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Stck.exchng: mwiemholt
There are four main court surfaces, each of which is used in one of the Open tournaments:
DecoTurf (US Open surface)
- Surface: DecoTurf, like the surface of the US Open is hard court surface consisting of layers of acrylic, rubber, silica and some other materials on top of a hard surface like concrete or asphalt.
An acrylic resurfacer is applied to the asphalt or concrete to create an even layer to build the court on. An acrylic latex coating is placed on that, this is the thickest layer that provides both resiliency to the surface and cushion, both of which provide much of the distinct playing characteristics. Another acrylic latex layer is applied after that to smooth out the surface. On top of that an acrylic paint with silica sand is applied, there are various versions of this, each of which will effect the speed of play and traction on the court. The court is then covered with a color that seals the court and also provides ultra-violet protection. This is offered in various colors, and is where often you’ll see the court as one color and the outer court area another color. It is the same protective layer, just in different colors. Lastly the lines are painted with an acrylic paint that can either be textured or not.
- Play: DecoTurf is known for having a lightly lower bounce and does not slow down so much on the bounce as on some other surfaces.
Plexicushion (Australian Open surface)
- Surface: Plexicushion is constructed in much the same way as the DecoTurf. The Plexicushion material is made up of a blend of latex, rubber and plastic particles. There is first an acrylic resurfacer to smooth out the asphalt or concrete, followed by a Plexicushion base coat. Then the thicker Plexicushion and the fortified Plexipave followed by the paint and line color.
- Play: Plexicushion is billed as a medium-paced surface but all accounts from players seem to indicate that it plays slower than expected (and slower than the DecoTurf) and created a higher bounce. Regardless of the speed, the benefit for the Australian Open was that the previous Rebound Ace surface was criticized for getting a bit sticky in the hot sun, which of course can lead to injuries. The new surface should stand up to the sun better.
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