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Lynn Welch- Gold Badge ITF Chair Umpire |
By Howie Burnett
I first met Lynn Welch when we were both playing in a Pro-Am mixed doubles tournament at the beautiful York Country Club in York Maine. My first impression was Wow I feel like I’m playing against Bille Jean King!" She had racket skills and movement around the court that most tennis players just dream of. Serving and volleying- chipping and charging- a top spin lob here a feathery drop there,she had it all!
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Asian Women in Professional Tennis |
By Andre Chris. Smith, 10 NIS 4 ALL
As we continue to look at the development of the Asian tennis player we look at one particular player; Zheng Jie. Our continuation into the Asian tennis development has brought us to a player from Sichuan Province of China. A place that overcame the devastation of an earthquake in 2008 with the help of people like Zheng Jie. She donated her winnings from Wimbledon to help her hometown.
Zheng Jie was born July 5, 1983 in Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China. She played her first professional tournament in 2000 and turned pro in 2003. Three years later she became the first Chinese player to win a Wimbledon title in 2006. A year later in 2007 she injured her ankle in the French Open to sit her out for the rest of the year.
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Growth of Tennis in Japan: The Development of the Player |
By Andre Chris Smith, 10 NIS 4 ALL
As we come to the end of Wimbledon in London and go into the beginning of the US Open Series in the United States we look at two players that have come across our tennis radar screen with a surprise. Go Soeda and Kei Nishikori both players from Japan and both different style of players. As we watch the European players dominate our ATP (Men) Circuit and the WTA (Women) Circuit we notice on the baseline the Asian players moving in to the spotlight.
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Rajeev Ram: A Dream That Came True |
By Andre Chris. Smith, 10 NIS 4 ALL
With the US Open Series in full swing and the Atlanta Tennis Championship behind us we look at one of the winners of the doubles finalists: Rajeev Ram. Completing the first tournament in the US Open Series with a win in the Round of 32 to Karol Beck of 6-4, 7-6(4) only to lose to Andy Roddick in the Round of 16 at 1-6, 7-6(1), 3-6. Rajeev Ram came back in the doubles with is partner Scott Lipsky to win the finals against Rohan Bopanna/Kristof Vliegen 6-3, 6-7(4), 12-10 to be crowned the winner of the Atlanta Tennis Championship and making the return of the tournament to Atlanta, Georgia a memorable one for not only the fans, but also to himself.
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Doubles- Be willing to lower the boom |
By Howie Burnett
The tactical goal in a doubles match is to gain control of the front court and to then strike the ball decisively downward or angle the ball out of the opponents reach to win the point.
When I watch 3.0 and 3.5 players play doubles I often see that level player work hard to get good position at the net and then be unwilling to be decisive with the potential put away shot.
Being conservative from the back court and solidly consistent through the mid court transition zone is a wonderful attribute for a doubles player, but when you have worked your way into the kill zone near the net you must — I repeat — must be willing to lower the boom to win the point.
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Tennis is a game of emergencies! |
By Howie Burnett
A commonly understood philosophy among emergency responders (Police, Fire, and EMT personnel) is that one generally won’t rise to the occasion, but will actually fall to the level of their training.
Tennis is a game of emergencies!
Your opponent, if they are at all skilled, will try their level best to present you with situations that surprise you and/or unbalance you, in their effort to win points.
Only the skills and responses that are fully integrated through purposeful and focused repetition are the skills and responses that are to be depended upon in a tennis match.
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