Where Maria Sharapova really does have the edge over Roger Federer

April 16th, 2008 admin Posted in News |

Like many tennis fans the world over I was glued to my TV catching every single solitary delicious moment of the 2008 Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, Florida.

This prestigious (and frankly gorgeous) tournament is hailed as the “fifth Grand Slam”, has an annual attendance of around 300,000 spectators and fans, and is one of the few tournaments that lasts a fortnight with both a men’s and women’s main draw.

In addition, it is a Master Series tournament on the ATP tour and a Tier I event for the WTA. In other words, if any tournament can serve as a barometer of sorts for the Grand Slams and any changes that can or should be made, then the SEO is the one to look at.

Then the real reason it was so exciting hit me like a ton of bricks. The men play only three sets at this tournament. No wonder it was so refreshing. No wonder the athleticism and tenacity of the male players went up about ten levels. I was engrossed, I was surprised - and I finally understood why the men burn out so much in this sport.

Tennis is single-handedly the most athletic game in the world. Sorry football and rugby fans, but it is. On top of that, you play without coaching and 99 per cent of the time you’re on your own.

If anything else comes even close in pure athleticism, it has to be basketball and hockey tied in second. In tennis you are constantly using both arms and legs, running, stopping, jumping, dashing, lunging, swinging, smashing, turning and, in some of the women’s cases, dropping into gymnast-inspired splits. It’s an incredibly grueling game no matter how you look at it.

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