Tennis World International n° 4

TennisWorld

速

INTERNATIONAL

www.tennisworldsa.com Issue number 4 | ISSN 2075-6526

SPECIAL FEATURE

Australian Open SA Open featuring:

FEDERER | ANDY MURRAY | CILIC | KIRILENKO | SHARAPOVA LOPEZ | KLAASEN

Join the South African online tennis community NOW! Sign up now for access to: Forums Live scores Schedules Interviews Statistics Profiles Photos Videos Reviews Specials Techniques Local news and more...

From the editor Tennis World South Africa One man alone in the lead... Roger Federer!

Never before have I registered such a significant difference between one tennis player and all the others. Federer is proving to be the champion who can eliminate any nuance between winning and winning hands down!

Becker, Edberg, Chang, Courier, Ivanisevic.

The Australian Open has demonstrated that the Swiss can easily dispose of the competition, especially the Federer of today - relaxed, focussed, confident again (after all, he has achieved all the records he wanted and will soon also claim that of number of weeks at the top of the rankings: 286).

He will continue to beat one record after the other!

With Nadal forced into the workshop for the necessary repairs to a body that has perhaps been loaded with too much stress, the others were like trifle in the face of the genius.

Even Murray, a finalist, and someone who has often beaten him (they were 6-4 before the decisive match of Melbourne), has not yet succeeded in wresting one set from him in the Slam tournaments.

I have read a thousand times of likely and unlikely comparisons between Roger and the other great of the past. A thousand times the question has been asked as to whether he is really the only deity in the Olympus of tennis.

I have seen numbers of any sort dissected...

And in the end everyone seems to agree on his coronation. Federer is the KING! Even McEnroe has referred to him as “the best men’s player of all time”.

All these attentions, however, do not find me in agreement, at least not entirely. Federer is a Unique, Excellent, Superlative player, nobody would doubt that.

All champions who displayed marked talents on both a tennis and temperament level!

And the challenge in the court field was real, harsh, often uncertain. Federer will just continue to win and win hands down!

But I’ll take sides with the others: those who see him as a great tennis player indeed, but in a particular historical moment. A star that shines in a firmament less brilliant than usual.

In this issue we will abundantly cover the excellent tournament organised in Johannesburg: the SA OPEN. A tournament in which SATA has demonstrated its desire to take South African tennis back to its ancient splendours!

The tournament was organised in an outstanding way: services offered to both players and entourage was excellent It was really a great tournament, framed in a unique setting!

Well done! As regards the tennis played, there have been some excellent matches! A bit of regret remains however for the performances of South African players who were unable to get any further than the first or second round of the draw.

I am most grateful to SATA for the hospitality and the opportunities offered to Tennis World magazine. A heartfelt thank you!

Yet, I can’t celebrate him as the best ever. Why is that? Simple: tennis is not producing any great champions beside him! In my opinion, Federer has no significant rivals, not only in tennis, but above all on a personality level!

Aside from Nadal (when he was well, he managed to oust him from the throne of Wimbledon) and a reborn Davydenko... the rest of the tennis crew is not exactly demonstrating tremendous potential at the moment.

Not Murray, who has not yet managed to stand out in a tournament of the Slam, nor Djokovic who actually seems to have taken a step backwards compared to 2008 when he was crowned champion of Melbourne, and not even Del Potro (who remains the most convincing tennis player among the young, perhaps alongside Cilic), the Argentinian who had dared to raise his head in the presence of His Magnificence at the US Open and even managed to beat him!

In short, I think that all around Federer there is a shortage of tennis players with a strong personality!

Rather, if we look back to the years of Sampras, I believe that it is not difficult to wonder at the opponents from whom good Pistol Pete had to defend himself: Agassi,

Published by Matchball Tennis Editor & director Federico Coppini federico.coppini@matchballtennis.com Contributors Pietie Norval, Danie Morkel, Philip Mare, Donato Campagnoli, Jaco Burger, David Cox. 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 Business Details MatchballTennis (Pty) Ltd 85 Jonkershoek Road Stellenbosch, South Africa info@matchballtennis.com ART DIRECTION & DESIGN Shaun Strydom COPY EDITOR Philip Mare

Federico Coppini info@matchballtennis.com

Advertising advertising@matchballtennis.com Subscriptions Francois Smith Nelize Ernst subscriptions@matchballtennis.com Marketing & PR Nicolette Booyens 082 856 8789 marketing1@matchballtennis.com Internet www.tennisworldsa.com

www.tennisworldsa.com 1

TennisWorlD sa

TennisWorld sa

2

66

Contents

TennisWorld SA #4

08

24

Australian Open

40

08 12 14 16 18 20

Walking in Melbourne Beyond Numbers Australian Open Men’s Balance Ten things...

Australian Open Winners Australian Open Scorecards

Australian Open - Player Profiles

28

38

22 24 26 28 30 32 34 35 36 38 40 42 44

FEDERER MURRAY CILIC DJOKOVIC KUBOT KOROLEV SORENSEN Australian Open: MEN’s DRAW HENIN KIRILENKO SHARAPOVA KUCOVA Australian Open: WOMEN’s DRAW

SA Open 52 Around the SA OPEN 55 SA OPEN Scorecard 56 Inside the SA OPEN 57 NEWS 58 SA OPEN Player Feedback 60 Klaasen: A Diamond in the rough 62 LOPEZ Autograph 64 NEWS 65 HISTORY: My Africa 10 Article Health 66 Dr Morkel: When Backache Strikes 70 Jaco Burger: Stretching your way to success General

36

70

72 Match Analysis 76 Preparing for a match 79 DAVIS CUP: Facelift or Re-birth?

Rankings 82-87 ATP Rankings WTA Rankings ITF & Wheelchair Rankings SATA 89 Border Tennis Association 90 Bellevue Tennis Club 91 A view from the chair Competition 97 Tennis Online Competition IBC Subscribe to TennisWorld SA © 2010 TWSA. Permission Required to re-use any information in printed or digital format.

3

TennisWorlD sa

TennisWorld sa

4

THE

5

TennisWorlD sa

OF THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN

TennisWorld sa

6

THE

7

TennisWorlD sa

OF THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN

TennisWorld sa

8

australian open A plant that returns after frost to produce ever greener buds, an agave that is able to grow despite the harshest of droughts - so thrives Roger Federer. His opponents are likely to wilt too fast, mature too slowly or grow stunted, but Federer is a perennial peach flower that doesn’t care about seasons and amazes passers-by with its beauty and grace.

Few people can say that after his tearful loss to Rafael Nadal in the 2009 Australian Open final, they truly believed Roger Federer would ever be back to his best. He seemed destined for the slow decline that befalls all sporting legends in their twilight. But there was one person who had faith in him, even when nobody else did, and that person was Federer himself.

walking in

MELBOURNE

from our correspondent in Melbourne

STEFANO SEMERARO

It’s true that he had some help: Nadal’s loss at Roland Garros, Roddick’s meltdown during that second set tie-break at Wimbledon, Djokovic and Murray’s inability to back up their big boasts with big play.

But at the end of the day it was still Federer who had to do it. Nobody was going to win the titles for him - he would have to do that himself. And do it he did.

Sure he had a bit of a slip-up during the US Open final, but who couldn’t forgive him that? After winning the Wimbledon-French Open double, getting married, having children and reaching the final in New York, he deserved at least one mishap. Early on in the Australian Open it looked like the loss to Del Potro might have been more than a single mistake. A close shave against two Russians – Igor Andreev and Nikolay Davydenko – nearly put him in the exact same position he was a year before. But not this time.

After dismissing those demons from his mind, Federer was unstoppable.

Even Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a finalist in 9

TennisWorlD sa

TennisWorld sa

10

2008, playing some of his best tennis couldn’t dent Federer’s game. Andy Murray was also easily dismissed, erasing the memories of all those losses to him in years past.

“Sometimes this incredible journey that is my career surprises and amazes even me,” Federer confessed after winning his 16th Slam. “I never thought I would win so much, and I can say that in the last two weeks I have returned to play to the best of my ability”

How true those words are. And it is not just his play that has improved.

After finally getting the Roland Garros “monkey” off his back and surpassing Pete Sampras’ record for Slam wins, Federer seems much more relaxed. He has become playful, even frivolous, in press conferences. He handles interviews with greater ease and humour than he did before, as he showed when he was interviewed by Jim Courier after his matches. Federer has always had a sense of humour, but lately he’s almost become a comedian.

“How I prepared this winter?” Federer mused when Courier asked him how hard he worked during the off season. “Lying on the couch and looking after the girls. Dear Jim, you and Lendl were the ones who needed tough training, I am all talent.” Next Courier wanted to know if Federer thought he would get an easy ride in the final because he was now a father. “I don’t think that Murray in the final will be softened by the fact that I am a father. In England they haven’t won a Slam in 150 000 years; he wants to be the one to do it.”

Perhaps it is exactly the fact that he is now a father that he has become so jolly. “My little twins were not in the stands today because they are just six months”, he smiled after his victory. “One day perhaps Charlene 11

TennisWorlD sa

Riva and Myla Rose will see me on the court”, he continued, hinting that his evergreen career was nowhere close to ending.

“I love the Slams, but in 2009 for me it was important to win the Masters Series in Cincinnati in August, three weeks after having become a father.

I have always known that in life it is one’s affections, friends, family that matter most, and this has helped me to keep my balance in difficult times. The Grand Slam? It’s not the most important thing for me today.

I don’t care so much about records anymore, what will be, will be. The first thing that I will do tomorrow morning will be to wake up my two girls”. In a single year Federer went from sorrowful tears to an almost uncontainable joy.

He’s won the first one of 2010, and with Nadal still struggling with his injuries and his form, Federer lacks a rival with bite. Murray had a good start to the year but looks unable to stand up to Federer on the big stage.

He also suffers from the weight of British expectations. As Federer said, it’s been a long time since they’ve won a Slam.

“I have received so much support from home in the last two weeks”, Murray muttered with the silver bowl of consolation in his hands after the defeat. “I regret not to have managed to win for you”. Then finally, after a first wave of tears, he managed a joke: “I can cry like Roger, what a pity I can’t play like him”.

How I prepared this winter? Lying on the couch and looking after the girls Federer Unless he slows down joy will be the only thing he’ll be playing for. He has just a few records left to break. Only eight other fathers have managed to win a Slam in the last thirty years, with Jimmy Connors managing three.

Federer could surely beat that, just as he could exceed Sampras’ record for weeks at number one. (Federer is at 269, the record is 286).

Federer is the first tennis player to have won at least 50 matches in three Slams out of four (he is below average only in Paris). His 23 consecutive semi-finals in Grand Slams is already a monstrous record (the closest behind him is Ivan Lendl, with only ten), and so is his 22 Slam finals.

The only record that might be beyond the reach of the Swiss maestro is the Grand Slam – winning all four majors in the same year. Still, there is hope.

Other than Murray the field of true contenders is pretty thin. Cilic is certainly an interesting candidate, but he has a long way to go before he can truly match up with the likes of Federer. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga certainly has the shots, but is too unpredictable to truly scare the world number one, and Novak Djokovic is a shadow of the player who won in Melbourne two years ago. Juan Martin Del Potro is the only man other than Nadal to beat Federer in a Slam final, but he is very prone to injury and can’t be counted on as a reliable rival.

Many pundits predicted Nikolay Davydenko would be the man this year, and it seemed possible coming into the Open. He had beaten Federer twice in a row and started their quarter-final match with a boldness quite unlike him. For almost two sets it looked as if Federer had found his foe. But on a crucial

break point Davydenko made a huge mistake: he netted an easy ball that would have given him a double-break and 4-1 lead. From that point on, Federer assumed absolute control.

“Arrgh”, he muttered afterward, “In the Slams it is always the same story, I throw away all the chances that I gain. It cannot handle it anymore”.

But Federer can handle it, and he seems intent on doing so for a long time to come.

If Federer couldn’t seem to find a rivalry, the woman’s final certainly had no such problem. Bitter rivals for years, Serena Williams and Justine Henin had unfinished business when the latter retired in 2008. Henin was looking to emulate her countrywoman Kim Clijsters, who had won the 2009 US Open coming out of retirement.

Unfortunately for her, however, it was Williams who won the final in three tight sets, equalling Billy Jean King’s 12 Grand Slams.

Despite winning in the end, Williams was impressed. “Justine didn’t look like a tennis player who had just returned after almost two years of absence”, she commented after the match. “Thank God I won today, but I would not despair if I had lost.

Justine is stronger than before, more aggressive. I think she can go a long way”.

It’s not hard to agree, especially given the lack of depth in the women’s game at the moment. The two Serbians Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic are getting further and further away on the radar screen every day, Maria Sharapova lost in the first round and Dinara Safina has also struggled. For now women’s tennis belongs to the older generation of players, and the youngsters will have to wait their turn.

The match opened some old wounds for Henin. It was after a 6-2 2-0 thrashing at Williams’ hands that she decided to retire, and it seems that she still faces the same problems now that she did back then – Serena is just much more powerful than her.

“I still have to improve physically, but I knew it”, admitted the Belgian after the match “I have come back to win other Slams and have come close to it faster than expected, now I just have to concentrate on the big tournaments, and not worry about the rankings”.

TennisWorld sa

12

australian open

Since Roger Federer won Wimbledon in 2003, 27 Grand Slam tournaments have taken place. Of those 27, Federer won 16 (two more than the previous record holder, Pete Sampras). Everyone else, all of the greatest players in the past six and a half years – including Rafael Nadal – have only managed to win 11 between them.

Amazing as that statistic is, delving behind the numbers makes it even more incredible. Federer reached the finals at 22 of those 27 Grand Slams (three more than the Ivan Lendl, whose record Federer smashed ages ago). During that spell, he went on a record-breaking run of ten consecutive finals, which ended during the 2008 Australian Open. After that single bump in the road, he made eight straight finals once again, meaning he has made the championship round 18 out of the last 19 times. Think about it. Since the 2005 Wimbledon tournament, there has been only one spot left in the final of all but one Slam.

It gets even better, and this one is Federer’s favourite. He has gone on an unbroken run of 23 consecutive semi-final

appearances at Grand Slams. The previous record was a comparatively meaningless ten (achieved by both Rod Laver and Ivan Lendl). That means that for nearly six years Federer has never slipped up, never had a bad day, never played that bad match that every other player in the history of the sport has played at some point or another during a Slam. On the only occasions that he didn’t reach the final, it was because he lost to the eventual winner. The message is clear: to win a Grand Slam, you have to go through Roger Federer, and that almost never, ever happens.

For eight straight seasons Federer has won at least one Slam – only Bjorn Borg (1974-1981) and Pete Sampras (19932000) have managed that .For five straight seasons he won at least two Slams- only Roy Emerson has managed that, and he did so only because in the 1960s professionals weren’t allowed to play in Slams.

He has reached at least four finals in each of the Slam tournaments (the great Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall both stopped at three). He has been a finalist

in all four majors during three different seasons. He won the Wimbledon-US Open combination – which even the elite players are happy to do once - four consecutive times. And, to top it all off, he has won Wimbledon six times and been to the final for seven consecutive years – an unheard of achievement since the abolition of the challenge round in 1922.

Today, when Roger Federer plays tennis, he is playing against history more than he is playing against his opponents. His true rivals are records. Records that, like his human rivals, challenge and elude him for a time, but all eventually fall to his genius.

In Grand Slam tournaments the lapses in concentration that occasionally bother him in smaller tournaments are nowhere to be seen. His domination is such that even the fiercest contenders are almost always forced to play only supporting roles.

Beyond 13

TennisWorlD sa

“

Think about it.

Since the 2005 Wimbledon tournament, there has been only one spot left in the final of all but one Slam

”

At the moment, this is also Rafael Nadal’s role.

Since his first French Open title in 2005, Nadal has never failed to win a Slam at least once every third try. Unfortunately, that trend abruptly came to an end at the US Open last year. In Melbourne, Nadal appeared to have recovered at least some of his verve, but has yet to return to the level of play that saw him win the tournament a year earlier. His body has not yet fully recovered from the injuries he forced upon it. Nor has his mind.

Until those two elements are in sync, he cannot possibly challenge Federer on the big stage.

Andy Murray had a pretty good tournament in Australia, even though he had a relatively easy draw. He seemed to be building on the momentum that he gained in 2009, which saw him end up with one of the best win-loss records of anyone on tour. Yet even though he was confident and had a good record against Federer, the final result was the same as the 2008 US Open – a tennis lesson for the young Scot from the Swiss master.

By beating Murray, Federer has put the Briton on the wrong side of the tennis history he now seems to control. Every other player who lost their first two Slam finals in the US and Australian Opens Rex Hartwig, Miloslav Mecir and Todd Martin – all failed to ever win a major. In fact, they never made it to the final round again.

There are other players who have sought to challenge Federer’s dominance. JoWilfried Tsonga, Marin Cilic and Nikolay Davydenko all came into the tournament hoping to stop the Federer Express, but none were able to. Of that group Davydenko might have the best chance at finally conquering Federer and winning a Slam. He seems to have history behind him. He is nearing 30 years of age, and several players – the likes of Andrés Gómez, Petr Korva and Goran Ivanisevic – managed to capture their first Slam only late in their career. But that is perhaps wishful thinking. If the past six years have proven anything, it is that if you’re playing Roger Federer, history is always on his side.

Numbers

Francesco Posteraro

TennisWorld sa

14

australian open With the Australian Open finished we can finally attempt to predict some trends for 2010.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN

MEN’S BALANCE

By Patrick Mouratoglou

Translated from French by Luis Moris- Mouratoglou Tennis Academy

First of all, congratulations once more to Roger Federer for his exceptional performance in Melbourne and winning his 16th Grand Slam. Since winning the Masters Series title in Cincinnati last August he seemed to go through a bit of a dry spell, leading some observers to once again whisper of his decline. But it is great to see that Roger still has the capacity to win the big ones when he tries to.

Federer seems to be concentrating almost solely on the major tournaments these days. Even the Masters events don’t appear to really interest him anymore. He’s more concerned with letting his body recuperate after important tournaments. He knows that he’s got many years still ahead as a professional, but he also knows that he needs to save his body if he wants to keep breaking records. Grand Slams are his ultimate goals for this season. Everything is built around them, and the other tournaments don’t represent much for him except as warm-up events.

Andy Murray hasn’t made much progress. He still has a very complete game, and is very much capable of reaching Grand Slams finals, but his game still lacks clarity. He played a great aggressive match against Nadal, but then comes right back to play an extremely passive match. He is happy to wait for his opponent’s mistakes, but this tactic doesn’t work in the big matches.

He completely lost the plot in the final. He was unable to impose even the slightest pressure on Federer and looked confused out on court.

Still, Murray seems to be one of the players most capable of bothering Federer in Grand Slams. He just 15

TennisWorlD sa

needs to sort out his game and learn to play positive tennis in important situations. Tony Roche helped Federer realize his full potential, and Murray needs to find someone who can fulfill his.

It was a pleasure to see Rafael Nadal back this season and playing at a very high level. His footwork and aggression are back to their best, but his modified forehand still continues to present him with problems, and isn’t doing as much damage as before. It is a shame that his Australian Open campaign had to come to an end with an injury, especially one that is going to force him out of tennis for a month. If only he had followed Federer’s example and played fewer tournaments last year, he wouldn’t be in such a difficult situation.

Marin Cilic played a great tournament, and is well and truly on the map. Finally in the top 10, he’s calm, serious, disciplined and ambitious. His game is the same as his image: nothing really flashy but very solid, very well constructed. He’s already proven that he can stand up to the best players in the world, and there is still room for improvement.

He is potentially one of the most dangerous players of 2010.

Juan Martin Del Potro showed great courage in Melbourne. He played with a bad wrist injury, one that has plagued him since the US Open, but still managed to reach the second week. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga once again showed his ability and determination, but his inconsistency ultimately undid what was a great run to the last four of the competition. He has an exceptional serve and forehand, and he is physically one of the fittest players on tour. He has more than enough weapons to impose himself upon his opponents, but needs to hone his mental instincts and bigmatch temperament a bit more. If he can do this, he might very well make it to another Grand Slam final.

Both Nikolay Davydenko and Novak Djokovic were disappointing.

Davydenko just doesn’t seem to be able to make the transition to Slams, even though he has played such awesome tennis of late. Djokovic simply played a match that was unworthy of his ranking. He wasn’t even near the level of the other top players.

TennisWorld sa

16

australian open

01 02

The first thing you notice as you walk through the main entrance is a disproportionate statue of a short man with a racquet in his hand. It is particularly striking because there are none quite like it at any other stadium in the world. Upon closer inspection it is revealed that the unflattering statue – created by a sculptor whose name we choose not to disclose – is of the great Australian tennis legend Rod Laver. He was the last man, 41 years ago, to achieve the calendar Grand Slam. The statue was erected in January of 2000 when the main court, the Rod Laver Arena, was dedicated to him.

03

04 The initial phases of the Melbourne Park Project are already visible. There is a new area called ‘the oval’ which is an immense village dedicated to the spectators who, after watching a match, can buy a memento from one of the many stalls. There are large kiosks that sell food and drinks that suit everyone’s taste. Everything from immense hot dogs smothered in mustard, mayonnaise and ketchup to normal sandwiches and a variety of drinks are available. This is all accompanied by many kinds of music. Indeed music has become a big part of the Australian Open.

There is a stage to the side of the oval where some of the best bands in Australia can be seen.

There are even musicians wandering around the complex entertaining the crowds.

TEN THINGS THAT MAKE THE

As you venture into the truly enormous complex you come across a huge billboard detailing the Melbourne Park Project. This is a project of truly magnificent proportions.

It involves an expansion to Melbourne Park that will include an additional 6000 seats for the Margaret Court Arena, which will also be getting a roof. When it is completed the Australian Open will be the first Grand Slam to feature three covered courts.

There’s only one problem: the distance between the last court to the right of the Rod Laver Arena and the last one to the left of the HiSense Arena is a full two kilometres.

Travelling tips? Take the little train which runs next to the complex, or perhaps buy a scooter. The choice is yours.

05 Advertising is approached in a very unique and entertaining way at the Australian Open. For example, there is a group of young men walking around Melbourne Park dressed as penguins. Every now and again they start break dancing in front of one of the entrances, all the while singing an advertisement for a telephone company.

06

07 If the stress of watching tennis is getting to you, you can always go and relax in the Evian booth.

Here several experts will give you a relaxing face, temple and neck massage. A refreshing Evian water mask is also available to prepare you for your next match.

The traditions of the people of Melbourne are unique and should be treasured. Many of these wonderful folk will shun their normal clothes and wear only traditional Melbourne wear: bathing suits.

The most enjoyable booth at the Open is one where you can have your face painted with colours that don’t harm your skin and wash away easily with water and soap. Two skilled painters create different pictures on the faces of younger spectators, who often stand in a queue for up to an hour. The most popular designs are country flags and typical Australian flowers and animals.

09

08 The most enjoyable booth at the Open is one where you can have your face painted with colours that don’t harm your skin and wash away easily with water and soap. Two skilled painters create different pictures on the faces of younger spectators, who often stand in a queue for up to an hour. The most popular designs are country flags and typical Australian flowers and animals.

10

The postal service booth is surprisingly entertaining and original. Not only famous people feature on stamps at the Australian Open, as a photographer will take your picture and then place it on a stamp for you.

The large eucalyptus plants located along the road leading to the entrance of the magnificent Melbourne Park complex give off an intensely pleasant and intoxicating scent. It is especially alluring on very humid days when it rains.

A carpet of people, especially youngsters who were unable to find tickets for the central courts, can be found camped out in front of the giant screen that shows important matches. This fine Grand Slam tradition is faithfully observed in Melbourne, and these spectators are often the loudest and most enthusiastic.

A SLAM LIKE NO OTHER

From our correspondent in Melbourne FRANCESCA CICCHITTI

17

TennisWorlD sa

TennisWorld sa

18

Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) - Aeropro Drive racquet - Revenge & VS hybrid strings / Rafael Nadal (SPA) - Aeropro Drive racquet Pro Hurricane Tour string / Dinara Safina (RUS) - Aero Storm racquet - Pro Hurricane & VS hybrid strings

THE

19

TennisWorlD sa

OF THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN

N I P S E T

NEW

THE

U L O ABS

AER

Learn

ore For m

TS

QUE C A R O

s on cquet m a r O R ew AE olat.co t the n www.bab u o b a l al s

ncie e Ageomsa.net n i L telk Two

t t@ ontacmail: babola c n o E i mat 66 or

infor 11) 787 87 Tel: (0

TennisWorld sa

20

australian open

AUSTRALIAN OPEN

SCORECARDS ROGER FEDERER

16/10

Relaxed, humorous, focused, determined and above all unbeatable. This is the real Roger Federer. He seems finally at peace with himself, without the pressure of yet-towin titles weighing him down. This is a problem for his opponents, especially if he plays the way he did against Andy Murray in the final. Tactically brilliant, he never played two rallies the same way, and broke down Murray’s backhand without even breaking a sweat.

SERENA WILLIAMS

12/10

Love her or hate her, Serena Williams will never change. The shouting, the tantrums, the casual arrogance – it’s all here to stay. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. What would women’s tennis be without her? She seemed scared of Justin Henin during the final, and with good reason. The Belgian pushed Williams to the very last point of the match, but she was not to be denied. This was the world number one in full flow. We can hardly wait for Roland Garros.

JUSTINE HENIN

9/10

Her opponents say that she was more aggressive, even Serena Williams begrudgingly admitted it. But she needs to do more work on her physique for that aggression to do as much damage as she wants it to. Her forehand has definitely improved, but there is still room to grow. Henin will be a greater threat in the coming months, and her rivals should be afraid – even Williams.

ANDY MURRAY

7.5/10

A low score for a solid tournament. The Scot was near-perfect until the final, but there he completely fell apart. Federer is an unforgiving teacher, and Murray completely flunked his test. Murray refused to take advantage of his opportunities and played much too passively to even test the world number one. The tears at the end were entirely justified. At least they made for a good joke (“I can cry like Roger, but unfortunately I can’t play like him”).

VENUS WILLIAMS

5/10

She pulled off a miracle to win her match against Francesca Schiavone, but couldn’t do the same against Na Li. She seemed utterly unwilling – or unable – to change her tactics during the match. She can hit the ball very hard, but tactical subtlety seems beyond her, and that’s what was needed. Even though her opponent tried to give her the match by making an embarrassing number of unforced errors, Williams couldn’t hold on.

21

TennisWorlD sa

NOVAK DJOKOVIC

6/10

Djokovic just can’t seem to find himself. Exactly what caused his sudden illness in the quarter-final remains a mystery. Perhaps it was just stress. He seems to play perfect tennis against lower ranked opponents, but completely chokes when he comes up against a quality player. He’d better rid himself of whatever it is that’s bothering him, and fast – the others are catching up.

JO-WILFRIED TSONGA

7/10

At certain points in the tournament he was the same man who reached the final in 2008. At those times he was a pleasure to watch. At others, he was simply way too inconsistent. For proof of this one needs to only watch his match against Federer.

RAFA NADAL

6/10

Nadal seems to break down way too often these days. He’s become as fragile as a delicate crystal. If he drops to number 5 in the world, which seems likely in the near future, he will start meeting the top guys in the quarter-finals of tournaments. This will be a problem for everyone, including Nadal.

MARIN CILIC

9/10

Cilic is perhaps the most promising of all the young players. He has a solid all-court game and a great serve. He is also in the care of one of the world’s top coaches (Australian Bob Brett). Cilic is perhaps the fittest player on tour at the moment, playing no fewer than three five-setters in Melbourne. A fantastic tournament for the young Croat.

THE CHINESE

8/10

Although they played some awesome tennis, Na Li and Jie Zheng have probably gone as far as they can go. They don’t have the power to make it to final match of Grand Slams. More important than the tennis they play right now is inspiration they will prove to be for tomorrow’s crop of Chinese tennis stars.

THE OTHERS Nikolay Davydenko: 7/10: Nearly perfect for one and a half sets against Roger Federer... but then he became the old Davydenko again.

TennisWorld sa

22

PLAYER PROFILE:

FEDERER

When Pete Sampras claimed his 14th grand slam title at the 2002 US Open, most people assumed that the new record was there to stay. It had taken the great Sampras over a decade to accumulate his Slams - twelve years right at the top of the game, including an incredible winning streak at Wimbledon. Tennis was getting ever stronger. The physical toll on the players was becoming greater, and the sport had changed almost beyond recognition since Sampras won his first slam at the 1990 US Open.

As for Rod Laver’s calendar grand slam of 1969 - the only player in the professional era to accomplish such a feat - it seemed an almost mystical achievement. When Sampras retired, no player had even come close to repeating it. Since Laver, only Andre Agassi had won all four in a career, never mind in the same year.

Then came probably the most gifted, artistic and without doubt greatest player to ever wield a tennis racquet.

Records fall like so many dominos for Roger Federer. Four Australian Opens, a French Open, six Wimbledons and five US Opens later he has become untouchable. On three occasions Federer has been within a match of claiming the Grand Slam, each time falling short only at Rolland Garros at the hands of Rafael Nadal.

2004 was probably Federer’s best chance to date. Rafael Nadal was still just a precocious teenage talent and going into Roland Garros after an emphatic victory in the Hamburg Masters, the Swiss was among the favourites. Most expected Federer, 23

TennisWorlD sa

Guillermo Coria and Juan Carlos Ferrero to be there at the end fighting for the title. But Federer’s chances died with an erratic performance in the third round against former champion Gustavo Kuerten.

So what are Federer’s chances of winning the fabled calendar slam in 2010?

Federer was quick to dismiss any thoughts of the calendar Grand Slam in interviews after his win in Australia. But you can ignore all of that. It will be in the back of his mind, and right now you have to say his chances are as good as they have ever been.

Federer is on top of the world after a comprehensive victory at the Australian Open. Frankly, he made the tennis press look a little foolish with all their talk of “a changing of the guard” after the 2009 US Open. He clearly believes his game is still improving, and it seemed to take on a whole new potency during the final against Andy Murray. I have never seen him strike his backhand as well as he did during that match.

What does it take in today’s game?

To win the calendar grand slam now you have to be the ultimate multidimensional player. When Laver did it in 1969, three of the four slams were

played on grass. Now you have to be able to adapt your game from the medium paced, high bouncing hard courts of Melbourne Park to the red clay of Roland Garros, then the skiddy grass of SW19 before finishing with the pacy, unforgiving cement of New York.

Peaking four times a year is not easy with the sheer quantity of tennis on the calendar. Back in 1969 professional tennis was in his infancy and the worldwide tour had yet to be established. Now along with the Grand Slams, there are the eight compulsory Masters Series events, as well as any other events players choose to finetune their games with ahead of the big tournaments (Federer usually competes in Monte Carlo and Halle).

The remaining obstacles ROLAND GARROS: 23rd May – 6th June

However, with that Roland Garros crown in the bag, we may see a more relaxed, free-flowing Federer if Nadal crosses his path in the draw this year. But Federer’s best chance will still come if someone else takes him out first.

Nadal is looking increasingly vulnerable with his persistent knee injuries and poor recent record against the top ten so that may well happen.

After Nadal, Federer’s next biggest threat will come from Juan Martin Del Potro, who is surely a future French Open champion. Del Potro loves the clay and he nearly spoiled Federer’s dream when he led by 2 sets to 1 in their semi-final last year.

Prediction: If Nadal loses before the final then Federer will claim a 2nd French Open crown. Otherwise it will be Nadal’s title again.

precise movement across the turf really come into their own.

back a 2-sets-to-1 deficit to clinch a memorable win.

Again a fully fit Nadal would be his main challenge, but unless the Spaniard enjoys a remarkable renaissance over the next five months, it is hard to see him winning. As for Andy Roddick, he can’t play any better than he did twelve months ago and he still didn’t win against a slightly sub-par Federer in the final. The memories of that epic will haunt the American for a long time yet.

Federer could face a few new challenges at Flushing Meadows this time around. Del Potro and Murray will be in the mix again but look out for Marin Cilic, the fast improving Croatian giant who has one of the biggest forehands on the tour.

Andy Murray could give Federer a big run for his money this year. The Murray of 2010 packs an extra punch on his forehand and he is the only player who can match Federer for variety of shot, which always makes a difference on the grass. Murray is improving more and more every time he plays at Wimbledon, and he came close to making the final last summer.

WIMBLEDON: 21st June – 4th July 1969 final: Rod Laver (Aus)(1) beat Ken Rosewall (Aus)(3) 6-4, 6-3, 6-4

Undoubtedly the toughest challenge awaiting Federer is at the French Open, where he is hoping to defend the title he won last year. If Nadal is fully fit then he will be the odds-on favourite.

For all Federer’s clay wins over Nadal in Hamburg and Madrid, he has never come close to defeating the Spaniard on Court Philippe Chatrier. Federer has always struggled with the occasion and the pressure of trying to win his first French Open against his clay nemesis, and has never produced his best tennis in any of those previous finals.

1969 final: Rod Laver (Aus)(1) beat John Newcombe (Aus)(6) 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4

This is Federer’s playground, he has won six of the last seven Wimbledon titles and only a very brave man would bet against him equalling Sampras’ record of seven Wimbledon championships this summer.

No other player can match Federer for sheer variety on grass, and this is where the pinpoint accuracy of his serving and

Prediction: Federer-Murray final, but like in Australia Federer has too much on the day

US OPEN: 30th August – 12th September

Nikolay Davydenko also deserves a strong run at a Slam and this is his best chance of making that elusive breakthrough. However, if Federer reaches this stage with the calendar grand slam still in sight the clamour for him to prevail will be simply incredible and he will be huge favourite to go all the way.

Prediction: If Federer still has a shot at the calendar slam then he will win a 6th US Open. Otherwise someone new – possible Murray, Cilic or Davydenkomight sneak through and win their first.

It promises to be an exciting 2010.

We witnessed greatness again in Melbourne, but will history be made at Flushing Meadows? It would be a fitting completion to the most glittering tennis CV of all time.

1969 final: Rod Laver (Aus)(1) beat Tony Roche (Aus)(3) 7-9, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2

Juan Martin Del Potro prevented Federer from entering the history books with a sixth US Open title, pulling TennisWorld sa

24

PLAYER PROFILE:

tournament. In response to a reporter who asked him at which point he had noticed that Djokovic had a problem, he replied: “About five years ago!”

Superb.

MURRAY

TRY AGAIN

ANDY

From our correspondent in Melbourne UBALDO SCANAGATTA What if Andy Murray had converted one of those five set points and won the third set? Well, that would have changed everything. I watched the final in the Rod Laver Arena beside Rino Tommasi, who may not know everything, but definitely understands a bit about tennis. He predicted a victory for Federer in four sets, but added that if they go to a fifth, Murray would win it 6-2. In other words, there was always at least some doubt, even though everyone now says there wasn’t. After all, Murray was ahead a break at 5-3 in the third set, and had served to take the match into a fourth.

The British are always quick to love a winner and even quicker to hate a loser. They have, of course, expressed their doubts after the loss.

“He lost in 3 sets at the US Open and again in 3 sets in Melbourne,” says Barry Flatman, a tennis reporter for the Sunday Times, “Encounters in small tournaments don’t matter. The Federer who plays in the Slams over five sets is another Federer. Andy missed a forehand near the net, his third set point, which is his favourite shot He must have got it right thousands of times. But in this critical case, he got it wrong.”

25

TennisWorlD sa

I actually think a worse miss was the backhand volley on his second set point, but I agree that Murray will not be able to win a Slam before the next US open. I frankly don’t see him being able to compete on clay. As for Wimbledon, there he’ll once again be under the incredible pressure of an expectant United Kingdom, burning for the first British Slam win in 74 years. The weight of such expectations will surely crush him.

With all the pressure on Murray, I think that Federer will be the favourite at Wimbledon. I really cannot imagine Roger losing before the semi-final at Wimbledon, and if Murray had to find himself in another Slam final against Federer on Centre Court, with the raging BBC and the English tabloids at the back of Murray’s mind...well, I wouldn’t bet on him. I would rather do so in New York.

Having said that, the final we saw in Melbourne was the best possible matchup the tournament could have hoped for. With Nadal still having problems with his knees and Djokovic once again proving that he does not have the stamina to make it deep into Slams these days, anyone else against Federer would have been a joke. Speaking of jokes, Jo Wilfried Tsonga had the best joke of the

On his way to the final Murray did not have to beat any phenomenal players (Kevin Anderson, Marc Giquel, Florent Serra and John Isner hardly qualify as world-beaters).

Nadal retired in the quarter-final and Marin Cilic was like a zombie in their semi-final match, utterly exhausted from playing three five-setters. Still, it was the consensus of the pundits at Melbourne that Murray had the potential of bothering Federer. The exception was perhaps again the English commentators, who continue finding it hard to like Murray. He’s hard to get to know, because he just “never opens up, never really gives too much of himself”, according to Barry Flatman, “He has a difficult relationship with those who are close to him.”

That difficulty extends not just to his coaches, but to Murray’s personal life as well. He recently broke up with his long-time girlfriend, Kim Sears. In this regard he is just a normal 22-year-old who doesn’t want to settle down yet.

Roger Federer is, as he always seems to be, the exception in this regard as well. He met his wife Mirka in 2000 and they have been together ever since.

“Andy is not type who likes to be guided”, says Neil Harman, another veteran of London tennis journalism.

“It wasn’t him who chose Brad Gilbert [as a coach], but the LTA, the English Federation, and he, quiet as he is, could not stand Brad stunning him with his talk prior to each match.

Andy wants to do it all alone, that is why he has a team around him now that are his friends and supporters rather than his real coaches. He prefers to follow his instincts”.

In this, but perhaps only in this, Murray is a bit like Federer, who is also a great fan of “tactical autonomy”. As a young man he placed himself in the hands of Australian coach Peter Carter, then the Swede Peter Lundgren and finally Tony Roche. But since then he has been working mostly by himself,

occasionally helped by Severin Luthi.

Though Federer has sought less and less assistance as his career has gone on, Murray has occasionally reached out for help. Some time ago he turned to Alex Corretja to help him become a better clay-court player.

Corretja is widely known as a player of great tactical ability. He didn’t have any particularly good shots, but he still managed to reach the final of Roland Garros. He was famous for taking notes on almost every player, using his observations as a tactical advantage in matches.

But even with this mild-mannered Spaniard, Murray somehow managed to have a stormy relationship. Corretja wasn’t in Melbourne, and it remains to be seen if the two are still going to be working together. But this penchant for conflict might point to one of Murray’s greatest faults: his mental fitness. In my opinion it is not so much tennis that Andy is missing.

He has an excellent build for tennis (1.93m tall, slim, quick, enduring) and knows how to do it all: serve at over 210km/h, vary the game and the pace, play defensively and, at times, even offensively. It might help him to have a little more humility, to relax a little more. Maybe he can even smile sometimes and shake up that funereal tone that he maintains in his gloomy press conferences.

He has performed a rap in a song written by the Bryan brothers, but beyond that he has never really let himself go. “It didn’t look like much. I didn’t find it particularly good, but if it served the cause of the Bryans... then it’s fine,” he said of the performance. Off the court Murray does not appear to have many friends. In the changing rooms he is often alone or surrounded by his team. “He hardly greets first,” an Italian player told me, “but if others greet him he always responds.”

Murray seems more mature on the court than away from it. But until gains maturity in all facets of his game and life - like Federer and Nadal – he can hardly become a great champion. Even Lendl became much more successful when he learned to let go a bit. Indeed, even

though Murray has reached two Slam finals at 22, one gets the feeling that he is missing something. He is not yet an accomplished champion.

But perhaps it is unfair to judge him so harshly. If he hadn’t come up against a super-Federer, we might have been celebrating a British champion instead of a Swiss one.

Federer seemed sincere when he said, as the first tears were beginning to stream down Murray’s face, “You’re too good a player not to win a Grand Slam”. And Nadal (whom Murray has always considered an idol) said immediately after losing to him, “I think that Murray deserves to win a Slam now.”

“It was only two years ago, when I beat Del Potro and Nadal at the US Open, that I started to believe I could win a Slam. I think that sooner or later it will happen,” said Murray. It seems appropriate to remember Ivan Lendl at this point. He too lost several Slam finals and was slated as a loser by almost everyone in the press, but eventually managed to win eight majors. He only won his first one at age 24, two years older than Murray is.

Federer has said that Murray is the best returner in the game, and also hinted that he thinks Murray’s backhand is the best since Andre Agassi’s. But at Melbourne Federer won almost all the rallies that the two players contested backhand-to-backhand.

How does he explain that? “Well, I am really...very, very talented!” was his response. An answer that is both funny and true.

Andy Murray might feel deflated at the moment, but he would do well to remember one thing: Roger Federer was also a late bloomer. He won his first Slam on the 17th attempt.

Murray has had 17 attempts as well.

And at the age of 22 he has already surpassed most of the great British players before him. It is often hard to be patient, but Murray must continue to be. After all, must one not wait 16 years for a good Scotch whiskey?

Maybe a good Scotch tennis player takes 23 years to mature.

TennisWorld sa

26

has his academy, the Solaro, and Sanremo in general are tranquil places, like me. I love football, my favourite team is Milan, and in a future life I would like to be a footballer. My favourite today is Kaka, but the reason why I support Milan is Boban, with whom I rallied many times in Zagreb as a little boy. He is excellent also with the tennis racquet.

Also the food. In Sanremo I live with my mother and I eat mainly the pasta and the Lamb that she cooks”.

PLAYER PROFILE:

CILIC

COMING OF AGE

What are your first tennis memories?

“An exhibition match between Muster and Ivanisevic near my home. And the first final lost by Goran in London, in 1998. Such sadness. And then at 14 I found myself training with the hero who had just won Wimbledon: a dream. Goran has been very important for me; he has always helped me a lot”.

From our correspondent in Melbourne STEFANO SEMERARO

“Marin is a very calm type”, says Andy Roddick, and he’s right. “In contrast to many guys who have emotional ups and downs in the court, he does not beat his chest. He is always on track, he hits the ball clean and does not give a centimetre.

He looks like a cop directing traffic on the baseline, a type of tennis that resembles Del Potro’s”.

In a battle between the old guard and the new upstart, Roddick lost to Marin Cilic in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. Roddick clawed his way back into the match after going down two sets to one, and all the momentum seemed to be with him going into the deciding set. But Mrnje (or Cila), as he is known in Croatia, is not someone that gives up easily. ”During the first and the fifth set he had the same face. He reminds me of Agassi in the way he leads the rallies”.

Not a bad introduction for the 21 year old who is trying to follow in the giant footsteps of Goran Ivanisevic. Cilic boasts a similar physique and the

27

TennisWorlD sa

same coach as the 2001 Wimbledon champion - Australian Bob Brett who seems to specialize in Croats.

He is 1.98m tall, the same height as Juan Martin Del Potro, who was born five days before Cilic. It seems that this sort of build is becoming more and more normal for tennis players.

“Being tall and having a strong serve helps”, explains Cilic, “But height is not enough to win. Del Potro, Querrey and I also know how to move with great agility across the court. We can return well, not just hit our serves hard. And we have talent: for this reason we take our opponents by surprise”.

He also surprises his opponents with a tactical savvy that makes him seem wise beyond his years, and an absolute iron will in tight situations – he won three of his matches in five sets in Melbourne. “I am calm by nature, I make no efforts. Goran used to say that he had three personalities, I only need one. It is a quality that helps a lot inside the court. When I am struggling I focus on my game and don’t think too much about the

score. Against Murray perhaps I wasn’t exactly 100%, but I don’t want to make excuses: Andy played well and deserved to win”.

We asked him to tell us a bit more about himself.

As has Bob Brett...

“Bob knows how to guide me in every detail. He is Australian, but has trained many European and South American champions. He knows tennis to perfection. And listening to his stories I have realised that Goran was really crazy!”

Can you mention another good quality of yours?

“I am good at listening and learning”.

When and how did you arrive in Sanremo?

“It was in 2004. Ivanisevic had mentioned me to Bob Brett, who had already trained him and Mario Ancic and has an academy there. I stayed for a week, and then I won the European under-16 in Orbetello. Bob realized that I was a good boy and I had potential, and kept me with him”.

What do you like about Italy?

Finally, there is Mile, the youngest of your three brothers...

“He is 15, he also plays tennis and every so often he comes to Sanremo, although my elder brother accompanies me in tournaments.

Once I lost three matches in a row and I asked him for advice jokingly.

He replied, “OK, but you must pay me”.

You were born in Medjugorje in Bosnia, but play for Croatia. Why? “I have always had a Croatian passport. My family is from there.

When I was fourteen I moved to Zagreb to better train there, and when I had to choose who to play for I did not hesitate: I feel 100% Croatian”.

What memories do you have of the war?

“A couple of months spent on the Adriatic coast. But I was never in danger”.

Medjugorje is best known worldwide for the apparitions of the Virgin.

Are you religious?

“Yes, I am a Catholic.

My father and my mother brought me up as one, as everyone else for that matter.

If you were born there it is natural”.

Do you also believe in the apparitions of the Lady?

“Yes, of course. I have also spoken with the people to whom she appeared. I have found them to be people with a pure heart who do anything and make sacrifices for others.

If you meet them, you understand that miracles can really happen”.

Aside from tennis, what do you like?

“I go to movies, spend time with friends. I also sleep a lot and I am trying to improve my Italian”.

“Many things. The club where Bob

TennisWorld sa

28

Competition is always tough, Nole...

PLAYER PROFILE:

DJOKOVIC

“In the last five or six years Nadal and Federer have dominated the scene.

Now admittedly things are changing a little, new players are coming to the fore. We’ll see”.

I WILL BE BACK!

“Against Tsonga I don’t know what happened to me. I had a few problems with the stomach even before the match. The big deal I started feeling after the third set when I just I couldn’t hold on. After two games I had to go to the toilet. There was no other way, otherwise I would have thrown up on the court. It was unfortunate, but these things happen.

And fortunately we are only at the beginning of the season.”

29

TennisWorlD sa

We were able to see you at work in your other speciality, that of entertainer. You performed a rap for ESPN America and you did very well...

“Well, thank you, but your Fiorello is something else. The duet that we did in Rome on his show [in 2009] has stayed in my heart. He is phenomenal; I could not believe one could manage two hours of entertainment like he did.”

Your love story with Italy is very long. It started with junior tournaments and now continues through a ten year contract with Sergio Tacchini. Doesn’t the duration scare you?

“No, because I hope to remain at this level for ten years still! I am very pleased to be wearing the same brand as McEnroe, Sabatini, Sampras, Hingis and Ivanisevic. It is a great Italian name that has chosen me. I am proud, but it is a great responsibility.”

You’re a performer, on and off the court. Would you ever take part in a reality show?

Is it true that you all play too much?

“The season is too long. I am not the only one to say so, but all the top players are obliged to play so many tournaments. If we add the Davis Cup, it becomes difficult to plan things well. We need to rest more”.

The ATP has chosen you as spokesperson to launch the

From our correspondent in Melbourne STEFANO SEMERARO Novak Djokovic (Or “Nole”, as he is known to his fans) had a trying 2009.

He made only one Grand Slam semi-final and saw his ranking rise and fall somewhat erratically as the year progressed. He had hoped to make a bright start to 2010, but was defeated by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the last eight of the Australian Open.

is also a small flag of my country. This one with the design that recalls the flame of the US Open logo is however only the first range of the year. Then there will be three more.”

Will 2010 be the year of Djokovic?

“I really hope so. In 2009 there have been a few things that have restrained me, on a mental and technical level, and outside of the court. I changed my racquet, tried to improve my serve-and-volley (which is probably why I lost a bit of solidity from the baseline). And I have felt the pressure of having to defend my first Slam title [the 2008 Australian Open]. I arrived at the end of the year very tired after playing too many tournaments. But I have learned my lesson. I feel I am again ready for great successes.”

Ready for the number one ranking?

Many seem to think so.

“That is something I have been dreaming of for a lifetime. But perhaps I have concentrated too much on the number one ranking in the past, and it hasn’t been good for me. My priorities are the Slams now, to make up for those that I did not win in 2009. Physically I’m strong, I can fight throughout the year”.

“Now I don’t have time, but tomorrow why not? I like to watch them.”

You have rapped with Andy

proposed changes to the Davis Cup. Tennis player, trade unionist, owner of a tournament in Belgrade - is it not too much?

Murray and you have one planned

“Let’s say that right now the ‘political’ side of my career is not as crucial.

But it is true that I like to get involved to improve this sport. And I would like to take some strong colleagues to the Serbian Open [a tournament that his family owns and organises] in 2010.

“If we sp

“Second generation Serbian tennis players, such as Nikola Milojevic, are growing up. Do you look after your younger brothers Marko and Djordjie’s career?

“No, they must make their own career. I stay updated on their results, but I don’t follow them directly”.

with Ivo Karlovic.

Who sings better? eak of rap, it is Karlovic. I like Opera and I would love to have the voice of Pavarotti.

But the role I know best in Don Giovanni is that of Leporello: ‘notte e giorno faticar’ [“toiling night and day”]. Just like tennis players, isn’t it?”

Let’s talk about hobbies. Do you also design your line of clothing like Sharapova and the Williams sisters?

“I give my advice to the designers who have the last word on the product. I like playing with the colours of Serbia, and in the kit there TennisWorld sa

30

PLAYER PROFILE:

Eastern Europe in an effort to collect a few ranking points. It soon became clear to him that if he wanted to become a good tennis player, he would have to leave Poland and go train abroad.

POLISH HOPE

He eventually ended up in Prague with his doubles partner Oliver Marach, but before arriving in the Czech Republic, Kubot spent time in Austria and the United States. Playing doubles with Marach has given him confidence and allowed him to achieve his best ranking to date.

There is a nation of more than 60 million inhabitants that has, for decades, not been able to produce any top tennis players. That nation is Poland. The Polish tennis movement has disappeared at a time when many countries from the former Communist bloc are able to create good players. Polish men’s tennis today rests solely on one man’s shoulders – world number 56 Lukasz Kubot.

By reaching the fourth round at the 2010 Australian Open, Kubot became the first Pole since Wojtek Fibak to have success at a Grand Slam level.

However, at 27 years of age, he is not exactly a spring chicken, and he owes his rise in the world ranking as much to a great spirit of sacrifice as to abundant doses of good luck.

Kubot was born and grew up in Lublin, a medieval village not far from the Polish border with neighbouring Ukraine. He comes from a modest family that could not support him on his road to professionalism. Young Lukasz made the decision to become a full-time tennis player in 2000 after reaching the quarter-finals of the junior tournament at Wimbledon.

That result was sufficient to grant him wild cards in Futures and Challengers events in his homeland and, without any help from the Federation, Lukasz began travelling by train through 31

TennisWorlD sa

His rise in the rankings started last year in Belgrade, where he became the first Pole since 1983 to reach the final of an ATP World Tour event.

The Serbian capital was kind to him and he enjoyed several strokes of good fortune. He was defeated in the last qualifying round by Domink Hrbaty and ought to have gone home.

Instead he was entered into the main draw as a Lucky Loser, where he won his first match against the world number 1432. He would get even luckier in the next round when Igor Andreev was forced to withdraw at the beginning of their match. Kubot advanced all the way to the semifinals where he beat ace-machine Ivo Karlovic in straight sets. It eventually took a player with the calibre of Novak Djokovic to defeat him in the final.

Since that tournament Kubot has gained in confidence, qualifying for the main draw in singles competitions seven times in 2009. His greatest victory came in October, when he defeated none other than world number seven Andy Roddick. It was the first victory over a top ten player for Kubot. Even greater success awaited him in his doubles endeavours when he reached the prestigious World Tour Finals, the final event of the year where the eight best doubles teams on earth compete against one another.

Kubot is known as a bit of a playboy.

Rumour has it that he once said “If I were as good as I am handsome, I would certainly be in the top 5.” He does not deny the statement.

“If I said it, it was when I was a young boy. Many years have passed and all continue to ask me about that statement. Perhaps I have said it, but I can’t remember.”

What is certain, though, is that he does not wish to be remembered only for his good looks. Kubot is convinced

that having reached his peak at 27 will allow him to have more longevity than many other players who have matured earlier. He has a very imaginative style of play that is not particularly demanding on his body.

“I am an all-court aggressive player, I like to go to the net but I can also hit flat from the baseline.”

One thing that Kubot can certainly improve upon is his nerves. Often he has matched elite opponents stroke for stroke, pushing them hard only to fall apart at key moments in a shower of double faults and unforced errors.

Still, he has come a long way from his birthplace of Lublin, and he may have far to go yet. Poland has not had a Grand Slam winner in a very long time, but perhaps, with the right combination of luck and skill, he could be that winner.

RH5920 REDHERRING 011 234 0951

KUBOT

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

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

www.patleys.co.za

TennisWorld sa

32

PLAYER PROFILE:

KOROLEV

JANUARY IS SHOPPING TIME There are two ways of going about your “shopping” in tennis. The first is to be a sponsor and simply buy a player’s image. The second is to be a country – usually rich in oil resources but poor in talent - and buy a player’s nationality. With national tennis pride continuously at stake in the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, World Team Cup and with the London 2012 Olympics looming, Kazakhstan - the vast and sparsely populated former Soviet Republic – has been desperate to bolster its tennis ranks.

Its solution is an interesting one: it simply picked up a shopping trolley and strolled along the well-stocked shelves of Russians players in search of business.

The Astana Federation had a good year in 2008, recruiting players like Andrey Golubev, Mikhail Kukushkin, Yuri Schukin, Yaroslava Shvedova and Galina Voskoboeva for the nation

33

TennisWorlD sa

of Kazakhstan. In 2009 the Kazakhs made another important grab when it “signed” Sesil Karatantcheva just as she emerged from a two year ban after testing positive for nandrolone three years earlier. Yet despite its aggressive recruiting campaign, something was missing – a player firmly entrenched in the top 100.

Someone who had already made their mark on world tennis. That player turned out to be Evgeny Korolev, the 21-year old world number 50.

Korolev is the namesake of the man who helped the Soviets conquer space in the 1950s with the Sputnik project. He is well-built and strong, and his 1.9 m height gives him a powerful serve. To date Korolev has only one tour-level final under his belt, but he is already well known on the tour thanks both to his tennis and his family connections to Anna Kournikova.

Even though these player “acquisitions” might conjure up images of a Sacha Baron Cohen trading family and livestock to buy Korolev’s services, it is not as bad as it sounds. It is important to remember that in a large country like Russia the Federation does not back its minor players financially. Therefore the choice of abandoning one’s native country (at least on paper) can be a very smart move. The practice is not even unprecedented. Rich Gulf countries have been pursuing a similar strategy in athletics for years, recruiting runners from Sub-Saharan Africa and benefiting from their talents.

Shamil Tarpischev, the Russian Davis Cup Captain, expressed regret for the loss of Korolev but acknowledged the weakness of the Muscovite Federation and added that he cannot blame Korolev and players like him.

Someone who took it less philosophically was Alexandre Kudryavtsev, another lowly ranked Russian player.

“If the Kazakhs made me a similar proposal I would not even talk to them. It is a disgrace and players that have traded shirts are traitors”, he said.

Ben Rothenberg , a writer for the “Daily Forehand”, spoke to Galina Voskoboeva, one of the players who switched sides.

“There has been an agreement between the two federations and ours told us that if we had wanted to we could have struck an economic agreement with the Kazakhs”, she said.

Sesil Karatantcheva reportedly is getting $65,000 per year from the Kazakhs, plus bonuses linked to her victories.

investing heavily in tennis, organizing junior events, Futures tournaments and Challenger competitions. The results have not taken long to shine through, and in the Hopman Cup the Kazakhstan duo of Yaroslava Shvedova and Andrey Golubev beat their former Russian compatriots 2-1 and then squashed Germany 2-0.

The “Qatar of tennis” – as Kazakhstan has become known - has built several free tennis schools in Almaty, Astana and Chymkent and is planning to build several indoor complexes. This intensive investment, along with their aggressive recruitment strategy, has ensured that Kazakh tennis has very suddenly become a significant force, and they show no signs of slowing down.

The ‘glorious nation of Kazakhstan’ is

TennisWorld sa

34

PLAYER PROFILE:

SORENSEN

THE IRISH PLAYER

For once the Irish sky was sunny for more than one tennis match. Never before, in a combined 831 Grand Slam events (429 for the men and 402 for the women), has a player from the clover country been able to win a match. Not once.

In the end it fell to Louk Sorensen to put an end to this ancient and obviously not too flattering legacy.

At age 25 and ranked 284th in the world, he finally conquered this long-standing Irish curse by defeating Lu Yen-Hsun from Taiwan, 6-4 3-6 6-2 6-1, in the first round of the Australian Open. The fairy tale was short-lived, however, as the giant American John Isner eliminated Sorensen in the very next round. The difference between the two players was 31 centimetres in height and 251 world ranking positions - a huge gap in both cases. Nevertheless, the Irishman fought valiantly and finally succumbed with a respectable score line of 6-3 7-6 7-5 in two hours and sixteen minutes.

Despite the loss Sorensen was in high spirits, happy with his performance at the year’s first Grand Slam tournament.

“I received countless calls and shows of appreciation”, Sorensen said in a crowded press conference.

“Ireland is a small country without a big tennis tradition and mine is a big achievement in its own right. I knew for certain that I was not the favourite, but I gave it all and I believe that in the end I had a good match.”

35

TennisWorlD SA TennisWorld sa

Sorensen tried everything to gain an edge over Isner, even resorting to Youtube videos the night before the match.

“I am a big fan of the internet and in my opinion technology sometimes can be very useful also for those in our profession. It didn’t help much, but so be it.”

Two months before the Australian Open, Sorensen had never played a tour-level match. His ATP World Tour debut came in Chennai just before the Open, where he lost in the first round after qualifying to play in the main draw. Sorensen has also never defeated a player in the top 100, with Lu Yen-Hsun Lu (ranked 101), being the highest ranked opponent he has ever beaten.

While Ireland may not have a very proud tennis tradition, the Sorensen family certainly does.

Louk’s father, Sean, lost in the first round of Wimbledon in 1977 - the only Irishman at the time to have participated in a Grand Slam in the Open era. Another Irishman, at least technically, to perform well in the world of tennis was Matt Doyle. He was born in Ireland but raised in California, and changed his nationality in 1985. Still, he and Sorensen both took part in one of Irish tennis’ most memorable moments: the 1983 Davis Cup. Playing against an incredibly strong American team – captained by Arthur Ashe and featuring John McEnroe – the Irish fought hard but eventually lost 4-1.

Sorensen has Norwegian ancestors, a “100% Irish” father and a mother who is half German and half Austrian.

His relatives live in Dublin, but he lives in Stuttgart, where he trains with German coach Carsten Arriens and plays tennis in the Bundesliga third division TC Doggenburg, which helps him pay participation in European Futures and Challenger events. Last year he earned $73,000, practically nothing for a high-level tennis player.

True to his Irish origins, Sorensen says that he likes Guinness, “but not in summer, when it is hot”. How does he explain his recent change in form?

“I have no idea. I have just continued playing”, he said, “I have been injured so many times in the recent years, but in the last two months I have been well. I feel great, in good health. So, it is probably all coming together now. I want to get to number 150 in the world. As for the future, we’ll see”.

Challenge anY InsIde-Out RIppeR andy Murray’s all-new Radical adapts to anything and amplifies everything. powerful shots become more explosive and touch shots even more accurate. so no matter what kind of player you challenge, you can take on anybody – anytime. More at head.com

The letters ATP and the tennis player design are registered trademarks of ATP Tour, Inc.

TennisWorld sa

36

37 TennisWorlD sa TennisWorld sa

38

65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64

RODDICK, Andy USA DE BAKKER, Thiemo NED GABASHVILI, Teimuraz RUS BELLUCCI, Thomaz BRA LOPEZ, Feliciano ESP CUEVAS, Pablo URU SCHUETTLER, Rainer GER QUERREY, Sam USA BERDYCH, Tomas CZE HAASE, Robin NED BRANDS, Daniel GER KOROLEV, Evgeny KAZ GROSJEAN, Sebastien FRA ILHAN, Marsel TUR ROCHUS, Olivier BEL GONZALEZ, Fernando CHI CILIC, Marin CRO SANTORO, Fabrice FRA RUFIN, Guillaume FRA TOMIC, Bernard AUS KUNITSYN, Igor RUS ACASUSO, Jose ARG GARCIA-LOPEZ, Guillermo ESP WAWRINKA, Stanislas SUI TROICKI, Viktor SRB LAPENTTI, Nicolas ECU PETZSCHNER, Philipp GER MAYER, Florian GER BLAKE, James USA CLEMENT, Arnaud FRA RUSSELL, Michael USA DEL POTRO, Juan Martin ARG MURRAY, Andy GBR ANDERSON, Kevin RSA GICQUEL, Marc FRA BOLELLI, Simone ITA NIEMINEN, Jarkko FIN LINDAHL, Nick AUS SERRA, Florent FRA MELZER, Jurgen AUT ISNER, John USA SEPPI, Andreas ITA SORENSEN, Louk IRL LU, Yen-Hsun TPE KOELLERER, Daniel AUT VEIC, Antonio CRO EBDEN, Matthew AUS MONFILS, Gael FRA STEPANEK, Radek CZE KARLOVIC, Ivo CRO BENNETEAU, Julien FRA GUEZ, David FRA FISH, Mardy USA GOLUBEV, Andrey KAZ KUBLER, Jason AUS LJUBICIC, Ivan CRO KOHLSCHREIBER, Philipp GER ZEBALLOS, Horacio ARG KAVCIC, Blaz SLO ODESNIK, Wayne USA LACKO, Lukas SVK MAYER, Leonardo ARG LUCZAK, Peter AUS NADAL, Rafael ESP

1st Round

FEDERER, Roger SUI ANDREEV, Igor RUS CHELA, Juan Ignacio ARG HANESCU, Victor ROU ROBERT, Stephane FRA STARACE, Potito ITA HERNANDEZ, Oscar ESP MONTANES, Albert ESP HEWITT, Lleyton AUS HOCEVAR, Ricardo BRA ROCHUS, Christophe BEL YOUNG, Donald USA LORENZI, Paolo ITA BAGHDATIS, Marcos CYP GIL, Frederico POR FERRER, David ESP VERDASCO, Fernando ESP BALL, Carsten AUS SERGEYEV, Ivan UKR SELA, Dudi ISR RAM, Rajeev USA KOUBEK, Stefan AUT DODIG, Ivan CRO FERRERO, Juan Carlos ESP MONACO, Juan ARG GULBIS, Ernests LAT VASSALLO ARGUELLO, Martin ARG LLODRA, Michael FRA MOYA, Carlos ESP MARCHENKO, Illya UKR KINDLMANN, Dieter GER DAVYDENKO, Nikolay RUS DJOKOVIC, Novak SRB GIMENO-TRAVER, Daniel ESP MATOSEVIC, Marinko AUS CHIUDINELLI, Marco SUI VLIEGEN, Kristof BEL BERRER, Michael GER ISTOMIN, Denis UZB CHARDY, Jeremy FRA YOUZHNY, Mikhail RUS GASQUET, Richard FRA HAJEK, Jan CZE GINEPRI, Robby USA KUBOT, Lukasz POL ZVEREV, Mischa GER GIRALDO, Santiago COL ROBREDO, Tommy ESP TSONGA, Jo-Wilfried FRA STAKHOVSKY, Sergiy UKR FOGNINI, Fabio ITA DENT, Taylor USA HARRISON, Ryan USA TIPSAREVIC, Janko SRB GREUL, Simon GER HAAS, Tommy GER ALMAGRO, Nicolas ESP MALISSE, Xavier BEL BECKER, Benjamin GER ZEMLJA, Grega SLO FALLA, Alejandro COL DANIEL, Marcos BRA GRANOLLERS, Marcel ESP SODERLING, Robin SWE

1st Round

Men’s Draw

[2]

(Q)

(W) (W) [24] [27]

(Q)

(Q) (Q) [12] [13]

(Q)

[28] [33]

(W)

[4] [5] (Q)

[19] [29]

(Q) (W)

[11] [14]

(W) (L)

[25] [21]

[7]

[8]

(Q)

[18] [26] (Q)

(W)

[16] [10]

[32] [20]

(W)

(Q) (Q) [6] [3]

(Q) (Q) [23] [30]

[17] [9] (W) (Q)

(Q)

[31] [22] (Q)

[1]

A.RODDICK [7] 6-1 6-4 6-4 T.BELLUCCI 6-3 7-5 4-6 6-4 F.LOPEZ 6-1 6-4 7-5 R.SCHUETTLER 6-3 2-6 6-4 6-3 T.BERDYCH [21] 6-0 6-3 6-3 E.KOROLEV 6-2 7-5 7-5 M.ILHAN 6-4 6-3 7-5 F.GONZALEZ [11] 6-3 6-4 3-6 6-1 M.CILIC [14] 7-5 7-5 6-3 B.TOMIC 6-3 6-4 6-4 I.KUNITSYN 6-1 2-6 6-4 6-2 S.WAWRINKA [19] 6-3 6-3 6-2 V.TROICKI [29] 4-6 6-3 6-1 6-3 F.MAYER 0-6 2-6 6-4 6-2 6-2 J.BLAKE 7-5 7-5 6-2 J.DEL POTRO [4] 6-4 6-4 3-6 6-2 A.MURRAY [5] 6-1 6-1 6-2 M.GICQUEL 7-6(2) 7-6(3) 6-3 J.NIEMINEN 6-2 7-5 6-4 F.SERRA 6-1 6-7(3) 6-4 4-6 6-3 J.ISNER [33] 6-3 6-3 3-6 5-7 6-4 L.SORENSEN 6-4 3-6 6-2 6-1 A.VEIC 6-4 3-6 6-7(3) 6-1 6-4 G.MONFILS [12] 6-4 6-4 6-4 I.KARLOVIC 2-6 7-6(5) 6-4 3-6 6-4 J.BENNETEAU 0-6 6-4 7-6(4) 7-6(2) A.GOLUBEV 6-2 1-6 6-3 6-3 I.LJUBICIC [24] 6-1 6-2 6-2 P.KOHLSCHREIBER [27] 6-1 7-5 6-1 W.ODESNIK 4-6 6-1 6-4 6-2 L.LACKO 6-4 6-4 6-0 R.NADAL [2] 7-6(0) 6-1 6-4

2nd Round

J.HAJEK 7-6(2) 7-5 6-1 L.KUBOT 6-3 6-3 6-3 S.GIRALDO 6-4 6-2 6-2 J.TSONGA [10] 6-3 6-4 6-4 T.DENT 6-1 6-3 6-3 J.TIPSAREVIC 6-2 6-4 7-6(3) T.HAAS [18] 6-7(5) 6-4 6-2 6-1 N.ALMAGRO [26] 7-6(12) 6-4 2-6 4-6 8-6 B.BECKER 7-6(5) 7-5 7-5 A.FALLA 7-5 6-3 6-1 M.GRANOLLERS 5-7 2-6 6-4 6-4 6-2

6-7(9) 4-6 7-6(2) 7-6(4) 6-4

2nd Round

R.FEDERER [1] 4-6 6-2 7-6(2) 6-0 V.HANESCU 6-4 6-3 7-6(2) S.ROBERT 6-3 7-6(2) 7-6(4) A.MONTANES [31] 7-6(5) 2-2 Ret. L.HEWITT [22] 6-1 6-2 6-3 D.YOUNG 1-6 7-5 6-2 6-4 M.BAGHDATIS 6-2 6-4 6-4 D.FERRER [17] 6-0 6-0 2-0 Ret. F.VERDASCO [9] 6-7(4) 7-6(1) 7-5 6-2 I.SERGEYEV 6-3 7-6(3) 4-6 7-6(8) S.KOUBEK 4-6 6-3 5-7 6-1 6-3 I.DODIG 2-6 1-6 6-4 6-1 6-1 J.MONACO [30] 6-3 7-6(5) 6-1 M.LLODRA 6-3 7-5 6-4 I.MARCHENKO 7-6(2) 7-5 6-3 N.DAVYDENKO [6] 6-1 6-0 6-3 N.DJOKOVIC [3] 7-5 6-3 6-2 M.CHIUDINELLI 7-6(7) 7-6(3) 4-6 6-3 M.BERRER 6-1 6-2 6-1 D.ISTOMIN 6-2 6-2 6-0 M.YOUZHNY [20]

3rd Round

Champion: FEDERER, Roger SUI 6-3 6-4 7-6(11)

N.ALMAGRO [26] 6-4 6-3 6-4

J.TSONGA [10] 6-4 3-6 6-1 7-5

L.KUBOT Walkover

N.DJOKOVIC [3] 6-1 6-1 6-2

N.DAVYDENKO [6] 6-0 6-3 6-4

F.VERDASCO [9] 6-1 Ret.

L.HEWITT [22] 6-0 4-2 Ret.

R.FEDERER [1] 6-3 6-4 6-4

1/81

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

P.KOHLSCHREIBER [27] 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-2

I.LJUBICIC [24] 6-3 3-6 6-2 6-3

I.KARLOVIC 2-6 6-1 6-3 6-3

G.MONFILS [12] 6-4 6-4 6-4

J.ISNER [33] 6-3 7-6(4) 7-5

F.SERRA 3-6 6-4 5-7 7-6(4) 7-5

A.MURRAY [5] 6-1 6-4 6-3

J.DEL POTRO [4] 6-4 6-7(3) 5-7 6-3 10-8

F.MAYER 4-6 6-4 7-6(2) 6-1

S.WAWRINKA [19] 6-3 6-2 6-2

M.CILIC [14] 6-7(6) 6-3 4-6 6-2 6-4

F.GONZALEZ [11] 6-3 6-4 7-5

E.KOROLEV 6-4 6-4 7-5

F.LOPEZ 6-3 2-6 6-3 6-2

A.RODDICK [7] 6-3 6-4 6-4

3rd Round

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

I.KARLOVIC 6-3 3-6 6-3 7-6(7)

J.ISNER [33] 6-1 4-6 7-6(4) 7-6(5)

A.MURRAY [5] 7-5 6-1 6-4

J.DEL POTRO [4] 6-3 0-6 6-4 7-5

M.CILIC [14] 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-3

F.GONZALEZ [11] 6-7(5) 6-3 1-6 6-3 6-4

A.RODDICK [7] 6-7(4) 6-4 6-4 7-6(3)

1/81

Australian Open 2010 Men's Singles Championship

A.FALLA 6-4 6-1 6-3

N.ALMAGRO [26] 6-4 6-2 3-6 4-6 6-3

T.HAAS [18] 4-6 6-4 6-3 1-6 6-3

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

L.KUBOT 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-1

M.YOUZHNY [20] 6-2 6-1 6-1

D.ISTOMIN 7-5 6-3 6-4

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

N.DAVYDENKO [6] 6-3 6-3 6-0

J.MONACO [30] 3-6 3-6 7-6(5) 6-1 6-3

S.KOUBEK 7-6(4) 6-1 6-2

F.VERDASCO [9] 6-1 6-2 6-2

M.BAGHDATIS 4-6 3-6 7-6(4) 6-3 6-1

L.HEWITT [22] 7-6(3) 6-4 6-1

A.MONTANES [31] 4-6 6-7(3) 6-2 6-3 6-2

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

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

A.MURRAY [5] 7-6(4) 6-3 6-2

M.CILIC [14] 5-7 6-4 7-5 5-7 6-3

A.RODDICK [7] 6-3 3-6 4-6 7-5 6-2

/4

J.TSONGA [10] 6-3 6-4 4-6 6-7(6) 9-7

N.DJOKOVIC [3] 6-1 6-2 7-5

N.DAVYDENKO [6] 6-2 7-5 4-6 6-7(5) 6-3

R.FEDERER [1] 6-2 6-3 6-4

/4

A.MURRAY [5] 6-3 7-6(2) 3-0 Ret.

A.MURRAY [5] 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-2

M.CILIC [14] 7-6(4) 6-3 3-6 2-6 6-3

1/2

J.TSONGA [10]

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

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

R.FEDERER [1] 2-6 6-3 6-0 7-5

1/2

PLAYER PROFILE:

HENIN

After 18 months of voluntary exile, Justine Henin has played only two major tournaments. In both of those competitions she lost in the final, in three sets, to Kim Clijsters (in Brisbane) and Serena Williams (in Melbourne). Already she’s playing at a level that most players can only dream of, and she’s intent on getting even better. Not a bad start to a new career, really.

And yet, Justine Henin was disappointed with her Australian Open performance. This is not just any tennis player we’re talking about.

She has been described as the Roger Federer of the women’s tour, and holds herself to an almost impossible standard. Like Federer, Henin is haunted by the one tournament that she hasn’t won. For Federer it was the French Open, for Henin it is Wimbledon. The difference is that Federer has managed to exorcise those demons, while his female counterpart is still fighting them.

returned, something that Henin failed to do in Melbourne.

To add insult to injury, Clijsters was able to overcome Serena Williams on her way to her comeback Slam win, and that is something else Henin failed to do. Losing in the Australian Open was a double-blow for the Belgian, as she was bested in different ways by her two most bitter rivals.

A TEST FOR WORDS BY VINCENZO MARTUCCI

Though the defeat left a bitter taste in her mouth, Henin tried to be positive after the match. “Of course I’m disappointed. But this feeling of disappointment cannot remove all the things I’ve done in the last few weeks.

It’s just more than I could expect. I just have to remember that. I was curious about what my level would be and how I was going to deal with the atmosphere on and off the court, how it would feel. I felt I took the right decision, so it’s good enough for me already.”

RIVALS Henin started training for her comeback in July of 2008. However, no amount of hard work could quite prepare her for the changes the game of tennis had undergone in the short time she was absent. Today, to be competitive, she must use a heavier racquet, improve her footwork, hit her forehands closer to her body, strengthen her serve, add much more top-spin to her shots, play down the line more frequently, open up the court more and finish rallies earlier.

And that’s just to start. But perhaps the biggest change is how far Henin has fallen behind her great rival and countrywoman Kim Clijsters. Clijsters – now a mother – has already won a Slam since her return. In fact, she won a Slam the moment she 39

TennisWorlD sa

TECHNIQUE Though she was away from tennis for 18 months, her golden arm found it hard to forget how to play. Her backhand especially seems to have lost none of its incredible beauty and effectiveness. The “female Federer” that is Justine Henin showed throughout the two weeks at Melbourne that bad technique has never been a problem for her.

In fact, with every passing match she seemed to get better. Little niggles disappeared with every shot she played, and she shook off the rust as easily as she shook off her opponents. And many of her opponents were not easily shaken off. Elena Dementieva, Kirsten Flipkens, Yanina Wickmayer, Nadia Petrova, Jie Zheng – the list of her conquered foes reads like a who’s who of modern women’s tennis. But Henin would have traded in all those victories for the one that mattered most to her – Serena Williams. All her technical improvements failed her in that Championship match.

BODY Her physique has, throughout her career, proven to be the biggest hurdle for Justine Henin to overcome.

At 1.68 metres, she is one of the shortest women on tour, and she is of a very slight build. Yet she has made great strides in this department, somehow making up for her physical shortcomings and competing with the truly huge Williams sisters. But she still has a lot of work to do in this area of her game. She became visibly tired in both Brisbane and Melbourne, and when Williams snatched a possible 2-0 lead from her in the third set of the final, she became obviously deflated.

Henin found little sympathy from the Australian Open organisers when she signed up for tournament. They have the power to grant seeds to certain players they feel deserve it, but apparently they felt the former champion didn’t. Consequently she found herself with a very tough draw from the very start, which taxed her physically. Her coach, Carlos Rodriguez admitted that it had been too much. “Justine had not been ready before and, after six matches, she was still not ready, to beat somebody like Serena,” he said.

His Belgian student agreed.

“Physically I know I have to work hard when I go back home because, you know, I suffered a lot in this tournament,” she echoed after the Open.

NERVES On important points one must be courageous, calm and focused.

Unfortunately, Henin could not have regained it all after 18 months “without touching a racquet” (as she says). “In fact I was nervous because I knew that I had before me someone that left me no chance. So my arm stiffened up a bit, and I have suffered as a result of everything that has happened in the recent weeks. I was lacking time to digest it and also a bit of courage,” she admitted.

But if she has lost some of her nerve, she has gained something else: a relaxed attitude. Two years ago she was “focused on tennis 200%”’, but now she has gained a bit of perspective. She realises she needs tennis, but is not overwhelmed by that need. And though it may not be as exciting, progress is just as important as results. In the 2008 Miami quarter-finals she lost to Serena Williams 6-2 6-0. She was convinced that she was out of shape, out of form and out of the swing of things. Just out. In Melbourne in 2010 she pushed that same rival to the very edge of defeat. After the match she promised the crowd that “this time I can say: see you next year”. An extra year might be all that Henin needs, and in 2011 she might very well have the last laugh.

TennisWorld sa

40

PLAYER PROFILE:

KIRILENKO Actually we didn’t only think that she was the prettiest. Maria Kirilenko is the most feminine Russians on the tour, and the tennis-player-turnedmodel can wear Stella McCartney’s cute little numbers better than anyone else.

At the Australian Open she was one of the stars of the tournament both on and off the court. No longer the other Maria - the charming and unthreatening friend of Maria Sharapova - she is now the tigress who can ruthlessly beat her old comrade in a Grand Slam tournament.

After the last shot of that first round match Kirilenko placed her finger on her lips, the way Arsenal striker Andrey Arshavin does after each goal.

At least, that’s what everyone thought.

“No”, she replied with her eyes open wide, “I was not thinking of Arshavin, but about the fact that, even if I had beaten Maria, it was a first round and therefore I didn’t have much to celebrate”. Russian pragmatism.

Under those little dresses, behind the facade of a soft pin-up, actually hides a more than respectable tennis player. Ranked 45 in the world (she has been as high as number 18),

she has won 5 titles and almost $2.5 million in prize money.

When she was a little girl, her father would pick her up after school and take her to Yubileyny, a small village in the Muscovite district and home of the Dynamo sports club. Here she would alternate between dance and tennis lessons. Even then she was an athlete in the making, shining in all national competitions and then carving out a space among the pros.

Though known as a friend of Maria Sharapova, she has many others as well.

“I believe I am everyone’s friend in the changing rooms, not only Maria’s”, she said.

“And then when you are playing one against the other, I do not believe that friendship matters much”.

Kirilenko is a fan of classical music, and is particularly fond of Brahms and Beethoven. She was moved when she discovered that the great cellist Msitislav Rostropovich had begun following tennis after meeting her at a concert.

relationship for years with Igor Andreev, a professional player on the men’s tennis tour.

Kirilenko’s biggest victory in Australia came at the expense of Dinara Safina, who was forced to withdraw from their match due to injury.

“I would have liked to win in a different way, of course, but that’s the way things went”, Kirlenko said afterwards.

Although she lost rather tamely in her first Grand Slam quarter final, Maria Kirilenko is now definitely on the radar of women’s tennis.

Everyone should remember her name, because it’s sure to come up a lot in the future. However, whatever you do, don’t call her the other Maria anymore.

In contrast to Sharapova’s everchanging romantic life, Kirilenko has had a very stable and honest

FOR ONCE, WE DIDN’T THINK THAT

SHE WAS THE PRETTIEST 41

TennisWorlD sa

TennisWorld sa

42

PLAYER PROFILE:

SHARAPOVA

Comebacks are not the same for everyone. There are some who take a break to start a family and, after losing their father and having a daughter, show up in the tournament they had left as a champion four years previously and win it again (we won’t mention any names). There are others who disappear at the top of their game, angry at yet another setback that their ego is incapable of bearing, only to return and reach the final of the first Grand Slam they enter. Finally, there are those who do not choose to leave, but are forced to abandon their passion due to a debilitating injury. For them, the road to a comeback often seems the most difficult.

she wasn’t just a pretty face. Winning one Slam is good, but winning two is better.

Maria Sharapova’s second career began in May 2009, almost ten months after she withdrew from her third round match against Ai Sugiyama at the Canadian Open. Her right shoulder, for years subjected to the intense abuse of the Russian’s powerful ground strokes, had finally had enough. Sharapova’s Olympic dreams suddenly vanished, along with her US Open ambitions.

Sharapova responded with force. At the 2006 US Open she showed up in a little black dress reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and a matching hair band.

Her opponents were quickly and

For two seasons, with the sponsors falling over each other to sign her, the pressure grew for a repeat performance of 2004. Sharapova did well, reaching five Grand Slam semi-finals, winning the WTA Masters and becoming – briefly – the world number one. But it would take more than adequate results to stop malicious rumours and endless intrusions into her private life. More and more people wondered aloud what fashion shoots have to do with tennis, and whether this was holding back her performance on the court.

that occasionally showed on her bare back seemed to underline the imperfection that plagued her game. Her first opponent was Maria Kirilenko, her former doubles partner.

Theirs was the first match of the tournament – on the very court which saw Sharapova victorious in the 2008 final. But those happy days seemed like centuries ago.

Her opponent displayed the stubbornness of someone who knew that Sharapova was not on top form, and Kirilenko was not prepared to concede even half a millimetre on the court. Sharapova has never really had a backup plan for her game. This is largely due to the fact that she has never really needed it. When it mattered most she was able to play her best tennis.

These days it’s a different story. Her legendary determination and constant shouting – something that has lost her more fans that it has won – seemed muted in Australia, and she looked resigned to the string of errors that flowed from her racquet.

THE FALL OF A GODDESS

After testing her shoulder by entering the doubles at Indian Wells, she realised that it was too early again to venture into the jungle that is singles tennis. Especially when that jungle is filled with the enemies of years past, who are eager to get revenge for the times when Sharapova was the hunter and they the prey.

Sharapova’s “first” career is filled with the stuff of legend. At the tender age of 17, not quite a nobody, but certainly not yet thought of as a Grand Slam winner, she hoisted the trophy at the All-England Club in 2004 – beating none other than Serena Williams in the final.

Almost immediately people started comparing her to Anna Kournikova.

But there was a key difference. Her compatriot, who preceded her by a few seasons, may also have been attractive, but she never won a tournament. Sharapova was not only good-looking, she was also a winner.

Even so, it didn’t seem enough.

People wanted more reassurance that

43

TennisWorlD sa

MARIA SHARAPOVA easily defeated. She dropped only one set in the whole tournament, and dished out four bagels (6-0 sets), including two in her match against Amélie Mauresmo. Justine Henin offered little resistance in the finals and quickly surrendered in two straight sets.

After this victory the goddess was knocking at the gates of Olympus, which were thrown wide open for her. She served up fourteen bagels in her victorious 2008 Australian Open. For a couple of months Sharapova was almost unplayable and in May, at the very moment that Justine Henin retired, she became world number one again. But there were dark clouds on the horizon.

She unexpectedly lost in the second round of Wimbledon and a few months later she withdrew from a tournament in Montreal, deciding to stop playing tennis until her shoulder had completely recovered.

At the 2010 Australian Open Maria Sharapova’s shoulder was fine, but the rest of her game was not. Not even her new dress, tight-fitting green with blue accents, seemed to fit quite right. The white label

Her punches and exclamations were far from convincing, and the icy stare that she always reserved for her opponents seemed all but melted away. It appears as if she has lost her spirit, and her fans are worried. Many are saying if she is going to continue playing like this she may as well retire. Her statements at the press conference were ambiguous and open to interpretation.

“That’s just the way it goes,” she said. “I could be disappointed or I could just take it as it is, go back on the court and just keep working. It’s the first tournament of the year.”

Despite this early setback, Nike recently renewed her contract with some dizzying numbers and she still seems intent on playing to win.

Her fans can rest assured: she still has the spirit of the tiger in her. It is true that this tiger may not be as hungry as it was, and the competition is much tougher now. However, Sharapova is only 23, and she is certainly not yet done with tennis.

TennisWorld sa

44

PLAYER PROFILE:

KUCOVA

THE DREAM OF This is one of those stories that might make you shed a tear, but will also reaffirm that the world still has room for dreams. This dream involves two sisters - definitely not two champions – who by chance found themselves playing together at the Australian Open.

Zuzana Kucova, at the advanced age of twenty-seven, recently earned the right to play in the main draw of a Grand Slam event for only the second time in her career, the last having been way back in 2004. Her sister, Krystina Kucova, is eight years her junior, and was also entered into the same draw. This was the first time in history that two Slovak sisters played in the same Grand Slam tournament.

The differences between the two sisters are vast, and go way beyond simply their dates of birth. The biggest difference is perhaps of talent and success, both in the past and in the future. Krystina won the junior US Open Championship in 2007, and at the tender age of 19 she is already showing the promise of a future champion. Zuzana, on the other

45

TennisWorlD sa

hand, is entering the final stages of her career, and went to Melbourne on holiday, not to play tennis.

Both sisters gained an interest in tennis from their father, who was a physical education teacher at a school in Bratislava. He started playing tennis in university and instantly gained a passion for the sport. This passion was transferred to his first-born, Zuzana, who decided to become a professional. Despite having no help from the Slovak Federation, she managed to make a successful living from playing on the women’s tour, though she never broke into the top 100.

Krystina’s situation couldn’t be more different. In 2007, she won a prestigious junior tournament in New York as an unseeded player.

The Slovak Federation immediately took an interest in her future, pairing her with former world number 21 Henrieta Nagyova to help her with her game.

Going into Melbourne, Krystina’s ranking was 109, and she was automatically entered into the main

draw. Her sister, ranked 138, could barely enter the qualifying draw.

Zuzana was persuaded to take some time off her holiday and try her hand at qualifying for the Australian Open.

She had very low expectations, and in the first round of qualifying it seemed as if her doubt was well-placed – she went down a set and 3-0 to Darya Kustova, the world number 117. At that point her sister arrived on court along with some Slovak supporters. Together they cheered Zuzana on to make a comeback.

She replied powerfully, clawing her way back into the second set and ultimately winning the match 6-7 7-5 7-5 after more than three hours on court. After another two very tough qualifying matches, Zuzana finally made her way into the main draw of the tournament, and the two sisters celebrated with an emotional hug.

If this were a movie or a novel, Zuzana would have gone on to win the Australian Open. But it’s not a movie, it’s a tennis tournament, and tennis is a tough sport – both physically and mentally. If you don’t

TWO SISTERS believe in yourself, you can become your own worst enemy.

Zuzana had a very tough draw in the first round, and had to play world number 36 Gisela Dulko.

Even though she lost the first set 6-0 and was trailing 4-2 in the second, she fought back bravely and eventually levelled the match at one set all. In the deciding set she was again cheered on by the Slovak supporters, and at 5-5 she had three opportunities to take a 6-5 lead and perhaps a chance to play Ana Ivanović in the second round.

Unfortunately, this is where the dream ends. Her nerves abandoned her and she lost the last set 7-5.

have played each other in the fourth round if it they both progressed that far.

That, however, remains another unfulfilled dream, just like the one of winning the Australian Open. Yet despite all that might have been, nothing can detract from the beautiful story of the older sister who went on holiday to Australia and ended up playing in one of the most important tennis tournaments on earth.

Her sister fared no better and had an even worse draw. In the first round she had to play Vera Zvonareva, the ninth seed, and lost in two easy sets.

The sisters had only days before celebrated the fact that they were both in the main draw. Now they had to mourn together because they had both lost at the very first hurdle of the competition. They were even in the same section of the draw, and might

TennisWorld sa

46

47 TennisWorlD sa TennisWorld sa

48

65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64

DEMENTIEVA, Elena RUS DUSHEVINA, Vera RUS FLIPKENS, Kirsten BEL HENIN, Justine BEL CIRSTEA, Sorana ROU ROGOWSKA, Olivia AUS DOKIC, Jelena AUS KLEYBANOVA, Alisa RUS RAZZANO, Virginie FRA MAKAROVA, Ekaterina RUS ZAKOPALOVA, Klara CZE ERRANI, Sara ITA WICKMAYER, Yanina BEL DULGHERU, Alexandra ROU CHAKVETADZE, Anna RUS PENNETTA, Flavia ITA CLIJSTERS, Kim BEL TETREAULT, Valerie CAN KARATANTCHEVA, Sesil KAZ TANASUGARN, Tamarine THA CHAN, Yung-Jan TPE KANEPI, Kaia EST GALLOVITS, Edina ROU PETROVA, Nadia RUS REZAI, Aravane FRA MIRZA, Sania IND GOVORTSOVA, Olga BLR KERBER, Angelique GER PAVLYUCHENKOVA, Anastasia RUS SEVASTOVA, Anastasija LAT RODIONOVA, Anastasia AUS KUZNETSOVA, Svetlana RUS JANKOVIC, Jelena SRB NICULESCU, Monica ROU MAYR, Patricia AUT O’BRIEN, Katie GBR FEDAK, Yuliana UKR HERCOG, Polona SLO WOERLE, Kathrin GER BONDARENKO, Alona UKR MARTINEZ SANCHEZ, Maria Jose ESP RODINA, Evgeniya RUS ZHENG, Jie CHN PENG, Shuai CHN VANDEWEGHE, Coco USA ZAHLAVOVA, Sandra CZE DE LOS RIOS, Rossana PAR BARTOLI, Marion FRA SHARAPOVA, Maria RUS KIRILENKO, Maria RUS MEUSBURGER, Yvonne AUT BACSINSZKY, Timea SUI GROENEFELD, Anna-Lena GER VINCI, Roberta ITA KING, Vania USA CIBULKOVA, Dominika SVK BONDARENKO, Kateryna UKR OLARU, Ioana Raluca ROU PARMENTIER, Pauline FRA BALTACHA, Elena GBR ZAHLAVOVA STRYCOVA, Barbora CZE KULIKOVA, Regina RUS RYBARIKOVA, Magdalena SVK SAFINA, Dinara RUS

1st Round

WILLIAMS, Serena USA RADWANSKA, Urszula POL KVITOVA, Petra CZE CRAYBAS, Jill USA VORACOVA, Renata CZE PETKOVIC, Andrea GER MORITA, Ayumi JPN SUAREZ NAVARRO, Carla ESP LISICKI, Sabine GER MARTIC, Petra CRO LEPCHENKO, Varvara USA BRIANTI, Alberta ITA BARROIS, Kristina GER AMANMURADOVA, Akgul UZB HAN, Xinyun CHN STOSUR, Samantha AUS ZVONAREVA, Vera RUS KUCOVA, Kristina SVK CHANG, Kai-Chen TPE BENESOVA, Iveta CZE KUCOVA, Zuzana SVK DULKO, Gisela ARG PERRY, Shenay USA IVANOVIC, Ana SRB VESNINA, Elena RUS GARBIN, Tathiana ITA DATE KRUMM, Kimiko JPN SHVEDOVA, Yaroslava KAZ VOEGELE, Stefanie SUI CZINK, Melinda HUN COHEN-ALORO, Stephanie FRA AZARENKA, Victoria BLR WOZNIACKI, Caroline DEN WOZNIAK, Aleksandra CAN PASZEK, Tamira AUT GOERGES, Julia GER VOSKOBOEVA, Galina KAZ PIRONKOVA, Tsvetana BUL HRADECKA, Lucie CZE PEER, Shahar ISR HANTUCHOVA, Daniela SVK KUTUZOVA, Viktoriya UKR GROTH, Jarmila AUS ARVIDSSON, Sofia SWE DUBOIS, Stephanie CAN SZAVAY, Agnes HUN ERAKOVIC, Marina NZL LI, Na CHN RADWANSKA, Agnieszka POL MALEK, Tatjana GER OUDIN, Melanie USA KUDRYAVTSEVA, Alla RUS COIN, Julie FRA MOLIK, Alicia AUS CORNET, Alize FRA SCHIAVONE, Francesca ITA MEDINA GARRIGUES, Anabel ESP SPREM, Karolina CRO YAKIMOVA, Anastasiya BLR DELLACQUA, Casey AUS PARRA SANTONJA, Arantxa ESP BAMMER, Sybille AUT SAFAROVA, Lucie CZE WILLIAMS, Venus USA

1st Round

Women’s Draw

[2]

(Q)

[23] [30]

(Q)

[11] [14]

(W)

(Q) [31] [24]

(Q)

[3] [8]

(Q)

[19] [26]

[12] [15] (Q) (W)

(Q)

[27] [18]

(W)

(W)

[5]

[6]

(W)

[17] [25]

(W)

[16] [10]

(W) (Q)

[29] [22]

(W) [7] [4]

(Q) [20] [28]

(Q)

(Q) [13] [9]

[32] [21]

(Q)

[1]

Champion: WILLIAMS, Serena USA 6-4 3-6 6-2

V.WILLIAMS [6] 6-1 7-6(4)

F.SCHIAVONE [17] 6-2 6-2

N.LI [16] 7-5 3-6 6-2

C.WOZNIACKI [4] 6-4 6-0

V.AZARENKA [7] 6-0 6-2

V.ZVONAREVA [9] 6-1 7-5

S.STOSUR [13] 6-4 6-1

S.WILLIAMS [1] 6-0 6-3

1/81

D.SAFINA [2] 6-3 6-4

E.BALTACHA 6-2 7-5

R.VINCI 7-6(7) 7-5

M.KIRILENKO 6-3 6-1

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

J.ZHENG 2-6 6-2 6-3

A.BONDARENKO [31] 6-4 7-5

J.JANKOVIC [8] 6-2 6-2

S.KUZNETSOVA [3] 6-2 6-2

A.KERBER 6-2 6-3

N.PETROVA [19] 6-4 6-4

K.CLIJSTERS [15] 6-3 6-3

Y.WICKMAYER 7-6(2) 6-1

S.ERRANI 6-2 6-3

A.KLEYBANOVA [27] 6-4 6-3

J.HENIN 7-5 7-6(6)

3rd Round

D.SAFINA [2] 6-1 6-2

M.KIRILENKO 7-5 7-6(4)

J.ZHENG 5-7 6-3 6-0

A.BONDARENKO [31] 6-2 6-3

S.KUZNETSOVA [3] 3-6 7-5 6-4

N.PETROVA [19] 6-0 6-1

Y.WICKMAYER 6-1 6-7(4) 6-3

J.HENIN 3-6 6-4 6-2

1/81

Australian Open 2010 Women's Singles Championship

V.WILLIAMS [6] 6-2 7-5

C.DELLACQUA 7-6(4) 7-6(6)

F.SCHIAVONE [17] 6-3 6-4

A.RADWANSKA [10] 6-0 6-2

N.LI [16] 3-6 7-5 6-2

D.HANTUCHOVA [22] 6-4 6-1

S.PEER [29] 6-1 6-4

C.WOZNIACKI [4] 6-3 6-1

V.AZARENKA [7] 6-4 6-0

T.GARBIN 6-7(5) 6-2 6-0

G.DULKO 6-7(6) 7-5 6-4

V.ZVONAREVA [9] 6-0 6-3

S.STOSUR [13] 7-5 6-3

A.BRIANTI 2-6 6-4 6-4

C.SUAREZ NAVARRO [32] 6-1 6-4

S.WILLIAMS [1] 6-2 6-1

3rd Round

Australian Open 2010 Women's Singles Championship

E.DEMENTIEVA [5] 6-2 6-1 J.HENIN 6-4 6-3 S.CIRSTEA 6-3 2-6 6-2 A.KLEYBANOVA [27] 6-1 7-5 E.MAKAROVA 6-2 6-3 S.ERRANI 6-2 7-6(5) Y.WICKMAYER 1-6 7-5 10-8 F.PENNETTA [12] 6-3 3-6 6-2 K.CLIJSTERS [15] 6-0 6-4 T.TANASUGARN 6-1 7-6(0) K.KANEPI 7-6(4) 6-2 N.PETROVA [19] 6-3 6-4 A.REZAI [26] 6-4 6-2 A.KERBER 6-3 6-3 A.PAVLYUCHENKOVA 6-2 6-4 S.KUZNETSOVA [3] 6-1 6-2 J.JANKOVIC [8] 6-4 6-0 K.O’BRIEN 6-3 6-3 P.HERCOG 6-4 6-0 A.BONDARENKO [31] 6-2 6-2 M.MARTINEZ SANCHEZ [24] 6-0 6-0 J.ZHENG 0-6 6-1 6-2 S.ZAHLAVOVA 6-0 6-1 M.BARTOLI [11] 6-4 6-1 M.KIRILENKO 7-6(4) 3-6 6-4 Y.MEUSBURGER 6-4 4-6 6-2 R.VINCI 7-5 6-4 V.KING 6-3 6-7(5) 7-5 K.BONDARENKO [30] 6-2 7-6(6) E.BALTACHA 6-4 3-6 7-5 B.ZAHLAVOVA STRYCOVA 7-6(5) 6-7(10) 6-3 D.SAFINA [2] 6-4 6-4

2nd Round

S.WILLIAMS [1] 6-2 6-1 P.KVITOVA 6-1 7-5 A.PETKOVIC 6-2 6-4 C.SUAREZ NAVARRO [32] 7-5 6-4 S.LISICKI [21] 6-1 6-4 A.BRIANTI 6-0 3-6 6-1 K.BARROIS 6-0 7-6(6) S.STOSUR [13] 6-1 3-6 6-2 V.ZVONAREVA [9] 6-2 6-0 I.BENESOVA 7-5 6-2 G.DULKO 6-0 5-7 7-5 A.IVANOVIC [20] 6-2 6-3 T.GARBIN 7-6(5) 6-4 Y.SHVEDOVA 6-4 6-2 S.VOEGELE 7-5 6-7(5) 9-7 V.AZARENKA [7] 6-2 6-0 C.WOZNIACKI [4] 6-4 6-2 J.GOERGES 6-0 3-6 6-3 T.PIRONKOVA 6-4 6-4 S.PEER [29] 6-7(5) 6-2 6-1 D.HANTUCHOVA [22] 3-6 6-1 7-5 S.ARVIDSSON 6-2 4-6 6-4 A.SZAVAY 6-3 6-2 N.LI [16] 6-2 6-0 A.RADWANSKA [10] 6-1 6-0 A.KUDRYAVTSEVA 2-6 7-5 7-5 J.COIN 3-6 7-6(4) 6-3 F.SCHIAVONE [17] 0-6 7-5 6-0 K.SPREM 6-3 6-2 C.DELLACQUA 6-2 3-6 6-4 S.BAMMER 6-3 6-2 V.WILLIAMS [6] 6-2 6-2

2nd Round

M.KIRILENKO 5-4 Ret.

J.ZHENG 7-6(5) 6-4

N.PETROVA [19] 6-3 3-6 6-1

J.HENIN 7-6(3) 1-6 6-3

/4

V.WILLIAMS [6] 3-6 6-2 6-1

N.LI [16] 6-4 6-3

V.AZARENKA [7] 4-6 6-4 6-0

S.WILLIAMS [1] 6-4 6-2

/4

J.ZHENG 6-1 6-3

J.HENIN 6-1 6-0

J.HENIN 7-6(3) 7-5

1/2

N.LI [16] 2-6 7-6(4) 7-5

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

S.WILLIAMS [1] 4-6 7-6(4) 6-2

1/2

THE

OF THE SA OPEN

PHOTO BY:

REG CALDECOTTsa 49 TennisWorlD

TennisWorld sa

50

THE

OF THE SA OPEN

PHOTO BY: 51 TennisWorlD REG CALDECOTTsa

TennisWorld sa

52

SA open SPECIAL FEATURE

Around THE SA OPEN “I’ve been told by several players that this is the best 250-series event that they’ve ever been to,” says Ian Smith, the CEO of the South African Tennis Association and the tournament director for the SA Tennis Open.

And it’s not only the players that are happy with the event – ticket sales are up 15% from last year.

It’s not hard to see why.

For the second year in a row, some of the world’s best tennis players have come to South Africa. The tournament also features the cuttingedge Hawk Eye technology, which allows players to challenge calls they disagree with. This is very unusual for a 250-series event, and is an illustration of the high standards that the tournament’s organisers are aiming for.

Smith’s philosophy on the matter is simple: if you put on a fantastic show, the players and the public will come.

“We’ve been off the tour for a while, so we feel we have to go one better to attract people. We have to be different.”

53

TennisWorlD sa

His persistence has paid off, and the top players have all expressed a desire to return.

Gael Monfils, the charismatic and ever-popular number one seed from France, had a ball in South Africa.

When he was not practising his tennis he was practicing his football – by travelling to the Soccer City stadium in Soweto and having a kick around on the pitch. He was certainly not in two minds as to whether he wants to return to the country.

“This has been an amazing experience,” he said after a win in the early rounds of the tournament. “I want to bring my mother.”

David Ferrer, who has been ranked as high as fourth in the world, reached the semi-final of the competition for the second time, and was also full of praise. “It is very comfortable here,” he explained in accented English, “It is very nice for the players. The hotel is so close to the courts.”

Of course there were many South African players for fans to cheer on, and they were all thrilled to be playing

Words by Philip Maré Photos by: Reg Caldecott

in their home tournament again.

“I cherish it when I do play out here,” smiled Raven Klaasen, the last South African left standing in the draw. “I hope this tournament stays here for years to come.”

Local and international talent There was plenty of hope for the locals early on in the competition.

Izak van der Merwe came through a tough opening-round match against the Israeli qualifier Noam Okum, and Raven Klaasen showed plenty of promise when he dispatched the Frenchman David Guez in straight sets in his first match.

Unfortunately, however, that was as far as they progressed. Van der Merwe lost to the French journeyman Stephane Robert, although there was certainly no shame in that as Robert would eventually go on to reach the final, taking care of David Ferrer along the way. Klaasen fought bravely against Yen-Hsun Lu in what was one of the tournament’s most entertaining matches, but eventually succumbed to the young man from Taipei.

While it might not be much of a surprise that a South African did not reach the final, it was certainly a huge upset that neither of the two top seeds did. Gael Monfils faced Feliciano Lopez in his semi-final match, and looked set to crush the Spaniard in record time, as he took the first set in barely 20 minutes.

Early in the second set, however, Monfils injured his knee while sliding on the court – a practice that has earned him several injuries in the past. Hopping about on one leg for most of the second set, Monfils looked as if he would certainly retire.

But after the trainer strapped his knee, he pulled himself together in the third set and took the match to a deciding tie-break, which he narrowly lost to the big-serving Lopez.

Another Spaniard who fared less well was David Ferrer, who had shown excellent form in his matches leading up to the semi-final. There he faced the little-known Stephane Robert, who came out swinging against his much higher-ranked opponent. The Frenchman repeatedly pulled off absurd shots that even the world’s

best players would have been proud of, and he often seemed surprised himself. A frustrated Ferrer fought back from behind in both sets but was ultimately unable to stop Robert’s tremendous run of luck.

While his fans were disappointed that their hero lost, some found comfort in the little things.

“I’m sad that he lost, but he’s still the most gorgeous tennis player on earth,” exclaimed Jane Goldsmith, one of his many admirers.

Spain takes on France in rainy Jo’burg

...if you put on a fantastic show, the players and the public will come...

The typical Highveld weather, with its usual summer thunder storms, interrupted play several times during the week. At one point during a doubles match between Izak van der Merwe/Raven Klaasen and Jeff Coetzee/Rogier Wassen the wind was so strong that the tarpaulin covering the commentary booth was nearly ripped off. The players could not throw the ball up in the air to serve because it would blow away before they could hit it. cont...

TennisWorld sa

54

It came close to raining several times during the weekend, but for the most part the storms skirted mercifully around Monte Casino. The only real major interruption came during the doubles finals, where the team of Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi were trailing when the rain came. They made good use of the pause in play though, returning to draw level with their opponents and eventually win the contest in the match tie-break.

The singles final lacked the drama that many had hoped for, but Stephane Robert gave a good account of himself in the first set, fighting off several break points.

However, to the delight of his many fans, Feliciano Lopez proved too strong in the end. After finally taking the first set 7-5, the second quickly followed at 6-1, with Robert unable to keep pace with the big-hitting Spaniard, who served up 11 aces in the match.

Lopez hoped that his winning the tournament would be a good omen for the Spanish football team later in

the year. “It might be a sign. South Africa brings luck to Spanish people.

Maybe we can get the [World Cup] trophy in July. I really hope so,” he smiled after his victory.

While few people thought that Lopez would walk away with the trophy, they were certainly very happy for him.

Even though their favourite player might have lost, they still enjoyed every second of the action.

“I love this tournament,” said Irene Roberts, a fan from Johannesburg. “I think it is really good for the kids to see world-class players up close.

I hope the event stays here forever.”

Forever might be stretching it a bit, but Ian Smith has no intention of letting the SA Open go anywhere soon.

“We currently have a three year licence from the ATP,” he said.

“But we’re in negotiations to continue beyond that. The ATP is very happy with what we’ve done here and we’re optimistic about the future and confident that the tournament will continue.”

SA OPEN SCORECARD Gael Monfils

8/10

Monfils was playing some awesome tennis throughout the week, but his chances of a title were ruined when he picked up a knee injury during the semi-final. It was not the first time Monfils has hurt himself while sliding on a hard court, and it probably won’t be the last. .

David Ferrer

7/10

Ferrer never really played his best tennis – a smashed racquets confirms that fact- but fought hard to get to the semi-final. If it wasn’t for some incredibly lucky shots from Stephane Robert, he would have made the final and maybe even won the tournament.

Feliciano Lopez

9/10

Finally back to his winning ways, Lopez used his big serve to dominate his opponents.

He needs to hit his backhand more aggressively if he wants to make an impact in bigger events, but this is a good start to 2010 for him. .

Fritz Wolmarans

3/10

Supremely confident during the qualifying matches, where he beat some quality players, Wolmarans was unimpressive in the main draw. Inconsistency and lack of powerful hitting undid what looked to be a promising run.

Rik De Voest

4/10

There were high hopes for the veteran de Voest at this tournament, but he struggled mightily in the singles and doubles. He simply doesn’t seem to possess the power needed to keep up with the big boys any more..

Izak van der Merwe

5/10

Though the conditions were ideal for this big-serving local hope, he struggled with consistency throughout the tournament. His volleys failed him at key moments, and he was unable to dominate from the back of the court.

Raven Klaasen

5/10

Last man standing of the local boys, Klaasen played some solid all-court tennis. He could very well have progressed to the quarter finals but lost his nerve at critical moments during his match against the young Yen-Hsun Lu.

PHOTO BY:

REG CALDECOTT 55

TennisWorlD sa

TennisWorld sa

56

OFFICIATING NEWS

SA open SPECIAL FEATURE deciding third set tie-breaker, 10-8.

They went on to make the finals and had a very successful week. Once again, Klaasen and Van der Merwe came very close to winning and could probably have won the tournament.

But no big points were won and our boys had to pack their bags on Friday morning.

Inside THE SA OPEN The South African Tennis Open, which was held in Johannesburg at the Montecasino resort, was once again a huge success. After the success of the event last year, when Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won, some wondered whether tournament director Ian Smith and his team could improve on their efforts going into the 2010 event. Well the good news is, they did.

There are many ways to measure the success of a tournament: profitability, for example, or the number of top players present. But the way I measure success is by what the players say inside the player’s lounge and locker rooms. It is very important for tournament organizers to make sure that the players are happy and that they offer them something special. The SA Open managed to do this through good organisation, good scheduling of matches, great accommodation at the Palazzo hotel and the fact that players did not need to drive anywhere to reach the tennis courts. Around the world you can often spend up to 45 minutes in a car to get from your hotel to the stadium and practice courts. This really irritates players, so well done to Ian Smith for choosing a venue where everything is close together.

An ATP Tour event in your own country means there are three wild cards available for local players to 57

TennisWorlD sa

enter the main draw. It is always difficult to choose these wild cards and often you are stuck with some unlucky and unhappy players that feel they deserved a chance. This year the wild cards went to top SA player Rik de Voest, second-best player Izak van der Merwe and very deservingly to Raven Klaasen, who won the SA Closed Championships the week before. In the qualifying we had three players that led the South African attack against a strong field of internationals. Fritz Wolmarans qualified by having to win only one match , but it was a great win. He played against the number 1 seeded Frenchman Roger Vaselin, ranked 158, and won a tight three-setter.

Ruan Roelofse lost in the second round and Nikala Scholtz in the first round. For Roelofse and Scholtz it was a great opportunity to test themselves and hopefully they now know what they need to do in order to make it on the ATP Tour.

Rik de Voest lost a tight three set match in the first round and struggled for the second year in a row to use the opportunity of being in the main draw of a tour event.

Izak van der Merwe and Raven Klaasen both equalled their efforts from the previous year by winning their first round matches and then falling short in the second round.

Van der Merwe had 2 set points against eventual finalist Stephane Robert in the first set, but could not

Words by Pietie Norval

Photos by: Reg Caldecott

convert and lost the match in straight sets. Klaasen played a good match against up-and-coming Thai star Lu Yen-Hsun, but lost 6-4 7-5. Fritz Wolmarans lost in the first round to Bjorn Phau of Germany with the same score-line as Klaasen, but also had many opportunities that he could not convert. I felt that all four South Africans in the main draw could have made at least the quarterfinals, but not winning the big points under pressure cost them and this is something that needs to be improved before we see South African players back in the top 100.

On the doubles front, three South Africans played each other in the first round. Jeff Coetzee and his Dutch partner Roger Wassen played against wild cards Klaasen and Van der Merwe, with the match going to a deciding 10-point champion’s tie-breaker. Klaasen and Van der Merwe eventually won it 10-8. Ruan Roelofse and Nikala Scholtz received the second wild card in the doubles, but lost in the first round in straight sets to the very experienced pairing of Prakash Armitray and James Cerretani. Rik de Voest teamed up with Lu Yen-Hsun, but unfortunately could not repeat his finals effort from last year and also lost in the first round. Klaasen and Van der Merwe played their quarter final match against the Israeli/Czech combination of Harel Levy and Karol Beck. Levy and Beck won the match in the

It is always good to see the players perform under pressure and it was especially good for me to spend time with the players that I work with at a top tournament. Leading into the event I was training Jeff Coetzee, Fritz Wolmarans, Izak van der Merwe and Ruan Roelofse down in Stellenbosch at the Kainos Tennis Academy.

Nikala Scholtz also uses Kainos Tennis Academy as his base and Raven Klaasen works with our head coach in Cape Town, Stefan de Koch.

These players worked very hard in preparation for the SA Open and they are currently preparing to play in several other events internationally.

I am sure they will have success through the course of the year and hopefully we can see some of them back in the main draw of the SA Open next year.

Ball KIds @ SA OPEN

46 ball kids from Gauteng Central, Gauteng North and Arthur Ashe Soweto were selected for the SA Open starting from the qualifying stages of the tournament. During the course of the week they were evaluated on a daily basis based on speed, accuracy, concentration and punctuality. They were evaluated by Mpho Makhoba (Assistant Chief of Umpires), Ephraim Motsiane, Khotso Matshego and Opa Nthuping.

16 of those progressed based on their ratings. They made up the team that was on duty for the weekend, which included the semi-finals and the finals.

From Bottom left: Naledi Ramitloa, Mmadika Mfetwanne, Percyval Mphirime, Christiaan Botha, Lebogang Mokgoetsi Back Row from left: Nikhil Joshi, Thulane Mabuza, Nozipho Montja Sean Van der Vyver, Byron Chadwick, Wesley Lebelo, Ashley Branfield Lauren Louw, Clara Cloete

TennisWorld/Dunlop 4D DRAW WINNER The winner of the TennisWorld/Dunlop 4D subscription competition is Janet Thomson from Kwazulu Natal. Congratulations!

The draw was done at the SA Open in Johannesburg. Watch out for our new subscription competition and be sure not to miss out on the tennis goodies up for grabs!

From left to right on the picture: TennisWorld Mark Ridl, Federico Coppini, Steve Gallienne and Eugene Brown

sa

58

player feedback

Noam Okun - Player from Israel ‘I like the people here in South Africa and this is my second time. I came to the Soweto Challenger last year and just had to come back for the SA Open. The atmosphere is good and so is the weather – even the rain! The hotel is great and we get spoiled by Wendy at the Players desk. I definitely want to come back for a few more years.’

Olek Dolgopolov Jnr – Player from Ukraine ‘I really like the Montecasino. The organization of the tournament is very good; in fact it is one of the best! The crowds have been good .. the people here are very friendly. I hope to come back and do better next year.’

Benjamin Balleret – Player from Monaco ‘This is a very nice place. I like the Montecasino but unfortunately didn’t get to see anything of Johannesburg. The crowds were great and the SATA staff – especially Wendy and Lorna have been very good to me. My coach and I have had a fantastic time – all in all it has been a good tournament for me. I will definitely write on my calendar that I will come back next year and will also recommend it to other players.’

Rik de Voest – Player from South Africa ‘I think it is a great event, good location and facilities with everything close by and plenty of different restaurants and entertainment available to the players. I know the Lion Park was a great talking point and place of interest for the foreign players and visitors. I think that all that made the trip to the SA Open enjoyed it and will leave with some great memories and wanting to return next year to enjoy our country and the event.’

Somdev Devverman – Player from India ‘The SA Open is one of my favourite tournaments now. The hospitality is outstanding – the players are looked after so well and their interests are always taken seriously. I will be back!’

A warm & friendly Italian welcome!

THE STABLES LODGE T

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

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

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

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

Italian and English spoken. German in progress!

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

59

TennisWorlD sa

TennisWorld sa

60

PLAYER PROFILE:

KLAASEN

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

On 25 January 2010 Raven departed for Johannesburg to compete in the SA closed tournament which would ultimately grant him a wild card entry into the main draw of the SA Open at Monte Casino which was due to start a week later.

Once again Klaasen didn’t disappoint and rose to all expectations against Nikala Scholtz (former top 20 junior ranked player) by beating him 4-6 6-3 6-4 and securing his spot in the 32-draw SA Open.

“Incorporating what we’ve been working on into match play during these tournaments, was key to setting the standard on what great things are lying ahead for Raven in the years to come,” said coach Stephan de Kock.

Raising the level to greatness

New Horizons

Road to SA Open

Ups and downs are one of the major tests in a professional sportsman’s career. “Its how you incorporate the victories and disappointments into your motivation and everyday life that will make you reap the benefits and ultimately become the best.” Raven Klaasen

Raven Klaasen is 27 years old and showing no signs of letting up as he plans his 2010 year on the ATP Tour.

After a well deserved break during November and December of 2009, Raven started his preparation for the SA Open with a two week training camp under the watchful eye of former SA tennis great Pietie Norval and Coach Stephan de Kock.

In 2005, Klaasen seriously injured his cartilage and tendons in both knees and his tennis future lay in shreds.

Without the help of various parties such as Danie Morkel, Gill Taylor and the Macsteel’s Thembakazi program in partnership with the Sport Science Institute Klaasen’s tennis career would surely have come to an abrupt stop.

Now Raven Klaasen wants to take advantage of the opportunities in front of him, unlock his explosive determination to the years of competitive tennis that still lies ahead.

61

TennisWorlD sa

Izak van der Merwe, Rik de Voest, Jeff Coetzee, Ruan Roelofse and Nikala Scholtz joined Raven at Kainos Tennis Academy Stellenbosch for a five hour daily, high intensity tennis program to prepare for the upcoming year. After which Klaasen spent a week individually training with coach and confidant Stephan de Kock to fine tune every physical, mental and technical aspect of his game before his first warm up tournament of the year in Pietermaritzburg KZN. The fast footed Klaasen breezed his way through the tournament and secured victory by beating Ruan Roelofse in the final, before returning home to continue his training schedule at Kainos Cape Town.

Playing in a draw with names such as Monfils, Ferrer and Lopez is cause for an immense adrenaline rush which few can surpass, but put Klaasen in the mix and the calmness of his demeanor is sure to give any onlooker or opponent goose bumps and ooze a reassuring feeling of success amongst all South Africans.

This same mannerism was clear in his first round match against David Guez, when he cruised to a comfortable 6-4 6-3 win over the Frenchman on centre court at the SA Open, held at Monte Casino in February.

Rain played quite a significant role in the order of play this year and can become very tedious and tiring for any player when having to stay motivated and focused. This was no exception during the first round doubles match where Klaasen and fellow countryman Izak van der Merwe took on Jeff Coetzee and Rogier Wassen in an epic battle to remain in the tournament and secure their spot in the quarter finals of the doubles draw.

After winning the second set and tying the match at seven a piece in

the final set tie breaker, play was suspended due to a Highveld storm that could’ve passed as Hurricane Katrina. Klaasen was informed that the doubles would therefore only continue after his second round match against seventh seed Yen-Hsu Lu. Lu, also known as Randy was next on the menu for Klaasen as he stepped on court to continue his road to success by advancing to the quarter finals. Unfortunately Lu had the upper hand and walked away with a ‘W’ next to his name beating Klaasen 6-4 7-5.

Klaasen and Van der Merwe however showed great courage and advanced to the next round of the doubles after beating Coetzee and Wassen 10-8 in the tie breaker that was postponed earlier, only to lose a whirlwind of a match to Karol Beck and Harel Levy in the quarter finals.

The character and growth that Raven has portrayed during this tournament clearly shows that he has the ability to run with the big dogs. Raven plays to compete and his presence has shown that there is no reason why he shouldn’t be able to achieve his goal of being one of the top 100 ranked players in the world within the next year.

“The SA Open is a tournament where I feel I can always excel, and being able to play in front of my home crowd is a great feeling! It’s unbelievable to have a tournament of such importance in South Africa, and I’ll always return to home with the hope to one day walk away with the SA Open singles title.” Raven Klaasen

TennisWorld sa

62

SA TENNIS OPEN MAIN DRAW SINGLES

W F SF QF

1

1

MONFILS, Gael

FRA

2

HRBATY, Dominik

G. MONFILS [1] SVK 62 61

3

LEVY, Harel

4

OUANNA, Josselin

J. OUANNA FRA 76(4) 62

KLAASEN, Raven

RSA

WC 5

GUEZ, David

7

NIEMINEN, Jarkko

7

8

LU, Yen-Hsun

Y. LU [7] TPE 63 62

3

9

LOPEZ, Feliciano

ESP

BALLERET, Benjamin

FIN

F. LOPEZ [3] MON 61 67(5) 63

11

KAVCIC, Blaz

12

ASCIONE, Thierry

B. KAVCIC FRA 16 75 63

WOLMARANS, Fritz

RSA

Q 13

SLO

PHAU, Bjorn

B. PHAU GER 64 75

WC 15

DE VOEST, Rik

RSA

5

16

RAM, Rajeev

R. RAM [5] USA 67(3) 63 63

8

17

ROBERT, Stephane

FRA

18

EVANS, Brendan

S. ROBERT [8] USA 36 62 62

VAN DER MERWE, Izak

RSA

14

G. MONFILS [1] 61 64 Y. LU [7] 64 75 F. LOPEZ [3] 36 61 76(1) F. LOPEZ [3] 62 76(4) F. LOPEZ [3] 76(2) 63 R. RAM [5] 76(10) 76(2)

Feliciano LOPEZ [3] 75 61

OKUN, Noam

21

DARCIS, Steve

BEL

22

RECOUDERC, Laurent

L. RECOUDERC FRA 36 63 64

23

BROWN, Dustin

JAM

4

24

CHIUDINELLI, Marco

6

25

MALISSE, Xavier

26

DEVVARMAN, Somdev

27

ALVES, Thiago

28

DOLGOPOLOV JR., Oleksandr

T. ALVES UKR 57 62 63

PRPIC, Filip

SWE

Q 20

Q 29

2

D. BROWN SUI 64 36 64

BRA

30

NAVARRO, Ivan

F. PRPIC ESP 63 75

31

BECK, Karol

SVK

32

FERRER, David

ATP Tour © Copyright 2006

S. ROBERT [8] 76(5) 63

D. BROWN 64 64 S. ROBERT [8] 75 64

BEL

S. DEVVARMAN IND 64 62

D. FERRER [2] ESP 61 75

Prize ($) 79,000 41,500 22,000 12,000

G. MONFILS [1] 64 75

S. ROBERT [8] 76(7) 61 I. VAN DER MERWE ISR 76(5) 76(2)

WC 19

TennisWorlD sa

R. KLAASEN FRA 64 63

6

Q 10

63

ISR

Points 250 150 90 45

S. DEVVARMAN 64 61 D. FERRER [2] 61 63 D. FERRER [2] 63 64

TennisWorld sa

64

OFFICIATING NEWS

HISTORY

SA Line Umpires Calling Overseas The return of the SA Open in 2009 not only produced opportunities for local players and spectators to enjoy tennis at the highest level, but provided a much-needed challenge for the local line officials.

The officiating programme in South Africa is highly regarded and falls in line with international practices and training methods.

Ephraim Motsiane (Gauteng East) was awarded a wild card spot as a line umpire at the 2009 Australian Open through careful negotiations and an exchange programme initiated by the SATA Officiating Department.

Needless to say, Ephraim rose to the occasion and achieved such high grades over the fortnight that he was accepted for the 2010 Australian Open based on his performance.

During the 2009 SA Open, SATA Officiating held negotiations with Gerry Armstrong (ATP Supervisor) and the person in charge of recruiting the 20-strong line umpire team for the 2009 ATP World Tour Finals, which was held at the O2 Arena in London. They agreed that if local officials managed to achieve an acceptable grade, the best official would be given one of the 20 cherished spots amongst the team for the Finals.

Despite the added pressure of having to overcome Hawkeye and dealing with the strain of working at an event of such a high calibre, our local officials passed the test with flying colours. Ultimately Mxolisi Matyolo (Gauteng East) achieved such high grades from the ATP Chair Umpires and Chief of Umpires that he was made a part of the team that was invited to officiate at the London event.

The 2010 SA Open once again saw Hawkeye averages in favour of the local officials. The average actually improved when compared with 2009.

SATA can most definitely feel proud of what the local officials have achieved, especially when considering that there are not too many international events where officials can practice.

The Hawkeye system has also proven to be very beneficial as it not only adds to the value of the tournament and spectator involvement, but allows officials to test themselves and see how accurately they can call when under the pressure. Major errors have been removed from officiating, leaving only the minor (millimeter) calls to be challenged. Gerry Armstrong has yet again made a spot available to a deserving local official and we will be disclosing the name of this official later in the year.

SATA is proud of what Ephraim and Mxolisi have achieved and is continually looking for travel opportunities for local officials so that they can gain more experience. It is clear that South Africa can compete with the rest of the world when it comes to on-court officiating.

BLACKBEARD CECIL R, born in 1901, was a Davis Cup player in the 1920s.

Not yet twenty, he was already considered the real star of the South African group.

According to the newspapers of the era, it would appear that his team was the strongest - even the American team was afraid to meet them. Yet the defeat happened at the hands of the Dutch: 3-2 the final result in the first round of the 1920 Davis Cup played in the Netherlands, precisely on the clay of Arnhem.

Thanks to his tall build, Blackbeard became known especially for his volley game.

Moreover, some important tennis books of the last century wrote that he was as thin as a breadstick and, in spite of this, he had the agility of a gazelle, to the extent that his captain preferred him to other more expert and mature champions.

From bottom left: Ephraim Motsiane Keneiloe Thabana, George Phiri Wandise Jiyana Middle from left: Hendrick Modupi, Wael Abdel Latif, Samy Abdel Rahman, Mpho Makhoba (Assistant Chief of Umpires) Marissa Martin, Suzette Hattingh Abram Sehloho, Iain Smith (tournament Referee) Back Row from left: Ivan Bridges, Mxolisi Matyolo, Willem Pretorius Pieter Hoeksma, Joan Vormbaum (Chief of Umpires), Matthew McAleer Gerry Armstrong (Tournament Supervisor)

In 1920 he featured in the Olympic Games in Antwerp (Belgium), together with Dodd.

Following this event, this player made a few more appearances in Davis tournaments.

I believe however that, if only he had had more opportunities, we would have much more news about him today.

Further evidence in favour of his notoriety comes from a 1920 New York Times in which it was reported that the nineteenyear-old South African player generated enthusiasm during a tournament in France thanks to his remarkable attack game, but was however defeated after three sets fought alongside Romanian Mishu against French Gobert and Lourenz, players in the Davis team.

It was also reported that the two exited the court among the wonder and the applause of the Parisian public, after having literally worn out the two most significant champions in France.

65

TennisWorlD sa

Personally, I believe that the merit of delivering a good performance can sometimes also be ascribed to a good choice of racquet.

South African player AMANDA COETZER, another South African icon, made the choice of playing with Prince racquets, which has rewarded her with great results.

This deadly weapon renowned for her twohanded backhand contributed to her being given the nickname of “Little Assassin” by her fans.

A well deserved success arrived in 1997 with the third position in world rankings, another unique record in the context, the first having been the conquest of the Davis Cup. In fact, until 1973, the Davis Cup had been won only by United States, United Kingdom, France and Australia/Australasia.

Their domination was interrupted in 1974, when South Africa and India qualified for the final.

However India refused to play as an act of protest against the policy of apartheid of the South African Government, thus giving the victory to the opponent team. This was the only time that South Africa had won the right to dispute a final despite having had many champions among its player ranks.

Since then, various other nations have won the tournament, among these also Italy in 1976.

In 1989 PRINCE released five new DB models. The GRAPHTECH DB 90, the most popular among the women players of those years, adopted since 1990 by player Amanda COETZER of Hoopstad, and not only: appreciating the quality and the manageability of the racquet was also her partner Elna Reinach of Pretoria.

Regarded as a discovery’s in terms of anti-vibrations, the DB system (Double Bridge Design) turned out to be the best solution for the absorption of vibrations that would otherwise affect (and still do today) the player’s arm and cause annoying pain, sometimes even limiting the use of the racquet.

This is thanks to a particular transparent compound inserted by the designers between the two bridges of the racquet.

Used through the decades by numerous other champions, it has proved to be the longest lasting of the Prince brand.

It was indeed Pat Rafter and David Ferrer who last used a similar model – with a redesigned livery - for marketing reasons.

Coetzer has left other indelible marks for the colours of South Africa. In 1999 she became the only player ever to defeat Steffi Graf, Martina Hingis and Lindsay Davenport. She has also played in the Federation Cup team for six years and has represented South Africa in the Olympic Games for three times.

TennisWorld sa

66

HEALTH

HEALTH

By Dr. Daniel Morkel.

WHEN

BACKACHE STRIKES In our last edition I tried to explain the different types of backache and when to seek help. There are certainly many ways of curing backache and surgery should only be the last resort. The key is to make the right diagnosis, exclude potentially harmful underlying pathology and rest the back, only during the acute phase.

As soon as the acute pain has settled a strengthening program should be started.

It is also important at this stage to work with your tennis coach to correct bad habits and try to simplify your technique.

It is also important to realize that the power in all shots is created by a kinetic chain of events and that the strong leg muscles play an essential role in this aspect.

In all cases of back injuries, no matter what the cause, there will be weakening 67

TennisWorlD sa

of the stabilizing muscles of the spine.

Depending on the underlying pathology and time of rest, the amount of weakening will vary.

The aim in treatment is still to get rid of the pain as quickly as possible with the least invasive methods and to start strengthening the back as quickly as possible. Adequate rest is essential and often special investigations; MRI or radioisotope studies will help to determine the length of the rest period.

Conservative management 1) Medication: Analgesics and Antiinflammatories 2) Physical: Manipulations, trigger point treatment 3) Rehabilitation program

For years we were all taught to do situps and lately crunches (with knees flexed) to strengthen our backs. It is only recently that we have learned

It is important to focus on the core muscles to prevent and to rehabilitate after back injuries.

Isometric exercises are the best way to achieve our goal of improved core stability. In this way the back facet joints and discs are also protected and inhibition of the muscles due to pain is negated so that rehabilitation can start.

“

...Aerobic exercises also play an important role in the management of backache...

“

An Exercise program for people with Backache

how to strengthen our back-stabilizing muscles properly and how the Pilates techniques complement it. It is still essential for a competitive tennis player to have good abdominal strength.

Aerobic exercises also play an important role in the management of backache in the way that the endorphins that are released suppresses pain and facilitate core stability exercises.

A scientific stretching program will decrease the load on the vertebral discs and facet joints.

For a basic back-strengthening program we will start with: Multifidus and Transverse Abdominis strengthening 1. The easiest is to be on all fours and contract the umbilicus in the direction of the spine as much as possible, with the lower back slightly flexed and at the same time to focus on elongating the sides. 3 sets of 10 at 10 seconds per exercises must be the aim to do. Initially it will difficult to muscle groups will be difficult to illicit but with training and conditioning will get easier and better.

2. The extensors of the back (erector spinae) very seldom need too much strengthening but the following exercise is safe, although one must be careful not to hyperextend the back. Once again we start on all fours and with the lower back slightly extended and stabilizers contracted raise/extend the left arm and right leg and keep for 10 seconds. By swapping sides sets of 3 of 8-10 are performed.

3)Abdominal crunches are limited to 45° and with hips and knees flexed and ankles free. Once again 3 sets of 8-10 10seconds each.

The emphasis of this column is on the basics of the science and prevention of injuries and therefore all the players are encouraged to work with the coaches, physiotherapists and biokinetisist to find a program that they find interesting and challenging enough to do regularly.

It is of no use to have a program that is too complicated to do regularly or cannot be done at home or when the player is on the tour.

TennisWorld sa

68

HEALTH

Stretching Program: Like any good exercise program we start with a stretching program and we not only focus on the back and abdominals but especially the muscles that control the pelvis and hips. These will most often tighten the quickest and in many cases are often tight and short to start with.

When we do stretches we must be careful not to overstretch, especially the players with a tendency to be ligamentously lax. Stretches must be done on sets of 3 and kept for 20-30 seconds.

The 4 most important stretches for players with backache are:

1. Lateral spine stretches

!

Prevention is better than cure and therefore it is essential that all young Tennis players should follow a proper strengthening and stretching program.

Correct training methods; especially in the growing years are important.

I would like to encourage all players to find a strength and conditioning program that they find easy to do regularly.

2. Gluteal and piriformis stretches

3. Quadriceps stretches Either standing or lying postions

4. Hamstring stretches Right and left side seperately and the foot can be rested on a chair

69

TennisWorlD sa

TennisWorld sa

70

HEALTH

HEALTH

STRETCHING YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS

BY JACO BURGER

I hope that you found last month’s article helpful in planning your training year for 2010. I want to follow up on last month’s edition by focusing on one component of fitness that is often neglected in junior tennis: flexibility. At the recent SA Open it was once again evident how much time the professional players spend on their flexibility compared to the juniors who - almost never do. If I say the word flexibility out loud, the first thing that comes to mind for most people is whether they can touch their toes or not. Although this is not far from the truth, just touching your toes is not going to help you much on court. What we are looking at is Functional Flexibility for tennis.

Let me start from the beginning and give you some theoretical information about flexibility. After that we’ll talk about some practical stretches. This is not an academic magazine and therefore we will touch only briefly on the theoretical side of flexibility. According to Dr Romanov, flexibility (“flex” means “bend”, or ability to bend), as a 71

TennisWorlD SA TennisWorld sa

bio-motor capacity is the ability of your joints to bend during body movement. This is accomplished by three elements: joint mobility, elasticity of tendons and ligaments, and the ability of our muscles to relax, which allows us to increase their anatomical length. Put plainly, flexibility is defined as the range of motion around a specific joint. As an example, let’s look at the Quadricep Muscle in the picture on the right.

With any movement where hip extension and knee flexion occurs, the Quadricep group’s flexibility will come into play. The more hip extension and knee flexion occurs the more flexibility is needed for the muscle to stretch around the hip and knee joints. If the Quadriceps are very stiff (inflexible), the risk of injury increases every time a movement takes place that forces the muscle to go past its current range of motion, especially if that movement is performed explosively.

are a number of movements that occur. During the backswing of the serve a certain level of flexibility is needed in the anterior shoulder and pectoral muscles. This is needed in order to allow a relaxed and full backswing without resistance from the anterior muscles. If the flexibility of these muscles are not up to standard, restriction will be experienced which will limit movement potential of the shoulder joint. Not only does it impair movement potential, it dramatically increases the risk of injury. This is not only relevant to the shoulder joint and the serve, but to the whole body and all shots that are played in tennis. Therefore it is of the utmost importance to ensure that you spend sufficient time on a daily basis daily on your flexibility. This will improve your flexibility levels and decrease your risk of injury.

Effortless movement is what you are looking for.

In tennis this is a very important factor. Every movement you perform on the court requires a certain level of flexibility. Let me break it down.

During the serve, for example, there

I want to step away from the theory and science and give you some practical stretches that you can actually use. As I said earlier there are many movements in tennis

which require flexibility. Flexibility can be improved through a number of techniques. One thing you can do on your own is static stretching.

Static stretching is where you perform a stretching exercise and hold that position while relaxing and breathing simultaneously. I am hearing lately that people say 1520 seconds per stretch is enough.

I beg to differ. I suggest that you always stretch after playing tennis or visiting the gym. Perform static stretching and hold every stretch for 30-45 seconds, then repeat each stretch 2-3 times. Push the movement until you experience discomfort - not pain – and then breathe and relax the relevant muscles as much as possible. As you breathe and relax you will feel that the muscles release and allow you to push them a bit further. As you do this day after day you will see how your flexibility improves.

Visible results could be seen in as little as two weeks.

Go out and stretch your way to success.

Start with the stretches and get a proper flexibility program from a specialist that is specific to your needs.

The above article is to give you some insight on what flexibility is all about, how it influences you on court and how you can start to make it part of your training regime.

Remember that you can contact me at any time.

HAMSTRING STRETCH (3 RANGES)

Outer Range

Middle Range

Inner Range

KNEELING GLUTEAL STRETCH (2 RANGES)

Kneeling Gluteal Stretch Side On

Kneeling Gluteal Front On

SHOULDER ROTATORS

External Shoulder Rotators

Internal Shoulder Rotators

LOWER BACK

E-mail @ jaco@quickeningpulse. co.za or phone 082 373 1622.

Start Position

End Position

Rotational Lower Back Stretch

TennisWorld sa SA TennisWorld

72

match anylysis

DAVIDENKOvsVERDASCO ANTI-Diva...? LEAST gifted...? NON-brand...? You may call him what you wish and despise him too, if you want. But to his critics Nikolay Davydenko responds in one way- with results.

1. Davydenko’s flat first serve Impact at 12 o’clock, he steps into the serve at an angle of approximately 100°, maintaining a steady angle between the wrist and the racquet.

5. Return bounce The Spaniard’s blocked return has resulted in a short and slow ball, slightly offset to the right. Davydenko is already in position, with his left arm forward to stabilise his upper body.

9. Verdasco’s backhand impact Verdasco hits his backhand in an open stance, but is already on the defensive. The Russian dominates the baseline, while the Spaniard has almost been driven out of the court.

6. Davydenko’s forehand impact He hits the forehand in a closed stance, hitting the ball on the bounce, before it has time to get further away from him.

10. Verdasco’s backhand bounce Davydenko only needs to take a few small steps to be in position for his shot.

Verdasco sets up shop to the left of the court, expected a ball on his backhand.

D o n at o C ampa gno li Since 2005 the Russian has been in the year-end top 6 on a permanent basis. Since last October he has won the Shanghai Masters 1000, the ATP World Tour Finals in London and the tournament in Doha, where he beat Federer and Nadal back-to-back.

He has no points to defend until midApril, not having played in Indian Wells and Miami last year because of a serious injury. In the next months he will have the opportunity to get very close to the top three (he held the third position in world rankings for the first time on 6 November 2006) and perhaps even aim higher. For many, the Russian is the man to beat in 2010.

The match that we analyse takes place at this year’s Australian Open in the Rod Laver Arena. In the fourth round Davydenko, seeded sixth, faces Spain’s Fernando Verdasco, seeded ninth. It is expected to be a rough encounter, with both players being strong from the baseline.

The victor will be the one who can most effectively counter-attack and come to the net. The start of the match is ugly and characterised by many unforced errors on both sides. Verdasco is the more nervous of the two and, but enjoys an encouraging start (he holds his serve in the opening game and immediately moves to 0-30 on Davydenko’s serve).

The left-handed Spaniard is an extraordinary player capable of matches of great quality and intensity (see his 2009 Australian Open semi-final against Nadal), but gets nervous on big points. This is perhaps what prevents him from being a champion, not just a great player.

Right from the start, Davydenko unleashes his forehands onto Verdasco’s backhand.

73

TennisWorlD sa

In an effort to reduce the speed of the rally, Verdasco has no option but to play crosscourt shots. If he went down the line, the Russian would come into the court with his backhand and have the left and right corner completely open.

Davydenko controls this pattern of play, knowing that the Spaniard does not like changes in speed, trajectory, and direction on his forehand, especially when he is pinned in a corner. From that position Verdasco has difficulty in finding the angles that he prefers.

2. Serve bounce Awaiting the return, Verdasco has already shifted his body weight onto the right leg.

He keeps his head and racquet steady and perfectly balanced as he makes contact with the ball.

Looking for the Russian’s forehand would mean finding himself vulnerable down the line, and going down the line himself exposes him to Davydenko’s forehand and the open court. Our analysis is of this pattern of play, and takes place at 3-2 in the first set, with Davydenko serving at 40-30.

Davydenko is a peculiar interpreter of modern tennis. He is often able to use techniques that are old-school, such as the closed-stance backhand with a semiwestern grip.

3. Verdasco’s return The serve bounces high thanks to the heat and the type of court. Verdasco blocks the return, and Davydenko gets himself into position to play the first shot of the rally.

He combines this with first-class physical and mental preparation. His “presence” is impressive at all times, and his ability to implement the dual split-step prior to his opponent’s hitting the ball shows his unique understanding of the geometry of a tennis court.

His brother Eduardo has been following Davydenko on tour since his Future’s days, and it certainly seems that he has done a good job with the family business.

Davydenko would go on to win the match 6-2 7-5 4-6 6-7 6-3 in 3 hours and 57 minutes. The determining factor was Verdasco’s unforced errors (81 versus Davydenko’s 51). Davydenko eventually lost to Federer in the quarter-finals.

4. Verdasco’s landing Verdasco lands heavily on his left leg in a stretch. He has rotated his hips completely and is now positioned sideways in relation to his opponent.

7. Landing from forehand Davydenko’s body has rotated more than 90°. Notice how his right foot is pointing towards the ball. The racquet is above his left shoulder at the end of the swing, with a visible anchorage of the left arm to limit the range of the dominant arm. Verdasco has already shifted his body weight onto his right leg.

8. Forehand bounce The ball bounces to Verdasco’s right. The Russian takes a series of split-steps and waits for the ball slightly to the right of the court. The Spaniard takes his first long step towards the ball.

11. Davydenko’s forehand impact Davydenko plays his forehand in a closed stance this time, unlike in figure 7. The rotation of the shoulders on impact shows that he is going for a cross-court shot.

12. Landing from the forehand Again, Davydenko’s shoulders are facing the shot he just hit. His racquet is also again behind his left shoulder, slightly more so than the previous time.

TennisWorld sa

74

13. Forehand bounce The Russian’s forehand bounces exactly in the same spot as in figure 8. Davydenko moves into position quickly and awaits Verdasco’s return.

14. Verdasco’s backhand impact Verdasco is pushed even wider to the side of the court than before. He has trouble containing the speed of Davydenko’s shot.

On the opposite side of the net Davydenko takes a split-step.

15. Backhand bounce The Spaniard’s ball bounces more towards the middle of the court than on the previous backhand. Davydenko takes two split-steps

16. Davydenko’s forehand impact Davydenko hits the ball at the ideal height for his semi-western grip. Note how his right hip locks because of his left foot’s elevation. From this position Davydenko has a number of choices as far as shot direction goes. He decides to hit towards Verdasco’s forehand.

75

TennisWorlD sa

17. Landing from forehand With the locking of his right hip and a slight topspin, Davydenko reduces the speed of the rally and increases the arc his ball.

18. Forehand bounce The down-the-line trajectory results in a big bounce on Verdasco’s side. He has already moved into position and is ready to hit the shot.

19. Verdasco’s forehand bounce Verdasco arrives at the ball with left foot support in a semi-open stance. He hits the ball with both feet off the ground.

Davydenko is pushing him further and further behind the baseline.

20. Verdasco’s forehand impact Another angle to illustrate how far behind the baseline Verdasco is.

21. Landing from forehand Verdasco lands on his left leg but is offbalance coming out of the shot. Davydenko senses this and moves forward, closer to the baseline.

22. Forehand bounce Verdasco’s ball falls short with little pace and spin.

23. Davydenko’s backhand stance Both feet are firmly on the ground in a closed stance. Davydenko now is in a position to decide whether he wants to go for a winner down the line or continue the rally with a cross-court shot.

24. Davydenko’s backhand stance The energy accumulated with the rotation of his body allows Davydenko to drive the ball much harder.

25. Davydenko’s backhand impact Davydenko makes impact with the ball at a perfect height for him– just below shoulder level.

26. Landing from backhand The ball has just cleared the net and he has already landed on his left leg. Thanks to his continental-eastern grip, Davydenko’s left hand, dominant in this grip, hits a kind of left-handed forehand that is similar in execution to a normal right-handed forehand.

27. Backhand bounce As in previous executions, Davydenko’s entire body is turned to face the net.

Verdasco is by now way out of position.

The ball is cutting across the court at a 45° angle, making it very difficult for him to get to.

28. Verdasco’s forehand impact Davydenko gradually recovers his position with a series of shuffle steps, eliminating a down-the-line shot as a viable option for his opponent. Verdasco has to stretch to reach the ball. He is off-balance and unable to slide.

29. Verdasco’s forehand impact continued Verdasco is too far from the ball to effectively hit it. The width of his stance means he can impart almost no energy on the ball.

30. Landing from forehand Verdasco tries to hit a forehand slice as a recovery shot but fails. Davydenko takes several split-steps in anticipation of having to hit a winner, but it isn’t necessary.

31. Davydenko’s point Davydenko is triumphant as the ball falls on Verdasco’s side of the court. The point is won.

TennisWorld sa

76

preparing for a match

ALWAYS ESTABLISH A GOAL...

Preparing for the match PART TWO

By Federico Coppini

In the 1975 Wimbledon final, Arthur Ashe, then 32, defeated world number one Jimmy Connors. The London bookmakers overwhelmingly favoured Connors, but by playing a strategically perfect match – cleverly using many lobs and slow balls played with heavy back-spin - Ashe came out on top.

During the match spectators were intrigued by the fact that at each change of ends Ashe would carefully read some lines written on a piece of paper. In numerous post-match interviews Ashe explained very simply that on that paper he had written how he should play in order to beat Connors.

This story clearly illustrates the importance of having available on court a note that states certain objectives for the match. Writing down a few points on paper helps to strengthen your ideas and goals, making them more real and tangible. A player’s objectives for a match can be either tactical or mental. It is usually a good idea to leave technical objectives to training sessions, since paying too much attention to technicalities such as racquet takeback during a match can be counterproductive. It simply serves as a distraction when you should be concentrating on the tactical aspects of the game. It is always best to focus on objectives that are within your control. Writing things like “I won’t miss shots during important rallies” or “I will win the match” is of no use.

In fact such goals can prove disastrous for some players because they only serve to make them more stressed and anxious.

It is always important to phrase your goals in a positive way. Saying “I will always project a strong and competitive image” is much better than “I will not look depressed by dropping my shoulders and head”. Formulate your objectives according to specific elements that are important for a specific match, as well as tactical situations in which you encounter difficulties.

77

TennisWorlD sa

Your intentions and tactics for the match should already be in place 30 minutes before you play. Remember to bring your notes to the court with you so that you have your strategy available whenever you need it.

adjustments and alter your game plan to fit the new situation. Knowing when and how to change your game tactics during a match requires a lot of experience, and often young players will realise at 6-4, 4-1 that it is too late to change their tactics. Try and keep your plan up-to-date with what your opponent is doing.

Plan a match strategy

2. It might be harder to implement your strategy than it was to work it out on paper.

Sometimes you might work out a game-plan that is simply too difficult for you to follow because you don’t possess the necessary skills.

At other times you might be having a bad day, and won’t be playing well enough to enforce your plan.

One of the most important aspects of prematch preparation for a tennis player is establishing a strategy - a game-plan for a specific opponent. Devising a strategy starts with analysing an opponent’s strengths and weaknesses (mental, technical, tactical and physical) and then comparing them to your own. This is obviously much easier if you know the player in question and have played against him/her before. If you have, you need to remember the last match you played and evaluate it. What was their weakest shot? Did you have any success from the baseline or did attacking the net work better? Did the opponent prefer crosscourt shots or not?

If you do not know your opponent, the first games of the match will supply all the information you need. You need to quickly identify your opponent’s habits and style of play and then adapt your own. It is very important to be realistic about your own game. Many younger players lack the ability to look objectively at their own skills. Know your own strengths and weaknesses so that you can use them to your benefit. Sometimes it helps to put yourself in your opponent’s shoes. Think what they would try and do if they knew your weaknesses, and then make an effort to try and stop your opponent from taking advantage of them.

Once you feel you have a good game plan, all you need to do is implement it. Sometimes, however, this is easier said than done. There are several things to keep in mind while you are attempting to impose your game plan on your opponent: 1. Your opponent might be able to make the correct adjustments to work against your plan.

When this happens you must make you own

3. It is important not to abandon a strategy too early or quickly. It is easy to be discouraged when your plan is not working immediately.

However, sometimes you simply need to be patient and see if it works in the long run.

Younger players in particular will discard a plan much too quickly if it isn’t working. You must strike a balance between having faith in your strategy and adjusting it to suit the current situation.

How to structure the pre-match warm-up If you do not know you opponent, you should pay attention to certain things during the warm-up that could prove to prove to be useful later on. For example, you can get a general feel for their footwork by watching them move. Try to see if they run around their backhand, for example.

Identifying the way your opponent grips the racquet can also be very useful. Let’s look at the two most extreme grips, the Western and the Continental, and identify some of their weaknesses. The Western grip (obtained by gripping the handle of the racquet with the palm of the hand facing upwards) is typically used by topspin hitters. It poses some difficulties when playing low balls and shots played with the elbow detached from the body, such as the return on a slice serve. This grip also makes volleys very difficult (unless it is changed in time).

TennisWorld sa

78

davis cup

preparing for a match

The Continental grip (obtained by placing the area between the thumb and index finger on the top bevel of the racquet handle) promotes a game of half-volleys and low balls.

Playing balls above shoulder height becomes a problem when using this grip. Powerful baseline players do not usually use the Continental grip, as it best suits a style of play that relies on deft touch and ball control.

What to eat Every tennis player, regardless of whether they are a man or a woman, an amateur or a professional, can improve their endurance and strength if they eat correctly. Sometimes during a match it is not so much that your opponent beats you, but that your body lets you down. This can happen because you have been eating the wrong kind of food. The ideal diet for athletes in general, and tennis players in particular, must include proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals.

Proteins: These are an essential part of the athlete’s diet because they build, repair and regulate the functions of the muscle tissue.

They are mainly found in meat, fish, poultry, cheese, eggs and milk. Moderation is essential, however, as the amount of protein must not exceed 12-15% of the total calories a person consumes. An excessive intake of proteins before a competition deprives key muscles of water and may inhibit the elimination of waste produced during exercise.

Carbohydrates: The largest source of energy for muscles during a match is carbohydrates.

Foods that are rich in carbohydrates include pasta, bread, rice, cereal, fruit and potatoes.

Carbohydrates should represent 55-60% of your diet, especially during the week of a competition and during intensive training periods.

Fats: Foods that containing a high percentage of fats include butter, margarine, oil, meat, milk and chocolate. Fats are a secondary source of energy that your body can draw from during the match. Fat must not represent more than 15-20% of your diet. Too much fat slows down the digestive process and reduces

79

TennisWorlD sa

the transport of oxygen in the blood, which decreases your aerobic capacity.

Vitamins: Vitamins do not constitute a source of energy, but they do help the body to properly use the energy of the foods that you consume.

Minerals: These include Calcium, Sodium, Potassium and Iron. Minerals help your muscles and nerve tissue function properly.

The ideal meal before a competition is rich in carbohydrates and poor in fats and proteins.

The Carbohydrates will allow your body to store ready-to-use energy for muscles. You should avoid fatty foods before a big match because they take longer to digest. Drinking lots of fluids is also essential. You should start increasing the amount of water you drink the night before the match and during your prematch meal. If you get overly thirsty during a match it probably means you have not been drinking enough water beforehand. It is usually best to eat about three hours before your match. Having said this, it is important to remember that each person is different, and this is not a rule that is set in stone.

Equipment Packing your bag for a tennis match involves more than randomly throwing together racquets, shoes and clothing. You must look at your bag as a sort of first-aid kit for the tennis court. You should always pack your bag yourself, since only you know what you will need during your match. In addition to your tournament kit and racquets, it is a good idea to pack the following: - extra grips - two or three extra shirts - towels - a cap - some snacks

Every time anyone discusses a potential innovation in the world of tennis, they inevitably have to ask themselves the same questions. Is it a workable solution? Will the public be happy with the change? And, above all, will it be good for tennis?

Such discussions have recently taken place regarding the Davis Cup. The rumour is that the competition will be restructured, making it an event that will be held during a single week every other year.

Players have reacted favourably, largely because such a change would lighten their jampacked schedules, which seems to grow fuller every year.

DAVIS CUP

by GIORGIO DI PALERMO

Currently the Davis Cup takes up four weeks every year. This is an enormous amount of time and is equal to four tournaments for players. Condensing the event into a single week makes much more sense.

Of course the Davis Cup is a competition that has a complex economic, historical and promotional relationship with the countries that take part. Much of the revenue of the national tennis federations, large and small, depend to varying degrees on contributions from the ITF through the Davis Cup.

The press and the public have also reacted positively, happy to add an important appointment to their calendar. The idea of a competition similar to the World Cup format in other sports is a popular one.

At present the notion of an actual change has not gone beyond the theoretical level. It has not been properly discussed with players, the ATP or the ITF. But it seems obvious that the idea behind a change arises from the decline in enthusiasm for the Davis Cup in recent years, especially among top players. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and several other important players have often declined to take part for several reasons.

It is not a question of patriotism or loyalty, but rather one of priorities for professional tennis players. Grand

Slams are the most prestigious events in tennis, and players have often been unable to accommodate Davis commitments because they need to focus on Slams.

In order to survive, the Davis Cup needs to adapt itself to the modern game of tennis.

Many countries make it the main focal point for their tennis movements, and others calculate their worth on how many trophies they can put on display.

FACELIFT REBIRTH OR

This is all well and good, but ultimately a Davis Cup without the participation of the top players makes for a weak event.

And a weak Davis Cup is a defeat for tennis.

The tennis authorities need to give serious consideration to changing the format of the competition After all, tennis is the most beautiful sport in the world, and it deserves a flagship event to show off its beauty.

TennisWorld sa

80

ADVERTORIAL

number 1 in tennis*

Wilson’s brand-new BLX technology weaves basalt fibres with Karophite Black to create one of the most advanced composites in the industry. Three new frame technologies provide up to 25% more overall stability and 23% greater stability on off-centre hits. Basalt provides incredible vibration resistance, ensuring that a smoother signal reaches the hand. The result? A cleaner feedback sensation for perfect feel. Because in tennis, feel is everything. Feel is elemental.

®

Amer Sports Europe Services GmbH / Wilson Hainbuchenring 9, 82061 Neuried, Germany wilson.com ©2010 wilson sporting goods co. all rights reserved dtp + print: na adwork Amer Sports, BLX, FX, Triad Technology, Six-One, W and Wilson are trademarks which distinguish the fine products of Wilson Sporting Goods or Amer Sports Deutschland GmbH. Trademarks advertised other than those of Wilson Sporting Goods Co. are properties of their respective companies.

feel is elemental

Amer Sports Europe Services GmbH 2009

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

81

TennisWorlD sa

TennisWorld sa

82

2 3 1 1 3 4 3 4 1 1 2 3 1 1 2 2 2 4 4 4 1 1 2 2 2 3 4 1 1 1 2 2 2

11,590 11,590 10,480 10,480 6,295 5,770 5,575 5,015 4,860 4,460 4,215 3,650 3,533 3,500 3,500 3,410 3,220 3,130 2,915 2,860 2,810 2,800 2,725 2,670 2,620 2,380 2,375 2,140 2,080 2,060

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 -1 1 -1 0 0 0 0 3 0 -2 -1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1

25 27 25 25 26 21 17 20 26 28 16 34 23 26 36 30 29 28 11 28 26 29 19 29 31 25 29 31 33 13

401 174 149 98 97 39 25 4 2 2 2 1 1 1 1

0 -28 -3 0 32 -68 4 1 10 -25 5 2 2 2 2

27 18 20 17 12 8 1 7 3 4 9 1 1 2 2

10 58 76 150 247 306 468 668 675 714 762 844 1,217 1,322 1,322 1,335 1,361 1,424

Moodie, Wesley (RSA) De Voest, Rik (RSA) Coetzee, Jeff (RSA) Anderson, Kevin (RSA) Van der Merwe, Izak (RSA) Klaasen, Raven (RSA) Haggard, Chris (RSA) Wolmarans, Fritz (RSA) Coertzen, Hendrik (RSA) Roelofse, Ruan (RSA) Anderson, Andrew (RSA) Janse van Rensburg, Benjamin (RSA) O’Brien, Dean (RSA) Scholtz, Nikala (RSA) Andersen, Jean (RSA) Sacks, Gary (RSA) Ramiaramanan, Lofo (RSA) Weideman, Rohan (RSA)

4,460 1,306 990 486 264 200 105 54 53 48 41 32 9 7 7 7 7 5

0 -9 1 -1 1 51 -1 -182 2 -1 2 -3 7 -7 9 -4 8 9

Tournaments Played

ATP Rankings – South Africa – Doubles Position Moved

Anderson, Kevin (RSA) De Voest, Rik (RSA) Van der Merwe, Izak (RSA) Klaasen, Raven (RSA) Wolmarans, Fritz (RSA) Anderson, Andrew (RSA) Andersen, Jean (RSA) Roelofse, Ruan (RSA) Janse van Rensburg, Benjamin (RSA) Sacks, Gary (RSA) Coertzen, Hendrik (RSA) Janse Van Rensburg, Petri (RSA) O’Brien, Dean (RSA) Jeske, Manfred (RSA) Nagel, Rainier (RSA)

Nestor, Daniel (CAN) Zimonjic, Nenad (SRB) Bryan, Bob (USA) Bryan, Mike (USA) Dlouhy, Lukas (CZE) Knowles, Mark (BAH) Paes, Leander (IND) Bhupathi, Mahesh (IND) Ram, Andy (ISR) Moodie, Wesley (RSA) Mirnyi, Max (BLR) Mertinak, Michal (SVK) Norman, Dick (BEL) Kubot, Lukasz (POL) Cermak, Frantisek (CZE) Marach, Oliver (AUT) Matkowski, Marcin (POL) Fyrstenberg, Mariusz (POL) Fish, Mardy (USA) Melzer, Jurgen (AUT) Granollers, Marcel (ESP) Aspelin, Simon (SWE) Robredo, Tommy (ESP) Knowle, Julian (AUT) Soares, Bruno (BRA) Ullyett, Kevin (ZIM) Hanley, Paul (AUS) Polasek, Filip (SVK) Kerr, Jordan (AUS) Benneteau, Julien (FRA)

Points

133 261 293 375 377 597 680 1,180 1,336 1,371 1,472 1,495 1,495 1,591 1,591

1 1 3 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Name & Nationality

ATP Rankings – South Africa – Singles Tournaments Played

28 22 21 23 26 18 30 25 25 32 28 27 25 28 31 21 27 24 27 20 29 31 27 30 35 23 24 23 24 28 32 24 25 32 36 23 27 29 24 32 22 27 20 32 22 31 32 25 33 21

0 0 0 0 0 5 9 0 -3 -3 -2 -3 -1 -1 0 -1 -1 -1 6 6 -3 -3 -2 -5 -3 -4 18 0 0 0 -7 -5 -5

Position Moved

1 2 2 -1 1 5 0 0 -10 -1 -1 3 -1 -1 -1 1 33 4 -3 -2 13 1 2 5 -4 -7 -1 -4 4 -3 -3 -2 -2 2 2 16 1 -18 0 0 1 -10 -8 2 2 -5 -4 -4 -1 -5

2,000 1,450 720 720 555 520 475 450 360 360 270 270 250 250 250 250 250 240 195 195 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 150 150 150 150 135 135

Points

810 800 785 781 772 759 755 755 750 745 744 743 739 729 707 667 666 664 663 662 657 649 647 645 633 627 623 623 606 605 601 596 591 580 575 567 565 565 565 560 555 549 548 540 540 540 540 539 537 532

Name & Nationality

Gicquel, Marc (FRA) Blake, James (USA) Gasquet, Richard (FRA) Chiudinelli, Marco (SUI) Rochus, Olivier (BEL) Kubot, Lukasz (POL) Fognini, Fabio (ITA) Fish, Mardy (USA) Acasuso, Jose (ARG) Serra, Florent (FRA) Clement, Arnaud (FRA) Berrer, Michael (GER) Mayer, Florian (GER) Greul, Simon (GER) Starace, Potito (ITA) Falla, Alejandro (COL) Robert, Stephane (FRA) Lacko, Lukas (SVK) Stakhovsky, Sergiy (UKR) Llodra, Michael (FRA) Petzschner, Philipp (GER) Luczak, Peter (AUS) Koellerer, Daniel (AUT) Schwank, Eduardo (ARG) Hernandez, Oscar (ESP) Mayer, Leonardo (ARG) Dent, Taylor (USA) Russell, Michael (USA) Ram, Rajeev (USA) Chela, Juan Ignacio (ARG) Gimeno-Traver, Daniel (ESP) de Bakker, Thiemo (NED) Hajek, Jan (CZE) Lorenzi, Paolo (ITA) Rochus, Christophe (BEL) Marchenko, Illya (UKR) Santoro, Fabrice (FRA) Gil, Frederico (POR) Daniel, Marcos (BRA) Kunitsyn, Igor (RUS) Tursunov, Dmitry (RUS) Zverev, Mischa (GER) Gonzalez, Maximo (ARG) Schuettler, Rainer (GER) Lapentti, Nicolas (ECU) Istomin, Denis (UZB) Brands, Daniel (GER) Gulbis, Ernests (LAT) Massu, Nicolas (CHI) Giraldo, Santiago (COL)

Bryan, Bob (USA) / Bryan, Mike (USA) Nestor, Daniel (CAN) / Zimonjic, Nenad (SRB) Kohlmann, Michael (GER) / Nieminen, Jarkko (FIN) Karlovic, Ivo (CRO) / Vemic, Dusan (SRB) Dlouhy, Lukas (CZE) / Paes, Leander (IND) Melzer, Jurgen (AUT) / Petzschner, Philipp (GER) Kubot, Lukasz (POL) / Marach, Oliver (AUT) Butorac, Eric (USA) / Ram, Rajeev (USA) Clement, Arnaud (FRA) / Erlich, Jonathan (ISR) Gonzalez, Fernando (CHI) / Ljubicic, Ivan (CRO) Aspelin, Simon (SWE) / Hanley, Paul (AUS) Brunstrom, Johan (SWE) / Rojer, Jean-Julien (AHO) Daniell, Marcus (NZL) / Tecau, Horia (ROU) Granollers, Marcel (ESP) / Ventura, Santiago (ESP) Bopanna, Rohan (IND) / Qureshi, Aisam-Ul-Haq (PAK) Chardy, Jeremy (FRA) / Gicquel, Marc (FRA) Garcia-Lopez, Guillermo (ESP) / Montanes, Albert (ESP) Melo, Marcelo (BRA) / Soares, Bruno (BRA) Cermak, Frantisek (CZE) / Mertinak, Michal (SVK) Hutchins, Ross (GBR) / Kerr, Jordan (AUS) Isner, John (USA) / Querrey, Sam (USA) Mayer, Leonardo (ARG) / Zeballos, Horacio (ARG) Bolelli, Simone (ITA) / Seppi, Andreas (ITA) Marx, Philipp (GER) / Zelenay, Igor (SVK) Andreev, Igor (RUS) / Korolev, Evgeny (KAZ) Fleming, Colin (GBR) / Skupski, Ken (GBR) Damm, Martin (CZE) / Polasek, Filip (SVK) Beck, Karol (SVK) / Levy, Harel (ISR) Clement, Arnaud (FRA) / Rochus, Olivier (BEL) Starace, Potito (ITA) / Zeballos, Horacio (ARG) Lu, Yen-Hsun (TPE) / Tipsarevic, Janko (SRB) Ball, Carsten (AUS) / Huss, Stephen (AUS) Granollers, Marcel (ESP) / Robredo, Tommy (ESP)

Rank

51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100

Tournaments Played

19 21 18 19 21 26 20 26 23 23 23 18 25 22 26 26 19 26 21 30 21 24 28 27 22 26 27 29 27 27 26 28 27 30 23 22 28 28 26 29 31 30 25 28 25 30 29 28 26 29

Position Moved

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 -2 -2 -1 0 6 -3 -2 -2 -1 0 1 1 1 -5 0 1 1 2 -3 2 2 -3

Name & Nationality

11,350 8,310 7,800 7,670 6,400 5,290 4,150 3,375 3,075 2,970 2,760 2,710 2,520 2,445 2,005 1,915 1,855 1,780 1,770 1,770 1,765 1,555 1,545 1,450 1,440 1,395 1,355 1,351 1,305 1,265 1,240 1,225 1,195 1,175 1,150 1,080 1,060 1,004 965 961 950 950 930 905 901 900 894 874 821 813

Points

TennisWorlD SA TennisWorld sa

Rank

83

Tournaments Played

Federer, Roger (SUI) Djokovic, Novak (SRB) Murray, Andy (GBR) Nadal, Rafael (ESP) Del Potro, Juan Martin (ARG) Davydenko, Nikolay (RUS) Roddick, Andy (USA) Soderling, Robin (SWE) Tsonga, Jo-Wilfried (FRA) Cilic, Marin (CRO) Verdasco, Fernando (ESP) Gonzalez, Fernando (CHI) Monfils, Gael (FRA) Stepanek, Radek (CZE) Robredo, Tommy (ESP) Simon, Gilles (FRA) Haas, Tommy (GER) Ferrer, David (ESP) Hewitt, Lleyton (AUS) Youzhny, Mikhail (RUS) Wawrinka, Stanislas (SUI) Ferrero, Juan Carlos (ESP) Berdych, Tomas (CZE) Ljubicic, Ivan (CRO) Isner, John (USA) Almagro, Nicolas (ESP) Monaco, Juan (ARG) Bellucci, Thomaz (BRA) Kohlschreiber, Philipp (GER) Montanes, Albert (ESP) Querrey, Sam (USA) Melzer, Jurgen (AUT) Lopez, Feliciano (ESP) Troicki, Viktor (SRB) Karlovic, Ivo (CRO) Baghdatis, Marcos (CYP) Tipsarevic, Janko (SRB) Benneteau, Julien (FRA) Mathieu, Paul-Henri (FRA) Becker, Benjamin (GER) Andreev, Igor (RUS) Chardy, Jeremy (FRA) Beck, Andreas (GER) Hanescu, Victor (ROU) Sela, Dudi (ISR) Seppi, Andreas (ITA) Garcia-Lopez, Guillermo (ESP) Korolev, Evgeny (KAZ) Zeballos, Horacio (ARG) Cuevas, Pablo (URU)

Position Moved

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

Points

Name & Nationality

Rank

ATP Rankings, Top 100 – Singles – 8 FEBRUARY 2010

1 2 3 3 5 6 7 8 9 9 11 12 13 13 15 15 15 18 19 19 21 21 23 23 25 26 27 28 28 28 31 32 32

ATP Rankings – TOP 20 – Doubles

Rank

ATP rankings

ATP – DOUBLE TEAM RANKING

28 21 32 20 17 14 4 5 14 8 6 3 2 3 3 4 8 2

TennisWorld sa SA TennisWorld

84

85

TennisWorlD sa

1270 1252 1248 1232 1195 1175 1105 1094 1053 1027 1011 1008 1007 969 960 950 913 912 903 893 893 877 861 838 835 833 821 815 806 793 791 790 775 769 737 734 728 713 696 682 678 674 673 669 658 658 657 657 647 644

TOURS

RANK PTS

NATION

CHN SUI USA ROU BLR ITA ITA RUS IND CZE EST JPN SLO CZE FRA GER GER CZE SUI GER ROU ITA USA RUS POL FRA RUS USA GER LAT BEL CRO GBR GBR GER CZE THA CRO AUT CZE JPN UKR ESP TPE UZB AUS AUS RUS PAR TPE

22 21 17 28 27 26 27 23 21 28 22 21 24 27 25 26 23 21 27 24 26 26 23 19 26 26 31 27 26 23 23 20 23 27 22 40 16 18 24 25 26 25 24 24 27 16 27 14 26 21

25 18 8 7 7 3 3 3 3 0 1 1 0 2 2 0 2 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1

South Africa in Wta Doubles Ranking

68 139 266 327 460 533 639 842 883 927 988 NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR

68 139 267 329 461 535 638 844 883 923 985 NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR

Grandin, Natalie Scheepers, Chanelle Anderson, Kelly Du Plessis, Lizaan Potgieter, Christi De Beer, Surina Edwards, Tegan Marshall, Lisa Grant, Kim Moskal, Ksenia Simmonds, Chanel Fourouclas, Natasha Gorny, Monica Joubert, Dane Laing, Jessica Le Roux, Madrie Luksich, Veronique Luus, Welma Masite, Christine Morkel-brink, Mikayla Plant, Tracy Pondicas, Jade Rencken, Nicole Schickerling, Joanne Swanepoel, Bianca

27/02/81 13/03/84 20/04/85 23/02/86 15/10/92 28/06/78 03/01/89 12/09/87 01/05/71 27/09/91 10/08/92 31/01/94 29/03/91 10/06/93 30/07/93 19/04/95 12/07/91 20/05/92 11/02/91 26/11/94 21/09/93 11/04/91 12/06/81 14/11/85 07/01/91

RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA

1170 508 214 153 90 67 46 20 16 14 8 1 16 1 1 1 0 13 0 0 1 1 1 0 1

29 9 17 7 6 5 10 8 3 4 3 1 2 1 1 1 0 2 0 0 1 1 1 0 1

1 1 3 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

1 1 3 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

Black, Cara Huber, Liezel Williams, Serena Williams, Venus Stubbs, Rennae Martinez Sanchez, Maria Jose Llagostera Vives, Nuria Stosur, Samantha Ruano Pascual, Virginia Kleybanova, Alisa Medina Garrigues, Anabel Raymond, Lisa Hsieh, Su-wei Kirilenko, Maria Peng, Shuai Mattek-sands, Bethanie Petrova, Nadia Azarenka, Victoria Yan, Zi Makarova, Ekaterina Vesnina, Elena Zheng, Jie Peschke, Kveta Dulko, Gisela Schiavone, Francesca Chuang, Chia-jung Niculescu, Monica Pennetta, Flavia Groenefeld, Anna-lena Hantuchova, Daniela King, Vania Radwanska, Agnieszka Mirza, Sania Kudryavtseva, Alla Benesova, Iveta Zahlavova Strycova, Barbora Schnyder, Patty Hradecka, Lucie Kops-jones, Raquel Amanmuradova, Akgul Chan, Yung-jan Rodionova, Anastasia Bondarenko, Alona Dushevina, Vera Bondarenko, Kateryna Kuznetsova, Svetlana Spears, Abigail Garbin, Tathiana Hlavackova, Andrea Shvedova, Yaroslava

17/02/79 21/08/76 26/09/81 17/06/80 26/03/71 12/08/82 16/05/80 30/03/84 21/09/73 15/07/89 31/07/82 10/08/73 04/01/86 25/01/87 08/01/86 23/03/85 08/06/82 31/07/89 12/11/84 07/06/88 01/08/86 05/07/83 09/07/75 30/01/85 23/06/80 10/01/85 25/09/87 25/02/82 04/06/85 23/04/83 03/02/89 06/03/89 15/11/86 03/11/87 01/02/83 28/03/86 14/12/78 21/05/85 08/12/82 23/06/84 17/08/89 12/05/82 13/08/84 06/10/86 08/08/86 27/06/85 12/07/81 30/06/77 10/08/86 12/09/87

ZIM USA USA USA AUS ESP ESP AUS ESP RUS ESP USA TPE RUS CHN USA RUS BLR CHN RUS RUS CHN CZE ARG ITA TPE ROU ITA GER SVK USA POL IND RUS CZE CZE SUI CZE USA UZB TPE AUS UKR RUS UKR RUS USA ITA CZE KAZ

TOURS

RANK PTS

NATION

DOB

NAME

PREV

Current

TOURS

NATION

DOB

RANK PTS

405 91 48 34 18 11 8 6 3 0 1 1 0 2 5 0 2 1 1 4 1 0 4 4 4

TOURS

08/01/86 08/06/89 23/09/91 30/05/89 23/08/88 18/02/83 30/06/77 07/06/88 15/11/86 28/03/86 10/06/85 28/09/70 20/01/91 21/05/85 22/01/90 04/06/85 02/11/88 08/03/90 10/03/90 30/09/81 03/03/89 05/04/80 03/02/89 05/03/87 07/12/90 02/12/82 03/11/87 04/07/74 08/08/87 13/04/90 10/01/86 19/01/91 14/08/83 02/05/86 18/01/88 10/10/85 24/05/77 25/10/84 03/10/83 24/02/82 11/03/90 19/08/88 09/11/82 13/01/91 23/06/84 12/04/83 12/05/82 30/01/89 16/09/75 17/08/89

RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA

RANK PTS

Peng, Shuai Bacsinszky, Timea Oudin, Melanie Dulgheru, Alexandra Govortsova, Olga Vinci, Roberta Garbin, Tathiana Makarova, Ekaterina Mirza, Sania Zahlavova Strycova, Barbora Kanepi, Kaia Date Krumm, Kimiko Hercog, Polona Hradecka, Lucie Cornet, Alize Groenefeld, Anna-lena Goerges, Julia Kvitova, Petra Voegele, Stefanie Barrois, Kristina Olaru, Ioana Raluca Brianti, Alberta King, Vania Chakvetadze, Anna Radwanska, Urszula Coin, Julie Kudryavtseva, Alla Craybas, Jill Malek, Tatjana Sevastova, Anastasija Flipkens, Kirsten Martic, Petra Baltacha, Elena O’brien, Katie Kerber, Angelique Zahlavova, Sandra Tanasugarn, Tamarine Sprem, Karolina Meusburger, Yvonne Zakopalova, Klara Morita, Ayumi Kutuzova, Viktoriya Parra Santonja, Arantxa Chang, Kai-chen Amanmuradova, Akgul Dokic, Jelena Rodionova, Anastasia Kulikova, Regina De Los Rios, Rossana Chan, Yung-jan

DOB

NAME

PREV

51 51 52 52 53 53 54 54 55 55 56 56 57 57 58 58 59 59 60 60 61 61 62 62 63 63 64 64 65 65 66 66 67 67 68 68 69 69 70 70 71 71 72 72 73 73 74 74 75 75 76 76 77 77 78 78 79 79 80 80 81 81 82 82 83 83 84 84 85 85 86 86 87 87 88 88 89 89 90 90 91 91 92 92 93 93 94 94 95 95 96 96 97 97 98 98 99 99 100 100

13/03/84 27/02/81 10/08/92 15/10/92 23/02/86 03/01/89 20/04/85 31/01/94 28/06/78 29/03/91 01/05/71 10/06/93 30/07/93 19/04/95 12/07/91 20/05/92 12/09/87 11/02/91 26/11/94 27/09/91 21/09/93 11/04/91 12/06/81 14/11/85 07/01/91

NATION

18 19 25 19 17 17 19 21 24 20 20 26 22 22 23 16 6 27 23 21 24 26 16 21 19 24 24 21 22 22 24 26 19 23 22 25 25 22 24 22 24 25 25 21 28 25 26 21 27 25

Current

TOURS

RANK PTS

9195 6480 5995 5861 5526 4960 4705 3845 3605 3500 3165 3160 2985 2940 2940 2825 2780 2720 2440 2260 2150 2085 2067 2045 2035 2020 1985 1910 1900 1788 1750 1705 1680 1665 1665 1645 1610 1600 1512 1490 1420 1375 1370 1356 1340 1325 1325 1324 1287 1285

Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Doubles Rankings 08-02-2010

DOB

USA RUS DEN RUS USA BLR RUS SRB POL CHN AUS ITA FRA RUS BEL RUS BEL ITA RUS CHN FRA ISR SRB FRA GER UKR SVK ESP RUS SVK RUS ESP UKR HUN ARG CAN RUS RUS ROU RUS HUN ESP CZE SUI ITA CZE SVK KAZ GER AUT

NAME

26/09/81 27/04/86 11/07/90 27/06/85 17/06/80 31/07/89 15/10/81 28/02/85 06/03/89 26/02/82 30/03/84 25/02/82 02/10/84 07/09/84 20/10/89 19/04/87 08/06/83 23/06/80 08/06/82 05/07/83 14/03/87 01/05/87 06/11/87 12/05/83 22/09/89 13/08/84 23/04/83 12/08/82 01/08/86 06/05/89 15/07/89 31/07/82 08/08/86 29/12/88 30/01/85 07/09/87 25/01/87 03/07/91 07/04/90 06/10/86 22/10/82 03/09/88 01/02/83 14/12/78 29/04/87 04/02/87 04/10/88 12/09/87 09/09/87 27/04/80

NATION

DOB

NAME

Williams, Serena Safina, Dinara Wozniacki, Caroline Kuznetsova, Svetlana Williams, Venus Azarenka, Victoria Dementieva, Elena Jankovic, Jelena Radwanska, Agnieszka Li, Na Stosur, Samantha Pennetta, Flavia Bartoli, Marion Zvonareva, Vera Wickmayer, Yanina Sharapova, Maria Clijsters, Kim Schiavone, Francesca Petrova, Nadia Zheng, Jie Rezai, Aravane Peer, Shahar Ivanovic, Ana Razzano, Virginie Lisicki, Sabine Bondarenko, Alona Hantuchova, Daniela Martinez Sanchez, Maria Jose Vesnina, Elena Cibulkova, Dominika Kleybanova, Alisa Medina Garrigues, Anabel Bondarenko, Kateryna Szavay, Agnes Dulko, Gisela Wozniak, Aleksandra Kirilenko, Maria Pavlyuchenkova, Anastasia Cirstea, Sorana Dushevina, Vera Czink, Melinda Suarez Navarro, Carla Benesova, Iveta Schnyder, Patty Errani, Sara Safarova, Lucie Rybarikova, Magdalena Shvedova, Yaroslava Petkovic, Andrea Bammer, Sybille

PREV

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

141 139 Scheepers, Chanelle 391 393 Grandin, Natalie 552 553 Simmonds, Chanel 653 655 Potgieter, Christi 802 804 Du Plessis, Lizaan 921 923 Edwards, Tegan 986 987 Anderson, Kelly 1030 1031 Fourouclas, Natasha 1110 1112 De Beer, Surina NR NR Gorny, Monica NR NR Grant, Kim NR NR Joubert, Dane NR NR Laing, Jessica NR NR Le Roux, Madrie NR NR Luksich, Veronique NR NR Luus, Welma NR NR Marshall, Lisa NR NR Masite, Christine NR NR Morkel-brink, Mikayla NR NR Moskal, Ksenia NR NR Plant, Tracy NR NR Pondicas, Jade NR NR Rencken, Nicole NR NR Schickerling, Joanne NR NR Swanepoel, Bianca

Current

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

PREV

Current

Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Singles Rankings 08-02-2010

NAME

Current

WTA rankings

PREV

SOUTH AFRICA in WTA Single Ranking

9540 9540 7440 7440 6230 5960 5960 5450 4735 4520 4390 4180 4170 4130 3990 3980 3915 3767 3570 3510 3500 3350 3245 3220 3210 3040 2920 2920 2875 2660 2520 2401 2380 2368 2340 2300 2281 2230 2210 2160 2080 2040 2000 1930 1910 1884 1874 1815 1740 1700

TennisWorld sa

21 21 6 6 16 22 20 15 18 21 18 21 17 20 17 17 18 11 24 21 16 19 12 16 18 24 24 20 24 12 21 10 17 25 19 19 15 25 26 24 18 21 21 19 18 7 24 18 23 19

86

87

TennisWorlD sa

14 December 1992

0

2.5

2.5

RSA RSA

31 July 1994 03 June 1993

0 0

1.25 1.25

1.25 1.25

Points

RSA

Points

607.5 180 148.75 125 115 110 91.25 90 66.25 56.25 53.75 48.75 33.75 30 28.75 23.75 23.75 22.5 15 15 11.25 10 10 5 5 5 3.75

RANKING

Total Events

67.5 20 18.75 20 25 25 16.25 20 21.25 16.25 8.75 8.75 8.75 0 3.75 8.75 8.75 2.5 0 5 6.25 0 0 0 0 5 3.75

DOUBLES

Ranked Events

540 160 130 105 90 85 75 70 45 40 45 40 25 30 25 15 15 20 15 10 5 10 10 5 5 0 0

7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 4 7 7

7 8 11 11 17 11 15 8 20 14 15 9 11 7 15 9 12 4 10 9

4757 4150 3160 2488 1826 1823 1724 1205 1204 1083 869 761 560 559 541 483 460 454 451 441

Boys Singles Rankings (01 Feb 2010)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

EGBERINK, Tom FERNANDEZ, Gustavo DE CURE, Henry COCHRANE, Philip LEVINE, Dylan CAVERZASCHI, Daniel DE BIE, Rody BAILEY, Dermot STAMAN, Jeroen CASCO, Ezequiel

NED ARG AUS GBR USA ESP NED GBR NED ARG

Points

262.5 195 167.5 148.75 128.75 67.5 65 48.75 46.25 38.75 38.75 23.75 21.25 16.25 11.25 7.5 7.5 6.25 6.25 5 5 1.25 1.25

10 August 1992 31 January 1994 05 July 1993 21 September 1993 30 July 1993 19 April 1992 19 July 1993 20 May 1992 21 November 1993 26 November 1994 18 September 1994 02 March 1993 25 January 1996 18 March 1993 03 June 1992 09 October 1995 24 December 1994 22 March 1993 20 March 1995 07 September 1993 07 October 1993 03 January 1994 07 March 1992 07 September 1994 17 January 1992 26 January 1992 10 June 1993

NED NED FRA NED NED AUS NED KOR GER BEL GBR NED GBR JPN FRA USA CHI CAN CHI JPN

9 9 9 9 7 6 5 8 9 6

15 9 11 9 7 6 5 8 9 6

565 400 183 156 141 119 116 99 88 73

Girls Singles Rankings (01 Feb 2010)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10 12

WHILEY, Jordanne GBR KAMIJI, Yui JPN SOLDAN, Mackenzie USA MAYARA, Natalia BRA UN, Busra TUR SIBANDA, Tsholofelo RSA BERNAL, Angelica COL SWETMAN, Laura GBR SMITH, Auburn USA BEAUMONT, Ella GBR TennisWorld EDWARDS, Rachel GBR PREIS, Anna POL

7 6 7 5 3 4 3 3 1 1 sa 1 1

11 6 10 5 3 4 3 3 1 1 88 1 1

Points

RANKING

RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA

VERGEER, Esther HOMAN, Korie GRAVELLIER, Florence WALRAVEN, Sharon VAN KOOT, Aniek DI TORO, Daniela GRIFFIOEN, Jiske PARK, Ju-Yeon KRUGER, Katharina SEVENANS, Annick SHUKER, Lucy BUIS, Marjolein WHILEY, Jordanne DOMORI, Kanako SCHOENN, Christine KAISER, Emmy MARDONES, Francisca CHOKYU, Yuka ORTIZ, Maria-Antonieta OKABE, Yuko

Total Events

32.5 40 27.5 23.75 13.75 12.5 15 23.75 11.25 8.75 8.75 3.75 11.25 11.25 1.25 2.5 7.5 1.25 6.25 0 0 1.25 1.25

SIMMONDS, Chanel FOUROUCLAS, Natasha IVE, Sarah PLANT, Tracy LAING, Jessica VAN WYK, Veruska Monique WESSELS, Clorinda LUUS, Welma LOCHNER, Adri MORKEL-BRINK, Mikayla LUKSICH, Genevieve SCHOLTZ, Lani BECK, Brigitte ERASMUS, Janine POTGIETER, Este LAING , Melissa GRACE, Jesse Norah DE VILLIERS, Ele NICHOLAS, Kay-Leigh PIENAAR, Zanmarie BASSON, Anke NIENABER, Jessica DU PLESSIS, Sarah Lynn SWANEPOEL, Sarie MURRAY, Cecile BOUWER, Marizanne JOUBERT, Dane JANZEN VAN RENSBURG, 1803 = Rozike 1804 = LUUS, Anel 1804 = BERNES, Francesca

points SINGLES

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Total Events

DOUBLES

DOB

Womens Singles Rankings (08 Feb 2010)

Total Events

230 155 140 125 115 55 50 25 35 30 30 20 10 5 10 5 0 5 0 5 5 0 0

18 206 261 327 357 382 454 464 573 646 = 663 = 686 808 = 859 880 = 975 = 983 = 999 = 1204 = 1216 = 1315 = 1392 = 1392 = 1540 = 1540 = 1660 = 1698 =

NAME

5758 4408 3696 3177 2797 2240 1848 1820 1742 1697 1347 1105 1021 921 906 897 858 852 693 673

Ranked Events

04 June 1993 10 April 1992 14 January 1992 22 October 1993 17 May 1993 17 January 1993 10 January 1994 07 July 1993 21 September 1992 25 June 1992 04 December 1992 03 July 1993 01 August 1992 16 January 1993 16 March 1992 30 August 1992 17 February 1993 24 November 1992 02 January 1993 08 June 1994 04 May 1995 10 December 1992 19 August 1992

POSITION

8 12 18 12 18 23 17 12 15 6 19 8 14 12 15 11 13 14 16 14

Ranked Events

RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA RSA

points SINGLES

NAT

South Africa girls

8 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 6 9 8 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9

Ranked Events

PIETERS, Hernus MOOLMAN, Renier BOTHA, Jarryd KUHN, Warren VAN VUUREN, Marlu Jansen ROOS, Dion Paul EBERSEY, Brandon COMERFORD, Dylan FORTMANN, Stefan LYZWA, Michal JESKE, Manfred LATEGAN, Adolf SMITH, Dudley VISSER, Marthinus Christoffel EDWARDS, Tristan KRUGER, Juan MONTGOMERY, Wesley O’KENNEDY, Francois REYNECKE, Barend Hermanus GILBERTSON, Clayton ROSSOUW, Matthew SCHELLINK, Eben BRINK, Gideon

1541.25 1018.75 843.75 815 807.5 773.75 735 730 716.25 707.5 702.5 702.5 697.5 668.75 668.75 662.5 618.75 607.5 595 570 570 553.75 542.5 541.25 527.5

Nation

DOB

RANKING

1541.25 1018.75 843.75 815 807.5 773.75 735 730 716.25 707.5 702.5 702.5 697.5 668.75 668.75 662.5 618.75 607.5 595 570 570 553.75 542.5 541.25 527.5

Nation

87 149 190 227 265 496 510 609 630 679 681 = 845 = 892 = 992 = 1082 = 1227 = 1254 = 1271 = 1320 = 1336 = 1336 = 1619 = 1619 =

NAME

181.25 168.75 83.75 85 162.5 143.75 95 180 101.25 72.5 52.5 77.5 102.5 78.75 178.75 22.5 98.75 67.5 50 90 90 93.75 32.5 211.25 7.5

RANKING

Nation

NAT

South Africa boys ranking POSITION

DOUBLES

1360 850 760 730 645 630 640 550 615 635 650 625 595 590 490 640 520 540 545 480 480 460 510 330 520

181.25 168.75 83.75 85 162.5 143.75 95 180 101.25 72.5 52.5 77.5 102.5 78.75 178.75 22.5 98.75 67.5 50 90 90 93.75 32.5 211.25 7.5

Nation

14 May 1993 10 May 1993 05 March 1994 19 May 1992 01 April 1992 09 July 1993 03 September 1992 29 May 1993 12 May 1995 30 October 1992 20 March 1993 15 July 1994 07 March 1994 27 September 1993 24 August 1993 07 January 1995 31 October 1994 10 August 1992 16 April 1992 07 February 1992 05 February 1994 21 January 1992 01 February 1994 03 November 1992 21 March 1992

DOUBLES

1360 850 760 730 645 630 640 550 615 635 650 625 595 590 490 640 520 540 545 480 480 460 510 330 520

Name

FRA HUN RUS GBR CAN CRO JPN SVK RUS CHI USA SLO BEL PUR UKR RUS SRB RSA NED RUS CHN PAR GER RUS CZE

SINGLES

14 May 1993 10 May 1993 05 March 1994 19 May 1992 01 April 1992 09 July 1993 03 September 1992 29 May 1993 12 May 1995 30 October 1992 20 March 1993 15 July 1994 07 March 1994 27 September 1993 24 August 1993 07 January 1995 31 October 1994 10 August 1992 16 April 1992 07 February 1992 05 February 1994 21 January 1992 01 February 1994 03 November 1992 21 March 1992

Rank

DOB

FRA HUN RUS GBR CAN CRO JPN SVK RUS CHI USA SLO BEL PUR UKR RUS SRB RSA NED RUS CHN PAR GER RUS CZE

Name

MLADENOVIC, Kristina BABOS, Timea GAVRILOVA, Daria WATSON, Heather DABROWSKI, Gabriela NJIRIC, Silvia ISHIZU, Sachie CEPELOVA, Jana KHROMACHEVA, Irina SILVA, Camila STEPHENS, Sloane KOLAR, Nastja MESTACH, An-Sophie PUIG, Monica ZANEVSKA, Maryna PUTINTSEVA, Yulia CUROVIC, Tamara SIMMONDS, Chanel HOGENKAMP, Richel BUCHINA, Yana ZHENG, Saisai CEPEDE ROYG, Veronica FRIEDSAM, Anna-Lena SOLOVIEVA, Valeria PLISKOVA, Karolina

NAT

SINGLES

Rank

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

points NAME

DOB

Name

POSITION

MLADENOVIC, Kristina BABOS, Timea GAVRILOVA, Daria WATSON, Heather DABROWSKI, Gabriela NJIRIC, Silvia ISHIZU, Sachie CEPELOVA, Jana KHROMACHEVA, Irina SILVA, Camila STEPHENS, Sloane KOLAR, Nastja MESTACH, An-Sophie PUIG, Monica ZANEVSKA, Maryna PUTINTSEVA, Yulia CUROVIC, Tamara SIMMONDS, Chanel HOGENKAMP, Richel BUCHINA, Yana ZHENG, Saisai CEPEDE ROYG, Veronica FRIEDSAM, Anna-Lena SOLOVIEVA, Valeria PLISKOVA, Karolina

NAT

JPN FRA NED NED SWE AUT FRA JPN NED FRA FRA BEL AUS POL SVK JPN FRA GBR GBR FRA

Rank

ITF JUNIOR BOYs

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

points NAME

KUNIEDA, Shingo HOUDET, Stephane SCHEFFERS, Maikel AMMERLAAN, Robin OLSSON, Stefan LEGNER, Martin PEIFER, Nicolas SAIDA, Satoshi VINK, Ronald JEREMIASZ, Michael CATTANEO, Frederic GERARD, Joachim WEEKES, Ben JAROSZEWSKI, Piotr FELIX, Jozef FUJIMOTO, Yoshinobu CAZEAUDUMEC, Frederic REID, Gordon PHILLIPSON, David DALMASSO, David

Name

Ranking date : 8 FEBRUARY 2010

POSITION

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Rank

ITF Junior Rankings

ITF JUNIOR GIRL

Wheelchair Tennis RSA

Mens Singles Rankings (08 Feb 2010)

560 417 352 118 66 44 24 6 2 2 2 2

online competition

WIN GUESS THE WINNER &

“Guess The Winner” is a brand new online game that allows you to predict the progress of players in major ATP and WTA events. It was launched by Matchpoint, in conjunction with TWSA, for the 2010 season.

There will be a prize for the winner, registration is free!

Register now!

VISIT:

www.tennisworldsa.com/guess_en (check online for more details)

UP FOR GRABS:

Prizes: MacBook, Apple iPhone, Apple iPod etc

TennisWorld TennisWorld sa SA

89