What are the secrets of the Roland Garros centre court? Discover here the red layer of the clay of one of the most famous tournaments in the world, what materials the field is made of and who are the masters of works.
Meeting before the start of the tournament of Roland Garros, with Gérard TIQUET, responsible for the maintenance of the courts. He explains why this year he exposed the central court in clay and describes the composition of the ground.
Roland Garros' stadium has been preparing for several months for the next International Tennis Championships. The floor of the central clay court has been completely redone. Bruno SLASTAN, Roland Garros' Manager of Clay Fields, describes the progress of the works, while Gilbert YSERN, Roland Garros' director, is delighted to see the stadium come to life.
Kamel BOUCHIREB, from a difficult suburb of Hyères, is one of the 42 trainees assigned to the maintenance of Roland Garros' tennis courts. He explains how he deals with clay courts.
On Court 14 of Roland Garros, Pascal SANCHEZ questions Gaston CLOUP, head of the maintenance team of the courts. "We have permanent staff throughout the year and occasional staff during the fortnight". He explains how a court is maintained and stresses the importance of keeping the clay matches, during which one sees "the most beautiful tennis points in the world". Roland Garros' clay comes from Oise. It is composed of crushed brick. During the interview, the staff works on the course: watering, scanning lines, dispersal of calcium chloride to allow the court to stay wet, passage of the net on the clay...