Maria Francisca Perello
Number 8 on “The Tennis Space” blog list of the Top 10 most influential women on the ATP Tour. Maria is Rafa’s girlfriend.
“Travelling together everywhere, even if I could, would not be good either for him or for me. He needs his space when he is competing, and just the idea of me hanging around waiting on his needs all day wears me out. It would asphyxiate me. And then he would have to be worrying about me … No. If I followed him everywhere, I think there’s a risk we might stop getting along,” Perello wrote in Nadal’s autobiography. “The celebrity world is not a world I want to be part of, and I don’t think Rafa would have chosen to be with a woman who looked for that in life.”
Read More – HERE
DANES NARROWLY LOSE TO FORDHAM RAMS
(Hanover, NH). UAlbany lost the doubles point, but put on a strong rally in the singles before falling just a few games short of beating the Rams, a team that got them 6-1 last year. Rocio Lopez, Kirsten Scott and Irene Santos all pulled out singles wins for the Danes giving them three points in the top four singles spots.UALBANY 3 FORDHAM 4
Kathleen Kalmer wins Tennis Boom Essay Contest
If Kathleen Kalmer were to try to convince her friends to play tennis, she would ask a few simple questions.Winning Essays
Bleacher Report: American Tennis Prodigy
An odd name for an article: American Tennis Prodigies You Don’t Know
For me it’s odd because it’s next to a picture of Noah Rubin who I do know. I first saw Noah play 9 years ago at Eastern Excel Tennis Camp. I have seen him at tournaments and have written about him since. Noah is the highest ranked American junior tennis player in the World at #15. He is currently recovering from a broken wrist injured playing basketball – which kept him out of the Australian Open Juniors. The title is also odd because it is an article about only one prodigy – Noah Rubin – but once I got past the title I found it to be a well written article.
There was this quote from Noah:
“Well in a year from now, a year and a half, I’m going to have to make a decision whether I’m going to do college or just go straight to [the] pro’s. I have a lot of people telling me different things right now, so I’ll have to step back and take a look at it every once in a while, but we’ll have to see how well I do this next year in professional tournaments. That’s what I will be focusing on is that, and the four grand slams, so we’ll see how I do then. We’ll make a decision when the time comes, but for now, just enjoy it and have fun with everything.”
Plus there was this paragraph:
According to Rubin’s long time coach and JMTA Director of Tennis Lawrence Kleger, “Noah is the best tennis player to come out of New York since McEnroe.”
Having known Lawrence for 13 years, it was good to see him get the credit he deserves and even better to see Noah also getting the recognition. Many times these articles quote their USTA coaches and not the great coaches who got these players to where they are now. I hope to be able to keep writing great stuff about Noah in the future and I know he will be a great ambassador for the sport. Read the entire article – HERE
Related articles
- The Rubins (adirondacktennis.wordpress.com)
Weekend Recap: Lopez Improves to 5-1; UAlbany Drops Two in New Hampshire
HANOVER, NH - The University at Albany women’s tennis team traveled to New Hampshire to play two non-conference away matches last weekend. On Saturday, they competed against Dartmouth University, dropping the match, 7-0. Sunday’s match against Fordham proved to be much more competitive, yet the Great Danes fell just short, 4-3. Sophomore Cheryl Kukkonen made her season debut in No. 3 doubles play while juniorRocio Lopez improved to 5-1 on the season.
The Big Green, who have only one loss on the season to Boston College, improved to 6-1 over the weekend. They swept UAlbany, giving up only eight games in total,. They won all six singles matches in straight sets.
The freshman duo of Cat Crummey and Mireille Hermans took Dartmouth by surprise, winning the first three games of the match. However, Janet Liu and Christina Danosi of the Big Green took eight of the next nine games to win, 8-4.
In singles play, senior Sarah Iannone played a tough match at the No. 6 singles position. She took seven games from Danosi, losing 6-3, 6-4. Hermans managed to pull out five games – losing to Suzy Tan at the No. 4 spot, 6-3, 6-2.
On Sunday, UAlbany (2-4) turned their attention to Fordham. The Rams were also defeated by Dartmouth on Saturday, 6-1. This match proved to have a much more even playing field. The Great Danes showed much improvement after losing to Fordam, 6-1 last season.
The Rams came out strong in doubles play – taking all three matches. The competition’s first point was clinched at the No. 2 spot with Crummey and Hermans falling to Bella Genkina and Anika Novacek, 8-4. The No. 1 doubles team, Spanish teammates Lopez and Irene Bravo, also took four games.
The Great Danes charged back in singles play. They took three matches, coming just one short of upsetting the Rams for the victory.
The match of the day came at the No. 2 spot with Lopez defeating Sarah Ali. The Georgia Tech transfer has been sensational for the Great Danes this season, alternating between the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 singles spots. Lopez took the first set, 7-5, but then dropped set two 3-6. This created a third set, take-all, scenario. The match went into a tiebreak after a 6-6 stalemate. Lopez took the match, 10-8.
Elsewhere, Kirsten Scott returned from injury to grab her second victory of the season. The sophomore defeated Bella Genkina at the No. 4 spot rather easily, 6-1, 6-2. Bravo, ranked No. 443 by the WTA in 2010, won her match due to injury of her opponent. Angie Dabo clinched the match for Fordham at the No. 3 singles spot. She defeated Hermans, 6-2, 6-3.
“We turned in a good singles performance after dropping the doubles point and nearly got it done against Fordham,” said head coach Gordon Graham. “Santos, Scott and Lopez all won their singles. Lopez’ win was an entertaining match, one of the best UA matches in a long time. The final score shows how much we have improved since our 6-1 loss to them last year.”
The Great Danes will conclude their current four-match roadstand next weekend. They battle Cornell on Saturday in Ithaca, N.Y., match-time set for 9:30 a.m. On Sunday, UAlbany comes home to play Rhode Island at SPORTIME in Schenectady, N.Y. Match-time is set for 11:00 a.m.
UALBANY 0 DARTMOUTH 7 (Saturday, Feb. 23)
Doubles:
1. Okuda-Bessen (D) def. Lopez-Santos (UA) 8-3*
2. Liu-Danosi (D) def. Hermans-Crummey (UA) 8-4
3. Keong-Tan (D) def. Scott-Kukkonen (UA) 8-1
Order of finish: 3,1,2
*= Clinched doubles point for Dartmouth
Singles:
1. Sarah Leonard (D) def. Rocio Lopez (UA) 6-2,6-0
2. Katherine Yah (D) def. Irene Santos (UA) 6-0,6-1
3. Melissa Matsuoka (D) def. Kirsten Scott (UA) 6-0,6-2
4. Suzy Tan (D) def. Mireille Hermans (UA) 6-3,6-2
5. Julienne Keong (D) def. Cat Crummey (UA) 6-1,6-0
6. Christina Danosi (D) def. Sarah Iannone (UA) 6-3,6-4
Order of finish: 2,5,1,3,4,6
$=Clinched match for Dartmouth
Muscles Worked-out While Playing Tennis
Josh Basha on the “Basha Tennis” website has a good article on how tennis helps make us more fit (Click HERE).
Here is a little preview:
While many people tend to think of tennis as an upper-body sport, the truth is that few sports compare to tennis in terms of the number of muscle groups used. Tennis puts almost every muscle group in your body to work, and the amount of energy exerted during a match can easily burn up to 300 calories in 30 minutes.
Working those Legs
Tennis is a great all around cardiovascular workout that helps strengthen muscles in the arms, core, and legs.
Pay attention the next time you play tennis to how often you are actually standing still – chances are, it’s not for more than a few seconds at a time.
Great Core Exercise
Often referred to as your “core” muscles, the muscles in your lower back and stomach are what controls your agility and balance.
The article also has good suggestions for improving your strength and conditioning.
Under the Influence of Women – #9
More from “The Tennis Space” series (excerpted):
No 9: Anastasia Ulikhina (Mikhail Kukushkin).
If Denis Istomin thinks he has a tough balancing act to cope with, spare a thought for Mikhail Kukushkin, a Kazakhstan player who four years ago had the nous, some would say bravery, to hire his girlfriend as his coach. Since they began working together, Anastasia Ulikhina has become Kukushin’s wife and her quiet influence has had a positive effect.
“It’s helped me to improve my game – I improved by 100 spots in the rankings,” Kukushkin said last year. “We have a good relationship and we try to really separate the relationship on the court and outside of the court. The point is to help me to improve my game.
Read more – HERE
from Mikhail Kukushkin’s ATP page (CLICK HERE) :
Began playing tennis at age six with father Alexander who coached him until age 17…Mother, Tatiana…Has one older sister, Ekaterina…Likes to play on hard courts, best shots are ground strokes…Moved to Kazakhstan in 2008…Has no specific goals in terms of rankings or results but just wants to give his best on the court…Likes movies and reading Russian books…Best friends on the tour are Andrey Golubev and Yuri Schukin…Married to coach Anastasiia Kukushkina (November 19, 2011) who he’s worked with since May 2009.
More about Kukushkin and more pictures at “All About Sports Players” Blog (CLICK HERE):
The Aceless Career of Filippo Volandri
Another story from the “Heavy Topspin” Blog
While other players racked up mighty ace totals and remarked on the fast surface in Sao Paulo last week, one man stood alone.
Filippo Volandri played three matches, eventually losing in the quarters toMartin Alund. In his seven sets on court, he hit a grand total of one ace.
In 2010, he went almost twice as long. After managing to send a serve past Pablo Andujar in the qualifying round at Costa do Sauipe in early February, he went aceless in a first-round loss to Pablo Cuevas. He wouldn’t hit another ace for 19 matches, not until he faced Matteo Viola at the Rome Challenger more than two months later.
Read More – HERE
His Web Site: http://filippovolandri.it/eng/index.php
Under the Influence of Women – #10
“The Tennis Space” Blog is posting articles about the 10 most influential women in Men’s Tennis. Klaudiya Istomina comes in at #10. Klaudiya is not only the mother of Denis Istomin, she is his coach. Denis Istomin has racked up some impressive wins in his career, with David Ferrer and Andy Roddick among those to fall victim to his not inconsiderable power. Reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon last summer was his best grand slam performance to date but for as long as he plays, Istomin will go down as one of the few men to have a woman as his coach. Not just any woman, though; Istomin is coached by his mother, Klaudiya Istomina, a former player and one of the few female coaches on the men’s Tour.
A former player and a coach at Istomin’s first club, Istomina’s influence on her son has been hugely positive in terms of his tennis. Last year’s run at Wimbledon helped him to a career-high ranking of 33 and though he’s since dropped to 63, he is still right in there playing the big events and pulling off the occasional big win. Moreover, Istomina was the one who provided him with the motivation to continue playing when, after a car crash at the age of 14 left him with leg injuries that needed three months of hospital treatment, he did not play for two years.
Read more – HERE
Denis Istomin eliminates John Isner
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Denis Istomin took advantage of sluggish play by John Isner to eliminate the third-seeded American 6-4, 6-3 on Tuesday in the U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships.
The victory was Istomin’s first win over a top-20 opponent since he defeated Fernando Verdasco of Spain, then ranked 18th, in the London Olympics last year.
Istomin mauls Hewitt, Dolgopolov gets past Williams
Denis Istomin destroys Lleyton Hewitt during second-round action in Memphis on Thursday. Istomin is joined in the quarterfinals by Alexandr Dolgopolov, who halted Rhyne Williams’ hot streak.
Denis Istomin d. Lleyton Hewitt 6-1, 6-2
http://www.tennistalk.com/en/news/20130222/Istomin_mauls_Hewitt,_Dolgopolov_gets_past_Williams
Tennis has Changed in the Last 30 years
by Paul McElhinney – “Steve G Tennis” Blog
Here are a few excerpts – Read the whole post – HERE
Much less in the game is now left up to chance and fate. Hawkeye technology has improved the quality of line calls. We see fewer histrionics directed at court officials, as players can now appeal to the unequivocal justice of line technology. Umpires are no longer referred to as ‘the pits of the world’ – players now have recourse to a line of authority without our human failings .
In line with greater understanding of the physiological and technical aspects of the game, has been the wider appreciation of the mental aspects. Where so little in terms of technical and physical ability divides players at the top of the game, the focus for competitive advantage is more on mental strength – again, a trend evident across the sporting world. Given the rise of professionalism in the game, any advantages to be gleaned from psychological, attitudinal or spiritual factors are keenly focused on. More is also known now about proper diet, hydration and rest and recovery periods, highlighting the changes over the 30 years.
The rise of the media has also created a more ‘media savvy’ player, more adept at dealing with the media than in earlier eras. Press conferences can often be a minefield for the top players who require good media skills to cope. Public image is increasingly seen as crucial and with the ubiquity of the media now, players must know how to cope with it effectively. TV, You-Tube, Twitter and Facebook now dominate, whereas for most of the 1980’s public, it was limited to BBC1 and 2, a few newspaper tennis columns and a limited number of tennis magazines.
For all these changes, much about the game remains the same. Sets (non-tie break ones) still involve the winner winning six games, umpires still rule the roost from their high chairs and Wimbledon still serves strawberries and cream. Part of the strength of the game is its being able to balance tradition with evolving developments – a game secure in its past and confident about its future.
How Tennis Has Changed Over The Last 30 Years
by Paul McElhinney – “Steve G Tennis” Blog
Here are a few excerpts – Read the whole post – HERE
Much less in the game is now left up to chance and fate. Hawkeye technology has improved the quality of line calls. We see fewer histrionics directed at court officials, as players can now appeal to the unequivocal justice of line technology. Umpires are no longer referred to as ‘the pits of the world’ – players now have recourse to a line of authority without our human failings .
In line with greater understanding of the physiological and technical aspects of the game, has been the wider appreciation of the mental aspects. Where so little in terms of technical and physical ability divides players at the top of the game, the focus for competitive advantage is more on mental strength – again, a trend evident across the sporting world. Given the rise of professionalism in the game, any advantages to be gleaned from psychological, attitudinal or spiritual factors are keenly focused on. More is also known now about proper diet, hydration and rest and recovery periods, highlighting the changes over the 30 years.
The rise of the media has also created a more ‘media savvy’ player, more adept at dealing with the media than in earlier eras. Press conferences can often be a minefield for the top players who require good media skills to cope. Public image is increasingly seen as crucial and with the ubiquity of the media now, players must know how to cope with it effectively. TV, You-Tube, Twitter and Facebook now dominate, whereas for most of the 1980’s public, it was limited to BBC1 and 2, a few newspaper tennis columns and a limited number of tennis magazines.
For all these changes, much about the game remains the same. Sets (non-tie break ones) still involve the winner winning six games, umpires still rule the roost from their high chairs and Wimbledon still serves strawberries and cream. Part of the strength of the game is its being able to balance tradition with evolving developments – a game secure in its past and confident about its future.
DANES DOWN THREE PLAYERS…STILL COME CLOSE TO QUINNIPIAC
(West Point, NY). UAlbany started in a deep hole, down three of their starters and having to give away two matches due to lack of players to put in the lineup. Still they came close to taking this match, much closer than the final score, 6-1, would indicate. Rocio Lopez continued her unbeaten streak in singles with a straight sets win at #1. And the freshman duo of Mireille Hermans-Cat Crummey played perhaps their best doubles of the young season, winning 8-6 at #2 doubles.UALBANY 1 QUINNIPIAC 6
Volunteers Needed
Volunteer Opportunity
Saturday, March 2
9:30am to 5:00pm
Hannaford Kidz Expo at the Empire State Plaza in Albany
The Northern Region is looking for volunteers to help out with a 10 and Under tennis demo at the Hannaford Kidz Expo. Friendly, enthusiastic volunteers are needed to welcome kids and encourage them to have some fun playing tennis using mini nets, foam balls and shorter racquets. Volunteers will give out prizes and distribute information about local tennis programs to the kids. No tennis teaching experience necessary.
Shifts are: 9:30 to noon, noon to 2:30, and 2:30 to 5:00. We’re looking for two volunteers for each shift. If interested, please contact Jenny Irwin at:irwin@eastern.usta.com or 518-369-6380. Thanks!
For Tennis Star – Twitter was Cruel
From the New York Times “Straight Set” Blog comes a story of the cyberbulling of Rebecca Marino of Canada. Rebecca played Venus Williams in the second round of the 2010 U.S. Open. “Now I know what it’s like to play myself,” Williams said of Marino after that match.
Ranked as low as No. 192 a year earlier, Marino climbed quickly, reaching a career high of No. 38 in July 2011.
When she started to lose, there were some very cruel things posted to her Twitter account. “They’ll say, ‘You gave that match away, you cost me such-and-such amount of money, you should go burn in hell,’ or ‘You should go die,’ ” Marino said. “And oh, my gosh, that is really scary.”
Read more – HERE
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