Melbourne Court conditions
- Thread starter Wilsonpro
- Start date
I Am Finnish
Bionic Poster
We will find out who wins the tournament
MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
We will know as soon as Rafa plays 
The Blond Blur
G.O.A.T.
BeatlesFan
Bionic Poster
That's precisely what Roddick said and he added the court conditions suit Novak to a T.
Hitman
Bionic Poster
Yes, they look built for Djokovic's game from what I have been hearing.
BeatlesFan
Bionic Poster
We just saw Rafa play the ATP Cup on Greenset, which is the identical surface used at the AO this year. The court was medium fast and medium bounce. Rafa's shots were not chest or shoulder level, they landed right in Novak's wheelhouse-- lower bouncing court for sure.We will know as soon as Rafa plays
Federer and Del Potro
Bionic Poster
Fast til Fed loses.
Good thing he is winning it.
Good thing he is winning it.
MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
Hitman
Bionic Poster
Tennis_Hands
Banned
Don't worry, he will get his preferred conditions at RG and USO, so it is a win-win situation (win-win for Djokovic/Nadal that is).
The Blond Blur
G.O.A.T.
Don't worry, he will get his preferred conditions at RG and USO, so it is a win-win situation (win-win for Djokovic/Nadal that is).
The Blond Blur
G.O.A.T.
Hitman
Bionic Poster
We snuck on for a hit on the Greenset courts in Brisbane. They are not fast, medium-fast or anything close to it. Neither are they low bouncing. They are however not as high bouncing as the Plexicushion rubbish they replaced.
I mostly play on Rebound Ace and as slow and high bouncing as that is, plays much faster and lower than the Greenset courts.
I mostly play on Rebound Ace and as slow and high bouncing as that is, plays much faster and lower than the Greenset courts.
This is what I've heard as well.
It is of course possible that they've mixed in less sand in Melbourne or smoothed the surface, but my understanding is the brief was to make them identical across the country. If that's the case, I'd call them medium-slow with a medium-high bounce.
Entirely possible but I understood they'd be identical as you've stated.
One man's fast is another's medium and some people seem to take great umbrage to differing opinions on this topic.
Thanks for your feedback on them though.
TheGhostOfAgassi
Talk Tennis Guru
When you watched ATP cup, did you think it was medium slow, w a medium high bounce?
I would have definitely called it medium slow, but not sure about the bounce. It felt like a high-ish bounce (weren't on for long), but it definitely looked more on the medium side when the pros were playing. The tall guys like Zverev, Tsitsipas, etc weren't hitting much above waist height. The big thing is, there was still little value in a good slice. Something knifed with good penetrated didn't skid through and just seemed to sit there begging to be punished. No way you could call the bounce low.
TheGhostOfAgassi
Talk Tennis Guru
Thanks. Do you know if the same balls as in ATP cup are used in AO?
I expect AO to be same as last year, low bouncing and medium speed.
Lleytonstation
Talk Tennis Guru
Yeah I won't decide until the winner, then I will make the accurate and scientific conclusion...
Bartelby
Bionic Poster
Brisbane humidity and Melbourne's dry air would make considerable changes to ball movement despite the surfaces being identical.
Yugram
Legend
You said the same about US Open last year.
Hitman
Bionic Poster
And that had what to do with the fact Djokovic was injured at the USO exactly?
Yugram
Legend
Just find it quite ironic that your observation about surface conditions was liked exclusively by Federer fans and the last time courts were "medium fast and low bouncing" at Grand Slam, we had Nadal vs Medvedev final.
The balls were Dunlop and certainly looked like the same rubbish that was used last year. After a game or two, new balls fluff up to be the size of a beach ball. By the end of 9 games they are huge and can't possibly be within spec.
I know you're a Nadal fan, but you couldn't possibly call AO last year low bouncing. On a low bouncing court, a well hit slice doesn't get to knee height.
Of course. I've always wondered if that is taken into consideration when laying the court, but I doubt it.
Hitman
Bionic Poster
Oh, you think we could have another Nadal v Medvedev final, with the possibility that both Federer and Djokovic getting injured like they were at USO? Sure, I mean, there is a possibility for that. But being healthy and having conditions ideal for your game are not the same thing. Of course to win the ideal situation is to have both, but you cannot predict who gets injured and when.
I mean, Nadal was a lock for the AO 2014 title going up against a guy he owned 12-0, conditions were fine also for him, he had made the last two AO finals he had played, yet his body gave out on him. No one can control those things.
Yugram
Legend
I predict Djokovic to win, was just pointing at the fact that "medium fast and low bouncing" doesn’t guarantee anything, that’s comfortable conditions for any of the Big3. And by the way, no, I don’t believe in Federer’s injury at US Open, sorry. Ashe’s night conditions killed him. Again.
NoleFam
Bionic Poster
There is no way that greenset court at ATP Cup was med slow. Djokovic hit nearly 40 winners in a two set match. For comparison, Nadal hit 44 winners in the whole match in AO 2012 which was 5 sets and nearly 6 hours. I know Nadal is slower, but he sure as hell is not that much slower. Djokovic also hit more winners at ATP Cup that he did on a med fast AO court in 3 sets last year.
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Hitman
Bionic Poster
OK, your first sentence. You are absolutely right, and that is why they play matches and a thing called upsets happen. Even Nadal loses at RG, as rare as that is.
Second sentence, doesn't matter to me it you believe in it or not, that's up to you. But for me, and I will stand by it, I recall he had a back issue the day before the match with Dimitrov and he was really frustrated with himself. Federer has carried a back issue all his career and it pops up time to time, not surprising it came up after such an intense season that saw him to get to the semis of RG then play six sets against Djokovic at W. Even Novak's body crumbled after that titanic final with Federer, so not surprising to me and many others that Federer, the six years older player also was feeling it. Stiff back Federer wasn't winning anything.
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D
Deleted member 743561
Guest
It's been said that the orientation of the human spine is an evolutionary flaw.
Untold millions endure chronic back pain, but it is a minor miracle that more professional athletes don't suffer from a range of spinal issues.
The triggers for pain are also unusual. But likely tied once again to the awkward weight loads borne by the vertical structure.
Hitman
Bionic Poster
Well, yes, you are right. Federer didn't practice that day before the match with Dimitrov and he was down on himself because he knew his campaign had come to an end, despite having a pretty decent start.
TheGhostOfAgassi
Talk Tennis Guru
Sounds like a terrible ball!!
Amritia
Hall of Fame
Who said it was low bouncing?
This tweet seems to indicate Roddick said it was medium bounce
This tweet seems to indicate Roddick said it was medium bounce
Amritia
Hall of Fame
Hearing from where?
More accurately, it says Roddick heard it was medium bounce.
BeatlesFan
Bionic Poster
This is the exact quote from Roddick, I posted it in the Fed News thread last week:
"From what I'm hearing, the Aussie O will be a medium fast, medium bounce court with a little more of a squishy component. You can slide easier on it that in the past few years. It won't reward the huge servers and it won't reward those who love clay. The man who dominates medium-fast courts is Djokovic and based on the court, I pick him to win it again."
Who knows, it could be what he read on ttw .. or it could be what Isner told him on the phone?
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
Bender
G.O.A.T.
Melbourne being on fire?
That's right! I'm only basing it from people I know have seen it first hand, others can draw their own conclusions
