Not So Idle Chit Chat

by Savannah

Ana Ivanovic posted the following on her site.

I guess having to withdraw from Beijing is an appropriate ending to a very disappointing season. This trip to Asia has been a big disappointment and I have struggled with my health pretty much since I arrived. I am sorry to my supporters who were hoping to see me play here in Beijing. It's very disappointing for me as well, to come here, see the amazing facility they have and not have the energy to be able to step onto court. I can only look forward to coming back here next year.

It's especially disappointing because I was hoping to be able to see some improvements before the season ended. I have gone through a lot of training and physical changes over the past few months, which have mostly remained private until now... My body is quite fragile at the moment, because I over-trained during the first part of the year. This was, I think, what caused me to have many small injuries this season.

Instead of being patient and accepting that my best form was almost impossible due to physical limitations, I was always over-thinking things, and I never dealt with it very well. The season was a continuation of going from one disappointment to another. If I had dealt better with these setbacks, I would have had a lot more success.

I also found it very tough to switch off and have a proper break over the past year or so, partly because of these physical problems. Actually, I don't think I can remember the last time I had a proper holiday: I was always doing some kind of fitness or recovery work during my holidays, and that meant that I wasn't able to switch off from tennis. I guess I just want it so badly.

As you may have noticed, I completely changed my serve after Wimbledon. This was because of my shoulder: if I continued serving and training the way I was, I would have almost certainly picked up a serious injury. My team and I are confident that I will be able to go back to my old service motion when I start practising again in November.

On the positive side, I am still No.11 in the world. I have no clue how I am ranked so highly, but to look on the bright side, I can't play any worse than I did this year and I'm still in the top 20!

I've learnt so much this year. It's a bit little bit like a few years ago, when I was ranked around No.14 for almost an entire year, and everyone was asking me, "when are you going to reach the top 10?" Within a year I was there, and within two years I was No.1. Sometimes you have to go through these experiences in order to become a better player.

Despite my disappointments there is nog a single doubt in my mind that I will reach the top again and win Grand Slams.

One other positive to come out of all this is that I realised what a great team I have around me: they never doubted me, they supported me so well and did everything they could to assist me. I am very grateful to them all: my family, coaches and management.

I have appointed a new fitness coach, whom I will tell you more about later. Over the next month or so I can have a great break. I can rest without thinking about any future tournaments, then train and practise hard for the new season.

I have a lot to look forward to. Now is the time to rest, recharge, and come back stronger.

Love
Ana

P.S. I'd like to thank my loyal supporters for their encouragement this year. The journey is never easy!

The BBC reports the following:

Guernsey's US Junior Open winner Heather Watson will turn professional by the end of the year.
The 17-year-old's father said she had planned to play college tennis in the United States but changed her mind after advice, including from the LTA.
Ian Watson said: "It seems the obvious thing to do now, she's got a belief she can get to the top."
(...)
Ian Watson said: "After Barnstaple she'll probably be signing the pro forms and being pro from then on in.
"There is a big mindset change from wanting to go to a US college and play tennis to being a professional.
"You need a team, you need coaches, you need fitness people, you need advice, you need people putting a schedule together... you need people to open doors for you.
Nick Bollettieri has got a network unsurpassed, especially in America but worldwide in tennis, and IMG are the biggest management agents. They can open tournament doors for Heather because some tournaments are not easy to get in and if you can't get into them you can't win them.
"Lots of doors will be opened as soon as she signs with IMG and of course in Europe and the UK given her standing now the LTA are opening those doors. The LTA have given her a wildcard into Barnstaple."

Mr Watson is very excited for his daughter isn't he?

There is an American player named Donald Young and he actually won a couple of matches in Asia last week. Will wonders never cease. Amazing what a threat of cutting off your funding will do to motivate someone isn't it? He even beat Feliciano Lopez who is now playing qualies.

Dmitry Tursunov is out for the rest of the year. He had surgery in early September.

Has the Anna Kournikova era of women's tennis come to an end? Big girls like Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Alisa Kleybanova are having nice runs right now and neither one of them could be called thin, or fit, by any stretch of the imagination. Somehow I don't think IMG will be banging down their doors with endorsement deals. Hell they'll never make it onto a show court at Wimbledon either will they?

All joking aside Pavlyuchenkova was taken apart by Marion Bartoli after her previous win against Venus Williams. Marion messed with her head and the girl fell apart. When she shows me she can do more than she has, in other words not let a player mess with her mentally, I'll be more interested. Same goes for Kleybanova. I still can't watch her because of that hair thing she did in Australia. Gives me the creeps.

There's already talk of Elena Dementieva moving up to number three in the WTA rankings. Pressure much?
Does anyone have a clue what's going on with Igor Andreev? He's losing matches he usually wins.

Who does Marco Chiudinelli think he is anyway? He's doing his best to make himself the other Swiss man in the conversation.

Fernando Verdasco has put off needed foot surgery so that he is available to play Davis Cup for Spain.

Am I the only one who was surprised about Andy Roddick playing doubles in Beijing? It is just me huh? Okay, moving on.

There is a men's tournament taking place in Tokyo this week. All eyes will be on Juan Martin del Potro, US Open Champion who takes the court for the first time since that win tomorrow.

Diva's On Parade
It's fun to see how the women of tennis comport themselves off of the tennis court isn't it? Hope you enjoyed the pictures scattered through this post of them arriving in Beijing.