http://www.10sballs.com Tennis can't be Tennis without Balls Thu, 17 May 2012 18:57:40 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/17/todays-womens-update-rome-0517/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/17/todays-womens-update-rome-0517/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 17:00:01 +0000 Staff http://www.10sballs.com/?p=46126 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/17/todays-womens-update-rome-0517/feed/ 0 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/17/todays-mens-update-rome-0517/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/17/todays-mens-update-rome-0517/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 16:45:35 +0000 Staff http://www.10sballs.com/?p=46123 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/17/todays-mens-update-rome-0517/feed/ 0 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/17/do-you-like-to-play-what-if-roger%e2%80%a6/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/17/do-you-like-to-play-what-if-roger%e2%80%a6/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 16:30:56 +0000 Staff http://www.10sballs.com/?p=46057 Breakdown of the Post US Open 2011 Results In the weeks following the US Open in 2011, Djokovic earned just 560 points, Nadal just 730 including the Davis Cup semifinals, but Federer earned 3000.  Nadal's 150 points for the Davis Cup finals are included in his 2012 Year-to-Date Race points total.  Davis Cup results are a little confusing.  They award 40 points for first round wins, 65 points for quarterfinal wins, 70 points for semifinal wins and 75 points for finals wins.  By my reckoning, Ferrer has won 7 matches in the last 12 months, but I think they only count one quarterfinal round of matches in the annual ranking calculation.  The 2012 South African Airways Year-to-Date Race to London totals for the top three are Djokovic-4320, Federer-3865, Nadal-3750.  Andy Murray picked up 1930 points in 2011 after the US Open with his three victories on the Asian circuit and he would jump David Ferrer by 250 points in this post-US Open performance measure. 10sChiro's Post US Open Performance Measure Points Breakdown 1. Roger Federer     6865   (3000 in post US Open 2011 + 3865 in 2012) 2. Novak Djokovic  4880   (  560 in post US Open 2011 + 4320 in 2012) 3. Rafael Nadal       4480   (  730 in post US Open 2011 + 3750 in 2012) 4. Andy Murray     4080   (1930 in post US Open 2011 + 2150 in 2012) 5. David Ferrer      3830   (1610 in post US Open 2011 + 2220 in 2012) Roger's win at Madrid last week thrust him ahead of Rafael Nadal into 2nd place in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, both for the last 52 weeks and for the year to date.  True, he is a slim 325 points ahead of Nadal in the year-long rankings and a Nadal victory in Rome will put him back in 2nd regardless of how far Roger goes in Rome.  Djokovic seems somewhat less invincible than he did the first 9 months of last year with critical loses to Isner at Indian Wells and Tipsarevic last week.  (Reaching the finals of Monte Carlo the week his grandfather died has to be considered a heroic effort.)  Novak still holds a 1770 point lead over Federer and you would think he has the most points to defend, but it is actually Nadal who has a the most to defend in the next 8 weeks including Roland Garros and Wimbledon.  The reports from Daily Tennis bring you up-to-date rankings moves on a match by match basis.  But I want to emphasize what is at stake each week for these top players.  In particular, I want to play the "what if" game to see how Roger Federer can recapture the top ranking.  I hope he decides to play in Rome.  I'm writing this Tuesday night and there is still some question as to whether Federer will show for his 2nd-match-on-after-12 appointment with Carlos Berlocq Wednesday afternoon.  At the same time, I don't want to see him jeopardize the opportunity that lays before him by overplaying.  There are two Majors coming up quickly and he must maintain the focus on preparing for those events. Clearly, what few imagined was even possible after that US Open loss, is definitely within reach, if not in the next 8 weeks, certainly over the next 17 weeks until the US Open ends on September 9.  While Roger may be a little beat up by his long final with Berdych in Madrid, his physicality seems very much intact and his level of confidence and match toughness seems to be growing with every victory.  He will not win every match from here to the US Open, but it's not necessary for him to retake the top spot in the  rankings.  A good combination of wins, finals and semifinals that keeps him just within 1984 points of Novak Djokovic or 2384 points of Rafael Nadal through the US Open will earn him the number one ranking, and probably for more than one week.  The indoor season could correctly be considered Roger's best season, but with an additional 800 point opportunity on grass in the Olympics, the next four months should be a great time for Roger.  The way he has been playing more aggressively with his backhand and moving forward into the court at every opportunity sets him up even better than usual for an expanded grass court season. Surely, winning Majors comes first.  But for him to accomplish the recapture of the number one ranking at this time in his career would be awesome.  I trust Annacone will keep Roger focused on the important goals and not let him get too greedy in the pursuit of the "damn points".  He must stick to his disciplined approach, only playing events that allow his body enough time to recover and be the most durable player in the history of the modern game.  His ability to maintain his mental and psychological enthusiasm is just as important as his physical recovery from all the little aches and pains that come with so many matches.  One could really question if there was something more to the Men In Black III suit Will Smith presented to Roger after the Madrid final.  I was thinking Roger should have asked if it came with a "neuralizer", but he already has tools he uses to erase all the bad memories: a positive attitude and an infinite work ethic. ************************************ Just so you can play the "what if" game the next few weeks, here are the tournaments the top three will be involved in over the next 8 weeks, as well as the points they are defending and the points that are available in each of these events. Rome No points to defend.  They are already off the computer. Winner-1000; Runner-Up-600; Semifinalist-360; 1/4's-180; 16's-90; 32's-45; 64's-10 After an off week for these three, Roland Garros Points to Defend: Djokovic-720; Federer-1200; Nadal-2000 Winner-2000; RUp-1200; Semis-720; 1/4s-360; 16s-180; 32s-90; 64s-45; 128-10 Halle (all three are entered in Halle at this time) Points to Defend: Just Nadal with 45 from Queens Winner-250; RU-150: Semis-90; 1/4s-45; 16s-20; 32s-0 Wimbledon Points to Defend: Djokovic-2000; Federer-360; Nadal-1200 Winner-2000; RUp-1200; Semis-720; 1/4s-360; 16s-180; 32s-90; 64s-45; 128-10 In total, the maximum available is 5250 points.  Djokovic has 2720 to defend.  Nadal 3245 to defend.  And Federer with his off year at Wimbledon last year as well as missing Halle, one of his favorites, has just 1560 points to defend.  Murray won Queens last year and with his semis at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, has 1690 points to defend.  Ferrer has just 360 points to defend with 16s at RG and Wimby and should move up in the 52 week rankings. Tsonga has 960 to defend.  Berdych just 190. I don't know why the ATP hasn't played up this contest more than they have.  This could be one of the most exciting races in years.  First, to see if Roger can get back to number one and second, to see who can earn the ultimate number one ranking for the year.  We will keep you posted periodically here on 10sBalls.com 10sChiro's Post US Open Performance Measure Points Breakdown Just to repeat, here it is 1. Roger Federer     6865   (3000 in post US Open 2011 + 3865 in 2012) 2. Novak Djokovic  4880   (  560 in post US Open 2011 + 4320 in 2012) 3. Rafael Nadal       4480   (  730 in post US Open 2011 + 3750 in 2012) 4. Andy Murray     4080   (1930 in post US Open 2011 + 2150 in 2012) 5. David Ferrer      3830   (1610 in post US Open 2011 + 2220 in 2012) If Roger can just stay close in the next few weeks before Wimbledon… 10sChiro to see other articles by 10sChiro, go to http://www.10sballs.com/category/columnists/dr-chiro/ or http://www.10sballs.com/author/don/ If you want more information about lessons with TennisChiro or his videotaping and analysis service, contact him at donbrosseau@earthlink.net.  This summer he will be the Head Pro at the Buckskill Tennis Club in Easthampton, NY.]]> http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/17/do-you-like-to-play-what-if-roger%e2%80%a6/feed/ 2 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/17/everything-back-to-normal/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/17/everything-back-to-normal/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 16:15:47 +0000 Shubert http://www.10sballs.com/?p=46115
Now that both tours have moved on from the wildly entertaining blue clay of Madrid, it seems all is returning to normal as the clay is RED at the Rome Masters event! Let's cheers Madrid for committing to the blue clay and providing tennis with a jolt of outside attention. Personally, I liked the color and thought visibility was great.]]>
Now that both tours have moved on from the wildly entertaining blue clay of Madrid, it seems all is returning to normal as the clay is RED at the Rome Masters event! Let's cheers Madrid for committing to the blue clay and providing tennis with a jolt of outside attention. Personally, I liked the color and thought visibility was great. How fitting that Roger Federer took down the title too huh? Years ago, when the tennis ball color changed from white to yellow, traditionalists might have disagreed. And even further, when Penn started making ATP Masters' light green balls, people may have disagreed. I'd say embrace the change, just as the balls, rackets, and equipment has, the game has only grown and gotten better in the long run. If it can attract mass appeal like: "Oh wouldn't it be cool to go play on a blue clay court?!?" - even better!! We hope you've enjoyed 10sballs.com's coverage and photos of the blue clay too! It's heard that Rome is known to have the slowest clay courts (in the world). I've practiced on them personally and I can agree with this rumor. Their red clay there seems to stick more, seems to grip the ball and conditions can feel heavy and sluggish. Just ask John Isner who looked like he went 15 rounds with a gorilla after his three-set loss to hometown favorite Andreas Seppi! Isner's serve was taken out of the equation and his movement was put to the test. Seppi simply remained constant and let Big John crash out. I sure hope that blister or cut on Isner's hand heals quickly because the amount of blood that was seeping out of there was not pretty! The clay has definitely worn out some players and it's evident that a few are feeling the fatigue. #8 seeded Tipsarevic also crashed out, losing to Warwrinka 6-3 6-1 even after his powerful performance in Madrid. Who's eager to see the later rounds? It's been a while since the big 3 faced one another and given us yet another classic match right?? On Rome's slow clay, it's certain to be a great test for each if they can survive. Djokovic must be itching for a fight, he's endured some pretty tough losses and there's going to be a point where he snaps. You can see it in his eyes. He'll come raging back from the dead in a match or simply wear his body ragged in order to win a big match. It won't be pretty and we'll definitely see that explosion of emotion or rage equipped with fist pumps and heart-poundings. They are in Rome after all... Gladiators, 10sballs.com salutes you!]]> http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/17/everything-back-to-normal/feed/ 0 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/17/itf-preparing-to-expand-pro-circuit-selects-sportradar-ag-for-distributing-official-data/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/17/itf-preparing-to-expand-pro-circuit-selects-sportradar-ag-for-distributing-official-data/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 16:00:25 +0000 Staff http://www.10sballs.com/?p=46112 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/17/itf-preparing-to-expand-pro-circuit-selects-sportradar-ag-for-distributing-official-data/feed/ 0 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/17/south-african-davis-cup-waiver-sparks-controversy/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/17/south-african-davis-cup-waiver-sparks-controversy/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 15:45:55 +0000 Staff http://www.10sballs.com/?p=46109 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/17/south-african-davis-cup-waiver-sparks-controversy/feed/ 0 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/farmers-classic-tournament-news/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/farmers-classic-tournament-news/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 03:44:56 +0000 Staff http://www.10sballs.com/?p=46104 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/farmers-classic-tournament-news/feed/ 0 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/todays-mens-news-rome-0516/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/todays-mens-news-rome-0516/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 03:29:36 +0000 Staff http://www.10sballs.com/?p=46100 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/todays-mens-news-rome-0516/feed/ 0 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/todays-womens-news-rome-update-0516/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/todays-womens-news-rome-update-0516/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 03:24:45 +0000 Staff http://www.10sballs.com/?p=46097 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/todays-womens-news-rome-update-0516/feed/ 0 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/usta-member-appreciation-day/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/usta-member-appreciation-day/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 03:16:48 +0000 Staff http://www.10sballs.com/?p=46093 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/usta-member-appreciation-day/feed/ 0 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/tina-karwasky-advances-to-women%e2%80%99s-60s-semifinals-at-usta-national-senior-women%e2%80%99s-hard-court-tennis-championships/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/tina-karwasky-advances-to-women%e2%80%99s-60s-semifinals-at-usta-national-senior-women%e2%80%99s-hard-court-tennis-championships/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 03:11:18 +0000 Staff http://www.10sballs.com/?p=46089 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/tina-karwasky-advances-to-women%e2%80%99s-60s-semifinals-at-usta-national-senior-women%e2%80%99s-hard-court-tennis-championships/feed/ 0 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/svens-postcards-amstelveen-with-rodrigo/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/svens-postcards-amstelveen-with-rodrigo/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 22:54:03 +0000 Staff http://www.10sballs.com/?p=46083
Rodrigo is staying close to the academy in the forest of Amsterdam. He and his player use local transport in order to go from A to B in Amsterdam. We also payed a visit to tennis direct to pick up some strings from our sponsor Toalson.]]>
Rodrigo is staying close to the academy in the forest of Amsterdam. He and his player use local transport in order to go from A to B in Amsterdam. We also payed a visit to tennis direct to pick up some strings from our sponsor Toalson.]]> http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/svens-postcards-amstelveen-with-rodrigo/feed/ 0 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/nintendo-partners-with-the-usta-in-its-smashzone-mobile-tour/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/nintendo-partners-with-the-usta-in-its-smashzone-mobile-tour/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 22:32:22 +0000 Staff http://www.10sballs.com/?p=46079 WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., May 16, 2012 – The USTA announced today that Nintendo has signed on as an Official Sponsor of the SmashZone Mobile Tour, the interactive tennis fan attraction which introduces children to tennis in a fun and engaging way.  As part of the agreement, Nintendo, the worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, will incorporate video game kiosks into the SmashZone experience throughout the duration of the tour. The partnership will launch at the California Strawberry Festival in Oxnard, Calif., on May 19 - 20. This year’s SmashZone Mobile Tour will serve as a launching pad for Mario Tennis Open for the Nintendo 3DS hand-held system. Mario Tennis Open, a fun, portable tennis game that can be played in 3D without the need for special glasses, is scheduled for release everywhere on May 20, and this partnership provides an opportunity for an integrated fan experience where audiences can demo the new game. SmashZone Mobile includes a 53-foot trailer, which anchors four kid-sized tennis courts for youth play. Courts feature games such as Xerox Rally Courts, Esurance Sweet Spot and Target Challenge. The trailer itself, which is handicap accessible, features interactive activities for visitors, including a TENNIS Magazine Green Screen Cover Shoot and touch screen kiosks. The Nintendo video game kiosks will be located in the game room of the trailer. Additionally, Nintendo brand ambassadors will be on site to provide hands-on demonstrations of Mario Tennis Open on the youth tennis courts. “Video games can serve as a gateway to help get kids interested in real-life sports and activities,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “Mario Tennis Open features all their favorite Nintendo characters, and fast-paced tennis action that people will have fun experiencing.” In addition, Nintendo will be an Official Sponsor of Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day presented by Hess, which will be held on August 25 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The sponsorship will enhance fans’ on-site experience by having in-person visits from Mario and Luigi from Mario Tennis Open and product demonstrations on the grounds during the free activity portion of Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day. “We are thrilled to welcome industry leader and innovator Nintendo as an official partner,” said Kurt Kamperman, USTA Chief Executive, Community Tennis.  “Their collaboration and support of the SmashZone Mobile Tour provides a tremendous opportunity to engage thousands of parents and children throughout the country.” For more information about the SmashZone Mobile Tour and to find out if it is coming to a city near you, check outwww.10andundertennis.com. For more information about Mario Tennis Open for the Nintendo 3DS, please visit http://mariotennisopen.nintendo.com.]]> http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/nintendo-partners-with-the-usta-in-its-smashzone-mobile-tour/feed/ 0 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/bryans-bounce-back-with-54-minute-win/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/bryans-bounce-back-with-54-minute-win/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 17:00:08 +0000 Staff http://www.10sballs.com/?p=46073 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/bryans-bounce-back-with-54-minute-win/feed/ 0 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/wta-looking-for-host-of-wta-championships/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/wta-looking-for-host-of-wta-championships/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 16:49:18 +0000 Staff http://www.10sballs.com/?p=46069 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/wta-looking-for-host-of-wta-championships/feed/ 0 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/andy-murray-gets-a-win-on-his-birthday/ http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/andy-murray-gets-a-win-on-his-birthday/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 16:37:08 +0000 Resendiz http://www.10sballs.com/?p=46064 http://www.10sballs.com/2012/05/16/andy-murray-gets-a-win-on-his-birthday/feed/ 0