AnaIvanovic.com, which has been voted Best Official Player Website by On the Baseline’s readers for two years in a row, has been updated with a brand new look, feel and plenty of additional content.

According to web traffic monitor www.alexa.com, it is the most-visited official website of any sportswoman.

Per Ivanovic’s new deal with adidas, she will wear ‘three-stripe’ products for the entirety of her career and will become an ambassador for the brand upon retirement from competitive tennis. In doing so, Ivanovic is believed to have become the youngest ever athlete – male of female – to sign an agreement of this length.

“I’m very proud to wear adidas for the rest of my career. adidas has helped me immensely over the last few years by providing me with great products and unique services off the court including the adidas Player Development Program. Therefore, this long-term contract extension means a lot to me and was a logical decision,” Ivanovic commented. “I feel thrilled to be a member of the adidas family and I am very much looking forward to working with adidas on many projects in the future.”

“Ana Ivanovic’s spirit on and off the court is consistent with what women’s tennis stands for and is without any doubt a great ambassador for adidas. Ana has been part of our women’s training marketing activities from day one and we are delighted to continue our successful partnership in the future,” said Jocelyn Robiot, adidas’ VP Global Sports Marketing.

This weekend, Melanie will be making her third appearance on the U.S. Fed Cup squad, and is looking to have a positive impact when she and her teammates take on France in the first round tie. She will be joined by fellow Americans, Shenay Perry, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and No. 1 doubles player, Liezel Huber.

I recently caught up with Melanie to ask her about life on the Tour, her favorite ways to relax, and her goals for 2010.

What has been the hardest thing to get used to on the Tour?
I think that traveling is pretty harsh on all athletes. I had been traveling over 28 weeks last year, so I think that being jet lagged, or having to adjust to a different environment is almost a given to me, but I still find it hard sometimes. I also miss my family when I travel, but in order to achieve success, one has to sacrifice.

How much do you practice during any given day?
I usually practice tennis twice a day, but I also do cardio, weightlifting, or cross training as well. It’s usually about 6-8 hours each day.

Have any players given you advice about life on the Tour? If so, which players and what type of advice have they given?
The best advice I was ever given actually did not come from a player but from my parents. They always told me to be able to walk away holding my head high and without having any regrets, no matter what I do. And to also believe in myself. This has become my personal creed.

What is your favorite way to relax off-court with friends and family?
I like hanging out with my two sisters; we often go shopping or to the movies. I like doing things that every 18-year-old teenage girl does in her free time, I just get less of it.

What are some of your goals for 2010?
I would like to improve my game, and when that happens, I will be able to reach my goals. I would naturally love to crack the Top 50 in a few weeks time, and I would also love to experience the thrill of being in the quarters of a Grand Slam again.

Paula Vergara is a freelance tennis journalist, covering the WTA and ATP tours. Paula’s publishing credits include On the Baseline Tennis News, Tennis.com, USTA New England Magazine, and Bob Larson’s Tennis News. Paula is also a member of the United States Tennis Writers’ Association. To view her work, visit www.paula-vergara.blogspot.com.

The doll has been sculpted in the likeness of Kim Clijsters with her golden blonde hair, accented with light blonde highlights, pulled back in a low ponytail, while wavy curls frame her face.

“When I was a young girl I played with my Barbie dolls all the time and took them with me everywhere I went. I am therefore deeply honoured and humbled as I today join the ranks of iconic women who represent Barbie’s aspirational values,” said Clijsters.

She wears a tennis ensemble inspired by the one she wore when she won the final of the US Open in 2009. Created of authentic Fila fabric, the ensemble includes a miniature re-creation of Kim Clijsters’ top and skirt. She wears a silvery necklace with clear Swarovski® crystal. Also included are real socks, and tennis shoes that sport the Barbie® silhouette and logo graphics.

Her racquet features authentic tennis grip and Barbie® logo; the ball is authentic tennis-green. The proud symbol of her accomplishment, a genuine pewter replica of the US Open trophy is included.

The doll also comes with a miniature version of Kim Clijsters’ daughter, Jada. This tiny doll charms with golden blonde curls, styled in a cute and playful look. Jada wears a re-creation of the actual outfit she wore on the day her mother became the US Open champion. The pants and black and white striped top, created of single knit, were meticulously designed to match the original.

“My family means everything to me, so I was really excited when I found out that Jada would also receive her very own “Jada” Barbie doll. This is something that is very special to me and my family and we will cherish it for life,” added Clijsters.

The dolls will be showcased in Mattel’s showroom at the Nuremburg Toy Fair from February 4-10. As the dolls are one-of-a-kind and made exclusively, they will not be sold at retail.

Tournament director Steve Simon announced on Wednesday that the former World No. 1 and seven-time major champion has been granted a wildcard into the tournament.

Henin, who won the BNP Paribas Open in 2004, joins a host of former champions in the field including three-time major champion Maria Sharapova (2006), defending US Open champion Kim Clijsters (2003 and 2005), Serbian star Ana Ivanovic (2008), defending women’s champion Vera Zvonareva, and Daniela Hantuchova (2002 and 2007). This will be Henin’s first trip to Indian Wells since 2006.

The Belgian star recently returned to the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour after retiring from the sport in May of 2008. She came back with a flourish and as an unranked wildcard reached the finals of her first event in Brisbane and the finals at the Australian Open. En route to the finals at the first major of the year, Henin defeated a number of top-ranked players, including number five seed Elena Dementieva, and US Open semifinalist Yanina Wickmayer.

“Not only is the BNP Paribas Open excited to have Justine in the field, but I’m certain our fans are going to be thrilled to have the opportunity to see such a phenomenal player compete again at our tournament,” said Simon. “Adding a former champion, and one of the best women’s players of all-time, means that fans will again get to witness some of the finest tennis in the world.”

“I am very happy that the BNP Paribas Open has granted me a wildcard, and I look forward to returning to Indian Wells,” said Henin. “I am excited to be back on Tour, and hope to continue the success I have had thus far in 2010. The fan support has been incredible, and I hope that I am able to claim my first title of the season at the BNP Paribas Open in March!”

For more information about the tournament, or to buy tickets, visit www.bnpparibasopen.org.

Video courtesy of Ace Tennis Magazine

Moments that, in many ways, give a tournament its place in history, define a player’s place in it, and give clues as to what the future holds. Let’s take a look back at some of the most memorable moments (as well as some stats) from the fortnight.

Two Weeks to an Overnight Success

China’s Jie Zheng and Na Li captured the world’s attention when they made a historic run to the semifinals in Melbourne. Never before had any player from China made it that far into any Grand Slam tournament in singles. Na Li, ranked No. 17 at the start of the tournament, took out Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets in the fourth round. She then went on to beat Venus Williams in the quarterfinals, and nearly took out her sister, Serena in the semifinals, in a hard-fought, two-set, double tie breaker match. Li has since climbed to No. 10 in the rankings, while her compatriot, Jie Zheng, has taken an even greater leap, moving from No. 35 to No. 20. In addition, Na Li has become China’s first-ever top-10 female player. Zheng and Li’s success could very well inspire a whole new generation of tennis players from China.

Big Names, Early Exits

No one can argue that Kim Clijsters’ third round loss to Nadia Petrova was the most stunning and puzzling upset of the tournament. What’s worse, Clijsters didn’t win more than one game during the entire match. Petrova dismantled Clijsters’ game in just 52 minutes. Whatever was going on between Clijsters’ ears on that day wasn’t the same thing that earned her the 2009 U.S. Open title. Another notable, early loss was by Dinara Safina, who retired due to a back injury in the first set of her fourth round match vs. Maria Kirilenko. And who can forget Maria Sharapova’s first round loss to Kirilenko? The 2008 Australian Open champion racked up 77 unforced errors, in one of the longest women’s matches of the tournament (3 hours, 21 minutes).

Distinctive Records Outshine the Dismal

Statistics don’t lie. Therefore, it should be no surprise that Serena Williams ended the Australian Open as the ace leader, scoring 65 in all. Serena also holds the record for the highest number of Australian Open titles in the Open era (5). On the down side, eventual runner-up, Justine Henin led the pack in double faults (39), indicating that her new serve still needs some adjustments. Jie Zheng had more success with her serves, having one of the highest first serve percentages of the tournament, averaging 78%.

Luck of the Draw

As the No. 1 ranked Australian player on the women’s Tour, Sam Stosur’s “home court advantage” wasn’t the only thing working in her favor. She was able to get to the fourth round of the tournament without facing any player ranked higher than No. 73. That is the definition of lucky. Unfortunately, her luck ran out when she faced eventual champion, Serena Williams in the fourth round. Stosur’s doubles partner, Svetlana Kuznetsova, also had a fairly easy draw, facing two players ranked No. 95 and 118. However, she eventually lost in the fourth round to Nadia Petrova.

Rules Are Rules (But Not Always Followed)

There were a few commentators covering this year’s Australian Open, who gave us all reminders that tennis rules are meant to be followed. Pam Shriver was one in particular, who seemed to be more vocal about the rules than others. Her frequent complaints and occasional snide remarks about players taking too much time in between points became a source of fodder for tennis fans, but also raised important questions regarding the chair umpires weak effort to enforce the rules. Shriver’s comments were particularly geared towards Maria Kirilenko during her first round match against Maria Sharapova, but continued throughout the tournament. Martina Navratilova, also a bit hyper-critical, called out Justine Henin in the quarterfinals vs. Nadia Petrova, accusing her of receiving illegal coaching from her long-time coach, Carlos Rodriguez. Per the ITF’s rules, on-court coaching during a Grand Slam tournament is prohibited.

The Serbian Slump

Something needs to change for Serbia’s top tennis talent. Ana Ivanovic lost her second round match to Gisela Dulko. Her compatriot, Jelena Jankovic, suffered a third round loss to Alona Bondarenko, who she had beaten nine times in their last nine meetings. Despite working with Darren Cahill to try to make improvements in her game, Ana Ivanovic can’t seem to get back to her winning form, or her serve. Jankovic insists that she simply needs more match play to improve. Let’s hope they can dig themselves out of the slump…soon.

The Russian Resurgence

Nadia Petrova and Maria Kirilenko seem to have taken over where Dinara Safina and Maria Sharapova have left off (for the moment). Petrova, who was ranked No. 3 in 2006 (currently No. 19) is making her own quiet comeback, advancing to the quarterfinals, and taking out Kim Clijsters (easily) and Svetlana Kuznesova along the way. Maria Kirilenko (No. 37), a.k.a., “The other Maria”, who beat close friend, Maria Sharapova in the first round, also made it to the quarterfinals–her best result in any Grand Slam.

Mental Masters

Na Li showed impressive mental strength in the quarterfinal match against Venus Williams when she was down 4-5 (match point) in the second set, and came back to win the match. But, it has been Justine Henin’s return to the game that has not only brought back a level of competition rarely seen since her departure, it is her calm intensity that demonstrates how well she manages the mental aspect of the game. She has only competed in two tournaments since her comeback, yet has made it to the final each time. This time, unfortunately, Serena was too good when it counted.

Paula Vergara is a freelance tennis journalist, covering the WTA and ATP tours. Paula’s publishing credits include On the Baseline Tennis News, Tennis.com, USTA New England Magazine, and Bob Larson’s Tennis News. Paula is also a member of the United States Tennis Writers’ Association. To view her work, visit www.paula-vergara.blogspot.com.

Video courtesy of Australian Open TV

Relaxation Checkpoint #1: The Ready Position

As was discussed in the last issue, the key to relaxation in the ready position is the non-racket hand. Generally speaking, advanced players simply rest their racket hand on the grip in the topspin forehand position. The non-racket hand supports the full weight of the racket, usually up at the throat, even if the player hits most backhands with two hands. Some players are so relaxed (like Roger Federer) that they even twirl their rackets between shots, right in the middle of a point.

Like Roger, Rafael Nadal can also be seen twirling in the middle of a point. However, I would propose that while twirling waiting to return serve can help players relax, I would not recommend that players habitually twirl their rackets in the middle of points between shots.

Also remember that for slice backhands a grip change to a continental or hammer grip is advised. This grip change is accomplished by the non-racket hand turning the racket face to a slightly open position when it arrived in the backswing or set-up position discussed in the next checkpoint. To check that you have a continental grip, try repeatedly bouncing a ball down on the ground off the edge of the racket. If your wrist is comfortable and in a similar position to chopping vegetables, you should have a grip that will work for all backspin shots, including slice backhands and volleys.

Relaxation Checkpoint #2: The Set-up

The set-up takes place once you’ve identified that the incoming ball is a backhand. Like all groundstrokes, the turn in the set-up should be completed as early as possible, often before the opponent’s ball crosses net. The main issue is to initiate the shoulder turn in the set-up primarily with the non-racket hand. Yes, once again, keep your racket hand as relaxed as possible. For a slice backhand, the racket head is pulled back and around past pointing to the back fence as shown in the photo or even further. Note that the player in the photo has a green Velcro strap connecting both wrists. This is a simple training aid that helps give players the feel for the “split” of forces from the non-racket hand pulling the racket back and the forward acceleration of the racket head into contact. It’s very similar to a tug of war.

Relaxation Checkpoint #3: The Tug of War

Once the racket is set in the back position, it’s time to make the adjustment steps necessary to ideally position yourself to the ball. Then, it’s time for what I call a “Tug of War” where the non-racket hand tries to hold the racket in the back position and the racket hand literally “tears” the racket away from the non-racket hand. The result of this tug of war is that the non-racket hand flies backwards and the racket hand and racket itself fly forwards in a quick and explosive motion. You can see the result of this tug of war in the photo on this page where the Velcro training aid known as the Backhand Fixer dangles from the right hand of the player. In this photo, the Velcro of the Backhand Fixer has pulled off the non-racket wrist after the tug of war is won by the hand holding the racket.

Of course, in beginning phases, players will generally be less explosive and swing slower, but the tug of war still takes place.

Relaxation Checkpoint #4: The Contact

In the old days, firming up at contact was the gold standard of coaching tips. The sweet spot was small and so was the face of the racket. Without firming up, slightly off center hits could easily twist the racket. Today, mainstays like this are challenged by larger sweet spots and more resilient materials alongside stable wide body rackets. Nevertheless, since a slice backhand requires a slightly open racket face, the force of an off-center ball strike can still torque or twist the racket face, causing loss of control over the flight of the ball. Our recommendation is to firm up the grip a fraction of a second before contact and just enough to avoid frequent mishits. However, stay relaxed most of the time to avoid unnecessary tension, since this will inevitably slow down the speed of the racket and cause more errors than a relaxed and more fluid swing.

Relaxation Checkpoint #5: The Finish

If you watch slice backhands in slow motion of the top ten men and women in the world, you’ll see one primary finish position that can be a little misleading. You’ll see the racquet face finishing around the body. However, note that at all levels the wrist remains firm enough to avoid letting the racket chop down on the ball, a move that often results in hitting the ball into the net.

To get an initial feel for a slice or backspin backhand, we would recommend finishing with the strings pointing in the direction you are aiming the ball as seen in the photo of our young player. One idea that is especially helpful to young beginning children is to draw a smiley face on the strings using a magic marker. Just ask the children to follow through with the smiley face watching the ball bounce. This little drill works well for all backspin shots, including volleys as well as slice backhands.

Summary

Next time you’re on the court working on your slice backhand, remember to relax and use the non-racket handle to help. Just be sure not to also relax your feet, which should be moving light but also intense. Just relax your hands and upper body. You’ll end up with a more effective slice backhand, a shot often used for control as well as mixing up the rhythm of your opponent by keeping the ball low and out of their most comfortable hitting height. Your opponents may not like it, but for you it can make tennis more enjoyable than ever.

Joe Dinoffer is a USPTA and PTR Master Professional. Visit his site, Oncourt Offcourt, at www.oncourtoffcourt.com.

For part one of this article series, please click here.

Schedule for Day 14: Sunday, 31 January 2010

Rod Laver Arena 16:30 Start Time
1. Mixed Doubles – Finals
Cara Black (ZIM)[1] v. Ekaterina Makarova (RUS)
Leander Paes (IND)[1] Jaroslav Levinsky (CZE)

Not Before:19:30
2. Men’s Singles – Finals
Roger Federer (SUI)[1] v. Andy Murray (GBR)[5]

Video courtesy of Australian Open TV