Novak Djokovic Loses in Olympics Men’s Semifinal

Novak Djokovic had been playing well all year until losing to Alexander Zverev of Germany.
Credit…Mike Segar/Reuters

Novak Djokovic’s dream of a Golden Slam is over.

Alexander Zverev of Germany stormed back from a set and a service break down to beat Djokovic, the world’s No. 1 ranked men’s player, 1-6, 6-3, 6-1, in the semifinal of the Olympic tournament.

Djokovic was attempting to win all four Grand Slam tournaments and the Olympic gold medal in a calendar year. He had won the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon and came to Tokyo looking for the fourth jewel. The United States Open takes place at the end of the summer.

Djokovic appeared to be on cruise control when be broke Zverev’s serve to get to within three games of the match in the second set. Zverev swatted a ball through the stadium roof in frustration and looked destined to meet with a quick end like Djokovic’s first four victims in Tokyo. He had not lost a set at the Olympics and said he was getting better with each match.

But with little to lose, Zverev began unleashing his booming serve and setting up a crushing forehand to take control of the match, just as Djokovic started inexplicably spraying his shots off the court.

Zverev said he felt that even though he was down in the match he did not feel like he was playing poorly. Rather, he was playing Djokovic’s game, getting into rallies with him instead of swinging through the ball and using his superior power to control the points.

With the flick of a switch, Zverev had Djokovic on his heels, pushing him farther and farther into the back of the court.

Djokovic tried to slow Zverev’s momentum with a long bathroom break between the second and third set, as he has done in tense moments in the past, but it didn’t work, and in the two-of-three set format he did not have the cushion afforded by the format of three-of-five set matches at Grand Slam tournaments.

After Zverev reeled off seven consecutive games with seeming ease, sprinting to 4-0 lead in the deciding set, Djokovic faced a mountain too difficult even for a player who had already staged several stunning comebacks in the first three Grand Slams this year.

As a final insult, Zverev broke Djokovic’s serve for a third time in the last set to take the match. He grabbed his face in disbelief and embraced the Serbian champion at the net when it was over, then stared at the sky wondering what had just happened.

“I was thinking that I had a medal for Germany and this is probably the proudest moment of my career,” Zverev said. “The Olympics is the biggest sporting event in the world.”

Zverev said as he embraced Djokovic at the net, he had nothing but praise for the player who has 20 Grand Slam titles and had a 6-2 record against him entering the match. He told him that he would go down as the greatest player in the history of the sport, that he would win the most Grand Slams, and the most Masters titles and spend more weeks as the top player in the world than anyone.

“I knew he was chasing a Golden Slam but you can’t win everything,” Zverev said. “I told him he was the greatest player of all time, but I’m sorry.”

Djokovic skipped the post-match press availability to cool off and prepare for his mixed doubles semifinal with Nina Stojanovic, which was scheduled for Friday night. He is scheduled to play Pablo Carreño Busta in the bronze medal match on Saturday.

source: New York Times

The Best Sport for a Longer Life? Try Tennis.

Playing tennis and other sports that are social might add years to your life, according to a new epidemiological study of Danish men and women.

NYT: How Walking Can Build Up the Brain

How Walking, Dancing, Tennis Can Build Up the Brain

Exercise can freshen and renovate the white matter in our brains, potentially improving our ability to think and remember as we age, according to a new study of walking, dancing (tennis) and brain health.

It shows that white matter, which connects and supports the cells in our brains, remodels itself when people become more physically active. In those who remain sedentary, on the other hand, white…

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Face mask rules | NSW Government

When to wear a face mask

There are rules for wearing a fitted face covering (face mask)

You do not need to wear a face mask when you are

  • in your home on your own
  • in your home with other people you live with, except if someone in your household is self-isolating
  • travelling in a vehicle (car) by yourself or with other people you live with.

Public transport

You must wear a face mask in NSW when

  • using public transport, hire vehicles, taxis and rideshare services
  • waiting for public transport at a bus or light rail stop, train station or ferry wharf.

Residential buildings: Greater Sydney

From Tuesday 13 July 2021, in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour, residents, staff and visitors must wear a fitted face mask in indoors area of common property in residential buildings.

You do not need to wear a mask inside your own apartment.

Find out more about the Greater Sydney rules for wearing a face mask in a residential building.

Non-residential indoor areas

You must wear a fitted face mask when you are in an indoor area of a non-residential premises in NSW.

Examples of the areas where a face mask must be worn are

  • retail or business premises that provide goods or services to members of the public who attend the premises, including
    • supermarkets
    • shopping centres (excluding an indoor recreation facility in a shopping centre)
    • bank branches and post offices
    • hairdressing, nail, beauty, tanning and waxing salons
    • spas, tattoo parlours and massage parlours
    • betting agencies
  • indoor areas on common property of a strata titled, community titled, or company titled building

  • indoor areas of construction sites

  • any part of a licensed premises that is used for the purposes of gaming, and gaming lounges

  • places of public worship being used for public worship or religious services
  • residential aged care facilities
  • indoor areas of schools by all staff and students from Year 7 and above in Greater Sydney (outside Greater Sydney, masks are recommendedindoors for all staff and students from Year 7 and above) – some exemptions apply
  • workplaces
  • gym classes or dance classes
  • COVID-19 Safe outdoor gatherings
  • controlled outdoor gatherings
  • entertainment facilities (such as theatres, cinemas, music and concert halls)
  • major recreation facilities (such as stadiums, showgrounds, theme parks, racecourses, and motor racing tracks)
  • indoor recreation facilities (unless it is strenuous exercise).

You must wear a face mask if you

  • work at a hospitality venue located in NSW and
  • deal directly with members of the public.

Premises that are used for the purpose of providing health services are not retail or business premises.

Airports and commercial domestic flights

Face mask rules apply to airports and commercial domestic flights across NSW. 

You must wear a face mask when

  • indoors at a NSW airport, including the passenger waiting area and
  • during a domestic commercial flight when it is
    • landing or taking off from a NSW airport or
    • flying in NSW airspace.

www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/rules/face-mask-rules

 

Tennis at the Tokyo Olympics

The Olympic tennis tournament will be missing some of the sport’s bigger names this year, but there’s still plenty of star power to go around in Tokyo. Tennis’s best-known players have often shined at the Olympics — past gold medalists in singles include Steffi Graf, Jennifer Capriati, Venus Williams and Serena Williams on the women’s side, and Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray on the men’s side.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • What is the Olympic tennis format?
  • When is the Olympic tennis tournament?
  • Where will the Olympic tennis tournament take place?
  • Who are the top players competing in Olympic tennis?
  • What type of courts are used in Olympic tennis?
  • Who are the defending gold medalists?

What is the Olympic tennis format?

The men’s and women’s singles medals will be decided by a 64-player, single-elimination tournament. Doubles will feature 32 teams and mixed doubles 16 teams.

All four players or teams to reach the semifinals will compete for medals, with the two semifinal losers playing for bronze and the winners playing for gold (or silver).

Sixteen of the 64 players in singles are seeded based on international rankings, while eight of 32 are seeded in doubles. When possible, no two players from the same country are placed in the same quarter of the draw.

All matches are best-of-three sets. All singles matches will feature a standard tiebreaker (first to seven points) in every set. In doubles, if the teams split the first two sets then the third set will consist entirely of a first-to-10-points tiebreaker.

When is the Olympic tennis tournament?

Olympic tennis begins Friday, June 23, with first-round matches in men’s and women’s singles and men’s and women’s doubles. The complete schedule can be found here. The gold medal matches for each tournament are as follows. All times Eastern.

Men’s doubles: Friday, July 30, 4:30 a.m.

Women’s singles: Saturday, July 31, 5 a.m.

Read more

ITF Seniors World Championships Rescheduled to Aug 29 – Sept 11, 2021

International Tennis Federation
Press Release: March 22, 2021

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The ITF has today confirmed, following consultation with the Croatian Seniors Tennis Association (host organiser) and other tournament stakeholders, that the 2021 ITF Seniors (50-55-60) World Championships in Umag, Croatia, originally scheduled to take place from 6-19 June 2021, will now be played from Sunday 29 August to Saturday 11 September. The event will remain in Umag, with the Team event running from 29 August – 3 September, before the Individual event from 4-11 September.

The ITF Seniors Committee has taken this decision in light of the ongoing situation, globally and in Croatia, with significant travel restrictions remaining in place for many nations and regions. At this time, too much uncertainty remains to allow participants to make the necessary arrangements for an event of this scale in June.  The health and safety of everyone involved remains the foremost priority.

The rescheduled Seniors World Championships will immediately proceed the ITF Young Seniors World Championships which begin on 12 September.  The ITF Young Seniors World Team and Individual Championships remain scheduled to take place in Umag from 12-25 September as well as the Super Seniors World Team and Individual Championships on Mallorca, Spain from 10-23 October 2021.

Players and teams are advised not to book any travel or accommodation until the tournament fact sheets have been published, approximately 4 months prior to the event.

U.S. tennis participation surges in 2020, Physical Activity Council (PAC) report

USTA National
March 2021
This article was originally published on USTA.com, February 11, 2021

Tennis is the perfect social-distancing sport—and the numbers continue to prove it.

Tennis participation in the U.S. increased by 22% in 2020, with 21.64 million people hitting the courts, according to recent data from the Physical Activity Council’s Participation (PAC) report produced by Sports Marketing Surveys. The survey and report monitor more than 120 different sports and activities participated in by Americans.

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Of the more than 21 million Americans saying they played tennis last year, 6.78 million were either new or returning/lapsed players. Nearly 3 million of those were first-time players, a 44% increase over new players in 2019. Additionally, the 3.82 million Americans who returned to the sport after time away was a 40% increase over the same measure in 2019.

“We are thrilled that so many new and existing players came back to the sport—especially in what was such a challenging year for so many people,” said Mike Dowse, USTA Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director. “These new participation numbers are a testament to the hard work, passion and commitment of a united industry that worked together to ensure that tennis not only survived, but that it thrived.

“Even though we continue to face challenges, it’s evident that many people recognize tennis as the ideal social-distancing sport, which puts it in a great position to continue to grow and allow people to stay active and social in a healthy and safe manner.”

In addition to the increase in participation highlighted in the PAC report, the Tennis Industry Association—the trade association that assists in monitoring the entire U.S. tennis industry—reported that racquet sales in the entry-level category have seen significant year on year growth of nearly 40%.

With its inherent social distancing, along with many other health benefits, tennis continues to show strength in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. To that end, the USTA—with input from the USTA Medical Advisory Group—established in 2020 a series of recommendations and guidelines on how to play tennis safely for both players and facilities. Additionally, a recent study, which analyzed the surface of balls used in various sports, showed that tennis balls used during normal play are unlikely to put players at risk of developing COVID-19.

Tennis’ positive health impacts are well documented, and have recently been further highlighted by one of the largest sport-specific studies to date. The study, published in the July 2020 edition of the Journal of Medicine and Science in Tennis, showed that those who play the sport have higher general, physical, social and mental health scores than the general population.

“We are excited to see these positive trends and such significant growth in our sport,” said Craig Morris USTA Chief Executive, Community Tennis. “We are energized to continue putting forward key industry partnerships and quality programming to ensure new and existing players of all ages and abilities have the best experience playing the sport for a lifetime.”

 In order to capitalize on the momentum surrounding participation, the USTA collaborated with leading manufacturers and mass retailers to include a “Net Generation” hangtag on over 400,000 youth racquets sold by various mass sporting goods and tennis retailers across the U.S. Beginning in early Q2, the hangtags will include information about Net Generation, the official youth tennis brand of the USTA, via a QR code announcing local play opportunities and access to the free youth USTA membership, all aimed at making it easier for kids to get into the game.

After fulfilling more than $10 million in funding to combat the pandemic in 2020, the USTA will continue to provide resources to certified providers and facilities across the country to ensure new and existing tennis players have access to quality programming that is safe and fun.

Each year the Physical Activity Council conducts the largest single-source research study of sports, recreation, and leisure activity participation in the nation. The PAC is made up of eight of the leading sports and manufacturer associations that are dedicated to growing participation in their respective sports and activities. To download the recent PAC report, please visit the council’s official website.

Rafael Nadal Routs Novak Djokovic at French Open to Catch Roger Federer

Rafael Nadal won his 20th Grand Slam men’s singles championship to tie Roger Federer’s record. It was Nadal’s 13th title at the French Open.

Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic in the French Open final on Sunday to tie Roger Federer with 20 Grand Slam singles championships.

New York Times: Christopher Clarey

Neither Novak Djokovic nor Roger Federer could resist Rafael Nadal on Sunday.

Nadal made astonishingly quick work of them both in the French Open final, overwhelming Djokovic, the world’s No. 1 player, 6-0, 6-2, 7-5, to equal Federer’s record of 20 Grand Slam singles titles.

It was quite possibly Nadal’s finest performance at Roland Garros, which sounds like a reach considering that he had already won 12 Grand Slam singles title on the same rectangle of red clay.

But there was nothing unlucky about No. 13. He was on target from the opening game, breaking Djokovic’s serve under the closed roof at the Philippe Chatrier Court. Nadal, 34 years old but still an irresistible force, ripped groundstrokes with depth and purpose, hunted down drop shots, read Djokovic’s mind and serve and kept his unforced errors to a strict minimum. He made just two in the opening set — one of those on the opening point — and 14 in the match, giving his more erratic and increasingly edgy rival little time or space to find his mojo.

Djokovic, the 2016 French Open champion, is one of only two men to beat Nadal at Roland Garros. He had defeated Nadal in their last three Grand Slam matches against each other.

The most recent of those came at the 2019 Australian Open final, where Djokovic overwhelmed Nadal, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3, in what Djokovic still maintains was the finest performance of his career.

But that rout took place on a hardcourt, Djokovic’s best surface, at the major tournament he has won most often. Sunday’s payback came in Nadal’s kingdom.

Read more –>

Boris Becker denies criminal bankruptcy claims in London

LONDON (AP) — Former tennis star Boris Becker appeared in a London court Thursday, pleading not guilty to a string of criminal charges related to his bankruptcy case.

Becker, who was declared bankrupt in June 2017, is accused of not complying with orders to disclose financial information and hiding properties in the U.K. and Germany from his bankruptcy trustees.

The 52-year-old faces seven years in jail if convicted.

Becker stood in the dock at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday and denied 19 charges of failing to disclose money, property and debt between May and June 2017.

 

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Original 9 trailblazers stood for tennis equality in 1970

 

 

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In this Sept. 23, 1970, photo provided the Houston Library, tennis players hold up $1 bills after signing a contract with World Tennis magazine publisher Gladys Heldman to turn pro and start the Virginia Slims tennis circuit. From left standing are: Valerie Ziegenfuss, Billie Jean King, Nancy Richey and Peaches Bartkowicz. From left seated are: Judy Tegart Dalton, Kerry Melville Reid, Rosie Casals, Gladys Heldman and Kristy Pigeon. Gladys Heldman replaced her daughter, Julie Heldman, who was injured and unable to pose for the 1970 photo. It’s the 50th anniversary of Billie Jean King and eight other women breaking away from the tennis establishment in 1970 and signing a $1 contract to form the Virginia Slims circuit. That led to the WTA Tour, which offers millions in prize money. (Bela Ugrin/Courtesy Houston Library via AP)

 

NEW YORK (AP) — Billie Jean King and eight other women of the “Original 9” are celebrating the 50th anniversary of signing $1 contracts and breaking away from the U.S. tennis establishment to form the Virginia Slims circuit in 1970. It helped launch the WTA Tour, which now offers millions in global prize money.

Promoters were offering fewer tournaments and substantially less prize money for the women. They were galvanized when former player and promoter Jack Kramer announced the Pacific Southwest Open in Los Angeles would pay $12,500 to the men’s champion and $1,500 to the women’s champion.

apnews.com/article/new-york-billie-jean-king-virginia-us-open-tennis-championships-wimbledon-ec4f2a1684a5efd286cbfb31a7611764

 

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Paire says he played in Hamburg despite testing positive for COVID-19

Frenchman Benoit Paire said on Wednesday that he was allowed to play in the Hamburg Open despite testing positive for COVID-19 because the “rules are different” in Germany.

Paire, who caused a storm at the US Open last month when he was forced to pull out of the grand slam after testing positive for COVID-19, said he returned a positive test again on his arrival in Germany but was told he was no longer contagious.

Paire played Norwegian Casper Ruud in his first round match but retired in the second set when he was down 6-4, 2-0.

“When I arrived, the test came back positive again,” Paire, who also played in the Rome Masters last week, told reporters. “I can’t take it anymore, I’m breaking.

And then I’m told, in Germany, if you are positive and have already completed the quarantine [period], they no longer test the players because even if you catch it again, you are no longer contagious.

“I said ‘thank you’ to the doctor and the tournament [organisers] for allowing me to play … In Paris, some are negative but since the coach tested positive, they cannot play. Here, in Germany, you test positive and you can still play.”

Benoit Paire in action in Hamburg.
Benoit Paire in action in Hamburg.CREDIT:AP

Six players in the French Open men’s and women’s qualifying draw were withdrawn this week after either testing positive for COVID-19 or after coming in close contact with a coach who tested positive.

Paire added that he fears he will be withdrawn from the French Open after a doctor in France told him there was a 50 per cent chance he would test positive when he arrives in Paris.

The French Open begins on Sunday.

Reuters