Mondays with Bob Greene
SAYING
“I don’t work to be back. I work to be better than what I was two months ago, three months ago, five months ago. I work to improve my level all the time and I don’t think about what has happened five or three years ago. I think about what happened yesterday to improve today, and that is my philosophy and I work that way, with that mentality.” – Rafael Nadal.
“I guess I pride myself in going out there and doing all the one-percenters and trying to get the most out of myself. Even though I have only got a month to go on the playing circuit, I still want to get the most out of myself and push myself to the limit.” – Lleyton Hewitt, who is retiring later this month after the Australian Open.
“I’ve come so close, I’ve played very well, but I don’t feel any frustration because of it. I’m still happy with how I’m playing. It was Novak’s year … But at the same time I don’t feel sorry for myself. I’ve won so much throughout my career, I feel like if I keep pushing forward it might happen. If not, it’s OK.” – Roger Federer, on Novak Djokovic winning three Grand Slam tournament last year, beating Federer in the final at both Wimbledon and the US Open.
“Grand Slams and the Olympic Games are the priority of the season. But it’s a long season, so I can’t really predict what’s going to happen or guarantee if I am going to win any of the Grand Slams or all four. Of course I am going to try to win every tournament and every Grand Slam that I play in. That’s kind of the mindset that I have.” – Novak Djokovic.
“Everyone always asked, ‘What was your greatest moment in tennis?’ and I always said it hasn’t happened. But I think it has happened now, and that was going back to Indian Wells and playing. It released a lot of feelings that I didn’t even know I had. I was really surprised at how emotional I got – and how relieved I felt after everything was said and done.” – Serena Williams.
“When I was young and on the tour, losing felt like the end of the world. There was so much disappointment almost every week. Now I am happy just to play.” – Kimiko Date-Krumm, at 45 the oldest player on the WTA tour.
“I think I’ve matured a lot this year and I’ve learned a lot and I definitely feel that I’ve grown as a person and as a tennis player.” – Nick Kyrgios.
“My goal is for this season to win one or more Grand Slams and get a medal at the Olympics in Rio.” – Caroline Wozniacki, who begins 2016 ranked 17th in the world.
“Tim probably comes to the net more in one game than I have in my whole career.” – Fernando Gonzalez, after beating Tim Henman to successfully defend his Champions Tennis title at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
STARTING STRONG
Rafael Nadal started 2016 with a strong performance as he won the Mubadala World Tennis Championship for the third time – but the first time in five years. After a frustrating 2015 season, Nadal began the new year in the Abu Dhabi exhibition by beating Milos Raonic in the final 7-6 (2) 6-3. Another Spaniard, David Ferrer, took third place by edging Stan Wawrinka 6-7 (1) 6-4 10-8 (match tiebreak).
SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR
Sports Illustrated named Serena Williams its Sportsperson of the Year, the first time the tennis star has won the honor. In 2015 Williams posted a 53-3 record and won the year’s first three major tournaments before falling short of a calendar-year Grand Slam at the US Open. “I’ll always think about what I could have done better,” Williams told the magazine. “Could I have come up on the net? Been more consistent? It’s not anger, it’s analyzing. What can I do next time?” She is the 10th woman overall and the first solo female Sportsperson of the Year since runner Mary Decker in 1983. At the age of 34, Williams won five tournaments in 2015 and established herself as the sport’s dominant force. In the SI article written by S.L. Price, Williams said her favorite tournament of the year was Indian Wells, California, USA, which she played after a 14-year boycott. She said overcoming her ear of a return and having the crowd embrace her made for a special moment.
SODERLING RETIRES
A long-running illness has finally halted the tennis career of Robin Soderling. Known for being the first man to beat Rafael Nadal at the French Open, Soderling twice was runner-up at Roland Garros. The 31-year-old Swede has not played an ATP World Tour event since 2011 after contracting infectious mononucleosis, a viral illness also known as glandular fever. “I’ve realized that I will not be healthy enough to be able to play tennis at the level I demand of myself,” Soderling said. “For that reason I have decided to end my career as a professional tennis player.” In his 10 years on the tour, Soderling won 10 titles, including the 2010 Paris Masters, and rose to fourth in the world rankings. It was in 2009 when he stunned Nadal in the fourth round, only to lose to Roger Federer in the final. In 2015, top-ranked Novak Djokovic became only the second player to beat Nadal at Roland Garros. He also reached the Roland Garros final in 2010, losing in straight sets to Nadal. In the final match of his career, Soderling defeated David Ferrer in the Swedish Open title match in 2011.
SANTA BABY
Caroline Wozniacki played Santa Claus on Christmas Day. The 25-year-old Danish ace took time out from her training to hand out presents at a homeless shelter in Miami, Florida, USA. “Yesterday was about giving back,” Wozniacki said. “This Miami shelter is home to 500 temporary residents looking at a new chance in life.” Wozniacki gave out clothing and toys to the shelter residents. “Everyone deserves a happy Christmas,” the tennis star posted on Twitter. Wozniacki will play in the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, for the third time. Last year she lost in the final to Venus Williams, who is returning to defend her title. Also in the field will be other former Grand Slam tournament winners Ana Ivanovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova.
SO CLOSE
Arina Rodionova began her wedding day on a tennis court. The Russian-born Australian captured her morning semifinal in the Australian Open wild card qualifying tournament before dashing off to her afternoon marriage to Australian Rules football player Ty Vickery. Unfortunately the new bride fell one match short of gaining a wild-card entry into the year’s first Grand Slam tournament, losing the following day to teen-ager Maddison Inglis 6-4 6-2 in the final. The Australian Open begins its two-week run on January 18.
Family drama also hit the men’s final in the wild card qualifying tournament held in Melbourne. James Duckworth won by a walkover when his opponent, Ben Mitchell, rushed back to Brisbane to be with his partner for the birth of their first child.
SUCCESSFUL DEFENSE
Neither player was comfortable, but Francisco Gonzales said he “had a lot of fun” after successfully defending his Champions Tennis title at London’s Royal Albert Hall. He did that by coming from behind to beat Tim Henman 10-6 in a match tiebreak after the two split the two sets, Henman capturing the first 6-1 and Gonzalez narrowly winning the second 7-6. “I was lucky today, he was playing well and he makes me feel uncomfortable on court,” Gonzalez said. Henman had problems with his opponent’s forehand. “I never like his forehand when we played on tour, and I still don’t like it,” Henman said. But the former British Number One was delighted with playing at Royal Albert Hall again. “If I can still walk next year I’ll be playing,” he said.
SAYING GOODBYE
Known for his disdain of officials, even John McEnroe joined in honoring Alan Mills, who for 23 years was a referee at the Wimbledon Championships. “You have always been a players’ referee,” McEnroe said. “You did your best to keep me on the court when there were plenty of officials out there that did their best to get me kicked off it. I always appreciated that.” Mills, who retired at the end of 2015, was honored for his years of service to the sport. “It is such a privilege to be able to retire in this way, here at the Royal Albert Hall,” Mills said. “I will miss every aspect of being here, all the players, the staff and this wonderful crowd that we have year after year.” Mills’ last tournament was the Champions Tennis event in London.
SMYCZEK SNAGGED
American Tim Smyczek tied the knot during the off-season, marrying his girlfriend Ana Pier in Irving, Texas, USA. “This weekend I married the woman of my dreams,” Smyczek posted on his Facebook page. “It was great to have our families and friends join together for the special occasion. The 27-year-old Smyczek reached a career-high ranking of 68th in the world in April, but has since dropped to 109th. At the ceremony were several other players, including Denis Kudla, Rhyne Williams, Alex Kuznetsov, Scott Oudsema, Brendan Evans and Phillip Simmonds. Smyczek won two ATP Challenger events in 2015 – in Dallas, Texas, and Tiburon, California – and reached the final at Irving, Texas.
SURPRISE, NOT
Serena Williams won the WTA’s Player of the year award for the fourth consecutive time and seventh oval. Williams was the top-ranked player through 2015. Her older sister, Venus, was named Comeback Player of the Year, while Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza were named Doubles Team of the Year and Daria Gavrilova was named Newcomer of the Year.
SWITCHING COACHES
Roger Federer has replaced Stefan Edberg on his coaching team with Ivan Ljubicic. A 17-time Grand Slam tournament winner, Federer said in a statement that “his childhood idol” Edberg had originally signed on as an assistant coach for only 2015. “It was dream come true,” Federer said. “Although it was supposed to only be for 2014, Stefan was great and agreed to extend the partnership through this year, which I really appreciated. He taught me so much and his influence on my game will remain. He will always be a part of my team.” Federer said Severin Lüthi will continue to be his main coach.
Madison Keys will no longer be coached by Lindsay Davenport and Lisa Raymond. Keys has been working with former ATP player Jesse Levine in Boca Raton, Florida, USA. Due to her family and television commentating responsibilities, Davenport was unable to travel full-time with Keys. The 20-year-old Keys will continue to work with her trainer Scott Byrnes and is adding a traveling physio for the new season.
Canada’s Milos Raonic has added former world number one Carlos Moya to his coaching team. “As a great champion, competitor and person I think he will be a great mentor/coach to me in achieving my dreams and complementing/joining the team,” Raonic announced on Instagram. Moya won Roland Garros in 1998 after being a finalist at the Australian Open in 1997.
SPECIAL PARTNER
Switzerland will have a superstar mixed doubles team at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Roger Federer said he and Martina Hingis will team up in the Games. According to Le Matin Dimanche newspaper, Switzerland will also have another top mixed doubles pair as Stan Wawrinka teams with Belinda Bencic. Federer is also set to play men’s doubles with Wawrinka. Federer is currently ranked third in the world in singles, one spot in front of Wawrinka. The two won the men’s doubles gold medal at the 2008 Games in Beijing. Swiss Davis Cup captain Severin Lüthi, who will also led the tennis squad in Rio, was quoted by the paper saying the goal for the 2016 Games was “to win all the gold medals.” “Why not?” Lüthi said. “We can always dream.”
STOPPED
Suffering with post-concussion syndrome, Casey Dellacqua won’t play in this year’s Australian Open. Ranked number five in doubles, the Australian initially suffered the injury in October when she fell heavily at the China Open in Beijing. “She is still not in a position where she is able to train to the4 level required to be able to play tennis,” Dellacqua’s manager Sam Maxwell said. “There is no timeline on Casey’s return at present, however we expect her to return to light training in the coming weeks with a return to the tour sometime after the Australian summer.” Dellacqua and partner Yaroslava Shvedova were women doubles finalists at both the French Open and the US Open in 2015. She also will miss the Hopman Cup, where she was to partner Lleyton Hewitt, and the Sydney International.
Jarmila Gajdosova has replaced Dellacqua on the Australian Gold Hopman Cup team. The 30-year-old Gajdosova will make her second appearance in the Hopman Cup. She played the event with Hewitt in 2012.
Also withdrawing from the competition with a leg injury was Gael Monfils. He was replaced by fellow Frenchman Kenny de Schepper.
Australia has two teams entered in the Hopman Cup. Playing on Australia’s Green team are Daria Gavrilova and Nick Kyrgios. Other teams and their players include: USA: Serena Williams and Jack Sock; Great Britain: Heather Watson and Andy Murray; France: Caroline Garcia and de Schepper; Czech Republic: Lucie Safarova and Jiri Vesely; Germany: Sabine Lisicki and Alexander Zverev; and Ukraine: Elina Svitolina and Alexandr Dolgopolov.
STEPPING DOWN
Dave Miley has stepped down as the International Tennis Federation’s Executive Director of Tennis Development. Miley, who was in the post for 24 years, played a key role in the development of tennis globally.
SUSPENDED
Alexandros Jakupovic has been handed a lifetime ban from tennis for match fixing. The Tennis Integrity Unit said the 34-year-old Jakupovic was found guilty of five charges under the sport’s anti-corruption program. Jakupovic played in two ATP Challenger tournament in 2015, losing both. He had a career-high ranked of 267th in the world in 2008 and has career earnings of $116,707. Details of how Jakupovic broke the rules were not made public.
SET FOR BOARD APPROVAL
Two former players – Mary Pierce of France and Mark Woodforde of Australia – have been appointed to four-year terms on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) board. The appointments are subject to ratification by the ITF Annual General Meeting in June. Pierce and Woodforde will join the other 13 board members alongside President David Haggerty. At last year’s general meeting in Santiago, Chile, the board approved a change to the ITF constitution mandating athlete representation on the board. Two players – one man and one woman – are appointed to the board to help the ITF have a better understanding of the players and their importance to the sport. “Their perspective and collaboration is very important to the ITF as we work to keep tennis strong and vibrant,” Haggerty said. “Both Mary and Mark will also lead the ITF’s Athlete Commission and will be members of the ITF Olympic Committee.” Ranked as high as third in the world, Pierce won singles titles at the 1995 Australian Open and 2000 Roland Garros, and reached the final at the US Open in 2005. Best known for doubles, where he teamed with Todd Woodbridge, Woodforde won 12 Grand Slam doubles titles and was a singles semifinalist at the 1996 Australian Open. The Woodies were inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHoF) and the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in 2010 and received the Philippe Chatrier Award, the ITF’s highest honor, in 2014.
SURFING
Perth: http://hopmancup.com/
Doha: www.qatartennis.org/
Brisbane: www.brisbaneinternational.com.au/
Chennai: www.aircelchennaiopen.org/2016/
Shenzhen: www.shenzhenopentennis.com/2016/chs/
Auckland: www.asbclassic.co.nz/
Sydney: www.apiainternational.com.au/
Hobart: www.hobartinternational.com.au/
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
MEN
$1,195,500 Qatar Exxonmobil Open, Doha, Qatar, hard
$511,825 Brisbane International presented by Suncorp, Brisbane, Australia, hard
$459,140 Aircel Chennai Open, Chennai, India, hard
WOMEN
$1,000,000 Brisbane International presented by Suncorp, Brisbane, Australia, hard
$500,000 Shenzhen Open, Shenzhen, China, hard
$250,000 ASB Classic, Auckland, New Zealand, hard
OTHER
Hopman Cup, Perth, Australia, hard
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
MEN
$514,345 ASB Classic, Auckland, New Zealand, hard
$511,825 Apia International Sydney, Sydney, Australia, hard
WOMEN
$226,750 Apia International Sydney, Sidney, Australia, hard
$226,750 Hobart International, Hobart, Australia, hard
