Foot Fault!

Calling all the lines of professional tennis

An Few Questions.

7 Comments Posted by on February 5, 2013

It’s strange to think that just a few months ago, about the only real coverage or mere mention of doping in tennis came via the long-standing website Tennis Has A Steroid Problem. Though I certainly didn’t agree with everything in it, the site was a must-read because it asked the questions that desperately needed to be asked and discussed what needed to be discussed.

Suddenly, in this unfamiliar post-Armstrong and post-Fuentes world, such questions and discussion on doping have conversely become difficult to avoid. Most recently in the form of an interesting article which touches on an unnamed female Croatian player or resident banned from the tour:

Doctor Luis Garcia del Moral is best known for setting up the doping system for the US Postal cycling team, he also had more than a decade of guiding tennis players at the Spanish TenisVal Academy. A tennis player my former company managed went to train at TenisVal some years ago – breaking her contract to do so. She returned to Croatia leaner, stronger and with notable skin irritations. It came as no surprise that a random drugs test found her to have taken anabolic steroids, amongst other banned drugs. She received a 6 month ban and went back on tour. The governing body of tennis, the ITF, were informed fully of what had happened, yet in the 6 years that have passed nothing has happened.

Naturally, I automatically put on my imaginary detective hat and began perusing t’Internet for Croatian players absent from the tour somewhere around mid-2006 or 2007. The only 2006 year-end top 500 player to fall into this category was actually the one whose name immediately sprung to mind due to the 10 month (initially estimated 6 months) injury break she took in April 2007; everyone’s favourite ball-pummeler (and Marcos Baghdatis’ wife), Karolina Sprem. Still, there is no available information that links Sprem to the TennisVal academy or Moore’s old company, so the player in question could possibly be a non-Croatian national.

Of course, the identity of the player in question is largely irrelevant. What is interesting is that this article touches on a female professional player failing a drugs test, being banned for six months and the ITF being aware of the case. Despite that fact, no Croatian player or resident has been publicly banned in or around this period. It certainly doesn’t appear on their anti-doping page. Who is this player and why hasn’t the ITF released this information?

Doping

Agnes Szavay Ponders Retirement

1 Comment Posted by on February 4, 2013

After nearly five years of chronic back issues, it appears the sad career of 24 year-old Agnes Szavay will likely be coming to an end as she makes the final decision between risky surgery or retirement. So says the Hungarian media:

According to the news Szavay will decide within days: she’ll choose to either continue her career (despite) the risks associated with surgery or a more relaxed and pain-free life. True, for the time being she cannot even imagine what to do with his life without the sport (she has played) since the age of five.

The timeline of Szavay’s career – if her brief cameo on the WTA can even be called such a thing – is borderline depressing. It was 2007 that she broke through on the WTA as a bright 18 year old with huge talent and even huger, flowing swings with a penchant for delicate variety. She announced herself as even a possible slam champion after that meteoric rise from outside of the top 200 in January 2007 to number 20 by year’s end, reaching a slam quarterfinal and capturing one-and-a-half (the half being her retirement to Kuznetsova whilst a set up in the New Haven final) Tier II titles plus a further lower WTA title in the process.

Already by 2008 she was forced to re-work and shorten her service motion due to the emergence of these back issues, robbing her of one of her prime weapons. After continued back pain in the years that followed, it was in 2011 that she broke down in tears whilst explaining to reporters that the vertebral stress fractures in her back had been discovered too late. Since then, her only presence on the WTA has been only a couple of failed comeback attempts – most recently last year between the London Olympics and US Open. The option of surgery has been on the table since 2011 but she was rightfully hesitant and has since attempted just about every other possible avenue of recovery.

Now it seems surgery is the only option. Despite the great loss her presence and beautiful style of tennis is to the WTA, I personally hope she decides to hang up her racket if there is any possibility that the surgery could worsen her back and have repercussions in her regular life. But, hey, my name isn’t Agnes Szavay. We’ll soon see which decision she comes to.

Agnes Szavay, Injuries, WTA, WTA off-court

Bernard Tomic Loses License, Remains An Endless Source Of Entertainment

1 Comment Posted by on January 29, 2013

Everyone’s favourite future greatest player of all time-slash-adrenaline junkie has once again been caught up with the law, this time losing his license after speeding whilst on probation. Not sure which is funnier – that it took him barely over a month after being placed on probation to land himself back in trouble; the fact that he made such a big deal over selling his obnoxiously orange BMW, only to replace it with an even more obnoxious yellow Ferrari with a ‘Sincity’ number plate; or else his tear-stained pleas to a reporter upon the arrival of the media: “I represent you guys. I play for this country. Yet you pick on me.” Keep on keepin’ on, Bernie T.

ATP Off Court, Bernard Tomic, Video Vault

Quotable Quotes of the day: Dimitrov’s Date With Federer, Petkovic update, Djokovic’s turning point

Leave a Comment Posted by on January 29, 2013

Grigor Dimitrov on Federer comparisions:

“We recently had lunch together in Australia. We spoke a lot about this issue and straightened it out. The good thing was that we agree.”

David Nalbandian indirectly referencing Delpo’s DC absence

“When you have to represent the country, we must try to be. I played with 20 or more partners, with five captains, and was always available to represent the country, more than anything”

Andrea Petkovic on her knee surgery and (fourth) comeback:

“I was now just one week at Klaus Eder in Regensburg to rehab and have already made ​​great progress. I have hardly any pain and you almost can’t that I had surgery – except for a little swelling. [the swelling] needs to reduce more before I return to the court, but I’m patient. [...] I hope my good progress [will allow a] return in Indian Wells and Miami. If I’m back in shape sooner, I might even play a smaller tournament before on the ITF Pro Circuit!”

Novak Djokovic and Marian Vajda describing the Serb’s 2010 Roland Garros loss to Melzer from two sets and a break up as the turning point in his career:

“Even after he came back to me I wanted to work more and he was sometimes escaping. But then when we came to the court, he was focused, he was winning the important points, basically he was a fighter, he would never give up any ball. And then, after he lost to Melzer from two sets up in 2010, he looked at himself. Since then, he has had the momentum.”

“I lost that match and then from Wimbledon on, in the second part of the year, I started playing much better and being more confident on the court. I felt I got a huge relief mentally rather than anything else. My serve was coming back, and then the Davis Cup title came at the right moment for myself and my country and all of my colleagues, because that’s when I got a strong wind in my back, and it switched momentum.

John Isner on watching the Australian Open whilst injured:

“I haven’t watched any of it. Not one second. I normally don’t watch too much tennis to begin with. But when I’m home during a Slam, I just can’t watch. I know I should be there because I’ve earned my spot. I’ve worked and got my game to a certain level, and sitting home is tough to swallow.”

Andrea Petkovic, David Nalbandian, Grigor Dimitrov, Quotable Quotes

Video Vault: The Mouratoglou Tennis Academy, Starring Serena Williams

Leave a Comment Posted by on January 29, 2013

Last week, the Mouratoglou academy’s Mauritius feature premièred on French Eurosport. Finally (as in three days ago now), it has made its way to youtube, and the short documentary makes for interesting and entertaining viewing. A few thoughts:

- The entire video puts into perspective the massive change Serena has undertaken since that fateful French Open match, and it’s truly astonishing. For most top players and champions, once they reach a certain age a stubbornness sets in. It becomes about preserving what is left rather than making changes that could possibly hasten their decline – why would they change a system that has reaped so many past rewards?

Then you think about Serena’s upbringing, the much-discussed “us against the world” mentality Richard instilled in her and Venus from so little. Though both have worked with many coaches in the past, it was always Richard, the family and later the sisters who retained autonomy. Again, for her to cede so much power to this new academy – not to mention one completely alien to the rigours and needs of a top favourite for every slam either tour – was retrospectively such a bold and shocking move. Evidently, it worked out fairly well.

- I should probably learn how to spell ‘Mouratoglou’ sometime soon.

- There will never come a time when I don’t get a kick out of seeing a WTA player owning an ATP player, as Serena did during her hit with Jeremy Chardy. Sorry. Suddenly, Chardy’s quote on their time training together makes sense:

- I see you Nastia, Dasha and Yulia

- Serena and Martina reminiscing together on the golden years. Is there anything on the entire planet more perfect? I think not.

-

Anastasia Pavyluchenkova, ATP Off Court, Dasha Gavrilova, Serena Williams, Video Vault, WTA off-court

Foot Fault of The Week: Davis Cup, Paris, Pattaya, Eliat, Burnie, and Futures

1 Comment Posted by on January 28, 2013

Davis Cup
World Group:
Canada v Spain
Italy v Croatia
Belgium v Serbia
USA v Brazil
France v Israel
Argentina v Germany
Kazakhstan v Austria
Switzerland v Czech Republic

Group I
Group II

WTA Paris

Category: Premier
Prize Money: $680k
Draws: Main, Doubles, Qualies, OOP
Notable Players: Petra Kvitova, Sara Errani, Marion Bartoli, Dominika Cibulkova, Lucie Safarova, Julia Goerges, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

WTA Pattaya City

Category: International
Prize Money: $220k
Draws: Main, Doubles, Qualies, OOP
Notable Players: Ana Ivanovic, Maria Kirilenko, Sorana Cirstea, Sabine Lisicki, Daniela Hantuchova

Challengers

Eilat Challenger

Category: ITF Women’s $75k Challenger
Draws: ITF, TF
Notable Players: Yulia Putintseva, Elina Svotlina, Michelle Larcher De Brito, Alla Kudryavtseva

Burnie Challenger

Category: Mixed ATP and ITF Women’s Challenger
Prize Money: $50k Men, $25k Women
Men’s Draws: Main, Doubles, Qualies, OOP, MTF
Women’s Draws: Main, Doubles, Qualies, OOP, TF
Notable Players: James Duckworth, James Ward, Olivia Rogowska, Anett Kontaveit

Futures and Satellites

Tijuana, Mexico $15k
Category: Mexico F2 Futures
Draws: ATP, ITF, MTF
Notable Players:

Germany, Nussloch $15k
Category: Germany F4 Futures
Draws: ATP, ITF, MTF
Notable Players:

Palm Coast, FL, USA
Category: USA F4 Futures
Draws: ATP, ITF, MTF
Notable Players:

Feucherolles, France $10k+H
Category: France F3 Futures
Draws: ATP, ITF, MTF,
Notable Players:

Sheffield, England $10k
Category: Great Britain F3 Futures
Draws: ATP, ITF, MTF
Notable Players:

Eilat, Israel $10k
Category: Israel F3 Futures
Draws: ATP, ITF, MTF
Notable Players:

Antalya, Turkey $10k
Category: Turkey F4 Futures
Draws: ATP, ITF, MTF
Notable Players:

Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
Category: Women’s $10k
Draws: ITF, TF
Notable Players:

Antalya, Turkey
Category: Women’s $10k
Draws: ITF, TF
Notable Players:

(WTA) ITF Challenger, ATP Challenger Circuit, Davis Cup, This Week, WTA Asian Events, WTA European Indoors

Quotable Quotes: Three Ankle Sprains Too Many For Serena

1 Comment Posted by on January 15, 2013

Over the past week, it has been stressed so often that the only thing standing in the path of Serena and her sixth Australian Open is herself and injury. So, in a way it should come as no surprise that injury is exactly what has struck. And not just any old injury, but an eerily similar ankle sprain to the one that wrecked her entire Australian season last year. Though she eventually continued and hilariously managed to inflict a double-bagel on Edina Gallovits-Hall despite the injury, it is still certainly still a large concern, as she later stressed.

Q. The fact you came in with no crutches on is a good start for us. How is the leg?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I haven’t had enough time to assess it yet. Saw the doctor again. We’re just gonna see how it is in a few hours from now.

Q. So Thursday is too early to call, whether you can play Thursday?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, I’ll be out there. I mean, unless something fatal happens to me, there’s no way I’m not going to be competing.

I’m alive. My heart’s beating. I’ll be fine.

Q. When you went over, did it remind you of Brisbane last year?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Absolutely. It reminded me a lot of Brisbane. I thought, Oh, not again. But, you know, I’ve had such a good year that I don’t think it’s anything negative. I just think that I was definitely a little bit in shock and I was thinking, I hope it’s not as serious, because it was really serious last year.

Q. Is there any pain or swelling there now?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Obviously there’s pain. Obviously there’s swelling. So it’s going to be really important to see how the next few hours unfold.

It reminded me a lot of Brisbane. I thought, Oh, not again. But, you know, I’ve had such a good year that I don’t think it’s anything negative. I just think that I was definitely

It’s easy to forget that Serena also sprained her ankle during doubles at the US Open last year which also threw that title campaign into doubt. That’s three sprained ankles in essentially one year. If there is ever a time for Serena’s team to ensure that her own footwork or movement isn’t heightening the likelihood of these ankle sprains, now is probably it.

However, if one thing is certain, it’s that without the extensive taping on Serena’s ankle, the injury would have been dramatically worse. Why don’t more players protect themselves by protecting their ankles?

Australian Open, Injuries, Quotable Quotes, Serena Williams

Video Vault: A Disgusted Pam Shriver Dispatches On Yulia Putintseva

1 Comment Posted by on January 15, 2013

I’ve been shouting it out from the rooftops for years now. Whilst many knickers have been in a twist over Azarenka, Serena, Maria and anyone else with just an ounce of attitude, there has been a player by the name of Yulia Putintseva slowly appearing on the horizon. A player who threatens to usurp and destroy everything we know and love. She’s angry, she’s mean and she eats little children for breakfast. This is all factual information.

This week she finally arrived, qualifying for the Australian Open main draw before taking American sweetheart Christina McHale as her first victim. Aunt Pammy was on-hand to cover the final games of their contest, and the utter repulsion and disgust in the tone of her voice whilst recounting but a few of Putintseva’s innumerable antics is incredible, hilarious and only a sign of things to come. Don’t ever say I didn’t warn you, tennis world.

Dramz, Yulia PUTINtseva

Shot of The Day: Steve Johnson’s Little Improv

Leave a Comment Posted by on January 14, 2013

As the draw previews were pumped out earlier this week, a couple of Americans suggested that Steve Johnson could pose a considerable threat to Nicolas Almagro. I laughed. Though he eventually qualified handily, it was only a handful of days ago that he pitifully choked at least three times before barely scraping past 758-ranked 16 year old Thanasi “The Kid” Kokkinakis 6-4 6-7(4) 17-15 in the first round of qualies. In what world could he ever rise from that level to challenging the 10th seed within a week?

Well, apparently on planet Earth, as he pushed the Spaniard all the way to five entertaining sets, producing some quite spectacular shotmaking throughout. None, however, were more outrageous than this exhibition of rapid reflexes and deft touch as he turned an unlucky net cord into a winning shot on game point. Stellar.

Australian Open, Shot Of The Day, Steve Johnson

Three Qualifiers To Watch In Melbourne

4 Comments Posted by on January 13, 2013

By now, all draws have been studied and previewed to within an inch of their lives. People have made their predictions and picks – some bold, others predictable – and are all set and ready to go. But, hey, there’s always room for one more.

Adrian Mannarino
France
24 years-old
#170
As with seemingly every other male French tennis player on the planet (well, not all of them. Sorry Gilles), Adrian Mannarino falls under the ‘incredibly entertaining yet ultimately harmless’ category of tennis player. He has variety, a quick mind, a delightfully effortless and style of play and both his tennis and hair are the source of endless entertainment and confusion in equal measure. After an abominable 2012, it appears the flairsome Frenchman has arrived in 2013 with a completely clean slate and fresh mind. Already he has captured his first challenger title in Noumea and has carried this momentum with him into Melbourne, qualifying without the loss of a single set, with two beatdowns in his final two qualifying rounds.

He efforts have hardly been rewarded, however, with a disastrous first round match against fifth-seeded Juan Martin Del Potro on the horizon. But if his two previous meetings with Delpo are anything to go by – a win at Queens in 2011 and an extremely tight four-setter at this venue last year – his imaginative tennis should provide more problems for the title contender. And if not, he’ll still entertain. Watch him. That’s an order.

Ricardas Berankis
Lithuania
22 years-old
#110
Pocket Rocket is perhaps the most unintentionally inappropriate nickname in the history of unintentionally inappropriate nicknames, but what else can we call young Rikkie B? He stands at somewhere around 4ft1 yet is capable of serving in excess of 130mph, thanks in a large part to his distinct service motion – the motion uncoiling at the speed of light as his stocky legs launch him clear into the hair. The rest of his game is interesting too, with the talented Lithuanian armed with speed around the court (I said he was 4ft1, after all), an impressive forehand and a penchant for variety.

Since breaking the top 100 back in 2011, the former junior US Open champ has been plagued by a myriad of frustrating injures which have sidelined him during his most important development period and left him floundering while the Raonic, Dimitrov, Tomic, Harrison generation consolidated their places in the top 100. However, he is back and has been slowly regaining his old form and more. He qualified as the second seed with aplomb and has been handed a winnable first round against good ol’ Sergiy Stakhovsky. Should he defeat the mouthy journeyman, the ever-funky Florian Mayer will likely await with the chance to show off his skills on the big stage against a looming Andy Murray in the third round. Watch him too.

Daniel Brands
Germany
25 years old
#120
Ah, the Brandwagon. The most mindlessly delusional fan following in tennis…until it wasn’t. Against all odds and despite those ironic declarations from fans of future ATP glory, Daniel Brands’ year kicked off in immense style as he braved his first ATP semi in Doha, defeating Chardy and a returning Monfils to cap off the second best week of his career. Brands previously held a reputation as a player who, at 6ft5, relied mostly on his serve, but he showcased the best of his thunderous forehand and deft touches at the net en-route to his Doha semi-final.

There hasn’t been a let-up since his surprise run. After a tight three-setter in the first round of qualies, the German strolled through his remaining two in straight sets. He has been placed in perhaps the most interesting early section of all, with a first round battle against Klizan and the ever-humble Bernard Tomic a potential second-rounder. Realistically, all three could advance to a third round match with Roger Federer. Only time will tell which player does.

Adrian Mannarino, Australian Open, Daniel Brands, Players, Ricardas Berankis

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