FedEx Performance Zone: Best By Surface 2016

Posted: Dec 21, 2016

FedEx Performance Zone: Best By Surface 2016

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Look at how players fared by surface using the FedEx ATP Win/Loss Index

The ability to quickly adjust to different surfaces and conditions is a necessity on the 64-tournament circuit. Here’s a look at some of the best performers in 2016 by surface this year:

Hard Courts (minimum 10 matches)
Andy Murray won six of his nine titles on hard courts in 2016, contesting eight finals on the surface (6-2). Juan Martin del Potro, who rose from No. 1041 at the start of the year to No. 38 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, won .750 of his 2016 matches on hard courts, including a win over Andy Murray in the Davis Cup semi-finals.

Player	W-L Record	Winning %
Andy Murray	48-6	.889
Novak Djokovic	47-6	.887
Roger Federer	8-2	.800
Juan Martin del Potro	24-7	.774
Milos Raonic	32-11	.744

Clay Courts (minimum 10 tie-breaks)
Novak Djokovic and Murray competed in three clay-court finals in 2016 – the Mutua Madrid Open, Internazionali BNL d’Italia and at Roland Garros. King of Clay Rafael Nadal enjoyed a resurgence with his ninth Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters and ninth Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell crown to equal Guillermo Vilas’ record of 49 red dirt trophies.

Player	W-L Record	Winning %
Novak Djokovic	16-2	.889
Andy Murray	18-3	.857
Rafal Nadal	21-4	.840
Dominic Thiem	25-7	.781
Kei Nishikori	13-4	.765

Grass Courts (minimum 5 matches)
Murray once again dominated on mown lawns by picking up a record fifth Aegon Championships crown prior to triumphing again at Wimbledon. Milos Raonic, who lost to Murray in The Queen’s Club final, reached his first Grand Slam title match at SW19. Nicolas Mahut added to his 2013 and 2015 titles at the Ricoh Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

Player	W-L Record	Winning %
Andy Murray	12-0	1.000
Milos Raonic	10-2	.833
Nicolas Mahut	8-2	.800
Kei Nishikori	4-1	.800
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga	4-1	.800

Outdoors (minimum 10 matches)
Five of Djokovic’s seven titles in 2016 came outdoors, including a 14-match winning streak at the start of the season. Murray continued to improve his hard-court tally year-on-year (2014 – 45-16; 2015 – 58-10). Gael Monfils, the newest member of the Top 10, enjoyed a career-best year with one hard-court trophy at the Citi Open in Washington, DC.

Player	W-L Record	Winning %
Novak Djokovic	57-7	.891
Andy Murray	62-8	.886
Milos Raonic	47-13	.783
Gael Monfils	40-12	.769
Stan Wawrinka	39-12	.765

Indoors (minimum 10 matches)
Murray completed 2016 with a 15-match indoor winning streak that helped him become year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, including three titles at the Erste Bank Open 500, the BNP Paribas Masters and the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Del Potro was victorious indoors at the If Stockholm Open in a comeback year from injury.

Player	W-L Record	Winning %
Andy Murray	16-1	.941
Juan Martin del Potro	10-1	.909
Pablo Carreno Busta	8-2	.800
Novak Djokovic	8-2	.800
Richard Gasquet	11-4	.733

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Kvitova out for at least six months after attack

Posted: Dec 21, 2016

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will be out of tennis for at least six months as she recovers from a knife attack – but should be able to resume her career.

The Czech, 26, underwent surgery to tendons and nerves on her playing hand following the attack by an intruder at her home in Prostejov on Tuesday.

Kvitova faces a slow rehabilitation process after 14 days of bed rest.

The “best-case scenario” sees her on the practice court after six months.

Surgeon Radek Kebrle said that the operation on Kvitova’s left hand went “very well, with no complications,” but it will be three months until the world number 11 can even grip a racquet.

“It is too soon to specify when precisely she can return to competition, but Petra is ready to do everything she can to get back competing at the highest level,” said a statement from her management.

“Petra is happy with how the operation went and is in good spirits.”

Kvitova had said she was “shaken” and “fortunate to be alive” following the incident on Tuesday.

She suffered lacerations to her left hand when struggling with an intruder who posed as a utilities man to gain access to her apartment.

Analysis

Piers Newbery, BBC Sport tennis writer:

Kvitova faces a long road back to competitive action but given the nature of the attack she suffered, it will be a victory for the Czech simply to step back onto the court to resume her professional career.

When that will be is unclear as the rehabilitation process cannot get under way until six to eight weeks after Tuesday’s surgery, and the early prognosis suggests she will not return to the practice court for six months.

However, her initial statements have been bullish and she will be especially motivated to get back after the impressive form she showed in the second half of 2016.

Assuming she is out for at least six months, Kvitova will return with a ‘special ranking’ that will allow her to enter up to eight tournaments with the ranking of 11 that she held when she last played.

She will not lack for support as one of the most popular players in the sport, both among spectators and her fellow competitors.

The example of Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro might provide some inspiration – a similarly popular player who returned triumphantly this year after potentially career-ending wrist problems.

Kvitova career stats

Turned professional in 2006, aged 16
First Wimbledon appearance as a junior in 2007, reaching the last 16
First career title in 2009 – the Hobart International, Australia
Now has 19 titles with career prize money totalling more than £18.4m
Reached a career-high of world number two in October 2011, behind Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki
Won a bronze medal at the Rio Olympics, losing her semi-final to eventual gold medallist Monica Puig

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Record Australian Open prize money targets early rounds

Posted: Dec 21, 2016

The Australian Open has increased prize money to record levels for 2017, with the focus on those players beaten in the early rounds of the tournament.

The total prize fund is up 14% on 2016 at 50m Australian dollars (£29.4m), with the singles champions to each receive A$3.7m (£2.2m).

First-round losers will earn A$50,000 (£29,360), up 39%, while prize money across qualifying is up 39%.

The increase is part of a package of measures to try to tackle corruption.

Tennis Australia boosts anti-corruption fight
Courtside gambling ads dumped at Australian Open

The first Grand Slam tournament of 2017 gets under way in Melbourne on 16 January, with Novak Djokovic and Angelique Kerber defending the singles titles.

It was during last year’s Australian Open that a BBC and BuzzFeed News investigation uncovered suspected illegal betting, with 16 players reportedly flagged over suspicious matches.

The lower levels of tennis are considered more vulnerable to betting-related corruption as players struggle to make a living through prize money.

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said: “It was especially important for us to increase the compensation for players in the early rounds and qualifying and this year we have made some real gains.

“Our aim is to shift the break-even point for professional players, to ensure that tennis is a viable career option for the best male and female athletes in the world.”

The 2017 tournament will see the return to Grand Slam action of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams after injury-lay offs.

However, world number 11 Petra Kvitova will be absent after she was the victim of a knife attack on Tuesday, two-time champion Victoria Azarenka gave birth to a son in December, while Juan Martin del Potro is a major doubt after several years of injury problems.

“There’s a fortnight to the Australia Open and I’m unlikely to make that objective,” said the Argentine.

“We’re looking at what the priority is. If tennis waited for me for two years, Australia can wait for me for one more.”

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It's Official: Federer Named 2016's Most Stylish Man By GQ

Posted: Dec 21, 2016

It's Official: Federer Named 2016's Most Stylish Man By GQ

Dec202016

Swiss star wins the final by a landslide

Roger Federer has a new bullet point to add to his impressive list of accomplishments: Most Stylish Man.

The 35-year-old married father of four beat out Thor actor Tom Hiddleston to be called 2016’s Most Stylish Man by GQ. As many Federer matches have gone throughout his 18-year career, the final contest was a blowout. Federer won more than 60 per cent of the fan vote against Hiddleston.

Before the final, the Swiss star had cruised through the 64-person draw by beating (in order) former One Direction member Zayn Malik, actor Ryan Gosling, actor Steven Yeun, rapper Kanye West and actor Jared Leto. Federer will make his return to tennis next month.

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