Sports / Feature and Column
Beach game hopes to outshine rainy Wimbledon
(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-07-17 14:29
KEY DIFFERENCE
Backed by the Fundacion Pupi children's charity headed by Inter Milan
footballer Javier Zanetti, Tazzari hopes for similar exposure for beach
tennis but has one reservation.
"It is difficult for the television cameras because of the speed," he
said.
In the Italian version, mixed or same-sex doubles teams face each other
across a 1.70 metre net on a court notably smaller than a tennis court
and marked out with tape.
The rackets are graphite paddle bats, halfway between a table tennis bat
and a tennis racket, while the ball looks like a normal tennis ball but
is slightly softer and lighter.
The points system is more similar to tennis than beach volleyball but
there is only one serve and there are no lets for netcords.
A key difference with tennis is that the ball cannot bounce.
However, smashing the ball to the floor before your opponent can reach it
is surprisingly difficult given the height of the net and the players
therefore produce some long rallies with acrobatic dives.
Wimbledon's grass favours big servers and has been labelled too fast,
Roland Garros's clay has been criticised for being too slow while the
artificial surface at next January's Australian Open will be different
after complaints this year.
The volley rule in beach tennis means there is no debate about the speed
of the ball while the sun beats down on the chilled-out arena.
Anyone for a fifth grand slam on sand?
1 2
Related Stories
� Beach game hopes to outshine rainy Wimbledon
===========================================================================
� Wimbledon champions at Champions' Dinner
===========================================================================
� Venus Williams wins 4th Wimbledon title
===========================================================================
� Venus Williams wins 4th Wimbledon title
===========================================================================
� Venus Williams wins 4th Wimbledon title
===========================================================================
� Nadal plays his best on grass to beat Youzhny
===========================================================================
Top Sports News
� Chelsea signs 4-year deal with Disney Co
� Chinese road riders taste acceleration through studying abroad
� Beckham nurses ankle in first Galaxy training session
� Italian guard Belinelli signs for Golden State
� Holders Japan power into Asian Cup quarters
Today's Top News
� Japan quake causes 9 deaths, nuke leak
� Party leaders to be more media savvy
� Climate change taking toll on glaciers
� Twin bombings in northern Iraq kill 80
� 95 officials punished for brickwork slavery
Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours
Learn Chinese, Learning Chinese, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet
No comments:
Post a Comment