Archive for February, 2007

Did you know that the game of tennis has French roots? It’s tough to pinpoint the exact origin of tennis as we know it today, but France heavily influenced the development of the game particularly its vocabulary. Modern tennis terminology derives from 12th century France where the game was enjoyed by French aristocracy. Here are a few examples of the French influence on tennis:

tennis from tenez
imperative form of verb tenir to hold, this cry means “I am about to serve!”

racquet from raquette
derives from Arabic rakhat meaning palm of the hand

deuce from à deux le jeu
to both is the game (that is, the two players are tied)

love from l’œuf
the egg, referring to the shape of the zero symbol; because un œuf is more common, the etymology remains in question

Many professional tennis players practice yoga to help improve their game. For centuries, regular yoga practice has been proven to develop balance, flexibility, stamina, and strength.

Tennis is a mental sport as well as a physical one, and the meditation involved in yoga can help train the mind to relax and improve concentration during matches. Imagine being able to channel all of your energy into your serve. Even the breath control associated with yoga can benefit your game by helping you to relax and focus.

Typically, tennis players tend to have tight hamstrings, quads, and hips, and these specific yoga poses can help: Warrior II (virabhadrasana II), Tree (vrksasana), Triangle (trikonasana), and Spinal Twist (ardha matsyendrasana).

If you want to check out Maria Sharapova’s secret weapon, she uses Sybel’s Yoga for Sports & Fitness DVD regularly to relax and improve her flexibility.

Roger Federer set a new record in tennis this week, celebrating his 161st week at #1 in the world rankings. Jimmy Connors held the former record at world number one, achieving 160 consecutive weeks between July 1974 and August 1977. Federer’s streak at number one began on February 2, 2004 and will seemingly continue indefinitely. He is currently 3,415 points ahead of his closest rival, Rafael Nadal.

I’ve been looking forward to this day to come and I’m very excited. That is definitely one of the biggest records I’ve broken so far in my career. I am profoundly proud of not only being able to compete with my opponents today, but also with history. One hundred and sixty one weeks is a long time and being able to lead this statistic from now on is a terrific feeling. As you can imagine it has taken a lot to come this far.” –Roger Federer

Federer’s homeland is gracing him with a rare honor as well: beginning April 10, Roger will adorn the Swiss one-franc postage stamp.

After competing for the last time on her home turf in Belgium, Kim Clijsters paid teary tribute to her local fans. Though Amelie Mauresmo won the Proximus Diamond Games and thereby the diamond-studded tennis racquet, Clijsters is more focused on the diamond engagment ring sparkling on her own left hand. She and her fiance American basketball player Brian Lynch have set their wedding date for July 14, just after Wimbledon. Apparently Clijsters enjoys pressure. Currently ranked fourth in the world, Clijsters has decided to skip the season’s second Grand Slam, Roland Garros. She plans to keep busy preparing for Wimbledon and her wedding instead.

The Sydney Morning Herald conducted a funny yet insightful interview with John McEnroe recently. McEnroe touches on everything from Jimmy Connors’ motivation to Federer’s similarity to Borg and admits that he doubts he could have beaten Roger even in his prime. McEnroe’s advice to Federer’s opponents? Stop being so nice, get aggressive, get in his head and under his skin. He feels that the modern players are too respectful, too restrained, and simply too nice when playing Federer. If Federer wins a French Open title, McEnroe believes that he will be inarguably the greatest tennis player of all time.

At long last, all four Grand Slam championships will pay both the men and women equal prizes. Wimbledon has yielded to the pressures of modern day and follows the example set at last year’s French Open, paying the male and female champions on an equal scale. Wimbledon’s exact prize amounts will be announced in April. The All England Club will spend about $1.1 million to award the men’s and women’s winners equitably. The extra cost will be funded through operating costs rather than a reduction in the amount of the overall prizes.

Pioneer for women’s sports and six-time Wimbledon winner Billie Jean King commented, “With women and men paid on an equal scale, it demonstrates to the rest of the world that this is the right thing to do for the sport, the tournament and the world.” At Wimbledon in 1968, King won only 37.5% of the prize earned by the men’s champion.

Commercial, political, social, and sporting factors figured into Wimbledon’s decision. Previously the club felt equal prizes were unfair because men play best-of-five set matches while the women play only three. However, since 55% of Wimbledon’s spectators are women and the All England Club plans to host the 2012 Olympic tennis tournament, now seems like the time for change.

A few people have asked the great question recently, “What’s going on when they are playing a tiebreak? It doesn’t make sense to me.” Here’s what happens: when two players are tied at 6-6, the set is usually determined by one more game called a “seven point tiebreak.” You count the points using ordinary numbering.

The set is won by the player who scores at least seven points during the tiebreak but also has two points more than the opponent. For example, if the score is 6-5 and the player with 6 points wins the following point, that player wins the tiebreak as well as the set. If the player with 5 points wins the next point, the tiebreak continues. It cannot be won on the next point because no player will be two points ahead. Since only one more game is played to win the set, the score is always 7-6 (or 6-7). Sometimes tiebreak points are also included, for example 7-6 (7-4). Another way to list the score of the tiebreak is to list only the loser’s points.

The player that would normally serve after 6-6 serves first in the tiebreak which is considered a service game for this player. The server begins service from the deuce court and serves one point. After the first point, the serve goes to the opponent. Each player then serves two consecutive points throughout the rest of the tiebreak.

It must be truly tough to go through a divorce and lose your world number one ranking at the same time. This is what Justine Henin is facing, yet she refuses to surrender her career. Justine recently separated from husband Pierre-Yves Hardenne and revealed publicly that she is in great pain and shock. She is not aiming to regain her number one ranking just yet, instead she is thinking less about competing and more about regaining emotional control, motivation, and rhythm.

Justine missed this year’s Australian Open due to the separation, the details of which she wants kept private. Though the former triple Grand Slam winner spoke candidly about the pain in her life, she stressed that her recovery from this trauma depends partially on how she is treated during the next few weeks.

“I want to keep my private life with the name I give it — it’s private,” emphasized Henin.

“I am sure a lot of people understand that. You always have a lot of people who are very curious and they want to know why and who — and who cares? That’s my life. Everyone has to respect it because we all have the same rights.

We can talk about tennis and I know I am a public person. I understand that perfectly. But as soon as I am not on a tennis court, and as soon as something touches my private life, I think I can keep it for myself, and it is a little bit like my secret garden and I am sure people can accept that.

Why would I be different, because I am a famous tennis player? I am human. And I am a person before I am a tennis player.”

The city of Antwerp in Belgium has honored native tennis great Kim Clijsters with a small museum of sorts, highlighting her career. Clijsters plans to retire at the end of this tennis season and Belgium wants to ensure that her legacy endures.

Beginning in February, Kim’s most important trophies and other career mementos will be housed in a showcase at the entrance to the Sportpaleis, one of Belgium’s most famous sports arenas. Included are her first WTA trophy, her US Open trophy, her number one ranking trophy, her Masters trophy, and five awards for Sportswoman of the Year in Belgium.

The “Kimuseum” will be open to fans and tourists daily in Antwerp. For her thoughts on this honor, visit Clijsters official web site at kimclijsters.com. Lawn Tennis News also offers a glimpse of Clijster’s trophies.

In addition to being a talented comedian and actor, did you know Robin Williams also plays a vicious game of tennis? Tennis.com features a hilarious interview with Williams in their Backcourt section.

When asked why he prefers tennis to golf (unlike much of his home town San Francisco), Williams says he considers the game “chess at 90 miles per hour.” Williams has had the good fortune to play against such greats as Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi and describes being served to by Sampras as “like a particle”, there and then gone again. Watch for him in the audience at this year’s US Open.