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SHEFFIELD Heeley MP Meg Munn has been presented with an award by an Olympic gold medallist – after being named a Sport and Recreation Alliance Sports Parliamentarian of the Year.
The Labour politician was one of 11 MPs and peers who were celebrated at an awards ceremony at the House of Commons hosted by the Sport and Recreation Alliance.
The award was established to recognise the efforts of MPs ‘who have worked tirelessly with local people, clubs, organisations and governing bodies to promote and protect the interests of sport and recreation and get it higher up the government agenda’.
Mrs Munn was nominated by the Lawn Tennis Association for her campaigning work.
Olympic gold medallist Duncan Goodhew, who presented the award, said: “Political support for the sport sector is essential to the delivery of a long-term sporting legacy from London 2012, and I hope that passionate and hardworking parliamentarians like Meg will be an inspiration to their colleagues.”
Mrs Munn said: “I was honoured to have been nominated by the Lawn Tennis Association.
“I am working with them, Tennis for Free and the Local Government Association to increase opportunities for people of all ages and in all areas to play tennis and I am pleased to say that good progress is being made.”
Lawn Tennis Association head of campaigns Cathy Byrne said: “Meg loves playing tennis and shows what can be achieved when a personal passion is combined with political acumen and energy.”
Sheffield MP scores an ace with tennis fans - Community - The Star
The Labour politician was one of 11 MPs and peers who were celebrated at an awards ceremony at the House of Commons hosted by the Sport and Recreation Alliance.
The award was established to recognise the efforts of MPs ‘who have worked tirelessly with local people, clubs, organisations and governing bodies to promote and protect the interests of sport and recreation and get it higher up the government agenda’.
Mrs Munn was nominated by the Lawn Tennis Association for her campaigning work.
Olympic gold medallist Duncan Goodhew, who presented the award, said: “Political support for the sport sector is essential to the delivery of a long-term sporting legacy from London 2012, and I hope that passionate and hardworking parliamentarians like Meg will be an inspiration to their colleagues.”
Mrs Munn said: “I was honoured to have been nominated by the Lawn Tennis Association.
“I am working with them, Tennis for Free and the Local Government Association to increase opportunities for people of all ages and in all areas to play tennis and I am pleased to say that good progress is being made.”
Lawn Tennis Association head of campaigns Cathy Byrne said: “Meg loves playing tennis and shows what can be achieved when a personal passion is combined with political acumen and energy.”
Sheffield MP scores an ace with tennis fans - Community - The Star
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Although Wozniacki never has won a Grand Slam title, you would expect that the pride she took from finishing as the year-end No. 1 for two consecutive years would have impelled her to do something—anything—in 2012 to declare that she’s not giving up her privileged place in the game. You know, trip Serena Williams on a changeover. Throw a cream pie into Agnieszka Radwanska’s face. Beat someone besides that other Slam-less former No. 1, Jelena Jankovic (against whom Wozniacki was 2-0 in 2012).
But no, Wozniacki did nothing of the kind. Instead, she continued to cultivate and trade on her image as a fun-loving, easygoing, coach-firing, golfer-dating, publicity-seeking young lady of 22. She seems blithely unconcerned—or is it “unaware?”—that the game may be passing her by. But that’s a mistake made easily enough when you consider how hard the WTA (as well as Wozniacki and her handlers) have worked to position her, and others like her, as glamorous celebrities who are far too special to be perceived as mere athletes, or judged on something as simple as their results.
Perhaps Wozniacki really does care, in the sense that a Rafael Nadal or a Serena or a Maria Sharapova really cares, about winning big tournaments. But the signal she sends in word and deed is that while it would be nice to do that, it isn’t necessarily worth getting all worked up over.
The same goes for coaching. It’s nice to have a coach, especially when you’ve come up against some hard realities that have put a cap on your up-side. In Wozniacki’s case, those were bundled under the fact that in today’s game, you can’t win a Grand Slam title just by playing excellent defense, not with ball strikers like Serena, Sharapova, and Victoria Azarenka afoot.
But then, if you let your father continue to feed the balls, you can stay in your comfort zone and also save a lot of money. Hence the quick end to the Ricardo Sanchez experiment and the immediate reinstatement of Wozniacki’s father, Piotr, as coach. Looking at it that way makes it easier to understand why Wozniacki blind-sided Sanchez by firing him in Februrary, just two months after taking him on as a coach. The poor guy barely had time to tell the world what a thrill and honor it was to get the job—and he was out the door.
Ironically, Sanchez was the coach-of-record for Wozniacki’s best Grand Slam result this year, a quarterfinal at the Australian Open (where she lost to Kim Clijsters). But it was all downhill from there: A third-round appearance at the French Open, and successive first-round losses at the final two majors of the year.
Wozniacki’s record for 2012 was a mediocre—certainly for her—50-21, and with a few exceptions her year was downright lousy until the late fall. In order to finish in the Top 10, Wozniacki had to win Moscow (only her second title of the year) and make the final of Sofia, the second-tier version of the WTA Championships, called the “Tournament of Champions” but more aptly described as the semi-invitational “Tournament of Also-Rans.”
Wozniacki’s 7-5 in-the-third win over Sam Stosur in the Moscow final was a praiseworthy accomplishment, one of the few from her year. But her loss to Nadia Petrova in the Sofia final by a dismal 6-2, 6-1 score was more emblematic of her season.
Some would say that given her natural limitations and inclinations as a conservative, defensive baseliner, Wozniacki is doing just great. She ought to be praised instead of criticized for her consistency. There’s some truth to that; Wozniacki certainly earned that No. 1 ranking on the court, and even in this disappointing year she finished in the elite Top 10. But in tennis, we grade on a curve, and those players lucky and gifted enough to stand as Grand Slam title contenders are expected to show strength, determination, and a burning desire to improve and win. Perhaps Wozniacki has been thrown off her game by her well-publicized relationship with golfer Rory McIlroy; it wouldn’t be the first time that romance has proved a deterrent to focus and success (and that’s especially true for younger players).
But until Wozniacki herself addresses that issue, or gives some indication that she’s actually troubled by the fall-off in her results, we can only go by the evidence of our eyes. Right now, they tell us that Wozniacki is loving life, and not overly concerned that she’s has gone from world No. 1 to runner-up in the Tournament of Also-Rans.
Honorable Mention: Svetlana Kuznetsova
The two-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 3 has always been a moody free-spirit, her ranking given to great fluctuations depending on whether or not she feels like working and playing. Her season was severely impacted by injuries—a right knee injury forced her to give up on the year after a first-round loss at Wimbledon—but she was already out of the Top 30 by then. She’s just 27, but you have to wonder how much of a force she’ll be in the future.
Men’s: Bernard Tomic
It tells you something about the magnitude of Tomic’s problems that out of all the 12 for ‘12 categories, this selection was the quickest and easiest to make. This was a year during which many pundits expected Tomic to build on his 2011 season, where he finished ranked No. 42, partly by virtue of a quarterfinal performance at Wimbledon. Instead, the 19-year-old (Tomic turned 20 in October) melted down so comprehensively after hitting a career-high ranking of No. 27 last June that some in the Australian tennis establishment fear that he’s spinning out of control and unlikely to be stopped by anything or anyone.
Just yesterday, Tennis Australia’s director Craig Tiley announced that Tomic will not be selected to represent his country in the Aussies’ next Davis Cup tie against Taiwan, and it appears that the organization might also cut off the funding it has continued to provide for the former prodigy.
Tomic’s ongoing off-court problems began early this year, when he had a series of run-ins with
But no, Wozniacki did nothing of the kind. Instead, she continued to cultivate and trade on her image as a fun-loving, easygoing, coach-firing, golfer-dating, publicity-seeking young lady of 22. She seems blithely unconcerned—or is it “unaware?”—that the game may be passing her by. But that’s a mistake made easily enough when you consider how hard the WTA (as well as Wozniacki and her handlers) have worked to position her, and others like her, as glamorous celebrities who are far too special to be perceived as mere athletes, or judged on something as simple as their results.
Perhaps Wozniacki really does care, in the sense that a Rafael Nadal or a Serena or a Maria Sharapova really cares, about winning big tournaments. But the signal she sends in word and deed is that while it would be nice to do that, it isn’t necessarily worth getting all worked up over.
The same goes for coaching. It’s nice to have a coach, especially when you’ve come up against some hard realities that have put a cap on your up-side. In Wozniacki’s case, those were bundled under the fact that in today’s game, you can’t win a Grand Slam title just by playing excellent defense, not with ball strikers like Serena, Sharapova, and Victoria Azarenka afoot.
But then, if you let your father continue to feed the balls, you can stay in your comfort zone and also save a lot of money. Hence the quick end to the Ricardo Sanchez experiment and the immediate reinstatement of Wozniacki’s father, Piotr, as coach. Looking at it that way makes it easier to understand why Wozniacki blind-sided Sanchez by firing him in Februrary, just two months after taking him on as a coach. The poor guy barely had time to tell the world what a thrill and honor it was to get the job—and he was out the door.
Ironically, Sanchez was the coach-of-record for Wozniacki’s best Grand Slam result this year, a quarterfinal at the Australian Open (where she lost to Kim Clijsters). But it was all downhill from there: A third-round appearance at the French Open, and successive first-round losses at the final two majors of the year.
Wozniacki’s record for 2012 was a mediocre—certainly for her—50-21, and with a few exceptions her year was downright lousy until the late fall. In order to finish in the Top 10, Wozniacki had to win Moscow (only her second title of the year) and make the final of Sofia, the second-tier version of the WTA Championships, called the “Tournament of Champions” but more aptly described as the semi-invitational “Tournament of Also-Rans.”
Wozniacki’s 7-5 in-the-third win over Sam Stosur in the Moscow final was a praiseworthy accomplishment, one of the few from her year. But her loss to Nadia Petrova in the Sofia final by a dismal 6-2, 6-1 score was more emblematic of her season.
Some would say that given her natural limitations and inclinations as a conservative, defensive baseliner, Wozniacki is doing just great. She ought to be praised instead of criticized for her consistency. There’s some truth to that; Wozniacki certainly earned that No. 1 ranking on the court, and even in this disappointing year she finished in the elite Top 10. But in tennis, we grade on a curve, and those players lucky and gifted enough to stand as Grand Slam title contenders are expected to show strength, determination, and a burning desire to improve and win. Perhaps Wozniacki has been thrown off her game by her well-publicized relationship with golfer Rory McIlroy; it wouldn’t be the first time that romance has proved a deterrent to focus and success (and that’s especially true for younger players).
But until Wozniacki herself addresses that issue, or gives some indication that she’s actually troubled by the fall-off in her results, we can only go by the evidence of our eyes. Right now, they tell us that Wozniacki is loving life, and not overly concerned that she’s has gone from world No. 1 to runner-up in the Tournament of Also-Rans.
Honorable Mention: Svetlana Kuznetsova
The two-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 3 has always been a moody free-spirit, her ranking given to great fluctuations depending on whether or not she feels like working and playing. Her season was severely impacted by injuries—a right knee injury forced her to give up on the year after a first-round loss at Wimbledon—but she was already out of the Top 30 by then. She’s just 27, but you have to wonder how much of a force she’ll be in the future.
Men’s: Bernard Tomic
It tells you something about the magnitude of Tomic’s problems that out of all the 12 for ‘12 categories, this selection was the quickest and easiest to make. This was a year during which many pundits expected Tomic to build on his 2011 season, where he finished ranked No. 42, partly by virtue of a quarterfinal performance at Wimbledon. Instead, the 19-year-old (Tomic turned 20 in October) melted down so comprehensively after hitting a career-high ranking of No. 27 last June that some in the Australian tennis establishment fear that he’s spinning out of control and unlikely to be stopped by anything or anyone.
Just yesterday, Tennis Australia’s director Craig Tiley announced that Tomic will not be selected to represent his country in the Aussies’ next Davis Cup tie against Taiwan, and it appears that the organization might also cut off the funding it has continued to provide for the former prodigy.
Tomic’s ongoing off-court problems began early this year, when he had a series of run-ins with
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Former senior English policeman Jeff Rees is retiring after more than four years in charge of tennis' anti-corruption group, with former fellow officer Nigel Willerton to replace him on January 1.
The Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU), which announced the changes on Monday, hired Rees as director in August 2008 after he helped to review possible match-fixing in professional tennis.
A former Detective Chief Superintendent with the Metropolitan Police in London, he was awarded the Queen's Police Medal in 2000. Rees was also chief investigator of the International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit for eight years before turning his focus to tennis.
The ATP and WTA tours, the International Tennis Federation and the Grand Slam Committee formed the TIU after a series of player suspensions for betting on matches and a gambling investigation into a match involving Russian Nikolay Davydenko.
Rees was appointed by the governing authorities of tennis to establish the unit as a dedicated body to protect the sport from threats posed by gambling-related corruption. During his four-year tenure, he oversaw the introduction of comprehensive player education and training initiatives, together with the implementation of anti-corruption protocols in tournament situations.
The introduction of the Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Program, one of the most stringent anti-corruption codes in professional sport, was another significant landmark.
Under the code, investigations were carried out which resulted in five players and a manager being disciplined. Two players were banned from tennis for life - Serbian David Savic and Austria's Daniel Koellerer.
Willerton has been a TIU investigator since June 2010. He was a senior officer with the Metropolitan Police, and his 30 years with the Force were spent investigating major crimes and complex criminal cases.
"Jeff Rees has provided tennis with exceptional leadership and guidance over the past four years and we pay tribute to the outstanding contribution he has made in protecting the sport from those who would seek to corrupt it," said Philip Brook, 2012 Chairman of the Tennis Integrity Board.
"In saying farewell to Jeff, we welcome Nigel Willerton as Director of Integrity, confident that he will provide the continuity of operation so important to the sport. Nigel is already well known and respected by players and officials throughout tennis and will ensure a seamless transition of leadership takes place in this crucial role."
New head of tennis anti-corruption unit
The Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU), which announced the changes on Monday, hired Rees as director in August 2008 after he helped to review possible match-fixing in professional tennis.
A former Detective Chief Superintendent with the Metropolitan Police in London, he was awarded the Queen's Police Medal in 2000. Rees was also chief investigator of the International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit for eight years before turning his focus to tennis.
The ATP and WTA tours, the International Tennis Federation and the Grand Slam Committee formed the TIU after a series of player suspensions for betting on matches and a gambling investigation into a match involving Russian Nikolay Davydenko.
Rees was appointed by the governing authorities of tennis to establish the unit as a dedicated body to protect the sport from threats posed by gambling-related corruption. During his four-year tenure, he oversaw the introduction of comprehensive player education and training initiatives, together with the implementation of anti-corruption protocols in tournament situations.
The introduction of the Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Program, one of the most stringent anti-corruption codes in professional sport, was another significant landmark.
Under the code, investigations were carried out which resulted in five players and a manager being disciplined. Two players were banned from tennis for life - Serbian David Savic and Austria's Daniel Koellerer.
Willerton has been a TIU investigator since June 2010. He was a senior officer with the Metropolitan Police, and his 30 years with the Force were spent investigating major crimes and complex criminal cases.
"Jeff Rees has provided tennis with exceptional leadership and guidance over the past four years and we pay tribute to the outstanding contribution he has made in protecting the sport from those who would seek to corrupt it," said Philip Brook, 2012 Chairman of the Tennis Integrity Board.
"In saying farewell to Jeff, we welcome Nigel Willerton as Director of Integrity, confident that he will provide the continuity of operation so important to the sport. Nigel is already well known and respected by players and officials throughout tennis and will ensure a seamless transition of leadership takes place in this crucial role."
New head of tennis anti-corruption unit
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Caroline Wozniacki has been accused of racism after stuffing her top and skirt with towels to impersonate fellow tennis player Serena Williams during a match in Brazil.
The 22-year-old Dane pranced around the court to laughter and whistles from the crowd as she played a point against Maria Sharapova in the exhibition match in Sao Paulo.
But the former world No.1 has now attracted criticism on social media for impersonating the Grand Slam champion, who is also her friend.
On Tumblr, one blogger wrote: "This isn't "harmless fun" as one article described it. its racist. out and outright racism. mocking and making fun of the bodies of black women for a laugh? real funny, stupid white girl. real real funny.'
Another blogger wrote: "It may have been done in "jest," but I love how people can can turn a black woman's body and sexuality into a caricature. However, we should not have the autonomy to celebrate any successes of our own."
An article on the website feministing.com said: "... given the history and current-day context of racialised standards of beauty, and the hypersexualization of people of colour, when a white woman makes fun of a black women's body, especially in a way that hypersexualizes her and draws on the stereotype of black women's big butts, it's racist."
Hass Dellal, the executive director of the Australian Multicultural Foundation, said Wozniacki probably did not intend her actions to be racist, but they could be interpreted as such.
"It's quite inappropriate to be mocking or making jest of people's physical shape or image, especially when it's such an issue with young people today," he said.
"I can see how some people could interpret that, simply because of stereotyping, as being racist.
"A role model should be acting more responsibly. It's quite inappropriate to mock a person's body shape and image.
"Stereotyping can lead to all forms of discrimination."
It's not the first time Wozniacki has imitated her friend Williams during an exhibition match.
She performed a similar stunt in December last year, when she also danced around the court to a Rihanna song.
And Andy Roddick has also impersonated Williams by stuffing towels down his pants on court.
Williams is known for referring to her figure.
The day before the exhibition match in Brazil, which Williams also attended, she tweeted: "Hummmmm do they make Brazilian bikinis for ummm well..... Me😟".
The 22-year-old Dane pranced around the court to laughter and whistles from the crowd as she played a point against Maria Sharapova in the exhibition match in Sao Paulo.
But the former world No.1 has now attracted criticism on social media for impersonating the Grand Slam champion, who is also her friend.
On Tumblr, one blogger wrote: "This isn't "harmless fun" as one article described it. its racist. out and outright racism. mocking and making fun of the bodies of black women for a laugh? real funny, stupid white girl. real real funny.'
Another blogger wrote: "It may have been done in "jest," but I love how people can can turn a black woman's body and sexuality into a caricature. However, we should not have the autonomy to celebrate any successes of our own."
An article on the website feministing.com said: "... given the history and current-day context of racialised standards of beauty, and the hypersexualization of people of colour, when a white woman makes fun of a black women's body, especially in a way that hypersexualizes her and draws on the stereotype of black women's big butts, it's racist."
Hass Dellal, the executive director of the Australian Multicultural Foundation, said Wozniacki probably did not intend her actions to be racist, but they could be interpreted as such.
"It's quite inappropriate to be mocking or making jest of people's physical shape or image, especially when it's such an issue with young people today," he said.
"I can see how some people could interpret that, simply because of stereotyping, as being racist.
"A role model should be acting more responsibly. It's quite inappropriate to mock a person's body shape and image.
"Stereotyping can lead to all forms of discrimination."
It's not the first time Wozniacki has imitated her friend Williams during an exhibition match.
She performed a similar stunt in December last year, when she also danced around the court to a Rihanna song.
And Andy Roddick has also impersonated Williams by stuffing towels down his pants on court.
Williams is known for referring to her figure.
The day before the exhibition match in Brazil, which Williams also attended, she tweeted: "Hummmmm do they make Brazilian bikinis for ummm well..... Me😟".
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Former world number one Kim Clijsters celebrated the end of her sparkling tennis career with a victory in an exhibition match against American rival Venus Williams on Wednesday.
The Belgian, who won 41 career singles titles, played her last official match at the US Open in
August, but was keen to play for one last time in front of her home support.
With a crowd of 13,000 looking on, the 29-year-old beat Williams 6-3, 6-3.
"I had no regrets at stopping my career on August 29 at the US Open, and I still don't have any. Sorry to stop you," said Clijsters.
"There's not just tennis in my life. I like cooking, gardening, reading, decorating the house, putting up the Christmas tree and running."
Clijsters retired for the first time in 2007 to give birth to daughter Jada with no plans to return, feeling she had accomplished her Grand Slam dream with a 2005 US Open title.
But she returned in 2009 and with only two tune-up events captured the US Open title - becoming the first mother to win a Grand Slam title since 1980, then defended the crown in 2010 and added a 2011 Australian Open title just for good measure.
The Belgian, who won 41 career singles titles, played her last official match at the US Open in
August, but was keen to play for one last time in front of her home support.
With a crowd of 13,000 looking on, the 29-year-old beat Williams 6-3, 6-3.
"I had no regrets at stopping my career on August 29 at the US Open, and I still don't have any. Sorry to stop you," said Clijsters.
"There's not just tennis in my life. I like cooking, gardening, reading, decorating the house, putting up the Christmas tree and running."
Clijsters retired for the first time in 2007 to give birth to daughter Jada with no plans to return, feeling she had accomplished her Grand Slam dream with a 2005 US Open title.
But she returned in 2009 and with only two tune-up events captured the US Open title - becoming the first mother to win a Grand Slam title since 1980, then defended the crown in 2010 and added a 2011 Australian Open title just for good measure.
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Aleksandra Wozniak has won the Tennis Canada female player of the year award for the fifth time.
She was given the honour Thursday after returning to the top 50 in the world rankings this year following a couple of injury-plagued seasons. Wozniak, from Blainville, Que., reached three WTA quarter-finals in 2012 and also captured the Nassau Challenger event last March.
"It's such a nice feeling to be recognized by Tennis Canada with this award," Wozniak said in a release. "I had a great season this year with many highlights — including my first-ever Olympic Games — and of course being able to reach the quarters at Rogers Cup in front of such supportive hometown fans.
"I'm happy to be back in the Top 50, but I'm already looking forward to having a great year in 2013 and I hope I can grow further."
Wozniak, who also received the female singles player of the year honour, reached the second round at the London Games before falling to American star Venus Williams. Wozniak is currently ranked No. 43 in the world, a jump of 62 positions from the end of 2011.
Marie-Eve Pelletier of Repentigny, Que., was named female doubles player of the year and Eugenie Bouchard of Westmount, Que., was named female junior player of the year and most improved female player.
Milos Raonic was named male player of the year Wednesday. The Tennis Canada Excellence Awards were selected by a committee of high-ranking Tennis Canada personnel and the country's top national coaches.
She was given the honour Thursday after returning to the top 50 in the world rankings this year following a couple of injury-plagued seasons. Wozniak, from Blainville, Que., reached three WTA quarter-finals in 2012 and also captured the Nassau Challenger event last March.
"It's such a nice feeling to be recognized by Tennis Canada with this award," Wozniak said in a release. "I had a great season this year with many highlights — including my first-ever Olympic Games — and of course being able to reach the quarters at Rogers Cup in front of such supportive hometown fans.
"I'm happy to be back in the Top 50, but I'm already looking forward to having a great year in 2013 and I hope I can grow further."
Wozniak, who also received the female singles player of the year honour, reached the second round at the London Games before falling to American star Venus Williams. Wozniak is currently ranked No. 43 in the world, a jump of 62 positions from the end of 2011.
Marie-Eve Pelletier of Repentigny, Que., was named female doubles player of the year and Eugenie Bouchard of Westmount, Que., was named female junior player of the year and most improved female player.
Milos Raonic was named male player of the year Wednesday. The Tennis Canada Excellence Awards were selected by a committee of high-ranking Tennis Canada personnel and the country's top national coaches.
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The world number three won gold at this year's London Olympics and then broke his Grand Slam duck at the US Open under the tutelage of the Czech trainer.
Murray and Lendl paired up at the beginning of the year and the Scot sees their partnership remaining intact for some time to come.
"Ivan and I have a very good relationship, it's very honest and open, that's why it has worked so well and why both of us are planning long term," the British number one said.
"We spoke at the end of last year and it was much more short term - 'let's see how the first few months of the season go'. Now it's, 'What are we going to be doing in four or five years' time?"'
Murray, 25, added that winning the Olympic tennis tournament at the All England Club in the summer represented a turning point for him.
"Since the Olympics I just feel a bit better about myself," he said. "I find it easier to walk around with my head up, whereas before I was always head down, not wanting anyone to see me or say anything.
"Maybe I felt that having lost in Grand Slam finals I was letting whoever it was down.
"I know I had been reminded every day for the last six years that it's this long since someone from our country won a slam. So there was part of me probably that felt a little bit of responsibility.
"It's nice not to have worry about that anymore and see what else I can achieve."
Tennis - Murray wants five more years with Lendl - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
Murray and Lendl paired up at the beginning of the year and the Scot sees their partnership remaining intact for some time to come.
"Ivan and I have a very good relationship, it's very honest and open, that's why it has worked so well and why both of us are planning long term," the British number one said.
"We spoke at the end of last year and it was much more short term - 'let's see how the first few months of the season go'. Now it's, 'What are we going to be doing in four or five years' time?"'
Murray, 25, added that winning the Olympic tennis tournament at the All England Club in the summer represented a turning point for him.
"Since the Olympics I just feel a bit better about myself," he said. "I find it easier to walk around with my head up, whereas before I was always head down, not wanting anyone to see me or say anything.
"Maybe I felt that having lost in Grand Slam finals I was letting whoever it was down.
"I know I had been reminded every day for the last six years that it's this long since someone from our country won a slam. So there was part of me probably that felt a little bit of responsibility.
"It's nice not to have worry about that anymore and see what else I can achieve."
Tennis - Murray wants five more years with Lendl - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
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“I was dreaming when I wrote this,” Serena Williams sang along with the Prince song on the loudspeakers inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. She had the U.S. Open winner’s trophy high over her head, and her fourth title at Flushing Meadows in her pocket.
The song was appropriate not just for that evening — it was a dream comeback win for Serena — but for her entire summer. Wimbledon champ, Olympic gold medalist two times over, and now, with a trademark rise from the ashes against Victoria Azarenka, a 15th Grand Slam title, in New York. She couldn't have written a better script than that.
By the way she talked and shrieked and leapt at the end, Serena really was surprised that she pulled this one out. As she should have been — her game had fallen off for most of the last two sets, while Vika had steadily grown more confident that she belonged on the same court with her. But Azarenka wasn’t quite confident enough to win in the end. It’s a shame that Azarenka faded so thoroughly; this match, and this women's season, deserved a deciding tiebreaker.
Despite that slight anti-climax, Williams’s resourceful 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 win was still the first three-set U.S. Open women’s final since Steffi Graf beat Monica Seles in 1995. It was also, in my estimation, the sixth most memorable match of 2012, and the best women’s Grand Slam final since her sister Venus beat Lindsay Davenport at Wimbledon in 2005, 9-7 in the third. Both times, there was a lot of jumping.
*****
Serena was as knife-sharp as the yellow streak through her outfit to start. In one early rally, the woman commentator in this broadcast notes how Williams hits one shot leaning forward, the next leaning backward, but still pulls off a winner in the end. It’s true: It’s hard to think of many players who are as good as Serena when they’re off-balance. Whatever else her body may be doing, her contact point is solid and steady.
Azarenka made great strides in almost all aspects of her game in 2012, but you can see here that the second serve remains a liability. She doesn’t get much action, whether of the slice or the kick variety, on the ball, and it ends up right in Serena’s strike zone. It would probably take a change in her motion to improve this stroke; not easy, but it has been done by others.
Watch the acceleration that Serena gets when they replay her backhand return winner from the deuce court at 5-2 — that's some serious whip. Then see how hard it is for Azarenka, who hits with power, to get the ball past her. Vika hit just two winners to Serena’s 16 in the first set; more telling, Azarenka won the second set 6-2 despite hitting just three winners to Serena’s nine. Even through the third, when Azarenka was at her best and in the lead, most of the points shown in this clip are of Serena’s winning shots.
Power and speed, offense and defense, in equal measures: This is what the Williams sisters brought to women’s tennis, and what, nearly 15 years later, no woman has matched.
We miss one moment of unintentional comedy in this one: Serena being called for a foot-fault, and giving the smiling the line judge the stink eye after she wins the point anyway. I was sitting on the baseline for that serve, and it was the right call. I thought for a second as her foot touched down on the line that the judge wasn’t going to call it — from behind, he looked he might be asleep — but his hand eventually went up. It’s easy to see how Serena can commit this infraction; her front foot moves all over the place from serve to serve. What I don’t understand is why, when it’s called, she’ll ask the umpire which foot was the culprit. She never crosses her back one over her front.
After a series of long games to start the third set, Vika weathers all of Serena’s storms and pulls ahead. From this clip, I would have thought Azarenka would have folded when she went down 2-3, but she didn’t. Serena, despite her best efforts at pumping herself up, was off, and it looked like she was going to stay off.
We don’t see the key point here. Azarenka is up 5-3, 15-30 on Serena’s serve, when she puts a forehand into the net. You could feel a shift with that point. Vika, it turned out, had gone as far as she could go and wasn’t ready to close. After that miss, Serena could sense it. As she did in the Wimbledon final against Agnieszka Radwanska, and as she didn’t do against Virginie Razzano in Paris, Williams dialed her game back a bit and played with more margin over the last four games. You can see the result in the rally where she holds for 4-5; she works the point and waits to pull the trigger on her backhand. As commentator Al Trautwig says after one of her late winners: “She made sure.”
From there, Vika’s shots begin to find the tape; just a little tension in the arm made the difference. As I said, this one deserved a breaker to end it, and it’s too bad Azarenka finished an otherwise excellent performance by losing four straight games. Serena, who had mostly been silent during this match, lets out a grunt on her return at match point. She knows how to close.
This was a fitting end to what most agree was the best WTA season in years. We had the No. 1 player vs. the Player of the Year, and they went down to the wire. Azarenka, not a beloved No. 1 thus far, made a lot of new fans with her post-match speech. The evening’s best moment might have been Serena stroking her arm to console Vika as she spoke.
Serena won her first Open, at age 17, in 1999. In the spirit of Prince, the 31-year-old is still winning the way she did back then. Her party, obviously, was meant to last.
Tennis-com: Winning like it's 1999 - Tennis- NBC Sports
The song was appropriate not just for that evening — it was a dream comeback win for Serena — but for her entire summer. Wimbledon champ, Olympic gold medalist two times over, and now, with a trademark rise from the ashes against Victoria Azarenka, a 15th Grand Slam title, in New York. She couldn't have written a better script than that.
By the way she talked and shrieked and leapt at the end, Serena really was surprised that she pulled this one out. As she should have been — her game had fallen off for most of the last two sets, while Vika had steadily grown more confident that she belonged on the same court with her. But Azarenka wasn’t quite confident enough to win in the end. It’s a shame that Azarenka faded so thoroughly; this match, and this women's season, deserved a deciding tiebreaker.
Despite that slight anti-climax, Williams’s resourceful 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 win was still the first three-set U.S. Open women’s final since Steffi Graf beat Monica Seles in 1995. It was also, in my estimation, the sixth most memorable match of 2012, and the best women’s Grand Slam final since her sister Venus beat Lindsay Davenport at Wimbledon in 2005, 9-7 in the third. Both times, there was a lot of jumping.
*****
Serena was as knife-sharp as the yellow streak through her outfit to start. In one early rally, the woman commentator in this broadcast notes how Williams hits one shot leaning forward, the next leaning backward, but still pulls off a winner in the end. It’s true: It’s hard to think of many players who are as good as Serena when they’re off-balance. Whatever else her body may be doing, her contact point is solid and steady.
Azarenka made great strides in almost all aspects of her game in 2012, but you can see here that the second serve remains a liability. She doesn’t get much action, whether of the slice or the kick variety, on the ball, and it ends up right in Serena’s strike zone. It would probably take a change in her motion to improve this stroke; not easy, but it has been done by others.
Watch the acceleration that Serena gets when they replay her backhand return winner from the deuce court at 5-2 — that's some serious whip. Then see how hard it is for Azarenka, who hits with power, to get the ball past her. Vika hit just two winners to Serena’s 16 in the first set; more telling, Azarenka won the second set 6-2 despite hitting just three winners to Serena’s nine. Even through the third, when Azarenka was at her best and in the lead, most of the points shown in this clip are of Serena’s winning shots.
Power and speed, offense and defense, in equal measures: This is what the Williams sisters brought to women’s tennis, and what, nearly 15 years later, no woman has matched.
We miss one moment of unintentional comedy in this one: Serena being called for a foot-fault, and giving the smiling the line judge the stink eye after she wins the point anyway. I was sitting on the baseline for that serve, and it was the right call. I thought for a second as her foot touched down on the line that the judge wasn’t going to call it — from behind, he looked he might be asleep — but his hand eventually went up. It’s easy to see how Serena can commit this infraction; her front foot moves all over the place from serve to serve. What I don’t understand is why, when it’s called, she’ll ask the umpire which foot was the culprit. She never crosses her back one over her front.
After a series of long games to start the third set, Vika weathers all of Serena’s storms and pulls ahead. From this clip, I would have thought Azarenka would have folded when she went down 2-3, but she didn’t. Serena, despite her best efforts at pumping herself up, was off, and it looked like she was going to stay off.
We don’t see the key point here. Azarenka is up 5-3, 15-30 on Serena’s serve, when she puts a forehand into the net. You could feel a shift with that point. Vika, it turned out, had gone as far as she could go and wasn’t ready to close. After that miss, Serena could sense it. As she did in the Wimbledon final against Agnieszka Radwanska, and as she didn’t do against Virginie Razzano in Paris, Williams dialed her game back a bit and played with more margin over the last four games. You can see the result in the rally where she holds for 4-5; she works the point and waits to pull the trigger on her backhand. As commentator Al Trautwig says after one of her late winners: “She made sure.”
From there, Vika’s shots begin to find the tape; just a little tension in the arm made the difference. As I said, this one deserved a breaker to end it, and it’s too bad Azarenka finished an otherwise excellent performance by losing four straight games. Serena, who had mostly been silent during this match, lets out a grunt on her return at match point. She knows how to close.
This was a fitting end to what most agree was the best WTA season in years. We had the No. 1 player vs. the Player of the Year, and they went down to the wire. Azarenka, not a beloved No. 1 thus far, made a lot of new fans with her post-match speech. The evening’s best moment might have been Serena stroking her arm to console Vika as she spoke.
Serena won her first Open, at age 17, in 1999. In the spirit of Prince, the 31-year-old is still winning the way she did back then. Her party, obviously, was meant to last.
Tennis-com: Winning like it's 1999 - Tennis- NBC Sports
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Defending champion Andy Murray has hailed a victory for player power following confirmation that the finalists at next year's US Open will have a day off after their semi-finals.
The change means the year's fourth and last Grand Slam will run into a third Monday, when the men's final will take place.
The women's semi-finals will be played on the second Friday of the tournament, followed on Sunday by the final, while the men's last-four matches are scheduled for the Saturday, affording the winners a free day before their title match.
It was also announced that prize money would rise by $4m (€3m) to $29.5m (€22.4m).
The challenge of playing up to five sets on back-to-back days was an issue the players had taken up, and world No 3 Murray, who won his maiden Grand Slam in New York this year, is glad they have been listened to by the United States Tennis Association.
Murray said on usopen.org: "I'm pleased that the USTA has modified the US Open schedule to include a day of rest between the semi-finals and final.
"Together with the prize money increase, it's good that they've taken on board the players' concerns."
Defending women's champion Serena Williams added: "Both the prize money increase and the addition of a day of rest are great for the players. "These moves make the tournament stronger than it's ever been for all players."
Explaining how the decision was reached, USTA chairman and president Jon Vegosen said: "We recognise the increased physicality required to compete at the highest level of the sport, and we have responded to the players' request for a scheduled day of rest between the singles semi-finals and finals.
"The record increase in US Open prize money and the changes in the next year's schedule are aimed at rewarding the players' talents and accommodating the rigours of the modern professional game."
The 2013 US Open will run from August 26 to September 9.
Meanwhile, Murray has revealed he wants to continue his partnership with coach Ivan Lendl for the next five years.
The Scot also won Olympic gold last season under the guidance of the eight-time Grand Slam winner.
The pair have been working together since the start of the year and Murray claimed both are planning far ahead. "Ivan and I have a very good relationship, it's very honest and open, that's why it has worked so well and why both of us are planning long term," he was quoted as saying in a number of newspapers.
"We spoke at the end of last year and it was much more short term – 'let's see how the first few months of the season go'. Now it's, 'What are we going to be doing in four or five years' time?"'
Murray also admitted that only since his Olympic heroics has he felt able to walk around with his head held high. He added: "Since the Olympics I just feel a bit better about myself. I find it easier to walk around with my head up, whereas before I was always head down, not wanting anyone to see me or say anything.
"Maybe I felt that having lost in Grand Slam finals I was letting whoever it was down. I know I had been reminded every day for the last six years that it's this long since someone from our country won a Slam.
"So there was part of me probably that felt a little bit of responsibility. It's nice not to have worry about that any more and see what else I can achieve."
Tennis: Murray delighted player power earns US Open rest day - Other Sports, Sport - Independent.ie
The change means the year's fourth and last Grand Slam will run into a third Monday, when the men's final will take place.
The women's semi-finals will be played on the second Friday of the tournament, followed on Sunday by the final, while the men's last-four matches are scheduled for the Saturday, affording the winners a free day before their title match.
It was also announced that prize money would rise by $4m (€3m) to $29.5m (€22.4m).
The challenge of playing up to five sets on back-to-back days was an issue the players had taken up, and world No 3 Murray, who won his maiden Grand Slam in New York this year, is glad they have been listened to by the United States Tennis Association.
Murray said on usopen.org: "I'm pleased that the USTA has modified the US Open schedule to include a day of rest between the semi-finals and final.
"Together with the prize money increase, it's good that they've taken on board the players' concerns."
Defending women's champion Serena Williams added: "Both the prize money increase and the addition of a day of rest are great for the players. "These moves make the tournament stronger than it's ever been for all players."
Explaining how the decision was reached, USTA chairman and president Jon Vegosen said: "We recognise the increased physicality required to compete at the highest level of the sport, and we have responded to the players' request for a scheduled day of rest between the singles semi-finals and finals.
"The record increase in US Open prize money and the changes in the next year's schedule are aimed at rewarding the players' talents and accommodating the rigours of the modern professional game."
The 2013 US Open will run from August 26 to September 9.
Meanwhile, Murray has revealed he wants to continue his partnership with coach Ivan Lendl for the next five years.
The Scot also won Olympic gold last season under the guidance of the eight-time Grand Slam winner.
The pair have been working together since the start of the year and Murray claimed both are planning far ahead. "Ivan and I have a very good relationship, it's very honest and open, that's why it has worked so well and why both of us are planning long term," he was quoted as saying in a number of newspapers.
"We spoke at the end of last year and it was much more short term – 'let's see how the first few months of the season go'. Now it's, 'What are we going to be doing in four or five years' time?"'
Murray also admitted that only since his Olympic heroics has he felt able to walk around with his head held high. He added: "Since the Olympics I just feel a bit better about myself. I find it easier to walk around with my head up, whereas before I was always head down, not wanting anyone to see me or say anything.
"Maybe I felt that having lost in Grand Slam finals I was letting whoever it was down. I know I had been reminded every day for the last six years that it's this long since someone from our country won a Slam.
"So there was part of me probably that felt a little bit of responsibility. It's nice not to have worry about that any more and see what else I can achieve."
Tennis: Murray delighted player power earns US Open rest day - Other Sports, Sport - Independent.ie
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When Andrea Jaeger turned up in Newtown, Conn., last Friday after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, the former tennis star found "a war zone."
"There was grief beyond words," said Jaeger after she returned to her home near Hesperus in southwest Colorado.
Jaeger, 47, who has devoted a lifetime outside of professional tennis to helping children in need, said she drove to Newtown Friday when she heard about the shooting while she was in Staten Island, N.Y. helping families displaced by Hurricane Sandy.
She said she drove into a traumatized town where a temporary morgue had been set up in a freezer truck and where the bodies of the slain children and adults still lay in the crime scene of Sandy Hook Elementary School.
She made her way to churches to offer a shoulder and an ear to traumatized residents. She told some children that she talked to that it was OK to smile again. She bought toys for the schools at a local toy store and she left white roses outside the school for each of the slain.
"Acts of kindness can be far-reaching," said Jaeger of her efforts.
Jaeger is no novice at offering kindness in tragedies involving children.
Her philanthropy began when she was still a tennis prodigy — the youngest seeded player in Wimbledon history. She played her way to second in the world before retiring from competitive tennis in 1987.
When she was still at the top of her game and traveling the world, she would often deliver toys to children in hospitals. She and a friend started a foundation to help children with cancer when she was barely 15.
Read more: Former tennis champ Andrea Jaeger goes to Newtown to offer comfort - The Denver Post Former tennis champ Andrea Jaeger goes to Newtown to offer comfort - The Denver Post
Read The Denver Post's Terms of Use of its content: Terms of Use - The Denver Post
"There was grief beyond words," said Jaeger after she returned to her home near Hesperus in southwest Colorado.
Jaeger, 47, who has devoted a lifetime outside of professional tennis to helping children in need, said she drove to Newtown Friday when she heard about the shooting while she was in Staten Island, N.Y. helping families displaced by Hurricane Sandy.
She said she drove into a traumatized town where a temporary morgue had been set up in a freezer truck and where the bodies of the slain children and adults still lay in the crime scene of Sandy Hook Elementary School.
She made her way to churches to offer a shoulder and an ear to traumatized residents. She told some children that she talked to that it was OK to smile again. She bought toys for the schools at a local toy store and she left white roses outside the school for each of the slain.
"Acts of kindness can be far-reaching," said Jaeger of her efforts.
Jaeger is no novice at offering kindness in tragedies involving children.
Her philanthropy began when she was still a tennis prodigy — the youngest seeded player in Wimbledon history. She played her way to second in the world before retiring from competitive tennis in 1987.
When she was still at the top of her game and traveling the world, she would often deliver toys to children in hospitals. She and a friend started a foundation to help children with cancer when she was barely 15.
Read more: Former tennis champ Andrea Jaeger goes to Newtown to offer comfort - The Denver Post Former tennis champ Andrea Jaeger goes to Newtown to offer comfort - The Denver Post
Read The Denver Post's Terms of Use of its content: Terms of Use - The Denver Post
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Canada's tennis ranks are getting some reinforcements, but possibly not in time for a high-profile Davis Cup match against Spain.
A Tennis Canada spokesman has confirmed that Jesse Levine is applying to tennis authorities to represent Canada rather than the U.S.
The 25-year-old Levine, currently ranked 104th in the world, was born in Ottawa but moved to the U.S. when he was 13.
The ATP lists his residence as Boca Raton, Fla.
"He's been on our radar for a while," said Louis-Philippe Dorais, Tennis Canada's director of communications and marketing. "But now it's pretty much for sure he'll be representing Canada from now on."
Levine has petitioned the International Tennis Federation to represent Canada.
"It's just a matter of timing," Dorais said. "As far as will he be eligible to play Davis Cup for us in February, probably not. But for the rest, it's pretty much a formality that he'll be representing Canada from now on."
Canada, seeded 12th, hosts top-ranked Spain in Vancouver Feb. 1-3 in a first-round World Group match.
Based on current rankings, Levine would be the country's second-ranked player behind Milos Raonic (No. 13). Vasek Pospisil is currently No. 2 with a ranking of No. 125.
Levine is headed to the Australian Open in January after winning a wild card by defeating Robby Ginepri 6-0, 6-2, 6-1 in a U.S. Tennis Association playoff.
He teamed up with Michael Shabaz to win the junior doubles title at Wimbledon in 2005, when he reached a career-high No. 14 in the junior rankings.
Levine turned heads in one year at the University of Florida before moving to the pro ranks in 2007. That year he spent 10 weeks training in Dubai with Swiss star Roger Federer, according to the ATP.
The five-foot-nine 150-pounder has won US$264,222 this year on the ATP Tour and $867,967 over his career.
His career-high ranking was 69th in January.
Read more: American tennis player Jesse Levine petitions to represent Canada | CTV News
A Tennis Canada spokesman has confirmed that Jesse Levine is applying to tennis authorities to represent Canada rather than the U.S.
The 25-year-old Levine, currently ranked 104th in the world, was born in Ottawa but moved to the U.S. when he was 13.
The ATP lists his residence as Boca Raton, Fla.
"He's been on our radar for a while," said Louis-Philippe Dorais, Tennis Canada's director of communications and marketing. "But now it's pretty much for sure he'll be representing Canada from now on."
Levine has petitioned the International Tennis Federation to represent Canada.
"It's just a matter of timing," Dorais said. "As far as will he be eligible to play Davis Cup for us in February, probably not. But for the rest, it's pretty much a formality that he'll be representing Canada from now on."
Canada, seeded 12th, hosts top-ranked Spain in Vancouver Feb. 1-3 in a first-round World Group match.
Based on current rankings, Levine would be the country's second-ranked player behind Milos Raonic (No. 13). Vasek Pospisil is currently No. 2 with a ranking of No. 125.
Levine is headed to the Australian Open in January after winning a wild card by defeating Robby Ginepri 6-0, 6-2, 6-1 in a U.S. Tennis Association playoff.
He teamed up with Michael Shabaz to win the junior doubles title at Wimbledon in 2005, when he reached a career-high No. 14 in the junior rankings.
Levine turned heads in one year at the University of Florida before moving to the pro ranks in 2007. That year he spent 10 weeks training in Dubai with Swiss star Roger Federer, according to the ATP.
The five-foot-nine 150-pounder has won US$264,222 this year on the ATP Tour and $867,967 over his career.
His career-high ranking was 69th in January.
Read more: American tennis player Jesse Levine petitions to represent Canada | CTV News
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Early-round losers at next month's Australian Open will receive a significant pay rise after officials release the breakdown of the biggest purse in tennis history.
Responding to player demands for a bigger slice of the pie, Tennis Australia has averted a boycott of the opening grand slam of the year with rich rewards for the sport's battlers.
While the 2013 singles champions at Melbourne Park will collect monster cheques for $2.43 million, first, second and third-round losers will also be big winners after considerable prize money increases.
First-round losers will receive $27,600, representing a 32.7 per cent boost from 2012; second-round casualties will pocket $45,500 (up 36.6 per cent) and; third-round losers will pick up $71,000, a 30 per cent increase from the $54,625 this year.
With a record total purse of $30 million on offer, prize money for the fourth round, quarter-finals and semis has gone up by an average of more than 14 per cent.
Prize money for the three rounds of qualifying has also increased almost 15 per cent, while first-round doubles prize money has increased more than 30 per cent.
Players' council representatives Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were central to the push for more money, arguing that the players were the entertainers and deserving of more.
Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
The game's biggest names agreed it was vital for the lower-ranked players who help make up the 128-strong grand slam draws to receive extra prize money.
Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley has always considered this a reasonable compromise.
"Our motivation is to make a major contribution toward helping ensure professional tennis players can make a decent living,'' said Tiley, the Australian Open tournament director.
"As we have said in the past, it is a real issue and needs to be urgently addressed throughout the sport.
"That is why the biggest increases are in the earlier rounds, qualifying and doubles which in effect rewards a lot of the lower-ranked players for their achievements which, by the way, should not be undersold.
"To just reach the main draw of a slam, a professional tennis player has to be among the top 100 in what is one of, if not the most, competitive professional sport in the world.
"At the same time, we also still want to continue to recognise the incredible drawing power and contribution of the top players.''
Prize money increase for Aus Open | Tennis | Fox Sports
Responding to player demands for a bigger slice of the pie, Tennis Australia has averted a boycott of the opening grand slam of the year with rich rewards for the sport's battlers.
While the 2013 singles champions at Melbourne Park will collect monster cheques for $2.43 million, first, second and third-round losers will also be big winners after considerable prize money increases.
First-round losers will receive $27,600, representing a 32.7 per cent boost from 2012; second-round casualties will pocket $45,500 (up 36.6 per cent) and; third-round losers will pick up $71,000, a 30 per cent increase from the $54,625 this year.
With a record total purse of $30 million on offer, prize money for the fourth round, quarter-finals and semis has gone up by an average of more than 14 per cent.
Prize money for the three rounds of qualifying has also increased almost 15 per cent, while first-round doubles prize money has increased more than 30 per cent.
Players' council representatives Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were central to the push for more money, arguing that the players were the entertainers and deserving of more.
Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
The game's biggest names agreed it was vital for the lower-ranked players who help make up the 128-strong grand slam draws to receive extra prize money.
Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley has always considered this a reasonable compromise.
"Our motivation is to make a major contribution toward helping ensure professional tennis players can make a decent living,'' said Tiley, the Australian Open tournament director.
"As we have said in the past, it is a real issue and needs to be urgently addressed throughout the sport.
"That is why the biggest increases are in the earlier rounds, qualifying and doubles which in effect rewards a lot of the lower-ranked players for their achievements which, by the way, should not be undersold.
"To just reach the main draw of a slam, a professional tennis player has to be among the top 100 in what is one of, if not the most, competitive professional sport in the world.
"At the same time, we also still want to continue to recognise the incredible drawing power and contribution of the top players.''
Prize money increase for Aus Open | Tennis | Fox Sports
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A year on from her summer from hell and Samantha Stosur says there's no reason why she can't bounce back and win the Australian Open.
"I've got as good a chance as any of the girls up there" Stosur told AAP.
"I won the US Open last year, so why not?
"I know that I can compete and beat the best girls in the world, so I'd like to think it's possible."
Despite candidly confessing to stage fright after first-round losses in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne last January, Stosur is brimming with belief entering 2013.
Far from shying away, Australia's world No.9 is vowing to stare down her mental demons and says reliving the pain of last summer is pivotal to hurdling the psychological barriers next month. "I think you've got to realise what happened and why and what you did wrong and what you can improve on to not make the same mistakes again this coming year," she said.
"Last summer I just froze and played really tight tennis and wasn't free. I was too passive and didn't do what I needed to do.
"That has happened a few times and it's a matter of realising that in the moment and just taking that chance to do more rather than letting your opponent continue to dictate."
After urgings from coach David Taylor and ongoing sessions with her long-time sports psychologist, Ruth Anderson, Stosur has resolved to be more aggressive in the pressure points that will ultimately define her summer tennis campaign.
"I don't play my best tennis when I'm letting my opponent dictate," she said.
"A lot of the top girls don't, so you've got to realise that in the moment rather than when you're off the court and thinking 'I should have done this and I should have done that'.
"If I had a second chance, that's the one thing I probably want to try and improve this year."
Stosur insists "there's no secret formula" to coping with the hype and expectations that inevitably accompany Australia's big home hope at Melbourne Park.
"There's no point in trying something completely new," the Queenslander said. The key is you can't go into one of the most important times of the year that you want to do well in and expect that doing something completely different is going to work," she said.
"Obviously you tweak things here and there, but I'm not going to all of a sudden change my whole routine between points or anything like that.
"I don't think that's going to be beneficial."
Stosur will open her summer at the Brisbane International on December 30 before contesting the Sydney International the following week.
Both events have red-hot fields.
"Gosh, you can't really get two tougher tournaments before a grand slam let alone the first one of the year," Stosur said.
"It's going to be really tough, a really good way to see the benchmark and what you've got to do to improve before Melbourne.
"But everything's going well and I feel like I'm in a good spot at the moment with another week and a bit to go before Brisbane.
"I'm sure by the time I play my first match, I'll be as ready as I'll ever be."
Stosur: I can win Australian Open | Tennis | Fox Sports
"I've got as good a chance as any of the girls up there" Stosur told AAP.
"I won the US Open last year, so why not?
"I know that I can compete and beat the best girls in the world, so I'd like to think it's possible."
Despite candidly confessing to stage fright after first-round losses in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne last January, Stosur is brimming with belief entering 2013.
Far from shying away, Australia's world No.9 is vowing to stare down her mental demons and says reliving the pain of last summer is pivotal to hurdling the psychological barriers next month. "I think you've got to realise what happened and why and what you did wrong and what you can improve on to not make the same mistakes again this coming year," she said.
"Last summer I just froze and played really tight tennis and wasn't free. I was too passive and didn't do what I needed to do.
"That has happened a few times and it's a matter of realising that in the moment and just taking that chance to do more rather than letting your opponent continue to dictate."
After urgings from coach David Taylor and ongoing sessions with her long-time sports psychologist, Ruth Anderson, Stosur has resolved to be more aggressive in the pressure points that will ultimately define her summer tennis campaign.
"I don't play my best tennis when I'm letting my opponent dictate," she said.
"A lot of the top girls don't, so you've got to realise that in the moment rather than when you're off the court and thinking 'I should have done this and I should have done that'.
"If I had a second chance, that's the one thing I probably want to try and improve this year."
Stosur insists "there's no secret formula" to coping with the hype and expectations that inevitably accompany Australia's big home hope at Melbourne Park.
"There's no point in trying something completely new," the Queenslander said. The key is you can't go into one of the most important times of the year that you want to do well in and expect that doing something completely different is going to work," she said.
"Obviously you tweak things here and there, but I'm not going to all of a sudden change my whole routine between points or anything like that.
"I don't think that's going to be beneficial."
Stosur will open her summer at the Brisbane International on December 30 before contesting the Sydney International the following week.
Both events have red-hot fields.
"Gosh, you can't really get two tougher tournaments before a grand slam let alone the first one of the year," Stosur said.
"It's going to be really tough, a really good way to see the benchmark and what you've got to do to improve before Melbourne.
"But everything's going well and I feel like I'm in a good spot at the moment with another week and a bit to go before Brisbane.
"I'm sure by the time I play my first match, I'll be as ready as I'll ever be."
Stosur: I can win Australian Open | Tennis | Fox Sports
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It was not quite the celebration to expect at the end of 76 years of hurt, but we will forgive him for that. To this day, Andy Murray finds it hard to remember the moments immediately after his 7-6, 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Novak Djokovic at the US Open, the first by a British man in the singles final of a Grand Slam tournament since 1936.
After Murray had converted his second match point, the Scot staggered forwards in a daze, let his racket slip to the floor and dropped on to his haunches before holding his head in his hands. As John McEnroe said recently: "It would be nice if he could show a bit more emotion next time."
Perhaps Murray's reaction was one of relief at knowing he would not have to explain a defeat to Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Sean Connery, who were among his supporters in a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium on a breezy September day. Connery had told Murray before the final: "I'll be waiting to see you whether you win or lose, but if you don't win I'm going to kick your arse."
In the closing stages of the final Murray had been utterly focused on his task, even when Djokovic, to the boos of the crowd, took a medical time-out to have his legs massaged just before his opponent served for the match. Murray was so focused on his game that he momentarily forgot from which side of the court he should have been serving on his second match point.
Similar concentration had been needed before the fifth set, when Djokovic was threatening to become the first man to win the title from two sets down for 63 years. Murray took a bathroom break, looked in a mirror and told himself: "I'm not going to let this one slip. I'm going to fight for every single point, I'm going to chase every ball down and give 110 per cent. And if you don't win then you won't be disappointed, but you need to give everything on the court."
Murray's ability and dedication had never been in doubt, but after four defeats in Grand Slam finals he had still to dispel the doubts as to whether he had what it took to claim the ultimate prize. At times the burden of British history had appeared to weigh heavily on his shoulders, but his much improved performance at Wimbledon this summer and his subsequent gold-medal triumph at the Olympics clearly did wonders for his confidence.
Self-belief took Murray through some difficult moments in New York. He needed to win three tie-breaks in gruelling heat and humidity to overcome Feliciano Lopez and recovered from a set and 5-1 down to beat Marin Cilic.
It was fitting, nevertheless, that he should finally achieve his lifetime's ambition by beating an opponent who has played a big part in making this arguably the greatest era in the history of men's tennis. Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal had between them won 29 of the previous 30 Grand Slam tournaments. The night of 10 September 2012 proved that the battle for supremacy at the top had truly become a four-way fight.
Magical memories of 2012 - Tennis: 'After Murray won he staggered in a daze, then held his head in his hands' - Tennis - Sport - The Independent
After Murray had converted his second match point, the Scot staggered forwards in a daze, let his racket slip to the floor and dropped on to his haunches before holding his head in his hands. As John McEnroe said recently: "It would be nice if he could show a bit more emotion next time."
Perhaps Murray's reaction was one of relief at knowing he would not have to explain a defeat to Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Sean Connery, who were among his supporters in a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium on a breezy September day. Connery had told Murray before the final: "I'll be waiting to see you whether you win or lose, but if you don't win I'm going to kick your arse."
In the closing stages of the final Murray had been utterly focused on his task, even when Djokovic, to the boos of the crowd, took a medical time-out to have his legs massaged just before his opponent served for the match. Murray was so focused on his game that he momentarily forgot from which side of the court he should have been serving on his second match point.
Similar concentration had been needed before the fifth set, when Djokovic was threatening to become the first man to win the title from two sets down for 63 years. Murray took a bathroom break, looked in a mirror and told himself: "I'm not going to let this one slip. I'm going to fight for every single point, I'm going to chase every ball down and give 110 per cent. And if you don't win then you won't be disappointed, but you need to give everything on the court."
Murray's ability and dedication had never been in doubt, but after four defeats in Grand Slam finals he had still to dispel the doubts as to whether he had what it took to claim the ultimate prize. At times the burden of British history had appeared to weigh heavily on his shoulders, but his much improved performance at Wimbledon this summer and his subsequent gold-medal triumph at the Olympics clearly did wonders for his confidence.
Self-belief took Murray through some difficult moments in New York. He needed to win three tie-breaks in gruelling heat and humidity to overcome Feliciano Lopez and recovered from a set and 5-1 down to beat Marin Cilic.
It was fitting, nevertheless, that he should finally achieve his lifetime's ambition by beating an opponent who has played a big part in making this arguably the greatest era in the history of men's tennis. Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal had between them won 29 of the previous 30 Grand Slam tournaments. The night of 10 September 2012 proved that the battle for supremacy at the top had truly become a four-way fight.
Magical memories of 2012 - Tennis: 'After Murray won he staggered in a daze, then held his head in his hands' - Tennis - Sport - The Independent
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Kiwi tennis prodigy Paige Hourigan has just enjoyed the biggest week of her young career.
In the space of seven short days, the Wanganui 15-year-old has defended her national junior title, fallen agonisingly short of capturing the senior crown, earned a wildcard to ASB Classic qualifying and gained selection for the NZ Federation Cup team.
Not a bad effort at all, perhaps deprived the perfect ending by her third-set tiebreak loss to Imogen Golder at today's NZ Tennis Championships final. Favoured to win against seventh-seeded Golder, fifth-ranked Hourigan took the opening set 6-4, but dropped the second to love. In the third set, Hourigan held two match points at 6-5 and four in the subsequent tiebreak, but couldn't convert any of them, allowing Golder, home from a tennis scholarship at Purdue University, to steal the victory.
"Losing's just not my favourite thing, but I have to deal with it to get better," admitted a disappointed Hourigan afterwards.
Still, just making the final was a remarkable achievement. In her 10th match in as many days, she fell in two-and-a-half hours to a player five years her senior.
"I've learned heaps," said Hourigan. "It's just been so good in this atmosphere, playing all these older people - I just enjoy doing it."
These days, Hourigan is based in Auckland under the tutelage of former top world junior Steven Downs, himself a fiery performer in his day. He's impressed with his charge's ability to fight. "From what I've seen, a lot of kids around New Zealand, if they get into that stage, they're going to throw in the towel," he says. "Paige seems to get that fight in her.
"You need that and you can't coach it."
Hourigan is now ranked inside the top 30 in the world for her age. A finals appearance means she's now set to make the qualifying draw next weekend for the ASB Classic.
"I think that will be the better experience than this one here, because she's going to play with the pros," says Federation Cup captain Pavlina Nola, who played a 15-year-old Marina Erakovic 10 years ago.
"From a very early age, you could see Marina was mentally very tough and she could read the game well," she says. "Paige is learning, she's a good kid - she's got good technique, and she can only get better and better."
Hourigan is ready for whatever it takes to succeed.
"I know it's a tough road, but I'm prepared to do it and do all the hard work it takes."
Week to remember for tennis sensation Hourigan - Tennis News | TVNZ
In the space of seven short days, the Wanganui 15-year-old has defended her national junior title, fallen agonisingly short of capturing the senior crown, earned a wildcard to ASB Classic qualifying and gained selection for the NZ Federation Cup team.
Not a bad effort at all, perhaps deprived the perfect ending by her third-set tiebreak loss to Imogen Golder at today's NZ Tennis Championships final. Favoured to win against seventh-seeded Golder, fifth-ranked Hourigan took the opening set 6-4, but dropped the second to love. In the third set, Hourigan held two match points at 6-5 and four in the subsequent tiebreak, but couldn't convert any of them, allowing Golder, home from a tennis scholarship at Purdue University, to steal the victory.
"Losing's just not my favourite thing, but I have to deal with it to get better," admitted a disappointed Hourigan afterwards.
Still, just making the final was a remarkable achievement. In her 10th match in as many days, she fell in two-and-a-half hours to a player five years her senior.
"I've learned heaps," said Hourigan. "It's just been so good in this atmosphere, playing all these older people - I just enjoy doing it."
These days, Hourigan is based in Auckland under the tutelage of former top world junior Steven Downs, himself a fiery performer in his day. He's impressed with his charge's ability to fight. "From what I've seen, a lot of kids around New Zealand, if they get into that stage, they're going to throw in the towel," he says. "Paige seems to get that fight in her.
"You need that and you can't coach it."
Hourigan is now ranked inside the top 30 in the world for her age. A finals appearance means she's now set to make the qualifying draw next weekend for the ASB Classic.
"I think that will be the better experience than this one here, because she's going to play with the pros," says Federation Cup captain Pavlina Nola, who played a 15-year-old Marina Erakovic 10 years ago.
"From a very early age, you could see Marina was mentally very tough and she could read the game well," she says. "Paige is learning, she's a good kid - she's got good technique, and she can only get better and better."
Hourigan is ready for whatever it takes to succeed.
"I know it's a tough road, but I'm prepared to do it and do all the hard work it takes."
Week to remember for tennis sensation Hourigan - Tennis News | TVNZ
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Vera Zvonareva has withdrawn from the Australian Open in January with a right shoulder injury.
The two-time Grand Slam runner-up made the announcement on her Facebook page, saying "I will not be able to go to Australia this year … my body is not 100 percent recovered."
The Russian also missed the U.S. Open this year because of a viral illness and the French Open with the same shoulder injury.
Ranked as high as No. 2 but now 49th, Zvonareva reached the 2010 finals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
The Australian Open begins in Melbourne on Jan. 14.
Serena has minor surgery
BRISBANE, Australia - Brisbane International organizers say Serena Williams still plans to compete in the Dec. 30-Jan. 5 event despite minor surgery on her big toes that forced her to withdraw from a Dec. 29 exhibition in Thailand.
Brisbane tournament director Cameron Pearson said Thursday he had been assured by Williams' agent that the WTA Player of the Year will "be fit and ready" for the event at the Queensland Tennis Centre.
Williams has been affected by chronic foot problems since treading on glass and badly cutting both feet in 2010.
The five-time Australian Open winner played at last year's Brisbane International but pulled out because of an ankle injury at the quarterfinals.
Later in the year, she won Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the women's singles title in the London Olympics.
Australia prize money up
MELBOURNE, Australia - Early-round losers at the Australian Open will receive a significant pay raise as part of what tournament organizers say is the biggest purse in tennis history.
First-round losers will receive about $29,000, a 32.7 percent increase from 2012, and second-round losers will receive about $48,000, up 36.6 percent.
Tennis Notebook: Zvonareva to miss Australia; Serena OK after surgery
The two-time Grand Slam runner-up made the announcement on her Facebook page, saying "I will not be able to go to Australia this year … my body is not 100 percent recovered."
The Russian also missed the U.S. Open this year because of a viral illness and the French Open with the same shoulder injury.
Ranked as high as No. 2 but now 49th, Zvonareva reached the 2010 finals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
The Australian Open begins in Melbourne on Jan. 14.
Serena has minor surgery
BRISBANE, Australia - Brisbane International organizers say Serena Williams still plans to compete in the Dec. 30-Jan. 5 event despite minor surgery on her big toes that forced her to withdraw from a Dec. 29 exhibition in Thailand.
Brisbane tournament director Cameron Pearson said Thursday he had been assured by Williams' agent that the WTA Player of the Year will "be fit and ready" for the event at the Queensland Tennis Centre.
Williams has been affected by chronic foot problems since treading on glass and badly cutting both feet in 2010.
The five-time Australian Open winner played at last year's Brisbane International but pulled out because of an ankle injury at the quarterfinals.
Later in the year, she won Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the women's singles title in the London Olympics.
Australia prize money up
MELBOURNE, Australia - Early-round losers at the Australian Open will receive a significant pay raise as part of what tournament organizers say is the biggest purse in tennis history.
First-round losers will receive about $29,000, a 32.7 percent increase from 2012, and second-round losers will receive about $48,000, up 36.6 percent.
Tennis Notebook: Zvonareva to miss Australia; Serena OK after surgery
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Rafa Nadal does not expect to be back to full fitness and close to his competitive best until the Masters tennis event at Indian Wells in March, the Spanish world number four was quoted as saying on Sunday.
Nadal will return to action at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi in five days' time after six months out with a knee injury.
"I need to see how it improves and how it reacts to the intensity and demands of playing with tennis players of such a high level," Nadal said in an interview with Spanish daily ABC.
After a shock defeat to Czech Lukas Rosol in the second round at Wimbledon in June, Nadal was diagnosed with a partial tear of the patella tendon and inflammation in his left knee and was unable to defend his Olympic title at the London Games.
The 11-times grand-slam singles champion also missed the U.S. Open and the season-ending World Tour championships before returning to the practice court on November 20.
Nadal said the knee was "still not 100 percent" and he was planning to ease back in slowly.
"I am not thinking long term, I am just focused on the knee, seeing how it responds and then we'll see later on.
"I want to be sure that it's completely ready to start competing in anger again, without any doubts.
"If I feel good in Abu Dhabi we'll continue but if not I'll take it calmly."
REAL OBJECTIVE
The first grand-slam event of 2013, the Australian Open, starts on January 14.
The 26-year-old Nadal, who won a record seventh French Open crown in May on his favored clay, said winning matches was not his priority over the coming weeks and he was totally focused on making sure the knee had healed properly.
"My goal is not this week, nor even Doha (from December 31) or Australia," he said.
"My goal is to be in shape, get back to feeling completely fine and feeling completely prepared.
"My season, my real objective, is to be in perfect condition for Indian Wells and Miami (in March) and get to Monte Carlo (in April) with good feelings, to tackle the clay season in good shape.
"The last tournament I played in good shape was Roland Garros and I won it.
"The end of February or March is when I will feel good. That's when my season starts, that's when I'll tell myself that I am ready to win."
Nadal's athletic, aggressive playing style places huge demands on his muscles and joints and he has been sidelined several times by injuries during his 11-year career.
He said he had not considered the possibility he might be forced to retire because of the latest setback.
"No, no, no. I have not thought about that," he told ABC.
"Tennis is a sport that does not last forever," he added. "It's not like golf which you can play for 20 or 25 years without any problems.
"In tennis time is limited, that's the way it is. I am an optimistic type and I don't believe that I have forgotten how to play tennis during these past months."
Nadal does not expect to be fully fit before March - Tennis- NBC Sports
Nadal will return to action at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi in five days' time after six months out with a knee injury.
"I need to see how it improves and how it reacts to the intensity and demands of playing with tennis players of such a high level," Nadal said in an interview with Spanish daily ABC.
After a shock defeat to Czech Lukas Rosol in the second round at Wimbledon in June, Nadal was diagnosed with a partial tear of the patella tendon and inflammation in his left knee and was unable to defend his Olympic title at the London Games.
The 11-times grand-slam singles champion also missed the U.S. Open and the season-ending World Tour championships before returning to the practice court on November 20.
Nadal said the knee was "still not 100 percent" and he was planning to ease back in slowly.
"I am not thinking long term, I am just focused on the knee, seeing how it responds and then we'll see later on.
"I want to be sure that it's completely ready to start competing in anger again, without any doubts.
"If I feel good in Abu Dhabi we'll continue but if not I'll take it calmly."
REAL OBJECTIVE
The first grand-slam event of 2013, the Australian Open, starts on January 14.
The 26-year-old Nadal, who won a record seventh French Open crown in May on his favored clay, said winning matches was not his priority over the coming weeks and he was totally focused on making sure the knee had healed properly.
"My goal is not this week, nor even Doha (from December 31) or Australia," he said.
"My goal is to be in shape, get back to feeling completely fine and feeling completely prepared.
"My season, my real objective, is to be in perfect condition for Indian Wells and Miami (in March) and get to Monte Carlo (in April) with good feelings, to tackle the clay season in good shape.
"The last tournament I played in good shape was Roland Garros and I won it.
"The end of February or March is when I will feel good. That's when my season starts, that's when I'll tell myself that I am ready to win."
Nadal's athletic, aggressive playing style places huge demands on his muscles and joints and he has been sidelined several times by injuries during his 11-year career.
He said he had not considered the possibility he might be forced to retire because of the latest setback.
"No, no, no. I have not thought about that," he told ABC.
"Tennis is a sport that does not last forever," he added. "It's not like golf which you can play for 20 or 25 years without any problems.
"In tennis time is limited, that's the way it is. I am an optimistic type and I don't believe that I have forgotten how to play tennis during these past months."
Nadal does not expect to be fully fit before March - Tennis- NBC Sports
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After two days' travel from Bucharest and arriving in Auckland on Christmas Day, Romanian tennis ace Sorana Cirstea hit the training court to prepare for next week's ASB Classic.
"I know it's Christmas Day," she said. "It's hard to ignore, even if I'm not home."
Home is a long way away for the world No 27 and while she'd already talked to her family today, it's been four years since she spent the holiday in her native country.
"It was really nice to be able to spend with the family, but it was very hard for the body and for everything, so then I realised for the tennis, it's better to skip Christmas and just come early," says Cirstea, the tournament fifth seed.
So goes the life of a professional tennis player - Cirstea was not the only one doing a Christmas workout today.
"It's a closed venue today, so I said to a couple of the girls they could come down and have a hit up, and get some training in," said tournament director Karl Budge. "I didn't quite think it'd be this popular."
Budge estimates at least seven of the players competing in next week's classic were training at a time most of us are trying to digest our Christmas pudding.
Nine arrived in New Zealand today, but there won't be much in the way of yuletide celebrations.
"They're quite happy to just have a quiet night in the hotel," says Budge. "A lot of them have had a lot of long flights, so they're pretty keen to lay low and get some rest." What would Cirstea would be doing if she was home for Christmas?
"Probably eating, eating a lot," she grinned.
So why not try that most Kiwi of Christmas delicacies - pavlova?
"Thank you, thank you, I'll take a small bite," she said. "Not sure if I'm allowed, but ... mmmm, this is good ... this is too good.
"You should take it away before I eat it all."
Self-discipline, clearly, is one of her strengths.
"I know it's Christmas Day," she said. "It's hard to ignore, even if I'm not home."
Home is a long way away for the world No 27 and while she'd already talked to her family today, it's been four years since she spent the holiday in her native country.
"It was really nice to be able to spend with the family, but it was very hard for the body and for everything, so then I realised for the tennis, it's better to skip Christmas and just come early," says Cirstea, the tournament fifth seed.
So goes the life of a professional tennis player - Cirstea was not the only one doing a Christmas workout today.
"It's a closed venue today, so I said to a couple of the girls they could come down and have a hit up, and get some training in," said tournament director Karl Budge. "I didn't quite think it'd be this popular."
Budge estimates at least seven of the players competing in next week's classic were training at a time most of us are trying to digest our Christmas pudding.
Nine arrived in New Zealand today, but there won't be much in the way of yuletide celebrations.
"They're quite happy to just have a quiet night in the hotel," says Budge. "A lot of them have had a lot of long flights, so they're pretty keen to lay low and get some rest." What would Cirstea would be doing if she was home for Christmas?
"Probably eating, eating a lot," she grinned.
So why not try that most Kiwi of Christmas delicacies - pavlova?
"Thank you, thank you, I'll take a small bite," she said. "Not sure if I'm allowed, but ... mmmm, this is good ... this is too good.
"You should take it away before I eat it all."
Self-discipline, clearly, is one of her strengths.
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Four years ago, tennis coach Jan Pochter took four of the young players he had been nurturing at the Ramle Tennis Center to see veteran coach Schlomo Tzoref. Pochter asked Tzoref to run his experienced eye over the youngsters and give an honest assessment of their potential. It didn't take long for Tzoref to come back with his verdict: he was hugely impressed.
"I watched them play and I asked Jan whether all four had a personal trainer," Tzoref told Haaretz this week. "He told me that three of them did, but the fourth - Yshai Oliel - couldn't afford it. I told him it was ironic that the best of the four was the one who didn't have enough money."
Ever since that day, Oliel has been singled out as the great hope of Israeli tennis - a player who should be nurtured in order to take full advantage of his enormous potential. "I saw talent, incredible coordination, great footwork, impressive athleticism and a kid with a wise head on his shoulders," Tzoref says. "He reminded me a lot of Gilad Bloom in terms of his style and his character."
Bloom, incidentally, once reached the final of the Junior Orange Bowl International Championship - the same tournament Oliel won earlier this week, thrusting himself very clearly into the public eye. Many Israelis tend to play down the achievements of young sportsmen and women at youth tournaments. But the Orange Bowl attracts the top players in every age group from across the globe and is known as the unofficial world championship for juniors. "The Orange Bowl is, quite simply, the most important youth tournament in the world," Tzoref explains. "I've been going there since 1976. More scouts and sponsors attend that tournament than all the others put together. They know that the top junior players in the world will be there and they want to 'discover' them and help them financially."
Aside from natural talent, money is still the most important resource for an up-and-coming tennis player. The only other Israeli to have won at the Orange Bowl was Shahar Peer, who triumphed there at the age of 14. But she already enjoyed the support and conditions that a well-to-do family can afford.
"Yshai's father works in the Ramle produce market," says Tzoref, "but the kind of talent that he has can't be bought." Since being discovered, Oliel has enjoyed financial backing from the Ramle Tennis Center and Israel Tennis Federation to cover his day-to-day expenses. When he was 10, his coaches found a private sponsor who invests in him $60,000 a year, which allowed Oliel to flourish with the help of a private coach. By winning the tournament, Tzoref says, Oliel has opened the door for more sponsors. "He's done himself a huge favor in terms of income and he's done a huge service to Israeli tennis," Tzoref adds. "When Bloom reached the final there, every kid in the country wanted to be a tennis star. Maybe Oliel's success will breed more young tennis players."
Ambitious kid
Speaking to Army Radio the day after his victory in Florida, Oliel said he had worked hard all year with the Orange Bowl in mind. "I never believed that I would win the tournament," he said, "because there are so many great players there. But I did the best I could. I got a text message from my school teacher congratulating me. And then the prime minister called me too. At first, I didn't really understand who I was talking to, but then he told me that the whole of Israel is proud of me and told me to keep working hard. My aim is to win every tournament I enter. I want to be like Federer or Nadal - or even better."
If he is to achieve this lofty goal, Oliel will have to join a very short list of children who won junior tournaments and went on to success on a global stage. The list of children for whom winning a junior tournament was the highlight of their career is depressingly long. Of the 41 previous winners of the Orange Bowl, only four became Top 10 players: Dick Stockton, Jimmy Connors, Andy Murray and Aaron Krickstein. Another seven broke into the Top 100, but the rest failed to make a career from tennis and some never even made it onto the professional circuit.
According to Tzoref, the key is not to lose a sense of proportion. "We have to prepare Yshai for life as a tennis player. It's not enough just to assume that because he's world champion at the age of 12, he'll be world champion when he's 18 or 25. Adult tennis is a very different game. Murray and Connors are the exception, not the rule. I could tell you about kids who won the Orange Bowl at the age of 14 and two years later were working as pizza delivery boys."
What lessons can be learned from Oliel's victory about preparing him for the road ahead?
"Winning the Orange Bowl means nothing apart from the fact that he's talented," says Tzoref. "It's certainly no guarantee of a glittering career. He has to adapt his play to suit the adult circuit and not get stuck with a 12-year-old's style of play. In other words, he has to learn to be more aggressive. At his age, stability is the main trait a coach is looking for; as he grows up, we're looking for him to be more aggressive.
"The mental aspect is also critical," the coach continues. "Puberty, of course, is a very significant period. Kids go through all kinds of changes, some of them good and some of them less so. All we can do is hope that he comes out of it in reasonable shape. We'll hope he remains emotionally strong and that his game will continue improving all the time. We have to teach him that even though he's the junior world champion, he still has a lot to learn. We have to put past results behind us and continue improving."
Is it possible now to predict what kind of build he will have?
"Of course. He'll be like all the Israeli players: talented, not very tall and lacking a powerful serve. He won't be one of the tallest players on the circuit. He could reach 1.75 meters. If he is handled properly and if he handles himself properly, he has the potentia
"I watched them play and I asked Jan whether all four had a personal trainer," Tzoref told Haaretz this week. "He told me that three of them did, but the fourth - Yshai Oliel - couldn't afford it. I told him it was ironic that the best of the four was the one who didn't have enough money."
Ever since that day, Oliel has been singled out as the great hope of Israeli tennis - a player who should be nurtured in order to take full advantage of his enormous potential. "I saw talent, incredible coordination, great footwork, impressive athleticism and a kid with a wise head on his shoulders," Tzoref says. "He reminded me a lot of Gilad Bloom in terms of his style and his character."
Bloom, incidentally, once reached the final of the Junior Orange Bowl International Championship - the same tournament Oliel won earlier this week, thrusting himself very clearly into the public eye. Many Israelis tend to play down the achievements of young sportsmen and women at youth tournaments. But the Orange Bowl attracts the top players in every age group from across the globe and is known as the unofficial world championship for juniors. "The Orange Bowl is, quite simply, the most important youth tournament in the world," Tzoref explains. "I've been going there since 1976. More scouts and sponsors attend that tournament than all the others put together. They know that the top junior players in the world will be there and they want to 'discover' them and help them financially."
Aside from natural talent, money is still the most important resource for an up-and-coming tennis player. The only other Israeli to have won at the Orange Bowl was Shahar Peer, who triumphed there at the age of 14. But she already enjoyed the support and conditions that a well-to-do family can afford.
"Yshai's father works in the Ramle produce market," says Tzoref, "but the kind of talent that he has can't be bought." Since being discovered, Oliel has enjoyed financial backing from the Ramle Tennis Center and Israel Tennis Federation to cover his day-to-day expenses. When he was 10, his coaches found a private sponsor who invests in him $60,000 a year, which allowed Oliel to flourish with the help of a private coach. By winning the tournament, Tzoref says, Oliel has opened the door for more sponsors. "He's done himself a huge favor in terms of income and he's done a huge service to Israeli tennis," Tzoref adds. "When Bloom reached the final there, every kid in the country wanted to be a tennis star. Maybe Oliel's success will breed more young tennis players."
Ambitious kid
Speaking to Army Radio the day after his victory in Florida, Oliel said he had worked hard all year with the Orange Bowl in mind. "I never believed that I would win the tournament," he said, "because there are so many great players there. But I did the best I could. I got a text message from my school teacher congratulating me. And then the prime minister called me too. At first, I didn't really understand who I was talking to, but then he told me that the whole of Israel is proud of me and told me to keep working hard. My aim is to win every tournament I enter. I want to be like Federer or Nadal - or even better."
If he is to achieve this lofty goal, Oliel will have to join a very short list of children who won junior tournaments and went on to success on a global stage. The list of children for whom winning a junior tournament was the highlight of their career is depressingly long. Of the 41 previous winners of the Orange Bowl, only four became Top 10 players: Dick Stockton, Jimmy Connors, Andy Murray and Aaron Krickstein. Another seven broke into the Top 100, but the rest failed to make a career from tennis and some never even made it onto the professional circuit.
According to Tzoref, the key is not to lose a sense of proportion. "We have to prepare Yshai for life as a tennis player. It's not enough just to assume that because he's world champion at the age of 12, he'll be world champion when he's 18 or 25. Adult tennis is a very different game. Murray and Connors are the exception, not the rule. I could tell you about kids who won the Orange Bowl at the age of 14 and two years later were working as pizza delivery boys."
What lessons can be learned from Oliel's victory about preparing him for the road ahead?
"Winning the Orange Bowl means nothing apart from the fact that he's talented," says Tzoref. "It's certainly no guarantee of a glittering career. He has to adapt his play to suit the adult circuit and not get stuck with a 12-year-old's style of play. In other words, he has to learn to be more aggressive. At his age, stability is the main trait a coach is looking for; as he grows up, we're looking for him to be more aggressive.
"The mental aspect is also critical," the coach continues. "Puberty, of course, is a very significant period. Kids go through all kinds of changes, some of them good and some of them less so. All we can do is hope that he comes out of it in reasonable shape. We'll hope he remains emotionally strong and that his game will continue improving all the time. We have to teach him that even though he's the junior world champion, he still has a lot to learn. We have to put past results behind us and continue improving."
Is it possible now to predict what kind of build he will have?
"Of course. He'll be like all the Israeli players: talented, not very tall and lacking a powerful serve. He won't be one of the tallest players on the circuit. He could reach 1.75 meters. If he is handled properly and if he handles himself properly, he has the potentia
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The Scot has been warned about his language during matches in the past, but he believes non-Anglophone players get away with worse outbursts because umpires cannot understand what they are saying.
"Obviously, me saying ... or whatever is bad and wrong, and it's something I want to try to stop doing," Murray said, according to Scottish newspaper the Daily Record.
"But it isn't as bad as some of the stuff the foreign players come out with. I wouldn't want to name any names, but some of what they say is ghastly.
"It's just that all of the umpires speak English."
Murray, who became Great Britain's first male Grand Slam winner in 76 years when he won the US Open earlier this year, says his no-swearing campaign will begin at the Australian Open next month.
The 25-year-old was given an official warning for bad language at the Rome Masters this year and was also warned about his swearing at the 2011 Paris Masters.