National Collegiate Tennis Classic continues despite rainy morning
Coaches and players took extra precautions Saturday for day two of the National Collegiate Tennis Classic as rain showers cleared and courts remained wet during the early morning hours.
“We take every precaution, they have a long season ahead,” said tournament director Harry Fritz. “The last thing a coach wants is for a player to get injured.”
Despite some doubts if Saturday’s game would be canceled or delayed due to weather, the competition carried on and will finish on Sunday. Men and women student athletes came from across California, Arizona and the east coast to compete.
“There’s always the unknown of how long you’ll have to wait during a rain delay, sometimes the conditions are much tougher when there’s rain in the forecast,” said UCLA junior Ben Goldberg.
“With our sport there’s so much lateral movement, change of direction very quickly so if there’s any slippery surfaces we basically can’t play without the risk of injury,” said UCLA coach Rikus Devilliers. “It’s not just puddles but a little bit of moisture in the back makes it unplayable.”
Wet courts pose dangerous risks to players like loss of traction, increasing the possibility of slipping and falling and can also impact the tennis ball performance — with additional moisture making tennis balls heavier and less reliable.
