For those who want to know what a spaghetti string or Wimbledon's Last Eight Club is, or how long the longest tennis match lasted, or why there's so much grunting in tennis, author Christian Albrecht Barschel in his latest book, "100 Exciting Questions from the World of Tennis ." This book provides answers to questions from a wide range of fields—questions we've never had before, or perhaps never even thought to ask. Either way, it's an extremely entertaining work that will offer even seasoned tennis aficionados some new insights. We've already received 100 answers!
The 194-page book is divided into seven chapters: it begins with very general questions, such as where the word "tennis" actually comes from or how long yellow tennis balls have existed. Then it continues with the chapter "Terminology." Okay, many of you probably know what an entry list is at a tournament, at least those of you who have ever played in an international tournament. But do you also know what a wooden spoon, a triple bagel, or even a triple crown is? The triple bagel, unfortunately, isn't a tasty treat, but rather something that's difficult to digest without food. And you can't eat with a wooden spoon either. And to date, only four players in tennis history have achieved the triple crown. Hmm, what could that possibly be?
I'm sure each of you has your own explanation for why there's so much grunting in tennis. Christian Barschel, however, explains the "noise pollution" with a scientific study. Will that make the grunting any better? For the player, definitely! Who have destroyed the most tennis rackets? Which tennis players have been to prison? And did you know that women have also played in tournaments with matches best-of-three sets?
The chapter "Records" contains hard-hitting facts – and very interesting ones at that! From the longest and shortest matches, the hardest serve, to the longest winning and losing streaks. The author provides well-founded answers to all these questions.
The tournament scene is given its own dedicated section of questions. Naturally, Wimbledon, with its many unique features, couldn't be omitted. Whether it's the attire, the extraordinary winner's trophy, the Last Eight Club, or the "Graveyard of Stars"—the London tournament is simply something very special. After reading this book, you'll also understand the reasons behind these unique characteristics. From the Davis Cup to the Hopman Cup and the Orange Bowl, you'll learn important background information.
some truly special matches . Everyone will remember the French Open final between Michael Chang and Ivan Lendl. But do you recall what the young American did to annoy Lendl so incredibly much? And anyone who thinks that courts are always the same size at every WTA tournament will be proven wrong. In one match at the Amelia Island tournament, the court was actually too short. How could that possibly happen?
And last but not least, questions about individual players a must in a book of 100 tennis questions. Here, too, the author manages to provide answers to very insightful questions, some of which even die-hard tennis fans may not have known. This makes it all the more interesting! For example, I had absolutely no idea that Maria Sharapova wanted to change her name. Or how Andre Agassi, as a gifted returner, managed to crack the "Boris Becker tongue code" and thus predict where the German would serve.
Christian Albrecht Barschel is a sports journalist who loves and lives tennis, both professionally and personally. A passionate tennis player since childhood, he even held the Guinness World Record for the longest singles and doubles matches in the world for a considerable period. Since 2017, Christian has worked as an editor at tennis magazine. Before that, he spent many years as an editor and portal manager at the online tennis platform tennisnet.com. Therefore, it's no surprise that Christian has experienced and knows many tennis anecdotes and curiosities, particularly from his professional work. You can find some of these in his latest book.
Sure, I already knew the answers to some of the 100 questions. But even a die-hard tennis fan will find answers to previously unknown or unanswered questions in this book. And it's presented in a very entertaining way. The author, with his extensive tennis knowledge and easy-to-read style, manages to convey interesting and unusual tennis facts. A book every tennis fan should read. And a perfect gift for any tennis fan . And I can promise you one thing: you'll love this book!
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