To begin with man on court, French Open director keeps the earth fit as a fiddle

Bruno Slastan has been first on court at the French Open on consistently the competition has facilitated since 1989, utilizing all his experience to prep the world's most commended mud surface for five hours before play begins. 

"We reveal the courts around 6:30 am. There is a considerable measure of specialized work to do - raking, clearing, splashing the courts with water," Slastan, the Roland Garros courts director who heads a group of 162, told Reuters. 

"We do that again immediately between each set. We have one moment 30 seconds yet we typically require (only) 1'10 to 1'20." 

During the evening, courts are watered once more. 

Keeping up the surface however the year takes 45 tons of mud, with a further 20 tons spent amid the three-week competition, when up to 20 courts are in play. 

Be that as it may, that impression is actually shallow, with mud representing only the main 2mm (0.08 inches) of the surface. Underneath lie no less than 30 cm of squashed stones, 8 cm of clinker (utilized as a cover in concrete items) and 7 cm of ground limestone. 

The greater part of this is additionally splashed with calcium chloride to keep up the courts' stickiness and their trademark red shading. 

For the 54-year-old Slastan, the diligent work begins when the way toward setting up the courts get going toward the finish of March. 

"Once we're finished with this, we've just made 33% of the showing with regards to. The rest must be finished amid the competition," said Slastan - as opposed to the next fabulous hammer scenes. 

The U.S. what's more, Australian Open hardcourts require little planning and, even on the other "live" surface at Wimbledon, "once the competition has begun and the grass has been trimmed there's very little (more) that should be possible." 

Some should seriously mull over the rain to be Slastan's most exceedingly terrible adversary, however he says it is really the wind. "It clears the dirt away, particularly when it blows from North to South." 

With regards to managing issues, there is not a viable replacement for experience. 

"To wind up plainly a decent court man, you require five years," he said. "The method is very out-dated and you need to tune in to your older folks."