From the USTA Pro Circuit website:
"The USTA Pro Circuit works hand-in-hand with USTA Player Development to create a schedule that maximizes opportunities for Americans to excel including the development of play on all surfaces. A record 31 USTA Pro Circuit events were held on clay this year. In 2006, just 15 were held."
This makes perfect sense since 99% of the courts in this country are hardcourts. Before you start making all the pro tournaments clay, wouldn't it make more sense to build more clay courts around the country first. Do mountain bike riders train on a paved roads? Do sand volleyball players train in school gyms? The US is known for hard fast courts. England is known for grass courts. Do you think the LTA is going to run out and start building clay courts?
Why are the National Hardcourt Championships packed with the top players and the National Clay Court Championships so weak? Both winners receive a wildcard into the US Open. It is because people are smart enough to not play on a surface that they don't train on.
This summer there were tons of byes in the qualifiers of Futures events that were on clay because players who never train on clay just don't go.
"The USTA Pro Circuit works hand-in-hand with USTA Player Development to create a schedule that maximizes opportunities for Americans to excel including the development of play on all surfaces. A record 31 USTA Pro Circuit events were held on clay this year. In 2006, just 15 were held."
This makes perfect sense since 99% of the courts in this country are hardcourts. Before you start making all the pro tournaments clay, wouldn't it make more sense to build more clay courts around the country first. Do mountain bike riders train on a paved roads? Do sand volleyball players train in school gyms? The US is known for hard fast courts. England is known for grass courts. Do you think the LTA is going to run out and start building clay courts?
Why are the National Hardcourt Championships packed with the top players and the National Clay Court Championships so weak? Both winners receive a wildcard into the US Open. It is because people are smart enough to not play on a surface that they don't train on.
This summer there were tons of byes in the qualifiers of Futures events that were on clay because players who never train on clay just don't go.
