Author Archives: Jason

The Ultimate Tennis Player: Female Edition

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A few weeks ago, I got in the lab, put on my lab coat, took out the bunsen burners and created the perfect male tennis player. This week, I’m back with my ultimate female tennis player. She’s got a huge serve, a wicked forehand and wheels for legs. My only restriction was that no one player could be put in more than 2 categories. Without further ado, here she is.

The Ultimate Female Tennis Player

Categories

Serve: Serena Williams
Full disclosure: I originally had Sam Stosur here, but after Serena’s performance at Wimbledon, I had no choice but to put her in this category. She hit more aces at Wimbledon than any other player, and that’s for both the women AND men. ‘Nuff said.

Forehand: Kim Clijsters
When it’s on, it’s on! She hits this shot with pace, depth, spin, angle, while on the run, standing still, or doing the splits. What more could you ask for?

Backhand: Victoria Azarenka
This shot is probably the main reason why she’s as successful as she is.

Slice: Roberta Vinci
Well, considering she doesn’t hit a single flat or topspin backhand, her slice better be pretty good to be ranked as high as 18 in the world.

Volley: Cara Black

And perhaps even more impressive, here she is at 16 years old:

Return: Serena Williams
She hits her returns with so much aggression it’s almost angry-like. To add to the intimidation factor, she stands right on the baseline or inside of it. Hit it to her forehand, and this is what happens:

Speed: Caroline Wozniacki
To be a counter-puncher or defensive player is one thing, but to do it at a level where you eventually become the #1 player in the world means you’re getting to a hell of a lot of shots. Agneiska Radwanska would be 1A here.

Heart/Mental Toughness: Maria Sharapova
I was torn on who to pick but Tiffani made a great case for Sharapova. It takes a lot of mental toughness and heart to work your way back from shoulder surgery, to becoming once again, the #1 player in the world (after winning the French Open). It was 3 long years of struggling and rehab before she was fully back to her winning ways. Now that takes some mental fortitude.

Charm: Kim Clijsters
The sweetheart of the WTA tour. Is there anyone that doesn’t like Kim Clijsters?! We’ve had her come sign at our tent at the BNP Paribas Open a few times, and each and every time, she was the perfect role model. She smiled and interacted with all her fans, and even when her time was up and her agent is asking her to go, if there was still a line, she’d go overtime just to make sure everyone got an autograph that wanted one.

 

Do you agree with my picks? Build your own ultimate tennis player in the comments below.

 

Jason, TW

Why you need it: Prince NEOS 1000 Stringing Machine

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There’s a saying we use around here that I’m fairly certain originated at TW, and it’s, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Profound. You’ve probably never heard of it.

Prince NEOS 1000 Stringing Machine

That saying basically sums up our feelings on the Prince NEOS 1000. This stringing machine has been around for more than 15 years, and it’s the only machine we use at Tennis Warehouse. It’s tried and true. It’s an oldie but goodie.

Nowadays, it can be overwhelming with so many different options and price ranges to choose from: starting from a couple hundred dollar drop weight to a machine that costs nearly $4,000 in the Prince 6000. Machines have come and gone, but yet, we stay committed to the NEOS 1000. And here’s why.

- Durability. There are no power cords, computers, motors or thing-a-mabobs on this machine that’ll easily break down. The entire machine is almost entirely constructed from metal and aluminum.

- Maintenance. Keeping these machines in tip-top stringing shape doesn’t take much work. If the few moving parts do break and need to be changed out, they are cheap to buy and easy to replace. Besides tuning the tensioner after 14-18 string jobs, the only other regular maintenance would be a terry cloth and rubbing alcohol.

- Consistency. Whether you’re stringing for yourself or stringing for the best tennis customers in the world (yeah, that’s you, and, yes, I’m pandering), the results needs to be consistent. And that’s what this machine delivers.

- Ease of use. The actual stringing may take you hours to master, but mounting of the racquet and set up is easy. There’s two clamps, a lock bar and the tensioner. Can’t get much easier than that.

Sure, this machine might not be for everyone. I’ll admit to that. It might be too expensive or maybe you really want a constant pull machine with all the bells and whistles. But know that with the Prince NEOS 1000 you’ll get a solid, reliable stringing machine that’ll last for years.

And if you still don’t know which machine you want, check out this comparison chart.

 

Jason, TW

The Ultimate Tennis Player: Male Edition

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If you were to put together the ultimate tennis player from today’s group of pros, a la Dr. Frankenstein, which players would you pick and for which shots? Great question, I know. So I started racking my brain, thinking about the categories I’d need and which players would fit where. I gave myself one parameter, though: I couldn’t pick a player to fill more than two categories. I needed to do this so I couldn’t just pick Nadal, Federer and Djokovic for every category. After some careful consideration, this is the monster I created. (Cue evil villain laugh and lightning).

The Ultimate Tennis Player

Categories

Serve: Milos Raonic

Don’t be fooled by what Verdasco called “the body of a 12 year old boy.” The 6’5″ Canuck can bring the heat! And the amazing thing is that he makes it looks almost effortless to hit 140+ MPH missiles.

Forehand: Rafael Nadal

Call it whatever you want: the buggy whip, the helicopter, whatever it is, it works. Nadal hits his forehand at an average of 3,300 RPMs. Compare that to Roger Federer who hits an average of 2,700 RPMs. His inside-out forehand is the best in the game. Hands down.

Backhand: Novak Djokovic

Brad Gilbert calls Djokovic’s backhand “the best since Andre Agassi.” And he’s right. Down the line, cross court, on the rise, it doesn’t matter. His backhand is probably the main reason why he’s been so successful against Rafa in their past few meetings.

Slice: Roger Federer

His forehand could be misfiring, the topspin backhand could be going long, but the slice is tried and true. For those of us who’ve tried to hit a driving slice above our shoulders, we know just how hard of a shot it is to hit. But he does it with ease. Playing against Nadal 28 times probably had something to do with it.

Volley: Bryan Brothers

11 Grand Slam doubles titles can’t be wrong. Need more convincing? Check out the video below.

Drop shot: Andy Murray

He uses it often and sometimes even at the displeasure of the crowd like what happened with his match against Giles Simon at the 2011 Monte Carlo Masters.

Tweener: Roger Federer

Anyone remember the ‘tweener he hit against Djokovic at the US Open? Thought so.

Return: Novak Djokovic

His return game isn’t just one of the best in his era, but one of the best of all time. Djokovic stands right at the baseline and is able to hit winners from both wings. Down two match points against a 16 time Grand Slam champion at the semifinals of the US Open? Doesn’t matter, he’s like the honey badger.

Speed: Gael Monfils

There are a lot of fast players on the ATP World Tour, but there are few faster than the speedy Frenchman. Full disclosure: I would’ve put either Djokovic or Nadal here, but by my own rules, I couldn’t because they’re already in two categories. So save your angry emails!

Heart/Mental Toughness: Rafael Nadal

Quick story: It was 2008 and a group of us from Tennis Warehouse were watching Nadal vs Nalbandian at the BNP Paribas Open (formerly known as the Pacific Life Open). Nadal lost the first set 6-3 and was down a couple breaks in the second set. We thought it was over and decided to go home. The next morning, we come into work to find out that Nadal saved five match points, taking the second set to a tie-break, winning the tie break and then handed out a bagel in the third set. No one is more mentally tough and fights harder than Nadal.

- Charisma: Mansour Bahrami

Yes, yes, I know he isn’t necessarily considered to be part of “todays pro” but he he gets paid to play exhibitions matches. So technically, he’s a professional. I had to make an exception! He’s an entertainer in every sense of the word and you’ve probably never even heard of him. Go ahead and watch the video below. I guarantee you’ll find yourself smiling or laughing within 2 minutes. Or your money back.

So that’s my ultimate tennis player. What’s yours? Comment below with your own monster.

Up next, the ultimate female tennis player.

Jason, TW

Why You Need It: Clay Court Shoes

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I believe it was the genius Tim “The Toolman” Taylor who said, “You need to use the right tool for the right job.” Now, I don’t know if he actually said this, but I can see him saying that while he’s talking to his trusty sidekick, Al Borland, on “Tool Time” or perhaps to his shy-but-wise neighbor, Wilson. Wow, did I really just date myself by using a “Home Improvement” reference? Regardless, there is some truth to that quote, and it applies perfectly to tennis shoes.

The herringbone tread pattern. Perfect for clay court tennis.

With the clay court season well underway, you might be inspired to try your hand (or feet) at playing on the dirty stuff. And, sure, you can probably take out your hard court tennis shoes and move around decently on clay, but I guess you could also probably hammer a nail with a wrench. It might get the job done, but it’s not the best choice, that’s all I’m saying. But if you’re even dreaming about moving and sliding around the court like Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros, you need to pick up some clay court specific shoes. The right tool for the job. Simple.

What makes a clay court specific shoe different than a hard court or a grass court specific shoe is one main thing: the outsole. The outsole of a clay court shoe will usually feature a full herringbone (the zig zags) tread pattern. This pattern won’t allow the clay to lodge to the outsole so you can get a better grip when you try to start, stop or change directions. A couple of hits from your racquet between points should knock loose all the clay from the outsole. The herringbone design also makes the sliding from side to side more predictable so you can perfectly glide into a shot and recover, a la Nadal, but will provide the traction needed for moving forward and backward. So if you plan on playing on clay on a regular basis, you might want to consider picking up a pair of clay specific tennis shoes. The right shoe for the right surface.

Here at Tennis Warehouse, we carry a variety of clay specific shoes for both men and women. (Click on the image to enlarge. Click on the name to purchase.)

With the correct shoes on your feet and a bit of practice, you’ll be moving like a clay court champion in no time.

Jason, TW

adidas miCoach Speed Cell

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As far back as I can remember, it seems like technology and sports have gone hand and hand. Gatorade helped us hydrate properly. Radar guns helped us quantify our shots. Instant replay helped us make the correct calls. Heart rate monitors helped us track our health.  Short of becoming an actual bionic person, people will continually innovate and do whatever it takes to be better, faster, stronger.

But what about a technology that was designed to help out tennis players? This is where adidas comes in. With their innovative miCoach Speed Cell, we now have ways to track our performance out on a tennis court. Things like max speed, average speed and total distance traveled. You might ask, “But don’t we already have GPS watches that do the same thing?” Good question. The Speed Cell does all those things, but then it leaves those GPS devices in its dust. It can track things such as: total rallies, max rally length, distance traveled during a rally and max rally speed.* And that’s just scratching the surface. This small device attaches to any shoe and wirelessly transmits your information to your iphone/ipod or computer.

*A rally is started every time you move from a stationary position.

Screen shot of the miCoach website from my hit with fellow playtester, Carol

I’ve had a chance to try out this device and I immediately noticed how easy it was to use and setup. My adidas Barricade 7’s already had a built in area for the Speed Cell just underneath the insole of the left shoe. Once I had it in there, there was no button for me to turn on or off. I simply just had to go out and play; it would do the rest automatically. Once back for my hit or workout, I went to the adidas MiCoach Manager program on my computer or iPod I downloaded earlier and it was able to wirelessly sync up and pull the information from my Speed Cell. Once it synched up, I was able to see my results. And with the micoach website, I can even pick a training plan where I can work on my cardio or on strength and conditioning.

With this new training device, I can not only track my workouts off the court but for the first time, on the court as well.

See what adidas players Fernando Verdasco and Jack Sock think about this new training device. CLICK TO PLAY

Jason, TW

The Best Seats in the House at the BNP Paribas Open

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The BNP Paribas Open offers some of the best seats in all of tennis and they’re probably not what and where you’re thinking. Sure, the luxury suites inside the main stadium are amazing; they have a perfect view of the court and offer such amenities like catered food/drink and even indoor/outdoor viewing options. They’re pretty awesome but they’re not what I’m talking about. You’re thinking that I then, must be referring to the box seats at the grand stand where you’re sitting within 50 feet of the pros. Can’t get any better right? Nope, not that either.

So what am I talking about? I’m talkin’ ‘bout practice. Practice?! The practice courts that is. In my opinion, the best seats in the house. For tennis geeks like myself, it really doesn’t get much better than that. It’s at those practice courts where you can sit literally, a couple feet (not 50) from your favorite player. It’s at those practice courts where you can see what the pros are working on for their upcoming match. Who doesn’t love behind-the-scenes type stuff? I watched Ana Ivanovic practice her serve as she tried to hit colored cones in the service box. And conversely, a few courts away, Victoria Azarenka was working on her return while her coach served at her from the service line. It’s at the practice courts where you can witness some of the best match ups not in the main draw. This year I saw some ridiculous points between Kei Nishikori and Andy Murray from 10 feet away, watched Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco flatten the ball in some thunderous rallies, and Philipp Kohlschreiber rally back and forth with Gael Monfils, just to name a few.

Don’t believe me? Then I’ll let these pictures do the convincing (click to enlarge).

Yea, I’m talkin’ about practice.

Jason, TW

Roger Federer Signing at BNP Paribas Open Goes Above and Beyond

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Roger Federer with the TW Crew

Now let me start this off by saying that I am not that big of a Roger Federer fan. It’s not like I dislike him or have anything against him, it’s just that I’m more of a Rafa fan. Ask any of our Talk Tennis members, you can’t love them both. But Federer stopped by our tent this year at the BNP Paribas Open to sign autographs, and the way he carried himself and the way he was around his fans was unlike what one would expect from a super star athlete.

The crowd waiting for Federer's arrival

Here’s what happened:

Because it is 16 time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer coming to visit our humble tent, we had to close it down to the general public. Let’s just say fans can be, well, kinda fanatic. So we have the tent empty except for our employees, reps and a group 10 and Under kids. Roger shows up from the back entrance, smiling and ready to go. He greets the kids, takes pictures with them and signs whatever they wanted him to sign. But that wasn’t it, he took the time to talk to them, ask questions, engage with them, etc etc. He didn’t have to do that, but just those few extra minutes he spent with them made a world of a difference for those kids. He even took a few seconds to take a picture with our crew.

Federer with 10 and Under kids

From there, he heads out to the mob of fans that have been patiently waiting for his arrival (some were in line for 5 hours). He smiles, acknowledges the crowd and takes his seat. The first 150 fans that were in line received a bracelet and guaranteed an autograph. Roger (yea, we’re on a first name basis) quickly goes through the 150 fans and that’s basically the end of his obligation. Every other player would get on their golf cart and ride on out. But not Roger, not this time. He gets up out of his seat and instead of heading for the exit, he walks toward the mob of fans. And at that point in time the security kinda freaks out a bit. But Federer goes about his business and proceeds to sign anything stuck in front of his face. He does this for a good 10-15 more minutes. Finally, he finishes up and goes back into our tent to leave. He thanks all of us for the help and is whisked away.

Federer venture into the crowd

The thing is, he was there for no more than 40 minutes but could’ve left in 20 if he wanted. He could’ve gone through the motions and been a prima donna. But instead, he was gracious, humble, and made an effort to appear like he actually wanted to be there. And it made all the difference. Now I’m not saying that this one experience has me switching sides from Rafa to Roger, but let’s just say, it wasn’t just those fans in line that he made an impression on.

For even more pictures, visit our Facebook page. And for Roger Federer’s gear, CLICK HERE

Jason, TW

Rafael Nadal Press Conference from the BNP Paribas Open

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It’s 2:25 p.m., and I’m sitting in the interview room waiting for Rafael Nadal to arrive so he can do his press conference at 2:30 p.m. Surprisingly, the room is only 10 percent full, and I can hear the chitter chatter of multiple languages being spoken.

It’s now 2:31, and all of a sudden, the room is flooded with members of the media. There are photographers, video guys (I believe that’s the technical term) and reporters. It’s as if they were just just dropped off from some sort of media bus. Where was my pass?!

It’s now 2:35, and the second wave of media members arrives. The room is now packed and much louder.

Rafa arrives at 2:36. Here. We. Go.

My first impression is that he looks tired and like he just hopped out of the shower. The reporters make a mad dash to the podium so they can place their audio recorders and Flip camcorders for the press conference. Why was I not told of this?! Oh yeah, that’s because I’m not a real reporter. And since I don’t have a recorder, I will try my best to type as fast I can to capture the news conference.

Note: I couldn’t type fast enough (and I type fast!) so portions of the interview are paraphrased.

Rafa's Press Conference

First question:

Reporter: What have you been doing since the Australian Open?
Rafa: I was home in Mallorca, resting, spending time with family and friends.

Reporter: Was the time off so you can improve? Work on some things in the past month?
Rafa: “I improved a lot.” And the room breaks out into laughter as if this is Last Comic Standing.
Rafa: It’s important to take time to work on my game.

Side note: As I look around the room, I notice that there are some really big camera lenses in his room. Yes, I have lens envy.

Back to the conference:

Reporter: With the French Open, Wimbledon and Olympics so close together is it possible to compete for each one?

Rafa: I will try.

Reporter: After the Australian Open, how’d you accept the loss?
Rafa: I accept the loses and the wins. I was happy with this tournament, I did things better. I was hitting with more power, more free points.

Reporter: You said, in the off season, you were looking for ways to beat Novak.
Rafa: I never said that. I just want to improve for myself. I don’t think about Novak, I don’t think about Roger, I think about the things I need to improve on. “That’s my way. That’s the way my mind works.” I don’t have spirit of revenge. I play for myself, for personal satisfaction.

Reporter: Did you realize how good that Australian Open match was?
Rafa: It was a very good match. Good quality. It was emotional. Very physically demanding.

Reporter: Roger said the umpire was not enforcing the time faults. He mentioned you by name. Do you think they should be enforced? Or should the rules be changed?
Rafa: It depends. Rules are there, but you cannot expect players to play a six-hour match and rest for 20 seconds. The umpire didn’t give us any warnings. In a normal match, yes, but it depends on how the match goes.

Other side note: It’s hard to think and type with the noisy camera shutters all around me. Isn’t there a mute on those things?

Reporter: Everyone saw you and Novak sitting down in the presentation (at the Australian Open), what do you remember about that moment?
Rafa: “I was very scared about the cramping.” It was very physical so we were very scared about cramping. It was a tough match for both of us but more for me. It was a great battle of the sport. It went to the limit physically and mentally. It was a great match.

Rafa’s phone rings and the room erupts in laughter.

Reporter: Is Djokovic making you think differently in any way?
Rafa: No, I mean, he brings tennis to another step. No one stays No. 1 forever. That is the history of the game.

Reporter: By playing doubles, does it bring something extra to your singles game? Or is it just a pleasure thing?
Rafa: I think doubles is good practice for everybody. Practice different shots than singles. Our tour is hard enough to add doubles. If you are fit, playing doubles helps. I play doubles here because I had one month off, and we have days off here (at this tournament).

That was the end of the English questions. They announce that the Spanish reporters can now ask their questions, and at this point, most of the media leaves as a Spanish reporter is in the middle of his question. This is awkward.

The press conference is over! Rafa heads outside to do some video interviews with ESPN, etc, etc. As for me, I’m off to find a bigger camera lens.

Reporting (semi) live from the BNP Paribas Open, I’m out!

Jason, TW

WrisT-Pain’s

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Due to the title, you should probably read this in auto-tune.

If you’re an athlete, a wannabe athlete, a friend of an athlete, or heck, just a human being, chances are you’ve been put out of commission by some sort of injury at some point during your life. And those of us on the playtest team are no strangers to dealing with ailments. I mean, just take a look at the various injuries our team has suffered:

Chris: both knees
Granville: tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis
Brittany: shoulder, ankle
Spencer: golfers elbow, knee tendonitis
Siobhan: ankle, requiring double ankle surgery

So as you can see, we all get injured. Well, with the exception of Tiffani. I’ve never seen that girl hurt and the closest thing she’s ever had to an injury were some split ends. I’m starting to think she’s some sort of futuristic cyborg sent back through time to mock us mere mortals and our injuries. And that brings it back to me. For the past few years, with all the testing of racquets and shoes I’ve been doing (I know, I know, boohoo), I’ve dealt with my fair share of pains. And funnily enough, they’ve all had to do with my right arm. I’ve had re-occurring cases of both shoulder and elbow tendonitis. Not necessarily minor, but I’d usually be out of commission for about 7-10 days, and then I’d be back on the court. But then, just a month ago, I caught a serious case of wrist tendonitis. I believe it is medically known as “an ouchy.” It got so bad that I couldn’t even lightly grip a racquet without pain.

So I did what I always do when I have an ouchy, I take time off from tennis, ice it and take ibuprofen. One week went by, then 2, and now finally, as I enter into my 3rd week, I can feel my wrist starting to heal. But today, I finally decided my wrist was healthy enough to test out on the court. There was certainly some rust, but it just felt right to be back hitting tennis balls. Absence certainly does make the heart grow fonder.

I’ve found that a few of the products we carry really help with injury prevention. During matches, I like using Kinesio Tape or the Skins arm sleeve. After a match, I like the Pro Series Small Ice Bag for my wrist, the Pro Series Tennis Elbow & Wrist Ice Pack System for my elbow and the Pro Series Shoulder Ice Pack System for my shoulder. I’m fairly certain my core body temperature drops so much that I can safely store meat. And if all that doesn’t work, a few adult beverages at night never hurt either. But with the combination of those products along with using a hybrid string set up at a lower tension, I hope to be playing injury free for quite some time. Or as we call it around these parts, pulling a Tiffani.

What injuries have you suffered in your playing career and what treatments do you recommend?

Jason, TW

3rd Annual T-Dubby’s – Year End Awards

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Welcome to the 3rd annual T Dubby awards!

If we had to sum up 2011 in one word, it’d have to be “Djokovic.” Agreed? After all, he did have a 42 match win streak and he overtook Rafael Nadal as world #1. But 2011 provided us tennis fanatics with so much more than just Novak.

A lot of things changed. Novak finally broke the strangle hold that Roger and Rafa had on the #1 ranking. Federer was ranked outside the top 3 for the first time since 2003. Li Na, Petra Kvitova and Sam Stosur all won their first Grand Slams. Or how about Novak finally beating Nadal in finals.

But some things stayed the same, namely, Andy Murray and Caroline Wozniacki remaining Slam-less. Rafa still dominated the clay court season and Serena had an incident at the US Open.

The 2011 tennis season was quite a memorable one but enough with the recap, on with the show!

Best Supporting Player in a Loss (BSPL)
- Novak Djokovic @ French Open vs. Roger Federer. Someone had to stop Novak’s win streak, and that happened to be the man with 16 Grand Slam titles. The nearly 4 hour match ended with Federer’s 18th ace in the 4th set tie break.
- Roger Federer @ US Open vs. Novak Djokovic. Up 5-3 in the 5th set, and serving for the match, if we were allowed to bet on who would win this match at that point in time, how many of us would be broke right now? I know I would. I’d be writing this blog on a cardboard box. Federer had the match on his racquet, but Novak found a way to break, and win the next 3 games to take it 7-5 in the 5th.
Winner: Roger Federer. He had match points and still lost! Match points!

No Big Deal Award
- Esther Vergeer. By anyone elses standards, this would be a career year, but for Esther, just another regular ole, ho hum year in which she remains undefeated and won 3 Major titles (Australian Open, French Open, US Open). If there was a Wimbledon major, she would’ve dominated that too. Her winning streak is now at 434 matches. Yea, no big deal.

The “Wow, These Guys Are Good!” Award (Best Point)

Tsonga vs. Djokovic @ Wimbledon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LspmUmthkPw

Djokovic. vs. Nadal @ US Open

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYBjeGKdbxs

Radwanska vs. Schiavone @ Miami

Djokovic vs. Nadal @ Miami

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp2WFmH06fo

Djokovic vs. Nadal @ Madrid

Ferrer vs. Federer @ ATP Finals

Djokovic & Murray vs Stakhovsky & Youhzny @ BNP Paribas Open

Winner: Djokovic vs. Nadal @ Madrid

The Jaw Dropper (Best Shot)

Djokovic vs. Federer US Open

Blake vs. Galung @ US Open

Federer vs Gasquet @ Rome

Roddick vs. Raonic @ Memphis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5XdJFlcdNc

Winner: Federer vs. Gasquet. Come on, I had to give this one to Fed. He needed to win something this year.

Player of the Year
Petra Kvitova. Or as some people on the interwebs call her, “Del Petra”. She won a total of 6 titles in 2011, which includes a major win at Wimbledon. She also won the Fed Cup and the WTA Championships. She hits the bleep out of the ball, is fun to watch, and most importantly, wins. She won’t be world #2 much longer.
Novak Djokovic. 2011 wasn’t just a great year for Novak, it was one of greatest years for anyone in tennis history. All he did was: win 42 matches in a row, win the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open, show that Rafa is in fact, human on clay, go 10-1 against Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, compile a 82-3 season, and win $12.6 million in prize money. Forget what happened toward the end of the year, lifting all those trophies and counting all those dolla dolla bills can wear out even the best of us.
Winner: Novak Djokovic. And the rich get richer.

Now that we’ve reflected back, it’s time to look forward to the 2012 season. Here are some of our fearless predications for this upcoming year. Key word being “fearless.”

Tiffani:
“Andy Roddick will retire in 2012, Rafa and Roger will team up for doubles, Andrea Petkovic will win a Slam and Kim Clijsters will win Gold at the Olympics.”

Brittany:
“Victoria Azarenka and Jo Wilfred Tsonga are going to win a slam, Roger Feder is going to sweep the Olympics in single, in doubles with (Wawrinka) and mixed with (Hingis) and Serena and Venus Williams will win a doubles Slam.”

Jason:
“Andy Murray will fall out of the top 4 for the first time since 2008, Maria Kirilenko will make the top 10 for the first time in her career, Petra Kvitova will win 2 Grand Slams and take over the #1 seeding, and Nadal will win a title on clay. OK, so maybe not so fearless on that last prediction.”

Spencer:
“Jo Wilfried Tsonga will win his first GS Title, Kei Nishikori will crack the top 10 in rankings, Julia Goerges will crack the top 10 in rankings, and Dolgopolov will take out Nadal at the French.”

Chris:
“Grigor Dimitrov will break into the top 20, Jo Wilfried Tsonga will a Grand Slam (Australian Open or US Open).”

Do you agree with our predicitions? What are some of your own? We’d love to hear about them. Here’s to an amazing 2012!

Happy New Year,

Jason, TW