I usually watch tennis comfortably at home on TV or on a laptop, but this Friday to Sunday my home city is hosting the inaugural Laver Cup and I've received tickets for all three days as a birthday gift.
I would normally prefer to watch this on TV, as the event will be televised on a free public channel, but I was told that I 'have to go'.
I'm actually thinking about selling one of the tickets, as the prices should be rising as the kickoff date nears. Who would have thought a year ago, when the event was launched, that Mirka Federer's husband and Toni Nadal's nephew would sweep all the four slams (2 each) this year and would be ranked #1 and #2? :lol:
I'm wondering what to expect since when I last visited a Davis Cup match in the very same arena, it was a letdown. The viewing angle (courtside) wasn't optimal.
I presume the best position is the one where the main TV camera is situated, i.e. you see one player from the back and his/her opponent from the front. I presume the seats on the courtside are not that good (as confirmed by my experience from Davis Cup), as one can't see the court from an angle allowing for fully seeing and thus enjoying the points and rallies.
I prefer front-back to side view because you can't fully appreciate the tactics and spins/depth/height of the ball from the side. For the same reason I will at most be sat halfway up the court because you can't see the ball from anywhere higher than that.
I've never had a seat at courtside that wasn't better than watching it on TV. I find side on gives you a better appreciation of the bounce while sitting behind the player gives you a better view of angles. But your own 3D vision is always better than a 2D TV picture in my experience.
better find for yourself what suits you.
i don't like the seats behind the players & ump.
i like the seats near the service line opposite to the players seats and the front view.
but any place is better than TV.
My preferred seat is behind base line, but not in the center. Somewhere along continuation of the doubles alley. And 5-8 meters above the court.
Gives both good view of the point tactics and some feel as to speed and height of shots
Same. Behind the baseline, close to the center of the stands but not exactly at the center, a few rows up from the court (enough to get something close to TV camera angle).
Watching the match from the sidelines is very frustrating as you get next to no sense of shot placement.
Yes behind the one of the players/baselines, but make sure you sit high and not on the first row or something -- otherwise the other side of the court will disappear under the net
When I go I sit behind the baseline, if it's a small stand then I sit near the back in the centre of the court. If It's a huge stand then more near to the front otherwise the players looks like dots.
I have sat at the side also but it's a lot faster viewing it from that side. It looks a lot slower on tv than it actually is. You get a good atmosphere for the game actually being there.
For me - courtside. As the poster above said you get to really appreciate the speed and movement of the ball. Put it this way - it's as close as you can get to being part of the action. If the seats are at the "proper height" you also get a clear view of shot placement, player movement, etc. That said, properly positioned end seats can also be good. As long as your in the first tier of whatever seating is, I think you'll enjoy it.
I like sitting in any of the corners (if the stadium is in the round). That way I can track the ball easily but I also have a view that is different than the TV camera angle. Just beware of having the Chair Ump blocking your view of the far baseline when you choose a corner seat - choose a corner seat where you aren't facing the back of the Chair Umpire's seat.
If I sit facing the sidelines, I choose a spot that's off to either side of the court. This way you get a close-up view of each player. You also get a good look at their strokes from a full-on side perspective, a view that's rarely shown on television.
When sitting facing the sidelines, I like being elevated to the point where I can read the width of the court well. Sitting in the middle can be tiring on your eyes if you are sitting too close to the action.
I've found out I've got tickets to sector 421 which is right at the centre
From the responses provided it may be a bit too high but the viewing position/angle should be ideal: one player from the back, the other from the front.
Any other tips which seats might be the best in an arena with the layout above?
Since you already know your position, the only thing I can add is that you beware of the glass pannels providing the "ballustrade", cause they can make viewing somewhat annoying if you're anything like me. The first time I was at a pro match my view was partly through one of those glass pannels, while I could see the rest of the court (the opposite side) looking above the glass. So part of the court nearest to me looked sort of weird, I had a feeling I was watching it on TV. Not to mention that the iron railing on top wasn't helping the experience either. So if you think this would bother you, sit high enough to avoid looking through the glass.
I had your exact position twice, but from a bit closer to the court, and while good for watching the match itself, the experience didn't really blow me away, as it was "just like on TV".
Different angles offer different pros and cons. This way you're most comfortable, while looking from the sides (I was once across the chair ump, maybe 10th row) you get the idea of speed and height of the ball better. That is, assuming you're not too close, in which case it can't be tiresome to constantly follow the ball from side to side at great speeds - that can remind one of being in the front row at the cinema while watching a movie with subtitles, lol.
I also had a position once where I was literally courtside, looking down on the baseline. Of course, the net obstructs the view partly that way, but you can still see where the ball has landed on the other side. And you also see players from really close by, which can have that "cool factor"
So there are some benefits to just about any position, unless something like a supporting column gets in the way of your viewpoint.
It all comes down to what you're looking for. As others have said, "just like on tv" seats will give you, well, the same experience as watching tv if you're not in the first row: good for following rallies, but kind of removed from the experience and the player you can see from the front is far away. I prefer courtside seats myself, as close as I can get: you get to see players up close, and really feel the power and speed. Drawback is it's less easy to follow rallies and if you're on the side of the ump's chair it may block your view of the opponent's side.
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