We caught up with Joerg, winner of the 2010 NTU Open Tennis Championships and asked him what he thought of the local tennis scene…
1) Please introduce yourself to our VOXers
Hi, I’m Jörg, 23 years old and from Germany. If you wonder about how to pronounce my name correctly, I can tell you, that you’re not alone :-) I’ve made the experience that most people outside of Germany have some problems with it. The English spelling for the correct pronunciation would probably look like “Yorg” or something.
Anyway, I’m here in Singapore for approximately 16 months to pursue my MBA-studies at Nanyang Business School (NBS). Apart from my studies, I love to do more or less any kind of sports but because I’d been playing tennis for a team back in Germany I was really relieved to find that there is a tennis team here at NTU. So far, the time with the team as well as the time in Singapore in general have been truly amazing so right now I’m NOT really looking forward to going back next year. :-)
2) How long have you played tennis and what is the highest level of tennis you have played back in Germany?
I started playing tennis approximately at the age of 12, so that makes it about 11 years now.
The highest level of tennis that me and my team (we play 6 vs. 6) have played back in Germany was three years ago when we made it – starting from the first national league – into the 6th league from the top. We got utterly defeated week after week, though, so we found ourselves one league below again in the year after :-)
I’ve never really participated in single tournaments back in Germany.
3) We understand that tennis in Europe is sometimes played on clay whereas most tennis played in Asia is done on hardcourts. How does this affect your style of play?
Back in Germany I had only played on clay so when I came here, it certainly was a little bit different in the beginning. The way you move around the court is definitely different, mainly because on clay you can slide if necessary while on hardcourt you have to take every step one by one until the very end :-) The balls bounce a little bit higher as well on hardcourt, but this is something you get used to quite quickly. In fact, I think it actually made my kick serve more effective, especially when I serve to the backhand of the receiver.
Overall, I must say, that I quickly got used to the slightly different conditions on hardcourt and it definitely did not go as far as affecting my style of play. In the end, it’s still ’bout hitting that small yellow ball over the net, right? :-)
4) Having seen some high standards of tennis back in Germany, you probably have some reflections on the standards of tennis here in Singapore. Please share these thoughts and reflections with our VOXers.
Having trained a few months with the NTU Tennis Team now, I must say that the level of play is actually pretty decent. Of course, in Germany there is more competition simply due to a much higher population and more people practicing the sport. But what I really appreciate about playing with the team here is the high status that the sport has for many of the guys. Although we all sometimes suffer from the coach’s ideas of new exercises, everybody actually seeks to come to the training sessions. When you come to the courts you can always count on the majority of the team to turn up as well.
5) Being crowned the new NTU Open 2010 champion, what are your reflections on a job well done and how do you intend to keep up the winning momentum?
First of all, I must say that of all the people I’m probably the one most surprised by me winning this tournament. My initial goal was to make it through the first day, where the first two rounds were played. Having achieved this, I didn’t really have much to lose in the following rounds, which maybe was an advantage over my opponents in those matches.
Nevertheless I am, of course, very happy with my performance. I managed to keep up my concentration and consistency throughout all the matches which was definitely a very important factor.
During the next weeks the inter-club matches are coming up, so I hope that I will be able to use the winning momentum there and contribute as much as possible to a good performance of the NTU Team.
6) During your match with Ahmad, you served all but 2 double-faults, what is the secret to this low level of service errors?
That’s a hard question. I think one aspect is – what I mentioned earlier – that I managed to keep up the concentration most of the time during the match which usually results in fewer errors. Another point may be my serving technique in general because a kick serve (which I usually use) has less probability of producing an error due to the higher flight path.
I’d give the most credit to the concentration factor, though, because I’ve definitely had matches in the past where I have served a lot worse with the technique being not really different. :-)
7) What do you have to say to all tennis fans out there?
You have definitely chosen the right sport to play and support! Always have fun while you play, because that’s the most important thing!
8) Who is your favourite tennis player?
Roger Federer. Even more, after he has fought his way back to the top last year after many disappointing defeats in 2008; something that not many players have achieved before. I really admire his intelligent way of playing tennis, which – apart from all his technical abilities – is certainly one of his greatest strengths. I also consider him a role model in terms of his personality and sportsmanship.
