Foot Fault!

Calling all the lines of professional tennis

Quotable Quotes: Nadal Calls For Less Hardcourt Tournaments

2 Comments Posted by footfaulter on January 14, 2012

Right off the back of the calendar, rankings and Davis Cup drama that we spent so much time on in the fall of 2011, Rafael Nadal has opened up yet a new can of worms by suggesting that the amount of hardcourt events should be cut due to the effects the courts have on tennis players’ bodies;

“The only negative thing about tennis, if I have to say one, is that the competition is too much”

*he says after spending the last three months complaining about every aspect of professional tennis he could possibly complain about*

“The calendar makes the sport too hard; the hardcourts are too aggressive on the body. I really believe that can change. Without health, (performance) is impossible… I am not saying that we don’t have to play in this type of courts, but thinking about health, I don’t see footballers on the hard like this. I don’t see the basketballers playing on the hard like this. All the sports that have aggressive movements are playing on softer surfaces. This surface, in my opinion, is very bad for the lower back, for the knees, for all of this. It makes me scared for my body for the future.”

On one hand Nadal actually has a point; with every passing year, tennis is taking more and more of a toll on the body. At this point, it feels like the sport is screaming out for just a slight return to simpler times when the Grass season was actually a season, rather than there being just two tournaments squashed between two slams. After all, a more prominent grass season would have great benefits from an entertainment point of view as well as the good it would do to players’ bodies.

However, hardcourts are hardcourts and will always play a pivotal and the most important role on the tour. What makes them so dangerous on the body isn’t their mere existence, but rather the (selfish) decision from the tennis governing bodies to slow practically every single hard court in the world over the last decade.

The solution of speeding up the courts is an simple one, but would Nadal really ever agree to a move that – though it would benefit him physically – would likely have less favourable consequences for his game and results? Yeah… no. And so once again it appears, probably not even intentionally, that Rafa wants to have his cake and eat it too.

All that said, it has been quite refreshing to see Nadal so candid and open about his issues with the tour, rather than sitting back and hiding behind the language barrier and his whole ‘quiet and humble’ persona. Despite common sense sometimes evading him and personal bias clouding his judgement at times, he has brought up some important points and his heart is certainly in the right place.

Australian Open, Quotable Quotes, Rafael Nadal

Video Vault: No Pressure?

5 Comments Posted by footfaulter on January 13, 2012

Ahead of the start of the first slam of the year, the Australian Open has been churning out a series of promo adverts. One such promo advert is solely on their young prospect Bernard Tomic, using footage from him as a young child. To say the advert is interesting is quite the understatement:

Incredible. From the echo, to the repetition, the epic melodramatic voiceover and the eerie “All of Australia will be watching” closing sentence.

People constantly talk about the British and the pressure they place on Murray and the rest of the Brits every Wimbledon fortnight, but this arguably goes above and beyond anything that even they have done. Let’s just hope that Tomic is ready for the figurative excrement that will inevitably hit the fan in only two days.

Australian Open, Bernard Tomic, Only god is the jurge(((, Video Vault

From The Vault: THAT 2003 Australian Open Quarterfinal

Leave a Comment Posted by footfaulter on January 11, 2012

Long before the words “Isner” and “Mahut” were ever uttered in the same sentence, the tennis world looked to a different match as the marathon match of the generation; the 2003 Australian Open quarterfinal between Andy Roddick and Younes El Aynaoui.

Roddick came into the 2003 Australian Open with plenty to prove. Despite already sitting as a top ten player and a household name, the then 20 year-old had yet to fully break through and establish himself as one of the premier players. In complete contrast, El Aynaoui came into the 2003 Australian Open at 31 and in the twilight of his career, and though he peaked and enjoyed some of his greatest results in 2003, injuries and health problems were only around the corner for the Moroccan.

So many other great marathons are celebrated for the mere statistical triumphs, but what set this contest apart from the rest was the shining quality from first game to last. Both players engaged in lengthy, gruelling rallies while flitting through a whole arsenal of different strokes – slicing, net rushing, dropshots, blasting serves and groundstrokes alike. Playing at at a high level for a straight sets best-of-three match is impressive enough, but neither ever faltered.

As the stunning shotmaking raged on and the match edged slowly into a classic, it was that vast gap in age that became a focal point in the battle. Roddick, with his relative lack of big match experience, was forced to find a never-before-used resolve and mental strength against a seasoned veteran to who it came natural after so long. Meanwhile, El Aynaoui had no choice but to push his body its very it limit as he attempted to outlast a fresher and younger player in Roddick. Even more notably was the spirit the match was played in; in a sport that has seen so many rivalries and clashes between the younger upstarts and the older, established players, the clear mutual respect and admiration illustrated both during and after the match only added to its legendary status, a sentiment that was echoed by the American after the match.

“My levels of respect for him just grew and grew throughout the match and I’m pretty sure it’s vice-versa. “He’s 31-years-old, he’s out there five hours, and he’s still standing at the end. It’s very impressive. I don’t think I’ll be able to do that when I’m 31,” he said.
“This has proven that even the old guys can still play some ball.”

Roddick went on to win this match 4-6 7-6 4-6 6-4 21-19, and though he fell at the very next hurdle, it was his first outing into the final realms of a major and arguably a defining moment in his career. By the end of 2003, he was a US Open Champion and finished the year number one. This certainly wasn’t a bad start.

Andy Roddick, Australian Open, Video Vault

Venus Still On Track For Melbourne

Leave a Comment Posted by footfaulter on January 8, 2012

Despite having not made any confirmation of her participation at this year’s Australian Open, it appears that Venus Williams has been putting in the hard yards back in Florida. And according to French Coach Didier Lanne, who had a one-off practice session with the legend yesterday, it’s going pretty well.

Ballou had a great workout this morning with Venus Williams! And thanks to Charly (former player Charles Eduardo Maria), who is coaching the champion during her preparation for the Australian Open, they asked us to do the morning practice with them!

Under the watchful eye of Olivier Patience, who also lives with Charlie during his tour of tournaments, but also the idol of all “RV” and Harold, the dog from Venus! We spent a beautiful morning hit in sunny Florida!

Here are some pictures which the great atmosphere but also the seriousness of the training this morning.

At this point it’s impossible to tell whether or not Venus will be making the trip to Melbourne. According to the Australians, she hasn’t made any indication about whether or not she will be participating, but this tells a more reassuring story. Needless to say, she’ll have to make a decision soon.

(source: Dider Lanne)

Australian Open, Venus Williams

Marion Bartoli Double Bagels Gajdosova, Feels Bad About It

Leave a Comment Posted by footfaulter on January 3, 2012

Despite putting in a stunning performance and achieving the seemingly impossible feat of fitting 12 aces (2 per game), 25 winners and only 5 unforced errors into a 50 minute match, Marion Bartoli also had room to feel compassion and sympathy for inflicting suck humiliation to her opponent on her home turf.

“Today I played really well, Jarka, is definitely an up and rising player and is so talented and I’m sorry I beat her that way buy I was just focusing on my own game and not really looking at the scoreboard,” Bartoli said.

“She’s a lovely girl and when I saw her in tears it was really heartbreaking but I can’t really miss a shot just for (the sake of) missing a shot so it was really hard to see her like that. But I’m sure she will bounce back, she’s an extremely talented player and I’m sure she has a great future in front of her.”

Hopefully Jarmila can comfort herself in the fact that other players have already been humiliated even worse than her this week in Perth. For example;

Australian Series, Marion Bartoli

Quotable Quotes: Nadal Makes A Few Adjustments

1 Comment Posted by footfaulter on January 2, 2012

One Slam title, two slam finals, a masters title, a comfortable top two finish for the 7th straight year, and yet 2011 was quite a tough year to swallow for Nadal and his fans. After the countless losses to Djokovic in the first half of the season followed by injury and defeats to just about every man and his dog in the second half, he finally made the decision to switch things up and try out a new racket in the off-season.

“My preparation is not the perfect one, and I’m trying to play with a little bit heavier racket, to get a little bit more power,” Nadal said. “(With the new racket) I’m losing a little bit of control now, sometimes I don’t feel the forehand as good as before. But it’s something that I believe can help me in the future. After the Davis Cup final I had all the rackets prepared at home to change. In theory I’m supposed to practice almost a month or at least three weeks with the (new) racket, but finally I practiced only one week, and I’m here now, so probably it’s not good enough.

“You can’t think that everything will be perfect from the beginning, but you make the change thinking it’ll be better in the future. There’s no magic, but the new racket can help a little bit to improve my game. It’s a risk I’m taking at the beginning of the season.”

What I have always admired more than anything about Nadal is his ever-present willingness to make adjustments and improvements his game. While enjoying such an illustrious and legendary career as his, it must be so easy to refuse to change what, for the most part, has been a winning formular over the year.

But that’s not how Rafael Nadal’s mind works, and while Federer is still putting himself at a disadvantage by competing with his 967,532 year-old racket frame (one that the dinosaurs probably would have turned their noses up at), Nadal is forever looking to improve even the tiniest and least important mechanics of his game. We only have to look back to the 2010 US Open and at the completely reckless adjustment to his serve on the eve of the tournament. In retrospect, the likelihood is that he would still be chasing the Career Grand Slam had he not taken that risk.

As for this specific racket change, we’ll soon see whether or not it pays dividends. But one thing’s for sure, Nadal creates easily more racket head speed than just about any other player in the history. The new racket isn’t going to single-handedly catapult him out of Djokovic’s shadow again – trusting himself to hit through the ball, and to do so in the tight and important moments, will. We’ll see.

ATP, News, Quotable Quotes, Rafael Nadal

Hot Shot: Petkovic Claims First Racquet Smash Of 2012

3 Comments Posted by footfaulter on January 1, 2012

Judging by the mangled remains of Andrea Petkovic’s racquet, doubles isn’t always fun and games for top players. According to an eye-witness, quite a bit went down when the two entertainers teamed up for the first time earlier today;

Apparently (Andrea) & JJ believed that the ball they hit in a net exchange or rally just slightly touched Spears’ racquet frame, but the umpire didn’t agree. That’s how it kind of started, both got really pissed off & even Andrea went over to Abigail & asked her if her racquet touched the ball and Abigail said nothing which made both Andrea & JJ even more annoyed.

Plus both weren’t too happy with some line calls in the MTB. Crowd booed the ump & really got into it.

Both Jelena and Andrea have both had their fair share of drama over the years (*cough* understatement of the century *cough*), so I guess it’s only natural that when they come together as a team, their very first match should apparently involve cheating opponents, incompetent linespeople and a rowdy crowd to top it all off. Bless.

Andrea Petkovic, Brisbane, Dramz, Jelena Jankovic

Rod Laver talks Bernard Tomic

1 Comment Posted by footfaulter on January 1, 2012

Judging by all the sleeveless t-shirts seen on him over the past month, Bernard Tomic seems determined to show every man, woman and child his shiny new muscles – the results of his off-season fitness slug. However, that didn’t stop yet another tennis great from speaking about him and gently implying that he’s a lazy sod.

“Sometimes you hear of disturbing things, his game, maybe it looks like he’s not caring enough about his game, and sometimes you’re flat, that happens,” Laver said.

“He’s got to bring himself through that level and train himself to work all the time as hard as you can.

“He’s a great player now. But he’s got to be a champion, he’s got to win tournaments.”

2012 will be a very telling year for Bernard Tomic. For what is considered his breakthrough year, last year was infinitely strange; he had one great tournament, one or two other good matches, but beyond that it was a mass of disappointing and some quite comical first round losses after being handed a slew of wildcards. We’ll soon see whether or not 2012 will follow that same inconsistent pattern.

ATP, Bernard Tomic, Brisbane

Quotable Quotes: Serena Defends Her US Open Rant

1 Comment Posted by footfaulter on January 1, 2012

Undoubtedly one of the most memorable moments of 2011, Serena was once again quizzed on her infamous rant at the US Open final ahead of her first match at the Brisbane International. The last time she spoke on this issue she was forced to issue an apology to Asderaki, but this time it was completely different.

“I honestly think I was really toned down, like I didn’t use any bad language or anything,” she said. “So I wouldn’t change it so much. I’m an emotional player and I’m an extremely emotional person, oh my goodness. It was what it was. It was great [...] I’m always going to be me. If that means I’m giving 200 per cent then that’s how I am. I love that and I think people can respect that when they see me play.”

There’s no doubt that Serena’s rant during that fateful final was a mess. A hilarious mess, yes, but it was childish and completely melodramatic.

However, she does raise a good point as the incident – if we can even call it that – has definitely been blown out of proportion. Considering this sport has spent the last twenty years worshipping every square millimetre of earth that John McEnroe has walked on because of his routine tantrums, daily verbal abuse of umpires and his blatant gamesmanship, I think it may be time for us all to move on in 2012.

I’m not that naive, though. I’m sure we’ll be hearing about this for months and years to come.

Brisbane, Quotable Quotes, Serena Williams

Quotable Quotes: Venus Opens Up About Her Illness

2 Comments Posted by footfaulter on December 30, 2011

Four months after dramatically pulling out of the US Open due to Sjogren’s syndrome, Venus Williams has finally spoken candidly about her battle with Sjrojens Syndrome. Conversing with People magazine, the seven-time Slam champion discussed her reaction and recovery after being dealt such a dramatic mental and pysical blow.

“I couldn’t raise my arm over my head, the racket felt like concrete. I had no feelings in my hands,” she told People. “They were swollen and itchy. I realised (her match against Lisicki) would be a miserable show. [...] I would go to the doctor and start crying. I couldn’t help it. I just want a chance to play on the same field as other people, I want to feel normal, but as frightening as the diagnosis was, it was also a relief. I wasn’t crazy and I wasn’t lazy; I thought, ‘is this a mental problem? Maybe I need to work harder.’”

After reading about Venus’ experience, it’s not hard to see why her comeback has and will continue to demand such a titanic effort on her part.

Even taking the whole tennis match aspect of being a professional tennis player out of the equation, this profession demands more of it’s athletes than practically any other sport; from grueling gym, fitness and on-court training reigimes, to the constant traveling and the rapid changes in climate and conditions. The idea of managing these normal requirements of a professional tennis player while keeping her illness in check seems like nothing but an unrealistic dream.

And yet, if there is anyone with the discipline, class and sheer determination to stay on top of this illness and close out the rest of her career in style, it’s ‘The Fucking Venus Williams’. There’s hope for the legend yet.

News, Quotable Quotes, Venus Williams, WTA, WTA off-court

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