Tennis embraces major changes in 2007 but Roger Federer’s paramount New Year resolution remains the same — to win the French Open.
The Swiss superstar racked up another record-smashing year in 2006 with 12 titles, a 92-5 match record in which he won back his Australian Open title and defended his Wimbledon and US Open crowns.
But the French Open still eludes him.
”It’s obviously my goal to win it,” said the world number one.
”I got a step closer in 2006. I think every year that goes by gives me again more maturity on this surface.”
Victory on the Roland Garros clay in June would make him only the sixth man to capture all four Grand Slams, but for the last two years it’s been eventual champion Rafael Nadal who has stood in his way.
The muscular Spaniard starts the new season, unlike the beginning of 2006, fully-fit, but in a title slump.
A crippling foot injury ruled the world number two out of the first six weeks of this year, an absence which also included the opening Grand Slam event in Australia.
But in 2007, the French Open champion is wasting no time in his build-up to Melbourne. He begins his season on January 1 at the Chennai Open and then travels to Sydney.
Nadal won five titles in 2006 but failed to pick up another in his last eight tournaments of the season.
While the 20-year-old has a full schedule in January, Federer will play just the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne as a tune-up for his Australian Open defence.
Chennai and Doha open on January 1 but Adelaide starts the ball rolling on December 31 where the ATP’s much-vaunted changes, aimed at preventing player burnout and boosting spectator interest, get their first airing.
The Australian city becomes the first tour event to feature a round-robin format and will get under way on a Sunday.
Other changes in 2007 will see the elimination of most best-of-five set finals, increased prize money and a new multimillion-dollar marketing fund.
Masters Series tournaments at Monte-Carlo (April 15 to 22) and Montreal (August 5 to 12) will have Sunday starts.
Eleven tournaments with best-of-five-set finals in 2006 will move to best-of-three in 2007 — Barcelona, Basel, Gstaad, Kitzbuhel, Stuttgart, Vienna and the Masters events in Hamburg, Madrid, Monte-Carlo, Paris and Rome.
The Indian Wells and Miami Masters will maintain their five-set finals.
The WTA Tour is also introducing radical changes after leading players like Amelie Mauresmo, Justine Henin-Hardenne, Kim Clijsters as well as the Williams sisters endured major injury absences in 2006.
Tour bosses have agreed to reduce the minimum tournament commitment requirement from 13 to 12 events but have doubled late withdrawal fines, up to a maximum of $40 000 for third and subsequent late withdrawals.
There will be a reduction in the tournament commitment requirement for players who have been on the Tour for 12 years or more by one event and an option for players aged 30 or more to have their minimum tournament commitment consist of only four Tier One events.
French Open champion Henin-Hardenne begins 2007 as the top player in the world having deposed Australian Open and Wimbledon winner Amelie Mauresmo who has slipped to third.
Maria Sharapova, who beat Henin-Hardenne to win the US Open, starts 2007 in second place.
Whether or not Henin-Hardenne can remain in pole position will be dictated by her fragile physical condition. Atfer losing to Sharapova in New York in September, the Belgian played just twice again in 2006.
She helped her country defeat Italy to win the Fed Cup and then beat Mauresmo in the season-ending championships in Madrid.
As always, eyes, as well as photo lenses, will be on Sharapova whose US Open win put to an end to fears that she was a one-Slam wonder.
The Russian pin-up spent the off-season modelling for Vogue and plotting her 2007 campaign after missing out on finishing 2006 as world number one.
”I had a fantastic year and I hope to continue like that in 2007,” she said. – Sapa-AFP