Australian Tennis Magazine - May 2015

THE TRAVEL ISSUE Your ticket to a better game

FRENCH

OPEN IN FOCUS

SIMONA HALEP › NEXT STOP A GRAND SLAM?

WIN! AN ANTLER

GLOBAL GAME Powerhouse Surprise POSTCARDS From the Tour NOVAK & SERENA Epic Odysseys DARIA GAVRILOVA The Journey Begins The

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10 Destinations

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POSTCARDS FROM THE TOUR The travelling life of a top player can seem like a challenge – until you see some of the stunning locations they visit on a regular basis.

FEATURES 18 NEXT STOP: A GRAND SLAM Few tennis journeys have been as impressive as Simona Halep’s this season. Is a Grand Slam title the next step in her history-making career?

28 ADAPTING FOR CLAY

As attention turns to the professionals competing on European clay, players of all levels can achieve important gains by training for the surface.

41 FINE POINTS OF THE FRENCH OPEN

Record-breaking runs, heart-stopping victories and memorable celebrations – they’re some of the facts explored in a fascinating look at the French Open.

44 SERENA: A GRAND PLAN Serena Williams has many records but only one target ahead of Roland Garros: a Serena Slam.

58 A CLEAN SWEEP

Australia’s Junior Davis and Fed Cup teams dominated the Asia–Oceania qualifying event.

68 20 QUESTIONS WITH CAROLINE WOZNIACKI

The former world No.1 explains how her quest for perfection has proved her biggest frustration, yet also led to the most rewards.

70 DARIA GAVRILOVA: ONLY THE BEGINNING

After cracking the world’s top 80, Daria Gavrilova is just getting started in what promises to be an impressive career.

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HIDDEN TREASURES FOR TENNIS TRAVELLERS

Tennis and travel can magically feed into each other, as we show in our top 10 destinations for tennis travellers.

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MAY 2015 VOL 40 No.5

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THE DJOKOVIC DREAM

After a stunning season, a new dream is taking hold for Novak Djokovic; can the world No.1 become just the fifth player in the Open Era to claim a career Grand Slam?

REGULARS 8 BREAKPOINTS 12 THE HITTING WALL 31 WHAT DO YOU SEE 54 BE THE PRO 55 GEARING UP 64 RANKINGS 66 SCOREBOARD 72 KIDS’ CLUBHOUSE 74 LAST WORD

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THE WINNING GENERATION OF A LOST NATION Two decades after Yugoslavia’s violent demise, players from the vanished nation have emerged as a new force in the game.

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AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE MAY 2015

EDITOR Vivienne Christie ASSISTANT EDITOR Daniela Toleski FOUNDING EDITOR Alan Trengove GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Andrea Williamson Melissa O’Connor 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

Tennis tripping …

T

here’s a reason sporting careers are often described as “journeys”.

Athletes have a distinct starting point and clear destinations, plus any number of diversions – be it through unexpected victories, changing form and motivation or other circumstances – to navigate along the way.

In tennis careers, a “journey” takes on a more literal meaning.

By our calculations, hardworking tennis professionals can visit more than 30 cities in over a dozen nations in a single season. And that’s not counting the detours that might occur for training blocks, physical management and simply to enjoy their off-court life.

Never mind all the hard work those journeys must entail.

Taking in exotic locations and iconic sights it’s a lifestyle that seems glamorous and adventurous in equal measure.

And let’s face it – something we’d all like to experience too.

With that in mind, we’ve uncovered some hidden treasures in our second special tennis travel issue. While we can’t promise you the exact same settings that the stars experience, we can present you with a range of options that will have you digging up your passport and pulling out a suitcase (speaking of which, don’t miss the opportunity to win a fabulous Antler Business 100 Backpack, on page 55), If you’re more likely to be dreaming of tennis travel than actually planning it, there are still ways to go along for the journey.

Tennis fans are in the privileged position to take in many sights simply by virtue of following their favourite stars on tour.

Later this month, that could mean seeing some history unfold at Roland Garros, where Novak Djokovic has positioned himself superbly to become the fi ft h man of the Open Era to complete a career Grand Slam and Serena

Nexnt th mo

GENERATION NEXT Williams is poised to continue her quest for another Serena Slam.

At the same time, other qualified contenders are mapping out their French Open plans – most notably, Rafael Nadal with a 10th title in his target and Simona Halep, intent on entering the Grand Slam champions club for the fi rst time.

Yet more potential twists in some tennis journeys; we can’t tell you where the game might take you, but we can guarantee you’ll enjoy the adventure.

Vivienne Christie editor@tennismag.com.au

While we covet the established stars we also anticipate who’s coming next. Our Gen Next special features many of those players to watch; there’s also top advice for juniors, coaches and parents targeting the best way to make a breakthrough.

Available from 29 May

The global game

The UAE is one of 33 countries in the WTA’s 2015 calendar.

With players representing many different nations contesting tournaments in dozens of cities throughout the world each year, tennis and travel are synonymous.

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Number of nationalities represented in ATP top 100

Number of nationalities represented in WTA top 100

31

57 Tournaments in WTA’s 2015 calendar

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Countries in which they’re contested

Damir Dzumhur made history as Bosnia’s first top 100 player.

62

Tournaments in ATP’s 2015 calendar

Countries in which they’re contested

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(Based on rankings at 20 April)

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AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE MAY 2015

s d r a c t s o P e h t from

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The travelling life can be one of the biggest challenges for the world’s top players. At the same time, it’s also filled with some picture perfect moments in stunning locations throughout the world.

DREAM DOWN TIME: Maria Sharapova made the most of her off-court hours when she contested the WTA event in Acapulco, Mexico, earlier this year.

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FEATURE

COURTESY PARADIS HOTEL & GOLF CLUB / WORLD TENNIS TRAVEL (WTT)

Hidden Treasures for Tennis Travellers

Most tennis lovers are familiar with world-renowned tennis academies like IMG in Florida or Sanchez-Casal in Spain, but few know of the hidden paradises where you can combine a stunning holiday with premium facilities and world-class coaching.

SACHA VLAMYNCK shares some of World Tennis Travel’s best-kept secrets, highlighting 10 hidden treasures where tennis and travel feed magically into each other …

MAY 2015 AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE

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AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE MAY 2015

FEATURE

Two decades after Yugoslavia’s violent demise, players from the vanished nation have emerged as a new force in the game.

By SUZI PETKOVSKI*

W

Wimbledon champion of 2001; hich country and shock 2014 US Open winner boasts more top-10 Cilic. The Croats beat Serbia to men than any an inaugural Davis Cup victory, other? Answer: the former Yugoslavia. in 2005.

World No.1 Novak “Something is in the air in that Djokovic, US Open champion part of the Balkans,” marvels Croatian hero Ivanisevic, who Marin Cilic and rising big man Milos Raonic were all born in coached countryman Cilic to his US Open win. “They’re doing Yugoslavia, though they now represent three different nations great.” in Serbia, Croatia and Canada.

Twenty years since the bloody demise of Yugoslavia, its players Trick question? Yes and no.

Whichever way you slice it, the have emerged from the ruins former Yugoslavia region – with of war to dominate the world‘s a population under 20 tennis arenas. In the million – punches way rankings of March PACK OF ACES: Former No.1s Jelena above its weight.

23, Yugoslavia, if it Jankovic and Ana Serbia alone has still existed, would Ivanovic, and top-10 produced three No.1s be the leading men Milos Raonic, Marin Cilic and No.1 in the last seven nation in men‘s Novak Djokovic were years: Ana Ivanovic, tennis, with 14 all born in Yugoslavia.

Jelena Jankovic and players in the top Bernard Tomic (right) is the third Aussie Djokovic – four if you 100. That includes No.1 from the excount doubles No.1 Bernard Tomic, born Yugoslavia region.

Nenad Zimonjic. The in Germany to parents Serbs were Davis Cup who fled war-torn champions in 2010 and runnersCroatia. Excluding Tomic, the up in 2013. former Yugoslavia would still be equal top nation with Spain.

Croatia, with only 4.2 million In the WTA rankings, 10 players people, has produced three from the former Yugoslavia sit in Grand Slam winners: Iva the top 100, second only to the US Majoli at Roland Garros 1997; Goran Ivanisevic, the wildcard with 14 women.

In Australian tennis, three No.1s have sprung from this region: Jelena Dokic, Marinko Matosevic and current No.1 Tomic. Our newest import, Croatian-born Ajla Tomljanovic, could well become the fourth.

This winning generation emerged from the hardest of times – war-disrupted childhoods, no tennis development system to speak of and forced to leave their homelands to pursue their tennis dreams. A rare home-grown exception was former No.8 Janko Tipsarevic, a standout junior who won the Australian Open boys’ title at age 16.

“I can barely explain how we became a force in tennis,” Djokovic said in 2007 of Serbia’s unlikely rise, “because there were no foundations in the country for our success.” In the midst of Yugoslavia’s bloody self-destruction, a seven-year-old Djokovic appeared

PREVIEW

THE DJOKOVIC DREAM After a stunning season so far, a new dream is taking hold for Novak Djokovic: will the world No.1 at last become only the fifth player in the Open Era to claim a career Grand Slam?

DAN IMHOFF reports

I

t is the type of post-match ovation, which usually erupts when either a retiring great is summoned to the dais, a first-time winner against the odds or a home-grown star – the type of cheer that bubbles to a crescendo, before subsiding and gathering momentum over and over.

Discerning Parisian crowds can provide the most passionate support or the harshest critique of all at the four Grand Slams – not averse to jeering and whistling a player’s on-court indiscretions.

Novak Djokovic’s fiercely competitive on-court antics have long polarised spectators across the globe – particularly if pitched against popular contemporaries

Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer.

So the rousing reception, which burst across Court Philippe Chatrier as he stood on the dais after the 2014 title match spoke volumes.

He had just fallen short for the sixth time in as many encounters with Nadal on the red dirt at Roland Garros.

The Spaniard’s bounty in the French capital had grown to nine.

It is the only stage these days where the dominant Djokovic wears the underdog tag.

There he stood, fighting back tears and shaking his head, grinning in disbelief at the support as the roar surged again and again.

This was a crowd making it known the player holding the

runner-up tray deserved to one day plant a kiss on the Coupe des Mousquetaires and gain his place alongside Federer, Nadal, Andre Agassi and Rod Laver as only the fifth player in the Open Era with the full set in his swag – the career Grand Slam.

“The highest priority is the French Open,” Djokovic said during his recent title run at Indian Wells. “The French Open, of course, is the Grand Slam I’ve never won, but I’ve had a lot of good tournaments there.

I played a couple times the finals there, got a step closer.

“I use the losses as a way to grow mentally, physically and emotionally as a player so I can understand what I need to do better.”

The four-set loss to Nadal in last year’s Roland Garros decider marked the Serbian's fifth defeat in his past six Grand Slam finals.

His new co-coach, Boris Becker, had been on board since the beginning of the season and had already watched on as his charge first bomb out in his Australian Open defence at the quarterfinal stage before fading rather convincingly against the top seed in Paris.

The contrast in fortunes from there on has been marked.

Djokovic has won the two Grand Slam finals he has contested since at Wimbledon and Melbourne Park, adding the season-ending World Tour Finals, three Masters Series titles and the China Open MAY 2015 AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE

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