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It’s amazing how a harmless looking and cheap fruit that so many people tell you is good for you can be so expensive!

Well in the case of Tsonga at this years Australian Open, this yellow peril could well have cost him $$$millions!

The reality is that the Australian Open dream for Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is at an end but did we really expect him to win?

We were all (including me) excited and in awe of his destruction of Nadal in the semi final where we all uttered words we never thought we would about the Spaniard - Overpowered, Slow, One-dimensional!!
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Sharapova has missed her Fed Cup debut three times through injury Sharapova will join Elena Vesnina, Anna Chakvetadze and Dinara Safina as they travel to Israel on 2-3 February.And she insists that talk of her being disliked by her team-mates after repeatedly pulling out of Fed Cup squads is off the mark.”The majority of us have a wonderful relationship, we do,” said Sharapova.The 20-year-old, who has lived in Florida since she was nine years old, was criticised by Chakvetadze
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No Open women’s five-setter By Leo Schlink
Former Australian Captain February 01, 2008

THE Australian Open has no plans to turn its women’s final into a best-of-five-sets affair.

Tournament director Craig Tiley on Thursday dismissed rumours the final would be stretched from best-of-three sets to five.

“There is no move to change to best-of-five,” Tiley said from Bangkok, where Australia is contesting the Fed Cup.

“There is no truth to this rumour.”
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Australia stunned by Indonesia From correspondents in Bangkok, Thailand
Former Australian Captain January 31, 2008

THE Australia Fed Cup team suffered a shock 2-1 loss to Indonesia in the Asia/Oceania zone group one competition in Bangkok.

The Aussies were missing the injured Alicia Molik and Samantha Stosur, as well as the retired Nicole Pratt, but still should have had too much experience for Indonesia.

Instead, Indonesia claimed both singles rubbers to grab an unassailable lead in the tie.

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Lloyd’s GB team face a daunting task in Buenos Aires The British number one has withdrawn from the World Group fixture in Buenos Aires with a knee injury.Murray has been told that switching to clay courts could risk further injury.”He’s played in all the matches that I’ve been involved in so far, so as far as I’m concerned he is [committed],” GB captain Lloyd told BBC Radio 5 Live.”He says he’s very disappointed and obviously I take him at his word on that. I don’t think he
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When you are playing tennis you are going to need to carry your equipment so that may mean that you need to get yourself a tennis bag. When you are getting a tennis bag all you need to get it for is to carry balls and your racket for playing the game of tennis. What else are you going to use a tennis bag for? Nothing, that is why you go buy yourself tennis bag so you can tote your balls and all the things that you could possibly need for playing tennis.

You will first need to check with yourself and ask yourself how much stuff I have and how
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With more and more people getting computers more and more people are wanting to use the internet for something different every day. Well people want to learn how to play tennis online but I don’t think that it is possible. They say that you can learn how to play sports online but how do you learn how to play a sport without actually playing the sport that you are trying to learn how to play. That may sound confusing but it is true how you learn how to play a sport that you are not even physically playing. Now if you ask me that is some crazy mess.

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If you have ever stopped to actually think about the game and sport of tennis you would soon realize that it is not that hard of a sport and most people can learn to play it. There are some basic rules that you need to know before you start playing but you will soon learn about them. You will need to be in pretty good shape to play a real game of tennis.

The first things that you are going to need when you are first starting off playing the game of tennis is a tennis racket, a few tennis balls and some tennis shoes and some light clothing to
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Murray withdraws from Davis Cup From correspondents in London, England
Former Australian Captain January 31, 2008

ANDY Murray has withdrawn from Britain’s Davis Cup tie against Argentina next week with a knee injury.

Murray, 20, decided he wouldn’t be fully fit for the clash in Buenos Aires after a scan on his strained right knee that has troubled him since returning from the Australian Open earlier this month.

“We had a scan done this week and following
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Murray was out for almost three months in 2007 with a wrist problem The 20-year-old, who lost in the first round of the Australian Open, has been struggling since he returned home.”We had a scan done this week and have decided that it is better not to play.”Experts have advised me that going from hard courts to clay and back to indoor courts could increase chances of further injury,” he told his website.Murray dropped out of the world’s top 10 after he was beaten in Melbourne
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Aussies claim round one victory From correspondents in Bangkok, Thailand
Former Australian Captain January 31, 2008

AUSTRALIA’S Fed Cup team has won its opening round-robin match against New Zealand 2-1 in the Asia-Oceania zone group one competition.

Australia’s Casey Dellacqua was leading 4-1 in the third set of her match against Sacha Jones, before Jones retired with cramps.

Dellacqua’s serve was broken in the opening game of the match, and Jones went on to take the first set 6-4.
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Fox Sports leads HD revolution By staff writers
Former Australian Captain January 30, 2008

FOX Sports will lead the way in High Definition sports broadcasting, following the announcement that Australia’s leading sports network will be extending to HD across its channels.

Fox Sports HD will extend and complement the existing Fox Sports line-up of Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, Fox Sports 3, Fox Sports News and foxsports.com.au.

It will provide a significantly enhanced
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As you can see and think tennis is a pretty good sport to do if you are in need of some exercise. It is not a sport that you can just do and then lay around. It is one of those types of sports where when you are playing it you are constantly running and trying to keep up with it. I have played tennis and I know what it takes to play the sport. You do not have to be in top shape to play the sport but if you are going to be actually playing the sport then you need to be able to run quick and get to the ball so you can hit it back. Tennis is a cardio sport and you need to be able to do that in order to play this sport.

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When you are playing the game of tennis you are susceptible to many injuries like tearing ligaments, tearing tendons, pulling ligaments, pulling tendons, anything can happen when you are playing the game of tennis. You can be running and then pull your calf muscle and then it is over. After you hurt yourself playing tennis it will be even harder to get back in shape to where you can play the sport hard like you did before. If you are a person that can get in shape quick then you should already be flexible and shouldn’t have gotten an injury. So when you are playing tennis you will want to be careful as you are running across court for the ball.

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After three highly contested and physically hard fought sets (4-6, 6-4, 6-3), towards the the end of the fourth set a struggling Djokovic on the verge of cramps and a left hamstring problem, intelligently called for the trainer and took a full medical time out.

At the same time Tsonga, who was not feeling much better either and also on the verge of cramps, set calmly on his chair.

- Dojokovic drunk water, ate an energy bar (with glucose or dextrose, a primary energy source that enters the blood stream almost immediately, it requires no
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Aussies begin Fed Cup mission
Former Australian Captain January 30, 2008

AUSTRALIA will begin their two-year mission to return to the top tier of Fed Cup tennis with a three-rubber clash against New Zealand in Bangkok.

Australia have been drawn against the Kiwis, India and Indonesia in their Asia/Oceania zone group, and will need to top the pool to advance to the final of the four-day competition where a place in the World Group II play-offs in April will be at stake.
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Nadal out of Davis Cup From correspondents in Madrid, Spain
Former Australian Captain January 30, 2008

RAFAEL Nadal’s decision to opt out of Spain’s Davis Cup tie against Peru is understandable given the physical problems the world number two has experienced in recent seasons, captain Emilio Sanchez-Vicario said.

“The difficult thing for him about this tie is that he has been training on hard surfaces for the last four months and playing on clay for two weeks and then going back to hard courts would require a great effort,” Sanchez-Vicario said.
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Russia recall Safin From correspondents in Moscow, Russia
Former Australian Captain January 29, 2008

RUSSIA have recalled Marat Safin for the Davis Cup first-round tie against World Group newcomers Serbia next month.

Former world No.1 Safin missed last year’s final against the United States in Portland after struggling to find his top form following a knee injury.

“He’s definitely in the team,” Shamil Tarpishchev, who doubles as his country’s Davis and Fed Cup
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Djokovic ready to challenge Federer By Leo Schlink
Former Australian Captain January 29, 2008

AUSTRALIAN Open winner Novak Djokovic has thrown down the gauntlet to vanquished Roger Federer, declaring he had the confidence to challenge the world champion on any surface.

Djokovic expects Federer to rebound fiercely from his Melbourne Park disappointment, but the Serb has no doubt he has dented the Swiss master’s aura.

Asked if he had the self-belief to test Federer
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Ivanovic catapults to No.2 From correspondents in Paris
Former Australian Captain January 28, 2008

AUSTRALIAN Open runner-up Ana Ivanovic has reached a career-high second in the ATP world rankings behind Justine Henin of Belgium.

The 20-year-old Serb moves clear of Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia with her Serbian compatriot Jelena Jankovic staying in fourth and the winner in Melbourne, Maria Sharapova, remaining at fifth.

Venus Williams meanwhile moves back ahead of younger sister Serena standing four places ahead at sixth.

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Djokovic edges closer to Nadal From correspondents in Paris
Former Australian Captain January 28, 2008

AUSTRALIAN Open winner Novak Djokovic has closed the gaps on long-time ATP World Rankings leaders Roger Federer and Raphael Nadal.

The 20-year-old Serb’s Melbourne triumph, his first in a grand slam tournament, sees him move to just 815 points behind the Spaniard, who will be looking forward to the clay court season in the spring.

Federer, who lost to Djokovic
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Djokovic to sound out Woodforde
Former Australian Captain January 28, 2008

NOVAK Djokovic hasn’t ruled out a reunion with Australian doubles great Mark Woodforde as he continues to hunt down Roger Federer and his world No.1 ranking.

The newly-crowned Australian Open champion employed Woodforde for a month during the American hardcourt season last year to improve his volleying skills.

Their brief liaison reaped immediate rewards, Djokovic finishing runner-up
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Keothavong’s run to her first WTA semi-final was a breakthrough
In the shadows of Murray’s quest to go deep into a Grand Slam event, Britain’s top two female players, Katie O’Brien and Anne Keothavong are quietly edging towards the world’s top 100.It might not be an achievement to match Murray’s but for women’s tennis in this country it would represent a releasing of the shackles after years of negativity.

And sadly for one of the pair, it could signify
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Murray slipped three places to 12th in the world rankings

The Scot has slipped from ninth to 12th, while Tsonga, who lost to Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s final has risen into the top 20 for the first time.

The Frenchman rose 20 places to number 18 following his four-set defeat.

In the women’s rankings beaten finalist Ana Ivanovic moves up a place to second ahead of Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Champion Maria Sharapova stays in fifth place, with Justine Henin remaining number
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Tsonga rewarded in new rankings
Former Australian Captain January 28, 2008

JO-WILFRIED Tsonga’s surprising run at the Australian Open will carry him to the top 20 for the first time when the new rankings are released. Tsonga entered the tournament unseeded and ranked 38th, but the Frenchman’s loss to Novak Djokovic in the final means he will leave Melbourne at No.18.

Tsonga said he feels “pretty good'’ after reaching the final of any tournament for the first time.
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Serbs celebrate Djok’s win From correspondents in Belgrade, Serbia
Former Australian Captain January 28, 2008

NOVAK Djokovic’s Australian Open victory sparked big celebrations in his native Serbia.

Fans began celebrating in the Serbian capital as soon as the 20-year-old Djokovic clinched his first Grand Slam title in Melbourne with a 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-6 defeat of Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

“We have spent many sleepless nights watching his march to the
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Djokovic is the first Serbian to win a Grand Slam singles title The 20-year-old became the first Serb to win a Grand Slam singles title with a 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-6 (7-2) victory.”I feel kind of relieved. I’ve played at least the semi-finals in every Grand Slam in the last year.”I was pretty close in the US Open, so probably today I was a bit nervous at the start,” he said.”I found myself in a strange situation, that I was the favourite in the final of a Grand Slam. It was dangerous
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Tsonga’s ready for more
Former Australian Captain January 28, 2008

VANQUISHED Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga says his march to his first grand slam decider has given him the confidence he can break into the world’s elite.

After beating four players in the world’s top 15 - including a thumping of world No.2 Rafael Nadal - the Frenchman finally met his match in Serbia’s Novak Djokovic at Rod Laver Arena.

But Tsonga’s spirited performances
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Give Tiley time to boost tennis By Leo Schlink
Former Australian Captain January 28, 2008

AUSTRALIAN tennis is less than three years into Craig Tiley’s age of reformation. The nation that once ruled the world has only one player, male or female, in the top 25 - Lleyton Hewitt.

It is a sad state of affairs when compared with France, which has 15 men in the top 100.

Serbia, which has no tennis infrastructure of which to speak, has three top-10
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The game is richer for the change By Leo Schlink
Former Australian Captain January 28, 2008

AFTER three years, grand slam tennis has a fresh singles champion.

As intoxicating as the Roger Federer-Rafal Nadal duopoly has been, tennis needed last night.

Until 10.52pm, Federer and Nadal had all of the previous 11 majors.

The top two rankings have been their exclusive domain for 131 weeks.

Novak Djokovic had long threatened to crash the party; Jo-Wilfried Tsonga had been given up as a lost cause until seven months ago.

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Maria looks a No.1 certainty By Mark Stevens
Former Australian Captain January 28, 2008

MARIA Sharapova wins the Australian Open and remains trapped at No. 5 in the world rankings.

Her opponent Ana Ivanovic loses in straight sets and shoots up from No. 3 to No. 2.

Work that one out!

The boffins will defend the rankings, reasoning that Sharapova as an Open finalist last year had more points to defend under the WTA system.

The man on the street has every right to be confused.

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Maiden slam … Djokovic was too good for Tsonga. Getty Maiden slam a learning experience
Former Australian Captain January 28, 2008

IT has taken a maiden grand slam victory - the first by a Serbian - for Novak Djokovic to learn how to control his emotions in the heat of battle.

The Clown Prince of tennis put his arm around Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the man who has captured the imagination of
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Junior success points to big time Paul Malone
Former Australian Captain January 28, 2008

QUEENSLAND prodigy Bernard Tomic might not defend his Australian Open junior title next year as part of a long-term plan to groom the youngest boy to win a Grand Slam juniors title for major tournament success against men.

Tomic, 15, is eligible to play another three times in the tournament which he took out on Saturday night by overwhelming 10th seed Yang Tsung-Hua, of Chinese Taipei, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-0.

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Changes loom for next year’s Open By Leo Schlink
Former Australian Captain January 28, 2008

THE Australian Open next year could become the biggest - and busiest - grand slam in tennis, with a Sunday start and a night women’s final. Tennis Australia’s annual tournament review will canvass the logistics of expanding the record-breaking tournament to 15 days and 27 sessions.

It almost certainly will formalise a women’s singles night final, breaking a 103-year
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Gutsy … Djokovic battled the crowd and injury. Richard Cisar-Wright Djokovic levels Australian Open final
Former Australian Captain January 27, 2008

SERBIAN Novak Djokovic levelled his Australian Open final at one set all with unseeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Tsonga claimed the opening set 6-4, but Djokovic broke the Frenchman in the seventh game when Tsonga’s forehand was wide to take the second set 6-4 in 39 minutes.
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Sun Tiantian and Nenad Zimonjic needed four match points Sun and Zimonjic came through 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena to take the title for the first time.Zimonjic had previously won the trophy with Elena Bovina in 2004, and also won the French Open mixed doubles title with Katarina Srebotnik in 2006.”She was amazing, always smiling and very positive,” Zimonjic said of Sun.”It’s been a fantastic two weeks and we hope to win more Grand Slam titles together.”

Sun, Zimonjic win mixed doubles
Former Australian Captain January 27, 2008

China’s Sun Tiantian and Nenad Zimonjic, from of Serbia, have won the Australian Open mixed doubles final in straight sets at Rod Laver Arena. Sun and Zimonjic, the No. 5 seeds, beat Indian duo Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 in 1hr 21mins.

The win is Sun’s first grand slam victory and Zimonjic’s second - the Serb also winning the 2004 Australian Open mixed doubles title.
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Open lifts Aussies for Thai test
Former Australian Captain January 27, 2008

FED Cup team coach Nicole Bradtke is beaming following her players’ encouraging results at the Australian Open.

Even without the services of a recovering Sam Stosur, Bradtke and team captain David Taylor are again confident Australia can be an international force, starting with the Asia/Oceania playoff series in Thailand.

Blooming West Australian Casey Dellacqua will make the jump from
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Tsonga looks to Noah for inspiration By Leo Schlink
Former Australian Captain January 27, 2008

JO-Wilfried Tsonga will attempt to reprise the role of Yannick Noah, the man he described as “one of my fathers”, by winning the Australian Open final against Serbian gun Novak Djokovic.

Noah triumphed at the 1983 French Open, inspiring the dreams of millions of French tennis devotees, but no French male has been able to lift any of the golden four titles since.

Noah, who emerged from Cameroon to Grand Slam glory, had described Tsonga as “a fresh breeze”.

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Djokovic doesn’t aim to be a flop By Jackie Epstein
Former Australian Captain January 27, 2008

THE tennis Grand Slam tour’s renowned joker Novak Djokovic was not kidding when he said nerves tended to make him “flip”.

Some of his antics have included shouting at the crowd, throwing his hat to the ground, vigorously fist pumping his heart and earning time violation warnings.

The wins keep coming though. No wonder there is so much allure about the Serb from the
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