Is it possible to compare the ATP's third major event of the tennis season, Wimbledon, to Northeast Ohio's second 3.0 Major* event of the tennis season, the Akron Open?
Doubtful!
So let's give it a shot!
Despite a few small insignificant* differences, there actually are quite a number of legitimate comparisons that make this blog entry totally worth not deleting!
First, age. Wimbledon has been in existence since 1877, making it the oldest of all the Major tennis events on this big giant planet of ours. In comparison, the Akron Open has been in existence almost nearly as long ... as long as your version of "nearly as long" starts in 2005. But, relatively speaking, the Akron Open is just like Wimbledon in that it is the oldest of all the major* 3.0 events in the area!
Second, timing. Wimbledon takes place during the middle of the season, in July, after the Australian and French Open's and before the U.S. Open. Well, the Akron Open also takes place during the middle of the 3.0 season, in July, after the Paramount Winter Championships (the first 3.0 Major* event) and before the Paramount Fall Championships (usually the last 3.0 Major* event). Whoa!
Third, courts. Wimbledon is famous for having a unique court surface - grass. And while the type of grass has changed over the decades in ways that we are way too uninformed to comprehend, the fact the event is still on grass is part of what makes Wimbledon one of the more unique Majors at the professional level (i.e., anything above NTRP 3.0 ratings, in our opinion). Not to be outdone, the Akron Open, while not on grass, is one of the few 3.0 Major* events that takes place outside on outdoor public courts and thus, as most 3.0 events take place indoors, the fact this event is usually held outside on outdoor courts makes it (relatively) just as unique a surface as it's English counterpart!
Fourth, and finally (thanks for making it this far, by the way), Wimbledon gets more attention than most it's counterpart events, both from players and viewers. Of course, this is somewhat subjective, but so is this blog, so whatever. But, Wimbledon typically tops television viewership ratings and typically tops player bucket lists when it comes to tournaments they want to win before their career is over. In the same EXACT vein, the Akron Open is the most attended event in the 3.0 world (and of course by "world" we mean "Ohio") and thus often hosting the most entries - and fans! - of any event in the area. To top it all off, the Akron Open is the event that most 3.0 players want to win before their careers are over (either through retirement or being promoted up the NTRP ratings to the elusive world known simply as "3.5").
Thus, it is as clear as a smoggy Cleveland day that when it comes to comparables, the Wimbledon Championships and the Akron Open are almost exactly identical in every single way!
At least on a 3.0/10 ratio that is...
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