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Źródło: http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... ature.aspxBerankis Featured In VMAN Magazine
Up-and-coming Lithuanian Richard Berankis is the subject of a VMAN Magazine feature. The 20 year old is the youngest player in the Top 75 of the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings, jumping 22 positions to No. 73 after reaching the third round on his Australian Open debut.
“We were young, we didn’t know when to stop,” wrote David Foster Wallace of his teenage devotion to competitive tennis. But that’s the thing about Richard Berankis: there is no when about it—nothing will stop him. The 20-year-old up-and-comer, who in 2008 captured a U.S. Open junior title and became the world number one junior tennis star, is the highest ranked tennis player ever to come out of his home country of Lithuania.
“I used to follow my older sister to the club and I would hit against the wall by myself while she practiced,” he says of his introduction to a sport that has since become his entire existence. “I don’t really remember when or how I picked up my first racket but my earliest memory was my first match, which I lost. I was really pissed off afterwards, but I didn’t cry.”
Which sounds like a good place to start: not crying. And that may be partly due to the fact that Berankis devoted himself almost immediately thereafter to tennis, one of the most emotionally and psychically difficult sports humans have yet constructed.
“I moved to Siauliai, a small town in the country, when I was 9 years old to train with my coach,” he says. “I now spend most of my time on the road traveling to and playing tournaments. I am rarely at home or in one place for that matter.” It’s a tough life, to dedicate yourself at such a young age to a single, highly intense sport. Particularly one like tennis, a game many believe to be the most artful but also the most pressurized.
“I guess I don’t really think about the pressure,” Berankis says nonchalantly. “I’m usually too focused and into the match. When you are competing almost every week, you get in a mode that is very focused and determined. I’m always working to get stronger and better, I’m always looking to the future. Sure there are times I get tight and nervous, like every other player, but the greatest ones know how to handle those emotions and still play their best.”
Perhaps part of his confidence comes from training at the renowned IMG Bollettieri Academy in Florida, which boasts notable tennis alumni, such as Björn Borg, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, and Venus and Serena Williams. But tennis is a game that requires not merely tremendous balletic precision, but ferocious, indefatigable will. When we try again to find a crack in his bold Baltic resolve, asking Berankis his greatest fear, he does not disappoint: tennis doesn’t figure into it. “Drowning,” he says with a smile. “I don’t know why, but it really freaks me out.”
Źródło: http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... ankis.aspxThe Biofile Richard Berankis
World No. 72 Richard Berankis reveals his nickname, the last book he read and his favourite ice cream flavour in this biofile...
First Tennis Memory: “It’s tough to remember actually because I started when I was two. So it’s hard to remember myself in tennis. Everything I remember is connected to tennis. I don’t remember how I picked up the racquet, when I did it. Like I said, I was two.”
Tennis Inspirations: “Who inspires me? For sure, #1 is Federer. I watched him since I started to watch tennis since age 13. Since 12 years old I started to realize about the matches and everything. He was the guy to come up and next five years he stayed #1. He’s the biggest inspiration for me, because of what level he reached and the way he is – simple and friendly and very good person. You can get inspired by those kinds of people.”
Nickname: "Rycka."
Hobbies/Interests: “A lot of things — relax, swim, fishing, underwater fishing, billiards, all kinds of stuff. Like many things.”
Favourite Movies: “Gladiator, Braveheart and those kinds of movies.”
Favourite TV Shows: “Not really.”
Musical Tastes: “Everything. Metallica like some but not all the songs. Usually pop, just by its rhythm. Everything really.”
Current Car: “Don’t drive now. I sold it. But it was Mazda RX8 (gray).”
Favourite Meal: “Sushi.”
Favourite Ice Cream Flavour: “Vanilla.”
Pre-Match Feeling: “Just relax. Trying to relax. Not to think if it’s a big match or a small match. Concentrate and be ready for the match. Let’s say that. Relax. But be concentrated at the same moment.”
Last Book Read: “Tough to say…Mystery of the Dark Lighthouse.”
Childhood Dream: “My dream was to become a good tennis player, seriously.”
Greatest Sports Moment So Far: “Becoming #1 junior 2007.”
Most Painful Moment: “Losing to Melzer in five sets last year at U.S. Open. 4-3 serving with game balls (eventually lost 5-7 in fifth set).”
Favourite Tournament: “Masters here (Sony Ericsson Open) Miami. Here in Miami. (Why?) Because I spend a lot of time here, before, during Orange Bowl and everything. So, also the beach, the city is so nice. You always come here, you work hard but you also chill at the same time.”
Funny Memory: “Let me think. Trying to remember…locker room – nothing special [smiles]. Court – maybe I played with a broke racquet and I saw it after the match only. It was completely cracked on the side. That was the funniest. (Pro?) Yeah, as a pro last year. Two years ago in Challenger in Savannah I think. I lost in three, 6-4 in the third (to) Italian guy I think.”
Embarrassing Memory: “Lost love and one to Carsten Ball.”
Closest Tennis Friends: “That would be Gastao Elias, Portuguese. A couple of other guys. But not that close.”
Funniest Players: “French guy. Old guy. Bahrami. Films of him. Also the exhibitions that he does. He’s very funny.”
Toughest Competitors Encountered: “That would be…I didn’t play too many guys too many times. But…Melzer for me also the one.”
Favorite Players To Watch: “Federer. All top players, seriously, I like all matches.”
Favorite Sport Outside Tennis: “Don’t have the exact sport, I do everything, basketball, football, soccer, everything a little bit. Hockey I like to watch but I never play.”
Strangest Match: “(Feliciano) Lopez in Miami (2011). I didn’t feel good before the match. During the match I felt good. Then I got injured. Couldn’t finish and I was 3-0 up in the third set. Then I just lost 6-3.”
People Qualities Most Admired: “Just to be a good person. Nice person. That’s the main thing. Good, nice person."
Źródło: http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/DEUCE- ... ankis.aspxOn The Rise... Richard Berankis
Don’t tell Richard Berankis that nice guys finish last. The former junior US Open champion and World No. 1 has a winning attitude and game that has earned the favour of Roger Federer and driven his steady climb on the ATP World Tour.
Ask anyone about Richard Berankis and the last thing you will hear is how good a tennis player he is. That is because they are too busy telling you how great a person he is. Fresh faced with golden boy good looks and Boy Scout morals, Berankis is the kid next door who made it big, breaking into the Top 100 of the South African Airways ATP Rankings at 20 years of age.
From Roger Federer to the boardroom at the ITF, Richard Berankis impresses everyone he meets. A former ITF No. 1 junior, he was such a good example that they put him on the cover of their annual worldwide development publication. And he made such an impact on Roger Federer that he invited Berankis to Dubai for pre-season training.
“He made such an impact on Federer that he invited Berankis to Dubai”
“I remember very well hitting with him early one morning during the Davis Cup in Kuanas in 2003,” recalls Dave Miley, ITF Director of Development. “And I was very impressed with his level. It was obvious to all of us at the ITF that Richard had a big future in tennis.”
“Best of all he has such great human qualities and is a real pleasure to be around,” says Frank Zlesak, ITF Development coach. “His working attitude is great and he is an excellent student who can apply what you teach very quickly... A coach dreams to get a kid like Richard Berankis in his hands."
To better give you an idea of just how quickly he learns and how hard he works, consider that as a 16 year old Berankis lost in the qualifying rounds of the US Open juniors. The next year he would win the tournament without dropping a set.
“After losing in the qualifying of the US Open juniors he was crying so badly,” remembers Zlesak. “And the next year he wins it.”
Like a good mountaineer, Berankis has been able to climb steadily towards the summit without taking any steps backwards. His rise to the Top 100 of the South African Airways ATP Rankings is not highlighted with shocking upsets or Grand Slam surprises, but rather a more methodical approach founded on doing a lot of little things very well.
“Tennis is much more difficult these days than it was 10 years ago,” says Paul Annacone. “It is taking a lot longer to break the Top 100. So when someone like Richard is 20 years old and already ranked 70, that is a really good sign. He has a lot of the characteristics and traits that lend to having a good solid career: hard work, discipline, good perspective without huge emotional swings and an understanding of what goes on in the tour.”
Richard Berankis is splendidly built. His 5’9” (175cm), 155 pound (70kg) body is constructed like a battleship, iron clad solid, with every muscle group from the delts down to the quads pumped and ready for action. Take a good look at the deep ravine running straight down his back and that is all you need to know about the boy from Vilnius, Lithuania. It is called backbone, and Richard Berankis has plenty to spare.
Critics watch him play and might say he lacks a knock-out punch. But those who have been in his corner will tell you that it’s not like the kid brought a knife to a gunfight. His signature stroke is the return of serve and once he gets past the first exchange and into the rally he can play up in the court running you around the world in 80 days. And when the pressure is on, don’t let the sweet smile fool you, Berankis plays like an angry pit bull.
“When the pressure is on, don’t let the sweet smile fool you, Berankis plays like an angry pit bull”
“The return is something that will allow him to get control of the point early because he can take the pace and throw it back with interest,” says Annacone. “Richard can play early on the baseline like Andre and move you all over the map. Or he can back up and absorb your pace like Lleyton. His challenge is going to be mixing and matching when to play close to the baseline and when to back up. So that will be the learning curve for him. I think that will come with experience.”
Ask Richard about himself and he is more likely to deflect the conversation to others. Like the time he was invited to train with Roger Federer in Dubai last year.
“Practising with Roger is an amazing experience,” says Berankis. “He is an idol for me. To have a chance to be around him and go and have dinner with him is just incredible. He is very kind to people. And then sometimes in the locker room he comes up and slaps me on the back and says, ‘Hey Richard, how are you?’ It
makes me feel very good.”
Once the conversation turns to coaching, Berankis is quick to thank the ITF for all their encouragement, training and financial assistance. But it is the ‘other’ coach in his life, the same one he has had since he was nine years old, that makes him take a deep breath. Anyone who has ever seen Richard and Remigijius “Remis” Balzekas together can see that their relationship is much more than coach and player. Like Rafa and Toni, Sobkin and Youzhny, Marian and Novak, they have transcended the tennis court.
Once they were invited on a hunting trip and given the best spot in the forest, but the guide cautioned to remain quiet.
“We were staying quiet for about 20 minutes and then Remis said, ‘Poor animals. Who could shoot them?’” remembers Berankis. “‘Not me for sure, don’t think you could either,’ and we started to laugh. From that second on, we were not hunting but sitting in the hunting tower for the next three hours and having fun and joking. The gun didn’t even get loaded.”
“Richard has a very big heart,” says Balzekas. “When he was a little kid, already then he wanted to help other people, especially the old ones. He was always very responsible. I remember when I took him to my tennis school, sometimes I had to leave him alone on the court. He had to do some work by himself and he did even more than he was told to.”
Richard Berankis knows the question that is about to be asked. Just as he knows that the writer already knows the answer.
“Why do you wear that ring around your neck?”
“In memory of Alvaras Balzekas.”
“He is like a sponge of information, which I feel will really help him out there”
Alvaras Balzekas is Remis’s son. When Richard moved to Balzekas’s tennis academy outside of Vilnius, coach, son and player became one big happy family. Then a few years later, while attending university in Miami, Alvaras Balzekas was killed by a drunk driver.
“Alvaras was like my brother to me,” admits Berankis. “We were very close friends and had very best moments to remember. After the accident, there were tough times for all of us. It was very hard to concentrate and work hard, but we pushed each other through it. I believe that Alvaras is with me on the court helping me all the time.”
With the support of his guardian angel, Berankis made history two years later as he became the first player from Lithuania to capture a junior Grand Slam title. The landmark victory made a huge impact back home and turned the youngster into an idol.
“Tennis in Lithuania became much more popular after Richard became junior world champion and when he won the US Open juniors,” says Balzekas. “Many kids here in Lithuania want to play like Richard does. They wear the same clothes, and play with the same racquets. Actually tennis became sport number 2-3 in the country, after basketball and soccer.
“Richard is the most popular young man in Lithuania not only between athletes but also artists. Everybody knows Richard and when you go with him in the street people often come to him for autographs and pictures.”
“He is a great example for developing tennis nations on what can happen when talent and determination are combined with opportunities,” claims the ITF's Miley.
Despite his celebrity status at home, Richard Berankis’s mother remains working in the post office and his father is still a taxi driver. “My parents are very polite and hard working,” says Berankis. “That is the life they taught me. They appreciate very much what Remis has done for me. He took care of me like I was his child. And at the same time, he is my best friend and coach. I will soon pay them all back for all their support.”
These values have already won Berankis admiration, and are expected to serve him well as he looks to continue his progression on the ATP World Tour.
“Richard is very humble, very respectful and asks a lot of questions,” says Annacone. “He wants to learn. He is like a sponge of information, which I feel will really help him out there.”
Richard Berankis is proof plenty that nice guys don’t always finish last.
http://www.tennisalternative.com/ricard ... rn358.htmlRicardas Berankis Interview - Wroclaw 2009
Tennis player from Lithuania, Ricardas Berankis, is 18 year old and he finished 2007 on the top of the junior ranking list. He never separates from his coach, Remigijus Balzekas, so no wonder the interview was made with both of them - during the qualification weekend of Wroclaw Challenger.
Who will win tomorrow? Federer or Nadal?
Hopefully Federer! It will be very tough, for sure a difficult match and maybe it's wishful thinking, but I really hope Federer wins. I had a chance to practise with him a few times. They call for us sometimes during the season, so he must also enjoy our cooperation.
You practise at Bollettieri's, hit with Federer. Where did it all start from?
As for tennis, I followed my sister's footsteps. She's a little older than me. Well, six years, actually. Yes, at some point family's money isn't enough if the career is to develop, but I was lucky to meet that man (=Balzekas). He is more than a coach to me, he is everything and things have been this way for nine years already. Lately we signed a contract with IMG, so it's really helpful. I practise at Bollettieri's and Saddlebrook, which is very, very close. I spend a lot of time in Florida.
But you also show up in Lithuania, for example to open some tennis courts.
Yeah, last year in September. It was a really nice sporting hall, all the facilities, great. It was a pleasure I could be there.
Are you popular in your country? Apart from Vitas Gerulaitis it's not like tennis in Lithuania is a big thing. Is it comparable to basketball?
Not compared at all. Basketball is religion. Tennis... yeah, I am recognized in my country, it's all really nice. I think more kids started to play tennis now, so it's all good.
Coach: He's on TV, cover of the magazines, everywhere.
Cover of "Playgirl?"
Yes! (hysterical laugh of Berankis and his coach)
Since we're at it, Miami Times called you the most handsome player of the young generation. How do you feel about this type of popularity?
Oh reaaally? Did they? Oh well.. uhmmm... sounds fine! I'm surprised... very flattering. I had no idea, I must browse the internet...
Coach: Where did you find it?
Polish wikipedia.
Coach: So maybe the Polish girls were voting, how do you think?
Well, I would vote. So does the sort of "Anna Kournikova supermodel" popularity speak to you? I've also read some information the girls are attending your practise sessions for you and not your coach, because his times are over.
*laugh*
Coach: Too harsh, of course they come for me, too! Maybe also here some will start to come?
Berankis: No, no. I don't want to be taken for a model of the magazines, nothing of that sort. I want to be recognized for my tennis, no way I want to change my tennis career for a catwalk or anything this way. This kind of popularity isn't so good for a sportsman, like he has nothing else to offer. I just hope to be a very good player.
There's way to go, for example, today your ball was too short. What is the main difference between junior and pro tennis?
Really? Tomorrow it'll be longer. The main difference is that in junior games you often get away from difficult situations. Here when you lose focus for one point, you can lose the monumentum and you lose the match. At least I don't need to be so desperated in the futures of challenger quallies, because I'm kind of financially independent, unlike many of other players. So, yes, I really like for example challenger qualification. I don't mind it at all and I don't need to be so desperate for the 1st round money, but of course, I'd like to get the points to the ranking. Right now I am not injured, I feel great, hopefully it'll slowly go my way now.
In 2007 US Open junior final you beat a Polish player Jerzy Janowicz. Impression of him?
Berankis: He's biiiig! If you saw the photos of award ceremony... he's so big comparing to me...
Coach: Twice that big.
Berankis: Big serve, big forehand, overall nice game, definitely a talent and of course a very nice guy. It'll be a pleasure to meet him here.
2011 w liczbach
Ranking: 125
Bilans meczów: 8-10
Tytuły: 0
Finały: 0
Zarobki: $177,984
Berankis wins the race to No.1* Mistrz Tennis Europe Junior Masters
* Mistrz Junior Orange Bowl z 2004 roku
* Mistrz Eddie Herr International Tennis Championships z 2004 roku
* Mistrz US Open 2007
* Mistrz Orange Bowl 2007
* Numer 1 rankingu juniorów na koniec 2007 roku
Ponadto półfinalista juniorskiego Australian Open i Wimbledonu, a także ćwierćfinalista Roland Garros z 2007 roku.
Tytuły (1):
2007 Albufeira (finał: Niels Desein 7–5, 6–4)
Finały (3):
2009 Stuttgart (finał: Jan Mertl 4–6, 6–3, 3–6)
2009 Istambul (Alexey Kedryuk 2–6, 4–6)
2009 Santo Domingo (Víctor Estrella 5–7, 1–6)
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... ction.aspxComeback Kid Berankis Reaches First SF
Ricardas Berankis continued his impressive comeback Friday at the Farmers Classic, reaching his first ATP World Tour semi-final with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over fourth-seeded Frenchman Nicolas Mahut in Los Angeles.The 22-year-old Lithuanian qualifier saved all three break points faced on serve and broke Mahut once in each set.
Berankis had contested his first tour-level event in nearly a year last week as a qualifier in Atlanta, where he recorded his first match win since March 2011. The former junior World No. 1 was sidelined for four months last season with a right pelvis stress fracture.
First ATP Final tomorrow after winning my Semifinal today at the Farmers Classic, 7-5, 6-1, against Matosevic. So happy and so glad my coach Remis was able to be here with me today too!
Back on the practice court today and pumped to be back inside the top 100 again. Number 88 today!!! Was a lot of hard work and it has taken a lot of patience with my injuries but it is very gratifying. Thank you to everyone for the support through the tough times.
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