Australian Tennis Magazine - March 2014

TICKET TO A BETTER GAME

10 TOP

GLOBAL

GAME NATIONS TO WATCH GRIGOR

DESTINATIONS

ROAD TO SUCCESS

AND PLAY

DIMITROV’S

PACK UP

FAN SLAM GUIDE TIPS FOR TOURING HOW TO ACCLIMATISE

k FITNESS ON THE ROAD k DOMINATE THE TIEBREAK k A JOURNEYMAN’S DIARY k THE TENNIS ‘SQUASH’ SHOT k CLUB NEWS & PROFILES

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MARCH 2014 VOL 39 No. 3

contents

38

GRIGOR THE GREAT?

It’s a long way to Grand Slam success from Haskovo, in south Bulgaria – and yet Grigor Dimitrov is making that journey seem an increasingly straightforward one.

FEATURES 12 TICKET TO A BETTER GAME

For some, a tennis trip will be a holiday with a difference; others find such travel is the perfect way to build their games.

16 GENIE’S MAGIC

Eugenie Bouchard is inspiring a new generation of supporters as she charges up the WTA rankings.

26 DOMINATE THE TIEBREAK

The most-pressured filled period of any match, the tiebreak is when you most need to hold your nerve.

28 BE A SMASH HIT

Todd Woodbridge explains the keys to an effective smash – a stroke fundamental that every club player should know.

31 ANATOMy OF AN UpSET

Stanislas Wawrinka’s long-awaited Grand Slam breakthrough at Australian Open 2014 provided valuable lessons for all players.

34 THE GlOBAl GAME

With tournaments in new territories and increased competition at every turn, global tennis domination isn’t what it used to be.

24

TRAINING ON THE ROAD Whether you’re at a tournament or on holidays, your tennis training need not stop.

MARCH 2014 AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE

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MARCH 2014 VOL 39 No. 3

45

BEAUTIFUL PLACES TO PLAY Some stunning venues for your tennis travel wish list.

REGULARS 8 BREAKPOINTS 10 THE HITTING WALL 20 GEARING UP 21 BE THE PRO 62 FROM THE CLUBHOUSE 70 LOOKING BACK 72 RANKINGS 76 SCOREBOARD 79 KIDS’ CLUBHOUSE 82 LAST WORD

19

WIN A TENNIS TRIP TO THAILAND

Want to develop your tennis in a stunning tropical setting in Thailand? Turn to page 19 to see how you can win the tennis trip of a lifetime.

4

AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE MARCH 2014

EDITOR Vivienne Christie ASSISTANT EDITOR Daniela Toleski FOUNDING EDITOR Alan Trengove GRAPHIC DESIGNER Andrea Williamson 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 Andrew Hutchison

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

How far can tennis take you?

T

here’s a certain romanticism that comes with the “journeyman” moniker so often associated with the hardworking players trekking from tournament to tournament throughout the world.

The reality, of course, is generally quite different. For most journeymen and women, life on tour becomes a treadmill of long flights, generic hotels and the scramble to make enough prize money for the onward journey to their next tournament. Even the highestachieving professionals will tell you that home comforts can be far more appealing than private jets and five-star hotels.

Yet despite the obvious challenges of living from a suitcase, nomadic professionals not only embrace this lifestyle, but relish it most of the time.

Perhaps that’s partly due to players’ determination to always perform better at their next event – an ambition so well-entrenched

that it's as much a driving force as the trains, planes and automobiles that get them there.

It’s little wonder then that so many people would love to emulate professionals with their own tennis travel – a dream that’s easier to realise, and with considerably more benefits, than you might expect.

Testing your game on new surfaces, in alternative environments and against fresh opponents can only be good for your tennis development. That’s without even considering the motivational boost.

Whether you're a player or a spectator, tips throughout our travel issue will help you reach your dream tennis destination.

Some of you will be thrilled to play on the same courts as professionals. Others will be delighted to see the most famous events and players in person.

We’ve featured many of those dream locations this month to inspire you.

And while targeting the destination, the starting

Nexnt th mo

point can be equally critical to the journey. Our travel issue provides the perfect opportunity to explore the shifting superpowers in the world game, covered in a special feature starting on page 34.

Grigor Dimitrov, from Haskovo in southern Bulgaria, is among those whose journey toward Tennis has long been tennis superstardom has taken a challenging and circuitous route. known an individual He tells us more in an insightful sport. But is that SPAIN interview from page 48. always true? In our If all that hasn’t galvanised FRANCE you to pull out your suitcase, GERMANY special “teams” issue, the opportunity to win a tennis USA look at great tennis trip of your own certainly will. we Thanyupara resort in Thailand ARGENTINA teams of our time, plus is giving away a tennis fanatic RUSSIA trip to one lucky reader this how you can get the month. See page 19 for details. AUSTRALIA most from your coach, And if you’re not fortunate CZECH REPUBLIC enough to reach that beautiful your doubles partner destination, consider others that SERBIA will make the game even more COLOMBIA and others so critical special. You never know, after all, CROATIA to your success. how far tennis can take you.

TEAM SPIRIT

18

April issue on sale from 28 March.

ITALY

Vivienne Christie editor@tennismag.com.au

KAZAKHSTAN

NETHERLANDS

World COMPetitions …

POLAND CANADA

SWITZERLAND UKRAINE

SEASON-ENdiNg EvENtS 8

BULGARIA CHINESE TAIPEI

number of cities in which the season-ending WTA Championships has been played.

9

number of host cities after Singapore is the setting for the WTA Championships in 2014.

3 events staged in Paris, the only city that hosts a Grand Slam plus ATP and WTA events.

6

AUSTRIA

AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE MARCH 2014

8

number of nations in which the ATP World Tour finals has been played (currently played in London, United Kingdom).

FINLAND INDIA

DAVIS CUP

ISRAEL

130

JAPAN

FED CUP

97

number of nations represented in Fed Cup in 2013.

8

number of nations in elite World Group One.

number of nations represented in LATIVA Davis Cup in 2013 (making it the PORTUGAL largest annual international team reigning champion tennis competition in sport). ROMANIA (Italy).

1

16

SLOVAKIA

number of nations in the elite SOUTH AFRICA World Group.

UNITED KINGDOM

3

UZBEKISTAN

times that reigning champion, Czech Republic, have won the Davis Cup.

0

3

6

9

12

15

Anatomy

LESSONS FROM THE PROS

of an upset

Stanislas Wawrinka, the first man to defeat Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal at the same Grand Slam, provided some positive lessons for players of all levels with his stunning Australian Open victory. PAUL FEIN explains

“No

one beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 straight times!” quipped colorful Gerulaitis in 1979 when he finally beat Jimmy Connors after 16 straight defeats.

That famously funny quote will long be remembered by tennis aficionados. Gerulaitis uttered a more important quote for tournament players, though, when his losing streak against Bjorn Borg, another nemesis, also reached 16 matches: “I’ve never had a negative attitude even while losing to him 16 times in a row.”

Entering Australian Open 2014, Stanislas Wawrinka, like Gerulaitis, was enduring monster losing streaks to the top two players in the world. He stood 0-12 against No.1 Rafael Nadal and 0-14 against No.2 Novak Djokovic. On the plus side,

Wawrinka had just completed his best year by far. He extended Djokovic to gruelling five-setters at the Australian and US Opens, pushed Nadal to two tiebreakers at the ATP Finals, notched nine wins over top 10 players (second only to Nadal and Djokovic), and achieved a career-high No.8 ranking. Not only had Wawrinka never beaten Nadal or Djokovic anywhere, but no player, including the legendary Roger Federer, had ever beaten the Big Two in the same Grand Slam event. That was Wawrinka’s

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PICTORIAL

We all have our dream tennis settings.

Whether it’s as a player or a spectator, here are some places to put on your tennis travel list.

DRAMATIC EFFECT: There’s glistening blue Mediterranean ocean on one side, steep mountains behind imposing spectator terraces on the other.

Unsurprisingly, Court Centrale at the Monte Carlo Masters is one of the most photographed venues in tennis.

MARCH 2014 AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE

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