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A Quick Pick of their Brain – Mark Woodforde

January 23, 2013 by James Crabtree

James Crabtree is currently in Melbourne Park covering the Australian Open for Tennis Grandstand and is giving you all the scoop directly from the grounds.
 

By James Crabtree

MELBOURNE – During a Jacobs Creek Promotion whilst being hydrated by a seriously good glass of rosé I had the opportunity to sit down with Mark Woodforde, 12 time grand slam doubles champion, winner of four singles titles and the surprise, and often forgotten, 1996 Australian Open semi-finalist.
Q- Mark, tell us a little behind your Snauwaert racquet with the famous 12×14 pattern as opposed to the traditional 18×20?
I first started using the racquet early on in an effort to control the ball and gain more spin. I was on a trip to the European clay and one of eight in a team using that pattern. My progression was more accelerated than the others and that turned some heads. There were matches where my opponents called over the referee wondering if that string pattern was legal, because of the results I started to have.
I knew it didn’t give me an overwhelming advantage. I know when anyone improves their form or improves their ranking people are always asking why and how are they doing that? People just pointed out the racquet issue because it was different.
The last few years I have been trying to develop a racquet with a string pattern that looks more conventional but still attain the same level of spin.
Q. What would be the advantage for a singles player to play more doubles matches?
I think we would see more natural volleying skills and more varied matchups. Players are just hoping for the easy put away and never learn the confidence in how to play the volley from the service line.
I think it would be great to have the top singles players sign a contract and agree to play doubles at one of the four slams and a few of the 1000 events. On the flip side of that it would be great to see a doubles specialist do the reverse at a singles event.
You look back at the older generations and the players who played both singles and doubles had the all court game, and never looked out of sorts at the net.
Q. Tell us something we don’t know about Todd Woodbridge
(Laughs) Todd fancies himself on the dance floor, on the tennis court and as a chef. There were times he would cook for all of us and he is pretty good. Sometimes you would get back to the apartment and he would be preparing food for all of us, our partners included.
Todd was a lot more strict about food during our playing days. I was the guy at Davis Cup who would throw down four courses, leaving our trainer to scratch his head, although I do have to watch the portions now. Lucky my wife is the master-chef in our house.
Todd has been talking of his personal trainer, who works wonders and how he has been seeing him four nights a week, but I am yet to see the effects and I suspect he could be some sort of phantom. (laughs)
Q.Tell us about your role in Aussie player development
I started working with (Matthew)Ebden and (Marinko) Matosevic. I worked with them for twelve months to help get them out of the Challenger mentality and playing more aggressive tennis.
The last few seasons I’ve been working with the juniors and their transition to seniors.
I’m more opinionated about Australian tennis players staying true to be more attacking all court players. That’s how we have always been and I don’t want to see that erased. I love watching guys like (James) Duckworth, guys who are willing to roll the dice and cause headaches for their opponents.
 
Mark Woodforde continues to work with Australian junior players, assisting in developing the next wave of Australian champions.

Filed Under: 2013 Australian Open Coverage, Blogs, James Crabtree, Latest News, Lead Story Tagged With: AO 2013, australia, doubles, James Duckworth, Mark Woodforde, Matthew Ebden, Todd Woodbridge, volleys

Tennis Canada nominates olympic representatives for London

June 18, 2012 by tennisbloggers

By Melissa Boyd

Tennis Canada has announced the four players nominated for selection to the Canadian Olympic Team for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Daniel Nestor, Vasek Pospisil, Milos Raonic, and Aleksandra Wozniak will represent Canada in London. Raonic and Wozniak will play singles while Nestor and Pospisil will team up for doubles.

Milos Raonic & Daniel Nestor will represent Canada in London

In singles, the Top 56 players in the world as of the June 11 rankings deadline receive direct entry into the tennis event provided they meet all other requirements set out for qualification. Raonic sits at No. 21 in the world while Wozniak’s third round appearance at the French Open lifted her to the exact cut-off point of No. 56. It will be the first Olympic Games for both.
“It’s something I’ve been dreaming since I’m a little girl, and my dream came true today,” Wozniak said. “It’s definitely a different atmosphere than playing in the Grand Slams and on the WTA Tour, something where you’ll be with the best athletes around the world in all different sports”.
For the doubles event, each of the Top 10 players receives direct entry with a compatriot of their choice. As the No. 1 doubles player in the world, Nestor has elected to play with first-time Olympic hopeful Pospisil. The duo holds a 2-0 Davis Cup record, including a pivotal win against Grand Slam champions Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram during Canada’s World Group play-off versus Israel last September.
London will represent the fifth consecutive time Nestor has represented Canada at the Olympic Games. At the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, he won gold with partner Sebastien Lareau marking the first, and only, tennis medal in Canadian history.
“I’m very proud to be in a position where I can represent my country and hopefully bring back another medal,” said Nestor. “It was quite a special feat winning Olympic gold in Sydney in 2000 and with the growth of tennis in our country, we all can have a chance to make Canada proud.”
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) will announce the full official list of entries on June 28 which will include the ITF places in singles and doubles. Additional nominations for players who did not make the rankings cut-off can be submitted to the ITF to be considered for ITF places.
“Congratulations to these four tennis players on joining the 2012 Canadian Olympic Team,” said 2012 Team Chef de Mission Mark Tewksbury. “I know you will give your everything to make Canadian fans proud in London.”

Filed Under: Lead Story, Melissa Boyd Tagged With: Aleksandra Wozniak, canada, Daniel NEstor, doubles, London 2012, Milos Raonic, Olympic Games, singles, Team Canada, tennis canada, Vasek Pospisil

The Journeyman's Column: Player Spotlight on Yves Allegro

March 26, 2008 by Mark Keil

Yves Allegro, the Swiss doubles specialist, grew up in the small town of Grone, Switzerland. His father built a tennis club, and that’s where Allegro was introduced to the sport as a toddler. His father never coached him; instead, they had a very healthy relationaship and Allegro worked with another of his father’s club’s teaching pros. He stayed in Grone until the age of fifteen when he moved to Lausanne to train at the Swiss Federation Tennis School. He would go to school from 8am until 2pm, then he would train in the afternoons. His roommate for two years at the academy was none other than Roger Federer. Upon graduating at the age of 19, the Swiss Tennis Federation abandoned Allegro because they felt his tennis potential was not good enough.
He was forced to move to Halle, Germany, where he played German club tennis and joined the Breakpoint Team, which supported his tennis playing aspirations. Playing as a professional, he started to have success on the doubles tour and has won three ATP tiles, two with Federer
and one with Germany’s Michael Kohlmann.
In 2004, he was picked to play Davis Cup for Switzerland and has been a member of the team since then. He played doubles at the 2004 Athens Olympics. His highest doubles ranking has been No. 31, and he attributes much of his success to his Spanish coach, Juan Barcelo.
His favorite tournaments are Wimbledon and Munich.
In his downtime away the tour, he is pursuing a degree in sports management from a school in Switzerland over the internet.
One of the highlights of the year for him is when he runs a junior tennis camp in Verbier, Switzerland in mid-July. “I love working with kids, and it’s nice to help out some of my country’s youngsters,” says Allegro. He plans on starting a partnership soon with the Romanian upstart Davis Cup player Horia Tecau soon. At the moment, you can catch the Swiss player playing with Paul-Henri Mathieu at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami.
Until next week, enjoy your tennis!

Filed Under: Archives Tagged With: ATP Tour News, Breakpoint Team, Davis Cup, doubles, Halle Germany, Juan Barcelo, Michael Kohlmann, Paul-Henri Mathieu, Roger Federer, Sony Ericsson Open, Yves Allegro

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