2009 Paris Indoors vs 2002: Faster pace in 2002!

DRII

G.O.A.T.
Tennis Channel re-broadcast a 2002 BNP Paribas match between Agassi and Gaston Gaudio today.

Comparing to this years matches of the same tournament, it is clear that the pace was much faster in 2002! I don't know if they have changed the surface over the years or what. But the pace coming off of Agassi's racquet seemed almost extreme compared to this year. Even Guadio, who was not known as a power player, seemed to be hitting the ball faster than anybody this year.

Part of it, I believe, is the fact that tennis has become more of a defensive game nowadays; and I am referring to ground game tennis, not serve and volleying.

The top players are so fast and so good at defense that opponents are more reluctant to go after their shots in a match, until they have an opening. Otherwise they would be giving defensive players the pace they like to feed off of (ala Andy Murray).

We will have to wait and see if offensive ground game tennis will take over again. These cycles usually last about 5 years or so, and with each cycle the game is elevated. Think when Hewitt dominated the game; he had the foot-speed and ball control to neutralize the offense at that time coming from Agassi and Sampras, Safin etc. Then the best players started to match Hewitt's defense yet increase offensive play, Federer for example did this. For a short while Federer's offense was enough to destroy other top players between 2004-2006. But now a new level of defense has taken hold: first from Nadal and now from the likes of Andy Murray and Novak. For the most part, most players in the top ten have this basic level of defense.

I can't wait to see who will bring the new level of offense to the game. One where there will be enough pace coming from his raquet that he will play offensively most of the time. It should be spectacular!

The women's game is somewhat similar, but the differential between power players and others is larger. Only recently have the power of the Williams sisters or Davenport or Pierce been matched, or come close to, ala Henin, Clijsters, Sharapova etc.
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Avoid this last sentence if it upsets you:

(And in my opinion no woman has matched the power and athleticism of a 'peak' Venus! including the current Venus)
 

RCizzle65

Hall of Fame
Looking faster on camera doesn't mean anything unless they used the same exact cameras back in 2002 and in 2009 (which I doubt because of the HD switch recently going on), the cameras at the grand slams all make the ball look fast, even though the Australian and French are slower courts, the camera makes the ball look faster than other tournaments.
 

DRII

G.O.A.T.
Looking faster on camera doesn't mean anything unless they used the same exact cameras back in 2002 and in 2009 (which I doubt because of the HD switch recently going on), the cameras at the grand slams all make the ball look fast, even though the Australian and French are slower courts, the camera makes the ball look faster than other tournaments.

So the video cameras can make that much of a difference. Why would that be the case?

I think broadcast frame rate is the same no matter what camera is used. With HD is about how many lines of data (pixels) are packed within one frame. Frame rate is still the same as standard defintion, I think.

For the Europeans on the board: I wonder if PAL (Euro standard) vs NTSC (American standard) makes any difference...
 

fps

Legend
at a slight tangent, i disagree that djokovic brings a new level of defence to the game. i think his difficulties this year have been part-fitness, part developing his natural attacking game.
 

hoosierbr

Hall of Fame
All the courts were faster in 2002. The ATP and the individual tournaments have made an effort to slow the courts down in recent years - more rallies, less serving dominance. That's what the fans wanted, so they said. But they've gone too far and now fans want more variety.
 

FlamEnemY

Hall of Fame
Federer has an attacking game. So does Djokovic, so does DelPo. Nadal's FH is by itself an offensive shot.
You certainly need some great defence, but if you don't attack, you'll end up nowhere.
 
Paris Bercy was played on carpet until 2006 since then it's played on gerflox hard. 2007s editon was slow as hell , the last two edition has been a little faster but far from being fast like before.
 

DRII

G.O.A.T.
Paris Bercy was played on carpet until 2006 since then it's played on gerflox hard. 2007s editon was slow as hell , the last two edition has been a little faster but far from being fast like before.

But it also seemed like the ball was traveling faster through the air in 2002. I know the surface can make a huge difference but i also think the top players mentality is different now than 5 or so years ago.

I must say, the 2002 match was more exciting than most of the matches this year.
 
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