The worldās top tennis players arenāt happy with grass conditions at the Wimbledon tournament, where a Canadian groundsman is struggling to compensate for the effects of blistering heat in his first year in charge.
Grant Cantin, of Edmonton, spent 16 years as a deputy head groundsman at the All-England Club in London, before his chance to run the show at the prestigious Wimbledon tournament. But the weather is not co-operating in his first gig since he was promoted to head groundsman.
āItās been tough,ā Cantin told TSNās Mark Masters. āWeāve been up against it this year with the heat.ā
Cantin says surface temperatures at centre court have risen over 40 degrees Celsius on most days, amid 30-degree temperatures in the forecast. Thatās resulted in patchy, sunburnt, ābakedā surfaces for the players, he says.
Many of the players have complained about the surface, including superstar Novak Djokovic. āThe fact is that the court is not in a great condition,ā Djokovic said, adding that the grass problems are a challenge for both sides in each match.
āIt is a hindrance to the play,ā he said. āItās quite uneven. The ball bounces there, itās a gamble to really get that ball, you know?ā
However, Djokovic also acknowledged that the groundspeople are doing their best given the situation.
āGrass is probably the most demanding and complex surface for maintenance,ā he said. āThe more you play on it, the worse it actually gets.ā
Cantin says conditions at the All-England Club are the hottest heās ever seen for the Wimbledon tournament.
āItās been so hot weāve not been able to put as much water down as we wanted, because we have to make sure the playing surface is correct for the following day,ā he said. āPeople have to realize every dayās different, every yearās different. Itās different conditions.ā
With files from TSNās Mark Masters
