Europe’s second half Grass court season
View(s):With the French Open, the European clay-court season ends. Players shift their tactical and stroke making skills to fit the grass court game. Wimbledon, which is All England Lawn Tennis Championships and one of the four annual Grand Slam event, is on grass. There are 11 Grass events leading to Wimbledon.
Until a few years ago, when the French Open finishes in late May, professionals in the top 250 of the world ranking went to England preparing for Wimbledon. Only England had a few grass events prior to Wimbledon. Many players even skipped the grass court season and went to USA. For hard court season and US Open Grand Slam in August.
Continental grass
For many reasons continental Europe has come up grass court events. At present, there are many weeks of grass court events before Wimbledon outside England. They are in Germany, Holland, Italy and Spain. The expertise of maintaining football fields and golf courses are providing grass court preparatory requirements for tennis in the continental Europe.
Tennis wise, the modern genetically altered grass permits groundstrokes and net play. Drop shots on grass courts will put best of players into a difficult spot. Moving on grass courts is strenuous. It takes time to adjust.
The last Grand Slam winner was Rod Laver over 50 years ago. At that time Australian, Wimbledon and US Open were on grass courts. Only the French Open was on red clay courts. Australian and US Open have switched to asphalt concrete. They are maintenance friendly. This influenced these countries switching to asphalt concrete. Popularly referred, as ‘hard courts’ widely believed to cause knees and the back strains, as it does not permit sliding.
ATP/WTA Rankings and Ukraine
This year the Wimbledon barred all Russian players’ participation because of the war in Ukraine. This has resulted in happy and unhappy players. World of sports has always tried keep politics out. This move of Wimbledon will keep some top ten ranked players away from this year’s Wimbledon. A Ukrainian player has voiced that US Open should follow suit. How far this will go is a wait and see game.
Base of ranking in professional tennis is a calculation of player’s annual ‘mean’ performance. When a player is denied entry into a Grand Slam event, validity of the professional ranking becomes questionable. ATP and WTA have announced that they will not issue ranking points to the Wimbledon event of 2022. An unpleasant issue has crept in. Wimbledon begins today, July 27. Political issues always made sportsman bearing the cost.
Serena Williams
There is a strong buzz that Serena Williams will be in the Wimbledon draw. However, her current ranking of 246 will not permit direct entry. A wild card is a strong possibility. The last event she played was the Wimbledon in 2021. She developed an injury in the very first round and withdrew. Her thoughts must be with post career pursuit.
The William sisters’ life story came out as a cinema, had a moderate reception, and was titled ‘King Richard’, their father’s role in career path. Cinema websites said it made US$ 38.5 million. In Hollywood terms, a very low number. Critics said cinema dealt more with parenting than sporting success. For some reason, sport movies do not appeal, unless there is another angle to it. Like that of Jessie Owens in Berlin Olympics, that humiliated Hitler’s stand on Aryan superiority.
Recently Serena Williams’ name popped out for the ownership of a football club in England. Tennis players do not hoard up that kind of a money. Owning a football club as a venture is risky. Very big names in tennis faced bankruptcy venturing into manufacturing and trading. In the money world, someone has to lose money for someone to gain money. The ex-professional tennis player is not going find an inlet into win-win situation in the money world easily. Billionaire Ion Tiriac of Romania is a unique person. I do not know another tennis player billionaire.
Talent in women’s tennis
These words remind us of Henin, Hingis, Sharapova, Graf, Seles, Williams, Halep, Kvitova and a few others. Their vibrancy and challenge held the world spellbound. Right now, nothing in that class is in the making. If Barty did not retire, Swiatek’s path would have a stronger challenge. Swiatek’s physical strength, mental makeup and skills are a cut above the rest in the field. Swiatek has won 40 matches without a loss.
There are many players now and recently appeared but stagnated without competition strength. Something in the system is not permitting players to mature. An issue that has plagued Sri Lankan tennis in the last two decades.
New blood
The number of late teens and early 20s that appears has always been large. Even now, we have Zheng Qinwen (19), Diane Perry (19), Hamonton (24), Harriat Dart (24), Lucia Broncetti (23), Dalma Galfi (23) and Kamila Rakhimova (20).
The 2022 French Open women’s semi-finals and finals failed to impress the audience. The four there were Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and the dark horse Martina Trevisan. Swiatek literally walked past to win her second French Open title with greatest of ease. WTA scrutinises their design in player development annually. Fist pumping coaches and player box cheering squad cannot provide the requirements to win or provide the spectator appeal in tennis.
–George Paldano, European and Asian competition player; Coach for German Tennis Federation; national coach Brunei and Sri Lanka; Davis Cup, Federation Cup; coached Top 200 ATP, WTA and ITF Top 50; WhatsApp 0775448880–