Surface Factor: A Look at the Grand Slam Surfaces
Posted by Aaress Lawless on May 19, 2008 | Print | Email | Bookmark | Free Subscription
Grass, clay, and hard courts are as different as night and day, giving tennis players a special challenge at Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
Because the Australian Open recently switched its courts to a surface very similar to the one used at Flushing Meadows, it is in the hard court category.
Clay (Roland Garros)
The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour competes on two types of clay, European (red) clay and American (Har-tru) green clay. Although both surfaces are still technically dirt, the American clay is faster than its European counterpart.
Terre battue, French for the surface at Roland Garros, is slow and makes the ball bounce higher, giving a player more time to set up her shots. Rallies are longer, and outright winners are rarer than on hard courts or grass.
Because of its slippery surface, fitness and solid movement skills are key characteristics of a clay court player. A well-timed drop shot is also a must-have in a claycourter’s arsenal because most of the rallies take place from the baseline.
The Tour’s Best on Clay: Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova
Grass (Wimbledon)
Grass, the original tennis surface, is also the fastest one on the Tour. When watching grass court play, fans can expect to see powerful shots from the baseline, outright winners, and even the occasional serve-and-volley.
Due to its speed, grass is the exact opposite of clay, making it difficult for players to adjust from the French Open’s courts to Wimbledon’s lawns in only two weeks time.
When competing on grass, players with a powerful serve have a distinct advantage. The balls tend to bounce low, reducing the time available for an effective return.
The Tour’s Best on Grass: Maria Sharapova, Venus and Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport
Hard Courts (Australian Open, US Open)
Hard courts are the great equalizer on the tennis circuit and the most popular surface. While slower than grass, a hard court is still a quick surface, making it a favorite of most players.
Because of Melbourne’s humid conditions, the hard courts at the Australian Open are stickier than the ones at the US Open, but the courts still favor players with powerful serves and ground strokes.
In today’s age of power tennis, compared to the almost extinct classic serve-and-volley game, most of the top players on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour are comfortable on hard court surfaces.
While the Australian Open and US Open are played outdoors, the Tour does compete on indoor hard court surfaces, especially during the fall season in Asia.
This article is part of On the Baseline’s Tennis 101 series. Please click here to find the rest of the series.
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Rob | Jul 8, 2008 | Reply
Hmmm.
Aaron, not to be too nitpicky but your description of grass being a fast surface is about seven years late. There may have been a time when grass - specificially, Wimbledon grass - was faster than hard courts but those days have long past. At present, Wimbledon is much slower than the US Open as evidenced by the prolonged rallies and high bounces in the recent 2008 final.
If tannis fans want to bring back serve and volley tennis at Wimby they’re going to have start by bringing back those pressurized tennis balls and return the the grass of yore.