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In January, tennis legends Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal tried out a souped-up version of the sport called Fast4. They played separate exhibitions in Australia under the new format, which has no lets (serves that go in after hitting the net count) and no-ad scoring (at deuce, the winner of the next point wins the game). Sets are played to four games rather than six (at 3-3, a shortened tiebreak ensues) and points within games are scored 1, 2, 3, 4 rather than 15, 30, 40, game, so those unfamiliar with tennis can follow along.
“It’s the shortened version of tennis, like Twenty20 to cricket, Sevens to rugby,” Craig Tiley, the CEO of Tennis Australia, said.
“People want lots more points of pressure in tennis. They don’t want it to drag on as long as it does.”
Read more: Is It Finally Time to Tinker With Tennis? - WSJ
“It’s the shortened version of tennis, like Twenty20 to cricket, Sevens to rugby,” Craig Tiley, the CEO of Tennis Australia, said.
“People want lots more points of pressure in tennis. They don’t want it to drag on as long as it does.”
Read more: Is It Finally Time to Tinker With Tennis? - WSJ
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Thirteen-year-old J.C. Roddick is fully aware his uncle is the last American male to win a major pro tennis tournament.
“He’s 24/7 tennis,” Hunt resident Blanche Roddick said of her grandson, who is also Andy Roddick’s nephew. “He loves it. You ask him any tennis question, trivia, he’ll have an answer for you.”
For some young athletes, bearing a famous name can be a burden in terms of lofty expectations and the desire to make a famous father or relative proud.
But that doesn’t appear to be the case with J.C., who is competing this week at the USTA Boys 14 National Championship at McFarlin Tennis Center. His love for the sport, coupled with his father’s grounded guiding hand, has allowed him to embrace his uncle’s legacy while taking steps toward carving out a career of his own.
“My dad tells me to go out there and just have fun,” said J.C., a seventh-grader at The Winston School San Antonio whose goals include playing college tennis before possibly turning pro.
Read more: Young Roddick embraces tennis legacy - San Antonio Express-News
“He’s 24/7 tennis,” Hunt resident Blanche Roddick said of her grandson, who is also Andy Roddick’s nephew. “He loves it. You ask him any tennis question, trivia, he’ll have an answer for you.”
For some young athletes, bearing a famous name can be a burden in terms of lofty expectations and the desire to make a famous father or relative proud.
But that doesn’t appear to be the case with J.C., who is competing this week at the USTA Boys 14 National Championship at McFarlin Tennis Center. His love for the sport, coupled with his father’s grounded guiding hand, has allowed him to embrace his uncle’s legacy while taking steps toward carving out a career of his own.
“My dad tells me to go out there and just have fun,” said J.C., a seventh-grader at The Winston School San Antonio whose goals include playing college tennis before possibly turning pro.
Read more: Young Roddick embraces tennis legacy - San Antonio Express-News
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The tennis champ discusses her body's limits and a promising career in fashion
Fresh off of her grand slam victory at Wimbledon, Serena Williams candidly acknowledged the physical toll tennis has exacted on her body and an awareness that, at age 33, she has begun to position herself for life after tennis.
“We were so fast,” Serena said of herself and her sister, Venus, in an interview published in Wednesday’s issue of New York magazine, before laughing at her inadvertent slippage into the past tense. “We are,” she said. “We were. Gosh, is this over?”
Not that the tennis champ has a shortage of opportunities beyond court. She said she and her sister “brought fashion back to tennis” with a new line of athletic clothing, and is currently modeling her latest clothing line in an eye-popping photo shoot.
photo shoot: Serena Williams Contemplates Life After Tennis
Fresh off of her grand slam victory at Wimbledon, Serena Williams candidly acknowledged the physical toll tennis has exacted on her body and an awareness that, at age 33, she has begun to position herself for life after tennis.
“We were so fast,” Serena said of herself and her sister, Venus, in an interview published in Wednesday’s issue of New York magazine, before laughing at her inadvertent slippage into the past tense. “We are,” she said. “We were. Gosh, is this over?”
Not that the tennis champ has a shortage of opportunities beyond court. She said she and her sister “brought fashion back to tennis” with a new line of athletic clothing, and is currently modeling her latest clothing line in an eye-popping photo shoot.
photo shoot: Serena Williams Contemplates Life After Tennis
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Hi everyone
Seriously, what are your thoughts on the US open this year as winner?
We have 3 really good tennis players going at it, Andy Murray (Scotland), Roger Federer (Switzerland) and Rafael Nadal (Spain).
I am pretty sure 1 of them goes the whole way. Yea you can post here after the tournament and make me eat my words if I am wrong.
I will check how the performance is for each of them before US open starts
Djokovic Even Money on US Open Futures
If you have some thoughts please share them.
Seriously, what are your thoughts on the US open this year as winner?
We have 3 really good tennis players going at it, Andy Murray (Scotland), Roger Federer (Switzerland) and Rafael Nadal (Spain).
I am pretty sure 1 of them goes the whole way. Yea you can post here after the tournament and make me eat my words if I am wrong.
I will check how the performance is for each of them before US open starts
Djokovic Even Money on US Open Futures
If you have some thoughts please share them.
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2006/12/07
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2120
We're getting down to the nitty gritty of the 2015 U.S. Open. On Friday night, the men's draw was hit hard with upsets. On the women's side, top-seeded Serena Williams had to rally to overcome her unseeded foe as the first group of players made their way to the fourth round of the year's final Grand Slam tournament.
Read more: US Open Tennis 2015 Results: Scores, Highlights and Reaction from Friday Night | Bleacher Report
Read more: US Open Tennis 2015 Results: Scores, Highlights and Reaction from Friday Night | Bleacher Report
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Venus and Serena Williams have been working the same shift lately, half-of-the-draw as it is called at their job, which is to play tennis at the U.S. Open Championships at Flushing Meadows, Queens, the great northeastern borough of New York City near La Guardia Airport.
The men’s and women’s draws each begin with 128 players, divided in sections, with matches scheduled on alternate days; this also gives the athletes a bit of rest-and-recover time over the tournament fortnight, though many also compete in gender-specific and mixed doubles, adding to their workload. By the luck of the draw, the two sisters find themselves in the same section and if they keep winning rounds they are bound to meet on court prior to the semifinals.
This became headline news when they went to work on Sunday and made it short. They played back to back matches in the 20,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium, architectural center piece of the Billie Jean King Tennis Center in the park on the other side of the tracks from where the New York Mets play baseball.
Under ordinary circumstances, this should mean three, maybe four hours of top women’s tennis, for even when players are, on paper, mismatched, you are still talking about a contest between two of the top hundred or so in the world.
In fact, at 35 and 33 years, and after dreadful health scares, the sisters play as well as ever, and Serena enjoys a fantastic streak. They are, in this regard, quite like the immortal Pancho Gonzalez of some years back, playing into his 40s, or, today’s maestro, Roger Federer, at 34 totally in command and even money to win it all here (including the $3.3 million winner’s check). Tennis, they say, is a life sport. Well, it looks that way.
Read more: Serena Williams, World's Best Tennis Player, Competes for Family Bragging Rights - Breitbart
The men’s and women’s draws each begin with 128 players, divided in sections, with matches scheduled on alternate days; this also gives the athletes a bit of rest-and-recover time over the tournament fortnight, though many also compete in gender-specific and mixed doubles, adding to their workload. By the luck of the draw, the two sisters find themselves in the same section and if they keep winning rounds they are bound to meet on court prior to the semifinals.
This became headline news when they went to work on Sunday and made it short. They played back to back matches in the 20,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium, architectural center piece of the Billie Jean King Tennis Center in the park on the other side of the tracks from where the New York Mets play baseball.
Under ordinary circumstances, this should mean three, maybe four hours of top women’s tennis, for even when players are, on paper, mismatched, you are still talking about a contest between two of the top hundred or so in the world.
In fact, at 35 and 33 years, and after dreadful health scares, the sisters play as well as ever, and Serena enjoys a fantastic streak. They are, in this regard, quite like the immortal Pancho Gonzalez of some years back, playing into his 40s, or, today’s maestro, Roger Federer, at 34 totally in command and even money to win it all here (including the $3.3 million winner’s check). Tennis, they say, is a life sport. Well, it looks that way.
Read more: Serena Williams, World's Best Tennis Player, Competes for Family Bragging Rights - Breitbart
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Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-2 Sunday to win his sixth China Open title and improve his record at the tournament to a sterling 29-0.
Djokovic had seven aces to none for his Spanish rival, and saved both break points he faced in the match, which was the 45th between the two players.
''The scoreline, especially in the first set, doesn't indicate the real battle that we had on the court,'' Djokovic said.
''I think I maintained that level of aggressivity and strength and power in my shots, and eventually I knew that he's going to make mistakes and he's going to give me shorter balls so I can dominate the rallies, which happened.''
Nadal still leads 23-22 but hasn't beaten Djokovic since the French Open final last year and hasn't prevailed on hard courts since the 2013 U.S. Open final.
The Spaniard hurt his foot early in the second set and called for the trainer during a changeover. He said he would see how he feels Monday and hopes he'll be able to play next week's Shanghai Masters.
Nadal said he's pleased with his performance this week, especially considering how much he's struggled to maintain his consistency this season - his first in 11 years without a Grand Slam title. He's also just 2-8 against top-10 opponents this year.
Read more: tennis-com - Djokovic beats Nadal for sixth Beijing title; Muguruza wins women's title
Djokovic had seven aces to none for his Spanish rival, and saved both break points he faced in the match, which was the 45th between the two players.
''The scoreline, especially in the first set, doesn't indicate the real battle that we had on the court,'' Djokovic said.
''I think I maintained that level of aggressivity and strength and power in my shots, and eventually I knew that he's going to make mistakes and he's going to give me shorter balls so I can dominate the rallies, which happened.''
Nadal still leads 23-22 but hasn't beaten Djokovic since the French Open final last year and hasn't prevailed on hard courts since the 2013 U.S. Open final.
The Spaniard hurt his foot early in the second set and called for the trainer during a changeover. He said he would see how he feels Monday and hopes he'll be able to play next week's Shanghai Masters.
Nadal said he's pleased with his performance this week, especially considering how much he's struggled to maintain his consistency this season - his first in 11 years without a Grand Slam title. He's also just 2-8 against top-10 opponents this year.
Read more: tennis-com - Djokovic beats Nadal for sixth Beijing title; Muguruza wins women's title
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Nick Kyrgios’ name from the Radford College Hall of Fame was removed due to his recent on-court behaviour. Radford Principal Fiona Godfrey said Kyrgios' picture was on a temporarily removed because of his controversial comments to World No.4 Stan Wawrinka at the Montreal Masters in August.
Godfrey said athletes were important role models, which was why his picture had been removed from the Hall of Fame and was now placed in the Director of Sport's office. But she was confident that Kyrgios would get his spot back on the Hall of Fame wall. Kyrgios spent years seven and eight at Radford, before he switched to Daramalan College in 2009.
"He's had a temporary departure from the Hall of Fame, he's actually on detention in the Director of Sport's office at the moment and we're keeping him there until his behaviour improves - which we're very confident that will happen given that he was a Radford student," Godfrey said.
“But at the moment while he's not a particularly good role model for the other students, he's on detention.”
Nick Kyrgios removed from ´Hall of Fame´ in old school
Godfrey said athletes were important role models, which was why his picture had been removed from the Hall of Fame and was now placed in the Director of Sport's office. But she was confident that Kyrgios would get his spot back on the Hall of Fame wall. Kyrgios spent years seven and eight at Radford, before he switched to Daramalan College in 2009.
"He's had a temporary departure from the Hall of Fame, he's actually on detention in the Director of Sport's office at the moment and we're keeping him there until his behaviour improves - which we're very confident that will happen given that he was a Radford student," Godfrey said.
“But at the moment while he's not a particularly good role model for the other students, he's on detention.”
Nick Kyrgios removed from ´Hall of Fame´ in old school
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The tennis world is mourning the loss of Mike Davies, a former British Davis Cup player-turned-administrator who died Tuesday at the age of 79.
The International Tennis Federation said Davies died "after a battle with illness."
Davies was the top-ranked British player in the 1950s and had a career record in Davis Cup play of 24-13 from 1955 to 1960.
He also was a significant figure in ushering the sport into the professional era in the 1960s and ’70s.
Born in Wales in the mid-1930s, Davies reached the fourth round at Wimbledon as an 18-year-old and was men's doubles runner-up in 1960. But then he turned professional, which at the time meant he couldn't play at any of tennis' traditional tournaments.
As tennis commercialized in the late 1960s, Davies played a major role in running the rebel World Championship Tennis circuit, funded by the oil magnate Lamar Hunt, which challenged the traditional tour. He became one of those dynamic characters the tennis establishment hated.
In his time, he headed both the Association of Tennis Professionals and the International Tennis Federation. But perhaps his greatest claim to fame is as the man who cemented the 90-second time limit for players to change ends after every two games, and the replacement of the white tennis ball by the more TV-friendly yellow ball. He also introduced the 30-second time limit between points.
Davies was a former ITF general manager and marketing director.
"Mike played an important part in the development of the ITF as an organization and was key in the implementation of a centralized commercial rights model for sponsorship and TV," said Juan Margets, the organization's chief operating officer. He said his predecessor "used his role as general manager to help the growth of the ITF."
Tennis Player, Innovator Mike Davies Dies at 79
The International Tennis Federation said Davies died "after a battle with illness."
Davies was the top-ranked British player in the 1950s and had a career record in Davis Cup play of 24-13 from 1955 to 1960.
He also was a significant figure in ushering the sport into the professional era in the 1960s and ’70s.
Born in Wales in the mid-1930s, Davies reached the fourth round at Wimbledon as an 18-year-old and was men's doubles runner-up in 1960. But then he turned professional, which at the time meant he couldn't play at any of tennis' traditional tournaments.
As tennis commercialized in the late 1960s, Davies played a major role in running the rebel World Championship Tennis circuit, funded by the oil magnate Lamar Hunt, which challenged the traditional tour. He became one of those dynamic characters the tennis establishment hated.
In his time, he headed both the Association of Tennis Professionals and the International Tennis Federation. But perhaps his greatest claim to fame is as the man who cemented the 90-second time limit for players to change ends after every two games, and the replacement of the white tennis ball by the more TV-friendly yellow ball. He also introduced the 30-second time limit between points.
Davies was a former ITF general manager and marketing director.
"Mike played an important part in the development of the ITF as an organization and was key in the implementation of a centralized commercial rights model for sponsorship and TV," said Juan Margets, the organization's chief operating officer. He said his predecessor "used his role as general manager to help the growth of the ITF."
Tennis Player, Innovator Mike Davies Dies at 79
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Nick Kyrgios is usually the center of attention on court, but he was the low-profile date of Australia’s Croatian import Ajla Tomljanovic at the Queensland Tennis Awards on Saturday night.
Kyrgios has spent part of his offseason in Brisbane with Tomljanovic, who denied rumors of a romance in July, saying they were “just good friends.” But now tour regulars say they understand Kyrgios and the photogenic 22-year-old are a couple.
Kyrgios, 20, arrived in for the awards on Thursday, having tweeted “special day today’’ with an emoticon of an airplane. The main image on his Twitter page is now a picture of him and Tomljanovic on court together.
Kygrios kept to himself at the awards dinner, but was polite to attendees who approached him.
Kyrgios became the sport’s face of rude behavior when he told Stan Wawrinka during a match last year that “Kokkinakis banged your girlfriend. Sorry to tell you that, mate.” Kyrgios was referencing Wawrinka’s relationship with Croatian player Donna Vekic.
Now it appears Kyrgios has found his own love match on the court.
Over the past 12 months, Kyrgios has conversed on social media with Tomljanovic and also her sister Hana, who is a student in the US.
Tennis bad boy now ironically dating fellow player | New York Post
Kyrgios has spent part of his offseason in Brisbane with Tomljanovic, who denied rumors of a romance in July, saying they were “just good friends.” But now tour regulars say they understand Kyrgios and the photogenic 22-year-old are a couple.
Kyrgios, 20, arrived in for the awards on Thursday, having tweeted “special day today’’ with an emoticon of an airplane. The main image on his Twitter page is now a picture of him and Tomljanovic on court together.
Kygrios kept to himself at the awards dinner, but was polite to attendees who approached him.
Kyrgios became the sport’s face of rude behavior when he told Stan Wawrinka during a match last year that “Kokkinakis banged your girlfriend. Sorry to tell you that, mate.” Kyrgios was referencing Wawrinka’s relationship with Croatian player Donna Vekic.
Now it appears Kyrgios has found his own love match on the court.
Over the past 12 months, Kyrgios has conversed on social media with Tomljanovic and also her sister Hana, who is a student in the US.
Tennis bad boy now ironically dating fellow player | New York Post
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Tennis South Africa were sad to learn about the death of South African tennis legend Abe Segal.
Segal was not only one of the greatest tennis players to emerge from South Africa but was also undoubtedly one of the greatest personalities in the sport worldwide.
Segal, 85, had been suffering from cancer and passed away in Cape Town on Monday night.
Together with Gordon Forbes, they formed one the world’s best doubles teams, and the two remained great friends off the court. Forbes wrote two books—A Handful Of Summers and Too Soon To Panic – in which Segal featured prominently. In fact, the title of the second book comes from a quote from Segal during a Davis Cup tie against Germany in Berlin in 1962.
Actor and writer Peter Ustinov wrote the forward to A Handful Of Summers and when Segal produced his book in 2008, called Hey Big Boy, not to be outdone Segal got Sean Connery to pen the forward in his book.
On the international stage Segal twice made the finals of the French Open, in 1958 with Australian Roy Howe where they lost in four sets to Ashley Cooper and Neale Fraser and again in 1963 with Forbes where they lost to Roy Emerson and Manuel Santana.
Forbes and Segal reached the Wimbledon semifinals that same year and it was a title Forbes felt they could have won had Segal not pulled a stomach muscle prior to the game. “Abe was never injured. That was the only time. Abe never complained and he never made excuses but he could only serve at half pace and his serve was usually his biggest strength.”
There had been quite a few upsets that year and the team that beat them in semis went on to win the title.
“We played together for a long time and won the SA Open four times and every provincial title at least once. We also won the British Hard Court, which was a big tournament in those days, twice,” said Forbes.
In the later part of his life Segal also took up painting and surprised most people with his talent and insight. He was also a close friend of hotel magnate Sol Kerzner and worked as the tennis pro at Sun City until his retirement eight years ago.
“Abe Segal was not only a superb player but also one of the sport’s greatest characters,” said Tennis South Africa President Gavin Crookes. “He mixed in some of the best circles and was never scared to give his opinion, no matter how hard-hitting it may have been.
“He was highly respected around the world and he will be a loss to our sport.”
Abe Segal was survived by two daughters, Nancy and Susie who both live in the USA.
Tennis legend Abe Segal dies - SuperSport - Tennis
Segal was not only one of the greatest tennis players to emerge from South Africa but was also undoubtedly one of the greatest personalities in the sport worldwide.
Segal, 85, had been suffering from cancer and passed away in Cape Town on Monday night.
Together with Gordon Forbes, they formed one the world’s best doubles teams, and the two remained great friends off the court. Forbes wrote two books—A Handful Of Summers and Too Soon To Panic – in which Segal featured prominently. In fact, the title of the second book comes from a quote from Segal during a Davis Cup tie against Germany in Berlin in 1962.
Actor and writer Peter Ustinov wrote the forward to A Handful Of Summers and when Segal produced his book in 2008, called Hey Big Boy, not to be outdone Segal got Sean Connery to pen the forward in his book.
On the international stage Segal twice made the finals of the French Open, in 1958 with Australian Roy Howe where they lost in four sets to Ashley Cooper and Neale Fraser and again in 1963 with Forbes where they lost to Roy Emerson and Manuel Santana.
Forbes and Segal reached the Wimbledon semifinals that same year and it was a title Forbes felt they could have won had Segal not pulled a stomach muscle prior to the game. “Abe was never injured. That was the only time. Abe never complained and he never made excuses but he could only serve at half pace and his serve was usually his biggest strength.”
There had been quite a few upsets that year and the team that beat them in semis went on to win the title.
“We played together for a long time and won the SA Open four times and every provincial title at least once. We also won the British Hard Court, which was a big tournament in those days, twice,” said Forbes.
In the later part of his life Segal also took up painting and surprised most people with his talent and insight. He was also a close friend of hotel magnate Sol Kerzner and worked as the tennis pro at Sun City until his retirement eight years ago.
“Abe Segal was not only a superb player but also one of the sport’s greatest characters,” said Tennis South Africa President Gavin Crookes. “He mixed in some of the best circles and was never scared to give his opinion, no matter how hard-hitting it may have been.
“He was highly respected around the world and he will be a loss to our sport.”
Abe Segal was survived by two daughters, Nancy and Susie who both live in the USA.
Tennis legend Abe Segal dies - SuperSport - Tennis
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17-time Grand Slam winner’s season has been marred by health problems, including knee surgery and a forced withdrawal from the Miami Open because of a stomach virus.
In the latest setback to an already complicated season, Federer was forced to withdraw from the Madrid Masters on Monday because of a back injury.
The third-ranked Federer said he was hurt in practice during the weekend and didn’t want to take any chances aggravating the injury.
“I rather play it safe and rest up now,” Federer said. “I’m very disappointed to say the least.”
His season has been marred by health problems. In February, the 17-time Grand Slam winner underwent arthroscopic surgery for torn cartilage on his left knee. When he was set to return to action at the Miami Open in late March, he had to withdraw because of a stomach virus. “It’s been a tough year,” Federer said. “I hope it gets better from here.”
The 35-year-old Federer, a three-time winner in Madrid, had been a late addition to the field this week. The tournament was not originally on his schedule, but the former No. 1 decided to include it as part of his preparations for the French Open in three weeks.
Federer appeared fine in practice on Saturday, but cancelled his media appearance on Sunday and had not been back to the courts in the last couple of days, raising doubts about his participation.
He said he felt some pain while practicing Saturday and it hadn’t improved significantly since then, so he would not be fit to debut on Wednesday as scheduled.
“Sorry to the tournament for coming and leaving without playing,” Federer said. “I arrived and I was OK, and then I practiced on Saturday and hurt my back a little bit in practice and then stopped early.”
Federer downplayed the seriousness of the injury, saying it has happened to him before and he knows how to treat it.
“This is normal back things I’ve had in the past, which I guess is good, because I know how to handle it, I know how long it can take,” Federer said.
Federer is still expected to play at the Rome Masters before heading to France for Roland Garros.
The Madrid Masters would have been Federer’s fourth tournament of the season, and the first since he lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters last month.
Federer lost to Nick Kyrgios in three sets in last year’s second round in Madrid, a tournament he won in 2006, 2009 and 2012.
All other top-10 ranked players are playing in the men’s tournament in Madrid this week.
Last week, Serena Williams, who was set to be the No. 1 seed in the women’s draw, withdrew because of an illness. The tournament said that she had a fever and was feeling “less than 100 per cent.”
Williams won the Madrid tournament in 2012 and 2013.
www-thestar-com/sports/tennis/2016/05/02/hurt-federer-drops-madrid-tennis-tourney-html
In the latest setback to an already complicated season, Federer was forced to withdraw from the Madrid Masters on Monday because of a back injury.
The third-ranked Federer said he was hurt in practice during the weekend and didn’t want to take any chances aggravating the injury.
“I rather play it safe and rest up now,” Federer said. “I’m very disappointed to say the least.”
His season has been marred by health problems. In February, the 17-time Grand Slam winner underwent arthroscopic surgery for torn cartilage on his left knee. When he was set to return to action at the Miami Open in late March, he had to withdraw because of a stomach virus. “It’s been a tough year,” Federer said. “I hope it gets better from here.”
The 35-year-old Federer, a three-time winner in Madrid, had been a late addition to the field this week. The tournament was not originally on his schedule, but the former No. 1 decided to include it as part of his preparations for the French Open in three weeks.
Federer appeared fine in practice on Saturday, but cancelled his media appearance on Sunday and had not been back to the courts in the last couple of days, raising doubts about his participation.
He said he felt some pain while practicing Saturday and it hadn’t improved significantly since then, so he would not be fit to debut on Wednesday as scheduled.
“Sorry to the tournament for coming and leaving without playing,” Federer said. “I arrived and I was OK, and then I practiced on Saturday and hurt my back a little bit in practice and then stopped early.”
Federer downplayed the seriousness of the injury, saying it has happened to him before and he knows how to treat it.
“This is normal back things I’ve had in the past, which I guess is good, because I know how to handle it, I know how long it can take,” Federer said.
Federer is still expected to play at the Rome Masters before heading to France for Roland Garros.
The Madrid Masters would have been Federer’s fourth tournament of the season, and the first since he lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters last month.
Federer lost to Nick Kyrgios in three sets in last year’s second round in Madrid, a tournament he won in 2006, 2009 and 2012.
All other top-10 ranked players are playing in the men’s tournament in Madrid this week.
Last week, Serena Williams, who was set to be the No. 1 seed in the women’s draw, withdrew because of an illness. The tournament said that she had a fever and was feeling “less than 100 per cent.”
Williams won the Madrid tournament in 2012 and 2013.
www-thestar-com/sports/tennis/2016/05/02/hurt-federer-drops-madrid-tennis-tourney-html
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Losing a big match is always a tough pill to swallow, but there was no bitterness in Rafael Nadal’s words after the Spaniard fell to Novak Djokovic 7-5, 7-6(4) in the quarter-finals of the Internazionale BNL d’Italia on Friday.
“I am so happy to be in a close match, and I have to congratulate him. He played great,” Nadal said. “We played a beautiful match. I was a bit unlucky today. I had so many chances in the first set.
“But when somebody is winning as much as him for the past years, it’s so important to [be opportunistic]. He hit great shots in important moments. That's it.”
Despite the loss, Nadal has re-established himself as one of the best clay-courters in the world. He is 15-2 in the European clay-court swing and took home the title at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters and at the Barcelona Open BancSabadell.
“I’ve been playing well during the whole clay court season,” Nadal said. “It's true that in Madrid I didn't play well in the last two matches [against Joao Sousa and Andy Murray], but in general I'm playing well in most of the matches most of the time. Today I was mentally fighting for every point, hitting good shots. I was very, very, very close this afternoon, and that's positive.
“I’m not disappointed. I was competing at the highest level against the best player. Playing a match like this gives me confidence,” Nadal, who is now winless against Djokovic in their past seven FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings, added. “I’m happy to be part of this rivalry. We’ll talk about this when we finish our career, hopefully a long time from now.
“I feel lucky and unlucky at the same time, to be playing in the same era as [Novak].”
Nadal Djokovic Reaction Rome 2016 QF | ATP World Tour | Tennis
“I am so happy to be in a close match, and I have to congratulate him. He played great,” Nadal said. “We played a beautiful match. I was a bit unlucky today. I had so many chances in the first set.
“But when somebody is winning as much as him for the past years, it’s so important to [be opportunistic]. He hit great shots in important moments. That's it.”
Despite the loss, Nadal has re-established himself as one of the best clay-courters in the world. He is 15-2 in the European clay-court swing and took home the title at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters and at the Barcelona Open BancSabadell.
“I’ve been playing well during the whole clay court season,” Nadal said. “It's true that in Madrid I didn't play well in the last two matches [against Joao Sousa and Andy Murray], but in general I'm playing well in most of the matches most of the time. Today I was mentally fighting for every point, hitting good shots. I was very, very, very close this afternoon, and that's positive.
“I’m not disappointed. I was competing at the highest level against the best player. Playing a match like this gives me confidence,” Nadal, who is now winless against Djokovic in their past seven FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings, added. “I’m happy to be part of this rivalry. We’ll talk about this when we finish our career, hopefully a long time from now.
“I feel lucky and unlucky at the same time, to be playing in the same era as [Novak].”
Nadal Djokovic Reaction Rome 2016 QF | ATP World Tour | Tennis
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Manne wrote:
Losing a big match is always a tough pill to swallow, but there was no bitterness in Rafael Nadal’s words after the Spaniard fell to Novak Djokovic 7-5, 7-6(4) in the quarter-finals of the Internazionale BNL d’Italia on Friday.
“I am so happy to be in a close match, and I have to congratulate him. He played great,” Nadal said. “We played a beautiful match. I was a bit unlucky today. I had so many chances in the first set.
“But when somebody is winning as much as him for the past years, it’s so important to [be opportunistic]. He hit great shots in important moments. That's it.”
Despite the loss, Nadal has re-established himself as one of the best clay-courters in the world. He is 15-2 in the European clay-court swing and took home the title at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters and at the Barcelona Open BancSabadell.
“I’ve been playing well during the whole clay court season,” Nadal said. “It's true that in Madrid I didn't play well in the last two matches [against Joao Sousa and Andy Murray], but in general I'm playing well in most of the matches most of the time. Today I was mentally fighting for every point, hitting good shots. I was very, very, very close this afternoon, and that's positive.
“I’m not disappointed. I was competing at the highest level against the best player. Playing a match like this gives me confidence,” Nadal, who is now winless against Djokovic in their past seven FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings, added. “I’m happy to be part of this rivalry. We’ll talk about this when we finish our career, hopefully a long time from now.
“I feel lucky and unlucky at the same time, to be playing in the same era as [Novak].”
Nadal Djokovic Reaction Rome 2016 QF | ATP World Tour | Tennis
Looks like a new era is taking over the tennis field. Rafael Nadal have been successful tennis player for many years and he is still a good player no doubt about it. Losing 7 games to Novak he better get some luck already if that's what's missing.
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ixgames wrote:
Looks like a new era is taking over the tennis field. Rafael Nadal have been successful tennis player for many years and he is still a good player no doubt about it. Losing 7 games to Novak he better get some luck already if that's what's missing.
Nothing Is Forever. Life goes by so fast.....sad.!
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With Wimbledon fever right around the corner and the French Open soon to start, have you ever considered tennis as your new way to keep fit?
We asked former GB tennis player and Andy Murray’s coach, Mark Petchey, for his tips on how tennis can help to improve your fitness this summer.
Get ready to serve…
1. Tennis can improve your stamina
Tennis is a form of cardiovascular exercise and by playing it regularly, you’ll greatly improve this. Mark suggests: “To train your aerobic endurance on the court this summer, start with 30 to 60 minutes of continuous ball hitting. Start by hitting cross court to your practice partner and then every four shots move to the other corner and hit cross court the other way.
“Not only will this be good for weight loss but also your mental concentration, as to gain maximum physical benefit you need to keep the ball in play!”
2. Tennis helps your anaerobic endurance too
Bjorn Borg, the six-time French Open and five-time Wimbledon champion, said tennis is a game of a “thousand little sprints”. Anaerobic translates as ‘living without air’ and the speed of the rallies in the modern game often means players have to move across the court without time to breathe.
Mark says to train this part of your fitness, have someone feed you ten balls alternately to your forehand, then to your backhand side, encouraging you to run the whole length of the baseline as fast as possible.
Rest for 45 seconds and repeat. Refrain from practicing drills that last more than two minutes as otherwise your aerobic system will kick in.
3. It gives you power
To be good at tennis you need to be quick, says Mark. All good players can hit a ball well at the top of the game but the reason others are more successful is their speed of movement.
Plyometrics (known as jump training) is the best way to develop your optimum speed-strength ratio suggests Mark.
Use agility hurdles when first learning; line five up side by side, stand sideways to them, jump with both feet sideways and land on both feet. After you have jumped the last hurdle, land and balance on one leg before pushing back to repeat the other way. This type of sideways movement is something which will really improve your tennis game.
4. It improves your core strength
Mark comments: “Core strength is of vital importance to any tennis player. Not only does it protect you from injury but it also allows you to create more rotation and energy, making it easier to put pace on your shots.
Core strength helps you keep your balance whilst moving your racquet quickly through any given shot. When playing tennis you will constantly be using your core muscles.”
To keep those core muscles strong off the court, Mark says the best exercise is the plank. It will also improve shoulder stability and strength at the same time, which is important for serving.
5. Tennis ups your speed and agility
“Your ability to react quickly to a tennis ball coming at you will dictate how good a shot you will hit back,” Mark says.
“Tennis is measured in split seconds. You need to be able to move at a full sprint and then slow down within a couple of steps to balance correctly to hit the ball.”
A simple way to train for this is to get your tennis partner to stand a couple of meters in front of you and hold out both their arms wide, with a tennis ball in each hand. They then drop either the right or left ball and you have to sprint and catch the ball after one bounce. They can keep moving back until you eventually have to run flat out to grab the ball after the bounce.
“This exercise will really help your reaction times,” Mark adds.
6. Tennis works on your flexibility
“Tennis is a game of movement and players need to be as flexible as possible,” Mark comments.
“A greater range of movement, for example in your shoulder, can allow you to move the racquet quicker on your serve and thereby serve faster. In baseline rallies, flexibility helps keep you moving in different directions as you chase down different shots hit at you.”
Mark suggests that to improve your flexibility, grab a Thera-Band and put it in your racquet bag so it is always there to help you stretch yourself out after playing. Static stretching has been proved to actually hinder performance when done prior to playing tennis, so make sure to stretch well afterwards instead.
Anyone for tennis? 6 ways the Wimbledon sport can improve your fitness - BT
We asked former GB tennis player and Andy Murray’s coach, Mark Petchey, for his tips on how tennis can help to improve your fitness this summer.
Get ready to serve…
1. Tennis can improve your stamina
Tennis is a form of cardiovascular exercise and by playing it regularly, you’ll greatly improve this. Mark suggests: “To train your aerobic endurance on the court this summer, start with 30 to 60 minutes of continuous ball hitting. Start by hitting cross court to your practice partner and then every four shots move to the other corner and hit cross court the other way.
“Not only will this be good for weight loss but also your mental concentration, as to gain maximum physical benefit you need to keep the ball in play!”
2. Tennis helps your anaerobic endurance too
Bjorn Borg, the six-time French Open and five-time Wimbledon champion, said tennis is a game of a “thousand little sprints”. Anaerobic translates as ‘living without air’ and the speed of the rallies in the modern game often means players have to move across the court without time to breathe.
Mark says to train this part of your fitness, have someone feed you ten balls alternately to your forehand, then to your backhand side, encouraging you to run the whole length of the baseline as fast as possible.
Rest for 45 seconds and repeat. Refrain from practicing drills that last more than two minutes as otherwise your aerobic system will kick in.
3. It gives you power
To be good at tennis you need to be quick, says Mark. All good players can hit a ball well at the top of the game but the reason others are more successful is their speed of movement.
Plyometrics (known as jump training) is the best way to develop your optimum speed-strength ratio suggests Mark.
Use agility hurdles when first learning; line five up side by side, stand sideways to them, jump with both feet sideways and land on both feet. After you have jumped the last hurdle, land and balance on one leg before pushing back to repeat the other way. This type of sideways movement is something which will really improve your tennis game.
4. It improves your core strength
Mark comments: “Core strength is of vital importance to any tennis player. Not only does it protect you from injury but it also allows you to create more rotation and energy, making it easier to put pace on your shots.
Core strength helps you keep your balance whilst moving your racquet quickly through any given shot. When playing tennis you will constantly be using your core muscles.”
To keep those core muscles strong off the court, Mark says the best exercise is the plank. It will also improve shoulder stability and strength at the same time, which is important for serving.
5. Tennis ups your speed and agility
“Your ability to react quickly to a tennis ball coming at you will dictate how good a shot you will hit back,” Mark says.
“Tennis is measured in split seconds. You need to be able to move at a full sprint and then slow down within a couple of steps to balance correctly to hit the ball.”
A simple way to train for this is to get your tennis partner to stand a couple of meters in front of you and hold out both their arms wide, with a tennis ball in each hand. They then drop either the right or left ball and you have to sprint and catch the ball after one bounce. They can keep moving back until you eventually have to run flat out to grab the ball after the bounce.
“This exercise will really help your reaction times,” Mark adds.
6. Tennis works on your flexibility
“Tennis is a game of movement and players need to be as flexible as possible,” Mark comments.
“A greater range of movement, for example in your shoulder, can allow you to move the racquet quicker on your serve and thereby serve faster. In baseline rallies, flexibility helps keep you moving in different directions as you chase down different shots hit at you.”
Mark suggests that to improve your flexibility, grab a Thera-Band and put it in your racquet bag so it is always there to help you stretch yourself out after playing. Static stretching has been proved to actually hinder performance when done prior to playing tennis, so make sure to stretch well afterwards instead.
Anyone for tennis? 6 ways the Wimbledon sport can improve your fitness - BT
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2006/12/07
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Canada's Milos Raonic lost his first-ever appearance in a Grand Slam final, falling in straight sets to Great Britain's Andy Murray at Wimbledon on Sunday.
Murray broke the Canadian's serve only once, taking the opening set 6-4 before capturing the second and third sets in tiebreaks, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2).
It's the third Grand Slam title for Murray, to go with his 2012 U.S. Open and 2013 Wimbledon championships. Sunday's win ended a three-match losing streak in Grand Slam title matches.
The sixth-seeded Raonic, of Thornhill, Ont., was bidding to become the first player representing Canada to win a Grand Slam title and got to the final by beating seven-time Wimbledon champ Roger Federer in the semifinals.
Leading up to the final, Raonic had averaged 25 1/2 aces while being broken a total of only five times through six matches.
However, it was Murray's return ability triumphing over held Raonic's blistering power. It took the Canadian 36 minutes and five service games to record his first ace and was limited to eight aces total, only one more than Murray.
Canadian wins boys' title
Canadian teen Denis Shapovalov won the Wimbledon's boys' title on Sunday, defeating Australia's Alex De Minaur in three sets.
The 17-year-old Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., bounced back from a 6-4 loss in the first set to take the next two, 6-1, 6-3 respectively.
Shapovalov was the fifth seed at the tournament. De Minaur was seeded seventh.
Milos Raonic falls to Andy Murray in Wimbledon final - CBC Sports - Tennis
Murray broke the Canadian's serve only once, taking the opening set 6-4 before capturing the second and third sets in tiebreaks, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2).
It's the third Grand Slam title for Murray, to go with his 2012 U.S. Open and 2013 Wimbledon championships. Sunday's win ended a three-match losing streak in Grand Slam title matches.
The sixth-seeded Raonic, of Thornhill, Ont., was bidding to become the first player representing Canada to win a Grand Slam title and got to the final by beating seven-time Wimbledon champ Roger Federer in the semifinals.
Leading up to the final, Raonic had averaged 25 1/2 aces while being broken a total of only five times through six matches.
However, it was Murray's return ability triumphing over held Raonic's blistering power. It took the Canadian 36 minutes and five service games to record his first ace and was limited to eight aces total, only one more than Murray.
Canadian wins boys' title
Canadian teen Denis Shapovalov won the Wimbledon's boys' title on Sunday, defeating Australia's Alex De Minaur in three sets.
The 17-year-old Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., bounced back from a 6-4 loss in the first set to take the next two, 6-1, 6-3 respectively.
Shapovalov was the fifth seed at the tournament. De Minaur was seeded seventh.
Milos Raonic falls to Andy Murray in Wimbledon final - CBC Sports - Tennis
Join:
2006/12/07
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Manne wrote:
Canada's Milos Raonic lost his first-ever appearance in a Grand Slam final, falling in straight sets to Great Britain's Andy Murray at Wimbledon on Sunday.
Murray broke the Canadian's serve only once, taking the opening set 6-4 before capturing the second and third sets in tiebreaks, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2).
It's the third Grand Slam title for Murray, to go with his 2012 U.S. Open and 2013 Wimbledon championships. Sunday's win ended a three-match losing streak in Grand Slam title matches.
The sixth-seeded Raonic, of Thornhill, Ont., was bidding to become the first player representing Canada to win a Grand Slam title and got to the final by beating seven-time Wimbledon champ Roger Federer in the semifinals.
Leading up to the final, Raonic had averaged 25 1/2 aces while being broken a total of only five times through six matches.
However, it was Murray's return ability triumphing over held Raonic's blistering power. It took the Canadian 36 minutes and five service games to record his first ace and was limited to eight aces total, only one more than Murray.
Canadian wins boys' title
Canadian teen Denis Shapovalov won the Wimbledon's boys' title on Sunday, defeating Australia's Alex De Minaur in three sets.
The 17-year-old Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., bounced back from a 6-4 loss in the first set to take the next two, 6-1, 6-3 respectively.
Shapovalov was the fifth seed at the tournament. De Minaur was seeded seventh.
Milos Raonic falls to Andy Murray in Wimbledon final - CBC Sports - Tennis
No 'Brexit' for Andy Murray.. 😁
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The Roger Federer Experience
A highlight of the new museum will be a holographic theatre in which visitors feel as though they are in the room with Roger Federer, one of the sport's all-time greatest champions. When visitors walk into the theatre, the hologram of Federer welcomes visitors and begins a dynamic monologue about a topic that museum visitors and Federer have in common - a love of tennis. Federer then takes the visitor through his top-10 list of the reasons why he loves the sport, ranging from the athletic beauty of tennis to the challenge of it being an individual sport, all while showcasing a few of his signature shots.
"It was an honor to be asked to be the hologram at the International Tennis Hall of Fame and I was quite happy to take on the project," commented Federer. "I've always had an interest in the history of our sport and I believe we've been fortunate to be able to learn from and build on that history. The Hall of Fame does a tremendous job of preserving our sport's history and celebrating it with the world. I'm glad to be able to support those efforts by helping to create a fun experience in their museum."
Read more: Roger Federer Hologram Features At New-Look Hall Of Fame - Tennis - ATP World Tour