Australian Open 2014

[Advantage]

Woodbridge: Lively balls key to Aust Open

While the $160 million redeveloped Margaret Court Arena will put the Australian Open on a new level, it's the balls that could decide January's winner.

In good news for Australia, doubles legend Todd Woodbridge has forecast the more exciting balls as enhancing the chances of local star Samantha Stosur.

Taking possession of the 2014 tournament balls six weeks before the year's opening grand slam, Woodbridge appeared surprised by how they had responded to the Melbourne Park plexicushion.

"This ball's a little lively," he said.

"I think it's a good thing and it's an advantage to two people.

"One of them's Rafa (Nadal) because he likes to get a bit more spin ... this ball's going to allow him to really spin the ball and work it hard.

"It also helps Sam Stosur.

"She's had her best results at the US Open on a very fast-ball hardcourt where the ball jumps up and she can get the kick serve and real heavy off the forehand."

Woodbridge said it gave Stosur more opportunity to shine at the Australian Open than in previous years.

After failing to crack the second week of a grand slam in 2013, Stosur returns with less pressure, without a foot injury, better lead-in form and a "smart" schedule.

"The Hopman Cup, getting three matches under her belt, then going to Hobart, which is a tournament she could win and, even if she doesn't, she'll win rounds," he said.

"Sam is an absolute momentum player so, when she's winning matches, keeps rolling. She's got to get that start."

Helping to launch the $160 million new showcourt on Thursday, Woodbridge said the proximity of crowd to court would be favoured by all.

"This is going to be one of the most sought-after courts from players because it's intimate - it's close," Woodbridge said.

Woodbridge denied it was an indulgence, saying the public would benefit and saying it would keep those hoping to pry away a grand slam at bay.

"You can't build tradition within a couple of years. It takes a long time to get the stories, the drama and this court will start to build its own drama from this year on," Woodbridge said.

"People like Nick (Kyrgios), if he's not on Rod Laver Arena, will be playing out here. You'll get all the Aussies on these types of showcourts."

Woodbridge has worked extensively with Jelena Dokic as she continues her rehabilitation from a serious wrist injury.

He suggested the Open could come too soon for Dokic, although she will try to qualify, instead aiming at the French Open and Wimbledon main draws.

"The strategy's always been to get to a point, by June-July, get to the top 100 and playing majors."

Dokic will head to Perth as an alternate for the Hopman Cup before Australian Open qualifying.

http://au.sports.yahoo.com/tennis/news/ ... aust-open/

[DUN I LOVE]

Rzut oka na nowe wydanie Margaret Court Arena.

[Lleyton]

Rzut oka na nowe wydanie Margaret Court Arena.

Prezentuje się imponująco, odliczam już dni do AO.

[Art]

Steve Johnson WC

Amerykanin pokonał w finale amerykańskich play-offs Tennysa Sandgrena.

[Advantage]

Viktor Troicki OUT
Go Soeda IN

[DUN I LOVE]

Melzer prawdopodobnie też nie zagra - Jurgen daje sobie 10% szans na występ w Melbourne.

[Advantage]

Jego żona też na razie nie wraca na korty. A miała grać w Auckland.

[Rroggerr]

Australian Open 2014: Roger Rasheed, Wally Masur, Todd Woodbridge and Nicole Bradtke give their tips

Spoiler:

1) Who will win the Australian Open men's event?

RR: It's been taken out by the top four over a number of years so it's hard to go past them at the start of a calendar year. Roger [Federer] isn't in the top four so it will be interesting to see how he responds. Right now you'd have to go with Rafa [Rafael Nadal] as the No.1 player in the world but the court obviously plays into the hands of a couple of other guys. Novak [Djokovic] loves that surface.

WM: It's hard to go past the top four. Novak has got himself a new coach and that can sometimes put a spring in the step, but I'll pick Rafa.

TW: I felt Novak was going to do it again but the last couple of weeks I've been hitting with the Open ball and it feels pretty lively this year. That is going to come ripping off Nadal's racquet particularly well. Given he wasn't here last year and the form he had last year in winning two slams, he's the one to beat.

Advertisement
NB: You can't go past one of the top few, like [Andy] Murray or Djokovic. Nadal obviously had a cracker … but it comes down to the heat. Any of those three are in the mix.

2) Who will win the women's draw?

RR: It's hard to go past Serena [Williams] if she's firing and 100 per cent fit. The only one who can beat Serena at the Australian Open is Maria Sharapova. Maria has also got some weapons that can hurt Serena, the big thing will be whether she's had enough match play.

WM: It's very hard to go past Serena. She's been so dominant and just seems so into it lately with the new coach she has, [Patrick] Mouratoglou. She's ultra-professional, looks fitter than she's ever looked and seems to want it so badly.

TW: It's impossible to go past Serena. The only thing that would set her back is if she's had too much of a break and how her fitness may be. There hasn't been a stronger favourite for years and years.

NB: Serena had a great year and it's hard to go past her. Sharapova seems to pluck good wins from nowhere when she comes here but she's been injured in the second half of the year, so it will be tough for her. Hopefully Sam [Stosur] will have a good Australian Open.

3) Will there be an Australian in the second week of the tournament?

RR: If I look in the women's side, I've said every year that Sam will make her mark in the Australian Open. I've always felt this is a court where she can play extremely well. For the men it's going to be a tougher task, they're not seeded. They're going to have to beat some quality along the way. Lleyton [Hewitt] will always back himself, he's fit and he's healthy, but it will be a tough task.

WM: We could see Lleyton, Bernie [Bernard Tomic] and Sam, for sure. I've seen a bit of Sam and don't think she will struggle with the pressure of playing at home the way she has in the past.

TW: Unless Sam has a shocking draw, she will almost certainly be in the second week. The men will need help with a good draw, but both Bernard and Lleyton proved last year they could be in the second week. One thing that will happen sooner or later is that [Marinko] Matosevic will win matches, he's too good a player for that not to happen.

NB: Lleyton is an amazing man who keeps going, but to be honest it's not realistic. We don't have anyone seeded so that makes it tough. Tomic has been putting in the hard yards in recent weeks and could do well but again the draw needs to play out in his favour.

4) Will Roger Federer win another grand slam title?

RR: If Roger is healthy he can win another grand slam. He'll have to beat two or three of the big guys because his ranking puts him in a different part of the draw than what he's accustomed to. There's no reason if he plays his best tennis.

WM: It's very hard to say no. I think Wimbledon is the one. I honestly thought that year he beat [Andy] Murray, to win another major was beyond him. I'd be loath to say he can't because he may be stung into action after he lost to [Tommy] Robredo at the US Open. [Pete] Sampras and [Andre] Agassi did it late in their career and there's no reason why Federer can't do that.

TW: Most definitely. He's obviously asking himself questions and the confidence wasn't there as we're used to seeing from the great man. He has got one or two more slams in him, definitely. If I was to pick one he'd win, I'd say Wimbledon.

NB: It's hard to count him out but he needs to have an amazing two weeks and he needs everything to go his way. You can never count him out, but as the years go by he is less likely to.

5) What are Bernard Tomic's prospects for the summer and the rest of 2014?

RR: It's hard to gauge where Bernard is at. Hopefully everything gets sorted out and he's in a place where he can concentrate on tennis and enjoy the sport he grew up loving. He's got a new coach, we don't know a lot about that relationship, and [father] John is also going to be involved. We'll just watch with interest from afar and see where that journey ends up.

WM: Bernie has been great in Australia, always has been. He seems to enjoy the surface. He has a great skill set so with the courts being a bit faster in the heat he thrives on it and feeds off the pace. As for how he goes for the rest of the year, that's Bernie's great challenge. He just needs to find that form on a weekly basis. If he does his ranking is going to rocket.

TW: We go back 12 months and he played some great tennis, won Sydney and we all thought this would be the consistent year that would entrench him in the top 20. It didn't happen. He certainly has the talent and has been working hard since his 21st, he's knuckled down. In terms of slams, he loves the Australian Open and has great results there. I've got no doubt he will play well again there but it's a bit harder because he's ranked 50 in the world and won't be seeded.

NB: It's all up to him really. He's still young, he's got a game that frustrates a lot of players but he just needs to be in the right head space. He's got to get it together and get solid wins on the board. He's got big points to defend from Sydney so unless he wins that his ranking will drop. Hopefully he will do well.

6) Will Sam Stosur finally be able to perform under pressure at home?

RR: I truly feel the past is water under the bridge now. She's not coming here as a defending US Open champ, she finished off the year really strongly. If she just goes out and enjoys playing tennis, which I feel will happen this year, she will do good things.

WM: She won the US Open a few years ago and became a player everyone was gunning for. She's addressing that now … and the fact she didn't live up to expectations here, it's like she's been there and done that. She realises now it's another match and being a bit older now I think she will be OK.

TW: There's no guarantee but if there's a year she can come in more relaxed it's this year. She's got a new coach and had a good end to the year, lots of matches and momentum. She'll play Hopman Cup where she is guaranteed three matches and is going to Hobart where, realistically, she could or should win. She will come into the Open more likely to do well.

NB: In the past it's not through not wanting to do well, it's how she handles it. She's tried different scenarios every year and now she's going back to Hopman Cup. She has a new coach, which can sometimes turn you around. She had a good latter half to the year and hopefully that will give her confidence.

7) Who will be the next Australian talent to step on to the world stage?

RR: Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis are the two young guys at the front of the juniors coming through. I like the way they handled themselves with the pro players, they're not afraid to be on the court and they are not intimidated.

WM: Nick Kyrgios has done that to a degree. Thanasi Kokkinakis is awfully good. We've got a range of young players bubbling along even if they haven't had the stellar results those two have shown. It's hard to go past Kyrgios. Beating Radek Stepanek at the French Open and the way he played Davis Cup, he seems to have a combination of being big, strong and possessing easy power all over court.

TW: It's Thanasi Kokkinakis. He got to the final of the Australian Open juniors, didn't play for nearly six months because of a stress fracture in his back and then quickly came back and made the final of the US Open juniors. He's a bit underdone but he'll follow Kyrgios by quickly doing well in the men's game.

NB: Kyrgios and Kokkinakis have a bright future. On the girls' front you've got Ash Barty. I'd like to think in 2014 she will make headway in her singles performances. If she can get inside the top 100 by the Australian Open, that would be fantastic.

8 ) What should we expect from Lleyton Hewitt at this point in his career?

RR: Having spent a lot of time with Lleyton Hewitt over the years, you can always expect a lot of passion with his tennis. His tennis at the Australian Open will be of a good level, there's no doubt about that. It's time for the Australian fans to embrace collectively what Lleyton has done for our sport as a nation. He has given everything to the game and you can't ask for more than that from an athlete.

WM: We can expect some good tennis. He has been training hard. You look at how he played in the US Open and finally his body is coming together. He's working his tail off to be ready and he will be prepared. It all comes down to the draw.

TW: Lleyton's goal is to go as deep as he can in majors. He went to the round of 16 in the US Open so I think the quarters is reasonable. For Lleyton to do well at the Open he has got to have some quick matches.

NB: You always expect a person who is highly competitive and never gives up. He won't be seeded so he will have to make it through the tough way. He'll always give 100 per cent and that's all you can ask.

Roger Rasheed has coached the likes of Lleyton Hewitt, Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and is working with Grigor Dimitrov. Commentator for the Seven Network.

Wally Masur is a former Australian Open semi-finalist who coached Australia's Davis Cup team. Commentator for Fox Sports.

Todd Woodbridge won 16 grand slam doubles finals and is an Olympic gold medallist. Commentator for Seven.

Nicole Bradtke won three WTA titles, and coaches Australia's Federation Cup team.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/t ... z2oa62Pw5i

[DUN I LOVE]

Herald Sun też przeglądasz?

[Rroggerr]

Po prostu wpisałem w google ''Kokkinakis Brisbane'' kilka dni temu i mi to wyskoczyło, a że ładnie mówią o Thanasim i Rafie...

[Rroggerr]

Wklejam tu. No naprawdę - byłoby miło.

Are faster courts in store for players at the Australian Open??

A lot of tennis experts have complained about the standardization of tennis surfaces in recent years with many saying that there is not much difference between hardcourts, claycourts and grasscourts now. And they have called for surfaces to be a bit more varied.

Well those guys may just get their wish soon. According to famous tennis coach, Roger Rasheed, the courts in Brisbane are the fastest he has seen Down Under for a very long time.

A few days ago, Todd Woodbridge said that this year the courts in Australia are very fast compared to the past. And Rasheed tweeted on Thursday- "The courts here in Brisbane are the fastest I've ever seen in Australia after a long period. This means that the conditions in Melbourne will be the same. I like."

Usually, the courts in warm up events are similar to the ones used at the Australian Open.

http://www.tennisworldusa.org/Tennis--- ... 15347.html

[Saboteur]

Dzika karta dla Panfila do kwali AO?

[Mario]

Kiedyś była podobna akcja, żeby Mahut dostał WC do głównej drabinki w Australii (też po dobrej grze w Perth), oczywiście bez powodzenia...

[Saboteur]

Może Radwa wrzuci i jakoś zareagują...

[Jacques D.]

Baker OUT
Zopp OUT
Llodra IN
Kavcić IN

[Mateuszz91]

Na fejsie już ktoś zrobił fanpage'a "Wild Card on Australian Open for Grzegorz Panfil " , który udostępnił polski-tenis.pl

[Saboteur]

Na fejsie już ktoś zrobił fanpage'a "Wild Card on Australian Open for Grzegorz Panfil " , który udostępnił polski-tenis.pl

O czym pisaliśmy cztery posty wyżej...

[Mateuszz91]

Nie spojrzałem...trochę to naiwne , ale polubić zawsze można

[Saboteur]

Spoko, taka tenisnetowa upierdliwość.

[Mateuszz91]

Trochę nie wiem o co tyle szumu , ale Grzesiek tak czy siak miał jechać na kwale do AO , przed tym jak dowiedział sie o możliwości występu w Hopman Cup , bo mimo , ze w tej chwili jest 12 rezerwowym , to i tak raczej sie na nie załapie...