There are a handful of different tennis court surfaces. Each one has its own unique set of attributes, adding an interesting element to this already exciting sport.

The most popular surface in the world at the moment is the hard court. This is typically a green or blue court with painted lines and a concrete surface. You’ve likely seen it at the US Open and many other events.

What are some of the unique attributes of hard courts, and how should the game be played on them? Here are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind.

The ball moves really quickly on hard courts, and you’ll be in for a surprise if you typically play on clay courts. Those who excel in the serving department always enjoy the advantages of this surface, as fast serves will be even harder to hit back.

As far as baseline play goes, hard courts don’t really work for or against people with this strategy. This is a good thing in many regards, as it won’t ruin your chances of winning a match should you choose to stay back. Hard hitting can be an asset here.

With the Aussie Open kicking off the new ’10 tennis year, the sport we love is officially in effect. There are many pros making up a field that happens to be more up for grabs than it has happened to be in many years.

No longer are the times of Roger and Rafa Nadal ruling every event. There are various other great participants on the men’s side of things who possess respectable prospects each moment a match starts.

While Federer and Nadal occupy the best two ranks in the world, there are some competitors who might finish up the year ranked at # 1. Let’s have a look at the most probable heirs to the throne at this time.

Certainly, there is Roger Federer. He must forever be considered the favorite to end at the top of the field, seeing that he’s been the best nearly every single year throughout the duration of the previous 10 years. In spite of everything, his age of twenty nine reveals that he’s getting up there in years.

With the Australian Open kicking off the new 2010 tennis year, the action is officially back. There are many players rounding out a field that finds itself more competitive than it’s been in quite a few years.

While recent years seemingly belonged to Federer and Nadal and their classic rivalry with one another, there are a few more players in the mix who should pose a threat to them both.

Though Federer and Nadal occupy the top two spots in the world, there are a few players who could end up the year ranked at number one. Let’s take a look at the most likely finishers now.

Obviously, there’s Roger Federer. He should always be considered the favorite to finish at the top of the rankings, as he’s done so nearly every year during the course of the last decade. Still, his age of 29 means he’s getting up there in years.

If you’re an avid tennis player, perhaps you’ve enjoyed the privilege of playing on red clay courts. This is an old surface with a deep rooted history of tradition that dates back to the origins of the sport in parts of Europe like Spain and France.

Playing on clay can be an extremely enjoyable experience, though anyone living in North America may have a hard time finding a court. Regardless, it’s a surface that many lovers of the sport truly cherish.

Many people wonder about the differences between clay courts and other surfaces like hard and grass courts. If you’re wondering the same thing, you’re about to learn the key characteristics of these courts and how they may impact your strategy.

First of all, the most effective strategy on this surface has always been one from the baseline. Players traditionally rely on powerful ground strokes as a means of winning their matches.

Modern tennis has gone through many changes, and the 1980s were the years that served as the transition for this. Racquets quickly went from wooden ones to graphite ones, and much more happened as well.

This brief article will focus on my favorite 5 tennis players from the 1980s. These aren’t ordered by who was best, simply by my favorites. I hope you enjoy it!

The early 1980s were dominated by Bjorn Borg before his early retirement. At the top of his game, he was undoubtedly the best in the world and one of the best to ever play the sport.

Next on my list is Stefan Edberg, whose career began in the 1980s and lasted into the 1990s. The Swedish net player was one of the best volleyers in the history of the sport, and one of the last pure volleyers as well.

Tennis fans will be happy to know that Nike is officially giving a projected launch date for the introduction of its Nike Air Max Courtballistec 2.3 tennis sneaker. This continues a line of successful and praised tennis sneakers, and looks like it’ll be released before the Aussie Open.

Riding the coattails of a successful Courtballistec 1.3 (the shoe worn by Rafael Nadal and many other pros), Nike is taking full advantage of the success of its predecessor. This is a great tennis sneaker that tennis enthusiasts will be happy to know is being improved.

The Nike Air Courtballistec 2.3 sneakers look like they’ll be a bit different from the 1.3 and earlier versions as far as the style goes. They almost look like something Andre Agassi would have worn about 15 years ago. The color scheme will feature white, grey, blue, yellow, and black.

The performance of the Nike Air Courtballistec 2.3 will also be top notch. Already known as one of the best tennis sneakers on the market, Nike has taken things one step further in the comfort and quality department.

Andy Roddick comes into the 2009 US Open at a crossroads of his career.

Roddick has played some great tennis this past summer and many believe the former US Open champion has revived his career. Much of this is due to the fact that Roddick has spent a great deal of time on his fitness.

On the other hand, the US Open marks the end of another season, as the prime of his career slowly slips away as he still looks to snap the longest US men’s Grand Slam drought in the open era.

At year’s end, he’ll be 27 years old. While he currently stands 5th in the world, three of the four ahead of him are four years younger or more. The other? Roger Federer, who has had a rebirth of his own to coincide with Roddick. In fact, Federer has been the thorn in his side for years.

Andy Roddick is at an inflection point as far as his career is concerned. The 2009 US Open could dictate where his career goes from here.

On one hand, he has seen the rebirth of his talents, leading him to arguably his best season in a while thanks to being as fit as he was when he won his only major in 2003.

At the same time, Roddick is aging and the clock is ticking on his career. His role in men’s tennis is crucial right now, as he’s really the only player who stands a chance to bring the US its first grand slam since Roddick captured the championship in 2003.

When looking at the rest of the top-5 players, aside from Roger Federer, they’re all at least three years younger than Roddick. There’s a good chance that each of these players will maintain his level of play, and quite possibly improve. With respect to Federer, it seems that he’s found his form once again.

The Nike Air Max Courtballistec 2.3 is officially on the way. Nike has announced its plans to coordinate the release of the sneaker with the 2010 Australian Open, and this much anticipated sneaker is sure to be a top seller in athletic apparel stores nationwide.

The Nike Air Max Courtballistec 2.3 looks like it’ll be a new and improved version of its older models. Nike has listened to the requests of its owners, and tennis fans should be excited to try out what seems to be a top notch sneaker.

As far as the look goes, it’s actually somewhat retro in the sense that it looks like certain Nike tennis sneakers form the 1990s. The Nike CB 2.3 will feature a blue/white/grey color combo and the swoosh looks like it’ll be black.

As far as the build of the sneaker, it looks like Nike has made some obvious enhancements that should increase the playability of these sneakers on the tennis court.

August 12th, 2009 was a bright, sunny Wednesday morning in Canada. Since I was working at the Rogers Cup, I had admission to the grounds and had specifically asked for the day off so I would be able to go check out all the professionals’ warmups. It was really a loaded schedule with the finest ten competing during the day.

At 11 that morning, a friend and I headed over to Court 4 where the world’s top ranked player, Roger Federer, was due to get there at within 30 minutes. Already filled with about several hundred people, there was very little room to move.

As the time approached, the place was filled with fans who eagerly waited to get a glimpse of the best to ever play the game. With the sun soaring at 95 degrees fahrenheit, we watched him warm up and we saw him hitting balls. To be honest, it was pretty boring and was supposed to go on for 2 hours.