Fall Fling
The couple months of pro tennis tournaments after the U.S. Open represent different things to the players depending on their ranking, success so far during the year, etc. For the number one ranked players and multiple Grand Slam winners in 2007, Justine Henin and Roger Federer, it is an opportunity to continue their winning ways leading up to the year-end Sony Ericsson WTA and ATP championships. For players in the top 20,
it is a chance to maybe capture another title and earn some extra prize money. At the same time, there are former highly-ranked players whose rankings have dropped due to injuries or poor performance and they often use the fall tournaments to boost their confidence going into the New Year, e.g. Amelie Mauresmo and David Nalbandian. The fall can also be a time to heal mentally and physically from injuries while also playing some tournaments in preparation for 2008, e.g. Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal. Finally, the fall is also a time for players who excel on the indoor courts! In the end, the "fall fling" always passes very quickly... and all too soon it is time for the brief holiday break and then training for the tournaments in Australia in the New Year!
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