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It is that time of year again

The annual jamboree that is known as the Wimbledon tennis fortnight gets going in a few days’ time. I watched the Roddick/Nadal match yesterday and was stunned at the sheer speed with which Andy Roddick, the US player, served the ball. On several occasions he hit serves of more than 140 mph. Jesus. It made me wonder whether there is any wisdom in John McEnroe’s suggestion that wooden racquets are brought back to put some more finesse into the sport. There is no doubt that modern sports technologies, including the materials used to make everything from tennis racquets to the heads of golf drivers, have evolved at an amazing pace. One reason why modern tennis championships have to use special gadgets to test that a ball has fallen inside a court boundary is because of the ferocious speed with which the ball can be hit. It is almost impossible for a line judge to see the fall accurately over the course of a long game. I play occasionally and bought a racquet in a sale that, to my amazement, can be used to hit the ball incredibly fast. But I wonder whether this makes for a better game overall.

In the meantime, here are some good reasons to watch the sport. As for the ladies, I am told they are rather keen on the young Spanish maestro, who threatens to dethrone Roger Federer, one of the greatest tennis players I have ever seen, from his spot as best player on grass.

4 comments to It is that time of year again

  • Alcoholiday

    Jonathan

    Actually, there are suggestions that the average serving speed hasn’t increased that much in the last 15 years. Instead, the radar guns used to measure the speed have become more accurate and are used more effectively.

    Pete Sampras was consistently clocking serves in at 135mph+ in his recent ‘comeback’ matches with Roger Federer, faster than his recorded speeds at his peak in the 90s. He was using his trusty ProStaff which he used in all his GS wins, so he wasn’t using any of the most recent rackets.

    Having said that, to the average player these speeds are beyond comprehension. My club pro fired a few bombs at me that I could barely even get a racket to, and he said that he maxes out at around 110mph.

    Roddick’s fastest serve is 155mph, but Agassi could still deal with it – check out this video:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khbD62GehvM
    (Link)

    (BTW – I am a tennis obsessive…..)

  • RAB

    My dad was a good golfer and it always annoyed him that tennis players got two serves.

    I dont get two bloody goes at teeing off do I?
    Why should they get two bites of the cherry!

    IMHO, limiting them to one serve, well that would see much more skillful interplay, than just the one shot
    did anyone see it? ace serve game, that waits for a mistake from the other side to pounce on.

    Bye the way, wasn’t the two serve thing just a hangover from Real Tennis?
    I was told that the “serve” came from servant, who actually put the ball in play for their betters (well it was an aristocratic game).
    If they got it wrong the first time, they just battered the servant and told him to do it again.
    The real game started when the ball was in play (bouncing around the roofing tiles etc)
    not the serve itself, which had no point scoring potential.
    Is that right?

  • nick g.

    On a slightly more important note, allow me to hope you had a happy Magna Carta day!
    I think that the day for all Libertarians should be Magna Carta day, June 15. Every Year! The first attempt to formally limit executive power, something all libertarians can believe in!
    How about it, fellow libbers?

  • nick g.

    On a slightly more important note, allow me to hope you had a happy Magna Carta day!
    I think that the day for all Libertarians should be Magna Carta day, June 15. Every Year! The first attempt to formally limit executive power, something all libertarians can believe in!
    How about it, fellow libbers?