Post-match interview with Janez Semrajc

The young Slovene won his place in the ATP Challenger of Cordenons by fighting through a tough draw in the qualies, where he was unseeded. In the first round he faced Croatian Antonio Veic, 6th seed of the main draw. The match was long and tough, both guys gave everything in every point, but in the end it was the talent of the Janez to prevail and give him a very important win, after the huge problems suffered in the past years.

 

Well, first of all, congrats for today. You played a really good match.

J.S. Thank you.

I think it wasn’t easy, because your opponent had a much better ranking that you, how did it feel out there?

J.S. Ehm…it was really tough because I played qualies, two matches were three hours long and in the end of the second set I felt the tiredness and it was strange…

You also went down of a break in the 3^rd set, but had a great reaction to that…where did you find the energy to do that?

J.S. I don’t know, I just said: “play, just play hard and be aggressive, just do everything”, I was too tired so I just tried to break his game, otherwise I couldn’t win today.

Totally. How’s it going this season? You did quite well in a few futures in Austria in the past weeks and played San Marino the last one, now you are in the second round here, so it’s going well.

J.S. yeah, in the past I got a lot of problems with mononucleosis when I was 19 and I was 320 and then I had to rest for 4 years because of this disease and it was very tough mentally to stay focused on tennis or quit. This year at the beginning I played some futures…I played bad…and I was thinking to quit tennis, then I got called for the Liga and I said, ok, it’s good money, so let’s go and play. I won some matches against good guys despite two months  with no tennis, so I thought, ok, I can play tennis. So I played those futures in Austria, one I reached the SF, the other two I won, yeah…last week in San Marino it was not the best day, but also the guy was really good.

I see, you probably were a little tired too…

J.S. No, he played really well in this tournament. *laughs*

Ok, well, did you check the draw already?

J.S. oh, no, I know I play in the next round Schoorel, but I never played him.

Well, today you played very good down the line shots, are those your best shots in your opinion or?

J.S. I think my best shot is the backhand, wherever I play it. Then serve-forehand combo.

These indeed worked today…anyway, how does it feel now? I mean you came back from a serious disease and thought about quitting tennis and now, how does it feel to know you can still do it?

J.S. Reborn! It’s a very good feeling because also, I started very good this season, not the beginning, but then a semifinal and two titles, you know, maybe tomorrow it’s my day!

Yeah! Let’s hope for that! And you’ve already reached a semifinal in a challenger before.

J.S. yes, two times. Yeah, but with the disease I still feel tired and it’s hard to recover. I am not so physically prepared because of this and you know, it’s strange when you  play qualies and you reach the semifinal, but you are too tired to play more.

You played really long matches in the qualies as well, so it’s tough for sure.

J.S. yes, against good opponents, like with Ciric in the second round and I also beat him because of the heat as he got cramps in the third set, you know, long matches.

Yes, it gets tough there.

J.S. yes, and with Veic I played in 2008 in a future and beat him easily, but today it was a completely different story.

Indeed. What are your goals now? I mean, not just for this week, but for the rest of the year.

J.S. you know, just to come to main draws of challengers, three-hundred and something, you know, to start the new season and play more challengers and maybe reach the qualies of Australian Open, it’s tough, but you never know. You have to be 317, so I must gain 140 points and it’s tough, but everything is possible.

You played a lot on clay in your career, do you think it’s your best surface or did it only happen because most tournaments around are played on it?

J.S. it’s just because of the tournaments, you know, I also play well on hard, like sometimes I practice with Kavcic and when I do, I easily play better with him on hard, because he likes clay and it’s strange to play with him on hard.

So you think hard is your best surface?

J.S. no, I don’t think so. I don’t know, all surfaces are good. I like to play on clay because when you go to tournaments you know it’s the same, with hard you never know, sometimes it’s slow, sometimes it’s fast.

Yeah, true that. So, is it the first time you come to Cordenons? How do you like it here?

J.S. yes, it’s my first time. It’s a nice place, really nice swimming pool, yeah, I never used it, yet, but I think, I don’t want to use it. Well, nice organization, the courts are slow, but that’s ok for now, for me.

So, where are you going to play next?

J.S. next week I am playing another future, 10k, because I must play some futures, you know, last week I lost first week qualies, if I had lost this week in the first round qualies, I needed to play some matches.

For sure, but now, with that result you will go further in the ranking, so you can start to enter bigger tournaments.

J.S. well, you know it’s only 10 points or something like this, it’s not so much.

Well, a few more wins and you’ll get more points.

J.S. hopefully *smiles* you know, it’s difficult because I feel my legs are so heavy, so now I am heading to massage, so maybe it will be better.

I can see and then your opponent played yesterday so he has got one more day to rest.

J.S. And he’s such a hard hitter, so I will have to run a lot *laughs*

Oh so you did check his game!

J.S. I know him because we are the same age, from juniors tournaments…last year he played very good and I think he’s won some tournaments, but this year he has fallen in the ranking so I dunno.

Hopefully you get your chances! Thank you and good luck for tomorrow.

J.S. Thank you!

Garmisch ends in Tinas' favor

The long weekend of speed races that took place in Garmisch P.K. was full of surprises and thrill, records which got broken and bettered, but also showed some of the darkest sides of sport, when Alice McKennis, the young American specialist of speed races, crashed suffering a severe injure at her tibia and later the same day, Tina Maze recived some life threatening which forced her to be escorted to the slopes for the last day.

Weirather wins her maiden race

Friday was the day the first Superg took place, it was the replacement of the one cancelled in Val D'Isere and the eyes of the fans were all set on Maze and Mancuso, as the two were very close before this race battling for the cristal globe for the discipline, but the this time, no-one of the two took the win.
The young girl from Liechtenstein, who's known not only for her famous parents, but also for the great talent and the incredible high number of severe injuries she suffered, started with a very early number, but very motivated by the knowledge of her good feeling with the slope, since last year she scored here one of the two podiums in the discipline she achieved so far. Tina, despite finishing 2nd in the final downhill ranking last year, had never won a race in WC and after a promising start in Lake Louise this year, a minor injury relegated her to some minor placements far from the podium. Today it was different though and she let all the bad thoughts behind the very moment she opened the starting gate, she pushed hard and tried to cut the lines and suceeded in doing so. Tina was almost flawless and no-one later in the race could better her time, giving finally the first victory in world cup to her.
Podium got completed by the two rivals for the cristal globe and to add more suspence to the chase of the cup, Julia Mancuso and Tina Maze scored exactly the same time to finish 2nd.
4th came Austrian Anna Fenninger just ahead of compatriot Nicole Hosp (at the best placement in two years) and in-form Spanish Ruiz-Castillo.

Maze wins and breaks 2000 points

"The most amazing thing from today it was that I won a Downhill. This season I had several good runs, but I never found the victory. My first win was lucky, but today I tried to win by skiing my best" Those were the words of Tina Maze after the incredible win scored in the Downhill of Saturday, with this victory Tina becomes the 3rd woman to ever win in all the disciplines within the same season (after Kronberger and Kostelic), not only, she broke the limit of 2000 points when 7 races are still left and goes just one point away from winning the Downhill cup too.
How could she win this? When the first girls came down Italian Merighetti was leading the race with a solid advantage, but right after her run American McKennis crashed in the final section with the horrible outcome of a severe injury that forced the helicopter to come and recue her. The interruption changed the conditions of the snow which became a lot faster and so the race suddenly changed in its lead.
Lara Gut scored a terrific run and looked on her way for a great result, but not longly after it was Maze's time to test the slope. Tina stayed close to the swiss already in the gliding early section which is always her weak-spot. After that it was just a pure show of class: the Slovene painted incredible lines and attacked the slope with the temper that characterizes her best days. She finished with 74 hundreds over Lara and you could know she was safe for another podium, but she wanted more, she wanted that win.

Not even the home favourite Maria Riesch could do better trajectories than Maze and despite having a small edge on her in the gliding sections, the German couldn't snatch a win on home soil and prevent Maze from taking everything from this win. The slope turned to get faster with the time passing though and Riesch couldn't hold her 2nd place as Laurenne Ross, another youngster of the American Team, made even Tina fear for the worst, but in the end closed behind the World Cup leader, still ahead of the German and by this, scoring her best result in WC.

Fenninger wins first Superg 

Another day, another superg, same rivalry from two days before. But today in Garmisch the setting was quite different and a lot more challenging, mostly because a lot of gates where "blind", hidden behind really tricky waves.

During the night a terrible news hit the German town as Tina Maze recived death threatens from some unknown man and police patroled her hotel and then escorted her to the lifts in the morning.
The new setting seem to suit again the abilities of Tina Weirather as she took the lead and didn't leave it until the top group was to start. Julia Mancuso, this time though, was faster than Tina and made some unbelievable turns up in the steep part to take the lead of the race.
Immediatly after her run it was Maze's time and Tina looked eager for another win, but a bad mistake on one of those nasty waves cost her all the advantage she had over the American and in the end she couldn't make up for that and had to content herself to finish just behind her rival.

The race was far from being decided though, Maria Riesch wanted badly to take a win in her home race and she fought very hard in order to do so. A very smart attitude on the difficult passages and the usual great gliding in the flat sections secured her a good lead in the last intermediate and not even the impressive last leg of the American couldn't make her lose all the advantage.
Riesch's leadership wasn't meant to last and the cheerful screaming of the German crowd was to be silenced soon as Austrian Anna Fenninger exploited her great talent of GS specialist in the big turns of the middle section and this way she launched the final flat at an incredible speed, worth of the best time there and even on the final.
Germany could soon forget the missed-win from Riesch as Veronique Hronek skied some great sections and was leading for half of the race and despite the mistake where many of the racers went out, she could still finish 5th, her best result in World Cup.

Getting to know: Ula Hafner

Today I have the pleasure and honour to interview one of the most interesting names among the youngsters of the tour, Slovenian young talent Ula Hafner.

-So Ula, let's introduce yourself first, they know your name already, which is a start, but when and where were you born?
My name is Ula Hafner and I was born on 9th of July 1993 in Ljubljana ,Slovenia

-Describe yourself in 6 words, 3 qualities and 3 flaws.

As qualities I would say that I'm a hard worker, easy going and positive person who likes to talk a lot. As for flaws, well I can be so damn stubborn even in situations when it would be better not to be, as 2nd flaw I would say I'm really grumpy when I'm tired or nervous and my 3rd flaw is that I hate fast changes, it makes me totally confused and lost so let's say that fast adjustability is not my second name.

-When did you start skiing?

When I was 3 years old I say to my mum and dad:'' I want to be a skier!'' and since then I'm skiing but with skiing in local ski club SK Alpetour Škofja Loka I started when I was 5.

-Did you have an hero you tried to emulate when you first started skiing? Do you still have a hero or at least a favourite skier?

Yes I had, when I was little I was a big fan of Janica Kostelić and Bode Miller and I was telling everyone around me that one day I would be as good as them. Now I don't have any hero and when anyone asks me about favourite skier I always say that there is no bad skier in world cup and it's hard to decide who is my favourite. Nonetheless I must say in last season Mikaela Shiffrin totally impressed me so maybe I should say that she's my new hero.

-Did you use to practice any other sport before dedicating yourself to skiing? Do you still enjoy them nowadays on your free time?

Sure, 1st I've been dancing then swimming it was pretty much serious and in between I was trying myself in all other sports, but it was more for fun ,professionally I continued just with skiing.

And yes of course, when skiing season is over I start with running ,swimming ,surfing ,cliff jumping ,tennis ,climbing and all other sports.

-Going back to skiing, what is your happiest memory related to the world of ski races? And what was your biggest disappointment?

My happiest memory is surely my first win on Topolino race, when I was still racing in children categories because even if I knew that I was not a bad skier, I've never thought that I could really win such a big race and I was totally surprised when I won it... so it's really my favourite memory even if I always like to look back and remember all my children categories' races.

Biggest disappointment...hmm...I'll say my wjc (World Junior Championships) in Les Houches and Les Planards- France it was my 2nd year of racing in FIS (season 2009-2010). I expected way too much from those races and then my gs race was a disaster full of mistakes and my slalom shape was good before World junior championship so we were all dreaming about top 10 and after a good 1st run I didn't finish my 2nd run so we were all totally disappointed.

-You've had one of the most impressive first season on FIS circuit, but since then you seem to be floating around that level without any great improvement. This is a very common scenario in women skiing, what do you think is the reason in your case? Do you think it's the same for the other cases too?

You are so right when you say that after first year of my racing in FIS I'm just floating around without any really great improvement. It is hard to say what is the main reason, but truth is that in my1st year of racing in fis I was training with my club, later they put me in women C team and then B team and it was pretty much different because when I came in team there were no money left for alpine skiing in Slovenia and staff was always trying to find good cheap training and, as we all know, it's not always the best so I lost myself a little bit maybe. Before I was always used to do not really much days on snow, but days I had were always efficient, hard and sometimes more difficult than trainings I had with team, so maybe that's one of the reasons, but like I said it's hard to say what went wrong. So if it's hard for myself, I guess it's harder to say for all the others.

-Your first race of this season was in Levi for the Ski WC and you were close to qualify, but since then things didn't exactly go well. How do you think you'll make this season turn to the best?

Levi world cup race, especially upper part of it, was great for me, but afterwards I honestly expected much more from ec races before new year, because on trainings I was still fast but on races I wanted too much and I was doing too many mistakes.

At the end of December I decided to take more than 10 days off, put my head on "off" and now I'm back on snow and I'll continue step by step -first I will go on FIS races then back on EC and try to prepare myself as good as possible for WJC and the rest of season.

-Being an athlet is a matter of goals, what are yours and how do you set them?

My goals at the start of the season were really high, something like: EC top 15 in slalom and GS constantly whole season-long, then WJC top 10 gs + sl and some placements in WC top 30 in slalom or GS, but I like to say that when I'm without goals and I think just on good runs I'm the best, so goals for the rest of season are : do my really best and show best run I can show in given moment.

-Skiing is an individual sport, but having a good team to train with is very important for one's development, do you agree on that?

Of course I agree on that! When you have a good team and especially a good staff who knows how to find good training and good conditions, it's much easier to succeed.

-It's generally believed that girls are a lot meaner to each other, even inside the same team, when it comes to individual sports. Have you ever experienced somethings alike? Do you think it's hard to make good friends in the circuit?

Well on my luck I didn't have such an experience yet -we are all good friends in team ,but honestly I always make good friends with men easier than with girls, maybe thats's because when I was little I was all the time training with boys and playing games with boys, somehow we could say that eversince I have had more men then women friends :) But I think it is not that hard, you can be good friends with another girl, but just until the race begins on race day, we are all fighting for the same goal after all -to win and there is no friends in that game.

-Being a professional athlete means training all year long, for skiers it is -if possible- even harder as you have often to take long journeys to train or race, how do you cope with studies?

Yes, you are right it's far away from being easy and when it comes to school I can say that normally I have just 2 months time to do everything for my school, but at the same time dry-land trainings starts so it's really difficult, still not impossible. I am still in high school which I should have ended last year but because of skiing I risked and so I am one school year behind my school mates.

-What about love?

Love, I'm in relationship with Slovenian cross-country skier Rok Tršan and I have to say that I'm really happy to have him! :)

-Since you are often travelling around the world, what is the thing you miss the most when away from home?

There is more then one thing I miss when I'm travelling around, but let say that i miss the most my bed ,mum and her food, my boyfriend and my dog.

-Anything else you want to say to your fans and our readers?

I would like to say to all my fans and readers thank you a lot for all the support and keep on following alpine ski racing and other sports!

It's been a great pleasure for me, I wish you all the best for the new year and your career!

thanks a lot Giulio!

Giulio Gasparin

aMAZEing Tina wins Soelden opening GS

A lot of interest was concerning this year's opening race of Soelden (Austria). As usual there was a lot of talk ongoing, mostly regarding who could confirm last year's form and who wouldn't, who could make it close to the bigger names and if there would be some newcomers.
Not only, two great questionmarks were finding place in all those rumors: the first one, pretty common here in Soelden, concerning the weather as the forcasts for the weekend were the ones of January, not of October and up to the glacier that could mean a lot of troubles; secondly, and probably the hottest topic of the year, dealing with the change of materials, with longer skis and their radius.

Surprisingly the first run was graced and all the girls (a part from the unlucky ones from 18 to 22)  could race under a covered sky, but no trubles given by snow or fog.
Bib number 1 was Austrian's evergreen Lizzy Goergl, that made quite a few mistakes in the early gates and seemed to never find a good way to deal with the long turns and maybe even with the new skis.
Two year's defending champion in GS Viktoria Rebensburg skied a very solid run, but differently from what happened in the past two season she didn't look unbeatable and soon we had a confirmation of that as after a pretty bad run of last year's winners here and overall champion Vonn, Tina Maze showed that with a bit more of corague and determination, those longer skis can still perform as well as the old ones.
Maze looked very impressive mostly on the steep gates of the middle part of the Rettenbach glacier ending the run with over a second of lead on Rebensburg and eventually only one skier could do any better of the German and it was Tessa Worley, who seemed to well adapt her tecnique to the new skis and finished the run "only" 0.76 seconds behind the Slovenian.
None ever again got any closer to the terrific time from Maze so that the last to qualify for the 2nd run was over 4 and half second trailing.

The second run had to be postponed several times because by the end of the first run a very heavy fog started go down the slope, but finally Frida Hansdotter from Sweden could make it begin with more than one hour of delay.
She could ski a very solid run, which eventually will give her a quite good uprise in the final ranking, but the girl that went down right after did something even greater. Susanne Weinbuchner, 21 year old German, didn't get any fear from that first experience in a world cup 2nd run, but on the contrary looked very enthusiastic and could take advantage of the low bib and made a terrific run, that hardly anyone going down right after her could challenge - only Nadia Fanchini, from Italy, seemed to be close on beating her time, but she eventually went out at the end of steep - and so she made a great improvement in her placement finishing the race with a raise of 17 places finishing 12th!
The weather looked like getting worse, so the girl started their run with little breaks one between the other and the rythm of that second run became even more fast and rich of emotions.
Lindell-Vikarby first and Curtoni Irene first could overtake the German in the leading, but then it was Vonn's turn and everyone was expecting her to make a great comeback in the second run; unfortunately in the early gates Lindsay crashed into a gate and was forced to retire looking highly on pain on her arm.

Then it was Koehle's turn and the Austrian made exactly what the public expected from Vonn: she started with fire in her eyes and took every risk she could painting incredible lines down the steep turns of the Rettenbach ending with the best partial time so far.
Gagnon and Gisin seemed to be unable to better Stefanie's run, but both could finish close enough to climb the ranking with her. Sadly for Italians fans Brignone couldn't really cope with the second run and went out, whilst Denise Karbon looked a little worse than in the 1st run finishing far from the podium.
An even greater disappoinment arrived to the German fanbase as Riesch skied in a very horrid fashion, never really doing anything down there and quite often going in over-rotation with the upper body and losing the outer ski.
When Zettel was about to start the fog and snowfall clearly seemed to be too heavy to let anyone making a better time than Koehle's, but so it wasn't. Kathrin risked everything and in the first gates she almost fell as much she was going down inwards to close the turns faster. She hit then an amazing time, better than the team mate and so it was all on the top 3's shoulders.
Rebensburg fell immediatly in the trapts of the upper part and after a couple of gates she was already out, same for Tessa Worley, who unluckily entered the gate with the inner ski and so had to stop.
Tina Maze was sure of a great advantage she secured after the first run, but clearly she knew that she couldn't deal on that only after the amazing run of Zettel.
So she started a little more coutious than in the first run, but still solid and aggressive enough to stop Zettel's attack to her leadership, with a magistral display of mental strenght she closed in the first position, finding a win again after more of a year.
Final result: Maze, Zettel, Koehle. For Stefanie it was the first podium in her carreer.