The remarkable level of tennis on display at the 2008 Australian Open demonstrated that the game has gone to the next level. Novak Djokovic made it clear that the “big 2″ is now the “big 3″; while Jo Wilfred Tsonga sustained his fitness and thrilled the crowd with his athleticism.

This new level is based on the top modern players being able to attack and defend with equal proficiency. In the past one or the other would suffice. Hewitt defended his way to two grand slams, two Davis Cups and was twice year end #1; while champions Agassi and Sampras relied on dictating the play from the baseline and serve and volley. To compete for the major titles in the modern game players must be complete all court players.

A result of this shift is a super athlete - one powerful enough to generate big serves and forehands; but quick and agile enough to counter their opponents best shots. Tsonga looked like an “All Black Back rower” - but moved excellently. Djokovic, while not as muscular is a large and powerful presence on court and covers the baseline superbly.

During the US hard court season comparisons were made between Djokovic and Andre Agassi. Both men step in on forehands and backhands, refusing to concede court position by running around forehands all day. At the Australian Open Djokovic was a super charged Agassi - serving big on important points and moving and defending in a way Agassi never could. The Serbian can only dream of achieving Andre’s record and standing in the game, but at the 2008 Australian Open he played some scary tennis. How close he is to the “Great Swiss” cannot be determined until the end of a gruelling season. He is certainly a better twenty year old than Roger was.

Jo-Wilfred Tsonga thrilled the crowd in much the same way his country man Gael Monfils did one year previously. The key difference was of course Tsonga kept his level for two weeks (not two matches). The great tradition of French flair so predominant in great players Noah and Leconte is alive and well. The quality of the tennis in Tsonga’s semi against Nadal was as good as Federer can produce. The atmosphere he created at the end of the 1st set of the final has never been experienced in the Rod Laver Arena before. Tennis lovers can only hope he can keep fit, injuries have plagued his career, and become a consistent big time performer.

The 3rd example of the trend in modern tennis was witnessed during the Boys Final. Yang [pictured right] is sixteen and measures in at under 6 foot. Yet his serves averaged 210km/h for three sets (his % dropped away in the 3rd set). The crowd was gasping as he took the 1st set against the impressive Australian junior Bernard Tomic. This super athlete / tennis player is the future and the implications for tennis federations the world over is simple. They must seek the most talented athletes and not let other sports, particularly the various football codes, attract such a high percentage of the best available juniors if they wish to foster the next champion.

In a tournament full of highlights some of the other notable events included:- Bagdahtis vs Safin - Although an early round match, this battle between two of the crowd favourites was worthy of a semi final. The power both players maintained from the baseline for five sets was awesome; and the emotion of the match was thrilling. Bagdahtis vs Hewitt - Another emotional roller-coaster for Marcos that finished after 4am in the morning. This match was memorable just for the finishing time, but the five sets of drama that unfolded kept the crowd enthralled well past everyone’s bed time. Maria Sharapova - The Russian / US beauty was close to being written off as another one dimensional academy “ball basher”. The quality and variety of her game at the 2008 Australian Open took her beyond this description and an exciting future looms. The 6 - 4 6 - 0 thrashing she handed Henin in the quarter finals was played at the highest level. For Sharapova the most impressive aspect was how often she finished the point close to the net and her massive serving on the big points.

The amount of attention and glamour stirred by the players of the Australian Open makes it a wonderful event. These tennis players are truly amongst sports biggest stars on the world stage.

By Rufus Keown
Club Professional Coach
BBus (Mgt), Grad Dip Sport Mgmt
Co-founder http://www.globalsportscoaching.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rufus_Keown

Power is the most talked about feature of modern tennis.

It is the one single component that has shaped the game we know today. When we talk about power tennis (think Rafael Nadal, Marat Safin, Roger Federer, the Williams sisters and Maria Sharapova) it is the ability to accelerate and coordinate not only the racket, but also the movement of the relevant body parts that is crucial. Power is determined by your ability to exert forces quickly. Genetics determines your potential for speed of movement and therefore your power.

However, it is now known that even if you are not blessed with an initial abundance of fast-twitch fibres (type 2b) – the muscle type best suited to quick explosive movements – appropriate training can improve your situation. It is possible to train in such a way that not only increases the number of fast-twitch fibres you have but also increases the speed at which they fire (work) and the rate at which you can access them during performance. As power is a product of force (strength) and speed, any increase in either of these components, especially speed, will improve your power.

While training both components individually will lead to gains in power, training them together – a process called complex training – will give you the biggest increases. Complex training is when a traditional resistance exercise is performed and immediately followed by a matched plyometrics (high-speed) exercise. Following are some complex training exercises I use with the Tennis GB Girls squad players. Before attempting this kind of training it’s crucial to perform a thorough warm-up routine first to prevent doing yourself serious damage. To gain the most from these workouts it’s important to be physically fresh (as well as highly motivated), so if possible avoid training hard for at least 48 hours before a complex session. Fasttwitch fibres are not magically recruited, you need to be focused and perform the exercises as explosively as possible.

Try these exercises!

1. ABDOMINAL CRUNCH FOLLOWED BY MEDICINE BALL SITUP AND THROW
This sequence trains the abdominal muscles for core power. Start by lying on your back with your legs and feet up at 90 degrees with your feet crossed. With your hands on your temples (not behind the head) and abdominal muscles drawn in towards the spine, crunch up by raising the shoulders off the floor, keeping the head still. Perform 15 repetitions. Immediately afterwards go to the same start position but with a medicine ball held in both hands behind your head. Sit up using your abs and throw the medicine ball powerfully towards a partner or against a wall. Do six throws, have two minutes rest and perform the sequence again.

2. LUNGES FOLLOWED BY BAG JUMPS
This sequence trains leg explosion and overall power. Start by standing up straight with hands on hips and lunge forwards until your front leg is at 90 degrees. Come straight back up to the start position, alternating legs for 12 reps. Immediately afterwards stand with your feet together and knees slightly bent in front of a large racket bag and explode up, bringing your knees towards the chest and landing softly on the other side of the bag. Turn round and repeat for six jumps. Rest for two minutes and do the sequence again.

3. BENT OVER DUMBBELL ROWS FOLLOWED BY MEDICINE BALL FOREHANDS AND BACKHANDS
This is an upper body sequence, training the back muscles in order to provide power on groundstrokes. Start with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart with a slight bend in the knees. Bend over, keeping a straight back. Hold the dumbbells at full arms’ length (see main pic opposite) then draw them up in rowing motions, keeping the arms close to your body, drawing your shoulder blades in together. Use a weight suitable for you to do 12 repetitions. With no rest this is followed by a forehand throw with a medicine ball. Throw the ball against a wall or to a partner. Do six forehand throws followed by six backhands. Perform the whole sequence twice with two minutes of rest in between.

4. TRICEP DIPS FOLLOWED BY OVERHEAD MEDICINE BALL THROWS
This sequence trains overhead power. Using a bench or a step as we did, with your legs bent or outstretched and your weight supported on your hands (facing forwards not backwards) behind you, lower yourself until your elbows are at 90 degrees then come back up again. Perform 12 reps. Immediately afterwards, start in a standing position with a medicine ball behind your head and throw the ball to a partner or a wall as if you were doing a football throw-in. Do six throws, rest for two minutes and repeat the sequence.

5. FOLLOWED BY A KNEELING MEDICINE BALL CHEST PASS
This sequence trains upper body explosion. Start in a classic press-up position, arms and back straight, on your toes and the abdominals drawn in. Then lower by bending the arms to 90 degrees and keeping the back straight. Perform 12 repetitions. Immediately afterwards, kneel holding a medicine ball in front of your chest and explode the ball with a chest pass motion to a partner or a wall. As the momentum is forwards you may need to fall on to your hands after the throw to support yourself. Gently get back up and go again, performing six throws. Rest for two minutes and repeat the sequence.

Before starting any fitness programs consult with your physician.

The Author: Paul Gold has a Masters degree in Sports Sciences and is a Performance Enhancement Specialist and Speed Agility Quickness trainer. For information about products and services contact via http://www.tennis-training-central.com

Article Source: http://www.abcarticledirectory.co