 |
|
 |
|
|
||||||
|
|
Tennis writers pick Mauresmo over Henin-Hardenne Continued Tennis journalists also recognized Federer’s consistent professionalism and his attempts at bringing new fans into the sport. He beat the likes of thoughtful American James Blake to pick up his third ITWA Ambassador for Tennis Award. “Roger’s behavior off-court hasn't changed at all despite the [greatly] increased demands that he has to face,” said ITWA board member Marco Keller of Sportsinformation of Switzerland. “He still is as friendly and caring as when he was the up-and-coming kid, and is fully aware of the legacy that he has towards tennis. He’s willing to give as much as he possibly can.” While she ended the year ranked No. 3, the 27-year-old Mauresmo had her best year at the majors, winning her first two Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. The Frenchwoman also reached the semifinals of the US Open and the fourth round of Roland Garros. Despite a lingering injury, Mauresmo also came close to defending her Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Championships title, where she fell in the final to her rival Justine Henin-Hardenne. But it was Mauresmo’s title runs in both Melbourne and London that convinced the writers that she was deserving of their Player-of-the-Year honor. “It was a difficult choice because Justine reached the finals of all four Slams and won the Tour Championships, and Maria Sharapova also had a fantastic year, winning her second Grand Slam at the US Open and three Tier I titles, but Amelie’s superior performance at the two majors sealed it,” said Cronin. “We expected Amelie, Justine and Maria to all be competing for the No. 1 ranking during the 2007 season.” Mauresmo faced tough competition for the Player-of-the-Year award from Henin-Hardenne, Sharapova and Switzerland’s Martina Hingis, who finished ranked No. 7 in her comeback year. MAURESMO SUPPORTS CANCER RESEARCH “Amelie is hugely popular amongst those who cover the sport and a real asset to the game,” said ITWA’s co-President Eleanor Preston. “Her candour, wit and intelligence has earned the affection and admiration of the public and media alike.” ITWA board member Cecile Soler of France’s Le Figaro added, "It's been thrilling to watch Amelie grow into a top-class player and a well-deserved Grand Slam winner. From the girl then, to the woman now, she has remained bright, witty, warm and sincere. She’s someone you want to write about to inspire the young generation." The International Tennis Writers Association was formed six years ago to represent the select group of journalists who travel the globe, week-in and week-out, covering tennis for the written and broadcast media. ITWA includes members from 17 countries and the coverage they provide brings tennis to millions worldwide. ITWA is committed to working with the sport's governing bodies, tournaments, agents and players both to improve the working conditions of tennis journalists and to gain recognition for the media's vital role in the promotion of the sport. © TennisReporters.net 2006
|
|
Home | Commentary | The
Scoop | Newsletters | Q&A | Forum | Archives | Links | About
TR | Contact TR TennisReporters.net
encourages e-mail comments on our stories.
Any e-mail sent to feedback@tennisreporters.net
|
