Syracuse University Athletics

Go Cuse Tennis Fans!
 
Coach Jensen with an Orange Alert from the pro tour. With the 2012 Aussie Open in the history books, let’s take a moment to reflect on the first Grand Slam event of the year.
 
The Aussie Open has become the most explosive of all the Grand Slams. It has the lowest prize money of all the majors (French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open). It is the first major after the off-season break. The heat can reach to well over 100 degrees (on court) on a typical day during the Aussie, but what has really elevated in quality of match play over the other slams is the hard court surface.
 
The other majors are played on clay (French), grass (Wimbledon) and fast hard courts (US). The Aussie has a history of three surfaces in its long history. Way back in the day, the Aussie was played on grass courts until 1988 when the venue moved to a rebound ace surface that was rubber made from recycled tires. When the Aussie Open made the change from medium to slow hard courts a couple of years ago the value of play went through the roof!
 
The speed of court is a massive factor in the style of play that will dictate victory. Slow clay is for the defender, while fast courts, like grass and fast hard courts, is for the attacker. Hard court speed is determined by the amount of sand put in the mix before laying down the surface. At the Drumlins CC, where the SU Tennis Team plays, we put a LOT of sand in the mix for the slowest courts possible. It wears longer and it is better for the development of complete all-court players. So the Aussie went right for the middle of the road – a surface that would be FAIR for the attacker and defender.
 
The Aussie Open did it and the play is the very best to watch. The Nadal-Djokovic match was more than six hours. The longest match in Grand Slam Finals history points to the surface. Both players played and competed at such a high level because the surface allowed for all types of tactics.
 
I have spent the last 24 hours breaking down the video of that match to show our SU players how to play offense, defense and transition tennis under pressure!
 
There are times in our world where something is invented or happens that changes the pace and elevates the playing field. The cell phone, Facebook, Ipod, the internet, plyometrics for speed, and in tennis a guy named DJOKOVIC! He has won the last three majors – Wimbledon, US and now a repeat at the Aussie. He only lost six matches all of last year. He has surpassed Federer and Nadal as the Alpha Dog in the game.
 
Djokovic comes from a very self-confident perspective that helps him in tough situations. He is complete off of both sides and will move to the net off of the big ground game. In the offseason, Nadal and Federer went to more powerful rackets to add more pace because the Djoker was hitting too big for them.
 
The 2008 Wimbledon Final between Nadal and Federer was the greatest match I ever saw. A five set thriller! The 1980 Borg/McEnroe Wimbledon final is the second followed by this Djokovic/Nadal 2012 Aussie Open final.
 
The game is evolving. It is bigger, stronger and faster. It is not about the big fish eating the little fish. It has become about the fast beating slow. Keep up or get run over. The same principles are used every day with my SU Tennis Team. In six seasons, we have developed 11 SU players to WTA rankings.
 
Our secret is to play, train and live up to Syracuse speed. The Aussie Open is another example of a fast tennis world becoming a whole lot faster!
 
Forever Orange!
 
Coach Jensen and I will see you at the courts.