Australian Tennis Magazine - November 2014

THE

RACQUET ISSUE ARMED FOR SUCCESS

I E K E S R ROGER’S RACQUET

OF

A SECRET WEAPON?

THE

SUMMER

REVIEW

R O F S N LESSOY PLAYER E V ER

ESSENTIAL ACCESSORIES

FITNESS GEAR

THE PRO

BEAT THE YIPS

TECH SPECS

EXPLAINED ART OF ANTICIPATION

THE BIG GAME PLAYER REPORT CARD

APPROACH

BEST VALUE BUYS

THANASI KOKKINAKIS THE ‘OTHER’ SPECIAL K

NOVEMBER 2014 A$7.50 / NZ$8.40 / US$7.50 ISSN 1321-0262

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NOVEMBER 2014 VOL 39 No. 11

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IN FOR THE LONG HAUL

Both aged 33, Serena Williams and Roger Federer are showing no signs of relinquishing their record-breaking reigns at the top of the game.

contents FEATURES

15 GRAND SLAM REPORT CARD

28 VANQUISHING THE YIPS

20 NISHIKORI’S NEW HIGHS

34 WHAT A RACQUET!

With the major season complete, we assess who topped the class of 2014, and who needs to work harder in the season ahead.

He’s the first Asian man to contest a Grand Slam final and the first to rise to world No.6, but Kei Nishikori has his sights set on further highs yet.

22 THE RISE OF KEI

Nishikori’s graduation into the game’s elite provides lessons for players of every standard.

Serve suddenly deserted you?

Ground strokes going astray? The yips need not become a permanent feature in your game.

Being a player’s only court accompaniment in the most intense battles can bring out the best (and worst) in racquet relations.

63 THE ART OF ANTICIPATION Anticipating the right shot at the right time is a skill that every player can, and should, learn.

46 ARMED FOR SUCCESS

Choosing the right racquet can be complex, time-consuming and occasionally overwhelming but JELENA DOKIC has some pro perspective in our annual racquets review.

NOVEMBER 2014 AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE

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NOVEMBER 2014 VOL 39 No. 11

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THANASI KOKKINAKIS: TURNING POINTS

A goal to enter the world’s top 100 is edging ever closer for one of the most talked about young men in Australian tennis.

REGULARS 8 BREAKPOINTS 12 THE HITTING WALL 27 BE THE PRO 74 RANKINGS 76 SCOREBOARD 78 20 QUESTIONS 80 KIDS’ CLUBHOUSE 82 LAST WORD

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TOOLS OF THE FITNESS TRADE

Investing in the right equipment can not only provide a boost to your fitness, but will add to motivation and enjoyment too.

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

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.

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AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2014

FIRST SERVE

Tools for success

I

s finding the right racquet the most important element for on-court success? If the tremendous efforts top players make to ensure they have the most perfectly constructed weapon is a measure, it’s clearly a top priority.

Such racquets, almost always customised to suit a player’s very personal preferences, are perfectly weighted, intricately stringed, delicately balanced – then tested and re-tested to ensure players are achieving every possible edge.

While only an elite few have the means to be so specific about their racquets, certain strategies can help you determine the best tools to triumph.

Our special racquet issue explores many of them, as we consider technical advances, essential accompaniments (such as the latest strings) and how to buy a racquet most suited to your playing style.

In our most comprehensive

Intangible accompaniments often come into play too – like the personal qualities a player can bring to their tennis. For Kei Nishikori the tenacity developed when he left Japan to hone his talent in completely unfamiliar surrounds in the US as a teenager is most notable.

There are many lessons to take from Nishikori, so alongside a personal profile on our newest cover star is an exploration of the qualities contributing to his rise.

Perseverance is another factor – as Serena Williams and Roger Federer showed late in the season. For Serena, that meant a milestone 18th Grand Slam victory at the US Open while Federer was edging tantalising close to world No.1. Should he achieve that milestone, Federer will be the most senior man in top spot since Andre Agassi in 2003.

That storyline, alongside so many associated with the prolific champion, provided a feel good factor to close out the year. So too did a more personal development as Novak Djokovic

“The racquet is not going to play for you – you still have to continue to work on improving all aspects of your game.”

– JELENA DOKIC review ever, we also tested dozens of racquets in a range of conditions at Melbourne Park.

Which is not to say that we think a racquet is the only important element for victory.

As Jelena Dokic writes in her guide to the latest gear: “The racquet is not going to play for you – you still have to continue to work on improving all aspects of your game.”

Nexnt th mo 6

and wife Jelena welcomed the arrival of baby son, Stefan.

Djokovic is unlikely to require any advice for combining parenthood with top-level tennis. The Serb is yet another player who possesses all the tools – whether that be a racquet or more personal qualities – so critical for abundant success.

Vivienne Christie editor@tennismag.com.au

ARMED FOR VICTORY: Serena Williams has many weapons.

HEATING UP With a new season officially underway, our special summer issue tells you where to play, who to watch – and what you’ll need to make the most of a summer of tennis. December issue on sale from 28 November.

AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2014

JOHN ANTHONY / ISPA

FEATURE

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BEST OVERALL PERFORMANCE NOVAK DJOKOVIC It was an emotional year for Djokovic. He wed his long-term partner, found out he was going to be a father and returned to world No.1. He experienced both highs and lows in his tennis, but managed to deliver the best all-round Grand Slam performance. After losing to eventual champion Stan Wawrinka in the Australian Open quarterfinals, Djokovic made the final of Roland Garros, won Wimbledon and made the semifinals of the US Open. It wasn’t a perfect year, but it was better than anyone else’s.

MARIA SHARAPOVA If the men’s game wasn’t dominated by any one player, the women’s was even more equal. Eugenie Bouchard managed to gather the most Grand Slam points, but Maria Sharapova was the only player to win a Slam and reach at least the fourth round at every other major. Her victory at Roland Garros was a lesson in tenacity and perseverance.

Her clay-court dominance is impressive, but it remains to be seen whether she can win another Grand Slam outside of Roland Garros.

NOVEMBER 2014 AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE

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FEATURE

ln for the TOP EFFORT: After starting 2014 at world No.8, Roger Federer is within reach of becoming the oldest men’s No.1 in more than a decade.

Serena Williams and Roger Federer are the most senior members of the men’s and women’s top 10, but neither is showing any signs of relinquishing their history-making reigns. KRISTINA MOORE reports.

T

he more things change, the more they can stay the same. Nowhere has that been more evident than in the 2014 tennis season, which offered new champions, a rare sharing of major honours, the crumbling of long-held records, fresh young stars – and at the end of it, the revival of the game’s most prolific champions in recent history.

With her enduring hold on world No.1 only partly disguising a lack of Grand Slam success throughout 2014, Serena Williams reasserted her authority by claiming her 18th Grand Slam at the US Open without the loss of a set. She was not only the most senior champion ever at Flushing Meadows, but the 15-year gap between her first and last titles there was the longest in history.

Roger Federer’s return to No.2 – and potential to usurp Novak Djokovic in top spot by season’s end – was most remarkable for the fact that he hadn’t claimed a Grand Slam title this year.

Starting 2014 at world No.8, his lowest ranking for a dozen years, a stunning return to top form was boosted by wins in Dubai, Halle, Cincinnati and Shanghai, along with a ninth finals run at Wimbledon.

Few, if any, sports stars can match the players for talent, reliability and perhaps even invincibility.

NOVEMBER 2014 AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE

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AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2014

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FEATURE

NOVEMBER 2014 AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE

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