Top Ten Male Australian Open Tennis Players

Australian Open is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments in tennis. The first Grand Slam tournament of a calendar year, Australian Open has a history of over hundred years as it started in 1905. Until 1987, the tournament was held on grass court, which was replaced by hard court in the following year. Today, Australian Open is one of most popular sporting events in the world in terms of television viewers. In 2010, the tournament drew 653,860 attendances, which is around 50,000 more than what turned up the previous year.

Here, I have made a list of top ten best singles male tennis players in the history of Australian Open. So, while making the list, I mainly considered players’ performances and records in the singles event of Australian Open. I hope you will enjoy the list, but you can let us know your choices in the comment section.

Roy Emerson

One of the greatest male tennis players of all time, Roy Emerson won 6 our of his 12 Grand Slam titles in Australian Open, a record for Australian Open tournament. Five out of his six Australian Open titles came in successive years, starting from 1963 to 1967. His 12 career Grand Slam titles was the highest for a male tennis players at the time of his retirement, which was so far surpassed by only two players: Roger Federer and Pete Sampras.

Besides his tremendous success in Australian Open, Roy Emerson became the first male tennis player to win all four Grand Slam titles at least twice during his career, and was the first male to win all the Grand Slam titles in both singles and doubles events.

Roger Federer

Many believe that Roger Federer is the all-time greatest male tennis player in the history. The Swiss tennis maestro is currently the most successful male tennis player of Grand Slam with a record 16 titles to his possession. He has won Australian Open 4 times in between 2004 and 2010. Some of you may consider him above Emerson due to the fact that all his Australian Open titles came in Open era.

Federer is just one of the seven male tennis players who have completed career Grand Slam. Moreover, he also holds the record for remaining world no. 1 in ATP rankings for 237 consecutive weeks.

Andre Agassi

Another great of Open era, Andre Agassi also won 4 Australian Open titles during his career. Well-known for his return of serve and baseline game, the American made Australian Open his favorite Grand Slam tournament as he won half of his total career Grand Slam titles in Australian Open. Alike Emerson and Federer, he also accomplished a career Grand Slam.

Unlike many players, Andre Agassi was a multi-surface specialist as he won titles on all surfaces including hard, clay and grass. The former world no. 1 was very popular throughout his career not only for his success on the court, but also his effervescent personality.

Ken Rosewall

Kenneth Robert Rosewall, popularly known as Ken Rosewall, is another Australian great of tennis. The eight-time Grand Slam winner, Rosewall was among the first tennis stars in the post World War II era. He also achieved 4 Australian Open titles during his career and the 16-year gap between his second and third Australian Open title is one of the longest in the history of the tournament.

Image source: australianopen.com

During his illustrious career, Rosewall also won French Open and US Open titles, but he could never win Wimbledon, despite his four appearances in the final of this tournament. His contribution to tennis in the post-war era helped develop the game and reach where it stands today.

Jack Crawford

One of the early greats of tennis, Jack Crawford won 6 Grand Slam titles of which 4 came in Australian Open. The Australian tennis star was one of the dominant players of 1930’s. He came agonizingly close to winning all four Grand Slam titles in a calendar year in 1933 when he won Australian, French and Wimbledon, but he lost to Fred Perry in a five-set classic final in the US Open.

Image source: tennis.com.au

Besides his success in the singles, Crawford also won 6 doubles and 5 mixed-doubles Grand Slam titles during his glorious career, including 3 doubles and 2 mixed-doubles titles in Australian Open. The former world no. 1 was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1979.

Rod Laver

The Australian great could have easily ended up in the top three or four, if it was a list of all time greatest male tennis players. Rod Laver was undoubtedly the best male tennis player of 1960’s, a decade during which he won all of his 11 Grand Slam titles including 3 in Australian Open and remained world no. 1 for seven years.

Image source: sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Rod Laver holds many records of tennis. He is the only tennis player in the history who have won all four Grand Slam tournaments in a calendar year, first as an amateur in 1962 and then in 1969 during the Open era. Today, he is just one of the three tennis players (including both male and female) who won all four Grand Slam singles titles twice. Laver was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1981.

Mats Wilander

The seven-time Grand Slam winner, Mats Wilander was one of the most dominant male tennis players of 1980’s. His 3 titles in Australian Open easily earned him a place in this list. Through he could not accomplish a career Grand Slam due to his unsuccessful campaigns in Wimbledon, no one can doubt about his class and greatness. Interestingly, his only Grand Slam title in doubles came in Wimbledon.

Image source: Guardian

The Swedish tennis star won all the Grand Slam singles titles, except Wimbledon, in 1988. His first two Australian Open titles came when the tournament was played on grass courts, and thus, he became one of only five male players to win Grand Slam singles titles in grass, hard and clay courts. By the time he turned 20, Mats Wilander had already achieved 4 Grand Slam titles, a record that still stands.

Adrian Quist

Though Adrian Quist is now considered to be one of the greatest doubles players of all time, the Australian also achieved considerable success in Australian Open singles. He secured all of his 3 Grand Slam singles titles in Australian Open in between 1936 and 1948. Besides, Quist also won 10 doubles titles in Australian Open, all of whom coming in ten successive tournaments.

Image source: Wikipedia

Known for his superb backhand and classical forehand, Adrian Quist won 14 doubles Grand Slam titles during his career on his way to completing career Grand Slam in doubles.

Jim Courier

The four-time Grand Slam singles winner, Jim Courier bagged 2 Australian Open titles during his career. The former world no. 1 defeated Stefan Edberg in the 1992 Australian Open final, before defending it successfully against the same opponent the following year.

Image source: Tennis.com

The American still holds the record for being the youngest male tennis player to reach the final of all four Grand Slam tournaments when he was 22 years and 11 months old. Courier was also the runner-up of 1991 US Open and 1993 Wimbledon tournaments.

James Anderson

Anderson is one of the two players, placed in this list, who did not win any Grand Slam singles title, except Australian Open, during their career. His three Australian Open titles came in 1922, 1924 and 1925. The Australian also won the Wimbledon doubles title in 1922, his only success in Grand Slam doubles.

Image source: Wikipedia

Some of you may not agree with his inclusion in this list, but considering his success in Australian Open, James Anderson deserves a spot among the top ten all time best of the tournament.

Some other great players who could make it to the list: Boris Becker, Ashley Cooper, Stefan Edberg, John Bromwich, John Newcombe, Pete Sampras, Rodney Heath, Johan Kriek and Ivan Lendl.

Five Reasons Why Saina Nehwal Should Get More Media Coverage than Sania Mirza

Sania Mirza and Saina Nehwal are perhaps the top two women sports personalities in India at present. Both of them have earned fame at international level and are now considered to be the icons for young girls willing to follow their footsteps in sports.

While Sania Mirza has been an inspiration for many young tennis players in India, especially for young girls, Saina Nehwal has been so for the aspiring badminton players.

Though Sania Mirza and Saina Nehwal are involved in two different sports, they have something in common- becoming the first Indian women in achieving some of their successes. For example, Sania Mirza became first women tennis player from India to take part in a Grand Slam tournament as a seeded player. Saina Nehwal, on the other hand, is the first Indian to win the World Junior Badminton Championship.

So, it is natural that both of them are celebrity in India and have star status among their fans. However, for some reasons, tennis sensation Sania Mirza gets more media coverage than her badminton counterpart Saina Nehwal.

Here, I am stating five reasons why Saina Nehwal should get more media attention than tennis star Sania Mirza:

1. Performance: Saina Nehwal is well-ahead of Sania Mirza in terms of performance. Saina became the first Indian women to win a Super Series title in badminton (similar to Grand Slam title in tennis) in June 2009 when she won the Indonesia Open title. She has so far bagged four Super Series titles including three in 2010.

Mirza, on the other hand, has not yet won any Grand Slam title. Reaching the 4^th round of US Open 2005 has so far been her highest accomplishment in a Grand Slam tournament (though this is the highest achieved by an Indian women so far).

2. Rankings

Saina Nehwal and Sania Mirza can be differentiated in terms of their rankings too. Sania’s best ever rankings in singles so far is 27 which she achieved in August 2007. On the other hand, Saina Nehwal reached at no. 2 in the women’s singles world rankings in badminton in December 2010.

3. Achievements

Saina Nehwall can outclass Sania Mirza when it comes to achievements too. Besides her four Super Series titles, Saina Nehwal has become the first woman from India to reach the quarter final of the singles event in Olympics.

On the other hand, Sania Mirza is yet to come this far in Olympics, though her fans may indicate that she is the only Indian female tennis player to have won a mixed doubles title in a Grand Slam tournament. She along with Leander Paes won the mixed doubles title in Australian Open 2009. Still, mixed doubles can no way come to the comparison with singles event.

In addition, the 20-year-old badminton star has already won Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awards, two of India’s most prestigious awards for achievements in sports, while Sania Mirza could win only Arjuna Award until now.

3. Glamour and Dress up

When it comes to representing Indian culture, Saina Nehwal has been much more successful than her tennis counterpart. Sania Mirza attracted huge criticism for her low-cut dress up and there are many who criticized her for using glamour to get maximum media coverage.

Saina Nehwal, on the other hand, has never tried to attract media by wearing glamorous dresses. Rather, she always puts her hundred percent focus on her game.

5. Controversy

Sania Mirza has been involved in a number of controversies so far in her career. Her dress up often becomes the issue of intense criticism from group of Muslim people who believe her dress up does not go with Muslim culture. Moreover, she was once criticized for allegedly insulting national flag of India, though she later denied it.

In contrast, Saina Nehwal has not been involved in any controversy yet and has a clean image.

That means, Saina Nelwal has already established herself as one of today’s best badminton players in the world and maintained a very clean image without being involved in any controversies. So, naturally she deserves to get more attention and coverage in the media than Sania Mirza.

Sources:

Saina Nehwal in Wikipedia

Sania Mirza in Wikipedia

Vasek Pospisil and Milos Raonic made upset against Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic

Vasek Pospisil and Milos Raonic, the pair of wildcard Canadians, made a big upset after defeating the world’s top two players, Rafael Nadal of Spain and Serbian Novak Djokovic, in their Toronto Masters first round doubles match. The Canadian team won the match 5-7, 6-3 and 10-8 at centre court.

It was not an easy victory for the dream doubles team as Nadal and Djokovic won the first set 7-5, but then they lost the next two sets0 6-3, 10-8.

Winning the last three games of the second set, the twenty-year-old Pospisil and nineteen-year-old Raonic immediately gained control in the match tie-break by rolling out to a 4-0.

Before Nadal and Djokovic, tennis fans saw other top two singles players, Jimmy Connors and Arthur Ashe, who were ranked first and second respectively, joined forces in doubles 34 years ago.

After Simon Larose, Vasek Pospisil has beaten a top-15 player as a Canadian man at his home tournament in seven years. When Simon defeated Gustavo Kuerten, he was ranked No. 314 in the world at the time.

It was an exciting and nail biting match. Fans could not understand what the result is expected to be until the end of the match.

Related article:

TSN

Roger Federer Appoints Paul Annacone for a Trial Period

Swiss tennis great Roger Federer has appointed Paul Annacone as his new coach for a trial period. Federer, ranked 3^rd in the ATP ranking, has failed to defend his French Open and Wimbledon titles this year and is now looking to retain the US Open title.

Roger Federer started the year winning the Australian Open, but could not even reach the semi final of French Open and Wimbledon. As a result he lost his no. 1 ranking to Rafael Nadal and is now at the 3^rd position in the ranking, his worst since November 2003.

The 28-year-old has been going through a tough time. Now, the appointment of Paul Annacone, who earlier worked with former great Pete Sampras for a long time, indicates that Federer is now desperate to bounce back in the US Open 2010.

About Annacone’s appointment, Federer said to the media, “I've been looking to add someone to my team and I've decided to spend some days with Paul Annacone.

As Paul winds down his responsibilities working for the Lawn Tennis Association, we will explore our relationship through this test period.

Paul will work alongside my existing team and I am excited to learn from his experiences."

Roger Federer has already become a legend in tennis, but his recent topsy-turvy form has been a matter of big concern and he is now desperate to come out of this. Federer last year surpassed Sampras to hold the record for highest Grand Slam singles titles. The Swiss great also holds many other prestigious records including the record for holding the no.1 ranking for most consecutive weeks.

Now, Federer would like to retain the no. 1 ranking and get back his his dominating form with the assistance of Paul Annacone.

Roger Federer is looking for sixth US Open title in 2010

The 2010 US Open will begin from August 30 to September 12, 2010. Swiss professional tennis player, Roger Federer, has been placed as the second favorite player to win the US Open following Rafael Nadal at the top of the list.

Twenty-eight-year-old Roger Federer is eyeing for his sixth US Open title this year. Former World No. 1 tennis player has already won 16 Grand Slam single titles, including 5 titles in US Open. Last year, he lost his chance of clinching the trophy after being beaten by Juan Martín del Potro.

However, Roger Federer has less possibility to win his 6^th US Open title as his recent performance is not good. Since Australian Open 2010, Federer could not manage to get any major victory. He will have to face a tough challenge from young players like Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Robin Soderling etc.

Defending champion, Juan Martin Del Potro, is not sure about his taking part of this tournament. He is coming back from injury. His presence will change or revise the betting market for the 2010 US Open. This year, Rafael Nadal is at the pick of his career. So, he has the strong possibility to win the title.

Fans will be watching to see if Roger Federer can win his 17^th Grand Slam singles titles.

Maria Sharapova-Justine Henin match was suspended at the French Open

The most exciting match between the two former world number one players; Maria Sharapova and Justine Henin has been suspended due to bad weather that forced the organizer to call the match off with one set left at hand.

Both Maria Sharapova and Justine Henin met each other in the third round of French Open. The rainy and windy match was unable to continue the match because of darkness. Prior to this match both the contestants faced each other ninth times.

The match between Maria Sharapova and Justine Henin and got the favorite tag as it brought two former No. 1s, who jointly owned 10 major titles.

No doubt, Justine Henin was the most favorite player as she won four Grand Slam titles at the French Open. However, Maria Sharapova was not less favorite of this game.

Henin tied the match with 6-2 win in the first set and equaled the record of 40^th consecutive set victory which was set by Helen Wills Moody from 1926-32.

Match turned into an excitement while Sharapova made her return in the second round with a 6-3 victory.

The match was called off for the day by the tournament referee Stefan Fransson as rain is falling and light fading. This match will continue in the resume day when both players will play the last set to decide the result of the match.

Related article:

The New York Times

Kimiko Date Krumm lost to Jarmila Groth at French Open 2010

Calf injury has forced Japanese veteran, Kimiko Date Krumm, to be eliminated from the second round of the ongoing French Open 2010. She was beaten by Jarmila Groth of Australia 6-0, 6-3.

Kimiko Date Krumm challenged doctor’s orders and went to play her second round game. It is pathetic that she could not advance further as she was hampered by a calf injury that he sustained in her first game against Dinara Safina. She was extraordinary against the former world number one and last year’s runner up Dinara Safina, whom she defeated in the first round of this tournament.

"Yesterday I took an MRI. I went to the clinic, and the doctor said 'of course don't play. It's too risky'.

"The results were not good, but I had the same problem before so I feel if I'm standing in the middle I don't feel the pain.

The thirty-nine-year-old player, Kimiko Date Krumm, became the oldest woman of this tournament who reached the second round in the Open era since Britain's Virginia Wade in 1985. She made her first appearance at Roland Garros since 1996 after a 12-year absence.

Date Krumm could not repeat her success against the 23-year-old Jarmila Groth and received her first loss.

Date Krumm began her career in 1989 and became giant killer after defeating many top ranked players including Steffi Graf. She rose to international prominence in the early 90s. In 1995, she reached number four in the world ranking.

It is expected that she will be recovered soon and make her return to the tennis court as soon as possible.

Related article:

REUTERS

Andy Murray Defeated Roger Federer in Abu Dhabi Exhibition

(This entry was originally published on Saturday, January 3rd, 2009)

British tennis star Andy Murray started the New Year with an excellent three-set victory over world. No. 2 Roger Federer in the semi final of an exhibition tournament, Capitala World Tennis Championship at Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates. Andy Murray defeated US. Open champion Federer 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (8-6). Both players broke each other once in the first set, but Roger Federer took it 4-6. In the second set, Murray dominated over Federer and broke him early to clinch the second set 6-2 pretty easily. The third set was a close one which Murray won in a tie-breaker.

Federer defeated Murray in the final of U.S. Open 2008, but lost to the aspiring British tennis star at the Madrid Masters tournament in October. A month later, Federer lost to Murray once again at the Shanghai Masters Cup. Now, Andy Murray would face world no. 1 Rafael Nadal in the tournament final as the Spaniard defeated Nikolay Davydenko in the other final of the tournament.

Related article:

Kansascity

Maria Sharapova Withdrew from Hong Kong Exhibition, but Hopeful about Australian Open 2009

(This entry was originally published on Saturday, January 3rd, 2009)

Maria Sharapova pulled out of upcoming Hong Kong exhibition tournament, starting from next week. The Russian tennis star feels that she is not yet ready for the top class tournaments like Hong Kong exhibition. Sharapova started practicing for the new season just about 16 days back after a long rehabilitation process followed by a surgery on her shoulder in last October. Sharapova had to miss Beijing Olympic Games 2008 and US Open 2008 due to the surgery. Though she withdrew from the Hong Kong exhibition, defending Australian Open champion is hopeful for the upcoming Australian Open 2009 tournament, starting from 19 January 2009.

The Age reported:

“It’s with much disappointment that I have to withdraw from Hong Kong,” she said. “I’ve been using this event for the last five years to get match fit and ready for the new season. In fact, Hong Kong has been successful in preparing me for the Australian Open.

“I’m just not ready to play against the top-class competition in Hong Kong, although I remain hopeful for Australia, where I’m the defending champion. Believe me, it’s been a very difficult decision, but I only started practising 16 days ago.”

Maria Sharapova won her second ever grand slam title in last year’s Australian Open. However, she failed to build on the success of other tournaments. Another important thing is Sharapova’s consistency. No doubt, she is a naturally gifted player and possesses huge talent, but the Russian star could not yet show enough consistency in her career so far. Now, let us if Maria Sharapova can retain her form back and defend the Australian Open title in 2009.

Bernard Tomic in Australian Open 2009 Senior Event?

(This entry was originally published on Friday, January 2nd, 2009)

Australian wonder boy Bernard Tomic has so far been a wonder kid in tennis circuit, but not anymore. The 16-year-old Australian tennis player is going to make his senior debut at the upcoming Brisbane International which kicks of this week as he received a wildcard for the tournament. The winner of 2008 Australian Open junior title, Tomic could earn a wildcard for this year’s Australian Open senior tournament and that is what Australian tennis fans are waiting for. Bernard Tomic has already come under the limelight and many think he is going to be next great hope for Australian tennis.

Former Australian world no. 1 Patrick Rafter thinks that Tomic has to go though a number of tough years and has to learn to play against big players. Rafter also thinks that it would be too early to expect a lot from Tomic. Now, let us see if Bernard Tomic can win a wildcard entry to the Australian Open 2009 senior’s event.

Related article:

The Age

Top Ten Tennis Events of 2008

The year 2008 saw several notable events in the tennis world. Player like Jo-Wilfried Tsonga emerged in the lime light, while player like Sania Mirza fell in ranking. The year even presented a classic final at Wimbledon 2008. Rafael Nadal and Jelena Jankovic finished the year at no. 1 in ATP and WTA rankings respectively for the first time. Here, I made a list of top ten events of tennis world in 2008. So, let us go through the list of top ten notable tennis events of 2008:

Rafael Nadal Becoming World No. 1 Replacing Roger Federer

Rafael Nadal replaced former world no. 1 Swiss star Roger Federer at the top of ATP ranking, becoming the world no. 1 for the first time in his career. Thus, the Spaniard also ended Federer’s record 237 consecutive weeks at the top of the ranking. Nadal clinched his fourth successive French Open title, defeating Federer 6–1, 6–3, 6–0 in the final, before winning his first ever Wimbledon title, defeating Federer in a five-set classic final. After that Nadal also won the gold medal of men’s singles at the Beijing Olympic Games 2008, outclassing Fernando Gonzalez in straight set. On August 18, 2008, the Spanish tennis star became the world no. 1 of men’s singles at ATP ranking.

Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal: An Epic Final in Wimbledon 2008

Wimbledon 2008 men’s singles final should be considered to be one of the greatest ever final in the history of grand slam. No doubt, five-time defending champion Federer went into the final match as ultimate favorite and his sixth Wimbledon title seemed to be a matter of time when Federer won the first two sets without facing any hard challenge from the Spanish star. However, Rafael Nadal was determined enough to clinch the title, winning the last three sets in tie-breaker, setting up one of the most notable come-back win in a grand slam final in the history of tennis.

Jelena Jankovic Becoming World no. 1 without Winning Any Grand Slam

There is no doubt, Jelena Jankovic has been one of the most consistent performers in WTA tour events, despite the fact that the Serbian star could not win any grand slam title so far in her career. Still, Jankovic rose to no. 1 spot of WTA ranking, after reaching the U.S. Open 2008 final, her first grand slam final ever. Though she failed to win the U.S. Open title, being lost to 4^th seed American Serena Williams, her performance in other grand slam and WTA tour tournaments were satisfactory. The current world no. 1 Jankovic also reached the semi final of Australian Open and French Open 2008 tournaments, besides winning four other tour titles in 2008.

Andy Murray: The New Hope of British Tennis Fans

Andy Murray went very close to become the first British tennis player to win a Grand Slam title since Fred Perry did it last time in 1936 as Murray reached his first ever grand slam final at the U.S. Open 2008, kindling the hope of millions of British tennis fans who were looking for another grand slam winner in Britain. However, Murray’s dream run was brought to an end by the eventual champion Roger Federer in the tournament final. En route to final, Andy Murray defeated French Open and Wimbledon Champion, world no. 1, Rafael Nadal in a four set semi final. Murray won five tour titles including two ATP Masters Cup titles in 2008, achieving his career high no. 4 ranking.

Former World no. 1 Justine Henin Announced Retirement Surprisingly

Belgian tennis star Justine Henin surprisingly announced her retirement on 14 May 2008, even while leading the WTA ranking. The announcement came just before the 2008 French Open where she would start as defending champion and was considered to be tournament favorite. Henin has 7 grand slam titles to her credit including four titles at French Open.

Ana Ivanovic Winning First Grand Slam Title at French Open 2008

Ana Ivanovic was undoubtedly one of the most promising figures of world tennis in 2008. The Serbian stalwart showed her talent and potential even in 2007. However, the year 2008 deserves to be something special in her career as Ivanovic won her career first grand slam title at French Open 2008, defeating 13^th seed Dinara Safina in the final 6-4, 6-3. After the triumph at French Open, Ivanovic even became the world no. 1 in WTA ranking on June 9, 2008. However, her lackluster form towards the end of the year cost her in WTA ranking as Ivanovic finished the year at no. 5 in WTA ranking.

Dream Run of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Australian Open 2008

There was hardly anyone who knew Jo-Wilfried Tsonga before the start of Australian Open 2008. In fact, he was an unseeded player in the tournament, but made it to the final surprisingly, defeating some of the top seeded players like Andy Murray in the first round, Richard Gasquet in the fourth round and Rafael Nadal in the semi final. However, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga failed to win the title being lost to Serbian star Novak Djokovic. After that, the 23-year-old French tennis star failed to live up the expectation, mostly because of injury problems. Still, he could finish the year at his career high no. 6 ranking.

Jie Zheng: The First Chinese Player to Reach at a Grand Slam Semi Final

Second highest ranked Asian star, Jie Zheng, made history becoming the first ever Chinese tennis player to reach at the semi final of a grand slam tournament after reaching the semi final of Wimbledon 2008, defeating three seeded players en route. In fact, she caused the biggest upset of the tournament by defeating the then world no. 1 Ana Ivanovic in the third round. The Chinese star went into the tournament as a wildcard entry, and to everyone’s surprise, Jie Zheng reached the semi final where she was defeated by Serena Williams.

Venus Williams Defending Wimbledon Title in an All-Williams Wimbledon 2008 Final

After a long time, tennis world saw another All-Williams final at a grand slam tournament. The final of Wimbledon 2008 featured the two sisters, but the match was not very competitive as elder sister Venus won the match in two sets. With this victory Venus Williams defend her Wimbledon title successfully, winning her seventh grand slam title in her career. Such was her dominance that Venus Williams did not drop any set throughout the tournament.

Injury Pronged Sania Mirza Slipping Drastically in WTA Ranking

The year 2008 was a disappointing year for Indian tennis star Sania Mirza who started the year at 32, but finished at 99, lowest in 4 years. Her recurring injury problem was one of the reasons behind her slipping in WTA ranking. In fact, Sania Mirza missed a number of tournaments due to injury. First she suffered from left adductor strain and later on, she suffered severally from right wrist injury. Sania Mirza even underwent wrist surgery in April. Still, she had to miss the U.S. Open 2008 due to wrist injury.

ITF Announced Rafael Nadal and Jelena Jankovic as 2008 World Champions

(This entry was originally published in this blog December 2008 and it is based on the information of that time.)

Rafael Nadal and Jelena Jankovic have become 2008 world champions in tennis circuit. Recently, ITF (International Tennis Federation) has named Nadal and Jankovic as the world champion of tennis for their excellent run in 2008. Nadal finished the year at no. 1 in ATP ranking. The Spaniard won two grand slam titles: French Open and Wimbledon, and also won the Olympic gold medal in Beijing, alongside winning highest 8 ATP tour titles in 2008. Nadal also won highest 82 matches in ATP tour this year.

For Jelena Jankovic, the year 2008 was definitely breakthrough year. The Serbian star also finishes the year at no. 1 in WTA ranking, even without winning any grand slam title. However, Jankovic reached the final of U.S. Open, but lost to Serena Williams. Jelena Jankovic won 65 ATP matches on her way to clinch 4 ATP titles. ITF will honor Rafael Nadal and Jelena Jankovic in a Dinner to be organized on June 2 next year in Paris.

Related article:

seattlepi

U.S. Team to Face Switzerland Team in Davis Cup 2009 First Round

(This entry was originally published in this blog December 2008 and it is based on the information of that time.)

You already know that Spain own the Davis Cup 2008 title defeating Argentina in the final. US Davis Cup team is now hoping to do well next season, but they will have to face strong opponent Switzerland in the first round of Davis Cup 2009. The match will be held at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Arena, starting from 6 March. The three-day match will see world no. 2 Roger Federer leading the Swiss team. Another Swiss professional Stanislas Wawrinka, who along with Roger Federer won the gold medal of doubles in Beijing Olympic, will also be there to help the Swiss team to get past the US team.

Patrick McEnroe, captain of U.S. Davis Cup team, is fully concerned about the possible threat of the Swiss team, boasting of the players like Federer and Wawrinka. He admits that his team would face one of the toughest first-round opponents in March in the tournament. He thinks that the prospect of Wawrinka over the last few years as a professional player must inspire Federer to give his best in their quest to win the title. However, McEnroe is also happy to say that U.S. Davis Cup team has a number of players to feature in the match. Generally, Andy Roddick and James Blake play in the singles, while world famous American brothers Mike and Bob Bryan feature in the doubles. However, McEnroe said that he had options in Sam Querry and Mardy Fish who had been doing well too over the last few years.

Related article:

The Birmingham News

Andy Murray: I am Much Closer to Win a Grand Slam Now than I was

(This entry was originally published in this blog December 2008 and it is based on the information of that time.)

British tennis star Andy Murray wants to become the first British to win a grand slam title in 72 years since Fred Perry won a grand slam in 1936. Andy Murray enjoyed the most successful season in his career in 2008, reaching the US Open final, his first grand slam final, and winning the ATP Masters tiles in Cincinnati and Madrid. Starting the year at no. 11, Murray is finishing the year at no. 4 in ATP ranking. Andy Murray now thinks that he is now much closer to winning a grand slam ever.

Thescotsman reported:

“I feel like I’m much closer to winning a grand slam now than I was,” said Murray. “I always dreamt of winning one, but you don’t believe it until you get very close, like I did in the US Open.”

“That gave me the confidence to go on the run that I have,” he said. “It’s made me much more motivated to work hard this off-season to give me the best chance of doing it next year. I think it’s do-able, but it’s going to be very hard – there’s no getting away from that – but I think that I’ve got a chance of doing it. I’ll be giving it my best shot.”

Andy Murray is just 21 and has a number of years in his career. He is full of talent and has the ability to win the much-awaited grand slam title in the years to come. The important thing is that he is improving gradually and getting matured as a player day by day. In fact, I would not be surprised to see Andy Murray winning his first grand slam title in 2009.

Bernard Tomic Determined to Learn from Mistakes after Losing to Colin Ebelthite in Australian Open Wildcard Playoff

(This entry was originally published in this blog December 2008 and it is based on the information of that time.)

Australia tennis wonder-boy, 16-year-old, Bernard Tomic has recently lost in the first round of the wildcard playoff of Australian Open. However, the youngster is not too much disappointed at the defeat to an eight-year older opponent, Colin Ebelthite. Rather, Tomic wants to learn from the mistake and wants to more on. He even also said that he knew he would go though many such defeats in the years to come, but he thought it would be part of his development. Even Colin Ebelthite was full of praise about Tomic after winning the match 3-6 6-3 7-6 (8-6). He thinks that Tomic has a good brain for tennis and he will be a great player in future.

Herald Sun reported:

“I’ll get a lot more beatings like that in the next few years, that’s for sure. But it’s part of my development,” the 16-year-old Tomic said.

“He has a great tennis brain and has good hands. He’s pretty big for 16 and he hits the ball well, moves well and he’s going to be a great player. There’s not too many weaknesses to his game even now,” Ebelthite said.

Bernard Tomic is now considered to be the best Australian male tennis player after Lleyton Hewitt. He has already won the prestigious Orange Bowl titles in three age-groups: 12s, 14s and 16s. Now, let us see if Tomic can continue his junior level success in the senior level too.

Former World No. 1 of Men’s Tennis Lleyton Hewitt Becomes Father of a Baby Boy

(This entry was originally published in this blog December 2008 and it is based on the information of that time.)

Two-time Grand Slam winner and former world no. 1, Lleyton Hewitt, may be struggling with his hip injury now, but he is not devoid of happiness. The Australian tennis star and his wife, former Australian actress, Bec Cartwright, have become parents of a baby boy. The couple also has a daughter Mia Rebecca who was born in November 2005. Hewitt and Cartwright recently announced on Tuesday in their website that the new-born baby, Cruz, was born on December 11 in Sydney.

The Canadian Press reported:

Hewitt and former actress Bec Cartwright announced on their website Tuesday that Cruz was born in Sydney on Dec. 11. “All are doing well and are very excited about the new addition to the family,” they wrote. It is the second child for the Australian pair following the birth of daughter Mia Rebecca in November 2005.

Lleyton Hewitt’s recent form on the court is not so good. In fact, the winner of 2001 US Open and 2002 Wimbledon is going through a tough time on the court as he is struggling with injury. Still, you can guess his happiness of becoming father.

Tennis coach Jorge Capestany Honored with Master Professional Status

(This entry was originally published in this blog December 2008 and it is based on the information of that time.)

Jorge Capestany is not a big name in the tennis world, not even in USA yet. However, it seems the manager of Hope College’s DeWitt Tennis Center, Capestany, has just made another step to become a famous tennis instructor in the country. After 12 year in coaching, Jorge Capestany has received Master Professional status from the Professional tennis registry.

Mlive reported:

The Professional Tennis Registry has honored him with Master Professional status, and he will be recognized at a symposium in February in Hilton Head, S.C., where the PTR is based. There will be representatives from 47 countries at the event.

The PTR and the United States Professional Tennis Association are the only organizations in the United States that certify tennis-teaching professionals. The USPTA awarded Capestany Master Professional status in 1992, and the fact he received the honor with the PTR puts him in exclusive company.

Jorge Capestany is also very happy with this honor. Jorge Capestany and his family came from Cuba and initially settled down in Michigan. However, his family shifted to Hudsonville later on as they had sponsorship from the Immanuel Christian Reformed Church.

Six ATP Tour Tournaments are in Search of Sponsors

(This entry was originally published in this blog December 2008 and it is based on the information of that time.)

Global economic crisis now seems to have its bite on Tennis. According to recent report out in the media claims that six men’s tennis tours are still in search of sponsors. Among these six ATP tour tournaments, two are reported to have come very close to make new agreements. Earlier in October, Dutch Open, one of the 63 annual men’s tennis tournaments, was bought by the Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic’s family as the tournament organizers were not finding any interested sponsor. Reports also have it in the media that Paris Masters event has also lost one sponsor. ATP’s 12-year contract with its title sponsor Mercedes-Benz will expire at the end of this year. So, ATP is also in search of new sponsor at this moment.

Bloomberg reported:

The men’s tour encompasses 63 tournaments played in 31 countries. The ATP is still looking to replace its main title sponsor Mercedes-Benz, whose 12-year support of the tour expires at the end of the month, Dent said. Mercedes-Benz, a unit of Daimler SA, the world’s second-biggest luxury carmaker, will continue to sponsor tournaments in Madrid, Shanghai and Stuttgart, Germany, next year.

“We continue to have very encouraging discussions with a number of partners from different sectors,” Dent said when asked how close the tour was to finding a new title sponsor. “We are in a fortunate position that as a business we can afford to take the time required to get the right kind of deal for the ATP.

Tennis is one of the popular sports in the world and it has four major tournaments, called Grand Slam, which are taken place throughout a season in Australia, France, England and USA in different times of the year. However, the tour events go on almost every month in the year. I am not surprised to know that tennis is also being affected by the global credit crunch because it has become a problem which exists almost every part of the world. Now, let us see if tennis tours can come out of this crisis without having been suffered much.

Roger Federer Clinched Record 15th Grand Slam in Wimbledon 2009

Wimbledon has experienced another classic men’s singles final tonight as Roger Federer defeated Andy Roddick in a five-set thriller. The score line: 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 6-3, 16-14- is enough to indicate the kind of competitiveness two competitors featured in the game. With this title, Federer has clinched his 15^th grand slam title, and thus, breaking Pete Sampras’ record 14 grand slam titles.

Roger Federer ended up losing last year’s classic Wimbledon final to Rafael Nadal, but this time, the Swiss great did not make any mistake. He held his nerve under huge pressure and produced some excellent moments that you would like to remember for the rest of your life. Well, Federer also had made bad mistakes which do not go with his class, but still you have to be full of praise for this Swiss.

Well, it would be unfair if I do not spend some words for Roddick. I would just use the words excellent and outstanding for the performance of the American star. From the very beginning of the game, Roddick looked pretty much confident and did not let Federer dominate the game. Especially, his forehand shots were so perfect in the game that I think he is the one of the best forehand players of these days.

Roddick took the first set 7-5, despite facing intense competition from Federer. The Swiss star took the next two sets by the same margin 7-6 in tie-breaker. Roddick then came back in the match winning the fourth set 6-3, the least competitive set in the match. A number of unforced errors cost Federer the set, and thus, leading the match to the thrilling fifth set.

It seems all the excitement and enjoyment were left for the fifth set. Both Roddick and Federer appeared with their sturdy look. At one point, it seemed the last set would go on forever, with both players failing to break the opponents. Federer once went very close to win the match when Roddick was serving, but the American bounced back showing his never-give-up mentality and held his service. Well, I would say that Federer could have won the final set some earlier, had he not made some awkward-looking unforced errors while Roddick was on serve.

Anyway, it was Roger Federer who took the final set 16-14 to win his 15^th grand slam title. The best part of Federer’s game was his excellent aces which earned him a number of points in the final set. Overall, Roger Federer once again showed that he deserves to be the greatest male tennis players of all time.

Ana Ivanovic House in Mallorca: Some Information

(This entry was originally published in this blog December 2008 and it is based on the information of that time.)

Serbian tennis star has recently bought a house in Mallorca for a whopping 4,5 million Euros. Located in a picturesque hilly area Son Vida, the luxurious house was built in 1998. Ana Ivanovic is current spending her vacation in his new house along with boyfriend and love-bird Fernando Verdasco, Davis cup winning Spanish tennis star. Earlier, fellow Serbian tennis stars Jelena Jankovic, ranked no. 1 in WTA ranking, and Novak Djokovic also bought luxurious villas.

The total area of Ana Ivanovic’s plot measures 6,000 square meters and the house only occupies 950 square meters. Here are some information about the villa:

Blic reported:

The villa has two levels: the ground floor consists of a spacious living-room, kitchen with breakfast area, master bedroom with dressing room and bathroom. The first floor includes four bedrooms with balconies and three bathrooms and there is also a separate staff apartment including a bedroom, living room, kitchen and bathroom.
Ana Ivanovic, currently in a relationship with the Spanish tennis player Fernando Verdasco, spent last summer in Mallorca and decided to buy a house on this island located in the Balearic Islands archipelago. During her visit, Ana made a choice to purchase a villa, but negotiations with a real-estate agency were not successful. This time, Ana negotiated with another real estate agency and finally has become the owner of the modern villa.

World no. 1 Jelena Jankovic also has a luxurious house in Miami. Her dream house in San Diego is now under construction and she is very much delighted with her new house which will have Gym, swimming-pool, tennis court, spacious room, huge garage, mini cinema hall etc. Novak Djokovic, ranked 3^rd in ATP ranking, also has a exclusive flat in Monte Carl, a popular celebrity destination. He is also happy with his flat in the city which, he thinks, gives him everything that he needs.