Cordless Drill Saves Tennis

Last night tennis ran into a little problem on one of the courts at the Australian Open, but lucky for us there was a man with a cordless drill to save the day. Tennis is a simple game, but it can only be played if the tennis balls are allowed to bounce. However, last night there was an issue within a small area of the court surface in the Hisense Arena that prevented the balls from bouncing.

What looks like a simple coated concrete surface on TV is actually very complex; consisting of multiple layers of rubber granules, compressed plastic, mineral fibers, and latex. Somehow a small air bubble formed under the top layer of the surface (probably due to recent changes in the weather) which absorbed the ball's impact. To fix this issue, a few small holes were drilled into the surface with a cordless drill, thus allowing the air to escape.

This just goes to show that everyone needs a drill... even tennis players.