2013/05/18

Tennis-Ticker to Provide Live Scoring on ITF Junior and Seniors Circuits

 

From the ITF – (May 15, 2013) The International Tennis Federation today announced a three-year agreement with the German-based company Tennis-Ticker GmbH as Preferred Live Scoring Partner of the ITF Junior Circuit and ITF Seniors Circuit.

 

As part of the agreement, Tennis-Ticker will supply live scoring from the 2013 finals of the ITF’s two junior team competitions: the World Junior Tennis Finals in Prostejov, Czech Republic (5-10 August), and the Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Finals in San Luis Potosi, Mexico (24-29 September).

 

The agreement also covers live scoring at the ITF Seniors and Super-Seniors World Championships. After successful testing at the recent Seniors World Championships in Antalya, Turkey, live scoring will be in operation at the ITF Super-Seniors World Team and Individual Championships in Poertschach, Austria and Prostejov, Czech Republic on 9-22 September. Live scoring for all these events will be available on the official ITF website www.itftennis.com

 

Tennis-Ticker will have the exclusive rights to market and sell their scoring services as the Preferred Live Scoring Partner of the ITF Junior and Seniors Circuits, and will be able to offer packages to tournaments that include point-by-point live scoring by the chair umpire or game-by-game live scoring for matches without chair umpires. Tennis-Ticker provides the scores live on the internet or via a Tennis-Ticker App for iPhones and iPads in a system that is easy to set up and does not require a Wi-Fi or a LAN network at the tournament site. Scorecards and statistics can be downloaded free of charge and sponsors can be given exposure on the live score web-interface.

 

Luca Santilli, ITF Head of Juniors and Seniors Tennis, said: “We believe that Tennis-Ticker will be an excellent partner for the ITF’s non-professional tennis events. The Tennis-Ticker live scoring service will increase the profile of our juniors and seniors world championships by attracting a wider worldwide audience. I have no doubt that tournaments on the ITF Junior and Seniors Circuits will also take advantage of the system to increase awareness of their events.”

 

Sören Friemel, Tennis-Ticker’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “The partnership between the ITF and Tennis-Ticker is a great boost for tennis and will help to promote junior and seniors events across the globe. There is a considerable demand from players, fans and the media to follow matches point-by-point on the different circuits, and we expect a strong response from tournaments for Tennis-Ticker live scoring. Thanks to the use of mobile networks, the requirements for tournament organisers to take full advantage of live scoring are minimal.”

 

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Hantuchova, Radwanska, Voskoboeva, Goncalves win Fed Cup Heart Awards

fedcupheart

(April 16, 2013) The ITF has announced the first four winners of the 2013 Fed Cup Heart Award. Slovak Republic’s Daniela Hantuchova claims her second career Heart Award for her performance in the World Group and World Group II first round category, while the Zone Group I winners are Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska, Kazakhstan’s Galina Voskoboeva and Brazil’s Paula Cristina Goncalves. The Fed Cup by BNP Paribas ties took place in February.

 

The four Heart Award recipients were decided by a public vote on FedCup.com and FedCup.com/es that saw over 23,000 fans make their selection. Ten players were initially shortlisted by a judging panel consisting of ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti and a group of former Fed Cup players and members of the international media. All the winners receive a cheque to be donated to their chosen charity.

 

Hantuchova, Radwanska and Voskoboeva will all receive their awards during this weekend’s Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group semifinals, World Group play-offs and World Group II play-offs taking place on 20-21 April.

 

ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said: “There were some outstanding performances during the Fed Cup ties in February, so I would like to congratulate all four players for coming out on top of the public vote. The Fed Cup Heart Award continues to reward players for the commitment they make to their team and the competition as a whole. I am sure that all the winners will take great pride in making their donations to charity.”

 

The Fed Cup Heart Award is an ITF initiative that was first presented to USA’s Melanie Oudin at the 2009 Fed Cup Final. It aims to recognize players who have represented their country with distinction, shown exceptional courage on court and demonstrated outstanding commitment to their team. A total of five players will be recognized in 2013.

 

Daniela Hantuchova was largely responsible for clinching Slovak Republic’s World Group first round victory over Serbia after her compatriot Dominika Cibulkova was forced to retire midway through her match on the opening day. The Slovak No. 2 used all of her experience to help her team reach the World Group semifinals for the first time since 2002 by defeating Bojana Jovanovski 75 62 and Vesna Dolonc 63 62.

 

Agnieszka Radwanska carried her team out of Europe/Africa Zone Group I and into the World Group II play-offs after winning all six of her rubbers in Eilat, including two decisive doubles matches against Israel and Croatia. The world No. 4 managed to deal with the weight of expectation and showed that Poland will be difficult to defeat this weekend.

 

Galina Voskoboeva left little doubt as to her commitment to Kazakhstan after her performances in the doubles helped the host nation win Asia/Oceania Zone Group I and earn a place in the World Group play-offs for the first time. The 28-year old also became Kazakhstan’s best Fed Cup player ever, after her three victories increased her total win-loss record in the competition to 18-6.

 

Paula Cristina Goncalves won all five rubbers she played for Brazil as her team narrowly failed to qualify from Americas Zone Group I. Her four singles wins included a comeback victory from a set down against Sharon Fichman in the promotion play-off against Canada, and she also teamed with Teliana Pereira to win the only doubles rubber she contested.

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International Tennis Federation Celebrates 100 Years

itf book

(March 1, 2013) The International Tennis Federation (ITF), founded on 1 March 1913, today celebrates its centenary as the international governing body of tennis with the publication of its new book The International Tennis Federation: A Century of Contribution to Tennis. The book, published by Rizzoli New York, will be released on the inaugural World Tennis Day on Monday 4 March, when the ITF’s National Associations join some of the leading tennis stars in promoting tennis participation around the world.

 

The book will be available for purchase on the online ITF Store: https://store.itftennis.com

 

A Century of Contribution to Tennis, written by Chris Bowers, charts the ITF’s important role over the last 100 years in developing tennis against a backdrop of political turmoil, the changing geography of the globe, and the impact that this shifting landscape has had on international sport.

 

The book examines the formation of the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) in 1913, when a group of 12 tennis administrators gathered in Paris to found an umbrella organisation to allow their sport to grow with uniform rules, standards and expectations. The game of lawn tennis was only four decades old at the time, but the four Grand Slam tournaments and Davis Cup competition were already in existence. With national governing bodies for lawn tennis already established in several countries, the time was right for an international federation to oversee the sport’s development, and 15 founding member nations formed the ILTF on 1 March. The word ‘Lawn’ was dropped from the name in 1977. The ITF is now one of the largest international federations with 210 member nations.

 

The ITF’s first century has been a period of enormous growth, particularly since the introduction of ‘open’ tennis in 1968 which changed the face of the modern game. The book looks at how the transition from amateur status to professionalism challenged the fundamental character of tennis, and the role of the ITF and its National Associations.

 

The publication looks at the success of Davis Cup and Fed Cup competitions, whose growth has mirrored that of the ITF. The 100th Davis Cup Final in 2012 marked the start of ITF Centenary celebrations, while Fed Cup celebrates its 50th birthday in 2013 having been founded on the 50th anniversary of the ITF. It also reveals the challenges navigated by the ITF along the way to tennis’s re-inclusion into the Olympics Games in 1988, and the impact this had on the growth of the sport in many regions.

The book also looks at the lesser known but equally important activities of the ITF, highlighting the pyramid structure in which much of the important work is done at grassroots level through its Development department. The ITF has created opportunities for players of all ages, including junior, professional and seniors circuits, and has overseen the dynamic rise of Tennis10s, wheelchair tennis and the relatively new discipline of beach tennis.

The publication also demonstrates how, through its cutting edge laboratory, the ITF balances technological developments in the sport while remaining true to the spirit of the game. It also looks at its role in officiating, including the establishment of the unified ITF Rules of Tennis, and the development of anti-doping and anti-corruption programmes.

Francesco Ricci Bitti, President of the International Tennis Federation, said: “On our 100thbirthday, I hope the full range of the ITF’s involvement in tennis will be recognised. Much as we highlight the successes of our top players, we are equally proud of our role in encouraging players at all levels to participate in the sport. A Century of Contribution to Tennis reveals just some of the work of our 210 member nations, six regional associations and the thousands of volunteers who have worked tirelessly on behalf of the ITF to make tennis the global success it is today.”

About the ITF

The ITF is the world governing body of tennis and beach tennis, responsible for the rules of both sports and maintaining the integrity of tennis. In addition to its administrative role, the ITF is the owner and international rightsholder of the two largest annual international team competitions in sport, Davis Cup by BNP Paribas and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas. The ITF also manages the Olympic Tennis Event on behalf of the IOC. Through its Science and Technical Department, the ITF closely monitors both equipment and technology, while its Officiating Department oversees the education and advancement of officials worldwide. The ITF organises over 1,000 weeks of men’s and women’s professional tournaments on the ITF Pro Circuit and coordinates the rapidly growing ITF Beach Tennis Tour. Through its Tennis Development Department that oversees the development of tennis worldwide, the ITF manages the ITF Junior Circuit and team competitions for elite juniors as well as international tennis events and programmes for wheelchair and senior players. The ITF also manages the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme on behalf of the sport and is a partner in the Tennis Integrity Unit.

 

About World Tennis Day

The ITF is launching World Tennis Day on Monday 4 March in a bid to promote tennis and increase participation among young players around the globe. World Tennis Day will be centred around two high-profile events – the well-established BNP Paribas Showdown in New York’s Madison Square Garden and a new event of the same name to be played at the AsiaWorld-Arena in Hong Kong. Both of these special events, organised by the promoter StarGames, will feature current and former professionals together with demonstrations of the ITF’s Tennis10s programme aimed at increasing participation among young players around the world. Alongside these events, the ITF will be encouraging its 210 National Associations to support World Tennis Day with their own grassroots and club activities to attract new participants to the sport.

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ITF Suspends Barbora Zahlavova Strýcová For Six Months For Using a Banned Substance

ITF

Release from the International Tennis Federation:

(February 14, 2013) The International Tennis Federation announced today that Barbora Zahlavova Strýcová has been found to have committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation under Article 2.1 of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (presence of a Prohibited Substance in a player’s sample).

 

Ms Zahlavova Strýcová, a 26-year-old tennis player from Czech Republic, provided a sample on 16 October 2012 at the BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open. That sample was sent to the WADA-accredited laboratory in Montreal, Canada for analysis, and was found to contain sibutramine, a stimulant. Sibutramine is a Prohibited Substance under section S6 of the 2012 WADA List of Prohibited Substances and Prohibited Methods, and is therefore also prohibited under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (the “Programme”). Ms Zahlavova Strýcová was therefore charged with an Anti-Doping Rule Violation under Article 2.1 of the Programme.

 

Ms Zahlavova Strýcová asserted that the sibutramine, for which she did not hold a valid therapeutic use exemption, had got into her system through her ingestion of the supplement ACAI Berry Thin. She denied any intent to enhance her performance as a result of taking the ACAI Berry Thin.

 

The ITF did not dispute Ms Zahlavova Strýcová’s account of the circumstances surrounding her ingestion of sibutramine, or that she (a) met the requirements to satisfy article 10.4 of the Programme (Elimination or Reduction of the Period of Ineligibility for Specified Substance under Specified Circumstances), and (b) bore No Significant Fault or Negligence.

 

Ms Zahlavova Strýcová’s commission of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation under Article 2.1 of the Programme was confirmed, and it was determined that she is suspended from participation for a period of six months, back-dated to commence from 16 October 2012 and so ending at midnight on 15 April 2013. It was also determined that Ms Zahlavova Strýcová’s results at the 2012 BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open and the ITF Bueschl Open should be disqualified, with resulting forfeiture of the ranking points and prize money that she won at those events.

 

The Tennis Anti-Doping Programme is a comprehensive and internationally recognised drug-testing programme that applies to all players competing at tournaments sanctioned by the ITF, ATP, and WTA. Players are tested for substances prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency and, upon a finding that a Doping Offence has been committed, sanctions are imposed in accordance with the requirements of the World Anti-Doping Code. More background information on the Programme, sanctions, tennis statistics and related information can be found at www.itftennis.com/antidoping.

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Esther Vergeer Retires From Wheelchair Tennis

Esther Vergeer (NED)

(February 12, 2013) Esther Vergeer has announced her retirement from wheelchair tennis bringing an end to the most illustrious career the sport has ever seen.

The 31-year-old Dutch star, who celebrated ten years without a defeat on the international wheelchair tennis circuit on 30 January, has been the face of her sport for more than a decade.

ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said “Esther Vergeer is a tremendous ambassador not only for tennis but also for disability sports. She is an inspiration to many. Wheelchair tennis owes her a huge debt of gratitude for her professionalism and her quality as a player. Everyone at the ITF wishes her well with her Foundation and we know that anything she chooses to do in the future will be a success. While we will certainly miss her, we will have one more chance to honour her as our ITF World Champion, for a record 13th time, at the ITF World Champions Dinner in Paris.”

Vergeer started to play wheelchair tennis at the age of 12 after surgery on her spinal cord went wrong. Her dominance of wheelchair tennis started when she became world No. 1 for the first time in 1999. She has been named ITF Wheelchair World Champion for the last 13 years, winning 169 titles and ends her career on a winning streak of 470 matches, with her last defeat coming against Australian Daniela di Toro in Sydney on 30 January 2003.

In the last 10 years Vergeer has won a total of 120 successive tournaments, beating 73 different opponents, winning 95 matches 60 60 and dropping just 18 sets of tennis. In that time she faced only one match point – against fellow countrywoman Korie Homan in the women’s gold medal match at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.

In Grand Slam play, Vergeer won every singles event she entered, racking up 21 singles titles and 23 doubles titles at the majors. She won eight Paralympic medals during her career, seven of which were gold to cement her place in the history books as a true sporting legend. She was part of the Netherlands’ team that won the World Team Cup on 12 occasions, in 1998, 2000-2009 and 2011.

Vergeer recently took part in a Johan Cruyff Foundation trip to South Africa to mark the 10th anniversary of the Cruyff Foundation’s involvement in the Wheelchair Tennis Development Fund. The week-long trip included visits to ongoing projects in Elaansdorn and Johannesburg. South Africa was one of the first countries to be supported by the Development Fund.

Esther Vergeer’s career in numbers:

 

Total win/loss: 700-25

Total singles titles: 148

Total doubles titles: 136

Grand Slam singles titles: 21

Grand Slam doubles titles: 23

Paralympic Medals: 8

Gold: Singles Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012,

Gold: Doubles Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 (with Maaike Smit), London 2012 (with Marjolein Buis)

Silver: Doubles Beijing 2008 (with Jiske Griffioen)

NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters Singles titles: 14

World Team Cup titles: 12

Weeks at No. 1: 668 (first reached 6 April 1999, consecutive from 2 October 2000 – 21 January 2013)

Winning streak: 470 matches from 6 February 2003 – 8 September 2012 (last date played)

ITF World Champion: 13 years 2000-2012

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Complete Fed Cup Results

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(February 10, 2013) Complete results from the Fed Cup World Group and World Group II first round ties and final results from Europe/Africa Zone Group I in Israel.

Defending champions Czech Republic will play Italy away and Russia will host Slovak Republic in the semifinals to be played on 20-21 April. World Group II winners Germany, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland will compete in the World Group play-offs alongside Australia, Japan, Serbia and USA. Argentina, Belgium, France and Ukraine will join Zone Group I winners Canada, Great Britain, Kazakhstan and Poland in the World Group II play-offs which will also take place on 20-21 April.

In Zonal play, Chile and Peru have been relegated to Americas Zone Group II for 2014, Bosnia/Herzegovina and Georgia have been relegated to Europe/Africa Zone Group II for 2014 and India relegated to Asia/Oceania Zone Group II for 2014. Indonesia has been promoted to Asia/Oceania Zone Group I for 2014.

The World Group and World Group II play-off draws will take place at the ITF headquarters in London at 10am on 13 February. Seeded nations will be announced on 11 February 2013.

WORLD GROUP FIRST ROUND

CZECH REPUBLIC defeated AUSTRALIA 4-0
Venue: Cez Arena, Ostrava, CZE (hard – indoors)

Petra Kvitova (CZE) d. Jarmila Gajdosova (AUS) 76(2) 63
Lucie Safarova (CZE) d. Samantha Stosur (AUS) 76(6) 76(4)
Petra Kvitova (CZE) d. Samantha Stosur (AUS) 26 76(3) 64
Andrea Hlavackova/Lucie Hradecka (CZE) d. Ashleigh Barty/Casey Dellacqua (AUS) 60 76(1)

ITALY defeated USA 3-2
Venue: 105 Stadium, Rimini, ITA (clay – indoors)

Sara Errani (ITA) d. Jamie Hampton (USA) 62 61
Varvara Lepchenko (USA) d. Roberta Vinci (ITA) 26 64 75
Varvara Lepchenko (USA) d. Sara Errani (ITA) 75 62
Roberta Vinci (ITA) d. Jamie Hampton (USA) 62 46 61
Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci (ITA) d. Liezel Huber/Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 62 62

RUSSIA defeated JAPAN 3-2
Venue: Olympic Stadium, Moscow, RUS (hard – indoors)

Maria Kirilenko (RUS) d. Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN) 76(3) 64
Ayumi Morita (JPN) d. Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 62 62
Ayumi Morita (JPN) d. Elena Vesnina (RUS) 64 61
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) d. Kimiko Date-Krumm (JPN) 61 61
Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina (RUS) d. Misaki Doi/Ayumi Morita (JPN) 62 62

SLOVAK REPUBLIC defeated SERBIA 3-2
Venue: Hala “CAIR”, Nis, SRB (hard – indoors)

Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) d. Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) 75 62
Vesna Dolonc (SRB) d. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 46 45 ret. (severe cramping)
Jana Cepelova (SVK) d. Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) 57 75 119
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) d. Vesna Dolonc (SRB) 63 62
Vesna Dolonc/Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) d. Jana Cepelova/Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) w/o

WORLD GROUP II FIRST ROUND

SWITZERLAND defeated BELGIUM 4-1
Venue: Sporthalle Wankdorf, Bern, SUI (clay – indoors)

Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) d. Stefanie Voegele (SUI) 61 46 86
Romina Oprandi (SUI) d. Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 63 63
Romina Oprandi (SUI) d. Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 62 62
Stefanie Voegele (SUI) d. Alison van Uytvanck (BEL) 62 76(4)
Timea Bacsinszky/Amra Sadikovic (SUI) d. Ysaline Bonaventure/Alison van Uytvanck (BEL) 64 64

SWEDEN defeated ARGENTINA 3-2
Venue: Parque Roca, Buenos Aires, ARG (clay – outdoors)

Paula Ormaechea (ARG) d. Johanna Larsson (SWE) 63 60
Florencia Molinero (ARG) d. Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) 63 26 61
Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) d. Paula Ormaechea (ARG) 75 67(6) 32 ret. (torn ligament)
Johanna Larsson (SWE) d. Florencia Molinero (ARG) 63 62
Sofia Arvidsson/Johanna Larsson (SWE) d. Mailen Auroux/Maria Irigoyen (ARG) 64 64

SPAIN defeated UKRAINE 3-1
Venue: Club Atlético Montemar, Alicante, ESP (clay – outdoors)

Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP) d. Elina Svitolina (UKR) 57 62 86
Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP) d. Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) 75 64
Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor (ESP) d. Yuliya Beygelzimer (UKR) 64 62
Yuliya Beygelzimer/Olga Savchuk (UKR) d. Nuria Llagostera Vives/Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor (ESP) 63 26 [10-5]

GERMANY defeated FRANCE 3-1
Venue: Palais des Sports Beaublanc, Limoges, FRA (clay – indoors)

Sabine Lisicki (GER) d. Pauline Parmentier (FRA) 75 75
Julia Goerges (GER) d. Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 63 76(5)
Julia Goerges (GER) d. Pauline Parmentier (FRA) 64 62
Alize Cornet/Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) d. Annika Beck/Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) 63 64

EUROPE/AFRICA ZONE GROUP I

Venue: Municipal Tennis Club, Eilat, Israel (hard – outdoor)

Great Britain and Poland advance to the World Group play-offs on 20-21 April.
Bosnia/Herzegovina and Georgia are relegated to Europe/Africa Zone Group II in 2014

Promotion Play-off
Great Britain defeated Bulgaria 2-0
Laura Robson (GBR) d. Dia Evtimova (BUL) 60 64
Heather Watson (GBR) d. Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) 16 64 62
Laura Robson/Heather Watson (GBR) v. Elitsa Kostova/Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) not played

5th to 8th Play-off
Hungary defeated Netherlands 2-0
Reka-Luca Jani (HUN) d. Bibiane Schoofs (NED) 63 26 63
Timea Babos (HUN) d. Richel Hogenkamp (NED) 62 63
Timea Babos/Reka-Luca Jani (HUN) v. Bibiane Schoofs/Angelique van der Meet (NED) not played

9th to 12th Play-off
Portugal defeated Slovenia w/o

Relegation play-off
Luxembourg defeated Bosnia/Herzegovina 2-0
Claudine Schaul (LUX) d. Anita Husaric (BIH) 46 64 63
Anne Kremer (LUX) d. Jelena Simic (BIH) 67(3) 63 61
Anita Husaric/Jasmina Kajtazovic (BIH) v. Anne Kremer/Claudine Schaul (LUX) not played

 

Results from the International Tennis Federation

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Wheelchair Tennis Star Esther Vergeer Celebrates 10 Years Unbeaten

Esther Vergeer

Esther Vergeer

(January 30, 2013) Dutch wheelchair tennis star Esther Vergeer is celebrating ten years without a defeat on the international wheelchair tennis circuit today. Vergeer, 31 years old from Woerden, has won 470 consecutive matches since she was defeated by Australian Daniele di Toro in Sydney on 30 January 2003.

 

Vergeer is currently taking part in a Johann Cruyff Foundation trip to South Africa to mark the 10th anniversary of the Cruyff Foundation’s involvement in the Wheelchair Tennis Development Fund. The week-long trip will include visits to ongoing projects in Elaansdorn and Johannesburg. South Africa was one of the first countries to be supported by the Development Fund.

 

Vergeer started to play wheelchair tennis at the age of 12 after surgery on her spinal cord went wrong. A former national standard wheelchair basketball player, she eventually made the decision to pursue tennis instead, and played her first tournament in 1994. Vergeer became world No. 1 for the first time in 1999 and has gone on to dominate the sport winning 169 titles. She has been named ITF Wheelchair World Champion for the last 13 years.

 

In the last 10 years Vergeer has won a total of 120 successive tournaments, beaten 73 different opponents, won 95 matches 60 60 and dropped only 18 sets of tennis. She has faced only one match point – against fellow Dutchwoman Korie Homan in the women’s gold medal match at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.

 

Only one professional athlete in sporting history is known to have a longer winning streak than Vergeer. Pakistan squash player Jahangir Khan won 555 consecutive matches, although he was only undefeated for five-and-a-half years (1981-86).

 

Vergeer said: “I am impressed I got this far. I sometimes still cannot believe that in all these years I did not have a breakdown. I am proud and I am going to celebrate. I am pleased to link it in with visiting South Africa to celebrate the ten years of the Wheelchair Tennis Development Fund with the Cruyff Foundation.”

 

ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said: “Esther Vergeer is a great athlete and an even better ambassador for wheelchair tennis. Her skill and personality have helped to lift the profile of the sport around the world. This remarkable achievement is a testament to all the hard work she has put in throughout her career.”

 

Carole Thate, Director of the Cruyff Foundation, said: “Esther Vergeer is a role model not only as an athlete, but also in setting up her own Foundation so that she can give back to society. In collaboration with the Johan Cruyff Foundation, she has established the project ‘From Sport day to Sport club’ to help physically disabled children get acquainted with sport through sports days at schools.”

 

The Wheelchair Tennis Development Fund was set up in 2002 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of wheelchair tennis. The Fund aims to establish sustainable wheelchair tennis programs in developing nations through the provision of tennis equipment and technical expertise and the identification of local partners who will take the program to self-supporting levels. The Johan Cruyff Foundation began financing the Development Fund in 2003 and celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

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Djokovic Versus Murray – 2013 Australian Open Men’s Final – Tale of the Tape

HeadtoheadMurayDjokovic-e1296235103544

MELBOURNE PARK, Australia – No. 1 Novak Djokovic will play  No. 3 Andy Murray for the Australian Open Men’s singles championship on Sunday.

This will be just the 14th Grand Slam final between the No. 1 seed and No. 3 seed. In Grand Slam Open Era meetings between the No. 1 and No. 3 seeds, the No. 1 seed has an 11-2 win-loss record. The last time the No. 3 seed defeated the No. 1 seed in a Grand Slam final was when Mats Wilander defeated Ivan Lendl at the 1983 Australian Open. Ivan Lendl is currently Andy Murray’s coach.

This the second consecutive major final which features the same two combatants separated in age by just one week. The previous closest Grand Slam finalists in age were Guillermo Vilas and Jimmy Connors at the 1977 US Open. Vilas was 16 days older than Connors.

 

Novak Djokovic is looking to become the first man in the Open Era and just the third man ever to win 3 consecutive Australian Open titles. Only 2 men, Jack Crawford (1931-33) and Roy Emerson (1963-1967) have won 3 or more in a row.  Although Andre Agassi won the Australian Open in 2000-01 and 2003 he missed the 2002 tournament  due to injury so despite being undefeated here in 4 years, he did not complete the three in-a-row.

 

Murray is trying to become the only first-time major winner to immediately win a second major at the next chance.

 

The Scot is on a 13-match winning streak at the majors having won his first Grand Slam title at the 2012 US Open. He was the first man from Great  Britain to win a Grand Slam title since Fred Perry at the 1936 US Championships. He defeated Djokovic  7-6(10), 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2 in the final.

 

For 4 out of the past 5 years, the man who played his semifinal second has been the one who won the final, so recent history would suggest that Murray may have the advantage in winning the 2013 Australian Open title.

 

Murray defeated Djokovic to win his first Grand Slam title at the 2012 US Open. It is the only time Djokovic has lost a 5-set match in his last nine 5-set encounters.

Here is a look at the their head-to-head records. Statistics provided by the International Tennis Federation.

 

 

 

 DJOKOVIC                                                   v                                                    MURRAY

25                                                         Age                                                         25

6’2”/1.88m                                   Height                                   6’3”/1.90m

1                                                ATP Ranking                                                3

$45,686,495                    Career Earnings (USD)*                     $24,934,417

–                              2013 Earnings (USD)*                         $78,800

34                                                       Titles                                                       25

140-27                             Career Grand Slam Record                             106-27

5 titles                        Best Grand Slam Result          2012 US Open Champion

38-5                                  Australian Open Record                                  29-7

475-123                                         Career Record                                         389-123

303-70                                   Career Record – Hard                                   273-76

6-0                                               2013 Record                                              10-0

6-0                                         2013 Record – Hard                                       10-0

18-6                                   Career Five-Set Record                                   14-6

3                                  Comebacks from 0-2 Down                                  6

136-82                                Career Tiebreak Record                                112-71

0-1                                      2013 Tiebreak Record                                      2-2

              *As at January 14

Head-to-head: Djokovic leads 10-7

2006     AMS Madrid                  Hard (I)             R16      Djokovic           16 75 63

2007     AMS Indian Wells          Hard (O)            SF        Djokovic           62 63

2007     AMS Miami                   Hard (O)            SF        Djokovic           61 60

2008     AMS Monte Carlo          Clay (O)            R16      Djokovic           60 64

2008     AMS Toronto                Hard (O)            QF        Murray              63 76(3)

2008     AMS Cincinnati              Hard (O)            FR        Murray              76(4) 76(5)

2009     Miami-1000                   Hard (O)            FR        Murray              62 75

2011     Australian Open           Hard (O)           FR        Djokovic           64 62 63

2011     Rome-1000                   Clay (O)            SF        Djokovic           61 36 76(2)

2011     Cincinnati-1000              Hard (O)            FR        Murray              64 3-0 ret. (right shoulder injury)

2012     Australian Open           Hard (O)           SF        Djokovic           63 36 67(4) 61 75

2012     Dubai                           Hard (O)            SF        Murray              62 75

2012     Miami-1000                   Hard (O)            FR        Djokovic           61 76(4)

2012     Olympic Tennis Event    Grass (O)          SF        Murray              75 75

2012     US Open                      Hard (O)           FR        Murray             76(10) 75 26 36 62

2012     Shanghai-1000              Hard (O)            FR        Djokovic           57 76(11) 63

2012     ATP World Tour Finals   Hard (I)             RR        Djokovic           46 63 75

 

Poll – Who Will Win the Australian Open Men’s Final?

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Azarenka, Radwanska Head Nominations for Fed Cup Zone Group Ties

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(January 11, 2013) World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus and No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland lead the nominations for the 2013 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Zone Group events taking place the week of 4 February alongside the World Group and World Group II first round ties.

 

The ITF has announced the full nominations for Europe/Africa Zone Group I in Eilat, Israel (6-9 February); Americas Zone Group I in Medellin, Colombia (6-9 February); and Asia/Oceania Zone Groups I and II in Astana, Kazakhstan (4-10 February). All the teams contesting the Zone Group I events will be bidding to qualify for the Fed Cup World Group II play-offs.

 

Nine top 50 players will contest Europe/Africa Zone Group I, with the top-ranked Azarenka joined by sisters Agnieszka and Urszula Radwanska, Sorana Cirstea and Simona Halep of Romania, Tamira Paszek of Austria, Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria, and British duo Heather Watson and Laura Robson. Hseih Su-Wei of Chinese Taipei and Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan head the nominations for Asia/Oceania Zone Group I, while Canada’s Aleksandra Wozniak is the top-ranked player in Americas Group I.

 

Nominations for the 2013 World Group and World Group II first round ties, which take place on February 9-10, will be announced on Wednesday, January 30.

 

EUROPE/AFRICA ZONE GROUP I

Venue: Municipal Tennis Club, Eilat, Israel (hard – outdoors)

 

Austria

Tamira Paszek

Yvonne Meusburger

Patricia Mayr-Achleitner

Nicole Rottmann

Captain: Jurgen Waber

 

Belarus

Victoria Azarenka

Olga Govortsova

Ilona Kremen

Aliaksandra Sasnovich

Captain: Tatiana Poutchek

 

Bosnia/Herzegovina

Jasmina Tinjic

Jelena Simic

Anita Husaric

Jasmina Kajtazovic

Captain: tbc

 

Bulgaria

Tsvetana Pironkova
Elitsa Kostova

Dia Evtimova
Isabella Shinikova

Captain: Dora Rangelova

 

Croatia

Petra Martic
Donna Vekic
Tereza Mrdeza
Ana Konjuh

Captain: Iva Majoli

 

Georgia

Sofia Shapatava
Sofia Kvatsabaia
Ekaterine Gorgodze

Captain (playing): Margalita Chakhnashvili

 

Great Britain

Heather Watson
Laura Robson
Anne Keothavong
Johanna Konta

Captain: Judy Murray

 

Hungary

Timea Babos

Greta Arn
Reka-Luca Jani

Katalin Marosi

Captain: Levente Baratosi

 

Israel

Shahar Peer
Julia Glushko
Keren Shlomo
Valeria Patiuk

Captain: Amos Mansdorf

 

Luxembourg

Anne Kremer
Claudine Schaul
Laura Correia

Captain: Frank Eicher

 

Netherlands

Kiki Bertens
Arantxa Rus
Richel Hogenkamp
Bibiane Schoofs

Captain: Manon Bollegraf

 

Poland

Agnieszka Radwanska
Urszula Radwanska
Paula Kania
Magda Linette

Captain: Tomasz Wiktorowski

 

Portugal

Maria Joao Koehler

Michelle Larcher de Brito

Barbara Luz

Margarida Moura

Captain: Pedro Cordeiro

 

Romania

Sorana Cirstea

Simona Halep

Irina-Camelia Begu

Cristina-Andreea Mitu

Captain: Marius Comanescu

 

Slovenia

Polona Hercog

Nastja Kolar

Andreja Klepac

Katarina Srebotnik

Captain: Tina Pisnik

 

Turkey

Cagla Buyukakcay

Pemra Ozgen

Basak Eraydin

Ipek Soylu

Captain: tbc

 

 

AMERICAS ZONE GROUP I
Venue: Country Club de Ejectivos, Medellin, Colombia (clay – outdoors)

 

Brazil

Teliana Pereira

Paula Cristina Goncalves

Beatriz Maia

Laura Pigossi

Captain: Carla Tiene

 

Canada

Aleksandra Wozniak

Eugenie Bouchard

Sharon Fichman

Gabriela Dabrowski

Captain: Sylvain Bruneau

 

Chile

Andrea Koch-Benvenuto

Fernanda Brito

Cecilia Costa Melgar

Macarena Olivares Lopez

Captain: Guillermo Gomez

 

Colombia

Mariana Duque-Marino

Catalina Castano

Yuliana Lizarazo

Laura Ucros

Captain: Alejandro Pedraza

 

Mexico

Ximena Hermoso

Ana Sofia Sanchez

Marcela Zacarias

Ana-Paula de la Pena

Captain: Raquel Contreras

 

Paraguay

Veronica Cepede Royg

Montserrat Gonzalez

Camila Giangreco Campiz

Captain: Alfredo de Brix

 

Peru

Patricia Ku Flores

Katherine Gabriela Miranda-Chang

Ferny Angeles Paz

Ximena Siles Luna

Captain: Percy Melzi

 

Venezuela

Adriana Perez

Andrea Gamiz

Gabriela Coglitore

Carmen Blanco

Captain: Yohny Romero

 

 

ASIA/OCEANIA ZONE GROUP I

Venue: National Tennis Centre, Astana, Kazakhstan (hard – indoors)

 

China, P.R.

Zhang Shuai

Zheng Saisai

Zhou Yi-Miao

Wang Qiang

Captain: Liu Shuo

 

Chinese Taipei

Su-Wei Hsieh

Kai-Chen Chang

Chin-Wei Chan

Hua-Chen Lee

Captain: Shi Ting Wang

 

India

Sania Mirza

Kyra Shroff

Rishika Sunkara

Rutuja Bhosale

Captain: Enrico Piperno

 

Kazakhstan

Yaroslava Shvedova

Ksenia Pervak

Galina Voskoboeva

Sesil Karatantcheva

Captain: Yuriy Karlov

 

Korea, Republic

Sung-Hee Han

So-Ra Lee

Mi Yoo

Seo-Kyung Kang

Captain: Jeong-Myung Lee

 

Thailand

Tamarine Tanasugarn

Luksika Kumkhum

Nudnida Luangnam

Noppawan Lertcheewakarn

Captain: Suang Chantra-Urai

 

Uzbekistan

Akgul Amanmuradova

Nigina Abduraimova

Sabina Sharipova

Arina Folts

Captain: Dmitriy Tomashevich

 

 

ASIA/OCEANIA ZONE GROUP II

Venue: National Tennis Centre, Astana, Kazakhstan (hard – indoors)

 

Hong Kong, China

Wing-Yau Venise Chan

Ho Ching Wu

Katherine Ip

Eudice Wong Chong

Captain: tbc

 

Indonesia

Ayu-Fani Damayanti

Lavinia Tananta

Jessy Rompies

Aldila Sutjiadi

Captain: Suharyadi Suharyadi

 

Iran

Ghazaleh Torkaman

Maryam Mazaheri

Sahar Najaei

Arezou Youlghouni

Captain: Parvaneh Khiltash

 

Kyrgyzstan

Bermet Dvaneaeva

Inna Volkovich

Nelli Buyuklyanova

Captain: Sabina Korsunova

 

Malaysia

Aslina Chua

Alyssa Boey

Yus Syazlin Nabila Yusri

Nurin Nabila Binti Roslan

Captain: Muhammad Ashaari bin Zainal Abidia

 

New Zealand

Marina Erakovic

Emily Fanning

Emma Hayman

Abigail Guthrie

Captain: Pavlina Nola

 

Pakistan

Ushna Suhail

Saba Aziz

Sara Mansoor

Iman Qureshi

Captain: Nosheen Ehtesham

 

Philippines

Marinel Rudas

Anna Clarice Patrimonio

Marian Jade Capadocia

Captain: Karl Santamaria

 

Singapore

Rehmat Johal

Rheeya Doshi

Khee Yen Wee

Geraldine Ang

Captain: Hassan bin Bohari

 

Turkmenistan

Anastasiya Prenko

Maya Mammetguykyyeva

Jahan Bayramova

Jennet Halliyeva

Captain: Nelli Voynich

 

Vietnam

Trang Huynh Phuong Dai

Van Nguyen Ai Ngoc

Huynh Phi Khanh

Thi-Tam-Hao Tran

Captain: Nguyen Dinh Bao Tri

 

 

 

 

 

HEINEKEN OPEN – AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
$ 433,400.00
5- 12 JANUARY 2013

RESULTS – 11 JANUARY 2013
Men’s Singles – Semifinals
[1] D Ferrer (ESP) d [WC] G Monfils (FRA) 6-1 6-2
[2] P Kohlschreiber (GER) d [4] S Querrey (USA) 6-4 7-6(2)

Men’s Doubles – Semifinals
[1] C Fleming (GBR) / B Soares (BRA) d [3] J Knowle (AUT) / F Polasek (SVK) 7-6(0) 7-6(3)
J Brunstrom (SWE) / F Nielsen (DEN) d F Cermak (CZE) / M Mertinak (SVK) 6-7(7) 6-4 10-6

ORDER OF PLAY – SATURDAY, 12 JANUARY 2013
CENTRE COURT start midday
[1] C Fleming (GBR) / B Soares (BRA) vs J Brunstrom (SWE) / F Nielsen (DEN)

Not before 2pm
[1] D Ferrer (ESP) vs [2] P Kohlschreiber (GER)

 

 

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Watson, Robson, Keothavong and Konta Named to British Fed Cup Team

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(January 7, 2013) Heather Watson, Laura Robson, Anne Keothavong and Johanna Konta have been announced by the Lawn Tennis Association as Great Britain’s Fed Cup team for the  Europe/Africa Zone Group I tie that will take place from February 6-9 2013 at the Municipal Tennis Club in Eilat, Israel.

 

Elena Baltacha who is currently recovering from injury will also be traveling with the team. The team will be led by Judy Murray who was appointed as Fed Cup Captain back in December  of 2011.

 

Judy Murray said: “Last year’s Fed Cup was a great experience for all of us and we came close to securing a place in the World Group for the first time since 1995. Heather and Laura have pushed themselves up into the top 50 in the WTA rankings this year and they will have wonderfully experienced back-up in Anne and Bally who have 22 Fed Cups between them. Jo Konta makes her debut on the team after a terrific 2012 season which saw her break into the top 150. We have a great squad and we will be aiming to put ourselves in World Group contention once again.”

 

British No. 1 Heather Watson said, “Playing Fed Cup is always a highlight for me during the year. Most of the time we are out there playing for ourselves, but it’s a lot of fun and a great honour to compete as a team and represent our country against the best in the world.” Watson ended 2012 at a career-best No. 49 (currently No. 47) in the world winning her first career WTA singles title at the Japan Open, having already claimed Tour doubles titles at Stanford and Dallas in the USA during the summer.

 

Robson said, “’I am really excited to be part of the Fed Cup team again and I can’t wait to get back out there and hopefully win all of our matches.” Robson ended a career-best season in 2012 close to the Top 50, highlighted by a Silver Medal in mixed doubles at the Olympics, beating former Grand Slam champions Kim Clijsters and Li Na at the US Open and then becoming the first woman since 1990 to reach a WTA singles final, before Watson went one better, three weeks later.

 

“I can’t believe this will be my 12th time representing my country,” said British No. 3 Anne Keothavong. “I feel really proud how we have grown as a team in the last couple of years and came so close to making World Group II last year. It’s an added motivation knowing how close we were to try and take the extra step in 2013.”

 

Johanna Konta, is making her Fed Cup debut: “I’m so excited it’s beyond words and a real thrill to be nominated alongside Heather, Laura, Anne and Bally.”

 

The Aegon GB Fed Cup Team will contest the Europe/Africa Zone Group I, alongside 15 other nations, all vying to take the top two spots and progress to the World Group II play offs in April.

The 16 tennis nations in the Europe/Africa Zone Group I include: Austria, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Great Britain, Hungary, Israel, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Turkey.

 

The format will be four groups, each having four teams, all competing against each other (three matches) in Round-robin format. Play starts on Wednesday, 6 February and continues every day. The winners of each group will play off (Group A v Group C and Group B v Group D) to determine which two nations will advance to the World Group II Play-offs in April 20-21, 2013. All other nations will compete for positional Play-offs, including the final two relegation spots.

 

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