Whether you are gearing up for the tennis season or looking for a good beach read, Wicked Backhand recommends the following books about tennis.

The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey
This classic book discusses the inner game of tennis but this philosophy adapts well to any path in life. Making the connection between mind and body, learning to trust yourself, and focusing are illuminated here.

Tennis Fundamentals by Carol Matsuzaki
Study the basics of tennis with this handy primer. You have to put it into action to learn it, but this book will give you a starting place to figure out fundamental tennis shots, smashes, and serves.

Shape Your Self by Martina Navratilova
Martina exposes the details of her lifetime fitness regimen, distilling over 50 years of research into this absorbing book. Learn her secrets and strategies and change your life — fitness benefits much more than one’s tennis game.

Tennis and the Meaning of Life by Jay Jennings, editor
This collection of fiction with a focus on tennis will make you laugh and maybe even cry. Most of all, you’ll be amazed by the roles that tennis can play in life. Bud Collins describes the book as “championship stuff.”

The United States takes on Spain in the next round of the Davis Cup in Winston-Salem, North Carolina beginning April 6. Leading the Davis Cup team for the US in the quarterfinals will be three of the Top Ten ranked players in the world: #3 Andy Roddick, #9 James Blake, and of course the world’s #1 doubles team, Bob and Mike Bryan.

Playing for Spain will be Tommy Robredo, David Ferrer, and doubles team Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco. Rafael Nadal will not be part of his country’s team this year.

For complete television coverage of the Davis Cup quarterfinals, visit USTA.

Official Men’s Rankings (ATP Tour)

1 Roger Federer
2 Rafael Nadal
3 Andy Roddick
4 Nikolay Davydenko
5 Fernando Gonzalez
6 Tommy Robredo
7 Novak Djokovic
8 Ivan Ljubicic
9 James Blake
10 Tommy Haas

Official Women’s Rankings (WTA Tour)

1 Justine Henin
2 Maria Sharapova
3 Amelie Mauresmo
4 Kim Clijsters
5 Svetlana Kuznetsova
6 Martina Hingis
7 Nadia Petrova
8 Nicole Vaidisova
9 Jelena Jankovic
10 Anna Chakvetadze

In men’s semifinals action, Andy Murray of Scotland battles Novak Djokovic of Serbia, both 19 years old and improving steadily. Djokovic beat Murray in the Indian Wells semifinals, but Murray’s talents are considerable.

Also promising is the second men’s semifinal, Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia versus Guillermo Cañas of Argentina. Having fought the world’s top player and dominated him twice in a row, Cañas is obviously on fire right now, but Ljubicic holds seven career titles (including a victory over Murray at Doha in February).

Amazing tennis matches still to come in balmy Key Biscayne…

Playing for the fourth consecutive day due to the luck of the draw, Serena Williams beat Shahar Peer to make it to the finals in Key Biscayne (7-6 (4), 6-1). If this woman continues her current pace, imagine the world records she might set. She began this year ranked in the 80s, mind you. And Peer is no lightweight, she moonlights as a corporal in the Israeli Army at nineteen years old! Williams takes on longtime rival Justine Henin. Henin fought her way to the finals at Key Biscayne for the first time, trouncing Anna Chakvetadze (6-2, 6-3).

Yes, Guillermo Cañas has done it again! In an epic match, Cañas upset world number one and top seed Roger Federer for the second time this month yesterday (7-6 (2), 2-6, 7-6 (5)). Two weeks ago, Cañas beat Federer at Indian Wells, abruptly ending Federer’s infamous winning streak. This second win proves conclusively that his victory at Indian Wells was no fluke. The Argentine has just recently rejoined the tour, he had been suspended for 15 months on doping charges. Next Cañas faces Spain’s Tommy Robredo, here’s hoping for a fascinating match.

Sharapova fans had some hope after Maria beat Venus Williams in third round play of the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida. But sister Serena Williams made short work of Sharapova in the quarterfinal round, crushing the top seed in two quick sets (6-1, 6-1). Williams is seeded 13th; if she goes all the way this will be her fourth Key Biscayne title. Sharapova has yet to win a tournament this year.

And in men’s action right now in Key Biscayne, Cañas is kicking Federer’s (rhymes with Cañas) again as well. Cañas fought to win a tough first game 7-6. This may turn out to be the season for competitive men’s tennis, stay tuned.

In the event that you ignored our previous advice on preventing tennis elbow, here are ways to find relief. Most cases of tennis elbow can be treated at home with the classic PRICE (protection, rest, ice, compression, and elevation) treatment regimen.

Protection
Protect the elbow from further injury by avoiding aggressive use of the joint.

Rest
Similar to protection, but this part is intended as an instruction to go easy on your elbow with some stretching. You never want to cease all activity with an injured muscle or joint area.

Ice
Apply to the elbow as soon as possible. You can buy resusable ice packs that strap on for ease of use. Also, an effective ice treatment is massage by rolling a frozen bottle of water over the affected area.

Compression
By wrapping the area with an elastic bandage, you can reduce swelling.

Elevation
If you can keep the elbow above heart level, this will also reduce swelling.

If a combination of PRICE and over-the-counter pain relievers aren’t doing the job, speak to your doctor to learn about the possibility of physical therapy or even surgery. About 1 in 10 people with tennis elbow need surgical care.

Source: Tennis Elbow, Mayo Clinic website

Special thanks to guest editor Tim Roth for today’s column. Go to atomstozebras.com to explore more of Tim’s scientific work.

As mentioned in the post What is Tennis Elbow?, the most important step that you can take to avoid tennis elbow is to use proper technique on the court. Use your whole arm and body with each stroke while keeping your wrist rigid. Also, consider using a lower string tension because less force will travel from the point of ball impact to your arm.

Another good preventative measure is strength training especially if you live in a colder climate and there are no indoor facilities nearby to keep your tennis skills up during the winter months.

Finally, be sure to warm up properly. This advice is so simple, but extremely effective at preventing injuries during any kind of physical activity.

Source: Tennis Elbow, Mayo Clinic website

Special thanks to guest editor Tim Roth for today’s column. Visit atomstozebras.com to learn more about science.

Spring is here and everyone is anxious to get out on the court. Be careful not to overdo it or you may become fatigued and contract tennis elbow. Tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis is a condition that begins with microscopic tears in an inner elbow muscle known as the epicondylus lateralis humeri (ELH). While most cases involve temporary inflammation, painful permanent damage can occur.

The leading causes of tennis elbow are incorrect technique and lack of forearm strength. If you don’t use your forearm muscles due to fatigue or technique, you rely too much on the muscles in your elbow.

Symptoms of tennis elbow range from mild pain that vanishes shortly after a match to sharp pain when shaking hands in the days following your match. One simple test for tennis elbow is to wiggle the middle finger on the same side as the painful elbow. This finger movement uses the extensor digitorum muscle which connects to the ELH muscle. Any painful sensation is an indicator that you may be suffering from tennis elbow.

Tune in tomorrow to learn more about tennis elbow and how you can go about preventing it.

Source: Tennis Elbow, Mayo Clinic website

Special thanks to guest editor Tim Roth for today’s column. Delve into his world of science at atomstozebras.com