Tennis trivia

Q: Who beat Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 40 minutes to win a sixth Wimbledon singles title?

A: Tracy Austin  B: Chris Evert  C: Martina Navratilova D: Billie Jean King


Q: What did Goran Ivanisevic refrain from doing at Wimbledon in 1994, to win a $2,000 bet?

A: Throwing his racket B: Not Curse during play C: Argue with the official D: Threaten a lines person



Q: What Nevada-born tennis star had a ball and racquet to stare at above his crib?
A: James Blake B. Pete Sampras C: Andre Agassi D: Jimmy Connors

Q: What gonzo tennis brothers threw autographed potatoes into the crowd at an Idaho match?
A: Luke and Murphy Jensen B: Bob & Mike Bryant C: John & Patrick Mcenroe

Q: What's Billie Jean King's maiden name?

A: Moffitt B: Smith C: Anderson D: Pugh


Q: What tennis player's last name means "she who returns" in Czech?

A: Miss Piggy B: Maria Sharapova C: Kim Clijsters D: Martina Navratilova's

Q: What 19-year-old became the youngest man to win the U.S. Open tennis title, in 1990?
A: Michael Chang B: Pete Sampras C. Andre Agassi D. Jim Currier

Q: Who emerged from segregated Virginia courts to win the 1968 U.S. Open tennis title?
A: Arthur Ashe B: Williams Sisters C: Darlene Hard D: Ken Fletcher

Q:  What Grand Slam tennis tournament is held every January?
A: French Open B: Australian Open C: U.S. Open D: Wimbledon

Q: Who was the first Russian tennis player to win a Grand Slam singles title, in 1996?
A:  Maria Sharapova B: Yevgeny Kafelnikov C: Anna Kournikova D: Michael Chang

Q:  What Dutchman became, in 1996, the first unseeded player since Boris Becker to win Wimbledon?
A: Richard Krajicek  B: Paul Haarhuis  C: Tom Okker  D: Jacco Eltingh

Q:  What two players won all the U.S. Open men's singles tennis titles from 1978 through 1984?
A: Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe B: Boris Becker and Tom Okker C: Richard Krajicek and Ken Fletcher

Q: Who was the first American male to win three straight Wimbledon titles?

A: Marty Fish B: Andy Roddick C: James Blake D: Pete Sampras

Q: What tennis star won 129 of 130 matches during one stretch in the 1980s?

A: Michael Chang B: Pete Sampras C: Martina Navratilova D: Arancha Sanchez Vicario

Q: Who broke Martina Navratilova's record of 331 weeks at number one?

A: Steffi Graf B: Pete Sampras C: Mary Pierce D: Roger Federer

Q: What tennis star says "Express yourself" in camera commercials?

A: Anna Kournikova B: Maria Sharapova D: Andre Agassi C: Madonna

Q:  What racketeer was the first female named Athlete of the year by Sports illustrated, in 1972?

A:  Billie Jean King B: Chris Evert C: Betsy Abbas Abramovic D: IvanaIvana Abramovic' Adamczak

Q: What tennis star was born in Montréal, raised in Florida and played for France in the Federation Cup?

A: Chris Evert  B: Mary Pierce C: Steffi Graf D: Arancha Sanchez Vicario

Q: What 17-year old tennis phenomenon beat Kevin Curren to win his first Wimbledon title?
A: John Mconroe B: Pete Sampras C: Andre Agassi D:  Boris Becker

Q: What U.S. tennis star's father boxed for the Iranian Olympic team?
A: Roger Federer B: John Mconroe C: Andre Agassi's D: Jim Currier

Q: What's the last Grand Slam tennis tournament played in a calendar year?

A: Wimbledon B: French Open C: Australian Open C:  The U.S. Open

Q:  What's the common term for the tennis ailment "lateral humeral epicondylitis"?

A:  Ham String B: Tennis elbow C: Carpal Tunnel D: Ham Hock 

Q: How many tennis players are needed for a game of Canadian doubles?

A: Four B: Two C: Three D: Five (one rotates in & another rotates out)

Tennis Commentary. YA! or NA! ?

I thought these letters on television tennis commentary was insightful and humorous.  I have both learned from commentary and was confused by it as well.  I love the helpful hints - particularly when they break down someones serve or forehand or backhand, in hopes that it might help you (us club players) on the court.  I also find it helpful when good commentators breakdown the strategies of a player, giving me a better idea on how to improve my game.  But I have found some commentary very confusing, especially when the game has come down to a crucial point and a line person calls the ball out, or perhaps a foot fault is called - and the announcer will say something like, " why would they call that during a vital point "?  As if there are times that certain calls shouldn't be made.  Things (or opinions) like that have never made sense to me.  

I'd be curious as to what you all think as well.  Okay, well below are the letters I found that I was talking about earlier.  Hopefully you find them inspirational as well. 

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The Rules of Tennis Commentary: Parts of Speech

After suffering through two weeks of ESPN2’s commentary team, it is my usual practice to vent my frustration in this blog. But my complaining is not accomplishing anything; the time has come for me to be proactive. So, in order to improve my own tennis viewing experience, I am going to start giving advice, free of charge, to tennis commentators on how they can improve their performances. We’ll start by discussing the usage of the different parts of speech:

Adverbs have no place in sports’ broadcasts. Don’t say “he hit that shot masterfully;” instead simply say “that was a great shot.” Or better yet, don’t say anything since the viewers saw the shot and don’t need to be told it how good it was.

Adjectives should be used sparingly and only insofar as they make literal sense. Goat cheese, tomato, and basil sandwiches can be (and usually are) delicious; match-ups are not edible and therefore cannot be delicious. Also, refrain from making up adjectives. No matter how inconsistent it is, a player’s serve cannot be described as “disrhythmic.”

Verbs and nouns can very useful. In fact, you might be able to go through an entire match using only verbs and nouns. You could say, “Player A serves, player B returns, player A volleys.” But since you can assume most of your audience isn’t blind, this type of commentary is redundant. So choose your verbs and nouns carefully.

Pronouns are nifty. Sometimes you’re talking about a particular player and you find yourself trying to find synonyms for his name: Federer, Roger, the stylish Swiss, the genius from Basel, the maestro, etc. Try using a pronoun in place of his name instead. It’s much more efficient.

Articles, prepositions, and conjunctions can add another dimension to your sentences. You could say, “If [conjunction] the [article] line judge calls another foot fault, then [conjunction] the [article] player will stuff a [article] ball in [preposition] her throat.” Now your broadcasts are getting more interesting.

Finally, anyone who uses interjections should have to stand blindfolded at the net while Ivo Karlovic practices his serve. This goes double for people who use the interjection “oh my!”

Posted by Callie

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Anonymous said...

Hello Callie. I commend your effort to straighten out the tennis commentary on espn2. Maybe you can direct them to some reference materials like the "Harbrace College Handbook" or “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Public Speaking”. Better yet, bind and gag the espn gang have them watch a tennis match for which commentary is done by John Barratt and Jason Goodall. If the accents are too thick for the espn gang to follow, how about having them watch a match with commentary by Jimmy Arias and Lief Shiras? But all of this would be pearls before swine. I think the real answer is in technology which allows you to either eliminate the commentary without eliminating the sounds of the match or allow you to pick the commentary you want to hear. All of you electrical and software engineers out there – some big bucks to be made. Get busy. p.s. I saw a post where someone referred to their favorite tennis commentator as Mary Gorilla. Hahahaha. Maybe she should team up with Ja(so)ne Goodall. How about Cliff Clydesdale? That would be an insult to horses everywhere. Regards to all, Mike in Etters

Is Serve and Volley Dead?

A lot of people criticize Tennis (or maybe I should say, Pro-Tennis) today because the points go too fast and no one (it seems) serves and volleys anymore.  The question many people have is "is Serve and Volley Dead"?  Well below is a great answer from a person that calls him or herself Captain... atleast I thought is was a great answer let me know what you think.

The short answer is yes. The serve and volley game in professional tennis is pretty much dead. With the exception of a handful of players (Tim Henman, Ivo Karlovic, Taylor Dent, Mario Ancic, Max Mirnyi) there is really nobody doing it anymore. After Sampras, Ivanisovic and Rafter Retired, the serve and volley game pretty much retired with them. You can tell that it isn't really that effective in the men's game anymore based on the rankings of the above individuals that still play that style.

However, just because the serve and volley game is currently dead, doesn't mean that it can't be revived again. If a good enough player comes along who is consistant and athletic enough to play that way, he could see some big success even in todays game. Roger Federer is basically the only player that could qualify into that category but even he doesn't serve and volley anymore.

One of the problems with the serve and volley game in todays game is that it's only effective on either a fast hardcourt, grass or carpet. On a slower hardcourt or clay there are just too many opperatunities for the opponent to pass you. Not many tournaments are held on carpet anymore and the grass court at Wimbledon has been slowed down in recent years when they changed the type of grass used, so it's even less effective there.

It is true that Nadal, Djokovic, Murray and even Hewitt and Roddick have good passing shots that make it really difficult to play serve and volley, the bigger issue is that there is nobody that is really putting pressure on their return games. Nadal can come up with a great passing shot here and there, but if Federer was constantly serving and volleying, that is much more pressure for Nadal's passing shot. Eventually, passing shots breakdown under pressure and the serve and volleyer has a huge advantage. That is why Sampras has such a winning record over Agassi. Agassi was probably the words greatest returner with some of the best passing shots, but since Sampras was always putting pressure on him by coming to net behind every point, Agassi usually coudn't fend him off for long.

But Federer is so good from the baseline that he really doesn't have to serve and volley to win against most players. The best athletes nowadays if they are good at net will usually just come to net behind a good approach shot during the rally.

Keeping It Together MENTALLY

Have you ever fallen apart on the tennis court [ I don't mean in tears but in pure frustration] because the game you know you have just won't come together? Me neither [HA!]  Well I think we've all been there; we struggle with our serves, or our forehand and backhand, things that normally work for us just breakdown and our minds breakdown with them.  It's almost like God is out to get us, but God isn't our enemy here, we are.  

Well in search of the truth about Tennis and its "Mind Games" I found a great article - [I wish I knew who the author was but unfortunately that wasn't provided]. Hope this commentary encourages you as much as it did me!

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Absolutely. There are life lessons that come from tennis in so many ways.

One of the many things I love about tennis and find so fascinating is it challenges you on so many levels - physical, mental and emotional - how many players do you see who are so physically gifted, but either can't keep it together mentally or lack the emotional discpline to endure the inevitable ebbs and flows of matches?

I like the fact that when you play tennis, you're really playing against yourself first in that before you can even begin to confront what the challenges the opponent presents you have to understand and accept your strengths and limitations on the court. You have to know yourself and what you are capable and sometimes be willing to push those parameters, but always be willing to play within yourself.

It's like life in that tennis teaches you to cope with failure and comeback from disappointment. Think about it: every time you play you lose points, even the best players in the world enter a tournament and know only one player from the entire field will win the title. It teaches you to develop and draw upon inner strength, resolve and wisdom to learn from the losses in order to win (See Ivan Lendl, Jana Novotna etc.)

It teaches you self-reliance in singles and teammwork in doubles.

It provides lessons in problem solving, perseverance and perspective. Every match, sometimes each point, can be a test of your problem solving skills and whether you pass or fail that particular test you have to keep that in perspective and know there is another point, another game, another match to play and learn from the experience.

It is zen in that the best players are playing in the moment: they are not thinking about the point they just lost, the double fault they just hit, the service break they need to get back in the match, that racquet someone threw in rage that just went flying by their head, the beautiful woman hitting on the court next to them (ok, maybe they are thinking about her they are thinking about the present point. Vic Braden always refers to the Jimmy Connors quote when Connors was down a match point, saved it and came back and won he was asked "What were you thinking of when you were down match point?" Connors: "nothing." That's an example of being in the moment.

I remember Steffi Graf saying when she was playing at her absolute peak, she was so tuned into the moment and playing so purely in the moment she had no clue what the score was - the score in the game or in the match - because the only thing on her mind was playing that present point and being in the moment.

Tennis is like life in that in can demand discipline, determination and guts - sometimes within the course of a single point. You can spend your life preparing for a moment in time and that discipline can help you in so many ways, but you've got to be able to improvise and adjust as well- adjust to the sunny side of the court, to wind suddenly gusting when you're about to hit an overhead, to a bad call, to your string breaking in the middle of the point, etc.

It's a lesson in the importance of valuing the simple things and paying attention to the basics. Remember when Agassi was asked how he adjusts when he's not playing well: "Go back to basics. I keep moving my feet and keep my eye on the ball."

It's like life in that way: no matter how badly you screw up and how desperate the circumstances you find yourself in, you've got to keep trying, keep moving and keep your eye on what's important. Give yourself a chance and keep swinging away.

It teaches you respect for others in that you can play the best you can possibly play and still be beaten by someone who just plays better. And there's a tendency for some to say "I beat myself: if I just cut down on my errors, I would have won..." but sometimes you have to recognize it's not necessarily what you do wrong, but what the opponent does right that makes all the difference.

It really is a sport for a lifetime and continuously reinforces lessons over your lifetime and it's a constant search for self-improvement. Think about every tennis player you've ever seen - every single one of them has a weakness they are trying to improve. It's like life in that no matter how hard you've worked, no matter how good you believe you are, you still have to get up every day and go out and do it again and prove it again and grow from it. And even if you don't win, you can still gain something from the experience because there is an integrity in giving the best effort you can give.

Mary Carillo wrote a great piece called Living Life On Clay that says a lot about the life lessons of clay-court tennis.

Tennis Lessons - Shot Selection and Court Position 2 - 3

Wow!  I thought this was a REALLY GOOD video on how to place yourself on the court during and after your shots.  This video talks about why you would hit cross court, down the line, and when you should come into the net, and how to come into the net without leaving yourself open for overheads, or passing shots.  It also suggest 6 different lessons for practicing these different shot selections.  Hope this video helps improve your game!

Returning Serve in Tennis : Chip & Charge Forehand in Tennis Serve Returns

Here's a strategy you can use while playing...try the "Chip and Charge" especially if your opponent is a power player.  It will through their rhythm off and give you a chance to get to the net and finish the point.