GRAND SLAM

The US Open tennis tournament in New York concludes the 2017 grand slams.   Might just be me but it seems there was the most ever tennis on television when it comes to great matches to view.

What were the highlights of the year?

1. Has anyone ever played a better “surface season “ than Nadal did on clay this year?
2. Could God have given us a better role model than Federer?
3. Will the critics of American tennis be hushed by the women’s semifinalists in NYC’’s Open?
4. Has there ever been a slam that featured more great early round matches (Halep vs Sharapova, Federer vs Tiafoe, etc.)?
5. What is tennis going to do about injuries?   (Causes: Parity? Rackets, strings, balls, equipment,?   Three out of five sets for men? Intense movement?
6. Thank you, Venus. And don’t let them forget what sister has done.
7. Rock stars emerge, ie Denis Shapavolov,Coco, Sloane and Madison, etc.
8. How did Sam Querry get so much better so fast?
9. Kevin Anderson, the next bright international who honed tennis skills with 3 years of American college tennis experience?
10. Will we look back in wonder as to how we survived without the roof. Or how many close call arguments technology saves ?
11. Shouldn’t officials penalize racket crushers?
12. Has the center of the court shifted to 2/3 on the forehand?
13. Will the notable efforts of the USTA ( The roof and renovations, the Orlando program, the net/generation program, etc) do the trick?
14. The Bryans have made better doubles world wide.

 

PS I continue to believe our best player development program is American college tennis, and we need to reserve scholarships for our kids first.

And that few of our best players get there without playing on their high school tennis . Some, but not many.

Tennis is a “travel sport”. Storm clouds are gathering.

If the USTA bought the rights to Pickleball they could have 10 million annual memberships next year, only then to grow annually. Watch what is going on.

Could the USTA develop its own college tennis division that would provide scholarship motivation worthy of the effort and expense required to earn a grant?