I am a fan. I watch every year. I've been watching since the 60s. Not every match - I've always had favourite people - Usually in the top half of the seeding, (apart from the Brits I've seen come & go). I like the mens 5 setters better than the womens game. I've been lucky enough to go to both Queens & Wimbledon. But actually I think I prefer watching on TV.
I've seen the game & the equipment change radically in 50 years. Not necessarily for the better. The use of Graphite & Graphene for raquets completely changed the game & meant the the balls themselves had to change too - Fast, medium & slow balls were introduced.
https://www.ft.com/content/0790ed2e-1c3e-11e6-b286-cddde55ca122
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/547256-how-the-humble-tennis-ball-has-hepled-change-the-game
Tennis has become a power game, mostly played from the baseline, with very little of the really entertaining rallies fans love. The dominating serve significantly reduces play in each game - Aces are commonplace.
Now professionals can play, (since 1968), it has become more about the money. Djokovic & Kerber got £2.25 million. Anderson & Williams got £1.125 million this year. Laver, Rosewall & Court would not recognise todays game. Mind you, they probably need that to pay for the huge entourages the top players seem to have.
I watched the Anderson / Federer match & the Anderson / Isner match. I think the time has definitely come to make some changes. Who has the time to watch a 6 hour 35 minute match? Or worse, the 11hr 5 mins match between Isner & Mahout in 2015?
http://www.wired.co.uk/article/next-generation-atp-finals-future-of-tennis-rule-changes
There are things which really irritate me about tennis today. Djokovic pats the ball with his raquet up to 7 times & then bounces the ball up to 17 times before serving by my count. This not only breaks the 20 second rule, it is boring to watch & must be frustrating for the opponent - but perhaps that's the whole point. It is usually the men who do things like that.
Rafa has a whole routine of tells / tics & doesn't care how long anyone has to wait. It seems very OCD. The women seem to just bounce the ball a couple of times & serve - Good for them.
https://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/06/rafael-nadal-ritual-tic-pick-water-bottles
The game definitely isn't what it was. Players are so focussed their personalities are hidden beneath a face devoid of emotion. Concentration on this shot, this point, is everything. No wonder they become obsessed. Bring back Nastase I say. Players who are entertaining & relate to the fans rather than the corporate sponsors.
It's only sport after all.
No comments:
Post a Comment