More grass court tennis, please

[badkitty]

Anyone else in favor of a longer grass court tennis season?

I enjoy watching tennis on all surfaces, but find the little patch of fast passed grass tennis refreshing after the long clay court season. I kind of like the drama of watching the seeded favorites come up against a serve-bot like Karlovic and to see who will blink first in the tie breaker. Awkward pickup half volleys, weird bounces on worn out grass, funky footing, low skidding slice, first strike tennis; bring it on. Also, I'd say the attendance and positive fan energy at Halle has been great after seeing all of the empty seats and hissing at the French open.

 

[nguyentuanson16792]

Nadal disagrees

 

[Backspin1183]

Nadal disagrees

He actually wants more grass than hard court, Nguyen. He said so at Stuttgart.

I like grass but it shouldn't have a long season like that of clay or hard court. It's good to see professional players serve but after a while it gets boring. You want a few rallies as well.

 

[SQA333]

"Grass is not a real surface no? Because I'm not good at it no? We need more real surfaces like clay no?"

I feel there should be at least a Masters + 1 more week of 500s on this surface.

 

[Backspin1183]

Grass is the best surface to play on for those with limited ground game though. As long as you can serve well, you don't need to be that good from the baseline to do well.

 

[Sentinel]

Grass is the best surface to play on for those with limited ground game though. As long as you can serve well, you don't need to be that good from the baseline to do well.

Kevin Anderson says Hola

If by being good from the baseline you mean being able to win 30 or 40 point rallies, then even Federer fails your requirement. I think only Rafael and Novak will pass

 

[Inanimate_object]

There is something to be said about how the mystique of Wimbledon is as much history as it is brevity. The way I see it, Wimbledon is a mausoleum, almost like a living tribute to the past of tennis. The sport prides itself on its history yet the sport has moved on. Hard courts reign and grass court tennis is fast becoming archaic if it isn't already. The grass season reflects the importance its carries around the tour. Short and sweet. Something with deep history, but not something you want staying past its welcome.

 

[nguyentuanson16792]

There is something to be said about how the mystique of Wimbledon is as much history as it is brevity. The way I see it, Wimbledon is a mausoleum, almost like a living tribute to the past of tennis. The sport prides itself on its history yet the sport has moved on. Hard courts reign and grass court tennis is fast becoming archaic if it isn't already. The grass season reflects the importance its carries around the tour. Short and sweet. Something with deep history, but not something you want staying past its welcome.

funny thing is that Wimbledon still the most watching event of tennis. They still like it more than other tournament because of the tradition? I dont think so. It is where they can enjoy every aspect of tennis and it is pleasure to watch

 

[ProStaff forever]

It's soothing to the eyes

 

[badkitty]

It's soothing to the eyes

Grass is also good for highlight reels

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/video/florian-mayer-diving-hot-shot---halle-2015

 

[Inanimate_object]

It's soothing to the eyes

I've never found grass-court tennis to make for particularly good viewing. The combination of small green ball on a large green background makes it particularly straining unless you are watching it live or with high definition 35-50 frames per second footage. Grass is actually the worst surface as far as viewing is concerned.

 

[Mainad]

I've never found grass-court tennis to make for particularly good viewing. The combination of small green ball on a large green background makes it particularly straining unless you are watching it live or with high definition 35-50 frames per second footage. Grass is actually the worst surface as far as viewing is concerned.

The balls are yellow, not green. I have no trouble seeing them on grass but I do have occasional trouble seeing them on clay when they become so encrusted with the red stuff that it can be hard to detect them against the red surface sometimes.

 

[newpball]

Anyone else in favor of a longer grass court tennis season?

Yes, I would like to see at least one masters tournament on grass.

 

[newpball]

The combination of small green ball .....

What kind of screen do you watch tennis on? :shock:

:grin:

 

[Inanimate_object]

The balls are yellow, not green. I have no trouble seeing them on grass but I do have occasional trouble seeing them on clay when they become so encrusted with the red stuff that it can be hard to detect them against the red surface sometimes.

Whether its various shades of yellow or green does not detract from the fact that there is no color contrast when viewing grass court tennis. It is the opinion of most people that what makes pleasant easy viewing is when the eye is naturally attracted to action (as is done in some courts where there are complementary colors outside the tramlines. It is also a major reason why hard-court slams are much more viewable today, having moved away to a much more sharper contrast of green (yellow) ball on blue surface.

 

[badkitty]

Whether its various shades of yellow or green does not detract from the fact that there is no color contrast when viewing grass court tennis. It is the opinion of most people that what makes pleasant easy viewing is when the eye is naturally attracted to action (as is done in some courts where there are complementary colors outside the tramlines. It is also a major reason why hard-court slams are much more viewable today, having moved away to a much more sharper contrast of green (yellow) ball on blue surface.

I'll give you that. Blue courts are a nice color for viewing tennis on a screen. My favorite surface for TV viewing was that crazy intense electric blue clay.

Between grass and clay, though, I think the ball is a bit more visible on the green than the brick color.

 

[MichaelNadal]

They gave us more this year I think Wimby getting pushed back 2 weeks for a grass masters would have the year perfect.

 

[jiddy-p]

They gave us more this year I think Wimby getting pushed back 2 weeks for a grass masters would have the year perfect.

This is the solution. Don't understand what the problem is with pushing Wimby back 2 weeks. There must be reasons. I would push it back, then play Queens and Stuttgart simultaneously, instead of Queens Halle, then have those two lead into a Masters at Halle, which goes on to Wimbledon a week after. That would channel things nicely to the crescendo of Wimbledon.

 

[jiddy-p]

Just to add, Halle already has a roof on center court! Not even the US Open has that. Attendance was also amazing. Almost all matches were fully booked. Compare that to a lot of events on tour, such as Shanghai and Beijing, which are often completely empty. Basel is also a disgrace, attendance is consistently around 30 percent.

 

[Deleted member 77403]

I think the grass court season already is much better, with the addition of an extra week, and Queens and Halle pushed back one week. Both events felt bigger, and not just because they were 500s, but also because I feel we are no suffering the hangover of watching slam, and then trying to getting pumped up the very next day.

It seems like Queens and Halle managed to stand out, since everyone had time to move on from the clay and what happened in Paris. Personally, I would prefer if we got at least one more week and we got a master series event...why not Hamburg? They have the facilities already for hosting a big event...but maybe that would be too much grass in Germany, since it would likely be three straight weeks...don't know.

But I think one more week would be great.

 

[dominikk1985]

I would like to make one of the grass tournaments a masters. make one of the outdoor hard masters a grass masters.

 

[PMChambers]

I think the grass court season already is much better, with the addition of an extra week, and Queens and Halle pushed back one week. Both events felt bigger, and not just because they were 500s, but also because I feel we are no suffering the hangover of watching slam, and then trying to getting pumped up the very next day.

It seems like Queens and Halle managed to stand out, since everyone had time to move on from the clay and what happened in Paris. Personally, I would prefer if we got at least one more week and we got a master series event...why not Hamburg? They have the facilities already for hosting a big event...but maybe that would be too much grass in Germany, since it would likely be three straight weeks...don't know.

But I think one more week would be great.

There's the Hall of Fame Tennis Championship in Newport that's another week of grass court tennis for players committed to grass. It's a 250 just like Queens and Halle where up until last year, so nearly the same level.

 

[Feather]

Grass is the best surface to play on for those with limited ground game though. As long as you can serve well, you don't need to be that good from the baseline to do well.

How many Wimbledons Ivo Karlovic and John Isner won? :lol:

 

[Deleted member 77403]

There's the Hall of Fame Tennis Championship in Newport that's another week of grass court tennis for players committed to grass. It's a 250 just like Queens and Halle where up until last year, so nearly the same level.

The only problem with that is, it happens straight after Wimbledon. The grass season pretty much climaxes with the Wimbledon final in the eyes of many. I am not saying it should go, it should certainly stay, the more grass the better, but since it is not really used in the build up to SW19, it loses it place a little on most of the players.

We have five weeks, including Newport here, just one more week and I will say it is perfect.

 

[Deleted member 77403]

How many Wimbledons Ivo Karlovic and John Isner won? :lol:

Lets see who the last couple of players were that won Wimbledon....

Federer
Nadal
Djokjovic
Murray

The cream always rises to the top on grass.

 

[Thetouch]

How many Wimbledons Ivo Karlovic and John Isner won? :lol:

As much as Roddick won. ^^

 

[m2nk2]

Less HC and more grass. I'm all for that. But lets have the grass longer to allow for less bounce and faster game. Bad news for Nadal and Djoko and Murray. But it's difficult to be good on every surface.

 

[kOaMaster]

grass court tennis is by far my favourite surface to watch and this goes back to the 90s. my first tennis tv-memories were on grass court and the most important ones as well.

of course I'd wish to see more!

(still hope they'd replace miami with a masters 1000 grass court-event)

 

[Pagoo]

Well, Nottingham is on this week. Also, the Boodles just announced Nadal will be joining them.

So, there should be some interesting grass matches this week.

 

[G A S]

It's soothing to the eyes

yeah, alas the number of tournaments on grass has fallen quite the amount.

 

[m2nk2]

Well, Nottingham is on this week. Also, the Boodles just announced Nadal will be joining them.

So, there should be some interesting grass matches this week.

Boodles is just exhibition but no ATP points.

 

[Zoolander]

grass court tennis is by far my favourite surface to watch and this goes back to the 90s. my first tennis tv-memories were on grass court and the most important ones as well.

Many are my memories of sitting up late in the night as a kid watching lendl v becker v edberg etc at wimbledon. And late at night grass is indeed more soothing on the eyes than clay or hardcourt!

 

[Murrayjuannow]

Yes please more and more grass. The more grass the better. It gives us all extra oxygen.

 

[Bryan Swartz]

It isn't just at the top level that the change would need to be made. 2 of 150 Challengers last year were on grass, 4 of nearly 700 futures. Making grass a major part of the tour again would require major changes.

Perhaps in a few years one of the 500s could be made into a Masters, but the problem with that is you'd need to take away one of the current hardcourt Masters. I'm sure many(not the least of which would be the tournament organizers themselves) would oppose this.

 

[G A S]

It isn't just at the top level that the change would need to be made. 2 of 150 Challengers last year were on grass, 4 of nearly 700 futures. Making grass a major part of the tour again would require major changes.

Perhaps in a few years one of the 500s could be made into a Masters, but the problem with that is you'd need to take away one of the current hardcourt Masters. I'm sure many(not the least of which would be the tournament organizers themselves) would oppose this.

and to think it was the complete opposite many years ago...

Yes please more and more grass. The more grass the better. It gives us all extra oxygen.

yeah, double meaning,

 

[Slice'n'dice]

They gave us more this year I think Wimby getting pushed back 2 weeks for a grass masters would have the year perfect.

Agree with this, a longer season with no masters wouldn't make much difference as everyone is focused on Wimbledon.

 

[MichaelNadal]

A grass masters in the USA would be amazing, but impractical :/