Lost in the Lockers?

Fortunately, tennis hasn’t succumbed to the lowly levels of boxing just yet, we are yet to see Nadal and Djokovic engage in virtual sparring via Twitter or other media outlets, but inevitably, as with all sports, mind games and pre game psyching are a huge part of tennis. Ones ability to deal with these games is paramount if you are to reach the pinnacle of the sport.

During the rigmarole of the modern day tennis tour, rivalries are bound to develop, friendships made and broken, and the unlikeliest of friends are created. It is not, however, often that this happens on the court, it is in the locker rooms and the canteens.

It is highly unusual that the first time you speak to or make eye contact with your opponent is on the court. Players share a locker room during tournaments and it is highly unlikely that your eyes don’t meet before a match.

The best players on the court also tend to be the best players in the locker room or in the press when it comes to taking the early psychological advantage. Brad Gilbert who is widely considered one of the greatest tacticians and strongest mentally in the history of tennis was never the most talented player, many say he reached the top 20 solely because of these two attributes. However, Gilbert famously admitted in 1984 he had lost a match to John McEnroe before it had started. McEnroe had said “Brad Gilbert doesn’t swing at the ball hard enough to break an egg. He doesn’t hit the ball. He waves at it”. Gilbert was irate by this claim, and came into the match and tried to hit the cover off every ball. Needless to say, McEnroe comfortably won 6-4 6-4 and had the cheek to say in the post match press conference “Brad seemed to be playing a little more aggressive than usual. I think it hurt his game”. Pure genius from McEnroe.

Currently in men’s tennis we don’t have a personality like John McEnroe or indeed Jimmy Connors, the current top 4 Nadal, Federer, Djokovic and Murray are all very much sedate in the press and don’t engage in a verbal war of words and off court are very much friends, unlike Connors and McEnroe who loathed each other both off and on the court. Although we see no evidence of mind games in the press, without doubt, games go on behind closed doors, within the locker room, in the canteen, even at the stringers.

Just how much of an effect does it have on his opponent when Nadal walks into the locker room, and refuses to smile or make eye contact? Nadal’s opponent’s attention and focus has now changed, it is on Nadal and not on himself. Nadal has the advantage already.

Roger Federer has an aura that only Roger Federer could ever possess. As he walks into the locker room with his latest cardigan perfectly positioned on his chest, the sheer sight of him is enough to cause his opponent to buckle at the knees in fear. Like Nadal, Federer has an immediate advantage without saying a word.

In 2011, the new world number 1, Novak Djokovic, has created an aura of invincibility, he has lost once in 50 matches, he doesn’t believe he can lose a set, let alone a tennis match, and this is noted by his opponents. His opponents already doubt if they can beat him, Djokovic is halfway to victory before a ball is struck.

It is without doubt that a tennis match can be won or lost before setting foot on the court, but, is there some way not to become effected by these mind games?

Wimbledon 2011 – The Good, the Bad and the Plain Ugly

Fred Perry once said "It's a very nostalgic place. I've had a love affair with Wimbledon ever since I can remember. It stays with you."

No matter in which way one looks at it, Wimbledon is an occasion to behold, a tennis tournament unlike any other, one which year upon year grabs the hearts and the attention of the British Public.

Even before the first ball of Wimbledon 2011 had been struck, it felt special. The chance of the unseeded duo of John Isner and Nicholas Mahut being drawn together in the first round were remote. A match up until Wimbledon 2010 that would have been lucky to make the BBC highlight package at the end of the day, an epic 3 days and 183 games in the 2010 championships ensured it was the most eagerly anticipated first round match up. 

Come 8pm on the evening of the 3^rd July, it was all over, gone for another year, over in the blink of the eye. Among the inevitable joy, pain and hysteria a few moments stand out as particularly noteworthy from the championships:

The Good:

1. The Eastern Block Champions – How the game has changed in the last 30 years. 30 years ago, if you had said to someone that we would be seeing both the men’s and the ladies champions from Eastern Europe then they would have looked at you in amazement, smiled and muttered something relating to a lack of tennis knowledge. Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic have ensured for the first time in the Open Era that both Wimbledon singles champions are from Eastern Europe. Djokovic produced arguably one of the greatest ever grass court performances to thrash Nadal in the final, although Nadal won a set, it was a case of when and not if Djokovic would lift the famous trophy. Petra Kvitova, a surprise semi finalist in 2010, showed this wasn’t a “one off”, and produced a fearsome display of devastating groundstrokes to dispatch the more experienced Sharapova in the final.
2. The Roof – Where would we be without the much maligned Centre Court roof? Probably still playing Wimbledon 2011 is the answer. Given the unpredictable nature of British summers the certainty of play the roof brings is absolutely vital for Wimbledon. I dare suggest that we may even see a roof on Court 1 in the not too distant future.
3. Liam Broady – During the fortnight at SW19 this 17 year old from Stockport has ensured he will carry “the next great British hope” label for the foreseeable future. Having been seeded 17 for the Junior Boys Championships, some may have considered him an outside shot for the title but not a serious contender. He slipped under the radar in the first few rounds, away from the glare of the British media, but as he progressed to the quarter finals he started to detract some of the spotlight away from Andy Murray. He cruised through both the quarter and semi finals with relative ease and for the first time in decades a British male was on the cusp of claiming a Wimbledon boy’s singles title. A set and a break up in the final he was all but there, not if Australia’s Luke Saville had his way. Whether it was a comeback of epic proportions from the Aussie junior, a typical British choke or a bit of both, Broady was unable to close out and Saville walked away with the title. Playing on Court 1 would have been a great experience for Broady, a moment he will no doubt cherish for a long while yet, and even though he tasted defeat he will grow stronger from the experience, and maybe, just maybe we have seen the first of a future British top 50 male player.

The Bad

1. The end of the great man? – Without question, the greatest tennis player in history, Roger Federer achieved a first this year. Unfortunately for him it wasn’t a first he would have dreamed about, he lost from 2 sets to love ahead, the first time he’s ever lost in a Grand Slam from 2 sets ahead. Federer will undeniably make several further appearances in South West London, fitness and health permitting, but will he ever really challenge for the hallowed trophy again? Only time will tell, but it can only be seen as a low point of the tournament when we watch such a great champion so tamely limp out of his signature tournament.
2. The number 1 in the women’s game? – Caroline Wozniaki is an excellent tennis player, but can she really be the best player in the world if she has never won a Grand Slam? Most would say no. She certainly wasn’t the best player at Wimbledon, dumped out by Dominika Cibulkova in round 4. Having been knocked out in the 3^rd round at the French this year, she has to start performing in the Slams if she is ever to be taken seriously as the number one player in the world. 

The Ugly

1. Bethanie Mattek-Sands – Dare I suggest a professional tennis player should be remembered for their tennis playing ability rather than their ability to dress themselves on court, not to a certain Mrs Mattek-Sands. As she walked onto court in round 1 she drew gasps from the smattering of spectators around, she was wearing a dress so hideous it made Lady Gaga’s meat dress seem acceptable. Undoubtedly the biggest fashion disaster of the fortnight, potentially in the history of Wimbledon, it certainly gives Serena’s denim outfit a run for its money. Please Bethanie; focus on the tennis in the future.
2. Grunting – To hit a tennis ball at the optimum level, does it really require a grunt, screech, moan, shriek or whatever you want to call it, of nearly 100 decibels?  Semi finalist Maria Sharapova recently recorded a “grunt” of 101 decibels, 9 decibels shy of a lion’s roar. Victoria Azarenka also a semi finalist this year is not far behind in the grunting races, she evens advocates it as a way to increase the power and precision of shots. Lots of research has been undertaken into the effects of “grunting” within tennis and, thus far, there is no conclusive evidence to suggest it improves one’s game. So, just like the fashion faux-pas’s, can we cut out the grunting so we no longer have to mute the television.    

Once again we have witnessed a truly special Championship, and the eager wait begins for the start of the 126^th Wimbledon in 2012.