Un tournoi très riche

Tennis - Open d'Australie

Le prochain Open d'Australie (16-29 janvier 2012) sera le tournoi du Grand Chelem le plus richement doté de l'histoire. Les vainqueurs hommes et femmes gagneront chacun 2,18 millions de dollars (1,67 millions d'euros) et la dotation totale sera de 18,73 millions d'euros. Par ailleurs, les organisateurs ont annoncé qu'un tournoi des légendes féminines serait organisé, en présence de Martina Hingis, et que le système hawk-eye serait également installé sur la Margaret Court Arena.

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Barty, 15 ans, s'invite

Tennis - Australie (F)

Ashleigh Barty, 15 ans, a remporté le droit à une invitation pour le prochain Open d'Australie. La championne de Wimbledon juniors a fait le buzz à Melbourne cette semaine.


Ashleigh Barty, jeune joueuse à suivre.(AFP)

Il va falloir commencer à retenir son nom. Ashleigh Barty, 15 ans et victorieuse l'an dernier à Wimbledon chez les juniors, vient de créer une petite sensation à Melbourne. Bénéficiaire d'une wild-card afin d'intégrer les play-offs (tournoi interne aux Australiens afin d'accorder des wilds-cards pour le tournoi du Grand Chelem), la très jeune joueuse n'a pas perdu un set en cinq matches et disposé de joueuses d'expérience afin de remporter le tournoi. Elle fera donc ses débuts en janvier prochain dans le grand tableau du premier tournoi du Grand Chelem de la saison.

En finale, cette joueuse dotée d'une très belle qualité de frappe et de main, ainsi que d'un vrai sens du jeu a dominé (7-6[6], 6-2) Olga Rogowska après avoir sorti Rodionova en demies et aussi Dellacqua, au premier tour, qui restait sur une série de trente victoires de suite sur le circuit ITF. Si la prudence est évidemment de mise avec les joueuses de cet âge, il reste tout de même que le potentiel de Barty est un des plus prometteurs de cette génération. Chez les hommes, Marinko Matosevic s'est imposé face à James Duckworth (6-4, 6-1, 6-2).

C.B.

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Un laissez-passer pour Hewitt

Mise à jour le mercredi 30 novembre 2011 à 22 h 46 HNE

L'ancien joueur étoile Lleyton Hewitt a obtenu mercredi un laissez-passer pour les Internationaux d'Australie, qui seront disputés à Melbourne du 16 au 29 janvier.

Le directeur du tournoi, Craig Tiley, a déclaré que cette décision avait été la plus facile à prendre de sa carrière.

Hewitt, gagnant de deux tournois majeurs, occupe désormais le 188e échelon du classement de l'ATP après avoir subi de nombreuses blessures au fil des ans.

www.radio-canada.ca

Dellacqua invitée

Le 14/12/2011 à 00:37

Longtemps blessée à l'épaule et au pied, l'Australienne Casey Dellacqua a reçu une invitation de sa fédération pour le tableau final de l'Open d'Australie.

www.lequipe.fr

Keys et Levine invités

Le 20/12/2011 à 10:08 | Mis à jour le 20/12/2011 à 10:09

Vainqueurs d'un play-off, dimanche à Atlanta, Madison Keys (16 ans) et Jesse Levine ont décroché les deux wild-cards américaines pour l'Open d'Australie.

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Aussies wild for Australian Open

Valkerie Baynes, December 21, 2011 10:02AM



QUEENSLANDER Ben Mitchell and Victorian Olivia Rogowska have secured Australian Open wildcards.

Mitchell, the junior Wimbledon runner-up in 2010, was rewarded for an outstanding year on the Australian Pro-Tour circuit, where he reached seven finals, winning three.

"You pretty much play your whole career to compete in grand slams, so it's a dream come true to play at the Australian Open," Mitchell said.

Mitchell and fellow Australian Open wildcard recipient James Duckworth are hitting in Brisbane this week with Davis Cup captain Pat Rafter.

"It's been great to work with Pat, he's a really good guy and the work we're doing on court this week will really help my game," Mitchell said.

Rogowska, who lost the Australian Open wildcard play-off final to 15-year-old Queenslander Ashleigh Barty, described the first major of the year as "my dream grand slam".

"I've been working really hard and had some good results, particularly in the second half of the year, and I'm looking forward to January," Rogowska said.

She is training in Sydney with Sam Stosur and Casey Dellacqua, and enjoyed a hit with Stosur yesterday.

"It was fantastic. We hit for two hours and I tried hard to give her my very best. It's good to see how a top 10 player trains and it's great preparation for January."

Dellacqua, Lleyton Hewitt and men's play-off winner Marinko Matosevic have also received wildcards to the Open, starting on January 16.

www.heraldsun.com.au

Wild-cards pour Rezai et Chardy

Tennis - AUS

Aravane Rezai, 115e au classement WTA, et Jérémy Chardy, 103e à l'ATP, ont hérité d'une wild-card décernée par la Fédération française pour l'Open d'Australie (16-29 janvier 2012). Un accord lie les Fédérations française et australienne depuis 2001 pour des échanges de wild-cards à l'Open d'Australie et à Roland-Garros.

La FFT accord un coup de pouce à deux de ses meilleurs représentants, qui ont connu une saison 2011 noire, sur et en dehors des courts. Tous deux avaient perdu dès le premier tour la saison dernière à Melbourne.

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Frank Dancevic ♥ Steph Dubois ♥ Peter Polansky

Fernando Gonzalez uncertain about 2012 Australian Open

23-Dec-2011 08:07

Former World No. 5 Fernando Gonzalez has made it clear that he is not retiring in the near future. But, his availability for the forthcoming Aussie Open is uncertain.

2007 Australian Open finalist Fernando Gonzalez of Chile has asserted that he has no plans to bid adieu to tennis in the near future. The 31-year-old told talked to reporters after playing an exhibition duel with Gael Monfils.

Gonzalez quoted, "When I do retire, you will hear it from me—not from sources close to the player." Currently ranked as World No. 298, Fernando Gonzalez reached his career highest ranking of No. 5 in 2007 after making it to the final of the Aussie Open. He underwent hip surgery in October of 2010 and missed out many tournaments in 2011.

Gonzalez further asserted that he has managed to make it to the Aussie Open draw this time, but he is not sure whether he would be able to participate or note. The Chilean is known for having one of the most devastating forehands on the circuit. In Olympics, he won gold in doubles and bronze in singles at Athens 2004, and silver in singles at Beijing 2008.

www.tennisearth.com

Matosevic wins second consecutive AO wildcard

Sunday, 11 December, 2011



Marinko Matosevic swept to a 6-4 6-1 6-2 victory over James Duckworth in the final of the Australian Open 2012 wildcard play-off at Melbourne Park today.

The match was a fairly one-sided affair, with Matosevic in control from the outset, moving smoothly, striking the ball well, and looking very solid on serve. In fact, he did not drop serve all match and only faced break points in one game.

The pair started evenly, but at 3-3 in the first set Duckworth stretched wide during a rally and rolled his right ankle. Despite continuing, he dropped serve and then asked for the trainer at the change, using all his allotted time to get his ankle worked on and strapped before returning to the court.

While he seemed to be moving freely, it may have had more of an impact than was clear, as a distinct change came over the match from that moment onwards. Duckworth appeared listless and increasingly frustrated – and Matosevic never looked back. The games went with serve for the rest of the first set, with the initial break enough for Matosevic to take it 6-4.

As the second set began, it looked like Duckworth was trying to end the rallies a little more quickly, hampered by his ankle injury. He consistently pulled the trigger on his groundstrokes too early in the rally and more often than not came up with the error. Matosevic again pulled away, with Duckworth’s disappointment beginning to surface. At 5-1 down, he looked to have all but conceded the set, slamming a forehand return into the bottom of the net, and eventually giving the set away 6-1.

The third and final set brought more of the same and in the fourth game, Matosevic again made his move, breaking for 3-1. It was now Matosevic in a canter and another Duckworth error gave him the final set 6-2.

After the match, Matosevic addressed the Duckworth injury by saying, “I tried to just put it to the back of my mind and get the job done.”

“I know his game pretty well,” he added. “[Duckworth] is a very good player and I wish him all the best.”

Matosevic said he had a tough year in 2011 with lots of ups and downs but was clearly pleased with how things went today. “It’s a great opportunity and an honour and privilege to get a spot in a Grand Slam by winning this event.”

Matosevic achieved his highest ever world ranking of 131 in March and made the Australian Davis Cup team for the first time before an injury at the US Open disrupted his year and saw him drop to 201 by year’s end.

But he is upbeat about his future. “I beat a stack of guys in the top 100, some guys in the top 50 … so I’m definitely confident of getting a two-digit ranking going further,” he said.

“I travelled most of the year with Matt Ebden and saw him jump into the top 100 … and not just him [either].

“For sure, if they can do it, I can do it.”

Duckworth, on the other hand, was looking for a first-time berth in a Grand Slam main draw. He has come off a breakthrough year, ending it ranked 274 in the world, courtesy of four Futures wins on clay in Italy and Poland.

Despite the loss today, he has played some extremely solid tennis this week and looks on the brink of further success. His semifinal victory over top seed Greg Jones in the play-offs was a highlight.

http://www.australianopen.com

Wildcards for Rogowska and Mitchell

Tuesday, 20 December, 2011



Australian Open Play-off finalist Olivia Rogowska and 2010 Wimbledon junior finalist Ben Mitchell have been awarded wildcards into the Australian Open.

Both members of the AIS Pro Tour program, Rogowska and Mitchell finished 2011with solid results and big ranking improvements.

“It’s always exciting to play at home at the Australian Open, my dream Grand Slam,” 20-year-old Rogowska said.

“I’ve been working really hard and had some good results, particularly in the second half of the year and I’m looking forward to January.

“It’s been great to be back working with Johnno (AIS Coach Chris Johnstone) and he’s helped me get back on track. We’re working on lots of things and they’re starting to come together in matches so we’ve got a good thing going at the moment. “I’m certainly believing in myself a lot more, putting in lots of hard work and now seeing it start to pay off. In 2011 I won two events and slashed my ranking from 280 to 160, I qualified for my first WTA event in Sweden and started to get some good solid results – finals, semis – lots of matches, which is exactly what I needed.”

Rogowska is currently training in Sydney with Sam Stosur and Casey Dellacqua and enjoyed a hit with Stosur this morning.

“It was fantastic. We hit for two hours and I tried hard to give her my very best. It’s good to see how a top ten player trains and its great preparation for January,” Rogowska continued. Ben Mitchell has been a stand-out player on the Australian Pro-Tour this year, reaching seven finals – Berri, Alice Springs, Cairns, Esperance, Kalgoorlie, Traralgon and Bendigo. He won three and also won an event in Spain and was runner up in the UK. “You pretty much play your whole career to compete in Grand Slams, so it’s a dream come true to play at the Australian Open,” Mitchell said. “I’m going to take it one step at a time and hopefully I can do well. I’ve had a great year working with Brent (Larkham) at the AIS and physically I feel in the best shape of my life.

“In the second half of the year I just played lots and lots of matches and it really helps to have that match fitness as we go into the summer.”

“Ben’s really earned his opportunity to compete at the Australian Open,” said Brent Larkham, AIS Head Coach. “He’s just turned 19 and this year has progressed his ranking up about 400 places, from 609 to around 220 and in 2012 is looking forward to competing at a higher level, on the Challenger Tour and in Grand Slam qualifying.

“Having the opportunity to compete at the Australian Open is a great way for Ben to start his year and I believe he’s physically and technically ready to win some matches in January.” Mitchell, along with fellow AIS Pro Tour program member and Australian Open wildcard recipient James Duckworth, is spending time in Brisbane this week hitting with Davis Cup captain Pat Rafter. “It’s been great to work with Pat, he’s a really good guy and the work we’re doing on court this week will really help my game.”

http://www.australianopen.com

Blake forfait

Tennis - Australie (H)

James Blake, 59e joueur mondial, a déclaré forfait pour le tournoi de Brisbane et, surtout, pour l'Open d'Australie. L'Américain a justifié son absence par des raisons personnelles.

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De Schepper invité

Le 30/12/2011 à 22:15

Les organisateurs de l'Open d'Australie ont annoncé vendredi que le Français Kenny De Schepper avait reçu la wild-card accordée dans un premier temps à Jérémy Chardy, finalement directement qualifié pour le grand tableau.

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