Submit your questions to Bill Mountford here
Q: If you were going to institute a major rule change in tennis, what would it be and why?
Timothy - Chicago, IL
I would enforce the “play shall be continuous” rule. There is way too much dawdling on-court, which slows down the pace of play and, thus, the enjoyment of our great game.
In the professional ranks, the rule change that I would most like to see is the installation of a shot clock in the corner of the court. After the completion of a point, players would have fifteen seconds to begin the next point. If not, they would be warned. After a warning, they would be penalized a point for each ensuing violation. Of course, applause from the fans in the gallery would have a subtle affect. If there is a particularly exciting point, the inevitable cheering would create a natural pause in the action. That would be fine. A long delay after a routine, abrupt point is NOT appealing though.
- Bill
Q: I frequently break my strings at the top not the center. Why is that? What can I do to fix it?
Latasha - DC
Hit the ball in the center of your string bed! This is easier to write than to do, I know. Make sure that your grommets are not jagged. That would probably be the leading cause for string breakage near the top of the frame. Have your racquet stringer replace poor grommets to eliminate the likelihood of this issue.
- Bill
Q: There is a very good, highly ranked player in my daughter's age group who is notorious for selectively hooking 3-4 key points per match, and the rest of the time making correct lines calls. This player's pattern is well known. Given that she picks her spots, the damage is done before her opponents can / should get a line judge. We've asked tournament officials how players should handle this. They have all been sympathetic, but offer no realistic resolutions. Do you have any suggestions?
Tom - Atlanta, GA
I hate to read accounts like this, because it paints our sport in such a bad light. Behavior like this is reprehensible and it demonstrates a lack of character. Unfortunately, that is life though. You might view it as a good experience, because this will NOT be the last (or only) time that your daughter deals with dishonesty or duplicitous behavior. The damage done is worse than simply the atrocious line call. Maintaining her composure is essential.
John McEnroe is my favorite tennis player of all-time. He has been justifiably pilloried through the years for his outbursts. However, to live outside the law you must be honest, and McEnroe HAS integrity. Anyway, as a junior player McEnroe was cheated badly in a match, and a legendary tale grew from this match. His reaction to the experience speaks volumes about his mental toughness and competitive spirit. After being cheated repeatedly, McEnroe took matters into his own hands by steeling his resolve, bearing down, and just picking the opponent apart with his game. His standard was raised when he felt cheated. An easier path would have been to complain and blame; instead, he chose to beat the cheater in spite of the poor line calls. Not only did McEnroe win, but his victory was double-edged: he humbled a cheater by managing to overcome.
- Bill
Q: I am a 4.0 doubles player. While playing, one opponent called the ball out, the other in. They decided we had to play a let. What is the correct procedure?
Mary - NJ
If doubles partners disagree on a call, then they should always offer the benefit of doubt to the opponents. In the case that you described, a let should not be called. Instead, the point should be awarded to the opponents.
- Bill
Q: I have both Tennis and Golfer's elbow on my right arm and these injuries limit me to playing tennis once a week in order to make time for the healing process. At one time, I played tennis 3 days a week, and the following week I was in great pain and was not able to play at all. I'm under prescribed medication for muscle and joint inflammation and physical therapy as well. I want to play tennis as often as I can; do you have any tips on how I can play more? Whether it's equipment related or pre- and post-game exercises.
James - Jacksonville, FL
I have been afflicted with these injuries myself, and it is damn frustrating. As for equipment, you might demo the HEAD Protector model, which was made exclusively for players suffering from elbow troubles. You could also experiment with lower string tensions, “softer” strings, and a different handle size (to alter the “pressure points” slightly).
Be sure to warm-up slowly. A jarring hit (or mis-hit) can really hurt if you are not ready. When you are finished, ice the area where you feel (or felt) pain for fifteen minutes. Get into the gym for strength work so that other areas of your body can “absorb” some of the impact that hurts your elbow. Hang in there…
- Bill
Q: Why is it that Americans are having difficulty in playing on the European clay? Back in the 1970's, the Americans were dominating.
Ramon - IL
Well, first of all, the good old days were not always so good. Neither Jimmy Connors nor John McEnroe- the dominant Americans from the mid-70’s through the mid-80’s- ever won the French Championships. In fact, no American man won at Roland Garros from 1955 (Tony Trabert) until 1989 (Michael Chang). For the women, Chrissie Evert accounted for seven (of the eight) French singles titles won by women born in America from 1969-2000. *(Can you recall the other champion? Hint: 1972.)
Your fundamental question is a good one: Why don’t Americans succeed on red clay the way they do on hard, indoor, or grass courts? Americans do not typically grow up playing on “the dirt” so are less comfortable. Movement is probably the single biggest factor. Patience is a close second though. On the red clay, extremely fit retrievers can make even the most aggressive players hit several additional shots during each point. This has a cumulative effect on the psyche- and the game- of even the best attacking players (including McEnroe and Sampras).
Jim Courier (1991-92) and Andre Agassi (1999) have bucked this trend. More recently, Jennifer Capriati (2002) and Serena Williams (2002) have also won in Paris. All in all, that is not such a bad record. How many Spaniards or South Americans have won at Wimbledon or the US Open in recent years? Only soccer can rival our sport internationally. Try as we might, Americans are NOT going to win every tournament in this era. I urge all fellow American tennis fans to view the European clay court circuit and the upcoming French Open with a more global viewpoint.
- Bill
Additional thoughts for the week...
Reason #979 why The Tennis Channel is the greatest invention since the cell phone: the daily live coverage from the Italian Open last week and from Hamburg, Germany this week!
Roger Federer lost AGAIN to Rafa Nadal in a final that lasted over five hours and ended in a dramatic fifth set tiebreaker. Federer has lost only three matches this year and all of those losses are at the hands of his Spanish rival.
More Federer-Nadal: This was their second consecutive encounter where Federer demonstrated uncharacteristically bratty behavior. After the match, the world’s #1 accused Toni Nadal, Rafa’s uncle and long-time coach, of illegally coaching during the match. This sounded like sour grapes after such an epic match.
Enter the 80th annual National Public Parks Tennis Championships at the USTA National Tennis Center from June 19th-25th. Play on the courts of the US Open! Every age division from 10 & under juniors through (and including) 90 & over seniors is included.
Adults/seniors RegistrationJuniors Registration For information about this week’s Forest Hills Clay Court Classic, visit
www.foresthillstennis.com. This venerable old club is the former site of the US Nationals/US Open from 1915-1977.
Only 25 more days until the Rafa Nadal- Roger Federer final at Roland Garros.