2018 New York Open - ATP 250

RS92 said:
It seems that you are right.

2nsoxhx.png
Click to expand...
@bartleby :rolleyes: @EloQuent :rolleyes:
 
EloQuent said:
Never knew that, interesting. Functionally all that matters is the gritty paint? Then why would everyone use wood?
Click to expand...
These are the temporary indoor courts used at most indoor tennis venues would be my guess. Definitely lower bouncing than a permanent outdoor court. True hard courts of course the norm at tennis clubs, but not sure if any of the main ATP 250 and above events indoors are true hard courts. Brisbane has a tennis only facility that is covered, but lets the wind come in and that is plexi-cushion like Auz Open.

Apparently ATP manufactures all of these indoor courts and the tournaments specify their grit level. I'd like to know what is in Basel vs Vienna. It may just all be grit level, but quite a contrast. Most indoor courts play like Rotterdam and New York Open looks in the ballpark.
 
"Black is the new Green"

Apparently these courts were built by Haro Sports - a German company that makes sports flooring products. They are the same company that made the courts for Laver Cup. Josh Ripple the tournament director wanted to do something different since it's a new venue. According to Ripple, he chose medium-to-fast finish designed to help the fast-serving top seeds (Anderson, Querrey, Isner) to advance to latter rounds, yet supporting some of the players (like Nishikori, that likes it a little slower) to progress through the week.

Interesting article from New York Times about court construction and the event:
 
marc45 said:
ball boy weighed in with a couple tweets..he and his fellow ball boys were around the dust-up last night and can't vouch for Donald

Michael Bruno‏ @Mike_Bruno55
Replying to @John38612264 @BenRothenberg
The 5 other ball people with me and the chair umpire also did not hear anything racial. I like Donald Young but none of us can vouch his accusation towards Ryan.
Click to expand...


not pretty though...



  1. Michael Bruno‏ @Mike_Bruno55 2h2 hours ago
    Replying to @couponfrenzy12 @BenRothenberg
    Ryan complained and told Young to stop celebrating his mistakes



  3. Michael Bruno‏ @Mike_Bruno55 2h2 hours ago
    Replying to @John38612264 @BenRothenberg
    The 5 other ball people with me and the chair umpire also did not hear anything racial. I like Donald Young but none of us can vouch his accusation towards Ryan.

  4. Michael Bruno‏ @Mike_Bruno55 2h2 hours ago
    Replying to @breakpointblank
    I can only tell you everything that I heard at that moment. I actually like Young better than Harrison but I can not vouch for the racial comment and the other ball people with me said they didn’t hear anything mentioning race either


  6. Michael Bruno‏ @Mike_Bruno55 2h2 hours ago
    There’s no evidence b/c there was no racist comment made. I worked that match as a ballboy and stood right behind them. Both were immature and said ridiculous things to each other cursing and saying let’s fight outside - nothing racial was stated.



  7. Michael Bruno‏ @Mike_Bruno55 2h2 hours ago

    I worked that match as one of the Ball boys and there was no racial slur in that argument at all. Ryan complained about celebrating mistakes and Young said shut the f up bitxh followed by lets take this outside. Ryan then made fun of Young’s height.


  8. Michael Bruno‏ @Mike_Bruno55 2h2 hours ago
    Replying to @BenRothenberg
    I was one of the Ball boys working that match I was standing right behind them. Not one thing was mentioned about race . There was cursing and threatening to fight outside and Ryan made fun of Young’s height.
 
I just caught the Isner match in the middle of the third and surprise he lost to Albert #91. Seem like he gave up after getting broke!
 
This tourney is sucking.
As I said earlier, they should have convinced Shapo to come. He would have raised the interest level on Long Island. New Yorkers love him.

And some of the American players aren't well loved by their countrymen (Young, Harrison, Isner) aren't exactly big talent draws or personality draws). (to clarify, I don't mean they don't have talent, it's more that the type of talent they possess isn't sufficient to draw a crowd in and of itself.)

Having said that, it's not just about the players. It appears that the organizers should have done other things to attract a better crowd for the inaugural year of the tournament.

Will they learn for next year or will the tournament fold/move on?
 
Isner is too stubborn with sticking to his baseline grinding. He opens up the court beautifully sometimes, but just doesn't come forward. And when he does decide to come forward, he's always just one step too slow. You can tell that sometimes he just gets into this mode of not wanting to make a mistake, and he gets super passive -- doesn't even seem to have a game plan besides bunting the ball from side to side. While he will still be able to hammer aces, people will get rhythm on returning his serve as a match progresses. If he can't find a way to integrate his serve into a cohesive game plan besides baseline grinding, he'll probably be burnt out within the next couple years.

I don't think there's a more stubborn player than Isner when it comes to adjusting during a match.
 
gogo said:
This tourney is sucking.
As I said earlier, they should have convinced Shapo to come. He would have raised the interest level on Long Island. New Yorkers love him.

And some of the American players aren't well loved by their countrymen (Young, Harrison, Isner) aren't exactly big talent draws or personality draws). (to clarify, I don't mean they don't have talent, it's more that the type of talent they possess isn't sufficient to draw a crowd in and of itself.)

Having said that, it's not just about the players. It appears that the organizers should have done other things to attract a better crowd for the inaugural year of the tournament.

Will they learn for next year or will the tournament fold/move on?
Click to expand...
Another poster on here was talking about the tickets also being really overpriced.
 
Freddy Cat said:
Another poster on here was talking about the tickets also being really overpriced.
Click to expand...
Yeah, but you're a tennis player, you dork out on a tennis forum. You pay a fifty or two to see some pro tennis in your area. If i were in NY, i would have gotten some cheapseats, if only to walk that parapet (i realize traffic is not good out to the island).
 
I went to USO for the first time this year. Incredible value in early round grounds passes (or early round modest seat in Armstrong, or better yet, Grandstand) that provide access to many talented players. I watched Kyrgios (sucked), Sock (sucked-ish), Johnson (ok, but yawn), Shapovalov (wild and exciting against Medvedev), Zverev v Coric (from above with no reserved seats required), Ferrer, Rublev, etc. Lots of great play for pretty dirt cheap.

Yes, there were massively expensive tickets to Arthur Ashe, but I don't feel like I missed much.

NY Open has to provide "value" as well, particularly considering they are "only" an ATP250 and the local citizens have access to the US Open and many other high quality professional sports.

Just sayin.
 
gogo said:
I had the same thought myself. He posted a lot of times, too!
Click to expand...
At this point I don't think we'll ever know the truth.
gogo said:
I went to USO for the first time this year. Incredible value in early round grounds passes (or early round modest seat in Armstrong, or better yet, Grandstand) that provide access to many talented players. I watched Kyrgios (sucked), Sock (sucked-ish), Johnson (ok, but yawn), Shapovalov (wild and exciting against Medvedev), Zverev v Coric (from above with no reserved seats required), Ferrer, Rublev, etc. Lots of great play for pretty dirt cheap.

Yes, there were massively expensive tickets to Arthur Ashe, but I don't feel like I missed much.

NY Open has to provide "value" as well, particularly considering they are "only" an ATP250 and the local citizens have access to the US Open and many other high quality professional sports.

Just sayin.
Click to expand...
Exact same reaction. Was gonna buy tickets but it just doesn't seem worth the price for a 250 without exciting players. If it was cheaper I'd be there.
 
I am not a big fan of the black courts. At times on Tennis TV there is horrible purple chromatic abberation on the net and lines where the white constrasts the black. But it disappears at times... The whole courts and seats being black just gives the stadium a really depression vibe to watch.
 
Vanilla Slice said:
I was at the NY Open today from 1 pm to 7 pm! Had a lot of fun and enjoyed the black courts!

I’m too tired now but tomorrow I’ll give my full report on the grounds and everything and upload some pictures.
Click to expand...
Nice. A light crowd for Isner match, but a lively one. Quite a few rowdies being the devil's advocate me thinks in their support of Albot. Still a kind of rough Brooklyn atmosphere and I Iike it. What an opportunity to get close to the players at this event. I'd buy nosebleed seats and try to sneak to a closer seat.

Shamefully empty for Kei match and I thought New York was the City that never sleeps lol. Times have changed.
 
EloQuent said:
At this point I don't think we'll ever know the truth.

Exact same reaction. Was gonna buy tickets but it just doesn't seem worth the price for a 250 without exciting players. If it was cheaper I'd be there.
Click to expand...
Buy the cheapest seat and just move your way down. I can see why you're not excited as it appears the Donald has not advanced in doubles for another showdown with Harrison lol. I'd just get down there and try to worm my way over to the practice courts as well. This is a real opportunity to get close. Anyone in the event at this point probably playing reasonably well. Even a lopsided match like Nishikori vs Donskoy not all that bad as some decent rallies.
 
gogo said:
This tourney is sucking.
As I said earlier, they should have convinced Shapo to come. He would have raised the interest level on Long Island. New Yorkers love him.

And some of the American players aren't well loved by their countrymen (Young, Harrison, Isner) aren't exactly big talent draws or personality draws). (to clarify, I don't mean they don't have talent, it's more that the type of talent they possess isn't sufficient to draw a crowd in and of itself.)

Having said that, it's not just about the players. It appears that the organizers should have done other things to attract a better crowd for the inaugural year of the tournament.

Will they learn for next year or will the tournament fold/move on?
Click to expand...
They definitely lost their mind on ticket prices. I'm pretty shocked that Tennis TV does not have at least one commentator for coverage. Balls being dropped everywhere it seems. The court colors and choices are a complete fail. How hard is it to bring in a designer to get the look of everything right. ATP did a good job with Milan. Acapulco has been rocking the last few years and it all adds up.
Sharapova-Acapulco-c1.jpg
 
Tshooter said:
Every game starts with love on both sides. :p
Click to expand...


Petko yesterday on Valentine's Day...

Andrea Petkovic‏Verified account @andreapetkovic Feb 14
Andrea Petkovic Retweeted JohnnyBallgame

What do female tennis players say after a breakup? New balls, please!

Andrea Petkovic added,

JohnnyBallgame @JohnnyBallgame_
Replying to @andreapetkovic
Why should you never fall in love with a tennis player? To them, "Love" means nothing.
1f923.png
1f618.png
1f3be.png
 
French doubles player just took a one hopper from one of the Bryans into his balls..will make all the highlight reels
 
ATP doesn't back Young...

NYT:

A ball person who stood within a few feet of an altercation between the professional tennis players Donald Young and Ryan Harrison at the New York Open on Monday said he witnessed the entire incident and did not hear any racially charged comments.

Michael Bruno, 26, gave that account to investigators at the ATP after Young accused Harrison in a Twitter posting of making a racist remark during the match. Harrison denied the accusation and, in his own social media post, urged anyone with audio or video of their angry exchange during a changeover to make it public.

Donald Young Jr

✔@Yimlife1313

I’m shocked and disappointed, Ryan Harrison, to hear you tell me how you really feel about me as a black tennis player in the middle of our NY match. I thought this was supposed to be an inclusive gentleman’s sport.

12:03 AM - Feb 13, 2018


Ryan Harrison

✔@ryanharrison92

The accusations made by Donald Young tonight following our match are absolutely untrue. I’m extremely disappointed that someone would say this in reaction to a lost tennis match. Any video/audio will 100% clear me and I encourage anyone with the available resources to find it.

12:47 AM - Feb 13, 2018

Bruno said that in addition to his cooperation with tennis officials he also felt an obligation to speak publicly after seeing disparaging remarks about Harrison on social media. He called the criticism unfair.

The ATP, the organization that runs the men’s professional tennis tour, announced on Friday that its investigation of the incident found no evidence to support Young’s claim.

“All available evidence was reviewed including match footage and interviews with match officials and other tournament personnel who were in close proximity of the players,” the statement said. “Unfortunately, the audio recording on the match footage did not pick up verbal exchanges between the players. At this time no evidence has been found to support the allegation that Ryan Harrison used a racial slur during the match.”

Bruno’s account and the findings of the ATP’s investigation suggest that either Young fabricated the claim about a racial epithet or no one else heard it.

In an unusually explicit insight into an on-court incident, Bruno said he clearly heard and remembered everything that was said, and also spoke to all the other ball people involved — a matter of course for ball people after a match. They all concurred, he said, that they heard foul language and threats and that the incident almost became physical, but no racial slurs.




Ben Rothenberg

✔@BenRothenberg

The courtside audio is all but non-existent, but looks pretty hostile at the new New York Open between Ryan Harrison and Donald Young.

10:41 PM - Feb 12, 2018


“I’m right there, and I didn’t hear it,” Bruno said. “No one heard a racial comment; no one on my side, no one on Young’s side. No racial terminology whatsoever.”

merlin_133979852_bf83eff7-f1c7-4ffe-a29d-5dbde6813585-master675.jpg

Michael Bruno, 26, above, who served as a ball person at the New York Open on Monday, witnessed the tense exchange between the tennis players Donald Young and Ryan Harrison, and then gave his account to investigators at the ATP. He also made his account public. CreditDave Sanders for The New York Times

Asked several times if he could have missed it, Bruno, who is white, said it was possible but unlikely.

“I guess if he whispered it,” he said. “But I never saw anything that shows one of them was whispering. And I would still be in close proximity.”

Young declined through a representative to comment and has not elaborated or spoken publicly about the incident since his initial post on Twitter on Tuesday morning. Harrison defeated Young in their first-round match, 6-3, 7-6 (4), but then lost his next one and was eliminated from the singles competition.

It is unclear whether the ATP will penalize either player. Harrison and Young have a history of acrimony, and Harrison is known on the tour for his aggressive and abrasive manner, often incurring the ire of opponents and tournament officials.

Bruno said he generally likes Young more than Harrison because Young is more approachable on court. But he said that he witnessed “ridiculous, immature behavior” from both players.

The incident occurred during a changeover at 4-3 in the first set Monday night. The players got into an argument that quickly grew so heated that the umpire had to come down from his chair to separate the players. Young, who is black, told ATP officials that the remark was made by Harrison, who is white, during that changeover.

The post on Young’s Twitter account read, “I’m shocked and disappointed, Ryan Harrison, to hear you tell me how you really feel about me as a black tennis player in the middle of our NY match.”

During its investigation, the ATP interviewed the umpire and the ball people and reviewed video of the incident, which shows Bruno standing behind Harrison. Audio of the exchange is unclear, but Bruno, who can be seen on the video drinking from a bottle of water and smirking, said he smiled because he thought the players were joking at first.

Harrison, he said, told Young not to audibly celebrate Harrison’s mistakes on the court, something that is considered poor sportsmanship in tennis. Young told Harrison to shut up, using an expletive. Bruno also said that Young leveled an abusive, nonracial, term at Harrison and challenged him to a fight. Harrison responded by holding his hand out, mocking Young for being short.
17tennisrace-master675.jpg

Donald Young at the Australian Open. He wrote on Twitter that he was "shocked and disappointed, Ryan Harrison, to hear you tell me how you really feel about me as a black tennis player." CreditDita Alangkara/Associated Press

“Donald Young said, ‘Let’s take this outside, let’s fight outside,’ ” Bruno said. “Ryan kept saying, ‘You’re this tall,’ and kept gesturing with his hand, ‘You’re this tall, you’re this tall.’

At that point, the umpire came down from his chair and separated the players. Later, Young took a bathroom break and Bruno said he heard the chair umpire say something to Harrison that appeared to be a warning.

“Harrison said, ‘You should really be addressing him and give him a talking to,’ ” Bruno said, “and that was that.”

Bruno said that he and others were rotated off the court before the end of the match, which is routine. He said he and the other ball people went into a lounge and discussed what they heard. An ATP official later came in and asked for their accounts, which Bruno said he believed was before anyone knew there would be charges of racism leveled on social media.

The next morning, on his way to the tournament in Uniondale, N.Y., Bruno heard about Young’s tweet about racial abuse. Bruno said he was surprised, and when he arrived at the event, an ATP official asked him and another ball person who was present the night before to write down their accounts of what had occurred.

“Nothing more, nothing less,” Bruno said he was told. “Just write exactly what you heard.”

He said he wrote a paragraph, and that was the last he heard about it from tournament officials. But later, when he saw the fallout on social media, he felt compelled to speak out. He wrote on his Twitter account that he was present and heard nothing racist. Harrison retweeted Bruno’s post.

He said Harrison later called him and told him how he was being “brutalized” on social media.

“It was pretty nasty, some of the things I was reading,” Bruno said. “For people to just jump on the bandwagon and start, like, really damaging someone’s character without hearing any evidence or details of the conversation, it didn’t sit right with me.”

A medical imaging technologist, Bruno said he played high school tennis at Francis Lewis High School in Queens and has been a ball person for more than a decade, including assignments at the United States Open since 2007.

He said he knew that by going public with his account he could be jeopardizing his ability to work as a ball person at future events because they are not supposed to speak publicly. But he also said if he had heard anything racial, he would have spoken up about that, too.

“If I heard it, I would definitely vouch that it was said,” he said. “It’s not right.”
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Otacon
2018 Delray Beach - ATP 250
11 12 13
Replies
600
Views
33K
Federer and Del Potro
Federer and Del Potro
Enceladus
2020 ATP season - 250 tournaments - New York & Buenos Aires
2
Replies
63
Views
4K
D-Lite
D-Lite
RS92
  • Poll Poll
2018 Acapulco - ATP 500
9 10 11
Replies
529
Views
31K
SeeingDusk
S
Rhino
  • Poll Poll
Heineken Open, Auckland, New Zealand, ATP 250
2 3 4
Replies
157
Views
10K
blackfrido
blackfrido
Meles
Hamburg European Open 2020 - ATP 500
Replies
1
Views
470
I Am Finnish
I Am Finnish
Back
Top