What is This, Anyway?
Tennis sometimes seems like a cult to me. Their fans are hidden and tucked away in little places you don't know about... unless you already know about it. The sport appears on TV for the majors and the occasional tournament on a Sunday, usually unadvertised. But if you want a steady source of tennis, you have to read Jon Wertheim, Greg Garber's occasional pieces, or pony up the money for the Tennis Channel.
I don't travel with the players, talking to them daily. I'm just like you, I get what I can, when I can. I check the ATP's website for updated score from Europe and confer with my friends, wondering when Mauresmo is going to lose in Paris.
The thing is, I have a lot of opinions about this sport. It's my favorite, the only one I played with any consistency in leagues and in high school. It's the sport I understand best. Why? Part of the appeal is its niche status in America; the people who follow it really follow it. Fans know what they're talking about. I love the fact that to succeed as a pro, you have to do everything. Barry Bonds can't run or field, but he can hit homeruns so that makes him valuable. That doesn't fly in tennis; you can't have weaknesses in your game or you'll be exposed. James Blake couldn't crack the Top 10 until he improved his backhand; Andy Roddick can't beat anyone in the Top 10 because he hasn't. It forces you to be a complete players, to strive be optimal.
The cerebral nature of the game is unequaled. You don't get a coach, you don't get to call timeout (unless you "cramp"). You have to figure it out yourself, make the adjustments yourself. And you have to stay strong on your own, nobody is right off to the side to the court encouraging you. People say that sport doesn't build character, but I think tennis does.
I love the way you can watch the pros can hit the court and emulate what they do. You can employ their strategies. If you see Rafa hit a serve wide to the ad court and set himself up for a cross-court winner, you can do that. Most people aren't watching baseball and thinking, "you know, I should open up my stance and turn my hips quicker on the inside fastball and spray it to the opposite field." We can't play at their level, but we can pretend.
I love the fact you can win in so many different ways. Mardy Fish plays differently from Fernando Gonzalez, who plays different from Marat Safin (though I can argue Marat plays differently from set to set). There's no one magic way to win. The only way you win in basketball is by putting it in the basket more times than the other guy.
You have to beat your opponent, you can't simply stop him from winning. Either you are winning the point, or the person across the net is. A football team can go a half without scoring and still win. Tennis is as active as you're going to get. You have to win. At the same time, you're never out until it's over. There's no clock, you can always come back.
I love the different surfaces, how they present different challenges and how it defines history. It goes back into being a complete player. If you can win on any surface, you're a true great.
Mostly, I just want a place to talk to whoever will listen. I want to break down the matches I see, analyze the nitty-gritty. I want to talk about tournaments, the game in general, the people, whatever. I want to see if I'm better than Garber like I think I am.
I want to see if I'm not the only one out here who cares.
I'm writing this for tennis fans out there, not the people who watch it once or twice a year. I'm assuming you know what an inside-out forehand is, how many majors Ivan Lendl won, the difference between the eastern and semi-western forehand grips. I'm writing this for us, the tennis fans.
I don't travel with the players, talking to them daily. I'm just like you, I get what I can, when I can. I check the ATP's website for updated score from Europe and confer with my friends, wondering when Mauresmo is going to lose in Paris.
The thing is, I have a lot of opinions about this sport. It's my favorite, the only one I played with any consistency in leagues and in high school. It's the sport I understand best. Why? Part of the appeal is its niche status in America; the people who follow it really follow it. Fans know what they're talking about. I love the fact that to succeed as a pro, you have to do everything. Barry Bonds can't run or field, but he can hit homeruns so that makes him valuable. That doesn't fly in tennis; you can't have weaknesses in your game or you'll be exposed. James Blake couldn't crack the Top 10 until he improved his backhand; Andy Roddick can't beat anyone in the Top 10 because he hasn't. It forces you to be a complete players, to strive be optimal.
The cerebral nature of the game is unequaled. You don't get a coach, you don't get to call timeout (unless you "cramp"). You have to figure it out yourself, make the adjustments yourself. And you have to stay strong on your own, nobody is right off to the side to the court encouraging you. People say that sport doesn't build character, but I think tennis does.
I love the way you can watch the pros can hit the court and emulate what they do. You can employ their strategies. If you see Rafa hit a serve wide to the ad court and set himself up for a cross-court winner, you can do that. Most people aren't watching baseball and thinking, "you know, I should open up my stance and turn my hips quicker on the inside fastball and spray it to the opposite field." We can't play at their level, but we can pretend.
I love the fact you can win in so many different ways. Mardy Fish plays differently from Fernando Gonzalez, who plays different from Marat Safin (though I can argue Marat plays differently from set to set). There's no one magic way to win. The only way you win in basketball is by putting it in the basket more times than the other guy.
You have to beat your opponent, you can't simply stop him from winning. Either you are winning the point, or the person across the net is. A football team can go a half without scoring and still win. Tennis is as active as you're going to get. You have to win. At the same time, you're never out until it's over. There's no clock, you can always come back.
I love the different surfaces, how they present different challenges and how it defines history. It goes back into being a complete player. If you can win on any surface, you're a true great.
Mostly, I just want a place to talk to whoever will listen. I want to break down the matches I see, analyze the nitty-gritty. I want to talk about tournaments, the game in general, the people, whatever. I want to see if I'm better than Garber like I think I am.
I want to see if I'm not the only one out here who cares.
I'm writing this for tennis fans out there, not the people who watch it once or twice a year. I'm assuming you know what an inside-out forehand is, how many majors Ivan Lendl won, the difference between the eastern and semi-western forehand grips. I'm writing this for us, the tennis fans.
Labels: General
Served Up by Monty at 6/11/2006 12:17:00 AM
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