tennishead Volume 7 Issue 3

J U LY 2 0 1 6

TENNISHE AD.NET

THE WORLD’ S BE S T TENNIS MAG A ZINE M A D E I N B R I TA I N

WIN

ANDY MURRAY

GREAT GIVEAWAY Loads of rackets and cool kit up for grabs

I’m playing better tennis this year

E XCLUSIVE

SANIA MIRZA MY TENNIS LIFE

GERMAN TENNIS

Many happy returns Bjorn Borg releases birthday kit

Rackets for club players

OUT OF STEFFI GRAF’S SHADOW

The latest frames to enhance your game

Holiday at home Tennis breaks in Devon

THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

WIMBLEDON 2016 38 PAGES CELEBRATING THE GRASSCOURT SEASON

PLUS David Goffin // Patrick Mouratoglou // Jelena Jankovic Gordon Reid // Mats Merkel // Results // Rankings

JULY 2016

£4.99

This is a selection of pages from the latest issue.

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upfront

features

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28 Out of the Shadow

Man on a mission

Can Murray repeat his 2013 title-winning run?

academy 48 Belgian backhand

The rise of the Germans following in Steffi Graf's footsteps

14 Fifty things...

34 National Treasure

Sania Mirza on her role model status back home in India

54 Ice and a slice

22 Vital Statistics

40 Jelena Ostapenko

58 Fear of Grass

26 Living History

42 Ready for Battle

gear

98 last word

65 gear news

You didn't know about Wimbledon – a sideways look at The Championships

Split-second insight at The All England Club Interesting artefacts from the Wimbledon Museum

The young Latvian on ballroom dancing and dogs Grand Slam champion Gordon Reid looks forward to Wimbledon Why Jelena Jankovic loves playing at the All England Club

win 75 win a babolat Racket

Babolat Pure Drive (Wimbledon)

77 fantastic tennis holiday

Analysis of David Goffin’s two-hander

50 This coaching life

Patrick Mouratoglou shares his secrets Tips for hitting the slice serve

Mats Merkel on the challenges of grass

Bjorn Borg limited edition collection

68 Tale of the tape

Why Dynamic Tape is a physio’s friend

Players’ views on the dress code in SW19

70 Code White 75 Pro Shop

The latest kit from Pro:Direct

80 Club Class

Intermediate racket reviews

Win a week in Greece

78 great Gear Giveaways

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Rackets, shoes, bags and more

© Ray Giubilo

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86 Dartmoor Delight

An active short break in Devon

ATP & WTA results

84 results and rankings

contenTs

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© Juergen Hasenkopf

14 28

loads of kit up for grabs 78

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contents

Win

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july 2016

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man on a mission andy murray

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A confident Andy Murray will arrive in SW19 hoping to repeat his title-winning run from 2013. Will a more aggressive second serve be the key to success?

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man on a mission

Words Paul Newman Paul Newman is the tennis correspondent of The Independent

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the Lost property office under the West Stand of Court 3 has housed some bizarre items left by spectators over the years including a Danger Mouse costume, a prosthetic limb and a Christmas pudding.

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Just over 54,000 tennis balls are used every year.

Each is stored at 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Yellow balls were used for the first time in 1986.

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Tournament referee Andrew Jarrett is a former Great Britain Davis Cup player.

His other love is football and his beloved Derby County - he’s watched matches at every one of the 92 English Premier and football league grounds. And he once held a Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) driving licence.

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Polish trophy engraver Roman Zoltowski makes the journey to Wimbledon every year by car in his opentop MG because his tools are considered dangerous weapons by airlines. He starts his journey during the middle weekend of the event and drives through Poland, Germany, Holland and Belgium.

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Rufus has his own Twitter account with over 8,000 followers. Find him at @RufusTheHawk.

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Rufus the hawk has become a well-known feature of the Championships.

The Harris Hawk flies for one hour around 9am every morning during the tournament to scare off pigeons. He also visits the club most weeks outside of The Championships.

50 things…

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50 THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW

Words LEE GOODALL

THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

From Christmas puddings to the length of the grass, we present a sideways look at the most glorious tennis tournament on planet earth

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vitAl How clever use of technology enables split-second insight into on court action

© EOM

Words JO CARTER

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stAt

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V ITA L STATISTI C S

istics

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OUT OF THE Twenty years after Steffi Graf won her seventh and last Wimbledon title, the Germans are back in the limelight Words DOriS HenKeL Doris Henkel is a German writer who has covered the tour since 1985, writing for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), Muenchner Merkur, Berliner Zeitung and Neue ZĂźrcher Zeitung (NZZ) 28

Š Juergen Hasenkopf

Sania Mirza

national treasure Sania Mirza forms one of the most successful doubles teams in history but her influence extends way beyond the tennis court Words PAUL NEWMAN

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sania mirza

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gordon reid

It has always been a goal of mine to try and get to world No.1 and every day I try my hardest to get there

With Wimbledon staging a singles wheelchair event for the first time in 2016, Gordon Reid has an opportunity to win his second Grand Slam singles title – this time at home Words Bridget Marrison

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gordon reid

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biog r aphy 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.

This coaching life A glimpse into the pre and post-match routines of the best female player in the world Words Patrick Mouratoglou

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s there any job in tennis that requires more skills than that of a modern-day travelling coach? Improving your player’s game and drawing up strategies to beat opponents are just the start of it.

More than 90 per cent of coaches also have to be their player’s hitting partner, physiotherapist, fitness trainer, kit manager, mental coach and travel agent.

That was my life for much of my career, though things are different now as Serena Williams usually travels with an entourage of six or seven people. At the French Open, for example, she had a coach (me), a physiotherapist, a fitness coach, a hitting partner, an agent and someone to look after her kit. She often travels with a chef as well.

Before I started working with Serena I always started practice sessions with my players at tournaments at 8am. At almost every tournament you cannot actually book a practice court until 9am, though there is usually nothing to stop you turning up earlier. I would book a court at 9am, but we would start one hour earlier, which would mean that we had finished a two-hour session before most other players had started their day.

When we started that early, we would usually see the same players on other courts: Serena and her sister Venus, Maria Sharapova, Elena Dementieva. It was a good indication of which players were the most motivated on tour.

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academy

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

More than 90 per cent of coaches also have to be their player’s hitting partner, physiotherapist, fitness trainer, kit manager, mental coach and travel agent

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© Ray Giubilo

© Ray Giubilo

THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

CODE WHITE Why does Wimbledon insist the sport is played in white and what do the players think about it?

Words MICHAEL BEATTIE

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ike most of Roger Federer’s emoji-laden tweets, tongue was no doubt embedded in cheek. The seven-time Wimbledon champion couldn’t resist a dig at four-time semi-finalist and All England Club committee member Tim Henman’s break with protocol as he stepped out on the lawns at SW19.

Henman’s crime? Wearing tennis shoes with a dazzling flash of blue.

More colour at Wimbledon this year, Federer quipped, adding #ThankYouTim, a winking emoji and a blue shoe with the picture of the only Briton to beat him at the Championships sporting the offending footwear on court a situation the Swiss knows all too well.

Federer has always taken great pride in his tennis attire, nowhere more than at Wimbledon. His arrival on Centre Court as defending champion between 2004 and 2008 carried all the anticipation and intrigue of a London Fashion Week catwalk show. Blazers, knitted cardigans and even long trousers all made an appearance, harking back to the tennis attire of yesteryear - and all in pristine, traditional white.

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As with every facet of the All England Club, tradition lies at the heart of the Wimbledon dress code. Playing in tennis whites dates back to the sport’s inception and spread across the lawns of England and America at the turn of the 20th century. Well-to-do socialites took great pride in wearing white for their leisure activities; white clothing was a status symbol, worn only by those with means to maintain it and those keen to flaunt their distaste for hard graft - both on and off court.

One problem which simply had to be addressed very early on was that of perspiration, wrote Valerie Warren, author of Tennis Fashion: Over 125 Years of Costume Change. “As increased skill at the game led to more movement on court, this in turn led to the dreaded problem of perspiration causing the appearance of embarrassing damp patches on colored fabrics. It was quite unthinkable that a lady should be seen to perspire!”

White attire established sports such as tennis, cricket and croquet as the pursuits of the upper classes - and, as tennis democratised over the course of the 20th century, the aspirational middle classes followed suit.

gear

Modern-day ambassadors Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer leave Centre Court on finals day

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Š RAY GIUBILO

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c o DE w h i t e

(Opposite page) Fashion icons Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe dominated the sport in the early 80s

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REVIEWS

2016 INTERMEDIATE

Ace of clubs...

We hand-pick and review 11 rackets aimed at good club and tournament players – and choose five to be honoured with our tennishead awards

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f heavier, thinner rackets that tend to have smaller head sizes and sweetspots are aimed at what we call the advanced players, and thickerbeamed, lighter frames that have the biggest racket faces on the market are designed for the improver market then think of these intermediate frames as those that fall somewhere inbetween.

This bunch would be perfect for decent club players and those who enjoy a bit of competition – but who also recognise that they still need a little help from their frame. That help can come from easy power generation, a forgiving racket face on those

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off-centre strikes, a frame that isn’t so heavy that it becomes unwieldy and tiring and enough control off the stringbed when they do fire one out of the middle.

When you’ve decided on the frame for you, talk to an expert about strings – what brand, gauge and tension will suit you best – and make sure you’ve got the right grip size too. Get that wrong and you could be confined to the sidelines with tennis elbow. Lastly, as ever, try before you buy. While we do our best to give you as much guidance as possible on these pages, there’s no substitute for testing frames before you part with your hard-earned cash.

GEAR

Babolat Pure Aero Team RRP: £185 // Head size: 100 sq.in // Unstrung weight: 285g String pattern: 16 x 19 // Balance: 330mm // Beam: 23-26-23mm

Dunlop Force 100 RRP: £159.99 // Head size: 100 sq.in // Unstrung weight: 295g String pattern: 16 x 19 // Balance: 320mm // Beam: 23-26-24mm

Those familiar with Babolat's old AeroPro Team will be interested to hear this is the French company's update on that frame. Two of the differences between this upgrade and its predecessor is more space between the crosses and wider grommet holes, and both mean generating spin should come more easily. For a frame that's relatively light – 285g unstrung – this yellow and black beast delivers plenty of power, but has the added bonus of being manoeuverable too. Our testers liked the look, its spin generation capabilities and good overall feel.

One comment that cropped up was that they felt it was going to pack a bit more of a punch, but if it's manageable power, control and spin you're looking for, then you're in luck.

The Force 100's message is 'Force equals Power' and our testers agreed with that sentiment. The 100 is one of seven Force frames manufactured by Dunlop and this one falls in the middle of the scale between control and power. In addition, Dunlop says the engineered surface texture which mimicks shark skin will reduce drag through the air by up to 35%.

Dunlop rackets we've tested over the years have always been a pleasure to take onto court – frames that produce a crisp strike, ample power and great feel. Elliot was a fan of the racket's feel and control, describing hits out of the centre as "lovely". Adam liked its stability and said he'd be up for trying this model during competitive play.

RRP: £184.99 // Head size: 98 sq.in // Unstrung weight: 295g String pattern: 16 x 19 // Balance: 315mm // Beam: 20-23-21mm

 TENNISHEAD.NET

Head Graphene XT Radical MP

Just when you thought HEAD's hi-tec Graphene couldn't get any better, they upgrade to Graphene XT – the world's lightest and strongest material – which in theory gives you a faster swing and more power. From the feedback our testers gave us it was clear this was the most popular frame of the lot. "This had very good power with the weight in the right places," enthused Adam, who also waxed lyrical about the control the frame offered and his "effortless" returns of serve when he was swinging this stick. His hitting partner Howard found great spin-generation and felt more pop on his serve. At just under £185, one of the more expensive rackets on show, but judging by its performance, money well spent.

RACKET REVIEWS

BEST OVERALL

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lastword

Jelena Jankovic The former world No.1 and 2007 Wimbledon Mixed Doubles Champion says she loves playing at the All England Club

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In 2007 Jamie Murray asked me to play mixed doubles with him. I told him I wasn’t a good doubles player – and I still don’t consider myself a good doubles player – but he said: 'It's OK, all you have to do is return. Do what you do best and I’ll do the rest.'

We made a really good team. We had a lot of fun and played well and beat a lot of good doubles teams and we won the Championships, which was quite magical. We got dressed up afterwards and went to the Champions' Dinner. We had a lot of fun and recently he was No.1 in the world so I am not good enough for him! I think he can find a better partner but it would be nice to play with him again.

I am really happy for Jamie. I saw him in Madrid after he became world No.1 and congratulated him. It’s a dream for every player and I’m very happy for him that he was able to achieve it. He has come a long way. He has worked so hard and he and his team have done a great job.

I used to think I could not play on grass but I’ve beaten Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova on the grass and last year I beat Petra Kvitova who is a two-time Wimbledon champion. If I can beat those girls on grass it means I can play on grass.

If I am in good shape, playing well and if I believe in myself I think I can beat anyone on any surface. You just need a little bit of luck as well.”

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last word

© Ray Giubilo

y earliest memory of Wimbledon was as a child, watching on TV with my dad, cheering for Monica Seles. That was before I even started playing tennis.

I loved watching them play on grass.

My first visit to Wimbledon was in 2001 when I played juniors. It was so different playing on grass. I liked how the ball skidded off the grass and stayed low. It was similar to playing on carpet but it has its own charm. I loved it.

I love coming back to Wimbledon every year. I love wearing the white clothes, playing on grass, eating strawberries and cream. It’s unlike any other tournament that we have on tour.

I remember playing Anastasia Myskina in 2005. I lost 10-8 in the third set. I thought I was going to win that match – I was leading 5-1 in the third. We were both fighting so hard but unfortunately it didn’t go my way. It was an amazing match – and a very long match.

The following year I beat defending champion Venus Williams in the third round. That was one of the best matches I ever played on grass. Beating Venus was such an unbelievable win for me at the time. I was 21 and didn’t have much experience playing on grass. Venus is a great champion and it was a big moment in my career. The crowd on No.2 Court was so loud cheering for both of us – it was an amazing atmosphere.

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