Having watched many clay matches already this year, on the Golden swing and now in Europe, I am beginning to feel that there is more value in watching matches played on clay than on, say, the Melbourne Plexicushion.
The slower hardcourts that we see during the early parts of the year, I believe, produce a more homogenised style of play. I love watching the AO, don't get me wrong, but atm, Im really enthralled with whats going on in Barcelona, Stuttgart, etc.
Clay encourages you to make use of spin to create angles on the court. Theres so much moving of your opponent around, to construct an opening. It adds a chess-like motif to the match. Players do sneak in for volleys, and theres excitement even in that, as well as all the dropshots used, and the slicing and dicing that often ensues.
Like HC, it has a huge physicality element, but moving on clay, with its smoothness and sliding, seems more of an art form, to me.
What do you think? Why no love for this beautiful style of tennis before us?
The slower hardcourts that we see during the early parts of the year, I believe, produce a more homogenised style of play. I love watching the AO, don't get me wrong, but atm, Im really enthralled with whats going on in Barcelona, Stuttgart, etc.
Clay encourages you to make use of spin to create angles on the court. Theres so much moving of your opponent around, to construct an opening. It adds a chess-like motif to the match. Players do sneak in for volleys, and theres excitement even in that, as well as all the dropshots used, and the slicing and dicing that often ensues.
Like HC, it has a huge physicality element, but moving on clay, with its smoothness and sliding, seems more of an art form, to me.
What do you think? Why no love for this beautiful style of tennis before us?