Tennis World International n° 5

TennisWorld

®

INTERNATIONAL

www.tennisworldsa.com Issue number 5 | ISSN 2075-6526

Exclusive Interview

Serena Williams

She’s got it all - but she wants more ALSO FEATURING: Dubai Tennis Championships

NUMBER 1 IN TENNIS*

Tennis World South Africa Published by Matchball Tennis

Editor’s Letter

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

The Calm before the storm...

Contributors Pietie Norval, Danie Morkel, Matt Traverso, Jaco Burger, Wendy Chadwick (SATA) Collaboration Tennis World SA is published in collaboration with Matchpoint Tennis Magazine (Italy).

Special thanks to director Daniele Azzolini and his editing team.

Matchpoint Tennis Magazine, Via Santa Giovanna Elisabetta 36/F 00189 Roma Tel: + 00 39 063 638 2189 segreteria@mpmtennis.com

F EE EEL

F E E L I S E L E M E N TA L ™

New Wilson racket technology engineered with basalt fibers combining proprietary frame, grommet and grip technologies for the perfect feel.

The first rounds of the Davis Cup ended with very few surprises, except for Serbia sending the US packing to the relegation playoffs. Argentina’s performance was outstanding, and it’s great to see David Nalbandian back in his national colours and leading his team with pride. Chile also had a great result, winning at home against Israel. The country was recently ravaged by an earthquake, and it’s nice to see that they have at least something to cheer about.

Copy EDITOR: Philip Mare CREATIVE: Shaun Strydom

As you may have noticed, we changed the layout of the magazine a bit this month. We hope you like it! We are constantly evolving in an effort to provide you with the best magazine money can buy, and we love experimenting.

Advertising advertising@matchballtennis.com Subscriptions subscriptions@matchballtennis.com

www.tennisworldsa.com

TM

We also have a look at the prestigious Dubai tournament, which was voted the best 500 Series event in 2009. Novak Djokovic managed to defend his title, but not without struggling mightily throughout the week. Is Djokovic really getting back to his best, or was he just lucky that Federer wasn’t there? We’ll have to see how the rest of the season plays out before we get an answer.

Nelize Ernst – Subscriptions & Advertising Sales

Marketing & PR Nicolette Booyens marketing1@matchballtennis.com

six.one tour blx

As you can see from the cover, this month we are featuring an interview with the indomitable Serena Williams. She told us all about her projects outside of tennis and how she is dealing with the return of the Belgian duo Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters. She also discusses the fine she received for her outburst at last year’s US Open, so be sure to check it out.

South Africa will of course play Finland at home in May. The Fins struggled to overcome Poland, but with Jarkko Nieminen fit and playing well again, South Africa’s boys are sure to have their hands full.

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

In this issue

March is a very busy month for tennis fans, with two Masters Series 1000 events taking place back-to-back (Indian Wells and Miami). We will of course be keeping a close eye on every single match, and bring you a full report in our next issue. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are back in action again, so don’t miss it!

Please feel free to write to me at federico.coppini@matchballtennis.com and share your ideas, suggestions, criticism and comments. We greatly value your input and are always interested in hearing what our readers have to say.

Serena Williams

The Colour of the Australian Open

P.S. Don’t forget to join our online ‘Guess the Winner’ competition (www.tennisworldsa.com/guess_en). It’s easy, free and you can win some fabulous prizes!

Federico Federico Coppini federico.coppini@matchballtennis.com Dubai Tennis Championship

21

Contents

TennisWorld SA #5 SPECIAL FEATURE 08 Serena Williams

08

35

58

DUBAI Tennis Championship 14 16 17 18 19

Dubai Intro Kulikova Melzer Men’s Draw Women’s Draw

DAVIS CUP 21 Nalbandian 22 Serbia vs USA 24 South Africa AUSTRALIAN OPEN 27 The Colour of the Australian Open WOMEN’S TENNIS in PARIS 35 Dementieva 40 Petkovic 42 Paris Draw

22

40

RANKINGS 44 ATP 46 WTA PRO 48 53 58 64 68 69 70 72 74 76 78

Legendary Lendl Tennis and Love Roger Draper Interview Wimbledon Walk of Fame History: My Africa Superstition & Activation Tennis Elbow - Morkel Success on the smaller details School Tennis in South Africa Mental Beliefs - Matt Traverso Outward Manifestations - Federico Coppini

SATA

48

72

82 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 96

Growing Sports Foundation Wildcards Q&A with Ian Smith Junior Tournament Guidelines Play & Stay The Montja Sisters Grey College Belgrave Tennis Club KZN Tennis Association Wheelchair SATA Rankings Calender

IBC Subscribe to TennisWorld SA

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

4

TennisWorld sa

TennisWorld sa

5

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...

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.

6

TennisWorld sa

www.patleys.co.za

www.tennisworldsa.com TennisWorld sa

7

S W exclusive interview

SERENA WILLIAMS

“

“

You must learn from your mistakes and start again.

I have restarted completely

T

here are certain things that we mere mortals will never know. We, who are not tennis champions – do not have 12 Grand Slam titles proudly displayed on our mantelpiece. We who will never be world number one. We who are not Serena Williams. But there are those who have experienced all of these things. There are even some who have experienced all these things and more – like Billy Jean King. Winner of 39 Slams (20 at Wimbledon), the first openly homosexual tennis star and a champion of women’s liberation, Billy Jean King is a legend of epic proportions. So when Serena Williams is having trouble with something, chances are Billy Jean King has been there before, and knows how to deal with it.

Of course this would mean little if she kept her knowledge to herself, but she doesn’t.

King was one of the Williams sisters’ earliest

8

TennisWorld sa

supporters and mentors, and Serena looks up to her the way other people look up to Serena.

When King says something, Williams listens.

That’s why, after she won her second consecutive Australian Open earlier this year, she immediately looked up in the stands at her mentor – the mentor who helped her with her game, her temper and her image. The mentor who convinced her to play in an exhibition match for charity in March – with Kim Clijsters, instead of against her – and who is a continuous source of inspiration. While Serena may have tied some of King’s records, she knows she has a long way to go before she lives up to her friend’s lofty standards. “To tie BJK is really cool,” she said recently, “but honestly my whole thing is to do what she did off the court. I think of all the amazing things she’s done and that’s what I want to do with every aspect of my life.”

TennisWorld sa

9

S W

Getting involved in charities. In February I opened a second school in Kenya. I was really excited. When you’re given a talent like mine you’re expected to give back and I feel I want to give back, I want to help those who have less than me.

What are your thoughts on the mental contest that Henin referred to before the final?

I think I am really strong at that. Dad always used to say that 70% of tennis is in the head.

And I think I am one of the strongest on the Tour.

I don’t read the papers: I live in my bubble. All I know is that the following day I had a match to play, and that I won the tournament by winning the doubles. I was focusing on this.

Can you overcome injuries with your mind?

Yet you sent a message to your fans on your blog...

I wanted to warn them about a few things.

Sometimes people are not all treated the same. I wanted them to understand that you can make a mistake but you must learn from your mistakes and start again. I have restarted completely.

What has Serena become? A teacher?

In Kenya I taught in class and was very nervous about it. With education you can beat malaria, you can beat AIDS. I taught maths – I am very good at maths, you know – and English. I hope I did all right.

You could teach children how to become Serena Williams...

Behind success there is a lot of hard work and many sacrifices. Like the people I help in Africa, I also come from nothing. I know it’s not a moment, a victory, a single thing that changes everything, that creates a career.

You have to pull it all together. You have to take advantage of vehicles such as sports and education to build your life.

Sure, every time I win, I help someone new.

It’s amazing. Because in 30 years’ time people will not remember who won the Australian Open, but who has been able to help others. Even if nobody knew me, I wouldn’t care if they didn’t know who Serena Williams is.

What matters is that I will have done something for others.

You won the singles and the doubles in Australia, yet you were all strapped up

TennisWorld sa

The key was to keep thinking: “If I have to lose, I want to do it my way, playing hard.”

That fine in New York really got you upset...

You are a role model already, though.

10

and clearly injured. How did you do it?

My knee is...my knee. But I injured my adductors in Sydney, just before Melbourne. I said to myself: “My God, I can’t believe what happened to me.” I even slept all strapped up.

But I never thought I could not play the Open.

And yet in Sydney I picked up a few muscle problems in my leg, in Melbourne a twisted ankle in the third round and a pain in my wrist in the quarter-finals. And I need to have my circulation checked soon.

Roland Garros is in May. You have only won it once, 9 years ago. How do you feel about it this year?

It is my goal. It is the only Slam that I have not repeated 2-3 times. But at least I have made it once.

Paris is very physical, though...

“

I was the youngest of many sisters.

They were all brighter, smarter, bigger, better. I have felt like this my whole life

“

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind?

Sure. My whole goal is just to get fit because I plan on playing singles and doubles at Paris.

So, if I do that, and I’m fit enough, then maybe I have a chance.

The Grand Slam dream passes through Paris too.

Every time I think about it, I lose in the quarter-finals of the French Open. And, honestly, my best time to win was last year because I was up 5-3 in the third [against eventual champion Svetlana Kuznetsova] and I totally blew it.

You might also meet an even stronger Henin in Paris.

Kim [Clijsters], Justine [Henin]? I am not surprised by their big comebacks. They’re likely to play the final in Paris, especially considering my results on clay. But maybe I’ll make it there. And the crowd will shout for me

TennisWorld sa

11

because today I am practically French.

Maybe... In Melbourne, however, the public was all for Justine.

Indeed. But a spectator said to me: “You can beat her, she is not that strong.” I looked at him as if to say: “You don’t know me.” And from that moment I won I don’t know how many games in a row. It is part of who I am. I hear something like this and react, work harder, do better. I feel I have something to prove.

It is typical of a last-born: I was the youngest of many sisters. They were all brighter, smarter, bigger, better. I have felt like this my whole life.

You are only 6 Slams away from Martina Navratilova...

I never thought I could catch her. She has 18, doesn’t she? Awesome.

Maybe you can catch Federer, who is at 16.

I was trying to hunt him down, but the guy keeps winning. I wasn’t really hoping that Andy [Murray] would win, honestly I never wanted that. The guy is amazing.

Serena Williams is also amazing.

I don’t even think of me as a great, I think of me as just normal. But now I’ve got 12 Slams.

And now...Wimbledon is the easiest, big serves, I’m good at that.

Federer is also still hungry for Slams.

I don’t see an end now. I’ll keep playing as long as I’m happy and I want to do it and I enjoy being out there. Sometimes I think it gets a little bit redundant but I really love playing the Slams. The day my feelings change I will slow down. And we’ll see.

You skipped the Fed Cup in France. Why? I would have loved to be there, but since we own a football team [the Miami Dolphins], Venus and I have to honour certain commitments such as the Super Bowl in Florida. During the last match I watched I got so excited that I wanted to go into the field myself: “I can catch that ball, I really can.” It’s the atmosphere in the stands. You can do what you want and you feel the best.

12

TennisWorld sa

Serena Williams: 12 Grand Slam Singles Titles 1999 US Open: def. Martina Hingis 6-3, 7-6 2002 French Open: def Venus Williams 7-5, 6-3 2002 Wimbledon: def Venus Williams 7-6, 6-3 2002 US Open: def. Venus Williams 6-4, 6-3 2003 Australian Open: def. Venus Williams 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 2003 Wimbledon: def. Venus Williams 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 2005 Australian Open: def. Lindsay Davenport 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 2007 Australian Open: def. Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-2 2008 US Open: def. Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 7-5 2009 Australian Open: def. Dinara Safina 6-0, 6-3 2009 Wimbledon: def. Venus Williams 7-6, 6-2 2010 Australian Open: def. Justine Henin 6-4, 3-6, 6-2

DUBAI TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP The 2010 Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships ended much like it did in 2009, with Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams clinching back-to-back titles. Yet despite the result being the same, the tournament was completely different from previous year. While the quality of the tennis was far from stellar – especially from both defending champions – there was plenty of drama to keep things interesting.

Dubai

Tennis Championship 2010

“

Although all the big names had fallen out or withdrawn, Novak Djokovic still struggled mightily to put the tournament to bed

“

14

TennisWorld sa

Of course Rafael Nadal had declined to participate long in advance because of his knee injury. Roger Federer’s withdrawal, however, was much more unexpected. On the eve of the tournament’s start, it emerged the former champion had a severe lung infection and would have to withdraw for the second year in a row.

Serena Williams and Dinara Safina, too, made excuses and chose not to play.

With injuries piling up already so early in the year, one can only wonder what will happen later on in 2010.

The drama began early in the week, with the unexpected participation of Israeli player Shahar Peer. In 2009 Peer, who is a member of the Israeli army, was refused a visa by the Emirates. It generated much controversy at the time, and cost the tournament a $300 000 fine. This year the country’s authorities had no choice but to issue Peer with a visa, and they also had to put in place a truly tremendous security system to protect her. She was accommodated in a different hotel from the official one, the location of which was shrouded in secrecy. She was hastily ushered away from the Aviation Club at the end of her matches, surrounded by a horde of body guards. Moreover, she only played on Court Number One, which was protected by a spectator control system that made a joke of the most sophisticated airport security procedures. Even the traditional structure of the press conference was changed for her: Peer was only allowed to answer questions from one randomly selected journalist, who in turn had to liaise with the rest of the press room.

In their heart of hearts, the organizers must have been hoping that the Israeli player would lose her first match. Never before had a player’s defeat been more wished for. Instead, Peer tried her best to resist, making the security task even more challenging. She reached the semi-finals, almost having fun in extending this turbulent Arab campaign of hers, and she even defeated the tournament top seed, Caroline Wozniacki. She was finally brutally beaten by Venus Williams – again on court one, watched by only 450 spectators. Although thousands of people had paid for tickets to

On the men’s side, the seeds fell like autumn leaves. Nikolay Davydenko had been a favourite coming into the tournament, but was forced to retire with an injury during his match against Michael Berrer. Andy Murray was unceremoniously dumped out of the tournament by Janko Tipsarevic, who played a stellar match against the grumpy and uninspired Scot. “I’m obviously disappointed to lose, but it’s definitely not the end of the world,” Murray said after his loss. “When I’m getting ready for the big events, you know, that you need to try some things. If it was a Slam or something, my tactics and my game style would have been a bit different,” Murray explained, unaware of – or perhaps unconcerned by – the outcry his comments would cause.

The tournament organisers had gone out of their way to make Murray comfortable, putting him up in the Burj Al Arab – widely considered to be the most luxurious hotel in the world. That he was not trying his best when the organisers were spending 3000 Euros a night for his accommodation did not sit well with anyone.

John Beddington of Barclays, the main sponsor of the event, was not happy, saying “We are disappointed that he lost and also that he made remarks which were not really necessary.”

the semif i n a l matches, they were refused entry because of the security measures. Fans were understandably outraged that they were unable to watch the match they had paid for, and the number of people wishing for her defeat increased considerably – had she reached the final, the match would likely also have been played on the small court, with fans’ tickets becoming worthless.

In the final, Williams quickly overcame Victoria Azarenka in straight sets, and she remained diplomatic over the situation with Peer, saying: “That’s great to show the spirit of inclusion and equality with which the organizers have approached this thorny matter. I think it brings a better future to this area of the world.”

Although all the big names had fallen out or withdrawn, Novak Djokovic still struggled mightily to put the tournament to bed. The Serb is thinking about buying an apartment in Dubai, but didn’t really look at home on the court. He was taken to three sets in almost all his matches, and nearly lost every one of them. In the final against Mikhail Youzhny, Djokovic led by a set and 2-0 when the heaven’s unexpectedly opened up, forcing the final to be completed the next day. When they continued their match Djokovic displayed more of the erratic form that had nearly caused his demise so often in the week. He lost seven of the next ten games, and almost gave away the third set as well. In the end, however, Youzhny couldn’t put away the Serb, and Djokovic snuck away with the title.

TennisWorld sa

15

dubai PLAYER PROFILE

Melzer

Man of the moment.

image © pascal reinecke

The men’s competition in Dubai saw a similar result to the women’s, with Novak Djokovic – like Venus Williams – defending his title. Unlike last year, however, the men’s draw saw several relatively unheralded players make it into the final rounds, among them Mikhail Youzhny, Marcos Baghdatis and Jurgen Melzer.

Kulikova Queen of the desert.

E

ven though the trophy ended up in Venus Williams’ hands again, a little Russian star peeped through the sand dunes of Dubai. Not one of the usual suspects, though: Regina Kulikova snuck into the Emirates below the tennis radar, a humble entrant in the qualifying draw looking for a small place in the sun. Once on court though, with her explosive groundstrokes hissing past her opponents, she was hard to ignore.

She swept past Maria Kirilenko, Stefanie Voegele and Svetlana Kuznetsova – the latter representing her first victory over a Top 10 player. This significant win came at a cost though: the match took more than three hours to complete, and Kulikova eventually succumbed to Agnieszka Radwanska’s vast experience, even though she led for much of the match. Her wonderful run to the quarter-finals lifted her to 68th in the world rankings, the highest she’s ever been.

By the standards set by her fellow countrywoman, Kulikova is a bit of a late bloomer. It is only now, at the age of 21, that she is starting to fulfil her potential. The reason for her late arrival is a long streak of bad luck, which in-

16

TennisWorld sa

cluded a series of bad injuries. Thanks to those injuries, she has only been able to play about 200 matches in her six-year career, most of them in minor tournaments. Her first escape from anonymity, however, came at the greatest tournament of them all – Wimbledon – where she also snuck in through qualification and made a successful run to the third round. She was eventually stopped by fellow Russian Elena Dementieva, but along the way accounted for her friend – and one-time Top 10 player – Alisa Kleybanova.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was Melzer, who had always displayed a great amount of talent, but lacked mental consistency. This year, however, he has already reached two finals and won the Zagreb tournament. At 29, one cannot exactly describe him as a late bloomer, but Melzer’s awakening is nevertheless a much-appreciated one. His unorthodox style of play seemed to confuse the red-hot Marin Cilic, who never really found an answer for the Austrian’s strange array of shots during their quarter-final match.

Of course his strange style hasn’t always brought him much success.

After showing much promise in winning the junior Wimbledon championship, he’s only managed to win two

ATP titles in the ten years since. He has been equally disappointing in Slams, going only as far as the third round in his many attempts.

Yet despite all of this unfulfilled potential, Melzer never gave up, and for some reason he simply underwent a transformation late last year. He became the first Austrian in 20 years to lift the trophy in his hometown of Vienna, once again at the expense of Cilic, who seems to be becoming Melzer’s whipping boy. He started 2010 strong as well, jumping to 28th in the world, only just shy of his best-ever ranking.

So will this be the year of Melzer? Well, perhaps not. He still doesn’t have the game to consistently trouble the big dogs at Slams, and is not likely to make that breakthrough any time soon.

However, now that he seems to have truly settled into himself, we can definitely expect to see him compete very effectively at 250 and even 500 events.

He might even sneak into the Top 20 if he plays his cards right and keeps his head straight. Who knows, maybe Melzer’s career is only just beginning.

Kulikova’s path to success has been quite unlike most other players’ from her home country. Instead of choosing to train in Spain or the US, she went to Italy, where she spent most of her formative tennis years – she even got married there at the tender age of 19. She has recently moved to Switzerland due to her husband’s work demands, but still dearly loves her adopted country of Italy. There have even been rumours that she might become a citizen and represent the Italians in the Fed Cup. While the Russians have no shortage of tennis talent, the Italians could use all the help they can get, and the Queen of the Desert would be a welcome addition to their ranks.

TennisWorld sa

17

26 LLODRA, Michael J. TSONGA [5] FRA 76(9) 00 Ret'd

27 LJUBICIC, Ivan CRO

18

LL 28 HERNYCH, Jan

29 TROICKI, Viktor

WC 30 SCHUETTLER, Rainer

31 GARCIA-LOPEZ, Guillermo

32 DJOKOVIC, Novak

TennisWorld sa

I. LJUBICIC CZE 62 67(3) 64

V. TROICKI GER 63 64 SRB

N. DJOKOVIC [2] SRB 64 64 ESP

N. DJOKOVIC [2] 36 64 62 I. LJUBICIC 75 63 N. DJOKOVIC [2] 26 64 60

TennisWorld sa

19

5

32

DEMENTIEVA, Elena

BYE

HANTUCHOVA, Daniela 29

31

PAVLYUCHENKOVA, Anastasia 28

MANASIEVA, Vesna

SREBOTNIK, Katarina 27

30

GARBIN, Tathiana 26

Q

STOSUR, Samantha 25

9

SCHIAVONE, Francesca

CIRSTEA, Sorana 23 24

ROU

GOVORTSOVA, Olga 22

14

O. GOVORTSOVA BLR 64 61

V. WILLIAMS [3] 62 63 V. WILLIAMS [3] 75 60

N. LI [8] 36 75 60

SLO

CHAMPION

V. WILLIAMS [3] 63 64

63 75

K. FLIPKENS 63 64 BEL

SUI

V. AZARENKA [4]

R. KULIKOVA 63 60

F. PENNETTA [10] 63 63

IND

R. KULIKOVA 63 60 RUS

RUS

S. VOEGELE 76(5) 76(5) SUI

RUS

F. PENNETTA [10] 64 61 ITA

HUN

GER A. PETKOVIC 26 64 63 UKR

LAT A. SEVASTOVA 62 57 75 RUS

POL

BLR

K. BONDARENKO 63 61 SVK

UKR

A. GROENEFELD 16 75 62 GER

RUS

A. MOLIK 63 46 62 AUS

CHN

A. MEDINA GARRIGUES 63 64 ESP S. KUZNETSOVA [2] wo.

S. KUZNETSOVA [2] RUS

R. KULIKOVA 57 76(2) 64

A. RADWANSKA [7] 63 60

A. RADWANSKA [7] 36 64 63

SRB

AUT A. REZAI 63 57 75 FRA

A. RADWANSKA [7]

V. AZARENKA [4] 41 Ret'd

A. GROENEFELD 64 64

A. RADWANSKA [7] 63 63

V. AZARENKA [4] 61 46 63

V. AZARENKA [4] 63 64

J. JANKOVIC [6] 46 64 75

J. JANKOVIC [6]

V. ZVONAREVA [12] 60 60 RUS V. ZVONAREVA [12] 64 46 75 RUS

V. ZVONAREVA [12] 63 62

V. AZARENKA [4] 61 63

Venus WILLIAMS [3]

V. WILLIAMS [3] 61 64

S. PEER 75 30 Ret'd

A. PAVLYUCHENKOVA 46 61 62 A. PAVLYUCHENKOVA RUS 62 61 A. PAVLYUCHENKOVA SVK 63 64 D. HANTUCHOVA RUS 64 64 D. HANTUCHOVA 64 11 Ret'd E. DEMENTIEVA [5] RUS

T. GARBIN ITA 36 62 76(4)

AUS

O. GOVORTSOVA 64 64 F. SCHIAVONE [14] ITA 62 75

CZE

BENESOVA, Iveta 21

V. WILLIAMS [3]

CHAN, Yung-Jan

GER

USA

20

LISICKI, Sabine 19

Q

BYE

M. MARTINEZ SANCHEZ ITA 64 36 63 N. LI [8] 76(7) 26 64 N. LI [8] CHN

S. LISICKI TPE 61 64

WILLIAMS, Venus 17 18

3

LI, Na

BYE 16

8

15

N. DJOKOVIC [2] 67(2) 63 64

BRIANTI, Alberta

FRA

14

TSONGA, Jo-Wilfried

LL

5 WC 25

ESP

24 DAVYDENKO, Nikolay M. BERRER 63 00 Ret'd N. DAVYDENKO [4] RUS 67(5) 64 61

MARTINEZ SANCHEZ, Maria Jose

FRA

13

23 SERRA, Florent

A. DULGHERU ROU 62 62

M. BERRER UKR 64 76(3) M. BAGHDATIS 76(5) 61

DULGHERU, Alexandra

22 STAKHOVSKY, Sergiy GER

12

21 BERRER, Michael S. DEVVARMAN IND 64 75 M. BAGHDATIS 63 36 61

SUI

Q 20 DEVVARMAN, Somdev SUI

SCHNYDER, Patty

19 CHIUDINELLI, Marco M. BAGHDATIS CYP 76(3) 64

11

18 BAGHDATIS, Marcos

Novak DJOKOVIC [2] 75 57 63

M. BARTOLI [11] 62 61

FRA

M. BARTOLI [11] RUS 62 60

17 SIMON, Gilles

MAKAROVA, Ekaterina

8

10

M. YOUZHNY [7] RUS 67(3) 76(5) 61

Q

16 YOUZHNY, Mikhail M. YOUZHNY [7] 76(2) 64

FRA

7 SVK

BARTOLI, Marion

15 LACKO, Lukas B. PHAU GER 30 Ret'd M. YOUZHNY [7] 63 64

9

Q 14 PHAU, Bjorn KUW

11

WC 13 GHAREEB, Mohammad J. TIPSAREVIC SRB 76(4) 75 J. TIPSAREVIC 76(3) 46 64

S. PEER BEL 36 62 75

12 TIPSAREVIC, Janko ITA

WICKMAYER, Yanina

11 SEPPI, Andreas A. MURRAY [3] RUS 62 63 M. YOUZHNY [7] 75 76(4)

8

GBR

13

MURRAY, Andy

S. PEER 62 62

9

ISR

3

PEER, Shahar

M. CILIC [6] CRO 62 64

7

CILIC, Marin

V. RAZZANO TUN 62 62

8

SFAR, Selima

6 M. CILIC [6] 62 76(6)

6

FRA

S. PEER 62 75

CLEMENT, Arnaud

FRA

7

RAZZANO, Virginie

S. KOUBEK ESP 76(4) 64

5

LOPEZ, Feliciano J. MELZER 76(8) 75

CIBULKOVA, Dominika

6 AUT

4

KOUBEK, Stefan

C. WOZNIACKI [1] 62 76(2)

Q 5

D. CIBULKOVA SVK 64 64

Q 10 KUNITSYN, Igor J. MELZER ITA 61 75

KAZ

BOLELLI, Simone

SHVEDOVA, Yaroslava

4 J. MELZER 63 75

3

AUT

C. WOZNIACKI [1]

MELZER, Jurgen

DEN

3

BYE

T. ROBREDO FRA 62 61

WOZNIACKI, Caroline

BENNETEAU, Julien

2

2

1

ESP

WC

ATP Tour © Copyright 2006

2 ROBREDO, Tommy

1

4 1 KUZNETSOVA, Svetlana

BYE

MEDINA GARRIGUES, Anabel

MIRZA, Sania

KULIKOVA, Regina

KIRILENKO, Maria

VOEGELE, Stefanie

PETROVA, Nadia

PENNETTA, Flavia

CZINK, Melinda

BONDARENKO, Alona

PETKOVIC, Andrea

DUSHEVINA, Vera

SEVASTOVA, Anastasija

BYE

RADWANSKA, Agnieszka

AZARENKA, Victoria

BYE

RYBARIKOVA, Magdalena

BONDARENKO, Kateryna

GROENEFELD, Anna-Lena

KLEYBANOVA, Alisa

MOLIK, Alicia

ZHENG, Jie

ZVONAREVA, Vera

VESNINA, Elena

FLIPKENS, Kirsten

BACSINSZKY, Timea

REZAI, Aravane

BAMMER, Sybille

BYE

JANKOVIC, Jelena

Q

7

4

Q

Q

16

12

Q

6

64

63

62

61

60

59

58

57

2

Q

WC

WC

15

56 10 WC

55

54

53

52

51

50

49

48

47

46

45

44

43

42

41

40

39

38

37

36

35

34

33

DUbai WOmen’s draw SINGLES

DUbai men’s draw SINGLES

davis cup: nalbandian

Davis Cup Matches

Davis Cup Player Profile:

David Nalbandian patriotism through his play.

These days, the Davis Cup is regarded as a nuisance by top players. Six of the top eight players in the world deserted the first tie, with dramatic consequences: without Federer, Switzerland capitulated in Spain, while the UK without Murray fell in Lithuania and is now at risk of relegation. To many, the Salad Bowl (as the Davis Cup has become known) is a clay pot among the shining crystal of individual trophies. But don’t tell David Nalbandian.

Chile 4-1 Israel

Chile Crush Israel in Emotional Tie After his victory in the fourth rubber, Fernando Gonzalez clinched Chile’s place in the quarter-finals of the World Group. With Chile leading Israel 2-1 going into the final day’s play, Gonzalez faced Dudi Sela, a player who he had lost to in Davis Cup play three years ago. However, on this occasion the world number 10 was a class above Sela, hitting a total of 38 winners and five aces to eventually win 6-4 6-4 6-3. Chile will now host the Czech Republic, last year’s runner-up, in the quarter-finals, which will take place from 9-11 July. Should Chile defeat the Czechs, they would have another home tie in the semi-finals against either Croatia or Serbia.

SPAIN 4-1 SWITZERLAND

Unstoppable Spain faces quarter-final obstacle Without the presence of Roger Federer, Switzerland was forced to rely almost exclusively on Stanislas Wawrinka to carry them through a difficult tie against the defending champions. Unfortunately, Wawrinka arrived in the Rioja region without having played a competitive match in six weeks. He had taken time off from the game to be present for the birth of his first child.

Having undergone hip surgery last May, the Argentine returned to the tennis courts in February in Buenos Aires. There, he beat Potito Starace and Daniel Gimeno-Traver before retiring due to a problem with his right adductor. Thinking Nalbandian would not be available, Argentinean Captain Tito Vazquez was forced call upon a very young and inexperienced team.

Leonardo Mayer only had one match under his belt, while Schwank, Zeballos and Del Bonis were all on debut. The Swedes, who had world number seven Robin Soderling on their side, looked like they were going to secure an easy victory.

When he eventually – and inevitably – hit the wall in the fourth rubber against the considerably fresher David Ferrer, he lost the last 11 games of the match and with it the tie. Spain will now go on to face France in the next round in what is sure to be a clash of epic proportions.

BELGIUM 1-4 CZECH REPUBLIC

Berdych and Stepanek outclass Belgium When the Belgians drew the Czech Republic as their first round opponent, they immediately knew it was not going to be simple. Sure enough, the task turned out to be complicated, to say the least. In fact, a more accurate task description that comes to mind is ‘impossible’. In the entire tie, there was never a moment when the host nation seemed to have a chance, a solution or even a window of opportunity against last year’s runners up.

RUSSIAN 3-2 INDIA

Russia contemplates Argentina re-match Mikhail Youzhny has for long been Russia’s unsung Davis Cup hero, living in the shadow of Marat Safin and Nikolay Davydenko. Of course the Muscovite has had his moments, such as his incredible comeback from two sets down to help Russia win their first Davis Cup crown against France in 2002.

However, in Russia’s first round tie against India, the world number 13 showed just how valuable and dependable he has become to his team, winning both his singles matches despite being hampered by back pain. The team’s captain, Shamil Tarpishchev, turned 61 on the Sunday of the tie, and the victory was the perfect birthday present.

FRANCE 4-1 GERMANY

France planning on an indoor summer French tennis is gearing up for a great summer, but not all of it will be out in the sunshine. Following France’s win over Germany in Toulon, the French Tennis Federation said it is looking for an indoor venue with hard courts for July’s Davis Cup quarter-final against Spain. Even though clay is a popular surface in the country (the French Open is, after all, played on clay), the French will be wary of allowing the ruthless Spaniards onto the red dirt, where they have dominated for the past decade.

CROATIA 5-0 ECUADOR

Dodig and Veic complete Croatian whitewash Davis Cup debutant Antonio Veic and Ivan Dodig won their dead rubbers over Julio-Cesar Campozano and Ivan Endara to complete Croatia’s 5-0 home drubbing of Ecuador. Veic celebrated an emotional maiden appearance in the competition with a 6-4 7-6(4) victory against Campozano, while Dodig eased to a 6-1 6-3 win over Endara, rounding off a fine weekend for the home team.

20

TennisWorld sa

W

e should call him ‘Davis’ Nalbandian.

Since he won the last point against Andreas Vinciguerra in their decisive 5th rubber, his teammates have not stopped showing their appreciation for his achievement – even by merrily water-bombing his interview with Argentinean TV. And to think that he too could easily have been in front of his TV in Cordoba, instead of leading his team to victory.

“Veni, vidi, vici” is Nalbandian’s mantra. Although he was injured, he became the great hero of the challenge against Sweden, proudly displaying his

Unfortunately for them, Nalbandian underwent some medical tests and was cleared to play. On the Wednesday night he boarded a plane for the 12 000 kilometre journey to Stockholm. He arrived in Sweden, with its great time difference and intense cold, with barely enough time to catch his breath before he had to play his first match.

The first day ended with the tie delicately balanced at one-all. As was to be expected, Soderling has no problem

prevailing over Schwank, but Mayer surprisingly overcame an energised Joachim Johansson. In the doubles match on the next day, Nalbandian and Zeballos managed to overcome the pair of Soderling and Lindstedt, but the win didn’t guarantee Argentina’s passage to the quarter-finals. Indeed, Soderling easily beat Mayer to leave the tie on a razor’s edge, 2-2. The captains thought long and hard before choosing the final singles player. In the end Enqvist chose Vinciguerra, and Vazquez went with Nalbandian. The resurgent Argentine could feel his injuries even during the warm-up before the match, but on no account did he allow himself to even consider retiring.

The match didn’t start well, and Nalbandian soon found himself a break down. Slowly, however, he began to turn things around. Leading 7-5 6-3, Nalbandian conceded the third set 4-6, but in the fourth he quickly regained control of the match and never gave it up again. “What I did was madness, I know,” he said after the match, “but for your country you do things like that. The inspiration that you get from Davis is unique. Defending the colours of the Argentinian camiseta is priceless.” Nalbandian has done rather well in Stockholm: in 2008 he won the local ATP tournament, beating Johansson in the second round and Soderling in the final. If he goes on like this, he will soon be denied access to the city.

Nalbandian is a patriot not only in tennis, but in football as well. In the third round of the 2006 Wimbledon championships, he accelerated his defeat against Fernando Verdasco in order not to miss the Argentina-Germany World Cup match on TV. Now it is he who is charged with taking Argentina to the top of the world, and their first Davis Cup title. A challenging away tie in Russia is up next for the Argentines. If Juan Martin Del Potro joins him there, there will be no limit to what Argentina can achieve.

TennisWorld sa

21

Davis Cup

US vs. Serbia DAVIS CUP– WORLD GROUP 1st TIE - BELGRADE- CLAY (INDOOR) SERBIA b. USA 3-2

V. Troicki (SRB) b. J. Isner (USA) 76(4) 67(5) 75 64

N. Djokovic (SRB) b. S. Querrey (USA) 62 76(4) 26 63

I

t’s not often that the US finds itself as the underdog in Davis Cup matches. Yet that was exactly what happened when the Americans met the Serbians in their first-round tie in Belgrade. With both Andy Roddick and James Blake absent, it fell to a rookie team to take on Novak Djokovic and co. But anyone who thought the tie was going to be a rout was sadly mistaken.

The first day started well for the home team, with Victor Troicki upsetting the giant John Isner. Novak Djokovic also dispatched of Sam Querrey, though the match wasn’t an easy one for the world number two, who has been struggling of late.

B. Bryan/J. Isner (USA/USA) b. J. Tipsarevic/N. Zimonjic (SRB/SRB) 76(8) 57 76(8) 63

With Serbia leading 2-0 going into the doubles match, it looked like the tie was all but over, especially since Mike Bryan couldn’t join his brother Bob on the court, and Isner had to step in. The pair performed well, however, and beat Janko Tipsarevic and Nenad Zimonjic in four sets. Going into the final day’s play, it fell to John Isner to keep the Americans’ hopes alive.

Nobody thought Isner would give Djokovic even the slightest bit of trouble. If Troicki could beat the lumbering Yankee, surely the world number two would cruise home. Not so, apparently. Djokovic displayed some truly awful form, serving close to a dozen double faults. With the match delicately poised in the fifth set, Isner finally collapsed, handing Djokovic the rubber with some poor serving. With the tie over, Querrey beat Troicki in the fifth dead rubber.

N. Djokovic (SRB) b. J. Isner (USA) 75 36 63 67(6) 64

Serbia will face their bitter rivals Croatia in the quarter-finals, and it’s sure to be a very tough tie. Djokovic will definitely have to play much better if the Serbs are to have any chance of advancing, since the Croats will definitely not give them any easy victories.

22

TennisWorld sa

S. Querrey (USA) b. V. Troicki (SRB) 75 62

TennisWorld sa

23

Davis Cup:

South African Players

24

TennisWorld sa

TennisWorld sa

25

THE

Marcos Baghdatis rests just before retiring injured in his match against Lleyton Hewitt 26

TennisWorld sa

OF THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Australia Day celebrations at Rod Laver Arena TennisWorld sa

27

THE

OF THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Venus and Serena Williams in a doubles match 28

TennisWorld sa

TennisWorld sa

29

THE

OF THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN

Andy Murray in his quarter final win over Rafael Nadal

30

TennisWorld sa

TennisWorld sa

31

Yan Zi (Top L) and Bethanie Mattek Sands celebrate during their match against Venus & Serena Williams

THE

OF THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN

paris >> demnetieva

paris

TENNIS IN PARIS W

omen’s tennis is experiencing an instability that it has never known before. Between retirements, comebacks from retirements and number one players without Slams, one can never know what surprises lay in store from week to week on the WTA Tour. Yet in the midst of all this craziness, there is at least one player whose tireless perseverance and endless consistency can always be counted on.

Elena Dementieva has been firmly entrenched in the Top 10 for nearly seven years, dropping to number 11 once in 2007, and then only very briefly.

At the recent Open GDF Suez in Paris, she once again proved how reliable she is, winning the $700,000 tournament in which she was the top seed, and sole representative of the elite Top Ten. Despite the lack of big-name competition, Dementieva’s road to the title was all but smooth. After an easy first-round match, she was taken to three sets in each of her subsequent encounters – first by Andrea Petkovic, then Melanie

34

TennisWorld sa

Oudin and finally Lucie Safarova in a tightly contested final. Safarova was a revelation at the tournament, and the sometimes temperamental Czech star showed great composure in reaching the championship round. By the time she met Dementieva she had become known as the ‘destroyer of Italians’, having eliminated Francesca Schiavone in straight sets early on in the tournament and defeating Flavia Pennetta in the semi-finals.

The final was an enthralling encounter, undoubtedly one of the best of 2010.

Both players had opportunities to run away with the match, only to be pulled back again by their opponent, but ultimately it was Dementieva’s vast experience that proved the difference between the two. The final score was 6-7(5) 6-1 6-4, and the win represents her second title of the year. This victory will go a long way in making up for Dementieva’s only mistake of the season – a second-round defeat to Justine Henin in the Australian Open.

An Officer And A Gentlewoman From Our Correspondent in Paris ANGELICA FRATINI

S

he was not the chosen one. As a young girl in a country spoiled with tennis talent, nobody was betting on Elena Dementieva to ever become a significant force in the sport. There were other players who were better than her, more talented than her – players who were flashy and easily noticeable, like Anna Kournikova and Anastasia Myskina. Elena was disciplined, well-mannered, intelligent and above all, reserved – something that the superstars of the WTA Tour are most certainly not.

Perhaps the only person who has always believed in Elena is her mother, Vera.

When Elena was 7, her mother - a Russian literature teacher and social tennis player - took her and her brother to Moscow’s Dynamo Club and the CSKA (Central Red Army Club). Both rejected her. The reason they gave? “Too tall and fat,” they said bluntly. But mother Vera was not to be discouraged by such rude judgements. She kept trying and eventually found success with Spartak, where Rauza Islanova – mother of Marat Safin and Dinara Safina – became Elena’s first coach.

However, three years later Islanova decided to focus on her own children’s careers, and Elena found herself at risk of disappearing in a sea of tennis hopefuls.

TennisWorld sa

35

Her mother’s contributions didn’t end with a club membership, however. Both Vera and her husband had to work two jobs in order to let their children play tennis full-time. Despite their efforts, there simply wasn’t enough money for them to keep both their children in tennis. One evening Vera summoned her children and said something that shocked them: “Elena, you will play tennis. Vsevolod, you will instead go to University.” They thought she was joking. “It was the toughest decision I ever had to make,” she said of the experience.

Many years later, though, that decision has proven to be a good one. Elena has risen as high as number three in the rankings, spent more than 300 weeks in the Top 10 (only the Williams sisters and Justine Henin hold a better record among active players), won two Olympic medals (gold in Beijing and silver in Sydney), reached 2 Slam finals (Paris and New York, both in 2004) and won over $16 million in prize money. She has been described by many as the

36

TennisWorld sa

best player never to have won a Grand Slam. It was her nerves that defeated her in the Roland Garros final: “I was so nervous before entering the court I could hardly breathe. Martina Navratilova came over to encourage me and I couldn’t even talk,” she said after her loss. In the US Open final it wasn’t her nerves that let her down, but her body – she was playing with a thigh injury that she picked up in her marathon run to the finals, which included epic matches against Amelie Mauresmo in the quarter-finals and Jennifer Capriati in the semi-finals. While two Slam losses might make her the greatest player not to have won a major, it also gave her a less flattering reputation: that of someone who can’t win big matches.

“

She has by far the worst serve of anyone in the Top 20 – perhaps even the Top 50 – and she regularly makes up to 15 double faults in a match

“

There were 30 children in her group at Spartak, way too many for anyone who is serious about going pro. So another audition was arranged with CSKA, and this time the young Elena impressed enough to be accepted, and to this day she is a member of the Central Army Sports Club. In fact, she has become a club lieutenant.

Yet even without a Slam, Dementieva is happy. “I have always dreamt of a gold medal. Nothing compares to the emotion of playing for your country in the Olympics. In Russia everyone knows what the Olympics are, but very few know what a Slam is,” she recently explained. Thanks to her Olympic exploits, there is a fountain bearing her name in a Moscow park. Moreover, Elena has been honoured with one of the Russia’s greatest awards, the Or-

der of Honour for sports achievements, which she received from President Medvedev.

Elena inherited her passion for literature, especially Russian classics, from her mother, and says she always carries books with her when she travels.

“I like Tolstoy and Nabokov, but my favourite is Dostoevsky. There are two ways to approach Dostoevsky. The first is that of non-Russians: concentrating on the psychology of the main characters, the narrative development and the philosophical implications of the story.

Then there is the way Russians experience his books. He is a universal writer, but also typically Russian. He can analyse the Russian identity in great depth, revealing its strengths and weaknesses, consistencies and contradictions.”

Perhaps there is a reason why Elena doesn’t like analysing the psychology of the characters in her favourite books: her own psychology is under constant scrutiny. She has by far the worst serve of anyone in the Top 20 – perhaps even the Top 50 – and she regularly makes up to 15 double faults in a match. Most analysts believe the problem is entirely in her head, and that she is too mentally fragile in big matches. However, few people know about a shoulder injury that she suffered when she was 18, which could be part of the reason why she struggles so much. “I should have stopped for a few months and healed

TennisWorld sa

37

Technical file

When a famous hair product company offered her a multi-million dollar contract, she declined...The reason?

She would have had to cut and dye her hair for an advertising campaign

completely. But I was getting good results, so I decided to carry on playing, altering my movement so as not to feel pain. Then it became like a bad habit, one of those you cannot get rid of with a click of your fingers. I have spoken to experts, analysed videos, read and studied books and manuals. On a theoretical level I must be the person who knows more about the technique of serving than anyone in the world.”

All her hard work seems to be slowly paying off – her serve has improved, but not as much as she would like.

When she is not on court, Dementieva likes to spend time with her family and friends, and says she is not someone who likes to go to discos or parties. Instead she prefers movies: “I like French movies, with the subtle nuances of the emotional experience. In American movies everything is too obvious.” She has been romantically linked to Russian hockey player Maxim Afinogenov for as long as anyone can remember, but Elena never speaks about her private life. Unlike some of her compatriots, there is never any gossip about her,

38

TennisWorld sa

and never any rumours. Her life seems almost normal if one looks too quickly.

But what about those glossy magazine covers and glamorous photo shoots?

There have been quite a few – the latest for Marie Claire Russia last December – but she gets far more offers than she accepts. “One needs to make choices. I have nothing against using one’s image, but personally I am not that interested.” She is not prepared to compromise herself, not even for incredibly lucrative opportunities. When a famous hair product company offered her a multi-million dollar contract, she declined, much to the disappointment of her manager. The reason? She would have had to cut and dye her hair for an advertising campaign. “I like my hair colour. I only dyed it once, when I won the Orange Bowl at 17. I wanted to celebrate with something crazy and so I dyed my hair blue. My mother was speechless, she was shocked,” Elena remembers, smiling.

All of those talented youngsters – the

ones everyone thought would outshine the shy Dementieva – have long since retired from tennis. Myskina is a mother and a TV commentator, and Kournikova is an icon of US showbiz.

Elena still wonders what she will do when she ‘grows up’. At 28, after consulting with her mother, she decided she would enrol at University to study Journalism.

“I still only feel 18! I cannot think of life without tennis. I will go on playing forever,” she laughs, “I don’t even want to think about my age. And anyway there is a benefit: I am more aware of what’s around me. I have learned to forgive and encourage myself. Situations can change quickly, and I know that what I have now will pass.” In that comment Elena betrays the fact that she hasn’t changed too much. She still has the same humility and wisdom that she had when she was just a youngster on the tour. Back then, she was asked about her future, and she answered: “I want to win. I want to have success and money. I want it all...but in moderation.”

“

Petkovic

I play the guitar and the drums and given the opportunity I would definitely kick my tennis career for being a rock star

“

six months old. “I am a German with a Serbian soul,” she recently said of herself, “I am emotional, irritable, but also sociable. I live everything with passion”. Her emotional side came to the fore when she played in her first Fed Cup: “The worst weekend in my life! I lost both matches and cried for two days. Nobody could cheer me up. In Paris I spoke with Alize Cornet in the change rooms and she told me that she had lost six in a row in Fed Cup. Perhaps I shouldn’t complain too much. Maybe we will have a play-off with France. What can I say? I hope Alize will get to eight.”

Like Novak Djokovic, the young German has become a favourite among

the chancellor!

From Our Correspondent in Paris ANGELICA FRATINI “If I don’t make it into the world Top 50 in two years, I will quit playing tennis”.

Andrea Petkovic is a young lady with some very clear goals, and when she sets herself a challenge she will stop at nothing in order to conquer that challenge. After suffering a terrible injury in the 2008 Australian Open, she spent eight months away from tennis. But a year later – and with time to spare before her two-year deadline – Petkovic blasted her way into the Top 50 (she is currently ranked 43rd).

At the recent Open GDF Suez, the German displayed some of the tenacity that got her to her highest ever ranking.

She entertained the spectators with a tremendous run to the quarter-finals of the tournament where she gave even-

40

TennisWorld sa

tual champion, Elena Dementieva, a massive scare. Petkovic has a versatile all-round game. She boasts a solid build (1.8m, 69kg), a powerful serve and likes to play aggressively from both the baseline and the net. She also has a variety of nervous habits – so many, in fact, that she makes Rafael Nadal look like an amateur. The way she folds her towel is particularly interesting to watch.

Off the court, she is like a breath of fresh air. Tennis interviews have a way of all sounding the same, but Petkovic likes to talk about anything and everything: tennis, politics, music – whatever. She was born in Tuzla, Bosnia, on 9 September 1987, and her parents moved to Germany when she was just

journalists.

She took this comparison to a new level at the Open GDF Suez, however. “During the match I had problems with the WTA patch [the label that all players must wear on their shirt]. It just wouldn’t stick. So I kept beating my chest. I looked like Djokovic when he gets charged up. Spectators must have thought: this one is crazy!”

Petkovic ascribes much of her success to her new coach, Gleen Schaap: “In the past I used to play in a tournament, win a match and I would be content.

I would say ‘well done Andrea, you have done your duty, now everything else is a bonus’. But that attitude gets you nowhere. Glenn Schaap has

worked with Petrova and Safina. He knows what it takes to become a top player. Playing against Top 10 players is exciting. Last year in Tokyo, when I beat Kuznetsova, I realised that I can do it.”

Her idol is Spanish superstar Rafel Nadal. “He gives 120% and never gives up. Federer is pure talent, but Nadal is a fighter.” Petkovic loves playing tennis because of the intense emotions it evokes in her. “You train for hours and you play in front of a public that will judge your failures mercilessly. Do you do it for the money, for the victories, for the fame? Actually only a little bit for this. You do it because of the competition, the pursuit of perfection, the joy of a converted match point brings something into your life that makes it worth living.”

Tennis might be her main passion in life, but the German’s interests are not confined to the court.

She has written for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeittung, and also occasionally writes a blog.

She loves rock and funk music, and also plays some instruments. “I play the guitar and the drums and given the opportunity I would definitely kick my tennis career for being a rock star. Unfortunately I am not good enough,” she smiles. She would like to create a record label to give young artists the opportunity to make a living out of music. “If you play tennis well, you will rise in the world ranking and earn more money. As a musician things are a bit different. Being talented

doesn’t mean that you’ll be successful.

You need to be lucky to be discovered by someone to get attention.”

She says she has written a few songs in the past, but doesn’t think they’ll become hits anytime soon. “I am happy that I chose the racquet instead of the microphone,” she jokes. For Petkovic, music and sports have a lot in common: they provide intense, emotionally charged moments – mixing happiness and grief.

While she was recovering from her injury she decided to study Political Sciences. “I asked myself what there is after tennis. While the others are enjoying their time off between practice sessions and throughout a tournament, I am sitting with my books open. It helps me to develop – maybe not as a tennis player, but as a person.” She spent some time as a trainee at the Hessian State Chancellery, and wants to take an active part in politics because she isn’t happy with the way things are going. “In Germany parties only want to get the votes of pensioners and ignore the youth who are lacking ideals and role models to follow. If I had to choose today, I would found my own party.”

Chancellor Angela Merkel had better watch out...

TennisWorld sa

41

draw 1

1

DEMENTIEVA, Elena

2

BYE

3

BENESOVA, Iveta

4

PAVLYUCHENKOVA, Anastasia

5

SREBOT NIK, Katarina

6

PET KOVIC, Andrea

Q 7

RODINA, Evgeniya

5

8

REZAI, Arav ane

3

9

WICKMAYER, Yanina

WC 10 MART IC, Petra 11 SZAVAY, Agnes 12 GOVORTSOVA, Olga 13 OUDIN, Melanie 14 CIRST EA, Sorana 15 SCHNYDER, Patty 7

16 RAZZANO, Virginie

6

17 PEER, Shahar 18 CORNET , Alize

Q 19 SPREM, Karolina 20 BACSINSZKY, T imea 21 SAFAROVA, Lucie 22 PASZEK, Tamira Q 23 MANASIEVA, Vesna 4

24 SCHIAVONE, Francesca

8

25 VESNINA, Elena 26 DULGHERU, Alexandra 27 GARBIN, T athiana

Q 28 OLARU, Ioana Raluca 29 KLEYBANOVA, Alisa WC 30 COIN, Julie

RUS

E. DEMENTIEVA [1] 64 64 A. PAVLYUCHENKOVA RUS 61 60 E. DEMENTIEVA [1] SLO 36 64 62 A. PETKOVIC GER 75 62 A. PETKOVIC RUS 63 36 63 A. REZAI [5] FRA 64 64 E. DEMENTIEVA [1] BEL 46 63 63 P. MARTIC CRO 64 36 75 A. SZAVAY HUN 62 64 A. SZAVAY BLR 63 10 Ret'd M. OUDIN 26 64 62 USA M. OUDIN ROU 63 60 M. OUDIN SUI 61 63 P. SCHNYDER FRA 63 76(3) CZ E

PENNETTA, Flav ia

Elena DEMENTIEVA [1] 67(5) 61 64

ISR

S. PEER [6] FRA 64 61 CRO

K. SPREM SUI 75 61

S. PEER [6] 64 63

L. SAFAROVA AUT 60 63

L. SAFAROVA 75 62 F. SCHIAVONE [4] ITA 60 60

RUS

L. SAFAROVA 46 63 64

RUS

E. VESNINA [8] ROU 61 64 IT A

T. GARBIN ROU 36 62 64

T. GARBIN 64 26 62 F. PENNETTA [2] 61 63

RUS

A. KLEYBANOVA FRA 75 64

ITA

F. PENNETTA [2]

F. PENNETTA [2] 76(4) 61

A warm & friendly Italian welcome!

THE STABLES LODGE T

L. SAFAROVA 63 60

CZ E

31 BYE 2 WC 32

E. DEMENTIEVA [1]

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’

ATP SINGLES RANKINGS 8 MARCH 2010

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 44

TennisWorld sa

Federer, Roger (SUI)

Age: 28 titles: 1 10W - 1L POINTS: 11.350

Djokovic, Novak (SRB) Age: 22 Titles: 1 13W - 2L POINTS: 8.310

Nadal, Rafael (ESP) Age: 23 Titles: 0 8W -2L POINTS 7.440

Murray, Andy (GBR) Age: 22 Titles: 0 7W -2L POINTS 7.255

Del Potro, Juan Martin (ARG) Age: 21 Titles: 0 3W -1L POINTS: 6.275

Davydenko, Nikolay (RUS) Age: 28 Titles: 1 13W - 3L POINTS: 5.290

Soderling, Robin (SWE) Age: 25 Titles: 1 8W -3L POINTS: 3.905

Roddick, Andy (USA) Age: 27 Titles: 1 15W - 3L POINTS: 3.720

Cilic, Marin (CRO)

Age: 21 Titles: 2 18W - 2L POINTS: 2.970

Gonzalez, Fernando (CHI) Age: 29 Titles: 0 11W - 3L POINTS: 2.925

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 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

Tsonga, Jo-Wilfried (FRA) Verdasco, Fernando (ESP) Youzhny, Mikhail (RUS) Ferrero, Juan Carlos (ESP) Monfils, Gael (FRA) Ferrer, David (ESP) Stepanek, Radek (CZE) Haas, Tommy (GER) Wawrinka, Stanislas (SUI) Isner, John (USA) Simon, Gilles (FRA) Querrey, Sam (USA) Robredo, Tommy (ESP) Hewitt, Lleyton (AUS) Berdych, Tomas (CZE) Ljubicic, Ivan (CRO) Monaco, Juan (ARG) Melzer, Jurgen (AUT) Karlovic, Ivo (CRO) Montanes, Albert (ESP) Kohlschreiber, Philipp (GER) Bellucci, Thomaz (BRA) Baghdatis, Marcos (CYP) Lopez, Feliciano (ESP) Troicki, Viktor (SRB) Tipsarevic, Janko (SRB) Benneteau, Julien (FRA) Andreev, Igor (RUS) Becker, Benjamin (GER) Almagro, Nicolas (ESP) Mathieu, Paul-Henri (FRA) Kubot, Lukasz (POL) Hanescu, Victor (ROU) Chardy, Jeremy (FRA) Gulbis, Ernests (LAT) Seppi, Andreas (ITA) Cuevas, Pablo (URU) Beck, Andreas (GER) Garcia-Lopez, Guillermo (ESP) Zeballos, Horacio (ARG) Berrer, Michael (GER) Blake, James (USA) Mayer, Florian (GER) Petzschner, Philipp (GER) Fognini, Fabio (ITA) Chiudinelli, Marco (SUI) Korolev, Evgeny (KAZ) Greul, Simon (GER) Rochus, Olivier (BEL) Lacko, Lukas (SVK) Gicquel, Marc (FRA) Robert, Stephane (FRA) Serra, Florent (FRA) Schwank, Eduardo (ARG) Llodra, Michael (FRA) Mayer, Leonardo (ARG) Starace, Potito (ITA) Russell, Michael (USA) Gasquet, Richard (FRA) Stakhovsky, Sergiy (UKR) Falla, Alejandro (COL) Sela, Dudi (ISR) de Bakker, Thiemo (NED) Luczak, Peter (AUS) Istomin, Denis (UZB) Clement, Arnaud (FRA) Dent, Taylor (USA) Hernandez, Oscar (ESP) Ram, Rajeev (USA) Dolgopolov Jr., Oleksandr (UKR) Hajek, Jan (CZE) Zverev, Mischa (GER) Chela, Juan Ignacio (ARG) Marchenko, Illya (UKR) Nieminen, Jarkko (FIN) Daniel, Marcos (BRA) Malisse, Xavier (BEL) Massu, Nicolas (CHI) Beck, Karol (SVK) Schuettler, Rainer (GER) Ventura, Santiago (ESP) Lorenzi, Paolo (ITA) Lapentti, Nicolas (ECU) Giraldo, Santiago (COL) Brands, Daniel (GER) Koellerer, Daniel (AUT) Golubev, Andrey (KAZ) Gimeno-Traver, Daniel (ESP) Darcis, Steve (BEL) Odesnik, Wayne (USA)

ATP DOUBLES RANKINGS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Nestor, Daniel (CAN) 11,590 Age: 37 Titles: 2 14W - 3L

Zimonjic, Nenad (SRB) 11,590 Age: 33 Titles:2 13W - 4L

Bryan, Bob (USA) 10,480 Age: 31 Titles: 2 12W - 2L

Bryan, Mike (USA) 10,480 Age: 31 Titles: 2 11W - 2L

Dlouhy, Lukas (CZE) 6,295 Age: 26 Titles: 0 9W - 4L

Paes, Leander (IND) 5,625 Age: 36 Titles: 0 10W - 4L

Knowles, Mark (BAH) 5,360 Age: 38 Titles: 0 2W 2L

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

NATIONAL ATP SINGLES The national ranking is the average ranking of the 3 best players of each country

1

Spain:

9,6

2

France:

15,6

3

Usa:

16,6

4

Russia:

19

5

Croatia:

21,3

6

Serbia:

24,3

7

Switzerland:

25,3

8

Argentina:

27,3

9

Germany:

29,3

10

Czech Republic:

41

South Africa

228.6

Bhupathi, Mahesh (IND) 5,020 Age: 35 Titles: 0 3W - 4L

Ram, Andy (ISR) 4,750 Age: 29 Titles: 0 3W - 5L

Moodie, Wesley (RSA) 4,460 Age: 31 Titles: 0 1W - 3L

Mirnyi, Max (BLR) Kubot, Lukasz (POL) Norman, Dick (BEL) Marach, Oliver (AUT) Aspelin, Simon (SWE) Mertinak, Michal (SVK) Cermak, Frantisek (CZE) Matkowski, Marcin (POL) Fyrstenberg, Mariusz (POL) Hanley, Paul (AUS) Robredo, Tommy (ESP) Melzer, Jurgen (AUT) Fish, Mardy (USA) Knowle, Julian (AUT) Granollers, Marcel (ESP) Soares, Bruno (BRA) Ullyett, Kevin (ZIM) Benneteau, Julien (FRA) Kerr, Jordan (AUS) Butorac, Eric (USA) Lindstedt, Robert (SWE) Kas, Christopher (GER) Polasek, Filip (SVK) Kohlmann, Michael (GER) Ram, Rajeev (USA) Brunstrom, Johan (SWE) Rojer, Jean-Julien (AHO) Melo, Marcelo (BRA) Cuevas, Pablo (URU) Tsonga, Jo-Wilfried (FRA) Zeballos, Horacio (ARG) Damm, Martin (CZE) Tecau, Horia (ROU) Levinsky, Jaroslav (CZE) Hutchins, Ross (GBR) Huss, Stephen (AUS) Llodra, Michael (FRA) Vemic, Dusan (SRB) Ventura, Santiago (ESP) Roddick, Andy (USA)

NATIONAL ATP DOUBLES The national ranking is the average ranking of the 3 best players of each country

1

Usa:

9,6

2

Polonia:

16,3

3

Austria:

20

4

Czech Republic:

21,3

5

India:

29

6

Australia:

31,6

7

Spain:

31,6

8

France:

38,3

9

Serbia:

38,6

10

Brasil:

39,6

South Africa:

56,3

Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Singles Rankings 8 MARCH 2010

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 46

TennisWorld sa

Williams, Serena (USA) Age: 29 Titles: 1 10W - 1L POINTS: 8645

Safina, Dinara (RUS) Age: 24 Tiles: 0 4W - 2L POINTS: 6480

Kuznetsova, Svetlana (RUS) Age: 25 Tiles: 0 5W - 4L POINTS: 5930

Wozniacki, Caroline (DEN) Age: 20 Tiles: 0 4W - 3L POINTS: 5925

Williams, Venus (USA) Age: 30 Tiles: 2 14W - 1L POINTS: 5626

Azarenka, Victoria (BLR) Age: 21 Tiles: 0 11W - 3L POINTS: 5300

Dementieva, Elena (RUS) Age: 29 Tiles: 2 14W - 3L POINTS: 4855

Radwanska, Agnieszka (POL) Age: 21 Tiles: 0 7W - 4L POINTS: 3880

Jankovic, Jelena (SRB) Age: 25 Tiles: 0 5W - 4L POINTS: 3770

Li, Na (CHN)

Age: 28 Tiles: 0 8W - 5L POINTS: 3466

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 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

Stosur, Samantha (AUS) Pennetta, Flavia (ITA) Sharapova, Maria (RUS) Zvonareva, Vera (RUS) Wickmayer, Yanina (BEL) Bartoli, Marion (FRA) Clijsters, Kim (BEL) Schiavone, Francesca (ITA) Petrova, Nadia (RUS) Peer, Shahar (ISR) Rezai, Aravane (FRA) Hantuchova, Daniela (SVK) Zheng, Jie (CHN) Bondarenko, Alona (UKR) Pavlyuchenkova, Anastasia (RUS) Lisicki, Sabine (GER) Kleybanova, Alisa (RUS) Ivanovic, Ana (SRB) Cibulkova, Dominika (SVK) Szavay, Agnes (HUN) Vesnina, Elena (RUS) Bondarenko, Kateryna (UKR) Martinez Sanchez, Maria Jose (ESP) Medina Garrigues, Anabel (ESP) Wozniak, Aleksandra (CAN) Kirilenko, Maria (RUS) Dulko, Gisela (ARG) Razzano, Virginie (FRA) Safarova, Lucie (CZE) Cirstea, Sorana (ROU) Oudin, Melanie (USA) Suarez Navarro, Carla (ESP) Dushevina, Vera (RUS) Petkovic, Andrea (GER) Shvedova, Yaroslava (KAZ) Czink, Melinda (HUN) Bammer, Sybille (AUT) Schnyder, Patty (SUI) Errani, Sara (ITA) Govortsova, Olga (BLR) Dulgheru, Alexandra (ROU) Hercog, Polona (SLO) Rybarikova, Magdalena (SVK) Bacsinszky, Timea (SUI) Garbin, Tathiana (ITA) Peng, Shuai (CHN) Vinci, Roberta (ITA) Benesova, Iveta (CZE) Makarova, Ekaterina (RUS) Groenefeld, Anna-lena (GER) Kvitova, Petra (CZE) Date Krumm, Kimiko (JPN) Sevastova, Anastasija (LAT) Voegele, Stefanie (SUI) Baltacha, Elena (GBR) Kerber, Angelique (GER) Hradecka, Lucie (CZE) Kulikova, Regina (RUS) Goerges, Julia (GER) Chakvetadze, Anna (RUS) Brianti, Alberta (ITA) Zahlavova Strycova, Barbora (CZE) Barrois, Kristina (GER) Tanasugarn, Tamarine (THA) Martic, Petra (CRO) King, Vania (USA) Flipkens, Kirsten (BEL) Malek, Tatjana (GER) Arvidsson, Sofia (SWE) Cornet, Alize (FRA) Olaru, Ioana Raluca (ROU) Kudryavtseva, Alla (RUS) Craybas, Jill (USA) Mirza, Sania (IND) Coin, Julie (FRA) Zakopalova, Klara (CZE) Zahlavova, Sandra (CZE) Parra Santonja, Arantxa (ESP) Radwanska, Urszula (POL) Morita, Ayumi (JPN) Chang, Kai-chen (TPE) Kanepi, Kaia (EST) Rodionova, Anastasia (AUS) Sprem, Karolina (CRO) Meusburger, Yvonne (AUT) Duque Marino, Mariana (COL) Chan, Yung-jan (TPE) Amanmuradova, Akgul (UZB) Kutuzova, Viktoriya (UKR) O’brien, Katie (GBR)

Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Doubles Rankings

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Black, Cara (ZIM)

Age: 31 Titles: 2 18W - 2L POINTS: 9015

Huber, Liezel (USA) Age: 34 Titles: 2 19W - 2L POINTS: 9015

Williams, Serena (USA) Age: 29 Titles: 1 6W - 0L POINTS: 7440

Williams, Venus (USA) Age: 30 Titles: 1 6W - 0L 7440

Martinez Sanchez, Maria Jose (ESP) Age: 28 Titles: 1 6W - 3L POINTS: 6580

Llagostera Vives, Nuria (ESP)

Age: 30 Titles: 1 6W - 2L POINTS: 6580

Stubbs, Rennae (AUS) Age: 39 Titles: 0 5W - 3L POINTS: 6000

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

NATIONAL WTA SINGLES

The national ranking is the average ranking of the 3 best players of each country

1

Russia

4

2

Usa

15,6

3

France

25

4

Italy

26,3

5

China

29,6

6

Slovakia

34,6

7

Belgium

36,3

8

Spain

36,3

9

Ukraina

51,6

10

Czech Republic

52,6

South Africa:

358,6

Stosur, Samantha (AUS) Age: 26 Titles: 0 2W - 2L POINTS: 5495

Ruano Pascual, Virginia (ESP)

Age: 37 Titles: 0 3W - 4L POINTS: 4735

Kleybanova, Alisa (RUS) Age: 21 Titles: 0 8W - 4L POINTS: 4585

Hsieh, Su-wei (TPE) Petrova, Nadia (RUS) Medina Garrigues, Anabel (ESP) Raymond, Lisa (USA) Mattek-sands, Bethanie (USA) Peng, Shuai (CHN) Kirilenko, Maria (RUS) Peschke, Kveta (CZE) Azarenka, Victoria (BLR) Zheng, Jie (CHN) Yan, Zi (CHN) Makarova, Ekaterina (RUS) Vesnina, Elena (RUS) Dulko, Gisela (ARG) Schiavone, Francesca (ITA) Chuang, Chia-jung (TPE) Groenefeld, Anna-lena (GER) Niculescu, Monica (ROU) Pennetta, Flavia (ITA) Zahlavova Strycova, Barbora (CZE) Benesova, Iveta (CZE) King, Vania (USA) Hantuchova, Daniela (SVK) Kudryavtseva, Alla (RUS) Mirza, Sania (IND) Chan, Yung-jan (TPE) Hradecka, Lucie (CZE) Kops-jones, Raquel (USA) Rodionova, Anastasia (AUS) Schnyder, Patty (SUI) Kuznetsova, Svetlana (RUS) Dushevina, Vera (RUS) Radwanska, Agnieszka (POL) Amanmuradova, Akgul (UZB) Garbin, Tathiana (ITA) Bondarenko, Alona (UKR) Spears, Abigail (USA) Hlavackova, Andrea (CZE) Bondarenko, Kateryna (UKR) Jans, Klaudia (POL)

NATIONAL WTA DOUBLES

The national ranking is the average ranking of the 3 best players of each country

1

Usa

2,3

2

Spain

6,6

3

Russia

13

4

Australia

18

5

China

19

6

Taipei

24,3

7

Czech Republic

26,3

8

Italy

32,6

9

Belarus

42,6

10

Poland

47,6

South Africa:

155

LEGENDARY

LENDL I

van the Terrible is turning 50 in March and has decided to celebrate his half-century by playing an exhibition match against his old friend Mats Wilander. The match will be played in April and take place in Atlantic City, a full sixteen years after Lendl’s official retirement.

Ivan, what made you decide to get back on a tennis court?

“Well, the main reason is that my back has improved. I can play a match and not feel shattered for the next two days.

I am also about to inaugurate my new tennis and golf academy, and if I am supposed to teach someone something, I would rather show them and not just tell them.”

Lendl-Wilander 16 years later - what kind of match will it be?

“An interesting one! I feel ready, even though I don’t know how I am going to react in front of an audience. Neither Mats nor I are prepared to lose, which is why I am going to play a few test matches before the event.”

What have you been doing for the last 16 years?

“I stopped in 1994, and retirement for me means exactly that: retirement.

I have five daughters, three of whom [Marika, Isabelle and Daniela] play golf and go to University. I have mostly been spending time with my family and playing golf.”

opinion Laver is the best of the preOpen era, Federer the best since 1968.

I am only prepared to reconsider if Federer makes a Grand Slam.”

Didn’t you miss tennis?

How would the Lendl of the 80’s have played the Federer of today?

“No, my back was hurting too much and I have never liked travelling. The only trip I really used to like was that to the Australian Open, when I could train with my coach Tony Roche, play golf and ride around Sydney and Melbourne.”

“What could a sprinter of the 80’s do against Usain Bolt? Or Mark Spitz against Michael Phelps? Even with all their talent they would still be left behind by a few metres. The same applies to tennis. Conditions and materials have changed too much.”

Do you watch tennis on TV?

You were the first tennis player to focus on physical preparation and diet, a pioneer some have said...

“Of course. I watch the semi-finals and finals of the big tournaments and enjoy it thoroughly.”

- What do you think of Roger Federer, who recently equalled your 270 weeks as world number one?

“He plays OK, doesn’t he?”

Is he the best of all time, as everyone says?

“It is a much talked about topic - perhaps too much. But actually one can’t say it for many champions, so it’s OK. After mulling this over for two years, I have come to the conclusion that one cannot compare the tennis of the Open era to what there was before. In my

“It still wouldn’t be enough to face the Federer of today, believe me.”

Let’s talk about golf. You have been playing at a semi-professional level, what are you plans for the future?

“I am over fifty, so I cannot wait to play in this summer’s senior tournaments in New England with other old men like me, on a shorter course.”

Good players love to win, champions hate to lose. I suppose you won’t want to lose even to ‘old men’...

TennisWorld sa

49

“The day I accept defeat I am dead.”

- You have been a great rival of McEnroe, Borg, Connors…

“You forget Wilander, Becker, Edberg…”

Do you still see them?

“I have lost contact with Borg. I see John and Jimmy at the US Open, but we have different lifestyles.”

Are you telling me that you have become friends with McEnroe?

“Listen to this: two years ago I organised the exhibition match between Federer and Sampras with his former manager Jerry Solomon. John was commentating on TV. I met him and said, “I have always known that one day you would work for me”. He laughed his head off and replied, “As long as it’s a once-off”.

But last year he did it again.

What can you recall of that legendary final in Paris in 1984, when you came back from a two-set deficit to win the match against McEnroe?

“The truth? Not much. I recall that John was leading two sets to none and things were looking bad. He had a break advantage in the fourth. But I

50

TennisWorlD sa

also recall that after the second I realised that winning the third would have meant winning the match. I knew that the physical factor would have played in my favour in the fourth and fifth. John played well even in that third set and he could have won it. Today we wouldn’t be talking about it, but I managed to cling onto the match.”

in Italy. Adriano made a splendid gesture, which I will never forget. He came into the change rooms to tell us that the court invasion hadn’t allowed him to shake our hands and that he wanted to congratulate us on our victory. I know what it means to lose a match like that, and I know how he felt. It was a great gesture.”

Was McEnroe your greatest opponent?

In Rome you won the Italian Internationals twice…

“My true black beast was a Frenchman, Cristophe Freyss. In 1978 he beat me in the last qualifier round in Florence. Two weeks later in the qualifiers in Rome, he beat me again. I met him again in 1980 in the second round at Indianapolis, when I was already world number. Before the match I said to myself that I would make him pay and with interest. The match ended 6-3 6-0. To him.”

Let’s talk about the Davis Cup final that Italy lost to Czechoslovakia in 1980.

Panatta said that the judges robbed him even of his soul. Is that true?

“I can’t talk about the match between Adriano and Smid - I was in the change rooms. The one between Barazzutti and me was quite normal. In the doubles the public made a hell of a racket, but it wouldn’t have been any different

“Beautiful tournament, great memories. Unfortunately I am allergic to pollen and playing at the Foro Italico in spring was a nightmare for me.”

Nadal could be a tennis ‘nephew’ of yours. What’s your opinion of him?

“He is a great player. All that I could do – perhaps with the exception of the serve – he can do better. I have only bumped into him a couple of times, together with Vittorio Selmi, but I must say that I am very sorry and worried for all his injuries. I have been concerned about him since the last Roland Garros. His knees hurt and this has caused all sorts of other problems. He has returned to playing, but not so well as he did before. He seems slower, which affects the effectiveness of his forehand.

It is such a pity. If Rafael could be at his

best, the next two years with Federer, Murray, Del Potro and Djokovic could become extraordinary.”

Will Murray be able to win a Slam for England?

“I have no doubt that he has the ability. It is a matter of time and a little more aggression. We saw it in the Australian Open final: Roger created the opportunities to attack, and seized them, whereas Andy created some occasions, but then waited too long. It is something I can relate too very well, as I have also found myself in a similar situation. Tennis was changing and I needed to adapt, become more aggressive, but it didn’t come naturally. The whole game is faster today and Andy must push himself to attack more, or he will fail. From the outside, it seems that he has realised that he needs to improve, that he has the will to do it, even though the changes required are not entirely within his character. But in order to win you always need to step outside your comfort zone”.

There is much talk of changing the Davis Cup, shortening the season: is it a real necessity or are today’s players complaining too much?

“It is a necessity. The Davis Cup has

a place in the history of tennis, but the formula is outdated. In the past it was different, there were the Europe Zones, we used to play mostly outdoors in spring in France, Sweden, Italy or Spain, on clay during the season on red. Today instead you may find yourself having to play in India, Australia or New Zealand, and on different surfaces. For instance, the Czechs will play on clay next week and then indoors in the US, for the Davis. In the end each match takes you three weeks - one to prepare, one to play and one to recover and get used to the new time zone. This is why top players don’t like playing in Davis, and I thoroughly agree with them. The time has come to change the format, perhaps playing every two years and finding a way to involve the younger players. If great champions like Federer don’t play in Davis more often it is not because of lack of love for their country, but because it puts them under too much stress. Finding a solution is not easy, but the key is to try and make things easier for the top players.”

What do you think of Agassi’s revelations regarding drugs and the lies he told?

“I have not read the book, but I don’t understand why it was necessary to write a book to tell so many negative stories.”

You have never written an autobiography…

“And I never will. There have been

so many lies written about me that I no longer believe in what gets written about the others. Besides, I don’t like writing. I would need to check every single fact and I don’t have the time. I much prefer to play tennis and golf and with my dogs.”

What is the one thing that was said about you which made you upset?

“I was born in Czechoslovakia, and during my early days on the tour I was painted as the big bad communist.

Meanwhile nobody hated communists more than me.”

Do you still have a passion for dogs?

You used to have seven.

“Now I have two. One is in my car as we speak, and the other is in Australia and will return to America in June.”

Can you rank the best tennis players of the Open era, Lendl included?

“I cannot include myself in a ranking.

Federer is definitely first and Sampras second. As for the rest, there are journalists such as Rino Tommasi who are great at compiling rankings. If it was up to me, I would choose an objective system allocating points to wins in Slam and Davis Cups, the ranking would flow naturally.

You had a great career. Any regrets?

“That’s easy! I regret every single match that I lost. I recall an under-14 match

that I played when I was 13, in which I was leading 6-0 2-0 30-15 which I ended up losing. Even today I still shake my head when I think about it.

Let’s say that I regret more the matches in which I stood a chance to win and which I didn’t finish or I let slip out of my hands. Less so those in which my opponent was more deserving than me to win.”

The two finals lost at Wimbledon, the only Slam that you missed, with Cash and Becker?

When

Tennis

Marries the World of

Music and Movies

“They dominated me in both matches, no regrets.”

Do you give any advice to your golfing daughters?

“How to train, what to eat. But not on their swing, because I don’t know enough.”

What makes you happy and what upsets you today?

“I get very angry at the American government. As I said before, I was born in a communist country and today I feel as if I am back in those days. Obama and Nancy Pelosi are communists in disguise. Simple things make me happy, such as playing golf and tennis, taking my daughters out for dinner. And also seeing the Czechs beat the Russians in hockey. Actually…I would be happy even if the Slovaks beat them.”

FC

A Show of Love The heartbreaking notes of an accordion introduces Shakira’s new single, “Gipsy.” Throughout the music video for this new song, the pop star from Barranquilla plays a melancholy gipsy who is trying to seduce a rather uneasy-looking young man.

That young man, for once without his Nike bandanna and Capri ¾ pants, is none other than Rafael Nadal. While this Latino loveaffair has garnered a lot of press in the past couple of months, it is only one in a long line of relationships between the world of tennis and show business.

The Bunny Phyllis Konstam met Henry Wilfred Austin in 1929 on board the ship that was taking them to America. Known to his friends as ‘Bunny’ – because of his resemblance to the famous rabbit in the English comic strip ‘Pip, Squeak and Wilfred’ – he was going to take part in the US Championships in Forest Hills.

He was hoping to better the semi-final appearance he had recently managed at Wimbledon, and his wife was hoping to find a part in a movie while in the US. Neither of them succeeded: Bunny got as far as the quarter-finals, and Konstam only became famous two years later when she played Handel Fane in the Alfred Hitchcock film ‘Murder!’

Their wedding, which took place in 1931, made them one of the entertainment world’s golden couples. Shortly thereafter, Austin – along with his betterknown partner Fred Perry – became the hero of Britain’s Davis Cup successes.

Konstam loved her husband’s courage, eccentricities (he once showed up on Her Majesty’s courts sporting a strange-looking new racquet and shorts cut above the knee), and devotion to the peace movement. Theirs was not a tumultuous relationship, and they remained devoted to each other throughout their lives.

52

TennisWorld sa

TennisWorld sa

53

However, the affair was doomed from the start, and ended in heartbreak, tears and several suicide attempts (allegedly, though to this day Borg denies it). … and the Laurels The Two Brats Legend has it that Fred Perry decided to devote himself to tennis after he saw some of the players’ fancy cars parked outside Devonshire Park in Eastbourne. And who could disprove this? Certainly not his first wife, the gorgeous blonde actress Helen Vinson, who he decided to marry after an unlucky semi-final at the US Open, in which a bad fall set him up for defeat. It was 1935, and at the time Fred could never imagine the history he would make by winning Britain’s last Wimbledon title for 74 years (and counting...). His unique clothing line also made him a very prominent figure. Perry was not an easy person to get along with, however, and his love story with Vinson lasted only five years. He married twice after that and never stopped courting the dazzling Marlene Dietrich. Since the 1950s, when the laurel wreath embroidered on the shirts bearing his name became a status symbol, many people must have seen his car and thought “maybe playing tennis isn’t such a bad idea...”

Melted Ice

The two first met each other’s eyes at a party in the Hollywood hills. It was 1985 and both had already taken a lot, if not all, out of their respective professions.

Tatum O’Neal had been the youngest Oscar winner ever at the tender age of ten, but her interpretation of Addie Loggins in Paper Moon ruined her life, even though it made her career. John McEnroe was world number one and was coming out of a season in which he had only lost three matches. They thought they would compensate for one another, and each of them could see their fears mirrored in the other. But they were hopelessly young and their inexperience would prove a poor advisor. Next to O’Neal, McEnroe found himself suddenly thrown into an unfamiliar world. Love and mutual attraction were not enough to avert their rapid slide towards marital failure. In their six years as a couple, John and Tatum had three children, each of whom drove them apart instead of bringing them together.

The September drizzle over a grey Milan could not dampen the spirits of the bride and groom. They sped along in an Alfa 164 – he wore a smart blue suit, she a pink dress. It had been love at first sight a year earlier, in the care-free atmosphere of Ibiza, where Bjorn Borg had been looking for comfort from the heartbreak suffered at the hands of the model Jannike Björling. The Swedish tennis player and the Italian singer, Loredana Bertè, had not seen each other since 1973, and a lot had happened in those fifteen years. Borg was the greatest tennis player of his generation, had collected eleven Slam titles and had been married to another tennis player, Mariana Simionescu. Bertè had become a musical superstar, turned into an outrageously extravagant diva, and had a brief and rocky marriage to the coffee heir, Roberto Berger.

Woman in Love

It was a second marriage for both of them, one borne of a fiery passion that melted Borg’s notoriously icy heart. Where McEnroe, Connors and others had failed, Bertè had succeeded – she had gotten under the Swede’s skin. In fact, rumour had it that Borg became as docile and obedient as a lamb in her company.

You could say it was all down to family history. Her grandfather, Francis Xavier Shields, had reached the final round at Wimbledon in 1931 at the expense of Bunny Austin and Jean Borotra, but a bad ankle left him unable to contest the championship match. Sixty-six years later, Brooke Shields found herself a man who could finish the job. Andre Agassi had also reached the final round at the prestigious tournament, but his ankle was fine – he conquered Goran Ivanisevic in a tightly contested encounter in 1992.

Barbara Streisand’s relationships earned her almost as much fame as her singing did. In June 1993, when the pseudo-punk bad-boy of world tennis, Andre Agassi, admitted to having a relationship with top-selling singer in America, all hell broke loose. He was just a boy and she was over fifty. Gossip magazines fell over each other to try and get as much information as possible on the strange relationship.

Of course it could never last. Though it would not be the last bizarre love affair for either star...

Pretty Baby

Theirs was an affair played out in the media long before they actually got together.

They seemed to be the ultimate fairytale couple, and their fabulous Palm Beach wedding hinted at the start of a wonderful life together. Alas, not even two springs would go by before hints of divorce filled the air. The marriage cost him his hair, but at least he finally got his game back.

GUESS THE WINNER online competition

REGISTER at http://www.tennisworldsa.com/guess_en You Can’t Escape My Love And so we come back once again to the world of music videos. For the video to his new song, ‘Escape’, Enrique Iglesias decided he wanted tennis icon Anna Kournikova as the star. They have had an on-again, off-again relationship ever since. Apparently it is off right now, but who knows? There have been many reports over the years stating that they have secretly married, divorced and even re-married.

It doesn’t seem as if either of them is going let us know any time soon, so we might never know.

Four other top tennis players have tied the knot with their showbiz partners: • After many seasons solely devoted to tennis, in September of 2000 Pete Sampras finally married actress Bridgette Wilson, who owes her fame largely to being cast as Sonya Blade in Mortal Kombat.

• Lleyton Hewitt, who seemed in the process of leading Kim Clijsters to the altar, ended up instead marrying Australian singer Rebecca Cartwright in early 2005.

• Another former world number one, American Andy Roddick, definitely hit the jackpot when he married American model Brooklyn Decker. She recently appeared on the cover of the famous Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.

• Lastly, Fernando Gonzalez is is engaged to Daniela Castillo, a Chilean pop singer and actress.

56

TennisWorld sa

TOP 10 PLAYERS (1st Month) Pos. Name

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Federico Coppini Andrius Grigalionis Von Glass Cosneanu Vasile Seful Andrey Fernando Loto Cristian Ciardonei Nitin Kumar Kestutis Ramanauskas Krynauw Strydom

Points

71 35 21 14 3 3 1 0 0 0

RULES 1 To take part in the competition, you need to register at http://www.tennisworldsa.com/guess_en. The competition is open to everyone and is free.

2 The goal is to guess the placement of tennis players in major ATP and WTA tournaments.

3 Each week your picks must be made before Saturday midnight, Italian time (GMT +1).

4 You will have to guess the winner, the losing finalist, the semi-finalists and the quarter-finalists.

5 You will receive the following points for your correct picks: - Winner: 10 points - Finalist: 6 points - Semi-finalist: 3 points (for any correct player guessed) - Quarter-finalist: 1 point (for any correct player guessed) 6 There are two types of ranking: one on a monthly basis (which will be reset at the beginning of the month) and one yearly.

7 The competition will end 31 December, 2010.

8 Each month a raffle will take place for the winners.

9 At the end of the competition the top fifteen players will win prizes. These prizes will be announced in the February issue of Tennis World.

10 In order to win a prize the player must be a Tennis World subscriber. The subscription is considered valid if you registered one month before you win.

11 How to subscribe: subscribing to Tennis World is easy! You can do it in the following ways: a) Electronic funds transfer (ABSA bank) - Account name: Matchball tennis (pty) ltd; Account number: 4073961299 (cheque account); Branch code: 632005; TennisWorld b) PayPal or moneBookers on the website.

sa

57

INTERVIEW:

ROGER DRAPER CHIEF EXECUTIVE:

THE LAWN TENNIS ASSOCIATION (LTA)

MINI TENNIS

JUNIOR

SENIOR

TEAM TENNIS NATIONAL CLUB LEAGUE

COACHES

MINI TENNIS

JUNIOR

SPECIALIST

CLUB

UNLICENSED

Growing the sport More potential players

PLAYER PROGRAMMES

MINI TENNIS

CARDIO TENNIS

PLACES TO PLAY

SCHOOLS

PARKS

ITIS

COMMUNITY

Talent I.D.

SMALL RURAL CLUBS

COMMERCIAL CLUBS

CO

M

TI

H AC O

PE

C

TI ER NAT

AL

ER F HP

ION

HIG

ORM ITF DAVIS CUP

C O M M ER C I A L C LU B

S S

FE D C UP

HPC

WT A

NTC

AT P

SL AM

National competition

S

Great experience Winning Concept & Design © Copyright Purple Works LLP 2009

TennisWorld sa

TE

A NCE

S L I T E C LU B

EXPENDITURE

UB

IN T

CL

SATEL

British Tennis

r formance High pe r development playe

Y PL A

Image and Reputation

ON

ES

O ST

TennisWorlD TennisWorld sa sa

Some superb results in a short time have come from the women’s sector, where the transition between junior and professional activity is easier.

Thanks to the physical strengthening programmes that we have established at Roehampton, Elena Baltacha, Katie

COMPETITION

E AC

58

I would like to think that we could become like Argentina, Spain or France overnight, but we have to be realistic: this will not happen. Our journey has begun with important capital in which we have invested a lot (above all Brad Gilbert’s role), that is Andy Murray. We bet on the fact that the more he won, the more resources we would have available to fix the structure of coaching and tournaments in the UK. Another area that has delivered immediately is the doubles. Since 2006, when we were virtually absent from competitions, we now have 6 players (men and women) in the top 100.

The Tennis ‘Business’ Cycle

PL

The majority of regular players are members of a club, whereas occasional players tend to make use of public courts in schools and parks. One of our priorities since 2006 has been the channelling of economic investment

This is why Blueprint was launched, the strategic manifesto released at the time of your appointment in 2006. Where are we today?

O’Brien and Anne Keothavong have firmly entered the top 100 after spending much of their careers playing in minor tournaments.

One of the persons who have inspired my work is Bill Sweetenham, who was responsible for the phenomenal transformation of British swimming between 2000 and 2007. He used to say that it takes five generations to radically change the approach to a sport and that changes are minimal in the first three or four years, because firmly established habits needs to be gradually eroded. You cannot get rid of the athletes you are working with because they are your only initial resource. Although you can improve their performance, you must quickly shift your efforts onto the second generation and then again onto the third, fourth and so on, so as to have always new supply.

The UK has never had a problem with creating a robust junior movement. We have even had two or three world number ones but then we have stopped there. Now we are building a structure at different levels: the first follows children from 6 to 10 years, the second until 14, the third works with them until 18 and the fourth leads them through the transition to professionalism. We have secured the best coaches for this project and Paul Annacone is leading the new structure superbly: his youngsters have reached the final in the junior Davis against Australia. Our aim, before producing another Andy Murray, is to create a solid and successful movement all around.

S YER MME PL A G R A PR O

How would you describe tennis in England today?

Half a million English people play tennis every week, but the growth potential is huge. One million play once a month, four million once or twice a year – generally around Wimbledon time – and at least ten million watch tennis on TV. The challenge for the Federation is to turn occasional players into regular ones, and we are acutely aware of the hurdles that exist at present. “I would love to play, but where?” is one of the questions that come up most frequently. District infrastructure is not always advertised adequately or easily accessible.

towards public infrastructure, whilst reducing our commitments with clubs that can count on the support of their members. There are 23,000 tennis courts in the UK. Potentially anyone has a tennis court within bicycle or bus reach. Our problem is that people often don’t know about these opportunities and even when they do, they are faced with poorly maintained courts with unusable nets and inadequate paving.

INCOME

The office of Roger Draper, the man in charge of the LTA, overlooks the brand new courts at Roehampton. The centre was completed in 2007 and is a proud symbol of the re-launching of Her Majesty’s tennis. Draper is the perfect corporate manager: young, confident and articulate. He gets his point across without dwelling on sports details, and likes to focus on the economic challenges facing tennis in Britain. For the three years prior to his appointment as LTA chairman in 2006, Draper was in charge of Sport England, the government agency that oversees sports in the country.

59

The main challenge with tennis is that we are dealing with a sport that requires constant commitment from a young age if one wants to obtain results. You have no hope to become a new Murray if you start playing at 17, you need to dedicate your life to this sport. I’ll give you an example: in the past I mentored Rebecca Romero, silver medal in rowing at the Athens Olympics and gold medal in track cycling in Beijing. The equivalent would be impossible for a tennis player.

At the time the Blueprint was released we had two players in the top hundred (Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski), but they were about to retire. If we exclude Murray who was already emerging, we had nothing else on the horizon: we were lacking an adequate organisational structure and a science of sport.

In sports, patience is a rare virtue.

When someone takes up the CEO position, results need to come immediately

60

TennisWorld sa

or one has failed. The average lifespan of a company CEO in England today is exactly the same as that of a Premier League coach – 27 months. And yet any winning business model requires a long term strategy and some continuity in the transformation process. In order to survive today, one has to get some quick wins and thus secure the opportunity to continue with one’s work.

Meanwhile you have Murray and are holding on to him. What are his chances of winning a Slam and what would it mean for the Federation?

Well, Murray has made the final in New York and in Australia, the semi-finals at Wimbledon and the quarter-finals in Paris. There is no doubt that the Slams are within his reach and it is only a matter of time. The presence of Federer and Nadal are a godsend for tennis. Of course, things would be easier for him if they weren’t there. From an economic perspective, a victory by Andy would be a great success story. The LTA has revenue of £55 million and the majority of its income is reinvested in the growth of the sport, but the volume of business that revolves around tennis in the UK is estimated at around £1.3 billion. A victory by Andy Murray or Laura Robson would increase these figures by approximately £500 million in the short term and another £500 million in the subsequent five years.

These considerations are part of what we call the Tennis Business Cycle: through victories you give the public a wonderful experience that feeds back in terms of improved reputation, increase in electronic contacts, tickets

and sales of sporting equipment, and in human resources employed in tennis. What the Federation is doing now is laying down the foundations for these future victories to find the right ground.

We cannot risk arriving unprepared with an inadequate system of coaching and unfinished infrastructure.

Do you have any plans for a tournament in Scotland?

Our approach in the past few years has been to transform the framework of tournaments in the UK. The agreement with Aegon has allowed us to create a network of events that have culminated in the ATP finals in November. The current structure of the calendar does not cater for any plans to add a tournament in Scotland, but we are certainly open to assessing new opportunities.

What have the advantages of working with Aegon been?

The main advantage for us has been an integrated partnership at all levels of tennis. Aegon does not only sponsor the main tournaments. It has also invested substantially in the education of the younger ones, by supplying the school system with over 60,000 tennis racquets and 20,000 tennis balls in 2009 alone. It has invested in clubs too by creating a system of amateur tournaments, and it has established a solid network of Futures tournaments in the UK. Moreover, operation Aegon has attracted other important economic entities such as BNP Parisbas, Highland Spring, and Nike.

Aegon has entered British tennis fully,

“

Our approach in the past few years has been to transform the framework of tournaments in the UK.

“

Your detractors say that the results are not forthcoming...

The spirit of the Blueprint was and still is to illustrate how a radical change in the structure of a ‘company’ may require a decennial process to bear fruit.

There are two sports that are gaining large following in the UK lately: cycling and golf. In 1998 British cycling was virtually bankrupt: 23rd in the world, 8000 practising. Now it is one of the disciplines that most attracts new entrants. Ten years ago we had one golf player in the top 100, today we have a number 4 (Lee Westwood), a number 5 (Ian Poulter) and a number 6 in the world (Paul Casey).

TennisWorld sa

61

If you don’t change your beliefs, your life will be like this forever. Is that good news?

– Dr. Robert Anthony

Have you discussed the possibility of a shift in the calendar?

We have been talking about it since 2006 but it is not up to us. We have always found it amazing how Rafa Nadal could win Roland Garros, board the Eurostar and three days later be on the grass at the Queen’s, but a decision on this matter needs to be taken

by ATP and ITF. I do not foresee any changes in the immediate future, at least not before the 2012 Olympics. It will certainly continue to be a topic that we will raise and which is of great concern for the players, especially from a physical point of view. This year again, the season has hardly begun and we have already had injuries for Federer, Del Potro, Murray and Davydenko.

62

TennisWorld sa

I quote from the Guardian in 2007: “The LTA brand is a ‘damaged brand’, which has become unusable.” Are you heading towards its retirement?

We are, to some extent. Part of the problems that we have had as ‘Lawn Tennis Association’ (unlike golf for example, where it is hard to tell who is responsible as there are 23 different entities governing it), is that anything happening in tennis becomes our responsibility. If a player loses, a court is poorly maintained, a coach is inadequate – the blame always falls on the LTA. It’s as if I blamed Mourinho for not becoming a football player for Inter.

Now that tennis has become a business that spans multiple structures and attracts numerous partners it is imperative to take a business perspective and think about developing a successful external proposition.

In particular in the UK, ordinary people judge the success of the LTA primarily on the basis of our players’ results at Wimbledon and everything gets focused on a single event. Communications have taken a paramount role for us, because it is unacceptable that a player like Tim Henman, with all he has achieved in his career, should be regarded as a loser here.

Starting from the 2006 Blueprint I have tried to explain to everyone that whatever the Federation does for tennis at any level it does it for British Tennis.

In fact this will be the brand that will gradually replace the LTA, with the lat-

ter being left only to indicate the business that sits behind the movement.

The day nobody talks of LTA we will have been successful.

You mentioned Tim Henman. Due to the recent issues with the British Davis, Mark Petchey has called on him as your hypothetical replacement at the head of the Federation. What is your relationship with the champions of the recent past?

you change “Whenever something you can expect that some people will not take it well

“

but has not been able to conquer Wimbledon. What is your relationship with the tournament?

In 2008 we renewed our agreement with All England, which was due to expire in 2013, and extended it until 2053 [the Club will receive 50% of the holding that owns the land and infrastructure of the tournament]. The Federation will benefit from 90% of the surplus generated by the tournament each year, i.e. 50% of the annual income. In return, part of LTA’s investments will be directed towards the Championship with the building of the roof over Central Court and the rebuilding of the main courts.

[Petchey lost his position in the Federation with Draper’s arrival, which explains their long-standing rivalry] We have a great relationship with British champions. Tim Henman is on the Wimbledon tournament committee, Greg Rusedski works with us and among other things he looks after James Ward. I would say that generally speaking we have excellent relationships with the majority of them. As in any activity, there are always those who cynically talk down your work. We have always had an open doors policy: if you have something to tell us or suggestions to make, you are most welcome. Mark Petchey, David Lloyd, Tony

Pickard, Neil Harman [Times journalist] have their opinion on our work and it’s alright. Whenever you change something you can expect that some people will not take it well. On the other hand, everyone knows that the best way to make no enemies is to maintain the status quo.

You have been the object of much criticism for building the National Tennis Centre at Roehampton.

Look, since 6 o’clock this morning children have been playing for free on our courts at the National Tennis Centre. I believe that this structure, which has indeed generated much controversy, will soon become a point of reference for the country. There are currently 19 satellite centres across the UK that work with us. Given the location, there has unfortunately been an initial sense of isolation, but we are working at establishing a national network. Coaches come here to get experience, sponsors can use the structure and I believe that in the end the potential of Roehampton will be fully appreciated.

The matter of Alex Bogdanovic(and the association with Brad Gilbert) have been some of the stronger signs of change.

Many have been asking that the Federation money be used for younger players, and not those who have had no results for years. Your thoughts on that?

That’s what I was saying about the five generations. Actually, Alex is a very talented player who in his career has

reaped far less than he could have, but we could not continue to invest in him indefinitely. There always comes a time when one has to focus on the next generation and that time is when you reach 25-26 years. Of course, results can come later, it is certainly not an age for retirement, but we have to put ourselves into the frame of mind of changing the direction of our investment.

Ironically, in this case our choice has been beneficial to Alex who has become more competitive than ever. The Federation has not stopped supporting him. He comes here to train and has all the structures at his disposal.

Brad Gilbert, Peter Lundgren, Paul Annacone. Are there no good British coaches?

This is a bit of a myth. 80% of our coaches are English, but it is true that the majority of them did not have a winning mindset. We have placed alongside them some of the best coaches on the tour, including Steven Martins – who is responsible for the Belgian structure that produced Henin, Cljisters and Wickmayer – and Paul Annacone, who has been more than just Sampras’ coach. The main criticism had to do with the fact that Peter was with us for too short a period and that Gilbert has focused exclusively on Murray and it hasn’t worked. Actually in these few years we have created many young coaches with great potential, such as Leon Smith, Barry Scollo, Matt Willcocks, and Colin Beecher. Annacone and Martins’ roles are to create

a new generation of coaches, rather than a new generation of British tennis players.

With regard to 2012 Olympics, in which direction are you moving?

This is a peculiar situation. Typically for the Olympics one would build a new tennis infrastructure from scratch.

We are instead rebuilding the Wimbledon courts and in a hurry [he laughs].

There will be a dedicated Paralympics tennis structure in Stratford, but aside from that there won’t be much Olympic funding for tennis. The government has decided that football and tennis are to be regarded as two professional sports that are able to fund themselves.

I don’t agree but we just have to accept it and get on with it. Murray will be at the peak of his career and Robson will have matured much. We have great expectations in this respect. Then there are the doubles that, albeit less popular than the singles, have received new lifeblood since Roger Federer’s tears in Beijing.

What does the LTA do to counter doping?

We have a cooperative programme with the British government, with WADA and with all word tennis entities. Since 21st century tennis is a business, it is evident that aspects such as doping and betting cannot be overlooked, but I think we can say that we are fortunate to have a clean reality and all the tools required to keep it like that.

TennisWorld sa

63

WALK OF FAME W

ell, it’s not revolutionary or anything, but as of 2012 Wimbledon will have its own Walk of Fame, with plaques and hand prints of tennis legends leading visitors straight to the Club. Big deal, right? Hollywood started this tradition in 1958, and since then it has been endlessly copied all over the world. Just 50 miles from the All England Club, in fact, there is a Walk of Fame which features celebrities such as Abba, Dusty Springfield, The Who, and several sportspeople.

It seems a bit tacky for the venerable British institution to lower itself to such cheap tourist tricks. However, if one digs a little deeper, it becomes clear that neither Wimbledon nor the LTA had anything to do with the project. It was the Merton Chamber of Commerce who came up with the idea, and it seems they are intent on following it through.

So what reason could the Burough of Merton have for sullying the good name of the tournament at Wimbledon? Well, a good one, it turns out. The problem, you see, is commercial. The main source of income for the district is the championship at SW19, which receives around 100 000 people a year. It is one of the mostvisited spots in London, but creates relatively little revenue for all its prestige. The problem – at least, the Chamber of Commerce thinks it’s a problem – is that there are almost no places for people to spend their money outside of the tournament grounds. If one walks from Wimbledon Station to the courts, you will find nothing but private homes lining the streets for a good twenty minutes. The only exception is the Village, where players and organisers spend their evenings.

Of course the Chamber couldn’t just go around putting up cheesy stores and souvenir stands – the residents of SW19 would never stand for it. So the solution they came up with maintains the tradition and venerability of the tournament and its surroundings, while also steering more tourists towards the club, where they can spend all the money they want. Lynda Reynolds is in charge of the project ‘Wimbledon Going for Gold’, and says that the goal of what has been dubbed

64

TennisWorld sa

As of 2012 Wimbledon will have its own Walk of Fame

‘Wimbledon Way’ is to turn the Championships into a permanent attraction.

The Way will lead tourists along a demarcated pathway that ends in the Lawn Tennis Museum, which is open throughout the year. They hope this will increase their cash flow significantly.

Funds for the project will largely be taken from the Olympic budget, but there are also efforts to involve private investors. Wimbledon 2010 will serve as a sort of dress rehearsal, which organisers hope will provide them with valuable feedback for 2011, when the venture will shift into hear gear. Promotional activities will begin in 2011 and culminate in a grand opening sometime between Wimbledon 2012 and the Olympic Games. “It is still early days and matters such as who will feature in the Walk of Fame and, more importantly, who will contribute to the funding are still under discussion at the All England Club,” says Reynolds. “As it will be a free tourist attraction, a big sponsor is required.”

The Walk of Fame will start from Wimbledon Station, cross Wimbledon Hill Road and the Village, and then continue down towards Church Road

and finish at the AELTC. In order for the experience to have a broader appeal, tennis will not be the only theme – the Wimbledon College of Art will try to make the event more family friendly by drawing from the area’s long history, hopefully including many green areas along the way.

Although the LTA and AELTC are not involved, they have commented on the initiative. “It seems to be moving in the direction of the initiatives that the Club offers throughout the year. If this plan can increase visitors to the area and to our museum, we can only be supportive,” they said. LTA Chief Executive Roger Draper highlighted its economic potential and said, “I think it is a very interesting initiative, even though I am not close to the detail. Wimbledon has been investing in the promotion of junior tennis and the development of the district for a long time, even though this might have gone unnoticed. Fifty cents in every pound spent in London comes from tourists for whom the Wimbledon brand has enormous potential in terms of attraction. Bringing more visitors to the Club museum can only have positive repercussions on the whole.”

TennisWorld sa

65

WALK OF FAME

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

66

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

TennisWorld sa

HISTORY

Patrick D.B. Spence (11 February 1898-22 November 1983) was born in Queenstown and was one South African’s greatest Davis Cup players. In 1927 he was instrumental in key victories in Ireland and Germany, which South African won 5-0 and 11-10 respectively.

In 1931 he again contributed to a victory against Ireland, but lost against the English team which included legends Fred Perry and H. W. Austin. He represented the South African team in the singles and doubles at the 1924 Paris Olympics, and though he didn’t take home any medals he did himself and his country proud.

Spence won several championships, including two Scottish titles (1922,1923), two London indoor titles (1924, 1925) in singles, and one in doubles (1924).

In 1927 he won the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon with Elizabeth Ryan, defeating the powerful Australian duo of Jack Crawford (the man with the strange racquet) and Daphne Akhurst 7-5, 6-4. The mixed doubles achievement was repeated in Paris in 1931, where he teamed up with Betty Nuthall.

Above: the Kooyong stadium in Melbourne, background to many challenges since the 1930’s 68

TennisWorld sa

David Adams (born on 5 January 1970, in Durban, South Africa) turned professional in 1989. During his career he won 19 titles in doubles, playing in more than thirty finals, including Paris in 1992. He reached a ranking of world number nine in doubles in 1994. Adams took part in six Davis Cup challenges for South Africa between 1997 and 2003, winning four and losing two, all in doubles.

Although most people remember this racquet as the one used by John McEnroe, it was actually Billie Jean King who first used it in the 1960s. Since then it has been used by many famous tennis players, including Kevin Curren.

The Pro Staff has been one of the most successful racquets in tennis history. Many champions have used it and appreciated its accuracy and control. During the 80s, the transition was made from wood and glass fibres to graphite and kevlar, but Stefan Edberg used a Pro Staff for his entire career, often disguising it in the early 90s due to contractual requirements. Jim Courier bludgeoned his opponents with this weapon, and even Chris Evert in the last years of her successful career used the racquet. Pete Sampras used a Pro Staff throughout his entire career, shunning other improvements in racquet technology.

Even Roger Federer grew up playing with a Pro Staff.

Austrian company Kneissl enjoys a cult status among collectors of vintage racquets, largely due to the fact that Ivan Lendl began his tennis career using Kneissl racquets. In 1979 Kneissl was also the first company in the world to build an entirely synthetic racquet, the White Star Pro. After Kevin Curren played in the Wimbledon final in 1985 using a Kneissl White Star Pro, sales of Kneissl racquets went up by 21%. Following the 1985 US Open, Kneissl proudly declared that in six US Open finals, seven players had used a Kneissl racquet.

Kevin Melvyn Curren, born in Durban on the 2nd of March, 1958, is a former US tennis player, but is South African by birth.

He became a US citizen in April 1985.

Although he is an American citizen, he cut his tennis teeth in Durban, where he won the national junior championship in 1976.

He played two singles Grand Slams finals during his career (both on grass, his favourite surface) and won four Slam doubles titles. Kevin played tennis for the University of Texas in Austin.

Under the guidance of Cliff Drysdale, he won the 1979 NCAA title and turned professional in the same year. His first high-level success was in Johannesburg in 1981. In 1983 he reached his first semi-final at Wimbledon, losing in 5 sets (6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 8-6) to New Zealander Chris Lewis. In 1984 he was a finalist at the Australian Open against Mats Wilander, but lost 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-2. In 1985 he reached the final at Wimbledon by defeating Stefan Edberg in the fourth round (7-6, 6-3, 7-6), John McEnroe (then world number one) in the quarter-finals (6-2, 6-2, 6-4) and Jimmy Connors (then world number 3) in the semi-finals (6-2, 6-2, 6-1). The final saw him opposite German seventeen-yearold Boris Becker, who won 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, thus becoming the youngest ever winner of a Grand Slam tournament.

Another ‘memorable’ performance of his was his loss to Goran Ivaniševi in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3. Although he never won a Grand Slam singles title, he did manage to win four doubles titles: the 1981 US Open mixed doubles, 1982 Wimbledon mixed doubles and both the mixed and men’s doubles in the 1982 US Open. During his career, Curren won a total of 5 singles titles and 26 doubles titles, reaching a high ranking of world number five in singles and number 3 in doubles.

His last singles title came in Frankfurt in 1989, and in doubles he won his last championship at the 1992 Seoul Olympics. Following his retirement from the professional circuit in 1993, Curren was appointed as the South African Davis Cup captain.

SUPERSTITION & ACTIVATION RITUALS

by Marco Trizio The word ‘superstition’ has an interesting meaning. It is derived from the Latin super stitio (‘to be above’).

Superstition includes all those little rituals – often linked to religion – that are used to please the gods in exchange for some good luck. Many superstitions can often be traced back to certain pseudo-scientific or ancient religious beliefs that are no longer widely accepted in modern culture.

Other forms of superstition have a less serious hidden meaning – just think about how people choose their lottery numbers.

Sport is notoriously riddled with different superstitious beliefs.

A sportsperson will often link a successful performance to a gesture, an item of clothing or a phrase they uttered. So what is the difference between a pre-match activation ritual and a good-luck ritual? Well, when faced with defeat, most of us will attach significance to the outcome of the performance as a coping strategy.

It often happens that we may blame a defeat on factors outside our control in order to maintain our self-esteem. The good-luck ritual is nothing more than

an attempt to control what we see as being partly beyond our control – like let cords or bad line calls.

Activation rituals Activation rituals are aimed at attaining an optimal physiological focus, and have little to do with superstition, even though they can be mistaken for it.

They are actually extremely specific, unlike vague superstitions that many different people cling to. Each ritual is individual, and they differ from person to person and group to group. The difference lies in the significance that the each individual attaches to it. Whereas superstition drives rituals aimed at blocking or countering external forces that undermine one’s performance, activation rituals are aimed at lifting the player’s energy and motivation levels.

Activation rituals are more significant from a scientific point of view. This is because they act directly on the mind-body combination rather than on the individual’s personal beliefs, and because activation as a psychological concept features a series of indicators that facilitate scientific analysis.

TennisWorld sa

69

Health

T

ennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis) is an overuse injury that was originally observed in tennis players, but is very common in all sports, occupations and hobbies. It is especially common in people who perform actions where there is repetitive twisting of the forearm and/or extension of the elbow and wrist. While casual tennis players often experience Tennis Elbow, professionals are more susceptible to Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis).

Why does Tennis Elbow develop?

TENNIS ELBOW PROFESSIONAL ADVICE

By Dr. Morkel

Tennis elbow is a repetitive strain injury of the big extensor muscle group in the forearm. Tennis Elbow affects the long extensor muscles of the wrist and fingers at the part of the muscle which originates in the humerus. With overuse, tiny micro-tears develop in the tendon part of the muscle. When the micro-tears heal, scarring occurs that leads to decreased blood flow and stiffer tissue. This diseased tissue can sometimes give way, rupture, or even soften. It can also lead to cystic degeneration. A tighter tendon around the elbow is also one of the common aftereffects. Any activity which requires the particular muscle to contract or stretch will result in a very painful elbow.

(with grip sizes up to 5 ½) and very fast all-weather tennis courts are gone.

These days, overtraining and the use of stiffer frames are the major causes of tennis elbow.

frames.

Cure

What are the symptoms of Tennis Elbow?

2) Correct biomechanics: Stretching and strengthening exercises.

Tennis elbow manifests itself through intense pain in the upper part of the forearm during physical activity such as tennis. Maximum tenderness is usually experienced on the outside prominence (lateral epicondyle) of the elbow.

The pain is aggravated when the wrist is extended or turned upwards (supination) against resistance.

3) Correct racquet, grip, strings and technique are all essential.

1) Rest and reduce activity until pain subsides (3-4 weeks)

4) Counterforce braces can be used to dissipate force away from the affected tendon.

5) Local cortisone injections can facilitate revascularization of the diseased tendon.

Prevention is better than cure Keep the arm flexible: Older players especially need to stretch and tone their upper arm and forearm muscles regularly.

What causes Tennis Elbow?

Right technique and training: It is essential that the right basic shot techniques are learned from an early age.

Changes in intensity of training and number of matches played should be made gradually. In younger players, where growth plates are still open, special care must be taken with regard to their training schedule.

Overuse usually means doing too much, too early, too soon. But in this case it can also mean bad technique and equipment. The days of slice backhands, heavy wooden racquets

Right equipment: More flexible and forgiving racquets with shock absorbers are essential. Grip size, a forgiving frame and relatively loose strings are also important. Be wary of stiff, light

6) Platelet enriched plasma injections are available in South Africa and the latest studies show better results than cortisone infiltration.

7) Surgery is reserved for cases where conservative treatment has failed. It should only be considered when symptoms have been present for more than 6 months.

The aim of the procedure is to release the common extensor muscle origin off its attachment to the bone. It reattaches itself in a slightly elongated position and the increased blood flow facilitates healing. It can be done under local or general anesthetic. Return to sport is possible as soon as the pain has sufficiently subsided.

Recovery to full fitness usually takes 3-4 months.

Above: The area in the tendinous part of the muscle where the micro-tears start (also a area of relative lesser blood supply)

70

TennisWorld SA

TennisWorld SA

71

How often do you think about HOW you must move on court? How often are you coached on how to move? If your answer is weekly or daily, then you are on your way to success. Keep it up and never stop doing it. If your answer is “never”, like most tennis players, then hopefully this will be of some help to you.

7 Steps to effective lateral movement on court:

to recover as fast as possible until the opponent is in position and playing his/her shot. * Your next split step happens once the opponent starts his/her forward swing of the shot.

1. Split Step & Sink/Drop * Feet wider than Hip width for a solid base to work from * Drop centre of gravity and thus activate muscles for powerful push off.

Success on the smaller details T

here exists a myth in sport that the harder you train the better you will be. In some instances this is true, but it has to be monitored and done in the right way at the right time for the right population. But it is not in the toughness of your training that you will find your greatest success. As a tennis player your greatest success is found in the smaller details. In other words: work smarter, not harder.

by Jaco Burger

In the modern game of tennis the difference between the Top 100 players is marginal. Everybody in the Top 100 can play the game, everybody hits the ball well and these days most of them are relatively strong and can move well. What is the difference, then, between the Top 10 and the rest of the players in the Top 100? Everybody will have their own opinion, and a great debate could arise over this topic. I am convinced that a big part of it is physical. If you look closely at the guys in the Top 10 when they play, it always seems as if they have the edge over their opponents, but it’s hard to tell why.

In my opinion, they just do everything better than their opponents, and they do it much more consistently. But what am I trying to say? Well, success for a modern tennis player lies in the small details. You really need to focus and zoom in on the finer detail and ensure that you do it better than anyone else. Before I move on to the practical stuff, I want to encourage you to look closer when you watch tennis. Closely observe the different aspects of the game, and try to identify what the top players do better than their rivals. As an example, watch Roger Federer. He gets to everything that most of the best movers get to, but he gets there with time to spare, and it looks like he is getting there effortlessly.

Now I want to move on and give you the inside scoop on some specific movement mechanics, specifically lateral movement on the baseline. As Pete Sampras used to say, “If your first step is right the rest will follow.”

72

TennisWorld SA

First Step * Your first step is always an open step towards the side that you are going to have to move. Do not take a crossover step as your first step! * The power of your first step is generated by the opposite leg. * Most tennis players make the mistake of just falling over and using momentum to generate pace. The crossover step I referred to in the first bullet. * The first step is not necessarily a small step. If you have to cover the whole width of the court the first step will be a big powerful step which will generate enough power to accellerate you as fast as possible to where you want to go. * Ensure that your push off is horizontal and you maintain a low centre of gravity.

Second Step * By this time you would have lots of pace. The second step shoots you even further and faster towards your next shot. * The size of the step is determined by the distance you have to cover to your next shot. * Maintain a low centre of gravity. Although you are moving as powerfully as possible glide over the court.

Preparation Steps * After your second step is where the small steps come in that most coaches always refer to. * The small steps are the preparation steps before your setup your feet into position to play your shot. This also helps you to decelerate for yout shot. * Fast feet/Quickness here is of utmost importance.

Setup and Play your Shot * Setup your feet and play your shot.

Recovery * This is the one part I see very often that so many juniors neglect. After they play a shot they stand still and wait until the opponent plays the next shot before they start to move. * Once you have finished playing your shot, your aim is to recover to your recovery position as fast as possible. * Do this by once again stopping fast and balanced after the shot has being played. * Push off powerfully and shuffle back to the recovery position. If you are comfortable you can make use of crossover shuffling instead of shuffling steps. * The big crucial point to remember is

This topic is quite a controversial one.

However, instead of fighting about who is right, try it out and see if it works for you.

I guarantee that if you spend time on this every day, you will see a big difference in your movement on court in a very short period of time.

When you step on-court, try to remember these points regarding your movement: • Be as intense as possible and generate as much power and acceleration as possible, while at the same time maintaining control.

• Stay low and light on your feet. Do not become heavy and upright. You want to be the fastest and most powerful ballerina with the lowest centre of gravity.

• Although all of the above might sound contradictory, it isn’t. Think about it and you will see.

Please refer any questions regarding movement or tennis strength and conditioning to jaco@quickeningpulse.co.za.

ENJOY, WORK HARD AND HAVE FUN.

TennisWorld SA

73

proffesional

national ranking system for the schools and a committee under the control of SATA might resolve this problem.

School Tennis in South Africa

by Pietie Norval South Africa is one of the few countries in the world where competitive tennis is played at school level. In most nations around the world you would have to join a club or play a tournament to be able to compete as a youngster. Most of South Africa’s performance juniors attend regular schools, and besides having strong junior tournaments in the country, there are also many strong school events played throughout the year.

Over the past eight years, I have attended most of these school events as a coach and have thoroughly enjoyed being part of tennis at high school level. There is a very healthy competition amongst the schools and it has become very prestigious for the schools to do well in or win these events. The schools have realized that improving their tennis and winning national competitions has a marketing value.

The top competitions in the country on the boys’ side are hosted by Kearsney College, Paul Roos Gymnasium, Parktown Boys, Cradoch High and Grey Bloemfontein. These competitions attract the strongest tennis schools and 74

TennisWorld sa

the top eight schools in the country are usually Paul Roos Gymnasium, Pretoria Boys, Stellenbosch High, Affies in Pretoria, Waterkloof, St.Stithians, Grey Bloemfontein and Kearsney College.

Paul Roos Gymnasium has dominated most of these events for the past 10 years. Clapham High in Pretoria has a very strong team because of the presence of many top black players from all over Africa, who are training at the ITF training centre. Sadly they only get invited to the Wayne Ferreira event, because many other hosting schools feel only South Africans should play these events. I believe their strength would add to these competitions and in a country where tennis is played predominantly by white people, their presence would encourage kids of all races to play the game of tennis. Another challenge on the boys’ side is the fact that invitations to these events are not necessarily based on the quality of the team, but often on “who you know and who you like.” An example of this is Stellenbosch High and Waterkloof (two top five teams) not getting invited to the Kearsney College festival for as long as I can remember because of a misunderstanding years ago. A proper

On the girls’ side the competitions are hosted by Sun City (central venue), Paarl Gymnasium, Oranje Girls, St Mary’s College in Durban and Cradock High. Of these events, the strongest competitions have been Sun City, Oranje and Paarl Gymnasium. The top six girl’s schools over the past 10 years have been: Bloemhof Girls, Oranje Girls, Stellenbosch High, Waterkloof, Eunice Girls and Clarendon. Bloemhof Girls has dominated these events over the last 10 years, winning the Amanda Coetzer a staggering nine times in a row. It seems that competition between the schools might be even tougher this year, with Stellenbosch High winning the first competition of the year in Sun City. Oranje Girls run, in my opinion, the best organized event in school tennis and it will be exiting to see who triumphs in Bloemfontein in May.

mental training

By Neville Godwin Professional Coach, National Selector and Former Top 100 singles player

I would like to start by saying that tennis (when played at a high level) is 90% mental and 10% physical. Where we, as tennis coaches, sometimes fall short is by spending 90% of our practise time on the physical. Often the mental side of training is neglected because it is not seen as being out on the court and actively improving your game. We live in a country where we have no indoor tennis courts and a lot of rain. Instead of lessons being rained out, that valuable time should be spent with students on some of the mental aspects of the game: GOAL-SETTING

The Suzelle Davin Mixed invitational event hosted by Kainos Tennis Academy in October has seen a unique format with 3 boys and 3 girls in a team.

Instead of each player playing a singles and a doubles match, they now play a singles and a mixed doubles match.

The event will be held for the 4th year in 2010 and this exiting format will host most of the top schools in the country.

For me, goal-setting is one of the most important areas of mental training. By setting goals you have a means whereby you can gauge yourself as a tennis player.

The biggest challenge for the hosting schools has been to get the ideal dates for their events. This year has been a real mess with the Paul Roos Gymnasium and Paarl Gymnasium events overlapping with the two ITF events played in March. This makes it very difficult for top players who want to play for their school, but need to seize the limited opportunities to play ITF events in South Africa. The schools event in Cradock also overlaps with ITF events in August, and hopefully this will be the last year that we see SATA and the schools governing body not sitting around the same table when the national calendar is finalized.

Goals must be set in 3 phases:

• Goals must be realistic • They must never be easy to achieve.

• Must look beyond what is possible NOW

LONG TERM: 3 - 5 Years MEDIUM TERM: 6 Months - 1 Year SHORT TERM: Daily

VISUALISATION Visualisation is arguably the most effective way to train mentally. Who has ever missed a shot in their mind? Studies have shown that if done correctly, visualisation can improve your game more than physical practise can. When doing visualisation, make sure you can FEEL yourself on the court rather than seeing yourself in the third person.

Having watched a lot of tennis matches (of varying quality) over the last 25 years, I have come to the conclusion that most matches are won by the person who makes the fewest errors, not by the person who hits the most winners.

Practise making the right decisions.

Only practise what you will do in a match.

Too often I hear students say “I would never do that in a match”. Well don’t practise it then!

COACHES ...take some time and get to know your students and what makes them tick, REMEMBER you cannot impose a generic footprint on a bunch of individuals!

TennisWorld sa

75

" Unless you believe, you will not understand " – Saint Augustine

the unlimited

power of

beliefs

by Matt Traverso

are you a chicken or an eagle?

76

TennisWorld sa

A m a n found an eagle’s egg and put it in a nest of a barnyard hen. The eagle hatched with the brood of chicks and grew up with them. All his life, the eagle did what the barnyard chicks did, thinking he was a barnyard chicken. He scratched the earth for worms and insects. He clucked and cackled. And he would thrash his wings and fly a few feet into the air.

The power of beliefs is by far the most powerful and creative force in the universe. Our beliefs dictate our actions, which in turn dictate our results. Life is created moment by moment based on our beliefs. Beliefs that can empower beyond our wildest dreams.

Years passed and the eagle grew very old. One day he saw a magnificent bird above him in the cloudless sky. It glided in graceful majesty among powerful wind currents, with scarcely a beat of its strong golden wings. The old eagle looked up in awe.

“Who’s that?” he asked. “That’s the eagle, the king of the birds,” said his neighbour. “He belongs to the sky. We belong to the earth – we’re chickens.”

So the eagle lived and died a chicken, for that’s what he thought he was.

Do you know that if you move a goldfish to a lake – he will continue to swim in the same circle? Why? Because he has accepted the belief that if he swims farther, he’s going to bump his nose. He’s always done it this way. Any other way is “impossible.”

Choosing your beliefs consciously and intentionally can and will dramatically enhance the quality of your life – physically, financially, relationally, emotionally, and spiritually. If you want to be a powerful creator of your reality, you must consciously choose to believe in that which empowers you.

Here’s another fun example of the power of belief in action. Get an aquarium and divide it in half with a clear glass panel. Get a barracuda (we’ll call him Barry), and a mullet (who

we’ll call Molly). Put one fish on each side of the glass divide, and watch. In a flash, Barry will race at full speed to eat Molly, but ‘thump,’ he just can’t seem to reach him, even though he can see him quite clearly. Undeterred, Barry will try time and time again.

Over the next few days Barry will get a very sore nose, without getting close enough to eat Molly. Eventually Barry will equate Molly with pain and not as a potential delicacy. Then remove the glass panel and guess what? Barry will starve to death while Molly swims just a few inches away! He knows his limits, and won’t swim outside them.

These are the same types of limits we construct in our own mind. Our truth becomes our reality.

Let’s look at this idea more closely.

Most people would agree that our potential is essentially unlimited, would you agree? Then why do we not see this in our lives. The problem and the reason most people are not demonstrating their limitless potential is that their actions are tempered by their limiting beliefs. Because of a limiting belief, we only tap a small portion of our potential which, in turn, causes us to take limited action resulting in limited results.

On the other hand, if you develop empowering beliefs about yourself, you will tap more of your potential, use more of your inherent creativity and take more action. This belief coupled with action will produce great results – which in turn reinforces your new empowering belief. Successful people assume success to be the natural outcome of their efforts. Wayne Dyer wrote a book entitled Transformation, You’ll See It When You Believe It. When you begin to believe in your success, you’ll see the result in your life. When you begin to believe in your ability to reach your goals, you’ll see your beliefs manifest on a physical plane.

What you believe is what you get. And

what you have right now in your life, good or bad, was created by your current belief system. The good news to all this is that you can change your belief system – yes you can change what you believe about yourself, the world, everything – and create the life you want.

Remember the old phrase? Whatever you can conceive and believe, you can achieve.

BELIEFS HAVE THE POWER TO CREATE AND TO DESTROY. Recently 500 people belonging to a doomsday cult called Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God, committed suicide in Uganda.

Before that there were the disciples of Jim Jones in Guyana, David Koresh’s Branch Davidians, and the followers of the Heaven’s Gate cult. Let’s not be judgemental. Perhaps they’re right, perhaps their souls have been transported to a spacecraft travelling in the tail of a flaming comet. I don’t know!

But, we can see these people are prepared to go to any lengths because of their implicit and unquestioned command of their beliefs.

Having a good idea is the first step toward creating a successful life. Believing is something different though.

Here’s an example: you may have an idea that there are plenty of ways to make money. But if you don’t believe in your guts that you will make money, you’ll never make the amount that you say you want. In other words, believing something is KNOWING absolutely that what you want can and will happen.

There is not a single doubt that it will happen - you completely, single-mindedly trust and know that it will happen.

“Unless you believe, you will not understand” – Saint Augustine Many people I speak to are missing this element in their daily lives. They’ll do all of the other work that is necessary to achieve their goals - but they can’t get this element of believing into their

system. The irony is that we were born believing and we’ve been raised to not believe. If you can’t see it, then it’s not real - that’s what we’re taught. When you start believing without a shadow of a doubt that whatever you want can and will happen, your life will change in ways you never thought possible.

“If you don’t change your beliefs, your life will be like this forever. Is that good news?” – Dr. Robert Anthony The subconscious responds to your habitual thinking. Being totally neutral in a moral sense, it is happy to adopt any habit as ‘normal’ - good or bad. We casually let negative thoughts drop into the subconscious every minute of our lives, then we are surprised when they find expression in day-to- day experiences and relationships. While there may be some things that will happen to us that we had no role in creating, the vast majority are in us already – waiting for the light of day. In other words, if you plant and tend your garden, it will produce flowers, fruits, the things you cultivate. If you don’t plant specific seeds, then animals, wind and other elements will cause random things to fall into it, producing an abundance of weeds and wild vegetation, likely to choke out useful plants. One thing is certain: something will grow in your garden.

Just as a gardener must tend his or her plot, keeping out the weeds, you must tend the garden of your mind, weeding out the thoughts of lack, limitation and negativity. You must nurture and tend the thoughts of happiness, success and purpose. If you practice gardening of this kind, you will soon discover that you are the master gardener of your soul. You will come to the profound revelation that you are not the victim of your circumstances, but the architect of them. For it is the thoughts you pay attention to that shape your character, create your circumstances, and determine your ultimate destiny.

TennisWorld sa

77

manifestations vs

inner

feelings

by Federico Coppin i

I would like to discuss a very important topic: the visible behaviour of an athlete. To assist me in this task, I am going to use as an example one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Jimmy Connors...

W

hat are outward manifestations? We are not going to deal with anything too complex.

By outward manifestations, I mean any behaviour, attitude or actions that can be seen, heard or otherwise observed in a sportsperson. Some players display a variety of outward manifestations, while others limit the emotions that they put on display. Players such as Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams, for instance, are visibly emotional and very loud – especially when hitting the ball. On the other hand, some players would never lose their cool or make a single sound even if the sky fell on their heads.

These emotional displays – or lack of them – invite us to assume something about the player’s state of mind. However, looks can be deceiving, and we must take care not to oversimplify or misinterpret what we see. This is something that often happens, and this is why we are discussing it first. To further consider the point, let’s call on Jimmy

78

TennisWorld sa

Connors was one of the first players to break with the cliché of highly measured, very British expressions which dominated play in those days

“

outward

“

Connors for some assistance.

Jimmy Connors and his outward manifestations.

For those who may not know or remember him (both equally unlikely), allow us to quickly introduce Jimmy Connors. Since the start of the Open Era, nobody has had a longer streak as world number one than Jimmy “Jimbo” Connors (with the exception of Roger Federer. But he’s always the exception, isn’t he?). He dominated the professional circuit for years, both in the era of wooden racquets and during the transition to synthetic ones.

Throughout his career he was involved in some of the sport’s most legendary rivalries with players like Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl. By the time he retired in the early 1990s, he had played in three different decades and won a record 109 titles.

Connors was one of the first players to break with the cliché of highly measured, very British expressions which dominated play in those days.

Before him, nobody would have dared to complain violently with the umpire, insult his opponents or use improper language. His outward manifestations during play were also unique, at least in the way he displayed them. Noisy exclamations during rallies, cries of joy and a raised fists when points were won, grunts at opponents, shouts of encouragement, sheer aggression and rage when things didn’t go his way – none of these behavioural manifestations had been seen before, or at least not with such frequency.

So why is all of this important? The answer is simple: the fact that he beat his opponents so mercilessly and ef-

fectively, and dominated the tour for so long, lead many to conclude that such behaviour is needed for success. Of course we aren’t implying that grunting a lot and pumping a few fists will turn everyone into a champion, but his behaviour was part of the reason for his success.

Why is this? What did people think was going through Connors’ mind when he behaved like this? Well, a rough guide would look something like this: 1. Grunting, raising fists – gutsy, brave.

2. Humiliating his opponents, trying to ‘break’ them – self confident.

3. Complaining, talking improperly, making a scene – completely fearless.

4. Stealing points, intimidating umpires and opponents – willing to win at any cost.

So far this seems a pretty fair assessment. We wouldn’t say the above is not true, especially when it comes to Connors. But remember what we said earlier: we must take care not to oversimplify or misinterpret what we see. What do we mean in this case? Well, if we see Connors raising a fist after a great point and shouting like a caveman, we can rightly think that he is gutsy. However, what we cannot surmise, and what many do, is that raising a fist and shouting like a caveman can help us have be grittier, be gutsier – be players that we are not.

The importance of appearances Connors had a reasonably good serve, his forehand was decent (if not devastating), his volleys were fairly average, and he had a great return game and awesome backhand (flat as a pancake, impossible to imitate). His timing,

anticipation and concentration were all also superb. So of these qualities, which was the most visible? Which was the most important?

One could argue that it was his competitive drive, but only because of the way he showed it, and the fact that he was the first to do so. Nowadays, it is actually hard find someone who does not raise their fists and shout “c’mon!” or “vamos!” But in those days it was not that common. Over time, as his way of expressing himself became the norm, people became convinced that outward emotions equalled inner drive.

This is like saying mash equals potatoes. Because we see the mash and know it is made of potatoes, we make no distinction between the two. Equally, if we see someone gutsy who expresses himself very visibly, then we assume that there can be no guts unless it is expressed in this particular way. One doesn’t need to be a chef to know that potatoes can be prepared in many other ways, and that they remain potatoes no matter what you do with them.

But since he was dominating so much and he was one of the first to be so extroverted, Connors’ perceived winning traits became his most visible ones.

This isn’t surprising, since things that are superficial and easily perceptible are most likely to guide our immediate assessments. We are more inclined to follow this than robust reasoning or clear analysis. Connors had many traits that did not become as fashionable as his outward manifestations.

As we mentioned, he had a terrific backhand and awesome return game, but these are difficult things to imitate, so people rather concentrate on other, more visible aspects.

TennisWorld sa

79

Jimbo’s opponents Let’s take a look at the strongest opponents Connors ever played: Borg, McEnroe and Lendl. We will look at them in the same way – through their visible behaviour.

We shall begin with Bjorn Borg. This is what one would see of Borg: a heavily top-spinning backhand, a good serve, decent volleys and a great forehand.

That’s it. No outbursts, no shouts, no pumping of fists – just his game. Because of his calmness, people automatically assumed he wasn’t as competitive or driven as Connors. He didn’t seem to care, didn’t seem to be bothered whether he won or lost points.

Like with Connors, what people saw was what they assumed to be true. But in this case, it was a completely wrong assumption.

And what about McEnroe? He too used to have frequent outbursts, like Connors, but he often seemed too hysterical. Like Borg, his style of play was what stood out most for many people.

His service motion and stance was unique, and his takebacks almost nonexistent. However, this style was almost impossible to imitate so, as with Connors, most people settled for imitating his outward behaviour.

Ivan Lendl was perhaps the prototype for all modern players. He had a powerful serve, a devastating forehand, vast physical resources and incredible consistency. Perhaps his greatest strength

80

TennisWorld SA

was his ability to manage all of these resources, obsessively planning his technical progress. Apparently cold, he was not impassible and polite like Borg, nor did he draw attention like the other two – he would often complain, but would rarely become aggressive.

Like Borg, many took his apparent impassiveness for a lack of drive. And like Borg, it is a huge mistake to think so.

Through this analysis I have tried to demonstrate that what you see isn’t always what you get. Absolute ‘truths’ that have become engrained in the collective consciousness are often unfounded and easily disproven if we carefully look at the statistics. Of course it is easier to do a thorough statistical analysis once a player has concluded their career.

So is Connors’ reputation as the “ultimate winner” well-founded?

Despite their apparent differences, we have seen that the various champions are actually very similar when it comes to mental toughness. They are all plucky, self-confident, and able to emerge victorious from difficult situations. They pursue success with all their energy, and all achieve great results. What determines this mental toughness, which has so many ways of expressing itself?

Was he really the most mentally talented player ever? Well, he won more titles (109) and matches (1222) than anyone else, but this doesn’t tell the whole story. Borg retired in his mid-twenties – long before Connors – yet he managed to win 11 Slams to Connors’ 8. Borg often triumphed on the slow red clay of the French Open, a tournament that is notorious for requiring an enormous amount of grit and toughness. Connors never won it.

Was he less confident than Connors?

Less fearless? Less brave? Surely not.

The same can be said for both McEnroe and Lendl. Lendl won eight Slams, and McEnroe only one fewer. In 1984 McEnroe lost only 3 matches – a record to this day – how could he do that without being every bit as tough, driven and mentally strong as Connors?

Nevertheless, in the collective memory, the ‘gritty one’ remains Connors.

Mental toughness

Beyond the grit and the competitive meanness, what all champions have in support of their mental toughness is an inner peace and well-being. This doesn’t mean that they should be yogis or Tibetan ascetics. What this means is that they are never in conflict with themselves: no matter what happens, they love themselves deeply.

Connors could afford to have the outward manifestation discussed earlier because deep down he loved himself, unconditionally and without doubts. He would not let anyone or anything disturb his inner well-being. He could afford to get angry and lose his cool, because he would always remain totally in

tune with his inner well-being. And this is a trait that all great champions have in common. Borg, Lendl and McEnroe had the same inner attitude, but due to the differences in their personalities, they expressed themselves differently.

Jimmy Connors: a positive example?

Connors was a great champion, and possessed an incredible amount of mental toughness. His mental talents allowed him to prevail despite some severe technical deficiencies in his game.

However, he was also the precursor to many negative things we see on tennis courts today. How many times have you seen players of different levels mimicking the most noticeable external displays that have become so fashionable since Connors? Getting angry, throwing racquets, shouting, making a scene and making hostile gestures are par for the course these days. What makes matters worse is that what lies behind this behaviour is a false belief: that you have to act that way in order to be a proper champion.

Many club players treat themselves horribly. They insult themselves and display a powerless anger, and by doing so they often augment the damage that their opponent is already inflicting.

Have you ever listened to what Connors was saying to himself? What his attitude to himself was? He certainly wasn’t berating himself or breaking himself down. And if there is anything we can all learn from Jimbo Connors, it is that self-belief, not self-loathing, is the true key to success.

Despite their apparent differences, we have seen that the various champions are actually very similar when it comes to mental toughness.

TennisWorld SA

81

GROWING SPORT FOUNDATION

LOVE FOR TENNIS CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PROGRAMME Early in 2009, the owner of Mountain Manor Guest House, Self-catering and Back Packers, Michelle Whitehead, who is also a registered Tennis Professional Coach – founded the GROWING SPORTS FOUNDATION TRUST – specifically the GROWING TENNIS PROGRAMME. A survey was done in the City Bowl area of Cape Town and 24 schools were approached to become part of the programme. 7 schools responded and the programme was launched in February 2009. The children of these schools are bussed in from the townships every day to do their schooling and then bussed home again.

These schools are poorly equipped with lack of out door playground equipment and NO Physical training, exercise programmes and NO sports facilities.

This did not hamper Michelle. She bought 50 small tennis racquets, 150 Play and Stay tennis balls and 5 mini-tennis nets along with rope to extend the nets. She then employed an African tennis player to train as a coach and started working in the schools.

She got UCT Tennis involved by encouraging these youngsters to become Volunteer coaches for the programme.

At the end of the year, UCT tennis and the GROWING SPORTS FOUNDATION

held a very successful Clinic Day at UCT tennis courts. 150 children were bussed into the facility and had the day of their lives. They were shown what real tennis courts look like and 5 of the top Western Province Provincial Squad kids played an exhibition match for them so that they could see real tennis being played.

They were then afforded coaching by all the Volunteers and given hotdogs and cool drinks by the UCT tennis Volunteer Team.

The schools that are currently involved with the Programme are : St Mary’s Primary in central Cape Town, Rahmaniyeh Primary and Walmer Estate Primary in District Six, Good Hope Seminary High School and Cape Town High School in Gardens – Windermere Primary and Secondary school in Kensington and Herzlia Primary school.

As there are no facilities or equipment in these schools, we would like to specifically fund raise to assist these schools in acquiring what they need. The idea is that the school teachers learn how to teach Play and Stay tennis as well so that they can eventually continue the programme on their own.

The next step of the programme is to identify the children who show promise and talent and to lead them into an advanced Tennis Coaching Programme.

Several Professional coaches have promised their time to assist with this programme and a huge thanks goes to them. They are Gavin Jefta, Bridget Vissee, Grant McKinney, Marlene

Claassen and Michelle Whitehead.

These children will all need equipment in the form of tennis tackies, shorts, shirts and racquets and sports bags. Anyone who is able to donate old/used/ new equipment along these lines would be much appreciated.

Money is also required to fund transport and tournament entry fees and future coaching and training.

Rahamiyeh Primary

The Foundation is a registered Non profit Organisation and any donations are considered Tax deductible.

We are hoping to take at least 60 children forward on an Identified Talent Programme and all these children will need tackies, clothing and racquets and also money for tournament entries and travel expenses.

We are also looking at offering bursaries for those children who emerge out of this squad as the leaders in their age groups where they can join in an academy and further their careers in their Sport of Tennis and also represent Western Province when called to do so.

St. Mary’s Primary

Further to this – our next step at the individual schools is to build some flat hard surfaces that we can erect our mini tennis nets on so that at least the ball can bounce evenly and not be bouncing off in all directions as it currently does on the stones and sand.

We will need sponsors to fund such projects as the Schools just cannot afford such expenses.

UCT Clinic Day

82

TennisWorld SA

Warmer Estate Primary

St. Mary’s Primary

TennisWorld sa

83

gamesworld

magazine

DD L L R G R A O M W ESWORLD S E E M A M G A G , mo vie s tro ga mi ng wa re , re Xbo x 360 , Pla ySt lin e, Ha rd c l V A T atio n 3, PC, Wii , DS, PSP iPh on e, on n i P, PS 5 , 9 , , iPh one , Onl W W rW2. 9G A M i, dS ine , Har dwa ESWORLD 3, Pc , wi n 01 • re, Ret rog ami SA.COM • Pla yS tat ion editio 0, • 36 ng, Mov ies m FEBRUAR ox o Xb a.c Y 2010 • orldS FIRST ED ameSw ITION • www.g R29,95 I NCL VAT

DHOESASVIEYRRAIN

ive ’s interact David Cage w meaning GamesWorld’s ves a ne giide gu es ie m ov m ga e to the most aw ur to advent games of 2010 aited

DARKSIDERS THQ brings Ap

MASS EFFECT 2

h HALO:Reac

2 k c o h S o i B DANTE’S INFERNO BBAaYyoOnNeEtTta ain to

Platinum Gam

IS ALSO A LOT

ALSO IN THIS

DARK VOID

s the RPG volutionize r Bioware re s most spectacula it’ th game ever genre wi

at the A first look blockbuster upcoming ie ng from Bu

ck once ag takes us ba 2K Games of Rapture the depths

ocalypse to our consoles

ISSUE

es’ femme fa

OF FUN TO PLA Y WITH!

Plenty of dizzyi ng action in SEGA ’s third person shooter

tale

TA

es EA challeng s on it’ God of War ound own playgr

DANTE’S INFERNO Electronic Art s throws the duelling glove at Kratos . . .

ncisco, in San Fra 40th Day, ’s Showcase or, Army of Two: The 2 an Microsoft ns vs Predat t bits from Endless Oce Heavy Rain, - All the bes Miles Edgeworth, Alie rno, Dead Space 2, ch, X10 ’s oft 2 Halo: Rea s: Infe Micros l Bearers, estigation More Heroes 2, Dante’s sta Inv ck No Cry r, ey sho Wa The orn al s: 2, Bio Ace Att l Chronicle 09/10, Napoleon: Tot r Trek Online, Company sta Bad Cry y eld tas 2 GP Sta Battlefi ld SA , Final Fan ATV, Moto of Pripyat, l XIII vs SW or y Cal MX ME tas r: 3, GA tro 203 2, Stalke Final Fan MASS EFFECT Red Steel Effect 2, Me 2, ASSASSIN’S MAG, Mass sia: Forgotten Sands, Stars CREED II DLC, SPLINTER CELL GOD OF WAR III; Per : CONVICTION, imate AllPrince of RED DEA YAKUZA 4, THE Capcom: Ult Vs SAB oko OTEUR AND PLEN D REDEMPTION, Tatsun TY MORE.

ALSO IN THIS

ISSUE

sa’s new gaming magazine

available now at your newsagent www.gamesworldsa.com

84

TennisWorld TennisWorld sa sa