miercuri, 2 mai 2012


BRD Năstase Ţiriac Trophy 2012 - Recapitulare
 



S-a mai terminat o ediţie BRD Năstase-Ţiriac Trophy. Mutat în aprilie, cu un nou sponsor principal şi un nou nume, turneul  a intrat cu adevărat în calendarul sezonului european pe zgură.  Jucători interesanţi de top 20, foste şi viitoare talente au venit pentru prima oară la Bucureşti: Grigor Dimitrov, Xavier Malisse, Marcos Baghdatis, Victor Troicki, Jurgen Melzer, Fabio Fognini. Participarea de anul acesta e semn bun pentru anii viitori. 
 
În interviul pentru treizecizero.ro Xavier Malisse a apreciat organizarea şi condiţiile oferite jucătorilor. A lăudat hotelul şi atmosfera relaxată de la Arenele BNR. Cu excepţia zilei de miercuri, când a fost o vijelie care a întrerupt meciurile, şi joi, când a fost frig, restul săptămânii vremea a fost perfectă pentru tenis. Parcul în mijlocul căruia se află terenurile de tenis arată grozav în această perioadă a anului. Complexul sportiv se află în Cotroceni, un cartier rezidenţial liniştit aflat aproape de centrul oraşului, la doar 10 minute de mers pe jos de staţia de metrou şi RATB Eroilor. Ca locaţie şi acces, turneul nu putea fi situat mai bine. 

La conferinţa pentru tragerea la sorţi Ion Ţiriac a făcut aluzie că în viitor, turneul ar putea fi transformat de la 250 într-unul de 500 de puncte „dacă s-ar mai investi 1 milion de euro”. Locaţia este perfectă, perioada este perfectă, terenurile sunt bine întreţinute. Ca facilităţi, lasă de dorit scaunele din tribune -incomode pe Central şi puţine pe terenurile 1 şi 2, şi toaletele, problema eternă a acestei ţări, care sunt puţine şi rudimentare.  De asemenea, am observat că nu există încă tabelă care să arate viteza loviturilor pe Central. 


De asemenea, unii copii de mingi mi s-au părut prea mici ca vârstă. La Grand Slam-uri şi turnee din alte ţări vezi foarte des aproape adolescenţi pe post de copii de mingi. La noi, unii copii nu păreau să aibă mai mult de 6 ani. Erau mici, nu puteau să alerge suficient de repede, şi nici perfect coordonaţi nu erau. Le mai scăpau mingile din mână, le aruncau prea încet. Nu ştiu dacă au fost selectaţi copii aşa mici pentru că nu au avut destui candidaţi sau a fost o scăpare a organizatorilor. Arbitrii de linie şi de scaun au făcut per total o treabă bună, cel puţin la meciurile pe care le-am văzut. M-a amuzat foarte tare pronunţia scorului în româneşte.


 
Ca spectator, dacă nu eşti la meci, eşti în zona de „leisure”. Anul acesta au fost tonete cu mâncare, sucuri, cafea, bere, îngheţată, două standuri cu rachete şi mingi, terase cu scaune şi canapele. Sponsorii au avut zone speciale unde au organizat tombole şi sesiuni de autografe. Ce nu am găsit şi m-a mirat a fost un stand cu suveniruri, tricouri, şepci, marfă inscripţionată cu logo-ul turneului. În primele zile chiar aş fi avut nevoie de o şapcă şi am fost sigură c-o să găsesc de cumpărat. Singurele lucruri pe care le puteai cumpăra erau nişte pălării Panama la modicul preţ de 223 Ron.

De asemenea, oferta de mâncare a fost limitată. De la tonete puteai cumpăra doar sandvişuri diverse şi hot dog. Bune sandvişurile, dar dacă vii şi stai o zi întreagă, te saturi de sandvişuri până la urmă. Aş fi apreciat mai multă varietate (de exemplu nişte salate preambalate şi iaurturi nu cred că ar fi fost foarte greu de organizat). 



Am lăsat la urmă problema cea mai spinoasă. Un turneu de 500 presupune facilităţi, premii şi jucători de 500, dar şi public. Este publicul român de 500? Nu încă. Sau nu toţi, în orice caz. Tenisul  e un sport destul de strict ca etichetă. În primul rând, trebuie linişte în tribune în timpul punctelor. Ştiind acest lucru elementar, mi-e greu să-i înţeleg pe nenumăraţii părinţi care şi-au adus copiii bebeluşi cu ei pe stadion. Au fost momente, inclusiv la finală, când s-au auzit plânsete şi ţipete chiar înainte ca jucătorul să servească. Nu poţi să te aştepţi ca un copil de 2, 3 ani să stea locului o oră pe scaun. Bineînţeles că se trezea câte un părinte să alerge în timpul game-ului după odrasla care o luase la goană printre rânduri. Organizatorii nu au pus limită minimă de vârstă la copiii care au avut acces pe stadion anul acesta, dar cred că ar fi cazul s-o facă.

Dacă bebeluşii au măcar scuza că sunt bebeluşi, adulţii nu au niciuna. Telefoane care sunau în timpul jocului şi la care, culmea, unii chiar răspundeau, spectatori care nu se aşezau şi se plimbau agale printre rânduri după ce arbitrul anunţase „time” şi jucătorii erau pregătiţi să servească, şi alţii care insistau la poartă să fie lăsaţi să intre în timpul game-ului. În timpul punctului, atunci când li se părea că mingea a ieşit, spectatorii (şi nu puţini) strigau „out!” tare din tribune, creând confuzie şi acoperind vocea arbitrului de linie. Bineînţeles, de multe ori, mingea nu era deloc out. De asemenea, ca specatorii de la operă care aplaudă între arii, mulţi nu aşteptau ca punctul să se termine şi se apucau să aplaude după fiecare scurtă. Pentru ei am un mesaj: jucătorii profesionişti chiar pot să ajungă la mingile scurte, nu ca noi, care războinicii de weekend. Nu orice scurtă înseamnă automat încheierea punctului. De fapt, un punct se încheie numai după ce mingea e în fileu sau arbitrul de linie sau scaun strigă „out”. Abia atunci putem să aplaudăm, să oftăm , să exclamăm şi să ne foim. Ştiu, e greu, mult mai greu decât la fotbal, dar ăsta e tenisul.

Cred că publicului român i-ar mai prinde bine un an doi de antrenament în tribune. Eventual nişte afişe sau broşuri care să explice regulile de comportament, sau anunţuri repetate la difuzor. Şi nişte stewarzi mai energici şi mai proactivi, care să-i grăbească pe cei care intră la pauză şi să-i atenţioneze pe zgomotoşi.

Nu vreau să reiasă că tot publicul e aşa. Pentru că nu e. Am văzut şi oameni de calitate la Arenele BNR, care au cumpărat bilete şi au aşteptat civilizat la coadă să intre, oameni politicoşi şi amabili, de la puşti însoţiţi de bunici, cupluri, sau prieteni veniţi cu gaşca. Oameni îmbrăcaţi elegant, care nu vorbeau tare cu prietenii lor în timpul punctului şi care nu strigau „Rupe-l!” la fiecare smash sau „Eşti un prost!” dacă jucătorul dădea în fileu. E adevărat că nu trebuie decât câteva poame rele ca să strice toată atmosfera, dar  au fost mulţi spectatori cunoscători ai sportului care au îndurat cu răbdare şi frigul şi căldura şi au apreciat posibilitatea  de a-i vedea live pe câţiva dintre cei mai buni jucători de tenis din lume.

În concluzie, turneul de la Bucureşti are potenţial, ţinând cont că în ţările învecinate nu există decât un singur concurent, Serbia Open, tot de 250. Eventualele neajunsuri pot fi depăşite cu timpul, şi dacă va exista susţinere în continuare din partea sponsorilor şi a publicului, turneul poate deveni o tradiţie frumoasă în mijlocul primăverii bucureştene.


duminică, 22 ianuarie 2012

Nu, n-am dispărut, doar ne-am mutat!

La fileu s-a mutat cu arme şi bagaje pe Facebook, unde petrecerea continuă! Sunteţi invitaţi să contribuiţi cu ce vă lasă inima: un comentariu, o poză, un like. Vă aşteptăm!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/La-fileu/139418946090184?ref=tn_tnmn

miercuri, 16 martie 2011

Indian Wells: Ce mai zice fetele?

Să intrăm direct în subiect.
JJ vorbeşte despre părerea celorlalţi despre ea şi despre toată vrăjeala cu "gândirea pozitivă" când tu joci ca naiba.



Q.  The local newspaper here took a poll on the likely women's winner here, and only about 10% of the persons who responded picked you.  What kind of chance do you give yourself?
JELENA JANKOVIC:  Do you think I care?  (Laughter.)
Q.  No.
JELENA JANKOVIC:   It's the same like, you know, some people are gonna like my dress; some people not.  So it's like, you know, if I really focus on what other people are gonna think, I'm not really gonna go too far. To be honest, I don't really read newspapers, and especially not about myself.  I read about other things.
Q.  We all liked your dress.
JELENA JANKOVIC:  No, just kidding.  I'm just making a joke.

Q.  Can you be a happy person if you're not playing your best tennis?
JELENA JANKOVIC:  You know, on the court, not, obviously. I don't think anybody can really enjoy, when you're playing really badly on the court. I don't know one person, no matter how positive you are, that you're gonna be really enjoying it and having a smile on your face.  You hit the ball like for the 100th time out, you're gonna be, "Ah, nice.  Keep doing that."   That's the reality.  Actually, you try to be positive, but it's hard.

Ana explică care e situaţia cu antrenorul ei part time, ce deal are cu Novak, şi ce-a făcut în Las Vegas.


Q.  So Darren is going to be consulting with you a little bit, or was it a temporary thing of going to Las Vegas?
ANA IVANOVIC:  Well, Europe was really cold, and I wanted to keep practicing outside, so I was thinking of coming to America anyway.  So then I just thought I'd go to Vegas, and there were some other players there and Sorana was there, so it was nice to hang out. Andrea Petkovic as well. So it was nice to spend some time there and also work with Darren. 

Q.  So you did a lot of gambling, went to shows?
ANA IVANOVIC:  Yeah, exactly.  I gambled all my money.  (Laughter.)

Q.  Have you and Novak agreed you're going to go to each other's every single match now?
ANA IVANOVIC:  If that's what it takes to win, I won't complain.
Q.  He even brought his coach, too.
ANA IVANOVIC:  We're all good friends, so they're super funny, and they're really relaxed.  Actually, I can learn a lot from how they approach things, and it was great to see him there.  I actually didn't think he was gonna come.  He said, I'll come and watch to return the favor from Melbourne.  I was like, Sure.  He said, Really.  Leave me a ticket.  Then when he came, I couldn't believe it.
Anyway, I think for guys it's much worse watching women's tennis than us watching men's.
Q.  He looked a little stressed at times.
ANA IVANOVIC:  It was pressure.  He won Australian Open and I had to play for him. 

Q.  You don't have a full time coach, but you have a sparring partner and Darren helped you.  Are you consulting with him or pretty much out there on your own making your own decisions?
ANA IVANOVIC:  No, I consult with Darren, and I worked with him in the past.  He knows my game and he knows the history as well.  That's why I think he can help me.
A big part of hiring someone new is going through the process of getting to know each other.  And if you work well together and so on, it takes time for certain things to come into place.  That's why it's great to have him here.  He understands.  He comes to practice when he can, and it's not like stressed and like I have pressure that he needs to be in every practice.
I have my sparring partner that talks to Darren a lot, and they discuss what I have to do.  But, you know, Darren comes when he needs to, and he gives me some good tips.  It's good. 

Q.  Are you in the process of looking for a coach, or are you...
ANA IVANOVIC:  Not at the moment.  Not at the moment.  Its been kind of a roller coaster, so I'm just happy how it is at the moment with my sparring partner there.  And, you know, he's great guy and we have lots of fun hitting, and that's what it's about.
Q.  What's his name?
ANA IVANOVIC:  Olivier Morel.
Q.  Is he French?
ANA IVANOVIC:  Yes.
Q.  Can you explain to me the difference between the coach and consulting?  I'm not quite sure if I know the difference.  He sounds like a coach to me.
ANA IVANOVIC:  Yeah, well, that's what he is, but he's not there the full time and he can't give me advice when I play adidas girls.  That's the difference.
Q.  Thank you very much.

Masha filozofează despre etapa actuală a carierei sale, noua rachetă Head şi noul antrenor, vorbeşte despre cum au virusat-o ruşii, şi cum s-a simţit ca un star rock la meciul demonstrativ organizat de Nike.


Q.  What's your feeling in this stage of your career?  Does it feel like work and a chore in any way, or is there a real joy to it and a freshness still? 
MARIA SHARAPOVA:  I think it's pretty tough to go on a tennis court thinking that it's a chore.  It's pretty difficult on its own, because you obviously have to work on a lot of things in your game, and go through other things off the court. I have a new coach and new racquet.  So you're working on those things, and you're trying to build. I like the work ethic that Thomas has brought on the court.  It's worked on a lot on many different areas of my game, and it's a whole different ball game when you go into a match. That's what I've lacked for many months now, and I just really hope that I can play a lot of matches.

Q.  I know you developed a lot of patience after the shoulder surgery, because you had to, being out.  But when you got sick at Fed Cup and you got back on the plane and you realized you couldn't play Paris, Dubai, or Doha, were you saying, Oh, my God, I can't believe I have to go through this again?
MARIA SHARAPOVA:  Yeah, that was a bummer, but I just knew it was gonna happen, because when you come into a country and 50% of the people are sick in the city and you're playing in a stadium, you know, with thousands of people, I mean, there's a really good chance you're going to get something.  I just got it pretty bad.  Yeah, I was out for a couple of weeks. 

Q.  One of the great things about tennis is we have all these cycles.  We always come back here or Paris or London.  But earlier this week you went up to Eugene.  Can you describe what it's like, what it was like up there to play in front of a fresh crowd?
MARIA SHARAPOVA:  Yeah, so energetic, and it just felt alive. We were introduced onto the court from walking down stairs.  And with the whole inside being dark and only you're walking alone down the stairs, you feel like a rock star. You know, I felt like the opening act to U2  playing before Roger and Rafa.  I was like the Blackeyed Peas.  (Laughing.)  It was really fun. I have been with Nike for so many years., from being a young girl when they didn't make clothes in my size and they never had a junior line and I had to wear things that were twice as big and rolling up my skirts.

Q.  Do you have to show yourself now, let's say the next couple of months, that, Yes, I put in the work, have a new racquet, a new coach, I can still produce good results and really good tennis?
MARIA SHARAPOVA:  Well, I know I can produce good results.  I wouldn't be here. But I'm pretty realistic in terms of knowing that I'm not just going to come out of nowhere and all of a sudden, you know, feel like everything is well and I'm winning matches easily.  I'm not gonna have any hiccups in the matches and not go through tough opponents.
 
Dinara mărturiseşte că s-a gândit serios să se lase de tenis după AO,  şi cum au ajutat-o mama ei, noul antrenor şi Marat.


Q.  When you left Australia, you were frustrated with how you played and how things went.  Were you sure that in a month, maybe two months if you kept working hard, that your tennis would come back?
DINARA SAFINA: After Australia there was a moment I came to Moscow for the Fed Cup.  I said to my mom I'm retiring.  I said, I don't want any more of this. Because for me it was tough, because I knew that I'm gonna start next week with a new coach. And, like, it was a moment that was going in my mind, Will I be back?  

Q.  What did your mother say to you when you said that to her?
DINARA SAFINA:  Well,  she said, Come on; be positive.  I said, It's not about positive or negative.  It's just I was not happy being on the court anymore. So for me, it was tough, because I love the sport.  And once you're not enjoying it, you struggle, you know.
So I change it around to practice, and really like David, he was really positive every time, because there were moments in the practice I would go down.  He's like, Come on; keep it up; let's work hard.  I mean, thanks God it's paying off.

Q.  Have you ever dealt with anything like that before where you've been that far down that you felt like it wasn't fun anymore?
DINARA SAFINA:  I was down, but not that down, you know.  I was down, but still my ranking was 20.  

Q.  You talked about before not discussing tennis with your mother.  But it seems like this time you went to her when you weren't feeling good and talked to her, not just about personal things but about tennis, too.  Can you talk a bit about that?
DINARA SAFINA:  Well, that moment I felt like she was the person who knows me, you know.  That I could really speak out what I have deep inside.  I knew it would also hurt her, but  I said, I cannot keep it anymore inside.  So I went to her.  Then I think she was the closest one for me.

Q.  Can you tell us what the new coach has brought to you since you started working together?
DINARA SAFINA:I think he started to put me back in the track the way I should to play.  I went away from my game completely, and he's trying ‑‑ of course we still didn't have too much time to work, but at least day by day he is forcing me to be again aggressive, because he knows that's the way of my game.

Q.  Is one of the reasons you're having problems with your serve is because last year you had to adjust the serve because of the back pain?
DINARA SAFINA:  Well, honestly, I changed the motion because of the hip.  Because after my back, it went into my hip.  I was so painful, my hip, so I could not serve. And then after the US Open I was practicing one week with my brother, and he told me, Try this serve. And since then, maybe the motion is not perfect, but at least I have no pain. If I go now to practice, I will not make one double fault.  But to play more matches when you're in tension, like how to control, so this I have to get used to it still.

Q.  Is your brother helping you a lot?  What kind of a relationship do you have with him now?
DINARA SAFINA:  We have, I must say, unbelievable relationship. He's really like helping me a lot, and he's behind me.  He's supporting me all the way. It was not the same when he was playing, because, you know, it's tough to come to him after the match, and he has his match and I come with my problems, you know.  So now at least he has time, and he really always like, You need me?  I'm there.  Whatever.  You need to practice, I help you.  I do whatever I need to help you.

Q.  Last time you played Maria, who you are going to be playing, was 2008 French Open, which was shortly before she underwent her surgery.  You guys have kind of shared a lot of ups and downs together.  Just talk about your feelings about playing her and the rivalry and long history between you two, similar age.
DINARA SAFINA:  Well, yeah, it's another tough match.  I just see her.  She's another athlete.  She is also coming back from an injury, but she's a little bit higher ranked than me, just hundred spots.  (Laughter.)

Kim crede că să chemi antrenorul pe teren în timpul meciului nu e foarte util. Dar poate fi distractiv.


Q.  Before the start of the third set today, your opponent called for her coach.  I'm wondering when you hear that if you might not say to yourself, "I got her".  She doesn't know how to proceed.
KIM CLIJSTERS:  I do think that sometimes, to be honest.  And I sometimes even wonder, Why do you need your coach right now?  You're beating me.  Just keep everything going the way it's going.
Yeah, that's why I'm also ‑‑ you know, I think the rule is ‑‑ it's fine if players want to use.  But I will never use it, just because I think you will learn more out of a match when you can deal with it yourself.
Even if you don't deal with it, you learn more from it. So that's why I'm not a big fan of the coaching system.  I understand.  I mean, when I'm watching a tennis match and I see a coach who goes out there, I think it's fun to hear. Even what happened in Australia with Jarmila Groth, whenever her husband/coach were arguing, I mean, that's when I love it.  You know, that's the funnest part about it.

It's nice to kind of get the advice, but it's not like you don't know it.  You know what I mean? A lot of times people who sit on the side of the court see something, but I'm more of a feeling kind of person.  That's also the feedback that I'll always give, is how I felt out on court. That's why I like to deal with it with myself, because I'm the only person who's feeling how I'm feeling out there at that moment.

Caro vorbeşte despre şcoală, prietenii ei, şi cum e diferit tenisul masculin de cel feminin. Iar cangurul australian a fost înlocuit de căţelul californian. Yay. 


Q.  Do you still talk to some of your friends from school days?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI:  I do.  I do. I have a lot of friends also from kindergarten.  I think it's very important to keep in touch with those friends.  You know, they see you as the person you are and not a tennis player, not the person you are on court.  Actually, most of my best friends, they have no clue about tennis.
So that's nice, as well.  You know, it's like, Can you teach me the score?  I'm like, No.  Okay.

Q.  Are some of them in university, and are there times when you think ‑ and I know you're successful and you like tennis ‑ oh, maybe it would have been nice to go to university when I was 18, 19, 20?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI:  Yeah, there are some of them going to university.  I have a few friends who are actually traveling the world at the moment, so they are ‑‑ I think they are in India.  I think they're coming to the U.S. next week, so I tried to get them down to Miami.
Yeah, I have a few friends that work, that goes to work now, and of course when you hear about, watch the movies with the college experiences and everything, you know, it looks cool.
But I still have that opportunity after I finish or taking some courses.  But of course it will never be the same.
But again, I'm happy about the things that I have chosen in the lifestyle I've chosen, because, I mean, not a lot of people can say that they love what they do.  They can travel the world and they can live from their hobby.
So I have a lot of possibilities after my tennis, as well.

Q.  You practice with men regularly.
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI:  Yes.
Q.  Do you feel like on the ground that there isn't that much difference between the power men and women use?  Main difference is in the serve?  Or do you feel like groundstrokes is quite a bit of a difference?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI:  I think it's different.  I think the men play with a lot more spin.  They play with a bigger margin over the net.  Maybe it doesn't seem so fast when it comes to you, but once it bounces, it just goes away. Of course, they are stronger.  They're faster than us, there's no doubt about that.  And they have a better serve.  If I play just from the hand, I can win tiebreakers, I can win to 11.  But, you know, there's no chance to do that if you serve.
And also, the men, sometimes they just think differently.  Sometimes we can panic when we get a shot and we don't really know what to do with it.  They just place the ball.  They know then that they can expect this and that. And I think that's what we can learn from the men, as well. 
Q.  We finished a project on BNP last year.  The women were very close to the men on groundstrokes.  The men were 2.2 seconds between hits, and the women were 2.5 seconds.  So the women were just 300 milliseconds off the groundstrokes behind the men.  So they're closing in on the men on speed off the ground.  Do you recognize that when you see them play?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI:   It's tough to say. I never played a real match against a man, and I don't really want to because I like to win, so I like the way it is.  (Smiling.)

Q.  Have you found any kangaroos in the parks around here?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI:  Unfortunately, no.  I found a dog, but it didn't bite me yet.