Download the freeJunaio app to viewour exclusive videocontent. See page 3
for details
WINTICKETS
TOTHEO2!See page 5 for your chance to wintickets to see the top stars at theBarclays ATP World Tour Finals
BTQ SPECIAL:
WHATANDWHERE
TOWATCH
A comprehensive roundupof all the must-see eventsthis summer
PAGE 23
BTQ SPECIAL:
GLORYOFGRASS
WITHGREGANDTIM
Two tennis legends sharetheir favourite memories ofplaying on the green stuff
PAGE 32
BTQ SPECIAL:
SUMMERTENNIS
SURVIVALGUIDE
All you need to know aboutplaying, watching andloving tennis
PAGE 34
ISSUE 10 SUMMER 2013
COMEON, ANDY!Britain’s No.1 talks about
his amazing year andhis hopes for Wimbledon
“IT’S A FANTASTIC SPORT”Paralympian medallist and
TV presenter Ade Adepitan onhis love for disabled tennis
GETTINGACTIVEAndrew Castle on why a new
fitness regime can bebeneficial to your game
MAKE IT ASMASH-HITSUMMER!
All the tournaments, all the action and a certainMr Murray – our summer tennis special has
everything you need to ensure you don’t miss out
MYVIDEOWALL // JUDYMURRAY SPEAKS // DRESS LIKEAWINNER //WELLBEINGAND FITNESS // ANDMORE!
Cover 223 x 220.indd 1Cover 223 x 220.indd 1 03/06/2013 10:3003/06/2013 10:30
LTASUMMEREVENTSAPPDownload the LTA Summer Events App for FREE and start following all the
latest news and action today! The app is available for iPhone and Android
mobiles – to find it in the store please search for Aegon Tennis or LTA.
The app delivers all the very latest action to the palm of your hand across the Aegon
Championships, Aegon Classic and Aegon International.
Boasting all the latest news, live scores,
results, photos, videos and much more, you
won’t want to miss out. Track your favourite
player’s progress with our comprehensive
coverage of all three events.
Navigate through all three
tournaments in one app
Keep up to date with the latest news,
scores, results, videos, photos and
player rankings from the Aegon
Championships, Aegon International
and the Aegon Classic this summer
Live scores are updated every 30
seconds, keeping you abreast of all
the latest on-court action
Order of play and draws tell you who
is due to play whom on each day
Check out all the latest player stats
in our player profiles at the touch
of a button
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VIEW EXCLUSIVE VIDEO CONTENTIf you have an iPhone, iPad or Android device, go to
your app store and search for Junaio. Follow the
on-screen steps to download and install the app.
Using Junaio1. Open the Junaio app on yourmobile or tablet.
2. Click on themagnifying glass and search for
“LTABTQ”. Tap to follow.
3. To view the exclusive video content, scan
any of the images throughout this issue
of BTQ that have the Junaio logo.
3www.lta.org.uk SUMMER2013
WELCOME
Follow us on Twitter @britishtennis
Welcome to the sizzling summer edition ofBritish Tennis Quarterly, themagazine thatkeeps you updated with all things tennis inBritain. Whether you’re a casual fan, social
player, tennis fanatic or a little of each, we really do havesomething for everyone.We’ve got a survival guide for the summer, a reminder
of what British No.1 and world No.2 AndyMurrayhas been up to for the past 12months, and somecracking coaching tips for all levels, among plenty ofother treats.We’ll help you discovermore about National Mini
Tennis Week (page 20), give you some handy tips in theCoaching Corner (page 42) and let you know about someof the work the Lawn Tennis Association is doing to helpmore people play tennis, more often (page 6).As ever, we bring you some great regular features,
including JudyMurray talking us through her summerplans. We also speak to Ade Adepitan in our Q&A and get
some great advice from Andrew Castle on how to stayhealthy this summer (page 44).We’ve got a really exciting new addition to this issue
– BTQ is embracing the digital age! There are a number ofvideos scattered throughout this issue, which you can viewusing your smartphone – check out the new-lookMy VideoWall, which includes some great videos from our Aegon GBFed and Davis Cup teams, and see British stars doing theHarlem Shake. See the box at the top of this page fordetails on how to download your FREE Junaio app.Lastly, see page 5 for details on how you can win
tickets to this year’s Barclays ATPWorld Tour Finalsat The O2.
Enjoy this issue of BTQ and, as always, if you haveany questions, feedback, or you want to shareyour story with us, email [email protected].
The BTQ Team
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Cover:GettyImages
CONTENTSISSUE 10 SUMMER 2013
6
SPECIALSECTION
By submitting photographs, videos orany other content filmed, recorded ortaken (the Content) to British TennisQuarterly, you hereby grant and assignto the LTA the right to make, useand show the Content in any formatfrom time to time (including but notlimited to in British Tennis Quarterlyor on www.lta.org.uk) in connectionwith the promotion of British Tennis orthe LTA without compensation. Suchpromotional activities by the LTA shallnot be identified as or representedto be an endorsement by you (or anyindividuals featured in the Content)of any product or company. If you aresubmitting Content featuring otherindividuals, you warrant that you haveobtained the consent of such individualsto your submission of the Content andhave ensured such individuals haveread and agreed to this statement. Ifyou are submitting Content featuringany children, you also warrant that youhave obtained the consent of the parentor guardian of such children to yoursubmission of the Content and haveensured that the parent or guardianhas read and agreed to this statement.Please provide the contact details ofeach child’s parent or guardian as wemay need to contact them.
PhotographyTerms andConditions
Published by the LTA
Editorial: Ellie Carr, Vince Thorne
The Lawn Tennis AssociationThe National Tennis Centre100 Priory Lane, RoehamptonLondon SW15 [email protected]
Design by Seven. Print by Charterhouse.
*All figures are taken as of 21/05/13
All information correct at time of going topress. All rights reserved. Articles may notbe reproduced without permission fromthe LTA. No responsibility will be acceptedfor any errors or omissions, or commentsmade by writers or interviewees. Viewsexpressed in the magazine are notnecessarily the views of the LTA.
Photo Credits:Getty Images, iStockphoto,Shutterstock, Thinkstock
06 Who is the LTA?The LTA celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, butwhat exactly does it do to promote British Tennis?12 Come on, Andy!Britain’s No.1 talks about his greatest year – Olympicgold and silver, finals at Wimbledon and in Australia,and winning his first Grand Slam in New York18 My video wallWe go behind the scenes with Aegon GB Davis and FedCup teams, including exclusive video footage20 LTA Mini TennisHow children aged three to ten can experience all the funof tennis and start developing their skills36 Cardio TennisKeep your heart rate up, burn calories and have fun –welcome to the high-energy world of Cardio Tennis
Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski share their top tipsand love of the green stuff – and predict who will reignsupreme in SW19 come 7 July
“To win a tournament on your home soil feels good.”Will this be the summer when Andy Murray finally addsa Wimbledon crown to his impressive tennis CV?
FEATURES
3212
www.lta.org.ukFollow us on Twitter @britishtennis Like us on facebook.com/britishtennislta
Anyone for tennis? As part ofthe LTA’s 125th anniversary,we open the archives and lookback on the game’s past
23 Summer of tennisYour special nine-page guideto the best summer eventsto watch – and play in –from the glorious grass ofThe Queen’s Club to fun inthe sun on Brighton beach32 Lawn and orderTwo British tennis legends discussall there is to know about playingon grass34 Summer TennisSurvival GuideYou’ve watched your heroes on telly and now youwant to give it a go. But where do you begin? Let BTQshow you the path to tennis nirvana
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For your chance to see theworld’sbestmen inactionat TheO2,complete theonline surveyat thewebaddress belowor scan the imageusingyour free Junaio app.See theBTQwebpage for full T&Cs.
p6&8 Who is the LTA?p18 My Video Wallp20 LTA Mini Tennis
WHERETOFINDYOURFREEVIDEOCONTENT
p34 Summer Tennis Survival Guidep36 Cardio Tennisp50 Q&A
www.completeasurvey.co.uk/BTQ2013
TICKETSTOTHE
BARCLAYSATP
WORLDTOURFINALS!
Ade Adepitan, a smash hit for viewers ofthe Paralympic Games last year, on the joyhe gets from playing tennis
Andrew Castle and Laura Robson team up withSir Richard Branson to launch an inclusive andunmatched tennis offering
Aegon GB Davis and Fed Cupstarstars sharshare theirtheir videosvideos andandsnaps from an exciting spring
INSIDER
5044
18
WIN
38 The winning lookWant to look like Roger, Rafa or Maria? Then check outthe latest range of Nike summer wear40 Judy Murray speaksBritain’s top tennis mum flies the flag for supporting ourup-and-coming British Tennis stars this summer42 Coaching cornerBTQ shares its tips for improving your game – and itdoesn’t matter whether you are an absolute beginneror seasoned pro44 Tennis wellbeing and fitnessFormer British No.1 Andrew Castle on the fitness regimesand workouts that can help to improve your game46 Get your tennis fixThere are many ways to become involved in BritishTennis this summer, from volunteering to following yourfavourite players on Twitter50 Q&AParalympian, TV presenter and role model for disabilitysport, Ade Adepitan reveals why he is swapping thebasketball court for the tennis court
40
“It’s interesting to see whorises to the occasion at SW19.”Judy Murray on a busy summerfor players, coaches and fans
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6 BRITISHTENNISQUARTERLY
FEATURE
www.lta.org.ukfacebook.com/britishtennislta
VIDEOCONTENT
Find out what’s going on in British
Tennis and how you can play your
part this summer. Scan the
racket using your Junaio app.
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7
SIGNUPTOALLPLAY.COMThere has never been a better time to
get out there and pick up a racket, and
it’s never been easier to find a court,
a playing partner or even a coach.
Visit www.allplaytennis.com and
enter your town or postcode to get
started – easy!
TWITTERANDFACEBOOKKeep up to date and tell us what
#TennisIs to you this summer by
following @britishtennis on
Twitter and by giving
www.facebook.com/
britishtennislta a big LIKE!
www.lta.org.uk SUMMER2013
FEATURE
Follow us on Twitter @britishtennis
EXPLOREEXPLOREBRITISHBRITISHTENNISWith successsuccess on and off court, there has never been a better time to follow British Tennis
– and withwith the popularity of programmes such as Mini Tennis and Cardio Tennis, the
sport hashas never been more accessible to players of all ages and abilities
he Lawn TennisAssociation is the nationalgoverning body for tennisin Great Britain. Our role
is to governrn, develop and promotethe sport withwith the goal of gettingmore peoplepeople playing, more peoplefollowing andand more people winningin British TeTennis.
These areare extremely exciting timesfor tennis inin Great Britain. Last year,we celebracelebrated one of the best yearsfor tennis inin this country.We hadOlympic andand Paralympic medalsuccess, a Grand Slam singleswinner, a WimbledonWimbledon men’s doubleschampion and a WTA title winner.
TThis year we have had Andy
Murray winning ATP tour titles andgetting to the final of another GrandSlam, success from our Aegon GBDavis and Fed Cup teams, LauraRobson and Heather Watsonbreaking into the top 40 for the firsttime, and in our junior ranks we hadGB teams reach the Tennis EuropeWinter Cups final rounds in all sixage categories.
Tennis is a fun, affordable,family-friendly sport for all agesand abilities. British success has gotpeople talking about tennis – it’s nowour job to get more people out thereplaying and following tennis!
There are some great ways ofgetting into tennis. LTA MiniTennis uses smaller courts, lower-bouncing balls and smaller rackets,and is a great introduction to thegame for kids.
For adults, we have Cardio Tennis,which is a series of tennis-baseddrills played to up-tempo music ona tennis court.
It doesn’t matter whether theball flies in or out – it’s all abouthaving some fun and getting yourheart rate up!
So why not get out there and givetennis a go TODAY!
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2
4
3
5
8 BRITISHTENNISQUARTERLY
FEATURE
www.lta.org.ukfacebook.com/britishtennislta
SERVINGBRITISHTENNISFOR125YEARSAs the LTA celebrates 125 years in 2013, BTQ opens the archives
and looks at the changing face of tennis down the years
1Great Britain’s Davis Cupteam of 1936 celebrate after
retaining the giant trophy.Thevictorious men (left to right) BunnyAustin, Fred Perry, Raymond Tuckeyand Pat Hughes beat Australia 3-2at Wimbledon.
2Major Walter Clopton Wingfield(1833-1912) circa 1900,
regarded as the father of lawn tennis.In 1874 he patented a “New andImproved Court for Playing theAncient Game of Tennis”, using anhour-glass-shaped court.
3Virginia Wade dives to reach theball during the ladies’ final at
Wimbledon, 1977.Wade defeatedBetty Stove of Holland 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
4Former British No.1 TimHenman in action at The
Queen’s Club, London, on his wayto the final. Henman reached thefinal at The Queen’s Club on threeoccasions in 1999, 2001 and 2002.
5Wightman Cup doublespartners. Left to right: Britain’s
Freda James and Margot Lumb,
with their American opponentsAlice Marble and Sarah Fabyan atWimbledon, 1938.The Americanpair won 6-4, 6-2 to help the USto a 5-2 win in the 16th editionof the annual women’s teamtennis tournament.
6Herbert Brown of the LTAdemonstrates the best way to
receive a ground shot for entrants ofthe Middlesex Junior Championshipsat Harrow, 1931.
7John Crooke, a registeredprofessional LTA coach, gives
advice to keen players attending acourse and coaching holiday held atBenenden School, Kent, 1963.
8Her Majesty The Queen opensthe National Tennis Centre in
Roehampton in 2007.The site has 22courts, player accommodation and aworld-class sports science centre.
9British twin tennis brothersWilliam and Ernest Renshaw.
William (left), who won a total of 12Wimbledon titles, was elected thefirst LTA president in 1888.
1
CHIEFEXECUTIVE
ROGERDRAPER
“So much has changed inBritish Tennis over the pastsix or seven years, but thething I’m really proud of isour teachers, coaches,parents and volunteers.When I’m out and about,I see all of the effort they’veput in to get more peopleplaying tennis. What I’m
really proud of is all the thingsthey do on the ground on aday-to-day basis.”
To watch the full interview with LTA chief
executive Roger Draper, use your free
Junaio app to scan the image above.
VIDEOCONTENT
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CELEBRATING 125 YEARS
15,000+
Aegon Schools Programme
delivered training and
equipment to
schools
coaches supported through
the LTA Coach Accreditation
Scheme
3,500+
invested in
our top players
each year
£12m
invested£25min tennis facilities
Since
2008
6
7
8 9
9www.lta.org.uk SUMMER2013
FEATURE
Follow us on Twitter @britishtennis
YOURSUPPORTHELPSUSGROWTHEGAME
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With you from first serveto match pointOver the past five years, our partnership with British Tennis has helped over 2.1 million school children pick
up a racket and improve their future.
With our knowledge of pensions, investments and protection, Aegon can help see you through your future
too. Because it doesn’t matter if you’re looking ahead or ready to make the most of retirement, Aegon are
here to help you plan for the financial future you want.
Take the first step in transforming your tomorrow by speaking to your adviser or visit us at aegon.co.uk/BTQ
Aegon is a brand name of Scottish Equitable plc (No. SC144517) and Aegon Investment Solutions Ltd (No. SC394519) registered in Scotland, registered office:
Edinburgh Park, Edinburgh, EH12 9SE. Both are Aegon companies and are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Their FSA numbers are
165548 and 543123 respectively.
© 2013 Aegon UK plc
@aegonuk
aegon.co.uk/BTQ
Pensions Investments Protection
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11
A
ADVERTORIAL
Follow us on Twitter @britishtenniswww.lta.org.uk
DID YOU KNOW?
ARE YOU ONE OF 11 MILLION?
To encourage more people to save for their future,
the Government has introduced new rules. This means
that up to 11 million workers in the UK will be
automatically enrolled into a company pension
scheme between now and 2018.
For more information, speak to your employer, or visit
www.aegon.co.uk/pensionreform
SUMMER2013
@aegonuk
aegonuk
AEGONFUTURESTARSMore than 1,000 talented juniors have benefitedfrom the Aegon FutureStars programme over thepast five years.
TEAMAEGON–2012SUCCESSs ,AURA 2OBSON� PARTNERING !NDY -URRAY� WON
an Olympic silver medal for the mixed doubles.3HE WAS ALSO NAMED THE74!�S .EWCOMER OFtheYear 2012.s ,IAM "ROADY AND *OSHUA7ARD (IBBERTWON THE !USTRALIAN /PEN BOYS�DOUBLES TITLE� ,IAM WAS ALSO A lNALISTIN THE 53 /PEN BOYS� lNAL�s (EATHER7ATSON WON THE74!*APAN /PEN�s +YLE %DMUND WON THE 53 /PENBOYS� DOUBLES�
T !EGON� WE STRONGLY BELIEVETHAT IT�S VITAL TO PUT IN THEright preparation today forTOMORROW�S SUCCESS�
4HAT�S WHY WE�RE DELIGHTED TOsupport the Aegon FutureStarsPROGRAMME� WHICH IS KEY TO PRODUCINGTOP TENNIS TALENT OF THE FUTURE�4HISprogramme identifies the top emergingTALENT FROM ACROSS "RITAIN AND ENSURESthey receive the right support todevelop their tennis careers from anearly age.!EGON &UTURE3TARS WHO SHOW THE
most potential and desire to play at thehighest level have the chance to joinTHE ,4!�S TOP RANKED PLAYERS IN4EAM
CREATINGTHETALENT
OFTOMORROWThe Aegon FutureStars and Team Aegon programmes ensure our brightest tennis
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!EGON�4HIS PROGRAMME PROVIDESfurther specialist support to help themMAKE THE MOST OF THEIR TALENT�7E�RE PROUD THAT TOP "RITISH PLAYERS�
SUCH AS ,AURA 2OBSON� (EATHER7ATSON AND %LENA "ALTACHA� CURRENTLYFORM PART OF 4EAM!EGON n AS WELL AS#OLIN &LEMING� *ONNY -ARRAY AND*AMES7ARD� WHO SECURED '"�SFANTASTIC WIN IN THEIR RECENT $AVIS #UPTIE AGAINST 2USSIA�,IKE !EGON &UTURE3TARS AND4EAM
!EGON� WE WANT TO HELP OUR CUSTOMERSTRANSFORM THEIR TOMORROW BY HAVINGthe right retirement planning,investment solutions and protectionin place.
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12 BRITISHTENNISQUARTERLY
FEATURE
www.lta.org.ukfacebook.com/britishtennislta
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13www.lta.org.uk
FEATURE
Follow us on Twitter @britishtennis SUMMER2013
hat a year it has been forAndy Murray, a year thatwill never be forgottenand will cement his place
in history as one of the greatesttennis players ever.
Andy has come a long way fromwinning his first junior tournamentat U10 level at the DunblaneSports Club to winning ATP Tourevents, a Grand Slam and Olympicmedals – and all that in just the past12 months.
He was always destined forgreatness in one form or another,and having been offered to joinGlasgow Rangers FC as a youngster,Andy decided tennis was the sportfor him. After turning pro in 2005,Andy quickly added to an alreadyimpressive résumé, including thejunior US Open crown, winninghis first ATP Tour title in San Joséjust a year later.The rest, as theysay, is history.
Andy went from strength tostrength, from tour title to tour title,breaking in to the top ten in the worldrankings for the first time in 2007,and in 2008 reaching his first GrandSlam final at the US Open. Hereached a career-high ranking of No.2in the world in 2009 and hasn’t beenoutside the top four since – a prettyimpressive run.
The Scot goes into the summergrass court season hoping to addmore silverware to a trophy cabinetthat is already bursting. He has animpressive record at the AegonChampionships, having lifted thetrophy in 2009 and 2011, and willhead into The Championships,Wimbledon with the country behindhim, having come so close to winninglast year when he became the firstBritish man to reach the singles finalin 74 years.We’re looking forward toa great summer of tennis, which Andywill undoubtedly play a big part in.
W
It was a great year for Britain’s
No.1 – Wimbledon and
Australian finals, Olympic gold
and a first Grand Slam success
in New York. But as the season
careers headlong into summer,
will it be tears or triumph on
the hallowed grass of SW19?
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14 BRITISHTENNISQUARTERLY www.lta.org.ukfacebook.com/britishtennislta
FEATURE
Andy took some time out to answerquestions about the past year – a yearhe called the best in his career, whichwe are sure he will build on. He tellsus about his experiences in GrandSlam finals, how he reflects upontough losses and uses them to makehim stronger and mentally tougher,and what it will mean to him to comeback to the Aegon Championshipsthis summer.
Obviously a disappointing
final result for you at the
Australian Open, but if you
think back over the past 12
months, a lot has gone well,
hasn’t it?
Yeah, I think since Wimbledon lastyear my results in the big eventshave been as good as I would havehoped. You know you can’t win allof the big matches, but to get toplay in a Wimbledon final, Olympicsfinal, US Open final and then theAustralian Open final, I think Igained a lot of experience becauseof that and an understanding ofwhat it takes physically andmentally to play with thatconsistency in the big events. It’sbeen the best seven to eight monthsof my tennis career and I will tryto continue it.
What was it like the week
following the Australian Open
– how do you reflect on it and
do you replay the final in your
head, or just move on?
A couple of days afterwards,yeah. It’s a long way back fromAustralia, it’s a long flight so there’stime to think, but you try to look atthe tournament as a whole as muchas you can.There is a lot of training that goes
into it with all the work that you do
ANDYMURRAYDOB: 15 May 1987
World ranking: 2
Career-high ranking: 2 (17 August 2009)
Plays: Right-handed
Best part of game: Serve
Turned pro: 2005
Career singles titles: 26
Twitter handle:@andymurray
Website: www.andymurray.com
in December to prepare for it, so it’sdisappointing not to come away withthe result that you want. But it wasa good start to the year and I wonagainst Roger Federer for the firsttime in a Grand Slam in five sets ina tough, tough match, and I won inBrisbane to start the year.It was a good start to my year, not
the perfect start, but I think I willbuild on it.
In many ways, the Aegon
Championships is where your
pro career began – your first
match win was here and
you’ve got quite a history
at this tournament. What
does it mean to you?
Yeah, as you said, I won my firstmatch here. I used to come andwatch Queen’s a couple of timeswhen I was playing in the juniors atWimbledon. I played the juniorcompetition when they had it hereas well and I have loads of greatmemories. I used to come and trainhere, too, when the National TennisCentre was here.Winning the title a couple of
times was great as well. To win atournament on your home soil feelsgood, so I have got good memoriesfrom here.I enjoy coming back and it has
been really good preparation for mefor Wimbledon, and I hope it’s thesame again this year.
“To win a
tournament on
your home soil
feels good”
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16 BRITISHTENNISQUARTERLY
FEATURE
www.lta.org.ukfacebook.com/britishtennislta
Obviously every year The
Championships, Wimbledon is
a big goal, but how do you
feel when you think about it?
How much do you look
forward to trying for the title
again and going one better?
I always look forward to it, it’s anexciting few weeks. All of the GrandSlams are special for differentreasons – I think everyone wouldknow why Wimbledon is special tome. Last year, I think I started tounderstand and appreciate thehistory, maybe more and more eachyear that I’ve played there, and to getto play in a final there was great.I’m now a member so I spend a
little bit more time at Wimbledon.Last year I would go and sit out andlook at Centre Court when it wasempty. The tournament means a lotto me and I always look forward to it.
How much did the game miss
Rafael Nadal? Do you think he
can be a force again?
The game missed him because ofwhat he brings to the court. He is oneof the best athletes that’s ever playedand one of the most competitiveplayers. He’s one of the greatestplayers who has played the sport soI think when he’s out you areobviously going to miss something.His rivalry with Roger has been one
of the best our sport has ever had soI hope it doesn’t take too long for himto get back to playing his best tennis.Before he got injured tennis was in agreat spot.There have been lots of great
matches between the players right atthe top of the game, with Roger andRafa being two of the best playersever, and Novak has had anincredible few years.If Rafa gets back to his best game,
it’s good for tennis. BTQ
WimbledonAndy becomes the first Brit toreach the Wimbledon men’s finalin 74 years.
London OlympicsAndy wins gold after defeatingRoger Federer in the men’s singlesfinal, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4.
London OlympicsHe also wins a silver medal inthe mixed doubles alongsideLaura Robson.
ATP World Tour FinalsAt the end-of-season finale atThe O2 arena, Andy gets to thesemi-finals, losing to Federer.
Shanghai Rolex MastersThe next month he reaches thefinal in Shanghai, finishingrunner-up to Novak Djokovic.
US OpenAndy becomes the first Britishman in 76 years to win a GrandSlam singles title.
Brisbane InternationalAndy wins his first title of theyear, beating Grigor Dimitrovin the final.
Australian OpenHe goes on to reach his thirdAustralian Open final, losing toDjokovic in four sets.
Sony Open, MiamiAndy wins in Miami, defeatingDavid Ferrer in an epic decidingset tie-break.
November 2012 October 2012 September 2012
MURRAY’SMINT:AYEARINPICTURES
July 2012 August 2012 August 2012
Winterbreak
January 2013 January 2013 March 2013
Tosummer2013
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17www.lta.org.uk SPRING2013
FEATURE
Follow us on Twitter @britishtennis
It’s a great way to exercise,
and fun for the whole family
Find out where you can play forfree at allplaytennis.com
Tell us what tennis means to you #TennisIs
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18
FEATURE
BRITISHTENNISQUARTERLY www.lta.org.ukLike us on facebook.com/britishtennislta
1
MYVIDEOWALL
1.COMEON,GB!The Aegon GB Davis Cup Team pose for
the camera ahead of their Europe/Africa
Group I second round tie against Russia.
Use your Junaio app to see what the team
had to say ahead of the tie.
2.LOOKINGGOODThe Aegon GB Fed Cup Team pose in their
Ted Baker dresses ahead of their World
Group play-off match with Argentina in
Buenos Aires. Looking good, ladies!
3.ONETEAM,ONEDREAMThe team celebrate their victory over Russia,
which takes them through to a World Group
play-off against Croatia in September.
A fantastic effort by all involved, with
Dan Evans, James Ward, Colin Fleming
and Jonny Marray all contributing to
the victory. Not forgetting inspirational
captain Leon Smith. Use your Junaio app
to take a look at the moment GB secured
the victory.
4.MARACASAT THEREADYJo Konta, Anne Keothavong and Elena
Baltacha cheer on teammate Laura Robson
during her day two match in Argentina.
Want to find out what really goes on
behind the scenes at the Fed Cup? Use
or this special summeredition of BTQ, we take alook at some of GB’s bestplayers and what goes on
when they represent their respectiveteams – both on and off court.Downtime for the players is justas important as concentrating andworking hard during their trainingsessions on court.
We thought we should celebratethe performances of our men andwomen’s teams this year after theyhave provided a lot of excitementand taken part in some incrediblematches.
WITHAEGONTEAMGB
The Aegon GBGB Davis Cup Teamare looking forwardard to a promotionplay-off in SeptemberSeptember thanks to athrilling victory againstagainst Russia.TheAegon GB Fed CupCup Team made avaliant effort at gettinggetting themselvesout of the Euro/AfrEuro/Africa Group I.
After cruising throughthrough the firstround with victoriesies over Bosniaand Herzegovina, Portugal andHungary, they eventuallyentually lostnarrowly against a strong Argentinianside on the clay in Buenos Aires ina promotion play-offy-off.
Let’s take a looklook back at the actionfrom Team GB so far this year. BTQ
your Junaio app to taketake a tour with Jo. She’ll
show you the changingchanging rooms, team room
and much more.
5.STRETCHITOUTAnne Keothavong doesdoes some stretching
ahead of the tie. Stretchingetching is a really
important part of playerplayers’ preparation
before going on court andand in their recovery
to make sure they are rready to go the
next day. Use you JuanioJuanio app to see
Judy Murray taking thethe team through a
warm-up exercise beforore they get to the
serious stuff.
6.WHAT’SSOFUNNYAnne and Jo have a gigglegiggle during the
pre-match press conferenceence – I wonder
what they are laughing about? Having
a good laugh is really importantimportant to the
team, and believe us, thesethese girls are good
at laughing. Check out thethe girls answering
some questions sent in to @BritishTennis
using your Junaio app.
7.OLÉ!The girls really got into thethe Argentine
spirit. Posing here in theirtheir tango hats, the
girls were inspired when they went to watch
the local dance during somesome downtime one
evening. I wonder which one of them has
the best rhythm…
F
Locations:
Ricoh Arena, Coventry and the MeryTerán
de Weiss Stadium, Buenos Aires
Surfaces:
Hard court and clay
Players:
James Ward
Dan Evans
Colin Fleming
Jonny Marray
Laura Robson
Johanna Konta
Anne Keothavong
Elena Baltacha
Captains:
Leon Smith and
Judy Murray
FORMOR
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BEHIND
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PHOTOS
ANDVID
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VIDEOCONTENT
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19
FEATURE
www.lta.org.uk Follow us on Twitter @britishtennis SUMMER2013
2 3
45
6
7 89
8.HERO!Doubles pair Jonny MarrMarray and Colin
Fleming celebrate withwith Dan Evans after
his crucial fifth rubberbber victory in Coventry,
taking the Aegon GB DaDavis Cup Team into
the World Group play-offplay-off. What a win!
9.LET’SGOGB,LET’SGO!The crowd in Coventry were amazing. It’s a
massive boost to playerplayers when they have the
whole arena behind them,them, and this definitely
helped to spur on Dan,Dan, James, Jonny and
Colin on their way to defdefeating Russia for a
place in the World Groupoup play-off. Make sure
you get behind the BritsBrits this summer.
DAVISCUPThe Davis Cup is
the premier team
competition in
men’s tennis, with
more than 100
years of tradition
behind it. It’s also the largest annual
team competition in sport and has
a trophy to match – weighing just
over 100kg and measuring 107cm
in diameter at its widest point.
FEDCUPThe inaugural
Fed Cup was
held in 1963 to
mark the 50th
anniversary of
the International
Tennis Federation. It started with just
16 teams competing and has grown
to be the largest international team
competition in women’s sport, with more
than 80 nations taking part.
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20 BRITISHTENNISQUARTERLY
FEATURE
www.lta.org.ukLike us on facebook.com/britishtennislta
LTAMINITENNIS
LTA Mini Tennis has smaller courts, nets and rackets
and lower-bouncing balls, and with the excitement of the
full game it offers the perfect introduction to tennis
hildren aged betweenthree and ten cannow get stuck intothe world of tennis
with an exciting programmefrom the LTA, sponsored byHighland Spring.
LTA MiniTennis is a modifiedversion of the game specificallydesigned to introduce childrenaged three to ten to tennis.Withsmaller courts, nets and rackets,and lower-bouncing balls, LTAMiniTennis allows children todevelop vital skills and techniquesat an early age.
There are four age-relatedstages of LTA MiniTennis:Tots,Red, Orange and Green, eachwith their own court size andtype of ball.There is also an
LTA MiniTennis awards scheme,called the Rally Awards, designedto regularly reward and trackchildren’s improvement.
RALLY AWARDSThe LTA MiniTennis RallyAwards are designed to help miniplayers learn in stages and takepart in regular exciting challengeswith rewards.They can tracktheir own progress with stickers,certificates and badges anddevelop their tennis skills at apace that suits them.
The LTA MiniTennis RallyAwards measure the ability of theplayers to play tennis in anobjective framework, which willensure standards are consistentacross Great Britain.
WHAT DO THE DIFFERENT COLOURS MEAN?
TOTSThe idea at the Tots level is for kids aged three to five to be able to learn the
basics and enjoy the game through a series of fun activities, based on the
fundamental areas of balance, co-ordination, agility, movement and
racket and ball skills.
RED, ORANGE, GREENThe core structure of the Red, Orange and Green Rally Awards is a consistent
set of tennis skills that get progressivelymore challenging through each of the
levels. The skills that are learned are:
How to rally
How to serve
Coming to the net and volleying
How to score and compete.
Having successfully completed all levels within the Red, Orange and Green
stages, players will be awarded with a badge and certificate from their coach.
They are then ready to start playing yellow ball tennis.
C
MORE THAN110,000 CHILDRENARE PLAYING MINITENNIS ACROSSGREAT BRITAIN
VISIT WWW.LTAMINITENNIS.CO.UKTO FIND A VENUE NEAR YOU
NOTTINGHAM FESTIVALOF TENNISThe biggest National Mini Tennis
Week festival is at the Aegon
Challenge, whichmarks the start of
the UK grass court season (see page
25 for more information). Last year
more than 3,000 local schoolchildren
took part in this event.
There will also be opportunities for
children to have a go at LTAMini
Tennis at grass court tournaments,
including the:
Aegon Trophy
Aegon Championships
Aegon Classic
Aegon International.
VIDEOCONTENT
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21
FREE
MINI TEN
NIS
GOOD
IES!
Afteryourevent,send us your
pics, videosand number of children
that tookpart at your venueand
we’ll send yousom
e MiniTennis
goodiesfromour shop.Emailto:
nationalminitennisweek@
lta.org.uk
www.lta.org.uk SUMMER2013
FEATURE
Follow us on Twitter @britishtennis
MAKE A SPLASH ON THE COURTHighland Spring knows that to have fun on the court and
play your best, it’s really important that you keep yourself
hydrated. But what does thatmean?Well, about 60 per cent
of your body ismade of water. Amazing, isn’t it? So it’s really
important to drink lots of water to keep healthy and feel great.
LTAMini Tennis supports the belief that hydration is a
vital part of a healthy and active lifestyle, and water is the
healthiest refreshment for children and big kids alike. So if,
like Alfie, Billy, Suzi and Jess (pictured), you want to give
it your all on and off the court, here are some tips for
healthy hydration:
If you are aged between three and eight you should
be drinking around 1.3 litres of fluid a day to stay
well hydrated.*
This increases to 1.47 litres a day for boys and 1.33 litres
a day for girls aged nine to 13.
If you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Keep drinking
little and often throughout the day.
Drinkingmore water will help you perform better in lessons:
research shows being dehydrated can
affect memory, concentration,
co-ordination and reaction times.
*The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) dietary
requirement values for water intake.
1,500 PLACESACROSS THECOUNTRY AREDELIVERING LTAMINI TENNIS
NATIONAL MINITENNISWEEKNational Mini Tennis Week
2013, sponsored by Highland
Spring, aims to give
thousands of children
across the country a
fantastic first experience of
tennis. Over a period of one
week (Monday June 10 to
Sunday June 16) more than
15,000 children will be given
an opportunity to try out the
sport in schools, parks
and tennis centres across
the country.
National Mini Tennis
Week also supports all
registered LTA tennis venues
to grow their LTAMini Tennis
programme by providing
support to host a community
open day, targeted at
children and their parents.
Many venues across the
country have also received
funding from the LTA to
deliver Mini Tennis to primary
school pupils at their school.
Every child who attends
the session in school will be
invited to attend an open day
and given a voucher to take a
free coaching session at their
local club. This is a chance to
continue their involvement in
the fun, sociable game, and
learn a sport for life.
For more information on
LTAMini Tennis and National
Mini Tennis Week please visit
www.ltaminitennis.co.uk
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Better document management cuts the time devoted to doingeach task. Give your people greater flexibility and freedom, andsee a tangible difference on the bottom line.
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23SUMMER2013
BTQSPECIAL:SUMMEROFTENNIS
www.lta.org.uk Follow us on Twitter @britishtennis
With so much going on, we thought it might be helpful to pick
out some of the best bits of the British Tennis summertime to
help you plan your season. Over the next few pages you’ll find
all you need to know about some of the great events taking
place this summer – plus a couple of famous faces
t’s been a long winter foreven the most ardenttennis fan, with only thehardiest of player braving
the snow-covered courts to get theiroutdoor fix. But now those memoriesof crisp mornings and dark eveningshave melted with the frost, and thesmell of freshly cut grass fills the air.
Which brings us rather neatly toour favourite surface. A Britishsummer isn’t complete withoutimages of the striking green courtsof The Championships,Wimbledonand the Aegon Championships atThe Queen’s Club.
It’s not all about the “big two”,however, with events up and downthe country making for a busysummer schedule. Check out ourcomprehensive listings starting onpage 25 to find your nearest event.
Meanwhile, turn to page 32 toread two legends of the British gamesharing their memories of playing ongrass, and who they think will reignsupreme in SW19.
It’s going to be a great summer, sowhether you are a casual fan, socialplayer or fanatic, get down to yourlocal court and have fun – just don’tforget to pack a brolly! BTQ
I
FUNINTHESUN
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ADVANTAGE CROWNE PLAZA.
TO BOOK, VISIT WWW.IHG.COM/CROWNEPLAZA, OR CALL 0871 221 2478
facebook.com/crowneplaza @CrownePlaza
Whether you’re a competitor, coach, parent or passionate fan, why not spend some time with us; the Preferred Hotel
Partner of the LTA. Enjoy fine restaurants, fantastic bars and spa amenities, all in great locations across the UK and Europe.
Why not take advantage?
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SUMMEROFTENNIS
www.lta.org.uk Follow us on Twitter @britishtennis
SUMMERLISTINGS
It’s going to be a busy summer of tennis in
Great Britain, with mouthwatering events
up and down the country. And now with this
handy guide to what’s on and where, there
really is no excuse to miss out on the action
NOTTINGHAMFESTIVALOFTENNIS1-16JUNEAND16-21JULY
Free entry
The Nottingham Festival of Tennis
comprises a number of free activities and
grass court tennis events, all held at the
Nottingham Tennis Centre. The events,
featured on this page, see top British
and international players competing for
more than $225,000 worth of prize
money as they warm up for The
Championships, Wimbledon.
The festival will also be the focus of
the second National Mini Tennis Week,
sponsored by Highland Spring, from
10-16 June, with local schools invited
to participate in organised tennis
activities. National Mini Tennis Week
will see LTA Mini Tennis taking place in
schools, clubs, parks and tennis centres
across the country.
Entry to the festival and seats on
Centre Court are free, courtesy of the
LTA and Nottingham City Council. Come
and enjoy the action as players battle
it out for the chance to win the
much-coveted titles.
For more information visit:
www.nottinghamfestivaloftennis.com
AEGON TROPHY1-9 JUNE
The 2013 Aegon Trophy, the
first of the pre-Wimbledon
grass court tournaments, will
take place on the world-class
courts at the Nottingham
Tennis Centre.
The tournament consists of men’s
and women’s international tennis
playing for ATP/WTA world-ranking
points and prize money of €64k
(men) and $75k (women).
The action starts from
10.30-11am during the week,
finishing at 8-9pm
depending on the weather
and length of matches. The
weekend finals have an 11am
start. There is indoor back-up if
the weather is bad.
AEGONNOTTINGHAMCHALLENGE8-16 JUNE
The 2013 Aegon Nottingham
Challenge sees players continue
their preparation ahead of The
Championships, Wimbledon. Entrants
compete for prize money of €64k
(men) and $50k (women), as well as
ATP/WTA world-ranking points. The
action starts from 10.30-11am,
finishing at 8-9pm depending on
the weather and length of
matches. The finals start at
11am. Open sessions are free
to families and friends. The
Mini Tennis doubles and the
Performance Team Challenge
are invitational and are a chance
to watch potential stars of the future.
NATIONAL MINITENNIS WEEK,SPONSORED BYHIGHLANDSPRING10–16 JUNE
National Mini Tennis Week, sponsored
by Highland Spring, will take place in
schools, parks and tennis centres
across the country from Monday 10 –
Sunday 16 June. For more information
and timings see pages 20-21.
BRITISH OPENWHEELCHAIRTENNISCHAMPIONSHIPS16-21JULY
Also part of the Nottingham
Festival of Tennis, this event takes
place slightly later in the summer.
This year will see the world’s top
players return to the country looking
to repeat the success of the London
2012 Paralympic Games. See p29
for details.
»
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SUMMEROFTENNIS
www.lta.org.uk Follow us on Twitter @britishtennis
AEGONINTERNATIONAL15-22JUNE
Devonshire Park, Eastbourne
Devonshire Park in sunny Eastbourne
provides the idyllic setting for the
Aegon International, a combined ATP
and WTA event.
The welcoming and friendly
atmosphere attracts some of the world’s
top men and very best women tennis
players who often return year after year
in a bid to lift the winner’s trophy – and
make their final preparations before
The Championships, Wimbledon, which
begins the week after.
In recent years stars like former
world No.1 Kim Clijsters, 2009 women’s
champion Caroline Wozniacki and top 20
ATP players like James Blake and
Feliciano Lopez have graced the courts
and delivered world-class competition
that keeps fans on the edge of their seats.
A WTA Tour
Premier and ATP
World Tour 250 series
with prize money of $535,000 (WTA)
and €405,500 (ATP), this event is a must
for anyone wanting to walk the lawns
and soak up that British summertime
tennis feeling.
Official website:
www.aegoninternational.co.uk
AEGONCHAMPIONSHIPS10-16JUNE
The Queen’s Club, London
The Aegon Championships, with its
global audience, is recognised as one of
the top ten tennis events in the world.
Held in the run-up to Wimbledon, the
event is consistently supported by
the best singles and doubles players
of the men’s game.
Since the competition’s inception in
1979, 25 of the last 27 Wimbledon
champions have played at Queen’s.
Connors, Lendl, Edberg and Sampras are
among the legends that have proudly
lifted the iconic silver trophy.
An ATP World Tour 250 event with
prize money of €683,665, this is the
event to attend this summer to watch
Marin Cilic defend his 2012 title.
If you can’t make
it, the event will be
covered live on BBC1,
BBC2, BBC Online and Eurosport.
Official website:
www.aegonchampionships.com
AEGONCLASSIC9-16JUNE
The Edgbaston Priory Club, Birmingham
The Aegon Classic is a WTA
International tennis event on the
women’s tour, held at the Edgbaston
Priory Club (EPC) in Birmingham. The
2012 tournament was the 31st
anniversary of the event.
Seen by some as a sister
tournament to the Aegon
Championships, the grass court
tournament has been held at EPC
since 1982.
With prize money of $235,000,
the event will be hosting some of the
world’s top female
players. Why not
make a day of it on
13 June and attend
Ladies’ Day?
If you can’t be there to watch,
coverage will be live on Eurosport from
Friday 14 June onwards.
Official website:
www.aegonclassic.co.uk
Twitter: @aegonclassic
Facebook: /aegonclassic
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SUMMEROFTENNIS
www.lta.org.uk Follow us on Twitter @britishtennis
AEGONCOUNTYCUP21-26JULY
Countrywide (Group 1 is played in Eastbourne)
Aegon County Cup events are played
at various venues across the country
throughout the year. Aegon County Cup
events give players the opportunity
to represent their county in team
competition in national/regional stages.
The age group categories range from
9U to 35-plus.
The summer event, the Aegon
Summer County Cup, is one of the oldest
tennis events on the domestic calendar,
with Gloucestershire men winning back in
1895 and Surrey winning the first ladies’
event in 1899. This
event is played in
July and is purely
a doubles event.
This summer, why not head down
to your nearest County Cup venue and
support your local players? It’s
completely free to get in and a great
day out.
For more information on the
Aegon County Cup visit
www.lta.org.uk/aegon-county-cup
THECHAMPIONSHIPS,WIMBLEDON24JUNE–7JULY
The All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon
Probably the best known of all
tennis events worldwide, The
Championships, Wimbledon
needs no introduction.
Running since 1877, the
event is one of the four Grand
Slams played on the tour
and the only one to be played
on grass.
If you haven’t been able to get your
hands on tickets yet, don’t forget you
can cash in on your BTM membership.
Junior and child British Tennis Members
can buy a Wimbledon ground
pass for just £5 in the second
week of The Championships
after 5pm.
If you’re coming down to
SW19, don’t forget to visit the
British Tennis Information
Area underneath No.1 Court
where you’ll find fun activities and
prize draws.
Visit the BTQ webpage for more
information and T&Cs.
Organised by the Tennis Foundation,
the British Open Wheelchair Tennis
Championships is one of six Super Series
events on the NEC Wheelchair Tennis
Tour, and one of the most important
tournaments in the world outside of the
Grand Slams.
In 2013 the British Open will be
celebrating its 24th year and will once
again feature many of the world’s top
players as they return to the country
after competing at the London 2012
Paralympic Games at Eton Manor.
Last year’s event saw Japan’s Shingo
Kunieda, Dutchwoman Esther Vergeer
and American David Wagner pick up
titles in Nottingham before going on to
win gold medals at the Paralympics just
two months later.
With Vergeer now retired from the
sport after remaining undefeated for
more than 10 years, the women’s event
will be hugely competitive, with the new
generation looking to make their mark
on the world stage.
And with British No.1s Andy
Lapthorne, Gordon Reid and Lucy Shuker
working their way up the rankings to
career highs in 2013, the chances of
BRITISHOPENWHEELCHAIRTENNISCHAMPIONSHIPS16-21JULY
Nottingham Tennis Centre
home success are high
across all three divisions
– men’s, women’s and quad.
The ITF’s NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour
originated in 1992 with 11 international
tournaments. By 2000, the number of
tournaments had reached 130 events in
37 countries, with the 2013 NEC
Wheelchair Tennis Tour featuring more
than 160 tournaments, including all four
Grand Slams.
From 2014 to 2016 the Tennis
Foundation will be holding the NEC
Singles Masters, the year-end event for
the top-ranked players, in Queen
Elizabeth Olympic Park, continuing the
wheelchair tennis legacy from the
Paralympic Games.
The Tennis Foundation also runs
a Wheelchair Tennis Development Series
for players getting their first taste
of competition. This is in addition to
a series of camps run for beginners to
try out the sport for the first time.
The British Open takes place at
Nottingham Tennis Centre and
your copy of BTQ entitles you to
free entry to come along and enjoy
some world-class tennis.
Please email disabilitytennis@
tennisfoundation.org.uk to claim your
free tickets with the reference: BOBTQ.
For further information about the
event and disability tennis, please
visit www.tennisfoundation.org.uk
Twitter: @TennisFndation
#BritishOpenWTC
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The Aegon British Tour provides a circuit
of tournaments designed to complement
the international calendar, giving
up-and-coming players the opportunity
to gain experience in their quest to
become professional tennis players.
Players can gain points from each
competition, with a leaderboard
displaying the total points gained from
competitions throughout the year. Similar
to the WTA tour and ATP tour, the top
players on the leaderboard after all
tournaments have been played are invited
to the end-of-year Masters. All events
are open to spectators and free to watch.
Visit the BTQ webpage for more details.
SUMMER2013
SUMMEROFTENNIS
www.lta.org.uk Follow us on Twitter @britishtennis
BRITISHCLOSEDSENIORS’GRASS
COURTSCHAMPIONSHIPS18-24AUGUST
Aorangi Park, Wimbledon
SOUTHOFENGLANDSENIORS’
CHAMPIONSHIPS26-31AUGUST
Devonshire Park, Eastbourne
AEGONGBPRO-SERIESVARIOUSDATES
Manchester, Ilkley, Felixstowe, Foxhills,Chiswick, Wrexham, Nottingham
AEGONBRITISHTOURVARIOUSDATES
Locations countrywide
This ITF Grade 2 event was born in the
infancy of the then Veterans’ Lawn Tennis
Association of Great Britain, founded in
1974. The event started on the shale
courts of the All England Club in 1975
with the men’s 45 and 55 age categories.
A women’s 40 event was added in 1979 to
be joined by the 50s in 1985. As the
popularity of seniors’ tennis expanded,
more age groups were provided for and
the tournament outgrew the Wimbledon
courts, so that until 1986 some of the age
groups were played at The Queen’s Club.
The event moved to the grass of Aorangi
Park in 1987, with age groups for men
from 35 to 85 and 35 to 80 for women.
Played on the high-quality grass courts
of the International Tennis Centre at
Devonshire Park, Eastbourne, this ITF
Grade 2 tournament forms a popular way
of rounding off the season. All age groups
are catered for – up to 75 for women and
80 for men. For those unlucky enough to
lose their first match, consolation events
are held. There is also an official hotel and
a Championships Dinner held midweek.
The tournament attracts players from
overseas, curious to see how well they
play on grass for the first time, in addition
to enjoying the seaside ambiance.
www.seniorstennisgb.org
The Aegon GB Pro-Series represents
both men’s and women’s events that
are part of the ITF Pro Circuit and ATP
Challenger Tour, taking place in Great
Britain with prize money ranging from
$10,000 to $75,000. This level of
competition features many of the world’s
up-and-coming players who are looking
to progress to compete on the main
ATP and WTA tours. All events are open
to spectators. Visit the BTQ webpage
for more details.
EUROPEANBEACH
TENNISCHAMPIONSHIPS9-11AUGUST
Brighton seafront
This summer, the European Beach Tennis
Championships will be held in Great
Britain for the first time. So why not
come and watch the best beach tennis
players in the world in Brighton this
August! It’s free to watch and with
more than 20 nations competing you
might just fall in love with a whole new
form of tennis you may not have heard
of before.
Beach tennis is mainly played as
doubles on a court the same size as
beach volleyball, with players using
beach tennis rackets and a low
compression orange tennis ball, which
is not allowed to bounce during play.
The ITF Beach Tennis Tour, a new
circuit of international events of the
sport’s fastest-growing offshoot, was
launched in 2008.
The calendar
consists of national
association sanctioned and/or
organised tournaments worldwide,
which offer international ranking
points to participants.
The combination of tennis with sun,
sea and sand makes beach tennis the
game to try this summer. The sport can
be played by all ages and all playing
abilities – it’s a fantastic way to spend
time with your friends and family. The
LTA and Beach Tennis UK are working
together to establish more beach tennis
venues and get more events running
across the country.
If you are interested in
getting involved go to
www.lta.org.uk/beachtennis
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LAWN&
Do you remember the first
competitive match you
played on grass?
GREG: I’ve always liked playingon grass. One of my first memoriesin tennis is playing at Newport,Rhode Island, and winning thatevent – my first career title –and qualifying for Wimbledonin 1993. But I have other goodmemories of playing on grass,such as winning in Nottinghamon two occasions, before the eventmoved to Eastbourne. Really goodmemories – grass has always beenpretty good to me.
TIM: In a junior tournament whenI was eight or nine. We played alot in the summer at places likeCheltenham, Torquay and Bristol.Playing on grass at a young agecertainly helped me when I gotto play in the biggest and besttournament at Wimbledon becauseI felt very comfortable on thatsurface and it helped me havesome good results.
What is it that makes it such
a unique surface?
GREG: Grass is so much differentnow than when I used to play onit. It is much slower, with higher-bouncing balls. When I played youwere told to try and not let the ballbounce by volleying it in the air.Tennis has changed so much now,but I have always enjoyed playingon grass courts. The adjustmentbetween the clay courts of the FrenchOpen to grass is all about adaptingyour movement and getting usedto getting a bit lower on the courts,as clay has very high-bouncingballs. You have to adjust with yourmovement patterns although thesedays you can pretty much play anygame you want on grass. We usedto be all about the serve and volley,chip and charge, get to the net asquick as you can. But now you don’thave to adjust your game quite asmuch – just your footwork.
TIM: Grass is only played on for fourweeks of the year, but soon to be
TIMHENMANDOB: 6 September 1974
Career-high ranking: 4 (8 July 2002)
Plays: Right-handed
Best part of game: Serve-volley
Turned pro: 1993
Career singles titles: 11
Wimbledon best: SF 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002
The Queen’s Club best: F 1999, 2001, 2002
32 BRITISHTENNISQUARTERLY
BTQSPECIAL
www.lta.org.ukfacebook.com/britishtennislta
Lucky old BTQ managed to catch up with Brit superstars
of yore, Greg Rusedski and Tim Henman, to get their
thoughts on our favourite surface – grass – and also get
their tips for Wimbledon this summer
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&ORDERfive from 2015 when the extra weekis added between the French Openand Wimbledon – which I think isgood for grass court tennis. Beforeit was very much serve and volleydominated, but now the grass courtshave changed and they’re muchharder, the grass is much coarser,so the ball doesn’t skid throughso much and the rallies are muchlonger. I think as a spectacle it’smuch better. It’s a good surface forthe players and it doesn’t put theirbodies under so much strain, sohopefully grass court tennis canhave a bit of a resurgence and gofrom strength to strength.
What is the best grass court
match you’ve ever seen?
GREG: For me I love the classics –John McEnroe v Bjorn Borg in the1981 Wimbledon final, with McEnroecoming through to win it, is myfavourite match on grass. I thinkmy favourite match I played ongrass was at Wimbledon againstJonathan Stark, back in 1997,when I went on to make thequarter-finals. I was two sets down,I was struggling a little bit withmy back at the time, it got raindelayed and I came back to win11-9 in the fifth set. So it was a goodmemory to win that one, but alsobeating Mark Philippoussis in thefirst round of Wimbledon in straight
sets, when he was seeded seventh,was fantastic.
TIM: The first Wimbledon final thatI ever commentated on – RogerFederer v Rafael Nadal in 2008. Nadalwon 9-7 in the fifth set. The drama ofthe match was extraordinary, withNadal being up two sets to love andFederer coming back and winningthe third and fourth sets in the tie-break. The light was starting to go,but Nadal managed to win and tookhis first Wimbledon title.
Who are your tips for the
Wimbledon title this year?
GREG: Wimbledon is going to be veryinteresting this year – Andy Murraycertainly has a great chance. If I lookat it, for me it is all about the bigplayers, with Murray having a reallygood chance to win after getting tothe final last year. Time will tell afterthe French Open whether it will beMurray, Novak Djokovic or Nadal.I’m not going to say the defendingchampion, Roger Federer, which Ican’t believe, but I think it will bebetween the other three.
TIM: Andy Murray is going to be oneof the favourites if not the favourite,on the back of making the final lastyear and winning Olympic gold. He’sgoing to be very comfortable thereand has as good a chance as anyone.
GREGRUSEDSKIDOB: 6 September 1973
Career-high ranking: 4 (6 October 1997)
Plays: Left-handed
Best part of game: Serve
Turned pro: 1991
Career singles titles: 15
Wimbledon best: QF 1997
The Queen’s Club best: SF 1997
Twitter handle:@GregRusedski1
33www.lta.org.uk SUMMER2013
SUMMEROFTENNIS
Follow us on Twitter @britishtennis
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34 BRITISHTENNISQUARTERLY www.lta.org.ukfacebook.com/britishtennislta
BTQSPECIALVIDEOCONTENT
SUMMER
TENNIS
SURV
IVALGUIDE
If youfancy
gettingout there
andenjoying
abit m
ore tennis
this summer, but you’re not
reallysure where to
begin,
thenlook no
further. Whether
youneed
ashove to
make it
fromcouch
tocourt, or you
just want toknow
howto
maxim
ise your dayout at the
tennis, BTQis on
handwith
your ultimate Tennis Survival
Guide tohelp
youget the m
ost
fromthe gam
e this summer…
COVER
UP
Don’t forget your sun creamand hat!
Whether you’re planning to head out to
your local courts to play or going to watch
one of the fantastic events happening this
summer (see page 25 for listings), don’t
forget to cover up when the sun has
got his hat on. And for those
unavoidable rainy days… a
brolly isn’t a bad idea.
BOOKITIN
Book your court in advance to avoid
disappointment. Getting a regular
game in the diary is not only something
to look forward to all week, but will
help you get into a routine. You
never know, you might even
manage to keep playing
throughout the year.
CHALLEN
GE
YOURSELF
Try and play with someone a
little bit better than you so that you
can push yourself and improve. But
don’t forget to keep the karma good by
offering your talents to someone not as
good as you, too – it’s all about
supporting each other.
STAYAPPY
Follow on Twitter to find out the latest if
you can’t make it to an event @AegonClassic
@BritishTennis. And don’t forget to download
the LTA Summer Events App for all the
latest scores and draws at the Aegon
Championships, Aegon Classic and Aegon
International. The app also has the latest
photos and videos, so if you’re not able
to watch on the day you can catch
up on the action.
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35www.lta.org.uk Follow us on Twitter @britishtennis SUMMER2013
SUMMEROFTENNIS
KEEPHYD
RATED
Whether you’re running around like
a loon on court or sunning yourself on
Murray Mound, don’t forget to keep
hydrated. You’re more likely to drink fluid
if you enjoy the taste of it, so try
a fruit-flavoured squash – this does not
include Pimm’s, unfortunately – to
keep you knocking back the water.
WATCH
ANDLEA
RN
Watching the pros play is great fun,
and it’s also an excellent way to learn
more about the game. Taking note of how
your idol moves on court really will help you
understand different techniques.
SHARE
AND
SHARE
ALIKE
If you’re looking to get some
coaching this summer, why not share
a private lesson with a friend? It can make
it a whole load of fun and will cost you
half as much.
OUTOF
SERVICE
If you are worried about having an
inconsistent serve and it’s ruining the
flow of your matches, why not start with
an underarmserve? There’s no shame
in using an underarmserve and you may
find you enjoy the points a lot more as
you have a better chance of keeping a
good rally. As you practise more and
gain confidence, you can start to
work the overarmserve into
your game.
DON’TFO
RGET
TOHAV
EFU
N!
Check out these guys – maybe take
a leaf out of their book?
SNAP!
Did you know that your strings are more likely
to snap in hot weather? Make sure you get your
racket restrung regularly to avoid themgoing
“ping” during your next outing. Strings also start
to lose tension fromthe moment a racket is
strung and over time they become less
resilient. As a rule of thumb, if you’re
playing one hour a week then you
should be restringing annually.
GET
IN
THERECO
VERY
POSITIO
N
When you’re playing, always
remember to get back to the “recovery”
spot in the centre of the baseline after
each shot. This will make sure you’re
in the best position possible
to receive any ball from
your opponent.
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36 BRITISHTENNISQUARTERLY
FEATURE
www.lta.org.ukLike us on facebook.com/britishtennislta
Cardio Tennis is a seriesof tennis-based drillsand activities playedto up-tempo music ona tennis court. It doesn’trequire tennis skills, butis all about keeping yourheart rate up, burningcalories and having fun.Whether the ball goesin or out is irrelevant,the main purpose isto get fit!
BENEFITSOF
CARDIOTENNISNot only will you have the chanceto meet new people and have funin an upbeat and sociable groupenvironment, but you will also:
Improve your heart and lungfitness and reduce your risk ofheart diseaseTone and shape your keymuscle groupsBurn calories for a leaner bodyBuild and improve yourtennis skills.
ATYPICAL
SESSIONYour trained Cardio Tennisinstructor will lead you througha 60-minute session consistingof a short warm-up and cool-downeither side of a 40-minute full-bodycardio workout.
1.WARM-UP Some dynamicstretching and skills and drills toget your body warm and mindsharp before the workout begins.
2. AEROBICSECTIONHere’s yourchance to hit loads of shots,including forehands, backhands,serves and volleys, all mixed witha variety of sideline activities.
3. TENNISSECTION Practise yourshots with fun tennis games.You’llnever play one on one – yourteammates will be with you allthe way.
4. COOL-DOWNWell done, youmade it! Now it’s time to recoverand stretch.
VIDEOCONTENT
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37www.lta.org.uk
FEATURE
Follow us on Twitter @britishtennis SUMMER2013
GETINVOLVEDDid you know there are now over
1,000 coaches trained to deliverCardio Tennis in more than 700venues in Great Britain?
Find your nearest venue offering Cardio Tennis by
visiting www.lta.org.uk/cardiotennis and clicking
on “Find a Class”. To see Cardio Tennis in action
use your Junaio app to scan the image below.
@cardiotennis_uk
www.facebook.com/UKCardioTennis
KIRSTYGARRETTHEAD COACH,SUTTON CHURCHESTENNIS CLUB, SURREY
Kirsty has been running Cardio Tennis sessions at
her venue for about two years. She takes three
sessions a week, one of which is for women only.
She says: “We get a good turnout to our sessions and it
attracts everyone. Our sessions have a great mix of
players and non-players, and all ages from 14 to 72.
“Cardio Tennis has really helped us to attract more people to
tennis at our club and has meant we could expand the
coaching programme. We have increased our membership and
caught the interest of members who perhaps hadn’t been using
the club as regularly as they should have. Also, personally, I am
much fitter, too.
“I love using the heart-rate monitors and the lively music, not
to mention the speed and the fun. But it’s not just me that loves
it – here’s what some of those taking part think.”
Wayne Mar: “I’ve been doing Cardio Tennis now for almost two
years since I joined the club and it is a great way of becoming,
and keeping, fit. I really like the way all levels can do the
session together. Kirsty always does a great session. I will
make sure that I do Cardio Tennis even if I don’t manage to do
anything else. For me it’s a ‘must’ part of the week.”
Dominique Delhalle: “I was known at the club for my ‘I don’t
run’ motto, but after Cardio Tennis the improvement has
been noted – I now run like a rabbit! Thanks, Kirsty. Thanks,
Cardio Tennis!”
Ian Bignell: “Cardio Tennis not only gave me the opportunity
to lose a stone in weight in six months, but it also gave me an
extra appetite for more tennis through some of the excellent
drills that we did.”
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38 www.lta.org.ukLike us on facebook.com/britishtennislta
INSIDER
BRITISHTENNISQUARTERLY
THEWINNINGLOOKMAKE SUREYOU’RE LOOKING LIKE A PRO
THIS SUMMER – CHECKOUTTHE LATEST KIT
PWP IS EXTREMELY PROUD to be the LTA’s
new online retail partner, providing
a comprehensive and cutting-edge
new website to the tennis community.
It is looking forward to working with
the LTA to give British Tennis Members
exclusive offers on tennis clothing,
footwear and equipment.
Visit the shop today at www.lta.org.uk/shop
Nike Zoom Vapor 9 Tour
– Midnight Navy £99.99
A collaboration between Roger Federer and renowned Nike
designer Tinker Hatfield, the Nike Zoom Vapor 9 Tour is
designed to meet the dynamic needs of the modern game,
all in a sleek and stunning new colourway.
Running-inspired upper delivers improved forefoot
flexibility, breathability and ride.
Dynamic-fit technology adapts to the foot for a custom,
comfortable fit.
Nike Zoom cushioning in the heel provides top-notch yet
lightweight cushioning and nimble performance.
Nike Rafa Peaks Crew – FibreglassMen’s, £44.99Junior, £27.99
Rafa’s shirt for the European clay court
season is available in both men’s and
junior versions, so you can have the
King of Clay’s style whatever your age.
A modern silhouette with reduced
shoulder seaming to enhance
mobility and offer zero distraction
– so you can stay laser-focused on
bringing your best game.
Sweat wicking Dri-FIT fabric and
strategic mesh panels for comfort
and breathability.
Nike Premier RF Crew –
Tournamline £44.99
This stylish new shirt is packed
with technology to give you
every advantage:
Strategically placed mesh panels
to keep you cool in the heat of
the moment.
Signature Dri-FIT fabric to wick sweat
away for supreme comfort.
Contoured seams that lay flat
against the body for zero distraction.
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www.lta.org.uk Follow us on Twitter @britishtennis SUMMER2013 39
INSIDER
WIN!To be in with a chance of winning
a £25 voucher to put towards some of
this great kit, simply tell us what you want
to see more of in BTQ.
One lucky winner will receive a £25 voucher to
be redeemed at the LTA online shop, powered by
PWP, on Nike and Babolat products only.
To enter visit www.lta.org.uk/BTQ
The closing date is 19 August when we will
randomly select one winner. The draw will
take place on 22 August. Competition
terms and conditions are listed
on the BTQ webpage at
www.lta.org.uk/BTQ
Nike Premier Maria Skort– Cool Grey£32.99
Designed to perfectly match
Maria’s Premier Tank, or
a perfect skort to add
some style to any
on-court ensemble.
Built-in briefs for
snug support.
Flat-seam construction to
minimise irritation.
Wider stretch waist for a
snug fit and a flat finish.
Nike Premier MariaTank – Ice Blue£32.99
Modern. Elegant. Stylish. All
words associated with tennis style
icon Maria Sharapova. The Nike
Premier Maria Tank will be Maria’s
top of choice this summer.
Woven straps allow for a
greater range of motion with
no limitations.
Built-in bra offers modesty,
shaping and essential support.
Top-notch technical fit
fabric offers sweat-wicking
performance as well as a
flattering fit.
Babolat Pure Drive GT
£135.99
The Pure Drive GT is Babolat’s No.1 racket
for good reason – it’s a superb frame.
With Babolat’s “GT” technology, this
frame offers amazing power combined
with the feel and stability of a 300g
racket. These characteristics make the
racket just as accessible to club players
as it is to touring pros. Also features
Babolat’s renowned “Cortex Expert”
technology in the throat, a system that
works to eliminate harmful vibrations
while still delivering appropriate
feedback and feel to the player. As used
by Julien Benneteau, Sara Errani and a
huge number of other pros.
Babolat Team Tennis Ball
from £18.99 per doz
Babolat’s Team tennis ball has
quickly yet understandably
established a fine reputation
for itself. A top-grade ball
that you’re bound to see
at tournaments and club
matches all over the country.
High-performance core.
“Extra feel” felt.
ITF approved.
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40 BRITISHTENNISQUARTERLY
INSIDER
www.lta.org.ukLike us on facebook.com/britishtennislta
hoever said “grass is forcows” was wrong. It’sdefinitely for the BritishTennis fan.The grass
season is the time when the tennisworld focuses its attention on ourcountry because we host most ofthe major events, so June and Julytend to be the months when wego bat and ball crazy.They alsorepresent our biggest opportunityto attract new people into the gamebecause there’s so much exposurein the media.
I see the great British summertimeas a massive chance to grow thegame, to educate the tennisworkforce and to inspire our players– young and not so young. Becausethe LTA runs a number of the majorATP, WTA and ITF grass events,there are many areas where we cancreate opportunities for people to seebehind the scenes, meet and watchworld-class players and coaches, andto learn about the running of bigtennis events.
For our players, we have a numberof wild-card entries to allocate,which allows us to reward deservingjuniors and seniors with access intotournaments that are beyond theircurrent ranking.
It’s hectic, it’s exciting and it’sstressful.Well, that’s how it was forme last year – bombing aroundmiddle to southern England trying tocarry out coaching, mentoring andparental duties.
This year will be no different, butfor me the grass season is all aboutcreating opportunities; it’s a chance
Wto watch all of our female players intop-class competition on home turf(no pun intended), and to spendtime with the best junior girls anda number of female coaches. Here’sa wee insight into some of the thingsI’m planning to cover...
During the Aegon Classic atEdgbaston, Claire Curran (LTA leadcoach, women’s doubles) and I aretaking advantage of Ladies’ Day(Thursday) and putting togethera coach education package for 12female coaches and a motivational/educational trip for eight of our topU12 girls.
This will involve an on-courttraining session, a behind-the-scenestour to meet everyone from thetournament director and the ballkidsto the physios and the media liaisonofficers, as well as visiting the playerslounge to speak to competitorsand coaches.We will even arrangeattendance at a press conference andthe opportunity to learn how to scouttop players during matches on theCentre Court.
In the following week, I’ll bebased at the National Tennis Centrein Roehampton to cover bothWimbledon qualifying and helpprepare our GB junior team to playthe USA for the annual MaureenConnolly Trophy.
This event is great fun and allowsboth teams much-needed trainingand match practice on grass beforethe ITF event at Roehampton andjunior Wimbledon.The match isplayed at Eastbourne on theThursday and Friday of the Aegon
JUDYSPEAKS
The summer tennis season in Great
Britain is a busy time for players,
coaches and fans alike. And, as
Judy Murray points out, flying the
flag for some of the country’s most
promising youngsters – and
a certain Wimbledon hopeful – is
an opportunity not to be missed
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41
The Maureen ConnollyTrophy, held during the
Aegon International
www.lta.org.uk
INSIDER
Follow us on Twitter @britishtennis SUMMER2013
“It’s interesting to
see who rises to the
occasion at SW19
and who behaves
like a day tripper”
again is an opportunity to watch ourmost promising girls in a majorcompetition. It’s always interesting tosee who rises to the occasion, who isparalysed by it, who is totallydistracted by the hype around SW19and who behaves like a day tripper.
You know the type... happy tobe here, but no ambition or beliefthat they can do some damage inthe draw. It’s all about the mind-set.Very few juniors know how to playon grass because the season isso short and hardly any countrieshave grass courts nowadays. So,again, it’s a big opportunity for ourplayers. If they believe!
I’ve lost track of how manytimes I’ve mentioned the word“opportunity” in this article, butthat’s how we must ALL view thegrass season... and make sure wemax out. BTQ
DON’TFORGETTOCHECK
OUTJUDY’SLATESTBLOGS–
VISITWWW.LTA.ORG.UK/BTQ
TOSEEWHATSHE’SBEENUP
TORECENTLY
International so the girls will havethe added benefit of being part ofa major event and rubbing shoulderswith some of the world’s bestplayers. I see this match as a bigchance for me to work with – and getto know – our best 15 to 17-year-olds, who may become our FedCuppers of the future.
After that we are into Wimbledonand that involves the usual racing ’n’chasing around the All EnglandLawn Tennis Club trying to watchand support all of our players (andtheir coaches), as well as servicingthe many media requests thatinevitably come my way.The secondweek is all about the juniors and
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42 BRITISHTENNISQUARTERLY
INSIDER
www.lta.org.ukLike us on facebook.com/britishtennislta
COACHING
CORNERIT’S IMPORTANT YOU
ARE TAKING TENNIS TIPS
APPROPRIATE TO YOUR LEVEL.
THIS ISSUE OF BTQ SHARES
SOME TIPS FOR ALL OF YOU,
WHETHER YOU DON’T KNOW
ONE END OF THE RACKET
FROM THE OTHER, AS WELL
AS SOME ADVICE FOR THE
SEASONED PROS
e thought it was about time we gave yousome great coaching tips for you to takeintointo yyourour nextnext mamatch.tch. HereHere yyouou cancan fifindndsome great nuggets of advice, depending
on your level. So whether you’re a completebeginner, a social hitter or a Murray wannabe, lookno further for some great advice.
W
HAVEN’T A CLUE
1All you need to start playing
is a racket and some
trainers – wear whatever
clothing you feel comfortable
in. Once you playmore regularly
youmight want to invest in
specialised tennis trainers, which
offer extra support.
2Stay on your toes. It sounds
simple, but being on the
balls of your feet keeps
you ready for action rather than
being flat-footed (see picture,
below). You’ll quickly get used
to it and once you’re in the
habit of bouncing on those toes
you’ll become a coiled spring,
ready to take on anything that
flies at you.
3Get hold of someMini
Tennis balls – they’re not
just for kids. Mini Tennis
balls have been designed to
travel through the air more
slowly than yellow balls
and have amore gentle
bounce because of their
low compression. They are
a great way for players of
any age to learn the game
and will give you far more
confidence in the long run.
You can buy them in some
sports shops, or youmight
be able to borrow some off
a coach at your local club.
4Look to sign up to a
beginner’s course at
your local club or tennis
centre. Most venues will run
some sort of beginner’s
coaching course to get new
players into the game in the
spring/summer.
5Don’t worry about scoring
to begin with. It’s easy
once you get the hang of
it – hitting the ball is plenty
enough to worry about to start
with. So why not just keep it
simple, scoring up to 11 or 21,
for example? You could even
swap serve every two points.
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43www.lta.org.uk
INSIDER
Follow us on Twitter @britishtennis SUMMER2013
TOP OF MY GAME
1Get the right strings.
Remember that tighter
strings offer more control,
while looser strings provide
more power. You can also
choose thick or thin, but don’t
forget that although thinner
stringsmight give you better
feel they aremore likely to
break. Thicker strings will last
longer, but are less delicate.
See BTQ issue 5 for advice from
the country’s top stringer.
2Get a rating – this is
an indication of your
standard. It starts at
10.2 and goes up to 1.1. Your
rating rises according to the
number of wins you have in
competitions. If you aren’t
already competing, find out
how on the BTQ webpage.
3Extend through the hitting
zone. On groundstrokes
you can achieve a double
win of more power andmore
consistency by allowing your
racket head to extend through
the hitting zone. Many players
pull the racket away from
the contact point as soon
as they’ve hit it. Gain the
advantage by staying loose
and extending the racket head
through contact and then on to
the target. This will givemore
power and a greater chance of a
clean strike.
4Shift your body weight
through contact. On
all strokes where you
are trying to find power
and strength, using your
body weight is a key to
success. Hitting with the
body and transferring body
weight through contact is
a characteristic of more
advanced players. On
groundstrokes, as you prepare
to load your weight onto
your back foot, then as you
hit, feel the weight transfer
through the contact point
and onto your front foot as
the shot completes. A good
check is to see if your back foot
is on tip-toe on completion of
the stroke.
5On serve, push your
hand and knee into the
court together. Getting
the ball placement forwards
and then driving the legs up is
something you will see in all
the great servers. A great cue
to get you doing this is to start
your forwardmotion of the
serve bymoving left hand and
left knee (for a right hander)
into the court together. This
will only work, however, if
you’ve got the first part of the
motion right and have rocked
your weight back and turned
your shoulders sideways.
COULD DO BETTER
1Use two hands on your
backhand for a stronger
shot, more support
and extra stability. There’s
always room for a single-
handed slice, but a good
strong double-handed
backhand where you swing
low to high over your
shoulder (like a golf shot)
might be what’s missing
from your game.
2Don’t serve if you throw
the ball up badly. Take
your time and try again
– if you throw the ball behind
you and hit it, it’ll probably
go out. If you throw it too
far in front it is likely to hit
the net. You can try asmany
times as you need.
3Get a decent grip (grips
come in sizes 1-5). If
your grip is too small,
then you’ll hold the racket
too tightly and be at risk of
developing tennis elbow. If
your grip is too big youmay
struggle to hold it properly.
To test your grip size, hold
the racket as normal and
you should have a 1cm gap
between your thumb and
forefinger.
4Find an LTA-licensed
coach to help you
improve. For a tennis
coach to be accredited to
the LTA they need to have
attained certain criteria,
whichmeans you can rest
assured your coach has
the right credentials, e.g.
regular CRB checks, first
aid training, full insurance
and a commitment to the
LTA’s code of conduct.
Visit the BTQ webpage for
more information.
5Aim higher over the
net. As players improve
and start to hit harder
a commonmisconception
is that the lower they can
hit over the net then the
better the shot. The reality
is that if you hit it low over
the net the ball is more
likely to hit the net and if it
does go over it will almost
certainly land short. The pros
hit higher over the net than
you think.
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44 BRITISHTENNISQUARTERLY
INSIDER
www.lta.org.ukLike us on facebook.com/britishtennislta
TENNISWELLBEING& FITNESS
Virgin Active, the LTA’s Official Health Club, has partnered with
British female tennis star Laura Robson and former British No.1
Andrew Castle to launch an inclusive and unmatched tennis offering
across the portfolio of 21 Health & Racquet Clubs
ouble Olympian andwell-known broadcasterAndrew Castle was recentlyannounced as adult
tennis ambassador atVirgin ActiveHealth & Racquet Clubs. Andrew’srole will see him visiting clubs acrossthe country and running tennisclinics for members, encouragingthem to pick up a racket and givetennis a go.
Meanwhile, world No.35 LauraRobson will help drive participationamong young players, particularlyyoung girls.
Here, Andrew talks about his fitnessregime and how you can improve yourgame through your workout.
“Until a month ago my weeklyworkout involved at least two gamesof squash, but I have been forced intoearly retirement because my body wassuffering too much.
“The impact of squash on the hipsand lower back takes its toll, so I amgrieving for a sport that has givenme a lot of pleasure, as well as pain.I know how important staying activeis, however, so I’ve chosen lowerimpact forms of exercise to maintainstrength and flexibility.”
DThe former tennis pro may not
play the sport as frequently as he didin his heyday, but he recognises theimportance of proper preparationbefore a game.
Andrew says: “I play tennis at leasttwice a week and with age I’ve becomebetter at stretching and warming up.I have one training session a weekwith Julien Diaz, who is a formerdancer with the Ballet Rambert, andflexibility, strength and balance are hispriorities. I would say he understandsthe body as well as anyone I have everworked with, either on court or off.
He was recommended by my physio,who was seeing me too often.”
It is important to vary your gymworkout to get the most out of yourgame. Strength training andcardiovascular exercise will bothhelp to give you an edge over anopponent. Fitness instructors at your
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4745www.lta.org.uk SUMMER2013
INSIDER
Follow us on Twitter @britishtennis
localVirgin Active will be able toadvise on the best exercises toimprove performance. Andrew likesto spice up his workout with differentclasses and gym floor exercises.
“Interval training is great for thelegs and lungs and I have become abeliever in yoga, Pilates and groupcycle classes. Many of these used tobe called ‘alternative’, but they aremainstream now, widely accessibleand very valuable.
“Strong legs are key to a successfulgame, with so much court to coverand with so many changes ofdirection.The leg press machine mayseem boring, but the quads are vital– and don’t forget the hamstring tobalance things up.
“Low impact work is recommendedwith age so a good swim makes moresense to me than a long run.”
It’s important to make sure that anygym work is performed correctly to
TOPTIPSTO HELP
STOPTHOSE NIGGLES
Gillian Reeves, national group exercise
manager at Virgin Active, gives some
advice on supplementary exercise you
can do to help you improve on court.
“Getting fit for any sport means regular
practice. This often means specifically
working on technique to improve
performance during a game. That said, it’s
easy to overdo it and play too much in
pursuit of improvement, which can lead
to niggles and sometimes injury. It’s
advisable to add in some different
exercise to your routine to complement
your sport. It may not be your first
passion, but when you see how much
better you perform, you’ll start to love it.
“To improve your tennis, add some
high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to
your workout routine, either in the gym
or at a class, such as Virgin Active’s Puma
HIIT. This is a method that has been used
for quite some time by athletics coaches,
and more recently in mainstream fitness
clubs. They often include speed, agility,
quickness (SAQ) drills, which will help
your tennis game because an essential
part of playing well involves the
fast-twitch muscle fibres that are trained
during this activity.
“The high intensity nature of the class
will improve your lactate threshold and
VO2 max, meaning that you will be able
to endure more lactic acid in your
muscles for slightly longer and be
aerobically fitter, which may give you
the edge over your competitor.
“Training to high intensities and
training regularly can often lead to
tighter muscles, so it’s important to
include some stretching into your routine
to stay supple. Try a yoga class to
improve flexible strength, or include
some self myofascial release techniques
with a foam roller or tennis ball.
“To release the tension in the muscles
at the bottom of your feet, put the
tennis ball under your foot, press down
on the ball and move your foot forwards
and back slightly, rolling the ball along
the instep of your foot.”
avoid unnecessary injuries. It’s worthconsidering working with a personaltrainer – even if it’s only once amonth.They are there to help you getthe most out of a workout and canadvise on the best training programmeto suit your needs.
Injuries will inevitably occur, sowhat does Andrew advise?
“With tennis elbow or golfer’selbow on the other side of thearm, then ice, rest, elevation andcompression are the order of theday.There are straps and supportsthat may make your elbow morecomfortable during play, but againit is the professionals that knowbest.Take medical advice for thecorrect diagnosis and then act onthat advice. If you don’t, it may begame over.”
To find out more aboutVirginActive’s unique tennis offering visit:www.virginactive.co.uk BTQ
“It’s easy tooverdo it andplay too muchin the pursuitof improvement”
Andrew Castle and LauraRobson talk tennis with Virginsupremo Sir Richard Branson
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46
FOLLOWTHESTARS
BRITISHTENNISQUARTERLY
INSIDER
www.lta.org.ukLike us on facebook.com/britishtennislta
GETYOUR TENNISFIXTennis is as much a part of the British summer as Pimm’s,
barbecues or strawberries and cream. And with the sun set to
shine, there are plenty of ways for you to get your tennis fix –
whether you’re a casual fan, social player or a fanatic
CASUALFAN
For all you fans of British Tennis there
are loads of ways to keep up to date with
your favourite players and competitions
this summer.
First point of call for all the major news
should be www.lta.org.uk. But through
Twitter you can also keep in touch with what
is going on in British Tennis by following the
main handle @britishtennis.
We will keep you up to date with
everything that is going on in British Tennis,
from what’s happening in local clubs
around the country, to live coverage of
our major events, including the Aegon
Championships, Aegon International,
Aegon Classic, The Championships,
Wimbledon, Aegon Trophy and Challenge,
and the European Beach Championships.
Why not check on what the players are up
to directly? How will @laurarobson5 and
@HeatherWatson92 be feeling ahead
of Wimbledon, or find out how Dan Evans
(@Evo151216) is getting on following his
Davis Cup heroics. And with the inspiration
of the Paralympics still fresh in everyone’s
mind, you might want to track its legacy on
disability tennis on the road to Rio 2016 by
following @TennisFndation.
The Tennis Foundation covers everything
from wheelchair tennis, deaf tennis, visually
impaired tennis and learning disability
tennis, and will keep you up to date
with development tournaments up to
world-class events.
And for a more personal look into
the road to Rio why not follow some
of our stars of London 2012, such as
Gordon Reid (@gordonreid91) and
Jordanne Whiley @jordannejoyce92.
If Twitter isn’t your thing then
why not check out our Facebook
page on www.facebook.com/
britishtennislta and get involved in
the debate online – we want to hear
your opinions.
ANDYMURRAY
@ANDY_MURRAY
LAURAROBSON
@LAURAROBSON5
HEATHERWATSON
@HEATHERWATSON92
DANEVANS
@EVO151216
JAMESWARD
@JAMESWARDTENNIS
COLINFLEMING
@COLIN_FLEMING
ROSSHUTCHINS
@ROSCOHUTCHINS
LIAMBROADY
@LIAMBROADY
KYLEEDMUND
@KYLE8EDMUND
OLIGOLDING
@OLI_GOLDING
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47www.lta.org.uk
INSIDER
Follow us on Twitter @britishtennis SUMMER2013
SOCIALPLAYERIf you want to be out on the court rather
than watching the action there are
plenty of ways to dust off your racket
and get involved.
If you are looking to get back into the
swing of things outdoors and soak up the
sunshine then your first stop should be to
sign up to www.allplaytennis.com.
Here you can find your nearest tennis
court by using your postcode. You can
find somewhere to play, a coach and even
someone of a similar standard to play with.
If you’re also keen to get your beach
body ready and don’t care whether the ball
goes in or out then perhaps Cardio Tennis
is the one for you.
The fitness craze sweeping the nation is
a series of tennis-based drills and activities
played to up-tempo music on a tennis court,
and you can burn a whopping 600 calories in
just an hour! What better way to get fit, have
fun and get healthy this summer. If you are
interested in giving Cardio Tennis a go, you
can find your nearest sessions and venue on
allplaytennis.com. See page 36 for more
info on Cardio Tennis.
There are also lots of activities for children
and families to get involved in, including
National Mini Tennis Week, which takes
place from 10-16 June. LTA Mini Tennis is the
perfect introduction to tennis for children aged
between four and ten using smaller courts and
rackets, and lower-bouncing balls. See page 20
for more info on Mini Tennis
Lastly, if you want to make the most of
the sun, sea and sand the British summer
has to offer, then why not brush up on your
beach tennis? Merging tennis, badminton
and volleyball all into one sport, beach
tennis can be played by all ages and
abilities and is another perfect way to
spend time with friends and family while
enjoying tennis this summer. See page 25
for info on events this summer.
Tell
uswhat
tennis
meanstoyou
#TennisIs
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48 BRITISHTENNISQUARTERLY
INSIDER
www.lta.org.ukLike us on facebook.com/britishtennislta
FANATICIf you’re fanatical about tennis and
want to take your hobby to the next
level then there’s no time like the
present to get started.
If you desire the intensity and
reward of playing in competitions, or
have children who want to test out
their skills with their peers, then
head to www.lta.org.uk/competition
and sign up to find your nearest
competitions for both adults and
juniors.
Once you are on your way in
competitions then you can also use
the website to check where you rank
in Britain.
If you would rather pass on your
knowledge to the next generation, or
help others learn tennis, then head to
the BTQ webpage where you can find
out how to take the path to becoming
a full LTA coach.
And it isn’t only adults who can
get involved in the coaching side
of tennis. The LTA also runs the
Tennis Leaders scheme, which
is aimed at giving juniors aged
13-plus the chance to learn vital
leadership skills.
There is also plenty of fun to be had
with tennis if getting on court and
playing isn’t for you.
You could become a competition
organiser, a referee or an umpire.
Who knows, signing up could be
your first step to one day officiating
at Wimbledon.
Young volunteers, club volunteers
and people happy to help out at
competitions and at local parks and
courts are all part of the British Tennis
framework and the LTA recognises their
hard work and effort.
For information on how to volunteer
at the LTA and how to get involved in
becoming an organiser, please visit
the BTQ webpage.
For those regularly volunteering in
tennis there are opportunities at
Wimbledon and other national events,
and at the end of the year you might
have your contribution recognised at
the LTA’s annual Volunteer of the
Year Awards. BTQ
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Cardio Tennis will help you attract
new players to your programme
Find out how you can become an
instructor at allplaytennis.com
Tell us what tennis means to you #TennisIs
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QA&
50 BRITISHTENNISQUARTERLY
INSIDER
www.lta.org.ukLike us on facebook.com/britishtennislta
For more than ten years, Ade Adepitan has been anunmistakeable character in the world of UK sport.Immediately recognisable from his cheeky grin and flowingdreadlocks, the wheelchair basketball legend achieved
a lifetime ambition when he took part in the 2000 Paralympics.Four years later he won a bronze medal at the 2004 Games in
Athens, nailing two free throws in the dying seconds to beat worldchampions the USA along the way.
Ade, who grew up in East London, co-anchored Channel 4’scoverage of last summer’s Paralympic Games with Clare Balding.
He has been a key figure in promoting disability sport and isa role model to many young players. BTQ caught up with himrecently and heard of his passion for tennis, its role in school sportsand who he’d most like be his doubles partner. Read on… BTQ
Why do you think tennisis a great sport fordisabled people?
It’s a fantastic sport becauseit gets them out of theirhomes and gives them anopportunity to socialise andtravel, but it’s also a greatform of fitness. It’s technical,it teaches them chair skills andit’s a lot of fun. I love playingtennis – it’s great!
What are the benefits ofplaying tennis?
It’s great cardiovascular exerciseand good for concentrationand good for your self-esteem,because, like all sports, as youimprove you get more confidentand that helps you out, bothmentally and physically.
Do you play any tennis?You could call it tennis, but youmight watch it and not think it’stennis! I love playing tennis.I love the feel of hitting a balland hitting a winner, gettingout and about and playingmatches. Hopefully, whenI get more time, I’ll playmore tennis.
What do you know aboutCardio Tennis?
I know there is a group of madpeople out there who screamand shout every Friday,listening to ’80s music, wearingheadbands, running andjumping about with tennisrackets in their hands. Is thatCardio Tennis? It looks fun!
Why is tennis a greatsport to play at school?
When I was at school, tenniswasn’t easy to access. Findingcourts and rackets was quitedifficult, but now it’s moreavailable with the TennisFoundation and the LTA doingmore to promote tennis inschools. It’s extremely importantbecause it gives kids anotheroption. At the moment in theUK everything is about football,rugby and cricket, but this is atotally different sport. It’s greatfor hand-eye co-ordination, andit’s just something different andsomething they can get excitedabout. And there are some great,fabulous tennis stars out thereand some great wheelchairtennis stars too.
Do you thinkprogrammes such as LTAMini Tennis and CardioTennis are important forgetting people active?
They are important for “mini”people and “cardio” people.Mini Tennis is important foryoung people who are not strongenough to play on the big court,allowing them to work on theirtechnique. It also means theirconfidence doesn’t drain awaywhen they can’t hit the ballover the net. I think that is veryimportant. Cardio Tennis is
Ade Adepitan, wheelchair basketball player
and Paralympic bronze medallist tells us why
tennis is now his gameAAAQ&AWITHADEADEPITAN, PARALYMPIAN, SPORTS ENTHUSIASTANDALL-ROUNDGOODGUY
Ade with British tennis starsJonny Marray, Elena Baltacha
and Andy Lapthorne
VIDEOCONTENT
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51www.lta.org.uk
INSIDER
Follow us on Twitter @britishtennis SUMMER2013
great because it seems like a lotof fun, with loud music playing.It’s great exercise. Tennis isabout getting fit and gettingactive, so stop watching TV andstart playing tennis!
Who would be yourfavourite doublespartner?
Serena Williams. She’d begreat! In wheelchair tennis,Gordon Reid. He’s good andhe’s going to be world No.1.
Who is your favouriteplayer?
Non-disabled, Roger Federer. Thatguy is smooth like chocolate. Hejust plays silky tennis andmakesit look so easy. He has a classicbackhand and is the ultimatecompetitor. Every time peoplesay he is old and past it he comesback and wins another GrandSlam. In wheelchair, there aresomany good players. GordonReid is definitely up there – he’s
an exciting player. Also AndyLapthorne, because you neverknow what is going to happenwith him, and then there’s ShingoKunieda, the fastest, craziest,maddest player out there.
How is the Aegon SchoolsTennis programmeensuring a legacy forLondon 2012?
The legacy is about passingon sport to the next generation,so just by getting out there intoschools. What was really feltwas that in the past we didn’tplace as much emphasis onsport as we should have.In schools it was neglectedand not enough kids knewabout it. They didn’t haveaccess to coaching orequipment. The Aegon SchoolsTennis programme is helpingto do this. We can find thenext wheelchair and non-disabled tennis stars fromthe UK for the future.
Who do you think tennisappeals to the most?
I think tennis appeals toanyone who likes having fun.I don’t think it should be aboutwhat class you are, whatgender you are, whether youhave a disability or your age.Tennis is for everyone. Anyonecan play tennis. Look at me,an old fogey in a wheelchairwho has come from aworking-class background,and I love playing tennis.
Apart from basketballand tennis, what othersports do you play?
I love skiing – it’s amazing– and scuba diving. I’m intoall sorts of sports, especiallyanything that gets me outthere and gets the adrenalinepumping. I think that’s what it’sall about, pushing yourself andfinding your edges.
Do you have any advicefor readers who have adisability and thinktennis is not for them?
Try it. Don’t think about itand read into it that it’s notfor me. Go out there andsurprise yourself. I love it,when the weather’s warm andyou’re outdoors and you’replaying tennis – it’s a greatsport. Hitting a forehanddown the line, booming a serveand improving your wheelchairskills, it’s wicked! And beatingyour opponent… actually,it’s not about beating your
opponent, it’s about takingpart. Ha, as if!
Have you ever beeninvolved with coaching?Is it something that youwould like to do?
I’ve done a little bit of coaching,but I think you have to not wantto be a player any more to wantto coach. At the moment I stillenjoy playing too much tohave the patience to coach.I think it will still be a few moreyears before I do.
IFYOU’DLIKEMORE
INFORMATIONON
TENNISFORDISABLED
PEOPLE,VISIT:
www.tennisfoundation.org.uk
ANYONEFORWHEELCHAIRTENNIS?Scan your Junaio app toenjoy an introduction towheelchair tennis fromParalympic legends PeterNorfolk and Ade Adepitan.
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