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Yet another Penn State coach has stepped down as Dawna Denny-Wine, the head coach of the women’s tennis team, announced her resignation this afternoon. This comes after three head coaches resigned this summer — swimming and diving’s John Hargis, baseball’s Robbie Wine, and softball’s Robin Petrini. Fencing head coach Emmanuil Kaidanov was most recently fired in August for arguing with a staff member over an athlete’s drug test.
The athletic department announced Denny-Wine’s resingation this afternoon and stated that Chris Cagle, currently in his third season as an assistant men’s tennis coach under Jeff Zinn, will take over for Denny-Wine as the interim head coach of the women’s team. Athletic director Dave Joyner said that a national search will be conducted in 2014 to find a replacement.
“I am very appreciative of Dawna’s contributions to the women’s tennis program and Penn State,” said Joyner. “We thank Dawna for her service to Penn State and wish her all the best.”
Denny-Wine was in her seventh season as the leader of the women’s tennis team, amassing a 50-86 record during her tenure at Penn State. She previously coached for five years at North Texas before coming to Happy Valley.
Cagle, her temporary replacement, has previously served as a volunteer assistant coach with Zinn at Wake Forest. He played collegiate tennis at North Carolina-Wilmington and was the schools’ first two-time team captain in the sport. Cagle has also trained and worked with female tennis players that have gone on to win NCAA championships in both singles and doubles, so he seems to be a good fit for the team, at least for the time being.
The women’s tennis team has finished its fall tournament season and is preparing for the spring campaign, which kicks off on January 18 when the team hosts Cleveland State and Bucknell at the penn State Indoor Tennis Center.
Women's Tennis Coach Dawna Denny-Wine Resigns - Onward State
The athletic department announced Denny-Wine’s resingation this afternoon and stated that Chris Cagle, currently in his third season as an assistant men’s tennis coach under Jeff Zinn, will take over for Denny-Wine as the interim head coach of the women’s team. Athletic director Dave Joyner said that a national search will be conducted in 2014 to find a replacement.
“I am very appreciative of Dawna’s contributions to the women’s tennis program and Penn State,” said Joyner. “We thank Dawna for her service to Penn State and wish her all the best.”
Denny-Wine was in her seventh season as the leader of the women’s tennis team, amassing a 50-86 record during her tenure at Penn State. She previously coached for five years at North Texas before coming to Happy Valley.
Cagle, her temporary replacement, has previously served as a volunteer assistant coach with Zinn at Wake Forest. He played collegiate tennis at North Carolina-Wilmington and was the schools’ first two-time team captain in the sport. Cagle has also trained and worked with female tennis players that have gone on to win NCAA championships in both singles and doubles, so he seems to be a good fit for the team, at least for the time being.
The women’s tennis team has finished its fall tournament season and is preparing for the spring campaign, which kicks off on January 18 when the team hosts Cleveland State and Bucknell at the penn State Indoor Tennis Center.
Women's Tennis Coach Dawna Denny-Wine Resigns - Onward State
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Former president Nelson Mandela's legacy will remain a source of inspiration and courage, Tennis SA (TSA) said on Saturday.
"Humanity has lost a tireless champion of peace, liberty and equality," TSA president Bongani Zondi said in a statement.
"In his decades spent fighting for freedom and equality, Mandela inspired and challenged the world to stand up for others.
"Because of him, South Africa is today one of the world's leading democracies," said Zondi.
He said Mandela had supported the sport and had been a big friend of tennis.
"He personally called our leading tennis professionals on the eve of Grand Slams or major competitions to wish them well.
"He also took time from his busy schedule to meet with our Davis and Fed Cup teams."
According to TSA, Madiba's greatest tennis moment was when he hosted the Nelson Mandela Tribute, in Cape Town, attended by top players Andre Agassi, Boris Becker, Goran Ivanisevic, Todd Martin, Leander Paes, Richard Krajicek, MaliVai Washington, Wayne Ferreira, Yannick Noah, Amanda Coetzer and Iva Majoli.
Mandela died in Johannesburg on Thursday and will be buried in his hometown of Qunu, in the Eastern Cape, next Sunday.
Tennis SA pay their respects | Sport24
"Humanity has lost a tireless champion of peace, liberty and equality," TSA president Bongani Zondi said in a statement.
"In his decades spent fighting for freedom and equality, Mandela inspired and challenged the world to stand up for others.
"Because of him, South Africa is today one of the world's leading democracies," said Zondi.
He said Mandela had supported the sport and had been a big friend of tennis.
"He personally called our leading tennis professionals on the eve of Grand Slams or major competitions to wish them well.
"He also took time from his busy schedule to meet with our Davis and Fed Cup teams."
According to TSA, Madiba's greatest tennis moment was when he hosted the Nelson Mandela Tribute, in Cape Town, attended by top players Andre Agassi, Boris Becker, Goran Ivanisevic, Todd Martin, Leander Paes, Richard Krajicek, MaliVai Washington, Wayne Ferreira, Yannick Noah, Amanda Coetzer and Iva Majoli.
Mandela died in Johannesburg on Thursday and will be buried in his hometown of Qunu, in the Eastern Cape, next Sunday.
Tennis SA pay their respects | Sport24
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Aisamul Qureshi and Aqeel Khan won the doubles title of the inaugural Hassan Tariq Rahim Masters Cup Tennis Tournament at the hard courts of Lahore Gymkhana Club here on Sunday.
Aisam and Aqeel won 6-3, 6-2 in an hour and 15 minutes. Shahazad and Usman were no match to all round play and domination of Aisam and Aqeel. It was a one-sided affair witnessed by a huge crowd. It was after a very long time that such huge turnout was witnessed at a tennis match.
In the men’s singles match played earlier, Aqeel Khan came from behind to defeat Yasir Khan 5-7, 3-6, 6-2. Both the players relied on their ground strokes and rallied from the baseline. The match last for nearly two hours.
After the match, prizes were distributed among the winners/runners-up by Khawaja Ahmad Tariq Rahim, Salman Sididuque, Mian Misbahur Rehman, Ch Ahmad Saeed, Asim Jalil, Zahid Hussain, Zulekha Nisar, Jamil Ahmad and Ahmad Hussain.
The men’s doubles team of Aisam and Aqeel bagged Rs 60,000 each and trophies while runners-up pair of Shahzad Khan and Usman Ejaz bagged Rs 30,000 each and trophies. Men’s singles winner trophy and Rs 100,000 were given to Aqeel Khan while his younger brother Yasir Khan was awarded Rs 50,000.
After the match, Aisam praised the tournament committee for holding such a wonderful event and said it would go long way in promoting tennis. “I am very much enjoyed playing in Lahore Gymkhana, as I played my first Davis Cup here at Lahore Gymkhana Club way back in 1998. I will be very glad to play again next year, if the tournament will be held again.”
Aqeel said that definitely it was the best tennis tournament so far held in Pakistan. “The respect given to the players in this tournament was tremendous and the work done by tournament committee for holding the tournament in such a fabulous way is really commendable,” he said.
The Women’s singles winner Rida Khalid received trophy and Rs 50,000 while runner-up Mehreen Izhar got the trophy and Rs 25,000. The boys’ U-18 winner M Mudasir received trophy and Rs 40,000 while runner-up Arham Attique Khan got trophy and Rs 20,000. Chief referee Asif Riaz, who chaired the doubles final, was also given a cash reward of Rs 20,000.
Aqeel wins Masters Cup Tennis titles
Aisam and Aqeel won 6-3, 6-2 in an hour and 15 minutes. Shahazad and Usman were no match to all round play and domination of Aisam and Aqeel. It was a one-sided affair witnessed by a huge crowd. It was after a very long time that such huge turnout was witnessed at a tennis match.
In the men’s singles match played earlier, Aqeel Khan came from behind to defeat Yasir Khan 5-7, 3-6, 6-2. Both the players relied on their ground strokes and rallied from the baseline. The match last for nearly two hours.
After the match, prizes were distributed among the winners/runners-up by Khawaja Ahmad Tariq Rahim, Salman Sididuque, Mian Misbahur Rehman, Ch Ahmad Saeed, Asim Jalil, Zahid Hussain, Zulekha Nisar, Jamil Ahmad and Ahmad Hussain.
The men’s doubles team of Aisam and Aqeel bagged Rs 60,000 each and trophies while runners-up pair of Shahzad Khan and Usman Ejaz bagged Rs 30,000 each and trophies. Men’s singles winner trophy and Rs 100,000 were given to Aqeel Khan while his younger brother Yasir Khan was awarded Rs 50,000.
After the match, Aisam praised the tournament committee for holding such a wonderful event and said it would go long way in promoting tennis. “I am very much enjoyed playing in Lahore Gymkhana, as I played my first Davis Cup here at Lahore Gymkhana Club way back in 1998. I will be very glad to play again next year, if the tournament will be held again.”
Aqeel said that definitely it was the best tennis tournament so far held in Pakistan. “The respect given to the players in this tournament was tremendous and the work done by tournament committee for holding the tournament in such a fabulous way is really commendable,” he said.
The Women’s singles winner Rida Khalid received trophy and Rs 50,000 while runner-up Mehreen Izhar got the trophy and Rs 25,000. The boys’ U-18 winner M Mudasir received trophy and Rs 40,000 while runner-up Arham Attique Khan got trophy and Rs 20,000. Chief referee Asif Riaz, who chaired the doubles final, was also given a cash reward of Rs 20,000.
Aqeel wins Masters Cup Tennis titles
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A missing Australian tennis coach, last seen swimming in the Waikato River, had been behaving oddly on the night he disappeared, police say.
Paul Arber was in Hamilton with a group of young people for a tournament last week, but was reported missing on Saturday night.
A man police believe was the 38-year-old was spotted swimming in the river by a pair of passers-by about 4am on Sunday.
Detective Inspector Karl Thornton said the pair told police that they persuaded the man to get out of the water and offered to take him back to his accommodation.
However, the man changed his mind, left the pair at the Victoria Bridge and wandered back in the direction of the river.
Mr Thornton said police have focused their search on the river and surrounding area today, and were assisted by a helicopter and police boat.
At a media briefing this afternoon, Mr Thornton said he believed Mr Arber had been acting "out of character" shortly before he disappeared.
"There was not any one thing that caused specific concerns but such behaviours present a challenge for searchers trying to map out possible behavioural patterns which could assist us in finding Paul," he said.
Australian tennis coach and player Mark Sheppard told ONE News today that Mr Arber had recently become "quite spiritual".
However, Mr Sheppard said that Mr Arber's disappearance is "uncharacteristic" and "confusing".
"He's a great bloke. I mean he wouldn't hurt a fly, he has become a fairly spiritual person, fanatical about his diet, about training.
"He's fanatical about all aspects of his life but he's just a fanatical person, so it's very confusing," he said.
Mr Arber's parents, Sam and Richelle, have travelled to Hamilton and are assisting with the investigation.
They described their son as a "gentle, spiritual person who is harmless towards other people".
He is described by them as a vegan and also will only drink bottled water.
"So it may be that you see someone looking like they might be in distress, possibly with fruit or bottled water - that could be Paul so please, ask if they're OK and make the call to police," said Mr Thornton.
Appeal for sightings
Meanwhile, police are appealing for members of the public to report any other possible sightings of Mr Arber.
"What we're asking is that the public continue to contact us with possible sightings, we don't know if Paul has moved away from the area and where he may have gone to so it's very much a case of dealing with a man who remains unaccounted for who may need your help," said Mr Thornton.
Bank security footage showed Mr Arber used a nearby ATM about 8.40pm on Saturday night.
He was also seen giving money to a homeless man and apparently stopped a couple who were walking on Grey Street to pat their dog that evening.
Mr Arber's wallet and keys were found on Cook Street while his luggage and passport have been recovered from his accommodation.
He is described as a slightly built Caucasian, 179 centimetres tall with short dark hair.
At the time Mr Arber was last seen, he was wearing a grey tracksuit with a tennis logo the left breast of the top and the Wilson tennis logo on the left shoulder of the top.
Mr Arber has worked with the Australian Institute of Sport and The National High Performance Academy.
He has also worked with tennis stars that include Bernard Tomic, Justine Henin, Monica Seles and Caroline Wozniacki.
Search for missing tennis coach focuses on river - National News | TVNZ
Paul Arber was in Hamilton with a group of young people for a tournament last week, but was reported missing on Saturday night.
A man police believe was the 38-year-old was spotted swimming in the river by a pair of passers-by about 4am on Sunday.
Detective Inspector Karl Thornton said the pair told police that they persuaded the man to get out of the water and offered to take him back to his accommodation.
However, the man changed his mind, left the pair at the Victoria Bridge and wandered back in the direction of the river.
Mr Thornton said police have focused their search on the river and surrounding area today, and were assisted by a helicopter and police boat.
At a media briefing this afternoon, Mr Thornton said he believed Mr Arber had been acting "out of character" shortly before he disappeared.
"There was not any one thing that caused specific concerns but such behaviours present a challenge for searchers trying to map out possible behavioural patterns which could assist us in finding Paul," he said.
Australian tennis coach and player Mark Sheppard told ONE News today that Mr Arber had recently become "quite spiritual".
However, Mr Sheppard said that Mr Arber's disappearance is "uncharacteristic" and "confusing".
"He's a great bloke. I mean he wouldn't hurt a fly, he has become a fairly spiritual person, fanatical about his diet, about training.
"He's fanatical about all aspects of his life but he's just a fanatical person, so it's very confusing," he said.
Mr Arber's parents, Sam and Richelle, have travelled to Hamilton and are assisting with the investigation.
They described their son as a "gentle, spiritual person who is harmless towards other people".
He is described by them as a vegan and also will only drink bottled water.
"So it may be that you see someone looking like they might be in distress, possibly with fruit or bottled water - that could be Paul so please, ask if they're OK and make the call to police," said Mr Thornton.
Appeal for sightings
Meanwhile, police are appealing for members of the public to report any other possible sightings of Mr Arber.
"What we're asking is that the public continue to contact us with possible sightings, we don't know if Paul has moved away from the area and where he may have gone to so it's very much a case of dealing with a man who remains unaccounted for who may need your help," said Mr Thornton.
Bank security footage showed Mr Arber used a nearby ATM about 8.40pm on Saturday night.
He was also seen giving money to a homeless man and apparently stopped a couple who were walking on Grey Street to pat their dog that evening.
Mr Arber's wallet and keys were found on Cook Street while his luggage and passport have been recovered from his accommodation.
He is described as a slightly built Caucasian, 179 centimetres tall with short dark hair.
At the time Mr Arber was last seen, he was wearing a grey tracksuit with a tennis logo the left breast of the top and the Wilson tennis logo on the left shoulder of the top.
Mr Arber has worked with the Australian Institute of Sport and The National High Performance Academy.
He has also worked with tennis stars that include Bernard Tomic, Justine Henin, Monica Seles and Caroline Wozniacki.
Search for missing tennis coach focuses on river - National News | TVNZ
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Calgary’s tennis community is in line for a boost that could see its winter court capacity double, revitalizing the sport in one of the tennis-starved corners of Canada.
The city has just 10 indoor tennis courts the public can use in the colder months, meaning a maximum of 40 Calgarians, if they paired off evenly for doubles matches, could play at any one time.
However, Tennis Canada (TC) is looking to raise $5 million of private money for a new eight-court indoor facility on vacant city-owned land at the Acadia Athletic Park in southeast Calgary.
Six existing outdoor courts at the centre would also be refurbished as part of the development, in which the city would provide the land for just $10 rent a year but not pay for any capital costs.
TC has already raised $3 million of the centre’s estimated $8 million price tag, and hopes to gather the remainder in the next three months so construction can start in the spring.
A development permit has been lodged with the city.
“It’s definitely something that’s needed,” Racquet Network founder Brent Johner said.
“We’ve got one million people in this city and we’ve got one major indoor tennis facility. In terms of what other North American cities have, that makes no sense.
“Every other city with one million people you’re looking at a minimum of three to six (facilities).”
Calgary tennis had suffered in recent years, Johner said, as public funding cutbacks hobbled existing infrastructure and put new developments out of reach. At the same time, the city’s real estate boom made residential and commercial property development far more lucrative than investing in a sporting complex.
More popular team sports like hockey and soccer won out over the “fragmented” racquet sports groups in the competition for ever-decreasing funding, Johner said.
TC director and former Calgary senator Ron Ghitter, who is leading the development, said the project had been six years in the making.
After an earlier proposal to build a complex at WinSport fell over, the city’s offer to lease the Acadia land was crucial.
“(We) can’t afford the land,” he said.
“If you have to spend $1.2 million an acre and we need three acres of land the numbers are just impossible.”
Calgary tennis was in good health now, but Ghitter conceded the revival came after a “down time” for the sport.
In 2008 the city surveyed eight communities asking if they wanted to keep deteriorating tennis courts or convert them to facilities for more popular sports like basketball or soccer.
They opted to keep them, but it was hardly a ringing endorsement for the state of the sport.
“In the west there really hasn’t been the development of tennis that we would like,” Ghitter said.
“Some of it has to do with questionable organization in the past.”
Calgary had hosted some minor Davis Cup ties, Ghitter said, but tennis’ profile in the province had suffered the way many second-tier sports did.
“They become Toronto-centric … because that’s where the money and action has been. As a result, the three major centres (Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver) get the attention and the money for the facilities, whereas (in Alberta) we just haven’t had it.”
Tennis was growing in popularity in Calgary, and TC research showed the city had the demand for at least 120 indoor courts
City council manager of sport and participation development Greg Steinraths said a council survey showed a 23 per cent increase in tennis-playing between 2008 and 2011.
“We’ve really started to see the sport grow,” he said.
“Council has identified (more courts) as a need.”
Major tennis facility planned for Calgary
The city has just 10 indoor tennis courts the public can use in the colder months, meaning a maximum of 40 Calgarians, if they paired off evenly for doubles matches, could play at any one time.
However, Tennis Canada (TC) is looking to raise $5 million of private money for a new eight-court indoor facility on vacant city-owned land at the Acadia Athletic Park in southeast Calgary.
Six existing outdoor courts at the centre would also be refurbished as part of the development, in which the city would provide the land for just $10 rent a year but not pay for any capital costs.
TC has already raised $3 million of the centre’s estimated $8 million price tag, and hopes to gather the remainder in the next three months so construction can start in the spring.
A development permit has been lodged with the city.
“It’s definitely something that’s needed,” Racquet Network founder Brent Johner said.
“We’ve got one million people in this city and we’ve got one major indoor tennis facility. In terms of what other North American cities have, that makes no sense.
“Every other city with one million people you’re looking at a minimum of three to six (facilities).”
Calgary tennis had suffered in recent years, Johner said, as public funding cutbacks hobbled existing infrastructure and put new developments out of reach. At the same time, the city’s real estate boom made residential and commercial property development far more lucrative than investing in a sporting complex.
More popular team sports like hockey and soccer won out over the “fragmented” racquet sports groups in the competition for ever-decreasing funding, Johner said.
TC director and former Calgary senator Ron Ghitter, who is leading the development, said the project had been six years in the making.
After an earlier proposal to build a complex at WinSport fell over, the city’s offer to lease the Acadia land was crucial.
“(We) can’t afford the land,” he said.
“If you have to spend $1.2 million an acre and we need three acres of land the numbers are just impossible.”
Calgary tennis was in good health now, but Ghitter conceded the revival came after a “down time” for the sport.
In 2008 the city surveyed eight communities asking if they wanted to keep deteriorating tennis courts or convert them to facilities for more popular sports like basketball or soccer.
They opted to keep them, but it was hardly a ringing endorsement for the state of the sport.
“In the west there really hasn’t been the development of tennis that we would like,” Ghitter said.
“Some of it has to do with questionable organization in the past.”
Calgary had hosted some minor Davis Cup ties, Ghitter said, but tennis’ profile in the province had suffered the way many second-tier sports did.
“They become Toronto-centric … because that’s where the money and action has been. As a result, the three major centres (Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver) get the attention and the money for the facilities, whereas (in Alberta) we just haven’t had it.”
Tennis was growing in popularity in Calgary, and TC research showed the city had the demand for at least 120 indoor courts
City council manager of sport and participation development Greg Steinraths said a council survey showed a 23 per cent increase in tennis-playing between 2008 and 2011.
“We’ve really started to see the sport grow,” he said.
“Council has identified (more courts) as a need.”
Major tennis facility planned for Calgary
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THE body of missing Melbourne tennis coach Paul Arber was found in a New Zealand river this morning, his friend says.
Mark Sheppard told The Waikato Times: " The guy's in black shorts, he's been missing four days, there's really not much doubt. It's 100 per cent.
"It's the worst possibility but I think we've been building ourselves up to it for the past four days that it could have been a possibility for sure...we can't say we were surprised."
Waikato police spokesman Andrew McAlley said the body was found in the Waikato River shortly after 7.30am (5.30am Melbourne time) in Hamilton North, The New Zealand Herald reported.
A schoolgirl rowing crew was heard screaming after they collided with the body, The Waikato Times reported.
Mr McAlley said a formal identification would be carried out today. Police divers were searching the river yesterday.
Paul Arber, 38, was last seen by a couple who coaxed him out of the Waikato River about 4am on Sunday after he failed to return from dinner to his group in Hamilton East on Saturday night.
The Australian tennis tour team, including Mr Arber's parents Richelle and Sam Arber, held a ceremony on the banks of the river near where the body was found.
Mr Sheppard said Mr Arber was in a "tranquil and happy" state when he entered the river.
"Paul was getting in touch with nature, it was 4am, he's actually gone into that river to have a swim," he told The Waikato Times.
"He hasn't been in the mental frame of mind to ascertain the dangers of the river or the treachery of the river, but what actually happened to Paul was an accident. It was 100 per cent an accident.
"He was in a happy state of mind and in a tranquil state of mind."
Mr Sheppard said Mr Arber's parents were thankful for everyone's help.
"Obviously they're terribly upset about it," he said.
"Mr Arber and Mrs Arber thought the location where everything was found, as morbid as it might sound, they just thought he couldn't have wished for anywhere more beautiful.
"In the worst possible outcome, they felt as happy as they could possibly be."
Earlier, local woman Beth Lynch told The Waikato Times that she was walking her dog near the river when she heard the schoolgirls screaming.
"I thought one of them had fallen out of the boat but then I heard one of them yell out 'Oh my god I've hit him, I've hit him"," she said.
She said she saw a body floating swiftly down the river.
"I just feel so sorry for the girls in that boat, it's just horrible."
Yesterday, Mr Arber's parents said they believed their son was still alive and made a desperate plea for help from the public to find him.
The Arber's said their son was acting uncharacteristically the night before he left Australia to bring a group of teenage tennis players to Hamilton for a tournament.
Mr Arber called his son "almost perfect" and said he'd never been in trouble with the law and was a happy-go-lucky person who was well-known and respected in the Australian tennis community.
However he said the night before his son left for New Zealand, he went to their house and spoke of a "love" and "warmth" he had for people and wanted his parents to share his feelings.
Only two weeks before that he had become a vegan and recently the "deep-thinker" had been reading more spiritual books which may have influenced him.
"He seemed very insightful, and talking about love. He wanted us to love ourselves. He said he had never felt better in his life, he suddenly felt this warmth. He wanted us to experience the warmth."
Mr Arber said the conversation disturbed him, but he decided to address it when his son returned from the tournament.
Police said witnesses reported similar comments from Paul who was seen on Grey St in Hamilton East heading toward Steele Park about 9pm on Saturday.
It's believed he gave money to a homeless person, and patted a dog before talking to someone who had been attending a function near Galloway St.
After that he wasn't spotted until he was encouraged out of the river on Grantham St by two people walking over the Bridge St bridge at 4am the next morning.
Mrs Arber said Paul was an extremely positive person and the couple were trying to remain positive that he would be found alive.
She described Paul as a "terrific kid", a humanitarian and great athlete and coach who had never had mental health issues.
No Cookies | Herald Sun
Mark Sheppard told The Waikato Times: " The guy's in black shorts, he's been missing four days, there's really not much doubt. It's 100 per cent.
"It's the worst possibility but I think we've been building ourselves up to it for the past four days that it could have been a possibility for sure...we can't say we were surprised."
Waikato police spokesman Andrew McAlley said the body was found in the Waikato River shortly after 7.30am (5.30am Melbourne time) in Hamilton North, The New Zealand Herald reported.
A schoolgirl rowing crew was heard screaming after they collided with the body, The Waikato Times reported.
Mr McAlley said a formal identification would be carried out today. Police divers were searching the river yesterday.
Paul Arber, 38, was last seen by a couple who coaxed him out of the Waikato River about 4am on Sunday after he failed to return from dinner to his group in Hamilton East on Saturday night.
The Australian tennis tour team, including Mr Arber's parents Richelle and Sam Arber, held a ceremony on the banks of the river near where the body was found.
Mr Sheppard said Mr Arber was in a "tranquil and happy" state when he entered the river.
"Paul was getting in touch with nature, it was 4am, he's actually gone into that river to have a swim," he told The Waikato Times.
"He hasn't been in the mental frame of mind to ascertain the dangers of the river or the treachery of the river, but what actually happened to Paul was an accident. It was 100 per cent an accident.
"He was in a happy state of mind and in a tranquil state of mind."
Mr Sheppard said Mr Arber's parents were thankful for everyone's help.
"Obviously they're terribly upset about it," he said.
"Mr Arber and Mrs Arber thought the location where everything was found, as morbid as it might sound, they just thought he couldn't have wished for anywhere more beautiful.
"In the worst possible outcome, they felt as happy as they could possibly be."
Earlier, local woman Beth Lynch told The Waikato Times that she was walking her dog near the river when she heard the schoolgirls screaming.
"I thought one of them had fallen out of the boat but then I heard one of them yell out 'Oh my god I've hit him, I've hit him"," she said.
She said she saw a body floating swiftly down the river.
"I just feel so sorry for the girls in that boat, it's just horrible."
Yesterday, Mr Arber's parents said they believed their son was still alive and made a desperate plea for help from the public to find him.
The Arber's said their son was acting uncharacteristically the night before he left Australia to bring a group of teenage tennis players to Hamilton for a tournament.
Mr Arber called his son "almost perfect" and said he'd never been in trouble with the law and was a happy-go-lucky person who was well-known and respected in the Australian tennis community.
However he said the night before his son left for New Zealand, he went to their house and spoke of a "love" and "warmth" he had for people and wanted his parents to share his feelings.
Only two weeks before that he had become a vegan and recently the "deep-thinker" had been reading more spiritual books which may have influenced him.
"He seemed very insightful, and talking about love. He wanted us to love ourselves. He said he had never felt better in his life, he suddenly felt this warmth. He wanted us to experience the warmth."
Mr Arber said the conversation disturbed him, but he decided to address it when his son returned from the tournament.
Police said witnesses reported similar comments from Paul who was seen on Grey St in Hamilton East heading toward Steele Park about 9pm on Saturday.
It's believed he gave money to a homeless person, and patted a dog before talking to someone who had been attending a function near Galloway St.
After that he wasn't spotted until he was encouraged out of the river on Grantham St by two people walking over the Bridge St bridge at 4am the next morning.
Mrs Arber said Paul was an extremely positive person and the couple were trying to remain positive that he would be found alive.
She described Paul as a "terrific kid", a humanitarian and great athlete and coach who had never had mental health issues.
No Cookies | Herald Sun
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Andy Murray may have become Britain's first Wimbledon men's singles champion for 77 years, but it appears he will need a huge helping hand if his triumph is going to get people flocking to their local courts.
The latest figures from Sport England's Active People Survey make for very disappointing reading: 39,000 fewer adults over the age of 16 (in England) played tennis once a week in the year to October 2013 than they did in the previous 12 months.
Those numbers provide further evidence, if any were needed, of how inadequate the Lawn Tennis Association's participation strategy used to be - but not of an organisation which has buried its head in the sand and refused to accept the need for reform. No-one from the LTA has yet appeared on Oprah to make a tearful apology to the nation, but there has been a frank admission that previous plans were simply not good enough.
In this year's Annual Review, they talk of "legitimate criticism by our stakeholders", admitting that they "cannot continue to do the same things as we have done before and expect to see a change in the results we achieve".
Despite a much better summer, there was a large drop in the numbers playing tennis in June and July, before a strong increase in August and September and another drop in October. It may take a while for the effects of Murray's victory to rub off, but the Sport England director Phil Smith warns the LTA not to bank on it.
"We've probably finally dispelled the myth that a British guy winning Wimbledon would do something to increase participation figures," he said. "It's not that simple to translate into a weekly habit of ordinary people playing a sport - it takes more than just a Wimbledon winner."
Cycling has successfully developed a correlation between medals won and bums on saddles - but not without a huge amount of very well-targeted work. The sport also has the luxury of multiple World and Olympic champions; whereas Laura Robson is Britain's only other singles player ranked inside the top 100. Millions of pounds of funding is on the line for the LTA. The organisation will make a presentation to Sport England next Thursday, before nervously awaiting the outcome of the January board meeting which will determine whether they deserve £10.3m in withheld funding.
They have missed their participation target of 450,000 in spectacular style, but this part of the funding is an "incentive to change their approach" and it may well be that the LTA receives all, or much, of its funding - albeit with conditions attached.
"Previously the LTA put a lot of stuff on, they worked very hard, but kind of hoped for the best," Phil Smith said. "Now they are looking at it like a good business looks at things. They're examining who their customers are, and who their potential customers are, and they are trying to develop products, services and approaches that will fit with that audience."
The LTA has diverted an extra 10% of its income to developing participation over the last year. More money has been put towards the construction of indoor and also floodlit courts; they are trying to work more closely with the local authorities who control over half of the country's courts; and there is now a dedicated team to examine, and act upon, the increased flow of data coming into the building.
The independent chairman David Gregson has introduced a more business-like approach in his first 12 months in the post, and Sport England believes Cathie Sabin's confirmation as the LTA's first female president is a sign of a governing body prepared to change.
The LTA has budgeted for the withheld Sport England funding from April of next year and believe they deserve it.
Even in an era where funding is often ruthlessly cut in the light of poor participation figures or a disappointing medal haul, Sport England may well give the LTA something to smile about in the New Year.
They like the cut of the governing body's jib, but will not be prepared to wait too long for hard evidence that the strategy can deliver results.
BBC Sport - Andy Murray?s Wimbledon win not enough for British tennis
The latest figures from Sport England's Active People Survey make for very disappointing reading: 39,000 fewer adults over the age of 16 (in England) played tennis once a week in the year to October 2013 than they did in the previous 12 months.
Those numbers provide further evidence, if any were needed, of how inadequate the Lawn Tennis Association's participation strategy used to be - but not of an organisation which has buried its head in the sand and refused to accept the need for reform. No-one from the LTA has yet appeared on Oprah to make a tearful apology to the nation, but there has been a frank admission that previous plans were simply not good enough.
In this year's Annual Review, they talk of "legitimate criticism by our stakeholders", admitting that they "cannot continue to do the same things as we have done before and expect to see a change in the results we achieve".
Despite a much better summer, there was a large drop in the numbers playing tennis in June and July, before a strong increase in August and September and another drop in October. It may take a while for the effects of Murray's victory to rub off, but the Sport England director Phil Smith warns the LTA not to bank on it.
"We've probably finally dispelled the myth that a British guy winning Wimbledon would do something to increase participation figures," he said. "It's not that simple to translate into a weekly habit of ordinary people playing a sport - it takes more than just a Wimbledon winner."
Cycling has successfully developed a correlation between medals won and bums on saddles - but not without a huge amount of very well-targeted work. The sport also has the luxury of multiple World and Olympic champions; whereas Laura Robson is Britain's only other singles player ranked inside the top 100. Millions of pounds of funding is on the line for the LTA. The organisation will make a presentation to Sport England next Thursday, before nervously awaiting the outcome of the January board meeting which will determine whether they deserve £10.3m in withheld funding.
They have missed their participation target of 450,000 in spectacular style, but this part of the funding is an "incentive to change their approach" and it may well be that the LTA receives all, or much, of its funding - albeit with conditions attached.
"Previously the LTA put a lot of stuff on, they worked very hard, but kind of hoped for the best," Phil Smith said. "Now they are looking at it like a good business looks at things. They're examining who their customers are, and who their potential customers are, and they are trying to develop products, services and approaches that will fit with that audience."
The LTA has diverted an extra 10% of its income to developing participation over the last year. More money has been put towards the construction of indoor and also floodlit courts; they are trying to work more closely with the local authorities who control over half of the country's courts; and there is now a dedicated team to examine, and act upon, the increased flow of data coming into the building.
The independent chairman David Gregson has introduced a more business-like approach in his first 12 months in the post, and Sport England believes Cathie Sabin's confirmation as the LTA's first female president is a sign of a governing body prepared to change.
The LTA has budgeted for the withheld Sport England funding from April of next year and believe they deserve it.
Even in an era where funding is often ruthlessly cut in the light of poor participation figures or a disappointing medal haul, Sport England may well give the LTA something to smile about in the New Year.
They like the cut of the governing body's jib, but will not be prepared to wait too long for hard evidence that the strategy can deliver results.
BBC Sport - Andy Murray?s Wimbledon win not enough for British tennis
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2006/12/07
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ROGER Federer says he still believes — and he is counting down the days until he can show thousands of friends he is yet to meet in Brisbane how much he believes.
The mantle of the sixth-ranked player in the world rests uncomfortably on the shoulders of a man who has won more Grand Slam singles titles than anyone, largely the product of his 0-7 win-loss record during 2013 when he played Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
Federer’s goal for 2014, as he finishes off his training at his Dubai base for his Brisbane International debut, is to win about five tournaments, having won one title this year. It was his fewest since he crashed through for his first Grand Slam title in 2003.
A final and two semi-final finishes in his last three tournaments are not results which shine in his 77-title career, but Federer insists they gave him hope after some poor losses and wear-and-tear injuries following his Wimbledon loss to the 116th-ranked Sergiy Stakhovsky.
“Honestly, as long as I am healthy I see good things coming,’’ Federer told The Courier-Mail from Dubai.
“I started falling behind and it feels as if I have picked it back up again.
“I didn’t have surgery, but my back wasn’t good for a while and things weren’t always easy in the last few months. I was playing sometimes in pain and sometimes I shouldn’t have played.
“As the season went on, I was able to make the tour finals (in November), so it wasn’t a bad season if I could achieve that (qualifying for the finals).
“I always believe I can win as long as my body is holding up and I am mentally hungry. That is the case now.
“But this stretch starting in Brisbane is very important for me and I really don’t want to have any more setbacks. That’s why I am training very smartly in this practice bloc and I will feel very confident about my chances, not only in Brisbane and Melbourne, but also beyond that.’’
While he is tinkering with his game, trying for the second time this year to find a new racquet frame which adds something extra to his tennis, he is comfortable enough in his own skin that he is not bringing a coach to Brisbane with him.
Federer’s choice to play Brisbane for the first time is emblematic of this 32-year-old’s willingness to try new things to remain relevant and stand his ground after losing 17 matches this year.
But it also stemmed from his desire to see somewhere new with his wife Mirka and four-year-old twins Myla and Charlotte.
“I tell you it is very nice always, part of ... I don’t like to call tennis my job … but it kind of is. It’s the beauty of being able to go to new places, like I was able to go to South America last year,’’ he said.
“It’s about getting to know new fans, new supporters, maybe getting away from the game as well is very nice, getting to know the stadium, the feel for the stadium. In Australia I have a lot of support and I’m really excited to see how Brisbane is after the experiences I have had in other cities in Australia.’’
The Federers will arrive in Brisbane a few days after Christmas for the December 29 start of the Brisbane International.
“I need to find my way and that’s what I am arriving early,’’ he said.
“I will have some fun things, around New Year’s, with the family. I’m in the final stretch of my practice and I’m thinking of Brisbane more and more.’’
One of the pleasures for Federer of the trip will be that Queensland’s greatest player, Rod Laver, will be watching him play in Brisbane, participating in his charity tennis night in Melbourne on January 8 and then attending the Open.
“I always like to meet up with legends of the game, icons and particularly Rod because he achieved things in the game that will never be achieved again,’’ he said.
“Pat Rafter has the arena named after him and I used to play against him. Down the stretch (of my career), I was always going to go to Brisbane, especially as I’m told it’s such a good event.’’
No Cookies | The Courier-Mail
The mantle of the sixth-ranked player in the world rests uncomfortably on the shoulders of a man who has won more Grand Slam singles titles than anyone, largely the product of his 0-7 win-loss record during 2013 when he played Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
Federer’s goal for 2014, as he finishes off his training at his Dubai base for his Brisbane International debut, is to win about five tournaments, having won one title this year. It was his fewest since he crashed through for his first Grand Slam title in 2003.
A final and two semi-final finishes in his last three tournaments are not results which shine in his 77-title career, but Federer insists they gave him hope after some poor losses and wear-and-tear injuries following his Wimbledon loss to the 116th-ranked Sergiy Stakhovsky.
“Honestly, as long as I am healthy I see good things coming,’’ Federer told The Courier-Mail from Dubai.
“I started falling behind and it feels as if I have picked it back up again.
“I didn’t have surgery, but my back wasn’t good for a while and things weren’t always easy in the last few months. I was playing sometimes in pain and sometimes I shouldn’t have played.
“As the season went on, I was able to make the tour finals (in November), so it wasn’t a bad season if I could achieve that (qualifying for the finals).
“I always believe I can win as long as my body is holding up and I am mentally hungry. That is the case now.
“But this stretch starting in Brisbane is very important for me and I really don’t want to have any more setbacks. That’s why I am training very smartly in this practice bloc and I will feel very confident about my chances, not only in Brisbane and Melbourne, but also beyond that.’’
While he is tinkering with his game, trying for the second time this year to find a new racquet frame which adds something extra to his tennis, he is comfortable enough in his own skin that he is not bringing a coach to Brisbane with him.
Federer’s choice to play Brisbane for the first time is emblematic of this 32-year-old’s willingness to try new things to remain relevant and stand his ground after losing 17 matches this year.
But it also stemmed from his desire to see somewhere new with his wife Mirka and four-year-old twins Myla and Charlotte.
“I tell you it is very nice always, part of ... I don’t like to call tennis my job … but it kind of is. It’s the beauty of being able to go to new places, like I was able to go to South America last year,’’ he said.
“It’s about getting to know new fans, new supporters, maybe getting away from the game as well is very nice, getting to know the stadium, the feel for the stadium. In Australia I have a lot of support and I’m really excited to see how Brisbane is after the experiences I have had in other cities in Australia.’’
The Federers will arrive in Brisbane a few days after Christmas for the December 29 start of the Brisbane International.
“I need to find my way and that’s what I am arriving early,’’ he said.
“I will have some fun things, around New Year’s, with the family. I’m in the final stretch of my practice and I’m thinking of Brisbane more and more.’’
One of the pleasures for Federer of the trip will be that Queensland’s greatest player, Rod Laver, will be watching him play in Brisbane, participating in his charity tennis night in Melbourne on January 8 and then attending the Open.
“I always like to meet up with legends of the game, icons and particularly Rod because he achieved things in the game that will never be achieved again,’’ he said.
“Pat Rafter has the arena named after him and I used to play against him. Down the stretch (of my career), I was always going to go to Brisbane, especially as I’m told it’s such a good event.’’
No Cookies | The Courier-Mail
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2006/12/07
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Jim Courier won four Grand Slam events (two French Opens and two Australian Opens), earning $14 million during a 13-year career. The current United States Davis Cup captain, Courier won 23 singles titles and six doubles titles. He spent 58 weeks in 1992 and 1993 as the No. 1 ranked player in the world. A television analyst, Courier a decade ago founded InsideOut Sport & Entertainment, which will produce the Champions Cup, set for Feb. 6 at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The Champions Cup is a part of a men's senior tennis tour that encompasses 12 events over six weeks.
Courier was in Oklahoma City on Friday to promote the event that will feature John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl in a one-set semifinal. Courier and Michael Chang meet in the other one-set semifinal. The two winners play a one-set final.
I was so proud and humbled when the USTA offered me to the chance to be captain of the Davis Cup team. It's something I've dreamed about. The Davis Cup was always meaningful to me as a player. The semifinals is as close as we've come during my four years. We're doing everything we can to get to the finals.
A Davis Cup captain is like being on a company's board of directors. You're on the phone a lot. You text a couple of hours a week with players and their personal coaches. When it gets full throttle, I step in as a surrogate coach. I enjoy being in the heat of battle, which is the only time that really happens in tennis. I've really enjoyed it. It's been real educational for me.
Tennis has become an incredibly athletic game. Players that used to lack foot speed or size were able to compete. That's gone. You have to be fast, you have to be strong. You see a lot of juniors struggle when they make the transition to the pros. There used to be 20 to 30 teenagers in the top 100. Now there are very few teenagers in the top 200.
Globally, tennis has never been more profitable or more popular. Attendance at the Grand Slams is at an all-time high. The demand constantly has grown. The money they're generating is astronomical.
Tennis in the 1970s and early '80s when I was growing up had a lot of great personalities. It was popular here because America had a lot of high-ranked players. Now it's a seasoned tour, a global tour. There are very few tournaments in America compared to the way it used to be. It's fallen off the screen a lot in the United States.
Serena Williams is a bigger drawing card on American television than Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal. Nowhere else in the world is that true. She brings in the casual sports fan. Americans want to see Americans win. That's why Americans don't watch Formula One (racing), one of the most popular sports in the world.
For tennis' popularity to rise again we need an American male player to capture the nation's imagination. They'll have to win not one major but multiple majors. I think that will (happen). If they have an engaging personality on social media it would do a lot for the sport in the U.S.
In the future, I see tennis getting smaller but better. What I mean by that is there will be fewer tournaments, but tournaments will be really big, a lot of men's and women's events together. If you had 14 to 16 real meaningful events a year, with a lot of TV coverage, it would force players to enter almost every tournament, sort like a NASCAR schedule with fewer races.
The secret sauce of this (senior) tour is it's nostalgic but also competitive. People are surprised at the level of tennis from guys in their 40s and 50s. It lasts only about two and a half hours and always is a lot of fun. Our exit polls have received high marks that we're on to something.
Tennis academies have grown like weeds over the years, not just in America but all over the world. It's something I wouldn't recommend until age 14. Some parents, though, are very zealous to get their kids to be pros and enroll them as early as age 7.
If you grow up in an area where you don't get good competition or good coaching it's good to go to an academy. You can't get improve in a vacuum like a golfer does by hitting balls. I wouldn't have had the career I had without moving away. My parents let me make the choice. It was tough at first at age 14, but my tennis would have stagnated if I hadn't done it.
Tennis academies I grew up around are now year-round sports academies. The one I attended in (Bradenton) Florida is sprawling like a college campus. They work with young athletes in baseball, golf, football, tennis, soccer and basketball. They even have a language academy. It's big business. You can't put the toothpaste back in the tube.
Any athlete, regardless of the sport, needs to set realistic goals. A lot of people set pie-in-the-sky goals. It better to set attainable goals. It's good when you check something off, then move to the next challenge. If it's not fun for them they need to move on. Find something you enjoy. Life is too short to pursue something if you don't have the passion.
I played several sports growing up. My father was a pitcher at the University of Florida. I played shortstop and was a pitcher. I felt I was pretty good. I was playing all-star type summer tournaments. One time in a regional in Florida, Derek Bell hit a homer off me, but at age 13 I committed full-time to tennis. I have no idea how far I'd have gone in baseball. You don't know how skills will evolve. Tennis has been a wonderful journey. I have no regrets.
My favorite memories include a lot of firsts: my first pro title against the great Stefan Edberg in Basel (Switzerland); my first major at the French Open at the age of 20; the first time I was ranked No. 1 in the world and the first time we won the Davis Cup.
Being a TV analyst is something I knew I'd enjoy. Even if I'm just watching a match with you on my couch, I discuss what has happened and what might happen the rest of the match. It's been a real joy to do tournaments, including majors, for a bunch of different countries.
Courier was in Oklahoma City on Friday to promote the event that will feature John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl in a one-set semifinal. Courier and Michael Chang meet in the other one-set semifinal. The two winners play a one-set final.
I was so proud and humbled when the USTA offered me to the chance to be captain of the Davis Cup team. It's something I've dreamed about. The Davis Cup was always meaningful to me as a player. The semifinals is as close as we've come during my four years. We're doing everything we can to get to the finals.
A Davis Cup captain is like being on a company's board of directors. You're on the phone a lot. You text a couple of hours a week with players and their personal coaches. When it gets full throttle, I step in as a surrogate coach. I enjoy being in the heat of battle, which is the only time that really happens in tennis. I've really enjoyed it. It's been real educational for me.
Tennis has become an incredibly athletic game. Players that used to lack foot speed or size were able to compete. That's gone. You have to be fast, you have to be strong. You see a lot of juniors struggle when they make the transition to the pros. There used to be 20 to 30 teenagers in the top 100. Now there are very few teenagers in the top 200.
Globally, tennis has never been more profitable or more popular. Attendance at the Grand Slams is at an all-time high. The demand constantly has grown. The money they're generating is astronomical.
Tennis in the 1970s and early '80s when I was growing up had a lot of great personalities. It was popular here because America had a lot of high-ranked players. Now it's a seasoned tour, a global tour. There are very few tournaments in America compared to the way it used to be. It's fallen off the screen a lot in the United States.
Serena Williams is a bigger drawing card on American television than Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal. Nowhere else in the world is that true. She brings in the casual sports fan. Americans want to see Americans win. That's why Americans don't watch Formula One (racing), one of the most popular sports in the world.
For tennis' popularity to rise again we need an American male player to capture the nation's imagination. They'll have to win not one major but multiple majors. I think that will (happen). If they have an engaging personality on social media it would do a lot for the sport in the U.S.
In the future, I see tennis getting smaller but better. What I mean by that is there will be fewer tournaments, but tournaments will be really big, a lot of men's and women's events together. If you had 14 to 16 real meaningful events a year, with a lot of TV coverage, it would force players to enter almost every tournament, sort like a NASCAR schedule with fewer races.
The secret sauce of this (senior) tour is it's nostalgic but also competitive. People are surprised at the level of tennis from guys in their 40s and 50s. It lasts only about two and a half hours and always is a lot of fun. Our exit polls have received high marks that we're on to something.
Tennis academies have grown like weeds over the years, not just in America but all over the world. It's something I wouldn't recommend until age 14. Some parents, though, are very zealous to get their kids to be pros and enroll them as early as age 7.
If you grow up in an area where you don't get good competition or good coaching it's good to go to an academy. You can't get improve in a vacuum like a golfer does by hitting balls. I wouldn't have had the career I had without moving away. My parents let me make the choice. It was tough at first at age 14, but my tennis would have stagnated if I hadn't done it.
Tennis academies I grew up around are now year-round sports academies. The one I attended in (Bradenton) Florida is sprawling like a college campus. They work with young athletes in baseball, golf, football, tennis, soccer and basketball. They even have a language academy. It's big business. You can't put the toothpaste back in the tube.
Any athlete, regardless of the sport, needs to set realistic goals. A lot of people set pie-in-the-sky goals. It better to set attainable goals. It's good when you check something off, then move to the next challenge. If it's not fun for them they need to move on. Find something you enjoy. Life is too short to pursue something if you don't have the passion.
I played several sports growing up. My father was a pitcher at the University of Florida. I played shortstop and was a pitcher. I felt I was pretty good. I was playing all-star type summer tournaments. One time in a regional in Florida, Derek Bell hit a homer off me, but at age 13 I committed full-time to tennis. I have no idea how far I'd have gone in baseball. You don't know how skills will evolve. Tennis has been a wonderful journey. I have no regrets.
My favorite memories include a lot of firsts: my first pro title against the great Stefan Edberg in Basel (Switzerland); my first major at the French Open at the age of 20; the first time I was ranked No. 1 in the world and the first time we won the Davis Cup.
Being a TV analyst is something I knew I'd enjoy. Even if I'm just watching a match with you on my couch, I discuss what has happened and what might happen the rest of the match. It's been a real joy to do tournaments, including majors, for a bunch of different countries.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Lincoln Racquet Club pro Heather Nobler defeated University of Pittsburgh No. 1 singles player Taylor Washington of St. Paul, Minn., 6-3, 6-4 to win the women’s open singles division in the $7,000 Advanced Family Eyecare Lakeville Open tennis tournament in Lakeville, Minn. Sunday.
Nobler, the No. 2 seed behind Washington, downed Amy Jamieson of Prior Lake, Minn., 6-1, 6-3 and Caitlyn Merzbacher of Eden Prairie, Minn., 6-2, 6-2 to reach the finals. Nobler took home a $1,000 check for her singles win.
Nobler and doubles partner Tom Olmscheid of Lakeville, Minn., won two matches in the mixed doubles before losing in the finals.
Mannix falls in Orange Bowl tourney
Elkhorn's Samantha Mannix lost to Japan's Myu Kageyama 6-4, 7-6 (5) in the second round of girls 14 singles qualifying in the Orange Bowl Junior International Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Sunday.
Mannix, an eighth-grader who trains at Woods Tennis Center, defeated Alina Nikushina of Latvia 6-1, 6-0 in her first match.
Tennis buddies program begins Jan. 11
The Lincoln Tennis Buddies program, in conjunction with Special Olympics Nebraska, will begin its sixth season on Jan. 11 at the Nebraska Tennis Center. Practices are Saturdays between 4 and 5 p.m. at the tennis center.
Volunteers who want to help with the program or anyone who knows of a special athlete who would like to learn tennis can contact Tennis Buddies director Phil Wolfe at [email][email protected][/email].
Nobler, the No. 2 seed behind Washington, downed Amy Jamieson of Prior Lake, Minn., 6-1, 6-3 and Caitlyn Merzbacher of Eden Prairie, Minn., 6-2, 6-2 to reach the finals. Nobler took home a $1,000 check for her singles win.
Nobler and doubles partner Tom Olmscheid of Lakeville, Minn., won two matches in the mixed doubles before losing in the finals.
Mannix falls in Orange Bowl tourney
Elkhorn's Samantha Mannix lost to Japan's Myu Kageyama 6-4, 7-6 (5) in the second round of girls 14 singles qualifying in the Orange Bowl Junior International Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Sunday.
Mannix, an eighth-grader who trains at Woods Tennis Center, defeated Alina Nikushina of Latvia 6-1, 6-0 in her first match.
Tennis buddies program begins Jan. 11
The Lincoln Tennis Buddies program, in conjunction with Special Olympics Nebraska, will begin its sixth season on Jan. 11 at the Nebraska Tennis Center. Practices are Saturdays between 4 and 5 p.m. at the tennis center.
Volunteers who want to help with the program or anyone who knows of a special athlete who would like to learn tennis can contact Tennis Buddies director Phil Wolfe at [email][email protected][/email].
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Adidas has taken a shot at Andy Murray’s critics, tweeting a picture of the sportsman with the caption: “Not bad for a man with no personality.”
The tennis star, who is a brand ambassador for Adidas, won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year on Sunday.
The media-shy Scot became the first British man to 77 years to win the Wimbledon singles title in July.
He has come under fire in the past for appearing apparently ‘surly’ in post-match interviews, dubbed the 'dour Scot' by many sports commentators.
A Google search shows the fourth most popular term connected with the tennis player is “andy murray has no personality.”
A Google autocomplete search reveals what critics of Andy Murray have been saying
Adidas' tongue-in-cheek post has been tweeted more than times including once by Andy Murray himself. Although the tweet met with favourable reaction from many on twitter, those who don't realise the context have misinterpreted the post and criticised Adidas.
Indeed in isolation the quote appears rather bitter and sarcastic.
Murray was criticised by Sir Paul Fox, who edited the first show in 1954, for not coming to collect his award. Murray is currently in Florida for his pre-season training.
Sir Fox told The Independent on Sunday his vote went to Mo Farah.
“He can come again another year, and if he can’t be bothered to attend, well, I think that makes a difference, quite honestly,” the former controller of BBC1 said. Murray appeared via videolink instead to receive his award.
The Murray Twitter post was part of Adidas’ new marketing campaign which focuses on responding to events in ‘realtime’. The ‘moments of celebration and acknowledgment’ strategy intends to respond quickly to news on social media, although many pointed out that Murray’s win was hotly anticipated, giving the social media team time to prepare.
Tennis star Andy Murray wins SPOTY, Adidas tweet: 'Not bad for a man with no personality' - Sport - The Independent
The tennis star, who is a brand ambassador for Adidas, won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year on Sunday.
The media-shy Scot became the first British man to 77 years to win the Wimbledon singles title in July.
He has come under fire in the past for appearing apparently ‘surly’ in post-match interviews, dubbed the 'dour Scot' by many sports commentators.
A Google search shows the fourth most popular term connected with the tennis player is “andy murray has no personality.”
A Google autocomplete search reveals what critics of Andy Murray have been saying
Adidas' tongue-in-cheek post has been tweeted more than times including once by Andy Murray himself. Although the tweet met with favourable reaction from many on twitter, those who don't realise the context have misinterpreted the post and criticised Adidas.
Indeed in isolation the quote appears rather bitter and sarcastic.
Murray was criticised by Sir Paul Fox, who edited the first show in 1954, for not coming to collect his award. Murray is currently in Florida for his pre-season training.
Sir Fox told The Independent on Sunday his vote went to Mo Farah.
“He can come again another year, and if he can’t be bothered to attend, well, I think that makes a difference, quite honestly,” the former controller of BBC1 said. Murray appeared via videolink instead to receive his award.
The Murray Twitter post was part of Adidas’ new marketing campaign which focuses on responding to events in ‘realtime’. The ‘moments of celebration and acknowledgment’ strategy intends to respond quickly to news on social media, although many pointed out that Murray’s win was hotly anticipated, giving the social media team time to prepare.
Tennis star Andy Murray wins SPOTY, Adidas tweet: 'Not bad for a man with no personality' - Sport - The Independent
Join:
2006/12/07
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The US has named openly gay tennis legend Billie Jean King is part of its Winter Olympics delegation - a move that could anger the Russian hosts.
Many high profile figures have called for a boycott of the Sochi games in protest at Russia's treatment of its gay citizens, many of whom feel they are facing increasingly aggressive, and socially acceptable, homophobia.
The US team is also lacking a serving cabinet member during a time of tension between the two nations over Moscow's decision to offer refuge to fugitive American intelligence leaker Edward Snowden.
By contrast, Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill led the US delegation to the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010.
The delegation at the opening ceremonies will be led by former homeland security secretary Janet Napolitano and includes King, retired figure skater Brian Boitano, US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul and White House deputy chief of staff Rob Nabors.
The US will be represented at the closing ceremony by Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, McFaul, speed skating legends Bonnie Blair and Eric Heiden and women's hockey player Caitlin Cahow.
Barack Obama said in August that he had did not agree with the idea of an Olympic boycott for the games that start on February 7.
The US president said he was "really looking forward" to US gay or lesbian athletes bringing home medals, which would "go a long way in rejecting the kind of attitudes that we're seeing there".
"If Russia doesn't have gay or lesbian athletes, then, it'll probably make their team weaker," he said.
Russia's parliament passed legislation in June banning what they called homosexual propaganda among minors, which they claim is needed to protect children's morality.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in October that Russia would go out of its way to ensure that athletes and fans at the Olympics will feel at ease "regardless of their ethnicity, race or sexual orientation".
King's selection will be hailed in some quarters as a message directly from Mr Obama to Mr Putin.
USA Today sports columnist Christine Brennan hailed the president's decision as a "stroke of genius".
"Think of the millions of Russian citizens who are gay, or have a gay family member or friend, living in a nation where discrimination based on sexual orientation is not only tolerated, but promoted," Brennan wrote.
"And the US president sends one of the world's most recognisable faces of equality and inclusion to attend the Opening Ceremony in such a visible role."
:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.
Sochi Olympics: Gay Tennis Star In US Delegation
Many high profile figures have called for a boycott of the Sochi games in protest at Russia's treatment of its gay citizens, many of whom feel they are facing increasingly aggressive, and socially acceptable, homophobia.
The US team is also lacking a serving cabinet member during a time of tension between the two nations over Moscow's decision to offer refuge to fugitive American intelligence leaker Edward Snowden.
By contrast, Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill led the US delegation to the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010.
The delegation at the opening ceremonies will be led by former homeland security secretary Janet Napolitano and includes King, retired figure skater Brian Boitano, US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul and White House deputy chief of staff Rob Nabors.
The US will be represented at the closing ceremony by Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, McFaul, speed skating legends Bonnie Blair and Eric Heiden and women's hockey player Caitlin Cahow.
Barack Obama said in August that he had did not agree with the idea of an Olympic boycott for the games that start on February 7.
The US president said he was "really looking forward" to US gay or lesbian athletes bringing home medals, which would "go a long way in rejecting the kind of attitudes that we're seeing there".
"If Russia doesn't have gay or lesbian athletes, then, it'll probably make their team weaker," he said.
Russia's parliament passed legislation in June banning what they called homosexual propaganda among minors, which they claim is needed to protect children's morality.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in October that Russia would go out of its way to ensure that athletes and fans at the Olympics will feel at ease "regardless of their ethnicity, race or sexual orientation".
King's selection will be hailed in some quarters as a message directly from Mr Obama to Mr Putin.
USA Today sports columnist Christine Brennan hailed the president's decision as a "stroke of genius".
"Think of the millions of Russian citizens who are gay, or have a gay family member or friend, living in a nation where discrimination based on sexual orientation is not only tolerated, but promoted," Brennan wrote.
"And the US president sends one of the world's most recognisable faces of equality and inclusion to attend the Opening Ceremony in such a visible role."
:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.
Sochi Olympics: Gay Tennis Star In US Delegation
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Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams are the International Tennis Federation’s world champions for 2013. Djokovic captured the men’s award for the third straight year, and Williams took the honor for the fourth time. Djokovic started the year by winning a third straight Australian Open, and was runner-up at Wimbledon and the United States Open. Williams won the French Open and United States Open to end the year No. 1 in the WTA rankings for the first time since 2009.
The American twins Bob and Mike Bryan were named men’s doubles world champions for the 10th time in 11 years, while Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci of Italy took the women’s doubles award.
www-nytimes-com/2013/12/19/sports/tennis/tennis-award-winners-chosen-html?_r=0
The American twins Bob and Mike Bryan were named men’s doubles world champions for the 10th time in 11 years, while Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci of Italy took the women’s doubles award.
www-nytimes-com/2013/12/19/sports/tennis/tennis-award-winners-chosen-html?_r=0
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The ASB tennis Classic has lost one of its seeds, just over a week out from the start of the tournament.
World number 25 Elena Vesnina has pulled out of the tournament due to an ankle injury.
Tournament organiser Karl Budge says German Julia Goerges now doesn't need a wildcard, which is a chance to award it to someone else.
"Now that Julia's in on her own right, we've got an additional wildcard now that we can have a play with.
"So it gives us a bit of scope to have someone join Andrea who we announced last week."
15-year-old Croatian Ana Konjuh is thought to be in line for the vacant wildcard.
She has a current ranking of 256 in the world.
World number 25 Elena Vesnina has pulled out of the tournament due to an ankle injury.
Tournament organiser Karl Budge says German Julia Goerges now doesn't need a wildcard, which is a chance to award it to someone else.
"Now that Julia's in on her own right, we've got an additional wildcard now that we can have a play with.
"So it gives us a bit of scope to have someone join Andrea who we announced last week."
15-year-old Croatian Ana Konjuh is thought to be in line for the vacant wildcard.
She has a current ranking of 256 in the world.
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Djokovic's announcement this week that the German six-times Grand Slam champion was to become his coach was greeted with surprise and Becker himself said it had been unexpected.
"I was approached by Novak and his manager while he was playing in Beijing," London-based Becker told BBC Sport on Friday. "He decided he needed somebody in his corner that had been there and done it.
"I was surprised - I didn't expect the phone call. I was very honoured."
Marian Vajda, who has been 26-year-old Djokovic's coach for each of his six Grand Slam titles, will continue as part of the team but Becker is set to assume head coach responsibilities at the forthcoming Australian Open which starts on Januaury 13.
It will be Becker's first foray into coaching a top-level player and he said he would put 100 percent into it.
"This isn't a half-hearted job, it wouldn't be right for him or for me," Becker said. "You're in it to win it. You either go at it fully or you don't - either I commit myself or I don't commit myself."
Becker joins another former world No.1 and multiple Grand Slam winner Ivan Lendl in the coaching circle after the Czech-born American teamed up with Andy Murray at the start of 2012 and has since guided the British player to two major titles.
"When Ivan was appointed, I thought about what took some of these guys so long to talk about some of these all-time greats (as coaches)," said Becker.
"There was a generation that really changed tennis and the way we played in the 1980s is not that different to how we're playing today."
Tennis - Becker: Djokovic call even surprised me - Yahoo Eurosport UK
"I was approached by Novak and his manager while he was playing in Beijing," London-based Becker told BBC Sport on Friday. "He decided he needed somebody in his corner that had been there and done it.
"I was surprised - I didn't expect the phone call. I was very honoured."
Marian Vajda, who has been 26-year-old Djokovic's coach for each of his six Grand Slam titles, will continue as part of the team but Becker is set to assume head coach responsibilities at the forthcoming Australian Open which starts on Januaury 13.
It will be Becker's first foray into coaching a top-level player and he said he would put 100 percent into it.
"This isn't a half-hearted job, it wouldn't be right for him or for me," Becker said. "You're in it to win it. You either go at it fully or you don't - either I commit myself or I don't commit myself."
Becker joins another former world No.1 and multiple Grand Slam winner Ivan Lendl in the coaching circle after the Czech-born American teamed up with Andy Murray at the start of 2012 and has since guided the British player to two major titles.
"When Ivan was appointed, I thought about what took some of these guys so long to talk about some of these all-time greats (as coaches)," said Becker.
"There was a generation that really changed tennis and the way we played in the 1980s is not that different to how we're playing today."
Tennis - Becker: Djokovic call even surprised me - Yahoo Eurosport UK
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At the end of a season packed with thrills, spills, upsets and historic achievements, I've picked out my stand-out moments from a year that will live long in the memory for tennis fans - especially those of us in the UK.
Without a doubt, the biggest moment in tennis in 2013. You can't overstate the significance of what Andy Murray achieved in ending Britain's 77-year-wait for a Wimbledon men's singles champion. The quality of the final may not have been the greatest - Novak Djokovic was particularly jaded after beating Juan Martin del Potro in the longest semi-final in Wimbledon history - but it was unsurpassed in terms of atmosphere and emotion. Murray returned to the final a year on from losing to Roger Federer, and the tears that followed that 2012 final simply amplified the emotion and tension as he closed in on the title. It meant so much, not only to him but to the British public.
The thing with Murray is that he is a winner - he's only interested in winning and what it takes to win. At long last, the public get that. The fact that he didn't turn up to collect his Sports Personality of the Year Award upset a few people, but from his point of view now is the time to be preparing for the Australian Open. His mentality is a winning mentality and people have come to understand that now. Personality-wise he might not be up there with the likes of Djokovic or Federer, but what he does bring is a single-minded approach to improving. In the past we've had sportsmen and women who have achieved fame through their personalities rather than from what they have achieved. From that point of view, Murray is a refreshing change - a sportsman people have warmed to because he is a winner.
Sergiy Stakhovsky beating Roger Federer stacks up as one of the greatest upsets in Wimbledon history. Think about it - the seven-time champion and world No. 2 losing to a player ranked outside of the top 100 in the second round.
By the time the players reached Wimbledon in June, it was beginning to look like a difficult year for Federer. I've said all along that I expected him to struggle this season. Age catches up with you - he's no youngster any more, he has this back injury that has prevented him from playing at 100% of his capabilities for most of the season. Personally I think he'll struggle to win another grand slam. The other players are getting better, and he's losing his edge.
But when you think about his record at Wimbledon, what he's achieved there and elsewhere, you would still expect him to do well on the grass. All credit to Stakhovsky, who serve-volleyed throughout the entire match and playing pretty incredible tennis. You just don't see players serve-volleying any more, now that the courts and balls are that much slower. But all credit to Stakhovsky, he stuck to his guns and believed in what he was doing. I was watching it, telling myself it was going to change any minute, but it was bizarre.
Incredibly, it was just one of Wimbledon's many shock exits in 2013, which brings me to…
This result again came as a shock, but for very different reasons. Nadal was simply shattered after his incredible return to competitive action after his seven-month lay-off - having reached the final of all nine tournaments since his comeback in February, winning seven, the Spaniard ran out of steam. He looked tired following his French Open victory and was probably sore from his exertions throughout the clay court season.
Darcis was simply the player to meet Nadal at the right moment in a stellar year that ended with the Spaniard back at No. 1 and with two more grand slam titles to his name. For me his most incredible feat was winning Indian Wells - he hadn't won a hard court tournament since 2010 and was coming back from a second serious knee injury, something he put down to the toll the concrete courts take on his legs. I was expecting him to head to America and play for a week just to test himself out, but instead he went and won the tournament.
He's proved not only how good he is in 2013, but also that he's better away from the clay than ever before. To take seven months out and return to win 10 titles - four on hard courts, six on clay and a slam on each - is a formidable achievement.
The mental side of the game is fascinating. Sabine Lisicki went into her quarter-final with Serena Williams as a huge underdog, and was the lower ranked player against Agnieszka Radwanska. Without the weight of expectation she played beyond herself to beat them both, and suddenly she was in the final and the pressure changed completely.
She stepped on court with Marion Bartoli as the player who had taken out two of the favourites for the title. Wimbledon was suddenly hers for the taking - and she couldn't handle it. That's the difference between the best players in the world and the rest.
It goes down as the year's biggest choke. The German got too tight, too nervous. She wasn't used to the experience, whereas Bartoli had been in a Wimbledon final before, which helped her immensely.
It was nice having someone else win Wimbledon, someone nice, someone a bit crazy and unorthodox on court. It was refreshing in the women's game. Bartoli was focused, aggressive and relentless. Without facing a player in the top 10, she was crowned Wimbledon champion. And then, out of the blue, she retired.
Yes, Bartoli's retirement came as a shock, but she had reached a stage in her career where she had given so much for tennis that her body was knackered. Then there is the amount of pressure she had put on herself over the years, not least under the tutelage of her father. Something had to give. Winning Wimbledon allowed her to bow out rather than burn out. Nevertheless, I'm surprised she stopped - I thought she'd go for another year and return to the All England Club - but she retires as Wimbledon champion. Not many people can say that.
Read more at [url=www-espn-co-uk/tennis/sport/story/267385-html#H06F
Without a doubt, the biggest moment in tennis in 2013. You can't overstate the significance of what Andy Murray achieved in ending Britain's 77-year-wait for a Wimbledon men's singles champion. The quality of the final may not have been the greatest - Novak Djokovic was particularly jaded after beating Juan Martin del Potro in the longest semi-final in Wimbledon history - but it was unsurpassed in terms of atmosphere and emotion. Murray returned to the final a year on from losing to Roger Federer, and the tears that followed that 2012 final simply amplified the emotion and tension as he closed in on the title. It meant so much, not only to him but to the British public.
The thing with Murray is that he is a winner - he's only interested in winning and what it takes to win. At long last, the public get that. The fact that he didn't turn up to collect his Sports Personality of the Year Award upset a few people, but from his point of view now is the time to be preparing for the Australian Open. His mentality is a winning mentality and people have come to understand that now. Personality-wise he might not be up there with the likes of Djokovic or Federer, but what he does bring is a single-minded approach to improving. In the past we've had sportsmen and women who have achieved fame through their personalities rather than from what they have achieved. From that point of view, Murray is a refreshing change - a sportsman people have warmed to because he is a winner.
Sergiy Stakhovsky beating Roger Federer stacks up as one of the greatest upsets in Wimbledon history. Think about it - the seven-time champion and world No. 2 losing to a player ranked outside of the top 100 in the second round.
By the time the players reached Wimbledon in June, it was beginning to look like a difficult year for Federer. I've said all along that I expected him to struggle this season. Age catches up with you - he's no youngster any more, he has this back injury that has prevented him from playing at 100% of his capabilities for most of the season. Personally I think he'll struggle to win another grand slam. The other players are getting better, and he's losing his edge.
But when you think about his record at Wimbledon, what he's achieved there and elsewhere, you would still expect him to do well on the grass. All credit to Stakhovsky, who serve-volleyed throughout the entire match and playing pretty incredible tennis. You just don't see players serve-volleying any more, now that the courts and balls are that much slower. But all credit to Stakhovsky, he stuck to his guns and believed in what he was doing. I was watching it, telling myself it was going to change any minute, but it was bizarre.
Incredibly, it was just one of Wimbledon's many shock exits in 2013, which brings me to…
This result again came as a shock, but for very different reasons. Nadal was simply shattered after his incredible return to competitive action after his seven-month lay-off - having reached the final of all nine tournaments since his comeback in February, winning seven, the Spaniard ran out of steam. He looked tired following his French Open victory and was probably sore from his exertions throughout the clay court season.
Darcis was simply the player to meet Nadal at the right moment in a stellar year that ended with the Spaniard back at No. 1 and with two more grand slam titles to his name. For me his most incredible feat was winning Indian Wells - he hadn't won a hard court tournament since 2010 and was coming back from a second serious knee injury, something he put down to the toll the concrete courts take on his legs. I was expecting him to head to America and play for a week just to test himself out, but instead he went and won the tournament.
He's proved not only how good he is in 2013, but also that he's better away from the clay than ever before. To take seven months out and return to win 10 titles - four on hard courts, six on clay and a slam on each - is a formidable achievement.
The mental side of the game is fascinating. Sabine Lisicki went into her quarter-final with Serena Williams as a huge underdog, and was the lower ranked player against Agnieszka Radwanska. Without the weight of expectation she played beyond herself to beat them both, and suddenly she was in the final and the pressure changed completely.
She stepped on court with Marion Bartoli as the player who had taken out two of the favourites for the title. Wimbledon was suddenly hers for the taking - and she couldn't handle it. That's the difference between the best players in the world and the rest.
It goes down as the year's biggest choke. The German got too tight, too nervous. She wasn't used to the experience, whereas Bartoli had been in a Wimbledon final before, which helped her immensely.
It was nice having someone else win Wimbledon, someone nice, someone a bit crazy and unorthodox on court. It was refreshing in the women's game. Bartoli was focused, aggressive and relentless. Without facing a player in the top 10, she was crowned Wimbledon champion. And then, out of the blue, she retired.
Yes, Bartoli's retirement came as a shock, but she had reached a stage in her career where she had given so much for tennis that her body was knackered. Then there is the amount of pressure she had put on herself over the years, not least under the tutelage of her father. Something had to give. Winning Wimbledon allowed her to bow out rather than burn out. Nevertheless, I'm surprised she stopped - I thought she'd go for another year and return to the All England Club - but she retires as Wimbledon champion. Not many people can say that.
Read more at [url=www-espn-co-uk/tennis/sport/story/267385-html#H06F
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Cruise control in the women's final of the New Zealand Tennis Championships ended up taking a lot longer than first thought as Kiwi-born, Australian representative, Sacha Jones won her third national senior title with a three-set victory over Di Hollands at North Harbour.
The match also proved to be possibly Jones' last as a professional, as a constant stream of injuries _ two torn abs, stress injuries with her shins and a recurring wrist injury in the past year _ have effectively stalled any chances of making the top 100 despite at times looking like it was on the cards.
After winning the title in 2007 and 2011 Jones then looked odds-on to take this year's title in the easiest of fashion, winning the first set 6-0 and being up 3-0 in the second set before Hollands got on the scoreboard.
Hollands, aged 30 broke Jones' serve and raised her arms in mock victory as she found herself on the scoreboard at 1-3 down and with a little more resolve in her game.
Twenty-three-year-old Jones, ranked at 287 in the world, suddenly found herself making basic errors which Hollands, ranked 681st, capitalised on - winning four straight games and eventually the set 6-4.
"I was hitting too short and lost a little bit of concentration and she started playing well,'' said Jones. "I definitely didn't want it to be my last match, finishing with a loss.''
Eventually Jones regained her composure in the third set reeling off the first three games before dropping serve, but then taking the next three games for a 6-0 4-6 6-1 overall victory.
Tennis: Jones wins third title - Sport - NZ Herald News
The match also proved to be possibly Jones' last as a professional, as a constant stream of injuries _ two torn abs, stress injuries with her shins and a recurring wrist injury in the past year _ have effectively stalled any chances of making the top 100 despite at times looking like it was on the cards.
After winning the title in 2007 and 2011 Jones then looked odds-on to take this year's title in the easiest of fashion, winning the first set 6-0 and being up 3-0 in the second set before Hollands got on the scoreboard.
Hollands, aged 30 broke Jones' serve and raised her arms in mock victory as she found herself on the scoreboard at 1-3 down and with a little more resolve in her game.
Twenty-three-year-old Jones, ranked at 287 in the world, suddenly found herself making basic errors which Hollands, ranked 681st, capitalised on - winning four straight games and eventually the set 6-4.
"I was hitting too short and lost a little bit of concentration and she started playing well,'' said Jones. "I definitely didn't want it to be my last match, finishing with a loss.''
Eventually Jones regained her composure in the third set reeling off the first three games before dropping serve, but then taking the next three games for a 6-0 4-6 6-1 overall victory.
Tennis: Jones wins third title - Sport - NZ Herald News
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The Tennis Integrity Unit says Spanish player Guillermo Olaso has been banned from the sport for five years and fined $25,000 for match-fixing.
Olaso was found guilty of three corruption offences in 2010, including directly or indirectly seeking to "contrive the outcome or any other aspect of any event."
He was also found guilty of two counts of failing to report approaches to provide inside information or influence the outcome of any aspect of a match.
The TIU says the 236th-ranked player won't have to serve the final 18 months of his ban if he has repaid the $US25,000 ($A28,100) fine by then and has attended anti-corruption and rehabilitation programs.
Spanish tennis player receives 5-year ban
Olaso was found guilty of three corruption offences in 2010, including directly or indirectly seeking to "contrive the outcome or any other aspect of any event."
He was also found guilty of two counts of failing to report approaches to provide inside information or influence the outcome of any aspect of a match.
The TIU says the 236th-ranked player won't have to serve the final 18 months of his ban if he has repaid the $US25,000 ($A28,100) fine by then and has attended anti-corruption and rehabilitation programs.
Spanish tennis player receives 5-year ban
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FOR several years now an unthinkable thought has lodged in the minds of tennis fans around the world and slowly tortured our hearts. With each grand slam event, that sinking feeling weighs heavier and lasts longer. It is a dread almost too distressing to put into words: could this be our last summer of Roger Federer?
First, let me come clean: I am 54, happily married with two kids, comfortable and healthy. For the past 10 years of my life I have become fixated with Federer. Not just idolised, not just obsessed; it's more than that. The relationship is deeply emotional. And I am not alone. Which makes it all the harder to concede that not only is Federer a fading force but may well be spent. While Roger has faded, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have blossomed into titans, first matching and then eclipsing him.
For most fans, the result has been a golden age of tennis, punctuated by so many extraordinary matches of almost unbelievable skill, courage and intensity. Yet for the faithful, each grand slam reminds us of one thing only: Roger has fallen back to earth. The decline has been hard to accept because he was so far ahead of his peers, which led fans and Federer alike to believe that maybe 80 per cent of perfection still would be good enough.
But it hasn't. In the past four years he has won just two grand slam titles. In his prime, from 2004 to 2007, he won 11 out of 16 grand slams. Such was his mastery that any loss was reported as a shock. You never actually expected him to lose. Had we ever come to regard a player in this way before?
I first laid eyes on his talent at the 2005 Australian Open. Night after night he curved shots around the net, flicked the ball to impossible angles and hit winners from absurd positions. He was almost too confident for his own good, losing an epic five-set semi-final to Marat Safin. On match point in the fourth set Federer ran down a lob and chose to go for a winner between his legs when it was easier to hit a conventional shot. Such self-belief, such chutzpah.
But then he was blessed with so many gifts, manifestly different from all other players I had seen up 'til then, and I had watched them all since my childhood in the 1960s: Rod Laver's muscle and topsin, Bjorn Borg's robotic consistency, John McEnroe's gossamer touch, Boris Becker's athletic exuberance and Pete Sampras's languid brutality.
Each of them gave us a new reason to gasp. But Federer actually changed the way I saw tennis, and sport. He has made tennis seem beautiful, an aesthetic experience beyond the grunting combat between two sweating gladiators. Of course, that's just an illusion. The Swiss player tries as hard as any of them, and takes his losses as seriously as anyone, if not more so. Who could forget him crying like a baby after losing to Nadal in that epic 2009 Australian Open final?
The elegance is a facade, a persona that we projected on to him through the years. It was a response to the player we saw in his prime, who was virtually unbeatable apart from on clay, which enabled Nadal's prodigious topspin to make the ball jump too high for Federer's groundstrokes to have any venom. Setting that aside, and most critics can't (but I'll come to that later), Federer lost so few matches (just 24 in four years) that he acquired an aura of invulnerability that no one before him had achieved.
And so we mere mortals who were drawn to tennis for the excitement instead began to worship an object of beauty, an Audrey Hepburn in whites. He became not just a player to follow but an ideal beyond the physical toil of sport. Perhaps Nadal's forehand is more murderous, Andy Roddick's serve faster, and Djokovic's mental strength a notch higher, but Federer has been more complete.
His serve landed on a coin, his forehand angles segued into sweet volleys, his dropshots sapped opponents' morale, the half-volley backhand winners flicked from the baseline were unnatural. He could play from the back or the net, or both at the same time.
Sadly, perfection is unsustainable. The first sign of fallibility was the semi-final he lost against Djokovic in the 2008 Australian Open while carrying an undiagnosed case of glandular fever, followed by a thrashing against Nadal in Paris and the famous Wimbledon final against Nadal. Critics described it as the greatest match played but Federer tragics saw the deeper truth: a devastating changing of the guard after five successive Wimbledon victories. These were bitter pills to swallow, for us as well as for him, and they presaged a slow decline, even if 2009 saw him win two grand slams and reach both other finals.
We could sense that the golden age was ending. Soon Nadal took the ascendancy, then Djokovic, and now the pair are having a titanic arm wrestle for the mantle of No 1. The long-running gripe that Federer could not get the better of Nadal continues, but it is based mainly on Nadal's reign on clay. The counterpoint is also valid: Nadal lost more to players beneath him on grass, hardcourt and indoors, which also meant he never acquired the aura of invincibility that Federer did. Wimbledon last year was a glorious case in point: muscular victory over Murray in the final, having seen off Djokovic in the semi-final after Nadal lost to an unknown in the second round. My son and I could scarcely contain our joy as we watched him roll back the clock on the gorgeous green lawn of south London.
This year we went down to Melbourne to see him play Murray again, this time live in the semi-finals on a beautiful summer's evening. Murray had just won the US Open, his first major, and with it a new fluency and grit. From the get-go, and I mean the first game, the crowd cheered like it was the fifth set. We were pumped because the threat of defeat hung over Federer from his opening serve as he struggled to find his rhythm. Sensing his fragility, the crowd urged him on, each game a mountain of its own. In the fourth set Murray ha
First, let me come clean: I am 54, happily married with two kids, comfortable and healthy. For the past 10 years of my life I have become fixated with Federer. Not just idolised, not just obsessed; it's more than that. The relationship is deeply emotional. And I am not alone. Which makes it all the harder to concede that not only is Federer a fading force but may well be spent. While Roger has faded, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have blossomed into titans, first matching and then eclipsing him.
For most fans, the result has been a golden age of tennis, punctuated by so many extraordinary matches of almost unbelievable skill, courage and intensity. Yet for the faithful, each grand slam reminds us of one thing only: Roger has fallen back to earth. The decline has been hard to accept because he was so far ahead of his peers, which led fans and Federer alike to believe that maybe 80 per cent of perfection still would be good enough.
But it hasn't. In the past four years he has won just two grand slam titles. In his prime, from 2004 to 2007, he won 11 out of 16 grand slams. Such was his mastery that any loss was reported as a shock. You never actually expected him to lose. Had we ever come to regard a player in this way before?
I first laid eyes on his talent at the 2005 Australian Open. Night after night he curved shots around the net, flicked the ball to impossible angles and hit winners from absurd positions. He was almost too confident for his own good, losing an epic five-set semi-final to Marat Safin. On match point in the fourth set Federer ran down a lob and chose to go for a winner between his legs when it was easier to hit a conventional shot. Such self-belief, such chutzpah.
But then he was blessed with so many gifts, manifestly different from all other players I had seen up 'til then, and I had watched them all since my childhood in the 1960s: Rod Laver's muscle and topsin, Bjorn Borg's robotic consistency, John McEnroe's gossamer touch, Boris Becker's athletic exuberance and Pete Sampras's languid brutality.
Each of them gave us a new reason to gasp. But Federer actually changed the way I saw tennis, and sport. He has made tennis seem beautiful, an aesthetic experience beyond the grunting combat between two sweating gladiators. Of course, that's just an illusion. The Swiss player tries as hard as any of them, and takes his losses as seriously as anyone, if not more so. Who could forget him crying like a baby after losing to Nadal in that epic 2009 Australian Open final?
The elegance is a facade, a persona that we projected on to him through the years. It was a response to the player we saw in his prime, who was virtually unbeatable apart from on clay, which enabled Nadal's prodigious topspin to make the ball jump too high for Federer's groundstrokes to have any venom. Setting that aside, and most critics can't (but I'll come to that later), Federer lost so few matches (just 24 in four years) that he acquired an aura of invulnerability that no one before him had achieved.
And so we mere mortals who were drawn to tennis for the excitement instead began to worship an object of beauty, an Audrey Hepburn in whites. He became not just a player to follow but an ideal beyond the physical toil of sport. Perhaps Nadal's forehand is more murderous, Andy Roddick's serve faster, and Djokovic's mental strength a notch higher, but Federer has been more complete.
His serve landed on a coin, his forehand angles segued into sweet volleys, his dropshots sapped opponents' morale, the half-volley backhand winners flicked from the baseline were unnatural. He could play from the back or the net, or both at the same time.
Sadly, perfection is unsustainable. The first sign of fallibility was the semi-final he lost against Djokovic in the 2008 Australian Open while carrying an undiagnosed case of glandular fever, followed by a thrashing against Nadal in Paris and the famous Wimbledon final against Nadal. Critics described it as the greatest match played but Federer tragics saw the deeper truth: a devastating changing of the guard after five successive Wimbledon victories. These were bitter pills to swallow, for us as well as for him, and they presaged a slow decline, even if 2009 saw him win two grand slams and reach both other finals.
We could sense that the golden age was ending. Soon Nadal took the ascendancy, then Djokovic, and now the pair are having a titanic arm wrestle for the mantle of No 1. The long-running gripe that Federer could not get the better of Nadal continues, but it is based mainly on Nadal's reign on clay. The counterpoint is also valid: Nadal lost more to players beneath him on grass, hardcourt and indoors, which also meant he never acquired the aura of invincibility that Federer did. Wimbledon last year was a glorious case in point: muscular victory over Murray in the final, having seen off Djokovic in the semi-final after Nadal lost to an unknown in the second round. My son and I could scarcely contain our joy as we watched him roll back the clock on the gorgeous green lawn of south London.
This year we went down to Melbourne to see him play Murray again, this time live in the semi-finals on a beautiful summer's evening. Murray had just won the US Open, his first major, and with it a new fluency and grit. From the get-go, and I mean the first game, the crowd cheered like it was the fifth set. We were pumped because the threat of defeat hung over Federer from his opening serve as he struggled to find his rhythm. Sensing his fragility, the crowd urged him on, each game a mountain of its own. In the fourth set Murray ha
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Having flown into London this week for the Statoil Masters - an annual veterans’ event staged at the Royal Albert Hall - McEnroe was in feisty form on Thursday as he questioned what the team format is bringing to professional tennis.
“Why we are even playing doubles at this point is a mystery to me,” said McEnroe. “I love doubles but I don’t even recognise what this is. If there was a volleying contest from the service line, most of these guys couldn’t . . .” He stopped and sighed. “They play an inch from the net. It is like wham, bam, thank you ma’am.
“If you cut out doubles and gave that money to singles players ranked between 200 and 1,000, maybe that would do something for the game. Then some other guy who never really had the chance to play ends up becoming No 100 in the world instead of quitting when he’s No 400.
“Most doubles players, I hate to say, are the slow guys who were not quick enough to play singles.” The most successful male Americans of the moment - financially at any rate - are the Floridian twins Bob and Mike Bryan, whose 344 consecutive weeks at the top of the rankings is a record for any pairing.
Yet when McEnroe was asked whether the Bryans could have made it as singles players, he did not dissemble. “No,” he replied. “What do you think they are playing doubles for? I like them and single-handledly they’ve tried to keep doubles going. There is something cool to watch these twins.
“But sometimes I hear people saying they are the greatest doubles players of all time. I’m like ‘Excuse me?’ If you put Federer and Nadal together, I am taking them.”
Meanwhile, Heather Watson is working with a new coach after a demoralising year that has seen her ranking slump from No 39 in February to No 121.
Watson sacked her Colombian coach Mauricio Hadad after Wimbledon and spent the autumn working on a part-time basis with Jeremy Bates, head coach of women’s tennis at the Lawn Tennis Association. But now she has engaged Diego Veronelli, a 34-year-old Argentine whom she met through a mutual friend. She says she will assess their progress together at the end of the Australian Open.
“It’s only been a week and a half, but it’s going really well so far,” said Watson, who was reduced to playing Challenger tournaments in October, and will have to go through qualifying in Melbourne if she is to feature in the main draw of the Australian Open. “I feel some wins I took for granted before,” Watson added. “Now I am thinking ‘You’ve won one, let’s try and win another one and get as many in as you can while you are healthy, while you are playing well’.”
www-telegraph-co-uk/sport/tennis/10498835/John-McEnroe-makes-controversial-call-for-doubles-tennis-to-be-ditched-from-the-major-tournaments-html