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The Tennis Today Newsletter - JULY 2011
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Tennis Today Newsletter
Editor’s comment
 We are delighted to bring you more Tennis news through the medium of our newsletter.
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Read extended Editorial Comment.
HW
info@tennis-today.net
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The Championships
A quick review of the 125 staging
 Wimbledon is over and it is time to reflect on what has been a quite fascinating fortnight. Who would have thought that at the conclusion of the 125th Championships two new champions would emerge, one out of the blue so to speak.
Much will be written about Petra Kvitova and Novak Djokovic and many will point at 2011 as the start of a new era, but whether that proves to be the case only the ensuing months will tell. What can be stated is that they have made a mark which will be well remembered.
However one can’t believe that the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and the Williams sisters for instance, will accept being consigned to the history books. They have all vowed to be back which ensures some interesting times ahead as they attempt to reassert themselves on all-comers.
But all that’s for the future. For the moment we must hail the new champions, Petra Kvitova’s 6-3 6-4 defeat of Maria Sharapova and Novak Djokovic’s 6-4 6-1 1-6 6-3 victory over Rafael Nadal.
Kvitova, the 21 year-old Czech, is a breath of fresh air. Unassuming and self-conscious but with a determined fighting spirit behind a calm façade, she will be hailed a saviour by all those who abhor the grunting which ‘punctuate’ the performances of the likes of, amongst others, Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka, two players she resolutely silenced in her march to the women’s title.
 While Kvitova was the unexpected champion, Novak Djokovic was always in the running and known to be able to test the two players who until this year, had dominated the honours board, namely Roger Federer and Nadal.
His performance this season could never be ignored arriving at Wimbledon unbeaten barring one match at the French Open. He did look a bit wobbly on a few occasions during the fortnight but such is his newly acquired confidence since leading Serbia to Davis Cup glory, that very few would bet against him.
His final test was to eliminate the defending champion in the 2011 final, and he did just that with a superb display of both defensive and attacking tennis which had the great Spaniard on the back foot more often than not, a position which Nadal finds abhorrent.
Wimbledon review continues below...
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...Wimbledon review continued
Both champions left the arena clutching £1.1 million which will no doubt bring a big smile to their respective bank managers, agents and other hangers-on, but their enhanced reputations as Wimbledon champions is what matters the most.
Wimbledon can also be proud as their roof investment produced the goods. For the first time since it was unveiled, the roof was used regularly throughout the first week to maintain the Centre Court schedule and keep spectators and TV viewers happy.
The investment certainly paid off though many players competing under the canvas for the first time, found it a bit disconcerting, claiming that the conditions changed significantly, with the humidity making the ball a tad heavier.
In some cases the change from outdoor to indoor certainly affected the outcome of the match but whether this was the change in atmosphere or the pep-talk received off-court while the roof closed, is a matter for debate.
One such match was Jelena Dokic’s loss to Francesca Schiavone, the Italian recovering well after the roof closed with the Australian in command. The sixth seed was fortunate to avoid becoming an early casualty at the hands of a player who is making good progress as she attempts to regain the form which took her to a semi-final back in 1999.
But upsets there were, three coming on one day as both the Williams sisters and the world number one, Caroline Wozniacki, all fell in the fourth round. For Wozniacki, the defeat was indeed unfortunate as it just fuelled her critics who basically declare her unfit to be top of the rankings without a grand slam title to her name. At 20 years of age, the likeable Dane still has plenty of time with many still believing she is destined to do it this year. Perhaps that gap in her CV will be corrected at the US Open.
Serena and Venus Williams have ruled at Wimbledon since 2000, one or the other winning the title ever year except 2004 and 2006 so, despite both having arrived in SW19 without much match practice, they were considered serious prospects to continue their dominance. Their failure to progress past the fourth round immediately stimulated the possibility that aged 30 and 31, the two could be considering retirement. Their reaction would indicate it is certainly not under consideration!
Why should they when no other player has emerged to dominate the game as they have done for Vera Zvonareva, the second seed and world number three, was ousted in the third round while Li Na, the French Open champion, crashed out in round two. Kim Clijsters, the world number two, is the only current player who can cause consternation in a draw but she couldn’t play thanks to an ankle injury.
There weren’t the same sort of casualties in the men’s draw. All along it was felt that, as in the French, the top four would be contesting the final places at the semi-final stage. Surprisingly, it was Roger Federer, the third seed, who fell just short to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and then Andy Murray saw his run end dramatically at the hands of the defending champion, leaving the final to be contested between the top two players in the world – as it should be.
Djokovic’s semi-final victory over Tsonga ensured, whatever the outcome of the final, that he would succeed Nadal as world number one when the new ranking list was announced on the following Monday. His subsequent victory over Nadal in the final simply endorsed his ascendancy in the tennis world.
But there is one player who will now be closely monitored with great interest over the coming months. He is the 18 year-old Australian, Bernard Tomic for, having qualified via the Roehampton Qualies, then stormed through the draw with wins over Nikolay Davydenko (29), Igor Andreev, Robin Soderling (5), and Xavier Malisse before falling to the eventual champion, Djokovic 6-2 3-6 6-3 7-5 in the quarters.
It was run which not only gladdened all Australian hearts, but heralds a new hero for the Antipodeans who have been waiting patiently for a replacement to the long serving Lleyton Hewitt whom he now replaces as Aussie No1.
 In addition, Australia also collected the two junior titles so their fortunes could well be changing in the coming years.
And, talking about gladdening of hearts, the 125th Championships were honoured by the presence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge a few days before they left on an official Royal Tour to Canada. The Duchess, the former Kate Middleton, a keen tennis player herself, is rumoured to become more heavily involved at the AELTC, even possibly taking over the presentations from the Duke of Kent, President of the Club.
Weather disruptions were in the main, contained to the first week while plenty of sunshine in the second helped maintain the picnic atmosphere for which Wimbledon is famous. May that continue for ever.
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Championship Results
Wimbledon Honour Roll 2011
Men’s Singles: Novak Djokovic (Serbia) - £1.1 million prize money
Men’s Doubles: Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan (USA) - £250,000 per pair
Women’s Singles: Petra Kvitova (Czech Rep) - £1.1 million
Women’s Doubles: Kveta Peschke (Czech Rep) & Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) - £250,000 per pair
Mixed doubles: Jurgen Melzer (Austria) & Iveta Benesova (Czech Rep) - £92,000 per pair
Boys Singles: Luke Saville (Australia)
Boys Doubles: George Morgan (GB) & Mate Pavic (Croatia)
Girls Singles: Ashleigh Barty (Australia)
Girls Doubles: Eugenie Bouchard (Canada) & Grace Min (USA)
Men's over-35s doubles: Jacco Eltingh & Paul Haarhuis (Holland)
Men's over-45s doubles: Pat Cash & Mark Woodforde (Australia)
Women's over-35s doubles: Lindsay Davenport (US) & Martina Hingis (Switzerland)
Men's wheelchair doubles: Maikel Scheffers & Ronald Vink (Holland)
Women's over-35s doubles: Esther Vergeer & Sharon Walraven (Holland)
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Britwatch
Or on the Home Front
A year ago British performances, with the exception of Andy Murray of course, were vilified as no other player in the main draw was able to clear the first hurdle. Would this be the case again, or had the standard improved sufficiently to avoid similar embarrassment?
 With Murray winning Queen’s, there were high hopes that he may be able to take that form to SW19 and improve on his previous successive semi-final places. While his form stood up to various tests throughout the fortnight, one loose shot in the second set saw him lose his focus in the semis thereby allowing Rafael Nadal to turn the match around and end his challenge in the last four for a third year.
His only consolation is that he is now the only Brit since Fred Perry to make three successive semi-finals!
With regards to the rest of the pack, home fans can breathe a sigh of relief for there seems to be some signs of life other than the Scot’s though it must be said, more on the senior women’s side than the men’s.
For instance, Elena Balatcha could have made the third round but lost her way while leading China’s Shuai Peng (20) to crash out 4-6 6-2 7-5. The only other player to progress into round two was wild card Laura Robson following a determined 4-6 7-6(3) 6-3 victory over Germany’s Angelique Kerber, her first win at grand slam level.
Unfortunately for our 17 year-old former Wimbledon junior champion, she then ran into Maria Sharapova on Court No.1 where she gave the Russian a good test during the first set before running out of steam to go out 7-6(4) 6-3. Nontheless, her performance showed that she does have the talent and ability and will be a threat when she stops growing, fills out and improves her fitness levels.
Prior to Wimbledon it was 18 year-old Heather Watson who was making the news having broken into the top 100 for the first time and much was expected from this fighting Guernsey islander.
The teenager was making all the running against Mathilde Johansson of France when tragedy struck to hamper her game. She pulled a muscle in her right elbow, her racket arm, midway through the second set and as a result, lost her opening round match 2-6 6-4 6-4 but didn’t use the injury as an excuse though the loss proved a tearful occasion for the youngster.
Anne Keothavong, replaced by Watson as Britain’s No2, lost to the eventual champion Petra Kvitova in the second round 6-2 6-1 having beaten fellow Brit, wildcard Naomi Broady 6-2 6-4 in her opening match.
The other two lady wild cards failed to progress past their opening round opponents, namely Katie O’Brien and Emily Webley-Smith, all joining British wild card casualties from the men’s side, Dan Evans, James Ward and Dan Cox.
There was a lot more hope in the juniors where Liam Broady, Roehampton International winner the previous week, reached the final as the 15th seed. He dispatched the top seed in the third round and survived a marathon quarter final match coming through 13-11 in the third but, despite dominating for a set and half, Australia’s Luke Saville, seeded 16, found a way to turn it all around to run out a 2-6 6-4 6-2 winner.
Oliver Golding, Joshua Ward-Hibbert, Evan Hoyt, George Morgan and Oliver Hudson recorded one win each and there wasn’t much more to celebrate in the girls with Daneika Borthwick the only one to make the third round and Ruth Seaborne and Fancesca Stephenson recording a victory apiece.
There was more success in the Boy’s doubles where George Morgan partnered Mate Pavic of Croatia to the title. They beat Liam Broady and his Slovak partner Filip Horansky in the semi finals and then Oliver Golding and his Czech partner, Jiri Vesely, the top seeds, 3-6 6-4 7-5 in the final.
The best all-British doubles pair proved to be Hutt & Ward-Hibbert who reached the quarter-finals.
As per usual one has to look at the juniors to see whether there are players emerging. That would seem to be the case with Liam Broady currently leading the pack.
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Editorial Comment
Cut out the grunting - it’s hurting the game
A recent study by an American University provides ‘grunting’ with a scientific explanation but what they can’t reason away, is the impact it has on spectators.
While a grunt can illustrate the extreme physical efforts a player is expending, a ‘shriek’ cannot and is the current most irritating factor of the modern game.
One only has to reflect on the recent Wimbledon Championships where the possibility of a Maria Sharapova versus Victoria Azarenka final looked likely and, if they had met in the championship round and the weather had forced the roof to be closed, the din which spectators would have consequently had to suffer, would have been insufferable if not unbearable.
Apparently the AELTC’s chief executive’s desk has a pile over a foot high of complaints on the subject of ‘grunting’ or ‘shrieking’ – all calling for it to be brought to a halt but of course they are governed by the rules of the game which allows it, the rule calling on the players themselves to complain for any subsequent action to be considered.
It has now got out of hand. I regularly come across tennis fans who just can’t watch a Sharapova or Azarenka match and the numbers are increasing to such an extent that they could now be considered to be doing harm to the game, rather than being the main attractions.
The WTA are of course scared to take action against what they perceive to be the major stars of the game who provide the tour with a certain financial security. I would suggest that if fans are turned off, that financial security could well be threatened.
Former British number one, Jo Durie, now better known as a coach and for her TV commentary, also believes it is damaging the women’s game. "When men do it, I call it a grunt, but the women's is a shriek. That's the difference. The shriek is just so horrible. I can't bear watching De Brito (a Portuguese teenager who was booed off court at the French Open) and sometimes I have to commentate on her matches. It's horrible and off-putting."
What is interesting is that the players, especially the two mentioned, do not shriek when they practice though they maintain it is part of their game. It has actually become a habit!
So Durie makes a distinction between a ‘shriek’ and a ‘grunt’ but even so, scientists believe that the loud grunts some tennis players make when hitting the ball could actually have a negative effect on their opponents by distracting them and slowing their reaction time.
“Players such as Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal are notorious for their grunting, a practice which often triggers complaints in professional tennis”, said Scott Sinnett, lead author of the report that appeared last year in the journal Public Library of Science ONE.
Noise "distracts you from your ability to pay attention to what is going on," added Sinnett. "A grunt doesn't allow you to place all your attention on what's happening. It blocks the ability to pay attention to a multi-sensory event."
Grunting could cause a tennis player to perceive a ball travelling 50 miles (80 kilometres) per hour to be "two feet (60 centimetres) closer to the opponent than it actually is," Sinnett continued. "This could increase the likelihood that opponents are out of position and make returning the ball more difficult."
"A lot of people have complained about grunting in the tennis world, that it's distracting, and even some professionals have said it's pretty much cheating," concluded Sinnett, who conducted the research as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia, and is now an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Hawaii at Mnoa.
Sinnett also made an interesting comparison. "The study raises a number of interesting questions for tennis. For example, if Rafael Nadal is grunting and Roger Federer is not, is that fair?"
This would support some of the reactions and comments from professional players who try to judge the spin and velocity of a ball from the sound it makes hitting a racket, so a loud grunt would mask those clues.
Grunting is a controversial subject with nine-time Wimbledon champion Martina Navratilova going as far as to call it "cheating."
Sinnett finally declared: "This is the first study to look at the issue of grunting in tennis. Our current work is also looking at how advanced and professional tennis players perform, to determine if they have developed any strategies to limit the negative effects of a grunting opponent.”
While not wishing to dampen research, the best answer is to ban it completely!
H.W.
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