Tennishead: Volume 4: Issue 2

ACTION REPLAY: NAVRATILOVA When Martina made $10 million

TENNIS TRAVEL: HOUSE PARTY Devon’s Manor House reviewed

STAT ATTACK

The sport’s significant numbers

WIN!

TICKETS FOR THE 2013 GRASS COURT SEASON

WWW.TENNISHEAD.NET | JUNE 2013

TH E WORLD’ S B E ST TEN NIS MAGA ZIN E

ROLAND GARROS PREVIEWS AND PREDICTIONS

RAFAEL NADAL

THE LONG ROAD BACK Challenges of the comeback trail

ITALIAN JOB A new generation

JUNIOR ACADEMY Let SMART goals bring results

HAPPY FEET

How shoes can improve your movement

PLAY LIKE A PRO

take the stage

ARE YOU USING THE RIGHT RACKET? 11 intermediate frames reviewed

SARA ERRANI “Be strong and determined!”

Tomas Berdych and Julia Goerges show you how

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 2 JUNE 2013 £4.50

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS

Fernando Verdasco / Max Mirnyi Marion Bartoli / Madison Keys

PLUS: PSYCHOLOGY • TV GUIDE • TOUR RESULTS • STUNNING PHOTOS • COACHING

CONTENTS

WIN! GRASS COURT TOURNAMENT TICKETS PAGE 8

66

GALLERY 24 Images: Stunning photos from around the globe

BIG READ 8 18 20 34 42 48 54 114

Hawk-Eye: News and views from the tours Hot Stuff: Rising star Madison Keys Anne Keothavong: An eye on women’s tennis Roland Garros: The Paris major previewed Rafael Nadal: The long road back Italian tennis: Are the Romans on the rocks?

Max Mirnyi: The ‘Beast’ opens up Action Replay: Navratilova makes history

ACADEMY 62 64 66 68 70 73 74 78 80 83

Technique: The Berdych forehand Technique: The Goerges overhead Sara Errani: The art of defensive tennis Stepping up: How to win big matches Junior Academy: SMART goals Psychology: Play Brave to win big Game changer: The story behind IMG Academy Mastermind: Miles Maclagan shares his views Ask tennishead: The experts are here to help Ask Asics: Advice about feet and shoes

34

GEAR 86 89 90 91

News: The greatest Roland Garros kit Me and My Racket: Marion Bartoli Competition: Win a HEAD racket Rackets: Eleven intermediate frames reviewed

89

TRAVEL 96 Tennis Tourist: Manor House, Devon

THE TOURS 100 102 104 106 108 110 111

ATP & WTA: Tournament round-ups Indian Wells: Draws and results Miami: Match reports and analysis Davis Cup: Quarter-final round-up ATP & WTA rankings: Top 100 singles lists Tramlines: Doubles tour and team rankings TV Guide: Where to watch the action

4 W W W.T E N N I S H E A D. N E T

RESULTS AND RANKINGS

100 HEAD TO WWW.TENNISHEAD.NET FOR ALL THE LATEST INFO

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 2

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42

WIN!

MARIA SHARAPOVA HEAD RACKET PAGE 90

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70

ARE YOU USING THE RIGHT RACKET? 11 intermediate frames reviewed PAGE 91

W W W.T E N N I S H E A D. N E T 5

Tiebreak!

LOCKER ROOM

SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW TENNIS...?

FERNANDO VERDASCO

1

Who was the last Frenchman to win the French Open?

INTERVIEW: LEIGH WALSH

“I am not a person that thinks money . is the most important thing in the world y I think it’s much more important to be happ you” nd arou le peop right and to have the

2

Which Italian player has an 18-0 Fed Cup record in doubles?

The 29-year-old left-hander discusses Spanish tennis, marriage proposals and how he still dreams of winning a Grand Slam Who were your idols growing up?

My idols were John McEnroe and Andre Agassi. I liked to watch many of the best players in the world but they were the ones I liked the most. It was their personalities. They had a special [relationship] with the people and they moved millions. They were something very special.

How would you describe yourself? I love to be with my family. I like to help people if I can. I cannot help the whole world but I always give my best. I am not a person that thinks money is the most important thing in the world, I think it’s much more important to be happy and to have the right people around you.

There are 14 Spanish players in the ATP top 100. How does your country produce so many great male players? I think it is just part of history and each generation is different. This last generation in Spain has had a lot of players who were top 100 but in the years before there were times when other countries were at the top. The Americans were once one, two and three with Sampras, Agassi and Courier. So I think it changes over the years.

Is killing time easier on tour with lots of Spanish around? Yeah, but in the end it’s a very individual sport. I spend most of the time just with my group of people – my Dad, my coach, my fitness coach or whoever is travelling with me.

We’ve seen how Spanish fans go crazy when Spain wins a major football competition. What is the reaction like when you win the Davis Cup? It is big too but, of course, football is huge. You can’t compare it with anything in Spain. When we won Davis Cup for the first time it was big and it was all over the news. But when you win it a lot, like five times in the last ten years, people get used to it so when you win it’s not as big but when you lose it is like a crash, so it’s tough sometimes.

What’s the craziest request you’ve had from a fan?

Guys just ask for pictures and they say they love tennis and that they’re fans, nothing more than that.

And girls, some of them ask me, like, ‘Can you marry me?’ and they also make some comments when I’m on the court but it’s all just part of the show.

Would you change anything about professional tennis? Many things. For example, tennis is one of the only sports where the coach cannot speak with the player. Coaches are there for helping players and it’s like that in every sport and tennis is different.

Why? It’s something, for me, completely out of sense. I would change many things about the calendar, the prize money, everything. In the end the players are the ones who move the people, who make the show, and most of the time they are the ones that get the least so it’s pretty unfair.

What makes the prize money distribution unfair?

If you see other sports like American football or soccer or basketball, every big league in the world, if you see how much money those sports make and which percentage the players take, every sport takes more than tennis. I am already 29, maybe I will retire in a couple of years, but it’s so unfair and it’s going to be unfair for the people coming behind and we need to change that. We cannot stay back in the 1960s for all of time.

What do you hope to have achieved by the time your career finishes? I want to try to be back in the top ten. I would like, of course, to win a major tournament before I retire. I will keep trying until that moment and hopefully I will get there. It’s a dream that I have had all my life and it would be unbelievable. Of course, you always want to win and once you win one then you want to win more but you need to start with one and that’s the biggest goal and the biggest dream I can have as a tennis player.

What do you think you need to do to win a major?

Many things. You need to be a great player, you need to be a little bit lucky too and you have to hope that injuries respect you. At the moment tennis is hugely competitive, all the players are so good and even if you are really good it’s tough to win Grand Slams. ■

3

Which male and (former) female player are tied on seven Roland Garros titles apiece?

4

Which player completed her full set of Grand Slam titles when she won last year’s title in Paris?

5

Who did Ivan Lendl (pictured below) beat in five sets in the 1984 French Open final to claim his first ever Grand Slam title?

6

Which female was the youngest player ever to earn $1m in prize money?

7

Male and female combined, which country has won the most French Open titles?

8

Who won the most ATP titles last year?

1. Yannick Noah; 2. Roberta Vinci; 3. Rafael Nadal & Christ Evert; 4. Maria Sharapova; 5.

John McEnroe ; 6. Martina Hingis; 7. USA; 38; 8. David Ferrer

FERNANDO VERDASCO

W W W.T E N N I S H E A D. N E T 13

NEWS

QUIZ

HAWKEYE

Rol an d G a rros Spe c ial

THE NUMBERS GAME YOUNGEST FRENCH OPEN CHAMPIONS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

MONICA SELES

MICHAEL CHANG

A. SANCHEZ VICARIO

MATS WILANDER

STEFFI GRAF

BJORN BORG

RAFAEL NADAL

16y6m

17y3m

17y5m

17y9m

17y11m

18y

19y

1990

1989

1989

1982

1987

1974

2005

98.1

NADAL’S WINNING % AT ROLAND GARROS SINCE HIS DEBUT IN 2005 UNSEEDED WINNERS AT ROLAND GARROS

FRENCH OPEN TITLES WON BY LEFT-HANDERS

PLAYERS WHO'VE WON IN PARIS AfTER SAVING MPs

CONSECUTIVE MATCHES WON BY CHRIS EVERT ON CLAY FROM 1973-79

3 16 5 125

6

% OF ROLAND GARROS SEMI-FINALS WHICH HAVE FEATURED THE TOP 4 SEEDS SINCE 1969

$27,045,837

94% CHRIS EVERT

266-20 [0.93]

ROGER FEDERER

FRENCH OPEN DOUBLES TITLES WON BY MARTINA NAVRATILOVA

7

90% STEFFI GRAF

85%

JUSTINE HENIN

FRENCH OPEN DOUBLES TITLES WON BY MAX MIRNYI

4

MONICA SELES

W-L: 178-53 [0.77] W-L: 116-35 [0.77]

JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO

16 W W W.T E N N I S H E A D. N E T

WTA'S BEST EVER CLAY-COURT WIN %

ATP’S TOP CLAY-COURT PLAYERS *

NOVAK DJOKOVIC

% OF JUNIOR FRENCH OPEN CHAMPIONS WHO'VE GONE ON TO WIN THE SENIOR EVENT

1995 86%

W-L:

45

LAST TIME THE TOP 2 SEEDS CONTESTED THE WOMEN'S FINAL AT ROLAND GARROS

PRIZE MONEY WON BY ANDY MURRAY DURING HIS CAREER SO FAR

RAFAEL NADAL

8

FEDERER'S WINNING % IN CLAY-COURT FINALS

W-L: 60-22 [0.73]

DAVID FERRER W-L: 247-99 [0.71] *STILL PLAYING

LAST TIME AN UNSEEDED PLAYER WON ROLAND GARROS – GASTON GAUDIO

2004 Stats from WTA and ATP. All records since 1969

m ia m i

serena williams miami, 2013

“it feels good to have number six.” andy murray miami, 2013

© ray giubilo

© ray giubilo

“it was a brutal, brutal match. we were on our last legs.”

in d ia n w el ls rafael nadal

Š ray giubilo

indian wells, 2013

Roland Garros

Roland Garros Preview Need to know What: French Open Where: Roland Garros, Paris When: May 26-June 9 2013 Surface: Outdoor clay Defending champions: Men’s singles: Rafael Nadal Women’s singles: Maria Sharapova Men’s doubles: Mirnyi & Nestor Women’s doubles: Errani & Vinci Mixed doubles: Bhupathi & Mirza

www.rolandgarros.com

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All eyes on

paris Can anyone stop Rafa becoming the first member of the ‘elite eight’ club and will Serena finally reclaim the title she won 11 years ago?

MUch like the French aviator Roland Garros, who made the first non-stop flight across the Mediterranean in 1913, Rafael Nadal will be stepping into uncharted territory when he arrives at the home of the French Open, named in honour of the pilot, at the end of May. Nadal, who has won the title in seven of the last eight years, will be looking to become the first man to win an octave of singles titles at one Grand Slam. Pete Sampras came close, of course, falling in the fourth round of Wimbledon while bidding for his eighth crown, and Federer will get his chance to make history when he goes for his eighth at SW19 later this year. But at just 26 years of age, Nadal looks primed to reach the landmark first.

Standing in his way will be world No.1 Novak Djokovic, who has made Roland Garros – the final piece missing from his Grand Slam jigsaw – a priority this season. The Serb demonstrated his unrivalled powers of recovery once more in Melbourne at the start of the year, winning his fourth Australian Open title, and he will fancy his chances over his Spanish rival in a best-of-five set competition. While Nadal has quelled fitness doubts and proved his ability to still compete with – and beat – the world’s best since his return from injury, winning in Sao Paulo, Acapulco and Indian Wells, he hasn’t played a Grand Slam since

falling in the first week of Wimbledon last June, and only time will tell how his knees stand up to the rigours of a two-week major.

It’s been 10 years since two top five players contested the women’s final at Roland Garros but with Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova sharing the last five Grand Slams between them the outcome of this year’s tournament may be more predictable.

Williams will be as determined as most as she looks to right the wrongs of 2012, when she lost in the first round to Virginie Razzano, who has only mustered two WTA main draw wins since. The American, who returned to world No.1 in February, has gone beyond the quarter-finals just once in Paris since her victory back in 2002 and if she manages to reclaim the title from Sharapova, she will become the oldest female – at 31 years and eight months – to win in Paris.

Sharapova’s improved movement around the clay provided the foundation for her success last year and the Russian will need to be on her toes again if she’s to successfully defend her crown.

Also in contention will be Australian Open champion Azarenka, although the 23-year-old has yet to prove herself on clay, winning only one title on the dirt back in 2011. Sit back and be dazzled by long rallies, court craft, endurance, agility, and the guaranteed entertainment whenever the Grand Slam circus rolls into town.

›› Tourname�� �review

“Djokov�� wil� �a�cy his ch a�ce s over Nad� i� � fi v�-s� � compe tit io�”

d i d YO U k n O W

roland garros, in paris, has been the home of the french open since 1928

p36

p39

p41

Can Andy Murray conquer on clay?

The favourites for French glory

The girls in the frame

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE?

THE MAIN MEN

WONDER WOMEN

W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. n e t 35

WORDS: PAUL NEWMAN Paul Newman is Tennis Correspondent of The Independent and The Independent on Sunday

If Rafael Nadal goes on to win more Grand Slam titles after months of inactivity with his knee injury, it would be his greatest achievement yet

miracle man.

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IMAGES © RAY GIUBILO

W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET 4 3

© ray giubilo

"Pay"

attention.

In 10 years we will have many more Italian players

© ray giubilo

Francesca Schiavone

4 8 W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET

With past players as charismatic as the likes of Adriano Panatta and Nicola Pietrangeli, there’s little wonder Italy’s stars of today struggle for public recognition

Roman empire WORDS: PAUL NEWMAN Paul Newman is Tennis Correspondent of The Independent and The Independent on Sunday

OPPOSITE PAGE LEFT COLUMN (top-bottom):

errani fognini vinci MIDDLE COLUMN (top-bottom):

panatta pericoli & pietrangeli LEFT COLUMN (top-bottom):

seppi schiavone starace

T

he likes of Andreas Seppi, Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli must smile every time they read about the weight of expectation on the shoulders of Andy Murray at Wimbledon, on Bernard Tomic at the Australian Open or on a host of Frenchmen at Roland Garros. Italy may not have its own Grand Slam tournament, which brings its own pressures to bear on a country’s players, but any nation with former heroes as charismatic and as successful as Adriano Panatta or Nicola Pietrangeli asks much of their successors. Enter a press room at any major tournament around the world and you will often find that the travelling Italian tennis press outnumber their counterparts from every country other than Britain or France. They do not accept failure easily.

W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET 49

psychology

braingame With so little separating players in today’s game, it’s often mental strength that makes the difference. Over the coming months a variety of experts will share their thoughts and offer tips to help you play brave

in association with

To find out more about PlayBrave go to

www.playbravesports.com

Expect the unexpected Preparing for things to go wrong is the best way to see off negative outbursts on court, says psychology expert Roberto Forzoni Tennis and psychology go hand in hand at all levels. Anyone who has spent time around their local club, at tournaments, or simply watched the professionals on TV will have witnessed rackets fly, outbursts, and the distorted rage on the faces of those who’ve missed just one too many forehands that day. Some of the game’s most infamous moments stem from players losing it but are negative outbursts always a bad thing?

“No they’re not,” says psychologist Roberto Forzoni, who has worked with many British players, including Andy Murray. “But, from my experience, 99 per cent of the time it is a bad thing because many players haven’t developed the ability to get back to where they need to be quickly after an outburst.

“A great example is Andy himself. He used to have outbursts on the court and couldn’t get back on track. Whereas with his maturity he has learned how to deal with that.”

It’s said that a tennis player has two opponents on court – the opposition and their own mind.

Tight matches often boil down to who copes best with the variety of scenarios presented during a game so it’s vital for all players - club standard or professional - to develop a set of skills to help them stay focused on the task in hand.

Forzoni says the first stage to seeing off unwanted negative emotions is to expect things to go wrong. That way you can plan for them.

“Players don’t like listening to that,” he said.

“And they don’t like talking through it but it’s a massively beneficial experience and journey.

“If you go down the positive route and think that everything is going to be good if you do x, y and z then you’ve nowhere to go if everything’s not good.

tips How to keep your emotions in check Have a plan Set out three primary objectives – technical, tactical and mental – to focus on during a match.

Prepare for adversity Expect that things may not go all your own way and set out a plan to deal with that eventuality.

One point won’t lose you the match but your reaction to it could “I’ve worked with football teams where they’ve had psychologists come in and they’d have a big match and everything’s going to be great and then they go one-nil down and they haven’t got a ‘what if’ scenario.”

Another important thing to remember, says Forzoni, is if you play roughly 120 points in a match you could lose 50 and still win. “Tennis players are perfectionists. They want to play the perfect match. But it gives players comfort to know that, alright, I can lose 50 points here and still win. So there’s one I’ve lost and there’s two but I’m still okay and there’s a long way to go.”

Finally, Forzoni adds, it’s vital to have an idea of what you hope to achieve in each match. “It’s about getting players to have three key objectives – tactical, technical and mental – and getting them to do everything they can to achieve those.”

Avoid excuses Don’t rationalise your performance by letting your opponent, spectators and coaches know how bad you’re playing. This behaviour can negatively impact your performance.

One size doesn’t fit all Develop a set of skills/ rituals that help keep your mind focused on the process and not the outcome and work on it in training. Keep in mind that what works for other people may not necessarily work for you.

“Sport is all about being as good as you can be throughout each and every moment and having the concentration and confidence to use your skills to their full extent in spite of the pressure. This philosophy requires bravery – the bravery to control your fear and to play freely without the tension that fear imposes, to PlayBrave.”

W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET 7 3

ACADEMY

psychology

SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO ask@tennishead.net brought to you by

ASK The experts at ASICS are here to answer all your questions about feet, footwork, movement and more!

I recently invested in some ASICS running shoes and want to get my money’s worth. Can I play tennis in them?

JACK, CAMBRIDGE

Of course you can physically play tennis in your running shoes, but it isn’t recommended. The technology that goes into a tennis shoe is very different to a running shoe and you won’t enjoy the benefits of a shoe designed for tennis. Tennis shoes have a more supportive upper that can withstand

Why do I find I get fewer blisters if I wear two pairs of socks?

DAN, VIA EMAIL

Blisters are caused by heat, moisture and friction. Wearing two pairs of socks will reduce the friction against the seams inside the shoe that can rub against the material and skin and cause discomfort.

This is a case of personal preference, of course. Some people prefer to wear one pair – so why don’t you try both and see what works for you. Investing in a good pair of socks can make a big difference

How long should a tennis shoe last?

FRANCES, TRURO

If you play tennis every day, you’ll need to replace your shoes more often than someone who plays once a month.

However, there are other factors that will affect the lifespan of your tennis shoes.

Playing on hard courts will cause greater wear than if you predominantly play on clay, grass or carpet. The quality of the shoe is another factor – you may think you are

To find out more about ASICS tennis shoes go to

www.asics.co.uk

extreme sideways forces created by your movement on court. While running is predominantly about forward motion, tennis shoes need to be able to cope with explosive movements like changes of direction, lunging and sliding. ASICS tennis footwear has a midsole platform which prevents slipping and blisters and ensures maximum performance from the shoe.

Playing tennis in your running shoes will also reduce the life of your trainers. If you wear running shoes for tennis or other sports the support will not be sufficient to deliver the best playing experience.

“WEARING TWO PAIRS OF SOCKS WILL REDUCE THE FRICTION AGAINST THE SEAMS INSIDE THE SHOE THAT CAN RUB AGAINST THE MATERIAL AND SKIN AND CAUSE DISCOMFORT.”

too. ASICS socks are cushioned for comfort and use moisture wicking technology to help keep your feet stay dry regardless of the temperature on court.

NanoGLIDE yarn helps reduce friction and woven mesh panels help the feet breathe and stay cool.

GAEL MONFILS

Did you know?

Mr Kihachiro Onitsuka founded the forerunner of ASICS, Onitsuka Co. Ltd, in 1949 in Kobe, Japan

SAM STOSUR

saving money by buying a cheap pair of tennis shoes, but the chances are they won’t last as long as a better quality pair. The shoe wears out in the areas where you most need support and can lead to injuries like shin splints, sore Achilles tendon and knee problems and increase the chance of rolling your ankle. ASICS tennis shoes have stitched toe areas, hard-wearing outsoles, and more durable uppers with PGUARD technology for maximum durability.

W W W.T E N N I S H E A D. N E T 83

ACADEMY

ASK ASICS

Me and my racket

gear

Me and my racket

Marion bartoli Prince EXO3 Warrior 100

interview: leigh walsH

“I give [my old rackets] to charity but I kept the one from when I made the final of Wimbledon!” marion bartoli

because using only gut is a bit too much for me. I break too many strings with just that so I like to mix it up.

Do you care about the cosmetics of the racket at all? Yes. I love the black and white, I love those colours and, of course, as a woman you care about that sort of thing!

Is racket technology something you care about? Yes, I am very interested in new technologies. Obviously trying to improve

Prince EXO3 Warrior 100 head size

100 square inches length 27 inches unstrung weight 300 grammes string pattern 16 x 19 cross section 24-26-22 mm

Tech specs

Can you remember what your first racket was? Yes, it was a Wilson.

It was black and yellow. It was a junior racket so it was a small one and I remember I never broke the strings on that racket. When I switched to a normal racket I switched to Prince and I had a white and pink light one.

How long have you been playing with Prince for? I started with Prince when I was nine and I played with them up until I was 12.

Then I switched to Yonex for one year, then from 13-18 I went to Babolat and then I switched back to Prince and stayed with them.

What do you like about Prince rackets?

I love the comfort of the swing. It’s a very comfortable racket but it’s still a very powerful racket, which is sometimes unusual because when you get a powerful racket it’s pretty stiff but this one is very flexible. I think the holes in the racket make it very easy to swing so I just love it and honestly I can’t switch!

What characteristics in a racket suit your game style? Well, I feel like I need a lot of control but still a lot of power. I don’t feel like it’s hard for me to swing [with this racket], it comes very easily to me so I don’t really have to put any extra energy into just trying to swing the racket.

Do you customise your racket at all? Is it true you use a longer grip? Yes, my name is on the racket and I use a longer grip because I am double-handed off the forehand and backhand and it gives me extra reach.

What strings do you use? I use a mix of strings. I use natural gut from Prince and I also use a black string from Prince

© juergen hasenkopf

The world No.14 from France discusses her interest in racket technology and why racket cosmetics are important

the power is very important but I don’t want to go to something that’s so stiff that I can’t hold the racket for more than 50 minutes because I get pain in my elbow and in my wrist. It has to be a mix between comfortable but still powerful.

Do you ever get involved in the design of your rackets? I’m involved with picking the colours for it.

Do you ever smash your rackets? No! Never, never. I’ve never broken a racket in my life.

I think you’re the first person we’ve spoken too who’s never broken a racket! Do you have any superstitions when it comes to you racket? No, I just like to switch my over grip often because I don’t want my hands to slip but that’s not really a superstition because you have to have a good grip on your racket.

What do you do with your old rackets?

I give them to charity but I kept the one from when I made the final of Wimbledon!

W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET 8 9

PROSHOP

LEAVE IT TO THE EXPERTS

Pro-Direct is one of the UK’s leading online tennis stores and every month they share their expertise and inside knowledge to give us an insight into which items of kit we’ll be seeing the best players in the world using and wearing.

RACKETS

BABOLAT PURE DRIVE GT RG/FO

HEAD YOUTEK GRAPHENE INSTINCT MP

£139.99 Babolat has developed the official Roland Garros range of tennis equipment including this year’s French Open edition Pure Drive. The legendary Pure Drive features GT Technology, a hybrid material combining braided carbon fibres and tungsten filaments.

£123.99 As used by Tomas Berdych and French Open champion Maria Sharapova. Great for the player who wants a perfectly balanced racket with increased power and superior handling, it now comes with new Graphene core technology in addition to YouTek technology.

COMPETITION

VISIT WWW.PRODIRECTTENNIS.COM

CLOTHES NIKE PREMIER RAFA CREW

NIKE PREMIER MARIA FLOUNCE DRESS

£44.99 Part of the collection to be worn by Rafael Nadal during the 2013 French Open, it features no-sew bonded seams at the shoulder and sides for comfort as well as mesh at the sides and back and laser cut holes at the back for optimum ventilation. The holes on the back spell ‘Rafa’.

£49.99 Part of Maria Sharapova’s 2013 collection, this is made with Dri-Fit stretchjersey fabric in a racerback design with bonded, woven straps at the front and encased elastic straps at the back for comfort.

SHOES

ADIDAS ADIZERO FEATHER II £80.99 Designed to be fast and light, the adiZero Feather II tennis shoes will be worn by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the French Open. Lightweight and stable, adiPRENE+ provides resilient cushioning, while the adiWEAR outsole delivers durability.

9 0 W W W.T E N N I S H E A D. N E T

ASICS GEL SOLUTION SPEED £103.50 The Gel-Solution Speed is one of the best shoes on the market and the lightest ever from Asics. An extension of the player’s foot, the Speed offers a responsive, stable and cushioned feel, aided by the tried and tested flexion fit vamp and extended Trusstic.

Win!

A MARIA SHARAPOVA HEAD RACKET

WE’VE TEAMED UP with Pro-Direct and HEAD to bring you the chance to get your hands on the racket of a true champion. Since switching to HEAD rackets relatively recently, Russian Maria Sharapova has re-emerged as one of the very best in the world. For the chance to win a blue and white HEAD YouTek Graphene Instinct MP worth over £100 visit the tennishead website.

To enter the competition go to www.tennishead.net.

world rankings

April 8 2013

wta rankings RANKING

1

PERSONAL

ACHIEVEMENTS

FORM

11-100 RANKINGS

After pulling out of Dubai and choosing not to play Indian Wells, clinched a record-breaking sixth Miami crown, beating three top five players along the way, and defended her title on the clay of Charleston. Has yet to lose a match since returning to No.1.

11 Nadia Petrova (RUS) 12 Maria Kirilenko (RUS) 13 Roberta Vinci (ITA) 14 Marion Bartoli (FRA) 15 Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 16 Sloane Stephens (USA) 17 Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 18 Jelena Jankovic (SRB) 19 Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 20 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 21 Klara Zakopalova (KAZ) 22 Venus Williams (USA) 23 Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 24 Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 25 Lucie Safarova (CZE) 26 Sorana Cirstea (ROU) 27 Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 28 Mona Barthel (GER) 29 Elena Vesnina (RUS) 30 Julia Goerges (GER) 31 Tamira Paszek (AUT) 32 Urszula Radwanska (POL) 33 Alize Cornet (FRA) 34 Shuai Peng (CHN) 35 Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 36 Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) 37 Kaia Kanepi (EST) 38 Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 39 Laura Robson (GBR) 40 Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) 41 Heather Watson (GBR) 42 Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 43 Ayumi Morita (JPN) 44 Kiki Bertens (NED) 45 Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 46 Monica Niculescu (ROU) 47 Sabine Lisicki (GER) 48 Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 49 Jie Zheng (CHN) 50 Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 51 Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU) 52 Romina Oprandi (SUI) 53 Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) 54 Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) 55 Christina McHale (USA) 56 Simona Halep (ROU) 57 Stefanie Voegele (SUI) 58 Lucie Hradecka (CZE) 59 Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP) 60 Olga Govortsova (BLR) 61 Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) 62 Madison Keys (USA) 63 Lauren Davis (USA) 64 Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP) 65 Johanna Larsson (SWE) 66 Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) 67 Anna Tatishvili (GEO) 68 Marina Erakovic (NZL) 69 Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) 70 Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) 71 Jamie Hampton (USA) 72 Lara Arruabarrena (ESP) 73 Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN) 74 Annika Beck (GER) 75 Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 76 Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) 77 Garbine Muguruza (ESP) 78 Olga Puchkova 79 Mathilde Johansson (SWE) 80 Pauline Parmentier (FRA) 81 Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 82 Camila Giorgi (ITA) 83 Donna Vekic (CRO) 84 Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor (ESP) 85 Jana Cepelova (SVK) 86 Arantxa Rus (NED) 87 Melanie Oudin (USA) 88 Misaki Doi (JPN) 89 Mallory Burdette (USA) 90 Elina Svitolina (UKR) 91 Petra Martic (CRO) 92 Yulia Putinsteva (KAZ) 93 Petra Cetkovska (CZE) 94 Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 95 Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) 96 Yung-Jan Chan (TPE) 97 Vesna Dolonc (SRB) 98 Mandy Minella (LUX) 99 Karin Knapp (ITA) 100 Melinda Czink (HUN)

Serena WIlliams

usa Born: 26/09/81 Lives: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA Height: 5ft 9in Weight: 155 lbs

This year: $1,506,363 Career to date: $43,304,272 Career-high ranking: 1 (08/07/02) Career titles: 49 Last title: Family Circle Cup, WTA Premier, Charleston, USA, April 2013

2

maria sharapova

russia Born: 19/04/87 Lives: Bradenton, Florida, USA Height: 6ft 2in Weight: 130 lbs

This year: $1,962,092 Career to date: $25,113,715 Career-high ranking: 1 (22/08/05) Career titles: 28 Last title: BNP Paribas Open, WTA Premier, Indian Wells, California, USA, March 2013

Returned to world No.2 after winning her first title since the 2012 French Open at Indian Wells, beating Wozniacki in the final.

Continued run of form to reach the final in Miami, where she led Serena Williams by a set and a break before losing in three sets.

3

victoria azarenka

belarus Born: 31/07/89 Lives: Monte-Carlo, Monaco Height: 6ft Weight: 145 lbs

This year: $3,007,651 Career to date: $19,864,928 Career-high ranking: 1 (30/01/12) Career titles: 16 Last title: Qatar Total Open, WTA Premier, Doha, Qatar, February 2013

Remains undefeated this season with 17 wins but has been forced to withdraw from numerous tournaments.

Reached the quarter-final of Indian Wells before succumbing to an ankle injury, which also forced her out of Miami.

4

Agnieszka rADWANSKA

Poland Born: 06/03/89 Lives: Krakow, Poland Height: 5ft 8in Weight: 123 lbs

This year: $776,889 Career to date: $11,828,566 Career-high ranking: 2 (09/07/12) Career titles: 12 Last title: Apia International, WTA Premier, Sydney, Australia, January 2013

Has failed to reach a final since opening the season with two titles. Lost to Kvitova in the Dubai quarter-finals, Maria Kirilenko in the round of 16 at Indian Wells, and, as defending champion, fell to Serena Williams in the semi-finals of Miami.

5

li na

CHINA Born: 26/02/82 Lives: Wuhan, China Height: 5ft 8in Weight: 143 lbs

This year: $1,456,129 Career to date: $10,772,833 Career-high ranking: 4 (06/06/11) Career titles: 7 Last title: Shenzhen Longgang Gemdale Open, WTA International, Shenzhen, China P.R., January 2013

Missed two months of the season after picking up an ankle injury in her Australian Open final loss to Azarenka. Returned in Miami where she reached the quarter-final without losing a set before dropping a 6-3 7-6 decision to eventual champion Williams.

6

Angelique Kerber

germany Born: 18/01/88 Lives: Puszczykowo, Poland Height: 5ft 8in Weight: 150 lbs

This year: $493,911 Career to date: $3,779,090 Career-high ranking: 5 (22/10/12) Career titles: 2 Last title: e-Boks Open, WTA International, Copenhagen, Denmark, April 2012

Bounced back from a first-round defeat to Vinci in Dubai by reaching the semi-final of Indian Wells, where she lost to Wozniacki in three sets. Suffered an upset loss to world No.27 Cirstea in Miami before reaching the final of Monterrey (l.to Pavlyuchenkova).

7

Sara Errani

ITALY Born: 29/04/1987 Lives: Bologna, Italy Height: 5ft 4in Weight: 132 lbs

This year: $1,017,609 Career to date: $5,796,879 Career-high ranking: 6 (29/10/12) Career titles: 7 Last title: Abierto Mexicano Telcel, WTA International, Acapulco, Mexico March 2013

A week after losing to Kvitova in the final of Dubai, defended her title at her favourite event in Acapulco, defeating Suarez Navarro in the final. Reached back-to-back quarter-finals in Indian Wells and Miami, losing to Sharapova both weeks.

8

Petra Kvitova

Czech Republic Born: 08/03/90 Lives: Fulnek, Czech Republic Height: 6ft Weight: 154 lbs

This year: $708,875 Career to date: $9,754,623 Career-high ranking: 2 (31/10/11) Career titles: 10 Last title: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, WTA Premier, Dubai, UAE, February 2013

Recovered from a poor start to the season by capturing the title in Dubai, beating four top 15 players - Ivanovic, Radwanska, Wozniacki and Errani - along the way. Was upset by Kirilenko in the quarter-final of Indian Wells and Flipkens in round two of Miami.

9

Samantha Stosur

australia Born: 30/03/84 Lives: Gold Coast, Australia Height: 5ft 9in Weight: 143 lbs

This year: $285,704 Career to date: $12,103,691 Career-high ranking: 4 (21/02/11) Career titles: 3 Last title: US Open, Grand Slam, Flushing Meadows, New York USA, September 2011

Put together three consecutive quarter-final appearances in Doha (l. to Sharapova), Dubai (l. to Vinci) and Indian Wells, where she withdrew with a calf strain before her match with Kerber. The same injury forced her out of Miami and Charleston a week later.

10

Caroline Wozniacki

denmark Born: 11/07/90 Lives: Monte-Carlo, Monaco Height: 5ft 10in Weight: 128 lbs

This year: $864,643 Career to date: $15,035,740 Career-high ranking: 1 (11/10/10) Career titles: 20 Last title: Kremlin Cup, WTA Premier, Moscow, Russia October 2012

Returned to form in Indian Wells, where she benefited from the withdrawal of Azarenka in the quarter-finals before losing to Sharapova in the final. Was upset by players ranked No.186, No.73 and No.63 in Kuala Lumpur, Miami and Charleston respectively.

Points: 11,115

Points: 10,240

Points: 9,325

Points: 6,845

Points: 5,880

Points: 5,500

Points: 5,405

Points: 5,225

Points: 3,790

Points: 3,760

down 2

10 8 W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET

RANKINGS

April 8 2013

emirates ATP Rankings RANKING

1

PERSONAL

ACHIEVEMENTS

FORM

11-100 RANKINGS

Captured his second title of the season in Dubai without dropping a set, beating Berdych in the final.

Had his 22-game winning streak snapped by del Potro in the semi-final of Indian Wells before suffering a shock loss to Tommy Haas in the last 16 of Miami.

11 Marin Cilic (CRO) 12 Nicolas Almagro (ESP) 13 Gilles Simon (FRA) 14 Tommy Haas (GER) 15 Milos Raonic (CAN) 16 Kei Nishikori (JPN) 17 Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI ) 18 Juan Monaco (ARG) 19 Andreas Seppi (ITA) 20 Sam Querrey (USA) 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 22 Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) 23 John Isner (USA) 24 Jerzy Janowicz (POL) 25 Jeremy Chardy (FRA) 26 Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) 27 Julien Benneteau (FRA) 28 Florian Mayer (GER) 29 Kevin Anderson (RSA) 30 Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 31 Fabio Fognini (ITA) 32 Martin Klizan (SVK) 33 Benoit Paire (FRA) 34 Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 35 Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 36 Marcel Granollers (ESP) 37 Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 38 Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) 39 Horacio Zeballos (ARG) 40 Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) 41 Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) 42 Mardy Fish (USA) 43 Bernard Tomic (AUS) 44 Viktor Troicki (SRB) 45 Radek Stepanek (CZE) 46 Lukas Rosol (CZE) 47 Denis Istomin (UZB) 48 Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 49 Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP) 50 Xavier Malisse (BEL) 51 Marinko Matosevic (AUS) 52 Albert Ramos (ESP) 53 Robin Haase (NED) 54 Ivan Dodig (CRO) 55 Grega Zemlja (SLO) 56 Ernests Gulbis (LAT) 57 Pablo Andujar (ESP) 58 Victor Hanescu (ROU) 59 Roberto-Bautista Agut (ESP) 60 Michael Llodra (FRA) 61 Brian Baker (USA) 62 Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) 63 Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 64 Carlos Berlocq (ARG) 65 David Goffin (BEL) 66 Alejandro Falla (COL) 67 Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 68 Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) 69 Gilles Muller (LUX) 70 Daniel Brands (GER) 71 Igor Sijsling (NED) 72 Tommy Robredo (ESP) 73 Michael Russell (USA) 74 Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE) 75 Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) 76 Santiago Giraldo (COL) 77 Ricardas Berankis (LTU) 78 Simone Bolelli (ITA)) 79 Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) 80 Lukas Lacko (SVK) 81 Tobias Kamke (GER) 82 Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 83 Jan Hajek (CZE) 84 Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) 85 Blaz Kavcic (SLO) 86 Go Soeda (JPN) 87 Albert Montanes (ESP) 88 Joao Sousa (POR) 89 Guillaume Rufin (FRA) 90 Aljaz Bedene (SLO) 91 James Blake (USA) 92 Lukasz Kubot (POL) 93 Ryan Harrison (USA) 94 Martin Alund (ARG) 95 Benjamin Becker (GER) 96 Jesse Levine (CAN) 97 Thiemo de Bakker (NED) 98 Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) 99 Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 100 Philipp Petzschner (GER)

Novak Djokovic

Serbia Born: 22/05/87 Lives: Monte-Carlo, Monaco Height: 6ft 2in Weight: 176 lbs

This year: $3,264,739 Career to date: $48,951,236 Career-high ranking: 1 (04/07/11) Career titles: 36 Last title: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, ATP World Tour 500, Dubai, UAE, March 2013

2

andy murray

great britain Born: 15/05/87 Lives: London, UK Height: 6ft 3in Weight: 185 lbs

This year: $2,190,215 Career to date: $27,045,837 Career-high ranking: 2 (17/08/09) Career titles: 26 Last title: Sony Open, ATP World Tour Masters 1000, Miami, USA, March 2013

Has played in just two events since his loss in the Melbourne final. Fell in three sets to del Potro in the last eight of Indian Wells, before winning in Miami for the second time in his career, beating four top 20 players along the way, including Ferrer in the final.

3

roger federer

switzerland Born: 08/08/81 Lives: Bottmingen, Switzerland Height: 6ft 1in Weight: 187 lbs

This year: $764,406 Career to date: $76,779,184 Career-high ranking: 1 (02/02/04) Career titles: 76 Last title: Western & Southern Open, ATP World Tour Masters 1000, Cincinnati, USA, August 2012

Yet to reach an ATP final this year after falling in the Dubai semi-final (l. to Berdych) and the quarter final at Indian Wells, where he struggled with a back injury throughout his straight-set loss to Nadal. Chose to skip the Sony Open in order to rest.

4

David Ferrer

Spain Born: 02/04/82 Lives: Valencia, Spain Height: 5ft 9in Weight: 160 lbs

This year: $1,244,061 Career to date: $18,293,150 Career-high ranking: 4 (25/02/08) Career titles: 20 Last title: Copa Claro, ATP World Tour 250, Buenos Aires, Argentina, February 2013

Successfully defended his title in Buenos Aires, beating Wawrinka in the final before suffering an early exit in Indian Wells (l. to Anderson). Bounced back in Miami a week later making an impressive run to the final, where he lost to Murray 7-6 in the third.

5

rafael nadal

Spain Born: 03/06/86 Lives: Manacor, Mallorca, Spain Height: 6ft 1in Weight: 188 lbs

This year: $1,420,210 Career to date: $51,482,037 Career-high ranking: 1 (18/08/08) Career titles: 53 Last title: BNP Paribas Open, ATP World Tour Masters 1000, Indian Wells, California, USA, March 2013

Made a big statement in trouncing Ferrer in the final of Acapulco for his 38th title on clay and followed it up by shocking the field at Indian Wells, beating Federer, Berdych and del Potro on his way to a record-breaking 22nd Masters 1000 crown.

6

tomas berdych

czech republic Born: 17/09/85 Lives: Monte-Carlo, Monaco Height: 6ft 5in Weight: 200 lbs

This year: $850,057 Career to date: $13,978,050 Career-high ranking: 6 (18/10/10) Career titles: 8 Last title: If Stockholm Open, ATP World Tour 250, Stockholm, Sweden, October 2012

Has been in consistent form of late, reaching back-to-back finals in Marseille (l. to Tsonga) and Dubai, where he upset Federer before losing to Djokovic. Fell to Nadal in the Indian Wells semi-final and to Gasquet in the quarters of Miami.

7

juan martin del potro

argentina Born: 23/09/88 Lives: Tandil, Argentina Height: 6ft 6in Weight: 214 lbs

This year: $1,108,411 Career to date: $11,961,760 Career-high ranking: 4 (11/01/10) Career titles: 14 Last title: ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament, ATP World Tour 500, Rotterdam, Netherlands, Feb. 2013

Followed up a quarter-final appearance in Marseille (l. to Simon) and a semi-final in Dubai (l. to Djokovic) by impressing in Indian Wells. Saw off both Murray and Djokvic in the Californian desert before succumbing to Nadal in a tight three-set final.

8

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

france Born: 17/04/85 Lives: Gingins, Switzerland Height: 6ft 2in Weight: 200 lbs

This year: $566,172 Career to date: $11,243,100 Career-high ranking: 5 (27/02/12) Career titles: 10 Last title: Open 13, ATP World Tour 250, Marseille, France, February 2013

Overcame Berdych in the final of Marseille to collect his fifth ATP title on home soil and tenth overall. Struggled for form there after, falling in the first round of Dubai (l. to Llodra), the last eight of Indian Wells (l. to Djokovic) and the last 16 in Miami (l. to Cilic).

9

richard gasquet

france Born: 18/06/86 Lives: Neuchatel, Switzerland Height: 6ft 1in Weight: 165 lbs

This year: $688,569 Career to date: $8,048,582 Career-high ranking: 7 (09/07/07) Career titles: 9 Last title: Open Sud de France, ATP World Tour 250, Montpellier, France, February 2013

Put up a good show in Miami, beating No.12 Almagro and No.6 Berdych to reach the final four, where he lost to Murray in three sets. Previously, fell in the first round at home in Marseille (l. to Muller) before losing in the last 16 at Indian Wells (l. to Berdych).

10

janko tipsarevic

serbia Born: 22/06/84 Lives: Belgrade, Serbia Height: 5ft 11in Weight: 176 lbs

This year: $325,932 Career to date: $6,856,671 Career-high ranking: 8 (02/04/12) Career titles: 4 Last title: The Aircel Chennai Open, ATP World Tour 250, Chennai, India, January 2013

Form has suffered ever since a promising start to the season. Fell in the first round at four events in a row - Montpellier, Marseille, Dubai and Indian Wells - losing to players outside the top 45 on each occasion. Recovered some form to reach the third round in Miami.

Points: 12,500

Points: 8,750

Points: 8,670

Points: 6,970

Points: 6,385

Points: 5,015

Points: 4,750

Points: 3,695

Points: 3,230

Points: 3,000

W W W.t e n n i s h e a d. NET 10 9

4 -11 November The O2

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