SMASH - Spring 2010

GEAAR SPECIAL: GEAR WE REVIEW THE PROS’ LATEST LATE TEST STICKS

IT’S A TENNIS REV

GIRLY GIRL WITH GAME CAROLINE WOZNIACKI

OLUTION

NEW SEASON , NEW WEAPONS HOW TO ADD A STROKE TO YOUR GAME STAR STRUCK HIT WITH THE GUITARIST FROM MAROON 5 THE DREAM FACTORY A DAY AT THE BOLLETTIERI ACADEMY

SPRING ’10

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Editor-in-Chief James Martin Executive Editor Stephen Tignor Creative Director Gary Stewart Managing Editor Sarah Unke Associate Editor Sarah Thurmond Contributing Editors Peter Bodo, Bill Gray, Tom Perrotta Senior Instruction Editor Paul Annacone Touring Editor Brad Gilbert Instruction Editor Rick Macci Gear Advisers David Bone, Bruce Levine, Roman Prokes, Dr. David G. Sharnoff Photo Editor David Rosenberg Associate Art Director Jason Sfetko Production Director Ray Smith Prepress Manager Kent Armstrong Partner George Mackin Publisher Chris Evert Group Publisher Jeff Williams, jwilliams@tennis.com

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Contents

V OLU

ME F I V E NO . 1

FEATURES 14 NICE GIRL, TOUGH GAME Fashion plate, girly girl, Grand Slam champion: Caroline Wozniacki wants it all.

Interview by Peter Bodo

18 NEW SEASON, NEW STROKE Tired of hitting the same shots over and over? This spring, add a new stroke to your arsenal.

By Stephen Tignor

22 THE DREAM FACTORY A day at Nick Bollettieri’s tennis academy, where champions are made. By Peter Bodo

DEPARTMENTS 04 PHOTO OPS 06 GAME ON 11 LOCKER ROOM Tennis-themed T-shirts

12 GEAR Racquets of the stars

26 IN THE ZONE Second serve special

31 411

GEAR GEA AR SPECIAL: WE REVIEW THE PROS’ LATEST LATE TEST STICKS

The six best juniors under 16 IT’S A TENNIS REVOLUTI REVOLUTION ON

GIRLY GIRL WITH GAME CAROLINE WOZNIACKI

NEW SEASON, SEASON , NEW WEAPONS HOW TO ADD A STROKE TO YOUR GAME STAR STRUCK HIT WITH THE GUITARIST FROM MAROON 5 THE DREAM FACTORY A DAY AT THE BOLLETTIERI ACADEMY

32 FINAL CALL

THIS PAGE: GREG WOOD/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

SPRING ’10

ON THE COVER Caroline Wozniacki is the WTA tour’s most cheerful champion. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a killer instinct. The 2009 U.S. Open finalist is gunning for a Grand Slam title. The SMASH Interview starts on Page 14.

Photograph by Clive Brunskill/ Getty Images

She’s baaack: Go to Page 8 for a look at Justine Henin’s career by the numbers.

S M AS H

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NNIS E T F O D L R O W HE T M O R F S T O H HOT S

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SW ING BATT ER SW ING New Yor k Yankees shorts top Der ek Jeter swapped a bat for a rac que t during baseball’s offseason while vac ationing on an island in St. Vincen t and the Grenadines.

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SMASH

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Ana Ivanovic gets a kiss from Groucho the Australian fur seal at UnderWater World in Brisbane.

MEGAN SLADE/NEWSPIX/GETTY IMAGES

• THE PR • MAKE OS’ VICTORY D • MAROOTENNIS YOUR MANCES • 10 QUE N 5’S GUITARI A JOR S STIONS WITH JOT TALKS TENNI S HN ISNE R

>>> 4:19: The time it took Barbora Zahlavova Strycova to beat Regina Kulikova 7-6 (5), 6-7 (10), 6-3 in the 2010 Australian Open first round. It was the second-longest women’s singles match in the Open era. >>> THE THRILL IS

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DANCING MACHINES CAN THESE MASTERS OF THE TENNIS VICTORY STRUT REALLY GET DOWN? IVO KARLOVIC, RADEK Stepanek and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga have spiced up the standard fist pump with their personalized victory dances. But can they really move? SMASH asked Jennifer Archibald, the founder of New York’s Arch Dance Company, to watch their performances and rate their steps.

LEGENDS OF THE DANCE The sports celebration dance is rooted in the NFL Å Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, who played forr the Houston Oilers and later the Atlanta Falcons, turned d the end zone into a dance floor in the 1970s 70s by holding his arms ms aloft and moving ng his knees in and out to his “White Shoes Shuffle,” a.k.a. the funky chicken. ken.

KARLOVIC’S “SMACK THAT ACE” The 6-foot-10 serving machine gets in a wide stance and holds his racquet in his left hand, then repeatedly spanks the air with his right hand. Dr. Ivo broke out his bizarre move last year on the normally stodgy grounds of Wimbledon, where he reached the quarterfinals. “I thought there was a lot of commitment behind it,” Archibald says, laughing.

“I’ve seen this dance down South—when guys dance with girls, they give a smack on the right [hip] and then a smack on the left.”

STEPANEK’S “WORM” After winning in Rotterdam in 2006, Stepanek debuted his interpretation of the worm, a classic break-dance move of pushing off with the arms and rippling the body along the floor.

He saves it only for big victories, like after he beat Roger Federer in Rome in 2008. “The worm is the move that every guy can do when he can’t do power break-dance moves,” Archibald says. “I thought it was a little stiff from a technical standpoint. He’s also supposed to travel forward or backward, but [Stepanek] was static.” bac

TSONGA’S “TWO THUMBS UP” Tsonga shakes hands with the chairr umpire after a big win, then skips back ack on the court with both thumbs furiously ously pointing to the back of his shirt. We e first took notice of the Muhammad Ali look-alike’s signature move during his run to the 2008 Australian Open final. But Archibald says it’s no Ali Shuffle. “It’s more of a victoryy fist-pumping jog than a dance,” she says.

“But he does come off as personable e with the audience. He’s playful, and I think that’s why his fans probably like ke him.”—THOMAS GOLIANOPOULOS

Å The “Fun Bunch,” nch,” dy a group of giddy dskins, Washington Redskins, phed did choreographed high g fives that caused the NF NFL to ban “excessive “ celebr celebrations” in 1984. Å Å The T Cincinnati Bengals’ Elbert Be “Ickey” Woods “I created the “Ickey Shuffle” in 1988. He would shu shuffle to the left, ta take three hops to th the right, and spike tthe ball.—T.G.

SSKATER GIRL GETTY IMAGES; FUN BUNCH: MICKEY PFLEGER/SI/GETTY IMAGES

THE OLYMPICS PUT RACHAEL FLATT’S TENNIS ON ICE TH TEN TENNIS AND FIGURE skating are the two great loves of 17-year-old Rachael Flatt. She took up both at age 4, when she 17-y was first strong enough to swing a racquet and skate without her ankles wobbling.

The figure skating stuck. The 5-foot-2 native of Del Mar, Calif., T bes bested all comers at the U.S. Nationals in January to make the U.S. Olympic team. On the ice, she’s the equivalent of a grinder in tennis. She may not be as graceful as some of her competitors, tenn but “my consistency bodes well for me,” she said after nailing seven triple jumps in the long program to win Nationals. seve ““Skating is wonderful, but I love tennis equally,” she says. Her co-favorite sport was put on hold, except for weekends, due to a co-f grueling weekday training schedule to prepare for the Vancouver grue Olympics. Her daily regimen began at 5 A.M., and included four Olym 45-minute 45-m skating sessions at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Colo Springs, Colo., ballet class, and five hours of courses at Cheyenne C Mountain High School, where she gets straight As.

Tennis is great cross-training for the ice, she says, particularly for jumps. “The way you follow through on a forehand is pretty much the same as the way we drive our arms through for a jump to get the revolutions in the air.”

There is also a similarity between the two professional sports—Americans no longer dominate. Gone are the days when Billie Jean King and Chris Evert ruled the court and Peggy Fleming and Flatt’s mentor Dorothy Hamill were queens of the ice.

For just the second time since 1924, the U.S. was allowed to send only two women figure skaters to the Olympics instead of the usual three, based on low results at last season’s World Championships. “Yeah, just like tennis, skating has reached out to more people in the world,” Flatt says. “It certainly makes for a much more interesting competition.”

Flatt looks forward to playing more tennis after the Olympics.

Her killer shots are her forehand and volley, but she wants to get back on court to hone her two-handed backhand.—BILL GRAY

GONE: Oracene cene Price says she’ll give up her spot in the player’s box bef before her daughters, Venus and Serena Williams, retire, citing boredom: “I go to sleep [watching tennis], that’s why I wear the sunglasses.” >>>> $500,000: Total

SMASH

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TENNIS U WANT A JOB IN THE TENNIS BUSINESS? MAKE IT YOUR MAJOR DAN FARRUGIA USED a personal connection to land a job in tennis. The 21-year-old Cornell University student asked his buddy on the ATP tour, Sam Querrey, whom he’s known since elementary school, if he needed an intern. So Farrugia spent last summer as Querrey’s gofer, gripping racquets, doing secretarial work, and jet-setting around the country, all for 3 percent of his boss’ prize winnings.

But unless you know someone like Querrey (unlikely) or have his blinding serve (highly unlikely), there’s a more sure-fire way to a career in tennis— make it your college major.

Professional Tennis Management programs prepare students for careers like teaching pro, tennis director, and other positions at tennis facilities. Four schools in the U.S. offer PTM degrees according to the Tennis Industry Association: Ferris State University in Michigan, Methodist University in North Carolina, Tyler Junior College in Texas, and Virginia’s Hampton University.

“The PTM curriculum is a unique blend of nationally accredited

there, in the resorts, academies and pro shops, where students can hone the skills to manage a club, become a teaching professional or work with tennis equipment. “Our basic student is somebody who has a love and passion for the game of tennis,” Ameel says. “They understand that, ‘I’m not going to be a pro player earning my money on the tour, but I want to be involved in tennis.’”

Darren Lavallee, a graduate of Methodist’s PTM program, felt that way as a student. Today, he’s the director of tennis at the Old Greenwich Tennis Academy, in southeastern Connecticut. Lavallee used the knowledge he obtained at school, and through networking, another plus of PTM studies, to help develop his current program. “What has helped me the most about PTM,” Lavallee

says, “has been more of the business side of tennis, how to communicate with people, how to run and manage tennis programs.”

Ferris State PTM graduates average a starting salary of more than $43,000. But depending on location, experience and overall ability, teaching pros can earn upwards of $60,000 or $70,000, says Bruce Levine, general manager of Courtside Racquet Club in Lebanon, N.J., and TENNIS Magazine racquet adviser. “It’s somewhat of an entrylevel position when you get out of school, but PTM gives graduates a leg up to get ahead quicker, because they’ve been exposed to people in the industry.”

The saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” is undoubtedly important when looking for work. Just ask Farrugia. But in an industry as specialized as tennis, what you know can definitely give you an edge, too.

—ED MCGROGAN

JUSTINE HENIN

20 $

MONTHS, THE DURATION OF HER RETIREMENT

27 AGE 5-FOOT-5 3/4 HEIGHT

5 PLAYERS WHO HELD THE NO. 1 SPOT WHILE SHE WAS GONE (MARIA SHARAPOVA, ANA IVANOVIC, JELENA JANKOVIC, SERENA WILLIAMS AND DINARA SAFINA)

19.5 MILLION CAREER PRIZE MONEY

TWO NUMBER OF TIMES SHE PICKED UP A RACQUET FOR THE FIRST 13 MONTHS SHE WAS OFF THE TOUR

#1 6-7

RANKING FROM MARCH 2007 LIFETIME THROUGH MAY RECORD AGAINST 2008 (WHEN SHE RETIRED)

SERENA

WILLIAMS

BEFORE HER BRIEF

41 SINGLES TITLES

RETIREMENT

122 FASTEST SERVE SPEED (RECORDED AT THE 2005 FAMILY CIRCLE CUP)

WILLIAM WEST/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

BY THE NUMBERS…

business classes and tennis industry classes,” says Pete Petersen, PTM director at Methodist, which prepares students to meet certification requirements of the USPTA and PTR, the two major tennis-teaching organizations, and provides internships in the industry. “By the time the curriculum and internships are completed, the graduate is very employable.”

PTM programs are offered through the schools’ business departments, so students take accounting, economics, marketing and management courses.

They also take more tennis-centric classes like tournament administration, facility management, racquet stringing and court maintenance. “The classes are directly related to the tennis industry, which makes the program very unique,” says Derek Ameel, PTM director at Ferris State. “It sets these students apart from [other] people going into the industry.”

The internships, many of which are paid, are particularly helpful. It’s

amount raised for earthquake victims from the Hit for Haiti exhibition before the Australian Open. >>> 17,000: The number of fans at the event, which was organized by Roger Federer and included Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic,

8

SMASH

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SMASH 15 OUR TAKE ON TENNIS AND THEE WORLD AROUND IT–BUT DON’T TAKE OUR WORD FOR ITT Deal . . . Maria Sharapova extends s her Nike endorsement contract forr ved to eight years and $70 million, believed man. be the most ever for a sportswoman.

Or No Deal . . . Fellow Russian and Prince user o can’t even get a Nikolay “No Respect” Davydenko nger beautiful? decent racquet deal. Is bald no longer

Props to Rafa, Djoker and Roddick for supporting a World Cup of tennis. Sorry, Davis Cup, it’s time for a change.

Still, we can’t say we weren’t disappointed that Roger Federer bagged the Davis Cup’s first round again. Not fully committing to the Cup will tarnish his legacy.

The Gillette curse? First Thierry “handball” Henry, then Tiger Woods. Roger, be on your best behavior.

HITMAKER: JAMES VALENTINE YOU BETTER BRING YOUR A-GAME IF YOU PLAY TENNIS AGAINST MAROON 5’S GUITARIST MAROON 5 LEAD guitarist and tennis nut James Valentine loves to get on court every chance he gets. Problem is, he’s on tour. A lot. Being in a different city every night can make it tough to find hitting partners. But the rocker found a creative solution to his problem: He’s using his Twitter page to recruit partners. His deal: beat him and you’ll win tickets to a show.

“If you see we’re in town, go to my Twitter page [twitter.com/jamesbvalentine], send me a tweet, and I’ll come hit with you,” says Valentine, whose band has sold more than 14 million albums and had hit songs like “She Will Be Loved” and “Won’t Go Home Without You.” You can get the band’s tour schedule at their website, maroon5.com.

So what kind of tennis player would you be going up against? Valentine has been playing in earnest for about a year and a half, hitting five days a week, and is in the 3.5 to 4.0 NTRP range. But fair warning, he’s also a student of the mental game. In fact, it was Timothy Gallwey’s 1974 book The Inner Game of Tennis that got him hooked on the sport. His jazz band Valentine with teacher in high school gave it to him because he wanted his Maroon 5 frontman students to learn how to play their best under pressure.

Adam Levine “The book had a profound influence on me back then,” Valentine says. “Just the basic concept of how it divided up the ‘Self 1’ [the conscious mind] and the ‘Self 2’ [subconscious mind], and how those critical voices get in the way of us actually performing at our peak.”

How did a tennis book help him play the guitar?

“Let’s say when I’m just [practicing] on court I can be hitting really great and making amazing shots, but as soon I’m in an actual match, I tighten up,” he says. “The parallel in music is practicing in your room or at rehearsal and getting things down and then getting in front of an audience, on stage, and totally losing it.”

He rereads the book every few years to help him “access that frame of mind that allows peak performance,” he says. So, if you get the nod from Valentine when he swings through town, you might want to hit the book before you hit the court.—JAMES LAROSA

GETTY IMAGES

“IF YOU SEE WE’RE IN TOWN, GO TO MY TWITTER PAGE, SEND ME A TWEET, AND I’LL COME HIT WITH YOU,” VALENTINE SAYS.

The WTA tour should send both Kim stine Henin gift baskets Clijsters and Justine k—women’s for coming back—women’s g again! tennis is exciting Martina Hingis was photographed gripping the reins while dangling from her horse, Whisky’s Bon Ami, at a jumping competition. With friends like that . . .

Now that mixed doubles has been added to the Olympics, early favorites for tennis gold at the 2012 London games are Serena Williams and Andy Roddick.

Meanwhile, Bob Bryan tweeted that he just might ’ll team up with Venus Williams, and if so, “we’ll smoke Andy and Serena.”

Fabrice Santoro came out of retirement to become the first men’s singles player to compete in a Grand Slam in four different decades.

The second coming of John McEnroe vs. Bjorn Borg: Watch for a potential showdown this spring to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the legends’ classic 1980 Wimbledon final.

Civil War: Sam Querrey displaced James Blake as the No. 2 American last year, but Blake has won six of their last seven head-to-heads.

Tip to pros: Do not cross the Tennis Integrity Unit. Ekaterina Bychkova denied an offer of money to throw matches, but was still suspended for a month and fined $5,000 for failing to report it to the TIU. Melanie Oudin’s 2010 goals: Break into the e Top 32 by the French Open and the Top 20 by c,” the U.S. Open. “I think that’s pretty realistic,” she says. Here’s hoping.

Looking for new music to calm you down post-match? Check out Spoon’s latest album, Transference.

Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt, Serena Williams, Samantha Stosur and Kim Clijsters. >>> IRISH EYES SMILING: Louk Sorensen, who reached the second round of this year’s Australian Open, was the first Irishman to win a Slam

SMASH

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Name:

SLOANE STEPHENS Age:

INCOMING

17

NEW PRO SLOANE STEPHENS ALREADY HAS A WIN OVER VENUS WILLIAMS

Height:

BOCA RATON, FLA. 5-FOOT-7

won 5-3. “There were a lot of people, and everyone was cheering really loud. I was like, OK, she just made it to the final of Wimbledon and I have to play her now.

It’s gonna be rough. But then I thought, I’m going to do my best and hopefully it will come together. And it did.”

Last year also brought heartbreak. Stephens learned her biological father, former NFL running back John Stephens, had died in a car accident just as she was getting ready to play the U.S. Open juniors.

She won her first match, flew to Louisiana for the

funeral, and returned to Flushing Meadows where she lost in the third round.

She decided to turn pro the next month, though she says she realized that nothing is guaranteed in the big leagues. “When a lot of people turn pro, they make it, but some are just, like, flops,” she says. “So I was just a little anxious. [Plus] I’m so used to having my mom [Sybil] with me and do everything for me. Now I’m putting it in [my agent’s] hands.”

It certainly beats being bored at home playing PlayStation.—JAMES LAROSA

10 QUESTIONS WITH

John Isner SO FAR, THIS has been John Isner’s year. The 6-foot-9 former University of Georgia Bulldog won his first ATP tour title, in Auckland, and reached his second straight Grand Slam fourth round at the Australian Open. The big server talks about life on and off the court.

1

Has your life changed since you went pro?

People in the tennis world know me, but others think I’m a basketball player. It’s nice. I’ve made a little bit of money and it’s better than a regular job.

I have a lot of down time when I’m not practicing; I don’t have anything else to do. So it’s a fun life.

2 3

How do you relax? Bass fishing. I do it in North Carolina with my brother when I’m home.

What’s been your best match? Beating Andy [Roddick] in the [2009] U.S. Open.

Hands down, my best match, most memorable moment and best win. He had beaten me just three or four weeks prior in three sets and I learned a lot from that match. Tweaked my game plan a little bit, went out and played really well.

4

What’s your goal now? To be in the Top 20 by the end of this year, which is very attainable. It’s not too lofty. The goal is to go further than that, but I think first and foremost, I want to try to get to that point.

5

If you could date any Hollywood actress, who would it be? Megan Fox, the girl from Transformers. She’s pretty hot.

6

Do you have any weird habits? I like snakes. I’ll pick up a wild snake if I see one.

When I was growing up, I had one as a pet, a python. Everybody hates them. I think they’re cool. They don’t scare me at all. Spiders ders scare me more.

7

What gets you fired up for a match? Believe it or not, I’ll listen to a lot of country [music] before a match. But other than that, I might throw the Rocky soundtrack in the iPod right before going on. That’s my favorite movie.

8

What’s your dream job? A SportsCenter anchor would be pretty cool.

Are there any sports you’re bad at? Soccer. I played it when en I was little. I’m better with my hands s than I am with my feet.

9

10

Were you always really tall for your age? I was always pretty tall, but I grew a lot when I was 18. Like 6 inches in one year.

GETTY IMAGES

SLOANE STEPHENS IS matter-of-fact about what drew her to tennis. “My [step]dad played,” she says. “And I was kinda bored at his house playing PlayStation 2, so . . . ” The South Florida native, 17, tried other sports like soccer and basketball, but she found them, well, gross. “I don’t like all the other people, and you’ve gotta touch everyone, and everyone’s sweaty and everyone smells,” she says. “I wasn’t really into that.”

Stephens, a late bloomer by tennis pro standards, didn’t pick up her first racquet until she was 9. But the aggressive baseliner with a mean crosscourt running forehand (“It’s pretty lethal, it’s my favorite shot”) has made up for lost time.

At the 2008 U.S. Open when she was 15, Stephens and her mixed-doubles partner, Robert Kendrick, knocked off the No. 1-seeded pair of Daniel Nestor and Chuang Chia-Jung. Last year she reached the semifinals of the French Open junior event and the quarterfinals at the Wimbledon juniors.

But her career highlight so far was beating her idol, Venus Williams, in a World TeamTennis match last July before she turned pro in October. “It was very intense,” she says of the match, which she

From:

—JENNIFER JOHNSON

singles match in the Open era. >>> 14: The minimum age for competitors competit in the U.S. Open National Playoffs, to be held this April through June, for a shot at a wild card into the 2010 U.S. Open qualifying. <<<

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TEE TIME 1. For players who are also pinball wizards.

Gottlieb “Volley” Ringer T-shirt, $22, arcadenovelties.com

EXPRESS YOURSELF ON COURT WITH THESE GRAPHIC T-SHIRTS.

BY SARAH THURMOND

2. To be worn ironically. “Tennis is for Posh Kids” T-shirt, $25, balconyshirts.co.uk

3. Tom “Magnum P.I.” Selleck lives on.

Tennis P.I. T-shirt, $30, hozell.com

4. Love is more than a score in tennis. Love Laces T-shirt, $26.50, delias.com

5. Who do you root for? Customized “Team Roger” cap sleeve T-shirt, $17, fibers.com

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOYCE LEE

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1/27/10 10:13 AM

GEAR STICKS OF THE STARS GOT THE SKILLS TO PLAY LIKE RAFA OR MARIA? TEST-DRIVE THE LATEST RACQUETS OF THE PROS.

BY BILL GRAY

JUSTINE HENIN’S WILSON TOUR BLX Key specs: It weighs 10.8 ounces, is 27.25 inches long, has a 95-square-inch head, and is head light.

Why it should be your next stick: The Tour BLX is a powerful, medium-weight player’s frame. Its extra length will give you more leverage and pop on the serve. And while it’s Henin’s comeback weapon, it’s not used just by women. The ATP tour’s Kei Nishikori does battle with it as well. $220, wilson.com

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MARIA SHARAPOVA’S PRINCE EXO3 BLACK 100 Key specs: It weighs 11.3 ounces, is 27 inches long, has a 100-square-inch head, and is head light.

Why it should be your next stick: The EXO 3 Black 100 comes with Prince’s interchangeable grommet system. You can switch out the pre-installed wide-open grommet strips, for power and comfort, with traditional small grommets, which Sharapova prefers, for added control and touch. Whatever you decide, the Black can help raise your game, even if you’re not a tournament-caliber player—yet. $220, princetennis.com

RAFAEL NADAL’S BABOLAT AEROPRO DRIVE GT Key specs: It weighs 11.2 ounces, is 27 inches long, has a 100-square-inch head, and is head light.

Why it should be your next stick: Rafa’s already awesome racquet is even better now that Babolat added its GT technology, a combination of graphite and tungsten, throughout the frame to increase comfort and reduce vibration. Otherwise, the AeroPro still has the same qualities that have made it a bestseller among aggressive players: excellent maneuverability and big topspin potential. $189, babolat.com

STANISLAS WAWRINKA’S HEAD YOUTEK PRESTIGE PRO Key Specs: It weighs 12 ounces, is 27 inches long, has a 98-square-inch head, and is head light.

Why it should be your next stick: You’ll need a lot of muscle and endurance (and maybe a tournament win or two under your belt) to go the distance with this heavyweight, but your reward will be outstanding touch and control.

Head has taken the classic Prestige Pro, which came out in 1987, and added its YouTek d3o comfort technology in the shaft for a smoothas-silk ride. $225, head.com

JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO’S WILSON PRO TOUR BLX Key specs: It weighs 11.6 ounces, is 27 inches long, has a 96-square-inch head, and is head light.

Why it should be your next stick: Have trouble keeping the ball in the court? This racquet can help tame the wild beast inside you.

The Pro Tour BLX allows you to shoot off your cannonball ground strokes without the fear of launching the ball to the back fence. Wilson’s new BLX technology, fibers made from finegrained volcanic rock, throughout the frame helps reduce bad vibes, too. $210, wilson.com

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOYCE LEE

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NICE GIRL

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TOUGH GAME

FASHION PLATE, GIRLY GIRL, GRAND SLAM CHAMPION: CAROLINE WOZNIACKI WANTS IT ALL. THE SMASH INTERVIEW BY PETER BODO

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MASH caught up with Caroline Wozniacki during the off-season moments after she got off a Jet Ski (“I didn’t go very fast,” she said. “I was a little afraid”). She was vacationing on the Caribbean island of Barbados, but she took time out to answer questions about herself and review her breakout 2009, during which she made her first Grand Slam final, at the U.S. Open, and rose to No. 4 in the rankings.

Are you having a good off-season?

Well, yes, but it’s ending tomorrow. I’m flying back home to Copenhagen and then going to my apartment in Monaco to do some serious training.

But yeah, I was in Mauritius and here in Barbados, swimming with sea turtles, eating good food, relaxing between exhibition matches with Serena [Williams]. I went on a catamaran cruise, flew around in a speedboat, and sometimes just walked around the islands. It was nice.

Your parents are both Polish, but they moved to Denmark, where you were born, because of your dad’s career as a pro soccer player. So let’s settle it once and for all, do you consider yourself Polish or Danish?

Oh, I’m Danish. But I don’t mind that Polish people claim me. It’s nice to be wanted.

Word is that you’re looking at buying an apartment in Brooklyn, N.Y. Is that right?

Yes, I found one and we made an offer on it, but I’m waiting to hear back. It will be a while, because the building isn’t finished yet. But it’s a nice place with views of the Manhattan skyline. I have some friends in Manhattan, but I like Brooklyn. I like walking around there, and they have some good Polish restaurants, cafes, that kind of thing. I had some good ice cream there.

What about the rumor that you’re applying for undergraduate admission to Yale University?

It’s true, I need to still fill out the application, but I’m hoping to get in for next year. But I would have to study on the road, online, because I will be playing full-time tennis. I just really enjoyed my time in New Haven [Wozniacki won the Pilot Pen event there before she reached the U.S. Open final] and I love the Yale campus. It’s a school I always dreamed of attending, partly because I have some friends who went there.

Did you expect to become a top player?

I always believed it was possible, but I didn’t expect it to happen so fast.

When did you catch fire?

It started in 2008 at the Australian Open, where I got to the fourth round. That gave me self-belief and led me to work harder. Then it just came. I started 2009 well, and had that tough loss to Serena Williams in Sydney after having three match points.

But it told me I was in good shape and playing well.

You won the Wimbledon tune-up at Eastbourne.

Do you like grass, and Wimbledon?

I won the junior event there in 2006. I love the tournament. If I could choose just one major to win,

it would be Wimbledon, but I’d be very happy with any of the four. I love the traditions and rules at Wimbledon, including the white dress code. It looks so nice against that green grass background.

On grass, serve and return are the keys. You just have to be the first one to make the other one run.

I don’t have the hardest shots in the game, but I know how to control and play the ball, so that makes it hard for opponents because I have the ability to make them run.

Losing at Wimbledon to Sabine Lisicki was actually one of the low points for my year. She’s a good player and she played well that day, but I had no feel for the ball. Sometimes it just happens, you do your best and things just don’t go your way. You’re human. I’m human. We’re all human.

You seemed to struggle a bit in the summer, but you pulled it together impressively in New Haven. Did you see that coming?

I was actually playing well and in good physical shape, but I wasn’t concentrating well enough. I was up and down in my mind. I’d have a good set and then lose concentration. I’d give away too many free points. So I had to work on that, and it all came together in New Haven. When I won that, I had confidence for the U.S. Open.

What are your best memories of the Open?

I have a lot of them. I played a fourth-round night match against Svetlana Kuznetsova. She was playing really well, and I was ready to pack my bags and go home. But I played a great match, the atmosphere was amazing, and I won it 7-6 in the third. Also, my next match was at night, against Melanie Oudin.

Everyone was cheering for her, but it was a nice feeling because they accepted and supported me as well. And then to make the final, it was a big thing.

What were you happiest about in the final?

I thought I was going to be really, really nervous. But in the middle of the match I found myself thinking, “This is a Grand Slam final, why am I not nervous?” I think those two exciting night matches really helped me in that.

Were you surprised it was Kim Clijsters on the

PREVIOUS SPREAD: PEDRO ARMESTRE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES; PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP/GETTY IMAGES; THIS SPREAD: GETTY IMAGES

S

You’re a tall girl, 5-foot-10. Your mother was once on the Polish national volleyball team. Is that where you get your height?

I’m half a head taller than my father and a full head taller than my mother. I don’t know where my height comes from. My mom did play volleyball, but she wasn’t one of the tall ones up front. She was in the middle, feeding them the ball for their big putaways.

A STAR IN THE MAKING: Wozniacki with Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams at the Sony Ericsson Championships last fall; with Flavia Pennetta and Yale football coach Tom Williams during an exhibition on Yale’s football field; staying cool in Doha; playing in the U.S. Open final; getting fired up at Wimbledon.

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other side of the net?

I was surprised she was able to come back, and so far, so fast. But her results were good from the very beginning of her comeback, so no. That was the first time I’ve played her. She hits a heavy ball. Every time you play short, she takes another step forward and wants to be the first to attack. She’s a good runner, too, and a fighter. I wouldn’t call it a different level from the other girls, but she was fresh and relaxed.

She’s accomplished all she wanted already, so she’s just playing for herself and her family. I could feel she was relaxed and enjoying the game.

I’ve heard you’re a big reader.

Yeah. Right now I’m reading the Twilight series. I finished the second book. I read it in, like, three days, I got so into it. Now I need to get the third and fourth books.

What’s your favorite book?

The Harry Potter series. I read them all, they’re unbelievable.

You have an image and reputation as a sweet girl. Is it hard to set that aside when you step on the court?

It comes naturally. When I go on the court, I want to win and will do anything in my power to do it. There’s a lot to work on, always, but you can still give your best every time you go on the court. That’s important.

It seemed that the wheels fell off your game a little in the fall. What happened?

I struggled in Asia because I was sick with the flu

part of the time, and when I went back to Europe to play Luxembourg, I pulled a hamstring. But I got healthy and made a real effort to do well in Doha. I had two great matches there, one with Victoria Azarenka and the other with Vera Zvonareva. That was the one where I fell to the court with those terrible cramps all over my body. It was very dramatic. I was surprised by how many people saw it and how much they talked about it.

You went on to win that match. Do you think people underestimate your drive because of your reputation for being nice?

I don’t know, but I know I didn’t expect to end up lying on the court during that Zvonareva match. I just pushed myself. It was the last event of the year and I wanted to do well [Wozniacki reached the semifinals, but had to retire against Serena Williams].

The match is important to me because I showed I had strong willpower. I showed I can do anything.

Sometimes people question the will and desire of some WTA tour stars, and a lot is said and written about the diva-like actions of some top women. Is it accurate?

I don’t think it’s really like that. I feel like the other girls are all pretty nice. Of course, they all want to win, too, and you get along with some better than with others.

What are you most proud of, your fitness, your shot-making, your mental strength?

I think my mental ability, especially at the U.S. Open.

I managed to be in my own bubble and just take one

“SOME RUN BETTER THAN ME, SOME HIT HARDER. SOMEONE ALWAYS DOES SOMETHING BETTER, SO HAVING A GOOD, STRONG MIND CAN HELP YOU OVERCOME SOME OF THAT.”

ball at a time. I think a lot of success comes from that mental side because everyone can hit the forehand or backhand. Some run better than me, some hit harder. Someone always does something better, so having a good, strong mind can help you overcome some of that.

What do you most need to work on for 2010?

I don’t want to think about it until I start training.

But I don’t think about things like winning percentage on serves. I think more about how you can improve your second serve to make it harder to attack, or to be more aggressive on the short ball. The statistics count, but they don’t tell the story of any given match. The other thing is fitness. You have to feel you can run as fast, as long, as hard as anyone you’re playing. I feel like I can run forever and not get tired, and I want to keep feeling that way.

What do you think about the fine levied against Serena Williams for her outburst at the U.S. Open?

I think she does a lot for women’s tennis, and I really like her as a person. She’s always nice to me. I’m really happy it was just a fine and nothing more.

How often do people confuse you with your friend and fellow pro Aleksandra Wozniak?

Not so much anymore. But when I won my first junior tournament, in Norway, the officials accidentally gave her all the rankings points. They thought we were the same person. Aleksandra and I still joke around about that a little bit.

You’re the new face of Adidas by Stella McCartney. Are you a girly girl?

[Laughs] Yes, I am. I love fashion, I love shopping.

I like to sit at a cafe, drink coffee, and talk with friends—that’s what girls do, we talk. I like to dress up, but my personal style is a combination of relaxed and feminine. I like jeans, but with a really cute top.

I look in the magazines to see what’s new and follow fashion pretty closely.

So if you win Wimbledon one day, you’ll attend the Champion’s Ball in jeans?

[Laughs] No, no. I’d probably ask Stella to make something for me. Because you feel so good when you wear something nice.

SMASH

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E SE S E O N W R E ARE YOU TIRED OF HITTING THE SAME SHOTS OVER AND OVER (AND OVER) IN DRILLS? GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK THIS SPRING BY ADDING ANOTHER STROKE TO YOUR ARSENAL. WE’LL START YOU OFF WITH FOUR SIMPLE BUT VERY USEFUL POSSIBILITIES. BY STEPHEN TIGNOR

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Want a drop shot?

Take a tip from Rafael Nadal.

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Novak Djokovic

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TOPSPIN ON THE SERVE

HOW TO GET STARTED: Stand a few feet from the net. Hold the racquet with a Continental grip (see TENNIS.com/grips for a guide), but choke up toward the neck of the racquet. Without moving your legs, toss the ball a few feet above your head (but not as high as your regular toss). Lightly make contact with the ball. Brush up and from left to right (right to left if you’re left-handed); think of the back of the ball as a clock and brush from 7 to 1 o’clock (5 to 11 for lefties). Don’t worry about where the ball goes.

Just make contact and watch it as it spins. Practice this for 5 minutes.

“You want to get a feel for the motion of the racquet on a topspin serve,” Pant says, “and also the motion of the ball as it comes off the strings.”

Next, move back to the service line and do the same thing for 5 minutes.

Extend your toss higher and hit the ball over the net, but continue to focus on the brushing motion of the racquet and the spin of the ball rather than the result. Finally, move back and serve from the baseline. Continue to choke up on the racquet in between the neck and the grip.

“With this drill, you begin with an understanding of how to create topspin and you build racquet speed and pace later,” Pant says. “It’s a very good way for both boys and girls to be introduced early to the concept of topspin on n the serve. serve.”

Samantha tha Stosur

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DROP SHOT

A baseline As b li b bashing hi h has b become th the d dominant i t mode d of play, tennis has become more and more a rhythm sport. Players work their way into rallies and get used to seeing the same hard-hit topspin shots from their opponents. That’s why developing a reliable drop shot is more important than ever: It allows you to break your opponent’s rhythm.

“The first key is disguise,” says Ajay Pant, national tennis director for Midtown Athletic Clubs and a USPTA and PTR Master Professional. “Your drop shot will only be effective if you can make your swing look like your ground-stroke swing. The drop shot needs to disrupt your opponent.” This means you must first learn to drop the ball short, and then you must learn to do it, and disguise it, during a point.

HOW TO GET STARTED: Stand at the center of one of the service boxes, halfway between the net and the service line. Have a partner stand on the other side of the net and feed you balls on one bounce, alternating between forehands and backhands. Use an abbreviated volley motion (you can add some underspin) and drop the ball on the other side of the net.

The goal is to make it bounce five to seven times before it reaches the service line.

Once you can do this consistently, both you and your partner should move back to the baseline and rally. Hit three or four balls back and forth and call out “drop!” to your opponent as his ball crosses the net and comes toward you. Hit a drop shot. Giving your opponent a head’s up will force you to make the drop shot as effective as you can to keep him from getting to it in time to put it away.

“You want to get a rhythm going in these rallies,” Pant says. “Bang, bang, bang, drop. That way you can hit the drop shot without changing your stroke too much.”

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PREVIOUS SPREAD: IAN KINGTON/AFP/GETTY IMAGES; THIS SPREAD: VALERY HACHE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES; PAUL KANE/GETTY IMAGES; IAN WALTON/GETTY IMAGES; TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

The most glamorous serve is the flat fastball up the T for an ace. But the serve that says you’re a player to be reckoned with is the arcing kicker that bounces up above your opponent’s eyeballs. It gives you safety on the serve while at the same time forcing your opponent to move out of his strike zone to make the return.

The kick separates the men from the boys in part because it’s such a hard shot to learn. The stroke—you brush up on the ball to impart a spin that’s the reverse of a slice—takes years of practice to master. As with any long-term project, you need to take the kick one step at a time. Before you can think of getting the ball to jump to one side, you need to know how to put old-fashioned topspin on it first.

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LOB

Andy Murray urray

Once upon a time, the lob was a staple of the sport. It was essential for keeping opponents honest when they rushed the net. But what happens when there are no more net-rushers to lob over? One look at the pro game will tell you: In singles, at least, the topspin lob has virtually disappeared. Even when players find their way into the forecourt, they do it behind approaches hit with so much pace that it’s virtually impossible to get set in time to throw up a shot as delicate and difficult as an offensive lob.

But this doesn’t mean the pros don’t know how to hit one. Watch any doubles match and you’ll see all manner of lobs, from defensive moon shots to vicious topspin bombs that detonate inches inside the baseline. And it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t own a reliable lob as well. After all, when your opponent does come to the net, he won’t do it behind the screaming approaches that the pros use. You’ll have more time to get under the ball and lift it over his head.

HOW TO GET STARTED: Stand at the center of the service line with a basket of balls; have a partner stand a few feet from the net on the other side of the court.

Your partner should hold his racquet over his head, extending his arm as far upward as he can. Begin by taking a ball and simply popping it over his upheld racquet. Hit 20 balls like this.

“You want to start by thinking of the lob as just a ground stroke that’s hit higher than normal,” Pant says. “This will help you transition from your ground stroke swing to the more low-to-high motion and open racquet face needed for a lob.” Plus, as with the drop shot, the key to an effective lob is disguise. “You want to make it look as much like your ground strokes as possible, and this is the time to start.”

After hitting 20 balls from the service line, move back to the baseline and do the same drill with your partner.

Finally, stand at the center of the baseline. Your partner should stand at the net and feed you four balls in succession. On the first ball, hit a lob over your partner. On the second, hit a ground stroke back to him. On the third, hit either a ground stroke or a lob. On the fourth, again hit either a ground stroke or a lob and play out the point. This will help you learn to try to make your lob stroke as similar as possible to your normal ground stroke.

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VOLLEY

Roger Federer

You already know how to volley, you say? Technically, ally, that’s probably true. If you’ve played any tennis att all, you’ve learned that when you’re at net, you should use a short swing and punch the ball before it bounces. But do you feel comfortable enough with your volley to use it as a weapon, to let it make a difference for you u in competition? If not, you’ve still got some work to do o on

your net game.

“The goal should not just be to make your volley,” Pant says. “You You should think of it as learning to play the net as a whole, to be able to come ome forward and make your opponent nervous. When you come up, you’re u’re saying to the other guy, ‘You’re in trouble and I’m not.’”

At a time when most players are glued to the baseline, being able to move ove forward with confidence and competence is the easiest way to gain an edge e in a match.

Pant says that every player should learn to volley from day one. “Too many any people think of the volley as an add-on after their ground strokes,” he says. ays.

“You should begin your warm-ups with volleys. It should be considered everyy bit as important as learning the forehand or the serve.”

HOW TO GET STARTED: As with the second serve, young players need to get et a feel for the stroke first, before they begin trying to hit it hard. Pant recommends nds that juniors gather in groups of four, with two standing at each service line and facing each other. Begin by taking one ball and hitting it among the four of you.

Focus on control rather than power. The goal should be to go as long as you can n without letting the ball bounce.

“Before you do anything else, you have to get used to the idea of taking the e ball out of the air,” Pant says.

Once you’ve hit like this for 10 minutes or so, Pant recommends playing a doubles match where you must take the ball out of the air at all times. After er the serve and the return, if the ball touches the court on your side of the net, t, you lose the point.

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The Dream Factory

For a fan of the sport, a walk around Nick Bollettieriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s academy is like walking onto the assembly line of pro tennis. This is where the hard work gets done, and the show begins. By Peter Bodo

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ILLUSTRATION BY BRIAN TAYLOR

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T

he predawn light is gray at 5:25 A.M., but the birds in the nearby trees are already tweeting (without benefit of Wi-Fi or a smart phone) when I step out of room 207B on the second and top floor of the Bollettieri Resort Villas and Residences. Almost directly below, the surface of the pool is so still that, apart from its kidney shape and lack of a net, you could mistake it for a cement tennis court.

But it’s not like this place doesn’t have enough courts; it has 56, including 16 made of green HarTru and one lonely red-clay number. Nick Bollettieri’s tennis academy in Boca Raton, Fla., is to tennis what the University of Florida is to football, or what CBGB once was to punk rock music. It’s the place where champions and stars are made.

This is going to be one heck of a day for a tennis journalist and fan, here in the great American tennis dream factory, and I want to make sure I don’t disappoint my host, Nick Bollettieri himself, by showing up at 10 with sleep in my eyes.

I know he’s already up and doing push-ups over in the IMG Performance Institute weight room.

Bollettieri, 78, is an animal; he’s up shortly after 4 in the morning every day without the benefit of an alarm clock.

The dining room in the Clubhouse Reception building, just beyond the pool, is already half full.

At one table, a kid in a sleeveless shirt, who’s showing off more tattoos than Angelina Jolie, is holding court. Like the rest of the teenagers at the table, he’s dressed for tennis success, in baggy shorts and untied tennis shoes. I ask myself, Is this kid someone I should be aware of, or just part of a group of visiting juniors, checking out “the life” with a brief stay at the academy?

Contrary to what some might think, not everyone at the academy is the next Andre Agassi or Maria Sharapova. There are piles of kids who are here just because they love playing tennis, and their parents believe that it’s better for them to be immersed in the game rather than trying to fit it into a “normal” life. And then there are the campers and one-week warriors getting a taste of what it’s like for the elite, resident juniors.

One group of athletes stands out because they dwarf everyone else in the room. It turns out they’re NFL prospects, including Rodger Saffold and Jammie Kirlew of the University of Indiana.

Under the management of global talent agency IMG, the academy has become an interdisciplinary place, with academies for five sports, and two more set to open later this year. The football players are here to train and work out without setting foot on a tennis court.

After a quick breakfast (these folks know the meaning of the phrase “carb-loading”), I take a serpentine path past the street sign that says BOLLETTIERI WAY and walk through the garage-style door into the hangar-like indoor tennis center. Bollettieri is already on the court, working with phenom Mariya Shishkina, a junior from Kazakhstan who is now a U.S. citizen.

Bollettieri stands behind Shishkina, chin in hand, while she’s fed balls by Jose DeMata, a.k.a.

Moo-Moo. A Dominican who’s built like a refrigerator and feeds without saying a word, Moo-Moo is a human ball machine, until you get him between lessons, when he’s a friendly guy with a ready, broad smile.

Max Mirnyi of Belarus stops by to check out Shishkina, a startlingly well-developed athlete given that she’s just 11 years old. Mirnyi isn’t one of Bollettieri’s most famous or notorious protégés;

he’s enjoyed most of his pro success in doubles.

But Bollettieri loves him like a son and values his opinion. When the day comes for Bollettieri to give up the reigns to the academy, I can see Mirnyi or Brad Gilbert, another good friend of Bollettieri’s, taking over the day-to-day operations.

I wander away after about 20 minutes, Bollettieri’s gravelly voice still ringing in my ears: “Why do you raise the head of the racquet when you start your take-back, dear? Why? You’re just going to drop it again before you start your swing, so do it like this . . . ” I stop by the Performance Institute again, and the place is hopping. You may not recognize some of the names (Filip Krajinovic, Yuki Bhambri, Anastasia Pivovarova) but chances are someday you will. I head over to Tommy Haas, who is sitting by a leg-press machine, and say hello. We chat a bit.

Haas has had some hard luck with wrist and shoulder injuries in recent years, but I hope he wins a major before he calls it quits.

Now it’s time to check out the stadium court.

Granted, “stadium” is a deceptive adjective in this case. The seating on the aluminum bleachers on the south side of the court is modest, and the north side is just a covered walkway with a few chairs strewn around. But it’s the idea that counts.

Bollettieri’s academy is a meritocracy. The player who has the highest ATP or WTA tour ranking has first dibs on the stadium court. Today, that happens to be Jelena Jankovic.

I climb the ladder leading up to the coaching tower at the corner of the stadium court. It’s a good place to watch Jankovic work out. Looking north, 20 hard courts stretch away toward baseball diamonds and a golf driving range. How many of the players below do I recognize? Well, there’s the struggling, former hope of Canadian tennis, Philip Bester. That girl looks like Sabine Lisicki of Germany. On one court, Michaella Krajicek is doing a footwork drill using small traffic cones with her trainer Allistair McCaw. Is that Taylor Dent?

Bollettieri has come over to watch Jankovic hit.

He’s jabbing his finger at the chest of her coach, volubly making a point about being more aggressive with the backhand. After the workout, I catch

Star Maker SOME OF THE PLAYERS WHOSE GAMES BOLLETTIERI HAS HELPED SHAPE IN HIS 54 YEARS AS A COACH (AND THEIR HIGHEST SINGLES RANKINGS)

Andre Agassi Jimmy Arias Jim Courier Brian Gottfried Tommyy Haas*

1 5 1 3 2

Ryan Harrison* Jelena Jankovic* Anna Kournikova Michaella Krajicek* Aaron Krickstein

341 1 8 30 6

Xavier Malisse* Max Mirnyi* Kei Nishikori* Mary Pierce Marcelo Rios

19 18 56 3 1

Monica Seles Maria Sharapova* Serena Williams* Venus Williams* Nicole Vaidisova*

1 1 1 1 7 *ACTIVE PROS

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up with Jankovic, and she tells me that in the evenings, she gets together with some Serbs who live nearby to play board games. They always end up fighting like cats and dogs, because they’re as competitive as she is.

It’s lunch time, and in Bollettieri’s world that means a trip to South Philly Cheese Steak, a small, unpretentious place with red-and-white checkered tablecloths tucked into a strip mall a few hundred yards west of the academy entrance. Over lunch (the place does cheese steaks right, and serves a wicked lemonade), an assistant to Bollettieri counts out loud: “three . . . four . . . five . . .”

I realize he’s counting the times Bollettieri repeats someone’s name when telling a story, as in: “So Dave says . . . and I answer, ‘Davey-boy, listen to me. You can’t do that, Davey.’ And Davey-boy says to me . . . ” It’s just Nick being Nick. Something nobody else can be.

After lunch, I swing by the tiny office Bollettieri keeps in the long, barracks-like admissions and administration building. David Portnowitz, who handles public relations for Bollettieri, tells me my interview with Ryan Harrison is scheduled for 2 P.M. If we want, we can have our sit-down in Bollettieri’s office, a tiny room crammed with memorabilia Bollettieri has accumulated over the years. There’s a football signed by Penn State football coaching legend Joe Paterno and a golf club in a shadow box; the name on the lacquered wooden head of the club is Bing Crosby. The face of Bollettieri’s good friend, college basketball broadcaster and guru Dick Vitale, beams out at me from among the countless photos, framed letters and notes from luminaries in and out of tennis.

After I finish my interview with Harrison (he was elated because he had just earned a wild card into the Australian Open by winning a USTAsponsored playoff), I drift over to the cafeteria looking for Dent. I might as well interview him, too.

For a tennis writer, it’s like shooting fish in a barrel down here.

A dozen or so resident players, done with their morning session at school, are sitting around chatting and texting on the plastic chairs and weatherproof chaise lounges, their gear strewn all around. They’re preparing to go out and crush some balls, fueled by pizza and Cokes (these kids don’t eat as healthily as you might think) and the daily dose of gossip.

There’s no sign of Dent, so I make my way through the maze of buildings and circle back to the indoor tennis center. The kids hitting on the first court look terrific; they’re whaling on the ball.

I introduce myself to the coach standing on the sideline—it’s Harrison’s dad, Pat. I compliment him on how articulate his son was in our interview, and he gives me a little family background.

Like almost everyone at the academy, the Harrisons are from somewhere else (Shreveport, La., in their case), but as the two Harrison boys, Ryan and his younger brother, Christian, developed noteworthy games, they headed for the cement courts at the academy.

I forget how early it gets dark in the winter, even in the deep South. I’m shocked to see that there’s just a little daylight left, so I hustle over to the stadium court, where I’m hoping to catch a glimpse of Ivo Karlovic, or maybe Nicole Vaidisova or her boyfriend, Radek Stepanek, before I call it a day.

As I pass the pool and snack bar, I’m tempted to grab a quick slice of pizza. But I resist the urge.

I’m not 14 anymore, and unlike these kids, I didn’t spend the day working my butt off on court.

0110_FEA_Nick_rel.indd 25

com

All Things Tennis, All the Time

LIVE SCORES, NEWS, INSTRUCTION, AND GEAR Right at your fingertips, all with the click of a mouse.

2/1/10 2:20 PM

NE IN THE ZO

SECOND HELPING THE SECOND SERVE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STROKE FOR A JUNIOR TO DEVELOP. HERE’S HOW TO DO IT. BY RICK MACCI YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD the saying, “You’re only as good as your second serve.” With the way players return the ball these days, it’s truer than ever. If you don’t have a reliable, strong second serve, you’re not going to advance far in the junior rankings, never mind in college tennis or as a professional.

A good second serve requires courage. No one wants to double fault, but if you don’t start going for second serves with heavy spin at an early age, you’ll only succeed in training your muscles, and your mind, for failure. You need to hit the ball, not pat it over the net. Bravery comes with having sound, grooved technique. If you practice hard enough, and do it the right way, you’ll trust your stuff when you find yourself in a tense match. Here’s what you need to know to develop a killer second serve.

USE THE PROPER GRIP A Western grip might work for banging forehands, but you can’t master the second serve with it. Instead, try hitting serves with a Continental grip, where the V created by your thumb and forefinger is on top of the handle (when the racquet head is perpendicular to the ground). Or, go one step further and use the Eastern backhand grip, where the base knuckle of your index finger is on top of the grip. (For a guide to grips, go to TENNIS.com/ grips.) These grips allow you to add upward momentum to your swing and brush up on the ball for topspin, or “kick,” so you can hit the ball higher over the net and dip it into the service box.

STAY LOOSE Don’t strangle your racquet handle.

A firm grip will prevent you from brushing up on the

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ball. If you have trouble with this, exaggerate a loose grip in practice by dangling your pinky finger off the racquet handle or holding the racquet with just your thumb and index finger.

HIT UP AND OUT When you serve, you shouldn’t hit the ball straight or down, even though the net is much lower than your contact point. You need to hit up so you can impart topspin. To do this, toss the ball slightly farther to the left than usual (to the right for left-handers) and hit up from 7 to 1 o’clock (5 to 11 for lefties) on the back of the ball. It’s a baffling concept to many juniors, but an important one to master. See “Three Key Drills” (right) for tips on how to practice this technique.

LEAD WITH THE EDGE You shouldn’t hit the ball square, or dead on, on a second serve. Serving is like throwing an ax. You want the edge of your racquet to lead so the strings can brush up the back of the ball.

SWING HARD I teach my students to swing harder on their second serves than on their first serves. You need to feel confident that you can swing hard, yet easily control the ball because you’re hitting it the right way. On a second serve, racquet-head speed will give your shot depth, but also spin, which means safety. That’s ultimately what you want. If you decelerate your swing, the ball will go up but won’t come back down in the box.

THREE KEY DRILLS Most players have a difficult time learning to hit “up” on the ball for topspin. It seems strange, since you don’t need to hit up to get the ball over the net. But once you know how to do it, you’ll recognize the advantages of the kick serve. Here are drills to get you going in the right direction.

High ball: Step up to serve (with the proper grip, of course) and try to hit the ball as high as you can over the net and still have it land in the box. I like to see my students hit the ball 10 to 15 feet over the net. We often have a contest to see who can hit the ball the highest. Practice this enough and you’ll learn how to hit up yet control the ball. You’ll also realize that you can carve the ball even more to create heavier spin.

Towel down: Another way to practice hitting up is by putting a towel on the ground and serving from your knees. You really have to hit up in order to get the ball over the net.

Essentially, you’re isolating the shoulder and teaching it the proper swing.

Fence jumper: Stand a few feet away from the fence, toss the ball, and try to serve it over the fence. Your body will quickly adjust to its height. When you can hit the ball with this kind of height, you’ll be well on your way to a great kick second serve.

Rick Macci has coached Andy Roddick, Jennifer Capriati, and Serena and Venus Williams.

ILLUSTRATION BY KYLE T. WEBSTER

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2010 GUIDE TO

camps&clinics MIDWEST | NORTHEAST | SOUTH | WEST

Whether you are a junior with aspirations to be the next college tennis star, or a weekend tennis warrior at the local club, your quest to improve your game is never ending. That’s why we’ve put together the following list of 40+ tennis camps for Summer 2010. Be sure to check them out and talk to your parents about signing up!

MIDWEST ADIDAS TENNIS CAMPS MIDWEST www.TennisCamper.com 1-800-944-7112 Wisconsin University of Wisconsin Madison Minnesota St. Olaf College - Northfield Iowa Coe College - Cedar Rapids Missouri Triple A Golf & Tennis Club - St. Louis Illinois Northern Illinois University - DeKalb Kansas Southwestern College - Winfield ALL-AMERICAN TENNIS CAMP Junior Camp Wooster, Columbus, Oxford and Cleveland, OH (614) 886-3558 www.sportcamp101.com "Voted the #1 Sports Camp in Ohio." One of the top learning environments in the nation for more than 20 years. Tailored instructional programs for each level.

5.5-6 hours of tennis daily featuring cutting edge teaching techniques by first rate staff. Boys and Girls ages 8-18. Traditional, Match Play and College Prep camps available.

COACH STEVE WILKINSON'S 33RD ANNUAL TENNIS AND LIFE CAMPS Adult and Junior Camp St. Peter, MN (507) 931-1614 www.gustavus.edu/tlc 12 hours of daily tennis instruction emphasizing technique, strategy, mental training, positive reinforcement, fun & sportsmanship. 4:1 ratio, 30 courts (24 outdoor & 6 indoor), 15 ball machines. Top 10 Junior Camp. Top 25 Adult Camp.

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HERRMANN TENNIS ACADEMY SUMMER CAMP AT WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY Junior Camp Kalamazoo, MI Northbrook, IL (847) 498-5333 www.HerrmannTennisAcademy.com Exceeding the needs of the competitive junior player! 4:1 ratio, over 32 hours of tennis weekly.

Superior coaching. State of the art facilities at Western Michigan University, home of the Boy's 16's & 18's National Championship.

RAMEY TENNIS & EQUESTRIAN SCHOOLS Adult and Junior Camp Owensboro, KY (270) 570-3054 www.rameycamps.com Rated top 25 in the world by TENNIS Magazine in 2009. Hardcore camps with professional instruction.

4:1 staff/camper ratio. Year-round programs offered with indoor courts, ball machines and video.

ROD SCHROEDER NATIONAL TENNIS CAMP Junior Camp Kenosha, WI 847-681-8113 www.rodschroedertenniscamp.com #1 Junior Tennis Camp in the Midwest. Owner operated. It makes a BIG difference! We offer programs for all abilities. 4:1 student to teacher ratio.

SUMMER JUNIOR TENNIS CAMPS SPONSORED BY FILA Junior Camp St. Louis , MO kstahlhuth@wustl.edu Dayton, OH Eric.Mahone@notes.udayton.edu The Washington University and University of Dayton Tennis Camps sponsored by FILA will provide a structured tennis-learning environment around fun drills & competition. Washington University, June 7-11, 14-18. University of Dayton, June 21-25.

NIKE TENNIS CAMPS MIDWEST www.USSportsCamps.com 1-800-NIKE CAMP (1-800-645-3226) Illinois Bradley University - Peoria Northwestern University - Evanston Indiana Indiana University - Bloomington Kansas University of Kansas - Lawrence Michigan Michigan State University - East Lansing Minnesota University of Minnesota - Minneapolis Missouri University of Missouri - Columbia Ohio Denison University - Granville Ohio University - Athens Miami University of Ohio - Oxford Oberlin College - Oberlin Oklahoma University of Oklahoma - Norman Wisconsin Wayland Academy - Beaver Dam

NORTHEAST CAMP BRIDGES Juniors/Adults Warren, VT (802) 583-2922 www.bridgesresort.com/tennis-at-bridges Nestled in the heart of the Mad River Valley and ranked in the top 50 Tennis Resorts by TENNIS Magazine, The Bridges Family Resort offers customized tennis packages for the whole family. A full recreation center, 3 pools, 10 outdoor courts, and 2 indoor courts guarantees fun, rain or shine.

COLLEGE TENNIS EXPOSURE CAMP Junior Camp Bethlehem, PA (813) 684-9031 www.collegetennis.com Coach Ed Krass's 22nd Annual College Exposure Tennis Camp! The nation's only tennis camp taught exclusively by head college coaches. Collegiate style drills, team match play and college tennis seminars.

For ages 15-18.

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2010 GUIDE TO

camps&clinics MIDWEST | NORTHEAST | SOUTH | WEST

DELAWARE VALLEY TENNIS ACADEMY Junior Camp Bryn Mawr, PA (610) 527-2387 www.dvta.com DVTA Overnight Camp: A/C Dorms at Villanova University weekly July 4-31; Day Camp: Half & Full Day weekly June 7-Sept 3 FROG HOLLOW RACQUET CLUB Junior Camp Lansdale, PA (610) 584-5502 www.frogtennis.com Frog Hollow Racquet Club offers an exciting way to learn tennis, meet friends and have a great time!

Frog Hollow offers QuickStart camp for players 10 and under, Junior Camp for ages 11 – 18, High School Training Camp & a competitive High Performance Camp. Camp is Monday through Friday 9am - 4 pm (plus half day options and extended day!) Camp runs June 14th - September 3rd. Weekly sign ups available. REFERENCE THIS LISTING AND GET $10 OFF YOUR FIRST WEEK OF 2010 CAMP (can’t be combined with other offers).

FUTURE STARS TENNIS DAY & OVERNIGHT CAMP Junior Camp Armonk, NY Armonk, Purchase - Westchester, Old Westbury Nassau, and Hamptons, NY (914) 273-8500 www.fscamps.com For 30 years, thousands of campers have enhanced their skills, tucked away lifelong memories, and made lasting friendships. Full Day and Overnight programs with swimming and transportation. Ratio 4:1. International staff.

ADIDAS TENNIS CAMPS NORTHEAST www.TennisCamper.com 1-800-944-7112 Maine Bowdoin College - Brunswick Massachusetts University of Massachusetts - Amherst Connecticut University of Connecticut - Storrs Wesleyan University - Middletown New York Sutton East Tennis Club - Manhattan New Jersey Ramapo College - Mahwah The Hun School - Princeton Pennsylvania Shady Side Academy - Pittsburgh Gettysburg College - Gettysburg

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KINYON/JONES TENNIS CAMP Adult and Junior Camp Hanover, NH 603-646-0751 www.kjtctennis.com Directed by Chuck Kinyon, Dave Jones, and Bob Dallis, Dartmouth College Coaching Staff. One of Tennis Magazine's 10 Best Junior Camps 2004. Over 30 years of camping experience. June-August.

Rates on request.

NEW ENGLAND TENNIS HOLIDAYS Adult Camp North Conway, NH Sugarbush, VT, Vero Beach, FL (800) 869-0949 www.netennisholidays.com The #1 adult tennis camp offers exceptional lodging, dining and tennis experience at Sugarbush, Vermont, Ocean Edge, Cape Cod, Mass and The Blvd Village & Tennis Club, Vero Beach, Florida.

PETER KAPLAN'S WESTHAMPTON BEACH (NY) Adult and Junior Camp Westhampton Beach, NY (631) 288-4021 www.westhamptontennis.com Ocean Beaches & Historic Inn: "World's Best Camp" Tennis Channel & Tennis Resorts Online "L.I. s Best" - Dan's Papers "Best Place" - LI Alive "Northeast Spectacular Tennis Getaway" - Court time Magazine "NYS Top Vacation Program" Half/full 1-7 day programs. Flexible scheduling. 3:1 ratio. Fr $99/ day including accommodations. Fr $45/day for day campers. Day & Overnight programs. USTA Member Benefits for adults & juniors.

THE TENNIS ACADEMY AT HARVARD Adult and Junior Camp Boston, MA (617) 678-0142 www.thetennisacademy.com Great summer tennis instruction in Boston! Owned & operated by Harvard's varsity men's & women's tennis coaches. Join us for the time of your life!

VERMONT TENNIS VACATIONS Adult and Junior Camp Burlington, VT 800-727-4295 www.vermonttennisvacations.com Feed your game! Multi-day camps and a la carte clinics with 4:1 ratio, featuring world-class coaches.

AAA Four Diamond service offering (new) Spa, Cooking Classes, Award-Winning Dining. Minutes from Burlington nestled in Vermont’s Green Mountains.

NIKE TENNIS CAMPS NORTHEAST www.USSportsCamps.com 1-800-NIKE CAMP (1-800-645-3226) Connecticut Sacred Heart University - Fairfield Maryland Salisbury University - Salisbury University of Maryland - College Park Massachusetts Amherst College - Amherst Williams College - Williamstown Curry College - Milton Mount Holyoke College - South Hadley M.I.T.-Cambridge New Hampshire The Derryfield School - Manchester New Jersey The Peddie School - Hightstown The Lawrenceville School - Lawrenceville Cherry Hill Health & Racquet Club - Cherry Hill New York University at Buffalo - Buffalo Pennsylvania Elizabethtown College - Lancaster Virginia The College of William & Mary - Williamsburg University of Virginia - Charlottesville Wintergreen Resort - Wintergreen Washington, DC Georgetown University WINDRIDGE TENNIS & SPORTS CAMPS Junior Camp Burlington, VT Roxbury & Craftsbury Common, VT (802) 860-2005 www.windridgecamps.com Windridge Tennis Camps stand unique among camps. We incorporate a highly specialized tennis program within the traditional framework of a rural New England camp setting.

WOODSTOCK LEGENDS CAMPS Adult Camp Woodstock, VT (877)-213-8403 www.woodstockinn.com Enjoy tennis at Vermont’s most beautiful resort!

Legends Camps: Tim Mayotte - July 16-18; Johan Kriek - August 13-15. Spring Camp May 14-16; Autumn in Vermont Camp September 17-19. All camps are three days of instruction & two nights’ accommodations.

877-213-8403 www.woodstockinn.com

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2010 GUIDE TO

camps&clinics MIDWEST | NORTHEAST | SOUTH | WEST

SOUTH 4 STAR CAMPS Junior Camp Charlottesville, VA 800-334-7827 www.4starcamps.com Instructional programs at University of Virginia, Stony Brook University on Long Island, NY for ages 9-18. Private lessons, plus special High School Players Camp.

EVERT TENNIS ACADEMY Junior Camp Boca Raton, FL (561) 488-2001 www.evertacademy.com Quality tennis instruction, 4:1 student to teacher ratio. Boarding & non-boarding for juniors. On & off-campus activities organized daily for boarders.

Programs for all abilities.

EXTREME TENNIS ACADEMY Junior Camp Hollywood, Fl South Florida (954) 478-3941 www.extremetennisacademy.com "Rated one of Florida’s best. World class training.

Boarding & non-boarding. Ages 10-18 all levels.

National & International Players. Personalized attention. Certified Coaches. Weekly May 31st.August 27th. Ratio 5:1" FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY TENNIS CAMPS Junior Camp Tallahassee, FL 850-644-1739 www.seminoletenniscamps.com Overnight High Performance and Regular Camps for players of all ages. "Dartfish" Video analysis, individual instruction, small group drilling and famous Davis Cup Team Competition

ADIDAS TENNIS CAMPS SOUTH www.TennisCamper.com 1-800-944-7112 Maryland University of MarylandBaltimore County - Baltimore Virginia University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg South Carolina Winthrop University - Rock Hill Georgia Georgia Tech - Atlanta

IMG BOLLETTIERI TENNIS ACADEMY Adult and Junior Camp Bradenton, FL 1-800-872-6425 www.imgacademies.com For over 30 years, the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy has produced some of the world’s best players. We offer programs during the summer and throughout the entire year for all ages and ability levels. Train with the best coaches in the industry today!

JOHN NEWCOMBE TENNIS CAMPS Adult and Junior Camp New Braunfels, TX (800) 444-6204 www.newktennis.com Over 35 years of experience, Newks offers programs for the entire family. Training for all ages & abilities from beginners to national champions.

KIAWAH ISLAND MINI-CAMPS/CLINICS Adult and Junior Camp Charleston, SC (843) 768-2838 kiawahtennis.com The #1 RANKED FAMILY TENNIS RESORT in the U.S. Nationally known programs including daily clinics, drill & three day mini-camps for adults & juniors.

PALMETTO DUNES Adult and Junior Camp Hilton Head, SC 843-785-1152 palmettodunes.com/hilton-headtennis.php For 30+ years, the Palmetto Dunes Tennis Center has earned the distinction of being a leader in world-class tennis instruction. Home to some of the nation's finest clinics, camps & instructrional programs. Ranked among the "50 Greatest Tennis Resorts" by TENNIS Magazine since 1975.

RICK MACCI TENNIS ACADEMY Junior Camp Boca Raton, FL (561) 445-2747 www.rickmacci.com Voted #1 Jr. Tennis Camp in the U.S. under the direction of 2005 USPTA Pro of the Year in North America, Rick Macci. All ages, all levels.

SADDLEBROOK TENNIS Adult and Junior Camp Tampa, FL (800) 729-8383 x4200 www.saddlebrooktennis.com Adult and Junior camps offered year-round.

Beautiful resort with 45 courts. First-class instruction. Home to American Tennis Superstars: James Blake, John Isner, Mardy Fish and Bob & Mike Bryan!

SEAHAWK TENNIS CAMP Junior Camp Wilmington, NC (910) 619-9343 www.seahawktenniscamp.com Day and Overnight Junior Tennis Camp offered at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington Varsity Tennis Facility. Ages 6 - 18 years of age.

Ability levels range from Beginners to elite tournament players. Directed by Head Men's Tennis Coach Mait DuBois. Located less than 10 minutes from Wrightsville Beach.

2010 TEXAS A&M TENNIS CAMP Junior Camp College Station, TX (979) 862-2533 www.aggietenniscamp.com Nationally recognized directors, unmatched credentials. 6:1 ratio, 6 hours of tennis daily, tournament & match play. Activities create fun, friends & lifelong memories. Experienced High School & College coaches, top collegiate players. $5 million tennis facility.

NIKE TENNIS CAMPS SOUTH www.USSportsCamps.com 1-800-NIKE CAMP (1-800-645-3226) Alabama University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa Samford University - Birmingham Florida Rollins College - Winter Park University of West Florida - Pensacola Georgia Emory University - Atlanta University of Georgia - Athens Louisiana Tulane University - New Orleans North Carolina Duke University - Durham Wake Forest University - Winston-Salem Asheville Athletic Club - Asheville South Carolina Furman University - Greenville Charleston Tennis Camp - Charleston Francis Marion University - Florence Tennessee Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro Puerto Rico Gigi Fernandez-Nike Tennis Camp - Humacao

Alabama Troy University - Troy Highland Park Tennis Center - Birmingham

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2010 GUIDE TO

camps&clinics MIDWEST | NORTHEAST | SOUTH | WEST

TIGER TENNIS CAMP Adult and Junior Camp Sewanee, TN (931) 598-1485 http://tenniscamps.sewanee.edu Two camps that offer instruction for all levels & player development for collegiate player preparation. Mountain lakes, fun activities, 4:1 ratio for drills & supervised match play included. Adult Camps: May 28-30 & June 4-6. Juniors/Tournament Player: June 6-11, June 13-18, June 20-25, June 27-July 2 UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS LONGHORN TENNIS CAMP Adult and Junior Camp Austin, TX (512) 471-4404 www.longhorntenniscamp.com "Innovation, tradition and fun for 25 summers.

Experience the Texas System that has produced All-Americans, Professional Players, and 2 National Championship Teams. Day and overnight Junior camps June 1 - Aug 1. Adult Camp June 26-27."

WINTERGREEN RESORT TENNIS ACADEMY Adult and Junior Camp Wintergreen, VA (434) 325-8235 World-Ranked Camp & Resort. Year Round Academies. Daily Programs for All. Indoor & Outdoor Courts. Video/Sports Psychology. Spa/ Fitness Center. Cool Mountain Temperatures.

WEST ADIDAS TENNIS CAMPS WEST www.TennisCamper.com 1-800-944-7112 California Azusa Pacific University - Azusa Mills College - Oakland University of Redlands - Redlands University of California - Davis Menlo College - Atherton Oregon Pacific University - Forest Grove

ADVANTAGE TENNIS ACADEMY Junior Camp Irvine, CA (949) 551-6044 www.advantagetennisacademy.com Advantage Tennis Academy: Acclaimed junior program known for producing top athletes on national and international circuits. Academic school year program, weekly summer camps and summer semesters. Hi-tech, three-tiered training system to maximize technical, physical/mental development.

Tournament travel team. Coastal locale and #1 College placement to the most desirable schools in the U.S. make ATA unbeatable.

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BRADY TENNIS CAMPS Adult and Junior Camp Santa Barbara, CA (310) 798-0333 www.bradycamps.com Weekend & week-long camps in beautiful CALIFORNIA locations: UC Santa Barbara, Palm Desert, Los Angeles, San Diego. All levels. Top-rate instruction.

Affordable. Video Analysis. See our 2010 schedule!

CARMEL VALLEY TENNIS CAMP Junior Camp Carmel Valley, CA (831) 659-2615 www.carmelvalleytenniscamp.com TENNIS Magazine's top 5 junior tennis camps (May 2006). 5:1 ratio, excellent instruction; numerous off court-activities, only accredited ACA tennis camp in the West.

SCOTTSDALE RESORT & ATHLETIC CLUB: CUSTOM ADULT TENNIS RETREAT Adult Camp Scottsdale, AZ 877-385-8456 www.scottsdaleresortandathleticclub.com Voted “Top 50 Tennis Resort.” Customized training retreats for your USTA team, club league, or tennis group – choose your topics. Take home “Progress DVD,” Villa accommodations.

KIM GRANT TENNIS ACADEMY Adult and Junior Camp Palo Alto, CA 650-752-8061 www.kimgranttennis.com Learn to Play like a Pro from a Pro Day & overnight week long camps: Minis/Beginners (ages 3-12), Juniors (intermediate and high performance) & Adults. 4:1 student to coach ratio, qualified Coaches - Learn the “Modern Game;” fundamentals, stroke analysis, tactical drills, mental toughness, fitness conditioning, match play, video analysis.

TENNIS CAMPS AT THE BROADMOOR Adult and Junior Camp Colorado Springs, CO (800) 634-7711 ext. 5847 www.broadmoor.com Award-winning camps in a five-star setting! Learn from America’s #1 rated teaching staff at this grand hotel at the foot of the Rockies. 4:1 ratio for adults and juniors. Level-specific camps from beginner to most advanced. Clay and hard courts.

UCLA BRUIN TENNIS CAMP Junior Camp Los Angeles, CA (310) 206-6375 or 206-3550 www.uclasportscamps.com Join UCLA Coach Billy Martin on the campus of UCLA for tennis & fun. All ability levels for ages 7-17 welcome. Resident and Day campers.

NIKE TENNIS CAMPS WEST www.USSportsCamps.com 1-800-NIKE CAMP (1-800-645-3226) Arizona University of Arizona - Tucson California Stanford University - Stanford Lake Tahoe UC, Santa Cruz Santa Clara University Pebble Beach UC, Santa Barbara Pepperdine University - Malibu UC, San Diego - La Jolla Claremont-McKenna College - Claremont La Jolla Country Day Bakersfield Racquet Club Irvine Valley College Colorado University of Northern Colorado - Greeley Fountain Valley School - Colorado Springs Millennium Harvest House - Boulder Idaho Sun Valley Resort Montana Montana State University - Bozeman Oregon Oregon State University - Corvallis Black Butte Ranch - Black Butte Utah Utah State University - Logan Texas University of North Texas - Denton Barton Creek Resort - Austin Washington Gonzaga University - Spokane Sammamish Club - Issaquah Seattle University WEIL TENNIS ACADEMY Junior Camp Ojai, CA (805) 640-3413 www.weiltennis.com Voted TOP 5 Best Summer Junior Camp-Tennis Magazine. World-Class, High Performance Training.

International Coaching Staff with a 5:1 ratio. Southern California Tournament Travel.

WAILEA TENNIS FANTASY CAMP Adult Camp Maui, HI (808) 879-1958 www.waileatennis.com 2009 event featured Lindsay Davenport, Tom Gullikson, Tracy Austin and Corina Morariu. Five nights at The Four Seasons Resort, 4 days of instruction, play & social activities. Returning Nov. 17-21

2/1/10 10:37 AM

FACTS, STATS AND CHAT ON THE JUNIOR GAME

MINOR SENSATIONS

COLETTE LEWIS (4); VICKERY AND MCDONALD: DAVID KENAS

THE YOUNGER THE PLAYER, THE HARDER IT IS TO TELL WHAT HIS OR HER TENNIS FUTURE HOLDS, BUT SO FAR THESE HOT SHOTS ARE TEARING IT UP IN THEIR AGE GROUPS. BY SARAH UNKE MARIYA SHISHKINA

SEONGCHAN HONG

She may be only 11, but Shishkina is a small powerhouse with a complete game and a fierce competitive sense. In December she won the Eddie Herr girls’ 12s event, blowing through the final 6-1, 6-0 against fellow 11-year-old Tornado Ali Black. Shishkina is being touted as the next big thing by none other than Nick Bollettieri.

The Kazakhstan native-turned-U.S. citizen trains at the coaching legend’s Bradenton, Fla., academy.

In last year’s Orange Bowl final, Hong knew he had to change his game plan. He was facing Stefan Kozlov, who he had lost to the previous week in the Eddie Herr boys’ 12s final in two tiebreak sets.

So Hong, 12, ditched his counterpunching style and played more aggressively to win the match 6-4, 6-2. The Korean has quick feet that never stop moving, and he makes up for his lack of power with the consistency of his smooth forehand and two-handed backhand.

FRANCOISE ABANDA

MACKENZIE MCDONALD

At 5-foot-10 with a pink streak through her hair, Abanda might look at home in the 18-and-unders.

In fact, the Canadian, who just turned 13, won the 12-and-under girls’ Orange Bowl title in 2009, defeating Shishkina en route to the final. Abanda’s powerful game and lankiness make her reminiscent of a young Venus Williams. Also like Venus, Francoise isn’t the only player in her family. Watch out for her 16-year-old sister, Elisabeth, as well.

Here’s a junior who isn’t afraid of the net. No, really. McDonald, 14, uses his compact ground strokes, including a two-handed backhand, to set up points, which he often finishes in the forecourt. The Piedmont, Calif., resident had a big year in 2009: He won the boys’ 14s singles and doubles titles at the Easter Bowl in April and reached the Orange Bowl 14s final in December. McDonald also traveled to the Czech Republic in August to represent the United States in the ITF World Junior Tennis Finals.

SACHIA VICKERY

ALEXIOS HALEBIAN

This 14-year-old was the youngest competitor at Wimbledon in 2009. After fighting through the qualifying at the junior event, she lost to the No. 1 junior in the world, 16-year-old Kristina Mladenovic, in the second round. She still had a lot to be proud of, though, and she kept up her level of play, winning the Eddie Herr girls’ 16s in December. The Miramar, Fla., native trains at the Patrick Mouratoglou Academy in Paris.

After losing in the final of the Eddie Herr International boys’ 16s in December, this 15-year-old lefty from Glendale, Calif., wanted more.

So at the Orange Bowl the following week, he battled through to the final and won it, defeating 16-yearold Californian Marcos Giron. And it wasn’t Halebian’s first big win.

In 2008, he won the boys’ 14s National Clay Court Championships.

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Novak Djokovic gives new meaning to the phrase “hitting a moon ball.”

Think you can beat that caption? Take a look at this photo and write your best one-liner.

The winner will receive a Head YouTek Speed Lite racquet and a Djokovic Series backpack.

E-mail captions@smashtennis.com.

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“AAAAAAAH! I forgot Rafa switched to polos this year!”

—Yash Kamani, Burlington, Mass.

LAST ISSUE’S WINNER:

“SMASH” (ISSN 1930-2592) is published 4 times a year (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter). Vol. 5, No. 1. Copyright © 2010 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.

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