Chapter 813: A simple task

First of all, we need to clarify one thing:

are there really any differences in the balls used in tennis matches?

The answer is yes.

It's not "maybe", but 100%, the difference exists objectively.

Moreover, leaving aside the slight differences caused by different batch production times, different brands of tennis balls are inherently different, because different venues require different types of balls. Like all professional competitive sports, the higher the level, the more professional it is, and this extends to the equipment.

Currently on the market, there are many brands of balls used in professional tennis matches, including Slazenger, Wilson, Dunlop, Babolat, Head, Penn, Techifibre and so on.

Among them, Wilson and Hyde are also the two top suppliers of rackets.

In general, Wimbledon has always used Schlesinger, the US Open and Australian Open have both used Wilson, and the French Open used to use Dunlop but has now evolved into Babolat.

In the ATP Tour, Indian Wells, Miami, Canada and Cincinnati are all Payne, while the Mid-Year Finals, Paris and Shanghai are all Head.

In grass court events, Schlesinger basically dominates the market; in clay court events, Dunlop and Babolat dominate the market.

From this we can see that different types of courts have different requirements for tennis, and naturally, there are subtle differences in the balls used in the competitions.

Moreover, the same brand often produces different tennis balls for different venues, but the gap in technical craftsmanship and product quality also objectively exists.

Currently, each tennis brand on the market has different series, ranging from three or five to ten or twenty. The hitting feel of different series is also different.

However, professional tennis tournaments are all commercial activities, with "sponsorship" being the core keyword. This also means that every tennis supplier is doing its utmost to expand its territory, so it is common for tournaments to replace match balls, and the accompanying chain reactions always exist objectively.

Just like every time there is a World Cup, everyone will discuss how this year's ball is "lighter", "heavier", "floating", "slippery", and "harder to control", the same is true for tennis.

Schlesinger, known as the "aristocrat".

This is the most suitable ball for grass courts and has always been the official ball of Wimbledon; at the same time, it is also the easiest and most expensive ball to play with.

Many people generally agree that Schlesinger is the easiest tennis ball to play, with good feel, good elasticity, appropriate air pressure, good wool content, good elasticity and rotation speed; but the disadvantage is that it is not durable and consumes a lot of balls. Even in amateur competitions, after playing a game, it is basically unusable.

Not to mention professional competitions.

"Expensive" is just one word.

Dunlop is actually the same manufacturer as Schlesinger, and they started out as tire manufacturers, so their tennis liner manufacturing process is excellent.

Compared to Schlesinger, durability is a signature feature, but the quality of the felt is average. It basically becomes bald after a while of hitting, and looks like an abandoned pig bladder.

Although not very distinctive, it is very popular on clay courts.

Hyde and Payne were also a manufacturer - Payne was later acquired by Hyde.

In general, the two balls are like those of "blue-collar workers". They have very average all-round characteristics, with no particular strengths or weaknesses, and they are inexpensive and of good quality. They are very suitable for ordinary tennis enthusiasts and are definitely the first choice.

But for slightly more advanced players, they lose their charm because they have no characteristics and naturally no highlights, and can even be said to be "mediocre."

It is worth mentioning that Penn is basically used in North American competitions, and NCAA competitions are basically the same. This is also the game ball that Gao Wen is most familiar with.

Babolat, the official ball of the French Open.

This is also a brand that started out making tennis rackets. The biggest feature of their tennis balls is that they are durable.

Very, very durable.

Therefore, Babolat's tennis balls, when new, are very hard, basically equivalent to ping-pong balls, and the felt is also very conformable and tight. Naturally, the ball speeds up, making it more difficult for players to control it.

For novices, Babolat's tennis court is very unfriendly and basically impossible to control, and all their shots are out of control; but for professional players it is another matter, because on clay courts, there are many multi-shot rounds and the friction of the ground is also very high, so this kind of patience in using the ball can be brought into play.

Finally, Wilson.

The world's largest supplier of rackets and the most commonly used balls for hard court tournaments around the world, and a joint supplier of the Australian Open and US Open.

Although both Grand Slam tournaments use the same brand, as Gao Wen just said, there are objective differences between the two types of tennis.

In general, the ball used in the US Open is softer, looser, and less durable. Once a long round of multi-shot duel begins, the tennis ball tends to float. Therefore, it is often more disadvantageous for players who use the opponent's force to play against the opponent. But relatively speaking, power players who actively exert force can gain some advantages.

The Australian Open ball is harder and tighter, and its durability is even better. In long-round matches in hard-court tournaments, it is basically at the same level as Babolat. The longer you play, the tougher it becomes, and the inner liner remains elastic. Multi-shot tug-of-war can also ensure the transmission of power in the process of leveraging force.

Of course, these distinctions are very subtle and not absolute.

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Then, someone will definitely say that as long as you are strong enough, you can definitely crush the opponent and win no matter what ball you use. This is the real way.

But this is how competitive sports are. The closer the competition gets, the more important the details become.

To give a simple example, Djokovic, known as the "King of Melbourne Park", has won the Australian Open nine times as of 2022, but at the US Open, which is also a hard court, his number of championships has remained at three, and he has not been able to go any further, only one more than the French Open.

In addition, Del Potro's best performance in his career is on hard courts. His violent forehand is hailed as the best forehand in history. At the US Open, he won the championship once, was runner-up once, reached the semi-finals once, and reached the quarter-finals three times; but at the Australian Open, he only reached the quarter-finals twice, and even the fourth round performance was only once.

The direct comparison between these two players, Djokovic and Del Potro, is very obvious.

From this, we can see that although both the Australian Open and the US Open are played on hard courts, there are still some differences in the types and styles of players that are suitable for them.

Coming from New York to Melbourne, what needs to be adapted is not just the climate and environment, but also every aspect of the entire event has subtle changes.

A slight mistake can lead to a huge error. This is true in scientific research as well as in competitive sports.

Just now, Gao Wen noticed Zhang Shuai's shot and blindly exerted force, trying to form a confrontation and suppression, but he lacked control, and his overall feel for the ball and his touch were still a little lacking, so his shots frequently went out of bounds -

Not into the net, all of them are out of bounds.

This also means that the feel of the ball is not right, the arc control is fine, but the power and rotation control are not right.

That's why Gao Wen paused his practice and pointed this out.

But think about it carefully, Zhang Shuai has been in the tour for so long, and this is not her first time participating in the Australian Open. Doesn't she understand less than Gao Wen?

(End of this chapter)