Qatar Tennis Link magazine

Issue 5 - August 2013

Nutrition and tennis A balanced diet is the secret of the tennis stars

Assistant General Secretary at Qatar Tennis Federation

Inclusion of the game of tennis in all sports clubs in Qatar next season

National Team Player Ali Al Sayegh

Aspiring for an ATP ranking

Qatar National Team Dominate NBK Ramadan Tournament

Magazine Contents NEWS:

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Shannan brothers offer a good level in the Championship held in Egypt.

DIALOGUE ISSUE: Tariq Zainal, Assistant General Secretary at QTF In an interview with Qatar Tennis Link, Tariq Zainal, Assistant General Secretary at QTF, talks about attracting younger generations to the sport and the great success of Qatar ExxonMobil Open and Qatar Total Open, which attracted several international stars in their recent editions.

NUTRITION AND TENNIS:

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A tennis player’s diet is completely different from that of others. Qatar Tennis Link looks into the dietary habits that should be followed by young players.

A meeting with the oldest coach in the Qatar Tennis Federation

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Ali Al Sayegh Tennis Star Of The Future

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Tennis news from around the world

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Qatar Tennis Link Magazine A Periodical magazine Issued by the Qatar Tennis Fedaration (QTF)

General Supervision

Yousif Al-Obaidi, GS, QTF

General Coordinator Khaled Al-Mohannadi

For queries and suggestions, contact www.qatartennis.org

Magazine Team Redab Massoud

facebook.com/qatartennis

@QatarTennis

Editorial Team

The Media Committee

I WISH SPORTS IN QATAR A PROSPEROUS YEAR AHEAD

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he release of the fifth issue of Qatar Tennis Link coincides with the celebrations of Eid Al Fitr in the State of Qatar and the rest of the Muslim world, which is a blessed occasion for all Muslims.

On this occasion, I convey the Qatar Tennis Federation’s deepest congratulations and blessings to His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and to His Highness the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. We also pray that we will celebrate Eid Al Fitr for many coming years while witnessing the remarkable progress of the State of Qatar at all levels, especially in sports.

QTF congratulates the people of Qatar and all sports associations, institutions and athletes in the country, wishing them greater success at various local, regional and international competitions and tournaments.

Nasser bin Ghanim Al Khelaifi QTF President

Since we are approaching a new sports season 2013/2014, I express my sincere gratitude to all QTF employees and players for their efforts and dedication during the last season, which contributed to the success of this season through the victory of a number of our players in local and regional tournaments. I must also commend the successful organization of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open Men’s tournament, Qatar Total Open Women’s tournament and other international regional and local tournaments.

During the previous season, we focused on expanding the tennis players’ base in Qatar by developing and promoting programs aimed at attracting children and young people through the QTF Grassroots Center and QTF Tennis School along with collaborating with the primary schools in this regard. These efforts have been successful in contributing to the formation of young champions who will be the foundation of our teams in the future.

Summer Camps and Tournaments

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atar Tennis Federation players will participate in a number of summer camps and friendly tournaments abroad in the coming weeks, in order to be physically and technically ready for future local, regional and international tournaments.

Nineteen male and female players in the Under-10 age group will attend a training camp and participate in a number of friendly matches in Budapest from 11-26 August 2013, while the 29 male and female players in the 11-12 age group will go to Morocco to participate in the Arab Championship from 11- 22 August 2013. This batch will then go to Alicante, Spain to attend a training camp from 23 August to 1 September 2013.

Following their training camp, 10 players in the 11-12 age group will also participate in a local tournament in Alicante, Spain. Eight players in the 13 -14 years age group will go to Nice, France to attend a training camp and participate in local tournaments from 11–22 August 2013. They will also participate at the Arab Championship in Tunisia from 23 August to 2 September 2013.

Five players in the 15-18 age group will also go to Mauritius to join a training camp there and then take part in one of the ITF tournaments during the period 11-31 August 2013.

A number of administrators and coaches will accompany all our players. The following is a table of the most important summer camps and tournaments:

ISSUE 5 - AUGUST 2013

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he QTF opened its Tennis School five years ago. Since its inception, the school has brought down renowned coaches from all over the world to impart technical programs that provide students with the most advanced and professional tennis skills.

If you wish to enroll in the Tennis School, you need to fill in an official registration form and submit it along with two passport size photographs. The registration form can be obtained at the school’s office at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex.

The monthly fee per child is QR400. Payment should be made in advance, at the school office before the 29th of each month. Delaying of payment after the mentioned deadline could result in the non-availability of vacancies in the following month.

The Tennis School accepts children from 5 to 15 years and they are placed in groups of 6 players.

Players above 15 years old can join private groups, each of which consists of three players.

Players are divided into 2 groups. Groups are trained 3 times a week, with each session lasting for an hour. Group A meets on Saturday, Monday and Wednesday, and Group B on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.

Summer Camps And Tournaments 2013 Categories

Under 10 Years

11-12 Years

11-12 Years

13-14 Years

Number

19 players (13 boys and 6 girls)

15 players (9 boys and 6 girls)

10 players (boys)

8 players (boys) (camp + Arab Championship)

Due to our commitment towards continuous improvement, QTF has a busy timetable this season, full of international training camps starting directly after Eid. A large number of our young and junior players will participate in camps in European and Arab countries in order to gain more experience in addition to participating in tournaments and courses that will be part of these tours.

With the new sports season closing in, we anticipate another year full of achievements as well as challenges for our players, administrators and coaching staff at QTF as everyone is eager to achieve success and ascend the podium to honor and lift up the game of tennis in the State of Qatar.

How To Enroll At The Tennis School

Training camp and friendly tournaments

14 players (9 boys and 5 girls) Arab Championship Training camp

15-18 Years 5 players (boys)

1 girl (Arab Championship only) Training camp and local tournaments

Training camp and local tournaments Arab Championship

Training camp Participating in the ITF Tournaments

Place

Budapest

Morocco (Casablanca) Spain (Alicante)

Spain (Alicante)

France (Nice) Tunis (Tunisia)

Mauritius

Duration

11-26 Aug

11-22 Aug 23 Aug–1 Sep

12 Aug – 1 Sep

11-22 Aug 8 Aug–2 Sep

11-18 Aug 19-31 Aug

Coaches

Nasser Sultan + Noof Mir + Nasma Ikram

Hamad Al Kuwari

Ahmad Amin

Khalifa Ismail Al Abdullah

Abdul Hamid Abdullah Zainal

Administrators

Nasser Sultan +Noof Mir +Nasma Ikram

Hamad Al Kuwari

Ahmad Amin

Khalifa Ismail Al Abdullah

Abdul Hamid Abdullah Zainal

LOCAL NEWS

LOCAL NEWS

WON OVER BRAZIL

SHANNAN BROTHERS HONOR THE QATARI TENNIS IN FUTURE TOURNAMENT

Qatari Delegation Participating In The Tournament

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The Qatari players benefited immensely from participating in the tournament and gained more experience after competing against players and teams from different nationalities and various tennis schools.

The players actively controlled the course of their encounter with the Brazilian team and won by two sets: 6-0 and 6-1, making them move to the second round of the competition to meet the strong Russian team.

The brothers Mubarak and Moussa Shannan started their match versus the Russian doubles strongly and won the first set 7-6 after a strong struggle that ended with a tiebreaker.

The winners with QTF staff The Qatari team included Khaled Al Mohanadi, Head of the Delegate, and coach Munir Al Araj, the two players Mubarak and Moussa Shannan and physiotherapist Alexey Litchinko.

Last June, the delegate team conducted a 10 day training camp in France before travelling to Egypt to participate in the three consecutive Futures championships.

The France camp in Montgomery combined training with some local tournaments played by Mubarak and Moussa and was an important milestone in preparing the players for Futures Tournaments, Khaled Al Mohanadi maintained.

atari girls team consisting of Olla Basil, Mubarakah Al Naimi and Naila Shukri won the title of Communities Tennis Championship Tournament, held at the end of May and beginning of June 2013, after securing first place with two victories.

In contrast, the men’s team formed by Mohamed Khunji, Mubarak Shannan, Ali Abdul Redha, Ahmed Rashid and Abdullah Al Mahmoud came in third in the men’s competition, where they battled for 3rd place against the Egyptian team. The men subsequently won 2-0.

The Qatari girls’ team showed a high degree of preparedness in the tournament and defeated the US and Polish teams by 2-1. They scored 4 points at the end of the tournament and assumed the first position.

The Polish Team came in second with 3 points and the US team third with 2 points.

defeating the Egyptian team 2-0.

The Philippines team won the men’s championship title after defeating the Moroccans in the final round of the competition by 2-0.

In the youth competition that accompanied the girls and men’s competitions, team Qatar 1 came in first, with team Qatar 2 taking second place. Al Sadd secured third place and Smash stood fourth.

A total of 80 players forming 9 teams from Arab and foreign communities in Doha participated in the tournament, which made the competition fierce.

Men’s Team Comes in Third

Unlike the first set, the performance of the Qatari players declined in the second set compared to the first and lost by 3-6. As a result the game ended with a super tiebreak. The Qatari team regained their strength and played as equals in front of their Russian counterpart but they were unlucky to lose by two sets to one.

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Khaled Al Mohanadi, head of the Annabi tennis delegate to Egypt, said that the performance of the two brothers Mubarak and Moussa was strong despite the loss.

The men’s team came in third in the men’s competition after defeating Lebanon, France in a 2-0 battle and Pakistan 3-0 before being defeated by the Philippines team 2-1.

“Despite the loss, we are satisfied with our performance and hope to achieve more progress and success in the upcoming tournaments.”

In the tournament semi-finals, the Qatari team met the Moroccan team and was defeated 2-0, which made the team compete for third place, which was achieved by

The Shannan brothers in action

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he Qatari brothers, Mubarak and Moussa Shannan, made a very positive impression in the third edition of Future Tournament, held in Egypt at the end of last June. They defeated the Brazilian team in the first round of the doubles competition and showed a strong performance when playing against the Russian team, despite the loss.

QATARI GIRLS TEAM WINS THE COMMUNITIES TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE

Ceremony Honoring The Qatar Girls Team 5

LOCAL NEWS

LOCAL NEWS

A VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES AND COMPETITIONS WITNESS A BIG INTEREST FROM THE PUBLIC

Qatar Tennis Federation hosts the Summer Family Tennis Festival at Landmark

TARIQ ZAINAL

An important initiative

Tariq Zainal, QTF Assistant Secretary General, appreciated the festival role in expanding the circle of tennis players, adding that the festival contributed in publicizing tennis culture among the various segments of society through communication with families and their children.

QTF is keen to organize such festivals during the sports season within the QTF premises and other places to be closer to the public and increase their enthusiasm to play the game, he added.

Festival is an opportunity to discover talent Khalid Al Khulaifi, Head of the National Team Committee, said that organizing a festival in a mall during the weekend ensured the success of the event and attracted the largest possible number of youth and children. “In that way, we can discover talents and train them professionally through QTF programs,” he added.

Khalid Al Khulaifi

Festival successfully Contributes to the dissemination of the game

Family Tennis Festival At Landmark Mall

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The festival included a variety of activities, including introducing the basics of the game of tennis, and contests to create an atmosphere of fun and enjoyment and attract the public.

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through various events organised for this purpose.

QTF aims to expand the tennis players base in different age groups to spread the game and instill the tennis culture in both citizens and expatriates in order to discover talents that national teams can utilize to represent the country at regional and global tennis competitions.

The festival was so popular among the Mall visitors.

The mini courts designed to introduce tennis attracted many families who were briefed on tennis rules, principles and various stages of scoring.

QTF attracts quality players who are discovered at festivals and develops them by positioning them alongside experienced QTF players. The newly discovered players are exposed to training programs by a group of QTF coaches, administrative and technical staff.

The festival was not limited to simple exercises on tennis rules and competitions, but also included video tennis games under the supervision of QTF coaches in order to bring the game closer to those wishing to play it. The festival was an activity in line with QTF’s strategies of spreading and popularising the game

During the festival, the organising committee distributed forms to Qataris to enroll their boys and girls under the age of 10 in preparation for the next sports season and informed them about the documents required to complete registration procedures.

Wahid Elewa, QTF Technical Secretary, expressed his great satisfaction with the success of the festival, adding that it was an important step to further publicize the game, discover new talents and motivate children to play tennis.

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n June this year, QTF hosted the Summer Family Tennis Festival at Landmark Mall in order to improve the game of tennis and increase its popularity in the country.

Wahid Elewa

HAMAD Al Kuwari Hamad Al Kuwari, QTF Public Relations Coordinator, said the festival is a form of communication between QTF and the public in order to increase the number of tennis family members and publicize tennis on the largest scale possible.

QTF is keen to invent new ways to communicate with the outside environment by organizing sports festivals and events, he added.

The festival is a form of positive communication between QTF and the public 7

LOCAL NEWS

LOCAL NEWS

350 PLAYERS PARTICIPATE IN THE TOURNAMENT

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atar Tennis Federation organized a qualifying course for its coaches in collaboration with its French counterpart during May this year.

Zainal said QTF welcomes the cooperation with its French counterpart and the exchange of experiences between the two sides. He also stressed that organizing the second edition of the qualifying course

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layers of the Qatari teams dominated the fifth edition of the Smash Tennis Tournament at Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex during the first half of May and won most of the titles.

Mohammed Al Mohannadi won the Boys’ Under-9 title, Mubarak Al Sulaiti the Under-14 title and Issa Shannan the singles Under-18 title.

About 35 QTF coaches participated in the course instructed by Olfi Fortelle, French expert and consultant at French Tennis Federation in “mini-tennis” (tennis for those who are less than 10 years of age) as well as school tennis.

The course program lasted five hours a day and included theoretical and practical lectures related to the cognitive, psychological and communication aspect of the game. However, the practical aspect formed the largest share of lectures. The program also included exploratory visits by French experts to Al Qadisiyah and Muthanna bin Haritha schools.

For the second time in a row, this course came as a result of the twinning agreement signed two years ago by the Qatar Tennis Federation and its French counterpart.

Tariq Zainal, QTF Assistant Secretary General, attended the last day of the course, oversaw presenting of certificates to the participants and honored the French instructor, Olfi Fortelle.

Players of Qatari teams win Smash titles

Issa Shannan and Omar Al Jufairi won the title of doubles Under-18, Olla Basil won the women’s singles and doubles titles, Sultan Khalfan won the men’s doubles title with Christo and the mixed doubles title with Lana Malakova.

The Qatari players Issa Shannan and Mubarak Al Jufairi won the title of boys’ doubles Under-18.

Tariq Zainal Oversees Presenting Of Course Certificates To The Coaches At The End Of The Course for mini tennis coaches comes as a result of QTF’s keenness to be open to the successful experiences in order to meet QTF aspirations and enhance its potential.

On the other hand, the Qatari promising player, Mubaraka Al Nuaimi, came in second in the girls’ singles individual competition Under-14 after losing in the final versus Fatima Amiral whereas Mubarak Shannan came in second in the men’s singles after his defeat in the final versus his Moroccan coach Mounir Laarej.

The crowning ceremony took place under the supervision of Tariq Zainal, QTF Assistant Secretary General, in presence of Haikal Al Akhdar, Operations Manager at Smash Academy, and Tawfiq Heimami,

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approaches that comply to international standards. In light of the successive changes and amendments to the game of tennis, the umpire should be informed and updated with the latest developments.”

The participants were from several countries, including Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt, Tunisia and Sudan in addition to Pakistan, the Philippines, Nigeria, India and Canada.

On the final day of the course, the trainee umpires underwent tests on topics of tennis refereeing, developments in this area, the functions of each umpire (chair and line) and the way umpires supervise the game.

The course program included theoretical and handson lectures in officiating, tennis international officiating law and common mistakes in this field, using the latest international methods that respond to the rapid developments in tennis.

Dr. Ashraf Hamouda, Head of Officials at QTF, said: “It is very important to work on the development of umpires in the correct way according to scientific

Tariq Zainal, QTF Assistant Secretary General and Head of Umpire Committee, said: “The advancement of tennis and expanding its base in the State of Qatar doesn’t depend only on the development of players, but also takes into account the development of the various factors affecting the sport, including officiating.”

Zainal valued the success of the tournament and said that more than 350 players participated in it, a manifestation of its success reflecting its ability to attract participants and fans of the game.

Zainal added that the aim of the tournament is to continue the efforts of making the game popular in Qatar and expanding it to the largest extent possible as per the strategies developed by QTF to achieve this goal by discovering new talent and developing them.

He also said that the players of the Qatari teams achieved great results in the tournament by winning most of the titles and showed high levels of performance, which increases their self-confidence and abilities.

Haikal Al Akhdar: Increasing the prize money for the next tournament to QR100,000 Haikal Al Akhdar announced that Smash Academy will organize a new edition of the tournament in December and they will be inviting distinguished Arab players to participate in it including Tunisian Malek Al Jaziri and Moroccan Anas Al Omarni as the tournament is open to Arab and foreign participation.

umpire course receives more than 40 participAnts ore than 40 men and women from several countries participated in the 5-day training course for umpires (First Degree), organized recently

by QTF.

Tariq Zainal Hails The Tournament Successful

He announced that the Smash Academy will organise a new edition of the tournament in December and that it invited distinguished Arab players to participate in it including Tunisian Malek Al Jaziri and Moroccan Anas Al Omarni as the tournament is open to Arab and foreign participation.

The Closing Ceremony Of The Tournament Financial and Administrative Director at Smash Academy, and a large number of members of Qatari tennis family.

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QTF organizes a qualifying course for coaches in cooperation with its French counterpart

He said that the next tournament will be held over a period of three weeks and the number of participants will increase compared to previous tournaments, while the prize money too will increase from QR60,000 to QR100,000.

Al Akhdar said the next Smash Academy Tournament will coincide with three Future tournaments; the prize money for each is $10,000. Therefore, participation is open to Arab and foreign players, making QTF courts active and vivid.

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LOCAL NEWS

LOCAL NEWS

WITH PARTICIPATION FROM 37 PRIMARY SCHOOLS

73 PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHERS TRAIN IN TENNIS SKILLS

QATAR TENNIS FEDERATION CELEBRATES GARANGAO NIGHT

Garangao Celebrations

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total of 73 female physical education teachers from 37 primary girls’ and boys’ schools participated in a training course on tennis skills (Level One) organized recently by the QTF at Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex.

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Supervised by Captain Wahid Elewa, QTF Technical Secretary, and the French expert Oliver Fortelle, the course included a training program complementing the Level One course that QTF had organised last year and aimed to introduce tennis skills and rules to the teachers as part of QTF’s effort to spread the game in schools.

The second course this year included a range of practical applications for the game of tennis under the supervision of the coaching staff. Some competitions for the teachers were held to encourage and motivate them. Pamphlets and brochures containing information and details about tennis skills for Level One, Level Two and Level Three were distributed in preparation for the training courses that QTF plans to organize in the future.

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The two-day course witnessed an increase in the number of applications from schools wishing to register a greater number of physical education teachers.

The number of teachers trained this year was more

than in the previous year as some new schools were nominated by the Supreme Education Council.

Last year, QTF had organised its first training course (Level One) with the participation of 50 teachers to rehabilitate them to teach tennis at primary schools.

These courses aim to raise the efficiency of physical education teachers and enhance their tennis coaching experience.Developing tennis at school level is one of the most important objectives of QTF, as that’s where promising talent can be nurtured.

Garangao Night is a traditional mid-Ramadan activity celebrated across the Gulf. As part of the celebration, children go out with cloth bags in groups after sunset and roam the neighborhoods, knocking people’s doors to fill their bags with various kinds of candy and nuts prepared by the people days before the event.

The program included recreational games and light tennis-related exercises in order to teach children the general principles of the game. Gifts were distributed to all children by a number of QTF administrative and technical staff to keep up with this important tradition and inspire the children to celebrate it annually.

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Teachers At The Training Course

atar Tennis Federation celebrated the traditional Garangao night in July in a joyous ceremony that was attended by Nasser bin Ghanim Al Khulaifi, QTF president, Tariq Zainal, Assistant Secretary General, and Khaled Al Khulaifi, Head of National Teams Committee. More than 100 male and female players of the Grassroots and Junior teams came dressed in Qatari traditional costumes to join the ceremony in the presence of their parents.

Khaled Al Khulaifi, Head of National Teams Committee, said that QTF is keen on celebrating the traditional events. He stressed that the modernisation of the Federation and its significant progress should not prevent it from preserving the Qatari identity and folklore by observing such traditional events.

“The new generations need to know about authentic traditional customs that can enhance the important social aspects in the lives of individuals, so that they grow to love their culture by observing these customs,” he added.

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DIALOGUE ISSUE

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atar Tennis Federation plays a prominent role in promoting the sport among the younger generations in Qatar, by following a clear strategy designed to attract children to the game and broaden the base of tennis players in the country. In recent years QTF, in cooperation with the Supreme Council for Education (SEC), was able to include tennis in the physical education curriculum of schools.

with SEC approval, to introduce the rules and the basics of the game.

In an interview with Qatar Tennis Link, Tariq Zainal, Assistant General Secretary at QTF, talks about this strategy and the great success of Qatar Exxon Mobil Open and Qatar Total Open, which attracted several international stars to their recent editions.

How does QTF measure its success in improving the tournaments that have been held in Doha since 1993?

Zainal confirmed that QTF is working on the inclusion of tennis in the activities of the clubs in Qatar and the introduction of General Excellence Shield for clubs.

He stressed that QTF spares no effort in developing the level of Qatari players and motivate them to compete, which has contributed to achieving a quantum leap over the past few years by bagging titles at many local and regional tournaments.

Tell us about the QTF strategy for developing and supporting tennis in Qatar and the region?

QTF is certainly keen to support and develop tennis in Qatar by encouraging and honing local talents. It also seeks to introduce and publicize tennis in the Qatari society. All this is done through many different activities carried out by QTF such as the tennis programs in schools and kindergartens, festivals and open days in the malls, revival of the game in sports clubs and organizing local tournaments, not to mention holding two international tournaments for WTA and ATP players and many other activities that can support and develop tennis in the country.

QTF Also Succeeded In The Inclusion Of Tennis In The Physical Education Curriculum In Schools

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Assistant General Secretary at QTF

Tariq Zainal: Tennis In Qatar is Making Great Strides 12

Our international championships succeeded in attracting the stars of the game and increasing public turnout.

We are working to include tennis in all the sports clubs next season.

We are keen on the inclusion of national trainers who are highly efficient and come from a national coaching program.

To what extent QTF has achieved its goal in spreading tennis? Are you satisfied with what has been accomplished in this regard?

QTF achievements in the field of publicizing tennis are very satisfactory and they are growing from year to year, in terms of both domestic and international tournaments. We’ve been attracting new players, and encouraging existing tennis players as well. QTF has successfully reintroduced tennis to the courts of sports clubs as per a strategy specified by Qatar Olympic Committee. QTF also succeeded in the inclusion of tennis in the physical education curriculum in schools,

As for the second part of the question, our ambition at QTF surely increases with the increasing success that we are having. We are looking forward to further expanding locally and internationally and we are working to be an important destination in the world of the yellow ball.

Our international tournaments have succeeded in attracting the most prominent and brightest of male and female tennis stars since the beginning of the tournament. All this was possible thanks to the efforts of the QTF management in organizing such tournaments. The increasing number of fans annually requires us to increase the capacity of the main court to accomodate nearly 7,300 spectators. The ‘public pavilion’ also draws large crowds during tournaments, to enjoy live and entertaining performances hosted

by QTF and sponsors. Needless to mention that QTF has earned an excellent international reputation in the field of organizing local, regional or international tournaments.

All This Was Possible Thanks To The Efforts Of The QTF Management And Work Team In Organising Such Tournaments The Qatar Olympic Committee has approved to include tennis in the sports clubs. To what extent will this step help spread tennis and what is QTF’s plan in this regard?

This step will certainly help us expand and spread geographically to reach a larger segment of the youth and thereby increase the number of tennis players. So far, we have ensured inclusion of tennis in Al Sadd, Al Rayyan, Al Arabi, Al Ahli and Al Gharafa clubs, in addition to the Military and Lekhwiya clubs at their request. In the 2013-2014 sports season, the rest of the clubs will join in the inclusion of tennis in the General Excellence Shield for clubs.

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DIALOGUE ISSUE

According to you, how important is such a move?

Including the game of tennis in clubs is one of the most important milestones of organizing sports activities,

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training players based on sound scientific grounds and preparing them to join the national teams. The lack of tennis in the clubs meant the link between schoollevel tennis players and those at national-level was broken. This also resulted in numerous talented players dropping out and a general dip in the interest for the game. As I said, the inclusion of tennis in clubs will increase the number of tennis players in addition to providing an opportunity to establish tennis schools for all levels and ages, and will encourage the competition among clubs through organizing tournaments. This will help us discover talented players and then enable them to join the teams to represent Qatar.

DIALOGUE ISSUE What about the School Olympic Program?

Tennis has been included in the School Olympic Program for the 2012-2013 sports season for the first time for boys’ and girls’ categories Under-8, Under-10 and Under-12 categories, and we have received approvals to include Under-14 and Under16 categories in the next edition of the programme.

This programme aims to ensure that as many male and female students as possible play tennis in order to broaden the base of tennis players. This is a way of encouraging youth in Qatar to participate in sports activities, adopt an educational approach to develop their mental abilities, increase awareness of the sport, enhance participation spirit among the students and promote the game through Olympic values.

What is QTF’s role in the development of the technical and professional level of competencies?

QTF is keen to develop the technical and professional capabilities and competencies by organizing training courses, which are conducted by QTF and international experts in the technical, physical and mental fields.

QTF is also keen on staying up-to-date with the latest technologies and techniques to help improve the performance of the players. We do not spare any efforts in providing assistance to officials, and adopt specific methods that guarantee the success of their tasks, and this is in addition to the Qatari National Coach Qualifying Program.

At the school level, what are the plans adopted

by QTF to introduce tennis in schools in conjunction with SEC?

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QTF takes special interest in schools, as it is a source of young promising talents. After SEC approved the inclusion of the game in the physical education curriculum, partnership agreements with 35 schools were signed to teach tennis, and also to explore talents within the school. As part of the mini tennis programme in kindergartens and the school festivals were held on the sidelines of the international tournaments in Doha, such as the Men’s Qatar ExxonMobil Open and Women’s Qatar Total Open. This provides our children a good opportunity to watch the tennis stars competing in live professional performances at Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex.

This provides our children a good opportunity to watch the tennis stars competing in live professional performances 14

What are the achievements of QTF in the organization of ATP and WTA tournaments here in Doha?

By the grace of God, and under the capable leadership of President Nasser Bin Ghanem Al Khulaifi, the QTF has acquired a solid international reputation in organizing such tournaments. This is because we possess all the requisite facilities for a successful

tournament, whether local, regional or international.

This is why there is increasing cooperation and partnership between QTF and both the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF). These international tournaments, which we organise here in Doha, provide our national team players many opportunities for participation to benefit from the experience and skills of diverse international tennis schools. This improves the performance level of national players which is one of the goals that QTF aspires to achieve.

What is your assessment of tennis players in Qatar? What are the main challenges that QTF faces in nurturing Qatari tennis champions?

We can say that the level of Qatari players is developing remarkably. Qatari tennis players have shown considerable progress during the past few years, through their participation in local, GCC or international tournaments and they have won many Arab and GCC titles. For any observer, this is a remarkable achievement, especially if we take into account the time factor and how new tennis is in Qatar in general. But this development needs work and patience so that we can achieve our strategic goals – most importantly creating Qatari Champions.

Before I answer the second part of the question, I would like to emphasise that we, as a management team in the Federation, work as a family along with the future champions in order to elevate our players to world-class levels. We are optimistic and our confidence in our children and players convinces us that we are moving forward steadily.

of Qatar on the world sports map. We consider the presence of these stars and others here a chance to motivate and encourage our players to achieve higher successes in sports.

How do you assess the academic scholarship for Qatari players to study abroad? In your opinion, has this yielded the desired results?

The scholarship program for players to study abroad was adopted in late 2011 by the Olympic Committee.

The scholarship programme is an ambitious one for talented athletes because it enhances the sporting and academic capacities of students as they join international tennis academies and continue their education at the same time.

This will ensure the nurturing of an educated and professional generation. We have noticed a big improvement in the performance of players because of the benefits of the scholarship programme in terms of exposure and competition as many of the students participate in university leagues in the US. This certainly gives them an opportunity to compete with a larger number of players of strong and diverse levels.

I believe the most important challenge is to create a strong level of competition among the Qatari players

With regard to the challenges faced by QTF, in my experience, I believe the most important challenge is to create a strong level of competition for the Qatari players which necessitates planning, whether by hosting tournaments in Doha or participating extensively in local and foreign tournaments and training camps, in addition to the development of training programs provided by QTF. I would like to also draw attention to the important issue of how to attract young children to play tennis and keep them interested.

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DIALOGUE ISSUE

There are many international tennis stars that have consistently expressed their intention to come to Doha to prepare for international tournaments or to stay here. What is your comment on that?

Qatar has a good reputation of welcoming sports stars and hosting the world’s major sports events. Last December, Doha hosted two international tennis stars for the preparation of the Australian Open, namely Victoria Azarenka of Belarus and Janko Tibsarevic of Serbia. The two stars confirmed that they are keen to train in Qatar because of its sports infrastructure and environment, and that shows the prestigious position

Do you intend to send new students abroad for scholarship in the next season?

Yes, we believe in the importance of the scholarship programme because it will benefit them and tennis in Qatar in general.

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HISTORY OF TENNIS RACQUET

HISTORY OF TENNIS RACQUET

Metal Racquet

TENNIS RACQUET HISTORY… Continuous Development and Revolution in Innovation

M

ost studies indicate that tennis was played for the first time, in the eleventh or twelfth century by some French priests. The racquet was at that time part of the player’s body. They used their hands to repel rebounding balls from the wall. Therefore, before the textile net was invented, tennis was more like what we call squash today.

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Tennis continued to be played using a hand until players realized how difficult it was to fully control the ball and began to use gloves. Some players used what looked like small wooden oars.

Tennis continued to be played in this way until the fourteenth century when players began to use what we can officially call a “racquet” containing a number of strings fixed onto a wooden hoop. It is said that the credit for this invention goes to the Italians.

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By the year 1500, the wooden racquet had spread widely. It had a long handle portion and an oval head portion resembling a squash racquet, to a large extent.

Tennis and squash remained intertwined for a long period of time, especially since both sports were played only in indoor courts.

A Quantum Leap

Farewell To Wooden Racquets

During 1874, in London, Walter Wingfield developed certain equipment for the game and laws for tennis played on grasslands. This is the first version of tennis as we know it today. Over the years, Wingfield’s equipment started to sell in Russia, Canada, China and India.

At that time, the tennis racquet increased in size and began to resemble the racquet that was used in the 70s. However, there were small differences as well. The head portion of the racquet wasn’t oval shaped but rather relatively wider and flatter from the top.

From that year and until the end of the era of wooden racquets (approximately 100 years), tennis didn’t witness any major changes. All the changes at that time were insignificant so they didn’t affect the racquet’s efficiency despite the use of wood lamination technology. The technology was based on gluing laminated wooded sheets together to reduce weight.

However, in comparison to modern racquets the older version remained rather heavy (13-14 ounces) with a small head (with an area of 65 square inches).

Racquet Revolution Since rigidity and lightweight are critical characteristics of a successful racquet, graphite remained the basic material in the manufacturing process. The approach of increasing rigidity while maintaining the weight continued to expand. Dunlop Max 200 G was the fruit of this approach and it was used by the 2 tennis legends, John McEnroe and Steffi Graf. This racquet weighed 12.5 ounces, but over the course of 20 years, the racquet weight was reduced to 10.5 ounces, while other racquets weighed as little as 7 ounces.

In 1987, Wilson, the manufacturer of sports equipment, came up with the idea of increasing the racquet’s rigidity without adding any solid material. As a result, the Profile Racquet was introduced. Looking back, we find it strange that none of the racquet manufacturers had thought about the idea of this racquet. The concept was built around increasing the thickness of the racquet on the side that would counteract the power of the ball at the point of collision. The Profile Racquet was a racquet monster since its hoop was 39 mm thick in the middle of its pointed head which was twice the hoop thickness of the wooden racquets. In mid 90s, tennis players lost interest in Profile Racquets.

However, the company continued to develop racquets that matched tennis requirements. Therefore, the width of all racquets currently used is less than the width of the racquets that were invented before the Profile Racquet.

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By the year 1889, the racquet with a metal head had appeared on courts but it wasn’t popular. Therefore, the wooden racquet didn’t witness any competition till 1967 when Wilson, the manufacturer of sports equipment, invented the strongest and lightest metal racquet, the T-2000, which became a best-seller and was used by the former US player, Jimmy Connors.

Connors became an ambassador for this racquet in 1970. In 1976, Howard Head a flight engineer, worked with Prince, a manufacturer of sports equipment and introduced the Prince Classic, a huge racquet which gained high popularity. However, the wooden racquet of the time didn’t disappear entirely, but its sales decreased against the rising popularity of both the Prince Classic and its more expensive brother, Prince Pro. Both new racquets were made of aluminum and their string area was 50% wider than the 65-inchsquare wooden racquet which explains higher sales over the wooden racquet.

Innovation never stops...

In 1980, racquets were divided into two categories: cheaper racquets made from aluminum and more expensive racquets made of graphite. Graphite is a mixture of carbon fiber and plastic that made a solid racquet hoop. Over a period of time wooden racquets began to disappear except for those that were kept as mementos, to reflect the history of the game.

Today, tennis equipment manufacturers bombard us with so many innovations such as huge heads, broader hoops and lighter weights and we can only expect to keep seeing these innovations grow. What can we expect after that? Will the revolution of tennis racquets stop at a particular point or are there still more innovations in store?

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NUTRITION AND TENNIS

A BALANCED DIET IS THE SECRET OF THE TENNIS STARS

Liquids Since the human body needs to be always hydrated, tennis players should also drink a lot of water and fluids even if they don’t exert any physical effort. Sports drinks that are rich in sodium, carbohydrates and protein are also good to compensate for the important nutrients that the body loses.

Some may think of fat as an unhealthy element but it is essential in a player’s diet as it slows down the body’s absorption of carbohydrates, which means helping the body store the source of energy for a longer period. The sources of good fats include nuts such as walnuts and almonds as well as peanut butter and whole-milk fat.

A

tennis player’s diet is completely different from that of others. A tennis diet has special requirements and strict regulations. In today’s competitive game scene, players are aware of the importance of the preparations that precede the competitions, including diet. An aspirant should be keen on adhering to his set diet.

Breakfast Doctors and specialists consider breakfast a very important meal because it is the main meal in the day. It is important for replenishing all the nutrients, minerals, glycogen and liquids that the body usually loses causing the energy level in the human body to drop in the morning before breakfast.

Therefore, a player’s breakfast should include plenty of carbohydrates to provide muscles with energy and prepare the player to start their day.

Qatar Tennis Link looks into the dietary habits that should be followed by young players, since the balance between nutrition and physical activity is very critical for their development and aid in their competitive careers in future.

Diet requirements

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Tennis is a sport that requires endurance, agility, speed and power. Each player should store high energy to perform all of these functions by sticking to a healthy diet, not only for the duration of tournaments but also during the training sessions throughout the year.

The player’s diet should contain all the essential elements responsible for building a strong and healthy body including:

Carbohydrates

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Tennis players must eat a lot of carbohydrates to fuel the huge exertion needed during playing and training.

This is critical for supplying the muscles with nutrients so that players won’t get tired quickly. Therefore, tennis players should consume only the complex carbohydrates available in rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, wheat and grains.

Fats

Important Eating Habits For Tennis Players

Protein

Protein also is an important element in a balanced diet for tennis players. It transforms into amino acids that are necessary to build muscles, improves the level of haemoglobin in the blood and helps the player gather their strength rapidly, especially after long matches and tournaments. Protein sources include legumes, eggs, red and white meat, fish, milk and cheese. Oatmeal is also rich in protein and it contains the seven B vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7 and B9.

Vitamins and minerals Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals.

Everyday, a player needs 3-5 servings of vegetables like spinach and tomatoes, and four servings of fruits like mango, apples, berries, etc.

Avoid foods that cause infections, especially if you have suffered from certain injuries such as ankle or muscle injuries.

Keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water so as to avoid rapid exhaustion of the body and be focused during the game.

Pay special attention to the meals you have before the competition as they provide you with energy during the game.

Re-nourish the muscles by eating carbohydrates. The best time for that is 15-45 minutes after training or the game.

An Ideal Diet Plan Fats, Oils and Sweets: use Sparingly

+6 Servings of water

Milk, Yogurt and Cheese: 3 Serving

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Beans, Eggs and Nuts: 2 Serving

Vegetable: 4 Servings

Cereal, Bread 7 Servings

Fruits: 3 Servings

Rice and pastas: 7 Servings

Healthy nutrition specialist:

What sets an athelete’s diet apart?

Dr. Abdelmonem Hassan Dr. Abdelmonem Hassan, Associate Professor of Human Nutrition, Qatar University, says that the main difference between them lies in the following two key elements: Carbohydrates: A person who practices sports needs double the quantity of carbohydrates, especially before games or training as the body retains this element in its muscles to use it during exertion.

Drink some chocolate milk, especially after training or playing. Recent studies have shown that chocolate milk has the same characteristics of the foods that help rebuild muscles.

Liquids: Drink plenty of liquids or water. We see a lot of tennis players drinking liquids during matches but they actually do that even before the game or training. An average person needs nearly 2.5 liters of water while tennis players need approximately 3.75 liters because they lose a lot of liquids during training or playing through sweating.

Finally, take some salt unless there is some health problems such as hypertension. Salt helps reduce muscle cramps.

It is important for the players to drink liquids constantly especially during the competition, even if they don’t feel thirsty, once every one hour, Dr. Hassan stresses.

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NUTRITION AND TENNIS

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The Omnipresent Banana

NUTRITION AND TENNIS diet helps tennis players avoid injuries, so it is an essential factor in periods of recovery from injuries.

Poor diet may prolong recovery periods as injuries need more time to heal than the time they would need if the player had followed a healthy diet, he warns.

“Sometimes injury reduces the player’s level of movement, which weakens muscles. One of the main functions of proper nutrition is to prevent the loss of body muscles. During this period, the player should eat proteins because they increase muscle strength and speed up the healing process,” he adds.

Nutrition plays an important role in the prevention of injuries as players that don’t get enough energy and water are more likely to sustain injuries than those that follow a balanced diet. Dehydration (excessive loss of body fluids) can lead to a decline in the level of performance and can cause injury in some cases, he adds.

Tennis players should eat 1.2-1.7 grams of proteins per kilogram of the body mass. The source of proteins and the time of eating them are very crucial. So, it is important for the players to have at breakfast, after training and before going to sleep, meals rich in proteins from a good source such as eggs or milk to prevent the body from losing its muscles.

Healthy Diet Reduces Injuries And Treatment Period Hot and humid climate like that in Qatar, for example, makes the body lose plenty of fluids through sweating.

Dehydration can affect the player’s balance and movement and reduce their ability to make appropriate decisions, which increases the possibility of injury in the court.

It is common to see tennis players eating bananas during matches. That is because banana contains a lot of carbohydrates and it is easy to digest without exhausting the body, Dr. Hassan explains. Banana also contains several minerals, namely potassium.

Therefore, it helps the body compensate for the minerals it loses through sweating.

Energy Drinks

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Energy drinks are one of the necessities for athletes in general, and tennis players in particular, because there is no specific duration for tennis games. Some matches end in less than an hour while others may last for more than two hours. Therefore, energy drinks supply the body with instant energy and vitamins it loses during the match, Dr. Hassan says.

However, he warns against drinks that contain caffeine as they cause diuresis, thus making the body lose plenty of liquids.

Nutrition And Injuries

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Tennis is one of the sports that require tremendous physical effort interrupted by multiple periods of recovery because during intense training some players are likely to suffer from injuries, Dr. Richard Allison, Senior Sports Dietician, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, says. Therefore, a balanced

The rate of fluid loss from the body through sweating varies from one player to another and from one match to another. The environment in which the game is played is also an important factor in the change of those rates. Therefore, the body’s need for fluids vary according to the above factors. For professional tennis players, measuring the body mass changes is the most practical way of monitoring and assessing the rate of fluid loss through sweating.

Tennis players should check their weight before training sessions wearing light clothing, and then check their weight immediately after the training sessions with their bodies dry. Next, the weight of any liquids consumed during training is added.

Dr Allison explains the process as follows: Weight before training: 65 kg Weight after training: 63 kg Liquids consumed by the player: 1 liter Duration of training: 1.5 hours Thus, Lost fluids = 65 kg - 63 kg = 2 kg Sweat quantity= 2 kg + 1 kg = 3 kg Sweating rate = 3/1.5 hour = 2 liters per hour

The players must also follow the basic guidelines for drinking fluids during training and matches, namely: Drinking 200-600 ml of liquid before training or match Drinking 150-250 ml of liquid every 15-20 minutes during training or match

If the duration of the training or the game is more than an hour, Dr. Richard advises the players to drink sports drinks that contain 4.8 grams of carbohydrates per milliliter as the sodium that these drinks contain helps hydrate the body.

In general, players should drink an adequate quantity of liquids during the tournament days to minimize the risk of dehydration. Another way to help players measure the rates of fluids in their bodies is their urine, which should be of a light color.

“When injuries occur, nutrition plays an important role in the recovery process whereas malnutrition delays the healing processes,” Dr. Allison says about the role of nutrition in recovery from injuries. “Therefore following simple diets may help make healing faster. Since a diet that doesn’t contain protein and energy may affect the body’s resistance to infections and slow down healing of wounds, injured players should follow a balanced diet that’s not only confined to the main food groups.

A balanced diet provides an ideal factor for healing processes and reducing the changes that may occur in the body (by 3-5% of body weight).

Some players tend to reduce the intake of energydense foods in order to avoid any increase in their weights. However, eating inadequate quantities of energy-dense foods may prevent the body from rebuilding its muscles. Players should eat carbohydrates in a balanced manner so that the body gets the energy needed for training and recovery.

The following are some necessary instructions mentioned by Dr. Allison for carbohydrate intake: Players with medium level of activity (one hour per day) should consume 5-7 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body mass Players with medium level of activity (1-3 hours per day) should consume 6-11 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body mass

If the player wants to reduce the amount of energy intake to avoid any increase in their weight, they can reduce the quantity of food as a whole in each meal or reduce the quantity of fats which accounts 20-30% of the diet of the players, or about 30-40 and 80-100 grams per day for players with medium level of activity and elite players respectively. When the player is injured, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids help reduce inflammation and increase the efficiency of their body’s immunity system. These elements are found in fat-rich fish such as salmon and mackerel, and in walnuts and linseed oil.

Vitamins and minerals also play a vital role in injury healing. The intake of adequate quantities of calcium and vitamin D (milk and fish) is very important if players suffer from fractures. Some other nutrients, such as zinc, vitamin C and vitamin A (liver, carrots, broccoli and sweet potatoes) help speed recovery from injuries.

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NUTRITION AND TENNIS

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The Best Pre-Competition Food For Players There are many players that stick to specific diets, such as fresh vegetable or gluten-free diets. The following are examples of some of the diets followed by tennis stars: Rafael Nadal He prefers to eat simple meals such as grilled fish with potatoes and pasta during the days preceding the games.

Maria Sharapova Her main food habit is “no carbs after 6pm”.

He follows a gluten–free diet.

Victoria Azarenka

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She eats fresh foods and stays away from raw and fast foods.

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Dr. Richard Alison psychological changes.”

“We note in recent years that diets containing little or no gluten and wheat have become common among tennis players as a result of some of the symptoms experienced by some players like intestinal disturbances, distension, fatigue or allergy resulting from gluten and wheat. However, tennis players shouldn’t stick to gluten-free diet unless they have intestinal diseases.”

Andy Murray

Balance is the key

During tournaments, he has 6 meals a day starting with a mixture of proteins followed by peanut butter, cookies and yogurt. As for the rest of the meals he eats a mixture of proteins found in red meat and fish, and along with rice, pasta and green leafy vegetables as a source of carbohydrates.

“Balance is the key,” says Dr. Allison regarding those diets that can delay a player’s recovery from injuries or limit their ability to perform better in tennis court.

Therefore, players should be encouraged to eat healthy foods and follow balanced diets without excluding any of the food groups. Players should eat food that contains carbohydrates for energy, protein to build muscles, and vitamins and minerals for better immunity and health.

“Tennis players, just like the rest of athletes, strive to be in their best physical shapes, so they follow special diets, including Atkins diet (low carbs), stone age diet, fresh vegetable diet, or gluten-free diet,” says Dr. Allison. “These diets may help players lose excess weight initially but they may reduce the energy levels in their bodies, weaken their muscles and cause

Qatar Tennis Federation (QTF) and players’ health QTF pays special attention to this topic. After the daily training programs of QTF tennis buds, they are served healthy light meals containing fruits, milk and fibers.

Tennis for all ‫التنس للجميع‬

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Novak Djokovic

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Started my career in Al Rayyan tennis club Sultan would have been one of the international Qatari champions

When do you think appreciation for this game will turn into winning titles and trophies?

Patience is key in tennis. Players cannot expect to excel in the first years of practice. They have to wait for no less than five years before they can start reaping results in the form of titles and cups. There are examples in the current generation of Qatari tennis players, both youth and men, such as Ali Abdulridha, Mousa Shannan, and Abdullah Al Jifairi, who seem to have rising prospects in the world of tennis.

Munsif Mishmash

Who are some of the successful Qatari players in the recent years?

Tennis in Qatar has developed at all levels

T

unisian coach Munsif Mishmash, the oldest trainer at QTF, cherishes many important memories about the development of tennis in Qatar and the most outstanding milestones that the Qatari players have achieved in the past 25 years, making him Qatar’s most renowned tennis trainer.

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Munsif Mishmash, who started his training career in Qatar in 1987, transformed into a noteworthy authority in coaching tennis players and instilling basic sporting values in them, making them heroes who can raise the banner of Qatar high in the regional and international arenas. After having spent many years at the courts, Captain Mishmash doesn’t intend to retire, and confirms that his hands will not let go of the racquet as long as he enjoys the physical capabilities that allow him to practice training and developing tennis players.

Qatar Tennis Link met with Mishmash to learn about his career.

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the current president of Qatar Tennis Federation. In addition, there was Khalid al Khulaifi along with other players from Al Arabi, Al Wakrah, Al Sadd, Al Rayyan and Al Ahli clubs.

Competition was very intense between players from the different clubs as all were aspiring to win the different seasonal competitions of the general and super leagues.

Qataris were very passionate about tennis during that time. All competing teams comprised of Qatari players before the system to reinforce each team with a foreign player was adopted.

What were the most outstanding results you achieved as a coach during that time?

I succeeded in winning the league title for five consecutive seasons with the Al Rayyan junior team.

How did you get into coaching in Qatar?

How do you evaluate the development of tennis in Qatar in recent years?

I started my career as a tennis instructor in Qatar in 1987. It was part of an understanding between government sports authorities in Tunisia and Qatar, as there was a demand for tennis coaches here .

As soon as I arrived in Qatar, I joined Al Rayyan Club, which at that time used to operate in conjunction with other clubs. I remained a part of the club until 1994.

At that time all clubs used to come to Doha Tennis Club for training in accordance with a pre-established timetable, as the present courts of the federation were not available.

The biggest and earliest milestone in Qatar’s tennis history has been the infrastructural development which comprises courts and the present federation complex (Khalifa International Tennis And Squash Complex).

These advanced facilities make Qatar an important destination in the world of tennis, as some of them may not even be available in many Western countries.

All of this was achieved through meticulous care and planning, and not to mention, a huge interest in the game in Qatar.

Do you remember any of the players whom you trained during that period who were prominent in the game in other clubs?

I remember a big group of good players from that time, foremost among them was Naser Al Khulaifi,

in recent years towards the development of junior tennis players through mentorship and coaching from a very young age. My specialization in the game gives me a great deal of satisfaction.

Developing the game of tennis received the highest priority in Qatar when compared to other Gulf countries. Qatar was always at the forefront of all innovations in this field, including organizing training camps, overseas participations, developing the skills of junior tennis teams and providing the best coaches.

The policy of QTF has been focused more increasingly

Sultan Khalfan, the current director of local championships at QTF is one of the best players we have currently. He has held advanced positions among the Gulf players, and he could very well be included in the “Top 200” rankings of international professional tennis players.

What is special about Sultan is his great love for the game and his continuous technical preparedness. He once devoted all his time and care to the game, and developed his skills considerably. This is what makes him achieve outstanding results.

What prevented Sultan Khalfan from achieving better results and rating?

Overseas participations were not available. If Sultan were in the prime of his youth now, international doors for professional playing would have been open to him, and he would have been one of the international Qatari champions.

How can Qatari players be taken more seriously in the international circuit?

The best thing that a player, Qatari or otherwise, needs is intensive participation in matches against diverse players as this will help him or her gain more experience in the game. Playing techniques are different from one player to another, and from one nationality to another. Such diversity would expand the expertise of the player and make him more prepared to deal with each playing technique that he has to confront.

QTF has started to adopt this policy in recent years, and it continues to increase the number of events so as to provide Qatari players with more opportunities to play more number of matches.

Some believe that tennis is more about mental and emotional preparedness than physical strength and skill. What do you think?

The mental and emotional states of the tennis player are the cornerstone of building his sportsmanship, and enabling him to deal in a positive way with the developments in each match he plays. Mental preparedness leads the player to mobilize his physical capabilities and increases his aspirations to win.

Naser Bin Ghanim Al Khulaifi, the current president of QTF was the perfect example of a mentally and emotionally prepared player. He was a role model for discipline, punctuality and determination in training.

What is the magical prescription for players so that they can walk in the footsteps of champions?

Among the basic factors in creating a tennis champion are discipline, strong will and insistence. These factors form the three main pillars of each tennis player who wishes to develop a successful sporting career.

A champion has to face and battle continuous challenges that arise from both within him as well as those from competitors in order to achieve a high degree of concentration during matches.

After 30 years of training, do you think you have chosen a difficult career?

It is a difficult career no doubt, but it is enjoyable too because it helps you establish strong relations with the players. When a healthy psychological and mental understanding is developed between the coach and the player, realization of dreams and attainment of goals become possible, and good results become a matter of course.

I am happy with the human and sporting relations that I was able to develop with several parties and players in the family of tennis throughout the many years in which I served the advancement of the game. This is one of my most important achievements to date.

What is your advice for those who wish to create a successful career in sports?

Patience, perseverance and love for the game are key requirements. Tennis is a loyal game. The more you dedicate your time and effort to it, the more success it bestows on you. I advise all young players to exert more effort and not to be hasty in trying to reap the results as these can be delayed for some time, but they come eventually.

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THE OLDEST TRAINER AT QATAR TENNIS FEDERATION:

The Qatari player Jassim Al Ziyarah is a good example of a player that has loved the game and achieved great results in it.

What is your happiest memory in your coaching history?

Winning the title of the Gulf Under-18 championship for boys when we beat Kuwait in the final with all their upper crust stars and coming second in the Under14 championship for boys, both of which were first achievements in the sporting history of Qatar.

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Utilising “Mental Strength” The Ultimate Challenge

THE TOURNAMENT DRAWS THE PARTICIPATION OF 192 PLAYERS

QATARI PLAYERS DOMINATE NBK RAMADAN TOURNAMENT

By Captain Mamdouh Ismail Marzouk,

Participants of the NBK Ramadan Tournament

S

ports competitions are similar to many things in everyday life. They are rife with frustration, joy, pain and struggle. People who step into the world of sports soon discover that competition needs more than just physical skills and that possessing these skills is only one aspect of competitive sports.

One important factor is the ability of athletes in general, and tennis players, in particular, to use those skills when they need them, which is a challenge in itself.

However, the ultimate challenge is self-control.

Every match of a tennis player is a story of struggle for self-control. Control is the axis that connects the body with the mind. This can be clearly seen in sports competitions.

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The quest to reach the limits of physical skills often seems to be beyond our abilities and that’s what forces us to face ourselves, our deficits, fears, doubts and uncertainties that lie deep within us.

Therefore, to succeed in sports competitions we need to go beyond the victory in this struggle and reach a stage of excellence, which includes courage, commitment and discipline. Only then will we reach that point of standing out at sports competitions, and become part of an ongoing process of selftransformation and self-change. To put it differently, that’s when the “struggle between man and himself” begins.

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Most of us know how to train physically and we all know how to improve our fitness and increase our strength and skills but what we do not know is how

to train to be better players by increasing our mental strength and mental fitness.

Most players and coaches agree that 50% of good sports practice is a mental process. However, most athletes spend barely 5% of their total training time on improving their mental skills.

Just like physical fitness, mental fitness is the cornerstone of competitive performance. Reaching peak performance during matches requires “strength of mind”, which can be obtained through a range of acquired mental skills including focus, control in attitudes of the mind, dealing with pressure, a proper mindset and energy control through motivation and visual imagination, or what is called “mental strength exercises”.

Sports science has achieved remarkable progress in recent years and we have become fully aware of everything related to sports performance aspects of fitness, nutrition, biomechanics and human physiology, and it is now possible to design and implement extremely accurate training programs that can directly make the required changes in aerobic energy, the technical form, style of strength, flexibility and other factors affecting performance. Sports medicine has also developed in terms of prevention and treatment of sports injuries and rehabilitation of these injuries.

There has been a remarkable development in sports psychology and all experts, coaches and players acknowledge that at least 50% of good sport practice is the result of mental or psychological factors, but the most important factor of all is the understanding of “mental strength” and training to utilize it.

T

he 24th edition of the NBK Ramadan Tournament kicked off on 11 July, on the second day of Ramadan, at the Sheraton Hotel, Al Dana Club and Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex.

Qatari players won most of the titles of the tournament, winning in most age groups participating in the tournament.

HE Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage, Mr. Nasser bin Ghanim Al Khulaifi, President of Qatar Tennis Federation and Sheikh Nawaf bin Nasser Al Thani, NBK Group Chairman, awarded the winners in the closing ceremony.

Issa Shannan, a promising Qatari player, won the Under-18 title for men after beating his national teammate Khalifa Al Mahmoud in the final match 2-0, while Mubaraka Al Naimi won the Under-14 championship for girls beating the Indonesian player Fatima Amirool 2-1, and Ibrahim Eid Al Sulaiti won the title for Boys’ Under-14 beating his teammate Hamad Al Mohannadi, 2-1.

In Under-10 championship for boys, Indonesian Mohamed Amirool defeated Nasser Al Yazidi.

Mubarak Shannan won the title of Men’s Singles by defeating Frenchman Alexander Soba 2-0, whereas Abdullah Al Mahmood and Ali Abdul Redha won Men’s Doubles title after knocking down Khaled Saadoun Al Kuwari and Salman Abdul Rahman Al Hamidi in the competition final.

Hamad Al Mohannadi and Mubarak Al Sulaiti won the Doubles title for Under-14 after beating Yousef Al Sulaiti and Ali Al Mohmoud. Mohammed Jassim Al Kuwari and Amir Mohamed Bayoumi won the pioneers

doubles title after beating Zayed Al Fraidi and Rashed Al Amer. Sheikh Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Thani won the Ideal Player Cup in recognition of his commitment to participate, while Abdul Hakim Al Nuaimi won the Sportsmanship Cup.

Increased Participation The tournament witnessed an increase in participation this year with players of different age groups and nationalities competing in both singles and doubles matches.

A large group of players of all categories participated in the tournament. Sheikh Hassan bin Khalid Al Thani, Sheikh Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Thani, Dr. Mohammed Salem Al Hassan, Ahmed Tawfiq, Mohammed Jassim Al Kuwari, Khalid bin Ghanim Al Khulaifi and Mohammed Abdul Aziz bin Turki Al Subaie were the star attractions in the tournament.

The players also included a number of HMC doctors including Dr. Ibrahim Essawi and Dr. Ahmed Ismail.

Players from the national tennis teams also participated in the tournament, including Faisal Ghanim Al Sulaiti, Mohamed Al Gharib, Khaled Al Saadoun Al Kuwari, Jassem Al Ziayra, Abdullah Shannan, Issa Shannan, Mubarak Shannan, Abdullah Abdul Rahman Al Jufairi, Abdul Rahman Mahmoud, Ola Basil, Mubaraka Al Nuaimi, Abdullah Al Mahmoud, Khalifa Al Mahmoud, Mohammed Awad, Mohammed Al Kubaisi and Ali Abdul Redha.

The draw for the tournament took place under the supervision of Mahmoud Ojaili, the tournament’s General Ruler, in the presence of Abdul Razak Mawas, Chairman of the Organizing Committee, and Ehab Awad, Assistant to the Tournament Director.

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Assistant Head of Coaches, QTF

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INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW

“Being Listed In The ITF Rankings Is The Best Of My Best Achievements And I Aspire To Go International”

Brendan contributed in preparing me physically and properly by strengthening muscles of my hands and feet to become stronger and have more stamina, which made me direct the ball more effectively. Coach Munir Al Araj prepared me technically and mentally. They made me capable of dealing positively with tournament developments so I no longer give up when I lose and I fight to win in every game, fighting till the very last moment.

Do you think tennis is different from other sports?

Tennis Star of The Future

atari player, Ali Abdul Reda Al Sayegh, achieved a quantum leap in his career during the current sports season. For the first time, he entered the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Juniors Rankings, achieving many titles and first positions in several tournaments organized by the Qatar Tennis Federation (QTF) throughout the season.

Ali Al Sayegh aspires to continue his success in the coming seasons to improve his position and earning greater accolades. His goal is to achieve his aspirations and dreams of going international, representing the State of Qatar at international events.

Qatar Tennis Link caught up with Al Sayegh at the end of the current season, of which he is the new champion.

How did your tennis journey start and when?

I was 6 years old when my tennis journey started with a talent test at Al Wafa Model School in Al Hilal, Doha.

The talent test was conducted by tennis coaches. I was then invited to join QTF tennis teams.

I played tennis along with football at Al Ahli Club. But the talent test and the invitation that I received from the test supervisors to join QTF made me decide to take up tennis full-time, giving up football.

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Who encouraged you to make the decision to play tennis full-time?

Since I was a little child, tennis has been my favourite game. That’s what made me realise that it was the most suitable sport for me and my ambition, so I decided to play it full-time. However, my father also had a role in this choice because he loved tennis and he constantly followed news and tournaments. So he advised me to take that decision, which was aligned with my personal desire.

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I’m convinced I made the right choice and I don’t regret it. My love for tennis is strong and I look forward to progressing in it and having a successful career that makes me go international by participating in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) international championships.

Yes, it is a very distinctive game compared to other sports because it relies so much on both mental and physical sides, and requires a lot of patience.

Every player should also know how to deal with the fluctuations of the game results and keep focused throughout the tournament.

Who supervised your training when you joined QTF? Ex-Captain Mohamed Bayoumi was the first to train me in QTF, then Captain Mazari, Captain Jamal Karmosi and many foreign and Arab coaches have contributed to hone my talent.

In the early years I trained at Al Ahli club, but when I turned 11, I joined QTF and I’m still there.

How do you see your level of technical development since the beginning of playing tennis until now?

At first, my performance in tennis was not good, in tournaments it was average in general; but in the last year I feel that I have made a quantum leap in terms of my potential and skills. My performance became much better than it was previously, which made me achieve many good results.

Captain Munir Al Araj and fitness coach David Brendan contributed a lot in achieving this shift and made me more confident in my physical and technical potential and that’s what made me play tennis with more strength and a passion to win.

What are your most prominent achievements in the last sports season compared to the previous ones?

I got my first ITF ranking points in the under-18 group, after my success in winning my first matches in this category, thanks to the care and training of coaches Munir Al Araj and David Brendan. My results improved in various local, GCC and Asian tournaments that I participated in and I came first in many of those tournaments. All of these accomplishments made me believe in my potential and I feel much better now about my caliber in games, technically and physically. Coach

If the player happens to be tense or lacking in focus, they will undoubtedly lose the game, and that’s what a tennis player should avoid.

Who stands by your side when you lose, and helps you overcome it?

When I lose in some tournaments, my coaches are the first to stand by my side and raise my morale.

QTF administration members, especially Ahmed Al Amin, teams administrators, always stand by the side of the players and reduce the impact of the loss. I must pay tribute to the significant role played by QTF in developing the players; skills by providing tennis courts, coaches, camps and taking care of the players and helping them develop technically and mentally to deal with the challenges of the game.

What are the most prominent achievements in your career so far?

Among the best memories is our victory in the GCC Championship for juniors under 12 years in Dubai.

I participated with Abdullah Al Mahmoud, Mubarak Shannan and Abdul Rahman Hareb, before achieving second position in GCC Championship for juniors Under-16.

Another achievement in the current season is winning in one of the ITF championships for juniors, which made me enter the Junior Rankings for the first time in my life.

This achievement has increased my ambitions and made me try to achieve more points to improve my ranking through bagging more victories in future ITF tournaments.

That is my personal dream and also the dream of all Qatari players like myself. I hope to achieve it someday.

If I couldn’t, I hope some other Qatari players will.

I don’t think it is impossible but it requires focus, diligence and a bit of luck.

I really don’t see it as an impossibility. It will definitely require patience. Two years ago, none of the QTF players were listed in the ATP International Rankings but now more than one player has achieved this.

Which player is your role model?

I’m a fan of Jabr Noah, the Qatari player holding the first position in Qatari players rankings. Also Captain Sultan Khalfan, the former Qatari champion of local tournaments at QTF. At the international level, I am a fan of Andre Agassi, former U.S. player. Now I consider the Swiss player Federer the best and he inspires me in a lot of techniques in my game.

Don’t you like Nadal?

I think Federer’s techniques are better than Nadal’s. He is quieter and shows more advanced techniques during the tournaments. Nadal may have millions of fans in the world but I’m personally a fan of Federer.

Apart from study and tennis, how do you spend your time?

What are the next steps to develop your abilities?

I love water sports and I like driving jet skis. I spend the rest of the time with my family, especially my father, who is my scientific role model. My father has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and I am trying to reach his level and fulfill my dream of success in both sports and academics.

In the next season I will be heading to a US university to study and play tennis at the same time like my colleagues Issa Shannan and Jabr Noah.

I look forward to taking new important steps in my sports career to improve my abilities and my international ranking.

I call on them to practice sports as a hobby or a profession, not necessarily tennis but any kind of sports.

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Ali Al Sayegh

Q

When will we see a Qatari player listed in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Rankings?

What is your message to young Qataris who do not practice sports?

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GLOBAL NEWS

GLOBAL NEWS

ROLAND GARROS

WIMBLEDON

Bartoli won the women’s title at Wimbledon

Spain’s Nadal becomes the first player in history to collect eight titles at one championship

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ollowing his victory at Roland Garros, Rafael Nadal became the first player in history to collect eight titles at one championship. The Roland Garros Grand Slam championship took place in June 2013.

Nadal defeated his fellow Spaniard, David Ferrer, at the Roland Garros final 6-3, 6-2 and 6-3 in a match that lasted for two and a quarter hours.

With this victory, Nadal held on to the Roland Garros men’s singles title and increased his record to 57 singles titles. This includes 12 prestigious titles: eight at Roland Garros, two at Wimbledon, one at the Melbourne Championship and one title at Flushing Meadows, US.

Serena Williams wins the Women’s Championship title at Roland Garros

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rench 15th seed Marion Bartoli won the Wimbledon title, her first Grand Slam title in her 47th appearance at a major tournament after defeating 23rd –seeded German Sabine Lisicki 6-1, 6-4 in 1 hour 21 minutes.

FEDERER REJOINS WINNERS’ CIRCLE WITH SIXTH HALLE TITLE

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fter an absence of 11 years, Serena Williams won the women’s singles title at the French Open for the second time after beating her rival Maria Sharapova 6-4, 6-4 in the final match. The tournament took place in June 2013.

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A quarter of Britain watched Murray win

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ore than a quarter of Britain watched how Andy Murray became the first British to be crowned a Wimbledon champion in 77 years.

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A

ndy Murray became the first British man to win at Wimbledon in 77 years after defeating Novak Djokovic of Serbia 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 in the final match of the tournament.

BBC said that 17.3 million people watched Wimbledon final, that’s a quarter of the British people as last census dating back to March 2011 estimated the population of the United Kingdom at about 63 million people, meaning that more than 27% watched the Murray-Djokovic match.

The last one to win at Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam tournament of the year, was Fred Perry in 1936.

Last year, 16.9 million people watched the Wimbledon final in which Murray lost to Roger Federer.

TP World No. 5 Roger Federer is using a new racquet that is bigger than his current one by 20 cm.

Federer began playing with the new racquet at the Hamburg International Championship after an absence of five years.

Federer said, “I think 90% of the current players have racquets with a 90 to 100-square-inch head (241 to 254 cm).”

He said that testing the new racquet was great. “I think I can control its strength well,” he added.

The 31-year-old Federer won only one title this year at Halle. After his loss at Wimbledon, he fell to No. 5.

Federer won at Hamburg in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2007 and lost the 2008 final when the tournament was one of the nine Masters.

WIMBLEDON This victory is the eighth victory for Murray over Djokovic in 19 matches, and the second over the Serbian in two matches in grass courts.

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The Swiss player was among the few that use a 90square-inch head and won 77 titles using it, including 17 in the four Grand Slam.

The 31-year-old American, is the oldest woman’s champion since tennis evolved into a professional game in 1968. She now holds 16 Grand Slam titles out of the 20 final matches she has played.

Andy murray becomes the first british man to win at wimbledon in 77 years

Marion Bartoli became the third Frenchwoman to win a Grand Slam title after Mary Pierce in at Roland Garros 2000 and Amelie Mauresmo at Wimbledon 2006.

The 28-year-old achieved her dream of ascending the podium at Wimbledon while Lisicki, who played her first Grand Slam tournament, failed to achieve such a dream.

NAMES JIMMY CONNORS AS HER NEW COACH SHARAPOVA SPLITS WITH HER PREVIOUS COACH

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aria Sharapova has announced Jimmy Connors as her new coach.

Sharapova split with her previous coach Thomas Hogstedt recently, after three years of working together.

In a statement on her website, Sharapova said: “I am happy to announce that Jimmy Connors will be my new coach. I have known Jimmy for many years and we briefly worked together in 2008 just before the Australian Open. I am really excited about our new partnership and looking forward to the upcoming tournaments.”

Third seed at Wimbledon this year, Sharapova, winner of four Grand Slam singles titles, suffered a surprise second-round 6-3 6-4 defeat to the World No.131 Michelle Larcher de Brito.

Sharapova began her work with the former coach (49 years) in 2010. Under his supervision, she won at Roland Garros in 2012 to become a winner of four Grand Slam singles.

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After winning the Roland Garros

Many observers wonder if the reason for changing her coach was Sharapova’s performance at Wimbledon.

Others have commented that the reason of this change is likely to be an attempt to gain a different approach and experience.

Jimmy Connors is a former American tennis player.

He won eight Grand Slam singles titles and was the world No.1 for 160 weeks from July 1974 to August 1977. Many consider him as one of the most prominent tennis players in the history of the game.

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