Tennishead Volume 4 Issue 6

TUITION: PLAY LIKE THE PROS

TENNIS TOURIST RIO DE JANEIRO

Caroline Garcia’s serve Milos Raonic’s forehand

The newest event on the tour

‘PEOPLE THINK I’M A SHOE’

Stan Smith’s iconic tennis footwear

WIN!

SEVENTY-SEVEN ANDY MURRAY’S NEW BOOK

WWW.TENNISHEAD.NET | JANUARY 2014

THE WORLD’ S B EST TENNIS M AGA ZINE

VAMOS! RAFA’S PLACE IN HISTORY EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

EUGENIE BOUCHARD WTA Newcomer of the Year

CANADIAN TENNIS The secret behind the success

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 6 JAN 2014 £4.50

How tennis can change lives

WOW, WHAT A YEAR!

TENNIS SCOUTS What do they look for?

BUILDING BRIDGES

Honouring the achievements of 2013

CARDIO TENNIS

Pumping it up

END OF YEAR RANKINGS 2014 ATP AND WTA CALENDARS COMPREHENSIVE RESULTS

PLUS: AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2014 • PATRICK MOURATOGLOU • KRISTINA MLADENOVIC

WIN!

CONTENTS

ANDY MURRAY'S BOOK PAGE 15

18 GALLERY 20 The greatest moments of 2013

BIG READ 8 13 15 18 32 40 48 52 114

Australian Open Preview Eugenie Bouchard. WTA Newcomer of the Year Andy Murray’s new book ‘Seventy Seven’ Kristina Mladenovic, France’s new talent Rafael Nadal writing history in 2013 Canadian Tennis: The secret of success Tennishead Awards: light-hearted roll of honour An ITF Junior Tennis event that built bridges Mark Edmondson, 1976 Australian Open champ

14

ACADEMY 60 62 64 69 74 77

Get a forehand like Milos Raonic Why Caroline Garcia’s serve is so effective Off-season with Mouratoglou Academy players How Neuro Linguistic Programming can help you Your questions answered by our experts How to improve your footwork

GEAR 79 80 82 85 86

Pure Strike, from Babolat, Tsonga’s racket of choice Tecnifibre's newest T-Flash Use your strings to create more spin Filip Peliwo gets technical The classic Stan Smith shoe

48

TRAVEL 90 Rio de Janeiro, the latest stop on tour

ATP AND WTA RESULTS & RANKINGS 94 96 98 100 102 104 106 108 110 113 115

ATP and WTA round-up Davis Cup, Tokyo, Beijing China Open, Shanghai Rolex Masters Basel, Osaka, Stockholm, Moscow, Vienna Paris Masters, Davis Cup Final WTA Championships, Istanbul ATP World Tour Finals, London Year-end WTA and ATP Rankings Doubles Round-up and Rankings Women’s Calendar 2014 Men’s Calendar 2014

86

RESULTS AND RANKINGS

93

WIN 15 Andy Murray Book ‘Seventy Seven’ 84 Babolat Pure Strike racket 4 W W W.T E N N I S H E A D. N E T

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

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 6

32 WIN!

BABOLAT PURE STRIKE RACKET PAGE 84

40

64 52

13 80 W W W.T E N N I S H E A D. N E T 5

HAWKEYE THE WEIRD AND WONDERFUL WORLD OF STATS

THENUMBERS Game % OF BREAK POINTS WON BY DAVYDENKO – AN ATP BEST IN 2013

NUMBER OF OVER-30S TO WIN ATP TITLE IN 2013

25 1 8 16 480

76.2%

GRAF

7 MARTINA

NAVRATILOVA

5 CHRIS

EVERT

72.7%

ANDY MURRAY

8 STEFFI

ACES SERVED BY SERENA IN 2013

DMITRY TURSUNOV

RAFAEL NADAL

MOST YEARS AS SEASON-ENDING WORLD NO. 1

ATP’S TIEBREAK KINGS IN 2013 DMITRY TURSUNOV

1986

29

MONTHS SINCE ROBIN SODERLING LAST PLAYED A MATCH ON THE ATP TOUR

ROBERTO BAUTISTA AGUT

LAST TIME A WTA PLAYER WENT FROM 0 TO 6 TITLES IN A SEASON

72.0%

69.6%

68.8%

RANKING OF CANADIAN WORLD NO.32 EUGENIE BOUCHARD AT THE START OF 2013 NO. OF DOUBLES PARTNERS FOR JAMIE MURRAY SINCE 2011

26

$14,570,935

4

LINDSAY DAVENPORT

LAST TIME FEDERER FINISHED A SEASON OUTSIDE TOP 5

2002 10 W W W.T E N N I S H E A D. N E T

48

ROBERTO BAUTISTA AGUT

67.9%

JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO

NUMBER OF TEENAGERS IN WTA YEAR-END TOP 100

JOHN ISNER

MATCHES PLAYED

BY SHARAPOVA SINCE WIMBLEDON

NOVAK DJOKOVIC

NUMBER OF 3-SET WINS BY KVITOVA IN 2013

63.6%

144

PRIZE MONEY WON BY RAFAEL NADAL IN 2013

MOST YEARS AS SEASON-ENDING WORLD NO. 1 PETE SAMPRAS

95.1

JIMMY CONNORS

5

ROGER FEDERER JOHN MCENROE

% OF MATCHES WON BY SERENA WILLIAMS IN 2013

6

IVAN LENDL

5 4 4

PETE SAMPRAS *Since 1969

Stats from WTA and ATP

Tiebreak!

LOCKER ROOM

SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW TENNIS...?

EUGENIE BOUCHARD

1

Which new coach helped Grigor Dimitrov to win his first ATP title in Stockholm in October?

n do the “I got to be a reporter and the lly cool!” rea s wa ich wh g, thin weather girl

2

Eugenie Bouchard became the first Canadian to win a Grand Slam singles title when she lifted the girls’ trophy at Wimbledon in 2012. Having been ranked No.144 at the start of 2013, Bouchard has made steady progress up the listings and reached her first WTA final in Osaka in October. After ending the season ranked No.32, she was named the WTA Newcomer of the Year for 2013.

You have a sister. What does she do?

Does she play tennis?

No, she’s a normal teenager! She has just started college.

You’re good friends with Laura Robson. Do you think it’s important to have friends on tour?

I think it's important to have a few but not that many because at the end of the day this is our career, this is our job and we have to compete against each other. It’s certainly tough when you have to go and compete against your friend so I try not to have too many.

Is winning junior Wimbledon still the highlight of your career so far or do you feel in the last year you’ve moved on and that is behind you now?

It will always be something special for me and for the rest of my life I will have that [trophy]. Looking back, it gave me a lot of confidence and helped me transition to the pros so I would still say it is the most special thing that has happened in my career. I feel I have made good progress this year, I have been consistently getting better.

What do you think you need to work on over the next few months?

I feel like I am close to the top level so I just need to work really hard on my fitness right now so I can be prepared to play three sets against high-quality opponents and still have a good level of play throughout the match.

What do you think is the biggest change when you move up from juniors?

I think the physical part along with the mental part is the toughest. I think I have improved a lot with the mental side this year but I need to work on the physical part as well.

Are you now big news in Canada? How do you compare with other female Canadian athletes?

Apparently! There aren’t too many female Canadian athletes so I’m kind of in a category on my own.

People know who I am a little bit more now, which is part of the job.

How well do you know Canadian No.1 Milos Raonic?

We’re friends. We’re going to play the 2014 Hopman Cup so that will be fun.

On Twitter you always share what you’ve been up to, including presenting the weather on Tennis Channel. Is there anything you would really like to do?

For sure, there’s always cool stuff to do. The Tennis Channel was really fun. I got to be a reporter and then do the weather girl thing, which was really cool. You always see it on TV and wonder how it works in real life.

You’re always welcome to come and be a reporter for tennishead! What do you do to unwind when you’re not playing tennis?

There’s not much spare time but when I’m home I like to hang out with my siblings. I have a twin sister, a younger sister and a younger brother so we’re a really big family and I love spending as much time with them as I can. Sometimes they come to my tournaments but not that often; obviously they are in school and have their own lives. Other than that just being a normal teenager, going to the mall, going to the movies, stuff like that.

Have you finished your studies?

I finished high school so that’s all on pause for now while I play tennis. I can always go back to university afterwards. ■

Which former British No.1 recently announced her retirement from professional tennis?

3

Which Italian won the ATP Challenger Tour Finals event at the end of the 2013 season?

4

An American pro is rumoured to be considering a switch to pro golf in 2014.

Who is he?

5

Who has written to his national federation saying unhappiness over its past behaviour means he won’t be playing his nation’s Davis Cup World Group first round tie in 2014?

6

Which two tournaments are to be promoted from ATP 250 to ATP 500 status from 2015?

1. Roger Rasheed; 2. Elena Baltacha; 3. Filippo Volandri; 4. Mardy Fish; 5. Juan Martin Del Potro; 6. Queen’s and Halle

EUGENIE BOUCHARD

W W W.T E N N I S H E A D. N E T 13

NEWS

QUIZ

magic moments

Photographs capture moments that pass in an instant and make them last for ever. Tennishead photographers Mike Frey, Ray Giubilo and Juergen Hasenkopf share their favourite images and memories of 2013

Subject: Andy Murray wins Wimbledon Venue: All England Club, London SW19 Photographer: Mike Frey

Âť I took this shot as Andy walked back across the court after he had climbed up to his box to celebrate with his team and family. It looked like the reality suddenly kicked in and tears and emotion started to pour out. I wanted to make Andy really stand out from the crowd, so I increased the contrast during the edit to give the image real impact. It was an incredible day and so important for tennis in the UK. I remember the pride I felt when Andy won his Olympic gold in 2012, but this was even more special as a Brit had finally won Wimbledon after more than 70 years.

Photo shot on Canon 1DX with a 70 – 200 F2.8.

Shot at 1/1600 at F5.6 at 70 mm.

RAFAEL NADAL

WORDS: PAUL NEWMAN Paul Newman is Tennis Correspondent of The Independent and The Independent on Sunday

The debate about who is the greatest tennis player of all time has been fuelled

by Rafael Nadal’s astonishing year.

Paul Newman considers the Spaniard’s position in the roll of honour

WRITING TENNIS HISTORY 3 2 W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET

W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET 33

MILOS RAONIC

4 0 W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET

“When one player starts to have success then other players start to believe in themselves more. Then you start to work harder�

MILOS RAONIC

O canada!

With Canadian players rising up the rankings and Canadian administrators holding key positions, Paul Newman finds out why the country is producing so much talent

W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET 41

Building

52 W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. n e t

Bridges europe

asia

africa

Sport can be a force forjohannesburg good, building bridges between peoples and nations.

At the ITF West Asia 13 and Under Development Championships young tennis players from countries torn apart by war and with vastly different politics WORDS: PAUL NEWMAN teamed up on the same tennis court

W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. n e t 53

ACADEMY

Caroline Garcia

Serve

Caroline Garcia’s serve makes her one of the game’s hottest prospects.

Rob Castorri focuses on the Frenchwoman’s exemplary technique

1

Garcia starts her movement with both hands at the same height. Her weight is evenly distributed, with her feet in a platform stance. She’s already focused on where her left hand will place the ball.

pronation

2

With the ball released, notice how her right arm is trailing her left. Also, her racket at this stage of the execution is still at around waist height. This is typical of someone who has a relatively high ball placement.

3

Garcia’s shoulders are rotated, her racket is cocked and knees are bent. Her right foot has been pulled up next to the left for a pinpoint stance. The reason for her high toss is to allow her to get into this loaded position.

adding spin and power

Pronation is mentioned briefly in caption 5 of the sequence of photos above and is one of the most important elements of any player's service motion. Pronating – or rotating – the wrist allows a player to accelerate 62 W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET

the racket head through the ball on impact. Rotational energy is transferred into the ball which, if your technique is correct, translates into increased power and spin.

player profile

caroline garcia

The 20-year-old Frenchwoman made her first big impact at the 2011 French Open when she opened up a set and 4-1 lead on Maria Sharapova only to go down fighting in three sets. That performance prompted Andy Murray to describe the young Lyon resident as a future world No.1. Since

then she has been making steady progress. She began 2013 ranked No.154 and ended the season at No.74 after peaking at No.70 in September. The highlight of her 2013 season came in May when she picked up the first ITF $100,000 title of her career at Cagnes-sur-Mer.

GOLDEN RULE

Serving styles should fit a player’s comfort level. Regardless of whether or not you set your feet as a platform, you must learn to load and unload your torso, shoulders and legs as well as learning to pronate. That will help you serve like the pros.

4

Garcia has uncoiled, exploding off the ground towards the ball. Notice the nearly straight line created from her right shoulder to her left shoulder, allowing her maximum reach and height. She’s focused on the ball through impact.

hang time

5

Pronation, a major source of power when serving, is what we see here with her racket face rotated about 180 degrees from the previous photo. She continues to go even higher in the air with her body.

6

Service motion complete, Garcia is about to prepare for her next shot, even before her feet have completely settled. This is very important if you are someone who doesn’t hit a lot of aces or service winners.

go after the ball

Images 4 and 5 illustrate how the professionals achieve a consistently good contact point on first and second serves. Any coach will tell you how important it is to try to make contact with the ball as

high as you possibly can with a full arm extension. By using her legs (image 3) to drive her up and off the ground, Garcia achieves great height when she makes contact with the ball.

W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET 63

academy

frame by frame

ACADEMY

6 4 W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET

aCadeMY

Mouratoglou acadeMy

SHAPE UP winter training builds strength for the challenges ahead. patrick mouratoglou explains how the bitter cold of the alps and the heat of the indian ocean help players from his academy prepare for the new season

“the season is long and demanding and there is no suBstitute For starting it in the Best possiBle shape”

the sKi ResORt OF Val d’Isere in the French Alps and the beautiful Indian Ocean island of Mauritius are worlds apart, but they have one thing in common. Both play a big part in the development of tennis champions. Players from my academy have done their winter training at those two places for several years now.

As a general rule the players’ pre-season training lasts between five and six weeks. Making it any longer can be counter-productive. If you are practising and training for too long, it’s inevitable that your motivation drops towards the end.

If that happens, the quality of your practice can dip too – and you don’t want that to happen just before you start competing again. Our programme usually breaks down into a first week at the academy in Paris, a week to 10 days at Val d’Isere and three weeks in Mauritius.

When my players go on holiday at the end of the season I encourage them to let go and relax – within certain limits of course. After a hard and stressful year I think that’s really important: it’s almost a case of it being professional to be unprofessional when you go on your holiday. However, I always recommend that the players start doing some physical work in the last 10 days or so, particularly if they take a long break. Even so, it’s W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. n e t 65

ACADEMY

laura robson how raw talent and the right guidance pays off

“players have to understand it’s a long way to get where they want to be in professional tennis. they have to be prepared to take some hits” 7 2 W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET

→ I first met Laura Robson at a junior preparation camp prior to the Eddie Herr International Junior Championships at IMG Academy in Florida a few years back. She was 11 or 12 at the time.

Even then she had incredible timing and was already a fantastic striker of the ball. Whenever the ball was in her hitting zone she was ready to demolish the thing.

You could see she was an exceptional player even at that young age.

She obviously burst on to the scene in 2008, winning junior Wimbledon at the age of 14. Even at that age people were comparing her to Martina Hingis.

I saw all of Laura’s matches and she played some incredible tennis. She surprised some players and was really playing above herself.

If you are a champion you shouldn’t be scared to win a junior Grand Slam but it does add a little bit of pressure.

I have worked with her as part of the adidas Player Development Program and we helped guide Laura and her family in the right direction. It is about protecting her from the media – the pressure is so high – and it is important that she is well supported. She has a good team around her and her mother and father have been helping her through her entire career.

The past couple of years she has had some really good results at the Grand Slams. She has beaten some extraordinary players on the big stage.

She has beaten players like Li Na, Kim Clijsters and Petra Kvitova.

I believe she is on the right path and I am looking forward to seeing her win many Slams over the next six or seven years.

Mats Merkel

academy

biography Mats Merkel has worked with the likes of Andy Murray, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Caroline Wozniacki as part of the adidas Player Development Program. Here he offers a regular insight into life on tour

Scouting report

Mats Merkel gives the lowdown on what he looks for in a talented junior and why it's important for a player to assemble the right team The pros might enjoy a well-earned holiday after a long, hard season but there’s no rest for me as I fly to the United States in early December for two big international junior events.

I’ll spend five days or so at the Eddie Herr International Junior Championships and another five or six days at the Junior Orange Bowl in Florida as part of my scouting role with adidas.

I really enjoy this part of my job – it is particularly interesting to see the under-12s and under-14s because they are still so young. When you see an 11-year-old play and then they come back a year later you can see real progress. You can see how hard they have worked and how they have improved physically, mentally, technically and tactically.

I always like to go and watch the juniors play with no prejudice, so initially I won’t know their name or where they are from. Sometimes I just pass by the court and at other times I watch the whole match. As the tournament continues and faces become familiar then I begin to look for habits: what they do particularly well, whether they have any weaknesses, or how they hold up if they have to play three sets. I also look at technique, footwork and how they move around the court.

Their on-court behaviour is important too – how they carry themselves even if they are down in a match and how they act when they lose two or three points in a row.

Do they get angry and break a racket or do they keep their composure and stay calm and focused? Then you are looking for something you cannot really measure – that hunger to win.

Often I’ll just take notes, but sometimes I will take videos on my iPad and take high-resolution pictures on

my camera – this is particularly helpful if I have to write a scouting report. These events are a great chance to see the Grand Slam champions of the future.

The likes of Steffi Graf, Jimmy Connors, Justine Henin, Andy Murray and more recently Laura Robson have won titles at these events.

But success at junior level is not a passport into professional tennis and making the transition is probably the hardest thing you have to do as a player.

You might have been Top 10 in the ITF rankings or won a junior Slam, but then all of a sudden you are 18, you have to play Futures and Challenger events, and you can’t go back and play on the junior tour and maybe lift your confidence by winning a few matches.

You are out of your comfort zone, people are beating you left, right and centre because there are stronger opponents who have more experience than you. The level of tennis on the pro tour is much more physical than on the junior tour and therefore that transition phase becomes really crucial.

It is really important that a player has a good team around them with the knowledge and experience to guide them. It’s about starting from the bottom and building up. These juniors might disappear off the radar for a couple of years playing lower-level events. They have to understand it is a long way to get where they want to be and they have to be ready to take some hits.

There is going to be a period where you don’t have the success you had as a junior but hopefully if you invest in the right people then you are creating the best chance to maximise your potential and hopefully become a great tennis player. n W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET 7 3

gear

“It’s not just about the racket, it’s about buying into the string technology” Duncan Callan, ERSA master racket technician

SPIN IS IN

Log on...

To read our full interview with Prince’s Duncan Callan, go to

tennishead.net/gear

From the arrival of open string pattern rackets to the rise of polyesters and the switch to smaller grips, the message is clear – topspin tennis is here to stay Words: Michael Beattie

Dense string patterns?

So last year. Your handle could do with being slimmer too – and whoever thought polyester would be in vogue? Well it is, if you’re a dedicated follower of tennis. Spin is the buzzword – and two of the biggest names in tennis have joined the revs-per-minute revolution.

Babolat, the choice of topspin wizard Rafael Nadal, has been the market leader in spin-friendly sticks for the past decade.

The French brand’s Aero racket frames are engineered to be as aerodynamic as possible to boost racket-head speed, while the release of their octagonal RPM Blast string at the 2010 Australian Open ushered in a new phase in the growing popularity of polyesters among pros and club players alike.

This year, however, a number of manufacturers have also brought spin to the masses. Wilson introduced its Spin Effect Technology with the launch of the Steam 99S and 105S, followed by the Blade 98S and Six.One 95S. Prince, meanwhile, updated their Premier, Warrior and Tour ranges shortly after the US Open, adding Extreme String Pattern technology as an option in their existing EXO3 ranges. The 8 2 W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET

common factor in both Wilson and Prince’s spin rackets: fewer cross strings.

When it comes to generating spin, less is more. Most rackets have between 18 and 20 horizontal cross strings; take a couple away and the vertical mains, the ones responsible for generating spin, become more mobile. More string movement means more spin and more loop in the trajectory of your shots, making the court feel shorter for you and the ball feel heavier for your opponent. Win-win.

“The tremendous effects that we have found through the Extreme String Pattern (ESP) rackets, which have very open patterns – something like 16 strings in the mains, 16 crosses – provide a double-edged effect,” says Duncan Callan, professional racket technician and manager of Prince’s SW19 shop in Wimbledon.

“When you put in a pattern like that on a frame you get terrific string movement across the face of the string bed, and a snap-back effect as well from the string.”

Callan, who has been working with frames for 20 years and has strung rackets for the pros at Wimbledon, believes the new technology is a response to the demand from young players to emulate the

likes of Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, whose attacking games are built around aggressive topspin.

“The game has changed over the years, going from much flatter hitting to spin generation with semi-western grips,” Callan explained. “Players are naturally trying to produce spin with their swing patterns, the strokes they produce and the game they play. As a result, manufacturers have looked at technology that can enhance a spin player’s game.

“You get the likes of Rafael Nadal ripping incredible topspin winners from the baseline because he can generate terrific revolutions on the ball – more so than any other player. The average mortal probably cannot manage that, but the technology can help them to experience that same effect.

“We’ve seen players producing up to 30% more spin with the ESP range. We play-tested them extensively. We’ve had some of our top juniors using them and you could see the flight of the ball change, the increased looping of the drives.”

So why hadn’t anybody tried this before? Because, until recently, most strings simply couldn’t hack it – and those

The spin doctors

Three frames designed to boost your RPM

Here comes the Science bit…

WHAT IS TOPSPIN?

→ As a ball hit with topspin moves through the air the top is moving faster than the bottom, producing lower air pressure below the ball that causes it to drop quickly. It is known as the Magnus effect – and the faster the ball is spinning, the greater the effect.

HOW DO YOU HIT WITH TOPSPIN?

Babolat AeroPro Drive

PriNce Warrior 100 ESP

Wilson Steam 99S

Unstrung weight: 300g String pattern: 16 main x 19 cross Head size: 100sq in Balance: 4 points head-light String with: Babolat RPM Blast RRP: £190

Unstrung weight: 290g String pattern: 14 main x 16 cross Head size: 100sq in Balance: 6 points head-light String with: Prince Tour XC 15L RRP: £160

Unstrung weight: 305g String pattern: 16 main x 15 cross Head size: 99sq in Balance: 3 points head-light String with: Wilson Ripspin 16 RRP: £130

that could, the durable polyesters, had a reputation for being stiff, unresponsive and unable to hold their tension.

“If you’d used a conventional string – something like a gut that was prevalent 20 years ago – they wouldn’t last too long in these rackets,” Callan admits. “They just wouldn’t have the durability to deal with the constant movement. Polyesters proved very popular – there are probably more polyesters being sold now than any other type of string.”

Both manufacturers have released new polyester strings to complement their spin frames. Prince has the triangular crosssectioned (and therefore super-grippy) Tour XS and the Tour XC, billed as a comfortable polyester. Wilson’s new Ripspin polyester string has a low-friction coating to aid movement and snap-back.

Today’s polyesters are not the shoulderfreezing nightmares of the past, but hybriding a polyester in the mains with a softer synthetic gut or polyfilament in the crosses is popular among pros looking for a compromise between feel, durability and spin generation.

“It’s not just about buying the racket, it’s about buying into the string technology as well – it comes as a package,” Callan stresses.

If you’re planning on demo-ing a new spin racket, another word of advice: get one a grip size smaller than usual to bring your wrist into play and add some whip to your drives.

“Players are using smaller grips now,” Callan said. “At one stage in the game it went completely the other way. I remember in the 1980s players were looking for fat, rounded grips, but now it’s completely the opposite.

Players and customers say the racket is more manoeuvrable with a smaller grip and they can ‘shape the head better into the ball’, creating more topspin and even sidespin.”

In all walks of life, the best technological advances provide significant improvement with minimum disruption. The possibility of increasing the amount of topspin you hit by a few hundred revs per minute without having to remodel your playing style certainly fits that bill.

“It’s the combination of string technology and racket technology that produces maximum effects,” Callan says in summary.

“The game is not going to go backwards – it’s only going to go one way. The importance of spin generation, with the modern stroke techniques and the way the players approach the game, will only increase over the coming years.” n

→ If you’ve never heard the phrases “brush up the back of the ball” and “low to high”, you might want to think about getting a new coach. Hitting upward across the flight of the ball with a closed, downwardfacing racket sends it back the way it came with enough topspin to keep it in the court – if you’re doing it right!

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE BALL HITS THE STRINGS?

→ Take a typical topspin drive.

The ball doesn’t meet the racket head-on but at an angle, and as it does the main (longer) strings grab hold of it and are stretched, dragging them along the face of the cross (shorter) strings, which act as guides and stop the main strings from moving too far. As the ball begins to leave, the mains snap back into position, spinning the ball as they do – all of which happens in the split second the ball makes contact with the racket.

W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET 83

gear

strings

travel

in the sPOtliGht

rio De JANeiro

ABout the tourNAMeNt What: Rio Open When: February 15-23 Where: Jockey Club Brasileiro, Rio de Janeiro Prize money: ATP 500 $1,250,000 WTA International $250,000 Capacity of main stadium: 7,000

ABout the CouNtry Average temperature in February: 28ºC Average rainfall in February: 118mm Population: Brazil – 168 million Rio – 6.1 million Tourists in 2012: 5,433,354 Official language: Portuguese Government: Federal republic President: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Currency: Real

9 0 W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. n e t

rio’S CArNiVAl

OF sPOrt

With all eyes on Brazil ahead of the World cup and olympics, rio has the chance to create a sporting legacy WOrds: JO Carter

in FeBrUarY Rio de Janeiro will host the Rio Open, the only combined ATP World Tour 500 and WTA International event in South America. With world No.1 Rafael Nadal already committed to the tournament, organisers are hoping the inaugural Rio Open at the Jockey Club Brasileiro will be a sign of things to come.

“All eyes are on Brazil now and our team is committed to making a successful event,” tournament director Lui Carvalho told tennishead. “After the Confederations Cup we are the next new big event in the country and we must deliver a world-class event to the players, fans, sponsors and media. We not only want to make a good first

impression but also make sure fans keep coming back in the following years.”

It will not be the first time the Jockey Club has hosted a professional tennis event.

Nestled between the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon and the Botanical Gardens in the south of the city, the multi-sport complex used to host the final of the Copa Ericsson (a Challenger Circuit around South America) and, for the past two years, the Peugeot Tennis Cup, an ATP Challenger event.

With the main court seating up to 7,000 spectators and the best clay-court player in tennis history in the competition, Carvalho and his team are excited to offer the Brazilian public a world-class tennis event.

Football is the only sport in the country

While you’re there…

Christ the Redeemer

© Beto Garavello

→ The iconic Christ the Redeemer statue, perched above Rio de Janeiro on the Corcovado mountain, offers breathtaking views of the city, Sugar Loaf Mountain and the Atlantic Ocean.

The monument, a symbol of peace standing almost 40 metres tall, can be accessed by a cog railway.

Copacabana Beach

“We must deliver a world class event to the players, sponsors and media” built for the 2016 Olympic Games. The Olympic venues constructed for the Sydney Games in 2000 and for the Beijing Games in 2008 are both used currently to stage tour events.

The Olympic Tennis Centre in Rio will be Brazil’s first national tennis centre and will be taken over after the Games by the Brazilian Tennis Confederation (CBT).

Of the 10 competition and six training

legend said recently. “I believe we face a watershed for Brazilian tennis. We cannot waste this reward.”

The Rio Open presents the opportunity for the city to showcase its ability to put on a world-class sporting event ahead of the 2014 World Cup and the Olympics in 2016.

However, it is also about the legacy of those events and the vision for the future of Brazilian tennis. n

© Christian Knepper

courts that will be built for the 2016 Games, the 10,000-seater main stadium and seven additional courts will remain after the event.

“We plan on working very closely with Rio 2016 and the CBT to use the tennis centre in the future,” Carvalho says. “It makes sense for us to play the Rio Open, South America’s biggest event, in such an iconic venue.”

Kuerten, who was champion at Roland Garros on three occasions, echoes Carvalho’s thoughts. “It’s very important to find out how the space will be used once the Olympic Games is over,” the clay-court

Sugar Loaf Mountain → Towering over Botafogo beach at the mouth of Guanabara Bay, Sugar Loaf Mountain is one of the iconic landmarks of Rio de Janeiro. With 360º views the cable car is worth the trip alone, but the more adventurous can take advantage of more than 60 climbing trails to reach the summit.

© t Visit Brasil

which occupies more hours on television than tennis.

“I would say tennis gained huge popularity when Gustavo Kuerten won the French Open back in 1997,” Carvalho said. “There are still a large number of fans who remain loyal to the sport and still follow it closely.

“Nadal’s announcement made a lot of noise across the country. Obviously when you bring the world No.1 and a global star such as Nadal it attracts a lot of attention from media and fans.”

In the longer term the plan is to stage the tournament at the venue which is being

→ One of the most famous beaches in the world, Copacabana Beach is an ideal way to sample Brazilian culture.

With white sand stretching for miles along the Atlantic coastline, this lively beach is ideal for sunbathing, sampling the local cuisine along the promenade or just people-watching.

W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET 9 1

travel

Rio de Janeiro

results

Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, london

RAFael Nadal

6-3 6-2

david ferrer

3-6 2-6

tomas berdych

4-6 6-1 3-6

6-4 6-4

stanislas wawrinka

6-7(5) 6-7(6)

6-7(3) 6-4 6-1

NADAL SINKS OLD RIVAL FEDERER Sets won/lost

Matches won/lost

stanislas wawrinka

TOMAS BERDYCH

semi-finals

david ferrer

Group A

rafael nadal

Round robin results

6-4 1-6 6-3

7-6(5) 7-6(6)

3-0

6-1

4-6 4-6

7-6(3) 4-6 1-6

0-3

1-6

3-6 7-6(0) 3-6

1-2

4-4

2-1

4-4

6-3 6-7(0) 6-3

RAFAEL NADAL bt ROGER FEDERER 7-5 6-3

rafael nadal defeated Roger Federer on an indoor court for the first time in his career to reach the final of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals for a second time.

The world No.1 clinched a 7-5 6-3 victory against the six-time champion to take his head-to-head record against the Swiss to 22 wins from 32 meetings.

Nadal, who lost to Federer in the final at the O2 in 2010, was too consistent for

the world No.6, who was left to rue a high error count. Federer made 32 unforced errors and hit just 17 winners.

“I just struggled to stay consistent enough throughout the match,” Federer admitted. “And that’s why he deserved to win. He was better today.”

Nadal said: “The most important thing for me is being able to win four matches against top-eight players on my toughest surface."

david ferrer

3-6 6-3 3-6

roger Federer

4-6 7-6(2) 2-6

4-6 7-6(2) 7-5

richard gasquet

6-7(5) 6-4 3-6

7-6(4) 3-6 5-7

IMAGES © richard washbrooke

juan martin del potro

Matches won/lost

6-4 6-7(2) 6-2

7-6(5) 4-6 6-3

3-0

6-3

6-4 6-7(2) 5-7

6-7(4) 6-3 7-5

1-2

4-5

6-4 6-3

2-1

5-3

0-3

2-6

Sets won/lost

richard gasquet

6-3 3-6 6-3

novak djokovic

roger federer

juan martin del potro

Group B

novak djokovic

rafael nadal

DJOKOVIC TOO SOLID FOR STAN NOVAK DJOKOVIC bt STANISLAS WAWRINKA 6-3 6-3

4-6 3-6

roger federer

10 6 W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET

semi-finals

NOVAK DJOKOVIC remained on course for the defence of his title after getting the better of debutant Stanislas Wawrinka in the semi-finals.

The world No.2 eased to a 6-3 6-3 victory to extend his winning streak to 21 matches and book a sixth meeting with Rafael Nadal in 2013.

Wawrinka, who took Djokovic to five sets at both the Australian Open and US Open this year, grabbed an early break, but Djokovic bounced back to

take the opening set. An early break in the second put the Serb firmly on course for victory as he won an impressive 92% of points on his first serve in the second set.

“I don't think I had enough energy today. Against him, that makes a big difference,” Wawrinka admitted. “I’m disappointed with myself because I had the feeling that I could have done something better, but I really think that today I was not fresh enough.”

RESULTS

final

TEaM croWn

staYs in sPain SemI-fInal: d Marrero & f verdaSco BT i dodiG & M Melo 7-6(10) 7-5 SemI-fInal: B BrYan & M BrYan BT a peYa & B SoareS 4-6 6-4 10-8 fInal: d Marrero & f verdaSco BT B BrYan & M BrYan 7-5 6-7(3) 10-7

“it’s the highest quality of tennis that you have next to the Grand Slams” NOVAK DJOKOVIC

dJoKoVic dEFEnds london TiTlE nOVaK dJOKOVIC bt rafael nadal 6-3 6-4 nOVaK dJOKOVICdefended his Barclays ATP World Tour Finals title in style as he outgunned an out-of-sorts Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-4. It was only the third time since 1986 that the world's top two players had gone head-to-head in the final of the season-ending event.

Djokovic dictated play from the outset to clinch a commanding victory for his third title at the event. The world No.2, who extended his winning streak to 22 matches to claim the $1,923,000 winner’s cheque, hit 19 winners to Nadal's nine as the Spaniard was unable to find a way back into the match after a lacklustre start.

Nadal has won 13 Grand Slams, an Olympic gold medal, the Davis Cup and a record 26 Masters 1000 crowns, but the ATP World Tour Finals is the one major title that still eludes the Spaniard, who finishes the year as world No.1 after a stunning comeback from a knee injury in February.

Playing in his 14th final of the season, Nadal recovered from a break down in the first set to level at 3-3, but Djokovic pulled away once more,

breaking for a 5-3 lead after a scintillating rally.

Nadal struggled on serve as he continued to give away cheap points and soon found himself on the back foot in the second set as Djokovic, whose last defeat came at the hands of the Spaniard in the US Open final, wrapped up victory in an hour and 36 minutes.

Nadal, who ends the year with 75 wins from 82 matches, had won 22 of his 38 previous meetings with Djokovic, but had no answer to the Serb’s baseline dominance . Djokovic won 50% of points on Nadal’s second serve.

“He served well, I didn’t,” admitted Nadal. “On this kind of court, the first shot is very important and he did that much better than me.”

Djokovic said “It’s the highest quality of tennis that you have next to Grand Slams. I am very proud of the way that I managed to recover and perform better and better as the tournament went on. I had tough three-setters against all of the opponents in my group, and then I managed to raise the level of tennis in the semis and finals when it mattered the most.”

rafael nadal may have been forced to settle for second best in London, but David Marrero and Fernando Verdasco gave Spanish fans something to cheer about as they lifted the doubles crown on their debut in the competition.

The Spanish pair snapped a threematch losing streak against Bob and Mike Bryan to claim a 7-5 6-7(3) 10-7 victory at the O2 to ensure the trophy stayed in Spanish hands after Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez won the title last season.

“It was a special victory. No matter if it’s in singles or doubles, this is up there with the Grand Slams as one of the best that you can win,” said Verdasco.

Marrero broke down in tears during the trophy presentation . “David’s grandfather died two years ago today.

This is for him,” Verdasco said.

Meanwhile, the Bryans, three-time champions at the year-end event, were unable to end their remarkable season on a high as they fell at the final hurdle.

The top seeds, who narrowly missed out on a calendar year Grand Slam at the US Open, finished as the world’s top ranked pair for a fifth straight season after winning 11 titles.

Mike Bryan said the Spaniards’ celebrations showed how much they valued the win.“They came up with the goods, especially when it mattered.

They went for broke, hitting those forehands like overheads.”

(l-r) verdaSco and Marrero

“SINGLES OR DOUBLES, THIS IS UP THERE WITH THE GRAND SLAMS” fernando VerdasCo

W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. n e t 107

results

doubles results

world rankings

year-end

wta rankings RANKING

1

PERSONAL

ACHIEVEMENTS

FORM

11-100 RANKINGS

Ended 2013 unbeaten in 18 after victory in Beijing (d. Jankovic) before defending Istanbul title (d.

Li in final). First woman to win 11 titles in a season since Hingis ('97). Prize money for year is 4th highest of all time behind Nadal (2013) & Djokovic (2011, 2012)

11 Simona Halep (ROU) 12 Sloane Stephens (USA) 13 Marion Bartoli (FRA) 14 Roberta Vinci (ITA) 15 Sabine Lisicki (GER) 16 Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 17 Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 18 Samantha Stosur (AUS) 19 Maria Kirilenko (RUS) 20 Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 21 Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 22 Sorana Cirstea (ROU) 23 Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 24 Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 25 Elena Vesnina (RUS) 26 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 27 Alize Cornet (FRA) 28 Jamie Hampton (USA) 29 Lucie Safarova (CZE) 30 Kaia Kanepi (EST) 31 Flavia Pennetta (ITA) 32 Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) 33 Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 34 Mona Barthel (GER) 35 Klara Zakopalova (CZE) 36 Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) 37 Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 38 Madison Keys (USA) 39 Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 40 Urszula Radwanska (POL) 41 Karin Knapp (ITA) 42 Stefanie Voegele (SUI) 43 Peng Shuai (CHN) 44 Andrea Petkovic (GER) 45 Laura Robson (GBR) 46 Elina Svitolina (UKR) 47 Marina Erakovic (NZL) 48 Venus Williams (USA) 49 Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) 50 Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) 51 Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 52 Zhang Shuai (CHN) 53 Zheng Jie (CHN) 54 Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 55 Monica Puig (PUR) 56 Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 57 Alison Riske (USA) 58 Annika Beck (GER) 59 Monica Niculescu (ROU) 60 Ayumi Morita (JPN) 61 Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN) 62 Alexandra Cadantu (ROU) 63 Paula Ormaechea (ARG) 64 Garbine Muguruza (ESP) 65 Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor (ESP) 66 Polona Hercog (SLO) 67 Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 68 Christina McHale (USA) 69 Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) 70 Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) 71 Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP) 72 Lauren Davis (USA) 73 Julia Goerges (GER) 74 Caroline Garcia (FRA) 75 Kurumi Nara (JPN) 76 Jana Cepelova (SVK) 77 Shahar Peer (ISR) 78 Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO) 79 Romina Oprandi (SUI) 80 Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 81 Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) 82 Anna Schmiedlova (SVK) 83 Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP) 84 Johanna Larsson (SWE) 85 Vania King (USA) 86 Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE) 87 Kiki Bertens (NED) 88 Timea Babos (HUN) 89 Julia Glushko (ISR) 90 Misaki Doi (JPN) 91 Olga Govortsova (BLR) 92 Patricia Mayr-Achleitner (AUT) 93 Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) 94 Dinah Pfizenmaier (GER) 95 Donna Vekic (CRO) 96 Camila Giorgi (ITA) 97 Teliana Pereira (BRA) 98 Virginie Razzano (FRA) 99 Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) 100 Yulia Putintseva (KAZ)

Serena WIlliams

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

This year: $12,385,572 Career to date: $54,183,481 Career-high ranking: 1 (08/07/02) Career titles: 57 Last title: WTA Championships, Istanbul, Turkey, October 2013

2

victoria azarenka

belarus Born: 31/07/89 Lives: Monte Carlo, Monaco Height: 6ft Weight: 154 lbs

This year: $6,497,165 Career to date: $23,354,442 Career-high ranking: 1 (30/01/12) Career titles: 17 Last title: Western & Southern Open, WTA Premier, Cincinnati, USA, August 2013

Suffered end-of-season slump, winning only one match after US Open final defeat. Lost openers in Tokyo (l. to Venus Williams) and Beijing (l. to Petkovic). Struggled with a back injury as she laboured through three RR matches in Istanbul to end year 43-9.

3

li na

china Born: 26/02/82 Lives: Wuhan, China Height: 5ft 8in Weight: 143 lbs

This year: $3,982,485 Career to date: $13,299,189 Career-high ranking: 3 (28/10/13) Career titles: 7 Last title: Shenzhen Longgang Gemdale Open, WTA International, Shenzen, China, January 2013

Broke into Top 3 after impressive showing at WTA Championships.

Reached QFs in Beijing (l. to Kvitova) before unbeaten run to final in Istanbul (l. to Williams). SF win over Kvitova secured rise to No.3 to become highest-ranked Asian player in WTA history.

4

maria Sharapova

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

This year: $3,544,222 Career to date: $26,695,845 Career-high ranking: 1 (22/08/05) Career titles: 29 Last title: Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, WTA Premier, Stuttgart, Germany, April 2013

Failed to recover from a right shoulder injury that forced her to skip US Open. Missed rest of the season and pulled out of WTA Championships. Fell to No.4 in rankings after dropping points – having reached Beijing and Istanbul finals in 2012.

5

agnieszka Radwanska

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

This year: $3,118,332 Career to date: $14,170,009 Career-high ranking: 2 (09/07/12) Career titles: 13 Last title: Korea Open, WTA International, Seoul, Korea, September 2013

Won third title of the season in Seoul (d. Pavlyuchenkova in final) before SF showing in Beijing (l. to Williams). Failed to win a set in Istanbul with straight sets defeats to Kvitova, Williams and Kerber but ended the season in top 5 for second straight year.

6

petra kvitova

czech republic Born: 08/03/1990 Lives: Monte Carlo, Monaco Height: 6ft Weight: 154 lbs

This year: $2,853,474 Career to date: $11,899,222 Career-high ranking: 2 (31/10/11) Career titles: 11 Last title: Toray Pan Pacific Open, WTA Premier, Tokyo, Japan, September 2013

Bounced back from US Open to win title in Tokyo (d. Kerber in final). Beat Li in Beijing QFs before falling to Jankovic in SF. Missed Linz and Moscow with back injury but returned to reach Istanbul SF (l. to Li). Ends year in top 10 for third successive season.

7

sara errani

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

This year: $3,073,992 Career to date: $7,853,262 Career-high ranking: 5 (20/05/13) Career titles: 7 Last title: Abierto Mexicano Telcel, WTA International, Acapulco, Mexico, March 2013

Fell in Tokyo opener (l. to Kuznetsova) before 3R defeat to Kvitova in Beijing. Left WTA Championships 1-2 in RR (d.

Jankovic, l. to Azarenka & Li) but ended season on a high with two wins in her singles rubbers as Italy reclaimed Fed Cup crown.

8

jelena jankovic

serbia Born: 28/02/1985 Lives: Dubai, UAE Height: 5ft 9in Weight: 130 lbs

This year: $2,030,349 Career to date: $15,328,075 Career-high ranking: 1 (11/08/08) Career titles: 13 Last title: Copa Claro Colsanitas, WTA International, Bogota, Colombia, February 2013

Followed up shock 3R defeat to Bouchard in Tokyo with run to final in Beijing (l. to Williams).

Playing in WTA Championships for the first time since 2010, she beat Azarenka to reach SFs (l. to Williams) equalling her best result at the year-end event.

9

Angelique Kerber

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

This year: $2,139,358 Career to date: $5,424,537 Career-high ranking: 5 (22/10/12) Career titles: 3 Last title: Generali Ladies Linz, WTA International, Linz, Austria, October 2013

Made a late charge to qualify for Istanbul, reaching final in Tokyo (l. to Kvitova) and winning title in Linz (d. Ivanovic). Beat Radwanska to claim first win at WTA Championships but did not progress to semi-finals after RR defeats to Williams and Kvitova.

10

caroline wozniacki

denmark Born: 11/07/90 Lives: Monte Carlo, Monaco Height: 5ft 10in Weight: 139 lbs

This year: $1,779,418 Career to date: $15,950,515 Career-high ranking: 1 (11/10/2010) Career titles: 21 Last title: BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg, WTA International, Luxembourg, October 2013

Ended the season strongly with SF appearance in Tokyo (l. to Kerber) and victory in Luxembourg to capture her first title of 2013. Travelled to Istanbul but did not play as first alternate. Finished the season in Top 10 for a fifth successive year.

Points: 13,260

Points: 8,046

Points: 6,045

Points: 5,891

Points: 5,875

Points: 4,775

Points: 4,435

Points: 4,170

Points: 3,965

Points: 3,520

down 2

10 8 W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET

RANKINGS

year-end

emirates ATP Rankings RANKING

1

PERSONAL

ACHIEVEMENTS

FORM

11-100 RANKINGS

Secured return to No.1 for first time since June 2011 in Beijing despite losing final to Djokovic.

Reached semi-finals in Shanghai (l. to Del Potro) and Paris (l. to Ferrer). Failed to win ATP World Tour Finals for the first time with defeat to Djokovic in London final.

11 Milos Raonic (CAN) 12 Tommy Haas (GER) 13 Nicolas Almagro (ESP) 14 John Isner (USA) 15 Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) 16 Fabio Fognini (ITA) 17 Kei Nishikori (JPN) 18 Tommy Robredo (ESP) 19 Gilles Simon (FRA) 20 Kevin Anderson (RSA) 21 Jerzy Janowicz (POL) 22 Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 23 Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 24 Ernests Gulbis (LAT) 25 Andreas Seppi (ITA) 26 Benoit Paire (FRA) 27 Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 28 Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 29 Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) 30 Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 31 Gael Monfils (FRA) 32 Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 33 Ivan Dodig (CRO) 34 Jeremy Chardy (FRA) 35 Julien Benneteau (FRA) 36 Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 37 Marin Cilic (CRO) 38 Marcel Granollers (ESP) 39 Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 40 Florian Mayer (GER) 41 Carlos Berlocq (ARG) 42 Juan Monaco (ARG) 43 Robin Haase (NED) 44 Radek Stepanek (CZE) 45 Denis Istomin (UZB) 46 Sam Querrey (USA) 47 Lukas Rosol (CZE) 48 Pablo Andujar (ESP) 49 Joao Sousa (POR) 50 Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 51 Bernard Tomic (AUS) 52 Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) 53 Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) 54 Daniel Brands (GER) 55 Federico Delbonis (ARG) 56 Horacio Zeballos (ARG) 57 Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) 58 Michal Przysiezny (POL) 59 Roberto-Bautista Agut (ESP) 60 Adrian Mannarino (FRA) 61 Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 62 Marinko Matosevic (AUS) 63 Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 64 Albert Montanes (ESP) 65 Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) 66 Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE) 67 Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) 68 Santiago Giraldo (COL) 69 Igor Sijsling (NED) 70 Filippo Volandri (ITA) 71 Lukasz Kubot (POL) 72 Dudi Sela (ISR) 73 Tobias Kamke (GER) 74 Viktor Troicki (SRB) 75 Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP) 76 Victor Hanescu (ROU) 77 Ivo Karlovic (CRO) 78 Benjamin Becker (GER) 79 Matthew Ebden (AUS) 80 Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS) 81 Lukas Lacko (SVK) 82 Albert Ramos (ESP) 83 Kenny De Schepper (FRA) 84 Jiri Vesely (CZE) 85 Julian Reister (GER) 86 Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) 87 Alex Bogomolov Jr (RUS) 88 Aljaz Bedene (SLO) 89 Tim Smyczek (USA) 90 Somdev Devvarman (IND) 91 Alejandro Gonzalez (COL) 92 Michael Russell (USA) 93 Oleksandr Nedovyesov (UKR) 94 Guido Pella (ARG) 95 Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 96 Donald Young (USA) 97 Bradley Klahn (USA) 98 Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) 99 Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) 100 Alejandro Falla (COL)

rafael nadal

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

This year: $14,570,935 Career to date: $64,632,763 Career-high ranking: 1 (18/08/08) Career titles: 60 Last title: US Open, Grand Slam, New York, USA, September 2013

2

novak rafael nadal djokovic

serbia Spain Born: 22/05/87 03/06/86 Lives: Manacor, Monte Carlo, Mallorca, Monaco Spain Height: 6ft 2in Height: 6ft Weight: 1761in lbs Weight: 188 lbs

This year: $12,447,947 $5,714,859 Career to date: $58,134,445 $55,776,687 Career-high ranking: 1 (18/08/08) (04/07/11) Career titles: 41 57 Last title: ATP French World Open, TourGrand Finals, Slam, Paris, France, London, UK, November June 2013 2013

Despite ending Became the firstseason man toon win the same Grand 24-match winning Slam tournament streak was not eight times enough to end when year heas defeated No.1. Won DavidinFerrer titles Beijing, in French Shanghai Open and final to claim Paris before his 12th defending major title. his ATP Suffered World Tourhis Finals first 1R crown. defeat Won inhis a Slamsingles two when he rubbers lost tobut Steve Serbia Darcis on opening lost Davis Cup dayfinal at Wimbledon. to Czechs.

3

david Ferrer

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

This year: $4,868,953 Career to date: $21,918,042 Career-high ranking: 3 (08/07/13) Career titles: 20 Last title: Copa Claro, ATP World Tour 250, Buenos Aires, Argentina, February 2013

After mixed results in Asia, fell in three consecutive indoor finals in Stockholm (l. to Dimitrov), Valencia (l. to Youzhny) and Paris (l. to Djokovic). Decision to play seven tournaments in as many weeks proved costly as he failed to win a RR match in London.

4

andy murray

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

This year: $5,416,221 Career to date: $30,271,843 Career-high ranking: 2 (17/08/09) Career titles: 28 Last title: Wimbledon, Grand Slam, London, UK, July 2013

Won two singles rubbers against Croatia to help Great Britain return to Davis Cup World Group but did not play again after undergoing surgery to fix a chronic back injury in late September. The Wimbledon champion is scheduled to return to action at the start of 2014.

5

juan martin del potro

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

This year: $4,294,039 Career to date: $15,147,389 Career-high ranking: 4 (11/01/10) Career titles: 17 Last title: Swiss Indoors, ATP World Tour 500, Basel, Switzerland, October 2013

Bounced back after US Open with title in Tokyo (d. Raonic in final) and run to final in Shanghai (l. to Djokovic). Won fourth title of 2013 in Basel (d. Federer) but lost twice to Swiss in successive weeks (Paris QFs and London RRs – his final match of 2013).

6

roger federer

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

This year: $3,203,637 Career to date: $79,218,415 Career-high ranking: 1 (02/02/04) Career titles: 77 Last title: Gerry Weber Open, ATP World Tour 250, Halle, Germany, June 2013

Followed up 2R exit in Shanghai (l. to Monfils) with run to Basel final, where he lost to Del Potro in repeat of 2012 final. Reached SFs in Paris (l. to Djokovic) to seal place at ATP World Tour Finals for a 12th time. Won two RR matches to reach SFs (l. to Nadal).

7

tomas berdych

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

This year: $2,977,405 Career to date: $16,105,399 Career-high ranking: 5 (19/08/13) Career titles: 8 Last title: If Stockholm Open, ATP World Tour 250, Stockholm, Sweden, October 2012

Missed out on first title of 2013 with defeat in Bangkok final (l. to Raonic). Retired with back injury in Beijing SF against Nadal to seal Spaniard's return to No.1. Went 1-2 in London before ending year on a high by helping Czech Republic defend Davis Cup title.

8

stanislas wawrinka

switzerland Born: 28/03/85 Lives: St Barthelemy, Switzerland Height: 6ft Weight: 174 lbs

This year: $2,880,925 Career to date: $8,763,121 Career-high ranking: 8 (07/10/13) Career titles: 4 Last title: Portugal Open, ATP World Tour 250, Oeiras, Portugal, May 2013

Reached QFs in Kuala Lumpur (l. to Benneteau) and Shanghai (l. to Nadal) but suffered early defeats in Beijing (l. to Querrey) and Basel (l. to Roger-Vasselin). Beat Ferrer & Berdych in RR matches to reach SFs on debut in London, falling to eventual champion Djokovic.

9

richard gasquet

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

This year: $2,661,899 Career to date: $10,021,913 Career-high ranking: 7 (09/07/07) Career titles: 10 Last title: Kremlin Cup, ATP World Tour 250, Moscow, Russia, October 2013

Reached SFs in Bangkok (l. to Raonic) and Beijing (l. to Djokovic) but fell in Shanghai opener to Pospisil. Won third title of the year in Moscow and made QF in Paris (l. to Nadal). Secured London spot, where he lost all three RR matches.

10

jo-wilfried tsonga

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

This year: $1,753,946 Career to date: $12,430,874 Career-high ranking: 5 (27/02/12) Career titles: 10 Last title: Open 13, ATP World Tour 250, Marseille, France, February 2013

Made his comeback from a knee injury in Metz, where he reached the final (l. to Simon). Fell early in Tokyo (l. to Dodig) but reached SFs in Shanghai (l. to Djokovic). Early exit (l. to Nishikori in 2R) in Paris ended his hopes of qualifying for ATP Finals in London.

Points: 13,030

Points: 12,260 6,860

Points: 5,800

Points: 5,790

Points: 5,255

Points: 4,205

Points: 4,180

Points: 3,730

Points: 3,300

Points: 3,065

W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET 10 9