring to be attractive.
Hard courts of USA
Elite player turnout from North American continent has been low in the past 15 years. In the top end of ATP and WTA proportionally compared with 30 years ago, the drop of American names is noticeable. Canada had a good spell. Most of the top end train in Europe. Opinion is it has become the modern day Florida of the 1980s. France is the attractive location now. Eastern Europeans and Scandinavians live there.
Australia went into hard courts as their national surface, now their presence in ATP and WTA events is meagre. Hard courts do not develop all court players. The few Australians, men and women, are from private effort and overseas training. There is a resurging trend after the retirement of Ashley Bartley, WTA No.1. Their weather pattern has developed to be harsh in recent times. Best of talent in Australia go for their local sport. The Aussie Rules.
Spectatorship
Some sports organise and orchestrate spectatorship. Their participatory base is small they thrive with spectatorship show. Cricket and football at present are that. They induce and promote other interest for popularity with spectatorship. Tennis does not. If tennis is not attractive at open competition level, it will not survive. Citing history will not bring the spectators to the courtside. This year’s US Open Series is more of a TV spectatorship affair. Even for them, their rating will be good only if the events exhibit full-fledged game of tennis repertoire.
Strength of character
ATP has come with a steady stream in numbers this year than WTA. Elimination of elite women in the Wimbledon early rounds this year was appalling. I watched Coco Gauf struggle to coordinate her backhand contact and staring at her coach’s box at the Wimbledon first round match. How can that happen? If difficult situation and conditions arises I expect the best to survive and the weaker to loose. In
Ladies tennis in Wimbledon, the opposite happened.
I must say professional tennis player with a ranking in first 250 in each gender, take a level of stress only known to people who are with them. One player had her pasta weighed at dinner three days before the first round of event in Berlin. She finished the pasta and the coach passed his plate to her. His approach was happier player performs better than an unhappy. So much for nutrition coach. Coaches often order the same as the player for this reason.
An Italian No.1
Jannik Sinner, current No.1 of ATP, has the mould of being a good player of repute on the long run. He is been tested in every department. Winning one match is easy, an event and to keep winning for years on years is a character issue.
In WTA, I cannot name one from the present lot in the mould being great. Too many one-offs surfaced. Winning tennis is not the winners and aces, but to hold fort when nothing works. Self before opponent is a cardinal norm in high performance. Of the two most of the time, self is the issue in tennis performance. To remain a constant is the sign of greatness; I see that in Sinner.
US Open will begin at the end of August and go until early September. Big serve is the American game now. Invariably by the time US Open player might find the right formula.
There are two Americans in ATP Top 10 — Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton. Four Americans in WTA Top 10 — Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys and Amanda Anisimova. Homegrown advantage will be with them.
–George Paldano, European and Asian competition player; Coach German Tennis Federation; National coach Brunei and Sri Lanka; Davis Cup, Federation Cup coach, coached ATP, WTA and ITF ranked players in Europe and Asia; WhatsApp +94775448880–