Tennis World

Reinventing Roger Federer

The MissingIngredients

Reasons To Believe InRafa’s Renaissance

Interview: Marin Cilic

N°21 - November

Reinventing Roger

by Giorgio Giannaccini

This season has been an extremely successful one forRoger Federer

This season has been an extremely successful one forRoger Federer, and there is little doubt that it islargely thanks to his new offensive mindset. Indeed,2014 has been perhaps the most aggressive we haveever seen the Swiss play. It is easy to argue that hadhe not adopted this change of tactics, he would nothave been able to return to the kind of form that hasseen him routinely beat Top 10 players and wintournaments. It is a bit of genius, really. Federer is 33years old and no longer able to compete athleticallywith the likes of Djokovic and Nadal from thebaseline, at least when the rallies get stretched out todefensive contests of 30+ shots.These days, the tactical emphasis is on extremedefense, and more often than not the player who

can rally the longest without making an error comesout on top. Winners are becoming a rare thingindeed. One reason Federer struggles to play this sortof tennis – apart from his age and natural inclinationfor aggressive tennis – is his one-handed backhand.The one-hander is an endangered species in themodern game, even though the likes of Thiem andDimitrov are still carrying the torch among theyoungsters.The reason for the gravitation towards two-handedbackhands is simple: today’s strings and racketsmake it very easy to hit with extreme topspin, whichmeans the ball is bouncing higher than ever. With aone-handed backhand, it is very difficult to handlehigh balls effectively. If you are pushed out of

His salvation this year has proven to be his aggressiveplay, particularly his willingness to come to the net.

position, your only real option is to play a deepdefensive lob.This tactic may have worked well on clay courts inthe early 1990s, but these days a lob like that will beeasily dispatched with by the opponent, meaning thatone-handers are generally at a massive tacticaldisadvantage. This development has been coming forsome time, of course, and for the better part of twodecades players have been embracing the two-handed backhand as a means of coping with thesechanges.For Federer this has always been a particularly bigproblem, since he has spent most of his careercompeting for major titles against Rafael Nadal,whose extreme topspin forehand creates all sorts ofproblems for the Swiss. Age has certainly not helpedhis cause, and he is now more vulnerable than ever toa topspin barrage on his backhand.

His salvation this year has proven to be hisaggressive play, particularly his willingness to cometo the net. This tactic has not doubt been greatlyinfluenced by his coach Stefan Edberg, who was oneof the greatest serve-and-volley players of his day.It is ironic that Federer would turn to such an age-old tactic to revive his fortunes, especially sincecoming to the net is so reviled in the modern game.But it is appropriate as well, given that Edberg usedthat tactic for much the same reason that Federer isusing it now – as a counter-strategy to his opponents’strengths. Edberg had to regularly face off againstplayers like Pete Sampras and Boris Becker, whosecould overpower him with their huge games. Rushingthe net was his way of neutralizing that power, and itproved very effective.Edberg helped Federer see that it was better to get tothe net and face the humiliation of being passed

Particularly effective has been Federer’s chip-and-charge tactic, which he uses not only during rallies butoften straight off the return.

on a semi-regular basis than to battle pointlessly –albeit with great dignity – from the baseline.Djokovic and Nadal are simply too young and toostrong, especially on clay, and his only chance is tolean on the net in order to neutralize their quicknessand court coverage.The results speak for themselves. Particularlyeffective has been Federer’s chip-and-charge tactic,which he uses not only during rallies but oftenstraight off the return. He also often uses a topspinapproach, mixing it up nicely with the slice approach.This tactic is so foreign to opponents that they oftendo not deal with it effectively, making the schemedoubly effective. It also protects Federer’s “weaker”shot, his backhand, and allows him to use severaldifferent variations of the stroke that can be deadlywhen combined with a net game. Even if theapproaches are not brilliant, they can still be

extremely effective. A short slice approach to themiddle of the court might appear to be suicide, but itis actually very difficult to deal with, since it is hardto get good pace on the ball while also lifting it overthe net during the pass attempt.Edberg has done nothing more than rearranging thepieces of a beautiful puzzle, which was alreadygorgeous, but is now even more of a masterpiece. Byusing old tactics, Federer has found newfoundpassion and excitement for game.

The Missing Ingredients

by Marco Di Nardo

We have just come to the end of one of the more unremarkableeditions of the ATP World Tour Finals in recent memory

We have just come to the end of one of the moreunremarkable editions of the ATP World Tour Finalsin recent memory. Though it featured the Top 8players of the past year, it certainly didn’t feel thatway. In the first four days of the competition therewasn’t a competitive match to be found, with all ofthe contests being decided in lopsided two-setblowouts. Throughout the round robin stages therewas a distinct gulf between the two players on court,and it gave the whole affair an air of pointlessness.Both groups featured one undefeated player, with therunner up losing one match. The semi-finals finallyprovided some uncertainty, even though the finalwas eventually set up between the two playerseveryone expected – Roger Federer and Novak

Djokovic. Federer had to work particularly hard toreach the championship round, saving several matchpoints in his semi against Stanislas Wawrinka.Indeed, that match proved too much for the Swiss’body, as he was forced to withdraw from the finaldue to a back injury suffered at the end of the match.What was the cause of Federer’s injury? Many havespeculated that the courts could have contributed.Federer himself has said in the past that this surfacefavors defensive baseliners and punishes big hitters.While an interesting theory, the truth is likely moreboring: Federer is 33, and a long season combinedwith a tough match against Wawrinka proved toomuch for his body.

It is perhaps not a coincidence that it took Ferrerstepping in to bring an end to four days of boringstraight-sets matches.

In fact, the defensive baseliners that have defined thecompetition for the past years were absent from thisseason’s contest. Rafael Nadal withdrew completelydue to an appendix operation, and David Ferer wasrelegated to the role of alternate after failing toqualify on his own merits. Nadal had withdrawnfrom the Paris Masters 1000 with the samecomplaint, while Ferrer only played one match inLondon after Milos Raonic withdrew due to ahamstring injury.It is perhaps not a coincidence that it took Ferrerstepping in to bring an end to four days of boringstraight-sets matches. The one and only match hecontested was the first competitive affair of the wholetournament, when he went up against US Openrunner-up Kei Nishikori. Ferrer suffered earlysetbacks in the first set, but managed to come backand eventually take it 6-4. Nishikori proved too

much in the next two sets, however, and the Spaniard– who had perhaps had too much of a rest cominginto the match – could not keep up.As for Nadal, his absence was felt for several months.The Spaniard has basically not competed at all sinceWimbledon, missing significant time due to a wristinjury and Appendicitis. In both groups his presencewould certainly have changed things. Particularlyinteresting would have been if Nadal was drawn intothe same group as Federer. Given the Spaniard’stenacious competitive streak, it is hard to imaginethat any of his matches would have been boring. Indeed, the US Open would also have been muchmore interesting had the Spaniard been able tocompete. The final, which was a one-sided affairfeaturing Marin Cilic and Kei Nishikori, couldcertainly have done with a little Spanish magic.

Reasons To Believe InRafa’s Renaissance

by Adriano S.

Nadal is no stranger to enormous obstacles to hisambitions.

Nadal is no stranger to enormous obstacles to hisambitions. This year proved to be one of the moretrying of the Spaniard’s career, and his fans havesuffered right alongside him. That being said, there isreason to believe that Nadal might bounce backstronger than ever in the upcoming season, as he hasso often in the past. Here are five reasons why 2015might be Nadal’s year once again:

1) Rafa has always benefited from extended rest.Every time he has been forced to take long periodsoff has been followed by massive success. Given thefact that this latest stoppage was not caused by hisknees or wrist, but rather by his appendix, the restmight prove to be even more beneficial than everbefore.

2) The Mallorcan paid the price for his exploits inSouth America last year. It obviously affected hispreparation for the new season in a negative way.This year, though he might make less money bystaying home, he will be able to fully prepare for the2015 season in the proper way.

3) Starting in 2015, there will be one extra week in-between Wimbledon and Roland Garros. Nadal has shown that once he has adapted himself tothe surface at SW19, he can be almost unbeatable ongrass.

4) Nadal has very few points to defend next year. Hedid not defend his titles in Monte Carlo, Rome andBarcelona in 2014, and after July he is defendingalmost no points at all. It is very possible that he might end the year as worldnumber one and who knows, maybe it will be histurn to lift the ATP World Tour Finals trophy…

5) 2016 might be the last year of professionalism forRoger Federer. The following season will be crucial if Nadal wants tofinally supplant his longtime rival as the best to everplay the sport.

The Masters

by Brent Kruger

Today, the ATP World Tour Finals is played at the O2Arena in London, but in 1970....

Today, the ATP World Tour Finals is played at the O2Arena in London, but in 1970, the year-end Masterswas held at the Metropolitan Gymnasium in Tokyo.The fledgling tournament was looking for its ownidentity outside of the Grand Slams, and over thefollowing decades it would do just that.The first Masters tournament purported to be theperfect end to the season, with the six best players ofthe year pitted against each other for the mostprestigious trophy outside of the Majors. The firstedition was held in Japan, and saw six contenderswho would eventually turn into true tennis legendscompete for the Cup: there were two Australians(Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall), two Europeans(Zeljko Franulovic and Jan Kodes) and twoAmericans (Arthur Ashe and Stan Smith). Thecompetition consisted solely of a round robin format,with the most successful player being

awarded the trophy. That first year, even though StanSmith and Rod Laver ended up being tied in thestandings, Smith won because he had beaten Laver inthe round robin phase.The next year saw one extra person added to theround robin stage, but that would not last for long.From 1972 onwards a total of eight players wouldqualify for the event, and they would be split into twodifferent groups. These groups would then vie for aplace in the semi-finals, from which point a knockoutformat would be followed.This is the format that is still used today, and wasonly briefly abandoned between 1982 and 1985,when the event followed a standard knockout format.The year-end Masters (which between 1977 and 1985actually took place at the beginning of the nextseason) bounced around from place to place until iteventually found a permanent home in the in thepicturesque setting of Madison Square Garden.The 1970s were ruled by Ilie Nastase, who reachedfive consecutive finals and won four titles, while the80s were the domain of Ivan Lendl. The Czechappeared in the final nine times in a row, takinghome five trophies. Though they didn’t dominate likeNastase and Lendl, John McEnroe and Boris

Becker also enjoyed a bit of success at the Masters intheir heyday. The American was victorious on debutin 1978, and again won the trophy in 1983 and 1984,while the German beat Lendl in 1988, having lost hisprevious two finals in 1985 and 1986.From 1990 and until the beginning of the newmillennium, the event was renamed as the ATPWorld Tour Championships and, following the namechange, changed its venue to Frankfurt for six yearsand Hanover for four. Becker and Stich gave thelocals plenty to cheer about, winning three times inthis span, but Pete Sampras soon took overproceedings.But even though Sampras dominated in the 1990s,the Germans still made things difficult for him.Michael Stich was the only person who beat Samprasin a final (1993), while Becker pushed Sampras to thevery brink in 1996, narrowly losing 3-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-7,6-4. Sampras won the event five times in the end,and his reign ended shortly before the tournamentwould again move location and change its name.After a stop in Lisbon, the Masters Cup (as it wascalled in those days), temporarily left Europe for

is Roger Federer (6) followed by Sampras and Lendl(5) and Ilie Nastase (4). Boris Becker, John McEnroeand Novak Djokovic follow with three each.The Masters is the only tennis tournament on thecalendar where you can win the event even thoughyou have lost a match. Indeed, in theory you can evenlose two matches and still prevail in the end, thoughthis has not happened yet. More than half of the time(23 versus 21), the eventual winner lost a matchduring the round robin phase of the competition.Curiously, Sampras lost a match in each of his fivevictorious campaigns, three times against Becker andonce each to Moya and Agassi. In contrast, Lendlnever lost a match in the years

Australia and then Shanghai, with a brief interlude inHouston. The two-year Texan term (2003/2004) sawthe baptism of the person who would become themost successful winner of the year-end event inhistory: Roger Federer.After winning in Houston, the Swiss prevailed twicein Shanghai (2006/07) before losing the 2005 finalto Nalbandian. Djokovic won his first title in 2008 intime to see the event changed to the ATP World TourFinals and move to London.In the five years in London, after the surprise ofDavydenko (2009), Federer and Djokovic divided thespoils in the following years, with the Serb winning in2012 and again in 2013. In its 44 years of existence,the Masters has seen 122 players qualify forparticipation. The holder of the most trophies

when he won the tournament. The same is true ofMcEnroe.With the format as it is, it is not uncommon for twoplayers to face each other twice in the same event.They often play each other in the final after havingsquared off in the round robin stages. On 8 of the 14occasions in which this occurred, the loser of the firstmatch got their revenge in the final.1976 Fibak-Orantes 75 76; Orantes-Fibak 57 62 06 76 611978 McEnroe-Ashe 63 61; McEnroe-Ashe 67 63 75 1989 Becker-Edberg 61 64; Edberg-Becker 46 76 63 61 1990 Edberg-Agassi 76 46 76; Agassi-Edberg 67-76 75v62

1994 Becker-Sampras 75 75; Sampras-Becker 46 63 75 641996 Becker-Sampras 76 76; Sampras-Becker 36 76 76 6764 1999 Agassi-Sampras 62 62; Sampras-Agassi 61 7564 2000 Agassi-Kuerten 46 64 63; Kuerten-Agassi 6464 64 2001 Grosjean Hewitt 36 62 63; Hewitt-Grosjean 6363 64 2003 Federer-Agassi 67 63 76; Federer-Agassi 63 60 64 2004 Federer-Hewitt 63 64; Federer-Hewitt 63 62 2005 Federer-Nalbandian 63 26 64; Nalbandian - Federer67 67 62 61 76 2008 Djokovic Davydenko 76 06 75; Djokovic-Davydenko61 75

The Romanian Ilie Nastase has the highest winpercentage at the Masters: 88%, translating to 22-3.Behind him are Federer, Laver and Okker. Federerhas won 44 matches in total to 11 defeats, while heholds the record for most matches played at 55.Becker, Lendl and Sampras all follow at 49.

The women’s Masters.........

The female equivalent of the male Masters started onclay in Boca Raton in 1972. The Virginia SlimsChampionships, which got its name from the WTATour’s sponsor, left Florida after only two editions(both won by Chris Evert), and moved to Californiaon the opposite coast for a three-year period. Evertplayed three finals and won twice, losing only to theAustralian Evonne Goolagong.Early on the tournament changed its formula severaltimes and was played mainly between February andApril. It was only in 1986 that the WTA decided tomove it permanently to the end of the season. It wasthe period in which the dominance of MartinaNavratilova (ten consecutive finals including eightwins) seemed unassailable. She still holds the recordfor finals played (14) and wins (8).

From 1979 to 2000 the Top 16 players qualified forthe year-end event. Between 1984 and 1998 threefinals went to five sets (this was the only event on theWTA Tour which allowed best of five sets): in 1990,Monica Seles beat Gabriela Sabatini 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, while in 1995/1996 Steffi Graf beat Huber andHingis respectively for two of her five total trophies.In 2001, the event left the WTA headquarters in NewYork to relocate temporarily to Germany. That wasthe only year the final was not played, as LindsayDavenport was unable to take the court due to aninjury. Serena Williams won by default. It was thefirst of four titles for Williams, the last of which shewon in 2013, twelve years after her first one (arecord).The event was then moved to the immense StaplesCentre, home of the Los Angeles Lakers, but the lowturnout of the public forced the WTA to consider newlocations: Madrid (2006/07), Doha (2008/10) andIstanbul (2011-2013).From its inception, the tournament has hosted 147players and there have been 19 different winners. Itis only since 2003 that the WTA has adoptedcontinuity with the round robin format, andconsequently there are only a few instances of aplayer who lifted the trophy despite having lost amatch. The first to do this was Sylvia Hanika. TheGerman, in 1982, lost her first match rather sharplyto the Yugoslav Mima Jausovec, but qualified for thesemi-finals and there beat Wendy Turnbull beforeousting Martina Navratilova in the final.

The other four players to win after losing, as it were,are Maria Sharapova (2004), Amelie Mauresmo(2005), Justine Henin (2006) and Kim Clijsters(2010). Of these, only Henin managed to get revenge in thefinal. She lost to 4-6, 7-6, 6-2 in the round robin, butwon 6-4, 6-3 in final.Navratilova (8) has won the most titles, in front ofGraf (5) and Evert/Serena Williams (4). Serena has the best win ratio (83.33% with a recordof 25-5) in front Navratilova (82.19% with 60 winsand 13 losses) and Graf (80.49% and a record of 33-8).

Williams sisters and theissue of sexism in tennis

by Princy Jones

Shamil Tarpischev derogatory remarks about theWilliams sisters are anything but funny.

Shamil Tarpischev derogatory remarks about theWilliams sisters are anything but funny. It is pity thathe thought he was cracking a ‘joke’ when he referredto Venus and Serena WIlliams as the ‘Williamsbrothers’ during a live television show. Tarpischevdidn’t stop there, instead he went on saying that “it’sscary when you really look at them”. Perhaps heshould throw some light on the ‘joke’ part andenlighten us here.The Russian Tennis Federation president had to bearthe brunt of his callous remark when he gotsuspended for a year with a fine of $ 25,000 by theWTA for his insensitive slur. The association did aright thing by taking an instant disciplinary action,but what it cannot contain is the sick attitude whichisn’t limited to Tarpischev alone; it’s only that he hassaid it loud what many others harbour in theirminds.

You have every right to dislike a particular player andcriticise their style of play for whatever subjectivereasons, be it the Williams sisters, Sharapova, Nadalor Federer. Not everyone is a fan of the powerfulaggressive game Williams sisters are known for. Butundeniably, the duo have dominated the game likeno other for the last 15 years, especially Serena, whostands second in all-time list with 18 Grand Slamsingles titles. Even without the Afro-American tag,they boast of an incredible feat.Williams’ father and coach Richard Williams hasexplained many a times how difficult it was for himto plan and eventually make real a seeminglyimpossible dream for his daughters, considering hisrace and background. Right from the start, it was aswim against the current -- the vicarious experiencehe had as their coach, the massive amount ofcriticisms he was subjected to from the media, thebiased umpires, and moreover, hostile crowd.But the Williams family had the last laugh when thesisters combinedly won 41 Grand Slam titles (25singles and 16 doubles); 8 Olympic gold medals (oneeach in singles and three in doubles) -- a record thatwould stay for a long time, perhaps forever. Still, it isindeed sad that they aren’t getting the recognitionthey deserve, but are subjected to cruel criticismsbased on their looks.

Years back, Martina Hingis accused Williams sistersof playing the race card. She said that being blackhelps them to get sponsors and that they enjoy a lotof advantages being so since they can always play thevictim card. We can cut Hingis some slack for shewas just an impulsive 20-year old then, even thoughshe was downright stupid in actually thinking so. IfWilliams sisters’ skin colour was lighter, not justthem, but even their style of play wouldn’t have comeunder such harsh criticisms. But it is unpardonablewhen veteran players, commentators etc., blamethem of ruining the game.Beauty is the last prerequisite for an athlete.Unfortunately, the press, usually is happy to have atall slender blonde on the front page. It is neverwrong to hail someone for their appeal, but it gets

wrong when they determine the standards of beauty,and tend to underrate the players who don’t fit intothose standards.This is what BBC presenter John Inverdale hadexactly done when he made denigratory remarksabout Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli lastyear. His imagination went a bit too far when heexpressed a doubt whether Bartoli’s dad might hadtold her that she is never going to be a looker likeMaria Sharapova, when she was young. Bartoli, whopossesses an I.Q of 175, replied in an impressivefashion, saying “I am not blonde, yes. That is a fact.Have I dreamt about having a model contract? No.I'm sorry. But have I dreamed about winningWimbledon? Absolutely, yes.’’Sharapova is stunning like a Victoria Secret model,and she is one of the most sexy person on the planet.It is understandable that she is being hailed for herdrop dead gorgeous looks. But when we are talkingtennis, we should be talking about her marvellousgame rather than her sexy legs. Inverdale,inadvertently, was belittling Sharapova also with thatremark of his.The Williams sisters are often mocked at for theirathletic figure, especially Serena. There aredisgusting videos on youtube which analyses herphysique, often crossing the limits. The media aloneisn’t the culprit here, for it caters to the fancy ofpeople. They are not alone in defining the beauty standardsof female athletes. Tarpischev branded Serena as lessfeminine because of her muscular figure;

The good thing is that WTA wasted no time inhanding over the punitive measure

Enti nem quo ipsa saperum con niminis utexpeles strangely, Venus, who is of a slender figure,also was regarded ‘manly’. Hence Tarpischev was justbeing sexist and racist.Tarpischev reminds Williams sisters that their battleagainst adversities is never ending, and that they willforever remain subjects of mockery of sick peoplelike him despite all what they have attained. Hisaudacity to make such a remark on live televisionreiterates the fact that racism and sexism stillprevails in sports, however evolved we say we are. It’snot just subtle, but it is loud and obvious. The goodthing is that WTA wasted no time in handing over thepunitive measure, the sad thing is that, it will takeeven longer to change the mindset of some people.

An Old Tradition In A NewLocation

by Alessandro Varassi

First held in Opened in 1971, the WTA Finals features the Top 8players of the year in a prestigious season-ending tournament.

On 26 October, Serena Williams beat Simona Halepin the final of the WTA’s year-ending championship.It was the fifth time that the American won the title,and the third time in a row.The tournament is mentioned in the same breath asthe ATP World Tour Finals, where the best players ofthe year also face off for the unofficial title of “Masterof Masters.” For the WTA Tour, the 2014 edition ofits Finals event inaugurated a new venue, which willhost the event until at least 2018 – the SingaporeIndoor Stadium. Stacey Allaster, the CEO of theWTA, was enthusiastic about the public response tothe tournament (4 of the 14 sessions sold out) andcalled it the "the best year in the history of the WTAFinals."

The Finals first took place in 1971 and wanderedaround from location to location, mostly in theUnited States. In fact, only one of the first 36 editionsof the tournament took place outside of the US. Thetournament was mostly hosted in Houston, BocaRaton, Madison Square Garden in New York (on 23occasions), Los Angeles and Oakland. In 2006, ashift system was adopted, which saw Madrid, Qatarand Turkey host the event for three years each. Theemphasis of locations in the East shows how seriousthe WTA is about gaining a better foothold in theregion.As she did in so many other tournaments, MartinaNavratilova dominated the Finals for many years,winning the tournament eight times.

Even though she was ecstatic about the event’s success,Allaster emphasized that there was more to be done tomake the event perfect, specifically regarding thevenue’s roof and lights.

That records still stands today. Names like ChrisEvert, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Gabriela Sabatini,Martina Hingis and Billie Jean King all featuredprominently throughout the years. King was the firstwoman to win it.The WTA Finals in 2014 were most definitely asuccess with the public: 129 000 people attended the10-day tournament, which featured charity eventsand matches with old champions, in addition to thesingles and doubles matches played by the qualifiers.The three editions in Istanbul also posted goodnumbers: in 2012, 73 072 tickets were sold for theseven-day event, which was the most since 2000. Ayear later the number fell to 69 983, with about 16000 attending the final. Four of the eleven sessionssold out completely this time around, filling each ofthe 10 000 seats in the stadium.

Interview: Marin Cilic

by David Cox

“There’s a lot more attention now,” he smiles.

“It was extremely special,” Marin Cilic reflects as helooks back to the day in September when he returnedto Croatia as a Grand Slam champion, their first inthirteen years. “There must have been 30,000 to40,000 people in the square in my hometown. Iabsolutely didn’t expect so many to turn up. But a lotof them have followed me since the start of my careerso they were excited. The only annoying thing was Ihad little time there. I barely had time to sit before Ihad to move on.”I’m speaking to Cilic deep in the bowels of the O2Arena in London as he prepares to take his place atthe World Tour Finals for the first time in his career.It’s the end of a stretch which has taken him throughHolland, China and Russia over the past six weekswith barely a pause for breath.“There’s a lot more attention now,” he smiles. “It’s abit new on and off court. Other players are looking atyou more. They respect your game a bit more. Andthere’s more focus from the media. But this is whereI want to be.”Cilic knows he can rely on the helping hand of GoranIvanisevic to steer him through some of the

madness. Ivanisevic’s status as a national icon in hishomeland became almost mythical after he wonWimbledon in 2001, a moment his new protégéeremembers vividly.“It’s probably the most asked question in Croatia,because everybody in Croatia knows where they wereduring Goran’s final,” he laughs. “It’s probably one ofthe most watched sports matches in Croatian history.I had a tennis camp close to my home alongside myfriends. It was big fun for us definitely and a hugewin for Goran. Perhaps one day people will ask thatquestion about the US Open final.”Of course, while Cilic’s triumph was unexpected, itdidn’t quite have the fairytale quality of Wimbledon2001. Seemingly down and out as a competitor,ranked outside the top 100, Ivanisevic provided oneof sport’s great storylines.“Goran as a character is really loved by everybody inCroatia and to see him losing three times in the finalwas really devastating for everybody,” Cilicexplained. “We knew how much Wimbledon meantto him and when it came to the fourth final in 2001,it was in the air. Everybody was expecting that hewas going to win. It was such an unbelievable story ithad to be like that. When you think how many peoplewere waiting for him when he arrived back in Split afew days later, it was probably one of the bestatmospheres ever.

It was fitting that Ivanisevic was the man whofinally unlocked the puzzle of how to get the bestout of Cilic.

Almost 200,000 people in Split just celebrating thevictory.”It was fitting that Ivanisevic was the man who finallyunlocked the puzzle of how to get the best out ofCilic. Their paths first crossed when a 9 year old Cilicwas among the ballkids for an exhibition match inCroatia against Thomas Muster back in 1997. Itwould be another five years before Cilic, then one ofthe top juniors in Europe, was formally introduced.“I was 14 and we practised together,” he remembers.“I didn’t talk much, I was pretty shy and Goranstraight away after the training was saying, ’There issomething about this kid. He’s going to be good,’even though I was completely nervous and I couldn’tput a ball in the court. But he just knew, so it was abig experience for me.”Ivanisevic has continued to have the same deeplyheld belief that Cilic would one day beat the best

in the world. For him, one of tennis’ mostflamboyant characters, it was a change in mindsetand personality which Cilic required more thananything to get the best out of himself on court.“He’s very calm as a coach,” Cilic says. “Hispersonality is different now he’s coaching, from whenhe used to play. He knows what he’s doing and he’s alot of fun so the time goes very quick. He said fromthe start that I needed to change my character a littlebit. And that wasn’t easy. So it took a little time tosink in and for me to understand that was the way Ineeded to be in matches. But I felt things werecoming together after the French Open. I was upagainst (Novak) Djokovic and I played really goodtennis on a surface which doesn’t suit me.”Hard courts have always been the territory whereCIlic is most dangerous and he’s looking forward

to January’s Australian Open, an event where he’s a former semi-finalist. It’s easy to forget how different things were twelve monthsago. Cilic was returning from a doping ban, incurred after heaccidentally ingested a banned substance while seeking medicationfor a cold at a tournament.“It’s very distant in my memory now but I felt from that period, Igained so much maturity,” he says. “Since then I’ve known what Iwant to do, I’m pushing much more in training and I want to useevery opportunity I have to get better. When you find yourself inthat sort of situation, it’s difficult as you don’t know when you’regonna play tennis again. Something you love which you’ve done forall your life. And then when you come back, you appreciate muchmore what you have and you don’t want to waste any minute onthe court.”Ivanisevic believes Cilic can go on to achieve what he nevermanaged and win a second Grand Slam title, perhaps even on thegrass of Wimbledon, a surface which is gradually becoming morenatural for him. For now everything is rosy but Cilic is still aware that you can’ttake anything for granted in sport.“You never know what’s coming over the hill,” he says. “But the best tournament of my career may still be to come. I’mready to take the opportunities I have in the future in the best wayI can.”

Ivanisevic believes Cilic can go on to achieve what henever managed and win a second Grand Slam title

The Belgian Beast

by Marco Di Nardo

For a while it appeared as if David Goffin was a lostplayer.

For a while it appeared as if David Goffin was a lostplayer. After an excellent 2012, the Belgian had manypundits believing that he would soon be a Top 10contender. But a torrid 2013 saw him fall out of theTop 100, and loss after loss at the beginning of thisseason seemed to point to a short career for theyoungster. He simply could not compete with other top players,and rarely recorded back-to-back match wins.Yet suddenly and completely out of nowhere, heturned it around in the second half of 2014. He strung together a number of impressive weeks,often making it deep into very tough and competitivetournaments. He even made it to the brink of the Top20.

It all started at the Challenger event in Scheveningen.Goffin, ranked 106 at the time, dominated thetournament without losing any set, and two weekslater repeated the feat in back-to-back Challengertournaments in Poznan and Tampere.The mental aspect is often decisive in tennis, andwinning 30 consecutive sets is the perfect cure for aplayer who had been lacking confidence for thebetter part of 18 months. When he arrived inKitzbuhel, he played like a man on a mission, provingjust about unbeatable for the whole week. After threesuccessful Challenger wins, he finally triumphed athis first ATP-level event, beating Dominic Thiem inthe final.

The winning streak continued in Winston-Salem, where Goffinwent from qualifying to the quarter-finals. His 25-match winning-streak came to an end with a loss to Jerzy Janowicz. Unfazed, hewon two matches at the US Open before falling to Grigor Dimitrov,but even then he did not go without a fight, winning the first set 6-0. It was the first time since January of 2012 that Dimitrov hadlost a set to love.Goffin carried his magic touch to Metz, where he won his secondcareer title before winning yet another trophy at the Challenger inMons. He even made it to the final of the prestigious event inBasel, though he had little luck in contending with hometownfavorite Roger Federer. That being said, solid wins over BornaCoric and Milos Raonic en route to the final will give him plenty ofconfidence going forward. In all, he won 43 out of 45 matchesduring his streak, something usually only associated with the likesof Djokovic and Federer.Certainly the level of the tournaments where Goffin won most ofhis matches were not particularly high, but that doesn’t distractfrom the extreme difficulty of winning so many matches. He endedhis season with a second round exit at the Paris Masters 1000event in Bercy, but he will head into the offseason believing that hewill be a difficult player to deal with next year.

Goffin carried his magic touch to Metz, where he won his second career title

Davydenko Calls It Quits

by Alessandro Varassi

Nikolay Davydenko, the former world number three, hasofficially retired from tennis.

The Kremlin Cup was, perhaps fittingly, the lastprofessional event Nikolay Davydenko would everattend. The slender Russian has finally decided thatenough is enough, and that he will no longercontinue to try and pursue a career in professionaltennis. A seemingly endless string of injuries – mostnotable to his wrist – have forced him to call it quits.Born in 1981, Davydenko achieved a career-highranking of number three in the world in 2006. Hewon 21 ATP titles, many at very prestigious events.Though he would never win a Grand Slam, he didmanage to lift the trophy at the ATP World TourFinals in 2009. His last consistently good resultscame in 2009 and 2010, when he regularly beat topplayers such as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. In 2010 he beat Nadal in the final at Doha, afterlosing the first set 6-0. His loss in the quarter-finalsof the Australian Open against Roger Federer, afterbuilding up a huge lead, was the last occasion hewould really feature prominently on the sport’sbiggest stage.

Davydenkio also won three Masters 1000 events(Bercy in 2006, Miami in 2008 and Shanghai in2009), and reached two semi-finals each at RolandGarros and the US Open. There he often ran into Federer, however, and he lostthree such matches against the Swiss. His best yearwas undoubtedly 2006, when he reached seven finalsand won five titles. He also helped Russia win itssecond-ever second Davis Cup.Many fans called him “the robot” because of hisincredible consistency from the baseline. Though hedidn’t have any major weapons, his excellenttechnique and wonderful stamina won him manymatches. He was an insular character, never givingaway too much to the media thanks to his poorEnglish, but Davydenko built up quite a following onthe ATP Tour.The darkest chapter in Davydenko’s career was whenhe was linked to sports betting in 2007. In August ofthat year, Davydenko played Martin VassalloArguello in Sopot, Poland. After winning the first set 6-2, Russian betting sitessaw a sudden surge in bets against Davydenko.Incredibly, those bets would pay off when he retiredin the third set due to a foot injury.

Many people continue to believe that hisretirement was more than a coincidence.

Though he was never officially charged withanything, and never faced any disciplinary actionfrom the ATP, many people continue to believe thathis retirement was more than a coincidence. A few months later in St. Petersburg, he wasreprimanded for not giving his best effort againstMarin Cilic. He was fined $2000. A similar punishment was reportedly consideredwhen he lost miserably to Marcos Baghdatis 6-2, 6-2in Bercy, but that was never enacted. Davydenko has always maintained his innocence inthese matters, and it is sad that such a large part ofhis legacy will be bound up in these accusations.

Since 2010, he has never again been a force on theTour. Though he tried to make a comeback on multipleoccasions, he could never build up much momentumbefore injuring himself again. That being said, hedoes go into retirement with one notableachievement: he boasts a winning record againstRafael Nadal. He beat the Spaniard six times with only five losses,and three of those wins were in finals. Not too manypeople can claim that.

n° p

Eugenie Bouchard

by David Cox

Driven by the March of Time

“Before I know it, I’ll wake up and I’ll be 30,” saysEugenie Bouchard in that disarmingly frank mannerwhich has held so many journalists in thrall over thepast twelve months. Sports Illustrated labelled her ‘ajock’ at the start of the year and the New York TimesMagazine followed suit ahead of the US Open,describing her as ‘a player on the brink.’Tall and lithe at 1.78m, Bouchard’s obvious aestheticappeal has already endeared her to a burgeoning fanclub stretching across North America, Asia andAustralia, but it’s not merely her poster girls looksand penchant for selfies which have cut such aswathe among both the marketing men and some ofsport’s most hardened hacks.Quite simply, Bouchard isn’t your conventional 20year old sportswoman. She sees both the

game and life in general through subtly differenteyes, eschewing the customary clichés and media-driven perceptions on the thoughts and emotions aplayer of her age should be experiencing, in favour ofa direct honesty which is as startling as it isrefreshing.“People say I’m young but I’m not that young,” shecontinues. “I feel old already. I’m starting to think Imight be getting wrinkles.”Bouchard’s mock fretting about her facial features isadmittedly tongue-in-cheek but she’s deadly seriouswhen describing the urgency which underlines herpursuit of success. “I want to be the best player I canbe as quickly as possible. That’s why every time I goto a tournament and I go on court I always believe Ican win. I want to keep going forwards. I’ve playedtennis now for a decade and a half since I was five.I’ve worked very hard. When I get results, I feel I’vedeserved them and I expect them because I’vededicated that time and effort.”Going by prevailing stereotypes for a player of herage, Bouchard should be taking her place in the‘Promising Youngster’ category alongsidecontemporaries like Madison Keys, Laura Robson,Sloane Stephens and Monica Puig.

Instead, having defied expectations to reach theWimbledon final and two Grand Slam semi-finalsshe has been plagued by enquiries as to whethershe’s ‘overwhelmed’ at achieving so much so soon.It’s a mentality which Bouchard has little time for. “Why should I stop because I’ve achieved somethingnew?” she questions.

Bieber FeverThis attitude underlies Bouchard’s much publicizedadmiration for her compatriot Justin Bieber, anadmission which drew decidedly mixed reactionsduring the Australian Open. But it’s an admirationwhich stretches beyond Bieber to anyone who’s builtthemselves up from scratch, especially at a youngage.

“I just love the stories of people who have madethemselves into something, especially when theycome from fairly average beginnings. They may haveearned big but it’s come through them. I’ve workedhard to go out and try to make my dreams reality,and look positively on life. I definitely appreciateothers who did the same and have achieved things.”Bouchard talks little about her own wealth andprojected future earnings which are predicted to bestratospheric. In July she signed a three year multi-million pound deal as the face of Coca-Cola inCanada and industry experts have predicted that hereventual career gain could far surpass that ofSharapova who netted $29 million in 2013 alonefrom her endorsement contracts with Porsche, Nike,Head and Samsung among others.Her impact stems partly from being Canadian andbeing at the forefront of a sport which her countryhas traditionally had little impact in.“I get recognized so much more back home thesedays, so I have to really think about what I wearanytime I go out,” she says. “I can’t go looking tooslouchy in my sweat pants anymore.”

Personal CostHowever her rise from relative obscurity to thefuture face of women’s tennis in a matter of monthshas come at a personal cost. She has admitted herrelationships with peers such as

Outwardly Bouchard shows few signs of beingaffected.

Robson, her childhood friend for over a decade, arenow almost non-existent. Robson was once thoughtto be the more promising talent, but while Bouchardhas propelled herself into the top ten in 2014 she hasbeen forced to watch from the sidelines, stricken byinjury.After beating Robson at the Family Circle Cup inApril 2013, Bouchard quipped to the media, “Yeahwe hate each other now,” but eighteen months laterthe strain of being rivals in a fiercely competitivesport really does appear to have soured thingssomewhat.Outwardly Bouchard shows few signs of beingaffected. One suspects she always knew it was aninevitable price to pay, just as Andy Murray andNovak Djokovic ultimately discovered that being bestfriends and adversaries was not a compatible mix.

Sharapova has often said that she’s not interested inmaking friends on tour but Bouchard is notespecially comfortable with comparisons beingdrawn between the two.“Of course it’s a compliment,” she says. “Maria’s agreat champion, she’s won four slams and been No.1in the world. As a child I definitely looked up to her. Iremember watching her win Wimbledon on TV andthinking that she was so cool. But these sort ofcomparisons have both a positive and a negativeaspect. You want to be your own person, be judgedon what you achieve and let that be that.”It’s easy to see the similarities. Both left home at ayoung age to pursue their dreams, Sharapova to theBollettieri academy in Florida while Bouchard cameunder the guidance of another wily old veteran inNick Saviano, a man she

describes as like a ‘second father’.But while Sharapova’s renowned toughness as acompetitor may have been partially honed by thetraumatic experience of being separated from hermother to lead a fairly solitary existence in a boot-camp style atmosphere on the other side of theworld, Bouchard was only too excited at the chanceto leave Canada.“I was only 12 but I wanted to improve my tennis,”she says. “I wanted the opportunity. At that age I already sawit as my full-time job and my parents thought it wasthe right thing to do. But I had my family around mewhich helped a lot – my mom, my brother and mysister. So it wasn’t like it was sad or anything.”

Her mum Julie says that from a young age, Bouchardalways stood out as being the most intensely drivenand determined of her siblings, whatever the task inhand.“I remember being intensely determined to get thetop marks on all my maths tests when I was inschool,” Bouchard remembers. “I think that kind ofmindset has definitely translated to tennis as I’ve gotolder. But I enjoyed school. While I love tennis, Iwould also have loved to have gone on to universityand done that. Maybe when I’m 30, I’ll go back andhang out with all the 20 year olds.”Her twin sister Beatrice is currently doing just thatbut there is no rivalry or jealousy between the sisters,just an acceptance that they were always destined tofollow very different paths.“We keep in touch all the time and we’re very close,”Bouchard says. “I always want to know her grades inclass and that kind of stuff and she really supportsme and thinks that what I do is insanely cool. And Ido truly love what I do. I’m lucky to be able to travelthe world and I always try to make sure I realize thatI have a special life. But at the same time, I think thather normal university life is really cool because Idon’t do it.”For just a fleeting moment Bouchard sounds as if shewould rather fade back into obscurity than go on tocement her growing status as one of tennis’ mostrecognisable faces. While the limelight is at its mostintense in Canada, she

benefits from sharing it with Milos Raonic, and to alesser extent Vasek Pospisil, both of whom havemade substantial breakthroughs over the past year.“I think it’s quite a nice coincidence that a number ofus have been doing well at the same time,” she says.“But it’s just that – a coincidence. All three of us arefrom completely different backgrounds and we’vemade our breakthrough in totally different ways soit’s not like there’s one specific reason why Canadiantennis is suddenly doing well.”Such is the popularity of Bouchard and Raonic thattennis even finds itself occasionally fighting for spaceamongst the more traditional sports of ice hockey,football and lacrosse on the back pages. It’s noveltyfor Bouchard who found herself idolising Steffi Grafas a child in the absence of any home-grown playersto support.“People in Canada are definitely paying moreattention to tennis now rather than just hockey allday, every day,” she said. “That’s nice, hopefully itwill continue to become a bigger sport. I never reallylooked up to any Canadian

Superstitions: “I'm superstitious about not beingsuperstitious. Whether you have two or three eggs inthe morning, that won't affect what happens on thecourt.”

players growing up but maybe that will change.Maybe one day some players will look up to me.”

Side Bar: Genie on….Celebrity Fans: “Owen Wilson says he’s watched meon TV and I’m a huge fan of his so that’s reallyexciting. And Jim Parsons from the Big Bang Theoryhas emailed me after every single match I’ve played.”On getting stuffed animals from the ‘Genie Army’:“I’ll have to get a room for the full menagerie. InMexico I got four Angry Birds, I’ve received stufffrom people in Japan and I have this Chinese fanwho always sends me stuffed animals. It’s really nicebut I don’t know what to do with them all.”

The Scourge Of IllegalBetting In Tennis

by Marco Avena

While tennis has never had to deal with performance enhancing drugs tothe extent that other sports have, the scourge of betting has more than oncereared its ugly head.

Betting and the throwing of matches does, of course,occur in other sports as well, but tennis isparticularly vulnerable to it. The reason is simple:tennis is an individual sport, and fixing a result iseasy, since you have no team members to convince.You only need to do it yourself. In football, throwinganything is rather trickier, since you need thecooperation of various individuals, which obviouslyincreases the risk of the whole enterprise.Sportradar AG, a leading company in the worldwideprevention of fraud in sports betting, closely tracksinformation regarding matches in order to detectirregular patterns of activity.“Technically, to throw a tennis match or even a set iseasier than a football game,” the company says. “Wehave mathematical models and methods ofobservation which vary from sport to sport. Thesedays people even bet on Challenger tournaments, soeverything needs to be observed."Without going into the details of who did what, it isclear that matches are being observed

more closely than ever, and prosecutors have theireyes on various players. Yet bookmakers and playersall know this, and are trying to stay one step ahead oflaw enforcement. Various countries allow people tobet on low-level tournaments that often escape muchscrutiny. Even worse, gamblers are allowed to bet oneven the most granular of outcomes, such betting ona single set instead of a match.Tour-level events from ATP 250 tournaments andupwards are more difficult to influence, since thematches are observed so closely by so many people,but that doesn’t mean nefarious activity is entirelyabsent either. Betting still happens at these events,and curious match results often occur.Matches involving extreme underdogs are the mostprone to interference. If a player ranked 800 in the world beats a playerranked 250 in the world, nobody in the wider tenniscommunity will take much notice. But such matchesoften attract much betting, and offers to throw amatch can often be tempting for a player not earningthat much on the Tour. The fact that such upsets do occur honestly furthercomplicates matters, making detecting ofunderhanded activity all the more difficult.

Betting can be a pleasant entertainment for theenthusiast who wants some more excitement whilewatching the match on TV, but it is inexcusable fortennis pros or anyone connected to them.

How to throw a matchIt is surprisingly easy to get mixed up in the world ofmatch-fixing. You don’t need physical meetings orbags full of money anymore. All you need is acomputer with an internet connection, and the deedcan be done by both parties with the same ease asordering a new racket online. The money can bequietly paid to an account that nobody even knowsexists, apart from the player and his fixer.

If the player throwing the match then also betsagainst himself, he will be able to make a doubleprofit. As a professional you cannot officially betonline, but you can use someone else’s details toeasily do so. As already mentioned, only the playerhimself is needed to fix the match, nobody else.It is, of course, very difficult to accuse someone ofintentionally missing a shot by just 30cm. Playersmiss those shots all the time, how are we to knowwhen someone does it on purpose? Players can evenethically justify their behavior to themselves and toeach other. They can, for example, each agree to losea set for betting purposes and then play the thirdhonestly to still determine an honest winner. No onewill notice a thing and at the end of the match andboth players will walk away with heavy pockets.Travelling the world for tournaments makes thingseven easier, since players can acquire untraceableinternet connections without much trouble and betagainst themselves.

Winners and losersHiding the money is often the easiest part, with somany tax havens and shelters willing to conceal theincome streams of their clients.Though various agencies and even players are doingtheir best to stamp out this sort of behavior, it isgetting increasingly difficult in this modern age ofours. As long as people want money, there will bedishonest characters

looking to do whatever they can to get money, andbetting like this is as easy a way as any for criminalsto get some.Only through thorough education and change fromthe players on up will the situation ever change. People need to realize – and care – that their actionsare ruining the sport they love. Bringing about such amajor change in attitudes is of course very difficult,and one wonders if we will ever be able to accomplishit. That being said, we cannot give up hope – tennis isworth defending.

Coaching On And Off TheCourt

by Stefano Massari

I work with, being able to divert attention from the focuson results is very difficult

I am in La Spezia and it is Saturday afternoon. It’sJuly and it's hot. The streets are almost empty, andthe wispy clouds are lazily making their way acrossthe sky. I have just finished a meeting with somecolleagues and am walking to the station. After everystep, my shirt sticks to my skin a little more. I feelthe weight of my mobile phone in my pocket, and itoccurs to me that Luca had his exam this morning.Luca is a tennis player with a 2.5 ranking, and wehave been working together all year. He is intelligentand has a huge desire to win, although he can be alittle impulsive on the court. I decide to give him acall. Before I can even greet him he starts speakingvery fast.

He apologizes for not calling earlier and sayssomething about a broken phone. I manage to askhim how the exam went, and he tells me it went verywell, but that he had not thought it would go well lastnight. He had gone to bed in a very bad frame ofmind.But, he tells me, he had woken up as if he wereanother person. He had decided that he did not wantto live another day of his life in fear or doubt, butinstead wanted to experience each day as the intenseand beautiful wonder it is. This thought, hecontinues, has changed everything. It allowed him tosit in front of the examination committee with adifferent spirit and give the best of himself.

He was able to say everything he knew, and evenwhen he did not know something he didn’t simplyfall silent. He says that he was even able to help out aclassmate by telling him about his new philosophy. Itworked for him as well.Finally, he pauses, perhaps for breath, before sayingthat today he was finally able to practice in his lifesomething which he had been using on the court forso long. He says that on the court he sees everychallenge as an opportunity for gratification, fun andgrowth, and realized that he can adopt this in hiseveryday life as well.For someone like him, and like so many otherathletes I work with, being able to divert attentionfrom the focus on results is very

difficult. But when they are able to forget about theresult, and focus instead on what gives them pleasureand gratification, to focus on the journey rather thanthe destination, I see a massive change in all mystudents. They are able to express themselves morepositively on the court, and play to their fullpotential.But managing stress is not easy. We live in a cultureor results, and moving away from that is a massivechallenge. When, as a boy, I came home from school,my mother asked me what I had learned, while Ifocused more on what grades I had received. Ofcourse, I am not saying that results do not matter atall. However, I maintain that focusing too much onresults lead us to obsess over them, which causesstress and anxiety. Focusing instead on what we wantto achieve can be a joy in of itself, and lead to positiveresults.Luca asks me if we can make an appointment fornext week. I say that we can, and think about howproud I am of Luca for realizing that he can live hislife in such a positive way, by living in each momentand appreciating its uniqueness. But I do not tell himthis. I know that he has already embraced thephilosophy fully, and that words will add nothing tohis happiness.I say goodbye and get on the train, putting by phoneback in my pocket. The train departs and I look up atthe sky, and for some reason the sun looks a littlebrighter than it ever has.