TENNIS WORLD

Parris TODD Feature: Growing Pains into Pro Stardom

Andy Murray

It’s been a difficult year forAndy Murray

Mats Wilander

Living with the Worst Diseaseyou’ve never heard of

The String Kings

Roger Federer’s personalstringers reveal what it is likeworking for the Swiss Maestro

N°20 -October

Parris TODD

by Sandy Mittleman

Growing Pains into Pro Stardom Pushing Through the Tennis Grind

“I HATE TENNIS!” That is the LAST thing acamp wants to hear after years of time and effortsupporting a young talented player whose firstlove IS the game. What I’ve come to realize overthe years of developing great players is that theydon’t hate the game of tennis itself, but losingmatches. So what happens when a youngtalented junior who is playing at an elite leveland who accomplishes becoming #1 in every agegroup and in the nation, gets knocked off theirhigh horse and goes through a losing streak oncethey decide to go Pro? What is so difficult aboutbecoming a professional tennis star? What hasto change?

This was the situation of top American Jr. gonepro, Parris Todd.Parris, a young American Tennis player fromNewport Beach, California was introduced to meby a long time WTA Tour friend who hadpracticed with Parris while playing for the WorldTeam Tennis (WTT) Orange County Breakers inNewport Beach in July of 2013. The client andlongtime friend of mine, knew I was looking tocherry pick special talent that would fit myagency’s standard of moral excellence. She wasimpressed how a girl half her age pushed her towork harder and said, “You need to check thisgirl out!”

Having worked with some of the best talent forthe WTA tour, there are 3 critical questions inassessing a player I look for: #1. Does the player have talent/qualities nocoach can teach? I look at their record and thenresearch their game and if their record doesn’tmatch the talent, then there must be adisconnect.#2. What’s their current situation look like? Is itthe typical pushy and overbearing parentalsituation which could occasionally taint theplayer’s passion, work ethic and conviction, or acoaching situation gone bad.And Finally #3 what does the player believeabout their future? Do they have passion,

character and willing to do what other peoplewon’t do to achieve greatness…After doing my own research #1 wasaccomplished; Parris could move and hit the ballwell and for a girl of 14 years, her serve is whatstood out. Next was her results, I saw herdisconnect of losing more than twice thematches she won in a year transitioning fromjuniors into the ITF Woman’s Circuit.Moving on to #2 it was time to get on the insideof the Todd Camp. After speaking every few daysvia Skype video conference with Parris andseveral phone calls with the family, Parris lackedself-confidence, self-belief and she just simplywas going thru the motions. The good thing washer family dynamic was healthy and both of herparents, Angela and Charles Todd, were hardworking, intelligent and very caring about hergame and future.And finally moving into #3 it was time to assessParris in person. In April, Parris and Angelaarrived in Rochester, NY so that I could get thefull picture of who Parris really was. I told her tocome with an open mind and when I met themat the airport I sensed some tension from Parrisas she was a little timid and seemed uncertain ofwhat she was even in for. As I dropped them offat their hotel and gave them their instructionsfor what was in store for the

week to come, her mother Angela was a bitsurprised and I couldn’t help but notice as I shutthe door to say goodbye that they were bothrolling their eyes. Angela states, “Sandy said tocome with an open mind but when he started totake the roll of a coach, which Parris back homehad the best, I didn’t know if this was eithergoing to be the missing link of an answer toprayer or a total disaster.”Day 1 confirmed; I immediately saw world classtalent. Parris’s ball striking was phenomenal andher ability to take the ball early and naturalpower was impeccable. It was like she hadmultiple gears. She responded fantastic to all thechallenges I gave her and she gave me theimpression, ‘is that all you’ve got’. So now wasthe real challenge, what was going on inside thatmind.We began to talk honestly about herdisappointment with her results over the lastyear, and she broke down. Parris was sofrustrated she stated, “Everyone always tells

Parris strongly proclaimed, "I want to breakrecords." I then said, "Let's make historytogether!"Although Parris has turned a corner in her mindto advance her career rekindling the desire tobecome the best in the world, there is muchwork to be done. Parris states, “If it was easyeverybody would be doing it.” Growing painsinto pro stardom starts in the mind as you can’tteach passion, conviction and intention but whatyou can do is support and direct those traits.The key is not playing your best tennis all thetime, but making your average game better and

me how good I am and I’m so tired of hearingthat because my results don’t show it, I’m notenjoying this anymore.” I saw real raw emotionand how passionate she was about her tennisand career that seemed to have been lost. Thatconversation shook my soul, taking me back to apast turning point in my life wishing I hadsomeone to hear me out when I was her age tooffer me direction. I knew in that moment Icould help her accomplish her dreams and I waswilling to do whatever it took to work every daywith complete direction, intention and passionfor her growth and development. As we finishedup the day I asked, “Tell me what you reallywant to accomplish in this game?”

once a player is comfortable with that, theneverything else will follow suit.Angela confirms, “It takes a LOT to impress me,and well the way Sandy worked with Parris andhow he got her to blossom into her destiny ismiraculous, definitely an answer to prayer.”.Furthermore the last thing Parris said to meafter our week was over, words so endearing I’llnever forget, “You know Sandy, you’re all-RIGHT!”With this new partnership as her manager andas her tour coach, I truly believe that ParrisTodd is a future grand slam champion. As thefounder and CEO of MLJ Group, I am veryproud to be a small part of the transition fromsuccessful junior, to rough first year

professionally to now burning for success and tobecome the best in the world! The future is sobright for Parris Todd and I’m thankful that hergrowing pains into pro stardom was the gift thatbrought her to the MLJ Group.

Murray On The Mend

by Marco Di Nardo

It’s been a difficult year for Andy Murray.

It’s been a difficult year for Andy Murray. Thesurgery that forced him to miss the latter part ofthe 2013 season has had more of a long-termimpact than he had hoped. Though he has beenphysically healthy for quite a while, the mentalimpact of the surgery has weighed on him forrecent months, causing him to play like a mereshadow of his old self. Marching towards the endof October, things have not completely turnedaround yet, but there have been someencouraging signs of late.The British number one – and former worldnumber two – has already won two Grand Slamsin his career. Indeed, those victories

were fairly recent, but he finds himself in theuncomfortable position of not having alreadyqualified for the ATP World Tour Final at theend of the year. In fact, if the season endedtoday, he would not make the cut. This is instark contrast to previous years, when the Scotused to qualify months before the prestigiousyear-end finale.Coming into the US Open, Murray had postedsome severely underwhelming results. His besthad come at Roland Garros, where he reachedthe semi-finals, but he lost easily there to Nadal.He had not reached a final since winningWimbledon in 2013. At the other

three Slams he reached the quarter-finals before bowing out– not the kind of results we have become used to seeing fromMurray in years past.The streak was finally broken in China at the end ofSeptember. Entering the ATP 250 event in Shenzhen as thefavorite, Murray finally won a tournament again. It was asmall one, to be sure, and none of his main rivals were there,but it was a major step in the right direction. He followedthat up with a semi-final showing at the ATP 500 event inBeijing. Though he lost decisively there to Djokovic, his 6-1,6-4 victory over US Open champion Marin Cilic was animpressive performance that will give him confidencemoving forward.So if Murray is not quite back on track yet, he is certainly atthe point where he can see himself getting back on trackrelatively soon.“Earlier this year I had many ups and downs, and I lackedconsistency,” he said recently. “Now I'm finally regainingsome consistency and momentum. This means getting goodsuccess against solid opponents.”All the Slams are finished for the year, so Murray cannotredeem himself on the sport’s biggest stage, but there are anumber of big events coming up, including a few Masters1000 tournaments. If he could qualify for the ATP WorldTour Finals and perhaps even win it, he would be in a

The streak was finally broken in China at the end of September

fantastic position for next season. With his physical challenges hopefully behindhim, all that is left for Murray is to regain hismental edge, which saw him lift the trophy atWimbledon just a little over a year ago. If he can get back to that kind of form, there isno end to what this talented Scot can do. Next year should be very interesting for Murray-watchers.

Interview with Grigor Dimitrov

by David Cox

Striving for Greatness

“That defeat still hurts,” Grigor Dimitrov musesruefully, as he remembers his titanic Wimbledonsemi-final against Novak Djokovic earlier thisyear. Competing in the last four of a major forthe first time, Dimitrov went toe-to-toe with theworld number one for almost four hours butDjokovic was a fiercely determined beast on thelawns of the All England Club this year, huntingdown his first Grand Slam title in eighteenmonths.The enduring success of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal,Roger Federer and to a lesser extent AndyMurray, has lengthened Dimitrov’s own path tosuccess but over the past twelve months the 23year old has matured into more than just afrequent fixture on the highlights reels.“A defeat like that should sting and it feels goodthat it does,” Dimitrov continues. “You have tofeel that way in order to want more from yourselfand to work harder.

So that was a loss that I had to accept but I needto get my head down and hopefully give myselfreason to even more excited next time I’m in thatposition.” Dimitrov is now ranked in the top 10and in with a chance of qualifying for the WorldTour Finals for the first time in his career withthe Race set to go down to the wire over thecoming weeks. After a season which has seenhim win three titles and reach the semi-finals ofmultiple Masters 1000 events, he’s proved thathe now belongs at the top of the game.“Yeah I’m much better than this time last year,”he says. “I feel stronger, I’ve been spending morehours in the gym, putting those extra miles onthe court so I feel good at the moment. I still feelthere’s a lot of room for improvement and as I’vesaid there’s a lot of hard work to be done. I’mvery excited about how my coaching relationshipis working, we’re really striving for greatness.”A large part of Dimitrov’s transformation hasbeen down to the influence of Roger Rasheed –the coach who took Lleyton Hewitt to two GrandSlam finals a decade ago.

Rasheed is renowned as one of the game’shardest taskmasters but it’s been his ability tostrengthen Dimitrov’s resolve in the biggestmatches, as well as strengthening his physique,that has made all the difference in 2014.In particular his quarter-final demolition ofMurray at SW19 was a masterclass in composurein front of a partisan Centre Court crowd.“I’d already had a match on Centre so I was usedto the feeling on there,” Dimitrov says. “and Iwas just playing good tennis. I didn’t letanything bother me and I was trying to competeagainst him and the crowd as well because Iknew they were cheering for him

so I just needed to be as composed as I couldand everything turned out to be on my side.”It’s that cool detachment from the heat of theoccasion which is crucial to overcoming thebiggest names in the latter stages of the GrandSlams and Dimitrov is steadily honing his nerve,inspired by the breakthrough successes ofStanislas Wawrinka and Marin Cilic this year,bludgeoning their way through the establisheddominance of the so-called ‘Big Four.’Dimitrov has notched up wins over Djokovic andMurray over the past couple of years. He cameclose against Nadal at January’s Australian Openbut for him, victory over Federer would be thebiggest scalp of all. They met for the first time atthe Swiss Indoors in Basel twelve months agowith the Swiss taking it in three sets.“The crowd was so packed and unfortunately Ihad quite a few set points and break points but Icouldn’t convert,” Dimitrov remembers.“Beating Roger is definitely something that I’maiming for. I respect him and all that but whenwe come face to face I want to win. Of coursehe’s been my idol throughout all the years andI’ve been watching a lot of his matches but therecomes a time that I’m starting to realise that Ican play good tennis as well.

Such has been Dimitrov’s success so far this yearthat it’s easy to forget how after the 2013 US Open

I feel confident and I would love to have amatch-up like that every time I get the chance.”Such has been Dimitrov’s success so far this yearthat it’s easy to forget how after the 2013 USOpen, there were considerable doubts aboutwhether he ever had the necessary mettle to godeep in a slam. He says now that he neverlistened to any of the doubters.“With social media and everything, everything isout there,” he says. “Everyone knows everything,everyone knows what you should do but at thesame time, I know what I want, I know whereI’m heading. I’m pretty happy with that situationand I just focus on the important things for me.”

His former coach Patrick Mouratoglou says thatpeople were wrong to ever question his ability tomake the big time.“Grigor is a natural crowd-pleaser,” heexplained. “He loves to play hot shots but peopledon’t always see that he also knows how to winbig matches. He has natural physical abilitiesand, more than that, I would say that tennisruns in his blood. He lives, eats, loves and feelstennis. I believe he can win Grand Slams, he justneeds time.”

Kei Nishikori: A Samurai In New York

by Alessandro Varassi

At Flushing Meadows this year, Kei Nishikori become thefirst Asian player to play in a Grand Slam final.

The final at this year’s US Open was one of themost surprising in many years, perhaps evendecades. While much of the attention eventuallysettled on champion Marin Cilic, Kei Nishikori’saccomplishments are just as worthy of praise,perhaps even more so. With no major weaponsto lean on, and with health problems plaguinghim every step of the way, he still managed tobeat world number six Milos Raonic, worldnumber four Stan Wawrinka and world numberone Novak Djokovic en route to his first careerSlam final.An offensive player who prefers to play from thebaseline, his speed and athleticism are hisbiggest weapons. Even though his forehand doesnot have the power of many of his

colleagues’, his ability to take the ball incrediblyearly makes the shot deadly from anywhere onthe court.Born in 1989, he basically grew up in the care ofNick Bollettieri and the coaches at his academy.In 2007, at the age of 16, he showed the worldhis promise by beating Alejandro Falla inIndianapolis, but it was not until 2008, at DelrayBeach, when the then 244-ranked Nishikoritruly arrived in the public’s consciousness. Hestarted from qualifying to eventually beatFlorian Mayer, Amer Delic, Bobby Reynolds,Sam Querrey and James Blake, who was the topseed, in the final. In the same year, he recordedhis first Top 10 win, against David Ferrer, inNew York. Though injuries hampered himthroughout much of his youth, he still managedto keep his ranking slowly climbing. InMelbourne in 2012 he became the first Japaneseplayer in 80 years to reach the quarters of suchan event. But the true turning point in Nishikori’s careerarguably came at the ATP Masters 1000 inMadrid this year.

It was a strange tournament, with lots of injuriesand defections, but Nishikori turned a corner in abig way.

It was a strange tournament, with lots of injuriesand defections, but Nishikori turned a corner ina big way. Despite suffering from a backproblem, he ground his way through the draw toreach his first final at that level. Ironically, itcame on his least favorite surface, clay. Hissemi-final against David Ferrer was particularlyremarkable, and he fought through incrediblepain to oust the favored Spaniard. So bad washis pain, in fact, that he revealed to the pressafterwards he might not be able to play in thefinal at all.Yet despite the physical setback, he still took tothe court a day later, and for stretches he seemedunstoppable. In a packed Caja Magica, filled tothe brim with Nadal supporters,

Nishikori made Nadal look like an amateur for aset and a half.

Nishikori made Nadal look like an amateur for aset and a half. But just as he was on the brink ofvictory his back seized up. Nadal did not let the opportunity slip by, andquickly took control of the match, though isopponent could barely walk from one side of thecourt to the other.After just three games into the third set,Nishikori found himself utterly unable tocontinue, and retired. A relieved Nadal praisedhis opponent, as does Toni Nadal and ManoloSantana. The latter even implies that Nishikori had playedsome of the best tennis he’s ever seen over thepreceding week.

That particular story did not have a happyending for Nishikori, nor did his fairy tale inNew York. However, he has time on his side, andbarring any major injuries few would bet againstthe man from Japan to one day lift a Grand Slamtrophy.

Michael Chang

by Jan Stanski

Competitive Asian American and the footwork master

French Open Championship In the 90s American tennis boomed because ofPete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and…Michael Chang. He used to say: “For me, I thinkthe Lord wanted me to win to put a smile onChinese people's faces.” And now Chang is mostknown of two things – he is the youngest GrandSlam Champion – at age of 17 and also that he iscoach of Kei Nishikori the Japanese uprisingstar and already one of the most marketableplayer. In 1989, few people thought that youngAmerican named Michael Chang would beat theNo. 1-ranked tennis player, Ivan Lendl, in thefourth round of the French Open and StefanEdberg in the final. He beaten also young PeteSampras in the second round 6-1, 6-1, 6-1.

The Samurai But back in the days young Michaeldistinguished yourself playing his clashes bybigger extended tennis racquet and one of the

best footwork on the tennis court ever. Besideshe had superb forehand which given himenormous number of winners, good lob and wellreturn. Chang implemented into the game of Keinew quality. “The Samurai” has got so far sixtournament titles and is ranked in ATP TOP 10– close to Grigor Dimitrov and Milos Raonicwhen we take into consideration the playersfrom the generation which is predicted to rule inthe upcoming 5 years like some experts arepredicting – and moreover he is very dangerousalso on the clay courts like on the hard courtswhich seems to be his natural surface as he wasupbringing in tennis craft in Bradenton inFlorida - one of the most recognizable tennisplaces on the world. Chang talking about Keiinterviewed by New York Times said: “He’s stilllearning, but I think he is definitely a little bitmore calm and a little bit more relaxed than Iam.”

Flying dancer With his Chinese-Taiwan origin butrepresenting United States in competition “theflying dancer” won his first ATP tournament

His quotes like: “As long as there's pasta andChinese food in the world, I'm okay.”

having 16 years and 7 months – it was in SanFrancisco and “the rookie” have beaten JohanKriek in the final (two Australian Openchampion). Chang is now aged 42 but he is ingreat shape in general and he has great impacton Kei. His pupil is now the best ranked Asianplayer while Li Na of China retired fromprofessional tennis in September (she is stillactive as an ambassador of WTA Championshipin Singapore and iconic player for Nikecompany).

Talented Spaniards His quotes like: “As long as there's pasta andChinese food in the world, I'm okay.” or „All ofthe Spaniards are really talented.

I don't know what they eat.” are proves thatMichael pay big attention on food and he has gotinteresting sense of humor. Try, try, try, try, tryagain Here are the tips of Chang to get better inlife and court: 1- „You can work really hard, butif you're not training in the right way you're notgoing to improve and get to the level that youwant to.” 2- “If at first you don't succeed, try, try,try, try, try again.” 3- “As an athlete, I used myspeed, agility and quickness to go out and playagainst the big guys.”

The Man from New Jersey had won 34professional tournaments in the ATP, heachieved 24 finals including two Grand Slamfinals (Australian Open, US Open).

There is no doubt that Chang as a coach and hisfantastic experience is a great value for any tennisathlete having him in the box

Engaged in charity actions he wrote in year2002 his autobiography book called: “HoldingServe: Persevering On and Off the Court”. Hisbest ranked position was number 2 player in theworld in 9th of September 1996.

There is no doubt that Chang as a coach and hisfantastic experience is a great value for anytennis athlete having him in the box so we couldsay that if Kei Nishikori will be out of injuries forthe most of his career the future on the court willbelong to him with Michael Chang as a friendand motivator right beside him.

Mats Wilander’s story

by David Cox

Living with the Worst Disease you’ve never heard of

“When he was lying down he started gettingthese blisters on his hand and his body. Thenwhen he started moving around the blistersdeveloped on his knees. We realised somethingwas not quite right and then we found out whatit was.” Erik was soon diagnosed with theincurable genetic disorder EpidermolysisBullosa or EB. Sufferers are at risk of skin tearsor blisters even from the most minor traumas orfriction, meaning even a hug from a parent canresult in open wounds. In its worst form, EB canresult in life-threatening damage to internalorgans.“The disorder is little known because it’s sorare,” Wilander says. “I believe there’ssomewhere in the region of 50,000 people thathave it in America. It is a genetic disease so itonly occurs when two people who both have thedefective gene meet and have children. There aresome cases on my wife’s side of the family wheresome of her nieces and sisters have a

slight variation of the disease as in just very,very sensitive skin. It stems from there but I alsomust have a defective gene somewhere in me, inmy part of the family so it’s really bad luck.”For many families and sufferers, dealing with EBcan be very traumatic on a day-to-day basis andWilander believes that’s part of the reason whyso few people are aware of its existence.Research into the disorder has been ongoing forsome time at Stanford University but as of yet,there are no cures. Only one organization – thecharity DEBRA which began in 1980 – exists tohelp support and advise families on how best tohelp their children cope with the condition,prevent infection and deal with possiblecomplications.“They refer to the kids as ‘butterfly children’because they’re so fragile,” he says. “But whensomething is as rare as this, often people don’twant to know. It’s not a ‘sexy’disease because ofthe way it looks. The wounds look like a very badcase of eczema and often the kids are wrappedup in cloth bandages. They basically look likethey’re mummified except for the face.

So people are like, ‘Can I even touch this personwithout getting it? Is it contagious?’”Wilander has been fundraising for EB for almosttwo decades and last year he began his ownfoundation to try and help families. After Erikwas diagnosed, Wilander moved his family tothe remote Sun Valley in the state of Idahowhere the low humidity and altitude makes itharder for the skin to blister but he’s keenlyaware that not everyone has such financialresources.“The American medical insurance is good whenit comes to paying for surgeries but for thingslike this, it’s really not that helpful right now,”he says.

For Erik, now 16, living with such a conditionmeans he has to take things on a day-to-daybasis.“He’s managing it like you or I would whenthere’s something that’s challenging,” Wilandersays. “You know, it’s like if you have a brokenleg, you find a way to live with it. But every dayis completely different and the challenges aredifferent depending on whether it’s hot or coldor whether he’s working and has to move arounda lot. Sometimes he feels fine and he can go outand do stuff that he otherwise couldn’t. But thenbecause he feels fine he does more than heshould and he suffers the consequences. I guessit’s a simple way of realising that whatever youdo in your life, there are consequences and forhim, those consequences are physical more thananything.” Erik is able to work 3-4 days a week at a localtennis club and his condition is not severeenough to prevent him from occasionally playingwith a local hockey team or skiing once everyother week but he can never throw himself intophysical activity with the same abandon as hisfather once did. And for Wilander that puts things sharply intoperspective.

“You realise you are just incredibly lucky,”

“You realise you are just incredibly lucky,” hesays. “That’s the positive part about being closeto somebody who’s born with some kind of adefect. It’s a reality check for your and everyoneelse around that person. Health is obviously themain component of a harmonious life – physicalhealth and mental health. We can all forget thatvery quickly and too often, and he reminds meevery day and he’s reminded of it every singlesecond of his life.” Wilander says that his 21 yearold daughter … also suffers from a very mildform of EB but it only flares up if she pushesherself to extremes – playing football for fourhours or hiking for three days. For Erik, it canoccur after just twenty minutes of activity.

“To not be able to pursue your passion for sportsto 100%, I just can’t imagine that,” Wilandersays. “It breaks my heart but at the same timehe’s still lucky because it could have been worse.It could have been really, really bad and he couldhave been dead. But he’s not and he still can livehis life so we have to be thankful for that.”National Epidermolysis Bullosa

Awareness Week takes place this year fromOctober 25-31.

Swiss Sensation

by Marco Avena

If you stop a random person on the street and ask them which sport Switzerlandis best known for, “skiing” would be the inevitable answer given by almosteveryone.

Though ski stars like Pirmin Zurbriggen, MariaWalliser, Vreni Schneider, Michael VonGrünigen and Dario Cologna still featureprominently in many people’s minds, all of themcombined do not come close to Roger Federer.Born in Basel, winner of 17 Grand Slams andarguably the player ever, he has done much topopularize the sport in his native country.Many would argue, however, that Switzerland’stennis acumen is only skin deep, and onceFederer retires interest in tennis will nosedive inthat country. But a more careful examinationreveals that tennis has much more of a

foothold than many people realize. For example,Stanislas Wawrinka, Australian Open championand Federer’s “understudy,” has just helpedsteer the country to its second-ever Davis Cupfinal. Federer was also involved this year, but itwas Wawrinka who pushed him to partake,since his countryman had often shunned theDavis Cup for individual competitions. TheDavis Cup is, of course, one of the few trophiesFederer has not yet added to his collection.The last time Switzerland came this close towinning the Cup was with Jakob Hlasek andMarc Rosset in 1992.

Martina Hingis may have retired from singlesplay, where she won five Slams, but she is stillvery much active on the doubles circuit.

Unfortunately for them, they came up againstthe unstoppable team of Andre Agassi, PeteSampras and Jim Courier. But this time aroundthe odds are very much in favor of the Swiss asthey take on France later this year.Of course, the men are not the only ones havingfun in Swiss tennis. Martina Hingis may haveretired from singles play, where she won fiveSlams, but she is still very much active on thedoubles circuit. On the younger front, BelindaBencic seems poised for a run towards the verytop of women’s tennis within the next year ortwo. And then there are past stars like Hlasek,Rosset and Claudio Mezzadri. The recent successful history of Swiss tennisreally starts in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Truly a remarkable achievement for such a smallcountry, especially considering that tennis is noteven the most popular sport there.

Hlasek was born in Prague in communistCzechoslovakia, but became a naturalized Swiss,just like Hingis and Bencic later would. He wonthe French Open doubles in 1992 and went ashigh as 7 in the ATP rankings.Marc Rosset did not achieve quite the same levelof singles success as Hlasek, reaching “just”number nine in the world, but did achievesomething quite extraordinary: winning anOlympic gold medal in 1992. His exploits at theBarcelona Olympics include wins over JimCourier, Goran Ivanisevic, Wayne Ferreira andEmilio Sánchez. In the final he faced theSpaniard Jordi Arrese in an epic five-setter,which he eventually won 7-6, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 8-6.

This generation of Swiss players was the first toelevate their country into the elite World Groupin Davis Cup, though none have ever managedto bring home the trophy, though that mightsoon change.Certainly Switzerland has had a potentiallydevastating Davis Cup team for a long time, atleast in theory. But with Federer reluctant to sacrifice time forhis singles pursuits, that team remainedconfined to paper and the imagination for years.Even if they fail to win the Davis Cup,Switzerland is riding high in the tennis worldright now, and will continue to do so for theforeseeable future.

The New Martina Hingis?

by Marco Avena

A star is born? Perhaps not the best phrase.

A star is born? Perhaps not the best phrase. Thisstar was born quite a while ago, but she iscertainly rising right now. A few weeks agoBelinda Bencic, who had been known tohardcore tennis fans for quite some time,became a household name by reaching the USOpen quarter-finals. The Swiss flag was flyinghigh at the stadium, and journalists were quickto draw comparisons between Bencic and hermuch more famous compatriot, MartinaHingins.Hingis was also at the US Open, though she onlyparticipated in the doubles draw alongsideFlavia Pennetta.

Hingis did not take much notice of theyoungster, at least publicly, though Bencic waseffusive in her praise of her countrywoman.A former world number one and winner of fiveSlams, Hingis’ first Major victory came at the AllEngland Club when she was just 16 years old.Bencic was barely born then. 16 years after thattriumph, Bencic would repeat her hero’s feat,even though it was only in the Junior draw. Bencic is of Czech origin, whereas Hingis is ofSlovak descent, and the two share a similarplaying style. Over the past year, Bencic hasimproved virtually every part of her game

dramatically, from her groundstrokes and serve to her fitnessand tactical awareness. The improvement in her results havefollowed accordingly: instead of reaching the latter stages ofthe Junior Slams, she now mixes in the same company, butin the main draw of the actual events.With her result at the US Open this year, she became theyoungest woman to reach the last eight of the event since –you guessed it – Martina Hingis in 1997. Hingis went on towin the event that year for the first and only time. “I did not know that, it's amazing,” Bencic said when told ofthis. “I am very proud of this achievement.” Hingis didapparently lend her expertise to the youngster during thetournament as well. "She gave me some advice because she has played a lot hereand knows the court well. She told me to control the ralliesand be aggressive." The advice obviously paid off, since sheeliminated Jelena Jankovic shortly afterwards. Two lives intertwined, then, almost to an absurd degree.Bencic is even coached on occasion by Martina’s mother,Melanie Molitor. But there is, of course, one major differencebetween the two: at 17, Hingis was already wining Slams,while Bencic seems some ways off from that. That being said, her progress over the past year has beennothing short of breathtaking. Going from the quarters at thejunior US Open to the quarters of the actual

With her result at the US Open this year,she became the youngest woman to reach the last eight of the event since – you guessed it – Martina Hingis in 1997

Indeed, nobody knows what to do with thisextraordinary young talent.

US Open in the space of 12 months is almostunheard of in the modern game. It is an upwardtrajectory that Bencic is well aware of."The last 12 months…they were really cool to me.I have improved my ranking slowly, step by step.Even in Charleston I had a great tournament[she reached the semis after starting fromqualifiers]. I just started to believe in myself andnow...well, now I do not know."Indeed, nobody knows what to do with thisextraordinary young talent. One thing is clear,however: she has all the potential to reach thevery highest echelons of the game. Who knows,she might even one day surpass her greatcountrywoman...

Martina Hingis

by David Cox

Her rise, fall, and resurrection

Martina Hingis is once again tasting success.Partnering with Flavia Pennetta, who is almost12 years younger to her, the former world No: 1has won the WTA doubles title at DongfengMotor Wuhan Open in China. Seeing Hingisholding a trophy brings back a lot of memoriesfor us. She was the one of the best, teenageprodigy tennis have ever witnessed. After her, noplayer has been able to replicate such success inthe circuit, till now. Even though she is waybehind many players when it comes to numberof Grand Slams, Hingis has a unique place in thehistory of the game. What makes her special?The youngest Grand Slam singles champion, theyoungest ever player to become WorldNo:1...Martina Hingis had records in abundanceback in the 90s. She took the tennis world bystorm with her phenomenal success as ateenager. All her 5 majors, she won beforeturning 20.

Her achievements made tennis pundits predictshe could replace Steffi Graf one day. Contrary toall expectations, she had to bid adieu to tennis ata young age of 22, thanks to injuries andcontroversies. A player whom the world thoughtwould conquer the game, soon vanished intooblivion even before reaching her full potential.What would have happened if Hingis had stayeda bit longer?Hingis is only a year older to Serena Williams,the current No: 1 player and also a winner of 18Grand Slams. Williams, who turned pro a yearafter Hingis, had won only a single major in herteens - the 1999 US Open - and had acomparatively slow start unlike Hingis. ButSerena was more consistent, focused, motivatedand moreover, resilient than her old rival.Named after legendary player MartinaNavratilova, Hingis’ versatile moves, accurateshots and half-volley forehands made her adangerous player in the circuit. She could switchbetween attacking and defensive mode withconsiderable ease; watching her on court was afeast for the eyes.

She was an expert in taking the ball earlier,leaving her opponent clueless.

She was an expert in taking the ball earlier,leaving her opponent clueless.What Hingis lacked was maturity, which in factwas no big crime considering her age. Still,sometimes her tongue-in-cheek remarks went abit too far, especially when she described AmelieMauresmo as ‘half a man’. The cheeky young girlwith a big smile was not so modest when it cameto expressing her views, bordering on thearrogant often. She took great pride in herself,which made it difficult for her to deal withfailures. No one can easily forget the 1999French Open Women’s Singles final fiasco. Adisgruntled Hingis, who lost the final to SteffiGraf 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, walked off the court in tears.

Her coach and mother Melanie Molitor then hadto bring her back for the trophy presentations.Although she had a confident demeanor, shewas very much like any other young teenager -emotional and frustrated. The fact that sheskyrocketed to fame at such a young age made itdifficult for her to deal with success. When sheretired at 22, she said tennis wasn’t her onlypassion in life, and that she had to explore manyother things. But she couldn’t stay away fromthe one thing that defined her life for so long;three years later, she made a comeback at theage of 25. Even though she rose to No: 6 in therankings, she wasn’t able to make it big in themajors.

By then, tennis was also evolving, with power playersdominating the circuit. Her second coming, unfortunately,was short-lived; she got banned by the ITF after testingpositive for cocaine.In the beginning of 2014, when Hingis once againannounced her wish to return to tennis, that news didn’tcreate much excitement. People doubted whether she couldpull off an impressive performance at her age. But shesurprised everyone when she won the doubles title withSabine Lisicki in Miami. She further proved her might byreaching the doubles finals partnering with Flavia Pennettaat the US Open in September.Hingis has played eleven tournaments and has won two titles- Miami and Wuhan - so far. She looked pretty excited afterher win in Wuhan. May be she has realised that she cannotpart with tennis that easily, or it could be players like Serenaand Venus, who are also her contemporaries, that inspireHingis to set her hopes high. Whatever the reason might be,she is happy to be back.What would have happened if Hingis hadn’t retired at theage of 22? Would she have slowed down Serena’s incrediblefeat? We will never know, but can only leave that to ourimagination.

She looked pretty excited after her win in Wuhan.

The String Kings

by Laura Saggio

Roger Federer’s personal stringers reveal what it is likeworking for the Swiss Maestro.

Nate Ferguson and Ron Yu are two unsungheroes in Roger Federer’s life. Unlike many ofhis other assistants, who can often be foundcourtside when the Swiss Maestro plays, thesetwo men toil in the background to ensure thateverything runs smoothly every week. They areFederer’s racket stringers.Many of the top players in the world have theirown racket stringers and often take them alongto tournaments. These men (and women) aresomewhere between magicians and confidants,and know every technical detail about how theirplayer likes their gear. Trust and mutual respectare essential components for their relationshipsto work. Of course, perfection is the only option,especially if the man holding the rackets is RogerFederer. The stringers are always present,guardian angels who cater to every whim thatFederer could possibly have.

Ferguson and Yu work for the Priority One (P1),the racket company which also collaborates withNovak Djokovic and Andy Murray. Ferguson, awell-established specialist in the field, was alsothe stringer for Pete Sampras when he was onTour. He still remembers the incredibleattention to detail Sampras obsessed over.“Pete was able to figure out if the neck of one ofhis Pro Staff rackets was an inch higher than theother,” Yu recalls.Indeed, while working with the best of the best isan honor and privilege, it can also be quitetrying and stressful. Players can be demandingat times, and keeping a cool head is paramount.The Babolat Star Four is the stringing machineof choice for these two, even though newermodels are available. "They are just more preciseand easier to handle," Ferguson says.Federer generally takes nine frames to a GrandSlam tournament. For his first match he usuallywants them strung at 26 kg, going up to 26.5kgand eventually 27kg. He prefers a mix of gut andpolyester strings on his rackets.

Once the painstaking job of stringing iscompleted, Ferguson and Yu rush to deliver therackets to Federer’s hotel, where they might bereceived with some Swiss chocolate.Their first collaboration with Federer came inRome in 2004. After winning Wimbledon thatyear, they started regularly working with theSwiss. Federer pays a lump sum of $40 000 perannum for their dedicated services during allfour Slams and the nine Masters 1000 events.P1 is located in Florida, and also caters to playerslike Marcos Baghdatis and Ernests Gulbis.Gulbis in particularly can be a problematicclient, because as Ferguson says:

"Ernests’ problem is that he hits his shoes withhis strings.”Though they have 12 prominent male clients,they currently do not list any women as theirclients. Serena Williams had some interest, butshe blanched when told the cost. Womengenerally earn less than the men in prize money.In addition to women, P1 has never managed tosnare Rafael Nadal as a client. Nadal prefers tokeep those kinds of activities closer to home, andas Yu says, "With the results that he has had,maybe he's right." Tennis has changed a lot over recent decades,especially when it comes to rackets and strings.Though professional stringers will admit thatthe players’ talent decides who wins in the end,it is becoming increasingly important to payclose attention to every aspect of playingequipment. Matches are often decided by just afew points, and with such slim margins even thesmallest detail of a racket can make a hugedifference. As technology continues to improve, we canexpect people like Nate and Ron to play anincreasingly large role in players’ lives. Whoknows, maybe one day we will see themcourtside during matches, just as we currentlysee coaches and physiotherapists.

Doping In Tennis

by Adriano S.

"We were never going to be caught. Our system was verysimple, very conservative." Lance Armstrong

“In 2011, only 21 checks were made tosurprise tennis players, against 4613checks for cyclists.” Mark Cavendish

Doping in sports is widespread, this much iscertain. That being said, tennis fans have alwaysbelieved that their sport is perhaps the cleaneston the planet. Recent revelations, however, havecast some doubt on the squeaky-clean imagineof tennis. As is clear in the quotes above, eventop stars can be guilty of doping, and catchingthem extremely difficult, even with regulartesting.

And regular, consistent testing is not somethingthat tennis has always had. Athletes have in thepast been able to skip up to three mandatorytests before incurring a major penalty. The timeslots used for testing are also not stringentenough, creating lot of room for impropriety.This is made possible mainly because of a lack oforganization between tennis Federations andWADA.An argument often seized upon in defense ofdoping agencies and Federations is that thereare not enough resources to conduct extensivetesting. This, however, rings false, especiallyconsider that Roger Federer was almost never

Perhaps the only way to effectively combat dopingis to start at a grassroots level and teachyoungsters exactly what doping is

tested at all throughout the vast majority of hiscareer. In other sports, major stars are usuallythe first to get tested, and they are tested often.Considering that the prize money for theupcoming Australian Open is $36 million, it ishard to believe that some of that money couldnot be set aside for more testing. But what about the doctors? Let us examine thiscode of ethics as it relates to doping: "The physician should not advise, prescribe oradminister drug treatments aimed at altering theperformance of an athlete, especially if suchtreatments are acting directly or indirectly tomodify the natural mental and physical balanceof the subject. Doping also includes the intake ofdrugs or submission to medical practices

not justified by pathological conditions, whichare able to change the physical conditions of asubject in order to alter the competitiveperformance of that subject."Clearly there is some vague language in suchcodes, which give doctors lots of leeway towillfully misinterpret it. It would be useful to have a controlling body, orat least an education program for young people,to educate them about doping. Perhaps the only way to effectively combatdoping is to start at a grassroots level and teachyoungsters exactly what doping is and whatconsequences there are for doping – physically,psychologically and professionally.

The silent ban imposed on Marin Cilic would alsonot have been known were it not for the Croatianmedia

The other catch is the tendency of the ATP tosweep prominent cases under the rug. AndreAgassi’s drug case is perhaps the most famousone, even if it had nothing to do withperformance enhancing drugs. The silent banimposed on Marin Cilic would also not havebeen known were it not for the Croatian media. Recent actions taken against Cilic and especiallyTroicki seem like desperate attempts to convincethe world that it is doing something aboutdoping. Unfortunately, the problem might bemuch larger than they care to admit.A definite step in the right direction would be tomake public the results of drug tests. But ofcourse such action has lots of legal and ethicalhurdles, and will likely never be implemented.

The hope now is that the biological passport willprove to be the ultimate and final weapon in thebattle against doping. Though it made its debutin March of 2014, currently WADA believes itwill only come into full force by the end of 2015.Whether this will made a major difference insports doping remains to be seen, but wecertainly hope that it helps.

The Trick Up His Sleeve

by Laura Saggio

Does Compression Technology really make a difference?

In the beginning it took us by surprise. Thissoon gave way to jokes and mockery, whicheventually led to curiosity and acceptance. Butthe question remains: what is the use ofCompression Sleeves, as worn by Canadiansuperstar Milos Raonic?Many people’s first response will be that it’s afad, or that at best it can keep the muscles warmand help with minor inflammation. Others willargue that Compression Technology is here tostay, and that its effects are very real indeed. Professional athletes are always looking for somesort of edge to get ahead. Recently, technologyhas been used to a larger and larger extent tomake sure that athletes have everything at theirdisposal in order to maximize their potential. When these two worlds meet and work together,the results are remarkable and of great help forathletes.

The latest advancement in this emerging field, orso many proponents of Biomechanics andSports Medicine would argue, relates toCompression Technology, specificallyCompression Sleeves.Raonic might be the only tennis player makinguse of this technology at the moment, but it haslong been on the forefront of sports such asbasketball, sailing and athletics. Many athletes –particularly those in basketball, who call it a“shooting sleeve” – swear by its effectiveness. These new garments can even be used when noathletic activity is on the cards at all. Whenathletes are resting or in-between trainingsessions, they often keep these sleeves on,claiming that it helps keep their muscles in peakcondition. Others prefer to sleep withCompression Tights, which are similar to thesleeves but created for the lower portion of thebody. These purportedly help with muscleregeneration and relaxation. Compression Technology is said to be useful forthe following reasons:1) The compression effect grows the strength ofthe athlete, and improves the biomechanics ofjoints and muscle groups.

2) The compression effect allows for moreeffective fatigue management, and decreases theproduction of lactic acid during intense physicalactivity, which promotes faster recovery.3) Compression improves responses to musclecontractions as well as the response toneurotransmitters. Also, compression reducesthe direct vibration of the muscle fibers andprevents stress, which often causesinflammation.

All of these factors combine to allow greaterperformance in the athlete, which is the ultimategoal for every sportsperson.

Ironically, this technology is not particularlynew. As early as the 1950s it was used to treat suddendrops in blood pressure, and also to promotebetter blood circulation in the lower limbs. Only at the beginning of the 80s, with furtherstudies of materials and ergonomic advances infabrics, did these start making an appearance inathletics.

It was inevitable that this path would lead to therealization (in the last thirty years) ofprofessional sporting equipment, especially forsports where optimal performance at all times isparamount. Whether this technology catches on in tennisremains to be seen, but this is certainly not thelast time that we will see a new technologicaladvance entering the arena of professionalsports.

The Importance Of BalanceAnd Harmony

by Amanda Gesualdi

The DBN (Disciplines Bio Natural) concernsitself with a wide range of activities and practicesthat have as their common goal the achievementof a global state of content. The DBN sees thehuman being as consisting of a body, emotions,mind, spirit and energy, and our purpose is tobring harmony, balance and consistency to all ofthese aspects. All of these parts of a person areinterconnected, and each must be considered inits totality and completeness.We are especially concerned about: vegan andmacrobiotic food, sport and life coaching,spiritual essences and water, sound therapy,meditation, reiki, kinesiology and cyberkinetics.Heroic archetypes, anthroposophy,psychosynthesis, transpersonal psychology,traditional Chinese medicine, religions,philosophies, art therapy, mythology, thepsyche, sub-personality and holism are alsoareas of interest.

DBN hopes to promote the assumption ofresponsibility from each individual in relation totheir lifestyle. All that we are and we riskbecoming arises from the way we live, thechoices we make, both consciously andunconscious, from the way we eat and manyother considerations. Being responsible meansto be aware, deep down, of our needs and theconsequences of our actions! Our health andwell-being are in our hands and to entrust it allto drugs or surgical procedures will not improveour relationship with our souls. It is important,therefore, to engage in a dialogue with ouressence and work on our inner world in order todevelop and evolve.Doping in sports is on the increase because weare losing sight of our humanity and especiallyour spirituality. The goal is not to win, but to feelgood about ourselves. Winning is the normalconsequence of a doing a good job and living inharmony with yourself and your surroundings.We fully support the Project Homo Pacificus,where lifestyle and diet (macrobiotic, vegan,organic) can lead to healing (wellness, joy,tranquility, consummation, awareness, etc.)

What has been said so far may sound like a goodspeech, but it lacks substance. But it all begins totake shape when we begin to understand howour brain works. The human brain is dividedinto two hemispheres that have different skills.The right hemisphere governs the left part of thebody and vice versa. Education, Religion,Politics, etc. have forced us to use our lefthemisphere more and more, making usunconsciously give up many of the very thingsthat make us human.Are we intuitive in our everyday lives? Do weexpress our feelings and emotions? Do wevolunteer? Do we fully experience life? Are weliving in the present or constantly looking

to the future? When playing tennis, do we focusexclusively on our rackets and technique, or arewe in touch with our true selves when we play?The right hemisphere also focuses on logicalplanning and projecting into the future. Holism,however, focuses on the here and now. Planningand scheduling are very important because theytrace a path for us to follow, but one of thebiggest difficulties is that athletes live inmoments of high concentration, mindfulnessand motivation. There is a tendency for playersto get distracted, to lose matches because theystart slowly or are worried about how they mightplay.The only thing that is truly real is the present,and this fact often escapes us because of ourinability to stop and just take in the moment. Inthis sense, DBN can help by providing a numberof tools to help the athlete improve performance.Meditation, for example, leads to an increase inconcentration, presence of mind, motivation,sense of fulfillment and confidence. We find that the technique is a logical concern,while in contrast the “Holistic Hemisphere” ismore focused on smooth and natural movement.If we focus too much only on technique, the riskis that students will not truly internalize what weare teaching. This will make them rigid andinsecure.

Good technique comes from the studies thathave found a way to obtain maximumperformance with the least expenditure ofenergy. The most important step for a coach is toobserve his student and help him to find the bestsolution to technical and tactical problems. Of course, technique alone will not make a goodtennis player. There is a big difference between agood hitter (someone who just has goodtechnique) and a good player (a good hitter withgood tactical awareness). The coach has a greatresponsibility towards his students, and mustwork hard to combine good technique and goodtactics in his students. Our brains process not only conscious thoughtsand actions, but also unconscious ones.Consciousness is something we are all familiarwith, but what about unconsciousness? Unconsciousness includes:- All our experiences (past - present – future)- The heritage that comes from our family andancestors)

Spirituality is another neglected aspect of life.Where is our spirituality today? Why should webe afraid of something that belongs to us? Asstated in a famous quote: "We are spiritualbeings having a human experience!"We must not forget who we are, and focus onfollowing a deep, spiritual path. What would ourbodies be without the vibration of the soul?Einstein reminds us that matter is energy, andthe different vibrations of matter allows us to seeor not to see a given object.

- The Collective Unconscious (human history)

When we say that we only use 10% of the brain,it means that the other 90% is used for theHolistic Hemisphere, or the unconscious. Butaccess to this archive requires great courage, willand faith! Many of you might have seen the LucBesson film "Lucy," which deals with humanpotential and unconscious life. The film isloosely based on what the scientists haveuncovered through Quantum Physics. Fritjof Capra, author of "The Tao of Physics,"describes how Quantum Physics and Easternphilosophies such as Tao or Zen actually havevery similar views of the universe.

Biofeedback

by Laura Saggio

The Psychological Aspects Of Tennis

Last time, we looked at the importance of MentalTraining in controlling the various psychologicalaspects that tennis players face every day. Thistime around, we are going to examine one of themost effective mental tools adopted byprofessional players to control anxiety:biofeedback.Let's start by explaining briefly what anxiety is.Anxiety is an activation of sensations, thoughtsand moods that are negative or cause alarm inthe athlete. This is usually triggered by externalstimuli perceived as threatening, even if they arenot. Anxiety is divided into state anxiety or traitanxiety. State anxiety is a transitory emotional state thatoccurs only in certain situations and ischaracterized by anxiety and general tension.Trait anxiety is a transitory and subjectivepredisposition that perceives certain stimuli aspotentially dangerous and is characterized by astrong emotional response.

The manifestations of anxiety can be bothsomatic (anxiety is characterized by symptomsrelated to the activation of the body such astachycardia, muscle rigidity, increased bloodpressure, etc.) and psychological (low self-confidence, distorted thoughts, trouble sleeping,etc.).From this brief description it is easy tounderstand how important it is for an athlete tobe able to activate these mental responses tocounteract or better manage anxiety. In order todo so, it is fundamental to learn sometechniques for deep relaxation and control of thebody. The technique of autogenic training, developedby the German psychiatrist Schultz in 1923, isdesigned to use exercise (training) to achieverelaxation through mental concentration in fullautonomy (autogenous).

Biofeedback acts as an instrument of change atthree levels:Physiological level: rebalancing the VegetativeNervous System and Endocrine System, whichare closely related to the emotional aspects ofanxiety.

Physical level: promoting a state of well-being.Psychological level: helping the athleterestructure their reactions to negative emotionsand thoughts. During the exercises, the burdens of physicaland psychological tensions are released through"autogenic discharges," including transientsomatic symptoms (muscle spasms, buzzinghearing, dizziness) and psychological symptoms(positive or negative emotions). These tend todisappear completely during autogenic training. Exercises for autogenic training:“Exercise of calm”: This is the preparatory stagefor all subsequent exercises, in which you

must put aside thoughts and concerns."Exercise of heaviness": Allows for musclerelaxation throughout your body, accompaniedby a state of disrepair. This exercise is useful forthe relief of headaches, muscle-tension, crampsand vertigo. "Operation Heat:" May result in significantchanges in circulation in the various musclegroups. This leads to improved circulation.Muscle warm-up is also useful before a match."Heartbeat exercise:" This exercise is morechallenging, and concerns the emotional-affective sphere. By listening carefully to yourheartbeat and trying to control tachycardia, youcan control your emotional state, and also bringanxiety and panic under control. "Breathing Exercise:" Breathing allows you toachieve a deep psychological and emotionalrelaxation."Exercise of the solar plexus:" This is an exercisethat covers several internal organs such as theintestine, liver, pancreas, spleen and kidney. Itinvolves running a hand along the abdomen tothe sternum. It's very useful for calming thepsychological tensions. "Facial exercise:" Complete general relaxationthrough charitable feelings of relief. This helpswith feelings of psychological overload. All these exercises belong to the so-called "lowercycle" biofeedback.