F A L L F A S HION Look Ho
t W hen You Hit thhe Cour t
IT’S A TENNIS REVOLUTION
A R A N I D A N I F A S
CL I M B T H E L A D D E R B E R E A DY TO P L
SH E’S R E ACH E D N O. 1 , B U T R W I L L SH E EV E GE T OU T OF H E R H E A D?
AT T H E N E X T L E VAEYL
FALL ’09
It’s Arrived: The Greatest Tennis Video Game The Best New Racquetts For Juniors Learn to C h a ng e Up Your Shots FALL ’09
U.S. $4.99 / CAN $4.99 DISPLAY UNTIL NOV. 16, 2009
0309_COVER_rel.indd 1
6/23/09 9:08 AM
Editor-in-Chief James Martin Executive Editor Stephen Tignor Design Director Gary Stewart Managing Editor Sarah Unke Associate Editor Sarah Thurmond Contributing Editors Bill Gray, Tom Perrotta Senior Instruction Editor Paul Annacone Touring Editor Brad Gilbert Instruction Editor Ken DeHart Gear Advisers David Bone, Bruce Levine, Roman Prokes, Dr. David G. Sharnoff, D.P.M. Photo Editor David Rosenberg Designer Jason Sfetko Production Director Ray Smith Prepress Manager Kent Armstrong Partner George Mackin Publisher Chris Evert Group Publisher Jeff Williams, jwilliams@tennis.com ADVERTISING SALES OFFICES New York Adam Milner (associate publisher), amilner@tennis.com; Buz Keenan (business development), (212) 636-2724, bkeenan@tennis.com; Jodi Neuhauser (sales and marketing manager), (212) 636-2751, jneuhauser@tennis.com; Stephanie Bonk (sales and marketing coordinator), (212) 636-2741, sbonk@tennis.com; fax: (212) 636-2720; 79 Madison Ave., Eighth Floor, New York, NY 10016 Detroit Mike Peters, mikepeters@fueldetroit.com; James McNulty, jamesmcnulty@fueldetroit.com; Jill Randall (business manager), jillrandall@fueldetroit.com; (248) 649-3835; fax: (248) 649-5638; Fuel Detroit, 2150 Butterfield Ave., Suite 230, Troy, MI 48084 Los Angeles Cliff Allman (West Coast sales director), (310) 799-5616, callman@allmanmarvil.com; Dallas Marvil (West Coast sales director), (310) 994-2536, dmarvil@allmanmarvil.com; Melissa Collins (account director), (310) 339-5899, mcollins@allmanmarvil.com; fax: (310) 893-5380; 1918 Main St., Third Floor, Santa Monica, CA 90405 Canada Josef Beranek (account executive), (450) 538-2468, jmberanek@sympatico.ca; fax: (450) 538-5468; JMB Media International, 180 Mudgett Road, Sutton, Quebec, J0E 2K0 Marketing Director Lisa Buco Creative Director, Marketing Ann Eitzen Advertising Records Coordinator Monica Brandon, mbrandon@cmgla.net Circulation Manager Matt Bramble Assistant Circulation Manager Richard Duncan TENNIS.com Managing Editor Abigail Lorge Online Producer Tino Persico Assistant Editor Ed McGrogan MILLER PUBLISHING GROUP LLC President and CEO Robert L. Miller Technology and Production Director Andy Nelson Chief Financial Officer Mike Sultan Editorial and National Sales and Marketing Offices: (212) 636-2700; 79 Madison Ave., Eighth Floor, New York, NY 10016 Subscriptions and Change of Address: (800) 666-8336; P.O. Box 2039, Harlan, IA 51537-4039 Customer Care TENNIS.com/customercare Publications Agreement #40612608 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2
0309_DEP_Masthead_rel.indd 2
6/25/09 11:01 AM
s t n e Cont V OLU
UR ME F O
For the latest on-court styles, turn to Page 22.
NO . 3
FEATURES 14 LOOKING OUT FOR NO. 1 The work ethic of Dinara Safina. By Stephen Tignor
18 CLIMBING THE LADDER Our guide to moving up an age bracket. By Joel Drucker
22 COURT KIDS Fall fashion from the Vermont Canyon courts in Los Angeles
DEPARTMENTS 04 PHOTO OPS 07 GAME ON 12 GEAR The best new racquets for serious players
13 LOCKER ROOM Back-to-school supplies
28 IN THE ZONE Instruction you can use
30 411 Q&As with the 2009 NCAA champions
32 FINAL CALL
FALL FASHION
Look Hot When You Hit the h Court
IT’S A TENNIS REVOLUTION
DINARA SAFINA
CLIMB THE LADDER BE READY TO PLAY AT THE NEXT LEVEL
SHE’S REACHED NO. 1, BUT WILL SHE EVER GET OUT OF HER HEAD?
FALL ’09
It’s Arrived: The Greatest Tennis Video Game The Best New Racquets q quet For Juniors Learn to Change ge Up Your Shots FALL ’09
THIS PAGE: ALEX HOERNER
U.S. $4.99 / CAN $4.99 DISPLAY UNTIL NOV. 16, 2009
0309_COVER_rel.indd 1
6/23/09 9:08 AM
ON THE COVER Like her big brother, Marat, Dinara Safina has reached the top of pro tennis. Also like Marat, she’s often stuck in her head on the court. But after reaching three Grand Slam finals and losing them all, Safina is ready to do what her brother hasn’t: battle her demons to the end. Read about her tireless efforts on Page 14. Photograph by Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images S M AS H
0309_TOC_rel.indd 3
3
6/25/09 10:42 AM
s P O O T O H P
NNIS E T F O D L R O W HE T M O R F S T O H HOT S
U P! ives’ DS w H E A House er and te rk o p e ra o r i a P a A n t o n i , s e D ong nd , S an P ar ker L a y Ev usb a h Ton e ac h her s gu ar d y e s on he t r e u r n i a Sp t t he nd e th k ep er mor he R ola l o th is a t t ’s f ina n t enn r o s me e . G a r in J un
H A f t I P -H O e t o g r di t c P H O sui t s f or a hing h OR AY e , Sv e t t r è s c r t en R ol c ele br lan a K hic w nis hi and ate u le ap G ar d h e z ne t s t e r o r K u z n e a r o s w i t w in a v a t ha w on t he v E de f ea t her se if f el To ic tor y in g c on we in t Dinar a d maj r. he f o inal S af ina r, .
OF INGS S T R O RY aps GL per h rr ell, f or his e F l ting r W il A c to ompens a ice f lop, f o v er c s t box o f , had a bit l la te the Lost Globa of w iss Land t the K- S n f or the ow na o f f u is Sho w d hool in Tenn edish Sc s . Sw ngele L os A
4
SMASH
0309_photo_rerel.indd 4
6/22/09 9:56 AM
) SE T afa? R (S K I J E T n y f ac e , r t he n u st fo t he f W hy ay have lo at Roland d You m ime e ver t to spen t o f ir s t bu t you g y in June s, h d a t y o ur o t r r ir a b G leas a 2 3r d your llor ca. At Francisc in Ma nd, Maria ke she’s li ie girlf r llo, looks e ride. Pere y ing th enjo
NADAL, WILLIAMS AND CHRISTENSEN: SPLASH NEWS; SAMPRAS: MARIO ANZUONI/REUTERS/LANDOV; ALL OTHER PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES
HEL P I NG H No , J elena A N DS sho w J ank Yeoh ing ac tr e o v ic w as n’t t he s ss M t a r ac andar d le ichelle q n u g th et. S help A IDS ing r aise he w as o f r ese ar c h mone y f o r bene at th C ann f it dur ing e am fA R es f il t h e m f es tiv al.
TE L PE t he P I X E bu t is he r ’s , d yea t o o is g h t ’s t en A He t ainm O AT ? W ii G nic En ter place in ro ok Elec t w hich to une , P e te , J E x po geles in he gues t n t L os A r as w as f or E A’s p S am ns tr a tor ennis o dem nd Slam T ii. G ra f or W
QUIE W ho a T P L E A S ! v olum Tur n do w E ? n t he e on Rain t hat nW The O ilson f r o hair. go t g f fice sho m NBC ’s w a Globa me a t th ed he’s e f or c l Tennis S K- S w iss har it h y in L o w do w n o in Ma s A ngele s y.
CKS C H I f o ll o w s ER a B I K illi a m s n a o n h e s W i s S e r e r in g t u n Ve g e r s du ic ans r ar is n y o u t h in P h e A m e t t h e a T p . d ll a b ik e c h O p e n t o o w e h e t hir t F r e n n’ t f a r e lo s t in a s o u t w d s a u di : Ve n S e r e n n al s . S lam nd and ar t er f i u u q ro e in t h
H F SA ( a . a y d e ROM Y k .a n C AG an d h . A n a hr is E i s f k in t e n s t r ie t ar i an S k y s en c r e g d t h e R a c h é e , T w alk u l a i r b e l B h e e r) s tu r t O .C o e s t il s a t t c k ou ur is t o lo on , . t en t o s kl ,b an d R o in g a y w a u t t h ik e y l an e d G s e s s i w h il e y ar r on os a t .
SMASH
0309_photo_rerel.indd 5
5
6/22/09 9:56 AM
t Call Toll Free 1.800.833.6615
Shop Online www.TennisExpress.com
FREE SHIPPING
FREE STRINGING
on New Performance Racquets.
Orders Over $75 Continental U.S.
MEN’S
CC Genius
Barricade V
Tennis Tutor Basic Battery: Battery w/ Oscillator: Tennis Tutor: Tennis Tutor Plus: Player:
Bolle Parole $79.50
$649 $749 $1,049 $1,249 $1,649
Oakley Half Jacket XLJ $105
Grand Slam Super p Six
Prince EXO3
Propulse 2
T22
WOMEN’S
Youtek RADICAL MP $189.95
[K] BLADE 98 T$199
POWER BRIDGE 10 $189.99
Propulse Lady 2
EXO3 IGNITE 95 $189
T22
Barricade V AEROGEL 4D 300 $179
Barricade V
VISIT
www.tennis.com/custcare to manage your subscription online OR CALL 1.800.666.8336
YOU CAN: RENEW your subscription | PAY your bill
your mailing address | REPORT delivery problems GIVE a gift subscription UPDATE
Untitled-1 1
6/24/09 12:29 PM
RYAN PIERSE/GETTY IMAGES
• THE L • HIGH ATEST, GREA • 10 DE SCHOOL GIR TEST TENNIS • INCOMGREES OF JU LS WHO BEA VIDEO GAM TU AN E I NG: M ADISO MARTIN DE P ON THE BO L PO TR N KE YS YS O
Gael Monfils leaps for an overhead at Roland Garros.
117 M.P.H.: The average men’s first-serve speed at the French Open in 2008, compared to 119 at Wimbledon, 115 at the Australian Open and 114 at the U.S. Open. ››› 101 M.P.H.: The average rate of a French Open men’s first
SMASH
0309_GO_FINAL_rel.indd 7
7
6/22/09 9:21 AM
GAMERS GET REAL GRAND SLAM TENNIS IS SO REALISTIC YOU CAN STICK A VOLLEY JUST LIKE JOHNNY MAC AS MOST VIDEO gamers know, Wii Sports games are little more than goofy, if addictively fun, diversions. Try putting in Wii golf or swinging a bat in Wii baseball—you’ll find more realism in an old-school Atari 2600 game. Wii tennis is no different. It’s decent entertainment, but hard-core tennis fans are ultimately let down by the cartoon interface, the doublesonly play, the fact that the computer controls your movement, and the lessthan-precise controls that come down to timing and luck. So when EA Sports released Grand Slam Tennis for Wii in June, gamers could be forgiven for thinking they had another mishit on their hands. But it only takes a few minutes of play to realize that EA Sports has pulled off a big upset. Not only does Grand Slam Tennis not stink, it’s the best tennis simulation you’ll play. The game is a revelation that takes full advantage
of the Wii interactive interface to put you in total control. You use the Wii remote to mimic the basic shots of tennis. Swing low to high for topspin, high to low for biting slice, and across your body for flat, penetrating shots. Timing is critical, but also intuitive, so you’re able to crush inside-out forehands or jump on a return to smack it down the line. For character movement, you’ve got two options: elect to have the
computer move your avatar (though you decide, by a simple tap of a button, when to attack the net) or connect the Wii Nunchuk to dictate every slide and sprint of your character. The latter is a great feature, but one that only the most coordinated gamers will fully enjoy. If you want an even more realistic experience, buy the new Wii MotionPlus adapter that connects to the remote. It allows the Wii to deliver added
—JAMES MARTIN
VERA ZVONAREVA
ONE GRAND
$5
10 26 06
25 AGE
DATE SHE BECAME MARY PIERCE’S SINGLES SEMIFINAL LAST OPPONENT AT CAREER$700,000 PRIZE MONEY SHE (AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2009) A TOURNAMENT IN RECEIVED FOR WINNING INDIAN HIGH WTA WELLS IN 2009, $94,500 MORE RANKING AUSTRIA. SHE WAS THAN THE MEN’S CHAMPION, THE FIRST TO RUSH RAFAEL NADAL TO HELP PIERCE, WHO FELL TO THE GRAND SLAM COURT WITH A DOUBLES TITLES MONTHS AFTER INDIAN RUPTURED LIGAMENT (2004 U.S. OPEN AND WELLS THAT SHE WAS IN HER KNEE 2006 WIMBLEDON NAMED A PROMOTER OF MIXED AND 2006 GENDER EQUALITY FOR CAREER WTA TITLES
5-FOOT-7 3/4 HEIGHT
U.S. OPEN WOMEN’S)
SLAM
THREE
TWO THE WTA AND UNESCO
9 SINGLES, 5 DOUBLES
MATTHEW STOCKMAN/GETTY IMAGES
BY THE NUMBERS…
Time-Warp Tennis: McEnroe vs. Federer
precision, with rallies becoming less about timing and more about the positioning and trajectory of your swing. Talk about cool: When you turn to one side for a forehand or the other for a backhand, or raise your remote high or low to prepare to swing, your avatar follows suit. And you’re not just putting some nameless cartoon characters through their paces. The game features the likenesses of legends from John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg to Boris Becker and Pete Sampras. Many of the players’ mannerisms, such as Mac’s singular service wind-up, are vividly reproduced. If you’d prefer to stick with current stars, you can choose Ana Ivanovic, Maria Sharapova, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer or Andy Roddick, among others. Grand Slam Tennis isn’t perfect. You may find it too difficult to put the ball away at net or pass an oncoming net-rusher. Like every tennis game before it, you won’t hit too many balls into the net, and some of the avatar’s emotions—Borg fist pumping?—are about as out of place as the inclusion of Kei Nishikori in the game’s otherwise all-star lineup. That said, Grand Slam Tennis still delivers the most authentic and entertaining tennis video game experience to date.
serve in 2001, compared to 113 at Wimbledon, 111 at the U.S. Open and 104 at the Australian Open. ››› BUT THE SERVE ISN’T EVERYTHING: Ivo Karlovic broke the record of 51 aces in a match, which he held with Joachim
8
SMASH
0309_GO_FINAL_rel.indd 8
6/22/09 9:21 AM
SMASH 15 OUR TAKE ON TENNIS AND THE WORLDD AROUND IT–BUT DON’T TAKE OUR WORD FOR ITT Pretty in Pink? Sorry, Rafa, we don’t think so. o.
Hawk-Eye on the Grandstand: The U.S. Open’s best viewing court g even better. just got
Jim Courier tweets during an exo against John McEnroe: Instead of having us all a-Twitter, it was TMI.
Here’s hoping the versatile game of Alexa Glatch takes her to the top of women’s tennis.
All Inclusive THE USTA’S NO-CUT SCHOOL TENNIS TEAMS PROGRAM GIVES EVERYONE A CHANCE KELSEY RETICH SHOWED up to play for the Hartland (Mich.) High School team three years ago as a freshman with no tennis experience. The 15-year-old, who lost her right leg in a lawn mower accident when she was 3, couldn’t wear her prosthetic that day because she had just had surgery. What she had was a crutch and a good friend who was willing to be her doubles partner. “So I hopped around the court on the crutch,” Retich says. “I would serve and then hop to the net. Thanks to No-Cut, I was kept on the team playing No. 8 doubles on the JV with my friend Mary, who had to cover most of the court.” Last spring, in her junior year, Retich played No. 4 singles on the varsity squad and earned the fourth seed at her school’s regional tournament. Kelsey is a success story of the USTA’s No-Cut School Tennis Teams program, which guarantees that any student who shows up will make the team and play at least a few matches during the season. Started in 2006, there are more than 2,800 high school coaches who have agreed to run No-Cut teams. Without No-Cut, coaches probably wouldn’t have given Sadiya Buta, a 15-yearold sophomore, even a first look. The Somalian refugee came to her first practice at Desert View High School in Tucson, Ariz., with a $20 racquet having never played the game. But with grit and a natural ability, she developed a lethal two-handed forehand and made No. 3 doubles on the varsity team. “No-Cut gives people like me a chance,” Buta says. “If a student is self-disciplined and willing to work, we can teach her the skills to succeed,” says Buta’s coach, Stacy Haines. “I love No-Cut,” says Kenneth Hodgkins, who played on the Winthrop (Mass.) High School tennis team and graduated in the spring. Hodgkins, who has a condition that reduces the strength in his upper body, hadn’t played tennis and was hardly able to return the ball when he was a freshman. By his senior year, he was playing No. 1 singles. “He’s not a powerful hitter,” says his coach, Barbara Hoffmann, “but he practiced and he can return anything that comes over the net. He’s had a great year.” Kirk Anderson, USTA director of recreational coaches and programs, who helped start No-Cut, remembers the day in the 1980s when his son wasn’t given a chance to try out for tennis as a freshman because all the spots went to upperclassmen. “It was devastating,” he says. “I didn’t want that to happen to other families.” “You never want to turn a kid away from being active and productive in a sport,” says Jason Jamison, USTA national manager for school tennis. “Imagine a math teacher who only kept the A and B students. No one would stand for that. Why should tennis be any different?”—JEFF GAYDOS
RETICH: JAMES JAGDFELD; SMASH 15: GETTY IMAGES
“IMAGINE A MATH TEACHER WHO ONLY KEPT THE A AND B STUDENTS. NO ONE WOULD STAND FOR THAT,” SAYS THE USTA’S JASON JAMISON.
Kim Clijsters is back. Now if only Justine Henin would return, women’s tennis would be exciting again.
Pop quiz: Which player has a bad rep for spitting, ing? punching and taunting?
Answer: Journeyman n Daniel Koellerer.
Marat Safin’s Magical Misery Tour— tune in before it’s too late.
Shameless plug alert: Check out TENNIS.com for breaking news and the best blogs in the business.
Props to TennisTV.com for delivering high quality pro tennis on the ’net.
The perfect pump-up music for your workout is the best punk album of the year, Let the Dominoes Fall by Rancid. Favorite new post-match move: Jo-Willy Tsonga wearing a tie to a press conference to celebrate a win.
Au revoir, Fabrice Santoro. The game will miss your two-handed forehand, your guile, and the way you tested the sanity of your opponents.
The game’s latest cautionary tale could be 7-year-old prodigy Jan Silva.
Lleyton, it’s long overdue, but it’s time to turn your hat around.
Johansson, by firing 55 against Lleyton Hewitt this year at Roland Garros. Karlovic lost in five sets. ››› 33: Number of consecutive clay-court wins for Rafael Nadal before Roger Federer beat him in the 2009 Madrid
SMASH
0309_GO_FINAL_rel.indd 9
9
6/22/09 9:21 AM
Girl Power
116-0 THE ONLY THING LOST ON THE WALTON GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS TEAM IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO LOSE A MATCH IF YOU WERE to ask Roberta Manheim, coach of the Walton High School girls’ tennis team, what it’s like to lose, she’d probably give you a blank look. Her suburban Atlanta team clinched its sixth consecutive state championship in May and extended their winning streak to 116 straight matches. That’s the longest streak in Georgia high school sports since a girls’ basketball team put together a 122-game winning streak in 1980. And, with the Lady Raiders returning all but two of its starters from the championship team next spring, there’s good reason to expect the streak to continue. The last time the girls’ team lost was in 2003. Manheim, the school’s cheerleading coach and an avid recreational tennis player, took over coaching duties the following spring and the rest is history. The key to Manheim’s success has been a wealth of top-level talent. Three players from Manheim’s first squad went on to play Division I tennis, and the top two singles players from this past season, Elizabeth Kilborn and Emily Lauten, earned scholarships to
Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech respectively. With this much talent, Manheim’s job is almost like that of a Fed Cup captain. All of the current players have their own coaches, and the top players have busy tournament schedules outside of their varsity dates. Even the lower-ranked players could easily start, or even star, at other schools. This means Manheim doesn’t need to spend much time on technique or strategy. “For me, it’s all about getting them to buy into the team concept,” she says. The team came close to defeat in the 2008 state tournament against the team from Brookwood High School of Snellville, Ga. Kilborn and Lauten lost their singles matches, and their No. 2 doubles team dropped the first set before rallying to beat their opponents. Ashley Lawrence kept Walton’s streak alive with a clutch win at third singles. So how will Manheim handle it if the streak comes to an end? “When we lose, we’ll celebrate the fact that we made news by losing,” she says. “And then we’ll start a new streak.”—ALLEN ST. JOHN
Call it the Battle of the Sexes, high school style. In May, sisters Karli and Tanya Timko of Houston, Pa., won the Class AA boys’ doubles title, becoming the first girls ever to win a boys’ doubles championship in Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League history. “A couple of coaches said we couldn’t win. There were people who thought we shouldn’t even be out there,” says Tanya, who graduated in June. The sisters proved they belong by winning the final 6-2, 6-1. The girls found themselves on the boys’ team because their high school, Chartiers-Houston High in the Pittsburgh suburbs, didn’t have enough players to field a girls’ team. The Timkos, who won the girls’ doubles state title in 2007, were given the option to join the boys’ squad, and they were ready for the challenge. “There weren’t any major adjustments I needed to make,” Karli says. “I like the fast pace and the hard-hit shots. It’s more my style.” A winning style runs in the family. Their aunt is Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton, their father played quarterback at West Virginia, and their grandfather was on the West Virginia basketball team that reached the 1959 NCAA tournament final. As for the team the girls beat in the final, Tin Chu and Drew Gallatin of Thomas Jefferson High in Clairton, Pa., they had nothing but praise for the girls. “Anyone who might make fun of us for losing to girls, they would lose, too,” Gallatin told the Pittsburgh PostGazette. “They hit the ball as hard as any boy we’ve played,” Liu added. Unfortunately, the girls weren’t quite as dominant in the state championships. They lost in the first round Tanya in three sets. Karli
—J. MICHAEL KRIVYANSKI
WEAK ONES THESE PROS MADE IT TO NO. 1, BUT WITHOUT MUCH SLAM SUCCESS
DINARA SAFINA She’ll be second to older brother Marat Safin until she wins a Slam. Weeks at No. 1...10 Major Titles..........0 Other Titles.........11
JELENA JANKOVIC She plays and wins more matches than anyone— except on the game’s biggest stages. Weeks at No. 1...18 Major Titles..........0 Other Titles........10
ANA IVANOVIC Is she too sweet to stay at the top of the rankings?
KIM CLIJSTERS Kimmy is back in the hunt after having a child.
Weeks at No. 1...12 Major Titles...........1 Other Titles...........7
Weeks at No. 1..19 Major Titles...........1 Other Titles........33
AMELIE MAURESMO She had a fabulous year in 2006, but she couldn’t stay healthy.
MARCELO RIOS The ornery Chilean flopped in his one major final, at the 1998 Australian Open.
Weeks at No. 1..39 Major Titles..........2 Other Titles........22
Weeks at No. 1.....6 Major Titles..........0 Other Titles........18
CARLOS MOYA He’s had a long and accomplished career, but won just one major. Weeks at No. 1.....2 Major Titles...........1 Other Titles........19
JUAN CARLOS FERRERO It was all downhill after Andy Roddick trounced him in the 2003 U.S. Open final.
THOMAS MUSTER The ultimate ironman could grind away on the clay but wasn’t a force on other surfaces.
Weeks at No. 1.....8 Major Titles...........1 Other Titles.........11
Weeks at No. 1.....6 Major Titles...........1 Other Titles........43
ANDY RODDICK If not for Roger Federer, he probably would have a few Wimbledon titles to his name. Weeks at No. 1..13 Major Titles...........1 Other Titles........26 (as of 6/22/09)
FROM TOP: NANCY SCOTT PHOTOGRAPHY; PETER DIANA/PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE/ZUMA PRESS; WEAK ONES: GETTY IMAGES
THE TIMKO SISTERS BEAT UP ON THE BOYS
Masters final 6-4, 6-4. ››› COUPLES DOUBLES: Husband and wife Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf lost 7-6 to Kim Clijsters and Tim Henman in an exhibition to test Wimbledon’s Centre Court roof. ››› 20–14: Pete Sampras’
10
SMASH
0309_GO_FINAL_rel.indd 10
6/22/09 9:54 AM
10 DEGREES PROOF THAT THE WORLD REVOLVES AROUND JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO
1
Juan Martin del Potro received encouragement from Argentine soccer legend and national team coach Diego Maradona at a Davis Cup practice for last September’s tie.
2
Diego Maradona interviewed Cuban President Fidel Castro in 2005 on his TV talk show La Noche del Diez.
3
Fidel Castro invited former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to throw the first pitch at a baseball game in Cuba in 2002.
4
Jimmy Carter played the harmonica during “Georgia on My Mind” at a Willie Nelson concert in 2008.
5
10
9
8
7
6
Owen Wilson was at the Sony Ericsson Open in April and watched Andy Murray beat Juan Martin del Potro.
Snoop Dogg played Huggy Bear opposite Owen Wilson’s Hutch in the 2004 movie Starsky & Hutch.
David Beckham ate waffles and wings with Snoop Dogg on a December 2007 episode of the E! network’s reality show Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood.
Justin Timberlake chatted with Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham at Game 4 of the 2008 NBA finals.
Willie Nelson took on the role of Uncle Jesse, while singer Jessica Simpson played Daisy Duke in the 2005 movie The Dukes of Hazzard.
Jessica Simpson and her boyfriend, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, were impersonated at the 2008 ESPY awards by Justin Timberlake. —SARAH THURMOND
Williams Wannabe
DEGREES: GETTY IMAGES; KEYS: BOB KENAS
A VENUS WILLIAMS DRESS INSPIRED THIS 14-YEAR-OLD RISING STAR AMERICANS ERICANS VENUS AND Serena Williams have inspired a generation eration of girls to bash bigger and shriek louder, but the mostt accomplished of their imitators have come from Eastern Europe pe and Russia. Now ow the U.S. may have a Williams baby of its own. Illinois linois native Madison Keys, 14, first picked up a racquet cquet after watching Venus at Wimbledon. It wasn’t asn’t her play that caught the eye of the 4-year-old wanted ar-old Keys. It was her dress; Keys ys wante nted d one just like it. Her dad said she could one, coulld have ha a ve e one o on e, but only if she started to play tennis tennis. is. Ten en years and one family move tto o tthe he Evertt Academy in Boca Raton, Fla. Fla.,. , later, la ter, Keys s appears poised to follow Venus Venus s onto o the game’s biggest stages. sta ages s. A champion ampion in the girls’ 12-and12-a and ddunders ers at prestigious junior junio or events nts like the Orange Bowl Bo w l and the Eddie Herr, the 5 5-foot-10 -10 1/2 net-rusher won her first WTA tourr match ch in April, beating ting g No. No . 80 No
Alla Kudryavtseva at a tournament in Ponte Vedra Beach, Beach Fla. with Jennifer “Madison is special,” says her coach, John Evert. “I worked w [Capriati] and Mary Joe [Fernandez]. They each had a dream, and nothing was going to stop them. Maddy has the same intangible intangibles and commitment.” “I love tennis like I always have,” Keys says. She better. Besides two practice sessions a day on the courts at Evert, she squeezes in daily fitness subject), and as training, classes at school, homework (math is her favorite f Christine and Rick, much quality time with her family as she can. Keys’ parents, pare and her sisters who played college basketball, live in Boca Raton with Madison M Hunter, Montana and Sydney. precocious playing style. “She’s tall The basketball gene may help explain Keys’ precociou Evert says. “We have to rein and aggressive and always wants to move forward,” Eve translates on the court.” her in sometimes. She’s an outgoing kid, and that tr “I always want to come to the net,” ne Keys says. Her favorite sho shot is her serve, and she loves to watch Rafael lov Nadal “because of his N attitude.” While she says she’s working on all of her strokes, she and Evert are paying close attention to her backhand. at “I ha have a two-hander,” Keys Name: says, “but we’re working say MADISON KEYS using slice, so I can get on u Age: in more.” m 14 An American hopeful who From: wants tto mix it up and come to ROCK ISLAND, IL Height: g Madison Keys may end up being the net? Madiso 5-FOOT-10 1/2 Venus Williams ever did for the best thing Ve U.S. tennis.—STEP —STEPHEN TIGNOR
lifetime record against Agassi. They’ll face each other in an exhibition in Macau on Oct. 25. ››› 260: Number of players ranked in the USTA’s Top 300 juniors who went to college on tennis scholarships in 2008. ‹‹‹
SMASH
0309_GO_FINAL_rel.indd 11
11
6/22/09 9:21 AM
GEAR YOUR KEYS TO THE OPEN HERE ARE THREE PLAYERS’ RACQUETS THAT WILL START YOU ON YOUR WAY TO ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM. BY BILL GRAY
PRINCE EXO3 IGNITE TEAM 95: HAVE IT YOUR WAY Key specs: It’s 11 ounces and 27 inches long, with a 95-square-inch head and even balance. $200, princetennis.com It can grow with you from the Open juniors to the main draw: The regular midsize Ignite is a fine tournament racquet, but we like this “Team” version. It’s more than an ounce lighter and is evenly balanced, giving you the option of starting out with it as it comes—say when you’re in the U.S. Open juniors—then loading it up with lead tape to customize the weight and balance the next year when you’re playing in the main draw. Another great feature of this Prince is that it has interchangeable grommet inserts. The racquet comes with large grommet holes called “string ports” that liven up the stringbed a little like a trampoline, though the power is still controllable. You can change those up with strips of small grommets for a crisp, traditional feel and more control. We prefer the ports because they help generate more gas on groundies.
HEAD YOUTEK RADICAL OS: YOUTEK, YOU ROCK Key specs: It’s 11.2 ounces and 27 inches long, with a 107-square-inch head and head-light balance. $210, head.com It’s an all-courter’s pass to Flushing: The YouTek Radical is the most versatile oversize stick for serious players on the market. It helps deliver more controllable power and maneuverability than even the superfine Radical OS versions of old. And if you think big-faced racquets are only for baseline bashers and backcourt counter-punchers, this is an allcourter that provides the quick-onthe-draw and slice-and-dice qualities of a midsize at net. The key to its enhanced power and control is Head’s new d3o technology—a soft, “smart” material, Head says, in the frame’s shaft. At the moment of contact, it’s supposed to stiffen the frame when you need more power on fast strokes, or deliver extra feel on slower touch shots, like drop volleys.
YONEX RDIS 100: FIT FOR THE FITTEST Key specs: It’s 12.1 ounces and 27 inches long, with a 93-square-inch head and head-light balance. $220, yonex.com Only the fit can go five sets at Flushing with the RDiS 100: This is an elite players’ frame that will work best for those who spend as much time in the gym as they do on the court. The RDiS 100 is a lethal weapon for serious players who have long, fast strokes and can generate their own power. For out of shape gate-crashers, the hefty RDiS 100 can make you feel weak in the knees by the second set (for a more forgiving option, there’s a 98-square-inch model). This stick will reward the highly skilled and fully buffed player with butcher-like slice, pinpoint control and stability that doesn’t budge on mishits.
12
SMASH
0309_GEAR_rel.indd 12
PHOTOGRAPH BY RAINER BEHRENS
6/22/09 9:59 AM
6
SCHOOL SUPPLIES
7
THIS FALL, RETURN TO YOUR READING, WRITING AND ARITHMETIC IN STYLE. BY SARAH UNKE 4
1. CASE LOGIC ARTIST SERIES MESSENGER BAG Do you like to doodle? Consider this messenger bag your blank canvas, and the Sharpie that comes with it your paintbrush. But the bag’s also practical, with plenty of compartments for books, notebooks and your laptop. $45, caselogic.com 2. DAKINE EXPLORER PACK This skateboarder’s backpack works for tennis players, too. The straps on the front are meant for a board, but you can easily slide in a tennis racquet. It also has an internal padded laptop sleeve, an organizer pocket to hold things like your cellphone and pens, and tons of space for your books. $55, dakine.com 3. POST-IT FLAG HIGHLIGHTER If you’re deep in research for a term paper or studying for a final exam, this highlighter with built-in page flags will be your best friend. $8 for three, shop3m.com 4. TI-NSPIRE CALCULATOR The latest from Texas Instruments, this colossal calculator has you covered for all things math. It’ll get you through algebra, geometry, statistics and calculus. You can even save documents and transfer them to your computer. $140, ti-nspire.com
LOCATION: HEARTSCHALLENGER.COM
5. SIDEKICK LX Stay on top of your busy schedule and keep up with your friends with this pda. You can enter assignment due dates, social events and, of course, your tennis matches in the calendar. $250, sidekick.com
5 1 3
2
6. MEAD RECYCLED NOTEBOOK Take notes the environmentally responsible way in this one-subject notebook made from 100 percent post-consumer fibers, including 30 percent post-consumer waste. It has a storage pocket in the front and comes in six colors. Keep the green going and recycle it when you’re done. $6, mead.com 7. FIVE STAR DOTS EXPANDING FILE This expandable file has six pockets to keep you organized for all your classes. It’s great for handouts, and you can turn it over for a hard surface to write on the go. It comes in six design and color combinations. $6, mead.com
PHOTOGRAPH BY MARISSA KAISER
0309_DEP_Locker_rerel.indd 13
S SM MA AS SH H
0 10 3
6/23/09 10:34 AM
LOOKING
OUT FOR
NO.1
14
JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
D COUL A N I F T SA ES NARAD AS THE BD, I D E R BEFO ECOGNIZE THE WORLS LITTLE R BE AYER IN FAMOU O BE PL D MOST HAD T SON. ECON E N N IS N P ER THE SSTER IN T S HER OW OR A SI GN N I Z ED T E P H E N T I G O C RE BY S
SMASH
0309_FEA_Safina_rel.indd 14
6/23/09 8:28 AM
NAME TEEKAY 0309_FEA_Safina_rel.indd 15
6/23/09 8:28 AM
VERY TENNIS PLAYER is subjected to a relentless critique. Fitness, physique, form, toughness, hand-eye coordination and a dozen other aspects of their games and personalities are meticulously picked over by coaches, opponents, commentators and fans. But there’s one universal ingredient to the athletic mix that’s typically overlooked in these assessments, and it may be the most crucial factor of all: motivation. Motivation is difficult to measure. It’s embedded too deeply in a player’s makeup to be revealed as she
E
0309_FEA_Safina_rel.indd 16
hits a backhand or serves an ace. It’s there nonetheless, and you can find it right at the top of the WTA tour rankings. Serena Williams is the best women’s player of her era, but she began as tennis’ most famous kid sister. Would she be where she is if she hadn’t had her older sister Venus to motivate her, to give her someone to look up to, to emulate, to vanquish? For much of 2009, another little sister, Dinara Safina, has been at the top of the rankings. Like Williams, she’s the younger sibling of a famous major-title-winning tennis player, her brother, Marat. Considering that the two of them never face each other on the court, the way the Williamses have nearly 20 times, you would think this fact hasn’t played as big a role in Safina’s career as it has in Serena’s. You would be wrong.
“Having an older brother in tennis was good and bad,” the 23-year-old Safina says. “It helped me at first, but then I always wanted to be better, so I put more pressure on myself.” For years that self-imposed pressure worked against Safina. Despite her strength and range and the heavy shots she could produce from the baseline at a young age, her self-lacerating temper and midmatch emotional swings mired her in tennis’ second tier. While other Russians of her generation, such as Svetlana Kuznetsova and Maria Sharapova, won Grand Slam titles, Safina’s ranking hovered in the 40s. It wasn’t until 2008, at the relatively advanced age of 22, that she cracked the year-end Top 10. “When I was ranked No. 30 or No. 40, I would say, ‘I am better than this,’” Safina says in high-pitched mock anger, her eyes narrowing to a squint. She starts to raise her right arm to punctuate the last four words, but puts it down quietly before it gets above her shoulder. The baffled disappointment of those days remains in her psyche, but even the terminally tough-on-herself Safina knows that she has risen above them. The turnaround didn’t happen gradually; it was as sudden as it was unexpected. After going 11-10 through the early part of 2008, Safina caught fire in Berlin in April, beating world No. 1 Justine Henin, Serena Williams and Elena Dementieva on her way to the title. What seemed like a one-week aberration quickly turned into a permanent boost in Safina’s status. She reached her first major final a few weeks later at the French Open. She went on to win the U.S. Open Series in the summer, take home the silver medal at the Beijing Olympics, and reach the final of the Australian Open to start 2009. Despite losing badly to Williams in Melbourne, she ascended to No. 1 in the spring. Safina says that the biggest key to her surprising midcareer surge was getting in better shape. This gave her a new foundation of confidence as matches progressed. Leaner and lighter, she could finally exploit all of her 5-foot-11 1/2 frame. The hard labor only continued this past March in Indian Wells, where Safina was a practice-court fixture even on the hottest days in the desert. Often she was hitting balls a few courts away from her brother. The contrast couldn’t have been starker. Safin has spent the last few years doing little more than play out the string on a misspent career, yet his practice court was ringed with fans four rows deep. Safina, the No. 1 player in the world, played in relative peace. Not that she seemed to care. While her brother effortlessly slugged backhands for half an hour—he rarely bothered to bend his knees but almost never missed a ball—Safina methodically smacked serve after serve, grunting loudly and taking the time to work out the many kinks in her complicated and slightly disjointed delivery. Unlike Safin, who owns one of the least cluttered serves in the game, nothing comes easily or perfectly for Safina. In Indian Wells, her coach, Zeljko Krajan, schooled her persistently. He’s a famous perfectionist—“If one day he’s going to be happy [with the way I played],” Safina said with a smile at the French Open this spring, “I think I’ll finish my career. He’s never happy.” In the desert, he zeroed in on the most rudimentary elements of the serve—keep your head up and your tossing arm high—but Safina couldn’t always execute them. Even at 23, and at No. 1 in the world, she remains a work in progress. It isn’t for lack of effort. At the end of each practice session, when she was soaked with sweat, Krajan let Safina have a little violent fun, taking short balls on her forehand side. “Taking,” in this case, is a serious understatement. Safina’s dozens of little
6/23/09 8:28 AM
FROM LEFT: TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP/GETTY IMAGES; AL BELLO/GETTY IMAGES; ROBERT PREZIOSO/GETTY IMAGES
Safina, Not Safinette: While her brother has been accused of not taking the game seriously enough—he once famously packed his player’s box with blond beauties called “Safinettes”—Safina is one of the hardestworking players in the game.
steps weren’t meant just to get her into position. She looked like she was revving herself up to run the ball over. Safina was asked in Indian Wells what she had learned from her brother. She answered, with her usual wry thin smile, “Just not to do like he’s doing. Do completely the opposite from him.” She was joking, of course, but to see the two siblings’ approaches to their games side by side—one casual, the other anything but—was to realize again how Safina has retained her original motivation through the years. As it was for Serena Williams, being a good tennis player in Safina’s mind wasn’t just about excelling at a sport. “It made me want to be recognized as my own person,” Safina says of having a world No. 1 player for an older brother. “And now I’m there.” Becoming her own person meant not just fulfilling her potential; it also meant matching her brother’s accomplishments. If there’s a downside to Safina’s ambition, it’s that it may have made her a little too intense. At the French Open this spring, she finally appeared ready to put the Grand Slam jinx behind her. Inspired by Williams’ comment three weeks earlier in Rome about how she wasn’t the “real” No. 1, Safina came to Paris
“HAVING AN OLDER BROTHER IN TENNIS WAS GOOD AND BAD,” SAFINA SAYS. “IT HELPED ME AT FIRST, BUT THEN I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE BETTER, SO I PUT PRESSURE ON MYSELF.”
playing the most confident tennis of her career. She carried herself with a champion’s poise through the tournament, dropping just one set before the final. There, facing Kuznetsova, a player she had beaten in five of their last six matches, Safina came out blazing from the first point, her pupils focused into tiny bullets. But when Kuznetsova refused to go away and began to take control of rallies, Safina was knocked on her heels. She had no answers. The tears came, as they had against Williams in the Australian Open final. In the end, she was left with only a despairing question for Krajan in the stands: “Why am I such a chicken?” The old questions about Safina lingered. Could she handle the big stage? Or was she just not talented enough to win a Grand Slam? The answers will come eventually. For now, she still has at least one score to settle, one that should keep her working overtime until she does. Safina has walked out of her brother’s towering shadow. She has matched his No. 1 ranking and become her own person in her eyes. But she has never matched his status as a two-time Grand Slam titlist. If the past is any guide, she won’t need any more motivation than that.
SMASH
0309_FEA_Safina_rel.indd 17
17
6/24/09 9:21 AM
0309_FEA_NextLevel_rel.indd 18
6/23/09 8:30 AM
CCLIMBING LIMBING TTHE HE LLADDER ADDER ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT MOVING UP AN AGE BRACKET? HERE’S HOW TO MAKE THE TRANSITION AS SMOOTH AND SUCCESSFUL AS POSSIBLE. BY JOEL DRUCKER ILLUSTRATION BY DEVIN CLARK SMASH
0309_FEA_NextLevel_rel.indd 19
19
6/23/09 8:30 AM
very two years, you have to make the jump to a new and tougher age bracket. Just when you get comfortable at one level and master what it takes to succeed, you’re forced to face bigger and more experienced kids at the next level. How can you hit the court running? It varies tremendously depending on your age and gender. Girls tend to mature physically at an earlier age, and as they build their games they need to work on things like consistency and increasing their power. The physical maturity curve for boys is longer, so developing the most effective playing style requires more patience. But no matter what your age or gender, steady improvement is the goal. You’re not going to suddenly become a different player at 16 than you were at 15, but the jump to a new age group will force you to dig a little deeper and not rest on your accomplishments.
E
THE 14 14ss : GROW YOUR GAME
mix in three-quarter–pace passing shots and lobs, constantly stretching the net player.
“Prior to age 14, it’s about keeping the ball in play,” says Lynne Rolley, who coached Lindsay Davenport and is director of tennis at the Berkeley Tennis Club in California. “But from this point on, you start to shape a playing style, how you end points, how to stay consistent, how to enhance your game.” In other words, you start to become multidimensional. As you seek to diversify your game, your understanding of tennis strategy should improve as well. No longer is tennis simply a sport of attrition. Through your mid-teens, you need to start honing your ability to detect your opponent’s weaknesses and put yourself in position to use your increasing array of strengths. For boys and girls, the serve becomes more important as you progress through the 14s, so it’s critical to add spin, pace and direction to your first serve and to make your second delivery as reliable as possible. According to Chris Lewis, a former Wimbledon finalist and director of the junior program at the Woodbridge Tennis Club in Irvine, Calif., “By the 16s you want to build a second serve that neutralizes the opponent’s return.”
From a physical standpoint, girls mature sooner than boys, and by 14 they may be as tall as they’re going to be. That doesn’t mean they can’t get stronger and faster. At this age, increasing your speed and agility and improving your understanding of the court is important because the girls’ game is often one of athletic baseline rallies. “You can always make yourself a better athlete,” says Gil Reyes, Andre Agassi’s long-standing trainer who now works with Fernando Verdasco and Caroline Wozniacki. The 14s is a good time to start a conditioning program like interval training or running to build aerobic fitness. Increased aerobic capacity will help you get to the ball faster and hit it harder and more consistently over longer periods of time. A good way to practice this is to play three baseline rally games up to 25 points. Being forced to concentrate and keep your footwork up for that many points will enhance your physical and mental fitness.
BOYS: ADD NEW SHOTS “Before you get to be 14 or 15 you can still win 80 percent of the time with the wrong things— moonballs, bad mechanics, hitting the ball short,” says Brad Stine, former coach of world No. 1 Jim Courier. “But as you get older, you want to start putting time into learning sound transition shots, volleys and overheads.” Here’s a useful drill that will help you sharpen your net skills: Use just half the court and hit back and forth, with one person standing at the net and the other at the baseline. The baseliner should
GIRLS: IMPROVE YOUR FITNESS
THE 16 16ss AND 18 18ss : CONSOLIDATE, CONSOLIDAT E, BUT DON’T BE COMPLACENT Just like your schoolwork in high school, these are the years when the stakes get higher. “Ask yourself just how good you want to be,” says Nick Bollettieri, who has worked with 10 players who have reached No. 1 in the world. “Do you want to play college tennis? If you’re good enough to play college tennis, do you want to earn a letter or eventually be No. 1 on your team? Whatever demands you make of
STARTING LATE? NO WORRIES No matter what your age, you’re going to encounter people who began playing before you did. Don’t let that bother you. “You’re only really competing against yourself, and your own idea of how to get better,” says former pro Luke Jensen, the women’s coach at Syracuse University. “You’ll lose matches, but what matters most is how you invest in your own game.” So even if you’re 16 and just starting to play, work hard at your tennis and you’ll improve. “Keep in mind that if you start later you’ll need to really put in more time on your technique,” says Brad Stine, former coach of world No. 1 Jim Courier. “But you can make a lot of progress very quickly. And you’ll be approaching the game with a fresh attitude. That’s very different from some players, who, by their late teens, might be feeling jaded or tired of tennis.”
20
SHOULD YOU PLAY UP? “Playing up”—competing in a higher age group, against older and stronger opponents—rarely helps you become a better player. “You should only play up when you’re dominating your age group,” says Craig Boynton, academy director at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel, Fla. “Otherwise, what you’re doing is avoiding the pressure that comes from having to compete against your peers and the people you’re expected to beat.” Most coaches say players should compete at a level where they win 65 to 70 percent of their matches. “It’s good to practice winning,” says Lynne Rolley, director of tennis at the Berkeley Tennis Club in California. “It builds skill and confidence to work your way through one match after another.” Still, if you’re getting lots of experience at your own level, it might be worth entering a tournament at a higher age group to get an idea of what shots you need to improve. But again, real improvement comes from consistently beating players of similar, and even lesser, skill levels.
yourself in your high school years will make a big difference.”
BOYS: STAY COOL Emotions begin to play a major factor in the 16s. “Suddenly tennis isn’t just a game you play for fun, but serious business,” Stine says. “As other parts of your life become important, like school and your social life, you’ve got to work hard on your mental game. Tanking is way more prevalent in the 16s than any other age group.” When you begin to selfdestruct, it’s important to remind yourself why you’re playing tennis. “Outcome-based rewards like a scholarship are all well and good, but what matters most is that you play because you like it,” says Luke Jensen, a former pro and the women’s tennis coach at Syracuse University. “Tennis should always be fun, whether you’re winning or losing.” Besides trying to become mentally tough, you may be growing like a weed at this stage of your development. So you should try to beef up physically. Think about working with a trainer to add strength exercises, stretches and other workout activities that will boost your power and stamina. “The game starts to get faster now,” says Craig Boynton, academy director at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel, Fla.
GIRLS: GO FOR THE LINES For many girls later in their teens, scholarship opportunities make it tempting to become complacent. “There’s a good chance by now you’ve learned to be pretty consistent,” says Jeff Tarango, a former Top 10 pro who coaches in Manhattan Beach, Calif. That’s generally enough to earn victories at the junior level and impress college coaches, but there are plenty of consistent young women out there. “You have the opportunity to break the mold,” Tarango says. “Now is a good time to start hitting more for the lines, to make your strengths even stronger.” Try this drill to help you develop a more aggressive mind-set: Play a game to 21 and award two points for any outright winners. Adding explosiveness to your game now will pay dividends later.
SMASH
0309_FEA_NextLevel_rel.indd 20
6/23/09 8:30 AM
PTR_FPSMwin08
10/17/08
8:24 AM
Page 1
Great Opportunity for a
Career in Tennis Take advantage of a great, low cost program, PTR on Campus. Now is a wonderful time to consider a career in teaching tennis. PTR on Campus makes certification affordable to full time students. Through the education provided by PTR on Campus, students can teach tennis to earn extra money, save for the future or start a career in the exciting field of tennis. For more information regarding specific locations and dates, student discounts, or to host a PTR on Campus Workshop, contact PTR at 800-421-6289 or email steve@ptrtennis.org
www.ptrtennis.org Call Today! 800-421-6289 The largest global organization of tennis teachers and coaches
◆ ◆ ◆
threads
Fall fashion from the Vermont Canyon courts in Los Angeles
}
Joe: A.P.C. blue collared wool sweater, $280, available at A.P.C. New York, www.apc.fr; Fred Perry Heritage shorts, $75, fredperry.com; Y-3 Honja Classic shoes, $240, Y-3store.com; Wilson [K] Tour Team FX racquet, $220, wilson.com. Natalie: Adidas Originals P Tank dress, $30, adidas.com/originals; Superga Torino sneakers, $65, superga-usa.com.
HAIR: AVIVA PEREA; MAKE-UP: LINA HANSON; THEMAGNETAGENCY.COM
Photographs by Alex Hoerner Styled by Jessica de Ruiter
22
SMASH
0309_fashion_rel.indd 22
6/25/09 10:24 AM
SMASH
0309_fashion_rel.indd 23
00
6/25/09 11:09 AM
0309_fashion_rel.indd 24
6/25/09 10:24 AM
threads
◆ ◆ ◆
{
Vivian: Y-3 blue knit polo, $300, Y-3store.com; Adidas by Stella McCartney Tennis Performance skirt, $100, shopadidas.com; Y-3 Kimpu sneakers, $250. Ben: A.P.C. Bordeaux nylon zip-up jacket, $200, www.apc.fr; Trovata Geneva classic crew sweater, $175, available at Barneys New York or Odin New York; Lacoste diamante drawstring shorts, $85, lacoste.com; DSQUARED 2 Classic Speed Sneakers 2, $515, zappos.com; Wilson [K] Tour Team FX racquet, $220, wilson.com. L.L. Bean Boat and Tote open-top bag, $30, llbean.com.
}
Vivian: Y-3 Mohair minidress, $420, and Glaze hooded vest, $370; Superga Torino sneakers, $65, superga-usa.com. Ben: Adidas Originals Premium sweater, $75, adidas.com/originals.
SMASH
0309_fashion_rel.indd 25
25
6/25/09 11:34 AM
◆ ◆ ◆
threads
}
Vivian: Adidas Originals girls graphic T-shirt, $30, adidas.com/originals; VPL Hemisphere shorts, $150, available at Barneys New York. Natalie: A.P.C. Striped short-sleeve T-shirt, $140, www.apc.fr; Ralph Lauren Sarabel pleated skirt, $85, ralphlauren.com; Adidas Originals wristband, $11 for one headband and two wristbands, shopadidas.com. Ben: Trovata Vichy Vanilla chunky cable knit sweater, $345, available at Barneys New York; Polo Ralph Lauren polo shirt, $85; Nike Classic Athlete woven shorts, $50, nike.com. Joe: Adidas Originals knit V-neck sweater, $100; A.P.C. Chalk Cotton New Standard pants, $200; Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses, $140, sunglasshut.com. All in Superga Torino sneakers, $65, superga-usa.com.
26
SMASH
0309_fashion_rel.indd 26
6/25/09 10:48 AM
0309_fashion_rel.indd 27
6/25/09 10:48 AM
NAME TEEKAY
NE IN THE ZO
28
SMASH
0309_ITZ_rel.indd 28
6/19/09 8:12 AM
MIX IT UP HITTING THE SAME SHOT OVER AND OVER WON’T CUT IT IN TODAY’S GAME. BY KEN DEHART MAYBE YOU’VE NOTICED that the slice backhand, that old-fashioned shot, has made a comeback in men’s tennis. Roger Federer has used it for years, Rafael Nadal recently mastered it, and Andy Murray often approaches the net with it. Even Andy Roddick, he of the monster serve, isn’t afraid to use his slice. The slice is one part of a larger trend in the men’s game: the return to variety. Players are using more spins these days, changing the speed and height of the ball, and hitting soft, sharp angles, rather than relying entirely on power. You can learn from this. If you’re the type of player who hits topspin all the time or tries to bash every ball, you need to change your ways. With different spins and shots, you’ll find that you have a lot more weapons, especially against onedimensional players. Say you’re playing someone who hates to volley: Don’t be shy about bringing your opponent forward with a drop shot. Or maybe you’ll come across an opponent who moves well forward and backward, but not so well from side to side. That’s when short angled slices can work wonders. There are also other benefits to varying your shot selection. You will learn to adjust between different grips with ease. And you’ll have more confidence against opponents with styles you haven’t come across before, since you’ll be able to attack in different ways. I think varying your strokes can also help prevent overuse injuries, since you’ll use different muscles to hit different shots.
LEARN SOME NEW TRICKS
NAME TEEKAY
Still not convinced? Try these drills to improve your variety and see if you don’t feel more confident the next time you play a match.
SHORT TENNIS To get yourself ready to hit something other than heavy topspin, warm up inside the service boxes. You and your partner will have to chip and slice the ball to control it from this short distance. You’ll develop more feel for the ball and loosen up your grip, too.
from the baseline, one of you hitting with slice and the other with topspin. After your rally reaches three shots, play out the point. Play to 21, winning by 2. Award two points for an underspin winner.
EVERY OTHER This is another rally game, but this time you and your partner should each alternate between topspin and slice every other shot. Play to 21, winning by 2, and again, award two points for a slice winner.
HIT YOUR BOXES This game will help you learn to hit the ball at different angles and depths. Play from the baseline, with your partner at the opposite baseline. Imagine that the center service line in your partner’s court is extended to the baseline’s hash mark, dividing the opposite court into four boxes. The deuce service box is 1, the box behind it (from the service line to the baseline) is 2, the one to the right (baseline ad court) is 3, and the ad service box is 4. When your partner hits the ball, he or she should call out a number. Hit your next shot into the corresponding box. Try to use different shots—drives, loopy topspin, low slices—throughout this drill so you can hit every shot in your arsenal to every position on the court. FIRST, SECOND, THIRD It takes time to learn to hit the ball at different speeds. To teach yourself to hit slow, medium-pace and hard shots, think of your strokes in terms of three gears: First gear is high, with loopy topspin, drop shots and low angled slices. Second gear is your rally mode, which should consist mostly of topspin shots, but also hard slices. Third gear means fast, powerful shots where you hit the ball as hard as you can while keeping it in the court. Rally with a partner and have your partner call out first, second or third as the ball comes to you. Hit the shot back at that pace. The more you try to change speeds in the middle of a rally, the better you’ll be able to do it in a match.
Ken DeHart, a USPTA and PTR Master Professional, is director of the San Jose Swim & Racquet Club in California.
ILLUSTRATION BY KYLE T. WEBSTER
0309_ITZ_rel.indd 29
OVER UNDER Rally with a partner
SMASH
29
6/19/09 8:12 AM
FACTS, STATS AND CHAT ON THE COLLEGE AND JUNIOR GAMES
FRESH FACES FOR THE FIRST TIME, TWO FRESHMEN TOOK HOME THE NCAA MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TITLES IN THE SAME YEAR. CHAMPIONS DEVIN BRITTON AND MALLORY CECIL TALK ABOUT THEIR VICTORIES. INTERVIEWS BY COLETTE LEWIS
DEVIN BRITTON MEN’S CHAMPION
MALLORY CECIL WOMEN’S CHAMPION
With only one semester of experience in college tennis and a national college ranking of No. 30 coming into the NCAA tournament, did you expect this? I didn’t. It’s huge for me, and my confidence. It was an unbelievable tournament. I couldn’t be much happier with it.
After winning two USTA Pro Circuit singles titles in 2008, why did you opt to play college tennis? I wanted to play on a team, and I knew I wanted to experience college at the age a typical person experiences it. There’s life after tennis. Go to school for a couple of years, play pros, see if you can make it. If you can, great, if not, you can go back and finish school. It’s having a Plan B for life.
You are the first American-born What have you improved in male to win the NCAA title since your game since you’ve been in 2000. Are you hoping the USTA college? We’ve been doing a lot of will give you a U.S. Open mainwork in the gym, trying to get more draw wild card? I don’t know, fit. Also my head on the court, that’s up to the USTA I guess. I trying to stay stable, playing each know that people have gotten point, not giving away free points them in the past, but it hasn’t been out of frustration. official. Hopefully I On court, we’ve been will. That would be HOMETOWN: working on my serve, awesome. BRANDON, MISS. my volleys, and I’ve AGE: been working a bunch Are you planning on 18 on my returns. That’s returning to Ole Miss SCHOOL:: UNIVERSITY OF been huge, not only for in the fall? I am. I still MISSISSIPPI my returns, but for my have a lot to work on, MAJOR: ground strokes. I still need to get UNDECIDED bigger and stronger. HEIGHT: What professional I’ll try to build up 6-FOOT-3 athlete inspires you? some [ATP] points, PLAYS: LeBron James. The and if it goes well in RIGHT-HANDED guy’s just a champion. college next year, who SEASON RECORD: 29-9 I watched him make knows after that.
30
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I love to read. Most people don’t expect that. I know this is going to sound silly, but I actually love the Twilight series. I’m a sucker for that kind of stuff. What professional player do you most admire? The person that comes to mind is Jelena Jankovic. I wouldn’t say I idolize her, but I see my life as similar to hers. She struggled with recognition for a while, maybe people didn’t have that much belief in her. I love how she plays, she gets to a lot of balls, and one of my strengths is my movement. And I love how she engages the crowd, her smile.
When you started at Duke in January, did you envision that in five months you would win both the NCAA team and individual titles? Personally, that was my goal, and once I got to know the girls on HOMETOWN: the team, I had all the SPARTANBURG, S.C. confidence in the AGE: world that we could 19 win it. As far as the SCHOOL: DUKE UNIVERSITY individual, when we MAJOR: won the team, I was UNDECIDED already exhausted, but HEIGHT: winning that helped 5-FOOT-5 me because I went out PLAYS: there with no pressure. RIGHT-HANDED It was just kind of icing SEASON RECORD: on the cake. 32-4
Will you return for another year, or will you turn pro? We’re going to see how the summer goes, but I’ve set everything up as if I’m coming back. I’ve got my classes, my roommate. I’m really enjoying college tennis, so why not look at another year?
FROM LEFT: DAVID KENAS; JONATHAN FICKIES/GETTY IMAGES
that last-second shot [against the Orlando Magic in Game 2 of the 2009 NBA Eastern Conference finals] and I just knew I would have a good match the next day. I was so pumped. Every time I watch him play, there’s always something amazing happening.
SMASH
0309_DEP_411_rel.indd 30
6/24/09 6:56 AM
Your favorite players, up close and personal... TENNIS.com now brings you the very best in pro coverage, with dynamic new Player Pages and Photo Galleries, featuring all you need to know about the game’s top stars. Visit TENNIS.com/players r 6Q UP UIF NJOVUF TUPSJFT PO NPSF UIBO QMBZFST PO UIF "51 BOE 85" UPVST XJUI MJOLT UP GFBUVSF TUPSJFT PO 5&//*4 DPN PVS FYDMV TJWF CMPHT BOE JOUFSOBUJPOBM OFXT TFSWJDFT r )VOESFET PG OFX QIPUPT PG ZPVS GBWPSJUF UFOOJT HSFBUT PO DPVSU BOE PGG VQEBUFE FWFSZ NJOVUFT
COMING SOON r 'JUOFTT CMPHT JOUFSBDUJWF USBJOJOH TFTTJPOT BOE JNQSPWFE UPPMT UP SBJTF ZPVS PXO HBNF r "O FYQBOEFE 5SBWFM TFDUJPO XJUI UPPMT UP IFMQ ZPV Ã OE UIF SJHIU SFTPSU GPS ZPV
PHOTO CREDIT: MICHAEL BAX
r /FXT NBLJOH RVPUFT CZ QMBZFST GSPN MFBEJOH OFXT TPVSDFT
Untitled-2 1
r 1MBZFS UP QMBZFS QSPÃ MF MJOLT CBTFE PO UPVSOBNFOU ESBXT BOE UIF MBUFTU PGG DPVSU NBUDI VQT r (FBS SFWJFXT BOE SBUJOHT
6/22/09 1:02 PM
“I said hit an ace, not hit my face.” —Caitlin McPherson, Centennial, Colo.
LAST ISSUE’S WINNER:
32
0309_DEP_finalcall_rel.indd 32
AFTER THE MADRID FINAL, EXTRATERRESTRIALS CAME BACK TO RECLAIM ONE OF THEIR OWN, ROGER FEDERER.
Think you can beat that caption? Take a look at this photo and write your best one-liner. The winner will receive some free Adidas gear. E-mail captions@smashtennis.com.
“SMASH” (ISSN 1930-2592) is published 4 times a year (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter). Vol. 4, No. 3. Copyright © 2009 Miller Publishing LLC. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Printed in the U.S.A. MANUSCRIPTS AND ART: The Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, art, photos, or negatives. SUBSCRIPTIONS: USTA Members (800) 990-8782 or memberservices@usta.com. All other subscribers: U.S. and Canada (800) 666-8336, Foreign (515) 247-7569 or custserv@tennismagazine.com. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: U.S.A. and Possessions: 6 issues for $9.97. Canada: 6 issues for $15 (includes GST). Foreign: 6 issues for $15. Back issues available for purchase at www.tennis.com. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Send your magazine label along with your new address to SMASH P.O. Box 5693, Harlan, IA 51593-1193. Please allow eight to twelve weeks for the address change to affect delivery. SUBSCRIPTION PROBLEMS: Write to SMASH P.O. Box 5693, Harlan, IA 51593-1193 and include a label from your latest issue, if available. Address all non-subscription correspondence to SMASH, 1918 Main Street, 3rd Floor, Santa Monica, CA 90405. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to SMASH, P.O. Box 5693, Harlan, IA 51593-1193. Periodical postage paid at New York, NY, and at additional mailing offices.
PEDRO ARMESTRE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES; INSET: REUTERS/MICHAEL FIALA /LANDOV
L L A C L A FIN
SMASH
6/19/09 8:04 AM
Untitled-2 2
6/22/09 1:08 PM
Untitled-2 1
6/22/09 1:01 PM
Office of National Drug Control Policy/Partnership for a Drug-Free America®
Andy Roddick, Pure Drive Roddick racquet, Pro Hurricane + VS Hybrid strings, Propulse 2 shoes / Photo Gerald Livin Untitled-7 1
OE
SH S I N EN
T S A F PRO A W E N ULTROTWORK FO E2 S L U P
T
ies nolog h c e t tive .com nnova w.babolat i e h t w w out all ab oe at Learn ropulse sh ’s P ddick o R y of And
4/22/09 4:53 PM
Untitled-2 3
6/22/09 1:08 PM