Health & Fitness
A New Tennis Year Begins in a Grand Way
One could look at the calendar to see this as a numeric year change to 2012, or one could simply watch the tennis community get excited for the first major tournament of the year.
In the world of professional tennis—a season that never really ends—there are actual breaks that delineate one year from the next. One could look at the calendar to see this as a numeric year change to 2012, or one could simply watch the tennis community get excited for the first major tournament of the year that begins this month.
The tournament? The Australian Open played at Melbourne Park, in Melbourne, Australia.
The reigning champions from 2011? Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Kim Clijsters of Belgium.
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First known as the Australasian championships, it was renamed in 1927 to the Australian Championship and then subsequently, in 1969, to the Australian Open. This was originally a grass-court championship from 1905 through 1987, much like Wimbledon in the UK. But in 1988, a change was made to a hard-court surface that lasted for 20 years until a cushioned, medium-paced, acrylic surface, similar to that used at the US Open, was chosen as a successor.
The Open is played in the middle of the Australian summer, and this new surface has properties of less heat retention. Given the fact that Grand Slam tournaments require best-3-of-5-sets matches (instead of the traditional 2 of 3) on the men's side, both Rod Laver and Hisense Arena feature this cooler surface and retractable roofs to combat the Australian sun.
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So while we are probably shoveling snow or at the very least buttoning our coats neck-high, gather warm thoughts from the extreme heat and humidity experienced at the Australian Open, which runs Jan. 16 to 29. All the big names—Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Wozniaki, Kvitova, and Sharapova—will compete there. And since this is the first of the four Grand Slam tournaments of the year—the others being Wimbledon and the French and US Opens—precedents may be set, on both the ATP men's and WTA ladies' tours, that may dictate how 2012 will unfold.
Ron Miller is a PTR certified tennis instructor who teaches group and private lessons for kids and adults through Gloucester Twp. Recreation in the SJ area. His website and podcast provide free instructional content for beginners to advanced players.
