Tennis mailbag, with CNN's Candy Reid
(CNN) -- Do you have a question about tennis for World Sport Anchor Candy Reid? E-mail candy@cnn.com.
Q. Candy, I am over 60 years old, and have seen much change in all sports over the years -- tennis included, of course. The recent to-do regarding Brian Lara and sponsorship reminds me of a question I had, and still have, about Kim Clijsters. She did not play in the last Olympics. Was that REALLY due to: a) she was legally not permitted by a sponsor because of her contract, or b) she felt obligated to her sponsor and chose not to play? In any event, the influence of money in sports has not, I feel, been for the betterment of sports.
Fredric Schnabel, Freiburg, Germany
A. Fredric the answer to your question is b -- Clijsters felt obligated to her sponsor Fila and didn't want to wear clothing provided by the Belgium team's sponsor Adidas. She's been with Fila since the very start of her professional career and wanted to stay loyal by not playing in a competitors outfit Of course, her countrywoman Justine Henin-Hardenne, the eventual winner of the women's singles at the Athens games, didn't have a problem with wearing Adidas -- since they are her clothing sponsors!
Q. Dear Candy. When most of the men shake hands after a match, they have a little chat with a pat on the back etc. However, it seems that when most of the women shake hands after a match, they barely make eye contact. E.g. with Lindsay and Venus. Is there more rivalry between the women players than the men, is it an intimidation thing?
Thanks, Maxine, Australia
A. It's funny you noticed that Maxine -- it's something I always look for after a match has finished. Many of the top stars on the WTA Tour very rarely look their opponents in the eye if they have lost, but players like Clijsters and Davenport usually are quite friendly even if they've had a bad match. There are very few close friendships on the women's tour -- mostly due to the rivalry factor. The players tend to stay with their entourage (if they have one) coaches, trainers, parents etc. It's hard to be friends with someone and then have to play them, so many of the top players just keep to themselves and that makes it easier to have the competitive edge on court. Most of the men, however, seem able to be friends off the court and enemies on it. And after all is said and done they can go back to being friends again. Tennis is an extremely lonely sport because there's so much traveling involved, so it's much easier if you have close friends on tour -- it's just a matter of being able to produce the competitive mind-set if you have to play a friend, which isn't that easy to do.
Q. Hi Candy, first and foremost let me say I'm addicted to tennis mailbag. I wanted to know what happened to Michael Chang I remember he was once ranked no 2 in the world and started loosing matches, was there a problem and does he still play tennis now. Second question why do you think we don't have any player's from Africa who do good in the ATP tour or at least get recognized? What are the players from Africa lacking?
Nassir Escobar, Nairobi, Kenya.
A. Nassir, Michael Chang retired from tennis after his first round loss at the 2003 U.S. Open. He had been on tour for 15 years and of course the highlight of his career was that French Open victory in 19-89. Since he wasn't a big guy, he relied on tenacity and hard-work, and after a while he just wore down. In his prime though -- he was an opponent no-one wanted to play because he'd make the opposition work for every single point.
As for your other question, there's probably a variety of reasons as to why there are no top African singles players at the moment. In doubles though, Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyet of Zimbabwe are currently ranked fifth in the world, and Wayne's younger sister Cara Black is fourth on the WTA Tour doubles ranking list.
I played in Africa a few times and noticed there just weren't that many African players competing in the tournaments. That's probably to do with grassroots. It's the same problem we have in England at the moment -- not enough children playing tennis, with football being the sport of choice for most. Tennis, unlike football, is an expensive sport to play, and technique is so important, so a coach is a must, and unless you have a coaching parent then you'll be shelling out. Unless a sponsor or the country's federation can help out, not many can afford it.
Q. Hello Candy. Why is it that at some tournaments the men will be wearing the same clothing? Surely it doesn't do their sponsors any good when the player across the net is wearing the exact same thing. I can't believe they don't demand more variety. Sometimes I've found it quite confusing. What gives? Thank you.
Rowan Bartlett, Vancouver B.C
A. I agree Rowan; sometimes it's hard to see which player is which during a rally when both players are wearing the same outfit. However, I'm sure their sponsors don't mind! The more exposure the outfit gets the better. You'll notice that a few of the players e.g. Roger Federer have attire that no-one else will have. Even if it's the same design, he's usually wearing a different color. Many of the top women design their own clothing -- a good way of having something unique.
Q. G'd morning to you, could you please tell me which are the different grips used by the pro's and their names (eastern....etc.etc.) and should a non-professional use a given one?? Thank you in advance and "saludos" from sunny Uruguay.
Monica Massey, Montevideo, Uruguay
A. Monica the main thing is that you feel comfortable with your grip and don't use anything too extreme. A few decades ago, coaches were teaching either the "eastern" or "continental" grip for most shots -- easy because there was no grip change -- but now those grips are only really used for serves, volleys and overheads. The "western" or "semi-western" is now the grip of choice for forehands. It allows you to hit top-spin -- a must for hard-courts or clay. Professionals use several grips for the backhand, depending on a one-handed or double-handed shot.
The best way to find out what grips you should be using is by consulting a coach -- good luck!
