Australian Open: Men´s singles snapshot

1 February 2015

A round up of the 2015 Australian Open men's singles tournament.

What surprised

The scheduling. While local hopes Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios both reached the last 16, Kyrgios advancing further to the quarter-finals, only the latter graced Rod Laver Arena - and only once he forced the hand of organisers by reaching the last eight. Veteran Lleyton Hewitt was the only Australian male given centre-court honours for both of his matches. 

No Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals of a major for just the fifth time since Federer's first grand slam win at Wimbledon in 2003. The recent instances of either name failing to appear in the last four include 2013 Wimbledon and the 2012 US Open, the latter from which Nadal was absent.

What didn't surprise
A Murray-Djokovic final. The third such time the pair played off for the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup, and for a third time, Djokovic came out the winner.

Djokovic winning again with minimal fuss - in his five title-clinching efforts at Melbourne Park, he has dropped just 12 sets to: Andy Murray (four), Stan Wawrinka (two), Rafael Nadal (two), Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Tomas Berdych, Lleyton Hewitt and Ivan Dodig (all one).

The effect, or lack thereof, advantage five-set tennis had on the schedule. Some scaremongers wanted fifth-set tie-breaks in all majors - the US Open is the only one to have it - after the famous John Isner-Nicolas Mahut 70-68 episode at Wimbledon in 2010. In 2015, only three of 127 matches went beyond 6-6 in the fifth set - equal to the amount in 2014. There's nothing wrong with the occasional marathon.

New names
Nick Kyrgios, Bernard Tomic and Gilles Muller. OK, so none of those three are 'new' names in many senses, but their exploits at the Australian Open were groundbreaking on respective personal levels. Kyrgios became the first teenager to reach multiple major quarter-finals since Roger Federer. Tomic, still only 22, made the fourth round of a grand slam for the first time in three years in a rejuvenating run. And Muller? Well, the 31-year-old Luxembourgish player made the fourth round at Melbourne Park for the very first time. 

Old names 
Novak Djokovic , Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka. What's telling is that neither Rafael Nadal nor Roger Federer made it into the top three.

The controversy
The sledge match that Tomas Berdych's semi-final with Andy Murray turned into. "Well played Tomas" Berdych claimed to have said after winning the first set, however his timing - Murray was just walking past to his chair - was impeccable. The retort came via an unexpected source, Murray's fiancée Kim Sears, who - if lip reading is to be believed - barked: "F******* have that, you Czech flash f***" when Murray broke during the third set. Can't wait for these two to go around - or go 12 rounds - again. 

The stat
Denis Kudla can lay claim to knowing better than the linespeople - and only the American wildcard can. Kudla went down 10-8 in the fifth set to 12th seed Feliciano Lopez in the first round, but not before being the only man with a clean record on HawkEye challenges - he got five-of-five correct. 

The quote
From the ever-dramatic Australian Marinko Matosevic, after he defeated Alexander Kudryavtsev in five sets in round one: "I felt like I was playing like some of my worst tennis. Somehow I found a way to win."

Read More

Novak Djokovic's Wife Shares Adorable Photo Of Young Son Watching Dad On TV

It turns out Novak Djokovic had some extra help in his straight sets dismantling of Milos Raonic in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.

During Djokovic's match, his wife Jelena posted this adorable photo of the couple's infant son, Stefan:

Djokovic was asked about Stefan after the match, and while he said he didn't know the youngster was watching him, he did feel positive vibes from his boy:

"See how he enjoys watching TV?" Djokovic joked . "He's daddy's boy definitely. I didn't know he was watching me this way, but I felt his energy. So that helped me tonight, definitely."

Stefan is just three months old, so he probably wasn't able to stay awake for the entirety of the match. But there wasn't much to see -- Djokovic easily took care of Raonic and advanced to his 25th Grand Slam semifinal. The 27-year-old will take on 2014 Australian Open champ Stan Wawrinka.

Novak and Jelena were married in July 2014, and Stefan was born in October.

Read More

JP Morgan enters tennis fray

Bank signs partnership with Dubai Duty Free Championships

Dubai US-based bank JP Morgan has signed a strategic sponsorship agreement to become the ‘Exclusive Bank Sponsor’ in the Wholesale Banking category of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships starting in the middle of February.

The agreement will see JP Morgan supporting a range of programmes and initiatives which focus on building a strong legacy in the community through the tournament, which began in 1993 and regularly attracts the top tennis players in the world.

Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman, Dubai Duty Free, said: “We are delighted to announce JP Morgan as a new and significant sponsor of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The bank has a proud history of supporting a variety of major events and community initiatives around the world, and we look forward to developing this valued partnership over the coming years.”

“We are pleased to support this tournament as further testament of the firm’s commitment to this vibrant community,” said Sjoerd Leenart, Senior Country Officer, JP Morgan, Middle East, Turkey and Africa.

Among the programmes to be supported by JP Morgan are the immensely popular WTA and ATP Kids’ Days, which are a key element of the community outreach activities associated with the event. The Kids’ Days are held on the first day of competition each week during the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, and see thousands of children from schools in the UAE and the region participate in an engaging and interactive tennis clinic, and meet top-ranked players.

JP Morgan will also be working with Dubai Duty Free on other grassroots and community related initiatives to develop talented local players in the region, and to provide opportunities for aspiring future champions to improve their skills.

The 2015 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships begins with the WTA event, which takes place from February 15 to 21 featuring world number one and 2015 Australian Open champion Serena Williams, defending champion Venus Williams, former winners Petra Kvitova, Caroline Wozniacki and Agnieszka Radwanska, and former world number one Ana Ivanovic.

Play will then continue from February 23 to 28 with the ATP tournament featuring world number one Novak Djokovic, defending champion Roger Federer, and previous finalists Andy Murray and Tomas Berdych.

The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is owned and organised by Dubai Duty Free, and held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Tickets for the event can be purchased from Box Office at the Dubai Tennis Stadium, Garhoud which opens from 9 am to 9 pm daily. Grandstand tickets can also be bought online at http://www.timeouttickets.com/.

Read More

The tennis entourage pays its way for stars like Murray

                                     Andy Murray's girlfriend Kim Sears cheers him on in Australia

It is not often a player's entourage makes as many headlines as their on-court performance, but that is what happened to Andy Murray during his Australian Open semi-final win over Tomas Berdych.

Not only had there been a tense build-up to the game, given that one of Murray's former coaches, Dani Vallverdu, now works with Berdych, but during the match the Scotsman's fiancee Kim Sears was apparently caught on camera swearing in the opposing camp's direction.

It has all put the spotlight on players' entourages - those close friends and advisers who can be seen sitting in the VIP boxes at big games.

The entourage is the highly motivated family, financial and sporting team driving their man or woman to the top.

As with a rock star or an F1 driver, those behind the scenes form a super-professional and well-drilled team, each with a specific role to play to ensure that the player is as well-prepared and supported as possible - physically, mentally, and financially.

The more cash a player rakes in through prize money and endorsements, the bigger the potential entourage they can employ, with the top stars paying hundreds of thousands of pounds a year on support staff.

Toni Nadal has been known to bring in outside specialists to assist his nephew

They may not work all year round, but the chief coach is the main sporting point of contact with the player, honing his or her skills to a tournament-ready fine-pitch.

Often, but not always, a former pro themselves who understands the challenges of battling to Grand Slam finals.

They are able to impart the wisdom of their experiences and successes, such as Amelie Mauresmo with Andy Murray, or Boris Becker with Novak Djokovic.

However, Rafael Nadal's coach, his Uncle Toni, was never a top-ranked player, nor was Patrick Mouratoglou, coach of Serena Williams.

The principal coach is often also a defensive shield, and can provide another "public face" to the star.

'Return on investment'

"Taking an entourage around the world can be incredibly costly," says Simon Chadwick, professor of sports business at Coventry University.

"However, there must be a return on investment because if there was no benefit, particularly given the way these players are so carefully financially managed, then these extensive back-up teams would not be there."

Novak Djokovic discusses fitness with his physio Milan Amanovic

At the top echelons of the game, most of these specialists will be on a basic financial retainer - plus a bonus from player prize money.

Obviously, the specialist's bonus is then bigger should their man or woman pocket a Grand Slam or a top-ranked ATP or WTA title.

Different players have differently configured back-room teams and not all of them will have the same-sized entourage, while some roles can be mixed and matched between staff.

But a full entourage generally consists of the main coach, a day-to-day coach, a strength and conditioning or fitness coach, physio, manager/agent, and romantic partner.

Other entourage members can include a hitting partner, a specialist coach brought in to work on just one stroke (such as Djokovic hiring Mark Woodforde in 2007 to improve his volleys), dieticians, as well as other family members or close friends.

The Manager/Agent

Williams family members with Serena's agent Jill Smoller (bottom left)

As well as providing psychological and moral support by being courtside at their client's games, they are there to monetise the player's brand while they are at the top for the relatively short span of their career.

At tournaments that means sorting out media appearances, meeting existing and potential new sponsors, and dealing with other player commitments.

They are also responsible for extending a player's economic well-being after their playing career.

They may not always travel, but might restrict appearances to Grand Slams and other major events.

If they are in situ for many years, they become almost surrogate family members.

'Freedom'

"It is an indication of how sophisticated modern sports, including tennis, have become that there are these large backroom teams," says Prof Chadwick.

"It is all part of the growth in sport of using coaches and analysts to achieve those small marginal benefits that will pay off over the course of a match.

"It is the extent to which these marginal benefits can bring the financial returns that justify the investment."

                               Maria Sharapova and Australian Open hitting partner Dieter Kindlmann

In addition, some players might hire a specialist coach for a short period to hone one area of their game, such as volleying.

"Some player will have a full entourage, specialists in every area," Jamie Feaver, professional performance coach at Team Bath-MCTA tennis academy told the BBC.

"But others will prefer to only have one or two people with them. Some, for example [French player] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, at times have gone with no coach because he likes the freedom."

The Family

                                     Roger Federer's wife Mirka is a familiar presence at his games

Ranges from romantic partner to parents and other relatives, as well as close friends who could be considered part of a wider family. Might have been involved with the player since their early years and are a major presence and support.

Judy Murray has witnessed all of Andy Murray's finest moments, and he has openly displayed his emotional thanks post-match. In their rise to the top, the Williams sisters have been supported by their family, including father Richard and mother Oracene.

However, there is always the chance said family member will be a loose cannon, with Bernard Tomic's father John perhaps the most notorious example.

'Insecure life'

For those coaches and trainers desperate to get their foot in the door in terms of a first high-profile job, they may initially take a very small retainer to be employed on such a glamorous sports circuit.

And while the rewards can eventually be lucrative, coaches and trainers on tour are always just a week or so away from getting sacked and being out of the game until another position becomes available.

"It's a very insecure way of life for coaches and trainers," says Mr Feaver.

At the lower levels, on the ATP Challenger Circuit for example, it is a different story as it is almost impossible, given players' financial circumstances, to hire a huge entourage.

Rather, a lower-ranking player will look to hire a "hybrid" back-up person - and on a straight salary, which offers some stability and financial planning for both parties throughout the tennis season.

"They will certainly look for a person with a variety of skills," says Mr Feaver.

"They will be coaches who can be practice hitters, and who can also oversee physical programmes, who can massage, and who can manage the logistics at events - from transport to practice courts to practice partners."

Such a tight budget means no room for family members, unless they pay for themselves, and that might come at a cost.

"Having partners, close family members and friends as part of your entourage provides a psychological boost, which enables better performance," says Prof Chadwick.

And, notwithstanding the latest ruction, he believes the female presence is good for Murray's image.

"I think there is a commercial aspect to this as well. Someone like Murray can sometimes seem edgy and not very accessible, so what Mauresmo, Kim Sears and his mother do is soften his image, which can only help with his marketing."

Read More

Nine things you didn’t know about Bristol tennis star Katie Swan

1. Katie started playing tennis aged seven when her parents organised tennis lessons on holiday in Portugal to pass the time.

2. By eight-years-old Rob Hawkins, from David Lloyd from club in Bristol brought her to the attention of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and she began to receive LTA support and funding.

3. Katie won her first international tournament in Croatia aged 10 and went on to win an Under 10s international title.

4. She was a member of the four-strong UK squad, coached by Judy Murray, that won the Maureen Connolly Cup last year - an annual Under-18s competition against the US.

5. Swan now plays tennis six days a week but her success has in part been attributed to her parents’ insistence that she have a normal, rounded childhood.

6. She was also a great hockey player. While head girl at Bristol prep The Downs School she represented Avon and her school when they qualified for the Under-13 national finals.

7. She also attended Bristol Grammar School.

8. Once asked to sum up her life in five words she replied: “Family, friends, tennis, travelling, food”

9. Katie spends so much time in America honing her game she has developed an American accent but fiercely states she remains British.

Read More

Duty, honor, country ... and tennis drive Farrah Smoke

WEST LONG BRANCH There's no shortage of conscientious student-athletes who dedicate themselves to success both in the classroom and in competitive realms.

Factor in duty, honor and country, and you have Farrah Smoke.

As the Belmar native spoke with enthusiasm about her journey and a rare clarity regarding her vision for the future, what quickly became clear was how unique the Monmouth University tennis player is.

With her final competitive season about to begin, the Dean's List student is also completing her Air Force ROTC training and will be commissioned as a second lieutenant after graduation.

"I think what attracted me to the military and the Air Force is you're always looking to better yourself and raise the bar. You really have to hold yourself accountable and I appreciate that,'' she said. "And just the integrity and the feeling you get from giving back to people is what drives me to graduate and be a part of the Air Force.''

RELATED: Travis Taylor finds a home in Europe

Her days have been as grueling as they've been long.

On a typical day she wakes up at 5:30 a.m. to be at Rutgers by 7:30 a.m. for training, which lasts until 10. Then it's back to Monmouth for classes before beginning her tennis, either training or a match, around 4 p.m. That takes her into early evening, and after dinner she studies.

Then she gets up and does it all over again.

"The dedication she shows, and the dedication she shows to her country - she's such a Patriot – is incredible,'' Monmouth tennis coach Patrice Murray said. "And she type of person who doesn't outwardly tell people what she does, but when you hear what her day entails and what she has to go through, it says a lot about her.

"She never complains about it. She has great leadership ability and she sets an example just by what she is and the kids look up to her and what she stands for. And in today's day and age, for kids to voluntarily get involved in the military, it's very admirable.''

RELATED: Spanning Jersey Shore hoops history, one story at a time

As for role models, the former Manasquan High School standout followed in her older siblings' boot prints.

Jarrad Smoke attended the Naval Academy, where he played tennis, while Tahlia, the NJSIAA singles champion when she went undefeated as a senior in 2007, played at the Air Force Academy. Both are currently pursuing careers in the military.

But Farrah Smoke has also blazed her own trail.

Returning home after year at Air Force Prep, she won the National Junior College Athletic Association Div. III first-flight singles championship playing for Brookdale in 2012, and was named Scholar-Athlete of the Year with her 4.0 GPA the highest among all competitors at the national championship.

Monmouth University’s Farrah Smoke juggles tennis, academics and Air Force ROTC. (Photo: Courtesy Monmouth University athletics)

"That was really exciting because I went into the tournament unseeded, so I was a real underdog to win it,'' she said.

Consequently, she was named Brookdale's Woman of the Year at the annual New Jersey Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women luncheon at Seton Hall.

Brookdale is also where she began her ROTC training at Rutgers, making the trip three times a week for classes and training.

There are undeniable parallels between the military and athletics, as well as distinct differences. Those became evident when Smoke attended 28 days of field training, the equivalent of basic training, between her sophomore and junior years.

"You don't realize how much stuff you can get done in a day until you look back at it and you're like "did I really do all of that?' '' she said. "We do the obstacle courses, your face in the sand and the mud. All of that. Our training her is more learning. Whereas field training, it's people yelling at you. It's to see if you can handle tough and stressful situations mentally, physically, morally and how you deal with that.''

"Being an athlete is helpful. It's tough because sports is all motivational, especially when you're a team, whereas at field training they're yelling at you, 'get lower, get down.' But when you have good people to your left and right and all around you it just makes the whole experience so much better. So both with athletics here at Monmouth and my Air Force career I've been so fortunate to be surrounded by great people.''

After graduation she'll be stationed at McDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla. using her degree in communications in a role that would be equivalent to human resources on the civilian side.

"The minimum you have to serve is four years,'' she added. "I would love to stay in longer than that do 20 years to retire, and possibly longer than that.

"The four years of college have gone so quickly so I can't even imagine how quickly four more years will go.''

Staff writer Stephen Edelson is an Asbury Park Press columnist: sedelson@app.com; Twitter: SteveEdelsonAPP

 217CONNECT 32TWEETLINKEDINCOMMENTEMAILMORE

Read More

2015 Australian Open Fashion Aces: The Women

Maria Sharapova said it herself in addressing Elle magazine: The fashion stakes are high at this Australian Open, which supplies the 2015 tennis season's first grand stage to make a style statement. Without further ado, here are the Spin's favorite court-couture wonders, or something short of that. (Related blunders—and sartorial aces and faults both from the Aussie's male competitors—will follow soon here.)

Sharapova's sleek, form-fitting Nike dress nets her our Best Dressed award at this year's opening Grand Slam event. Not so sure about those undershorts, though.

Serena Williams has her work cut out for her to win this major yet again, and she's fixing to do it in fine fashion, with breathable, utterly wearable Nike pieces. It's a casual and simple look, but it works for her purposes: Speak quietly style-wise at this Slam and wield a really big stick.

Even Eugenie Bouchard, when controversially asked to "twirl" by a male presenter on court after an Australian Open victory, said Serena's look is the best. (That's funny, as the younger Williams sister is basically sporting the reverse colors of Bouchard's own look.)

While we're on the subject of Canada's Genie, the future's bright for that one. So is her style sense, which finds her in Nike's striking pink set against Melbourne's blue courts.

Venus Williams supplies a refreshing breather from the fluorescent assault on this Aussie Open. Her EleVen by Venus dress's tones are great together and when pressed against her skin tone.

If you blinked, you missed the overly hyped Ana Ivanovic at this first Grand Slam event of the season. And that's too bad, as her Adidas halter-plus-skirt look deserves kudos.

Camila Giorgi looks comfy and cool in her collared tank and belted shorts, even if her father, Sergio, has a delusional view of the pecking order in tennis and a disregard for tact.

Purple is Adidas' thing early this season, and as it's your loyal Spin keeper's favorite color, it's hard not to like Simona Halep's attire at this major. And thank goodness, as this is how the WTA Tour's No. 3 star should look.

Blue and orange are thoroughly complementary colors, and Asics seems to understand that fully in outfitting Coco Vandeweghe, who upset Samantha Stosur in the latter's home Slam.

That's not to say Stosur wasn't radiant in a similar Asics look. She was. But she also appeared whelmed by the moment and her opponent in another desultory loss for her Down Under.

Somehow Petra Kvitova looks at home in this kit from Nike, whereas the likes ofSabine Lisicki, Sara Errani, Caroline Garcia, and others seem uncomfortable or poorly paired with the dress or its companion two-piece version.

Another deft fashion touch from Lacoste, which puts Dominika Cibulkova in a dress that complements her figure and provides just the right slivers of brightness.

There's not much to say about Yanina Wickmayer's attire, but she earns style points for her Thanasi Kokkinakis impression in falling down upon upending Errani.  

Wherefore art thou, Angie? It's too bad, really, that Angelique Kerber was bounced in round one, as her pop of orange really set the tone for Adidas styles at the season's opening major.

Ekaterina Makarova doesn't get a lot to work with in Lotto, but she sure makes the most of it. The woman is simply elegant.

Who's your own best dressed among the ladies competing for Aussie Open titles? Who did the Spin miss? Granted, style can be subjective. Stay tuned for our women's fashion faults from Melbourne, coming soon.

Read More