TENNIS in DEPTH.

These four fans were prominent on day one of the Aussie Open……they will be cheering for Lleyton Hewitt on day two, they may be just the help he will need to get past Gonzo……..

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If you were planning to watch the USA play Switzerland in the Davis Cup, and you haven’t yet obtained your tickets, the forget about it! It’s too late!
Tickets for the first round tie between the United States and Switzerland have sold out already. Seats became available last Friday and were snapped up in no time.

“It was a little less than an hour, which is certainly impressive,” Jeff Ryan, director of tennis events for the United States Tennis Association, said of the public sale the tickets.

Jim Curley, Managing Director, Tournament Operations, USTA added:

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There was a palpable buzz around Melbourne Park after 16-year-old Bernard Tomic became the youngest player ever to win a main draw men

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Andy Murray has been drawn in Rafael Nadal’s half of the this year’s draw for the Australian Open, which starts on Monday.

Based on seedings, this will be Murray’s most probable route through the draw.

1st Round: Andrei Pavel

2nd Round: Marcel Granollers

3rd Round: Jurgen Melzer (Kei Nishikori is also highly probable)

4th Round: Fernando Verdasco (Radek Stepanek is also a possibility)

Quarter Finals: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Semi-Finals: Rafael Nadal

Final: Roger Federer

The general consensus seems to be that Murray and Djokovic have received the kindest draws out of the top 4. The biggest obstacle to the Semi-Finals comes in the form of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who knocked the Scot out in the the first round of last year’s event. However, Tsonga has been nursing a back injury and will have his work cut out to advance to the quarter finals.

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The week before a grand slam can sometimes be a little boring. I love competing so much I often get restless and want the tournament to start.

But the past week was enjoyable from a social viewpoint.

Practice conditions varied. One day the heat was intense, the next it was very windy. Several people have been complaining about the cold, too.

The weather in Melbourne is crazy!

I have been working with Sven Groeneveld. He is head of the Adidas Player Development Program and I have worked with him, on and off, for more than two years. You could say he is my part-time coach.

I am fortunate to have the opportunity to train with him often, but I also enjoy working on my own. That said, I am considering appointing a full-time coach soon.

The week started badly when I got stuck in the lift. It was scary. But luckily my phone had reception so I was able to call for help.

In the evenings I have been going to lovely restaurants, including an Italian one on Collins St that I am told is popular with the players.

Our waiter told us stories about visiting players, what they ate and how they behaved.

My favourite restaurant is Nobu at Crown and I have been twice since I arrived.

On Friday night I went to my uncle’s house in Mentone for a barbecue. I love to catch up with my relatives.

It’s great to see them in the stands during my matches here, too.

Travelling on the tennis tour can be a lonely experience, so to have family around you during a tournament is always special.

I remember having a barbecue at their house last year, on the night I lost in the final.

I was so disappointed, I was thinking about the match the whole time and didn’t enjoy it the way I should have. This kind of memory motivates me to try to do better this year.

Love
Ana

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Back-to-back titles at the beginning of the season aren’t the only things Elena Dementieva has been adding to her growing resum

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People these days can be excused if they

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Novak Djokovic may not be riding the same wave of vigorous confidence that he was last year when he arrived in Melbourne and put down No.1 Roger Federer and the always-attacking Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for the Australian Open title, but the 21-year-old Serbia isn

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