Summer in January

Only 18 more days until full-time tennis action returns, soon followed by the first Grand Slam of the year—the Australian Open in Melbourne. TENNIS.com will have full coverage of the fortnight Down Under, including live scores, on-site reports, and news as it happens.

Last year’s champions, Roger Federer and Amelie Mauresmo, both went on to have career years after winning in Melbourne and will be looking to make the best possible start to the season once again. Mauresmo is expected to have plenty of competition as she tries to defend her crown—Justine Henin-Hardenne and Maria Sharapova have overtaken her in the rankings and both won their last meetings against the Frenchwomen.

Another player to watch is Kim Clijsters, who will make what she says is her final appearance at the Slam where she was once known as “Aussie Kim” for her relationship with Lleyton Hewitt. Clijsters is planning a post-Wimbledon wedding with her new fiancé, Brian Lynch. She then plans to retire to start a family. That’s also the reason the Australian Open will be missing 2000 champ Lindsay Davenport—the 30-year-old just announced that she’s expecting her first child in the middle of next year and has no plans to make a return to the professional circuit.

A year ago, Martina Hingis made believers out of many when she reached the quarterfinals in Melbourne, the first Grand Slam she had played since 2002. Now, the three-time champ with the multifaceted game will be seeded to reach the quarterfinals and looking to do even better.

The men’s field has a much clearer hierarchy than the women’s. Federer’s dominance has made him not only a firm favorite to triumph in Australia but has also prompted talk that the silken Swiss could be the first male to win the Grand Slam since 1969. Can the Federer Express be stopped, and if so, who will do it?

Rafael Nadal was the answer for much of 2006, but the Spaniard will have to prove himself all over again after fading in the second half of the year. Andy Roddick and James Blake will be taking on the rest of the field and also battling each other to see who can take the lead in this budding all-American rivalry.

Two former No. 1s—Hewitt and mercurial Russian Marat Safin—want to show that the fire still burns, even if a little more quietly in Hewitt’s case.

And don’t forget Marcos Baghdatis, who took Melbourne by storm during his surprise run to the finals last year. The genial Cypriot heads a group of young players looking for a spot near the top of the rankings.

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On Newsstands December 22

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The editors of TENNIS present TENNIS Magazine's Year In Pictures 2006, a compilation of dozens of the year's most breathtaking tennis photographs. This special collector's issue features astounding images from the Grand Slams, Davis Cup, Fed Cup; on- and off-court portraits and candid moments; and action shots of young stars like Sharapova, Federer, and Roddick, as well as tennis icons such as Navratilova and Agassi. Get your copy of TENNIS Magazine's Year In Pictures 2006 today and witness the dazzling panorama that made 2006 so spectacular.
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‘Twas the Season

For the third year in a row, men’s tennis was mostly about Federer, but other players celebrated some quiet achievements, as well. Nadal claimed his second French Open crown and hung on to his remarkable achievement of never yet being defeated on the red clay of Roland Garros. Of the rest of the Top 10, seven hit career highs in the rankings at some point during the season—and the lone exception, Andy Roddick, enjoyed a late-summer resurgence that left him feeling very good about his prospects. See TENNIS.com for a full report card on each player. Henin-Hardenne, Sharapova, and Mauresmo all took home Grand Slam titles in 2006, with now-bitter rivals Henin-Hardenne and Mauresmo splitting most of the year-end awards between them. But it was 19-year-old Maria Sharapova who cemented her position as the It Girl of the women’s tour, thanks to consistent performances and consistent publicity. A number of other young players also made their mark during the year, with Nicole Vaidisova and Jelena Jankovic reaching their first Grand Slam semifinals, and Ana Ivanovic and Anna Chakvetadze capturing their first big titles in Montreal and Moscow, respectively. There’s a full report card on each player at TENNIS.com. The season ended with Russia lifting the Davis Cup at home for the first time—their second win overall—by defeating Argentina 3-2. Marat Safin took out Jose Acasuso over four tight sets in the fifth and final match, giving his forgettable season a memorable finish. To see his Russian teammates celebrating by hoisting the 6-foot-4 Safin in the air, see TENNIS.com’s Davis Cup photo gallery. And for all the year’s best photos, check out TENNIS Magazine’s special photo issue, The Year in Pictures 2006.

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Don’t Miss…

• TENNIS Magazines’ Tactical Tennis with
  Paul Annacone DVD Series
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• TENNIS.com in 2007
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