Construction of tennis courts with ContinentalClay coating (ground, tennisite). Tennis Court Addition
The grass surface of tennis courts is characterized by fast and extremely low ball bounce. Success on grass is usually achieved by players who adhere to an attacking style of play and have an excellent serve. Roger Federer and Pete Sampras are prime examples of this.
Grass tennis courts have been used since the birth of tennis.
This is the oldest tennis court surface, which began to be used with the advent of tennis. Currently, grass courts are not very common because they have high operating costs and are highly dependent on the climate.
Clay courts
Tennis court clay is a very slow type of surface. When playing on it, the ball's bounce is often unpredictable. Such courts have low cost and low trauma, which is their significant advantage. However, a clay court must be constantly watered, leveled, the marking lines must be cleaned, and tennisite must be added. To succeed in professional tennis on this sticky surface, you need to have excellent stamina, strength and patience. To withstand a long, grueling match under the scorching sun, you also need good health.
Hard
Hard is characterized by average speed and stable ball bounce. Hard surfaces for tennis courts can vary in ball bounce speed depending on their structure. Hard surfaces increase the load on the legs, spine and joints, so hard courts are less comfortable to play than dirt and grass surfaces.
The main disadvantage of hard court is its risk of injury, which is caused by the high level of adhesion of shoes to the court surface and the lack of slipping. In addition, due to the rigidity of this coating, the joints experience increased stress.
The structure of hard surfaces for tennis courts consists of several self-leveling acrylic layers of different compositions applied to concrete, asphalt or a wooden base. As a rule, instead of hardboard, Regupol is used as an acrylic coating. It consists of five layers, and it is possible to achieve the desired characteristics in terms of ball rebound speed and comfort during the game.
The advantage of hard surface courts compared to dirt and grass is their ease of regular maintenance, the ability to use both indoors and outdoors, in any climate, and their ease of repair. However, courts with a good acrylic coating will not be cheap.
Synthetic surface for tennis courts
Synthetic carpeting is considered to be quite slow, but the speed and height of bounce can vary greatly depending on the number of layers, the material and its thickness. As a rule, this type of coating is used for indoor courts.
There are two main types of carpet: roll and tile. Today, the most popular synthetic coatings are Taraflex and Supreme. They consist of several layers and are distinguished by high strength. In addition, due to the presence of a damping layer, such courts have a low risk of injury for tennis players.
Artificial grass is another type of synthetic carpet. The advantage of artificial grass is its softness, ability to slide, low load on the joints and spine and, as a result, low risk of injury. In addition, this type of carpet is all-weather.
Synthetic carpets have received recognition from both professionals and amateurs around the world, but it is worth noting that a significant drawback of high-quality carpets is their high cost.
Other coatings
There are other types of tennis court surfaces. Wooden and asphalt courts are widespread in Russia. The tree has a very fast rebound, low risk of injury due to its good damping properties.
Asphalt pavement is characterized by low, slow rebound, high load on the joints, spine and legs. These types of surfaces are not used in professional tournaments, although they have become very popular among players due to their low cost and widespread use.
Tennis is a sport that requires compliance with many conditions. This refers not only to the personal athletic qualities of the players and suitable equipment, but also to the conditions of the court itself, in particular, good coverage. What are the main types of different tennis court surfaces, and what are the requirements for them?
- Grass;
- Ground coating;
- Hard;
- Carpet synthetics;
- Other options.
Grass cover
When it comes to types of tennis court surfaces, grass courts are the first to come to mind. This coating is classic, which became widespread more than a hundred years ago. Such a court requires careful and expensive operation, and can only serve as a platform for representatives of professional sports who have the skill of playing fast. The best grass courts today can be found in the UK and Australia.
Ground coating
Quite popular nowadays, the coating is intended for tennis courts due to the low cost of materials for the arrangement and the low probability of injury to athletes during the game. The usual pattern of play on clay is slow speed and long rallies.
Courts covered with soil require constant monitoring of their condition and systematic maintenance. The world's best clay courts are located in Spain, South America and France.
Hard – hard surface
A universal hard surface that provides a fast and stable rebound of the ball is usually made of concrete coated with a layer of synthetic material. Pros - they are not dependent on the weather, they are used for outdoor courts and indoor courts in various rooms, and also do not require special maintenance. Disadvantages: special shoes are required, increased risk of injury and decreased visibility of the playing area on open hard courts in sunny weather. Hard is used at open championships in Australia and the USA.
Synthetic carpet
This type of coating, made from slabs or in the form of a roll, can be laid on any surface, provides excellent shock absorption, has a low risk of injury and increased strength. It is used mainly in indoor types of courts, and is very much in demand in our country - this is the court on which we host the Kremlin Cup.
Other types of tennis court surfaces
The remaining types of various coatings for tennis courts, in many respects, are extremely low-cost options that are used at the amateur level. This is a laminate, asphalt and rubber court surface.
They initially built grass cats, but due to the hot Mediterranean climate the lawns deteriorated much faster than in the UK, so the Renshaws decided to modify them. Nearby there was a pottery center - Vallori (local clay deposits were used by the Gauls and Romans). William and Ernest began to sprinkle dust on their courts, a by-product of ceramic production. Gradually, such courts began to gain popularity.
In 1909, the British company “EN TOUT CAS” was the first to make the top (surface) layer from a mixture of clay and tile chips in the construction of clay courts. Tile chips significantly improved the passage of water through the surface. The company gave its innovation the name “Fast-Dry Court”.
In 1927, Charles Bouhama proposed the use of a limestone underlayment to improve overall drainage and improve anchorage and softening of the overlay. The courts at Roland Garros were built using this technology in 1928.
The left photo shows the laying of layers of soil covering the Roland Garros courts (fine gravel can be used instead of slag).
The thicker the coating layer, the finer its fraction and the more moist it is, the slower the ball’s rebound. This feature is often used by the host team at the Davis Cup and Fed Cup when their team is weaker than the opponent, because slow coverage does not make it possible to win balls with one or two strong attacking shots.
Unlike artificial surfaces (except artificial ground), the ground allows the player to slide across the surface(Slip Resistance) - the player seems to drive up to the ball, preparing to hit.
Currently, clay courts come in red and green colors. The most common is red soil ( Clay Court or Continental Clay), which we usually call “tennisitis”.
“Tennisit” has the ability to quickly pass excess water through itself (during rain) and at the same time maintain the necessary humidity for up to 2-2.5 hours. The composition of "tennisite" includes crushed (powdered) red clay, brick (tile) chips, slaked lime and special additives. To make crumbs, semi-dry pressing bricks should be used, the distinctive feature of which is the absence of sharp solid particles (the main difference between semi-dry pressing and plastic pressing is that the raw materials are dried before firing, then crushed into powder followed by pressing under higher pressure).
It is “tennis” that is used at Roland Garros (the unofficial World Championship on clay courts). Despite the fact that the covering layer is quite thin, about 850 kg of tennisite are used every year to fill each court of the Roland Garros tennis stadium.
Courts covered with "tennis" are most popular in post-Soviet countries, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and France. There is a court surface - drainage, where there is no clay, among other components. This type of court surface prevails mainly in Sweden and Germany. In Mexico, sifted crushed volcanic rock is used as crumbs ( Tepetate), and in Crimea, due to its cheapness, pink marble sand.
The main feature of such courts is a soft surface and a slow rebound of the ball. It allows, unlike other coatings, to reduce the load on the joints and ligaments of the legs. The slow rebound speed of the ball characteristic of clay (Surface Pace tests) makes it possible to better control the ball when preparing to hit and keep it in play longer. By saturating clay courts with water to varying degrees, you can control the speed of the ball's bounce.
According to experts, the temperature on the soil surface of a tennis court in hot weather is 20% lower than on asphalt or concrete surfaces. A comfortable microclimate is created above the clay court due to the constant moistening of the surface.
The disadvantages of clay courts include the ball’s not always even bounce ( Author's note – How and with what markings are made on clay courts).
Green soil(actually it is gray with a green tint) “Har-Tru” ( Har-Tru) or “American soil” ( American Clay) is similar to classic red, but due to the very fine fraction of crumbs (almost dust) it is denser, and therefore faster, than red. Instead of brick chips, it uses green basalt mineral (diabase - volcanic rock), developed in the Blue Ridge quarry (Virginia), which is not processed and is only crushed into a small fraction.
The coating does not retain water, the top layer does not soften, and does not rise under the influence of negative temperatures. Thus, “Har-Tru” allows you to extend the season by 2-3 months. It can be used for both outdoor courts and indoor courts. Moreover, in the latter case, its use is justified by the fact that it does not create dust and mist, which are inevitable when playing tennis.
This coating can be laid over asphalt or concrete. It has an unlimited period of use. The more green courts are used, the more even the rebound becomes. “Har-Tru” dries quickly and is easy to maintain. When actively using the court for 6 months, no more than 400 kg of bedding is required (for red soil - 1.5-2 tons). For example, to service 12 courts made of green soil, 1 worker is enough (for red soil - at least 4 people).
Courts based on “Har-Tru”, as a rule, have a slope for water drainage.
More than 30 thousand Har-Tru courts have been built in 24 countries around the world. They are even available at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon ( Author's note: 8 green clay courts, 19 grass courts, 7 hard courts, of which 5 are indoor). Most popular in the southeastern United States. In 2004, the ITF allowed Davis Cup matches to be played on the Har Tru surface.
In the right photo, the new courts (four courts) on the roof of the National Tennis Center of Canada in Montreal were tested in August 2011 by Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
In 2012, the owner of the Mutua Madrid Open, Romanian Ion Tiriac, covered the courts with blue soil so that the color of the coating would harmonize with the color of the title sponsor of the tournament, the insurance company Mutua Madrilena ( more details).
Currently, the ground cover layer (of all colors) is sprinkled with rubber or plastic crumbs on top, which can also be used in a clay-crumb mixture (“tennisite”).
Characteristics of clay courts
| Characteristics | ITF recommendations in % |
|---|---|
|
Ball bounce speed (Surface Pace tests) |
|
|
Slip Resistance |
60 - short; 110 - high |
|
Traction |
0,6 - slippery; 1,8 – high degree of setting |
|
Shlock Absorption |
5–12 – low; 13–20 – average; 21–30 – high |
|
The ability of the surface to provide the required ball rebound (Vertical Ball Rebound) |
80 – low impact; 100 – preferred level; 110 – high return |
The advantage of the soil is: durability, ease of repair and surface renewal.
Flaws:
- mandatory watering of the court in the summer season;
- inability to operate for several hours after a downpour or prolonged rain;
- at sub-zero temperatures, the moisture in the limestone layer freezes and the coating swells, protruding plastic marking lines ;
- spring rolling of the court with a 400-500 kg roller;
- most expensive service.
Grass
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The first tennis courts were grass, and the game was originally called lawn tennis (“lawn” from English - lawn, lawn). At the beginning of the 19th century, grass courts were mainly built in Great Britain, the USA, Canada, and Australia. At one time, three out of four Grass is the fastest surface used in major competitions. Faster than grass, only some types of artificial turf for halls. The rebound is very low, and if you can change the rebound speed of the ball on other surfaces by adding various components to their composition, then you can change the rebound speed from the grass only by the direction of growing the grass blades and their height. For example, on the courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (Wimbledon), the grass is cut short - 8 mm (since 1995). But, nevertheless, the tournament organizers managed to reduce CPR, which allowed the “king of clay” Rafael Nadal to win it twice (2008, 2010).
The following video presents an interesting observation on the change in the speed and height of the ball after a rebound, which transformed over 5 years (2003-2008), when he single-handedly dominated Wimbledon Roger Federer(Roger Federer).
To prevent the ball from rebounding even lower, the soil is kept dry throughout the game day (the grass is not watered).
On grass, the likelihood of an incorrect rebound is slightly higher than on other surfaces. This happens when the ball hits either a hummock, or a large bush, or a crushed or trampled area.
The main disadvantage of turf is that its playing quality depends on the condition of the grass. For example, by the end of the Wimbledon tournament, the courts lose half their grass cover.
7-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras spoke quite accurately about grass courts: “ Wimbledon are two completely different tournaments. And it is played on the grass, only the first of them”.
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Removing old turf |
The grass is grown in well-fertilized and granular (sandy) soil. In terms of variety, based on research carried out by the Yorkshire Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI), All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club courts use hard-wearing, long-lasting Perennial Ryegrass. The removal of the grass is carried out using a special technology (see video below), which is kept secret. When the British are asked how to make a real grass court, they answer: “ It's very simple. You need to take a special type of grass and sow it on a leveled area. After some time, fill the area with a small layer of soil and re-sow the grass. And so on several times. As soon as the grass grows, it needs to be cut and watered every day for... 100 years. Then you will have a real court”.
During the Wimbledon tournament, after the end of each day of play (approximately 21.30), the courts are watered and covered with a waterproof translucent cover ( translucent - to allow daylight to penetrate). Cover it so that in hot weather the moisture from the soil does not evaporate, and in rainy weather the turf does not get wet. The cover on the central and first courts, where the largest covering area is, weighs about 1 ton.
Watering for each court is individual and is determined by the condition of the turf, tested by STRI specialists who take daily measurements throughout the tournament. In addition, at Wimbledon, the first Sunday is a day off for participants. On this non-matching day, the courts are flooded with plenty of water so that the grass can last until the end of the tournament. The approach is also individual - it all depends on the weather forecast for the next week. The volume of watering can be 3-10 times higher than daily. In general, up to 160 tons of water will be consumed over the two weeks of the championship.
The center court has an irrigation system of retractable sprinkler nozzles, controlled remotely. Other courts are watered by hand.
On each tournament morning, the grass is cut and rolled ( roller weight 200 or 250 kg depending on turf moisture content) and updating the markup.
To mark the court (paint the lines), a special marking machine and paint based on acrylic polymer with natural filler and the addition of titanium dioxide (to increase durability) ( Author's note: Previously, chalk or slaked lime was used).
There is no grass in the halls, although the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club has a retractable roof over the central court ( It is planned to build a retractable roof over court No. 1 by 2018).
It is quite traumatic. Any awkward movement can lead to a fall. When you watch Wimbledon, you notice how many players, sliding on the grass, lose control of their movement ( Author's note – Some players, such as Novak Djokovic, often use sliding in the pre-shot phase, others, like Roger Federer, approach the ball in a similar way to playing on a hard court). The real danger occurs when the legs involuntarily pull apart in opposite directions (as in a split), causing increased stress on the knee and ankle joints and their ligaments. Grass is especially dangerous if it is wet. Therefore, in order for it to dry quickly, there must be a good drainage system (author’s note. There was a case when, to prepare a wet court for the finals of the US Open 1969, it was dried by helicopter ( video).
Due to the need for special care (constant watering and trimming, fertilization, protection from diseases), low wear resistance and regenerability, the limited life span of grass, as well as the need to constantly update marking lines, grass courts are currently practically not built. True, with regard to restoreability, as practice has shown, the courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club after Wimbledon 2012 were prepared for the 2012 Olympic Games in twenty days.
The English daily newspaper "Daily Mail" quotes (07/21/2018) the statements of the former first racket of Great Britain, and now a member of the Wimbledon Management Committee, Tim Henman: " Ideally, we would play four matches a day on Center Court and on Court No. 1. But we must not forget that this is a natural surface, grass. It must withstand 13 game days, and if you “kill” it in the first week, then serious problems will arise later.
Now the Wimbledon tournament is investing a lot of money in creating a hybrid version - partly with artificial grass. This is used in football and rugby. We need to understand what percentage of artificial grass will make tennis courts look and function properly.
Several tennis generations ago in America, Australia, India there were a lot of grass courts, but they “died out” due to the need for serious maintenance, due to the financial costs of this, due to the requirements for their quality".
Hard
This is the general name for a type of sports artificial surfaces, uniting a number of surfaces produced in different countries and having very significant differences (in functional properties, quality, prices). And the Hard tennis surface is a system of arranging acrylic layers to create certain technical characteristics of the court surface. Therefore, the professional term for this type of sports surface used in tennis is: “Hard surface system.”
It consists of:
- the base layer, which is an asphalt (asphalt concrete) base for outdoor courts, and concrete for indoor courts. It can be poured onto floor coverings made from Regupol or Kraiburg Relastec (these are coverings made from crushed rubber crumbs), and even onto a wooden base. In these cases, a special reinforcing mesh is used;
- self-leveling layer (Acrylic Resurfacer) black;
- one or more self-leveling softening color layers (Unirubber Cushioned Color);
- finishing layer (Precoat) with marking lines (Tex Line).
Self-leveling layers are made from rubber or rubber granules in a combination of various fractions, and the binder material is acrylic or other polyurethane emulsion. Softening layers can also be made from self-leveling rubber or seamless adjustable carpet (a fairly common option). The composition of the top layer includes melted and polished quartz sand.
The technology for applying self-leveling layers provides for minimal deviations of the court plane from a perfectly flat surface. This is achieved through the base leveling system and the method of layer-by-layer coating by “pouring” in perpendicular directions.
There are two main types of Hard:
- "Clean Hard" is a "Classic" system with 3 layers (without softening layers): a leveling layer (Acrylic Resurfacer) (for filling cracks, creating a load-bearing layer) and two functional color finishing layers (Acrylic Precoat). Used in professional tennis.
- "Hard Cushion" - systems: "Comfort" with 6 layers (3 softening) and "Premium" with 9 layers (6 softening). As additional layers, bulk rubber (Acrylic Cushion) or a combination of different fractions of rubber granules is used. It is more comfortable for the legs, significantly reduces the load on the ligaments and joints of the legs, and reduces the risk of injury.
"Clean Hard" may have a different number of softening layers. There are also coatings with 8 softening layers.
The total thickness of the self-leveling layers is 3.5-5.5 mm.
The multi-layer coating in combination with the system of functional purpose of each layer makes it possible to eliminate the influence of the heterogeneity of the base layer on the characteristics of the coating.
The number of layers, in principle, does not affect the speed characteristics of the court, the speed and height of the rebound; it is determined by the amount of sand in the mixture of the top layer. The less sand, the faster it is.
Hard system surfaces, based on the speed and height of the ball's rebound, are classified according to "ITF CS 01/01" (ITF Surface Pace Rating) into the following categories: "Medium" or "3" - average; Medium-Fast (“4”) – medium-fast; Fast (“5”) – fast ( category determination method).
The fastest system is considered to be "Deco Turf", which is used by the participants of the US Open. This hard system from the American manufacturer California Products Corporation was installed on the courts of the new US Tennis Association National Tennis Center. Billie Jean King in 1978 ( Author's note – This center is often called “Flushing Meadows” - after the name of the neighborhood in New York in which it is located).
In 1988, with the opening of the Melbourne Park National Tennis Center in Melbourne, the Australian Open began to be played on the Rebound Ace system, which is slightly slower than Deco Turf. This is evidenced by a much larger number long matches compared to similar statistics for the courts at the US National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows.
Rebound Ace is a purely Austrian invention. It uses not acrylic, but polyurethane, fiberglass and crumbs from car tire recycling. This is how Boris Becker described this coating: “ Under the hot sun, such a court becomes either slippery like ice or sticky like a swamp. It's like playing in hell" But experts claim that the legs were “stuck” due to the thickness of the substrate being 8 mm, then they began to make it 4 mm.
Since 2007, the courts at Melbourne Park have been installed with Plexicushion, manufactured by California Products Corporation. The courts of the tennis stadium are also covered with a similar “Plexipave IW IN” system. Indian Wells Tennis Garden"in Indian Wells (USA), where " BNP Paribas Open" These coatings are even slower, but more heat resistant. The base of its top layer consists of latex with plastic particles ( Author's note – It is interesting that California Products Corporation in 2013. acquired a patent for the manufacture of the "Rebound Ace" system. So it’s not that bad, and it’s also cheap.).
The courts at tournaments such as the ATP Finals at the O2 Arena in London, the Paris Masters in Paris, the Swiss Indoors in Basel and the Olympic Tennis Stadium in Rio de Janeiro use the GreenSet system.
Hard systems with a rough surface belong to the category of “non-slip” coatings. Such surfaces are characterized by a slightly different (from classical) footwork technique when approaching the ball.
Advantages:
- sufficiently high absorption of shock loads (Schlock Absorption);
- ball rebound stability;
- when installing, a large number of softening options;
- preservation of properties in a wide temperature range from +50C° to - 40C°,
- wide range of colors;
- matte coating, eliminating light reflections;
- unpretentious in maintenance and does not require special care;
- high resistance to abrasion, fading, and durability (the first restoration of the top layer is required only after 7-10 years of operation).
Flaws:
- the most traumatic surface (that’s why tennis shoe manufacturers are constantly improving their models for playing on hard courts);
- does not allow moisture to pass through;
- at high temperatures a strong unpleasant odor occurs;
- durability depends on the quality of the base layer, which is associated with a rather complex installation technology and the influence of weather conditions when applied outdoors.
Recently, hard has become most widespread in the world.
Teraflex
It is a synthetic multilayer roll coating, which includes:
- base made of concrete, asphalt, wooden floor;
- a soft backing made of closed-cell foam or PVC foam, the thickness and properties of which affect the speed of the ball's rebound (pace of play);
- Compacted top layer of 2mm thick textured vinyl.
The top layer is covered with polyurethane, which ensures ease of maintenance and protects against various marks, thereby extending the life of the coating. If the top layer is not treated with polyurethane, then special non-marking tennis shoes are needed.
To prevent the foot from getting stuck in the place it presses, which can lead to damage to the ankle joint if the body turns sharply, the top layer is reinforced with a fiberglass mesh.
The total thickness of the coating is 6.0-7.0 mm.
The teraflex structure promotes greater “spin” of the ball after its rebound and evenly distributes the point load over the entire area. This surface is similar to a clay court in terms of the ball's rebound speed.
Two installation options are possible: permanent, with gluing to the base and welding, and temporary, with attachment to the base with double-sided tape.
The most common brands of this coating are: Tarafleks ATP, Tennis, Sport B. Of these, Tarafleks ATP has the highest coefficient of friction, which means a slower rebound of the ball. An analogue of the coating is granoflex (Graboflex).
Advantages:
- absorption of energy (cushioning) of impacts, ensuring comfortable playing;
- ease of maintenance;
- no shoe marks remain.
Flaws:
- intended only for indoor spaces with positive temperatures;
- Precipitation and direct exposure to ultraviolet radiation are not allowed.
TO carpet covering (Carpet)
It is a synthetic carpet (tennis carpet) laid on a flat hard surface (asphalt, concrete, wood). It can be supplied in rolls or in modules. The seams are glued with a special technical device.
To “speed up” the court, as well as to allow the feet to slide when approaching the ball, carpet courts are covered with rubber granules. The use of backfill gives the surface a playful imitation of a clay court.
The bounce characteristics of the ball may vary depending on the thickness, texture and material from which the carpet is made. Since the surface is softer than that of hard courts, the speed of play on them is somewhat lower. Such courts are usually built indoors. For example, tournaments were held on carpet: “Paris Masters”, “US Pro Indoor”, “Kremlin Cup”. Since 2009, the ATP and WTA have stopped holding their tournaments on carpet. However, it is permitted during competitions under the auspices of the ITF, including the Davis Cup and the Fed Cup.
Advantages:
- predictable and optimal ball rebound in terms of height and speed;
- good grip on shoes, while also allowing for rotation of the foot;
- small loads on the musculoskeletal system of tennis players.
Flaws:
- high cost;
- influence of temperature conditions (as the temperature rises, the coating becomes softer);
- susceptible to damage and may collapse (see video).
Artificial Grass (Synthetic Grass Tennis, Super Grass, Artificial Grass)
It is a type of carpet laid on an asphalt or concrete base. It is produced using the “tufting method” technology: voluminous fibers imitating grass stems are woven into a highly elastic base, which is then covered with latex. The pile is made of polypropylene, polyethylene or a combination of both, which determines the durability and cost of the coating.
The differences lie in the type of fiber imitating grass and, as a result, in the service life, height and density of the pile (number of stitches per square meter), as well as the amount of backfill with quartz sand or rubber (rubber) granules. The latter allow you to avoid skin burns when falling on the lawn. The purpose of the backfill is to stabilize the pile in a vertical position and optimize uniform bounce across the entire surface of the court. Depending on the thickness of the backfill, the height of the pile and the density of the coating are adjusted, which allows you to vary the speed of the ball's rebound over a wide range: from slow to very fast. In addition, the hardness of the coating (the speed of the ball's rebound) depends on the degree of humidity of the backfill, for which this coating must be equipped with a water irrigation system.
Depending on the backfill, grass coverings are classified as:
- backfill, with a pile height of 18-22 mm;
- semi-fill, with a pile height of 12-18 mm and greater density;
- non-fill, with a pile height of 8-12 mm.
Semi-fill and non-fill coatings require more demanding base construction.
Playing on infill or semi-infill grass is closest in its characteristics to playing on natural grass or dirt.
The markings are integrated into the coating directly at the manufacturer's factory, thereby reducing the number of coating joints.
After the first winter, the sand settles, after which leaves and other contaminants can be blown off or swept away without any problems.
Advantages:
- good sliding and turning capabilities, which ensures comfortable and safe play;
- light loads on the spine, joints and ligaments of the legs;
- hygroscopicity (the drainage system of artificial grass allows games to be played 20 minutes after rain);
- all-weather and frost resistance (allows you to play at any time of the year);
- durability (wear resistance);
- not demanding in care and maintenance, which means it does not require large expenses;
- quick installation (2-3 days).
The disadvantage is its high cost.
Synthetic Ground
It is a monolithic coating that has playing characteristics corresponding to natural red soil.
Comprises:
- concrete or asphalt base;
- an intermediate (shock-absorbing) polyurethane layer, which foams when applied;
- covering layer in the form of polyurethane granules.
Variation in the speed of ball rebound, sliding and shock absorption is carried out by modifying the intermediate layer.
Advantages:
- ease of care and restoration;
- no need for watering (compared to natural soil);
- high resistance to atmospheric influences (moisture, ultraviolet radiation, temperature fluctuations over a wide range);
- sufficiently high return energy of the coating, combined with reasonable absorption of impact energy;
- comfort of the game;
- the ability to set the desired ball rebound speed during installation.
Modular Covering
It is made of impact-resistant polystyrene (PP) and, thanks to the strictly organized dense structure of its surface, the coating ensures the correct rebound of the ball. The structure of the module has a mesh shape and its perforated surface does not retain water and dirt. The modular surface combines the qualities of grass and clay courts, but in terms of a set of properties (general dynamics of the game, contact of sports shoes with the surface, ball rebound) it is closer to clay ones.
The covering is assembled from separate modules and joined together with self-jamming fastening elements without the use of glue or other auxiliary materials. It can be easily mounted on any hard, flat surface - concrete, asphalt, old worn out hard courts (even if they have cracks). Installation on compacted sand without a solid base is possible. When the coating is immersed in it, the sand fills and wedges each cell of the structural lattice. This installation method is more complex and requires additional equipment. But at the same time, overall costs are significantly reduced.
Module (tile) size: 333×333×16 mm.
The main advantages of modular coverings:
- increased strength and wear resistance;
- noise absorption;
- ease of installation and dismantling;
- does not require maintenance.
Disadvantage - used for amateur players.
(Author's note – In the history of tennis, there have also been “exotic” surfaces. So in 1963 The Indian team, as part of the Davis Cup, hosted the Americans in Bombay on the courts of the Cricket Club of India, which were made from cow dung. However, the specific smell did not prevent the US team from winning with a score of 5:0).
At the moment, there are 4 main types of tennis court surfaces, which have quite different characteristics, primarily in terms of height and speed of ball rebound, which seriously affects the nature of the game.
It should be noted that at the moment the most common coating is “hard”, which can be “indoor” or “outdoor”, i.e. indoors and outdoors. “Soil” (or “clay”) lags significantly behind it in terms of prevalence, and grass cover is even less common. The rarest type of court at the moment is “carpet” (synthetic carpet), it is not currently used in the ATP series, and is occasionally found in tournaments of lower categories.
Now let’s look at each type of surface separately and determine what requirements it places on tennis players and who will have an advantage on it.
Carpets
Let's start with the rarest type of covering at the moment - “carpet”. The most controversial type, since the rebound of the ball depends entirely on what synthetic material is used, but in general it is considered the “slowest” available. It is good for its safety - it spares the joints, ligaments and spine of a tennis player, injuries do not happen often here.
A fairly universal surface that does not provide any special advantages to any of the main styles of tennis players; the only ones for whom such a “slowness” of the rebound is useful are protective-style clays, but it still does not provide any special advantages.
Grass surface
Tournaments on grass are held for just over a month in a row - two weeks of Wimbledon, and three weeks before it. The coating is very expensive to maintain, so it is used less and less. The fastest type of surface, which is characterized by a low and fast rebound of the ball, is therefore considered optimal for it - a powerful serve with access to the net. It is quite difficult to play on the back line, because the clay players have little success here.
Federer demonstrates a style that is well suited to such a surface, but after Boris Becker (a famous master of the hit-and-run style) began collaborating with Djokovic, the Swiss had to make room.
It is traditionally believed that the English and Australians play best on grass, but in fact, over the past 20 years this statement has been justified only twice - in 2002 (Lleyto Hewitt) and in 2013 (Andy Murray, the first Wimbledon for Great Britain since 1936).
Priming
The slowest type of covering, like carpet, is quite safe. It is demanding, but inexpensive to maintain, which is why there are quite a few such courts. It is distinguished by a slow and high rebound of the ball, which, however, is sometimes difficult to predict. Representatives of the “Spanish” school of tennis “grow” on such surfaces, for example, Nadal, Robredo, etc.
One of the features of the ground is that it is low - after hitting the court, the ball slows down significantly and bounces high enough to make it easy for almost any opponent to take it. However, a feed speed exceeding 200 km per hour still remains dangerous.
Although there are many "defensive" style clay players whose main goal is to return the ball to the opponent's court, they rarely achieve serious success, clay requires powerful aggressive play and good stamina. In this case, however, it is enough for a tennis player to have one “well-placed” hit, since the slow rebound makes it possible to “run” under a comfortable hand. This, by the way, is an additional requirement - the ability to move correctly and even slide on a clay court.
A striking example of a strong clay player is Nadal. Without having a particularly powerful serve, he is distinguished by good movement around the court and powerful “piercing” shots, which opponents simply cannot keep up with.
When betting on matches on clay, you should take into account that stronger players often win here (i.e., sensations are rare here), and against tired tennis players you can safely take even a fairly large handicap, since there is not much difference between serve and return. But it makes no sense to take large plus handicaps, again due to the low value of the serve.
Hard
The most common coating at the moment, which is used both outdoors and in halls. At the same time, the concept of “hard” is a collective one; in fact, according to its classification, there are 5 types, each of which differs in height and rebound speed. Also, whether the match is played “under a roof” has a big impact.
The fact is that an “indoor hard court” is an almost ideal place to play - there is no wind, the sun does not shine in your eyes, etc. Therefore, any tennis player can show his best game. But in the open air, not every serving specialist will be able to “unfold” at full strength - in a strong wind, those tennis players who serve with strong rotation (such a ball is more “stable”) get a significant advantage, but those who like “flat” shots have to tight - the ball can simply be “blown away” by the wind.
In general, open hard court is the most traumatic surface; many famous tennis players complained that even during one match, the characteristics of the surface gradually changed. In addition, most of these tournaments take place in hot weather, so it is also a test of endurance.
In general, hard is the most demanding of players' versatility. Here you need a powerful serve, a good technique, and the ability to hit equally hard with both hands. For example, if an athlete has enough of a polished forehand to play on clay, then on hard court he will be easily outplayed by simply serving the ball under the backhand. Without a powerful serve, it is generally extremely difficult to succeed on hard - this factor alone makes it easy to hold on to “your” games. No less important is an aggressive reception on the second, weaker serve - this is the only opportunity for the receiver to win a point.
When betting on matches on this surface, you should avoid large negative handicaps as it is not very common to make more than 2-3 breaks here, and the most typical score is 6-4 6-4. So, instead of a big handicap, it’s better to bet on the set score 2-0.
But if a big plus handicap is given to a specialist in his serve (or Isner, for example), then this often turns out to be a very interesting bet. Taking away their serve is a “disastrous task” even for the leaders of the rating, unless, of course, such “servers” are exhausted to the last minute in previous matches.
