Madrid considering Blue Clay

[CyBorg]

Tiriac and Co. just can't help themselves:

http://www.tennis.com/news/ticker.aspx

Madrid organizers say they are looking at having blue clay courts in the future to better co-ordinate with the colors of their main sponsor.

One of the tournament's outside courts will be set up with blue clay this year for dubious players to test out, tournament director Manolo Santana was quoted as saying by El Periodico de Catalunya. "Once the players see that it is exactly the same as red there will be no problem."

The Ion Tiriac-owned Madrid event is known for its bold attempts to attract publicity, including the introduction of models as ball boys and ball girls when it was an indoor event in the fall.

[gj011]

I thought AO is played on blue clay.

[oscar_2424]

that was mean

[Nadal_Freak]

Blue clay finally coming true. Not just a blast at the Australian Open surface.

[JediMindTrick]

Why don't they try green clay aka Wimbledon grass?

[jones101]

I like the idea of blue clay, its different, modern, and the ball should be esier to track on TV, it will also give the tournament more exposure IMO.

Do you think clay courts will ever become multi coloured like hardcourts? (I known they have green clay in the US but other colours)?

[icedevil0289]

Originally Posted by JediMindTrick

Why don't they try green clay aka Wimbledon grass?

delete post

[pabletion]

hmmmm.... considering how full of crap most players are (some not liking paint jobs on their racquets claiming they feel different....), Im pretty sure that most of them will say the courts feel completely off even though technicians say the clay is the same exact stuff.

Dont see a future on that

[CyBorg]

Originally Posted by jones101

I like the idea of blue clay, its different, modern, and the ball should be esier to track on TV, it will also give the tournament more exposure IMO.

I'd watch it.

Sure, seeing Tiriac's self-satisfied mug will sting, but the ball girls should make up for that.

That's what he's counting on.

[Zaragoza]

Terrible idea.

[jamesblakefan#1]

I think it's a good idea. As long as it plays the same, I don't see what the big deal is.

[john whilesmith]

The US Open changed the color of its courts, as did the events that form the US Open Series, so what's the big deal? The courts at Key Biscayne looked purple....

[Zaragoza]

Originally Posted by john whilesmith

The US Open changed the color of its courts, as did the events that form the US Open Series, so what's the big deal? The courts at Key Biscayne looked purple....

Clay is a natural surface, changing the colour of a natural surface is an aberration. It would be a shame if all the great job and effort they put into this tournament ended up on this. I can't believe Santana supports this idea, there are better ways to make a tournament more notorious. They're attention seekers.

[seffina]

You know what this is, right? This is the Smurfs' plan for world domination. They started small with the blue shoes and shirts, but soon enough everyone will be a Smurf.

[icedevil0289]

Originally Posted by seffina

You know what this is, right? This is the Smurfs' plan for world domination. They started small with the blue shoes and shirts, but soon enough everyone will be a Smurf.

lmao, attack of the smurfs.

[veroniquem]

Originally Posted by Zaragoza

Clay is a natural surface, changing the colour of a natural surface is an aberration. It would be a shame if all the great job and effort they put into this tournament ended up on this. I can't believe Santana supports this idea, there are better ways to make a tournament more notorious. They're attention seekers.

Seems dumb to me too. I like the natural color of clay. What's coming up next? Pink grass? Yikes.

[pc1]

As long as it plays the same it shouldn't matter. Hey, people in the past complained about the change from white tennis balls to yellow and it worked out.

[atac]

The day Nadal wins the U.S. Open will people be saying its played on blue and green clay? Yeah, thats what I thought...

[35ft6]

Blue clay would be nice. I always thought blue courts, whether indoor carpet or hard, were the easiest on the eyes and allowed you to track the ball easiest.

[nadal for number1]

very good idea to change things imo