Clay Courts Affect Tennis Players’ Vision

“Clay courts present particular challenges that do not exist on grass or hard courts,” reports the New York Times. “The game is slower, the balls bounce higher, the rallies last longer. And the dirt from the courts blows into players’ eyes, making it look as if they are battling a Saharan sandstorm in addition to heavy topspin. In a quarterfinal match between Serena Williams and Svetlana Kuznetsova on Court Suzanne Lenglen on Tuesday, gusts of wind repeatedly blew the red dust as high as Williams’s ponytail.” Read more.