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.

How Does Sandoval or Venus Williams see 90+ Balls? Science Now Knows!

Science Digest asks: “How does San Francisco Giants slugger Pablo Sandoval swat a 95 mph fastball, or tennis icon Venus Williams see the oncoming ball, let alone return her sister Serena's 120 mph serves? For the first time, vision scientists have pinpointed how the brain tracks fast-moving objects.” Read more.