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The US Open: The Lone Keeper of the Fifth-Set Tiebreak
New Yorkers have always enjoyed being quick and efficient. Get in, get the information you need, and get out before the parking lot gets crazy.
It’s no different at the US Open in Queens.
In 1970, the US Open adopted what is known as the fifth-set tiebreak. No other Grand Slam tourney has ever included the controversial tiebreak. The fifth set represents the final set in a great match, the end of which results in the win. I say “great”because all of the Grand Slam tourneys have a ‘best three sets out of five’ policy – so you can be sure that a match which has gone to five sets has been a battle to the finish between two excellent players.
A VERY brief rundown of scoring in tennis.
- First person to win four points wins the game.
- It takes six games to win a set, (must win by two).
- If the game score reaches 6-6, the players play a tiebreak
- The tie break is out of twelve, (first player to seven points wins).
- The winner of the tiebreak wins the set.
Australia, London and France all use tiebreaks on any set prior to the fifth. Once a match has reached five sets, the tiebreak rule is abandoned and players continue as long as it takes to win the set. If you catch two hungry players, each with a fierce desire to win the match, you are going to be there for a long time. Every once in a while, you’ll be there for an EXTREMELY long time.
Perhaps the most famous example of this is what has become known as “The Endless Match,” which took place at Wimbledon in 2010. American John Isner faced off against Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu for an incredible 11+ hours over the course of three days. The fifth and final set, which went on sans tiebreak, lasted a remarkable 8+ hours and brought the total number of games to 138. Finally, Isner sent the ball out of bounds, and the historical match came to a close with a final score sounding like a basketball game: 70-68.
There are two sides to every coin, and the US side is which ever one is more valuable. Creators and supporters of the fifth-set tiebreak in the US swear that the tiebreak is much more satisfying, (some fans not being able to hold their focus for the hours it may take to win a open-ended set) and thrilling, (exciting to the fans who naw their fingernails to the bone). Any stroke can be the last.
US Open Director Bill Talbert told the New York Times in regards to the fifth-set tiebreaks, “Of course [the players] will be nervous, but the fans will love it. Did you ever know a player who bought a ticket?”
Not to mention, tiebreaks keep the matches short and the tourney on schedule, as opposed to the Isner/Mathieu match which pushed Maria Sharipova back a day, upsetting paying fans, broadcast stations, and players.
The traditionalists who scoff at the fifth-set tiebreaks usually have the same complaint: It just doesn’t seem right. Two players have just battled for five, long sets. They’ve proven themselves as incredible opponents, a fantastic matchup, and here we are, prepared to end it all with a first-to-seven. While the tension may be thicker in a tiebreak, the emotions poured onto the court during a traditional fifth set are inspiring, powerful, and historical.
Either way, if you have tickets to Arthur Ashe this month, don’t hold your breathe waiting for a Wimbledon ’08 Roger Federer/Rafael Nadal 9-7 finals set, or an epic battle like Isner/Mathieu. But you can probably count on keeping your day on schedule.
Posted in "The Endless Match", Bill Talbert, Events, FIfth-Set Tiebreaks, John Isner, New York TImes, Paul-Henri Mathieu, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Rules, US Open, Wimbledon
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The US Open: The Lone Keeper of the Fifth-Set Tiebreak
New Yorkers have always enjoyed being quick and efficient. Get in, get the information you need, and get out before the parking lot gets crazy.
It’s no different at the US Open in Queens.
In 1970, the US Open adopted what is known as the fifth-set tiebreak. No other Grand Slam tourney has ever included the controversial tiebreak. The fifth set represents the final set in a great match, the end of which results in the win. I say “great”because all of the Grand Slam tourneys have a ‘best three sets out of five’ policy – so you can be sure that a match which has gone to five sets has been a battle to the finish between two excellent players.
A VERY brief rundown of scoring in tennis.
- First person to win four points wins the game.
- It takes six games to win a set, (must win by two).
- If the game score reaches 6-6, the players play a tiebreak
- The tie break is out of twelve, (first player to seven points wins).
- The winner of the tiebreak wins the set.
Australia, London and France all use tiebreaks on any set prior to the fifth. Once a match has reached five sets, the tiebreak rule is abandoned and players continue as long as it takes to win the set. If you catch two hungry players, each with a fierce desire to win the match, you are going to be there for a long time. Every once in a while, you’ll be there for an EXTREMELY long time.
Perhaps the most famous example of this is what has become known as “The Endless Match,” which took place at Wimbledon in 2010. American John Isner faced off against Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu for an incredible 11+ hours over the course of three days. The fifth and final set, which went on sans tiebreak, lasted a remarkable 8+ hours and brought the total number of games to 138. Finally, Isner sent the ball out of bounds, and the historical match came to a close with a final score sounding like a basketball game: 70-68.
There are two sides to every coin, and the US side is which ever one is more valuable. Creators and supporters of the fifth-set tiebreak in the US swear that the tiebreak is much more satisfying, (some fans not being able to hold their focus for the hours it may take to win a open-ended set) and thrilling, (exciting to the fans who naw their fingernails to the bone). Any stroke can be the last.
US Open Director Bill Talbert told the New York Times in regards to the fifth-set tiebreaks, “Of course [the players] will be nervous, but the fans will love it. Did you ever know a player who bought a ticket?”
Not to mention, tiebreaks keep the matches short and the tourney on schedule, as opposed to the Isner/Mathieu match which pushed Maria Sharipova back a day, upsetting paying fans, broadcast stations, and players.
The traditionalists who scoff at the fifth-set tiebreaks usually have the same complaint: It just doesn’t seem right. Two players have just battled for five, long sets. They’ve proven themselves as incredible opponents, a fantastic matchup, and here we are, prepared to end it all with a first-to-seven. While the tension may be thicker in a tiebreak, the emotions poured onto the court during a traditional fifth set are inspiring, powerful, and historical.
Either way, if you have tickets to Arthur Ashe this month, don’t hold your breathe waiting for a Wimbledon ’08 Roger Federer/Rafael Nadal 9-7 finals set, or an epic battle like Isner/Mathieu. But you can probably count on keeping your day on schedule.
Posted in "The Endless Match", Bill Talbert, Events, FIfth-Set Tiebreaks, John Isner, New York TImes, Paul-Henri Mathieu, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Rules, US Open, Wimbledon
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“You Have to Look Beneath the Surface” ….Or Do You?
Clay. Grass. PlexiCushion. DecoTurf.
The latest secret weapons for Tempurpedic? Maybe, but today I’m only talking about The Grand Slam courts and their four different surfaces.
By now I have outlined the four tourneys for you. To recap, seated players go from Australia in January, to France in May, to London in late June, and New York in August. That’s enough travel to make the average person a little scattered – but in addition, these pros have to adjust to an extreme change in the conditions of their courts in each location. For some, it’s a minor shift. For others, it’s intimidating, and at times, a deal breaker.
While Roland Garros court in France has always been a clay one, the others were always natural grass, until ’74 when US switched to clay, then DecoTurf, and ’87, when Australia chose Rebound Ace, then PlexiCushion. Now Wimbledon is the lone remaining green – and no court is alike.
A brief outline of what to expect on each surface:
The clay at Roland Garros: First of all, you’re playing on what is essentially dirt. France in May can get potentially humid. Dirt + humidity = one sticky court. You have to be extremely agile and fit to handle that footwork. Second, the clay slows down the ball and lets it bounce higher, this means a great receiver will do well, while a power server will struggle. Legend, Pete Sampras, endured a famous career-long battle with the surface. In the end, he was never able to come out on top.
The grass at Wimbledon: Similarly to clay, weather effects the grass significantly. Uncovered games are stopped and delayed constantly, effecting and shifting momentum. (Clay games are also delayed for rain, but are NOT delayed for humidity.) Even with the delays and drying, the grass is naturally a little slippery. Unlike shock-absorbent clay, grass propels the ball forward at lightening speeds and at lower heights. Speed-wise, grass is the stark opposite of clay, and thus helps players with different strengths. The winners on grass? The ‘power server’ we talked about who uses the speed to their advantage. In this case, Sampras dominated, with seven Wimbledon titles, (matched by Roger Federer) and Venus and Serena Williams, with five apiece.
Plexicushion at Melbourne and DecoTurf at Arthur Ashe: Both are hard courts, and many players and coaches consider the surfaces to be not only very similar, but a friendly middle ground between clay and grass. The courts are considered slower than grass, but faster than clay. US is an “acrylic” hard court, while AUS is a “synthetic” hard court. The majority of players tend to enjoy both because of the reduction of extremes, however they are also regarded as the most dangerous due to the sand in the top paint, which can magnify topspins and bother, or injure, a players joints. Andre Agassi is indisputably the best on the hard courts, holding the record for the most titles: nine total, five in Queens and four in Melbourne.
I asked my father, Steve Calleran, long-time tennis fan and recreational player, which surface he preferred.
“My favorite? I’ve always loved playing on hard courts. There’s almost no clay in America. But a local gym has ‘Har-tu’, American green clay – it’s a bit more forgiving, and these days, that’s a consideration.”
I laugh and tell him he doesn’t look a day over twenty, thirty, forty.
There has never been an official admission from the US Open as to why they introduced DecoTurf at the conception of The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in 1978. Perhaps they were aiming to be “new” or “high-tech”. Many fans and observers however, believe economics may have been involved. The acrylic courts cost almost nothing to maintain – just a couple cans of paint for the bounds lines. In comparison, grass and clay can rack up monstrous bills in up-keep.
In any case, when it comes to The Grand Slams, the material your playing on will always have some effect on your performance. My Dad summed it up:
“The surface is VERY important.”
Posted in Andre Agassi, Arthur Ashe, Australian Open, clay court, DecoTurf, Events, grass court, Melbourne Park, Pete Sampras, Players, PlexiCushion, Roger Federer, Roland Garros, Serena Williams, Stadiums, US Open, Venus Williams, Wimbledon
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Arthur Ashe: Remembering the Player AND the Man
On Saturday, August 25th, The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center will host “Arthur Ashe Kid’s Day,” where the countries youngest fans gather in hopes of practicing with the personal rackets of some of the highest-ranking players, checking the speed of their serve in “The Speedzone”, and even hitting the ball around with one of their idols.
It is the man for whom this event is entitled, however, who should truly be an idol to us all.
But why is ‘Kid’s Day’ named after Arthur Ashe? My return question: Why aren’t more days named after Arthur Ashe?
Ashe was an American Hero in the truest sense. Not only was he the first African-American to play professionally AND win a Grand Slam title, but he won that title in 1968 – a year of historical significance, (The start of the “Open Era” – when professional players were allowed to compete for the first time) and personal. It was the same year Ashe completed his duty as a US Lieutenant. He’d go on to win two other Grand Slams, one apiece in Australia and Wimbledon.
I guess you may still be asking yourself: Sure, but why Kid’s Day?
Because Ashe impacted the lives of children on a GLOBAL scale. I first read about Arthur in a memoir of a South African child in the midst of Apartheid, entitled, Kaffir Boy. There, Ashe was described as an inspiration to every South African child – not only because he visited the country himself, hitting with some of its youngest Black players, or that he fought famously against apartheid in DC, but also because he spread hope for civil rights in a hopeless country – not just by competing in a sport with white Americans, but by beating all of them.
His devotion to American children can be seen in Philadelphia’s ‘Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education Center,’ and Richmond, Virginia’s ‘Arthur Ashe Athletic Center’ – both aimed specifically at promoting dedication and passion for a sport in underprivileged youth.
Still wondering why it’s called ‘Arthur Ashe Kid’s Day’?
Hopefully not! So this year, when your screaming kids pull you by the arm, begging you to take them to “Arthur Ashe Kid’s Day” on August 25th, TAKE THEM! But – be sure to explain the significance of the incredibly inspirational man for who the event is named.
Posted in Apartheid, Arthur Ashe, Arthur Ashe Kid's Day, Australia, Events, Kaffir Boy, Players, The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, US Open, Wimbledon
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It’s Anyone’s Guess for Serena Williams
What a year.
Actually – what a couple years.
To say that it’s been smooth sailing lately for the player many call the best female to play the game, would be grossly incorrect. Serena Williams, after suffering from a leg injury and a pulmonary embolism that essentially took her out of 2010 and ’11, endured starting twenty-twelve Grand Slam tourneys that were nothing short of mortifying.
Flashback to January: Five-time winner of the tournament, Williams goes out in the fourth round at the Australian Open against Belarussian Ekaterina Makarova. Ranked 56th in the world.
Flashback to May: Add extreme insult to injury. It’s the French Open and Williams is knocked out in the third, second, FIRST round (ouch) by Frenchman Virginie Razzano – ranked 111th in the world. The New York Times calls Serena’s game “a meltdown as epic and complete as any in her career.”
Flashback to the beginning of July: Serena shocks the world when she walks away with TWO Wimbledon titles in ONE DAY. Her fifth singles title AND fifth doubles title with sister Venus were secured in less that NINE HOURS! WHAT THE HECK?
What happened to the girl who got demolished in Australia and France? She was nowhere to be found in London. Serena was at her best – proving once again why she holds 14 Grand Slam singles titles and is currently ranked fourth in the world by the WTA.
In an event one could only call serendipitous, Serena will play on that same Wimbledon green next week with her sister – battling for the Olympic doubles title. That gives us all one more opportunity to be impressed/confused/shocked by her performance before the US Open.
All we can do now is wait for the one major question to be answered:
Which Serena will we see in Queens next month?
Posted in Australian Open, Ekaterina Markova, French Open, Olympics, Players, Serena Williams, US Open, Venus Williams, Virginie Razzano, Wimbledon
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