21/01/2016
Clay Court
The French Open is the only Grand Slam tournament to use clay courts.
Clay courts are made of crushed shale, stone, or brick. A clay court is constructed using natural stone that is crushed to different levels. The finest level - a powder - is used for the uppermost layer, top dressing, and loosely bound together with water. The most common forms are red clay made from brick and grey clay, basalt.
Advantages - Clay courts slow down the ball and produce a high bounce in comparison to grass courts or hard courts.So, the clay court takes away many of the advantages of big serves, which makes it hard for serve-based players to dominate on the surface. Also, the mobile top dressing allows controlled sliding, which can make it more comfortable to play. Repairs are inexpensive.
Use - Outdoor clay courts are not normally used in areas with high rainfall, as they relatively long time to dry, hence reducing the time available for play.
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.
Clay courts are more common in Europe and Latin America than in North America and tend to heavily favor baseline players.