Tennis World 12

TennisWorld

速

USA

number 12 ISSN 2075-6526

Roger Rises Again Federer Triumphs In London

The New Roman Empire Italy Wins The Fed Cup (Again)

Serbian Sensation Djokovic Leads The Way To Davis Cup Glory

Interviews - Andy Roddick - Marcos Baghdatis - Monica Seles - Stefan Koubek

Pro Advice

- The Serve: Basic Technique - Off-Season Training

TennisWorld

A

THE INTERNET’S PREMIER TENNIS MAGAZINE – AND IT’S FREE

Distributing TennisWorld is absolutely free, and the service updates itself automatically every month!

FEATURE TENNIS WORLD ON YOUR WEBSITE

B

TennisWorld

FORNITORE UFFICIALE

THE BLACORIGIN K ST AL RING

TOP QUALITY TENNIS STRING

www.onestrings.com

TennisWorld

1

Tennis is always in your heart now carry it in your pocket!

Whether you are at work, in a bar or at a park, the latest tennis news is always at your fingertips thanks to our new app for the iPhone. With TennisWorld, you will always know what’s going on in your favourite sport.

A World of Tennis is Just One Click Away For news, interviews, pro tips and exclusive pictures, check out TennisWorld on the iPhone now!

2

TennisWorld

Tennis World Published by Matchball Tennis

Editor’s Letter

Editor & director Federico Coppini federico.coppini@matchballtennis.com

THERE CAN BE NO SUCCESS WITHOUT A GOAL

Contributors Philp Marè, Andre Christopher Smith, Jason Lampione. editor in chief for USA section: Andre Christopher Smith Collaboration Tennis World is published in collaboration with Matchpoint Tennis Magazine (Italy).

Special thanks to director Daniele Azzolini and his editing team.

Matchpoint Tennis Magazine, Via Santa Giovanna Elisabetta 36/F 00189 Roma Tel: + 00 39 063 638 2189 segreteria@mpmtennis.com Translation services by MV Squared Vittoria Jooste - info@mvsquared.co.za COPY AND CONTENT EDITOR: Philip Maré CREATIVE: Simone “Fela” Micheletti

There has been one common characteristic among all the tennis players that TennisWorld has met and spoken with this year: they all have an objective. Calling it a goal might be excessive, but they certainly have a guiding purpose.

They all have a very clear idea of where they want to go and what they want to achieve – they know what they are doing and why.

We can all learn from their example.

Since tennis has entered a phase in which standing out is not easy, the only players that can make it are those who have a clear goal.

Often, the players who aren’t able to overcome barriers and hurdles are those whose objectives are either unrealistically ambitious or nonexistent.

Roddick

Sometimes tennis players are unable to fulfil their dreams due to reasons that are completely unrelated to their commitment, willpower or goals. For the most part, however, your chances of success are much greater if you know where you are going and how you want to get there.

We must all learn to stay level-headed, without letting our uncertainties overpower us. We must know why we are doing something and have faith in ourselves.

Seles

Business Details MatchballTennis (Pty) Ltd 85 Jonkershoek Road Stellenbosch, South Africa info@matchballtennis.com

Rafael Nadal is perhaps the best role model in this situation. After enduring a truly dreadful year in 2009, he didn’t panic. He simply regrouped, set himself certain goals and relentlessly pursued them.

As we all know, this strategy worked pretty well for him.

Advertising advertising@matchballtennis.com

I have great admiration for Rafael, because he is living proof that anything is possible. He’s conquered surfaces that he doesn’t feel very comfortable on, and he has done so through sheer willpower.

www.tennisworldusa.org

In this issue

He is a true champion on and off the court. On court he fights, gets angry and sometimes even cracks a smile. Off court he believes in working hard day after day. He also always shows great sportsmanship, and gracefully accepts defeat whenever he is dealt it. Truly, we can all take a page from Nadal’s book!

Monfils

Federico Federico Coppini federico.coppini@matchballtennis.com TennisWorld

3

30

33

58

22

20

88

4

TennisWorld

Contents

TennisWorld #12

60

62

Player Features 20 22 48 68 84

Rafael Nadal Carlos Moya Gael Monfils Rod Laver Ryan Harrison

Features

40

12 15 18 26 36 42 46 50 52 54 62 86 92 93 95

Roger’s Resurrection ATP World Tour Finals London Calling The World tour Finals – A Short History Davis Cup Final Fed Cup Final Masters Series 1000 – Paris Paris Scorecard The Best Players of 2010 – Men The Best Players of 2010 – Women Slowing Down The Surfaces Junior Tennis In America The Australian Open From A US Perspective A History Of The US Davis Cup Jim Courier – New Davis Cup Captain

Interviews 30 33 58 60 65 89

Andy Roddick Marcos Baghdatis Monica Seles Stefan Koubek Rod Laver Ed Tseng

Pro Talk

48

74 75 76 78 80 82

Keeping Your Eye On The Ball The Importance Of Rhythm In Tennis A Coach’s Worth The Mental Component Of Tennis The Serve: Basic Technique Mental Toughness

© 2010 TWSA. Permission Required to re-use any information in printed or digital format.

TennisWorld

5

6

TennisWorld

TennisWorld

7

Photo: Melchiorre Di Giacomo (c) Matchpoint Tennis Magazine

TennisWorld

8

TennisWorld

9

10

TennisWorld

A warm & friendly Italian welcome!

THE STABLES LODGE T

he Stables Lodge is situated in an exclusive area of Stellenbosch, less than 5 minutes from the picturesque town centre. The lodge offers panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, with accommodation in 6 comfortable en- suite rooms.

All rooms are equipped with air-conditioning, coffee/ tea making facilities, Radio/CD players as well as towels for the pool. One self-catering unit is also available. We also offer secure parking, a spacious public area, honesty bar with soft drinks and snacks as well as wireless internet.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before heading out to explore the famous wine lands, or discover the area through many available excursions and day trips! Should you wish to relax then our quiet and welcoming garden around our lovely swimming pool is just the place.

A beautiful atmosphere with a fusion of Italian and African styles, make this affordable stay one to be repeated!

Italian and English spoken. German in progress!

www.thestables-lodge.com | info@thestables-lodge.com The Stables Lodge | 85 Jonkershoek Road | Stellenbosch | South Africa Tel/fax +27 (0)21 8864326 | GPS coordinates S 33° 56’ 5.18’ E 18° 53’ 6.74’

TennisWorld

11

MASTERS 2010

Roger’s Resurrection

By Francesco Posteraro

B

efore the tournament started, I had planned to write a piece on the importance of the ATP World Finals. The starting point was to be the criticism that the event usually attracts: the frequent changes of venue, the fact that is it played at the end of a very long season, the round robin format and the notion that it should be a sort of World Championship of tennis, but isn’t.

All of the above is fair criticism to a certain extent, except perhaps for the last point. It is difficult to see the reasoning behind having a world cup for a sport that places more importance on other events (i.e. the Grand Slams).

That being said, the World Tour Finals is still a wonderful event, and should stay just the way it is for a number of reasons. Let’s start with the number of participants: eight. Except for the years 1982-1984 (when the field consisted of 12 players) and in 1985 (when there were 16), the top eight players of the

12

TennisWorld

season have always battled it out for the Masters trophy.

Some have argued that the best players don’t always win this event due to fatigue and other factors, but consider this: of the 41 World Tour Finals that have been played, all but three were won by eventual Grand Slam champions.

Since the inception of computerised rankings, 18 winners of the ATP World Tour Finals have been ranked number one. If we compare these numbers those for Slam tournaments, they match up very favourably indeed. Wimbledon can boast of 20 champions who were ranked number one at some point, while 21 US Open winners would at some time or another top the rankings. Roland Garros (12) and the Australian Open (9) have both had fewer top-ranked champions.

So it is clear that the World Tour Finals has featured more top-ranked winners that two of the Slams, which certainly does away with the theory that it is won by lesser players.

The picture for the World Tour Finals becomes even more flattering when one delves deeper into the numbers. The winner’s average ranking at the year-end event is 2.53, which is better than all but the US Open (2.08). Wimbledon (2.71), Roland Garros (3.34) and the Australian Open (5.89) all feature, on average, lower-ranked winners.

By saying all of this I’m not trying to imply that the World Tour Finals is worth as much as a Slam tournament. I do mean, however, that after the four Majors, the year-end tournament is by far the single most important and most prestigious event on the Tour. Even the nine Master 1000 events (Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Rome, Madrid, Montreal/Toronto, Cincinnati, Shanghai and Paris) are often used by the stronger players to fine-tune their game in preparation for the Big Four. The same is not true of the World Tour Finals. For the few that have access to it, the year-end event is an end unto

itself, and they pull no punches in their effort to win it.

I had originally intended to end my article here, but after watching the World Tour Finals, I have decided to talk a little about the winner of the tournament as well. This is not because Roger Federer’s success is at all a surprise. Indeed, many had predicted that he would eventually triumph in London. What is more interesting to me is the way in which he won the trophy. It was such an emphatic performance that I believe the O2 Arena witnessed the third resurrection of the Swiss maestro’s career.

The first came after his original “fall” following the 2007 season. Mononucleo-

sis and a loss to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open got Federer’s year off to a rough start, and it would only get worse from there. He was destroyed by Nadal at Roland Garros, and also lost his beloved Wimbledon crown to his Spanish rival. A quarter-final exit at the Olympics seemed to confirm that the Swiss was on his way out. But then, miraculously, he found his form again at the US Open, easily winning the title by crushing Andy Murray in the final. This was Federer’s first career resurrection.

After the US Open, things started getting bad again. He lost several matches to Andy Murray, and failed to replicate his Flushing Meadows success at the World Tour Finals. The Australian Open final

TennisWorld

13

was one of the most painful losses in his career, and the tears at the trophy ceremony did not bode well for the future. Early losses at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Rome again had the pundits declaring Federer’s career to be over, and nobody believed he would ever complete his career Grand Slam.

But, as always, he had a few surprises up his sleeve. His second career resurrection started at the French Open, where Rafael Nadal’s early exit opened the door for Federer to finally claim the only Slam that had eluded him for so long. He followed that with an epic Wimbledon win, and a close US Open final was followed by yet another Slam victory in Melbourne this year.

Yet fate still had another twist in store for the Swiss. Following his victory down under, Federer experienced one of the worst stretches of his career. His

record of 23 consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals was snapped by Robin Soderling at the French Open, and Tomas Berdych unceremoniously eliminated him at the semi-final stage of Wimbledon. Another semi-final exit at the US Open once again had the doomsayers questioning Federer’s place at the top of men’s tennis.

After hiring Paul Annacone as his new coach, however, things started getting better again. He won the Masters 1000 event in Cincinatti and also lifted the trophies at Stockholm and Basel. Any thoughts of this run being “lucky” were resoundingly put to rest when Federer recently won the World Tour Finals. He mercilessly ripped through the field,

humiliating players who had given him trouble all year – including Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Robin Soderling.

Federer became only the second player ever (after Ivan Lendl and Bjorn Borg) to win the World Tour Finals by defeating all the players in the top five en route to the final. He also tied the record for most number of wins at the prestigious tournament (five).

The timing of this return to form couldn’t be more perfect. Federer will head into the Australian Open as the defending champion, and will want to stop Nadal from attempting a career Slam at the very outset of the season. He will also want to revive that old dream for himself by getting the first Slam under his belt right out of the gate.

Federer has sent a clear message to the rest of the field with his victory in London: don’t count him out just yet. He defeated all of the top players – easily – at the O2 arena, and will feel that nobody can stop him in the new year if he keeps up this kind of form. We hope that he can, for there is nothing more wonderful for the sport of tennis than a Roger Federer at the top of his game.

(c) Matchpoint Tennis Magazine 14

TennisWorld

A Disappointing End To The Season

by Rino Tommasi

This year’s edition of the World Tour Finals was a disappointment. However, it was not the round robin format – which I am still very much opposed to – that was the cause for my disappointment.

Instead, it was the quality of the tennis with which I take issue. I did some research, and it turns out that we have not seen such a lopsided year-end event in a long time. In fact, we have to travel back to 1978 to find the last time that so few competitive matches were played at the World Tour Finals (though of course it was known by another name back then).

In all of the group matches, only one went to three sets. Only one! The match I am referring to is, of course, the one between Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal,

which the Spaniard won 3-6, 7-6, 6-4.

The rest of the clashes were boring, onesided affairs unworthy of such an event.

As for the individual performances, it was a bit of a mixed bag. This was the ideal tournament for Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray to step up and break the deadlock that Federer and Nadal has had over the year, but neither were able to do it.

Djokovic was by far the most disappointing of the two players. After reaching the US Open final, many people expected him to start competing regularly for the big events, but Federer absolutely blew him away in their semi-final match. He made up for it to some extent by playing well in the Davis Cup final, but much more was

TennisWorld

15

expected of him in London.

Speaking of expectations, it is well known by now that nobody expects more from their tennis stars than the Brits.

Andy Murray was trounced by Roger Federer in their round robin match, and considering the fact that he had defeated the Swiss in their last two encounters, one cannot help but wonder if the pressure of the moment got to Murray once again.

However, he made up for it to some

16

TennisWorld

extent by playing a truly fantastic match against Rafael Nadal in the semis. It was by far the most entertaining encounter of the week, but when push came to shove the Scot simply didn’t have what it took to overcome the world number one.

Federer deserves full marks for his play throughout the tournament, as he displayed near perfect tennis for most of it. He has now won the World Tour Finals five times (at three different venues),

which is certainly a magnificent achievement – especially considering that his great rival has yet to win a trophy at the year-end championships.

As for Nadal, despite his victory at the US Open his performances in the second half of the year were somewhat underwhelming. He never plays his best tennis on the American and Asian hard courts, and this season proved no different. He suffered some uncharacteristically poor

losses to players like Guillermo GarciaLopez, and the shoulder injury he suffered was most likely from playing too much tennis after Flushing Meadows.

Tomas Berdych was the only one of the assembled eight who didn’t win a tournament this season. But he still managed to end up in the Top 10 and has a Wimbledon final to show for his efforts.

Unfortunately, since Wimbledon he has been playing very poorly, and his losses to Nadal and Djokovic weren’t pretty to watch.

Soderling probably hoped to get more from this event, but had a tough draw – he had to play Andy Murray in his first match, only days after winning an exhausting Paris Masters 1000 title. He played better against Federer and Ferrer, but after losing that initial contest it was always going to be an uphill battle for him to reach the semi-finals.

Ferrer, who reached the final of this tournament a few short years ago, was out of his element on the slow hard court of the O2 arena. He played his heart out and fought until the

end, but it wasn’t enough. One can only wonder what the result would have been if this event was played on clay.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment was Andy Roddick. Despite the slow court, he played an awesome match against Nadal to open his week. Sadly though, he couldn’t keep it up. It is the story of his year really – one that was plagued by injuries and other setbacks.

The O2 proved, as it did last year, to be a wonderful venue for the World Tour Finals. If it weren’t for the difficulty involved in getting there during the day

and leaving there at night, it would be perfect. The organisers can perhaps rectify this by making the match times a little earlier.

Readers must forgive me if I don’t spend too much time discussing the doubles event, but it is hardly worth mentioning.

The quality of the tennis was sub-par, and only served to underscore the crisis that the doubles discipline is experiencing. The only way of saving it would be to get the top singles players to compete regularly, but there doesn’t seem to be a reasonable way of accomplishing this.

TennisWorld

17

MASTERS 2010

London Calling

By David Cox

Out of the myriad of press conferences at the ATP World Finals, if you were to pick out one quote which summed up the tournament, it would be from a resignedlooking Novak Djokovic after his semifinal loss to an in-form Roger Federer.

“When he plays like this, the ball just seems to listen to him,” Djokovic said, and the sentiment will undoubtedly be shared by the rest of Federer’s five opponents at the O2 Arena.

The 2010 end-of-season finale saw fans flock to London to see Federer at his silky smooth best as the Swiss swept to his fifth title at these year-end championships. The year may belong to Rafael Nadal, but Federer has looked revitalised since hooking up with Paul Annacone, and he produced his best week of tennis for some time.

Dream final Any showdown between Federer and Nadal always quickens the pulse, and this one was no exception. Competing against each other in the UK for the first time since the 2008 Wimbledon final,

expectations were high and while it did not match that epic encounter for tension and drama, the crowd witnessed a feast of shot-making from Federer, who swept Nadal off the court to win 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.

Nadal looked a little jaded after a heart-stopping semi-final classic with Andy Murray the previous day, but that is to take nothing away from Federer, whose backhand in particular was simply sublime. It is fascinating to see the way Federer has adapted his game over the past couple of years to counter the ever-improving Nadal, and he appears to have put some serious work into making that topspin backhand a potent weapon.

Nadal ruthlessly targeted that wing as he always does with his swinging, kicking forehands, but Federer refused to be forced onto the back foot and the

Spaniard could only look on helplessly as he flayed winner after winner.

Delight was etched all over Federer’s face at the end, and he received a rapturous standing ovation from his adoring fans. “It’s fantastic, I’m really thrilled with the way I played all week,” he said afterwards. “To win a fifth time is obviously amazing, for the third time in a different place. Like I said before, it would be great to win in Houston, Shanghai and also now here in London. “ “I’m just really happy the way I was able to finish the season in style, playing some of my best tennis, really saving the best for last. Obviously, beating Rafa in the final makes it extra special because of the year he had.”

Murray and Nadal contest a classic After six days at the ATP World Finals, you could be forgiven for feeling a little underwhelmed. Having the world’s top eight in one tournament certainly promises great tennis, but all big events need a slice of drama to get the adrenaline flowing, and after a week of one-sided

18

TennisWorld

round-robin matches it was time for the top four to deliver the thriller everyone was waiting for.

Step forward, Murray and Nadal. Murray has often spoken about how much he relishes the challenge of taking on the world number one, and he usually reserves the full venom of his attacking arsenal for the Spaniard. For three pulsating hours Murray threw everything he had at Nadal, smashing 22 aces and countless unreturnable serves.

Nadal edged a desperately tight first set in the tiebreak, but then Murray hit a purple patch, going for broke on his forehand and reeling off five straight games to level the match. However the twists and turns had only just begun. Nadal stole first blood in the decider, breaking to go 2-1 up, but Murray kept plugging away, hurting the Spaniard time and time again with stinging returns. Nadal clung on desperately but serving for the match at 5-4 there was little he could do as Murray seized his chance to square the match.

With a capacity crowd desperate for a home finalist, Murray raced out of the blocks in the decisive tiebreak. At 4-1 up the match seemed his, but Nadal fought back. At 6-6, Murray went for broke on a forehand. He missed by centimetres. It was all it took, as a vicious forehand winner from Nadal on the next point sealed his spot in the final and the two players embraced at the net.

One of the best matches of 2010. Murray admitted afterwards that it was possibly the finest match he had ever played and still lost.

Roddick looking to get healthy again

It was hard not to feel sorry for Andy Roddick by the end of the week, even if you were one of the journalists to fall foul of the American’s quick-fire wit at his final press conference. Having battled all year with various illnesses and injuries (including a bout of mono), just making the final eight was a monumental achievement, but Roddick could not disguise his disappointment at losing all three group matches.

If anything, Soderling looked a little lacklustre and weary after his efforts in Bercy, a feeling shared by many of the other players.

A high octane encounter with Nadal provided a brief glimpse of what a fully fit and firing Roddick would have been capable of, but he simply ran out of steam against Tomas Berdych and Novak Djokovic.

However, afterwards Berdych was just keen to get as far away from a tennis court as quickly as possible. Inquiries about his hopes for 2011 were made with an uncharacteristically fiery response.

“I played one good match this week and two extremely ordinary ones,” Roddick said. “It’s not the way you want to end it but I’ve got to be honest I need the time off right now. I think I’ve been struggling physically enough for a while.”

“When you’re playing well and doing everything right it doesn’t seem like there’s enough people there, and nights like tonight it’s a lonely place a lot of times but that’s just the way it is, that’s the way sports is.”

Soderling disappoints After his stunning performance at the Paris Masters, Soderling was the dark horse for many people but the Swede failed to live up to expectations. The slow surface at the O2 did not really help his cause, and despite grinding out a win over David Ferrer (Ferrer lost all three of his round-robin matches) he failed to trouble either Andy Murray or Roger Federer.

Tomas Berdych came into the tournament woefully out of form and put in a dismal display on day two against Djokovic, but the Czech regained some pride by taking out Andy Roddick and then testing Rafael Nadal in a repeat of the Wimbledon final.

“I just step out from the last match of this season and you are already asking me about my goals for next season,” he complained. “The goal for right now is definitely to take rest as I have played almost two seasons in a row because of the Davis Cup final last year. I would really like to have some days off and not to be thinking any more about tennis and then we can talk about some goals for next season.”

Organisers deliver once again The organisers of the ATP World Finals were roundly praised after the 2009 edition of the tournament, and they deserve to take full credit once again.

It may be in the same city as Wimbledon, but you could not get a more contrasting event. Rock concert-style lighting, music at the change of ends and giant screens showing highlights and adverts all combined to provide the sort of showbiz feel needed for an end-of-season bonanza.

Bring on 2011!

TennisWorld

19

Rafael Nadal’s (Almost) Perfect Year

W

hen Roger Federer lost the US Open final to Juan Martin Del Potro in 2009, he was surprisingly upbeat in his post-match press conference. Despite displaying wonderful sportsmanship throughout his career, even the Swiss maestro has a tendency to be a bit grumpy after losing a big match. And what bigger match than the US Open final? Especially after giving up a lead of a set and a break.

Yet there was no sense of regret or anger when he faced reporters. Why? Well, he had just enjoyed one of the most fantastic years of his entire career, winning Wimbledon and that elusive French Open crown. He had also gotten married and had two children.

Life was good. And besides, Del Potro was a nice guy, and he deserved to win after playing such incredible tennis.

After his loss to Roger Federer in the final of the ATP World Tour Finals in London, Rafael Nadal had a very similar attitude. He had just lost a big match, but when he spoke to the media afterwards he was content – he, too, had just enjoyed a wonderful year.

Three Grand Slam victories is a major haul, especially if one of those Slams was the US Open crown that had evaded him for so long. And besides, there is no shame in losing to Federer.

Even though their rivalry is still the most talked about one in sports, it has reached a point where both players are more relaxed about it. After all, they are teaming up in December for two charity matches.

But perhaps the biggest reason Nadal wasn’t angry or aloof after the match is because he knows how far he has come in just a year. In 2009, he didn’t even win a set at the ATP World Tour Finals.

People were saying that his days at 20

TennisWorld

the top of the game were over, and judging by his performance in London he must have wondered himself. But here he was, just twelve months on, and he was in the final of the very same tournament, having just pushed the great Roger Federer to three tough sets.

“This has never been my kind of surface,” Nadal said of the tournament. “I have always had trouble imposing my game here, but this year I have had a great week, playing some good tennis too.”

Good tennis indeed. But it didn’t start out that way.

Nadal suffered a shoulder

injury during the Asian swing of the Tour, and started slowly in his opening match against Andy Roddick. He got better as the week went on though, and played an incredible match against Andy Murray in the semi-final, which took more than three hours to complete.

He was clear about who was the best

player of the week, however.

“What we have seen [from Federer] here in London in the week of the tournament would have been unbeatable for anyone,” Nadal said of his friend and rival. “He played his best tennis and he deserves to win. I can only

Even though the season has just ended, the world number one is already looking ahead to next year. After such an incredible 2010, expectations will be very high indeed for the young Spaniard.

He isn’t fazed by such things, however, and is intent on taking the season as it comes. “[I would like] to qualify for the next London Masters. This is my main goal,” he reflected. “I will need to work hard to stay competitive in every tournament, to remain in the top positions of the ranking, to continue winning titles.

Pressure will be just as great, also because it is not defending 2000 or 250 points that can change the way I feel.

What matters is that I compete against everyone and try to make it to the end in the events that matter.”

Nadal had very little trouble reaching the final stages of important tournaments in 2010, and there is no reason to believe that things will change in the new year. However, each season brings

congratulate him, it is another tournament under his belt and I am happy that he did it.”

When asked whether his long semifinal final against Andy Murray had affected his performance against Roger Federer, Nadal was clear in his answer: “I’m not going to say I lost the match

because I was tired. What I’m going to say and what I feel is I lost the match because I played against a very good Roger Federer in one of his favourite surfaces. And when he’s playing like this, it’s very difficult to stop him. I had my opportunities, I came close, but it wasn’t enough. And not because I was tired. Definitely not.”

with it new challenges, and with players like Juan Martin Del Potro returning to the scene, things are bound to get a lot more interesting at the top of men’s tennis. But whatever 2011 has in store for Rafael Nadal, one thing is for sure: he’s ready for it. (c) Matchpoint Tennis Magazine

TennisWorld

21

Carlos Calls It Quits “Hasta luego Lucas.” These are the words with which Carlos Moya began his career at the very top of men’s tennis.

After reaching the final of the Australian Open in 1997 (which he eventually lost to Pete Sampras), the Spaniard uttered this strange phrase, the origins of which remained a mystery to many for quite a while. And it was with the same words that he ended his career in Madrid on the 17th of November, 2010.

The expression, it turned out, was the result of a bet between Moya and his friends. He had promised that if he made it to the final in Melbourne he would say those words in homage to comedian Chiquito de la Calzada, who used to repeat them at the end of his very popular – in Spain at least – gags.

While he clearly tried to keep things light and upbeat at the press conference where he announced his retirement, Moya was visibly upset at finally having to admit defeat. He had been struggling with various injuries for years, and has never been able to fully recover from them.

But before he was felled by injury, Moya had an incredibly illustrious career. It spanned 15 years and involved various successes at the very highest levels. He was, for example, the first Spaniard to be ranked number one in the world. He won the French Open, was part of a victorious Davis Cup team and lifted 20 Tour-level trophies (including three Masters 1000 titles).

Despite such wonderful achievements on the court, Moya’s fondest memories of his career have nothing to do with tennis.

“I have had many wonderful experiences,” he told the small crowd. “I have met fabulous friends and I have been 22

TennisWorld

lucky enough to come into contact with cultures and lifestyles different from mine.”

The Spaniard also knows that life doesn’t begin and end with tennis, and that he still has a lot to look forward to. He and his wife Carolina Cerezuela recently

welcomed a young daughter, Carla, into the world, and the thought of watching her grow up definitely makes retirement seem much more interesting.

Many of his friends and family were with him at his farewell party in Mallorca: Feliciano Lopez, Albert Costa, Carlos Costa,

1 Moya’s Grand Slam successes. In 1998, he won the French

Open by beating Alex Corretja 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 in the final. Moya later reached the quarter-finals of the same tournament in 2003, 2004 and 2007. He also reached the final of the Australian Open in 1997, where he was defeated by Pete Sampras 6-2, 6-3, 6-3. Lastly, the Spaniard made the US Open semi-final in 1998 and the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2004.

2 The number of weeks Moya spent as world number one, starting on 15 March, 1999.

3 The number of Masters 1000 events Moya won in his career.

Roberto Carretero, Miguel Margets, Manolo Santana and Juan Avendaño. He also met up with his friend and former protégée, Rafael Nadal, later at the airport – both were travelling to London for the ATP World Tour Finals. The ATP had decided to honour Moya on court at the opening ceremony of the year-end championships.

At the ceremony, he was presented with a picture frame containing three photographs: one of him playing in the French Open final, one of him with his Roland Garros trophy, and one showing the world rankings when he was number one. Saying farewell to their friend and colleague at the O2 Arena were fellow Spaniards Albert and Carlos Costa, Alex Corretja, Fernando Verdasco and Rafael Nadal, as well as Roger Federer, Novak

Djokovic, Andy Roddick, Mikhail Youzhny, Jona Björkman, Thomas Johansson and Jurgen Melzer. It was an emotional occasion for everyone involved, especially Federer and Nadal.

They came at Monte Carlo in 1998 (d. Cedric Pioline 6-3, 6-0, 7-5), Cincinnati in 2002 (d. Lleyon Hewitt 7-5, 7-6) and Rome in 2004 (d. David Nalbandian 6-3, 6-3, 6-1). He reached the final at Indian Wells in 1999, Monte Carlo in 2002 and Miami in 2003.

He also finished runner-up at the Tennis Masters Cup in 1998, losing to Corretja 3-6, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-5.

5 The times he won the ATP event in Umag. He won 20 titles in his career, and reached 24 finals.

9 Seasons spent in the David Cup team. He was part of the

victorious squad in 2004, and also played in the final in 2003.

Moya played 27 Davis Cup matches, all in singles, and won 20 of them.

16 The number of seasons he spent as a professional tennis player.

Speaking to the gathered crowd of players and of tears, and he passed the microphone fans, Nadal thanked Moya for helping to Moya. Turning to Rafa, Moya returned him as a youngster. “Having a friend like the compliments: “All that I have done him,” Nadal said, “was vital for me. He has done so much for Spanish tennis. His for you, all the help I have been able to give you, is nothing compared to what I commitment has been priceless. Carlos got back.“ is an example to follow in life.” At that “Hasta luego Lucas!” he said in farewell. point Nadal stopped talking, his eyes full

TennisWorld

23

London Scorecard Murray 6/10

Expectations are always high for Andy Murray when he plays in his native Britain. He was badly embarrassed by Roger Federer in their round robin match, but overcame his nerves to bounce back and make it to the semi-finals. There he played an awesome match, but he ultimately fell short. He needs to learn to win these tough matches if he is ever going to triumph at the bigger tournaments.

Soderling 7/10

It’s all or nothing with Robin Soderling, and unfortunately there was more of the latter than the former in London. Granted he was tired after his exploits in Paris, but we expected a lot more from the Swede.

Berdych 7/10

Berdych came into the tournament playing some pretty poor tennis, and things didn’t really pick up for him. He defeated a lacklustre Andy Roddick but fell way short against Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. He doesn’t seem to be in a good place mentally, and has a lot of work to do this off-season if he wants to make an impact in Australia.

24

TennisWorld

Federer 10/10

Nadal 8/10

Ferrer 6/10

Djokovic 7/10

Tennis at its best. Federer proved once again that when he is playing his best tennis there is no one who can stop him.

Even his old foe Rafael Nadal had no answers for the Swiss’ stinging groundstrokes and accurate serves this time around. Let’s hope he can carry this momentum into Australia and beyond.

Nobody played harder than David Ferrer in London, and nobody had less to show for it than the Spaniard. He fought to the last against Federer, Soderling and Murray, but was overmatched and out of his comfort zone. Ferrer enjoyed a wonderful season, but it’s a shame that it had to end on such a sour note.

The Spaniard started off slowly, but got better and better as the week progressed. He didn’t get much help from the court but did well to overcome the slow and flat surface. The title still eludes him, however, and he will likely need to rethink his schedule next year if he wants to finally lift the trophy here.

Perhaps his mind was already on the Davis Cup final. We certainly hope so, for if this was Novak Djokovic at his best he has a big problem. The contact lens issue was a spot of bad luck, but he was dominated by Federer in the semi-final. Not a good week for the Serb. (c) Matchpoint Tennis Magazine

Roddick 6/10

After a fantastic first match against Nadal, Roddick’s fans had reason to believe that the American could go far in the tournament. Unfortunately, it seems that he played all his good tennis in that initial encounter, and was flat for the rest of the week – he admitted as much himself. A tough end to a tough year for Roddick.

BARCLAYS ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS

THE FINAL SCORECARD

by Adriano S

David Ferrer 2/10

Novak Djokovic 5,5/10

Andy Roddick 4/10

Andy Murray 6,5/10

He made it to the final of this event a few years back, but unfortunately David Ferrer couldn’t find his best tennis in 2010. It started in that first match against Federer, and the Spaniard never really recovered from the defeat he suffered at the hands of the eventual champion. That being said, he can be proud of his season – he recorded one of the best win-loss records of anyone on the Tour.

Roddick never seems to play well at this event. Sure, the slow court wasn’t exactly conducive to his high-powered game, but he had a very real chance of beating Rafael Nadal in his first match. When he failed to do that, however, everything went downhill. We hope the American returns to form next year.

Tomas Berdych 5,5/10

Berdych has been a bit embarrassing since reaching his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon in June. He’s barely posted any back-to-back wins, and has suffered some crushing losses to inferior opponents. We didn’t have great expectations for the Czech coming into the ATP World Tour Finals, and after his first match our suspicious were confirmed. He got better as the week went on, but ultimately proved that he has a long way to go before he can compete regularly with the big boys.

Robin Soderling 5/10

Many had him down as one of the favourites. But even though he just came off his first ever Masters 1000 trophy, the Swede struggled against the top players. His first match against Andy Murray was a disaster, and though he showed signs of life against Federer, he ultimately fell short. In some ways, this event was a summary of his season: he was good, but not good enough.

When was the last time Novak Djokovic won a tournament when all the big dogs were in attendance? We can’t remember, either. The Serb always seems to fall short against the top players, and this tournament was no exception. The match against Nadal was entertaining until his troublesome contact lens ruined the fun. There always seems to be something stopping Nole from playing well.

After beating Federer twice in finals this year, Murray must have been happy when he was drawn into the Swiss’ group. Unfortunately, he was absolutely embarrassed by the world number two, who once again proved that he is the better player when it comes to the big stages. His semi-final encounter against Nadal was enthralling, but he needs to learn how to win those matches if he is ever going to triumph at these sort of events.

Rafael Nadal 7,5/10

He started slowly but got better as the week progressed.

Yet the Spaniard never seemed to really hit his stride, and was made to pay for his mistakes by a razor-sharp Federer.

Even though he took a few weeks off coming into the event, Nadal was visibly fatigued after a very long schedule. He needs to plan his events more carefully if he ever wants to win the ATP World Tour Finals.

Roger Federer 10/10

Once again, everyone said that Roger Federer was washed out, and once again he proved them wrong. The Swiss was brutal from the very start in London, absolutely mauling opponents that have been giving him trouble all year – including Soderling, Djokovic and Murray. It is fitting that he should claim the title by defeating Nadal in the final. It seems that there is some life in the old dog yet.

TennisWorld

25

The World Tour Finals

A Short History

By Daniele Azzolini

When looking carefully at history of the ATP World Tour Finals, one begins to wonder if this prestigious year-end event is really as important as it claims to be.

Adriano Panatta’s memories from 1975 are enough alone to leave us in some doubt. Having qualified as a result of his victories in Kitzbuhel and Stockholm, the Madrid, Barcelona and Buenos Aires finals, and the Roland Garros semi-final, Panatta had the brilliant idea of making his way back from Argentina towards

end of many of the Romanian’s outbursts.

The tennis was of a high quality and the match was close, but Ashe was slowly starting to assert himself over his opponent. After splitting the first two sets, he raced to a 4-1 lead in the third when the unimaginable happened. Sick and tired of endless abuse and tirades from his eccentric opponent, Ashe put down his racquet and told the umpire the match is over. Nastase was stunned, and likely

he wouldn’t be able to convince Ashe to continue. But he couldn’t award the American the match either. Nor did he want to declare Nastase the winner and reward such bad behaviour.

He decided on a compromise. After Ashe withdrew, the umpire disqualified Nastase, and declared the match over with no winners. Naturally, Nastase nearly lost his mind, hurling insults at the umpire at an astonishing rate. The

Europe and Sweden – where the Finals would be taking place – through South Africa. He stopped over in Johannesburg, also playing in that event at high altitude, before eventually arriving at the Kungliga Tennishallen in Stockholm two hours before his first match against Arthur Ashe.

Unsurprisingly, he lost all three his matches that year. Not to go too far offtopic, but it’s worth quickly relating the story of the encounter between Arthur Ashe and Ilie Nastase in that tournament.

expected to be declared the victory due to forfeit. However, he was to be shocked a second time.

Neither player had a liking for the other, and from the outset of their clash was dogged by controversy. Umpire Horst Klosterkemper had his hands full with the unruly Nastase, and was on the receiving

The umpire tried to reason with Ashe, but the American had made up his mind: he would not continue with this ridiculous farce. His stubbornness was well-known on the Tour, and Klosterkemper knew

26

TennisWorld

tournament officials called an emergency meeting to discuss the matter, and ruled that Ashe would be given the match, though Nastase was allowed to stay in the tournament.

Luckily, Nastase learned from the incident, and went on to play some of his best tennis over the course of the

event. In the final, he crushed Bjorn Borg 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 to take his fourth and last Masters trophy. Ashe made it to the semi-finals, but was defeated by Borg.

Umpire Horst Klosterkemper (now 72) has become a bit of a legend for his handling of the situation, and went on to become one of the key figures in German tennis during the ‘80s and ‘90s. He funded the World Tennis Team Cup in Dusseldorf in 1978 and also was instrumental in the creation of the Nations Cup. A Tournament Like No Other But let’s get back to our original topic: the World Tour Finals (or Masters Cup, or whatever you wish to call it). The event was born in the Metropolitan Gymnasium in Tokyo in 1970, and was originally intended to be an itinerant event. It would travel from Tokyo to Paris, then Barcelona, Boston, Melbourne, Stockholm and Houston.

In 1977, the World Tour Finals moved to Madison Square Garden, and it was

store for the illustrious year-end championships, and in 1990 its name was changed to the ATP Tour World Championships and it moved to Germany.

This was thanks to the tireless efforts of Ion Tiriac, who was then working alongside Boris Becker.

The first six editions of the tournament were held in Frankfurt, followed by four in Hannover. The latter was strangest venue the World Tour Finals ever took place in.

To emphasise the strangeness of the setting, the final one year was contested between two Spanish clay specialists: Alex Corretja and Carlos Moya. It was the first time that two Spaniards met in the finals of the event, and it also happened

carpet surface against the best players in the world. Corretja’s case was perhaps even stranger. He had never beaten Pete Sampras before the event – not even on red clay – but somehow found inspiration to knock out the American, who loved playing in those conditions.

A Final To Remember The final that followed was one of the most closely contested – if not the most exciting – in the event’s history. Corretja and Moya (who were good friends off the court) assaulted each other for more than four hours before Corretja managed to avenge his French Open defeat.

decided that it would remain there and no longer be a travelling event. Over the next 13 years the tournament would enjoy great success in New York, and feature champions the likes of Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg and Ivan Lendl.

However, fate had more surprises in

to be a rematch of the French Open final that had taken place earlier that year.

Bizarrely, Carlos Moya had won his first-ever indoor match just a week before. His previous five attempts at notching just one match win indoors had all ended with first round defeats. Yet here he was, flourishing on an indoor

Moya was the more explosive of the two, but Corretja eventually wore him down and finally clinched victory. For his efforts he received $1.3 million along with one of the most prestigious trophies in tennis.

Strangely, that year was the last in which a Spanish player won the World Tour Finals. Nadal gave it a good shot this year, but it seems that the World Tour Finals will remain the one tournament which the Spaniards don’t dominate – at least for another season.

TennisWorld

27

DJOKOVIC, Novak

BERDYCH, Tomas

RODDICK, Andy

3

6

8

NADAL, Rafael

L

L

L

L

L

W

DJOKOVIC, Novak

28 November 2010 at 19:33 Date and Time

FEDERER, Roger

DJOKOVIC, Novak

MURRAY, Andy

NADAL, Rafael

Semi-Final

1. NADAL, Rafael [ESP] 2. DJOKOVIC, Novak [SRB] 3. BERDYCH, Tomas [CZE] 4. RODDICK, Andy [USA]

BERDYCH, Tomas Final

L

W

W

W

W

W

RODDICK, Andy

FEDERER, Roger 61 64

NADAL, Rafael 76(5) 36 76(6)

GROUP A - FINAL STANDINGS

NADAL, Rafael

Seeded positions

1

GROUP A

Round Robin Record 0-3

1-2

2-1

3-0

1-6

2-4

4-2

6-1

W-L

29 - 41

26 - 33

31 - 24

42 - 30

Brad Drewett Tournament Director

FEDERER, Roger 63 36 61

41.43%

44.07%

56.36%

58.33%

Win %

Games

W-L

Champion

14.29%

33.33%

66.67%

85.71%

Win %

Sets

FEDERER, Roger L

L

L

L

W

W

SODERLING, Robin

PLAYERS

1. FEDERER, Roger [SUI] 2. MURRAY, Andy [GBR] 3. SODERLING, Robin [SWE] 4. FERRER, David [ESP]

Andre Silva/Thomas Schrader Tour Manager

RODDICK, Andy [USA]

FERRER, David [ESP]

SODERLING, Robin [SWE]

BERDYCH, Tomas [CZE]

MURRAY, Andy [GBR]

DJOKOVIC, Novak [SRB]

NADAL, Rafael [ESP]

MURRAY, Andy

0-6

4-2

2-4

6-0

W-L

1510000 740000 240000 240000 120000 120000 0 0

19 - 38

30 - 22

29 - 35

37 - 20

W-L

33.33%

57.69%

45.31%

64.91%

Win %

Games

Tom Barnes ATP Supervisor

$1,630,000 $860,000 $360,000 $360,000 $240,000 $240,000 $120,000 $120,000

Total Prize Money Won

0.00%

66.67%

33.33%

100%

Win %

Sets

Round Prize Money Won

0-3

2-1

1-2

3-0

Gerry Armstrong Referee

120000 120000 120000 120000 120000 120000 120000 120000

1500 1000 400 400 200 200 0 0

W

W

W

Participant Fee

L

L

W

FERRER, David

Points Won

GROUP B - FINAL STANDINGS

FERRER, David

MURRAY, Andy

SODERLING, Robin

FEDERER, Roger

GROUP B

FEDERER, Roger [SUI]

7

5

4

2

Seeded positions

BARCLAYS ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS 2010 SINGLES COMPETITION Round Robin Record

D A P I E H ON T

hen we t d n a , gazine e iPad. a m l a t i h ary dig s taking on t n o i t u l i vo our re TennisWorld d e c u d , e intro Phone. Now w t s r i i F he ered t u E! q n o c ’s FRE

now load it

Down

High res

olution p

– it

hotograp hs, exclu sive artic isW t h e les and g orld whole roundbre is th maga aking int zine a e fir erviews st e t y o u r fing ver t ertips enni . s ma gazi ne o n th e iPa d.

Tenn

An interview with

Andy Roddick When he eventually hangs up his racquet and calls it quits, 2010 is unlikely to be a year Andy Roddick looks back on with particular fondness.

By David Cox For a brief while Roddick looked to be the man in form, beating Rafael Nadal on the way to the Miami Masters title in April.

However, his high intensity approach to the game has begun to take its toll on his body after over a decade on Tour, and Roddick suffered persistent illness and injury for the rest of the season.

He suffered a bout of glandular fever in the summer, and his early exits at both Wimbledon and the US Open left the American cutting a fairly despondent figure.

Having been through all this, Roddick deservedly received widespread plaudits for

30

TennisWorld

still somehow managing to make the ATP World Tour Finals cut. The American’s laconic take on the world and quick-fire quips make him an ever-popular figure with the media and fans worldwide, and TennisWorld caught up with him during the tournament.

Andy, events like this are commonplace for you now, but just how tough is it to be one of the last eight standing in a year or in any year?

“It’s not easy that’s for sure. It’s getting harder, I think the depth in tennis is increasing. I know at the start of this whole thing, you played someone ranked 60, 70, 80, you felt pretty comfortable and

now it’s anybody’s game on a given day. I think the biggest key to qualifying for this tournament is winning matches even not on your best day, and that’s what every guy in this year’s field has done consistently. You normally have the 10% when you’re playing terrible and the 10% when you’re playing great. It’s that middle 80% which is the true showing of where you belong.”

After all the injuries you’ve had in 2010, did qualifying mean even more this time?

“Sure, I felt I was pretty clean end of last year (2009) for about four months, and then played well at the beginning of

2010. I got sick, tried to play through it a little bit more than I should have and then ran into some problems in Asia – but to still end up here at the end is a little bit surprising, but also it’s a good accomplishment.”

Any time you have a relatively early loss, people like to write you off, why do you think they do that and does it become easier for you to brush that off?

“I guess I’m used to it, nothing really surprises me anymore. I feel like unfortunately a lot of times it’s taken a turn towards what sells papers as opposed to what you actually believe in.

But that being said, I feel like also at a certain point I’ll have to have earned the right to kind of work my way out and not get immaturely pushed out from paper sales. I tend to focus on what I can do on the given day and not get too cut up about it all. And to be honest, a lot of times it’s people that might be covering a tournament here and there as opposed to

the people who cover tennis on a weekly basis, so as much as I’m upset about it, I don’t see them for another year so...”

Can you remember what it was like the first time you qualified back in 2003, what your feelings were?

“When I first qualified it was a little bit of a whirlwind, I don’t really remember too much. It was in Houston, which was a short drive for me which was good, but yeah that autumn was all a bit of a whirlwind. It was the US Open [which Roddick won that year], then all of a sudden it was a couple of tournaments and then Saturday Night Live [Roddick took a turn as a guest presenter of the show] and then trying to finish the year as number one. Looking back I probably wouldn’t have chosen the same route to that first match as I would now, but if your life hasn’t changed at all in the last eight

TennisWorld

31

years then you need a new hobby or something!”

This year Rafa has established himself as one of the greatest of all time by completing the career Grand Slam. How do you go about preparing for a match against him?

“I know I have to play aggressively.

Anything prolonged, anything you leave hanging, you get into a cat and mouse match-up with him which is tougher.

He’ll probably try to work the other way.

So, it’s a matter of execution, who can implement their game plan better on the night.”

If Rafa wins in Australia and so holds all four grand slams, what kind of achievement would that be, especially in this era?

“What Rafa’s done this year is unbelievable, what’s he’s done in big matches is unreal. To kind of put into context what Roger and Rafa have been able to do over the last five or six years is something that I hope people appreciate now, because I guarantee you, when you’re writing stories 15 years from now you’re gonna write “I remember the good old days with those guys”, so I hope people can appreciate them.”

What was it like going to Downing Street before the tournament? Did you get the chance to speak to David Cameron about his game or your

32

TennisWorld

game or anything else?

“Yeah I did, I was just happy to hear he was a Babolat man so that was a good thing.

We didn’t get to the point of asking whether he used Rafa’s racquet or my racquet, he kinda avoided that question so I’m assuming it was Rafa’s!”

Was it cool to see Downing Street and everything there?

“Oh it was great, I mean you don’t get those opportunities often. It was really nice to see the inside and nice of them to have us.”

You’ve got a great record in London

from playing at Queens and Wimbledon. Does playing in the city give you an added boost with the crowd on your side a bit?

“The crowd’s always a little bit of a polarising thing at the ATP World Tour Finals.

The crowd’s normally on my side here in London, but then you go up against a champion like Rafa, for example, so you don’t know how much you can bank on. I definitely think you do better as a whole when you’re comfortable and I’m certainly that in London.”

The prize money at these events is huge. The winner in London takes a million bucks, does this play on your mind at all when you compete?

“It’s the first I’ve heard of it. Without sounding terrible, I think the players are at events like this for a different reason. I think if you gave a lot of them the option to win the ATP World Finals and not take home a million bucks, I think the majority would take that. I think I would certainly fit into that category.”

Mediterranean Flair

An Interview with Marcos Baghdatis

By David Cox

S

ix years ago, the idea that Cyprus would have a tennis player capable of beating the best in the world was frankly laughable. The small Mediterranean island had never produced a Top 100 player, and when it comes to national sporting interests, tennis is fairly low on the list.

However, that all changed in January 2006, when a 21 year-old called Marcos Baghdatis made headlines around the world with his run to the Australian Open final. Baghdatis’ flashy forehands, cheeky quips and general exuberance earned him the adulation of the Melbourne crowds and gained him cult status back in his home country. Tennis was on the map in Cyprus.

tournaments, Baghdatis ended the year at 20 in the world, and is well placed to make an assault on the game’s biggest crowns in 2011.

TennisWorld caught up with him after the Paris Masters.

What are your plans for the off season? Anything in particular you’ll be

working on in terms of your game?

“I’m planning a winter training block for 6 weeks. One of my main goals is to improve my physical conditioning.

Regarding my game, I need to increase my first serve percentage and be more aggressive with my returns. I plan to work on this before next year.”

It looked like you were playing your

For Baghdatis, it was the culmination of ten years of sacrifice. Having first picked up a racket at the age of five, he was already the best senior player in his country when he celebrated his 13th birthday. A year later he made the heartbreaking decision to move away from his family to train full-time at the prestigious Mouratoglou academy in France. Desperately homesick, Baghdatis hated it at first, but within four years he was world junior champion.

It was a feel-good story the media embraced during Baghdatis’ memorable fortnight in Melbourne, and he has since continued to make waves, reaching the Top Ten later that year. While it has not always been plain sailing, with injuries playing a significant role in the past few seasons, 2010 has been a good year for the Cypriot. Notching up wins over Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer at key

TennisWorld

33

best tennis of the year this summer, (Baghdatis beat Nadal, Berdych and Verdasco on hard courts) after linking back up with your old coach. Did he suggest new tactics or a new approach to your game? What do you feel made the difference?

“Guillaume and I decided to approach things with a view to improving in the long-term. Of course we try to find the best tactics to win every time I play, whoever it is against.”

Have your wins over Federer and Nadal this year given you more confidence, knowing you can now beat the very best in the world?

“Confidence is very important. Winning gives you a lot of confidence but the difficult thing is to keep it even if you beat the best players. To keep it, you have to be the best and win a lot of matches and titles.

Of course, the fact that I beat Nadal and Federer in the same year is very positive.

It shows that when I play a good match, I am able to beat the best players.

34

TennisWorld

There are no easy matches today on the Tour, all the players are very good, rankings mean nothing. I was injured last year and my ranking dropped to 150 in the world. Getting back to the Top 20 was very difficult. I am very happy to be back to that level but I have to work very hard to stay there and I have to always think about improving. Every day, what do I need to improve if I want to be a better tennis player? This is the golden question.”

Having competed against both Federer and Nadal, who do you feel is the better player when they’re both at their best ?

I think Nadal and Federer are completely different. Their tennis, their personalities, their weapons...I think when they are playing at their best, Federer is the more complete.

If we look back to when you first broke onto the ATP Tour in 2005, do you feel the men’s game has moved on a lot in the past five years? If so, in what way?

“Day by day, month by month and year by year the game is improving. All the guys are very strong, they hit the ball with a lot of power. The game is getting faster and faster, each year the serves are better and better. All the players are very close to each other, ability-wise.”

You had that fantastic year in 2006, reaching the Aussie Open final and the Wimbledon semi-finals. Do you feel that with a good injury-free period, you can emulate those successes again?

“I am working very hard for it, I know I am able to do it again. That is why I practise almost every day. I want to win a big event. I can do it !”

What would you say has been the toughest patch of your tennis

career?

“2008 and 2009 were especially difficult with injuries. I was out of the Tour for many months. I dropped to 150 in the world and I had to play challengers (the second tier of men’s tennis), I had no choice! I knew it would be the only way for me to come back. It was very difficult but my mind was ready for this challenge. I was very proud of myself for working my way back up. It gave me a lot of confidence. Ranking means nothing – 200, 100, 50, Top 10, they all hit the ball very well. The difference between the players is more physically and mentally. Can you take the opportunity when it comes?

We are interested in how much the top players like yourself plan ahead before key points. Do you visualize how you would like the point to go, what is likely to happen or do you not think about it too much?

“I try to have a simple vision. I decide

in my head what I’m going to do before the point and I go for it 100%. I try to think positive thoughts: ‘come on Marcos, play aggressive to his forehand and it is going to work!’”

How do you go about prematch preparation? Do you always set a game-plan with your coach ? Any rituals or superstitions?

“Before a match, I speak with my coach about the game plan.

Like many players, I have some rituals and of course, we never break the routine if I am winning!”

Tell us about your fitness regime in-between tournaments “Well, I love good food! Unfortunately, I need to be disciplined with it, like all sportsmen. What you put in your body is very important.

In a competitive world like tennis, how easy it is to have friends on the Tour?

“Despite what you may think, it is actually not so difficult to have friends on the Tour.

Even if we have to fight against each other on court, we do it with respect. All tennis players on the tour are very good guys. With time some of them become very good friends.”

There has been a lot of controversy over the length of the tennis season. Do you think it is too long?

“Of course ! We all agree about this, the tennis season is too long. It should be three weeks shorter.”

What is the main sport in Cyprus and how big is tennis compared to that? Is tennis covered much by TV or newspapers? Has your success helped in getting more young Cypriots to take up the game?

“Soccer is the most popular sport in my country but tennis is growing. It became more popular after I reached the Australian Open final in 2006. Some of my matches are on TV now and newspapers report on my results and how the Davis Cup team does. Tennis is in a good way in Cyprus.”

Finally, have you thought much about what you will do after tennis?

“I have some ideas but I have a lot time to think about it. I am still only 25 years old and I want to play for at least another six to seven years.”

TennisWorld

35

Goodbye Hair, Hello Glory Serbia Wins The 2011 Davis Cup

By Ivan Pasquariello At the beginning of the season, the Serbian Davis Cup team promised to shave their heads if they won the competition.

It is a pact many of them probably now regret. Although, judging by the scenes of ecstatic joy that accompanied the victory, there might be nothing that can quell the spirits of the victorious Serbs.

Many have described the victory as incredible, surprising and even miraculous.

However, upon further inspection it isn’t as unexpected as one might think. Of the

four best players in the world, three decided to sit out Davis Cup duty this year.

Rafael Nadal wanted to rest his body and Roger Federer has long since lost interest in the whole affair. Andy Murray, too, decided to stay home instead of representing his country.

But Novak Djokovic bucked the trend and decided to commit himself to the Davis Cup for the year. He must have reckoned that his presence on the team virtually guarantees two wins. They just need one other victory and they are through to the next round. It proved to be a very sound theory indeed.

But even with the world number three on your side, winning the Davis Cup is never easy. The Serbians had to come back from 2-1 down in the final, and their victory was ultimately well deserved.

A Group Of Friends The Serbian victory was not just one for a group of teammates, but for a group of friends. They always support each other on the ATP World Tour, and are always happy for their friends’ successes. The Davis Cup final was no different, and when Victor Troicki became a hero for his country there was no jealousy among his colleagues, only joy.

Just ask Mikhail Youzhny and Fernando Verdasco – winning the deciding rubber of a Davis Cup final can change your career.

Certainly young Troicki has a lot of potential to become a very fine player, and this win will certainly do wonders for his confidence. Can he break into the Top 20? The Top 10? Right now everything seems

36

TennisWorld

possible. After all, he came within a few points of beating friend and fellow Davis Cup victor Novak Djokovic in the first round of the US Open. He just needs that little bit of extra self-belief to put him over the edge – and he certainly has that now.

One For The Little Guy For the second time in five years, a small nation has won the Davis Cup. So far, the reaction in Serbia has been overwhelming, and it is clear that the victory means the world to them. Similar scenes came out of Croatia when that country won the

2010 World Group - Final 1T) G. Monfils (FRA) b. J. Tipsarevic (SRB) 61 76(4) 60; 2T) N. Djokovic (SRB) b. G. Simon (FRA) 63 61 75 3T) A. Clement/M. Llodra (FRA) . N. Zimonjic/V. Troicki (SRB) 36 67(3) 64 75 64 4T) N. Djokovic (SRB) b. G. Monfils (FRA) 62 62 64; 5T) V. Troicki (SRB) b. M. Llodra (FRA) 62 62 63

Cup in 2005. The Davis Cup is one of the few events that smaller countries can still win, and as such it carries a great amount of prestige in those places.

Of course the win means the most to the team that secured it in the first place.

“This is the happiest day of my life,” an exuberant Troicki said after winning the final point. Similar sentiments were expressed by Djokovic and co. as well.

It’s obvious that the Davis Cup still stirs passions in many countries, and it carries an even greater significance for some players than the Grand Slams do. Indeed, for many countries the Davis Cup is the main way of growing the sport of tennis, since they are unlikely to ever have a Grand Slam champion (but they might win the Cup).

This is one of the main reasons why defenders of the competition don’t want it changed. There have long been calls for the Davis Cup to be held only every two years, and for the format to be changed completely. But there are those who claim that it would be devastating if such a move were ever made.

Always Blame The Captain The saying goes “always blame the

A Victory Of Passion The Davis Cup means many things to many people. To some, it is a relic of the past that must be radically altered or abandoned altogether as soon as humanly possible. For others, it is the ultimate prize in tennis – bigger even than a Grand Slam victory.

It wasn’t hard to see to which category the Serbian fans belong when one watched the Davis Cup final play out in Belgrade. There had been many concerns coming into the match, many of them not related to tennis at all. Security protocols, for example, had to be reviewed weeks before the tie due to worries about hooliganism. But when the long-awaited weekend arrived, the fans and players were concerned with one thing and one thing only: winning that Cup. There are few things as exciting as being part of a rowdy Davis Cup crowd, and they don’t get much rowdier than the

coach,” but since there are no coaches in Davis Cup the criticism always falls on the captains, who are coaches in all but name. There was plenty of criticism to go around as well, as both captains made some questionable decisions over the weekend.

We’ll start with Serbian captain Bogdan Obradovic, who unbelievably called on Janko Tipsarevic instead of Victor Troicki to play the first singles rubber. We cannot

Belgrade crowds. It was almost akin to a football atmosphere, and people cheered, shouted and chanted for their team and country as if their lives depended on it.

The two competing teams could not have been more different. France, a Davis Cup powerhouse, was a heavy favourite on paper, seeing as the underdog Serbians had never lifted the trophy before. But what they lacked in pedigree they made up for with passion and enthusiasm. When the final point was one, pandemonium reigned, and for a brief moment it seemed pure sacrilege to want to do away with such a wonderful competition – one that evokes such great emotions in people.

Indeed, if all Davis Cup ties were this wonderful, it would be the most popular event on Earth. But let us not think about the future for now. Let just bask in the afterglow of what was an incredible Davis Cup final.

TennisWorld

37

Davis Cup 2011 fathom why he did this, since Troicki has had a wonderful season, whereas Tipsarevic has rarely been able to win back-to-back matches.

French captain Guy Forget made a similar blunder, looking to Gilles Simon instead of Michael Llodra for the second singles match. Why on Earth would he do that? Llodra had just defeated Djokovic a few weeks earlier, and could have possibly given the French a 2-0 lead on day one. It is indeed a perplexing decision, and one which might very well have cost the French the title. (c) Matchpoint Tennis Magazine

38

TennisWorld

The Serbians are still partying in celebration of their first Davis Cup win, but the ITF has already announced the schedule for the 2011 edition of the competition. The World Group debuts the weekend of 4 March, and the defending champions have a relatively easy matchup against India.

France face Austria first up, and if they progress they will meet either Germany or Croatia in the next round.

The most interesting first round matchup is between Sweden and Russia, where Robin Soderling and Mikhail Youznhy will likely face off against each other. Argentina, who are always tough Davis Cup competitors, are possible opponents for the Serbians in the semi-finals. If Juan Martin Del Potro can get healthy, he and David Nalbandian will make for a very formidable duo indeed.

Minnows Kazakhstan will take on the powerful Czech Republic, while Jim Courier and his US team will face off against Chile in the first round – also a potentially tough encounter. Andy Roddick has announced that he will be playing Davis Cup in 2011, which will definitely boost his team’s chances of success. The Americans have struggled of late, and will be desperate to return to the kind of form that saw them take the Cup in 2007.

It’s unclear whether Rafael Nadal will return to Davis Cup action in 2011, but his team could use his help as they take on Belgium in the opening round. The Spaniards have won the Davis Cup twice in the past three years, and if the world number one does indeed rejoin their ranks, they will be almost impossible to stop.

RH5920 REDHERRING 011 234 0951

REFRESHINGLY UNIQUE! In 140 countries, Perrier offers the strongest natural bubbling experience. Its distinctive bottle continues to be an icon worldwide. Perrier is a world leader in sparkling water.

Low in sodium content and with neutral taste, it is the natural drink that sparkles like no other.

www.patleys.co.za

TennisWorld

39

COPPA DAVIS

PAGELLE Novak Djokovic 10/10

Gael Monfils 6.5/10

When Novak Djokovic was destroyed by Roger Federer at the ATP World Tour Finals, many people said “his mind is already at the Davis Cup Finals.” Perhaps they were right. Djokovic saved his best tennis for last, and led his country to its very first Davis Cup title. It might not mean as much as his Grand Slam victory – no matter what he says – but it is definitely right up there.

He could have so easily been the hero of the Davis Cup, but Monfils’ flair for the theatrical got the better of him at the wrong times. He will be disappointed with his performance – and rightly so – but he is still young. He will learn from his mistakes and come back stronger next year.

Victor Troicki 10/10 For a player like Victor Troicki, who will never know the joy of lifting a Grand Slam trophy, winning the Davis Cup is the biggest prize he will ever know in his career. And not only was Troicki part of a winning team, he actually clinched the final match of the tie for his country against the wily Michael Llodra.

A fantastic effort from the Serb.

Janko Tipsarevic 4/10 Everyone would like to play their best tennis when it matters most, but it’s not always possible. Tipsarevic hasn’t had the best year, so perhaps it wasn’t the wisest move to call on him during the Davis Cup final. Luckily, his teammates were able to succeed where he failed.

Nenad Zimonjic 5/10 Much was expected of the Serbian doubles specialist, and though he tried his best he couldn’t lift himself and his partner Victory Troicki past the finish line. Their epic five-set loss was perhaps the most entertaining match of the weekend, but Zimonjic will probably prefer to forget it.

Bogdan Obradovic 10/10 He lead his team to its first-ever Davis Cup win – how can we not give him a perfect score? Obradovic knows how to get the best out of his players and deserves a lot of credit for this victory.

40

TennisWorld

Gilles Simon 4/10 Remember when Gilles Simon was a Top 10 player? It seems like such a long time ago now. He couldn’t keep up with his opponent and fell to a bad loss – one that proved costly in the end. Putting him up against Novak Djokovic was a poor choice, since it didn’t prove to be a good matchup for Simon.

Arnaud Clement 7/10

He got off to a slow start in the doubles, but the wily veteran got better with every ball he struck. His win was the most entertaining of the weekend, though the five sets it took likely tired his partner out and cost him the next day’s singles match.

Michael Llodra 4/10

After playing such a long doubles match on the Saturday, it was always going to be tough for Llodra to play well in the deciding rubber. It was a winnable match for him, but his nerves simply got the better of him at key moments.

Guy Forget 6/10

Why oh why did he choose Simon over Llodra for the second singles rubber? Llodra had just beaten Djokovic a few weeks earlier, whereas Simon hasn’t had a decent result in months.

The choice is baffling, and ultimately cost the French the title.

(c) Matchpoint Tennis Magazine

TennisWorld

41

The New Roman Empire Italy Wins The Fed Cup (Again)

By Vanni Gibertini Photographs by Luigi Serra

I

t didn’t take long for events to play out just as everyone had expected them to. Since it became clear that the Williams sisters would once again be absent from the Fed Cup final, few pundits were brave enough to predict an American victory.

Indeed, their hesitance was well-founded, as a confident Italian squad lead by French Open champion Francesca Schiavone easily outdid their overmatched opponents. It is the second straight year that the Italian women walk away with the trophy, and the third time in five years.

Yet only a few months ago it seemed as if the Americans would avenge their 2009 loss to Italy in the championship round. Captain Mary Joe Fernandez triumphantly announced that both Venus and her sister Serena would make themselves available for Fed Cup duty this year – something which they have shied away from in the recent past. There were immediate questions about their true motivations, and many thought they were just looking to add to their trophy collection, or were hoping to satisfy one of the eligibility requirements for the 2012 London Olympics. Regardless of what the driving force behind their willingness was, fate intervened to ensure that they would never take to the court in San Diego.

42

TennisWorld

Both sisters succumbed to season-ending injuries, meaning that the US would be forced to field a team that didn’t have single player ranked in the Top 50. Their highest-ranking member was Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who is ranked at number

for the team over the past few seasons.

Unfortunately for the Americans, the gamble didn’t pay off. The overmatched youngster won only two points against Schiavone’s serve in the first set, and managed only four games in the closing singles match against Flavia Pennetta.

During the most high-profile press conferences of her career so far, Vandeweghe seemed extremely unhappy about her performance.

“I’m very disappointed in myself and the way that it turned out,” she said. “But I tried my best out there, fought as hard as I could...It’s definitely emotional right now losing for my country and for my teammates, people that kind of counted on me to pull out a win.”

58 – a full 16 positions behind the worstranked Italian player.

The situation was so dire that Fernandez was forced to resort to desperate tactics, and decided to play the 19 year-old Coco Vandeweghe. The youngster, who had recently put in a good performance at the WTA event in Tokyo, was used in the singles matches instead of Georgia-born Melanie Oudin, who had been a stalwart

Fernandez tried to comfort her by saying on more than one occasion how proud she was of Coco, and how the final score did not reflect what she had displayed on court.

But if people were surprised about the selection of Vandeweghe for the singles, they were in for an even bigger surprise on Sunday when Melanie Oudin delivered a stunning upset. Oudin was called on to replace the ill Mattek-Sands, and crushed

Schiavone in a one-sided blowout. The victory only delayed the inevitable – Pennetta sealed matters for Italy in the next match – but Oudin relished her biggest win of a difficult 2010.

“Everything worked well for me today,” an elated Oudin commented afterwards.

“I could defend really well and I think that seeing so many balls being returned must have surprised Francesca. With this victory I can comfortably say that I am back. There is much talk about the second year as a professional being the hardest, but you don’t really appreciate it until it happens to you. This year I’ve struggled a lot. I had no idea how much travel was required, how competitive the

Tour becomes once you are known and everyone wants to beat you. Now I am ready for next season, even though I still need to chase a few points in the Phoenix challenger to make it to the main draws in Australia.”

Perhaps a bigger shock than America’s meek downfall in Fed Cup tennis is Italy’s spectacular rise. The Italian team has been nearly unbeatable over the past few years, and with experienced veterans like Schiavone now playing the best tennis of their lives, things can only get better (at least in the short run). “We have been able to win three Fed Cups in five years because we have a very strong team, made up of very strong players, whom

I am honoured to be leading, and who really play with their heart,” the team’s captain commented proudly.

Despite having a huge advantage as far as players went, there were a number of things that could have thrown off the Italian contingent. For example, the tie was played in the US in front of a very partisan crowd. The surface, too, was incredibly fast – something which the American players far prefer to the slower clay that is so popular in Italy. But none of these things ruffled the feathers of the defending champions, and they carried themselves with great poise.

That being said, the new powerhouse of

TennisWorld

43

women’s tennis cannot afford to rest on its laurels. The Williams sisters will have to participate next year if they want to be eligible for the 2012 Olympics, so the Italians won’t have the luxury of competing against an inferior squad again. And even though the Italian players’ experience helped them greatly in the most recent

clash, none of them are getting any younger. Schiavone is 30, and won’t be able to keep up this kind of form forever.

The players admit that they will have to address some issues if they are to compete for the title again next year. Flavia Pennetta, who is 29, points to scheduling as a major challenge for her. “This year I have played 139 matches between singles and doubles, and I have ended up losing some matches due purely to tiredness,” she said recently. There is also the problem of compensation: Fed Cup duty does not pay a lot, and for players nearing the end of their careers, earning money for every match played becomes a big concern – though they would never cite that as a reason for not competing in the Fed Cup. Perhaps the greatest con44

TennisWorld

cern for Italy is depth of talent. Behind the current top Italian players – most of whom are nearing or passing 30 – there are very few promising young players.

The current state of Italian tennis is indeed bright, but there are some clouds on the horizon, and if some new young

players don’t step up soon, 2010 might be the last time in a long while that their country wins the Fed Cup.

Looking Back On The Fed Cup

By Gianluca Atlante

There is a saying that goes “first win at home, then try and do it away.” Wise words indeed, for winning in a foreign country is never an easy task. It is fitting, then, that after winning the Fed Cup at home last year Italy would go to the United States this time around to earn the cup again. And earn it they did – even without the Williams sisters, defeating the Americans in their own back yard was never going to be easy, but the Ital-

ians certainly made it look that way.

Everything and more has been said about the Italian Fed Cup team, about Francesca Schiavone, Flavia Pennetta, Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci. They have been described as extraordinary, fabulous and even legendary. But not enough has been said about how far they have come both individually and as a team to achieve what they have.

Indeed, it is exactly because of their vast experience – both good and bad – that they have managed to lift the prestigious Fed Cup trophy for the third time in five years – a truly extraordinary achievement.

It is, of course, the nature of the sport that every victory is immediately followed by a discussion of what is to come next, and already people are talking about next year’s challenges. But this must not distract both the players and the fans from enjoying this victory while it lasts. It has been another extraordinary year for Italian tennis, with Schiavone’s victory in Paris and now the Fed Cup, but it is not easily repeated.

All of the players deserve praise for what they’ve done, but a special mention must be made of Flavia Pennetta, who cast aside the stresses of a long and difficult season to play some of the best tennis of her life when she needed it most. It is the mark of a true champion to be able to do this, and she showed everyone that she – and indeed all of her fellow Fed Cup team members – is exactly that.

TennisWorld

45

The (Other) French Open

By Ivan Pasquariello Red clay or indoor carpet? Actually, it doesn’t matter, as long as it is in Paris.

In the very city where 17 months earlier he had reached his first Grand Slam final – and where he repeated the feat earlier this year – Robin Soderling finally managed to win his first Masters 1000 tournament. The last calendar event of the season, sheltered from bad weather in the Bercy arena, featured almost all the world’s top players. The only notable absence was Rafael Nadal, who hurt his shoulder in a jam-packed Asian schedule following the US Open.

But even though the top players were all there, it doesn’t mean that they all played well. Indeed, it was only Roger Federer who arrived in Paris in good form, having just won the trophies at Stockholm and Basel. The Swiss was the overwhelming favourite to win the whole thing, especially considering the fact that he was the only big dog still alive in the last four. Novak Djokovic was knocked out in the third round by local hero Michael Llodra, and Andy Murray fell to another Frenchman (Gael Monfils) in the quarter-finals.

Llodra was by far the biggest surprise of the tournament, and his old-school style of play and sunny demeanour delighted the Parisian crowd. Monfils and his talents are well-known in the tennis world, but the temperamental and bombastic Frenchman is very inconsistent, and one never knows what he is going to deliver when he steps on the court.

Despite the obvious talents of everyone involved in the semi-finals, none of the fans crammed into the centre court arena expected that they would be treated to two of the best 46

TennisWorld

matches of the year. Over five hours of tennis would be played and eight match points would be saved before two finalists emerged.

The first match was between Llodra and Soderling, and the local favourite put up one heck of a fight against the big-hitting Swede. His serve and volley tactics provided as many problems for Soderling as they had for Djokovic, and it was with baited breath that the crowd watched Llodra earn himself a match point. He lost that one, but soon had another, and yet another. But Soderling refused to back down, and in one of his most impressive mental efforts of his career the French Open finalist finally had some match points of his own, and he didn’t disappoint his fans.

A stunned French crowd turned all of their hopes to Gael Monfils, who was a major underdog in his bout against Roger Federer. From the very start it seemed as if would be a tight affair, and it proved to be the case to the very end: a third set tie-break would decide matters. In fact, every set was eventually decided by a

tie-break. Federer got off to a great start, going ahead 3-0 and then 4-1. Inexplicably, however, the Swiss donated a host of unforced errors to his opponent, immediately digging a major hole for himself. In an unbelievable turn of events, the Frenchman escaped after facing five match points, and sent a shocked Roger Federer packing. It was the fourth time in 2010 that Federer lost a match after having match points.

After such incredible tennis on the Saturday, the final was bound to be a disappointment. It never managed to reach the same heights as the semi-final matches, and was quickly won by a superior Soderling. For the Swede, exhausted by the week’s events, it was a sweet victory – one that had eluded him for years.

He can now finally say that he has won a Masters Series 1000 title, and once again focus his attention on the ultimate prize that has evaded him twice: a Grand Slam. (c) Matchpoint Tennis Magazine

RESULTS

BNP Paribas Masters - Paris November 8-14, 2010 Euro 2,750,000 – indoor SINGOLES Quarter-finals: (1)R. Federer (SUI) b. (11)J. Melzer (AUT) 61 76(4); (12)G. Monfils (FRA) b. (3)A. Murray (GBR) 62 26 63; (4)R. Soderling (SWE) b. (8)A. Roddick (USA) 75 64; M. Llodra (FRA) b. (10)N. Davydenko (RUS) 75 61 Semi-finals: (12)G. Monfils (FRA) b. (1)R. Federer (SUI) 76(7) 67(1) 76(4); (4)R. Soderling (SWE) b. M. Llodra (FRA) 67(0) 75 76(6).

Final: (4)R. Soderling (SWE) b. (12)G. Monfils (FRA) 61 76(1) DOUBLES Final: (6)Bhupa-thi /Mirnyi (IND/BLR) b. Knowles/ Ram (BAH/ISR) 75 75

TennisWorld

47

Gael The Aggressor

By Christian Turba

A

t the press conference after his tournament win at Montepellier, a reporter asked Gael Monfils about the 19 points (out of 24 attempts) he won coming to the net. “I am not very comfortable at the net, but this tactic seems to work well, so I’ll carry on using it.” To the casual tennis fan, this comment means little, but to those who have been carefully following the Frenchman’s career for years it is nothing short of a revelation.

But does this represent a sea change in Monfils’ approach to his game? Will he continue to be as aggressive as he was in Montpellier?

Based on the matches he played following his triumph in France, it seems like a real possibility.

Monfils has been extremely stubborn in his dogged pursuit of defensive tennis.

His coach, his fans, his peers – nobody seemed able to convince Gael to be a little more aggressive. But recently, he has been a little more willing to the take the game to his opponents. The results have been outstanding, and it seems that Monfils is finally realising that by playing all-court tennis he can be a Top 10 player.

Perhaps the biggest test of Monfils’ new aggressive philosophy came at the Paris Masters 1000, where he faced Andy Murray in the quarter-finals. The Scot is one of the best defensive players on the Tour, and if Monfils had stuck to his old game plan he would surely have fallen to the world number four (as he has many times before). Luckily for the French fans, their man had no intention of playing defensively, and started thumping balls from the outset. The result was an emphatic

It is exactly with this kind of all court tennis that the Frenchman managed to beat his compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semi-finals. There was a bit of everything in that match: defensive baseline rallies, clever drop shots, cheeky lobs and many forays to the net. Monfils showed that he is capable of playing the right kind of tennis at the right time.

48

TennisWorld

Novak Djokovic in straight sets. This time around the results was the same, though he faced a different opponent in the form of Robin Soderling.

One can perhaps say that Monfils was exhausted from his long semi-final and couldn’t recover in time for the final, but Soderling also had a very long match on the Saturday. The battle for the title was a mental one, not a physical one, and Monfils lost.

victory, and a confirmation that a new Gael Monfils is in town.

Even more impressive was his victory over Roger Federer in the semi-final, where he once again played some of the most aggressive tennis we’ve seen from him in years. He also showed some tremendous

mental strength, saving five match points en route to a thrilling three-set win over the Swiss maestro.

The only stumbling block that remains for Monfils is the nervousness that seems to overcome him during big finals. In 2009 he also reached the final in Paris, but lost to

Still, this loss was different from the one in 2009. There has been significant progress in Monfils’ game, though there is certainly still work to be done. He still occasionally chooses the wrong moments to be aggressive, something which costs him unnecessary points. He also sometimes reverts to his old self when he’s under pressure, stuck behind the baseline waiting for an error from his opponent.

One aspect of the Frenchman’s game that will never change, however, is his fighting spirit. “I try to fight hard,” he said recently.

“I want to win and play well. I give my best and do not worry too much.” It is the latter part of this statement that his coach Roger Rasheed has been trying to work on. Monfils always fights hard, but sometimes he is too eager to please the crowd – too eager not to worry. One need only think back to the US Open match against Djokovic, when Monfils tried to play a ridiculous shot between his legs when he had no need to. If he is ever to reach the very heights of the sport, he will need to eliminate this kind of thing from his game.

The coming year might be the one in which Gael Monfils finally fulfils the vast potential that everyone has always known he possesses. The questions is: will he be able to keep up this aggressive play in Australia? Perhaps more importantly, will he be able to reproduce the success he has enjoyed in France in a more hostile (or at least neutral) environment? We certainly hope so, for it will be a wonderful thing for tennis if he can. (c) Matchpoint Tennis Magazine

TennisWorld

49

PARIS MASTERS 1000

SCORECARD

By Paolo Bertolucci

Michael Llodra 8/10

The Frenchman’s flair and unusual style of play was a hit with his home crowd, and he enjoyed a tremendous amount of support throughout the week. The victory over Novak Djokovic will surely rank as the best of his career. A great tournament for the veteran, and hopefully he can carry this form into next year.

Robin Soderling 10/10

After two finals at Roland Garros, Soderling fully deserves to finally hoist his first major trophy. It is only fitting that it should come in Paris, a city where he has enjoyed so much success. It would have perhaps been more convincing if the Swede had beaten one of the big dogs in the final, but this victory is impressive nevertheless.

Gael Monfils 9/10

Monfils always plays his best tennis in France, where he has the full support of the crowd behind him. He did very well indeed in Paris, but fell short of the ultimate prize once again. If he can consistently find the sort of form he displayed here, he is a sure-fire Top 10 player. Perhaps this performance will spur him on to bigger and better things next year.

Roger Federer 7/10

Federer played well in Paris, but gets only 6/10 because he again lost a match where he held match points. This has happened to him four times this year, and is simply unacceptable from a man with his talent and experience. He went on to make up for it at the ATP World Tour Finals, but he had better make sure this trend doesn’t continue into next year.

Novak Djokovic 5/10

One can say that he got unlucky and came up against an inspired Michael Llodra, but Novak Djokovic is proving to be much too inconsistent in these events. If he wants to be taken seriously again as a Slam contender, he needs to fight through these tough matches and start winning Masters Series titles by beating Federer, Nadal and Murray in the finals.

Andy Murray 6/10

Like Roger Federer, Andy Murray fell foul of an inspired Gael Monfils, but unlike Federer, Murray surrendered rather meekly in the end. The Scotsman’s fighting spirit has been called into question repeatedly throughout the year, and it seems that without a coach he is drifting a little. Murray needs to find some consistency quickly or get a coach that can help him find it. (c) Matchpoint Tennis Magazine

50

TennisWorld

6

5

4

3

2

1

ALMAGRO, Nicolas

BYE

STEPANEK, Radek

RUSSELL, Michael

GASQUET, Richard

MAHUT, Nicolas

BYE

FEDERER, Roger

AUT

ESP

USA

FRA R. GASQUET FRA 75 46 76(7)

SUI

7

MELZER, Jurgen

1

8

BYE

R. FEDERER [1]

9

LL

WC

14

10

15

14

13

12

11

MURRAY, Andy

FERRER, David

BYE

FOGNINI, Fabio

BERRER, Michael

GIRALDO, Santiago

DE BAKKER, Thiemo

GBR

ESP

GER

NED S. GIRALDO COL 67(3) 64 75

J. MELZER [11]

N. ALMAGRO [14]

R. STEPANEK CZE 62 60

11

16

BYE

Q

17

A. MURRAY [3]

D. FERRER [7]

F. FOGNINI ITA 75 36 64

7

18

Q

3

25

24

23

22

21

20

19

BYE

MONFILS, Gael

CILIC, Marin

BYE

MARCHENKO, Illya

STAKHOVSKY, Sergiy

NALBANDIAN, David

GRANOLLERS, Marcel

FRA

CRO

SE

26

ISTOMIN, Denis

UZB B. BECKER GER 64 64

ESP D. NALBANDIAN ARG 63 61

13

27

BECKER, Benjamin FRA

ESP

F. VERDASCO [6]

A. CLEMENT ESP 67(8) 76(7) 63

G. MONFILS [12]

M. CILIC [13]

UKR S. STAKHOVSKY UKR 62 62

12

28

CLEMENT, Arnaud

Q

Q

LOPEZ, Feliciano BYE

29

31

VERDASCO, Fernando

30

32

WC

6

R. FEDERER [1] 64 64

R. STEPANEK 76(3) 64

J. MELZER [11] 63 76(6)

D. FERRER [7] 36 64 76(4)

A. MURRAY [3] 26 64 63

M. CILIC [13] 64 46 63

G. MONFILS [12] 76(4) 64

F. VERDASCO [6] 36 63 60

Seeded Players Seeded Players Rank FEDERER, Roger 2 9 YOUZHNY, Mikhail DJOKOVIC, Novak 3 10 DAVYDENKO, Nikolay MURRAY, Andy 4 11 MELZER, Jurgen SODERLING, Robin 5 12 MONFILS, Gael BERDYCH, Tomas 6 13 CILIC, Marin VERDASCO, Fernando 7 14 ALMAGRO, Nicolas FERRER, David 8 15 LJUBICIC, Ivan RODDICK, Andy 9 16 ISNER, John FOLLOW LIVE SCORING AT www.ATPWorldTour.com

ATP, Inc. © Copyright 2001

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

R. FEDERER [1] 64 63

J. MELZER [11] 76(6) 26 63

A. MURRAY [3] 76(6) 36 63

BNP PARIBAS MASTERS MAIN DRAW SINGLES Paris, France 7-14 November 2010 Hard, Greenset on Boards € 2,750,000 352

CHAMPION

61 76(1)

Russell for Tipsarevic - hip

M. LLODRA 75 61

Lucky Losers

Michael Berrer - 51

Last Direct Acceptance

A. RODDICK [8] 63 76(8)

M. LLODRA 76(6) 62

A. RODDICK [8] 61 64

E. GULBIS 64 30 Ret'd

M. LLODRA 63 64

GULBIS, Ernests

NIEMINEN, Jarkko

MALISSE, Xavier

BYE

RODDICK, Andy

39

38

37

36

35

34

33

15

9

8

CHELA, Juan Ignacio

40

USA

BEL J. NIEMINEN 64 63 FIN

BYE

41

A. RODDICK [8]

LAT E. GULBIS 75 22 Ret'd ARG

YOUZHNY, Mikhail

42

Q

RUS

BYE

LJUBICIC, Ivan

M. YOUZHNY [9]

CRO

I. LJUBICIC [15]

49

48

47

5

4

Q

50

43

BYE

51

44

SODERLING, Robin

52

WAWRINKA, Stanislas

BYE

BERDYCH, Tomas

53

SUI

MONTANES, Albert

54

10

45

SERRA, Florent

55

16

OUANNA, Josselin

SWE

BELLUCCI, Thomaz

KOHLSCHREIBER, Philipp

56

FRA

CZE

BYE

57

46

ESP

DAVYDENKO, Nikolay

58

SIMON, Gilles

FRA

ISNER, John

59

GOLUBEV, Andrey

GER

BYE

60

FRA

BRA

STARACE, Potito

61

KAZ

RUS

LLODRA, Michael

62

S. WAWRINKA 64 64 S. WAWRINKA 63 75 R. SODERLING [4] 76(3) 63 G. SIMON 36 64 63 R. SODERLING [4] 64 60 R. SODERLING [4]

USA

MONACO, Juan

T. BERDYCH [5]

ITA M. LLODRA 64 61 FRA

QUERREY, Sam

63

J. ISNER [16]

2

WC

ARG J. MONACO 76(7) 62 USA

64

SRB

BYE

N. DJOKOVIC [2] Retirements/W.O.

N. DJOKOVIC [2] 64 63

Chela - right wrist Youzhny - back

ATP Supervisor Tom Barnes/Carlos Sanches

DJOKOVIC, Novak

T. BERDYCH [5] 63 61 F. SERRA 46 61 76(3) N. DAVYDENKO [10] 46 76(5) 60 T. BELLUCCI 76(5) 57 63 N. DAVYDENKO [10] 63 60 N. DAVYDENKO [10]

R. SODERLING [4] 67(0) 75 76(6)

R. SODERLING [4] 75 64

Robin SODERLING [4]

R. FEDERER [1] 61 76(4)

G. MONFILS [12] 76(7) 67(1) 76(4)

Pts. 1000 600 360 180 90 45 10

G. MONFILS [12] 62 26 63

Prize Money Winner € 450,000 Finalists € 212,500 Semi-Finalists € 105,500 Quarter Finalists € 55,000 3rd Round € 28,900 2nd Round € 15,200 1st Round € 8,000

G. MONFILS [12] 67(4) 76(2) 75

Rank 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 19

51

TennisWorld

The Best Players Of 2010

By Luca Marrell

10. John Isner(USA) and Nicolas Mahut(FRA) )

We couldn’t compile a list like this and leave out Nicolas Mahut and John Isner, the two warriors who stunned the world with their mammoth match at

who still believed that. The Czech had been underperforming for years, and it seemed that his potential would forever go unfulfilled. Then, out of nowhere, he started playing the kind of tennis everyone knew he was capable of. He beat Roger Federer early in the year, and then went on to reach the semi-finals at Roland Garros and the final at Wimbledon. Since that heady fortnight at SW19, however, Berdych has struggled. It seems that this young man performs best when nobody is expecting anything from him. It remains to be seem if 2010 was a fluke or an indication of Berdych’s future form.

8. Mardy Fish(USA)

Wimbledon this year. For 11 hours and 5 minutes they battled it out on a small court at SW19, and for three days the eyes of the world were upon them. Both men struggled to shake off the physical effects of the match months after they shook hands at the net, but it seems a small price to pay to have your name in the record books.

9. Tomas Berdych (CZE)

When he beat Roger Federer at the 2004 Olympics, many people thought Tomas Berdych would one day replace the Swiss at the top of men’s tennis. At the beginning of the year, however, you’d have been hard pressed to find a pundit

Never has going on a diet done such wonderful things for a sportsperson.

Mardy Fish went from being an anonymous American just outside the Top 100 to the hottest player in the Top 20 in barely six months. The slimmer, fitter Fish is a joy to behold. His serve – always a big weapon in the past – is now complemented by an equally effective ground game, and his defence is as good as anyone on the Tour’s.

He beat Andy Murray three times in 2010, and each time he out-defended one of the best defenders in the sport. An injury prematurely ended his season, but if he can pick up next year where he left off in 2010, he might be the player to watch at the Australian Open.

7.Michael Llodra (FRA)

There isn’t much room for serve and volleyers in the modern game, but Michael Llodra has proven that if you have a lot of patience and a good sense of humour,

52

TennisWorld

you can still survive on today’s Tour with yesterday’s style of play. He scored a number of upsets in 2010, including a victory over Tomas Berdych at the US Open and against Novak Djokovic in Paris.

He was only a few points away from reaching the final of the latter tournament, but even though he ultimately fell short against Soderling in the semi-finals he still gave us some of the best tennis we’ve seen all year. Hopefully Llodra will continue to provide some much-needed variety to the top of the game in 2011.

6. Robin Soderling(SWE)

After a successful 2009, many people had only one question on their lips: “can Soderling do it again?” When the year started out, the answer seemed to be “no.” The Swede lost in the opening round at the Australian Open, and struggled throughout the opening months of the year. But just as he had done a year earlier, he came out of nowhere to reach

the French Open final again. The result was the same, but it forever erased the notion that his first run to the championship match was a fluke. After winning his first Masters Series 1000 title in Paris,

Soderling is finally demanding to be taken seriously, and anyone facing him at the Australian Open next year had better watch out.

5. Mikhail Youznhy(RUS)

The Russian likes to fly under the radar, and he surprised many people when he reached the semi-finals of the US Open for the second time in his career. It wasn’t a fluke either – he’d been reaching finals the whole year, and his performance at Flushing Meadows was the culmination of a good run of form. He’s

Earth, but that doesn’t seem to bother him anymore. Melzer is able to win matches even when he isn’t playing his best tennis, something that only the very best players are able to do.

3. Andy Murray (GBR) and Novak Djokovic (SRB)

1. Rafael Nadal(SPA)

At the beginning of the season, much doubt surrounded Rafael Nadal and his

It is fitting for Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic to share this spot. Both of them have played well in 2010, but both of them have been equally disappointing.

Their on-court attitudes are, at times, atrocious, and their mental fortitude has often been called into question. They were supposed to inherit the FedererNadal empire, but seem unsure of how to shoulder that great responsibility.

Between them they only have one Grand

been battling a host of different injuries in recent years – in fact, his 2010 season ended with an injury – but if Youznhy can stay healthy there’s no reason why he can’t carry his good form over into the new season.

4. Jurgen Melzer (AUT)

Though he’s never been able to compete at the very highest levels, Jurgen Melzer has always been a good pro. A constant presence in the Top 50, he seemed like the kind of guy who had already reached his full potential – someone who would always hover just at the edge of greatness. In 2010, however, the Austrian seemingly discovered a kind of talent and resolve that he didn’t know he possessed. Out of nowhere he started beating players like Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, and reached his very first Grand Slam semi-final. He’s still not the most technically accomplished player on

every tournament he enters, and he will be eager to defend his Australian crown early next year.

Slam (Djokovic’s Australian crown of 2008), and many people expected one – or even both – of them to pick up another this year. Unfortunately for them, it seems that they still have a lot of work to do before they hoist one of tennis’ most prized trophies.

2.Roger Federer (SUI)

The year began and ended with great triumphs, but in-between there weren’t many moments of joy for the Swiss maestro. After appearing in 23 consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals, Federer finally tasted defeat at the quarter-finals of the French Open. He followed that by falling at the semi-final stage of Wimbledon – a shock that eventually prompted him to hire a new coach. Paul Annacone has reinvigorated Federer’s desire to win, and if the latter end of the season is anything to go by, Federer is far from done. Even at 29, he is an automatic contender for

creaky knees. The accepted wisdom was that his days of dominating the Tour were over, and that he wouldn’t be able to effectively compete against the likes of Juan Martin Del Potro and Roger Federer anymore. After he retired with a knee injury at the Australian Open, such a diagnosis seemed to be confirmed, and many people completely wrote off the Spaniard. But a number of factors intervened that allowed Nadal to not only dominate men’s tennis, but to dominate it more completely than ever before. A number of injuries removed key rivals (Del Potro, Davydenko, Federer) for a time, and others failed to step up in the void they created. The result was that Nadal won just about everything in sight for six months, including a bagful of Masters titles and three Grand Slams. It has been an incredible year for the Spaniard, one that will be almost impossible to replicate. But one thing is for sure: he will definitely try.

TennisWorld

53

The Best Players of 2010 Di LeCorbu Vale

1. Francesca Schiavone She might not have had the most consistent year of everyone on our list, but there is little doubt that the greatest performance – and greatest surprise – of the year came from Francesca Schiavone

the Belgian, who can seemingly flip a switch and play the tennis of her life. Her US Open run was once again breathtaking, and even without any practice heading into the WTA Championships she still destroyed her competition. If she committed to playing more tournaments, Clijsters would surely be number one, but she prefers to keep her schedule light in order to spend time with her family. As long as she keeps winning, we definitely don’t mind.

3. Serena Williams Even in a year where she was forced to play only half a season thanks to injury, Serena Williams still managed to win two Grand Slams. When she is on song she is nigh on unstoppable, and even the comeback of Kim Clijsters and Justine

at the French Open. This wily Italian veteran has never been considered a Slam contender, but that didn’t stop her from putting together the most marvellous run of form we’ve seen in ages. Schiavone’s French Open campaign reminded us of why we love tennis, and injected some much-needed energy into a stagnant WTA Tour. Here’s hoping that she can pull off a similar feat next year.

2. Kim Clijsters Nothing can slow down Kim Clijsters.

Motherhood, retirement, car accidents... these are but minor inconveniences for

5. Caroline Wozniacki How can the new world number one only be number five on our list? Well, there are a few reasons. Firstly, she is the top

Henin has done little to stop the Serena juggernaut from destroying everything in its path. One cannot help but wonder if the foot injury that ended her season might also prematurely end her career.

But one thing is for sure: if she does return to tennis, she will dominate.

4. Vera Zvoraneva Incredibly, Vera Zvonareva is the top ranked Russian in the world. With the likes of Svetlana Kuznetsova and Maria Sharapova struggling, and Elena Dementieva retired, it’s up to Zvonareva to make

54

TennisWorld

her country proud – and she’s doing a pretty good job. We have been aware of her talent for years, but her mental weakness kept her from fulfilling her potential.

As she has matured, however, she has become surer of herself, and we rarely see the meltdowns that were so common only a few months ago. She still has to overcome the nerves that hold her back during Slam finals, but perhaps in time that will also come. Next year might just be Zvonareva’s year.

player in the world without ever having won a Grand Slam (the WTA really needs to address the ranking system, since this keeps happening somehow). Secondly, she never seems to win the big tournaments when the other good players are

around. At the Slams she always falls short to the big dogs, and even at the WTA Championships she couldn’t overcome Kim Clijsters in the final. She might be number one on the computer, but she has a lot to prove before she can be number one in the hearts of tennis fans, who have yet to see a major statement from the young Dane. There is still time, but we are growing impatient.

6. Kimiko Date We’ve already talked about comeback stories in 2010, but the story of Kimiko periods of time, that also fizzled out. If the Belgian can stay healthy, she will surely feature much higher on our list next year.

Date Krumm is a fantastic one by any standards. She retired in 1996, only to make a comeback 12 years later at the tender age of 37. Now fully 40 years old, she is still mixing it up with the best youngsters in the world, often even beating them. She won a title in 2010 and recorded a major upset against Dinara Safina at the French Open. Not bad for somebody who is old enough to be the mother of some of her opponents.

7. Justine Henin The year started off with much promise, when Justine Henin reached the final of the Australian Open. Unfortunately, she failed to follow up that incredible run with other good results. Injuries plagued her wherever she went, and even when she was fit she struggled with her form thanks to a lack of match practice. Every now and again we were treated to a glimpse of the “real” Justine, though those moments were far too fleeting for our liking. Her renewed rivalry with Kim Clijsters did provide for some good entertainment early on, but when both players were out of action for extended

8. Flavia Pennetta It was a difficult year for Pennetta, who was constantly trying to mimic the wonderful successes she enjoyed in 2009.

While she did slip out of the Top 10 and failed to make major waves this year, she still put in enough of a solid season to occupy a spot in our list of top players. Her

doubles triumph at the WTA Championships and Fed Cup heroics make her one of the year’s most underrated players.

We can only hope that she manages to convince more people of how good she is in 2011.

attention was too divided for her to remain a real competitor, and she quickly disappeared from the scene. However, not content with being a fallen star, the former French Open champion found a new coach, embraced a new fitness regime and trained harder than she ever had in her life. The results are starting to pay off (she won her first tournament in two years at Linz in October), but she still has a long way to go.

10. Andrea Petkovic You know you are moving up in the tennis world when your fans have given you a nickname. “Petkorazzi,” as she is affectionately known, made a big splash in 2010, and has quickly become one of the most popular young players on the WTA Tour. Petkovic is powerful and elegant on the court, but is just as interesting to observe off the court. She gets top marks at University, keeps an amazing blog, shoots surreal video clips and always seems to be online, tweeting away. We just hope that, as her fan base grows, her tennis credentials can keep up with her popularity.

9. Ana Ivanovic Everybody loves a good comeback story, and though there have been many on the WTA Tour in recent years, Ana Ivanovic deserves a special mention.

Having tasted the very top of women’s tennis, the Serbian fell victim to a host of injuries and her own popularity. Her

TennisWorld

55

Amer Sports Europe Services GmbH / Wilson Hainbuchenring 9, 82061 Neuried, Germany wilson.com Š2010 wilson sporting goods co. all rights reserved dtp + print: na adwork Amer Sports, BLX, FX, Triad Technology, Six-One, W and Wilson are trademarks which distinguish the fine products of Wilson Sporting Goods or Amer Sports Deutschland GmbH. Trademarks advertised other than those of Wilson Sporting Goods Co. are properties of their respective companies.

Amer Sports Europe Services GmbH 2009

*Based on Sports Marketing Survey (Jan - Sept 2009), Yano Keizai research (May - June 2009) and other available global sales data for all tennis equipment.

56

TennisWorld

number 1 in tennis*

速

feel is elemental

TennisWorld

57

Life After Tennis An Interview With

Monica Seles

By David Cox

M

onica, how did your involvement with Laureus come about?

“I became a member of the Laureus Foundation in 2005. Edwin Moses called me at home and I nearly fainted. One of my idols! And since then, together with other sportspeople such as Nadia Comaneci and my friend Martina Navratilova, I have started pursuing the aims of the Foundation, which is to introduce sports to children who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity. And not with the goal of making champions out of them, but rather to prepare them through discipline, to teach them to respect their body, and to instil important values for the challenges they will have to face in life. Sport provides a healthy environment for these children who might otherwise go down the wrong road.”

What do you think of Italy winning the Fed Cup? “I think that the best team won. I’ve been following the Italian players in the Fed Cup since my dear friend Raffaella Reggi was captain, and I think that Italian tennis players today are extraordinary. It is incredible that Francesca Schiavone has achieved such results in the second part of her career. I have played against her many times, and I could see she was very close to great results. But that small step that separates you from winning a big tournament is the most important and the most difficult. I take my hat off to the fact that she achieved this deed at her first Slam final: I know how it feels, you are extremely nervous. But she was focussed and physically she was tops. She must be really proud of herself.”

Women’s tennis today isn’t perhaps at the same level as in the days when you, Steffi Graf, Gabriela Sabatini, Arantxa-Sanchez, Martina 58

TennisWorld

Navratilova and Jennifer Capriati were all playing at the same time…

“I believe that injuries are a major problem. The WTA has just shortened the calendar, which is very good. Players need at least a two-month break at the end of the year. I hope that in this way we will be able to see the Williams sisters, Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic, and Justine Henin in Australia again. To me, the Slams make sense only if the best players are competing.”

Do you think that the Williams sisters are going to retire?

“No, I don’t think so. They’re still so strong...Venus hadn’t played for the whole summer and yet she still got one step away from the US Open final. And Serena’s demonstrated that she can win a Slam when she wants to. And the fact that Wozniacki has ended the year at number one is an incentive for them to continue playing.”

Who surprises you most in today’s tennis?

“Kim Clijsters. Her return after maternity was amazing. So fast, so successful. I don’t know how she manages to travel the tournaments with her daughter. But Kim is a great person, and that is her strength: whether she wins or loses, she will always be the same.”

Could Henin pose a threat to the top players?

“Without injuries, Justine can return to being one of the best.”

Hasn’t the return of the

Belgian players made you feel like doing the same?

“No, tennis is over for me. I have been trying for a long time, but my foot isn’t right.”

You have won a lot and suffered a lot. Do you regard yourself as lucky or unlucky?

“Life is made of good and bad luck. I am lucky in that I have been able to do what I loved most in life, playing tennis, and that tennis has given me a chance to find my place in the world. But I have also had very trying times, such as when I was attacked in Hamburg or my father’s death. There will always be highs and lows. What matters is to always live life to the full.”

Is tennis a passion or a job?

“If you do it for 11 months of the year, seven or eight hours a day, it tends to

become like a job. But for me it was also a passion. And this is why I love my involvement with Laureus: when I am in Africa or Eastern Europe and I see a little boy looking at me with wide eyes, I understand to what extent I can change his life – I see myself in him. I remember how modest my life was at his age. They look at you without knowing who you are. They start hitting a few balls by chance, then better and better, with more confidence. Then I remember when Yannick Noah came to run a clinic in Serbia. I was about five or six, and he gave me a tennis racquet, which to me seemed like an extraordinary gift.

Even little things can change a life. An athlete can be an inspiration for many other athletes: look at what happened in Serbia, where there are now so many tennis champions.

Since I have been fortunate in sport, my greatest joy today is to give back some of what I have had.”

What advice would you give a seven year-old girl who wants to become a champion?

“To train hard and be prepared to sacrifice part of her life, if she wants to get to the top. To know full well what she wants. But also to love what she does. Otherwise the pressure becomes too much, and in an individual sport you cannot handle it. Things went well for me, but in the end people only see those who make it, whereas there are many other young players who have trained as much as me but didn’t make it. Your family needs to give you balance and joy, and mine has always done that.”

Does pain make you stronger?

“Pain is pain. You have to put it behind you as fast as you can. I have seen what cancer did to my father and to a dear friend, and I have realised that life is fragile...a phone call can change it in a minute. I try not to think about the past or the future, and to live in the present.”

Prize money today has reached parity for the two sexes. Has women’s sport achieved an equal status with men’s?

“I think so, in most of the world. A girl today can choose among so many possibilities. Forty years ago – as my former Fed Cup captain Billie Jean King taught me – it wasn’t the same. Tennis has played a major role in opening avenues. In the past, if you were a sportswoman you could only earn a living from tennis and golf. For the other disciplines there were the Olympic Games every four years, whereas in tennis there is a new tournament every week. But Billie’s advice remains valid: don’t be contented, girls, try and achieve more and more.”

Why didn’t you go to Belgrade to watch “your” Serbia play in the first Davis Cup final?

“The Serbian captain invited me but unfortunately I had a work commitment in the US. But I watched it on TV. I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.”

Are we going to see you in other

TV shows like “Dancing with the Stars”?

“Definitely not. I had never danced before, and haven’t tried again since, but the experience in itself was fun, it was new. I’m quite shy and there you were required to put on make-up, do your hair, get a tan, wear fancy dresses, and act in a theatre. But I am a terrible dancer, and once was enough for me!”

What is the secret of success for many Serbian tennis players, like you, Novak Djokovic, Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic?

“I think it is good coaches and, above all, an extraordinary mental toughness.”

In the past you have had to fight bulimia: how did you overcome it?

“In the days when I was playing I already had a tendency to put on weight. When I stopped playing I asked myself: and now how will I manage without six hours of training a day? There was a stage when food became my comfort. I was up to 20 kilos heavier than I am now. I overcame it by stopping all diets and changing my way of living and thinking, because diets make you nervous, they make you feel depressed when you weigh yourself and realise you are two kilos heavier.

All over the world, and in tennis too, we are bombarded by images of sexy, thin, stunning women. Women fight to achieve this unreal image, which is impossible to attain. Instead it is important, especially for young girls, to accept one’s body and not become a slave to stereotypes.

This is why I hold so many workshops in America with women of all ages who struggle with their weight and their body.” (c) Matchpoint Tennis Magazine

TennisWorld

59

Not Done Yet

By Marco Rebuglio

T

here were a number of high-profile retirements in 2010. The one that got the most attention was, of course, that of Carlos Moya, who decided to call it a day after failing to recover from a recurring foot injury. Taylor Dent also made headlines when he put an end to his remarkable comeback attempt.

After undergoing painful back surgery a few years ago, he clawed his way back into the Top 100, but found the game of tennis much changed from a few years ago. These days, there is very little room for a server and volleyer like Dent on the pro Tour. So, faced with a sport he didn’t quite know any more – and with a newborn baby to occupy his time – Dent

also hung up his racquet.

But beyond all of the stories of retirement is one of a player who is stubbornly refusing to give in to an increasing number of obstacles. At the relatively mature age of 31, Austrian player Stefan Koubek underwent surgery to repair a spinal disc. Few players ever return to professional tennis after such a procedure, but Koubek showed remarkable resilience during his rehabilitation, and less than six months after going under the knife, he returned to the Tour.

That was two years ago, and despite the fact that he will soon be turning 34,

the Austrian has no intention of retiring.

Since the surgery, Koubek hasn’t managed to re-enter the Top 100, and he’s been playing mostly low-level Challenger events, but he doesn’t mind.

“I love this sport too much,” Koubek says when asked about retirement. “It is a wonderful game. Of course, there are difficult moments when I think about the effort I am making to return to top levels.

But at the end of the day I like to be on the Tour, and for most of the time I have lots of fun.”

Having fun in your job is a good thing, but you must also be able to support yourself. Koubek knows that he has to do better if he is to survive as a pro for much longer.

“In terms of results, I am not satisfied.

My goal was to return to the Top 100 and I haven’t made it. I started off the season very well [he reached the third round at the Australian Open], and that had given me the illusion that I would make it. Then I had some more physical problems and it all went up in smoke. I cannot help but feel some regret.”

Koubek has been around tennis for a long time, and appreciates how the sport has changed over the last ten years. The youngsters are getting faster, smarter and more competitive, and it’s tough for a veteran to keep up sometimes.

“Climbing back up the rankings today is much harder than a few years back,” he laments. “There are some very competitive players between the 200th and the 100th position who are capable of beating anyone, and the Challengers have become very tough tournaments.

However, I don’t want to set myself a limit for the time being. When I returned

60

TennisWorld

to playing after my back operation I wanted to see whether I would be able to the Top 100. My personal challenge is still there. For the moment I still see my future in tennis.”

Koubek’s highest ranking came back in 2000, when he reached number 20 in the world. He’s won three titles in his career: Atlanta in 1999, Delray Beach in 2000 and Doha in 2003. As far as Grand Slam results go, he managed to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in 2002, making some miraculous comebacks in the process. Perhaps the most spectacular came in the first round against the Frenchman Cyril Saulnier, where he trailed by a score of 0-6, 1-6, 1-4 and 15-40 on his own serve. Somehow, however, he managed to escape and ended up winning 8-6 in the fifth set.

As if that wasn’t enough, in the following round he again came back from two sets to one down against James Blake.

“My career has given me some unforgettable moments,” Koubek recalls. “But I think I could have achieved even more important goals, such as that of entering the Top 20. But even then, I was plagued by injuries. Every time I tried to return to the top of the rankings something would go wrong” But even in the absence of spectacular results, Koubek has still managed to make the headlines on a number of oc-

casions. Most recently, he enjoyed some notoriety for an on-court incident not related to his tennis. During a Bundesliga match, his opponent Daniel Koellerer provoked him to the point that he lost his temper and tried to choke him.

“Thinking about it now, in the cold light of day, I know that something bad happened. A scene that none of us would ever like to witness in sports” Koubek doesn’t like to discuss the incident, however. “He said something wrong, I reacted badly. That’s all.”

Though he is reluctant to elaborate on his fights, he is more than happy to talk about his fellow Austrians and their successes. “I think that 2010 has been a great year for Austrian tennis,” he says enthusiastically. “Jurgen Melzer played exceptionally well and his results have impressed many young players. He has all it takes to make it to the Top 10 next year. It would be great. Then there are Haider-Maurer and Martin Fischer, two promising youngsters who could do very well in the future. And then, mark this name: Dominic Thiem. He is in the junior circuit now, but has enormous potential.”

In his many years on the Tour, Koubek has made many friends, including Roger Federer.

“Being so close to him I am not the ideal

person to talk about the G.O.A.T. [Greatest Of All Time] matter. It is natural that I should always only speak in favour of Roger! We are good friends and we like to train together. Going back to the topic of the best at the moment, Nadal is still far behind the Swiss. There is no doubt that Nadal has a chance to get very close in terms of Slams. However, the way in which Roger has dominated this sport until a few years back is incredible and possibly inimitable.”

Koubek might consider Federer to be the greatest of all time, but he is not the Austrian’s favourite player. That honour falls to Thomas Muster, a fellow lefthanded compatriot who also loved clay.

Muster’s recent return to professional tennis (at the age of 43) shocked many players, but not Koubek.

“He wanted was to try and put himself to the test again. He was right to follow his instincts. I have had a chance to train with him lately, and I can assure you that he is highly motivated. It is hard to believe it at his age, but believe me it is so.”

It is fitting that Koubek should approve of Muster still playing at 43, for it seems that he might also still be playing at that age. He certainly has the passion and motivation, and as long as he’s enjoying himself we see no problem with the Austrian following his heart.

TennisWorld

61

Slowing Down The Surfaces

By Daniele Malafarina

O

ver the past decade, tennis surfaces in tournaments all over the world have become progressively slower. Even the grass at Wimbledon, which has always been lightning fast and kind to aggressive players, has become so slow that nobody dares to follow a shot in to the net. The result has been a standardisation not only of surfaces, but of the very kind of tennis that is being played professionally. Long rallies, characterised by safe topspin shots, have become the norm for many matches.

Recently, however, a few tournaments have started bucking this trend, opting for more traditional – and faster – surfaces. The Paris Masters 1000 is perhaps the most prominent example of this phenomenon, and featured one of the fastest surfaces on the Tour this year.

The gradual slowing down of tennis has naturally benefited some play-

ers more than others. Defensive baseliners have flourished in the recent past, while attacking players have suffered.

One need only look at the rise of Spain as the world’s dominant tennis power as evidence of this. The Spaniards, traditionally more at home on slower clay courts, are now enjoying great success on slower hard courts and even grass.

The Americans, on the other hand, who have always preferred faster surfaces, have fallen from grace, and now boast only a handful of players in the Top 100.

But some Americans are adapting to the new reality of the Tour.

Mardy Fish, for example, who has always been an attacking player, this year reached the Top 20 by becoming much more defensive from the baseline. He has become so defensive, in fact, that some commentators at the US Open even criticised him for it. He admitted to this new tendency of his, saying “I have so much fun running behind the baseline that I sometimes play too defensive, I know.”

Just ten years ago, Fish would have likely enjoyed great success by playing the tennis that comes more naturally to him. Unfortunately for him – and many others like him – he has to go against his natural instincts in order to stay at the top of men’s tennis.

62

TennisWorld

Another American who was not able to adjust to the new pace that dominates tennis is Taylor Dent. After years away from the sport, he eventually returned to find it much changed from his early playing days.

“Upon my return I had to change my game to align it to the modern style,” he said in a recent interview. “When I don’t get my first serve in today I lag behind and I need to control the game with my forehand.” Just a few years ago, Dent was able to reach the Top 30 employing a pure serve and volley game. In 2010, however, he often found himself on the wrong side of lopsided losses against defensive baseliners, and eventually decided that he couldn’t compete in this

new tennis world, announcing his retirement at the end of the year.

Should a new trend of faster courts gain some momentum, there are a number of young Americans who would benefit.

Ryan Harrison and Devin Britton are two such players, and both have naturally attacking styles of play. Harrison (18) is currently ranked 173rd in the world, and made a splash at the US Open this year when he defeated Ivan Ljubicic in the second round. “My best shots are the serve and forehand, but I am always comfortable near the net,” Harrison said – certainly not something we are accustomed to hearing from tennis pros these days.

It is a description that could have easily applied to Andy Roddick in the early 2000s, when he dominated the Tour with a similar mindset. These days he has been forced, like everyone else, to adjust his strategies to fit the slower courts. Even Roger Federer, who is often considered to be the best all-court tennis player of all time, played much more aggressive tennis in his early years. Dur-

ing his famous win over Pete Sampras at Wimbledon in 2001, he served and volleyed on almost every point. Now we rarely see the Swiss maestro use such tactics, even though his serve is better today than it ever was back then.

Britton, like Harrison, loves to come to the net, and showcased some of his abilities when he met Roger Federer in the first round of the US Open. He believes there is room for aggressive players in the mod-

ern game. “I know that people think that the attacking game is dead, but perhaps it is because nobody chooses to practise it,” he said recently.

He might be right, but if there is room for aggressive serve and volleyers in today’s tennis, there certainly isn’t much room.

If organisers want to bring back diversity to the sport, they have to stop talking about making surfaces quicker and actually start doing it. If we have a mix of different styles competing out on court every day, it can only benefit the sport and everyone involved in it. (c) Matchpoint Tennis Magazine

TennisWorld

63

An Interview With Rod Laver

Unmatched

by Stefano Semeraro

I

I had a chance to watch Rod Laver play at the Bologna WCT in November of 1971. I was seven years old and it was late at night, and I couldn’t keep my eyes open. My father pointed at the small blond-haired man in white who lashed left-handed backhands over the carpet-covered court.

“See that man? He is the greatest tennis player of all time,” my dad said.

When I read that Melbourne would be celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the last Grand Slam (completed in 1969), it seemed a good idea to track down old “Rocket Rod” and ask him a few questions. This was easier said than done though. Laver lives in Carlsbad, California, and tends to shy away from media attention these days. Phone calls and e-mails followed: to Tennis Australia, to the ATP, to his old time rival Martin Mulligan, to Giorgio di Palermo and Vittorio Selmi. I even asked Vittorio for Roy Emerson’s e-mail.

I had interviewed Roy two years ago in New York, and it had been a very friendly chat: who knows, maybe…

Days went by and still no news of Laver.

Eventually, I reluctantly resigned myself to writing not the interview, but a historic piece on the anniversary of the Grand Slam. I freshened up on my history on the subject by my re-reading Laver’s autobiography The Education of a Tennis Player.

After completing the article, I checked my e-mail. A message read: “Dear Stefano, I spoke to Rod yesterday and asked him if I

could give you his number. He said there is no problem, go ahead and call him.

Best wishes, Roy and Joy”.

For those who may not know, Joy is Roy Emerson’s wife. I smiled as I dialled

good and lucky in making it happen. To win a Grand Slam you can’t afford to lose a match, you can’t be injured. You have to keep it up for a whole year. Nothing is guaranteed.”

You had already achieved the feat in 1962, as an amateur.

Which of the two Slams was the hardest?

“The second without a doubt, in 1969. Perhaps tension was higher in 1962, since nobody had achieved it since Don Budge in 1938. I was more nervous then. But in 1969 the competition was much tougher, the professionals were around.”

the number and thought how beautiful, simple and exciting their tennis had been – the tennis of the great Australians, of that generation spanning some thirty years of which Laver had been the noblest son. The resulting interview is one of the best I’ve ever been a part of.

Mr. Laver, have you ever asked yourself: how did I do it? Nobody since you has ever completed a calendar Grand Slam.

“Let’s put it this way: I have been both

Did you think from the start: “Can I do this?”

“Yes, I thought I could do it. But I also knew that it would take eight months of tennis at a top level: not an easy journey. At the start you take it one match at a time. The tension comes towards the end, when you realise that your goal is near. It is then that you have to really hang on.”

Your first match of the last Slam was against Massimo Di Domenico, an Italian. Then your semi-final against Tony Roche was a tough one…

“The match against Roche was endless, more than four hours, and the heat was oppressive. I could have lost it and my Slam would have ended before even beginning.”

TennisWorld

65

In the fifth set a famous doubtful call favoured you…

“Doubtful calls depend on how you look at them! I have had many against me, many for me. Athletes tend to overestimate certain events: if that smash had been in, if I hadn’t missed that forehand…I had a hard time in Wimbledon too, against Premjit Lall, an Indian with the most powerful serve [and who sadly passed away recently]. And they would

be in most times. I could not play for two sets. I could not pull my game together.

As I said: you need luck too.”

The courts where it all started, Milton Court in Brisbane , the city just thirty kilometres away from your Rockhampton, don’t exist anymore…

“Indeed, but great tennis is now back in Brisbane. There is a new complex in place of Milton Courts, with a centre court named after Pat Rafter, and another ex-champion such as Ashley Cooper 66

TennisWorld

is part of the organisation. It is a good thing.”

People say you are the greatest of all time: any objections?

“Ah, records. I sometimes think about them. But I have never wanted to be part of them, they are meaningless. It was a different tennis then. The important thing is to have been the best in one’s era. To me that is enough.”

Who were your greatest rivals?

“Roy Emerson when we were both amateurs. Then probably Ken Rosewall, together with Lew Hoad and Pancho Gonzalez. Rosewall and I played many extraordinary matches after we had been banned as pros, and hardly anybody saw them. What a pity.”

Were pros much stronger than amateurs then?

“Absolutely. Like day and night. When

I joined the pros in 1963, it was a real shock to me. There is a whole parallel story of tennis that few people know about. In a way, all rankings would have to be revisited.”

At the age of 36 you beat an 18-yearold Bjorn Borg...were you stronger than he?

“You said it. But yes, it did happen.”

Pete Sampras won 14 Slam events.

You won 11, but for five years you were banned from playing in them.

Any regrets?

“None, because I was the one who chose to become pro, nobody forced me.

I could easily have stayed an amateur.

As early as ’61 a suggestion had been put forward to make tennis open [which then happened in 1968], and when it was turned down we were all very disappointed. Who wouldn’t have preferred to play at Wimbledon and Roland Garros,

as opposed to sweating it out in the gym of some American college, driving all night just to end up in some godforsaken place? But that’s the way it went, there’s no point crying about it.”

Is Federer today’s Laver?

“It’s hard to tell who is today’s Laver, as tennis has changed too much. Federer is a great champion, one of a kind. I met him in Australia in 2006. It was so moving to see him cry when I handed him the cup.”

muscle, but tactics, psychology too. This, I have to admit, has gotten lost a bit.”

Do you like Nadal?

“He is very strong, he reminds me a bit of Manolo Santana in his ability to ‘think’ tennis on clay. He has improved a lot. Last year he played much better compared to 2007, and if he doesn’t have physical problems in the coming season, he will get better still. Federer had better take notice.”

What does he have that is unique?

“He plays like we used to, without just

Federer indeed. Will he return to what he used to be?

“It all depends on him. This year his

using his strength. Look, I follow the main tournaments and I can tell you that today’s tennis players play better than in the past. We used to make many more mistakes. It is thanks to the racquets too, which have also changed the style of play, though. Today they hit as hard as they can. And if the ball comes back at them, they hit it even harder...it is a bit frustrating. Because tennis is not just

performance has dropped, which has shaken his confidence and he had a bit of a setback. But I think that his wins at the US Open has helped him put it all behind him. It’s not a matter of one trainer or other: it’s the motivation that counts. He can be great again, but he will need to carry on training and focusing at his best.

Does he really want to? This I cannot tell.”

Will someone complete the Grand Slam again?

“Federer has had a couple of chances.

Had it not been for Nadal, he would have achieved it. But I believe he has a chance in the future. The Slam is not impossible.”

How would Laver play today: at the net or at the baseline?

“I would try and combine things, by mixing attack shots with some baseline play.

Let’s say Federer-style.”

Brute force aside, would you change anything?

“There is more money going around nowadays, and this is positive. But it also means that players now earn more and stop sooner. At thirty, they feel like doing something else. We used to last longer.”

It was better for the spectators.

“Perhaps it was better for the players, too.”

TennisWorld

67

The Grand Slam Man

By Rino Tommasi

I

t is not my intention to undermine my friend Gianni Clerici’s unparalleled work, where he states that tennis is over 500 years old. However, tennis – at least in its most credible and modern form – is much younger. In fact, it just turned 40 a few years ago.

1968 was a significant year for tennis.

It marked the start of a new era for tennis – one that has led us to where we are today. It began in December of 1967, when the organisers at Wimbledon decided that he following edition of the tournament would be open to all players, both amateurs and professionals.

The announcement was met with some scepticism and even hostility by the tennis establishment. I recall a press conference given by the then President of the International Federation, Giorgio De Stefani, at which the old champion predicted that the new formula would have a short and miserable life. The admission of professionals to the game was regarded as tantamount to desecration.

The first Open tournament was played in Bournemouth in April, 1968. In the second round, Englishman Mark Cox defeated Pancho Gonzales in five sets (the latter being considered one of the strongest professionals in the world at the time). Two other professionals reached the final at Bournemouth (Ken Rosewall and Rod Laver), and they would go on to contest the first Open final at Roland Garros a few weeks later.

68

TennisWorld

A Man On A Mission

Brisbane – The Start Of It All

Laver’s 1969 season was a strange one. The tennis world was in flux.

The dawn of the Open Era had reopened many old wounds, and created some new ones as well.

Players were still unsure what to make of this new professional sport, but Laver knew one thing for sure: he wanted to dominate it. He had something to prove to himself – his previous achievements were thrown into doubt with the melding of the professional and amateur worlds, and he was unsure whether his past glories would soon become worthless. What better way to ensure one’s place in history than to make some new history?

Brisbane welcomed Laver with little enthusiasm. Its favourite son had been too much of a rebel, and the federation had no intention of forgiving his escape to the professionals. Laver, Rosewall and even Tony Roche – who had strayed into the professional ranks the year before – were portrayed as underhanded invaders, set on upstaging those who had not succumbed to the vile temptations of professional tennis.

The Australian had already completed a calendar Grand Slam in 1962, although it had still been the amateur era. During that run he faced eight of the world’s top players in the 25 matches it took to win four Slams. He won 13 sets lost and 5 to those elite competitors.

In 1969, the year he would repeat this incredible feat, he faced 12 acclaimed champions. In 1938, when Don Budge completed his fable Grand Slam, he faced no more than five, perhaps six great players. During that time he lost only a handful of sets and inflicted a number of 6-0 sets on his hapless opponents. Simply put, Laver’s 1969 Grand Slam might not have been the first, but it certainly was the most difficult.

Still, Laver didn’t mind if the crowds didn’t like him – he was there to win a tournament. His biggest competition was Roy Emerson, who was both a friend and a rival. They were big mates, Rod and Roy. They met in the knockout rounds of the event in 35-degree heat in a stadium only filled to half of its capacity (of 18 000). It was actually one of the highest attended matches of the fortnight, as the public decided to watch the Open at home. The organisers had sold the television right to the tournament, but kept ticket prices high despite that fact.

The net result was that fans shunned the heat and the high admission fee, leaving the stands empty for the most part.

Emerson was heavily favoured in the match, and the crowd support (such as it was) was fully behind him.

Laver wasn’t intimidated, however.

His time as a professional had honed his already formidable skills, and he was confident that he could get the

better of his friend. In the end the victory was rather easy (it ended 9-7 in the fourth set), and Laver moved smoothly through the draw.

While he did away with some of his rivals himself, others were eliminated for him. Clay specialist Andres Gimeno surprisingly did away with Ken Rosewall in straight sets, while John fell in a high quality quarter-final to Tony Roche, 108, 4-6, 6-8, 7-5, 6-3.

that marathon set, Laver conceded the third, and quickly went down in the fourth. In the fifth and final set, it was a dodgy call that finally turned the tide for Rocket Rod. At 3-4 on Roche’s serve, an obviously long ball was called in Laver’s favour, and it gave him the opening he needed.

Roche lost his concentration and

essentially handed his rival the match by mistiming a volley in anger on the next point.

That encounter lasted for more than four hours, and is considered by most people to have been the “true” final. In the championship match, Laver faced an overmatched Andres

Indeed, it was Roche who would prove to be Laver’s first real test. Roche had beaten him just a week before in New South Wales, and it was to be a tough contest.

Laver started strong, but Roche got better as the match went on.

Soon they were exchanging stinging groundstrokes on a regular basis, and both men with running the other ragged. Laver took advantage of a mistimed pass from Roche to finally take the second set (after also taking the first), but only after labouring for an incredible 42 games.

Exhausted

from TennisWorld

69

Gimeno, who already seemed content with what he had achieved in the tournament.

He knew Laver well – they had played together as pros – and Gimeno could not handle the Australian’s all-court

tennis. Laver quickly seized control of the match and never relinquished it, bagging his first Slam of the year and some prize money to boot. He had a falling out with organisers and didn’t return the next year – an indication of just how unstable the new Open Era

still was.

A Grass Specialist On Clay Unlike Brisbane, the French Open welcomed professionals with open arms. But despite the warm welcome, Laver did not feel at ease – clay was not his best surface, and he needed to quickly acclimatise himself to the conditions.

Things didn’t go well early on. Laver struggled against the amateur Dick Crealy, and looked exhausted and lost throughout the match. He soon found himself down by two sets, and the situation seemed hopeless.

The Australian dug in his heels, however, and started playing more consistently, not giving his opponent any errors. Forced to be more aggressive, Crealy struggled, and Laver managed to take the upper hand.

The match was called off for the day, and Laver used the extra time to better prepare for the rest of the encounter. He dragged his friend Roy Emerson out of bed early the next morning and begged

70

TennisWorld

him to hit some balls. It obviously worked, for Laver was a new man as he stepped on court again. He didn’t give Crealy any chance to regain control of the match, and managed to engineer one of the greatest escapes of his career.

Laver. Or so everyone thought. In a match relegated to Court 4, Laver immediately struggled. Lall attacked like a madman, constantly putting his opponent on the back foot – something Laver wasn’t comfortable with at all.

The win seemed to energise Laver, who started playing some of the best clay court tennis of his life. Marzano was dismissed in the third round, then Smith, Gimeno and finally Okker. Even Ken Rosewall – heavily favoured to win the event – couldn’t stop the redhot Rod. The final was a blowout, and Laver was halfway to completing the second Grand Slam of his life.

But at three-all in the third set, something changed. Just as Crealy had hit a wall in his match against Laver, Lall fell apart after a critical mistake. A badly mistimed smash cost Lall an easy point, and it clearly hurt his confidence no end. Laver pounced, taking advantage of his suddenly hesitant opponent, and finished the match off with ruthless precision (Laver won fifteen games in a row and put an end to the match in less than one hour).

A Grass Specialist On Grass Having conquered Paris, the hardest part seemed over. Laver surely could not lose at Wimbledon: he had won the event three times before, and was unbeaten since 1961. However, a loss to Newcombe at Queen’s Club cast some doubt on the situation. Laver was not playing well – Paris had taken its toll on him, and his grass strategy suddenly appeared unclear and sloppy.

The draw was not particularly kind either. In the first round he faced Nicola Pietrangeli who, though past his prime, was still a fierce competitor and dangerous on any day of the week. But Laver dodged that bullet with ease, and after an effortless win it seems as if he might be getting back his mojo just in time.

His next opponent was a young Indian named Premjit Lall. An experienced Davis Cup campaigner, Lall was good on grass, but certainly no match for

As in Paris, his wounded pride set him back on track. The last serious threat to Laver was Stan Smith, who pushed the Australian hard. But each time Laver faced break point – and there were many, many times – he would respond with an ace or some other miraculous shot. Up 5-3 and serving for the match, Laver suddenly faced 0-40. His response? Five clean aces, one after the other. Clearly, this was going to be Laver’s tournament.

After overcoming so many challenges early on in the tournament, nothing fazed Laver anymore. Against Arthur Ashe he lost the first set, but didn’t panic. He calmly made the necessary adjustments and then eased to victory. The final against Newcombe had its challenges, but Laver was just too confident to feel rattled at any point. Losing the second set did nothing to dent his determination, and he soon had his hands on yet

another Wimbledon trophy.

The Last Hurdle Laver was three quarters of the way there. People started getting excited, and wherever he went he was cheered on by people who wanted him to complete the Grand Slam. His march on the US Open was relentless. He won the title in Boston over Newcombe, and then triumphed in Saint Louis, Binghampton, Fort Worth and Baltimore.

But despite his awesome form, there remained one niggling doubt: Laver hadn’t faced Tony Roche recently.

Roche had beaten him five times already that year, and he wouldn’t feel secure until he defeated his old rival. His opportunity would come soon, however – at the US Open, in fact.

Flooded with rain, the courts at the US Open had turned into rice paddies, unable to dry out during the few moments of respite. Adaptable though he was, Laver had taken to playing without letting the ball bounce on the ground. It was pure, continuous, compulsory serve and volley. Ashe was his opponent in the semi-final, and the match was suspended at 12-all of the third set.

The following day it took Laver all of six minutes to secure two games and reach the final, where he would meet none other than Tony Roche.

Roche knew how to overpower Laver.

He was stronger player physically, and could rob Laver of the time he needed to execute his game plan.

Laver’s best bet lay in forcing Roche to run. The first set was give and take,

TennisWorld

71

with neither player willing to relent.

Before they could conclude it, the rain fell and forced them from the court.

greater outrage than his request for spiked shoes, but ten years later he was proven right.

On their return they found a court almost impossible to play on. Laver asked the umpire for permission to wear spiked shoes. It was the sort of request that would have outraged any respectable English supporter, but the US Open was not Wimbledon, and the tournament had already been delayed beyond measure. Reluctantly, the umpire agreed and Roche chose not to take advantage of the decision – to his detriment. He said he would carry on with the same shoes, and he did not revisit his choice even when it became apparent that Laver could move with greater ease, whereas he, being heavier, seemed clumsy and flat-footed.

Remembering the Legend

From that point on there was never any doubt. Laver had his way with Roache, and on a sodden court he won his fourth and final Slam of the year. He had achieved his Grand Slam – again – and further strengthened his position in tennis history.

The prize money was a measly $16,000, but Laver gladly took it and left the venue. He gave up on the doubles semi-final – it did not interest him. He felt elated, appeased and content. It was both a triumph and a farewell. He went on playing until 1976, but never again would he reach a Slam final, or even a semi-final. He left a message with the American organisers...“Stop chasing Wimbledon, rather try hard courts.” His comment caused even

72

TennisWorld

Massimo Di Domenico was the first player to face Rod Laver in the first Slam of that magical season.

Today, Di Domenico remembers that experience fondly.

“I arrived at that Australian Open after winning a preliminary tournament, also in Australia,” he recalls. “I was given a wild card and on the draw I ended up with the man himself. When we met in the road to the stadium shortly before the match, I remember that I was instantly struck by his kindness. I could speak very little English and he was in the mood for a chat…He talked and talked while I was trying to keep us best as I could. It was a fun moment.”

That match ended in three sets, with a score of 6-2 6-3 6-3 to Laver.

“Well, I can say that I was at a disadvantage right from the start,” di Domenico adds. “Even just considering the number of racquets that Laver brought into the court!

He had about six or seven, all brand new, whereas I had to make do with one as my other had broken.

Emotions ran high for me, given the stadium and all the rest, but all in all I did not fare too badly: I only lost a few break points and I played fair tennis, to the point that Laver congratulated me at the end. It went well, considering that Laver was almost uncatchable in

the court. He would play a short, tight, fast tennis. I wasn’t too bad at speed, in fact it was one of my strong points, but his ball would always get there a moment too soon. And whenever I did get there, it was impossible to pass him at the net. His serve then, was often unreadable, partly because he was left-handed and partly because he would never place the ball in the same spot more than once. It was very hard to respond. Well, I did my best, against a true champion.”

After the match, Laver extended some words of kindness to Di Domenico, something which he appreciates to this day.

“After congratulating me, he even asked if I wanted to train with him, with Emerson and with the other Australians over those few days.

Naturally, I accepted. I remember that Martin Mulligan would go with me to the training sessions”.

Di Domenico has bumped into Laver from time to time over the years, and has always been amazed at his kindness and affability.

“I bumped into him in Paris during the French junior championships, some ten years later. I was once again struck by his kindness. He was the one who approached me during the prize-giving. He had recognised me and he remembered the match that we had played in Brisbane. Rod Laver truly was, and still is, an exceptional person first and foremost, and an absolute champion too.”

On that last statement, I think, we can all agree.

THE TWO GRAND SLAM OF LAVER 1962

1969

Australian Open, Sydney 1T Fred Sherriff O Geoff Pares Q Owen Davidson S Bob Hewitt F Roy Emerson

86 62 64 108 1816 79 75 64 97 64 61 46 64 75 86 06 64 64

Australian Open, Brisbane 1T Massimo di Domenico 2T Roy Emerson Q Fred Stolle S Tony Roche F Andres Gimeno

62 62 63 62 63 36 97 64 1816 62 75 2220 911 16 63 63 64 75

Roland Garros, Parigi 1T Michele Pirro 2T Tony Pickard O Sergio Jacobini Q Martin Mulligan S Neale Fraser F Roy Emerson

64 60 62 62 97 46 61 46 63 75 61 64 36 26 108 62 36 63 62 75 36 26 63 97 62

Roland Garros, Parigi 1T Koji Watanabe 2T Dick Crealy 3T Pietro Marzano O Stan Smith Q Andres Gimeno S Tom Okker F Ken Rosewall

61 61 61 36 79 62 62 64 61 60 86 64 62 64 36 63 64 63 46 60 62 64 64 63 64

Wimbledon 1T Naresh Kumar 2T Tony Pickard 3T Whitney Reed O Pierre Darmon Q Manolo Santana S Neale Fraser F Martin Mulligan

75 61 62 61 62 62 64 61 64 63 62 1311 1416 97 62 62 108 61 75 62 62 61

Wimbledon 1T Nicola Pietrangeli 2T Premjit Lall 3T Jan Leschly O Stan Smith Q Cliff Drysdale S Arthur Ashe F John Newcombe

61 62 62 36 46 63 60 60 63 63 63 64 62 79 36 63 64 62 63 26 62 97 60 64 57 64 64

Us Open, Forest Hills, New York 1T Eleazar Davidman 2T Eduardo Zuleta 3T Bodo Nitsche O Antonio Palafox Q Frank Froehling S Rafael Osuna F Roy Emerson

63 62 63 63 63 61 97 61 61 61 62 62 63 1311 46 63 61 63 64 62 64 57 64

US Open, Forest Hills, New York 1T Luis Garcia 2T Jaime Pinto-Bravo 3T Jaime Fillol O Dennis Ralston Q Roy Emerson S Arthur Ashe F Tony Roche

62 64 62 64 75 62 86 61 62 64 46 46 62 63 46 86 1311 64 86 63 1412 79 61 62 62

TennisWorld

73

THE PHILOSOPHY OF TENNIS “Live the movie of your life as a director and protagonist.

Decide its course and act to modify it when necessary.

Play your game to the full, from beginning to end.”

Lilly Raffa

Keeping Your Eye On The Ball

By Lilly Raffa

T

he execution of a tennis shot should be characterised by a number of feelings and actions. This succession of phases can be compared to the scenes of a movie – frame after frame, scene after scene.

One technique often used by filmmakers is known as “time expansion”, which involves the slowing down of certain scenes, actions and situations. This concept is very useful when analysing tennis strokes and movements.

As athletes’ proprioceptive (unconscious perception of movement) abilities develop, they become more aware of certain body movements. This allows them to more fully “observe” and take active part in those movements.

This is especially important in a sport like tennis, where all different complex movements combine to allow tennis strokes.

As you continue practicing and become more used to and comfortable with the many movements that go into hitting a tennis ball, you will find that you perceive your own movements almost in “slow motion,” giving you more time to make adjustments where necessary.

The wrist is perhaps the most important part of our bodies when it comes to tennis, since it is the main connection between us and the ball. In some ways, it is the most direct contact we have with our opponents, since in tennis we do not have physical contact with the other player – we contact our opponents by using the ball as an intermediary.

“Holding back” the ball on the string face for more or

74

TennisWorld

less time – albeit infinitesimally different fractions of time – at the exceptional speeds of modern tennis becomes synonymous for controlling the ball itself. It is impossible to gauge where the ball will land simply by watching the opponent, since such subtleties as wrist angle can so greatly affect the flight and path of the ball.

Just as we can improve our movements by observing them more closely, we can improve our understanding of where a tennis ball will end up by closely observing it as well. In a way, we must “communicate” with the ball (remembering that communication is intrinsically bidirectional and implies the simultaneous presence of two entities – the sender and the receiver).

It is only through careful observation of the ball’s entire “life cycle” (from leaving the opponent’s string face until we hit it ourselves) that we can gauge its characteristics – i.e. trajectory, length, spin, speed and direction – so as to react appropriately. Everybody who is learning how to play tennis, be it through a coach or self instruction, must always closely observe the ball. There is a reason that “keep your eye on the ball” is such a popular expression!

Always keeping your eye on the ball gives you the best of both worlds: you are able to know where the ball is going to end up, and can properly prepare your next shot, and it also stops you from being distracted by your opponent. Watching the opponent instead of the ball is something that many beginners (and even advanced players) do, and it can have some dire circumstances. Even an easy shot can be missed because you are looking at your opponent rather than the ball.

The Importance of

Rhythm In Tennis

By Lilly Raffa

I

n professional tennis, changes in pace are hardly noticeable but very effective. Effective changes of pace are well disguised, and their true nature is only apparent once the ball has been struck.

The wrist plays an important role in subtle changes of pace, and often dictates how effective these changes are. Take, for example, the lob. The action of hitting a lob and hitting a normal forehand are very similar, with the actions of the wrist often making up the different between the two shots.

In the lob, the racquet makes contact with the ball in an acute “bottom up” fashion, whereas a normal forehand would see the racquet making contact in a more forward-oriented manner (though of course there is still a “bottomup” component which generates topspin).

This might sound a bit confusing, so let’s examine it in a bit more detail. The lob makes use of what I like to call “under-above ball” contact and the normal shot makes use of “above ball” contact. Now, it is important to remember that the string face always remains perpendicular to the ground at the moment of impact, and that these terms don’t reflect the angle with which you are hitting the ball.

The speed with which a ball is struck (and the speed at which it travels ) is determined by vertical, not horizontal, force. The thrust comes from the legs, but the spin can often be controlled with the wrist. The wrist therefore

has an influence on control and touch, in that holding back the ball for more or less time at impact while maintaining a high velocity influences the trajectory and length of the shot.

Greater spin should translate into a decrease of the pace of the rally, due to the fact that the ball spends more time in the air. Using more spin to slow down the pace is a good tactic, as it can throw off your opponent and interrupt their rhythm. Another popular method of changing the pace of a rally is the slice shot, which is especially popular on the backhand side. Used properly, a slice shot can be as much of an offensive weapon as a heavy topspin shot.

I have already mentioned that an opponent’s rhythm can be interrupted by changing the pace of a rally. Rhythm can refer to internal rhythm (breathing, muscle groups etc.) and external rhythm (which refers more to the one’s own and the opponent’s game). Mastering one’s inner rhythm is essential to success on the tennis court, and disrupting the opponent’s rhythms is also important. You must always try and sense the flow of a match, and manipulate it to your advantage. If you control the rhythm of the rallies, you will likely also be in control of the match. Using shots like lobs and slices allow you to manipulate the rhythm of a match, and should be practiced and implemented whenever necessary.

Remember: if you control the rhythm, you control the match!

TennisWorld

75

A Coach’s Worth

The role of coaches and their capacity for leadership

By Marina Gerin Birsa, Sports Psychologist www.psymedisport.com There is little doubt that the role of the coach in any sport is incredibly important. Coaches are essential in preparing athletes for the rigours of their sport, both physically and psychologically.

Coaches deal mainly with technical and strategic aspects of an athlete’s competitive performance, but their roles as leaders within a team also makes them role models for the athletes they deal with.

As Ramello’s work (1993) suggests, from a psychoanalytical point of view the coach becomes an important Oedipus substitute: a teenager approaching sports brings his unresolved family dynamics into his relationship with other peers and with authority figures such as coaches. As a consequence, the young person relives some of his/her inner conflicts within a competitive context as well as in interpersonal relationships.

In this analytical interpretation, the coach is experienced by the athlete as a substitute for the father and mother figures – the father because the coach takes on the function of a sure and authoritative guide, and the mother because the coach protects and supports the young athlete.

The coach thus becomes a meeting point between family figures – who hold authority, but also a certain degree of affection – and the child’s social and school systems. The coach is therefore

in a delicate position, and can help the athlete in various ways.

But what is the actual reality of the coach-student relationship?

According to research carried out by Vanni (1994), coaches often fail to properly communicate their intentions to athletes. The most widely practised attitude is the autocratic one: the coach is not particularly inclined to ask the young athletes for their opinion, and instead forces them to simply follow his instructions.

Some coaches tend to overemphasise technical aspects and don’t concern themselves with providing adequate emotional support. This research portrays a rather negative view of the coach-athlete relationship.

Coaches appear to focus their activity almost exclusively on the physical and competitive performance of young athletes, taking on an authoritarian attitude towards them. Such behaviour is perceived by the athletes as aloof and indifferent to their needs, and is often met with resistance.

This type of interpersonal dynamic can also be found in the report on a psychotherapeutic intervention carried out by Osti and Rossi

76

TennisWorld

(1993). The authors describe a conflict situation within a soccer club where coaches were having some difficulty in dealing with a group of pre-teenagers.

The group of coaches were having a tough time because of the increasing instability of the team. Some were expressing anger and irritation, as well as feelings of guilt and helplessness with respect to the management of the young athletes.

The relationships between the various figures within the company – coaches, trainers, sports doctors, counsellors, parents – were characterised by rifts and conflict.

Being an effective coach requires several abilities, including advanced organisational and interpersonal skills. Not many people possess this combination of characteristics, and truly exceptional coaches are thus hard to find.

A sports psychologist is often of great use in resolving many of the complex issues that can arise between coaches, athletes, team managers and athletes’ families (Rushall, 1979).

A tool has been developed (Gerin Birsa, 2006) to test the relationship between the athlete and coach, and is called the “Coach Behaviour 2.0” test. It is a research tool consisting of 29 items and is organised into three sections, the first two of which are completed by the athlete and the third by the coach.

The two sections that are aimed at the athlete deal with the athlete’s perception of the coach, whereas the section designed for the coach relates to the coach’s perception of his own behaviour.

By analysing the athlete’s answers and comparing them to those of the coach, contradictory elements can be identified and addressed during training sessions.

The presence of the coach during the presentation of the results is crucial. Whenever Mental Training is aimed at an entire team, it is advisable to derive average answers for each item and discuss group trends: this method is called “Discrepancy analysis”.

The factors covered in the test span the following areas of interest: - Communication skills: the effective communication style of the coach in relation to the age and sensitivity of the athletes, as well as his attention to the athletes’ needs.

- Gratification: the ability to reward the athlete after a good performance, both in training and in a competition.

- Competency: the coach’s store of theoretical and practical knowledge.

- Authority: the ability of the coach to exert authority of the athletes.

- Democracy: the coach’s tendency to leave a space to be managed independently by the athlete during training and competitions.

- Friendliness: the degree of friendly intimacy that the coach demonstrates towards the athletes.

The methodology based on the analysis of the answers recorded in the areas of interest is called “Factor Analysis”. The test can also be carried out on a PC and results can be made available within a few seconds in a report or graphic form (for more information, you can visit www.psymedisport.com/software.asp ).

Bibliography Il rapporto atleta-allenatore Ramello A., Movimento, 9 : pag. 124 – 126, 1993 Leadership Chelladurai P., Carron A.V., Ottawa, Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation, 1978 Lo psicologo e l’allenatore Giossi L., Bertani B., Movimento 9 : pag. 75 – 76, 1993 Il ruolo dell’allenatore – leader Vanni G., Movimento 10 : pag. 86 – 90, 1994 Master Online in psicologia dello sport terza lezione, M. Gerin Birsa, 2004

TennisWorld

77

The Mental Component of Tennis

By Sean Craft

Sean is a USPTA Certified Professional, an ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer and a World Team Tennis Recreational League National Champion. He resides in Tampa, Florida, where he is a Staff Professional at the Saddlebrook Resort and Tennis Academy. Sean is the national tennis writer for The Examiner. You can read his column at www.examiner.com/x-8182-Tennis-Examiner.

We’ve all been there. Whether you’ve been playing tennis competitively for only a few months or for a number of years, every one of us at some point has walked off the court at the end of a match feeling dejected after suffering what we consider to be a “bad” loss.

While bad losses are subjective by definition – meaning you may have lost to an opponent you know to be of inferior skill level, or perhaps lost a terrific match that came down to a few points all of which went your opponent’s way, played two great sets before fading in the third, or were simply blown off the court by a far superior opponent – the 78

TennisWorld

feeling afterward is very much the same for all of us. We’re upset, perhaps a little depressed, and would give anything to avoid having to feel like that again. This article will offer several tips on how to bounce back mentally after a bad loss and offer examples of how and when top touring professionals have been able to do the same.

Return to the Site of Previous Successes Tennis players are all a bit superstitious (some more so than others) and have their favorite places to play, or even a favorite court at a venue where they play all the time. Whether it’s the surface of

the court or for reasons that make less sense logically, when we find ourselves in that comfortable setting we feel bulletproof. In 2008, after suffering a straight sets defeat to Rafael Nadal in the French Open final, one of which was a dreaded “bagel” set, Roger Federer decided that, rather than stew over the loss to his archrival, he would get right back up on the horse. He played the Gerry Weber Open, a grass court tournament in Germany, as a warm up to Wimbledon, and a tournament in which Roger has never lost a match in his career.

Consequently, the world number one was able to immediately extricate those

negative thoughts from his head and regain his focus by returning to the site where he had never tasted anything other than the sweet nectar of victory.

Learn from Every Match You Play Sounds easy enough, but you would be amazed at how, although you can easily recall every agonizing detail of why you lost a match, you might struggle to recall in sharp detail the reasons why you won. You might struggle even more to recall what it was that your opponent was doing to give you trouble in a match, as it is human nature to focus more on the result than the process that leads to the result. If on one hand you wipe your opponent out 6-0, 6-1, there really isn’t a lot you are going to learn from the experience, but on the other hand if you defeat your opponent 6-4, 7-5, or get stretched to a third set, obviously your opponent was doing something to give you trouble. You might think your opponent only got that close because your backhand wasn’t working that day, but the truth is that your opponent was doing something specific to ensure that it wouldn’t hold up to the standards you expect from that shot. The sooner you can admit that to yourself, the sooner you can key in on that in your next practice session and turn that weakness into a strength for your next match.

Let Go of the Fear One of the biggest hurdles I see players struggle to overcome is the fear of making mistakes, rather than accepting that they are going to happen. They spend hours working to perfect their groundstrokes, their serve, their volleys and so on, but when it comes time to use what they’ve spent hours practicing, they become almost paralyzed by the fear of screwing it up in a match. Their feet seem stuck to the court, their groundstrokes become too short, their volleys too long – you name it and it happens.

Mistakes are a part of the game right up through the very top levels. Roger Federer has unarguably the most beautiful forehand in tennis, and I promise that you’ve seen him shank a few right into the stands. Accepting that from time to time shots will fail you, immediately shaking it off, and focusing instead on what it was that resulted in the miss, then not repeating it the next time your opponent offers it up, will pay huge dividends in the long run and hopefully prevent a few misses from turning into an ugly loss at the hands of a less skilled opponent. I recently played a match where my opponent kept rolling in second serves to my backhand on the ad court, setting up one of my favorite shots (backhand up the line) that I must have missed close to 10 times before I finally got it sorted out. I never missed one after that. Eventually I was able to get in his head and force him to go for bigger second serves, resulting in an avalanche of double faults on his part, and stemming the tide of the match in my favour.

Focus on Off-Court Conditioning In my opinion, one of the worst feelings in tennis is knowing that for two sets you were “right there” with your opponent, and then you simply ran out of gas in the third before going down meekly 6-2.

Proper (or improper) conditioning has everything to do with which end of that equation you end up on. The saying that Andre Agassi made famous when he began training with the legendary Gil Reyes was that “the strong body obeys while the weak body commands,” meaning that if properly conditioned your body can and will do pretty much anything you ask of it. But if you are not match fit, your body will abandon you when you need it most.

The second act of Andre’s career, when he went on to capture the Grand Slam and regain his world number one status after dropping all the way to number 141, is evidence that what he said is true. By focusing on tennis specific training, such

as interval sprinting and lateral runs, as well as plyometrics and weight training, the carryover effect into your next match will be tremendously positive both physically and psychologically.

Accept that Losing is Part of the Game Winning or losing a tennis match is a 50/50 proposition. One of the most important keys to shaking off a bad loss is accepting that sometimes, in spite of your best efforts, it’s just not going to go your way. This is not to suggest that you didn’t practice hard enough, didn’t want it bad enough, or that you are inferior or unworthy in some way. It’s just a fact that there will always be a mathematical chance that you will end up holding the short straw once the dust has settled from your match. Losing doesn’t make you a bad player or a bad person, but rather it offers you an opportunity to grow developmentally. When training juniors, I hope to see them win about 75% of the time – enough to keep them engaged and wanting to strive for greater success. However, they must taste defeat often enough to realise that they don’t yet have all the answers and need to address certain areas of their game in order to realise their full potential.

That same lesson can be easily learned by adults. Even if we go through stretches when we lose a few (or more than a few) matches in succession, tennis is a sport of a lifetime. If you can keep your thoughts on the big picture, rather than on just one match or a few matches, it will be easier to rebound from a bad loss or two and ultimately realise your full potential.

PHOTO CREDIT Peggy Edwards Reprinted with permission of TennisPro, the official publication of Professional Tennis Registry.

TennisWorld

79

Basic Technique

The Serve

By Massimiliano Grancini

The serve is one of the most important shots in modern tennis, and can earn you many cheap points if you use it correctly.

Unfortunately, few players spend enough time on this important stroke, since practicing its technical nuances can be a bit boring. Standing there with a basket full of balls and serving for 20 minutes without an opponent and without getting physically engaged in a rally is not much fun, but it is indispensable.

Let me explain why: 3 good reasons to practise one’s serve 1 – If you want to be a complete tennis player, you need a good serve.

2 – You serve a lot in tennis: once every two games in singles, and once every four games in doubles.

3 – If you can’t serve, you will greatly reduce your number of potential playing partners. The majority of players enjoy playing a match far more than rallying for an hour.

Let us look at the fundamental characteristics of the serve: Grip If you are happy with simply putting the

Photo 1

ball in play, you can comfortably use the Eastern Forehand Grip (PHOTO 1), but bear in mind that this can only take you to a basic level and no further.

This is because the grip constrains the wrist joint and does not allow for pronation of the arm, thus preventing future developments with the introduction of slice on the ball.

Photo 3 The Continental grip is much more flexible, and will allow you to develop a more advanced serve. PHOTO 2

Photo 2

Starting position (PHOTO 3) The correct starting position is sideways to the net, with the front foot placed directly behind the baseline without touching it (it would be a foot fault).

Your arms should be stretched out, with the tip of your racquet pointing towards the court and your hand holding the ball against the racquet.

Remember to keep your arms relaxed, as this produces the required muscular relaxation to generate a fluid and powerful movement.

Backswing The backswing phase of the serve involves both arms: one tosses the ball and the other lifts the racquet behind the head. The best preparation for a novice in this technical phase, which can often vary wildly among professionals, is the following: move both arms

80

TennisWorld

Massimiliano Grancini is a Tennis Coach with the Italian Tennis Federation and Professional PTR. He is the founder and director of the website www. iltennista.com, the first tennis teaching website in Italy. together and open them symmetrically, one in front and one behind the body.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that, after this phase, you should be in the “power pose” (or “trophy pose,” as it closely recalls the figurine on top Photo 4 of a trophy).

(PHOTO 4) This position allows you to unleash the full power of the shot. When this phase is complete, the ball toss has already occurred.

Forward swing This phase is virtually identical for everyone (professionals included), regardless of backswing technique.

From the trophy position, the elbow turns and lifts towards the ball, thus lowering the tip of the racquet behind the back (without touching it). (PHOTO 5) At this point, the forearm straightens and brings the racquet towards the ball.

This is followed by the pronation of the wrist – i.e. an outward rotation – that opens up the string face towards the ball.

Impact (PHOTO 6)

Photo 5

In the serve, impact occurs in front of the body and at the maximum armracquet extension.

Follow-through The racquet continues along its natural path to end up on the other side of the body, in a position called “arabesque”.

(PHOTO 7) You should note that, if the followthrough is executed correctly, you should hop inside the court and land on your front leg, with a bent back leg kicking backwards. This gives balance to the conclusion of the shot.

(PHOTO 8) (VIDEO 1) The correct ball toss The ball toss is a crucial element in terms of the overall effectiveness of the serve. If executed incorrectly, even the best and most accurate racquet movement can be compromised.

I have to admit that in my personal experience as a tennis player I have never had a problem, as I have always had a good control of my non–dominant hand. However, as a coach, I soon realised how difficult it was for many of my students to carry out an accurate and consistent Photo 9 ball toss.

Let us therefore try and analyse what you need to know in order to develop the correct ball toss.

In the prelimi-

Photo 6

Photo 8

Photo 7

nary phase, just before the toss movement begins, you must try and keep a straight elbow so that the toss occurs by lifting the arm up without moving the elbow.

(PHOTO 9) The palm on which the ball rests faces upwards, as having to turn the hand along the way could compromise accuracy. Since the correct toss should happen a few centimetres in front of the front foot, you should try and shift your body weight forward as your arm movement begins.

Photo 10 It is critical to move the arm out in front of the body, so as to have a better chance to toss the ball inside the court and make impact with the ball in the correct manner.

A typical mistake is to start with the left arm to the right (for a right-hander), which tends to shift the hypothetic point of impact too far to the right (photo 2, yellow line) and not far enough forward.

This makes it difficult to shift the body weight correctly and have a good, flat impact (notice how the ball in the photo is almost aligned to the head – blue line).

(PHOTO 10) Try to lift your arm while keeping your

elbow straight and your fingers loose around the ball. It is important that the ball just rest on the hand (which is clearly facing upwards (PHOTO 11), so that it can leave the palm naturally in response to the thrust of the arm. This generally happens above one’s head (yellow line in the clip).

Here’s a piece of advice: do not toss the ball quickly, especially if you are a beginner. Try instead to be accurate and place the ball in a specific spot above you. Keep trying until you develop some regularity with your ball toss, both in height (remember that impact should occur at the Photo 11 maximum extension of arm plus racquet, so the optimal toss will have to be slightly higher) and in distance inside the court. If you let the ball drop after the toss and check where it lands, it should fall in front of your front foot, some 30-40cm inside the court (blue line in the clip).

Remember to also practise the racquet movement, as you will always need to co-ordinate both arms and it is very different to carry out the toss with just the non-dominant arm.

(VIDEO 2) In our next article we will conclude our analysis of the serve by looking at pronation, and we will also discuss a simple training sequence for this shot.

TennisWorld

81

Mental Toughness

part one

by Dr. Ray Brown

What is Mental Toughness?

Mental toughness is hard to define. Definitions of mental toughness in the literature, or from coaches, are often in terms that are themselves hard to define. For example, some definitions might include terms such as confidence, focus, motivation, belief in oneself, etc. But these terms are just as hard to define as “mental toughness.” We generally do not question definitions presented in such terms because each of us has our own idea of what they mean. But this approach will not lead one to become mentally tough.

For example: I recall a female player (call her Christy) playing a ten game pro set in a high school tournament on Friday, March 5th at Lewinsville Park, and she was trailing 2-8. What will it take for you to win in this situation? Do you even believe you can win? Are you willing to win? Are your parents present, causing you to feel pressured to play in a particular way? Is something going through your mind that you can’t understand, perhaps a distant memory? Are you scared? Are you tired? Did you get a good night’s sleep? Are you hungry? In the culture in which you were raised, were females taught to be submissive?

In your family, were all of your role models bullies? Were your family members prone to see themselves as better than others,

In fact, this leads nowhere, and certainly does not lead to a method of developing mental toughness. What is needed is what is called an “operational definition.”

This is a definition which provides a starting point for a solution. All scientific definitions must have this level of exactitude to be acceptable to the scientific community. For example, the average speed of an object is the distance it has traveled divided by the time it took to travel that distance. It is clear how to work with this definition by the use of measurements.

In contrast, the term “confidence” may be defined as believing, firmly, in one’s course of action. But then, what is overconfidence? This ambiguity eliminates the possibility of a rigorous definition of “confidence” because the term can, at best, be understood only after the fact of one’s actions being successful. And then there is a random element (call it luck) that further clouds the picture.

To achieve a useful definition we must look instead to one’s ability to succeed in an enterprise, the results of which can be clearly measured. Tennis provides one of the best avenues for examining mental toughness and making some sense of this idea because match play is objectively measurable. You either win or lose, and in singles, you do it alone.

Rather than dwelling on the definition of mental toughness in the abstract, we must tie it to something objectively measurable in the here and now.

82

TennisWorld

and thus you also feel this way? Was your culture a shamebased culture which is making you feel that you are somehow permanently flawed because you are so far behind in the match score? In short, do you know who you are?

There are countless factors that can obstruct your comeback in this situation. Surely if you do make a comeback, everyone will attribute it to your mental toughness. However, that is only a “symptom,” not a cause. The real “cause” or source of your comeback will lie more deeply and, more like as not, it will be invisible to everyone around you.

From this discussion we may infer that the term “mental toughness” is more metaphorical than rigorous and seems to refer to an action of an individual wherein they succeed against odds where most would have failed. That is not a definition, just a colloquial description or summary. What we see is that the real

issue of mental toughness lies deeper than colloquial descriptions and may relate more to knowing who you are than trying to follow a prescription found in a book.

• Process the last point to help you improve your strategy • Stay composed and in control so you can focus on the next point

The Failure of Expert Systems Theory • Manage or adjust your energy level In the 1980’s the Department of Defense funneled a lot of money into building expert systems. The idea was this: if we could enumerate the actions of experts and program them, then lesser mortals could do jobs like the experts by using the expert programs. Of course, in hindsight we can see that is close to nonsense. An expert is a person with a brain that works in a special way. Programming a brain is a bit more challenging than just watching an expert and recording his/her actions in a list and then putting these into a computer program. In short, if you read that if you can learn to think like a champion, you can be a champion, it is sheer nonsense. It would be closer to say that if you can remove the obstacles in your mind that are limiting your success, you will have a better chance of becoming a champion. You cannot become someone other than who you are, so know yourself and deal with your own issues rather than look to someone else to solve the problem of winning for you.

A particularly good example of how far off coaches can go in trying to emulate the “experts” can be seen in the coach that insists on teaching his students Roger Federer’s forehand. His idea is that if you have his forehand, or can duplicate all of his strokes, you will become a winner. This is the worst sort of witchcraft that a coach can perpetrate on a student. The genius of Federer, or any champion, is ultimately in their brains and in how they use the tools they have. In general, the best players are rarely the best technicians. They are just the best thinkers.

They may have fewer issues than the average player, which is an advantage, but their strokes (tools) never need to be the best.

But you can be sure that they have issues and that they have learned to deal with them, as does everyone. “Issues” are only a limitation if you allow them to be. The determined individual can learn to know themselves and overcome their issues that limit their ability to win and become champions in every walk of life.

Addressing Causes Rather Than Symptoms: The Road to Success Dr. Patrick Cohn offers, for free, an interesting summary of six errors players make during match play. Here is a sample from his free pamphlet: • Manage any negative emotions such as frustration • Relax your mind for a brief moment so you can focus your best on the next point

Source: 6 Unforced Mental Game Errors in Tennis - Patrick J. Cohn, Ph.D.; Peak Performance Sports, LLC; www.peaksports.com

These are “mental errors” that players make, but they are first and foremost symptoms of deeper issues, not causes. Therefore, to correct these errors, one must go beyond psychology to identify the causes. In short, we must be able to answer the question: why do we make these errors?

Errors of thought do not just simply appear out of thin air, nor can they be addressed by a simple “learn to think like a pro” approach. You cannot learn to think like anyone except yourself.

However, armed with facts rather than metaphors, you have a real chance of learning to win in situations that call for “mental toughness” or fortitude. By the way, Christy, the player whose story I mentioned above, won her match 10-8. A curious point was that her technique was far inferior to her opponent, but her point-of-view, or worldview, was much better when seen in the context of the results of the match.

In this series of articles, we are going to delve into some causes of the symptoms we see on the court, and in real life, and with a bit of luck, many of you are going to find that you can win the tough matches that once seemed out of reach.

Summary We have discussed the idea of mental toughness and concluded that is not a concept that can be scientifically defined.

We have stated that to make some progress in understanding how to win when faced with impossible looking odds, we must focus on concrete situations and facts, and avoid metaphors. We briefly took a look at the defunct idea of expert systems and noted why the promise of the concept expert systems cannot be realized. We noted that champions are defined by how they think, not by the perfection of their tools. We made the distinction between causes and symptoms and that symptoms are what most psychologists address. And finally we foreshadowed that this series of articles will focus on causes that can be tied to facts, and that will allow a starting point for solving the complex problem of how to be mentally tough.

TennisWorld

83

Tennis Talk

Ryan Harrison

By Grant Day

Imagine that a tennis match is about to begin and you are a spectator. From the start of the match the outcome seems quite clear, a seeded player against a “lucky” young qualifier in the first round of any given event. Up tosses the coin and the youngster elects to serve. Boom, the ball is served at a stunning pace, the ball is returned, and very quickly the ball is volleyed cross-court for the winning point. Does this sound familiar? Sure, but rarely in today’s game and not from a fifteen-year-old player. Scenes like that are what the tennis world is starting to expect from the up-and-coming Ryan Harrison.

The aforementioned scenario described is a good example of how Ryan plays tennis. His style of play combines the modern day baseline rally with the serve and volley technique (something I feel that the game needs more of these days). He has a smooth two-handed backhand, and can cover an overhead

84

TennisWorld

shot very well. Ryan can be a very explosive player on the court, and is able to go the distance against some very seasoned opponents.

Ryan Harrison is now eighteen, but started playing tennis at the age of two. Ryan attended the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy and is one of the few players on Tour that won an ATP match before the age of 16. Other players who won matches at that level so early on include the likes of Rafael Nadal and Richard Gasquet.

Ryan’s father Pat saw vast potential in his son at an early age, and has been an integral part of his coaching and development. Pat Harrison played NCAA tennis and also enjoyed a brief stint playing Challenger and Futures events. In juniors, Ryan topped out

at number seven, competing in all four majors and racking up tons of experience, if not wins. He turned pro in 2007 and decided to compete at the 2008 US Open and the Cincinnati Masters.

Harrison lost his qualifying matches in both events. In 2009 he played well in Sarasota, winning his first Futures title.

He also competed in Challenger events with mixed results, as well as some other ATP events.

Harrison has been on a steady rise since turning pro. At the 2010 US Open, he defeated 15th seeded Ivan Ljubicic 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-4 in an amazing match which made him the first American teenager to beat a Top 20 opponent since Andy Roddick in 2001. Harrison went on to play his first five set match against Sergiy Stakhovsky, but lost a close battle 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 6-7(6) after holding several match points.

Despite that match resulting in a loss, it is arguably the best match he has ever played. Ryan threw everything he had at his opponent. Chip lobbing him to the net, utilising the serve and volley, executing crosscourt backhands and making some great saves. In the end, however, inexperience prevailed. Since then, Harrison has been competing in ATP events and doing well in Challenger events. He made the final at Tiburon, CA and took out Dustin Brown in Bratislava, Slovakia 4-6, 7-6(9), 6-3. Ryan ended the season with an ATP ranking of 173.

The mental and physical courage Harrison has displayed in the face of adversity, combined with his level of skill, indicates that he has the tools to become a top ranked player. Considering how the American game needs players in

higher rankings to propel tennis into the next generation, everything I see about Ryan Harrison bodes well for the future.

He would also make a great addition to the United States Davis Cup team.

Harrison still has a lot of work to do, but there is no reason why he cannot break into the Top 100 by the end of next year

– maybe even earlier.

Ryan Harrison currently resides in Bradenton, FL where he continues to train and study with his father Pat Harrison and former ATP pro Martin Damm, as well as other USTA (United States Tennis Association) development coaches.

TennisWorld

85

The Progression of Junior Development in America

By Jason G. Lampione

American junior tennis is on the rise, and it is thanks to the tremendous commitment and cooperation of various coaching organisations. Being a coach and player myself, I have seen remarkable dedication from a range of different institutions across the United States, and how they have taken it upon themselves to formulate a plan for tomorrow’s tennis stars. I have travelled extensively in my involvement in the industry and see many coaches changing their individual ideology, philosophy and approach to better adapt to the ever-changing conditions in the sport of tennis.

As each individual player faces the numerous obstacles and challenges in his or her playing career, they must keep in mind that every aspect of development is based on hard work and dedication. It is vitally important for any junior player to be surrounded by a team of caring and well-informed coaches who will guide him/her to the best of their knowledge and expertise.

As tennis changes, so does the way in which we train and prepare our junior players for the ATP and WTA Tours. There have recently been major efforts by organisations in the US to change

86

TennisWorld

their ideologies and practices in order to be suit the needs of today’s young players.

The new “formula for success” is both multi-faceted and multifunctional, and if it is implemented correctly it will have a good chance of developing the next string of successful American players. The programme has a three-pronged approach that consists of the following: 1. Player : The player is primarily responsible for completing any objective set by the coach.

2. Coach: The coach oversees every aspect of player development.

3. Parent: The parent is involved in ensuring that the coach and player stay on point.

All three of these elements are paramount in the development of the junior player, because it covers every aspect of their emotional, behavioural and mental conditioning. The success of the player is directly determined by the “relationship process” that he/she has with his/her coach and parent.

5. Name one positive and negative experience you had in tennis and tell me how you dealt with the experience.

6. Do you consider yourself to be someone who can handle being coached by others, even players?

7. What got you started playing tennis? Can you recall your first experience? What did it feel like when you had that experience?

8. Can you accept the fact that you might not perform to your

These relationships encompass a core selection of “principals and philosophies” that the player, coach and parent must be in total agreement over. There must be a shared vision and goal, else the process will break down. If the coach, player and parent all know what they are working towards, they will have a much better chance of achieving that goal.

The first step of this paradigm begins with the coach and the player working together and understanding what it is that needs to be done. The coach and parent then discuss both short and long-term objectives for the child (who is also involved in the discussion). The next step is to create a “psycho-charting” system that engages and stimulates the player through questions relating to his/her deepest desires, aspirations and dreams. The questioning process can involve the following: Psycho-Charting Questionnaire: 1. Do you enjoy the process of learning in a fun environment or in a competitive one?

2. Do you feel as though you play better in a practice session or a competitive match?

3. When you make a bad shot at a critical time do you get mad at yourself or remain positive?

4. What are your feelings about losing a match versus winning one?

expectations if the coach makes changes to your game in order to benefit you for the long-term?

These examples exemplify an approach that specifically asks questions with the intent of understanding an athlete’s thought process. This will reveal in more detail what exactly it is that a player wants to accomplish, and allows the parent and coach to better understand and assist in the achievement of those goals.

The coach is ultimately responsible for setting the group dynamic that will dominate the relationships between the parent, coach and player, as well as the relationship between the player and his/her peers. The coach must ensure that, if a group of players work together, they share certain key characteristics that will make them work well together in both the short and long term.

The abovementioned approaches and strategies must be implemented flexibly in order to maximise the benefit to each player, TennisWorld

87

as outlined below: (1) Coaches need to keep pace with changing learning practices, methodologies and approaches in order to fully be effective in his or her career objectives while developing any player.

(2) Parent and family members need to be educated in how to be more engaged in the process development of their child. The education factor plays a critical role, because it enhances the understanding of the approach that the coach utilises.

(3) A system of measurement needs to be established for accurate recording and tracking of the player’s progress in areas that include the following:

(3-1) The collection of data and information based on results achieved and progress made in competitions and coaching sessions.

(3-2) The physical and mental states of the child during training and conditioning.

(3-3) A series of tested practices that involve on-court

88

TennisWorld

aptitudes from the player prior to and after each coaching session to ensure progress is being maintained.

(3-4) The management of communications being conveyed from coach to player.

(3-5) We need to further educate our players on team development, communication and how to handle the pressures of competition.

I have used these examples as starting points in describing only a small portion of challenges we need to face and tackle if we are to see any progress with the player’s game. Having an open mind and rapport with other like-minded coaches, players and parents is the first step in the process of fully realising our students’ potential. We can all learn from each other, and cooperation in coaching is a very valuable tool at times.

Ultimately, progress can only be made if parents, players and coaches work together. The tennis community must work together to further the interests of our juniors, and if we do so we will ensure that today’s juniors become tomorrow’s Grand Slam winners.

An Interview with

Ed Tseng

By Jason G. Lampione

Ed Tseng, a leading authority on performing under pressure, an award-winning tennis coach and a soughtafter speaker, has spent his life researching solutions to these different issues. He is the author of the book Game. Set. Life, which has been on Amazon’s Top 10 in Sports Psychology, and featured at the US Open Tennis Championships. Tseng is also co-author of the forthcoming Success Simplified with Stephen Covey (Seven Habits of Highly Effective People) and The Pinstripe Principles: Why The Yankees Are So Mentally Tough (and How You Can Be Too).

Ed works in person and by telephone with individuals and teams in the area of mental toughness and peak performance, from athletes and coaches to salespeople, musicians and students.

He has lectured to organisations such as the USTA Tennis Teachers Conference, Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education, Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce, Special Olympics, Mercer County Juvenile Detention Center, Disney, Rider University, Princeton University, Leverage Sports and Entertainment Agency, Weichert Realtors and MOPS (Mothers Of Pre-Schoolers). As an internationally-known tennis teaching pro, Ed was named Pro of the Year by the USTA in 2005. He is also a volunteer coach for the Special Olympics.

“I have been teaching tennis since I failed out of college, twice, studying computers (because my father did). It [failing out] was the best thing that

ever happened to me, because it was then that I followed my passion. I called the president and vice president of the USTA/NJ district and was mentored by

Ed’s work has been published and featured at the US Open, USTA, USPTA, ITA, PTR, on television and radio and in newspapers. An avid New York Yankees fan, Ed currently lives in the Princeton, NJ area with his fiancée, Sarah, and their Boston Terriers, Babe, Buckner and Jordan. He enjoys reading, fine dining, staying fit, yoga, meditating and staying in the present moment.

Tell us about yourself. How long have you been teaching tennis?

What got you into tennis? What are your qualifications and what’s your training background with the development of junior players here in America?

TennisWorld

89

them. But my parents encouraged me to get a degree, so I ended up enrolling in Ferris State University’s Marketing/ Professional Tennis Management programme and graduated in 1997. In 2005, I was named Pro of the Year USTA/ NJD. I have worked with all levels from entry-level beginners to professionals, as well as lecturing on the mental side to players, coaches and parents.”

you believe that every coach should adopt core principles to live by to set a standard of excellence in both philosophy and teaching?

“I take pride in ‘walking the talk,’ as I not only teach the principles in my book, I live them. As I mentioned, I frequently lecture coaches on my mental toughness principles. It is tough to say what

You’ve written a book called Game. Set. Life.

Can you tell our readers more about the book and what influenced you to write it? What is your vision and purpose for the creation of this book and the impact it might have on the reader’s perspective?

“Game. Set. Life Peak Performance for Sports and Life uses the principles of mental toughness in sports and applies them to success in all areas of life. My goal is to show people that the mental side of sports is just like the physical side – it can be mastered with proper training. Game is also a tool that I use for my mental toughness coaching. I not only want my book to be ‘thought-provoking’, I want it to be ‘action-provoking’ as well.”

Have you adopted any core personal or professional principles that you live by or teach to your fellow developing players or co-workers ? If so, what profound impact has it had? Do 90

TennisWorld

type of impact my work has had, but I certainly have gotten very positive feedback from my seminars, one-on-one coaching, my book and daily mental toughness blog (www.edtseng.com).

Yes, I do believe that a coach should have a set of principles that they can follow.”

Speaking of your website, edtseng. com, can you tell us more about that and some of the areas it covers?

“My website features my daily mental

toughness blog, which is read by people of all ages, all industries, from all over the world. People who want to master the mental side of sports and life. I also feature a full list of products/services that I provide.”

You have a company called Tennis Solutions. Can you give us more information on your company and how you came about developing it?

What were some of your objectives in establishing this company?

What lessons have you learned personally from starting this company and have your grown from the experience?

“Tennis Solutions began as a tennis management company, providing group and private lessons, as well as summer camps. Starting up my own company was a scary experience, but like many things in life, big risk equals big reward. Had I not started my own company, I truly would not have written my book, I would not have become a professional speaker or done many of the other things I have in the past few years.”

You seem to have a passion for “Mental Toughness”. Can you give us more insight as to what it means

to you personally, and then professionally? What strategies do you use to ensure that each player or student you work with understands the basics of mental toughness? Can you give us an example of a student you had where your strategy worked effectively and the kind of impact it had on you and your student?

“The beauty of mental toughness to me is that it is learnable. Most people think you are born with it, but that is not the case. In addition, I feel that being mentally tough in sports can carry over to school, work, relationships and any area of life. I have many mental toughness strategies, which I share in my book and in my daily blog.

One example of mental toughness is when a notoriously negative and emotional player started working with me. After a few sessions, not only was he improving and winning more, but an official went up to him after the match (which he lost) and said, ‘Great match, you played like a gentleman.’ Imagine how the player and parent felt. This also carried over to other areas of life.”

You have been known to give public speaking engagements and speeches to the Princeton, New Jersey community. Do you enjoy speaking about a certain topic that you believe in more than others? What events have you done recently and do you plan on pursuing your public speaking on a full-time basis?

“My main topic is mental toughness and peak performance in sports and life. I have spoken at tennis conferences, to

corporations, at schools, to organisations, to real estate offices, to nonprofits and even at juvenile detention centres, all over the country. My plan is to increase the number of speaking engagements and bring it to a global level, eventually training others to become mental toughness coaches.”

You had an opportunity to meet other influential coaching figures and players in and out of the industry and business. What have you learned from this shared experience of being at the 2010 U.S. Open? Does anyone

via stories in my seminars, blog and mental toughness coaching sessions.”

What coaching advice would you give to a young and aspiring junior who wishes to enter the ranks of the ATP/WTA Tours? What “roles” do you think parents and families should play in the developmental process of the junior, and what advice can you give to parents who are seeking to employ a coach to be the “right” mentor for their child for the long term?

“First and foremost, have passion. Next, believe ANYTHING is possible.

Then, work your tail off.

Don’t try your best...do whatever it takes. Persist.

Parents have one role: to provide love and support.”

In closing, can you tell our readers what is on the horizon for Ed Tseng and your website and company?

experience in particular stand out more than others, if so, why? How will you implement this experience in your future endeavours as a business owner, coach and player?

“I have had the pleasure of meeting and becoming friends with some amazing and inspiring people, from Bob Ryland, the first black professional tennis player to Rayna DuBose, New York Yankee players, Billie Jean King, Jennie Murphy – a blind athlete, Special Olympics athletes, CEOs, musicians, gang members and the list goes on. Every experience is enlightening to me and I value all people whether they are celebrities or fans. I constantly share my experiences

“No telling what is on the horizon, but my present goals are to complete my second (Success Simplified with Stephen Covey) and third (The Pinstripe Principles) books by the end of the year, map out a game-plan for 2011 as far as speaking engagements are concerned, and a business/marketing plan. Nobody knows what the future holds, but I focus on going all-out in the present moment and leaving a legacy. I enjoy helping people and that fills me up more than anything.”

Is there anything you’d like to say or mention to our readers here at Tennis World USA? “Four words: Don’t quit, can’t fail.”

TennisWorld

91

The Australian Open From a US Perspective The four greatest prizes in tennis are the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. These tournaments are what the champions of the sport measure

their careers by. Even for players that don’t win one of these elusive titles, how they perform at these tourneys can have a substantial impact on their ranking, prize money and endorsement deals.

Looking back at the great American champions, from the early days of Tilden, Connolly, Evert, King, Connors, and McEnroe, the dominance that these players had at three of the four Slams is undeniable. The collective singles titles of all these players at the US Open is 29, 18 at Wimbledon, and 11 at the French Open. In contrast, the total number of Australian Open titles is only a measly six.

Reviewing these stats makes it fair to say the US champions were not the Kings and Queens of the Aussie Open. Perhaps location was the reason for the lack of titles. Looking back at the history of the Aussie Open, one thing can be said: it was a transitional tournament in location and surface. None of the other Slams moved locations or changed surfaces as much as the Australian Open. The tournament has been held at Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth.

Yet the many titles that US players have won have been scattered throughout the world, so location cannot be that much of a factor. So then one could perhaps say that the various surfaces are the reason for American failures: grass, rebound ace and plexicushion have all been used at various times. But then again, US players have had great successes

92

TennisWorld

on many different surfaces, so again this theory doesn’t hold up.

Another possible reason for the lack of Australian Open trophies in US possession is the tournament’s reputation and perception. Initially, the Australian Open was considered a national title for Australians. This explains why Maragaret Court won a record 11 singles titles. Not to diminish Court’s remarkable record Down Under, but many of the top pros, especially Americans, were not playing in the Australian Open during this time. The Australian Open simply didn’t carry the same amount of prestige as Wimbledon or Roland Garros.

The timing of Australia’s Major is also part of the reason why not many Americans own a title. From the inception of the Australian Open until the late 1980’s, it was played in mid to late December, which for Americans is in the middle of the holiday season. The desire to travel halfway across the world for a tournament that nobody really cared about was, to put it mildly, not pressing.

As the years went on the Australian Open began to gain prestige, and its date change to January made it more attractive to US participants. As a result, many Americans have enjoyed success in Australia over the past two decades. Most recently, Serena Williams has won five singles titles. Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi also both won the tournament several times.

Ultimately, the big reason why US players failed to win (or even show up for) the Australian Open was a lack of desire.

But as that desire has increased over the years, the tournament has become just as desirable as any of the other Slams, and Americans want the title just as much as everyone else.

The History of the US Davis Cup

By Jason G. Lampione

The Davis Cup competition has seen the best professional tennis players compete for their countries since 1900. The inaugural event came about when four Harvard University students challenged British players to a tennis competition. The Davis Cup was named after one of the event’s first competitors, Dwight F. Davis, and the sterling silver trophy he created for the tournament.

The United States has won the Davis Cup more times than any other country, and enjoyed their greatest successes in the 1980s and 1990s, when the team was lead by legends such as John McEnroe. The Davis Cup is a round robin competition spread out over several different weekends throughout the year in various countries.

The most dominant teams form the World Group, while weaker countries compete in regional playoffs in hopes of qualifying for the World Group. Each year’s seedings and placements are based on the previous year’s standings and performances.

The world group consists of 16 countries, and it is they who compete directly for the Davis Cup itself. The ITF

TennisWorld

93

clude Sweden, France, Germany, South Africa, Italy, the Czech Republic, Russia, Spain and Croatia.

Titles by country (Open Era)

(International Tennis Federation) decides which country will play host to their opponents, and they traditionally have a major advantage. The defending champion and runner-up of the previous year are granted the top and second seed. The losers of the first round matches are sent to the World Group playoff round, where they play against the winners of regional playoffs. Whoever wins gets promoted to the World Group, while the loser is relegated to a lesser competition.

Each of the regional zones is separated into different groups of four. Groups 1 and 2 play elimination rounds, with the losing competitors facing relegation to the next-lowest group.

The teams in Group 3 and those in Group 4 play a round-robin tournament with promotion and relegation based solely on the performance and outcome of each individual team. The Davis Cup “tie” consists of two singles matches, one doubles match, and the two reverse singles if needed. All matches in a tie are known as “rubbers,” and any remaining matches to be played once the tie is decided are called “dead rubbers,” because the outcome is insignificant. Scoring is best of five sets with no fifth set tiebreak allowed.

Historically, the best performing Davis Cup teams have been the United States and Australia, each with more wins and runner-up showings than any other nation. Other winners in94

TennisWorld

Country United States Sweden Australia Spain France Germany Russia South Africa Italy Czech Republic Croatia

Titles 13 7 6 4 3 3 2 1 1 1 1

First 1968 1975 1973 2000 1991 1988 2002 1974 1976 1980 2005

Last 2007 1998 2003 2009 2001 1993 2006 1974 1976 1980 2005

The United States holds the record for most consecutive wins from 1920 through to 1926, and most Davis Cup victories with 32. The Australians appeared in more finals than any nation in the years between 1938 and 1968, and went on to win the Cup 28 times.

John McEnroe is perhaps the greatest US Davis Cup player of all time. He played in the most consecutive ties (30) and played for his team longer than anyone else (12 years). He won the most matches of anyone in his era (boasting a 59-10 record), and was part of five winning Davis Cup teams. His consistent participation is especially impressive when one considers that most top singles players don’t care much for the Davis Cup. Jim Courier, who was recently appointed team captain, has big shoes to fill, especially considering that the US is struggling at the moment. Their first tie is in March against Chile.

Jim Courier takes over as US Davis Cup captain Former world number one Jim Courier was born on August 17, 1970 in Sanford, Florida. Playing in the 1980s, Courier went to the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, where he became one of the top young tennis players in the world. He enjoyed a long and illustrious career that included two Grand Slam titles and four Slam finals.

By Jason G. Lampione

T

he USTA recently announced that Courier will replace Patrick McEnroe as the US Davis Cup captain in 2011. He will be the 40th Davis Cup captain, and will take charge of his first tie in March when the United States faces Chile. Captain Courier will have a number of fantastic players to choose from for his line-up. His choices include Andy Roddick, John Isner, Sam Querrey,

ter to lead a team of young talent into the 2011 season? In a recent comment made

by Andre Agassi, he stated the following: “Jim has the experience, integrity and focus needed to bring the U.S. Davis Cup to new heights. I know firsthand that a man with Jim’s credentials as a warrior and a champion will bring out the best in our players and our fans.” The U.S. Davis Cup is in good hands with Jim at the centre of

Mardy Fish and the dynamic doubles duo of Mike and Bob Bryan, who have amassed multiple Grand Slam victories and have the highest winnings record in Davis Cup history.

the team, and will help put the United States on the road to victory.

In August, during the US Open, Patrick McEnroe decided to resign his position as Davis Cup captain for another position within the USTA. He will now head up the player development program. Jim Courier expressed his interest in the position once it became available, and being a two-time Grand Slam winner, who bet-

I followed Jim Courier throughout his career, and am sure he will bring a fierce work ethic and a determined demeanor to the US Davis Cup team. Coach Courier will be at the heart of the team, developing the young Americans as they learn from one another and go forward into the 2011 season. Courier’s enthusiasm and energy will certainly instill confidence in the players.

There is little doubt that Courier has the experience and heart to bring out the very best in our US Davis Cup team, because he is the kind of person that has a fierce passion and love for what he does. His fighting spirit and commitment to be the very best only proves his worth. His acceptance of the role of the new captain is one of the smartest decisions he’s made in his career. The US Davis Cup team hasn’t won a title since 2007, but I am confident this time around that with Jim leading the pack, the United States will once again have the opportunity to make its mark and lead the way for generations to come.

The United States will feel confident knowing that Jim Courier is leading the American team, as he has extensive Davis Cup experience. Courier was part of the victorious 1992 and 1995 Davis Cup teams, and played in 26 consecutive matches.

TennisWorld

95

96

TennisWorld

THE INTERNET’S PREMIERE TENNIS MAGAZINE – AND IT’S FREE

TENNIS WORLD IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THESE WEBSITES 4 Specialty Tennis http://www.4specialtytennis.com

We carry a large selection of tennis apparel, tennis gifts including jewelry, and tennis accessories.

Oakwood Swim & Racquet Club http://oakwoodmobile.com/tennis.html

tennis club with 9 courts, lights, 5 soft, 4 hard, clubhouse, residential area, open year around.

ProTrainer Tennis Innovations http://www.ptwinsock.com

Our innovative tennis training aids provide fast results and improve your game faster so you can enjoy playing to your best abilities and help to make you a stronger and more confident player both physically and mentally.

Global Village Tennis News http://blog.gvtnews.com

Tennis news, tournament coverage, features and ©Kourtin’Karen

Mauve Sports-MSV http://www.tennistotal.net

Mauve-Sports-MSV is specialized on strings, which are engineered by us and our manufacturer our Co-Polyester strings have been elected as string of the year. They are exported in more than 30 countries. The same is true for our MSV Grips. In Europe we represent Sport Tutor for last 10 years.

Joel Ross Tennis SportS Camp http://www.joelrosstennis.com

We are a residential tennis camp in Kent, Connecticut for juniors.

High Desert Tennis Association http://www.highdeserttennis.org/index.html

Promoting more and better tennis in California’s high desert.

Equelite Tennis academy JC Ferrero http://www.equelite.blogspot.com/ Tennis academy JC Ferrero in Spain (Alicante)

Sportcamptravel http://www.sportcamptravel.ru/publ/2

Simple Tennis http://simpletennis.com

Your No.1 Downloadable FREE Tennis Lesson Video website! We specialize in lessons for the Beginner and Intermediate Players, and lifestyle hub for all tennis enthusiasts.

Prescott Racquet Club http://www.prescottracquetclub.com

The Prescott Racquet Club offers a wide assortment of activities for every age and preference. The facility is nestled in a beautiful and relaxing Ponderosa Pine forest which provides the perfect backdrop for tennis games, afternoon swims, refreshing hikes, and energizing workouts.

Balcombe Tennis Club http://www.balcombetennisclub.co.uk/

Balcombe Tennis Club is a community-funded, very informal tennis club in the picturesque village of Balcombe in West Sussex, South-East England. We have 2 newly-refurbished outdoor tennis courts and an active membership. We believe that we offer the best value for money membership in this area, with a family membership that costs only £80 per year!

Sport agent of tennis academies. Professional advice of tennis academies, summer tennis camps and other programmes.

TennisWorld

97