tennishead Volume 6 Issue 4

SEPTEMBER 2015

MADE IN LONDON

WIMBLEDON CHAMPION

NOVAK DJOKOVIC Born in the USA

The resurgence of American tennis

Great Britain

Davis Cup victory beckons

Return of Serve Must have shot

RACKET REVIEWS BEST FRAMES FOR ADVANCED PLAYERS

MARTINA HINGIS LEANDER PAES

£4.99

Patrick Mouratoglou // Judy Murray

SEPTEMBER 2015

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TENNISHE AD.NET

THE WORLD’ S BE S T TENNIS MAG A ZINE

septembeR 2015

contents

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44

Š Michael Cole

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© Getty/Jordan Mansfield for LTA

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upfront

features

academy

8 The Championships

32 Great Britain

54 Patrick Mouratoglou

18 Raise the Roof

42 Wuhan

58 Slam it like Stan

26 Locker Room

44 Hall of Fame

28 Coco Vandeweghe

48 Winning shots

Having fun with Grand Slam doubles champ, Bethanie Mattek-Sands Hard work is starting to pay off for the Wimbledon quarter-finalist

Martina Hingis’ unique place in history as the institute's global ambassador Photographer Michael Cole’s five decades on tour

84 Country Pursuits

Top tennis coaching in luxurious surroundings at Four Seasons Hampshire

98 Last Word

JudyMurray on attracting more girls to the sport with her Miss Hits programme

The Wawrinka forehand, frame-by-frame

60 Tennis Talk

Your questions answered

62 Healthy return

Return tactics from Tennis iCoach

64 Cutting out meat

Do vegetarian diets affect results?

66 Mats Merkel

Making the most of the mid-season

gear 71

gear news

Murray’s new shoes

74 Racket Reviews

Best frames for advanced players

78 Leander Paes

Talking rackets with the Indian legend

81 Pro Shop

The latest kit from Pro-Direct

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86 results and rankings

Who's cashing in on tour

contenTs

Li Na's home city and its big sporting ambitions

What makes Murray and Djokovic the best returners?

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How American tennis is trending on an upward curve

Team GB celebrate historic Davis Cup quarter-final success

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Stunning images from Wimbledon 2015

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The Championships Wimbledon 2015

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gallery

Why American tennis has lots to look forward to – even after the Williams sisters eventually decide to say goodbye

Raise the roof U.S. Tennis

trending upward

Words Matt Cronin and Richard Osborn

Matt Cronin is an American journalist, co-owner of TennisReporters.net and a reporter for Tennis.com.

Richard Osborn is a former managing editor of Inside Tennis

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Lockerroom

Bethanie Mattek-Sands The American is one of the most colourful characters on the tour and, despite being diagnosed with 26 severe food allergies, is a mean cook too Interview: JO CARTER

What makes you smile?

Shopping, dark chocolate, my husband. In that order! Justin travels with me all the time, we’re together 24-7. He’s my best friend. At this stage in my career it’s nice to have my husband with me otherwise at the end of the year it’d be like, ‘OK, see you in a few months.’ It’s not the ideal marriage, I know some girls can make it work, but I’m lucky to have him travelling with me.

What’s the best practical joke you’ve played on someone?

In the off-season I jammed my ankle a little bit and went to my doctor to get a shot. I hate needles so he numbed it up pretty good and he texted me later to see how my ankle was. I Googled a picture of a frostbitten foot, totally disgusting with black nails and sent it to the doctor. He didn’t talk to me for ages after that.

What did you do with your first prize cheque?

After my first big payday I went to Prada at the US Open and bought two pairs of Prada sneakers. I still have them, my mom and my sister wear them. That was my first big splurge.

Do you cook?

I bake. My signature dish is sweet potato pie. I’m pretty good with cookies and breads; I love making banana bread. I made a whisky pear crunch over Thanksgiving. I like cooking desserts. My husband does the meats and I do all the baked goods.

Not a typical diet for an athlete…

I don’t cook them a lot and when I do, I pick the ones I really want to eat. Justin always complains because 26

when you bake stuff you bake a whole cake and there’s just two of us and he ends up eating most of it. That’s probably why I’m small and he’s big. He’s taking one for the team by eating the whole pie.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Pizza. I have a lot of food allergies and basically they are all in a pizza. We schedule my cheat days in the off-season. I'll have a pizza on a Saturday afternoon after practice and we research it properly; who has the best sauce, best toppings. I only get one chance so you have to go for it. I'm more of a crusts person than sauces so that's what I look for.

What toppings?

A little rocket and prosciutto and tons of cheese.

Cheese is my favourite.

Besides your tennis gear, what would you never travel without?

I actually travel with a bed topper. I roll it up and whenever I get to a place I can put it on top of the bed because there have been so many times where the beds are uncomfortable, if they’re too hard you wake up really stiff. This roll-up foam bed topper has been the best investment of my travelling career. It takes up almost a whole suitcase but it’s worth it.

I’ve taken stuff out to be able to fit that in a bag.

I have a lot of food allergies and basically they are all in a pizza!

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B e t h a n i e M at t e k - S a n d s

upfront

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C o C o Va n d e w e g h e

Hard work pays off CoCo Vandeweghe is one of 12 American women ranked in the top 100. The 23-year-old is determined to build on her Wimbledon success Words Bridget Marrison

C

oCo Vandeweghe grew up in Long Island, New York. Her maternal grandfather was an NBA player and her grandmother was Miss America in 1952. Her grandparents shared the family home. “If I got scolded by my mum I could run to my grandparents, I could hide in their bed,” she says.

Grandmother, Colleen Kay Hutchins, after whom CoCo is named, was a big influence during her childhood. “She taught me how to walk in heels, how to sit up correctly and all this stuff,” she says. “She was definitely big on presence when you walk into a room.

I did cotillion – the going and learning to dance properly – and I was a tomboy. I play with a ring on my finger, it's my grandmother’s wedding band,” she explains.

Vandeweghe’s parents are divorced. Her family is spread between the west and east coast of America.

“As I have lived longer in California, I would definitely consider myself to be a Californian girl. I love going back to New York to visit and to play the US Open.

I love the vibe of it,” she reveals. “When I am at home I enjoy going to the beach. I am an outdoors kind of person. I body surf a bunch if the water is not too cold.

I play beach volleyball.”

Sport is in CoCo’s genes. Her mother swam for USA at the 1976 Olympics as well as representing the nation in volleyball at the 1984 Games. Her uncle, Kiki Vandeweghe, was an NBA basketball player. “My mum is a really big influence on me,” she says. “She’s an incredible woman, in fact, not only as an athlete but in perseverance and her own life in general. I think she’s definitely my number one inspiration.”

Vandeweghe started playing tennis when she was 11 years old. “At 15, I decided to take tennis seriously,” she says. “I stopped playing basketball. My dream was to be No.1 in the world”.

CoCo won the 2008 US Open junior girls’ title at the age of 16. “I needed a wild card to get in. I just played it and when I won it I didn’t realise how much of a big deal it was,” she recalls. “It had been like 10 years since an American had won it, so I mean it was kind of a surprise, that’s for sure.”

After that rise to stardom, Vandeweghe sustained injuries and suffered growing pains, but broke into the top 100 in 2012. “Everyone has their own time, their own sequence. I’m not validating myself on anyone else’s success,” she says.

I have dedicated myself, sacrificed a lot of things to put in the time – in the gym, on the court 28

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C o C o V an d eweghe

upfront

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Great Britons L-R: Matt Little, Nick Weal, Leon Smith, Jamie Murray, Andy Murray, James Ward and Dom Inglot celebrate at Queen's Club following Britain's quarter-final win over France

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Paul Newman is the tennis correspondent of The Independent, Independent on Sunday and i.

dav i s c u p

Words Paul Newman

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Leon Smith’s Davis Cup team have everything to play for when they face Australia in the semi finals in September, not just another opportunity to write history...

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© Getty/Jordan Mansfield for LTA

GREAT 33

Š Mel DiGiacomo

Winning 48

biography Michael Cole is a British tennis photographer who has travelled on the main tours since 1969. He has covered over 100 Grand Slam tournaments mikecole@dircon.co.uk

ďƒ˜

Technology and the players may have changed since Michael Cole began shooting the tours, but his eye for a great shot has remained

michael cole

Ilie Nastase

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shots Boris Becker

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biography Patrick Mouratoglou is the founder and Head Coach at the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy which is based near Paris. Founded in 1996, it is now considered to be one of the best in the world and offers personalised training which is tailored to each of its players' individual needs

To reach the very top either your serve or your return – preferably both – need to be at the very highest level.

Djokovic and Murray are two players who have both

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academy

Neutralising the serve Which players possess the best return of serve and why?

A view from the top Words Patrick Mouratoglou

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P at r i c k M o u r at o g l o u

W

hen I am at Grand Slam tournaments I am often surprised at how little time most players spend practising their serves and returns. From what I see, in a typical one-hour practice session the average player spends 45 minutes on ground strokes and 15 minutes on serves and returns. I don’t think that’s enough.

When I take a session I like to spend at least a third or maybe even half the time working on those two key elements of the game. That’s the sort of balance Serena Williams has in her practice sessions.

Something I find even harder to understand is how so many players do not take the chance to practise their returns when their practice partner is hitting serves. When I was coaching men I always insisted that they practise their returns when the guy on the other side of the net was practising his serves.

You can’t overstate the importance of the serve and return because, more often than not, those two shots dictate how the point will be played. Are you going to dictate the point or are you going to be under pressure from the start? Overall, I would say that 60 per cent of points are won according to what happens with the first two shots, the serve and return.

Depending on the player, when you start the point well – either with your serve or your return – then you will win between 70 and 90 per cent of those points. Look at the statistics for the top men. Over the whole year they will usually win between 70 and 80 per cent of the points they play on first serve and maybe between 55 and 60 per cent on the second serve. And on their opponents’ second serve they will also have a high percentage of points won.

To reach the very top either your serve or your return – and preferably both – need to be at the very highest level.

Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are two players who have both. I think Murray has the best return in the men’s game.

It’s very hard to choose between him and Djokovic, but I think Murray has just a slight edge on his second serve returns. He’s a bit more aggressive than Djokovic. I would say that on first serve returns they’re equal. The way they both return first serves is amazing. If you take Serena out of the equation I would say that Victoria Azarenka has the best returns in the women’s game. She gets a lot of first

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Meat-free methods Does a vegetarian diet affect on-court performance?

Words sarah Brown

A

round two per cent of the UK population are vegetarian, while 6 per cent follow a meatfree diet but still eat fish. The reasons for vegetarianism vary from ethical to financial, while others opt to cut out meat in pursuit of a healthier diet. So does it really make any difference – can athletes achieve as good, or an even better, performance without meat or fish?

Evidence shows that following a healthy vegetarian diet it is perfectly possible to achieve the same results as a non-vegetarian, although aerobic performance is not improved.

Most people consider a vegetarian diet to be one that includes grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits while excluding meat and fish, seafood and by-products of slaughter. It generally still includes other animal products like eggs and dairy. But there are different classifications in the vegetarian dietary spectrum: near/semi-vegetarians still eat fish, poultry, eggs and dairy but exclude red meat. Pescovegetarians will include fish, dairy and eggs in their diet. A lacto-vegetarian will include dairy but not

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eggs, an ovo-vegetarian includes eggs, and a vegan excludes all animal-derived foods completely.

The immediate consideration when eliminating these foods is how to replace the nutrients that they provide – protein is the major consideration, but also iron, zinc, vitamin B12, calcium and vitamin D. Careful planning will ensure that all these nutrients are replaced in another part of the diet, but it’s always important to bear in mind that being a vegetarian and an athlete needs planning and attention.

Some people purport to be vegetarian but eat a diet of pizza and processed foods in the belief that by giving up meat they’re healthy. This is clearly not the case and a diet should always consist of clean, unprocessed foods including wholegrain carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats. This will help ensure that the vegetarian tennis player will replace the missing nutrients identified above.

As the building block of the body, protein is essential for metabolism of tissue, good bone health and repair of muscles after exercise. Proteins are broken down in the body to hundreds of amino acids. There are 20

academy

Sarah Brown is principal of Good Food Works Nutritional Therapy – www.goodfoodworks.co.uk. She coaches clients to reach their health goals by optimising their nutritional choices and works in clinic at Pure Sports Medicine in SW London. www.puresportsmed.com

'Changing my diet made a big difference' Venus Williams adopted a vegan and predominantly raw food diet after being diagnosed with Sjogrens Syndrome in 2011.

The autoimmune disease causes shortness of breath, fatigue and muscle pain. By not overloading her body with excess calories, pesticides or sugars, the diet helps decrease inflammation in her body and reduce the energysapping symptoms of the condition. While Venus is a self-confessed ‘cheagan’ (cheating vegan), her diet mostly consists of raw organic foods.

“Changing my diet has made a big difference,” she said. “I’m not perfect, so I forgive myself when I make mistakes. I do a lot of juicing as well, a lot of wheat grass shots, lots of fresh juices.

“I don’t always eat raw, especially before matches. When you eat raw it is not always enough calories for athletics, so I will eat some pasta and bread and rice for energy. I try to eat all-natural and organic. That is mostly my focus.”

n ut r iti o n

biography

Vegan Venus

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amino acids needed by the body that are derived from different foods. Nine of these are essential amino acids and can be deconstructed in the liver and built back into any of the 11 that may be missing.

Meat and fish deliver all of the essential amino acids, which means a meat-eater does not have to worry about having the correct spectrum. However, a vegetarian will have to work harder at ensuring that they are eating a range of plant proteins in order to gain as many of the amino acids as possible – especially the essential nine.

Vegetarian protein sources include grains, legumes: (beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas) nuts, seeds, dairy, and eggs. Hemp protein powder is also a complete protein that can be used to supplement the diet by adding it to smoothies to ensure a full complement is achieved.

Whole grains, pulses, nuts and seeds, and eggs can also be used as alternative sources of zinc, while spinach, chickpeas, bran flakes, baked beans, as well as dried figs and apricots are good vegetarian sources of iron. Essential fatty acids from pumpkin seeds and flaxseed oil should also be included in a vegetarian diet lacking oily fish, as omega-3 fatty acids will be low.

Another consideration is that often energy may dip as a result of a vegetarian diet. This is often thought to be linked to iron-deficiency anaemia from the lack of red meat, or pernicious anaemia from the loss of vitamin B12. However, it is possible that it is simply a lack of calories being consumed versus those being expended.

Adopting a vegetarian diet may require eating more food and a higher number of calories than before. By making sure you eat enough calories, this is only going to impact on your performance – not your weight.

te n n is h ead . n et

© Shutterstock / Marilyn Barbone

Following a healthy vegetarian diet, it is perfectly possible to achieve the same results as a non-vegetarian

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ReviewS

Advanced frames

After reviewing improver and intermediate frames already this year, it's time to step it up a notch with the advanced category...

T

hese rackets are for the players. Tennis is serious fun, and competition is king. They know the game, know their game, and want a frame that will work with them to snatch that crucial point and keep their opponent on the back foot. These rackets may not be for everyone, but in the right hands they will bring out your very best.

First, a word of advice: be honest with yourself before you head off to buy an advanced racket. Just as you shouldn’t buy a Ferrari the day you pass your driving test, you should wait until your game is good enough to get the most out of a pro frame. The best racket you can buy is the one that you enjoy playing

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with, no matter your level. And no matter how certain you are that you’ve found your perfect racket, always try before you buy – most specialist tennis outlets run demo schemes to give you the chance to trial a frame before you part with your hard-earned cash.

Advanced frames reward sound technique and punish off-centre strikes. Typically at the heavier end of the scale, they are built with good club players and tournament regulars in mind. These players are fit and capable enough to generate power and racket head speed for themselves and are looking for a racket that offers good touch around the court, for example, or boosts their spin potential.

gear

BEST FOR POWER

Babolat Pure Strike 16x19

Dunlop Force 100

RRP: £169.99 Head size: 98 sq.in Unstrung weight: 305g String pattern: 16x19 Balance: 32.0cm Beam: 21mm-23mm-21mm

RRP: £149.99 Head size: 100 sq.in Unstrung weight: 295g String pattern: 16x19 Balance: 32.5cm Beam: 23mm-26mm-24mm

Babolat’s brief was simple: add an attacker’s dream racket to the range. The result is a frame that feels positively weaponised – reactive and capable of loading the ball with spin in a way its 18x20 sister cannot match. Wristy mid-range swing lengths will find a friend in the Pure Strike, which is one of the most flexible rackets we’ve tested. Serves and volleys felt crisp and it was a delight to hit slice, but those with longer swings may be caught out by the variation in power from any off-centre hits. The heavier Pure Strike Tour might iron out those wrinkles if everything else adds up during your test-spin.

Dunlop has tinkered with the specs of its Force 98 series to create an arm-friendly frame that is more forgiving than its slimmer, heavier counterparts in the advanced range. A slightly thicker and more tapered beam and larger head should equate to a more powerful stick and that's certainly true of the Force 100 – it offers greater margin for error and bags of punch, which might catch out players with rangey swings. Those with a more compact game on the lookout for a little more muscle than the average advanced frame will enjoy the crisp feel and access to some serious spin this Dunlop offers.

Mantis 300-II

RRP: £185 Head size: 100 sq.in Unstrung weight: 315g String pattern: 18x20 Balance: 31.0cm Beam: 22mm

RRP: £120 Head size: 100 sq.in Unstrung weight: 300g String pattern: 16x19 Balance: 32.0cm Beam: 22.5mm-25mm-23mm

Graphene XT is the latest engineering marvel to be infused into HEAD’s range. Credited with lopping 20% off the weight while making the racket 30% stronger, it means the experts in Austria can put more weight where they want, not where they must.

Perhaps that is why the XT Speed Pro feels lighter than its 315g.

It certainly explains the stiffness, which combined with the dense string pattern makes this a highly control-centred frame with an emphasis on feel over power. That weight is in there somewhere, notably helping plough-through on serve.

Mantis rackets are traditionally well-balanced frames suited to classic all-courters, and the 300 is no exception. Focus on form over scalping the ball with each stroke and the Mantis plays like a dream, with decent feedback for those with longer strokes.

Players capable of generating their own power will certainly make the Mantis sing, and it performs admirably both when attacking the net and defending from deep behind the baseline – no shot feels beyond its repertoire, though players looking for Nadal-esque levels of spin should look elsewhere.



HEAD Graphene XT Speed Pro

racket review

BEST VALUE

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BEST FOR FEEL

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I have always been interested in being a student, in learning

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gear

Attention to detail matters Self-confessed kit junkie Leander Paes has an “A-Type” personality, which means he has a lot to say about his equipment Words Bridget marrison

Paes won another Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in the mixed doubles with Martina Hingis

 tennishead.net

Major success

l e a n d e r pa e s

W

hen Leander Paes won the first of his 55 doubles titles in 1997, Alexander Zverev, the youngest teenager in the ATP top 150, was not even born. Paes, who turned 42 in June, completed a career Grand Slam in men’s doubles in 2012 and has won at least one trophy every year since for the past 19 years.

The former world No.1 has played with 100 different doubles partners and throughout his career has been equally happy to experiment with his rackets. When we spoke at Roland Garros earlier this year, Paes revealed he had 10 different rackets in his bag and was still looking at a way of evolving his racket set up.

“What I am trying out now is 3 grammes difference with the head weights to the throat weight or 5 grammes difference in the total body weight,” he said. “As the balls become heavier, I need to bring my racket round faster which means I need to make the head of the racket a little lighter. By making the head lighter do I then put some of that weight into the throat of the racket so it still comes through with that velocity or just take it out, so you are losing power but you are catching up with the ball?”

Paes races through his description of all the possible set ups. What is clear in our discussions is that in his 24 years as a professional tennis player, this constant experimenting has been a priority for him.

“I have been through seven generations of players, this has been my eighth generation,” he says. “I am really openminded and yet I have to be true to how I play. I still want to command the court not just to show up. I want to win.

I am an A-type [personality] so OCD on my equipment, it is a joke. That’s probably why I have lasted so long.”

Although a doubles specialist, Paes won junior titles at Wimbledon and the US Open in 1991 and a bronze medal

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june - july 2015

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wimbledon 2015

GRAND SLAM

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wimbledon

ROUND ONE Serena Williams (USA) (1) 6-4 6-1 Margarita Gasparyan (RUS) (Q) Timea Babos (HUN) 7-6(4) 6-3 Petra Cetkovska (CZE) (Q) Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 7-5 6-0 Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) Heather Watson (GBR)1-6 6-3 8-6 Caroline Garcia (FRA) (32) Sara Errani (ITA) (19) 6-2 5-7 6-1 Francesca Schiavone (ITA) Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) 6-2 6-4 Roberta Vinci (ITA) Marina Erakovic (NZL) Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 7-6(5) 7-5 Madison Brengle (USA) Venus Williams (USA) (16) 6-0 6-0 Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) (9) Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) (WC) 6-2 6-0 Alexandra Dulgheru (ROU) Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 6-2 6-1 Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 0-6 6-3 6-4 Annika Beck (GER) Anett Kontaveit (EST) (WC) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) (23) 6-2 6-1 Belinda Bencic (SUI) (30) 3-6 6-1 6-3 Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) Vitalia Diatchenko (RUS) Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER) 3-6 6-3 7-5 Alison van Uytvanck (BEL) Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) (Q) 6-3 6-2 Xu Yi-Fan (CHN) (Q) Ana Ivanovic (SRB) (7) 6-1 6-1 Maria Sharapova (RUS) (4) 6-2 6-2 Johanna Konta (GBR) (WC) Richel Hogenkamp (NED) (Q) 6-4 6-4 Wang Qiang (CHN) Nicole Gibbs (USA) Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) 6-3 6-3 Daria Gavrilova (AUS) Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU) (29) 7-6(6) 6-1 Flavia Pennetta (ITA) (29) Zarina Diyas (KAZ) 6-3 2-6 6-4 Zhu Lin (CHN) Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) (Q) 4-6 7-5 6-1 Mariana Duque-Marino (COL) 7-6(5) 6-3 Naomi Broady (GBR) (WC) Shelby Rogers (USA) Andrea Petkovic (GER) (14) 6-0 6-0 Karolina Pliskova (CZE) (11) 6-4 4-6 6-1 Irina Falconi (USA) Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 6-4 6-2 Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) Edina Gallovits-Hall (USA) Urszula Radwanska (POL) 6-2 6-1 Danka Kovinic (MNE) Samantha Stosur (AUS) (22) 6-4 6-4 Barbora Strycova (CZE) (27) Sloane Stephens (USA) 6-4 6-2 Polona Hercog (SLO) Lauren Davis (USA) 6-4 7-6(3) Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE) (Q) 6-1 6-4 Kaia Kanepi (EST) Alison Riske (USA) Lucie Safarova (CZE) (6) 3-6 7-5 6-3 Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) (5) 7-5 6-0 Zheng Saisai (CHN) Katerina Siniakova (CZE) Denisa Allertova (CZE) 6-2 4-6 6-3 Lara Arruabarrena (ESP) 6-4 6-2 Pauline Parmentier (FRA) Teliana Pereira (BRA) Camila Giorgi (ITA) (31) 7-6(4) 6-3 Garbine Muguruza (ESP) (20) 6-4 6-1 Varvara Lepchenko (USA) Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) 7-5 6-7(5) 7-5 Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) A Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 6-7(3) 7-6(4) 6-2 Mona Barthel (GER) Carina Witthoeft (GER) Angelique Kerber (GER) (10) 6-0 6-0 Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) (15) 6-2 7-5 Julia Goerges (GER) Sesil Karatantcheva (BUL) Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP) 2-6 6-2 7-5 Johanna Larsson (SWE) Christina McHale (USA) 6-3 6-2 Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS) Sabine Lisicki (GER) (18) 7-5 6-4 Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) (26) 6-3 6-4 Laura Siegemund (GER) (Q) Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) 3-6 7-5 7-5 Tereza Smitkova (CZE) Monica Puig (PUR) Monica Niculescu (ROU) 5-7 6-3 6-1 Jana Cepelova (SVK) 5-7 6-4 6-3 Simona Halep (ROU) (3) Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) (8) 6-2 6-4 Sachia Vickery (USA) (Q) Karin Knapp (ITA) Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 7-6(6) 3-0 RET Andreea Mitu (ROU) Olga Govortsova (BLR) (Q) 6-1 6-1 Ana Konjuh (CRO) Alize Cornet (FRA) (25) 6-2 6-2 Madison Keys (USA) (21) 6-7(6) 6-3 6-4 Stefanie Voegele (SUI) Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) Elizaveta Kulichkova (RUS) 3-6 7-6(6) 10-8 Tatjana Maria (GER) 7-6(2) 7-5 Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) Duan Ying-Ying (CHN) (Q) 7-6(3)6-4 Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) (12) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) (13) 6-3 6-2 Lucie Hradecka (CZE) Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) 6-3 6-4 Klara Koukalova (CZE) Tamira Paszek (AUT) (Q) Casey Dellacqua (AUS) 6-2 6-2 Misaki Doi (JPN) Elina Svitolina (UKR) (17) 3-6 6-3 6-2 Jelena Jankovic (SRB) (28) 6-4 3-6 10-8 Elena Vesnina (RUS) Evgeniya Rodina (RUS) 6-4 6-4 Laura Robson (GBR) (WC) Magda Linette (POL) Kurumi Nara (JPN) 3-6 6-3 4-3 RET Kiki Bertens (NED) Petra Kvitova (CZE) (2) 6-1 6-0

 j u n e 2 9 - j u ly 1 2

ROUND two Serena Williams (USA) (1) 6-4 6-1 Timea Babos (HUN) Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) Heather Watson (GBR) 6-4 6-2 Sara Errani (ITA) (19) Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) 6-3 6-7(2) 6-2 Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) Venus Williams (USA) (16) 7-6(5) 6-4 Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) (WC) Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 6-4 7-5 Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) (23) 6-3 6-3 Belinda Bencic (SUI) (30) 7-5 4-6 6-0 Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER) Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA)(Q) 6-3 6-4 Ana Ivanovic (SRB) (7) Maria Sharapova (RUS) (4) 6-3 6-1 Richel Hogenkamp (NED) (Q) Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU) (29) 7-5 6-7(4) 7-5 Zarina Diyas (KAZ) 7-5 6-1 Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR)(Q) Mariana Duque-Marino (COL) Andrea Petkovic (GER) (14) 6-3 6-1 Karolina Pliskova (CZE) (11) Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 7-6(5) 6-4 Urszula Radwanska (POL) Samantha Stosur (AUS) (22) 6-3 6-4 Sloane Stephens (USA) 6-4 6-4 Lauren Davis (USA) Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE) Lucie Safarova (CZE) (6) 6-2 6-3 Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) (5) 6-1 7-6(6) Denisa Allertova (CZE) Lara Arruabarrena (ESP) Camila Giorgi (ITA) (31) 6-0 7-6(5) Garbine Muguruza (ESP) (20) 6-3 4-6 6-2 Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) Angelique Kerber (GER) (10) 7-5 6-2 Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) (15) 6-2 6-1 Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP) Christina McHale (USA) Sabine Lisicki (GER) (18) 2-6 7-5 6-1 Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)(26) Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) 3-6 6-3 6-4 Monica Niculescu (ROU) 6-3 6-3 Jana Cepelova (SVK) Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) (8) Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 6-2 7-5 Olga Govortsova (BLR) (Q) 7-6(6) 2-6 6-1 Alize Cornet (FRA) (25) Madison Keys (USA) (21) 6-4 7-6(3) Elizaveta Kulichkova (RUS) Tatjana Maria (GER) 1-6 6-2 10-8 Duan Ying-Ying (CHN) (Q) A Radwanska (POL) (13) 6-0 6-2 Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) Casey Dellacqua (AUS) 7-6(3) 6-3 Elina Svitolina (UKR) (17) Jelena Jankovic (SRB) (28) 6-7(4) 6-1 6-3 Evgeniya Rodina (RUS) Kurumi Nara (JPN) Petra Kvitova (CZE) (2) 6-2 6-0

ROUND three Serena Williams (USA) (1) 6-2 4-6 7-5 Heather Watson (GBR)

ROUND four

quarter-finals

semi-finals

Serena Williams (USA) (1) 6-4 6-3 Venus Williams (USA) (16)

Serena Williams (USA) (1) 3-6 6-2 6-3 Victoria Azarenka (BLR)(23)

Serena Williams (USA) (1] 6-2 6-4 Maria Sharapova (RUS) (4)

In the first match between the sisters at Wimbledon since 2009, Serena beat Venus to reach an 11th quarter-final at SW19. "It's never easy to play someone you love and care about," said the world No.1.

Williams claimed a 17th consecutive win against Sharapova to reach her 25th Grand Slam final. The top seed kept her "Serena Slam" bid alive with a straight sets victory, firing 29 winners to Sharapova's nine and did not face a single break point. "I never really found myself in a position to break her," said Sharapova, who served 44 double faults during the tournament. "I think she had better depth on her shots too." After improving her Grand Slam semi-final record to 25 wins and just three defeats Williams said: "I get nervous every time I walk out on the court. Every single match I have nerves."

Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) Victoria Azarenka (BLR)(23) 6-4 6-4

Victoria Azarenka (BLR)(23) 6-2 6-3 Belinda Bencic (SUI) (30)

Belinda Bencic (SUI) (30) 7-5 7-5 B Mattek-Sands (USA)(Q)

Azarenka reached a fourth quarter-final at Wimbledon with a straight-sets win over Eastbourne champion Bencic.

"I think she had momentum of winning a lot of matches," said Azarenka of the teenager.

Williams had to dig deep to find a way past former world No.1 Azarenka. The Belarusian deservedly took the opener but after Azarenka staved off three break points in a 13-minute service game, Williams finally broke Azarenka's resistance, winning seven games in a row to take control of the match. She has never lost to Azarenka in 10 Grand Slam meetings.

"We always have some great three-set matches," Williams said after reaching a 28th major semi-final.

Maria Sharapova (RUS) (4) 6-4 6-3 Irina Begu (ROU) (29)

Maria Sharapova (RUS) (4) 6-4 6-4 Zarina Diyas (KAZ)

Maria Sharapova (RUS) (4) 6-3 6-7(3) 6-2 Coco Vandeweghe (USA)

Sharapova reached the last eight at Wimbledon for the first time since 2011 with a straight sets win over Diyas. "I lost at this stage last year so I was extremely happy to win and go a round further," she said.

Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) Venus Williams (USA) (16) 6-3 6-2

Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 6-2 6-0 Samantha Stosur (AUS) (22)

Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 7-6(1) 7-6(4) Lucie Safarova (CZE) (6)

Sloane Stephens (USA) Lucie Safarova (CZE) (6) 3-6 6-3 6-1

Vandeweghe continued her fairytale at Wimbledon to upset Roland Garros finalist Safarova to reach her first Grand Slam quarter-final. "If we're going to go by upsets, I have already had three," said the American.

Sharapova dropped her first set at the Championships but recovered to defeat Vandeweghe. The Russian served for victory at 6-3 5-4 but the world No.47 hit back to win the set on a tiebreak.

But in spite of 10 double faults, Sharapova sealed victory in two hours and 46 minutes. "Today serving for the second set, I could have made it easier for myself [but] still got the job done," said the 2004 champion.

"I have to be pleased with that, being in a semi-final again after many years."

Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) (5) 6-2 6-2 Camila Giorgi (ITA) (31)

Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) (5) Garbine Muguruza (ESP) (20) 6-4 6-4

Garbine Muguruza (ESP)(20) 7-5 6-3 Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) (15)

G Muguruza (ESP) (20) 6-2 3-6 6-3 A Radwanska (POL) (13)

Wozniacki's attempt to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals for a first time were stopped by Muguruza. "I knew she wanted a long and physical match," said the Spaniard. "I think I used my opportunities."

Muguruza reached her first Grand Slam final with a mature three-set win over 2012 finalist Radwanska.

Playing in her first major semi-final the 21-year-old showed no sign of being overawed by the occasion as she dropped just five points on serve in the first set.

Radwanska battled back, winning six straight games to get back on level terms, but Muguruza kept a cool head, breaking midway through the decider before sealing victory with her 39th winner of the match. "If you want to win a Grand Slam, when you dream you say, 'I want Serena in the final'," said the Spaniard. "I think it's the best challenge to have."

Zarina Diyas (KAZ) 7-5 6-4 Andrea Petkovic (GER) (14)

Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) (15) 6-3 6-2 Sabine Lisicki (GER) (18)

Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) (15) 1-6 7-5 6-2 Monica Niculescu (ROU)

Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) Monica Niculescu (ROU) 6-3 7-5

Bacsinszky survived a scare as she battled back from a poor first set to reach the last eight.

"She did everything she could to break my game and she played to a higher level than her ranking," said the Swiss.

Muguruza became the first Spanish woman to reach the semi-finals at Wimbledon since Arantxa SanchezVicario in 1997 as she defeated French Open semi-finalist Bacsinszky in straight sets. "I'm very happy to be to in a [major] semi-final because I lost twice in the quarter-finals," said Muguruza, who upset Angelique Kerber and Caroline Wozniacki. "I'm surprised my first semi-final is on grass. But I think I'm playing really well. I think the surface helps me."

Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) Olga Govortsova (BLR) (Q) 7-6(4) 6-3

Olga Govortsova (BLR) (Q) Madison Keys (USA) (21) 3-6 6-4 6-1

Madison Keys (USA) (21) A Radwanska (POL) (13) 7-6(3) 3-6 6-3

Madison Keys (USA) (21) 6-4 6-4 Tatjana Maria (GER)

Govortsova's Wimbledon run came to an end in the fourth round as the qualifier took Keys to three sets. It was the first time since 2004 that three American women reached the last eight.

A Radwanska (POL) (13) 6-1 6-4 Casey Dellacqua (AUS)

A Radwanska (POL) (13) 7-5 6-4 Jelena Jankovic (SRB) (28)

Jelena Jankovic (SRB) (28) 3-6 7-5 6-4 Petra Kvitova (CZE) (2)

Radwanska beat Kvitova's conqueror Jankovic in straight sets to reach the quarter-finals for a fifth time. "I really feel I'm playing my best tennis," said Radwanska, who reached the Wimbledon final in 2012.

Radwanska's resurgence continued as she neutralised Keys' power to reach the semi-finals. The Pole had endured a difficult start to the season and was 15-13 after a first-round defeat to Annika Beck at the French Open, but rediscovered her form after hitting the grass; reaching the semis in Nottingham and Eastbourne final. "I knew that grass is much better for me," said Radwanska. "But I think after Paris, I wouldn't expect to reach the semi-finals here, that's for sure."

Garbine Muguruza (ESP)(20) 7-6(12) 1-6 6-2 Angelique Kerber (GER) (10)

juniors j u n e 2 9 - j u ly 1 2

wimbledon, London, UK

Opelka win signals bright future for US

Williams completes 'Serena Slam' Serena Williams bt Garbine Muguruza 6-4 6-4 Serena Williams completed the second 'Serena Slam' of her career after defeating Garbine Muguruza in straight sets to win her sixth Wimbledon title.

Twelve years after her first 'Serena Slam', Williams defeated first-time finalist Muguruza 6-4 6-4 to complete her bid to hold all four majors after winning the US Open last year and the Australian Open and French Open titles in 2015.

Muguruza, 21, had beaten Angelique Kerber, Caroline Wozniacki and Agnieszka Radwanska en route to the final, where she made a bright start against the world No.1, breaking in the opening game after three double faults from Williams. The world No.1 cut a frustrated figure as she struggled with Muguruza's deep groundstrokes, but soon began to find a way back into the match, winning four games in a row to seal the opening set.

Muguruza, who was bidding to become the lowest-ranked Wimbledon champion since Venus Williams in 2007, looked to have let the match run away from her when she was broken to love to trail 1-5 in the second set. But with Williams serving for the Championships, Muguruza's shots began to find the court once again, and she broke back twice to claw her way back on serve.

Serving once again to keep the match alive, Muguruza was broken to love to hand Williams her 21st Grand Slam title as the American moved just one behind Open era leader Steffi Graf.

"There was definitely pressure towards the end," said Williams. "Garbine started playing really well and I just had to stay out there and work really hard."

"It's hard to concentrate on a final because you have Serena in front of you," said Muguruza. "But I learned that everyone gets nervous, even Serena."

r e s u lt s

Wimbledon, London, UK

ďƒ˜

J u n e 2 9 - j u ly 1 2

Reilly Opelka became the second American winner of the Wimbledon boys' singles title in as many years after he beat Sweden's Mikael Ymer 7-6(5) 6-4. The 6ft 10in 17-yearold fired a 134mph serve, as he succeeded last year's champion Noah Rubin. It also follows Tommy Paul's success at Roland Garros in June, and Opelka, who beat top seed and fellow American Taylor Fritz in the last four, believes it is a positive sign for the future of American men's tennis.

"Seeing Tommy hold up the [French Open] trophy is great for American tennis," said Opelka. "But then it makes us want to try to do the same. I knew we were all at that level prior to the French Open. It's just having someone that actually does it first, then all the others follow and push each other."

Opelka played two finals on the same day, finishing runner-up in the boys' doubles as he and Japanese partner Akira Santillan lost 7-6(4) 6-4 to Vietnam's Nam Hoang Ly and Sumit Nagal of India.

In the girls' event 15-year-old Sofya Zhuk won an all-Russian final 7-5 7-5 against Anna Blinkova, while Hungarian third seeds Dalma Galfi and Fanni Stollar won the doubles. "This tournament I was really focused on each game, each match," said Zhuk. "I controlled myself and I controlled each ball from first ball to the last."

Girl power Russia's Sofya Zhuk beat Anna Blinkova to win the girls' singles title at the All England Club

tennishead.net

final

GRAND SLAM

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