Ivanovic to Try Hand at Badminton

[mikefly]

I found this interesting article from Badzine.
http://www.badzine.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1716:ivanovic-to-try-badminton&catid=19:main-feature&Itemid=51

quote "Serbian tennis star Ana Ivanovic has been urged by her sponsor to try her hand at badminton. Ivanovic is expected to play in some mid-level tournaments this spring and hopes that her profile and natural athleticism will be enough to convince the BWF to grant her a wild card entry for this summer's World Championships in Hyderabad, India, where, incidentally, Ivanovic has legions of loyal fans.

(photo courtesy of anaivanovic.com (http://www.anaivanovic.com/?path=media/gallery/yonex_press_conference_2008_by_doublexposure.com&detailpage=Ivanovic2734.jpg))

Yonex Serbia vice-president Noah Djokingic said that he first got the idea when he noticed that the wind was playing havoc with the star player's toss and disrupting her serve.

"I no sooner said to myself 'that would never happen in a badminton hall' than the lights went on and an idea was born," Noah told Badzine by telephone. The Serbian visionary then pitched the idea to Yonex headquarters, where it generated great enthusiasm about the chance to use both its position as the world's #1 badminton brand and its ties with a great media celebrity in a move certain to benefit both the sport and the company.

Ivanovic, for her part, is looking forward to the chance to diversify, and is confident that her comfort with a racquet, together with her 1.86cm frame, will give her a running start on the badminton court until she has time to perfect her form.

Yonex spokesperson Ita Notoruwa said the company had sent Ana several of their Arc Saber racquets to try out but that they hadn't come to an agreement on whether they would be providing her with badminton apparel for her first tournament appearance, which is expected to come later this spring."

Ana use arcsaber, interesting.

[bramyes]

not have a picture to prove that Anna Iavanovic playing badminton ...
pic please ...

[abedeng]

Even if this is were to happen, Ivanovic still has to contend with the drift. And with her muscular arm muscles, it is likely that her shots will go beyond the baseline even when playing against the drift.

[adlim]

I'm a tennis player since young but have been playing loads more badminton lately due to weather dependency and not many friends interested in tennis. Tennis and badminton is vastly different in terms of strokes (duh). Beginners starting tennis are taught not to use your wrist and for badminton, more emphasis on wrist.

When I first started picking up badminton seriously, I had that tennis style (eg. swinging the whole arm instead of just flicking my wrist during a lift). Yet my friends say I still show a bit of it.

Changing the style and proper technique requires quite some time, especially for a professional tennis player like Ivanovic, since she has been training tennis nearly all her life. To me, controlling shots to make sure its within the lines are dependent on correct technique rather than size of arm/muscle.

It'll be interesting to watch though (in a professional perspective), if she really does pick up a badminton racquet seriously, since the strokes and footwork, not to mention muscles developed are very different between tennis and badminton.

[sumbadder]

April fools joke anybody?

[ctjcad]

..and it gave me a "404 - Article #1716 not found" message..
I think everyone else has taken a cue from one of our moderators in here...:o
*Though, this one i think is a bit catchy..;)

[pramana]

If it is true, she will become another Anna Kournakova. She does not have to win any tournaments, but her appearances will bring media and a bunch of spectators.

By the way, if you can play well in tennis, usually you cannot play decent badminton. It is also vice versa.

[ants]

Im sure she will have a powerful smash!

[Armor_tec_14]

I think this is definetely an April fools. I couldnt find any other information anywhere on the net.

[Krisna]

By the way, if you can play well in tennis, usually you cannot play decent badminton. It is also vice versa.

I notice that former tennis players will probably not get 'tennis arm/elbow' when they play badminton 'incorrectly'... because usually they don't use the wrist that much... :p So they won't be injured, they just playing ineffective badminton... :o

On the other hand, former badminton players will be more likely injured playing tennis, if not trained properly, ....because the excessive 'incorrect' use of the wrist (especially when hitting tennis backhands) will give too much pressure/vibration on the elbow area... :(

[george@chongwei]

this is not true at all!

[mikefly]

this is not true at all!

Haha, i think this is not true also. At her official website, the Q&A section, i found this :

"Question from Joul'

Hi Anci, you're my favourite tennis player and sportswoman, I’m proud to be your fan. I was wondering, do you sometimes play badminton?! When you play it, don't you sometimes mix tennis shots with those of badminton? And are you good at it? That's an honour to live in your era. Regards. Joul' from France

Thanks a lot. I don’t play badminton anymore, but I used to play a lot when I was a kid. I actually played it before I started playing tennis."

@ http://www.anaivanovic.com/?path=messages&tablepage=19

[george@chongwei]

where do u got the badzine's article? can't find anything regarding this on badzine's website though.

[mikefly]

where do u got the badzine's article? can't find anything regarding this on badzine's website though.


http://sports.sohu.com/20090402/n263152423.shtml

[huangkwokhau]

http://sports.sohu.com/20090402/n263152423.shtml
:D:D..Badzine just mentioned that it was April fool's joke..also Sohu posted to trick china fans as welll....:(

[george@chongwei]

:D:D..Badzine just mentioned that it was April fool's joke..also Sohu posted to trick china fans as welll....:(
its all from oldhand :mad::p

[george@chongwei]

this is an april fool joke after all:p
look at this note posted by badzine at the end of that article..

THIS WAS, OF COURSE, AN APRIL FOOLS' DAY PRANK BY THE BADZINE TEAM on April 1st, 2009. None of this story is true and Ana Ivanovic is not switching to badminton...as far as we know.

[george@chongwei]

http://www.badzine.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1724:april-fool-chinese-media-trick-fans-on-badzine-joke&catid=61:newsflash&Itemid=76

[abedeng]

Yeah, I think all of us knew it was an April Fool's joke. No self-respecting top tennis player would just want to switch to badminton. It's impossible to get it right.