1. Noble Grass
Tennis began on grass courts during the 19th century and quickly appealed to a bored upper class looking for something new and fun to do. Due to lawn court maintenance requirements, however, grass tennis courts were soon replaced by harder courts, such as clay and eventually cement. Nowadays, other substances and blended materials are used to make tennis courts, including synthetic courts, which are most often made out of interlocking polypropylene plastic tiles suspended over cement, or artificial grass.
2. Champion Amongst Tennis Championships
England loves its traditions, and the All England Club's Wimbledon Championships follow suit with a long tradition of playing on a grass tennis court. Despite the fact that other famous tennis tournaments are played on harder surfaces, Wimbledon has stuck with its grass court since 1877. After all, tennis began in England on a lawn court in 1873. Outstanding amongst all professional tennis finals, Wimbledon continues to define tennis history and champions.
3. Groundskeeper Wanted
A grass tennis court could be compared to a high maintenance lover. The court's grass must be regularly mowed and treated. Also, when it rains, grass tennis courts take some time to dry out, which often ends up delaying matches. Grass can be worn down with a lot of play as well, so the health and vitality of the grass must be looked after continuously. Nevertheless, regardless of the high maintenance, some tennis buffs and professionals love playing on a grass tennis court.
4. Slip Sliding Away
Playing on a grass tennis court is different from playing on a harder court. More flexibility and strength is required on a grass tennis court, and players tend to slip more. Also, a tennis ball slides and bounces lower on a grass court causing a player to scurry to return it. Slice serves are popular with skilled lawn court players as they are highly effective on a grass tennis court; players then love to cut off return serves at the net, causing opponents to falter and miss when trying to reach the fast and low balls. Some pros count on these grass court features for success at Wimbledon.
5. Stars Are Born on Grass
Many a professional tennis player has made his mark in tennis history by winning on Wimbledon's Centre Court. Whereas, some pros don't do as well on other types of courts, such as the clay court of the French Open, other pros are right at home on a grass tennis court as it suits their style, movement and game. Serve-and-volley tennis greats like McEnroe, Sampras and Federer are known for their superb grass tennis court performances and successes. Super champs like Evert, Navratilova and Borg owned and ruled all types of courts, including clay and grass.
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