Mondays with Bob Greene
STARS
Karolina Pliskova beat Alison Riske 7-6 (8) 7-5 to win the Aegon Open in Nottingham, Great Britain
CoCo Vandeweghe beat Kristina Mladenovic 7-5 7-5 to win the Ricoh Open women’s singles in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands
Paolo Lorenzi beat Matteo Donati 6-3 4-6 7-6 (7) to win the Citta Di Caltanissetta in Caltanissetta, Italy
SAYING
“I got myself in a bit of a pickle in the second set, but I battled my way out of it, and sometimes the name of the game is just battling through adversity and problems you cause for yourself.” – CoCo Vandeweghe, after beating Kristina Mladenovic to win the Ricoh Open women’s singles.
“I really needed my serve today and some aces got me out of some important moments. She has a great game on grass, so I needed to be at my best today to get the win.” – Karolina Pliskova, after winning the Aegon Open.
“I can’t believe it. To beat Federer on grass is a dream. You need a little bit of luck to beat him on his best surface. I’m the happiest person on the earth now.” – Dominic Thiem, after beating Roger Federer in the semifinals in Stuttgart, Germany.
“I want to be in a position to talk more about my matches, rather than the way that I am training coming back from injury. I’m happy that it is in the past, and I am looking forward to the second half of the season.” – Roger Federer.
“I’m sad to announce that after talking to my doctors and receiving the results of my last medical revision, I won’t be able to play at Wimbledon this year.” – Rafael Nadal.
“The way I played and felt on court was one of the best feelings I’ve had in tennis. For sure this was one of my best matches. I didn’t know I could play so well on grass.” – Dominic Thiem, after his win over Roger Federer.
“After Paris, the final, which is great, you know, for everyone on this planet with the exception of me – I don’t do what everyone else does – I was really pissed, I have to admit. I thought I could’ve played better, I thought I could’ve competed better, I thought I could’ve really done everything five times better. And I didn’t, and I was so pissed that I actually abandoned my racquets in France after maybe a few smashes of the racket bag. I felt like if I was going to play that awful and that crappy, that maybe I don’t need rackets. Maybe I can just show up to a tournament, and maybe I can get to a final without playing great, and without practice. But obviously that doesn’t work and sometimes you have to work extra hard. So I’m out here by myself because sometimes by yourself is when the great things really happen.” – Serena Williams, looking back at her French Open final loss to Garbiñe Muguruza.
SECOND TIME
There’s a special bond between CoCo Vandeweghe and the Ricoh Open. For the second time in her career, the American came away the winner of the Wimbledon warm-up event – her only two WTA titles –joining Justine Henin and Tamarine Tanasugarn as the only players in the tournament’s 21-year history to win it twice. This time Vandeweghe overcame a rainy week and Kristina Mladenovic in the final. Downpours halted play after the first five games and again as soon as she won the opening set. “It was actually really difficult – we had three rain delay stops – so it was really difficult to get yourself back into the match and make sure you’re fresh and light and ready to go,” Vandeweghe said. “Especially the last rain delay in the first set. I was really trying to get myself moving.” When play resumed, Mladenovic broke the American, but Vandeweghe ripped through the final four games of the match to come away with her second career title.
SHE’S JUST GOOD ENOUGH
Karolina Pliskova was just good enough when she had to be. The top seed outlasted American Alison Riske to win the rain-affected Aegon Open for her fifth WTA title. “Today there were parts of the match when I was better and parts when she was,” Pliskova said. The start of the match was delayed by rain. And when they did play, Pliskova triumphed in just under two hours. The champion had to come from set points down in the first-set tiebreak. “It feels good to win, especially after all those tiebreaks this week,” Pliskova said. “All of those I was set point down, so I’m really happy that I made it and that I have the trophy in my hands” Riske, who won an ITF Circuit event on grass in Eastbourne, Great Britain, last week, had three set points at 4-5 in the first-set tiebreaker, then served for the second set at 5-4, only to be broken. “I really didn’t count on having such early success on the grass, so I am feeling good ahead of Wimbledon,” Pliskova said.
SUSPENDED
Because of heavy rain, the Mercedes Cup final between Dominic Thiem and Philipp Kohlschreiber was suspended until Monday with the two tied 6-6. The match started an hour late because of rain, then was stopped for about five hours. After another delay, tournament organizers suspended completion of the match with Kohlschreiber leading 3-2 in the first-set tiebreak.
STOPPED BY RAIN
Rain also halted Nicolas Mahut’s bid for a third title in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. The Frenchman won the opening set 6-4 when play was suspended by rain. Officials later postponed the match until Monday morning. Mahut won the grass court event last year and in 2013. His opponent, 33-year-old Gilles Muller of Luxembourg, is still seeking his first ATP World Tour title, having lost his three prior finals. Muller is ranked 44th in the world, five spots higher than Mahut.
SIDELINED
The left wrist injury that forced Rafael Nadal out of the French Open will also keep him out of Wimbledon. “As you can all imagine, it’s a very tough decision, but the injury I suffered at Roland Garros needs time to heal,” the Spaniard said on his Facebook page. Nadal won The Championships twice, in 2008 and 2010. But he also pulled out of the grass-court Grand Slam tournament in 2009 with a knee injury, calling it “one of the toughest decisions of my career.” Nadal was forced to withdraw from the French Open following his second-round win over Argentina’s Facundo Bagnis. That was his 200th Grand Slam tournament match win. But when he announced his withdrawal, he said he had needed an injection in the wrist before the match. At the time he explained that he risked a likely tear of his wrist tendons if he continued to play. Now 30, Nadal has suffered numerous injuries during his career. He missed the US Open in 2014 with a right wrist problem and has suffered from back and hamstring problems as well as appendicitis.
STUNNED
Twice Roger Federer reached match point in his semifinal battle with Dominic Thiem. Twice the young Austrian fought them off and Thiem eventually pulled off the shocker, stopping Federer 3-6 7-6 (7) 6-4 in Stuttgart, Germany. “You’re always a little disappointed when you lose with match points,” Federer said. “But losing any match is not that great.” The grass-court battle was halted twice by rain, but Federer, who turns 35 in August, made no excuses. “It was a good match from both sides in tough conditions,” the Swiss star said. After losing the opener, Thiem raced out to a 5-1 lead in the second set, only to have Federer rally and force a tiebreaker, where he had his match point chances. But Thiem held on, then went up a break after Federer missed a volley at the net. “We both had our chances throughout,” Federer said. “Coming back in the second set was good, but it was tough to lose in the breaker. I can play better, but he came up with some good shots when he needed them.” It was Federer’s first tournament since he pulled out of the French Open because of his back.
SETS ANOTHER MARK
Although he was beaten in the semifinals by Dominic Thiem, Roger Federer set a record when he won his Mercedes Cup quarterfinal match in Stuttgart, Germany. Federer’s 7-6 (2) 7-6 (1) win over Florian Mayer was his 1,072nd match win of his career, moving him ahead of Ivan Lendl and into second place in the Open Era match-win list. Only Jimmy Connors, with 1,256, has won more career matches.
SEVENTH OLYPICS
Leander Paes will compete in his seventh Olympic Games this summer. The All India Tennis Association (AITA) named Paes as Rohan Bopanna’s partner for the men’s doubles in Rio de Janeiro. Because he is ranked 10th in the world in doubles, Bopanna had a direct entry into the Summer Games. He picked Saketh Myneni, who is ranked 125th in the world, as his preferred partner, saying that while he admired Paes, he believed their styles of play were not complementary. The AITA thought otherwise. “The committee decided that the best bet for Indian tennis to win a medal at the Olympics would be Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna,” AITA chief Anil Khanna said. Paes, who has won 18 Grand Slam tournament titles, including the mixed doubles earlier this month at the French Open, won a singles bronze medal at the Atlanta Games in 1996. “The AITA Selection Committee has now made its decision after due consideration of my representation,” Bopanna said. “I respect this decision and look forward to participating in Rio.” Bopanna will team up with Sania Mirza, who is co-ranked number one in the world in women’s doubles, in the mixed doubles in Rio.
SELECTED TOGETHER
Brothers Andy and Jamie Murray will lead Great Britain’s Olympic tennis team to Rio de Janeiro. Andy won gold four years ago when he beat Roger Federer in the Olympic final at Wimbledon. He also will play doubles with his brother. The 29-year-old Andy also earned a silver medal in the 2012 Games when he reached the mixed doubles final with Laura Robson. Also named to the British Olympic squad were Johanna Konta and Heather Watson.
SICK CALL
A left Achilles injury has caused Simona Halep to pull out of this week’s Aegon Classic in Birmingham, Great Britain. Ranked fifth in the world, Halep said she has “some fluid inside the tendon so the doctor says that I have to rest for a few days,” but added, “It’s nothing serious.”
SEEKING RIO
The Denmark Tennis Federation is backing Caroline Wozniacki’s bid to go to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics this summer. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has decided the Danish star is ineligible because she failed to play in the two required Fed Cup ties. Wozniacki was set to play for Denmark against Bosnia and Herzegovina in April, but she hurt her right ankle so badly before the tie that she missed 10 weeks, finally returning to the WTA tour this past week. In February, Wozniacki was chosen to carry the Danish flag in the opening ceremonies in Rio. The ITF will hold a hearing on her appeal on June 30.
SERVICE HONOR
Doubles specialist Jamie Murray has been awarded an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in the Queen’s Birthday Honors for services to tennis and charity. The 30-year-old Murray teamed with his brother Andy to lead Britain to the Davis Cup title last year. In January, Murray and partner Bruno Soares won the Australian Open men’s doubles. The elder Murray is currently ranked second in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings.
STRAIGHT TO THE BANK
Serena Williams may be having trouble winning her 22nd Grand Slam tournament title, but she’s winning big-time in her march to the bank. Williams has not won a major title since Wimbledon last year, losing in the semifinals of the US Open last fall and in the finals of both the Australian Open and French Open this year. But the American is now the highest paid female athlete, passing another tennis star, Maria Sharapova, for the top spot. Sharapova was the top money-earner for 11 straight years. According to Forbes, Williams earned almost USD $29 million in the past year. That includes on-court winnings as well as endorsements and incentives. Sharapova, who was recently handed a two-year suspension for drug use, is second with USD $21.9 million.
SEEKS HELP
Stan Wawrinka has turned to former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek in a bid to improve his grass-court game. A two-time Grand Slam tournament champion and a semifinalist earlier this month at the French Open, Wawrinka has never been beyond the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. He is adding the 1996 Wimbledon champion to his coaching team, which includes Magnus Norman and Yannick Fattebert. “I have added Richard Krajicek to my existing coaching staff to help during the grass-court season for the next four weeks,” Wawrinka announced on his Facebook page. “Adding a former Wimbledon champion can only further my knowledge and understanding of the grass.”
Andy Murray has reunited with the coach that led him to two Grand Slam tournament titles and an Olympic gold medal. The Scot said his former coach Ivan Lendl will rejoin his team. “Ivan’s single-minded and knows what it takes to win the big events,” Murray said. “I had two very successful years working with him. I’m looking forward to Ivan joining the team again and helping me try and reach my goals.” Lendl won eight Grand Slam tournament singles titles – three French Opens, three US Opens and two Australian Opens. Following Lendl’s first stint as coach, Murray hired former Wimbledon women’s champion Amelie Mauresmo as his coach. Their tenure ended last month. Lend
Canada’s Milos Raonic will have former Wimbledon champion John McEnroe in his corner for the grass-court season. “He’s one of five or six guys that can win Wimbledon,” McEnroe said. “I’m excited to be part of his team. … I’m going to be a consultant on the grass.”
SHARAPOVA SUSPENDED
After an independent tribunal four that Maria Sharapova committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) suspended the world’s former number one player for two years. “It is important at all times for players to be aware of the rules and to follow them,” WTA CEO Steve Simon said. “In this case Maria has taken responsibility for her mistake from the outset. … The ITF has made its ruling and, under the Tennis Anti-Doping Program, the decision may be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The WTA will continue to follow this closely and we hope it will be resolved as soon as possible.” Sharapova said the ITF tribunal rejected a four-year suspension for an intentional violation. “The tribunal … agreed that I did not do anything intentionally wrong, yet they seek to keep me from playing tennis for two years,” Sharapova said. “I will immediately appeal the suspension portion of this ruling to CAS, the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”
SIX-YEAR SENTENCE
South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal rejected an appeal by Bob Hewitt and ruled the former Grand Slam tennis champion must serve a six-year jail sentence for the rapes and sexual assaults of young girls he coached decades ago. The three-judge panel said in a written judgment that the prison sentence given to Hewitt was appropriate and fits “the criminal and the crime.” The 76-year-old Hewitt was convicted and sentenced last year. In its statement, the judges said he “showed no remorse for his vile deeds.” Hewitt, who won 15 Grand Slam titles in doubles and mixed doubles, was found guilty of raping two girls and sexually assaulting a third in the 1980s and 1990s. The victims were minors at the time of the assaults. At his trial, Hewitt argued that the rapes were not “brutal” and that he stopped assaulting one victim when she completed. After he was found guilty, the International Tennis Hall of Fame expelled Hewitt as a member.
SHARED PERFORMANCES
Caltanissetta: Guido Andreozzi and Andres Molteni beat Marcelo Arevalo and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela 6-1 6-2
Nottingham: Andrea Hlavackova and Peng Shuai beat Gabriela Dabrowski and Yang Zhaoxuan 7-5 3-6 10-7 (match tiebreak)
‘s-Hertogenbosch (men): Mate Pavic and Michael Venus beat Dominic Inglot and Raven Klaasen 3-6 6-3 11-9 (match tiebreak)
‘s-Hertogenbosch (women): Oksana Kalashnikova and Yaroslava Shvedova beat Xenia Knoll and Aleksandra Krunic 6-1 6-1
Stuttgart: Marcus Daniell and Artem Sitak beat Oliver Marach and Fabrice Martin 6-7 (4) 6-4 10-8 (match tiebreak)
SURFING
London:
Halle: www.gerryweber-open.de/
Birmingham: www.lta.org.uk/major-events/aegon-classic-birmingham/
Mallorca: www.mallorcaopen.org/
Eastbourne: www.lta.org.uk/major-events/Aegon-International-Eastbourne/
Wimbledon: www.wimbledon.com/
TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK
MEN
$2,191,880 Aegon Championships, London, Great Britain, grass
$2,075,580 Gerry Weber Open, Halle, Germany, grass
WOMEN
$731,000 Aegon Classic, Birmingham, Great Britain, grass
$226,750 Mallorca Open, Mallorca, Spain, grass
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
MEN
$724,528 Aegon Open Nottingham, Nottingham, Great Britain, grass
WOMEN
$731,000 Aegon International Eastbourne, Eastbourne, Great Britain, grass
