Roland Garros

It’s a warm morning, around 22C and set to rise, and I’m sat watching Roland Garros, otherwise known as the French Open. I’ve always enjoyed watching the French Open. It has quite a unique atmosphere and because it’s the only major played on clay, the style of tennis is not one I get to watch very often. The uniqueness is made more so by the shot selection and mixing by the local TV director. I promise you’ll never see televised sport covered in a similar way. The screen capture above displays an oft-used technique, in this case setting the images of Serena Williams blowing her nose and Dinara Safina glugging water into the sky. And if they’re not set into the sky, watching over the crowds, they’re set into the clay. And if the tv guys aren’t setting players images into things, they’ve got a camera swooping overhead on a cable, or they’re filming a guy painting the players in action courtside, or they’re picking out attractive spectactors eating ice cream and getting bashful at seeing themselves on the big screen. It really does add another dimension to watching tennis and you only ever see it at the French Open.

Things are getting rather French round here aren’t they.