Rust Showing for Men's Seeds on First Day of Aussie Open

The Australian Open kicked off Monday and true to its tradition surprises are frequent. Del Potro struggled in the first set before waking up and battling to a four set win over Mannarino. This match was up in the air even in the fourth set. Tomas Berdych lost the second set before pulling out a four set win over Albert Ramos. Fernando Verdasco was not so lucky. He started fast up 2 sets to love but succumbed to Bernard Tomic's variety of pace and shots in five sets.

The Aussie Open is the first slam and starts on the third week of the season. The timing of it makes it interesting. The training players have done in the offseason, as short as it is, is clearly revealed in the heat of the Australian summer. While no one has retired at the writing of this sentence you can bet the retirements are sure to come, maybe even in Day 1 (after writing this several players did retire).

Agassi used the off season to train hard and prepare for the Aussie Open. This enabled him to outlast and outperform his opponents to the count of four Australian Open championships. Rafa Nadal recently has dominated the Open, partially due to his dedication to training and being ready for the start of the season.

The court and the heat play a role in the surprises. The court is a slower hard court which levels the playing fields - not allowing the top players to dominate as much with a big serve or forehand.

Another issue, however, is that players don't have as much match play and so don't come into the Open feeling match tough. Basically, players have little recent experience being put in pressure situations and working their way out of them. Because of this you will see wild swings in momentum, and just plain performance catastrophes. 

Give credit to Mardy Fish. He had a tough match against Gilles Muller. Fish's workmanlike attitude and trust in his conditioning and game allowed him to work through very few rough patches of tennis and finish off Muller in straight sets.

It is important in the heat of Melbourne to get through matches as fast as possible. Otherwise, the heat can take your legs and eventually get to you late in week 1 or in week 2. Del Potro, Tomic, and Berdych will be looking for a quicker win in the second round, but must beware of rushing things. Take care of your business on court today or there is no tomorrow!

Four Steps for Improving Your Coaching in 2012: PTR TennisPro Magazine

Coaches, in the latest TennisPro Magazine I present in the lead article how you can improve your coaching by reflecting on 2011 and making plans to improve in 2012. You can check it out by clicking this link. This article is available with permission of the Professional Tennis Registry.

Looking Back to Move Forward: Four Steps for Improving your Coaching in 2012

Don't forget to check out the resource page for more useful resources.

Australian Open Blog Starting January 16

The 2012 Australian Open qualifying has started and Sunday night here in the United States the first round of the main singles draws will begin. I will be watching and blogging about key match-ups during the two weeks of the Aussie Open. Keep coming back for the latest on the mental game happening in Melbourne!

2012 ATP Tour Preview: The Top 4 Battle to Gain a Mental Edge

Alright. Professional tennis is back. I missed it for the less than two months it was on break. If you are like me it is truly interesting to see the story lines of a season play out. Last year the big story on the ATP Tour obviously was Novak Djokovic's impressive run of wins and just unbelievable season. On the WTA Tour maybe the most interesting story was the three new grand slam champions that emerged in 2011. I think in many ways you will see more of the same in 2012.

Regarding the ATP Tour - the top 4 are the top 4. Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Murray have set themselves above the competition. And, while Tsonga, Berdych, Ferrer and Fish to name a few had their moments where they challenged the top 4, in the Slams the top 4 were still dominating. For me the most interesting questions on the ATP tour are this:

Who will step out of the top 4 men to gain an edge this year? 

It is like a horse race with Nadal edging in front in 2010, then Djokovic grabbing the lead in 2011. And, a late surge by Federer has him poised to challenge Nadal and Djokovic. Which of these guys will go back to the practice court and find a way to get better at some atmospheric level? Djokovic clearly found the edge on Nadal in 2011 by improving his serve and getting his groundstrokes to such a level that he can dominate anyone from the baseline.

The big question for Nadal, can he overcome a string of losses to Djokovic and regain his air of dominance? Losing the #1 ranking, Wimbledon and the US Open to Djokovic had to sting Rafa. However, what do we know about Rafa? He will find a solution to the Djokovic block and battle back. I would expect Rafa to win at least one slam, if not two. My prediction is that he will end 2012 with the #1 ranking. The key is his health. For sure winning the Davis Cup has prepared him for 2012.

Will Novak follow up his unbelievable 2011 with an impressive 2012? I think he will. His game is solid and isn't going anywhere. He wins at least one slam, if not two. For sure he is my favorite at the Australian Open. He seems to have a mental edge on the other top 3 players and I think his self belief pulls him through tough moments. Djokovic has a massive amount of points to defend which can be a burden especially when you drop some along the way. It will be important for Novak to stay focused on the big picture and not get hung up on some losses that did not happen in 2011. Adding the Olympics to the calendar in July makes 2012 a very demanding schedule. Djokovic will have to accept losing some matches to win the big ones. It seems unrealistic that anyone can dominate as Djokovic but who knows. It is probably foolish to doubt Djokovic based on what he has exhibited in the past 12 months.

What about Fed? Can he win another slam? I think he can. He proved that in any given match he can raise his game to a level that is good enough to beat anyone. Remember his French Open win over Djokovic? Recently in the slams Roger has seem poised to make another run but he was unable to breakthrough. To me the Wimbledon loss to Tsonga after being up to 2 sets to love had to be disheartening. So, it was great to see Fed finish the season strong. With the clock ticking on his career, and the Olympics looming, 2012 shapes up to be a long season for Roger and it will be interesting to see if he can peak and play his best tennis this summer. The pressure will be there for Roger to win the Olympics and another Wimbledon so he will have to learn from some tough losses last year, and he will. An aggressive Federer will be a very dangerous player.

And, what about Andy Murray? Is 2012 the year Murray breaks through and wins his first slam? I think it is very possible, especially if Murray, like Novak did prior to the 2011 season, finds ways to fine tune and amp up his game. Can you imagine an Andy Murray-Roger Federer Wimbledon final or Olympic Gold Medal Match? Wow, what an amazing situation that would be. However, Murray has to find a way to play his best tennis in big matches. Being 0-for in grand slam finals probably has become a huge burden. Especially the way that Murray lost the three finals, being negative and really struggling to compete with Fed or Djokovic. A positive mindset based on the belief that his game is built to win a grand slam is a must for Murray. He will have to push aside the distractions of being the British hope and not having fulfilled lofty expectations. The responsibility is now on his new coach Ivan Lendl to find a way to get Andy to the next level (he knows a thing or two about mental toughness for sure). The time is now for Murray to get his first, but it will take great perseverance and positive belief. You do not beat Federer, Djokovic or Nadal in a slam final without great confidence. With Lendl in his camp I think Murray is back in a slam final and this time wins.

Will anyone outside the Top 4 win a Slam?

I am also very interested to see who can crack the top 4. But, to answer the question I think it is unlikely anyone will break the Top 4 and win a slam. All four are seriously motivated and have something to prove.
If I had to choose my favorite to do so though it would be Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. However, can Tsonga display consistency throughout the season and for two weeks at a Slam to breakthrough? I think Tsonga is a real threat at the Aussie. This is the guy that can break through and win a slam. However, lapses in focus and injuries have kept Tsonga from finishing off strong starts. The US Open loss to Federer was particularly surprising. Fed outhit him in every way. Nonetheless, Tsonga has the talent and big game to bring it together and win a slam.

Does Ferrer have the firepower to win a slam? In my opinion Ferrer is just about as mentally tough as any guy on the tour. And you know he is going to work as hard as ever. If Rafa's stranglehold slips on the French look out for Ferrer. Unfortunately for Ferrer it seems at every turn there is another player with bigger weapons. Pulling together seven straight victories against the likes of the top 4, but also Berdych, Soderling, Dolgopolov, and Tsonga has made it too large of a task to overcome. Ferrer is capable of knocking off a top player, remember Nadal at the US Open, but following it up and doing it again has been the issue.

For any of the guys trying to crack through and win a slam there is the barrier of belief. Do they believe they can beat at least two of the top 4? Because that is what it is going to take to win a Slam. The top guys are not going anywhere in 2012 so the rest of tour needs to find a way to compete and believe in the big matches. Certainly Soderling, Berdych, Isner, Cilic, and Del Potro have big enough games but do they have the consistency and health to get it done? Del Potro is not the same yet since his surgery, but I love his game. He needs to get that mental edge back where he believes he can beat anyone.

The guys that are interesting to me because they have the potential but have not found a way to hit with the bigger players are France's Gael Monfils and Gilles Simon. It seems that Monfils has the athleticism to be more aggressive but likes to rely on his movement and defense. Simon is steady and drives his opponents nuts with a variety of shots and a mixture of pace. Neither player however has shown the weapons needed to beat the top 4 in a slam. Can Monfils or Simon develop a weapon and become more aggressive? Do they trust themselves enough to win a Slam? It will be a monumental task for either player.

Finally, don't forget about American top players Fish, Isner, Querrey, and Roddick. Fish and Isner made great strides in 2011 and seem poised to challenge the top 4. Querrey will be coming back from injury so let's hope he can find his form. And, Roddick... Does he have another slam in him? I would love to see it. I think he would appreciate it more than anyone. Again, the question becomes can these guys pull the trigger and make the shots, in a semi and then a final for over 4 hours? That is what it is going to take to wrestle a slam from Djokovic, Nadal or Federer.

How will the Olympics affect the ATP Tour?

Entering the Olympics in to the middle of a jammed US summer swing makes 2012 even more interesting. The Olympics start about three weeks after the Wimbledon final. How will players manage their schedules? What tournaments will they peak for, and which ones will they not attend? Will some players not go to American tournaments and stay in Europe - I bet this will happen. And, how will these adjustments affect their readiness to play at the slams specifically the US Open? It's hard to say. I think what you will see is the top players being very choosy about their tournaments in an attempt to pace themselves in the summer. Take Nadal for example. He plays so much tennis by the time the ATP tour hits July that he needs a break to gear up for the US Open. Likely, Nadal does not come to the US until the Olympics are over. This will give him only a few weeks to gear up on hard courts for the US Open. Rest is probably more important than matches for Nadal, but it does through in the question of readiness for the last slam of the year.

The players will have to battle not only the physical fatigue of a long stretch from the beginning of the clay season to the end of the US Open, but also the mental and emotional fatigue. So, we may see surprises in some of these tournaments. It could be a great opportunity for one of the players outside the top 4 to grab a big tournament win or maybe even the Olympics. Marc Rosset and Nicolas Massu have Olympic gold medals so surprises are common in the Olympics. The top 4 are going to have to pick and choose so opportunities will be there to win Masters 1000 tournaments.

2012 sets up to be interesting because of the battle between the top players. Who will come out on top in 2012? Don't be surprised if the verdict is still out until the US Open final. How great would that be? I look forward to an awesome stretch of tennis between May and September.

Knowing Your Self is the First Step in Tennis Success

Will Caroline Wozniacki make the necessary adjustments in the off-season to win her first grand slam? Self-awareness may be the key that unlocks her grand slam potential...

FOX’s reality television show American Idol is designed to identify vocal talent that has not yet been unearthed and transform them in to a star. The show has unearthed great talents that have gone on to successful music careers. While listening to these great vocalists can be entertaining often the most entertaining television occurs during the first few weeks of the show as the judges tour the nation to find pop star talent. Contestants often “bomb” as they attempt to be the next Idol. In fact, many of them sadly cannot hold a note. I find myself cringing as they ask for one more shot and the judges are pushing them out the door. So, why would they put themselves out there on national television for Simon (previously) to remark “don’t quit your day job”? For some it is about getting attention. For many others, however, they truly believe they can be the next Idol. Yet their singing is atrocious. Clearly they are lacking self-awareness. You can see it as they have interesting reactions to the failed audition. Some cry hysterically and others are absolutely livid, almost violent, as they realize their dream is being crushed. How couldn't they see this coming?

 

Similar to talented singers and musicians, great tennis players often have tremendous self-awareness. They have a clear understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. They know when they are attempting to do too much such as using a weaker skill in critical moments of a game. Serena is not likely to hit a drop shot at match point down. She is going to use her big time forehand and serve.

 

Great players also are realistic and recognize their capabilities and limitations. This does not mean they give up on their dreams or do not try to get better. Instead, they work with and on their limitations. What have we seen from Nadal and Djokovic the last few years in their attempt to dethrone each other and Federer? Nadal used the off-season prior to the 2010 ATP season to improve his serve. Going into 2011 Djokovic, to overcome Federer and Nadal, needed to be more consistent and aggressive. And, he did it. He controlled almost every match this year with his groundstrokes. Furthermore, during matches great players have game plans and strategies to use their “weapons” or strengths against an opponent’s weakness. That is why you will see many tennis players like Steffi Graff run around their backhand to hit inside-out forehands; they are using their “weapon.”

 

How can you enhance your self-awareness?

• Listen to Yourself – be aware of your self-talk during matches and practice. Is it positive and productive or negative and unproductive? Also, how do you coach yourself when learning skills or tactics?
• Listen to & Accept Feedback – sometimes the feedback that coaches, parents, and teammates give us is not fun to hear. However, to be your best you most learn from those around you. Make a commitment to focus on the message, and not on how it is being said.
• Know Your Blind Spots – talk to others about the things you do that hurt your performance (a hitch in your swing) or relationships with others (a tendency to interrupt others when talking). This requires having a tough skin, but what you can learn helps you avoid acting unintentionally.
• Watch Video – watching video of past performances can open your eyes whether it is during a slump or just to become more aware of your patterns of behavior in competition. When I watch video of my clients I will spend time looking at their body language, eyes, and routines especially before and after big points and critical changes in momentum.
• Set Goals – spend time thinking about what you want versus what others want for you. What are your goals? These goals then take top priority in training.
• Look for Signs During Matches – when and how do you get down on yourself? What are trouble spots when your performance drops? Knowing this allows you to develop a plan to overcome it.
• Reflect on the Performance Post-Practice and Post-Match – after every game and practice take a few minutes to evaluate what happened in a journal. Ask yourself, did you achieve your goals? Did you follow the game plan? What went well and not so well? What should you work on in practice based on this performance?

Spend time analyzing your performances and you will develop faster. That is, of course, if you are motivated to do the work on the things that are most difficult for you to do in your game.

Why Cheating a "Cheater" Doesn't Work

Cheating a cheating player back leads to more cheating and hurts your reputation.

When I talk with players, parents and coaches the topic of cheating will often come up. There is concern with how to deal with cheating. When I ask the audience what they should do many will say to "cheat them back". I understand the frustration and wanting to get back at the person cheating. However, cheating someone that is cheating does not work!

Cheating a "cheater" (I use this term lightly and because this is how players refer to people that cheat) is not an effective strategy. Why? You are now distracted and focused more on getting back at your opponent than playing your game. Furthermore, you are playing the "cheaters" game. They want this drama because they feel it will help them win. And, do you think cheating them will make them stop? No. It will only motivate them to cheat you again because how dare you cheat them. What ensues is a battle to get back at the opponent with worse and worse cheating and behavior.

While the match it's self will become a disaster because neither player is focused on tennis, the long term damage is what coaches, players, and parents say about you. Your reputation will be affected by cheating the "cheater". You will know begin to be known as the "cheater". Do you want that title? I wouldn't.

Even worse that being called a "cheater" is that the word can spread to other players. Once you are known as a "cheater" other players will come out to matches sensitive to your calls and potentially be ready to cheat you first (or at least question any of your close calls). Now what was a one-time issue with a certain opponent has become a reoccurring nightmare of being questioned, and even questioning yourself about your line calls.

Do not fall in to the trap of cheating the "cheater". Not only will it hurt your performance in the match you are playing but long term it can negatively affect your reputation. And it is a lot harder to change a "cheater" reputation than it is to get it in the first place.

How to Play Great When Your Opponent is Cheating on Line Calls

The Orange Bowl is an exciting, very important tournament for junior players. So, as the 16s and 18s battle it out in Plantation, Florida I think about the high stakes matches that are taking place and the importance players, their families, and coaches place on results at the Orange Bowl. When the results matter greatly it makes for an exciting tournament, but also opens the door for cheating.

"If you are not cheating you're not trying." (attributed to former pro baseball player Mark Grace)

When the outcome is important you will have cheating. While cheating probably happens more often at tournaments where there are fewer officials it seems pretty clear based on my conversations with parents and junior players that cheating is rampant. Numerous times I have been asked how to deal with cheating; should parents allow the child to cheat them in return or try to take the higher ground? It is not easy question to answer, but I think I can offer a solution that is based on the player's reason for playing tennis - to play great tennis.

Playing great when your opponent is cheating starts with changing your view on the subject. Players are often sensitive to cheating because, well, they feel they have been cheated in the past. I would imagine nearly every seasoned junior player can talk about a match where they felt they lost because their opponent made suspect line calls. It becomes an issue when players begin to expect cheating and are quick to think that their opponent is cheating when, in fact, we know that juniors (as well as adults) are going to make mistakes calling lines. The older players are crushing balls near the lines, of course there will be mistakes! The other thing to keep in mind is that you are usually at a great distance from where the ball lands. So, if it is hard to call the lines on your side, how can you know for sure the lines on the other side?

Did you know that only 35% of replay challenges on the ATP tour and 36% on the WTA Tour are correct? Here are some statistics on the pros' ability to get the call correct.

Therefore, based on what I have written so far a player should not assume an opponent is cheating. This will help them stay focused on what is most important, playing good tennis. However, there are times that juniors blatantly cheat. How do you know when someone is cheating? Obviously when there is a pattern of it happening throughout the match.

I think what helps players stay focused when their opponent is cheating is to realize that the cheater cheats because she does not trust that she is good enough to beat you fair and square. As simple as that. To me cheating is a sign of weakness. A sign of not trusting in your game. When I see someone cheat I know that they are likely nervous, and definitely not convinced that they are going to win. Remember this in the heat of the battle. Cheating is a sign of weakness and a lack of belief. Use that to fuel your efforts to stay focused and play your game. Allow their bad line calls to reinforce that you are the better player and will come out on top despite the frustration of losing the point.

What benefits does a player gain from cheating? Obviously they get the point that the purposely cheated on. However, players that purposely cheat on line calls are looking to see your reaction. Are they getting in your head? Frustrating you? When the cheater sees their opponent getting frustrated, angry and making bad decisions it reinforces the fact to them that cheating works and well help them win.

You need to take away the reward that the player receives when cheating - winning, frustrating you, pulling you in to their game. This is one of the reasons why I say cheating them back is a bad idea. You are now playing their game! This is what they want, to play on their terms. You will be less focused and play less than your best tennis when focused on cheating. You will hesitate on line calls, and when the ball drops in you will be forced to either cheat or rush to hit the ball. This is not a good position to put yourself in! Your mind is no longer focused on the present. This is a great formula for poor performance.

Check out Why cheating a cheater doesn't work

Again, remember the ultimate goal, to play great tennis and win. When you allow the cheater to distract you then you are falling right into their plan. Don't let it happen!

What should you do when you feel an opponent is cheating... First, keep in mind that:
1. Maybe they are not cheating
2. It may not be personal (maybe they do this to everyone)
3. Cheating the cheater is not appropriate
4. Cheating is a sign of weakness, a lack of belief

Second, focus on solutions, not emotions. How? Take several deep breaths as you turn away from your opponent and focus on your strings. Attempt to get back in to your normal between points routine. If you are still thinking about the last point use the towel to wipe away the point as you count backwards from 10 or take a deep breath and count to 3 as you inhale, and 5 as you exhale. Why counting? It is a good distraction from the previous point. Do your best to eliminate thoughts of the last point before starting the next point.


If you are sure your opponent is cheating (there is a clear pattern of bad calls), then take these steps:
1. Ask your opponent politely if they are sure about the call or where it landed
2. If you are not satisfied with their response you can ask for an official to watch
3. Avoid getting involved in an argument with your opponent, for most players this serves to distract them not help them play better
4. Take deep breaths and focus on playing your game. If it helps let your anger motivate you to punish their weakness (make them run, play their weak side).
5. Play with more margin if necessary.

Again remember what the priority is when you step on the court: to be a good sport and play good tennis.  Work on a plan in practice to deal with cheating and trust me you will be more confident and play your game the next time it happens!