By Mark Winters
Phil Thorn is responsible for the grass courts at the Gerry Weber Open. Because of all the issues involved in keeping them playable throughout the tournament, he can be called the “Keeper of the Lawns.”
Halle, Westfalia, Germany – For a change, all the umbrellas had been put away, and the sun was shinning warmly. There wasn’t a cloud darkening the Halle skyline, and Phil Thorn was content. Sitting on a bench behind the Gerry Weber Center Court, he had just finished his lunch and was about do the same with the soft drink he was holding.
He appeared to be supremely relaxed as he exchanged pleasantries with members of the tournament staff who passed by, as well as with some of the individuals who are on his crew. For a man who had experienced continual days of rain, he seemed shockingly carefree.
Thorn, for those unfamiliar with grass court tennis, is the “Keeper of the Lawns” at the Gerry Weber Open. The incessant downpour that ravaged the playing schedule and the courts early in the week had kept him and his team scrambling. Team, in this case, is the optimum word. “Prior to the tournament I have ten students who help me (preparing and caring for the entire facility),” Thorn said. “During the event the number rises to 45. During the rest of the year, I have three and a half people working (said with a smile).”
Creating the best playing grass tennis courts is his primary focus, and in truth, part of being a Thorn. His father, Jim, was responsible for the care of the Temple of Grass, better known as the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, where Wimbledon is staged annually. Having learned the tenets of grass court maintenance from a “legend in the field” (his father), Phil’s job is even more complex. Not only does he oversee the three outside courts found at the Halle facility, he also has to conjure up ways to deal with the tests that rise up due to the fact that the Gerry Weber Open Stadion center court has a closeable roof.
He proudly admitted, “It used to take 90 seconds to close the roof. Now, it takes 60, but when there is rain, time must be taken (roughly a half an hour) to make sure the court is dry and that players are not going to slip. This is now an ATP 500 event, so the responsibility has increased to make sure that the surface offers the best possible playing conditions.”
The center court grass is grown on pallets on the grounds at the tournament site. Four hundred are used to fill the space and they weigh between 800 kilos (1764 pounds) when they are dry and up to a ton (2000 pounds) when they are wet. “I am always trying to make the surface on the center and outside courts consistent,” he said. “Every year, some changes are made. If a court remains the same for too long thatching increases then the surface and the bounce of the ball are affected.”
Thorn is like a master chef. He has recipes that have proven successful, but he is always looking for a better mix, as it were. In 2016, he believes he has found it. “I used combinations of grass, but this year I have used pure rye grass,” he said. “It was sown into the courts and I am pleased with the result.”
Jokingly, he added, “I am always aware of the grass. If it’s a piece of s**t, then I will say it is. If it’s a good piece of s**t, I will say it’s a good piece of s**t…and that means there will be good bounces.”
When the roof is closed, center court becomes quite humid when there is a full house. (It seats 12,500). Several years ago, the situation became better when (and yes, this is true) AC (air conditioning) was added. “We have learned how to use it to help keep the court dry, but not make it too dry,” Thorn noted.
Mention lawns, and most people think about their yard or the pitch at a nearby park. Based on this perspective, one thing is important – if it’s green all is good. For Thorn the situation is much more complex.
“We are dealing with nature, and nature is very unpredictable (as we have seen this week),” he said. “Earlier in the year, it was very, very warm so the sprinklers had to be used. But, it’s not a matter of simply turning them on and letting them go. It’s done by a control system. One time, they didn’t turn off and that created a problem, one that took time to fix.”
Phil Thorn’s goal is to ensure all the courts used during the Gerry Weber Open have a consistent playing surface. Good naturedly, he admitted, “I walk around and I rarely look up in the sky. If I do, I’ll do it very quickly. Everything I’m concerned about is on the ground.”
The words of a true a true “Keeper of the Lawns.”
