Steven White's Posts - Tennisopolis : Tennis Social Network2024-03-19T09:41:17ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhitehttp://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3139123064?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://tennisopolis.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=0gcfxtgngouhn&xn_auth=noALTHEAtag:tennisopolis.com,2014-11-16:1869403:BlogPost:11709132014-11-16T23:00:00.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149151799?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" height="433" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149151799?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="343"></img></a> <span>"ALTHEA"...A new documentary about tennis legend Althea Gibson has been created. No player, not even the great Arthur Ashe (who came a decade after Althea), overcame more obstacles to become a champion than Althea Gibson; the first African-American to play at (and win) Wimbledon and the US Open was a woman. She was celebrated by ticker-tape parades in…</span></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149151799?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149151799?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="343" class="align-center" height="433"/></a><span>"ALTHEA"...A new documentary about tennis legend Althea Gibson has been created. No player, not even the great Arthur Ashe (who came a decade after Althea), overcame more obstacles to become a champion than Althea Gibson; the first African-American to play at (and win) Wimbledon and the US Open was a woman. She was celebrated by ticker-tape parades in New York City, twice, to welcome her home after hard-fought victories. There was no professional tennis circuit for women in her era, so her options were limited. As Althea said, “You can’t eat a crown.” When she was the #1 player in the world, she still could not afford her own apartment, and became constantly indebted to her benefactors. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Film trailer: <a href="http://www.altheathefilm.com/index.html#top">http://www.altheathefilm.com/index.html#top</a></strong></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>Alexandr Dolgopolov Uncoveredtag:tennisopolis.com,2014-02-26:1869403:BlogPost:11221432014-02-26T01:46:58.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153419?profile=original" target="_self"></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153419?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" height="817" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153419?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" style="width: 358px; height: 393px;" width="750"></img></a></p>
<div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" id="id_530d442980f752c22401674">Ukrainian tennis player "Alexandr Dolgopolov" has an unorthodox but all-court playing style; he can counter-punch when needed, but can also be very offensive. Win or loss, he generally…</div>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153419?profile=original" target="_self"></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153419?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" height="817" class="align-center" style="width: 358px; height: 393px;" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153419?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></a></p>
<div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" id="id_530d442980f752c22401674">Ukrainian tennis player "Alexandr Dolgopolov" has an unorthodox but all-court playing style; he can counter-punch when needed, but can also be very offensive. Win or loss, he generally finishes his matches with a high amount of winners, but also many unforced errors.<br/><br/> His serve has a very quick cadence to it, the motion having little to no pauses within it. This allows him to generate <span class="text_exposed_show">fast first serves and great second serves, which catches most of his opponents off guard. In terms of timing, his service motion is similar to his ground strokes. Dolgopolov is able to quickly and suddenly hit the ball at the last moment, making him one of the most deceptive players on tour, as it is hard to anticipate where he is going to hit the ball. On his service return he will often chip back the first serve. He uses a unique jumping topspin forehand, which can be used to pull his opponents wide off the court.<br/><br/> His backhand is usually hit two-handed with topspin but he often uses a one-handed slice. He can also flatten out his backhand for winners, and is capable of generating extremely high pace on that shot. He is not afraid to come to the net to finish off points, and he volleys quite well. With his speed he is very efficient around the court and always a tough opponent.</span></div>Pat Cash -- A Glance Backtag:tennisopolis.com,2014-02-14:1869403:BlogPost:11195152014-02-14T01:30:00.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p><a href="http://tennisopolis.com/profiles/blogs/pat-cash-a-glance-back" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153405?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250"></img></a></p>
<div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" id="id_52fd74324283d6580489150">Turning back the clock with Aussie tennis player <strong>Pat Cash</strong> -- Cash established a reputation on the tour as a hard-fighting serve-and-volleyer and for wearing his trademark black-and-white checked headband and his cross earring. The crowning moment of Cash's career came at Wimbledon in 1987. Having…</div>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://tennisopolis.com/profiles/blogs/pat-cash-a-glance-back"><img width="250" class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153405?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250"/></a></p>
<div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" id="id_52fd74324283d6580489150">Turning back the clock with Aussie tennis player <strong>Pat Cash</strong> -- Cash established a reputation on the tour as a hard-fighting serve-and-volleyer and for wearing his trademark black-and-white checked headband and his cross earring. The crowning moment of Cash's career came at Wimbledon in 1987. Having already beaten Mats Wilander in the quarter-finals and Jimmy Connors in the semi-finals, Cash defeat<span class="text_exposed_show">ed the World Number 1, Ivan Lendl, in the final. Cash sealed the victory by climbing into the stands and up to the player's box at Centre Court, where he celebrated with his family, girlfriend, and coach, Ian Barclay. This started a Wimbledon tradition that has been followed by many other champions at Wimbledon and other Grand Slam tournaments since. He only lost one set during the entire tournament.</span></div>When Will Tomáš Berdych Claim His Maiden Grand SlamTitle?tag:tennisopolis.com,2014-01-14:1869403:BlogPost:11101582014-01-14T00:30:00.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153009?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" height="694" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153009?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" style="width: 431px; height: 389px;" width="750"></img></a> <b><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153021?profile=original" target="_self"></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153021?profile=original" target="_self"></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153021?profile=original" target="_self"></a></b></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153009?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" height="694" class="align-center" style="width: 431px; height: 389px;" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153009?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></a><b><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153021?profile=original" target="_self"></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153021?profile=original" target="_self"></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153021?profile=original" target="_self"></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153021?profile=original" target="_self"></a>Tomáš Berdych</b>, a power-hitter from the Czech Republic and a consistent featured presence among the ATP World Tour’s elite Top 10 since 2010…has not quite managed to convince many unsympathetic Tennis minds that he will lift a Grand Slam trophy one day; one day being sooner than much later. At 28, some may introduce all valid points around the window of opportunity where he is concerned – that it is facing an inevitable dead-end nearby. The fact that he has achieved a Final (Wimbledon 2010), two Semi-Final appearances (Roland Garros 2010, US Open 2012) and Quarter-Finals at the Australian Open for three consecutive years in his career since 2011 is testament of his ability and reliability at the highest level of competition. Why then has he not been able to win one of the big Majors? His fairly likeable personality is yet to explode on towards affecting his arguably one-dimensional style of play negatively. He usually handles his emotions well on court, avoids handing opponents much ammunition to work with as far as unenthusiastic body language goes; but one might wonder if perhaps it is guile his game lacks. If not that, is he able to remain impermeable mentally throughout a match, particularly from those Rounds of 16’s and so forth. Often and as expected, he deals with a match-up issue (like all other players) as opposed to a ‘he does not have the weaponry in his armoury to prevail’ scenario.</p>
<p>He has survived <b>Roger Federer</b> over the years to some degree due to the fact that the Swiss cannot turn on defense-mode as naturally during extended exchanges as <b>Novak Djokovic</b> and <b>Rafael Nadal</b> can. Still, Federer has been the far more intimidating player than Djokovic and Nadal in the past, since both men began challenging Federer for Slam titles on Tour from 2006/2007/2008 seasons; the Mallorca-born superstar having started earlier than the Serbian to introduce what became a Roland Garros versus Wimbledon ongoing chronicle. To be frank, Federer has never enjoyed lengthy rallies defined by pace-driven ground strokes, not when he dominated the Tour. The Czech can be comfortable against Federer – all 17 of their matches have been absolute crackers, nevertheless, Federer leads their head-to-head 11-6. A question pesters: how can Berdych dare appear mentally ready to take on Federer any day but show less spirit and sheer will to win against Nadal and Djokovic? Why did he not start by studying their games in the attempt to unravel how and when they flipped the switch for the kind of success they now bask in? Yes he will not approach the net for glaring stats at net by the end of a match…is that all there is he has to do in order to win one? He has the stamina to put in the hours and pull back-to-back stand-out encounters on all four surfaces…it is just that old bugger called ‘belief in self’ I reckon. That has been his stumbling block all this while. Never mind the monkey on his back; he needs to BELIEVE that he too can see his name etched on those prestigious trophies. He needs to lean on his Davis Cup glory and translate the success and confidence he has found in that area into his Singles game. There are different fundamentals at play obviously at Davis Cup level; however, confidence is a powerful force…so much so that sometimes athletes are not all that bothered with where it comes from. They are just overjoyed that they have it when they do because that can be the all-important element that carries them to mind-blowing win-streaks.</p>
<p>This is all before other troublesome names are thrown in the mix of course, like the <b>Andy Murray’s</b> (another brilliant defender), the <b>Juan Martin Del Potro’s</b> (who may or may not have similar patterns of play as the Czech but possesses more of the belief factor and has unfortunately been nagged by injuries throughout his career thus far), the <b>Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s</b> and other players ranked outside the World’s Top 10.</p>
<p>Here’s hoping that Berdych, holder of 8 ATP World Tour career titles, can come first in a Slam Final before 30, because in truth, the task is tremendously difficult post age 30.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Previously published @ <a href="http://ellpoen.com/?p=2812">http://ellpoen.com/?p=2812</a> by Lebogang Poen and illustrated by Steven White @tennisauthor</p>Lleyton "Rusty" Hewitt Uncoveredtag:tennisopolis.com,2014-01-02:1869403:BlogPost:11054282014-01-02T20:30:00.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153015?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" height="686" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153015?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" style="width: 497px; height: 419px;" width="750"></img></a></p>
<p><b>Lleyton Glynn Hewitt</b> (born 24 February 1981) is an Australian professional tennis player and former World No. 1. Hewitt is the youngest male ever to be ranked number one in the world, at the age of 20. His most notable career achievements include winning the 2001 US Open and 2002 Wimbledon men’s singles titles, the 2000 US Open men’s doubles title, and…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153015?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" height="686" class="align-center" style="width: 497px; height: 419px;" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153015?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></a></p>
<p><b>Lleyton Glynn Hewitt</b> (born 24 February 1981) is an Australian professional tennis player and former World No. 1. Hewitt is the youngest male ever to be ranked number one in the world, at the age of 20. His most notable career achievements include winning the 2001 US Open and 2002 Wimbledon men’s singles titles, the 2000 US Open men’s doubles title, and back-to-back Tennis Masters Cup (now called the ATP World Tour Finals) titles in 2001 and 2002.</p>
<p>Hewitt is a defensive counterpuncher. He typically likes to play near the baseline during a rally and will usually approach the net only to catch a short reply or drop shot from his opponent. Hewitt’s lack of penetration in his groundstokes, most notably in his forehand, a typically dominant shot in most male players, forces him to rely on placement rather than simply “dominating” the point. At the 2004 Cincinnati Masters Final, commentator MaliVai Washington said that Hewitt was even more difficult to “ace” than Agassi because he gets more returns in play. Hewitt’s tactics typically involve putting difficult service returns in play, consistently chasing down attempted winning shots from his opponent while keeping the ball deep until he feels he can hit a winner.</p>
<p>Although he is known primarily as a baseliner, Hewitt is a skilled volleyer and is known for having one of the best overhead smashes in the game. His signature shot, however, is the offensive topspin lob, a shot that he executes efficiently off both wings when his opponent approaches the net. US Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe, Jim Courier and Tim Henman have all described Hewitt’s lob as being the best in the world (although Henman has since declared Andy Murray to have succeeded him). In Andre Agassi’s book “Open”, Hewitt is described as one of the best shot selectors in the history of Men’s Tennis.</p>
<p>Today, Hewitt still brings a lot to the game whenever he walks onto a court. After fourteen years on the ATP Tour, he still plays the game with the same grit and heart he has always played with. Now entering his fifteenth season on tour, he continues to wear his heart on his sleeve while hoisting the flag for Australia – especially when he plays in his own backyard.</p>Isner and Roddick Face Off For Ebix Charity Challengetag:tennisopolis.com,2013-11-25:1869403:BlogPost:10983402013-11-25T12:44:38.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153033?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" height="317" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153033?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="308"></img></a></p>
<p>Two-time Winston-Salem Open champion John Isner will return to his hometown of Greensboro on Dec. 7 to host the Ebix Charity Challenge, which benefits the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.</p>
<div class="e2ma-p-div" style="line-height: 1.5; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 10px; display: block;"> Isner will be joined by former World No.…</div>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153033?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="308" height="317" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153033?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></a></p>
<p>Two-time Winston-Salem Open champion John Isner will return to his hometown of Greensboro on Dec. 7 to host the Ebix Charity Challenge, which benefits the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.</p>
<div class="e2ma-p-div" style="line-height: 1.5; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 10px; display: block;"> Isner will be joined by former World No. 1 Andy Roddick as well as Justin Gimelstob for an entertaining exhitbition at UNCG's Fleming Gymnasium. The pros will also hold a youth clinic in conjunction with the event.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149153033?profile=original" target="_self"></a></div>
<div class="e2ma-p-div" style="line-height: 1.5; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 10px; display: block;">If you live in the area you can get your tickets here -- <a href="http://e2.ma/message/5f67e/9qhbjl">http://e2.ma/message/5f67e/9qhbjl</a></div>The Rafa Serve: An Illustrated Commentarytag:tennisopolis.com,2013-11-09:1869403:BlogPost:10954192013-11-09T00:57:22.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149163?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" height="512" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149163?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="513"></img></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rafael Nadal is a fierce competitor. Just before he serves, he often gives his opponent a look reminiscent of a snarl. But contrary to what some of us might be thinking, that doesn’t mean he’s about to try to serve that opponent off the court. More often than not, he’s just looking for an effective serve that’s going to set up an awesome reply to an average…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149163?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="513" height="512" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149163?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rafael Nadal is a fierce competitor. Just before he serves, he often gives his opponent a look reminiscent of a snarl. But contrary to what some of us might be thinking, that doesn’t mean he’s about to try to serve that opponent off the court. More often than not, he’s just looking for an effective serve that’s going to set up an awesome reply to an average return. That’s something I’m a big fan of – percentage tennis.</p>
<p>I’m also a fan of Rafa’s serving technique. He doesn’t toss the ball up any higher than it needs to be to make contact. And it’s very compact…very little can go wrong with it. The name of the game is effective consistency.</p>
<p>But that consistency didn’t come easy or cheap. Over the years, Nadal has tinkered with various grips and stances to improve his serve. But inevitably (because it works), he keeps relying on what basically is a clay court serve. The difference is he has power whenever he chooses to use it. And to compound the effectiveness, he also mixes up his serves beautifully, changing the speeds and placement with pinpoint accuracy – especially on the big points. Another thing that makes Rafa so hard to break is that when he finds a winning pattern he doesn’t stray away from it.</p>
<p>This can work for you too. To improve your chances of winning, be like Nadal and try using more spin on your serve. Don’t worry if you get broken a few times at first. The accuracy and placement we all desire will come with practice.</p>Tennis Advice From Coach Picassotag:tennisopolis.com,2013-10-09:1869403:BlogPost:10888162013-10-09T21:30:03.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">The</span> <span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;" xml:lang="EN-US">artist Picasso was asked in an interview – why he didn’t paint pictures of people “the way they really are.” Picasso asked the man what he meant by “the way they really are,” and the man pulled a snapshot of his wife out of his…</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;" xml:lang="EN-US">The</span> <span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;" xml:lang="EN-US">artist Picasso was asked in an interview – why he didn’t paint pictures of people “the way they really are.” Picasso asked the man what he meant by “the way they really are,” and the man pulled a snapshot of his wife out of his wallet. “Like this,” he said. Picasso responded: “Isn’t she rather small and flat?</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';" xml:lang="EN-US">Picasso understood the fundamental idea “we don’t see things as they are. We see them as we are.” The way things are is for the most part a creation of our minds. Life as a tennis player, even at the recreational level, is made up of a series of events and experiences, some of them (like choosing a one-handed backhand over a two-handed) can be as abstract and confusing as a Picasso painting. Conceptually, even the frame has meaning. The frame can bring out the best in the experience like a frame can highlight the best in a painting. The challenge is to frame your tennis experience with beliefs that are optimistic and empowering. For example,</span> <span lang="EN" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;" xml:lang="EN">the fiercest opponent you’ll probably ever face in tennis is a “bad attitude”. Tremendous abilities can be wasted when a bad attitude sets in. It can block out your desire to learn, destroy your ability to concentrate, and slowly break down your self-control. You could even say that your tennis future hangs in the balance when a poor attitude creeps into the picture. Think discouraging thoughts and you’ll be a discouraging player. Think encouraging thoughts and you will be an encouraged and motivated player. What you think about most often will form your attitude. So control what you let yourself think in order to develop and maintain a positive attitude.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149111?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="307" height="369" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149111?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></a></span></span></p>
<p>Picasso pioneered some interesting developments in art that possibly mirror that of the tennis experience. The Borg art above is my attempt to mimic a Picasso-like style .</p>
<ul>
<li>Cubism- Cubist art breaks an image into pieces and puts it back together in abstract form. This creates space for the viewer to see the work from multiple perspectives. It’s not about the way things are. It’s about the way the viewer perceives the artwork. The same is true with the circumstances surrounding the outcome of a match. In tennis, the circumstances of losing more matches than you win, doesn’t define who you are. It’s the way you look at those outcomes that defines the quality of your experience. Sometimes it’s helpful to break experiences down, and put them back together with the advantage of perspective.</li>
<li>Picasso went through a stage when he was fascinated by African culture and artifacts. It influenced his famous work “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” which is a depiction of five nude prostitutes, some of them wearing African totem face masks. It’s a disturbing piece, but the most prominent feature is the way the women appear to be “looking” out from the scene. You can’t quite tell who is looking at whom – the viewer of the painting or the women in the painting? This ability to own your own perspective with respect to your tennis game is just as important as it is in art.</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p>Your perspective is your power. But it’s a power that needs to be claimed. Your brain wears its own set of eye glasses, which is your perspective, or your current beliefs. If your perspective becomes jaded like old glasses that are cracked and warped you may not even realize that you are approaching your on-court performance with so much negativity. Your cracked glasses are stopping you from seeing the whole picture or the beauty of what you are capable of from baseline to baseline.</p>
<p></p>
<p>You need to check your perspective often and see if it needs updating. Are you seeing the present through yesterday’s beliefs, losing to the same players over and over? Are you expecting the past to replay itself every time you walk onto a court? It might be time for a re-frame. Even the Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa has been touched up and re-framed in its 500 year history because of changing taste and also to protect her from aging. In 1970 she was re-framed with maple when they found insects in the beechwood. Then in 2004 she was re-framed with sycamore to prevent further warping. The point is that this masterpiece deserves the best frame.</p>
<p></p>
<p>It’s the same with your tennis. You deserve the best frame, and if you aren’t offering yourself the most optimistic and empowered perspective, then consider a re-frame. Don’t frame your on-court experience with cheap wood, or wood infested with bugs, and don’t let your frame warp your perspective. Frame your game style with the finest materials that include strength, confidence, and possibility- whatever qualities you value most highly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>"Chalk Flew Up: Tennis, Art, And My Two Cents"tag:tennisopolis.com,2013-09-29:1869403:BlogPost:10866752013-09-29T21:17:39.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p align="center"> </p>
<p>Cutting to the chase, allow me to just come right out and ask, “Can tennis be considered an art form?” I am like so sure that question has been asked and answered more times than there are art forms in its definition, but I just have to put in my two cents worth. Let’s begin with a somewhat condensed definition of art. This could get lengthy, but here it goes.</p>
<p>In not so artsy terms, art can be defined as a wide and varied array of human activities and the…</p>
<p align="center"> </p>
<p>Cutting to the chase, allow me to just come right out and ask, “Can tennis be considered an art form?” I am like so sure that question has been asked and answered more times than there are art forms in its definition, but I just have to put in my two cents worth. Let’s begin with a somewhat condensed definition of art. This could get lengthy, but here it goes.</p>
<p>In not so artsy terms, art can be defined as a wide and varied array of human activities and the products of those activities which stir or bring about a flood of emotions and feelings when viewed or experienced.</p>
<p>When most of us think of art what comes to mind is the <b>visual arts</b>, which includes the creation of images in painting, print making, photography and other visual media, as well as the creation of objects in sculpture and architecture. Architecture can also be lumped in with <b>decorative arts</b>, which involves the creation of objects and their practical uses.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Obviously, my beloved tennis will never fall under these categories, nor will it be included in other categories not mentioned in this article (fine arts, literature, applied arts, etc.) So where does tennis fit in the art world? I feel in my heart, and mind, that tennis is a thriving member of the <b>performing arts</b> world<b>.</b> Performing arts are art forms in which artists use their body or voice to convey artistic expression. Performing arts include dance, music, opera, theatre, magic, spoken word, circus arts, and recitation. Artists who participate in performing arts in front of an audience are called performers, including actors, comedians, dancers, magicians, and singers. Performing artists are also supported by workers in their related fields, such as songwriting and stagecraft. Also, to enhance the effect of their craft, performers also adapt their appearance with costumes and stage makeup.</p>
<p>To drive home my point, let’s support the theory of tennis as a performing art by listing a few similarities by definition.</p>
<p>1) As tennis fans and players, have we not witnessed the likes of Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, and Serena Williams (just to name a few) use their voices to convey artistic expression? I would say yes, but some art critics would respond with a resounding “You cannot be serious!”</p>
<p>2) As tennis fans and players, have we not witnessed versions of dance as movement on European red clay, complete with sliding, stretching, and repetitive footwork in almost ritualistic patterns?</p>
<p>3) As tennis fans and players, have not witnessed our favorite players perform in front of huge audiences in every corner of the globe?</p>
<p>4) As tennis fans and players, have we not witnessed world class players entertain audiences through comedy between points, as well as feats of magic with racquets that substitute nicely for magic wands?</p>
<p>5) Also, is not true that the best players in the world surround themselves with others in related fields to enhance their performance; such as coaches, trainers, and agents?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149138?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="262" height="240" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149138?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></a><span class="font-size-1">Ivan Lendl coached Andy Murray to two Grand Slam wins and Olympic Gold.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>6) Additionally, do we not witness players of all levels wear appropriate attire on tennis courts? The best of course, actually get paid for wearing tennis costumes made by the highest bidder.</p>
<p>7) And ultimately, as most art critics would demand, does tennis evoke and avalanche of emotions and feelings as we watch and pull for our favorite players? As a true tennis fan, I, like many others, feel admiration, anger, passion, nerves, and happiness during the course of a single match.</p>
<p>These seven points would be the meat of my argument, nevertheless, art scholars would no doubt disagree with my opinion no matter what. I’m pretty sure of that. But that doesn’t matter to me. All I know is that every time I walk onto a tennis court, I feel like an artist who has just stroked his brush across the canvas in front of him. And to most but not all art critics and scholars, I would simply shout out, “Chalk flew up!”</p>Czeching Out Tomas Berdychtag:tennisopolis.com,2013-06-10:1869403:BlogPost:10507802013-06-10T22:30:43.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<div class="entry entry-content"><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148299?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" height="544" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148299?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="399"></img></a> <a href="http://bringyourracquet.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/berdych1.jpg"></a></p>
<p>Tomas Berdych is a Czech professional tennis player. His most notable achievement was reaching the final of the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, causing consecutive upsets by defeating top seed and six-time champion Roger Federer in the quarterfinals, and World…</p>
</div>
<div class="entry entry-content"><p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148299?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="399" height="544" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148299?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></a><a href="http://bringyourracquet.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/berdych1.jpg"></a></p>
<p>Tomas Berdych is a Czech professional tennis player. His most notable achievement was reaching the final of the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, causing consecutive upsets by defeating top seed and six-time champion Roger Federer in the quarterfinals, and World No. 3 Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. In the final, he lost to Rafael Nadal in straight sets.</p>
<p>He also reached the semifinals of the 2010 French Open, defeating fourth seed Andy Murray in straight sets in the fourth round, and dropping no sets until his loss in the semifinals to Robin Söderling, and the 2012 US Open where he defeated World No. 1 Roger Federer again at the quarterfinal stage, before losing to eventual champion Andy Murray in the semifinals. He is the second player (after David Nalbandian) to defeat Roger Federer multiple times in Grand Slam events before the semifinal stage. He defeated the Croatian player Ivan Ljubičić in five sets to win the Paris Masters in 2005. He has since reached the finals of the Miami Masters in 2010 and the Madrid Open in 2012, losing to Andy Roddick and Roger Federer respectively. He reached a career high of World No. 6 on October 18, 2010, and matched that effort again on September 10, 2012.</p>
<p>He also played the longest ATP doubles match ever, with Lukáš Rosol, defeating Marco Chiudinelli and Stanislas Wawrinka in the first round of the 2013 Davis Cup 6–4, 5–7, 6–4, 6–7, 24–22. The match was played on 2 February 2013, lasting 7 hours, 2 minutes. It was the second longest ATP match ever (singles and doubles combined).</p>
<p>You can check out more information on Tomas via the ATP <a href="http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Players/Top-Players/Tomas-Berdych.aspx">http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Players/Top-Players/Tomas-Berdych.aspx</a></p>
</div>Ladies of the French Opentag:tennisopolis.com,2013-06-05:1869403:BlogPost:10480822013-06-05T11:30:00.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148942?profile=original" target="_self"></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149107?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" height="505" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149107?profile=original" width="345"></img></a> <strong>Maria Kirkienko</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> …</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149219?profile=original" target="_self"><img height="519" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149219?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="382"></img></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148942?profile=original" target="_self"></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149107?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="345" height="505" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149107?profile=original"/></a><strong>Maria Kirkienko</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149219?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="382" height="519" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149219?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Serena crushes an overhead smash</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148942?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="332" height="436" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148942?profile=original"/></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Maria Sharapova as the legendary Carmen Miranda<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149151383?profile=original" target="_self"></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/4-steven-white.html">http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/4-steven-white.html</a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>French Open Tennis Arttag:tennisopolis.com,2013-06-02:1869403:BlogPost:10469092013-06-02T23:26:19.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148354?profile=original" target="_self"><img height="383" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148354?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="569"></img></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Gael Monfils celebrates a second round victory.</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> …</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148464?profile=original" target="_self"><img height="382" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148464?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="479"></img></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148354?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="569" height="383" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148354?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Gael Monfils celebrates a second round victory.</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148464?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="479" height="382" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148464?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Frenchman Richard Gasquet chips a backhand.</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148494?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="383" height="366" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148494?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Novak Djokovic -- Keeping his eyes on the ball.</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/4-steven-white.html">http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/4-steven-white.html</a></strong></p>Tennis Art -- The Spanish Armadatag:tennisopolis.com,2013-05-18:1869403:BlogPost:10428072013-05-18T14:00:00.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148357?profile=original" target="_self"><img height="406" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148357?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="499"></img></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Rafa in a piece titled "Bring The Action"</strong></p>
<p> …</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148378?profile=original" target="_self"><img height="398" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148378?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="355"></img></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148357?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="499" height="406" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148357?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Rafa in a piece titled "Bring The Action"</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148378?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="355" height="398" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148378?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Feliciano Lopez</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148476?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="405" height="334" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148476?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Fernando Verdasco</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148968?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="394" height="399" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148968?profile=original"/></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>David Ferrer</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/4-steven-white.html">http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/4-steven-white.html</a></p>Andy Murray: Keeping His Eye On The Prizetag:tennisopolis.com,2013-03-06:1869403:BlogPost:10169772013-03-06T22:30:00.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p> World number three Andy Murray returns to match play this weekend at Indian Wells. He could take over the number two spot in the ATP rankings by reaching the finals. But there’s a catch. This changing of the guard can only take place if world #2 Roger Federer loses before the semis. Wonder what the odds of that happening are?</p>
<p>At any rate, to help things along, third seeded Murray has a first round bye and will play either Evgeny Donskoy or Tatsuma Ito on Saturday or Sunday. On…</p>
<p> World number three Andy Murray returns to match play this weekend at Indian Wells. He could take over the number two spot in the ATP rankings by reaching the finals. But there’s a catch. This changing of the guard can only take place if world #2 Roger Federer loses before the semis. Wonder what the odds of that happening are?</p>
<p>At any rate, to help things along, third seeded Murray has a first round bye and will play either Evgeny Donskoy or Tatsuma Ito on Saturday or Sunday. On second thought, that bye may not be any help at all. Andy hasn’t played a match since his loss to Djokovic in the finals of the Autsralian Open in January. Most would say that a couple of tune-up matches would be beneficial to any player looking to get back in the mix. We will see.</p>
<p>The Indian Wells Masters, also know as the BNP Paribas Open, will see Murray, Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal at the same tournament for the first time since last year’s Wimbledon.</p>
<p>Keeping his eye on the prize, the Scot could face Kei Nishikori in the fourth round, Juan Matin del Potro in the quarter finals, Novak Djokovic in the semis, and Rafa in the finals (if Federer loses).<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148972?profile=original" target="_self"><img style="width: 263px; height: 292px;" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149148972?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="277" height="293"/></a></p>
<p>As for Nadal, he returned to action last week on clay in Latin America and came away with a championship trophy in Mexico. For me, his success was a gimme on that surface, but I’m not so sure his rehabilitated knee is ready for the likes of the top three on the hardcourts of Indian Wells. Personally, I think a Murray/Nadal matchup would be very interesting and highly entertaining. I’ll be pulling for the both of them.</p>Tennisopolis Member Joins Fine Art Americatag:tennisopolis.com,2013-03-03:1869403:BlogPost:10152252013-03-03T21:00:00.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3100225200?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" height="482" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3100225200?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="379"></img></a></p>
<p>As a proud member of the Tennisopolis family, I'm pleased to announce that I've finally made my illustrations and drawings available to the general public as prints on pulled canvas or as framed art on the international art stage at <strong>Fine Art America (</strong> …</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3100225200?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3100225200?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="379" height="482"/></a></p>
<p>As a proud member of the Tennisopolis family, I'm pleased to announce that I've finally made my illustrations and drawings available to the general public as prints on pulled canvas or as framed art on the international art stage at <strong>Fine Art America (</strong> <a href="http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/4-steven-white.html">http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/4-steven-white.html</a> ). The title of my gallery is "Tennis Legends" by Steven White -- featuring many of the world's top players including Roger Federer, Raphael Nadal, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Li Na, Samantha Stosur, Kei Nishikori (for the manga-style fans), Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and what I consider to be my best of the lot, an Angelic Juan Martin del Potro.<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149151379?profile=original" target="_self"><img style="width: 404px; height: 340px;" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149151379?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="376" height="302"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Take a look and thanks for the support everyone!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/4-steven-white.html">http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/4-steven-white.html</a></p>Viva Vika!tag:tennisopolis.com,2013-01-26:1869403:BlogPost:10034302013-01-26T17:00:00.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149375?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149375?profile=original" width="500"></img></a> Immediately after (and in fact during) the player introductions, it was clear to the world that the Australian fans were backing Li Na for the Australian Open Women’s Final.</p>
<p>In a somewhat theatrical final comprised of 16 service breaks, a nearby fireworks display, two injury timeouts (one of which was a nasty fall by Li, slamming the back of her head into the court),…</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149375?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149375?profile=original" width="500"/></a>Immediately after (and in fact during) the player introductions, it was clear to the world that the Australian fans were backing Li Na for the Australian Open Women’s Final.</p>
<p>In a somewhat theatrical final comprised of 16 service breaks, a nearby fireworks display, two injury timeouts (one of which was a nasty fall by Li, slamming the back of her head into the court), and despite the hostile pro-Li fans, Victoria Azarenka captured her second Aussie championship with a thrilling 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over her "girl-on-fire" opponent.</p>
<p>Before the match began, I too was hoping for a Li Na win. But that changed quickly as the capacity crowd began to cheer everytime Azarenka made a mistake. One spectator even mocked the loud shrieking sound she makes when she hits her shots. As a former college player and lower tier pro, I have always been irritated by such behavior. The sport of tennis demands more respect from its fans…but that’s a whole new subject for an entirely different article.</p>
<p>Getting back to the crux of the story, the crowd’s frigidity was remincient of Azarenka’s semifinal win over American player-on-the-rise Sloane Stephens, when Azeranka was heavily criticized for taking a questionable 10-minute visit from the WTA trainer at a precarious point in time of the match.</p>
<p>All of that being said, I’m happy to report that by the end of the match, Azarenka appeared to have won at least some of the fans back. Azarenka’s biggest fan, Redfoo, yelled down to her from the player box “You deserve it,” and she later blew kisses to the crowd. Someone else in the crowd shouted “Victoria, we love you.”</p>
<p>In closing, I am equally happy to testify that even with world #2 Serena Williams hot on her trail vying for the top spot on the WTA Tour, Azarenka managed to hold on to the #1 ranking while making a bold and absolute statement to the tennis world – she truely is the best player in the world. Viva Vika!</p>
<p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Posted by Steven White, Author and illustrator of "Bring Your Racquet: Tennis Basics for Kids"</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3036800763?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3036800763?profile=original" width="99"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933794240">http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933794240</a></p>Surviving the Australian season in 10 stepstag:tennisopolis.com,2013-01-06:1869403:BlogPost:9949922013-01-06T15:30:00.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fiercetennis.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/sleep5.jpg"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-1950 aligncenter" height="292" src="http://www.fiercetennis.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/sleep5.jpg" style="width: 454px; height: 251px;" title="sleep5" width="486"></img></a></p>
<p>For the new kids and rusty ones, a list of top ten tips to suvive the Australian season painlessly.<span id="more-1949"></span></p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Choose your matches carefully</strong>. I know that Polona Hercog versus Lucie Hradecka might sound like a very exciting matchup. And wow, you’ve always wanted to see Benoit Paire play Robin Haase! They sound awesome!…</li>
</ol>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fiercetennis.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/sleep5.jpg"><img style="width: 454px; height: 251px;" class="size-full wp-image-1950 aligncenter" title="sleep5" alt="" src="http://www.fiercetennis.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/sleep5.jpg" height="292" width="486"/></a></p>
<p>For the new kids and rusty ones, a list of top ten tips to suvive the Australian season painlessly.<span id="more-1949"></span></p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Choose your matches carefully</strong>. I know that Polona Hercog versus Lucie Hradecka might sound like a very exciting matchup. And wow, you’ve always wanted to see Benoit Paire play Robin Haase! They sound awesome! But maybe you should take a chill pill and choose wisely. Don’t go for matches in the middle of the night unless you absolutely can’t resist and always pick the ones with potential to be <em>good</em>. Getting up at 4 am to watch a player just because she wears a suit in her Twitter profile picture isn’t a good enough reason.</li>
<li><strong>Tweet!</strong></li>
<li><strong>Save up some sick days</strong>. This goes for both school and work. Unless you can convince everyone you’ve got a deadly disease for two weeks, leave the excuses up for quarters and semis. Don’t be an amateur.</li>
<li><strong>Easy on the coffee!</strong> Make sure you know exact how much caffeine you need. This way you won’t have insomnia on a night with a bad schedule or a rain delay.</li>
<li><strong>Don’t waste your time on Federer and Djokovic.</strong> You can watch the final. <strong>Don’t waste your time on Samantha Stosur.</strong> She’ll lose first round.</li>
<li><strong>Stock up on healthy snacks.</strong> Chocolate will give you bad skin and soda, cellulite. If you’re up all night watching tennis, you’re probably single. Don’t make it harder on yourself. You don’t want to be like a character on “Girls”.</li>
<li><strong>Don’t think of Rafa.</strong></li>
<li>It might seem like obvious advice, but <strong>sleep whenever you get a chance</strong>. Don’t let thoughts like “oh, the match is only two hours away. I’ll stalk my ex-girlfriend’s Facebook while I wait” ever cross your mind. You’re gonna need those two hours when you’re at work. And she was probably a bitch.</li>
<li><strong>Use your “awoken time” as best as you can.</strong> Open two streams at once, play the Australian Open radio on your phone and watch Rod Laver Arena on TV. Follow so many matches at the same time you have no idea what’s going and where. It’s half the fun.</li>
<li><strong>Save up money</strong>. Because when February comes, you’re gonna want to go to Australia next year so bad, you might as well start planning it.</li>
</ol>
<p style="text-align: center;"><br/> Previously published on <a href="http://FierceTennis.com" target="_blank">FierceTennis.com</a></p>Members Only: Finding the Right Tennis Clubtag:tennisopolis.com,2013-01-05:1869403:BlogPost:9948432013-01-05T05:18:26.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149151147?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149151147?profile=original" width="310"></img></a></p>
<p>The <b>All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club</b>, also known as the <b>All-England Club</b>, London, England, is a private members club. It’s best known as the venue for the Wimbledon Championships, the only Grand Slam tennis event still held on grass. Initially an amateur event that occupied club members and their friends for a few days each summer, the…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149151147?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149151147?profile=original" width="310"/></a></p>
<p>The <b>All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club</b>, also known as the <b>All-England Club</b>, London, England, is a private members club. It’s best known as the venue for the Wimbledon Championships, the only Grand Slam tennis event still held on grass. Initially an amateur event that occupied club members and their friends for a few days each summer, the championships have become far more prominent than the club itself. However, it still operates as a members tennis club, with many courts in use all year round.</p>
<p align="center"> </p>
<p>The club has 375 full members, about 100 temporary playing members, and a number of honorary members, including past Wimbledon singles champions and people who have rendered distinguished service to the game. In order to become a full or temporary member, an applicant must obtain letters of support from four existing full members, two of whom must have known the applicant for at least three years. The name is then added to the Candidates' List. Honorary Members are elected from time to time by the club's Committee. Membership carries with it the right to purchase two tickets for each day of the Wimbledon Championships.</p>
<p>Lets face it, with Her Majesty the Queen as the Club Patron, and Prince Edward (the Duke of Kent) as its President, very few of us will ever have a chance to claim membership to this illustrious club. Not to worry though, I’m sure there’s a tennis club out there that’s just right for you. Here’s a few tips to consider before you join.</p>
<p align="center"><b>Court Surfaces</b></p>
<p><b> </b>It's one thing if you play tennis for sport and for exercise, but quite another if you plan to compete. Competition venues have different types of courts that affect your game, so if you want to get into competitive tennis, you'll want a club that at least has the two main types of courts: hard and clay. Hard courts allow the ball to move faster, while clay slows the ball down and makes it bounce higher. If you want to be competition-ready, you should have your game down on both surfaces.</p>
<p align="center"><b>Who's the Pro?</b></p>
<p>Most tennis pros are skilled tennis players, but not all are certified teachers, which is a big part of a good pro's job. Before signing up for pricy lessons, you should find out if they're certified by a tennis teaching organization like the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR), and then find out what their association and level is. You'll also want to find out how long they have been teaching, the ages and levels of play of their students and what kind of clubs they've worked for. Teaching at summer camp is quite different than working for a year-round tennis club.</p>
<p align="center"><b>Children’s Programs?</b></p>
<p>If you have kids and want to make the club a family activity, then you'll want to make sure the club you choose has a well-developed children's program. Lessons should range from beginner to advanced and in case your kid turns out to be the next Steffi Graf, there are also programs to get competition-ready. Even if there aren't ambitions to go pro, tennis camps are great summer activities for kids who have shown that they have some racquet skills. Not only will this get your kids active but it will give you uninterrupted time to concentrate on your game.</p>
<p align="center"><b>What else do they offer?</b></p>
<p>Specialty clubs are nice if you're only interested in playing tennis, but a club with more choices may be a better family-friendly pick. As I mentioned before, many community tennis clubs are paired with a swimming pool, which is always great for kids in the summer. Or, if you and your spouse enjoy spending time on the links, there are golf and tennis clubs, too. Most clubs these days have informative Web sites, so you can get good information before setting up an appointment to visit.</p>
<p align="center"><b>Cash is King</b></p>
<p>As with any membership purchase, price is always a factor. Fortunately, prices for tennis clubs run the gamut. You have your community clubs that consist of private tennis courts, a tennis pro and sometimes a swimming pool that are more on the affordable side. Add more services like golf and restaurants and the price tag will climb some. Prices can skyrocket when you get to the big country clubs that come with a pro shop, all of the amenities and even spa services.</p>
<p align="center">By Steven White, author and illustrator of <b><i>Bring Your Racquet: Tennis Basics for Kids</i></b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933794240">http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933794240</a></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149235?profile=original" target="_self"><img style="width: 177px; height: 237px;" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149235?profile=original" width="140" height="229"/></a></p>
<p align="center"></p>
<p><b><i> </i></b></p>Playing with arm,wrist or shoulder pain? Play Donnaytag:tennisopolis.com,2012-12-22:1869403:BlogPost:9916932012-12-22T14:41:45.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149151282?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149151282?profile=original" width="305"></img></a></p>
<p>NEW YORK, December 21, 2012 — The results of an independently performed <a href="http://www.donnayusa.com/first-independent-racket-shock-study.php">Racket Shock & Vibration Study</a> are in and they dramatically show that multi-solid core frames produce less shock and vibration on initial contact and four (4x) times less shock and vibration time following contact…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149151282?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149151282?profile=original" width="305"/></a></p>
<p>NEW YORK, December 21, 2012 — The results of an independently performed <a href="http://www.donnayusa.com/first-independent-racket-shock-study.php">Racket Shock & Vibration Study</a> are in and they dramatically show that multi-solid core frames produce less shock and vibration on initial contact and four (4x) times less shock and vibration time following contact than the racquets from the four leading brands which are all air injected or hollow.</p>
<p>The study was conducted by an independent third party test facility located in Shallotte, North Carolina that specializes in medical device and sport equipment testing. OrthoKinetic Technologies, LLC, the parent company, is a leading regulatory and consulting firm specializing in regulatory and test strategies for medical devices and sport equipment.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.donnayusa.com/">Donnay</a> racket dampened vibrations four times quicker with less vibratory forces than other models tested upon impact with a standardized force.</p>
<p>Both professional and recreational players get repetitive force transmission and vibrations to the tissues of the arm with the hits of the ball, and some of the shock is transmitted to the arm. The more prolonged the <a href="http://www.donnayusa.com/epidemic.php">shock and vibration</a>, the greater the risk for tissue injury.</p>
<p>In the study, the multi-solid core rackets vibrated for less than 1/5 of a second on ball contact, compared to an average of 7/10 of a second for other models tested. That means a player hitting 180 balls in a typical tennis match is subjected to more than 111 seconds of shock & vibration dwell time with the other brands versus a mere 32 seconds with the <a href="http://www.donnayusa.com/">Donnay</a>. Having a shock needle in the tendon for 2 minutes can cause severe harm especially to children and minors whose tendons are not even fully developed.</p>
<p>The extent of frame vibration transmitted to the arm holding the racquet depends largely on how well it is dampened. Multi solid-core <a href="http://www.donnayusa.com/dualcore.php">XeneCore</a> construction and manufacturing process acts as a super dampener to eliminate most all of the damaging vibrations.</p>
<p>In the old wood rackets, vibration disappeared quickly because it was dampened by the flex of the solid wood, but the new stiffer, lighter and hollow conventional frames do a poor job of snuffing out the vibrations, so they transfer this shaking to the arm that can stealthily sabotage the elbow, wrist, forearm and shoulder.</p>
<p>The longer the vibration and the longer a player rallies the more the tissues are stressed. This constant stressing is how a coathanger is broken by bending it back and worth. Eventually, tissue can fatigue resulting in localized inflammation, micro tearing, and micro injuries, even without any tremendous force.</p>
<p>Air injected racquets with their poor dampening properties cause pain (think of hitting a baseball with the hollow aluminum baseball bat on a chilly day).</p>
<p>For years the tennis industry has laid the blame for arm injuries on poor stroking techniques, conveniently diverting scrutiny from the design of racquets, but hollow, stiff, ultralight head-heavy racquets are more to blame. As conventional racquets have grown lighter and stiffer the number of players suffering from arm and elbow pain has also risen dramatically. The cause is no longer primarily related to mechanics, but rather to the equipment itself.</p>
<p>The study is of great significance for all players and the tennis industry as half of players are currently experiencing some form of arm pain and are looking for racquets that can minimize repeated long-term exposure to prolonged vibration and stress transfer to human tissue. According to the Tennis Industry Association’s latest study 30percent of players are playing less tennis or quit the sport altogether because of injury.</p>
<p>In short, if you’re trying to play hurt, you’re not playing well at all. And <a href="http://www.donnayusa.com/dualcore.php">XeneCore</a> is the solution that will keep you in the game, arm-injury free.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Source: DonnayTennis.com</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Posted by Steven White, Author of "Bring Your Racquet: Tennis Basics for Kids"</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933794240">http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933794240</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3036800763?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3036800763?profile=original" width="99"/></a></p>Tennis mourns the loss of Art “Tappy” Larsentag:tennisopolis.com,2012-12-19:1869403:BlogPost:9904882012-12-19T23:09:15.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<div class="entry entry-content"><p><img align="right" alt="" border="0" height="293" hspace="5" src="http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs188/1101308282145/img/2090.jpg" vspace="5" width="225"></img> The tennis world mourns the loss of a great American tennis champion and World War II veteran, Art “Tappy” Larsen. He passed away on December 7 in California, at the age of 87. Larsen was honored in a military burial service at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Hayward, Calif. Despite a late start to his tennis career, due to military service, Larsen achieved the No. 1 ranking in the United States in 1950, and he was ranked in the world top-10 several…</p>
</div>
<div class="entry entry-content"><p><img border="0" hspace="5" alt="" vspace="5" align="right" src="http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs188/1101308282145/img/2090.jpg" width="225" height="293"/>The tennis world mourns the loss of a great American tennis champion and World War II veteran, Art “Tappy” Larsen. He passed away on December 7 in California, at the age of 87. Larsen was honored in a military burial service at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Hayward, Calif. Despite a late start to his tennis career, due to military service, Larsen achieved the No. 1 ranking in the United States in 1950, and he was ranked in the world top-10 several times in the 1950′s.</p>
<div>In 1950, Larsen won the U.S. National Championships in a five-set match at Forest Hills. He also captured the titles at the U.S. Clay Courts (1952), U.S. Hard Courts (1952), and U.S. Indoors (1953), making him the first man to win the titles on four surfaces. Tony Trabert is the only other person to have accomplished this feat. In 1954, Larsen was a finalist at the French Championships. Larsen was a member of the United States Davis Cup team in 1951 and 1952. He compiled a 4-0 record, helping the team advance to the finals both years. Larsen was honored for his tennis achievements with induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1969.</div>
<div>“Art was a wonderful tennis player who had great finesse in his game,” said Hall of Famer Tony Trabert. “He had a unique personality, and he was a good friend and I will miss him.”</div>
<div>In World War II, Larsen served in the US Army, 15th Cavalry, 17th Squadron. He was involved in heavy combat reconnaissance missions and was awarded four bronze campaign stars (Normandy, France, Central Europe and Germany). Larsen is said to have focused his energy on tennis as a form of therapy upon return from World War II, and he was admired for his focus and tenacity as a player. He picked up the nickname “Tappy” because he had a habit of tapping things, such as the net, for good luck.</div>
<div>A California native, Larsen attended the University of San Francisco, where he was a member of the 1949 NCAA Men’s Tennis Championship team.</div>
<div>Larsen is survived by his companion of more than 30 years, Aline Mestas. He also leaves a sister, Joyce A. Stengel, nephews Willis C. Stengel and Carl A. Stengel, niece Patricia Rickner and their families; all of whom fondly remember enjoying tennis lessons and matches with their uncle.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">Source: International Tennis Hall of Fame </div>
<div><p style="text-align: center;">Posted by Steven White, Author of “Bring Your Racquet: Tennis Basics for Kids”</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933794240">http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933794240</a> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3036800763?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3036800763?profile=original" width="99"/></a></p>
</div>
</div>Federer to play less, but hopes to play in 2016 Olympicstag:tennisopolis.com,2012-12-07:1869403:BlogPost:9858482012-12-07T22:10:09.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p>SAO PAULO — Roger Federer says he won’t play as often in the next few years but wants to compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.</p>
<p>The 31-year-old Swiss star intends to be more mindful about the tournaments he plays to make sure he can keep playing at a high level.</p>
<p><a href="http://federerfan07.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/federer_2012_southamericanexhibitions_171.jpg" rel="lightbox[9144]"><img alt="" height="439" src="http://federerfan07.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/federer_2012_southamericanexhibitions_171.jpg" title="federer_2012_southamericanexhibitions_17" width="480"></img></a></p>
<p>“I have to make sure that I take care of my schedule, of my…</p>
<p>SAO PAULO — Roger Federer says he won’t play as often in the next few years but wants to compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.</p>
<p>The 31-year-old Swiss star intends to be more mindful about the tournaments he plays to make sure he can keep playing at a high level.</p>
<p><a href="http://federerfan07.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/federer_2012_southamericanexhibitions_171.jpg" rel="lightbox[9144]"><img title="federer_2012_southamericanexhibitions_17" alt="" src="http://federerfan07.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/federer_2012_southamericanexhibitions_171.jpg" width="480" height="439"/></a></p>
<p>“I have to make sure that I take care of my schedule, of my body, of my mind,” he said Thursday. “Hopefully, I can still stay on tour for many more years and hopefully play the Olympics here in three and a half years or so, so I have to look far ahead and not just the next six months.”</p>
<p>The winner of 17 Grand Slams is in Sao Paulo for exhibition matches involving Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka, Serena Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Tommy Robredo, Tommy Haas and Thomaz Bellucci. The Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike, are also participating. Federer plays Bellucci, Brazil’s top-ranked player, on Thursday.</p>
<p>Federer has competed in four Olympics, winning a doubles gold in 2008 and a singles silver this year. He would love to make it to the Rio Games.</p>
<p>“There is a lot of passion for sports here,” he said. “It’s a hot place to play tennis right now.”</p>
<p>Federer, who ended the season ranked No. 2, said this year was difficult because of additional commitments that kept him from practice and his family.</p>
<p>“I’ve played a lot of tennis. It’s been a big challenge, especially with the Olympics and the Davis Cup this year,” he said. “I found my way back to world No. 1 and it took a lot of sacrifices. I’d like to be home a little bit more often and in a relaxed fashion.”</p>
<p>Still, he said it was a rewarding season.</p>
<p>“I’m very happy that I’m still playing at a very high level,” said Federer, who won six titles this year, including Wimbledon. “I had one of my best years on tour this year, and one of the most emotional ones, of course. Next year tournament victories will probably be more important than the rankings, that’s why I need to make sure I practice a lot next year.”</p>
<p>Federer played 19 tournaments in 2012, two more than top-ranked Novak Djokovic. No. 3 Andy Murray also played 19 and Rafael Nadal, nursing a knee injury, played only 11.</p>
<p>“I’m not going to play 25 tournaments, but every tournament that I will be playing I’ll be emotionally attached to it because I either won there before or because I’ve been there many times or because I love the city or the country and the fans,” he said. “Today I’ve reached a point in my life that I can pick and choose where I want to play and how much I want to play.”</p>
<p>One of the tournaments he left off his 2013 schedule was Miami, the Masters event in March he has played since 1999 and won twice.</p>
<p>“Miami was a tough decision for me,” he said. “But I have to take some time off, first of all, but most importantly, I need to practice. This year I couldn’t practice at all. Something had to go in the calendar and that was Miami, unfortunately.”</p>
<p>Federer said he thinks he will need two Grand Slams and five to eight titles in other tournaments to get back to No. 1.</p>
<p>“It’s difficult,” he said. “But I’m happy to set that challenge and I’ll give everything I have.”</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Source: Tennis.com</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Posted by Steven White, Author of “Bring Your Racquet: Tennis Basics for Kids”</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933794240">http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933794240</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3036800763?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3036800763?profile=original" width="99"/></a></p>Roger Federer: Second on a list of the world’s most respected peopletag:tennisopolis.com,2012-12-02:1869403:BlogPost:9845852012-12-02T16:40:16.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149235?profile=original" target="_self"></a>The Guardian, London</strong></p>
<p>In a study by the US-based Reputation Institute last year, Roger Federer was named second on a list of the world’s most respected people. Behind him was Bill Gates (third), ahead of him only Nelson Mandela. It is fair to say the Swiss tennis star has a reputation to maintain.</p>
<p>With that in mind, there is a lot riding on the Roger…</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149235?profile=original" target="_self"></a>The Guardian, London</strong></p>
<p>In a study by the US-based Reputation Institute last year, Roger Federer was named second on a list of the world’s most respected people. Behind him was Bill Gates (third), ahead of him only Nelson Mandela. It is fair to say the Swiss tennis star has a reputation to maintain.</p>
<p>With that in mind, there is a lot riding on the Roger Federer Foundation (RFF), which partners local non-governmental organizations to support education projects for children living in poverty.</p>
<p>Many find it unthinkable that a high-profile sportsman like Federer would pursue such a project for reasons other than PR, or to maximize sponsorship returns. Yet, as the world’s fifth highest paid athlete he seems beyond such concerns. If anything, says the foundation’s CEO, Janine Handel, Federer’s altruism potentially jeopardizes the very thing that puts him in a position to make a difference in the first place — his standing.</p>
<p>“If you do charity and you’re a prominent person, it’s very important you do it right,” she said. “It’s a reputational risk you are taking.”</p>
<p>Handel, in London for a debate about whether tennis does enough to help society, insisted what the world needs is not more money but better invested money.</p>
<p>“Philanthropy is not just about money, it’s about quality, how you invest in social issues, the impact you have in the field,” she said.</p>
<p>For 54,000 children in Malawi who will benefit from an early education initiative run by the RFF, that is good news. The project, which began in 2010 in partnership with Credit Suisse and is being implemented in conjunction with ActionAid Malawi, will run for a decade. Its aim is to harness the potential of 80 childcare centers in six districts, where almost 250,000 children aged six to 11 fail to enrol in school.</p>
<p>Personal experience tends to shape the philanthropic activities of tennis players — think Nevada-born Andre Agassi’s education foundation in Las Vegas, or the Guga Kuerten Institute, which works with disadvantaged children in the former world No. 1’s native Brazil — but a packed year-round schedule leaves few opportunities to visit developing countries. It does not help that so few tournaments are staged in poor countries.</p>
<p>“It comes down to what’s viable commercially, what fits in the calendar, and what the appetite for tennis is in a given region,” said Justin Gimelstob, a player representative on the ATP World Tour directors’ board, who described a visit to the Arthur Ashe Tennis Centre in Soweto as “heartbreaking and inspiring.”</p>
<p>“How do you tie the facility in Soweto to the opulence of the US Open? How do you manage those opposite forces?” he asked.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">In the absence of easy answers, the ATP is focusing on supporting the efforts of individual players, which only adds to the importance of organizations like the RFF.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Posted by Steven White</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Author of <em><strong>Bring Your Racquet: Tennis Basics for Kids</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933794240">http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933794240</a></strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3036800763?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3036800763?profile=original" width="99"/></a></p>The Skinny on Internet Tennis Racquet Purchasestag:tennisopolis.com,2012-11-25:1869403:BlogPost:9830012012-11-25T23:19:00.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p>Buying a new racquet on the internet? Here’s a bit of news that may surprise you.</p>
<p>Fake sports products, including tennis racquets, shoes, apparel, strings and other accessories have invaded many sites on the world-wide-web. Unfortunately, this is an epidemic that we all try to believe does not exist. That is, until it happens to you.</p>
<p>Authorized dealers can never be sure how much money they may be losing to sales of fake products since it is only when a racquet is placed on a…</p>
<p>Buying a new racquet on the internet? Here’s a bit of news that may surprise you.</p>
<p>Fake sports products, including tennis racquets, shoes, apparel, strings and other accessories have invaded many sites on the world-wide-web. Unfortunately, this is an epidemic that we all try to believe does not exist. That is, until it happens to you.</p>
<p>Authorized dealers can never be sure how much money they may be losing to sales of fake products since it is only when a racquet is placed on a machine for restringing that they come face-to-face with a deception. And customers are often unwilling to admit they were taken in by too-good-to-be-true deals they found on the internet. No matter how many eyes are diverted from the problem, it does exist for tennis and the sporting goods industry as a whole. The tennis industry alone estimates, consevatively, that legitimate dealers are losing $30 million a year to fake racquets.</p>
<p>Racquet Sports Industry’s Kent Oswald has reported that steps have been taken to drive the counterfeiters out of the business. Last spring, the United States Department of Justice seized more than $1.5 million in proceeds as part of a crackdown on counterfeit merchandise codenamed <b>Operation in Our Sites,</b> begun a couple years ago to fight intellectual piracy on the internet. Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice “celebrated” <b>Cyber Monday</b> by taking down 127 domains selling bogus sporting goods. In both cases, tennis merchandise was part of the scam.</p>
<p>And in a critical development, top apparel brands have recently won millions of dollars against websites selling counterfeit products – and the courts awarded them the money from the culprits’ PayPal accounts. Previously, it was nearly impossible to recover money from defendants, but an initiative implemented by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement allows the Dept. of Justice to recover funds collected via PayPal as well as money transfered from PayPal accounts to bank accounts in other countries.</p>
<p>Additionally, the Tennis Industry Association’s Retail Panel has taken steps to bring the problem to the forefront with a “Counterfeit Racquet Alert” that includes the website <a href="https://www.tennisindustry.org/alert/index.cfm">https://www.tennisindustry.org/alert/index.cfm</a> to help consumers, and to have retailers become “verified dealers.”</p>
<p>Despite all the efforts put forth by all of these agencies, there remains an explosion of internet shopping sites popping up, with the majority from China, that offer discounts and amazing deals, and these sites are illegal. They hurt the industry on every level as well as the unknowing consumer who just wants to play tennis with the best equipment available.</p>
<p>And because counterfeiters are becoming increasingly sophisticated, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of purchasing from an authorized, verified dealer. If you get a product that looks suspect, here are some things you can check...</p>
<p> <b>Racquets –</b> 1) Check graphics carefully for “mis-spellings”, questionable paint jobs, and other cosmetic miscues. 2) Compare published racquet specs as the weight and balance. 3) Listen for any rattles or loose parts inside the frame. 4) Poor quality grips – in material and application.</p>
<p><b>Clothing and Shoes –</b> 1) Consider “hand feel” of the garment, of the “interior construction” and “comfort” of the shoe. 2) Look for shoddy stitching or missing, poorly designed labels.</p>
<p><b>Strings –</b> 1) Look for manufacturer’s stamp on the string and make sure of correct brand name, model name and gauge. 2) If there is a question, check for industry updates or file a report @ “Counterfeit Racquet Alert”.</p>
<p align="center">Posted by Steven White, Author and illustrator of <b><i>Bring Your Racquet: Tennis Basics for Kids <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933794240">http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933794240</a></i></b></p>I Miss Rafatag:tennisopolis.com,2012-11-17:1869403:BlogPost:9805332012-11-17T14:45:00.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p>I guess I’m speaking for everyone who has ever picked up a tennis racquet and for everyone who enjoys watching tennis live or on TV when I say, “I miss Rafa!”. Don’t we all.</p>
<p>Well, I’m sure his return is on the horizon. And like everyone, I’m wondering if his knees will allow him to mount a successful return competing for Grand Slams against the top guys – you know who they are.</p>
<p>There’s no doubt Nadal will have to work very hard to keep up with his peers. He knew that a couple…</p>
<p>I guess I’m speaking for everyone who has ever picked up a tennis racquet and for everyone who enjoys watching tennis live or on TV when I say, “I miss Rafa!”. Don’t we all.</p>
<p>Well, I’m sure his return is on the horizon. And like everyone, I’m wondering if his knees will allow him to mount a successful return competing for Grand Slams against the top guys – you know who they are.</p>
<p>There’s no doubt Nadal will have to work very hard to keep up with his peers. He knew that a couple of years ago when he embarked on his campaign to become a more complete player. Winning on grass and hardcourts is proof of that. At any rate, and in the immortal words of Dan Rowan and Dick Martin of the comedy hit show <b>Laugh In</b>, “You bet your sweet bibby” Nadal knows that it won’t be easy and that he’ll have to do everything he did before, and more, to win more Grand Slams running on JoeNamath-like knees. But he can do it!</p>
<p>Let’s take a look at some of the things Rafa did to be a more complete player. Here they are...</p>
<p><b>Forehand</b> - This is an obvious one. As everyone knows, Nadal’s forehand is one of the biggest weapons the sport has ever seen. Not only can he keep you pinned on the baseline till hell freezes over, he can pull you off the court with sharp angles while maintaining a high shot percentage. But that’s not all, his inside-out forehand has taken his game to new heights and he doesn’t mind punishing any and all balls landing short on his side of the court. Like I said, this is a gimme, and all of the guys at the top are capable of hitting the same shots with equal enthusiasm and skill. Rafa’s coach knows this, and Rafa has put in the work. As a lesson to all tennis players, be sure to practice your big weapon as much as you do the weaker shots of your game, that is, if you want to keep beating the guys on your club ladder.</p>
<p><b>Backhand</b> – If you know <a title="Juanjo's twitter" href="https://twitter.com/juanjo_sports" target="_blank">@juanjo_sports</a> you would also know he has a wonderful insight and mind for the game of tennis. The following is his assessment of Nadal’s improved backhand.</p>
<p>If you took someone who never saw Nadal play and made that person watch any of Nadal’s Grand Slam finals, that person would have been hard pressed to name Nadal's weak side. You could have told him that once upon a time Nadal never even considered attacking with his backhand (unless he was attempting a pass---he was always good at those) from the back of the court. It used to be that everyone and their mother started their gameplan by attacking Nadal's backhand. Good luck these days, as he has more than one alternative to make you look dumb.</p>
<p>While he still rarely attacks with his backhand down the line, his cross-court backhand has become vicious. He's developed incredible timing on it, especially because he hits it flat (this might be the lone flat stroke in Nadal's arsenal).</p>
<p>So if three years ago Nadal hit his backhand short and spinny, with no aggression to it, almost inviting you to pummel him on that side, he now can hurt you with it immediately, or at the very least, give himself a chance to hurt you properly with his main weapon. And in the past year or two, he's developed a new tool – the slice backhand. I remember when he started using this shot a little over a year ago. It was hilarious. He was obviously not very good at it. I would even say "thank you, Nadal" when he hit one of those pathetic slices to Djokovic. The basic problem was that he hit it short and his ball didn't skid. So it sat there, waiting to be killed. Any other player would have pulled the plug on this little project, but Nadal being Nadal, he kept at it. He kept trying to get better at it. Incredibly, his slice worked even on clay, a surface where you're not supposed to hit slices. Then again, Nadal could probably try any shot and it would work on clay.</p>
<p>Still, from that sad little shot he used to hit, we arrive to those ridiculous, Federer-esque slices he hits today – buying himself time, disrupting everyone elses timing. It’s just amazing to watch how good that slice backhand is these days.</p>
<p><b>Volley -</b> When Rafa started improving this aspect of his game, it was clear he needed to put in the long hours.</p>
<p>I think Nadal is the one person that truly understands the point of going to the net in the 21st century. Mainly, you cannot charge the net trying to find something. Trying to dare your opponent to hit a great shot. That used to be the old wisdom: you attack the net because you have a higher percentage shot by volleying than does your opponent by hitting a perfect passing shot. Now, EVERYONE can hit perfect passing shots. Off any wing. So hitting a volley after someone hits a killer pass these days is way more difficult than hitting that same passing shot.</p>
<p>Nadal understands that you come to net to finish a point. Not to tempt anyone, not to dare someone to come up with something great. You come in with the point half in your pocket, so you can truly have a high-percentage shot. So you'll rarely see Nadal get passed, and you'll rarely see him miss a volley. He'll get to net, but he'll only get there when it's absolutely right to be there. Which is the most important piece of strategy you can have.</p>
<p><b>Serve -</b> It's still not great. And this is the one item on the list that probably won't improve that much for the rest of the way. Like Uncle Toni says, this is not a natural movement for Nadal, and the serve is the one instinctive, organic part of everyone's game. Sampras said it best himself, by not saying what exactly made his serve the best ever. He said he didn't know. It just happened.</p>
<p>Nadal had to learn it, and he clearly understands what needs to be done. And his serve is very successful anyway, because it carries so much spin, and has that tricky lefty trajectory. Only two or three players force him to come up with something special on this side, and nowadays, he does.</p>
<p>He is using the lefty wide serve on the ad court a lot more, and he should. But he's hitting that hard one down the line that gives him a free point more often than not, since everyone is covering for the dreaded wide serve. And he's developed a very efficient body serve that forces people to adjust in a milisecond. This gives him either a short ball or a free point.</p>
<p>So while he doesn't serve particularly hard, on a good day Nadal will place his serve really well. He'll look for corners, he'll surprise you most of the time. And again, this is for the times when the basic, serve-to-the-backhand strategy doesn't work. Which is rarely.</p>
<p><b>Return of Serve -</b> This is also an area where Nadal wasn't really that good. He's not an instinctive returner, and too often he used a longer swing. But slowly but surely, he was reading serves better, and he was shortening that swing. He rarely goes for winners off returns (and he can), but he's also understood the changing times, and he's becoming increasingly good at not missing second serve returns. And he's getting them deeper and deeper. Which is a problem for everyone. Because if you once could serve Nadal out the court, now he rarely gives you free points. And the more he steps in for second serves, and the deeper his returns get, the more pressure he puts on other people. Which is why he leads most of the return of serve statistical categories.</p>
<p><b>Court Positioning -</b> This one is the key, because it enables him to dispatch opponents quicker. And the strategy is simple: you want to stay close to the baseline so you can pounce any short balls that come your way. If you're too far behind, the odds that you come up with a momentum-changing shot are slimmer, and you're going to be doing way too much running. And while sometimes that's inevitable, it's not advisable that you're running around like crazy in the third round, chasing down balls from someone ranked 58 spots below you.</p>
<p>So the kid worked on all of these things for a couple of years. He worked hard, and he worked relentlessly. Of course, it wasn't a one-man journey: Toni Nadal might just be the greatest coach of this era. If anything, Toni is successful at keeping Nadal hungry, giving him constant reality checks. Everyone remembers how after Nadal won his first French Open, the gift his uncle gave him was a list of things he did wrong in that match. As an example of what's more common on the ATP, Marian Vajda's reaction to Djokovic winning last year's Australian Open was to proclaim that Djokovic could become no.1 by the end of the year. Which of course, he did.</p>
<p>Toni Nadal understands tennis. He understands his nephew. He understood what needed to be done, and what still needs to be done.</p>
<p>It was particularly touching to read Nadal's presser after the final. If the French Open was his destiny, Wimbledon was a dream, then this Australian Open was about reaping the rewards of hard work. A symbolic prize for all those hours working on his game. For all those minutes spent on hardcourts everywhere.</p>
<p>Posted by Steven White, Author and illustrator of <b><i>Bring Your Racquet</i>: <i>Tennis Basics for Kids</i></b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933794240">http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933794240</a></p>
<p> </p>Bob Hewitt Suspended from International Tennis Hall of Fametag:tennisopolis.com,2012-11-15:1869403:BlogPost:9803442012-11-15T22:42:19.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<div class="entry entry-content"><div align="center"><table bgcolor="#FFFFFF" border="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="600">
<tbody><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" id="content_LETTER.BLOCK1" width="100%">
<tbody><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><a href="http://en.support.wordpress.com/affiliate-links/"><img alt="International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum " class="alignleft" height="146" src="http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs056/1101308282145/img/71.jpg" width="156"></img></a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>
<div class="entry entry-content"><div align="center"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<tbody><tr><td rowspan="1" colspan="1"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="600">
<tbody><tr><td rowspan="1" colspan="1"><table id="content_LETTER.BLOCK1" border="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr><td rowspan="1" colspan="1"><a href="http://en.support.wordpress.com/affiliate-links/"><img class="alignleft" alt="International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum " src="http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs056/1101308282145/img/71.jpg" width="156" height="146"/></a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td rowspan="1" colspan="1"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<tbody><tr><td rowspan="1" colspan="1"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr><td rowspan="1" colspan="1"><table id="content_LETTER.BLOCK2" border="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr><td rowspan="1" colspan="1"><div><div><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><em>Contact:</em> Anne Marie McLaughlin</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">401-324-603 <a href="mailto:amclaughlin@tennisfame.com">amclaughlin@tennisfame.com</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
<td rowspan="1" colspan="1"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
<tr><td rowspan="1" colspan="1"><table id="content_LETTER.BLOCK5" border="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr><td rowspan="1" colspan="1"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table id="content_LETTER.BLOCK15" border="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr><td rowspan="1" colspan="1"><div><p style="text-align: left;"><strong>NEWPORT, R.I., U.S.A., November 15, 2012 –</strong> The Executive Committee of the International Tennis Hall of Fame has voted to indefinitely suspend South African tennis player Bob Hewitt from the Hall of Fame. Hewitt was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992. The suspension of Mr. Hewitt follows a comprehensive investigation conducted by Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP into multiple allegations brought concerning sexual misconduct involving Mr. Hewitt and minor students that he coached. The investigation was led by Michael Connolly, a former Assistant United States Attorney.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">“Suspension of Mr. Hewitt is appropriate given the serious allegations that have been made and the findings presented to our Executive Committee,” said Mark Stenning, CEO of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. “After carefully considering the issue, we commissioned a thorough investigation by outside legal counsel. Our Executive Committee considered the findings of the investigation and has voted to suspend Bob Hewitt indefinitely. We feel suspension is the proper course of action on behalf of the Hall of Fame, the women who have made these allegations, and our sport.”</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">###</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>About the International Tennis Hall of Fame</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Established in 1954, the International Tennis Hall of Fame is a non-profit institution dedicated to preserving the history of tennis, inspiring and encouraging junior tennis development, providing a landmark for tennis enthusiasts worldwide, and enshrining tennis heroes and heroines. For information on the International Tennis Hall of Fame call 401-849-3990 or visit us online at <a href="http://en.support.wordpress.com/affiliate-links/">www.tennisfame.com</a>.</p>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div>Can you actually hit "through the ball" ?tag:tennisopolis.com,2012-10-18:1869403:BlogPost:9670552012-10-18T23:00:00.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p>The notion that we should hit “through” the ball has been around for decades, but what does it really mean? Can we really hit through the ball? How long is contact? With lighter racquets and faster racquet head speeds, is this instruction still relevant? If you’re curious to see if this instruction should be sent to your recycle bin, read on.</p>
<p> …</p>
<p><b><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149147479?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" height="457" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149147479?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="295"></img></a></b></p>
<p>The notion that we should hit “through” the ball has been around for decades, but what does it really mean? Can we really hit through the ball? How long is contact? With lighter racquets and faster racquet head speeds, is this instruction still relevant? If you’re curious to see if this instruction should be sent to your recycle bin, read on.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149147479?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149147479?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="295" height="457"/></a></b></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><b>CONTACT</b></p>
<p>So just how long is the ball in contact with the strings? Through the use of high speed video, we know that the ball and racquet are usually in contact for 2-3 milliseconds, or about 1/250th of a second. Considering that the human eye cannot even see this fast an event take place, that’s not much time. (Note: The human eye can only see as fast as 1/60th of a second.)</p>
<p>And this is true for beginners as well as pros. There isn't really that much difference between the different levels with regards to swing speed since some beginners swing quite fast also. The ball may not go in the court or it may carom off the back fence, but the swing may be very quick! Think of it this way. On average a 50 mph racquet head swing speed will create a 65 mph ball speed. Likewise, at higher levels a 100 mph swing speed on the serve will create a ball speed of approximately 130 mph.</p>
<p>So let's take a 50 mph swing speed on a groundstroke as an example. Over what distance is the ball in contact with the strings?</p>
<p>It’s interesting to mention the swing speed on a groundstroke in relation to hitting through the ball. We never hear anyone speak about hitting through the ball on the serve, do we? The reason is that timing is much easier on the serve since the ball is more or less stationary in the air when we hit it.</p>
<p>To answer to the question, a 50 mph swing speed results in a racquet head that is traveling at 73 feet per second. This is incredibly fast when you think about it. Do the math — with ball in contact with the strings for 2-3 milliseconds you end up with ball and racquet contact spanning just 1.75 to 2.63 inches. Of course, it’s a little more complex than that since incoming ball speed and other factors will also affect the equation.</p>
<p>It’s really quite short. So, why would it be important for the racquet to travel forwards after contact, if the ball is already off the strings?</p>
<p>The reason is timing. Think of it this way. The faster the swing, the more challenging it is to precisely time contact. If the ball is contacted an inch behind or an inch in front of the desired point of contact relative to your body, you risk losing control over ball direction and trajectory if the racquet is not traveling forwards just before and just after contact. This is why coaches correctly speak about hitting “through” the ball.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><b>Hitting Through the Ball</b></p>
<p>So, what does hitting “through” the ball actually mean?</p>
<p>Hitting through the ball has long been an instruction to encourage players to keep the swing path on a relatively straight path as long as possible before contact and also after contact. To understand it visually, picture a racquet with no strings that has a type of invisible force field that passes through the ball.</p>
<p>Tennis is an open sport. This means that incoming ball speed varies from shot to shot (what to speak of placement, height, spin, etc.). This is where the instruction of hitting “through” the ball or lengthening “through” your shots comes into play.</p>
<p>It is very easy to contact the ball slightly early or slightly late. We do it all the time. So, if players keep their swing more linear by thinking of lengthening “through” their shots, it will be easier to control the ball. Think of it like an insurance policy. If you swing a little late or a little early, hitting through your shots will help you hit more of your shots into the court.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Perviously published on TennisOne</p>
<p>Posted by Steven White Author and illustrator of <em><strong>"Bring Your Racquet"</strong></em> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933794240">http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933794240</a></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3036800763?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3036800763?profile=original" width="99"/></a></p>Andy Murray runs up a $1408 bar tab...despite just having a lemon sodatag:tennisopolis.com,2012-09-15:1869403:BlogPost:9535862012-09-15T12:18:24.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149200?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149200?profile=original" width="615"></img></a></p>
<p>THE tennis champ was toasting his US Open victory in sober fashion while his pals enjoyed pricier options.</p>
<p>ANDY MURRAY sipped a $6 lemon soda to celebrate his US Open win … while mum Judy, girlfriend Kim Sears and other pals ran up a $1408 bar bill.</p>
<p>The Hakkasan Japanese restaurant in Manhattan had been closed for half-an-hour when the 30-strong party…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149200?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149200?profile=original" width="615"/></a></p>
<p>THE tennis champ was toasting his US Open victory in sober fashion while his pals enjoyed pricier options.</p>
<p>ANDY MURRAY sipped a $6 lemon soda to celebrate his US Open win … while mum Judy, girlfriend Kim Sears and other pals ran up a $1408 bar bill.</p>
<p>The Hakkasan Japanese restaurant in Manhattan had been closed for half-an-hour when the 30-strong party arrived.</p>
<p>Not only did they open again but, when it came to settling the bill, they also waived the $5040 cost of food and drinks.</p>
<p>Andy, who had picked up a cheque for $1.9 million for winning the US Open, only had to pay a 20 per cent tip of $1289.60.</p>
<p>The feast included spicy prawn with lily bulb and almond, and roasted silver cod with champagne and Chinese honey sauce.</p>
<p>Asked about the free meal, a member of staff at the London-based restaurant chain said: “They do that all the time. For them, it’s just good publicity.”</p>Federer's reign shadowed by fresh doubtstag:tennisopolis.com,2012-09-14:1869403:BlogPost:9534722012-09-14T21:55:01.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p class="button-share js-popmenu-parent" title="Share Article"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149244?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149244?profile=original" width="290"></img></a></p>
<br />
<div class="story-body lead-media-none"><div class="story-intro"><p><strong>Despite Andy Murray's Gold Medal and victory at the US Open, Roger Federer will officially remain the world's best player. At least that is what the ATP rankings will say, but with his 31st birthday behind him, questions again…</strong></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="button-share js-popmenu-parent" title="Share Article"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149244?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149244?profile=original" width="290"/></a></p>
<br />
<div class="story-body lead-media-none"><div class="story-intro"><p><strong>Despite Andy Murray's Gold Medal and victory at the US Open, Roger Federer will officially remain the world's best player. At least that is what the ATP rankings will say, but with his 31st birthday behind him, questions again surround his reign. </strong></p>
</div>
<br />
<p>It was the first time since the French Open of 2004 that neither Federer nor his long-term rival Rafael Nadal has figured in the semi-finals of a grand slam. The problem for the Spaniard is common knowledge; a troublesome left knee that has caused him pain for much of his career and seems likely to rule him out of action until the end of the year.</p>
<p>Federer was as majestic as ever in July when he once again broke Andy Murray's heart to win a seventh Wimbledon title. But the Scot's revenge in the Olympic final showed the Swiss player in a completely different light. A chronicle of his achievements here in New York, where he was determined to become the most prolific champion in the modern era, provides possibly the clearest indication of where this most glorious of careers currently stands.</p>
<p>Federer won five straight singles titles from 2004 until 2008. The following year he was the beaten finalist, his run ended by Juan Martin del Potro. In 2010 and 2011 his campaign ended at the semi-final stage and this year he was beaten in the quarter-finals by Tomas Berdych. The graph is one of steady decline.</p>
<p>Each of his US Open defeats bear similarities, featuring squandered early leads and missed opportunities. Del Potro trailed by a set but perseverance and power allowed him to win in five. More painfully for Federer to remember, he had match points in his 2010 and 2011 semis against Novak Djokovic but failed to convert them. This year, after losing the Olympic final, Federer beat Djokovic in style to win his only US Open warm-up event, in Cincinnati, but such a victory is scant consolation. He plays tennis to win the big prizes.</p>
<p>Normally, Federer can shrug off a defeat -- he admitted to being pleased for Murray at the Olympics -- but in the aftermath of his loss to Berdych there was negativity.</p>
<p>"I've got to go back to the drawing board and see what's really the priority for the end of the year," he said, alluding to the dilemma of whether he needs to conserve energy to prepare fully for 2013 or play a full schedule for the rest of this year, including the Asian swing, which he opted to miss last year.</p>
<p>"So I don't know right now. I mean the goal has been achieved, but this is disappointing for me. We'll see where I go from now."</p>
<p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Previously published in the Australian</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Posted by Steven White, Author and illustrator of <em><strong>"Bring Your Racquet" <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933794240">http://www.amazon.com/dp/1933794240</a></strong></em></p>
</div>Tennis forced to face moment of truthtag:tennisopolis.com,2012-09-14:1869403:BlogPost:9534362012-09-14T18:37:01.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149259?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149259?profile=original" width="325"></img></a></p>
<p>DURING a flamboyant career, French star Yannick Noah raised eyebrows with his athleticism, dare and flair on court.</p>
<br />
<p>But it is his accusations in a French newspaper last year alleging widespread doping among Spanish tennis players that, while inflaming tempers across the border, have some relevance to a development in New York this week.</p>
<p>"How can a…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149259?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149259?profile=original" width="325"/></a></p>
<p>DURING a flamboyant career, French star Yannick Noah raised eyebrows with his athleticism, dare and flair on court.</p>
<br />
<p>But it is his accusations in a French newspaper last year alleging widespread doping among Spanish tennis players that, while inflaming tempers across the border, have some relevance to a development in New York this week.</p>
<p>"How can a country (Spain) dominate sport from one day to the next?" he asked. "Had they discovered avant-garde training techniques and methods that no one else imagined?"</p>
<p>While the past fortnight has for the most part been a celebration of the sport - the retirements of popular stars Kim Clijsters and Andy Roddick, the stellar if unsuccessful defence by Sam Stosur of her title and a courageous showing by Lleyton Hewitt - a murkier underbelly has emerged.</p>
<p>Over the past 24 hours, a grand slam semi-finalist has been quizzed about her relationship with a doctor banned for life for his involvement with Lance Armstrong and a tour battler was also suspended permanently for fixing matches.</p>
<p>Sara Errani, who was to play Serena Williams for a spot in the final earlier today, is among several tennis players linked to the disgraced Spanish doctor Luis Garcia del Moral, who has worked at a tennis academy in Valencia, Spain.</p>
<p>Others to have spent time at the academy include former world No 1 Dinara Safina, David Ferrer (another enjoying a standout year on tour) Igor Andreev, Mar aaca Kirilenko and Marat Safin.</p>
<p>Ferrer, who ended Hewitt's US Open campaign in four sets, yesterday qualified for the semi-finals, coming from behind to defeat Janko Tipsarevic in a fifth-set tiebreaker in a match lasting almost five hours.</p>
<p>Errani, who defeated Sam Stosur to reach this year's French Open final, was forced to defend her relationship with del Moral, the team physician for Armstrong's US Postal Service team between 1999 and 2003, after beating Roberta Vinci on Wednesday.</p>
<p>"Of course I'm not interested in ... working with one person that is involved in these things," she said.</p>
<p>"He was the best doctor in Valencia for everything, so I have been working with him of course. But now his name is not a good name."</p>
<p>The Wall Street Journal last month published an USADA document accusing Garcia del Moral of orchestrating a covert doping program.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Numerous riders will testify that Dr del Moral gave to them, encouraged them to use and/or assisted them in using doping products and/or prohibited methods," said the USADA document.</p>
<p>One former rider said Garcia del Moral injected him with steroids. Another said he feared the health consequences of taking performance-enhancing drugs.</p>
<p>"You're not a real professional if you don't take drugs," Garcia del Moral allegedly said.</p>
<p>The International Tennis Federation recognises USADA's life ban and will refuse Garcia del Moral accreditation and access to any sanctioned event. It also warned players it was unwise to continue working with him.</p>
<p>In an interview in Italian last month, reproduced by The New York Times yesterday, Errani claimed she was ignorant of Garcia del Moral's misdeeds.</p>
<p>"I don't know what he was doing. I just think about my life. And I make all the anti-doping control like everybody, so I don't feel (bad) about that," she said.</p>
<p>"Of course, it's not a good thing for me. It's not the thing that maybe when you won, the people start to talk something bad.</p>
<p>"I think it happen like always - when you win, the people start to think bad. But if you are good with yourself, I think it's the most important thing, to have a good life. You know what you are doing, you know what you are working.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I don't have to nascondere," Errani said, using the Italian verb for to hide. "I don't have to say to everybody about anything."</p>
<p>While The Weekend Australian does not allege Errani is involved in any wrongdoing, there has long been suspicious about doping in tennis, as veteran doubles player Daniel Nestor told The New York Times three years ago. "We suspect that there is always stuff going on. I mean, we watch some of these matches where the guys play five hours and come back the next day and do it again," he said.</p>
<p>Some of the most decorated players have tested positive to illicit substances. Martina Hingis retired after a positive test to cocaine. Andre Agassi detailed in his autobiography Open how officials swept a positive test to methamphetamine under the carpet.</p>
<p>Former Australian Open winner Petr Korda tested positive to the steroid nandrolone. Current tour player Wayne Odesnik, who played in New York, was banned after Australian Customs intercepted vials of Human Growth Hormone he tried to smuggle through Brisbane airport in 2010.</p>
<p>Even at club level in Melbourne, several players have raised doubts with this journalist about the legitimacy of some Australians attempting to make a living at the elite level.</p>
<p>Since 2007, the ITF has operated its doping program under the WADA code, which is considered gold standard. Veteran American James Blake said while he believes there are players doping, the system itself has improved drastically since he turned professional.</p>
<p>"Of course, at times, it's inconvenient to me when I get woken up at 6am to pee in a cup. It's their job. I know they're doing it. I know if they're doing it to me, they're doing it to everyone else. I'm happy to do that," he said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"This is not a knock on tennis, but when you have so many people playing and when there is so much at stake - there are thousands in the rankings, I would say there are certainly some short cuts being taken. Not that many, but it would be crazy to think differently.</p>
<p>"I don't know for sure. They've had instances over the years where people have tested positive but in today's world, in any area - I would include doctors, lawyers, any profession - drugs are everywhere. It's part of society. I don't think anything is clean.</p>
<p>"If you did a study of every area of life, including tennis, you would always find people who want to take a short cut."</p>
<p>Serbian player David Savic was yesterday found guilty of match-fixing and had his life ban confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.</p>
<p>Savic, who reached a career-high 363 ranking in 2009, claimed he was set up by a "current top player" who told the TIU that Savic asked him to fix a match in exchange for money. The player was not identified.</p>
<p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Previously posted in the Australian</p>Roger Federer: What 2012 Means for His Legacytag:tennisopolis.com,2012-09-13:1869403:BlogPost:9528082012-09-13T23:35:43.000ZSteven Whitehttp://tennisopolis.com/profile/StevenWhite
<p>When <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/roger-federer">Roger Federer</a> lost to Tomas <span><span>Berdych</span></span> in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open, it was a massive shock to the tennis world. The fact the world was so surprised to see Roger go down to <span><span>Berdych</span></span>is a clear demonstration of exactly how well Federer has done this season in returning to form.</p>
<p>In 2012, Roger Federer has reached the quarterfinals in all four Grand Slams, played three…</p>
<p>When <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/roger-federer">Roger Federer</a> lost to Tomas <span><span>Berdych</span></span> in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open, it was a massive shock to the tennis world. The fact the world was so surprised to see Roger go down to <span><span>Berdych</span></span>is a clear demonstration of exactly how well Federer has done this season in returning to form.</p>
<p>In 2012, Roger Federer has reached the quarterfinals in all four Grand Slams, played three semifinals, won Wimbledon, made it to the Olympic final and returned to the number-one ranking in the world. Certainly, an impressive year on it’s own, 2012 also means a lot in the grand scheme of his career. It means that it has become nearly impossible to argue against calling Federer the greatest tennis player ever.</p>
<p><img alt="" src="http://www.tennishound.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-o-matic/cache/6c0da_pixel.gif"/><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149972?profile=original" target="_self"><img style="width: 479px; height: 309px;" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3149149972?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="555" height="313"/></a></p>
<p>Roger Federer was already in the conversation for greatest player ever before 2012, but there were some holes in his resume. He hadn’t won a grand slam since the 2010 Australian Open, and at the age of 29 was falling behind players like <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/rafael-nadal">Rafael Nadal</a>, <span><span>Novak</span></span> <span><span>Djokovic</span></span> and even <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/andy-murray">Andy Murray</a>.</p>
<p>The question had to be asked: Was the master done too early?</p>
<p>Then he came back. He has now been ranked first in the world for an Open Era record 295 weeks, including a record 237 consecutive weeks from 2004 to 2008. He owns a variety of other records including his 17 Grand Slam wins and minimum of five appearances in each Grand Slam final.</p>
<p>No one has appeared in more Wimbledon finals. He is tied for the record in total wins at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. His 24 Grand Slam final appearances, including 10 in a row, is a record. Between 2005 and 2010, he missed only one Grand Slam final. He is one of only three men to have completed the career Grand Slam on grass, clay and hard court.</p>
<p>As if those accomplishments weren’t astounding on their own, he has also done it all with extreme grace in both his game and his personality.</p>
<p>Of course, there will always be arguments over theoretical matches and differences between eras. However, in the realm of resume and not hypothetical games, no one matches Roger Federer anymore. He has been the best over a short span of time, the central portion of his career, and now over a long span of time as well.</p>
<p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Previously posted on BleacherReport.com</p>