Mustard
Bionic Poster
I never said, that you say, that all the courts play the same. You say, that the improvement in the racket technology and strings are so big (i.e. you say they are the main difference between now and then (phasing out of the carpet is a non issue, since it doesn't concern the technical aspect of this discussion)), that they negate compeltely the small (in your opinion) variation in direction slowing of the surfaces.
The technology has led to serve and volley being close to extinction and the dominance of baseline play. That doesn't mean that different courts all have the same conditions, just that baseline play predominates everywhere.
I asked you how is it then possible, that Federer and Nadal have so different results, depending on the speed and the bounce of the surfaces, if the racket and string technology is such a prevalent factor?
You're misunderstanding me. There are still clear differences between the surfaces, which is why Nadal dominates on clay but not on hardcourts for example, but that doesn't change the things I've said about the technology and the fazing out of carpet courts being the main factors in today's tennis play on the tour (i.e. baseline play with authority) being different from the tennis style on tour in past eras.
Surely, Nadal would be having the same results everywhere on HC, since the differences in the speed of the courts are so negligible compared to the string and racket technology (since he uses the same racket and strings everywhere), no?
You didn't answer that.
Because there are clear differences between clay and hardcourts. I never suggested otherwise. I'm sorry if you got that impression, but that was never my point.
Just to make sure, that we are on the same page.
It doesn't seem that we are.
You are saying, that the people stay on the baseline, because the modern racket and string technology are too much to do anything different.
Most of the time, yes. The modern technology makes it harder to get off the baseline.
The modern technology compels players to stay on the baseline the vast majority of the time, because of the power, spin, depth and authority in the rallies in today's game. This doesn't change the fact that the courts are different at each tournament, or even different courts at the same tournament. But baseline play does now hugely predominate at all tournaments, and it's mostly because of the technology in today's game.
My question, regarding this is: Did you watch the tourney in Madrid this year, and if "Yes" what kind of rackets did the players use?
What happened in Madrid this year was down to the surface, it was ridiculously slippery.
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