Tennis World 9 by Coppini Trading

TennisWorld

INTERNATIONAL Issue number 9 ISSN 2075-6526

Rafa Reigns Supreme An exclusive interview with the Wimbledon champion and world number one

Federer’s Future Also in this issue The Longest Match in History The Queen’s Visit to SW19 How to Hit a Great Half Volley Forehand Basics …and much more

Can the Swiss maestro win more Grand Slams?

Interviews Sam Querrey Mark Woodforde Martina Navratilova TennisWorld sa A

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!

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Tennis World Published by Matchball Tennis

Editor’s Letter

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

Tennis World on the iPhone and iPad

Contributors Pietie Norval, Danie Morkel, Matt Traverso, Jaco Burger, Wendy Chadwick (SATA) Collaboration Tennis World SA 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 Nelize Ernst – Subscriptions & Advertising Sales COPY AND CONTENT EDITOR: Philip Maré CREATIVE: Simone “Fela” Micheletti Business Details MatchballTennis (Pty) Ltd 85 Jonkershoek Road Stellenbosch, South Africa info@matchballtennis.com Advertising advertising@matchballtennis.com

I will leave the Wimbledon commentary to the journalists who have contributed to this issue of Tennis World. Suffice it to say that some interesting things happened – the longest match in history still has people talking, and Rafael Nadal’s victory capped what was already an incredible comeback story. Unfortunately he missed his great rival Roger Federer, and in light of the fantastic finals they have played over the last few years, 2010’s championship match was rather disappointing. I would like to update our readers regarding the innovations that Matchballtennis (the parent company of Tennis World) is introducing. We are in the process of redesigning our website, and will be adding much more international content and news, as well as items of local interest. At present, Tennis World is published in South Africa (http://sa.tennisworldsa.com) and Italy (www.tennisworlditalia. com). We also have an international edition at http://tennisworldsa. com.

Blake

As far as the Italian version is concerned, we have a team of people who will keep the site updated with everything that happens in Italian tennis. TennisWorldItalia.com will also be expanded to feature a blog and a forum, where readers can post opinions and comments. We are in the process of implementing the same for the South African site, and I will soon be able to reveal exactly what we are up to there. We have also moved Tennis World to the iPhone. On our website there is a banner that will take you directly to the page for the iPhone app. The app features the latest ATP and WTA news, as well as the best articles from Tennis World magazine. You can browse photo galleries from past and present tournaments, and read our exclusive interviews with many tennis icons.

Subscriptions subscriptions@matchballtennis.com

The application is currently only in English, but as of October we will also cater for Italian tennis enthusiasts. In October we will be introducing an iPad version featuring special content such as videos and interactive news.

Marketing & PR Nicolette Booyens marketing1@matchballtennis.com

Lastly, in September we will be releasing a new tennis game that is going to put you face to face with other fans.

www.tennisworldsa.com

In this issue

As you can see, it’s a busy time for us at Tennis World, and we hope you will join us in our expanding world of tennis! Happy reading,

Federico Federico Coppini federico.coppini@matchballtennis.com

Pironkova

Venus

Contents

TennisWorld #9

29 PLAYER FEATURES 27 28 29 38 39

Alexandr Dolgopolov Ricardas Berankis Ilija Bozoljac Petra Kvitova Tsvetana Pironkova

WIMBLEDON

10 14 17 19 23 26 30 32 36 41 44

Tournament in Review God Save the Grass The Year That Rafa Missed Roger No Substitute for Experience Roger Federer – Twilight at 29? Men’s Scorecard Longest Match in History Men’s Draw The Queen Visits SW19 Women’s Scorecard Women’s Draw

FEATURES 64 Classic Tennis Reads – James Blake 66 Comeback Klaasen INTERVIEWS 20 42 48 50

Rafael Nadal Martina Navratilova Mark Woodforde Sam Querrey

PRO TALK

52 54 58 61 62 70 71

Motivation and Self Confidence in Sports The Forehand Core Training Part 2 Knee Cap Pain in Tennis Players How to Hit a Great Half Volley John-Laffnie de Jager Greer Leo-Smith

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2010

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Wimbledon

And Then There Was One Not so long ago, the Fab Four ruled the world of men’s tennis. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were the only contenders going into every event, and they were all capable of winning anything and everything. But, like the Beatles, it couldn’t last forever, and Rafael Nadal seems to be the only one capable of having a successful solo career at the moment. Will they get back together, or will someone else step up to top the charts? by Stefano Semeraro

et’s be honest: this year’s Wimbledon wasn’t exactly fantastic. Luckily there were plenty of sideshows to keep things interesting. John Isner and Nicolas Mahut’s epic encounter kept the world enthralled for three days, and the Queen’s first visit to Church Road in 33 years was also a lively talking point. But despite all of this, there was something missing from the Championships in 2010. Per-

haps the most obvious absence was that of a rival to stand up to Rafael Nadal. His most dangerous opponent at Wimbledon was not Tomas Berdych – whose awesome form from the previous six matches melted away in the final – but his own knees. Indeed it was the very foe that kept him away from Wimbledon last year that most threatened to derail his campaign this time around.

During both his second and third round matches he seemed to be struggling physically, and it was in those encounters that he was closest to elimination. After those scares however, he seemed to somehow recover from whatever ailments had been bothering him, prompting many – including Philipp Petzschner and Boris Becker – to question the authenticity of his injuries. But despite these early

struggles (“the toughest moments in the tournament,” Nadal admitted), the Spaniard had little trouble throughout the rest of the event. He dropped only one nervy set to Robin Soderling before easily dismissing both Andy Murray and Berdych. The tournament never got its thriller – neither in the final nor any preceding round. Of course that’s not Nadal’s fault. He was spoiling for a fight, buy nobody was able to give him one. The most obvious candidate to challenge Nadal on tennis’ biggest stage – Roger Federer – lost meekly to the same Czech youngster who had also knocked him out in Miami earlier in the season. All the cracks that have appeared over the past few months widened to gaping gashes against Berdych. As has happened so often recently, the Swiss maestro simply refused to take advantage of the many opportunities he had to bring the match back under control. He was obviously unhappy at the press conference after the loss, disappointed with his performance and perhaps confused as to why he struggled so much. At the age of 29 and with 16 Slams in the bag, Federer – who now sits at number three in the world for the first time since November 2003 – has every right to feel contented, happy and fulfilled. We will be eternally grateful to him for the marvels he has shown us over the past few years. However, if he still has the will and motivation to win, he had better reflect on his recent performances. Fair enough, he did have a lung infection that forced him out of Dubai, but since then he’s

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shown none of the spark that won him the Australian Open title in January. He needs to refocus on his training, and perhaps find a coach with more experience than his friend Severin Luthi – someone who is able to tell him truthfully: “Roger, all is not well.” Perhaps even more painful than the fact that he lost early in a Slam is that he lost at his Slam – Wimbledon. The Championships have been his personal playground for almost a decade now, and his inability to perform on the hallowed grass must hurt especially badly. But then again, the grass is not the same as it was when Federer won his first Wimbledon in 2003. We’ve known for years that the courts have been intentionally “slowed down” (or, perhaps more accurately, the bounce has greatly increased), but this year the effect seemed particularly exaggerated. Some has even gone so far as saying that Wimbledon is now the slowest Slam on the calendar, though

we wouldn’t go that far ourselves. What is certain, however, is that with each year that passes the conditions become more suited to someone like Nadal. The high bounce, the long rallies, the neutralised big servers – it all plays right into his hands, and he’s loving every minute of it. But if Federer did poorly at the All England Club, at least he can take solace in the fact that he’s not alone. Last year’s finalist Andy Roddick was far from his 2009 self, and all it took was a rather ordinary player like Yen-Hsun Lu to knock him out, much to the disappointment of everyone who thought that this would be his year. Considering that Federer fell out early, one cannot imagine a more perfect scenario for the American to finally claim his most sought-after prize. But alas, it was not to be. Robin Soderling again succumbed to the pressure, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga TennisWorld sa

confirmed his limitations, and nobody outside of Australia was truly fooled by Lleyton Hewitt’s chances. That left only Djokovic, Murray and Berdych. The Serbian continued his usual pattern of easily beating lesser players

the first true contender he came up against. Granted the expectations are always overwhelming for him at Wimbledon, but that’s not an excuse – that shouldn’t matter to a true champion. For his age, Murray has

Nadal. In both games, the server was in trouble at 30-30. When Murray was receiving, he netted an easy forehand and allowed Nadal to escape. When Nadal was receiving, he played the best tennis of the day so far, earn-

a monster and is very quick for a man standing 6’5”. Against Federer in the quarter-finals he showed the courage and grit of a champion for the first time on the big stage. He then easily disposed of Djokovic in the semi-final, but sadly fell apart at the last hurdle. At least his run at the All England Club catapulted him back into the Top 10, and the prospect of him becoming a regular in the final rounds of Grand Slams is a good thing for tennis. If the men’s competition was a light nap, then the women’s event was a full-blown snorefest. Serena Williams floated through the draw, facing only a handful of set points and never losing a set. Maria Sharapova put on half

but falling to good ones. Against a red-hot Berdych he never looked convincing. Constantly struggling for breath and unable to dominate the rallies, Djokovic cut a poor imitation of the figure that so confidently won the Australian Open two years ago. One cannot help but feel that for him to return to that kind of form something big needs to change in his game.

already done far better than the previous Great British hope, Tim Henman, but his talent has promised much more than he’s been able to deliver. He has a solid game and a tactical mind, but at the end of the day he is faced with the same problems as the other young players that surround him: he’s not as good as Federer, and he’s not as tough as Nadal.

The same applies to Murray, who easily dispatched of his lower ranked opponents but melted down against

A perfect example of his current limitations was on display in the eighth and ninth games of the first set against

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ing himself a break point, which he eagerly converted. Game over. When Berdych played his best tennis during Wimbledon fortnight, he resembled many of the great Czech champions of the past – from Jan Kodes and Ivan Lendl to Martina Navratilova and Jana Novotona. But like some of those players, he seems destined to a career of occasional bright flashes and many big frustrations. He hits the ball with the kind of power and accuracy that few players possess, serves like

a fight in the fourth round, but the outcome was never really in doubt. Vera Zvonareva was utterly defenceless against the American’s onslaught in the final, and in just over an hour it was all over. This is not a great time for women’s tennis, and we can say so without putting ourselves at risk of being labelled sexist. There have been years in which the women’s matches were as beautiful and engaging as the men’s, but today the difference between the two Tours is vast. The equivalent to Federer’s flop was Venus Williams’ fall in the quarter-finals to the Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova, who also knocked her out in the 2006 Australian Open.

Venus too seems to be in a waning phase, distracted by life and perhaps resigned to her little sister’s superiority. The Belgian duo of Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters – after promising much in the first months of the year – was disappointing at the European Slams. Clijsters hasn’t played as well as she did at the US Open last year, and she’s starting to re-discover how difficult it is to stay competitive for an entire season. Henin, on the other hand, has injured herself again, putting her US Open campaign in doubt (it’s highly unlikely that she’ll play) and ruining the rest of the year. Francesca Schiavone and Sam Stosur – the women who lit up Paris just a few weeks before Wimbledon – both failed to impress at the Championships. “Wimbledon came too soon for her,” Martina Navratilova said. “Two more weeks and it would have been a different thing. She would have been able to absorb the emotions and the effort of her victory in Paris. And maybe, if she had somehow managed to get through the first stage…I had said it before the tournament: ‘In London Francesca will either go out at the first round or go through to the semi-final’.” Caroline Wozniacki, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Na Li, Nadia Petrova – the list of players who woefully underperformed at Wimbledon is almost endless. Petra Kvitova and Tsvetana Pironkova were the only two bright sparks in the draw, and their awesome run to the semi-finals was the highlight of the women’s event. Hopefully their more famous peers will have learned something from them at Wimbledon, and will use their newfound inspiration to give the fans the most exciting US Open in history. TennisWorld sa

Wimbledon

God Save the Grass Every year, 14 gardeners painstakingly prepare the courts at the All England Club for Wimbledon fortnight. During the tournament itself, their number double to 28, but the workload increases tenfold. It is a small miracle that they are able to keep the courts playable for two weeks, but in 2012 head groundskeeper Eddie Seaward and his team will have to get the grass looking brand new within a couple of weeks of Wimbledon’s conclusion for the Olympic Games. We decided to find out how they plan to do this, and how the fabled grass courts of Wimbledon have changed over the years. by Stefano Semeraro

driano Panatta first set foot on Centre Court in 1972, when he played against Neale Fraser. “It was the first day and the grass looked compact, uniform, of an intense green. There was a silence unknown to me. I approached Fraser and whispered to him: “What a pity, if we walk on it we will spoil it.” He looked at me with a smile, and said “Well, since we are allowed to, let’s give them some fun.”

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Wimbledon’s Centre Court is the heart of the tennis universe, and perhaps more than any other Slam the playing surface perfectly embodies the tournament and the country it is played in. Lawns are intimately, sacredly English. For many hundreds of years people have admired the bliss of a magnificently manicured patch of grass. “Nothing is more restful to the eye than a small, closed, shortly cut lawn,” Albertus Magnus said in the Middle Ages. The Parisian Antoine D’Argentville, speaking centuries later, famously said of the British grass: “These carpets of a green, uniform velvet, which we keep trying to emulate in France...” It is no wonder the French Open is played on clay.

clings to the glorious tradition of playing Grand Slam tennis on grass.

But of course Wimbledon has not always been the only Slam played on grass. Up until 1974 three of the four Majors were contested on the green stuff. The US Open surrendered in 1975 and the Australian Open followed suit in 1988. Only Wimbledon stubbornly

Returning the courts to their pristine pre-Wimbledon state will be no small challenge, but taking care of grass is what Seaward does, and he does it very well. “There will be three weeks between the two events,” he calmly explains, even though the thought would reduce lesser men to tears. “So it will be more a matter of sowing again than redoing the courts from scratch. We will pre-germinate the

The custodian of the most famous tennis real estate in the world is the 67-year-old Eddie Seaward, who has held the title of Head Groundsman at the Championships since 1991. He is only the seventh man to hold the position since 1877, and was awarded an MBE for his efforts by Queen Elizabeth in 2007.

seeds, which will happen quickly, since it will be hot. The grass will be young, very fresh, different from the usual. But other aspects of the organization will be more complex, believe me. All the Championship’s Courts will be played on, some for training and others for matches,” he adds musingly, before concluding confidently: “We will make it.” Seaward leaves his home in Raynes Park at 5:30 every morning – but not before receiving a preliminary briefing from the weather bureau – and he never leaves before end of the last match. “Indeed I have a garden at home, which I tend personally,” he says. “Even though during the tournament I never see it because I get back home at 10 or 11 at night. But I have to admit that I don’t look after it with the same intensity that I apply to Centre Court.”

Gardening is the only job that Seaward has ever known, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. “[I have been doing this] since I left school at 15. I have always preferred working outdoors to studying, and in what I do I have the satisfaction of seeing the fruit of my labour, of watching the entire process that takes place between the end of a tournament and the first day of the next one. Getting it right first time, with the problems posed by the climate, is no trivial task. I think it must be one of the hardest small lawns to look after, because of the stadium that surrounds it.” “During the tournament,” he continues, “we cut the grass daily, water the courts and retrace the lines.” Each court is always tended to by the same person, with the same lawnmower – a Toro GS 1000 – because each gardener has his own very personal concept of perfection. Despite this personal touch,

Seaward assures us “our courts do not only look identical, they also have the same bounce.” So perfect is the bounce that he once had to take a sceptical American out onto centre court to prove that the grass was real. “He claimed it was synthetic: only when he touched it was he persuaded,” he recalls with a chuckle. Since 1995 the height of the grass on the courts has been increased from six to eight millimetres, and every year the sowing requires one tonne of rye seeds (Perennial Ryegrass), which is the only type of grass that’s been used since 2001. In the past, the rye used to be mixed with Creeping Red Fescue. The Sport Turf Research Institute of Yorkshire, which has been monitoring Church Road for 75 years, puts the court through its paces by “trampling” the grass with special mechanisms that simulate the wear and tear caused by

Seaward is a kind, soft-spoken man who loves his job, and gladly deferred his pension until 2012 when asked. “I wouldn’t have missed the Olympics for anything in the world,” he says with a smile, “and the Club has kindly asked me to stay on. I don’t know yet what the final project of the Olympic park will look like, but there will certainly be lots of grass to take care of.”

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14 days of tennis. The results of the study have shown that rye best withstands the violence of today’s game. The changes have actually helped slow down the pace of play, allowing even non-specialists to flourish on the grass. “Actually the speed is still the same,” Seaward points outs. “Rye is more robust on its own – it grows straighter and a little less dense. Air circulates better, the ground is more compact and therefore the bounce is higher and more stable from the first day.” The result is that players are given a fraction of a second longer to line up their shots, giving the impression that the courts are faster. “The bounce used to be lower because the ground was softer, that’s all,” Eddie explains with a smile. Rafael Nadal should send him a gift basket. For Seaward’s green army, Wimbledon lasts 365 days. Preparation begins the day after the end of the previous tournament and continues through summer and winter. “We need to keep cutting the grass to prevent it from growing too long and risk getting rotten or sick. The hardest aspects to control are the light level and the circulation of air in the grass. Now the light is good, and in winter too, but in autumn when we are busy with resowing it can become 16

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a problem,” Seaward says with a touch of concern for his beloved grass. The surface then needs to be pressed with heavy rollers weighing between 250 and 500 kilograms, and protected from invaders. “We have electric fencing keeping away foxes – whose urine kills the roots – and Rufus [a trained falcon] discourages the pigeons.” This year some unseasonal frost in May forced Eddie and his team to cover the courts with a tarpaulin to heat them up. The 375 members of the All England Club use some of the competition courts up until the eve of the tournament, and the gardeners are only left with a few hours to check that everything is in order. “Every year before the tournament,” he says, “a traditional invitational match is organised with four Club members. It serves to verify that all is in order, electronics included, and train the ball boys and girls before sending them out in front of thousands of people on the first day of the Championships. Once the tournament is over, a couple of weeks later, the President invites a few guests to play on the Centre Court, as well as on the other courts, and this is about it.” Despite his constant presence at SW19 during Wimbledon, Seaward doesn’t

get to see too many matches. “And I have never played on Centre Court,” he jokes. “I like tennis a lot, and before I started working here I came many times as a spectator, but I have never played. My favourite tennis players? Perhaps Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, for the commitment that they would put into their job. Jimmy Connors was a great entertainer, and I remember Ivan Lendl and Jeremy Bates too. I must admit that I now spend most of my time on a bench next to court 14, checking the clouds.” Seaward is always ready to send out the boys with tarpaulins if the weather turns nasty, or order the closure of the new spectacular transparent roof over Centre Court (“but it’s not worth it for a few drops”). “There is no literature about the way the grass was in the early days of Wimbledon, in the 19th century,” he says sadly. “It was certainly softer than today. On the other hand, and with all due respect, the tennis players of those times were not the extraordinary athletes of today.”

Wimbledon 2010

The Year That Rafa Missed Roger by Rino Tommasi This is the kind of column that I am forced to write from time to time. I am incapable of selling carpets, and so am called to comment on a rather less than extraordinary edition of Wimbledon. For the past four years we have been spoiled by the quality of tennis at Wimbledon – especially during the finals. Three times in a row the top two players in the world faced each other in the championship match, and each of those matches were classic encounters in their own way. Even when Nadal couldn’t defend his title in 2009, Andy Roddick stepped up and along with Roger Federer provided

one of the most memorable finals in Wimbledon history. We’ve always known that Nadal is competitive on grass. Since his first final in 2006, he has become more and more comfortable on the surface. He went from pushing Federer to five sets in 2007 – a match he could have won had he not squandered his opportunities early in the fifth set – to finally dethroning the Swiss maestro the following year. The Spaniard’s competitive ability, combined with some technical peculiarities (his left-handed spin, his ability to play low balls and

so on), make up for his stylistic incompleteness, and have allowed him to thrive at the All England Club. Of course he couldn’t repeat his glorious triumph in 2009 thanks to injury, which allowed Federer to claim his sixth Wimbledon title, allowing him to be instantly anointed by the public as the best player of all time. I recall very clearly how a flight delay on my way back from Wimbledon forced me to dash off a column in which I basically wondered how we could give Federer such a demanding – and in my opinion impossible – title if we weren’t even

Indeed, progress goes hand in hand with tradition at Wimbledon. Without it, the tournament wouldn’t even exist. The discovery of vulcanisation by Goodyear in 1839 allowed for the invention of the modern tennis ball. The lawnmower, too, which was invented by Edwin Budding nine years earlier, is now a cornerstone of daily life at the grounds. A photograph of the first gardener at the All England Club, Thomas Coleman, shows the bearded man posing next to the first grass roller, towed by a pony. The roller broke in 1877, and in an effort to raise money to repair it, a tournament was held. Wimbledon was born. Seaward has a little more than a roller and a pony at his disposal these days, and the tournament now is a far cry from its humble beginnings, but they are forever linked by the tradition and splendour of the most wonderful event in tennis. TennisWorld sa

came back strong in Australia beating Andy Murray in the final. However, that was Federer’s last victory. He then lost to Baghdatis at Indian Wells, to Berdych in Miami, Gulbis in Rome, Montanes at the Estoril, Nadal in Madrid, Soderling at Roland Garros, Hewitt at Halle and finally to Berdych at Wimbledon.

sure that he was the best player of his era, never mind of all time. That piece, which was published in the Tempo newspaper and Scanagatta’s blog, earned me the greatest praise and criticism of my career. Fanaticism is a disease that has unfortunately spread to our sport, thanks to the fact that tennis has started broadening its boundaries in a big way. In every e-mail that I received about my column I just had to read the first line to know whether the author was a Federer or Nadal supporter. But if this is the price we have to pay for the newfound popularity of tennis, so be it. The eleven months that went by without Nadal winning a single tournament naturally strengthened the resolve of Federer’s supporters, some of whom said that Nadal was paying the price for his physical style of play. Of course Federer himself hasn’t been perfect. He got caught out by Juan Martin Del Potro at the US Open last year, but 18

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All of these are acceptable defeats, except perhaps the one against Montanes (even though it can happen on clay), but on the whole this sequence points to a decline. I am sure that Federer will return to win something important, but not with the continuity and certainty of the past. In the absence of a great rival like Federer, Nadal proved unstoppable at Wimbledon, even though he lost five sets along the way (two against Haase and Petzschner and one against Soderling). Berdych did a good job against Federer and Djokovic, but the final was disappointing, and he couldn’t rise to the occasion. At least the tournament was brightened by a first-class match that beat pretty much every record in the book, and again reignited the debate that has raged since the introduction of the tie-break forty years ago. I hold the view that the tie-break should also be played in the decisive set. Unfortunately, as with any compromise, the solution chosen by three of the four Slam tournaments and by the International Federation for the Davis Cup is not ideal. It is actually ridiculous that all tournaments on the ATP Tour are played with a tie-break in the decisive set, while the traditional system is still used in three of the Slams and the Davis Cup. This simply serves to create a sense of confusion that tennis does not need. In any event, we should be grateful to American John Isner and Frenchman Nicolas Mahut, because for three

days there was talk of nothing else. This event should act as a catalyst to reconsider a more intelligent use of the tie-break, but I am afraid that the tennis world might not be ready for such changes. Ultimately there weren’t too many upsets in the tournament, with perhaps the exception of Yen-Hsun Lu’s extraordinary run. The man from Chinese Taipei didn’t drop a single set until he ran into Roddick, who he then beat in an epic clash. Andy Murray was once again unable to meet the expectations of the public, reaching the semi-finals (the same stage Tim Henman reached four times) before falling to Nadal. Perhaps the biggest news of the men’s event was the rediscovery of a player for whom I had foretold a better future a few years back. Tomas Berdych has experienced many missed opportunities in his career – just like he missed those many opportunities in the second set of the final. Two double faults and three break points in the first game of the second set offered Berdych an incredible window of opportunity, but he wasn’t able to capitalise. A credit to Nadal or a reflection of Berdych’s limitations? We shall soon find out. The mediocrity of the women’s tournament was confirmed by an unbalanced and uninspired final, which was dominated by Serena Williams. She was only really threatened slightly by Mario Sharapova, but even so didn’t drop a set throughout the fortnight. The great Belgian hopes cancelled each other out – Kim Clijsters gave everything to beat Justine Henin and then lost meekly to Zvonareva. Of course Francesca Schiavone couldn’t repeat her marvellous Roland Garros success, and made an early exit. It would have been wonderful if another made a similar run, but nobody seemed up to it. One can only hope that the US Open will hold a few more surprises than Wimbledon did.

Wimbledon 2010

No Substitute for Experience by Patrick Mouratoglou Maturity, experience and length of service are all key features in women’s tennis at the moment, and the European Slams confirmed as much. Before Roland Garros and Wimbledon many had been expecting a wind of novelty to blow, but this did not happen – the anticipated ladies did not show up. Stealing the show instead were mature athletes playing the best tennis of their lives. Sam Stosur, Francesca Schiavone and Vera Zvonareva all reached their first Grand Slam final, and they were the big news of the past few months.

Lastly, Venus. She seems caught in the doldrums, and for some time has been unable to find her way to the semi-finals. The American hard court swing will clarify matters – and not only for the oldest Williams sister. Andy Roddick’s uncertainties were also highlighted at Wimbledon this year, and following a tremendous run of form early in 2010, his clay court campaign was disastrous and his time on grass disappointing. Losing to Dudi Sela at Queen’s and Yen-Hsun Lu at Wimbledon was not in the script for the American.

In contrast, Victoria Azarenka, Caroline Wozniacki and Agnieszka Radwanska are all progressing at a slow pace, much slower than their rank and young age would have suggested. All three have been constant fixtures in the Top 10 for a year or more, and all three are 21 or younger, yet they seem unable – at least right now – to win a Major or even take the next step forward in their careers. Physical fitness and talent have allowed them to reach the Top 10, but winning a Grand Slam requires more than that, especially as far as offensive weapons are concerned.

On the other hand, someone who is progressing nicely is Tomas Berdych. After reaching the semi-finals at Roland Garros he put in a convincing performance to reach the final at Wimbledon. His game seems more stable than ever, and he looks calmer and more structured in his tennis. He seems to finally believe in himself and has no fear on the court anymore. His decision to team up with Tomas Krupa has obviously paid great dividends.

As we know, the grass of Wimbledon is a very peculiar surface. It can highlight certain technical skills and allow those who have nurtured them to excel. This explains why we saw Tsvetana Pironkova and Petra Kvitova in the semi-finals. The former embarrassed her opponents with her soft, chop forehand, which she alternated with a very flat backhand and great movement. I doubt that such qualities can be used as effectively on other surfaces. Kvitova can serve some great curves to the left and hits the ball very flat when she plays forward. I believe that this tournament may have been a major breakthrough for her. Petra is very talented and young, and when she plays aggressive tennis she is able to hang with the best players in the world. She still needs time to increase her confidence, but I am sure that we will see her doing well in Slams in the near future. As everyone knows, the upper echelons of women’s tennis have been dominated by Serena Williams for some time now, and with her 13th Slam victory she has proven that she in a class all by herself. The percentages she achieved with her serve during the tournament are simply spectacular. I was expecting the return of the Belgians, who I believed would create more competition, but after a comeback full of promises Kim and Justine have been unable to clinch important victories. Their season of ups and downs clearly shows that neither of them can afford to give their best in a Slam without having success in smaller events. Only Serena can afford this luxury, but Serena is Serena: a monster of self confidence.

Robin Soderling is also getting some fantastic results. He reached the final at Roland Garros for the second year in a row and the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, his best-ever performance at the All England Club. Since he started working with Magnus Norman, Robin has also found a new stability. He is much more solid in his game and more consistent in his results, and has made many visible strides forward. What is interesting is that the Swede still has a lot of room to improve. His big serve, for example, isn’t doing as much damage as it should, and his footwork is pretty static. As a result he fails to follow his shots to the net, where he could reap some easy points over an opponent already stunned by his huge groundstrokes. Finally, Wimbledon confirmed the current slump that Roger Federer finds himself in. He hasn’t won a tournament since January, and was eliminated in the quarter-finals of both European Slams. For a number of months he has given the impression of not being engaged in his matches. He seems to have lost his sense of the game. Is this his decline? I don’t believe so. You can bet that right now Roger is very disappointed and annoyed. I am convinced that he is aware that he didn’t do what he should have. I expect to see him back to his best on the US hard courts, winning tournaments like he always has. His latest disappointments are bound to make him hungry again. About Nadal I could say all the good in the world. However, I will limit myself to a piece of advice: his knees were already sending out warning signals at Wimbledon, and he needs to be careful. If he plans his schedule sensibly, he could be number one for a long time to come. TennisWorld sa

A Spanish Summer Exclusive Interview with Rafael Nadal

never have expected to achieve these results, and at such a young age.”

A few minutes after the prize-giving ceremony at Wimbledon, Rafael Nadal speaks openheartedly with Tennis World about religion, Roger Federer and tennis records.

Is Roger Federer in decline?

by Stefano Semeraro You’ve got eight Slams, just like Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lend. Rafa, how does it feel to have so much glory at just 24?

“After the year I have just had I can tell you that the real glory is to be happy, to rejoice with the people around me. The glory is not winning a Slam here and there, but being healthy and being able to train every day. Trying to be a better person and tennis player.” Do you believe in God? There are soccer players and sportsmen who pray before a penalty or cross themselves after a goal, as we saw in the World Cup. At most, you have done a

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somersault.

“It is a very personal question, and I don’t like to talk about it. It is hard to say “I don’t believe in God.” But it is something that goes beyond my comprehension. I would like to know he exists, to be sure of it. But I am not. However I know for sure that if God exists there is no need to pray or cross oneself. He is far cleverer than that and looks at how you behave in your everyday life.” What is harder to beat: your opponents on the court or the difficulties in your personal life?

“Tennis is a game. I am young, but I know it well. Tennis is my job, it takes up most of my time, but the things that matter are outside sport. Fortunately in my life so far I have not had to face too many difficulties. As a tennis player, I have had to deal with a few physical problems in the past years, especially last year. But when I was feeling down and I couldn’t play at Wimbledon I said to myself: Rafa, you are a lucky guy. You have already won six Slams, many tournaments, earned lots of money, you have plenty of friends. You don’t have too much to

complain about.” But you too have a lucky number like Serena Williams, who likes number 13, the number of Slams she has won…

“My lucky number has always been nine. I am now at eight Slams, but I hope and believe that I will not stop at nine. I am only 24 and I intend playing for many more years to come.” How would you rate this second victory in London in terms of importance?

“It is very important, but after all that happened in 2009, the most important tournament for me was Roland Garros, where I had lost. Here I have beaten quality players such as Berdych and Murray, but in the end the true great satisfaction was to have come out of that difficult phase.”

tournaments that count. At this point I have won the same number of Majors as Lendl, Agassi, Connors, Rosewall, but they have done many great things aside from winning these tournaments, they have played legendary matches, had very long careers. I have learnt something about history, but at 24 it is hard to carve out a place in History. One thing is sure: when I began I would

“You were all saying it two years ago. Then he won Paris, Wimbledon, made the final in New York and won the Australian Open. Roger has lots of experience. He knows how to handle certain situations. You also tend to forget the huge things he did in the past seven years: victories which I don’t think any player will ever repeat. Nobody can be 100% all the time.” But you have already won more than Federer had won at your age. It should mean something, don’t you think?

“No, I am glad to have achieved this, but each career is different. I do not regard myself as a clay specialist, considering that I have made five finals at Roland Garros and four on grass, and

in 2005 I won on cement in Montreal, then in Madrid indoor. But indeed those who have cement as their favourite surface have more chances of winning big tournaments.” Is your next goal the US Open, the only Slam you have always lost?

“You are forgetting that I came very close: two semi-finals, so…Last year I had a problem with my abdominal muscles. In 2008 I arrived in New York not in top form, very tired after the Olympic win in Beijing. In 2007 I had a knee injury and I lost to David Ferrer, and before then…Well, before then I was not yet strong enough to win on cement. Let’s wait and see. For the time being, my goal is Mallorca: fishing, friends, golf.” So you really like grass…

“I like to move on it. It’s wonderful. Do I run like a rabbit or a panther? Up to you

Are you telling us that you don’t like Wimbledon anymore?

“Wimbledon is something huge, a special place, my favourite tournament, with the best audience in the world. I really appreciated the fact that the public was so polite towards me, even when I played against Murray, who is British. They supported me, it’s unbelievable. It doesn’t happen everywhere.” Are your perhaps referring to Paris?

“What I am trying to say is that tennis doesn’t end with the four tournaments of the Grand Slam. There are other TennisWorld sa

to decide. Playing on grass has always been my dream. And now that I have improved my serve I feel even more comfortable on it.” Is Federer still your great rival, even

now that he has dropped to number three?

the past definitely helped me.”

“My greatest rival is the one I face every day: at the first round, then the second, the third…Roger is often on the other side of the draw. I needn’t worry about him until the final, assuming I get there.”

Spain is succeeding in every sport of late. Lorenzo wins in motorsports, Alonso in F1, Contador in cycling, Spain in soccer...Do you think there is any particular reason for this?

People say that winning in Paris and Wimbledon in the same year is the hardest thing in tennis…

“It hadn’t happened since Borg’s days, and I have managed it twice in the past three years. Life is crazy, isn’t it? But in order to achieve it, the day after I won in Paris I was training on grass at Queen’s. And each day I only had one thought: to win Wimbledon. The fact that I had done it in

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“A pretty amazing two years, isn’t it? It also takes a bit of luck, because to think of having one like Pau Gasol, the best in NBA, is unbelievable. And then Pedrosa, Contador, Alonso. What matters is to be aware that this is the most beautiful time in history, and that it will be difficult to repeat it in the next generation.” Juan Martin Del Potro – the only player other than you and Federer to win a Slam in the past three years – has had to deal with a very serious injury. You have some experience with injuries. What is your advice?

Wimbledon 2010

Roger Federer - Twilight at 29? by Ubaldo Scanagatta Was Roger Federer’s early exits at the European Slams a partial eclipse, or is the sun finally setting on the Swiss maestro’s domination? It had to end sometime. For 23 straight Grand Slam tournaments, Roger Federer reached the semi-final or better of every one. It is a feat so incredible, so unprecedented, that it’s almost guaranteed never to be repeated (the man closest to Federer in this regard is Ivan Lendl, who reached only 10 consecutive semi-finals). But when Robin Soderling snapped the most

treasured streak in all of tennis at Roland Garros this year, the spell was broken. Just three weeks later Tomas Berdych repeated the feat, knocking Federer out of his beloved Wimbledon at the quarter-final stage. Yet it is easy to be a doomsayer in such circumstances. It’s not the first time people have whispered about the

decline and fall of Federer’s empire, and it’s not likely to be the last. Two years ago, after being brutally crushed by Nadal in the French Open final and then being denied a sixth straight title at Wimbledon, people thought the Federer era had come to an end. Losing his number one ranking and failing to reach the medal stage of the Olympic singles competition seemed to confirm

“To persist, hang in there. To be patient. I am sure that, if he can work as hard as he did in the past, he will recover.”

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such suspicions. But in September of 2008 he silenced his critics by winning his fifth straight US Open title in a dazzling reminder of his brilliance. After his triumph in New York, however, he started losing again – to Nalbandian and Murray in particular – and his dismal display at the year-end championships in Shanghai again had people talking. But he managed to assert his authority on the Tour once again by reaching all four Slam finals in 2009, winning two of them. One would think that winning the Australian Open in 2010 would at least buy him a grace period, but a mere six months after beating Murray in the

final there the whispers are starting up again. His losses to Baghdatis and Berdych in the American hard court season were preventable – he held match points on each occasion – but the fact that he was so close can be viewed in both positive and negative ways. Those who prefer to see the glass as half full point out that he 24

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could have continued his dominance over those players had he been more match fit (he missed quite a lot of time due to a lung infection). More pessimistic viewers, however, claim it’s a continuation of a pattern that started at the US Open last year. The many lost opportunities of that match were eerily reminiscent of his losses this year, they say, and that can’t be good. Of course the matter is quite delicate, as supporters of both Nadal and Federer have become increasingly passionate about the form of the person they don’t like. The animosity between Federer fans and Nadal fans has become so bad that it reminds me of

the more exuberant soccer supporters, so I’ll try and remain as objective as possible in my analysis. Let’s start with the most obvious – but perhaps the most important – point: Federer is two years older than he was in 2008, when the first debates about his decline began. With perhaps the lone

example of Andre Agassi, tennis players are never better at age 29 than they were at 25. However, a player doesn’t need to be better than their younger self to still be successful. Jimmy Connors won Wimbledon in 1974 at 22, and again in 1982 at 30. He even played a US Open semi-final at the positively ancient age of 39 in 1991. Ken Rosewall also reached the Wimbledon final when he was pushing 40. Despite his relatively poor recent results, nobody is questioning Federer’s talent. That doesn’t wither over time. Unfortunately, the swiftness and agility that he’s displayed over the last decade will be harder to keep at a high level as time drags on. The same is true for his motivation. As much as Federer loves tennis, it is hard for anyone to sustain the kind of hunger and passion that youth automatically provides. That being said though, there seems to be quite a lot of fight left in him. “He was lucky…he was able to come up with some good stuff,” he said after his Wimbledon loss to Berdych. “But I definitely gave away the match. I couldn’t play the way I wanted to play. I am struggling with a little bit of a back problem and a leg that just doesn’t quite allow me to play the way I would like to play.” So the desire to win Slams is still there, but the same cannot be said of the Swiss maestro’s enthusiasm for lesser tournaments. Of course, once he is on court he will always try to win, and nobody will ever question that. He doesn’t put himself through travel and other inconveniences just to lose without a fight. But it’s undeniable that he doesn’t train as hard as he used to for minor events. This will

make it hard for anyone to play their best, even someone as good as Federer. Focusing the majority of his efforts on Slams sounds great in principle – it allows him to take 3-4 breaks a year to recharge his batteries – but it also presents some problems. While his body will be rested and ready by the time the Majors roll around, his mind might not be. You have to become accustomed to winning in order to continue winning, and becoming match fit in a short time is not easy. It is also important to emphasise that Federer has definitely lost the aura of invincibility that he’s been carrying around for seven years. Even lesser opponents, such as Alejandro Falla in the first round at Wimbledon, now step on the court feeling that they might be able to beat Federer, even on grass. What am I trying to say with all this? Well, first of all I don’t think Federer will stop winning. I just don’t expect him to win as much and as easily as he did in the past, that’s all. He will certainly be able to add to his Slam total, perhaps even starting with the upcoming US Open – where Nadal has never gone further than the semi-final. He will also definitely be a contender at the 2011 Australian Open, but he will not be the dominant favourite he was four or five years ago.

and won the Australian Open doubles. We must also remember that youth isn’t a guarantee of success. People are saying Nadal will win more Slams than Federer because he is still just 24 years old. But then, didn’t John McEnroe win his last Slam in 1984 at the age of 25? He continued to play very well until 1992 – he reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon – but he was never again able to lift the big trophies. How many people would have said in 1984 that McEnroe was done winning Slams? Not many. Edberg and McEnroe are just two examples of players who were able to play superb tennis when everything was going their way. The problem, as they grew older, was just that it became harder to continually produce that kind of tennis week in and week out. Roger Federer has set himself the goal of playing at the 2012 London Olympics. Considering that the tennis portion of the Games will be played on the grass courts of Wimbledon, where he has won six titles and played in seven finals, he might just win that elusive gold medal in singles at the age of 31. To do so, however, he’ll have to be

twice as good as he is today in order to compensate for lost speed and agility. He won’t have the benefits of youth or the careless attitude of someone who has nothing to lose. It will be hard for him not to feel the burden, the pressure of someone who needs to prove that he is still competitive, still capable of beating anyone. He’ll have to fight all of this as well as the fact that everyone playing against him will have extraordinary motivation to beat him. By far the biggest fight, however, is in Federer’s own mind. Anyone who has played tennis will know that the energy required to bounce back from tough defeats increases as one gets older. The quick recoveries of one’s early twenties are a distant memory by the time 30 rolls around, and an extraordinary grit is required to continue believing. Some people simply decided that it’s all too much, retiring in their mid-twenties – Bjorn Borg and Justine Henin are the most famous examples. Keeping the flame of motivation and belief burning is incredibly tough, but it can be done. Federer can still win, there’s no doubt about that, the question is simply whether he still wants to win badly enough in order to lift those big trophies.

I recall well when Stefan Edberg announced in 1995 that the following year would be his last. Wherever he turned up to perform his swan song he was celebrated as he deserved. But even during his final year on the Tour, Edberg still managed to trouble the best players on the planet. After all, one doesn’t just unlearn how to play tennis at this level. He might have been half a step slower and had a little less kick on his serve, but he was still Stefan Edberg, and he reached the final of the Queen’s Club tournament TennisWorld sa

Alexandr Dolgopolov by Enrico Riva

Men’s Scorecard

Isner and Mahut, thank you for the show by Paolo Bertolucci

John Isner & Nicolas Mahut 10/10

This year there were three champions in the men’s draw at Wimbledon. Rafael Nadal may have taken the trophy, but John Isner and Nicolas Mahut showed every bit as much grit, determination and inspiration as the Spaniard in completing their marathon match. They did themselves, their countries and their sport proud by fighting through the fatigue, disappointment, hardship and frustration that accompanies an 11 hour tennis match. Well done lads.

Andy Roddick 5/10

Despite his vast experience and awesome record on grass, Andy Roddick seemed lost at the All England Club this year. He was passive, uninspired and just generally lacking the killer instinct that saw him reach three Wimbledon finals in the past decade. A lack of match practice might be to blame for his difficulties

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– shunning the clay court season suddenly doesn’t look like such a smart move.

Tomas Berdych 9/10

Everyone has always known that Tomas Berdych has a lot of talent, but his awesome play during the Wimbledon fortnight bewildered even his most ardent supporters. His rocket serve, booming forehand and stinging returns overpowered all but one of his opponents. The moment was too big when the final arrived, but we haven’t seen the last of this young Czech.

Rafael Nadal 10/10

When the draw was released, Nadal must have received quite a fright. He was scheduled to face James Blake, Ernests Gulbis and John Isner from the second round onwards – a heavy load indeed when Soderling and Murray were waiting in the quarter and semi-finals. But once again fortune intervened on the Spaniard’s behalf. Blake

lost early, Gulbis withdrew with an injury, Isner collapsed after his epic win over Mahut and Soderling once again buckled under the pressure. In the end the road to his second Wimbledon title was almost as easy as the road to his fifth Roland Garros triumph. He has a firm grip on the number one ranking as well, and will likely stay there for a long time to come.

loss in the semi-final. Thanks to an easy draw, Murray was as fresh as a daisy when he walked on court to face Nadal, but the Scot could never gain the upper hand in the match. Still, it’s the second year in a row that he’s reached this stage, and if he’s ever going to win a Grand Slam he needs to take the positives away from this tournament.

Roger Federer 5/10

Novak Djokovic 7/10

We hardly recognised him this year. Nearly knocked out in the first round and pushed hard in the second, few people truly believed that the Swiss maestro could bag his seventh Wimbledon title in 2010. It was Tomas Berdych who struck the final blow that unseated the reigning champion, but the armour had long since been removed. One can only hope that he rediscovers his form for the US Open.

Andy Murray 7/10

Another year, another British

The Serb looked as tight as a drum from the first point to the last, serving double faults at critical moments and allowing Berdych to dictate play by being too passive. His Australian Open win now looks like a lifetime ago, and it’s hard to see Djokovic returning to the Championship match of a Slam the way he’s playing now. With a ton of points to defend in the next few months, he’s entering a make or break period that might significantly influence the course of his career.

Like father, unlike son The scenario is common to many tennis stories: an overenthusiastic – some would even say overbearing – parent decides that their child is going to be a tennis superstar and forces them into the sport from an early age. Soon the parents start clashing with coaches and eventually the children themselves, leading to unhappy consequences (one need only think of the Steffi Graf saga). However, it does not always end badly. Sometimes, despite parental conflict and the lack of freedom that comes with being a junior tennis prodigy, the player finds their own way onto the tennis court, and makes the decision to become a professional themselves. A son as investment It all be began with Oleksandr Dolgopolov, a mildly successful Ukrainian tennis player of the 1980s, who decided to invest the necessary time and money in his son to make him a champion. The line between past and present is embodied in two small letters: “Jr.” Oleksandr Jr. first set foot on a tennis court at age three, and spent his childhood in pursuit of one goal: to emulate the Ukrainian tennis legend Andrei Medvedev. Though obviously talented, Oleksandr Jr. struggled to make peace with the life that had been chosen for him. His omnipresent father and the overwhelming pressure of being tagged as a future champion took their toll on the teenager, and his frustration was not helped by the fact that he didn’t have a good coaching relationship with his father. The turning point came in 2008, when Jack Reader joined the team and realised that the key to motivating young Oleksandr was to make him see his bright future through his own eyes instead of his father’s. Immediately he started improving, truly embracing tennis and discovering the calmness that has become his trademark. In many ways his ability to remain calm on court is the key to his

success. He has said himself that he does not have a particular tactic when he goes out on court, and that each match depends on how he is feeling. For such an approach to work one needs to be cool, calm and collected, which he most certainly is. Freedom regained Reader knew that before they could start working on Oleksandr’s game, he needed to rebuild the youngster’s desire to play tennis. It was a slow process that peaked in the summer months of 2009 in Australia, where Reader showed him how far talent alone could take him, and what exactly was required of someone seeking to become a top tennis player. 2010 was the year that the young Ukranian finally came of age – in more ways than one. He changed his name to Alexandr Dolgopolov, and went from being 131 in the world at the start of the season to 39 in less than six months, truly an incredible achievement. At Eastbourne he reached his first ATP World Tour semi-final, and in Madrid he surprised Rafael Nadal with his incredible agility and powerful ground strokes. He lost in straight sets, but it was clear that he will soon be able to consistently compete with the very best players in the world. His relationship with his father is now better than ever, and with a coach that he trusts Alexandr seems to have finally hit his stride. A tennis omnivore Clay might be his favourite surface, but he proved at Wimbledon that he’s comfortable everywhere. After easily dispatching of Marco Chiudinelli in the first round, Alexandr faced former Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The Frenchman took the first two sets easily, but if he thought it was going to be an easy day at the office for him he was sorely mistaken. Alexandr stormed back to take the next two sets, and at 8-8 in the fifth it looked like anybody’s match. Tsonga finally showed his experience by squeezing out a victory, but it wasn’t before he had learned respect for his Ukranian opponent, and he certainly made a mental note to look out for Alexandr in the future. The experience has given the youngster a lot of confidence. “I know I can go high, but do not ask how high...it is stupid if I say,” he said in an interview, in which he also described his passion for rally cars. When asked about his many female admirers, he blushed. “Who told you that women like me? I had a stable relationship until last year, now I am free and I miss the girls.” The people close to him are convinced that his early success will not negatively affect Alexandr, but will spur him on to greater heights. We hope they are right. TennisWorld sa

Ricardas Berankis

Ilija Bozoljac

At only 5’8’’, Ricardas Berankis seems like an unlikely candidate to be a rising star on the ATP Tour, but with his lightning serve and powerful groundstrokes he’s determined to prove the sceptics wrong.

by Gianluca Comuniello

by Alexander Mastroluca

In his incredible match against Roger Federer on day three of Wimbledon, Ilija Bozoljac surprised the world (and perhaps himself) by hitting 31 aces against the Swiss maestro and very nearly extending him to a fifth set. The popular Serbian, who is coach by Alberto Castellani, is a unique player that brings a brand of fun and excitement to the court that isn’t often seen on the Tour. He has a great sense of humour and a monstrous serve – even though the action itself might not be the most attractive one on Earth. “I thought Bozoljac played great. He served amazing. It’s hard to get a read on his serve. He served clutch when he needed to,” Federer said after his match against the world number 152, which started and finished during the early stages of the Isner-Mahut epic.

Cool Hand Luke

His name literally means “without hands,” which is an ironic twist for someone who intends to have a large hand in writing the future of the men’s game. A former junior world number one, Berankis showed that he can roll with the big boys when he defeated the big-serving Australian Carsten Ball in the first round of Wimbledon this year. It was the culmination of many years of hard work and, Berankis hopes, is only the start of his successes. Even at the young age of 14 people were already talking about Berankis as a potential future Grand Slam winner. In 2004 he won the prestigious Orange Bowl under-14 event, and the ensuing support from sponsors helped him develop his game even further. After triumphing at the 2007 US Open juniors he decided to join Nick Bollettieri’s

academy, a decision that seems to be paying off handsomely. “I really like his service, I think it’s a real strength,” says Bollettieri, who followed his pupil’s second round loss to the experienced Feliciano Lopez with interest. That’s quite a statement about a player that’s just 5’8’’ tall – the biggest servers in the game today are 6’5’’ and above – but it’s backed up by the numbers. Berankis usually wins well over 70% of the points when his first serve goes in, a mighty impressive statistic that everyone would like to boast. The Lithuanian does a lot of work off the court to compensate for his diminutive stature. “Every morning I get up, play a bit of tennis, then I go to the gym. After that I’ll play some more

tennis and go back to the gym again,” he said in an interview after his loss to Fernando Verdasco in the quarter-finals in San Jose – his first such result at ATP level. The long hours in the gym has resulted in improved strength and quicker movement on the court. “His movement is already good, which is important,” Bollettieri confirms. His low centre of gravity and fast feet allow him to reach balls very quickly, allowing him more time to set up his big, flat groundstrokes. While he has yet to entirely find his feet on the ATP Tour, Berankis has already proven that he’s a fierce Davis Cup competitor. He spearheaded Lithuania’s shocking victory over Great Britain last year, winning both his matches against James Ward and Dan Evans (the latter going to five tense sets – 6-1, 4-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3). Performing well for his country in such a stressful environment certainly speaks volumes about Berankis’ character, and he’ll likely be a cornerstone of the Davis Cup team for years to come. Despite his age and relative inexperience, Berankis has his sights set high – though he doesn’t like to talk about it. Unlike many of his peers, who are in love with the sound of their own voices, he prefers to let the racquet do the talking. You won’t hear him bragging about wanting to become number one in the world or winning Grand Slams. His goal? Becoming the best player his abilities allow him to be.

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The Big Server Who’s Afraid of His Own Serve

A few days earlier I was stalking the corridors of the All England Club with Enrico Riva, looking for some interesting matches to watch. We finally stopped outside Court 6, where Bozoljac was taking on Nicolas Massu for the honour of playing Federer in the next round. We were absolutely entranced by this young man’s style of play – so unorthodox, yet so fun to watch. You never know what he is going to do. Sometimes he’ll use one hand on the forehand side, sometimes two (there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to it). But one thing that is always certain is that he’s going to attack at every given opportunity. He plays like a man possessed, hitting the cover off every ball that comes his way, and the crowds love him for it.

But then why have we not seen more of the Serbian in the last few years? He is 25, after all, not exactly young for a tennis player. He’s won nine titles, although none of them have come at ATP Tour level (he’s collected three Challenger and six Futures trophies). The win he is most remembered for came over Marin Cilic in 2007, when the pair met in the round of the Australian Open. Bozoljac dominated that encounter, winning in three easy sets 6-2, 6-4, 6-1. If that day we were asked which of them would go on star at the top of the men’s game, we might very well have said that the Serbian had a better chance. But the technical flaws in his game have held him back, and inconsistent results have kept him just outside of the Top 100. Yet even though he cannot put together a string of victories very often, he can produce some divine tennis when the mood strikes him. He was in such a mood against Roger Federer, and what a match it turned out to be. The Serbian lost, but what fun he had on Court One. Even Federer, despite the struggle, was clearly having a good time out there. After all, it’s not often that he plays against someone who approaches the net 56 times in a match. Bozoljac lost more than half of those points, but who cares? He certainly doesn’t. His attitude is one of pure joy, no matter what happens. His nonchalant exterior

has earned him a lot of fans, and the Serbian news outlets love reporting on him. Granted, they don’t usually focus so much on his tennis as his exploits off the court, which usually involves night clubs and beautiful women. However, this persona is a mere façade. When it comes to his tennis, Bozoljac is hesitant with – and even ashamed of – his game. The chief culprit seems to be his greatest weapon: his serve. It is a fierce shot, one that is so fast and effective that it can undo even the world’s best players when it’s working well. But the problem is that he has other variations on his serve that are even more effective, but he’s ashamed to use them on the pro circuit. His technique, even with his normal serve, is highly unusual and not exactly aesthetically pleasing, but his other trick serves apparently look even stranger. It is a shame that he doesn’t use all of the weapons in his arsenal, because it can only make his play even more entertaining. And that cannot be bad, for himself or the sport of tennis. TennisWorld sa

The Eternity That Lasted

11 Hours, 5 Minutes

On June 24, the happiest man on Earth was not John Isner. Of course the giant American had every reason to be elated – he had just won the longest match in tennis history. The marathon encounter had consumed his soul and enchanted the world for three long days, and his eventual winning passing shot was the sweetest he ever hit in his life. But there was one man who was even more relieved – even more overjoyed – than Isner, and his name was Thiemo de Bakker. The two men were scheduled to take to court less than 24 hours later, and the promising young Dutchman knew that his passage into the next round was already assured. Long matches are not uncommon at the All England Club. The fast grass courts make holding serve relatively easy, and epic fifth sets have become commonplace at The Championships. 2009’s final ended 16-14 in the decider, and as a small group of spectators out on Court 18 watched John Isner and Nicolas Mahut reach that stage, they must have thought about Roger Federer’s victory the year before. “It’ll end soon,” they must have thought, and they had every right to believe that. But as the match wore on, the whispers of excitement turned to murmurs

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of disbelief. 20-20, 30-30, 40-40...the insanity seemed to have no end. Eventually even the other players – usually loathe to watch tennis matches in their free time – started gathering around the television in the locker rooms. How was this possible? At least the previous year’s epic final had the decency to feature two world-class players, who even casual tennis fans were very familiar with. But who were these guys? John Isner, a 25-year old former college player for the University of Georgia, was famous among tennis aficionados more for his extraordinary serve than his on-court

stamina. In fact, he had a reputation for losing steam in long matches. Nicolas Mahut, a former Junior Wimbledon champion was an even more obscure character. The Frenchman’s previous claim to fame had been his awesome run to the final of the Queen’s Club Championships some years before, but his name has never been a household one. All of this was quickly changing as the match wore on, and by the end of it they would both be more famous than they would have been had they won the whole tournament. This was many hours away, however, and when they

went to bed on the evening of June 22 – with play suspended before the fifth set began – they had no inkling of what fate had in store for them. If they got no sleep on that first night, they were to be total insomniacs a day later. At 59-59 the next day, play was suspended once again, and the specta-

tors – who greatly outnumbered Court 18’s humble capacity of 782 – could only shake their heads in awe of the occasion. It seems unthinkable now, but Mahut’s mental strength (or lack thereof) has always been blamed for his poor results at Tour level. “He’s a great guy but a fragile guy,” a French journalist commented. His promising junior career didn’t translate into success on the main circuit, and a series of injuries combined with personal issues (his mother died of cancer) stunted his growth as a professional. Like Isner, he had a history of faltering at the business end of long matches – though his problem was his head, not his body. Nevertheless he was prone to flashes of absolute brilliance. At Queen’s he had knocked out eventual Wimbledon finalist Rafael Nadal on his way to the championship match, and there he gave Andy Roddick the fight of his life. Indications of similar inspiration were already evident in the qualifying stages

of this year’s Wimbledon, where he had to battle to a 24-22 victory in the final set of one of his matches. “The longest match I’ll play,” he said at the time. How wrong he was. As they returned to their respective accommodation – Isner at his rented Wimbledon house, Mahut to his budget hotel – it took an army of friends and trainers to keep their bodies from falling apart. Roddick arrived at Isner’s place with some pizza in an effort to inject some energy – and carbs – into his tall countryman. Mahut settled for massages and ice baths. When the two lurched onto Court 18 (tradition dictated that the match end on the same court it started) the crowd knew that something had to give eventually. People were packed in like sardines, and even celebrities like John McEnroe had to fight to get a seat. Still the aces kept coming, and even after ten hours on court neither player could read the other’s serve. Finally, in a moment that will forever be remembered in the annals of tennis history, Mahut blinked. Somehow, Isner managed to scratch out a match point. The crowd was breathless, and a dropping pin would have sounded like a hand grenade in the silence that engulfed Court 18. Mahut hit a decent serve and came to the net, but Isner managed a return that the Frenchman couldn’t put away. The ball sat up midcourt, and Isner lined up his pass. He’d had his chances before – this wasn’t his first match point – and similar shots had been missed. But in that instant his exhausted body and frazzled mind did not let him down. He struck it perfectly, and it sailed past Mahut to seal the most famous victory in the sport’s storied history.

but Thiemo de Bakker knew who his opponent would be the next day. But that was far from Isner’s thoughts – he had probably dismissed any notion of winning the next match long ago – as he fell on his back in relief and joy. The two warriors embraced each other at the net, knowing that they would forever be bound together by what happened over the course of those three days. A lesser man would have collapsed in tears, but Mahut bravely put on his game face, congratulating Isner in the ad hoc award ceremony after the match. He was scheduled to play doubles later that day, and refused to withdraw. He and his good friend Arnaud Clément lost anyway, but as he packed his bag to leave the tournament that had been the scene of his greatest triumph and tragedy, Mahut was sure of one thing – nobody would ever question his heart again.

It had taken 11 hours and five minutes, TennisWorld sa

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VERDASCO, Fernando ESP FOGNINI, Fabio ITA RUSSELL, Michael USA RIBA-MADRID, Pere ESP BECK, Andreas GER BAKER, Jamie GBR VLIEGEN, Kristof BEL BENNETEAU, Julien FRA ALMAGRO, Nicolas ESP SEPPI, Andreas ITA KAMKE, Tobias GER GARCIA-LOPEZ, Guillermo ESP CHIUDINELLI, Marco SUI DOLGOPOLOV, Alexandr UKR KENDRICK, Robert USA TSONGA, Jo-Wilfried FRA FERRERO, Juan Carlos ESP MALISSE, Xavier BEL REISTER, Julian GER DE VOEST, Rik RSA HERNANDEZ, Oscar ESP DODIG, Ivan CRO STAKHOVSKY, Sergiy UKR QUERREY, Sam USA SIMON, Gilles FRA ALCAIDE, Guillermo ESP MARCHENKO, Illya UKR BERRER, Michael GER NIEMINEN, Jarkko FIN KOUBEK, Stefan AUT HAJEK, Jan CZE MURRAY, Andy GBR SODERLING, Robin SWE GINEPRI, Robby USA GIL, Frederico POR GRANOLLERS, Marcel ESP SOEDA, Go JPN FISCHER, Martin AUT MELLO, Ricardo BRA BELLUCCI, Thomaz BRA BAGHDATIS, Marcos CYP LACKO, Lukas SVK CHARDY, Jeremy FRA GIMENO-TRAVER, Daniel ESP GREUL, Simon GER SERRA, Florent FRA KIEFER, Nicolas GER FERRER, David ESP YOUZHNY, Mikhail RUS SELA, Dudi ISR GICQUEL, Marc FRA MATHIEU, Paul-Henri FRA DE BAKKER, Thiemo NED GIRALDO, Santiago COL MAHUT, Nicolas FRA ISNER, John USA PETZSCHNER, Philipp GER ROBERT, Stephane FRA KAVCIC, Blaz SLO KUBOT, Lukasz POL HAASE, Robin NED BLAKE, James USA NISHIKORI, Kei JPN NADAL, Rafael ESP

1st Round

FEDERER, Roger SUI FALLA, Alejandro COL BOZOLJAC, Ilija SRB MASSU, Nicolas CHI TIPSAREVIC, Janko SRB CLEMENT, Arnaud FRA LUCZAK, Peter AUS ROBREDO, Tommy ESP LOPEZ, Feliciano ESP LEVINE, Jesse USA BERANKIS, Ricardas LTU BALL, Carsten AUS KUNITSYN, Igor RUS TROICKI, Viktor SRB BROWN, Dustin JAM MELZER, Jurgen AUT BERDYCH, Tomas CZE GOLUBEV, Andrey KAZ SWEETING, Ryan USA BECKER, Benjamin GER TURSUNOV, Dmitry RUS SCHUETTLER, Rainer GER ISTOMIN, Denis UZB WAWRINKA, Stanislas SUI HANESCU, Victor ROU KUZNETSOV, Andrey RUS ILHAN, Marsel TUR DANIEL, Marcos BRA ANDREEV, Igor RUS BRANDS, Daniel GER ANDERSON, Kevin RSA DAVYDENKO, Nikolay RUS DJOKOVIC, Novak SRB ROCHUS, Olivier BEL CHELA, Juan Ignacio ARG DENT, Taylor USA EVANS, Brendan USA HUTA GALUNG, Jesse NED LORENZI, Paolo ITA MONTANES, Albert ESP MONFILS, Gael FRA MAYER, Leonardo ARG BECK, Karol SVK VENTURA, Santiago ESP SCHWANK, Eduardo ARG KOROLEV, Evgeny KAZ GONZALEZ, Maximo ARG HEWITT, Lleyton AUS CILIC, Marin CRO MAYER, Florian GER FISH, Mardy USA TOMIC, Bernard AUS ZEBALLOS, Horacio ARG LU, Yen-Hsun TPE PRZYSIEZNY, Michal POL LJUBICIC, Ivan CRO KOHLSCHREIBER, Philipp GER STARACE, Potito ITA DELGADO, Ramon PAR GABASHVILI, Teimuraz RUS LLODRA, Michael FRA WITTEN, Jesse USA RAM, Rajeev USA RODDICK, Andy USA

1st Round

(W) [2]

(Q) [23] [33]

(W) [9] [13]

[25] [24]

(L) (Q)

[4] [6]

(L)

[18] [26] (Q)

(Q)

(L) (Q)

(Q) [10] [14]

(Q)

[32] [19]

(W)

[8]

[5]

(Q)

(L) (W)

[17] [29]

(Q)

[15] [11]

(L)

[28] [21]

(Q) (Q) (Q)

[7] [3]

[20] [31] (W) (Q)

(L)

[16] [12]

[30] [22] (L) (Q) (Q)

(Q)

[1]

F.FOGNINI 7-6(9) 6-2 6-7(6) 6-4 M.RUSSELL 6-3 7-6(1) 2-6 7-6(1) A.BECK 7-6(4) 6-3 6-4 J.BENNETEAU [32] 2-6 6-7(6) 6-1 6-2 7-5 A.SEPPI 7-6(4) 7-6(7) 6-2 T.KAMKE 5-7 2-6 7-5 6-4 6-4 A.DOLGOPOLOV 6-4 6-3 6-3 J.TSONGA [10] 7-6(2) 7-6(6) 3-6 6-4 X.MALISSE 6-2 6-7(6) 7-6(5) 4-6 6-1 J.REISTER 6-4 7-5 3-6 6-2 I.DODIG 6-1 6-3 6-3 S.QUERREY [18] 7-6(4) 6-3 2-1 Ret. G.SIMON [26] 6-3 6-4 7-6(0) I.MARCHENKO 6-3 7-5 Ret. J.NIEMINEN 6-4 7-6(3) 5-7 6-2 A.MURRAY [4] 7-5 6-1 6-2 R.SODERLING [6] 6-2 6-2 6-3 M.GRANOLLERS 6-3 6-0 6-4 M.FISCHER 6-4 6-3 6-1 T.BELLUCCI [25] 6-4 6-4 6-4 L.LACKO 6-3 2-6 6-3 6-1 J.CHARDY 6-3 6-3 6-1 F.SERRA 7-6(2) 6-3 6-2 D.FERRER [9] 6-4 6-2 6-3 M.YOUZHNY [13] 6-3 6-4 4-6 7-6(2) P.MATHIEU 6-1 7-5 3-6 6-1 T.DE BAKKER 6-7(4) 6-4 6-3 5-7 16-14 J.ISNER [23] 6-4 3-6 6-7(7) 7-6(3) 70-68 P.PETZSCHNER [33] 6-4 7-6(6) 4-6 2-6 6-4 L.KUBOT 4-6 6-2 6-2 6-3 R.HAASE 6-2 6-4 6-4 R.NADAL [2] 6-2 6-4 6-4

2nd Round

N.DJOKOVIC [3] 4-6 6-2 3-6 6-4 6-2 T.DENT 6-3 6-7(2) 7-6(3) 7-5 B.EVANS 6-3 7-6(12) 6-3 A.MONTANES [28] 6-3 7-6(5) 6-2 G.MONFILS [21] 6-1 7-6(9) 6-2 K.BECK 6-3 6-1 4-6 6-2 E.KOROLEV 6-1 7-6(8) 4-6 6-2 L.HEWITT [15] 5-7 6-0 6-2 6-2 F.MAYER 6-2 6-4 7-6(1) M.FISH 6-3 7-6(8) 6-2 Y.LU 7-5 6-4 6-3 M.PRZYSIEZNY 7-5 7-6(5) 6-3 P.KOHLSCHREIBER [29] 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-0 T.GABASHVILI 2-6 6-4 6-4 6-2 M.LLODRA 6-4 6-4 6-7(5) 6-3 A.RODDICK [5] 6-3 6-2 6-2

3-6 6-7(3) 7-6(3) 7-5 9-7

M.ILHAN 6-7(4) 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-1 D.BRANDS 7-6(5) 7-6(4) 7-5 N.DAVYDENKO [7]

6-7(4) 7-6(3) 6-3 1-6 7-5

V.HANESCU [31]

6-7(5) 6-1 2-6 7-6(4) 6-3

R.FEDERER [1] 5-7 4-6 6-4 7-6(1) 6-0 I.BOZOLJAC 7-6(3) 3-6 6-3 7-6(7) A.CLEMENT 6-3 3-6 6-4 7-5 P.LUCZAK 2-6 7-6(3) 6-2 7-5 F.LOPEZ [22] 7-6(2) 3-6 6-2 6-3 R.BERANKIS 6-2 6-0 3-6 7-6(5) V.TROICKI 6-3 6-4 6-1 J.MELZER [16] 6-3 4-6 6-2 6-3 T.BERDYCH [12] 7-6(5) 6-2 6-2 B.BECKER 5-7 6-2 6-2 6-4 R.SCHUETTLER 6-2 6-2 6-3 D.ISTOMIN

2nd Round

Champion: NADAL, Rafael ESP 6-3 7-5 6-4

1/8

A.RODDICK [5] 7-5 6-7(5) 6-3 6-3

Y.LU 6-4 6-4 2-1 Ret.

L.HEWITT [15] 6-3 7-6(9) 6-4

N.DJOKOVIC [3] 6-1 6-4 6-4

D.BRANDS

6-7(7) 6-7(3) 7-6(7) 6-3 3-0 Ret.

T.BERDYCH [12]

6-7(1) 7-6(5) 6-7(8) 6-3 6-4

J.MELZER [16] 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4

R.FEDERER [1] 6-2 6-4 6-2

1/8

R.NADAL [2] 5-7 6-2 3-6 6-0 6-3

P.PETZSCHNER [33] 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-3 6-2

T.DE BAKKER 6-0 6-3 6-2

P.MATHIEU 6-4 2-6 2-6 6-3 6-4

D.FERRER [9] 6-4 7-5 6-7(6) 6-3

J.CHARDY 6-3 7-6(4) 4-6 6-7(5) 8-6

T.BELLUCCI [25] 6-7(11) 7-6(4) 7-6(1) 6-2

R.SODERLING [6] 7-5 6-1 6-4

A.MURRAY [4] 6-3 6-4 6-2

G.SIMON [26] Walkover

S.QUERREY [18] 6-2 5-7 6-3 7-6(10)

X.MALISSE 6-7(7) 6-4 6-1 6-4

J.TSONGA [10] 6-4 6-4 6-7(5) 5-7 10-8

T.KAMKE 3-6 6-2 6-3 6-4

J.BENNETEAU [32] 3-6 6-2 4-6 7-6(5) 6-3

F.FOGNINI 3-6 5-7 7-5 7-6(6) 6-3

3rd Round

R.NADAL [2] 6-4 4-6 6-7(5) 6-2 6-3

P.MATHIEU 7-6(5) 7-6(6) 6-7(8) 6-4

D.FERRER [9] 7-5 6-3 4-6 3-6 7-5

R.SODERLING [6] 6-4 6-2 7-5

A.MURRAY [4] 6-1 6-4 6-4

S.QUERREY [18] 6-7(4) 6-4 6-2 5-7 9-7

J.TSONGA [10] 6-1 6-4 7-6(1)

J.BENNETEAU [32] 6-4 6-1 4-6 6-3

Wimbledon 2010 Gentlemen's Singles Championship

A.RODDICK [5] 4-6 6-4 6-1 7-6(2)

7-6(6) 5-7 2-6 7-6(5) 9-7

P.KOHLSCHREIBER [29]

Y.LU 6-4 7-6(7) 6-3

F.MAYER 6-7(2) 6-3 6-4 6-4

L.HEWITT [15] 6-4 6-4 3-0 Ret.

G.MONFILS [21] 6-4 6-4 6-7(4) 6-4

A.MONTANES [28] 3-6 6-3 6-7(5) 6-1 6-4

N.DJOKOVIC [3] 7-6(5) 6-1 6-4

D.BRANDS 7-6(5) 7-6(8) 6-1

V.HANESCU [31] 6-4 6-4 3-6 6-3

D.ISTOMIN 6-3 7-6(5) 4-6 4-6 6-1

T.BERDYCH [12] 7-5 6-3 6-4

6-7(5) 4-6 6-3 7-6(6) 6-3

J.MELZER [16]

F.LOPEZ [22] 7-5 4-6 6-3 6-4

A.CLEMENT 6-7(4) 6-3 6-3 6-4

R.FEDERER [1] 6-3 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(5)

3rd Round

Wimbledon 2010 Gentlemen's Singles Championship

1/4

R.NADAL [2] 6-4 6-2 6-2

R.SODERLING [6] 6-2 5-7 6-2 3-6 7-5

A.MURRAY [4] 7-5 6-3 6-4

J.TSONGA [10] 6-1 6-4 3-6 6-1

Y.LU

4-6 7-6(3) 7-6(4) 6-7(5) 9-7

N.DJOKOVIC [3] 7-5 6-4 3-6 6-4

T.BERDYCH [12] 4-6 7-6(1) 7-5 6-3

R.FEDERER [1] 6-3 6-2 6-3

1/4

R.NADAL [2] 3-6 6-3 7-6(4) 6-1

R.NADAL [2] 6-4 7-6(6) 6-4

A.MURRAY [4] 6-7(5) 7-6(5) 6-2 6-2

1/2

N.DJOKOVIC [3] 6-3 6-2 6-2

T.BERDYCH [12] 6-3 7-6(9) 6-3

T.BERDYCH [12] 6-4 3-6 6-1 6-4

1/2

Quotes from Wimbledon “Quarters is a decent result. Obviously people think quarters is shocking, but people would die to play in the quarter-final stages of Grand Slam play. It’s not something I’m used to doing, losing in quarter-finals, because it’s not something I’ve done in the last six years.” Roger Federer speaks after his quarter-final loss against Tomas Berdych.

Serena Williams emphatically dismissing the notion of playing tennis for another ten years.

“Uhm, no, you know, at the moment I’m just really focused on not saying ‘uhm’. I read something on the Wimbledon website. The person that types it all in [the press conference stenographer] said that I start every sentence with ‘uhm.’ So right now I’m just trying not to do that.” “I can catch a chicken. I can show you. Yeah, Laura Robson on her attempts to sound eloquent serious. I can catch a chicken.” at press conferences. Lu Yen-Hsun reveals that tennis is not his only life skill. “Yeah, of course she’s beatable. She’s a human being. She’s not a machine. I mean, it’s “So obviously I’m not pleased with this re- very difficult to beat her. You have to play your sult, but I have to move on. What else can I best. But, you know, if you do, you can do it.” do? Unless I have a time machine, which I Vera Zvonareva revealing that she has no fear of don’t.” Serena Williams. Venus Williams reflects on her loss against Tsvetana Pironkova. “I think we should allow each team a chance to see the video of action three times in a “If I am, I want you to personally take me off game...Like in tennis “ and escort me off the court. There’s no way I Rafael Nadal calls for video replay in football. need to be out here at 38.”

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Wimbledon

The Return of the Queen Wimbledon winners are honoured with the title of “King” or “Queen” of Tennis. But for the English there is only one Queen, and her 33 year absence from the Championships was beginning to be heavily felt. That’s why, on the 24th of June, tennis wasn’t the biggest talking point at SW19. by Francesca Cicchitti There was plenty of drama on day four of Wimbledon – John Isner and Nicolas Mahut were still battling it out in their epic, record-breaking match, and Rafael Nadal was pushed to five sets by the little-known Dutchman Robin Haase. However, on this day there was only one talking point: the Queen’s visit. For the first time in the better part of half a century, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II dropped by the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club during Wimbledon fortnight. It is com-

mon knowledge that the Queen prefers dogs and horses (and foxes perhaps) to tennis players, so her rare presence was indeed an honour for everyone involved. Her first visit was in 1954, and eight years later in 1962 she also made an appearance. The next – and many people though the last – time she travelled to the All England Club was in her silver jubilee year of 1977. The women’s final that year was contested

between Betty Stove and Virginia Wade, and it was the latter Englishwoman who took the trophy. Many things have changed in the three decades since the Queen’s last visit: Centre Court has grown a £100 million retractable roof, and a brandnew Court One has also sprouted. What hasn’t changed, however, is the extravagant ceremony and protocol that accompanies the Queen’s presence. She arrived in a black Jaguar

at 11:15 AM sharp, followed by three escort vehicles, numerous body guards and a helicopter. She proceeded to make her entrance through the gates at Aorangi Park, after which she was met by the Duke of Kent and Tim Phillips, the president of the All England Club. Marianna Spring, a ball girl at Wimbledon and 14 year-old student at Sutton High, gave the Queen a welcome gift of purple, green and white flowers. Elizabeth II – sporting a turquoise dress with a rich white piping and an elegant hat – began her visit at Aorangi Terrace and then continued along St Mary’s Walk, in-between courts 18 and 19. She stopped at court 14, where she met the young players of the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative (WJTI) and watched them hit 36

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some balls. She then moved towards the players’ terrace, where she met with some of the players themselves. Defending champions Serena Williams and Roger Federer were there, as well as legends of the past like Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova. Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick, Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki and Jelena Jankovic also had the opportunity to meet Her Majesty. Finally, she met some the female English players – Laura Robson, Heather Watson, Anne Keothavong and Elena Baltacha – all of whom were in the draw thanks to wild cards. From the Terrace she then made her way to the Club House, where she had a light lunch of smoked salmon with boiled asparagus and chicken marinated in honey and orange, served

with couscous and grilled vegetables. For dessert she enjoyed strawberries and blackberries with crème brulée and mint syrup and lastly, coffee and chocolates. This was all accompanied by a fine 2004 Giovanni Corino barolo. Shortly after lunch the Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Kent, took a seat in the Royal Box to watch the match on Centre Court between Andy Murray and Jarkko Nieminen. After Murray’s victory, the Queen asked to meet the two players and congratulate them. She then left SW19 and made her way back to Buckingham Palace. When she’ll be back again is anyone guess, but everyone who was lucky enough to be there on Day 4 of the 2010 Wimbledon Championships will certainly never forget the time the Queen stopped by. TennisWorld sa

Wimbledon

Big Surprises Come in Small Packages

Tsvetana Pironkova

Petra Kvitova Heart of a Champion

She might come across as shy and friendly, but this 20 year-old Czech has incredible drive and determination, and is on track to emulate one of her most famous countrywomen – Martina Navratilova.

Not many players can boast of having beaten Venus Williams twice in their career. Even fewer can say those victories have come at Grand Slams. Tsvetana Pironkova delivered the biggest upset of the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, and at only 22 years of age, she’s far from done. by Angelica Fratini

by Ivan Pasquariello Yeah, of course…” During Wimbledon fortnight, journalists heard these three words more than any others, and they always came from the young Czech sensation Petra Kvitova. She might not be particularly eloquent in press conferences, but this immensely talented left-hander prefers to let her racquet do the talking anyway. She ripped through the draw at Wimbledon this year, knocking out seasoned veterans like Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki before coming up against the unstoppable force that is Serena Williams. While most people might not have heard of her before Wimbledon, astute tennis fans have been aware of her abilities for a long time now. In 2008, at the tender age of 18, she reached the fourth round at Roland Garros, and a year later she defeated then world number one Dinara Safina in the third round of the US Open. She loves hitting the ball flat and hard, overpowering her opponents from the baseline. It is a style of play that is best suited to indoor hard courts (she reached the final at Linz last year) and grass, as she proved so forcefully at the All England Club. Yet her on-court brutality is at odds with her personality in general. She likes to keep a low profile, and is unusually shy for someone who can perform so well in front of thousands

of people. Unlike many of her spotlight-loving peers, the craziest thing she gets up to off-court is taking in a movie (usually a comedy – her favourite). Pop music and pasta are some of her other passions, and her favourite city is Melbourne, which she visited for this first time last year when she played in the Australian Open. It might be a strange choice as a favourite destination, seeing as it’s so remote. She doesn’t like being too far away from home for too long, but she makes an exception for Melbourne. The Australian heat is too much for many tennis players, but Kvita thrives in it. In fact, her first WTA Tour title came in Hobart on the eve of the Australian Open in 2009. Kvitova was introduced to tennis by her father, Jiri, who instilled in her a love for the sport from a young age. Martina Navratilova has always been a hero to her, and as she grew up and her talent flourished people started comparing her to her fellow left-handed countrywoman. She went on to be coached at Prostejov with the likes of Lucie Safarova and Tomas Berdych, both of whom she considers good friends. Though she has come a long way since then, she’s not quite ready to take that final step to Grand Slam glory. When asked if she thought she could win Wimbledon in 2010, she laughed and said “No, I don’t think. I don’t think so, no.” But as the first set of her match against Williams crept towards a tiebreak, the crowd must have sensed that, even if she doesn’t win it this year, she might very well do so in the future. But for now her goals are to stay in the Top 30 and become the number one player in the Czech Republic. She is only a few places behind Safarova, so she might get her wish sooner than she thought. And after that? Who knows, but we’re sure it involves the Top 10 and her name on a Slam trophy

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Tsvetana Pironkova has failed to qualify for the main draw of seven different tournaments this year. In eight years as a professional, she’s never gone beyond the second round of a Grand Slam, and never played in a final of a WTA event. Yet at this year’s Wimbledon, she conducted herself like a seasoned veteran who’d been deep into the second week of Majors many times before. At 5’11’’ and 65kg she doesn’t cut a very intimidating figure on court, and her game isn’t exactly overpowering. However, what she lacks in strength she more than makes up for in guile and tactical awareness. Her wily slice forehands, flat backhands and incredible movement allows her to outwit and outmanoeuvre her opponents, something which Venus Williams could testify to after their quarter-final match. It wasn’t the first time the two met each other on court. In fact they had split their previous two meetings, the last of which was at the 2006 Australian Open, which Pironkova won in three sets. But if Williams had learned anything from that encounter four years ago she didn’t show it on Centre Court. The Bulgarian toyed with her opponent, never allowed her to dominate the rallies or get into any kind of rhythm. The end result was the biggest shock of the tournament, and the best Grand Slam showing of Pironkova’s career. That triumph on tennis’ biggest stage is a far cry from the courts she played on TennisWorld sa

growing up. She started playing at the age of four and was coached by her father – a former canoe champion – from the start. There weren’t too many tennis courts in their hometown of Plovdiv, so they often used the one at the local hotel. It wasn’t often occupied by the customers, and what better use for it than to train a future Wimbledon semifinalist? By age seven she was playing junior tournaments, and just a few months after turning professional she won her first ITF tournament (the $10 000 event in Bucharest in September of 2002). Three years later she made her debut on the WTA Tour, coming through qualifying to reach the semi-finals. There she lost to – who else? – Venus Williams. The irony was not lost on Pironkova, who had now come full circle since that first tournament, only this time she defeated her old foe as easily as she had lost to her back then. “I like playing in front of large audiences,” says Pironkova, who amazed the Wimbledon crowds with her calmness under pressure. “You are in an important competition, and you must show your best tennis to the spectators. I always say: ‘Relax and play like you know how.’ This is tennis – anything can happen. I go on court thinking ‘we are 50/50.’ You can’t think that it’s 99% certain that you’ll lose, because then you will.”

Women’s Scorecard

Lately Serena is competing by herself by Raffaella Reggi

Serena Williams 9/10

There was never a chance for anyone else. Any player who serves more than 80 aces at nearly 200km/h in the women’s draw is going to be almost impossible to beat. There was some token resistance from Maria Sharapova, but no other person in the draw even came close to challenging the American. It’s hard to imagine anyone stopping her at the US Open.

Vera Zvonareva 8.5/10

The Russian had a fantastic tournament, reaching the finals of both the singles and doubles. Her notorious mental fragility was nowhere to be seen for the better part of two weeks, and she saw off some very tough opponents with ease. Unfortunately, it caught

up with her in the championship matches, and she was a ghost of her former self during both contests. Hopefully she can build on this performance and truly do justice to her immense talent.

are finding that staying competitive for a whole season is much tougher than just playing well for a tournament or two.

Justine Henin & Kim Clijsters 5/10

The eldest Williams sister has been making headlines lately, but not for her tennis. Tsvetana Pironkova made her look positively ordinary in their quarterfinal clash, and mercilessly evicted her from the tournament that she has basically owned for the past decade. The controversial dress she wore at Roland Garros might have been missing from Centre Court, but so was her best tennis.

They were supposed to lead the way into the latter stages of the tournament, but neither Belgian could summon the extraordinary tennis that characterised the early stages of their comebacks from retirement. Drawn to face each other relatively early, the tight match they played drained Clijsters for her next contest, and she never really bothered a flawless Zvonareva. The road has suddenly become very bumpy for these two ladies, and they

Venus Williams 4/10

Tsvetana Pironkova & Petra Kvitova 9/10

They came out of nowhere to

show us some of the finest tennis we’ve seen all year. These two ladies played as if they belonged in the Top 10, and if they keep up this tremendous form they might very well end up there. We hope to see them in the final rounds of tournaments in the future – it’s great for women’s tennis to see some fresh faces making an appearance.

Francesca Schiavone No Score

Exhausted from the extensive celebrations and press commitments that followed her astonishing French Open win, Schiavone was never prepared for Wimbledon. She would have happily postponed the tournament by a couple of weeks, but unfortunately the Championships wait for no woman – not even the Queen of Paris.

Even though she lost her semi-final against Zvonareva, Pironkova is positive about her future in tennis. She has a clear plan going forward, and isn’t fazed by the fact that she is still searching for her first title. “My goal is not to win a tournament now, but to improve my game. The results will come.”

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Martina Navratilova

Conqueror of Mountains Having recently recovered from breast cancer, Martina Navratilova is ready to bounce back from the toughest time of her life. After overcoming that great challenge, she’s already decided what her next one will be: climbing the tallest mountain in Africa to raise money for Laureus. by Stefano Semeraro

artina Navratilova does not like boundaries. In tennis she won everything, and in life she has experienced almost everything, but her philosophy is that there are always more challenges left out there. After tennis, skiing, hockey, flying…isn’t climbing Kilimanjaro too much? “Climbing Kilimanjaro has always been my dream. When Laureus suggested it, I accepted immediately, but then I was diagnosed with cancer. I told myself: ‘[the climb] is in December, now it is February. I can make it.’ The only problem is adjusting to the altitude: Kilimanjaro is 5,895 metres high. In Aspen I skied at high altitude and when I had a pilot’s licence I went to 4000 metres without oxygen. In any

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event, I have a four-month training programme to get ready.” A challenging year, isn’t it? “In January I broke my arm playing hockey, and then found out that there were two fractures. Then came the cancer and I said to myself: ‘okay, and it’s only February…’” The toughest moment? “The first day. The first two hours. I was left shocked and I was alone at home. Then, I went out to do my shopping and found a friend who asked me how my arm was. ‘My arm is fine, but I have breast cancer,’ I replied. I had just gone shopping because I am vegetarian – I only eat organic to be healthy, I could not believe that cancer could be happening to me. But I did not feel sorry for myself for too long. The other tough time was when I held a conference to tell every

woman to have mammograms, a test that can be life-saving. I had been skipping mine for 4 years.” How do you feel now? “Well, I have recovered, the tumour has gone. I consider myself very lucky – and loved. Through these past months I have received letters, e-mails, messages on Facebook from a lot of people I had not heard from in a long time. Also from Jimmy Connors, Jim Courier and from the fans. I have understood that tennis is a big family that looks spread thin, but can gather close around you when you need it. It is great to be part of it. And thank you Facebook!” Was the treatment heavy? “It was tough having to go into hospital every morning, lying still in a bed. I felt as if I was in prison. But there I rediscovered the strength of women. There were many – younger, older than me – and they were exchanging information, always with optimism, they would smile at me and give me immense energy.”

How has the disease changed your life? “When you are told you have cancer, everything else takes a back seat, you clear up your schedule, you only want to recover. Fortunately mine was a benign tumour, there were no metastases, I was able to carry on with my normal life. The disease has made me appreciate the sense of what my father used to tell me: ‘If you have health, nothing else matters.’ It is the freedom to do what you want. In Paris, while I was playing in the doubles in the Tennis Legends tournament with Jana Novotna, I did my last chemo and celebrated with champagne. At Jana’s place there is a huge map of the world where she marks the places she has been to. I put the flags on the places I want to visit: Machu Picchu, Galapagos, Indonesia, Bengal, Alaska, Antarctica. And then again Kenya, Kilimanjaro.” This climb has a very important social significance. As does your partnership with Laureus… “I was born in a country where I had the opportunity to play sports, whereas

in many parts of the world children don’t have this. This is why the Laureus Foundation is so close to my heart. It gives children of very poor countries a chance to play sports, to believe in themselves and in the future.” Shall we talk about Wimbledon? Your Friend Francesca Schiavone was eliminated in the first round… “I had said it before the tournament: she will either lose straight away or she will go to the semis. I think she was exhausted after all the celebrations in Paris. Wimbledon came too soon for her.” Do you think she is able to win other Slams? “Why not? Next year she will be among the favourites in Paris, but her game can also adapt very well to hard courts and grass. And this is the future of tennis: more spin, more variety, net play. Women players who can only hit hard don’t last very long. Men’s tennis is also going the same route.” You have always loved novelty … “I love new experiences. I first went to Africa in 1996 and I fell in love with it at once. I have been back many times since, especially to Kenya. Three years ago I

The goal of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation is to use the influence of sport and its heroes to draw the world’s attention to important issues and develop projects and initiatives relating to sports. “Sport has the power to change the world,” Nelson Mandela famously said. He is the patron of this foundation that supports about 80 projects around the world and has raised 35 million Euros since its inception. It has helped to improve the living conditions of more than one million people who suffer from discrimination and violence, and lack access to education and healthcare. The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation was created by Richemont and Daimler and is supported by IWC Schaffausen, MercedesBenz and Vodafone. One of its projects is the Laureus World Sports Academy, which holds the annual Laureus Sports Awards and includes many great athletes such as Ewin Moses (the President), Giacomo Agostini, Frank Beckenbauer, Cathy Freeman, Boris Becker, Bobby Charlton, Jack Nicklaus, Alberto Tomba, Mika Hakkinen, Serghei Bubka, Nadia Comaneci and many, many others.

tried to climb Kilimanjaro with some friends, but it did not work out. Now I can’t wait to try again, but I have been diving for twenty years. I cannot understand people that don’t like change. Throughout the years, I have constantly changed my game to keep improving myself.” Will we ever see a woman US President? “Definitely. I think that Hilary Clinton could have won this time, if Obama hadn’t been better organized, but the time is right.” TennisWorld sa

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CLIJSTERS, Kim BEL CAMERIN, Maria Elena ITA SPREM, Karolina CRO MATTEK-SANDS, Bethanie USA PERRY, Shenay USA YAKIMOVA, Anastasiya BLR VOEGELE, Stefanie SUI KIRILENKO, Maria RUS HENIN, Justine BEL SEVASTOVA, Anastasija LAT BARROIS, Kristina GER KORYTTSEVA, Mariya UKR CHAN, Yung-Jan TPE SCHNYDER, Patty SUI MALEK, Tatjana GER PETROVA, Nadia RUS WICKMAYER, Yanina BEL RISKE, Alison USA DUBOIS, Stephanie CAN FLIPKENS, Kirsten BEL LERTCHEEWAKARN, Noppawan THA HLAVACKOVA, Andrea CZE LLAGOSTERA VIVES, Nuria ESP ZVONAREVA, Vera RUS BONDARENKO, Alona UKR O’BRIEN, Katie GBR HRADECKA, Lucie CZE LEPCHENKO, Varvara USA DANIILIDOU, Eleni GRE WOZNIAK, Aleksandra CAN ROBSON, Laura GBR JANKOVIC, Jelena SRB SCHIAVONE, Francesca ITA DUSHEVINA, Vera RUS PIRONKOVA, Tsvetana BUL LAPUSHCHENKOVA, Anna RUS KULIKOVA, Regina RUS SOUTH, Melanie GBR HERCOG, Polona SLO SHVEDOVA, Yaroslava KAZ BONDARENKO, Kateryna UKR ARN, Greta HUN KUCOVA, Zuzana SVK MOLIK, Alicia AUS MARTIC, Petra CRO BALTACHA, Elena GBR GOERGES, Julia GER BARTOLI, Marion FRA PEER, Shahar ISR IVANOVIC, Ana SRB MIRZA, Sania IND KERBER, Angelique GER VORACOVA, Renata CZE GROTH, Jarmila AUS GROENEFELD, Anna-Lena GER OUDIN, Melanie USA KLEYBANOVA, Alisa RUS ZAHLAVOVA, Sandra CZE ARVIDSSON, Sofia SWE KUDRYAVTSEVA, Alla RUS MAKAROVA, Ekaterina RUS SZAVAY, Agnes HUN DE LOS RIOS, Rossana PAR WILLIAMS, Venus USA

1st Round

WILLIAMS, Serena USA LARCHER DE BRITO, Michelle POR CHAKVETADZE, Anna RUS PETKOVIC, Andrea GER TANASUGARN, Tamarine THA MORITA, Ayumi JPN CIBULKOVA, Dominika SVK SAFAROVA, Lucie CZE HANTUCHOVA, Daniela SVK KING, Vania USA ZAHLAVOVA STRYCOVA, Barbora CZE VESNINA, Elena RUS OLARU, Ioana Raluca ROU CORNET, Alize FRA PIVOVAROVA, Anastasia RUS SHARAPOVA, Maria RUS LI, Na CHN SCHEEPERS, Chanelle RSA DUQUE MARINO, Mariana COL NARA, Kurumi JPN KEOTHAVONG, Anne GBR RODIONOVA, Anastasia AUS AMANMURADOVA, Akgul UZB KUZNETSOVA, Svetlana RUS ERRANI, Sara ITA COIN, Julie FRA PARRA SANTONJA, Arantxa ESP GOVORTSOVA, Olga BLR BRIANTI, Alberta ITA CRAYBAS, Jill USA CZINK, Melinda HUN RADWANSKA, Agnieszka POL WOZNIACKI, Caroline DEN GARBIN, Tathiana ITA RUS, Arantxa NED CHANG, Kai-Chen TPE BAMMER, Sybille AUT VINCI, Roberta ITA BENESOVA, Iveta CZE PAVLYUCHENKOVA, Anastasia RUS ZHENG, Jie CHN PARMENTIER, Pauline FRA CIRSTEA, Sorana ROU KVITOVA, Petra CZE JOVANOVSKI, Bojana SRB DELLACQUA, Casey AUS LUCIC, Mirjana CRO AZARENKA, Victoria BLR PENNETTA, Flavia ITA MEDINA GARRIGUES, Anabel ESP NICULESCU, Monica ROU DULKO, Gisela ARG ZAKOPALOVA, Klara CZE MEUSBURGER, Yvonne AUT RYBARIKOVA, Magdalena SVK REZAI, Aravane FRA DULGHERU, Alexandra ROU DATE KRUMM, Kimiko JPN OPRANDI, Romina Sarina ITA WATSON, Heather GBR BACSINSZKY, Timea SUI GALLOVITS, Edina ROU KANEPI, Kaia EST STOSUR, Samantha AUS

1st Round

[2]

[33] [26]

[11] [13]

[30] [34] (Q)

(W)

(W) [4] [5]

(Q)

(W) (Q) (Q) [21] [28] (W)

[12] [15] (W) (L)

[27] [17]

(Q) (Q) (Q)

[8]

(Q) [6]

(Q) (W)

[18] [31]

(Q)

(Q) [14] [10]

[29] [23]

[7] [3]

[19] [32]

(Q)

(L) [16] [9] (W)

[25] [24]

[1]

K.CLIJSTERS [8] 6-0 6-3 K.SPREM 6-3 6-4 S.PERRY 6-2 4-6 9-7 M.KIRILENKO [27] 2-6 6-4 7-5 J.HENIN [17] 6-4 6-3 K.BARROIS 6-3 6-4 Y.CHAN 6-0 6-2 N.PETROVA [12] 6-4 6-3 Y.WICKMAYER [15] 6-4 5-7 6-3 K.FLIPKENS 6-4 6-4 A.HLAVACKOVA 6-3 6-2 V.ZVONAREVA [21] 6-4 6-1 A.BONDARENKO [28] 6-3 6-7(10) 6-4 V.LEPCHENKO 6-4 7-5 A.WOZNIAK 7-5 7-5 J.JANKOVIC [4] 6-3 7-6(5) V.DUSHEVINA 6-7(0) 7-5 6-1 T.PIRONKOVA 6-0 7-6(7) R.KULIKOVA 6-1 6-2 Y.SHVEDOVA [30] 6-1 6-4 G.ARN 7-6(1) 3-6 6-3 A.MOLIK 6-2 7-5 P.MARTIC 2-6 7-5 6-3 M.BARTOLI [11] 6-4 6-3 S.PEER [13] 6-3 6-4 A.KERBER 6-4 6-1 J.GROTH 6-4 6-3 M.OUDIN [33] 6-3 6-0 A.KLEYBANOVA [26] 6-2 6-3 A.KUDRYAVTSEVA 6-4 6-1 E.MAKAROVA 6-4 7-6(2) V.WILLIAMS [2] 6-3 6-2

2nd Round

S.WILLIAMS [1] 6-0 6-4 A.CHAKVETADZE 3-6 6-4 6-4 A.MORITA 7-5 6-1 D.CIBULKOVA 7-6(5) 6-4 D.HANTUCHOVA [24] 6-7(4) 7-6(4) 6-3 B.ZAHLAVOVA STRYCOVA 6-1 6-3 I.OLARU 5-7 6-4 6-4 M.SHARAPOVA [16] 6-1 6-0 N.LI [9] 7-6(5) 6-2 K.NARA 6-4 6-2 A.RODIONOVA 3-6 6-2 6-4 S.KUZNETSOVA [19] 6-2 6-7(5) 6-4 S.ERRANI [32] 6-2 6-4 A.PARRA SANTONJA 6-3 2-6 6-4 A.BRIANTI 6-2 7-5 A.RADWANSKA [7] 6-3 6-3 C.WOZNIACKI [3] 6-1 6-1 K.CHANG 6-0 2-6 6-3 R.VINCI 6-3 6-3 A.PAVLYUCHENKOVA [29] 6-3 6-4 J.ZHENG [23] 7-5 6-4 P.KVITOVA 6-2 6-2 B.JOVANOVSKI 6-1 6-0 V.AZARENKA [14] 6-3 6-3 F.PENNETTA [10] 6-4 6-0 M.NICULESCU 6-3 6-2 K.ZAKOPALOVA 6-7(1) 6-1 6-0 A.REZAI [18] 6-7(8) 6-2 7-5 A.DULGHERU [31] 6-2 6-7(3) 6-1 R.OPRANDI 6-4 1-6 6-3 E.GALLOVITS 4-6 7-5 6-3 K.KANEPI 6-4 6-4

2nd Round

Champion: WILLIAMS, Serena USA 6-3 6-2

K.KANEPI 6-1 6-2

K.ZAKOPALOVA 6-2 6-3

P.KVITOVA 7-5 6-0

C.WOZNIACKI [3] 7-5 6-4

A.RADWANSKA [7] 6-3 6-1

N.LI [9] 6-1 6-3

M.SHARAPOVA [16] 7-5 6-3

S.WILLIAMS [1] 6-0 7-5

1/8

V.WILLIAMS [2] 6-0 6-4

A.KLEYBANOVA [26] 6-4 6-2

J.GROTH 6-4 6-3

A.KERBER 3-6 6-3 6-4

M.BARTOLI [11] Walkover

G.ARN 7-5 6-4

R.KULIKOVA 6-2 6-4

T.PIRONKOVA 6-3 6-4

J.JANKOVIC [4] 4-6 6-2 6-4

A.BONDARENKO [28] 4-6 6-4 6-3

V.ZVONAREVA [21] 6-1 6-4

Y.WICKMAYER [15] 7-6(9) 6-4

N.PETROVA [12] 6-3 6-4

6-3 7-5

J.HENIN [17]

M.KIRILENKO [27] 6-1 6-4

K.CLIJSTERS [8] 6-3 6-2

3rd Round

V.WILLIAMS [2] 6-4 6-2

J.GROTH 6-3 7-5

M.BARTOLI [11] 6-3 6-4

T.PIRONKOVA 6-4 2-0 Ret.

J.JANKOVIC [4] 6-0 6-3

V.ZVONAREVA [21] 6-4 6-2

J.HENIN [17] 6-1 6-4

K.CLIJSTERS [8] 6-3 6-3

1/8

Wimbledon 2010 Ladies' Singles Championship

K.KANEPI 6-4 7-5

A.DULGHERU [31] 6-2 6-0

K.ZAKOPALOVA 5-7 6-3 6-3

F.PENNETTA [10] 6-1 6-1

V.AZARENKA [14] 6-1 6-4

P.KVITOVA 6-4 2-6 6-2

A.PAVLYUCHENKOVA [29] 6-2 7-6(1)

C.WOZNIACKI [3] 6-4 6-3

A.RADWANSKA [7] 6-2 6-0

S.ERRANI [32] 6-2 6-2

A.RODIONOVA 6-4 2-6 6-4

N.LI [9] 6-2 6-4

M.SHARAPOVA [16] 6-1 6-4

B.ZAHLAVOVA STRYCOVA 1-6 6-2 6-4

D.CIBULKOVA 6-7(4) 7-6(2) 7-5

S.WILLIAMS [1] 6-0 6-1

3rd Round

Wimbledon 2010 Ladies' Singles Championship

1/4

V.WILLIAMS [2] 6-4 7-6(5)

T.PIRONKOVA 6-4 6-4

V.ZVONAREVA [21] 6-1 3-0 Ret.

K.CLIJSTERS [8] 2-6 6-2 6-3

K.KANEPI 6-2 6-4

P.KVITOVA 6-2 6-0

N.LI [9] 6-3 6-2

S.WILLIAMS [1] 7-6(9) 6-4

1/4

T.PIRONKOVA 6-2 6-3

V.ZVONAREVA [21] 3-6 6-3 6-2

V.ZVONAREVA [21] 3-6 6-4 6-2

1/2

P.KVITOVA 4-6 7-6(8) 8-6

S.WILLIAMS [1] 7-6(5) 6-2

S.WILLIAMS [1] 7-5 6-3

1/2

London

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Officially Famous

What string tension did and do you like to play with? “Since I had a unique string, frame and tension…does it surprise you that I had them at 34kgs?”

Mark Woodforde was recently inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport alongside his old tennis partner Todd Woodbridge. Together they won 11 Grand Slam titles, including six at Wimbledon. Tennis World asked him some question about his playing days, his life after tennis and some of the things that make him tick.

Did you change your string tension when you changed surfaces? How drastically? “I changed tension slightly for each surface.”

When did you start playing tennis? “I started playing tennis young as my father was a tennis coach, my Mum played and two older sisters as well. Our weekends were spent down at the tennis club with other families while my Dad gave lessons. My very first junior tournament was when I was 8 years old.” Why did you choose tennis? “I chose tennis because I loved it. I did play other sports growing up, like Aussie Rules footy and cricket and basketball.” Does anyone else in your family play tennis? “Yes, my Dad still plays now. In fact he represents Australia in the over-75’s. My Mum stopped playing now due to a bad knee and my two sisters play still.” Who was your first coach? “My dad was my first coach.” When did you realise you wanted to become a professional tennis player? “Probably when a mate of mine – Darren Cahill – went overseas to play tennis while my parents had me stay back in Adelaide to finish high school. I wanted to go overseas as well.” What music do you listen to? “A mix of music really, but no heavy metal or hard rock or rap.” Did you listen to music before a match? “No, too focused on warming up for matches to listen to music”

What was your routine be-

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fore a match?

“My routine was to shower, grab a snack, do some quick footwork then stretch.” What was never missing from your tennis bag? My tennis racquets, a spare shirt and wristbands. Can you explain a typical day when you were playing a tournament? “My typical day when playing a match would be to make sure I had enough sleep the night before, have a good breakfast, stay calm, focus on how I needed to play my match. Then I’d hit some balls, win my match, warm down, do some fitness work, go out for a great dinner and read before going to sleep.” Do you ever play video games? “No, I hate those video games.” Do you like reading? If so, what kind of books do you prefer? “I love reading magazines on the plane, usually travel magazines. With books, they have to be nonfiction.” Do you have a Facebook page? “I do.” Do you have your own fan site? “There was someone who developed a site for The Woodies, but it’s long gone now!” What did you feel during the most important moments of each match? “Early in my career I felt only fear during important moments, think-

ing about how bad it would be to make a mistake…then I learned that even the best make errors and also become nervous except they handle it better – they accept it. So eventually I loved when it became close or important times in match, because I felt I could perform better.” How did you feel after losing important matches and how did you cope with that feeling? “If I lost important matches then I usually would go off and chat to my coach. I feel they were the best times to learn from.” What was your most memorable tennis moment? “Oh please, I have so many memories. Winning my first singles match to give me a ranking. Winning my first tournament. Playing doubles with McEnroe. Partnering Navratilova in mixed. Winning Wimbledon. Todd Woodbridge. Olympic Gold. Davis Cup victory…” When was the worst patch of your tennis career? “When I was out with an ankle injury (in 1991 for 6 months) and not knowing how I would return to the game.” Who was the best player you ever faced? “For me that means a player that I never defeated on the singles court, and I never beat Mats Wilander or Boris Becker. But they may not be the best ever!” Who was the best player you ever defeated?

What kind of strings did and do you use? “Luxilon Big Banger. 1.6mm thickness.”

“I did beat Agassi, Connors, Courier, Edberg, Hewitt, Kafelnikov, Lendl, McEnroe, Muster, Rafter, Rios, Safin and Sampras...all number one players in the world.” Which was your favourite surface and why? “I loved clay as it made me use my game more. I may not have been as strong on clay as hard courts or grass, but it was more of an equaliser at times. Plus you had to think more!” What was the strongest part of your game? What about the weakest? “The strongest part of my game was probably that I could adapt to opponents and courts. The weaker side was probably my serve/ ability to win points quickly.” How many hours did you spend on the court every day? And in the gym? “Usually it was between 2 to 4 hours plus gym work.” Could you walk us through a typical day of training for you? “The training depended on whether I had a match, but my trainer – Mark Waters – would alternate between weights with core work and cardio plus footwork.” What was your least favourite part of training? “Running.” What is your favourite food? “Japanese, Indian, Thai, Italian.” What is your favourite movie? “The Power of One really moved me.”

What was the last electronic gadget you bought? “A new Tom Tom navigation unit.” Do you have a computer? “Yes, just bought a new Acer.” When you go on holiday, where is your ideal destination? “Ideally I love going home to Adelaide, as I don’t live there fulltime. With my wife and kids we spend most of the year in California.” When was your last holiday? “I reckon every day is a holiday for me.” Your projects for the future? “I love commentating matches. I want tennis back in Australia to grow, especially in Adelaide which is why I run the event there – WTC.” What do you think about the state of tennis in South Africa? “When are we going to see tennis back in South Africa? It needs a pro event to grow and flourish.” Which is the best tennis country in the world right now? “France and Spain are strong tennis nations.” Who was the nicest person on the tennis circuit? “Hmm not sure. Maybe [Stefan] Edberg?”

Are there any players in particular you didn’t get along with? “Of course there were players I didn’t get along with. Quite often it meant they were fiercely competitive. Thomas Muster. Ellis Ferraira.” What is your favourite pastime? “Golf, golf golf.” Do you have any regrets about tennis or life in general? “Well I wish I had focused on building my serve up more, but I was so concerned about learning to play on slower courts to strengthen up my consistency... you can’t cover all your bases I guess.” What do you think your greatest strength is as a person? And weakness? “I give every person a chance…I worry too much how other people feel about me.” Who is the best – Federer or Sampras? Clijsters or Henin or Serena Williams? “Federer for me is more a player than Pete, he has more depth of game. Serena is reigning supreme.” Do you have any nicknames? “Woody was the obvious one. Pecka. Doofus – by my wife.”

How would you describe, in one word, players like Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Henin, Sharapova and the Williams sisters? “I could describe them as ‘consistent.’” Who is the most beautiful tennis player in the world? “Are we talking looks? Gaby Sabatini. If it’s their style...I think Graf had an amazing game to watch.” Which was your favourite tournament? “It was and always will be Wimbledon.” Which was your dream about tennis? “My dream with tennis was to earn enough money to pay for my parents to live comfortably, then it matured into making a name for myself, then with more wins it was to perhaps edge into some record books.”

What grip size do you like? “My grips were 4 1/2.” What made you angry during matches? “When my opposition tried to cheat or get in my face – that annoyed the heck out of me, especially when some of these guys tried to say they were ‘Christian’.” What was your first feeling when you step on the court for a match? “My first thought was relax and breathe, soak up the atmosphere.” Did you keep a diary about your tennis life? “I did early on and paid the price – the other guys in the team travelling around took my diary and read what I had written in there, and some of my comments were not complimentary about them. But it was supposed to be private thoughts.”

Which city do you most like to visit? “Y’know, coming to any European city had me entranced. So much history.” Have you read Andre Agassi’s autobiography? What do you think about it? “I did buy it and read it. I think there’s more to it he has not been ‘Open’ about.”

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Making His Mark

An Interview with Sam Querrey by David Cox Standing at 6’6” with a thunderous serve and a vicious forehand, American Sam Querrey is starting to establish himself as a natural heir to Andy Roddick. Whether he can emulate Roddick’s memorable exploits at Wimbledon remains to be seen, but he left no one in doubt as to his grass court potential by winning the prestigious Queens Club Championships in June. The triumph in London was Querrey’s fourth over the past twelve months – a very productive period which has seen him finally enter the Top 20. His next big goal is to make a deep run at a Grand Slam tournament, something which he’ll be looking to do at Flushing Meadows in August. Tennis World caught up with him after Wimbledon to ask him a few questions. Q: When did you start playing tennis? Age five. Q: Does anyone else in your family play tennis? My parents play a little and my sister plays college volleyball. Q: When did you realise you wanted to become a professional tennis player? I didn’t really realise fully until I was about 16 years-old. That year I made the US Open juniors final (2004) and things started to happen for me. Q: How well do you feel your sport is covered by TV and newspapers back home? Tennis is on the rise. Andy (Roddick), John (Isner) and I have been getting enough attention, although I would prefer making the headlines by winning a Slam soon.

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Q: Which is your favourite surface and why? I like hard courts because I grew up on them. When you’re starting out on the circuit, most of the lower tier events in the States are held on hard so you have to develop a game for that surface.

worked my butt off and came back motivated and ready to play again and had a great grass court season. Q: It’s been said that the biggest battle in tennis is in the mind, how much attention do the top players like you pay to the psychological side of the game? Being talented is only one part. You need luck and you need an outstanding work ethic. And then once you have all these, you have to have the right mindset and you got to trust yourself and know yourself. I think tennis is 50% mental. Q: What’s been the biggest moment in your career so far?

Q: What is the strongest part of your game? What about the weakest? I think my serve is a big weapon, it often gets me many cheap points in matches. I have worked a lot on my movement but I need to improve my footwork and consistency for sure. Q: How many hours do you spend on the court every day? And in the gym? I practice about six hours a day, maybe an extra hour in the gym.

Winning Queens was just amazing. The event is very prestigious, and it was on grass, so I was very happy that I was able to win it.

Q: What is your routine before a match? Do you have any superstitions? I always put Chap Stick on! Q: Can you explain a typical day when you’re playing a tournament? It starts with breakfast around 8:30, followed by a light hit before the match. Then afterwards, cool down, stretch and a fast trip to see the physio/trainer. I often play doubles, sometimes with (John) Isner, then physio again. I have dinner around 8pm and then it’s generally an early night, in bed by ten! Q: How do you feel after losing important matches and how do you cope with that

feeling? I think when losing doesn’t hurt and you don’t want to learn from losing and winning, it’s time to quit. It’s all about taking what you can from those matches, putting it behind you and working out how to move forwards as a better player. Q: When was the worst patch of your tennis career? The clay-court season has been a tough time for me in the past and I went through a pretty rough patch during the French Open this year but I flew back to California,

Q: You had a great win at Queens and reached the final at Newport, Rhode Island last year but looking at results in the past, grass has been a tricky surface for you. What’s made the difference in the last couple of years? I think I just got used to playing on grass. The first time I came to England, I thought I would never like it, then I adjusted and I got more mature. Making the second week at Wimbledon this year was great, though I would’ve liked to have gone further. Q: Looking ahead to the summer hard court swing, what are your scheduling plans? You hit a hot streak in the States last year, won a couple of titles and made two more finals. Are you

planning to play as many tournaments again or take things a little easier ahead of the US Open? I will play Newport, then my home town event in LA for sure. Then I will head to DC (the Legg Mason Classic in Washington). I think the US Open Summer Series is a great preparation for the US Open, so I am planning to play a bunch of tournaments.

Q: Who is the best player you’ve ever faced? Roger Federer. He is the best player ever, no doubt about that! Q: So to finish with a completely un-tennis related question! Tell us where your ideal holiday destination is? Somewhere by a nice and warm beach in a cool town.

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Motivation and Self Confidence in Sports by Marina Gerin Birsa, Sports Psychologist

Motivation is an “inner engine” that activates when someone wants to achieve a certain objective. It helps to spurs them on to reach that goal. Motivations and interests change with age – this is important to keep in mind. During infancy, what interests us above anything else is having fun. This pushes us to move, play, run and enjoy our running. Children do not think about the future – they are totally immersed in the present, in the “here and now.” Children can’t yet imagine that their efforts in sport could offer them some opportunities.

me.” This could be the beginning of a happy sports career if the child, over the following years, is able to find some personal motivation to continue their efforts and improve their results. Naturally, parental motivation alone will not be sufficient to justify all the sacrifices that the children need to make during training and matches. Hopefully, they will begin to develop a healthy competitive spirit which will push them to measure themselves against their friends. Like the parents, the coach will become a major point of reference.

For the moment this does not interest them. They are only interested in their own evolution: in socialising with others and playing in a group, and in taking pleasure from simple motion. Sometimes at this age parents are far more motivated than their children to practice a particular sport. They may enrol them in a ski or swimming course, or force them to play soccer or another sport. The parents focus only on what resonates with their own interests, thus neglecting their children’s natural physical and psychological inclinations.

Things change during adolescence. The motivations of the early years will fall away, making way for new incentives to continue playing sports. If the motivation to play doesn’t remain high, the children will in all likelihood abandon the sport due to a lack of interest.

As children learn the fundamental principles of a certain sport, they will often turn towards their parents to check if they are watching. They seek their parents’ approval, and will likely think “if I play well dad and mom will love me even more and will be proud of 52

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Young athletes establish deeper relationships with their peers, and start taking interest in their physical form. Their bodies are changing, and they are likely to become disorientated by these new elements that are vying for their attention. They will also start discovering their own potential, and realise what it could mean for their future. As children’s sense of competition develops in adolescence, their sporting results will likely become more important to them. They will still be interested in what others think of them – not only their parents, but also their coach and peers. However, their own views will also become increasingly important. Motivation becomes increasingly complex and diversified during adolescence. Teenagers will begin thinking about possible earnings, fame, and success. They will start feeling the desire to make a name for themselves. The connection between motivation and self confidence According to the latest psychological research, the most frequent motivating fac-

tors for athletes are:

Strategies to increase self confidence

• • • • • • • • • • •

• Give yourself a chance to win before the competition begins. Winning starts with believing that victory is possible. • Focus on previous successes and forget former failures. • Reward yourself each time you achieve a goal or improve your performance in some way. • Do not worry that your opponent is stronger than you. Focus instead on your own abilities. This doesn’t mean you must ignore your opponent (this would be a big mistake), but focusing on your abilities will help put them into perspective in your own mind. • Always remember your motivation – why you are here and where we want to go. • Trust yourself throughout every match or competition. It will help you remain calm and composed in the difficult moments.

Social aspect of sports practice Physical wellbeing Passion for a particular sport Need to be active and exercise Attraction of competitive sports and desire to compete Access to a different environment Enjoyment Self-fulfilment through success in sports Family pressure (chiefly from parents) Opportunity to be among friends Desire to stand out and become famous

Athletes do not compete in order to prove to themselves that they are the person they need to be. Instead, they compete hoping to better understand themselves – to know their limits and potential. Gaining confidence in oneself is the true key to motivation: if I have confidence in myself and what I am able to do, not only am I highly motivated, but I increase my chances of success. As long as an athlete looks outside of themselves for security, confidence and acceptance, victory will elude them. This is because their personal identity will rely too heavily on external factors. An athlete needs to discover these qualities within themselves in order to be happy and successful. Instead of seeking external approval, athletes must pursue a sense of self worth. The confidence that results from a strong sense of self worth will help them understand that they can still succeed even if they make mistakes. The acceptance and acknowledgement of one’s own ability is the key to sporting success. Sport must become a vehicle through which one can express oneself.

The following visualisation technique will help you increase your motivation and confidence. Relax, get comfortable, close your eyes and then begin to visualise: - Imagine yourself as you are about to step onto the court. It is a beautiful day and you can feel the warmth of the sun on your face. - Carefully observe the scene. Look carefully at what sur rounds you. Listen to the sounds around you and feel the ground beneath your feet. - Start playing with your best serve: don’t give the ball too much spin, just hit it as hard as you can. Focus on every movement and what its role is in the shot – from the position of your feet to the bending of your knees and the position of your racquet. - Everything is going well, and you are hitting the ball per fectly. You are happy and can feel your entire body, especially the strength of your arm. - Focus on the keywords: confidence, satisfaction, motivation, strength. This is not a time to hold back – it is a time to attack. - You can feel this way any time you wish, any time you need it, any time you are in trouble during the match. You have an image of your best serve in your mind and you can use it whenever you want. - Slowly move your body and open your eyes. Dr. Marina Gerin Birsa Sports Psychologist www.psymedisport.com info@psymedisport.com TennisWorld sa

THE FOREHAND

The four phases in which I typically break down the stroke are:

It is a well-known fact that in today’s game the forehand is the most flexible and effective shot on the pro circuit. In fact, almost all professional players try to avoid their backhand as often as possible in order to hit a forehand instead. There are a couple of reasons for this: - The forehand is much more “elastic” in terms of impact height and distance. With your forehand you can force the ball even if it is not at the optimal height, which is absolutely impossible with a one-handed backhand (unless of course your name is Roger Federer...). - The forehand is a very straightforward stroke. Even people playing tennis for the first time often find this to be true, and as a result it is the shot that most tennis coaches, including me, start with when teaching new students. Given its importance, all tennis players must have a firm understanding of the forehand. Let’s look at this stroke in detail. GRIP There are a number of grips that allow for an effective forehand, and each of these has its own advantages and disadvantages. In terms of grips that are suitable for beginners, every single tennis coach will have their students start with the Eastern Forehand Grip. How to find the grip There are many ways to find the different types of grips on the octagonal handle of the tennis racquet, and they are all equally valid. The easiest and most straightforward (which I always use in my lessons) is the one that relates the tip of the “V” formed by the intersection of the thumb and index finger with the various corners of the octagon that makes up the handle of the racquet.

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Eastern grip This is the typical “handshake” grip (the racquet is held as if one was shaking someone’s hand), which best connects the face of the racquet to the palm of the hand. This is certainly the easiest grip for playing the forehand and it is the one recommended to anyone starting off in the wonderful sport of tennis. Due to the way it connects the string area and the palm of the hand, this grip allows the racquet to be used as if it was an extension of the player’s arm. This grip therefore allows for great versatility in the stroke, which will be effective in both flat and topspin shots. How to find it In order to find this type of grip, one has to match the “V” to the right-hand corner of the upper side of the handle.

1 - Backswing This is the initial part of the movement, in which the racquet is taken towards the back of the body until a short pause is reached before the forward swing begins. In order for the movement to be simple and effective, the racquet needs to be taken back in a linear and direct way. The hand that holds the racquet will move backwards in a straight line, while the upper body positions itself perpendicular to the net. The racquet arm will have a stretched-out elbow (particularly important during the initial learning stages) and the hand that holds the racquet will be approximately at the height of the right hip.

2 - Forward swing This is the forward movement that takes the racquet to the point of contact with the ball. The racquet will again be taken forward directly towards the ball (or at most slightly below it).

Optimal impact point When this grip is used, the ideal point of contact with the ball is in line with the front foot or slightly forward, and at an impact height between the waist and the knees.

ing towards the target. This will help you avoid losing the direction of the stroke. The height of the impact is approximately between the hips and the knees. PHOTO 5 4 - Follow-through This is the final phase, from the moment the ball leaves the string area to the end of the movement. After impact, the movement continues by extending the arm in the direction in which the shot is being aimed. It ends with the racquet completing its course above the left shoulder.

BODY WEIGHT It is worth mentioning the role of the body’s weight during the four phases of the forehand. Your body weight should follow the movement of the racquet and gradually shift forward. At the end of the shot, the weight must have shifted entirely onto the front foot, whereas the left foot is on tip-toe.

video 1 (full stroke)

The phases of the forehand In my personal teaching method, I usually break down the technique of the movement into four main phases. This allows me to better identify what problems may occur at any specific level, and it allows my trainees to focus on just one technical detail at a time, thus optimising the learning process.

Training sequence Having established the key stages of the forehand movement, we can now discuss how to hit the ball correctly. We’ll do so by making use of four main steps. 3 - Impact This is the very short moment in which the ball is on the string area. The ball is struck in line with the front foot, or slightly forward, with a string area clearly facing the opponent’s side. The ball will be pushed straight in front, and it’s important to try and keep the face of the racquet point-

Throughout these steps, there are two important things to keep in mind: • •

Carry out every single step until you feel you have mastered it Carry out the movements in a relaxed way (moderate grip on the racquet) and, most important of all, hit softly!

Step 1: Finding the impact point The first technical element we are looking at is the correct point of impact with the forehand. Go over to the net, stand sideways and do the following:

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1. Position your racquet roughly in line with your front foot 2. Place the racquet at the ideal impact height – approximately between the waist and the knee 3. Turn the racquet face towards the opponent’s side and keep your racquet perpendicular to the ground In this first phase you will simply need to “push” the ball forward while trying to keep the string area pointing towards the target for as long as possible. In the final stage of the impact phase the hand rises roughly to shoulder height. Throughout this step you have to try and keep your weight on the side of the body where the impact took place.

for the racquet – try positioning it where the racquet should end up before hitting the shot. It’s worth practicing without a ball at first. After a while you can ask a friend to throw you a few balls until you are comfortable with the follow-through movement.

Here too you need to look for a straight trajectory.

This first step is crucial and needs to be practiced as soon as you start learning to play tennis. The reason for this is that impact is the least controllable phase of the shot. It is worthwhile devoting some time to fully getting to grips with this step. After memorising the movement, try it out with a ball tossed to you by a friend or simply by yourself. Try to let the ball leave the string area with a straight trajectory, heading straight away from you. If you manage to do this successfully, it is a clear sign that your racquet face and wrist are correctly positioned at impact. Step 2: The follow-through Now that we’ve discussed the correct impact point, we can add the follow-through to our forehand. At this point we simply need to let our racquet arm continue its motion after the shot, which will naturally take it to the opposite side of the body. A very important point concerning the follow-through is that it must end its movement above the non-dominant shoulder. It is a good idea to use your free (i.e. non-dominant) hand actively, especially in the beginning. Use it as a point of arrival 56

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Step 3: The backswing Now you need to position the racquet behind your body, with the racquet head pointing towards the back fence and with its face perpendicular to the ground. This is the first phase of the backswing, and it will allow you to give thrust and power to your forehand. Note that the right arm is almost entirely extended – particularly in these initial stages I strongly advise you to keep it in this position, with emphasis on the following: 1 - An extended elbow 2 - Your gripping hand below waist height 3 - The racquet firmly held back, but not beyond the line of the body As you can see in the video, you should first practice by stopping at every step, then try and combine the whole movement in a continuous and fluid motion. Only then must you move on to working with an actual tennis ball. For this third step, it is a good idea to practice the pointof-impact movement, then stop and have someone throw a ball at you, at which point you complete the whole impact/ follow-through motion. Remember to always try and hit the ball with a straight trajectory. When you are more comfortable with the whole movement you should start from the backswing and carry out the whole movement after the ball

phase. It will help you in carrying out a correct backswing and allow you to achieve better balance and maintain a better distance from the ball. This detail is the extension across the body of the non-dominant arm – which we often forget we even have – but which has a fundamental role to play in the balance of our shot.

has been thrown. At this point we can add the final touch that will allow you to correctly uncoil the upper body and unleash the power of the forehand: the correct first movement. What is meant by first movement “First movement”, as the phrase indicates, refers to what you “activate” first when you decide to play a forehand. This first movement will start the whole “kinetic chain” which will lead you, eventually, to strike the ball. This might all sound silly, but at a biomechanical level it has been proven that making a mistake at the first movement of the kinetic chain can ruin your shot. It compromises the basic uncoiling movement, thus limiting the push that you apply to the ball. Because of this the power and accuracy of the forehand is severely compromised. Knowing and applying the correct movement can definitely help you hit a better forehand. You should try to avoid isolating the action of one arm during the backswing, and instead focus on performing a joint action for both shoulders and arms. A correct and productive first movement If you wish to best exploit the uncoiling of your body to generate power in your stroke, you will need to perform what in biomechanics is called the “joint rotational action of the shoulders.” Basically, you will need to rotate the arms together with the torso during the first phase of the backswing movement.

This way, you will achieve a better uncoiling of the upper body and accumulate elastic energy which you can offload into the ball. Once we have grasped the dynamics of joint action, let’s move to the last step in the training sequence and add to the backswing phase this synchronised un-

coiling of shoulders and arms. Step 4: Joint action of the arms during the backswing An important detail I would like to make you aware of a very important detail in this joint action

I would strongly advise you to focus on this extension (especially in the first phase of “memorisation” of the joint action) until it becomes automatic. You should carry out a few practice backswings, including the joint action of the shoulders and arms, and pay attention to taking your non-dominant arm across your body and positioning it almost parallel to the net. Having done that, repeat the entire

VIDEO 2 movement with this added element. Then try to strike a few balls that are gently thrown to you, all the while keeping in mind the technical details we have just discussed. Now you are ready to move on to the rally phase. Massimiliano Grancini is a tennis coach affiliated with the Italian Tennis Federation and Professional PTR. He is the founder and director of www.iltennista.com – the first site in Italy to focus on tennis training. TennisWorld sa

A Balancing Act, Part Two:

Core Training by Jaco Burger

I just returned from Windhoek, where I spent the last eight days at the Namibia under-18 Grade 4 ITF tournament. I saw some amazing tennis and some not-soamazing tennis, but it was great to go back and revisit good old Windhoek. If you haven’t played tennis in Windhoek before, let me give you some background information on the conditions and how it affects play. Firstly, it is 1600 meters above sea level. The tournaments are played on very fast hard courts which are often covered in dust, which makes the ball skid through even faster. The dust also makes the courts a bit slippery, something you don’t expect on a hard court. This is obviously a bit of a challenge as far as movement is concerned. The conditions are also very dry and the temperatures range from around 24-28 degrees Celsius. All of these factors affect both your tennis and your body. Let’s have a look at exactly how it affects your body, and then I will link it back to balance and core training.

EXERCISE

• High altitude: - The ball stays airborne for much longer and the conditions are very fast. Much more racquet head speed is required to get the ball over the net and in the court. Players need to move very fast in order to get into position quicker, and foot speed is crucial. - At this altitude there is much less oxygen in the air, which causes quicker fatigue.

- Courts are fast and slippery. - Due to the slippery surface, the player’s body needs to maintain a low centre of gravity. The use of 58

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Now that I’ve driven home the importance of core strength, let’s look at how to get your core working and discuss some good exercises. I want to emphasize these exercises are general in nature, and will not address specific core needs that you might have. These are a good place to start if you don’t have a program specifically tailored for you and your tennis needs.

Locate the TA (Transversus Abdominus): To know that the correct muscles are working, you need to feel them when they work. The easiest way of doing this is to place your 2nd finger on the bony

parts at the front of your hip bone. These are known as your anterior superior iliac. Move your hands inwards about 2cm towards your belly button and down 2cm or so towards your toes. You should be right on the TA muscle. (See picture)

CORE STABILISATION EXERCISES

• Hard Courts covered with dust:

are detached from each other if the core muscles aren’t sufficiently strong. If that happens in tennis, the kinetic chain is effectively broken. This causes the shoulder joint to work much harder to generate pace and spin. When the core is stronger, the load is divided throughout the chain and the shoulder is not at so much risk of overuse.

the core and kinetic chain becomes very important. That’s enough about the conditions. As the tournament progressed to the quarter-finals and beyond, it was clear that some players could adapt to the conditions while others couldn’t. There were some players who are truly talented and usually dominate, but they were simply physically outplayed by some of their fitter – if less technically accomplished – peers. I’ve seen this kind of thing happen more than once. Juniors need to accept that until they place as much importance on their physical training as they do on their tennis training, they will not realize their full potential on the court. One bad habit I saw throughout the week was players over-using their shoulders due to a lack of core stability, strength and power. As I said previously, the upper and lower extremities

SETS

Prone Plank (Face Down) both feet on bench Progression Lift one leg while maintaining pelvic stability Side Plank (Sideways) both feet on bench Progression Lift top leg off bench Lift bottom leg off ground Supine Plank with feet on 30cm Bench/BOSU (face up) Progression Lift one leg while maintaining pelvic stability ISO Kneeling Opposite Elbow to Knee ISO Abdominal Crunch ISO Swiss Ball Reverse Hip Extensions Sitting/Kneeling/Standing on Swiss Ball

REPS x DURATION 1x 30-60sec

1-3

PICTURE

TEMPO

Isometric

1x20-30sec/leg 1x 30-60sec

1-3

Isometric 1x20-30sec/ side/leg 1x 30-60sec

1-3

C D

Isometric

1x20-30sec/leg 1-3 1-3 1-3 1-3

5x 10sec/side 5x 5sec 5x 10sec 60sec

Isometric Isometric

Isometrics

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Try all of the techniques below and see which work best for you. How to know if you are contracting your core correctly: When your core is contracting/activating correctly, you should feel it tightening under your fingers, and not “bulging”. If it is bulging you are contracting too much. The correct level of activity in core muscles should be around 30% of their maximum, so that they have enough energy to contract continuously. Perform all the following exercises on a comfortable firm surface such as an exercise/stretching mat. Bend your knees and hips so that you are lying comfortably on your back, with your knees up and your feet shoulder-width apart on the floor. Make sure your shoulders are relaxed and concentrate on breathing into the sides of your ribcage to take pressure off the diaphragm. Try not to breath into your abdomen or upper chest. Remember to breathe normally throughout all the exercises – it is common for beginners to hold their breath as they focus on contracting the core.

Knee cap pain in tennis players

By Danie Morkel

While lying in the above position, take a deep breath in. On exhaling, focus on trying to lower your belly button down towards the floor without flattening out your lower back. Maintain your natural lumbar curve. Feel the contraction of the TA with your fingers.

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The forces exerted by the quadriceps on the knee cap in extending the knee – or more importantly slowing it down in flexion – are transmitted through the patella chondral cartilage. In some wonderful way these extensor

The kneecap only makes contact with the femur from 45-60 degrees of knee flexion. PF joint pain will affect many people who play impact sports, especially tennis. Although chondral insufficiency softening usually affects older people, PF pain also affects younger players. In female players it can start as early as age 14.

Although many anatomical factors have been blamed for this condition, in the end it is chronic chondral cartilage overload that leads to insufficiency cracks. The challenge

Core Contraction/Activation Technique 2: In the same position as above, take a deep breath. On exhaling, focus on “drawing up” from the pelvic floor. Imagine that you wish to stop yourself going to the toilet, but make sure you do not overuse the other abdominal muscles. This would result in a bulge 60

mechanisms of the quadriceps, patella and patellar tendon are interconnected. This means that even though the chondral cartilage has no nerve supply, the knee will start to hurt when insufficiency softening of the chondral cartilage occurs.

Often both knees are affected, but in tennis it might be the dominant or even the non-dominant knee that will start hurting after matches and training. In PF pain the knee will also hurt when negotiating stairs, jumping or running. A telltale sign of PF pain is when a knee starts to ache when the joint is in flexion for extended periods of time, like in a cinema or airplane. The knee might swell up in severe cases.

Core Contraction/Activation Technique 1:

Pain in the knee cap (or patellofemoral joint) is caused by overuse of the chondral cartilage in the joint between the patella and femur. The chondral cartilage behind the patella is the thickest in the body, and this bears testimony to the forces experienced by the joint.

rather that a tightening under your fingers. Once you are comfortable with this exercise and feel natural doing it, start incorporating this activation/contraction of the TA in all your strength exercises as well as on court. After this has been mastered, follow it up with some of the following basic core stabilization exercises. Don’t worry if you struggle to get it right the first few times. Most people’s TA is dumb and needs to be trained. Just keep at it. Do it every day and you will see an improvement over time.

for young players is to make sure that the load on the knee is physiologically correct. Knee alignment certainly plays a role in PF chondral cartilage overload. Unfortunately, corrective surgical procedures aren’t always effective and generally have very long recovery periods. Prevention is therefore very important, especially in young players. The force on the PF joint during heel strike is certainly much greater on hard courts than on clay or grass courts. There are enough studies to prove that eccentric training of quadriceps and hamstrings will lead a decrease in peak forces on the quadriceps, and therefore also the PF joint. It is important not to do squat or lunge exercises in deep flexion, especially if the knees hurt when doing so. Female players need never do squats or lunges with weights. Wearing good shoes is important, but rigid orthotics can be damaging in certain cases. Glucosamine supplements may decrease joint inflammation and help maintain joint homeostasis and dynamics, but cannot cure or prevent chondral damage. So when it comes to PF joint pain, there are a few key things to remember: listen to your knees, do squats and lunges, wear good shoes and always train judiciously.

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The lost art of hitting the half volley by Scott Mitchell Tennis today is a lot different than it was ten, twenty years ago. Players don’t come to the net as often as they did in the past, and as they’ve begun to play more from the baseline, one shot in particular has started to fade away: the half volley. Recreational and club doubles players who still serve and volley will often encounter this tough shot. In the six photos below I will discuss some of the basics of hitting a great half volley.

In the first photo of the backhand half volley, notice that I am just behind the service line to execute the shot. My head is balanced and still, and my knees are bent to allow me to get as low as possible to the ball. Notice my backswing is very short, as I do not need much power behind this shot – but I

to the ball to hit an effective shot. The stance is more of a square or slightly closed stance, which will allow me to stay balanced through the motion. It is acceptable but a bit more difficult to attempt this in the open stance. The backswing of my half volley is very short. This allows for a short punch motion with lots of control. There isn’t much need for pace on a shot like this, but it is important to have control.

Scott, a former #1 Mixed Doubles player in the United States, is the Head Tennis Professional at Charlotte Country Club (CCC) in North Carolina. CCC is ranked one of the Top 14 country clubs by Platinum Clubs of America-Club Forum. Scott was the Assistant Coach for Georgia Perimeter College when the team won four straight National Championships. In 2009, he was named PTR Clinician of the Year. He is currently working on a tennis DVD. need plenty of control. The ball is bouncing at my feet, so too big a backswing will force me to hit the ball behind my body, and I will lose control. My shoulders are level and not leaning to one side or the other, so I am perfectly balanced to execute this shot. In the second photo you see my non-playing arm come off the racquet and begin to move backwards. This will keep my body balanced through the swing. Again notice how the knees are bent, allowing me to get as low as possible and lift the ball up and over the net. My head is again not looking straight down, but is almost balanced to where you could place a book on my head without it falling off. It is much easier and usually more effective to execute the half volley with a closed or squared stance rather than an open stance.

In the last photo of the backhand half volley, you can still see my knees are bent and have stayed bent throughout the swing. My left arm – or non-playing arm – has continued to move backwards to keep me balanced all the way to the end of the swing. Again my head is balanced and my eyes are looking at where the ball and racquet met. Looking up too soon to see where you are going to hit will cause you to hit it off-center on your strings. The motion of my right arm – or my hitting arm – during the half volley is a rising socket motion. This is a different shoulder motion than a backhand ground stroke, which is a rotating socket motion. During the half volley your shoulder should rise straight up behind your shot. Your racquet strings will be parallel to the ground at the end of the follow-through.

In this second photo you can again see that I am in a squared stance and my knees are bent throughout the motion. My racquet is beginning to move forward and the strings are staying open and pointing towards my target. This is not the typical ground stroke follow-through. The motion is a rising motion, with the racquet strings just as I mentioned with the backhand half volley. I need more of a volley motion with

In the first photo of the forehand half volley, notice that the racquet is making contact with the ball just in front of the left foot. The knees are bent to allow me to get as low as possible a slight follow-through at the end. You can see the ball as it leaves the photo and the trajectory is very low, as I am aiming through the middle of the court and over the lowest part of the net. In the last photo of the forehand half volley you can see the end of the follow-through. The strings are still pointing towards my target at the end of the motion which will allow me to control my shot. When attempting to hit the half volley there isn’t a need to hit it with power. Use your opponent’s power and block or punch the ball back with a short backswing and short follow through. Also notice that my head is still looking down to the point of contact. My legs have also stayed bent throughout the entire swing.

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Classic Tennis Reads

By Philip Maré

Name: Breaking Back: How I Lost Everything and Won Back My Life Author: James Blake Pages: 288 Publisher: HarperCollins First Published: 2007

Now at this point almost anyone would just give up. Occasional setbacks are normal, but being dealt such repeatedly crippling blows is too much for even the strongest characters. However, Blake simply refused to give up. Shaking off his broken neck and viral infection, and drawing inspiration from his father’s incredible courage up to the day he died, Blake launched a ferocious assault on the sport of tennis that would soon see him beating the likes of Rafael Nadal, reaching the Top 10 and playing in the final of the prestigious ATP World Tour Finals.

Luck plays a bigger role in sports than we like to admit, and tennis is no exception. A ball clipping the top of the net can wreak havoc on the momentum of a match, unfairly gifting a player with a point that they don’t necessarily deserve. A badly mistimed shot that shanks off the racquet frame can sometimes find inhuman angles, robbing the opposing player of a point, and perhaps the match. But as important as someone’s good fortune on the court can be, their luck off the court often has a greater effect on their career in the long run. In a freak accident at the end of 2009 – after he had been playing the best tennis of his life – Sam Querrey fell through a glass table and was forced to sit out the rest of the season. Just recently Serena Williams cut her foot on broken glass while eating at a restaurant, ruining her preparation for the US Open and calling into question whether she would play at the event at all. Every tennis player will at some point in their career suffer such misfortunes, but usually it only sets them back momentarily. It’s very rarely career-threatening, and usually quickly forgotten. However, some players just don’t seem to have any luck, and James Blake is one of them.

Comeback stories are a dime a dozen in the sports world, but few have as much heart as Blake’s account of his numerous struggles. Throughout the book there is a relentless optimism that is positively contagious. There is never a hint of bitterness, even when he relates the most trying and frankly infuriating anecdotes. For example, when he was at his very lowest point the “friends” he had made on the ATP Tour all but abandoned him. He never calls these players by their names – nor does he name the few who stuck with him – and he speaks of this time with sadness instead of anger. Blake started playing tennis at the age of five, and even then it was clear that he had a talent for the sport. At 13, however, it was discovered that he had scoliosis, a malformation of the spine that for many years forced him to wear a full back brace 18 hours a day. This obviously curtailed his physical activity, though he did still manage to play a fair amount of tennis. Unlike most professionals these days – who prefer to drop out of school early on to devote themselves solely to tennis – Blake decided to go to Harvard University first. When he finally did turn pro, he quickly started making a name for himself. Knocking on the door of the Top 20, with luck seemingly on his side, he decided to take on the red clay that had given him so much trouble in the past. By doing so he hoped to add a new dimension to his game that would take him to the next level. But during a practice match against Robby Ginepri in Rome, Blake slipped chasing down a drop shot and hit the corner post of the net head-on. He broke his neck, and suddenly it seemed that he might never play again.

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Despite this massive setback and against incredible odds he slowly recovered, going even so far as to start planning his return to the Tour. But just as things seemed to be going his way another catastrophe struck. His father, Thomas Blake, who had introduced him to tennis and was one of the most important people of his life, took a turn for the worst in his fight against cancer. A few months later he passed away, leaving James devastated. Just days after the funeral, he started feeling ill. A string of tests confirmed that he was suffering from a severe case of zoster (also known as shingles). It paralysed half of his face, severely reduced the hearing ability of his left ear, destroyed his sense of taste and badly affected his balance – a devastating loss for a tennis player.

Blake’s tendency to always look on the bright side of everything might turn some people off, and if you’re looking for

some scandalous details about the Tour’s current players you’ll be disappointed with Breaking Back. Even when discussing one of the most controversial incidents in recent US Open history he remains gracious and evasive, and does his best to avoid insulting other players – despite the fact that they obviously deserve it. (At the 2001 US Open Lleyton Hewitt threw a tantrum because he thought an African American line judge was favouring Blake because of his skin colour). The book is also a bit light on details about the professional tennis circuit and what it’s like playing on it. Blake doesn’t spend too much time discussing the minutiae that tennis fans will be interested in, which does detract somewhat from the book’s overall appeal. Though seeing as Breaking Back is more about Blake’s comeback from his many injuries than it is about professional tennis, this is a forgivable oversight. If you are after a more complete account of tennis at this level, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi’s biographies will probably be more to your liking. Blake may no longer be at the top of the men’s game, but Breaking Back is still an excellent read. The American’s trials and tribulations are not over, and he’s been suffering from a string of new injuries for the past year or so. The latest of these, a bad knee injury that kept him out of the entire clay court season, has been a particularly rough one. However, he is intent on returning to the Tour soon, and after reading this book it’s clear that there’s no injury on Earth that will keep him away from the court for very long.

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Comeback Klaasen By Philip Maré

he grass courts in Newport have little in common with their counterparts at the All England Club. The surface of Centre Court at Wimbledon is so flat and reliable these days that it plays almost like a hard court, resulting in long baseline battles with only the occasional foray to the net. Though the main court at the Hall of Fame Championships has the same inviting, lush green look as the one at SW19, it’s a different beast altogether. Bounces are fiendishly unpredictable, and the slick surface gives players no time to adjust if the ball takes a strange turn.

McEnroe and his legendary serve and volley style would dominate here, even against these youngsters.

Only “old school” can adequately describe the courts, and playing at this event is like taking a step back in time. You half expect to see one of the masters of yesteryear across the net, and there’s little doubt that John

His ranking didn’t allow him direct entry into the draw, so he had to fight his way through the qualifiers. He did so with considerable aplomb, though he had the sad task of eliminating fellow South African Izak van der Merwe

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No top seed has ever won the Hall of Fame Championships – a phenomenon known as the “Casino Curse.” No doubt the unique nature of the courts has something to do with this, and at this year’s event the curse struck again when Sam Querrey was knocked out by Jamaica’s Dustin Brown. Many other seeds followed suit, and it was against this backdrop that Raven Klaasen prepared for what would turn out to be the tournament of his life.

in the final round of the preliminary stages. “It was hard playing him,” Klaasen says of the clash, which ended with him winning 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. “We have travelled together lately so we’ve actually played often in the last two years. If you are in the same draw enough times you are bound to play eventually.” Unfortunately for Klaasen, the main draw was not kind to him. His first match was against the popular and flamboyant Serbian Ilija Bozoljac, who had just recently pushed Roger Federer to four – and very nearly five – sets at Wimbledon. Bozoljac is well known for being an ace machine, and loves coming to the net – a dangerous combination on the wonky grass of Newport. But if Klaasen was intimidated he didn’t show it, and in two extremely tense tie-breaks he didn’t flinch once,

pened, especially on grass,” a rightfully proud Klaasen explains. “I rate it right up there because of the importance of the match. I was playing for my first ATP quarter-finals so it meant a lot to me.”

winning them both and the match. The win was a massive boost to his self confidence, and he’d need it for his next opponent. Rajeev Ram was the defending champion and, like Bozoljac, an experienced serve and volley master. The only difference is that he’s not prone to the inconsistencies that plague the Serbian. A constant presence in the Top 100, Ram was not to be trifled with. The match started poorly for Klaasen, and soon he was down a set. A spirited fightback saw him level the match, but the energy required to do so left him drained in the decider. Down 5-0 it was all but over. “Initially I was just thinking about getting on the scoreboard,” he recalls. “But I had been returning well all week so just wanted to give myself as many chances as possible.” Ram, perhaps letting his guard down with such a massive lead, allowed Klaasen to hold serve after having him at 30-30. At this point Klaasen started taking major swings at everything, and it paid off with an immediate break of serve. A consolation break, many would have thought, but he held serve again to make it 5-3. Now things were

In the next round he finally found his match in Olivier Rochus, the wily Belgian who has a history of giving the best players in the world headaches. This year alone he has already beaten French Open finalist Robin Soderling and world number two Novak Djokovic, and he proved too much to handle for Klaasen. getting interesting. Ram had one more chance to close out the match, but feeling the pressure he dropped serve again. With the match tied at 5-5, it was Klaasen’s turn to panic a bit. Both men gingerly held serve and the match went to a tie-break, where the South African quickly asserted himself. “From 5-0 to 5-5 I was OK, but then it was match on again so I got slightly nervous. In the tiebreak I got off to a flying start.” Before he knew it he had won, saving two match points in the most incredible comeback of the week. “It was the best comeback I’ve ever made and still can’t believe it hap-

Despite that loss it was a wonderful tournament for the 27-year old, and the points he gained pushed him once again to the verge of the Top 300. “It was an amazing week for me,” he says. “I definitely feel more confident now and my self-belief has grown massively.” He hopes to improve on his career-best ranking of 274 soon, and will spend the next few months on hard courts trying to do just that. “I’m going to play in the US mostly and hopefully play the US Open Qualifying before coming home.” He might not be home for very long, however, since South Africa has an important Davis Cup tie in Germany, and he’s always made himself available to captain John-Laffnie de Jager in the past. His recent success certainly won’t hurt his chances of making the team. Klaasen says that his dream is to play on Wimbledon’s Centre Court one day, and given how well he played on the tricky grass courts of Newport, we look forward to the day when he shows the world what he can do on tennis’ biggest stage.

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An Interview with

Kelly Anderson

second set and losing 11-9 in the third set tie-breaker. That match taught me that you have to do whatever, however ugly, to turn things around and there is always a chance.”

On the 20th of April, 1985, Kelly Anderson was born in the coastal town of Port Shepstone in KwaZulu Natal. In her 25 years on the planet she has managed to firmly establish herself in the South African Fed Cup team, and though her record indicates that she is a far better at doubles than singles, the perfectionist in her is determined to rectify that. “My strongest attributes would be probably be my volleys and serve, but everything can be improved on.”

Away from the court, Kelly enjoys the psychology of great champions, the outdoors, computers and takes great interest in helping the poor and changing weather patterns. She also plays the drums and piano.

When wearing the colours of her country on Fed Cup duty, she has a 5-2 record on the doubles court with her partner Natalie Grandin, who she rates as one of her best friends in the sport. Anderson attributes the team’s zeal to improve their world position to the captaincy of Greer Leo-Smith. “Greer was obviously an unbelievable player who achieved incredible things. She is really passionate about what she does and so willing to help and give whatever she can.” Anderson remembers Leo-Smith from when she was a child. “Most of my memories of Greer were ‘Greers,’ which was a tennis clothing company she had in Pietermaritzburg. And yes, I do have pictures of me from when I was probably about six or seven wearing ‘Greers’ clothing! Her company also made our school’s tennis outfits.” Perhaps the blame can be laid at lack of television coverage at the time, but Anderson admits she was not aware of Leo-Smith’s exploits as a player for a long time. Kelly confesses her gratitude at being afforded the chance to work with Leo-Smith and become better acquainted with her. “It was good to get to know Greer last year during our trip to Turkey. Actually at the Fed Cup dinner, the referee announced that there was a former Top 10 player at the dinner and listed all 68

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these achievements of a person sitting at the dinner. When he said that person was Greer, I think our team was as surprised as everyone else!”

introduced and walking out on court, playing well and the encouraging words from both the coaches and some other players after the match.

I asked Kelly if she could share a fun secret about her Fed Cup captain with us. (Obviously not one that would lead to the 25-year old missing out on selection for the next tie!) With a naughty but cautious smile she says of Greer Leo-Smith, “She’s also pretty good on the dance floor!”

With a sparkle in her eyes and an uncontrollable smile as she describes the experience, one would never imagine that this took place three years ago. “I think I lay on my bed that night, staring at the ceiling, thinking what had just happened!” It was not easy of course. Anderson clearly recalls Safina’s kickserve, which the Russian constantly threw at her backhand: “It was heavy like I had never seen before.”

She may not be the world’s best player, but she has a number of remarkable outings of which to tell her grandchildren about one day. “In the first WTA match I played in doubles in Linz, Austria, I played with Patty Schnyder against Dinara Safina and Gisela Dulko. That was the match I really first believed I could play at the top level. I had had a good run of tournaments leading into it and was really excited about the challenge. It was the feature night match and the whole experience was surreal.” Anderson remembers warming up in the gym, waiting in the lounge to play, being

A lesson was also learnt on the court in Estoril, when she partnered Rika Fujiwara against Klaudia Jans and Eva Hrdinova. After a first set whitewash the experienced Japanese lady sat down with Anderson to discuss tactics. “She is short and was getting lobbed, and I couldn’t stay with them in the ground stroke rallies. So we decided to take advantage of our strengths, Rika’s ground strokes and my volleys. So I remember on my serve, she stayed back and I served and volleyed! I have never in my life done that or had anyone do it to me but it worked. They still returned to me even though I was approaching the net. We decided it should be called the Fujiwara/Anderson formation! We ended up winning the

Of course at 25 the sun hasn’t exactly on her tennis career, and she still harbours lofty ambitions. “I think tennis opens up a lot of opportunities. Whether it’s the opportunity of making friends, building self-esteem through success, learning discipline and perseverance, opportunities to earn money through a professional career or coaching, opportunities to travel to different countries or opportunities to get a degree from a college scholarship. My dream is that when I stop playing (or even while I am), I will be in a position through different tennis contacts to be able to offer tennis to underprivileged people, and in doing so see tennis being used to help people better their lives and create opportuni-

ties for themselves.” That attitude bodes well for the future of the sport in South Africa. Tennis has sadly been on the decline in the last decade or so, but as long as players (former or present) are still throwing their weight behind the sport there is bound to be an unearthing of quality tennis players. Anderson is particularly excited by the annual Soweto Open, which has already been embraced by locals residing close to the Arthur Ashe Stadium. “It is an unbelievable opportunity for tennis to spread. It would also be cool if every club in the country had a used equipment box where people could drop off their used shoes, racquets and clothes (or even new shoes) so that these can be distributed to our hosts in Soweto in a year’s time,” she says .

that she doesn’t go mentally nuts playing week in and week out!” I threw one last question at her: why does she think Williams performs so consistently? “Well I don’t know. Perhaps Richard Williams should open an academy!” Perhaps he should. Why not open one in Soweto, Mister Williams? Now there is a thought.

Serena Williams is rated as Anderson’s top player in both singles and doubles. She justifies her choice by pointing to the way in which the younger Williams sister plans her schedule to avoid playing too many tournaments every year. “Of course you have to be good enough to perform well in those few tournaments in order to be world number one, but by doing what she does it ensures

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John-Laffnie De Jager

World Team Tennis and the US Open

his month I’m talking to you from Sacramento, California, as I’m in the United States for World Team Tennis (WTT) 2010. This is one of the highlights on my tennis calendar. I first came here in 1994 when I played for

the New Jersey Stars. Billie Jean King was our owner and Martina Navratilova played on my team and we ended up winning. I also competed for the Delaware Smash, Kansas City Explorers and the St Louis Aces over a seven-year pe-

riod. This is now my fourth WTT season as a coach and I’m presently with the Springfield Lasers. We actually won the Western Conference last year and I was named coach of the year. That was truly a proud moment.

Since I am in the US I may as well give you my thoughts on this year’s US Open at Flushing Meadows. I think it is going to be a fascinating contest, as Rafael Nadal has dominated men’s tennis this year with his wins at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. He must be the favourite although Roger Federer cannot be happy with his recent performances and will want to change that. Andy Murray also loves playing in New York, but I think what we all would love to see is a Nadal-Federer final. Next month I am going to share my thoughts with you on our Davis Cup World Group play-off tie against Germany.

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I like to think of WTT as the Pro20 of tennis, with colourful courts and clothes together with music and spectator participation. It really is smashing good fun. Other South Africans have also competed over the years and this year I have Rik De Voest and Chani Scheepers on my team. We really are up against tough opposition as the Williams sisters, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Maria Sharapova and Kim Clijsters are amongst our opponents. Some old hands are also involved, like John McEnroe, Martina Hingis, Anna Kournikova and Michael Chang.

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Gael Monfils plays the Rebel.

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