Tennis View Magazine

Gear & Style Womens – May / June 2012

tennisviewmag — Fri, 04 May 2012 00:35:17 +0000

Gear & Style Mens – May / June 2012

tennisviewmag — Fri, 04 May 2012 00:33:44 +0000

The Thinker

tennisviewmag — Fri, 04 May 2012 00:18:24 +0000

Run Today. Win Tomorrow.

tennisviewmag — Thu, 03 May 2012 23:52:55 +0000

If your reluctant to run for exercise because you think its too physically demanding or you’re not certain where or how to begIn, you’re not alone. truth be told, addIng run- nIng to your exercIse program, how- ever, mustn’t be complex. In fact, almost anyone can do It, and runnIng can offer great health benefIts – especIally for tennIs players.

Running improves lung capacity and makes the heart stronger, helping to pre- vent cardiovascular disease. It also lowers bad cholesterol levels, aids in weight loss and improves cardiac function. Gretchen Masters, BPhEd and Cert IV per- sonal trainer, explains that running is perfect for weight loss and for tennis: “Physically [running] works as a weight loss or maintenance tool; it is excellent for improving maximal aerobic capacity and increasing lactate threshold, which is one of the main determinants of performance in sports such as tennis where you must be able to work hard in short bursts and then recover in between.” The high impact activity will aslo help bones to grow stronger, counteracting osteoporosis and reducing the chance of fracture. Running has also been proven to help prevent and reduce diseases, such as diabetes, cancer and digestive problems.

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Swinging Volley

tennisviewmag — Thu, 03 May 2012 23:37:04 +0000

MADE POPULAR BY the likes of Andre Agassi and the Williams sisters, the swinging volley is a common stroke in the modern game. Although labelled a volley by defini- tion because the ball is struck before it hits the ground, technically the shot is similar to a groundstroke.

Many coaches consider the swinging volley difficult and best reserved for advanced players, but with focused prac- tice, you can learn when to best hit the shot and how to execute it correctly.

The best time to hit a swinging volley is when the trajectory of the opponent’s recovery shot is too low to hit an overhead and too high to hit a finishing volley with control, says Charly Rasheed, tennis director at Wild Dunes Resort, Isle of the Palms, South Carolina. Imagine the opponent in poor court position and their ball softly floating towards you, a ball that would otherwise land around the service line. This describes a perfect ball to hit out of the air as a swinging volley.

At the very least, the swinging volley is an attacking shot that takes time away from a rival and opposes the will of the aggressor. “The swinging volley allows a player to hit aggressive- ly and with disguise. The ball has more speed than a flat volley and can also produce enough spin to make the ball challenging to return once it bounces,” explains Ken DeHart, USPTA master professional. The swinging volley will give the shot more pace and has the potential to finish the point before the opponent recovers.

The keys to hitting any sound tennis stroke are prepara- tion, anticipation and footwork, and the swinging vol- ley is no exception. Cesar Villarroel, Mission Inn Resort & Club director of Tennis & Fitness, Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida, explains a swinging volley is much like that of a ground stroke. “As soon as you know your opponent is in trouble, move a few steps inside the baseline and forward to hit the ball high above your waist,” says

Villarroel, adding that the open stance works best for the swinging vol- ley because it helps with trunk rotation and power.

Some coaches suggest that their students hit the stroke with a closed stance, however DeHart agrees with Villarroel and says a wide stance is rec- ommended. Right- handed players should approach the ball while maintain- ing balance and good footwork. Strike the ball at

about chest-shoulder height, with weight transferring from the right foot to the left, allowing the body to travel through the ball instead of tilting forward. Momentum should carry the player toward the net.

If executed correctly, the player hits a swinging volley before the opponent recovers from the previous stroke and with enough pace and control to end the point.

The swinging volley is considered an advanced shot. With some practice, the shot will help complete the serious player’s arsenal.

TIPS

to Hit a Swinging Volley

STROKE LEVEL Advanced
GRIP Use your preferred ground stroke grip. If an eastern grip is your grip of choice, consider using a semi-western grip for a swing- ing volley.
BODY POSITION Remain in an open-stance or semi-open stance while approaching the ball. Right-handed players should approach the shot with the left foot in front of the right. This allows the body to travel through the ball instead of tilting forward.
THE SWING Start with your weight on the back foot, the rac- quet take back shallow, and when striking the ball, swing low to high to create topspin.
STRIKE ZONE The difference between a swinging volley and a normal ground stroke is the swinging volley strike zone is higher, shoulder height instead of at the waist.
FINISH Allow momentum to carry you forward to the net with the racquet head finishing around the neck. If this stroke doesn’t end the point, be prepared for an easy put-away volley.

Style in motion: The art of the slide

vansias — Fri, 04 May 2012 03:24:35 +0000

That need for excellent movement is best exemplified by having the ability to “slide” around the courts.

The game’s natural sliders—players such as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer among the men and Kim Clijsters and Francesca Schiavone for the women—make it seem as no ball can be hit out of their reach on a clay court.

“Your footwork and balance on clay are probably more important than on any other surface,” says longtime coach Nick Bollettieri, who has seen a number of his pupils past and present—from Monica Seles to Andre Agassi to Jelena Jankovic—post solid clay‐court results.

embrace the fact that the ball kicks up into their strike zone enough for them to put their opponents on the run.

In the men’s game, sliding is a crucial element, but perhaps not as much on the women’s side when it comes to contending for the biggest clay court event of them all.

They all slide but use the conditions to their advan‐ tage as seen in Soderling’s two runner‐up performances. “I think the difference with him is when the courts were fast, the conditions suited him because he has such a big game, and when the courts were heavy, that suited

Spring 2012 Racquet Showcase

tennisviewmag — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:59:24 +0000

Details of Alex Dogopolov

tennisviewmag — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:41:52 +0000

13 Facts About the Dog

Slicing and dicing his way up the rankings, Alexandr Dolgopolov captured tennis fans’ imaginations worldwide. Not content with con- ventional strokes, the Ukrainian adds his unique twist to every shot and befuddles opponents in the process. Tennis View caught up with ‘The Dog” to learn how he operates on and off the court.

Your Father [Oleksandr], who played on the Soviet national team and later coached Andrei Medvedev, exposed you to tennis young. Did you ever consider a profession other than tennis?

No, just a tennis player. I picked up a racquet at 3 or 4 years old, and I was just always playing, playing, playing. I’ve watched my dad and Medvedev on tour, and I always really liked tennis. I joined the tour when i was young and didn’t think about doing anything else.

How do you spend your free time?

Just relaxing, seeing friends, coming back home, racing my car, that’s pretty much it.

Do you have a favorite race car and what’s the fastest you’ve driven?

There are a lot of good cars, but I’m into speed so I like my car best, the Nissan GTR. It was 325km [202 miles per hour].

You wear unusually long hair folded in a pony tail. Any chance of cutting it one day?

Yeah, for sure, I think I will someday. I don’t know what would make me want to cut it. I guess if I feel like it, or if something changes in life and I want a change, I will.

What is the state of tennis in your home country, Ukraine; have you inspired children to play?

Yeah for sure, but it’s a bit tough because the county is not too wealthy. Pretty much, only the wealthy can afford to help their kids play tennis because there are no free lessons or anything. You have to pay, and the people just don’t have that money to afford that. There’s a lot of tennis watching, and I hope maybe the government will help a little bit with tournaments so kids will start playing more and it gets more popular.

Do you train hard to keep lean and fit?

Not too much. We do a lot of natural stuff, like on the beach running around and I get a lot of fitness when I play tennis. I’d rather hit for four or five sets just in practice than do like 30 sprints, you know. I’d rather do the fitness on the court. I think I’m much fitter than last year.

Do you follow a special diet?

I like italian, but i pretty much like all food and don’t have a lot of things i don’t eat – I’m fine with anything.

You beat Marin Cilic in Umag last year to capture your first ATP title. The trophy is infamous for its unusual appearance. What have you done with it?

It’s a really pretty trophy! It’s actually standing at my parents’ house. They have all the trophies because i’d probably break them all or lose them. I don’t have a good place to keep them so my parents are stacking them up and maybe one day i will have a place to hold my trophies if i have a lot – I hope.

Tour Calendar

Raechel Kenealy — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:25:53 +0000

Frustrated Yet Determined

tennisviewmag — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:20:41 +0000

By most accounts, world No. 2 Maria Sharapova experienced great hard court results in the States, advancing to the finals of both Premier tour events, the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. But failing to deliver a champi- onship trophy in either stop left the Russian frustrated.

The powerful Azarenka played with resolve in the arid California desert, beat- ing Sharapova in quick order, 6-2, 6-3. Maria says unforced errors, inconsis- tency and passive play were to blame.

Two weeks later, Sharapova found herself on the Florida island of Key Biscayne facing humid conditions and a wily opponent in counterpuncher Agi Radwanska. The Pole says she played outstanding, toppling Maria, 7-5, 6-4. Maria, conversely, regrets not returning well and playing reac- tively. “She hit a lot of good balls on the run, and they were deep. She didn’t just bring them back, she had something on them,” says Sharapova, who adds that she is determined to finding solutions to beating her rivals and welcomes the transition onto clay courts.