Originally Posted by FMKK:
“There are no such things as fast, medium or slow in modern tennis. Every court has become much of a muchness. Wimbledon just about plays faster than the French Open and both hard court slams are way on the slow side. The reason today's players are 'vastly superior all round players' is because slower, defensive play is favoured above all else. One of the beauties of tennis was the variety of styles, how they matched up together and how they adapted to the changing conditions each season. That element has all but been killed off. Things may have got too fast at Wimbledon in the 90s but it's now gone the complete other direction and become simply an endurance sport.
And considering the likes of Raonic and Isner have been in the top ten in this supposed 'golden era', the idea that Sampras wouldn't even be top 50 is just so divorced from reality that it doesn't bare taking seriously.”
“There are no such things as fast, medium or slow in modern tennis. Every court has become much of a muchness. Wimbledon just about plays faster than the French Open and both hard court slams are way on the slow side. The reason today's players are 'vastly superior all round players' is because slower, defensive play is favoured above all else. One of the beauties of tennis was the variety of styles, how they matched up together and how they adapted to the changing conditions each season. That element has all but been killed off. Things may have got too fast at Wimbledon in the 90s but it's now gone the complete other direction and become simply an endurance sport.
And considering the likes of Raonic and Isner have been in the top ten in this supposed 'golden era', the idea that Sampras wouldn't even be top 50 is just so divorced from reality that it doesn't bare taking seriously.”
Endurance is crucial today because the players are great returners and incredible athletes with great all round ability.
I remember Hewitt beating Sampras in the US Open final on an extremely fast court.
Sampras won the first set with his usual bombardment of serves, but as the set neared it's end Hewitt started to read Sampras's serve.
That was basically it. Once the returns were coming back Sampras was made to look like the one dimensional robot that he was. Without an enourmoys number of easy points won on his first serve he was a nothing!
