Tennis world english n 44

Page 1




Federer Dominates, But Nadal Eyeing Number One Marco Di Nardo

The end of 2016 saw an unfamiliar situation: a year-end number one other than Novak Djokovic. From 2011 to 2015, the Serb was the ITF Champion, though he was not always the year-end number one (Nadal overtook him briefly in 2013). His dominance has essentially gone unchallenged for nearly half a decade, but an unexpected loss of form has thrown Nole into crisis. Andy Murray was right there to take advantage of the situation, of course, sneaking past Djokovic to become number one for the first time. Yet despite all his issues in the second half of 2016, few would have guessed that NoleĘźs problems would only multiply in 2017. Even stranger has been the disappearance of Andy Murray who, after appearing utterly unstoppable at the end of last year, has played poorly so far this season, when he has played at all. Into this vacuum at the top has stepped two familiar faces: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who are no strangers to the top spots of the ATP rankings. Indeed, these two men currently occupy the first two positions in the ATP Race rankings. Federer has been the biggest revelation in tennis in 2017. At 36 years old, positively ancient in this sport, he won the Australian Open as well as the Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami. It is an extremely difficult hat-trick to pull off, though the Swiss did manage it in 2006 as well. That, of course, was 11 years ago, when he was at his physical peak. Incredibly, Federer has lost only one

official match this year, a fluke at the ATP 500 event in Dubai, when he lost to the unheralded Evgeny Donskoy. Federer did lose one other match in 2017, but it was at the Hopman Cup, an event outside of his normal Tour activities. He lost there in a tight encounter against Alexander Zverev. Since then he has gone on an absolute tear, and has won his last 11 matches. But now, the Swiss needs rest. He will sit out the entire clay season, except for Roland Garros, in order to ensure that he does not overtax his ageing body. Federer has publicly said he is not chasing the world number one ranking, which is just as well, since it will be an unlikely prize


without playing on the European clay. That means that Rafael Nadal, FedererĘźs only rival so far this year, must now become the favorite for the year-end number one. The Spaniard has not won a title so far this year, but has reached three finals (Australian Open, Acapulco and Miami), and has played some impressive tennis along the way. He is currently number two in the race rankings, but with Federer out and his favorite part of the year coming up, he will be looking to close the gap between himself and the Swiss. He will have to deal with Djokovic, of course, who has beaten him plenty of

times on clay in the recent years. But the Serb is likely to be rusty coming off an injury layoff, and his form this year has been anything but consistent. And Murray has never been particularly good on clay, though he has beaten the Spaniard on the surface before. So it will not be a cakewalk for the former world number one, but given his current form and the state of the competition, it is an incredible opportunity. Indeed, it might be the last such golden opportunity of his career. It will be an interesting year indeed.


Grasping For Greatness

NadalĘźs comeback quest Valerio Carriero

Melbourne, Acapulco, Miami. These three tournaments provide, in a nutshell, Rafael Nadal’s season so far: close, but yet so far. Coming into the season plenty of people thought Nadal would quickly jump back into his form of old, and more or less immediately win every tournament he entered. A roughly equal amount of people thought he would never see another significant final in his career. The truth, as so often is the case, has been a compromise between the two positions. He has played extremely well, well enough to reach the final of major events, but not well enough to win them. But then the fact that Nadal is competing at such a high level so early in the season is a bit of a surprise. He ended 2016 on a down note, missing the last events of the year due to an injury, but promising to work extremely hard in the off season. It would appear that he kept his promise, no doubt with help from the newest member of his coaching team, Carlos Moya. Moya has been a fan of his fellow Spaniard since Nadal was just 13 years old, and there has always been a mutual respect between them.


But if the “Moya effect” has gotten Nadal to the finals of tournaments, it has not been enough to get him over the finish line. Yes, Nadal is playing much better now than at any points over the past two years, but some of his old demons still haunt him. Nowhere was this more apparent than in the Australian Open final, where he led by a break in the fifth set but somehow managed to let it slip away. His shocking loss to Sam Querrey in Acapulco was also a massive blow. Losing to Roger Federer in a Slam final is one thing, but against Sam Querrey? That’s another matter entirely. One cannot help but that the Nadal of five years ago would not have lost those matches. “Rafa is too hard on himself,” Moya said in a recent interview. That might be true, but his insistence on excellence has gotten him this far in his career, and it will be hard for him to take things at a slower pace. Indeed, he might have gone the opposite direction after two more losses to Federer in Indian Wells and Miami. The desire to win can only burn stronger after such defeats, but the question is whether Nadal will be able to channel that fire in the most efficient way possible. If we look at the past few years, Moya might be right, that something needs to change in Nadal’s approach. Since winning Roland Garros in 2014, Nadal has lost 7 of his last 12 finals. In the tournaments he did manage to win,


he did so by beating Monaco, Troicki, Monfils, Fognini and Nishikori in the finals. However, when coming up against quality players like Murray, Djokovic and Federer, he always loses. The gap between Nadal and the rest of the Fab Four has been large and growing for a number of years. Injuries have not helped him, and seemingly every time he has made significant progress in his form he has been forced to sit out for weeks or months due to some ailment. The 2016 French Open is a case in point. He was playing very well coming into the tournament, and his first matches were dominant affairs. Unfortunately for him, an untimely injury soon put an end to any sort of French Open dream. The fact of the matter is this: it all adds up. The past few years have had a cumulative effect on Nadal’s game and mind. He now cannot help but remember all those finals he lost, all those opportunities he squandered. The question is whether the time is right for him to break out of this vicious cycle and win some big events. The landscape of the Tour is certainly in his favor: Murray is struggling to assert himself as number one, while Djokovic can’t seem to get his act together. The biggest piece of the puzzle is Federer, who is off on holiday for the next few months. If there has ever been a time for Nadal to regain the form that took him to world number one all those years ago, it has to be now. If he lets it slip away again, he might not get another chance.





Kyrgios In Transition Federico Mariani

If you asked Nick Kyrgios to close his eyes and imagine his perfect moment, what would he think of? Until very recently, it would likely have nothing to do with tennis. After all, he has all but admitted the only reason he plays the sport is because it makes him lots of money, not because he particularly enjoys it. But after the events of the last month, it might be that Kyrgios is starting to take the sport a little more seriously. Many believe that he can be a very important player for tennis in the coming decade, but only he if really wanted to and fully embraced what comes with a that. Slowly but sure, it seems like he finally be coming around. The year did not start well for Nick Kyrgios, as he lost in the second round of the Australian Open to Italian journeyman Andreas Seppi. There were also a few incidents where Kyrgios got into trouble because of his on-court behavior. But as the old saying goes, “winning solves everything,� and such might be the case for Kyrgios. March of 2017 could very well be remembered as the month

things started coming together for the young Aussie. Not only did he reach two semi-finals and a quarter-final of three big events (two of them Masters 1000 tournaments), but he also beat Novak Djokovic twice. Add to that the fact that he very nearly beat Roger Federer again (he already has a win against the Swiss) and also knocked off fellow up-and-comer Alexander Zverev, and Kyrgios has many reasons to feel good about himself.

Kyrgios is the quintessential modern player. He is tall, has a monstrous serve, a huge ground game and moves quickly around the court. Indeed, if you had to design a tennis player from scratch you could hardly do any better. His problem has always been his personality, which is so lively and combative that itĘźs uncontrollable at times. Occasionally, he manages to channel that energy into positive pursuits. In the recent Davis Cup tie


between Australia and the United States, for example, he was a vocal leader on the team, and backed up his big talk by winning both his matches to help his team advance. When he is in that mode – positive, passionate and focused – he is a joy to watch, and all but unstoppable. The question is whether he can, or wants to, put in the physical and mental work that is required to permanently operate at that level. Kyrgios is currently

ranked 15 in the world, but there is a lot of room for growth this season. He is not defending a huge amount of points for the rest of the year, his largest commitments coming in Atlanta and Tokyo, where he is the defending champion. Critically, he has very few points to defend at the remaining Slams, never having gone past the fourth round last year. Given his current form, the state of the competition and the fact that he can pick up a lot of points in the coming

months, the Top 10 is beckoning for Kyrgios. All he needs to do is seize the opportunity and he will officially be ranked among the best players in the world. That being said, making such a push will require a major commitment from the Australian, and a lot of work. Is he ready to give his full, undivided attention to the sport he claims to have no particular love for? We wonĘźt have to wait very long to find out.




Fabulous Fognini The eternal enigma Giorgio Perri

Sigmund Freud spent much of his life trying to figure out what drives people. Eros, Thanatos, the ego, superego and id…all of these wellknown concepts explore in one way or another why people act the way they do. Of course, the German found many interesting test subjects in his career to study and develop all of these concepts, but it is a shame he was not working a hundred years or so later. If he had been born just a few decades on, he would have had the most fascinating test subject of all to work with: Fabio Fognini. The Italian proudly sports perhaps the biggest ego in all of tennis, and combines it the most extravagant instincts for self-destruction that we have ever seen in a tennis player (with apologies to Nick Kyrgios). Indeed, Freud would have been able to study just Fognini for his entire life, and still not get to the bottom of this mysterious character. Fognini casts such a large shadow over Italian tennis that at the recent Davis Cup tie against Belgium, the weekend became all about him even though he wasn’t playing. Conspicuous by his absence, which he attributed to fatigue after the North American hard court swing, Fognini was blamed by many a spectator for everything that went wrong for the Italians. Had he been there, they figured, the narrow 3-2 loss would have almost certainly been avoided. One thing they don’t take into account, it seems, is Fognini himself. Having him at the Davis Cup would have guaranteed nothing more than the fact that he would have been there. Which version of Fognini would have showed up is anyone’s guess. He might have won each of his matches without dropping a game, or lost each of his matches with the same score. There are many ways to illustrate this point, but let us choose two matches, three years apart. For this first we travel back to Monte Carlo in 2014, where he played Jo-Wilfried

Tsonga in the third round. The first two sets were utter madness, Fognini alternating between unspeakable brilliance and unexplainable sloppiness. He wins the first and loses the second, and the latter fact does not sit well with him. In fact, he gets so worked up about it, so angry that he did not win the match in straight sets, that he essentially gives up in the third. He loses it 6-0, and with it the match. Tsonga at the other end of the net seems embarrassed that he is part of this display, with the Italian obviously no longer caring about trying to win. But then such a sudden turn is central to Fognini’s personality. When Fognini embraces his wife after an important win, he’s suddenly another person: sweet, shy and mature. But goodness knows the slightest thing on a tennis court can set him off to the point where he seems to forget where he is and what he’s


doing. For our second illustrative match, we go to Indian Wells in 2017. Again he is playing Tsonga, this time in the second round. Like that match three years prior, he wins the first set and loses the second. And his reaction after losing the second? Well, there was no real reaction. He calmly carried on into the third, focused and alert. He plays even better than he had in the first set, showing incredible athleticism and shot-making, and wins the match. That is Fabio Fognini. Trying to predict what he will do on any given day is utterly impossible. He lost his next match in Miami to Pablo Cuevas, an encounter he certainly should have won. Such a loss might have sent him into a funk lasting weeks, as has happened before. But Fognini arrive at Miami just a few days later playing even better than

he had in Indian Wells. He played so well, in fact, that he reached the semi-finals, a position he has been in only once before at a Masters 1000 event ­ in Monte Carlo in 2013. Unfortunately, he could not defeat Nadal in the semi-final, even though he has a fairly good record against the Spaniard. But he once again proved that he can mix with the best players in the world and often come out on top. He certainly has Top 10 talent, though it seems as if that will ultimately prove to be an unachievable ambition, given the limiting consequences of his erratic behavior. That being said, it never gets old watching ­ and studying ­ the Italian. If this latest success means a good year of him going deep in draws, it will be fantastic. It he has a topsy-turvy year full of implosions and dramatics, well, that’s OK too.


David Nalbandian: The Misunderstood Genius Akshay Kohli

David Nalbandian bid adieu to Professional Tennis sighting a shoulder injury, bringing an end to his illustrious career after being on the Tour for 13 years. Words simply canʼt describe what an influential character this Argentine has been in my life as a tennis player! I remember not having a strong backhand during the time I played juniors and my father just said one thing – try copying

your favourite player and youʼll see the results! Well though I did not do it much during practice but once in a match my backhand was seriously letting me down and I sat on the chair and closed my eyes just to visualize how Nalbandian hits a backhand. David Pablo Nalbandian began playing tennis when he was 5 and went on to assimilate some really impressive Juniors Results, winning the Junior US Open in 98 (defeated Roger Federer) and finishing runner-up at the French Open Juniors. He also reached the last 4 of Junior Wimbledon in 99 and ended his Juniorʼs career as World No.3 in Singles and World No.6 in

Doubles. Whatever the Argentine has managed accomplishing is something that not many people can replicate and his backhand is something no one can match. For 13 long years Nalbandian put in his heart and soul into playing this sport with his last professional match coming in Miami this year where he lost to Jarkko Nieminen. His last matches would be a series of farewell clashes with good friend Rafael Nadal. The Argentine cited a shoulder injury behind this decision. “I can play matches, but my shoulder won't let me continue my


career. I can't play like that at a professional level. It's tough because I have to announce my retirement from the sport that gave me so much. I'm very grateful.� Nalbandian said. Well he played a lot of matches and was just 17 matches short of winning 400 (383-192 career winloss). I put together his most important tournament victories out of the 11 he won in his career with the last one coming in Washington in 2010. Estoril Open (First Title) Year: 2002 Surface: Outdoor Clay ATP Ranking: 47 Finals Opponent: Jarkko Nieminen Finals Score: 6-4, 7-6(5) Prize Money: $68,300 What made this victory so special? Well the First Title is always the most memorable one and with victories over World No.3 Juan Carlos Ferrero and former Roland Garros Champion Carlos Moya and that too on clay, it just makes winning the First Title sweeter! Tennis Masters Cup (Biggest Title) Year: 2005 Surface: Indoor Carpet

ATP Ranking: 12 Finals Opponent: Roger Federer Finals Score: 6-7(4), 6-7(11), 6-2, 6-1, 7-6(3) Prize Money: $1,400,000 2005 was a successful year for the Argentine even before he won the Tennis Masters Cup. He entered this elite event after Andy Roddick withdrew with an injury. Though the Argentine lost his Opening Match to Federer, he went on to win the next four including a mesmerizing 5 set marathon match against the Swiss. The best part about this final was that Nalbandian

came back after dropping the first two sets to win it a final set tie break with the match lasting for 4 hours and 33 minutes. ATP Masters Series Madrid (Most Impressive Title) Year: 2007 Surface: Indoor Hard ATP Ranking: 25 Finals Opponent: Roger Federer Finals Score: 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 Prize Money: $400,000 Coming into this tournament unseeded, the Argentine had a slow start, winning his opening two matches in three


sets. But after beating fellow Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro in the Third Round, he displayed what he truly is capable of! He went on to beat the Top-3 players of the World en route to the Madrid Title. ATP Masters Series Paris (Late push to World Tour Finals) Year: 2007 Surface: Indoor Hard ATP Ranking: 21 Finals Opponent: Rafael

Nadal Finals Score: 6-4, 6-0 Prize Money: $400,000 It was this late resurgence in 2007 that helped Nalbandian finish in the Top-10 of the World for a fifth straight year. The Argentine was in some amazing form going into this tournament and dropped just one set throughout the tournament. Beating Federer and Nadal in straight sets is an achievement in its own

especially when those two were the most dominating forces on the ATP Circuit. Most people around the World just remember NalbandianĘźs outbursts and the controversies he has been in but for all this Amazing Argentine has achieved, one simply canĘźt hate this guy! To David Pablo Nalbandian - Cheers and have a successful post retirement life!



gave us an indication what destruction his serve caused, a serve that can be easily termed as the Greatest Ever. The California native hailing from a Greek background dominated the era of sport with his serve and volley, an era that was dominated by the same style of game play.

Pete Sampras: The Serving Maestro Akshay Kohli

Tennis has produced a number of legends but none like American Pete Sampras. The Former World No.1 also known as "Pistol Pete" retired in 2002 after ending his career in the perfect way possible - by winning the US Open. A player who commanded respect wherever he played, it was a pity that people only saw his failure on clay instead of concentrating on what the man managed to achieve in his illustrious

career. As Aristotle rightly said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit”, I bring to you an article on the player who achieved much more than what other Former World No.1s have achieved ­ Pete Sampras. “I never wanted to be the great guy or the colorful guy or the interesting guy. I wanted to be the guy who won titles.” With 14 Major Titles to Pete Sampras’ name along with the honor of being ranked 286 weeks as the No.1 player in the World, second only to Swiss Maestro Roger Federer, the American was a winning machine. Being the joint leader of Seven Wimbledon Titles

His game was not one dimensional, as his serve also was backed by a precise single-handed backhand along with an amazing running forehand. The only hurdle that this American always had problems crossing was the French Open, a Major he never won with a best performance being a Semi-final in 1996. Whatever I write would not do justice to what this Artistic American has managed achieving, so I try wrapping this up in the shortest and the most accurate way possible! I remember what Sampras once famously said ­ “I realise why I played. I played to prove things - to myself, no one else. The record books don't matter. I really don't need to prove anything to myself anymore.”

His toughest rival

It is also important to acknowledge the player who he said got the best out of him ­ Andre Agassi. Two contrasting playing styles which were strong enough


to beat the other on any given day, it was Sampras who held a commanding 20-14 lead in their head to head matches. Sampras always respected Agassi and once said, “Going out against Andre, it was very special. I say that now more than ever because of the respect I have for him. He was probably the best player I played against. There was a time in juniors when it was competitive, but we got along well.” “We pushed each other - we needed each other.”

A perfect ending

The 34th Meeting of this epic rivalry between the two players happened to be their last one and was staged perfectly ­ US Open Finals, 2002. “I genuinely think it was such poetry to see them playing,” Annacone (Sampras’ coach then) said. “I felt like if Pete didn't win, there's no one he'd rather have win if it wasn't him, because of his respect for Andre. It was a perfect setup.” “Against Andre,” Sampras said, “everything came full circle. Outside looking in, after losing at Wimbledon, it was a probably a complete shock how far I came. But I wasn't shocked at all.”

Even Agassi’s coach at that time Darren Cahill stated that he knew Agassi was tired but would not give in easily. “Physically, Andre was a bit beaten up going into that match,” Cahill said. “We knew it was going to be one of those tough battles. Pete served incredibly well for a couple of sets.” Cahill was right as Sampras was simply relentless on serve that day and blasted his way through the first two sets without much trouble. “His game is able to raise itself at the right time,” Agassi said after the match. “There's still a danger in the way he plays and how good he is. Anybody that says

something different is really ignorant.” With Agassi fighting back and taking the Third Set, he looked rejuvenated and was threatening the Sampras serve early in the Fourth Set. At 2-2, Sampras held probably the decisive game of the match, a game that saw 7 deuces stretching over 12 excruciating minutes. “Andre had a break point and ripped the return of serve at the toes of Pete,” Cahill said. “And Pete hit this half-volley drop shot behind him to save a break point. It was a great shot, but from our perspective, we felt the wind get sucked out of our player box.


“Once Pete won that point and held on to that service game, the complexion of that set and match changed. He rode the wave, all the way to the end.” Sampras won that final 6-3 6-4 5-7 6-4 and also became the oldest man to

win the US Open since Ken Rosewall in 1970. “This one might take the cake,” Sampras said at that time. Looking at that triumph, the American admitted how proud he was of what he had achieved that, “People wrote me off, but I believed in

myself,” Sampras said. “I got the confidence back, and it grew and grew. I won my first major and my last at the place that changed my life.” “It was a fitting way to end it.”





Love all: Tennis players and their partners Akshay Kohli

Players nowadays are rather open about their relationships and their respective partners are often seen in the stands, supporting their beloved ones. LetĘźs have a look at some artners/wives/husbands of some current and former tennis players.

Ana Ivanovic and Bastian Schweinsteiger Serbian tennis player Ana Ivanovic married German footballer Bastian Schweinsteiger last year. Their relationship came under the public eye during the French Open 2015, where Schweinsteiger was seen supporting Ivanovic during her matches. The couple recently shifted base to Chicago with the Schweinsteiger moving to Chicago Fire FC and Ivanovic announcing her retirement last year.

Roger and Mirka Federer Roger Federer met his wife Mirka Federer at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. The duo eventually tied the knot in 2009, and they have twin girls and twin boys.


Novak Djokovic and Jelena The couple met as teenagers in high school and started seeing each other in 2005. They got married in July 2014, just after the tennis star won his second Wimbledon crown. They became proud parents when their son Stefan was born in late October 2014.

Andy Murray and Kim Sears Andy Murray met Kim Sears at a party for the 2005 US Open, and they married in April 2015. They welcomed their first kid – a baby daughter last year.

Rafael Nadal and Maria Francisca Perello Rafael Nadal and Maria Francisca Perello fell in love with each other in 2005. Though, Perello isn't often seen courtside during his matches, Nadal has regularly spoken about the massive support he has received from his girlfriend over the years.


Tomas Berdych and Ester Satorova Tomas Berdych and Ester Satorova came together in the fall of 2011, after Berdych broke-up with his longtime girlfriend, WTA player Lucie Safarova. In July 2015, the pair tied the knot. Dubbed as the hottest tennis WAG, Satarova finds time to attend her beau's matches despite her numerous modeling assignments.

David Ferrer and Marta Tornel David Ferrer and Marta Tornel were introduced to each other by FerrerĘźs coach Javier Piles. Not one to enjoy the spotlight, Tornel has been with him for nearly a decade - keeping her man in good stead all the way through his good and bad times. The couple tied knot in December 2015.

Lleyton Hewitt and Bec Cartwright Lleyton Hewitt and Bec Cartwright met in 2000 when they played together in an exhibition match. They got engaged in 2005, less than four months after Hewitt's break-up with tennis star, Kim Clijsters. A few months later, they got married and have three children together.


Nick Kyrgios and Ajla Tomlianovic One of the most controversial tennis players of today – Nick has openly expressed his love for girlfriend Ajla. Even though the couple denied their relationship for a long time, the Australian pair is very much in love and are not scared of showing it to the world.

Tommy Haas and Sara Foster Tommy Haas and Sara Foster bumped into each other at a friend's apartment in 2004 and their chance meeting turned into a fairytale romance. She began attending his matches from 2007 and became one of her husband's biggest fans. The couple had their first child in November 2010.

Pete Sampras and Bridgette Wilson

After few years of courtship, Pete Sampras and actress Bridgette Wilson got married in 2000 and subsequently, welcomed their first son Christian Charles to the world in 2002. They added another member to their family in 2005. Wilson's best-remembered contribution to Sampras' tennis career was her unrelenting support during his last days in the sport that inspired him to win his final Grand Slam at the US Open in 2002.


Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf's romance blossomed when the two met after their victories at the 1999 French Open in their respective categories. Thereafter, the pair started spending time on tour and eventually got married in October 2001. A year after their wedding, their son Jaden was born and in 2003, Graf gave birth to a daughter named Jaz.

Anna Kournikova and Enrique Iglesias Former Russian tennis player Anna Kournikova has been in a relationship with Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias since 2001. Though the couple has been together for more than a decade, they have expressed no intention of getting married.

Flavia Pennetta and Fabio Fognini Former tennis player and 2015 U.S. Open womenĘźs singles champion Flavia Pennetta is married to fellow Italian Fabio Fognini with the couple expecting their first child this year.


Andy Roddick and Brooklyn Decker Andy Roddick and Brooklyn Decker, a swimsuit model started dating in 2007 and a year later announced their engagement. The couple got married in 2009, three years before Roddick retired from tennis.


The Importance Of A Good Start Federico Coppini

Many people believe that getting off to a good start in a tennis match is half the battle. However, is it true that a bad start cannot easily be overcome? Start with a break Let's start with the classic example: you have lost the coin toss, and your opponent has chosen to serve first. So, we are going to respond. Many club players, unlike professionals, do not know that this early in the match is a critical time and that you must immediately put pressure on your opponent, hopefully breaking his serve immediately. You must always go into each match with this mentality, knowing that if you get off to a fast start you will give yourself a significant advantage. Well begun is half done, as the saying goes. And it is very true. Of course, it is possible that an opponent might recover from a poor start and still win the match. But, it is still crucial to start

well, playing an aggressive and solid style. This will put your opponent on the back foot from the start. Mind games The biggest element of the strategy we are discussing today is psychological. Most people are not very confident in their games, and if they start off poorly they will quickly begin to lose confidence in their abilities. This will play right into your

hands, allowing you to capitalize on their hesitancy. You have to, in essence, convince your opponent that there is nothing they can do on this day that will win them the match. If you can build on your early start, it can be an almost fatal blow to a great many opponents. Even though they might be technically sound and even physically superior to you, if you can win the mind games, you will likely win the match.


The Mental Challenge Of Tennis Federico Coppini

The more involved I become in tennis, the more I am convinced that it is one of the most mentally taxing sports in the world. “Killer instinct” is a concept often appropriated by tennis coaches, and it’s a good indication of the mental approach one needs to survive in the pro scene. The best tennis academies in the world, such as those run by Nick Bollettieri and Chris Evert, have full-time psychologists on staff who work on the students’ mental fitness. The reasons for such an emphasis on the mental part

of tennis are simple: 1. Tennis is a sport where, at the end of each exchange, you win/lose a point. 2. A player must be able to confidently continue on to the next point, even if they have lost the previous one. 3. Losing a series of points in a row, which happens in almost every match to both players, can have a serious mental effect on each player’s confidence. 4. Rallies often require patience, and players must refrain from trying to hit a winner form a disadvantageous position. This is particularly hard when you have fallen behind and are desperate to win a point and restore your confidence. 5. Routine is important in tennis, and the correct routine must be identified and refined for each player. This allows them to stay focused in-between the end

of one point and the beginning of another. 6. You have to be able to have a positive dialogue with yourself throughout each match. 7. You must know your own limits and be able to play within them, while at the same time have the confidence that your limitations will not cost you the match. 8. Exercises aimed at mental fitness are important and must be learned properly. Examples include mental repetition, breathing and tactical thinking. If all tennis players received the mental training they require, we would see many more content players on the court. Mental fitness is every bit as important as physical training, perhaps even more so.


Maintaining Focus On The Court Federico Coppini

The court can mess with your head sometimes. No matter how good or technically proficient you are, if you get distracted on the court you have almost no chance of victory. During the course of a match there are many factors which can cause a loss of concentration. The most dangerous is a lack of interest in the match. If you want to play tennis in any competitive sense, you cannot simply rely on a love for competition as a driving force. You need to learn to maintain your focus no matter what distractions are put before you. Playing conditions such as heat, cold, wind and noise are factors that often cause players to lose their concentration, even professional players. Another problem is when you have to play a match on a court surface you are not used to. The only absolute antidote to distraction is complete concentration and focus on your game. You must focus on each individual point and that point alone. A set is just a sequence of points that can be won or lost, and the player who makes the fewest mistakes will be the winner. Each point matters, regardless of the score. Every time you get a chance to close out a point, you must seize it. But while you must not focus too much on the score, you must also not forget about it, as you can leverage it in your favor in certain moments. For example, if your opponent is facing two break points, it might be time to try something aggressive. Finally, always remember not to get angry on the court. Maintain your cool and your control. Anger is the worst enemy for your game and your progress.


An ability to collect and assess data is very important in tennis. You must constantly study your opponent in order to identify their strengths and weaknesses. You must also know your own strengths and weaknesses and play the match in a way that emphasizes your strong points, while not giving your opponent a chance to exploit your weak ones. By focusing on this type of tactical awareness, you will also find that your mind is less prone to distraction on the court.


The return to the first service ball can be one of the hardest shots because you must follow the ballĘźs path while it is approaching fast and react almost immediately. Even though the server controls the shot, there are some visual clues you could use to transform your return for your benefit. Four main service phases The main service phases are four: preparation, ball raising, contact and final part. The pictures I suggest you will give you an idea of how your opponent should be in every phase. Note that shoulderover-shoulder rotation before the contact, gives to your opponent the

How can you use visual clues to neutralize first service ball? Federico Coppini

ultimate control on the ball ‘s placement, whereas the last two service phases suggest where the ball will be hit and addressed.

GRIP

Your opponentĘźs grip considerably influences what they can do with their service in terms of rotation and speed. Less experienced opponents often use forehand grip which restricts their possibility and this gives you an opportunity to bring forward the service you are going to receive.

POSITION ON THE FIELD

The position on the field from where your opponent serves (for example close to the center of the base line) often gives


you clues about the serviceʼs direction. This too gives you an opportunity to bring forward the service and put yourself ahead of the game in the pointʼs development.

BALLʼS THROW

Your opponentʼs ball throw, in many cases suggests how they can serve. The position of the ball in contact with the racket is crucial to determinate the service direction, rotation and speed. As a consequence, less experienced rivals often throw the ball in a point (on the right or behind) that allows only one or two types of service, giving you an obvious advantage when you return a first ball.

KEEP IN MIND

Look at the grip. The racket is perpendicular to the ground or has a

small angle (like in eastern forehand). Opponentʼs position. How much close are they to the center of the base line? Evaluate ballʼs throw. The wider is the ballʼs throw , the more your opponentʼs shot will be limited in terms of direction, speed and rotation.


This puts incredible pressure on the result of a single point. There's even more pressure on the players if the score gets to 6-all and a tie-break is required. At a given moment you might be a point away from winning the set or match, but also just three away from losing it. The same thing happens on a smaller scale in each and every game. If you get to game point and win that point, you get a game on the scoreboard and your opponent gets nothing. The points he won in that game did not count towards anything at all.

The Cruel Scoreboard The scoring system in tennis is brutal. Because some points in the match matter more, sometimes substantially more, than others, playing a tennis match can be a stressful undertaking. That being said, if you are clever, the system can be used to your advantage, and you will be able to turn a source of stress and angst into one of opportunity. In most sports, the score

is cumulative, and the person or team with the most points at the end of the match wins. In tennis, perversely, you can win more points than your opponent but still lose the match. ItĘźs when you win those points that really matters. Let's say that you are 5-4 or 6-5 and have a set point. If you win that point, it has a huge effect on the momentum and flow of the match. If you lose it, you might be handing that momentum to your opponent, which would have an equally serious effect. Instead of being up a set, you could suddenly be down a set.

So this scoring system creates a lot of pressure. Ironically, itĘźs the person who leads who often feels the most pressure, turning the situation on its head even more. But what can you do to alleviate this? If you are confident in your own abilities, you might not mind when an important point approaches, and you might face it with no fear in your heart. But most people are not supremely confident in their own game. For these people, the best advice is to simply not focus on the score, as it will only increase your


anxiety. Of course, thatʼs easier said than done. Most of us can never completely forget the score, but if we canʼt completely solve the problem we can lessen its impact. Constantly push yourself to focus on each point equally, and donʼt put special emphasis on any point. If itʼs a set point, donʼt think “Ok, I need to win this.” Just approach it like any other point: focus only on that point, think positive thoughts and try to execute your game plan. Play one point at a time. Play the important points by keeping your mind focused on what you want to do in the next few seconds. Then imagine that something good is going to happen. There is a positive aspect to the pressure of important points: your opponent will likely feel the same way you do, perhaps even more so. You can take advantage of that fact. If you have a set point or a break point, let your opponent try and win the point. Do not go for outrageous shots or fancy winners, but instead try and extract an error from your opponent. More often than not, you will do just that. Always

remember that you are not the only person on the court, and that your fears and anxieties are not unique. Not only will

this help you feel less alone, but it will also open your eyes to how you can exploit those feelings in others.





Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.