Tennishead - June 2014

PLUS: MONICA PUIG PABLO CARRENO BUSTA JELENA JANKOVIC PATRICK MOURATOGLOU
COMPREHENSIVE
RESULTS AND RANKINGS
BEHIND THE SCENES
WITH A TENNIS SNAPPER
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LEARN FROM
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Bouchards backhand
Nadals forehand
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USING
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How to customise
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RAFA
100 FACTS
YOU NEVER KNEW
Dont buy a racket until
youve read our verdicts
2014
RACKET
REVIEWS
ROLAND
GARROS
TIME TO GET DIRTY
SWISS ON A ROLL
Federers Davis Cup target
KAZAKHSTAN
Worlds most unlikely tennis nation
VENUS
RISING
Williams keeps
on winning
WIN!
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In an issue that is focused on red clay it should come as no
surprise to nd Rafa Nadal on our cover. The man who has
won the Coupe des Mousquetaires eight times has such a
remarkable record at Roland Garros that you could be forgiven
for thinking you know all there is to know about the Spaniard.
On page 40, however, Paul Newman, Tennis Correspondent of
The Independent and one of our regular contributors, unearths
100 facts about the amazing man from Majorca of which you
may not be aware.
What happens when a Grand Slam champion and former world
No 1 is struck down with a debilitating illness? On page 34 the
American writer Courtney Nguyen assesses what the future may
hold for the extraordinary Venus Williams.
If you are a player thinking of enrolling at an academy and are
tempted by Patrick Mouratgolous set-up just outside Paris you
may like to know in advance about his plans to re-locate to the
south of France. On page 68 Patrick shares his vision for what he
hopes will be Europes biggest and best academy.
In the second instalment of our acclaimed racket reviews, gear
guru Michael Beattie takes to the court to road-test rackets aimed
at club players. If youre thinking of an upgrade dont part with a
penny until you have read Michaels informative assessment of
whats on offer this season.
And if you are keen to get your hands on a racket signed by Rafa,
go to tennishead.net. You might not want to play with it as it
carries the signature of a man whose name may be engraved on
the trophy at Roland Garros for a record-breaking ninth time.
BRIDGET MARRISON, PUBLISHER
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GALLERY
Stunning photos from Miami
WIN
59 GRASSCOURT TICKETS
BNP Paribas Tennis Classic
and The Boodles
80 BABOLAT RACKET BAG
Our star letter wins every time
83 HEAD HEALTH GEAR BAND
Sports bracelets for body and mind
84 SIGNED RAFA RACKET
Money cant buy this A-list prize
92 BABOLAT AEROPRO DRIVE RG
Rafas racket of choice
BIG READ
08 HAWKEYE
Federers Davis Cup bid
13 INSIDE OUT
Mike Frey, Photographer
16 LOCKER ROOM
Pablo Carreno Busta
20 HOT STUFF
Monica Puig
34 VENUS WILLIAMS
Winning is not everything
40 RAFA NADAL
100 things you never knew
48 KAZAKHSTAN
The worlds most unlikely
tennis nation
54 ROLAND GARROS 2014
Our guide to the in-form players
114 ACTION REPLAY
Nadal v Federer Rome 2006
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CONTENTS
JUNE 2014
40
54
16
20
48
72
ROLAND
GARROS
2014
PABLO
CARRENO
BUSTA
MONICA PUIG
KAZAKHSTAN
PLANNING YOUR
TRAINING PROGRAMME
RAFA NADAL
100 THINGS YOU
NEVER KNEW
A SIGNED
RAFA
NADAL
RACKET
22 SNAP SHOTS
ACADEMY
64 FRAME BY FRAME
Rafas forehand
66 LEARN FROM THE PROS
Eugenie Bouchards backhand
68 PATRICK MOURATOGLOU
Big plans for the Academy
72 PERIODISATION
Planning your training programme
75 BRAIN GAME
Calming your nerves
76 NUTRITION
Eating to recover from injury
78 MATS MERKEL
The demands of clay
80 ASK TENNISHEAD
Our experts answer your questions
GEAR
83 GEAR NEWS
Choosing a racket with Prince
86 RACKET REVIEWS
Weapons for club players
92 PRO SHOP
Kit youll want to get your hands on
93 JELENA JANKOVIC
Why she loves her Prince
94 LEAD WEIGHTS
Customising your racket
TRAVEL
98 FRENCH HOLIDAY
Tennis fun in Bergerac
RESULTS AND RANKINGS
102 ATP & WTA TOUR
Comprehensive Results
108 SINGLES WORLD RANKINGS
Mens and womens top 100
110 TEAM TENNIS
Doubles results
34
78
94
THATS WHAT MAKES THIS GAME SO
ENJOYABLE, IS THAT ITS NOT EASY
Venus W
illiams
VENUS WILLIAMS
66
76
EUGENIE BOUCHARDS BACKHAND
NUTRITION THE DEMANDS OF CLAY
CUSTOMISING
YOUR RACKET
PAGE 86
RACKET
REVIEWS
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BRINGING YOU THE BIGGEST VIEWS AND OPINIONS
Following victory against Kazakhstan, Federer is one step closer to the elusive trophy
SWITZERLAND CHASE
DAVIS CUP GLORY
R
oger Federer is doing his best to stay as
super-cool as usual, but there can be no
doubt that the 32-year-old Swiss is getting
excited about the prospect of winning the one big
trophy missing from his collection. Federer has
claimed more Grand Slam singles titles than any
other man in history, spent more weeks at the top of
the world rankings and won more prize money than
anyone else, but he has never won the Davis Cup.
With the new Australian Open champion, Stan
Wawrinka, at his side he knows this year could be
the best chance he will ever have of leading his
country to their rst success in the competition.
After Switzerlands quarter-nal victory over
Kazakhstan in Geneva which was achieved
despite a shock defeat for Federer and Wawrinka
in the doubles against Aleksandr Nedovyesov and
Andrey Golubev the team are just one win away
from reaching the nal for only the second time in
their history. On the countrys only previous
appearance in the nal, in 1992, Marc Rosset and
Jakob Hlasek were outgunned by a formidable
United States team comprising Andre Agassi,
Pete Sampras, Jim Courier and John McEnroe.
In this years semi-nals Switzerland will have
home advantage in September against Italy, who
ended Britains hopes of reaching the last four with
a 3-2 victory in Naples. Assuming Federer and
Wawrinka are t and well, the Swiss will be clear
favourites to reach the nal, in which they would
also fancy their chances against either France or
the Czech Republic.
[Stan and I] bounce ideas
off each other, but usually
I take the lead
ROGER FEDERER
SPOT
LIGHT
N
E
W
S
TENNIS NEWS
Federer, nevertheless, is playing it cool. Asked
after the victory over Kazakhstan how the Davis
Cup ranks in his plans for the rest of the season,
he simply said: We have other priorities from now
on, which are the Masters 1000s coming up and
the clay-court season. Then well see when
September rolls around.
Nevertheless, the fact that Federer has played in
both of Switzerlands Davis Cup ties so far this year
is a sure indication that the competition is one of
his priorities. Between 2005 and 2013 he appeared
in only nine of the 19 ties Switzerland played as he
juggled representing his country with his
individual career.
The Davis Cup, moreover, provides a rare and
welcome chance to compete in front of a home
crowd. Its great to be playing in front of a crowd
which is 95 per cent Swiss, Federer told Daviscup.
com, the competitions ofcial website. Its unusual
because there arent many Swiss in the world. So
when they do appear Im happy that they show their
colours and enjoy it.
Federer has appeared in one previous Davis Cup
semi-nal, against Australia in Melbourne in 2003.
Australia were leading 2-1, Federer having secured
Switzerlands rst point by beating Mark
Philippoussis, when the nal was decided by the
fourth rubber. Federer won the rst two sets against
Lleyton Hewitt, only for the Australian No.1 to
ITS GREAT TO BE IN FRONT OF A
CROWD THATS 95% SWISS... THERE
ARENT MANY SWISS IN THE WORLD!
produce one of his most memorable ghtbacks to
claim victory for the home team. Federer and
Rosset had earlier let slip a two-sets-to-one lead
against Wayne Arthurs and Todd Woodbridge in
the doubles. Switzerland lost to France in the
quarter-nals in 2004, but it was another 10 years
before they won again in the World Group, against
Serbia in this years rst round.
Federer has always been ercely patriotic. Two of
his proudest moments were when he carried the
Swiss ag at the opening ceremonies for the
Athens and Beijing Olympics. He was invited to be
the standard-bearer for a third time in London two
years ago but stepped aside to let Wawrinka have
the honour. Although he has never won an Olympic
gold medal in singles the closest he came was
when Andy Murray beat him in the nal at
Wimbledon two years ago he did win gold
alongside Wawrinka in the doubles in 2008.
The latter triumph in Beijing led to one of sports
more bizarre victory celebrations, with Wawrinka
lying on the ground and Federer holding out his
hands as if warming them by a log re a tribute to
how hot Wawrinka had been in the competition. In
those days it might have been unusual for Wawrinka
to outshine his partner, but today the Australian
Open champion is the higher-ranked player and the
only one of the pair who holds a current Grand Slam
title. Federer, nevertheless, remains the boss. Asked
before the Kazakhstan tie who takes charge on the
court when they play together, Federer replied:
Probably a bit more me, but we do discuss things
about tactics, where were serving. We bounce it off
each other, but usually I take the lead. I think one of
the players always has to.
Roger Federer carrying the
Swiss flag during the Olympic
Games Opening Ceremony
and with Stan Wawrinka with
their doubles gold medals in
Beijing, China in 2008

P
A
U
L

Z
I
M
M
E
R

P
A
U
L

Z
I
M
M
E
R

Courts with retractable roofs
at the Madrid Open
World ranking for Gustavo Kuerten
when he won 1997 French Open
3
66
GUSTAVO KUERTEN

R
A
Y

G
I
U
B
I
L
O
ANABEL MEDINA
GARRIGUES
CHRIS EVERT
THE NUMBERS GAME
HAWKEYE
Stats from WTA and ATP
[STATS]
Henri Leconte's world ranking when he
reached 1992 French Open semi-finals
Longest womens French Open final
Stef Graf def. Arantxa Sanchez (1996),
3 hours 4 minutes (6-3 6-7 10-8).
Youngest player to win a
WTA event on clay TA TA
Mirjana Lucic: 15 yrs, 56 days (1997 Bol)
200
Years since France had a
mens singles champion
at Roland Garros 31
MOST CLAY LA LA COURT TITLES AMONG ACTIVE WTA PLA TA TA Y PLA PLA ERS
1
ANABEL MEDINA
GARRIGUES
10
SERENA WILLIAMS
10
3
5
VENUS
WILLIAMS
9
MARIA
SHARAPOVA
7
4
FLAVIA
PENNETTA ENNETT ENNETT
8
PRIZE MONEY ON OFFER AT ATP EUROPEAN
CLAY-COURT EVENTS IN SPRING 2014
13,419,365
WINNING PERCENTAGE
ON CLAY (ATP)
R
A
F
A
E
L

N
A
D
A
L
9
3
.
4
%
B
J
O
R
N

B
O
R
G
8
6
.
3
%
I
V
A
N

L
E
N
D
L
8
1
.
4
%
K
E
N

R
O
S
E
W
A
L
L
7
9
.
9
%
G
U
I
L
L
E
R
M
O

V
I
L
A
S
7
9
.
8
%
WINNING PERCENTAGE
ON CLAY (WTA)
C
H
R
I
S

E
V
E
R
T
9
3
.
9
8
%
S
T
E
F
F
I

G
R
A
F
9
0
.
1
%
J
U
S
T
I
N
E

H
E
N
I
N
8
5
.
5
3
%
M
O
N
I
C
A

S
E
L
E
S
8
5
.
0
3
%
M
A
R
I
A

S
H
A
R
A
P
O
V
A
8
2
.
5
4
%
Significant patterns and percentages from the ATP and WTA tours
umber of aces served on clay by
Nicolas Almagro before start of
2014 season (ATP leader)
2,254
NICOLAS
ALMAGRO
MIRJANA
LUCIC

R
A
Y

G
I
U
B
I
L
O

tennisheads
TWITTER WORLD RANKINGS
N
E
W
S
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YOUR OPINIONS ON THE GLOBAL GAME
LETTERS
Happy 36th birthday Tommy
Haas. What an incredible
accomplishment to perform at
such a high level for so long.
Sure would like to know the
details of his workout and
tness regime.
John K
Venus is a ghter and a good
role model for any aspiring
athletes. Go Venus!
Sheila
So happy for your win.
Welcome back @mhingis.
Missed you so much.
Priya
With a little luck Tomas
Berdych could have a Grand
Slam title this year. Hes in
great shape and pretty stable.
Michaela P
Dominika Cibulkova is going
very strong lately! Has already
some important scalps
under her belt!
Calluy
Great forehand and a good
personality. With a couple of
years of experience and an
improvement of his serve I can
see Dominic Thiem in the top 10.
Renato
Cover star Rafael Nadal remains the most
popular tennis player on Twitter with
nearly six million followers, although he's
some distance behind popstar Katy Perry,
who has an eye-watering, mind-boggling
52 million devotees...
Even though I lost, I appreciate
my monkey.
Eugenie Bouchard consoles herself
with a new cuddly toy
Flirty Sour
Grigor Dimitrov reveals his favourite
avour of Sugarpova sweets
Its an individual sport, so you
can relate to what they do,
except we dont punch each
other in the face.
Novak Djokovic compares tennis
and boxing
I have to put an end to the catsuit
on me. I mean, Im 26 already, so I
think those days are over.
Maria Sharapova thinks shes too
old to pull off the catsuit
It was a glass roof, so all my
dirty underwear was in full view.
It wasnt nice!
Sergiy Stakhovsky recalls when
Michael Llodra played a practical
joke on him
I didnt sleep because I was
afraid for my life.
Sloane Stephens evaluates coach
Paul Annacones driving
S A Y WH A T ?
BEST FOOT FORWARD
The art of volleying is almost
lost on the singles court. There
are too many baseline rallies in
the modern game. Why not make
it compulsory to come into the net
after the first serve? For players to
be true champions, they should be
able to do it all.
LINDA NATHAN, SYDNEY
MURRAYS MINT
Andy Murray will always be a
good example to young players as
he always plays fairly. No cheating
or gamesmanship. A great role
model and we will soon see him at
the top of his game.
ANGELA BINNIE
No.1
Nadal
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Rank Player Twitter ID Followers
1 Rafael Nadal (@RafaelNadal) 5,933,429
2 Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) 4,161,943
3 Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) 2,876,321
4 Andy Murray (@andy_murray) 2,876,231
5 Juan Martin Del Potro (@delpotrojuan) 1,922,713
6 Sania Mirza (@MirzaSania) 1,663,634
7 Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) 1,526,202
8 Andy Roddick (@andyroddick) 1,215,636
9 Venus Williams (@venuseswilliams) 1,088,462
10 Gustavo Kuerten (@gugakuerten) 992,492
ANDREA PETKOVIC
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MIKE FREY
I
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S
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O
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TENNISHEAD PHOTOGRAPHER
AND DIRECTOR OF ADVANTAGE MEDIA NETWORK
W
hen we set up AMN as a tennis content agency and
then launched tennishead, we thought our readers
would want to see unique photos rather than photos
repeated from other national media. So, I hit the road and since
then photographing tennis has taken me all over the world.
My favourite tournament without a doubt is Wimbledon.
The long summer evenings with the endless shadows give so
many great photo opportunities and when the incredible light is
combined with dark green backgrounds with no advertising, it
is photographic heaven.
I use Canon equipment. My standard kit is 2 x 1DX bodies
and a 5D Mk 3 body. I then use a 400 F2.8 and a 200 F2 on
the two 1DXs and a 16-35 F2.8 on the 5D. In my bag, I carry a
24-70 F2.8, a 70-200 F2, 8, a 14 F2.8, a 1.4 x converter and a 2 x
converter. A 600 ash and possibly a sheye or a tilt and shift
lens and plenty of memory cards complete the kit bag.
The kit when fully loaded is probably close to 20kgs so when
it is hot you denitely know you have been doing something
strenuous at the end of the day.
Editing photos is as important as shooting them and I have
a rigorous production process. I shoot all my photos in RAW
and load them onto a Mac using a software programme called
Photo Mechanic.
I aim to have a minimum of 100 usable photos a day from
a Grand Slam and, as we work to tight deadlines, this often
means shooting all day and then editing most of the night. If
you see a tennis photographer deep into the second week of a
major, they all have the look of a sleep-deprived zombie.
As well as supplying tennishead with images for the
magazine, website and our App, I also provide photos for
the exclusive use of our content clients, as well as a major
UK photo agency which supplies the global media. I supply
photos for one-off use, such as lifestyle magazines, tennis
manufacturers and sponsors and even the occasional book.
For example, I have six photos in Andy Murrays book, 77.
I hope I havent taken my best photo yet, as that is the
motivation to keep on shooting. I currently have two
favourites a photo of Andy Murray with his Wimbledon
trophy in the late afternoon sunlight and one from the London
Olympics. It was amazing seeing Andy win Wimbledon and
I think all the British photographers were overcome with the
emotion of it on nals day. The second is of Heather Watson
and Laura Robson playing doubles and the shadows were
immense. I caught Heather serving with her body in shadow,
but the ball and the Olympic rings were in the light. The
British ag on her tennis kit caught the light, which made the
photo even more poignant.
This year I launched an additional business called
Tennis Photo Network which is a specialist tennis photo
agency. I launched the business with three talented tennis
photographers Ray Giubilo, Juergen Hasenkopf and Lucas
Wroe. We believe that everybody wants to see great tennis
photos and we are the only specialist tennis photo agency
in the world. We love photography and we love tennis. We
believe that is a highly compelling combination for players,
fans, sponsors, manufacturers and any other stakeholders
involved with the wonderful world that is professional tennis.
Visit www.tennisphotonet.com
MIKE FREY
How shooting the planet's best players
has taken Mike around the globe
We love photography and we love
tennis. We believe that is a highly
compelling combination
MIKE FREY
With a more exible upper and improved
propulsion Trusstic System for better
stability, youll have the condence to go
for the shots that others wouldnt dare.
ADVANTAGE
YOU
THE NEW
GEL
-
RESOLUTION 5
#BETTER YOUR BEST
LOCKER ROOM
Pablo Carreno Busta was
named the ATP's Most
Improved Player in 2013 after
jumping from No.654 to a
career-high No.64 last season
Do you come from a tennis-playing family? No,
my parents didnt play tennis. My sister, who is
three years older than me, played tennis and I
started playing because I watched her play
and I liked it.
Where is home for you? I come from Asturias in
the north of Spain, but I live in Barcelona and I
train there. It is difficult to play tennis in Asturias
because the weather is always rainy. We dont
have many indoor courts, so seven years ago I
went to Barcelona to train.
What do you do when youre not playing tennis?
I go home to Asturias maybe 15 days a year but
otherwise I stay in Barcelona. I have good friends
there. I like to watch my football team, Sporting
Gijon, and I like to go to the cinema.
Do you enjoy spending so much time away from
home? I like this life; I like travelling. I like staying
in a hotel, watching TV or reading. This is my life
and I like it.
What was the highlight of your 2013 season?
It was really an incredible year. I started the year
playing in Futures tournaments in Turkey and
finished the year at the Paris Masters. It was very
intense because I played a lot of matches [112].
I lost to Roger Federer in the first round at Roland
Garros. It was an incredible match Federer is
one of the best players in the history of tennis and
it was a dream for me to play a match like that.
You started 2013 by winning 35 matches in a
row When youre playing well you play every day
and you dont think about the matches. You play
every match like the previous day and you are
winning every day. You get confidence and you play
without thinking. Its a really good sensation.
Was it important to you to be voted most
improved player? Its important because its an
award from the ATP where the players choose the
winner. I think I fight a lot, I work hard and its
recompense, a prize for all that work.
What are your targets for 2014? I need to play my
game. I know Im a good player, I dont make
mistakes and I try to fight for every point. But I
need to be more intense from the first point. I
need to grow up. I think by playing matches at this
level with the top players, for sure I will improve.
You missed seven months of the 2012 season
with an injury. How tough was that? I started
2012 ranked 130, and my objective was getting into
the top 100. But I was in pain when I played and
we decided to stop because I had problems with
my back and I needed surgery. Recuperating from
the surgery was really hard. I love competition, so
it was difficult not being able to play matches. I
worked very hard on my recovery and I started
playing seven months later. I didnt feel great
during the first few matches but now I feel fine.
You have a lot of great role models to look up to
ahead of you in Spanish tennis... Yes, we have a
lot of good Spanish players. David Ferrer is an
excellent example to me because hes always
working hard in every training session; he is
always fighting. Sometimes I train with him, and
with Tommy Robredo and some of the other
Spanish players. When I train with Ferrer it is very
intense. If you train with the No.4 in the world you
have to be 100% because he is 100% too so the
training is always fantastic.
With so many Spanish players, how popular are
you back home? There are a lot of Spanish
players. Rafael Nadal is the best and Ferrer is one
of the best in the world. For me, I work hard and I
have to improve. It doesnt matter to me if the
people dont know who I am.
Will you get a chance to play Davis Cup this year?
Its difficult to get into the team with Nadal, Ferrer,
Almagro. But I am young. I have a lot of time.
Maybe in three or five years I'll have more chance.
PABLO
CARRENO
BUSTA
T iebreak!
SO YOU THINK YOU
KNOW TENNIS...?
QUIZ
1
Which former world
No.1 recently won the
doubles title in Miami,
seven years after she
last lifted a WTA trophy?
2
Which year did
Tommy Haas
reach the final of the
Italian Open?
3
Which is the only
ATP Masters 1000
tournament that Novak
Djokovic has never won?
4
Which former
French Open doubles
champion is now the
tournament director at
the Mutua Madrid Open?
5
Which Slovakian
player upset
Serena Williams at this
year's Family Circle Cup
in Charleston?
6
How many times did
Justine Henin win
the ladies singles title at
Roland Garros?
When youre playing
well you dont think
about the matches
PABLO CARRENO BUSTA
INTERVIEW: BRIDGET MARRISON
1 . M a r t i n a H i n g i s ; 2 . 2 0 0 2 ; 3 . C i n c i n n a t i ;
4 . I o n T i r i a c ; 5 . J a n a C e p e l o v a ; 6 . F o u r
HAWKEYE
#BETTER YOUR BEST
With a more exible upper and improved
propulsion Trusstic System for better stability,
youll have the condence to go for the
shots that others wouldnt dare.
ADVANTAGE
YOU
THE NEW
GEL
-
RESOLUTION
5
HAWKEYE
QUI C K HI T S
FRENCH OPEN FINALS OF ALL TIME
1
1927: RENE LACOSTE BEAT E BEA E BEA
BILL TILDEN 6-4 4-6 5-7 6-3 11-9
Two of the games greatest tacticians contested
the longest Roland Garros final in terms of games
played. Lacoste, one of Frances Four Musketeers,
produced a swashbuckling performance to deny the
great Tilden, who scorned two match points when
he served at 9-8 and 40-15 in the final set.
2
1962: ROD LAVER BEAT BEA BEA ROY EMERSON
3-6 2-6 6-3 9-7 6-2
Lavers first Grand Slam might never have been
achieved had Emerson not tightened up with the
finishing line in sight. Emerson won the first two
sets and led 3-0 in the fourth but Laver was a fighter
who never gave up. He got too careful and that
gave me time to breathe, Laver said afterwards.
3
1973: MARGARET COURT BEAT BEA BEA
CHRIS EVERT 6-7 7-6 6-4
There were times when Evert was almost
unbeatable on clay later that summer she
embarked on an unbeaten run of 125 matches on
the dirt but a classic battle of the generations saw
31-year-old Court eclipse her 18-year-old opponent
after a see-saw battle.
4
1983: YANN YY ICK NOAH BEAT BEA BEA
MATS AA WILANDER 6-2 7-5 7-6
Not the greatest Roland Garros final but the one
remembered with the most affection by French
fans. Noah is the only home-grown mens singles
champion since 1946. He is also the last player to
have won a Grand Slam title with a wooden racket.
5
1984: IVAN LENDL BEAT BEA BEA
JOHN MCENROE 3-6 2-6 6-4 7-5 7-5
To this day McEnroe cringes in disbelief at the
memory. The American, who had won his previous
42 matches, lost his focus after shouting at a
cameraman in the third set. The crowd quickly
turned in favour of Lendl, who went on to win his
first Grand Slam title, having lost his first four finals.
Juan Martin Del Potro is set for
another lengthy spell on the
sidelines after he was forced to
undergo surgery on his left wrist.
Having missed the majority of the
2010 season after surgery on his
right wrist, Del Potro went under
the knife in March after
struggling through the opening
months of the season. "Injuries in
this sport can change your whole
career and now it's the moment to
focus on recovering and getting
back on the court as fast as I
can, he said.
Tommy Haas became only the
seventh man to be ranked inside
the worlds top 20 at the grand old
age of 36 when he celebrated his
birthday on April 3. Rod Laver was
ranked world No.3 when he
celebrated his 36th birthday,
while the last man to achieve the
feat was Andre Agassi in 2006.
British coach Rupert North is
behind First4Tennis, a recently
launched company offering
ve-star tennis holidays at
upmarket global destinations,
including a new academy in
Croatia. The resort has 25 outdoor
clay and four indoor clay courts.
First4Tennis aims to combine
quality coaching with luxury.
www.rst4tennis.com
6
1985: CHRIS EVERT BEAT BEA BEA MARTINA
NAVRATIL AA OVA 6-3 6-7 7-5
This meeting came at the height of their great
rivalry, with Navratilova leading 33-31 in their head-
to-head record. A high-quality contest looked to be
going Navratilovas way when Evert trailed 0-40 on
her serve at 5-5 in the decider, but she held on to
claim the sixth of her seven Roland Garros titles.
7
1989: ARANTXA SANCHEZ-VICARIO
BEAT BEA BEA STEFFI GRAF 7-6 3-6 7-5
Sanchez-Vicario, a 17-year-old bundle of joy and
energy, became the first Spanish woman to win
a Grand Slam title after a final that lasted two
minutes short of three hours. Graf was the games
outstanding player and had won the last five Grand
Slam titles, but Sanchez-Vicario ran her into the
ground with her boundless enthusiasm.
8
1999: STEFFI GRAF BEAT AF BEA AF BEA
MARTINA HINGIS 4-6 7-5 6-2
The final Hingis would love to forget. The Swiss Miss,
having already been warned for racket abuse, led 6-4
2-0 when she raged at length over a line-call. Having
provoked more crowd antipathy by taking a prolonged
toilet break and serving under-arm on match point,
Hingis rushed off court at the end before returning in
tears for the presentations.
9
1999: ANDRE AGASSI BEAT BEA BEA ANDREI
MEDVEDEV 1-6 2-6 6-4 6-3 6-4
Agassi became only the fifth man to win all four
Grand Slam titles but needed an extraordinary
comeback to achieve the feat. The American, whose
coach Brad Gilbert had torn into him during a rain
break, broke down in tears at the end. I never
dreamed Id ever be back here after so many years.
10
2001: GUSTAVO K GUST GUST UERTEN BEAT EN BEA EN BEA ALEX
CORRETJA 6-7 7-5 6-2 6-0
A final remembered as much for Kuertens post-
match celebration as for the manner of his third
Roland Garros triumph. The Brazilian sealed his love
affair with the tournament and with the Paris fans by
drawing a heart in the red clay with his racket.
TOP
10

R
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G
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STEFFI GRAF, 1999
TOMMY
HAAS
JUAN MARTIN
DEL POTRO
YANNICK NOAH, 1983

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MURRAYS
FIVE-STAR HOTEL
Andy Murray has stayed in luxury hotels
around the world. Now the 26-year-old
Scot owns one. Murray bought
Cromlix House Hotel, which is situated
just three miles from his former family
home in Dunblane, last year and has
reopened it as a ve-star
establishment, simply called Cromlix.
The hotel, which is set in 34 acres of
woodland and gardens, features 15
luxury bedrooms, which cost between
250 and 595 a night in peak season, a
Chez Roux restaurant and tennis courts
designed in Wimbledon colours. The
hotel also has a private chapel, which
has made it popular as a wedding venue.
Murray was best man when his brother,
Jamie, married Alejandra Gutierrez there
four years ago.
Kim Sears, Murrays girlfriend, has
helped with the interior design.
Murray himself, however, will not be
swapping his tennis gear for a suit to
wear behind the reception desk. The
hotel is being managed for him by
Inverlochy Castle Management
International, which owns a number of
independent properties in Scotland.
Rumours that Murray had planned to
call the hotel Double Faulty Towers
and that he offered Rafael Nadal a job
as waiter have not been conrmed.
I
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O
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NEWS
With the revamp of Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
underway, the 2014 US Open will offer spectators more
opportunities to get close to the players
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT VIEWING
F
or many spectators who do not have
a ticket to see the top players
matches, the next best option appears
to be to watch them practise. An increasing
number of tournaments are opening up
practice facilities to the viewing public.
Spectator seats alongside the practice
courts have been a big hit at the Barclays
ATP World Tour Finals in London, while
Wimbledons Master Plan for future
redevelopment includes a public walkway
with spectacular views over reconfigured
practice courts to the north of No.1 Court.
The US Open, nevertheless, will beat the
All England Club to it this summer. The first
phase of the huge revamp of the Billie Jean
King National Tennis Center, which stages
the years final Grand Slam event, will see the
construction of a 30-foot deep, two-storey
viewing gallery over five practice courts
located next to Arthur Ashe Stadium in the
north-west corner of the site. More than 1,000
spectators will be able to take advantage of the
facility to watch both practice and the action on
Courts 4, 5 and 6, which are also being
upgraded. Extra seating on the latter courts
will double their capacity to nearly 3,000.
Visitors to this years US Open will also see
the first signs of the most ambitious part of the
United States Tennis Associations project.
For years it was considered logistically too
difficult and financially too costly to put a roof
over the cavernous Arthur Ashe Stadium, but
the USTA decided last year to bite the bullet.
Having to delay the mens final until a third
Monday because of bad weather five years
in a row helped convince the governing body
of the need for change.
The plan is to have the sliding roof
operational in time for the 2016 US Open.
Holes are being dug this year for the
foundations for the roofs support structure
and will be visible to spectators. The
retractable roof itself will be built in phases
over the next three years. Arthur Ashe
Stadium is the largest arena in tennis, with
seating for more than 23,000 spectators.
Most of the major changes to the site
should be completed in time for the 2016
tournament. The new Grandstand stadium
is also earmarked for completion in two
years time, as are 10 new outside courts.
It is also hoped to open a new Louis
Armstrong Stadium, with roof, in 2018.
FLUSHING MEADOWS, NEW YORK
KIM SEARS
Improvements to the Flushing Meadows site will help
fans get even closer to the players when they practise
HAWKEYE
P
ica Power may sound more like a rm of
electricians than a nickname for an
up-and-coming tennis player, but then
Monica Puig loves nothing better than to make
sparks y. The 20-year-old from Puerto Rico lit up
Roland Garros and Wimbledon last year with a
series of ne performances and is determined to
prove this summer that those results were no
ash in the pan.
Puig has more than 30,000 followers on
Twitter. Her hashtag, #PicaPower, sums up her
personality on court. Picar means to 'grind out'
in Spanish, she explained. It was something I
started hearing a lot from my coach in coaching
sessions. I wanted to have fun with it and so made
a little slogan with it myself. Sooner or later, it
became my catchphrase and people now refer to
me as Pica Power.
Its great to see how many people have caught
on with it. Its my nickname, Im very powerful on
the court, its strong and now I have it on my bag.
Its becoming bigger and bigger.
Having entered last years clay court season
ranked outside the worlds top 100, Puig quickly
made a name for herself. Playing in the main
draw of a Grand Slam for the rst time at the
French Open, she reached the third round with
victories over the No.11 seed, Nadia Petrova, and
her fellow teenager, Madison Keys.
Puig followed that with a stunning debut at
Wimbledon, where she reached the fourth round.
She claimed the biggest win of her edgling
career when she knocked out the fth seed, Sara
Errani, in the rst round and followed up with
wins over Silvia Soler-Espinosa and Eva Birnerova
before losing in three sets to Sloane Stephens.
Making a rapid climb up the rankings, Puig
suddenly found herself in the main draw for some
of the biggest events on the WTA tour. That was
quite a change from 2012, when she played only
two main draw matches and lost them both.
Puig knows that she needs a good summer
this year to avoid slipping back down the
rankings. Wimbledon and Roland Garros were
the best tournaments of the year for me, she
said. Coming into 2014 you want to try and up
those results, but obviously there are going to
be some roadblocks.
Having worked with the Belgian Alain de Vos
since her early teens, Puig opted for a fresh start
at the beginning of this year when she appointed
Antonio van Grichen as her coach. Best known
for helping turn Victoria Azarenka from a
talented junior into a top 10 player, the
Portuguese also served as a hitting partner for
Jennifer Capriati and enjoyed brief coaching
spells with Vera Zvonareva, Eugenie Bouchard
and Ana Ivanovic. I felt like I needed a change in
my game to take me to the next level, Puig told
WTA.com. I thought I needed a fresh voice and a
new face on the team.
Although she has lived in Florida from an early
age, Puig remains ercely patriotic. Im proud of
representing Puerto Rico, she said. I play Fed
Cup for them, which is an amazing experience,
and in 2016 I hope to go to the Olympics.
Tennis is not big in Puerto Rico. The big
sports are the three Bs baseball, basketball and
HOT STUFF
MONICA PUIG
Monica Puig made a big splash at the French
Open and Wimbledon last year. This summer
she wants to do more than just tread water
PICA POWER
HOT STUFF
H
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S
T
U
F
F
boxing. But tennis is starting to grow. I am
playing a lot, I am in the newspapers and I see
more and more people playing tennis. I get
recognised in the street now; I try avoiding
going out when I go there. They show a lot of my
matches on television."
Puig has impressed with her striking
combination of power, athleticism and passion.
Rennae Stubbs, a former world No.1 in doubles,
singled her out as a terric competitor and a
future top 20 player.
The Puerto Rican has also worked with the
adidas coaching team of Darren Cahill and Gil
Reyes. Darren and Gil have helped me
tremendously over the past three years, she
said. They have denitely been a great support
for me and the adidas programme is
outstanding. I am really happy to be a part of it.
Those connections have also enabled Puig to
benet from the wisdom of Stef Graf. I have hit
with her a couple of times, Puig said. Shes just
so consistently amazing in what she does. Shes
still got it. What a champion she is.
On tour, Puig spends her spare time with the
American Bethanie Mattek-Sands and
Germanys Annika Beck. We see each other
every week, she said. It makes sense to talk to
one another and help each other out.
At home Puigs dog Ginger keeps her
company. Ginger is a cocker spaniel, shes an
oldie, she said. Shes 13, so shes hanging in
there. She spends most of her days sleeping.
Off the court, Puig relaxes by reading. I loved
the Twilight series. I read all the books in almost
one day. Those types of books really get me
hooked. I also like to write. I express myself
better with a piece of paper and a pen.
Sometimes I have a picture in my head and I
play out little scenarios, and wonder what it
would be if I made a story out of this. I reach for a
pen and paper and just keep writing.
Might the next scenario feature some major
feats by a young tennis player from
Puerto Rico?
I'M PROUD TO
REPRESENT PUERTO
RICO. IN 2016 I HOPE TO
GO TO THE OLYMPICS
BIRTHPLACE San Juan, Puerto Rico
DATE OF BIRTH Sep 27 1993
HEIGHT 5ft 7in
PLAYS Right-handed, two-handed backhand
WTA SINGLES RANKING TA TA No.54
TURNED PROSep 2010
[
C
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]
G
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Y
SERENA WILLIAMS
IF MY SERVE ISNT GREAT, ITS OK BECAUSE
I HAVE A GREAT FOREHAND, I HAVE A
GREAT BACKHAND, I HAVE GREAT SPEED.
THE BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE TOURNAMENT
CAME IN THE RIGHT MOMENT ON SUNDAY
AGAINST THE BIGGEST RIVAL.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
G
A
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L
E
R
Y
I EXPECT A LO I EXPECT A L I EXPECT A L T FROM MYSELF... I DONT
WANT TO PUT ANY LIMITS ON MYSELF
MILOS RAONIC
I WOULD BE VERY HAPPY TO CONTINUE
TO PLAY SOME MORE DOUBLES.
MARTINA HINGIS
G
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L
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Y
PLEASED WITH HOW
IM PLAYING. ITS
BEEN A GOOD START
TO THE SEASON.
ROGER FEDERER
NO FRUSTRATION.
THATS TENNIS. THE
OPPONENT WAS
BETTER THAN ME.
THATS IT.
RAFAEL NADAL
ONLY ONE MISTAKE:
I THINK I SHOULD GO
PARTY LAST NIGHT!
LI NA
G
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Y
G
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L
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Y
ITS A NICE FEELING TOKEEP WINNING.
ILL TRY TO CONTINUE IT.
TOMAS BERDYCH
SERENA IS AN INCREDIBLE CHAMPION.
THATS THE REASON SHES AT THE TOP.
MARIA SHARAPOVA
MY GAME IS JUST ABOUT THERE.
ITS NOT FAR OFF.
ANDY MURRAY
G
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After an outstanding career, and with all her recent
health issues, Venus Williams would be excused for
considering retirement. Not a chance...
WORDS: COURTNEY NGUYEN
Courtney Nguyen is a freelance tennis writer based in California. Her daily work appears on
Beyond The Baseline, Sports Illustrated's tennis blog. She also co-hosts a weekly tennis
podcast called No Challenges Remaining. She can be found on Twitter at @fortydeucetwits.
Keep putting yourself
up there, keep putting
yourself in the right
positions, then youll
get your chance
D
oes Venus Williams have anything left to oes Venus Williams have anything left to
prove? The quick and simple answer is prove? The quick and simple answer is
no. The 33-year-old American is a seven- no. The 33-year-old American is a seven-
time Grand Slam champion, former world time Grand Slam champion, former world
No.1, and four-time Olympic gold No.1, and four-time Olympic gold
medalist. Shes won the Fed Cup for the medalist. Shes won the Fed Cup for the
United States, captured 45 WTA titles, United States, captured 45 WTA titles,
and her legacy off-court, where she helped and her legacy off-court, where she helped
lead the charge for equal prizemoney at Wimbledon, is lead the charge for equal prizemoney at Wimbledon, is
second to no other woman of her generation. second to no other woman of her generation.
And yet she ghts on. She puts aside her glamorous And yet she ghts on. She puts aside her glamorous
air of grace and elegance and she gets into the dirty air of grace and elegance and she gets into the dirty
trenches, scrapping for wins. Nothing is given to
Williams these days. Her intimidating aura has taken Williams these days. Her intimidating aura has taken
a hit. The other women in the locker-room know shes a hit. The other women in the locker-room know shes
not at her best and shes vulnerable and they are
coming after her. Everyone wants a win over a
Williams sister, and with Serena still ruling the tour
with an iron st, theyll take one over Venus. While
shes scratching tooth and nail to maintain her spot
among the best on court, shes ghting an even
tougher battle off court.
The 2011 season began as any typical calendar year
would for Williams. She was ranked No.5 in the world,
an impressive feat considering she played just nine
tournaments the year before. What should have been
a promising season quickly took a disastrous turn. A
hip injury forced her to retire from a major for the rst
time in her career at the Australian Open. Four
months later an abdominal injury ruled her out of the
French Open and her ranking plummeted outside the
top 30 for the rst time since 2007.
Yet those injuries were minor compared to the news
doctors would break to her over the summer.
Overcome with debilitating fatigue, Williams soon
learned she had Sjogrens Syndrome, an auto-immune learned she had Sjogrens Syndrome, an auto-immune
disease that resulted in inammation and extreme disease that resulted in inammation and extreme
fatigue, which she had been feeling as early as 2007. fatigue, which she had been feeling as early as 2007.
She nally told the world about her private battle after She nally told the world about her private battle after
withdrawing from the US Open that year and withdrawing from the US Open that year and
struggled for nearly a whole season to simply accept struggled for nearly a whole season to simply accept
that she had an illness. that she had an illness.
You see yourself as this healthy person and that You see yourself as this healthy person and that
nothing can defeat you, she said at the 2011 US Open. nothing can defeat you, she said at the 2011 US Open.
So it takes a while before you can kind of see yourself So it takes a while before you can kind of see yourself
as someone with aws and chips in the armour. as someone with aws and chips in the armour.
Ambitious and as driven as ever, Williams did not Ambitious and as driven as ever, Williams did not
want to just manage the disease as a private citizen. want to just manage the disease as a private citizen.
Retirement never crossed her mind. She wanted to get Retirement never crossed her mind. She wanted to get
back on court and do what she does best: hit 120mph back on court and do what she does best: hit 120mph
serves and crush forehands. serves and crush forehands.
With the 2012 London Olympics as her ultimate With the 2012 London Olympics as her ultimate
goal, she returned to tennis in February 2012 to get her goal, she returned to tennis in February 2012 to get her
ranking up high enough to qualify. By virtue of making ranking up high enough to qualify. By virtue of making
the quarter-nals of three of the rst four tournaments the quarter-nals of three of the rst four tournaments
on her return, Williams made it. When I told her at the on her return, Williams made it. When I told her at the
Italian Open that she nally secured her Olympic spot Italian Open that she nally secured her Olympic spot
her eyes welled up with tears. Two months later she had
a fourth gold medal around her neck, winning the
doubles once again with sister Serena.
But the question plaguing Williams after the
Olympics was whether she could nd the motivation
to push further and return to the upper echelons of the
game. Williams was adamant that retirement was
never a thought she considered and dismissed any
idea she was done.
I am a great player, she said then. Unfortunately, I
had to deal with circumstances that people dont
normally have to deal with in this sport. But I cant be
discouraged by that, so Im up for challenges. I have
great tennis in me. I just need the opportunity. Theres
no way Im just going to sit down and give up just
because I have a hard time the rst ve or six freakin
tournaments back. Thats just not me.
Fast forward nearly two years and shes still
scrapping alongside the WTA youngsters and
proving to everyone, including herself, that she can
deliver top-quality tennis.
This time last year I was denitely not anywhere in
control, Williams said at the Family Circle Cup in
Charleston, South Carolina. I was trying to gure out
how I can be better, and sometimes thats tough
because youre not doing anything wrong. Youve
always done things right your whole career and youre
kind of facing something that you cant control. But
Im always ghting, and Im a lot better than last year.
Night and day.
Above: Venus hoists aloft her 45th and most recent WTA singles
trophy after beating Alize Cornet in the Dubai final in February
Coming into the 2014 season, Williams had not
made the nal of a WTA Premier-level tournament
since her diagnosis. This year she won her biggest title
since 2010, a dominating run in Dubai in February. En
route to her 45th WTA title, Williams failed to lose a
set in ve matches, defeating the likes of former No.1s
Caroline Wozniacki, Ana Ivanovic, and recent Indian
Wells champion Flavia Pennetta.
The Dubai title, which came two tournaments after
a run to the nal at the ASB Classic in Auckland,
vindicated Williams persistence and belief in herself.
Ten of Williams last 11 losses at tournaments had
come in three sets, with the majority decided by just
one break or with a tiebreak. She began this season
playing her rst nal since 2012 in Auckland and lost
6-4 in the third to Ivanovic. In February, she was on
the wrong end of a 9-7 third set tiebreak against Petra
Kvitova in Qatar.
There were a multitude of missed opportunities and
heartbreaks during that nine-month stretch, but
Williams was putting herself in winning positions
against the best players in the world. She assured
herself (and the inquisitive press) that it was just a
matter of getting more matches under her belt. She
tried to stay positive by focusing on the fact that she
kept putting herself in winning positions.
I had a lot of matches that I lost, that I lost so close,
and sometimes it just seems like, God, why is this
happening or why cant I do better, she said.
Obviously Ive had some extenuating circumstances,
but it just proves to me and to anyone else that if you
keep trying, keep trying the right things, you keep
putting yourself up there, you keep putting yourself in
the right positions, then youll get your chance.
I havent gotten rid of
the disease. I wish I could
have. Unfortunately it clings
to me. But Ive learned to
handle it mentally
Family ties: Serena (left) and Venus collecting their doubles gold
medal at Wimbledon during the 2012 London Olympics
Williams will celebrate her 34th birthday in June, Williams will celebrate her 34th birthday in June,
less than a week before the start of her most less than a week before the start of her most
treasured and successful Grand Slam at treasured and successful Grand Slam at
Wimbledon. Five of her seven major titles have come Wimbledon. Five of her seven major titles have come
at the All England Club, with her last win coming in at the All England Club, with her last win coming in
2008. Reality says she will not enjoy a reunion with 2008. Reality says she will not enjoy a reunion with
the Venus Rosewater Dish, the champions platter the Venus Rosewater Dish, the champions platter
that bears her name, but the pleasure in watching that bears her name, but the pleasure in watching
Williams play these days is not in the winning. Its in Williams play these days is not in the winning. Its in
the competing. Regardless of her ranking she the competing. Regardless of her ranking she
remains a threat and a target at any tournament remains a threat and a target at any tournament
she enters. she enters.
Im no pushover, no matter the circumstances, Im no pushover, no matter the circumstances,
Williams said, when asked whether other players Williams said, when asked whether other players
raise their games against her. I do expect that. Its raise their games against her. I do expect that. Its
always attering if people feel like they have to come always attering if people feel like they have to come
out and really be focused and play better. Then that out and really be focused and play better. Then that
makes me feel like, all right, Im doing my job. makes me feel like, all right, Im doing my job.
Nineteen-year old Madison Keys spent much of Nineteen-year old Madison Keys spent much of
the last 12 months as the highest-ranked teenager the last 12 months as the highest-ranked teenager
on the WTA tour. She started playing tennis on the WTA tour. She started playing tennis
because she saw Williams on television and wanted because she saw Williams on television and wanted
nothing more than to wear one of her unique on- nothing more than to wear one of her unique on-
court dresses. I denitely grew up watching her court dresses. I denitely grew up watching her
and loving how she played, Keys said. Shes so and loving how she played, Keys said. Shes so
inspiring. Shes still around and shes one of the inspiring. Shes still around and shes one of the
funniest people. She truly enjoys tennis. Watching funniest people. She truly enjoys tennis. Watching
her play and enjoy it... and she battles through what her play and enjoy it... and she battles through what
she has every day. I know that cant be easy all the she has every day. I know that cant be easy all the
time, yet shes still out here and shes still doing it time, yet shes still out here and shes still doing it
because she loves it.
Managing her disease is still a daily battle, but Managing her disease is still a daily battle, but
Williams says shes learning to get a handle on it. Williams says shes learning to get a handle on it.
Shes a not-so-strict adherent of a Vegan diet Shes a not-so-strict adherent of a Vegan diet
Williams calls herself a chegan because she does Williams calls herself a chegan because she does
stray once in a while and still struggles maintaining stray once in a while and still struggles maintaining
her energy levels from day-to-day, an exhausting her energy levels from day-to-day, an exhausting
endeavour for anyone, let alone a professional athlete. endeavour for anyone, let alone a professional athlete.
I havent gotten rid of the disease, Williams said I havent gotten rid of the disease, Williams said
with a laugh. I wish I could have. Unfortunately it with a laugh. I wish I could have. Unfortunately it
clings to me. But I think Ive just learned to handle it clings to me. But I think Ive just learned to handle it
mentally, and also I try to do things all the time, just mentally, and also I try to do things all the time, just
always going for optimal health. always going for optimal health.
Tennis is a sport focused on who ends the week Tennis is a sport focused on who ends the week
with the trophy. We spend our time surveying the with the trophy. We spend our time surveying the
eld to identify favourites, dark horses, and future eld to identify favourites, dark horses, and future
champions. We pay attention to winners, not losers, champions. We pay attention to winners, not losers,
and that tunnel-vision means we often overlook the and that tunnel-vision means we often overlook the
simple act of the performance. She may not win simple act of the performance. She may not win
any more majors and her title-runs will be sparse, any more majors and her title-runs will be sparse,
but there is no other woman on tour who puts in a but there is no other woman on tour who puts in a
more compelling performance match-by-match more compelling performance match-by-match
than Venus Williams. For her, the battle wages on. than Venus Williams. For her, the battle wages on.
Thats what makes this game so enjoyable, is that
its not easy, Williams said. Not everyone can do it.
Just knowing what youve given to be on top. That is
satisfaction itself, and it crosses over into the rest of
your life.
Theres no way Im just
going to sit down and give
up just because I have a
hard time the first five or
six tournaments back
Below: Five of Venus' seven
Grand Slam titles have come at
the All England Club, Wimbledon
RAFA NADAL
YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT
100 FACTS
So you thought you knew everything there was
to know about Rafael Nadal? As the Spaniard
aims to win a record-breaking ninth
French Open title, Paul Newman uncovers
100 facts of which you might be unaware
2clay-court season,
Nikolay Davydenko was the
only top 100 player with a
positive head-to-head record
against Nadal, having won six
of their 11 meetings
3
The Nadal family roots
can be traced back to the
14th century
4
He holds the record
for consecutive clay-
court victories. His run of
81 successive wins was
ended by Roger Federer in
Hamburg in 2007
5
At the start of this clay-
court season he had won
315 clay-court matches and
lost just 21
6
He has played 85
matches on clay over the
best of five sets and won 84 of
them. His only defeat was to
Robin Soderling in the 2009
French Open
7
He has won the French
Open eight times but has
made only four appearances
at the Paris Masters 1000
tournament on the other side
of the city at Bercy, where he
has never won the title
9
Cincinnati is the only
Masters 1000 tournament
where he has lost first time
out more than once. He was
beaten by Juan Ignacio Chela
in 2004, Tomas Berdych in
2005 and Juan Monaco in 2007
10
He has won titles
in Europe, Asia,
Australasia and North and
South America but not in Africa
1 WHEN HE WAS A
TEENAGER NADAL BUILT UP
HIS ARM MUSCLES USING A
PULLEY DEVICE DESIGNED
TO PREVENT ASTRONAUTS
MUSCLES FROM
ATROPHYING IN SPACE
12
At the start of
the current clay-
court season, he had
won the title at least
seven times at four
different tournaments:
Monte Carlo,
Barcelona, Rome and
Roland Garros
13
During
Wimbledon
he stays in a rented
house and cooks for
his family and friends.
On the eve of his 2008
Wimbledon triumph
he served up fish,
shrimps and pasta
14
Before a match
Nadal eats fish
and pasta with olive oil
and salt, but no sauce
15
Toni Nadal,
his uncle and
coach, used to call him
mummys boy
24
Maria Francisca Perello, his
girlfriend, has a university
degree in business administration
11
The name Nadal means Christmas
in both Majorcan and Catalan
16
His favourite
food for
breakfast is bread
sprinkled with salt
and olive oil
17
He dislikes
ham, cheese
and tomatoes
18
He likes
Nutella
chocolate spread
19
He grew up in
a flat above
a tennis equipment
shop in the Majorcan
town of Manacor.
The flat was situated
opposite the local
tennis club
20
As a small
child he once
hid inside a cupboard
and ate a whole jar of
olives. He was ill for
days afterwards
21
Nadal has
beaten
Roger Federer more
times (23) than any
other opponent.
Next on the list are
Novak Djokovic (22)
and David Ferrer (21)
22
He started
playing
competitive matches
at the age of seven
23
His father
and two
uncles bought a five-
storey apartment
building on the main
square in Manacor;
El Palau (The
Palace) was the
14th-century
residence of the
Majorcan king, Jaume
II. Three generations
of Nadals moved
into apartments in
the building
25
He refers to
Maria
Francisca Perello
as Mary (above)
26
Until this years
Australian Open
final, Stan Wawrinka
was the player with the
worst record against
Nadal, having lost all
12 of their meetings
without winning a set.
At that time Nadal had
a 100 per cent record
against a total of 82
players (counting only
those players he had
played at least twice)
27
The opponent
with the worst
head-to-head record
against him as the
clay-court season
opened was Richard
Gasquet, who has lost
12 out of 12
28
Djokovic has
beaten him
more times (18) than
any other player. His
next most successful
opponents have been
Roger Federer (10
wins) and Nikolay
Davydenko (six wins)
29
He won his
first big
title, the Balaeric
Islands under-12s
championship, at the
age of eight
30
He started
playing two-
handed on both
forehand and backhand
but had changed to a
one-handed forehand
by the age of 10
31
He was offered a
scholarship at 14
to train at the San Cugat
academy in Barcelona.
His parents turned it
down because they
wanted him to continue
training with Toni TT
32
He won the
Spanish under-
14s title despite a painful
wrist, the legacy of a
fall after he had tried to
jump the net at the end
of a training session
33
At 14 he
practised three
times a week with
Carlos Moya, another
Majorcan
34
With 13 Grand
Slam titles to
his name, he stands
third on the all-time list
behind Federer (17) and
Pete Sampras (14)
35
Only Federer
(24 finals) can
better Nadals total
of 19 appearances in
Grand Slam finals
36
In winning the
2005 French
Open he became the
first player to win the
title on his debut since
Mats Wilander in 1982
37
In 2010 he
became only the
second player (after
Wilander) to win Grand
Slam titles on three
different surfaces at
least twice
ROLAND GARROS 2005
MARIA
FRANCISCA
PERELLO

R
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Y

G
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U
B
I
L
O
38
His 2012
Australian
Open defeat to Djokovic
was the longest mens
Grand Slam final on
record at five hours
and 53 minutes
39
Victory at the
2013 French
Open saw Nadal
become the first man
to win the same Grand
Slam title eight times
40
His defeat to
Steve Darcis at
Wimbledon last year
is the only time he has
lost in the first round
in his 37 Grand Slam
tournaments
41
Toni TT Nadal
studied
law and history at
university but dropped
out before completing
the course. He went
on to play and
coach tennis
42
Toni used to
be the best
table tennis player
on Majorca
43
Rafa used to
play first to
20 points with his
uncle. Toni would TT
let him get to 19 but
then upped his game
to stop Rafa winning
in order to teach him
the importance of
endurance
44
When Rafa won
a Mercedes
sports car at the age of
19, Toni arranged for
one of his sponsors,
Kia, to provide his
nephew with a more
humble vehicle to drive
around Majorca. Toni
said the Mercedes had
to stay in the garage
45
Rafas uncle
Miguel Angel
played football
for Barcelona and
for Spain
46
At four years old
Rafa was able
to recognise the club
crest of every football
team in the Spanish
First Division
47
His father
always insisted
that when he lost a
football match he
should congratulate
each member of
the opposition
team individually
48
He is a Real
Madrid fan
because they were
the team his father
supported
58
In 2010 he
opened the
Rafael Nadal Tennis
School in Anantapur in
India. The school gives
equal importance to
tennis training
and education
59
He won his first
match on the
ATP tour at 15, bridging
a gap of 681 places in
the rankings to beat
Paraguays Ramon
Delgado, the world
No.81, in Majorca
60
He won his
first title on the
main tour in doubles
at Umag in 2003, just
after turning 17. His
partner was a fellow
Spaniard, Alex Lopez
Moron, who was 16
years older than him
61
He has won
eight doubles
titles, including three at
Masters Series level. He
has twice won at Indian
Wells in partnership
with Marc Lopez
62
At 19 he was
told he might
never play again
because of pain caused
by a deformed tarsal
scaphoid bone in his left
foot. Nike devised a shoe
which helped, though
the pain has returned
from time to time
63
Carlos Costa,
his agent,
reached a career-high
No.10 in the world
rankings in 1992
49
Toni used to tell Rafa that
he had won the Tour de
France and played football in Italy.
Until Rafa was nine he believed
that Toni was a magician who
could make himself invisible
57 HE WRITES
AND PLAYS DARTS
WITH HIS RIGHT
HAND. HIS LEFT
FOOT IS STRONGER
AT FOOTBALL
50
He started
playing football
competitively for a
Manacor junior team at
the age of seven. He was
a left-sided attacker.
He helped Manacor
win the Balaeric
Islands Championship
when he was 11
51
Rafas great
grandfather
on his mothers
side was a master
furniture maker
52
His grand-
father Rafael
on his fathers side
was a musician
53
Rafas formal
education
ended when he was
16 after he left all
his books on a plane
54
He phones
or texts his
younger sister,
Maribel, 10 times a day
55
Maribel
studied sports
education at university
in Barcelona
56
His father and
Toni started TT
a window-making
business in Manacor
in the mid-1980s
64
His heaviest
defeat was in
the Chennai final of
2008, when he was
beaten 6-0 6-1 by
Mikhail Youzhny. He
had played a four-
hour semi-final the
previous day
65
Away from AA
Grand Slam
competition, he has
retired six times.
Twelve of TT
his opponents
have retired
66
He has a
freezing
cold shower before
every match
67
He goes to the
toilet up to half
a dozen times in the
hour before a match.
He calls them
nervous pees
68
The racket
manufacturer
Babolat signed a
10-year deal with
Rafa in 2007
69
Nike signed
him in 1999,
when he was only 13
70
He followed
David Beckham
and Cristiano Ronaldo
as the face of Armani
jeans and underwear
71
His only
appearance in
a Grand Slam junior
tournament was at
Wimbledon in 2002,
when he reached
the semi-finals
72
He was voted
the ATPs
Newcomer of the
Year in 2003
73
In 2005, at
the age of 18,
he became the first
teenager to win
11 tournaments in
one season
75
The $3,874,751
he earned in
2005 was a record for
a teenager
76
He has never
beaten an
opponent 6-0 6-0. He
has won 6-0 6-1 or 6-1
6-0 ten times
78
He sleeps
with a light or
television on because he
does not like the dark
79
He likes jet-
skiing and
swimming in the sea,
but only if he can see
the sand at the bottom
81
Within days
of getting his
drivers licence he
hit three walls when
parking his car. I hit a
wall on one side, a wall
on the other and then
a wall at the front,
he said at the time. It
was unbelievable. I
have to improve. But
at least its not my car.
Kia gave it to me
82
He is so
frightened
of dogs that Carlos
Moya had to lock his
animals in a bedroom
whenever Nadal visited
83
After winning
the Monte
Carlo Masters in
2008 he flew back to
Majorca by easyJet
84
Beyonce
attended
the party in Paris to
celebrate his 2010
French Open victory
85
He made a video
with the singer
Shakira to promote her
single, Gypsy
86
He has never
dropped out
of the worlds top five
since breaking into it in
May 2005
87
He spent a
record 160
weeks in a row at No.2
in the world rankings
from July 2005 to
August 2008
77
In 2013 he became the first player
to win more than $14m in prize
money during one season
74
His retirement against
Andy Murray in the 2010
Australian Open is the only time
he has quit in 201 Grand Slam
matches. Seven of his Grand
Slam opponents have retired
80
At the end of
last year he
won his first live poker
tournament, the EPT
Charity Challenge
in Prague
US OPEN 2013
AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2010
88
The lowest
ranked player
he has ever met
at a Grand Slam
tournament was Gianni
Mina (world No.655)
at the 2010 French
Open. Nadal beat the
Frenchman 6-2 6-2 6-2
89
In winning the
2010 Monte
Carlo title he dropped
a total of just 14 games
in his five matches
90
His run of 46
consecutive
victories at Monte
Carlo ended when he
lost to Novak Djokovic
in the 2013 final. The
defeat also ended his
run of 81 successive
victories on clay in April
91
At Monte Carlo
in 2009 he lost
11 points in a row in
the first set against
Juan Ignacio Chela but
still won 6-2 6-3
92
He won only
four points in
the final set of the 2011
Japan Open against
Andy Murray in Tokyo.
Murray won 3-6 6-2 6-0
93
His off-season
at the end of
2009 lasted one day.
He began training
again two days after
leading Spain to
victory in the Davis
Cup final
95
At Wimbledon
in 2006 he held
serve 80 times in a row
until Federer broke
him in the first
game of the final
96
In 2008 he won
Spains Prince
of Asturias award
for sport, securing 18
of the jurys 24 votes.
His competitors were
Michael Phelps,
Usain Bolt, Yelena YY
Isinbayeva and Spains
football team
97
A 24-match
winning streak
in quarter-finals ended
when he lost to
Feliciano Lopez at
Queens Club in 2010
98
David Cameron
borrowed
Nadals racket when the
Prime Minister played
with Andy Murray in
No.10 Downing Street
before the 2010 World
Tour Finals. TT Nadal
said Cameron had
a good volley
99
His favourite dish
at his favourite
Spanish restaurant in
London is octopus
100
A notoriously AA
bad time-
keeper, he arrived nearly
an hour late for a press
conference in Paris in
2010 to announce his
sponsorship deal with
Richard Mille, makers of
luxury Swiss watches
94 SINCE THE 2009 FINAL
HE HAS MISSED NINE OF
SPAINS 13 DAVIS CUP TIES.
MURRAY HAS MISSED SIX AND
FEDERER AND DJOKOVIC FOUR
EACH FOR THEIR COUNTRIES
OVER THE SAME PERIOD
DAVIS CUP

P
A
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Barricade has been the recipient
of a brilliant new makeover and a
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KAZAK
HSTAN
I
t will be a good quiz question in years to come.
Which team reached the Davis Cups elite
World Group and stayed there with a line-up
which did not feature a single player born inside
the countrys borders? Here is a clue: for the last
two years the same countrys Fed Cup team has
not featured a single home-grown player either.
The answer is Kazakhstan, whose policy of
importing overseas players is just one feature of
the former Soviet republics extraordinary
tennis landscape. Thanks to the sporting obsession of
one man, this central Asian nation of just 16 million
people is developing an infrastructure which could
keep it at the top of tennis for many a year.
Modern-day tennis in Kazakhstan owes everything
to Bulat Utemuratov, a banker and investor who stands
at No.796 on Forbes magazines list of the worlds
billionaires. The 56-year-olds net worth is estimated at
$2.2 billion (1.32 billion), which makes him his
countrys richest individual and ranks him alongside
Ted Turner, the founder of CNN, and Jack Dorsey, who
created Twitter. The tennis-loving Utemuratov, who is
an adviser to the Kazakhstan president Nursultan
Nazarbayev and a former ambassador to Switzerland,
is president of Kazakhstans tennis federation.
Thanks to Utemuratovs cash, Kazakhstan is
building outstanding tennis facilities and enabling its
best young players to train full-time under some of the
worlds nest coaches. Nevertheless, it has been the
federations policy of recruiting ready-made talent that
has thrust the nation to the forefront of world tennis.
Kazakhstan secured a place in the Davis Cups World
Group in 2010 and have stayed there ever since thanks
to Mikhail Kukushkin, Andrey Golubev, Evgeny
Korolev and Yuri Schukin, who all changed their
national allegiances from their native Russia in return
for the Kazakhstan federations support and the
chance to play in the Davis Cup. Aleksandr
Nedovyesov, who partnered Golubev to a sensational
doubles victory over Roger Federer and Stan
Wawrinka as Kazakhstan narrowly lost to Switzerland
in this year's quarter-nals, was born in Ukraine.
Although they have not enjoyed as much success,
Kazakhstans Fed Cup team has a similar story. For the
last two years their representatives have been Galina
Voskoboeva, Yaroslava Shvedova and Yulia
Putintseva, who were all born in Moscow, and Sesil
Karatantcheva, who was born in Bulgaria.
The idea of changing nationalities is nothing new.
Martina Navratilova, having played initially for
Czechoslovakia, became a United States citizen and
represented her new country in the Fed Cup. Greg
Rusedski grew up in Canada before switching
allegiance to Britain. Uzbekistan-born Varvara
Lepchenko represented the US at the 2012 Olympics.
What has made Kazakhstan exceptional has been
its importing of overseas players as a matter of policy.
We lose a lot of kids to boxing and wrestling because
they are the sports that Kazakhs believe they can
succeed in, Dias Doskarayev, the country's Davis Cup
captain said. We needed faces we could show on
television. We had players ranked maybe 200 or 300 in
the world playing in Futures and Challengers, but you
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We lose lots of kids to
boxing and wrestling
because they are the
sports that Kazakhs
believe that they can
succeed in
AS DOSKARAYEV
couldnt show that on TV. It had to be something big
and the Davis Cup is a competition that is known
around the world. Thats why the strategy was to bring
in people from outside people from Russia, for
example, who are not supported by their federation.
Kazakhstan also offered top-class training facilities
and help with coaches, other support staff and travel. To
meet International Tennis Federation requirements,
however, players can change national allegiance only
after spending a certain amount of time in their new
country. On top of this the players understand that
from a publicity and an ethical viewpoint they cant
just come to the country, play Davis Cup or Fed Cup,
and then leave, Doskarayev said.
For 26-year-old Golubev the switch was a logical
one. Of course the Davis Cup was really good
motivation, he said. We really enjoy playing for
Kazakhstan and I think that has been shown by our
results. We feel were part of a great project to develop
tennis in the country. The people from the federation
really want us to help with this. In Russia nobody
cared about me. When I was a junior and moved to
Italy for four years to practise, nobody called me to
ask me how I was doing, whether I needed anything.
He added: Even now if we ask for help with
something maybe for a coach or physio the
federation provide it. When Yuri Schukin nished his
career last year I asked the federation if he could work
with me as a coach, help me get back into the top 100.
They said OK. They provided a salary for him and
paid his expenses.
Golubev, who recently climbed back into the
worlds top 70 after dropping out of the top 200 a year
ago, pointed out that Russia and Kazakhstan have
many ties. They are really close, politically and in
many other ways, he said. Everyone in Kazakhstan
speaks Russian and many Kazakh people speak only
Russian. You can say that Russia and Kazakhstan are
different, but its like England and Scotland. They are
both part of the UK and the people are all British.
Top left: Andrey Golubev
Centre left: Evgeny
Korolev
Bottom left: Bulat
Utemuratov (L)
and ITF president
Francesco Ricci Bitti
Above: Yaroslava Shvedova
Right: Mikhail Kukushkin
has been inside the top 50
and made the singles final
of the ATP event in Moscow
towards the end of 2013
Doskarayev says the imports have thrown
themselves wholeheartedly into the national project.
They want to interact with the local players. They want
to show that they live in Kazakhstan. They are doing a
great job. They do things without being asked. People
like Golubev or Shvedova phone me up and say: Im
coming next week, what are you doing? Lets set up
some practice sessions, do some training with juniors.
Beneath Davis Cup and Fed Cup level, the progress
is arguably even more remarkable. Millions have been
invested in facilities, including a new national tennis
centre in the capital, Astana, and improvements in
Almaty, the former capital. Given the harsh winter
climate, indoor facilities are crucial. Within the next
18 months almost every big city will have its own
tennis centre. The rst strategy was to improve the
infrastructure, Doskarayev said. We wanted our kids
to have access to the current players to train when they
come in. We started projects to build tennis facilities
in each region.
Until recently there were only 500 registered players
in Kazakhstan. Now there are nearly 3,000. Facilities
are having to grow to meet demand. All the courts are
lled, even in the smaller cities, Doskarayev said. We
want to make sure that kids have access.
With the federations support, more than 50
Kazakhs play and train full-time. We have 32 juniors
who are nanced 100 per cent by the federation,
Doskarayev said. The federation pays for coaches,
tness coaches, travel, facilities, everything. I have
talked to a lot of other captains and no other federation
in the world does that.
Dias Doskarayev, who appeared in his last
Davis Cup tie 10 years ago, remembers a
time when playing tennis in Kazakhstan was
a constant struggle. In the winter we had
only two indoor hard courts in the whole of
Almaty for Davis Cup preparation and they
were privately owned, the current Davis
Cup captain recalled. There were maybe
only 100 people in Kazakhstan who played in
competitions regularly. Sometimes we had to
prepare for Davis Cup on wooden surfaces.
Although tennis in Kazakhstan has been
transformed by recent investment, the
country does have a tennis tradition, dating
back to its time as a Soviet republic. In the
1960s the Soviet authorities set out to develop
tennis there and a number of good players
emerged. The best and most celebrated
player in the countrys history was Marina
Kroshina, who was junior Wimbledon
champion in 1971.
Four or five players from Kazakhstan
played in Soviet Union national teams at that
time, but unfortunately they went on to live in
other countries, Doskarayev said. Marina
Kroshina eventually moved to Ukraine.
Others left for Russia. One of them now lives
in the Czech Republic and another in Italy. If
Kazakhstan had kept all those good players
they might eventually have become good
coaches for the country, but unfortunately
that tradition wasnt kept up. The salaries
for coaches in Kazakhstan were so low
that people werent interested. The whole
situation wasnt set up for tennis.
Kazakhstan-born players of international
quality have been thin on the ground in
subsequent years. Elena Likhovtseva, a
former top 20 player, was born in Almaty,
the former capital, but competed under the
Russian flag until her retirement six years
ago. Irina Selyutina, who has just been
appointed Kazakhstans Fed Cup captain,
reached a career-high No.85 in the world
rankings in 2002.
Dias Doskarayev: 'In the winter, we had only two
indoor hard courts in the whole of Almaty'
TENNIS TRADITIONS
A history of Kazakh's pros
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Left: Zarina Diyas
Middle: The National Tennis
Center in the capital, Astana
Bottom: Galina Voskoboeva
and Venus Williams
The players benet from top-class coaching. The
Kazakh federation works closely with the TenisVal
academy in Valencia, where David Ferrer trains, and
with Eric van Harpens academy in Germany. Jose
Altur, Ferrers coach, has spent much time working
with Kazakhstans male players. Up to 20 Kazakh
players have trained in Spain at any one time and
TenisVal coaches are regular visitors to Kazakhstan.
Van Harpen, a former coach of Arantxa Sanchez
Vicario and Conchita Martinez, works closely with
Kazakhstans best young female players. The
Kazakh federation have recently turned more to
Russian-speaking coaches, to aid communication.
The value of importing coaches has been shown in
18-year-old Kamila Kerimbayeva, who in the last year
has climbed more than 400 places into the worlds top
300 under the guidance of the Ukrainian Andrey
Bakunin. The only other Kazakhstan-born player
with a higher WTA ranking is 20-year-old Zarina
Diyas, who reached the third round at this years
Australian Open. Dyas went to the brink of the
worlds top 100 with her recent victory in a $50,000
ITF event in Guangzhou, where she has been based
for the last 18 months. While the importing of players
like Voskoboeva and Shvedova has limited her Fed
Cup opportunities, Dyas backs her federation. They
are good players so its really good for Kazakhstan.
Golubev describes the importing of overseas
players as the tip of the iceberg. He explained:
Were just the bit you can see. The main work is the
development of junior tennis. Were an example to
those kids.
Doskarayev said: The number of kids who are
playing tournaments regularly has sky-rocketed. It
wasnt just about the building of the facilities, it was
about building a whole structure where kids come in
and play tennis. We set up a mini-tennis structure for
under-10s. Then they play national tournaments, then
they get a ranking, then they get the nancing, then
they have all these international tournaments they
can play in Kazakhstan. In 2014 we will stage 14
Futures tournaments in mens and womens tennis.
We also have three mens Challenger tournaments,
three $25,000 tournaments for women, plus ITF
under-18 tournaments.
What does Doskarayev believe the next generation
can achieve? I think there will be one or two female
players making the top 150 in the next ve to seven
years, he said. Its easier in womens tennis. In the
next 10 or 15 years I hope there will be maybe one real
Kazakh player who will reach the ATPs top 100. I
think its going to grow slowly, but we want to build a
system which generates its own talent.
They want to interact
with the local players.
They want to show that
they live in Kazakhstan
DIAS DOSKARAYEV
[FACT CHECK]
BIG GAME
HUNTING
[ROLAND GARROS 2014]
WHAT 2014 French Open
WHEN May 25-June 8
WHERE
Stade Roland Garros,
Paris
SURFACE
Outdoor red clay
WHO
Mens singles (128)
Mens doubles (64)
Ladies singles (128)
Ladies doubles (64)
Mixed doubles (64)
Boys singles (64)
Boys doubles (32)
Girls singles (64)
Girls doubles (32)
Mens and ladies
wheelchair singles
and doubles
Perrier Legends Trophy
(three events)
2013 CHAMPIONS
Rafael Nadal
Bryan & Bryan
Serena Williams
Makarova & Vesnina
Hradecka & Cermak
FAVOURITE: Rafael Nadal
The Spaniards record on clay
represents a collection of mind-boggling
statistics. Eight Roland Garros titles in
nine visits and a win-loss record of 59-1 in
Paris make it impossible not to nominate
Nadal as the favourite once more.
Bearing in mind he also has eight Monte
Carlo trophies, eight Barcelona crowns
and seven victories in Rome, Rafa is still
the undisputed King of Clay.
DARKHORSE: Milos Raonic
Youd be forgiven for labelling the
big-serving Canadian as nothing more
than a fast court player, but hes shown
in the past he has the artistry and game
to enjoy success on clay. Having spent
time under the tutelage of Spaniard
Galo Blanco and now with Ivan Ljubicic,
Raonic will arrive in Paris expecting
much more of himself. A run to the
last four of the ATP 500 in Barcelona
last year shows he knows what hes
doing on the dirt.
HOME HOPE: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
While France has strength in depth in
the mens game (nine players in the top
50 at the time of writing), it looks unlikely
theyll end their wait for a male Grand Slam
champion this June. Hopes will be pinned
on the shoulders of leading lights Richard
Gasquet, Gael Monfils and, perhaps the
man with the best chance of success on
the big stage, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
W
hen we sit down to consider the annual preview
to the second Grand Slam of the year, we try to
approach it with the intention of giving it a
fresh look, another angle. But when you start to delve into
the recent history of the mens singles at Roland Garros,
its all about one man Rafael Nadal. And it still is.
Try as we might to look beyond the Spanish world
No.1 getting his hands on the singles trophy for a ninth
time (yes, nine), its very difcult to bet against the man
from Majorca when he sets foot on the French clay.
You could even argue that this years draw will present
even less of an open title race than in recent years.
Experts have for some time talked about the Big Four on
the ATP tour, but on recent form that big four seems to
have shrunk to the big two Nadal and the man just
behind him in the world rankings, Novak Djokovic.
The other two members of that foursome, Roger
Federer and Andy Murray, have shown they can live with
and beat Nadal and Djokovic on hard, indoor and grass
surfaces, but on clay that feat is all the harder. Murray
would openly admit he nds clay his biggest challenge
and his ongoing recovery from back surgery last year
means his expectations on the red stuff this spring will
be low. Federer, on the other hand, has been showing
signs that a slightly bigger racket and his new
partnership with coach Stefan Edberg are working. The
Swiss is t once again, and has produced some great
tennis in 2014, but even that wasnt good enough to land
either of the opening Masters 1000s played on the hard
courts of Indian Wells and Miami. Indeed, after the dust
had settled on the Florida event at the end of March,
Nadal and Djokovic held all nine Masters titles between
them. Evidence of their world domination.
Djokovic holds an advantage over Nadal on hard
courts, and has even beaten him on clay in the past in
Monte Carlo, Rome and Madrid but never when it really
mattered, inside the Paris majors main arena, Court
Philippe Chatrier.
The Serb came mighty close to achieving that in last
year's semi-nals when he blew a 4-2 lead in the nal set
before Nadal recovered to win 9-7 in the fth. Whether
that experience means he will be better prepared than
ever before if he comes up against Nadal in the nal on
June 8, only time will tell. Beating Nadal on a clay court
is still the biggest challenge in tennis.
After the results of the last
12 months at the world's
biggest tournaments,
its difficult to look beyond
Nadal and Djokovic
BEATING NADAL ON A CLAY
COURT REMAINS THE BIGGEST
CHALLENGE IN TENNIS
WORDS: LEE GOODALL

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Above: World No.1
Rafael Nadal will be
hoping to get his hands
on the men's singles
trophy for a ninth time
ON SERENAS
RACKET...
W
hile 2013 French Open mens
champion Rafael Nadal will start
the Paris major as favourite to
defend his title, the same is true of the
ladies singles where American world No.1
Serena Williams will be expected to claim
back-to-back victories after she beat Maria
Sharapova in the nal last June.
Williams has twice proved last year and
back in 2002 that her upbringing on
American hard courts wont stop her
mastering the French clay, but her last two
visits are evidence that you never quite
know what to expect when she hits the
Roland Garros dirt in late May.
Back in 2012 she crashed out in round
one to Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano
and, after teaming up with current Paris-
based coach Patrick Mouratoglou following
that defeat, came back 12 months later to
sweep aside all before her.
At 32 years of age, as she enters the
twilight of her career, motivation to win the
biggest events certainly isnt an issue.
Rejuvenated after being hospitalised with a
pulmonary embolism in 2011, the
American now owns 17 Grand Slam singles
titles, a tally which puts her tantalisingly
close to emulating fellow greats Chris Evert
and Martina Navratilova, who each hold 18.
It looks more and more likely Serena will
eclipse that duo during the remainder of
her career, and Stef Grafs Open era record
of 22 is now well within touching distance.
Of her challengers, Chinese world No.2
Li Na Januarys Australian Open
champion and a former winner at Roland
Garros looks like her sternest rival. Li
has proved she has the temperament to
handle the biggest stages,
although has lost her last ten
meetings with Williams,
dating back to 2008.
Further down the WTA
rankings, Aga Radwanska
has struggled to stay 100% t
for much of this season a
must when taking to the clay
and the same can be said of former Grand
Slam champ Victoria Azarenka, who lost
early in Indian Wells and missed Miami
with a foot injury that she picked up before
Januarys Australian Open. Maria
Sharapova, another former champion, is
always a threat thanks to her tenacity and
incredible ghting spirit, but she too owns
a dismal record against Serena the
Russian hasnt beaten the world No.1 for a
decade. That leaves punters looking further
down the WTA ranking list for anyone who
has the pedigree and belief to go all the way
in Paris. Serena will arrive feeling very
condent indeed.
THE FAVOURITE: Serena Williams
Twice a former champion and a 17-
time Grand Slam winner, the American
will hope to draw level with Martina
Navratilova and Chris Evert on 18 major
singles titles by winning in Paris. Still the
player to beat in the womens game, if
her mind is on the job she is a class apart.
Also has the benefit of feeling at home
in the French capital she is coached by
Paris-based Patrick Mouratoglou.
THE DARKHORSE: Dominika Cibulkova
Always a talented performer, her
run to the final of this year's Australian
Open has appeared to give her the belief
she required to consistently take on the
worlds best. A semi-final showing in
Miami pushed her into the worlds top
ten for the first time and her appetite
for a scrap, boundless energy and
fantastically positive body language on
court will serve her well on the clay.
HOME HOPE: Alize Cornet
With last years Wimbledon champion
Marion Bartoli now but a distant memory
on the WTA tour, French support will rest
on the shoulders of Alize Cornet. The
24-year-old has enjoyed some good form
in 2014, beating Serena Williams on her
way to the final in Dubai in February. With
a decent draw, shell be hoping at least to
keep the flag flying into the second week.
When shes fit and focused nobody can
live with Serena Williams, once more the
favourite to lift the womens trophy
STEFFI GRAFS OPEN ERA
RECORD OF 22 MAJORS
IS NOW WELL WITHIN
TOUCHING DISTANCE
[ROLAND GARROS 2014]

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The Boodles
Stoke Park, Buckinghamshire
One of the next opportunities for
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The Boodles 2014, the week before
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21 June.
It is here that the worlds tennis elite
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Looking back at 2013, The Boodles
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semi-finals. Last years Wimbledon
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World No.2 Djokovic was again the star
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The Boodles is now in its 13th year and
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GUEST COACH
DAVID SAMMEL
David has more than 25
years experience in
tennis and is an official
ATP Coach and author.
In his career, he has
coached a number of
British and international
players and is currently
Head Coach at Team
Bath MCTA and author
of Locker Room Power.
COACHING
CONSULTANT
PATRICK
MOURATOGLOU
Coach to world No.1
Serena Williams,
Patrick is the Founder
and Head Coach of the
Mouratoglou Tennis
Academy in Paris, which
boasts Grigor Dimitrov
and Laura Robson
among its alumni.
ACADEMY
COLUMNIST
MATS MERKEL
adidas coach Mats has
worked with the likes of
Andy Murray andJo-
Wilfried Tsonga as well
as a number of up-and-
coming juniors. He offers
an insight into life on tour
in his exclusive column.
F
eel like your hard work in training
is not always evident in matches?
Your training schedule might need
some attention. With the help of the
coaching team at the International Tennis
Federation (page 72), we explore the
benefits of Periodisation and why a
comprehensive training schedule can
help you avoid injury and ensure you
peak at the right time.
But even if youve put in the hard yards
on the practice court, it wont matter a jot
if your legs turn to jelly at the first sign of
pressure. In our regular PlayBrave
psychology feature, we try to help you
stay calm and battle those butterflies.
With the worlds best currently grinding
it out on the clay in Europe, Mats Merkel
explains the challenges facing players on
the dirt and why those who can adapt
quickly to the change of surface will be at
a real advantage. On page 78, Mats shares
his experience of working with Jo-Wilfried
Tsonga on his clay game and picks out his
players to watch this spring.
Meanwhile, Patrick Mouratoglou
explains why he believes it is
advantageous to train predominantly
outdoors as he shares his vision for his
new academy in Nice, set to open in
2016. With world-class facilities
including 33 courts and accommodation
for 150 aspiring professionals, the
facility at Biot-Sophia-Antipolis is set to
be the biggest in Europe.
We turn our attention to the King of
Clay, Rafael Nadal on page 64, as Dave
Sammel scrutinises the Spaniards
famous forehand, before focusing on
Eugenie Bouchards backhand in our
frame-by-frame analysis.
And thats not all! Learn how your diet
can help your body recover from injury
on page 74 as expert Sarah Brown
explains how eating the right nutrients
will help your body heal itself.
From technique to tactics and data to diet, we try to help you become a better player
With tips from experts in coaching, psychology and nutrition, step up your game today
Dont play your best tennis on the practice court.
Learn how to peak at the right time
GET MATCH READY
If youre a good outdoor
player youre going to be
a good indoor player
PATRICK MOURATOGLOU
LOOK,
LISTEN,
LEARN!
1
Rafa has fantastic rotation in
preparation for the shot. His right arm
extends back further than his head, taking
the shoulders past the hips allowing him to
coil up like a spring, ready for release.
2
As Rafa begins to accelerate his racket
arm forward and towards the ball, the
speed of his hips and arm will increase
quickly into the contact point. Notice that
his head is completely still.
3
He explodes upwards with the wrist
laid back for extra speed and whip as
the arm accelerates to contact. Imagine
the force of his legs driving up, body
rotating and arm 'lassoing' into the ball?
AC AA ADEMY
It's arguably one of the greatest strokes tennis has ever known. So how
exactly does Rafa generate such power and spin off his forehand wing?
RAFA NADAL FOREHAND
[FRAME-BY-FRAME]
Dominate opponents with your weapons
It's no use having a massive forehand
if you don't use it to win matches. The
next time you watch Nadal during a
match, notice how many times he makes
sure he is in position to play a forehand
rather than a backhand even when the
ball is coming down his backhand side.
Often he will 'camp' to the right of the
baseline's centre mark so he can hit as
many forehands as possible. This makes
it very difficult for opponents to get the
ball on to his slightly weaker backhand.
4
A split second before contact the
body has rotated in mid-air, his head is
still, hips now almost square-on and the
wrist allows a flat racket face on the ball.
The angle indicates an inside-out forehand.
5
Rafa's left leg begins to extend
backwards as a counter-balance to the
racket arm which is fully extended
forwards. The forearm has rotated to
impart some topspin onto the ball.
6
Look how relaxed his wrist is as it
almost flops over in the follow through.
You can also see from the angle of the front
leg how his weight is leaning forward over
the ball and the left shoulder rotates.
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RAFAEL NADAL
David has more than 25 years' experience in tennis, coaching
international players to career-high rankings, many of
whom have represented their countries in the Davis Cup and
at Olympic tennis events. David also became an official ATP
coach in 2014 as recognition of his many years on tour. In
addition, he regularly contributes to the UK tennis media
including appearances on BBC Radio 5 Live, contributions to
The Times newspaper and Sky Sports. In early 2014, David
released a sports psychology and coaching book, "Locker
Room Power Building an Athlete's Mind". It provides
insights, practical ideas and techniques for athletes and
coaches to help them unlock the true potential of a
sportsperson, enhance their performance and achieve
their professional goals.
GOLDEN RULE
Committing to a big, heavily-spun forehand is key to success when
executing a shot like this especially at crucial stages of matches
when you might start to feel a little bit nervous. To create big spin
you need huge racket head speed just like Rafa. So don't hold
back. Attack the ball, hit through the shot and be brave!
Don't look up finish the shot
It's only long after the ball has gone
that Rafa's eyes (not his head) begin to lift
to look at his opponent and track where
the next ball he might have to take on is
going. This is another example of how top
players really commit to each shot - they
don't start moving away before they have
completed their execution. This is a
common problem for club players who
pull up and off the shot immediately after
contact and much too soon to try to
get back and ready for the next ball.
MEET YOUR COACH: DAVID SAMMEL
1
Eugenie shows great strength as she
prepares to defend a powerful shot.
Notice how low she is to absorb the pace
with a wide-open stance. Her racket is
back early, her shoulders are nicely rotated
further than her hips, her head is still.
2
The ball is now almost in Eugenie's
strike zone. She doesn't panic and
waits to time the ball. She hasn't raised her
body at all as the racket head drops below
her wrists to help create a bit of topspin
and begins to move forward.
3
Still her body is at exactly the same
height. When defending pace, it's so
important to make sure the head and body
do not lift up. The low centre of gravity and
strength of the player dominates the
weight and force of the ball.
AC AA ADEMY
From one of the greatest ever players, to one of the rising stars of
the women's game. Eugenie Bouchard and her defensive backhand
BOUCHARD BACKHAND
[FRAME-BY-FRAME]
Stand your ground - defend your territory
In this age of power tennis, defending
your real estate on court is key. Despite
the temptation for Eugenie to allow the
force of her opponents shot to push her
up and back off the ball, she maintains
her discipline throughout the execution
of this backhand. She avoids losing
control of her follow through by holding
her body shape from start to finish. This
is not an easy thing to do in the heat of
battle. This is a fabulous example of
textbook execution under pressure.
4
We can tell this backhand is a
defensive shot because Eugenie's
follow through looks abbreviated. She has
used the pace of the oncoming ball to
create power and by doing so can exercise
control over her reply.
5
Eugenie has hit the backhand with a bit
of topspin to aid control. We can tell
this by noticing that the left hand and arm
has half-rotated over the right. Again, she's
the same height, and her head hasn't
moved well after the moment of contact.
6
Her racket is now back in front of her
body as she recovers from the shot.
Again, the height of her torso and head
remains the same and her legs are bent,
giving her a strong base from which to
push off in the direction of the next ball.
Eugenie Bouchard putting Canada on the map
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EUGENIE BOUCHARD
when she won Junior Wimbledon in 2012, Eugenie Bouchard enjoyed
a stellar season in 2013 when she burst into the world's top 50 and
was subsequently named WTA Newcomer of the Year. Her results
during 2014 have been even better so far, starting the calendar year
ranked No.32, before jumping into the top 20 after reaching the semi-
finals at the Australian Open where she beat former world No.1 Ana
Ivanovic en route to the last four. Shes a very aggressive player,
Ivanovic said afterwards. It's sometimes very hard to read her game.
There are no real patterns... She's a great mover.
GOLDEN RULE
When trying to defend against this kind of tricky, deep reply it's
important to watch the ball closely and not try too much. It's
primarily a defensive shot so keep expectations low. Your objective
should be to, like Genie, time the ball back into play. Don't try to be
too aggressive, maintain your technique and get the ball back deep.
The double hander why two hands might be better than one
As well as as important form of defence,
a strong two-handed backhand can be a
great weapon on the return of serve,
when counter-punching and when you
need a big passing shot. A decent two-
fisted backhand also gives you an
advantage when disguising your reply,
smaller and younger players will be able
to hit with a bit more power (particularly
off difficult, high-bouncing balls) and its
easier to hit controlled topspin lobs with
two hands as well.
AC AA ADEMY
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MOVING ON
THE ACADEMY THAT I
FOUNDED IN PARIS 18 YEARS
AGO HAS BEEN MY PRIDE
AND JOY, BUT I HAVE FELT
FOR A WHILE THAT IT MIGHT
BE TIME TO MOVE ON
The Frenchman outlines his
vision for a brand new academy
in the south of France
WORDS: PATRICK MOURATOGLOU
[BIOGRAPHY]
Patrick Mouratoglou is the founder
and Head Coach at the Mouratoglou
Tennis Academy which is based
near Paris. Founded in 1996, it is
now considered to be one of the best
in the world and offers personalised
training which is tailored to each of
its players' individual needs.
I
n everyones life, as well as in a tennis career, there are
two or three key moments when you have to make big
decisions. I had such a moment quite recently. The
academy which I founded in Paris 18 years ago has been
my pride and joy, but I have felt for a while that it might
be time to move on. Now my decision has been made: in
2016 we will open a new academy in the south of France,
which I aim to make the biggest and best in Europe.
I am so excited about it. The academy at Biot-Sophia-
Antipolis next to Nice will feature world-class facilities,
including 33 courts, a state-of-the-art medical centre,
swimming pools and a running track. There will be a
school, a four-star hotel and spa, permanent
accommodation for 150 young players and the capacity
for more than 3,000 people to attend the academy for a
training session for a week or more during the year.
We have been running out of space in Paris. Although
we had room to expand I wanted to explore other options,
particularly in more favourable locations. In Paris it rains
180 days a year. In Nice, where the climate is much
warmer, we benet from 300 days of sun. Even when it
rains in Nice you can usually play an hour or two after its
stopped. In Paris when it rains you normally cant play for
the rest of the day. In Nice, where the weather is similar to
what the players experience week in and week out on the
tour, you can play outdoors 12 months of the year.
When I was a kid I played at a club in Paris that had
no indoor courts. Weather permitting, I played
outdoors the whole year. Many more clubs these days
have indoor facilities, but Im a big believer in the
benets of playing outdoors.
Tennis, in my opinion, is an outdoor sport. On the
womens tour 80 per cent of the tournaments are
played outdoors. On the mens tour its probably
about 70 per cent. If youre a good outdoor player
youre going to be a good indoor player, but the
opposite isnt necessarily true. Its much more
difcult to play outdoors than it is to play indoors. By
becoming a better player outdoors youll be a better
player indoors.
Outdoors, players have to learn to deal with the
sun and the wind. If you know how to use the wind
you effectively have an extra weapon at your
disposal. I have a book of quotations, which I
regularly dip into, and I came across something the
other day that I liked: Entrainement difcile, guerre
facile (Tough training, easy war). Ive always
believed that if you experience tough moments and
situations in practices, the matches will be easier.
Training outdoors will benet everyone at the
academy, including future professionals, players who
will be heading for American universities and even
those who just come to enjoy the experience of
professional training for a week.
In Paris we cover some courts with a bubble during
the winter. The problem is that you generally t only
two or three courts under one bubble. That means
that you dont benet as much from the energy
coming off other courts. I think its good to feed off
the energy generated by other players and coaches.
There is already a successful academy at Biot-
Sophia-Antipolis, founded and run by Charles
Auffray, who will be the on-site manager at the new
academy. There are currently 17 courts, but we will
increase that to 33, comprising 21 clay and 12 hard. I
believe that clay courts are the best surface on which
to learn for the same reason that I advocate
practising outdoors. Its harder to hit a winning shot
on clay. There are no easy winners. You have to learn
to work the point. What you learn on clay will benet
you on other surfaces.
We will build a completely new medical centre,
which will be staffed by the best personnel. The
centre will have an area dedicated to improving
recovery: we will have everything you need to put
players in the best shape to resume their work the
next day. There will also be a swimming pool inside
the medical centre to help with rehabilitation, plus a
tness room. Outside there will be a running track
and a sports pitch on which to work.
An on-site school will provide education for 150
young players aged 11 and upwards and there will be
accommodation for 300. The goal is to have around
150 young players there full-time, plus maybe 20 to
30 elite professionals. In addition we aim to have
3,000 players every year who will attend for just a
week or two at a time. The challenge is to provide
The Frenchman says he is drawn to the south where The Frenchman says he is drawn to the south where
his players can benefit from 300 days of sun a year
AC AA ADEMY
I came across this quote the
other day and liked it:
Tough training, easy war
PATRICK MOURATOGLOU
such a large number of players with programmes
that remain individualised. I want to keep on
guaranteeing the same quality. We will have a
professional coach on every court and there will
never be more than four players on one court.
The academy will be up and running by the
summer of 2016. We will keep the Paris site, which is
a successful club in its own right and will soon
benet from a new 18-hole golf course. It will be good
to have somewhere to practise occasionally in Paris,
but most of the academy programme will be in Nice.
If players want to get a little time away from
Sophia-Antipolis, its in a great position to visit other
places. Its only 15 minutes from the sea and 45 from
the mountains. Its also just 15 minutes from Nice
airport, which is the second biggest in France.
Players spend so much time travelling to and from
airports, so it is a great advantage to have a big
international airport so close.
The elite players will either live outside the
academy some could travel daily from Monte Carlo,
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where a number of top professionals live or at the
four-star hotel on site, which includes a great spa.
I dont think theres a hard-and-fast rule about
whether or not its best to live on-site, but many
players nd its an advantage because you can focus
on your practice without any distractions. To wake up,
have breakfast and walk straight into the gym or on to
the court makes life so much easier compared with
having to ght your way through trafc every day.
I also think its good to be working alongside other
elite players. Having other players practising hard
around you helps to push you. Even for the best
players it can be good to feed off that energy. When
we trained in Mauritius the winter before last I
remember Serena Williams watching some young
Russian players working and saying to me how much
it motivates her to see that.
When we announced our plans for Biot-Sophia-
Antipolis earlier this year the mayor of Biot described
it as the opportunity of a lifetime. Thats exactly how I
feel about the project. I cant wait to get started there.
THERE WILL BE 33 COURTS,
MEDICAL CENTRE, POOLS,
RUNNING TRACK AND
A FOUR-STAR HOTEL
AC AA ADEMY
Y
ouve probably heard the likes of Novak
Djokovic, Rafa Nadal and Serena Williams
talking about the importance of their off-season
and what they hope to achieve during so-called
training blocks. With ATP and WTA calendars that
stretch from the beginning of January until mid-
November, tennis is one of the few sports without a
prolonged off-season, which makes peaking for big
tournaments a particular challenge.
Performance coaches and players refer to the
structured breakdown and planning of their training
as periodisation the division of an annual plan into
smaller phases, each with its own objectives to ensure
the best possible chance of performing well at certain
times of the year. When implemented properly,
periodisation can help reduce risk of injury and
burnout and will help players feel fresh and agile on
competition day, instead of stiff, sore and fatigued.
The main objective of the 'classic' model of
periodisation is to balance the intensity and volume
of training with recovery through the year in order to
be ready for optimum performance at the right time.
"Periodisation is the key to getting a player in peak
form for the most important competition of the year,"
insists ITF touring coach Dermot Sweeney. "Effective
periodisation is knowing what to do and when to do
it. It is essential to get a player mentally and
physically ready."
A classic periodisation plan controls four main
aspects of on and off-court activity: the type of
training, as well as the volume, intensity and
frequency. By creating a unique plan, a player will
benet from having an individualised programme
that will reduce boredom by increasing variety.
A typical programme is broken into four training
phases known as periods or macrocycles. The
Nobody wants to play their best tennis on the practice
court - they want to hit form at the biggest tournaments...
TRAINING TO WIN
ON AND OFF-COURT WORKOUTS
SHOULD BE PLANNED TO ALLOW
YOU TO PLAY YOUR BEST TENNIS
WHEN IT MATTERS MOST
foundations. There is less focus on outcome and
results and more emphasis on high levels of
physical training and technical work. Training
sessions will be high volume, lower intensity.
The second period, the pre-competition phase,
focuses on ne-tuning skills which are more
specic to tennis. The emphasis is on tactics rather
than technique, and training will be lower in
volume, high intensity. Training sessions should be
mixed with regular practice sets, tapering down as
competition approaches.
For the third phase, the competition period, the
emphasis is on maintaining the best physical,
mental and technical shape by focusing on tennis-
specic training and injury prevention.
This is when players will be at their most
important tournaments. Circuit training will help to
maintain tness levels and tactics will be targeted
to adapting to opponents and surfaces.
Finally, after the event, comes the transition
phase to let the athletes body recover. Take a break
from tennis, but keep up general tness levels by
taking part in other sports. This is also an
opportunity to assess performance.
It is advisable to review your goals after the
competition phase. Tests can be done just after a
rest period or in the preparatory phase and cover a
variety of areas from tactical to physical, whether its
a serve consistency test or a 3km time trial.
The plan must be individual to each player
depending on when they need to be at their peak.
The most important time of the year in the UK is
from May to August when club events take place.
Identify important dates, not just tournaments
but commitments such as holidays that might
impact training. Once you have identied major
competitions, factor in rest periods before
preparation phases, with each period lasting
between three and ve weeks.
This article is based on information extracted from
Tennis iCoach.com and the ITF Advanced Coaches
Manual, written by Miguel Crespo & Dave Miley.
Information edited by Merlin van de Braam.
[PERIODISATION]
TENNIS iCOACH
International
Tennis Federations ofcial coaching
platform. Access expert coaching
from around the world on technique,
tactics, biomechanics, psychology,
sports medicine and methodology.
www.tennisicoach.com
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PERIODISATION
PERIODISATION
EXPLAINED
Periodisation is the division of an
annual training plan into phases of on
and off-court training. The aim is to be in
the best shape possible and to play
your best at your most important
tournament of the year.
What are the benefits?
Helps players avoid getting stale
Reduces risk of burnout
and overtraining
Ensures an individualised programme
Reduces monotony and boredom by
increasing variety
Ensures peaking at the right time
What aspects are controlled
by periodisation?
Volume: amount of work performed
Intensity: how hard the player works
Frequency: how often the player trains
Type: what focus a training session has
e.g. technique, tactics, conditioning
TOP TIP
Dont be tempted to make any major
technical or physical changes during
competition phases. As your big
tournament gets closer, reduce the
volume of training but increase the
intensity. Going for a long run the day
before a big match is definitely not part
of a good periodisation plan!
PERIOD OBJECTIVES RECOMMENDED
LENGTH
VOLUME OF TRAINING
LOAD & INTENSITY
GENERAL
PREPARATORY
GENERAL: Lay solid foundations improving technique
is the focus here and this is the last stage that technical
changes should take place
TACTICAL & TECHNICAL: Drilling for consistency
PHYSICAL: Challenge aerobic capacity and speed
endurance i.e. tough interval training
MENTAL: Set process goals not outcome goals
e.g. increase racket head speed on forehand
Emphasise mental skills, e.g. routines between points
COMPETITIVE: Play less important tournaments or
matches in this stage, or just a few practice matches.
If you do play matches, focus on your goals, not the
results or outcome of matches
8 weeks
recommended
(never less
than 4)
High volume
Lower level of intensity
Longer sessions of
up to two hours
PRE-COMPETITION
GENERAL: Fine-tune competitive skills while
maintaining physical improvements of last phase
TACTICAL & TECHNICAL: Practise plenty of serve and
return drills and patterns that you will use in competition
without counting scores. Focus should also be on
optimising your tactics not your technical faults.
Highlight and work on your strengths!
PHYSICAL: Fine-tune reactions, agility and decrease
aerobic training furthermore
MENTAL: Build confidence through organising
matches with beatable opponents familiarise
yourself with winning!
COMPETITIVE: Practice should include plenty of
practice sets and competition where possible
4 weeks Lower volume
Shorter sessions, with
an increase in intensity,
ie short and sharp drills
COMPETITION
GENERAL: Main objective is peaking at most important
tournaments
TACTICAL & TECHNICAL: Adapt training to court surface
and potential opponents, e.g. for a grass tournament
practice plenty of slice serves and backhands
PHYSICAL: Simply maintain physical base and stay fresh
MENTAL: Set three goals for each match this will help
concentration and motivation
COMPETITIVE: N/A //
2 weeks Low volume (stay fresh)
High intensity
Shorter training sessions
are better around this
time 90 minutes max
TRANSITION/ REST
GENERAL: Main emphasis is recovering from stress
of competition
TACTICAL & TECHNICAL: If playing tennis, begin to work
on technical weaknesses apparent in previous matches
PHYSICAL: Participate in other sports
MENTAL: Assess mental strengths and weaknesses
apparent in prior competition
COMPETITION: Take holidays, time out from tennis, TT
go out and enjoy a well-earned break!
2 weeks N/A //
TRAINING GUIDELINES FOR PERIODISING YOUR SUMMER CALENDAR
AC AA ADEMY
N
o matter how much effort you put
in on the practice court, if you
cant deal with pre-match nerves,
you might never full your potential.
Nerves can strike at any moment
during the warm-up or when serving for
the match and anxiety can affect players
of all ages and abilities. It affects different
people in different ways, but whether you
feel nauseous, get jelly-legs or have
trouble breathing the outcome on court is
the same. Your heart starts pounding, your
muscles start to tense and you have trouble
concentrating on the task.
Pardon the pun, but try to relax there
are ways to deal with anxiety. During
training, set exercises to get used to
playing under pressure. Your serve is often
the rst stroke to buckle, so
set drills that help you get
used to executing under
duress. Andy Murray uses an
empty tin of balls as a target,
or use cones to create zones.
Set yourself a target of hitting ve or 10 in a
row and, if you miss, you start again.
I think at the beginning of the
tournament is when you have the most
nerves, American No.2 Sloane Stephens
said recently. Once you get going, you
think [my opponent] has done well, youre
both playing well, so its good we are this
deep in the tournament.
But I think at the beginning of the
tournament, rst round, youre like, Oh my
God, please dont lose rst round. Youre
worried about a lot.
On the day of a big match, dont worry if
you wake up with butteries in your
stomach. Its adrenaline, which is released
by the adrenal glands to prepare the body
for ght or ight. Once youre on court,
this adrenaline will be put to good use.
in association with
To nd out more about PlayBrave go to
www.playbravesports.com
BRAINGAME
Arrive at the club with plenty of time to
prepare mentally and physically. If youre
running late that will only add to the running late that will only add to the
stress. Make sure you warm up properly
and focus on your stretching to take your
mind off the match.
Finally, take time to visualise, or
mentally rehearse for the match. Close
your eyes, take deep breaths and imagine
yourself playing well. This should help
reduce any feeling of nerves.
If anxiety strikes midway through a
match, try to maintain your concentration.
Focus on every shot, block out your
surroundings and try to treat each point
like a practice rally. Try to relax, and play
like youve got nothing to lose its
amazing how much you will loosen up.
Have you been winning a match, only to choke at the crucial moment?
Nerves can affect players of all levels. We try to help keep your cool on court.
Sport is all about being as good as you can
be throughout each and every moment and
having the concentration and condence
to use your skills to their full extent in spite
of the pressure. This philosophy requires
bravery, the bravery to control your fear
and to play freely without the tension that
fear imposes to PlayBrave.
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PSYCHOLOGY
When your heart starts racing and your legs turn to jelly, what do you do?
KEEP CALM CARRY ON WINNING!
BEATING THE JITTERS
BREATHE
It might seem obvious, but controlled
breathing helps you to relax and
concentrate. Take long, deep breaths
between breaks in play. Try to co-
ordinate your breathing with every shot.
The grunting you can hear from some of
the pros is actually the habit of forcing air
out of their lungs with each stroke.
TAKE YOUR TIME
When youre feeling the tension, its
natural to feel flustered and play too
quickly. Take your time between points
its what the pros are doing when they
reach for the towel.
ENJOY YOURSELF
Whether youre playing in a
Wimbledon final or the first round of
your club tournament, remember youre
there because you love tennis. Embrace
pressure situations and use
the adrenaline to your advantage.
[PSYCHOLOGY]
At the beginning of the tournament,
first round, youre like, Oh my God,
please dont lose first round!
SLOANE STEPHENS
SLOANE
STEPHENS
ANDY
MURRAY
[BIOGRAPHY]
Sarah Brown is principal of Good Food Works Nutritional Therapy
www.goodfoodworks.co.uk. She has a particular interest in functional
sports nutrition and digestive health, and provides personal
consultations, coaching clients to reach their health goals by optimising
their nutritional choices. She works in clinic at Pure Sports Medicine in
south-west London. www.puresportsmed.com
[NUTRITION]
I
f you play tennis on a regular basis, you are
probably well versed in the age-old treatment for
a muscle sprain rest, ice, compression and
elevation. But did you know that the food you are
eating could also help prevent muscle sprains, and
speed up the healing process when injury does strike?
Whether its a knee, calf, shoulder or back injury,
most players have encountered injuries in one form
or another. It might be a mild sprain or require
surgery, but either way the body needs the right
nutrients in order to recover.
Any players diet should include plenty of whole-
grains, vegetables, fruit and lean protein to provide
a wide range of nutrients, which are vital to
maintain good health, offset oxidative stress and
maintain strength. A good, balanced diet will
hopefully help to avoid injury.
But if you do nd yourself
sidelined, your diet can play a
big part in your recovery. By
understanding what your body
is going through, you can learn
what it needs to help it heal.
A common reaction to injury
is to cut back on the number of
calories consumed. After all, if
you cant train, you dont need as
much energy, right? Think again. Studies show that
as the body heals it uses more energy to aid
recovery, potentially increasing energy needs by
15%, and where bone breakages are concerned there
may be a potential additional 20% increase in
energy demand.
This can mean that the caloric requirement may
be more than anticipated, so think twice before
cutting back just make sure that all your calories
come from nutrient-dense foods: fruit and vegetables,
whole-grains and lean protein.
There is a natural cycle of activity that takes place
to help the body through the four stages of recovery
the acute phase, followed by three stages of healing
inammatory, proliferation and remodeling.
Research shows that each of these stages benets
from a specic and appropriate intake of vitamins,
minerals and amino acids (protein).
During the acute phase the body responds to the
injury by increasing the ow of blood to the site of
injury. This brings in immune antibodies, which can
start to help the healing process, removing damaged
tissue. This is why we often see reddening and
swelling around an injury.
This reaction quickly turns to the rst stage of
healing: inammation, which can last for several
days, depending on the injury. The immune response
continues and uid continues to collect in the area.
This is a perfectly normal reaction, but if
not moderated by the body, can slow down the
healing process.
During the inammation stage, pay attention to
your fat intake. Saturated fats those found in
processed meats such as ham, bacon, salami, pate,
plus baked goods such as cakes, biscuits, croissants
can increase the inammatory state in the body so
should be avoided. Instead focus on eating oily sh,
avocado, olive oil and nuts and seeds, which are rich
in omega-3 and unprocessed omega-6 fatty acids and
AC AA ADEMY
Its not just for fuel on the court your diet
could help you recover from injury
CONSUME
TO RECOVER
WORDS: SARAH BROWN
STUDIES SHOW THE
BODY MAY USE UP TO
15% MORE ENERGY
TO AID RECOVERY, SO
THINK TWICE BEFORE
CUTTING BACK
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ESSENTIAL FOOD FOR HEALING
ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS
Needed for the management of
inflammation, essential fatty acids can
be sourced through fish, olive oil, nuts,
avocados, seeds and fish oils.
GLUTAMINE AND ARGININE
These two proteins are the most important
amino acids to help tissue repair. Glutamine is
needed by fibroblast cells, which help produce
fibrous and scar tissue, while arginine
helps with the production of other essential
proteins for production of new tissue.
Meat, fish, beans, coconut, nuts, soy and dairy,
will help deliver good quality proteins.
VITAMIN A
Needed to help form strong collagen
tissue, particularly in skin tears/injuries.
Sources of vitamin A: liver, cod liver oil, green
leafy vegetables, carrots, tomatoes, sweet
potatoes and butternut squash.
VITAMIN C
A powerful antioxidant that helps offset AA
free radicals generated by injury. It also
helps with collagen formation and some
studies have suggested it may reduce
delayed onset muscle soreness. Sources
include broccoli, bell peppers, tomatoes,
cabbage and citrus fruits.
ZINC
Low zinc status is often found where
wound healing is slow. It can also impact the
immune system, leading to infections. Vital
from the onset of injury, good sources include
oysters, beef, liver, with small amounts in
almonds, brazil nuts and pumpkin seeds.
MAGNESIUM
Muscle relaxation can be aided by
magnesium if often helps alleviate cramps,
and offsets DOMS (delayed onset muscle
soreness). Try pumpkin seeds, lima beans,
muesli, brown rice, Brazil nuts, baked beans
and wholemeal bread.
THE NUTRIENTS YOUR BODY NEEDS TO REPAIR ITSELF
have an anti-inammatory effect. Adding spices into
your diet can also provide anti-inammatory
compounds: turmeric, ginger, garlic and bromelain
(found in pineapple) can all be positive aids.
After inammation comes proliferation, which can
last for several weeks. This is where the body starts to
lay down the new tissue, collagen, to replace that
damaged during the injury, whether skin, muscle or
ligaments. During the proliferation stage, as well as
maintaining the anti-inammatory foods, make sure
that you eat plenty of protein to help build new tissue.
In order to enable the body to convert this protein into
collagen youll need a good intake of vitamin
C. Broccoli, bell peppers, tomatoes and cabbage are
all rich sources better, in fact, than citrus fruits.
Other nutrients closely associated with collagen
repair include vitamin A and zinc. Deciency in either
can result in slow tissue recovery. Sources of vitamin
A include liver, cod liver oil, green leafy vegetables,
carrots, sweet potatoes and butternut squash. Zinc
can be accessed from oysters, beef, liver, with small
amounts in almonds, brazil nuts and pumpkin seeds.
Finally, the remodeling phase takes over, during
which the new tissue created during proliferation is
reinforced by broblast cells to build back the
strength and stability that may have been missing
during the earlier stages of recovery.
Having worked hard to plan these nutrients
into your diet, absorbing them is essential, so avoid
drinking caffeine or alcohol as these can inhibit
digestion and absorption of vitamins and minerals.
The human body possesses a remarkable ability to
repair itself, but it needs the tools to do so. Eat the right
diet, and you should be back on the court in no time.
(left) Serbian Novak Djokovic is a well-known advocate
of tailoring your diet to improve performance
FUEL
FOR LIFE
[BIOGRAPHY]
Mats Merkel has worked
with the likes of Andy
Murray, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
and Caroline Wozniacki as
part of the adidas Player
Development Program.
Here he offers a regular
insight into life on tour
AC AA ADEMY
Why the clay court swing presents such a challenge and which
players might prosper when the tour hits the European dirt
FEAT OF CLAY
WORDS: MATS MERKEL
W
ith so many points on offer in this busy
stage of the season, being able to make a
quick transition to clay is really
important. Clay-court specialists are at a big
advantage, especially in the early weeks when
their rivals can take longer to adapt to the change
in surface.
The players who grew up playing on clay have a
smoother transition. They are used to the high
bounce and feel comfortable sliding to the ball and
because they adapt to the surface quickly they can
hit the ground running. Players who go deeper in
the rst few clay court events denitely get more
match practice. Even the best clay court player will
need a good two weeks to get up to top speed, but
for others it might take a month. Most players will
start training on clay ten days to three weeks
before a big tournament.
When I am working with a player I make sure
they are hitting a lot of balls, working on their
sliding skills, on hitting heavy, deep shots and
make sure they start using the angles even more
than on hard courts.
Playing deep, heavy shots with a lot of spin will
force your opponent far behind the baseline. On
hard courts an approach shot can sometimes be a
winner but on clay courts that is rare because the
clay slows the ball down. You have to work hard for
every point, be prepared for the ball to come back
and mix up your strokes; using the slice and
playing some high balls to give you the
opportunity to move into the net.
Its all about being patient; opening up the court
with angled shots or choosing the right time to hit
a drop shot, make them come in to the net, and
then hitting a passing shot or a lob for a winner.
When preparing to switch to clay you really
have to work on your timing. You have to be a lot
more adaptable you might have some bad
bounces but remember it will be the same for your
opponent. If it starts to rain on a hard court you
will usually stop, but on a clay court you might be
able to play on, but you have to be prepared for the
fact that the balls will get a lot heavier.
Novak Djokovic is somebody who adapts his
game well for playing on clay. He is such a great
Merkel says even the best clay
courters will need two weeks to
really find their feet on the dirt

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I work on sliding skills,
hitting heavy, deep shots
and using the angles
MATS MERKEL
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mover and understands the game so well that for
him it takes a lot less time to fully adapt to playing
on clay again. That is actually quite important and
an advantage over the other players.
Roger Federer adapts well too you can see how
he opens up the court by using angles in order to set
himself up to play offensive tennis. These players
are the best players in the world, and thats what
makes them the best because they are so adaptable
and are able to adjust to different conditions and
surfaces. They are great athletes.
Some players are immediately at home on the clay
while others need to work hard on their game. When
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga started his 2012 clay court
season in Munich with a rst-round loss you could
see that he had not fully adapted to playing on clay.
However, Jo continued to work very hard and
spent a lot of time on the practice court. When he
reached the quarter-nals of the French Open a few
weeks later and lost in ve very close sets to
Djokovic, you could see how he had taken his clay
court game to another level. As a coach it was great
to witness this special period with him.
"WHEN PREPARING TO SWITCH TO CLAY
YOU REALLY HAVE TO WORK ON YOUR
TIMING. YOU HAVE TO BE A LOT MORE
ADAPTABLE... BUT REMEMBER IT'LL BE
THE SAME FOR YOUR OPPONENT"
(above) Jo-Wilfried
Tsonga has been
rewarded for his hard
work on the clay
MATS' PLAYERS TO LOOK OUT
FOR THIS CLAY COURT SEASON
GRIGOR DIMITROV
Bulgaria / Age:22 / ATP Titles: 2

strides since joining forces
with Australian coach Roger
Rasheed last autumn, lifting
his first title in Stockholm
in October. After breaking
into the worlds top 20 after
a run to the Australian Open
quarter-finals in January, the Bulgarian will look
to make further in-roads on the clay and will take
heart from his victory over world No.1 Novak
Djokovic in Madrid last year.
Mats says: I travelled with Grigor to a couple
of Futures events in Spain seven years ago. I am
very happy to see him do well and I expect him to
do well on clay this season too.
JACK SOCK
USA / Age:21 / ATP Titles: 0

for his US Open mixed doubles
title with Melanie Oudin in
2011, is also a former US Open
junior champion, winning
the boys title in 2010. As a
qualifier, Sock reached the
second round of Roland
Garros last year, upsetting Spains Guillermo
Garcia-Lopez in the first round before falling to
No.12 seed Tommy Haas.
Mats says: Jack has a good clay court game
even though he grew up playing on hard courts.
His heavy forehand will certainly help him to get
some good wins on the red dirt.
DOMINIC THIEM
Austria / Age:20 / ATP Titles: 0

Bresnik, Boris Beckers
former coach, Thiem recently
broke into the ATP top 100
after successfully qualifying
for the main draw of a Grand
Slam for the first time at the
Australian Open. A former
junior world No.2, Thiem has form on clay, having
reached the final of the boys singles competition
at Roland Garros in 2011.
Mats says: Since January, Dominic has climbed
up the ranking by almost 75 spots which is very
impressive. I am curious to see him play the
big tournaments on clay. He is moving well, is a
smart player and hits the ball very hard.

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online sports retailer in the country,
and for good reason. No matter your
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and having fun we know you put in
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ACADEMY
The writer of this months
Big Ask receives a
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racket bag
How and when did the tiebreak begin?
ANDREW, VIA EMAIL
The tiebreak was invented by James Van
Alen, an American benefactor who lived in
Newport, Rhode Island and founded the
Tennis Hall of Fame there in 1954, explains
former player, commentator and tennis
historian John Barrett.
In the early 1950s Van Alen proposed his
Van Alen Streamlined Scoring System
(VASSS) should be adopted to shorten tennis
matches that were dominated by powerful
servers on fast surfaces, especially grass.
The VASSS nine-point tiebreaker called for
a set to be won when a player reached five
points. At 4-4 a sudden-death point was
played with the receiver choosing which
court to return from.
THE HISTORY OF THE
TIEBREAK SHOOTOUT
Email your questions to ask@tennishead.net, or write to us at
ask tennishead, Advantage Media Network, PO Box 70948, London SW19 9GL
[ASK]
OUR PANEL OF EXPERTS IS HERE TO HELP!
THE
BIG ASK
RED FLAGS WERE
RAISED ON THE
UMPIRES CHAIR TO
DENOTE A TIEBREAK
GET IN
TOUCH
In 1970, the US Open adopted the
sudden-death scoring and for the next five
years at Forest Hills red flags were raised
on the umpires chair whenever a set
reached 6-6 to denote a tiebreak. Then
from 1975 the 13-point tiebreak (first to 7 or
first to lead by two points after 6-6) was
adopted for all sets at the US Open.
The 13-point tiebreak was devised by
Peter Johns, secretary of the Lawn Tennis
Association, following discussions with
Australian doubles player Bob Howe. The
formula, which included changing ends
after six points to maintain fairness if there
was an advantage serving from one end
due to sun or wind, was sanctioned by the
International Tennis Federation in 1971.
From 1971 to 1978 the 13-point tiebreak
was adopted at Wimbledon at 8-8 in all sets
except the fifth in mens matches and the
third in ladies and mixed matches. From
1979 onwards it came into force at 6-6 in all
sets except the last. Wimbledon and the
Davis Cup are now the only major events to
retain five sets in mens doubles and at
Wimbledon three full sets are still played in
ladies doubles and mixed where the final
sets remain advantage sets.
The 10-point match tiebreak is now used
to replace a third set for all doubles events
on the ATP and WTA tours and for mixed
doubles at the other three Grand Slams in
Australia, France and the USA where mens
doubles have a regular tie-break in all
three sets.
KING OF THE TIE-BREAK,
JOHN ISNER
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TIME ZONE TROUBLES
As a frequent flyer for business, I always
wonder how quickly players seem to adapt
to a new time zone. Jet lag always seems to
wipe me out and I know for certain I
wouldnt be at my best on a tennis court.
How do they manage it?
CLIVE, VIA EMAIL
Desynchronosis, more commonly known
as jet lag, is a physiological condition,
resulting from a long-distance flight
involving marked differences in local time.
The longer the flight, and the more time
zones you cross, the worse the jet lag will be.
Jet lag affects different people in different
ways, but symptoms can include disturbed
sleep patterns, fatigue, loss of appetite,
indigestion, headaches and lapses in
concentration. These effects are temporary
and disappear when your body adjusts to the
new local environment.
Flying east is generally considered to be
more difficult than flying west because your
body adjusts more easily to going to bed and
getting up later than it does to going to bed
and waking up earlier.
Players often travel halfway across the
world to compete in tournaments,
sometimes only having a few days adjust to
their new environment. Everybody copes
with jet lag in different ways, but being able
to sleep on the plane can help combat jet
lag, so those who can afford first class will
say the upgrade is worth every penny.
Players will often book flights that land in
the evening so they can go straight to bed,
and adjusting their watch as soon as they
step on the plane is another tip for adjusting
quickly to the new time zone.
Drinking plenty of fluids to avoid
dehydration is also crucial. In his book,
Ergonomics in Sport and Physical Activity,
Dr Thomas Reilly notes that travellers
should drink an extra 15 to 20ml of water an
hour to compensate for loss of water in the
planes cabin. Avoiding fatty meals is also
recommended, as a light meal will be easier
to digest and allow for better sleep.
Finally, natural light is one of the best ways
to combat jetlag, so getting out on court for
some light training or going for a jog in the
sunshine will actually reinvigorate you
rather than make you feel more tired.
QUICK-TIME TOMIC
I heard that Bernard Tomic lost a match in TT
just 28 minutes in Miami. Is that a record?
CARRIE, VIA EMAIL
Tomic was beaten 6-0 6-1 by Finlands
Jarkko Nieminen in the opening round at the
Sony Open in Miami in just 28 minutes and
20 seconds, which is indeed an ATP record.
The 21-year-old won just seven points on his
serve, two of which were aces! It was
Tomics first match back after hip surgery in
January and its fair to say he probably
wasnt match fit.
Nieminens win was the shortest match in
ATP history, surpassing Greg Rusedskis 6-0
6-0 win over Germanys Carsten Arriens at
the 1996 Sydney International, which lasted
29 minutes.
It is, however, not the shortest match in
history. Some accounts state that Suzanne
Lenglen beat Molla Mallory 6-2 6-0 in 20
minutes in the 1922 Wimbledon final. In
recent years, Steffi Graf thrashed Natasha
Zvereva 6-0 6-0 in 32 minutes in the 1988
French Open final.
SUPER-SIZED STA SUPER-SIZED ST SUPER-SIZED ST DIA
I read recently that the main stadium court
at Indian Wells was bigger than Centre
Court. I always assumed Centre Court was
second biggest behind the USOpen. What
are the biggest tennis stadiums?
PATRICK, SWINDON
You are right in thinking that the Arthur
Ashe Stadium is the biggest tennis stadium,
with 23,200 capacity, but although Centre
Court is the second biggest of the Grand
Slam stadia, it is only fifth overall. The O2
Arena, which has hosted the ATP World Tour
Finals for the last five years, is the second
biggest with 17,800 seats ahead of the main
court at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in
California which can seat 16,100 spectators.
The Ahoy Rotterdam, which hosts the ABN
AMRO World Tennis Championship in
February, can hold 15,818 fans, which makes
it bigger than Centre Court, the National
Tennis Centre in Beijing and the Qizhong
Forest Sports City Arena in Shanghai, which
all have a capacity of 15,000. Court Philippe
Chatrier, the main stadium at Roland Garros
(capacity 14,911) is slightly larger than
Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, which
seats 14,820.
ASK TENNISHEAD
New Yorks Arthur Ashe
Stadium is the biggest
purpose-built tennis
arena in the world
BERNARD
TOMIC
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Maria Sharapova reckons she and
Serena Williams should design
an on-court outfit for each other.
That would be fun, says the
Russian, without telling each
other what it is, just unveiling it!
K
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TAKE YOUR KIT AS SERIOUSLY AS YOUR GAME
E
verybody wants something
different from their racket on
court, but Prince is confident its
recently expanded range has a frame
for every game so much so, theyve
launched an online Racquet Selector to
pick out your perfect fit.
With the introduction of all these
rackets, it is essential that our
consumers can easily identify the right
racket for their game, said Peg Connor,
Director of Global Marketing for Prince.
Our new Racquet Selector is a unique,
interactive web app that makes the
racket selection process fun and easy.
Tennis is a great sport and when you
are playing with the right equipment it
is even better.
The process is as simple as one-two-
three (or, er, four-five-six). Just half a
dozen sliding-scale answers give the
Racquet Selector an idea of your
playing style, your preference for power
or control, how much flex you like in
your frame and how active a player you
are. After that, it assigns you a power
level number then sifts through its
inventory to work out which racket is
right for you.
Princes Racquet Selector may not be
the first of its kind and is still no
substitute for demo-ing a frame, but
the brands work to align the results
against extensive play-test feedback
and easy-to-use web and mobile sites
make it a great place to start.
Ours is truly personalised, said
Tyler Herring, Princes vice-president
of product design and development.
Its more of a calculated equation
based on our experience with on-court
demonstrations. I think ours is a bit
more precise, and it gives a more
specific recommendation that we
believe is much more accurate than
what our competition is doing.
Its amazing when people find the
racket that suits their game today, how
much more fun they have, how much
longer they play, and how much more
excited they are about the sport.
Visit iam.princetennis.com
Princes new Racquet Selector finds your ideal
frame with six simple questions
GOT YOUR NUMBER
ALL IN
THE WRIST
Tennis is a great sport and
when youre playing with the
right equipment, even better
PEG CONNOR
WHATS
NEW?
Colantotte, the brand behind the Trion:Z
magnetic therapy bracelets, has teamed
up with HEAD to release a series of sports
bracelets designed to help both body
and mind. HEAD Health Gear promises
to improve blood circulation, reduce
inflammation and decrease muscle
discomfort often caused by lactic acid
by affecting the flow of red blood cells
in close proximity to the magnets in the
bands thanks to its PPT (Polarized Pod
Technology), while negative ions are said
to boost your concentration and sense of
well-being.
HEAD has launched three Health Gear
bands the Polarity Neo, Polarity Radical
and Polarity Prestige
with two, three
and four alternating
polarity magnets
respectively. Prices
range from 19.99 to
29.99. To find
out more visit
www.trionz.com.
Want to win a HEAD Health Gear
bracelet of your own?
Visit www.tennishead.net/win .
GEAR
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and more agile, and their
footwear needs to help them do
the same which is easier said than
done. Combining the grip, comfort and
protection demanded on court in a
lightweight shoe that wont fall to
pieces in a couple of months is a tricky
feat of engineering. HEAD has given it
everything its got in the new Sprint Pro,
and the results are impressive.
Designed for tournament play, the
Sprint Pro both looks and feels like a
tech-heavy piece of high performance
kit. At its heart is HEADs Trinergy
technology, which absorbs heel
impact, provides torsional stiffness
and supports forward motion to
maximise energy and cancel out heavy
shocks on impact.
The low-profile shoe also features a
Hybrasion+ rubber compound outsole
that is available in either a herringbone
or multi-direction configuration for clay
comfortable straight out of the box, yet
durable enough to survive every slide,
scrape and twist you can throw at it.
With a name like the Sprint Pro, the
real test is how it gets you around the
court and our gear editor Michael
Beattie was full of praise for its
performance. Its not so much about
hitting top speed as having the
confidence to make sharp turns and
throw yourself into shots, knowing
youll be able to recover your ground.
The best compliment I can give them
was I forgot all about them I didnt
have to think about my feet, I felt
connected to the court and they were
comfortable straight away.
If youre looking for a low-to-the-
ground, lightweight shoe especially if
youre looking for a wider fit you have
to try these on for size.
Mens RRP 94.99, womens RRP
89.99. www.prodirecttennis.com
HEAD bursts back onto the footwear scene
with lightweight Sprint Pro
PREPARE FOR LIFT-OFF
Anitas Extreme Control sports bra
is a winner whatever your size
SUPPORT ON COURT
Its impossible to overstate the importance
of a good sports bra and the Anita Extreme
Control sports bra certainly fits the bill
the wide padded straps, firm stretch fabric
and carefully seamed cups provide support
without the corset-like sensation, while the
seamless, breathable microfibre towel lining
will keep you comfortable both on and off court.
And for those women out there who struggle to
find their size, Anitas range covers sizes
30-46 in B-H cups.
For the first time, tennishead is
advising you NOT to play with a tennis
racket. Theres nothing wrong with the
Babolat Aero Pro Drive on offer in our
competition, barring some scribble on
the handle scribble from none other
than world No.1 Rafael Nadal!
Thats right this is your chance
to win a tennis racket signed by
the Spanish legend, complete with
certificate of authenticity from Babolat,
which has been by Nadals side for each
of his 13 Grand Slam titles, including his
unrivalled eight Roland Garros crowns.
Nadal has lost just one match at the
French Open since he first stepped onto
the red clay of the seasons second Slam
back in 2005. No player has ever been
so dominant at a major, and Nadal
shows no signs of halting his reign
any time soon.
For your chance to win, answer the
following question:
Prior to the 2014 tournament, how
many singles matches has Rafael Nadal
won at Roland Garros?
A. 39 B. 49. C. 59
To enter this fantastic competition,
go to www.tennishead.net/win
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ANA IVANOVIC
We love Paris when it sizzles,
but adidas is keeping its players cool on
court at this years French Open with its
latest set of slick outts.
With exclusive use of the Roland
Garros logo in its range, adidas raises its
game when the tour heads to a city
already packed with its fair share of
dedicated followers of fashion. If Ana
Ivanovics tournament outt is anything
to go by, theyre set to turn heads once
more for all the right reasons this year.
Ivanovic enjoyed the high point of her
career to date at the French Open,
winning her sole Grand Slam in 2008.
While she is yet to rediscover the form
that saw her sweep to the top of the world
rankings six years ago, she remains one
of the most popular players on tour and,
with a little help from adidas, one of the
best dressed.
In keeping with her Grand Slam
styling over the past few tournaments,
the adidas RG 2014 Ivanovic dress
features a scoop neck and racerback
straps, with mesh inserts accented by
lime, orange and blue ashes at the back
for increased ventilation. The dress is
also available in light lime.
If youre not in the market for a
complete kit overhaul, theres plenty to
cherry-pick from adidass full Roland
Garros range this summer. Were big fans
of the offset pinstripe detailing on both
the skort and wristbands, while the RG
warm-up jacket available for men and
women has a subtle retro charm.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is ying the ag for
the men with an understated night blue
Roland Garros polo, complete with
orange branding on the sleeves and
piping on the zip collar and sides.
TRS CHIC, ANA
adidas adds a twist of orange and
lime to Ivanovics Roland Garros kit
L
ighter, more forgiving, and more powerful than many
advanced frames, yet offering more touch and spin potential
than most improvers rackets intermediate frames are
aimed at club players of all shapes, sizes and ages. If you are
looking for your second racket, youre coming back to the game or
youre almost ready for a pro frame, theres likely to be a racket here
that will feel good in your hands.
The true selling point of an intermediate racket is its versatility. Over
the next few pages you will find lightweight rackets that pack a punch
and others that play like bona fide advanced frames without the tiny
sweetspot. Not only do they suit a wide range of players they are
also good enough to stick with when your game starts improving.
We have broken down this years test subjects into three categories
development rackets, for competitive players honing their
technique; friendly frames, aimed at players looking for more
forgiveness from their racket; and the lites, which closely resemble
more advanced frames without the weight.
In the second instalment
of our three-part review of
the best rackets on
the shelves this year,
we step out on court
with the frames aimed at
intermediate players
CLUB
CLASS
RACKET PHOTOGRAPHY:
RICHARD WASHBROOKE
Who are intermediate
rackets aimed at?
Nobody learns tennis overnight it takes
dedication and perseverance to get started, and
a lifetime to master. Intermediate rackets are
aimed at those on that journey, helping them to
get as much out of the game as possible by
sacricing some of the attributes of an advanced
frame, such as a heavier weight or enhanced
feel, in favour of greater power, a larger sweet
spot and, typically, a lighter frame. These
rackets are designed for players ready to
experiment with more spin and feel, and less
power, than entry-level frames without being as
hard going as pro-level advanced rackets.
GEAR
2014
INTERMEDIATE
RACKET
REVIEW
G
E
A
R
RACKET REVIEW
[REVIEW GROUP 1]
NEXT STEP
Three rackets designed with game progression
in mind solid technique will get you the best
results from these frames, but theyll soak up
the off-centre strikes as well
The focus is on feel with the Drive Team. The Side Cortex
Dampening System promises to wipe out high-frequency
vibrations, leaving the low-frequency feedback to reach your hand.
The results are impressive in another frame that packs a punch
and remains easy on the shoulder. Our testers found themselves
playing the Babolat way with this one opting for slightly more
extreme topspin grips than usual and plenty of wrist snap to get the
most out of the racket but were impressed with its versatility. A
candidate for all age groups, given the lightweight frame, large
sweet spot, comfort and emphasis on touch.
As our testers found with its bigger brother (the T-Flash 300) in
the advanced racket test, you have to commit to playing with spin to
get the best out of this one, but when you do it rewards you in
spades. The 285 is perfect for players with long swing patterns and
extreme grips, with enough pop to attack from the back or step into
the court and take on the short ball. Tecnifibre themselves bill the
285 as an attackers frame with an emphasis on power stability,
ideal for up-and-coming baseliners being trained to play in the
mould of Nadal and the spin kings.
Dunlop revamped its Biomimetic frames to cater for the
emerging generation of players, and the M4.0 a straight
replacement for the old Biomimetic 400 is a surefire winner.
The M stands for moderate swing speeds (the F in the advanced
F4.0, replacing the standard Biomimetic 400, stands for fast), but
plays like a pro frame without wiping out your arm in the process.
The flare of the butt-cap has almost disappeared, which takes a
little getting used to, but once youre over that this racket was a
fine pro-frame mimic there was no fear of swiping the ball into
the back fence, and the head-light weighting made it agile at net.
All the attributes of a quality Dunlop frame with the adaptability
required to cater for both traditional and modern styles. A
true-blue all rounder.
RRP: 119.99 // // Head size: 100 sq.in // // Unstrung weight: 275g
String pattern: 16x19 // // Balance: 33.0cm // // Beam: 23mm
T-Flash 285
String pattern: 16x19 // // Balance: 32.5cm // // Beam: 24-25-21mm dual taper
String pattern: 16x19 // // Balance: 31.5cm // // Beam: 23-24-23mm dual taper
TESTING, TESTING
All rackets were play-tested indoors by our quartet of testers at Dukes Meadows Tennis Centre in Chiswick.
www.dukesmeadows.com
ALISON TA N T N T YL AA OR
Head coach,
Westside Tennis Club in Wimbledon
A British and Canadian
national champion. She is
sponsored by Prince.
THOMAS HOLLAND
Westside club player
Thomas plays with plenty
of spin from the baseline
and is an accomplished
doubles player.
JO KIRBY
Westsides resident
racket technician
Jo has experience of
playing with a wide
range of rackets.
MICHAEL BEATTIE
Tennishead gear editor
and club player
His game is built around his
flat forehand and ropey
single-handed backhand.
OUR
TESTERS
THE BIOMIMETIC M4.0 PLAYS
LIKE A PRO FRAME WITHOUT
WIPING OUT YOUR ARM IN THE
PROCESS A SUREFIRE WINNER
Testers Choice
BEST
VALUE
Testers Choice
BEST
OVERALL
Testers Choice
BASELINE
BEAST
GEAR
[REVIEW GROUP 2]
FRIENDLY FIRE
Looking for a helping hand from your racket? This quartet of easy-going frames could be right up your street.
The large stringbeds are backed up by frames packed with an unrivalled power-to-weight ratio ideal for
players with compact strokes and those looking for a little more sting in their swing...
With its head-light specs catering well for players looking for a
manoeuvrable frame with a large strike zone and an extra
half-inch in length, the Q15 will go down well with players who love
to get up the court and into the net and who are looking for a
greater margin for error. In spite of the frames stiffness, inside
youll hear the movement of Pro Kennexs Kinetic Technology in
action, the sand-like micro-bearings that aid both swingweight and
comfort. Power comes easily but finesse takes some dialling in,
and our testers found that long, measured swings produced the
most consistent results, which makes this a solid choice for a
player looking to protect their arm from injury.
Everything about this racket screams bigger. There is the extra
quarter-inch on the standard 27 inches from butt to tip, theres that
generous head size; and then there are those huge squares
between the strings. The 105 ESP is arguably Princes most
extreme exponent of their Extreme String Pattern technology, and
the results are as you might expect masses of spin and plenty of
power. Serving and volleying were notably easier than with many of
our other test frames, but there was a price to pay in terms of touch
around the court and stability when driving from the baseline.
Players with compact swings are likely to get the most benefit from
this one, especially those looking for more pop from their frame.
Youre not going to lose it, thats for sure. It is green very,
very green and that chunky frame may look a little egg-like,
but you will quickly forget about that once you start hitting the
ball. The Organix 7 was probably the most advanced-like racket
frame we tested, with the added bonus that the larger head
provided access to more power and greater forgiveness for
off-centre strikes. Its fairly heavy, which is worth bearing in
mind if you plan on playing for hours, but our testers found that
they could opt to play with control or lean into their drives for
more power and found the racket gave them plenty of both.
Turns out that this ugly duckling is a very fine frame indeed.
While HEAD has gone, well, head-over-heels about Graphene,
the ultra-light, ultra-strong carbon-based material that is now
infused across its performance range, Pacific has been pushing
its own bit of chemical mastery into its frames. Specifically
engineered BasaltX fibres offer enhanced comfort, feel, stability
and power and the Speed Comp certainly delivers in those last
two departments. It feels remarkably light for its size until you
strike the ball, at which point the power comes effortlessly from
a stringbed with a huge sweetspot, thanks to Pacifics patented
Speed Zone system, which promises to make off-centre hits a
thing of the past. Its solid, sure, but it cant perform miracles!
Ki Q15 280g
String pattern: 14x16 // // Balance: 33.2cm // // Beam: 23-24.5-24mm
RRP: 150 // // Head size: 104 sq.in // // Unstrung weight: 295g
// //
Testers Choice
BEST FOR
POWER
G
E
A
R
RACKET REVIEW
Testers Choice
BEST FOR
FEEL
[REVIEW GROUP 3]
HIGH-LITES
If youre after the attributes of a tour frame without the weight, these are for you.
Control and feel are the key factors in rackets that wont wear you out before youve
finished off your opponent ideal for players with a full repertoire of strokes
Solid was the word our testers used to describe the 285
dependable, adaptable and consistent, without being flash.
Another mimic of its heavier Mantis stablemates, the dip in power
was not as pronounced as you might otherwise expect, and the
head-light frame gave good feedback around the court. The
only real drawback was a loss of stability on off-centre-hits,
which could be rectified with a little extra weight around the head
(see page 94 for more advice on how to adjust the weight of your
frame with lead tape). In its stock form, this racket is firmly in the
bracket for classic all-court players with technique every bit as
solid as the 285 itself.
For such a light frame, this felt incredibly close to Andy
Murrays heavier Radical Pro version and with that came the
realisation that you have to be on your game to get the best from
it. When you do, spin, touch and a genuine sense of feeling the ball
on the strings are on offer, as they are in the advanced frame,
albeit without the level of power you would expect with the extra
weight. A likely favourite among young tournament players and
those with experience of advanced rackets who need something a
little more arm-friendly and have the court craft to make up for
the drop in pop, it may also be a decent bet for former players who
competed to a decent standard coming back to the game.
As a rule, lightweight rackets are typically not as stable as their
heavier counterparts but the Ezone Ai Lite impressively bucked the
trend. Athletic players may find that it feels too light in their hand,
but a junior stepping up to a full-size frame will benefit from the
reduced wobble on impact of off-centre hits, thanks to Yonexs OPS
technology. Then theres the Trans-Weight System, that the
Japanese brand boasts gives the Ai Lite the fastest swing speed in
Yonex history, and that huge sweetspot courtesy of Yonexs
trademark cornered frame. Lightweight, quick through the air and
with an impressive margin for error this is a racket to boost your
love for the game if ever there was one.
Spin, power and touch the 99LS has it all. Based on the
pioneering Steam 99S, the lightweight version has the feel of a pro
frame in your hands, and looks the part for those keen to keep up
appearances on court. One of the new generation of open string
pattern frames, the 99LS is built to provide added spin for those
with a typically flatter technique Wilson reckon its Spin Effect
Technology significantly boosts the string movement and snapback
speed, imparting more revolutions on the ball to enhance your
topspin. That extra control will come in handy in an already
powerful package, which our testers flagged as a contender for a
flat-hitting youngster looking for a shoulder-friendly frame.
285
String pattern: 16x19 // // Balance: 32.5cm // // Beam: 22.5-25-23mm dual taper
Radical Rev
String pattern: 16x19 // // Balance: 36cm // // Beam: 20-23-21mm dual taper
String pattern: 16x19 // // Balance: 32.5cm // // Beam: 22-26mm dual taper
Steam 99LS
RRP: 129.99 // // // Head size: 99 sq.in // // // Unstrung weight: 277g
String pattern: 16x15 // // Balance: 33.4cm // // Beam: 22.5-24-23.5mm dual taper
2014
INTERMEDIATE
RACKET
REVIEW
TENNISHEAD 2014
TESTERS AWARDS
[BEST FOR FEEL]
Wilson Steam 99LS
A close-run thing between HEADs Radical Rev and the Steam, but
the Wilson edged it for an ease of use that will make it a popular
choice among a wide range of playing abilities. Many manufacturers
offer lightweight versions of their advanced tournament frames,
but changing the weight often has a radical effect on the playing
characteristics of the slimmed down version. Not so the Steam
during testing it felt every bit the pro frame when it came to playing
with soft hands or looking for a little extra spin.
[BEST FOR POWER]
Volkl Organix 7
The funniest thing about watching our play-testers with the Volkl
was their raised eyebrows after hitting a ball or two. Its hard not to
judge a book by its cover, and the Organix 7s luminous green
paintjob and egg-like head shape do look a little odd, but all that is
quickly forgotten when you quickly find your range. Our testers
voted this best for power not because it was the most powerful
racket in testing that accolade goes to the Prince Premier 105
ESP but because it offered power with greater control than
anything else tested in the category, and you cant have one without
the other if you plan on winning tennis matches.
[BEST OVERALL]
Dunlop Biomimetic M4.0
Dunlop took a fine racket in the Biomimetic 400 Tour and
fine-tuned it to perfection in the M4.0, a racket that many
tournament players could stand to give a test-drive to see if they
would reap the benefits. It is billed as a medium-paced swing
frame and will serve those club players updating or upgrading
their current racket well so well, in fact, that they may hang onto
it long after their game shows signs of reaching the next level.
Hard to knock in all departments, hard as our testers tried a
top-notch frame.
2014
INTERMEDIATE
RACKET
REVIEW
[BASELINE BEAST]
Tecnibre T-Flash 285 ATP
As we found in our advanced racket test, Tecnifibre is
rivalling fellow French marque Babolat when it comes to
producing rackets that fit the modern tennis player like a glove.
Expect to see the T-Flash family become a staple at junior
tournaments nationwide no other intermediate racket
responded so well to playing with the extreme topspin styles
employed by Messrs Nadal, Murray and Djokovic. While its not
for everybody particularly those who learnt to play a flatter,
all-court game as a development frame its second to none.
[BEST VALUE]
Babolat Drive Team
It says something for the depth in quality of Babolats range that
even the frames that arrive without fanfare are such top
performers. The Drive Team was a true everymans racket with
enough power for those looking for some extra pop, the comfort
and stability to mop up those off-centre hits and enough Babolat
heritage to encourage you to put faith in the modern extreme
grips. The value comes from this chameleon-like quality a
player venturing into their first competitive tournament will feel
as comfortable with this one as a seasoned winner.
GEAR
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SUMMER TENNlS C/MPS
For JUNlORS
Join us for a wook of hot summor tonnis, culturo ano fun!
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Even if your clay court prowess is
questionable, this Roland Garros-inspired
frame from Babolat will give your game just
the boost youre looking for on all surfaces!
To enter go to www.tennishead.net/win
Pro-Direct is one of the UKs leading online tennis stores and every month they give us an
insight into which items of kit well be seeing the best players in the world using and wearing
ADIDAS
BARRICADE
CREW TEE
44.99
The Barricade
Crew Tee will be
worn by Andy
Murray at the 2014
French Open and is an incredibly
comfortable shirt made with strategic
climacool ventilation and an active
FORMOTION fit that follows the
natural movement of sport for a
greater comfort in motion.
WILSON JUICE 100
118.99
The Juice series delivers maximum
power for the widest range of styles
and is ideal for nearly all levels of play.
A lightweight, forgiving frame in a
mid-plus head size with Amplifeel 360
and Parallel Drilling technologies,
that offers speed and manoeuvrability
from the baseline or the net.
NIKE ZOOM VAPOR
9.5 TOUR CLAY
99.99
This is a semi-updated version of
the former Vapor 9 Tour and is Roger
Federers shoe for the French Open.
Featuring a Dynamic Fit system and
a stylish and fast sublimated graphic
for lightweight breathability and
style, the Vapor 9.5 Tour provides
lightweight, yet firm cushioning.
NIKE NOVELTY
KNIT DRESS
69.99
This will be worn by
Serena Williams at the
French Open. Made
with Dri-Fit fabric
that lifts sweat away
from the skin to help
keep you comfortable and a mesh
back panel and skirt for enhanced
breathability, the Novelty Knit Dress
also has a flat-seam construction to
minimise irritation caused by chafing.
HEAD YOUTEK GRAPHENE
SPEED PRO LTD EDITION
156.99
Incredibly popular during the
testing phase with HEADs tour
players, this is the racket of choice of
Novak Djokovic. It boasts exceptional
touch and comes with Graphene
technology, which has a breaking
strength 200 times greater than steel.
ADIDAS WMNS CC ADIZERO
TEMPAIA III
89.99
To be worn by adidas pros at the
2014 French Open. Having received
an update consisting of a new look,
an all-new climacool mesh upper
and an out-of-the-ordinary semi-
transparent outsole, the Tempaia III is
built for multi-directional speed and a
more comfortable, universal fit.
165.99
As part of the Babolat and Roland-Garros
collaboration, Babolat has developed the official
Roland Garros range of tennis equipment including this
years French Open edition Pure Drive. The legendary
and emblematic Pure Drive features GT Technology, a
hybrid material combining braided carbon fibres and
tungsten filaments throughout the entire racket to
enhance control and feel. Renowned for its power and
topspin, the AeroPro Drive is Rafael Nadals favoured
racket and is named as such for its streamlined profile
and revolutionary frame design, which is the result
of extensive research, pinpointing players needs in
providing maximum playability for all skill levels.
WWW. PRODIRECTTENNIS.COM
MUST
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WIN AN AEROPRO DRIVE
RG BLACK CLAY
EXPERT
INSIGHT
JELENA
JANKOVIC
[ME AND MY RACKET]
G
E
A
R
PRINCE RED LS 105
PRINCE RED LS 105
HEAD SIZE 105 square inches
LENGTH 27.25 inches
UNSTRUNG WEIGHT 280 grams
STRING PATTERN 16 X 19
CROSS SECTION 23mm
You started playing with the Red LS 105 at
the start of the year. How do you like your
new frame? I just love it. It gives me great
control and precision, a lot of power and it
is very loyal. It is a very dependable racket.
What do you look for in a racket? Its
important to have the right amount of power
and precision. If you have too much power
and no precision it doesnt work. The
balance of power and precision in my new
racket is the perfect combination for me.
Youve been professional for 13 years
now. How much has your racket changed
since you started playing? Every year the
technology is improving and a lot of new
things keep coming out, but to be honest I
like one kind of racket. There are little
things that you can do to add to it and
improve it, but I never make too big a
change because I think it is difficult to get
used to. You only have the off-season to try
out new things and you have to feel
comfortable with it and ready to go when
the new season starts. You can try out little
changes but if you dont like it you just stay
with what youve got.
What tension do you string your rackets
at? I string them very tight. It depends on
the weather, but 31 or 32kg, sometimes
even 33kg. When I go on court I have a few
rackets strung at different tensions, some
looser, some tighter, just in case. If the ball
is flying then I take the tighter one and if it
is not going I take the looser one, so it
depends on the conditions and how I am
striking the ball.
How do you know which racket is which?
The stringers mark them for me. I mark
the ones that I would like to start the match
with, I just put them in order its a nice
selection that I can just pick from.
How many rackets do you take on court?
Eight.
How are interested are you in racket
technology? I think the racket is one of the
most important parts of our job. You have
to love the racket and feel comfortable with
the racket in order to play well. I love
Prince, I have been playing with them for
so long, and some of the biggest moments
in my career were played with Prince.
Do you keep your old rackets for
sentimental reasons? I do actually, I have
a big basket full of rackets that I have used;
when I first started my career, and when I
was world No.1, I had the Prince O3
Speedport White. Its nice to have those
memories and keep a couple at home, so
when I stop playing tennis I can get them
out, just play for fun.
Do you remember your first ever racket?
It was a Wilson and I only had one when I
just started. It was someone elses racket
and they gave it to me. I remember that the
strings didnt break for so long, like a year
or more. Im not sure if I still have it or not.
Do you have any superstitions? No. I just
put on a clean grip and go.
Have you ever smashed a racket? Ive
actually never smashed a racket in my life!
Im one of those rare people that I just
remember the times when I only had one
racket and now that I am sponsored by a
great company like Prince I appreciate that
and I dont throw it its not the rackets
fault, its my fault!
The former world No.1,
who has played with Prince
rackets for most of her career,
explains what she looks for
in a frame, and why she has
never smashed a racket
INTERVIEW: BRIDGET MARRISON
IVE NEVER SMASHED A RACKET IN MY LIFE
ITS NOT THE RACKETS FAULT, ITS MY FAULT!
[TECH SPECS]
GEAR
[LEAD TAPE]
M
without even realising it.
Adding an overgrip, changing
the strings, playing with a vibration
dampener theyre all modications to
the racket that left the factory. But when
most people talk about customising a
frame, theyre thinking about altering
its weight and balance to change its
playing characteristics. There are all
sorts of reasons for wanting to do this.
Some players nd the relaxed margin
for error in some manufacturers
factories can sometimes lead to two
supposedly identical rackets feeling
markedly different make the odd
tweak and theyre soon playing the
same way. Others adjust the
specications of their frames to improve
their performance, ne-tuning their
favourite racket into a bespoke beast of
their own making.
There are professionals who will do all
this for you, of course, but if youre
thinking of toying with the spec of your
racket at home, youll need a bit of
obscure tennis kit that you can nd
online for under a tenner lead tape.
Everything you wanted to know about adding lead
tape to your racket (but were afraid to ask)
HEAVY METAL
WORDS: MICHAEL BEATTIE
BALANCING ACT
Adding lead tape affects your racket in
four ways and you can rarely change
one variable without changing the others
WEIGHT
Its nigh on impossible to remove
weight from a tennis racket, so its
important to appreciate the effect of
adding weight and particularly where
that weight is added. Heavier frames are
more physically demanding than lighter
frames, but are able to transfer more
power into a stroke when meeting a ball.
Weight can also slow down your swing.
If you hit the ball fairly flat and find
yourself constantly hitting the ball long,
adding weight in the throat of the racket
will both increase stability and decrease
racket speed, bringing the ball back
towards the baseline.
SWINGWEIGHT
As the name suggests, swingweight
describes how heavy your racket feels
during your swing. Standard tennis
rackets tend to fall between 275 and 350
kg/cm2. Again, the higher the tape, the
greater the increase in swingweight or
dynamic inertia but because your hand
is the pivot point, weight added to the
handle has little to no effect on
swingweight whatsoever.
Swingweight is a measure of resistance
to movement in a circular direction, which
is the basis of most textbook tennis
strokes. That might sound bad, but its a
balancing act. It is more difficult to swing
a racket with a higher swingweight at top
speed, but when that racket hits the ball,
the ball has a less disruptive effect on the
swing pattern so the racket resists the
urge to deviate from its path.

R
A
Y

G
I
U
B
I
L
O
G
E
A
R
CUSTOMISING YOUR FRAME
TOOLS OF THE TRADE
Generally comes in two forms pre-set patches of 1g or
2g, or a roll of tape ready for you to cut to size. A piece of
tape one inch long and a quarter of an inch wide weighs
0.25g. All tape includes adhesive backing to attach it to
your frame.
MEASURING SCALES
Its important to know where you started and what
youve added, especially if youre working with multiple
rackets. Use electronic kitchen scales.
BALANCE BOARD
Helps you work out the true balance point of your
rackets. You can buy one, or fashion your own with a
pivot and a measuring tape.
BALANCE
The balance point of a racket is the
point at which it would see-saw when set
on a thin edge without tipping over. The
balance of a racket is referred to in two
ways a measurement from the butt-
cap to the balance point (as used in our
reviews) or using a points system to
describe how far the balance point is
from the centre-point of the rackets
length generally 34.3cm for a standard
racket. There are eight points in an inch.
Rackets with balance points below the
midpoint are described as being head-
light; and above it, head-heavy.
Rackets behave as if all of their weight
is passing through the balance point. In
two frames of the same weight, the
head-heavy frame will be more powerful
and more stable, while the head-light
frame will be more manoeuvrable.
If youre serious about tinkering with your frames,
youll need the following:
SWEETSPOT
The sweetspot will gravitate towards any
added weight. Add tape to the throat or handle
and it will move lower on the stringbed; add it to
the tip and it will move upwards. Placing tape at
3 and 9 oclock will stretch the sweetspot closer
to the edges of the frame by increasing the
rackets torsional stability but dont forget the
effect on balance and swingweight
1
2
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION...

3

4
1
2
2
3
4
ITS NIGH ON IMPOSSIBLE
TO REMOVE WEIGHT FROM A
TENNIS RACKET, SO ITS IMPORTANT
TO APPRECIATE THE EFFECT
OF ADDING WEIGHT PARTICULARLY
WHERE THAT WEIGHT IS ADDED
1
TIP TOP
Want to increase swingweight
without adding too much weight?
Adding weight to the top of the frame
increases its swingweight, and makes
the balance of the racket more head-
heavy. The racket becomes more
powerful but harder to swing and
manoeuvre. And be warned weight
placed at the top of the frame has the
greatest effect on swingweight, so a
single gram at the tip can increase the
swingweight by as much as 3kg/cm2,
or roughly 1%.
SIDE TO SIDE
Stability is the name of the game
for tape added during ofce hours
While weight added at 3 and 9 oclock
also makes the racket more head-
heavy and increases the swingweight,
it has a greater effect on the torsional
stability of the frame on impact,
extending the sweetspot to the edges
of racket. The increased stability and
extra power (each 1g added boosts the
swingweight by roughly 1kg/cm2)
makes it a popular choice with a
number of professionals in his
playing days, Pete Sampras racket
had as many as five lengthy layers of
lead tape at 3 and 9 oclock.
Some players find placing strips
between 10-11 oclock and 1-2 oclock
strikes a balance between boosting
power and aiding stability, while
raising and expanding the sweetspot.
LITTLE LOWER
For those looking to boost
the weight without messing with
the balance
For players trying to make minor
adjustments to the racket, the throat
may be the best place to add a little
weight tape can be added without
having a dramatic effect on the
balance of the racket if you are
working to match the weight of a
heavier frame. It is also a good point to
place added weight for those hoping to
slow down their swing without
changing the characteristics of the
racket too much. It will, however, drag
the sweetspot towards the bottom of
the stringbed.
Weight in the throat also depolarises a
frame. Rackets with most of their weight
at the extremities of the frame can feel
unstable on contact with the ball; placing
a little extra ballast near its midpoint
helps the racket feel more solid on
impact, if a little less manoeuvrable.
GET A HANDLE ON IT
Looking for more control?
Adding weight to the handle can be
tricky but the effect can be dramatic.
The key here is balance: extra weight
placed so far down the racket drags
the balance point down with it, making
the racket more head-light and easier
to control. It may even feel more
manoeuvrable.
GEAR
COUNTER SERVICE
Want to add weight to the handle of your racket? Its tricky but with the right tools,
a bit of planning and patience the results might be well worth the effort
As we said on the previous page, adding
weight to the handle pulls down the balance
of a frame. This tweak is particularly popular
in light, head-heavy frames (such as the
Lites reviewed on p89) to lower the head-
heavy balance a technique called
counter-weighting.
Sticking lead tape to the outside of a racket
is simple and easily reversible, and shouldnt
affect your warranty. Adding weight to the
handle, however, can mean delving inside the
frame itself but removing the grip and butt-
cap as long as you dont have a racket with a
dampener or other technology built into the
handle (such as Pro Kennexs Kinetic system
and the forthcoming Babolat Play Pure
Drive), in which case leave it alone!
Beneath the butt-cap of a standard racket
you will find two tubes the ends of the
graphite loop that make up the throat and
head of your racket. Take some cotton wool
and pack it into each of the holes, leaving an
inch in which to place your weight you may
find that fishing weights are of more use here
than the lead tape.
If you are still experimenting with your
configuration, wrap the weight in more
cotton wool and pack it into the space,
checking that it does not rattle. If youre
certain about the amount of weight youre
planning to add, place it in the space and fill
the rest with hot glue or epoxy resin, allowing
it to dry for a day.
Replace the butt-cap with a staple gun and
regrip the handle and dont forget to note
the weight and balance. Theres no use
striking gold once only to have to start from
scratch the next time!
THE RULES
1
EXPERIMENT
Customisation is fun, and once
you hit the jackpot both you and your
opponent will know all about it!
2
BE CAREFUL, PART 1
Dont go too big too soon even
a few grammes of lead in the right
places can have a dramatic effect
on your racket, and even put you at
risk of injury.
3
WRITE IT DOWN
Make a note of what youve
tried, what you like and what didnt
work, and tweak accordingly.
4
TALK TO THE EXPERTS TT
A master racket technician
should be able to advise you on the
whys and wherefores of working
with lead tape
5
BE CAREFUL, PART 2
You are dealing with lead,
which as some manufacturers
packaging points out can cause
cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm if not used
responsibly.
TAPE TOP TIP...
When adding weight to the frame,
always place it on the inward-
facing side of the frame that way
it wont be dislodged should your
racket hit the oor or rub against
the inside of your bag.
Pete Sampras was well-known for using lead
tape to enhance the playing characteristics of
his Wilson rackets

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I
f a fortnight in a big all-inclusive resort
isnt really your cup of tea, a long
weekend in the Dordogne offers the
perfect blend of tennis and culture.
Staying in a 19th century farmhouse, the
hosted tennis trip includes three nights
accommodation with eight hours tennis
coaching complemented by trips to local
vineyards and French markets.
On arrival at Bergerac-Roumanire
airport, you will be transferred to the idyllic
French farmhouse, which dates back to the
1850s. And what better way to acclimatise
and immerse yourself in the French culture
than a trip to a local chateau to sample the
local tipple?
The area is rich in vineyards and offers
some of the nest wines in the Bordeaux
region. Chateau du Grangemont, located in
the town of Saint-Aubin de Lanquais, is
12 kilometres from Bergerac and offers red,
white and sparkling wines for tasting.
On returning to the farmhouse, a local
chef will provide an authentic Perigordian
meal, with the trufe, the black pearl of the
Perigord a local delicacy.
With such fantastic cuisine on offer, it
would be easy to forget about the tennis. But
after a good nights sleep in the cosy
farmhouse, the following day features a trip
to Bergerac Tennis Club, a short drive from
the accommodation.
NEED TO KN NEED TO K NEED TO K OW...
WHERE
Bergerac, Dordogne, France
TRAVEL
The farmhouse is just 15 minutes
from Bergerac Airport.
Ryanair flies from Bristol &
London Stansted and flybe
from Southampton.
ACCOMMODAT CCOMMODA CCOMMODA ION
The 19th century farmhouse in
the heart of the Dordogne region
can sleep 10.
BERGERAC TENNIS CLUB
Three clay courts
Four hard courts (two floodlit)
Two indoor clay courts
HOSTED TENNIS TRIPS
May 8-11
September 4-7
300 per person (includes
coaching , 3 nights' B&B, airport
pick-up, 2 days' lunch , dinner
first night single supplement
applicable)
Good food, wine and clay court tennis. What
more could you want from a tennis break?
RUSTIC
FRENCH TENNIS
[IN THE SPOTLIGHT]
BERGERAC,
DORDOGNE,
FRANCE
TRAVEL
T
R
A
V
E
L
TENNIS TOURIST
The package includes eight hours of
coaching, and in the event of inclement
weather, there are indoor clay courts
available. The trip offers a perfect
opportunity to play on clay. Whether
youve never really played on the terre
battue before or want to brush up on your
clay game, coach Steve Riley focuses on
helping players adapt their game to the
surface, and uses video analysis to help
aid his teaching.
The hosted tennis weeks are targeted at
intermediate players looking to improve
their clay court game, but Steve, an LTA
Level 5 Pro coach with over 25 years
experience, tailors the sessions to suit the
standard of the group.
The content of the tennis coaching is
based on the personal requirements of the
customers, so I adapt the sessions to suit
the individuals, says Steve, who stays in
the farmhouse with the guests. Our
coaches use a well proven formula to
achieve maximum fun and improvement.
After two hours of sliding around on
the clay courts, lunch is taken on the
terrace overlooking the courts, before
heading back on court for the afternoon,
topped off by a trip to a local vineyard.
Following dinner at a local restaurant,
relaxing with a glass of vin rouge after a
busy day of tennis and culture, it seems like
the kind of routine you could get used to.
With a log re and WiFi, this really is the
best of both worlds. Less than two hours
ight from London Stansted and only 15
minutes from the airport, you feel a million
miles from anywhere.
It is a complete change from the norm,
says Steve. Complete tranquility, in the
middle of the French countryside with great
food, wine and clay court tennis.
Weve been hosting these trips for 13
years and we have customers coming back
year on year. It is a great insight into French
rural tennis and community living with
clay court tennis that's complemented with
great food and wine from the region. Staying
in a 19th century farmhouse the smells and
culture of the Dordogne are guaranteed!
The farmhouse is available to hire
throughout the year (except late July to
end-August). Phone: +44 (0)207 224 1625
/ www.willtowin.co.uk/tennis-holidays /
email: holidays@willtowin.co.uk
On the nal morning, if you havent
had your ll of tennis, you can head
back to the club for one nal session, or
head to Issegiac, a medieval village for
the Sunday morning market, widely
considered to be the best in the area.
Before ying back home, theres just
enough time for lunch back at the
farmhouse, sampling the fresh breads
and cheeses, freshly purchased from
the market.
If youre looking for a short break,
with food and wine and just a little
culture, a long weekend in a French
country farmhouse could be just
the ticket.
AFTER TWO HOURS SLIDING AROUND THE
CLAY, LUNCH IS TAKEN ON THE TERRACE.
THE AFTERNOON IS TOPPED OFF WITH A
TRIP TO THE LOCAL VINEYARD FOR TASTING
#1 IN TENNIS
*
Pros often customize the rackets they use. Racket specications on endorsed consumer models may vary fromthe models used by Pros for match-play.
*Based on TIA census (USA, 2012), Yano census (Japan, 2012), SMS census (Europe, 2012)
2014 Wilson Sporting Goods Co. Trademarks advertised other than those of Wilson Sporting Goods Co. are properties of their respective owners. 13-0831
200+
RMs OF 9lN
wlTHOUT CHAN0lN0 9wlN0
3.3x

MORB 9TRlN0 MOVBMBNT
69%

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MORB 9lN
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CONTROL
MORB
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String Pattern: 16x15
Headsize: 100
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Headsize: 98
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Headsize: 95
RO 9TAFF
Headsize: 95, 100
9TBAM
Headsize: 99, 105
1
More margin for
error over the net 2
Hit harder while keeping
the ball in the court 3
Control the ball and
hit sharper angles
AVAILABLE NOW AT ACTIVINSTINCT.COM AVAILABLE NOW AT MILLETSPORTS.COM
FOR THE
RECORD
FEBRUARY-MARCH 2014
N
ovak Djokovic emerged as the
player to beat after the first three
months of 2014, recovering from
a slow start to win back-to-back ATP
Masters 1000 events on the hard courts in
Indian Wells and Miami.
Djokovic, who defeated world No.1 Rafael
Nadal in the final at Crandon Park to win his
43rd career title, last doubled up at Indian
Wells and Miami back in 2011, when he
climbed to No.1 for the first time after
starting the season with a remarkable
41-match winning run.
Djokovics record-breaking streak that
saw him pick up seven titles in the opening
five months of 2011 was eventually
snapped by Roger Federer in the semi-
finals at Roland Garros, the one Grand
Slam that continues to elude him.
Can the Serb use his success in the US
as a springboard for another impressive
run on clay, such as the unbeaten spell
that saw him pick up titles in Belgrade,
Madrid and Rome three years ago?
I cant predict what the future brings,
said Djokovic. I can only focus my attention
and energy to the present moment and do
what I do best, and that is to try to prepare
myself and recover. I couldnt have asked
for a better March this season. Hopefully
I can carry that confidence onto clay.
With Novak Djokovic returning to winning ways in Indian Wells and Miami, it sets up an intriguing
battle for supremacy between the worlds top two players on the European clay
Serb hopes to carry momentum
into European clay swing
DJOKOVIC EYES
CLAY SWEEP
I couldnt have asked for a
better March this season.
Hopefully I can carry that
confidence onto clay
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
DJOKOVIC EMERGED AS
THE PLAYER TO BEAT
AFTER THE FIRST THREE
MONTHS OF 2014
RESULTS
ATP & WTA RESULTS, FEB-MAR
Tomas Berdych lifted his first title in 16 months
as he triumphed at the ABN AMRO World Tennis
Tournament in Rotterdam.
The Czech former Grand Slam runner-up,
who was the only player in the top 10 who failed
to win a title in 2013, claimed a 6-4 6-2 victory
over an in-form Marin Cilic.
After saving three break points early on,
Berdych grabbed an early break and never
looked back, winning 76 per cent of points on
serve to seal victory in 75 minutes.
"It feels absolutely amazing," Berdych said.
"It's been a while, actually 16 months since I won
a title. To win a title in Rotterdam it's a nice
bonus. I've been serving pretty well, which has
been the strong part of my game."
February 10-16, 1,369,305
32 singles, indoor hard
Quarter-finals: E Gulbis bt JM Del Potro 6-3 6-4,
T Berdych bt J Janowicz 6-7(9) 6-2 6-4, I Sijsling
bt P Kohlschreiber 6-2 2-6 6-1, M Cilic bt
A Murray 6-3 6-4
Semi-finals: T Berdych bt E Gulbis 6-3 6-2,
M Cilic bt I Sijsling 5-7 6-3 6-2
Final: T Berdych bt M Cilic 6-4 6-2
Doubles final: M Llodra & N Mahut bt
JJ Rojer & H Tecau 6-2 7-6(4)
ATP WORLD TOUR 500
ABN AMRO WORLD TENNIS TOURNAMENT, ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
BERDYCH ENDS WAIT FOR SILVERWARE
Simona Halep claimed the
biggest win of her
burgeoning career as she
upset three top 10 players en
route to victory at the Qatar
Total Open in Doha.
The Romanian was in
irresistible form as she
defeated Sara Errani, Agnieszka Radwanska and
Angelique Kerber to extend her streak to six
straight victories against top 10 opponents.
Having broken into the worlds top 10 herself
after reaching the Australian Open quarter-
finals in Melbourne, Halep was too good for No.6
seed Kerber, racing to a comprehensive 6-2 6-3
victory in just 66 minutes.
"It's amazing for me, because when I came
here I didn't think I could reach the final, or win
even, said Halep, who won six WTA titles in 2013.
Its the biggest tournament I've won.
February 10-16, $2,440,070
56 singles, hard
Quarter-finals: A Kerber bt P Cetkovska 6-1 6-0,
J Jankovic bt P Kvitova 6-1 6-3, S Halep bt
S Errani 6-2 6-0, A Radwanska bt Y Wickmayer
6-2 6-1
Semi-finals: A Kerber bt J Jankovic 6-1 7-6(6),
S Halep bt A Radwanska 7-5 6-2
Final: S Halep bt A Kerber 6-2 6-3
Doubles final: S Hsieh & S Peng bt K Peschke
& K Srebotnik 6-4 6-0
QATAR TOTAL OPEN, DOHA, QATAR
WTA PREMIER 5
GIANT-KILLER HALEP WINS BIG
TOMAS BERDYCH
Karlovic to become the first man
to defend the US National Indoor
Tennis Championships title since
Tommy Haas in 2006.
The top seed secured the
fourth ATP title of his career, and his first since
he started working with former world No.2
Michael Chang, with a 6-4 7-6(0) victory in
the final. "It's amazing to defend a title for the
first time, especially here," Nishikori said.
"I had a great memory from last year. I get a lot
of confidence from keeping my ranking in the
top 20. It's going to take some time to get to top
10, top five, but I think I'm getting close."
February 10-16, $568,805,
Quarter-finals: K Nishikori bt A Bogomolov Jr
3-6 6-3 6-2, M Russell bt L Hewitt 6-3 7-6(6),
YH Lu bt A Kuznetsov 6-1 6-4, I Karlovic bt
J Sock 7-6(4) 6-7(3) 6-3
Semi-finals: K Nishikori bt M Russell 6-3 6-2,
I Karlovic bt YH Lu 6-1 RET
Final: K Nishikori bt I Karlovic 6-4 7-6(0)
Doubles final: R Klaasen & E Butorac bt
B Bryan & M Bryan 6-4 6-4
Spanish war-horse David Ferrer
became the first man to win
three consecutive titles in
Buenos Aires as he defended the
Copa Claro with victory over
fiery Italian Fabio Fognini.
He recorded his 15th successive win over
Nicolas Almagro in the semis, before a title
decider that featured the tournament's top two
seeds. Ferrer ended a seven-match losing
streak in finals by claiming a 6-4 6-3 victory to
lift his 21st ATP title, and his first since last
years Copa Claro. "Im happy for my new title,
said a relieved Ferrer. The last seven finals I
lost, and this time I can change my luck so Im
happy for that. I try to always do my best and
finally I can win again another title."
February 10-16, $488,890
32 singles, clay
Quarter-finals: D Ferrer bt A Ramos 6-1 6-2,
N Almagro bt J Chardy 7-6(7) 6-3, T Robredo
bt R Haase 6-1 2-0 RET, F Fognini bt P Andujar
6-4 6-3
Semi-finals: D Ferrer bt N Almagro 6-4 6-2,
F Fognini bt T Robredo 3-6 7-5 6-3
Final: D Ferrer bt F Fognini 6-4 6-3
Doubles final: M Lopez & M Granollers bt
P Cuevas & H Zeballos 7-5 6-4
WTA TOUR INTERNATIONAL
US NATIONAL INDOOR TENNIS
CHAMPIONSHIPS,
MEMPHIS, USA
COPA CL AA ARO,
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
ATP WORLD TOUR 250
ATP WORLD TOUR 250
Ernests Gulbis closed in on the top 20 after
winning the Open 13 in Marseille with a 7-6(5)
6-4 victory over defending champion Jo-Wilfried
Tsonga. "My long-term goal in tennis isn't to be
top 20. It's to be No.1," said Gulbis.
February 17-23, 549,260
Quarter-finals: R Gasquet bt I Dodig 7-5 6-3,
E Gulbis bt N Mahut 6-3 7-6(1), JL Struff bt
M Llodra 6-4 6-3, JW Tsonga bt E Roger-
Vasselin 6-7(3) 6-2 6-2
Semi-finals: E Gulbis bt R Gasquet 6-3 6-2,
JW Tsonga bt JL Struff 7-6(4) 7-5
Final: E Gulbis bt JW Tsonga 7-6(5) 6-4
Doubles final: J Benneteau & E Roger-Vasselin
bt P Hanley & J Marray 4-6 7-6(6) 13-11
Marin Cilic outlasted Kevin Anderson 7-6(6)
6-7(7) 6-4 to win the Delray Beach Open his
second title under coach Goran Ivanisevic.
"It wasn't easy for my nerves, for Gorans
nerves especially, said Cilic.
February 17-23, $474,005
32 singles, hard
Quarter-finals: S Johnson bt F Lopez 6-3 6-2,
K Anderson bt M Matosevic 6-7(3) 6-3 6-3,
M Cilic bt T Gabashvili 6-2 6-3, J Isner bt R
Williams 4-6 6-3 6-2
Semi-finals: K Anderson bt S Johnson 6-2 6-4,
M Cilic bt J Isner 7-6(5) 6-3
Final: M Cilic bt K Anderson 7-6(6) 6-7(7) 6-4
Doubles final: B Bryan & M Bryan bt
F Cermak & M Elgin 6-2 6-3
R
E
S
U
L
T
S
OPEN 13
MARSEILLE, FRANCE
DELRAY BE RA RA ACH OPEN
BY THE VENETIAN LAS VEGAS
DELRAY BEACH, USA
ATP WORLD TOUR 250
ATP & WTA RESULTS
Rafael Nadal maintained his unbeaten record on
Brazilian soil to win the inaugural Rio Open. The
world No.1 claimed the 62nd title of his career to
move level with Guillermo Vilas in seventh place
in the Open era list.
Nadal, who saved two match points to defeat
fellow Spaniard Pablo Andujar in a thriller of a
semi-final, needed a second-set tiebreak to
defeat in-form Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov
6-3 7-6(3).
"Always when you win a title, its special," said
Nadal, who is undefeated in Brazil, having won
titles in Costa do Sauipe in 2005 and in Sao Paolo
last year. "The first edition of a big tournament
like Rio, its a very important city in the world,
and after coming back from injury, it always
makes the victory a little more special."
February 17-23, $1,309,770
32 singles, clay
Quarter-finals: R Nadal bt J Sousa 6-1 6-0,
P Andujar bt T Robredo 6-1 6-1, A Dolgopolov bt
F Fognini 6-1 6-1, D Ferrer bt T Bellucci 4-6 6-3 6-3
Semi-finals: R Nadal bt P Andujar 2-6 6-3
7-6(10), A Dolgopolov bt D Ferrer 6-4 6-4
Final: R Nadal bt A Dolgopolov 6-3 7-6(3)
Doubles final: JS Cabal & R Farah bt M Melo &
D Marrero 6-4 6-2
NADAL DOMINATES ON THE DIRT
RIO OPEN PRESENTED BY CLARO HDTV, RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
ATP WORLD TOUR 500
Venus Williams continued
her love affair with the UAE
as she won her first WTA
Premier title for four years at
the Dubai Duty Free
Championships.
The former world No.1
had not played in Dubai since
2010, but the 33-year-old rolled back the years,
beating Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki en
route to the final, where she defeated
Frenchwoman Alize Cornet 6-3 6-0.
Cornet had upset Williams sister, top seed
Serena, in the semi-finals, but she was no match
for an inspired Venus, who stormed to the title
without dropping a set.
I think the last tournament I won was at the
end of 2012, so probably about 18 months now,
said Williams after winning her third title in
Dubai. But it feels good."
February 17-22, $2,000,000
28 singles, hard
Quarter-finals: S Williams bt J Jankovic 6-2 6-2,
A Cornet bt C Suarez Navarro 7-5 6-3, C
Wozniacki bt S Cirstea 6-1 6-2, V Williams bt
F Pennetta 6-3 7-5
Semi-finals: A Cornet bt S Williams 6-4 6-4,
V Williams bt C Wozniacki 6-3 6-2
Final: V Williams bt A Cornet 6-3 6-0
Doubles final: A Kudryavsteva & A Rodionova bt
R Kops-Jones & A Spears 6-2 5-7 10-8
VENUS RISING ONCE MORE
DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS, DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
WTA PREMIER
WTA INTERNATIONAL
ATP WORLD TOUR 250
RIO OPEN,
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
Kurumi Nara won her maiden WTA title at the
inaugural Rio Open, defeating top seed Klara
Zakopalova 6-1 4-6 6-1 to break into the WTA
top 50. "I can't believe it," Nara said. "I really
just try to focus on my game and my tennis.
February 17-23, $250,000
32 singles, clay
Quarter-finals: K Zakopalova bt K Piter 6-4 6-0,
T Pereira bt IC Begu 6-4 6-4, N Burnett bt P
Ormaechea 5-7 6-2 7-5, K Nara bt L Dominguez
Lino 7-6(5) 2-0 RET
Semi-finals: K Zakopalova bt T Pereira 6-2 6-1,
K Nara bt N Burnett 6-4 3-6 6-2
Final: K Nara bt K Zakopalova 6-1 4-6 6-1
Doubles final: IC Begu & M Irigoyen bt J
Larsson & C Scheepers 6-2 6-0
RAFAEL NADAL
Roger Federer lifted the title
in Dubai for a sixth time with
a 3-6 6-4 6-3 victory over
Tomas Berdych.
The 17-time Grand Slam
champion, who lost the
opening set before defeating
Novak Djokovic in the semi-
finals, was forced to come from a set and a break
down against Berdych.
Federer, who has now won at least one trophy
every year for the past 14 seasons, moved ahead
of John McEnroe into third place in terms of titles
won in the Open era with his 78th career trophy.
"Things definitely went my way out here, but I
have had a lot tougher matches in the last year
and a half, so this is nice to get a lucky break
again, said Federer, who has now won more
than $80 million in prize money since turning
professional back in 1998.
February 24-March 2, $1,928,340
32 singles, hard
Quarter-finals: N Djokovic bt M Youzhny W/O,
R Federer bt L Rosol 6-2 6-2, T Berdych bt
JW Tsonga 6-4 6-3, P Kohlschreiber bt M Jaziri
6-2 6-3
Semi-finals: R Federer bt N Djokovic 3-6 6-3 6-2,
T Berdych bt P Kohlschreiber 7-5 7-5
Final: R Federer bt T Berdych 3-6 6-4 6-3
Doubles final: R Bopanna & A Qureshi bt
D Nestor & N Zimonjic 6-4 6-3
Grigor Dimitrov moved to a career high of No.16
after winning the second title of his career at the
Mexican Open in Acapulco.
The 22-year-old beat Ernests Gulbis and Andy
Murray in three sets en route to the final, where
he defeated Kevin Anderson 7-6(1) 3-6 7-6(5).
Belief is the only thing that kept me going
today, said Dimitrov, who is the second player
born in the 1990s to win multiple titles Milos
Raonic was the first.
There was some consolation for Anderson, a
losing finalist two weeks running (l. to Cilic at
Delray Beach), as he teamed up with Australian
Matthew Ebden to win the doubles title at the
event, which had switched to hard courts after 20
years as a clay-court tournament.
February 24-March 2, $1,309,770
32 singles, hard
Quarter-finals: K Anderson bt D Ferrer 2-6 4-2
RET, A Dolgopolov bt I Karlovic 6-4 7-6(4), G
Dimitrov bt E Gulbis 4-6 7-6(2) 7-5, A Murray bt
G Simon 1-6 7-6(4) 6-2
Semi-finals: K Anderson bt A Dolgopolov 6-1 5-7
6-4, G Dimitrov bt A Murray 4-6 7-6(5) 7-6(3)
Final: G Dimitrov bt K Anderson 7-6(1) 3-6 7-6(5)
Doubles final: K Anderson & M Ebden bt F Lopez
& M Mirnyi 6-3 6-3
RESULTS
ATP & WTA RESULTS, FEB-MAR
ATP WORLD TOUR 500
DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS, DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
FEDERER BACK TO WINNING WAYS
ABIERTO MEXICANO TELCEL, ACAPULCO, MEXICO
ATP WORLD TOUR 500
BELIEVER DIMITROV WINS AGAIN
Paolo Lorenzi 4-6 6-3 6-4 to win his maiden ATP
title on the clay in Sao Paolo. The Argentine is
the first unseeded champion since countryman
Guillermo Canas in 2007.
February 24-March 2, $474,005
28 singles, indoor clay
Quarter-finals: T Haas bt H Zeballos 6-3 5-7
6-2, P Lorenzi bt J Monaco 7-6(6) 6-7(4) 6-4,
T Bellucci bt M Klizan 6-3 6-3, F Delbonis bt
A Montanes 6-4 6-3
Semi-finals: P Lorenzi bt T Haas 6-3 3-2 RET,
F Delbonis bt T Bellucci 6-4 6-7(5) 6-4
Final: F Delbonis bt P Lorenzi 4-6 6-3 6-4
Doubles final: G Garcia-Lopez & P Oswald bt
J Cabal & R Farah 5-7 6-4 15-13
Klara Zakopalova produced a remarkable
comeback to win her first title since 2005 at the
Brasil Tennis Cup. The Czech won 11 games in a
row to beat Garbine Muguruza 4-6 7-5 6-0.
32 singles, hard
Quarter-finals: C Suarez Navarro bt
M Niculescu 4-6 6-0 4-1 RET, K Zakopalova bt A
Dulgheru 6-3 5-2 RET, Y Shvedova bt A Cadantu
6-3 6-3, G Muguruza bt A van Uytvanck 6-2
6-7(1) 6-3
Semi-finals: K Zakopalova bt C Suarez Navarro
6-3 3-6 6-2, G Muguruza bt Y Shvedova 6-2 6-3
Final: K Zakopalova bt G Muguruza 4-6 7-5 6-0
Doubles final: A Medina Garrigues & Y
Shvedova bt F Schiavone & S Soler-Espinosa
7-6(1) 2-6 10-3
BRASIL OPEN 2014
SAO PAOLO, BRAZIL
BRASIL TENNIS CUP
FLORIANOPOLIS, BRAZIL
ATP WORLD TOUR 250
WTA INTERNATIONAL
WTA INTERNATIONAL
ABIERTO MEXICANO TELCEL,
ACAPULCO, MEXICO
Dominika Cibulkova closed in on the top 10 as
she defeated Christina McHale 7-6(3) 4-6 6-4 in
Acapulco to land the fourth title of her career.
Im really tired right now because I had to dig
so deep, physically and mentally, she said.
32 singles, hard
Quarter-finals: D Cibulkova bt M Erakovic 6-4
7-5, S Zhang bt A Tomljanovic 6-1 5-7 6-2, C
McHale bt K Kanepi 6-1 2-6 6-4, C Garcia bt E
Bouchard 3-6 6-4 6-1
Semi-finals: D Cibulkova bt S Zhang 4-2 RET,
C McHale bt C Garcia 3-6 6-2 7-5
Final: D Cibulkova bt C McHale 7-6(3) 4-6 6-4
Doubles final: K Mladenovic & G Voskoboeva bt
P Cetkovska & I Melzer 6-3 2-6 10-5
GRIGOR DIMITROV
Novak Djokovic denied Roger Federer back-to-
back titles for the first time since 2012 as the Serb
lifted the BNP Paribas Open trophy for a third time.
The world No.2 came from a set down to seal a 3-6
6-3 7-6(3) victory and the 42nd title of his career.
Federer, who was on an 11-match unbeaten
streak after winning the Dubai Duty Free
Championships in February, last won back-to-back
titles two years ago when he prevailed for a fourth
time at Indian Wells following victory in Dubai.
"Roger is playing in a very high level.... He just
played better than he did in the last 13, 14 months,
said Djokovic, who improved his head-to-head
record against Federer to 16-17. I needed to really
be on the top of my game and very focused in the
last moment in order to win. Im very proud of my
achievements during this tournament."
Federer, who moved up three places to No.5 in
the world rankings after reaching his third final of
2014, was able to see positives in defeat.
A few weeks ago, months ago, a few people said
I couldn't play tennis anymore, he said. So for me
I need to focus on my own game, my own routines,
hard work, make sure I keep a good schedule for
myself, for my family and enjoy it.
I truly believe that playing good tennis it's
maybe sometimes a little easier to lose this way.
Because I really did believe I was playing
good tennis.
In the semi-finals, Federer ended Alexandr
Dolgopolovs stunning run at the Indian Wells
Tennis Garden. After upsetting top seed, world
No.1 and defending champion Rafael Nadal in the
third round, the Ukrainian reached his first
Masters 1000 semi-final following victories over
Fabio Fognini and Milos Raonic, but was well
beaten by Federer.
Meanwhile, Australian Open champion Stanislas
Wawrinkas unbeaten start to the season came to
an end at the hands of in-form South African Kevin
Anderson in the fourth round. American John Isner
gave his season a boost by reaching the semi-finals
in California before losing to Djokovic.
March 6-16, $5,250,015
96 singles, hard
Quarter-finals: A Dolgopolov bt M Raonic 6-3 6-4,
R Federer bt K Anderson 7-5 6-1, J Isner bt E Gulbis
7-6(4) 7-6(3), N Djokovic bt J Benneteau 6-1 6-3
Semi-finals: R Federer bt A Dolgopolov 6-3 6-1,
N Djokovic bt J Isner 7-5 6-7(2) 6-1
Final: N Djokovic bt R Federer 3-6 6-3 7-6(3)
Doubles final: B Bryan & M Bryan bt A Peya &
B Soares 6-4 6-3
Flavia Pennetta closed in on a return to the top 10
after winning the biggest title of her career at the
BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
The Italian, who slipped to world No.166 last
June after undergoing wrist surgery in 2012,
moved back up to No.12 after a 6-2 6-1 victory
against an injured Agnieszka Radwanska.
Radwanska received treatment for a knee injury
and struggled to get into the match as Pennetta
cruised to victory in an hour and 13 minutes.
"I'm happy, really happy. I think I need a few days
to realise this, Pennetta said after lifting the 10th
trophy of her career. "After so many years and so
much work and everything, this is the moment I
was waiting for.
And it comes when you least expect it. In the
beginning of the tournament I never expected to be
the champion, or even be in the final or semi-final. I
was just here trying to play my best tennis. For me,
this is something I was waiting for a long time."
"I really tried everything I could to push myself
and play 100 per cent today, because this is the
final, but unfortunately I was in too much pain,
Radwanska said. It's just the worst thing for a
player to not be able to give 100 per cent in the final
of a big event.
Meanwhile, Romania's Simona Halep continued
her impressive form, breaking into the worlds top
five for the first time following a run to the semi-
finals. Defending champion Maria Sharapova
slipped to No.7 after being upset by Camila Giorgi in
the third round.
In a rematch of Januarys Australian Open final,
Li Na edged past Dominika Cibulkova in the
quarter-finals, coming from a break down in the
final set to secure a 6-3 4-6 6-3 victory. However, in
the semis, the two-time Grand Slam champion was
unable to emulate her straight-sets victory over
Pennetta in Melbourne, falling 7-6(5) 6-3 to her
fellow 32-year-old.
March 5-16, $5,946,740
96 singles, hard
Quarter-finals: N Li bt D Cibulkova 6-3 4-6 6-3,
F Pennetta bt S Stephens 6-4 5-7 6-4, S Halep bt
C Dellacqua 6-2 6-2, A Radwanska bt J Jankovic
7-5 2-6 6-4
Semi-finals: F Pennetta bt N Li 7-6(5) 6-3,
A Radwanska bt S Halep 6-3 6-4
Final: F Pennetta bt A Radwanska 6-2 6-1
Doubles final: S Hsieh & S Peng bt C Black
& S Mirza 7-6(5) 6-2
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SUPER SERB CLAIMS FIRST TROPHY OF 2014
HARD WORK PAYS OFF FOR PENNETTA
BNP PARIBAS OPEN, INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA, USA
BNP PARIBAS OPEN, INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA, USA
ATP MASTERS 1000
WTA PREMIER 5

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RESULTS
ATP & WTA RESULTS, MARCH
Novak Djokovic claimed the Indian Wells-Miami
double for the second time in his career with
victory against Rafael Nadal at the Sony Open. The
Serb marched to a 6-3 6-3 victory at Crandon Park
to become only the second player after Roger
Federer to win back-to-back titles at the spring
ATP Masters 1000 events more than once.
In the 40th meeting between the pair, Djokovic
saved break point in the opening game, but never
gave his opponent another opportunity as he
roared to a dominant victory in 84 minutes.
Its the biggest rivalry I have in my tennis
career, Djokovic said of his ongoing series with
world No.1 Nadal. Its a great challenge always
when I play Rafa on any surface, especially on clay.
Because of Rafa and because of Roger, I am what I
am today. They made me understand what I need to
do on the court.
I worked hard, and its paying dividends in the
last couple of years. Obviously, its not easy when
youre playing a top rival in the final of any
tournament, but if you want to be the best, you have
to beat the best. You have to win against the best
players in the world.
Djokovic, who ended Andy Murrays title defence
in the quarter-finals, has now won the last four
ATP Masters 1000 events, meaning that for the first
time in ATP history the nine Masters titles are held
exclusively by two men Djokovic and Nadal.
Murray, meanwhile, slipped to No.8 in the
rankings after failing to defend his Miami crown,
but his 7-5 6-3 defeat to Djokovic showed signs of
improvement since returning from back surgery.
The match turned on a controversial moment when
Djokovic appeared to make contact on Murray's
side of the net during the first point of the 12th
game. After a lengthy discussion with the umpire,
Djokovic broke and never looked back.
I've been able to play for the first three months
of the year without too many setbacks, Murray
said. If someone had told me after the surgery this
is where I'd be going into April, it wouldnt be too
far from where I would have liked to have been.
March 19-30, $4,720,380
96 singles, hard
Quarter-finals: R Nadal bt M Raonic 4-6 6-2 6-4, T
Berdych bt A Dolgopolov 6-4 7-6(3), K Nishikori bt R
Federer 3-6 7-5 6-4, N Djokovic bt A Murray 7-5 6-3
Semi-finals: R Nadal bt T Berdych w/o, N Djokovic
bt K Nishikori w/o
Final: N Djokovic bt R Nadal 6-3 6-3
Doubles final: B Bryan & M Bryan bt J Cabal & R
Farah 7-6(8) 6-4
Serena Williams claimed a record seventh Sony
Open crown with a 7-5 6-1 victory over Chinese star
Li Na in Miami. In a final featuring the top two
players in the world, it was the top seed who
emerged victorious, but only after a shaky start.
Australian Open champion Li started the
brighter as she grabbed a 5-2 lead breaking
Williams serve twice as she capitalised on some
wayward serving from the American. However,
Williams, who has not lost to Li since 2008, roared
back winning 11 of the next 12 games to storm to
victory inside two hours.
She was playing so well, and at that point I was
just trying to stay focused and stay in the game,
said Williams. "My first serve percentage was
super low - I think in the 30s - and I thought, OK, I
can serve a little better, and I know I can return
better, Ive been practising all these years and I
have a good return. I need to start doing it - I need
to start doing what I practise'.
Williams already held the WTA record for the
most titles won at the Miami hard-court event, but
she is now part of an exclusive group of just four
women to win the same title seven or more times in
their career, joining Steffi Graf, Chris Evert and
Martina Navratilova.
Obviously I wanted to have the most titles here,
said Williams, who moved to Florida when she was
nine. I grew up coming to this tournament as a kid,
watching so many players, and to be one of those
players now is just really, really awesome for me.
Australian Open finalist Dominika Cibulkova lost
to Li for the third time in 2014, but her semi-final
appearance saw her break into the world's top 10
for the first time in her career.
It was also a breakthrough week for Ukrainian
Elina Svitolina, who reached the fourth round at
Crandon Park to climb the rankings and overtake
American Madison Keys as the worlds highest-
ranked teenager.
March 18-29, $5,427,105
96 singles, hard
Quarter-finals: S Williams bt A Kerber 6-2 6-2,
M Sharapova bt P Kvitova 7-5 6-1, D Cibulkova
bt A Radwanska 3-6 7-6(5) 6-3, N Li bt C Wozniacki
7-5 7-5
Semi-finals: S Williams bt M Sharapova 6-4 6-3,
N Li bt D Cibulkova 7-5 2-6 6-3
Final: S Williams bt N Li 7-5 6-1
Doubles final: M Hingis & S Lisicki bt E Makarova &
E Vesnina 4-6 6-4 10-5
NOVAK TURNS ON THE STYLE TO SECURE DOUBLE DOUBLE
SEVENTH HEAVEN FOR SUPER SERENA
SONY OPEN TENNIS, MIAMI, FLORIDA, USA
SONY OPEN TENNIS, MIAMI, FLORIDA, USA
ATP MASTERS 1000
WTA PREMIER
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Andrea Petkovic won her first title
in almost three years as she
defeated Jana Cepelova 7-5 6-2
to win the Family Circle Cup
in Charleston.
The former world No.9, who
slipped as low as No.192 in October 2012 after a
string of injuries, faced set point at 4-5 in the
opening set but dug deep, winning eight games
in a row to build a commanding lead against the
21-year-old Slovak, who upset defending
champion Serena Williams in the second round.
"Im just so relieved and proud that I've come
back from all these injuries. I never thought I
would play in the finals of the big tournaments
again, Petkovic said.
March 31-April 6, $710,000
56 singles, clay
Quarter-finals: J Cepelova bt D Hantuchova
6-2 6-1, B Bencic bt S Errani 4-6 6-2 6-1, A
Petkovic bt L Safarova 6-3 1-6 6-1, E Bouchard
bt J Jankovic 6-3 4-6 6-3
Semi-finals: J Cepelova bt B Bencic 6-4 5-7
7-6(7), A Petkovic bt E Bouchard 1-6 6-3 7-5
Final: A Petkovic bt J Cepelova 7-5 6-2
Doubles final: A Medina Garrigues & Y
Shvedova bt H Chan & Y Chan 7-6(4) 6-2
Ana Ivanovic won an all-Serbian
final to lift her second title of the
year at the Monterrey Open. The
former world No.1 dropped her
opening service game to love
but regrouped to secure a 6-2
6-1 victory over 20-year-old Jovana Jaksic,
who had previously won just one WTA main
draw match in her career. Ivanovic's opening
title of 2014 came in Auckland in January.
"I think we both enjoyed the final tonight
it was very special for our country," said the
former French Open champion. "It was the
first time two players from our country had
been in a WTA final together.
"It was also great to see Jovana doing so
well. She has a bright future ahead of her.
March 31-April 6, $500,000,
32 singles, hard
Quarter-finals: K Date-Krumm bt M Puig 6-4
6-7(2) 6-4, J Jaksic bt J Boserup 6-3 6-0, C
Wozniacki bt K Pliskova 6-7(3) 6-3 6-3, A
Ivanovic bt M Rybarikova 6-1 0-6 6-2
Semi-finals: J Jaksic bt K Date-Krumm 6-7(5)
6-4 6-4, A Ivanovic bt C Wozniacki 7-6(5) 6-4
Final: A Ivanovic bt J Jaksic 6-2 6-1
Doubles final: D Jurak & M Moulton-Levy bt
T Babos & O Govortsova 7-6(5) 3-6 11-9
FAMILY CIRCLE CUP,
CHARLESTON, USA
ABIERTO MONTERREY,
MONTERREY, MEXICO
WTA PREMIER
WTA INTERNATIONAL
Davis Cup remained intact after he sealed
Switzerlands place in the semi-finals for
the first time since 2003.
The world No.4 defeated Andrey Golubev
7-6(0) 6-2 6-3 to secure a 3-2 victory over
Kazakhstan in Geneva as the Swiss came
from 2-1 down after Golubev upset
Stanislas Wawrinka 7-6(5) 6-2 3-6 7-6(5) in
the opening rubber.
Its great. I was hoping so much I was
going to get a chance to play and not just
watch Stan play, said Federer, who won his
two singles rubbers but lost the doubles
with Wawrinka. I got the opportunity and
Im happy I lived up to the hype and the
expectations, and I was able to get the boys
through so very happy for them.
Switzerland will meet Italy in
Septembers semi-finals after Fabio
Fognini and Andreas Seppi secured a 3-2
victory over Great Britain in Naples.
Andy Murray put Britain in the driving
seat with victory over Seppi before teaming
up with Colin Fleming in the doubles, but
could not find a way past an inspired
Fognini, who claimed a 6-3 6-3 6-4 victory
before Seppi sealed the win with a 6-4 6-3
6-4 success over James Ward.
Even in the absence of Tomas Berdych,
defending champions Czech Republic
cruised to a 5-0 win over Japan in Tokyo.
The hosts, who were missing No.1 player
Kei Nishikori with a groin injury, put up a
fight on the opening day as debutant Taro
Daniel led by two sets before eventually
falling 4-6 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-2 to Lukas Rosol.
Stepanek and Rosol sealed the tie with
victory in the doubles before Rosol and Jiri
Vesely completed the whitewash with
victory in the reverse singles.
The Czechs will face France in the semi-
finals after Arnaud Clements team
completed a dramatic 3-2 victory over
Germany in Nancy. The hosts recovered
from a 2-0 deficit for the first time since
1996 as Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael
Monfils won the reverse singles rubbers
after Tobias Kamke and Peter Gojowczyk
had given Germany an unlikely 2-0 lead.
Im just so proud of my players,
because coming from 2-0 down on the first
day was not easy, Clement said. There
was a fantastic reaction from them,
starting with the doubles.
DAVI AA S CUP QUARTER-FINALS
Japan 0-5 Czech Republic
France 3-2 Germany
Italy 3-2 Great Britain
Switzerland 3-2 Kazakhstan
FEDERER KEEPS SWISS ROLLING
DAVIS CUP
WORLD GROUP QUARTER-FINALS, April 4-6 2014
ROGER FEDERER
USA
BORN: 26/09/81
LIVES:
Palm Beach Gardens,
Florida, USA
HEIGHT: 5ft 9in
WEIGHT: 155 lbs
This year: $1,245,585
Career to date: $55,429,066
Career-high ranking: 1
(08/07/02)
Career titles: 59
Last title: Sony Open,
WTA Premier, Miami, USA,
March 2014
Suffered shock SF defeat to Alize
Cornet in Dubai, where sister
Venus won title. Lifted 59th
career trophy in Miami, beating
Kerber, Sharapova and Li en
route to title. Three days later
lost Charleston opener to world
No.78 Jana Cepelova.
BELARUS
BORN: 31/07/89
LIVES:
Monte Carlo, Monaco
HEIGHT: 6ft
WEIGHT: 154 lbs
This year: $360,255
(30/01/12)
Career titles: 17
Last title: Western & Southern
Open, WTA Premier, Cincinnati, USA,
August 2013
Withdrew from Doha with left
foot injury and returned too
soon in Indian Wells, where she
was beaten in opener by Lauren
Davis. Missed Miami as she
continued to struggle with
problem and also skipped clay
event in Monterrey with injury.
Defeated Errani, Radwanska and
Kerber en route to the biggest
title of her career in Doha. Fell in
Dubai 1R (l. to Cornet) but
reached career-high No.5
ranking after SF appearance in
Indian Wells (l. to Radwanska).
Missed Miami with toe injury.
CZECH
REPUBLIC
BORN: 08/03/1990
LIVES:
Monte Carlo, Monaco
HEIGHT: 6ft
WEIGHT: 154 lbs
This year: $936,430
(17/03/14)
Career titles: 7
Last title: Qatar Total Open,
WTA Premier, Doha, UAE,
February 2014
Reached QFs in Doha (l. to
Jankovic) before losing opener to
Suarez Navarro in Dubai.
Suffered defeat by Cibulkova in
Indian Wells 4R. Defeated
Ivanovic in three to reach Miami
QFs, where she was beaten by
No.4 seed Sharapova.
Mixed results for Kerber, lifting
runner-up trophy in Doha (l. to
Halep) before falling in Dubai
opener (l.to Ivanovic). Suffered
shock defeat to world No.72
Torro-Flor in Indian Wells
opener before reaching Miami
QFs (l. to Serena Williams).
This year: $570,141
(22/10/12)
Career titles: 3
Last title: Generali Ladies Linz,
WTA International, Linz, Austria,
October 2013
GERMANY
BORN: 18/01/88
LIVES:
Puszczykowo, Poland
HEIGHT: 5ft 8in
WEIGHT: 150 lbs
11 Sara Errani (ITA)
12 Ana Ivanovic (SRB)
13 Flavia Pennetta (ITA)
14 Sabine Lisicki (GER)
15 Caroline Wozniacki (DEN)
16 Roberta Vinci (ITA)
17 Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP)
18 Sloane Stephens (USA)
19 Eugenie Bouchard (CAN)
20 Samantha Stosur (AUS)
21 Ekaterina Makarova (RUS)
22 Alize Cornet (FRA)
23 Kaia Kanepi (EST)
24 Kirsten Flipkens (BEL)
25 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS)
26 Lucie Safarova (CZE)
27 Sorana Cirstea (ROU)
28 Andrea Petkovic (GER)
29 Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)
30 Daniela Hantuchova (SVK)
31 Klara Koukalova (CZE)
32 Venus Williams (USA)
33 Elena Vesnina (RUS)
34 Jamie Hampton (USA)
35 Maria Kirilenko (RUS)
36 Elina Svitolina (UKR)
37 Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK)
38 Yvonne Meusburger (AUT)
39 Bojana Jovanovski (SRB)
40 Garbine Muguruza (ESP)
41 Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL)
42 Madison Keys (USA)
43 Kurumi Nara (JPN)
44 Annika Beck (GER)
45 Peng Shuai (CHN)
46 Zhang Shuai (CHN)
47 Alison Riske (USA)
48 Francesca Schiavone (ITA)
49 Varvara Lepchenko (USA)
50 Karin Knapp (ITA)
51 Jana Cepelova (SVK)
52 Casey Dellacqua (AUS)
53 Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ)
54 Monica Puig (PUR)
55 Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE)
56 Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA)
57 Christina McHale (USA)
58 Yanina Wickmayer (BEL)
59 Zheng Jie (CHN)
60 Marina Erakovic (NZL)
61 Alexandra Cadantu (ROU)
62 Laura Robson (GBR)
63 Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ)
64 Lauren Davis (USA)
65 Anna Schmiedlova (SVK)
66 Polona Hercog (SLO)
67 Karolina Pliskova (CZE)
68 Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor (ESP)
69 Camila Giorgi (ITA)
70 Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO)
71 Vania King (USA)
72 Urszula Radwanska (POL)
73 Paula Ormaechea (ARG)
74 Caroline Garcia (FRA)
75 Stefanie Voegele (SUI)
76 Virginie Razzano (FRA)
77 Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP)
78 Monica Niculescu (ROU)
79 Chanelle Scheepers (RSA)
80 Petra Cetkovska (CZE)
81 Patricia Mayr-Achleitner (AUT)
82 Dinah Pzenmaier (GER)
83 Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN)
84 Coco Vandeweghe (USA)
85 Mona Barthel (GER)
86 Alison van Uytvanck (BEL)
87 Kristina Mladenovic (FRA)
88 Johanna Larsson (SWE)
89 Sharon Fichman (CAN)
90 Shahar Peer (ISR)
91 Belinda Bencic (SUI)
92 Teliana Pereira (BRA)
93 Zarina Diyas (KAZ)
94 Julia Goerges (GER)
95 Donna Vekic (CRO)
96 Julia Glushko (ISR)
97 Petra Martic (CRO)
98 Katarzyna Piter (POL)
99 Misaki Doi (JPN)
100 Mandy Minella (LUX)
ROMANIA
BORN: 27/09/91
LIVES:
Constanta, Romania
HEIGHT: 5ft 6in
WEIGHT: 132 lbs
This year: $284,390
(31/10/11)
Career titles: 11
Last title: Toray Pan Pacic
Open, WTA Premier, Tokyo, Japan,
September 2013
RANKING PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS FORM 11-100 RANKINGS
WTA RANKINGS
[APRIL 7, 2014]
SERENA
WILLIAMS
POINTS: 12,375
DOWN 2
1
4
5
6
7
PETRA
KVITOVA VV
POINTS: 4,370
SIMONA
HALEP
POINTS: 4,695
VICTORIA
AZARENKA KK
POINTS: 5,441
ANGELIQUE
KERBER
POINTS: 4,110
SLOVA VV KIA
BORN: 06/05/1989
LIVES:
Bratislava, Slovakia
HEIGHT: 5ft 3in
WEIGHT: 121 lbs
This year: $1,553,926
(31/03/2014)
Career titles: 4
Last title: Abierto Mexicano Telcel,
WTA International, Acapulco,
Mexico, February 2014
Bounced back from shock 1R
defeat to Alisa Kleybanova in
Doha to win title in Acapulco (d.
McHale). Maintained form to
defeat Kvitova en route to
Indian Wells QFs (l. to Li) and
reached Miami SFs (l. to Li) to
break into top 10 for first time.
10
DOMINIKA KK
CIBULKO KK VA VV
POINTS: 3,720
This year: $495,295
(11/08/08)
Career titles: 13
Last title: Copa Claro Colsanitas,
WTA International,
Bogota, Colombia, February 2013
Reached Doha SFs (l. to Kerber)
and reached QFs in Dubai (l. to
S Williams). Defeated
Wozniacki en route to Indian
Wells QFs (l. to Radwanska)
before falling in Miami opener
to Vavara Lepchenko. Reached
Charleston QFs (l. Bouchard).
SERBIA
BORN: 28/02/1985
LIVES:
Dubai, UAE
HEIGHT: 5ft 9in
WEIGHT: 130 lbs
9
JELENA
JANKO KK VIC
POINTS: 3,955
This year: $1,215,373
(09/07/12)
Career titles: 13
Last title: Korea Open, WTA
International, Seoul, Korea,
September 2013
Reached last four in Doha (l. to
Halep) but suffered 2R defeat
in Dubai (l. to Pennetta).
Reached final in Indian Wells
but struggled with a knee
injury as she lost in straight
sets to Pennetta. Reached
Miami QFs (l. to Cibulkova).
POLAND
BORN: 06/03/89
LIVES:
Krakow, Poland
HEIGHT: 5ft 8in
WEIGHT: 123 lbs
3
AGNIESZKA KK
RADWANS WW KA KK
POINTS: 5,980
This year: $3,094,685
(17/02/14)
Career titles: 9
Last title: Australian Open, Grand
Slam, Melbourne, Australia,
January 2014
Climbed to career-high No.2
despite losing to world No.134
Petra Cetkovska in Doha.
Bounced back during USA
hard-court swing, reaching SFs
in Indian Wells (l. to Pennetta)
and lifting runner-up trophy in
Miami (l. to Serena Williams).
CHINA
BORN: 26/02/82
LIVES:
Wuhan, China
HEIGHT: 5ft 8in
WEIGHT: 143 lbs
2
LI
NA
POINTS: 7,585
RUSSIA
BORN: 19/04/87
LIVES:
Bradenton, Florida,
USA
HEIGHT: 6ft 2in
WEIGHT: 130 lbs
This year: $430,816
(22/08/05)
Career titles: 29
Last title: Porsche Tennis Grand
Prix, WTA Premier, Stuttgart,
Germany, April 2013
After short break from tennis for
TV role at Winter Olympics in her
native Sochi, Sharapova failed to
defend her Indian Wells title,
suffering shock 3R defeat to
Camila Giorgi. Reached SFs in
Miami, where she lost to
eventual champion S Williams.
8
MARIA
SHARAPOVA VV
POINTS: 3,961
RESULTS
CZECH REP
BORN: 17/09/85
LIVES:
Monte Carlo, Monaco
HEIGHT: 6ft 5in
WEIGHT: 200 lbs
Ended 16-month title drought
with victory in Rotterdam (d.
Cilic). Continued form in Dubai
where he reached final (l. to
Federer). Fell in Indian Wells 2R
(l. to Bautista Agut). Was forced
to withdraw from Miami SF
against Nadal with illness.
This year: $1,395,938
Career to date: $17, 501,338
(19/08/13)
Career titles: 9
Last title: ABN AMRO World Tennis
Tournament, ATP 500, Rotterdam,
Netherlands, February 2014
TOMAS
BERDYCH
POINTS: 4,720
POINTS: 6,860
SERBIA
BORN: 22/05/87
LIVES:
Monte Carlo, Monaco
HEIGHT: 6ft 2in
WEIGHT: 176 lbs
This year: $2,137,476
(04/07/11)
Career titles: 43
Last title: Sony Open,
ATP Masters 1000,
Miami, USA, March 2014
Lost to Federer in Dubai SFs
but had his revenge in Indian
Wells with victory over Swiss
in final. Completed Indian
Wells-Miami double for the
second time (also in 2011) with
victory over Nadal to pass
$60m in career prize money.
NOVA VV K
DJOKO KK VIC
POINTS: 11,680
EMIRATES ATP RANKINGS
PAIN
BORN: 03/06/86
LIVES:
Manacor, Majorca,
Spain
HEIGHT: 6ft 1in
WEIGHT: 188 lbs
This year: $2,113,557
(18/08/08)
Career titles: 62
Last title: Rio Open, ATP 500,
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
February 2014
Saved match points against
Pablo Andujar in Rio SF before
going on to win title (d.
Dolgopolov). Ukrainian had his
revenge in Indian Wells,
upsettting defending champion
in 3R. Bounced back to reach
Miami final (l. to Djokovic).
FRANCE
BORN: 18/06/86
LIVES:
Neuchatel, Switzerland
HEIGHT: 6ft 1in
WEIGHT: 165 lbs
Returned from wrist injury in
Rotterdam, where he reached
QFs (l. to Gulbis). Retired from
Dubai opener against Somdev
Devvarman with recurrent wrist
problem. Underwent surgery in
March to repair damaged
ligaments in left wrist.
GREAT BRITAIN
BORN: 15/05/87
LIVES:
London, UK
HEIGHT: 6ft 3in
WEIGHT: 185 lbs
This year: $198,558
(11/01/10)
Career titles: 18
Last title: Sydney International,
ATP 250, Sydney, Australia,
January 2014
Reached Rotterdam QFs (l. to
Cilic) and reached first SF since
comeback from back surgery in
Acapulco (l. to Dimitrov). Fell in
Indian Wells 4R (l. to Raonic) and
slipped down rankings after
failing to defend title in Miami,
losing to Djokovic in the QFs.
This year: $450,159
(16/04/12)
Career titles: 8
Last title: Heineken Open,
ATP World Tour 250, Auckland,
New Zealand, January 2014
Bounced back from shock
Australian Open 1R exit to reach
Delray Beach SFs (l. to Cilic).
Fell in Acapulco opener (l. to
Karlovic) but reached Indian
Wells SFs (l. to Djokovic) to
break back into top 10. Reached
4R in Miami (l. to Berdych).
ARGENTINA
BORN: 23/09/88
LIVES:
Tandil, Argentina
HEIGHT: 6ft 6in
WEIGHT: 214 lbs
This year: $291,203
(09/07/07)
Career titles: 10
Last title: Kremlin Cup, ATP 250,
Moscow, Russia,
October 2013
Reached final in Montpellier,
where he lost to compatriot
Monfils. Fell in Rotterdam 2R
(l. to Kohlschreiber) and
reached Marseille SFs (l. to
Gulbis). Beaten in Indian Wells
3R by Verdasco before losing to
Federer in Miami 4R.
11 Milos Raonic (CAN)
12 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)
13 Fabio Fognini (ITA)
14 Tommy Robredo (ESP)
15 Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)
16 Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)
17 Tommy Haas (GER)
18 Kei Nishikori (JPN)
19 Kevin Anderson (RSA)
20 Nicolas Almagro (ESP)
21 Jerzy Janowicz (POL)
22 Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR)
23 Ernests Gulbis (LAT)
24 Gael Monls (FRA)
25 Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER)
26 Marin Cilic (CRO)
27 Gilles Simon (FRA)
28 Vasek Pospisil (CAN)
29 Fernando Verdasco (ESP)
30 Florian Mayer (GER)
31 Feliciano Lopez (ESP)
32 Dmitry Tursunov (RUS)
33 Benoit Paire (FRA)
34 Andreas Seppi (ITA)
35 Pablo Andujar (ESP)
36 Marcel Granollers (ESP)
37 Ivan Dodig (CRO)
38 Joao Sousa (POR)
39 Nicolas Mahut (FRA)
40 Radek Stepanek (CZE)
41 Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA)
42 Juan Monaco (ARG)
43 Federico Delbonis (ARG)
44 Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP)
45 Jarkko Nieminen (FIN)
46 Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)
47 Robin Haase (NED)
48 Lukas Rosol (CZE)
49 Jeremy Chardy (FRA)
50 Julien Benneteau (FRA)
51 Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE)
52 Ivo Karlovic (CRO)
53 Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP)
54 Denis Istomin (UZB)
55 Igor Sijsling (NED)
56 Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ)
57 Albert Montanes (ESP)
58 Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS)
59 Andrey Golubev (KAZ)
60 Jurgen Melzer (AUT)
61 Carlos Berlocq (ARG)
62 Kenny De Schepper (FRA)
63 Matthew Ebden (AUS)
64 Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP)
65 Bradley Klahn (USA)
66 Marinko Matosevic (AUS)
67 Jiri Vesely (CZE)
68 Benjamin Becker (GER)
69 Steve Johnson (USA)
70 Alejandro Falla (COL)
71 Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)
72 Michal Przysiezny (POL)
73 Dudi Sela (ISR)
74 Adrian Mannarino (FRA)
75 Bernard Tomic (AUS)
76 Dusan Lajovic (SRB)
77 Aleksandr Nedovyesov (KAZ)
78 Martin Klizan (SVK)
79 Alejandro Gonzalez (COL)
80 Filippo Volandri (ITA)
81 Dominic Thiem (AUT)
82 Sam Querrey (USA)
83 Lukasz Kubot (POL)
84 Santiago Giraldo (COL)
85 Alex Bogomolov Jr (RUS)
86 Stephane Robert (FRA)
87 Leonardo Mayer (ARG)
88 Somdev Devvarman (IND)
89 Victor Hanescu (ROU)
90 Janko Tipsarevic (SRB)
91 Donald Young (USA)
92 Tobias Kamke (GER)
93 Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR)
94 Jack Sock (USA)
95 Jan-Lennard Struff (GER)
96 Daniel Brands (GER)
97 Michael Russell (USA)
98 Lukas Lacko (SVK)
99 Paolo Lorenzi (ITA)
100 Victor Estrella Burgos (DOM)
USA
BORN: 26/04/85
LIVES:
Tampa, Florida, USA
HEIGHT: 6ft 10in
WEIGHT: 238 lbs
This year: $538,459
(17/08/09)
Career titles: 28
Last title: Wimbledon, GrandSlam,
London, UK, July2013
RANKING PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS FORM 11-100 RANKINGS
RAFAEL FF
NADAL
POINTS: 13,730
JOHN
ISNER
POINTS: 2,715
ANDY
MURRAY
POINTS: 4,040
JUAN MARTIN
DEL POTRO LL
POINTS: 4,260
RICHARD
GASQUET
POINTS: 2,635
[APRIL 7, 2014]
RANKINGS
4
This year: $1,627,892
(02/02/04)
Career titles: 78
Last title: Dubai DutyFreeTennis
Championships, ATP500,
Dubai, UAE, February2014
Came from behind to beat
Djokovic and Berdych en route to
sixth title in Dubai. Reached
Indian Wells final (l. to Djokovic)
but fell in Miami QFs with defeat
to Nishikori. Won both singles
rubbers to help Switzerland
reach Davis Cup SFs.
SWITZERLAND
BORN: 08/08/81
LIVES:
Bottmingen, Switzerland
HEIGHT: 6ft 1in
WEIGHT: 187 lbs
ROGER
FEDERER
POINTS: 5,355
This year: $2,591,965
(27/01/14)
Career titles: 6
Last title: AustralianOpen, Grand
Slam, Melbourne, Australia,
January2014
Unbeaten start to 2014 ended at
the hands of Kevin Anderson in
Indian Wells 4R. Fell to in-form
Dolgopolov in Miami 4R. Lost
Davis Cup rubber to
Kazakhstan's Golubev but beat
Kukushkin to help Swiss reach
SFs for first time since 2003.
SWITZERLAND
BORN: 28/03/1985
LIVES:
St Barthelemy,
Switzerland
HEIGHT: 6ft
WEIGHT: 179 lbs
STANISLAS
WAW WA WA RINKA KK
POINTS: 5,760
Won third successive title in
Buenos Aires (d. Fognini) but fell
in Rio SFs (l. to Dolgopolov).
Retired from Acapulco QF
against Anderson with adductor
strain and missed Indian Wells
with the injury. Returned to
reach Miami 4R (l. to Nishikori).
This year: $520,371
(08/07/2013)
Career titles: 21
Last title: CopaClaro, ATP 250,
BuenosAires, Argentina,
February2014
SPAIN
BORN: 02/04/82
LIVES:
Valencia, Spain
HEIGHT: 5ft 9in
WEIGHT: 160 lbs
DAV DA DA ID
FERRER
POINTS: 4,640
R
E
S
U
L
T
S
1
4
5
6
7
10
9
3
2
8
HINGIS CAPS COMEBACK
WITH VICTORY IN MIAMI
Former world No.1 wins first WTA title since 2007 with new partner
Sabine Lisicki after returning to the tour last summer
S
even years after winning her
last silverware, Martina Hingis
lifted the 81st trophy of her
career with new partner Sabine Lisicki
at the Sony Open in Miami.
Hingis, who started working with the
German in a coaching capacity back in
January, made her comeback on the
doubles circuit last summer with
Daniela Hantuchova, having hung up
her rackets for a second time in 2007
after struggling with injury.
The 33-year-old did not play for six
months after losing in the first round
at last years US Open, but returned to
action at the BNP Paribas Open in
Indian Wells in March, playing
alongside 2013 Wimbledon runner-up
Lisicki for the first time.
The pair lost in the first round at the
WTA Premier event in California, but
enjoyed a fairytale run at Crandon
Park, where they beat three seeded
teams en route to the title, coming
from a set down to defeat No.2 seeds
Ekaterina Makarova and Elena
Vesnina 4-6 6-4 10-5 in the final.
It was Hingis 38th WTA doubles title,
and the first since Qatar in 2007 with
Maria Kirilenko. The victory saw her
soar up the rankings, climbing more
than 100 places into the top 60.
Last week, I was not sure if I want to
put myself out there like this and lose
first, second round, said Hingis. Now,
after this victory, definitely things
change. I would be very happy to
continue to play some more doubles.
I always wanted to play with
Martina, obviously, said Lisicki. We
talked about it at Wimbledonlast year,
and finally we did it here in the States.
I think were just happy and really
enjoying it.
Meanwhile, world No.1 mens pair
Bob and Mike Bryan edged closer to a
milestone 100th ATP title after they
lifted their 96th trophy in Miami. It was
the American twins third straight title
after victories in Delray Beach and
Indian Wells.
Last year was the best year weve
ever had with a record of 70-13, 11
titles, including three Slams and five
Masters 1000 events. To hit 100 would
be very special, Mike Bryan said.
ATP DOUBLES RANKING
WTA DOUBLES RANKING
DOUBLES ROUND-UP
1
2
SHUAI
(CHN)
POINTS: 9,105
HSIEH
SU-WEI
(TPE)
POINTS: 8,985
3
4
ELENA
VESNINA
(RUS)
POINTS: 7,235
EKATERINA
MAKAROVA
(
MAKAROVA MAKAROVA
RUS)
POINTS: 7,135
5
5
ROBERTA
VINCI
(ITA)
POINTS: 7,045
SARA
ERRANI
(ITA) ITA ITA
POINTS: 7,045
7
9
8
10
KATARINA
SREBOTNIK
(SLO) SLO SLO
POINTS: 6,265
CARA
BLACK
(ZIM)
POINTS: 5,450
SANIA
MIRZA
(IND) DD
POINTS: 5,845
KVETA KK
PESCHKE
(CZE)
POINTS: 5,380
TITLES WON
IN 2014
TITLES WON
IN 2014
3
2
TITLES WON
IN 2014
TITLES WON
IN 2014
0
0
TITLES WON
IN 2014
TITLES WON
IN 2014
1
1
TITLES WON
IN 2014
TITLES WON
IN 2014
TITLES WON
IN 2014
TITLES WON
IN 2014
0
0
0
1
1
1
BOB
BRYAN
(USA)
POINTS: 13,790
MIKE
BRYAN
(USA)
POINTS: 13,790
3
3
BRUNO
SOARES
(BRA)
POINTS: 7,720
ALEXANDER
PEYA
(AUT)
POINTS: 7,720
5
6
MARCELO
MELO
(BRA)
POINTS: 5,600
IVAN
DODIG (
CRO)
POINTS: 5,140
7
9
8
10
DAVID
MARRERO (
ESP)
POINTS: 4,860
FERNANDO
VERDASCO
(ESP)
POINTS: 4,490
RADEK
STEPANEK
(CZE)
POINTS: 4,750
LEANDER
PAES
(IND)
POINTS: 4,475
TITLES WON
IN 2014
TITLES WON
IN 2014
3
3
TITLES WON
IN 2014
TITLES WON
IN 2014
0
0
TITLES WON
IN 2014
TITLES WON
IN 2014
1
0
TITLES WON
IN 2014
TITLES WON
IN 2014
TITLES WON
IN 2014
TITLES WON
IN 2014
0
0
0
0
TEAM TENNIS
TRAMLINES
THE BRYANS
T
V

L
I
S
T
I
N
G
S
SUNDAY 18
ATP Dusseldorf Open
Action from the rst day of the
ATP 250 event in Dusseldorf,
where Juan Monaco won the
inaugural event in 2013
British Eurosport 2, 13:00
MONDAY 19
ATP Dusseldorf Open
British Eurosport, 11:00
WTA Nurnberg
Watch coverage from the
Nurnberger Versicherungscup,
where Simona Halep won her
maiden WTA trophy last year
the rst of six titles in 2013
TUESDAY 20
ATP Dusseldorf Open
WTA Nurnberg
WEDNESDAY 21
ATP Dusseldorf Open
WTA Nurnberg
THURSDAY 22
ATP Dusseldorf Open
WTA Nurnberg
SATURDAY 31
Roland Garros
JUNE
SUNDAY 1
Roland Garros
MONDAY 2
Roland Garros
TUESDAY 3
Roland Garros
WEDNESDAY 4
Roland Garros
THURSDAY 5
Roland Garros
FRIDAY 6
Roland Garros
SATURDAY 7
Roland Garros
SUNDAY 8
Roland Garros
Men's singles nal
APRIL
TUESDAY 22
WTA Stuttgart
Live coverage from the Porsche
Tennis Grand Prix in Germany,
where Maria Sharapova is the
two-time defending champion
BT Sport 2, 11:00
WEDNESDAY 23
WTA Stuttgart
BT Sport 2, 11:00
THURSDAY 24
ATP Barcelona Open
Live action from the Barcelona
Open Banc Sabadell in Spain,
where Rafael Nadal will be
bidding to win a ninth title at the
ATP 500 event
Sky Sports 3, 12:30
WTA Stuttgart
BT Sport 2, 11:00
FRIDAY 25
ATP Barcelona Open
Sky Sports 3, 11:30
WTA Stuttgart
ESPN, 17:00
SATURDAY 26
ATP Barcelona Open
Sky Sports 3, 12:30
WTA Stuttgart
ESPN, 13:00
SUNDAY 27
ATP Barcelona Open
Sky Sports 3, 15:00
WTA Stuttgart
ESPN, 13:00
MONDAY 28
WTA Portugal Open
Live coverage of the joint
ATP-WTA event on the outskirts
of Lisbon, where Anastasia
Pavlyuchenkova won the
2013 edition
ATP 250 Portugal Open
Live action from from Oeiras,
where Stanislas Wawrinka is the
defending champion
TUESDAY 29
WTA Portugal Open
WEDNESDAY 30
WTA Portugal Open
MAY
THURSDAY 1
WTA Portugal Open
IN FOCUS
INTERNAZIONALI BNL DITALIA, ROME, ITALY
SKY SPORTS AND BT SPORT, MAY 12-18
The last major stop on the European clay-court swing before Paris, the joint
ATP-WTA Internazionali BNL dItalia offers an opportunity for players to put the
finishing touches to their preparations for Roland Garros. It also gives tennis
fans an insight into who is in form heading into the second Grand Slam of the
year. In 2013, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams both lifted the trophies at the
Foro Italico before going on to win in Paris. Indeed, Nadal has done the Rome-
Paris double on six occasions, and the last two womens champions (Maria
Sharapova and Williams) went on to win the French Open.
FRIDAY 23
ATP Dusseldorf Open
WTA Nurnberg
SATURDAY 24
ATP Dusseldorf Open
WTA Nurnberg
SUNDAY 25
Roland Garros
Rafael Nadal and Serena
Williams are the defending
champions in Paris
MONDAY 26
Roland Garros
TUESDAY 27
Roland Garros
WEDNESDAY 28
Roland Garros
THURSDAY 29
Roland Garros
FRIDAY 30
Roland Garros
TELEVISION LISTINGS
FRIDAY 2
WTA Portugal Open
SATURDAY 3
WTA Portugal Open
MONDAY 5
ATP Madrid Masters
Live coverage from the ATP
Masters 1000 event at the Caja
Magica, where Rafael Nadal won
a third title in 2013
Sky Sports 3, 12:00
TUESDAY 6
ATP Madrid Masters
Sky Sports 3, 10:00
WEDNESDAY 7
ATP Madrid Masters
Sky Sports 3, 10:00
THURSDAY 8
ATP Madrid Masters
Sky Sports 3, 13:00
FRIDAY 9
ATP Madrid Masters
Sky Sports 3, 14:00
SATURDAY 10
ATP Madrid Masters
Sky Sports 3, 14:30
SUNDAY 11
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Sky Sports 3, 15:00
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THE NEW SPECIALIST SHOP FOR EVERYTHING TENNIS
I
f there was one meeting that set a
I I
benchmark for the classic matches
I Ibetween Roger Federer and Rafael I I
Nadal it was their confrontation in the nal
of the 2006 Rome Masters. Nadal saved
two match points before winning 6-7 7-6
6-4 2-6 7-6 after ve hours and ve minutes
of relentless drama on a glorious sun-
kissed afternoon.
The worlds two best players had already
met in two nals that spring, Nadal having
won in Dubai and Monte Carlo. Federer,
meanwhile, was gearing himself up for an
attempt at the French Open to become
only the third man in history to hold all
four Grand Slam titles. Rome offered the
chance to strike a psychological blow
against a teenager who had taken the sport
by storm in the previous 12 months.
Todays centre court at the Foro Italico is
the epitome of modern elegance. The 2006
nal, however, was one of the last played
on the old centre court, an atmospheric
arena which had been the stage for so
many ery encounters in front of
passionate crowds.
Federer had always believed that to beat
Nadal on clay he had to play his own
attacking game. He did so this time,
hitting his groundstrokes with great
power and advancing to the net at every
opportunity. Nadal, too, did what he does
best, chasing every ball and turning
defence to attack at the ick of a wrist.
The match was full of stunning rallies as
Federer charged forward and Nadal
counter-attacked.
Federer won the rst tiebreak 7-0 with
some spectacular shot-making, but Nadal
recovered from 4-2 down to take the
second 7-5. As Nadal won the third set
Federer grew frustrated. Angered by
what he considered coaching from the
sidelines by Toni Nadal, the Swiss
shouted out: Is that all right, Toni?
Federer said afterwards that he had
caught him in the act and complained
that ofcials dont keep a close enough
eye on him.
Nadal had break points early in the
fourth set, but Federer broke serve twice
to take the match into a fth set. The rst
ve games of the decider took half an
hour as Federers attacking brilliance was
matched by Nadals indomitable defence.
Nadal retrieved an early break but was
5-6 and 15-40 down when Federer scorned
two match points with poor forehands.
Federer led 5-3 in the tiebreak, only to
make four successive errors, including
three on his forehand, to give victory to
Nadal. He caught me right on the nish
line, Federer said afterwards. It was
very close, from start to nish.
Nadal said it had been a very
emotional match. His 16th career title as
a teenager matched Bjorn Borgs record,
while his 53rd successive win on clay
equalled the record set 29 years earlier by
Guillermo Vilas. Many more triumphs
would follow for Nadal, but few have been
as hard-earned.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
Nadal denied Federer his place in history
by beating him in four sets in the final of the
French Open. Federer finally ended a run of
four successive defeats to his big rival by
beating him in that summers Wimbledon
final. Nadal, however, has consistently held
the upper hand: his only defeats to Federer in
11 Grand Slam meetings have been in the
2006 and 2007 Wimbledon finals.
ACTION
REPLAY
14 MAY 2006
The rivalry between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer has
been one of the greatest in tennis history. With two wins
over his Swiss rival already on the scoreboard that spring,
Nadal was about to make it 3-0
WORDS: PAUL NEWMAN
[ROME MASTERS FINAL]
He caught me right on the
finish line. It was very close
from start to finish
ROGER FEDERER
After defeating Federer at the Foro Italico, Nadal went on to
beat the world No.1 to defend his Roland Garros title in Paris
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