Rafa winding up to let rip at Wimbledon
LONDON: Novak Djokovic looked to have regained his confidence and form just in time for a concerted Wimbledon assault as he carved out an emphatic win over Gael Monfils in the Aegon International grasscourt final at Eastbourne yesterday.
Djokovic once again wrapped up a 6-3, 6-4 victory over the Frenchman he consistently gets the better of to lift the title in his first visit to Devonshire Park without dropping a single set.
The Serb then confirmed on court that his friend, former Croatian player Mario Ancic, would be a new part of his coaching team, along with André Agassi, at Wimbledon which starts tomorrow.
It was only the 30-year old’s second title of a difficult year in which he has struggled for form, faced injuries and split with his long-standing coaching team.
Djokovic, who lifted his 68th career title and his first grasscourt title outside Wimbledon, now heads off to the grand slam in good heart as he seeks a fourth title there.
Meanwhile, Karolina Pliskova gave herself the perfect pre-wimbledon tonic by lifting the women’s title at Eastbourne, defeating Caroline Wozniacki 6-4 6-4 in impressive style in yesterday’s final.
The Czech world No 3 demonstrated once again just why, with her big serves and crushing groundstrokes, she could be the one to beat at Wimbledon over the next fortnight as she annexed her third title of the season.
Denmark’s Wozniacki, the world No 6 who had hoped to regain the title she last won in 2009, held on in game fashion but succumbed to a break of serve in each set and, despite a second set push, could not dent Pliskova’s formidable delivery.
“This feels better,” said the 25-year-old Pliskova on court afterwards, comparing her feeling to the defeat in the same final last year.
Reminded that Jana Novotna had been the last Czech woman to win at Eastbourne before going to triumph at Wimbledon in the same year, she added: “My service is definitely my biggest weapon and if it’s working it causes the other player a lot of problems.
“I’m going to go step-by-step and hopefully I can go far at Wimbledon.” – Reuters
RAFAEL Nadal is adamant that he will not be discouraged by the memory of recent Wimbledon woes as he prepares to follow up his landmark 10th French Open triumph with a third success on the sport’s most storied lawns.
Nadal spurned the chance of a warm-up tournament at Queen’s Club to put less pressure on his body after his exertions at Roland Garros. He opted to fine tune his game in Mallorca instead.
Now, Spain’s two-times champion is determined to improve on a series of shock defeats he has suffered to unheralded opposition at Wimbledon since winning his last title in 2010 and reaching the final the following year.
Nadal lost to Lukas Rosol in the second round in 2012 when struggling with knee problems, Steve Darcis in 2013 (first round), the then new boy Nick Kyrgios in 2014 (fourth round) and Dustin Brown in 2015 (second round) before missing last year with a wrist injury.
Yet he is adamant that the losses have not left a scar.
“My motivation is always high in all the events that I play. If not, I am not playing,” said Nadal, whose victory in Paris took his grand slam total to 15.
“It’s true that what happened with my knees in 2012 was more difficult (but) at the same time, it’s true that in 2014 I played a good event when I lost in the fourth round against Nick. But I had my chances, too.
“After that, last year I couldn’t play (and) 2015 was not my year, of course.
“Let’s see what’s going on this year. I know it’s always difficult. I am excited to be playing again here, in a tournament that I really love. But at the same time I tell you, it’s a tournament that you can go out very early.
“But if I am able to go through at the beginning, I think I am with confidence. I am playing well since the beginning of the season, so let’s see.”
This is somewhat of an understatement from the modest 31-year-old.
Since reaching the Australian Open final at the start of the year, where only a dazzlingly rejuvenated Roger Federer could eclipse him, Nadal has won four clay titles. At times he has looked something near to his rampaging finest.
Nadal confirmed that his coach Carlos Moya would not be attending Wimbledon with him but added that his uncle Toni would be part of his “great team”.
He sounded refreshed by his spell training at home. “It was great,” he said.
“I would love to have been playing in Queen’s, obviously, but after the last three months and after what happened in Roland Garros, we decided that for my body it was better to have a slower change to the grass.”
Meanwhile, fans and pundits are asking, “Can she do it again on grass?” after 20-yearold Jelena Ostapenko upset the established tennis order by winning the French Open last month.
But as the hard-hitting Latvian limbers up for Wimbledon, her near contemporary from Russia, Daria Kasatkina, is staking her own claim to carry the standard for the sport’s next generation.
Both women had a brush with Simona Halep in Paris, Ostapenko beating the thirdseeded Romanian in an unforgettable final while Kasatkina lost in a third-round match that, until nerves apparently intervened, she looked poised to take to a third set.
Born within a month of each other in mid-1997, they also have decent track records at the All England Club.
Kasatkina, whose game relies more on placement and changes of pace than raw power, reached the last 32 in 2016, where she was edged out in three tight sets by eventual semi-finalist Venus Williams.
Ostapenko, who says Wimbledon is her favourite tournament, won the junior title in 2014.
For American Tracy Austin, in the vanguard of the teenage revolution that helped popularise the women’s game in the 1980s, the Latvian’s emergence as a genuine star from among a host of young hopefuls will have come as no surprise. HIGH CEILINGS “So many young kids are used to winning in the juniors and then they come in and they take the hits from the pros. How do they make that transition when they’re losing a little bit more?” Austin said in the run-up to Roland Garros.
“To me, Ostapenko and Kasatkina have very high ceilings and I think it’s exciting for women’s tennis.”
In retaining confidence in her clumping groundstrokes to overpower older and more experienced opponents, the Latvian has leapt across the gap separating the junior from the senior game.
But Austin, who won the first of her two US Opens as a 16-year-old in 1979, identified the same blend of talent and determination she views as a prerequisite for success in the Russian.
Kasatkina won her maiden main tour singles title at the Charleston Open in April, and Austin – working as an analyst for US network Tennis Channel – was there to see every shot.
“Every match had some different element that (Kasatkina) had to deal with. Every match she had to problem-solve,” the American said.
“Sometimes she was aggressive, sometimes she realised it was more beneficial to go back to defence. Sometimes she hit hard, sometimes she chipped and drop-shotted or hit loppy balls.”
That thoughtful approach was good enough to win the final 6-3, 6-1. The Russian’s opponent on that day was Ostapenko – though it seems fair to say the Latvian has come a long way since. – Reuters July 9: Forest 10, Forest Hills Sports Club, Forest Hills. Type: 10km run/walk. Forest Hills Sports Club. Call Dirk Coetzee on 071 610 3860, 031 265 5710 or e-mail dirkc1976@gmail.com July 16: Mathews Meyiwa Half Marathon, Mpumalanga Stadium, Hammarsdale. Type: 21.1km run 10km run/walk. Hammersdale AC. Call Richard Bhengu on 072 880 5731, 031 774 0105 or e-mail mhlengim5@yahoo.com July 18: Durban Runner Mi-way Mizuno Mixed League Time Trial, Westville, Westville Athletic Club. Type: 8km, 4km run/walk. Call Justin Hand on 084 599 5991. July 23: Totalsports Women’s Race. People’s Park, Durban. Type: 10km, 5km run/walk. SAPS Striders. Call Agne du Plessis on 082 517 4799 or e-mail agne@stillwatersports.com July 23: Wasbank Half Marathon, Embizeni High School. Type: 21.1km, 10km run/walk. Wasbank Ac. Call Sifiso Nzuza on 072 450 3481, 033 355 6873, 033 386 8085 or e-mail wasbankac@gmail.com July 1-4: Coca-cola Grand Prix Tennis Tournaments. Age groups: U10, U12, U14, U16 and Open. Time: 8am-5pm. Venue: Westridge Tennis Stadium. Cost: Free for spectators. For more info, e-mail Natalie Grandin at 1stopentry@gmail.com July 5-10: Shospec TSA Series Tennis tournament. Age groups: U10, U12, U14, U16 and Open. Time: 8am-5pm. Venue: Westridge Tennis Stadium. Cost: Free for spectators. For more info, e-mail Natalie Grandin at 1stopentry@gmail.com. July 7: isimangaliso Trail Challenge. Venue: isimangaliso Wetland Park, Sugarloaf Campsite, Lake St Lucia Estuary. Format: The event consists of 3 stages – Stage 1: Full moon beach run, 6km, open to spectators, family and friends not doing the full event. Stage 2: July 8, Maphelane Loop, 37km. Stage 3: July 9, Cape Vidal to Sugarloaf Campsite, Lake St Lucia Estuary, 38km. For more info, go online to kzntrailrunning.co.za July 16: Phezulu Trail Run. Cost: R115-R180. Time: 7am-11am. Tyoe: 5km, 10km, 18km. Registration: 6am. Entry includes one entry into the game reserve, a breakfast roll, one free entry into the reptile park and a 10% shopping discount for the day. Entries limited to 250, thereafter no entries will be accepted. For more info, go online to kzntrailrunning.co.za