{"id":2247,"date":"2017-05-19T16:43:33","date_gmt":"2017-05-19T20:43:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordontennis.com\/?p=2247"},"modified":"2017-05-19T16:43:57","modified_gmt":"2017-05-19T20:43:57","slug":"five-reasons-rome-best-tournament-whole-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2017\/05\/19\/five-reasons-rome-best-tournament-whole-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Reasons Why Rome is the Best Tournament in the Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re a tennis fan who lives in Italy, then the week of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia<\/strong>\u00a0is sacred.
\nSince the beginning of the season, every Italian fan knows exactly which week the tournament is going to take place, and starts planning to go there. As a student, mid-May is the worst\u00a0period of the entire year, with final exams incoming, and so much to study. Though, every year I try so hard to organise in order to spend at least a day there. Partly because it’s the nearest and cheapest place for me as an Italian to watch some live tennis, but mostly because it’s so special that surely I’ll regret not being able to go there.\u00a0And most of the time \u2013 as this year \u2013 I succeed.
\nSince I\u2019d probably start an infinite stream of consciousness if I\u2019d talk freely about the tournament, I thought it\u2019s better to list\u00a0five reasons why I honestly think that Rome<\/strong> is the best tennis tournament in the whole season. And I swear, my national pride will stay in the corner, and I\u2019ll try to explain my point differently than \u201cit is the best because, you know, Italians do it better\u201d \u2013 which, unfortunately, most of the times is untrue.<\/p>\n

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  1. The location<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    It\u2019s not to be forgotten that the tournament takes place in Rome, which I\u2019d say it\u2019s one of the best cities I\u2019ve ever been too. It\u2019s not only a matter of monuments and sights. In the same street, you\u2019d find three different parts of history: ancient Romans, Renaissance, and 19th<\/sup> century architecture all together. Walking through the streets of the city center is really breath-taking most of the time. There’s a reason Rome is one of the most-visited cities in the world, behind only Paris and London in Europe.<\/p>\n

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    1. Pietrangeli<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Nowhere in the world is there a court like Pietrangeli. Statues \u00e0 la Greek of naked heroic bodies are placed all over the court, to create such an original and unrepeatable atmosphere. Recently, Chris Evert revealed that her mother used to ask her if her double faults when playing on Pietrangeli were due to the distractions caused by the sight of the bottom of the statues! Describing Pietrangeli is quite a hard job, so I’ll suggest everyone plan to go there, while I try to find the best words to describe it. Oh, and Pietrangeli\u2019s access is included in the standard ground ticket, with no further costs. Seeing a match there should definitely be on the bucket list of every tennis fan.<\/p>\n

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      1. Food<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Nothing to do with tennis itself, I know. Though, through the long street across the Foro Italico<\/strong> \u2013 which is the name of the place where the Internazionali is set \u2013 there is a plethora of food stands. You\u2019ll definitely come across every peculiarity of Italian food: pizza, pasta, porchetta, and I\u2019d better stop since it\u2019s evening time and dealing with food is\u2026 not the best thing for me to do!<\/p>\n

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        1. Italian supporters<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          I\u2019m aware that this point is quite controversial. If you\u2019re a purist, willing to watch a tennis match in complete silence, just skip this point. If you\u2019re not, well, be ready to hear screams from the public after more or less every point. If an Italian is playing, then the atmosphere resembles a football stadium. If not, I swear, it\u2019s not so different. If you\u2019re an Italian speaker and understand the Roman dialect, then you\u2019ll probably have your day made listening to various\u2026 how can I call them\u2026 let\u2019s say \u201ccomments.\u201d<\/p>\n

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          1. Secondary courts<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            If you go to Rome during the first days of the tournament, when lots of matches are played in the secondary courts, then you\u2019ll be a bit disorientated if you put yourself in the right position: you\u2019ll be able to see at least six courts at the same time from a single position! So, if you think that tennis should be an overwhelming experience, then go to Rome during the first days of the tournament.<\/p>\n

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            I\u2019ve listed this five reasons since they are what makes Internazionali BNL D\u2019Italia a very special tournament. I went there one day, and came back home sunburnt \u2013 like every time I went there, so please bring your sun cream \u2013 but so, so happy. Tennis is sensational, I think this is a point to which I and everyone who\u2019s reading this agrees. But tennis in such a place\u2026 well, go there, and let me know.<\/p>\n

            Main Photo:<\/p>\n

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            Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n