FAST FORWARD›› NEW WAYS TO PLAY
DIMITROV BOUCHARD
GAME CHANGERS
Past, Present+Future
KYRGIOS Big game shake-up
WELCOME TO
DIFFERENT STROKES
Technique transformed
TENNIS MAKEOVERS
Do you need one?
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COURTS OF CHANGE BREAK A BAD HABIT OVERHAUL YOUR EATING REGIME
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contents SEPTEMBER 2014 VOL 39 No. 9
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FAST 4-WARD A revolutionary tennis format is
just one sign that tennis is moving on from the “weekend warrior” era.
FEATURES
24 THE PROFESSIONAL APPROACH We delve into Casey Dellacqua’s training diary to learn more about the vital aspects of match preparation.
32 TOP 10 GAME CHANGERS
The arrival of Open tennis in 1968 was the most revolutionary moment in tennis history but it’s not the only dramatic game-changer in our dynamic sport.
46 A NEW REALITY
On the one hand it’s the ultimate confidence booster; on the other hand, winning a long-coveted title can come with pressure and the need to adapt.
50 COURTING CHANGE Court dimensions remain largely untouched but shifting surfaces symbolise some of the biggest changes in tennis.
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DOES YOUR GAME NEED A MAKEOVER?
Recognising the need for a facelift is the first step; our comprehensive guide can help make it a pain-free process. SEPTEMBER 2014 AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE
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SEPTEMBER 2014 VOL 39 No. 9
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THE YOUNG AND THE FEARLESS Grigor Dimitrov, Eugenie Bouchard and Nick Kyrgios are among those who have the talent and necessary spirit to shake up the professional game.
REGULARS 8 BREAKPOINTS 10 THE HITTING WALL 19 BE THE PRO 21 GEARING UP 62 FROM THE CLUBHOUSE 66 RANKINGS 68 SCOREBOARD 71 20 QUESTIONS 72 KIDS’ CLUBHOUSE 74 LAST WORD
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OVERHAUL YOUR NUTRITION PLAN
Better ways of eating can prove transformational for your tennis too. 4
AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 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
From tradition to transformation …
W
hile tradition has long been cherished in tennis, changes are just as keenly embraced. And there have been many of them in the game’s long history, particularly in recent years. From the long-awaited arrival of Open tennis in 1968 to the technological advances in equipment and the globalisation that’s led to breathtaking expansion, there are many reminders that the game is a dynamic and everevolving sport. The most exciting changes may still be to come, as you’ll see in this month’s special “change” issue. Players who might have been weekend warriors a decade or so ago are often getting their tennis fix in alternative ways today. It gives rise to many new formats – night tennis is booming, Cardio Tennis is a regular fitness activity and ANZ Tennis Hot Shots is increasingly entrenched as the favourite pastime of many young athletes. And now there’s “FAST4” tennis, in which players can experience all of the fun and benefits of the game in a reduced
on page 29 will provide you with a guide. As we look at the future, we’re also looking back, with a “game changers” feature identifying the top 10 game changers in recent tennis history. Some of them were swift and dramatic, others more gradual adjustments – but all of those game-changers had a longlasting impact. Some young and fearless champions are enjoying the benefits. With six separate titlists in the first three majors of 2014, tennis’ established order appears to be shifting, with players like Grigor Dimitrov, Simona Halep (pictured left) and others set to make their charge. Yet more indications of the game’s ongoing transformation. It’s undoubtedly an exciting time and highlights what we’ve long loved the most about tennis – with it’s many innovations and changeable cycles, change could in fact be a tradition all of its own. We hope you’re enjoying the new ways to play.
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timeframe. See our feature starting on page 12 to learn more about those innovations. All that talk of change could have players thinking about what could be different about their own games too. Some might even consider a tennis makeover and whether that’s tweaking a particular stroke, finetuning footwork or more striking adjustments, our feature starting
Nexnt th mo
PLAY IT SMART Could strategy be the key to your tennis success? We look at tactics, your game plan and to help you learn a little extra, the top 10 tacticians in tennis today. October issue on sale from 29 September.
Vivienne Christie editor@tennismag.com.au
MAGAZINE makeover Speaking of changes in tennis, how about the transformation of Australian Tennis Magazine over the years?
NICK KYRGIOS
A TOUGH TRANSITION
AO
Is Jerzy Janowicz the new player prototype?
BLITZ HOW YOU
ROGER
CAN PLAY THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN
FEDERER
SUPER STRINGS
& STAR GAME CHANGERS
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CAN THEY TRANSFORM YOUR TENNIS?
WAYS TO ADD OOMPH
BACK TO THE START Peter Luczak's first club
BUILD A BIGGER GAME
BEAT A BETTER PLAYER FITNESS FOR EXPLOSIVE STRENGTH TODD WOODBRIDGE'S DOUBLES TIPS IS CRAFT YOUR FORGOTTEN ART?
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FEATURE
THE YOUNG AND THE FEARLESS
Combining clarity of focus, unapologetic spirit and awe-inspiring talent can be a potent package – as Garbine Muguruza, Nick Kyrgios, Eugenie Bouchard, Grigor Dimitrov and other young stars are showing in a transformative season. JEREMY STYLES reports
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FEATURE
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AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2014
Tennis has long moved on from the “weekend warrior” era. Formats have evolved to appeal to even the most time-pressed, commitment-phobic players. The most revolutionary format could well be FAST4, which aims to unite all Australian players on the same court, so to speak, with the incentive of an Australian Open mixed doubles wildcard. SUZI PETKOVSKI explains.
W
hen I started playing competition tennis in Melbourne’s north back in the early 1980s, Roger Federer wasn’t yet born and tennis was synonymous with “weekend warriors”. Families and extended clans descended on clubs for morning juniors, followed by the Saturday arvo comp of three men’s doubles sets, three women’s doubles and three mixed. For social hits, you went to the president’s house to get the key. Hordes of kids walked or biked to the club and jostled for court time, parents unseen. Singles play was a rarity as the courts were too packed. The big, diverse playing population left you in no doubt that tennis was a mass sport. Whiz-kid juniors, Mohawkheaded teens, middle-aged teachers and fit grandmothers could be found in the same team. The cracking open of postmatch beers rarely waited until post-match. Looking back it was a rowdy but idyllic scene. It was also an all-day commitment, with the format – and the arvo tea roster – set in stone: women brought sandwiches and sponge cake, men brought drinks. Drive around on a Saturday afternoon now and tennis clubs are deserted, their empty courts a testament to a vanished era. How the game has changed.
DISSOLVING & EVOLVING FORMATS Players haven’t abandoned the game. Australia’s 323,000 registered players are just getting their tennis fix in different ways. “There’s been a cultural shift,” notes Craig Morris, Tennis Australia’s director of participation.” It relates to the lifestyle choices people now have and the way families operate, which is very different to a generation ago. Kids don’t follow their parents around and do what they did.” Weekends, once synonymous with sport, are now kept free, apart from the mad morning dash to junior sports. “To commit to an all-day Saturday comp that goes until 6 pm takes too much of the weekend,” notes Morris. “People don’t want to commit to a 16-week season, especially families. Parents are working longer hours, due to costs of living and everything associated with that. So come the weekend, I want to spend time with my kids.” Night tennis has boomed in the past two decades. Melbourne Park on any given weeknight is a hive of activity, with an uptake in online bookings by young city workers and residents. Friday night social tennis is sprouting in the suburbs. Players are meeting up via Tinder-like apps. Cardio Tennis provides a health and fitness workout for those who don’t play organised SEPTEMBER 2014 AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE
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FEATURE
TOP 10
GAME -changers
The arrival of Open tennis in 1968 was the most revolutionary moment in the game’s history. But change has continued apace: computer rankings, the rise of player power, evolving on-court styles, gameshaping modern equipment, surface changes and global expansion into new markets. SUZI PETKOVSKI surveys the top 10 gamechangers in pro tennis.
1. OPEn TEnnIS And PRIZE mOnEy Wimbledon’s decision to throw open the gates to professionals at its 1968 Championships effectively dissolved the old tennis order, finally ending the damaging schism between amateurs and outlaw professionals. Ken Rosewall, banned from the majors for 11 years, won the first open Grand Slam at Roland Garros, while Rod Laver won the first pro Wimbledon and became the first player to bank $100,000 in a season and $1 million in his career. The riches on offer transformed the game from an amateur pursuit to a lucrative career, attracting a global pool of players, and arguably giving rise to the pushy “tennis parent” intent on seeing their kids cash in.
PROFITABLE PROGRESS: Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall (pictured in 1967), could never have imagined the millions Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic would win.
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FEATURE
It can take years for a young, newly-minted Grand Slam champion to adjust to life in the spotlight, but once comfortable with their new reality, it can open the floodgates for many more major titles. By MATT TROLLOPE
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AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2014