Bjorn Borg

McENROE BEATS WILANDER TO SET UP SEMIFINAL SHOWDOWN WITH BORG IN BOSTON

May 1, 2010 by WTM

BOSTON, Mass., April 30, 2010 - John McEnroe defeated Mats Wilander 6-3, 6-4 Friday in the quarterfinals of the $150,000 Staples Champions Cup and advance into a semifinal confrontation with his legendary rival Bjorn Borg. The two Hall of Famers will meet in the Saturday evening session, 30 years after their epic singles finals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 1980.

Jim Courier and Mark Philippoussis will compete in the other semifinal match, to be played in Saturdays day session. Courier advanced into the semifinals Friday by defeating Jimmy Arias 6-3, 6-3.

The Staples Champions Cup is the second event on the 2010 Champions Series circuit, the global tennis circuit for champion tennis players age 30 and over. The event is being played for a fifth straight year and for the fourth time at the Agganis Arena at Boston University.

McEnroe was extra motivated to beat Wilander and set up the semifinal with Borg. He executed his serve-and-volley game to near perfection, losing very few points on serve and controlling play early and often.

I am excited to play Bjorn, said McEnroe. Anytime I play him is an extra special feeling. I had to get through the first matches, but not that we are here, I am up for it. I am going to be aggressive and try to take it early. We have seen each other enough that we know what our tendencies are. Hopefully there will be some real energy with the crowd and will fire us up. I liked having a match under my belt to get ready for this.

McEnroe and Borg played 14 times during their ATP Tour careers, each player winning seven times. Their 1980 Wimbledon final is regarded by some observers as the greatest match of all-time. Borg was able to win his fifth-straight title at the All England Club and stave off McEnroe, playing in his first Wimbledon final, by a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (16-18), 8-6 margin, highlighted by the famous 18-16 fourth-set tie-breaker. McEnroe avenged his loss to Borg later that summer in a five-set U.S. Open final. In 1981, McEnroe beat Borg in both the Wimbledon and U.S. Open finals.

McEnroe said that his favorite tennis memory was actually losing the 1980 Wimbledon final to Borg.

As time has gone by that is the match people always talk to me about, he said. Its one of those cases where I felt like I came out with a higher stature even though I lost and that doesnt happen that often. That you can come out and you can gain. I learned something from him. I learned what a great champion does they find another gear. I didnt think he had it. He found it and it was unbelievable.

Borgs appearance at the Staples Champions Cup marks his debut on the five-year-old Champions Series. Since he played his final official match on the ATP World Tour in 1993, he has competed in other various events around the world, but not in the United States since a tournament in New York City in June of 2000. Borg dropped of the pro tour full-time in 1981, playing his last Grand Slam tournament at the 1981 U.S. Open, where he lost to McEnroe in the final. He made a sporadic comeback to the ATP Tour from 1991 to 1993. A 1987 inductee into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Borg is best known for his five consecutive Wimbledon titles from 1976 to 1980 and his six French Open titles won from 1974 to 1981. He won 64 ATP singles titles and ranked No. 1 in the world for 109 weeks.

McEnroe has enjoyed some of his best success on the Champions Series circuit in Boston. He was a singles finalist in Boston in 2009, losing to Pete Sampras 7-6 (10), 6-4, one day before his 50th birthday. He won the title in 2008, defeating Aaron Krickstein in the final, and was a finalist in the inaugural event in 2006, losing to Todd Martin.

Courier outslugged Arias in the first quarterfinal match Friday night.

I thought early on that Jimmy was really dictating play with his forehand and I needed to step up my offense, said Courier. Early in the match I was trying to feel my way into it. Once I got that first set in my pocket, I felt better.

Said Courier of the McEnroe vs. Borg semifinal, I am playing an afternoon match, but I can guarantee that I will be front row and center for John and Borg. Ive never seen them play live and I dont know if I will get many more chances. Im excited to see them play. We are watching history.

The remaining schedule of the event is as follows;

Saturday, May 1
Starting at 2 pm
Doubles Exhibition
Followed by
Jim Courier vs. Mark Philippoussis

Starting at 7 pm
Doubles exhibition
Followed by
Bjorn Borg vs. John McEnroe

Sunday, May 2
Starting at 2 pm
Third-Place Match
Followed by
Championship Match

The Staples Champions Cup is part of the global Champions Series tennis circuit for champion tennis players age 30 and over. To be eligible to compete, players must have reached at least a major singles final, been ranked in the top five in the world or played singles on a championship Davis Cup team. Each event features $150,000 in prize money with the tournament champion earning $60,000 and ranking points that determine the year-end No. 1. Each tournament champion earns 800 ranking points. Courier finished the 2009 season as the top-ranked player on the series, followed by Sampras and Martin.

Former French Open semifinalist Fernando Meligeni of Brazil was the surprise winner of the opening event on the 2010 Champions Series, winning the title in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, defeating Philippoussis in the final.

CHAMPIONS SERIES VIDEO FOOTAGE

The Champions Series video page features exclusive behind the scenes footage of events and candid player chats. Videos can be seen at http://www.championsseriestennis.com/video.php

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InsideOut Sports + Entertainment is a New York City-based independent producer of proprietary events and promotions founded in 2004 by former world No. 1 and Hall of Fame tennis player Jim Courier and former SFX and Clear Channel executive Jon Venison. In 2005, InsideOut launched its signature property, the Champions Series tennis circuit, a collection of tournaments featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including “Legendary Night” exhibitions, charity events, corporate outings and tennis fantasy camps such as the annual “Ultimate Fantasy Camp”. Through 2009, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment events have raised over $4 million for charity. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

BORG EDGES PERNFORS TO OPEN STAPLES CHAMPIONS CUP IN BOSTON

April 30, 2010 by WTM

BOSTON, Mass., April 29, 2010 – Bjorn Borg, playing in an event in the United States for the first time in 10 years, defeated fellow Swede Mikael Pernfors 6-2, 2-6, 10-8 (Champion Tie-Breaker) Thursday in the opening match of the $150,000 Staples Champions Cup at the Agganis Arena at Boston University.

The 53-year-old five-time Wimbledon champion advances into the events semifinals, where he will play the winner of Friday nights match between John McEnroe and Mats Wilander. Also advancing in the event Thursday was Mark Philippoussis, who beat Wayne Ferreira 6-3, 6-2.

Borgs old school flair was present early against Pernfors as he used penetrating and consistent groundstrokes to control play. In the second set, Pernfors switched his strategy, resorting to trickery and using effective slice backhands and drop shots to keep Borg off balance and on the run. In the Champions Tie-Breaker, a first to 10-point tie-breaker played in lieu of a third set, Borg jumped out to an 8-4 lead with consistent backhand returns and aggressive baseline play and held on for the 10-8 victory.

It was a good match and we had a lot of good points, said Borg. We know each others game really well. I think it was a good match and I was really pleased.

Pernfors, 46, was impressed with the form and fitness of the elder statesman of Swedish tennis.

It was a little bit surprising how well he played, said Pernfors. I didnt think he would be moving as well as he did. I dont think I was aggressive enough from the start. It felt like he was out there feeling good and he definitely played a much better tie-breaker than I did. I havent played him in 15 years and I havent seen him in ages. So you go and think that he is not going to be able to play. He mixes up the pace so much. With 75 percent of the shots, there is no pace whatsoever. You have to create the pace yourself and that is really difficult. He disguises his shots so well. He lures you into taking the pace off.

I love to play in the States, said Borg. Its always been one of my favorite places to play. Its just a matter of scheduling and getting everything together with my kids. It worked out very well and I am happy to play in this event.

The first time I played in Boston was 1974 and I won Longwood (U.S. Pro Championships) three years in a row – 1974 was my first really big year when I won the Italian Open, French Open and I came to play Longwood in August. I have really good memories of Boston.

A 1987 inductee into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Borg is best known for his five consecutive Wimbledon titles from 1976 to 1980 and his six French Open titles won from 1974 to 1981. He won 64 ATP singles titles and ranked No. 1 in the world for 109 weeks.

In 2010, tennis fans will celebrate the 30th anniversary of his epic duels with McEnroe in the finals of Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, the Wimbledon final being regarded by some observers as the greatest match of all-time. Borg was able to win his fifth-straight title at the All England Club and stave off McEnroe, playing in his first Wimbledon final, by a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (16-18), 8-6 margin, highlighted by the famous 18-16 fourth-set tie-breaker. Should McEnroe defeat Wilander on Friday night, the two rivals would meet again Saturday night in the semifinals.

Said Borg of a possible match with McEnroe on Saturday evening, Playing John is always something special. It would be nice to see Johns face on the other side of the court.

The remaining schedule of the event is as follows;

Friday, April 30
Starting at 7 pm
Jim Courier vs. Jimmy Arias
Followed by
John McEnroe vs. Mats Wilander

Saturday, May 1
Starting at 2 pm
Doubles Exhibition
Followed by
Jim Courier or Jimmy Arias vs. Mark Philippoussis

Starting at 7 pm
Doubles exhibition
Followed by
Bjorn Borg vs. John McEnroe or Mats Wilander

Sunday, May 2
Starting at 2 pm
Third-Place Match
Followed by
Championship Match

McEnroe was a singles finalist in Boston in 2009, losing to Pete Sampras 7-6 (10), 6-4 one day before his 50th birthday. He won the title in 2008, defeating Aaron Krickstein in the final, and was a finalist in the inaugural event in 2006, losing to Todd Martin. Sampras also won the title in 2007, defeating Martin in the final.

CHAMPIONS SERIES VIDEO FOOTAGE

The Champions Series video page features exclusive behind the scenes footage of events and candid player chats. Videos can be seen at http://www.championsseriestennis.com/video.php

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BJORN BORG TO PLAY FIRST TENNIS MATCH IN UNITED STATES IN 10 YEARS ON THURSDAY

April 28, 2010 by WTM

NEW YORK, N.Y. –  Bjorn Borg, the iconic Swedish tennis legend who won five straight Wimbledon mens singles titles from 1976 to 1980, will play his first tennis match in the United States in 10 years Thursday as he kicks off play at the $150,000 Staples Champions Cup, the fifth-year Champions Series tennis event at the Agganis Arena in Boston.

Borg will face fellow Swede Mikael Pernfors at 7 pm on Thursday, April 29 to begin the opening session of the four-day event. The elite, eight-player, single knock-out tournament also features John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Mats Wilander, Mark Philippoussis, Wayne Ferreira and Jimmy Arias. The tournament has been played in Boston since 2006 and is title-sponsored for the first time this year by Staples, the world’s largest office products company based in Framingham, Mass.

Borg last competed in a tournament in the United States in 2000, but has competed in numerous events and exhibitions elsewhere around the world. He is best known for his five consecutive Wimbledon titles from 1976-1980 and his six French Open titles won from 1974 to 1981. In 2010, tennis fans will celebrate the 30th anniversary of his epic duels with McEnroe in the finals of Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, the Wimbledon final being regarded by some observers as the greatest match of all-time. Borg was able to win his fifth-straight title at the All England Club and stave off McEnroe, playing in his first Wimbledon final, by a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (16-18), 8-6 margin, highlighted by the famous 18-16 fourth-set tie-breaker. The two rivals could meet again Saturday night in the semifinals in Boston if Borg defeats Pernfors and McEnroe defeats Wilander in the quarterfinals.

CHAMPIONS SERIES VIDEO FOOTAGE

The Champions Series video page features exclusive behind the scenes footage of events and candid player chats. Videos can be seen at http://www.championsseriestennis.com/video.php

BECOME A FAN OF THE CHAMPIONS SERIES ON FACEBOOK & FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

facebook.com/championsseriestennis | twitter.com/cs_tennis

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BJORN BORG TO PLAY IN CHAMPIONS SERIES EVENT IN BOSTON

January 12, 2010 by WTM

NEW YORK, N.Y., January 12 – InsideOut Sports & Entertainment announced today that Bjorn Borg, the iconic five-time Wimbledon champion from Sweden, will play his first tournament in the United States since 2000 when he competes at the $150,000 Staples Champions Cup, April 29-May 2 at the Agganis Arena in Boston.

Borg will be joined in the elite eight-player field by his legendary rival John McEnroe as well as other former world No. 1 players Jim Courier and Mats Wilander as well as Mark Philippoussis, Wayne Ferreira, Jimmy Arias and Mikael Pernfors. The event has been played in Boston since 2006 and will be title-sponsored for the first time by Staples, the world’s largest office products company based in Framingham, Mass.

Swedish Tennis Legend To Play First Tournament In United States Since 2000 at Agganis Arena from April 29 – May 2

“Bjorn playing in the United States is a very rare occurrence so it makes the Staples Champions Cup that much more special this year,” said Courier. “He’s one of our sport’s greatest champions and to have him play on the Champions Series is a highlight for the circuit.”

Borg will play his opening match against fellow Swede Pernfors on Thursday, April 29 at 7 pm and, if victorious, will face the winner of the Friday evening quarterfinal match between McEnroe and Wilander on Saturday evening, May 1. Courier will face Arias in his opening match on Friday at 7 pm and, if victorious, will face the winner of the Philippoussis-Ferreira match on Saturday afternoon.

Staples has been a supporting sponsor of the Boston event since the first event in Boston in 2006.

“We are very excited to have Staples assume the title sponsorship of our Boston event,” said Jon Venison, co-founding partner of InsideOut Sports & Entertainment. “Staples has been a loyal supporting sponsor of our Boston event since its inception in 2006 and we are proud that they have seen such value in our event platform in Boston to have increased their involvement in this marquee event.”

“Staples Champions Cup provides us with an exciting opportunity to raise awareness of Staples among a wide audience of tennis fans,” said Don LeBlanc, senior vice president of retail marketing for Staples. “The elite caliber of this year’s competitors will make it a memorable event for all participants.”

The Staples Champions Cup is part of the global Champions Series tennis circuit for champion tennis players age 30 and over. To be eligible to compete, players must have reached at least a major singles final, been ranked in the top five in the world or played singles on a championship Davis Cup team. Each event features $150,000 in prize money – with the tournament champion earning $60,000 – and ranking points that determine the year-end No. 1. Each tournament champion earns 800 ranking points. Jim Courier finished the 2009 season as the top-ranked player on the series, followed by Pete Sampras and Todd Martin.

The full 2010 schedule of tournaments will be announced in the near future.

InsideOut Sports + Entertainment is a New York City-based independent producer of proprietary events and promotions founded in 2004 by former world No. 1 and Hall of Fame tennis player Jim Courier and former SFX and Clear Channel executive Jon Venison. In 2005, InsideOut launched its signature property, the Champions Series tennis circuit, a collection of tournaments featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including “Legendary Night” exhibitions, charity events, corporate outings and tennis fantasy camps such as the annual “Ultimate Fantasy Camp”. Through 2008, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment events have raised over $4 million for charity. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com.

JAN KODES: WATCH OUT FOR THE CZECHS IN DAVIS CUP FINAL

December 2, 2009 by WTM

Former Wimbledon and French Open Champion Jan Kodes provides his perspective to WorldTennisMagazine.com in a column previewing this weekend’s Davis Cup final be

Jan Kodes previews the Davis Cup for World Tennis Magazine

tween Spain and the Czech Republic in Barcelona. Kodes helped the Czechs (then Czechoslovakia) reach the Davis Cup final in 1975, where it lost to Bjorn Borg and Sweden, and again in 1980 where the Czech team, lead by Ivan Lendl, defeated Italy to win the title.

The Czechs enter this big match with Spain with gained confidence after beating France, Argentina and Croatia and will become a strong opponent to Rafael Nadal and his colleagues in the final held in Barcelona this weekend. The Spanish team chose the clay, their best surface, and will be very strong, but the indoor game is always a little faster and therefore I think this tie will be very interesting to see. For Czech players, Radek Stepanek and Thomas Berdych, this is a good chance to prove themselves and show how really good they are in such an important match. Since their past performances in Grand Slams have not been to dazzling, this is a great opportunity for them. The Spaniards are heavy favorites since they also have more players on their team to choose from for singles, but the full pressure is on them!

I think we could have won the Davis Cup more times in the past, if we didn’t lose Ivan Lendl due to the political affairs in 1985. He stopped playing for us after that year. The time when a I served, as Czech Davis Cup captain for six years (1982-1987), I started to write my new biography book, “A Journey to Glory from Behind the Iron Curtain“ which will be published in 2010! in English, includes other tennis tales from Czechoslovakia from 1964-1998.

JAN KODES: Kodes played internationally before the open tennis began and his best results started from 1969 up to 1977. He played in five Grand Slam singles finals and won three of them at Roland Garros (1970-1971) and Wimbledon (1973). He was able to win in total 25 singles and 31 doubles titles on the international world circuit. He played in two Davis Cup finals – 1975 and 1980. In the first Davis Cup final I n1975, Kodes, the Czech No. 1 player, was beaten by Bjorn Borg, who collected all three points for Sweden. Swedish won the Davis Cup for the first time in the history over Czechoslovakia 3-2 at Royal Indoor Hall on very fast Holmsunds-plattan rubber tiles surface in Stockholm in 1975. Kodes also teamed with Vladimir Zednik in doubles lost the crucial doubles point. The second Davis Cup final for Czechoslovakia was in Prague at the Eishockey Stadium on rubber supreme surface. In opening match, Tomas Smid beat Adriano Panatta from two sets down in five sets. The Czech team, powered by Ivan Lendl, also won the very important doubles point to get the third point when Lendl-Smid overwhelmed the strong Italian team Panatta-Bertolucci in another five setter. Shortly after this final, Kodes left the Davis Cup team where he was a stalwart for 17.years since 1964.

Mondays With Bob Greene: Davydenko Takes London

November 30, 2009 by WTM

STARS

Nikolay Davydenko beat Juan Martin del Potro 6-3 6-4 to win the ATP World Tour Finals in London, England

Kimiko Date-Krumm beat Bojana Jovanovski 7-5 6-2 to win the Dunlop World Challenge in Toyota, Japan

Michal Przysiezny beat Stephane Bohli 4-6 6-4 6-1 to win the IPP Open in Helsinki, Finland

SAYING

“Everybody concentrates on (Rafael) Nadal and (Roger) Federer. Everybody’s looking this way, not on me. Maybe now, after London, I’ll be just a small part famous here in London. And I hope that I will become famous in Russia. For me it’s really important. It was always disappointing when I played against Marat and it was 80 percent support for him. I hope now Marat is finished everybody supports me.” – Nikolay Davydenko, after winning the ATP World Tour Finals.

“He’s very fast. He plays like PlayStation. He runs to everywhere. It’s very difficult to make winners.” – Juan Martin del Potro, after losing to Nikolay Davydenko in the season-ending event in London.

“I knew before the tournament that it was going to be really tough, difficult, but I tried. Every day I tried my best, nobody can say I didn’t. But that’s tennis. I’m playing against the best players in the world. It wasn’t enough on this surface.” – Rafael Nadal.

“It means a lot to have returned to number one and to finish the year again at number one. It was an incredible year for me both on the court and off the court and to be able to break the all-time Grand Slam record and finish the year on top is amazing.” – Roger Federer.

“I’m not saying I’m dead tired, I’m saying I’m exhausted from the season. And I think you don’t need confirmation from my face to see that. I think it’s obvious on the court that I’m not moving and I’m not that energetic as I was maybe in Paris or Basel. Still, I managed to get two out of three wins. If I finish the season now, I will be very happy to finish in this way and just hope to rest well for 2010.” – Novak Djokovic, who failed to reach the semifinals in his bid to repeat as champion of the season-ending tournament.

“I wouldn’t say it’s been a great year. It’s actually been a really bad first six months, and a really good last six months.” – Robin Soderling, who finished the year in the top 10 in the world.

“It means so much. It’s pretty much what we play for now. I mean, that’s the goal. Play well in the slams, but the ultimate goal is to finish number one.” – Bob Bryan, after he and twin Mike won the ATP World Tour Finals doubles and finished the year as the top-ranked team.

“It’s not enough to play good tennis to beat these guys. You need to play good tennis and also play very good in the very important moments.” – Fernando Verdasco.

STANDING ALONE

In the end, after a year of circumnavigating the globe, it was Nikolay Davydenko who stood alone on top of the tennis world. The Russian won the biggest title of his career when he captured the ATP World Tour Finals in London, England, besting US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-3 6-4 in the final. Davydenko ousted top-ranked Roger Federer, the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion, in the semifinals. And in the round-robin portion of the season-ending tournament, he beat Australian Open winner Rafael Nadal. It was the second straight year Davydenko has reached the final of the year-ending event. Last year, in Shanghai, China, he lost to Novak Djokovic. In 2009, Davydenko was perfect in finals, winning all five times he reached the championship match.

STEADY LIGHT

Just three days into the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals, Roger Federer had wrapped up the year-ending number one ranking for a fifth time. The Swiss superstar was assured of the top ranking when he rallied to beat Andy Murray 3-6 6-3 6-1. Pete Sampras and Jimmy Connors are the only other men to finish the year as the top-ranked player at least five times since the rankings started in 1973. Sampras has the most with six. “Obviously, that was one of my big goals for this season. And it’s one of the greatest performances I think I’ve achieved,” said Federer, who this year reached all four Grand Slam tournament finals, got married and had twin girls. “Playing so well at the most important moments, it’s been the key this year. And staying healthy.”

SO SWEDE IT IS

Robin Soderling wasn’t even supposed to be playing in the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals. But when Andy Roddick pulled out with an injury, Soderling made the most of his chance, convincing many that his run to the French Open final earlier in the year wasn’t a fluke. The Swede beat Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the round-robin phase to win Group B. He then lost to US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in the semifinals, ending his remarkable run. “I’ve played against the very, very best and I won two matches and lost two,” said Soderling, who fell to eventual champion Nikolay Davydenko in three sets in his final group match. “I think I’ve showed that I can compete with these guys without playing my best tennis.” Soderling’s biggest upset of the year came at the French Open when he ousted four-time champion Nadal in the fourth round. “I want to get stronger. I want to get faster. I want to move better,” the Swede said. “I want to return better and I want to volley better. If I can do that, things will turn out well.”

STOPPED

It just wasn’t to be as Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic were unable to successfully defend their ATP World Tour Finals doubles title. “We had high hopes coming in here,” Nestor said. “We were playing well, we were the number one team.” The Canadian-Serbian duo won the crown in Shanghai, China, last year. And they captured Wimbledon in July. But they lost their first two round-robin matches in London and failed to reach the semifinals. “It’s frustrating to lose to teams that we’ve been beating, but that’s part of life,” Nestor said.

SUPER SENIORS

Marina Erakovic must have felt like a baby when she took the court for a semifinal doubles match at the Dunlop World Challenge in Toyota, Japan. The 21-year-old from New Zealand teamed with 32-year-old Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand to beat two really old-timers, Japan’s Kimiko Date-Krumm and Indonesia’s Yayuk Basuki. Date-Krumm turned 39 in September; Basuki turned 39 on November 30. Although she lost in doubles, Date-Krumm won the singles title, beating Serbia’s Bojana Jovanovski 7-5 6-2. Jovanovski doesn’t turn 18 until December 31.

SPOTLIGHT, PLEASE

Now that he’s captured the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals, Nikolay Davydenko is looking for respect – and space in the spotlight. Although he has been ranked in the top 10 in the world for the last five years, Davydenko has remained almost anonymous, especially at home in Moscow where fellow player Marat Safin has been a tremendous fan favorite. “I hope that I will become famous in Russia. For me it’s really important. It was always disappointing when I played against Marat and it was 80 percent support for him,” Davydenko said. “I hope now Marat is finished everybody supports me.”

STAYING HOME?

Japan’s top player on the men’s tour, Kei Nishikori, says he may miss the Australian Open because of an elbow injury. “I can’t make a schedule for the tour until my elbow is completely healed,” the 19-year-old Nishikori said. “I still need one or two months to be back to 100 percent. I want to take part (in the Australian Open), but probably I can’t.” Nishikori, who turns 20 in late December, has been sidelined since injuring his right elbow in March. He underwent surgery in August and resumed training at the end of October. “I think my condition is about 70 percent now,” Nishikori said.

SCHEDULES SET

Jelena Dokic will play at the Hobart International as she prepares for next month’s Australian Open. The 26-year-old Dokic, once ranked number four in the world, beat three seeded players on her way to the quarterfinals of the 2009 Australian Open. “She captured the hearts of all tennis fans at the Australian Open in January and hopefully she can continue her form in the main draw here and get her 2010 season off to a winning start,” Hobart tournament director Michael Roberts said. The Hobart tournament begins January 8.

American James Blake will begin his 2010 season by playing at the Brisbane International, one of the key warm-up events to the Australian Open. Others in the field include fellow American Davis Cupper Andy Roddick, US Open champion Kim Clijsters and fellow Belgian Justine Henin.

SPLITSVILLE

In what was their last match together, Mahesh Bhupathi of India and Mark Knowles of the Bahamas lost to American twins Bob and Mike Bryan in the semifinals of the ATP World Tour Finals. Next year Bhupathi will team with Max Mirnyi of Belarus, while Knowles will join up with American Mardy Fish. During their two years together, Bhupathi and Knowles reached two Grand Slam finals, at the Australian Open and US Open.

SWITCHING NATIONALITIES

Jarmila Groth is now an Australian. A native of the Slovak Republic, Jarmila Gajdosova fell in love with Australia on her first visit Down Under as a 14-year-old. She established residency in the country in 2004 and became a member of the Australian Institute of Sport Pro Tour program in late 2007. Earlier this year, she married fellow tennis professional Sam Groth. Now she has become a naturalized citizen and can finally represent Australia in Fed Cup. A member of the Slovak Fed Cup team in 2003, Groth has been sidelined since the US Open where she suffered an ankle injury. She is scheduled to return at the Brisbane International in January.

SWITCHING SITES

After a 65-year run, the Austrian Open is no more. The clay-court tournament has been dropped from the ATP World Tour calendar after a legal dispute with local authorities over the tennis stadium in Kitzbuehel, Austria. The tournament rights have been moved to Nice, France, for at least the next five seasons. Austrian Open tournament director Ronnie Leitgeb said the Kitzbuehel city council refused to sign an agreement on the terms of use of the stadium. It is the second straight year that an Austrian tournament has been dropped from the ATP calendar. The tournament is Poertschach, Austria, ended its run a year ago.

SPEAKING UP

Michael Chang says Asian men just need better coaching if they are to match the success of Asian female players. There currently are eight Asian women ranked in the top 100 in the world, led by China’s Li Na at number 15. The highest-ranked man is Taiwan’s Lu Yen-hsun at number 96. The 1989 French Open champion and once ranked second in the world, Chang said the disparity between the sexes is due to coaching. Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan reached a career-high ranking of number nine in the world before being sidelined with a wrist injury. “It’s not that easy for some of these players in China to get the coaching they need,” said Chang, a Chinese-American who grew up in Encinitas, California. “Nearly all of these Chinese girls that have had success have had coaching from foreign coaches. You can work really hard, but if you’re not training in the right way you’re not going to improve and get to the level that you want to.”

STELLAR MIX

Michael Chang, Stefan Edberg and Marat Safin will compete in the Hong Kong Tennis Classic, an exhibition that will mix retired male players and active female players. Others in the field include Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, Caroline Wozniacki, Victoria Azarenka and Vera Zvonareva. The competition begins January 6.

SWINGING AWAY

Andy Murray wants umpires to get tough on players who delay a match. The 22-year-old British star seemed to be agitated during his three-set loss to Fernando Verdasco at the ATP World Tour Finals, having to wait for his Spanish opponent after changeovers. “For me, if it’s 25 seconds that you get between the points, I think some of the tournaments it’s 20 seconds, and if you’re over a couple of times, there has to be a warning,” Murray said. “There’s no excuse for that. And when the umpire calls time, you should be out of your chair. That’s it. That’s the reason why they have those time limits. If the umpire calls time and your opponent is allowed to sit there for an extra 15 seconds, then I just don’t think you should be allowed to do that.”

SWINGING FOR $$$$

Lindsay Davenport will join twins Bob and Mike Bryan, along with US Open surprises Melanie Oudin and John Isner for the BCF Tennis Challenge to be played December 9 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The event, presented by The Baltimore Sun Media Group, is the longest running annual charity event in the world. Since 1986, more than USD $4 million has been raised and distributed to area charities through Pam Shriver’s partnership with the Baltimore Community Foundation. Davenport has won three Grand Slam tournament singles titles and is one of six players to reach the number one world ranking in both singles and doubles. She finished in the Top 20 in singles for 13 consecutive years. “Lindsay is a future Hall of Famer. She ranks along side of Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert as one of only four players who have been ranked year-end number one on four (different) occasions,” said Shriver, the tournament chairperson.

STELLAR DRAW

Sweden’s Daniel Berta, currently the top-ranked junior in the world, and France’s Gianni Mina, who lost to Berta in the French Open Junior Boys final, are top-seeded at the 63^rd Dunlop Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships, which begins December 6 in Key Biscayne, Florida, USA. The tournament features singles and doubles competition for boys and girls in 18-and-under and 16-and-under divisions. The Girls’ 18s field includes Kristina Mladenovic of France, who won the girls singles at Roland Garros, and Heather Watson of Great Britain, the US Open junior girls singles champion. The American contingent will be led by Denis Kudla of Arlington, Virginia, and Raymond Sarmiento of Fontana, California, in the Boys’ 18s, and Beatrice Capra of Ellicott City, Maryland, and Ester Goldfield of Brooklyn, New York, in the Girls’ 18s. Past winners of the Orange Bowl 18-and-under singles include Chris Evert, Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Gabriela Sabatini, Jim Courier, Anna Kournikova and Andy Roddick.

SPONSOR RETAINED

Smarting from being forced to miss the year-ending ATP World Tour Finals because of an injury, Andy Roddick is looking forward to 2010. The American has begun training and announced a renewed four-year sponsorship deal with Lacoste. Financial details of the deal with the French apparel maker were not announced. Roddick had one of his best years in 2009, reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open and losing to Roger Federer 16-14 in the fifth set of an epic Wimbledon final. Roddick is planning to start in Brisbane, Australia, in January, then move on to the Australian Open.

SITE SWITCH

The Indianapolis Tennis Championships will be leaving the Indiana capital. Tournament director Kevin Martin said the sanctioning rights to the ATP event will be sold. “We’ve had no offers from anyone in Indianapolis to buy it, so I anticipate it will be moving,” Martin said. The event was voted Tournament of the Year by the players a record 11 times, including 10 consecutive years from 1988-97. The last honor came in 2001. Part of the US Open Series, the tournament has struggled financially since RCA pulled out as title sponsor after the 2006 event. From 1969 to 1986, the men’s and women’s tournament was called the US Open Clay Court Championships. It was a men’s only clay event in 1987 and has been a men’s hard court tournament since 1988. “For a multitude of economic reasons, we decided the best decision was the sell the sanction rights,” Martin said.

SAD NEWS

Mike Penner, a longtime Los Angeles Times sportswriter who made headlines in 2007 when he announced that he was transsexual, is dead at the age of 52. The cause of death was not immediately determined but was believed to be suicide. Penner covered tennis, the Olympics, the Angels, World Cup soccer, sports media and a variety of other assignments. In April 2007, he surprised colleagues and readers when he announced that he was “a transsexual sportswriter.” Writing as Christine Daniels, Penner started a column for the paper’s website in May 2007 and a blog about the transition. In October 2008, he returned to using the Mike Penner byline. He is survived by his brother, John, a copy editor at The Times, and his former wife, Times staff writer Lisa Dillman.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

London: Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan beat Max Mirnyi and Andy Ram 7-6 (3) 6-3

Toyota: Marina Erakovic and Tanasugarn Tamarine beat Akari Inoue and Akiko Yonemura 6-1 6-4

Helsinki: Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi beat Jarkko Nieminen and Henri Kontinen 6-2 7-6 (7)

SITES TO SURF

Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com

ITF: www.itftennis.com/

Salzburg: http://tennis.wettpoint.com/en/challenger-atp/salzburg-indoors.html

London: www.aegonmasterstennis.com

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

ATP

$100,000 Salzburg Indoors, Salzburg, Austria, hard

$50,000 Yurga Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, carpet

DAVIS CUP

Championship

Spain vs. Czech Republic at Barcelona, Spain

SENIORS

AEGON Masters Tennis, London, United Kingdom, indoor

Mondays With Bob Greene: I think that Justine’s comeback is good news for women’s tennis

September 28, 2009 by WTM

STARS

Albert Montanes won the BCR Open Romania, beating Juan Monaco 7-6 (2) 7-6 (6) in Bucharest, Romania

Gael Monfils beat Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6 (1) 3-6 6-2 to win the Open de Moselle in Metz, France

Kimiko Date Krumm beat Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3 6-3 to win the Hansol Korea Open in Seoul, Korea

Shahar Peer won the Tashkent Open, defeating Akgul Amanmuradova 6-3 6-4 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Arantxa Parra-Santonja beat Alexandra Dulgheru 6-4 6-3 to win the Open GDF Suez de Bretagne in Saint Malo, France

Thomas Enqvist beat Michael Chang 6-4 7-6 (5) to win the Trophee Jean-Luc Lagardere in Paris, France

Jim Courier beat Pete Sampras 2-6 6-4 10-8 (match tiebreak) to win the Breezeplay Championships in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

SAYING

“A flame I thought was extinguished forever suddenly lit up again.” – Justine Henin, announcing her return to tennis one year after she retired while being ranked number one in the world.

“Justine is that rare athlete who decided to step away from the game at the height of her powers and no doubt she will be a force to be reckoned with.” – Stacey Allaster, WTA Tour CEO, on Justin Henin ending her retirement.

“The match reminded me again that in tennis you really don’t know how anything will turn out before you actually play.” – Kimiko Date Krumm, at 38 years, 11 months, 30 days becoming the second oldest player in the Open Era to win a singles title on the WTA Tour.

“When I was on court, I didn’t feel like she was 38. She won five matches in a row this week, four in three sets, more than two and a half hours, and today she was running like it was the first day.” – Anabel Medina Garrigues, after losing to Kimiko Date Krumm in the final of the Hansol Korea Open.

“For a long time people spoke about my lost finals. But now the curse is over.” – Gael Monfils, who ended a four-year title drought with his victory at the Open de Moselle.

“I think that Justine’s comeback is good news for women’s tennis but even better news for Belgium in general. … For tennis it is brilliant that she’s back.” – Kim Clijsters, on the return of Justine Henin.

“When I saw the draw I thought I could beat her. But you never know what she’s going to bring.” – Lucie Safarova, after beating former world number one Ana Ivanovic in a first-round match in Tokyo.

“I’m a little bit disappointed, but sports is like this. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.” – Juan Monaco, after losing the BCR Open Romania to Albert Montanes.

“We’ve played our first two tournaments together in the last two weeks and won them both. It’s a great feeling.” – Tatiana Poutchek, who teamed with Olga Govortsova to win the doubles in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, a week after winning in Guangzhou, China.

“It was a fabulous and glorious end, but he got a bad call late in the fifth set. He didn’t argue it.” – Jack Kramer’s son Bob, talking at his father’s memorial service.

SHE’S BACK

After watching fellow Belgian countrywoman Kim Clijsters win the US Open, another former number one player, Justine Henin, has decided to end her retirement. “The past 15 months I have been able to recharge my physical batteries, mental batteries (and) emotional batteries,” Henin said. Winner of four French Opens, two US Opens and the Australian Open, Henin said she plans to return to the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour in January in Australia. Henin was 25 years old when she retired in May 2008, saying she no longer had passion for tennis. She now says the passion is back. She will begin her comeback by playing exhibition tournaments in Dubai and Belgium in November and December. “Justine is one of the great champions in the history of women’s tennis and we, along with millions of her fans around the globe, are thrilled with her announcement today,” WTA Tour chief Stacey Allaster said in a statement.

STILL SORE

Rafael Nadal has pulled out of the Thailand Open because of an acute rupture of an abdominal muscle. Nadal admitted the injury contributed to his US Open semifinal loss to eventual champion Juan Martin del Potro. The Spaniard is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks. Nadal will remain in Spain to receive treatment for the injury.

STAYING HOME

Citing exhaustion, Roger Federer withdrew from the Japan Open and Shanghai ATP Masters. “This will allow me a chance to give my body a chance to rest, rehabilitate and recover from a physically challenging year,” Federer said in a statement. The Swiss star reached the final of all four Grand Slam tournaments this year, winning the French Open for the first time and breaking Pete Sampras’ record by capturing his 15^th major title at Wimbledon. He also earned two points in Switzerland’s 3-2 Davis Cup victory over Italy in September.

STAYING THE COURSE

The retirements of Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin were just like taking weekends off if you compare them to Kimiko Date Krumm. Once ranked as high as fourth in the world, Date Krumm was retired for 12 years before returning to the tennis tour. After eight consecutive first-round losses, Date Krumm won not only a match but a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour tournament when she defeated Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3 6-3 in the final of the Korea Open in Seoul. It was her first WTA Tour title since 1996 and, at age 38 years, 11 months and 30 days, the Japanese veteran becomes the second oldest player to win a Tour singles title, behind Billie Jean King. Date Krumm enjoyed success on the ITF women’s circuit before rejoining the WTA Tour. “For the past year I didn’t know if I could compete well on the Tour, but now it looks OK,” Date Krumm said.

SRICHAPHAN RETURNS

Paradorn Srichaphan never retired, he just stopped playing because of injuries. Now, the former ninth-ranked player will play doubles at the Thailand Open this week, his first action since March 2007. “I wanted to come back by using the Thailand Open as my tournament,” said the best player ever to come out of Thailand. “I’m not fit enough for the singles.” Srichaphan, who has won five career titles, underwent surgery on his wrist in Los Angeles in 2007 and again in Bangkok, Thailand, earlier this year. He and countryman Danai Udomchoke received a wild card entry into the Thailand Open.

SAD SENDOFF

Several hundred spectators paid tribute to Hall of Famer Jack Kramer as he was remembered at a memorial service at the Los Angeles Tennis Center. Kramer died on September 12 after a battle with cancer. The 88-year-old is survived by five children and eight grandchildren. US Open tournament director Jim Curley, calling Kramer a pioneer, said: “Every one of us who makes our living in professional tennis owes a debt of gratitude to Jack” Hall of Famer Pam Shriver and Bill Dwyre of the Los Angeles Times served as hosts of the ceremony.

SWITZERLAND-SPAIN TIE

They’ve met in the finals of the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon. Now, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer could battle in the opening round of the 2010 Davis Cup. Spain and Switzerland could face each other in the first round of World Group play next year. The world’s top two players have never faced each other in Davis Cup action since neither played when the two nations met in a first-round tie in 2007, Spain winning 3-2. “I truly enjoy playing for my country but I’ll also have to see where I have my priorities for next season,” Federer said. “Of course, there are the Grand Slams, but there is also number one, which is a bit of a dilemma. Like in the other years, I will see after the Australian Open how I feel and if I play the first round.”

SET FOR HOPMAN

Teen-ager Melanie Oudin and big John Isner both made big splashes at the US Open where they recorded huge upsets. Now they’ll team up to lead the United States challenge at the 2010 Hopman Cup. Oudin is ranked 43^rd in the world after her US Open run to the quarterfinals where she upset top 10 player Elena Dementieva and former world number one Maria Sharapova. The 6-foot-9 (2.06 m) Isner used his big serve to upset fellow American Andy Roddick before losing to Roger Federer in the fourth round. Others confirmed for the Hopman Cup, which runs from January 2-9, include Australians Lleyton Hewitt and Samantha Stosur, and Russians Igor Andreev and Dementieva.

STAYING HOME

Serena Williams won’t be playing in Tokyo this week because of injuries. The Australian and Wimbledon champion pulled out of the Pan Pacific Open with problems with her knee and toe. She has not played a singles match since her rant at a lineswoman in her semifinal loss to Kim Clijsters at the US Open. Serena will be the only member of the women’s top 10, including her older sister Venus, not competing in the USD $2 million event.

SPARKLING PLAY

The British duo of Colin Fleming and Ken Skupski finally have a title to go along with the scalps of top doubles teams they have collected. “This is our first (direct) acceptance at ATP World Tour level,” Skupski said, then noted that in the previous three ATP events they’re played they have beaten American twins Bob and Mike Bryan as well as the Brazilian duo of Marcelo Melo and Andre Sa. “So we always knew that we were capable of beating top guys,” he said. At Metz, France, Fleming and Skupski upset the top-seeded team of Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra 2-6 6-4 10-5 (match tiebreak) to win the Open de Moselle. En route to the final, they also knocked off the third-seeded team of Christopher Kas and Rogier Wassen.

SUCCESS FINALLY

When Jim Courier beat Pete Sampras for the first time since the opening round of the 1997 Italian Open, it gave him the title of the $150,000 Breezeplay Championships at The Palisades Country Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. It was Courier’s ninth career title on the Outback Champions Series, the global circuit for champion tennis players age 30 and over. Courier clinched the title when Sampras double-faulted on match point. “I was serving right into the sun on that one and it hurt a little bit,” Sampras said. During their ATP Tour careers, Sampras beat Courier 16 times in their 20 meetings, including the Wimbledon final in 1993.

SURPRISE TREAT

Andre Agassi, making his Outback Champions Series debut, and Mikael Pernfors will clash in the opening round of the 2009 Cancer Treatment Centers of America Tennis Championships to be held October 8-11 in Surprise, Arizona, USA. Agassi will be the eighth former world number one to compete in the Outback Champions Series, a global tennis circuit for champion players age 30 and over. Others competing this year include Mark Philippoussis, Wayne Ferreira, Jim Courier, Todd Martin, Aaron Krickstein and Jimmy Arias. Other former number one players who have competed on the Outback Champions Series include Pete Sampras, Courier, Pat Rafter, Stefan Edberg, Mats Wilander, Thomas Muster and John McEnroe.

STOPPING

Sergio Roitman says he will retire from professional tennis at the conclusion of the Copa Petrobas, an ATP World Tour Challenger tournament in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A native of Buenos Aires, Roitman announced his decision at the draw ceremony. “It is a strange moment for me, but the time has come for me to leave professional tennis,” said Roitman. “Physically, I cannot compete at the highest level anymore. I think this is the best place to retire, at a tournament that has given me a lot of pleasure and surrounded by people that have helped me and whom I love very much.” Currently ranked 124^th in the world, the 30-year-old Roitman reached a career-high 62 in singles in October 2007. During his 14-year-old career he won two ATP World Tour doubles titles, and achieved high highest doubles ranking of 45^th in the world in September 2008.

SERBIAN JAIL

Jelena Dokic’s father has had his 15-month prison sentence confirmed by a Serbian court. The retrial for Damir Dokic was held because the Australian ambassador to Serbia, Clair Birgin, did not testify in person during the original hearing in June. This time she was again represented by a lawyer. In June, Dokic was found guilty of “endangering the security” of Ambassador Birgin as well as unlawful possession of weapons, including a hand grenade. Dokic was arrested after reportedly saying he would blow up Birgin’s car if she didn’t stop negative articles about him from being published in Australia. Now 26 years old, Jelena Dokic was born in the former Yugoslavia and migrated with her family to Australia as a child and represented her adopted country at the 2000 Olympics. She renounced her Australian ties in 2001 and moved back to Serbia, only to return to Australia in 2006.

SERENA SPONSOR

Serena Williams is featured in a lighthearted campaign for Tampax. The Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble Co. said Williams will take on Tampax’s “Mother Nature” character in new magazine print advertising. Company officials said Williams represents the energy, independence and strength of women they want to celebrate. The campaign was in the works before Williams was fined $10,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct during the US Open when she harangued a lineswoman. P&G spokesman David Bernens said: “Clearly she admitted she made a mistake. She apologized. We support her apology.”

SENIOR SPONSOR

The Masters Tennis at Royal Albert Hall in London has a new sponsor. AEGON will become the title sponsor of the senior event that has featured an array of Wimbledon champions, including Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe and Pete Sampras. The tournament will be known as the AEGON Masters Tennis as the life assurance and pensions company’s involvement in the sport in Great Britain continues to grow. The new sponsorship means AEGON is involved in British tennis at every level, from grass roots development to the hugely popular senior event. Among those expected to compete this year will be Wimbledon champions Goran Ivanisevic and Stefan Edberg, along with two-time Wimbledon finalist Patrick Rafter.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Bucharest: Frantisek Cermak and Michal Mertinak beat Johan Brunstrom and Jean-Julien Rojer 6-2 6-4

Metz: Colin Fleming and Ken Skupski beat Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra 2-6 6-4 10-5 (match tiebreak)

Seoul: Chan Yung-Jan and Abigail Spears beat Carly Gullickson and Nicole Kriz 6-3 6-4

Tashkent: Olga Govortsova and Tatiana Poutchek beat Vitalia Diatchenko and Ekaterina Dzehalevich 6-2 6-7 (1) 10-8 (match tiebreak)

Saint Malo: Timea Bacsinszky and Tathiana Garbin beat Andreja Klepac and Aurelie Vedy 6-3 retired

SITES TO SURF

Bangkok: www.thailandopen.org

Kuala Lumpur: www.malasianopentennis.com/

Athens: www.vogueathensopen.com

Beijing: www.chinaopen.cn/

Tokyo: http://rakutenopen.rakuten.co.jp/en/index.html