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Mona Barthel News & Opinion

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#1 ·
Copypaste all the pieces you find here (that way they remain available even if they disappear elsewhere ;)
 
#34 · (Edited)
An interview on Yahoo Eurosport

http://de.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/tennis-barthel-exklusiv-komplett-anderes-leben-101625858.html



Tennis - Barthel exklusiv: "Ein komplett anderes Leben"


Tennis-Profi Mona Barthel nutzt ihre Chancen. Obwohl erst im zweiten Jahr komplett auf der WTA Tour unterwegs, hat es die 22-Jährige bei drei Final-Teilnahmen auf zwei Titel gebracht. Im Exklusiv-Interview mit eurosport.yahoo.de verrät die Bad Segebergerin, woher sie schon in jungen Jahren ihre mentale Stärke nimmt. Darüber hinaus spricht Barthel über Zeltnächte, Kugelstoßen und die Konkurrenz.

Das Interview führte Tobias Laure

Sie haben gerade das WTA-Turnier von Paris gewonnen und dabei mit Marion Bartoli und Sara Errani zwei Top-10-Spielerinnen geschlagen. Dazu haben Sie während des Turnierverlaufs keinen Tiebreak abgegeben. Woher nehmen Sie diese mentale Stärke?

Mona Barthel: Ich habe ja schon in der vergangenen Saison einige gute Spiele auf der Tour gemacht, unter anderem gegen Victoria Azarenka, die Nummer eins der Welt. Dazu kamen Partien gegen andere Topspielerinnen, wo ich allerdings viele Tiebreaks verloren habe. Diese Erfahrungen helfen mir aber jetzt, denn ich weiß, dass ich auch gegen sehr gute Kontrahentinnen meine Chance habe. Ich bin nun viel besser in der Lage, in den wichtigen mein stärkstes Tennis zu spielen und im Tiebreak voll da zu sein. Selbst wenn es nicht perfekt läuft, der Glaube und die Ruhe sind immer da.

Einen Tag nach ihrem Sieg von Paris haben Sie auf Ihrer Homepage geschrieben: "Zurück im richtigen Leben". Die großen Erfolge sind Ihnen offenbar noch ein wenig fremd.

Barthel: Da ist was dran - und ganz besonderes dieser Erfolg in Paris kam unerwartet. Als ich angereist bin habe ich absolut nicht damit gerechnet, dieses große und so stark besetzte Turnier zu gewinnen. Ich musste dafür drei Spielerinnen aus den Top 15 schlagen. Dass mir das gelingt, war schon eine ziemliche Überraschung und ein Durchbruch für mich.

Dabei ist es noch gar nicht so lange her, dass Sie bei Turnieren im Zelt übernachtet haben und widrigen Umständen trotzen mussten. Vermissen Sie diese Zeiten schon?

Barthel: Man kann diese Phasen nicht vergleichen. Damals habe ich noch die kleinen Turniere gespielt. Da gab es oft nicht einmal Zuschauer. Aber es stimmt: Ich habe gezeltet, teilweise bei Temperaturen um den Gefrierpunkt. Das war ein komplett anderes Leben. Jetzt spiele ich dagegen große Turniere auf großen Courts gegen die besten Spielerinnen der Welt. Dass ich die alten Zeltplatz-Zeiten vermisse, würde ich nicht sagen. Aber ich bin sehr froh, dass es sie gab. Ich konnte so viel lernen dadurch. Und nun genieße ich eben die Hotels und tollen Stadien auf der WTA Tour. Für mich waren und sind beide Welten wichtig.

2012 haben Sie Ihr erstes komplettes Jahr auf der Tour gespielt und im australischen Hobart gleich den ersten Titel eingeheimst. Zehren Sie noch von diesem Schlüsselerlebnis?

Barthel: Daran denke ich natürlich immer wieder, denn auch dieser erste Titel kam total unerwartet. Ich bin damals von der Qualifikation ins Hauptfeld gekommen und habe dann das Turnier gewonnen. Dieses Jahr bin ich dann erneut im Finale von Hobart gestanden und es war für mich trotz der Niederlage gegen Jelena Wesnina ein Erfolg. Also Hobart verbinde ich immer mit sehr schönen Erinnerungen.

Inzwischen stehen Sie auf Rang 28 der Weltrangliste, so hoch wie nie zuvor. Wie weit nach oben kann es denn in dieser Saison noch gehen?

Barthel: Puh, das ist schwer zu sagen. Ich hoffe schon, dass es weiter nach oben geht. Zunächst aber bin ich unglaublich froh, dass ich erstmals die Top 30 geknackt habe. Sicher, das Potenzial für mehr ist da, zumal ich in der Mitte des Saison wenig Punkte zu verteidigen habe. Der Fokus liegt aber nicht auf dem Ranking, sondern darauf, mein Spiel weiterzuentwickeln und diese Fortschritte im Match abzurufen.

Das deutsche Damen-Tennis ist seit Jahren im Aufwind. Sabine Lisicki, Andrea Petkovic, Julia Görges und zuletzt vor allem Angelique Kerber haben für Furore gesorgt und stehen im Mittelpunkt des medialen Interesses. Macht es das für Sie leichter, Sie können sich ja quasi im Windschatten der anderen ungestört entwickeln.

Barthel: Es ist nicht abzustreiten, dass ich dadurch mehr Zeit und Ruhe habe. Wenn mein erster WTA-Titel ein paar Jahre früher gekommen wäre, wo die deutschen Erfolge noch nicht da waren, dann wäre das sicher ganz anderes gewesen. So ziehe ich aber meine Vorteile aus der Situation, dass wir in Deutschland so viele starke Spielerinnen haben.

Wie gehen die Konkurrentinnen auf der Tour mit Ihnen als Newcomerin um?

Barthel: 2012, in meinem ersten Jahr auf der Tour, kannten mich nicht viele. Nach dem Erfolg von Hobart und einigen guten Matches hat sich das drastisch geändert. Da haben viele gemerkt, dass es da noch eine Spielerin aus Deutschland gibt. Inzwischen kennen die Konkurrentinnen mich und mein Spiel sehr gut. Von daher bin ich umso glücklicher, dass ich trotzdem in Paris bestehen und gewinnen konnte.

Man kann bei Ihrer Karriere von einem Familien-Unternehmen sprechen. Ihre Mutter begleitet Sie auf der Tour, der Vater, früher ein sehr guter Kugelstoßer, ist für das Krafttraining zuständig. Wie gut sind Sie denn im Kugelstoßen?

Barthel (lacht): Das habe ich eigentlich erst einmal gemacht und nie richtig betrieben. Ansonsten aber ich vieles probiert, von Tischtennis über Hockey bis hin zur Leichtathletik - da aber kein Kugelstoßen!

Werden Sie das familiäre Karriere-Modell beibehalten?

Barthel: Meine Eltern sind die wichtigsten Personen in meiner Karriere, mein ganzes Leben habe ich mit ihnen trainiert. Das beschränkte sich nicht nur auf Tennis, sondern beinhaltete auch Kraft- und Konditionstraining. Das war bei uns schon immer so. Aber ich bin auch offen für neue Wege, neue Ansätze. In Paris habe ich zum Beispiel zum ersten Mal mit Coach Jacek Szygowski zusammengearbeitet. 2012 war ich übrigens auch auf der Suche nach einem Trainer, aber das muss eben passen...

... also arbeiten Sie ab sofort fest mit Szygowski zusammen?

Barthel: Für so eine Entscheidung ist es noch zu früh. Die Zusammenarbeit mit Jacek kam sehr spontan zusammen. Ich hatte ihn zuvor noch nie getroffen und er mich auch nicht. Der Kontakt kam bei den Australian Open zustande, durch den Trainer Robert Orlik. Er hat die Kooperation vorgeschlagen und dann haben wir das in Paris einfach mal ausprobiert.

Auf der Tour geht es für Sie nun mit den Turnieren in Doha, Dubai, Indian Wells und Miami weiter - allesamt wichtige Hartplatz-Turniere. Welche Erwartungen haben Sie?

Barthel: Ich nehme mir nie Ziele vor wie Halbfinale oder Endspiel. Denn es kommt auch sehr auf die Umstände an, die Auslosung, das Gefühl. Von daher konzentriere ich mich auf mein Spiel, um mich zu verbessern.

Dann lassen Sie mich ein konkretes Ziel vorschlagen: Wie wäre es denn mit einem neuen Rekord bei Grand-Slam-Turnieren? Bislang steht als bestes Resultat die 3. Runde bei den Australian Open zu Buche.

Barthel: Ja, das wäre in der Tat schön. Zuletzt hat es bei den Grand-Slam-Turnieren für mich nicht so gut funktioniert, das würde ich gerne ändern. Aber da ich bei den letzten vier Major-Wettbewerben jeweils in der 1. Runde gescheitert bin, kann es eigentlich nur besser werden (lacht).
 
#35 ·
And in English. I`m quite astonished about the pretty good translation that google offers. That was a little very different not long time ago.


Tennis - Barthel exclusive: "A completely different way of life"

Tennis pro Mona Barthel uses its opportunities. Although only in its second year on the way complete on the WTA Tour, it has brought the 22-year-old with three finals appearances on two tracks. In an exclusive interview with eurosport.yahoo.de betrays Segebergerin bathroom, where she gets an early age their mental strength. In addition, talks about Barthel tent nights, shot put and the competition.

Interview by Tobias Laure

You have just won the WTA tournament in Paris and beaten it with Marion Bartoli and Sara Errani two top-10 players. You have to leave during the course of any tiebreak tournament. Where do you get this mental strength?

Mona Barthel: I have already made in the last season some good games on the tour, including against Victoria Azarenka, the world number one. These games were against other top players that I have, however, lost many tiebreaks. These experiences help me but now, because I know that I also have very good against adversaries my chance. I am now much better able to play in the major my strongest tennis and in the tiebreak fully be there. Even if it does not work perfectly, the belief and the rest are always there.

A day after her victory in Paris you have posted on your website: "Back in the real world." The great successes you seem a little strange.

Barthel: Good point - and this very special success in Paris was unexpected. When I arrived I was absolutely not expecting to win this great and so generously staffed tournament. I had to beat three players in the top 15. That I can do, already was quite a surprise and a breakthrough for me.

It is not so long ago that you stayed at tournaments in the tent and had to withstand adverse conditions. Do you miss those days already?

Barthel: You can not compare these phases. At that time, I played the small tournaments. Since there was often not even spectators. But it's true: I've camped, sometimes at temperatures around freezing. That was a completely different life. Now I'm playing big tournaments on the other hand, big courts against the best players in the world. I miss the old tent-time, I would not say. But I am very glad that they were there. I could learn so much by it. And now I just enjoy the great hotels and stadiums on the WTA Tour. For me were and are important both worlds.

2012 You have played your first full year on the tour and the Australian Hobart equal garnered its first title. They still live off of this key event?

Barthel: I think of course again, because this first title came totally unexpected. I then came out of the qualifying into the main draw and then I won the tournament. This year I again stood in the final in Hobart and it was for me, despite losing to Jelena Wesnina a success. So Hobart I always associate with very happy memories.

By now you are ranked 28 in the world rankings, as high as ever. How far up can it go this season?

Barthel: Wow, that's hard to say. I do hope that it goes up. But first, I'm incredibly happy that I've cracked the first time the top 30th Sure, there is the potential for more, especially since I have to defend the middle of the season a few points. The focus is not on the ranking, but to develop my game and this progress in the match retrieve.

The German women's tennis is on the rise for years. Sabine Lisicki, Andrea Petkovic, Julia Goerges and last Angelique Kerber especially have been a hit and are the focus of media interest. Does that make it easier for you to develop in peace, you can even virtually in the shadow of the other.

Barthel: There is no denying that fact I have more time and rest. When my first WTA title would have come a few years earlier, when the German successes were not there, then that would certainly have been very different. I prefer but my benefits from the situation that we in Germany have so many strong players.

As the competitors go on the tour with you to the newcomer?

Barthel 2012, in my first year on the tour, many did not know me. After the success of Hobart and some good matches, this has changed dramatically. As many have noted that there still is a player from Germany. Meanwhile, the competitors know me and my game very well. So I am more happy that I still could stand to win in Paris.

You can talk with your career from a family business. She accompanied her mother on the tour, his father, formerly a very good shot putter, is responsible for the strength training. How good are you in the shot put?

Barthel (laughs): I have actually done once and never operated properly. Otherwise, however, I tried many things, from table tennis to hockey through to athletics - but since no shot put!

You will maintain the family-career model?

Barthel: My parents are the most important people in my career, my whole life I've been training with them. This was not limited to tennis, but also included strength and conditioning training. That was when we always have. But I'm also open to new ideas, new approaches. In Paris, for example, I worked for the first time with coach Jacek Szygowski. 2012, I, incidentally, was also looking for a coach, but that has to fit just ...

... So you are now firmly with Szygowski?

Barthel: For such a decision, it is still too early. The collaboration with Jacek came together very spontaneously. I had never met him before and he did not. The contact came at the Australian Open, by trainer Robert Orlik. He proposed that the cooperation and we have tried the simple times in Paris.

On the tour, it's for you now continue with the tournaments in Doha, Dubai, Indian Wells and Miami - all important hard court tournaments. What are your expectations?

Barthel: I take my goals as never before semi-final or final. For it is also very much on the circumstances, the draw, the feeling. So I concentrate on my game to get better.

Then let me suggest a specific goal: How about with a new record in Grand Slam tournaments? So far, its best result is the 3rd Round at the Australian Open to book.

Barthel: Yes, that would be nice indeed. Recently it has not at the Grand Slam tournaments works well for me so that I would like to change. But since I first in the last four major competitions in each of the Round I failed, it can only get better (laughs)
 
#38 ·
Yes, the translations are improving, but notice that the "Bad" in Bad Segebergerin is translated as "bathroom". Sometimes I translate forum conversations into English when I can't fully comprehend the German. I noticed that when the word "wildcard" is abbreviated to "WC", the translation is "toilet". This makes for humorous reading indeed (and maybe a preoccupation with personal hygiene?)!
 
#42 ·
This is an article about Mona and an interview with her published on Laurie's Tennis Articles:
My interview with Mona Barthel - Star in the Making

Last week I had the opportunity to witness a player who could be a new star in the making.

Her name is Mona Barthel from Germany and she received a confidence boost by winning the WTA Paris Indoor event at the Stade de Coubertin. Mona won the title in style winning all of her matches in straight sets at the business end of the tournament with an incredible display of attacking tennis which the Parisians enjoyed immensely.

A friend of mine who works for the WTA tour told me 12 months ago to check out Mona Barthel, he was convinced that she is the most talented of the German players coming through and has the most potential if she believed in herself and things fell into place. That’s the beauty and difficult thing about top level sport, identifying potential and hopefully watching it come to fruition. Some players can take a bit longer to realise it, but what that means is when they are ready to fulfil their potential, they are mature enough to stay there and deal with the inevitable highs and lows top level competition brings.

Perhaps in Paris we saw the start of that potential starting to be realised. I’ve been watching and commenting on tennis for exactly 20 years and every so often you see a player with a game that seems to be a notch above the others. I recall watching Pete Sampras play defending champion Andre Agassi at Wimbledon in 1993 and thinking this guy was going to be really good because he had great shotmaking ability. I also remember watching Justine Henin in 2000 at the Canadian Open with her backhand and thinking wow. And in 2011 even though Petra Kvitova lost the Eastbourne final, I left the stadium convinced she would win Wimbledon (wish I put a bet on that…)

Why do I think Mona is a bit special? She plays a brand of tennis that is getting rarer and rarer in both the mens and womens game. Surface speeds have had a part to play in that but I’ve also often wondered if state of mind and willingness to play a certain style is a factor.

In the Paris indoor quarterfinal, Mona defeated Marion Bartoli, breaking Marion’s usually strong fighting spirit which is rare to see. The first set went to a tiebreaker after an exchange of breaks and Marion took a 6-2 lead and you would have thought that was the set; but Mona saved 4 set points in a row with bold play to take the tiebreak 9-7 which left the Parisian crowd bemused and perplexed. I’ve watched Marion play many times over the years in Eastbourne (where she won the title), Wimbledon and Paris but this was the first time I’ve seen her beaten before a match is over.

That is what a player serving well can do, it gives them confidence to raise their return level which in turn can give a level of hopelessness to an opponent. That is what Barthel did to her opponents last week in Paris, if she was playing well her opponents felt they didn’t have much of a chance.

Mona plays what used to be referred to as the big game, she has superior talent to impose her game regardless of the opponent. This type of game involves been prepared to take risks on the serve, take to the net and go for the returns in a controlled but aggressive fashion. It sounds simple but is not easy to do, it takes a combination of been blessed with natural power, having a certain mentality and using conventional grips for economy and efficiency of movement.

Mona possesses all of these attributes and is quite tall as well which helps. Her willingness to get to net is a joy to watch , and her volley technique is very good, she puts slice on forehand volleys and not just push the ball which so many modern players do which leads to unforced errors so often. Her half volleys were superb; on one point in the final against Errani, she came in and hit a half volley in the corner for a clean winner which left Errani stunned, the sort of stuff Sampras used to do. The guy next to me was getting very excited, saying things like “magnifique!”

Mona is also willing to hit shots down the line off both wings either for winners or to stretch her opponent so she can come in to net and take floating balls out of the air. Her movement is quite good for a tall player and she is willing to scramble to stay in the rally until she can get a possibility to get the point on her terms. But what I found really stood out was her serve. Mona has potentially the best serve in the world after Serena Williams and could take over as the best server in the world once Serena leaves the scene.

I have often discussed that the technical standard of serving today is not quite up there. There are many players who can serve fast on the first serve but not many can serve with real precision and deception at pace. Mona is already mastering the key serves that should take her game to the next level; the slider serve on the deuce and ad court, the big serve down the middle and a strong 2nd serve.

Having these 3 components whilst possessing the ability to hit lines means the returner has to get into the guessing game, which always makes for a great spectacle for those interested in thinking man’s tennis, the returner has to adjust and come up with something. Her service motion in many ways is reminiscent of a young Pete Sampras in terms in terms of smoothness and good knee bend and the ability to come over the ball with slice and topspin at pace; it is an elegant service motion. Mona’s strong 2nd serve will be needed should she progress up the rankings and start to challenge for major tournaments in future.

Having put together such an exciting game is a tribute to her coaching staff. In my article “The match that changed tennis” I mentioned that future aggressive players coming through will depend on coaches and young players willing to buck the trend of the safe counterpunching style of play and show that risk and reward tennis can still a viable tactic at the top level. Make no mistake, risk and reward in a controlled fashion, not hitting wild shots and racking up a large amount of errors.

The combination of having a great serve and a great game to back it up is an exciting combination which can take a player to the very top. Players like Lindsay Davenport, Venus and Serena Williams have shown that in recent times. If Mona Barthel can keep improving, working hard, continue to build her self-belief and study the past masters, she might one day become a household name and be a contender at the major tournaments and hopefully win the big prizes.

Mona was kind enough to answer some questions after her win in Paris last week:

1. Congratulations on winning the title at the WTA Paris indoor event (Open GDF Suez). A lot of great players have won there in the 20 years of its existence, including Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Serena Williams and Amelie Mauresmo. How does it feel to win such a prestigious event?

Thank you. It is amazing to win such a "big" tournament. So many great players have won it before. It came really unexpected to me. I was so happy, when I won the first round. And then I won match by match and suddenly I was in the final. I beat three players in the Top 15, so it was a great week for me. When I read the names of the former champions, it is quite unreal for me to be on the same list. But of course, it is a good feeling:)

2. You were able to win the quarterfinal, semifinal and final in straight sets, against last year’s finalist Marion Bartoli and French Open finalist Sara Errani. How much confidence do you feel such a win would give you as your career develops?

This tournament was some kind of a breakthrough for me, because last year I had a lot of close matches against the top players, but I wasn't able to win them. In Paris it was different, especially in the tough moments, I was able to play my best tennis.

3. Last summer I interviewed Angelique Kerber and pointed out that there were a crop of young German players coming through and doing very well on the WTA tour and pushing each other up the rankings. What do you think is the reason or factor in so many players coming through at a similar age?

It's true, there are so many good German players right now, which is really nice to see. But to be quite honest, I don't know a reason for it. I think a lot of things has to come together, to have so many good players. But what we have, is a good atmosphere. We are supporting each other and like you said " pushing each other up the rankings".

4. I am fascinated with your serving ability, when I watched you in Paris your service motion reminded me of a young Pete Sampras from the early 1990s in terms of smoothness and technicality. How did you develop such a technically strong serve? Is it something you worked on a lot or is it something that came naturally?

Well first of all, thank you very much. It's really nice to get compared with such a good server. I always had a good serve, but it wasn't always consistent. I was working on it in the offseason a lot, trying to get a higher first serve percentage and getting a more aggressive second serve. And it improved a lot and it is helping me so much on court.

5. Your willingness to get to net is refreshing in an era where many players are content to stay back and keep the rallies going or only going to net “to shake hands” as they say; you are also happy to take the ball out of the air and throw in the odd serve and volley. Is there a reason you enjoy coming to net so much, or do you adopt certain strategies depending on opponents?

Well I think it is coming naturally. If I feel, I have a good chance to go to the net, I take it. I enjoy playing volleys and it suits my game as well.

6. Which players did you admire and enjoy most when you were growing up?

When I was young, I really liked Steffi Graf. She was playing so nice and was so successful. And I think, she has a great personality as well. I was wearing the same clothes like her and had the same racquet. Even if people asked for my name, I said it's "Steffi". They didn't believe me and wanted to know my real name. But I said " It's Steffi, you can see, I am wearing her clothes". I was about 4 or 5 at that time:). But I still admire her.

7. Which players would you have liked to play from the past and why?

I would choose Steffi Graf. Like I said, she was my idol growing up and it would be great to play with her.

8. What would you say are your medium to long term goals for your career?

I am more focussing on my game rather than my ranking. If I am improving and playing better tennis, my ranking will go up automatically.


9. What do you think are your greatest strengths on a tennis court?

I would say, my strength is my love for the game. I just enjoy playing tennis and playing against the best players in the world. In my opinion, that is the most important thing.

10. What things do you like to do outside of tennis?

I like to do a lot off the court. I think, it's really important to have a balanced life and not to think all the time about tennis. For example I created and I am still updating my own website. In the offseason I designed and sewed two of my tennis dresses. I did it for the first time and it is a nice feeling to wear your own dresses. Otherwise, if I have the chance, I like to see things of the places, I am visiting. Last year I went to a lot of musicals and museums, which I really enjoyed.
Laurie is a member on TF and has already posted this interview on GM. I really like her tennis blog so if you want to read more articles and interviews from her you should go to http://burnstennis.blogspot.co.uk/.
 
#49 ·
This is an interview with Mona which was published on the website of her german league team. My thanks goes to tennisfreak13 for having already posted the corresponding link in Volume 2. I improved the Google translation a bit but it's still not very good. But i think it should be more understandable now.

Mona Barthel in the interview: "A German Cup is always special"

Question: Mona Barthel, the new Bundesliga season begins in May and is therefore available on the doorstep. 2012 brought the TC BW Watt Extra Bocholt their first title. These are the memories yet?

Mona Barthel: Definitely. It was to win a beautiful experience while achieving the optimal target to have. It was for me the first German team championship. It's always special. Mainly remains the beautiful and heartfelt ceremony in remembrance and joy in our coach Hartmut Bielefeld. There are also tears flowed and was a lot of fun, especially after the narrow 5-4 result on the final day against M2Beauté Ratingen before thousands of spectators.

Q: That was your first season for Bocholt. But you are in the league for a long time?

Mona Barthel: I have played since I was 13 in the Bundesliga for the TC Alsterquelle in Schleswig-Holstein. Yes, that is almost ten years Bundesliga. Later we took the TC Red-White Wahlstedt, also in Schleswig-Holstein, has risen year after year to the First League and played in the final 2011 against Watt Extra Bocholt. 2011, after the withdrawal of the club from the Bundesliga, I switched to Bocholt.

Question: What makes such a success of a team? Otherwise, tennis is more of an individual sport.

Mona Barthel: The difference is not on the court, but outside we are a team. The others support you on the sidelines when it’s not going so well. This has also been identified in the final against Ratingen much. You give everything to win because the team wants.

Q: Many players from the team Bocholter tours across the world from tournament to tournament. Then talked about the Bundesliga in Bocholt?

Mona Barthel: Definitely. They know each other and learn to know each other and train together also. The experience of the German championship keeps being alive every now and again.

Question: Mona Barthel on 18 In February for the first time with 27th achieved a place in the top 30 in the world rankings, and so you among the world elite. Tournament Win there was in January 2012 in Hobart / Australia and most recently in Paris. What is next?

Mona Barthel: The start of the year 2012 was extremely good with the victory in Hobart. Later, it was not so good, I felt a bit tired, was also some times eliminated in the first round. But I had great matches against the number one Victoria Azarenka and Agnieszka Radwanska, now fourth in the world rankings, with match point. Overall, I was not dissatisfied.

Question: Now that you have confirmed world ranking points from last year already and still improving. Where is the way forward?

Mona Barthel: Fortunately, the year has started well. I had to defend a lot of points. That worked out. In Hobart I was in the finals. In Paris the victory I have with Marion Bartoli and Sara Errani beat two of the top ten. Perhaps I have become in my second big tour year more experienced. They know each other from already. My serve has become more reliable in particular, and have a higher success rate at the first service. My game is more complete now. And which ball you can hit just to make the point - it also has a lot to do with experience.

Question: The appointment to the Fed Cup National team for the opening match of the World Group II in France, which Germany won 3-1, they had omitted. Was that the right decision?

Mona Barthel: I don’t feel sorry about my refusal. I needed some rest after Paris and had therefore made the decision. That was definitely right. I didn’t rebuff coach Barbara Rittner for all time. We'll see what comes in April when the next match is pending.

Question: Then it goes into a home match against 2012 finalists Serbia to the resurgence in the premier league, the World Group. How do you assess the chances of the German team, which includes your Bocholter teammate Anna-Lena Groenefeld?

Mona Barthel: It depends on whether Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic, both of whom had been number one in the world rankings will join. If so, it is certainly difficult. But we have good players with Angelique Kerber, Julia Goerges and Sabine Lisicki and a good chance to win the match and go up again.

Q: Your teammate Anna-Lena Groenefeld belongs for nine years to the German Fed Cup team. What is your estimate?

Mona Barthel: Anna-Lena has a special meaning for the team, because she has a very great experience. She fits very well to the team, because she brings in double points and was one of the most successful german players in singles with a ranking in the top 20 in the world.

Question: How is the relationship of the pro tennis players with one another when you tour the world? Is there sometimes strong catfight?

Mona Barthel: Not really. We understand each other very well in general. Of course everybody wants to win on the court. But we also spend a lot of time together, travel together frequently to the respective tournaments and see each other therefore very often.

Question: training, matches, hotels. That's life as a professional. Do you and your mother Hannelore, with which you are traveling, see something from the attractions of the venues and the beautiful corners of this world

Mona Barthel: We collect new impressions every week. We try to incorporate them with us when I am free from play, or when I go out of the tournament and to the departure still has some time. We look ever at musicals, and even Manhattan was in New York for us very special. Boredom does not exist nevertheless. Qualifications, tournaments, physiotherapy treatments, updates to my Web site and organize the journey to the next place - it will not be boring.

Question: tennis pros travel ten to eleven months a year. There is still time for hobbies?

Mona Barthel: Little. At the end of last season when I was at home, I used the sewing machine from my grandmother and sewed two tennis clothes - just in order to do other things. Supposedly they will not look so bad. I wore them in tournaments also – like in Paris and won with it.

Question: You have been without a coach on tour. Will it remain the same?

Mona Barthel: I must have the feeling that a coach really helps me. We are working now with the pool of coaches of Robert Orlik from Cologne. And out of this team it was Jacek Szygowski from Lübeck who has supported me in Paris. The team also supports Annika Beck and Bjorn Phau, and we will start all together in Indian Wells. Let's see how it goes then.

Question: Back to Bocholt for Bundesliga. How do you assess the chances of the team in May / June to defend the title?. The big favorite M2Beauté Ratingen probably will do everything again for the first time to win the championship.

Mona Barthel: Of course it depends on the full team. But we seem to be back in a good position, and therefore there are is a good chance to win. Even more important is the cohesion of the team. And that is really good. Hartmut Bielefeld cares great for us and leaves nothing to chance.
 
#51 ·
And here is the original version of the interview in german:
Mona Barthel im Interview: „Eine deutsche Meisterschaft ist immer etwas Besonderes“

Frage: Mona Barthel, die neue Bundesligasaison beginnt im Mai und steht somit unmittelbar vor der Tür. 2012 holten Sie mit dem TC BW WattExtra Bocholt ihren ersten Titel. Sind die Erinnerungen noch wach?

Mona Barthel: Auf jeden Fall. Es war ein schönes Erlebnis zu gewinnen und gleichzeitig das optimale Ziel erreicht zu haben. Es war auch für mich die erste deutsche Mannschafts-Meisterschaft. Das ist immer etwas Besonderes. Vor allem bleibt die schöne und herzliche Siegerehrung in Erinnerung und die Freude bei unserem Coach Hartmut Bielefeld. Es sind auch Tränen geflossen und hat sehr viel Spaß gemacht, vor allem nach dem knappen 5:4-Ergebnis am letzten Spieltag gegen M2Beauté Ratingen vor Tausenden von Zuschauern.

Frage: Das war Ihre erste Saison für Bocholt. Aber in der Bundesliga sind Sie schon lange zu Hause?

Mona Barthel: Ich habe bereits mit 13 Jahren in der Bundesliga für den TC Alsterquelle in Schleswig-Holstein gespielt. Ja, das werden schon fast zehn Jahre Bundesliga. Später sind wir mit dem TC Rot-Weiß Wahlstedt, ebenfalls in Schleswig-Holstein, Jahr für Jahr bis in die Erste Liga aufgestiegen und haben im letzten Erstligajahr auch gegen WattExtra Bocholt gespielt. 2011, nach dem Rückzug des Vereins aus der Bundesliga, bin ich nach Bocholt gewechselt.

Frage: Was macht solch einen Teamerfolg aus? Sonst ist Tennis eher ein Individualsport.

Mona Barthel: Der Unterschied ist nicht auf dem Platz, sondern außerhalb sind wir ein Team. Die anderen unterstützen dich an der Seitenlinie, wenn es nicht so gut läuft. Das hat auch im Endspiel gegen Ratingen viel ausgemacht. Du gibst alles, weil das Team gewinnen will.

Frage: Viele Spielerinnen aus der Bocholter Mannschaft touren quer durch die Welt von Turnier zu Turnier. Wird dann auch über die Bundesliga in Bocholt gesprochen?

Mona Barthel: Auf jeden Fall. Man kennt sich und lernt sich näher kennen und trainiert auch zusammen. Das Erlebnis der deutschen Meisterschaft lebt dann immer mal wieder auf.

Frage: Mona Barthel hat am 18. Februar erstmals mit Rang 27 einen Platz in den Top 30 der Weltrangliste erreicht, und damit gehören Sie zur Weltspitze. Turniersiege gab es im Januar 2012 in Hobart/Australien und jüngst in Paris. Wie geht es weiter?

Mona Barthel: Der Start im Vorjahr war extrem gut mit dem Sieg in Hobart. Später lief es nicht so gut, ich fühlte mich etwas kaputt, bin auch einige Male in der ersten Runde ausgeschieden. Dennoch hatte ich gute Matches gegen die Nummer eins Victoria Azarenka oder Agnieszka Radwanska, heute Vierte der Weltrangliste, mit Matchball. Insgesamt war ich nicht unzufrieden.

Frage: Jetzt haben Sie Weltranglistenpunkte aus dem Vorjahr bereits bestätigt und sich noch verbessert. Wohin führt der weitere Weg?

Mona Barthel: Zum Glück hat das Jahr gut angefangen. Ich hatte viele Punkte zu verteidigen. Das hat geklappt. In Hobart stand ich im Finale. In Paris beim Sieg habe ich mit Marion Bartoli und Sara Errani zwei aus den Top ten geschlagen. Vielleicht bin ich in meinem zweiten großen Tour-Jahr etwas erfahrener geworden. Man kennt sich schon aus. Ich schlage jetzt vor allem konstanter auf, und habe eine höhere Erfolgsquote beim ersten Service. Mein Spiel ist kompletter. Und welchen Ball du gerade schlagen kannst, um den Punkt zu machen – das hat auch viel mit Erfahrung zu tun.

Frage: Die Berufung ins Fed-Cup-Nationalteam für das Auftaktspiel der Weltgruppe II in Frankreich, das Deutschland 3:1 gewann, hatten Sie ausgelassen. War das die richtige Entscheidung?

Mona Barthel: Die Absage tut mir nicht leid. Ich brauchte nach Paris etwas Ruhe und hatte auch deshalb die Entscheidung getroffen. Die war auf jeden Fall richtig. Ich habe Teamchefin Barbara Rittner ja nicht für alle Zeiten einen Korb gegeben. Warten wir ab, was im April kommt, wenn das nächste Match ansteht.

Frage: Dann geht es in einem Heimspiel gegen 2012-Finalist Serbien um den Wiederaufstieg in die Erste Liga, die Weltgruppe. Wie schätzen Sie die Chancen des deutschen Teams ein, in dem auch ihre Bocholter Teamkollegin Anna-Lena Grönefeld steht?

Mona Barthel: Es kommt darauf an, ob Jelena Jankovic und Ana Ivanovic, die beide schon Nummer eins der Weltrangliste waren, mitspielen. Wenn ja, wird es sicherlich schwierig. Doch auch wir haben gute Spielerinnen mit Angelique Kerber, Julia Görges oder Sabine Lisicki und gute Chancen, das Match zu gewinnen und wieder aufzusteigen.

Frage: Ihre Teamkollegin Anna-Lena Grönefeld gehört schon seit neun Jahren zum deutschen Fed-Cup-Team. Wie ist Ihre Einschätzung?

Mona Barthel: Anna-Lena hat für die Mannschaft eine besondere Bedeutung, weil sie eine besonders große Erfahrung hat. Sie passt sehr gut ins Team, bringt die Punkte im Doppel und war eine der erfolgreichsten deutschen Spielerin im Einzel mit einem Ranking unter den Top 20 in der Welt.

Frage: Wie ist das Verhältnis der Tennisprofispielerinnen untereinander, wenn Sie durch die Welt touren? Gibt es da auch mal kräftigen Zickenalarm?

Mona Barthel: Eigentlich nicht. Wir verstehen uns untereinander im allgemeinen sehr gut. Natürlich will jede auf dem Platz gewinnen. Aber man ist ja auch viel zusammen, reist häufig gemeinsam zu den jeweiligen Turnieren und sieht sich somit sehr häufig.

Frage: Training, Matches, Hotels. Das ist der Alltag als Profi. Sehen Sie mit Ihrer Mutter Hannelore, mit der Sie unterwegs sind, auch etwas von den Sehenswürdigkeiten der Spielorte und den schönen Winkeln dieser Welt?

Mona Barthel: Man sammelt jede Woche neue Eindrücke. Wir versuchen, sie mit einzubauen und uns etwas anzusehen, wenn spielfrei ist oder man eher herausfliegt aus dem Turnier und bis zum Abflug noch etwas Zeit hat. Wir schauen uns schon mal Musicals an, und auch Manhattan in New York war für uns etwas ganz Besonderes. Langeweile gibt es gleichwohl nicht. Qualifikationen, Turniere, physiotherapeutische Behandlungen, Aktuelles ins Internet stellen, die Anreise zum nächsten Ort organisieren – langweilig wird es nicht.

Frage: Tennisprofis sind zehn bis elf Monate im Jahr unterwegs. Bleibt da noch Zeit für Hobbys?

Mona Barthel: Wenig. Nach Ende der vergangenen Saison habe ich mich zu Hause doch mal an die Nähmaschine von Oma gesetzt und mir zwei Tenniskleider genäht – einfach, um mal etwas anderes zu machen. Angeblich sollen sie nicht so schlecht aussehen. Ich habe sie bei Turnieren auch angezogen – und Paris damit gewonnen.

Frage: Sie sind bisher ohne Trainer auf Tour. Bleibt das so?

Mona Barthel: Ich muss das Gefühl haben, dass mir ein Trainer auch wirklich weiterhilft. Wir arbeiten aber jetzt mit dem Trainerpool von Robert Orlik aus Köln zusammen. Und aus seinem Team hat Jacek Szygowski aus Lübeck mich auch in Paris unterstützt. Das Team betreut auch Annika Beck und Björn Phau, und wir starten alle zusammen in Indian Wells. Mal sehen, wie es danach weitergeht.

Frage: Zurück nach Bocholt zur Bundesliga. Wie schätzen Sie die Chancen ein, dass das Team im Mai/Juni den Titel verteidigen kann?. Der große Favorit M2Beauté Ratingen wird vermutlich wieder alles daransetzen, erstmals Meister zu werden.

Mona Barthel: Natürlich kommt es aufs gesamte Team an. Aber das scheint ja wieder gut aufgestellt zu sein, und deshalb bestehen auch gute Chancen zu gewinnen. Wichtiger noch ist der Zusammenhalt in der Mannschaft. Und der ist wirklich gut. Hartmut Bielefeld kümmert sich super um uns und überlässt nichts dem Zufall.
 
#56 ·
Mona hat den "Mein Team" Bereich ihrer Homepage mal aktualisiert.
Seit Februar 2013 arbeite ich mit dem Trainerteam der Robert Orlik Tennisakademie zusammen. Vorwiegend werden sie mich auf Turnieren begleiten.
www.rota.pro
Since February 2013, I'm working with the coaching team of the Robert Orlik Tennis Academy. Mainly they will accompany me to tournaments. www.rota.pro
 
#76 ·
From Mona's website:

9.3.: I am happy to win my first match in Indian Wells this year. Kiki played well in defense but played aggressive as well, so she made winning for me not easy.

9.3.: Due to a special occasion I would like to say once again that I do not have a twitter account and also any Facebook page.
I am wondering what this special occasion is about.
 
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