Ht: 6-1 Wt: 167

DOB: November 27, 1978 In: Karvina Czech Republic

First Tennis Memory: “My father, tennis coach in Karvina.”

Inspirations: “My tennis inspiration – I’m taking all my inspiration from somewhere else because I see a lot of great athletes playing well in a higher number of ages. And this is what is inspiring me to do the same in my sport.”

First Famous Tennis Player You Met: “Hmm, good question…Thomas Muster. He was playing an exhibition against Slava Dosedel in Czech Republic, in a town where I lived for a few years. And I think I was 12 or 13, I just had to warm him up for the exhibition. And I was badly nervous [smiles].”

Greatest Sports Moment: “I think, singles-wise, my first title, definitely, in Rotterdam (2006). And winning doubles with Leander in Australian Open. Winning Grand Slam is always a memory which stay with me forever.”

Most Painful Moment: “When I got in 2006 to top ten. I had a great year, I felt on top of my game. And I woke up in the morning and I didn’t feel my right hand. I had a dislocated disk in the neck and couldn’t play tennis for six months.”

Favorite Tournaments: “Grand Slam – Australian Open. Super Nine – Indian Wells. The other – Dubai, Basel.”

Why Do You Love Playing Tennis: “Because I grew up playing tennis, I love the competition. I love the one to one – it’s like in a boxing arena. The one to one – there is no draw. You win or lose. I like that gamble. That’s the only gamble I do in my life – playing tennis. I don’t do gambling in casinos and stuff. I have a passion for tennis. And it’s the thing I know best in my life, so far.”

Which Match Did You Feel Your Very Best: “I think that was the finals of Rotterdam when I won my first title. There I played really good.”

Strangest Match: “Definitely they happen in the Davis Cup, that’s where all the strange things happen. As I remember it was 2007 in Prague when we played against Switzerland when they had on the team Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka. And I played the final match against Wawrinka at two-all and I was two sets to love up. And suddenly on one of my serves, my knee didn’t hold up. I didn’t know what happened and I had to finish that match really injured. And I don’t know how, I don’t know where it came from, but I was able to close out the match in the third set. And the atmosphere and everything that comes with it was just amazing feeling which I will never forget.”

Three Athletes From Other Sports You Like To Watch: “Jaromir Jagr in hockey. Peter Cech in soccer, he’s goalkeeper for Chelsea. And Tiger Woods in golf.”

Funniest Players Encountered: “I think Gael Monfils is very funny. I used to watch Yannick Noah in the times before, he was a little funny. Mostly the past generation, they were bringing to the game something special, something where the crowd laughed. They brought up some energy with the umpires. It was more of a show which I like.”

Current Car: “BMW.”

Last Book Read: “Pavel Nedved, soccer player of Czech Republic.”

Ht: 6-0 Wt: 163

DOB: August 22, 1964 In: Vaxjo, Sweden

Tennis Inspiration: “As in person? Just like the game. Just like the game. (No players?) Because I started before Borg. I started without seeing tennis on TV so there couldn’t be any player, you know what I’m saying?”

Hobbies/Interests: “I play golf in the summer. And downhill skiing. And play a little music sometimes.”

Favorite Movie: “The Last Waltz.”

Favorite TV Show: “Same thing, I don’t have any since I didn’t grow up here. Never watch TV anymore.”

Musical Tastes: “Bob Dylan, Dire Straits, two favorites.”

First Tennis Memory: “Is hitting against the wall in a tournament where my two older brothers played when I was about seven or eight.”

First Job: “First job? I don’t have a job [smiles].”

Favorite Meal: “Swedish meatballs and small red potatoes, boiled.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Wow, ice cream flavor, which is nougat flavor they have in Itali – nocciola.”

Pre-Match Feeling: “Not thinking about the match really. Five minutes before I’d start thinking about it. I had that for free that I was able to tell after five minutes of the warmup what kind of plan I was gonna have. So not really, I was pretty relaxed before.”

Last Book Read: “Actually, the last one I read was an autobiography of Bob Dylan, the one he wrote himself called Chronicles.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “I still hope it’s ahead of me [smiles].”

Most Painful Moment: “I’m sure that’s ahead of me [laughs].”

Favorite Tournaments: “French Open, Australian Open, U.S. Open.”

Funny Tennis Memory: “Yeah, Michael Pernfors and I played here on center court here in ’93. And we started at – I think it’s still the latest match on center court – it finished at 2:50 in the morning. And we were going to the fifth set and were really, really good friends. And he just won the Canadian Open and I just started playing again – I didn’t play for two years. So, but I knew big brother complex even though he’s older, so it gets to two sets all, he runs to the bathroom and he comes back and he’s gonna serve with new balls and he holds up the balls and he says to me, ‘New balls and…new legs.’ And I’m like F you [smiles]. And then we went to the press conference together, after I won 6-4 in the fifth, hysterical, lying next to each other on the table top. He should be pissed. But it’s too hard, too close of a friend.”

Embarrassing Tennis Memory: “Not really. I was gonna say sometimes you toss the racquet on the ground and it hits you in the nuts, that’s embarrassing.”

Favorite Players To Watch: “I like watching Federer, I like watching Nadal, Djokovic. And I always like people who grind it out on the clay courts. I love to watch Gasquet play on clay. (WTA?) I liked watching Mauresmo, she was so different from the other girls. She did something with every ball and there’s a thought into every shot. Sometimes it gets pretty thoughtless out there. It’s nice to see you can still win tennis matches, win grand slams without a weapon and just think your way through it. And hit the right shot at the right time. So I did like watching Mauresmo.”

Closest Tennis Friends: “Michael Pernfors and Joachim Nystrom.”

Funniest Player Encountered: “Diego Perez from Uruguay. I don’t know if you ever heard of him. Hysterical. Just really funny on the court, really funny off the court. Off the court it’s okay to be funny, he just talks all the time. I said, Listen, Diego – he didn’t have a job – you have to talk the same shit to another person. Keep doing the same thing. Just talk to the right people. Then they’ll give you a job. You can sell anything. But he’s a promoter.”

Toughest Competitors Encountered: “Connors, McEnroe, Becker, I’d say. Because I didn’t play Borg. Actually Edberg. You have to throw Edberg in there too.”

Best You Ever Felt On Court: “Finals in French Open 1985 against Ivan Lendl. Because I lost the first set 6-3 or something. I was like, Oh wow, here we go again. I had that feeling at the end of the set. Because he had beaten me the last three or four times. I had beaten him earlier but he came back to beat me. And I said, F*** it. I’m gonna start serving and I’m gonna come to the net on everything. Early in the second set. And that’s like unheard of on clay, for me anyway. So I start coming to the net. And I realized in 15 minutes, okay, that was that. Like, it’s over. Because there was no way I could lose the match from now on. Because he was just shocked. Like, what is going on here? So serve and volley and come in. So I won three sets after that. So that was unbelievable. Grand slam final against Ivan Lendl. And I had the feeling I’m gonna lose the match. That’s not the way you feel usually against Lendl but that one I did. And the U.S. Open final happens to be against Lendl too. I think that was a much better match. And I work really hard for that. So those two are the ones. The one in ’85 because I played so shitty getting into the finals and so shitty in the first set. I was so disappointed in the whole tournament even though I was in the finals. And then suddenly ten minutes after, wow, I’m gonna win the French Open. Pretty cool. Then here playing against Ivan. I’ve had so many people come up to me and tell me that final against Lendl in ’85, that’s one of the better finals I’ve seen. I don’t have that often. Because I don’t play perfect tennis. I’ve never felt this good at certain matches, but that’s not really true because when I was playing really well I didn’t really feel well, everything was just going in, you know? Feeling good for me was when you’re not playing that well and you figure out that this is the way I have to play, I have to play around my bad side and still find a way to make him worse as well. That made me feel good, not hitting winners.”

Favorite Vacation: “I’ll take the Caribbean, on the beach.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “I like to see somebody that they have an opinion and the guts to say it. And that behaves the same, very level. You can get pissed, you can be sad, you can be crying, you can laugh, whatever, that’s fine. But you still say Good morning to the people that you know and say Thank you to everybody that opens the door for you, blah, blah, blah. So I’m very into manners, respect for every person, not just the better people. The guy in the street, the guy who works at the hotel door. And have an opinion, have the guts to say it and listen to whatever other people think. But don’t just get rolled over just because somebody else thinks it.”

Photo Credit: Henk Abbink.

Height: 5-2 Weight: 122 pounds.

Born On: October 22nd, 1971 in Hoopstad, South Africa.

Childhood Heroes: “Bjorn Borg, Chris Evert, Gary Player — a great golfer from South Africa. I admired his work ethic.”

Hobbies/Interests: “Reading, shopping and studying languages.”

Childhood Dream: “I didn’t really dream anything special. Just took things as they came.”

Early Tennis Memory: “I have good memories. As a young child, I really loved to play as much as I could. I went out every day to practice. I spent a lot of time playing with the ball machine, hitting against the wall. We had a court in our yard. I visualized more then than I do now. I visualized in sort of a dreamland, imagining things. I loved the competition, being able to do something I felt I could improve at.”

Pre-Match Feeling: “Try to go through little rituals I do before every match. Nothing serious. I prepare my clothes I’ll be wearing. Take care of my equipment. Try to stay in the moment. Not let my mind wander too much.”

Favorite Movies: “Scent of a Woman, Dances With Wolves.”

Musical Tastes: “Easy listening music.”

Favorite Books: “My Traitor’s Heart. Gifts of Unknown Things. The Covenant.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “Hmmmm. Can’t really pinpoint one. I’ve had a lot of highlights. Like winning my first tournament (Melbourne in ‘93 over Sawamatsu). Every time I step out on the main court in a Grand Slam, that’s a great moment.”

Most Painful Moment: “I think every time I go out and it doesn’t happen out there. When I don’t really enjoy it. When I don’t have the intensity and the motivation I know I have. But it doesn’t happen often.”

Worst Injury: “I’ve been really lucky. Haven’t had any.”

Closest Tennis Friend: “Lori McNeil.”

Toughest Competitor: “Monica Seles.”

Favorite Athletes To Watch: “Tell you the truth. I was at the Olympics. I really admired those people doing the lesser-known sports as amateurs where they’re not getting paid much. They do tremendous hard work and it’s not like me where I can go play a tournament every week. They wait and train for four years. It really opened my eyes. I became a big fan of the Olympics.”

Favorite Vacation Spot: “Keurboomstrand, South Africa. Where we all go to the beach.”

Interesting Fact: “I’m not as cool and calm as I look when I’m on the court. People think I don’t show any emotion or feeling. But I have a lot of passion for tennis. But I don’t really show it.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “I’d say people with honesty. Sincerity. It’s a good characteristic. It’s nice to be around people like that.”

Future Ambitions: “Just to continue to improve my game. Continue to get satisfaction out of my game. (After tennis?) Eventually pursue some studies.”

Family: Husband, Arnon Milchan (Hollywood producer).

Status: ATP ranking #65. Member of Colombia’s Davis Cup Team. Has career wins over Davydenko, Fish, Karlovic, Andreev, Haas, Ljubicic, Del Potro.

Ht: 6-1 Wt: 178

DOB: November 14, 1983 In: Cali, Colombia

First Tennis Memory: “Well, a great memory was I was watching Ivan Lendl on TV. And I just said to me, I wanted to be playing in the big tournament. So it was a big memory for me.”

Tennis Inspirations: “My father (Jorge) – because he’s a coach (at Sanchez-Casal Academy in Naples, FL). I learned tennis, played tennis because of him. Who else – when I was growing up I watched Becker and Sampras playing.”

Last Book Read: “DaVinci Code.”

Favorite Movie: “Gladiator.”

Musical Tastes: “Hip-hop, rock, U2.”

Current Car: “Toyota Land Cruiser (black).”

Favorite Meal: “Pasta.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Strawberry.”

Pre-Match Feeling: “Think about moving my legs. Be out there with big intensity.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “Well, I think when I beat my first top 10 victory against Davydenko (2006 Wimbledon – first ever win over top 10 player by a Colombian). And having two sets to love against Federer in Wimbledon. It was good memories.”

Most Painful Moment: “My injuries. Knee injury.”

Favorite Tournaments: “Grand slam, U.S. Open and French Open.”

Closest Tennis Friends: “My teammates, Colombians, Salamanca, Giraldo, Cabal, all Colombians.”

Funniest Players: “I can’t remember.”

Toughest Competitors Encountered: “Federer – I was really close to winning at Wimbledon. I give him the toughest one.”

Strangest Match: “Versus Kohlschreiber I lost the first set 6-0 and then I win the second 6-1. So it was really strange score.”

Funny Tennis Memory: “No.”

Embarrassing Tennis Memory: “When I was a kid, like 15 years old, and we were playing a tournament in Chile. I went up to the restaurant, having lunch, I fell down and broke all the plates. In front of everyone [smiles].”

Favorite Players To Watch: “Federer. I like his tennis. I like Murray also.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Well, I like humble people. Friendly people. And open mind.”

Status: Former world ATP #3 tennis player. Member of Argentina’s Davis Cup team.

Ht: 5-11 Wt: 175

DOB: January 1, 1982 in Unquillo, Cordoba, Argentina

First Tennis Memory: “Becker, Wimbledon.”

Tennis Inspirations: “My family.”

Hobbies/Leisure Activities: “Fishing, watching Rally races, futbol, big fan of River Plate.”

Favorite Movies: “Action.”

Musical Tastes: “Everything.”

Last Book Read: “I’m reading The Psychoanalyst.”

Pre-Match Feeling: “Well, always a little bit nervous, like always. But good feeling before. Believe in my game.”

Favorite Meal: “Anything my mom does.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Dulce de Leche.”

Current Car: “Mercedes.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “Shanghai 2005 (def. Federer in ATP Tour finals).”

Most Painful Moment: “My father dies. (No, in tennis?) Losing grand slam final (at Wimbledon). Yeah, (losing) grand slam and Davis Cup final.”

Favorite Tournament: “Davis Cup.”

Closest Tennis Friends: “Yeah, all from Argentina. And just Spanish ones.”

Funniest Players Encountered: “A few ones. (Can’t name ‘em?) No. (Why not?) I don’t have to [smiles].”

Toughest Competitor(s): “Federer, for sure.”

Favorite Players To Watch: “The top ones.”

Embarrassing Tennis Memory: “Not now.”

Funny Tennis Memory: “I don’t know, I don’t remember.”

Last Vacation: “Last year, south Argentina.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Normal ones.”

Career Accomplishments: Won ATP Tour finals in 2005; Finalist at Wimbledon and reached SF in all three other slams; Winner of ten career ATP singles titles.

More tennis Biofiles at www.10sballs.com

Playing perhaps the finest match of his career, a spectacularly precise Andrew Murray pummeled defending Australian Open champ Rafael Nadal for three sets and scored an impressive technical knockout. At 0-3 down in set three, Nadal retired from the contest citing a knee injury.

From the first point this hotly-anticipated night match between the two tennis titans in Rod Laver Arena stunned observers with dazzling shotmaking and furious action. It more than lived up to all expectations. TV commentator Justin Gimelstob said, “this feels like a heavyweight championship fight.” Indeed it may have been.

It was a dramatic duel between two high class champions at contrasting points in their careers. Murray attempting to win his first Grand Slam after two years of frustration and Nadal frantically trying to maintain his status as a kingpin.

The Mighty Spaniard has won six career Slams but came up short in Paris and New York last year. He also missed Wimbledon but did help Spain win the Davis Cup. Against Murray, Nadal appeared threatened, like a man who knew his fate but would fight it till the end. He wore an uneasy expression of ferocious intensity through the first set, often talking to himself and snarling animatedly, sometimes even baring his teeth at Murray, like a wild animal, before service returns.

Nadal was defeated by Murray in Rotterdam a year ago and seemed to sense the crucial importance of trying to subdue Murray now. The big bull of Mallorca was sharp early. He played some miraculous shots and went up a break. But Murray never wavered. The Scot broke back to level the first set at 2-2, but then quickly fell down 0-40 on his next service game.

This was the key point of the battle. Murray utilized his big, new serve and scored three successful serve and volleys to take the pivotal game.  The whole flow of the match changed. Murray knew he just mastered an important test. Nadal felt the urge to force the issue and became more offensive than he typically likes to be.

“Every point is a mini-war out there,” noted Gimelstob. “It’s out of respect for Murray’s game that he’s pushing his game to it’s most aggressive limits.”

While Nadal seemed to portray the role of the feisty warrior, Murray stayed calm and poised throughout this classic duel. Murray’s magnanimous demeanor conjured the image of the experienced hunter/predator, calmly stalking and chasing down his desperate target. Nadal and his Australian Open trophy were the prey to be captured.

After winning the first set 6-3, Murray continued his relentless assault. Nadal engaged in some fantastic toe-to-toe exchanges, but his expression did not carry the same snarl now. The two champions punched it out all the way to a second set tiebreak. Just like in the previous set, Murray asserted his dominance when he needed to and took a 6-1 lead. “Murray, once again, in the big moments, is the aggressor,” noted Gimelstob.

It was evident now: Nadal’s power and intensity were no match for the majesty of Murray on this night. Nadal seemed to know it too. He called for the court doctor at 0-1, 15-all in the third set. Nadal told the doctor that the right knee pain started in the previous set, though there were no clear signs of an injury or limp. After the brief respite, Nadal the warrior decided to enter the fray once again, to try to work his magic and turn the tables as he has so many times in his extraordinary career. There would be one last, desperate surge to save his status as the defending champ and world #2.

But it was not to be. Murray won the next two games and on the way to sit at the changeover at 3-0, Nadal decided to inform his conqueror that he was retiring from the battle. Murray contained his reaction and moments later told interviewer Jim Courier that “Nadal is my favorite player to watch on the tour, the energy he brings to the court.”

Looking like a champion who fully understands that he has unfinished business to take care of on this court, the stoic Murray added, “I got through a few tough moments in the beginning. I played really well tonight.” Next it will be the Croatian Marin Cilic who upset him in New York last September. “He beat me at the U.S. Open. I’m looking for some revenge there,” he said with a smile.

The defending champion is now out of the tournament and there are still two more matches to be contested. But in the psychological aspect of the tournament, where many historic battles are won before the physical, the title might have actually changed hands. In every way, Murray looked like a man who is ready to win his first Grand Slam major win. He handled the pressure and nerves with elegant maturity and pugilistic spirit. It was a performance so impressive that the vanquished former champion would not discredit it in any way.

“Well, I think for sure he has a big chance. I think is a very good chance for him,” the always classy Nadal said. “First thing, he’s playing really well. And second thing, he’s already in semifinals. So (he)is only two matches away. Every Grand Slam is special and every Grand Slam is important to win. For Andy, I think he deserve to win his first Grand Slam, and he gonna do it.”

Photo Credit:  Andy Chung

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Ht: 5-10 Wt: 130

DOB: July 11, 1990 In: Odense, Denmark

Tennis Inspirations: “Yeah, Martina Hingis, one of my role models, growing up I was always looking at her game. And I was trying to play like her.”

First Tennis Memory: “Playing with my mom and dad and brother in a small town. And they didn’t want to play with me [smiles] because I was so bad, so I was standing against the wall just hitting for three, four hours every day. One day I beat them and that was so good.”

Favorite Movies: “Titanic, I have so many, Lord Of The Rings, National Treasure, White Chicks, Wedding Crashers. A lot, I have a lot.”

Last Book Read: “The Girl Who Played With A Fire, the writer is Stieg Larsson.”

Favorite TV Shows: “Orange County, Grey’s Anatomy.”

Musical Tastes: “All different kinds, I like Mariah Carey.”

Pre-Match Feeling: “Just relaxed, you know, I like to read a book before. Just to think about anything, just clear my mind.”

Current Car: “No, I don’t have one.”

Favorite Meal: “Tacos [smiles].”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Cookies.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “Winning New Haven and winning my first WTA and winning junior Wimbledon.”

Most Painful Moment: “I’m trying to think…I don’t know.”

Favorite Tournaments: “All the grand slams. I really like the US Open and I like Wimbledon a lot. I have good memories playing Wimbledon – winning juniors there – so I like going back. And I like the grass and the atmosphere.”

Closest WTA Friends: “Sorana Cirstea, the Polish ones.”

Funniest Players Encountered: “Vince Spadea. I met him at an exhibition in Liverpool and he was just hilarious.”

Toughest Competitors: “I don’t know if there is one that I fear the most. (Toughest to play?) They can all be tough. I just go out and play my best against all opponents.”

Favorite Players To Watch: “I like watching Federer play.”

Funny Tennis Memory: “I think you have to see this point. Chakvetadze, she hits a shot, she gets an easy overhead. The opponent is standing far behind the baseline and not even going for the shot. She hit the overhead – she mis-hit it. And she goes for the backhand and she hits it in. She won the point anyways.”

Embarrassing Tennis Memory: “That’s a tough one. I don’t know. I lost love and one in doubles in French Open (to Sugiyama/Srebotnik). I didn’t think that was fun.”

Last Vacation: “After Wimbledon I went to Copenhagen for a few days my birthday.”

Favorite Sports Outside Tennis: “I like soccer and basketball.”

Best You Ever Felt On Court: “I think my first final in Stockholm last summer. I felt like every ball was just sitting there and then taking the trophy and winning, that was great.”

Personality Qualities Most Admired: “Honesty, polite, nice, smart.”

Ht: 5-6 Wt: 132

DOB: January 10, 1985 In: Koahsiung, Chinese Taipei

Tennis Inspiration: “Federer, Roger.”

Hobbies/Leisure Activities: “Music, Internet, singing, seeing movies and shopping.”

Favorite Movies: “Nothing special.”

Favorite TV Show: “I not watch TV [laughs].”

Musical Tastes: “Chinese. Some English. (Who are some?) A lot [laughs].”

First Tennis Memory: “Because my dad (Chuang Wen-Teng) was coach. And when I was young I remember I always hit behind him, just hit a ball when he coach a student. He was feeding the balls to the other player and I was behind my father – to try and hit the ball. I just hit and run everywhere.”

Pre-Match Feeling: “Just be concentrated on the court.”

Favorite Meal: “Taiwanese food.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Mint.”

First Car: “I don’t have a car.”

Greatest Sports Moment: “Finals of U.S. Open doubles 2007. (Why that more than Australian Open doubles final, also with Chan Yung-Jan?) Because I play better than Australia. (Chuang/Chan were the first players from Chinese Taipei to compete in a Grand Slam final).”

Most Painful Moment: “I don’t remember [laughs].”

Favorite Tournament: “Wimbledon.”

Closest Tennis Friends: “Chan Yung-Jan.”

Funniest Players: “Djokovic. (Why him?) Because I saw his funny video on the Internet. It so funny [laughs].”

Toughest Competitors: “There’s a lot.”

Funny Tennis Memory: “At the U.S. Open when we played against Mirza (and Mattek). And then I have one point where I hit to her, in her body. And next one is she returned. And she’s laughing at me. Like give me a smile, is like, You want to hit me back? And then I look at her [shows a wicked smile and laughs].”

Embarrassing Tennis Memory: “Maybe someone hit to me, hit my body.”

Favorite Players To Watch: “Federer. And Moya. (Why Moya?) Handsome [laughs].”

Last Book Read: “Just magazines.”

Last Vacation: “Bali.”

Childhood Dreams: “Didn’t have much.”

Early Tennis Memory: “I think sometimes about five years ago, my dad, because he don’t have too much money and he give all to me to buy something to eat, so I have power to play. And he just eat some bread.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Friendly and good.”