Tennis Trist

The pop and ping of freshly opened tennis balls bouncing off racquets floats into my head on summer mornings. I can remember waking with a smile as the repetition of back and forth play next door at the Glendale Lyceum permeated the air. (http://www.glendalelyceum.com/) A hypnotic echo of felt covered rubber rhythmically penetrating clay is magnetic to me. Tennis has been a love for as long as I can remember. It’s as though forehands and backhands have been hardwired into my DNA.

With High School graduation came a surprise, a destination of discovery that was my choice. Newport, Rhode Island quickly rose to the top knowing the International Tennis Hall of Fame is home to the legends of tennis (http://www.tennisfame.com/index.aspx ).The museum built in 1880 showcases the history and legacy of the game, as its walls’ hero tennis icons.


Tennis originated from a 12th century French game called paume (meaning palm); it was a court game where the ball was struck with the hand. Paume evolved into jeu de paume and rackets were used. The game spread and evolved in Europe. In 1873, Major Walter Wingfield invented a game called Sphairistikè (Greek for "playing ball) from which modern outdoor tennis evolved. http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bltenns.htm

With the industrial revolution freeing up fortunes and leisure time through the 1870's into the 1880's, resorts of the Victorian era were a natural nesting place for the growth of the game. National championships were cropping up and attracting regulars. The upper class social scene was throwing decadent parties, giving them all a reason to return season after season and play. Soon there were enough challenging players in various regions of a growing number of countries to establish a level of skill that improved from one innovation to the next. http://www.driftwaycollection.com/history_intro.html
The conclusion of the museum drops you onto the edge of paradise.
Fine blades of grass manicured to perfection, newly painted lines, and the early rising sun casting its glow through the lattice of netting neatly hammered into opposite ends of each court seemed endless as though a kaleidoscope were being twisted before me.

Grass courts are the fastest type of courts in common use. They consist of grass grown on very hard-packed soil, similar to golf greens, which adds an additional variable: bounces depend on how healthy the grass is, how recently it has been mown, and the wear and tear of recent play. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennis_court
While some travel the country enjoying an all-American game at Fenway Park or Lambeau Field, I experience a similar magnetism when it comes to tennis.

It’s not often one comes across red-clay courts in the States; so stumbling upon this ruddy vermilion in Capri was like a natural high!
Red clay can be natural or, as at the French Open, made of crushed brick mixed with rubber and other materials. Clay courts slow down the ball and produce a high bounce[citation needed] when compared to grass courts or hard courts. This is because clay courts have more grab and when the ball lands there is more friction pushing against the ball's horizontal path, therefore slowing it and creating a higher bounce. For this reason, the clay court takes away some advantage of big serves, which makes it hard for serve-based players to dominate on the surface. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennis_court) www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Clay_court


Cincinnati’s heart beats strong in August when the ATP Tennis Masters series arrives at our door. The privilege of entering the grounds is like Christmas morning, and taking a seat when match play begins is better than opening presents.






If you’ve traveled to Flushing Meadows for the US Open or have found yourself on a vacation tennis court, immortalize this memory with a custom watercolor painting from The Painted Memory as a treasured keepsake. http://www.thepaintedmemory.com/Vacation/