World Tennis Magazine

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challenger

Futures tennis events — Where the umpires are paid more than the tennis pros

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VERO BEACH, Fla. — The USTA Pro Circuit is the American version of the “minor leagues” of tennis.

The circuit of 88 events in 2012 is comprised of “Futures” events — tournaments with $10,000 or $15,0000 in total prize money – and “Challenger” events – with tournaments featuring total prize money in the $50,000 to $100,000 range. These are the prize money structures for not just the “USTA” portion of these level tournaments, but also globally via the International Tennis Federation. The USTA Pro Circuit, the largest developmental tennis circuit in the world, features a grand total of nearly $3 million in prize money.

Vero Beach, Florida Futures tennis tournament

Vero Beach, Fla., a picturesque and quaint beach town where I like to spend as much time as I can, recently hosted a men’s $10,000 Futures event, by many accounts, one of the most successful in the world based on longevity and local fan and sponsor support. The event, title-sponsored this year by SorensenRealEstate.com, just finished its 19th edition with Australian John-Patrick Smith taking the title match 6-2, 6-0 over Pedro Zerbini of Brazil in front of a nice crowd of over 300 patrons (each paying either $10 or $20 to attend), who enthusiastically watched some excellent world-class tennis on the final day.

For his singles victory, Smith earned a first-prize paycheck of $1,300. He also won the doubles title and split the $630 first-prize paycheck with his American partner Benjamin Rogers. Zerbini earned $900 for his runner-up singles showing, which was well-earned since the world No. 773 and the No. 33 Brazilian won three matches in the qualifying tournament, then won four matches in the main draw before losing to Smith, ranked No. 336 in the world and No. 11 in Australia. That’s eight matches in nine days for Zerbini, earning him exactly $100 a day during his “successful” Vero Beach stay.

There was much local buzz in Vero Beach at the exploits of Kriegler Brink, the young South African teaching pro at The Moorings Club who was a former standout at Texas Christian University. Brink made an incredible run to the singles semifinals of the tournament last year, despite not playing a competitive singles tournament in a year-and-a-half. This year, having not played in another competitive tournament since last year’s USTA Vero Beach Futures, he reached the second round of singles – losing to Zerbini – but made a great run to the doubles semifinals with another Vero Beach local Robert Kowalczyk, a former standout at the University of California and a local entrepreneur.

Brink earned $200 for his second-round singles showing – his second-round match with Zerbini had a bounty of $90 bucks on the line as the winner would be guaranteed losing quarterfinalist money of $290. You would think that it was $90,000 or event $900,000 on the line the way that Kriegler and Zerbini were fighting tooth and nail for every point. Lost points were usually followed by racquet tosses or Brazilian or Afrikaan swear words being shouted as loud as a human voice could shriek. There were stare downs and even a good ole fashion “beaning” as Kriegler tattoed a Wilson tennis ball off Zerbini’s shoulder during a tense net exchange early in the second set. All of this with $90 bucks on the line? Talk about competitive!

By reaching the doubles semifinals, Brink and Kowalczyk split $260 dollars. That’s $130 each. So for two singles matches and three doubles matches, Brink grossed $330 for approximately seven hours of competitive match-play. That’s $47 an hour.

Brink played his second-round singles match during the afternoon session of the tournament on Wednesday, May 3 and returned for the evening session to play his doubles semifinal. In between, he taught two lessons at The Moorings club where his hourly rate is $65 per hour.

A young American prospect named Tennys Sandgren reached the semifinals in Vero Beach, losing to Smith 6-2, 7-5. Sandgren, whose first name is pronounced “Tennis,” was a standout player from the University of Tennessee who turned professional last year after winning consecutive USTA Futures events in Illinois. For his respectable semifinal finish in Vero Beach, the world No. 404 earned $480. Another young American talent Bjorn Fratangelo, who last year became the first American since John McEnroe in 1977 to win the French Open junior boys’ singles title, lost in the first round in Vero Beach to Canadian Phil Bester. Ranked No. 753 in the world, Fratangelo earned a paycheck of $117.50 in Vero Beach.

Players at these tournaments can stay at local hotels – usually offered at about $125 a night in Vero Beach – but can also be housed for free by local families, willing to help out a talented young tennis player. Lunches are provided by the tournaments, but everything else is an expense they have to incur on their own. I’d like to have a look inside some of these players tennis bags to see if they have two pennies to rub together after a week of living, travel and training expenses against prize money.

It is interesting to note that for tournaments at this level, there are three to five umpires/officials assigned to work the event. According to Mike Rahaley, the Vero Beach Futures tournament director, a fee of $4,500 has to be paid by him for these officials for the week. Plus he has to be responsible for their room and board for the week, an obligation he does not have to the “talent” – the players actually competing in the tournament. This amount for room and board is an additional $3,000 or so. According to some rough math based on these figures, these umpires/officials would receive about $1,000 for the week on the average, and their hotel and food is paid for. This makes the week of work for the chair umpires and officials more financially “lucrative” – although we hate to use that term – than every player competing in the tournament, save for the singles champion.

The All England Lawn Tennis Club announced recently its prize money for the 2012 edition of Wimbledon would see a increase of 10 percent from 2011, with a majority of the money being directed towards the earlier-round losers of the tournament. First-round losers at Wimbledon in 2012 will have their prize money increased by 26 percent – to approximately $23,400. Second-round losers will pocket approximately $37,000. Fourth-round losers would have their pay days increased by 13 percent – to approximately $121,000.

Said All England Club chairman Philip Brook during the 2012 prize money announcement, “Wimbledon continues to be successful and we are delighted to share that increase with the players. At the same time, we appreciate the need to help players meet the rising costs associated with professional tennis.”

Based on some number crunching from the USTA Futures of Vero Beach, it seems that a concern for the financial well-being of tennis players may need a trickle-down effect.

TOUGH LOVE FOR ANA IVANOVIC

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By Blair Henley

It’s been just over two years since a smiling Ana Ivanovic charmed her way to victory at Roland Garros, but all memories of the brunette Serb hoisting any kind of trophy seem to be as distant as her No. 1 ranking.

Just ask Eugene Lapierre, tournament director at the Rogers Cup in Montreal, who denied the 22-year-old a wildcard into the main draw despite the fact that she won the tournament four years ago.

Instead, the wildcard will likely go to Canada’s No. 2 player, Stephanie Dubois, sending 63rd ranked Ivanovic into unfamiliar territory – the qualifying tournament.

Ana Ivanovic
Ana Ivanovic

On paper, Lapierre’s decision seems defensible, however unpopular. After all, the tournament’s 56-person draw puts Ivanovic on the bubble anyway, and it’s not uncommon to give wildcards to local talent.

But Ivanovic is a former champion. In fact, Lapierre admitted that  “she’s a player who has done a lot for our tournament — almost saved it one year.”

That seems like reason enough to let her give it a go. Not to mention the obvious benefits of having the presence of the still-popular Ivanovic guaranteed in the main draw. Dubois, ranked 125th, may be the hometown girl, but let’s be honest, it’s doubtful she’s a bigger draw than Ivanovic.

Right or wrong, the controversy at the Rogers Cup has highlighted the fact that Ivanovic will not be able to slide by on her marketability (read: looks and personality) forever.

If she’s really serious about resurrecting her game after an inexplicable two-year funk, she might want to consider pulling an Andre Agassi. In 1997, Agassi’s ranking sunk to No. 141, leading many to assume his career was finished. But with a new focus on his fitness, he decided to swallow his pride and work his way through the Challenger Circuit, also known as the minor leagues of tennis. Of course, we all know how that turned out.

Who knows if an Agassi-like resurgence is in the cards for Ivanovic, but one thing’s for sure – she’s got to change her approach (not just her coach, which she has done several times in the past two years). Some have speculated that she might benefit from a turn in the qualifying rounds, and while that may be true, there is also the potential that losing early could crush any sliver of confidence she has left.

So what about playing in some slightly smaller tournaments? Her ranking is still good enough for automatic entry into any second tier event, which could be a great place to start as she continues her quest to locate her once-dazzling form.  Losing in a main draw match, no matter what level, won’t be quite as psychologically debilitating as losing in the qualifying.

The Rogers Cup follows two, possibly three, tournaments where Ivanovic will play in the main draw thanks to wildcards. While it’s tough to completely understand Lapierre’s reasoning in Montreal, it may provide a much needed reality check for the almost-superstar. No one gets free passes for life.

After losing 6-3, 6-0 to Alisa Kleybanova in the second round at this year’s French Open, Ivanovic said, “I’m on the right path, and I’m doing lots of things right. I have a plan in place, and I have a really good team around me. I’m very happy with the improvements that have been made.”

Then she went on to lose in the first round at Wimbledon.

Her calm in the face of a career meltdown is admirable, but there comes a point when breaking a racket or launching an incoherent rant during a press conference might actually be cathartic. It must be exhausting to act like each successive loss is independent of a bigger problem.

Ana Ivanovic is an interesting case. Unlike Dinara Safina, another former No. 1 whose gradual self-destruction has been about as subtle as Venus’s “illusion” outfit at Roland Garros, Ivanovic’s slide has seemed oddly avoidable. She says all the right things, she’s been relatively healthy, she looks frustrated, but not panicked in her matches, and every tournament she plays seems like the tournament that will prompt “She’s Back!” headlines.

But so far, that hasn’t been the case. Maybe Ana will look back and thank Mr. Lapierre for giving her the kick in the buns she needed. We’ll soon find out.

MUSTER, 42, CRASHES OUT OF GERMAN CHALLENGER

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Former world No. 1 Thomas Muster crashed out in a flurry of unforced errors at the $125,000 ITF challenger in Braunschweig, Germany Tuesday, losing 6-2, 6-1 in the opening round to Irishman Conor Niland. Muster, 42, was playing his first pro event since the 1999 French Open.

The 28-year-old Niland, currently ranked at a career high No. 165 in the world, was content to mainly hit balls deep down the middle of the court as the 1995 French Open champion struggled with his timing throughout, only holding serve once the whole match and committing six double faults.

Muster is still scheduled to play in the doubles event with Jaan-Frederick Brunken of Germany.

By McCarton Ackerman

CHARLIE BRICKER: FEDERER FIRST-ROUNDER FURTHER REVEALS THE SLOW FADE

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By Charles Bricker

Roger Federer was looking, and no doubt feeling, justifiably smug after breezing through the fifth set of a match that twice left him staring at an historic first-round defeat at Wimbledon.

But at some point, when the euphoria of this 5-7, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (1), 6-0 win begins to fade, he’s going to have to come to grips with the reality that his game is in a slow fade.

This wasn’t world-class Tommy Haas, who was up two sets to love on Federer at last year’s French Open before losing. This was No. 60 Alejandro Falla, who came into this Day 1 opener on Centre Court with fewer grass court wins (seven) than Federer has grass court titles (11).

This was a Colombian challenger who has never won a tour title, even on his favored clay. This was an opponent who three times had the ATP trainer out to work on a pulled thigh or hamstring muscle after he had won the first two sets. This was a player who had previously confronted Federer four times, without winning a set, and who went down to Fed 6-1, 6-2 on the grass at Halle, Germany, two weeks ago.

Anyone who concludes that Federer’s championship days are over would be wrong. He put on more than a few of those quintessential Federer Moments — upper case. But he’s no longer a dominant player, even on grass. He’s beatable and every top player knows it, despite Federer blowing off losses to the likes of Albert Montanes and Ernests Gulbis as non-Slam and inconsequential.

He was down love-40 at 4-4 in the third set of this gripper and saved four break points that would have left Falla serving for a straight-set win, and he played some brilliant stuff to ward off failure. (Falla did serve for the match at 5-4 in the fourth set, but was broken easily).

But there were far more errors. Too many shanks. Too many inexplicable ground stroke errors. His second serve is not what it once was, allowing Falla to step inside the baseline and burn returns back that put him immediately in charge of points. And Federer no longer sprints to his right as he once did.

Meanwhile, Falla played perhaps the match of his life and, like Andy Roddick in last year’s Wimbledon final, had to gut out this loss with a leg injury. No excuse there. It’s all part of the game, though in this match it was Federer who did most of the running. So let’s give Federer some high marks for fitness.

Falla did a beautiful job in the first three and a half sets of mixing speeds, of controlling Federer with his lefty backhand crosscourts, and of curling his second serves into the ad court so deep that Federer was unable to get around them to return with a forehand. He looked composed, unflappable, as if he knew he could win.

But that was before the finish line appeared. That’s when he looked jangled.

Federer went down love-40 at 4-4 in the third with three awful errors — a surprisingly weak backhand into the net, a forehand into the net and one of his numerous shanks. But Falla could not finish the job. At 40-30, he had a good look at a forehand volley in tight to the net and netted.

He had a fourth break point and blooped a return that left Federer an easy winner. “Come on!” Federer screamed when he scored that one easily. Then, at deuce, Falla tried to play a delicate drop volley that Federer reached. Another mistake. A service winner gave Fed a 5-4 lead and he served it out to get back within a set.

Had Falla won that game. . .? Well, who knows. He would still have to serve it out, and he showed in the fourth set he wasn’t capable of that.

His last great moments got him into the fourth-set tiebreak, where he lost six straight from 1-1, hitting three unforced errors. He didn’t look fatigued. How could a clay-courter from South America looked fatigued on grass? But it was obvious the leg was bothering him.

Final statistics will show that Federer won 56 percent of his second serve points, which is just about right on his average for the season. But he was only at 50 percent in the first two sets, and this is grass, where you’d expect his percentage to be even higher than his 56 percent average. In last year’s final vs. Roddick, for example, he won 60 percent of his second serve points.

No doubt Falla has seen enough of Federer’s relaxed second serve this year that it became an attack issue and, on every second serve return point, as well as many first-serve points as well, he’d step inside the baseline as Federer went up to hit the ball, and took his cuts. He missed some. He made some. But it was the sort of tactic that pumps up underdogs, and that certainly was a big part of the Falla game plan.

The win sends Federer into the second round against No. 152 Ilija Bozoljac, a tall, 25-year-old Serbian who defeated veteran Nicolas Massu in four. It looks like a gimme for Federer.

But, then, so did Falla.

Charles Bricker can be reached at nflwriterr@aol.com

THOMAS MUSTER ACCEPTS WILD CARD TO PRO EVENT

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By McCarton Ackerman

Former world No. 1 Thomas Muster has accepted singles and doubles wildcards into the main draws of the $125,000 challenger event in Braunschweig, Germany, taking place from June 28th-July 4th.

The 42-year-old Austrian, a winner at Roland Garros in 1995, will be playing his first professional match since officially retiring at the 1999 French Open.

Asked why he decided to take part in the tournament, he explained: “I just love to play. I love the competition. It’s not about garnering world ranking points for me.”

Since retiring, Muster has competed throughout Europe on the ATP Champions Tour and on the U.S.-based Champions Series tennis circuit. He said “wants to show my best tennis and see where it will all take me.”

Muster won over $12 million in prize money in his career and claimed 44 career singles titles.

KEY WIN FOR KEI IN SARASOTA

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Kei Nishikori beat Brian Dabul of Argentina 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 Saturday in the final of the Sarasota Challenger in Sarasota, Fla. The tournament marked the Japanese star’s fifth tournament back following his elbow surgery.

The win is also Nishikori’s second challenger win in a row after after winning the Savannah Challenger last week. He is now 10-0 on clay this year.Nishkori is hoping to get into the main draw of the French Open, which starts next Sunday in Paris.

“Kei is hoping he will sneak into the main draw of the French Open and we will know more about this in the next couple of days,” said his agent Olivier van Lindonk or the International Management Group.

LEANDER PAES DOUBLES TALK

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By Charles Bricker

When it’s time to compile a list of the top 10 players to interview, based on intelligence and candor, you cannot fail to put doubles maven Leander Paes near the top.

Leander Paes
Leander Paes

Twenty minutes with Paes unfailingly results in some of the most interesting conversation in tennis and any reporter with any smarts will spend time with him in the coming 10 days at the Sony Ericsson Open on Key Biscayne, where he is teaming with Lukas Dlouhy in a quest for a 43rd ATP title. Individually, Paes is No. 6 in the doubles rankings and he and Dlouhy, who won two majors in 2009, are No. 8 in team rankings.

Here’s a sample of Paes-isms:

* The third-set super-tiebreak, along with no-ad scoring, is into its third full year. Is it time for the tour to revisit the concept and perhaps go back to playing regular tennis? “No. The way the game of doubles is scored now is exciting for the fans. For sure, the super-tiebreak gives the lesser teams more of a chance. But I think the system is better for doubles. It gets us more night matches, more matches on the stadium court (because you can predict the matches will be over in approximately one hour and 15 minutes). It’s also getting more top singles players to play doubles, like Rafael Nadal at Indian Wells, and, yes, you are right. It is lengthening the career of doubles players. Exactly right.”

* Paes and Dlouhy had just blown a 9-4 lead in the super-tiebreak of the championship match at the BMW Challenger in Sunrise, Fla. How much longer can you play? “The fact that I can lose a tough match like that and still hate to lose. . .Well, hate is a strong word, but the point is I’m still OK to handle it. I can still take the attitude that sometimes that’s the way the cookie crumbles.”

* Do you accept that the Woodies (Mark Woodforde/Todd Woodbridge) and the Bryan twins are better doubles teams that when you and Mahesh Bhupathi were at the top of your game? “The Woodies definitely. They are much more the complete team. They don’t have any weaknesses. They could play from the baseline or at the net. They could play one up, one back or both back or both at the net.” What about the Bryans? “They are a hell of a team, and the fact that they are twins helps them know what the other is thinking.”

* So, who goes down in history as the greatest doubles team ever? “The Woodies or McEnroe/Fleming. One of those two.” Paes believes that Grand Slam titles is the key. The Bryans have eight, McEnroe/Fleming have nine and the Woodies 11. Bob Bryan has 58 tournament titles, brother Mike 60, McEnroe 71 and the Woodies 61. “For the Bryans to be considered, they have to pass the Woodies in Grand Slam wins.”

* Suppose you could pair up Pete Sampras and Roger Federer as a doubles team, give them a week of practice and then play them in a series of 10 matches against a doubles team that not only was at the top of the rankings but that had been together for years. Is doubles so specialized that two of the greatest tennis players couldn’t beat a couple of guys who could never make a real impact in singles? “Sampras and Federer? They wouldn’t have a chance. Federer could be a great doubles player, but Sampras . . . He wasn’t that good at it. I’ve played him in doubles four times and won every time. Maybe he didn’t care about it that much.”

* Somdev Devverman, the former University of Virginia player from India (current No. 120). . . how good will he be? “No problem top 100, but top 50? Only time will tell. He is a very hard worker. and his maturity is the best weapon he’s got. His mind is very stable and sound. But he needs more weapons — a bigger first serve and he could flatten out his forehand more.”

* Final question. Best Indian restaurant on the ATP tour outside of India? “Ah, Quilon in St. James Court in London. And right here in Fort Lauderdale is Woodlands.” I threw out one of my favorites and got slightly burned. What about 4,550 Miles To Delhi in Nottingham, England? “Not a bad one,” said Paes. “But it has dropped a bit recently.”

Charles Bricker can be reached at nflwriterr@aol.com

STEPANEK FALLS IN SUNRISE CHALLENGER

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By Charles Bricker

It took The Worm about 15 minutes after this upset to change into some fresh clothes, collect his paycheck and, with fiancee Nicole Vaidisova in tow, he hit the road for the 50-mile trip to Key Biscayne, where he’ll begin preparations for something a little more serious — the Sony Ericsson Open, the second ATP 1000 event of the season which begins on Wednesday.

It was surprising how easily Radek Stepanek went down in the final set of this 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 loss to young Argentine Leonardo Mayer at the BMW Challenger in Sunrise, Fl., but he got in two matches, defeating Sergiy Stakhovsky in the first round, and probably feels that’s enough prep for his next stop.

This being a Challenger, his No. 17 ranking isn’t going to be affected. Mayer, however, had a lot more to gain.

Radek Stepanek
Radek Stepanek

First, he’s building back some of the momentum he thought he’d galvanized just before the Australian Open. Second, he pushed into the quarterfinals against burly lefthander Michael Berrer. And third, though he’s only 22, he’s got a career best win.

Asked if he grew up with a favorite Argentine player, he replied, “They’re all my competition now so I’m my own favorite player.”

It was also a very good day for 33-year-old Stefan Koubek, who authenticated his Sunrise wild card with a 6-4, 7-6 (6) win over No. 44 ranked Jeremy Chardy of France, who continues to be one of the enigmas in men’s tennis.

Chardy has as much offense as anyone, hitting his serve and forehands with near frightening velocity, but his service returning is holding back his progress. He’s winning only 14 percent of his return games for the season and that’s not going to get him into the top 20.

Also into the quarters is Santiago Giraldo of Colombia, who defeated Daniel Brands of Germany 6-4, 6-1 and who will next play Benni Becker, who won over Andrey Golubev 6-0, 6-2.

Three other second round matches were scheduled for late Thursday.

Mayer admitted to some early nerves against Stepanek, but “I loosened up and started playing my game.” He went up a break early in the third set and never relinquished it. Stepanek seemed completely nonplused by his unforced errors.

Koubek, whose best tennis days were behind him long ago, is playing primarily for fun now and he certainly had a good time against Chardy, beating him on a fourth match point after failing to close it out at love-40.

Charles Bricker can be reached at nflwriterr@aol.com

MONDAYS WITH BOB GREENE:MALISSE AND WICKMAYER NO LONGER SUSPENDED

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STARS

Regina Kulikova beat Sandra Zahlavova 7-6 (6) 6-3 to win the Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

SAYING

Yanina Wickmayer
Yanina Wickmayer

“The ITF has removed both Mr. Malisse and Ms. Wickmayer from the list of suspended players, and both are eligible to participate with immediate effect.” – The International Tennis Federation (ITF), in a statement.

”It’s the best Christmas present I could imagine.” – Yanina Wickmayer, after having her one-year suspension lifted by the ITF.

“In my heart I was expecting this outcome because I’m innocent. So justice has been done,” – Richard Gasquet, after being cleared of doping charges by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“I suspect there could be slight cuts in prize money.” – Sean Ennis, professor of sports marketing at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, on the consequences of money problems in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

“I lost faith in the tennis I was playing. I wanted to live a life that is more fruitful, so I turned to other things, such as acting and a full-time job in marketing. I want to do things that will make me happy.” – Vojislava Lukic, who is contemplating an acting career.

SET TO PLAY

Two Belgian players are able to play tennis again after the International Tennis Federation (ITF) lifted their one-year suspensions. US Open semifinalist Yanina Wickmayer immediately accepted a wild-card entry to a tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, and is hoping to get one for the Australian Open, the year’s first Grand Slam tournament. Xavier Malisse, who reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 2002, also had his one-year suspension lifted. Neither player failed a drug test, and Wickmayer claims she was not properly informed on the online reporting requirements for drug-testing that led to her ban. Wickmayer was banned in November for breaking World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) regulations by failing to report her whereabouts for drug testing three times. WADA’s “whereabouts” rule requires elite athletes to make themselves available for out-of-competition testing for one hour a day, 365 days a year. Under the rules, athletes must give three months’ notice of where and when they can be located for testing. Many athletes have spoken out against the system since it was imposed at the beginning of the year. WADA director general David Howman has said the rule will be reviewed at the end of the year.

STRANGE BUT TRUE

She is ranked 16th in the world and reached the US Open semifinals in her last Grand Slam tournament, but Yanina Wickmayer will probably have to battle her way through qualifying if she wants to play in the Australian Open in January. The Belgian had her one-year suspension lifted by the International Tennis Federation, but long after entries to the year’s first Grand Slam event had closed. Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said it “would be highly unlikely Yanina would get a main draw wild-card” since five of the eight for the women’s draw have already been allocated. “We will have three discretionary wild cards left which we intend to give to Australians,” Tiley said. If that happens, Wickmayer could receive a wild card into the qualifying.

STILL BELIEVED

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) believed Richard Gasquet’s excuse and cleared the Frenchman of a doping charge. The 23-year-old Gasquet said his positive test for cocaine came after he kissed a woman in a Miami nightclub. He was provisionally suspended in May before serving a 2½-month retroactive ban. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) wanted Gasquet to serve a two-year ban, but Gasquet appealed to the CAS. Sport’s top court ruled that Gasquet was inadvertently contaminated with a minute trace of the drug as a result of the kiss. “I’m very, very happy this is behind me,” said Gasquet, who has been ranked as high as seventh in the world. “It’s been very tough. I was positive in my head from the beginning because I knew that things would be OK. I’ve always told the truth.”

SCRUTINIZED

Will the money problems suffered by Dubai impact on the big-money tennis events held in the country? That’s the question everyone wants to know. Neighboring Abu Dhabi injected USD $10 billion into Dubai’s battered economy, assuring the emirate would not default. But Sean Ennis, a professor of sports marketing at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, said: “There might be strings attached and Abu Dhabi might insist Dubai cuts spending in certain areas, including sports.”

SCREEN PLAY?

Vojislava Lukic has decided not to follow in the footsteps of her Serbian compatriots Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic. Although she was ranked number one in Europe in the under-14 girls, Lukic now is considering a career in acting. “I’ve done a course in acting back home in Serbia recently and I have been lucky to speak with Miami Vice lead actor Don Johnson, who has promised to ensure I fulfill my dream of acting in Hollywood,” Lukic told Gulf News in Dubai, where she played doubles with Bojana Jovanovski and reached the quarterfinals in her first tournament action since 2008. Lukic played Fed Cup for Serbia in 2007, the same year she played in her only Grand Slam tournament, the US Open, where she lost in the opening round of qualifying. “I was always the number one player in Serbia. However, unfortunately for me, Ana and Jelena have moved on, but I somehow got stuck behind,” Lukic said.

SITE REVISTED

Professional tennis is back in Atlanta after a nine-year hiatus. The ATP said Atlanta will now stage the tournament that has been played in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Atlanta Tennis Championships will be held July 17-25 as the opening event of the Olympus US Open Series. The six-week hard court season leads into the US Open and includes six men’s tournaments and four women’s events. Bill Oakes will serve as the new event’s tournament director. Atlanta had staged the AT&T Challenge and Verizon Tennis Challenge from 1986 to 2001. Former winners include Andy Roddick, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and John McEnroe.

SHE’S BACK

Kimiko Date Krumm is back on Japan’s Fed Cup team for the first time in 14 years. The 39-year-old Date Krumm returned to the women’s tour following a 12-year retirement and currently is the highest-ranked Japanese on the WTA Tour at number 70. Once ranked as high as number four in the world, Date Krumm will play when Japan competes in the Asia/Oceania Group I play in Kuala Lumpur in February.

STEFFI THE SHOOTER

Steffi Graf is looking at a camera from the other side these days. She has turned her focus from tennis to the viewfinder and published her first photo-reportage recently. Now 40 years old and the mother of two, Graf photographs of children living in slums in the capital of Eritrea, one of the poorest countries in Africa, accompanied an article in the German-language edition of National Geographic Magazine. The article was titled “The Children of Asmara.” In a statement released by her publisher, Graf said that as a teenager she seriously considered becoming a photographer rather than pursuing a career in tennis.

SAFELY IN

Casey Dellacqua has earned a berth in the Australian Open women’s singles main draw. Playing in her first tournament in 10 months following an injury, Dellacqua beat Olivia Rogowska in the playoff final for the berth in the year’s first Grand Slam tournament. The score was 1-6 7-6 (9) 6-3. Dellacqua saved three match points in the second-set tiebreak before beating her 18-year-old opponent.

Another player returning after a layoff, 28-year-old Alicia Molik, failed to earn a wild-card entry into the Australian Open main draw when she lost in the quarterfinals of the wild-card tournament for Australian players. She will now have to rely on a discretionary wild card from Tennis Australia to get into either the main draw or the qualifying.

SPEAKING UP

Former British tennis ace Tim Henman joined in the annual Carols by Candlelight event to raise money for the Pelican Cancer Foundation charity. The son-in-law of Pelican Cancer Foundation Professor Bill Heald, Henman read Advent 1955, a poem by Sir John Betjeman that rails against the commercialization of Christmas. More than 300 people were at St. Michael’s Church in Basing-stoke for the annual event. The Friends of St Michael’s Hospice Committee, who run the event every two years, decided to link up with Pelican Cancer Foundation this year because of their shared work against cancer.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Dubai: Julia Goerges and Oksana Kalashnikova beat Vladimira Uhlirova and Renata Voracova 4-6 6-2 10-8 (match tiebreak)

SITES TO SURF

Brisbane: www.brisbaneinternational.com.au/

Chennai: www.aircelchennaiopen.org/

Auckland: www.asbclassic.co.nz/

TOURNAMENTS BEGINNING JANUARY 4, 2010

(All money in USD)

ATP

$1,110,250 Qatar Exxon Mobil Open, Doha, Qatar, hard

$484,750 Brisbane International, Brisbane, Australia, hard

$450,000 Aircel Chennai Open, Chennai, India, hard

$125,000 ATP Challenger Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil, hard

WTA

$220,000 Brisbane International, Brisbane, Australia, hard

$220,000 ASB Classic, Auckland, New Zealand, hard

12 Years Ago This Week – Agassi Sits At No.141

by

Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi

It was 12 years ago today, on November 10, 1997, when the ATP computer rankings are released and Andre Agassi sits ranked at No. 141, his lowest since August 4, 1986. This week also marks the 12th anniversary of Agassi competing on the “challenger circuit” – the minor leagues of pro tennis – in an attempt to return to the top levels of pro tennis. Agassi’s drop in the rankings comes at a time, when, as revealed in his new book OPEN (click here to but the book), Agassi was taking the drug crystal meth. Agassi’s “lost” 1997 season features opening round losses in eight of his 12 events, while missing three of the four major tournaments.

Writes Agassi in OPEN, “I’m ranked number 141 in the world, the lowest I’ve been ranked in my adult life, the lowest I’ve dreamed of being ranked. Sportswriters say I’m humbled. They love saying this. They couldn’t’ be more wrong. I was humbled in the hotel room with Brad (Gilbert). I was humbled smoking meth with Slim. Now I’m just glad to be out here.”

As documented in the book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com), on November 11, Agassi defeats Michael Tebbutt of Australia 6-2, 6-4 in the first round of the Luxor Challenger in his hometown of Las Vegas, Nev., his first of two challenger events. Says the 27-year-old Agassi after the win, “I feel like this is a step for me, and it’s part of my preparation in hopes of really getting myself back to where I know I can be. My shots haven’t gone anywhere. …I think since the summer of the Olympics, Cincinnati and the U.S. Open (in 1996) was the last stretch of really great tennis I’ve played. Since then, my foot speed lacked a little bit, which I’m starting to get back … once the footwork comes back and I’m in position, I’ve still got great shots….It feels good for me to come out here and grind it out with the boys. If I can get a day better every day, that’s all I can ask for.”

Agassi reaches the final of the event, where he is surprisingly defeated by No. 202-ranked Christian Vinck of Germany 6-2, 7-5 in final “I have my goals long-term, and this week was assisting me to getting there,” he says after the final. “I can’t start questioning the big picture because of this. It’s ridiculous. That’s what the press’ job is. For me, it’s just to go one at a time.”

Agassi re-dedicates himself to the game and returns to the No. 1 world ranking on July 5, 1999 – four weeks after winning the 1999 French Open and completing a career sweep of all four major championships.