[Deboogle!.]

First article-ish of 2007

I actually don't agree and I would have a hard time seeing Andy play Hopman Cup... butttt okay
==========
Federer and Hingis on the hit list
6th January 2007, 8:45 WST

Hopman Cup organisers look certain to launch the competition later next year and study the effects of daylight saving in an effort to shore up credibility and to maximise attendances as the tournament heads towards its 20th anniversary.

Tournament director Paul McNamee, who will target world No. 1 Roger Federer, US power hitter Andy Roddick and comeback queen Martina Hingis for next year’s event, said it was logical to delay the launch until later in the year.

“We’re getting feedback that the launch is too early,” McNamee said. “It gets into an issue of credibility of the field because the perception is that if we release the field later we’d be more certain of participation of players.”

This week’s event was hit by the withdrawal of former world No. 1 Venus Williams, after gun Russian Marat Safin pulled out last year.

“Big names pull out at every event,” McNamee said.

“Because we schedule so early it has more impact on us. Others do it the day before the tournament.

“With us we have to do it early because people are patriotic to a certain country. Our chances of getting a top player could be improved if we announced the field later.”

McNamee, who said this year’s crowds were up on last year, will also study the effects of daylight saving on attendances after several games finished around midnight because of 6.30pm starts to the evening sessions.

“Daylight saving slightly impacted on the nights because public transport doesn’t stay open an hour later because of it,” he said.

“We might be able to sneak the night session back half an hour. The night sessions are live on Fox from 8.30 on the east coast, we’ll have to talk to them.”

McNamee said Federer had been approached for this year’s event but wanted to retain his top ranking to become the longest reigning No. 1 in history, so couldn’t commit.

“We really thought Martina (Hingis) was going to play as well, then we got a request from Stephanek (Hingis’ fiance) to play for the Czech Republic but we’d already secured Tomas Berdych,” McNamee revealed.

“When we said no to Radek (Stephanek), suddenly Martina’s participation was dependent on whether Roger was going to play.

“Clearly, we’ll be trying again with Roger and Martina next year.”

The Swiss pair won the event in 2000, Federer’s first professional tournament victory.

McNamee believes Roddick’s Australian Open campaign would benefit from playing at Burswood.

RAY WILSON

[Havok]

I'd actually really like for Andy to play the Hopman Cup. Playing this plus Kooyong would be a pretty awesome warm-up before the AO. Kooyong would offer a set number of matches vs top players, while the Hopman Cup would have a mix of top vs regular players, but also mixed doubles which can help Andy's game immensly since he'll be at the net constantly (well at least when he isn't returning/his partner is serving ). I don't know why more top players play the Hopman Cup it's such a fun event and you get to team up with the top opposite sex of your country (that is if he/she wants to ).

[Deboogle!.]

I don't think Andy would want to start his season that early, it's hard to see him getting down to Australia shortly after Christmas, don't you think?

[PinkFeatherBoa]

I sit 2007 already?

Well all the best Andy for the new year. Also, all the best to McNamee trying to get Andy to play Hopman Cup. I'm not sure which guy needs it more? |:

[Tytta!.]

Originally Posted by Deb!.

I don't think Andy would want to start his season that early, it's hard to see him getting down to Australia shortly after Christmas, don't you think?

Exactly.

[fangirl]

tabloids!!!

[Eden]

Sorry, if this has already been posted elsewhere:


Connors back with Roddick
By Paul Malone

January 09, 2007

AT least 20 years later than many Australian tennis fans would have liked, Jimmy Connors will finally return to Melbourne this week.

Connors, the ferocious competitor who played the last of his two Australian Opens 32 years ago, is due to arrive in Melbourne on Thursday to coach Andy Roddick at Kooyong's AAMI Classic and the Melbourne Park fortnight.

The six-time US Open champion has guided Roddick back into the top 10 and to a Grand Slam final in his six months in charge.

Connors won the 1974 Australian Open but skipped it every year after his well-remembered 1975 final loss to John Newcombe until he retired from the ATP Tour in 1992.

But when I ran the idea of an Australian Open visit with Roddick past Connors in New York last September, the enthusiasm of America's favourite tennis warhorse was obvious.

"That would be fun. I haven't been there for a long time," Connors said.

"You're nice even to remember. But I'm done and it's Andy's time."

Colin Stubs, who runs the AAMI Classic headlined by Roger Federer and Roddick, remembered he tried to convince Connors to play at the Australian Open most years while he was tournament director of the national championships.

Connors's trademark flamboyance and tenacious play did feature in some of the most successful of the Sydney indoor tournaments run in the late 1970s and 1980s by the late promoter Graham Lovett.

"Particularly the first year at Melbourne Park (1988)," Stubs said. "I tried hard, but I think he just didn't like to start the season so early at that stage of his career.

"It will be good to have him arrive here on Thursday. It appears to be a very good marriage between him and Andy, judging by how Andy appeared to be struggling in the middle of last year and how well he played when Jimmy came into the picture."

Connors, 54, is almost as ambitious for Roddick, who lost his 11th match in his past 12 against Federer in the US Open final, as he was when he jousted memorably with generations of players ranging from Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall to Andre Agassi and Boris Becker.

Poignantly, Federer will next month break Connors's ATP record of 160 consecutive weeks ranked at No.1.

Roddick, who practised with Federer yesterday at Melbourne Park, credits Connors with providing him with more competitive focus and the passion that is still apparent in Connors's emotions as he watches matches.

"I'm happy he's down there doing it the right way," Connors said. "Before we started working together, I asked him what he was looking forward to and he said: 'I want to win'.

"Roddick should be the best player in the world and winning grand slam titles. He is the quickest learner I have ever been around.

"How good is Federer? I'll sugar coat it for you.

"He's got an incredible record, but careers are about 21 years, like Andre Agassi's. Make no mistake, there are three men in the mix now (Federer, Roddick and Rafael Nadal)."

Connors is not even comfortable with the term coach, saying at the US Open that he was "a friend who happens to know a little".

He had no interest in coaching until an intermediary arranged for Roddick to go to the former champion's home and test their suitability in tennis and in their personalities when the world No.1 of 2003 dropped to a ranking of No.12 last July.

"I was away from tennis for 15 years," said Connors, who had a hip replacement in 2005.

Connors, watching a television feed of Roddick's post-final press interview in New York, erupted with a familiar blaze of anger when he heard his charge say that if he lost to Federer in "eight Grand Slam finals, that's fine - something will stick eventually".

"When Andy said that about the eight finals, he's being a gentleman. For the first three sets, he had the upper hand," Connors said.

"The good thing about Andy is he's not afraid to fight back. You can't get him to act the way I did; it wouldn't be natural.

"The way the kids play today, I can give Andy what I know, what made me what I was. He has what makes him great - a 240km/h serve and a great forehand."

Source: http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...rom=public_rss

[Tytta!.]

Thanks for the article!

[snaillyyy]

Thanks I like the "practicing with Roger" part

[tennis lover]

Originally Posted by Jimmy!

"Roddick should be the best player in the world and winning grand slam titles. He is the quickest learner I have ever been around."

Thanks for the article!

[partygirl]

"He is the quickest learner I have ever been around."

[tangerine_dream]

"He is the quickest learner I have ever been around."

In sharp contrast to Andy "duh" Murray.

[blosson]

Is Andy practising with Roger? Andy, don't let Roger find out about your new tricks too early.

[Deboogle!.]

Roddick hopes he learned from Federer
By JOSH DUBOW, AP Sports Writer

The best way to build confidence is usually by winning. For Andy Roddick, however, two losses to Roger Federer at the end of last year showed him that he might finally be closing the gap with tennis' top player.

"Probably for the first time in two or three years after those matches I felt like the gap was maybe going my way for once," Roddick said in a conference call Monday to promote next month's SAP Open in San Jose.

"So that's exciting. There's still a long way to go, but I'm a lot more optimistic about it than I was maybe the last couple years."

Roddick's strong finish in 2006 included a run to the U.S. Open final before losing in four sets to Federer and three blown match points to the No. 1 player in the world in the season-ending Masters Cup.

Now as he prepares for the Australian Open, which begins next week, Roddick is hoping to get another chance at Federer so he can end an eight-match head-to-head losing streak. Roddick is just 1-12 in his career against Federer and had lost 13 straight sets to him before winning the second set in the U.S. Open final.

Roddick served to send the match to a third-set tiebreaker before Federer broke for the set on the way to the 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 victory. Roddick then won the first set in November in Shanghai and had three match points in the second set before falling 4-6, 7-6 (8), 6-4

"I've made it clear that I'd love to play him as many times as possible," Roddick said. "Obviously he's the bar right now. We're all trying to get there."

Roddick credits much of his improvement to the work he's done with new coach Jimmy Connors, who joined Roddick last summer after he lost in the third round at Wimbledon to Andy Murray.

That marked the fourth straight major that Roddick failed to make it to the quarterfinals, including first-round losses in the 2006 French Open and 2005 U.S. Open.

It was a big fall from being U.S. Open champion and No. 1 in the world at the end of 2003. But working with Connors, Roddick made it to the final in Indianapolis before losing to James Blake, won at Cincinnati and got the U.S. Open final. He was 18-2 in the summer circuit with Connors.

The relationship worked so well that Connors plans to travel almost full time this season with Roddick.

"It's just great kind of having a mentor and adviser who has been there before, who kind of gets what you're going through a little bit," Roddick said. "It's weird because he's probably not as loud and boisterous as you all might think. He's pretty demure when he comes to me to talk about what he has to talk about. Very straightforward, very involved with the whole process."

Connors has stressed aggressiveness to Roddick and has worked extensively on his volleys in hopes that coming to the net off his 140 mph serve will be just the trick to beat Federer.

Roddick had shied away from the serve-and-volley game during his slump.

"I kind of adopted a new style on the fly. Now I've had an offseason to work on that, I think it can get better. Just kind of need to keep going along that same route," he said. "I feel good up there right now. I guess that happens with repetition, forcing yourself to do it, whereas times before that I'd have good and bad days. I think it's just a little bit more consistent now."

While Federer won't be in San Jose, nine of the top 10 ranked Americans will be. Roddick, Blake and defending-champion Murray head a field that also includes former No. 1 player in the world Marat Safin.

"It seems like it's probably the toughest field that I've played in since I've been playing in the tournament," Roddick said. "It's definitely the deepest as far as top-tier players go. I'm excited to get in the mix."

[Chrisie]

Originally Posted by Eden

"The way the kids play today, I can give Andy what I know, what made me what I was. He has what makes him great - a 240km/h serve and a great forehand."