Tennisform Ticker

31 December 2009
17:48	Roddick	starts his 2010 campaign in Brisbane next week, his first tournament since his 2009 season was prematurely ended by a knee injury in the second round of the Shanghai ATP Masters 1000. “[The knee] is coming around all right,” said Roddick. “I don’t know if it will be perfect for a while but it’s getting close. It’s just a matter now of getting range and motion back. As far as running and drills; it’s fine, I don’t feel any pain. It’s not something that should hinder me on court."
17:29	Davydenko	moves on to Doha to start his 2010 ATP campaign next week. “For me every match I win during the next three months will bring me points and improve my ranking,” said Davydenko, who was forced to endure a spell on the sidelines early in 2009 due to a heel injury. “I am enjoying my tennis and look forward to it.”
17:28	Ferrer	“It was a nice start to the season, beating Nikolay,” said Ferrer. “I will try my best [in the semi-finals]; Rafael is the best Spanish player in history and a nice person. I want to enjoy this match,” added the Valencia resident, who has lost his past four matches against his countryman.”
15:50	Murray	insists his decision to play in Perth will stand him in good stead for the Australian Open in January . "When you go to Doha in the first week of the year, you play every match at night and it's cold," said Murray, who was dumped out by Fernando Verdasco in the fourth round of last season's Australian Open. "Last year I trained in Miami where it was hot, came back to Scotland and Doha where it was cold and then went to Australia and only had five days to get used to the heat again. I think this way it will work much better. Having spent Christmas in the States, I can stay in the heat in Perth."
15:49	Soderling	will face Federer on Thursday. The Swede has played Federer 12 times on the ATP Tour and never won, including three defeats in Grand Slam tournaments in 2009, at Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. "Last year was great but I'm focusing on the New Year now," said Soderling, who finished the season ranked in the world's top eight. "It's always great to play Roger and I'm looking forward to it.I learn something every time I play him but hopefully this time I can finally win one."
15:39	Soderling	"I felt like we both played a good match," said Soderling. "I feel good at the moment, and hopefully I can continue to play like I did last year." Soderling squandered a 5-1 lead in the first set against Wawrinka and a 5-4 advantage as he served for the match in the second set but was able to close out a tight victory in two tie-breaks.
15:39	Wawrinka	"I was very happy with my first match," said Wawrinka. "I'm happy with my preparation and I'm happy with my game."
14:42	Davydenko	said after squandering a 4-2 lead in the final set against Ferrer that he still felt the effects of a recent illness and struggled to maintain his concentration. "I was suffering from bronchitis last week and even had to visit the hospital," the Russian said. "I thought I was OK, but apparently I was not." Davydenko still dominated the first set before losing his serve in the fourth and eighth games of the second as the Spaniard evened the match. Davydenko then broke Ferrer in the fifth game of the decider, but Ferrer tied it at 4-4 before breaking again to seal the match. "We both were playing from the baseline well but I could not get my serves right," Davydenko said. "I was playing well, volleying well but I guess I lost concentration and then he [Ferrer] was replying well to my second serves in that final game."
14:14	Kubot	will start his 2010 campaign in Doha next week. Kubot has been training hard in the off season in Mauritius.
11:13	V.Williams	will take part in an exhibition event in Thailand on Saturday. "I'm very excited that I will see Hua Hin. I will try to do as much sightseeing as I can and I'd like to taste Thai food."
11:04	Sharapova	said she was looking forward to taking part in an exhibition event in Thailand on Saturday. "I have heard many great things about Hua Hin. I am really excited to start 2010 there," she said in a statement. "I have been working really hard on and off the court and I can't wait to get to Thailand."
11:02	Oudin	defeated Serena Williams 7-5 in an exhibition match in Athens, GA on December 9th.
10:31	Cirstea	has fully recovered after the injury suffered in August at the Los Angeles tournamant. In November she should have been on a beach in Mauritius ... At 7,900 km away from fog, rain and cold. Besides Caroline Wozniacki and Radwanska sisters. But last month she spent the time in the recovery room at Mogosoaia ... The reason? An injury at the plantar fascia in her right leg in August, at the tournament in Los Angeles. After spliting her time between recovery exercises, cycling and swimming, Sorana can breathe easier, the medical examination revealed that all is well, the injury healed. Sorana has already started training. "I never stayed so long away from the court. Just waiting to go back. When you don't have something you realize that you are missing it!" said Sorana. Last Wednesday [2nd Dec.] she to put her hand on the racquet again after a break of almost a month and a half. "I was happy to be back again on the court. I still play with fear! Every day I add five minutes of training and I hope it will be good," added Sorana. Today [9th Dec.], Sorana went to Paris to join the adidas's staff and establish the strategy the next year. Cirstea will work with new coach Slovakian Vladimir in 2010. Vladimir used to coach Cibulkova.
10:15	Dokic	has returned to Melbourne Park - the scene of last January's epic Australian Open surge - eager for more success. Dokic, now ranked 56, said a tough end-of-season training program had given her renewed confidence. "We tried to do as much as we could in the off-season and tried to get everything, health-wise, in order, so that I can hopefully have a full season this year," she said. "I feel good. We did a lot of training and everything was fine. We got the glandular fever under control. But I had to rest (first) obviously." Dokic, who will compete in Brisbane and Hobart before the Australian Open, said the Australian summer was usually a good omen for the rest of the year. "I love this place. I was coming here even when things were not so good, when I was not even ranked . . . and I have a lot of good memories here," Dokic said. "Always if I can get some good matches in Australia, it's always good for the rest of the season." Dokic will travel to Queensland on Friday for the start of the Brisbane International on Sunday.
10:11	Shvedova	arrived in Australia on Christmas Day, fleeing a snow storm to prepare for the Hopman Cup ahead of the Australian Open. "In Almaty (Kazakhstan's largest city), it was -10 but that's fine because in Astana, the capital, it was -30," Shvedova said. "It's a little bit hard here. Today ( 26th December) was my second practice - because of the travelling, the weather and the time difference my pulse was (racing). But I will practice hard; from Monday we will start."
10:07	Hewitt	will play matches in the Hopman Cup against Spaniard Tommy Robredo (World No. 16), American John Isner (34) and Romania's Victor Hanescu (48). “The three guys that I've got in my group are totally different players,'' Hewitt said. “I'm going to have to adjust my game and that's not going to be easy playing every second day. But in terms of preparation for a big tournament, that's good. You never know who you're going to be up against.''
10:07	Roddick	will start 2010 "chomping at the bit" in Brisbane and confident he will be a genuine contender at the Australian Open. The knee, unstrapped during a sharp hour-long hit with defending champion Radek Stepanek at Pat Rafter Arena, isn't perfect but it won't hinder him on court, Roddick says. "It's coming around all right," the American said.
09:30	Conditions	HOPMAN CUP: "I guess the ball bounces a little more evenly. I think that’s probably the main difference between Flexi Cushion and Rebound Ace. I think you get a more differing bounce in hot conditions as oppose to cold conditions on the Rebound Ace. And you know, occasionally you’d experience some dead patches, but I think, on the whole the Flexi Cushion is a more even surface. But the ball is getting up pretty high here. Maybe a touch higher than at Melbourne Park, but it’s a great surface and I think the colour suits the stadium very well. And I know you certainly pick the ball up a lot easier," said Molik.
09:28	Stosur	"I played Cirstea twice during the year and had some good results and last time I played Maria I lost, but it was pretty close and a high quality match," she said. "I've never played Oudin, but it's a good pool I'm in and I'm looking forward to those three tough matches. The first weeks of the year are always difficult after a bit of a layoff, but I'm looking forward to kicking things off on Saturday."
09:25	Player Sports Betting	is delighted to announce a partnership with the Hyundai Hopman Cup which will see the WA-based betting agency as the exclusive wagering partner for the unique WA based tennis event. The highlights of the sponsorship will see Player Sports Betting advertising on the Hyundai Hopman Cup website, Player branding on the results pages and court border signage. “The Hyundai Hopman Cup is an iconic WA event and as a proud WA business we are delighted to be involved with the Hyundai Hopman Cup. Our brand is about being a part of the action regardless of your gender and the concept of the Hopman Cup bringing men’s and women’s tennis together fits in beautifully with the Player brand." Player Sports Betting will be offering a host of betting options on the event which will take place at the Burswood Dome from 2 January through to 9 January 2010.
09:21	Hewitt	rated his comeback year in 2009 as a tremendous success and arrives in Perth for the Hopman Cup raring to go. "I'm feeling good and raring to go, much different to this time last year when I was a little unsure as to what may happen," he said. "To be honest I haven’t looked past the Australian Open, as that is where my focus is. If my body stays together and I play well then the results and ranking will take care of themselves. It has been a tough year coming back from the surgery and not being completely sure how my body would respond. I am looking forward to returning to Perth, it’s a wonderful city and I enjoy the support I receive from the West Australian people, especially when I play there. I’m looking forward to playing with Sam at this year’s Hopman Cup. She has been in good form and is a very accomplished doubles player and I’m hoping we can team well together and do some damage in the event. It was a great year for her last year and as with all Australians I hope she realises her next goal of top 10."
09:12	Dementieva	has elected to change a successful pre-season format by entering the 2010 Hopman Cup. This time last year she went to Auckland and won. The following week she went to Sydney and won again. Then she went on to the Australian Open and reached the semi finals. It’s well known how much she enjoys playing for her country and she’s made 32 appearances for Russia in Fed Cup. "I was always thinking of winning the Olympic Games. There was nothing bigger for me. I think it's a very special way to represent your country, and as a Russian there is nothing bigger than the Olympic Games," Dementieva said. "We were raised watching the Games and it's a dream for every single athlete just to be there, to represent your country. Nothing can top winning the Olympic medal, but there are a lot of things I would like to achieve still."
09:10	Robredo	won the Hopman Cup with Sanchez Vicario on his first visit to Perth and he also made the Final alongside Medina Garrigues in 2007, so he enjoys playing inside the Burswood Dome. Robredo arrived in Perth on Wednesday and had his first hit on court to shake off the jetlag and try to become accustomed to 30-plus degrees temperatures after being in the snow. He has arrived with plenty of time to get used to it, though, with Spain playing its first Tie against the USA on Sunday. "It's great. I had a great time when I was here before and it's nice to be back. I have the feelings of when I was here with Arantxa, Virginia (Ruano Pascual) and then Anabel and now I'm here with Maria Jose. I just hope to enjoy it and I will try to advance to the Final again," Robredo said. "I'm hitting well, but the problem is that I was hitting well in Europe where it was zero degrees and indoors, and now after flying I've come here and have five days until the start of the tournament to get used to the balls and Australia. I arrive with time to help me do as good as possible and try to do a great tournament here. I normally am feeling good, but you have to get used to it. There's a lot of temperature difference, but it's a great stadium here and the temperature will be the same every day. It's going to be great."
08:42	Murray	"The Hopman Cup should be fun. I've played mixed a couple of times and I'm not very good at it. There's a certain way of playing and my brother's very good at it, so I'll ask for some tips from him."
08:42	Roddick	"I'm definitely not coming in under-practiced, that's for sure," Roddick told reporters in Brisbane. "I probably played more tennis this December than I have in the last couple of years." Describing the state of his knee, Roddick said, "I don't know if it will be perfect for a while, but it's close. It's a matter of getting a range of motion back... It's nothing to do with power or the way it feels when I'm running."
30 December 2009
23:54	Dellacqua	will continue on the comeback trail from injury at next month's Sydney International after receiving a wildcard . The West Australian joins former world No.1 Justine Henin as the second women's wildcard recipient for the January 10-16 event, with two more still to be awarded. She will be up against a red hot field with all of the world's top ten competing in Sydney in the lead up to the Australian Open with the lone exception of Venus Williams. She says she's around 60% fit ahead of Brisbane, and realistically won't be back to her best until halfway through 2010. "I can't really expect to be playing my best tennis now when I haven't had the court time that I would have liked."
23:52	Ferrer	has been practicing in the off season in Kiev, where is was -18 degrees. The Spaniard began practicing again on the 19th of December and had planned to spend Christmas in Spain until his late call up, so he may have some jet-lag issues to contend with. "Kiev was so cold, but it was worth it. I met up with Tommy Robredo, Caroline Wozniacki and Kournikova," he said. "As for the training, it was really hard but hopefully I should feel the benefit later in the season." He's also recently decided to switch from the old Price racquet to the new one. "I am trying the new Prince racket. I tried it in Bilbao [where I won] so I will stick with it. I will let you know how it goes."
23:21	Conditions	HONG KONG: "It's a very fast court but it is exactly what I need," Patty Schnyder said in 2007. Venus Williams has also won a couple of titles at this venue to suggest that the conditions were also fast in 2004 and 2009.
23:08	Starace	"I have trained very well the last month," said Starace earlier this week. "and with the help of my coach Umberto Rianna I've fixed my big weakness, the backhand. I have always struggled in the beginning of the year but I have changed my preparation this time and now I am very confident." The Italian starts 2010 in Doha next week.
22:57	Fognini	has been training in Barcelona with the likes of Hernandez and Almagro and will leave for Doha on New Year's Day.
22:48	Baghdatis	(Website entry) "Keen to make his mark quickly on the court, Marcos will arrive in Brisbane by Thursday 31st December, meaning he will have overcome his jetlag and adjusted to the conditions nicely in advance of the tournament start on Sunday. Marcos will be joined in Australia by coach Eduardo Infantino, trainer Diego Martos and Argentine player Juan Spina."
22:44	Bellucci	will arrive in Brisbane on New Year's Eve with coach Joao Zwetsch after a 20 hour flight from Brazil. ""I think Brisbane will be a mystery to all the players, because no one will have got into any rhythm. So I have many expectations. I hope to play a good tournament, but I will also try to pace myself for the Australian Open," Bellucci said.
22:41	Conditions	The HOPMAN CUP is played indoors on a Plexicusion hard court, the same surface as the Australian Open. The surface changed from Rebound Ace in 2008 with most of the players feeling it had slowed down. "I thought it was going to be faster but it seems to be a lot slower," said Jelena Jankovic. "It seems quite (a lot) slower than the Rebound Ace that I played on last year in Sydney and Melbourne. The balls get really fluffy. Here it's indoors, so maybe it's a bit of a different story. I don't know how it will play outside." Djokovic agreed with his team mate but said it could yet improve. "We'll see how it works because it's a pretty new surface," he said. "When the surface is new, it gets rough and it's pretty slow, but after a couple of days or a week, it can get faster. We'll see in a couple of days how it goes, but for now, it's pretty slow." American Mardy Fish was even more forthright. "I am not a huge fan of it to be honest," he said. "It's a little bit slow for me. The balls get really fluffy and it plays extremely slow. I am not a big fan." While the event is played indoors at the Burswood Dome, the new arrivals still get the chance to practice outdoor with the temperatures routinely approaching 40 Celsius. "It's the best preparation for the Australian Open because we get the chance to practice outdoor in the heat and then have the matches indoor against great opponents with three matches for sure, and three mixed doubles," said Molik.
22:08	Melzer	spent Christmas week training in Monte Carlo with Ljubicic and Bolelli. Melzer has announced that he will team up with Petzschner in doubles this year and will play fewer tournaments than usual. The Austrian starts 2010 in Brisbane next week.
22:08	Roddick	has arrived in Brisbane to compete in his first tournament of 2010, the Brisbane International Tennis Tournament. Despite some misplaced luggage and snug polo replacements (check out Andy’s Twitter for more!), Team Roddick is ready to start training in the heat down under!
21:41	Federer	will not be travelling to Spain to play Switzerland's first-round Davis Cup tie, report Swiss press. The world No. 1 is said to be reluctant to play on European clay just before the start of U.S. hardcourt events in Indian Wells and Miami. Switzerland's No. 2, Stanislas Wawrinka, is also unconfirmed for the tie. His wife is expecitng their first child in February. Spain, meanwhile, is expected to field a formidable squad as it kicks off its title defence on the country's favored red dirt . Four-time French Open Rafael Nadal is scheduled to lead the team, with Fernando Verdasco, David Ferrer, Juan Carlos Ferrero and Feliciano Lopez among the other potential members.
20:44	Nieminen	(Blog entry) "The short off season is over and another year of tennis starts again. I'm ready for 2010. I got some rest, practised well and most importantly I stayed healthy. I practised mostly in Copenhagen and then spent some time in Helsinki and northern Finland. There I did some cross country skiing and just relaxed. It's always nice to know that at least during the Christmas time you get to spend some time with your family and friends. Apart from missing them throughout the year I also miss the Finnish nature very much (sea, archipelago, lakes, forests, mountains, Lapland, etc...). It gives me so much energy and my mind really rests when I can be there. Right now I'm waiting for my flight from Hong Kong to Brisbane. On Monday morning my plan was to fly to Doha on Tuesday and play the qualifying there. In the afternoon I got a phone call from the ATP saying I got in the main draw in Chennai. I booked a flight there for Wednesday but later that same afternoon I got another phone call saying that I also got in the main draw in Brisbane. Brisbane was originally my first choice so I decided to go there instead of Chennai. I like playing in Australia and it's also better preparation for the second tournament (I'll have to qualify in Sydney unless I play semi or better in Brisbane). I'm landing in Brisbane on Thursday morning and then I'll just try to get used to the heat again. In the beginning I "hit the wall" quite fast but after a couple of days my body gets used to it and I can run for hours on the court. "
20:43	Nadal	says he will start the 2010 tennis season in "a little bit" worse shape than he did last season. "I believe that this year I'll arrive a little bit more on the short side than at the start of last season," he said in a interview published on Wednesday in Spanish sports daily AS, adding his preparation "has been short but good". "The results will be what they are but right now my hope is to win everything. Because that's impossible you have to try to do what is possible in each tournament," he added.
20:26	Nishikori Link	and Tommy Haas practicing at the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy. See link.
18:28	Nadal	beat Moya 7-5 in an exhibition set before heading out to Abu Dhabi. "I'm very happy with the work I have done in the off season," he said.
13:52	Clijsters	(Blog entry) "Off to bed early again here, jet lag is tough from Europe. Had a good hit today and yesterday, I'm feeling good."
12:37	Mahut	has suffered an ankle injury in training and will miss both the challenger in Noumea next week and also Australian Open qualifying. The Frenchman has been advised to take a few weeks rest.
12:35	Nadal	will ease back into competition at the Abu Dhabi exhibition later this week. "Before travelling at the beginning you always feel a bit lazy, especially when I haven’t had much time for myself as I’ve been training all the time," he told Mallorcan TV in an interview translated by his website. "I did get the chance to be with my friends for a couple of days and I’ve spent some time with my family, so I’m really looking forward to the beginning of the season where I hope to regain my level of competition bit by bit."
12:24	Levine	When Jesse Levine had finished up a couple of training hours on court with Sebastien Grosjean this morning, there were still no changes on the other side of the world at the Australian Open. He was still five spots out of the main draw and his mind was made up. He's not going. Not going to Melbourne next month to play the quallies for this opening Grand Slam of the 2010 season. Not going Down Under in hopes that five guys will pull up lame and hand him a spot in a major. "That's a long trip. I needed this break and this is a chance for me to stay home a little longer, rest up, get fitter and, hopefully, make this my breakthrough year," he explained. Besides, the wisdom of Andy Roddick continues to reverberate in both ears: "Can I say something?" Roddick had asked him after they'd finished up a workout a couple weeks ago and were discussing 2010 schedules. "Don't chase the points. Focus on the matches." And so, when this long break at his home in Boca Raton, Fl., and the daily workouts at the nearby USTA training facility at the Evert Academy are done, Levine is off to chase the matches -- not the points -- beginning with a couple $50,000 Challengers in Hawaii and Dallas and then regular ATP events at San Jose and Memphis before his hometown tournament at Delray Beach, Fl. Levine has already withdrawn from the opening challenger event of the year in Sao Paolo next week.
09:35	Stosur	Former world No.8 Alicia Molik, on the comeback trail after coming out of retirement earlier this year, said Stosur could cause a major upset at the Australian Open. "I think Sam's capable of anything," Molik said on Wednesday. "We had a practice session yesterday at Royal Pines (on the Gold Coast) and she's playing the best tennis in her career. The courts in particular, the plexicushion, really suits Sam. Her kick-serve is one of the best in the world and it's tough, I was facing it yesterday. I think she's capable of anything but more importantly she knows that and she believes that."
09:20	Nadal	regarded the high-class exhibition in Abu Dhabi in 2009 involving his arch rival Roger Federer and the eventual winner Murray as crucial to his preparations for the Australian Open at which he overcame Federer in one of their many epic finals. “I was feeling great during the Abu Dhabi event and that definitely helped me for Melbourne,” said the Spaniard. “The crowds were really supportive which made it even more enjoyable. I will definitely have the same approach at the start of the new season. Abu Dhabi is a big part of that. Let see what happens but one thing for sure is that I will be trying my best.”
09:19	Soderling	“This year I don’t have specific goals,” he said. “If I concentrate on playing good tennis then I will win a few matches I hope and my ranking will improve.” It will not affect his ranking but his Capitala match against Switzerland’s world No 21, Wawrinka, is ideal preparation. “He’s a great player. I played him a few times and we had a lot of tough matches,” said Soderling. “But that’s what I’m looking for – a tough match I can focus on at the start of the season.”
08:32	Federer	is considering a radical change to ensure success. The world No.1 is contemplating whether to again contest the AAMI Classic at Kooyong from January 13 to 16 or concentrate solely on practice sessions at Melbourne Park in the week leading up to the January 18-31 Australian Open, reports the Daily Telegraph. Federer has traditionally used the Kooyong round robin to hone his flawless game ahead of the first grand slam of the new season. But his agent Tony Godsick insists Federer will not make a decision on Kooyong until after he contests the Capitala World Championships in Doha from December 31 to January 2. If Federer opts to bypass Kooyong, which has another crack field headed by US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, he will depart from a proven grand slam pathway. Federer has won 37 of his past 40 matches at Melbourne Park, claiming three titles, appearing in this year's final and losing twice in the semi-finals. The only time he has bypassed Kooyong during the past six years was in 2008 because of mononucleosis.
08:29	Molik	The Brisbane International's show courts on Wednesday morning resembled comeback central as Clijsters, Henin and Molik all slugged it out in practice. While Clijsters swept back to win the US Open after having a child and Justine Henin thinks she can return from retirement better than ever, Molik is happy to take small steps. The former world No.8 has given herself the achievable goal of staying inside the top 100 in 2010 to ensure she plays all four grand slams. Molik, who is coaching herself at present, rated the Brisbane tournament as probably the most important of the summer for her, especially being match-ready after a heavy second-tier challenger campaign around the country. "I think it's really important to get a good start and show you're fit and ready and playing good tennis," she said. "I'm on track. I had to start from scratch, from zero again. I wasn't on the radar, I wasn't even on the rankings list. I've had a lot of tennis, lot of matches and that's probably something that my opponents a lot of the girls from around the world haven't seen. But I've been progressing week after week and month after month."
08:28	Gasquet	says his "incredible and terrible" 2009 doping saga resembled a movie script, but now he's ready to give it a happy ending. Gasquet is embracing the fact he can start 2010 a free man with a clean slate, beginning at the Brisbane International, after being cleared of drug-taking a fortnight ago. The 23-year-old escaped a 12-month ban after explaining minor traces of cocaine detected by a random test in March were due to kissing a woman in a Miami nightclub. The ban was lifted in July but he was only fully able to clear his name when a Court of Arbitration for Sport found in his favour this month by dismissing an appeal. "I'm glad it's finished and now I'm really happy I can play here," Gasquet said after a 90-minute practice in sultry Brisbane on Wednesday. "The truth has happened, now it's most important that it is finished. Something incredible happened this year, I would have wanted to have four grand slams in this story but now it has happened - it's over and finished and that's important for me because it went everywhere."
29 December 2009
21:08	Stosur	can't wait to get the Hyundai Hopman Cup underway on Saturday against Romania's Sorana Cirstea. "I'm definitely looking forward to coming back to Perth. I've always enjoyed it in the past when I've played with my first time at the Hopman Cup, the Fed Cup last year and then an under-18 tournament way back when I was starting out," Stosur said. "It has always been good fun and I'm looking forward to the Hopman Cup again. I'm actually really looking forward to playing the mixed doubles because it will be my only chance to play some doubles before the Australian Open, so I will be keen to make the most of it."