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Maria Sharapova Yoga For Tennis Players (Video)
Written by Senior Tennis Editor Peter Gehr
Maria Sharapova yoga for tennis players is a vital piece of information for both aspiring tennis enthusiasts and professionals. Having started yoga in her teens, Sharapova has greatly benefited from the stretching, mental calm, and fitness techniques of yoga to apply to her mind tennis when playing in tournaments.
Maria Sharapova Yoga For Tennis Players
“It was so different to anything I’d ever done before, and really allowed me to have a time with myself. In between points is the time to breath and to think of what you have to do. When I do yoga, it allows me to think of what you have to do how my body is going to go into the next position…breathing into the stretches mentally stabilizing in one place.”
If you’ve ever watched the Russian tennis star play tennis, you will notice her focus between points. She will often walk towards the wall in back of the court and this pause is allowing her to focus within herself and to draw attention to her next tennis strategy.
Maria Sharapova Yoga For Tennis Players (Video)
Maria Sharapova yoga for tennis players offers stability in the mental game of tennis. The stretching and breathing techniques create that calm and focused energy on the body. The stresses of a tennis tournament, or even practice can be balanced and strengthened by embracing the recharging and revitalizing benefits of yoga—which Sharapova has implemented into her exercise regimen to help her in her tennis mind, and athletic goals.
10 Top Tips from Maria Sharapova: Tennis Diet and Workout Plan
Written by Contributing Editor Beverly Phillips
Maria Sharapova made her professional breakthrough in 2004 at age 17, and the 25 year old Russian tennis star is still making tennis history, both on and off the court. Although at present the former world No. 1 in women’s tennis, she is still No. 1 in many tennis fans’ hearts, including mine. These 10 Top Tips from Maria Sharapova: Tennis Diet and Workout Plan show that even us tennis “mortals” can mirror some of her tennis strategies.
10 Top Tips from Maria Sharapova: Tennis Diet and Workout Plan
1. Practice: Even Grand slam champion Maria Sharapova has admitted that at times she doesn’t feel like having tennis practice, but because she knows that preparation is key to tennis success, she has regular practice 6 days a week. In an interview, the No. 2 in WTA ranking said, “I love to compete a lot, and the practice always helps obviously. It’s not necessarily my favorite thing and putting in the hours, but it’s one of the most important things to getting where I want to be.”
2. Diversity: Maria Sharapova’s coach encourages the women’s tennis star to participate in a diversity of physical activities ranging from pilates classes, yoga workouts, mountain biking, running and even salsa dancing. Since appointed as a United National Development Program Goodwill Ambassador in 2007, Maria Sharapova actively promotes and has personally financed sports and physical education for youth affected by the 1986 nuclear disaster at Chernobyl.
Relaxation Part of the 10 Top Tips from Maria Sharapova: Tennis Diet and Workout Plan
3. Relaxation: With intense practice sessions, grueling tournaments, hectic travel schedules, modelling assignments for Nike, Cole Haan and others, relaxation is a definite must for this Russian tennis beauty. Maria Sharapova pampers herself with spa and massage treatments, as well as simply lounging around or going out with friends. These and other de-stressing moments are vital for her physical, mental and emotional well-being.
4. Positivity: Focusing on what’s positive, being around positive people, and surrounding herself with positive input definitely helps keep the 25 year old tennis great in top form.
5. Protection: Not only does Maria guard herself from negative mental influences, the Russian grand slam champion vigilantly protects herself from the harsh UV rays. Sharapova personally selects skincare and sunscreen products that help her skin stay young and healthy.
6. Diet: The Djokovic gluten free diet is a far cry from the Maria Sharapova tennis diet. Her diet incorporates carbohydrates, proteins, fruits and vegetables in the form of three balanced meals a day, with snacks in between of whatever she may be craving. Her diet must be working for her to be featured in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue!
Hot Maria Sharapova: Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Photo Shoot
7. Goals: On the subject of how does she stay motivated, Sharapova said, “I just feel that I have so many more years ahead of me. I feel young, and I feel that every single day I can improve something in my game that can ultimately make me a champion.”
8. Realistic: Will the former world No. 1 in women’s tennis become No. 1 again? Her philosophical and psychological training has prepared her to be realistic to the fact that she cannot win every game. However, Sharapova has stated, “At the end of the day, it’s the competition that really drives me, it’s what I want.”
9. Humility: This one ties in with Positivity in that when this Russian tennis star wins, she doesn’t gloat over her opponent, criticize their game, or brag about her own skills. She continually offers encouragement and respect to her fellow competitors, remaining humble in both victory and defeat.
10. Control: This one wraps up the 10 Top Tips from Maria Sharapova Tennis Diet and Workout Plan. To follow through on all the other tips, Maria has the willpower to know when to say yes and no in all her daily decisions which puts her in control of her life and her career. After holding up a grand slam trophy, Maria was heard to say, “I look back at all the work that I’ve put into it, and I realize that it took me so long to get there, but it’s so worth it.”
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Tennis Sports Drinks Facts: Are Some Better Than Others? (Video)
Written by Contributing Editor Beverly Phillips
Tennis sports drinks facts: are some better than others? (Video) Are you puzzled as to what is the best sports drink for you? One of our readers said she’s confused about the different types of sports drinks and their ingredients, and is perplexed about the various energy drink facts she has heard. The video below will show you what experts think of sports drinks that may surprise you.
To continue on the subject of hydration and tennis sports drinks facts, let’s take a closer look.
Tennis sports drinks facts: are some better than others?
What are sports drinks? They are beverages especially designed to help rehydrate the body when it has been depleted of fluids after strenuous exercise, training or competitive sports activity. One of my favorites is coconut water, one of the best recovery drinks available. With no added man-made ingredients, fat free and low in calories, it is the best sport drink on my list. This is extracted from green coconuts and are often available in supermarkets.
When deciphering tennis sports drink facts, think about the type and intensity of your tennis activity. Is it a quick cardio session? A full-on, rigorous tennis tournament? Strength training at the gym? Then match it up to what kind of recovery drinks you need. To help you plot your hydration plan, here are some simple, clear hydration solutions.
Tennis Sports Drinks Facts: Are Some Better Than Others? (Video)
Light physical activity: Think yard work, walking, short runs, quick cardio sessions, low-impact sports (tennis, swimming, and downhill skiing).
Drink: Water or enhanced water.
Why: Plain water will satisfy all your fluid quotas for light activities lasting 30 minutes to an hour.
Having rigorous fun: Long runs, bike rides, basketball, soccer, or other strenuous 60-minute-plus workouts.
Drink: Sports drinks. Beverages with about 50 calories, 14 grams of carbohydrates, and about 110 milligrams of sodium per 8-ounce serving.
Why: More than sixty minutes of intense activity can deplete your energy, electrolyte, and fluid reserves.
Working on strength training. Any low-fat, premade version. Or make your own using fat-free milk and Nesquik powder, which has 25% less sugar than other flavored powders and syrups.
Drink: A glass of chocolate milk.
Why: Research shows that chocolate milk supplies just the right balance of carbs and protein your muscles need for quick recovery. (Source of article here)
In the video below, Dr. Howard Kadish, M.D., M.B.A., Barbara Insley Crouch (director of Utah Poison Control Center), and Peter P. Taillac, M.D., FACEP, expound on the dangers of commercially available sports drinks.
Tennis sports drinks facts: are some better than others? (Video)
A great alternative is to make your own at home, which is going to work out cheaper, and contain less white sugar, which is another subject in itself that I will expound on in another article. Briefly, white sugar has a serious effect on your immune system, bones, teeth, and worse, and although widely available and accepted, it is probably one of the most dangerous additives on the market. Believe me, it’s true!
Secondly, a lot of sports drinks contain caffeine. If you note you feel peppy, and reinvigorated after drinking a sports drink, you’re probably feeling the effects of caffeine in your system. So, making your own can put you in control of what you are consuming as an athlete.
Here’s a simple and easy to make recipe for a healthy homemade tennis sports drink.
I call it “rocket fuel”.
This is what you’ll need:
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/4 teaspoon natural sea salt
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice
This is what you’ll need to do:
Take the raw sugar and natural sea salt and drop it in the ¼ cup of hot water and mix until dissolved.
Add 3 ½ cups of cold water, and the orange juice.
You can even add a few squeezes of lemon or lime to jazz it up a bit.
Refrigerate until chilled.
Tennis sports drinks facts: are some better than others? The fact is that most are not good for you at all, and experts have been trying to educate athletes, parents and children as to the dangers and drawbacks of these drinks. Just because the label says it’s a sports drink doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be good for you, or make you better at your sport. The point is, although you may feel a boost after drinking a commercially available sports drink, this is due to the caffeine high rushing through your system.
Top 5 Tennis Tips for Hydration
Written by Contributing Tennis Editor Beverly Phillips
How’s it going with your tennis training program? Could complacency be your greatest opponent? Tweak your tennis strategy by including these top 5 tennis tips for hydration. All the tennis training tactics are not going to help if your body is suffering from poor hydration management.
When it comes to hydration tips for tennis tournaments or even a fun game with friends, a smart hydration plan is vital before, during and after. Tennis is, in general, a warmer weather sport, and sun-drenched tennis court surfaces coupled with an intense heat index create dehydration pitfalls.
Top 5 Tennis Tips for Hydration
Top 5 Tennis Tips for Hydration
Keep in mind these top 5 tennis tips for hydration are generalizations. Everyone has their unique sweating pattern, digestive system, and muscle and fitness development. As a tennis player you should be acutely aware of your individual hydration requirements. Here’s my A, B, C, D, E plan for optimum tennis hydration:
A. Avoid or limit intake of caffeinated drinks (such as coffee, teas, soft drinks) before and immediately after tennis training and match games. They are potent dehydrates, plus trigger fluid loss via sweat and urine. It’s a misnomer that caffeine creates extra energy. A Vitamin B tablet helps promote extra energy without an increase loss of fluids. And definitely avoid alcohol at these times, but you already know that, right?
B. Be prepared. Fill up and chill your bottles or sports drink containers beforehand and park them courtside for handy, regular intake of fluids. Plan for over 2 quarts or more.
C. Consume sufficient fluids before, during, and after your tennis training program and match performances. In general: Drink 17 to 20 ounces within the 2 hours before; 5 to 10 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes during; and within the 2 hours afterwards drink a minimum of 20 ounces per pound of weight loss.
D. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty. Maintain a deliberate drinking discipline today and every day. Light-colored or clear urine is a good sign you’re on target. At 2% loss of body water we feel thirsty, but by then our endurance is compromised. At 3% dry mouth sets in. By 5% we have problems concentrating coupled by pulse and breathing increase. With the possibility of death occurring at 11%, you can see it’s essential to be well hydrated.
E. Electrolytes, whether from water or sports drinks, are important for an overall health and stability. These electrically-charged substances, naturally found in urine, blood and other body fluids, are released through sweat, and must be replenished through drinks and foods that contain them. Follow a balanced intake — not too high or too low. Either extreme can cause nausea, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, and kidney malfunction.
What to do for dehydration? Rehydrate as soon as possible. Stop physical activity, go to a cool place, put your feet up, and slowly drink, drink, drink. In a few hours you’ll feel better, but keep chilling out. It can take up to 1½ days to make up for your fluid loss.
Re-hydrating is not just about drinking water and juice; it’s about getting re-balanced via electrolytes. The sodium and chloride components in electrolytes (along with potassium and bicarbonate) are key to staving off muscle cramps. Potassium via bananas is not as effective as a liquid electrolytes intake.
“Lack of proper hydration in body tissues is now recognized as a substantial factor in the aging process. Symptoms of dehydration can include: headaches, irritability, impatience, restlessness, insomnia, dry skin, loss of appetite, constipation, unexplained weight gain, and swollen hands and/or feet from water retention. The gradual loss of water in the body is one factor of aging which contributes significantly to wrinkles. Water requirements vary according to body size, physical activity, air temperature, and sweating.” – Ron Garner, Author (Conscious Health: A Complete Guide to Wellness Through Natural Means)
Keep striving to stay at the top of your game with these top 5 tennis tips for hydration. They’re so easy to do, but so easy to overlook until you’re dying of thirst! Hydrate now, hydrate often, as the intake of fluids keeps your body in top form by providing it with the liquids it needs for optimum performance.
Djokovic Gluten Free Diet: Does it Really Help Your Tennis?
Written by Senior Tennis Editor Peter Gehr
From celebrity actors, and television personalities to superstar athletes, the gluten free diet has become both fashionable and controversial. This is one of the most talked about diets of the new millennium and the question is: The Novak Djokovic gluten free diet: does it really help your tennis?
I’ve looked at several reputable sources, and have posted articles on this very subject on this blog from time to time, referring to Djokovic’s diet, and Andy Murray later adopted the same diet regimen to see if this would help improve his game.
Djokovic Gluten Free Diet: Does it Really Help Your Tennis?
Djokovic Gluten Free Diet: Does it Really Help Your Tennis?
A recent Time survey found that the restricted diet’s popularity is due to the fact that most people are gluten-free for the wrong reasons. While only about eight to 12 percent of people buy gluten-free goods because they have a gluten intolerance — including the one in 133 who have celiac disease — a recent poll found that almost 50 percent of people asked thought that “gluten-free” meant healthier, and 30 percent bought gluten-free foods in order to manage their weight. And while it’s true that giving up things like pizza, pasta, and bread does mean low-carb, buying products labeled gluten-free doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be sticking to your Dukan diet — the carbs in, say, gluten-free cookies and bagels are still there.
But a gluten-free diet may still be beneficial no matter what your allergies — read on to see why.
A recent study, however, showed that going gluten-free, even when you don’t have celiac disease, may be beneficial. The study looked at over 3,000 individuals and found that those with a gluten sensitivity who didn’t know about it had fewer gastrointestinal issues and general improvement of health when they were placed on a gluten-free diet.
And then there’s the effect you get from just believing a gluten-free diet is helpful. Tennis pro Novak Djokovic has gone from loser to winner (as in, beating-Nadal-style winning) with what his trainer says is the result of a shift to a strict gluten-free diet, which has helped him lose weight and overcome mental blocks to vastly improve his game. And although the tennis star is allergic to gluten, his trainer says that other people may benefit from gluten-free diets, even if it’s only due to a placebo effect, and some experts agree. “If you believe in a cause of your disorder, it becomes the cause,” says David Levitsky, a professor of nutrition and psychology at Cornell University. “We see this in many different studies. If you believe it, you change your behavior in the direction of being cured.”
It’s true that it’s important to realize that gluten-free doesn’t equal low-carb or healthier. You won’t necessarily lose weight from eating a gluten-free diet, and you’ll just be restricting your diet for no reason. However, if you think you may have a gluten sensitivity, eliminating it from your diet may help you feel better (just make sure you stick to whole, unprocessed foods and fresh fruits and vegetables) — whether or not it’s all in your head.
Djokovic gluten free diet: does it really help your tennis? This is a subjective topic, and if it truly is the result of the placebo effect, then perhaps it’s worth trying to convince yourself that it’s really going to help and with the power of mental persuasion and belief the diet can indeed improve your performance, gluten free may just be the diet for you.
Click on the image below for more details on the gluten free diet.
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Rafael Nadal Fitness Regime: Tennis Exercise for Endurance
Written by Senior Tennis Editor Peter Gehr
There is something to be said for the Rafael Nadal fitness regime: tennis exercise for endurance, and it’s evident that this level of physical conditioning has proven an advantage for Nadal and his ability to play explosive tennis for hours at a time. Of course, he hasn’t always won these lengthy games, but his opponents acknowledge that it is no small task to slow the Spaniard down.
There have been questions raised as to whether Nadal’s fitness regimen have put too much stress on his body to a point where injury has caught up with him on several occasions to a point that he has had to withdraw because of physical ailments.
Rafael Nadal Fitness Regime: Tennis Exercise for Endurance
The following article expands on various aspects of Nadal’s fitness level:
Rafael Nadal Fitness Regime: Tennis Exercise for Endurance Photo by J Servat
Rafael Nadal, or The Bull as he is commonly referred to, leaves it all on the court. Glory supersedes pain without fail. Every individual point is a new stricken battle, an opportunity to seize victory.
To Nadal, all points are created equal—the scoreboard means nothing. In his eyes, every point is a match point and to treat it otherwise would be to do an injustice to himself and the game of tennis. The amount of energy and passion injected into each shot is truly breathtaking.
Despite the fact that Nadal has been forced out of several notable matches and tournaments due to injury, most notably during the 2009 Wimbledon and the 2010 Australian Open, fitness has always been a forte of the vicious Spaniard.
Let’s do a little bit of case study. In the 2009 Australian Open, Nadal took out fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdsaco in a five-hour, five-set semifinal that became an instant classic.
His next task was to best longtime rival Roger Federer. A seemingly impossible task. How could Nadal come back on just a day’s rest and beat arguably the greatest player ever?
Well, as we all know now, just a short two days later, Nadal took out Federer in 4 hours and 22 minutes. Most players will never play a four hour match in their entire lives, so to win back-to-back matches in such a fashion is a true testament to the fitness of Nadal.
The fitness of Nadal was also exhibited in the 2012 Australian Open. Nadal had two extremely vigorous, drawn-out matches spanning nearly eight hours in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds against Federer and Tomas Berdych. He then came back two days later and dueled it out with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic for just under six hours in the longest and most memorable Australian Open final to date.
At any level of tennis, having better fitness than your opponent is an invaluable. It allows a player to win through a balanced integration of offense and defense. The physical and mental implications of increased fitness are incredibly positive and worthwhile. Next time you are deep into a third set, think like The Bull, push your opponent to the absolute limit and give yourself the best chance to come out on top. (Original story here)
Rafael Nadal fitness regime: tennis exercise for endurance may be a subjective issue, and critics have pointed out that although Djokovic is more of the lean athlete, he too kept up a stellar performance during the 2012 Australian Open where 6 hours of grueling tennis that kept fans watching on the edge of their seats to witness Djokovic as the final victor. The Spaniard is definitely an amazing athlete with the ability to charge to meet any challenge—much like a bull to the red cape, and although he may not always win, he will give his rival a run for their money–literally.
Tennis Balls Cheap Online Best Buys: Top 5 Brands Review
Written by Contributing Tennis Editor Beverly Philips
I took some time to research online to compile the tennis balls cheap online best buys: top 5 brands review and summary. Of course, there are different preferences and opinions, and there are obvious variances between what works best on a hard court, clay court and grass court. However, I’ve chosen this general review to help boil things down to a subjective look at the performance and prices for each of the top 5 brands.
A beginner tennis player may not ever care what sort of ball they are playing with, and at this level, price is often the main consideration—and that’s understandable. However, keep in mind that the performance of the ball will also have an effect on the performance of the tennis player, and if you are serious about your sport and want to improve and progress to higher levels of achievement in tennis, a good ball, along with lots of practice and training, will make a big difference. The bounce, the pressure within the ball, the response to the ball in your serve and return, these are all vital elements that should not be ignored.
Tennis Balls Cheap Online Best Buys: Top 5 Brands Review
(Please note: In no particular order)
Dunlop Grand Prix Extra Duty Tennis Balls
“If you want a firm feel when you make contact, and you want a ball that’s fairly durable, your search should begin and end with the Dunlop Grand Prix.
The Dunlop Grand Prix tested well in terms of life span — it didn’t fluff up or lose its nap — and could be a smart option if you’re looking to slow down play on a fast court.”
Gamma Pro Tour Extra Duty Tennis Balls
“The Gamma Pro Tour tennis ball features Thintex technology, which combine a thinner wall and higher pressure (using nitrogen instead of air for higher durability) in the ball’s core.
If you’re looking to speed up play, Gamma Pro Tour tennis ball should do the trick. And you’ve got nothing to lose:
Gamma guarantees that it’s the “world’s best playing ball,” and offers a refund to any dissatisfied customer.”
All in all, it’s a fun ball to play with, particularly suited to higher level players.
Prince Tour Premium Extra Duty Tennis Balls
“The Prince Tour tennis ball turned out to be the discovery of our play-testing session, for a couple of reasons.
First, many of our testers were surprised that Prince actually made a tennis ball. And second, each tester found the ball to be enjoyable to play with. It had a more lively bounce than the Wilson or the ProPenn, but not so much that you couldn’t control your shots.
The one knock was that after two sets of play the ball felt a little mushy to some testers.
It gives you that little bit of extra topspin or slice, which comes in handy if you have good ball control.”
Pro Penn Professional Tennis Balls
“An old faithful in the tennis ball game, Penn is the official ball of the USPTA, and the only ball manufactured in the USA.
It plays well, and has a pronounced yellow color due to its Smart Optik felt, which helps you see the ball if you play in dim lighting or on dirty courts.
The ProPenn is a high quality tennis ball. Unlike the Tennis Magazine testers, I haven’t had any issue with its durability. It’s quite a lively ball that’s easy to control.”
Wilson Us Open Extra Duty Tennis Balls
“You expect a lot out of the official ball of a Grand Slam, and the Wilson US Open doesn’t disappoint.
It’s lively, but not overly bouncy, and it doesn’t play too fast. It’s firm and durable, but doesn’t feel hard.” (Full review here)
I hope this summary of tennis balls cheap online best buys: top 5 brands review will help you make your choices for what suits you best. Buying just any old ball that are either under inflated or poor quality all round can result in lackluster bounce, response to your practice hitting and a general flatness in your overall game. Choose a good ball that will actually help you play better. A quality ball will help you interpret its response to your game and help hone your judgment and accuracy.
Sharapova Defeats Wozniacki: No Hand Shake from the Dane for Umpire
Maria Sharapova defeats Wozniacki: no handshake from the Dane for umpire. With an aggressive start to the match, the Russian sweetheart forced her way to dominate the first set with her confidence and drive, but this dropped away and the former world No. 1, Wozniacki, fought back and temporarily looked like she was going to bounce back in rivalry against the world No. 2, but it was not to be so.
A decision from the umpire to overrule a linesman’s call did not suit Danish taste buds and Wozniacki soured at the ruling, albeit it was a correct judgment by the official, but nonetheless, it led to her walking passed the judge without a handshake. Sharapova clearly had the edge on the game, and delaying the agony any further would not have changed the outcome at all in my view. Besides, the call was correct and losing is part of tennis—in fact, any sport for that matter.
We all want to be winners, but a sore loser only creates bitterness. Women tennis players of this caliber are under a lot of pressure to win, and loss of confidence lessens the ability to draw from the inner game of tennis and the slightly deflated Dane felt that pressure in the loss and it took its toll on her composure and feeling a little hard done by she obviously felt the judge didn’t deserve a congratulatory pressing of the flesh.
Sharapova Defeats Wozniacki: No Hand Shake from the Dane for Umpire
Sharapova Defeats Wozniacki: No Hand Shake from Dane for Umpire Photo by J Servat
Sharapova appeared well on her way to capturing the opening set Thursday by running out to a 4-1 lead, but her mighty forehand abandoned her for a stretch as Wozniacki surprisingly won five straight games to take the stanza.
The three-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova, however, fought back to take the second set handily, setting the stage for a tight third.
Sharapova tallied two breaks to the Danish Wozniacki’s one in the final set, which the Russian ultimately closed out by holding serve.
An angry Wozniacki exited the stadium without shaking the chair umpire’s hand.
On the final point of the match, a Sharapova serve was called long by a linesman, which would have given the point to the Dane via double fault, but the umpire overruled the call, which gave Sharapova another shot to successfully close out the game, and the match, at 40-30, which she did with an overhead winner.
A television replay showed the umpire was correct with his overrule. Source
Twenty four year old Maria Sharapova defeats Wozniacki: no handshake from the Dane for umpire, and as she saw her chances for the $712,000 prize money for a win on Saturday slip from her grip, it appears that her graces slipped away with it. Sharapova said, “I’m really pleased after losing that first set. I could easily have just gone down in that second set. I stepped it up. I didn’t stop…I kept that momentum until the end.” The Russian superstar now has an opportunity to take out the Sony Ericsson Open tournament in Florida with a win—which would be her first for the 2012 season.
Women Tennis Players: Will Venus and Serena Williams Rise Again?
Written by Senior Tennis Editor Peter Gehr
Women tennis players: will Venus and Serena Williams rise again? Can the former champion Williams sisters break back into the scene by dominating WTA rankings and outplaying the new blood such as Azarenka, Kvitova, and Sharapova’s burst of energy?
Not only are the Williams sisters playing well, but they are winning and looking sharp on the court. Whether this momentum will continue will be revealed in the near future, but we can be certain of is that these girls have a passion for winning, and a powerful presence and respect on the women’s tennis international scene .
Women Tennis Players: Will Venus and Serena Williams Rise Again?
Women Tennis Players: Will Venus and Serena Williams Rise Again?
Serena Williams, saying she felt nervous and rusty, made a triumphant WTA return from a left ankle injury, defeating China’s Zhang Shuai 6-2, 6-3 on Thursday at the Sony Ericsson Open.
Fellow former World No. 1 players Kim Clijsters, Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki also advanced to the third round at the US$9.6 million tournament, which awarded byes in the first round to seeded players.
In her first tournament match since losing in the fourth round at the Australian Open, Williams fired six aces and connected on 64 percent of her first serves, while dropping only one service break to advance in 80 minutes.
“I was a little bit rusty and a little bit nervous too,” Williams said. “I haven’t played here for so long and I wanted to do well. So I was really nervous out there, but I think now I’ve gotten one under I’ll be better.”
The 13-time Grand Slam singles champion advanced to a third-round match against Italy’s Roberta Vinci, who ousted Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova 7-5, 6-1.
Venus Williams "Gives me hope and inspiration" says sister Serena Williams
Tenth seed Williams, a five-time winner at Miami, has missed the event for the past two years because of illness and injury.
“I’m always a little nervous in the first round. I kind of chill out after that,” Williams said. “Last time I played I played horrible and I was thinking as long as I don’t hit a ball into the stands, I’ll be good.”
“I didn’t do that today, so it worked out well for me,” she said.
Williams won a day after her sister, seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams, beat Japan’s Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-0, 6-3 in a first-round match.
It was the first WTA event for Venus since she pulled out of last year’s US Open with the auto-immune disorder Sjogren Syndrome, which saps energy and causes joint pain.
“It was amazing. I was so happy for her,” Serena Williams said of Venus. “She has been through so much, and to know you can go through that and continue to play and never give up gave me hope and inspiration.”
“I felt like at some points I would give up and she never did. Venus just really inspires me. And not just in tennis, but in life in general,” she said. Click here to visit the original source of this post
Women tennis players: will Venus and Serena Williams rise again? This is a question that will be answered by their performance during the 2012 season. With the current WTA rankings not seeing the Williams sisters in the top 10 may be short lived, especially if Serena (currently No. 11) does well in the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. This is a story of epic proportion in the field of women tennis players, and I wish both Serena and Venus well. They are legendary and recognized as two of the world’s best women’s tennis players of the 21st century and whether or not a fresh insurgence of the William’s name appears in the tops 10 is neither here nor there—in my view. Of course, the Williams sisters are in it to win, and their passion for excellence may very well drive them back to the top of the rankings. That said, I wish them well.
8 Top Tips to Help Prevent Tennis Anger in Your Game
Written by Senior Tennis Editor Peter Gehr
Tennis is a mental game, and although skills, talent, training, and natural ability are important, without considering these 8 top tips to help prevent tennis anger in your game, chances are that you will lose it mentally. Frustrations can kill your thought processes, and without that stable control of the inner game of tennis, it’s quite probable that the game is already lost for you—in your head.
What plays out in your head, is played out on the court.
Keeping it cool will always be the best way to maintain a calm balance even in the midst of losing a game or playing poorly. The pros are no exceptions to this, and even Roger Federer, one of the greatest tennis players of all time used to have anger issues until he realized it was time to channel that anger and control his thoughts—and look where his career has taken him.
Learn to master mind tennis, and your abilities and aspirations to become a great player will grow.
8 Top Tips to Help Prevent Tennis Anger in Your Game
Goals are created through thinking. After goals are created, emotions give people the fuel to propel them to reach these goals.
In a sense this is similar to driving a car. When we enter a car, we have a goal: “I want to go to Atlanta.” We have learned the behaviors needed to drive the car. Now all we need is enough gas to propel us to Atlanta.
In human goal-seeking that “gas” comes from the emotions we create.
One Purpose of Anger
In most instances, the purpose of anger is to help people fight. If they are losing a fight, they will create more anger (gas) hoping to turn the tide
Many athletes on the brink of losing use anger as an extra surge of energy with the goal of playing at a higher level
For some anger helps and for others increased emotion destroys their focus.
John McEnroe was the king of creating anger when he was losing tennis matches. His goal was winning. When this goal was not being reached, McEnroe stepped on the gas. Sometimes this anger took him to a higher level, and sometimes too much gas led to a meltdown. (Full story here)
8 Top Tips to Help Prevent Tennis Anger in Your Game
Ron Waite advises:
1. Recognize that tennis is a game. There are many things in this world that are worse than losing a tennis match…even if tennis is the most important thing in your life.
2. Anger is a slippery slope. Once anger creeps into your life, it grows and grows. To eliminate anger in your game, you need to examine anger in your life. When anger is identified, addressed and controlled in your everyday life, it will be a much easier to do the same on the tennis court.
3. You can’t think about two things at the same time. When anger starts creeping into your conscious mind, get in the habit of thinking about something positive, pleasant or beautiful. If you can stamp out the angry thought for a few seconds, you can stamp it out for a minute. If you can stamp out the anger for a minute, you can stamp out the anger for a game, etc.
4. Learn to focus on your breathing and muscles when you find yourself getting angry. Breathe more slowly. Try to relax your major muscle groups. Slow down, take more time between points. Focus on your game rituals to regain your equilibrium and rhythm.
5. Never, I repeat never, say anything negative to yourself during a match. Statements like: “That was stupid.” “That was horrible” “Am I ever going to make that shot?” “I cannot believe that I missed that shot.” etc., only reinforce the negative feelings inside of you. Sooner or later, your negativity will give way to anger and frustration. When these creep into your mind, you have a lot more to worry about than just the person on the other side of the net. Your biggest opponent has become yourself. Try to comfort yourself with your “self-talk.” Statements like “That’s okay; I will make the next one.” “Hang in there, you own the stroke and it will find its way back.” “No problem, just forget it.” etc., are much better alternatives.
6. Try counting from 10 to 1 in between points. Say each number aloud, and do not allow yourself to begin the next point until you have finished the count. This simple action works well for many of the players on my team. It takes their mind off whatever mistake they may have made, slows them down and creates a ritual. Rituals are the way tennis players gain comfort when all is seemingly crumbling around them.
7. When you are really frustrated, try singing to yourself. Crazy as this may seem, I know several players on the pro circuits who have “confessed” to me that this is their way of dealing with both nerves and anger during matches. Guarantees of confidentiality prevent me from revealing their names, but you would be quite surprised.
8. Don’t be afraid to stretch your muscles in between points. This action will put your mind on your body and will actually help you identify your stress points. Anytime you play with more relaxed muscles, anger is less likely to creep into your mind or game. (Full story here)
8 top tips to help prevent tennis anger in your game may begin by some soul searching on your part to be sure that you ask yourself that if anything outside of your tennis playing is causing this emotion to compromise your composure on the court? If so, this must be addressed and overcome by practical steps. Be sure to talk to someone. Talk to your coach about it and implement a step-by-step and achievable plan to eradicate that from your life. Tennis requires an even thought process, a fluid and controlled effort to maintain an effective and level emotional balance. There may be activities that you can try such as yoga, meditation and prayer, breathing techniques, to name a few, but whatever works for you is worth applying if tennis anger is an issue for you.