Tennishead: Volume 4: Issue 1

COACHING: BETTER GROUNDSTROKES

Li Na forehand and Nicolas Almagro backhand

IMPROVE YOUR GAME IN SPAIN

La Manga Club’s tennis academy reviewed

TOUR RESULTS AND RANKINGS

Nine pages of men’s and women’s action

WIN!

BABOLAT RACKET AND BAG

WWW.TENNISHEAD.NET | APRIL 2013

TH E WORLD’ S B E ST TEN NIS MAGA ZIN E

ALLEZ TSONGA How Jo can win a major

BRITAIN’S BRIGHT FUTURE

Robson and Watson on the rise

RAFA’S RETURN! Nadal back to winning ways

RICHARD GASQUET REFRESH YOUR FRAME!

The secrets to junior success

The latest advanced rackets rated and reviewed

DRESSED TO THRILL Wozniacki and Petkovic talk fashion

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1 APR 2013 £4.50

Mirza on Indian tennis Janowicz on new-found fame Tipsarevic on rackets

PLUS: TV GUIDE / MAKAROVA / STATISTICS / LATEST GEAR / EXPERT ADVICE 01_Cover_v4_1.indd 2

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CONTENTS

WIN!

08

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RAFA’S RETURN!

GALLERY 24 Images: The Australian Open in pictures

BIG READ 8 17 18 20 36 42 48 54 58 114

Hawk-Eye: News and views from the tours Inside Out: Frenchman Eric Babolat Hot Stuff: Russian Ekaterina Makarova Anne Keothavong: On Fed Cup tennis Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: Grand ambitions Robson and Watson: Great Britons Happy birthday: The ITF turns 100 Numbers Game: Stats in tennis Player Q&A: India's Sania Mirza Action Replay: Iron man Thomas Muster

ACADEMY 66 68 70 72 74 77

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Technique: Nicolas Almagro backhand Technique: Li Na forehand Junior Academy: Gasquet offers advice Masterminds: Rohan Goetzke Ask tennishead: Your questions answered Padel tennis: Growing the sport

GEAR 80 82 84 87

News: The latest and greatest kit Me and My Racket: Janko Tipsarevic Fashion: Petkovic, Wozniacki and Robson Racket Review: Advanced frames tested

TRAVEL 92 Tennis Tourist: La Manga Club, Spain

RESULTS AND RANKINGS

98

TENNIS TRAVEL

92

THE TOURS 98 100 102 104 106 108 110 111

ATP & WTA: Results from the season-openers Australian Open: Men's draws and results Australian Open: Women's draws and reports ATP & WTA: Davis Cup and Fed Cup round-up ATP & WTA: South America and the Middle East ATP & WTA rankings: Top 100 singles lists Tramlines: Tour doubles round-up TV Guide: Where to watch the action

HEAD TO WWW.TENNISHEAD.NET FOR ALL THE LATEST INFO

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87 REFRESH YOUR FRAME! The latest advanced rackets rated and reviewed PAGE 87

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BRINGING YOU THE BIGGEST NEWS, VIEWS AND OPINIONS

HAWKEYE

SPOT LIGHT THIS TIME...

HEAD TO WWW.TENNISHEAD.NET FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS

“I’ll definitely enjoy this one because of all the problems that I’ve gone through with the knee” RAFAEL NADAL

RAFA’S WINNING RETURN Former world No.1 Nadal enjoys a successful comeback to tournament tennis

AFTER AN ABSENCE from professional tennis that stretched back to Wimbledon last year, Rafael Nadal finally made his comeback to the ATP World Tour during a mini clay court swing in South America in February.

There had been a few aborted comebacks following the knee problems that had kept him away from the game for over six months, but the former world No.1’s fans were able to rejoice when he played his first tournament in Chile, the VTR Open, an ATP 250 level event.

Nadal, who missed the London Olympics, the US Open and Australian Open during his absence, began with a satisfying run to the final in Vina del Mar before a surprise defeat to

Argentine world No.73 Horacio Zeballos.

“It was a great tournament for me,” Nadal said. “I just need to keep working, practising with hope, motivation and the right attitude to have better sensations every week. I hope it’s the beginning of a lot of good things for me.”

Everything went to plan for the 11-time Grand Slam champion a week later, however, when he fought his way to the final of the Brazil Open before brushing aside David Nalbandian 6-2 6-3 for the title, eight years after first lifting the trophy.

The victory marked the 26-year-old’s 51st singles title, his 37th clay-court title and his first trophy since beating Novak Djokovic to win at Roland Garros last June.

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20 YEARS AGO: Monica Seles was

10 YEARS AGO: Australia began its march to the Davis Cup title with a 4-1 victory over Great Britain in the first round of the World Group.

Beaten finalist: David Nalbandian

“It’s very nice and important because at the end of your career what’s left are the titles, and depending on certain moments there are some titles that you appreciate very much,” Nadal said. “This one I appreciate it the most because of all the struggles I went through during the week, with some problems with my knee some days.

“True, David didn’t play very well, but in general I played my best match of the week.

I am very happy, to win in Brazil for the second time, it’s wonderful. In 2005 it was the beginning of all these last beautiful years.

I hope this will be a re-start.

“Right now I am only focusing on celebrating today’s title. I am not in a position to think too far ahead; I need to think day by day, week by week. We will analyse at the end of this clay swing what happened in these last three tournaments and I will see if I am ready to play in Indian Wells.” n

lengthen players’ careers’

NEWS

stabbed by a crazed fan during her quarter-final match against Maggie Maleeva in Hamburg on April 30 1993.

© juergen haenkopf

5 YEARS AGO: Russian Nikolay Davydenko shocks the field to win the 2008 Miami Masters title by beating Rafael Nadal in the showpiece.

© xxxxxxxxx

1 YEAR AGO: Belarusian Victoria Azarenka clobbers Maria Sharapova in straight sets to win her maiden Grand Slam in Australia.

events turn to grass Grass court tennis looks to have received a major boost by the All England Club’s decision to shift The Championships back a week from 2015.

With a three-week gap between the end of the French Open and the start of Wimbledon, a number of clay-court events across Europe are considering switching surfaces.

Organisers of Hamburg and Gstaad have expressed an interest in filling the gap, while the MercedesCup in Stuttgart has officially applied to host an ATP grass court event.

If the bid is successful, tournament director Edwin Weindorfer revealed the plan is to convert five of the 27 courts at TC Weissenhof to grass. “A lot of the players I talk to, including the top players, feel it’s more comfortable for their knees and their bodies to play on grass,” he said. xxxxxxxx Meanwhile, the WTA intends to double the number of grass court events from three to six by 2015.

FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT...

Madison Keys The 18-year-old from Rock Island, Illinois, is one of a crop of bright young things in American tennis. She recently cracked the top 100 and reached the third round of the Australian Open.

Aged four, the 5ft 10in right-hander says she became obsessed with Venus Williams’ dress after watching her play on TV. “I really wanted a tennis dress!” she remembers.

Three-time Grand Slam champ and former world No.1 Lindsay Davenport rates the teenager.

“Best hope I’ve seen for US since Williams,” Davenport tweeted during the Australian Open.

Keys first hit the headlines as a 14-year-old when she beat Serena Williams 5-1 in a World Team Tennis singles match while representing the Philadelphia Freedoms.

Keys attributes her recent form to knuckling down last December. “[I] worked really hard this off-season. Think I’m in pretty good shape. Working with a new coach [Juan Todera]. It’s been going really well.”

1

2 3

4

agnieszka radwanska

5 Tennis fans can look forward to a lot more grass court action from 2015 onwards

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heather watson / caroline wozniacki / andre agassi

angelique kerber / gael monfils

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li na / ana ivanovic

petra kvitova / melbourne park / david ferreR

bernard tomic / laura robson / andy murray

Grand

Jo’s

�

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and new coach Roger Rasheed are plotting to turn the Frenchman into a major winner...

Don’t bet against them pulling it off…

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Plan. words: lee goodall

To reach the sun, you have to pass the moon.

I will try to be No.1

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Jo’s Grand Plan.

He has the firepower to bother all the players – it’s about maximising the time you are allowed to use your firepower

Roger Rasheed

Y

8

0 20

Top 5

achievements

ou only have to glance at their respective Twitter accounts to get an idea of the type of unbridled enthusiasm, ambition and appetite for hard work emanating from Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and new coach Roger Rasheed.

Rasheed, a well-respected master of the game from Adelaide, Australia, is well known for the work ethic that brought him impressive results with two of his former pupils, countryman Lleyton Hewitt and another Frenchman, Gael Monfils. And his regular messages on the social networking website confirm that reputation.

“Welcome to my hill run, 250m of pain but the view each time you finish one is gold,” he told his followers recently, a post accompanied by a picture of a scrubby mound and beyond a panoramic view of Adelaide.

“The training you do when you are on your own with no one to push or drive you could ultimately be the difference in finding success,” said another.

“Challenge yourself each day to find your best, embrace it and watch yourself become a high achiever in your chosen field – guaranteed,” offered a third.

And it looks as though Rasheed’s positivity and thirst for hard graft is beginning to pay off on his most recent subject. After Tsonga lost unexpectedly to Dutchman Igor Sijsling in Rotterdam in mid-February the world No.8’s message to the world was direct:

Melbourne Tsonga burst onto the scene at the Australian Open five years ago when he beat Andy Murray in the first round and crushed Rafael Nadal in the last four to reach his first – and so far only – Grand Slam final. He lost to Serbian Novak Djokovic in four sets in the final.

“After this bad match I’m back to work this afternoon in Paris! Challenge my mind to be a harder player.”

Some would say it is significant that Tsonga highlighted his mental attitude in that Tweet, an element of his all-round package that some have criticised ever since he burst onto the scene so dramatically when he beat Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal en route to his first Grand Slam final in Melbourne in 2008. Few have an issue with his athleticism, shot-making and talent.

It’s what goes on between the ears that sometimes lets him down in best-of-five-set matches against the very best in the world.

If that sounds a little harsh for a player who has reached the lofty status of the fifth best player on the

Tsonga and fellow French Olympic team members at Wimbledon

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Paris Masters

His only Masters title came on home soil towards the end of the same season as his breakthrough in Melbourne. Beat three top 10 opponents en route – No.3 Djokovic, No.7 Andy Roddick and No.8 David Nalbandian in the final.

The final was the second highest audience on French TV channel Canal Plus in 2008 for a Sunday sports programme, peaking at 1.3 million viewers at match point.

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planet, then it is only a reflection of the quality the 27-year-old from Le Mans now expects of himself – particularly after teaming up with taskmaster Rasheed in November last year. In addition to that final in Australia, Tsonga has reached another three Grand Slam semi-finals – twice at Wimbledon and once at Melbourne Park – as well as quarter-finals at Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows. But everything Tsonga and Rasheed now do on a practice court is with two goals in mind – lifting a Grand Slam trophy and joining the elite at the top of the rankings – and both believe those aims are achieveable.

“We will work hard. We will try to be in the top four,” said Tsonga, who has nine ATP titles including the 2008 Paris Masters 1000 crown on his CV. “To reach the sun, you have to pass the moon. I will try to be the No.1. I want to take the next step [at the majors]. Maybe to win one. Today I’m just working for that. I’m doing everything to achieve these things.”

“Jo is capable of winning a Grand Slam, he has the tools at his disposal,” confirms Rasheed. “It’s about the process you undertake over time that will allow that. We will work tirelessly to develop all the facets that are required to match the performance output needed each day.”

Already the duo appear to have huge mutual respect for one another, an affection that was cultivated while rubbing shoulders on tour before they began working together. Tsonga got to know the Aussie while he was coaching Monfils and liked what he saw and heard from his good friend. And when Tsonga knew he needed help, following an 18-month period spent alone after splitting from long-time guru Eric Winogradsky, he knew exactly who to call.

“My career was always about [taking] steps,” he explains. “You always try to improve something in your game or in your mind. Sometimes you have a coach and sometimes you need to be alone to think about your game, what you want, your expectations. So for me it was good to be alone for a time, and then I took another step and I decided to come back to a coach.

I saw him – he did a great job [with Monfils]. I spoke to him many times in the past. I appreciate a lot the way he talked about tennis.”

11 20

©RAY GIUBILO

Wimbledon

After a few injury problems, the Frenchman shocked Roger Federer in sensational style at Wimbledon when he hit back to beat the Swiss from two sets down. He lost to Djokovic in his first ever Wimbledon semi-final in the next round.

11 20 ATP Finals

Tsonga qualified for the year-end Barclays ATP World Tour Finals and hit form under the roof of the O2 to reach his first ever final at the season finale. Finished second best to an inform Federer.

12 20 London 2012 Reached the last eight of the singles (remember that 25-23 third-set victory over Milos Raonic en route?) and collected a silver medal at the London Olympics partnering experienced doubles specialist Michael Llodra.

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Jo’s Grand Plan.

Jo is capable of winning a Grand Slam, he has at his disposal the tools Roger Rasheed

Tsonga’s flamboyant style of tennis has made him popular worldwide

Likewise, through that time getting to know one another, Rasheed recognised the ambition that burned bright within the Frenchman. “Jo’s game attracted me for many reasons but the main one was the fact that Jo himself wanted to find greater ground,” Rasheed says.

“Jo wanted to develop himself into the extreme tennis player on all levels. That for a coach is so engaging because each day you know you are out on court to create greatness within the athlete.”

Tsonga has proved himself against the big four in the past – Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal – and Rasheed says the Frenchman needs to play to his strengths against the quartet in the future.

“Jo, unlike others, has the firepower to bother all the players on tour,” says the 43-year-old. “It’s about maximising the time you are allowed to use your firepower. That is done around your individual training and how you create your game day package.

“I walk into a coaching arrangement and look at the full package from off court first, to on court, and look at what moving parts are working and to what capacity. From there with Jo and my team we create a profile which we will work towards. It has an extremely high level of demand from everyone on board, not just the player and coach.”

So far, says Rasheed, after only a few months together the results and improvements have been impressive.

Tsonga demonstrated once more his ability and

firepower in taking Federer to five sets in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.

“Jo has a motivating purpose and direction now,” adds Rasheed. “After 18 months solo it will take time to implement at capacity but to Jo’s credit he is delivering each day so far. All facets have already shown an upward curve in performance. To be the best you need every area of the court to be able to perform for you regularly under extreme pressure. Some will obviously be better areas than others but they must all be very capable.”

As much as Rasheed is impressed with his player, Tsonga has been pleasantly surprised too by the effect a born motivator can have on a training session.

“He’s giving me an extra motivation,” the Frenchman says. It’s great because he’s always positive. He wants maybe more than me to win! He’s incredible. I try to be at his level and have exactly the same motivation because I think he can move some mountains!”

If that motivation remains, urges Rasheed, then there is no reason why Team Tsonga can’t one day be celebrating the ultimate prize in tennis – one of the four Grand Slam trophies.

“Jo’s future success will be built around the tennis package he is developing on and off court,” confirms Rasheed. “If it is done to the levels of expectation of both of us and the team – and relentlessly – then we will have the player that Jo-Wilfried Tsonga should be.” n W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET 41

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ACADEMY

li na

forehand

We’ve dealt with the backhand, now let’s focus on the forehand. David Lewis breaks down the Australian Open runner-up's execution. Look and learn...

1

Li has her weight loaded on her back foot and presents an open stance to hit a powerful forehand. She has her racket prepared early with a full shoulder turn. Her knees are bent so she can use her legs to generate power.

stay focused

2

Li’s shoulders are slightly opening up as she begins her forward motion towards the ball. Her eyes remain focused with her head completely still. Her left arm is still extended fully, helping her to maintain good balance.

3

Li is now creating acceleration as she uses her wrist to drop the racket head before contact, helping to impart topspin. She also creates excellent hip and shoulder rotation.

keep your head still

If you watch super slow-motion TV replays of the top professionals making contact with the ball, it’s always noticeable how little their heads move while executing. Try to copy this by remaining focused on the ball

and keeping your head still throughout each and every stroke. In addition, try not to open your shoulders too early while contacting as this can cause you to pull the ball wide of your target.

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Lendl academy has international appeal The Ivan Lendl International Junior Tennis Academy's spring enrollment includes young players from four different countries and 11 American states. The roster features players from Bulgaria, New Zealand, Russia and the US. “Ivan Lendl IJTA offers a flexible but challenging training

environment for juniors with an incredible passion for the game,” says Peter Orrell, the President and CEO of Junior Sports Corporation, which owns and operates the academy. The institution focuses on boimechanics, strength training, fitness and mental improvement techniques.

academy

frame by frame

GOLDEN RULE If you intend to unload on a killer forehand, it is imperative to wait patiently for the right opportunity.

You will need excellent preparation to allow enough time to execute the perfect, powerful shot.

4

Li’s shoulders and hips are now parallel to the net, illustrating how she has opened up on the stroke. Her contact point is in front of her body. Her legs are completely straight with her left foot in the air.

power play

5

We can see here how Li has driven up and through the ball. Even though it is struck behind the baseline, it is clear she is attempting to take control of the point with her forceful ball striking abilities.

6

Through Li’s facial expression, it is easy to see she has exuded maximum energy into the shot. Her weight has now transferred from her back foot to her front foot as she completes her follow through.

how to hit harder

A number of key elements of execution will help you generate more power when hitting groundstrokes. Try to load your weight on the back foot when preparing for the shot, create a so-called ‘C’ loop on the

backswing to aid racket head acceleration through the ball, transfer your weight up and forward when executing and incorporate a good knee bend so the legs can help to add power to the stroke.

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PROSHOP

LEAVE IT TO THE EXPERTS

Pro-Direct is one of the UK’s leading online tennis stores and every month they share their expertise and inside knowledge to give us an insight into which items of kit we’ll be seeing the best players in the world using and wearing throughout 2013...

COMPETITION

VISIT WWW.PRODIRECTTENNIS.COM

RACKETS

WILSON STEAM 99S

HEAD YOUTEK GRAPHENE SPEED MP

£110.49 The Steam 99S is the first racket with Spin Effect Technology and gives 3.3 times more string movement, with 69% faster snapback. Wilson Steam rackets are engineered for hard-hitting players who use spin to curve the ball’s flight and control the game.

£157.99 Novak Djokovic’s racket comes with Head’s best technology, including Graphene, which is 200 times stronger than steel. The use of Graphene in the shaft allows for the weight in the throat to be reduced, providing players with unmatched manoeuvrability.

SHOES

BABOLAT PROPULSE 4 ALL COURT

ASICS WOMEN’S GEL RESOLUTION 5

£85.49 The Babolat Propulse 4 All Court is an innovative shoe made famous by Andy Roddick. More explosive than ever, the newest version of Babolat’s top-end pro shoe offers an exceptionally dynamic response with the special Side 2 Side system in the forefoot.

£92.70 Asics’ fully-loaded flagship tennis shoe. A popular choice among pros, the Resolution is a lightweight and supportive high performance tennis shoe with forefoot and rear-foot Gel shock absorption to help relieve the stress of heel-strike and toe-slides.

BAGS WILSON TOUR BACKPACK STEAM

HEAD HERITAGE BACKPACK

£35.99 Designed for Wilson’s pro players and coaches, this is ideal for serious players of every level who don’t always need to carry a bulky racket bag. The main compartment can hold a laptop, clothing and equipment, while the front compartment has plenty of built-in pockets.

£44.99 The Head Heritage Backpack is inspired by traditional style, which encompasses all that was great from years gone by – but with all of today’s technology. Compartments for clothing, equipment and shoes, the Heritage Backpack is ideal for when one racket is enough.

Win! A BABOLAT RACKET AND RACKET BAG TREAT YOUR GAME and your gear department to a boost early in the season by giving yourself the chance to get your hands on this fantastic prize, worth well over £200, and brought to you by Pro-Direct and Babolat.

One lucky reader will win a brand new black and yellow Babolat Unisex Aeropro Drive GT as well as a Babolat Racket Holder with enough space for six frames.

To enter the competition go to www.tennishead.net.

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advanced racket review

2013 Advanced Racket Review

GEAR

testing times

in the first of three in-depth reviews of the best and newest rackets on the shelves, we kick off with eleven frames aimed at advanced players Racket photography: richard washbrooke

Weight: Lighter rackets are designed for players with a medium to short swing style and heavier rackets for a medium to long swing. Usually, the faster and longer your swing, the heavier the racket should be.

Advanced players have full, fast swings and huge strength. Using a heavier racket will increase the level of power and feel. lf a once-a-week club player used a heavier pro frame they'd struggle to generate sufficient head speed to gain the necessary power.

Balance: lf the player hits with lots of spin, it is often beneficial to have an even to head-light frame in order to generate as much head speed through the swing as possible.

Head size: A bigger headsize (over 100sq in) will generally give the player more artificial power and a greater sweetspot.

Babolat AeroPro Drive

Testers’ Choice

best for power

A smaller head naturally means the strings are shorter, therefore there's less of a trampoline effect on the string bed and therefore increased precision.

Advanced rackets: These are usually suitable for good club player standard and above. lf the player isn't playing frequently, an advanced racket would just be too unforgiving. The player would feel any slightly off-centre hits much more than with a light frame and big sweetspot.

Pro frames: Pros prefer a racket with a thin beam because it gives them great feel and control. Thin beam rackets are usually heavier than average which suits a full-time player as they have the strength and ability to handle that extra weight and decreased artificial power.

String pattern: The majority of rackets will have a 16 x 19 string pattern. A tighter, more condensed pattern, eg 18 x 20, will give less spin and more precision which works well if the player is a serve-volleyer, for example. Wilson has introduced a racket with a 16 x 15 pattern which should give incredible spin. This is because the gaps between the strings are bigger causing the ball to bite more.

specs

Each year we divide the rackets we test into three categories – those for advanced players, intermediate players and improvers.

Advanced rackets are specifically designed for those playing the game to a high standard and so the characteristics of these frames won’t suit all types of game styles.

We asked PWP rackets expert Darren Powell to explain the key elements.

RRP £190 Head size 100 sq.in Unstrung Weight 300g Length 27 inches String Pattern 16x19 Balance 32cm Beam 23-26mm

“a bigger head size will generally give the player more artificial power”

→ The fifth generation AeroPro Drive, used

by Rafael Nadal and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, is guaranteed to further Babolat’s reputation.

Baseliners who like to play with heavy spin will love this updated frame, which offers easy access to power and spin. The open string pattern, big sweetspot and relatively low weight allow players to take big cuts at the ball and offers more bite off slice and volleys than its predecessors. www.babolat.com W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET 8 7

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world rankings

february 18 2013

wta rankings RANKING

1

PERSONAL

ACHIEVEMENTS

FORM

11-100 RANKINGS

Leapfrogged Azarenka to become the oldest ever world No.1 despite losing to the Belarusian in the final in Doha. Opened the season with a win in Brisbane and a quarter-final run in Melbourne (l. to Stephens). Has now spent a total of 124 weeks in top spot.

11 Marion Bartoli (FRA) 12 Nadia Petrova (RUS) 13 Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 14 Maria Kirilenko (RUS) 15 Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 16 Sloane Stephens (USA) 17 Roberta Vinci (ITA) 18 Lucie Safarova (CZE) 19 Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 20 Julia Goerges (GER) 21 Venus Williams (USA) 22 Klara Zakopalova (KAZ) 23 Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 24 Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 25 Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) 26 Tamira Paszek (AUT) 27 Mona Barthel (GER) 28 Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 29 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 30 Sorana Cirstea (ROU) 31 Elena Vesnina (RUS) 32 Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 33 Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 34 Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 35 Shuai Peng (CHN) 36 Alize Cornet (FRA) 37 Urszula Radwanska (POL) 38 Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) 39 Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) 40 Sabine Lisicki (GER) 41 Heather Watson (GBR) 42 Kaia Kanepi (EST) 43 Laura Robson (GBR) 44 Jie Zheng (CHN) 45 Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU) 46 Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) 47 Kiki Bertens (NED) 48 Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 49 Christina McHale (USA) 50 Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) 51 Simona Halep (ROU) 52 Lucie Hradecka (CZE) 53 Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 54 Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP) 55 Ayumi Morita (JPN) 56 Anna Tatishvili (GEO) 57 Romina Oprandi (SUI) 58 Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) 59 Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 60 Flavia Pennetta (ITA) 61 Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) 62 Petra Martic (CRO) 63 Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 64 Olga Govortsova (BLR) 65 Annika Beck (GER) 66 Jamie Hampton (USA) 67 Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 68 Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) 69 Johanna Larsson (SWE) 70 Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) 71 Marina Erakovic (NZL) 72 Arantxa Rus (NED) 73 Camila Giorgi (ITA) 74 Monica Niculescu (ROU) 75 Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN) 76 Pauline Parmentier (FRA) 77 Lauren Davis (USA) 78 Petra Cetkovska (CZE) 79 Madison Keys (USA) 80 Polona Hercog (SLO) 81 Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP) 82 Misaki Doi (JPN) 83 Melanie Oudin (USA) 84 Ksenia Pervak (KAZ) 85 Mathilde Johansson (SWE) 86 Timea Babos (HUN) 87 Elina Svitolina (UKR) 88 Kai-Chen Chang (TPE) 89 Stefanie Voegele (SUI) 90 Mandy Minella (LUX) 91 Donna Vekic (CRO) 92 Vesna Dolonc (SRB) 93 Garbine Muguruza (ESP) 94 Eleni Daniilidou (GRE) 95 Jana Cepelova (SVK) 96 Alexandra Cadantu (ROU) 97 Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino (ESP) 98 Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor (ESP) 99 Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) 100 Coco Vandeweghe (USA)

Serena WIlliams

usa Born: 26/09/81 Lives: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA Height: 5ft 9in Weight: 155 lbs

This year: $657,363 Career to date: $42,455,272 Career-high ranking: 1 (08/07/02) Career titles: 47 Last title: Brisbane International, WTA Premier, Brisbane, Australia, January 2013

2

victoria azarenka

belarus Born: 31/07/89 Lives: Monte-Carlo, Monaco Height: 6ft Weight: 145 lbs

This year: $2,903,651 Career to date: $19,760,928 Career-high ranking: 1 (30/01/12) Career titles: 16 Last title: Qatar Total Open, WTA Premier, Doha, Qatar February 2013

After being forced out of Brisbane with a pedicure injury, went on a 12-match unbeaten run, defending her titles in both Melbourne and Qatar. Her win over Serena in the Doha final brought an end to her 10-game losing streak against the American.

3

maria sharapova

russia Born: 19/04/87 Lives: Bradenton, Florida, USA Height: 6ft 2in Weight: 130 lbs

This year: $608,892 Career to date: $23,760,515 Career-high ranking: 1 (22/08/05) Career titles: 27 Last title: Roland Garros, Grand Slam, Paris, France, May 2012

After withdrawing from an exhibition in South Korea and the Brisbane International with a shoulder injury, reached the semi-finals of both the Australian and Qatar Opens where she fell to Li Na and Serena Williams respectively.

4

Agnieszka rADWANSKA

Poland Born: 06/03/89 Lives: Krakow, Poland Height: 5ft 8in Weight: 123 lbs

This year: $514,664 Career to date: $11,566,341 Career-high ranking: 2 (09/07/12) Career titles: 12 Last title: Apia International, WTA Premier, Sydney, Australia, January 2013

Opened the season with a 13-0 record, winning titles in Auckland and Sydney without dropping a set before falling to Li Na in the last eight of the Australian Open.

Reached the semi-finals in Doha where she lost to Azarenka for the eighth time in succession.

5

li na

CHINA Born: 18/01/82 Lives: Wuhan, China Height: 5ft 8in Weight: 143 lbs

This year: $1,365,879 Career to date: $10,682,583 Career-high ranking: 4 (06/06/11) Career titles: 7 Last title: Shenzhen Longgang Gemdale Open, WTA International, Shenzhen, China P.R., January 2013

Began the year with a win on home soil in Shenzhen, where she defeated Klara Zakopalova in three sets to take the title, and a semi-final run in Sydney.

Impressed in Melbourne, reaching the final for the second time before falling to Azarenka in three.

6

Angelique Kerber

germany Born: 18/01/88 Lives: Kiel, Germany Height: 5ft 8in Weight: 150 lbs

This year: $195,868 Career to date: $3,481,047 Career-high ranking: 5 (22/10/12) Career titles: 2 Last title: e-Boks Open, WTA International, Copenhagen, Denmark, April 2012

Fell to lower-ranked opposition in first four tournaments of the year - Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in Brisbane quarter-finals, Dominika Cibulkova in Sydney semi-finals, Ekaterina Makarova in the fourth round in Melbourne and Mona Barthel in the first round in Doha.

7

Sara Errani

ITALY Born: 29/04/1987 Lives: Bologna, Italy Height: 5ft 4in Weight: 132 lbs

This year: $505,218 Career to date: $5,284,488 Career-high ranking: 6 (29/10/12) Career titles: 6 Last title: XXV Italiacom Open, WTA International, Palermo, Italy, September 2012

Bounced back from her first round exit at the Australian Open (l. to Carla Suarez Navarro) to reach the final in Paris where she lost in two tight sets to Mona Barthel.

Also reached the quarter-finals of both Sydney (l. to Cibulkova) and the Qatar Open (l. to Azarenka).

8

Petra Kvitova

Czech Republic Born: 08/03/90 Lives: Fulnek, Czech Republic Height: 6ft Weight: 154 lbs

This year: $132,676 Career to date: $9,178,424 Career-high ranking: 2 (31/10/11) Career titles: 9 Last title: New Haven Open at Yale, WTA Premier, New Haven, USA, August 2012

After failing to win more than two matches in each of her first four events of the year, including the Australian Open, she began to show signs of her former self in Czech Republic's Fed Cup tie and in Doha, where she lost in three to Serena in the quarter-finals.

9

Samantha Stosur

australia Born: 30/03/84 Lives: Gold Coast, Australia Height: 5ft 8in Weight: 143 lbs

This year: $126,677 Career to date: $11,944,664 Career-high ranking: 4 (21/02/11) Career titles: 3 Last title: US Open, Grand Slam, Flushing Meadows, New York USA, September 2011

After a dismal run at her home events, finally strung two wins together in Doha before losing to Sharapova in the quarter-finals.

Fell in the opening round of both Brisbane and Sydney before losing to Jie Zheng in the second round of the Australian Open.

10

Caroline Wozniacki

denmark Born: 11/07/90 Lives: Monte-Carlo, Monaco Height: 5ft 10in Weight: 128 lbs

This year: $191,293 Career to date: $14,362,390 Career-high ranking: 1 (11/10/10) Career titles: 20 Last title: Kremlin Cup, WTA Premier, Moscow, Russia October 2012

Struggled to find her best tennis at the beginning of 2013, losing to lower-ranked opponents in Brisbane, Sydney and at the Australian Open. Regained some form at the Qatar Open where she reached the quarter-finals before falling to A. Radwanksa 6-2 7-5.

Points: 10,590

Points: 10,325

Points: 9,715

Points: 7,750

Points: 6,130

Points: 5,400

Points: 4,820

Points: 4,510

Points: 3,835

Points: 3,570

down 2

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rankings

february 18 2013

emirates ATP Rankings RANKING

1

PERSONAL

ACHIEVEMENTS

FORM

11-100 RANKINGS

Extended his lead at the top of the rankings after becoming the first man in the Open Era to win three consecutive Australian Open titles, beating Andy Murray in four sets in the final. Returned to the court a week later to lead Serbia into the Davis Cup quarter-final.

11 Nicolas Almagro (ESP) 12 Marin Cilic (CRO) 13 Gilles Simon (FRA) 14 Milos Raonic (CAN) 15 Juan Monaco (ARG) 16 John Isner (USA) 17 Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI ) 18 Tommy Haas (GER) 19 Andreas Seppi (ITA) 20 Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 21 Sam Querrey (USA) 22 Kei Nishikori (JPN) 23 Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) 24 Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 25 Jeremy Chardy (FRA) 26 Jerzy Jankowicz (POL) 27 Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 28 Martin Klizan (SVK) 29 Florian Mayer (GER) 30 Kevin Anderson (RSA) 31 Julien Benneteau (FRA) 32 Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) 33 Mardy Fish (USA) 34 Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 35 Marcel Granollers (ESP) 36 Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) 37 Radek Stepanek (CZE) 38 Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) 39 Benoit Paire (FRA) 40 Andy Roddick (USA) 41 Horacio Zeballos (ARG) 42 Viktor Troicki (SRB) 43 Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) 44 Fabio Fognini (ITA) 45 Pablo Andujar (ESP) 46 Bernard Tomic (AUS) 47 Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 48 Xavier Malisse (BEL) 49 David Goffin (BEL) 50 Robin Haase (NED) 51 Michael Llodra (FRA) 52 Brian Baker (USA) 53 Marinko Matosevic (AUS) 54 Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 55 Albert Ramos (ESP) 56 Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) 57 Roberto-Bautista Agut (ESP) 58 Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP) 59 Victor Hanescu (ROU) 60 Alejandro Falla (COL) 61 Ivan Dodig (CRO) 62 Grega Zemlja (SLO) 63 Denis Istomin (UZB) 64 Benjamin Becker (GER) 65 Lukas Rosol (CZE) 66 Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 67 Simone Bolelli (ITA) 68 Santiago Giraldo (COL) 69 Ryan Harrison (USA) 70 Gilles Muller (LUX) 71 Igor Sijsling (NED) 72 Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE) 73 Go Soeda (JPN) 74 Lukas Lacko (SVK) 75 Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) 76 Aljaz Bedene (SLO) 77 Carlos Berlocq (ARG) 78 David Nalbandian (ARG) 79 Blaz Kavcic (SLO) 80 Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) 81 Lukasz Kubot (POL) 82 Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 83 Tatsuma Ito (JPN) 84 Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 85 Guillaume Rufin (FRA) 86 Michael Russell (USA) 87 Ricardas Berankis (LTU) 88 Guido Pella (ARG) 89 Joao Sousa (POR) 90 Albert Montanes (ESP) 91 Jan Hajek (CZE) 92 Tobias Kamke (GER) 93 Martin Alund (ARG) 94 Jesse Levine (CAN) 95 Tommy Robredo (ESP) 96 Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (ESP) 97 Daniel Brands (GER) 98 Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) 99 Flavio Cipolla (ITA) 100 Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR)

Novak Djokovic

Serbia Born: 22/05/87 Lives: Monte-Carlo, Monaco Height: 6ft 2in Weight: 176 lbs

This year: $2,559,519 Career to date: $48,246,016 Career-high ranking: 1 (04/07/11) Career titles: 35 Last title: Australian Open, Grand Slam, Melbourne, Australia, January 2013

2

roger federer

switzerland Born: 08/08/81 Lives: Bottmingen, Switzerland Height: 6ft 1in Weight: 187 lbs

This year: $568,656 Career to date: $76,583,434 Career-high ranking: 1 (02/02/04) Career titles: 76 Last title: Western & Southern Open, ATP World Tour Masters 1000, Cincinnati, US, August 2012

Played in back-to-back five-set matches for the first time ever at a Grand Slam, beating Tsonga in the final eight in Melbourne before losing to Murray. Exited Rotterdam earlier than expected after falling to Julien Benneteau in the quarter-finals.

3

andy murray

great britain Born: 15/05/87 Lives: London, UK Height: 6ft 3in Weight: 185 lbs

This year: $1,358,559 Career to date: $26,214,181 Career-high ranking: 2 (18/08/09) Career titles: 25 Last title: Brisbane International, ATP World Tour 250, Brisbane, Australia, January 2013

Defended his title in Brisbane after overcoming a first-round scare against Australian wildcard John Millman. Beat Federer for the first time at a Slam in the Australian Open semi-final before losing to Djokovic in the final for the second time in his career.

4

David Ferrer

Spain Born: 02/04/82 Lives: Valencia, Spain Height: 5ft 9in Weight: 160 lbs

This year: $656,430 Career to date: $17,705,519 Career-high ranking: 4 (25/02/08) Career titles: 19 Last title: The Heineken Open, ATP World Tour 250, Auckland, New Zealand, January 2013

Leapfrogged Nadal to become the Spanish No.1 after the 19th title of his career in Auckland (bt.

Kohlschreiber) was bookended with a semi-final appearance at both the Qatar Open (l. to Davydenko) and the Australian Open (l. to Djokovic).

5

rafael nadal

Spain Born: 03/06/86 Lives: Manacor, Mallorca, Spain Height: 6ft 1in Weight: 188 lbs

This year: $128,410 Career to date: $50,190,237 Career-high ranking: 1 (18/08/08) Career titles: 51 Last title: Brasil Open, ATP World Tour 250, Sao Paulo, Brazil, February 2013

Made his long-awaited return to the tour in Vina del Mar where he lost in the final to world No.73 Horacio Zeballos in three sets.

Bounced back a week later in Sao Paulo to capture the Brasil Open after brushing aside world No.73 David Nalbandian in the final.

6

tomas berdych

czech republic Born: 17/09/85 Lives: Monte-Carlo, Monaco Height: 6ft 5in Weight: 200 lbs

This year: $274,625 Career to date: $13,402,618 Career-high ranking: 6 (18/10/10) Career titles: 8 Last title: If Stockholm Open, ATP World Tour 250, Stockholm, Sweden, October 2012

Upset at the quarter-final stage by qualifier and world No.80 Roberto Bautista Agut in his first tournament of the season in Chennai before finding his form to reach the last eight of the Australian Open where he lost to the in-form Djokovic in four sets.

7

juan martin del potro

argentina Born: 23/09/88 Lives: Tandil, Argentina Height: 6ft 6in Weight: 214 lbs

This year: $482,294 Career to date: $11,335,644 Career-high ranking: 4 (11/01/10) Career titles: 14 Last title: ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament, ATP World Tour 500, Rotterdam, Netherlands, Feb. 2013

Bounced back from his first-week loss to Jeremy Chardy at the Australian Open by capturing the 14th title of his career in Rotterdam where he beat Grigor Dimitrov in the semi-finals before consigning Julien Benneteau to his eighth loss in eight finals.

8

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

france Born: 17/04/85 Lives: Gingins, Switzerland Height: 6ft 2in Weight: 200 lbs

This year: $275,109 Career to date: $10,952,036 Career-high ranking: 5 (27/02/12) Career titles: 9 Last title: Moselle Open, ATP World Tour 250, Metz, France, September 2012

Entered the Australian Open without having played a warm-up event and fell to Federer in the quarter-finals after beating countryman Gasquet in the last 16. Returned in Rotterdam where he suffered a shock loss to No.77 Igor Sijsling in the opening round.

9

janko tipsarevic

serbia Born: 22/06/84 Lives: Belgrade, Serbia Height: 5ft 11in Weight: 176 lbs

This year: $210,846 Career to date: $6,741,585 Career-high ranking: 8 (02/04/12) Career titles: 4 Last title: The Aircel Chennai Open, ATP World Tour 250, Chennai, India, January 2013

Opened the season with victory in Chennai, beating Bautista Agut in the final. Beat Hewitt in the opening round in Melbourne, before retiring with injury while trailing Almagro in the round of 16. Upset by world No.62 Llodra in his first match in Montpellier.

10

richard gasquet

france Born: 18/06/86 Lives: Neuchatel, Switzerland Height: 6ft 1in Weight: 165 lbs

This year: $440,800 Career to date: $7,800,814 Career-high ranking: 7 (09/07/07) Career titles: 9 Last title: Open Sud de France, ATP World Tour 250, Montpellier, France, February 2013

First player to win two events this year after picking up his eighth and ninth titles at the season opener in Doha (bt. Davydenko) and at home in Montpellier (bt.

Paire). Reached the last 16 of the Australian Open (l. to Tsonga) and Rotterdam (l. to Baghdatis).

Points: 12,960

Points: 9,855

Points: 8,480

Points: 6,865

Points: 5,755

Points: 4,485

Points: 4,410

Points: 3,515

Points: 3,125

Points: 2,880

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Thomas Muster

© juergen hasenkopf

ACTION Replay Muster went on to become Austrian Davis Cup captain and made a late and brief comeback to the tour in 2011 aged 44

“As it happened, the comeback became a trademark for the rest of my life”

April 1 1989

Many would never have recovered from the devastating injury the Austrian iron man suffered in the late Eighties. But Thomas Muster is made of stern stuff... words: Lee Goodall

A

ustria’s finest tennis player, Thomas Muster, was approaching his prime when a bizarre car accident during the Lipton International Players Championships in Florida – now known as the Sony Open – threatened to end his career on the spot.

The left-handed clay court specialist, renowned for his mental strength on court, had just beaten Frenchman Yannick Noah in five sets to book a place in the final against then-world No.1 Ivan Lendl.

After his five-set thriller against Noah, Muster and three of his entourage stopped for food in downtown Miami, parking their car on a one-way street. As Muster, then 21

years old and ranked No.14 in the world, rummaged in the boot, a drunk driver careered into the front of the Austrian’s vehicle sending the star flying backwards some 15 feet.

The Austrian had severely damaged both major tendons in his left knee and underwent immediate surgery, overseen by the leading doctor to the Miami Dolphins.

Amid rumours that he might never play again, Muster then flew back to Europe to receive further treatment and begin his rehabilitation.

Muster proved his critics wrong when he returned to the sport just six months after the accident. His recovery was speeded up by using a specially designed chair in the centre of the court that enabled him to practice groundstrokes while sitting down – before the knee had fully healed.

Years later, Muster admitted that rather than having a negative impact, the accident and injury defined his career.

“I think that because of the way the rest of my career went – being No.1 in the world, winning the French Open, and heaps of other tournaments – I’m known for my comeback and it’s something that people look at as remarkable about my career,” he said in 2006.

“If I’d had to stop playing and could never hit a ball again after 1989 it would have been different. I’d probably have been pretty miserable, But as it happened, the comeback became a trademark for the rest of my life.” n

what happened next… → In 1990, Muster won four tournaments, was runner-up in another three, reached the semi-finals of the French Open and led Austria to the semi-finals of the Davis Cup. The Austrian was named the ATP Tour’s ‘Comeback Player of the Year’.

In 1995 Muster had his best year on court, and was widely acknowledged

as one of the most dominant players on tour. He won 12 titles from 14 final appearances, among them the French Open (to be his only Grand Slam victory) where he beat American Michael Chang in the final.

His clay court win-loss record for 1995 was 65-2.

On February 12 1996 Muster

became the world No.1, but only held the ranking for one week. He returned to the summit of men’s tennis during March and April the same year. Muster reached his last singles final in 1998.

He retired from the tour in 1999, only to return for a brief spell in 2010 after 11 years away from tournament tennis.

He retired 'again' aged 44 in 2011.

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T hi si sas el ec t i onofpa gesf r om t hel a t es ti s s ue .

E a c h i s s uei sbur s t i ngwi t hf ea t ur esa ndphot os .

T os ubs c r i bet oei t herdi gi t a l orpr i ntv er s i ons s i gnupa t :

www. t enni s hea d. net / s hop