An Athlete's Benefits Of Having Few Fans

By Ruben Dallak

August twelfth, 2009 was a beautiful, sunny Wednesday morning in Montreal. Since I worked at the Rogers Cup, I had access to the grounds and had specifically requested the day off so I could go check out all the players' warmups. It was indeed a rich schedule with the top ten competing throughout the day.

At 11 that day, a pal and I headed over toward Court 4 where the world's top ranked player, Roger Federer, was due to arrive at within 30 minutes. Already jam packed with about a few hundred people, there was barely any room to move.

As the time approached, the court was packed with fans who eagerly waited to get a glimpse of the Swiss Maestro. With the sun soaring at 35 degrees celsius, we watched him loosen up and start hitting balls. To be truthful, it was fairly boring and was supposed to go on for 2 hours.

So, slowly, we squeeze outside the crowd and come to an open spot. I glance up at Court four on the far side to see a tall, lanky competitor dressed in a pink Nike T-shirt and white shorts pounding a few balls. I look closer and indeed realized it was Juan Martin Del Potro.

As he arrived at the exit gate, there were 6 fans waiting for him to have his signature and he did sign. As he wrote on my picture and proceeded to my friend, I said "I wish you the best of luck in your competition today."

Del Potro turned to me and had a giant smile on his face and insisted "Thank you so much for your support." He seemed like he was very pleased about what I had said to him.

As he won the US Open this week, the irony of this situation just entered my thoughts. The fact that essentially not a soul was present to root for him and Federer had a ton of people. Every now and then, it is better to be left alone than to be persistently followed.

Del Potro played a marvelous match this week and is completely worthy of his championship. Great job!

About the Author:

Find the best pro tennis forum online and answer trivia questions all day at rootzoo.com.

World Top 6: Can Svetlana Kuznetsova Reach The World Number 1?

By Paul Stubbs

Svetlana Aleksandrovna Kuznetsova was born on June 27, 1985 in Russia. She is a Russian professional player. She won the US Open (2004) and also the 2009 French Open Singles Title defeating Elena Dementieva and Dinara Safina. She was also the Runner-up in Singles at the 2006 French Open and the 2007 US Open, both to the Belgian player Justine Henin. As of May 17, 2010, she ranked World No. 6.

Kuznetsova undergone her training in the Sanchez-Casal Academy in Spain and she was trained by Emilio Sanchez and Stefan Ortega together with other coaches in the academy. But her major coaching relationship was with Stefan Ortega who was a familiar face in her player's box and assisted her play. But after a series of depressing outcomes in the finals Kuznetsova's ended her relationship with Sanchez-Casal Academy and transferred to Moscow as the advice of Tennis Maestro Roger Federer and continued to be coached by a Russian coach Olga Morozova.

Kuznetsova is definitely an all-around tennis player as she has adapted her game to all surfaces. Her play is seen with her great serve and her heavy forehand. Kuznetsova's serve is aided by her strong physique, and she's often considered to be one of many strongest athletes on the Tour along with the Williams' sisters. Many tennis experts say that her powerful inside-out forehand is among the best in the women's play. She's competent at hitting winners of both wings. Her volleys are very effective, and she's capable of producing deft touch.

Kuznetsova began playing in tournaments in the ITF Circuit, winning her very first of title in the circuit in April 2001. Her very first performances in the main draws of tournaments in the main WTA Tour were at the Madrid Open in May of that year and at the Waikoloa Championships in Hawaii losing in the second round on both occasions.

Her last competition prior to the French Open was the 2010 Madrid Open, where she lose in the first round to Shahar Pe'er. Being the defending champion in the French Open (2010), Kuznetsova is the 6th seed. She conquered Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 6-1 during the first round and will face Andrea Petkovic in the second round.

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More updates on Svetlana Kuznetsova that is undoubtedly one of the Best Tennis Player in Wimbledon Tennis 2010.

Choosing A New Tennis Racket

By James Walke

Are you a Rafael Nadal or Andy Roddick fan? If you're, it is quite probable you know that both these players use Babolat racquets. And in case you are into the game yourself and have always dreamed of slinging the ball over the net with a powerful shot like your favorite star you might consider buying a Babolat racquet. However, the number of racquets introduced to the industry by the French sports' goods manufacturer can bewilder even a pro. So where do you turn if you are stumped by the variety offered on the shelf? The best would be to consult a player but that doesn't meet the reach of the majority of us. Thus, the easiest and best way to select your bat would be to read Babolat tennis racquet reviews, which are easily available over theInternet.

Babolat offers a variety of racquets for players of all skill levels. The company has a junior range for beginners, a recreational range, an intermediate line followed by racquets for advanced and professional players. However, Babolat tennis racquet reviews are generally available for the advanced and expert segments as these racquets are more expensive and people buying them would like to get the maximum affordable, which in this instance means an improved game.

In this review we will take a look at three racquets. Let's take a sneak peak at Babolat AeroPro Drive first. This racquet made famous by its user Rafael, can help add the X factor to your game you will find many playing for very sometime as well as hope to turn pro. Weighing nearly 11 ounce, this lightweight racquet will give you all the control and manoeuvrability that you've always desired. The unmatched head velocity and spin that this bat will add to your game will certainly make heads turn to your side as your opponent fails to equal your powerful forehand and backhand strokes.

Next is the 27in Babolat Pure Drive. Important for any real performer, at 11 ounce this racquet produces good rate and provides excellent stability and control. A 100 sq. in head makes sure that you collect the ball and send it spinning across to your opponent. Effective for slice shots, the racquet has been strung at 50-57 pounds and the tension can be increased to 65 pounds for better control. Great manoeuvrability and great performance.

And finally the Babolat Pure Drive Plus, the model used by Andy Roddick. This piece gives you more power, making your game easier. The 1/2 inch extra length added to Pure Drive forces players using Pure Drive Plus to adjust to swinging the bat earlier. However, the control, the spin and extra power on serves gives Pure Drive Plus four or five stars on five.

Thus, I would advice all tennis aficionados to undergo some Babolat tennis racquet reviews prior to deciding to hit the sport products store towards you to pick the right tennis racquet on your own

About the Author:

Read some great tennis racket reviews. Stop by Tomas Walke's site where you can find out all about tennis rackets and what they can do for you.

Choosing The Right Head Tennis Racquet

By Kathy Jhones

You will be able to choose and buy your Head Tennis Racquet if and only if you have an expertise in the field of tennis. You will have to learn the nuances of the game and the shortfalls if you go in for a low end Head Tennis Racquet. The task of selecting a prefect tennis racquet is more challenging. Different types of tennis racquets are being manufactured suiting different type of players and their needs.

They come out in different cost prices and different shapes. When you consider buying a Head Tennis Racquet you need to follow certain guidelines to select the best one like being accurate on determining the head size, grip size, and flex. Apart you need to analyze your capacity of playing and your mode of play. The bigger head size is more convenient for beginners and intermediate players as it supports powerful shots. The thick wooden frames produce more power than the thin ones.

Larger head sizes are very much recommended for intermediate players of tennis. Beginners usually have more powerful shots upon using large head tennis racquets. Thicker frames deliver more power also rather than the thinner one. More control over the racquet is benefited when using the thinner-framed ones although this variant delivers lesser power. Beginners would have to use the racquets with thinner frames since beginner players needed more control over the racquet than power.

Although less in power, thin wood frames provides better control of the racquet. Beginners prefer using the thin ones because they themselves can generate the needed power in making a shot and that they need more of the grip and control. A typical tennis racquet head size ranges from 85 to 105 square inches grouped into three, the mid, mid-plus and the oversize. Certain tendencies can be observed when a player has chosen to use and inappropriate type of racquet, oftentimes careful selection is needed. Going to play with a larger than appropriate head size may result in losing control over the shots where smaller heads may lead to failure with those spin shots that requires to be perfect. You may consult and seek the advice of your coach or the store owner when choosing the proper grip and head size.

Flex is the ability of your tennis racquet to accept and counter the relative bends and tilts made while at the middle of the action. Long swing shot deliverers should definitely go for the more flexible ones while the short deliverer should go otherwise. Another important consideration in choosing a suitable Head Tennis Racquet is the measurement in terms of the weight and length of the tennis racquet. The usual measurement of each tennis racquet is usually at 27 inches in length.

Alternatively, you may acquire a longer tennis racquet for more power and an extended reach. More power is expected from heavier racquets weighing between 9.8 to 11 ounces and is much more stable. Weights of less than 9.5 ounces gives more control but less power. Modifying these factors is at your discretion. Finally, it is always recommended to compare various racquets, various sizes and features. Trying out those racquets on the market shelves should be of great help. This can be done to arrive at the best choice.

About the Author:

If yours or your kids future is tennis then the above guidelines may help you to find out a best Head Tennis Racquet for your training and game. Spare some time and try visiting http://www.head-tennisracquet.com to learn more details on the topic and this may contribute a lot to your endeavoring career.

World Number 8: Will Agnieszka Radwanska Make It To The World Number 1?

By Paul Stubbs

Agnieszka Roma Radwanska is a rising female tennis professional player from Poland. She was born on March 6, 1989 to father, Robert, who was also her coach and mother, Marta. Her younger sibling, Urszula Radwańska is another accomplished tennis player in her own right, a multiple Grandslam Tournament Winner on the Junior Level and the Top-rated Junior for the year 2007 in the ITF standings. Agnieszka started playing tennis at age 4, when her dad presented the lady to the sport. She also spent her childhood years playing at Gronau, Germany where her dad performed as a club professional.

Agnieszka became professional in 2005 but she competed her first event on ITF on 2004. She won one Singles and also Doubles Title in ITF Circuit and in that particular year she turned pro. Her first year playing Tennis on Tour in the year 2006 was quite impressive as she got into the Quarterfinals in main debut at Warsaw. Her second breakthrough for that season was when she got into 4R in Wimbledon. By the end of the season, she has moved up completely towards Top 54.

The year 2007 was yet another breakthrough success for Agnieszka when she grabbed her first Tour Singles Title at Stockholm. She also conquered three top Ten Titles at the moment. Agnieszka reached her second career ITF Circuit Singles Title at $100 ITF/Biella-ITA. Throughout the earlier part of 2007, she has already entered into the (January 29), Top 40 (May 28), and Top 30 (September 10).

Agnieszka is 5'8" in height and competes right-handed with a two-handed backhand strokes. She wields a Babolat racket and wears Nike Air Max Breathe Free II shoes. She has obtained the "Tour Newcomer of the Year Award" on her 2006 achievements, that was given to her in March 2007.

At present, she won 4 ATP Titles without any Grand Slam Title. However, she has won a Juniors Title at 2005 Wimbledon and at 2006 Roland Garros.

About the Author:

More updates about Agnieszka Radwanska who is one of the Best Tennis Player featured in Wimbledon Tennis 2010.

Recently Renounced Top 4: Will The Serbian Professional Tennis Player Gain Her Ranking As World Top 1 Once Again?

By Paul Stubbs

Jelena Jankovic was born February 28, 1985, in Belgrade, Serbia. She is one of the Top Female Tennis Players worldwide and former World's Top One. She was introduced to tennis by her elder brother and fitness coach Marko at the age of 9. Her mom, Snezana, travels internationally with her and was really a big influence on her tennis career.

Jankovic won her first Junior National Title at the age of 11. Right after such success, she was sent to Florida where she entered Nick Bollettieri's Training Academy.

Being a Junior, she won the 2001 Australian Open thus becoming the Junior World's Number One Junior Tennis Player. In 2001, she started to play in the WTA Tour. She then became a professional tennis Player in 2002. Jankovic has reached the Singles Final from the US Open (2008), the Singles Semi-finals of the Australian Open (2008) and the French Open (2007, 2008). In 2007, she conquered the Wimbledon Mixed Doubles Title with British partner Jamie Murray.

She was ranked the World's Number One tennis player for 17 consecutive weeks until she was overtaken by Serena Williams on February 2, 2009. Before the season ends, she was recognized World Number One in 2008, the very first tennis player in the entire history of the WTA Tour to have such accomplishments without winning just one Grand Slam Title.

Jankovic has downplayed her inability to conquer a Single Grand Slam Tournament stating that there are lot of players who have won Grand Slam Competitions but only six women have ended the season as World's Number One. However, she cannot be recognized to be the best player if she is not able to win several Grand Slam Tournaments in her tennis career.

Although Jelena possesses extraordinary ground strokes, she doesn't have a serve which could bail her out of tight spots. Her emotional outburst causes the lady to lose points. She is easily distracted on court. Also, she doesn't take defeat too seriously which is a good characteristic in terms of sportsmanship but may reduce her need to go full-scale to win matches. We will have to wait and see if Jelena Jankovic is able to win some Grand Slam Competitions during tennis career.

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More latest infos about Jelena Jankovic who is undoubtedly one of the Best Tennis Player in Wimbledon Tennis 2010.

Gift Experiences For The Sports Lover

By Matt Greene

Are you looking for a gift with a sporting difference? Fed up of buying sports gear that goes out of fashion before the season is over? Why not get back to grass roots and take in a sports related gift experience instead? Treat sports supporters to tours of their favourite sporting venues. With fantastic gift experiences such as these, you can take fans back to where their passion for their particular sport first began.

Soccer Stadium Tours

The ultimate gift for any football fan would be to visit the hallowed turf of their favourite football club. Football Stadium Tours give behind the scenes access to some of the top clubs such as Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool FC. You can learn about the history of the club, but more importantly you get to visit the dressing rooms and walk down the players' tunnel!

Lord's Cricket Ground Ultimate Tour

If football isn't your game, then may be a tour of the legendary Lord's Cricket Ground would be more your sort of thing. It's enough to excite any keen fan of cricket, that's for certain. Walk in the footsteps of cricketing legends, like Boycott, Botham and Willis; visit the museum, the players dressing rooms and the Long Room. Hows-zat for a gift experience! The MCC Lords Cricket Ground tour would be a perfect birthday gift idea for the cricket lover in your life.

Wimbledon Tennis Experience

Wimbledon - The jewel in the tennis world's crown is yours to be discovered. You can take an extensive tour of the legendary SW19, including areas that are out of bounds even for tournament ticket holders, but don't worry; no umpire will call you out for a foot fault! Or serve an ace with centre court tickets for a day's play, during what is regarded as the highlight on any tennis players/fans circuit.

A Round Of Golf

Now this is more like it - a round of golf. You can pick from top courses around the UK and the Republic of Ireland and there are golf experiences to suit all skill levels. You can learn how to swing a golf club, book a lesson with a Pro, or simply take to the fairways with your friends.

This year: don't give a lame, unexciting gift when you could give the sports lover in your life an experience to remember instead.

About the Author:

Matt Greene works with Find Me A Gift, provider of gift experiences, unique and unusual gift ideas for all tastes and budgets. You can find them at http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk.

When Should I Restring My Tennis Racket

By Jeremy Edwards

Your level and style of play will dictate how often you need to restring your tennis racket. Tennis professionals or elite college players will restring more often than junior competitors or social players. They play and practice a lot, and hit furious topspin with tremendous power for long periods. Juniors and social players tend to practice and play less with a lot less vigour.

Restringing for most juniors and social players occurs when they break a string. Neglected strings wear away with each contact and eventually become so thin they break on contact with the ball.

For the professionals and elite college players the main reason for a restrings lies in their quest for perfection and need for consistent performance. Due to their construction, tennis strings lose their tension overtime. This loss of tension tends to reduce the stiffness of your racket string bed and inadvertently increase its power. An increase in power may lead to more errors. Not what your average or top professional wants or needs when doing battle.

A Tennis professional or elite college player, will usually have their rackets restrung before every practice and match. Many professionals will have as many as twenty rackets freshly strung ready for practice and play. Venus Williams of the USA has been known to have up to 10 freshly strung rackets, available for practice alone.

Restrings can cost you as much as $85 and as little as $20. The pros and college players will generally have a sponsor, but for social players and juniors the cost can quickly mount up. The cost has to be weighed up against the extra consistency you get from fresh strings.

In summary, it would be best to restring before every practice or match, but the cost will generally determine how often you should restring. If you can afford it, go for it, your game will benefit.

If you don't have unlimited funds, consider buying your own tennis stringing machine and some reasonable quality string. Stringing is easy to learn and can be a bit of fun. You can save heaps stringing your own rackets.

About the Author:

Want to find out more about stringing your kids tennis rackets, then visit Jeremy Edwards's site on how to choose the best string and stringing machine for your needs.

Dinara Safina (World Number 9): Will She Make It To The World Top 1?

By Paul Stubbs

Dinara Safina, a Russian professional tennis player was given birth in Moscow on April 27, 1986. She is actually the younger sister of a similar tennis player and previous World's Number 1 Marat Safin. She is coached by Glen Schaap, former coach of Petrova. Her mother, Rauza Islanova was previously her coach when she was younger. Her dad was the Director for the Spartak Tennis Club in Moscow.

On July 29, 2002 she appeared into The Top 100. She also received her very first WTA Title in Sopot, defeating Nagyova and becoming the ever youngest Tour Champion in four years and first qualifier to grab the title in three years. On the same year, she defeated a top-notch 20 player Silvia Farina Elia who had previously been seeded 14, the very first time in Moscow, at the age of 16. On July 14, 2003, she broke on the top 50. She won her another WTA Title over Katarina Srebotnik in Palermo. In that particular year, she hit the fourth round on the 2003 US Open and also reached the Quarterfinals in Doha, Sopot & Shanghai. She defeated the defending champion Magdalena Maleeva in Russia.

For the 2004 Australian Open, Safina upset Amanda Coetzer of South Africa before being defeated by Kim Clijsters of Belgium. For the very first time, she finished the season in the Top 50 and reached third career final at Luxembourg where she lost against Alicia Molik. She won her exemplary Singles Title at Paris Indoors beating Amelie Mauresmo. Paired with Dementieva, she won the decisive doubles rubber in the Fed Cup Finals in 2005. She stunned the World Number 1 Sharapova within the QF of the 2005 Kremlin Cup winning 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.

In the 2007 Australian Open, she achieved the Tier I in Rome Final by defeating Top Ten Tennis Players Kim Clijsters, Elena Dementieva and Kuznetsova, but was also defeated then by resurgent Martina Hingis 6-2, 7-5. In the 2006 French Open, she reached the Quarterfinals for the first time in her tennis career. During the fourth round, she defeated number four seed Sharapova 7-5, 2-6, 7-5. In the third set, she trailed 1-5 but managed to drag the upset of almost 21/2 hours of play. To start the grass season, following her excellent execution on clay, she reached her very first Grass Court Final on the Ordina Open, but got lost to Krajicek 6-3, 6-4.

In her first tournament of 2007, she fought her way to the finals of a Tier III Tournament at Gold Coast, Australia. She defeated the number one-seeded Martina Hingis in that final 6-3 3-6 7-5 on her first WTA Tour Title since May of 2005. This win also saw her rise into the World's Top Ten Tennis Player in Women's Division.

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More infos on Dinara Safina who is undoubtedly one of the Best Tennis Player featured inWimbledon Tennis 2010.

Buying A Table Tennis Table

By Paul J Bucannon

This article is for new or intermediate Table Tennis players who are buying a new table tennis table or wish to upgrade, we will be talking about what you need to look for when buying a table tennis table.

Remember they want your cash!

All of the vendors will be trying to convince you that their table is the best thing for you! So you must get it clear in your mind exactly what you need from a new table. Not many people have unlimited funds so you must choose wisely, ask yourself do you want to enter national comps or play for fun with your mates in the basement.

Is this your Families First Table Tennis Table.

If you want all members of the family to enjoy table tennis it might be a good idea to buy a cheaper table first. All young families will tend to give their first table tennis table a tough time, so if you buy a cheaper table to start off, then if you have a budding world champion in the family. You can upgrade to a more professional model later.

Permanent Vs Fold Flat Table Tennis Tables.

Unless you are absolutely sure you will want to leave your table permanently set-up i would strongly suggest you purchase a Folding Table Tennis Table, they should be very easy to set-up and fold away. Always check to see if it can be operated by one person? Rollers are a great feature, and make the table very easy to use. Roller tables should also be fitted with brakes to stop the table moving around during play.

To be honest even if you decide that the table can be permanently set-up, a foldaway table is still a very good idea, as circumstances can change, maybe a new addition to the family needs the room or you want to move house and no longer have the space. This is obviously a high value item and you must consider all factors.

How thick is a good table?

Tables that are used for competitions are always 25mm or 1 inch thick and are quite expensive for most users. I think most people will be perfectly happy with a good quality 19mm table. I'm sure even Olympic champions didn't start on top spec competition standard tables so consider all the options first. Manufacturers like Stiga make marvellous tables, so unless you can find a 25mm table at an irresistable price, this would be my recommendation.

When you are playing competitions it makes sense to practice on a table of the same standard as your competetors, so now is a good time to upgrade.

Don't just look at the playing surface.

Make sure that the table you buy is of a good quality all round, paying particular attention to the support legs. A good feature built into a lot of tables is leg levellers. Outdoor Table Tennis is great fun so leg levellers are very useful here. Make sure your table top is precisely 76cm from the floor. Equally crucial to the overall quality are the small things like the net fittings etc.

All these small points add up and you deserve to get a good quality product for your money. These days good quality and value for money are important and if you follow these points I'm sure you will find a great table

About the Author:

Paul Bucannon has been playing Table Tennis for many years, and wants to help you get a great product at an affordable price when Buying a Table Tennis Table Visit his site for hints and tips to help you save money when you are looking for a new Table Tennis Table