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Coco Gauff U.S. Open Win Nets Refurbished Tennis Courts At Her Childhood Courts From USTA

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The United States Tennis Association (USTA) yesterday joined with City of Delray Beach leaders and 2023 US Open women’s singles champion Coco Gauff to unveil refurbished tennis courts at Delray Beach’s Pompey Park.

The Pompey Park courts are the first major project completed as part of the US Open Legacy Initiative, which was created in celebration of Gauff’s 2023 US Open women’s singles title. As part of the initiative, the USTA has pledged $3 million to refurbish tennis courts across the country.

Gauff, a Delray Beach native, grew up playing on the Pompey Park courts as a child and her family’s ties to the park and the surrounding community span generations.

“All of us involved in tennis are aware of our sport’s life-enhancing benefits, and we are committed to protecting courts and partnering with others to spur new facility development which will ensure more access for more people in more communities,” said Dr. Brian Hainline, Chairman of the Board and President, USTA. “The US Open is the economic driver that allows us to invest in tennis’ grass roots, so linking the US Open with this powerful and impactful initiative is an altogether fitting way to complete the circle for the good of the game.”   

“I strongly believe that tennis can continue to become a more accessible sport, and I would like to thank the USTA for continuing to commit to do so,” said Gauff at yesterday’s event. “Investing in public parks and our youth is very important. I had a huge dream and this city, my family, my community supported that, and now I’m in the position to help maybe spark that dream in another kid.”

“Coco Gauff is a true Delray Beach success story,” added City of Delray Beach Mayor Shelly Petrolia.  “Coco has captured the hearts of tennis enthusiasts worldwide with her remarkable talent, determination, and sportsmanship, and we here at home could not be more proud.”

The US Open Legacy Initiative is part of the USTA’s overall efforts to support tennis infrastructure through facility enhancements and construction, which is led by the USTA’s Tennis Venue Services (TVS) department. Since 2005, the USTA has awarded more than $17 million in TVS grants, impacting more than 43,000 tennis courts and more than $610 million of infrastructure development.

In addition to specific projects selected by Gauff, such as Pompey Park, the US Open Legacy Initiative will support any project that involves resurfacing courts at a public facility that meets the TVS grant criteria. Completed projects will receive a sign commemorating that the courts were refurbished in honor of Gauff’s US Open victory.

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The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level — from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization, it invests 100 percent of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, one of the highest-attended annual sporting events in the world, along with approximately 100 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., and selects the teams for Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA’s philanthropic entity, the USTA Foundation, provides grants and scholarships in addition to supporting tennis and education programs nationwide to benefit under-resourced youth through the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network. For more information about the USTA, go to USTA.com or follow the official accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X) and TikTok.

Coco Gauff

Taylor Fritz Becomes First Repeat Champion On Delray Beach Hard Courts

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

It was an All-American Day on President’s Day at the Delray Beach Open.

On the day where Americans celebrate their 46 Presidents, it was Taylor Fritz, the current “Commander in Chief” of American tennis as the nation’s top-ranked player, beating the U.S. No. 2 Tommy Paul 6-2, 6-3 to win his seventh career singles title on the ATP Tour.

The final was bumped to the Monday President’s Day holiday due to rain in Florida and the cool and slightly blustery conditions aided the hard-serving and hitting Fritz against the mainly counter-punching Paul. Fritz won the 2023 title in Delray Beach beating Miomir Kecmanovic in the final and technically becomes the first player to ever defend their title at the city-owned Delray Beach Tennis Center. However, the tournament used to be played on clay in the nearby city of Coral Springs, Florida – where it was dubbed “America’s Red Clay Championships” – and Australian Jason Stoltenberg won consecutive titles there in 1996 and 1997. The event moved to the hard courts in Delray Beach in 1999.

Fritz has been the flag bearer for American tennis for most of the last two years as the highest-ranked American player. However, unlike his compatriots Paul, Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton, he has not broken through to reach a Grand Slam semifinal, although he has reached the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open, Australian Open and Wimbledon. His signature win came when he won the title at the ATP 1000-level event in Indian Wells, California in 2022 defeating Rafael Nadal in the final. His career high ranking is No. 5.

Paul entered the final with a seven-match winning streak that included his second career ATP Tour title in Dallas played indoors the previous week.

The Delray Beach Open is fast becoming a fan favorite event played in mid-February that attracts not only Florida seasonal snowbirds, the fast-growing number of full-time Florida residents but also vacationing tennis fans from colder winter climates. The 2024 event attracted a total of 67,175 fans over the 10 days and 17 sessions of the event, an all-time record.

To see a review video of the look, feel and vibe of the tournament, watch this video on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/UN1L-JdF63g?si=fPeAF4v3etyvrvur

DELRAY BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 17: Taylor Fritz (USA) celebrates during the semi-finals of the 2024 Delray Beach Open on February 17, 2024, at the Delray Beach Tennis Center in Delray Beach, FL.

Laslo Djere, Radu Albot Are First-Time Champions – Mondays with Bob Greene

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Mondays with Bob Greene

 

STARS

Belinda Bencic beat Petra Kvitova 6-3 1-6 6-2 to win the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Laslo Djere beat Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3 7-5 to win the Rio Open presented by Claro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Mikhail Kukushkin 7-5 7-6 (5) to win the Open 13 Provence in Marseille, France

Radu Albot beat Dan Evans 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7) to win the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com in Delray Beach, Florida, USA

Alison Van Uytvanck beat Marketa Vondrousova 1-6 7-5 6-2 to win the Hungarian Ladies Open in Budapest, Hungary

 

SAYINGS

“It’s unbelievable. It’s incredible. I mean, I still cannot believe it.” – Belinda Bencic, after beating Petra Kvitova to win the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

“I think I played better in Melbourne.” – Petra Kvitova, who beat Bencic at the Australian Open.

“Winning titles is the thing that I am working for … It is the biggest satisfaction and the biggest joy in tennis.” – Stefanos Tsitsipas, after winning the Open 13 Provence.

“It’s been the week of my dreams.” – Laslo Djere, after winning his first ATP Tour title in Rio de Janeiro.

“Our expectations … have been a little bit lower than they have in the past. We’ve just been trying to have fun and enjoy our time together, and it’s actually resulted in some really good play.” – Bob Bryan, who teamed with his brother Mike to win their fifth Delray Beach doubles title and the 117th of their career.

“Maybe sometimes I don’t look like that I’m really enjoying being on the court and play tennis, but inside I’m really enjoying it.” – Petra Kvitova, who is still recovering physically and mentally after being stabbed by a home intruder in December 2016.

“The doctors say I need time if I want to be 100 percent, but I don’t want to be home watching the tournaments on TV. I’ve done that before and it was really bad for me.” – Juan Martin del Potro, following his loss to Mackenzie McDonald in Delray Beach.

“It’s tennis. You get through those matches, you get another chance the next day, and I don’t know about fate, but funny things do happen when you scrape through the first round.” – Daniel Evans, a qualifier who reached the Delray Beach final after upsetting defending champion Frances Tiafoe in the first round.

“Every day you wake up with a dream. If I did not have a goal, I would not keep playing tennis. … But men’s tennis is very complicated. (Novak) Djokovic is back like a few years ago, (Rafael) Nadal is still playing, (Roger) Federer … You will soon have a generational switch, but I hope to take my chances on the right day and in the right moment.” – Fabio Fognini, on his chances of duplicating his wife, Flavia Pennetta, and winning a Grand Slam tournament.

“I’m now the Naomi Osaka of Africa. It’s inspiring to see how players can inspire a country or a continent.” – Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, the first Arab woman to win a junior Grand Slam title at the 2011 French Open and at 56th in the world the highest-ranking woman player from Africa.

“My greatest achievement might be that being number one in the world and number two at home. That’s not an easy thing to do.” – Andre Agassi, an eight-time Grand Slam tournament champion, talking about his wife, Stephanie Graf, who won 22 major titles.

“I really just say a couple of words to myself to help me put everything in perspective. I tell myself to do things the right way and to treat people with respect. And I remind myself that tennis doesn’t define me.” – Steve Johnson, on what he says before every match when he walks to the back of the court and squats down for a moment or two.

“Everyone has his broken point, mental or physical, and at some point you cannot do it anymore. But it should be (Roger) Federer to choose when to retire.” – Andre Agassi, when asked to comment on Roger Federer’s future retirement.

 

SWISS SURPRISE

Fighting from behind the entire week, 21-year-old Belinda Bencic won the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, beating Petra Kvitova in the final. “So many times I was close from defeat,” the Swiss champion said. “It’s unbelievable that I ended up winning this.” En route to the final Bencic saved six points against Aryna Sabalenka, came from a set down to oust Simona Halep and trailed 5-3 in the decider against Elina Svitolina. Then came Kvitova, a former champion and finalist at last month’s Australian Open. “Of course, they are very high-quality players, all of them,” Bencic said. “I’m so happy about the consistency that I could back up my wins. After playing a tough match, I could mentally win another one. “It’s very difficult.” Bencic’s third WTA title was her first since Toronto in 2015. Injuries had dropped her from the top 300 in 2017. She proved she’s back when, after Kvitova pulled level by dominating the second set 6-1, Bencic broke in the third game of the decider and raced out to a 5-2 lead. Serving for the title, the Swiss fended off two break points and closed out the win by forcing a Kvitova error. “I have huge respect from Petra because she’s amazing player,” Bencic said. “She’s such a champion. I really didn’t believe all the match that I can beat her. Really, that was my mentality. I was just trying to get from point to point, getting closer, getting closer. I was not thinking too far ahead. After when I won it, it was incredible.”

 

STRESS STOPPER

Stefanos Tsitsipas got past the stress and Mikhail Kukushkin to win in Marseille for his second ATP Tour title. “There was a lot of stress this week because I knew I had to face some good opponents,” Tsitsipas said. “When you care a lot, you tend to be more stressed than usual. I am happy that I got through that stress and played the game that I was supposed to play.” The Greek star didn’t drop a set during the week and in the final against Kukushkin fired 14 aces. “I lost the spark (after the Australian Open, where he reached the semifinals) and I was frustrated because it felt like I couldn’t find it again,” Tsitsipas said. “This week I can say I am really happy because I felt this hunger back again … I really hope it stays the same because there are many good players out there that play for the same prize.” Tsitsipas broke Kukushkin in the 12th game to take the opening set. Kukushkin played with depth and varying the pace on his groundstrokes to reach the second-set tiebreak. Tsitsipas began moving more into the court, forcing play and extracting errors to close out the victory. The 31-year-old Kukushkin was seeking his second title and first since 2010.

 

SUPER SERB

In a battle of players seeking their first ATP tour title, it was Laslo Djere who came out on top. The 23-year-old Serb stopped Canadian teenager Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Rio Open with a commanding performance. “So many things have been achieved here,” Djere said. “I’m really happy, excited and emotional now. I’m happy I could push through this match because it was very tough mentally and physically.” Djere, who had not won a match on clay all season, began the week by upsetting eighth-ranked Dominic Thiem in the first round. He finished the week without losing a set and broke Auger-Aliassime six times in the title match. The 18-year-old Canadian saved four match points become succumbing to his unseeded foe. He made history by becoming the y6oungest man to reach an ATP 500 final and was the fourth teenager to reach the final of an ATP 500 event – the 13 tournaments ranked just below the Masters series – since the level was created in 2009. Auger-Aliassime is the first competitor born in 2000 to reach an ATP final. He entered the main draw with a wild card and defeated Fabio Fognini, Christian Garin, Jaume Munar and Pablo Cuevas to reach the title match.

 

SNARES FIRST TITLE

Radu Albot saved three match points in a third-set tiebreaker to become the first player from Moldova to win an ATP Tour title. The 29-year-old Albot, in his first tour-level final, took two hours, 51 minutes plus a rain delay to outlast Britain’s Daniel Evans in the Delray Beach Open. Play was halted by rain for 56 minutes with Albot leading 2-1 in the third set. Evans had three chances to win before Albot closed out the victory on his first match point when Evans double-faulted. The first Moldovan to be ranked in the top 100, Albot will move up to the low 50s in the rankings.

 

SIBLING RIVALRY

Brothers Bob and Mike Bryan teamed up to defeat another pair of brothers, Ken and Neal Skupski, and win their fifth Delray Beach Open title. It was their first title together since last April at the Monte-Carlo Masters. “We’re very, very, very pleased with how this week’s gone,” Bob Bryan said. “We didn’t lose a set this week. We’re taking care of our serve and just weathering the tough times during matches.” The American twins were playing their first tour-level final since last May when Bob injured his right hip and missed the rest of the 2018 season. While Bob was sidelined, Mike Bryan partnered countryman Jack Sock to three titles – Wimbledon, US Open and the Nitto ATP Finals – and became the oldest player at 40 years, 78 days to be ranked number one in the ATP Doubles Rankings.

 

SECOND BUDAPEST TITLE

OK, so it wasn’t a dominating performance. But Alison Van Uytvanck came away with her second straight Hungarian Ladies Open title, coming from a set down to beat eighth-seeded Marketa Vondrousova in the final. The Belgian had saved five match points in her semifinal win over fifth-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova and lost the opening set in her last three matches. Still, it was her third career trophy in as many finals. Vondrousova’s combination of power and finesse let her win 15 of 16 points as she raced through the opening set. With a big forehand, Van Uytvanck took the net away from her opponent, then won points with drop shots. A rash of double faults, two coming when a crying baby briefly interrupted play in the third game of the second set, contributed to Vondrousova’s downfall. She ended up with seven double-faults in the match. Van Uytvanck lost just six points as she built a 4-0 lead in the decisive set, then served out the victory.

 

SENT PACKING

Top-seeded Juan Martin del Potro, playing in his first tournament after missing four months because of a knee injury, was bounced from the Delray Beach Open quarterfinals by American Mackenzie McDonald 6-4 3-6 7-6 (5). The win boosted the 84th-ranked McDonald to his first ATP Tour semifinal. Del Potro played with his knee heavily strapped and his movement was visibly affected. “I wanted to do a big effort tonight,” the Argentine said. “I fought until the last ball and had many opportunities, but it’s hard to win matches when you can’t move at 100 percent. … I know how good I can be when I’m ready, but I’m not in the physical condition to play at this level yet.” It was the biggest win of his career for McDonald, who lost in the semifinals to Moldovan Radu Albot 3-6 6-0 6-0.

 

SICK BAY

A viral illness forced former world number one Caroline Wozniacki to withdraw from the WTA event in Dubai. It was the second straight tournament she has missed because of the problem. “It sucks,” Wozniacki said. “I’ve gotten ready to play these two weeks (Doha and Dubai) where I usually play well. If I can’t play at a reasonable level, there’s no reason for me to go out there and just play one set. I want to go out there and I want to win.” The 2011 Dubai champion, Wozniacki said she began having problems around Christmas and it lingered with her through the Australian Open, where she lost to Maria Sharapova in the third round.

 

SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR

Not surprisingly, Novak Djokovic’s dynamic return to tennis after surgery was recognized by the Serbian being given the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award. Since his return, Djokovic won three consecutive Grand Slam tournaments – Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open – and returned to number one in the rankings. “I did think about leaving tennis,” Djokovic said. “I did not find myself in a good balance. It took me several months to find that purpose and meaning again. This award reflects and symbolizes this journey.” Japan’s Naomi Osaka, who won the US Open last year and the Australian Open last month, won the breakthrough of the year award. American gymnast Simone Biles won the Sportswoman of the Year prize, while Tiger Woods was given the Comeback of the Year Award.

 

SITE SELECTED

The ATP Tour is heading to yet another city in China. The Zhuhai Open will be held September 23-29 at the custom-designed, state-of-the-art Hengqin Tennis Center. The USD $1 million 250-level event will be played the week before the China Open in Beijing. Zhuhai has held an ATP Challenger Tour event in March for the past three years.

 

SWITCH IN COACHES

Simona Halep is on her own again. The Romanian star confirmed she has ended her brief collaboration with Belgian coach Thierry Van Cleemput. The two had linked up just before Romania beat the Czech Republic in the Fed Cup. Van Cleemput also worked with Halep at the Qatar Open, where she lost in the final to Elise Mertens. “So, we tried for one week and it’s finished,” Halep said. “We decided to stop because we are not a good fit together. He’s a good person, a very nice person, but on court the chemistry is not there.” Halep split with her former coach, Darren Cahill, before this season began, the Australian saying he wanted to spend more time with his family. Halep said she is in no rush to get a new coach. “I have my team, I have my hitting partner with me,” the 27-year-old said. “I feel good like this and I will take my time.”

Daria Kasatkina has ended her partnership with coach Philippe Dehaes. The 21-year-old Russian won her first WTA Tour match of the year, beating Magdalena Frech in Dubai, before losing to Sofia Kenin. “It is with sadness that I am announcing that myself and Philippe Dehaes are parting ways after a very successful partnership,” Kasatkina posted on Instagram. “I owe Philippe a huge amount for the success I’ve had over the past two years since we started working together, but after deciding I need to take control and responsibility for my own tennis, I felt I needed to do this alone …”

 

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Budapest: Ekaterina Alexandrova and Vera Zvonareva beat Fanny Stollar and Heather Watson 6-4 4-6 10-7 (match tiebreak)

Delray Beach: Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan beat Ken Skupski and Neal Skupski 7-6 (5) 6-4

Dubai: Hsieh Su-wei and Barbora Strycova beat Lucie Hradecka and Ekaterina Makarova 6-4 6-4

Marseille: Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin beat Ben McLachlan and Matwe Middelkoop 6-3 6-7 (4) 10-3 (match tiebreak)

Rio de Janeiro: Maximo Gonzalez and Nicolas Jarry beat Thomaz Bellucci and Rogerio Dutra Silva 6-7 (5) 6-3 10-7 (match tiebreak)

 

SURFING

Dubai: https://dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com/

Acapulco: http://abiertomexicanodetenis.com/en/

Sao Paulo: http://www.brasilopen.com.br/

Indian Wells: https://oraclechallengerseries.com/

Indian Wells: https://bnpparibasopen.com

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

 

MEN

$2,887,895 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, hard

$1,931,660 Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, Acapulco, Mexico, hard

$618,810 Brasil Open, Sao Paulo, Brazil, clay

$162,480 Oracle Challenger Series, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard

 

WOMEN

$250,000 Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC, Acapulco, Mexico, hard

$162,480 Oracle Challenger Series, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

 

MEN

$9,314,875 BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard

 

WOMEN

$9,035,428 BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard

 

Djere and Albot
Djere and Albot

Juan Martin del Potro To Make 2019 ATP Debut In Delray Beach, Florida February 19

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Juan Martin del Potro will make his 2019 ATP Tour debut at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com on February 19.

Making his fifth appearance and starting his season for the third consecutive year in Delray Beach this year, del Potro also won the 2011 singles title. Del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open champion and the world No. 5, will play his first round match Tuesday, February 19th,at 8:00 p.m., He will be making his fifth appearance in Delray Beach, winning the title there in 2011.

“I have great memories of Delray Beach and the fans, from winning the title in 2011 to starting my comeback here in 2016,” said Juan Martin del Potro. “This city will always be a special place for me.”

Reaching a career-high singles ranking of No. 3 in 2018, del Potro was the 2018 US Open singles finalist (falling to ATP Tour No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the final), qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals for the fifth time and won his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells defeating Roger Federer in the final.

To date, del Potro has captured 22 ATP singles titles including the 2009 US Open and boasts the most wins (10) over No. 1 ranked singles players including Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer which is the most by any player who has not been ranked No. 1. In 2016, del Potro led Argentina to their first Davis Cup title and won the silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

“We’ve been fortunate to forge a special relationship with Delpo (Juan Martin del Potro),” commented tournament Director, Mark Baron. “He enjoys the laid-back vibes of Delray Beach and is treated like family. He is family to all of us. We look forward to him launching another successful year starting here in Delray Beach.”

Joining an already star-filled line-up, del Potro tops a field that includes ATP Tour No. 6 ranked Kevin Anderson and No. 17 Milos Raonic, both scheduled to play Tuesday, February 19th, during the day session. And with ATP sensation Nick Kyrgios and Tiafoe also in the mix, the Delray Beach singles title will be heavily contested. In the doubles action, the Greatest Doubles of All-Time Bob and Mike Bryan will play their opening match Wednesday night, February 20th.

Legends lined up to play the tournament’s opening weekend ATP Champions Tour event include Tommy Haas, Tim Henman, Mikael Pernfors and Wayne Ferreira on Team World and Fernando Gonzalez, Jessie Levine, Jan-Michael Gambill and Jay Berger on Team Americas.

The 10-day 2019 Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com will begin Presidents’ Day weekend (Friday, Feb. 15 – Sunday, Feb. 17) with the ATP Champions Tour legends team-event and ATP 250 qualifying tournament, continuing with the ATP 250 singles and doubles main draws starting on Monday, Feb. 18 and concluding with the finals on Sunday, Feb. 24.

A complete schedule of all Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com match times and ticket opportunities is posted at YellowTennisBall.com. Tickets can be secured online or by calling 561-330-6000.

Juan Martin del Potro
Juan Martin del Potro

Delray Beach aiming to win Davis Cup finals bid: This week in tennis business with Justin Cohen

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Delray Beach hoping to land Davis Cup Finals in November

Delray Beach center court

According to an article written by Maria Herrerra in the Sun Sentinel, the city of Delray Beach in South Florida will try to land the Davis Cup Finals, which will be held from November 16-18. Delray Beach last hosted the Davis Cup competition in 2004, when Sweden came to town. In order for the competition to take place at the fan-friendly Atlantic Avenue stadium at the Delray Beach Tennis Center, the city must come up with $400,000. Assistant City Manager Bob Barcincki said the $400,000 will likely come from sponsors, grants from agencies such as the Palm Beach County Sports Commission or the Tourism Development Council. However, the City Commission must first grant approval. If the commission decides to move forward with trying to win the Davis Cup Finals bid, the city must commit to paying $400,000 to the United States Tennis Association, provide police and emergency-services personnel and be able to secure nearly 400 hotel rooms for the event. Officials in Delray Beach see hosting the event as an opportunity to welcome thousands of visitors and recover from some of the money spent sponsoring events during the last 11 years. The United States Davis Cup team announced last month it was looking for cities to host the event and is requesting proposals. The bid deadline is August 6. In the meantime, the United States must beat Spain and hope the Czech Republic defeats Argentina in order for the United States to be able to host the finals. If the commission approves moving forward with the bid, the city will find out between September 14 and 16 if it won.

Nesquik becomes Title Sponsor of “Little Mo” Internationals

The Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation just announced that Nesquik will become the title sponsor for the upcoming “Little Mo” Internationals, which is an international tennis tournament for juniors ages 8 to 12. This year’s tournament will be played at the historic West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y., from August 20-24, which marks the 60th anniversary of Maureen “Little Mo” Connolly’s title at the U.S. Championships in 1952. “NESQUIK is the perfect partner for our tournament,” said Carol Weyman, Executive Vice-president, Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation. “As a beloved brand that has been a part of childhood and beyond for years, it is the perfect product to be paired with Little Mo.” Nesquik sponsored tennis superstars Bob and Mike Bryan will take part in a clinic and exhibition match for players during the tournament. Additionally, players will have the opportunity to attend the US Open qualifying rounds and the Arthur Ashe Kids Day on Saturday, August 25. The tournament is open to any player from around the world ages 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. Players must wear all white in keeping with the tradition of Forest Hills, and matches will be played on full 78-foot clay courts with yellow balls. For online registration, please visit www.mcbtennis.org and click on Tournaments.

First Entry Deadline is Today for US Open National Playoffs Sectional Qualifying Tournament

The United States Tennis Association announced last week that registration will close this week for the first US Open National Playoffs Sectional Qualifying Tournament of 2012, held in the USTA Southwest section. Today is the entry deadline for the tournament to be held in Scottsdale from May19-21. Players age 14 and older can register for singles competition and/or mixed doubles. Registration deadlines for the sectional qualifying events vary by tournament. Registration for each of the 13 sectional qualifying tournaments is available at www.USOpen.org/NationalPlayoffs. The US Open National Playoffs presented by playtennis.com returns for a third year as a series of 13 sectional qualifying tournaments. The men’s singles, women’s singles and mixed doubles champions from each sectional qualifying tournament will advance to the US Open National Playoffs Championship, which will be held in conjunction with the New Haven Open at Yale presented by First Niagara, an Emirates Airline US Open Series event. The US Open National Playoffs – Men’s Singles and Women’s Singles Championship will be held August 17-20. The US Open National Playoffs – Mixed Doubles Championship will be held August 22-25. The US Open National Playoffs men’s and women’s singles champions earn a wild card into the US Open Qualifying Tournament, held the week prior to the US Open. The US Open National Playoffs mixed doubles champions receive a main draw wild card into the 2012 US Open. One of the players expected to compete this summer is former University of Illinois standout, Ryler DeHeart, who was ranked as high as No. 174 while competing on the ATP World Tour. Some may recall DeHeart winning three matches in the 2008 US Open qualifying tournament before facing off against then world No. 1 Rafael Nadal on Arthur Ashe Stadium in the opening round of the main draw. The Tampa native has since retired from the ATP and runs the RD Tennis Academy at the Seminole Lake Country Club in Largo, Fla. He will compete in the Florida section playoffs, which will be held from May 26-30 at the Henry L. McMullen Tennis Complex in Clearwater. Not only will DeHeart play singles, he will also team with wife Megan in the mixed doubles tournament. She is a former standout on the Illinois women’s team. Other players expected to compete include two-time Grand Slam doubles champion Ellis Ferreira, 2009 Orange Bowl quarterfinalist Junior Ore, Bobby Riggs’ teenage grandson, Danny, who plays for Cornell, and New York City television personality Francesca Maxime.

USTA to host Casting Call at Harlem’s Apollo Theater for Children to Perform at 2012 US Open

The USTA announced on Monday that it will host their sixth annual open casting call on Tuesday, June 19 at the world renowned Harlem Apollo Theater in New York City to select children to perform at the 2012 US Open, which will be held from August 27-September 9. Winners will perform, “America the Beautiful” live at Arthur Ashe Stadium during night sessions of this year’s tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows. The auditions are free of charge and will be held from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. ET. Children 12 years of age and younger as of September 9, 2012, will be asked to sing “America the Beautiful” a cappella in front of a panel of judges from the music and entertainment industries. “The young singers performing at the US Open always captivate the crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium,” said Gordon Smith, USTA Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer. “The casting call that we conduct to identify these singers is one of the first events that signals the US Open season is underway.” Final singer selections will be announced by the USTA in mid-July. The winners will receive a US Open gift bag and tickets to their performance session—in addition to exposure in front of as many as 24,000 fans in Arthur Ashe Stadium. For more information on the open casting call, including official rules, visit www.USOpen.org.

Oudin earns USTA French Open main draw wild card

Atlanta native and 2012 US Open Mixed Doubles Champion Melanie Oudin has earned a main draw wild card into the 2012 French Open. This year, the USTA awarded one women’s singles main draw wild card into the French Open to the American player who earned the most WTA Tour Ranking points at two of three $50,000 USTA Pro Circuit clay-court tournaments. The 20-year-old earned a combined 80 points with her two best results, winning the title in Charlottesville, Va., and reaching the second round in Indian Harbour Beach, Fla., and Dothan, Ala. The USTA and the French Tennis Federation have a reciprocal agreement in which wild cards into the 2012 French and US Opens are exchanged. After dropping to a No. 370 in the world, her lowest ranking since February 2008, Oudin has climbed up to No. 270 following impressive results in her last three USTA Pro Circuit events. Comeback-kid Brian Baker of Nashville earned the men’s USTA French Open wild card last week.

Report: Former Indian Wells Tournament Owner looking to buy San Diego WTA event

According to a twitter post by Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal, former ATP World Tour player Charlie Pasarell is looking to buy the San Diego WTA Tour tournament, currently known as the Mercury Insurance Open. Pasarell, who was voted this year into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame, previously owned the ATP/WTA Tour tennis tournaments in Indian Wells, Calif.

Street in Halle, Germany named after Roger Federer

The town of Halle, Germany, which annually hosts the Gerry Weber Open, a Wimbledon grass-court tune-up tournament, has named a street after 16-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer. Starting in May, the street leading to the stadium will now be known as “Roger-Federer-Allee”. The street was previously known as Weststrasse. The 30-year-old Federer, a former top-ranked player on the ATP World Tour and owner of five-singles titles in Halle, has a lifetime contract to play in the tournament until he retires.

Indian Wells: Time for some meaningful tennis – Around the Corner

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By Mike McIntyre

It’s time again for some meaningful tennis. No disrespect to the ATP World Tour level 250 and 500 tournament’s, but the BNP Paribas Masters in Indian Wells represents a return to top-level tennis with all the big names in attendance.

Rafael Nadal claims to be healthy again and the world number one is ready to perform. Defeated a year ago by Ivan Ljubicic in the semi-finals here, Nadal will hopefully be fit enough to play at 100%. After a first round bye he will potentially face a qualifier or Pere Riba from Spain. Either way Rafa should be off to a good start. His first major obstacle could be Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the fourth round and that could be a real special match for tennis fans. The 17th ranked Tsonga is a top-ten player when he is healthy and could give Rafa a tremendous challenge. While he is only 1-5 against Nadal, Tsonga has beaten him on hard courts before and usually gives the Spaniard a good test. With a weaker quarter of the draw, look for the winner of this match to likely advance to the semi-finals.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal set to compete in Indian Wells

Still in the top-half of the draw, don’t expect defending champion Ivan Ljubicic to last long. Aside from battling some injury issues, the veteran Croatian has the unenviable task of facing Juan Martin Del Potro in the second round. Ljubicic has a first round bye, while Del P will very likely take care of fading veteran Radek Stepanek in his opening match.

The 2009 U.S. Open champion, Del Potro has been playing terrific in recent weeks. Finally recovered from a wrist injury that kept him off the ATP World Tour for the better part of 2010, DelPotro has rebounded nicely in 2011 with two semi-final appearances in a row in San Jose and Memphis followed by a victory at the event in Delray Beach against Janko Tipsarevic.

Del Potro, when healthy, is a top-five player who is capable of beating just about anyone when on his game. In a tennis world where Federer and Nadal have been less than perfect lately, here is a player who can really throw his name into the mix in competing for Grand Slams. Look for him to have a tournament where he truly announces his return to the upper-echelon of the men’s game.

A Del Potro vs. Dolgopolov third round would be fun to watch, as would a potential fourth round battle between Del P and Sweden’s Robin Soderling. I like one of these two players to advance to the finals in fact. I still feel like Soderling has yet to reach his potential.

In the last section of the top-half of the draw we have Andy Murray. What to make of the world’s fifth ranked player? He has a comfortable lead over sixth ranked DavidFerrer in the rankings but what has he done for us lately? He has only played in two events through more than two months of the year and his results were total opposites. He was playing fantastically at the Australian Open before he advanced to the finals and then tanked in three sets toNovak Djokovic. Murray then proceeded to lose in the first round in Rotterdam in early February to Marcos Baghdatis in straight sets. Since then Murray has been absent from the tennis court and that in itself makes me wonder what else is going on with the talented Scot. Perhaps his third straight-sets loss in a Slam final has taken a mental toll on him? His performance here in Indian Wells and then in Miami will go a long way towards determining what direction Murray is headed.

The bottom-half of the draw meanwhile seems to have many more meaningful matches on deck. Second seeded Roger Federer could face Kei Nishikori in the second round and then rising-star Milos Raonic in the fourth round. A Federer vs. Raonic match would be an electric test of old versus the new.

Tomas Berdych has been sleep-walking through this year so far and could face Marin Cilic or Stan Wawrinka in the fourth round. Honestly, I don’t see Berdych ever living up to his so-called potential despite his semi-final results at the French Open and making the finals of Wimbledon in 2010. There are several more mentally strong players on tour with just about as much physical talent as he has that I would bank on.

On the other side of the bottom-half draw we have aging American vet Andy Roddick and soon to be second ranked Novak Djokovic. Both should advance to the quarter-finals although Roddick’s path is less certain. James Blake, John Isner and Richard Gasquet all stand in Roddick’s way.

Djokovic meanwhile shouldn’t face too much opposition with the lights-out way he has been playing. Veteran Lleyton Hewitt and fellow-Serb Viktor Troicki linger in his section but neither is anywhere near matching his level of performance.

I like a Djokovic vs. Federer semi-final in this section of the draw to go along with Nadal and Del Potro in the top half. Who emerges is anyone’s guess but any way you slice it tennis fans worldwide are going to enjoy the next week and a half of tennis in California.

Juan Martin Del Potro wins Delray

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By Blair Henley

Cries of “Go Serbia!” and “Vamos Juan Martin!” rang out through the stadium, but in the end, it was the rowdy Argentinean crowd that left celebrating Juan Martin Del Potro’s 6-4, 6-4 win over Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia Sunday in the Delray Beach final.

Juan Martin Del Potro © Stephen White

This was Del Potro’s first title since missing most of the 2010 season after wrist surgery, and the former world No. 4 sees his win as a step in the right direction.

“After a year out, I feel a little strange,” he said. “Three months ago, I was thinking about just trying to play a tournament, and now after three months I won a tournament. So it’s very strange, but I’m very I glad.”

Del Potro struggled initially, going down a break and 4-1 in the first set before rattling off five straight games. Overall, the 22-year-old saved 10 of the 11 break points he faced – five while serving for the first set at 5-4. After playing four consecutive night matches, the Argentine seemed to struggle with the wind and the three o’clock Florida heat.

“I think I played below my level,” he said. “I was focused on just winning my serve, and had two opportunities to win – one in the first set and one in the second, and I took it. I got a little lucky also. But if you play the finals, you have to win anyway.”

Tipsarevic, who was seeking his first career title, admitted the loss was a missed opportunity.

“All of the factors were going my way today to win,” he said. “[Del Potro] was playing every single match late at night with no wind, so he was not adapted on the weather. The game plan I had was good…I just didn’t execute.”

Del Potro was back on the court less than 24 hours after his decisive 6-1, 7-5 win over No. 16 Mardy Fish last night, and despite not playing his best tennis today, he’s encouraged by his progress. After a year away from the court, he’s learned to appreciate every chance to compete.

“I’m really enjoying every day here in the tournament even if I lose,” he said. “I go to the courts to the stadium to see the fans, the grounds. It’s really nice for me. I’m trying to enjoy it, you know. You never know what’s going to happen in the future.”

Ryan Sweeting upsets Sam Querrey

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By Blair Henley

When American qualifier Ryan Sweeting hit an ace on match point to clinch his 7-6, 6-4 upset victory over No. 22 Sam Querrey in Delray Beach, he pumped his fists and ran to shake his opponent’s hand as the crowd went wild. Then he got the bad news: his serve was a let. But as he began arguing the call, Querrey conceded the point. Game, set, match, Sweeting.

But what was presumably an unusual act of sportsmanship by one of the game’s top players actually turned out to be a surrender of sorts. Querrey, who has struggled over the past week with pain in his right shoulder, admitted after the match that he did hear the let in question.

Sam Querrey

“It was a good serve,” he said, despite the fact that he heard it tip the net. “I had three other calls go my way that I probably didn’t agree with, so I said, ‘You’re good, good serve.’”

In spite of a bizarre ending and Querrey’s seeming indifference, Sweeting deserves credit for his breakthrough win. He managed to pull off the first set after squandering both a 3-0 lead and his first three set points with Querrey serving at 4-5. It wasn’t until his fourth set point at 6-5 in the tiebreak that he was able to convert.

Sweeting, ranked 118th, needed only one break to seal his victory in the second set, but the match could have easily taken a different turn when he launched a ball out of the stadium in anger after going down 0-40 on his final service game. After receiving a “ball abuse” warning, Sweeting fought off four total break points before clinching the match with an “ace.” Afterward, Sweeting, who did not hear the let in question, had only good things to say about Querrey.

“What a standup guy. He’s a real class act on the court,” he said. “He truly didn’t have to give me that point. It’s never easy serving for the match. For him to acknowledge that it was an ace is really a credit to him. “

Sweeting, who lives in nearby Ft. Lauderdale, will play the winner of American James Blake and Kei Nishikori of Japan in his first ATP Tour quarterfinal. He sees himself moving up the tennis ranks slowly, but surely.

“My ranking is consistently moving up…maybe not at a fast rate, but I feel like it’s going in the right direction,” he said. “ Maybe down the road I’ll be in the top 20, but I’m taking baby steps.”

Querrey now heads to Santiago, Chile for the U.S. Davis Cup first round match on March 4-6. Though he holds an abysmal 1-4 Davis Cup singles record and has won only three matches in his first five tournaments of 2011, the 23-year-old still trusts in his ability.

“I’m actually feeling good right now,” he said. “I’m not low on confidence or anything. If my shoulder is healthy, I feel like I’m playing great.”

Fast Car, Fast Serves Await in Delray Beach

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It’s only a $442,000 event, which places it toward the lower end on the ATP prize money spectrum, but the Delray Beach International has become the most enterprising tournament of its size on the tour schedule, and the master promoter is Mark Baron, who has been running this show for 19 years.

On Thursday, he announced that Andy Roddick is coming back the late-February hardcourt tournament for the first time in seven years and that the winner next year is getting a 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera, which, depending on the doodads, is worth between $75,000 and $100,000.

Baron began lobbying for more top-end players at the U.S. Open, pinning up ads touting the Porsche, in addition to the prize money.

Andy Roddick commits to Delray Beach 2011

He says he was “overwhelmed” by the player response, which frankly surprises me. I mean, most of these guys can afford a couple of Porsches, so what’s the big deal playing for one?

Baron sounded as confounded as I when I spoke with him Friday. “No matter how much money they make, they travel so much the car would probably stay in the garage most of the year,” he explained. “But they have parents or wives and girl friends, so to win one for them is a different story.”

Landing Roddick and a Porsche giveaway isn’t the only promotional coups Baron has landed. This year, he negotiated inclusion of an ATP Champions tournament to be played concurrently with the ATP tour event.

John McEnroe, Mats Wilander and six other former champions began Friday and played the final under the lights on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Delray Beach ATP tournament started Monday and finished Sunday. The idea of combining nostalgia with contemporary tennis was a brilliant stroke and it’s going to happen again in 2011.

Roddick will join Mardy Fish, John Isner and the Bryan brothers at the Delray Beach tournament. McEnroe, Pat Cash, Greg Rusedski and Wilander will be in the eight-man masters field.

* It’s been three weeks since I’ve written, and this happens every year. I just fall out for awhile after the U.S. Open, perhaps in some vain hope that the ATP will cut short the season after the final Grand Slam.

Of course, it won’t. And so the ATP tour continues on in this anticlimactic charade that goes on through the months of September, October and most of November before we bring this ridiculously long season to a close.

I understand tennis is a global sport and there is big money sponsors in Asia, Sweden, France, Austria and Spain in these late months, and I’m sure all this really matters if you live outside the U.S.

But if you live in the United States, do you really care about these fall and early winter tournaments? There’s virtually no TV for most of it. There are the final two ATP 1000s at Shanghai (Oct. 10) and Paris (Nov. 7), and Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will be there. But doesn’t everything seem somewhat hollow after the U.S. Open?

The season finally will end after the Barclay’s World Tour finals, which begin Nov. 21. The tour’s top eight players will be there, soldiering on into the final days of November, giving them about one month off before the 2011 season begins.

Really, less than that. They can stow the rackets and take a couple weeks vacation, if they can find someplace warm enough in December. But by mid-December they need to get back to training because you can’t just go to Australia in January cold turkey and get ready for the Aussie Open.

Two weeks off after all the travel. Two weeks off to get rid of elbow, shoulder, knee, ankle or wrist problems. Yes, of course they get a week off here and there between tournaments in mid-season, but it’s not real time off, is it? They still have to train or get ready for a forthcoming tournament.

And you wonder why so many players are injured or cop out of important events, including Davis Cup, in mid-year in order to get some essential rest.

* Just throwing a few scattershots out there:

  • Nadal right now leads No. 2 Novak Djokovic by 4,880 ranking points, the second widest lead ever. Widest? Nadal at 15,360 on May 11, 2009, to No. 2 Federer’s 10,170 – a lead of 5,190 points. . .
  • There are four Spaniards in the top 20 and, just like the Russians on the women’s side, ever more are on the way. Name to watch: Pablo Andujar, up 28 spots this week to No. 77 after qualifying and reaching the final in Bucharest, where he lost to Juan Ignacio Chela.. . .
  • What’s going on with 18 year old Traci Capra, who won a couple rounds at the U.S. Open and gave U.S. tennis fans a new name to follow? She hasn’t played since, but she’ll be back on court at a $50,000 Challenger in Kansas City next week, followed by a $50,000 in Troy, Ala., and a $25,000 in South Carolina. Credit two coaches for bringing her along – John Evert and Evert Tennis Academy coach Federico Ricci, who will be traveling with her. . .
  • John’s sister, Chrissie, was known as the Ice Queen in her playing days. Now you can call her the Godmother after she assumed the title upon the baptism of John’s first child. . .
  • Taylor Dent is only 10-17 and ranked No. 92 in his first full season back following multiple surgeries on his back, and he can’t be too happy about that. But in his more pensive moments, he must be thankful just to be back on court. . .
  • What has the country of Kazakhstan got to show for all the money it has spent paying players – mostly Russian – to fly their flag on tour? Not much. Andrey Golubev is at No. 41, Mikhail Kukushkin at 83 and Evgeny Korolev at 91. On the women’s side, just one rent-a-Russian – Yaroslava Shvedova at No. 39. Sesil Karatantcheva, who is really Bulgarian, is at No. 139. All these players list Kazakhstan as their country – an insult to the place where they were born.

“GAME, SET, MATCH, FLORIAN” IN THE BATTLE OF THE MAYERS

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By Charles Bricker

There have been no headline-grabber wins this year for him, but Germany’s Florian Mayer, 5-3 in ATP matches and now 14-3 after Saturday if you count Challengers, is convinced that at age 26 he’s reached a new plateau in his game.

“I think I’m playing my best tennis,” he announced after dealing a 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-4 loss to one of South America’s best young prospects, Leonardo Mayer, to reach the final of the $125,000 BMW Challenger in Sunrise, Fla.

Best tennis ever? he was pressed. “Yes, I would say so. I have to go mentally a little stronger, but yes. This is my best tennis.”

Florian Mayer
Florian Mayer

Today, he’ll find out just how good his tennis is when he plays Gilles Simon of France in the final. Simon was exquisite in a 6-1, 6-2 win over Santiago Giraldo of Colombia. His troublesome right knee had flared up two days ago, but was perfect in this evening semifinal. He’s lost only one set, to Potito Starace, on the way to the final.

For Mayer, win or lose this final, he will have had great preparation for the Sony Ericsson Open ATP 1000 that begins next Wednesday 50 miles south of Sunrise on Key Biscayne.

Mayer vs. Mayer in this semifinal. It sounded more like a divorce proceding and chair umpire Magdi Somat identified the players by their first names — as in “advantage Florian” or “game Leonardo.”

This was a rematch of their second rounder at Delray Beach two weeks ago, won by the 22-year-old Argentine, who once was considered one of the two or three best juniors in the world.

Leonardo Mayer’s big serving, punctuating forehand and all-out aggressiveness translate well to the professional game, and he reached a personal-best No. 54 in the rankings last September before falling back to No. 66 this week.

He’s got a future, but Florian Mayer has more of a present. He has wins this year over No. 15 Tommy Robredo, No. 30 Janko Tipsarevic and No. 37 Victor Troicki at the Australian Open, but also a confounding loss to Sebastien Grosjean, who is near the end of his career, at Auckland.

For Mayer, the key to this win over Leonardo Mayer came at 4-2 in the final set, just after the German had finally broken serve.

Twice before, in the first and third sets, Florian had broken and immediately gave the break back and he acknowledged how angry he was with himself for not steeling down and putting a hammerlock on his opponent.

This time, however, he ran out to 40-0, playing one loose point, then sliced an ace past Leonardo to go up 5-2.

How much confidence is Florian feeling? Taking the balls to serve out the match, he played five serve-and-volley points, finishing the match with an ace to the far corner of the ad court.

“It was maybe a little surprising for him,” said the German. “I tried to do something different. I know he got tired because he has played so many (three split-setters) long matches here, and he made many mistakes.”

Mayer reached the final without facing a seeded player.

There’s a lot to like about Leonardo Mayer’s game. That’s a crackling forehand he’s got and he not only gets his share of aces, he hits a second serve that is consistently deep in the box. He’s very aggressive off both sides, but he still needs to find some modulation in his game.

Give him a running forehand and he’s going to try to crush it, no matter the circumstance. He doesn’t seem to process alternatives on the run.

Leonardo Mayer, ranked No. 66, will take 45 points out of this tournament. Floridan Mayer is guaranteed 75 for reaching the final and 125 if he wins it.

Charles Bricker can be reached at nflwriterr@aol.com

IN HIS 203rd CAREER CHALLENGER, KIM REFLECTS ON LIFE IN THE MINOR LEAGUES

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By Charles Bricker

When obscure, 31-year-old ATP veteran Kevin Kim got the news of his probable record, he had a one-word response.

“Serious?” he said, sounding a bit dumbfounded.

Yes, serious. When he went on court earlier this week to play his first-round match at the BMW Tennis Championships in Sunrise, Fla., against Michael Berrer, it was the 203rd Challenger tournament of his 12-year career.

Kevin Kim
Kevin Kim

This is far too arcane a statistic to become an official ATP record. It’s not even an unofficial ATP record. But longtime tennis officials, even after giving the issue full thought, couldn’t come up with anyone who has played more of these second-level, bush-league events than Kim.

“If there’s a tournament next week, Kevin will be at it,” said fellow American and good friend Bobby Reynolds, half in jest. Kim, ranked only 125, has built his career on playing Challengers and it’s a tribute to the ATP minor league system that he could make a pretty good living without reaching a great number of regular ATP events.

As of this week, Kim’s career earnings were over $1.5 million.

This is the 11th week of the year and he has worked eight of them, starting at Chennai, India, the opening week of the season, then moving on, in succession, to Melbourne, Honolulu, San Jose, Memphis, Delray Beach, Fla., then across the pond to Cherbourg, France, and now back to Sunrise, Fla. He’ll be down the road on Key Biscayne next week for the Sony Ericsson Open.

Kim contemplated having played 203 Challenger tournaments. “That’s quite a number. I know I’ve played a lot, but I wouldn’t have guessed that many,” he said. Sunrise was also the 320th tournament, overall, of his career, giving him an average of 28 tournaments a year — a prodigious sum which is attributable largely to the fact that he’s not had a serious injury since . . . well, since. . .

“Since I was 14,” he finally filled in the blank. There was an ankle injury his first full year on tour, after he left UCLA after a freshman All-American season. And he’s retired from a few matches. But only twice did he take more than a week off before hitting the tournament trail again.

Roger Federer has played 19 tournaments in the last 52 weeks. Nicolay Davydenko, who has a reputation for over-playing, has been in 27 tournaments the last 52 weeks. Kim? He’s been in 32. Of course he doesn’t regularly go as deep into draws as top-10 players, but sometimes the travel itself can be nearly as exhausting as the playing.

Here are his key numbers:

* Kim is 44-95 in regular ATP Tour matches — 95 tournaments and no titles.

* Kim is 37-22 in Futures tournaments, the absolute rock-bottom on the pro food chain — 22 tournaments with no titles.

* Kim is 257-211 in Challengers — 203 events with nine titles.

He’s never been past the quarters of a regular ATP tournament, so it’s obvious that the bulk of his money has come in drips and drabs from all those Challengers.

“I never really thought about how much money there would be. Never went into a tournament thinking about money issues,” said Kim, who lives in Westwood and practices at nearby UCLA with a platoon of Southern California buddies that sometimes includes rising American Sam Querrey.

“I’ve always just been interested in improving my game, being excellent at tennis. I still have a love for the game and I’ve never been stressed out or been playing just for the money.”

How does he explain never getting seriously injured? “Luck is part of it, but I also have a pretty efficient game,” he said. There is no one blockbuster Kim weapon and he doesn’t play with nearly the physicality of, say, Rafael Nadal. No doubt that has helped him avoid strains and sprains.

There’s no question about how much of the world he’s seen. He played 36 tournaments in 2009, 35 in 2008, 35 in 2007 and 34 in 2006.

Last year during one stretch, he went from Mexico City to Tallahassee, Fla., to Rhodes, Greece, to Savannah, Ga., to Eastbourne, England. Later in the year, not interested in having an off-season, he hit another three Challengers, going in consecutive weeks from Calabasas, Calif., to Lyon, France, and back to Charlottesville, Va., where he won his ninth title.

Seriously.

Charles Bricker can be reached at nflwriterr@aol.com

WOULD RAFAEL NADAL PLAY THE SUNRISE CHALLENGER? NOT IMPOSSIBLE…

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By Charles Bricker

The rain started early Wednesday at the International Tennis Championships in Delray Beach, Fla., worrying officials that they might have to endure a complete washout of the afternoon matches, but a few miles away, in Sunrise, Fla., there was rejoicing at another tournament site.

“Fantastic. Do you know what my cutoff is?” tournament director Gabe Norona of the $125,000 BMW Challenger (March 15-21) asked rhetorically. “Sixty-six.”

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal

That’s an incredibly good potential draw, better than many regular ATP tour tournaments, but, given its strategic placement between two ATP 1000 events at Indian Wells, Calif., and Key Biscayne, Fl., and the ATP’s decision to let players double-sign into both Indian Wells and Sunrise, it’s also predictable.

Indian Wells begins March 11 and the ATP is concerned that players who are knocked out early, before March 14, won’t be able to get matches until the Sony Ericsson Open begins on Key Biscayne, March 24. So it sanctioned the Sunrise Challenger a few years ago and, not surprisingly, it has annually attracted well known players.

At the top of this year’s list are No. 15 Mikhail Youzhny, No. 18 Gilles Simon, No. 27 Nicolas Almagro and, though he’s slipped to No. 54, the well-known tennis name of Richard Gasquet. And it could get better because Norona has four wild cards.

But along with his astonishingly strong sign-up comes a trap door.

While all these players, right down to No. 66 Potito Starace, are registered to play both Indian Wells and Sunrise, if they survive Indian Wells through Sunday, March 15, they won’t, of course, be at Sunrise. It makes Norona’s sign-up list a bit of a mirage.

But only a bit, because there will, inevitably, be early upsets at Indian Wells. If No. 2 Rafael Nadal, just coming back from injury, lost in the first round at Indian Wells, would he take a wild card into Sunrise in order to get some match toughness before Key Biscayne. Nothing, Norona believes, is impossible.

And of course there will be players on his list who play each other in the opening rounds, guaranteeing that the losers will be coming to Sunrise. It leaves Norona in a pins-and-needles posture in the days preceding the start of his event, but he’s used to it after six years.

The Sunrise Challenger is played at the Sunrise Tennis Center, about a 30-minute drive from the Delray Beach tournament and 45 minutes from Key Biscayne.

Charles Bricker can be reached at nflwriterr@aol.com