Selection of covers and layouts from Ace Tennis

1. NavalPaintFeetACETENNISISSUE147APR/MAY2010
I SSUE 147 • APR/MAY 2010 • £3.50
TENNIS
Battling Brits
at the Fed Cup
Grass court
preview
Doubles
masterclass
Peter fleming shaky comebacks gavin rossdale tennis injuries Anne keothavong
wonder
women
Stars of tennis,
football and
cricket swap
sportstories
Fighting
spirit
‘Everything
is getting
better’
The rise and rise
of Marin Cilic
Rafael Nadal on pain, heartbreakand coming back from the brink
Club
Rackets
tested
WIN
A week
at a top
coaching
academy
get the
murray
look
T h e o ff i c i a l m a g a z i n e o f B r i t i s h T e n n i s
Exclusive

2. LimeadeUnionACETENNIS
2009IN REVIEW
WIN
A luxury
alpine break
ISSUE145DEC/JAN2010
ISSUE 145 • DEC/JAN 2010 • £3.50
TENNIS
Exclusive
Ana Ivanovic on
the pressure of
performance
Recession-proof
your game
In the kitchen with
Keothavong
Top rivalries Christmas cards Players’ homes Mats Wilander Orange Bowl
Where
it’s @
How Twitter is
taking over tennis
The
PowerAnd the
Glory
‘Quiet
please!’
The great
grunting
debate
The year’s
greatest
moments
revealed

3. Tennis girl COURT ETIQUETTE top tantrums Ben Ainslie schools coaching
LosingSmileACETENNIS
SUPER
WOMAN
108TENNIS
TIPS
why women’s tennis is
still in serena’s shadow
‘Nice
flannels,
old chap’
Fleming and
Skupski turn
back the clock
WIN
A luxury
tennis
weekend
ISSUE144OCT/NOV2009
ISSUE 144 • OCT/NOV 2009 • £3.50
TENNIS
Tennis goes
hip-hop
Keothavong’s
road to recovery
Behind the
scenes at the
US Open
Roddick’s
return
How the A-Rod got
his groove back

4. ACE TENNIS APR/MAY 2010 APR/MAY 2010 ACE TENNIS
3534 RAFAEL NADAL
s Rafael Nadal returns to the red courts
of Europe – a sporting theatre which
he’s dominated for much of his
professional life – his continuing struggle
with injury leaves many question marks
hanging over his future. Much of his
conversation is, understandably, dominated
by reflections on how his surging tilt at
supremacy had stuttered and then ground
to a halt during a very difficult 2009. Now,
with the same problems continuing into this
year, many doubt that his battered body can
ever regain the power and ferocity he could
After the most difficult year of his life, Rafael Nadal speaks to ACE Tennis with
the honesty and fighting spirit that could help him regain his supremacy
WORDS DONALD MCRAE Illustration Hellovon
HURTL O C K E R
T H E

5. ACE TENNIS APR/MAY 2010 APR/MAY 2010 ACE TENNIS
4140 WOMEN IN SPORT
‘I loved Steffi Graf when I was growing
up… I watched her all the time.’ There’s
nothing unusual about that sentiment —
except, perhaps, that this time it’s not being
expressed by a tennis player. Steffi Graf, it
turns out, was the childhood hero of Charlotte
Edwards, captain of the England women’s
cricket team. ‘Me too!’ says Faye White,
Arsenal captain (and former captain of
England). ‘Uh oh,’ says Anne Keothavong, the
former British No.1 who has recently returned
to tennis after six months off with injury.
‘Surely it’s Monica Seles every time?’
They may disagree over one of tennis’
greatest rivalries, but these three have more in
common than you might expect from people
involved in such different sports. When
Charlotte, Faye and Anne embarked on their
respective careers, most women’s sport (with
the exception of tennis) was amateur and
considered insignificant. Now, however, while
women’s sports still lag behind their male
the professionals
They ply their trades in vastly
different arenas, but these
three women have one thing
in common — they’re the first
of a new breed of professional
sportswomen. ACE Tennis
listens in as they compare
notes on their sporting lives
WORDS Alexandra Willis
Photography Hamish Brown

6. NETWORKING 45
DEC 2009/JAN 2010 ACE TENNIS
hen Serena Williams forfeited
her US Open semi-final to Kim
Clijsters following a spectacular
match-point meltdown, fans and
journalists reached for their
mobiles in anticipation. Were they
expecting the then No.2 to call and
explain her outburst? No, they were
furiously logging on to the social
networking site Twitter. Serena’s
followers knew that the WTA Tour’s
top tweeter would eventually surface
to explain her actions in her own words,
without the pressure of an assembly
of journalists or the rigidity of a
prepared statement.
More than most sports, tennis has embraced the new frontier
of social networking, giving fans unprecedented access to
their heroes and providing players with a whole new way to
get their point across. ACE Tennis joins the conversation...
words charlotte james Illustration Army of Trolls

7. ACE TENNIS OCT/NOV 2009
4746 WOMEN’S TENNIS >> THE OTHERS
OCT/NOV 2009 ACE TENNIS
SHADOW
In Serena’s
n 14 May 2008 women’s tennis was hit by a
bombshell. Without warning, the reigning
No.1 and seven-time Grand Slam winner
Justine Henin announced her immediate
retirement from the sport. The real
reasons for Henin’s withdrawal may never
come to light, but her departure caused
a rip in the fabric of the game from which
it’s never fully recovered.
When Henin went, women’s tennis
didn’t just lose a champion, it also lost
a player who used grace, elegant strokes
and guile alongside sheer stroke power. As
former great Billie Jean King put it: ‘Pound for
pound [Henin was] the best tennis player of
her generation.’ When she left it was as if the
women’s game immediately lost a dimension.
The return of Kim Clijsters to the tour in
August was significant. After a two-year
absence (during which time she gave birth to
her daughter, Jada) the former world No.1
began her comeback in Cincinnati, beating
three players ranked in the top 20 (including
the French Open champion, Russia’s Svetlana
Kuznetsova). Good as it was to have someone
There are few players, with the exception of Kim Clijsters, who have challenged
the dominance of Serena Williams. ACE Tennis investigates how a crisis has
developed in the women’s game
Words Simon Cambers Illustration Kat Heyes
of Clijsters’s ability back on the courts, the
fact that she defeated some of the world’s
best players immediately upon her return
seemed to be further confirmation of a serious
underlying problem in the women’s game.
Clijsters had been ranked No.4 when she
left, so it was no disgrace for Marion Bartoli,
Patty Schnyder and Kuznetsova to have been
beaten by her. But it’s usual for a player to find
that the game has moved on when they return
after a significant break. This clearly wasn’t
the case this time, as the game appeared to
have been standing still in Clijsters’s absence.
Tracy Austin, the former world No.1 and
now a respected TV commentator, agrees.
‘There’s been almost no progression in two
years,’ she says. ‘I’d like to know if the fact
that there was no dominant No.1 played
a part in Clijsters coming back. She must
have looked at them and thought, “There’s
no one I can’t beat.”’
And so it proved, when Clijsters sealed her
comeback by snapping up the US Open title.
Between Henin’s departure and Clijsters’s
triumphant return, though, the women’s

8. ACE TENNIS OCT/NOV 2009 OCT/NOV 2009 ACE TENNIS
4948 WOMEN’S TENNIS >> THE OTHERS
Kim Clijsters
returned to the
tour to find that
little had changed
game has been dominated by a single,
towering figure: that of Serena Williams.
This domination isn’t solely due to her near
monopolisation of the Grand Slams, either.
It’s also down to every pretender to her
throne trying to emulate her playing style.
When Serena and her big sister Venus first
burst on the scene in the late 1990s, their
brand of hard-hitting, fast-running ‘power
tennis’ was a revelation. However, too many
of the world’s coaches decided that imitation
was the sincerest form of flattery and, as
a result, the world of women’s tennis is now
populated by double-fisted, screeching
baseline bombers. The trouble is, none of
them can pull this off with anything like the
success of a Williams, so the game finds
itself overrun with a field of also-rans who
share an identical playing style.
For contrast, look no further than the men’s
game, where it seems that just about every
player in the top 10 has an individual,
recognisable style, making their matches
and tournaments varied and exciting.
The problem with women’s tennis goes
deeper than just a lack of variety in playing
styles, though. Where are the rivalries, the one
thing that always brings in the fans? Brilliant
players though the Williams sisters are, does
anyone really care who wins when they play
each other in a final? Steffi Graf, whose
rivalries with Martina Navratilova, Monica
Seles and Martina Hingis lit up the sport in
the 1980s and 1990s, suggested at this year’s
French Open that fans have to be able to
identify with the players, know their history
and their stories. ‘It always helps if you have
a few names that people get used to,’ she
said. ‘Fans enjoy their rivalries and like to live
some of their dramas and their difficulties.’
But Stacey Allaster, the new CEO of the
Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, believes the sisters
are an asset. ‘They are incredible athletes,
incredible people off the court and, as a
brand, they are incredibly powerful in driving
women’s tennis,’ she told ACE Tennis. ‘I know
first hand that when they are in the house
there is a different level of buzz and they are
driving ticket sales. Their dominance in the
game is a great story and they themselves
are a fearsome rivalry. If Venus and Serena
had different last names, what would be
the difference between Venus v Serena and
Roger v Rafa?’
Sony Ericsson injected $88 million into the
WTA Tour when it came on board in 2005, and
negotiations are under way to extend the deal
which expires at the end of next year. It’s
been suggested that, with the men’s game as
strong as it’s been for a generation, women’s
tennis is suffering by comparison. But Allaster
believes that, overall, it’s in good shape.
‘We just go from strength to strength,’
she stated, ‘in particular in a challenging
economic environment. Out of 51 tournaments,
only one event lost a title sponsor. We
continue to have a lot of interest from new
promoters who want to invest in women’s
tennis. We’ve actually added sponsors this
year, which is a correlation with the product
that is on the court.’
Despite Allaster’s protestations, though,
no women’s Grand Slam final has gone to
a deciding third set in three years. Surely this
alone suggests a lack of competition in the
women’s game?
Although Clijsters says she doesn’t feel like
a saviour, her return is a boost. A big loss,
though, has been that of Maria Sharapova,
who only now is regaining full fitness and
match sharpness after serious injury. The
Russian, who has won three Grand Slams,
also adds an extra bit of glamour to the sport.
‘I think obviously the sport has missed Maria,’
Allaster admits. ‘We’re all excited to have her
back. She is another great champion and
adds a lot more to the depth of the product.’
So what has become of those players that
many felt would take the game to a new level?
The two Serbian contenders, Ana Ivanovic
and Jelena Jankovic, have both suffered a
startling loss of form in the past 12 months,
while Dinara Safina sits somewhat
uncomfortably at the top of the tree (despite
the fact that she has yet to win a Grand Slam).
As the Observer’s tennis correspondent
Jon Henderson wrote before this year’s
Wimbledon (prior to Clijsters’s comeback):
‘Serena and Venus are now surrounded in the
top 10 by a bunch of east Europeans who are
more front office than box office.’
The controversy that has been caused by
Safina’s No.1 ranking hasn’t done the tour any
favours. When Henin’s name and points were
removed from the rankings (at her own
request) the top position passed to Maria
Sharapova, who occupied it for a mere three
weeks before relinquishing it to the then
20-year-old Ana Ivanovic. This, it turned out,
was just the beginning of a period of turmoil
that has seen the women’s No.1 slot change
hands eight times in less than two years.
Safina may have lost three Grand
Slam finals, tightening up horribly when
close to the finishing line, but it’s hardly
the Russian’s fault that the system rewards
consistency, and has kept her in front of
Serena Williams despite the American
having won two of this year’s Grand Slams
(taking her total to 11). If Serena played
a full schedule, she would surely top the
rankings; as she said in Rome this year:
‘We all know who the real No.1 is. Quite
frankly, I’m the best in the world.’
There are young players coming through,
though, such as recent US Open finalist
Caroline Wozniacki and Melanie Oudin –
fine players, with, apparently, character.
But what none of them seem to have,
though, is a unique way of playing. As the
world-renowned coach Nick Bollettieri
recently said, when asked about instilling
different styles in his students: ‘To use
different shots or come to the net, a girl has
to be unusual. But the results would be slower
and you’d have to get the parents to believe
in it. She’d probably have to lose some before
she could win… And who has time for that?’
And time, it would seem, is the problem.
The longer that Serena dominates, the more
that those who follow in her wake will attempt
to emulate her methods which, in turn, will
lead to more and more identikit players.
Although the possibility of Henin making
a Clijsters-style comeback seems remote,
it’s clear that women’s tennis needs some
new superheroes to make it the gripping
edge-of-seat spectacle it once was.
14 May 2008
Justine Henin announces
retirement
20 April 2009
Having had the mathematical opportunity to
become No.1 on several occasions, Dinara
Safina becomes the second Russian woman
to be ranked No.1 in the world, and the third,
after Kim Clijsters and Jankovic, to hold it
without winning a Grand Slam title
8 June 2009
Maria Sharapova returns to
the tour, reaching the
semi-finals of the AEGON
International in Edgbaston
10 August 2009
Kim Clijsters returns to the tour
after a two-year absence. She
reaches the quarter-finals at her
first event back in Cincinnati
19 May 2008
Maria Sharapova takes
over as world No.1,
holding the top spot for
three weeks
11 August 2008
Jelena Jankovic overtakes her
compatriot on her third opportunity
to reach No.1, but only manages to
hold it for a week
13 September 2009
Clijsters wins the US
Open, the first female
wild card to win a Grand
Slam singles title
18 August 2008
Despite being knocked out of
Wimbledon early and missing
the Olympics, Ivanovic regains
the No.1 ranking
6 October 2008
Jankovic fights her way back to
No.1 due to Serena’s inconsistent
form post-Flushing Meadows
and becomes the first woman
to end the year as No.1 without
having won a Grand Slam title
9 June 2008
Ana Ivanovic wins her maiden
Grand Slam title at Roland
Garros, and becomes the first
Serb to hold the top spot
13 August 2008
After a poor summer, Maria
Sharapova announces her enforced
absence from the game due to a
severe shoulder injury
8 September 2008
Serena Williams becomes No.1 in the
world for the first time in five years
after winning the US Open title. It’s the
longest gap between spells at the top in
the history of the game
Ups and downs in
the women’s game
2 February 2009
After winning her 10th Grand Slam
title in Melbourne Park, Serena
takes the No.1 ranking back
6 June 2009
Svetlana Kuznetsova
wins the French Open
4 July 2009
Serena Williams
wins Wimbledon
We all know
who the real No.1
is. Quite frankly,
I’m the best
in the world
Ladies in waiting...
Not a single Russian or Serb reached the
quarter-finals in New York. So who are the
youngsters threatening to turn things around
in women’s tennis?
Name Victoria
Azarenka
Nationality Belarussian
Ranking 9
Strengths Few players
have the strength to beat
Serena Williams in a final,
but Azarenka did just that in
Miami this year. She has an
‘edge’ to her that could set
her above the rest of the
chasing pack.
Name Caroline
Wozniacki
Nationality Danish
Ranking 6
Strengths While her
looks have grabbed the
headlines, her game has
improved at a lightning
pace. Has already won
numerous titles and
reached her first Grand
Slam final in New York.
Name Michelle
Larcher de Brito
NationalityPortuguese
Ranking 102
Strengths Could have
an alternative career as
an opera singer, given
the power of her
screech. Beyond the
screaming, though,
she can play and, still
only 16, she is a big hope
for the future.
Name Sabine
Lisicki
Nationality German
Ranking 28
Strengths Anyone
who tries to play like
Steffi Graf is OK with us.
And, although Lisicki isn’t
quite in Graf’s league as
yet, she may just have
the talent and mental
strength to see off
the big guns.
Name Melanie
Oudin
Nationality American
Ranking 44
Strengths The plucky
youngster from Marietta,
Georgia, has gathered
quite a collection of top
10 scalps, among them
Jankovic, Dementieva
and Sharapova.
Watch this space…
VictoriaAzarenka
MichelleLarcherdebrito
SabineLisicki
Carolinewozniacki
Melanieoudin
GettyImages

9. 58 THE FUTURE? 59
FEB/MAR 2010 ACE TENNISACE TENNIS FEB/MAR 2010
1n 3010, tennis fans who aren’t enjoying
the outcome of a match they’re
watching simply put on their virtual
reality eyewear. This enables them to
see the result they want. Even at this
point, though, the computers aren’t
quite powerful enough to get Tim
Henman past the Wimbledon semi-final.
Wimbledon itself has fallen victim to Britain’s
ever-growing health and safety legislation,
which has seen to it that the balls have been
removed from all professional sports (to
prevent players and fans from getting hurt).
Now, players are simply asked to describe
in some detail the shots they would have
played. Attendance at the All England Club
suffers, but only slightly.
Thanks to a mixture of advanced
cryogenics, cloning technology and a
sensible diet in later life, Andre Agassi
makes a comeback in the 3010 US Open.
However, he is knocked out in the first
round by a player grown from one of
Laura Robson’s toenail clippings.
Almost everything involved in the 31st-
century tennis scene is robotised. This
means, predictably, an influx of robot
umpires with incomprehensibly thick French
accents, robot line judges, robot ball boys
and even robotic pigeons that flap down
onto the court during the Wimbledon final,
making everybody laugh (robotically).
Thanks to shifts in the global economy,
megabucks tournaments in the oil-
producing Arab states are a thing of
the past. The biggest non-Slam
tournament in 3010 is the Welsh Open,
which takes place in the new metropolis
of Caerphilly, where, in 2867, it was
discovered that its eponymous cheese
is a fully sustainable biofuel.
The early, less interesting rounds of the US
Open are shortened by the novel technique
of having the net fire out laser bolts at random.
‘It seems a little harsh to me,’ says one leading
player. ‘Roger Federer never had to worry
about being blasted into atoms… except when
he was facing Andy Roddick, of course.’
In the year 3010, all but one of Earth’s
strawberries has been consumed. The
last remaining berry is permanently
on display at the All England Club,
preserved on ice in a solid gold punnet.
Visitors pay £200,000 for a sniff.
Prize money and trophies become
increasingly ostentatious as time progresses.
By 3010, the French Open trophy is actually
twice the height of the Roland Garros stand.
Instead of lifting the trophy, the winner gets
to live in it for a year.
Queen’s 3010 is the first tournament to
admit extra-terrestrial players. The
Martian ‘greys’ prove to have little or
no aptitude for tennis, nor a basic
understanding of the rules. They are
immediately drafted into the Armenian
Davis Cup team.
The nuclear apocalypse that devastated the
world in 2927 produced some fascinating
mutations, which make tennis a little more
interesting. Some players have extra arms
growing from between their shoulder blades,
while others have arms with arms of their
own. And then there’s Jerzy Boravcik of the
Czech Republic, a man who can make his
opponent explode just by looking at him.
Wimbledon has a problem with
showers, but not like the ones we have
now. These are meteor showers. When
a shower disrupts play, the players go
in and the reanimated head of Sir Cliff
Richard leads the crowd in a singalong.
Ever wonder what tennis might be like in 1,000 years’
time? We take a look into our special sporting crystal
ball to bring you a glimpse of the future
Words Pete Cashmore Illustration Peskimo
3010: A TENNIS
ODYSSEY

10. ACE TENNIS OCT/NOV 2009 OCT/NOV 2009 ACE TENNIS
6766 TENNIS CODE
tennis code
t he Modern guide to t he
When is it OK to call for a let? What should you do if your opponent grunts like a
warthog? There may not be a written rulebook to cover all eventualities, but tennis
has developed its own code of conduct which should serve to keep even the most
keenly contested match on the right side of cordial. ACE Tennis explains…
Words Charlie Norton Illustration David Tazzyman
If there is any doubt on a line call,
you must give your opponent the
benefit of the doubt. In an ideal world,
the only argument here would see both
players politely trying to lose the point
(though it’s probably best not to turn
your match into a Monty Python sketch).
N9n
Do not question line calls made on
the other side of the net, except in
extreme circumstances. Never, ever try to
make a baseline call when the ball lands
at the other end while you are lying on the
ground behind your own baseline. That
makes you a cheating, fallen idiot.
N9n
Catching an airborne ball
anywhere on the court during
discarded banana skins, you must be
prepared for the consequences.
N9n
Surprisingly, if your opponent
accidentally throws his or her
racket and injures you to such an extent
that you cannot continue, you must be
the one to forfeit. If, on the other hand,
the throw was clearly deliberate, then
winning the match may be the least of
your problems. In that case, it may be
best to run or call the police (or both).
N9n
Unless it is completely
unavoidable, do not return a
service that is out. Practising your
forehand return and admiring your
own handiwork while your opponent
waits to make his second serve is
little short of gamesmanship.
If, when receiving, you decide to
open a bag of Monster Munch,
change your racket or chase a rainbow
between your opponent’s two serves,
the server has the right to two more
serves. If lightning strikes the server’s
racket, then he or she also has the right
to two more serves. If, on the other
hand, the server trips over his or her
own feet after striking a shin with the
follow-through from the first serve, then
only one serve remains.
N9n
Talking while the ball is in play
is generally taboo. You may
occasionally feel like shouting
sarcastically to heap pressure on
your opponent (especially if you have
patted the ball back with a pansy
lob), but if you do, then he or she can
claim the point without making a shot.
N9n
Do not try to distract your
opponent when they are in the act
of serving (although you are entitled to
feint or change position while the ball
is being tossed). Frantically waving
your arms, playing racket-assisted air
guitar or dancing and singing like a
loon are not in the spirit of things.
N9n
When play is in progress don’t
go behind another court to hide
from your game or retrieve a ball.
Also, don’t ask for your ball to be
returned until the point on the
adjoining court has been played out.
N9n
Wear distinguishable tennis
clothing; no leather trousers, loud
Hawaiian shirts or stilettos. If in doubt,
wear all white (but not all tight Lycra).
Bring a spare racket if you have one.
N9n
If it is unintentional and done
with one continuous movement,
a double hit is actually a legal shot. A
deliberate double shot (which should
be very obvious) is not.
N9n
Ensure you begin your game with
an acceptable supply of balls.
Casually serving with one ball (after
you’ve hit another three out of the
court) and then demanding it back for
your second serve is among the worst
forms of amateurism.
N9n
Don’t lose your temper over the
score. Wagging your finger and
screaming blue murder that it’s
deuce and not 30-40 will upset any
game’s atmosphere. Settle any
dispute by tossing a racket.
N9n
Avoid procrastination. In this
context, this includes arriving late,
taking unnecessary loo visits or injury
breaks, collecting extra towelling,
eating giant club sandwiches or having
a long, sensual massage.
orse Code, the
Da Vinci Code and even the Highway
Code may be easier to demystify than
the baffling set of unwritten rules and
traditions that allow the glorious game
of tennis to run smoothly. The Tennis
Code is a distinctly non-confrontational
combination of common sense, etiquette
and impeccable manners that’s very
much in keeping with British culture.
It’s also the very antithesis of the Pro Tour,
where winning is everything. Tennis is
a very different game when it’s played
against a backdrop of umpires, linesman,
ball boys and technology (not to mention
millions of dollars in prize money), all of
which combine to remove the variables,
decisions and practicalities of the average
game. It is left to the rest of the tennis world
– that is, us mere mortals – to maintain the
Corinthian ethos of lawn tennis.
The following is not intended as an
exhaustive list, nor are its rules intended to
be taken as compulsory. Think of it as a
menu of suggestions, which can be used
to form the basis of your own, personal
code of on-court conduct...
a match loses you the point, no matter
how impressive your instinctive slip-
fielding skills (or no matter how
effective your interception of a ball
destined for a far-flung hedge).
N9n
Requesting a let because your
mobile rang or you saw someone you
know walk past the court is unacceptable.
Requesting a let when you cannot even
reach a shot and, say, citing the movement
of a distant crow in your eye-line, is the
height of bad manners.
N9n
You are responsible for
‘housekeeping’ on your own side of
the court. If you fail to remove stray balls,
pop socks, bottles of Robinsons or
Grunting (or making other loud
noises) can be the basis for a let
or loss of point and should therefore
be avoided. However, in these
competitive modern times, when
even demure young women seem
to snort like libidinous warthogs,
you may have to adjust what you
deem to be acceptable noise.
N9n
Don’t enter a tournament and
then withdraw like a speeding
thunderbolt when you discover that
some tough opponents have also
signed up. It’s equally gauche to be
a trophy hunter, though this probably
doesn’t apply if you are Roger Federer.
N9n
Should you bring along
boisterous supporters (as is
more common in tennis these days),
try to ensure they remain clothed and
sober and avoid using them to make
favourable line calls.
N9n
If your opponent appears to be a
shameless cheat, calmly ask for an
umpire and refuse to continue until he
or she turns up. If there is no possibility
of an umpire, take a long hard look
at yourself and pick your friends and
tennis partners more carefully.
N9n
Most importantly, remember that
tennis is meant to be enjoyed.
Don’t beat yourself with your racket
or pull your hair out, as behaviour of
this type is beyond the pale. Tennis
can be turned into excoriating mental
torture if you let it, but, played in the
right spirit, it’s usually great fun.
Have you got any suggestions to add
to our code? Maybe it’s a heinous
crime at your local club if you don’t
add your opponent’s name to the
visitors’ book. Or perhaps placing
a towel in the wrong place earns you
a severe talking to? Let us know at
letters@acetennismagazine.com
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11. 63
OCT/NOV 2009 ACE TENNISACE TENNIS OCT/NOV 2009
62 OLD SCHOOL/NEW SCHOOL
ompetitive tennis has changed
beyond recognition over the past century.
Once a genteel pursuit for the upper class
to enjoy between cucumber sarnies, it’s now
an unstoppable multi-million pound sports
juggernaut contested by some of the most
finely tuned physical specimens on the planet.
Where we used to have svelte and dapper
competitors such as Fred Perry, today we
marvel at testosterone-pumped, sushi-fuelled
ball-walloping machines. And as the
physiques of competitors have evolved, so
inevitably has the associated apparel.
Tennis equipment has come a long way since the days of flannels
and flappers, but have these technological advances made a real
difference to how the game is played? ACE Tennis invited the UK’s
top doubles pair to play a generation game to find out…
Words Nick Moore Photography Glen Burrows
the way
we wore
The pre-war player trotted around
clad in flannel trousers, wool jumpers,
unpadded shoes and a natty boater hat.
He wafted a laminated wood racket, its
65-square-inch head strung with catgut.
The modern warrior, on the other hand, is
equipped with clothing that weighs roughly
the same as air and locks away perspiration.
His ergonomic sports shoes maximise
speed while minimising injury. Even his
socks are super-powered: they’re
anatomically correct, strategically padded,
air-conditioned über-socks.

12. 64
OCT/NOV 2009 ACE TENNISACE TENNIS OCT/NOV 2009
65OLD SCHOOL/NEW SCHOOL
Most fearsome of all, he clutches a
scientifically engineered weapon of mass
destruction: the modern racket. It boasts
a 100-square-inch head, carbon-fibre body
and nylon strings.
Its enormous sweet spot produces
serves of 155mph – at least in the hands
of Andy Roddick. You can almost imagine
it kicking sand in the wooden racket’s face
and stealing its girlfriend.
topspinner swishes by, he might as well be
holding a toothpick – it’s like watching Mike
Tyson take on Hannah Montana in a cage
fight. Skupski wins the first game (to love)
and Fleming is already perspiring. Heavily.
The second exchange is an improvement.
While he’s getting little pace, Fleming pulls
off some deft lobs and drop shots. It’s to no
avail, mind. Brute force prevails, as Skupski
once again wins every point. Everything
changes in game three, though. Skupski’s
shoes may give him a mobility advantage,
but he’s getting complacent. At 0-30 down,
Fleming somehow produces a deep
backhand. Skupski’s return is puny and
Fleming volleys home a fine winner. It’s 15-30,
and a breakthrough for Team Vintage. With a
glint in his eye, Fleming takes the next two
points (a superb flat shot down the line and a
volley) before a crafty backhand clinches the
game. ‘I’m going to win this now!’ he booms.
Galvanised by the possibility of losing to a
bloke who looks like Dickie Bird, Skupski
throws everything into game four. He breezes
around effortlessly, while Fleming suddenly
looks like he’s run a marathon in his pullover.
And while Fleming still bags points (he gets
to deuce) Skupski’s gargantuan smashes and
serves are too much for him to deal with. It’s
game, set and match to Skupski, 3-1.
To the locker room, for post-game thoughts.
‘I couldn’t be sweating any more,’ says
Fleming. ‘I improved as the match went on and
realised there was no chance of competing
from the baseline. Ken was lucky! But using the
old racket was tough. I couldn’t control the
depth and the ball just flew off the frame.’
Skupski agrees that his technological edge
was insurmountable. ‘The pace of the ball off
my racket was too much, so I was comfortable.
I’d like to see Colin play a five-setter at the US
Open in that gear. He’d melt!’
So is tennis today an utterly different ball
game? ‘Totally,’ offers Skupski. ‘I remember
Bjorn Borg tried to make a comeback with his
old wooden rackets, but he couldn’t compete.
If you gave the current tour wooden rackets,
the rankings would change overnight. I think
Nadal would struggle because he’s so reliant
on strength, but Federer would be brilliant,
because he has all the classical strokes.’
Fleming agrees. ‘The basics are the same,
but that game puts things into perspective.
I had to think constantly about where I was
going to put the ball, because I had no power.’
So what have we learned? Well, for one,
wool makes you sweat a lot and, secondly,
that Colin Fleming looks pretty slick with
Brylcreemed hair. But, perhaps more
importantly, we’ve realised that while the old
rackets may not be a patch on the new ones in
terms of delivering power and winning points,
they do encourage a more cerebral style of
play – and that, perhaps, is no bad thing.
Modernity has prevailed over antiquity, but
not without being given a poke in the eye with
an old wooden bat first.
But how much difference has technology
really made? The game is, after all, still just
two people hitting a ball. What would happen
if we kitted out two equally skilled players –
one in the antiquated clobber of the 1930s
dandy, another in the best gear available
– and made them play a few games? As Harry
Hill might say, there’s only one way to find out.
To conduct our experiment, ACE Tennis
adjourned to the National Tennis Centre with
up-and-coming doubles duo Colin Fleming
(from Linlithgow, near Edinburgh) and Ken
Skupski (from Liverpool), a pairing which
goes by the collective nickname of ‘Flemski’.
The likeable Scot-and-Scouse combo, who
have been playing together for just over a
year, caused a sensation at Queen’s by
defeating the world’s number one pair, the
Bryans. ‘It was a great moment,’ says
Fleming. ‘We’ve done very well together and
want to push into the top 100 and play ATP.’
‘We complement each other on court,’
adds Skupski. ‘People have picked up on
the Flemski thing – there’s even a range of
branded caps – so we want to do well.’
Fleming has drawn the short straw for
today’s event. Skupski (wearing everyday
gear) collapses with mirth as his partner
emerges from the stylist’s chamber,
resplendent in wool, flannel and slicked-back
hair. ‘This is comedy. The Ashes have finished
you know, Colin!’ he roars. ‘He always takes
the mick out of me, so I’m going to get months
of fun from this.’ The Scot takes the abuse with
good grace. ‘I feel like I should be smoking
a pipe,’ he mutters. ‘You owe me one, Skup.’
They discuss the game ahead. Skupski
is bullish. ‘Colin is usually better than me at
singles, but he’ll have no chance today,’ he
says. ‘The key is the rackets. I could beat
anybody if they used a wood frame. OK…
maybe not Roger Federer.’
Fleming agrees. ‘He’ll probably win. I look
smart, but it’s hardly practical getting around
in a belt and flat shoes. I’ll be sweating, so the
’kerchief will be handy to mop my brow with.
And this thing is more like a banjo than a
tennis racket. It’s got no grip and you can’t
use it to apply proper spin. There’ll be no
power, so I’m going to hit the ball very flat and
outwit Ken with my touch and feel.’
With the baiting over, it’s time to hit the
NTC’s courts for the game itself.
We begin our best-of-five mini-match and,
to begin with at least, it’s embarrassing.
Skupski’s monstrous forehands ricochet
wildly off poor Fleming’s racket. As one
I could beat
anybody if they
used a wood frame.
OK… maybe not
Federer
I’d like to see
Colin play a five
setter at the US
Open in that gear.
He’d melt!’
Born 13 August 1984
Lives Linlithgow, Scotland
Height 6ft 2in
Highest world ranking
No.108 (doubles), No.365 (singles)
Career ITF titles 15 doubles, 3 singles
Recent highlights A five-title streak
on his return to the tour in late 2008,
impressed on his Davis Cup debut in
Glasgow in March 2009, and beat the
Bryan brothers with Skupski at Queen’s.
Born 9 April 1983
Lives Liverpool
Height 6ft 1in
Highest world ranking
No.106 (doubles), No. 527 (singles)
Career ITF titles 16 doubles, 1 singles
Recent highlights The big lefty has
won five doubles titles this year, four with
Fleming, and finished runner-up at a
further four. Made his Davis Cup squad
debut in Liverpool in September.
Colin Fleming In brief Ken Skupski In brief
TROUSERS:
Vintage flannels
with canvas belt
and ‘kerchief
SHIRT: Cotton
JUMPER: Wool
tank top
SHOES:
Canvas pumps
RACKET: Vintage
1930s model
SHORTS: Fila
SHIRT: Fila
SHOES: Fila
RACKET:
Head Microgel
Prestige Pro
stylist:suzielloyd