Kerre Woodham: Tennis players must stop squealing

5:30 AM Sunday Jan 29, 2012

Maria Sharapova of Russia in screaming action. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Thank heavens the Women's Tennis Association is clamping down on the shrieking and wailing that has spoiled so many games for tennis fans over the years.

Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka are the worst culprits. They're like human vuvuzelas in the annoyance stakes, with their ear-splitting squeals rising in volume and frequency as they progress throughout their games.

But they're not alone. A number of other female players are also guilty of producing the noise that is blighting so many tournaments.

The WTA says squealers who are on the circuit at the moment will not be disciplined as they developed this particularly annoying habit when it was allowed.

Some say the players do it to generate an extra ounce of power when they're hitting the ball, yet Sharapova still shrieks even when she's producing a drop shot requiring finesse, not force. And one of the greatest players of all time, Roger Federer, barely lets out an exhalation as he sends the ball powering towards the backhand corner at 200km/h. So that theory doesn't wash.

Others say it's a form of cheating, preventing the opposing player from hearing the sound of the ball on the racquet and depriving them of knowing how and when the ball was struck.

For the spectators, it doesn't really matter. It's off-putting and many fans, myself included, simply won't watch the shriekers no matter how well they play. I'll read the result of the Australian women's final in the calm and quiet of my office.

Coaches of up-and-coming tennis stars have been told not to instruct their proteges to scream when hitting the ball and if young players commit vocal violations, the WTA has promised that in the future, they will be fined.

Can't come soon enough for me.

By Kerre McIvor

- Herald on Sunday

Alan_Wilkinson (Russell) | 12:13PM Sunday, 29 Jan 2012

It's outrageous this nonsense was allowed to develop at all, let alone persist so long. To heck with starting with the juniors. Just call foul and lost point every time the screamers make a noise sufficient to distract their opponent at the top level and the juniors will have no trouble at all getting the message.

Rex Fausett (Kingsland) | 12:13PM Sunday, 29 Jan 2012

This has to be the biggest waste-of-time campaign in the history of wasting time. What does it matter? Where will the regulation stop? I foresee cricketers being told not to shout 'wait' and league players fined for calling 'I'm just behind you'. Problem is, tennis is a big-money game and the rich are being distracted from their strawberries and icecream up in the corporate boxes while watching the game on the in-house television. Poor things!

JustMe (New Zealand) | 01:15PM Sunday, 29 Jan 2012

I love the women's tennis - the opponents don't complain so why should we? I watched the Aus Open Women's final on TV; the mute was on and lovely music came out of my sound system. I still got to watch the game without the noise.

What upset me more is that the Men actually do wheeze and grunt as well. Listening to Murray and Novak the other night you would think they were runting in the bush somewhere! That's just as disctracting as the women's squeal to me.