RaveThe Atlantic\"Phillips keeps the pages turning with an easy yet exacting style and keen observations. Tennis nerds in particular will enjoy his parsing of Federer’s retooled backhand ... Furthermore, Phillips’s wit suffuses this text. I laughed out loud when he likened Murray’s on-court demeanor to that of \'a beekeeper about to enter a hive,\' and when he brought up Cédric Mourier, the retiring chair umpire who everyone loved to hate until Carlos Ramos came along and tripped up Serena Williams at this year’s U.S. Open ... For those who worry about getting these inside jokes or understanding the relentless action that sets them up, fear not: Phillips opens The Circuit with a lengthy glossary on scoring and jargon ... But the thing that Phillips really nails is the specific dedication it takes to follow the sport, which spends the year chasing the sun like a dog tracking, well, a tennis ball ... What The Circuit offers instead is an insider-y view from the spectator’s seat, which is not an easy trick to pull. But Phillips manages the job with alacrity.\
