International Tennis Magazine - July 2009

Transcription

JULY | 2009
INTERNATIONAL
UK £3 | € 4.50 | USA $ 5.50
MAGAZINE
CONTENTS
CONTENTS
FRENCH OPEN
04 DOMINIC BLISS REVIEWS THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM ROLAND GARROS, INCLUDING A
ROGER FEDERER VICTORY WHICH HAS SEEN THE FORMER WORLD NO.1 SECURE ALL
FOUR GRAND SLAMS BRINGING HIM JUST ONE MAJOR TITLE AWAY FROM BEING THE
MOST SUCCESSFUL MALE PLAYER OF ALL TIME
GAIL MONFILS
Front Cover
Roger Federer, French Open
Mens Singles Champion 2009
INTERNATIONAL TENNIS MAGAZINE
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Editorial:
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Senior Tennis Correspondents:
Dominic Bliss
Richard Eaton
Coaching Correspondent:
Clive Carrigan
UK Directory, Professional Tennis Registry
Professional Tennis Registry UK
PO Box 21758
London E16 2EP England
09 RICHARD EATON EXPLAINS WHY, IF YOU WERE TO WATCH THE HUNDRED BEST
MEN ON THE ATP WORLD TOUR AND HAD TO PICK ONE MOST DESERVING OF A TOP
FIVE PLACE WHO HAD NOT ALREADY GOT THERE, THE MOST COMPELLING CHOICE
MIGHT BE GAEL MONFILS
PRINCE EXO3 REBEL 95
11 PRINCE EXO3 TENNIS RACKET REVIEWED
KARAKAL
Q4-690
13 KARAKAL Q4-690 TENNIS RACKET REVIEWED
BABY BOOM OR BUST?
14 WHEN ROGER FEDERER BECOMES A FATHER LATER THIS SUMMER, HE WILL BE
ONE OF THE VERY FEW PARENTS ON THE WORLD TOUR. DOMINIC BLISS ASSESSES
HOW IT MAY AFFECT HIS GAME. PLUS HOW WELL HAVE PLAYING PARENTS HAVE
COPED IN THE PAST?
WIMBLEDON 2009
18 A ROOF OVER CENTRE COURT SIGNALS A BRAND NEW ERA IN THE DEVELOPMENT
OF THE ALL ENGLAND CLUB. WHILE RAIN CAN NO LONGER SPOIL THE PARTY, THERE’S
A CHANCE RAFAEL NADAL’S INJURED KNEES MAY DO THAT INSTEAD
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BUSINESS MATTERS
21 WITH ORIGINS THAT CAN BE TRACED BACK TO 1911, FILA HAS GROWN TO
BECOME THE WORLD’S FIFTH LARGEST SPORTS BRAND WITH A PERFORMANCE
HERITAGE AND STRONG AWARENESS AND RECOGNITION OF ITS ICONIC LOGO BY
TENNIS CONSUMERS
COACHING & INSTRUCTION
27 CLIVE CARRIGAN EXPLAINS WHY THE HIGH BACKHAND SMASH DEMANDS
ATHLETICISM, TIMING AND GOOD RACKET SKILL, AND IS WIDELY REGARDED AS THE
MOST DIFFICULT SHOT IN THE GAME
WORLD RANKINGS
29 MEN’S & WOMEN’S WORLD SINGLES RANKINGS AT A GLANCE
FROZEN IN TIME
30 DOMINIC BLISS LOOKS BACK AT THE 1999 FRENCH OPEN, WHEN MARTINA
HINGIS WAS REDUCED TO TEARS AND TANTRUMS IN HER LOSS TO THE
SUPER-COOL STEFFI GRAF
INTERNATIONALTENNISMAGAZINE July 2009 | 03
www.isportgroup.com/InternationalTennisMagazine
FRENCH OPEN
Thanks to his victory at Roland Garros, Roger Federer has now won all
four of the Grand Slams, and is just one major title away from being the
most successful male player of all time. In the women's event Svetlana
Kuznetsova won her second major title.
FEDERER’SCAREER
GRANDSLAM
By Dominic Bliss
It’s taken eleven years of blood, sweat
and tears on the Parisian clay. Finally
Roger Federer has won Roland Garros to
achieve his long-term goal of triumph in
all four of the Grand Slams. He has also
succeeded in equalling Pete Sampras’
all-time record of fourteen career Grand
Slam singles titles.
“I have to accept my defeat as I accepted
my victories: with calm,” said the
Majorcan, whose amazing 31-match
winning streak at Roland Garros was
rudely broken. “This is not a tragedy
losing here in Paris. It had to happen one
day. I have to stay calm and cool-headed
to try to analyse what I did wrong.”
“I’ve come a long way,” said the 27-yearold Swiss champion with typical
understatement after he had beaten
Sweden’s Robin Soderling 6-1 7-6 6-4 in
the final. “To get the last remaining
Grand Slam – it’s an incredible feeling. It’s
been a long time coming. I’m very proud.”
He was bludgeoned into submission by
Soderling’s uninhibited power game –
that’s what went wrong. And he failed to
create enough opportunities for
counter-attack.
With Nadal eliminated from his half of the
draw, British No.1 and World No.3 Andy
Murray looked in prime position to win
Robin Soderling
Roger Federer
Only the most churlish of sports fans
would now resist naming Federer the
greatest male tennis player of all time.
On top of his fourteen Grand Slam
titles, he is also one of only six players
to have won all four Grand Slams –
known as the ‘career Grand Slam’. And
that’s something that Pete Sampras
never achieved.
As ever, Federer remained modest when
reminded of his place in history. “I don’t
know if we’ll ever know who was the
greatest of all time,” he said after being
presented the Coupe des Mousquetaires
by Andre Agassi, the last man before him
to achieve a career Grand Slam. “But I’m
definitely happy to be right up there,
that’s for sure. I just try to have the best
possible career I can, and then I think it
should be judged at the very end. How
well did I do? Good? Great? Very good?
Or medium? I don't know. It’s for other
people to decide.”
Of course, this year, Federer was
fortunate not to come up against his
regular Roland Garros nemesis, Rafael
Nadal, who was unexpectedly dispatched
in the fourth round by Soderling
6-2 6-7 6-4 7-6.
04 | July 2009 INTERNATIONALTENNISMAGAZINE
Roger Federer
Rafael Nadal
FRENCH OPEN
“
To get the last remaining
Grand Slam – it’s an incredible
feeling. It’s been a long time
coming. I’m very proud.
Roger Federer
”
FRENCH OPEN
through to the final. He started off well,
beating Juan Ignacio Chela in straight sets
in the first round, dropping just a set to
Potito Starace in the second, and seeing
his third round opponent Janko Tipsarevic
retire through injury in the third. In the
fourth round he played superbly to
overcome big-hitting Marin Cilic in straight
sets, but then in the quarter-finals against
Fernando Gonzalez, who surely possesses
the most powerful forehand in the sport,
Murray folded under the constant barrage
from the Chilean.
“He can hit winners from anywhere on
the court,” Murray said after his 3-6 6-3
0-6 4-6 defeat. “That’s why he’s
dangerous. He can hit huge forehand
returns. He hits it great on the run. Even
if you try to hit a ball to his backhand,
then he makes his mind up that ‘Actually I
want to hit a forehand on this shot’, and
he runs around and spanks a winner. You
can’t do a whole lot with it.”
In the women’s event it was the Russian
hard-hitter Svetlana Kuznetsova who
eventually took the title. Her 6-4 6-2
triumph over compatriot and World No.1
Dinara Safina lacked drama and at times
was as cold and slow as the clay on which
the two players battled.
Nerves obviously hampered Safina, who
has now lost in three Grand Slam finals.
In all she made seven double faults, the
last one right on match point. “I beat
myself,” said the 23-year-old sister of
Marat Safin miserably. “I have to learn to
relax when I get to a slam final and just
play my normal game. It was a bad match
for me.”
Yet in the lead-up to the final she had
been so consistently dominant. Her first
round match against Britain’s Anne
Keothavong was an embarrassing 6-0
6-0 double bagel and her second saw her
annihilating fellow Russian Vitalia
Diatchenko 6-1 6-1. In fact, before she
reached the quarter-finals, Safina had
dropped only five games.
Kuznetsova had similarly comfortable
early rounds, not losing a set until the
fourth round. Here is evidence, if you still
needed it, that once outside of the
women’s world top 20, the quality of
tennis drops like a stone.
This was Kuznetsova’s second Grand
Slam title, her first the US Open in 2004.
But just last year the 23-year-old was
close to quitting the game altogether, so
disappointed was she with her results.
The turnaround in her fortune seems to
coincide with her recent move from Spain
back to Russia. Her friends had warned
her there would be too many distractions
if she moved to Moscow, before a chance
conversation with Roger Federer
persuaded her to follow her heart. Now
she says she’s happier than ever. “I came
back to Moscow and I work hard. I have
my friends. I am in my home country. I’m
very patriotic. I love being there.”
The Men’s Doubles saw victory for the
third seed pairing of India’s Leander Paes
and the Czech Republic’s Lukas Dlouhy,
while in the Women’s Doubles it was the
all-Spanish team of Anabel Medina
Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual
(you’ve got to feel sorry for the trophy
engravers) who shone through, winning a
very one-sided final 6-1 6-1 against
Victoria Azarenka and Elena Vesnina. In
the Mixed Doubles the all-American team
of Liezel Huber and Bob Bryan needed a
deciding super tiebreak to win their final
against the American-Brazilian pairing of
Vania King and Marcelo Melo. Standing
5ft 5ins and 6ft 8ins respectively, the
latter are proof that completely different
styles of play can combine very
effectively.
Svetlana Kuznetsova
French Open 2009
Roland Garros, Paris, France
Men’s Singles
[2] Roger Federer (SUI) bt
[23] Robin Soderling (SWE)
6-1, 7-6, 6-4
Women’s Singles
[7] Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) bt
[1] Dinara Safina (RUS) 6-4 6-2
Men’s Doubles
[3] Lucas Dlouhy (CZE) &
Leander Paes (IND) bt
[7] Wesley Moodie (RSA) & Dick
Norman (BEL) 3-6 6-3 6-2
Women’s Doubles
[3] A.Medina Garrigues (ESP) &
Virginia Ruano Pascual (ESP) bt
[12] Victoria Azarenka (BLG) &
Elena Vesnina (RUS) 6-1 6-1
Mixed Doubles
[1] Liezel Huber (USA) &
Bob Bryan (USA) bt
[8] Vania King (USA) &
Marcelo Melo (BRA) 5-7 7-6 10-7
GAEL MONFILS
If you were to watch the hundred best men on the ATP World Tour
and had to pick one most deserving of a top five place who had not
already got there, the most compelling choice might be Gael Monfils.
GAELMONFILS
THEFASTESTMANONTOUR
By Richard Eaton
Blinding speed, a huge first serve, big ground shots, sheer
brilliance at turning defence into attack, frequent adrenaline
surges, and, if needed, an all-court game – what more could any
player want?
Actually quite a lot. The ability to play great tennis is only a part
of what is necessary; an orderly life, a carefully planned
schedule, prolonged health, and strength in the head – a lack of
any of these can be the snag which halts progress.
Somewhere within this answer is the reason why this very
unusual Frenchman, with his athlete’s movement, a showman’s
instinct, and the tendency to play matches with unpredictable
swings of fortune, is close but not quite yet a challenger to the
top quartet.
Identifying more precisely what holds him back is one of the
tennis world’s more fascinating puzzles. Before doing that
though, let’s look at what the sport would lose if he never made
the top.
Monfils is “the best athlete on the Tour”, according to Andy
Murray, “the fastest on the Tour” according to James Blake
after losing to him at the French Open, and “one of the most
entertaining”, according to Roger Federer after meeting him in
the Doha final.
Federer may have been referring to more than Monfils’
penchant for the splits, for falls, for theatrical gestures, and for
amazing defensive gets, or even for crazy moments like the liferisking race he had with his coach around and between vehicles
in the nearby car park.
Federer may also have been thinking of the limbo dancing with
which Monfils enlivened the tournament party the night before
their final - smiling like a demon, bending like elastic, and
maintaining his balance despite the goading banter of a winefuelled audience.
All this was less of an excess than it might seem, for Monfils
had judged, possibly correctly, that a bit of well-applauded
exhibitionism might help reduce the pre-match tension which
had been causing him to under-perform.
This slightly compulsive extroversion can seem at odds with the
wide eyes, gentle manner, and earnest responses which Monfils
produces when he is doing his laboured best to communicate
in English.
But of his need for attention, there is no doubt. Asked why he
risked injury by chasing impossible balls, Monfils once said:
GAEL MONFILS
”I think my parents are in front of the
TV, and it’s like I don’t want to give up
one point. I want to be the best on every
point, so sometimes I go too far.”
And asked at the US Open whether he
was a show-boater because Americans
liked it, he replied: “I mean, I’m me. I love
to show my emotion. I love to do a show,
because when I was nine, ten, eleven, to
play in front of a lot of people was for me
something amazing. It’s fun. You know, I
have to show them I enjoy my sport. And
then they show me emotion, so it’s great.”
Recently, while posing in clothes from
Givenchy, Giorgio Armani, Alexander
McQueen, Chanel, and his own sponsors,
Nike and Prince, he spoke of his passion
for music and break-dancing. “I organise
freestyle ‘battles’ with my group of
friends,” he said. “Music and dance are
my life.”
Last year he celebrated reaching the
French Open semi-finals with a dance
move popularised by “Crank Dat”, the hit
song from the US rapper Soulja Boy. The
following day it was only a Federer close to
his best who prevented Monfils becoming
the first French finalist for 20 years.
There have been other moments when
Monfils appeared good enough for a big
breakthrough. One happened in January
with a magnificent win over Rafael Nadal
to reach another semi-final, in Doha.
“I wanted to play solid and give nothing
away. I needed to be a lot more calm, less
crazy, with much more consistency,”
Monfils said, sounding very proud.
Remarkably, he was better than the best
player in the world at Nadal’s own
strengths – court coverage, weight of
shot, and, on this occasion, reliability too.
This can’t always happen, Monfils knows.
“Players say they only play their best ten
per cent of the year, if not less,” he said.
“So it is important to learn to win even
when you don’t play your best.”
How can he do that more often? Partly
by avoiding injuries. He has had many –
to a wrist, a knee, and hamstrings, and
to a foot just two days before the 2007
Wimbledon. After that he waited a
month before practising again, but found
it was still too painful to play for a
further month.
Although Monfils then became more
careful with rehab, the setbacks still kept
coming. He missed the 2007 US Open
and 2008 Australian Open with a bad
hamstring, and withdrew from last year’s
Wimbledon with an inflamed shoulder.
French writers say Monfils has been
slower than his contemporaries in making
the mental leap into adulthood which has
in turn hampered his development and
progression.
From Caribbean heritage, his father Rufin
is a former soccer player from
Guadeloupe and an agent for France
Telecom, and his mother Sylvette is a
nurse from Martinique. Monfils was born
in Paris and lives, as do many wealthy
French, in Switzerland.
But although the three Grand Slam junior
titles which helped propel him towards
these riches now seem of a different age,
his tennis at the age of twenty-two can
still possess the unpredictability of a
younger, less emotionally settled person.
Another problem, perhaps not unrelated,
has been frequent changes of coaches.
But this year he has been enthusing
about his association with Roger
Rasheed, an Australian who once
coached Lleyton Hewitt, and a mentor
type, with a big personality. The choice
suggests Monfils knew he needed
leadership.
“I try now to be closer to the baseline
and a bit more aggressive, and change a
little bit my physical attitude, to be like
PRINCE EXO3 REBEL 95
maybe more strong,” Monfils said in his
pleasantly fractured English.
“I try to keep concentration from the first
point till the last, and to switch a little bit
my tactics sometimes. If it’s not working,
change. Actually is working.”
How did Rasheed persuade Monfils to
modify his tactics when previous coaches
couldn’t? “It was another mentality,”
Monfils replied. “Also, I think I was ready
to do it, change a little bit my game. And
maybe it’s the way he pass the message
to me - and I receive good.”
And so Monfils is becoming one of the
most feared opponents, poised perhaps
to beat the best more often. Yet
uncertainties remain.
PRINCEEXO3
REBEL95
Used by Gael Monfils and designed with the
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“
The best athlete on
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The fastest on the
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Head Size:
95in2/613cm2
Frame Weight: 300gms unstrung
One of the most
entertaining players
on the Tour
Frame Balance: 32-34cm
Roger Federer
String:
EXO3 Hybrid Power
Grip:
EXO3 Pro
Grip Size:
2-5
”
After losing an opening match to John
Isner at Indian Wells, Monfils did not fly
straight on to Miami with other losers,
but zigzagged all the way to Europe and
back. He wouldn’t say why. And after
losing to Andy Roddick in Miami, wellwishers called “see you in Monte Carlo,”
the next major Tour event. His answer
“I hope so,” suggested odd doubts.
Some say he still struggles with personal
problems, though few know what they
are. Maybe he is still ruled by
unproductive emotions. If so, this is also
what makes his tennis special.
Length:
68.60cm
Cross Section: 20mm
String Pattern: Square string pattern 18/20
For more information visit:
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“I mean, like some guys want to keep the
emotion, and maybe in tennis it’s, like,
sometimes too stiff,” Monfils said. “Me,
I’m not like this. Like, my culture is to be
very fun and enjoy life. So on the court
I’m like this.”
And off court too. Very fun, he is. Very
fulfilled he may not be. But, if and
when that happens, tennis will have a
very big star.
KARAKAL Q4-690
KARAKAL
TENNIS2009
EVOLUTION
BYDESIGN
Founded in Belgium in
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well as producing the first and still
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brand to import graphite rackets into the
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KARAKAL
Q4-690
The Q4-690 provides all-round
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The Q4-645 has a 645cm2
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By working closely with leading tennis
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The development process identified a
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With this in mind, Karakal designed the
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Head Size:
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Frame Weight: 310gms strung weight
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BABY BOOM OR BUST?
BABYBOOMORBUST?
When Roger Federer becomes a father this summer, he will be one of
the very few parents on the World Tour. How will it affect his game? And
how well have playing parents coped in the past?
The arrival of Roger Federer's first child
will be a joy to the Swiss champion. It
may even make him feel prouder than he
did winning his 14 Grand Slam titles. But
it's bound to cause him more than a
few distractions.
But for some players parenthood has
been a blessing in disguise. Look at Tim
Henman, for example. The first of his
three daughters was born in October
2002. A year later he won his first, and
only, Masters Series tournament, and the
year after that, when he reached the
semi-finals of both the French and
US Opens, was the best of his career.
Jimmy Connors is another whose game
wasn’t affected by breeding. He was
twenty-seven and had five Grand Slam
titles under his belt when his first child
was born in 1979. Post-natum he
then won Wimbledon once and the
US Open twice.
But the American is in a minority. Since
the ATP rankings started in 1973 only
nine fathers have won Grand Slam titles –
Newcombe, Cash, Kodes, Kafelnikov,
Korda, Becker, Gomez, Connors and
Agassi. Singles tennis is a very selfish
sport, with a hectic schedule of travelling,
practice sessions and tournaments, and
allowing little time to think about anyone
but yourself. And on court it’s always you
against the rest of the world. Juggling
parenthood and professional tennis
requires herculean energy.
Australian Lleyton Hewitt is proof of that.
His daughter Mia was born in November
2005, and he struggled to find his form
the following year. The two-time Grand
Slam Champion has failed to go beyond
the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam since
parental responsibilities set in and his
ranking even dipped outside the top one
hundred, before he eventually managed
to scrape back to its current position
near the top fifty.
John McEnroe was similarly distracted.
He won seven Grand Slams during his
career, but all before the birth of his first
child. Ivan Lendl won the last of his eight
Grand Slams in 1990 when his wife was
pregnant with their first child. After that
his only major trophies were his five
daughters. Pete Sampras promptly
retired after his wife produced their first
child, but that was presumably planned
all along.
Leonardo was born last year. “Priorities
are different. You're not the one in the
family who’s the most important. You
kind of lose your wife for a while.”
Croatian player Ivan Ljubicic summed it
all up rather well. “Your life changes
completely,” he said after his son
What about the WTA Tour then? By sheer
necessity motherhood is going to be even
more distracting than fatherhood. And
BABY BOOM OR BUST?
then there’s the biological burden of
pregnancy. A female player can hardly
nip over to the maternity unit in between
tournaments as fathers can.
Lindsay Davenport
Margaret Court
But given a suitable break for maternity
leave, some mothers have enjoyed
amazing sporting success.
Perhaps the most famous is Australian
player Margaret Court. She gave birth to
her first child in February 1972, and the
following year won the Australian,
French and US Opens, as well as
reaching the semi-finals at Wimbledon.
Evonne Goolagong’s post-natal
comeback was even more staggering.
Her first child Kelly was born on May
12th, 1977. Less than eight months later
she was holding the Australian Open
trophy above her shoulders, and she was
crowned Wimbledon champion three
years after that. No mother has won a
Grand Slam title since then.
Tim Henman
Nowadays on the WTA Tour, where the
game is so much more physical, it would
take a superwoman to achieve such a
feat. However, there are a few playing
mothers worthy of mention. Austrian
No.1 Sybille Bammer gave birth to her
daughter Tina in 2001 and has since
been ranked in the world’s top twenty,
even winning a WTA title in 2007. She
travels the Tour with daughter in tow,
but is lucky to have Tina’s father
Christophe as a full-time child-carer.
“Christophe stopped work and he looks
after Tina when I’m practising and
playing matches,” she explains. “But it’s
very difficult because I don’t think there
are a lot of men who would give up their
job to look after a child.”
Lleyton Hewitt
Bammer admits the pregnancy was
never planned. “It was a shock,” she
says, “but I knew Christophe was the
right man and I wanted to keep it.
I wasn't one hundred per cent sure
I would come back to tennis afterwards.
My tennis wasn't so good at the time –
I was ranked 290 when I stopped playing.
But Christophe told me I’m still young
and he believed in me. So I said ‘Yeah,
let’s try again’.”
Bammer missed the whole of the 2001
season before returning to competitive
play in 2002. Her ranking gradually rose
year on year until, in late 2007, she
reached a career high of nineteen. But
she admits she couldn’t have done it
without the support of Christophe.
“When Tina didn’t sleep, we tried to
make sure that Christophe looked after
her so I could sleep,” she says. “We have
never had any doubts that it was the
right decision for me to come back.”
Paraguayan player Rossana de los Rios
has successfully combined professional
tennis and parenthood for the last twelve
years. Her daughter Ana Paula was born
in 1997, which didn’t prevent her from
achieving a career-best ranking of fiftyone five years later.
But hats really must go off to American
player Lindsay Davenport. The former
World No.1 and three-time Grand Slam
winner hasn’t been able to reach the
same dizzy heights since her first child,
Jagger, was born in June 2007.
Nevertheless, just fourteen weeks after
the birth, when most mothers are still
recovering, she was celebrating a WTA
title in Asia. She is now taking a second
break from tennis in preparation for her
next child.
shock,” he says. “But when your girlfriend
or wife is pregnant, it definitely changes
your mindset. All of a sudden you’re
hoping everything goes well.”
Although he hasn’t revealed his wife
Mirka’s exact due date, the baby isn’t
likely to respect the ATP calendar. It
could arrive slap bang in the middle of
Wimbledon, for example. “It’s not going
to disturb my mindset on tennis a whole
lot,” he promises. “If [the birth] does
something to me, it’s going to motivate
me to play for a long time. I’ve always
had the dream that, once I became No.1,
if I have a child, I hope I have it early
enough so he can see me playing.”
Let’s hope Federer junior has the
privilege of seeing its father compete in
many more Grand Slam finals.
So how will parenthood treat Roger
Federer? “For me, this is not a massive
Images © AELTC and taken from Centre Court – The Jewel in Wimbledon’s Crown,
published by Vision Sports Publishing, www.visionsp.co.uk
WIMBLEDON 2009
WIMBLEDON
AROOFOVEROURHEADS
A roof over Centre Court signals a brand new era in the development
of the All England Club. While rain can no longer spoil the party, there’s a
chance Nadal’s injured knees may do that instead.
It’s no secret that Rafael Nadal’s knees are in a terrible state.
Not surprising really, when you consider the immense pressure
he puts them under as he cavorts around the court, chasing
down balls that most players give up on.
Already the highest-ranked British player since ATP rankings
began in the 1970s, Murray is well aware of his potential to be
considered the greatest British player ever. But he knows that
without Grand Slam titles, that honour can never be his.
After being surprisingly knocked out in the fourth round of the
French Open, the Majorcan was then forced to miss the grass
season’s opening event at the AEGON Championships at
Queen’s Club and serious doubts remain about whether he can
recover in time to mount a successful defence of his treasured
Wimbledon title. Even his coach, and uncle, Toni has misgivings.
“I’m not saying I’m on the same level as Federer and Nadal, but
according to ranking they are the only two players better than
me. I’ve beaten Federer six times and I’ve beaten Nadal a
couple of times. So it’s not like I can’t beat them. The thing
that’s toughest to do is to do it in the most important
matches.”
“I will give 200 per cent to be at 100 per cent for the most
important date in world tennis,” Nadal said optimistically, but
tendonitis in both quadriceps tendons and fluid on his
kneecaps may mean he won’t be able to recover in time.
Indeed, Nadal and Federer know all about the important
matches, especially when it comes to Wimbledon. If Nadal does
manage to win his personal battle of wounded knee and he
makes it to the All England Club, he will be there as defending
champion. Federer, meanwhile, has won the title five times
already and, now that he’s matched Pete Sampras’ record of
fourteen Grand Slam titles, he will be desperate to go one
further to cement his status as the greatest player of all time.
All of which, of course, is great news for Britain’s Andy Murray.
Buoyed by his World No.3 ranking and with three tournament
wins already under his belt this season, the 22-year-old Scot is
a strong favourite to take the title this year. Could the ghost of
Fred Perry finally be laid to rest?
“Right now, winning a Grand Slam is all I want to do,” Murray
said before the grass court season had started. “That’s why I
work hard and try to win.”
Outside of the world top three, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic is a
serious contender, but on grass it’s perhaps American World
No.6 Andy Roddick that players should be more wary of. The
26-year-old has reached the Wimbledon final twice, in 2004
and 2005, and when his power-game is properly calibrated, it
can be severely intimidating.
WIMBLEDON 2009
Rafael Nadal
It’s worth noting perhaps that some of
Andy Murray’s best tennis has been played
indoors or under floodlights at night.
Andy Roddick
The women’s championships look even
more predictable than the men’s. You’ve
got to fancy the chances of one of the
Williams sisters, after all these American
siblings have between them been All
England Club Champions for seven out
of nine tournaments held so far this
century. As long as they enter the
tournament with the right attitude and
concentration, and provided they don’t
come up against any surprise
encounters while still a little rusty on the
grass early in the draw, then it’s highly
likely the surname on the women’s
trophy will be ‘Williams’.
Andy Murray
So are there any dark horses lurking
further down the rankings? France’s
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has the power game
to progress through the draw and the
experience of a previous Grand Slam
final, while Marin Cilic has the big-serving
power you need on grass. But only a
reckless gambler would back them to
actually win the title.
Everyone agrees that Wimbledon’s courts
have slowed considerably in the last few
years, playing much more like hard
courts, meaning we are less likely than
ever to witness a lower-ranked grasscourt specialist reaching the latter stages
of the tournament. Remember wildcard
Goran Ivanisevic winning in 2001? Or
Mark Philippoussis as surprise runner-up
in 2003? You can be almost certain you’ll
never see that happening again.
The new roof over Centre Court will
certainly be something of an unknown
quantity, however. There was a test
event in May, with Tim Henman, Andre
Agassi, Steffi Graf and Kim Clijsters all
The only player with a serious chance of
spoiling the Williams party is Russia’s
Maria Sharapova. But since she only
returned to the World Tour in June after
a long injury, she will inevitably be out of
practice. Dinara Safina and Elena
Dementieva lack the required mental
fortitude to win on a stage as worldfamous as Wimbledon, having between
them reached five finals and folded each
time under the pressure.
The Williams Sisters
competing under the roof, but this was
more of an exhibition jolly than any
serious attempt to assess how the
playing conditions might change for
future covered matches.
Consisting of over five thousand square
metres of translucent fabric, the roof is
designed to roll concertina-style across
the top of the court in around ten
minutes. Once in place an airflow system
then removes the condensation from
inside the court to ensure the playing
surface doesn’t get slippery. All of which
means Centre Court rain delays are now
consigned to history.
Meanwhile, neither of the Serbian
‘sisters’ Jelena Jankovic and Ana
Ivanovic look to be in top form at the
moment. Svetlana Kuznetsova will be
buoyed by her recent French Open
victory, but she has never progressed
beyond the quarter-finals at Wimbledon.
What about the newcomers? Could we
see one of the WTA youngsters such as
Belarus’s Victoria Azarenka, Denmark’s
Caroline Wozniacki, Poland’s Agnieszka
Radwanska or Slovakia’s Dominika
Cibulkova (all of them under 21) winning
through? It’s hard enough pronouncing
their names, let alone trying to predict
how they might fare on the grass at
Wimbledon.
But what differences will it create for
the players? The new rules state that if
the roof closes, the match must then be
completed under cover, however long it
takes. So if rain interrupts the start of a
match at 8pm, players could feasibly
find themselves competing well past
midnight, with floodlights shining down
from the roof.
BUSINESS MATTERS: FILA
BUSINESSMATTERS
Paul Siviter, Fila Tennis Promotions Manager,
talks to International Tennis Magazine.
What is the history behind Fila?
The origins of the Fila brand can be
traced back to the small city of Biella, in
the shadows of the Italian Alps. Founded
by the Fila brothers in 1911, the company
began producing the finest quality
undergarments for the Italian
aristocrats. The brand continued to
produce seamless undergarments under
the management of the Fila brothers
until a diversification into sportswear in
1973.
Fila was renowned for its use of fabrics
and innovative materials. In the early 70s
the knowledge of producing performance
undergarments was used to produce the
first ‘sock’ polo shirt. The Sentantta ’73
collection was born and initially worn by
a young Bjorn Borg. Challenging the
white based traditions of the tennis
world, the bold use of colours and
patterns of the Sentantta ’73 collection
became iconic, and synonymous with a
true sporting legend. During the 1970s
Fila established itself as a high end
producer of sportswear, gaining global
dominance by the 1980s.
Throughout this time the quality of Fila
products attracted sporting greats like
Tom Watson, Reinhold Messner and
Alberto Tomba. Fila has become a global
sports brand, with a performance
heritage in tennis, golf, mountain sports
and running. Fila remains the fifth
largest sports brand in the world, with
strong brand awareness and high
recognition of the iconic logo by the
consumer.
Can you tell us about the Fila tennis
range?
Fila produces product for the fashion
industry, as well as the sports industry,
so consequently the brand has an
extremely large range. The tennis line is
made up of a range of technical clothing,
footwear and accessories. Each of these
categories has a range which caters for
men, women and children.
The classic tennis range is one of Fila’s
tennis collections available in the market
place. This is a modern range that uses
new fabrics and technologies, but is
inspired by the renowned Fila back
catalogue. Intricate details and the
attention to detail illustrate the true
heritage of the Fila brand. Fila’s fabrics
are produced to meet the demands of
professional athletes. The fabrics and
technologies used help to accentuate air
flow distribution around the body. The
result is a range of product that is
breathable, quick drying and comfortable
to wear.
What is the current best selling
product and why?
The classic tennis collection as a whole is
selling very well, but our Alfa tennis
shoes are proving very popular. The Fila
Alfa tennis shoe is possibly the most
comfortable shoe in the market place.
The combination of performance and
comfort makes it the perfect tennis shoe
for any standard of player. This same
shoe is worn by our top athletes such as
James Blake and Anna Chakvetadze. It is
also available in Wimbledon colours as
part of Fila’s Wimbledon footwear range.
What technology is there in the
Alfa shoe?
The Alfa is packed with features to
ensure perfect fit, durability and comfort,
but its primary technology plays a role in
all three: the PU cushioning component
in the forefoot. PU requires no break-in
and remains virtually unchanged over the
life of the shoe. EVA, the more commonly
used midsole material, is slightly lighter
weight, but breaks down over time. The
upper continues the fit, comfort and
durability story, utilising a breathable,
better-than-leather synthetic that is soft
and supple right out of the box.
Tell us more about the Fila Alfa Shoe.
The Alfa shoe is a technically advanced
shoe utilising superior components to
ensure both step-in comfort and longlasting performance. It is the first tennis
shoe built on a dual-performance midsole
that combines Polyaction forefoot
cushioning with Fila’s lightweight
Superaction EVA.
The upper of the Fila Alfa is a precise
pairing of comfort and function for the
perfect fit, climate control and durability.
Built around an accommodating, yet
performance orientated last, the Alfa
provides an unmatched fit and feel
straight out of the box.
What are the long and short term
benefits of the Fila Alfa shoe?
The short term benefits of the Alfa shoe
is that it is a step-in comfort shoe that
does not require break-in. From the first
time a player wears the shoe they will
find it very comfortable, and light.
The shoe is very durable, which
consequently means that in the long term
a player will not have to replace their
shoes as frequently. The ortholite comfort
sockliner has a compression set of less
than 15%, meaning the initial fit and feel
will last the life of the shoe. The outsole of
the shoe is made of Fila’s evergrind
carbon rubber which lasts 30% longer
than the average outsole. The multilayer
anti-abrasion wrap on the upper is made
of Durocera ceramic coating to further
withstand toe drag, again increasing the
longevity of the shoe.
How does a potential buyer go about
purchasing products?
Fila apparel and footwear can be found in
many tennis specialist shops across the
UK. If you would like to find your local
retailer you can contact our head office
on 01923 475600, and you will be
informed where you can buy Fila product
locally. You can also find out more
information about the brand and the
collections by visiting www.fila.eu
You can buy the Fila Wimbledon
footwear at the Wimbledon online shop:
www.wimbledon.org/shop
Paul Siviter
Biography
Position
Fila UK Tennis
Promotions Manager
Duties
Paul’s role is to drive brand awareness of
Fila as an elite performance tennis brand,
and ultimately increase sales and
distribution across retailers.
History
Paul studied marketing while playing
college tennis in America. After graduating
from Exeter University with a degree in
Business Management, he worked for a
sports marketing company. He then worked
for the Lawn Tennis Association as
Warwickshire Club Development Officer,
before moving to Fila in 2006.
BALANCED ACTION
WHATISBALANCEDACTION?
Balanced Action are dedicated to recruiting
more kids into tennis and improving the
standard of those already playing. We teach ‘real
added-value’ techniques to help tennis coaches
and PE teachers deliver these goals.
Balanced Action recently toured the UK
with tenniscoach UK, delivering sessions
on movement and effective group
coaching. These were delivered by our
Tennis Director, the LTA’s April 2009
‘Coach of the Month’ Paul Turner and were
extremely well received.
Our courses are designed to achieve our
key corporate goals of getting more kids
playing tennis and improving those who
already play.
Balanced Action provide a structured and
progressive learning structure for all
standards of player and offer training
courses for tennis coaches and teachers
to help achieve our aims and goals. From
multi skills sessions to tennis specific
training we provide the resources for the
coach/teacher to make a real difference.
If you want to find a better way of
getting more kids in your area playing
tennis, then contact Balanced Action.
If you want to use innovative and proven
techniques to improve the standard of
your pupils, then contact Balanced
Action.
Balanced Action delivers a variety of
one-day courses including:
Tennis Coaching Courses (6 hours)
Efficient Footwork and Movement (in
association with The Bailey Method)
How to Introduce More Kids to Tennis
(through schools and clubs
programmes)
– Advanced Tennis Tactics
– Effective Group Coaching
These courses offer 6 LTA License
Credit Points (see website for details)
PE Teacher Courses (3-6 hours)
– Multi Skills - Introduction to
tennis skills
– No Tennis Court? No Problem!
VISIT OUR WEBSITE
Balanced Action also offer:
– Player Footwork and Movement
Analysis for promising and
performance juniors and professional
players
www.balancedaction.co.uk
– Coach & player clinics
to see the feedback from tennis
coaches who recently attended
our licensing course in Ireland.
– Seminars and public speaking for
sports and educational bodies
You can also book online, or call
Paul on +44 (0)7894 290325
If you would like to know more and
transform your coaching style then visit
www.balancedaction.co.uk for courses in
your area.
It will change the way you teach
tennis FOREVER!!
“With you every step of the way”
COACHING & INSTRUCTION
HIGH BACKHAND SMASH
HIGHBACKHAND
SMASH
By Clive Carrigan
UK Director,
Professional Tennis Registry
Widely regarded as the most
difficult shot in the game, the
high backhand smash is a stroke
that is forced from a player as
opposed to a selected shot. This
shot demands athleticism, timing,
good racket skill, and feel for the
ball and is a direct response to an
aggressive lob, usually topspin,
sent by the opponent high over
the backhand shoulder.
So what makes this shot so difficult? A combination of things:
racket is then ‘snapped’ upwards to the highest point of contact
the advanced court position of the net player combined with the possible, and usually there is not much follow-through.
accuracy of the ball played over their head, and the fact that this
Professionals try to finish the point on this stroke as their court
shot may be played completely facing away from the net.
position has definitely been compromised by the opponent, but
If a player is going to play at the net this shot is absolutely
it is not always possible. Sometimes the lob is so good that all
necessary, as most professionals will look to lob over the
that can be done is to get the ball back on the playing surface.
backhand side if they have the option. The stroke that a player
Several options are available to kill the ball with this shot. The
needs to counter may be either a top-spin lob, or a flat lob.
first is the flat powerful shot to the open space if the opponent
The aggressive top spin-lob, if weighted correctly, is very
is in a bad position. The second is the ‘inside out’ smash, where
difficult to counter. With its ferocious spin this shot will be
the player actually comes across the back of the ball to take it
rotating so fast that the trajectory of the falling ball can be very straight up the line. This demands exquisite timing and racket
sharp indeed. This makes the timing of the smash very difficult. head control, as it is very easy to hit the ball wide of the side
Professionals will be aiming to land this ball within about three line if it’s mistimed. Thirdly, and perhaps the most difficult of
feet of the baseline, hitting the ball very high and very
all, is to play the backhand smash with a short or extreme angle
aggressively.
cross-court. As athletic as today’s players are, they may even
be required to play any of these strokes whilst in the air. A well
If the approach shot has enough penetration to put the baseline
judged lob can necessitate a jump to reach the ball just to add
player under extreme pressure, the lob will probably be defensive,
to the difficulty of the stroke.
and flat. If however the preceding shot is too short, or bounces
sufficiently high enough, the aggressive topspin lob can be used. In general it is easier to make a player at the net play the
backhand smash from a forehand lob up the line, but if the
For the attacking player at the net, this is a difficult ball to put
cross-court lob is good enough it can also come from the
away, and if they do not hit a winner in response they may well
backhand side. With fewer players playing at the net nowadays,
lose the point. So they have to be aggressive! The player will
drawing the opponent in and lobbing over them is a valid tactic.
almost certainly have to move back from their net position to
Andy Murray is probably the world’s best exponent of the lob
track the ball, but also turn their back to the net so they are
right now, so anyone approaching against him may well need a
facing the back fence. The elbow of the racket arm is high, the
good backhand smash!
WORLD RANKINGS
WORLDRANKINGS
MEN
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
WOMEN
RAFAEL
NADAL
ROGER
FEDERER
ANDY
MURRAY
NOVAK
DJOKOVIC
JUAN MARTIN
DEL POTRO
ANDY
RODDICK
GILLES
SIMON
FERNANDO
VERDASCO
JO-WILFRIED
TSONGA
FERNANDO
GONZALEZ
Spain
Born: 03.06.1986
Lives: Manacor, Mallorca
Height: 6ft 1in
Weight: 188 lbs
1
DINARA
SAFINA
Russia
Born: 27.04.1986
Lives: Monte Carlo, Monaco
Height: 5ft 11in
Weight: 154 lbs
Career titles: 36
Career-high ranking: 1
Career titles: 11
Switzerland
Born: 08.08.1981
Lives: Bottmingen, Switzerland
Height: 6ft 1in
Weight: 187 lbs
USA
Born: 26.09.1981
Lives: Florida, USA
Height: 5ft 9in
Weight: 150 lbs
2
SERENA
WILLIAMS
Career title: 59
Career titles: 33
Scotland
Born: 15.05.1987
Lives: Dunblane, Scotland
Height: 6ft 3in
Weight: 185 lbs
USA
Born: 17.06.1980
Lives: Florida, USA
Height: 6ft 1in
Weight: 160 lbs
3
VENUS
WILLIAMS
Career titles: 12
Career titles: 41
Serbia
Born: 22.05.1987
Height: 6ft 2in
Weight: 176 lbs
Russia
Born: 15.10.1981
Height: 5ft 11in
Weight: 141 lbs
4
ELENA
DEMENTIEVA
Career titles: 13
Career titles: 13
Argentina
Born: 23.09.1988
Lives: Tandil, Argentina
Height: 6ft 6in
Weight: 182 lbs
Russia
Born: 27.06.1985
Height: 5ft 8in
Weight: 161 lbs
5
SVETLANA
KUZNETSOVA
Career titles: 5
Career titles: 11
USA
Born: 30.08.1982
Lives: Austin, Texas, USA
Height: 6ft 2in
Weight: 195 lbs
Serbia
Born: 28.02.1985
Lives: Belgrade, Serbia
Height: 5ft 9in
Weight: 130 lbs
6
JELENA
JANKOVIC
Career titles: 27
Career titles: 10
France
Born: 27.02.1984
Lives: Neuchatel, Switzerland
Height: 5ft 11in
Weight: 152 lbs
Russia
Born: 07.09.1984
Lives: Moscow, Russia
Height: 5ft 3 3/4in
Weight: 130 lbs
7
VERA
ZVONAREVA
Career titles: 5
Career titles: 9
Spain
Born: 15.11.1983
Lives: Madrid, Spain
Height: 6ft 2in
Weight: 179 lbs
Belarus
Born: 31.07.1989
Lives: Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Height: 5ft 10in
Weight: 132lbs
8
VICTORIA
AZARENKA
Career titles: 2
Career titles: 3
France
Born: 17.04.1985
Lives: La Rippe, Switzerland
Height: 6ft 2in
Weight: 200 lbs
Denmark
Born: 11.07.1990
Height: 5ft 10in
Weight: 128lbs
9
CAROLINE
WOZNIACKI
Career titles: 4
Career titles: 4
Chile
Born: 29.07.1980
Lives: Santiago, Chile
Height: 6ft
Weight: 180 lbs
Russia
Born: 08.06.1982
Height: 5ft 10in
Weight: 143 lbs
Career titles: 11
10
NADIA
PETROVA
Career titles: 9
FROZEN IN TIME:
HINGIS BLOWS HER COOL
FROZENINTIME
HINGISBLOWSHERCOOL
It was tears and tantrums at the 1999 French
Open when Martina Hingis lost to the super-cool
Steffi Graf.
Martina Hingis had so many great
moments throughout her career. But
Saturday 5th June 1999 was one when
she must have wished the court beneath
her feet would swallow her up.
She was up against Steffi Graf in the final
of Roland Garros. The German was
playing out the last days of her career,
while the Swiss miss was only five years
into hers, and hungry for the one Grand
Slam title that still eluded her.
It all started swimmingly for 18-year-old
Hingis, with the first set going her way,
six games to four. But in the second set
there were signs that she wasn’t quite as
comfortable as her smiles suggested. In
the third game she refused to accept a
dubious line call and marched across to
Graf’s end of the court to point out what
she believed was the real mark left on the
clay by her shot. This action, which is
against the rules, earned her a penalty
point; but more damaging was her surly
reaction to being disciplined which
triggered an instant hostility towards her
from virtually every fan in the stadium.
From that moment on she became the
crowd’s whipping girl, regularly jeered,
booed and whistled at.
Given her petulance, this was hardly
surprising. As the match ground on into
the third set, the spectators became
increasingly belligerent. When Hingis took
an extended toilet break and re-emerged
sporting a new outfit and hairstyle, the
barracking and catcalls became even
worse. They seemed outraged that this
bratty teenager should dare to keep them
and her opponent waiting. Hingis became
more and more despondent; her
trademark smile was erased and her head
drooped uncharacteristically.
Meanwhile Graf, buoyed by the chants of
“Steffi! Steffi!” and Mexican waves in her
honour, upped her game. Seldom in the
history of tennis has a Grand Slam crowd
been so vehemently pro one player and at
the same time so viciously anti the other.
Trailing 5-2 in the deciding set, and
serving to stay in the match, Hingis
began to look more and more desperate.
By Dominic Bliss
She further antagonised the crowd by
twice serving underarm on match point.
Although perfectly legal, the tactic was,
and still is, considered highly
unsportsmanlike. It stayed the execution
for a few minutes but eventually Graf
closed the match, her twenty-second and
final Grand Slam title, 4-6 7-5 6-2.
Hingis was inconsolable. She rushed off
court in floods of tears before the trophy
could be presented. There was then a very
uncomfortable delay before she was
coaxed back into the stadium by her
mother and coach Melanie Molitor. But she
remained petulant and when an official
attempted to guide her towards the
podium, Hingis slapped her on the arm.
It all made for highly entertaining tennis.
The match was later voted by tennis fans
as the greatest match in the 30-year
history of the WTA Tour.
Hingis doesn’t look back on it quite as
fondly. When she later retired from the
sport she said it was the only moment of
her career that she regretted.

International Tennis Magazine - July 2009

Transcription

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