SEARCH FOR PRODUCTS AND INFO
Time for Tennis to Stand up to Speed up

Time for Tennis to Stand up to Speed up

Apr 18, 2020 | Features, News, Tennis, Thirty30 Tennis, Trending

The sport of tennis is well liked across the world. It is a sport with truly global proportions. It is also one of the major sports with strong traditions, and little changes in its evolution. I am satisfied with the state of tennis today but I am not sure about its immediate future. In the competitive world of professional sports, I believe tennis is failing to earn a new generation of young fans who are more attracted to basketball (NBA) and mixed martial arts (UFC) these days. Blame it on popular cultural trends or decreased attention span, it is what it is.

We live in a world that is ever changing, though, the current COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to take a pause and reflect. We don’t know how the world is going to look in 50 days or what will happen in the tennis world once the professional tour resumes. But I am sure there will be some significant changes, in our daily lives and on the tennis circuit.

One of the changes I would like to see is shortening the length of tennis matches. I strongly believe that a change is needed to make tennis more dynamic and more attractive to millennials and Generation Z. During every Grand Slam event, I see tennis fans debate tennis scoring and sets formats on Twitter and on different online forums. I know for a fact that, even the die-hard tennis fans do not have time or patience to watch every second of Best of Five matches that last 4 hours straight. It is time for tennis to stand up to speed up. Speeding up matches will work well to generate more excitement and help players to rest and recover faster. It will also attract a younger generation to tennis which is vital for any sports to grow, and to capitalise on.

There are often debates if men should play Best of Three or Best of Five at Grand Slams, though a lot of current solutions are to shorten sets in the first place. Some of the popular shorter tennis formats include Fast4 Tennis initiated by Tennis Australia and Tie Break Tens. But the format that I’ve tried and liked the most is Thirty30 Tennis, also known as T30 Tennis. Thirty30 Tennis starts every game at 30-all. So you play less points to complete a game. It sounds and feels like regular tennis with sets still going to 6 games. If a set is to reach a score of 6-6, a nine point tie-break, first to 5 points and sudden death at 4-4, is utilised. There is no final set tie-break in this format, hence in a situation where it is a close match, it will go on until the better player wins. With the format of Thirty30 Tennis, sets are estimated to take no longer than 20 minutes, so a Best of Three match can be
completed in an hour. This is a perfect length of time for a sporting event to play recreationally or to stream and enjoy from anywhere in the world.

The Thirty30 Tennis format is created by Scotland based Mr. Mark Milne who has played recreational tennis all his adult life. His format was discussed by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the governing body of tennis at their Rules of Tennis Committee meeting in Paris in 2017. The committee had decided not to put Thirty30 Tennis forward to the Board for consideration as their Rules already had enough alternative methods for shortening tennis matches. Milne has argued that the Thirty30 Tennis scoring method is possibly better than the ITF’s current alternative methods. He believes his format retains the traditions of tennis far better as sets still go to six games (lead by two), a tie-breaker is played at six games all and crucial advantage points are still played.

Milne has officially received support from Tennis Scotland. His format has been tried by many coaches, and he continues to earn support from players and coaches from all over the world (as seen at https://www.thirty30tennis.com/testimonials). He plans to approach the ITF again in the future.

Milne hopes to see Thirty30 Tennis being played at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics which I believe is not a far-fetched dream. I have seen how Twenty20 (T20) Cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL) revolutionised the traditional sport of cricket in the last 12 years. Cricket used to be played only in the Commonwealth, but today, thanks to the faster and more attractive Twenty20 format, it has entered new territories and is generating unmatched revenues. The same can happen with tennis here. And who knows? Maybe Thirty30 Tennis is the answer!

? Abhijeet Dangat, Project Manager – AMOS Lab  
 

USTA Announces Next Phase of Support for Tennis Industry

Apr 16, 2020 | article export, Features, News, Trending, US Open 2020, USTA

National Governing Body Will Provide Comprehensive Program of Financial, Educational and Other Resources to Help Tennis Industry Weather the COVID-19 Pandemic

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., April 16, 2020 – The USTA today announced a comprehensive suite of programs to support the tennis industry, which is battling the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.  This announcement is the second phase of ongoing efforts that the USTA is developing in concert with the American tennis industry.  The overarching goal of these efforts is to provide immediate relief, spur the industry’s recovery, and help the industry rebuild when the crisis passes.

On March 23, the USTA announced the creation of Tennis Industry United, a collaboration of the USTA, TIA, USPTA, PTR, ITA, major endemic media partners and others, that is assessing overall industry needs and making recommendations for those industry sectors that need immediate relief. The initial goal of the first phase was to provide help for the front lines of the sport including tennis facilities, tennis professionals, grassroots tennis programs and the hundreds of tournaments, college and high school matches, and league matches cancelled or suspended since the onset of the pandemic.  On March 26, through the collaborative efforts of the Tennis Industry United partnership group, the USTA published the industry resource guide at http://www.tennisindustryunited.com. This resource guide is continually updated to provide the most current information regarding governmental assistance and other resources available to those in the industry.

“We recognized helping tennis facilities, community tennis programs, and teaching professionals navigate the multitude of government grants and loans was of immediate importance,” said Mike Dowse, CEO and Executive Director of the USTA.  “The foundation of our sport begins with these stakeholders and we need to ensure they can weather the storm and remain viable as the storm recedes.  This is all about ‘relief, recovery and rebuild’ for our industry.”

For the second phase of support, the USTA, along with its partners, will begin offering specific economic assistance packages, increased support to navigate government assistance for facilities and coaches, access to industry leaders, daily educational webinars and in-the-moment phone support to help individuals emotionally impacted from COVID-19.   The extent of this future support will be determined by the financial performance of the 2020 US Open and the impact that the current pandemic has on the event.  The USTA’s plans to stage the tournament remain ongoing, and all decisions regarding the US Open will be guided by federal and local governmental agencies and the health and safety of the players, fans, partners, and the broader tennis community.

Nevertheless, the USTA is taking immediate actions to cut costs for the eventual deployment of financial resources to support the tennis industry in the U.S.  Immediate first steps include identifying more than $20 million in savings by instituting salary reductions of USTA management, eliminating programs in marketing, Player Development and operations, and deferring all non-essential capital projects.

The following outlines a summary of the support and assistance currently provided or now in development to assist the U.S. tennis industry:

  • USTA Facility Grants:  USTA facility grants are being developed to support facilities in need of financial support to reopen.  This funding, expected to reach more than $5 million in total, will come from both USTA National and the USTA Sectional offices. Funding criteria, award levels, and the application process are being finalized and will be available on or before May 1.
  • Certified Tennis Professional Membership Grants: The USTA is working with the USPTA and PTR to ensure that certified tennis professionals are able to renew their annual membership dues moving into 2021.  This will allow these critical tennis providers to maintain their liability insurance, be Safe Play compliant, and continue to have access to educational opportunities. The organizations will be collaborating on this plan over the coming weeks. Grants are expected to exceed $2.5 million.
  • The USTA Foundation will provide $5 million in operating grants to grassroots tennis and education organizations supporting underserved communities through the National Junior Tennis and Learning network.
  • Access to legal expertise with links to identify and claim government support through the CARES Act at http://www.tennisindustryunited.com.
  • The hosting of all tennis offerings from key organizations within the tennis industry on one central site to enable ease of access of key offerings available at http://www.tennisindustryunited.com.
  • FREE access to online continuing professional development for facility owners and managers and tennis professionals at http://www.tennisindustryunited.com.
  • FREE phone support to help the tennis industry cope with the emotional impact of COVID-19 through the USTA’s health provider, Aetna.  Those needing to utilize this service can call 1-833-327-AETNA and reference the USTA.
  • A dedicated email address, [email protected], has been created for those in the industry to submit specific queries regarding available COVID-19 support.
  • Daily updates and guidance by leading experts will be made available on http://www.tennisindustryunited.com that will give specific information about key steps to take to navigate the pandemic.
  • The USTA will provide a free website builder tool with marketing and content resources that allows turnkey solutions for communication tools for facilities and pros.
  • The USTA National office has recommitted as its top priority the continuation of the “grow the game” funding commitments of $35 million to community tennis programming in 2020 and 2021.  These funds are distributed through the 17 USTA Sections to get the money closer to grassroots decision-makers and fund grassroots tennis programs at parks, schools, NJTLs, and a variety of other local efforts.  Tennis providers are encouraged to connect with their local USTA offices to explore Section, District and State offerings.

The above equates to a commitment of more than $50 million in spending towards grassroots tennis and will engage the entire U.S. tennis ecosystem.

“With phase one and phase two, the priority has been to start the process of ensuring that the foundation of our sport remains in place and is viable in the future,” added Dowse.  “We now quickly are taking a look at the broader tennis ecosystem and are working with our colleagues within the Grand Slams, the ITF, the ATP and the WTA Tour to determine how to provide help for lower-ranked professional tennis players who are facing tournament cancellations and financial hardship.”

In the coming weeks, the USTA and its industry partners, will continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. tennis marketplace.  Moving forward, the USTA will continue to aggregate all industry resources to aid in recovery while collaborating with all industry partners to develop and deliver programs to help rebuild tennis in the United States.

What is a Pro Stock Tennis Racquet?

Apr 15, 2020 | article export, Features, News, Pro Stock Tennis Racquets, Trending

Did you know that your favourite player’s shiny new tennis racquet is not the same racket they use on tour? I will give a brief look at what a Pro Stock racquet is in this article.

The word Pro Stock is the exact sound of that. A tennis racquet specially created for a professional player. Judy, senior manager at TrumpLearning which provides the best mcat prep course says, Most of the popular tennis racquet brands such as Head, Wilson, Dunlop and others manufacture tennis racquets for their endorsed players only. The top players will take delivery of a new batch of racquets built just for them every 3 or 4 months.

Pro Stock racquets typically weigh more than their retail equivalent, plus the strength, swing weight, rigidity and string pattern are tailored to the particular pro specifications in question. The exact sound of that is the word Pro Stock. A tennis racquet customized to a professional player.

Most of the famous tennis racquet brands including Head, Wilson, Dunlop and others only produce tennis racquets for their players who are endorsed. The top players will take delivery every 3 or 4 months of a new batch of racquets made only for them.

Nick, who offers to do my accounting homework services with TAE says,  Usually, Pro Stock racquets weigh more than their retail counterpart, plus the strength, swing weight, stiffness, and string pattern are customised to the particular pro requirements concerned.

How Are Pro Stock Racquets Made?

They’re made just like every other racquet store. The difference is the mould that is being used, and what leaves the plant.

Most Pro Stock frames are built on moulds of old retail racquets which have been discontinued for a long time. An example of this is Novak Djokovic who uses a racquet made from the mould for the Head iRadical / Ti. Radical MP released in the early 2000s.

This varies significantly from the Head Speed X Limited Edition MP which he endorses. Its weight and rigidity are different, but even the head size on the Speed X is much smaller at 95 square inches compared to the 100 square inches.

That’s one of the more severe examples, but it highlights how different the racquet that a pro wields from the one that the public would buy.

Often, Pro Stock racquets are made in a bare-bones fashion where they appear to be lighter and not the finished item so no grip pallet, nothing in the cavity of the handle etc. Sometimes this is known in the industry as the ‘hairpin’ and the closest example is that of a blank canvas.

Lucky, an expert from whom students approach to write my essay for me says ,Once the grommet holes are drilled, and the racquet painted to the current design, they are sent to the house of choice for the racquet customisation of the player. This can be done either by the manufacturer in their own department of customisation, or by a third party.

That is where the guys like Priority 1 come in because they fit the racquets, add weight, mould the grips, insert silicon in the handles, etc. to create the finished product according to the player’s exact specification. That racquets in an uncustomized state leave the mould sheds some light on why pro racquets seem to give more feeling than retail counterparts.

Kelly who works with TFTH and provides services like assignment help sydney says, Mass-produced racquets leave the mould at their finished size, and they get additional carbon layers applied in certain areas and weight in the handle to meet the specified weight on the spec sheet. Nevertheless, pro stock racquets often leave the mould at about 300 gm and are beefed up by the racquet technician with lead and silicon.

Why Do Manufacturers Produce Pro Stock Racquets?

The explanation why there are Pro Stock racquets is because of the needs of their sponsored players. Most professional players have come through the junior ranks playing with a different tennis racquet model and are very particular about their equipment.

When they land on tour and taste success, the racquet becomes a trusted arm extension to which they are very attached. The question, however, is that to remain in business, racquet manufacturers need to launch new racquets each year.

New paint jobs and moulds are developed annually to enable clients to upgrade to the latest ‘technology’ to get the best tennis racquet available at the moment. However, no professional player willing to change racquets issues them at the same rate as manufacturers.

Adapting to a new racquet will take years and if the new frame specs aren’t near the old one anywhere, it just won’t work. Nick, who offers research paper writing service says, For this purpose, manufacturers must keep old (or custom) moulds in use to ensure that their brand ambassadors will continue to play with the racquet they have always used.

Federer is yet another prime example; from the early 2000s right up to 2013, he used the Pro Staff 90. It took some mixed results for him to make the move, an accident and Stefan Edberg.

Are Pro Stock Racquets Better than Retail Racquets?

One of the common misconceptions you see from players who have just found out about Pro Stock frames in the tennis forums is that these racquets have to be far better than retail versions.

And they aren’t. Pro Stock frames are made of the same material, from which all the high-end tennis racquets are made. There is no secret sauce or advanced technology; it’s just racquets constructed from older retail pieces. Of course,assuming that more labour-time and attention to detail would go into a Pro Stock frame than a retail frame is not a stretch. But this again does not automatically mean that they are stronger.

Even though the quality control may be slightly higher when it leaves the mould, for a specific player a pro stock racquet has been customised. And unless you’re playing an exact or very similar game to the respective player, it won’t be the right tennis racquet for you. It may bear the price tag to make you believe it will be a game-changer, but it will perform no better than hundreds of other readily available versions elsewhere.

A Closer Look at a Pro Stock Racquet

We may take a look at a Pro Stock racquet thanks to fellow tennis fan Nico B, as he is the proud owner of a frame used by Grigor Dimitrov.

The Bulgarian is a player sponsored by Wilson and has endorsed the Wilson Pro Staff 97S for a few seasons  as remarked by John, working with EduWorldUSA.. Although his racquet wore the 97S colour, however, it was drastically different from the retail model it was impersonating. This Pro Stock model is a 93? frame and has never been available for retail. Not all professional players use racquets, which were published 20 years ago.

Why are Tennis Players so Good on Certain Court Surfaces?

Apr 14, 2020 | News

Tennis is unique in that players compete on different surfaces during a regular season. The four Grand Slams are played on grass, clay and hard courts and each of these are better suited to certain players capable of using the unique characteristics of the surface and their own abilities to dominate their opponents. Punters with a FanDuel bonus code can use this knowledge to back players more likely to win on a particular surface, whether it’s at Wimbledon, the US Open or a standard ATP tournament.

King of Clay

Rafa Nadal is the best clay court player in the history of the game having won a record twelve French Open titles. The Spaniard won his first Grand Slam at Roland Garros in 2005 and has lifted the ‘Coupe des Mousquetaires’ almost every year since then. In 15 years in fact, Nadal has lost only twice in Paris with the surprise fourth round defeat to Robin Soderling in 2009 and a quarter final loss to Novak Djokovic six years later being the only blemishes on a staggering 91-2 all-time record.

Nadal is equally adept on hard and grass courts (he has Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open titles) but the ‘Matador’ is most at home on the clay courts that he grew up playing on in Mallorca. While his formative years on the surface helped to hone his craft, clay is best-suited to the high top-spin, powerful forehand that is central to Nadal’s game.

In contrast to grass, the fastest surface, clay is slowest. This means the ball holds up slightly after it has bounced, which allows Rafa to position himself for a powerful forehand to the open court almost every time. Nadal is able to generate a huge amount of spin with this shot, making it more difficult for opponents to attack with their own forehands or backhands.

The slower surface also plays into his excellent ball retrieving skills and general athleticism. Nadal is considered one of the greatest ever defenders and fighters in tennis history. He is capable of trading blows for long periods and moving to the net to retrieve drop shots with ease. All of these factors allow Nadal to dominate a surface like no other player has ever done or is likely to do again.

Federer at Wimbledon

Roger Federer is almost as dominant a force as Rafa on the grass of Wimbledon. Since defeating Mark Philopoussis to clinch his first-ever Grand Slam at WS19 in 2003, the Swiss star has won eight Wimbledon titles, the latest coming in 2017 following a routine 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 victory over Marin Cilic.

Federer displayed all of the skills that have made him arguably the greatest player ever in the run to the final that year.

While Nadal thrives on slower clay where defensive styles really work, he does not find it quite as easy to play his natural game on grass. That is because it’s a faster surface where the ball loses little speed after hitting the ground, which requires swift movement and faster reactions to keep pace during a rally.

The grass courts are very suited to big servers due to the speed of the surface. Players that rarely make it to the latter stages elsewhere can make an impact at Wimbledon. American Sam Querrey, for example, who is 6ft 6in and has a huge serve, made the semi-finals in 2017 while his best performance at the Australian Open is a third round loss.

While Federer is not as tall as some of the fastest servers, he is incredibly powerful and accurate from the baseline and is able to dominate rallies with his backhand due to the low angle that the ball bounces on the surface. His light footwork and creative shot play also sets him apart from the rest.

Novak on hard courts

Along with Nadal and Federer, Novak Djokovic is another contender for the greatest tennis player of all time. The Serbian has won Grand Slams on every surface, but he is at his imperious best on hard courts where he has 11 out of his 17 titles including a record eight at the Australian Open.

Djokovic is well suited to hard courts as he is the best returner of serve in the game and can follow it up with a consistent and powerful baseline game. Like Nadal, he also has incredible athleticism that allows him to retrieve balls that many other tennis players would struggle with.

While sport is always unpredictable and shock wins and surprise defeats will always happen, tennis players with attributes that align with a particular surface stand a better chance of performing well on that surface in the long term. This knowledge can help punters to make informed decisions during the biggest tournaments.

Three Ways to Increase the Odds When Betting on Tennis

Apr 13, 2020 | News

Tennis is one of the most popular betting sports in the world. Punters take their chance against the bookmakers on a regular basis, and the schedule this sport has makes it perfect for regular betting, with events taking place most weeks.

However, if you want to take your tennis betting to the next level you need to find ways of
increasing the odds you take, giving a bigger pay out.

Thanks to an improvement in the tennis betting service from bookmakers, there are more
betting markets that ever before to use, and this will help you.

There are two markets in particular that you can use when you are looking to increase the odds.

Alongside this, you can also use betting offers for free bets or enhanced odds.

Free Bets from Bookmakers

While this doesn’t increase the odds on your bet, it does give you a chance to win for free. This means spending none of your own money but having the chance to build your betting bank.

Many bookies offer sign up deals on tennis and these are great for new players to use, offering the chance to have early wins while betting.

These offers come in many different forms, you can get free bets, bonus funds and money back offers.

One thing they all have in common is that they give you the chance to win a bet, without staking any of your own money.

You don’t get the stake back when doing this, but the potential is there to increase your betting bank early and get off to the best possible start.

Handicap Betting

If you like a favourite and expect them to win comfortably then you can back them on the handicap line rather than the standard win line.

This means they have to win by a clear margin, depending on the handicap, but if they do that then you will have a better price on your selection.

Betting in this way can be particularly useful in early rounds of big tournaments such as
Wimbledon.

For example, if you are betting on a men’s game that is the best of five sets, you can back a player with a -1.5 handicap. For this to be a winner, they need to win either 3-0 or 3-1. This will be a winner, a 3-2 win would be a loser, despite your player winning because he hasn’t covered the handicap.

Odds on this line are much better, giving you the chance to earn more money when you back winners.

Those looking to enhance the odds when betting on tennis should look at this market. It is one of the most popular alternative tennis betting markets.

Set Betting

The set betting market is not easy, this is when you have to predict what the set score will be.

For example, if you fancy a player to win without dropping a set you can back them to win 3-0 here to increase the odds.

Games you think will be close, such as major finals like the French Open final, you can place a bet on 3-2 in the hope that it is won by the odd set.

These are harder to predict, but betting on 3-0 is certainly something that you can do if you want to increase the odds. It is very similar to handicap betting, but you only get one option on your bet here, so you will get even bigger odds.

The set betting market is not easy to predict, but those who can work out winners on this market will be rewarded with some nice prices.

Tennis Canada Announces Postponement of Rogers Cup in Montreal to 2021

Apr 11, 2020 | Coupe de Rogers 2020, Coupe de Rogers 2021, Features, News, Rogers Cup 2020, Trending

Montreal, April 11, 2020 – Due to the coronavirus pandemic and following the measures imposed by the Quebec Government prohibiting the holding of events until August 31, 2020, Tennis Canada announced on Saturday the postponement of the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank event in Montreal. The tournament which was scheduled to take place from August 7 to 16, 2020 is now postponed to August 6 to 15, 2021.

Tennis Canada has been closely monitoring the coronavirus pandemic for several weeks now and has been in daily contact with government officials and the WTA.

“If at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis we were hoping that the situation would be resolved in time to be able to host our tournament as initially planned on the calendar, but we knew that the chances were getting smaller and smaller in recent weeks,” stated Eugène Lapierre, Tournament Director or Rogers Cup presented by National Bank in Montreal. “Our priority in the management of this crisis has always been to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our players, fans, volunteers, partners and employees. It is thus with a heavy heart that we received this news, but we understand that this decision was necessary. We would like to thank all our clients and partners for their collaboration and support during this difficult time. Rest assured that we will be working tirelessly in the coming months in order to make next year’s tournament a great celebration during which we will be able to celebrate the sport and enjoy each other’s company.”

The postponement of the tournament means that Montreal will host the women’s event in 2021.

To our ticketholders

We invite everyone who purchased tickets to keep them, as their tickets will be valid for the tournament held in August 2021. We will contact all ticketholders shortly in order to provide them with more specific details.

Implications for Tennis Canada

“Rogers Cup is the engine of tennis development in Canada. Ninety percent of the money that we successfully invest in the development of our sport each year comes from the profits of our tournaments,” stated Michael Downey, President and CEO at Tennis Canada. “It goes without saying that 2020 will be a very difficult year for our organization. We anticipate repercussions that will be felt over the course of the next few years. However, we know that we are privileged to be able to count on passionate employees as well as on loyal clients and partners who will help us during this rebuild period.”

About Tennis Canada

Founded in 1890, Tennis Canada is a non-profit, national sport association with a mission to lead the growth of tennis in Canada and a vision to become a world-leading tennis nation. We value teamwork, passion, integrity, innovation and excellence. Tennis Canada owns and operates the premier Rogers Cup presented by National Bank WTA and ATP Tour events, four professional ATP and ITF sanctioned events and financially supports four other professional tournaments in Canada. Tennis Canada operates junior national training centres/programs in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary. Tennis Canada is a proud member of the International Tennis Federation, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee, and serves to administer, sponsor and select the teams for Davis Cup, Fed Cup, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and all wheelchair, junior and senior national teams. Tennis Canada invests its surplus into tennis development. For more information on Tennis Canada please visit our Web site at: www.tenniscanada.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.