In many of the predominant sports at ASU, players work together in formations to try and outscore an opponent. In other sports, athletes compete in individual-based performances in hopes of scoring points to help the team.
Tennis is one of the rare sports that does both.
With five ASU sports coming to a close, you may be looking for something new to watch on the weekend. Tennis provides a good alternative to Saturday morning cartoons.
There are eight total courts on Whiteman Tennis Center. The bleachers overlook the first four, and the shaded awning and porch-like sitting area upstairs overlooks the second four.
The match begins with doubles play. Six athletes are grouped in pairs to take on three opposing teams. The best pairing is on the first court, which is the one closest to the bleachers. The second and third best pairs play in the middle courts, with an empty fourth court on the end.
Each group needs to score four points to win a game, and you need to win seven games to win the set. The first team to win two seven-game sets wins the match.
With a victory, the athlete earns a point for his or her team. The doubles round is only worth one point total. Because there are three groups competing, whichever team has two match victories gets a point for the overall score.
After a short break, singles play begins. Six players from each team take the courts.
Again, the best player is on the first court, the one directly below the bleachers. It goes in order, and the last two courts are near the shaded area.
If you’re not in the shade, no worries — ASU athletics is kind enough to provide water for attendants. Back in the day, there was Powerade. Those were the good days. Water is still welcome though; after a semester of being trapped in a giant stadium with tens of thousands of people and paying for a water bottle, you can’t complain about a complimentary drink at a tennis match.
In singles play, every court is worth a point. If, for instance, senior Desirae Krawczyk wins on the first court (which she does quite often, even in the absolutely loaded Pac-12 conference), she earns a point for her team. Whichever school wins four points first takes the match.
Tennis is a relaxing sport to attend. No matter where you sit, you can see the action well while experiencing an atmosphere that is different from any other bleacher sport. I’d recommend going, but get to Whiteman Tennis Center quickly as ASU only has two more weekends of home meets.
Reach the sports editor at logan.newman@asu.edu or follow @Logan_Newsman on Twitter.
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