Joao Fonseca: Rising Tennis Star

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Joao Fonseca, an 18-year-old tennis prodigy from Brazil, is gaining recognition for his talent and adaptability, but struggles with homesickness. At 6’1″, Fonseca possesses an ideal build and a powerful 140 mph serve, reminiscent of top players like Jannik Sinner. He grew up idolizing Roger Federer, securing sponsorship with On, Federer’s endorsed brand, at 16. Fonseca is the youngest to qualify for the ATP Next Gen Finals in Jeddah, reflecting his rapid rise in professional tennis.
Despite his clay-court background in Brazil, Fonseca aims to excel on all surfaces, aspiring to triumph at Wimbledon. His coach highlights his ability to perform under pressure and adapt during matches, such as tactically altering rallies against rivals. Homesickness remains a challenge, requiring regular visits home between tournaments. Fonseca’s disciplined training regimen and mental strategies are shaping him into a versatile player capable of contending with the world’s best.
Source: New York Times 19Dec24

Bede Shines at State Masters Final!

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A huge congrats to MLTC member Bede K who placed runner up in the final of the U16 NSW and ACT State Masters Invitational Event 💪🏆

Bede was selected as one of the top 16 players across the State for this epic showdown based on his tournament results over the year.

The event was played at Penrith over the past 4 days in the scorching 35 degree heat, and Bede dug deep to win his first 4 matches, with 2 of them clocking over 3 hours on court!

Bede would like to thank his coach and mentor Rob Muir, and the Tuesday/Thursday ‘old guys’ crew for sharing their craft and good humour. Def helped!

 

 

Source: MLTC Facebook

Vale Neal Frazer

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Neale Fraser, who passed away at 91, was an iconic figure in Australian tennis, deeply associated with the Davis Cup. His career highlights include winning Wimbledon and the US Nationals in 1959 and 1960, becoming the world’s No.1 amateur, and capturing 16 major doubles and mixed doubles titles. Fraser’s devotion to the Davis Cup, both as a player and captain, defined his legacy. As a player, he won four Davis Cups under the legendary Harry Hopman, and later, as captain from 1970 for 24 years, he led Australia to four more victories.
Fraser was known for his aggressive left-handed serve and court presence, and his strategic mindset emphasized winning the first point of every game and maintaining “happy feet.” His playing career included an 11-1 record in singles and 7-2 in doubles in Davis Cup, and he famously won the ‘triple crown’ at the US Open twice. Despite his successes, Fraser never won the Australian singles title.
A man of deep character, Fraser was appreciated for his leadership style, fostering a strong sense of unity and pastoral care among his Davis Cup teams. His love for the game, particularly the Davis Cup, and his dedication to representing Australia, left a lasting and timeless impact on the sport.
Source: SMH 4Dec24

HOW THE PROS POLISH PADDLE POWER: SMH

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TABLE TENNIS
Jordan Baker, SMH 5Aug
If table tennis Olympian Nicholas Lum had used a backyard table and a store-bought racquet, he’d wouldn’t be in Paris. ‘‘ It’s like asking Mick Fanning to surf on an ironing board,’’ says his coach, Jens Lang.
A hand-carved racquet costs Lum more than $1000 and he buys special rubber for his bat at $100-plus a throw. He plays on meticulously measured tables.
He trains for nine months a year at a German academy akin to the champion factory that produced Andre Agassi. Australia might be big on pingpong , the casual version kids play in parks and tech bros put in offices , but it’s a laggard in table tennis, the serious form. It has none of the professional leagues common in Europe and Asia.
Still, Australians tend to think they’re great at it – and even better after a few beers. Lum’s a good sport about the chest-beating backyard warriors that talk a big game. ‘‘ We’re not offended,’’ he says, when they call it ping-pong .
Table tennis has had a celebrity moment in Paris after American basketballers Stephen Curry and Anthony Edwards struck up a friendship with the US team on the opening-ceremony boat when Edwards trash-talked them about his ping-pong prowess.
Lum’s been hit up for games at the Olympic village table by fellow Australian athletes, swimmers and sprinters among them. One runner, who gets annoyed when people ask her to race them, asked whether Lum gets irritated when people ask him for games. He doesn’t . ‘‘ For us, it’s fun,’’ says the 19-year-old . ‘‘ I mean, it’s not so much energy we’re putting into playing.’’ Normally, Lum and teammate Min Hyung Jee, 37, put a lot of energy into playing.
They train at the table for six hours a day over two sessions. They practise shots over and over, then some more. The ball is so fast, said Lang, that even a split-second reaction is too slow. ‘‘ You need to train so that your movements are automatic,’’ he says. ‘‘ A lot of repetition.’’
The players also train at the gym because a strong core is essential. ‘‘ Hand-eye coordination is very important,’’ he said. ‘‘ Athleticism, quick, explosive movements – that’s extremely important. Core strength. Stability.’’
Table tennis players have a long shelf life. Luxembourg’s Ni Xialian competed in her sixth Olympics at age 61. Chile’s Zeng Zhiying made her Olympic debut at 58, 40 years after narrowly missing selection for Los Angeles. But that doesn’t mean the rest of us can pick up a bat and aim for Brisbane 2032. ‘‘ Even if you start at 20 you’re not going to get anywhere in table tennis,’’ Lang says. ‘‘ If you want a medal at the Olympic Games you need to start at five or six. Table tennis is an unbelievably competitive sport at the international level.’’ China, Japan and France top the rankings (a 17-year-old Frenchman, Felix Lebrun, is the world No.5).
Lum’s father was a passionate table tennis player and he started early. Now he spends most of his time at the German academy, and will play overseas because even the best Australian players can’t make a living at home. Jee picked it up at nine years old. A coach spotted her natural talent and she’s been playing ever since. She doesn’t need a day job because there are professional leagues throughout Europe and Asia (she has played for a French team). Lang, who was semi-professional in his native Germany, is determined to get Australia serious about table tennis, to spot talent early and nurture it, and to increase the opportunities for people to play not just for fun but for success. ‘‘
There’s heaps of opportunities in the sport in Australia,’’ he says. Lum competes in the men’s team event today, and Jee in the women’s team on Tuesday.

Toughest Feat in Tennis

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Players often say that the toughest feat in tennis is to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. Alcaraz has a shot at it this year.

It’s a monumental challenge, requiring players to dominate the grueling, high-bouncing clay of Roland Garros—basically the tennis equivalent of playing on quicksand—before swiftly adapting to the slick, fast grass courts of Wimbledon, where the ball skims just above the grass. Here’s a fun trivia question: How many men and women have managed to join this exclusive double club?

Rod Laver pulled it off once in the modern era of tennis, which kicked off in 1968. Bjorn Borg managed it three times. Rafael Nadal did it twice. Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have each done it once. That’s it for the men.

For the women, Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Billie Jean King, and Chris Evert each did it once. Martina Navratilova and Serena Williams both did it twice. Steffi Graf, though, achieved it four times. That’s the complete list.

Tiebreaks & Swiatek

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Iga Swiatek, currently the world’s top tennis player, just added an exhilarating chapter to her career. She now boasts 20 WTA Tour titles, including four Grand Slams, and has been the world’s top player for over 100 weeks. Recently, she conquered a new milestone—winning a deciding-set tiebreak.

In an epic final against Aryna Sabalenka, the world No 2, Swiatek saved three match points on her way to victory, pushing her head-to-head advantage to 7-3. This was only her third deciding set tiebreak in her professional career, having previously faced tough losses in such scenarios. But this time, in a Masters final no less, she showcased her resilience and tactical prowess.

Swiatek’s knack for turning a slight lead into an unassailable advantage is legendary. Yet, what stood out in this match was her capacity to thrive under intense pressure, a skill she’s had less need to display due to her dominant play style. This victory was a testament to the high caliber of women’s tennis in 2024, making it a phenomenal showcase for fans and a thrilling achievement for Swiatek herself. After the match, she reflected on the experience, noting, “It’s going to give me some wisdom,”—a statement that hints at even greater things to come from this formidable champion.

Swiatek Defeats Gauff in Straight Sets: A Teaching Moment in Overplaying

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Iga Swiatek triumphed over Coco Gauff in straight sets (6-2, 6-4) to secure her spot in her fourth French Open final. Gauff’s impressive run at Roland Garros ended once again at the hands of Swiatek, the world’s No. 1 player who is increasingly becoming the dominant force in women’s tennis, particularly on clay.

Swiatek played a solid game, capitalizing on Gauff’s errors and delivering powerful winners. Gauff attempted to change her tactics by playing more aggressively, similar to Naomi Osaka’s approach, but ended up overplaying, which led to numerous unforced errors. Despite her efforts to rush Swiatek and throw everything she had at her, Gauff couldn’t maintain the consistency needed to prevail.

After the match, Swiatek mentioned she had adjusted better to the court and atmosphere, which helped her overcome the challenges she faced earlier in the tournament. Gauff, despite her aggressive tactics, was unable to break Swiatek’s momentum, marking another day of frustration against a player who may continue to dominate for years to come.

French Open Umpires Use Head-Mounted Cameras for Unique Fan Perspective

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During a recent night match at the French Open, viewers saw something new: umpires wearing head-mounted cameras. Inspired by the movie *Challengers*, these cameras offer a unique angle, capturing the fast-paced action right from the court level. The French Tennis Federation introduced this innovation to bring fans closer to the game, showcasing the speed and skill of the players in a way traditional TV angles cannot.

Pascal Maria, the assistant referee, emphasized that umpires have the best view in the stadium, and this technology aims to share that perspective. Initially intended to provide dynamic footage of gameplay, the head cameras now focus on showing the ball marks during line call reviews. However, this hasn’t been as effective, as the footage is often too quick to be useful live.

Despite its mixed success, the head cameras provide an unfiltered look at interactions between players and umpires, offering insights into the emotional and intense exchanges that happen on court. While other Grand Slams are not yet adopting this technology, the French Open’s experiment has given fans a new way to experience the game, highlighting both the innovation and challenges of integrating new tech into sports.

Finding a Way: de Minaur Grinds Out Three-Hour Clay Battle in Rome

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Alex de Minaur just won a thrilling three-hour win on the clay at the Foro Italico, taking down the tough Felix Auger-Aliassime to make it to the last 16 in Rome.

After a rocky start and losing the first set in a tie-break, Alex turned things around big time to clinch the match 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 6-4.

He faced some tense moments in the final set, even letting a 3-1 lead slip away, but he broke back in the ninth game and served out the match.

Alex shared after the match, “Felix is really tough on clay, and he came in riding high on confidence, so I’m stoked about how I kept my cool and stayed positive throughout. There were moments I could’ve sealed it earlier, but hey, I regrouped, and I’m super happy with how I handled it.”

This win against a top-20 player on clay is a big deal for Alex, marking only his second time pulling it off in 13 tries!

What’s the Origin of the Scoring System in Tennis

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Tim inquired about the origins of tennis’s unique scoring system.

Responding with expertise, Tony R, our knowledgeable historian and avid student of the game, shared his findings: “Greetings, Tim. After investigating your query regarding the tennis scoring system’s origins, it appears to stem from the 12th-century French sport ‘je de paume’ (handball), where the face of a clock was used for scoring—0, 15, 30, and 45. When rackets were introduced, the score of 45 was adjusted to 40, and the game eventually came to be known as tennis, or ‘tenez’ in French.
A classic example of the French making things overly complicated!”

Appreciation to Tony!

 

 

BADGE 2024 FACT SHEETS

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Sydney Badge League has published their Fact Sheets for 2024 Thursday Ladies & Saturday Men’s/Women’s Badge Leagues.

Click here for details on MLTC site

 

 

 

 

Medvedev: Mind over Matter

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Russian Daniil Medvedev recovered from two sets down to outlast  Zverev, 5-7 3-6 7-6 7-5 6-3 in a gruelling semi-final and join Sinner in Sunday’s final.

“I was a little bit lost,” Medvedev admitted to Jim Courier when they were finally done, “but during the third set I started saying to myself that if I lose this match, I just want to be proud of myself. I want to fight until the end, fight for every point, and if I lose, I lose. And I managed to win, so I’m very proud.”

Medvedev has been sweating it out there for more than 20 hours, lost eight sets and twice recovered from two sets down. No-one has done that at the Australian Open since Pete Sampras in 1995. Small wonder Medvedev looked bedraggled when he was done. Then again, he always looks that way.

Quirky as ever, but less irascible, Medvedev at last has won fans and favour in this tournament. It’s been by design. He said he had decided between seasons to make a concerted effort to avoid aggravation – from opponents and crowds – and channel all his powers into his tennis.

“I want to play tennis. I want to be proud of myself. I want to fight. So could this help me win all of these matches? Possibly, yes. But I also don’t want to say yes one month ago I decided this and then suddenly I’m winning all these matches. Life is not that easy.

The first set could have been a chapter from Sun Tzu’s The Art Of War. Having played 18 times previously, it was as though they knew each other’s game so well that neither could surprise each other strategically. It made for an intriguing deadlock.

Medvedev used his patent return-of-serve tactic, standing so far behind the baseline that he was not so much receiving as fetching. In a manner, it worked.

In the second set, Zverev, though an inconsistent net player, decided to exploit all the space Medvedev was giving him by advancing on the net more often. It worked; two more breaks sped him to a 2-0 lead. Ordinarily, you might have expected Medvedev to have a Plan B up his own sleeve. Perhaps he did, but he was serving too poorly for it to matter. In the first two sets, Zverev broke him five times.

Back against the wall, Medvedev moved up the court, trying to crowd Zverev’s serve, doubling his few net approaches and retrieving spectacularly several times. It worked. At these closer quarters, Medvedev’s smarts told, though Zverev stayed with him to the tie-breaker.

Bit by bit, this grew into a saga. In the fourth set, Medvedev fashioned one break point with a perfect stop volley, another two points later with a pinpoint lob. Either would have led to him serving out the set.

But Zverev saved both with big serves, and then Medvedev appeared to have self-immolated when a double fault in the tie-breaker delivered Zverev’s seeming victory on a platter. But he didn’t take it, and in a cruel twist, Medvedev horribly framed a return of serve, only for it to plop over the net to send the match into a fifth set.

Five games into the fifth set, the match reached its last pass when a tiring Zverev netted a volley to fall two break points down. Sorely knowing the implications, the German belted his racquet into the offending net. Duly, he lost the game, and with it the last of his earlier momentum, and Medvedev won the mental game! Extraordinarily, having lost his serve five times in the first two sets, he was not broken again for the match.

“I would say this court is not my best court in terms of my performance and my actual self-esteem,” he said to Courier. “That’s why many times I had to dig deep during this tournament. So I’m gonna be the happiest man on the planet (if I win). But for this I need to play pretty well and win three sets on Sunday.”

Source: SMH