Gajdosova finding form at right time

Updated January 09, 2013 23:51:59

Australia's Jarmila Gajdosova is taking little from her demolition of Belarusian Olga Govortsova to reach the quarter-finals of the Hobart International.

Gajdosova breezed past the world number 57, winning the second-round match 6-3, 6-1 in an hour and eight minutes on Wednesday.

The Slovakian-born 25-year-old played some blistering groundstrokes and served well in windy conditions against Govortsova, who had ousted fifth seed Carla Suarez Navarro in the opening round.

But she says her comeback after several months out of the game last year still has a long way to go.

Asked what she would like to fix in her game, the world number 167 did not hold back.

"Everything," she told reporters at the Domain Tennis Centre.

"There are still a lot of things to do better on court - ground strokes, serves, less errors, stay more patient, move better, be tactically better.

"It's a work in progress."

The Australian former world number 25 was handed a wildcard into the event she won in 2011.

She said her game needed to reach another level as she desperately tries to make the second round of the Australian Open next week for the first time in eight attempts.

"I know this is not the best I can be and I'm trying to go from this level to the next one," she said.

"It's nice to be in the quarters and get more matches under my belt.

"My game is not at the point I would like it to be, but its a good start."

Before Melbourne Park will come world number 68 Russian Elena Vesnina on Thursday.

"She's one of the nicest girls I know and we talk quite a lot so it will definitely be a very nice match," Gajdosova said.

The Australian broke Govortsova in the third game of the first set to lead 2-1 before the Belarusian broke back in the sixth for 3-3.

Gajdosova broke again in the seventh and ninth games, converting her second set point after 44 minutes.

Govortsova held only her opening service game in the second set as the Australian powered her way to a convincing victory.

"It wasn't the best performance but it was solid when it had to be and I played good points when I had to," she said.

Later on Wednesday, third seed Czech Klara Zakopalova won the first set but ultimately fell to qualifier Tsvetana Pironkova 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Romanian Monica Niculescu handed a similar result to China's Shuai Peng, coming from a set back to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the late second-round clash.

AAP

Tags: sport, tennis, hobart-7000

First posted January 09, 2013 14:05:55

View the original article here

Finding the Best Tennis Ball Machine

Tennis Twist is undoubtedly the best value when looking to purchase tennis ball machines. This product is priced very reasonably at around $230, making it the most affordable tennis ball machine available by far. Despite being the lowest priced tennis machine, the Tennis Twist is also very light and battery operated, making it very transportable and it will fit in the backseat of any SUV. The Tennis Twist also supplies tennis balls at a constant rate providing great repetition that will make a practice session valuable. Whether you want to practice your backhand or just need someone to play with, this tennis machine will make you better at tennis. And because a tennis machine doesn't screw up, you don't have to worry about bad hits while practicing. You get to hit a consistent shot practicing your form for 28 repetitions to help structure your muscles and develop your mental discipline.

Unique Features of the Tennis Twist

Tennis Tutor wanted to design a lightweight machine and they were looking to create a cheap tennis ball machine that would provide basic features that would allow any skill level, basic to intermediate to advanced, to get a excellent and reliable experience. The distinctive spiral design automatically feeds the 28 tennis balls. The ball machine then lobs out a ball every 5 seconds giving you time to take the shot, evaluate it, and recover in time for the next ball. The best way to use the unit is to position it at various spots based on the style of shot you want. Because the tennis system doesn't have any oscillation features, the only means of changing the shot is to change the position. You'll also want to place the Tennis Twist on the same side of the net because it only shoots about 10 feet or so. Although if you want to practice the overhead smash you'll need to put it on the opposite side of the net.

These are just a few examples of what makes this tennis machine different from other tennis machines. To get a better look at how the tennis machine works and some additional benefits (and even some weaknesses) you'll want to check out a Tennis Twist review.

Comparing the Tennis Twist

The Tennis Twist is the best value for the money when it comes to tennis machines, but how does it compare to other, more expensive machines? One popular brand of tennis ball machine is the Lobster Elite line. Just looking at the cheapest lobster tennis ball machine, you would spend $850 which is nearly 4 times as much as the Tennis Twist. Is it worth four times more? The Lobster Elite Freedom, which is the cheap tennis ball machine, has adjustable speeds, a higher ball capacity, and a nice horizontal oscillation feature that will alternate the shots around the court. The speed adjust feature is helpful because it allows you to hit the ball faster;however, the key to a good practice is solid form and hitting more balls doesn't necessarily make you better. As far as the hopper capacity goes, the unit provides a 2 minute rally and unless you are in fantastic physical shape, 2 minutes is a good workout. And with the Lobster's oscillation feature, it can be good practice running to each side of the court, but you can effectively do the same thing with the Tennis Twist with some creativity. For an extra $630 you get some nice features, but not really necessary.

Another popular ball machine is the official Tennis Tutor model. This system costs around $950 and is practically the same as the Lobster Elite Freedom when it comes to features. So when reviewing the Tennis Twist against the Tennis Tutor ball machine, you save close to $700. Don't get me wrong, these expensive tennis ball machines do have their place. If you are a competitive player or a coach, many of these models will have valuable features, but if you need a cheap tennis ball machine to help you get better at tennis, there is no better value.

Where to Get the Best Price on Tennis Twist Tennis Ball Machine

Whether you live in the US, UK, or anywhere else in the world, in order to get the lowest price on a Tennis Twist you'll need to look around online. There are many physical stores that have an online website and frequently will advertise specials. A surefire idea would be to check out a Tennis Twist review as many times they'll give you ideas on how to save money buying a tennis ball machine.