T1B

NoVax got *doinked* by a water bottle at the Italian Open.
Went to the ground for 20-30 seconds, and was said to be bleeding.
Said he did not sleep well that night.

Here a look at it...





Two days later NoVax was upset by Alejandro Tabilo.
Rolled in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3.
Not close.





Roland-Garros starts in less than 10 days, and neither Nadal or Djokovic are in good form.
Rafa was routed in Rome by H. Hurkacz 6-1-6-3, which I believe is his worst ever loss on clay.

Somebody flopped at an Italian sporting event?

I am shocked.

Raider fans went to the Italian Open?

From chucking batteries to bottles.

Softball Bat wrote: ↑Sun May 12, 2024 4:45 pm Roland-Garros starts in less than 10 days, and neither Nadal or Djokovic are in good form.

Nadal won’t get past two matches at this rate, he’s not 100% and doesn’t have a lot of matches under his belt. Djoker hasn’t been playing great all year really.

Sprinkle in the fact that Sinner and Alcaraz are limping into RG with injuries, this could be one of those years an unseeded South American gets his mancard (think Guga Kuerten in the 90s, among others).

Why aren't there more clay courts in the US? I don't really buy the conventional wisdom that clay courts never caught on in the US because they cost more to maintain. I've seen only clay courts in Colombia and Buenos Aires. If Colombia can afford clay courts, the US can too.

Anyway, tennis on clay is great. US tennis players are really missing out.

L45B wrote:Nadal won’t get past two matches at this rate, he’s not 100% and doesn’t have a lot of matches under his belt.

I've watched highlights of some of Rafa's recent matches, and he's not looking good.

He looks stiff, slow, and is often found out of position.

Unless his draw is really favorable at the French, I agree that he'll be lucky to get to the 2nd week.

Screw_Michigan wrote: ↑Sun May 12, 2024 11:49 pm Why aren't there more clay courts in the US? I don't really buy the conventional wisdom that clay courts never caught on in the US because they cost more to maintain. I've seen only clay courts in Colombia and Buenos Aires. If Colombia can afford clay courts, the US can too.

Anyway, tennis on clay is great. US tennis players are really missing out.

I personally was never comfortable on clay. My results were never as good on clay.
But clay is a nice change of pace, and it is actually probably easier on the body than a hard court is.

Clay courts require steady maintenance.
They have to be swept and watered often.
If not, the surface becomes very fugged up.

I suspect a lot of the "dirt" courts in other countries are just that... like dirt. And they are fugged up.
Not well maintained.

When are they going to switch to pickleball? Much more grace and athleticism required.

Mikey wrote: ↑Mon May 13, 2024 1:47 am When are they going to switch to pickleball? Much more grace and athleticism required.

Lol, definitely some athleticism required if it’s a long walk to the car (or golf cart), to then drive to the pickleball courts.

But once there, uhhh no.

Softball Bat wrote:

Screw_Michigan wrote: ↑Sun May 12, 2024 11:49 pm Why aren't there more clay courts in the US? I don't really buy the conventional wisdom that clay courts never caught on in the US because they cost more to maintain. I've seen only clay courts in Colombia and Buenos Aires. If Colombia can afford clay courts, the US can too.

Anyway, tennis on clay is great. US tennis players are really missing out.

I personally was never comfortable on clay. My results were never as good on clay.
But clay is a nice change of pace, and it is actually probably easier on the body than a hard court is.

Clay courts require steady maintenance.
They have to be swept and watered often.
If not, the surface becomes very fugged up.

I suspect a lot of the "dirt" courts in other countries are just that... like dirt. And they are fugged up.
Not well maintained.

It’s simple economics, which why a utopian commie like screwball doesn’t get it.

A hard court has a high material cost up front with minimal upkeep.

A clay court has minimal up front material costs, assuming the local soil makeup is right.

So in the US, they’d rather just pony up the capital costs and not have to worry about paying a person trained in proper clay upkeep. In a place like NYC he’d be a union city employing likely making close to 6 figures.

In Columbia it’s likely built and maintained by local tennis players for nothing. .


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It's Colombia you fucking idiot. And their "public" clay courts are maintained by city employees. They're not public in that anyone can just walk onto them and play any time, but the public is allowed to sign up and book time.

Don’t much care how it’s spelled, and maybe they are city employees.

But the economics are the same. Labor is cheap, so they take advantage of it.


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dan's college room mate wrote: ↑Wed May 15, 2024 9:21 pm Don’t much care how it’s spelled, and maybe they are city employees.

But the economics are the same. Labor is cheap, so they take advantage of it.


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You're not very bright. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

So what part of my reasoning are you questioning, outside of my ability to spell a country correctly?

As for the actual topic of playing on clay, I have no take. I've never even been on a clay court.

I have watched some of it and it is damn entertaining. Controlled sliding must be a difficult skill to master.

smackaholic wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2024 1:28 amControlled sliding must be a difficult skill to master.

smackaholic wrote:I've never even been on a clay court.

I have watched some of it and it is damn entertaining. Controlled sliding must be a difficult skill to master.

The sliding/footwork issue is one reason why I was never real comfortable on clay.
If a player does not grow up playing on the surface, getting used to the footing is a hurdle.

The other issue for me on clay was that I did not play with a western, or even semi-western, grip.

Clay court tennis is a different animal than hard court tennis.

smackaholic wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2024 1:28 amControlled sliding must be a difficult skill to master.

RACK

Sin,
Ray Fosse

Softball Bat wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2024 2:20 am

smackaholic wrote:I've never even been on a clay court.

I have watched some of it and it is damn entertaining. Controlled sliding must be a difficult skill to master.

The sliding/footwork issue is one reason why I was never real comfortable on clay.
If a player does not grow up playing on the surface, getting used to the footing is a hurdle.

The other issue for me on clay was that I did not play with a western, or even semi-western, grip.

Clay court tennis is a different animal than hard court tennis.

For all the reasons you note against, Bat, are why I always preferred clay. In my younger (USTA) days, I had a western grip forehand and hit with an open stance on that side (hence why I’ve praised the Thomas Muster forehand in the past). That shot requires keeping the eyes on the ball through contact (as to not “pop up”) but then the right leg (as a right handed player) becomes the sliding anchor.

I didn’t realize early enough in life that, in the same way a baseball player does, tennis players also have a preferred “strike zone.” I noticed on clay, for me, that the extra height from the bounce was definitely my preference. When I’d play a hard court tournament the next week, it was sometimes easily frustrating. The pace and height of the ball are different, not just the footing.