August twelfth, ‘09 was a bright, sunny Wednesday morning in Montreal. Since I was working at the Rogers Cup, I got admission to the grounds and had specially asked for the day off so I could go see all the professionals’ practices. It was indeed a rich schedule with the best 10 competing all the way through the day.

At eleven that day, a pal and I headed over toward Court 4 where the world’s No.1, Roger Federer, was due to arrive at 11:30am. Already jam packed with roughly a few hundred people, there was hardly any room to move.

I’m not saying that insanity and tennis are in any way linked, however they do both involve repeating the same actions over and over again and wanting differing results.

If you are in a tennis match and are, quite frankly, getting your butt kicked, you should seriously consider changing your strategy.

The mistake that many players make is not adapting their style of play to try and match their opponent. They come into the match with a game plan and stick to it religiously, even when it is blatantly not working.

The 2010 tennis season got off to a great start with the excitement of the recent Australian Open. Once again, Roger Federer showed who’s boss by mercilessly dispensing with Andy Murray to capture yet another Grand Slam title.

Don’t assume, however, at this early stage, it’s going to be the same winners at all the Majors. There are a few good players just waiting to seize the moment and lift a few big titles themselves. Here are a few who showed great promise last year, and this could well be their time to shine.

There are qualities which are vital to any great tennis player and as the world of tennis progresses on, these qualities are debated over by fans and players alike.

There are arguments that can be made for a handful of different elements of the sport, and while it may all boil down to a matter of opinion, it’s still fun to look at the possibilities.

I have listed a few elements to consider. Which do you think are important?

What about volleying? A game that it going too smoothly can become a disadvantage for opponents as point may easily be lost. Just take a look back at players of the past such as John McEnroe.

As tennis continues to grow its fans and players will always be arguing on what determines a good player and which skills are the most important to have.

So it’s all just conjecture really, but it’s still worth having a debate over just for the fun of it and there are many aspects of the sport to choose from.

Here are the most important factors. Let’s see which one you think matters most.

What about volleying? A game that it going too smoothly can become a disadvantage for opponents as point may easily be lost. Just take a look back at players of the past such as John McEnroe.

Anyone who plays the sport of tennis knows that the surface of each court will have a profound impact on the way the game is played. Depending on the court type, your strategy will certainly change.

I’d like to write about the most popular surface in the world, and that is hard tennis courts. These are commonly used in both outdoor and indoor settings, and the fact that they’re easier to maintain than any other kind is the reason for this.

Because of the Australian Open kicking off the new ‘10 tennis calendar year, the sport we love is officially back. There are many competitors comprising a field that is now much more up for grabs than it’s happened to be in many years.

Long gone are the days of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal being locks to win just about every event. There are various other athletes on the tour who have legitimate chances every single moment a tournament starts.

With the Australian Open kicking off the new 2010 tennis year, the action is officially back. There are many players rounding out a field that finds itself more competitive than it’s been in quite a few years.

While recent years seemingly belonged to Federer and Nadal and their classic rivalry with one another, there are a few more players in the mix who should pose a threat to them both.

Though Federer and Nadal occupy the top two spots in the world, there are a few players who could end up the year ranked at number one. Let’s take a look at the most likely finishers now.

If you’re an avid tennis player, perhaps you’ve enjoyed the privilege of playing on red clay courts. This is an old surface with a deep rooted history of tradition that dates back to the origins of the sport in parts of Europe like Spain and France.

While these courts are common in other parts of the world, they’re far more rare in America. Still, they do exist, and you should consider yourself lucky if you have the opportunity to play a match on this surface.

While there have been many great tennis players over the course of the last few decades, such as Agassi, Sampras, McEnroe, and others, I believe that women have been just as great.

There are so many competitive matches and truly respectable players, and the last three decades have been characterized by some legends. I’m going to go through some of the best women’s players during this span, in order.

Coming in at number seven on my list is Venus Williams. In her late 20s now, she’s been in pro tennis for 15 years and she’s simply been phenomenal. With many grand slam wins and a firm grip on Wimbledon, she’s one of the best women to ever play the sport.