Ricardas Berankis

[Joao]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btugMpVC ... ure=relmfu[/youtube]

[Jacques D.]

2012 w liczbach

Ranking: 111
Bilans meczów: 10-5
Łączna liczba spotkań: 15
Tytuły: -
Finały (1): Los Angeles
Zarobki: $150,571

[Joao]

[Joao]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91LLD7Ma ... 7A&index=4[/youtube]

[Joao]

[Joao]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nhUs428 ... 7A&index=5[/youtube]

[Joao]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1Q7pfiW ... A&index=10[/youtube]

[Joao]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INPlnthB ... A&index=11[/youtube]

[Sempere]

Berankis battles back



Injuries are unfortunately an all-too-common factor in professional tennis. They’ve struck down all manner of players, with some – like the Williams sisters, Rafael Nadal, Tommy Haas, Maria Sharapova, Juan Martin del Potro and Kim Clijsters – regularly forced to sit out for lengthy periods during their illustrious careers.

Just recently in Australia, we've seen heart-breaking injuries sustained by the perennially-hurt Andrea Petkovic and Brian Baker, with their tearful reactions drawing an outpouring of sympathy from fans and the tennis community.

Another player in that category is Ricardas Berankis, the world No.1 junior in 2007 who was considered among a group alongside Milos Raonic, Bernard Tomic, Grigor Dimitrov, Kei Nishikori and Ryan Harrison as a new generation of player destined for great things. Yet while his contemporaries have mostly soared, Berankis stuttered, undone by a groin injury.

“The first time also doctors made a mistake – first they were saying it was a bone fracture,” he revealed.

“They told me not to play for three to four months. And that’s what I did; I didn’t pick up a racquet for four months. At the time my ranking was No.73.

“When I came back and played half a year, I was still feeling pain, and I asked at the time what I should do, and they were just saying, ‘no problem, the muscles are weak, just go through it and it will disappear’.

“But last year in February I couldn’t walk anymore. One doctor in the States told me it’s probably a sports hernia, and when he made the cut, he saw that the three muscles were torn off … the first time was just the mistake of doctors, (but) now they’ve sewed it. I had my rehab and now I’m good for half a year already.”

He seemed to harbour no ill-feeling toward the doctor for what was such a disastrous misdiagnosis. But when cheekily asked by a journalist if that doctor was “still alive”, he responded with a grin: “So far, yes,” prompting peals of laughter in the press room.

For all their negatives, injuries also make for heart-warming stories of rebirth and return. And that’s exactly what’s happening with Berankis, the best player that Lithuania has ever produced.

Currently ranked world No.110, the 22-year-old had to come through three rounds of qualifying simply to take his place in the main draw at Melbourne Park. That was no picnic – he found himself down a set and 4-1 in his second round battle against American Bradley Klahn before digging out a gritty win.

Once in the main draw, he straight-setted Sergiy Stakhovsky in round one before recording an extraordinary 6-2 6-3 6-1 victory over German No.25 seed Florian Mayer.

“It was (the) second round match in quallies and I was down 4-6 1-4 … just keep fighting is the main key I think in those kind of matches. Keep knocking on the door and hopefully it’s going to open,” he said of his path through the draw in Melbourne.

The door that has opened is a third round battle against No.3 seed Andy Murray, scheduled on Rod Laver Arena on Saturday, no less. Berankis has never before played on a centre court at a Grand Slam event, something he says will be “nice”.

The first time the Lithuanian played a big-name player at a major was then seventh-ranked David Ferrer, which happened in the third round at Australian Open 2011. How did that go?

“It was a quick match,” he laughed when recalling the 6-2 6-2 6-1 defeat.

“Very quick match. But first match as I said is always tough to see the top player on the other side. We’ll see how it goes tomorrow.”

Standing in his favour is the fact that he’s more familiar with Murray’s game thanks to practicing with the Scot in Brisbane just a few weeks ago. Having also practiced several times with Roger Federer, the stars of the game no longer seem quite so threatening or intimidating.

“Playing a top player is always tough … (but) it’s not going to be a big surprise to see Andy Murray on the other side of the net, I’ll be used to it,” he said.

Berankis is somewhat of an unlikely tennis pro. With little to no tennis history in his small nation, he is just one of four ATP-ranked Lithuanians in the world. His short stature (175cm) makes success even more challenging on a tour of powerful, tall, long-limbed, athletic players.

Yet he has an exceptional mentality, no doubt the reason behind his impressive rise from No.179 – at the nadir of his injury struggles – to what will almost certainly be a top 100 ranking post-Australian Open. It’ll be even higher if he unseats Murray.

“If you keep working hard and you do what you have to do, sooner or later you’re going to break through,” he said, with conviction.

“(Despite being shorter) I think my serve is quite fast, and if I can make it once, that means I can make it twice. If I can make it twice, that means then I can make it 10 times.

“Everything depends on you, so I try to keep up this mentality.”

http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/new ... 74304.html

[Sempere]

Interview: Ricardas Berankis - Australian Open 2013

[przemusiowa]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFpnRh5 ... _s1NbjL1tC[/youtube]

[DUN I LOVE]

Gabriel Markus napisał na twitterze, że Rycka jest przeziębiony i nie zagra w Dallas - postara się być w pełni sił na Miami. Cały czas coś przeszkadza w poczynieniu wyraźnego kroku do przodu.

[Barty]

15.04.2013

Najwyższy ranking w karierze: 70

[Sempere]

22.04.2013

Najwyższy ranking w karierze: 69

[Sempere]

29.04.2013

Najwyższy ranking w karierze: 68

Ten to co tydzień awansuje o jedno miejsce.

[DUN I LOVE]

Ten to co tydzień awansuje o jedno miejsce.

Hehe, 6. maja był 67.

[sheva]

Ricardas Berankis: Leading Lithuania


Ricardas Berankis is healthy and making his move back up the Emirates ATP Rankings.

In 2011, Ricardas Berankis was making steady progress up the Emirates ATP Rankings before a right pelvis stress fracture derailed his trajectory, causing him to drop well outside the Top 100.

Last year, after returning from yet another setback, a sports hernia, Berankis began to rebuild his ranking, and made history by becoming the first Lithuanian to reach an ATP World Tour final in Los Angeles. The 22 year old has continued down the right path this season, reaching the third round at the Australian Open and two tour-level quarter-finals. In the latest rankings, Berankis has equalled his career-high standing of World No. 67.

As part of ATPWorldTour.com's ‘Emirates Stars Of Tomorrow’ series, Berankis talks about his return to the Top 100, leading the way for Lithuania and selects the match where he best displayed his talent against the game’s elite players.

After dealing with a difficult injury in 2011, you managed to reach a career-high ranking of No. 67 earlier this month. What were some of the most challenging moments you went through during your comeback?
I think just staying strong mentally. When you’re at No. 73 in the rankings and then go down to No. 179, after this happens, it’s always tough to come back. It was not easy. I’m really happy with how I was able to do that.

How proud are you at the way you've been able to build your ranking back up and return to the Top 100?
It’s a very nice feeling. Still, I feel I had a couple matches that I feel I should have won. Hopefully next time I won’t make those same mistakes but I’m really happy with where I’m ranked at the moment.

You're the highest-ranked player from Lithuania in ATP World Tour history. Do you thrive in leading the way for your country or do you feel there's more pressure on you to do well?
Tennis is getting more popular in my country. I don’t feel more pressure being the top player. I hope there will be more players from Lithuania on the Tour. I look forward to that process and seeing how it goes.

Now that you're in a position to continue reaching new heights, what are you looking to accomplish the rest of this season?
The main goal for me this year is not to get injured again. It will hopefully be the first time in three years that I don’t have an injury during a season. I hope to continue going in the same way with my health and play.

Looking back, of the tour-level matches you’ve played thus far, which one best showcased your ability to compete with the top players and why?
I think my match against Andy Murray this year in Australia. We played on Rod Laver Arena and it was fully packed. The memories from that day are great. I played really well and enjoyed it. It is one of the matches that I will remember.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... ankis.aspx

[Jacques D.]

Sezon 2013 w liczbach

Ranking: 132
Bilans meczów: 13-16
Tytuły: 0
Finały: 0
Zarobki: $308,163

CH: 1 finał.

[Lucas]

CH Astana: 3. tytuł na zapleczu ATP.

Przypomniał o sobie Ricardas. Wygrał w Astanie swój 3. finał CH (3-4 w finałach na zapleczu ATP).

President's Cup (Astana, Kazakhstan): Ricardas Berankis overturned a three-match Challenger losing skid in impressive fashion, winning his third title and first in more than four years in Astana. The Lithuanian held off fourth seed Marsel Ilhan 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 in Sunday's final. Ilhan falls to 3-8 in title matches with the loss.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... -2014.aspx

[Barty]

ATP Shenzhen: 50. wygrany mecz Berankisa w ATP Tour.

Ricardas Berankis recorded his 50th match win on the ATP World Tour by upsetting fifth seed Gilles Simon 6-4, 6-2 at the Shenzhen Open on Tuesday.

"He's a great player and it's one of the best wins ever for me in my career so far," said the Lithuanian. "I really feel great here. I feel confident, especially after beating Gilles, and I look forward to another match."

The 120th-ranked Berankis converted four of his seven break points to defeat the Frenchman in one hour and 19 minutes. It marked his first match win in ATP World Tour main draw action since April, when he reached the Munich quarter-finals.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... pisil.aspx