Jamie Murray isn't easily excitable, but ask him about the best place to sit during a live tennis match and he responds quickly and enthusiastically.
"Behind the court," says Murray, the No. 4 doubles player in the world who is into the men's doubles quarterfinals at the US Open. He also happens to be the older brother of world No. 2 in singles, Andy Murray. "Because then you see everything. Otherwise you're like this (moves head side to side), you don't really take in the angles of the balls and you can't really read the play so well. So I'd always recommend people to go behind the court if they can."
Scott Suloway, who puts the "hard core" in hard core tennis fan, gets that. The 65-year-old, who helps run tennis leagues for the Chicago Park District, has been at the US Open every year since 1987. He's there morning to night for the two full weeks. On average he watches 10 matches a day and enjoys "watching the tournament unfold." His favorite place to watch -- and the spot where he has his assigned Arthur Ashe Stadium ticket -- is behind the baseline.
"From the baseline you can see the players play," he said. "You can see what they both do wrong, what they do right, what they're going to do next. One thing I like about Djokovic and Murray is how quick they are and how quick they recover, and you can see that better from the baseline. You can see everything better."
Let's step back for basics: The net splits the court in half lengthwise. The baseline is parallel to the net and marks the court's length boundary. The sideline is perpendicular to the net and marks the court's width boundary. There are two sidelines -- one for singles and, a few feet beyond that, another for doubles. In many sports, like football and basketball, seats near the center of the playing field are considered prime location.
American Coco Vandeweghe, who comes from a noted basketball family, agrees the best place to sit for tennis is behind the baseline. She also has tips on where not to sit. Ranked No. 30 in singles and No. 19 in doubles, Vandeweghe is in the women's doubles quarterfinals and the mixed doubles semifinals.
"If you get stuck behind the umpire it's, like, the worst seat ever because you miss half of it," says Vandeweghe, noting coaches' seating is often there.
That's also where Rolf Thung watched some of a boys' singles match Sunday. A tennis fan from the Netherlands, he watched a side court match while leaning against a pole a few rows behind the umpire's chair. There was ample seating elsewhere, but he had a reason for watching where he did, and it was a big, round one.
"Every side has disadvantages and advantages," he said. "With this ... the advantage is that you're with the sun, and the sun is a little bit low and sharp so it's easier to see."
Thung's ideal spot is behind the baseline ("a little bit high but not too high"). Many fans agree but have their reasons for sitting elsewhere.
Inside the US Open's sprawling but intimate new Grandstand this weekend, tennis fan Tina Hang sat along the sidelines high up in the stadium watching a women's doubles match. It was a thrilling third-rounder won by Vandeweghe and her new doubles partner, Martina Hingis. Several benches in the area were empty, and Hang spread out on one of them. She prefers sitting near baseline corners, but right then all she cared about were the match (she was watching Martina Hingis!) and the roomy space.
For American tennis player Christina McHale, who lost to quarterfinalist Roberta Vinci in the second round, baselines and sidelines aren't the first consideration. Where does she like to sit?
"In the shade," McHale said with a smile.
Back on Grandstand, Hang took in the action from the side of the court without the stadium's cool, modern shade protection and said, "I'm in the office too much, so I need sun."
While players and fans agree behind the baseline is where it's at, players mention preferences fans can't.
Asked for her favorite spot to watch tennis, 17th-ranked Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova paused then came up with this: "In the box."
Hingis, a Hall of Famer, took it a step further.
"My favorite spot is Wimbledon -- the royal box," she said, laughing. "There's not many things that beat that."
Hingis sometimes helps coach fellow Swiss player Belinda Bencic and agrees on the player box being a great spot for tennis watching.
Said Hingis, "If you're coaching a player or helping you can still have eye contact and feel the energy and momentum and encourage her."
Then there's world No. 12 Gael Monfils, who was scheduled to play his quarterfinal Tuesday. He doesn't spend a lot of time scouting the best place to watch live tennis. His reason is simple, if surprising.
"To be honest I never watch a tennis match," Monfils says. "I watch basketball a lot, soccer, never tennis."
A few moments later Monfils, known for playing Cirque du Soleil-style tennis, adds that he does enjoy watching his countrymen play Davis Cup, that their matches "entertain" him.
The rest of the time though he'll leave those prime seats behind the baseline to the rest of us.