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Archive for the ‘Tennis’ Category
Mon, August 25, 2008 10:49 am By James Coolridge  Printer friendly version
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 New York, Sep 7: The former world number one Swiss tennis star Roger Federer, who is looking forward for his first Grand Slam title of the year, overcame Serbian Novak Djokovic in four sets, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2, to enter the US Open final for the fifth consecutive year.
Federer is now a victory away from his fifth US Open and 13th Grand Slam title and extended his run of victories at Flushing Meadows to 33 as he made to his 13th final in the last 14 majors.
Federer, who has never been beaten in a semi-final or final here, is standing behind American Pete Sampras who enjoys a massive record of 14 Grand Slam titles.
Federer had earlier lost to Djokovic in the Australian Open semis in January, upped the tempo in the last two sets after taking the first set with flawless display of stroke-making and then dropping the second.
An early break had helped Federer to get the first set, but Djokovic regained the game taking a notch higher to take the second set.
The Swiss made a re-entry in business in the third and one break, in the 11th game, was enough for him to go two sets to one up. In the fourth set Federer served four aces in the sixth game and another one in the eight to completely bamboozle Djokovic. Altogether he served 20 aces in the match which could be well called as a facsimile t of last year’s final and in which he clearly looked the better player.
Federer has not lost a game here since his loss to Argentine David Nalbandian in the fourth round in 2003.
Federer was seen jubiliant when he said he was excited to be playing in another final and hoped to win it. For him, the No. 2 seed said, winning the Open here meant a lot.
In the finals, Federer would face the winner of the other semi-final between world number one Spaniard Rafael Nadal and No six Andy Murray of Scotland.
Tags : Roger federer, Tennis, Switzerland, US Open, Novak Djokovic, grand slam, Pete Sampras
Mon, August 18, 2008 7:26 am By James Coolridge
 Double whammy eluded Indian ace Leander Paes as he failed to add to his mixed doubles title, giving up the fight along with his Czech partner Lukas Dlouhy against Bob and Mike Byran of United States in a thrilling US Open doubles final on Friday.
Seventh seeded Paes and Dlouhy lost the game 6-7(5-7), 6-7(10-12) in one hour and 29 minutes which put paid to the Indian’s hopes of second title in the season’s last Grand Slam after winning the mixed doubles title on Thursday, partnering Cara Black of Zimbabwe.
Paes and Dlouhy had to be content with $120,000 while their opponents were richer by $420,000 for their effort at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The 35-year-old Paes, who had notched up his eighth Grand Slam title yesterday, was as usual lightning fast in front of the net and came up with some stunning winners but lost the game to the consistency of the Byran brothers.
The Americans were the better side in the first set winning their serves easier than their opponents and at the same time having better returns.
However, it was Paes and Dlouhy who took the early initiative by breaking serve of their second seeded opponents in the third game with the Indian ace producing a forehand winner to go 2-1 up.
The Indo-Czech pair had earlier saved two break points in their serve to race ahead 3-1 with Dlouhy gaining two points in the deuce.
But the Byrans broke back in the sixth game with Dlouhy committing a double fault to level 3-3 and then going 4-3 up before Paes saved a break point to hold serve and level 4-4.
Paes made some lightning fast movements in front of net to come up with a couple of winners at the crucial moments to take the score to a stunning 5-5 and then 6-6.
The tie-break went on serves till Paes conceded 3-4 lead to the Americans who seized the opportunity to go 6-3 ahead.
Facing three set points, Dlouhy grabbed two serves to make it 5-6 but failed to stop the brothers to run away with the first set 7-6 in 49 gruelling minutes.
The second set saw the Indo-Czech pair making a good comeback after conceding a service break. But however they squandered four set points in the tie-break to lose the match in one hour and 29 minutes.
The Indo-Czech pair saved one break point to hold serve in the first game but Bob Byran came up with two winners including a fantastic running forehand to make it 1-1 in quick time.
Dlouhy then double faulted to give away a service break to the Byrans though the Indo-Czech duo made a stunning fightback to break even 2-2 in the next game with Paes sending down a thundering backhand volley and his partner making amends by producing a backhand return winner on Bob’s serve.
The next six games went on serve but Paes and Dlouhy had to save three break points on the former’s serve in the fifth game and almost broke the Byrans in the eighth game but losing out after a long drawn deuce.
Two desperate attempts by the Indo-Czech pair to take the second set with the Byrans serving at 4-5 and 5-6 failed and another tie-break followed.
Dlouhy committed a blunder at crucial moment double faulting his serve, his sixth in the match, in the Fourth serve of the tie-break to trail 1-3.
The Byrans were in an advantageous position at 4-2 ahead at the change of ends in the tie-break but Paes came up with a great forehand return in the seventh to make it 4-3 and produced two good serves, including an ace, to make it 5-4.
But the Byrans were not to be outdone and they fought back only to squander a match point while serving at 6-5.
Paes and Dlouhy then got four set points in the marathon tie-break but failed to finish before finally capitulating to the relentless consistent effort of the Byran brothers.
Tags : Tennis, leander Paes, US Open, Lukas Dlouhy, Arther Ashes, Bryan Brothers
Tue, July 15, 2008 10:45 am By James Coolridge
 Tennis with gaining more popularity with the days has a lot of takers. But the beginners who look for a straight and fast career in this game should understand certain tips. This will definitely help in building up a career in the game. The beginners usually start learning to play tennis out of fascination but are going to face a lot of frustration. Remember, it takes time and patience to start getting the hang of things. Never forget certain things. One important thing thing, however, is to avoid beginner mistakes so that you can minimize the frustration to a minimal level. Let us now see a few tips for beginners in tennis that will help in getting it started the right way.
One. The first tennis tip for beginners may not seem too hard. Never try hard at first even if your coach tells you to. Usually there will be a feeling to try too hard to get a better result, but not the case in tennis. The moment you find getting trouble with a stroke or technique, try softening your grip and muscles and never worry about hitting the ball perfect at first until you have the technique down. Remember that it will take time to get the required skills to play tennis. Start with normal soft hits in the beginning.
Two. Now the second tip. Don’t keep too many expectations. If you find that you are expecting a big result you will find yourself getting more and more frustrated. Take time and try to develop your own pace so try not to stress over it. It will all come to you in time. Never loose patience.
Three. Always remember that there are no mistakes, only feedback. If you shoot the ball into the net hit the ball higher next time. Never complicate things live follow through, with your knees. Rest will come naturally.
Tags : Tennis, Muscles, grip, beginners, fascination, frustration, knees
Wed, July 9, 2008 10:42 am By James Coolridge
 Shift in Tennis Ranking
Good news for Indian tennis. The ace player of Indian tennis Leander Paes jumped eight places in the latest Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) doubles rankings after his entry into semi finals at Wimbledon. Paes with his recent wins is now in the 15th in the world rankings declared Monday.
Mahesh Bhupathi, one time parter of Paes despite making another first round exit in Wimbledon after the French Open with Mark Knowles of Bahamas, has also stepped up one place and is at 12th position now.
Sania Mirza, the Indian tennis sensation with her loss in the singles second round in Wimbledon, slipped one rung in the Women Tennis Association (WTA) and is now 33rd in rankings. But Sania Mirza has moved up in doubles one spot ahead after her quarter-final appearance with American Bethanie Mattek. She is now spotted in 18th position in doubles. Sania’s doubles partner for the Beijing Olympics, Sunitha Rao has moved eight places in her singles rankings to be at 144th while she made a move of three places in her doubles to 125th.
There is no change in the top rankings in the men and women. Still there were some major upheavals in the middle with the Wimbledon giant-killers striding their way up.
Roger Federer of Switzerland inspite of his loss of his Wimbledon crown to Rafael Nadal retained his no.1 ranking. The Spaniard even though closed the gap and at 6055 points, he is 545 points back of Federer.
Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic still is the princess of women’s tennis. She continues to be the top seed in the women’s tennis. Wimbledon champion Venus Williams is staying at seventh place while her sister Serena ups her position by one place to fifth.
The Chinese Zheng Jie, who became the first wild card holder to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals jumped a staggering 93 places to 40 in the WTA charts creating a panic in tennis circles.
Tags : Tennis, Rafael Nadal, Wimbledon, ranking, leander Paes, Sania Mirza, Anna Ivanovic, Mahesh Bhupathi
Sun, June 29, 2008 12:51 pm By James Coolridge
 Can it be called the fall of a tycoon? Yes, it seems to be. The humiliating fiasco of Ana Ivanovic yesterday will definitelty remain as one of the unforgettable incident in the minds of tennis lovers. The vigour and energy that she displayed three weeks ago at the at the French Open title was no where seen in her performance yesterday against China’s Zheng Jie. The little known Zheng with her outstanding performance yeasterday became the lowest rank layer to beat a world No 1 in a tennis championship. The 20-year old Seb who beacame the world No 1 three weeks back at Paris was shown the door of the Wimbledon yesterday by China’s Zheng Jie 6-1, 6-4 on Court One yesterday.
The top ranked Ivanovic was visibly under tremendous pressure as was seen too hard to cope with the newly gained position at the Roland Garos three weeks back. In the recent history of tennis, Serena Williams is the only player to manage both Wimbledon and French Open back to back, prior to which Steffi Graff of Germany had done so. Definitely both the players belong to a class which is presently out of reach for Ivanovic who calls yesterday’s incident a learning experience. The 20year old promises to make a come back from the dissappointing moment in a short span of time.
Zheng Jie’s victory comes as a moral boost to China in the wake of the upcoming Beijing Olympics. Zeng, who had missed most of the last season with an ankle injury has not only made a emphatic come back but also has pumped new energy to the Chinese players who are anxious to impress the word at the olympic courts.
The outser of Ivanovic and Maria Sharapova in the first week ponts to another all- Williams Wimbledon final. Serena Williams had defeated Venus in 2002 and 2003 and chances of the world witnessing another all sisters fight in the court remains this time too. But yes surprises like last year’s victory of Marian bartoli may repeat this year too.
Tags : Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Wimbledon, Venus Williams
Sat, June 21, 2008 8:58 am By Jenny Musto
 If you have taken tennis as a way to keep yourself fit or as a weekend sport to spend your leisure hour productively or for whatever reason, you need to follow some fundamental tips that should be followed to achieve success at your chosen sport.
Buy quality tennis gear: Choose tennis gear that suits your playing style. Before shopping for tennis gear, consult a professional trainer or a tennis club pro about what type of tennis racquet is best suited for you, the weight of the racquet, balance and the grip size. Buy good quality tennis balls. Don’t go by the price, as cheap and low quality tennis balls are often expensive as they are useless and do not have bounce in them. Buy regular balls which are good for practicing your service.
Study the game play: Carefully observe and study various styles of the game play. Watch tennis matches of the famous tennis players and see how they play their strokes. If possible, try to imitate their strokes. You may consult tennis instruction books to know more about the rules and mistakes and the ways to rectify them. All these will help you know the nuances of tennis.
Execute the moves: After watching and reading enough about the game play, it is the time to execute those moves. While playing tennis, try to execute all the moves that you have seen and read about. This will help you determine what really suits your playing style.
Physical practice along with mental preparation makes a complete tennis player. The devastating speed of your serves and mind blowing ground strokes are just not enough to win a match. Practice along with mental preparation makes a complete tennis player. Combine both the aspects and be the winner of the game!
Tags : Tennis, ball, Fitness, Professional, coach, racquet
Sat, June 14, 2008 8:47 am By James Coolridge
 Hard courts have been very good to Maria Sharapova so far this year. Now she’s getting a head start on clay.
Sharapova, who already won the Australian Open and is 18-1 to start 2008, switches surfaces this week, playing on clay for the first time this year at the Bausch & Lomb Championships.
Fresh off a two week break, Sharapova will make her first career appearance at the tournament. Sharapova spent the last week practicing on clay thinking about the French Open, the only Grand Slam event the 20-year-old has yet to win. Her best finish at Roland Garros came last year, when she bowed out in the semifinals against Ana Ivanovic.
Sharapova has focused on leg strength in recent training. She knows the gritty, heavy red clay in Paris will yield longer, more draining points than the green clay she will shuffle around the next two weeks.
Tags : Maria Sharapova, Bausch and Lomb, Australian Open
Wed, May 28, 2008 9:27 am By James Coolridge
 Women’s world number one Justine Henin on Wednesday sent a shock wave to her fans and rocked the whole tennis world by announcing her retirement from the sport. A dry-eyed Henin walked into the news conference room in her native Belgium and declared an end to her career at the age of 25.
“It’s a page that’s turning; I don’t feel sadness, it’s more relief,” Henin said. “I know it’s a shock for many people, but it’s a decision I’ve thought long and hard about.”
She added, “It’s the end of a marvelous adventure, an end of something that I’ve dreamed about since I was 5 years old.”
The stars of today sounded equally stunned, including Roger Federer and Serena Williams, Henin’s longtime rival. “She was a great champion and she gave me a world of trouble, so I hope the best for her,” Williams said at the WTA tournament in Rome.
Henin headed the official WTA rankings released Monday for the 117th consecutive week, but pulled out of the Rome Masters this week blaming tiredness. She was ranked the number one by the World Tennis Association.
Henin explained that she is now interested to concentrate on her personal life and her new Belgian tennis academy and has lost the desire to train and compete in the sports.
Henin has been beaten four times in four months in 2008 including a 6-2, 6-0 hammering by Serena Williams in Miami last month.
Her latest defeat and last appearance on court came at last week’s German Open where she made a shock exit when coming off second best in a two and a half hour third round marathon against Russia’s Dinara Safina.
She will be remembered as one of the finest women tennis players ever, overcoming her small stature and a troubled family life to rise to the summit of her sport.
Tags : Serena Williams, Justine Henin, WTA
Mon, May 26, 2008 9:25 am By James Coolridge
 Rafael Nadal beat defending champion Roger Federer in an enthralling match on Sunday to win the Hamburg Masters. Nadal earned a 7-5, 6-7, 6-3 victory over Federer to claim his 26th career ATP singles title and the third in 2008.
The first three games of Sunday’s match were in favor of Federer and he soon opened a commanding 5-1 lead after a break of serve at love. Nadal, though, hit back and won the final six games to take the set.
Nadal held serve in the next game and won the first three points against Federer’s serve in the 11th, but the top-seeded Swiss superstar steadied himself with an ace and fought back to win five straight points to hold for 6-5.
“It wasn’t my best performance. If you get broken so many times there is always something you are a little bit unhappy about,” said Federer. “But I think I am finding the right type of play from the baseline.” “He had a great week and a great clay-court season,” Federer said.
“All the week has been very special for me,” Nadal said.
Federer has been No. 1 since February 2004, but Nadal is the top player on the slower clay surface. Since April 2005, he has lost only twice in 110 matches on clay - to Federer last year in the Hamburg final and last week in Rome to Juan Carlos Ferrero, when Nadal was slowed by a painful blister on his foot.
Tags : Nadal, Federer, Hamburg Masters
Fri, April 25, 2008 8:17 am By James Coolridge
 The three-time Grand Slam champion Lindsay Davenport upset second-ranked Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-2 in the third round at the Sony Ericsson Open on Sunday.
Davenport is 17-3 this year with two titles. She rated the win over Ivanovic as her best since returning to the tour last summer.
Hampered by injuries in recent years, Davenport is playing at Key Biscayne for the first time since 2003. , who left the women’s tour in late 2006 to have her first child; her comeback is surely gaining momentum.
Tags : Sony Ericsson Open, Lindsay Davenport, Ana Ivanoviv | | | | |
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