With the Australian Open finals happening this weekend, it might be interesting to learn a little more about the Rebound Ace court in Melbourne and determine if it really makes a difference. Jim Courier, a two time Australian Open champion, notes about the court, "The surface really accepts heavy topspin and accentuates it. The ball will have a lot of extra bite, so the conditions there with the heat and the physicality required to play well down there make this an interesting tournament..."
Bottom line, the Rebound Ace court at the Australian Open will provide high bounce and a slower court. The Rebound Ace is a cushioned hard court made of many layers of polyurethane rubber, fiberglass, and other materials on top of an asphalt base.
But does a court surface at a particular facility make that much of a difference? (Same court surface but at a different facility.) It does when you factor in temperature. Temperature absolutely affects the court surface - some players complain that the court in Melbourne gets 'sticky' (higher friction). The daily high temperatures have ranged between 77-82 °F
As we all know, tennis courts are made out of a wide variety of materials. Courts are characterized as 'fast' or 'slow' based on the materials and condition of the surface.
Aside from temperature and surface materials, physics plays a role in determing court speed, particularly friction and the coefficient of restitution. I am not an expert in physics and to learn more about how physics and velocity factor into court surface play, please see Dr. Jani Macari Pallis' summary at http://www.tennisserver.com/set/set_07_01.html
