Wimbledon Confidential
In case it isn’t obvious by now, I am fascinated with the organizational dynamics of the tennis industry. When I recently stumbled across a bookRead More
An engineer overthinks tennis in a daily journal.
In case it isn’t obvious by now, I am fascinated with the organizational dynamics of the tennis industry. When I recently stumbled across a bookRead More
The ITF Rules of Tennis includes a detailed appendix that describes procedures for inspection of ball marks for line call verification when tennis matches are played on clay. Today we are examining what happens if the line umpire or chair umpire can’t find the mark. Additionally, this rule also covers the situation when the actual mark is not readable.
A research group has defined a new metric that identifies “clutch points” in tennis. At first glance it is a new way to understand matches and appears to provide new insight. Tennis matches hinge on big moments and carrying those points are crucial to winning. Some players are clearly better at these pivotal points than others. This new metric provides a fascinating way to break down and examine match play.
Recapping the top political stories in tennis this year. The WTA tour receives overtures from the sponsor of the LIV golf tour. The news this week is also heavy on analysis with great stories about “clutch” points and economic disparities in tennis.
The strawberries and cream of Wimbledon is arguably the most iconic concession associated with any of the Grand Slam tournaments. Noshing on that dish is the perfect way to get into the tennis spirit as the fortnight gets underway tomorrow morning.
2 responsesOne of the primary arguments that people make in support of voluntary consolation is that it prevents players from having to wait around a day (or more) before back draw play begins. That line of reasoning conveniently neglects to consider that a traditional voluntary consolation draw requires ALL the players to wait even longer than the worst case scenario from the traditional First Match Loser’s Consolation (FMLC) back draw. You cannot make a voluntary consolation draw without knowing the exact number of players that will elect to participate.
1 responseVoluntary consolation is a variation of the First Match Loser’s Consolation (FMLC) draw. In that format, players that lose their first match have the option of signing up to participate in a back draw. Participation is not mandatory and the player has to explicitly opt-in. A significant number of players and organizers believe that voluntary consolation would be a good thing for tournament tennis. They’re wrong. Voluntary consolation is like scratching a mosquito bite. It feels like the right thing to do in the moment, but ultimately it only makes the problem worse.
1 response50 years ago today, Richard Nixon signed Title IX of the Civil Rights Act into law. In celebration of that fact I am using this “Tennis Hits the Books” Thursday to run a revised review of the best tennis related book on Title IX. While the law had a seismic impact on educational and athletic opportunities for women, there is still significant opportunity to improve compliance and enforcement.
In an officiated tennis match, the chair umpire cannot delegate ball mark inspection to a line umpire. The rules are explicit that only the chair umpire may perform that duty. The ITF Rules of Tennis stipulates that the umpire is also supposed to physically climb down from the chair to actually make the inspection.
2 responsesA quick first step is essential to competitive success in tennis. Some baseline capability for speed is an inherent characteristic of a person. It is similar to being tall. While these core attributes cannot be modified through training, a player can develop additional skills that mitigate and enhance their natural abilities. For example, a short player can work to increase vertical leap capacity and consequently “play taller” than their natural height.