PERFECT YOUR GAME
2014 WIMBLEDON STARS ON SHOW
NICK KYRGIOS A top teen
Fine-tuned precision
transformed
PETRA KVITOVA Powerfully perfect
3 ATHLETICISM
ADVANTAGES 3 LEARN FROM OTHER SPORTS 3 MUST HAVE FITNESS 3 THE BRAIN GAME
AUGUST 2014 A$7.50 / NZ$8.40 / US$7.50
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AUGUST 2014 VOL 39 No. 8
PICTURE PERFECT All the elements came together in just the right way as Novak Djokovic and Petra Kvitova re-emerged as Grand Slam champions at Wimbledon.
contents FEATURES 12 A FOR ATHLETICISM
28 TRAIN YOUR BRAIN
25 BACK TO FITNESS BASICS
34 SIMONA HALEP AND THE CREATIVE GAME
Fitness, strength and superior athleticism are increasingly the elements that transform a mere player into a modern day great.
Understanding some critical fitness basics will help you develop your best possible physical base.
Fine-tuning the mental aspects of your game is as critical as building the physical ones – and easier than you might think.
Combining natural talent with superior strokes and a healthy ambition, Simona Halep provides many lessons for tennis success.
27 TRAIN YOURSELF TO GOOD EATING
Some simple steps to help you establish best habits for top tennis nutrition. AUGUST 2014 AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE
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AUGUST 2014 VOL 39 No. 8
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AUSSIE ARRIVAL Nick Kyrgios was the undisputed star of the most impressive Australian campaign at the All England Club in more than a decade.
REGULARS 8 BREAKPOINTS 10 THE HITTING WALL 19 BE THE PRO 21 GEARING UP 58 FROM THE CLUBHOUSE 62 RANKINGS 64 SCOREBOARD 68 IN FOCUS PROFILE 71 LOOKING BACK 72 KIDS’ CLUBHOUSE 74 LAST WORD
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DON’T BE A TRAINING WRECK While training is critical to maintaining best form, the risks of overtraining show that there can also be too much of a good thing. 4
AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE AUGUST 2014
EDITOR Vivienne Christie DEPUTY EDITOR Darren Saligari ASSISTANT EDITOR Daniela Toleski FOUNDING EDITOR Alan Trengove GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Andrea Williamson Trevor Bridger
ADVERTISING MANAGER Nicole Hearnden ADMINISTRATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER Daniel Heathcote PHOTOGRAPHS Getty Images, John Anthony, Image(s) licensed by Ingram Publishing COVER PHOTO Getty Images COVER DESIGN & PHOTO EDITING Andrew Hutchison, FourFront
Australian Tennis Magazine is published monthly by TENNIS AUSTRALIA LTD, Private Bag 6060, Richmond, Vic 3121. Ph: (03) 9914 4200 Email: editor@tennismag.com.au Distributed by Network Distribution Company Printed in Australia by Webstar The views expressed in Australian Tennis Magazine are not necessarily those held by Tennis Australia. While the utmost care is taken in compiling the information contained in this publication, Tennis Australia is not responsible for any loss or injury occurring as a result of any omissions in either the editorial or advertising appearing herein.
FIRST SERVE
Making his mark
E
arly in the fi rst week of Wimbledon, Nick Kyrgios sat in a small interview room and delivered what might have become one of the most pertinent statements of the 2014 Championships: “You know, it’s a marathon,” he told the eight or so media members gathered there. “Not a sprint.” Coming from a 19-year-old who has done so much – and so quickly – as Kyrgios, it’s admittedly hard to believe he could take his time with anything. Ranked outside the top 800 at the start of the 2013 season, the then-junior set his sights on gaining a top 300 ATP ranking by the end of the season. He’d done that within the first four months of the year. Starting this year at world No.183, Kyrgios set about ending 2014 inside the top 100; now at No.66, he’s smashed that goal in lightning-fast time, too.
Kyrgios achieved that with the most headline-grabbing run we’ve seen at the All England Club for years – which is why his “marathon” comment is so wise. As Kyrgios saved nine match points to upset 13th seed Richard Gasquet in the second round, it became clear his rare natural ability (“Wow, he’s such a confidence player!” uttered one awestruck local scribe) has been enhanced by countless hours of off-court training. At the same stage of the Australian Open, Kyrgios cramped and surrendered a two-set lead to Benoit Paire. “I’m a different player than I was then,” he rightly declared. It all came together in the most impressive way when Kyrgios stunned world No.1 Rafael Nadal 7-6(5) 5-7 7-6(5) 6-3 in the fourth round, highlighting both a tremendous talent and remarkable strength of character.
The fearless performance on tennis’ most famous stage raised hopes that a goal to become No.1 is realistic. “I shall draw so much confidence from this and take it with me everywhere I go from here,” said Kyrgios, now expressing such views to a growing media audience in the main interview room. After his stirring campaign ended in a quarterfi nal loss to Milos Raonic, the matter-offact Kyrgios rattled off all the improvements still required in his already-impressive game. The classic final between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer should help Kyrgios further understand what it takes to get to the top spot and provide inspiration on that journey. Not that any extra is required for a young man who already competes with such heart.
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Vivienne Christie editor@tennismag.com.au
Nexnt th mo THE REVOLUTION ISSUE For all its revered traditions, tennis is also a sport that thrives on change. As we explore turning points of the past, we also reveal some exciting developments for the future. On sale from 25 August.
The Marathon man … Few feats of endurance are as impressive as Roger Federer’s 59 consecutive Slam appearances. Here are some highlights from over the years:
Makes first Grand Slam quarterfinals at French Open and Plays every major All-court ability Wimbledon, upsetting for the first time, starting to show as surviving a marathon four-time defending Federer reaches champion Pete five-setter to reach final 16 of Australian Sampras at the the final 16 at and US Opens. All England Club. Roland Garros.
2000 6
AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE AUGUST 2014
2001
2002
A major winner at last! Federer claims the first of seven Wimbledon titles at age 21.
A superb season as the Swiss star claims three of the four Grand Slams. Roland Garros is now the only major missing.
Defeats Andy Roddick to complete a Wimbledon hat trick and defends his US Open title.
Once again, wins every Grand Slam except the French Open, where he is runner-up to Rafael Nadal.
2003
2004
2005
2006
WIMBLEDON
PICTURE perfect A string of talented young performers made their mark at Wimbledon, but it was two former champions, Petra Kvitova and Novak Djokovic, who ultimately found their own formula for success to re-emerge as major forces. By VIVIENNE ChrIstIE
AUGUST 2014 AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE
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WIMBLEDON
E I S S U >A rrival a
ost d star of the m te u p is d n u e on in th n at W imbled Nick Kyrgios, ig a p m a c n g lia ustra year’s stunnin is th t impressive A a th s y a um ber eca de , s . And as the n more than a d g in n in g e b e ers ly th alian contend tr s u success is on A d le a ti on to ly creden t the only pers of increasing o n is s io rg y K him , orts rises around CHRISTIE rep E N N IE IV V . hold that view
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AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE AUGUST 2014
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FEATURE
>all round
good sports
ressive on the tennis court? Think your favourite players are imp do in other sporting arenas. Wait until you hear what they can DAN IMHOFF reports
F
or Novak Djokovic it came down to three courts being built near his parents’ pizzeria; for Caroline Wozniacki it was a matter of ice-cream rewards. Such simple reasons have swayed many of the game’s top players into channeling their abilities into a career as a tennis professional, often at the expense of another sport. Post-tennis career, it is rarely out of fi nancial necessity, more a desire to continue fanning those competitive fi res, as to why a player turns their hand to a different discipline. Many of the ingredients common to succeeding in other sports already exist – exceptional hand-eye coordination, athleticism, the determination 50
AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE AUGUST 2014
to fi ght, and the ability to manage emotions and develop routines. As Dave Smith, author of Coaching Mastery explains, sincere desire is the one element common to every talented junior athlete who makes it as a professional. Many of the game’s greats know what it takes to make it in a sport at a professional level. Whether they succeed in a second sport is another matter. Some are just as happy to be ardent sideline fans.
SCOTT DRAPER As the only athlete to have won titles as both a tennis and golf professional, Scott Draper is the ultimate example of the multisport tennis professional. The gifted Australian took up golf at
25. He returned to tennis to win the Australian Open mixed doubles title with Sam Stosur in 2005, while also playing in the Victoria Open golf tournament. The former world No.42 would go on to win the 2007 New South Wales PGA Tournament and is now Tennis Australia’s Development Tennis Manager.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC Coming from a family of elite skiiers it is little wonder the nimble Serb is able to screech into those split slides on hard-courts. Djokovic admits he may never have taken up
swimming and tennis around 10 or 11. My swimming coach, who actually was my neighbour, he was getting so frustrated with me because I would never show up to the competitions,” she said. “I was like, ‘Whatever. I don’t feel like waking up at seven …’ I preferred the outdoors … and winning ice-creams, because my dad would set up goals for me to win ice-cream.”
RAFAEL NADAL The ambidextrous Spaniard had football pedigree on his side with uncle Miguel a legend of Barcelona FC and the Spanish national team. It was Nadal’s father Sebastian who made the then-12-year-old choose between tennis and football so his school results would not suffer. “I slowly played more and
more tennis with my uncle, but I still preferred football. That was my real love when I was a young boy,” Nadal once told The Telegraph. Despite his family ties to Barca, Nadal is an avid fan of arch-rival club Real Madrid and is a shareholder in his hometown club, Mallorca.
LLEYTON HEWITT Hewitt’s father Glynn was a former Australian rules footballer and his mother Cherilyn was a former champion netballer. Hewitt’s unbridled passion on court spills over to his support for his beloved Adelaide Crows in the AFL. Peter Smith, one of the first coaches to have spotted his talent told the BBC: “A game of cricket in the Hewitt backyard is probably as competitive as anything you’d see at Lord’s. Lleyton played Aussie rules football until he was 13. He’s also an avid golfer. I’m sure he’d have reached the top whatever sport he'd have chosen.”
GAEL MONFILS
tennis if it were not for three courts being built near his parents’ pizzeria at Kopaonik in the Serbian mountains. “Nobody in my family had ever touched a tennis racquet before me,” he told The Independent. “I would have become a skier or a football player or a regular student. My dad was a semi-professional footballer and a very good skier, a professional. He, my aunt, my uncle were all at the top of the former Yugoslavia ski squad.”
ROGER FEDERER The team aspect of playing football and being able to share the emotions of victory with teammates is the greatest thing
the Swiss great says he misses by playing tennis. Basel FC’s No.1 fan, Federer played football until deciding to focus solely on his tennis at age 12. “I’d like to think I could have been a footballer. I was an attacking midfielder or striker. I was a good leader so I think I would have made a good captain,” he said.
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI The daughter of a professional Polish footballer, Wozniacki was a top swimmer in Denmark before the lure of icecream may well have swayed her decision to start running down balls on a tennis court. “I had to choose between
The flashy Frenchman could well have pursued basketball or athletics professionally. He is a supporter of the Denver Nuggets in the NBA and lists Carmelo Anthony as his favourite player. Those lean legs were built for speed, it seems. He won the French under-13 and under-14 100m championships and his coach at the time maintains he could well have gone on to make an Olympic 100m fi nal.
STEFFI GRAF Finishing her career with 22 Grand Slam singles titles, one of Graf’s greatest attributes was her speed. She trained with the German athletics team at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and German Tennis Federation sporting aptitude tests on its rising athletes in the 1980s suggested she had the capability to become an Olympic 1500m champion.
SUPERIOR SKILL SETS: Rafael Nadal chose tennis over a potential football career but is also a talented golfer, while Gael Monfils (far left) is as handy on a basketball court as he is on the tennis one. AUGUST 2014 AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE
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