Tennis News

Toni Nadal :"In the tennis world, those who are mentally stronger, are also technically stronger."
=================
What he means is the other way around obviously. When you are strong technically, you are strong mentally.

If you are not that good mentally and technically, you can be strong physically and that will help strengthen mental just as well.

Yes, I can just imagine how mentally strong Nadal would be without that left bicep 

An interesting view of the new Sharapova-Connors partnership:

"The next time Maria Sharapova loses to Serena Williams, she just may drop all that “She’s a great player, she was just too good today” hooey and snarl, “I’ll follow that b**** to the ends of the earth. . .”

http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2013/07/maria-punkess/48365/#.UeRFw3DRfzI

noleisthebest wrote:Not sure that this qualifies as "news" but still fascinating to read...


"I talk to Rafa during matches. I know that it’s not allowed but I think that at my age I have nothing to hide,"Toni told the Spanish journalist David Nadal.
Toni Nadal added that he sees little value in using sports psychologists, and added, "In the tennis world, those who are mentally stronger, are also technically stronger."


So is ATP going to say/do anything?
What a complete joke....

Full interview:
http://www.menorca.info/menorca/472207/perder/ninguna/tragedia/asume/entrenar

Obviously not.

noleisthebest wrote:Yes, I can just imagine how mentally strong Nadal would be without that left bicep 

How mentally strong would Djokovic be without his egg and special gluten-free "diet?"

Tenez wrote:Toni Nadal :"In the tennis world, those who are mentally stronger, are also technically stronger."
=================
What he means is the other way around obviously. When you are strong technically, you are strong mentally.

If you are not that good mentally and technically, you can be strong physically and that will help strengthen mental just as well.

No he does not mean the other way around. If being strong technically made you strong mentally then Federer would have never been defeated by Nadal. Obviously it is a given that both Federer and Nadal are strong technically and obviously nobody is more technically sound or talented in the game of tennis than Federer is.

BlueClay wrote:

Tenez wrote:Toni Nadal :"In the tennis world, those who are mentally stronger, are also technically stronger."
=================
What he means is the other way around obviously. When you are strong technically, you are strong mentally.

If you are not that good mentally and technically, you can be strong physically and that will help strengthen mental just as well.

No he does not mean the other way around. If being strong technically made you strong mentally then Federer would have never been defeated by Nadal. Obviously it is a given that both Federer and Nadal are strong technically and obviously nobody is more technically sound or talented in the game of tennis than Federer is.

 Very wrong actually. Technique and timing are much more fragile than sheer fitness (by definition). Even Murray said so very clearly a couple of weeks ago. So as the match extends technique and timing goes and with it goes the mental strength. This is why Federer very often led Nadal in their encounters but collapsed afterwards.

Did you notice how nervous Nadal starts his matches and then calms down once he sees the match extends? He also says it in his book. You are very often wrong....but on this you are even "wronger"!

BlueClay wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:Yes, I can just imagine how mentally strong Nadal would be without that left bicep 

How mentally strong would Djokovic be without his egg and special gluten-free "diet?"

Even if we assume he uses the egg regularly (which I believe he doesn't as it's not a portable blow-up  air bed) and dopes, he didn't in 2007 &8 when he won his 1st slam and had a lot of extremely close matches against an obviously steroided (and whatever else) up to his eyeballs Nadal.

Take away the bicep and the juice (or whatever he is having) and you have the 1st round Wimbledon loser.

How many slams do you think Nadal would have won if he played without "medical help"?

The whole tour was ground to a halt because of the trend Nadal set and got away with it in the name of golden egg laying hen called Fedal.

Just like in athletics and sprinting, if you see the competition getting away with murder, making money and you killing yourself just the same left with peanuts, it's not hard to imagine why players are looking like they are and why suddenly Murray, Berd, Tipsarevic and many other players have massive thighs and play a very different tennis from the one they made breakthrough with.

But take away the artificial help from everyone, and then we have better tennis and a very different top 20.

Of course, that is unlikely to happen, as people running ATP are not genuine tennis lovers more like business people only interested in making profit .
Until current superstar system that is bringing revenue shows signs of slowing down, we are going to be seeing a lot of players looking weirder and called "athletes", rather than tennis players.

Tennis as a result will end up looking like an athletic endurance discipline (which it already is, if you look at most of recent slam finals).

I think it doesn't have to be like that. Just need someone smart & tennis-loving running the show.
I'd love Fed to take over one day.

Shriekapova joining forces with Jimmy Connors?
LOL!!
Watch her drop out of the top 10!!
No disrespect to what Connors achieved but he sucks as a coach
Just look at how badly Roddick was playing while being coached by him

Veejay wrote:Shriekapova joining forces with Jimmy Connors?
LOL!!
Watch her drop out of the top 10!!
No disrespect to what Connors achieved but he sucks as a coach
Just look at how badly Roddick was playing while being coached by him

 Agreed. He has too big an ego to be a good coach. Won't last long I feel.

Tenez wrote:

BlueClay wrote:

Tenez wrote:Toni Nadal :"In the tennis world, those who are mentally stronger, are also technically stronger."
=================
What he means is the other way around obviously. When you are strong technically, you are strong mentally.

If you are not that good mentally and technically, you can be strong physically and that will help strengthen mental just as well.

No he does not mean the other way around. If being strong technically made you strong mentally then Federer would have never been defeated by Nadal. Obviously it is a given that both Federer and Nadal are strong technically and obviously nobody is more technically sound or talented in the game of tennis than Federer is.

 Very wrong actually. Technique and timing are much more fragile than sheer fitness (by definition). Even Murray said so very clearly a couple of weeks ago. So as the match extends technique and timing goes and with it goes the mental strength. This is why Federer very often led Nadal in their encounters but collapsed afterwards.

Did you notice how nervous Nadal starts his matches and then calms down once he sees the match extends? He also says it in his book. You are very often wrong....but on this you are even "wronger"!

 
Nobody is wrong as often as you it appears. Since I have joined here every prediction you have made has been wrong, for example your certainty that Nadal would lose to Djokovic at the FO and then your prediction that Djokovic would beat Murray at Wimbledon. I predicted both correctly by the way.
 
I read Nadal's book and he talks about his mental strength being a big factor in his matches and a big factor in his reason for defeating Federer so often.

noleisthebest wrote:

BlueClay wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:Yes, I can just imagine how mentally strong Nadal would be without that left bicep 

How mentally strong would Djokovic be without his egg and special gluten-free "diet?"

Even if we assume he uses the egg regularly (which I believe he doesn't as it's not a portable blow-up  air bed) and dopes, he didn't in 2007 &8 when he won his 1st slam and had a lot of extremely close matches against an obviously steroided (and whatever else) up to his eyeballs Nadal.

Take away the bicep and the juice (or whatever he is having) and you have the 1st round Wimbledon loser.

How many slams do you think Nadal would have won if he played without "medical help"?

The whole tour was ground to a halt because of the trend Nadal set and got away with it in the name of golden egg laying hen called Fedal.

Just like in athletics and sprinting, if you see the competition getting away with murder, making money and you killing yourself just the same left with peanuts, it's not hard to imagine why players are looking like they are and why suddenly Murray, Berd, Tipsarevic and many other players have massive thighs and play a very different tennis from the one they made breakthrough with.

But take away the artificial help from everyone, and then we have better tennis and a very different top 20.

Of course, that is unlikely to happen, as people running ATP are not genuine tennis lovers more like business people only interested in making profit .
Until current superstar system that is bringing revenue shows signs of slowing down, we are going to be seeing a lot of players looking weirder and called "athletes", rather than tennis players.

Tennis as a result will end up looking like an athletic endurance discipline (which it already is, if you look at most of recent slam finals).

I think it doesn't have to be like that. Just need someone smart & tennis-loving running the show.
I'd love Fed to take over one day.

I am sorry but you have no way of knowing how long Djokovic has doped for. Strong biceps are not the only indicator of PED use, not at all. Look at Lance Armstrong, a string bean with a similar body type to Djokovic. There is no question in my mind that Nadal dopes but I think that all of the elite guys probably use something and that includes Djokovic. It is the culture of pro sports, the need to use something to compete at the very top.

You will not change this doping culture, it is here to stay and has probably existed since the beginning of competitive sports. Money does rule and tennis is a business even more than it is entertainment. The people in power who are making money from the sport are not going to out the elite PED users and match fixers as long as they are cash cows.

Tenez wrote:

Veejay wrote:Shriekapova joining forces with Jimmy Connors?
LOL!!
Watch her drop out of the top 10!!
No disrespect to what Connors achieved but he sucks as a coach
Just look at how badly Roddick was playing while being coached by him

 Agreed. He has too big an ego to be a good coach. Won't last long I feel.

All greats have big egos. He is older now and probably mellowed a little bit. Sharapova won't take any crap from Connors. She is the one with the mega bucks and she is paying him not the other way around. He probably needs the money and this is a good deal for him. It puts him back in the spotlight and gives him a chance to really promote his new book. Whether it will work in the long term who knows but if it does not neither Sharapova or Connors lose anything.

BlueClay wrote:

I read Nadal's book and he talks about his mental strength being a big factor in his matches and a big factor in his reason for defeating Federer so often.

 When I get it wrong ...like that FO semi....it's very close....and we all know that Djoko shoudl have won that final.

However can one be more wrong about your prediction for Wimby?LOL! You predicted a Nadal win...Nadal going very far....and Nadal not needing to train on grass. whcih shows again so little understanding of tennis.

You reading Nadal's book says it all! And on top of that clearly you did not understand the book it seems as he clearly says that v Federer he just has to wait to see Federer pouring UEs.

BlueClay wrote: I am sorry but you have no way of knowing how long Djokovic has doped for. Strong biceps are not the only indicator of PED use, not at all. Look at Lance Armstrong, a string bean with a similar body type to Djokovic. There is no question in my mind that Nadal dopes but I think that all of the elite guys probably use something and that includes Djokovic. It is the culture of pro sports, the need to use something to compete at the very top.

I am definitely not an expert on doping, but even I know that someone who dopes does not retire in matches because of the lack of fitness as Novak used to do. It is because Nadal doped during those years that he had that (physical) advantage over Djokovic who has always been a superior player, just lacked stamina and physical strength to compete with Nadal over the distance.

BlueClay wrote:

Tenez wrote:

Veejay wrote:Shriekapova joining forces with Jimmy Connors?
LOL!!
Watch her drop out of the top 10!!
No disrespect to what Connors achieved but he sucks as a coach
Just look at how badly Roddick was playing while being coached by him

 Agreed. He has too big an ego to be a good coach. Won't last long I feel.

All greats have big egos. He is older now and probably mellowed a little bit. Sharapova won't take any crap from Connors. She is the one with the mega bucks and she is paying him not the other way around. He probably needs the money and this is a good deal for him. It puts him back in the spotlight and gives him a chance to really promote his new book. Whether it will work in the long term who knows but if it does not neither Sharapova or Connors lose anything.

Actually sharapova has a lot to loose
Connors had Roddick serving and then run into the middle of the court and just stand there 
If it werent for his big serve he would have dropped out the top 10
Sharapova has no real weapons and her serve is more of a liability 
The difference when Roddick took on Larry as a coach was massive,he improved his game in just about every department
When Roddick changed from Brad to Connors,his game went backwards rather then forwards

Sharapova&Connors - finished!

http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2013/08/sharapova-splits-connors-after-one-match/48759/#.Ug8rQ8u9KK0

LOL!  not surprised.

Sharapova out of USO with a shoulder injury.

http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2013/08/sharapova-withdraws-us-open-due-right-shoulder-bursitis/48822/#.UhXFvMu9KSM

Now Djokovic comes out with a book on his diet http://www.thetennisspace.com/five-things-about-novak-djokovics-new-diet-book/

I read some quotes on the web, and they look funny especially this one:

"Since going on a gluten-free diet, “my allergies abated, my asthma disappeared; my fears and doubts were replaced by confidence. I have not had a serious cold or flu in nearly three years”. "


And silly people suffer for years knocking at 1000s of doctors for curing allergies and asthma when the cure is so simple.

Drouet, Tomic's  former hitting partner reveals what it was like to work for him:

http://www.news.com.au/sport/tennis/the-thomas-drouet-diaries-seven-months-on-the-atp-tour-with-bernard-and-john-tomic/story-fndkzym4-1226719297918

"* “We arrive in New York, Bernard doesn't have the right visa... We miss our connecting flight… Bernard tells us that we can sleep at the airport, that he has booked a hotel in New York and he is going to have a party with his mates. Physio [Salvador Sosa] and I are stupefied as we are left to sleep on a chair all night.”


* “Bernard is supposed to train with Kei Nishikori but turns it into a scandal. He doesn't want to play with him, so he tanks it. They are doing this practice to find their rhythm, but Bernard just whacks it back, and he loses 6-1 in 10 minutes. Nishikori is really pissed off. His coach tells me after we will never want to play with him again. Bernard doesn't like to practice with other tournament players.”


* “I think 80 percent of his defeats are either by abandonment (he gives up) or by injury, his nickname is tank machine.”


* “John says that practice is over and tells me to put my rackets in the bag. Bernard tells me to stay but John again tells me practice is over. I'm standing there not sure what to do. John tells Bernard if he doesn't want to listen then he will not play. Bernard comes to the net and John is screaming at him and Bernard answers back and tells him again to sit on the bench and not talk. John is furious and then — pow! One punch. .. Bernard doesn't say anything but has tears in his eyes. John walks away and rests two rackets on an angle against the wall then snaps his foot down on them breaking them. Crack, crack — breaks both rackets and tells Bernard that he doesn't play tournaments now for three weeks and tells me to cancel all the flight tickets. Bernard sees this and then breaks his racket. My God, these people, it's crazy.”


* “[There is] a scandal at the airport and everyone is shocked by John as he starts again screaming at me and saying he is cancelling my ticket. After 10 minutes I go back to the car but I want to say to John what I think of him to him. We finally take off but John starts again verbally abusing me on the plane. It's incredible.' Okay we will sort this out physically in Madrid because you won't be in your country this time and we will see if you are that clever and outspoken,'" he says to me.


“We make our way to the hotel in central Madrid. In front of the hotel John asks me to put my bag down and to follow him outside. We walk to the side of the hotel. I thought he was going to say sorry for the verbal abuse. He looks around all the time which I think is weird. There is no one around. He tells me 'Tell me again what you said this morning.' I tell him again about how he thinks he is such a 'big man, a real man but okay John that's fine Bernard will pay me to be his partner.' He spits in my face. I wipe the spit away as he walks away and I tell him again what a big man he is and he suddenly turns and head butts me. I remember yelling help as I fall.”


* “John is suspended for at least a year by the ATP from attending future tournaments. Bernard tells me he is unhappy with the ATP's decision and that the ATP should protect him. I think I am completely imagining this and ask him if he realizes what his father has done. He has already forgotten that a month and a half ago I was laying on the ground in Madrid unconscious and covered in blood because of his father? He apologizes once more for what his father has done, but tells me it's his father and he loves him. I tell him 'OK you are allowed to love your father but at least admit to his mistakes.' He agrees.”

wow. speechless. WTF?!?

Great professionals these Tomics are...

Tomic Sr latest:

"I know that I didn't do that, and I am just now regretting why I didn't punch him, when I see this campaign against Bernard, against me, I'm really regretting why I didn't punch him now, because I think that he deserved that. I know that I would be in more trouble in the future, but when I see how he has been lying …
In this statement to the newspaper he is so pathetic and sick. I didn't have work, I couldn't resign', but if he didn't like this situation, environment, which was very good, why he didn't he? You can find jobs everywhere if he wants to work.''

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/i-am-now-regretting-why-i-really-didnt-punch-him-20130917-2txbs.html#ixzz2fGGx0TOS

thoughts nitb?

luvsports! wrote:thoughts nitb?

On Tomic senior: a primitive thug who should be banned from the tour permanently.

On Tomic junior: Obviously not far off from his dad, but I am a bit less inclined to put him in the same bracket as he has been
manipulated and brainwashed by him from day one. I don't like him at all.

Well put.

Andy Murray having trouble with his back and possibly out for the rest of the season:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-2425555/Andy-Murray-undergo-surgery-injured-back.html
http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2013/09/reports-murray-undergo-back-surgery-may-be-out-season/49219/#.UjswWeDRfzI

Real shame, I hope his back gets better after the surgery.

Wish Federer could do the same!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/24217149

Tenez wrote:Wish Federer could do the same!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/24217149

I know

Now that it's reached even ATP site, it must be official  

Tennis/2013/09/39/Djokovic-Ristic-Engagement.aspx   " target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/09/39/Djokovic-Ristic-Engagement.aspx   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNC0kIzM1Fo

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/tramlines/martina-hingis-her-mother-mother-boyfriend-beat-estranged-214256961.html

What is it with tennis players and their parents beating their sparring partners or simply partners?

Too much drug rage I guess.

nitb this will make you like AROD even less/
http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2013/10/roddick-once-pushed-djokovic-against-locker/49352/#.Uk2sJdIU-qh

WHOOOOOAAAAAA!!!!! LS you made my day  
Reading between the lines Roddick got what he asked for not only on the court but in the locker room as well.
Another reason to love his Wimbledon final loss to Fed 

Glad to make it so nitb , good comment here btw:

BrooklynNY21 minutes ago





Roddick isn't funny and Novak surpassed his entire career in the span of 6 months.

Lame "Bro"

I never minded Roddick even though I didn't like him.
I am all for characters on tour, the more colourful the better, anything but this boring, politically correct "....,no?" brigade.
I reckon a lot goes on in the locker room and no amount of PR-ed talk can mask the palpable animosities between players.
I reckon Nole-Nadal mutual hate has reached white hot levels so I can't wait for their next match, in theory we could see them 4 times this year, so will be interesting!

Yes but nole best start winning!

I reckon Nole-Nadal mutual hate has reached white hot levels so I can't wait for their next match, in theory we could see them 4 times this year, so will be interesting!

There's no mutual hate I'm afraid you imagine most of this stuff.

luvsports! wrote:Yes but nole best start winning!

Exactly!
He wants to beat him so badly now, I just hope he channels all that fury into those short, wide CC BHs....looks like they are on course to meet on Sunday, unless Fogna or Isner pull their socks up.

Djokovic does not hate Nadal, please this is ridiculous hyperbole.

Look of course he wants to win, Djokovic has great desire anyway, is a professional, and Nadal is a big rival... but I don't see any hatred.

There are so many French players in the ATP ranking that some even make the tabloids news....the sad news that it.

http://fr.sports.yahoo.com/news/deux-tennismen-fran%C3%A7ais-soup%C3%A7onn%C3%A9s-viol-gr%C3%A8ce-121300589.html

Tenez wrote:There are so many French players in the ATP ranking that some even make the tabloids news....the sad news that it.

http://fr.sports.yahoo.com/news/deux-tennismen-fran%C3%A7ais-soup%C3%A7onn%C3%A9s-viol-gr%C3%A8ce-121300589.html

My French is not fluent, but if that says what I think it does- it's quite shocking.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/10/44/Del-Potro-Robbed-En-Route-To-London-Finale.aspx

Delpo robbed in Paris, North Station, of USO and Olympic trophees on his way to London. Gare du North is one of the worst crime place in France.

Bt what was he doing travelling with those???!!

Richard Gasquet dumped by coach


Updated: November 9, 2013, 6:52 PM ET
LONDON -- Richard Gasquet found out on the eve of his final match at the ATP World Tour Finals that coach Riccardo Piatti decided to end their partnership without further notice.

Gasquet, who lost his final round-robin match at the year-end tournament to Novak Djokovic on Saturday, said Piatti abruptly told him he was leaving after more than two years working together.

Gasquet, who won three titles this season and reached the semifinals at the US Open, did not elaborate on his coach's decision, saying it was for Piatti to explain his reasons.

Gasquet will keep working with part-time coach Sebastien Grosjean until he finds a replacement for Piatti.
===================================
Oh dear...usually it's the other way around. He may have realised he was beyond help!

I saw that.
T, this is a sign! You should apply for the job and teach him how to hit that FH properly.

Oh dear...usually it's the other way around. He may have realised he was beyond help!

Haha, well it's not good when your coach pulls off your steering wheel and hands it to you, then bails out of the car.  I guess Gasquet wasn't listening to his advice so he thought, stuff you.

Not sure this really is news, still:

Radek and Petra....  

Czech tennis spokesperson, Karel Tejkal, said, "Petra and Radek are friends and will continue to support one another."

http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2014/04/czech-media-kvitova-stepanek-split/51315/#.U2A0fMu9KSM

Sharapova next? I don't know why but it seems not one can resist him.

It looks like Step can ony pull Czech tennis players: Higgins, Vaidisova, Kvitova...
At this rate he'll end up with Navratilova!