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  • Murray upset with late-night drug testing

    NBCSports.com: Tennis
    27 Jan 2012 | 12:49 pm
    Andy Murray had just spent nearly five hours on court in an Australian Open semifinal loss to Novak Djokovic that ran past midnight.

  • Australian Open 2012 – Day 13 Schedule

    Tennis Panorama
    Tennis Panorama News
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:13 am
    Australian Open 2012 Schedule for Day 13: Saturday 28 January 2012   Rod Laver Arena 1:00 PM Start Time 1. Junior Girls’ Singles – Finals Taylor Townsend (USA)[14] v. Yulia Putintseva (RUS)[4] 2. Junior Boys’ Singles – Finals Luke Saville (AUS)[1] v. Filip Peliwo (CAN) Not Before:7:30 PM 3. Women’s Singles – Finals Victoria Azarenka (BLR)[3] v. Maria Sharapova (RUS)[4] 4. Men’s Doubles – Finals Bob Bryan (USA)[1] v. Leander Paes (IND) Mike Bryan (USA)[1] Radek Stepanek (CZE)   Show Court 2 1:00 PM Start Time 1. Women’s Wheelchair…

  • Azarenka claims 1st major, No. 1 ranking

    FOXSports.com News for TENNIS
    28 Jan 2012 | 4:13 am
    Azarenka trounces Sharapova for first Grand Slam title.

  • Djokovic Fights His Way Into Final Over Mercurial Murray

    Tennis Now News
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:35 am
    By Robert Martin Photo Credit: Mark Peterson / Corleve   (January 27, 2012) The men’s final in Melbourne has been decided following the 4 hour 46 minute clash of the 2011 final between Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. In a much more spirited performance, Murray threw everything he could at the World No. 1, but in the end, it was Djokovic who will move on to defend his title with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 7-5 victory. Not wanting to repeat his dismal performance in last year’s final, Murray played a more aggressive style of tennis, likely a product of his new coaching…

  • Marcos Baghdatis Angry! Marcos Baghdatis Smash!

    Tennis Now - Blog RSS
    18 Jan 2012 | 6:45 pm
     Don't make Marcos angry ... you won't like him when he's angryIn case you didn't stay up late / get up early to see Marcos Baghdatis take on Stanislas Wawrinka on Wednesday, you missed a sideline performance that was half John McEnroe, half Bruce Banner. During his 7-6, 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 loss to Stanislas Wawrinka, Baghdatis let his temper get the best of him and smashed four straight racquets while seated during a change over. Check out the video below and see if you prefer Baghdatis' destructive form to this backhand.  
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    Peter Bodo's TennisWorld

  • The Unstoppable Immovables

    TENNIS.com
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:44 pm
    by Pete Bodo The upcoming Australian Open final between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic is sure to bring out all those "unstoppable force meets immovable object" clichés, and rightly so—even if nobody had expected the unstoppable force, Djokovic, to meet an excellent stand-in for Nadal in the immovable object department, Andy Murray. It took Djokovic almost five hours and five mostly grueling sets to subdue Murray in the semifinals yesterday. The good news for Djokovic is that he survived a very game opponent who, despite occasional and costly lapses, played a terrific match. He…

  • Ova the Hump

    TENNIS.com
    26 Jan 2012 | 7:27 pm
    by Pete Bodo It seems only fitting that the grand finale of the Australian Open women's singles event will consist of a clash between the two compelling story lines that were in place way back on the first day of play. I'm not talking about Kim Clijsters' wish to run a victory lap before she retires, nor about Li Na's return to the place where her breakthrough success of 2011 began. I'm not talking about Caroline Wozniacki's quest for that long-deferred Grand Slam title. And I'm not referring to Petra Kvitova's drive to strip Wozniacki of that No. 1…

  • Young Dog, New Tricks?

    TENNIS.com
    25 Jan 2012 | 9:08 pm
    by Pete Bodo Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray will meet in the semifinals of the Australian Open. Last year, it was in the finals, but why quibble? Just like last year, both men have slashed their way to the semis with nary a glitch. As former Yankees catcher and New York Mets manager Yogi Berra, the master of the malapropism, famously said, "It's deja vu all over again. . ." Or is it? Just how different is "now" from "then"? Not very much, as far as Djokovic is concerned, quite a bit—perhaps—when it comes to Murray. Going into last year's final, both…

  • Bouncing Roger

    TENNIS.com
    25 Jan 2012 | 3:20 pm
    by Pete Bodo By now, the narrative is well-established and has taken on a prominent place in the conventional tennis wisdom: On any surface that yields a medium to high bounce, Rafael Nadal enjoys a great match-up advantage over Roger Federer. That helps explain how Nadal, who has won 10 major titles (six of them at the French Open) compared to 16 by his rival, can lead the head-to-head by an impressive 17-9. The theory evolved because left-handed Nadal's most natural (and thus most reliable) forehand goes cross-court (the default direction for either groundstroke for biomechanical…

  • Rafa: Rhymes with Drama

    TENNIS.com
    24 Jan 2012 | 12:57 pm
    by Pete Bodo It looks like all those Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal Grand Slam shootouts aren't ready to go to syndication just yet. They're still live, prime-time fare (at least in Australia, no matter how bleary-eyed and sleep-deprived that leaves North American fans), even though the two icons will be doing their shtick in the semifinals of a major for the first time since 2005, when Nadal embarked on his career-long mastery of Federer on red clay with a win at the French Open. But this is not Roland Garros, and this is not the same confident and tunnel-visioned Nadal to whom…
 
 
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    NBCSports.com: Tennis

  • Azarenka cruises to Aussie title

    28 Jan 2012 | 4:24 am
    Victoria Azarenka beat Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-0 Saturday to win the Australian Open and take over the women's No. 1 ranking.

  • Townsend wins Australian Open girls event

    28 Jan 2012 | 1:13 am
    MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -With Venus and Serena Williams nearing the ends of their careers, the question that's been asked over and over again in American tennis circles is: who's going to take their place?

  • Nadal not swayed by Djokovic breathing issues

    27 Jan 2012 | 10:38 pm
    MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -Like Andy Murray before him, Rafael Nadal isn't convinced Novak Djokovic has any breathing problems going into their Australian Open final on Sunday night.

  • Murray leaves Australia confident despite loss

    27 Jan 2012 | 8:35 pm
    MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -Andy Murray prepared to fly out Saturday to return to his London home for the first time in nearly two months, defeated in the Australian Open semifinals but not deflated from the experience.

  • Murray upset with late-night drug testing

    27 Jan 2012 | 12:49 pm
    Andy Murray had just spent nearly five hours on court in an Australian Open semifinal loss to Novak Djokovic that ran past midnight.
 
 
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    BBC Sport | Tennis | UK Edition

  • Azarenka stuns Sharapova in final

    28 Jan 2012 | 4:38 am
    Victoria Azarenka beats Maria Sharapova 6-3 6-0 in the Australian Open final to lift her maiden Grand Slam title and become the new world number one.

  • Murray can be number one - Nadal

    28 Jan 2012 | 4:16 am
    Rafael Nadal says Andy Murray has the ability to become world number one in 2012 if the Scot improves his mental approach on the biggest stage.

  • GB pair win Australian Open title

    28 Jan 2012 | 3:23 am
    Britain's Andy Lapthorne and Peter Norfolk retain their Australian Open quad doubles wheelchair title.

  • Gap closing on top three - Murray

    28 Jan 2012 | 3:19 am
    Andy Murray believes he is closing the gap on the world's best players despite losing an epic five-set Australian Open semi-final to Novak Djokovic.

  • Live - Sharapova v Azarenka

    28 Jan 2012 | 2:18 am
    Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka compete in the Australian Open women's final and for the right to become world number one.
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    Yahoo! Sports - Tennis News

  • Djokovic wins in 5, faces Nadal in final (AP)

    28 Jan 2012 | 4:27 am
    Victoria Azarenka beat Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-0 Saturday night to win the Australian Open and take over the women's No. 1 ranking. Azarenka, playing in her first final in 25 Grand Slam tournaments, had her serve broken in the opening game of the match and trailed 2-0 after a nervous start before winning 12 of the next 13 games to take the match away from Sharapova, a three-time major winner and...

  • Teen Harrison selected for US Davis Cup (AP)

    28 Jan 2012 | 2:28 am
    U.S. Davis Cup captain Jim Courier has selected teenager Ryan Harrison in a four-man squad that will play Switzerland next month in the first round. The 19-year-old Harrison joins Mardy Fish, John Isner and Mike Bryan on the team that will play on clay indoors in Fribourg, Switzerland, from Feb. 10-12.

  • Murray upset with late-night blood test (AP)

    28 Jan 2012 | 2:14 am
    With Venus and Serena Williams nearing the ends of their careers, the question that's been asked over and over again in American tennis circles is: who's going to take their place? It may just be 15-year-old Taylor Townsend of Stockbridge, Georgia. Townsend defeated Yulia Putintseva of Russia 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 on Saturday to win the girls' singles event at the Australian Open, a day after...

  • Kuznetsova, Zvonareva win doubles title (AP)

    27 Jan 2012 | 4:21 am
    With singles play on their minds, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva nearly forgot to sign up in time for doubles at the Australian Open. The Russians were lucky they got in under the wire. On Friday, they rallied to beat the Italian duo of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 to win the women's doubles championship.

  • Sharapova vs. Azarenka for title, No. 1 (AP)

    27 Jan 2012 | 4:09 am
    After 25 Grand Slam tournaments, Victoria Azarenka is through to her first final. Maria Sharapova, her opponent in Saturday's Australian Open title decider, has been there five times before, and won three. That's all history from Azarenka's perspective. "It's no concern for me. I mean, I worked hard to be in this situation, so why stress about it?" Azarenka said Friday of...
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    Tennis Panorama

  • Azarenka Wins Australian Open and No. 1 Ranking Over Sharapova

    Tennis Panorama News
    28 Jan 2012 | 4:29 am
    MELBOURNE PARK, Australia – Third seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus overcame early match jitters to soundly defeat  fourth seed Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-0  to win her first Grand Slam title. Along with the win, Azarenka will rise to No.1 in the world as of Monday. Sharapova broke Azarenka in the opening game of the match and held for a 2-0 lead. After the Belarusian held for 1-2, she broke Sharapova at love to even the set at 2-2. Both women continued to hold until the 8th game when Azarenka broke serve and held to take the first set 6-3. Azarenka raised the level of her game with her…

  • Nadal’s Pre-Final News Conference at the Australian Open

    Tennis Panorama News
    28 Jan 2012 | 1:34 am
    Rafael Nadal had his pre-final interview at Melbourne Park on Saturday afternoon.  Here is the transcript courtesy of  AustralianOpen.com. Q.  How are you feeling after your session on court just now? RAFAEL NADAL:  Fine.  I practiced for two hours.  So having day off yesterday, today I felt with energy to practice a little bit more.  I felt that I needed to move well the body, to stay with rhythm. I did, and I am happy, no?  Enjoying these two days off.   Q.  Did you stay up late last night watching the match the other match? RAFAEL NADAL:  I watched the second set, beginning…

  • Australian Open 2012 – Day 13 Schedule

    Tennis Panorama News
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:13 am
    Australian Open 2012 Schedule for Day 13: Saturday 28 January 2012   Rod Laver Arena 1:00 PM Start Time 1. Junior Girls’ Singles – Finals Taylor Townsend (USA)[14] v. Yulia Putintseva (RUS)[4] 2. Junior Boys’ Singles – Finals Luke Saville (AUS)[1] v. Filip Peliwo (CAN) Not Before:7:30 PM 3. Women’s Singles – Finals Victoria Azarenka (BLR)[3] v. Maria Sharapova (RUS)[4] 4. Men’s Doubles – Finals Bob Bryan (USA)[1] v. Leander Paes (IND) Mike Bryan (USA)[1] Radek Stepanek (CZE)   Show Court 2 1:00 PM Start Time 1. Women’s Wheelchair…

  • Australian Open 2012 – Day 12 Results

    Tennis Panorama News
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:03 am
    AUSTRALIAN OPEN Melbourne, Australia January 16-29, 2012 $12,122,762/Grand Slam Hard/Outdoors Results –Friday,January 27, 2012 Women’s Doubles– Final Kuznetsova/Zvonareva (RUS/RUS) d. (11) Errani/Vinci (ITA/ITA) 57 64 63   Men’s Singles – Semifinal [1] N Djokovic (SRB) d [4] A Murray (GBR) 63 36 67(4) 61 75

  • Djokovic Survives Murray in Five Sets to Gain Third Australian Open Final

    Tennis Panorama News
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:04 am
    MELBOURNE PARK, Australia – World No. 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia fought off Scotland’s Andy Murray in five sets 6-3, 3-6, 6-7(4), 6-1, 7-5  in a semifinal on Friday night  which lasted into Saturday morning, to gain a berth in his third Australian Open final. The match lasted 4 hours and 50 minutes. Djokovic will take on Rafael Nadal for the title on Sunday. Djokovic appeared to have breathing problems and looked tired in his match with Murray. He was also having breathing issues in his quarterfinal match against David Ferrer. “I’ve seen doctor and I’ve talked…
 
 
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    Women's Tennis Blog

  • Azarenka or Sharapova, who will win the Melbourne final?

    Marija
    26 Jan 2012 | 8:02 pm
    Our lucrative and highly professional contributor, Omair, prepared an analysis of the last singles match in the women's draw at the Australian Open, the final between Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova. Enjoy the article and share your input in the comments! Australian Open women's championship match will see two "ria's" facing each other, each trying to outgrunt the other. It will be one of the noisiest women's finals Australian Open has ever had, since both Maria and Victoria shriek loudly. My advice to the people intending to go and watch the match would be…

  • Azarenka shows emotional maturity against Clijsters and advances to first Grand Slam final

    Marija
    26 Jan 2012 | 2:30 pm
    Having reviewed the semifinal between Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova, our guest poster Omair is now moving on to the analysis of Victoria Azarenka's 6-4 1-6 6-3 win over Kim Clijsters to reach her first Grand Slam final. Everyone had been criticizing the top players for their inconsistency and inability to dig deep through the tournament draws, but with the three of the top four seeds making it to the Australian Open final, along with Kim Clijsters, nobody can doubt the consistency of the top players now. None of us could have asked for a better semifinal line-up, and the semifinals…

  • Mighty fighter Sharapova dismisses new power tower Kvitova in Australian Open semis

    Marija
    26 Jan 2012 | 12:04 pm
    Omair, our favorite and most productive guest poster this Australian Open, is not slowing down and now he followed up his pre-match analysis of the semifinal between Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova with a post-match review of Sharapova's 6-2 3-6 6-4 victory. Both Kvitova and Sharapova took the Rod Laver Arena today knowing that they both had a lot on the line: the No.1 ranking and a spot in the championship match. Kvitova had an edge coming into the match, for it was Kvitova who beat Sharapova on Center Court at Wimbledon in the title match last year in straight sets. Sharapova had…

  • Petra Kvitova vs. Maria Sharapova semifinal pre-match analysis

    Marija
    25 Jan 2012 | 12:16 pm
    Our busy tennis fan and loyal contributor Omair has already provided us with a preview of the first Australian Open semifinal on the schedule, the one between Victoria Azarenka and Kim Clijsters, and now let's see Omair's preview of the semifinal clash between Petra Kvitova and Maria Sharapova. When Kvitova and Sharapova meet for their semifinal, a lot of things will be out there on the line. They are both aware that whoever emerges victorious out of this encounter will keep alive her hope of attaining the top spot. Whoever wins the Australian Open other than Kim Clijsters will be…

  • Australian Open: Azarenka vs. Clijsters semifinal preview

    Marija
    25 Jan 2012 | 11:45 am
    Semifinals are set at the Australian Open and the first one on schedule is Victoria Azarenka vs. Kim Clijsters. Our favorite stats analyst, Omair, was so grateful to provide us with his previews of both the semifinal encounters. Let's  start with the Azarenka vs. Clijsters one. Azarenka comes into this match knowing that she is one of the two players who have beaten Clijsters twice since she came out of retirement, the other player being Vera Zvonareva, if I am not wrong. Azarenka comes into this match knowing that she won her last match against Clijsters, in straight sets. She comes…
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    Craig Hickman's Tennis Blog

  • Australian Open 2012: Women's Final Preview

    27 Jan 2012 | 1:53 pm
    Maria Sharapova RUS (4) vs. Victoria Azarenka BLR (3).  by Mad Professah, contributing writer Here is my prediction for the 2012 Australian Open women's final and reviews of the semifinals. I previously correctly predicted 4 of 4 women's quarterfinals and 2 of 2 women's semifinals this year. On the men's side I correctly predicted 4 of 4 men's quarterfinals and 1 of 2 men's semifinals this year. How Did They Get Here? M. Sharapova RUS d. P. Kvitova CZE 6-2 3-6 6-4. This was a repeat of the 2011 Wimbledon final where…

  • Australian Open 2012: Men's Semifinals Preview

    25 Jan 2012 | 6:33 pm
    by Mad Professah, contributing writer Here are my predictions for the Men's Semifinals at the 2012 Australian Open. My predictions for the Women's Semifinals are also available. This year I previously predicted 4 of 4 women's quarterfinals correctly and predicted 4 of 4 men's quarterfinals correctly. Novak Djokovic SRB (1) vs  Andy Murray GBR (4). The World #1 and defending Australian Open champion re-asserted his dominance over the rest of the field by dismissing World #5 David Ferrer in ruthless…

  • Australian Open 2012: Women's Semifinals Preview

    25 Jan 2012 | 5:41 pm
    by Mad Professah, contributing writerHere are my predictions for the Women's Semifinals at the 2012 Australian Open.This year I previously predicted 4 of 4 women's quarterfinals correctly and predicted 4 of 4 men's quarterfinals correctly.Victoria Azarenka BLR (3) vs. Kim Clijsters BEL (11). The most surprising aspect of the women's quarterfinals results were when 4-time major champion from Belgium beat World #1 Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets many media outlets called it "an upset." Kim Clijsters has never lost a match to Wozniacki (only played three times) and anyone who appreciates…

  • Australian Open 2012: Men's Quarterfinals Preview

    23 Jan 2012 | 8:29 pm
    by Mad Professah, contributing writer Novak Djokovic SRB (1) vs David Ferrer ESP (5). The World #1 demonstrated that he is not perfect after all by dropping a set for the first time in the tournament against former World #1 and 2-time major champion Lleyton Hewitt in the previous round. That does not bode well for his quarterfinal match up with David "The Beast" Ferrer who basically is Hewitt 2.0 with more stamina and greater power on both wings. However the Spaniard will not have the huge audience support from the Melbourne crowd that nearly…

  • Australian Open 2012: Women's Quarterfinals Preview

    23 Jan 2012 | 6:46 pm
    by Mad Professah, contributing writerCarolina Wozniacki DEN (1) vs. Kim Clijsters BEL (11). "Don't call it a Kimback, she's been here fr years!" Defending champion Clijsters survived 4 consecutive match points against 2011 Australian open finalist Li Na and somehow, miraculously was able to gut out the middle set and (mostly) ran away with the third set to complete one of the most amazing comebacks of recent years. Wozniacki has had a pretty uneventful run to the quarterfinals and dispatched the only other former No. 1 player to not win a major title (No. 11 seed Jelena Jankovic) surprisingly…
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    Pro Tennis Fan

  • Australian Open Men's Preview

    Mike
    14 Jan 2012 | 3:25 pm
    By Mike McIntyre The Dark Horse: Kei Nishikori gets my pick as the potential dark-horse of the 2012 Australian Open. The just-turned 22 year old is ranked 26th in the world at the moment and has seen his fortunes quickly rise over the past year. In 2011 Nishikori had wins over Mardy Fish, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and most impressively, Novak Djokovic towards the end of October in Basel. This week at the Kooyong Classic he stepped in as a replacement for Milos Raonic and scored impressive wins over Tsonga again as well as Andy Roddick. Nishikori has a good draw with no troublesome opponents in the…

  • Australian Open Main Draw

    Mike
    12 Jan 2012 | 9:14 pm
    The Aussie Open main draw was just released. Here's the link from the official website. Novak Djokovic gets Andy Murray in his half, while Rafael Nadal gets Roger Federer and Juan Martin Del Potro in his. Check back soon for a full draw analysis.

  • Australian Open Qualifying Draws Revealed

    Mike
    10 Jan 2012 | 9:13 pm
    By Mike McIntyre The qualifying draw for the men has been revealed in Melbourne. Go Soeda from Japan is the number one seed and is fresh off his semi-final performance in Chennai. American veteran Robby Ginepri is unseeded and also in the top section of the draw. Canadian Peter Polansky can be found in there as well for all you Canuck tennis fans. In the second quadrant we have Igor Andreev who is seeded fifth. Here's a guy I always though could achieve more but as he approaches thirty is seemingly on the downward side of a mediocre career. Another Canadian, Vasek Pospisil is in this part…

  • Around The Corner: Sydney, Auckland and the Kooyong Classic

    Mike
    7 Jan 2012 | 12:30 pm
     By Mike McIntyre With just over a week until the start of the Australian Open, there is little time to tinker with one's game for the first Grand Slam of the year. While the top four players in the world will be taking the week to rest themselves in anticipation for a deep-run in Melbourne, there are plenty of other of the game's great players who are in action. The ATP has two tournaments, one in Sydney and another in Auckland, while the Kooyong Classic exhibition will boast a strong field as well. Here's a closer look at what tennis fans can expect. Apia Sydney…

  • Federer Speaks About Back Injury in Qatar

    Mike
    7 Jan 2012 | 6:37 am
    Here is the link to the Roger Federer press conference on Friday January 6th where he discusses his reasons for pulling out of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open due to a back injury. The world No. 3 withdrew after sustaining the injury in his second round match against Grega Zemlja and it got worse during his quarter final victory against Andreas Seppi. Federer was scheduled to play against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semi finals which would have surely been a high-level match. Instead Tsonga played a one-set exhibition match against former six-time Grand Slam champion Stefan Edgerg. Federer is not…
 
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    Tennis Talk, Anyone?

  • Azarenka vs. Sharapova: a matchup for the ages (I hope)

    Tennis Talk, Anyone?
    27 Jan 2012 | 10:17 pm
    Yeah, I think this women's final is going to be a good one. Could be a great one, as a matter of fact--at least that's what I'm hoping for!You see, I love Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka: Not in the literal sense, but as far as watching those two play, it doesn't get much better in the women's game. There really isn't much grace to their games: It's all about hit hard, then hit harder, for the most part. It's just that they radiate competitiveness, mixed in with some feistiness--a lot of that, in fact! I always feel that there's no place or no situation they'd rather be in than what…

  • Now it's Andy Murray's turn

    Tennis Talk, Anyone?
    26 Jan 2012 | 1:25 pm
    First of all, congratulations to Rafael Nadal for making it to the men's final with his four-set win over Roger Federer. It was a good match that--not to be too cliche--really could've gone either way.Now we're hours away from the second men's semifinal featuring defending champ Novak Djokovic and last year's finalist Andy Murray. As you may or may not recall, Murray was my pick to win the title this year over Rafa. Djokovic has been playing quite well, but then again, so has Murray. I'm sticking with the Andy call.Why, you might ask? (Which is something I might even be asking myself!)Well,…

  • If Roger Federer wins, consider me a believer

    Tennis Talk, Anyone?
    25 Jan 2012 | 3:41 pm
    Here we go again: On the cusp of another Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal battle, this time in the semifinals of the Australian Open.They've both been very impressive this tournament with only one set dropped between them up to this point. Federer has been particularly devastating, blowing out Juan Martin del Potro and Bernard Tomic (future Aussie champs?) like candles on a birthday cake.That only seems to be par for the course with the way he's been playing the past few months: his only loss in tournament play for ages, it seems, coming when he had to withdraw from the tournament in Doha.Still, I…

  • Still on track? Well, kinda...

    Tennis Talk, Anyone?
    23 Jan 2012 | 1:12 pm
    And just when I thought my picks for the tournament were looking so good!Tough result for Serena Williams, the TTA? 2012 Australian Open champion. I don't know what to make of it; she didn't play her best, but supposedly Serena at 75 percent should win that match. Actually, let me clarify that statement: Serena "of old" at 75 percent...The game's just not that easy for her anymore, and I don't know if that's a testament to the women's game right now or how she goes about her preparation. More match play is needed at this point in her career. And I think it's hard to say how much her ankle…

  • Will Tomic have his Federer moment?

    Tennis Talk, Anyone?
    20 Jan 2012 | 10:17 pm
    You know, it always happens: Young guys touted for greatness making a big statement at a Major by knocking off one of their idols.Australian Bernard Tomic is on the verge of getting an opportunity to do that as he's set to face none other than Roger Federer in the fourth round. I'll be the first to admit, I didn't see Tomic doing as well as he has--"Challenge-gate" aside--here at the Aussie. I actually thought Fernando Verdasco would've gotten him. Or Sam Querrey. Or Alexandr Dolgopolov! But they obviously didn't and here he is, with a chance to do something big.And if he wanted to feel…
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    ZooTennis

  • Townsend Reaches Australian Singles Final, Wins Doubles; Historic Day for USA at Les Petits As; ITA Kickoff Weekend Underway

    Colette Lewis
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:52 pm
    Taylor Townsend defeated Krista Hardebeck Friday 7-6(3), 6-4 to advance to the final of the Australian Open junior championships, where she will play No. 4 seed Yulia Putintseva of Russia. Townsend, the No. 14 seed, is playing in just her second junior slam (although she did play the US Open junior qualifying, losing in the first round, in 2010), while Putintseva is competing in her eighth.The two met in the semifinals of the Eddie Herr last month, and here is my account of that three-hour battle. Putintseva has the advantage in experience, being more than a year older, but she won't take…

  • Hardebeck, Townsend and McDonald Reach Australian Open Junior Semifinals; Quartet of US Boys in Les Petits As Quarterfinals

    Colette Lewis
    26 Jan 2012 | 4:14 pm
    Americans have been notably absent from the second week of the Australian Open in the men's and women's draws, but the juniors have more than made up for that, with three Americans in the singles semifinals and a doubles team in the final.Unseeded Krista Hardebeck beat World No. 1 and top seed Irina Khromacheva of Russia 6-3, 6-3 Thursday to claim her first junior slam semifinal berth. Hardebeck has not lost a set in Australia, winning the Grade 1 in Traralgon last week as a qualifier, thereby earning a special exemption into the main draw in Melbourne.Hardebeck's semifinal opponent will be…

  • USA Today's Robson Looks at Lost Generation of American Tennis Players; Capra in College Spotlight; Men's Recruiting Class Rankings

    Colette Lewis
    25 Jan 2012 | 4:09 pm
    Doug Robson has written an excellent article for USA Today about what happened to the young American men, born in 1986 or 1987, who decided to turn pro rather than go to college. Dubbing them the "Lost Generation," Robson talks with Brendan Evans, Scott Oudsema, Phillip Simmonds and Alex Kuznetsov, who signed with sports management agencies and went out on the pro tour.Back in 2004, I wrote a similar piece, although it focused on Oudsema, who is from Kalamazoo, where I live. Reading it again, I'm struck by how certain everyone was that Oudsema was making the right choice, that he would be a…

  • Six US Players Aim for Australian Open Junior Quarterfinals; Frenkel Upsets No. 2 Seed at Les Petits As

    Colette Lewis
    24 Jan 2012 | 4:33 pm
    I've returned to Michigan from South Florida and after two days at Pro Circuit events and three days covering the USTA Level 3 Plaza Cup, it's time to catch up on what's happening in the two junior "majors" this week: the Australian Open and Les Petits As.In Melbourne, six Americans--five girls and one boy--have reached the round of 16 and play Wednesday(Tuesday night in the US) for a place in the quarterfinals.Qualifier Mackenzie McDonald, pictured above, plays No. 6 seed Andrew Harris of Australia in the third round. The 16-year-old McDonald had an easy 6-2, 6-1 win over Mathias Bourgue of…

  • Unseeded Wiersholm and Daniel Surprise Seeds to Take Tennis Plaza Cup Titles in Boys 18s and Girls 14s; Thirouin Claims Boys 14s Title

    Colette Lewis
    23 Jan 2012 | 4:03 pm
    ©Colette Lewis 2012--Coral Gables, FL--Fourteen-year-old Henrik Wiersholm went from second alternate to champion, winning the Tennis Plaza Cup boys 18s title Monday morning with a convincing 6-0, 6-1 victory over No. 2 seed Ognjen Samardzic.Wiersholm dominated the championship match from the outset on a warm and breezy morning at Salvadore Park, even though the Pacific Northwest native plays and trains more often on indoor hard courts than the Har-Tru court surface of this tournament. "I've never had very good results on clay," said Wiersholm, who has just begun living and training at the…
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    Tennis With Attitude

  • AO: More ramblings from my couch

    Naf
    22 Jan 2012 | 10:18 am
    ... Tomas Berdych is a pu--, er, pansy (for the family readers. See what I do for people who might not exist?). What is he, 6 foot 8, and a little tennis ball to his arm hurts his feelings? Geez. Here's hoping he never plays the doubles.... Victoria Azarenka should stop doing the No. 1 symbol after her matches until she can serve out a match in a game with fewer than 12 deuces.

  • AO: Observations from my couch

    Naf
    19 Jan 2012 | 9:38 pm
    1. Marcos Baghdatis was fined $600 for smashing four racquets during his match against Stan Wawrinka. Good. It's about time the powers that be paid more attention to racquet rights. 2. I had David Nalbandian beating Sam Querrey in my bracket, and if it weren't for that umpire pulling rank on a suspect overrule (and subsequent refusal to let Nalbandian challenge the call), it might have been right. He got screwed! Two questions arise here: (a) Do you think that umpires sometimes just don't like certain players and it affects the decisions they make? (b) If one of the Big Four had waited that…

  • Who's in?

    Naf
    14 Jan 2012 | 2:01 pm
    Here are my Racquet Bracket picks. We all know I'm right, but I wouldn't discourage anyone from trying to top me ...Preview coming soon.Hi,I submitted my picks into the Naf's Racquet Bracket :: Australian Open ATP contest.Check out my picks here: http://www.tourneytopia.com/RacquetBracketAussieOpenATP/NafTWA/pool/EntryPicks.aspx?EntryId=264313&InviteLink=true.You should get in this contest. Submit your picks here: http://www.tourneytopia.com/RacquetBracketAussieOpenATP/NafTWA/default.aspx. The deadline to enter is 1/15/2012 7:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.Naf VHi,I submitted my picks into the…

  • Another TWA bright idea!

    Naf
    13 Jan 2012 | 8:30 am
    Hey, who wants to take me on in a Racquet Bracket faceoff on the Tennis Channel's website? Any ideas for a prize for the winner? That won't cost me a lot of money?? Anyone interested??? Any reason I keep adding question marks???? Details coming ...

  • It's a (tournament) wrap!

    Naf
    9 Jan 2012 | 8:12 am
    The first week of 2012 promised great talent at big warmup tournaments. Let's check in on a couple of tournaments to see how that went:Brisbane International top seeds1. Sam Stosur: Er, injured. Diagnosed Tuesday with Grand Slam Letdown Disorder, or better known as Na Li Syndrome2. Andrea Petkovic: Quarterfinals, and nursing a "minor" back injury ***BREAKING NEWS*** Petkovic is out of the Australian Open with a back injury and bitterness over having to put the kibosh on her victory dance. 3. Francesca Schiavone: Semifinals4. Serena Williams: Left ankle sprain5. Kim Clijsters: Left hip…
 
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    Tennis Now News

  • Kvitova Misses Her Mark, But Still Aiming Higher

    27 Jan 2012 | 5:29 am
    By Chris Oddo                         Photo Credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve With her long, braided ponytail whipping through the air, Petra Kvitova comes to rest on the balls of her feet after striking a serve, awaiting a return from her opponent that doesn’t always come, ready to swat the next ball into oblivion if it does. Kvitova, a raw and imposing talent, has a loud game that contrasts her shy demeanor off the court. On the outside she seems unsure of herself,…

  • Rethinking Federer-Nadal: Roger’s Backhand Puts Him at a Major Disadvantage

    27 Jan 2012 | 5:26 am
    By Chris Oddo                         Photo Credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve “If I go up to the net, I hit to his backhand,” writes Rafael Nadal of his strategy for playing Roger Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final, in his book, Rafa. “Not to his drive, his strongest shot. Losing your concentration means going to the net and hitting the ball to his forehand, or omitting in a rush of blood to serve to his backhand – always to his backhand – or going…

  • Wordplay: The Best Aussie Open Quotes of Day 12

    27 Jan 2012 | 5:16 am
    By Chris Oddo                                                   Photo Credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve Also see: Day 1 Quotes Day 3 Quotes Day 4 Quotes Day 5 Quotes Day 6 Quotes Day 7 Quotes Day 8 Quotes Day 9 Quotes Day 10 Quotes Day 11 Quotes     “Well, what do you think?” – Svetlana Kuznetsova, 2012 Australian Open…

  • Djokovic Fights His Way Into Final Over Mercurial Murray

    27 Jan 2012 | 3:35 am
    By Robert Martin Photo Credit: Mark Peterson / Corleve   (January 27, 2012) The men’s final in Melbourne has been decided following the 4 hour 46 minute clash of the 2011 final between Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. In a much more spirited performance, Murray threw everything he could at the World No. 1, but in the end, it was Djokovic who will move on to defend his title with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 7-5 victory. Not wanting to repeat his dismal performance in last year’s final, Murray played a more aggressive style of tennis, likely a product of his new coaching…

  • Azarenka & Sharapova Sound Off In AO Final

    27 Jan 2012 | 1:03 am
    By Erik Gudris                                         Photo Credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve (January 26, 2012) “I’ll be back on a second Saturday. You’ll see.” - - Maria Sharapova after her first round loss at the 2010 Australian Open.   When Sharapova said that two years ago after her shocking upset to Maria Kirilenko, we should have known Sharapova would make good on her promise even though for…
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    Tennis Now - Blog RSS

  • Marcos Baghdatis Angry! Marcos Baghdatis Smash!

    18 Jan 2012 | 6:45 pm
     Don't make Marcos angry ... you won't like him when he's angryIn case you didn't stay up late / get up early to see Marcos Baghdatis take on Stanislas Wawrinka on Wednesday, you missed a sideline performance that was half John McEnroe, half Bruce Banner. During his 7-6, 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 loss to Stanislas Wawrinka, Baghdatis let his temper get the best of him and smashed four straight racquets while seated during a change over. Check out the video below and see if you prefer Baghdatis' destructive form to this backhand.  

  • Australian Open, Day 2: Three to See

    16 Jan 2012 | 12:39 pm
    Chris Oddo breaks down the three upcoming matches that you need to see!Here are three of what promise to be many must-see matches at the Australian Open today. 1. Andy Murray-Ryan Harrison, 3rd match Hisense Arena   Andy Murray’s quest to become the first British man to win a Grand Slam since 1936 continues this week in Melbourne, with a new wrinkle and some high expectations. The three-time Grand Slam finalist has added eight-time Grand Slam winner Ivan Lendl to his coaching box, and the hope is that the union will provide Murray with the impetus to take the next step. Meanwhile,…

  • Australian Open, Day 1: My Favorite Things

    16 Jan 2012 | 8:38 am
    Join us each day throughout the Australian Open as we reflect on the moments that made the day special in Melbourne.. Blog by: Chris Oddo                                  Photo Credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve 1. Gin and Tomic – Shortly after ESPN’s Brad Gilbert christened his new nickname for Bernard Tomic, the 19-year-old Aussie turned a lot of doubters into believers when he snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Spaniard Fernando Verdasco. The crafty, soft-balling Tomic…

  • Fearless Australian Open Predictions: Andy Murray and Maria Sharapova to Win it All

    16 Jan 2012 | 7:10 am
     I'm counting on you, Ivan Lendl!Now granted, the Australian Open started yesterday if you’re a State-sider like me, but considering that there almost no first-round upsets and given the fact that we’ve had dehumidifiers and fans running 24 hours a day in our home by way of a rusty nail in the water line, I think I merit a free pass on some tardy predictions. So even as I type that I believe Andy Murray will win the men’s singles title at the Australian Open, I find myself thinking back over the past 18 months, and how I would have asked if I had lost a bet or somehow…

  • Lifestyles of Tennis' Rich & Famous

    15 Jan 2012 | 3:52 pm
    Now we just need a property tax websiteTennis players make more money than you. It's just a fact. Don't worry, they make more money than I do too. In fact, any competitor who makes it to the fourth round during the next fortnight's Australian Open will pick up a check vastly superior to my yearly salary. And while none of us are ever going to enjoy the life of luxury that our favorite tennis players do, we can at least take a sneak peak into what they're doing with all that money courtesey of the slick website Virtual Globetrotting, which combines the best of Google, Bing and Yahoo Maps with…
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    Down the Line: raw + uncut

  • PHOTO OP: We found love in a hopeless place

    RiCH
    27 Jan 2012 | 9:19 pm
    "One day it'll be yours. No, not me silly."  If that's the consolation prize, sign me up. [Photo(s) credit: Pool/aaron Favila/AFP/Getty Images]

  • FASHION FIX: It's short but not so sweet

    RiCH
    26 Jan 2012 | 10:12 pm
    I know, I know. Everyone's talking about the shriekfest of a final we're all going to endure between former champ Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka tomorrow at the Australian Open. It's been fodder for the tennis media and bloggeratti so there's no need for me to add to the noise. But, people, there's something more sinister going on besides the idea of the shriek as gamesmanship (c'mon girls, you're losing the PR battle here). What I find most disturbing does involve Vika, but it's not what's coming out of her mouth, at least not this time. It's what's on her ass: The BOOM BOOMS. There,…

  • VIDEO VAULT: Thank you, Wilson

    RiCH
    24 Jan 2012 | 9:15 pm
    Most tennis commercials for pretty much anything make me want to turn the channel. Actually, they work pretty well as white noise for bedtime (counting sheep just doesn't cut it anymore - boo). They bore me to whatever is worse than tears. But after catching these commercials by Wilson for their Juice & Steam racquets--in particular this one starring first-time major quarterfinalist Kei Nishikori--during some of Tennis Channel's Australian Open coverage, I felt a strange sensation building inside my belly. No, not gas. It was a giggle. A loud and true giggle. I cracked up at a tennis…

  • PHOTO OP: Tomas Berdych is all wet

    RiCH
    23 Jan 2012 | 6:32 pm
    "So, how long can you hold your breath under water? Just curious..." I know you're just dying to see the rest of Tomas Berdych taking a swim during a break from the Australian Open. More pics after the jump - click the headline. P.S. If I had my way around the marketing of tennis, you know this would be my strategy. All. The. Time. [Photo(s) credit: AFP PHOTO / POOL / FIONA HAMILTON]

  • Melbourne from the middle

    RiCH
    22 Jan 2012 | 4:44 pm
    Ahhh, what a great off-season. And, no, it didn't involve giddily dipping a dance girl on a tennis court. That's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and not one of my vacay pics. In case you were confused. Because it happens. Sometimes. Anyway, I’ve been away for a bit and missed the season-opening tourneys and the first week of the Australian Open. But there was a silver lining. You got to see Rafael Nadal’s ass grab for about two months. No harm there. Life has been busy. My full-time gig is going well but there’s bigger news: I’m getting married! Married? Yes, married. Married?? Yes, MARRIED! 2012…
 
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    Women Who Serve

  • Townsend wins Australian Open junior girls championship

    Diane
    28 Jan 2012 | 1:01 am
    15-year-old Taylor Townsend of the USA won the Australian Open junior girls title today, defeating 4th seed Yulia Putintseva 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. Townsend and her partner, Gabrielle Andrews, won the doubles title yesterday, with a victory over the top seeds.The first set was as one-sided as it appears in the scoreline, but Putintseva picked up her game and became more aggressive in the second set. It wasn't really until the third set, though, that the players had settled down enough to show off some of their better skills. Townsend played aggressively, coming to the net 29 times, and she served…

  • Vergeer wins 9th Australian Open title

    Diane
    28 Jan 2012 | 12:20 am
    What do you do if you've been on a 443-match win streak? If you're Esther Vergeer, you make it 444 by winning the Australian Open women's wheelchair championship, defeating your opponent 6-0, 6-0. Vergeer has won the last 20 majors in which she's competed. In today's final, she beat Aniek Van Koot in 47 minutes.Some of you may recall that Vergeer's former doubles partner (and her main competition in singles), Korie Homan, stopped playing some time ago because of a wrist injury, and that she presumably left the sport. It's now confirmed that Homan has retired because her injury was…

  • Kuznetsova and Zvonareva win Australian Open doubles title

    Diane
    27 Jan 2012 | 9:42 am
    Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva became the first all-Russian team to win a major doubles title yesterday when they defeated Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci in the Australian Open final. The Russian team beat the Italian team 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. Errani and Vincie are, of course, known for their exciting Fed Cup victories.Kuznetsova won the Australian title in 2005 with Alicia Molik. This is Zvonareva's first Australian Open title; she won the U.S. Open doubles title in 2006 with Nathalie Dechy.In the third round, Kuznetsova and Zvonareva took out top seeds Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta in a…

  • Australian Open--what they said

    Diane
    27 Jan 2012 | 9:08 am
    If you win tomorrow you'll take your first Grand Slam title and become world number 1. Are you ready for the pressure and the responsibility that brings?You guys love doing that, huh? You know, let's talk about it tomorrow. Then I'll tell you my feelings, okay? Fair enough?I'll ask you tomorrow.Thank you.Victoria Azarenka...there will be fierce stares across the net and Sharapova will play with all the obvious joy of someone facing a tax audit.Lynn ZinserIs the Olympics a possibility?I don't know. Everyone is keep asking us this question. But, you know, when we're sign in to…

  • Friday cat blogging--crashed out edition

    Diane
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:35 am
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    GOTOTENNIS

  • FLASHBACK CITY: NADAL TRUMPS FEDERER IN ANOTHER GREAT MATCH

    freakyfrites
    26 Jan 2012 | 6:39 am
    AP Photo/Andrew Brownbill via Daylife Ahhhhh. . . .for the first few games it was all so sweet for Fed fans. Roger was playing flawless tennis. Rafa was shanking, playing a bit tentatively. Then, at 4-2 up, Roger hit a few funny shots – netted a volley, hit an inside in forehand a bit wide, [...]

  • AUSSIE OPEN FINALS/SEMIFINALS: BRING IT ON!

    freakyfrites
    26 Jan 2012 | 2:39 am
    GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images via Daylife We just watched the women semifinalists play six sets of nervy, dramatic, up and down tennis. Sharapova finally took the match from Petra Kvitova, overcoming the usual double faults and streaky tennis to get to that final victory shriek. As a late-blooming Masha fan (love the clenched fist, love the [...]

  • VIDEO: ROGER FEDERER AND ROD LAVER ESPN INTERVIEW

    freakyfritters
    25 Jan 2012 | 4:06 pm
    For all those who missed this endearing ESPN video interview with Rod Laver and Roger Federer. Unfortunately the audio cuts out at the end. but you get the point. Enjoy!

  • ROGER FEDERER POST DEL POTRO MATCH INTERVIEW

    freakyfrites
    24 Jan 2012 | 3:47 am
    Wow! Roger played a spectacular quarterfinal match vs. Juan Martin Del Potro in Melbourne. It was billed as a dogfight and instead we got a ballet. How fitting that Federer played his 1000th match (winning his 2000th set in the process) on his own high falootin’ terms. It’s 2:15am where I am and we’re still [...]

  • 2012 AUSTRALIAN OPEN QUARTERFINALS SET

    freakyfrites
    23 Jan 2012 | 11:17 am
    Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images via Daylife It’s been a dramatic few days in Melbourne, topped off yesterday with some big upsets. A few random thoughts and feelings: A second week without Serena and Jo-Wilfried? As the crowd watching Almagro vs. Berdych (the jerk) would say: Boooo!  (Though huge props to Kei Nishikori for becoming [...]
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    Grand Slam Professional Tennis Predictions and Picks by Nick Bollettieri. US Open, French Open, Wimbledon, Australian Open

  • 2012 Australian Open – Women’s Final Prediction and Breakdown

    Nick's Picks
    26 Jan 2012 | 12:35 pm
    Maria Sharapova vs. Victoria Azarenka This is definitely going to be one of the louder finals you have ever heard! Both women grunt and both are known to shriek so I suggest your purchase a set of earplugs and sit back to watch a battle with a ton on the line. The winner not only receives $2.3 million dollars, but also the title and the #1 ranking in the world! Let’s breakdown each player… Maria Sharapova I am very familiar and friendly with the Sharapova family as Maria has been a part of the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy since she was 9 years old. Looking back to her early…

  • 2012 Australian Open – Semifinals Picks

    Nick's Picks
    25 Jan 2012 | 3:40 pm
    Men Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. Andy Murray (GBR) – I have watched both players throughout this tournament and sum up my opinions of both in a few short sentences. Djokovic will stand close to the baseline and move Murray in all directions. He will get several quick points from his serve and will put a ton of pressure on Murray’s serve. He feels confident and this will play an important role on the outcome of this match. Murray will stand a few feet behind the baseline, will get to every ball, his serve has improved and Lendl has helped him maintain his focus. Djokovic will not…

  • 2012 Australian Open – Quarterfinals Picks and Thoughts

    Nick's Picks
    23 Jan 2012 | 4:46 pm
    Men Roger Federer (SUI) vs. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) – Their will be no surprises between these two as they know each other’s game very well. Del Potro has a sonic serve, a big icker second serve, a very aggressive, flat forehand, an excellent two-handed backhand, and moves really well for a big guy. On the other side, you know what Federer does. He moves around the court like Ali glided over the boxing ring, his grounstrokes are fantastic and he can place his serve anywhere. We are all thrilled to have Del Potro back and playing good tennis again, but Federer will not be…

  • 2012 Australian Open – Round 4 Picks and Thoughts

    Nick's Picks
    20 Jan 2012 | 1:22 pm
    Some great matches in the fourth round and here are a few that caught my eye… Men Roger Federer (SUI) vs. Bernard Tomic (AUS) - It is impossible to find the words that describe how good Roger Federer has been throughout his illustrious career. To me, the question is: What can’t he do?? His versatility is astounding and it drives his opponents crazy because they are thinking more about him than their own game. Federer is able to read the ball and know exactly where it will bounce and whether it is hit flat or with spin and the height/direction. His finishing shots are some of the…

  • 2012 Australian Open – 3rd Round Picks and Thoughts

    Nick's Picks
    19 Jan 2012 | 7:56 am
    The third round is upon us and with each passing round the matches just get more interesting. The top guys really haven’t been tested yet so I will be keeping a close eye on all of them in this round to see how they fair against better opponents. Well, let’s get into the picks… Men Ivo Karlovic (CRO) vs. Roger Federer (SUI) – When you play Mr. Karlovic you must know going in that he has some big weapons, but he also has some areas that are very attackable. His serve is like a rocket coming at you and he can also hit a big, kicking second serve as well. His forehand is…
 
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    Tennis-tips-tactics

  • Consistency And Depth Of Groundstrokes

    The Tennis Doctor
    21 Jan 2012 | 6:29 pm
    This is the second post commenting on the 2011 US Hardcourt National Championship that was won by Larry Turville in the 60 year old category.And, as I mentioned in the previous post, Larry was also the 2010 world champion in the 60's.If you haven't read the previous post here are the links to the finals: 2011 US Hard Court Tennis Championships Part 12011 US Hard Court Tennis Championships part 2These clips were put up on Youtube by Brent Abel atwebtennis.netWhat you'll notice is how little Larry has to move to cover most of the court. But, watch very closely at the little steps he takes after…

  • Have You Ever Wondered How Good The World's Number One 60 Year Old Is?

    The Tennis Doctor
    27 Dec 2011 | 3:27 pm
    Ok, this post may not be for any younger players who still want to play every shot like Federer and be known as Rog the Second at the club.But, if you've ever watched high level competition in the 55's and over, the game shifts from being a primarily physical battle to one of tactics, placement, endurance, and smarts.The game is still physical, but you see less jumping on the groundstrokes ( if you see any), and less running around the backhand for example.So, to get the conversation started, here is a link to the beginning of the 2011 US hardcourt finals in the men's 60 year old division.The…

  • Rediscovering The Slice Serve

    The Tennis Doctor
    27 Nov 2011 | 3:45 pm
    A big win for me last week at my club!I played the number one player on the club's ladder, someone who I haven't beaten in a few years.As usual, I'm giving up about 20 years and these younger bucks tend to have two handed backhands and good returns off the backhand side.Of course, this is a problem for me as my favorite weapon is the big serve to the backhand side, hoping for a winner or at least a weak return.What's been happening the last few years is that guys have been standing way back to return my serve similar to the way clay courters like Nadal return. And, unless you can hit the…

  • Staying Observant During A Match

    The Tennis Doctor
    12 Oct 2011 | 7:59 pm
    Sometimes, you just have to be observant during a match.Usually, when I play someone with a big forehand and a less powerful backhand, I'll tend to serve to the backhand and avoid the forehand.But, I would say that there are many players, especially those with two handed backhands, who have more technically efficient returns on the backhand side.So, although they may generate more power on the forehand side with a much bigger loop, they actually may make more errors.In a recent match, I was playing one of those tall, young guys with a big semiwestern forehand and a two handed backhand --the…

  • Playing Like an Ex-Davis Cupper

    The Tennis Doctor
    31 Jul 2011 | 9:40 am
    It gets harder and harder to be an attack player as one gets older, in my opinion. Of course, it's also harder to be a baseline retriever as one gets older.In general, it's gets harder to win matches when you play younger and faster opponents, especially on clay.Of course, you could choose younger opponents who are hopelessly slow and out of shape, but I don't come across too many of those at my club and in tournaments.What to do when you aren't the younger and faster player?I've been able to observe some of the tricks of high level super senior players ( ex- davis cup level) and I've also…
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    Tennisinfoblog.com

  • Why Maria Sharapova is so popular with fans and sponsors

    Nina
    26 Jan 2012 | 1:37 am
    Bleacher Reporter has an article discussing why Russia’s Maria Sharapova is so popular with fans.  Sharapova has been consistently ranked as one of the most searched atheletes online. The article gives four major explanations with which I mostly agree. I have added the fifth reason  to explain mostly her popularity with sponsors: 1) Sex appeal. No comment here. Whether we agree or don’t, like or don’t like. Sex sells. Period.) 2) Successful tennis career. With three grand slams, 24 WTA titles and $16 million in prize-money, Sharapova continues to be a top-5 player. She is…

  • Australian Open: Maria Sharapova interview

    Nina
    25 Jan 2012 | 5:05 pm
    In this interview Maria Sharapova talks about how she feels going up against Petra Kvitova in the next semi-final match. Q.  How do you feel going up against Kvitova in the next match?MARIA SHARAPOVA:  It will certainly be tough.  I’ve lost to her the last couple of times ? obviously the big one in Wimbledon where she played really well.  I think she’s the one to beat right now, playing the best tennis in her career.  Coming off of so many wins last year, I’m looking forward to the matchup.  I don’t like losing so many times in a row.  So I’ll certainly be…

  • Australian Open: David Nalbandian’s interview

    Nina
    18 Jan 2012 | 4:34 pm
    Oh David… David…David Nalbandian lost to John Isner today 4-6, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(5), 10-8 at the 2012 Australian Open. The match was full of drama and controversy.  Here is a nice summery of what happened. And here is David’s post-match interview: Q.  It’s never nice to lose in very controversial circumstances, but clearly it was a pretty dispiriting end to the match for you. DAVID NALBANDIAN:  Yeah.  Q.  What do you make of the umpire’s decision in that 8All point? DAVID NALBANDIAN:  I asked for HawkEye and he make an overrule.  Because the lineman call…

  • Watch Australian Open Live and FREE

    Nina
    18 Jan 2012 | 1:00 am
    If for some reason you have no access to a TV channel that broadcasts the Australian Open 2012, try to find a live online free channel on this site. Enjoy the show:-)

  • Marat Safin at work in Duma

    Nina
    12 Jan 2012 | 4:58 am
    The most handsome parliamentarian or what!!!!!??? Yes, his name is Marat Safin. (Photo: Tribune de Geneve)
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    grandslamtennistours.com

  • 2012 Australian Open Finals Preview

    jeremy
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:04 pm
    Ok folks…I’ll be completely honest, it’s nearly impossible for me not to think of the upcoming Superbowl, but I’ll do my best to put those feelings aside and focus on the matches this weekend. Both of which should be pretty … Continue reading →

  • Australian Open Links

    jeremy
    20 Jan 2012 | 1:44 pm
    I have a confession to make: I’m getting old. So old in fact that it’s hard for me to make it past 11pm most nights, meaning of course that it makes it extremely difficult to partake in too much Australian … Continue reading →

  • 2012 Australian Open Preview

    jeremy
    13 Jan 2012 | 10:18 am
    So, I face a bit of a conundrum with this blog. Most weeks, Friday is the only day where I have enough time to write. Stupid things like google adword campaigns, emails, banner ads, and social media get in the … Continue reading →

  • 2012 ATP & WTA Tennis Preview

    jeremy
    6 Jan 2012 | 12:58 pm
    Happy New Year everyone! I’m just going to throw a bunch of random thoughts that I have in my head regarding the 2012 tennis season at you. Just know that I don’t really like writing, but it’s such a big … Continue reading →

  • Friday Tennis Links Round 2

    jeremy
    16 Dec 2011 | 3:14 pm
    Ok folks, been a super busy week here at Grand Slam Tennis Tours – planning our Davis Cup package, getting our new online pro shop ready, and the whole holidays being just around the corner thing – so the only … Continue reading →
 
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    AndyRoddick.com

  • Up Next on Roddick and Bones

    dbisset
    27 Jan 2012 | 5:07 pm
    Tune in Saturday from 1 – 4 p.m. EST/10 a.m. – 1 p.m. PST to Fox Sports Radio for Roddick and Bones! On this week’s show, Andy and Bobby will be interviewing Ndamukong Suh from the Detroit Lions, Jermichael Finley from the Green Bay Packers, George Karl from the Denver Nuggets, and CBS College Hoops Analyst Seth Davis Click the link below to find your local Fox Sports Radio affiliate: http://www.foxsportsradio.com/pages/affiliates.html

  • sun-sentinel.com: Andy Roddick heads up Delray Beach ITC in February

    dbisset
    25 Jan 2012 | 7:12 pm
    As the tennis world focuses its attention on the Australian Open, it won’t be long before many of the top players return for their annual South Florida swing with the first stop at the 20th Delray Beach International Tennis Championships from Feb. 24-March 4. Read the full article from sun-sentinel.com here.

  • livetennisguide: Serena Williams, Andy Roddick team-up in 2012 London Olympics

    dbisset
    25 Jan 2012 | 1:12 pm
    The 13-time singles Grand Slam champion Serena Williams and former World No. 1 Andy Roddick will pairing in the mixed doubles in 2012 Olympics, schedule to begin from July 27th to 12th August in London. The 2003 US Open champion Andy Roddick and his country mate Serena will be team-up in the mixed doubles in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, schedule to kick off from 27th January. The mixed doubles has been will be included as an event for the first time since 1924. Serena said she had a dream about playing with Andy Roddick in the mixed doubles, shaved his head into a sort-of Mohawk…

  • Tune in Saturday

    dbisset
    20 Jan 2012 | 9:25 pm
    Tune in Saturday from 1 – 4 p.m. EST/10 a.m. – 1 p.m. PST to Fox Sports Radio for Roddick and Bones! On this week’s show, Andy and Bobby will be interviewing: Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver and current Allen Wranglers General Manager, Drew Pearson; HBO Boxing Analyst Jim Lampley; Sports Illustrated Analyst Chris Mannix; Tennis Channel Analyst Justin Gimelstob and Buffalo Bills defensive back Drayton Florence. Click the link below to find your local Fox Sports Radio affiliate: http://www.foxsportsradio.com/pages/affiliates.html

  • Andy Retires in Melbourne

    dbisset
    19 Jan 2012 | 9:14 am
    Andy was trailing by two sets to one in Melbourne, when he was forced to retire with a right hamstring injury against home favorite, Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 3-6, 4-6. Andy had started the match brightly, going up a break at 3-2 as a forehand from Hewitt drifted wide. Andy consolidated the break, and employed a variety of shots including a serve and volley to create set point at 5-3. A thunderous serve sealed the first set. Andy went down a break early in the second set though, and at 3-0, he left the court for a medical time out. Despite struggling with his movement in the next two sets,…
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    The Tennis Times

  • Azarenka Australian Open 2012 Champion and New World Number 1

    The Insider
    28 Jan 2012 | 4:04 am
    Victoria Azarenka is the new world number 1 and Australian Open 2012 womens singles champion! Sharapova got an early 2-0 lead, but since then has struggled to win a game. Sharapova has just sat at the baseline and hit out for the whole match without success. Azarenka has been out hitting Sharapova from the baseline, but Sharapova has never even thought about changing her game plan. Azarenka has been so pumped up throughout and claimed the title 6-3 6-0. Related Articles Maria Sharapova’s 2012 Australian Open dress? – November 19, 2011 Bernard Tomic Calling His Own Lines Incident…

  • Rafael Nadal Cried When He Injured His Knee

    The Insider
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:46 am
    Poor old Rafael Nadal broke down to tears when he injured his knee before the Australian Open 2012. Its amazing what a few weeks can do and a shit load of pain killers! “I explained that after my match on the first, what happened the Sunday before on my knee, something very strange,” he said. ”But that’s why, because Sunday afternoon, 24 hours to play my first match, I was in my room crying because I believe I didn’t had the chance to play Melbourne. So it was a very, very tough situation for me, these hours. Two weeks later I am here in the finals, so is a dream…

  • Andy Murray Choking Against Novak Djokovic in Australian Open 2012 Semifinal

    The Insider
    27 Jan 2012 | 6:25 am
    I’m sitting here watching the Australian Open 2012 semifinal between Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic and couldn’t really believe what I was seeing. Firstly, Andy Murray got off to a poor start but then he came back and just secured the third set, which put him ahead 2 sets to 1. However, in typical Murray fashion he has now been broken twice at the beginning of the fourth set and is down 4-0. Murray, why do I always expect you to choke in the big moments? I really think whoever wins this match is going to lose in the final to Rafael Nadal. Nadal is just going to have way to much…

  • Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva Win Australian Open 2012 Womens Doubles

    The Insider
    27 Jan 2012 | 5:45 am
    Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva have women the Australian Open 2012 womens doubles over Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. “We were a last-moment sign-up for doubles and I think we were pretty good at it,” Kuznetsova said to the crowd at Rod Laver Arena after the match. Russian Fed Cup team is looking very strong this year! Related Articles Whole Host of Tennis Stars Attended Elena Dementieva’s Wedding – July 27, 2011 French Open Day 8 Round Up – May 30, 2011 Azarenka Australian Open 2012 Champion and New World Number 1 – January 28, 2012 Rafael…

  • Bernard Tomic: Its Like Ive Killed Somebody

    The Insider
    27 Jan 2012 | 5:39 am
    Bernard Tomic just doesnt know why police are picking on him at home on the Gold Coast, Australia. Related Articles Image: Bernard Tomic Getting Pulled Over by Police in His Orange BMW – January 26, 2012 Bernard Tomic Gets Two Tickets Over Hooning from Police – January 26, 2012 Bernard Tomic Claims Police Harassment Over Dangerous Driving Claim – December 15, 2011 Bernard Tomic Calling His Own Lines Incident – January 26, 2012 Bernard Tomic’s Girlfriend – January 21, 2012
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    On the Baseline Tennis News

  • Jarmila Gajdosova’s Tour of Beijing

    On the Baseline
    27 Jan 2012 | 3:11 pm

  • Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group and World Group II first round – Team nominations

    On the Baseline
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:54 pm
    In addition, Zone Group events taking place the week of 30 January are Europe/Africa Zone Group I in Eilat , Israel ; Americas Zone Group I in Curitiba , Brazil ; and Asia/Oceania Groups I and II in Shenzhen , China . Follow all the action on the official Fed Cup by BNP Paribas websites: www.fedcup.com and www.fedcup.com/es. Fed Cup by BNP Paribas is the largest annual international team competition in women’s sport, with 90 nations entered in 2012. The event was established in 1963 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the ITF. The title sponsor is BNP Paribas, the Official…

  • Australian Open, Day 10 – Results, Day 11 – Order of Play

    Paula Vergara
    25 Jan 2012 | 5:10 pm
    AUSTRALIAN OPEN Melbourne, Australia Results for Wednesday, January 25 Singles – Quarterfinals (2) Petra Kvitova (CZE) d. Sara Errani (ITA) 64 64 (4) Maria Sharapova (RUS) d. Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 62 63 Doubles – Semifinals Kuznetsova/Zvonareva (RUS/RUS) d. (6) Mirza/Vesnina (IND/RUS) 76(4) 26 64 (11) Errani/Vinci (ITA/ITA) d. (7) Hlavackova/Hradecka (CZE/CZE) 57 75 61 Order of Play for Thursday, January 26 Rod Laver Arena 11:00 AM Start Time 1. Men’s Doubles – Semifinals Bob Bryan (USA)[1] v. Robert Lindstedt (SWE)[7] Mike Bryan (USA)[1] Horia Tecau (ROU)[7] Not…

  • Australian Open, Day 9 – Results, Day 10 – Order of Play

    Paula Vergara
    24 Jan 2012 | 6:07 pm
    AUSTRALIAN OPEN Melbourne, Australia Results for Tuesday, January 24 Singles – Quarterfinals (11) Kim Clijsters (BEL) d. (1) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 63 76(4) (3) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) d. (8) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 67(0) 60 62 Doubles – Quarterfinals (6) Mirza/Vesnina (IND/RUS) d. (2) Huber/Raymond (USA/USA) 63 57 76(6) (7) Hlavackova/Hradecka (CZE/CZE) d. (3) King/Shvedova (USA/KAZ) 75 62 (11) Errani/Vinci (ITA/ITA) d. Kudryavtseva/Makarova (RUS/RUS) 63 61 Kuznetsova/Zvonareva (RUS/RUS) d. Begu/Niculescu (ROU/ROU) 75 63 Order of Play for Wednesday, January 25 Rod Laver Arena…

  • Australian Open, Day 8 – Results, Day 9 – Order of Play

    Paula Vergara
    23 Jan 2012 | 6:04 pm
    AUSTRALIAN OPEN Melbourne, Australia Results for Monday, January 23 Singles – Fourth Round (2) Petra Kvitova (CZE) d. (21) Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 62 76(2) (4) Maria Sharapova (RUS) d. (14) Sabine Lisicki (GER) 36 62 63 Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) d. (12) Serena Williams (USA) 62 63 Sara Errani (ITA) d. Zheng Jie (CHN) 62 61 Doubles – Third Round Begu/Niculescu (ROU/ROU) d. (5) Kirilenko/Petrova (RUS/RUS) 30 ret. (Kirilenko: left leg muscle injury) (6) Mirza/Vesnina (IND/RUS) d. (12) Gajdosova/Mattek-Sands (AUS/USA) 75 63 (7) Hlavackova/Hradecka (CZE/CZE) d. Fujiwara/Morita (JPN/JPN) 63…
 
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    TennisCrowd

  • 10 Reasons Why Running Sucks Even More Than You Already Think It Does

    Scott
    26 Jan 2012 | 4:18 pm
    A friend of mine recently posted an article on facebook by HelloGiggles.com titled, “10 Reasons Running Doesn’t Suck As Much As You Think“. Upon reading it I immediately knew a counterpoint must be written. Read on. Only about half of these are rebuttals though due to the fact that several points were not about the benefits specific to jogging, but to exercising in general. And ANY type of exercise is better than none. No debate there. Here are 10 reasons: 1. There aren’t THAT many hot people running. The article states that runs are “full of hot bodies in very…

  • Destination Tennis: Seattle (Hosted by Mayleen Ramey)

    Scott
    19 May 2011 | 2:46 pm
    Seven reasons why Mayleen Ramey needs to feature Seattle on Destination Tennis. Reason #1: Tennis Players are Intense Here To be a tennis player in Seattle is a bit like being a downhill skier in New Orleans. With rain 9 months of the year most tennis is played indoors. And that means limited availability, lots of driving between clubs, and planning. USTA league players will wake up at 7 am a week ahead to book court times for their teams. Reason #2: Close-Knit Tennis Community Perhaps because of #1 there’s a strong community here of tennis players. Despite the large population, it…

  • Cara Black Volley Practice for Doubles Tennis

    Scott
    30 Mar 2011 | 10:59 am
    For those of you that play USTA league tennis, chances are you play doubles. One of the best ways to improve your doubles game, or rather one of the skills you NEED, is to be able to volley. Here’s a video demonstrating how to practice against a wall. In this video she hits wall 115 volleys in 43 seconds. It is insane. Cara Black is the world number one doubles player for over 148 weeks.

  • Whole Foods tests bars selling craft beer and local wine in its stores

    Scott
    29 Mar 2011 | 12:19 am
    The upscale grocer, as well-known for its sensory-filled shopping as its often-pricey foods, is opening bars that serve craft beer and local wine in more than a dozen stores nationally in a test before a wider roll-out. via Whole Foods tests bars selling craft beer and local wine in its stores – USATODAY.com.

  • Tennis, Stress, and Allergies

    Scott
    28 Mar 2011 | 4:32 pm
    Unfortunately though, there may be another problem with which tennis players with allergies must to contend; stress. via Tennis, Stress, and Allergies: What Tennis Players May Not Know.
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    Tennis Guru

  • Australian Open 2012 Winners List and Prize Money

    Tennis Guru
    28 Jan 2012 | 12:01 am
    Here’s the Australian Open 2012 Winners list with corresponding prize money. The Australian Open 2012 Tournament took place from January 16 to 29, 2012. The list will be updated once all of the winners have been determined: For 2011 Winners Australian Open 2012 Winners and Prize Money (in Australian $) Men’s Singles: $2,300,000 Women’s Singles: [...]

  • Watch Nadal vs Djokovic Australian Open 2012 Live Final Match Online

    Tennis Guru
    27 Jan 2012 | 7:47 am
    Defending Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic will play against 2009 champion Rafael Nadal at the Final of the 2012 Australian Open Men’s Singles tournament. Nadal leads the head-to-head series record against Djokovic with 16-13. Their last meeting was at the final of the 2011 US Open where Djokovic won. In fact, all their six meetings [...]

  • Confident Tomic sees bright future for himself

    Tennis Guru
    26 Jan 2012 | 5:49 am
    Rising Australian star Bernard Tomic believes he can one day mix it with the best in men’s tennis and hopes to eventually regularly challenge for Grand Slam titles – and maybe win the biggest of all – at Wimbledon. The 19-year-old is regarded as his country’s best hope for the future and again showed signs [...]

  • Watch Djokovic vs Murray Australian Open 2012 Live Semifinal Match Online

    Tennis Guru
    25 Jan 2012 | 12:36 am
    Defending Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic will play against two-time runner-up Andy Murray at the semifinals of the 2012 Australian Open tournament. The two tennis greats have faced each other last year in the final with Djokovic winning the match, leaving Murray still searching for his first Grand Slam title. Djokovic leads the head-to-head series [...]

  • Australian Open 2012 Men’s Singles Final Schedule : Order of Play. Day 14. 29 January

    Tennis Guru
    24 Jan 2012 | 1:05 pm
    The Australian Open 2012 tournament is currently on its second week and several exciting matches have been scheduled on January 29, 2012 – Sunday. Here’s the Australian Open 2012 Schedule and Order of play for Day 14. Mixed Doubles Final Men’s Singles Final Watch the Australian Open 2012 matches live online HERE.
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    ATP Men's Tennis

  • Australian Open Day 13 Order of Play Saturday January 28th 2012

    27 Jan 2012 | 4:35 pm
    Australian Open Day 13 Order of Play Saturday January 28th 2012 Rod Laver Arena 1:00 PM Junior Girls' Singles - Finals Taylor Townsend(USA)[14] vs. Yulia Putintseva(RUS)[4] Junior Boys' Singles - Finals Luke Saville(AUS)[1] vs. Filip Peliwo(CAN) Not Before:7:30 PM Women's Singles - Finals Victoria Azarenka(BLR)[3] vs. Maria Sharapova(RUS)[4] Men's Doubles - Finals Bob Bryan(USA)[1] / Mike Bryan(USA)[1] vs. Leander Paes(IND) / Radek Stepanek(CZE) Show Court 2 1:00 PM Women's Wheelchair Singles - Finals Esther Vergeer(NED)[1] vs. Aniek Van Koot(NED)[2] Men's Wheelchair Singles - Finals Maikel…

  • Murray upset with late-night drug testing at Australian Open

    27 Jan 2012 | 4:21 pm
    Murray upset with late-night drug testing at Australian Open Andy Murray had just spent nearly five hours on court in an Australian Open semifinal loss to Novak Djokovic that ran past midnight. Then he found out drug testers were looking for him. “Just a bit annoyed … I know the players go on about it a lot, but they’ve changed these rules with the drug test,” Murray said. “I’ve just done the drug test, the urine test.” But there was more—a blood test. “They just told me I need to sit down for 30 minutes before I can give blood,” Murray said. “I want to get out of here,…

  • Video: Novak Djokovic The Open Drive: Australian Open 2012

    27 Jan 2012 | 4:20 pm
    Video: Novak Djokovic The Open Drive: Australian Open 2012 An incredible tennis player, a relaxed guy and one of the biggest characters in the game, Novak Djokovic talks life, tennis, and his many language skills...

  • Videos: Djokovic v Murray Australian Open semis highlights and hot shot

    27 Jan 2012 | 12:25 pm
    Videos: Djokovic v Murray Australian Open semis highlights and hot shot Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray match the challenge set by the first semifinal, turning on a thriller on Rod Laver Arena. They may have started shakily, but Novak and Andy provided some serious highlights material tonight. This point characterised the stubborn will of both players, with Murray returning ball after ball to set up a decisive break point.

  • Photos: Djokovic at Australian Open 2012 semifinals

    27 Jan 2012 | 12:03 pm
    Photos: Djokovic at Australian Open 2012 semifinals Enjoy the following tennis photos of Novak Djokovic during in his semi-final men's singles match against Andy Murray of Britain on the twelfth day of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. Djokovic won 6-3. 3-6. 6-7. 6-1. 7-5. (Photos by AP/Pool/aaron Favila/AFP/Getty Images)
 
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    Tennis Fixation

  • Tennis Fashion Fix: 2012 Australian Open - Fashionable Losers

    Kim at TennisFixation
    27 Jan 2012 | 8:45 am
    I am planning on spending my Saturday watching Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka battle it out in the 2012 Australian Open women's singles final. While we already talked about the outfits both of these ladies are wearing, I didn't want to move on without mentioning the outfits of two women who made it pretty far into the draw and looked fabulous (in my opinion) even though they lost. First up, and pictured above, is Caroline Wozniacki. Going into the Aussie Open, Caroline had held the No. 1 ranking in the WTA for 67 of the previous 68 weeks. But her quarterfinal loss to Kim Clijsters…

  • Tennis Fashion Fix: Australian Open 2012 - Update On Serena Williams

    Kim at TennisFixation
    24 Jan 2012 | 3:30 pm
    I just recently found out the explanation behind Serena Williams' 2012 Australian Open outfit and it's important enough that I wanted to be sure and note it here. A few days ago, I expressed my dislike of what Serena wore during her Aussie Open matches in this post - Tennis Fashion Fix: Australian Open 2012 - Serena Keeps It "Real." Specifically, I said I didn't like her black headband or her black tennis shoes because I didn't think they matched her blue dress. And I said that I think she could have done much better wearing the outfit as she had shown it off in the days leading up to the…

  • Tennis Fashion Fix: Australian Open 2012 - Maria Sharapova Through To The Quarterfinals!

    Kim at TennisFixation
    23 Jan 2012 | 9:00 am
    We've reached the point in the Australian Open where I feel like I have to pay close attention every day because every day someone big gets knocked out. But so far that someone big is not Maria Sharapova. Maria made it through today by beating Germany's Sabine Lisicki in three sets - 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. Maria next comes up against Russia's Ekaterina Makarova who took out Serena Williams 6-2, 6-3 (remember what I said about someone big getting knocked out every day?). So I'd say Maria has her work cut out for her. But that's all in the future. Right now, Maria is looking fabulous in her Nike…

  • Tennis Fashion Fix: Australian Open 2012 - Serena Keeps It "Real"

    Kim at TennisFixation
    18 Jan 2012 | 1:00 pm
    Look how cute Serena Williams appeared just days ago in her 2012 Australian Open dress: She looks like a fashion model! Serena has been on magazine covers, done photo shoots, has her own line of accessories sold on the Home Shopping Network - she knows how to look good when it counts. And she's sponsored by Nike so I'm sure she can take advantage of all kinds of stylists and fashion advisers is she wants. So how come in her first Aussie Open match, she looks like this: The dress itself is actually pretty boring but that's not the problem. The problem is I don't like the scarf/sweat band…

  • Tennis Fashion Fix: Australian Open 2012 - Keep Your Eye On Victoria Azarenka

    Kim at TennisFixation
    16 Jan 2012 | 9:00 am
    Wow! Victoria Azarenka is hot! Both her tennis and her outfit are already sizzling down under. Let's start with her tennis. On Sunday, she won the 2012 Sydney International, taking out defending champ Li Na - 6-2, 1-6, 6-3. Then, she rushed over to Melbourne, took the court this morning and won her first 2012 Australian Open match - beating Great Britain's Heather Watson 6-1, 6-0. And here's the most impressive part of this feat - Azarenka won 12 games in a row in that match. Which means - Watson probably served the first game, won her serve, and then lost the next 12 games. Kind of…
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    Tennis Brain | An analytical tennis blog

  • Australian Open 2012 - Day 4 Blog

    Krystle Lee
    19 Jan 2012 | 9:51 am
    It’s only the second round of the Australian Open, but somehow the halving of the draw seems to feel like a huge difference in terms of what match options I have to start the day. Today is ANZ Day, where ANZ give out more goodies to their customers, and I was kind of pissed off lining up to see that they were handing out free ground passes to any customers, considering that I had bought mine.The line appeared to be relatively long, but they do quick bag inspections here at the Australian Open. I’m not even sure that they even check them properly, but who cares, I can get into the tennis…

  • Australian Open 2012 - Day 3 Blog

    Krystle Lee
    18 Jan 2012 | 6:43 am
    I’m back now from the Australian Open, procrastinating about writing a blog entry because I’m feeling so crazy, and full of a wide range of emotions. I just got back from watching the five set thriller between David Nalbandian and John Isner. Drama overload. I feel like how Nalbandian must have felt when he threw his racquet in disgust after losing the match that got away from him. I could have thrown a racquet myself to relieve some frustration.I’m going to do things backwards here today. Let’s just get it out of the way, and while the drink I have in my hand is still taking some…

  • Australian Open 2012 - Day 2 Blog

    Krystle Lee
    17 Jan 2012 | 8:35 am
    I don’t really seem to notice much anymore nowadays at Melbourne Park. This year was the first year that I really felt like the surroundings were incredibly familiar, about as close as can be to returning to a second home for me, considering that I don’t really have a second home. I try to look around to see what draws my attention, but nothing does really. I walk to Melbourne Park these days rather than taking the ridiculously crowded tram, and walk through the ANZ queue, where if they happen to be your bank of choice, then you can get in far quicker than anyone else. If you’re an ANZ…

  • Australian Open 2012 - Day 1 Blog

    Krystle Lee
    16 Jan 2012 | 7:51 am
    I swear I’m going to make better match selections. When I look back on what matches I chose to watch today, I’ll probably never understand myself. But they were spontaneous decisions based on a number of factors, such as timing and which matches were in their best stage to start following. For example, I avoided matches where match had gone underway and the first set was very one-sided. I’ll come up with a different formula, based more on what players I want to watch, and forget about the rest. It was a relatively underwhelming day in Melbourne Park. I guess this is the result of…

  • Wednesday second round action in Brisbane

    Krystle Lee
    4 Jan 2012 | 3:45 pm
    It’s clear that the Brisbane International has grown in popularity over the years. It’s great for the tournament, and nice to see such huge support and interest for tennis here in Brisbane, but as a spectator, it can be such a pain. I hadn’t really found myself thinking about the good old days in the past, but today I found myself flashing back into time an awful lot, thinking of how back then, I could have sat anywhere I wanted to on an outside court, as long as there was still play going on in Pat Rafter Arena. Whenever you sit on small outside courts, there are always plenty of…
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    Adjusting The Net

  • Who Will Be The One? (Poll)

    Erik G.
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:45 pm
    In case you wondered, I haven’t been posting here regularly during the AO as I’ve been writing for Tennis Now throughout the fortnight. Tonight’s Women’s Final should be a good one, and yes a loud one, as Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova face off to not only decide the title but also the No. 1 [...] No related posts.

  • Baghdatis is a Smash Around the World (Video).

    Erik G.
    19 Jan 2012 | 3:16 pm
    What is it about the Australian Open and viral racquet smashes? Last year it was Aggie Radwanska’s now famous “boomerang” racquet but this year everybody is getting a repeat performance of Marcos Baghdatis’s now legendary four stick smash during his early round match against Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka. The video has been played during newscasts all [...] No related posts.

  • John Isner Now Wearing Lacoste on the Court.

    Erik G.
    17 Jan 2012 | 2:46 pm
    For those watching the Australian Open this week, some may have already caught a glimpse of John Isner and his new look for the 2012 season. LACOSTE recently announced that the company signed a four-year deal with Isner, joining fellow American Andy Roddick who also wears the brand. “I am proud to represent a brand [...] Related posts: Andy Roddick Kicks off Holiday Season with Lacoste at Bloomingdale’s.

  • 2012 AO Men’s Preview: Aussie Glory Times 100.

    Erik G.
    14 Jan 2012 | 10:49 pm
    This year’s will be very special at the Australian Open as it will be the 100th time the Men’s Singles event will be contested. A total of 59 men have won the title, which begs the question will we once again have a repeat winner as we did with Novak Djokovic or will someone new [...] Related posts: 2012 AO Women’s Preview: Coming of Age.

  • 2012 AO Women’s Preview: Coming of Age.

    Erik G.
    13 Jan 2012 | 10:31 pm
    In youth we learn; in age we understand. – Marie Ebner-Eschenbach Even with the unfortunate absence of Venus Williams from this year’s Australian Open, the 2012 Women’s Singles event will be something of a referendum on which way the WTA is headed. Will the veteran players once again prove experience is the key to winning [...] No related posts.
 
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    The British Pathé Blog

  • New British Pathé Website! – Find Out What’s New and Start Enjoying our New Archive!

    britishpathe
    16 Jan 2012 | 5:07 am
    Sophia Loren in the British Pathe film archive, now viewable on iPhones and iPads. Due to the increasing popularity of British Pathé we thought it was time to build a better website for you, and so we are thrilled to announce today the launch of our new online archive. Take a look at these exciting new features: Surf British Pathé on the move: The entire archive can now be watched on iPhones, iPads and other smart devices using our improved video player. A newly enhanced search facility: All 90,000 reels are now dated and correctly tagged, and so an extra 20,000 reels are findable using the…

  • The History of the Helicopter: Early Helicopter Footage

    britishpathe
    9 Jan 2012 | 5:49 am
    We recently posted a compilation video of early helicopter footage onto our YouTube channel. The video uses eight different reels from the British Pathé film archive, and there are some others that didn’t make it into the final cut. The history of the helicopter and the quest for vertical flight in the early 20the century is a vast and interesting subject that was very well documented by British Pathé. We have to admit that in selecting footage for the YouTube video we went for a certain aesthetic, choosing images that “looked helicoptery!” when the truth is that there were several…

  • On This Day: Donald Campbell Killed in 297mph Lake District Crash

    britishpathe
    4 Jan 2012 | 4:24 am
    The first Pathe News Special announcing Donald Campbell's death. The reel has some great (if not eerie!) footage of Coniston Water. Today is the 45th anniversary of daredevil speed engineer Donald Campbell’s tragic death on Coniston Water in the Lake District, Great Britain. Campbell was only 45 years olds, he was attempting to break the landspeed record by breaking the 300 mph barrier. For decades Donald Campbell was a childhood pin-up to boys in Britain and around the world, and he had been a popular subject for British Pathé who filmed many of his world record attempts. So…

  • Today we heard news of… Miss France 1949!

    britishpathe
    8 Dec 2011 | 11:20 am
    Last week a lady got in touch with us via the archive’s Facebook page saying that she had discovered a film in our archive of her mother winning the Miss France beauty contest in 1949! Veronique Tissier’s mother Juliette Figueras won the contest in 1949 before going on to win Miss Europe in 1950 (the contest was held in Sicile, Italy). We are thrilled to say that Juliette lives near Antibes on the Cote D’Azur and is healthy still at the age of 82. You can watch the video by clicking on the image above.  Here are some more recent photos that Veronique sent us of her mother: A recent…

  • Pearl Harbor: 70th Anniversary Today

    britishpathe
    7 Dec 2011 | 6:30 am
    Click to view the fantastic new video on War Archives' YouTube channel Today is the 70th anniversary of the attack on the US naval base Pearl Harbor, a surprise attack conducted by the Japanese that led to America’s entry into World War 2. Hollywood movies, books, essays and endless documentaries have been made on the topic of Pearl Harbor, a day that Franklin D. Roosevelt announced at the time “will live in infamy”, and still a hotly-debated military subject today. However, like all history, nothing is better than watching footage of the actual events themselves if possible. In…
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    All Tennis Considered

  • Ana Ivanovic 2011 Vanidades Cover Shoot

    Tyler
    3 Jan 2012 | 11:45 am
    Ana Ivanovic's site recently released some of the photos from her 2011 Vanidades cover shoot. The photos were taken by Hollywood photographer John Russo at Red Rock in Las Vegas.

  • 2012 Is Finally Here!

    Tyler
    31 Dec 2011 | 9:22 pm
    I don't know about you, but I'm ridiculously excited that 2012 is finally here! It feels like I haven't watched tennis in ages. I really, really miss the sounds of tennis. The constant squeaking of shoes on the courts, the pop of the ball off the racquet, the frivolous grunting. I miss it all. With January comes a string of tournaments in Australia leading up to the Australian Open. With all the exciting tennis on the way, I cannot wait to see what else 2012 brings. Can Djokovic create another record-breaking streak? Will Rafa come back from his struggles with minor injuries? Will Federer…

  • Federer Wins Sixth ATP World Tour Finals Title

    Tyler
    28 Nov 2011 | 11:31 am
    It's official. After a fantastic week of tennis from Roger Federer, the Swiss has prevailed yet again at the ATP World Tour Finals, notching a sixth title under his belt, making him the first player ever to win six WTF's. Federer beat Jo-Wilfred Tsonga a second time this week with a final score 6-3 6-7(6) 6-3 to win the title. Roger certainly had a lot to prove at the World Tour Finals after failing to capture a Grand Slam title this year, the first time since 2002. He's been on a hot streak late this year, winning both Basil and Paris going into the ATP World Tour Finals. After this week,…

  • Wimbledon Finals Will Be Filmed and Screened in 3D

    Tyler
    1 Jul 2011 | 11:33 pm
    The men's and women's finals at Wimbledon this weekend will be filmed in 3D and consequentially screened in 3D cinemas across the globe by Sony. You can find pics of the cameras used after the break. I've got to say, this is really neat. I'm not saying that I'll be the first in line to see it, but screening a live sporting event in 3D in a large venue is pretty cool. I mean it's already done for some sports including football and soccer during playoff time. I love the idea and hopefully it's continues the already growing trend of broadcast 3D sporting events. Side note: I'd be…

  • Video: Novak Djokovic Plays Tennis On A Plane

    Tyler
    24 Mar 2011 | 11:12 am
    Yes, you heard that right. Novak Djokovic literally gets on a plane and volleys with a partner on the opposite wing. I'm pretty sure it's all real except for the actual hitting (but I don't really know). What I do know is that the video is a promo for Head Tennis and is thoroughly entertaining. Enjoy folks! I know, I need to step up my tennis blogging and I'll do my best to do just that in the future.
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    Foot Fault!

  • Hot Shots: Venus Works Up A Sweat Ahead Of Comeback

    footfaulter
    25 Jan 2012 | 7:50 pm
    Despite withdrawing from this year’s Australian Open, Venus Williams has kept to her word and has been practicing heavily ahead of her long-awaited return to tennis in next week’s Fed Cup tie against Belarus. Her form upon her return is truly a mystery, with the few tiny glimpses we caught of her during the handful of off-season exhibitions she participated in not being particularly encouraging. However, the American has once again been training with Monacan player Benjamin Balleret, in addition to sporadic hits with French player Charles Edouard Maria and their coach Didier…

  • Quotable Quotes: Martina Hingis Discusses WTA Depth

    footfaulter
    25 Jan 2012 | 7:50 pm
    Though often a critic of many of the WTA players on tour, when asked about the supposed lack of depth on the WTA during yesterday’s press conference, Martina Hingis’ reaction to the suggestion that there is no depth on the WTA in 2012 was very telling. Are you serious? Are you kidding? I mean, now with the great matches we see, Lisicki played already against Kuznetsova. That was a great match. Now she plays Sharapova and it was a great match. I don’t know. First rounds, come on. How about Djokovic killing everyone in the first three rounds or Federer not losing a set, more…

  • Roger Federer and Rod Laver Share Their War Stories On ESPN

    footfaulter
    25 Jan 2012 | 7:49 pm
    It is probably not often that Roger Federer gets starstruck and nervous from merely being in the presence of a person, but judging by the amount of nervous smiling on show from the GOAT, sitting down in the ESPN studio to chat with Rod Laver was one of those rare moments.

  • How To Fend Off Anti-Grunters – By Maria Sharapova

    footfaulter
    25 Jan 2012 | 1:03 am
    After her quarterfinal loss to Victoria Azarenka yesterday, Agnieszka Radwanska took aim at Maria Sharapova, calling her grunt “annoying” and “too loud” despite having no problems with her friend Azarenka’s grunt. Needless to say, the Russian didn’t take too kindly to her comments when informed of them a day later and bit back in true Sharapovian style. Q. A lot of players this week have made comments talking about how they think the noise that you and Azarenka in particular make is excessive. MARIA SHARAPOVA: Who? Q. Radwanska was one player that said she…

  • Tomas Berdych Feels The Wrath Of A Drunk Australian Crowd

    footfaulter
    22 Jan 2012 | 5:35 am
    Late in their titanic four-set battle, Tomas Berdych and Nicolas Almagro found themselves in an entertaining exchange which finished with Almagro drilling a ball so hard at his opponent that the seventh-seed ended up in a heap on the ground. The incident was not quickly forgotten by Berdych, and after clinching the match he made his thoughts on Almagro’s body-blow clear by refusing to shake the Spaniard’s hand at the net. To say the crowd didn’t take kindly to Berdych’s actions would be the understatement of the century. This whole incident was the epitome of…
 
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    OnCourt Advantage

  • Australian Open 2012 LIVE coverage

    Editor
    27 Jan 2012 | 1:06 am
    The 2012 Australian Open CAN be seen LIVE, free of charge and even if you are NOT a subscriber to the relevant cable TV service provider. In fact, there are 7 different courts of matches that you can choose to watch i.e. besides being at Melbourne Park live in person…this is your equivalent to tennis heaven! In this post OnCourt Advantage will tell YOU how exactly to watch the 2012 Australian Open!  The Australian Open live coverage can be seen in quite a few countries around the world, including and I cannot begin to explain how happy this makes me, I am watching the 2012 Australian…

  • ATP Tour Men’s Tennis Rankings System

    Editor
    26 Jan 2012 | 1:03 am
    OnCourt Advantage is guest posting today for fellow Official Australian Open FAN-bassador Grand Slam Gal. You can read my explanation of how the men’s ATP Tour world rankings work here -> ATP Men’s Tennis Rankings Explained. The ATP ranking system is really quite complex with a large number of variables that can make the rankings system hard to understand or follow. However, there are certainly some major critical factors that I once understood will give you a strong grasp of how the rankings are calculated. It would be great if you could show your support for Grand Slam Gal…

  • Australian Open 2012 Semi Finals: Women

    Editor
    25 Jan 2012 | 6:18 pm
    The Australian Open 2012 women’s singles quarter final matches have been completed and the women’s semi final match-ups are all set to be played on Thursday 26 January – Australia Day. Three of the Top 4 seeds lived up to their seeding, with defending champion No.11 seed Kim Clijsters joining them after defeating No.1 seed Caroline Wozniacki. To watch the tennis in Singapore click this link-> Australian Open 2012 LIVE coverage. Here is the long and short of what happened in the women’s quarter final matches. The following tweets are listed in the order that they…

  • Australian Open 2012 Men’s Schedule of Play

    Editor
    24 Jan 2012 | 11:33 pm
    The 2012 Australian Open tennis championships is the next Grand Slam singles tournament for the men’s professional tennis tour. “The Aussie Open” or “The Grand Slam of Asia/Pacific” as the Australian Open is also known, is held at Melbourne Park in Richmond on True Blue Plexicushion Prestige medium-paced hard courts. To watch the tennis in Singaporesubtract 3 hours from the Melbourne local times listed below. The men’s event begins on January 11 with the qualifying singles draw and the Men’s Singles Final will be played on Sunday 29 January. Since 1988 the Australian Open has…

  • Australian Open 2012 Women’s Schedule of Play

    Editor
    24 Jan 2012 | 11:07 pm
    The 2012 Australian Open tennis championships is the next Grand Slam singles tournament for the women’s professional tennis tour. “The Aussie Open” or “The Grand Slam of Asia/Pacific” as the Australian Open is also known, is held at Melbourne Park in Richmond on True Blue Plexicushion Prestige medium-paced hard courts. To watch the tennis in Singapore subtract 3 hours from the Melbourne local times listed below. The women’s event begins on January 12 with the qualifying singles draw and the Women’s Singles Final will be played on Saturday 28 January. Since 1988 the Australian…
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    Everyball

  • The 'real deal' of competition

    22 Jan 2012 | 2:49 pm
    Few sporting moments from this weekend...Australian Open - Gael Monfils plays Mikhail Kukushkin in the 3rd round.  Monfils is down 4-5 in the fifth set, but 30-15 up serving.  Misses his first serve and hits a good kicker out wide to Kukushkin backhand who returns ok cross-court.  Monfils steals around his backhand to hit a big inside-out forehand to take him to 40-15 and a chance to level the match, when suddenly one of those big yellow balls is thrown onto court from the stands.  Umpire calls for a let and Monfils serves again, only to double-fault.  Visibly…

  • Sand dune training 'everyball' style

    21 Jan 2012 | 5:59 am
    JoelSandDunesTrainingJan2012.mov Watch on Posterous Permalink | Leave a comment  »

  • Thought for the day

    20 Jan 2012 | 8:07 am
    A scientist makes loads of mistakes and calls it an experiment.  Permalink | Leave a comment  »

  • Tip for the week taken from Brad Gilbert's 'Winning Ugly'

    13 Jan 2012 | 4:49 am
    I'm sometimes accused of 'winning ugly' which I take as a great compliment.  It means I've 'found a way to work it out' even if I haven't performed at my best that day.  Brad Gilbert of course was the master of this and I take the tip of the week out of his fantastic book.For some pros (the ones not making any money) and most recreational players there are two kinds of points: ad points and all the rest.  Wrong.  I treat the point the can get me or my opponent to an ad point as a major moment because it offers a major rewards.  That reward is the opportunity to win…

  • More!

    12 Jan 2012 | 3:30 am
    I was reading some notes today by a guy called Mike Hawthorne, principal of an International School in Dhaka, Bangladesh.  He has been involved in education all his life but generally reckons he has more to learn these days than before he started.  I identify with that - the more you journey on, the longer you spend in a particular discipline, the more aware you are of how much more there is to learn!  That's good, exciting, and humbling. Permalink | Leave a comment  »
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    Drop Shot Dispatch

  • Best Quotes from 2012 Australian Open Day 8

    admin
    23 Jan 2012 | 12:47 pm
    Sabine Lisicki, on her loss to Maria Sharapova: “One year ago I was in the qualies here. Now I was so close to beating one of the best players in the world. So I’m taking lots of positive things out of here, you know, keep building on it.” Q: “Is it becoming more difficult to make you smile at the press conferences now, to find a way to have a cheerful answer?” Maria Sharapova: “Well, maybe you should start asking cheerful questions and I’ll have cheerful answers. You always ask silly ones, so …  I know you do. You’re Italian.” Q.

  • Serena Williams Upset In Fourth Round of Australian Open

    admin
    23 Jan 2012 | 12:10 am
    13-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams was upset by World No. 56 Ekaterina Makarova of Russia, 6-2, 6-3, in the fourth round of the Australian Open. “I just didn’t move the way I wanted to. I tried,” Williams said afterward. “I can’t even describe how I served, to be honest. It wasn’t good, though. My lefty serve is actually better than that. Maybe I should have started serving lefty.” Williams served poorly, getting just 52% of her first serves in, and getting broken five times. She hit 37 unforced errors to Makarova’s 17, and only…

  • VIDEO: Almagro Hits Berdych With Shot, Berdych Refuses to Shake Hands After Match

    admin
    22 Jan 2012 | 4:57 am
    In their fourth round match at the Australian Open, Nicolas Almagro employed the perfectly legal but always awkward tactic of launching a shot straight at his opponent Tomas Berdych, clearly angering the Czech. After the match, despite pulling off a four set win, Berdych refused to shake Almagro’s hand, and was booed enthusiastically by the Aussie crowd. “I think when you have a point and somebody wants to hit you straight to your face, I don’t see this as a nice moment,” Berdych said in his on-court post-match interview, nearly drowned out by the angry crowd.

  • Australian Open Preview: Sunday January 22, 2012

    admin
    21 Jan 2012 | 5:51 pm
    With spots in the quarterfinals at stake, some marquee match-ups are finally upon us at the 2012 Australian Open. Here’s a look at the matches not to miss as fourth round action gets underway in Melbourne. Kim Clijsters vs. Na Li, third match on Rod Laver Arena One of the most highly anticipated match-ups once the draw was announced has come to fruition. Clijsters and Li will face each other in a rematch of last year’s Australian Open final. Both women have had their struggles since winning their respective Slams last year. Clijsters sat out most of the year with various injuries,…

  • Bartoli, Zvonareva Upset in Third Round of Australian Open

    admin
    21 Jan 2012 | 2:32 am
    World No. 7 Vera Zvonareva lost in straight sets to Russian compatriot and World No. 56 Ekaterina Makarova in the third round of the Australian Open, 7-6, 6-1. Racking up 37 unforced errors in those two sets, Zvonareva left the court in tears. She struggled throughout the match, making just 53% of her first serves, and losing more than half of the points on her own serve. World No. 9 Marion Bartoli also fell in straight sets to China’s Jie Zheng, 6-3, 6-3, getting broken four times and hitting just seven winners. “I really thought that I was under pressure right away,”…
 
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    Racquets and Smashes

  • Head YouTek IG Instinct MP: killer instinct

    Raquetazos
    17 Jan 2012 | 5:27 am
    Weight: 10.58 oz. - Balance: 5 pts HL - Headsize: 100 sq. in. - Lenght: 27 in. - String pattern: 16/19 When Head opted to renew the least media of its series and marketed it almost halfway through the season, the new Instinct "smelled" like a business strategy. In fact, washing its face to make it visually more attractive and putting it in the hands of Maria Sharapova made it suspicious of having been born in the comfortable Marketing Department, rather than the cold laboratories and the eternal testing hours on the court. Now we can say it was a wrong perception. Either marketing people love…

  • Wilson Blade Team BLX: a racquet for the whole family

    Raquetazos
    8 Jan 2012 | 1:50 pm
    Weight: 10.19 oz. - Balance: 3 pts HL - Headsize: 104 sq. in. - Lenght: 27.25 in. - String pattern: 18/19 This larger-than-usual Wilson is to tennis racquets what a minivan is to cars: practical, spacious and airy, very comfortable, soft suspensions, safe and reliable, balanced power and driveability ... In short, designed for the whole family. The highlight of the Blade Team BLX is, undoubtedly, its huge sweetspot. Apart from the 104 sq. inch framework, the greatest contribution to the high tolerance of this Wilson is the “Power Hole” system, whereby horizontal strings join the central…

  • Dunlop Biomimetic 500 Tour: Ultra fast service

    Raquetazos
    1 Dec 2011 | 2:30 pm
    Weight: 10.56 oz. - Balance: 3 pts HL - Headsize: 100 sq. in. - Lenght: 27 in. - String pattern: 16/18 The header of this article gives some clues about the benefits of the Biomimetic 500 Tour, a brilliant racquet for its metallic bright but, above all, for its capacity to develop a fast and aggressive game from almost all parts of the court. The highlight of this Dunlop is, no doubt, the power that is able to generate in each service. In proportion to the width, the frame height is unusually large, which makes this racquet’s head slightly outstretched. As a result, the sweetspot is also…

  • Babolat Pure Storm GT: the weirdest of the family

    Raquetazos
    13 Nov 2011 | 5:14 am
    Weight: 11 oz. - Balance: 1 pt HL - Headsize: 98 sq. in. - Lenght: 27 in. - String pattern: 16/20 The Babolat Pure Storm GT is the less "Babolat styled" one in all the racquets designed by the French brand. Its relatively narrow profile and a quite conventional construction, with no rounded sections or aerodynamic designs make the Pure Storm GT a less attractive racquet than its brand partners. In terms of tennis it's a highclass, but not as high as the Pure Drive GT or the AeroProDrive GT. A matter of taste. Full Force Forehand - FREE Chapter With the Pure Storm GT in hand, it…

  • Head YouTek Speed ​​MP IG 18/20: a racquet in grayscale, some light, some dark

    Raquetazos
    25 Jun 2011 | 6:38 am
    Weight: 11.11 oz. - Balance: 7 pts HL - Headsize: 100 sq. in. - Lenght: 27 in. - String pattern: 18/20 The renewed Head YouTek Speed series comes hitting strong with an impressive and attractive appearance thanks to its new color scheme. Reversing the paintjob of the previous version, white becomes black and black becomes white in an elegant combination with gray and orange accents. However, the main change is not perceptible to the human eye. Both new Extremes and Speeds have integrated into its structure the Innegra fibers, retaining strength and rigidity of the earlier versions but getting…
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    The Tennis Outlook Blog

  • Australian Open 2012: Sharapova & Azarenka Play For Title & No 1

    27 Jan 2012 | 8:33 pm
    The Rookie vs. The Veteran: First Time Finalist Azarenka Plays Six Time Finalist Sharapova No. 3 seed Victoria Azarenka will play No. 4 seed Maria Sharapova for the 2012 Australian Open Women's Singles Championship. This will be Azarenka's first Grand Slam final appearance. Sharapova has appeared in five Grand Slam finals, winning the 2008 Australian Open, the 2006 US Open and the 2004 Wimbledon

  • Australian Open 2012 Quarterfinal Men: Undefeated: Djokovic vs Ferrer

    24 Jan 2012 | 3:30 pm
    Ferrer Won Auckland & Murray Won Brisbane - Djokovic Did Not Play The remaining men's quarterfinal matches of the 2012 Australian Open will be played on Wednesday. Three of the men in these quarterfinals matches are undefeated for 2012 - David Ferrer won the Auckland singles title and Andy Murray won the Brisbane singles title. Novak Djokovic is also undefeated for the year, since he did not

  • Australian Open 2012 Women Quarterfinals - Undefeated VS Unseeded

    24 Jan 2012 | 2:47 pm
    Kvitova Won Hopman Cup - Sharapova Did Not Play, Plus Unseeded Makarova & Errani The remaining women's quarterfinal matches of the 2012 Australian Open will feature an undefeated Maria Sharapova, who, like Novak Djokovic, did not play a tour event prior to the Australian Open. Petra Kvitova is almost undefeated for the year so far - she won all 4 of her singles events at the Hopman Cup, claiming

  • Australian Open 2012 Tues Quarterfinalists = 35 Grand Slams Titles

    23 Jan 2012 | 9:28 pm
    Federer + Nadal + Clijsters + Azarenka + Del Potro = Grand Slam Winners The first quarterfinal matches of the 2012 Australian Open will be played on Tuesday and, as the following chart shows, these eight men and women have won a total of 35 Grand Slam singles, doubles and mixed doubles championships. By contrast, the other eight quarterfinalists have only 8 Grand Slam titles among them. Grand

  • Australian Open 2012 Final 16 Men Compared

    21 Jan 2012 | 6:40 pm
    Still Undefeated in 2012: Djokovic, Ferrer, Murray & Tsonga, Plus Berdych & Federer! The 2012 Australian Open Round of 16 matches are now set; top half winners who remain undefeated for the year include: Novak Djokovic, David Ferrer, Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. They are joined in the Round of 16 by Lleyton Hewitt, Richard Gasquet, Mikhail Kukushkin and Kei Nishikori. The bottom half of
 
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    peRFect Tennis

  • Federer sees off Del Potro to make Semis in Melbourne

    peRFect
    24 Jan 2012 | 1:15 pm
    1000th match on tour! A very dominant display from Federer here in what looked set to be his toughest match of the Australian Open so far. Roger certainly passed this test with flying colours and now meets Nadal in the Semi Final on Thursday. Federer sees off Del Potro to make Semis in Melbourne

  • Australian Open 2012 – 1st Week Highlights

    peRFect
    22 Jan 2012 | 3:37 pm
    The first week off this years Australian Open has come to an end so I thought I'd look at my highlights of the tournament so farAustralian Open 2012 – 1st Week Highlights

  • Federer trounces Tomic in Swiss Masterclass

    peRFect
    22 Jan 2012 | 5:34 am
    Boom! First class performance from Roger here to see off Australian hope Bernard TomicFederer trounces Tomic in Swiss Masterclass

  • Federer defeats Karlovic to Make Last 16

    peRFect
    20 Jan 2012 | 12:57 pm
    Very good performance from Roger to dispose of Karlovic here in straight sets, my only complaint is that I had to set my alarm for 2.30am, then be up for 7.30am for work. OuchFederer defeats Karlovic to Make Last 16

  • Federer gets a walkover into Australian Open 3rd Round

    peRFect
    18 Jan 2012 | 12:56 pm
    I'm a bit behind posting this, but as I'm sure everyone knows Roger got a walkover into the 3rd round after his opponent, Andreas Beck, withdrew after he aggravated a back injuryFederer gets a walkover into Australian Open 3rd Round
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    Women's Tennis On and Off Court

  • Ana Ivanovic shines and signs.

    TennisIDENTITY
    24 Jan 2012 | 9:46 am
    Ana Ivanovic shines and signs at the YONEX player event that kicked off the Australian Open recently. Beautiful shot!!! 

  • Caroline Wozniacki and Ana Ivanovic play 19th Century Sticke tennis in the Melbourne streets.

    TennisIDENTITY
    15 Jan 2012 | 8:06 am
    Caroline Wozniacki and Ana Ivanovic joined fellow adidas players Gilles Simon and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in a game of "stické tennis" in the streets of Melbourne pre Australian Open. Reminds me a little of platform tennis with the walls in play. Fun. Joining in are Ash Barty, a talented Australian teen, and two top Aussie sportsmen - Dale Thomas, an Aussie Rules player, and Billy Slater, a top Rugby League player. For a closer look at what these players are wearing head on over to TennisIDENTITY/adidas.

  • Caroline Wozniacki's Australian Open 2012 Tennis Fashion

    TennisIDENTITY
    12 Jan 2012 | 7:28 am
    WTA world number one Caroline Wozniacki (of Denmark) will hit the 2012 Australian Open in this new adidas by Stella McCartney tennis dress. via www.tennisidentity.com

  • A fashion minded Jelena Jankovic JJumps to Fila.

    TennisIDENTITY
    12 Jan 2012 | 7:25 am
    Fila has announced an endorsement agreement with WTA player Jelena Jankovic, currently ranked #14 in the world. The Serb leaves ANTA and a lot of colorful tennis dresses that few could get their hands on -- well China, so few is a relative term. via www.tennisidentity.com Smart thinking Jelena!

  • One to watch in 2012. Sabine Lisicki.

    TennisIDENTITY
    6 Dec 2011 | 1:19 pm
    My recent interview with WTA player Sabine Lisicki appears here at On The Baseline. Get to know her. 
 
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    Tennisidentity.com

  • Welcome!

    TennisIDENTITY
    27 Jan 2012 | 2:47 pm
    Thanks for visiting TennisIDENTITY. See Categories and Recent Posts in the left hand side bar. Social tools are in top left corner.

  • Novak Djokovic. Stick and Style at the Australian Open 2012.

    TennisIDENTITY
    26 Jan 2012 | 12:26 pm
    Novak Djokovic kicked off the 2012 season with new tennis fashion from Sergio Tacchini. No change in stick however; his HEAD Youtek IG Speed MP racket has certainly served him well. The polo's colors (on white base for day, black base for night) are inspired by the Serbian flag which also appears in a heart at the lower left shirt hem. The shirt also comes in navy and as a crew. ST designers tell me that the digital prints (that look to me like art created by a fast paint soaked jump rope) are an artistic interpretation of the dynamic nature of tennis, the force of a ball strike and the…

  • 10 tennis players make Bloomberg/Businessweek top 100. 4 Men, 6 Women.

    TennisIDENTITY
    26 Jan 2012 | 12:17 pm
    The 2012 Power 100 ranking of the most powerful professional athletes in the U.S was just released by Bloomberg/Businessweek. Ten tennis players made the cut: #5 Rafael Nadal, #6 Roger Federer, #9 Novak Djokovic, #25 Serena Williams, #33 Maria Sharapova, #40 Caroline Wozniacki, #80 Andy Murray, #83 Petra Kvitova, #93 Venus Williams, and #96 Victoria Azarenka. The three in the top ten follow some of the biggest names in sports including Drew Brees (#1), Tom Brady, and LeBron James. Analytics used evaluated more than 3,000 athletes across a variety of sports, with 50 percent based on…

  • Stanislas Wawrinka and Bernard Tomic choose YONEX.

    TennisIDENTITY
    25 Jan 2012 | 8:26 am
    Stanislas Wawrinka has welcomed 2012 with a full change to YONEX. He leaves le croc and Head behind. Pictured he wears the Yonex Mens Australian Open 2012 crew and short. The shirt is also available in dark red with orange (which was worn by Lleyton Hewitt). Thr inset below shows off the reverse side of this shirt. Big back graphics continue to make a statement. I'm a fan, The on-court line is made with 100% very cool poly that reflects the suns rays and keeps body temp. down. Bernard Tomic is another newbie to YONEX - racquet use only. His apparel is Nike - both Tomic and Wawrinka play with…

  • Vera Zvonareva moves to Fila. Kim Clijsters and Svetlana Kuznetsova renew contracts.

    TennisIDENTITY
    24 Jan 2012 | 8:33 am
    You may have noticed. Vera Zvonareva has joined team Fila and she looks damn good in her inaugural choices in Australia. “I have admired the Fila brand since I was a young girl and I am thrilled to join the elite group of athletes that have worn Fila throughout the years,” said Zvonareva. “The...brand aligns so well with my personal style...” Pictured on Vera is the Fila Winter Collezione Racer tank, $50 in a super flattering platinum color with black and white accents and coordinating Collezione Petal Skort, $48. The built in undershorts are platinum. Heavy sweaters, consider the…
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    TennisGrandstand

  • Azarenka to Meet Sharapova; Serena’s Wake-Up Call – The Friday Five

    TennisGrandstand Wire Services
    27 Jan 2012 | 5:08 am
    by Maud Watson High Stakes Have your ear plugs handy, folks, because this year’s Australian Open women’s final is going to be a loud one as Azarenka takes on Sharapova.  While the noise level of this match is going to be a turn off for many fans, we have to give credit where credit is due.  Sharapova dug deep when it counted, weathering the barrage of Kvitova’s strokes to allow her Czech opponent to self-destruct.  It was evident that Sharapova’s greater experience in major semifinals paid off, and it’s been an excellent effort by her to reach the final.  The more impressive…

  • Victoria Azarenka Overcomes Hype and Reaches the Australian Open Women’s Finals

    Romana Cvitkovic
    25 Jan 2012 | 11:28 pm
    It’s all in the racquet. And for Victoria Azarenka, it may very well be the case. The young Belarussian knocked off defending champion Kim Clijsters in the semifinals of the Australian Open in three highly-contested sets that witnessed several momentum changes. And Azarenka did it all under her new sponsor Wilson using the Juice tennis racquet — a switch she made earlier this month after dropping Head as a sponsor. Victorious Victoria Azarenka has long been considered the sole top player consistently inconsistent in her inability to reach a grand slam final. As one of the…

  • Victoria Azarenka Is Here to Stay

    Kelyn Soong
    25 Jan 2012 | 5:00 am
    Victoria Azarenka will face defending Australian Open champion Kim Clijsters in a semifinal showdown. Victoria Azarenka is not one to go unnoticed. The tall, blonde Belarusian plays with powerful groundstrokes that matches her intense personality. She expresses her emotions freely on court and carries herself with an air of confidence wherever she goes. And let’s not forgot about the shrieks. Oh, the shrieks. But regardless of whether you admire her on-court tenacity or have trouble watching her matches without the mute button handy, the 22-year-old is not going anywhere anytime soon. In…

  • There Will Always Be Room for a Lleyton Hewitt Type in Men’s Tennis

    Van Sias
    24 Jan 2012 | 6:39 am
    Lleyton Hewitt put on one of the most impressive performances of the 2012 Australian Open by making it to the fourth round and actually taking a set off defending champ Novak Djokovic. And while he might be far removed from his glory days, one thing’s for sure: You can never count Hewitt out. Lleyton Hewitt still in the game But why is that the case? Surely with his game—built around court coverage and flawless groundstrokes—would lead to him getting blasted off the court by bigger and more powerful opponents. But as has been the case throughout the former number 1’s career, he’s…

  • Funny Photos: Australian Open Day 8

    Romana Cvitkovic
    23 Jan 2012 | 1:43 pm
    Here’s a roundup of funny photos from Day Eight of the Australian Open featuring players Kvitova, Tsonga, Ivanovic, Murray, Ferrer, Hewitt, Gasquet and Lisicki among others, Tebowing, calling on the tennis gods, and of course, stripping. Petra Kvitova paying homage to American football player Tim Tebow by ”Tebowing” on court. The only way that this could be more impressive is to Tebow during a point — a fact that Ana Ivanovic has nearly perfected: This is a photo of Lleyton Hewitt looking for his wife Bec, right? I mean, there cannot be another explanation for this,…
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