# Tennis: 3 Sets for Women -- 5 Sets for Men **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 7, 2001, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-3-sets-for-women-5-sets-for-men/80256 "2001-09-07T16:45:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2001, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-3-sets-for-women-5-sets-for-men/80256/21 "2001-09-08T15:51:18Z")
Chris Evert herself once said in an interview that the best woman in the world could not beat a good college player. That was years ago, and women’s tennis has improved somewhat. The women are more muscular and better trained. But then, so are the men. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2001, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-3-sets-for-women-5-sets-for-men/80256/22 "2001-09-08T17:38:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by capacitor \* > \*\* That said, there is no really good reason for the women not to go at each other for five sets. There are some tournaments in which women do play 5 sets a match. \*\* Name one. They’re all 3 sets. As far as height and reach is concerned, the Williams sisters are second to very few men. I misspoke about the 120 mph. Venus can serve slightly faster and she has a very good power game. But she makes a lot of errors and is not consistent. Luckily for her, her power overpowers the women, but it would not the men. Her opponents cannot return enough shots with enough on them to keep her in a rally. Further, the men are faster and can run down many of her “winners” against the ladies. IMHO McEnroe would murder the Williams sisters. He plays in the senior circuit and has been winning all the tourneys there, now that Connors is approaching 50. He comes to the net at every opportunity and can do much more with lobs over his head than the ladies can. I agree with a prior post that most men do not rely on power alone. That’s not going to win many games in the men’s matches. Rudseski has the record for serves at 149 mph, and he never got very high. The Australian guy with a Greek name (which I cannot recall right now -begins with a “P”) is all power and he never got very high either. He’s still young and active, but you don’t read much about him any more. ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2001, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-3-sets-for-women-5-sets-for-men/80256/23 "2001-09-08T17:47:20Z")
Is is Phillipoussis (sp?)? ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2001, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-3-sets-for-women-5-sets-for-men/80256/24 "2001-09-08T18:46:36Z")
I recall one women’s tournament, something that was at the end of the year and held in Madison Square Garden, where the women played best of five in the final only. It was an experiment for a couple of years, but it was popular with neither the players nor the fans. ---
**Author:** ![KwikStah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47c2d/32.png) [@KwikStah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KwikStah)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2001, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-3-sets-for-women-5-sets-for-men/80256/25 "2001-09-08T22:35:21Z")
IIRC, the WTA Championships at the end of the year feature a 5 set final. Huey ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2001, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-3-sets-for-women-5-sets-for-men/80256/26 "2001-09-08T23:11:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by nineiron \* > \*\*Is is Phillipoussis (sp?)? \*\* Yep. ---
**Author:** ![KwikStah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47c2d/32.png) [@KwikStah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KwikStah)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2001, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-3-sets-for-women-5-sets-for-men/80256/27 "2001-09-09T00:00:15Z")
> [@](#): > > ``` > I've heard it said that the main difference between the No. 1 guy and somebody ranked 50 or so is fitness. > > ``` I think it would be talent. Huey [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tennis-3-sets-for-women-5-sets-for-men/80256.md?page=1)