Court Philippe Chatrier at Stade Roland Garros in Paris during the 2006 French Open.

A clay court is one of the four different types of tennis court. Clay courts are made of crushed shale, stone or brick. The red clay is slower than the green, or Har-Tru "American" clay. The French Open uses clay courts, making it unique among the Grand Slam tournaments. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 491 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1944 × 2375 pixel, file size: 3. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 491 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1944 × 2375 pixel, file size: 3. ... Court Philippe Chatrier is the main tennis court at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. ... Outside the Philippe Chatrier Court, Roland Garros Stade de Roland Garros (Roland Garros Stadium) is located in southwest Paris, France, and has been the home of the French Open Grand Slam tennis tournament, played every year in May and June. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... In the mens quarter finals David Nalbandian won his match against Nikolay Davydenko The 2006 French Open (Roland Garros) was held in Paris, France from May 28 to June 11, 2006. ... For other uses, see Tennis (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Shale Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. ... This article is about the geological substance. ... For other uses, see Brick (disambiguation). ... Court Philippe Chatrier at Stade Roland Garros in Paris during the 2006 French Open. ... This article is about the tennis tournament. ...

Although more traditional and cheaper to construct than other types of tennis courts, maintenance costs of clay courts are higher than those of hard courts. Clay courts need to be rolled to preserve flatness. The clay's water content must be balanced; green courts generally require the courts to be sloped to allow water run-off.[1] Turf management or pitchcare describes the work needed to keep a sporting pitch ready for use. ...

Clay courts are more common in Europe and South America than in North America. In the United States, courts made of green clay, also known as "rubico", are often called "clay," but are not made of the same clay used in most European and South American countries.

Play

Clay courts favour the "full western grip" for more topspin. Clay courters generally play in a semi circle about 5 to 10 feet behind the baseline. The grip, in tennis, is how the racquet is held in order to hit shots during a match. ...

Clay courts are considered "slow", because the balls bounce relatively high and more slowly, making it more difficult for a player to hit an unreturnable shot. Points are usually longer as there are fewer winners. Therefore, clay courts heavily favour baseliners who are consistent and are generally more defensive. A point is the smallest unit of scoring in tennis. ... Roger Federer is the best all-court player today To win a point, there are many different strategies in tennis. ...

Clay court players use drop shots to throw off their opponents. Movement on clay courts is very different to movement on any other surface. Playing on clay often involves the ability to slide into the ball during the stroke, as opposed to running and stopping like on a hard or grass court. This often causes problems for players who are not used to this type of movement. A drop shot in tennis is tapping the ball just over the net so that the opponent is unable to run fast enough to retrieve it. ...

Players who excel on clay courts but struggle to replicate the same form on fast courts are known as clay-court specialists. A clay-court specialist is a tennis player who excels on clay courts, but does not perform to the same standard on hard courts, grass courts, or other surfaces. ...

Types of clay

There are two different types of clay:

Red clay

Red clay is made of crushed brick that is packed to make the court. It is then covered with a topping of additional crushed particles. Some natural clay courts exist, but the courts that utilise crushed brick do not absorb water easily, whereas natural clay courts take two to three days to dry. This surface is the most common in Europe and South America. For other uses, see Brick (disambiguation). ... A trial at the Old Bailey in London as drawn by Thomas Rowlandson and Augustus Pugin for Ackermanns Microcosm of London (1808-11). ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ...

Green clay

Green clay, Har-Tru or "American" clay, is similar to red clay, the differences being that it is slightly harder and faster. Green clay is packed to make the subsurface. It is then covered with a topping. These clay courts are found primarily in the Eastern and Southern parts of the United States, but are also located in all 50 states. In parts of the gulf coast region of the Southeast, green clay courts are often referred to as "rubico." There are two major (ATP/WTA) tournaments played on green Har-Tru clay courts; the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, SC, and The Bausch and Lomb Championships in Amelia Island, FL.

Players

The most successful female player recently was Justine Henin, a four-time French Open singles champion. Her variety in the shots, speed, footwork and her slices were her biggest weapons. The most successful current male player is Rafael Nadal, winner of the last four French Open men's singles titles -- in fact he has never lost a match at that tournament -- and current holder of the longest winning streak by any male player on a single surface: 81 clay court wins between April 2005 and May 2007. Justine Henin; ( ) (born June 1, 1982 in Liège) is a Belgian professional tennis player from the Walloon (French-speaking) region of Belgium. ... This article is about the tennis tournament. ... Rafael Nadal Parera (IPA: ) (born June 3, 1986, in Manacor, Mallorca) is a Spanish professional tennis player. ...

Chris Evert holds the record for longest winning streak on clay for either gender: from August 1973 to May 12, 1979, she won 125 consecutive clay court matches. Christine Marie Evert (born December 21, 1954) is a former World No. ... is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ...

Professional tournaments played on clay

Grand Slam (red)

• French Open (Paris, France)

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This article is about the tennis tournament. ... This article is about the capital of France. ...

ATP (red)

• Movistar Open (Viña del Mar, Chile)
• Copa Telmex (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
• Brasil Open (Costa do Sauipe, Brazil)
• Abierto Mexicano Telcel (Acapulco, Mexico)
• Open de Tenis Comunidad Valenciana (Valencia, Spain)
• Masters Series Monte Carlo (Monte Carlo, Monaco)
• Open Seat (Barcelona, Spain)
• Grand Prix Hassan II (Casablanca, Morocco)
• U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships (Houston, USA)
• Estoril Open (Estoril, Portugal)
• BMW Open (Munich, Germany)
• Internazionali BNL d'Italia (Rome, Italy)
• Masters Series Hamburg (Hamburg, Germany)
• Hypo Group Tennis International (Pörtschach, Austria)
• Allianz Suisse Open (Gstaad, Switzerland)
• Swedish Open (Båstad, Sweden)
• Mercedes Cup (Stuttgart, Germany)
• Dutch Open (Amersfoort, Netherlands)
• Austrian Open (Kitzbühel, Austria)
• Croatia Open (Umag, Croatia)
• Orange Prokom Open (Sopot, Poland)
• Open Romania (Bucharest, Romania)
• Campionati Internazionali di Sicilia (Palermo, Italy)

Image File history File links Flag_of_Chile. ... Movistar Open is an ATP series mens tennis tournament held every year in Viña del Mar, Chile Official Tournament website [edit] External links Official site ATP Tennis tournament profile Categories: | ... Coast of Viña del Mar Cerro Castillo Viña del Mar (Spanish for Vineyard of the Sea), also known locally as La Ciudad Jardín (Spanish for The Garden City), is a thriving coastal city in central Chile, in the Valparaíso Region and province. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Argentina. ... The ATP Buenos Aires (Spanish Abierto de Buenos Aires) is an annual tennis event for male tennis players held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. ... For other uses, see Buenos Aires (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brazil. ... Brasil Open is a tennis tournament held annualy in Costa do Sauípe, Bahia, Brazil. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Mexico. ... The Abierto Mexicano TELCEL is a tennis tournament held in Acapulco, Mexico. ... For other uses, see Acapulco (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... The Open de Tenis Comunidad Valenciana is an annual tennis tournament for male professional players. ... Look up Valencia in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Monaco. ... The Monte Carlo Masters is an annual tennis tournament for male professional players held in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France,[1] a commune that borders on Monte Carlo, Monaco. ... Monte Carlo is a very wealthy section of the city-state of Monaco known for its casino, gambling, beaches, glamour, and sightings of famous people. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... The incumbent, in politics, is the current holder of a political office. ... Location Coordinates : Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer: CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Barcelona (Catalan) Spanish name Barcelona Nickname Ciutat Comtal (City of Counts) Postal code 08001–08080 Area code 34 (Spain) + 93 (Barcelona) Website http://www. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Morocco. ... The Grand Prix Hassan II is an annual tennis tournament for male professional players. ... For other uses, see Casablanca (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The U.S. Mens Clay Court Championships is an annual ATP Tour tennis tournament which started in 1910. ... Houston redirects here. ... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized... Image File history File links Flag_of_Portugal. ... Estoril Open is an ATP and WTA clay court tournament held in Estoril, Portugal. ... Estoril Beach Estoril is a civil parish of the Portuguese municipality of Cascais. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... The BMW Open is a tennis tournament held in Munich, Germany. ... For other uses, see Munich (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... The Rome Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. ... For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... The Hamburg Masters is one of the Association of Tennis Professionals Tennis Masters Series tennis tournaments. ... For other uses, see Hamburg (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Austria. ... The Hypo Group Tennis International is an annual tennis tournament held in Poertschach, Austria. ... Pörtschach am Wörthersee (Slovene: Poreče) is a town in the district of Klagenfurt-Land in Carinthia in Austria. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Switzerland. ... The Allianz Suisse Open Gstaad is a tennis tournament held in Gstaad, Switzerland. ... Gstaad Gstaad (pronounced ) (Population: 2500) is a village located () 1050 m above sea level, in the German-speaking section of the Bern canton in western Switzerland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sweden. ... Swedish Open (or Swedish Open BÃ¥stad), officially Synsam Swedish Open after the current title sponsor Synsam, is an International Series tennis event on the ATP Tour held in BÃ¥stad, Sweden in the beginning of July each year. ... BÃ¥stad Municipality is a municipality in southern Sweden, where the town BÃ¥stad is seat with a population of 4,700. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... The Mercedes Cup is a tennis tournament on the ATP Tour. ... For other uses, see Stuttgart (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ... The Dutch Open Tennis Amersfoort (or Dutch Open) is a mens tennis tournament on the ATP Tour held in Amersfoort, Netherlands. ... Amersfoort is a municipality and the second largest city of the province of Utrecht in central Netherlands. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Austria. ... For the golf tournament, see Austrian Open. ... Kitzbühel is a medieval city in Tyrol, Austria, situated along the river Kitzbühler Ache. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Croatia. ... Croatia Open Umag is an International Series tennis event on the ATP Tour held in Umag, Croatia. ... Umag (Italian: Umago) is a coastal city in Istria, Croatia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Poland. ... The Orange Prokom Open is an annual mens tennis tournament played in Sopot, Poland as part of the ATP Tour. ... Motto: Najmniejsze z wielkich miast. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Romania. ... The BCR Open Romania is an ATP tennis tournament taking place September every year in Bucharest, Romania. ... Nickname: Motto: Patria si Dreptul Meu (My Country and My Right) Location of Bucharest within Romania (in red) Coordinates: , Country County Founded 1459 (first official record) Government  - Mayor Adriean Videanu Area  - City 228 km² (88 sq mi)  - Metro 238 km² (91. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Campionati Internazionali Di Sicilia is a tennis tournament held annually in Palermo,Italy. ... Location of the city of Palermo (red dot) within Italy. ...

WTA (green)

• Bausch & Lomb Championships (Amelia Island, USA)
• Family Circle Cup (Charleston, USA)

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Bausch & Lomb Championships is a tennis tournament held in Amelia Island, Florida, United States. ... Amelia Island is the southernmost of the Sea Islands, a chain of barrier islands stretching from North Carolina to Florida. ... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Family Circle Cup is a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women, held every year since 1973. ... Nickname: Motto: Aedes Mores Juraque Curat (She cares for her temples, customs, and rights) Location of Charleston in South Carolina. ... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized...

WTA (red)

• Copa Colsanitas (Bogotá, Colombia)
• Abierto Mexicano TELCEL (Acapulco, Mexico)
• Estoril Open (Estoril, Portugal)
• J&S Cup (Warsaw, Poland)
• Qatar Telecom German Open (Berlin, Germany)
• Prague Open (Prague, Czech Republic)
• Internazionali BNL d'Italia (Rome, Italy)
• Grand Prix La Princesse Lalla Meryem (Casablanca, Morocco)
• Istanbul Cup (Istanbul, Turkey)
• Internationaux de Strasbourg (Strasbourg, France)
• Internazionali di Modena (Modena, Italy)
• Internazionali Femminili di Palermo (Palermo, Italy)
• Budapest Grand Prix (Budapest, Hungary)

Image File history File links Flag_of_Colombia. ... Bogota redirects here. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Mexico. ... The Abierto Mexicano TELCEL is a tennis tournament held in Acapulco, Mexico. ... For other uses, see Acapulco (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Portugal. ... Estoril Open is an ATP and WTA clay court tournament held in Estoril, Portugal. ... Estoril Beach Estoril is a civil parish of the Portuguese municipality of Cascais. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Poland. ... The J&S Cup is a tennis tournament on the WTA Tour held in Warsaw, Poland. ... For other uses, see Warsaw (disambiguation) and Warszawa (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... The Qatar Telecom German Open is a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women played in Berlin, Germany. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Czech_Republic. ... For other uses, see Prague (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... The Rome Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. ... For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Morocco. ... For other uses, see Casablanca (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Turkey. ... The Istanbul Cup is a tennis tournament held in Istanbul, Turkey. ... Location of Istanbul on the Bosphorus Strait, Turkey Coordinates: , Country Turkey Region Province Istanbul Founded 667 BC as Byzantium Roman/Byzantine period AD 330 as Constantinople Ottoman period 1453 as Constantinople (internationally) and various other names in local languages Turkish Republic period 1923 as Constantinople, officially renamed as Istanbul in... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Internationaux de Strasbourg is a tennis tournament held in Strasbourg, France. ... For other uses, see Strasburg. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... Modena (Mòdna in Modenese dialect) is a city and a province on the south side of the Po valley, in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ... The Internazionali Femminili di Palermo is a tennis tournament held in Palermo, Italy. ... Location of the city of Palermo (red dot) within Italy. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Hungary. ... The Budapest Grand Prix is a tennis tournament held in Budapest, Hungary. ... For other uses, see Budapest (disambiguation). ...

See also

• Tennis court

This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

References

• Tennis Science
• St Mary's Tennis Club. A good example of a typical English Clay Court club (with photos)
• Oakmont Tennis Club: Red Clay Tennis Club in Allentown, PA (with photos)