Posts Tagged ‘tennis’

The Most Powerful Asset A Pro Tennis Player Can Possess

Sunday, December 19th, 2010

There are qualities which are vital to any great tennis player and as the world of tennis progresses on, these qualities are debated over by fans and players alike.

So it’s all just conjecture really, but it’s still worth having a debate over just for the fun of it and there are many aspects of the sport to choose from.

I have listed a few elements to consider. Which do you think are important?

What about volleying? A game that it going too smoothly can become a disadvantage for opponents as point may easily be lost. Just take a look back at players of the past such as John McEnroe.

What about baseline play, is that important? Many experts would say that it is the more modern approach as opposed to playing at the net. Take Rafael Nadal for example, he spends a lot of time hanging at the back of the court rather that up at the net. And other players such as Andy Roddick have changed tactics in favour of the baseline play.

On the other hand, a powerful serve gives a player an edge no matter what the circumstances. Someone with an elite serve (i.e. Roddick) can easily dictate the tone of a match if their opponent has a hard time breaking them. A big serve makes the rest of every point far easier.

Players have a hard time winning points if their opponent is fast at reaching the ball. Players like Nadal manage to reach almost every ball coming their way. If your opponent has to play hard to get a point then you will be causing them to make unforced errors.

What I think is the most important aspect is the x-factor, as in the mental game. Rafael Nadal knows how to play a tough mental game and as a result has some of the toughest in the history of tennis.

During matches, he has the ability to remain composed and calm with a win attitude that seems to work for him.

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Five 1980s Tennis Legends Who I Loved

Saturday, September 11th, 2010

If you look at the state of tennis today as compared to 30 years ago, a lot has changed. Most of this change took place in the 1980s, as both the racquets and playing styles underwent major transformations.

I’d like to take a trip down memory lane by writing about my favorite five 1980s tennis players. These all come down to my personal preferences and they’re not based on merit. Nonetheless, I’ll be curious to see how these compare with yours.

The early 1980s were dominated by Bjorn Borg before his early retirement. At the top of his game, he was undoubtedly the best in the world and one of the best to ever play the sport.

When I think of great net players, Stefan Edberg is one of the first names to come to mind. His serve and volley approach was simplistic in nature, but dominant enough to propel him to the world’s number one ranking in the later part of the decade.

How about Boris Becker? When he took the tennis world by storm after winning Wimbledon at the young age of 16, tennis fans knew that a legend was born. Becker followed through with some great tennis for another decade, and cemented himself as one of the sport’s all-time greats.

While he wasn’t exactly a fan favorite, I absolutely love what Ivan Lendl did for the sport. He sat atop the rankings for longer than anyone before him in modern tennis had, and he won more tournaments than one could possibly dream of winning today.

1. John McEnroe. What can you say about Mac? His charisma, his hustle, and everything else that he did on the court is legendary. To see him as a commentator through his retirement is simply a delight. I was shocked to see how well he plays when I saw him play at a senior tour event.

It was hard to narrow this list down to just five, as there are many others I could have mentioned. How do these players compare to yours?

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The Most Important Players To Keep An Eye On In Pro Tennis

Saturday, August 28th, 2010

The Australian Open once again got the tennis year off to a great start and whetted out appetite for the forthcoming season. The master they call Roger Federer once again lifted that famous trophy, sending out a warning to all his opponents that he’s still the man to beat.

Don’t assume, however, at this early stage, it’s going to be the same winners at all the Majors. There are a few good players just waiting to seize the moment and lift a few big titles themselves. Here are a few who showed great promise last year, and this could well be their time to shine.

There are quite a few players waiting in the wings to show us what they are capable of after showing great promise in 2009. The first one is on the women’s tour, the American teenager Melanie Oudin.

On the women’s tour there is the young American Melanie Oudin, she as the surprise package at the 2009 US Open by beating some very big names to reach the semi final stage.

Still a teenager, there is still plenty of time for Oudin’s all round game to grow and mature, A fact her competitors will be well aware of and hoping they aren’t drawn against her.

Nikolay Davydenko is no newcomer, but at 28 seems to be finally getting the recognition he deserves as a great player. In their last three meetings he has beaten Federer twice, which will no doubt be a thorn in Federer’s size.

Our next player to watch is a 28 year old who has been around quite a while but is literally in the form of his career. Nikolay Davydenko has had a career that has been overshadowed by allegations of gambling scandals.

Physically and mentally he has never been better, and expect some great results from him in 2010.

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Justine Henin Begins Her Comeback

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

It wasn’t too long ago that nearly every grand slam tournament was being dominated by Justine Henin. She was clearly the world’s best, and only a few players stood a chance at beating her every time she took the court.

Many were calling her the Roger Federer of women’s tennis, and deservedly so. She was simply unstoppable at her best. Why did she retire in 2008, then?

While all appeared to be going well on the outside, Henin was mentally exhausted. She was sick of the two decades that she had devoted entirely tennis, and needed to get away from the sport.

There were personal initiatives that she preferred to focus on, including a camp for children where she’d teach them how to play tennis.

It wasn’t until a few months ago during the fall of 2009 in which Henin announced that she’d be planning a return to women’s professional tennis. Fans of the sport rejoiced, as her presence would certainly add an interesting element to the state of the female game.

Still, there was doubt. Would she be able to play at the level she left off at? When someone goes nearly two years without playing a professional match, they can’t be expected to be as good.

Well, if her recent play is any sort of indication, all possibilities should be on the table at this point. With a first round straight sets win at the Brisbane International tournament against second seeded Nadia Petrova, she looked very much like her old self.

After seeing Kim Clijsters’ triumphant return to the sport after her US Open win last year, nothing should be considered unrealistic for Justine Henin.

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A Story About Juan Martin Del Potro

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

August twelfth, ‘09 was a beautiful, sunny Wednesday morning in Canada. Because I worked at the Rogers Cup, I had admission to the grounds and had specifically asked for the day off so I could go check out all the professionals’ practices. It was really a rich draw with the best ten in action all the way through the day.

At 11 that day, a friend and I headed over to Court 4 where the world’s top ranked player, Roger Federer, was due to arrive at within a half hour. Already filled with about a few hundred people, there was barely any room to move.

As the time neared, the place was packed with people who eagerly waited to get a glimpse of the best to ever play the game. With the sun soaring at 35 degrees celsius, we watched him loosen up and we saw him hitting balls. To be honest, it was relatively boring and was supposed to go on for two hours.

So, gradually, we squeeze outside the crowd and come to an open space. I look up at Court four on the opposite side to see a tall, lanky player clad in a pink Nike T-shirt and white shorts hitting some balls. I look closer and indeed came to see it was Juan Martin Del Potro.

As he came to the exit gate, there happened to be six people waiting for him to have his autograph and he did sign. As he signed my picture and went on to my buddy, I said “I wish you the best of luck in your competition today.”

Del Potro turned around and had a large grin on his face and said “Thank you so much for your support.” He seemed like he was extremely happy with what I had told him.

As he won the US Open this week, the irony of this situation just entered my thoughts. The fact that essentially no one was at hand to watch him and Federer had a ton of people. Occasionally, it is easier to be left alone than to be persistently followed.

Del Potro played a marvelous match this week and is completely worthy of his championship. Great job!

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Which Player Will Be Ranked #1 In Pro Tennis At The End Of 2010?

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

Because of the Australian Open kicking off the startup ‘10 tennis season, the sport we love is officially back. There are plenty of players comprising a group that is currently lots more stacked with talent than it has happened to be in many seasons.

No longer are the days of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal taking over every last tournament. There are a couple of alternative athletes on the tour with legitimate chances every instance a slam begins.

Despite the fact that Federer and Rafa enjoy the leading two positions in the tour, there are some players who might wind up the year ranked at the top. Why don’t we have a look at the most probable finishers at this time.

Not surprisingly, there’s Roger Federer. He should forever be considered the favorite to wind up atop the the rankings, as he’s succeeded in doing so almost each and every month through the period of the past decade. In spite of everything, his age of 29 indicates that he is getting up there in years.

If Rafa Nadal should remain free of injuries, there is no legitimate reason to feel that he won’t be able to end up there. In reality, lots of experts consider the fact that he may have ranked there last season had he not been forced to pass up Wimbledon as a consequence of his knee condition.

On the rise is the youthful 20 year old Juan Martin Del Potro, whose incredible victory at the US Open stunned plenty tennis fans. To knowledgeable ones, the young player’s victory wasn’t such a surprise. The Argentine is astonishingly gifted and has the potential to capture the world’s best rank in 2010.

Finishing things off are a couple of additional potential athletes. Why don’t we get a glance at them both.

Novak Djokovic is amongst those players who experts was sure would certainly be the very best at some point, yet he hasn’t exactly gotten there as yet. He is definitely more grown up at his current age, and could finally enjoy both the physical and psychological game to get there.

Lastly, there’s Andy Murray. With youth on his side, this British talent is still improving and reached as well as number two a year ago. With a few clutch titles in 2010, he may possibly end up being this year’s dark horse.

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Will Roger Federer Keep His World’s Best Rank This Tennis Season?

Sunday, June 20th, 2010

Tennis fans around the world are rejoicing as the grand slam season has kicked off. Things are most definitely exciting on both sides of the tour, leading many to speculate as to who will dominate the sport this year. Let’s take a look at the men of the sport.

Gone are the days of Federer and Nadal dominating every tournament. There are some other players on the tour with legitimate chances every time a tournament begins.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have had a profound impact on the sport and remain the top two in the game, but their leads aren’t as comfortable as they once used to be. As a result, it’s time to list a few more players who may finish at the top. Let’s look at the contenders.

Obviously, there’s Roger Federer. He should always be considered the favorite to finish at the top of the rankings, as he’s done so nearly every year during the course of the last decade. Still, his age of 29 means he’s getting up there in years.

Last year, Federer’s dominance was threatened by Rafael Nadal, who legitimately owned the Swiss legend in their head to head matchups. Having beaten him in the finals at the Australian Open and Wimbledon the prior year, Nadal looked to be the likely heir to the throne. Still, he has injury issues that tend to get in the way.

On the rise is the young 20 year old Juan Martin Del Potro, whose incredible win at the US Open shocked many tennis fans. To knowledgeable ones, the Argentine’s emergence wasn’t such a surprise. The kid is incredibly talented and has what it takes to capture the world’s top ranking this year.

Rounding out the field are two more potential players. Let’s take a look at them both.

Novak Djokovic is one of those guys who everyone thought would be number one at some point, yet he hasn’t quite gotten there yet. He’s more mature at the age of 23, and could finally have both the physical and mental game to get there.

Finally, Andy Murray is just 22 years old but his maturity and tenacity propelled him to the number two spot in the world for a few months last year. His competitive spirit will certainly make him a player worth watching this coming year.

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Ranking the Top Ladies in Tennis Since 1980

Friday, June 18th, 2010

While there have been many great tennis players over the course of the last few decades, such as Agassi, Sampras, McEnroe, and others, I believe that women have been just as great.

There are so many competitive matches and truly respectable players, and the last three decades have been characterized by some legends. I’m going to go through some of the best women’s players during this span, in order.

Coming in at number seven on my list is Venus Williams. In her late 20s now, she’s been in pro tennis for 15 years and she’s simply been phenomenal. With many grand slam wins and a firm grip on Wimbledon, she’s one of the best women to ever play the sport.

6. Justine Henin. At her peak, she was beating both of the Williams sisters. She retired early though. Lucky for us, she just announced a comeback. At just 27 years old, there’s plenty of gas left in the tank here.

5. Monica Seles. Hitting with two hands on both sides, she literally pounded the ball with every shot, and her grunts indicated this. For a while, she was untouchable, until her unfortunate stabbing. She was never the same after that. Many believe that she could have been the best woman to ever play had this not happened. Her 9 slams were all won at an extremely young age. 4. Chris Evert. She ruled the 1970s and part of the 1980s, and had a long, successful career. 18 grand slams says it all.

It’s really hard to put Chris Evert here at four, but that’s how competitive this field is. With 18 career slams, she is simply one of the best to ever play.

3. Serena Williams. A true powerhouse on the women’s tour who won’t be going away anytime soon. She’s the strongest women’s player in the world right now.

You wouldn’t believe it, but Martina Navratilova continued to play doubles well into this decade. Not only did she play, but she won tournaments. That’s how great she was, and she was even better at her peak.

Lastly, we have Steffi Graf, who I like to call the queen of modern tennis. She has more grand slams than anyone else with 22, and she was simply incredible.

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