Wimbledon 2009: Analysis: The men’s draw
Wimbledon will be much different from the last 4 edition of this amazing tennis event.
The defending champion and world number 1 Rafael Nadal won’t be there so the classci Federer vs Nadal final won’t happend in 2009.
The shockwaves from Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal from Wimbledon 2009 reverberate throughout the men’s draw. When the draw took place on Friday morning, Nadal’s name was inked at the top as top seed, defending champion and world no.1. By the end of the day, the Spaniard had removed himself from contention.
The loss of Nadal is a blow for the tournament, especially after the manner in which Nadal beat Roger Federer in last year’s classic final. The hole at the top of the men’s draw left by Nadal will be filled by the fifth seed, Juan Martin del Potro.
Del Potro’s place will be taken by the 17th seed James Blake of the USA. The next to be seeded, Nicolas Kiefer moves to line 56 to take Blake’s position as the 33rd seed. Thiago Alves takes Kiefer’s position on line 61 and is a lucky loser.
Andy Murray, the British No.1 and third seed, had been drawn to meet Nadal in the semi-finals. He is now the highest ranked player in the top half of the draw.
Murray opens against the Californian Robert Kendirck, who finished in the top 100 in the world last year for the first time. Kendrick has played at Wimbledon three times, winning one match. In 2006 he served 32 aces and led two sets to love against Nadal in the second round before being beaten.
Murray was a quarter-finalist here last year and a runner-up to Federer in the US Open. This will be his fifth Wimbledon and he comes into the tournament having won the title at Queen’s to become the first British winner for 71 years.
Murray can only conclude that Wimbledon have given him a great opportunity to progress to the later stages. Potentially he could run into last year’s semi-finalist Marat Safin in the last 16 and seventh seed Simon Gilles in the quarter-finals. Andy Roddick is also in Murray’s half of the draw.
There are no questions on the form and fitness of five-time Wimbledon champion Federer: the second seed returns to competition after winning the French Open for the first time which completed his set of Grand Slam trophies.
Federer’s projected semi-final opponent is the Serb Novak Djokovic, who was beaten in the second round last year after being a semi-finalist in 2007.
Federer, who opted to rest instead of playing his traditional warm-up at Halle, will play Yen–Hsun Lu of Taipei in the first round. Lu is playing at Wimbledon for the sixth time and has twice won his first round match.
Also this is a great chance for Roger Federer to take the top spot of the rankings again. Federer lost the world number 1 place in August 2008 to Rafael Nadal after 4 and a half years.
For the British wild cards there are demanding starts. Daniel Evans opens against the twelfth seed Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, Alex Bogdanovic plays the twentieth seed Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, James Ward plays seventh seed Fernando Verdasco of Spain and Josh Goodall plays the Frenchman Michael Llodra.
Footwork is weight control. It is correct body position for strokes, and out of it all strokes should grow. In explaining the various forms of stroke and footwork I am writing as a right-hand player. Left-handers should simply reverse the feet.
Racquet grip is a very essential part of stroke, because a faulty grip will ruin the finest serving. It is a natural grip for a top forehand drive. It is inherently weak for the backhand, as the only natural shot is a chop stroke.
To acquire the forehand grip, hold the racquet with the edge of the frame towards the ground and the face perpendicular, the handle towards the body, and “shake hands” with it, just as if you were greeting a friend. The handle settled comfortably and naturally into the hand, the line of the arm, hand, and racquet are one. The swing brings the racquet head on a line with the arm, and the whole racquet is merely an extension of it http://www.promotion9.com
The backhand grip is a quarter circle turn of hand on the handle, bringing the hand on top of the handle and the knuckles directly up. The shot travels ACROSS the wrist.
This is the best basis for a grip. I do not advocate learning this grip exactly, but model your natural grip as closely as possible on these lines without sacrificing your own comfort or individuality.
Having once settled the racquet in the hand, the next question is the position of the body and the order of developing strokes.
All tennis strokes, should be made with the body’ at right angles to the net, with the shoulders lined up parallel to the line of flight of the ball. The weight should always travel forward. It should pass from the back foot to the front foot at the moment of striking the ball. Never allow the weight to be going away from the stroke. It is weight that determines the “pace” of a stroke; swing that, decides the “speed.”
Let me explain the definitions of “speed” and “pace.” “Speed” is the actual rate with which a ball travels through the air. “Pace” is the momentum with which it comes off the ground. Pace is weight. It is the “sting” the ball carries when it comes off the ground, giving the inexperienced or unsuspecting player a shock of force which the stroke in no way showed.
A great many players have both “speed” and “pace.” Some shots may carry both.
The order of learning strokes should be:
1. The Drive. Fore and backhand. This is the foundation of all tennis, for you cannot build up a net attack unless you have the ground stroke to open the way. Nor can you meet a net attack successfully unless you can drive, as that is the only successful passing shot.
2. The Service.
3. The Volley and Overhead Smash.
4. The Chop or Half Volley and other incidental and ornamental strokes.
Written by Ricco Richardson
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Its an amazing fact but sometimes in road racing, a few grams can mean the difference between winning and losing. Pro cyclists are on very strict diets and watch their weight very carefully, but the racing bikes also need to pretty trim. The average decrease in weight that time trail bikes have seen in the last 10 years in quite amazing, dropping at a rate of 7-11 grams per year. Most people would consider this not a lot but when it comes to racing every gram counts. So which products are on the shelves right now that can make you and your bike lighter than ever?
Carbon shoes. When it comes to cycle clothing, strong and light is the key. Racers want their shoes to be very firm so that none of the energy that they generate is lost and instead all past into the crank. There has always been a compromise with shoes, either on weight or on strength. Solving this problem are the latest carbon fiber designs that have only recently been developed. These shoes boast superior strength without having any of the usual weight
Titanium spokes. Believe it or not, the weight of your spokes can add up to make a big difference in the overall weight of the bike. Some spokes are now being made out of carbon fiber but they have to be thicker in order to have adequate strength. The preferred option is now titanium spokes Zipp wheels now use and can be made to the same size steel ones, but are around half the weight.
Carbon fiber bikes. Having a bike that is made up of 90% carbon fiber is something most people can only dream of. A bike made from this material will not only boast an amazing low weight but being strong enough for any type of racer. Its a very comfortable ride as well according to those lucky enough to have had a go. The only downside to kitting yourself out with all this carbon fiber gear is the expense. Most people can not even afford the shoes, let alone the bike…for the time being at least.
It seems that cycling becomes more popular as a sport every day and new makes of bikes pop up all the time. Steel is the most common material of choice but increasingly there are more options available these days. A very popular alternative at the moment is aluminium, which is even now being used in snowboards and surfboards. But how does aluminium compare to steel-framed bikes?
Strength. Steel frames tend to boast approx twice the strength of an aluminum frame, which could suggest that aluminum would not be suitable for high impact bike riding. However, because of the fact aluminium is such much lighter than steel (40% lighter) the frames can afford to be thicker and thus match the strength of steel. Having said this, thicker stronger steel is required on some bikes to withstand large amounts of punishment put on them during some forms of bike riding.
Performance. Steel frames tend to have around 33% greater stiffness than aluminum frames. Whilst you would automatically think a more forgiving ride would result, bike riders tend to say the opposite is true. Lots of riders feel that steel frames are more comfortable. Aluminium bikes do outperform steel bikes in some sectors such as road racing and hill climbing events due to their better weight but again, most choose steel for bike riding that requires great strength of frame
Cost. The cost of a frame is dependent on various things, most commonly the steel or aluminum quality. Although very costly, there a new steels that have been produced that maintain their strength, yet weigh close to what aluminum does. On the other hand, there are some cheaper thin-framed aluminium bikes on the market now. However, due to the fact steel is more readily available and is the standard for most new and second hand bikes, it is usually cheaper than aluminium.
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, which is responsible for staging the world’s leading tennis tournament, is a private Club founded in 1868, originally as ‘The All England Croquet Club’. Its first ground was situated off Worple Road, Wimbledon.
In 1875 lawn tennis, a game introduced by major Walter Clopton Wingfield a year or so earlier and originally called Sphairistike, was added to the activities of the Club.
In the spring of 1877 the Club was re-titled ‘The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club’ and signalled its change of name by instituting the first Lawn Tennis Championship. A new code of laws, hitherto administered by the Marylebone Cricket Club, was drawn up for the meeting. These have stood the test of time and today’s rules are similar except for details such as the height of the net and posts and the distance of the service line from the net.
The only event held in 1877 was the Gentlemen’s Singles which was won by Spencer Gore, an old Harrovian rackets player, from a field of 22. About 200 spectators paid one shilling each to watch the final.
The lawns at the Ground were arranged in such a way that the principal court was situated in the middle with the others arranged around it; hence the title ‘Centre Court’, which was retained when the Club moved in 1922 to the present site in Church Road, although it was not a true description of its location at the time. However, in 1980 four new courts were brought into commission on the north side of the ground, which meant the Centre Court was once more at the centre of the tournament. The opening of the new No. 1 Court in 1997 emphasised the description.
By 1882 activity at the Club was almost exclusively confined to lawn tennis and that year the word ‘croquet’ was dropped from the title. However, for sentimental reasons, it was restored in 1899 and the club has been known as ‘The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club’ ever since.
In 1884 the Ladies’ Singles was inaugurated and, from an entry of 13 players, Maud Watson became the first champion. That same year, the Gentlemen’s Doubles was started, with the trophy donated by the Oxford University Lawn Tennis Club after the end of their doubles championship, played from 1879 to 1883.
As the popularity of Wimbledon increased, the facilities for spectators were improved with permanent stands gradually replacing temporary accommodation. By the mid-1880s crowds were flocking to see the prowess of British twins Ernest and William Renshaw who, separately and as doubles partners, won 13 titles between 1881 and 1889. The boom in popularity of the game in this period became known as the ‘Renshaw Rush’.
For a period in the nineties public affection for Wimbledon waned, but in 1897 the legendary Doherty brothers, Laurie and Reggie, began their ten-year rule of the courts and soon capacity crowds reappeared.
By the turn of the century Wimbledon had assumed an international character and in 1905 May Sutton of the United States became the first Champion from overseas when she won the Ladies’ Singles. She repeated her success in 1907, the year when Norman Brookes of Australia became the first Gentlemen’s Singles champion from overseas. Since that year, only two players from Great Britain, Arthur Gore and Fred Perry, have managed to win the Men’s Singles while there have been five British Ladies’ Champions since Wimbledon moved to Church Road — Kitty McKane Godfree, Dorothy Round, Angela Mortimer, Ann Jones and Virginia Wade.
Prior to the First World War the facilities at Worple Road were expanded to meet the ever-growing demand of the public and a move to larger premises was planned. This was not achieved until 1922 when the present ground in Church Road was opened by King George V. The foresight of building the present stadium, designed to hold 14,000 people, did more to popularise the game worldwide than anything that has happened to date.
To be continue…
There is something truly magical about Fishing for Blackfin Tuna. These incredible saltwater fish really live up to their reputation as heavy weight fighters. While it is true that the type and quality of the equipment you use is important, having the right knowledge plays an even more important role.
If you do not know what you are doing, you can spend hours trolling around the ocean simply looking for tuna. Believe me! I know how frustrating it can be.
It is easy to spend thousands of dollars on fuel and equipment and never even see one tuna. If you have ever been so frustrated that you felt like giving up, there are a few things you can do.Before you waste additional time and effort consider these simple, yet highly effective tuna fishing techniques.
1. Pay Attention to Nature – As a fisherman, it is crucial that you always observe your environment. If you see birds extra attention. Typically, you will see diving birds when there are schools of bait fish in the area. Wherever you see birds, there are bait fish. Wherever you find bait fish, you have the potential to find tuna.
Look closely at the surface of the water. Large schools of bait fish really disturb the surface of the water.
If you see sharks, look carefully. Schools of tuna frequently feed near them.
2. Monitor Your Speed – When you are fishing for tuna, it is essential that you maintain a trolling speed of five to eight miles per hour. Most professionals a typical ‘W’ Pattern. The W Pattern consists of two long lines held out wide on each outrigger, two shorter lines held out flat and one deep line straight down the center of the boat.
Additionally, when you are hunting Tuna, it is a good idea to display a flashy presentation of lures. Basically, you are trying to trick the tuna into thinking he has stumbled across a panicked school of bait fish. I prefer to use a green machine for the deep line down the middle. It always amazes me how often this line gets hit, right before the outside lines snap as well. Being locked up with more than one tuna is such an adrenaline rush.
3. Monitor the Season – During the hot summer months, tuna like to hunt near the surface of the water. Hunting tuna are relatively easy to spot of sunny summer afternoons. The surface of the water is typically being destroyed with frenzied activity.
During the cold winter months, tuna typically hunt deeper. It is extremely difficult to bring them to the surface at this time.
Having the right equipment will only get you so far. Having the right knowledge will help you find and attract more tuna fish. These are but a few of my favorite tuna fishing techniques.
Early surfboard designers added fins to their boards when they realised it would give them greater stability and control over the board. Fast forward to the present day and their is now a complete range of fins available, all with different designs and constructed from different materials. However, in general terms the 2 main surfboard fins types are the glassed on and the removable fin. Here we look at the strengths and weaknesses of each.
Glassed on fins are actually built into the board and cannot be removed. They are generally found on older second hand surfboards but are now actually again being used in modern surfboard design. The benefit of these fins is that that they are smoothly moulded to the board and so create a smooth cut in the water, reducing drag and allowing the board to go faster. Additionally it is highly unlikely that you will lose these fins in the water, which is known to happen with removables. The weakness of glassed on fins is that, although rare, when they do break it is a huge headache trying to fix the fin again. Further to this, if damaged they can let water into the board and cause serious not just around the fin area.
Among the many fins on the market that are removable, the FCS system is widely considered the best to use. Their are a whole range of various FCS fins you can get hold off, differing in material and design. This means that you can have a number of different fins ready for certain surf conditions or riding styles. They are also very easy to replace if any get damaged as you just by a new fin, slot it in and tighten the grub screws. The fact that the fins cause a little more drag in the water and can sometimes come loose and get lost in the ocean are the only major flaws.
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