Quantcast
nodot nodot
Pro Tennis Showcase
March 30, 2011

Subscribe to Match Reports

Pro Tennis Showcase Archive

Player Profile Index (Men)
Player Profile Index (Women)

Contact Tennis Server

Tennis Server
HOME PAGE

Do You Want To Be A Better Tennis Player?

Then Sign Up For A Free Subscription to the Tennis Server INTERACTIVE
E-mail Newsletter!

Tom Veneziano You will join 13,000 other subscribers in receiving news of updates to the Tennis Server along with monthly tennis tips from tennis pro Tom Veneziano.
 
Best of all, it is free!

Tennis Features Icon TENNIS FEATURES:

TENNIS ANYONE? - USPTA Pro John Mills' quick player tip.
 
TENNIS WARRIOR - Tom Veneziano's Tennis Warrior archive.
 
TURBO TENNIS - Ron Waite turbocharges your tennis game with tennis tips, strategic considerations, training and practice regimens, and mental mindsets and exercises.
 
WILD CARDS - Each month a guest column by a new writer.
 
BETWEEN THE LINES - Ray Bowers takes an analytical and sometimes controversial look at the ATP/WTA professional tour.
 
PRO TENNIS SHOWCASE - Tennis match reports and photography from around the world.
 
TENNIS SET - Jani Macari Pallis, Ph.D. looks at tennis science, engineering and technology.
 
MORTAL TENNIS - Greg Moran's tennis archive on how regular humans can play better tennis.
 
HARDSCRABBLE SCRAMBLE - USPTA pro Mike Whittington's player tip archive.
 
TENNIS EQUIPMENT TIPS.

Tennis Community Icon TENNIS COMMUNITY:


Tennis Book, DVD, and Video Index
 
Tennis Server Match Reports
 
Editor's Letter
 
Become a Tennis Server Sponsor

Explore The Tennis Net Icon EXPLORE THE TENNIS NET:

Tennis News and Live Tennis Scores
 
Tennis Links on the Web
 
nodot
Pro Tennis Showcase Banner
 
Green Dot
 
Tennis Warehouse Logo
 
Green Dot

 
nodot
Sony Ericsson Open 2011, Miami, Florida, USA
March 30, 2011
Editorial by Jane Voigt.


 

Jane Voigt Photo
Jane Voigt

Live or Electronic
 
March 30, 2011 -- We are all voyeurs at times. Take notice the next time you sit in a movie theatre or in front of your home entertainment center. As you sink in the cozy chair, your senses directed at the screen, the plot, dialogue, and graphics explode like fireworks, enthralling you while the world outside melts away.
 
Following a tennis match is much the same as watching a movie, baseball game, or soccer. We concentrate on the tennis ball and the players, plus, at times, the sights and sounds that envelope the setting.
 
If you're with the media, though, those obvious observations can seem as far away as Pluto if you sit at a computer much of the day, and stare at a screen, or at the brand new HD Sony Bravia TVs right above the workstations. It's like being in the front row of an iMax theater. And it's all yours, at least for the week.
 
To make things more enticing, live feeds stream in from Stadium Court, Grandstand Court, plus Courts one and two, stats compiled alongside the games. The enchantment can mesmerize you, if only for a bright spot in your mind that diverts your eyes. Right there. The courts are right there. It's sunny outside.
 
Then, you have to pause... ask why watch a live match when you can watch four matches at once here in comfort at a homelike workstation?
 
Here's why.
 
Between points and at changeovers, you can watch egrets and grey herons float on the wind. And, perhaps, the red-faced vultures that soared over David Ferrer and Mardy Fish late this afternoon portended the Spaniard's demise, as he lost to the American 75 62 to the surprise of many. Could Fish win the title? He hasn't dropped a set all week.
 
You can hear the balls hit the strings, too. After a time you can train your ears to hear the differences between tight and loose string tensions. The sounds add dimension. Your whole horizon expands. It's like hot fudge on ice cream for your senses.
 
Victoria Azarenka and Kim Clijsters, vying for a spot in the women's semifinals, battered the ball with intensity tonight. The thwack of Azarenka's shots made hearts race and hopes rise. Clijsters' foot speed couldn't keep up. She hit the balls late and flat. The subtlety of the timing couldn't be seen on television.
 
You can see the speed of the ball. Geez! What an awesome sight. Forehand drives rattle your nerves. Loopy shots relax you. Slices evoke art. Drop shots elicit gasps. Both Azarenka and Clijsters used the droppers. One drop shot seemed to follow another. Clijsters dropped one on Azarenka, and then she paid back the favor. Tit for tat.
 
You can see tiny gestures. Yesterday, as Ana Ivanovic served for the match, she attempted a swinging backhand volley and missed badly. She twirled around and stuck out her tongue in disgust. Bet that was a highlight of someone's dinner conversation.
 
Azarenka and Clijsters acted so coolheaded this evening, though. Neither player revealed much, although Clijsters had to have been frustrated with eight double faults in two sets, two losing sets... her first loss to the Belarusian Azarenka, 63 63.
 
"Mentally I just kind of feel like I didn't have any fighting spirit," Kim said somewhat dejected. "It's obviously tough against someone like her."
 
You can also eavesdrop on fans and learn about human nature if they aren't enraptured with their iPhone or Droid or any number of hand-held distraction devices. They unpack lunches, too, and munch on popcorn, and drink lemonade through straws.
 
Fans were quiet tonight, roused only when Kim gave signs of a comeback. Could she do it two nights in a row? "We love you Kim," someone yelled. "You can do it," another said. The mics from ESPN2 didn't pick those up.
 
But they did pick up the singsong sounds from Azarenka that starts the moment she strikes a ball and travels across the net to the strings on Clijsters racquet. It's the longest rally cry on tour, and a bit high-pitched.
 
Close out the world or let it in. That's the choice.
 
Thumps, thuds, pops, and the mysterious whisper of a slice serve, or massive quantities of information on flat-screens?
 
Rafael Nadal's Babolat racquet is strung at 57 pounds (crosses and mains) with 15 gauge Babolat RPM Blast. It produces a different timbre than Roger Federer's Wilson racquet strung at 52 pounds (crosses and mains) with 16 gauge Luxilon Rough and natural gut. Stick around courtside long enough and you'll learn to hear it and know what it means to an opponent.
 

 

 
[14] Mardy Fish (USA) d [6] David Ferrer (ESP) {orange shirt} 75 62
 
Mardy Fish 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Mardy Fish 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
David Ferrer 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
David Ferrer 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
David Ferrer 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
David Ferrer 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Mardy Fish 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Mardy Fish 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Mardy Fish 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Mardy Fish 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
David Ferrer 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
David Ferrer 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
David Ferrer 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Mardy Fish 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Mardy Fish 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Mardy Fish 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis

 
 
[8] Victoria Azarenka (BLR) {blue headband} d [2] Kim Clijsters (BEL) 63 63
 
Kim Clijsters 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Victoria Azarenka 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Victoria Azarenka 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Kim Clijsters 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Kim Clijsters 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Kim Clijsters 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Kim Clijsters 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Victoria Azarenka 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Victoria Azarenka 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Victoria Azarenka 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis

 
 
[2] Novak Djokovic (SRB) d Kevin Anderson (RSA) {white shirt} 64 62
 
Novak Djokovic 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Novak Djokovic 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Novak Djokovic 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Kevin Anderson 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Kevin Anderson 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Kevin Anderson 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Novak Djokovic 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Novak Djokovic 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis

 
 
[3] Vera Zvonareva (RUS) d [9] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) {white skirt} 75 63
 
Vera Zvonareva 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Agnieszka Radwanska 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Vera Zvonareva 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Vera Zvonareva 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Agnieszka Radwanska 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Agnieszka Radwanska 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Vera Zvonareva 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Vera Zvonareva 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Agnieszka Radwanska 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Vera Zvonareva 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Vera Zvonareva 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Vera Zvonareva 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Agnieszka Radwanska 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Vera Zvonareva 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Vera Zvonareva 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis
Vera Zvonareva 2011 Sony Ericsson Open Tennis

 
Earlier Columns from this Event:
 
March 29, 2011 Sony Ericsson Open: Coming Up, Coming Back
March 28, 2011 Sony Ericsson Open: The Grand Slam of South America
March 27, 2011 Sony Ericsson Open: Is Bigger Better?
 

Green DotGreen DotGreen Dot

Player Profile Index (Men) | Pro Tennis Showcase Archive | Player Profile Index (Women)

SUBSCRIBE TO THE TENNIS SERVER PHOTO FEED

join our mailing list
* indicates required

All Tennis Server photography is copyrighted by the photographer and/or the Tennis Server, and all rights are reserved. You may not copy these images without permission. While you are welcome to create hyperlinks to Tennis Server web pages, you may not embed these images into other web pages or blogs without permission. To request permission, please use this contact form. Please be sure to clearly indicate exactly which photograph(s) you are requesting permission to use, as terms and conditions will vary depending on the photographer and the photograph.


 

nodot
nodot
Google
Web tennisserver.com
nodot nodot
The Tennis Server
Ticket Exchange

Your Source for tickets to professional tennis & golf events.
 
SAI Team Tennis Tournament Tickets
 
Dallas Open Tickets
 
Delray Beach Open Tickets
 
ATX Open Tickets
 
BNP Paribas Open Tickets
 
Miami Open Tickets
 
Credit One Charleston Open Tickets
 
US Men's Clay Court Championships Tickets
 
Wimbledon Tickets
 
Infosys Hall of Fame Open Tickets
 
Atlanta Open Tickets
 
Mubadala Citi Open Tennis Tournament Tickets
 
National Bank Open Women's Tennis Canada Tickets
 
National Bank Open Men's Tennis Canada Tickets
 
Western & Southern Open Tickets
 
Winston-Salem Open Tickets
 
US Open Tennis Championship Tickets
 

 

Popular Tennis books:
 
Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis-Lessons from a Master by Brad Gilbert, Steve Jamison
 
The Best Tennis of Your Life: 50 Mental Strategies for Fearless Performance by Jeff Greenwald
 
The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey
 
Most Recent Articles:
 
October 2022 Tennis Anyone: Patterns in Doubles by John Mills.
 
September 2022 Tennis Anyone: Short Court by John Mills.
 

 

 

 

"Tennis Server" is a registered trademark and "Tennis Server INTERACTIVE" is a trademark of Tennis Server. All original material and graphics on the Tennis Server are copyrighted 1994 - by Tennis Server and its sponsors and contributors. Please do not reproduce without permission.

The Tennis Server receives a commission on all items sold through links to Amazon.com.

 

Tennis Server
Cliff Kurtzman
Editor-in-chief
791 Price Street #144
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
Phone: (281) 480-6300
Online Contact Form
How to support Tennis Server as a Sponsor/Advertiser
Tennis Server Privacy Policy