Issue link: http://itf.uberflip.com/i/366594
ITFWORLD SUMMER 2014 27 www.itftennis.com Of course, in the women's game many of the top singles players still play doubles, too, like world No. 1 Serena Williams, who, not surprisingly, was ITF World Champion again after winning 11 singles titles in 2013, more than the 32-year-old had won in any previous year. Even the women's doubles World Champions, the Italians Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci, have both been ranked in the top 20 in singles. It was the second time they had won the award and the third consecutive year that Novak Djokovic had picked up the men's title, which he did after reaching three Grand Slam finals in 2013, including the Australian Open which he won for the third consecutive year. Despite the obvious invitation to do so by the MC Andrew Castle, both the junior boys' and girls' World Champions, Alexander Zverev of Germany and Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, wisely resisted the temptation to say publicly that their aim was to one day usurp Djokovic and Williams, although that clearly must be their goal. As it is, by becoming last year the first girl to win back-to- back Roland Garros and Wimbledon titles since 1996, Bencic is already inviting comparisons with fellow countrywoman and prodigy Martina Hingis. As for the 6-foot-4-inch Alexander Zverev, he is the son of a Russian-born player of the same name and was the winner of this year's junior Australian Open. Earlier in the evening's proceedings, Shingo Kunieda, the men's wheelchair World Champion, had made the mistake of remarking that the sport was "I think getting more popular in Japan because of me." Castle playfully never allowed him to forget the innocent boast. Kunieda was World Champion again after a break of three years while Netherlands' Aniek van Koot, successor to the all-conquering Esther Vergeer, was excited to receive the award for the first time. However, when it comes to longevity, the Woodies, the Bryans, Serena, even Vergeer, are left in the shade by Heide Orth. The most successful player in the history of women's senior tennis, the German became the first woman to receive the ITF Seniors Award for Outstanding Achievement — at the age of 71 years young. Fellow wheelchair players Aniek van Koot and Shingo Kunieda with their awards Francesco Ricci Bitti presents the ITF Seniors Award to Heide Orth Junior World Champions B elinda B encic and Alexander Zverev The beautiful World Champion trophies