Quiet Please!

[RJD11]

Someday soon, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova may be groaning about a tennis rule outlawing grunting.

According to USA TODAY Sports, the WTA has begun testing noise levels at its events as it starts to determine how it can put an end to the players’ grunting.

WTA chief executive Stacey Allaster conducted an interview with USA TODAY Sports and said the tour had started audio testing, using courtside devices measuring the noise levels.

“We have begun to do the audio testing, and we have begun it in this quarter of 2013,” Allaster said on Saturday at the WTA Championships.

USA TODAY Sports reported that the WTA has addressed excessive grunting after public criticism from players and negative feedback from media and fans.

BusinessInsider.com presented an article over the summer of the 10 loudest grunters in women’s tennis. Sharapova topped the list. Second was Victoria Azarenka, followed by Williams. Caroline Wozniacki was fourth, followed by Angelique Kerber.

http://crazyfortennis.com/maria-sharapova-and-serena-williams-grunting-tennis-matches-may-soon-come-to-an-end-wta-begins-audio-testing-at-events/?utm_source=outbrain&utm_medium=traffic&utm_content={aid}&utm_campaign=outbrain

 

[tented]

:clap

It's about time. Their grunting and shrieking is totally out of control.

It's also dangerously loud. I was reminded of this earlier today when reading the article Moxie added to her Moxie's Translations blog called "War and Peace: Victoria Azarenka" It has a section which discusses this topic. (The rest of the article is fantastic, too, so I highly recommend everyone read it.)

 

[tossip]

Serena is hardly grunting these days .....

 

[special700]

Serena is hardly grunting these days .....

I have no idea why Serena's name is in that article because Serena does ot grunt.

 

[tented]

Serena is hardly grunting these days .....

I have no idea why Serena's name is in that article because Serena does ot grunt.

You're joking, right? Please tell me you are, because ... well, I'll her grunting grunt for itself:

[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0V7nMvNiYg[/video]

[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta-YayY8Zm0[/video]

 

[Kieran]

Yeah Serena grunts. Sometimes long after she's hit the ball. Imagine these big-boned, large-lunged dames in child birth. It'll be like a scene out of Godzilla. The poor midwife will need to be in an adjacent building. Nearby houses will plummet in value. The poor innocent baby with be born wearing earplugs. Windows will shatter and fluorescent light strips will spark and then explode. Hopefully there won't be two of them in the same hospital delivering at the same time.. :nono

 

[kskate2]

I'll believe something is being done when I actually see it. They've let this problem get so far out of control that they didn't know how to tackle it. Remember, last year they said they were putting a rule in place that started w/ the juniors and they weren't going to alter all the current players because that could affect their play. Blah, blah, blah. Somebody wake me when they actually institute a rule and then enforce it during a live match.

 

[special700]

Like I said this article does not involve Serena Williams. I do not even know why her name is even mentioned. Years ago one could say that, but not now.

 

[britbox]

Serena isn't an issue in the grunting department. Vika and Maria obviously spring to mind. I'm not sure how they can realistically control this though and doubt it's feasible.

 

[tented]

Serena isn't an issue in the grunting department. Vika and Maria obviously spring to mind.

Sure, and that's why Vika and Maria are the first two listed in the article the OP cites. Williams is No. 3, so I don't know why you would say it isn't an issue with her. Watch the two videos I linked to from YouTube.

I'm not sure how they can realistically control this though and doubt it's feasible.

I agree with you on this. Enforcing the time limit between points is straightforward, but stopping the grunting will be difficult, if not impossible. These women have been doing it for 10-20 years.

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

Serena does grunt (I don't think it is excessively, but she does), but I think it will be far easier on her to be quiet during a match than it will Azarenka or Sharapova. I have seen matches where Serena isn't loud or grunting at all and is just fine.

I think this is why you have to take it to the junior level, so that it is enforced on the junior level and carries over into the WTA pro-circuit.

 

[tossip]

Serena s grunts are effort based unlike Vika,pova,Schiavone and many others...just now I am watching Gasquet playing Verdasco and he is grunting like hell...lol

 

[tented]

Serena s grunts are effort based unlike Vika,pova,Schiavone and many others...

If Serena's grunts are effort based, then so are Vika's, Sharapova's, Schiavone's, etc. Don't try to pretend Serena does this in a unique way. We've all seen them play. We all know better.

 

[tossip]

Serena s grunts are effort based unlike Vika,pova,Schiavone and many others...

If Serena's grunts are effort based, then so are Vika's, Sharapova's, Schiavone's, etc. Don't try to pretend Serena does this in a unique way. We've all seen them play. We all know better.

..these days she hardly grunts...Vika and pova grunt all the time whether they are winning or losing...lots of players grunt,Vesnina s grunt is something else and another grunter that no one talks about is Kirilenko just grunts like pova...have you heard Alison Riske s grunt or Jie Zhengs grunt...just as bad.

 

[RJD11]

Serena s grunts are effort based unlike Vika,pova,Schiavone and many others...

If Serena's grunts are effort based, then so are Vika's, Sharapova's, Schiavone's, etc. Don't try to pretend Serena does this in a unique way. We've all seen them play. We all know better.

No....Serena only does it when She is in a knock down

toe to toe battle and is putting out maximum effort to

hit the ball. The Pova, Vika, etal do it all the time on

every shot. And it is unique as an effort grunt and not the

high pitched squeal of the other two.

 

[kskate2]

I'm not going to differentiate between who's high pitched squeal, singing or labor intensive noises are more annoying. They're all equally noisy, annoying and as we've come to find out unnecessary.

As I said earlier, I'll believe they're going to do something when I see it enforced in a real match. I don't think anything is going to happen because the top offenders are the most popular players on the tour.

 

[Front242]

I'm not going to differentiate between who's high pitched squeal, singing or labor intensive noises are more annoying. They're all equally noisy, annoying and as we've come to find out unnecessary.

As I said earlier, I'll believe they're going to do something when I see it enforced in a real match. I don't think anything is going to happen because the top offenders are the most popular players on the tour.

Yup. It's the same as the 25 second rule. So far warnings are all that we're seeing and no points lost. Mind you, that's a harder rule to enforce after long rallies, etc. It's a no brainer enforcing a hefty kick up the arse to the grunting offenders though.

 

[Kieran]

Serena's grunts are strategic, we know this. She bellows like a falling tree when she wants her puny opponent to realise, you're about to face some anger issues!

 

[tented]

I'm not going to differentiate between who's high pitched squeal, singing or labor intensive noises are more annoying. They're all equally noisy, annoying and as we've come to find out unnecessary.

As I said earlier, I'll believe they're going to do something when I see it enforced in a real match. I don't think anything is going to happen because the top offenders are the most popular players on the tour.

Yup. It's the same as the 25 second rule. So far warnings are all that we're seeing and no points lost. Mind you, that's a harder rule to enforce after long rallies, etc. It's a no brainer enforcing a hefty kick up the arse to the grunting offenders though.

That's not true. Rafa lost a point during the RG semi.

 

[tossip]

Serena's grunts are strategic, we know this. She bellows like a falling tree when she wants her puny opponent to realise, you're about to face some anger issues!

....:lolz:...I am sure Serena is enjoying sunkissed sweet grapes....she leaves sour grapes to the likes of Jankovic,Sloane,pova and Na li...:snigger