World Tennis Magazine

Unique Tennis Perspectives

Patrick Rafter

Who Has The Best Volley In Tennis History?

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Sergiy Stakhovsky’s upset win over Roger Federer on Centre Court at Wimbledon showcased some of the best serve-and-volley displays seen at the All England Club in years.

His volleying prowess against the 17-time major champion – and seven-time Wimbledon champion – stirred up a debate as to who had the best volleys in the history of the sport.

Steve Flink, the well-respected tennis journalist and observer, rates the best volleyers of all-time in his book THE GREATEST TENNIS MATCHES OF ALL TIME ($28.95, New Chapter Press, available here www.NewChapterMedia.com and where ever books are sold)

Flink’s rankings – for both men and women, forehand and backhand volley – are excerpted below.

 

FOREHAND VOLLEY

Men

1. JACK KRAMER The Californian believed fervently that a good offense would always overcome a tough defense. That is why he designed his game to go to the net whenever he had an opportunity. From close range, he was convinced that on a fast surface no one could stop him. Kramer volleyed phenomenally off both sides and had no weaknesses in the forecourt. But his forehand volley was the guiding light of his game, punched with not only control but power. He could handle the high forehand volley, dig out the low ones and close in tight to put away the sitters. Kramer did this better than anyone else.

2. JOHN NEWCOMBE The Australian’s philosophy was not far away from Kramer’s. He made his living at the net. He was comfortable and confident in that territory. He trusted his volley thoroughly. The seven-time Grand Slam singles titlist was quick to read the battle plan of his opponents whenever he was up at the net and was decisive in his execution, particularly on the forehand volley. Confronting great rivals like Laver and Rosewall, Newcombe knew he would have to make more than his share of difficult low forehand volleys. He was seldom found wanting in that department.

3. ROY EMERSON The reason this proud Australian captured no fewer than twenty-eight major titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles was because of his renowned fitness and his uncompromising serve-and-volley style. Emerson was a terrific athlete and once he got his hands on a volley, he was not often going to make a mistake. Emerson volleyed with firmness and conviction and he had an awfully good forehand volley that was one of his primary attributes as a player.

4. PATRICK RAFTER In his two U.S. Open championship runs, and his two journeys to the finals of Wimbledon, Rafter exhilarated the galleries in New York and London with the spring he had in his step. He would propel himself forward swiftly behind his kick serve to play his first volley—no one could surpass him in that endeavor. I will never forget Rafter’s forehand volley display in dissecting Michael Chang in the semifinals of the 1997 U.S. Open. Rafter cast aside Chang in straight sets and, in my mind’s eye, I still see him punching away one forehand volley after another with absolute assurance.

5. JOHN MCENROE The New Yorker did wondrous things on the volley, off either side. What I liked about his forehand volley was his incomparable feel. Not only would he make his signature drop volleys off that side, but his touch was so astounding that he could take the low forehand volley off his shoelaces and deposit it at impossible angles and improbable spots. He kept his volleys low, making it difficult for his rivals to pass him. McEnroe was inventive at the net, a master of finesse and a genius in many ways.

 

FOREHAND VOLLEY

Women

1. JANA NOVOTNA The 1998 Wimbledon champion became one of the most proficient players ever at the net. She was agile in the forecourt, her technique was excellent and she was decisive in her execution. I felt her forehand volley was the best ever among the women because she could punch it with speed, depth, and precision—and she did it all in textbook fashion.

2. LOUISE BROUGH The winner of six major singles titles, and another twenty-nine in doubles and mixed doubles, Brough was one of the great female players of the late 1940’s and 1950’s. The primary reason she was so successful was her prowess on the volley. She was solid off both sides. Her forehand volley was first rate. She could make the low forehand volley more regularly than just about anyone in her era.

3. MARTINA NAVRATILOVA Early in her career, the forehand volley could be a glaring weakness for Navratilova, but during the 1980’s she improved that shot significantly. From that juncture forward, it became almost technically flawless.

4. MARGARET COURT. In her heyday, Court was always among the best on the volley. She had remarkable range at the net, and it was exceedingly difficult for opponents to find openings to drive the ball past her with more than sporadic success. They nicknamed her “The Arm” because of her capacity to cover the net so thoroughly. Her forehand volley was exemplary in every way.

5. BILLIE JEAN KING Like Navratilova, King could have off days when her forehand volley would let her down. But the fact remains that, at her best, King could get down to make the forehand volley better than anyone. She was never lazy in her approach to volleying, sticking assiduously to the fundamentals and producing those volleys as if she had been born to make them. No one understood good technique on the volley better than the ever inquisitive King.

 

BACKHAND VOLLEY

Men

1. STEFAN EDBERG The Swede was his era’s best at the net, by a considerable margin. He was the quintessential serve-and-volleyer, with a heavy kick serve designed to allow Edberg to get exceedingly close to the net for his first volley. His forehand volley was awfully good, but his backhand volley was stupendous. Edberg was supremely confident on the backhand volley, which he could “stick” better than anyone. Either high or low on the backhand volley, Edberg always had all of the answers, displaying finesse, precision and the capacity to put it away whenever possible.

2. TONY ROCHE The formidable Australian’s backhand volley was virtually on a par with Edberg’s—some would say that Roche’s was even better. His shoulder turn and soundness were his enduring virtues as a player. No one wanted to allow Roche to hit that backhand volley if they had a choice because he invariably would keep the low ones deep and put the high ones away emphatically. Roche played the backhand volley with clinical efficiency.

3. KEN ROSEWALL While the understated Australian was more revered in some circles for his backhand ground stroke, the fact remains that his backhand volley was every bit as impressive. Rosewall altered his game when he left the amateur ranks and turned pro, realizing he had to approach the net more frequently. Once that change occurred, Rosewall put his stellar backhand volley on display with growing assurance. It was ineffably good.

4. ROD LAVER The two-time winner of the Grand Slam was spectacularly versatile, capable of taking his place alongside any of the great shot makers of all time. But I believe no one gave him the plaudits he deserved for his backhand volley. This deeply humble left-hander had good feel and great control on that side and he never wavered when he was set up for a backhand volley.

5. PETE SAMPRAS Over the second half of his career, the American became more committed to following his second serve in at almost all times. Sampras made serious strides in his ability to volley with the best in his business. He had a very good forehand volley as well, but his backhand volley was outstanding. Even when he was stretched out or reaching down to his shoelaces, he would make even the toughest backhand volleys look remarkably easy.

 

BACKHAND VOLLEY

Women

1. MARTINA NAVRATILOVA This outstanding left hander’s athleticism was displayed most convincingly when she was stationed up at the net. Her speed and anticipation was second to none and her long reach on the backhand volley was phenomenal. It seemed almost impossible to get a ball by her on that side. Navratilova could not only pound her volleys for winners at sharp angles but also could use her touch for some astounding drop volleys.

2. BILLIE JEAN KING Her technique and flair on the backhand volley was comparable to Navratilova’s. King had a much better backhand than forehand off the ground. On the volley she was highly skilled off both sides, but her backhand volley was more of a weapon. She would knife it away with total conviction, go down the line as well as crosscourt and her footwork and forward movement was outstanding.

3. EVONNE GOOLAGONG Goolagong was very comfortable at the net, relishing the challenge to end points with her dazzling athleticism and staggering grace. Goolagong’s backhand volley was awesome. Navratilova and King were more adept at making the low volley in many ways, but Goolagong was the best on high backhand volleys and backhand overheads. She would leave audiences gasping when she played that shot.

4. MARIA BUENO The Brazilian’s elegance and grace were reminiscent of Goolagong. This fierce competitor hit a heavy ball off the ground, but her forte was the volley. Bueno had wonderful touch and vision at the net, which made her such an estimable grass court player. She knew exactly what to do with the backhand volley and had one of the best ever.

5. VIRGINIA WADE The winner of three singles majors on grass courts—including Wimbledon in 1977—Wade possessed a terrific first serve. It was among the most potent of her time and she followed it in persistently. Up at the net, she was comfortable and usually in command, exhibiting very good lateral movement. Her backhand volley was first rate. Wade could knife that shot crosscourt with extraordinary regularity.

Stefan Edberg
Stefan Edberg

Why I published “The Wimbledon final that never was…”

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Since I took over as Managing Partner of New Chapter Press in 2007, I have been fortunate to have published some classic and famed tennis titles. The re-issued memoir of Rod Laver, THE EDUCATION OF A TENNIS PLAYER, as well as Bud Collins’ tennis encyclopedia THE BUD COLLINS HISTORY OF TENNIS are probably my most well-known and prestigious titles. However, I have a very special and unique feeling of pride for my most recent release, the memoir of 1931 Wimbledon champion Sidney Wood called THE WIMBLEDON FINAL THAT NEVER WAS…AND OTHER TENNIS TALES OF A BYGONE ERA.

Randy Walker & Sidney Wood

It certainly was a risky proposition to publish a book about a man who is no longer living and of whom many people — outside of real tennis insiders and historians — have probably never heard of. However this title, as you will read below, was for me worth the risk. The tale of this man and how he won Wimbledon 80 years ago – as well as the stories of his life and times as a player and a citizen of the game – is something that just had to be preserved. The man who wrote these tales had to be honored and these stories need to be kept alive for future generations to enjoy If you ever had the privilege of meeting Sidney Wood when he was alive, you would know what I mean.

I first met Sidney Wood in 1999 at the USA vs. Australia Davis Cup quarterfinal at the Longwood Cricket Club just outside of Boston. It was the Centennial Celebration in the 100th year of Davis Cup and the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) invited every living U.S. Davis Cupper to this celebration. It was at this special occasion where I also had my first and only meeting with Don Budge, the man who won the first Grand Slam of tennis in 1938.

The United States team went down 0-2 after the first days’ singles matches as both Todd Martin and Jim Courier lost to Lleyton Hewitt and Patrick Rafter, respectively. As the USTA’s Davis Cup team press officer, I had to conjure up the statistic that the United States had only come back from 0-2 down one time in long and storied Davis Cup existence. That year was 1934 and, by golly, one of the men on that team was there in attendance at Longwood – none other than Sidney Wood.

While at the USTA, my philosophy was always to try to bring the history of Davis Cup and tennis into modern scope of the game so I thought I would seek out Wood and get some quotes for the media from him about the comeback and if he thought the USA could do it again. I found Sidney in the clubhouse at the historic club and introduced myself to him, turned on my tape recorder and let him talk. Sidney just overflowed with enthusiasm and was friendly, outgoing, liked to joke and I warmed up to him immediately. I instantly liked this person and was enraptured by his tale of he and Frank Shields helping the United States team come back from 0-2 down to beat Australasia.

This man was so entertaining and full of energy for a 87-year-old that I just had to let more of the world know about this kind and bubbly gentleman. In addition to being a member of this unique U.S. Davis Cup team in 1934, Sidney was best known as the man who Wimbledon without playing a shot, claiming the 1931 title at the All England Club when Shields, his friend, doubles partner, roommate and Davis Cup teammate – and the grandfather to Brooke Shields – defaulted the final with a knee injury, on pressure – or orders – from the USTA in order to save himself for the Davis Cup matches with Great Britain two weeks later. (Thus the title of the book being THE WIMBLEDON FINAL THAT NEVER WAS…)

I pitched the good people at ESPN if they want to interview Sidney during the broadcast of the Saturday doubles match and they obliged. Early in the second set of the doubles match between Pete Sampras and Alex O’Brien and Sandon Stolle and Mark Woodforde, I was to bring Sidney courtside where we were to meet MaliVai Washington, then doing the side-line reporting for ESPN. MaliVai instructed Sidney what he was going to ask and that he was going place his arm around him with his hand on his back. He said that when he needed Sidney to wrap it up and stop talking, he would start tapping him in the back. When Cliff Drysdale and Fred Stolle turned the program over to MaliVai courtside for the interview, Sidney was his usual charming, enthusiastic self, recounting the circumstances of the great U.S. team comeback victory from 1934. Sidney, however, had probably never been interviewed on live television and didn’t know how to speak in sound bites, just recalling his tale in long details. After several minutes, I could see MaliVai repeatedly slapping Sidney on the back, trying to encourage him to quickly wrap up his story. I think Sidney really enjoyed being in the spotlight for that moment and I had made a new friend.

Sidney and I continued to stay in touch. I always loved getting calls from him, sharing his writings with me, sending me information on his business interests and sharing his stories from yesteryear and his perspectives on the modern game. Pretty much every year at the US Open, I would spend a little time with him – also at Wimbledon in 2002 when I ran into him at the Wimbledon Museum.

The last time I saw Sidney was at the USA vs. Sweden Davis Cup quarterfinal in Delray Beach, Fla. in 2004. Early in the week, he invited me to visit him at his home in Palm Beach, which I did, and we lunched at the nearby Bath and Tennis Club. During the official Davis Cup dinner, he had a fun conversation with Andy Roddick, encouraging the reigning US Open champion to work more on his volley and come to net more. Bud Collins, always sensing historical moments, aggressively worked with me to set up photo opportunities with Sidney with all players in the room who had won major titles – in that case Roddick, Swedish Davis Cup captain Mats Wilander and his team member Tomas Johansson.

When I left the USTA in 2005, I always thought about calling Sidney and meeting up with him either in Florida or his summer residence in Southampton, N.Y. and bring a tape recorder and just document all of the stories and observations he had. He was a treasure of information and the only person still alive who could tell the tales of the great players from his era – Bill Tilden, Rene Lacoste, Don Budge, etc.

Unfortunately, I never got that chance as in January of 2009, I learned of his passing. About a year later, I got a phone call from David Wood, one of Sidney’s sons, who, on the advice of Bud Collins, wanted to inquire my interest in publishing his father’s writings. As mentioned, to publish a book written by someone who is no longer living about an era of sports where very few people are alive to reminisce about would not appear to be a proper business decision. However, I felt like I had to publish this book to honor this enthusiastic fun-loving man with such interesting stories about this “bygone” era of tennis.

David presented me with his father’s writings, which came in all sorts of different forms – some items were typed with an old typewriter, others were hand-written on paper with faded pencil, while even more with a primitive type-set and some in the form of tape-recordings. I was not even sure if there was even a book that could be pieced together based on what I had.

However, the content was compiled, chapters were put in order and placed like pieces of a puzzle into a book. At first, we were excited that we could put together a book, with enough interesting content to fill about 200 pages. As we saw the book laid out into book form, with chapters, photos and a flow of content, a real sense of accomplishment came over us. The content, in some way, really came alive and all the people who were involved in the creation of the book – editors, proof-readers, designers, etc. – all remarked what a fantastically colorful and entertaining book this was. I hope by reading this column, you will log onto Amazon.com and buy the book or go to your local bookstore and order it and find out for yourself. (Click the link to buy “The Wimbledon final that never was…” on amazon.com)

David Wood told me that it was always his father’s dream to be published. I know Sidney is smiling and chuckling with pride somewhere that his stories are now available for all to read.

French frustrations

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By Sidney Wood

The following is an excerpt from the newly-published memoir of 1931 Wimbledon champion and International Tennis Hall of Fame member Sidney Wood called “THE WIMBLEDON FINAL THAT NEVER WAS…AND OTHER TENNIS TALES FROM BYGONE ERA” ($19.95, New Chapter Press, available for sale here: http://amzn.to/lKh90E)

It is curious to notice that a surprising number of the sport’s all-time greats have the Roland Garros jewel missing from their crown of Grand Slam tournament achievements.

Roland Garros

The sluggish courts of crushed red brick at the French Championships have been a frustrating obstacle to master for numerous Hall of Famers and have denied many a tennis legend from entering its winner’s circle. For a number of frequently less renowned French winners, the victory has brought them a slice of tennis immortality, though their basically backcourt play has inhibited their chances at any of the other three faster-court majors.

Because the French Championship has been such a thorn in the side of so many four-Slam aspirants, I’d like to expound a bit on why so many top-ranked stars have failed to make the grade. A victory at Roland Garros is of sovereign importance if one is to attain the Olympian summit of tennis of winning all four major titles in a single year – the Grand Slam – a feat only achieved by two men, first by Don Budge in 1938 and again by Rod Laver in 1962 and again in 1969. For those who might be uncertain why the French is a different ballgame from the other three majors, it should be explained that its playing surface is not what is often mistakenly referred to as “clay” but a fine grit measurably slower-thanits-American-cousin Har-Tru. Roland Garros always played slow, but after a rain shower – Wow!

Multiple major tournament winners thwarted in their quest for the French title include such grass and hard court powerhouses as John Newcombe, Bobby Riggs, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras and Patrick Rafter; and though I may possibly end up at risk with certain of my peers, I am impelled to hazard these comments as to why certain other high-echelon strivers failed to bring home le jambon.

Connors had marvelously flat and accurate ground strokes, so strong on “normal” surfaces, but at Roland Garros they would lose their zip. Could he have compromised by rolling a few and hanging in there with occasional volleying sallies?

Becker fired nothing but howitzers in France, where everyone gets an extra step to reach their salvos. McEnroe had nearly all it took, but the slow stuff doused much of his first-serve fire and his chip-and-run-in style tended to set him up for passing shots. Edberg and Rafter were both great serve-and-volley whizzes who didn’t get quite enough on their deliveries in Paris to force the floater returns they could put away on grass and hard courts. Stefan made it to a final in 1989 but couldn’t quite muzzle the passing shots of the extraordinary prodigy Michael Chang. Lastly, and particularly puzzling to me, there’s Sampras. Pete’s normally devastating serve and forehand lost a lot of clout on the slow-mo French clay. He was never convinced that no matter how exasperating, it was a no-win game unless he could have cut down the pace and worked the rallies until he got one to clobber or go in on. Losing to Andrei Medvedev in the second round in 1999, Sampras said, “On every surface it’s natural instinct. Sometimes on clay my instinct is not the right call. Maybe it’s best to stay back, maybe it’s best to take a little off my serve and come in on the next shot. I get into a hole, and I want to serve my way out of holes. On clay, you just can’t do that.”

You’ll hear it from past champions who’ve garnered a French victory en-route to other triumphs: until a Grand-Slam event winner hammers out a French win, he hasn’t yet earned the privilege of sharing the unique luster of those who have.

12 years ago Wednesday: Roger Federer makes Grand Slam debut

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It was 12 years ago on May 25, 1999 that Roger Federer made his Grand Slam debut. The man who would go on to win more major singles titles than any man in tennis history drew Patrick Rafter of Australia in the opening round of the 1999 French Open. Federer, who plays Maxime Teixeira of France in the French Open second round Wednesday, was defeated by Rafter, but played well enough to impress the reigning two-time US Open champion. The following is the excerpt from the book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY by Randy Walker ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com)

Roger Federer

The following – Ranked No. 111 in the world, 17-year-old Roger Federer plays in his first main draw match at a major tournament at the French Open, losing to two-time reigning U.S. Open champion Patrick Rafter of Australia 5-7, 6-3, 6-0, 6-2. Writes Rene Stauffer in the book The Roger Federer Story, Quest for Perfection, “He (Roger) jumped out to win the first set against the world’s No. 3-ranked player who then was at the peak of his career. However, the sun came out and the conditions became warmer and faster. The clay courts dried out and balls moved much faster through the court. The Australian’s attacking serve-and-volley style seemed to run on automatic and he won in four sets. ‘The young man from Switzerland could be one of the people who will shape the next ten years,’ the French sports newspaper L’Equipe wrote during the tournament. Rafter shared the same opinion. “The boy impressed me very much,” he said. “If he works hard and has a good attitude, he could become an excellent player.’”

Expanded, Re-Formatted Champions Series Tennis Circuit to Debut in Fall

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InsideOut Sports + Entertainment today announced an expanded and re-formatted Champions Series tennis circuit starting in 2011 with one-night events in 12 North American markets played this fall.

Each new Champions Series event will feature a field of four major champions competing in a one-night shootout tournament with two semifinal matches followed immediately by a championship match. Players will compete for ranking points and a prize money bonus pool for the top three finishers on the circuit. Information on venues, dates, player fields, sponsors, ticket information and television airings will be announced in the coming months.

Jim Courier

The Champions Series is a New York-based tennis circuit for champion tennis players over the age of 30 run by InsideOut Sports + Entertainment, co-owned and operated by former SFX executive Jon Venison and former world No. 1 Jim Courier.

“The new version of the Champions Series will be more impactful with one-night powerhouse events allowing a wider audience to experience this special brand of tennis,” said Venison. “Players will be able to play in two or three markets over one weekend in the same amount of time they would spend in one city with the prior multi-day tournament format of the circuit. Additionally, with the condensed fall schedule, fans will be able to more easily follow the season from start to finish.”

Since its debut in 2005, the Champions Series has held 32 tournaments around the world featuring players such as Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Stefan Edberg, Bjorn Borg, Marat Safin, Michael Chang, Patrick Rafter and Courier.

“The Champions Series is the perfect way for me to stay involved in the sport that has given me so much,” said Agassi. “Competing against my peers in this new format is going to be exciting and an ideal way to connect with the tennis fans who have long supported me and the sport all across North America.”

“With this new one-night tournament schedule fans will be certain to see four immensely popular players playing in every one of these events,” said Courier. “When you put this level of champions together in these type of tournaments with money and ranking points on the line, you know you’re going to see some fireworks.”

In addition to the newly re-formatted Champions Series circuit, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment will also continue to run International Champions Series events.

CHAMPIONS SERIES VIDEO FOOTAGE
The Champions Series video page features exclusive behind the scenes footage of events and candid player chats. Videos can be seen at http://www.championsseriestennis.com/video.php

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InsideOut Sports + Entertainment is a New York City-based independent producer of proprietary events and promotions founded in 2004 by former world No. 1 and Hall of Fame tennis player Jim Courier and former SFX and Clear Channel executive Jon Venison. In 2005, InsideOut launched its signature property, the Champions Series, a collection of tournaments featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including “Legendary Night” exhibitions, charity events, corporate outings and tennis fantasy camps such as the annual “Ultimate Fantasy Camp”. Through 2009, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment events have raised over $4 million for charity.

For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Federer Routs Agassi

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WorldTennisMagazine.com takes a look back at ATP World Tour Finals from yester-year in this special series – ATP World Tour Final Rewind. Today we look back to an epic match from November 16, as excerpted from the book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com)

Roger Federer & Andre Agassi

2001 – Twenty-year-old Lleyton Hewitt clinches the No. 1 year-end ranking, becoming the youngest player to accomplish the feat in the history of the ATP rankings since 1973. Hewitt clinches the ranking when he defeats fellow Aussie Patrick Rafter 7-5, 6-2 in his final round-robin match at the Tennis Masters Cup in Sydney, Australia. Hewitt’s victory, coupled with the loss of Gustavo Kuerten to Yevgeny Kafelnikov, ensures the top year-end ranking for the Adelaide, Australia native.  Says Hewitt, the first Australian to finish the year ranked No. 1, “It’s an unbelievable feeling. To become No.1 at 20 years of age, and to do it in Australia, you couldn’t have written a better dream.” Hewitt, at 20 years, 8 months, is younger than the previous year-end No. 1 Jimmy Connors, at 22 years, 3 months, in 1974.

1997 – Pete Sampras wins the year-end ATP Tour Championships for a fourth time, defeating Russia’s Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in Hannover, Germany. Sampras becomes the first player to win the season-ending championships for a second consecutive year since Ivan Lendl in 1986 and 1987.

2003 – Roger Federer routs Andre Agassi 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 to win the year-end ATP Masters Cup for the first time in his career. Playing at the West Side Tennis Club in Houston, Texas, Federer fires 11 aces in the 88-minute match that is delayed two-and-a-half hours due to rain. “It was one of the best matches for me this season,” Federer says. “I’m very happy how the whole year went, especially this tournament. I worked hard this year. You always have ups and downs but I feel this season has been complete.”

FEDERER BEGINS FRENCH OPEN DEFENSE WITH EASY WIN

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Roger Federer kicked off the defense of his French Open crown Monday defeating Peter Luczak, an Australian residing in Sweden, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 in 1:48 minutes of play.

Federer, the world No. 1, committed only 11 unforced errors, lost only 14 of the 64 points played on his service and offered only one break point to his opponent early in the game.

“I have not had missed on my first serve,” Federer said about his first set. “Then it was easier for me, he was overplaying. I’ve been able to release me. At the end of the game, I played great depreciated. It was a perfect match to start my Roland Garros .

He will face Alejandro Falla of Colombia in the second round.

By winning last year at Roland Garros, Federer had won the only Grand Slam title missing from his trophy case, becoming only the sixth player to complete a career Grand Slam.

It is only the second time in nine years that Federer arrives in Paris without a title won on clay. But the Swiss winner of 16 Grand Slam tournaments has shown no weakness in his game against Australia’s 71st world that has lost its fourth game in four appearances at Roland Garros.

Federer is playing his 44th career Grand Slam tournament. Tuesday will mark the 11th anniversary of his first career Grand Slam main draw match, as documented below in the book “ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY” by Randy Walker ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com).

May 25, 1999 – Ranked No. 111 in the world, 17-year-old Roger Federer plays in his first main draw match at a major tournament at the French Open, losing to two-time reigning U.S. Open champion Patrick Rafter of Australia 5-7, 6-3, 6-0, 6-2. Writes Rene Stauffer in the book The Roger Federer Story, Quest for Perfection, “He (Roger) jumped out to win the first set against the world’s No. 3-ranked player who then was at the peak of his career. However, the sun came out and the conditions became warmer and faster. The clay courts dried out and balls moved much faster through the court. The Australian’s attacking serve-and-volley style seemed to run on automatic and he won in four sets. ‘The young man from Switzerland could be one of the people who will shape the next ten years,’ the French sports newspaper L’Equipe wrote during the tournament. Rafter shared the same opinion. “The boy impressed me very much,” he said. “If he works hard and has a good attitude, he could become an excellent player.’”

ROGER FEDERER’S GRAND SLAM DEBUT AT THE 1999 FRENCH OPEN

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Roger Federer is playing in his 44th career Grand Slam tournament at the 2010 French Open. He is the most prolific winner of major titles, winning a record 16 major singles titles and has reached at least the semifinals of his last 23 major tournaments.

Federer’s Grand Slam tournament debut came at the French Open in 1999 at the age of 17, when he drew world No. 3 in Patrick Rafter. Rene Stauffer, in his book THE ROGER FEDERER STORY: QUEST FOR PERFECTION ($24.95, New Chapter Press, www.NewChapterMedia.com) documents this important beginning in tennis history in this exclusive book excerpt below.

At the time, Federer was an inconsistent player with the fascinating repertoire of strokes. He still had trouble concentrating and often couldn’t find his way to winning matches, despite his technical superiority. This was especially the case in matches that exceeded three sets, where stamina, patience and tactical maturity—not brilliance—were required. He became irritated when the wind and weather altered playing conditions and when fans moved in the grandstands.

However, he consistently proved that he had everything it took to compete with the pros—indoors or outdoors—regardless of court surfaces. This proved to be the case on the clay courts at Roland Garros, where the 17-year-old made his main draw Grand Slam tournament debut as the youngest competitor in the men’s field. In his first-round match, Federer drew Patrick Rafter, the Australian two-time US Open champion. He jumped out to win the first

set against the world’s No. 3-ranked player who then was at the peak of his career. However, the sun came out and the conditions became warmer and faster. The clay courts dried out and balls moved much faster through the court. The Australian’s attacking serve-and-volley style seemed to run on automatic and he won in four sets.

“The young man from Switzerland could be one of the people who will shape the next ten years,” the French sports newspaper L’Equipe wrote during the tournament. Rafter shared the same opinion. “The boy impressed me very much,” he said. “If he works hard and has a good attitude, he could become an excellent player.” Asked at a press conference what he was still lacking to beat such players, Federer said, “I just have to mature.”

PHILIPPOUSSIS, MELIGENI EACH ADVANCE TO FIRST CHAMPIONS SERIES FINAL

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, March 13 – – Mark Philippoussis of Australia and Fernando Meligeni of Brazil each advanced into their first career Champions Series tournament final Saturday with semifinal victories at the $150,000 Banco Cruzerio do Sul Rio Champions Cup. Philippoussis defeated former world No. 1 Mats Wilander of Sweden 6-3, 6-4, while Meligeni defeated Wayne Ferreira of South Africa 7-5, 2-6, 10-2 (Champions Tie-Breaker). The Banco Cruzeiro do Sul Rio Champions Cup is the opening event on the 2010 Champions Series tennis circuit, the U.S.-based international tennis circuit for champion tennis players age 30 and over.

Champions Series Tennis
Champions Series Tennis

Sunday’s final, with a $60,000 first prize check on the line as well as 800 Champions Series ranking points, will be a rematch of a round-robin match from last year’s event in Rio, won by Philippoussis 6-4, 3-6, 11-9 (Champions Tie-Breaker).

“I expect a fun match against Meligeni,” said Philippoussis. “It is going to be a great atmosphere, playing against him here in Brazil. I know what he is going to do. He is going to try to make me run all around the court, to both sides and I know I won’t be doing it. I will play my way.”

Philippoussis, 33, first joined the Champions Series circuit in 2007 after tearing the lateral meniscus in his right knee while attempting to return to the ATP World Tour earlier in the year at the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia. He was unable to play competitive tennis in 2008, due to continued knee problems, but returned to the Champions Series in 2009, with a third-place finish in Grand Cayman being his best result to date. During his ATP World Tour career, he was a singles finalist at Wimbledon in 2003, losing to Roger Federer, marking Federer’s first career major tournament victory. He was also a finalist at the U.S. Open in 1998, losing to countryman Patrick Rafter.

“This is my first final in the Champions Series and I haven’t had these many matches in a long time, so the more I play, the better it is for me, but it feels really good to win,” said Philippoussis, who has been enjoying time surfing off the beaches of Rio when not competing this week. “My body is feeling good and that is what matters for me and that I am having fun on the court.”

Meligeni, who will turn 39 on April 12, is from Sao Paulo, Brazil and is a local wild card into the event. He reached the semifinals of the French Open in 1999 and finished in fourth place at the 1996 Olympic Games, falling to Leander Paes in the bronze medal match. He did pick up a medal seven years later, in the final match of his career defeating Marcelo Rios in the gold medal match at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Against Ferreira, Meligeni rode the wave of the highly energetic and partisan home crowd to win the hard-fought nail-bitter on the fast indoor court at the Maracanãzinho Stadium.

“When I got here I felt like an outsider, among so many great champions, number ones, top 10s and now I am in the final,” said the left-handed Brazilian. “In tennis sometimes, when you don’t lose in the first round and you don’t have a great day, you have the chance to come back the next day and turn things around. That is what I did today. I played good tennis, had fun on the court and I knew that if I could win the first set, I would have a better chance, because Wayne is in better physical condition than I am.”

In his quarterfinal match early Friday against Mikael Pernfors, Meligeni said after losing the first set, that quitting competitive tennis entered his mind, before surging back to win the match in a first-to-ten-points Champions Tie-Breaker, played in lieu of a third set.

Said Meligeni after his win Friday over Pernfors, “It wasn’t a usual performance for me, as I am used to being much more relaxed on court and having more fun with the crowd, but this is very, very competitive and we both wanted to win and I had to find a way to be the winner. You could tell that Pernfors wasn’t very happy when he left the court.”

Tickets for the event can still be purchased by calling 5521-3005-4023 or on www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com Sunday’s schedule begins at 11 am with the third-place match between Wilander and Ferreira, followed by the singles final between Philippoussis and Meligeni.

Jim Courier finished the 2009 season as the top-ranked player on the Champions Series, followed by Pete Sampras and Todd Martin. John McEnroe won the inaugural Rio Champions Cup in 2009, defeating Courier 6-2, 6-3 in the final. The full 2010 Champions Series schedule of tournaments will be announced in the near future. The first tournament in the United States – the Staples Champions Cup – will be held April 29-May 2 in Boston, Mass., and will feature Bjorn Borg playing in his first tournament in the U.S. in 10 years.

InsideOut Sports + Entertainment is a New York City-based independent producer of proprietary events and promotions founded in 2004 by former world No. 1 and Hall of Fame tennis player Jim Courier and former SFX and Clear Channel executive Jon Venison. In 2005, InsideOut launched its signature property, the Champions Series tennis circuit, a collection of tournaments featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including “Legendary Night” exhibitions, charity events, corporate outings and tennis fantasy camps such as the annual “Ultimate Fantasy Camp”. Through 2009, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment events have raised over $4 million for charity. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

CHAMPIONS SERIES ON VIDEO

The Champions Series video page features exclusive behind the scenes footage of events and candid player interviews. Videos can be seen at http://www.championsseriestennis.com/video.php

WTA TOUR COULD RETURN TO DELRAY BEACH, FLA

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By Charles Bricker

Could the women’s tennis tour return to seaside, holiday-maker paradise Delray Beach, Fla., where it once was a highly desirable venue 15 years ago?

The idea isn’t even on the back burner of anyone at the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, but it’s beginning to smoulder on the back burner of Mark Baron’s brain, and Baron, tournament director of the ATP 250 that began in Delray on Monday, has a history of bringing his ideas to fruition.

“I love to throw stuff at the wall and see if it sticks,” Baron said. “My concept is to have three tournaments all together — a women’s event, the ATP Champions and this ATP tournament.”

Serena Williams
Serena Williams

It was almost exactly one year ago that Baron, walking the grounds of the Delray Beach Tennis Center on the free first day of qualifying, pondered how he could put paying customers in the stands on a sunny weekend day in late February in South Florida.

Something clicked on upstairs. What about Jim Courier’s international tour of 30- and 40-year old former Grand Slam winners and finalists. He said he phoned Courier with the concept and they had a verbal agreement to run a four-day event, beginning on Saturday and finishing on Tuesday night.

That would create a huge attendance boost for four days on which there was previously either no paying fans or (Monday and Tuesday) a couple of days where there are historically small crowds.

He then phoned the ATP office in London to get the dual tournaments sanctioned and found out that the ATP was planning a former champions tour of its own. He settled on the ATP group because the logistics seemed better — both events being run by the ATP.

This past weekend, while qualifying for the regular tour International Tennis Championships played out on the outside courts, John McEnroe, Patrick Rafter, Mats Wilander, Pat Cash, Aaron Krickstein, Johan Kriek, Andres Gomez and Ronald Agenor pulled in about 4,500 fans each day.

This morning, Baron leaned back in a chair in his office, smiling at the success of his marketing coup and looking forward to a second year in 2011. By 2013, he said, he wants to add the WTA to the mix.

The women would play the first week, overlapping the start of the Champions group and giving Baron additional revenue by adding two WTA semis to the calendar. The Champions then would overlap the men, who would begin on Monday.

The old Virginia Slims WTA tournament at Delray was a big-time tournament. In the 12 years it was played, Steffi Graf won it six times and Gabriela Sabatini and Chris Evert three times each. It was a great convenience for all three. Graf and Evert had homes in nearby Boca Raton and Sabatini lived in Miami.

It couldn’t be lost on Baron that Venus and Serena Williams live in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., about a 20-minute drive from the Delray Beach Tennis Center. Could this be their hometown tournament?

There’s a very long distance to travel between the back burner in Baron’s brain and placement of a new or transferred tournament on the WTA calendar. But when Baron throws something at the wall, he usually coats in with super glue.

Charles Bricker can be reached at nflwriterr@aol.com

LINDSEY VONN LOVES FEDERER, BUT NEEDS TO STUDY SAMPRAS

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Superstar skier Lindsey Vonn is a big fan of Roger Federer.

The darling of the U.S. Olympic team and the Sport Illustrated cover girl, however, needs to take note of a past performance from Pete Sampras in order to achieve ultimate Olympic glory.

Vonn, an avid tennis player and fan who attended Wimbledon this past year, is a strong favorite to win multiple medals at the Vancouver Games, including the signature women’s alpine event, the downhill. But Vonn revealed this week that a painful shin injury may actually prevent her from competing or, at least, ski at her gold-medal contending best.

Vonn, as seen in his NBC Olympics video – http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/assetid=a4f47035-a328-48ea-9e6a-33d62364d0dd.html#vonn+never+fed – gushes about tennis and Federer, but she should study back a few more years in the history of Wimbledon to draw inspiration for what will be a painful attempt at Olympic glory.

Pete Sampras also suffered from painful shin injury entering Wimbledon in 2000, where he was attempting to break Roy Emerson’s record of 12 Grand Slam men’s singles titles. Like Vonn, Sampras had fluid build-up in his shins and was in considerable pain. He was unable to practice – only hitting balls during his matches – and during off days, stayed off his feet and received treatment to try to alleviate the pain. Taking pain medication before playing his matches, Sampras went through the draw and gutted out a tough four-set win over Patrick Rafter in the final to win what was his seventh, and perhaps most courageous, Wimbledon title to break Emerson’s record.

Vonn and her fans will certainly hope she can “pull a Sampras” and win gold for the USA.

CLIJSTERS SAVES MATCH POINTS, BEATS HENIN IN BRISBANE FINAL

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In the all-Belgian final of the Brisbane International, it was Kim Clijsters who did not waffle.

Clijsters hung on to win a momentum-swinging final at the Patrick Rafter Arena in a vintage finish Saturday in Justine Henin’s tour comeback. Clijsters, only five tournaments into her own comeback which has already netted the U.S. Open title, saved two match points and then wasted three before winning 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (6) over the seven-time Grand Slam titlist.

Clijsters started strongly and led by a set and 4-1 before Henin staged a dramatic rally.

Henin, playing in the top tier for the first time since she quit while holding the No. 1 ranking in May 2008, won eight of the next nine games to take a 3-0 lead in the third.

Clijsters rallied to 3-3, then gave up a break and gave Henin match points in the 10th game.

She held her nerve and, 15 minutes later, held her arms in the air, celebrating what she thought was a championship-winning backhand down the line in the tiebreaker when the umpire overruled.

Henin got back to 6-6 in the tiebreaker but then double-faulted to give Clijsters a fourth match point. She made no mistake this time, with a forehand that Henin couldn’t get.

“Huh, what a match!” Clijsters told the crowd. “I think we set the bar pretty high for ourselves for the rest of the year.

“It’s a great tournament to start the year with. I couldn’t be happier with myself.”

The top-seeded Clijsters closed Henin’s lead in career head-to-heads to 12-11, ending the three-match winning streak that Henin had in 2006 — maintaining a sequence in which no player won more than three straight.

Clijsters took more than two years off the tour and got married to American Brian Lynch and had a daughter, Jada, in February 2008.

She was only three tournaments into a comeback when she won the U.S. Open in September and became the first mother to win a major since Evonne Goolagong Cawley at Wimbledon in 1980.