Tennis World

"Champions keep playing until they get it right"

Andy Murray

Destined to be a Champion

Viktor Troicki

Back With A Vengeance

Tecnica Tennis

Coaching On And Off TheCourt

N°18 - July

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Destined to be a Champion

by David Cox

An interview with Andy Murray

For the often fickle British sporting public,Wimbledon was always the tournament whichwould come to define Andy Murray’s career, eversince he burst onto the international scene as an18 year old wildcard with both electrifying talentand poise back in 2005.“It's an incredibly difficult tournament to win,”Murray has always reminded reporters.“To win any tournament back to back, nevermind a Grand Slam, on a surface wheresometimes a set rests on a few points, it's notalways going to go your way.”Early on in his career, Murray often resented theintense focus which surrounded his every move

at SW19. While his game seemed naturallysuited to grass, he preferred both the surfaceand the atmosphere of the US Open, thetournament he won as a junior back in 2004.Two of Murray’s defining career breakthroughswould come first in New York, he reached hisdebut Grand Slam final at Flushing Meadows in2008 before clinching a long awaited first majortitle there in 2012. However Murray alwaysknew that in the minds of many fans, he wouldneed to succeed at Wimbledon and end the longwait since Fred Perry’s triumph in 1936 for amen’s singles champion, in order for his careerto fully receive the respect it deserves.

New York may have captured Murray’s imagination as ajunior but he was first inspired to chase his dream as aprofessional player by watching the exploits of his idol AndreAgassi at Wimbledon 1992 with his brother Jamie. Twelve years later, both Murray brothers are able to sit backand reflect on the fact that they’ve both got their names onthe famous honours board. Andy broke down in tears while watching Jamie clinch themixed doubles title in 2007 and the entire nation came to astandstill as Andy won a gripping encounter with NovakDjokovic to clinch the singles title in 2013.“It's great that we both have managed to get our name on thewall at the All England Club,” Murray said. “We didn’tactually get to fully catch up and reflect on it until theAustralian summer hard-court season at the start of thisyear. He had to fly out for a tournament the day before theWimbledon final, and then ended up going on quite a goodrun right up to the end of the season with his doublespartner John (Peers). But it’s great. We’re both reallycompetitive so there is always banter flying backwards andforwards.”Murray’s Wimbledon victory also finally sealed him a placein his nation’s affections. While his rivals at the top of thegame have long been idolised in their respective countries,almost since the start of their careers, it’s only recently thatMurray’s popularity in the UK has really soared.

Murray’s Wimbledon victory also finally sealed him a place in his nation’s affections

“The younger guys are now obviously becomingmore mature and improving all the time.”

Britain demands its sportsmen to be sparklingTV personalities as well as great athletes, andMurray’s angst-ridden on-court demeanour andmatter-of-fact interview manner has not alwaysgone down well with the viewers.“The last few years at Wimbledon have been veryimportant tournaments in my career, and alsofor me as a person, as well,” he said. “Soobviously I'll look back on them fondly. I havevery good memories from Centre Court. It's aspecial court for me.”But while Murray’s approach to interviews maynot always convey the kind of instant excitementthe TV audiences crave, it illustrates the intensedrive to achieve perfection which has taken himto the peak of his sport.

After a disappointing straight sets defeat toGrigor Dimitrov in the Wimbledon quarter-finals, ending the defence of his title on a ratherforlorn note, he could have sought excuses.Instead the response was simple, ‘I need to workharder.’“I need to go away and make a lot ofimprovements in my game,” he said. “I've lost acouple of matches in the last few slams whereI've lost in straight sets and played poorly. So Ineed to have a think about things, what are thethings I need to improve, and get myself inbetter shape and work even harder. Becauseeveryone's starting to get better. The youngerguys are now obviously becoming more matureand improving all the time.”

“It’s probably the closest the tour has ever beenin terms competition, it’s got tougher foreveryone to win tournaments not just theyounger guys, which is great for the fans. One ofthe main reasons I can play the way I play isbecause of my physical conditioning. I’ve spent alot of time in the gym to try and get myself inbest possible condition I can to win whatevertournament I’m playing.”Emilio Sanchez who coached Murray for manyyears as a teenager at his academy in Barcelonasays that he’s always possessed those inatequalities necessary to be a champion.“He was always mentally tough,” he said. “Healways had very clear and determined idea of

what he wanted and he took the steps which hefelt were necessary to achieve his objectives. Andhe’s always been very passionate even if hedoesn’t always show it. He substituted the thingswhich were maybe initially lacking in his gamewith that passion. And that’s why he’s reachedthe top in the world and has won Grand Slams.”“For example, he always used to play in a verysmall area on the court. He was a goodcompetitor, a good counter-puncher but he wasnot getting to the ball so well as the Spanishplayers so we worked a lot on his footwork. Withthe Spanish guys, it always seems like they havemore options of where to hit the ball and that’sbecause of their movement. Andy began to moveso well than whether he was defending orattacking, he was always extremely consistent.He also became stronger physically so that hecould counter-punch and do it for far longer sothe other player had to take more risks and makemore mistakes.”Murray himself says that his appetite for workand inner belief in his ability was instilled at avery young age.“From a very young age I played a lot againstplayers that were much older than me, whichwas great for my confidence,” he explained.“When I moved up to the higher levels ofcompetition it was easier for me to compete andplay my best tennis.

The key moment for me was winning the US Open junior title

It also gave me confidence and that self belief, sowhen I played, I believed I could win. Winning big tournaments like the Orange Bowlas a junior (he won the U14 title at just 12), fillsyou with confidence that maybe one day you cancompete at the highest level. The key moment for me was winning the USOpen junior title, which was when I started tothink that maybe I could make the step up tobecome a pro. The key is to never stop workingthough, you can always improve.”

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Back With A Vengeance

by Rossana Capobianco

Back in Gstaad after being banned for a year due to a failed drugtest, Viktor Troicki is ready to put the past behind and get onwith playing the best tennis of his career.

Viktor is back on the Tour. On the red clay ofGstaad, where he was granted a wild card, hehopes to put the past year behind him. Friendsof the Serbian – and he is a popular player –remain convinced of his innocence, and arehappy to have him back among them. Apartfrom his friends, there are many other peoplewho still have faith in the Troicki. His newsponsor, Lotto Sport Italy, definitely do not haveany doubts about his innocence or his ability toperform at a high level in the coming monthsand years.Certainly, his suspension was one of thestrangest episodes in professional tennis insome time, and though Troicki is keen to moveon, he recounted his experience for us.

It all started in Monaco in 2013, when the Serbrefused to take a drug test because of an illnessin particular, and a fear of needles in general. Hesaid it would have worsened his condition. Heasked to postpone the test to the next day andDr. Elena Gorodilova, the authority on theground, said yes. Troicki signed a document hebelieved to be a notification of the request, butwhich was instead a ploy to shift the blame tohimself. The ITF suspended him for 18 months.From that moment on, Troicki went on thewarpath."If I was a top player this story would never havehappened. For me it's crazy that she [the personwho told him he could delay the test] is still inplace. I met her only on the day of the appealand the lies she told about me and my coachreally hurt me. It will be hard for me to forgetthis story. I know they wanted to protect theirpeople, but I think in this case it would havebeen better for everyone if she told the truth."When he appealed the decision he got sixmonths knocked off his suspension.Now that he can play again, his motivation isgreater than ever.

"I'm fine and I feel perfectly fit, maybe I've never felt better,”he said. “I'm really motivated to start again. After Gstaad Iwill go to Kitzbuehel, after which I will move to Italy to play afew Challengers: San Marino, Cordenons, Genoa. Then wewill see where I am and I will decide the schedule for the restof the season."

His team has not changed from before the suspension. "My coach, Jack Reader, will be with me. With him isJelisavcic Milos, my trainer. It was really great for them tohave waited and continued to be close to me. We will worktogether from the first day of Gstaad. I am very grateful tothem. A year out is a lot, maybe it will take me a few monthsor a few tournaments to get back to normal. I have not had achance to confront the high-level players, so it will be verydifficult. I'll have to fight harder and try to play my besttennis."

The objectives of the Serb is clear: "To be a better player thanI was. At the end of the year I hope to return to the Top 100,it will not be easy but it's the only thing I can do since I willnot have a chance to play the big tournaments. Next year, Iwant to return to full speed on the Tour and improve myselfmore and more."

At the end of the year I hope to return to the Top 100, it will not be easy but it's the only thing I can do since I will not have a chance to play the big tournaments

It was a hard lesson to learn, but Trocki’sexperience will surely help other players avoid asimilar fate in the future

Novak Djokovic, his long-time friend, was one ofhis main supporters over the past year. "I metseveral players at tournaments and Monte Carlowhere I train. Each player has been really nice tome, some have understood the situation andwere very supportive. Others sent me messagesto show support."

It was a hard lesson to learn, but Trocki’sexperience will surely help other players avoid asimilar fate in the future. And now that he isback on the Tour, he intends to make up for losttime. We will be eagerly awaiting his results, andfrom what we have seen, he may return to theupper echelons of the game sooner than anyonewould have thought.

Out Of The Darkness AndInto The Light

by Fabrizio Fidecaro

With an unexpected revival at Wimbledon after a longperiod of darkness, Petra Kvitova is back.

At the end of 2011, Petra Kvitova was almostunanimously considered as the future of tennison the WTA Tour. She had finished the seasonin second place in the rankings behind CarolineWozniacki, having won Wimbledon, the WTATour Championships, the Paris indoors, Madridand Linz.

Champion interruptedThe next two seasons, however, did not go asplanned for the Czech. Though she remained aconstant presence in the Top Ten, she no longercompeted well in the Majors. She did winsmaller tournaments here and there, and even

the Fed Cup in 2012, but her reputation was nolonger one of a top player.By all accounts, 2014 was shaping up to beperhaps her worst season. On the eve of Wimbledon, Petra was rankedsixteenth on Road to Singapore. Her calendar had seen premature exits at all theGrand Slams, including an ugly third round exitat Roland Garros. She had not reached a final atall, with just two semi-finals (Sydney andMadrid) and three quarter-finals (Doha, Miamiand Eastbourne).Then, out of nowhere, she recaptured theincredible power that many thought would make

her a true rival for Serena Williams. And it came just in timefor the biggest tournament of the year. The power had alwaysbeen there, of course, but it often misfired, and consistencywas a constant struggle. At Wimbledon, however, everythingsuddenly clicked once again.

Reborn on grassSo what changed in London, beyond the fact that grassseems to bring out the best in her? At first glance, nothing.At least that is what she said: "The physical and mentalpreparation? It was very similar to three years ago. I need tobe 100 percent because I know it will be tough. And I knew itin 2011, so there is no difference."Her pre-match routine, including her diet, also remained thesame.But a closer look reveals some other details. In 2011 shedrove a Skoda, and now she has a BMW. Perhaps moreimportantly, she is fitter now than she was a year ago, andhas lost the extra weight she sported for a while. This mostdefinitely helped her out in the longer matches, wherefatigue had felled her in years past.Her mental maturity has also made a big difference in thelong term. While players such as Pete Sampras, NovakDjokovic and Serena Williams all won Majors as youngsters,they dealt with it better than Kvitova. It took her three yearsto really settle into her new role as a top player.

Her mental maturity has also made a big difference in the long term

"I do not know if I was too young when I won my firstGrand Slam," she said a Wimbledon, "but I'm certainlyproud of that success..."

"I do not know if I was too young when I won myfirst Grand Slam," she said a Wimbledon, "butI'm certainly proud of that success. I hope,however, that now my time has come. I will doeverything I can to make it so."

The first Grand Slam hurtsIt was difficult for her to come to grips with hernewfound fame after winning at SW19 in 2011."I was everywhere," she recalled recently, "in thenewspapers, on TV, everywhere. I was notprepared for such a situation, I did not knowhow to handle it, because I had no idea how itfelt. I had to win every match I played just forthe fact that I was a Grand Slam champion andeveryone expected me to be the best.

That's not how it works. Now I have learned somuch, of course. I hope that past experience canhelp me." A big help has been Michael Safar, the sportspsychologist who has worked with her since2010. He only started touring with her sinceRoland Garros, but it has paid off quickly.“I believe that together we have done a very goodjob,” she admitted. "At times I felt a bit downbecause of the high expectations of the peoplearound me. He gave me a big hand to handle thepressure and stay focused at all times of thematch."In the past Safar had tried to teach her how tomask her emotions during matches so as not tohelp opponents.

Petra has always been an open book, wearingher heart on her sleeve. The psychologist tried tomake her as inscrutable as possible, but Kvitovastruggled to emulate the likes of Sharapova. Theenergy required to suppress her emotionseventually caused her tennis to suffer.

Finally, the turning point?So Safar gave up the idea of trying to keep herquiet. Instead he focused on relaxation andfocus exercises. The results were easily seen atWimbledon, where Kvitova dominated thetournament from the start. Her only strugglecame in the third round, but she dealt withformer champion Venus Williams eventually,

and cruised through the rest of the event. In thefinal against Eugenie Bouchard, she lost onlythree games.Will this finally be the turning point in hercareer? It could be. Kvitova is an unpredictableplayer, and we would not be surprised to see herat the top spot. But at the same time it would notsurprise us to see her at 10. The next US Openwill be an important test in this regard. In NewYork, Petra has never gone beyond the firstknockout round, demonstrating her lack offeeling for the concrete of Flushing Meadows. Astrange fact given that her tournamentpreparation has often gone well in the past. Twoyears ago she won both Montréal and NewHaven.

A new beginningIn short, it is now clear that from Petra we canexpect anything and everything. But who knows,maybe her second Wimbledon trophy will finallygive her the balance she needs.

Czech Renaissance

by Diego Barbiani

Wimbledon was a wonderful time for Czechtennis. Petra Kvitova, of course, won thetournament, while Lucie Safarova, TerezaSmitkova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycovaalso posted good results in the main draw. Inthe junior event, Marketa Vondrousova reachedthe semi-finals. Indeed, after a period ofstruggle, it seems as if Czech tennis is back in abig way.

After Martina Navratilova dominated thewomen’s game for decades, Hana Mandlikovaand Jana Novotna picked up where she left off,at least in some ways. But after they retired,there were few female Czech players who did

There were many reasons for the lack of newyoung talent. One of the main contributors wasthe fact that with Lendl and Navratilova gone,there were not really any role models foraspiring Czech youngsters to look up to.The drought was more heavily felt among thewomen, who suffered through almost a decadewithout any players near the top of the game.Though some did find limited success on thecourt, most of the Czech players looked muchbetter than they played.Nicole Vaidisova is a prime example. From ayoung age she was pegged as the future of Czechtennis, and by the age of 15 had already won an

ITF title. She shot up through the rankings andin 2007 was at number 7 in the world. However,just when she seemed to hit her stride as a topplayer, she abruptly retired. She cited injuryconcerns as the main reason for her retirement,but many suspected at the time that themotivation was just not there anymore.It wouldn’t be until 2010 that Czech tennis fanswould truly have something to cheer about. Inthat year, they were introduced to the incrediblepower of Petra Kvitova. She quickly becameknown as one the biggest hitters on the WTATour, frequently blowing her opponents off thecourt. A year later she won her first Grand Slamtitle on the prestigious lawns of Wimbledon.

The victory was made even more significant bythe fact that she beat Maria Sharapova in thefinal, 6-3, 6-4.After her Wimbledon triumph, she struggled tomaintain the sort of form that saw her lift thetrophy at SW19. She remained in the Top 10, butdidn’t quite dominate in the way many hadexpected her to. But she kept fighting, and herparticipation in the Fed Cup ensured that theCzech Republic had one of the most formidableteams in years. In 2011 and 2012 they easily won the Fed Cup,beating first Russia and then Serbia. The team atone point racked up 11 straight victories. Buteven more important than winning for Kvitovawas the fact that the competition brought hercloser to her teammates. She became goodfriends with Lucie Safarova, which is ratherremarkable considering that friendships on theWTA Tour are not all that common. The two hadto play each other in the Wimbledon semi-finalsthis year, and Safarova was happy for Kvitovawhen she won.Safarova has been playing particularly well oflate, with many believing that it all started whenshe won the decisive point to give the Czechs theFed Cup against Serbia. It boosted herconfidence immeasurably, and though it took awhile for her to start posting good results, onceshe got going she proved hard to stop.

Just a year ago the Czech Republic had only fivehighly ranked players, and today it is up to eight.

In addition to her exploits at Wimbledon, shealso reached the fourth round at the FrenchOpen, beating Ana Ivanovic along the way.Barbora Zahlavova Strycova is perhaps the leastwell known of the new Czech superstars, andmost people will recall her name only as itpertains to a doping case, which cost her a sixmonth suspension in 2013. But since then shehas slowly become better and better, reachingthe finals in Birmingham and then the quarter-finals at Wimbledon. She beat some big namesen route to the last eight, including Li Na andCaroline Wozniacki. The young Smitkova, though she has littleexperience, is also making her case for beingconsidered as the future of Czech tennis.

Having never reached the main draw of a Slambefore, she reached the fourth round ofWimbledon in 2014 – quite a feat indeed. Shetrains at the national tennis center in Prostejov,where the likes of Tomas Berdych also trained.Interesting up-and-comers like MarketaVondrousova and Marie Bouzkova also frequentthe center.Just a year ago the Czech Republic had only fivehighly ranked players, and today it is up to eight.Given that so many of those players are stillyoung, it is not a stretch to say that Czech tennismight be entering another golden age.

Comeback Queen?

by Laura Saggio

Maybe she will not still be playingprofessionally at 50, like the unsurpassableMartina Navratilova, but Martina Hingis doesnot seem ready to hang up her racket just yet.With her return to the circuit as a doublesplayer, she plans to prove she can still competeat a high level.

"I still want to play." These were the words of theformer world number one, Martina Hingis, aftershe and Sabine Lisicki won the doubles event inMiami earlier this year. They defeated EkaterinaMakarova and Elena Vesnina in the final instraight sets. Hingis quickly proved that shecould still wield a racket competitively and makeevery shot count.The Swiss star officially retired from tennis in2007, and apart from a short comeback attemptin doubles alongside Daniela Hantuchova lastyear, she has steered clear of the sport. Exactly what she hopes to accomplish withthis latest comeback attempt is unclear.

She parted ways with Sabine Lisicki in June, soa lasting doubles partnership seems out of thequestion, but she did leave the possibility offurther professional play open.“The separation was made by mutualagreement,” the Hingis said of the split. “I stillwant to play. I can still do it and I want to focuson my tennis."Certainly Hingis is negotiation unchartedwaters. Very few players on the WTA Tour areolder than 30, and at 33 Hingis would be one ofthe oldest. While some, like Serena Williams,have managed to remain competitive after 30,drawing on a wealth of experience, Hingis hasthe added difficulty of not having reallycompeted for the past seven years. Given thatshe might even try and play singles (“Step bystep, we'll see”) things may turn out to be verytough for her indeed.That being said, Hingis has been surprising hercritics since her first day on Tour. It would notsurprise us if she somehow managed to carveout a second career for herself, even if it is not assuccessful as her previous one had been.Whatever she decides to do, we are certainlykeen to see how it plays out!

Kingmaker

by Gianluca Atlante

An interview with Nick Bollettieri

It cannot be coincidence. Twelve of his studentshave reached the top of the world rankings.Agassi, Becker, Courier, Rios and Pete Samprasamong the men, and Capriati, Hingis, Jankovic,Seles and Venus and Serena Williams among thewomen. But Nick Bollettieri does not like tofocus too much on the past – he is alwayslooking ahead. Above all he has a firm belief thathis philosophy can help players become the bestversions of themselves, and reach the top of thegame.On a rainy day during Wimbledon’s first week,we met up with Bollettieri at the All EnglandClub. After wrapping up a commitment with the

BBC, he arrived as punctual and positive asalways. It would be his last interview beforeentering the Hall of Fame.

We are in a transition period, or so itseems...What is your point of view, arewe entering a period of less excitement?"The court today is as bright as it was yesterday.No, do not worry. Even after the decline ofSampras and Agassi everyone thought we werein a moment of transition, even a crisis. Andinstead, you saw what happened."

Does this mean rivalries will always bethe bread and butter of the sport?"Without a shadow of a doubt. Meanwhile, itseems to me that the four strongest men,Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Murray, havewaned. There are various youngsters likeDimitrov, Raonic and Tomic who are playingwell. It would also be a mistake to ignoreNishikori. I think they are much closer to the topguys than you might think."

On who would you bet of all those names?"Overall, Kei Nishikori. He has the qualities toemerge as a great talent and has alreadydemonstrated his abilities.

He knows how to defend, how to attack andseems to me a complete player. There is also bigroom for improvement."

One thing is certain: today you requiremuch more muscle to succeed."This is true, and I have little to add on thesubject. Only that physical fitness still doesn’tget enough attention. Today, the ball travels veryfast, this is true, but there's more in addition topower, you have to be fitter and stronger,mentally and physically. I do not think Djokovic,Nadal, Federer and Murray are good justbecause they hit hard."

Who is the best player right now?"There's not one, but four. The answer comesfrom the Majors, from Slam wins. Nadal hasproven to be the strongest on clay, but on thegrass and hard courts he may encounterdifficulties. Djokovic is highly competitive andFederer will never fade. His class will allow himto compete for years. Murray is a great player, hewill get back to winning."

Over the past decade, except for DelPotro at the US Open in 2008 andStanislas Wawrinka at the AustralianOpen this year, only the "Fab Four" havewon Slams. What is the reason for allthis?

"In tournaments that count, such as the GrandSlams, they step up their game. They have thestamina and talent and strength to handle theimportant moments. It is no coincidence that,Nadal and Federer, together, have won 31 GrandSlams."

Among women, however, there seems tobe more of a balance. Halep andBouchard, for instance, are new facesplaying well. "Yes, all true, but when Serena wants to playwell, she always makes the difference. Sharapovashowed that, at Roland Garros, she is still great.It is true that there are many good young playerscoming up, but when it comes to crunch time I

think Serena and Sharapova know what to do towin."

In essence, the tennis is changing? "It could not be otherwise. Even the courts arechanging. Beware, though, I want to reiteratethat it will not be exclusively muscle thatdetermines the new elite. Dimitrov andNishikori, for example, are not that big, but areable to play at a very high level."

Australia’s New Hope

by Diego Barbiani

Center Court, Wimbledon. It is match point for Nick Kyrgios, and heis on the verge of pulling off the greatest win of his career againstworld number one Rafael Nadal.

Center Court, Wimbledon. It is match point forNick Kyrgios, and he is on the verge of pullingoff the greatest win of his career against worldnumber one Rafael Nadal. He hits an ace. Andnot just any ace, but one that zips down thecourt with the speed and fury of a meteor.Indeed, Kyrgios himself hit Wimbledon likesome sort of shooting star, and it seems as ifthat star is only beginning to rise.

So begins the tale of the young Australian who,to the surprise of everyone including himself,knocked out of the best players of the pastdecade in the fourth round at Wimbledon.

Since that time the name Kyrgios has been heardin every corner of the planet. But close observersof the ATP Tour have been aware of thisyoungster for some time, with many pegginghim as the next big thing in men’s tennis. Hecertainly has the weapons to dominate at a highlevel, starting with his serve. It’s a devastatingdelivery which he can hit with both power andaccuracy. If he can get his ground game to thesame level, he will be very dangerous indeed.There was a certain amount of irony in hisvictory over Nadal. It is the first time in nineyears that a teenager has beaten a world numberone.

The last person to do it? Rafael Nadal in 2005, when he beatRoger Federer in the French Open semi-finals. The Spaniardlost in four sets, just as Federer had on that day in Paris.Nadal was overwhelmed by the young Australian’s incrediblepower and unplayable serve. Just a few days earlier Kyrgios had been on the verge ofdefeat against Richard Gasquet, but he saved nine matchpoints and came back from a two-set deficit to eventuallyoust the Frenchman.Nick Kyrgios is just 19 years old, but he already looks like aman. He has the stereotypical physique of a modern tennisplayer – strong, slender and tall (1.93 meters). But he doesn’texactly look like every other guy on Tour. His hairstyle seems like something the lead singer of a punkband might wear, and the many chains that dangle aroundhis neck do not exactly strike the viewer as terribly practical.He is aware that he stands out, and doesn’t mind a bit.“I like people to have fun with me,” he said at Wimbledon. “Icannot think just of winning, I hope to be worth the price ofadmission." Noble words indeed, especially in the modern game when somany players seem to be carbon copies of one another.Tennis loves a character, and he certainly is that.

“I like people to have fun with me”

But why has the general public not heard ofKyrgios before today? Much of it has to do with a cautious approach bypundits, journalists and fans. Over the past fewyears, many a player has been tagged as the nextbig thing, only to disappear into obscurity a yearlate. This is especially true in Australia, a proudtennis country that has been lured into falsehope many times of late. One need only look at Bernard Tomic forevidence of this. He was the great Australianhope for a long time, but now is on nobody’sradar when it comes to winning events of anyimportance.

Now it is Kyrgios’ turn. Born in Canberra to aGreek father and Malaysian mother, Australiantennis fans have a new hero to root for. "Thatboy has two huge balls," Radek Stepanek said ofKyrgios some time ago. After Wimbledon, it ishard to disagree.

Decisions, decisionsKyrgios attended college at Radford in Australiauntil the eighth year, then chose to continue histraining at Daralman College in Canberra. Hestarted playing tennis at the age of seven whenhis mother, Norlalia, gave him a tennis racket.But tennis was not his true passion, as he lovedbasketball above all else as a youngster. He adored the Boston Celtics, and to this daycan often be seen wearing basketball outfits.But eventually he was forced to choose betweenthe two sports, and he chose tennis because hebelieved he had a more realistic chance of doingwell in that sport. He was already 14 years old when he decided towork full time on his tennis, but he quicklybecame a very competent player. Motivation has never been a problem forKyrgios, who from early on has stated that hisobjective is to become number one in the world.He has never been afraid of anything, especiallynot hard work.

At 17 he was the top-ranked junior in the world,and he has found the transition to professionalplay to be relatively smooth

At 17 he was the top-ranked junior in the world,and he has found the transition to professionalplay to be relatively smooth.He has already started earning respect amonghis peers. Roger Federer recently invited him toSwitzerland for a week of training, but for themost part he trains with his friend andcompatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis. He, too, is ofGreek origin and loves basketball."He is even more talented than me," Kyrgiosonce said of Kokkinakis. At the Australian Open, Kyrgios was in thestands to cheer for Kokkinakis during his matchagainst Igor Sijsling.

The two have fun together, and try to be assupportive as possible. The ATP Tour can be alonely and competitive place, and having afriend to lean on has certainly made thingseasier for both of them.

Great expectationsBut of course when two people are bothcompeting in the same field, it is only a matter oftime until they have to face each other. This isexactly what happened when the two friends hadto face off in the final of the junior AustralianOpen. Luckily, they handled the situation well,and often play doubles together (they won theWimbledon juniors title).

Kyrgios eventually ran afoul of Milos Raonic atWimbledon, perhaps the only person at thetournament with a bigger serve than him

With Hewitt long past his prime and Tomic inconstant trouble off the court, these two mightjust be the face of Australian tennis for years tocome."Thanasi? I miss him very much," Kyrgios saidat Wimbledon in reference to his partner, whohad returned home after the NottinghamChallenger to complete his studies. Kyrgios thenpledged to donate five pounds to the ElenaBaltacha foundation for every ace he served.Kyrgios eventually ran afoul of Milos Raonic atWimbledon, perhaps the only person at thetournament with a bigger serve than him. Butunlike the players who had beaten Nadal atWimbledon in the past, like Steve Darcis andLukas Rosol, Kyrgios seems to be just gettingstarted.

Living Legend

by Federico Coppini

An interview with Ken Rosewall

Wimbledon Park, 10 AM on the morning ofWednesday, 25 June. The grass is still green at the All England Club.The taxi journey that brought us from Gate 14 atHeathrow airport to SW 19 was short andintense. The black cab is like a sort of time machine, andonce you get into one you cannot help but castyour mind back to the past. On this day the feeling is particularly strong, as Iam travelling to meet with one of the greattennis legends of the past, Ken Rosewall.Looking strapping in a suit and tie, he greets mewarmly.

In his hand he is holding a copy of hisautobiography, “Muscles,” which he wrote withRichard Naughton. Looking at him, it strikes mewhat he managed to accomplish at Wimbledon.He reached his first final in 1954, where he lostto Jaroslav Drobny. Twenty years later, hemanaged to reach the final again. Though he lost, his staying power was absolutelyincredible, and it remains unsurpassed to thisday.He never did manage to win at SW19, but he didwin the US Open in 1956 by defeating Lew Hoadin the final.

Incredibly, he won again 16 years later againstTony Roche. Companies are founded, flourishand die in the kind of time between Rosewall’stwo US Open triumphs.Of course, much of Rosewall’s career was playedbefore the Open era, which robs his stats of theshine that they would have had if he had he beenborn just a bit later. All in all, he was barredfrom playing in 45 Grand Slam tournamentsbecause he had turned professional."You were the greatest," I tell him at one point,surprising both of us.He smiled graciously, but he quickly correctsme. "I'll tell you who I really was the greatest,"he smiles, "Pancho Gonzales!"

"When we were professionals, we played againsteach other at least 70 times and I beat him ononly eight occasions.”His biography deals with much of his time asboth an amateur and a professional, and alsofocuses on the last Wimbledon final he played. It was an emotional time for Rosewall to play inthe Championship Match again after such a longabsence."I lost in three sets to Jimmy Connors,” he says.“You will not believe it, but it was my best matchat the Championships. I was forty years old andcompeting in my fourth Wimbledon final." Hefirst played in a Wimbledon final in 1954, wherehe lost against Jaroslav Drobny. He reached the Championship Match again twoyears later but lost to Lew Hoad. Then in 1970, it was John Newcombe’s turn todeny him the joy of completing a career GrandSlam. Connors denied him his last chance. "I never won here, but I have wonderfulmemories. I played four finals. The people loveme, the Club invites me every year, I feel athome."People also constantly recognize him around thegrounds.When they see him sitting at a small tablehaving a drink, he will invite them to sit down.Rosewall loves to tell stories, and they are alwaysfascinating.

"I'll tell you who I really was the greatest," hesmiles, "Pancho Gonzales!"

Recently, for example, he went to the old homeof John Newcombe in Sydney to play tennis withhis wife, Angelika Pfannenburg. He realized thenet was broken in some places. The next day heshowed up with some old shoelaces to patch thenet. Newcome was at home on all surfaces whenhe played, from grass to clay, and delightedcrowds for years with his elegant backhand andpowerful forehand. Today, he is as comfortable dealing with fans offthe court as he was dealing with opponents onthe court back then, and he has become anunlikely and passionate ambassador for moderntennis. We just wish he could have competed atmore Grand Slam championships when he wasin his prime. Had he been able to, the recordsbooks might look very different today.

The Rise Of TheSupercoach

by Valerio Carriero

A breath of fresh air is flowing through themen’s Tour. The stars of yesteryear have comeback to the court to compete again, though notin the same way they used to. It was started by Andy Murray in 2011, whenhe hired Ivan Lendl to be his coach. It was a long and profitable partnership, whichled the Scot winning two Grand Slams andending the British drought at Wimbledon. The experiment’s success caught the attention ofother top players, who have sought to emulateMurray’s actions.

Novak Djokovic, who has for long worked

with Marian Vajda as his coach, surprised theworld by adding Boris Becker to his team.Becker revealed that he was contactedimmediately after the loss of the number oneranking in the autumn of 2013. Theircollaboration began in 2014, but results wereslow to come. The volley which the Serb hit onmatch point against Wawrinka in Melbournelooked like a bad joke with someone like Beckerlooking on from the coach’s box. There weresome whispers that Vajda and Becker did not getalong, but Djokovic remained steadfast: "Theresults will be seen over time, Boris has helpedme a lot in terms of mental health."

Nevertheless, the unsatisfactory French Openfinal which the Serb lost badly to Nadal did littleto reinforce the idea that Becker was addingmuch value to proceedings. That validation wasnot far off, however, as a few weeks laterDjokovic would clinch a second Wimbledon titleas well as the world number one ranking. It’snow hard to argue that their collaboration hasbeen anything less than a rousing success, evenif it did take a while to start paying off.

Roger Federer would not be outdone by Noleand Murray, of course, and he opted to hireStefan Edberg as his adviser. The union wasmade official in the last days of 2013, and the

results were immediate. After a disastrous 2013,Federer reached the semi-final at the AustralianOpen, won in Dubai over Djokovic and reachedthe final of the ATP 1000 event in Monte Carlo. This was soon followed by victory at Halle and afinals appearance at the Championships.Certainly not a bad year for the Swiss, both onand off the court. Though he did lose the Wimbledon final, heplayed incredibly well throughout the fortnight.He approached the net more than he has inyears, an obvious effect of his collaboration withEdberg. He will be full of confidence heading into theNorth American hard court season, and mightvery well threaten the field at the US Open.

Though not quite as high profile of a move,Stanislas Wawrinka’s teaming up withMagnus Norman has paid off in a big way.Not only did he win the Australian Open, but hefollowed that up with a victory in Monte Carloand a solid performance at Wimbledon. The Swiss is nearly guaranteed of a spot in theATP World Tour Finals for a second year in arow, and adding to his accomplishments withRobin Soderling, Norman can definitely beconsidered as one of the best coaches of hisgeneration.

Going down a few more steps, we find KeiNishikori. Michael Chang might not quite beon the same level as Edberg and Becker, but hisappointment as Nishikori’s coach did makesome headlines. Their collaboration also paid off almostimmediately, with Nishikori entering the Top 10for the first time. He also reached the final at the Masters 1000event in Madrid, where he dominated Nadal fora set and a half before succumbing to injury.

He might not have been retired for very long, butformer world number three Ivan Ljubicic hasmake a quick and immediate impact as a coachfor Milos Raonic.

The Canadian is now just a few steps away fromthe Top 5, and made the quarter-final at RolandGarros as well as the semis at Wimbledon.Ljubicic has added a new level of aggression toRaonic’s game, and it is paying off well.

Another Croat, Goran Ivanisevic, is findingsimilar success as the coach of Marin Cilic,though the road has been anything but smooth.Cilic was out for many months due to a dopingban, but has been playing like a man on amission since his return. He is back in the Top20 and has very few points to defend until 2015,which means things can only improve for himfrom here.

Of course, former players do not always makegood coaches. We need only look at the teamingup of Andy Murray and Amelie Mauresmo,a partnership that has seen no success in itsshort life. Kim Clijsters also did not manage toadd much in the way of value to YaninaWickmayer’s game, and their relationshipseems to have come to an end.

While it is still ongoing and has not hadsubstantial success as of yet, RichardGasquet’s collaboration with Sergi Bruguerais definitely an interesting one. The oft-injured Frenchman is in need of some

Perhaps it is the mental reassurance of havingsomeone of that stature in your corner that is causingplayers to post better results with their guidance.

stable support from a good coach, but it remainsto be seen if Bruguera can provide that support.Even more in dire need of a good coach iscountryman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who seemsto be moving further and further away from hisTop 10 form. He is working with NicolasEscude and Thierry Ascione, but the hoped-forrebirth has not yet arrived. Another failedexperiment was Martina Hingis’s coaching ofSabine Lisicki. The only thing that theirpartnership accomplished was to make Hingislong for the days when she was the onecompeting on court – she is reportedly planninga comeback of some sort.

It is difficult to imagine what former players canteach today’s top stars about technique. After all,they are already very polished players and willlikely not significantly change the way they playgoing forward. That being said, it does seem that the currentfashion of hiring former top players is paying offfor the most part. Perhaps it is the mental reassurance of havingsomeone of that stature in your corner that iscausing players to post better results with theirguidance. Whatever the reason, it seems unlikely that thistrend will soon end.

Wimbledon In Paris

by Laura Saggio

It’s hard to imagine a real grass court, with neatly trimmed bladescut between 5 and 7 mm in height, outside of British borders.

It’s hard to imagine a real grass court, withneatly trimmed blades cut between 5 and 7 mmin height, outside of British borders. Yet, at theBritish Embassy in the clay-dominated region ofthe Ile-de-France (at 35 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, to be exact), is exactly such a court.

It is a court like no other, of course, as it hasseen a vast array of ambassadors, employees,politicians and businessmen step onto itssurface. Many top players have also made anappearance at the embassy, since it has oftenbeen rented out to professionals after RolandGarros to prepare for the grass season."The first time someone used it for that purposewas in 1996. It was Kimiko Date," Ben Newick,who has been the butler at the embassy for 30years, recently revealed. But of course it isusually locals who make use of the court: MaryPierce, Gil Simon, Richard Gasquet, GaelMonfils, and, above all, Amelie Mauresmo,

who prepared for her ultimately triumphantWimbledon campaign here in 2006. Yet perhaps the greatest excitement the courtever sees is the yearly tournament that is hostedfor the embassy employees. Their very ownWimbledon. The 40 or so employees sign upbattle it out over lunch and tea breaks, but it isusually Eric Célérier who comes out on top. Heis an economist with a good one-handedbackhand, and loves the event.“In my first successful year, I found myself inthe final with the Ambassador,” he said recently.“We were playing in front of all the directors. Hesaid that he would not be pleased if I lost onpurpose."Currently, the famed tournament is suspended,but the court is still hosting special events. Thelast was an exciting clash between Henri Leconteand Tim Henman. The Brit, who knowssomething about Wimbledon, won the set theyplayed."It was like 1980s grass,” Henman saidafterwards. “Faster than Wimbledon today andfull of bad bounces. The court is not perfect, butit is amazing to have a grass court in an embassyin Paris."

In 2010, when he made his first official trip toParis, the new British Prime Minister DavidCameron was received by Nicolas Sarkozy at theembassy with a racket in hand. It was definitely an unusual welcome, but thetwo men enjoyed a match away from the pryingeyes of the media.The court’s life began in the late 1960s, but wasonly fully converted from a garden into theproper court it is today in 1992. When work wascompleted in 1992, Queen Elizabeth was at handto officially open it. The court has seen some incredible matches inits time, and is likely to see many more. Whoknows, maybe they will even start televising theincredible contests soon!

Familiar Faces And Old Rivalries

by Fabrizio Fidecaro

The addition of so many “Supercoaches” has certainly added an extradimension to professional tennis.

Imagine Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg,battling it out in the Wimbledon final. No, I amnot referring to the glory days of 25 years ago, atleast not entirely. In fact, I am referring to thelatest edition of the Championships, where thetwo old foes squared off on Center Court for thefirst time since their clashes over the three-yearperiod of 1988-90. The only difference is thatthis time they battled one another from thestands – the one as the coach of Novak Djokovic,and the other as the coach of Roger Federer.The "Supercoach" is the latest trend in the worldof tennis. Andy Murray started it by hiring IvanLendl, who guided him to an Olympic goldmedal and two Grand Slams, including the firstWimbledon trophy to be won by a Brit sinceFred Perry 77 years previously. This highlysuccessful partnership, now concluded, inspiredDjokovic and Federer to make their own big-name hires. The Serb settled for the dourGerman, while the Swiss decided to approachthe serve-and-volley master from Sweden.

And so the theater of confrontation hasexpanded to the bleachers, and it has becomepossible to revive old rivalries that have longbeen dormant. At first glance, it would appear that Federer andEdberg have the more natural partnership. Theyare relatively similar in temperament and getalong well. Djokovic and Becker, on the otherhand, are very different indeed, but after gettingoff to a rocky start their partnership hasdelivered some very good results. After all, returning to world number one isnothing to be sniffed at. Federer and Edberg are also doing well, with theSwiss playing much better after the troubles oflast season.In short, the idea of a past champion supportinga top player today is proving to be a good one. Itis no coincidence that Kei Nishikori hiredMichael Chang, while Marin Cilic asked GoranIvanisevic to help him out. With the help of Chan, Nishikori has finallymade it to the Top 10, and Cilic is quicklyclimbing back up the rankings after spendingtime out of the sport due to a drug-relatedsuspension.

Coaches are no longer fringe figures, but havebecome real protagonists on the Tour. Having achampion by your side to help you bothtechnically and psychologically has become areal “must.” The coaches enjoy the attention,and the fans enjoy seeing old faces back on thecourt (or at least next to it).Not everyone, however, has adapted thisfashion. The recently dethroned Rafael Nadal,for example, has never thought of replacing hisuncle Toni. They have been together since hewas a child and things are unlikely to change.The man who started it all, Andy Murray, istrying to outdo his competitors by addinganother big name to his coaching.

This time he has opted for an old WTA star inAmelie Mauresmo.The decision did raise quite a few eyebrows, withmany questioning how the partnership couldpossibly work out. After all, Mauresmo does notknow anything about playing on the ATP Tour,and while she was successful in her own way,her accomplishment pale in comparison to themore experienced Murray.So far, it seems as if all the critics might havesomething to their argument, even if Murray’smother Judy fully supports the partnership.Murray lost badly to Grigor Dimitrov in theWimbledon quarter-finals, which has led somepundits to call for Mauresmo’s firing. But for thetime being Murray seems intent on giving it atleast a few more months before making anyfurther decisions.It must be said that not all good coaches areformer successful players. Hall of Famer NickBollettieri, for example, is famous in his ownright as a coach. Patrick Mouratoglou is anothercase in point, and the Frenchman has becomeonly more well-known thanks to his professional(and perhaps personal) partnership with SerenaWilliams. Though the American has struggled oflate, it seems that she is keen to keep workingwith Mouratoglou.

Tennis By The Numbers

by Roberto Marchesani

1 - Slam finals reached by Eugenie Bouchard, the20 year-old Canadian. The Wimbledon final wasonly her third Tour-level final. She lost toKvitova, who picked up her second Wimbledontitle.- The number of career Grand Slams Italiantennis has seen. This was achieved by SaraErrani and Roberta Vinci when they won thetitle at SW19- The number of titles Lleyton Hewitt has won inNewport. He had reached the final twice beforebut never won. The Australian won the trophyat the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships by

beating Ivo Karlovic 6-3, 6-7, 7-6 in the final. Healso won the doubles event, winning both drawsfor the first time in his career. - The number of titles Leonardo Mayer has won.His maiden victory came in Hamburg, where hebeat top seed David Ferrer in a tie-break in thedecisive set of the final.

2 - Number of victories for Novak Djokovic atWimbledon (2011, '14). Curiously, they are alsothe only titles he has won on grass, though hehas reached the finals at Queen's and Halle. Helost to Nadal and Haas respectively in thosefinals.

- The number of events won by Roberto Bautista Agut in thelast 4 weeks (St.Hertogenbosch and Stuttgart), the only 2titles of his career. The Spaniard beat Lukas Rosol 6-3, 4-6,6-2 in the Stuttgart final.

3 - The number of losses Feliciano Lopez suffered as Juneturned into July. Those three loses did not mark a disastrousperiod for the Spaniard, however. On the contrary, it was avery successful grass season for Lopez, who won the title inEastbourne, reached the final at Queen’s as well as the fourthround at Wimbledon.- The number of players who won their first career titles in2014: Pablo Cuevas (Bastad), Roberto Bautista Agut(s’Hertogenbosch) and Federico Delbonis (Sao Paulo). - The number of finals Djokovic has played at Wimbledon:two wins (2011, '14) and one loss (2013).- The number of years in which Novak Djokovic was seedednumber one at the Championships (2012, '13, '14). - The consecutive years in which Rafael Nadal lost to a playerranked outside of the Top 100. He lost to world number 100Lukas Rosol in 2012 (2nd round), against number 135 SteveDarcis in 2013 (1st round) and number 144 Nick Kyrgios in2014 (fourth round).

Lukas Rosol nel 2012 (2° turno), con il n°135Steve Darcis nel 2013 (1° turno) e con il n°144del mondo Nick Kyrgios nel 2014 (nel 4° turno).

4 - Set points wasted by Grigor Dimitrov in thefourth set of the Wimbledon semi-finals. Heeventually lost 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 7-6- Comebacks completed by Fabio Fognini aftergoing down two sets to love. At Wimbledon, inthe first round, he recorded his fourth suchvictory by beating Alex Kuznetsov 2-6, 1-6, 6-4,6-1, 9-7.

5 - The different tournaments won by LleytonHewitt on grass: Wimbledon, Queen's,St.Hertogenbosch, Halle and now Newport.There are a total of eight titles on this surface.- The number of sets in the fabulous 2014Wimbledon final between Novak Djokovic andRoger Federer, one of the best finals ever playedin the history of the tournament. Djokovic won6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 5-7, 6-4 after a thrilling match inwhich the Swiss saved a match point in thefourth set and recovered from 5-2 down. In thefifth set, Federer had a break point at 3-3, butcould not convert.

- The semi-finals streak of Novak Djokovic atWimbledon (6 semis reached in total). In 2007he lost to Nadal, in 2010 he lost to Berdych, hebeat Tsonga in 2011, lost to Federer in 2012 andbeat Del Potro in 2013. He beat Dimitrov thisyear.

6 - The number of Spaniards who have won inStuttgart: Bautista Agut is the 6th such playerafter Nadal (2005, '07), Ferrer (2006), Montanes(2010) and Ferrero (2011).

8 - Lost finals by David Ferrer in the past 18months. This poor record stretches back toAcapulco in 2013. Since then the Spaniard haslost almost every final he has played (Acapulco,Miami, Estoril, Roland Garros, Stockholm,Valencia and Bercy). He last won a tournamentin Buenos Aires against Fabio Fognini.- Slam finals Roger Federer has lost: two atWimbledon (2008, 2014: Nadal and Djokovic), 1US Open (2009: Del Potro), 1 at the AustralianOpen (Nadal: 2009) and 4 at Roland Garros(2006, '07, '08, '11: Nadal).

9- Wimbledon finals Roger Federer has played in(2003, '04, '05, '06, '07, '08, '09, '12, '14). He isthe only player ever to have played in so manyfinals at SW19, having surpassed WilliamRenshaw and Arthur Gore this year, who bothplayed eight. - Number of match points saved by Nick Kyrgiosagainst Richard Gasquet in the 3rd round ofWimbledon. It is the third time a player has wona match after saving so many match points.Vincent Spadea did so at Roland Garros in 2004and Christophe Roger-Vasellin at Roland Garros1982.

- The number of years that went by since ateenager last beat a world number one. NickKyrgios, who is 19 years old, beat Nadal at thisyear’s Wimbledon. The last time this happenedwas in 2005, when Nadal beat world numberone Federer at Roland Garros.

10- The number of years that went by since a 17year-old beat a Top 20 player. Alexander Zverevbeat Mikhail Youzhny in Hamburg recently,becoming the first person to accomplish this featsince Richard Gasquet beat Nicolas Massu inPortugal in 2004.

13- Consecutive defeats in the 1st round of a GrandSlam by Paolo Lorenzi. He lost to Federer atWimbledon.

91- The number of years since the last CanadianSlam semi-finalist at a Slam. Milos Raonicbecame the first Canadian to reach the last fourat such an event since 1923.

14- Grand Slam finals reached by Novak Djokovic(3 Wimbledon, 4 Australian Open, 5 US Openand 2 Roland Garros)

18- Consecutive defeats in a Grand Slam by FilippoVolandri. This is a world record, which he set atWimbledon this year.

25- Grand Slam finals reached by Roger Federer inhis career (9 Wimbledon, 6 US Open, 5 RolandGarros, 5 Australian Open).

US Open: Why it is a love-hate affair

by Princy James

It is said that French Open is the most gruelling Grand Slam, but theUS Open is regarded as the most difficult by a lot of players.

It is said that French Open is the most gruellingGrand Slam, but the US Open is regarded as themost difficult by a lot of players. Thanks to thesounds of planes flying overhead and the 22,500loud fans, pandemonium is the apt word todescribe the atmosphere of second oldest of thefour Grand Slams. Before the Arthur Ashestadium was constructed in 1997, the US Openused to be played in the Louis Armstrongstadium; Mats Wilander compared it to an‘airport’; while Jim Courier jokingly describedthe stadium as a ‘toilet bowl’. When pittedagainst the refined ambience of Wimbledon,Flushing Meadows, with its cacophony,constitute the other extreme.

Like how Boris Becker said - “At Wimbledon,you have to be quiet, otherwise they throw youout. Here, you can do anything you want. Youcan play a saxophone in the stands and nobodycares.”

New York Mayor’s boycott Becker’s quote pretty much sums up how it islike to compete in the US Open. True, it catersnot just to the elite audience, but rather,encompasses all sorts of tennis fans. With a seating capacity of 22,500, the ArthurAshe stadium is the biggest tennis-only stadiumin the world. The commotion, coupled with the

buzzing sound of the planes flying overhead, is annoying notjust for the players, but also for the spectators at times.Mayor David Dinkins, an ardent tennis fan and a friend ofArthur Ashe, who served the office from 1990-1993, decidedto alleviate the situation by consulting the Federal AviationAdministration, and implement a plan to detour thecommercial aircraft leaving the nearby LaGuardia airportduring the event. His successor, Rudy Giuliani, who wasagainst this decision, boycotted the event throughout histerm.

Super Saturday woesThe memories of September 8, 1984, will live long in thehearts of tennis fans who witnessed the day’s events atFlushing Meadows. That single day featured the men’ssemifinals and the ladies singles final back-to-back. The firstmatch of the day - Ivan Lendl vs. Pat Cash semi-final -started at 11.07 a.m. The gruelling match lasted longer than the authoritiesexpected as Lendl defeated Cash 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-6(4). It was followed by the ladies singles final betweenMartina Navratilova and Chris Evert. Navratilova defeated Evert 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. The second semi-final between John McEnroe and JimmyConnors was next. Connors took McEnroe to five sets beforefinally giving up 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. By the time those

three matches got over, it was 11.16 p.m. Likehow Navratilova puts it - that 12-hours of non-stop tennis was like ‘OD-ing on tennis’.

McEnroe, who played the second semi-final,didn’t get enough time to rest before he facedLendl in the final the next day. Lendl, whohimself was burned-out after his strenuousmatch with Cash, was delighted by the fact thatMcEnroe - Connors semi-final also stretched tofive sets. But contrary to Lendl’s calculations,McEnroe toppled him in a quick fashion - 6-3,6-4, 6-1. The day came to be known as the ‘SuperSaturday’ from then on, and that schedulingpattern continued.

Although it was exciting for the fans, it wasexcruciating for the male players, who weredenied a 24-hour’s rest owing to a crazyschedule that crammed the matches on Saturdayand Sunday which suited the broadcasters.Players like Roger Federer, who won a recordfive titles at the US Open, was critical of the ideaof ‘Super Saturday’.“I don’t think TV should dictate just to have thefinals on Sunday and the semis on Saturday andnot have the true champion hold the trophy up.I just don’t think that’s the goal here, ” Federersaid.With the evolution of the game and extendingmatches, Super Saturday became a subject ofharsh criticism. Also, the rains furtheraggravated the situation, making the practiseless practical. When the 2012 final was pushedto Monday owing to bad weather, the authoritiesfinally decided to scrap that tradition, much tothe delight of the players.Now, the male players get ample time to restbefore preparing for the finals, but the clamor issomething which cannot be gotten rid of.Celebrity spectators, live music, wildcrowd...that electric ambience is the very essenceof the tournament. It is true that with the USOpen, it isn’t an instant attraction, but it isunique, whether you like it or not.

Coaching On And Off The Court

by Stefano Massari (mental coach)

I am in La Spezia and it is Saturday afternoon.It’s July and it's hot. The streets are almostempty, and the wispy clouds are lazily makingtheir way across the sky. I have just finished ameeting with some colleagues and am walking tothe station. After every step, my shirt sticks tomy skin a little more. I feel the weight of mymobile phone in my pocket, and it occurs to methat Luke had his exam this morning. Luke is a tennis player with a 2.5 ranking, andwe have been working together all year. He isintelligent and has a huge desire to win,although he can be a little impulsive on thecourt. I decide to give him a call. Before I caneven greet him he starts speaking very fast. Heapologizes for not calling earlier and sayssomething about a broken phone.

I manage to ask him how the exam went, and hetells me it went very well, but that he had notthought it would go well last night. He had goneto bed in a very bad frame of mind.But, he tells me, he had woken up as if he wereanother person. He had decided that he did notwant to live another day of his life in fear ordoubt, but instead wanted to experience eachday as the intense and beautiful wonder it is.This thought, he continues, has changedeverything. It allowed him to sit in front of theexamination committee with a different spiritand give the best of himself. He was able to sayeverything he knew, and even when he did notknow something he didn’t simply fall silent. Hesays that he was even able to help out aclassmate by telling him about his newphilosophy. It worked for him as well.Finally, he pauses, perhaps for breath, beforesaying that today he was finally able to practicein his life something which he had been usingon the court for so long. He says that on thecourt he sees every challenge as an opportunityfor gratification, fun and growth, and realizedthat he can adopt this in his everyday life as well.

For someone like him, and like so many other athletes I workwith, being able to divert attention from the focus on resultsis very difficult. But when they are able to forget about theresult, and focus instead on what gives them pleasure andgratification, to focus on the journey rather than thedestination, I see a massive change in all my students. Theyare able to express themselves more positively on the court,and play to their full potential.But managing stress is not easy. We live in a culture orresults, and moving away from that is a massive challenge.When, as a boy, I came home from school, my mother askedme what I had learned, while I focused more on what gradesI had received. Of course, I am not saying that results do notmatter at all. However, I maintain that focusing too much onresults lead us to obsess over them, which causes stress andanxiety. Focusing instead on what we want to achieve can bea joy in of itself, and lead to positive results. Luke asks me if we can make an appointment for next week.I say that we can, and think about how proud I am of Lukefor realizing that he can live his life in such a positive way, byliving in each moment and appreciating its uniqueness. But Ido not tell him this. I know that he has already embraced thephilosophy fully, and that words will add nothing to hishappiness.

The train departs and I look up at the sky, and for some reason the sun looks a little brighter than it ever has.

The Psychological Aspects Of Tennis

by Laura Saggio

How to re-focus attention and the importance ofvisualization

Focus is the cognitive activity that the athleteperforms every time he prepares for some sort ofaction. Focus, therefore, comes beforeperformance. This means that before performingany action, the player should aim to achieve themaximum amount of attention through mentalfocus exercises. To succeed in this, it is essentialto keep your attention on the current moment,and focus on what you need to do right now (i.e.play point by point and not think that "I am notserving well today").Sometimes, narrowing one’s attentional focus infavor of optimal performance can be difficult.Stress or performance anxiety may be twodistracting factors that interfere with focus.Interruptions or breaks during the match canalso have this effect. In these circumstances, itbecomes necessary to re-focus your mind on thetask at hand. Errors, poor decisions, externaldistractions and breaks during a match are allaspects that need to be managed and mastered.

Re-focusing is more effective when an athletehas a method for doing so. The technique of'"switching," for example, is an action routinethat can be expanded or reduced according tothe length of the pause. Many tennis players usethis technique, each in its own way. Someplayers, after losing a point and before playingthe next one, will place their palms on theirthighs. This energetic gesture triggers the switchmechanism.The basic routine that determines the techniqueof '"switching" is the following:1. Eliminate the reaction: achievements must berecognized. Errors, doubts and complaints mustbe identified and removed to re-focus attentionon the next action. 2. Recover: regular breathing with relaxationtechniques must be used to save energy andrelease tension.3. Review: focus on the action to be taken.Reflect on the game. 4. View: visualize your next action. 5. Use triggers to focus your mind. For example,when your opponent throws up the ball inpreparation for a serve, focus on the ball toss asa trigger.

6. Keep in mind the point of the trigger:visualize your desired action.7. Respond: convince yourself that all yourpreparation for the match has readied you forwhat needs to be done next.

Now we will focus on visualization (ideomotortraining). This is an indispensable cognitive toolfor the development of attentional skills. Toperform well, the athlete needs to be able tovisualize critical situations and how to performin them. This is particularly important during times, suchas with injury, when training opportunities arelimited.

During visualization, the motor activity in themuscles produces subtle nerve stimulation,which also affect the circulatory and respiratorysystems in the same way as during a real match.By visualizing these movements, the athleteimproves his ability to keep his mind focused onthe activities that his mind has chosen toperform. Visualization should also producemulti-sensory images, and not just visual ones.Imagining yourself playing means 'feeling'yourself on the court. You must “feel” the pointas if you are playing it: the sound of the ball, thenoise from the stands, the wind on your face.Properly utilizing this kind of visualization isuseful for:1. Learning a motor act2. Preparing for a match, developing strategiesand tactics, as well as preparing for unexpectedevents.

Visualization can even be useful in-betweenpoints, as the player can focus on positivemental images from previous matches ortraining sessions in order to give themselvesconfidence in their own abilities. We will conclude today’s column with some wisewords from Stefan Edberg: "You have plenty oftime to think...you're out there alone and have tothink and change things from within yourself"(1995).