tennishead Volume 7 Issue 1

april 2016

tennishe ad.net

thE world’ s be s t tennis mag a zine m a d e in B R I TA I N

Ready for a busy year

Andy Murray ‘It’s about being smart’

Back to the Future How technology is changing the game

WIN

a Head Prestige racket

plus Angelique Kerber Margarita Gasparyan Patrick Mouratoglou

Why mindfulness can improve your tennis

Simona Halep

Staying on top

Taylor Fritz

USA rising star

APRIL 2016

£4.99

april 2016

contents

Š Roger Parker

08

20

4

26

40

50

34

12

upfront

features

academy

8 National Pride

26 fathers’ day

49 talk tennis

The men who are juggling a professional tennis career with family life

Your questions answered

50 frame-by-frame

12 big five

34 staying on top

Can new coach Darren Cahill help Simona Halep take the next step?

52 First strike

20 no fear

40 fast track

54 Mindfulness

Who will break the dominance at the top of the men’s game?

Margarita Gasparyan - the Russian teenager with a bright future

Taylor Fritz flying up the rankings after putting in the hard yards

46 ski some day

Why hitting the slopes is a risky business for the professionals

Angelique Kerber’s forehand

Craig O’Shannessy’s analysis

Meditation and tennis

58 In transition

Making the leap from juniors

60 The ultimate player

Patrick Mouratoglou takes his pick

80 my racket

64 Good habits

99 last word

gear

Ivo Karlovic on his HEAD Radical and a grip size that is off the charts

A tribute to the late American tennis writer and commentator Bud Collins

Merkel on physical training for juniors

69 gear news

The innovative new Dynamic Tape

70 ahead of time

A glimpse into the future

Behind the scenes in Melbourne

76 STRINGING for the pros

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84 results and rankings

Australian Open plus ATP & WTA results

contenTs

Why this year’s Davis Cup could be the best yet

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© Twitter/Djokovic

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5

What is the likelihood of a player soon ending the dominance of the “Big Five�?

Words Paul Newman

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

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big five

five

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‘If I lose today, tomorrow I’m home to hug my daughter, which is one of the best things in the world’ Marcos B ag h dat i s

26

Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis is the latest Dad on tour singing the praises of mixing family life with tennis

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f at h e r s ’ d ay

Words Lee Goodall

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© Juergen Hasenkopf

Fathers’ Day 27

Staying on Top Simona Halep has won 11 WTA titles, is a top-five player and has been a Grand Slam finalist. Will the appointment of Darren Cahill as her coach take her to the very top of the game?

Words PAUL NEWMAN

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35

fasttrack

Taylor Fritz has made a stunning start to his career as a professional, but the 18-year-old American knows he will need to keep working hard

Words Bridget Marrison

40

© Ray Giubilo

taylor fritz

H

ere is a quiz question. Who is the odd one out from Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Juan Martin del Potro, Tomas Berdych and Taylor Fritz? Answer: Roger Federer, who is the only player in that list who did not win at least two Challenger titles before his 18th birthday.

Fritz will know as well as anyone that he has a long way to go before he can be mentioned in such company on a more regular basis, but the American teenager is certainly going about things the right way. He has enjoyed a remarkable 12 months since February of last year, when he was ranked No.937 in the world. He was US Open junior champion in September and by the end of the year had won two Challenger tournaments and turned professional.

The 6ft 4in American, who celebrated his 18th birthday in October, worked hard in the close season at the end of last year, focusing on many elements of his game, including his movement and his transitioning, and started 2016 with all guns blazing.

Having begun the year by winning a third Challenger title at Happy Valley in Australia, Fritz stormed through three rounds of qualifying to reach the main draw of the Australian Open. En route he recorded a win over the German veteran Michael Berrer and won a tight three-set match against Mischa Zverev, having dropped the first set.

Fritz said it had been important to him to earn his place in the main draw in Melbourne. “A lot of times when you get a wild card into a tournament you think: ‘Should I really be here?’”

In the first round Fritz faced Jack Sock, five years his senior, who recovered from two sets to one down to beat his fellow American. It was the first five-set match of Fritz’s career.

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tay l o r f r i t z

“A lot of times when you get a wild card into a tournament you think: ‘Should I really be here?’”

41

Framebyframe

Crunch it like Kerber

Germany’s newest Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber used her forehand to devastating effect in Melbourne. David Sammel digs deeper

1

Angelique shows clearly where her power source begins by loading her weight on her left leg. This powerful stance will allow her to drive upwards and transfer her weight forward and onto the right leg.

2

Here, it's evident that the German is defending against a very hard incoming ball. Her body is braced, contact is slightly late and her base has remained low and wide. She is watching the ball well.

Stay low and wide when under attack This sequence of images is a great example of how a player must try not to be pushed backwards by an opponent. Even when under attack, Angelique's commitment to this way of playing is impressive. Her base is low and strong, her head remains still throughout and her shoulders are level without tilting back at any stage of the shot. Crucially, by keeping her knees bent, once she's made contact she can push off the ground with an explosive force in any direction to chase down the next ball.

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3

If she was attacking a ball at this stage of the execution, her bodyweight would be driving upwards. But given this is a defensive forehand, she remains low with her knees bent to control the pace.

academy

Another important element of the kind of forehand Kerber is executing in these images is understanding the correct mindset to go with it. It's all very well having big weapons, but you won't always be in the right position to pull the trigger. When your opponent has you pinned back you must recognise this is the time for tactical discipline. As Kerber is doing here, it's time to stay in the point and not get pushed back even further – but still produce some kind of shot that might allow you to suddently turn defence into attack. If you can learn to wait for the right moment to use your big shots they will be more effective.

The end of the execution and swing shows that her racket head is level with her fully-rotated shoulders. She has total commitment to remaining low and driving her weight into the ball.

6

She starts to rise out of her base and her racket is returning to a neutral position. From here she will be in a good place to take on the next ball, her eyes firmly fixed on the opposite side of the net.

Meet your coach: David Sammel David has more than 25 years' experience, coaching pros to careerhigh rankings, many of whom have represented their countries in Davis Cup and at the Olympics. David, who became an official ATP coach in 2014, regularly contributes to the UK tennis media including BBC Radio 5 Live, The Times newspaper and Sky Sports. In 2014, David released a psychology and coaching book – Locker Room Power – Building an Athlete's Mind. www.lockerroompower.com

frame by frame

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Even in defence, she is able to transfer weight onto her right leg which means she can defend and still create a forehand that allows her the possibility of turning defence into attack.

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51

“We get ahead of time or we live in the past. Both things bring anxiety. A single moment, when you do your best, is what counts”

© SHUTTERSTOCK / PATH DOC

Ana I va n ov i c

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Mindfulness How meditation can help you become a better tennis player

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bring anxiety. A single moment, when you do your best, is what counts. Even in matches we try to rush; it’s very important to breathe and try to stay in that moment and do your best.”

“People have always seen mental strength as a real force, a hard power,” explains Rob Dowling, an LTA licenced tennis coach and mindfulness trainer who spent seven years living as a monk in Thailand and India. “You see athletes that are very steely, but that doesn’t necessarily equate, especially in eastern traditions with awareness. I see mental strength as a much softer approach.

“If you have that relaxation in the mind you are much less likely to tense up because the connection between the mind and the body is very strong.”

This notion is not just a spiritual philosophy; it has been proven by science.

Emotions, whether positive or negative, cause biochemical changes in the body which elicit a physical response, such as causing our heart rate to increase, muscles to contract or sweaty palms.

“Mental toughness is the ability to manage energy, thoughts and emotions to obtain and maintain peak performance in demanding circumstances,” explains Coto. “You need to be energised, committed, confident, focused and present. You can apply this skill on the tennis court or in a room full or corporate executives.”

A qualified tennis coach, Coto attended the University of Maryland on a tennis scholarship before spending 20 years in the corporate world. The Spaniard, who practises mindfulness daily, believes the ability to stay in the present during the heat of the moment is the difference between success and failure.

“In a challenging situation the untrained mind starts thinking about the future: What if I lose? What will my coach say? What will my parents think? When you think about the future you become anxious and your system fires the fight or flight response,” explains Coto, who was speaking at the Mindfulness and Education Conference

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“T

here is always an inner game being played in your mind no matter what outer game you are playing,” writes Tim Gallwey, author of The Inner Game. “How you play this game usually makes the difference between success and failure.”

Gallwey, whose progressive 1974 book was based on Zen thinking, believes the inner game must overcome obstacles such as anxiety and self-doubt. He summarised it in a formula: Performance equals potential minus interference.

“Our role as coaches is to reduce that interference,” says Juan Coto, an executive coach who has worked with Johanna Konta since October 2014 and helped the British No.1 break into the world’s top 30. “At the elite level all players are fantastic athletes so the mental component is the difference between being good and being great.”

The word ‘meditation’ may conjure images far removed from the tennis court, but many professionals are turning to mindfulness and meditation to help them become mentally stronger.

“Mindfulness helps me process pain and emotions,” world No.1 Novak Djokovic explains in his book, Serve to Win. “It lets me focus on what’s really important. It helps me turn down the volume in my brain. Imagine how handy that is for me in the middle of a Grand Slam championship match.

“I used to freeze up whenever I made a mistake… now, when I blow a serve or shank a backhand, I still get those flashes of self-doubt but I know how to handle them: I acknowledge the negative thoughts and let them slide by, focusing on the moment.”

A very simple form of meditation, mindfulness practice encourages you to be aware of your breathing, body and surroundings. Rather than dwelling on past mistakes or worrying about what might happen, mindfulness helps you stay in the moment, and not get distracted by outside interferences.

“Very often we rush ourselves,” explains Ana Ivanovic.

“We get ahead of time or we live in the past. Both things

mindfulness

Words JO CARTER

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when Nadal was at his best he was the ultimate warrior 60

academy

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.

The ultimate tennis player The French guru takes his pick from the world’s best to construct the dream competitor Words Patrick Mouratoglou

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

I

t’s a game that tennis fans around the world love to play. If you could construct the perfect player, whose forehand would you choose? Whose backhand, whose serve, whose volleys?

The editor asked me to play the game for this issue, so here is my verdict on the modern game’s perfect male player.

In assessing the best forehand I find it hard to choose between Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal. On their recent form I might be tempted to choose Roger’s, but when they are both playing at their best I would go for Rafa’s. His “lasso” forehand, with his followthrough going over his head rather than over the shoulder, is unique. I’ve never seen anyone hit a shot like it.

The way Rafa hits his forehand puts heavy topspin on the ball.

That in turn makes the ball bounce really high after it hits the court surface, pushing the opponent out of the court and enabling Rafa to dominate the point.

When he was at his best you always thought that if Rafa could just hit one forehand in a rally he would win the point. Even if the opponent could get the ball back he would be in so much trouble that he would have no chance to recover. Rafa’s inside-out forehand cross-court, when he runs around his backhand and hits the ball wide to his opponent’s forehand, is incredible. He also finds amazing angles. I recently watched again his 2008 Wimbledon final against Roger. The angles of his forehands were insane.

61

Ahead of time Jamie Capel-Davies, head of the ITF’s Science and Technology department strives to ensure tennis keeps evolving without mutating Words michael beattie

W

hat will tennis look like in 20 years’ time? Will we still recognise the sport, or will it have morphed into a hyper-physical shootout or a dogged battle of attrition, today’s tactics rendered obsolete by newfound levels of spin, pace and power generated by tomorrow’s athletes and their new-age rackets?

If the evolution of athletic performance to date is any indicator, future players will be faster and stronger. But the advance of tennis technology will not go unchecked.

By working with manufacturers, testing equipment and an annual analysis of key statistics from the professional game, the International Tennis Federation tracks trends and advances in the sport both on court and off. Their aim: to temper any sudden mutations in the sport’s DNA so that tennis will still look like tennis in 2036, and beyond.

Founded in 1997, the ITF Technical Centre’s mission statement reads: ‘to protect the nature of tennis by actively preserving the skills traditionally required to play the game, and, to encourage innovation and improvements which maintain the challenge of the game and make it more exciting to play and watch’.

“A more succinct version of the mission statement is to ensure the player is the primary determinant of the outcome of a match,” adds Jamie Capel-Davies, the newlypromoted Head of Science and Technical at the ITF. A member of Dr Stuart Miller’s team since 2002, in January he succeeded his former boss, who has been promoted to

Senior Executive Director of the expanded Integrity and Development department.

“Tennis integrity has been in the press quite a lot,” concedes Capel-Davies, whose new role also incorporates anti-doping. “But there’s another sense of the word integrity: as the identity of the sport. For traditionalists, it’s important that there is consistency in that identity – it’s not going to be identical, but it hasn’t undergone some revolutionary transformation.”

One observer’s revolution is another’s evolution.

Debates about the greatest tennis player of all time gravitate to the same conclusion: while players may dominate certain periods, there is no way of knowing how the likes of Roger Federer would have fared in the era of Rod Laver, or vice versa.

The fact that John McEnroe can still mix it with today’s pros at events like December’s Tie-Break Tens at the Royal Albert Hall indicates the game is not as radically different as is sometimes suggested. But it is different. McEnroe is among the most vociferous and vocal of traditionalists, having advocated for a return to low-power, smallerheaded rackets – and, in an ideal world, wooden frames.

Sometimes technological advances enhance the sport’s traditions, such as the introduction of HawkEye to improve the accuracy of line calls. Other times, innovations pose deeper philosophical questions about the impact of progress on the nature of the game, as the

McEnroe is among the most vociferous of traditionalists, having advocated for a return to low-power, smaller-headed rackets – and, in an ideal world, wooden frames 70

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© Ray Giubilo © RAY GIUBILO

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ahead of time

‘They don’t play more than an hour with each set of strings so it’s not likely that they will break’

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gear

Stringing for the Pros Behind the scenes at a Grand Slam, the stringing room is a hive of activity

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stringing

Words Bridget Marrison

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ja nua ry

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auStralian OPEN 2016

GRAND SLAM

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ROUND ONE Novak Djokovic (SRB) (1) 6-3 6-2 6-4 Hyeon Chung (KOR) Quentin Halys (FRA) (WC) 6-4 6-7(4) 6-4 7-5 Ivan Dodig (CRO) Filip Krajinovic (SRB) Denis Kudla (USA) 6-2 6-1 RET Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS) A Seppi (ITA) (28) 3-6 7-6(4) 6-4 7-6(10) Ivo Karlovic (CRO) (22) Federico Delbonis (ARG) 7-6(4) 6-4 2-1 RET Jiri Vesely (CZE) Renzo Olivo (ARG) (Q) 7-6[8] 2-6 1-6 6-4 6-4 Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) 6-4 3-6 6-1 6-4 Inigo Cervantes (ESP) Vasek Pospisil (CAN) Gilles Simon (FRA) (14) 6-7(4) 6-3 6-2 6-4 J Tsonga (FRA) (9) 6-4 4-6 6-4 6-2 Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) Omar Jasika (AUS) (WC) 6-4 3-6 6-0 6-4 Illya Marchenko (UKR) Pablo Andujar (ESP) P Herbert (FRA) (Q) 5-7 6-4 7-6(5) 6-2 Noah Rubin (USA) (WC) 7-6(4) 7-6(6) 7-6(5) Benoit Paire (FRA) (17) G Garcia-Lopez (ESP) (26) 6-4 6-4 6-4 Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) Victor Estrella Burgos (DOM) Daniel Brands (GER) (Q) 6-4 7-6(1) 4-6 6-1 Austin Krajicek (USA) 6-4 6-1 6-3 Di Wu (CHN) (Q) Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) Kei Nishikori (JPN) (7) 6-4 6-3 6-3 Roger Federer (SUI) (3) 6-2 6-1 6-2 Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) Ricardas Berankis (LTU) Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) 6-1 3-6 6-4 6-2 Jozef Kovalik (SVK) (Q) Marco Trungelliti (ARG) (Q) 6-4 7-6(1) 7-5 Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) (27) 6-3 7-6(8) 6-3 D Thiem (AUT) (19) 6-2 7-6(6) 4-6 7-6(0) Leonardo Mayer (ARG) Julien Benneteau (FRA) Nicolas Almagro (ESP) 6-3 6-7(5) 6-3 7-6(1) Kyle Edmund (GBR) Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 1-6 7-6(4) 4-6 6-3 6-1 Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) David Goffin (BEL) (15) 3-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 Marin Cilic (CRO) (12) 6-7(4) 7-5 6-2 6-4 Thiemo de Bakker (NED) Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) 6-2 6-2 6-3 Borna Coric (CRO) Dusan Lajovic (SRB) 6-7(5) 4-6 6-4 6-2 RET Sam Querrey (USA) Martin Klizan (SVK) R Bautista (ESP) (24) 6-2 6-3 4-6 2-6 6-2 Nick Kyrgios (AUS) (29) 6-2 7-5 6-2 Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) (WC) Pablo Cuevas (URU) 7-6(5) 6-1 6-4 Robin Haase (NED) Mirza Basic (BIH) (Q) 7-6(4) 6-4 6-4 Yuki Bhambri (IND) Tomas Berdych (CZE) (6) 7-5 6-1 6-2 Rafael Nadal (ESP) (5) F Verdasco (ESP) 7-6(6) 4-6 3-6 7-6(4) 6-2 Benjamin Becker (GER) Dudi Sela (ISR) 6-1 6-3 2-6 6-2 Ryan Harrison (USA) (Q) Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) 7-5 6-4 6-4 Ernests Gulbis (LAT) J Chardy (FRA) (30) 7-5 2-6 6-7(5) 6-3 13-11 Gael Monfils (FRA) (23) 6-1 6-3 6-2 Yuichi Sugita (JPN) (Q) Marco Cecchinato (ITA) Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 4-6 6-2 6-2 6-2 Stephane Robert (FRA) (Q) 6-2 6-2 6-2 Bjorn Fratangelo (USA) (LL) Rajeev Ram (USA) 7-6(4) 6-7(4) 6-3 3-0 RET Kevin Anderson (RSA) (11) Milos Raonic (CAN) (13) 6-1 6-4 6-4 Lucas Pouille (FRA) Malek Jaziri (TUN) T Robredo (ESP) 7-5 3-6 4-6 7-6(7) 8-6 Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP) Tim Smyczek (USA) (Q) 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-2 Daniel Munoz de la Nava (ESP) V Troicki (SRB) (21) 4-6 4-6 6-1 7-6(4) 6-3 Jack Sock (USA) (25) 6-4 3-6 0-6 6-3 6-4 Taylor Fritz (USA) (Q) Taro Daniel (JPN) Lukas Rosol (CZE) 7-6(2) 7-5 5-7 6-7(5) 6-1 Tatsuma Ito (JPN) (Q) Radek Stepanek (CZE) (Q) 6-4 6-3 6-7(5) 6-2 Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) Stan Wawrinka (SUI) (4) 7-6(2) 6-3 RET David Ferrer (ESP) (8) 6-4 6-4 6-2 Peter Gojowczyk (GER) (Q) James Duckworth (AUS) (WC) Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) (WC) 7-6(5) 6-2 6-4 Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) 6-2 6-3 6-2 Jordan Thompson (AUS) (WC) Aljaz Bedene (GBR) Steve Johnson (USA) (31) 6-3 6-4 7-6(3) Feliciano Lopez (ESP) (18) 6-1 6-0 6-4 Daniel Evans (GBR) (Q) Steve Darcis (BEL) Guido Pella (ARG) 2-6 3-6 6-3 7-5 6-1 Matthew Ebden (AUS) (WC) Marcel Granollers (ESP) 6-2 4-6 6-1 6-4 Jerzy Janowicz (POL) John Isner (USA) (10) 6-3 7-6(7) 6-3 B Tomic (AUS) (16) 6-7(4) 6-4 6-4 6-4 Denis Istomin (UZB) Simone Bolelli (ITA) 7-6(6) 7-6(3) 6-7(2) 7-6(5) Brian Baker (USA) John Millman (AUS) 3-6 5-7 7-6(2) 5-0 RET Diego Schwartzman (ARG) Gilles Muller (LUX) 7-6(6) 7-6(7) 6-7(5) 7-6(1) Fabio Fognini (ITA) (20) Joao Sousa (POR) (32) 6-3 6-4 6-3 Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) Santiago Giraldo (COL) 6-4 1-6 6-3 6-2 Donald Young (USA) Adrian Mannarino (FRA) Sam Groth (AUS) 7-6(6) 6-4 3-6 6-3 Alexander Zverev (GER) Andy Murray (GBR) (2) 6-1 6-2 6-3

australian OPEN ROUND two Novak Djokovic (SRB) (1) 6-1 6-2 7-6(3) Quentin Halys (FRA) (WC) Denis Kudla (USA) Andreas Seppi (ITA) (28) 7-5 6-4 6-4 Federico Delbonis (ARG) 7-6(5) 3-6 6-7(3)7-5 6-2 Renzo Olivo (ARG) (Q) Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) Gilles Simon (FRA) (14) 6-3 5-7 7-6(1) 4-6 7-5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) (9) 7-5 6-1 6-4 Omar Jasika (AUS) (WC) Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA)(Q) 6-3 6-4 6-0 Noah Rubin (USA) (WC) Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) (26) 4-6 6-1 7-6(0) 6-3 Daniel Brands (GER) (Q) Austin Krajicek (USA) Kei Nishikori (JPN) (7) 6-3 7-6(5) 6-3 Roger Federer (SUI) (3) 6-3 7-5 6-1 Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) Marco Trungelliti (ARG) (Q) Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) (27) 6-3 4-6 6-2 7-5 Dominic Thiem (AUT) (19) 6-3 6-1 6-3 Nicolas Almagro (ESP) Damir Dzumhur (BIH) David Goffin (BEL) (15) 6-4 0-6 6-4 6-2 Marin Cilic (CRO) (12) 6-4 6-3 7-6(4) Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) Dusan Lajovic (SRB) Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) (24) 4-6 6-2 4-6 6-2 6-1 Nick Kyrgios (AUS) (29) 6-4 7-5 7-6(2) Pablo Cuevas (URU) Mirza Basic (BIH) (Q) Tomas Berdych (CZE) (6) 6-4 6-0 6-3 Fernando Verdasco (ESP) Dudi Sela (ISR) 4-6 6-3 6-3 7-6(4) Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) 6-4 7-6(5) 7-6(5) Jeremy Chardy (FRA) (30) Gael Monfils (FRA) (23) 7-5 6-4 6-1 Nicolas Mahut (FRA) Stephane Robert (FRA) 6-1 6-7(6) 4-6 7-5 7-5 Rajeev Ram (USA) Milos Raonic (CAN) (13) 7-6(6) 7-6(5) 7-5 Tommy Robredo (ESP) Tim Smyczek (USA) (Q) Viktor Troicki (SRB) (21) 6-4 7-6(5) 7-6(4) Jack Sock (USA) (25) Lukas Rosol (CZE) 7-6(6) 7-6(5) 6-3 Radek Stepanek (CZE) (Q) Stan Wawrinka (SUI) (4) 6-2 6-3 6-4 David Ferrer (ESP) (8) 6-2 6-4 6-4 Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) (WC) Thomaz Belluci (BRA) Steve Johnson (USA) (31) 6-3 6-2 6-2 Feliciano Lopez (ESP) (18) 7-6(2) 6-7(4) 7-6(3) 6-7(8) 6-4 Guido Pella (ARG) Marcel Granollers (ESP) John Isner (USA) (10) 6-3 7-6(6) 7-6(2) Bernard Tomic (AUS) (16) 6-4 6-2 6-7(5) 7-5 Simone Bolelli (ITA) John Millman (AUS) 4-6 6-4 6-2 4-6 7-5 Gilles Muller (LUX) Joao Sousa (POR) (32) 6-3 7-5 3-6 6-1 Santiago Giraldo (COL) Sam Groth (AUS) Andy Murray (GBR) (2) 6-0 6-4 6-1

 january 18-31

ROUND three

ROUND four

quarter-finals

semi-finals

Novak Djokovic (SRB) (1) 6-1 7-5 7-6(6) Andreas Seppi (ITA) (28)

Novak Djokovic (SRB) (1) 6-3 6-7(1) 6-4 4-6 6-3 Gilles Simon (FRA) (14)

Novak Djokovic (SRB) (1) 6-3 6-2 6-4 Kei Nishikori (JPN) (7)

Novak Djokovic (SRB) (1] 6-1 6-2 3-6 6-3 Roger Federer (SUI) (3)

Federico Delbonis (ARG) Gilles Simon (FRA) (14) 6-3 6-2 6-1

Djokovic needed four hours and 32 minutes to find a way past Simon to reach his 27th consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final. “It’s a match to forget for me,” said Djokovic, who hit 100 unforced errors.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) (9) 6-4 7-6(7) 7-6(4) P Herbert (FRA) (Q)

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) (9) Kei Nishikori (JPN) (7) 6-4 6-2 6-4

G Garcia-Lopez (ESP) (26) Kei Nishikori (JPN) (7) 7-5 2-6 6-3 6-4

Nishikori reached his third Australian Open quarter-final with a straight-sets win over 2008 finalist Tsonga. “I think today was very good tactics for me,” said the No.7 seed. “I played very patient tennis.”

Nishikori had upset Djokovic at the 2014 US Open but failed to push the world No.1 in Melbourne, winning just nine games as he appeared to struggle with a leg injury.

The Serb broke Nishikori six times as he swept to victory in two hours and seven minutes. Nishikori twice led by a break in the third set but was unable to maintain his advantage. “I was solid, determined, focused,” said Djokovic. “In the important moments I managed to stay composed and make him play an extra shot.”

Roger Federer (SUI) (3) 6-4 3-6 6-1 6-4 Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) (27)

Roger Federer (SUI) (3) 6-2 6-1 6-4 David Goffin (BEL) (15)

Roger Federer (SUI) (3) 7-6(4) 6-2 6-4 Tomas Berdych (CZE) (6)

Dominic Thiem (AUT) (19) David Goffin (BEL) (15) 6-1 3-6 7-6(2) 7-5

Federer dropped just five points on serve in the opening two sets as he eased past Goffin in three. “It was important to keep the momentum going and stay aggressive,” said the Swiss.

Marin Cilic (CRO) (12) R Bautista Agut (ESP) (24) 6-4 7-6(5) 7-5

R Bautista Agut (ESP) (24) Tomas Berdych (CZE) (6) 4-6 6-4 6-3 1-6 6-3

Nick Kyrgios (AUS) (29) Tomas Berdych (CZE) (6) 6-3 6-4 1-6 6-4

Berdych needed five sets to find a way past Spaniard Bautista Agut. “It was a tough fight,” said Berdych, who hit 66 winners during the 3hr 18m contest. “I’m pleased with the way I handled the match.”

Berdych had beaten Federer in their most recent Grand Slam meeting – at the 2012 US Open – but Federer soon took control of the match after winning the opening set on a tiebreak. The Swiss broke twice in the second set and despite going down a break in the third, quickly recovered to reach a 12th Australian Open semi-final in 13 years. “I’m very, very happy,” said Federer.

“Tomas has caused me a lot of problems over the years.”

“He was just too good today,” conceded Berdych.”

Djokovic claimed his 23rd career win against Federer in four sets as he reached a 17th consecutive final. The Serb was at his dominant best as he stormed through the first two sets in 54 minutes. Federer clawed himself back into the match after winning the third set, but Djokovic was too clinical as he wrapped up victory in two hours and 19 minutes.

“I came out with a great deal of self-belief and confidence and intensity,” said Djokovic. “I played flawless tennis for the first two sets, no doubt about it.”

“I've never seen Novak play this well before,” said Federer. “I’m disappointed it didn’t go better.”

Dudi Sela (ISR) Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) 7-5 3-6 6-1 7-6(4)

Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) Gael Monfils (FRA) (23) 7-5 3-6 6-3 7-6(4)

Gael Monfils (FRA) (23) Milos Raonic (CAN) (13) 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4

Milos Raonic (CAN) (13) Andy Murray (GBR) (2) 4-6 7-5 6-7(4) 6-4 6-2

Gael Monfils (FRA) (23) 7-5 6-3 6-2 Stephane Robert (FRA)

Monfils reached his seventh Grand Slam quarter-final - but his first in Melbourne – with victory over Kuznetsov.

“I focused on my serve and I needed it because he was striking the ball well,” he said.

Milos Raonic (CAN) (13) 6-2 6-3 6-4 Viktor Troicki (SRB) (21)

Milos Raonic (CAN) (13) 6-4 6-3 5-7 4-6 6-3 Stan Wawrinka (SUI) (4)

Lukas Rosol (CZE) Stan Wawrinka (SUI) (4) 6-2 6-3 7-6(3)

Raonic became the first Canadian to reach all four Grand Slam quarter-finals with victory over the 2014 champion. Raonic hit 24 aces and 82 winners as he held off a Wawrinka comeback.

Raonic became the first Canadian to reach the semi-finals in Melbourne with victory over Monfils.

The 6ft 5in right-hander was out-aced by Monfils, 14 to 10, but won 84% of points on his first serve and won 31 points at the net. “I felt good,” said Raonic, who upset 2014 champion Wawrinka in the fourth round. “I took care of the things I need to take care of.

I was dictating most of the time. I have to be happy with the way I backed up the performance [against Stan].

David Ferrer (ESP) (8) 6-1 6-4 6-4 Steve Johnson (USA) (31)

David Ferrer (ESP) (8) 6-4 6-4 7-5 John Isner (USA) (10)

David Ferrer (ESP) (8) Andy Murray (GBR) (2) 6-3 6-7(5) 6-2 6-3

Feliciano Lopez (ESP) (18) John Isner (USA) (10) 6-7(8) 7-6(5) 6-2 6-4

Isner had not faced a break point in his first three matches but the big-serving American struggled against Ferrer, who reached the quarter-finals in Melbourne for a sixth time with a straight sets victory.

Bernard Tomic (AUS) (16) 6-4 7-6(4) 6-2 John Millman (AUS)

Bernard Tomic (AUS) (16) Andy Murray (GBR) (2) 6-4 6-4 7-6(4)

Joao Sousa (POR) (32) Andy Murray (GBR) (2) 6-2 3-6 6-2 6-2

Murray was not at his best, but too consistent for Tomic as he booked his place in the quarter-finals with a straight sets win. “It was a tricky match,” said Murray who dropped his serve four times.

Murray reached the last four in Melbourne for a sixth time in seven years with victory against Ferrer. The Scot was the first man to take a set off Ferrer when he took the opener, but he was pegged back by the Spaniard who won the second set tiebreak.

But Murray forged ahead once more, and after a brief delay to shut the roof, sealed victory in three hours and 20 minutes. “I think it was probably the best match I played,” said Murray. “I started hitting the ball better from the back of the court.”

Murray needed five sets to defeat Raonic and set up a rematch of the 2011, 2013 and 2015 finals. The No.2 seed twice came from a set down before eventually closing out victory in four hours. After Raonic won the third set tiebreak, the Canadian disappeared off court to receive treatment on an adductor injury, which hampered his mobility in the later stages of the match.

“Probably the most heartbroken I’ve felt on court,” admitted Raonic.

“I’m happy with where my tennis is at, I just wish I could play.” Murray said: “I just tried to keep making as many returns as possible and make it difficult.”

wta rankings ďƒ˜

07.03 . 2016

RANKING

ACHIEVEMENTS

FORM

usa

This year: $1,276,870 Career to date: $75,360,291 Career-high ranking: 1 (08/07/02) Career titles: 69 Last title: Western & Southern Open, WTA Premier, Cincinnati, USA, August 2015

Withdrew from Hopman Cup in Perth with left knee injury but returned to form in Melbourne, reaching Australian Open final without losing a set. Missed out on 22nd Grand Slam title with defeat to Kerber in final. Pulled out of Dubai citing illness.

Germany

This year: $2,695,574 Career to date: $11,880,743 Career-high ranking: 2 (01/02/16) Career titles: 8 Last title: Australian Open, Grand Slam, Melbourne, Australia, January 2016

Enjoyed fast start to the year, reaching Brisbane final (l. to Azarenka). Withdrew from Sydney with illness but after 1R scare against Doi, stormed back to win first major in Melbourne (d. Williams in final).

Lost 2R in Doha (l. to Zheng).

poland

This year: $804,008 Career to date: $22,581,721 Career-high ranking: 2 (09/07/12) Career titles: 18 Last title: Shenzhen Open, WTA International, Shenzhen, China, January 2016

Enjoyed strong start to the year to climb back up to No.3.

Started 2016 with victory in Shenzhen (d. Riske in final) before run to Australian Open SFs (l. to Williams). Reached Doha SFs, falling to eventual champion Suarez Navarro.

spain

This year: $172,735 Career to date: $6,352,512 Career-high ranking: 3 (26/10/15) Career titles: 2 Last title: China Open, WTA Premier, Beijing, China, October 2015

Lost to lower-ranked players on first four outings of 2016, falling to Lepchenko (47) in Brisbane 2R before defeat to Strycova (48) in Aus Open 3R. Lost Dubai opener to No.21 Svitolina, reached first QF of season in Doha (l. to Petkovic).

1

Serena WIlliams

2

angelique Kerber

3

agnieszka Radwanska

4

garbine Muguruza

5

simona halep

romania

This year: $102,851 Career to date: $11,230,386 Career-high ranking: 2 (11/08/14) Career titles: 11 Last title: BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, USA, March 2015

Endured difficult start to season. After reaching SFs in Sydney (l. to Kuznetsova), fell in shock defeat to Zhang in Aus Open 1R. Lost Dubai opener in straight sets to Ivanovic before defeat to No.118 Vesnina in Doha 2R, having won first set.

6

carla Suarez Navarro

spain

This year: $930,428 Career to date: $7,185,361 Career-high ranking: 6 (29/02/16) Career titles: 2 Last title: Qatar Total Open, WTA Premier, Doha, Qatar, February 2016

Reached SFs in Brisbane (l. to Kerber) but fell in Sydney 1R to Errani. Reached Aus Open QFs (l to Radwanksa) but after defeat to Garcia in Dubai opener, bounced back to win title in Doha, beating Radwanska in SFs and Ostapenko in final.

7

maria sharapova

russia

This year: $281,663 Career to date: $36,766,149 Career-high ranking: 1 (22/08/05) Career titles: 35 Last title: Internazionali BNL d'Italia, WTA Premier, Rome, Italy, May 2015

Pulled out of Brisbane with left forearm injury but clocked 600th career win en route to Australian Open SFs where she lost to Williams in rematch of 2015 final. Struggled to shrug off injury, missing Doha and withdrawing from Indian Wells.

8

belinda Bencic

switzerland

This year: $301,351 Career to date: $2,545,712 Career-high ranking: 7 (22/02/16) Career titles: 2 Last title Rogers Cup, WTA Premier, Toronto, Canada, August 2015

After 2R defeat to Crawford in Brisbane, reached Sydney SFs (l. to Puig) before Aus Open 4R defeat to Sharapova. Reached St Petersburg final (l. to Vinci) before suffering back-to-back defeats in Dubai (l. to Jankovic) and Doha (l. to Vandeweghe).

9

petra Kvitova

czech republic

This year: $110,259 Career to date: $20,501,439 Career-high ranking: 2 (31/10/11) Career titles: 17 Last title: Connecticut Open, WTA Premier, New Haven, USA, August 2015

Struggled with stomach virus as she retired from Shenzhen 1R match against Zheng before 2R Aus Open defeat to Gavrilova.

Lost six of her first eight matches of the year including defeat to Brengle in Dubai 2R and Ostapenko in Doha 3R.

10

Roberta Vinci

Italy

This year: $332,328 Career to date: $10,440,229 Career-high ranking: 10 (22/02/16) Career titles: 10 Last title: St Petersburg Ladies, WTA Premier, St Petersburg, Russia, February 2016

Reached Brisbane QFs (l. to Azarenka) but fell in Sydney 1R to Stosur and lost to Friedsam in Aus Open 3R. Won 10th WTA title in St Petersburg (d.

Bencic) to make top 10 debut.

Lost to Shvedova in Dubai 1R and Radwanska in Doha QFs.

down 2

96

PERSONAL

Points: 9,245

Points: 5,700

Points: 5,450

Points: 4,831

Points: 4,745

Points: 4,015

Points: 3,562

Points: 3,505

Points: 3,483

Points: 3,455

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

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

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

Born: 08/10/93 Lives: Barcelona, Spain Height: 6ft 0in Weight: 161 lbs

Born: 27/09/91 Lives: Constanta, Romania Height: 5ft 6in Weight: 132 lbs

Born: 03/09/88 Lives: Barcelona, Spain Height: 5ft 4in Weight: 137 lbs

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

Born: 10/03/97 Lives: Wollerau, Switzerland Height: 5ft 9in Weight: 139 lbs

Born: 08/03/90 Lives: Monte Carlo, Monaco Height: 6ft Weight: 154 lbs

Born: 18/02/83 Lives: Taranto, Italy Height: 5ft 4in Weight: 132 lbs

11-100 RANKINGS 11 Flavia Pennetta (ITA) 12 Venus Williams (USA) 13 Lucie Safarova (CZE) 14 Elina Svitolina (UKR) 15 Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 16 Sara Errani (ITA) 17 Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 18 Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 19 Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 20 Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 21 Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) 22 Sloane Stephens (USA) 23 Andrea Petkovic (GER) 24 Madison Keys (USA) 25 Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 26 Johanna Konta (GBR) 27 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 28 Samantha Stosur (AUS) 29 Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 30 Anna Schmiedlova (SVK) 31 Sabine Lisicki (GER) 32 Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 33 Daria Gavrilova (AUS) 34 Monica Niculescu (ROU) 35 Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU) 36 Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) 37 Barbora Strycova (CZE) 38 Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 39 Alize Cornet (FRA) 40 Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) 41 Caroline Garcia (FRA) 42 Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) 43 Annika Beck (GER) 44 Margarita Gasparyan (RUS) 45 Camila Giorgi (ITA) 46 Alison van Uytvanck (BEL) 47 Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 48 Daria Kasatkina (RUS) 49 Timea Babos (HUN) 50 Teliana Pereira (BRA) 51 Danka Kovinic (MNE) 52 Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 53 Heather Watson (GBR) 54 Mona Barthel (GER) 55 Misaki Doi (JPN) 56 Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 57 Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 58 Madison Brengle (USA) 59 Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 60 Nao Hibino (JPN) 61 Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER) 62 Christina McHale (USA) 63 Julia Goerges (GER) 64 Denisa Allertova (CZE) 65 Zheng Saisai (CHN) 66 Johanna Larsson (SWE) 67 Monica Puig (PUR) 68 Karin Knapp (ITA) 69 Zhang Shuai (CHN) 70 Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 71 Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) 72 Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 73 Anett Kontaveit (EST) 74 Mariana Duque-Marino (COL) 75 Ana Konjuh (CRO) 76 Naomi Broady (GBR) 77 Lucie Hradecka (CZE) 78 Lara Arruabarrena (ESP) 79 Laura Siegemund (GER) 80 Irina Falconi (USA) 81 Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE) 82 Polona Hercog (SLO) 83 Carina Witthoeft (GER) 84 Olga Govortsova (BLR) 85 Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) 86 Elena Vesnina (RUS) 87 Zarina Diyas (KAZ) 88 Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) 89 Kurumi Nara (JPN) 90 Tatjana Maria (GER) 91 Alison Riske (USA) 92 Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) 93 Alexandra Dulgheru (ROU) 94 Donna Vekic (CRO) 95 Nicole Gibbs (USA) 96 Wang Qiang (CHN) 97 Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 98 Elizaveta Kulichkova (RUS) 99 Lauren Davis (USA) 100 Francesca Schiavone (ITA)

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