fed cup

Andrea Leand Podcast: The Greatest Upset In WTA Rankings History

July 26, 2016 by Admin

By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

Andrea Leand is more recently known as the former tennis writer for USA Today and in other volunteer and administrative roles in the world of tennis, but as a player, she made tennis history – a few times.

As an unranked amateur at the 1981 US Open, she performed the greatest upset in the history of women’s tennis by ranking by upsetting No. 2 seed Andrea Jaeger in the second round. After her fourth-round US Open finish, she soon made history again making the highest rankings debut ever in the WTA rankings at No. 18.

She was a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic tennis team that competed in the demonstration event in Los Angeles and is the only player in history of tennis to represent the United States in the Olympics, Fed Cup, Wightman Cup and the Bonne Bell Cup.

What is Wightman Cup and the Bonne Bell Cup? Find out when in my conversation with her in the PrimeSportsNetwork tennis podcast here: http://primesportsnetwork.com/prime-sports-tennis-july-25-podcast/

Leand relives her historic win over Jaeger in the podcast and also discusses the breakthrough Olympic tennis competition in Los Angeles in 1984 and about representing the United States in international tennis competitions.

Rafael Nadal Back In Winner’s Circle With Ninth Monte-Carlo Title – Mondays with Bob Greene

April 18, 2016 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Rafael Nadal beat Gael Monfils 7-5 5-7 6-0 to win the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters in Monte-Carlo, Monaco

Irina Falconi beat Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-2 2-6 6-4 to win the Claro Open Colsanitas in Bogota, Colombia

Mischa Zverev beat Gerald Melzer 6-4 7-6 (2) to win the Joey Grafton Sarasota Open in Sarasota, Florida, USA

FED CUP

WORLD GROUP SEMIFINALS

Czech Republic beats Switzerland 3-2 at Lucerne, Switzerland

France beats Netherlands 3-2 at Trélazé, France

WORLD GROUP PLAY-OFFS

(Winners in World Group in 2017)

Belarus beats Russia 3-2 at Moscow, Russia

Spain beat Italy 4-0 at Lleida, Spain

Germany beats Romania 4-1 at Cluj-Napoca, Romania

United States beats Australia 4-0 at Brisbane, Australia

WORLD GROUP II PLAY-OFFS

Belgium beats Serbia 3-2 at Belgrade, Serbia; Slovakia beats Canada 3-2 at Bratislava, Slovakia; Chinese Taipei beats Poland 4-1 at Inowroclaw, Poland; Ukraine beats Argentina 4-0 at Kiev, Ukraine

GROUP II

Asia/Oceania Zone: Philippines promoted to Group I in 2017; Europe/Africa Zone: Bosnia/Herzegovina and Austria promoted to Group I in 2017, Egypt and Finland relegated to Group III in 2017

GROUP III

Europe/Africa Zone: Luxembourg and Norway promoted to Group II in 2017

SAYING

“I was able to raise my level yesterday in the second and in the third, and today again in the third (set). That’s something I missed a lot recently. This week I was able to do it.” – Rafael Nadal, after winning the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters for a record ninth time.

“He increased his intensity and changed the way he was playing. I simply couldn’t find an answer.” – Gael Monfils, following his loss to Rafael Nadal at Monte-Carlo.

“It’s the dream of every single player to beat a world number one. For me, it’s definitely a dream come true.” – Jiri Vesely, who upset Novak Djokovic at the Monte-Carlo Masters.

“He can make you go for winners from uncomfortable positions. You have to not allow that to happen.” – Andy Murray, about Rafael Nadal.

“He is still a major player on clay.” Roger Federer, talking about Rafael Nadal.

“I am very proud of my team. We left everything out on the center court and I don’t think there is any question or any doubt in anyone’s mind that we did that. You can’t ask of a team anything more than that.” – Heinz Guenthardt, captain of the Swiss Fed Cup team that lost 3-2 to defending champion Czech Republic.

“It’s difficult to get so close to your goal and then lose. It’s hard to take.” – Paul Haarhuis, captain of the Netherlands Fed Cup team that lost 3-2 to France.

“In Serena and Venus’s case, Olympics is a big goal for them, they have (already) qualified. The U.S. has the luxury, they have a lot of top players, but I think it just really points out that we here in Australia have players who are really committed to our country.” –Alicia Molik, Australian Fed Cup captain commenting on sisters Serena and Venus Williams not playing for the United States.

“The last 24 hours we’ve just been praying constantly for all the families and the children. I knew there’s a lot of people who’ve been killed already. We’re sending over a lot of prayers.” – Irina Falconi, an American who dedicated her first WTA title to her native Ecuador, which suffered an earthquake.

SUPER VICTORY

Rafael Nadal’s latest triumph is just confirmation that he has found his game. The Spaniard stopped Gael Monfils to win his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title since 2014. “The victory here confirms that I am better and I am very happy,” Nadal said after his three-set triumph in the final of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. “It is a very, very emotional week for me at a very important event. Monte-Carlo is one of the most important places in my career without a doubt. To win again here after three years is something so special for me.” It was an unprecedented ninth title on the clay at Monte-Carlo. And it was Nadal’s 28^th Masters title, equaling the record of top-ranked Novak Djokovic. “I worked hard to have this trophy with me,” Nadal said. “I am enjoying this moment. It is an emotional moment after some tough moments. But that’s part of life. It is part of sport in general.” Monfils had never won a set against Nadal on clay and had lost 11 of their 13 previous matches. This time, however, it was different. The Frenchman matched Nadal winner for winner and, as it turned out, unforced error for unforced error. Actually Monfils came out way in front on the latter, making 51 unforced errors to 36 for Nadal. And where Nadal had four double faults, Monfils double faulted seven times. “We will see how things are in the next six months (but) I have to enjoy this moment,” Nadal said. “Tomorrow I will start to think about Barcelona.”

SPECIAL WIN

Excuse Irina Falconi if she got a little emotional after capturing the Claro Open Colsanitas crown. “I’m so happy and I even started to cry a little bit,” Falconi said. “I was overwhelmed with emotions. Just trying to take in every moment and enjoy it.” It was Falconi’s first WTA final and her first title as she became the first American to win the clay court event in Bogota, Colombia. Then there was the earthquake in neighboring Ecuador. Falconi dedicated her victory to her native Ecuador. “My father is there right now, actually,” Falconi said. “He wanted to come here and watch me play, but obviously with the earthquake travel became complicated. First of all, thank God all my family is fine. But I know it’s a very difficult situation for so many people over there.” Trailing 3-4 0-30 in the decisive third set, Falconi broke Soler-Espinosa to pull even, then broke her opponent again to win the title on her third championship point. “This morning I felt nervous, but nerves are always nerves,” she said. “I was talking to my boyfriend about it and what we kept saying was, ‘It’s just another match. Doesn’t matter if it’s a final, doesn’t matter if it’s a Grand Slam, it’s just another match. That’s how I lived it, and that mentality helped me a lot.”

SHOCKER

Jiri Vesely finally got to play top-ranked Novak Djokovic. And the 22-year-old Czech came away with the victory. “When I went on court, I was hoping to win a game or to do well,” Vesely said. “But I really had no idea that I really would be able to beat Novak today. I still can’t believe it happened.” The second-round ouster was Djokovic’s earliest tournament loss in three years. In recent months the Serb had won nine of his last 10 tournaments, with the only blemish coming when he retired from a match because of an eye problem. It was Djokovic’s earliest loss in an event since he fell in the second round of the Madrid Open in 2013. Still, Djokovic took the loss in stride. “It’s been a tough four or five months, so I need time to recharge,” he said.

SURGICALLY FIT

Roger Federer may have lost at Monte-Carlo, but he says it was a successful return to the ATP World Tour following knee surgery. “It was good to play back-to-back, yesterday and today, good to play 2 hours 10 (minutes) today,” Federer said. “It was nice to play an intense match. I’m happy how the body reacted.” It was Federer’s first tournament since missing more than two months following knee surgery. He was two points from victory while leading 5-4 15-30 in the final set before losing to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 3-6 6-2 7-5. “In this tournament, (it) really doesn’t matter at all if I missed those chances,” the Swiss star said.

STARRING

Four players are the first winners of the 2016 Fed Cup Heart Award. They are Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus, Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine, Hsieh Su-Wei of Chinese Taipei, and Nadia Podoroska of Argentina. The four Heart Award recipients were selected in a public vote on FedCup.com and FedCup.com/es. Ten players were initially selected by a panel consisting of International Tennis Federation (ITF) president David Haggerty and a group of former Fed Cup players and members of the international media. All the winners will receive a check to be donated to their chosen charity. Sasnovich will donate her check to the National Research Center for Paediatric Oncology, Haematology and immunology in Minsk. Bondarenko will give her money to a children’s orphanage in Kryvyi Rig; Hsiesh Su-Wei to the Maria Social Welfare Foundation in Taiwan; and Podoroska to the Comedor Los Conejitos food center in Rosaria. The Fed Cup Heart Award recognizes players who have represented their country with distinction, shown exceptional courage on court and demonstrated outstanding commitment to their team. A total of six players will be recognized this year.

STRAIGHT TO THE BANK

Prize money for this year’s French Open will increase by 14 percent, with the total purse for the 2016 tournament at Roland Garros rising to just over 32 million euros (USD $36,110,900). The winners of the men’s and singles’ singles title will each take home USD $2,255,700, an increase of USD $225,570 over last year. “This noticeable increase in prize money at Roland Garros is the final raise mentioned in the four-year plan drawn up for 2013 to 2016,” tournament director Guy Forget said in a statement. “In total, the tournament’s prize money will have increased by a historic 70 percent during this four-year period, with a particular focus on those players who are eliminated in the first week, who have seen their earnings double.”

STILL FACES HEARING

Although the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) says players who have tested positive for meldonium could have their bans overturned, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said Maria Sharapova still faces a hearing. The Russian star tested positive of the drug at the Australian Open in January after it was added to WADA’s list of banned substances. WADA now says it has been unable to establish how quickly the drug clears the human body. The ITF isn’t moved. “In light of the recent notice from WADA regarding the process for dealing with cases involving meldonium, the ITF can confirm that the Tennis Anti-Doping Program case involving Maria Sharapova will proceed to a hearing in accordance with WADA’s recommendations,” the ITF said in a statement. “The ITF does not intend to make any further statement until completion of this process due to the confidentiality of the Tennis Anti-Doping Program.”

SQUEEZING INTO THE FINAL

The Czech Republic is back in the Fed Cup final for the fifth time in six years. France will play for the title for the first time since 2005. Yet both had to struggle to reach the title round. Karolina Pliskova and Lucie Hradecka had to win the deciding doubles to edge surprising Switzerland. Caroline Garcia won her reverse singles to pull France even with the Netherlands, then teamed with Kristina Mladenovic to win the doubles and a spot in the final. “The key was the depth of our team today,” Czech captain Petr Pala said. “It gave me more opportunities to make the doubles team. It is a great feeling for the camp. The spirit is there, everybody want to win the Cup.” Garcia had lost her first singles match to Kiki Bertens, who won both of her singles, also downing Mladenovic to give the Netherlands a 2-1 lead. “There was a lot of frustration (after Saturday), but then it was as if an energy rose up, a desire to gain my revenge,” Garcia said. “The fact that Amelie (French captain Mauresmo) had confidence in me gave me a lift.”

SAYS NO RESPECT

During a heated exchange in a semifinal match at the Monte-Carlo Masters, umpire Damien Dumusois accused Andy Murray of having “zero respect for what I do.” The exchange came after Murray hit at least two balls in the direction of the umpire during his semifinal loss to Rafael Nadal. “That’s enough, Andy,” Dumusois said as Murray approached the chair. “You have zero respect for what I do. So that’s fine, you can disagree, but no respect, I cannot accept that.” Dumusois continued, “I go there, I check the mark, you hit the ball to me. (It is) the second time you do it. You did it again before in the chair, so that’s enough.” In his post-match news conference, Murray acknowledge he had lost his cool. “There were a few things that happened in the match,” Murray said. “You guys were watching. And, yes, you can draw your own conclusions from it.” Nadal beat Murray 2-6 6-4 6-2.

STANDING NOT GOOD

A feud with the Italian Tennis Federation will keep Camila Giorgi from competing in the Olympic Games this summer. “The ITF (International Tennis Federation) rules say that players must be “in good standing” with their federation to qualify for the Games. For me, right now Giorgi is not in good standing,” Italian Tennis Federation president Angelo Binaghi said. Giorgi announced last month that she was cutting relations with the federation and would not play on Italy’s Fed Cup team that lost 4-0 to Spain. Because the federation also is the organizer of the Italian Open, Giorgi is expected to miss that event. “It’s not a friendly place for Camila and us,” said Sergio Giorgi, Camila’s father and coach. “Camila needs to be at ease.” Sergio Giorgi also said his daughter is no longer training at a federation facility in Tirrenia, Italy. “They’ve barred us from entering Tirrenia,” he said. Binaghi said he has sent a letter to Sergio seeking 160,000 euros (USD $180,000) for broken contracts. He also said the federation is likely to open disciplinary proceedings against the Giorgis.

SEEKING CHANGE

Mary Joe Fernandez believes the Fed Cup format must change if the world’s best players are to find time for the women’s international competition. Although missing its top three players – sisters Serena and Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens – the United States crushed Australia 4-0 in Fed Cup play over the weekend. But the absence of the biggest names has raised questions over whether the tournament can retain its prestige. Fernandez, captain of the American Fed Cup squad, said the format and scheduling of the tournament made it difficult for top players to easily commit. “We didn’t find out we were coming to Australia until the second week of February,” Fernandez said, noting the top players had mapped out their schedules by the start of the year. “It’s not the most convenient thing to do, come to Australia when everyone’s heading to Europe or in the States.” Fernandez said she has expressed her feelings to the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and believes a format more like the men’s Davis Cup could make it “a little bit easier to follow and it will be a lot more convenient for the players.”

SAD NEWS

Abe Segal, who teamed with Gordon Forbes in the 1950s and ‘60s to form one of the top doubles teams in the world, has died. When Alex Metreveli and István Gulyás both refused to compete against Segal, a native of South Africa, at Wimbledon in 1964, the International Lawn Tennis Federation passed a resolution prohibiting players from withdrawing from matches except for “health and bereavement.” In 1951, Segal won the Irish Open singles title. He played Davis Cup for South Africa in eight years, compiling a record of 24 wins and 14 losses. After retiring from tennis, Segal became a noted artist.

SHARED PEFORMANCES

MEN

Bogota: Lara Arruabarrena and Tatjana Maria beat Gabriela Ce and Andrea Gamiz 6-2 4-6 10-8 (match tiebreak)

Monte-Carlo: Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut beat Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares 4-6 6-0 10-6 (match tiebreak)

Sarasota: Facundo Arguello and Nicolas Kicker beat Marcelo Arevalo and Sergio Galdos 4-6 6-4 10-6 (match tiebreak)

SURFING

Barcelona: www.barcelonaopenbancsabadell.com/es

Bucharest: http://brd-nastase-tiriac-trophy.ro/2016/

Stuttgart: www.porsche-tennis.de/

Istanbul: http://istanbulcup.kozawos.com/

Munich: http://bmwopen.de/

Estoril: www.millenniumestorilopen.com/en/

Istanbul: http://istanbulopen.kozawos.com/

Prague: www.jtbopen.cz/en/news

Rabat: http://frmt.ma/frmt/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

MEN

$2,554,850 Barcelona Open BancSabadell, Barcelona, Spain, clay

$586,561 BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy, Bucharest, Romania, clay

WOMEN

$731,000 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Stuttgart, Germany, clay

$250,000 TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Open, Istanbul, Turkey, clay

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$586,561 Millennium Estoril Open, Estoril, Portugal, clay

$586,561 BMW Open by FWU AG, Munich, Germany, clay

$485,760 TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Open, Istanbul, Turkey, clay

WOMEN

$250,000 J&T Banka Prague Open, Prague, Czech Republic, clay

$250,000 GP SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem, Rabat, Morocco, clay

Little Netherlands Stuns Russia in Fed Cup Play – Mondays with Bob Greene

February 8, 2016 by Admin

Little Netherlands Stuns Russia in Fed Cup Play – Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Richard Gasquet beat Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-5 6-4 to win the Open Sud de France in Montpellier, France

Roberto Bautista Agut beat Viktor Troicki 6-3 6-4 to win the Garanti Koza Sofia Open in Sofia, Bulgaria

Victor Estrella Burgos beat Thomaz Bellucci 4-6 7-6 (5) 6-2 to win the Ecuador Open in Quito, Ecuador

Kyle Edmund beat Daniel Evans 6-3 6-2 to win the Tennis Championships of Dallas in Dallas, Texas, USA

Naomi Broady beat Robin Anderson 6-7 (6) 6-0 6-2 to win the Dow Corning Tennis Classic in Midland, Michigan, USA

FED CUP

World Group (First Round)

Czech Republic beat Romania 3-2 at Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Switzerland beat Germany 3-2 at Leipzig, Germany

France beat Italy 4-1 at Marseille, France

Netherlands beat Russia 3-1 at Moscow, Russia

World Group II (First Round)

Austria beat Slovakia 3-2 at Bratislava, Slovakia

Belarus beat Canada 3-2 at Québec City, Québec, Canada

United States beat Poland 4-0 at Kailua Kona, Hawaii, USA

Spain beat Serbia 4-0 at Kraljevo, Serbia

Group I (Round Robin)

Europe/Africa Zone at Eilat, Israel: Belgium and Ukraine advance to World Group II playoffs on April 16-17; South Africa and Sweden relegated to Group II in 2017

Americas Zone at Santa Cruz, Bolivia: Argentina advances to World Group II playoffs on April 16-17; Peru and Ecuador relegated to Group II in 2017

Asia/Oceania Zone at Hua Hin, Thailand: Chinese Taipei advances to World Group II playoffs on April 16-17; Uzbekistan relegated to Group II in 2017

Group II (Round-Robin)

Americas Zone, at Bayamon, Puerto Rico: Venezuela and Chile promoted to Group I in 2017

SAYING

“This is unbelievable. I don’t think anyone expected that we could win this tie. Perhaps we even didn’t.” – Kiki Bertens, after leaving the Netherlands to a shocking Fed Cup victory over Russia.

“I can’t describe the feeling when I saw the last ball go out. It was an unbelievable moment, to win back-to-back in Quito. Last year I was very nervous. I could barely breathe serving on match point. This year I was much more relaxed closing out the match.” – Victor Estrella Burgos, after successfully defending his Ecuador Open title.

“Medically there was no reason not to play. Warming up was tough, but I held on until the end. I was hard to serve because of my abs. I had to dig deep to get through it.” – Richard Gasquet, who underwent an MRI scan before the Open Sud de France final and was cleared to play.

“Carrying the flag in Rio will be one of the highlights of my career and something I will never forget.” – Carolina Wozniacki, who will carry the Danish flag in the opening ceremonies at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics this summer.

“It was obviously phenomenal, but it all happened a little bit too quickly. I went from not being known anywhere in the world to winning junior Wimbledon and six months later playing the Australian Open. I was a victim of my own success, really.” – Ash Barty, who has decided at age 20 to return to tennis following a 17-month retirement.

“As you get older, you realize that life is short and so I’ve decided that it’s time for me to slow down.” – Judy Murray, who says she will reduce her coaching commitments in order to focus on her new grandchild.

STUNNER FOR RUSSIA

Kiki Bertens turns into a world-beater when she plays Fed Cup. Ranked only 106^th in the world, Bertens surprised both Ekaterina Makarova and two-time Grand Slam singles champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and led the Netherlands into the semifinals of the team competition for the first time since 1997. It probably shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Bertens has posted an incredible 13-1 singles record in Fed Cup play. “The girls did unbelievably well,” said Paul Haarhuis, the Dutch team captain. “They inspire me, they surprise me and every time it is a great thrill to be a part of it. It is quite astonishing, it is the Moscow miracle.” Under Haarhuis, the Netherlands has won eight consecutive Fed Cup ties despite currently having no player inside the world’s top 100. Russia, last year’s runners-up, could not call on the services of the injured Maria Sharapova in the tie, which was played in Moscow.

Kuznetsova may have still been feeling the effects of her opening-day loss to Richel Hogenkamp, a four-hour, Fed Cup record marathon. The 141^st-ranked Hogenkamp survived a match point to win 7-6 (4) 5-7 10-8. It was the longest singles match in Fed Cup history, beating the previous best set in 2005 when Vilmarie Castellvi of Puerto Rick beat Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada in three hours, 49 minutes. “I’m very happy that I’m the one who could make it 2-0,” said Hogenkamp, who saved a match point at 6-7 in the final set. “And of course it feels great to win the longest match in Fed Cup history.”

Kuznetsova complained that Russia sacrificed the Fed Cup so that Sharapova could play in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics later this year. Sharapova was named to the team so that she could qualify under the rules to compete in the Olympic Games. “It all comes down to the Olympics and these stupid rules,” Kuznetsova said.

SICK BUT NOT DOWN

Richard Gasquet overcame abdominal pains and fellow Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu to successfully defending his Open Sud de France title. “I struggled to get into the match because I was still tired from Saturday,” Gasquet said of his three-set win over Germany’s Dustin Brown. “I could hardly serve and Paul was hitting the ball hard.” Gasquet underwent an MRI scan before the final and was cleared to play. “It is great for me to win another title,” Gasquet said. “I am very proud to win my third title here because it was a great match against a good friend. He had nothing to lose.”

SECOND STRAIGHT

Victor Estrella Burgos has a perfect record in Quito, Ecuador. Estrella Burgos improved his record to 10-0 as he won his second straight Ecuador Open title. This time he rallied to beat Brazil’s Thomaz Bellucci, who served for the match in the second set. Estrella Burgos fought back to send it into a tiebreak, which he won on his first set point, then ran away from the left-hander in the third set. The 35-year-old is the fifth player to successfully defend a title this year, following Stan Wawrinka (Chennai), Viktor Troiki (Sydney), Novak Djokovic (Australian Open) and Richard Gasquet (Montpellier).

SOFIA CHAMP

Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut is having the best start of his career. He stretched his match record to 12-2 by capturing the inaugural Sofia Open. He also won the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, last month. And he didn’t have to play much to come away with the crown. Bautista Agut had a first-round bye followed by a second-round walkover. His first on-court match was in the quarterfinals and his finished his shortened week without dropping a set. In the final, Bautista Agut lost only 16 points on his serve, breaking Victor Troicki twice early in the second set to grab a 3-1 lead. It was the fourth triumph in eight final appearances for the Spaniard.

SUMMER OLYMPIAN

Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki will carry her country’s flag in the opening ceremony at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics this summer. It will be her third Olympics. “It’s an honor me,” she said. “The Olympics mean a lot to me, and I have some fantastic memories from my two previous appearances. I enjoy competing for the Danish team and feel the team spirit, which I do not get to experience in my everyday life.” Wozniacki, who at one time was ranked number one in the world, lost to eventual gold medalists Serena Williams at the 2012 Olympics in London and to Russia’s Elena Dementieva at the Beijing Games four years earlier. Wozniacki will be the fifth WTA player to carry their country’s flag at the Olympics, following Maria Sharapova of Russia, Agnieszka Radwanska or Poland, Stephanie Vogt of Liechtenstein and Claudine Schaul of Luxembourg.

SRI LANKA BOUND

Because of security concerns, Pakistan hasn’t played a home Davis Cup tie since 2005. The Asia/Oceania Zone Group I first-round battle between Pakistan and China will be played in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on March 4-6. The home-and-away rule dictates that this tie would normally be held in Pakistan, but ongoing security concerns in the region resulted in the Davis Cup Committee making the change after consulting with the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) independent security consultants. Officials said China had expressed concern about playing in Pakistan. This will be the first time Pakistan has played in Group I since 2006.

SURGERY FOR FED

Roger Federer is skipping the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in Switzerland to repair a torn meniscus. His agent, Tony Godsick, said Federer sustained the injury the day after his Australian Open semifinal loss to Novak Djokovic. “I am so disappointed to have to miss Rotterdam and Dubai as they are two of my favorite tournaments on the ATP World Tour,” Federer said. “While this is an unfortunate setback, I feel grateful that up until now I have remained mostly healthy throughout my career. My doctors have ensured me that the surgery was a success and with proper rehabilitation I will be able to return to the tour soon.”

SITE PICKED

Guess who’s back? Again? Juan Martin del Potro will return to the ATP World Tour at the Delray Beach Open in Florida, USA, next week. The 2009 US Open winner played just two tournaments last year before undergoing surgery on his left wrist. Ranked as high as fourth in the world, del Potro had comeback success at Delray Beach before. Coming off right wrist surgery, the Argentine won the Delray Beach title in 2011 without dropping a set. “We’ve been expecting this call,” said Mark Baron, Delray Beach Open tournament director. “Juan Martin has always had Delray Beach in his comeback plans, and we’re happy to know that it’s come to fruition. We are rooting for him to be able to overcome his injury and hope he will have a successful comeback.”

SHE’S BACK

Ash Barty has decided that tennis really is her sport. The Australian quit tennis 17 months ago when she was just 17 years old. Now she says her passion has been rekindled and she wants to return to the game she loves. In 2013, Barty teamed with fellow Australian Casey Dellacqua to reach the finals at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. Two years after being ranked number two in the world in juniors, she had a career-high doubles ranking of 12. “Winning my first Fed Cup live rubber against Switzerland” is her favorite memory, Barty said. “There’s nothing quite like playing for Australia. That was a pretty phenomenal feeling. That’s close to the three finals with Casey or winning junior Wimbledon. But I think playing for Australia is the cream of the crop, and that was pretty special.” While retired from tennis, Barty signed on to play professional cricket with the Brisbane Heat in the inaugural Women’s Big Bash League.

STAYING HOME

Judy Murray wants to focus her life on her new grandchild. Andy Murray’s mother will reduce her coaching commitments in order to make the yet-to-be-born baby a priority in her life. “When it happens I shall be an active granny,” Great Britain’s Fed Cup coach said. “My mum Shirley was very involved with Jamie and Andy when they were growing up and I hope to be the same with my grandchild.” Andy Murray and his wife Kim Sears are expected their first child this month. “I’ve been away so much that I’ve missed out on family occasions and children,” Judy Murray said. “I’m actually looking forward to cutting back on my work and spending more time with my parents and, yes, the new baby.”

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Dallas: Nicolas Meister and Eric Quigley beat Sekou Bangoura and Dean O’Brien 6-1 6-1

Midland: Catherine Bellis and Ingrid Neel beat Naomi Broadly and Shelby Rogers 3-6 6-3 10-6 (match tiebreak)

Montpellier Mate Pavic and Michael Venus beat Alexander Zverev and Mischa Zverev 7-5 7-6 (1)

Quito: Pablo Carreno Busta and Guillermo Duran beat Thomaz Bellucci and Marcelo Demoliner 7-5 6-4

Sofia: Wesley Koolhof and Matwe Middelkoop beat Philipp Oswald and Adil Shamasdin 5-7 7-6 (9) 10-6 (match tiebreak)

SURFING

St. Petersburg: http://wta.formulatx.com/en/

Kaosiung: www.taiwanopen.com.tw/EN/

Buenos Aires: http://argentinaopenatp.com/

Rotterdam: www.abnamrowtt.nl/

Memphis: www.memphisopen.com/

Rio de Janeiro: www.rioopen.com/

Marseille: www.open13.fr/

Delray Beach: www.yellowtennisball.com/

Dubai: www.dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

MEN

$1,500,755 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament, Rotterdam, Netherlands, hard

$639,070 Memphis Open, Memphis, Tennessee, USA, hard

$567,760 Argentina Open, Buenos Aires, Argentina, clay

WOMEN

$685,900 St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy, St. Petersburg, Russia, hard

$426,750 Taiwan Open, Kaosiung, Taiwan, hard

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$1,454,365 Rio Open, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, clay

$705,819 Open 13, Marseille, France, hard

$539,730 Delray Beach Open, Delray Beach, Florida, USA, hard

WOMEN

$2,000,000 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, hard

$250,000 Rio Open, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, clay

Petra Kvitova Leads the Czech Republic to Fed Cup Title – Mondays with Bob Greene

November 10, 2014 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Peter Gojowczyk beat Farrukh Dustov 7-6 (2) 6-3 to win the Slovak Open in Bratislava, Slovakia

Vitalia Diatchenko beat Chan Yung-Jan 1-6 6-3 6-4 to win the OEC Taipei WTA Challenger in Taipei, Taiwan

Tereza Smitkova beat Kristina Mladenovic 7-6 (4) 7-5 to win the Open GDF Suez de Limoges in Limoges, France

FED CUP

Final

Czech Republic beat Germany 3-1 in Prague, Czech Republic

SAYING

“Angie played so well and I’m just glad that I did it.” – Petra Kvitova, after beating Germany’s Angelique Kerber to lead the Czech Republic to the Fed Cup title.

“I gave everything I had today and in the end Petra was better. I think she deserved to win, but we both played at a really high level. It was for sure one of the best matches this year for me.” – Angelique Kerber, following her loss to Petra Kvitova in the Fed Cup final.

“I get pretty angry when I lose, so I’m going to have to learn how to slap myself out of it.” – Milos Raonic, after losing to Roger Federer 6-1 7-6 (0) in his opening round-robin match at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

“This award means a lot to me. I try to play as fairly as I can. This is a classy sport and I try to represent it as well as I can.” – Roger Federer, after receiving the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award from Stefan Edberg.

“It’s about being honest and respecting everyone around you, such as the ball kids and the umpire.” – Stefan Edberg, explaining what sportsmanship means to him.

“I’m not just Top 100 now, but I won a tournament – a big one.” – Vitalia Diatchenko, after winning the OEC Taipei WTA Challenger.

“I don’t feel like a loser today because I fought until the last minute. I tried my best out there, and I leave with no regrets.” – Chan Yung-Jan, following her loss to Vitalia Diatchenko in Taipei, Taiwan.

“I don’t know how much longer she’ll play, but I think these records will keep her playing. For a while, she was goofing around and not serious about playing. She probably missed out on a couple of years. Now, wow, those years look important. You think you’ll win two or three, but you get injured, or someone plays well to beat you. It’s not that easy. I think her first challenge is to get to 22.” – Billie Jean King, on Serena Williams increasing her Grand Slam tournament titles from her current 18.

“It’s a challenge today because it’s a lot harder than it was then. Margaret (Court) won 11 of those just being in Australia. Most of the time none of us went down there. No fault to her, but the Australian didn’t mean anything in those days, quite frankly. And we didn’t have the money to bop down to Australia.” – Billie Jean King, on Margaret Smith Court’s record 24 Grand Slam tournament singles titles.

SUPER TEAM

With Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova leading the way, the Czech Republic captured its third Fed Cup title in four years, beating Germany 3-1. The Czechs won the first three singles matches, clinching the Cup, before Germany’s Julia Goerges and Sabine Lisicki beat the Czech pair of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka 6-4 6-3 in the dead doubles rubber. The final singles match was not played. The Czechs also won the Cup in 2011 and 2012. The former Czechoslovakia won the title five times in 1975-1988. Kvitova began the two-day competition by beating Andrea Petkovic 6-2 6-4 before Lucie Safarova gave the Czechs a commanding 2-0 lead with a 6-4 6-4 win over Angelique Kerber. Kvitova closed out the victory when she beat Kerber 7-6 (5) 4-6 6-4 in a match that was three minutes short of three hours. “It was really up and down from the beginning of the match and there was always a big fight for every single point,” Kvitova said. The left-hander closed out the battle on her fourth match point when Kerber hit a backhand into the net.

SAY IT AIN’T SO

A prosecutor says Italian tennis player Daniele Bracciali has partially admitted to match-fixing. Investigator Roberto Di Martino told The Associated Press that Bracciali “admitted a few things and denied a few things” when he met with authorities. Bracciali and his occasional doubles partner, Potito Starace, were accused of corruption after the Italian media printed intercepted Internet conversations claiming the two sold matches. Five Italian players – including Bracciali and Starace – have been suspended by the ATP World Tour for betting. The others were Alessio Di Mauro, Giorgio Galimberti and Federico Luzzi. Di Martino would neither confirm nor deny reports that a former Swedish player, Tomas Nydahl, is also under investigation for recruiting players to fix matches. In other match-fixing cases in tennis, three players have been banned for life: Daniel Koellerer of Austria, David Savic of Serbia and Andrey Kumatsov of Russia.

STARS

When the ATP World Tour awards were handed out, Roger Federer’s coach joined the Swiss star at the special ceremony. That’s because Federer won the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for the 10^th time. But it was the first time he was handed the trophy by Edberg, his coach. Federer also was voted the ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favorite Presented by Moët & Chandon for a record 12^th straight year. That trophy was presented to Federer by ATP Executive Chairman & CEO Chris Kermode.

Other winners were Great Britain’s Andy Murray, American brothers Bob and Mike Bryan, Borna Coric of Croatia, Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut and David Goffin of Belgium. Murray received the Arthur Ashe humanitarian award; the Bryan twins captured the doubles award for a sixth straight year; Coric, a 17-year-old, was named Star of Tomorrow as the youngest player ranked in the Top 100; Bautista Agut was selected the most improved player, and Goffin was named the comeback player of the year.

STELLAR TOURNAMENT

Russia’s Vitalia Diatchenko is loving these final days of 2014. She won the biggest title of her career when she captured the OEC Taipei WTA Challenger, besting Chan Yung-Jan in the title match 1-6 6-3 6-4. “The first set was very bad,” Diatchenko said in an understatement. “When I lost it I said, ‘OK, let’s just play a good game now.’ I wasn’t playing my best tennis in the beginning, but when I relaxed like that, I could play much better, and I’m so happy how I was able to turn it around after that in the second and third sets.” Winning in Taipei, Taiwan, may have been her brightest result, but not the only time she has provided a glimpse of her future in the women’s game. She reached her first WTA Premier-level quarterfinal in Moscow, where she upset Dominika Cibulkova. Before this, all of Diatchenko’s nine career titles came on the International Tennis Federation’s Women’s Circuit. Diatchenko was seeded sixth in Taipei, while Chan was a wild-card entry into the event.

Chan didn’t leave Taipei empty-handed. She and her younger sister, Chan Hao-Ching, captured the doubles title, beating Chang Kai-Chen and Chuang Chia-Jung 6-4 6-3. The Chan sisters never faced a break point in the match.

SPLITSVILLE

After a season that has seen her rise to fourth in the world, Simona Halep has split with her coach. “My collaboration with Wim Fissette will come to an end following a mutual agreement,” the 23-year-old Romanian star wrote on her Facebook page. “It was a good and beautiful year. I want to thank him and wish him good luck in the future.” Halep began working with her Belgian coach in January. Fissette had previously coached Kim Clijsters and Sabine Lisicki. This year Halep became the highest ranked Romanian in WTA history after reaching the French Open final, where she lost to Maria Sharapova in three sets. She won WTA titles in Doha and Bucharest. According to Romanian media, Hall of Famer Ion Tiriac is helping Halep find another coach for next season.

SURGERY – HEART

After undergoing a procedure to correct a heart condition, Melanie Oudin says she will have eye surgery later this month. “I don’t think my luck could get any worse,” the 23-year-old American said. “I just can’t wait for 2014 to be over. A heart thing this week, and then an eye thing after that. I have lots going on.” Oudin made a big splash in 2009 when she reached the quarterfinals at the US Open and the fourth round at Wimbledon. In an interview, Oudin said she had been experiencing occasional “episodes” of an accelerated heartbeat, usually during or right after matches. She said she was diagnosed last month with a form of arrhythmia. She also said she needs surgery for “a growth in my eye from the sun, being out in the sun so much.” She has been ranked as high as 31^st in the world but is currently ranked 165^th.

SURGERY – APPENDIX

Rafael Nadal said having his appendix removed was a “simple, ordinary surgery.” The Spanish ace left the Barcelona hospital two days after undergoing surgery. He gave no timetable for his return to tennis, saying he will start training when he has recovered fully. Doctors said Nadal could return to full training after about a month of post-operation recovery. The Spaniard had tried to play through suspected appendicitis, treating his ailment with antibiotics before undergoing the surgery.

SPLIT MENDED

After winning the US Open in 2013, Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka decided to end their successful doubles partnership. Now they are reuniting for 2015. “We both know that together we have the best chance to win something and that it doesn’t make sense to start anything new,” Hradecka said. Together, they won two Grand Slam tournament titles, helped the Czech Republic win the Fed Cup and captured the silver medal at the London Olympics. Following their split, Hlavackova teamed with fellow-Czech Lucie Safarova while Hradecka played doubles with Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands. Neither pair did particularly well.

SUKOVA HONORED

Helena Sukova of the Czech Republic has been given the 2014 Fed Cup Award of Excellence by the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the International Tennis Federation (ITF). “The Czech Republic has a rich and successful Fed Cup history, and Helena played an integral role in building that history,” said ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti in presenting the award. “As a dedicated competitor for her home country for 13 years, Helena personifies the spirit of international competition. In appreciation of her contributions to the sport of tennis and to the Fed Cup, we are proud to present her with the Fed Cup Award of Excellence.” Helping to present the award was Jane Brown Grimes, a 2014 Hall of Famer and president emerita of the International Hall of Fame. Sukova was a member of the Czechoslovakia Fed Cup team a record 13 years, helping her nation win four Fed Cup titles in 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1988. She won 14 Grand Slam tournament titles in women’s doubles and mixed doubles, and held the world number one doubles ranking for 68 weeks. She was ranked as high as fourth in the world in singles and reached the US Open final in 1986 and the Australia title match in 1989. Sukova retired in 1998, but has stayed involved in tennis in various capacities. She earned a doctoral degree as a psychologist at Palacky University and since February 2011 has served as vice president of the Association of Sport Psychologists.

STAYING PUT

Boris Becker will remain as the coach of Novak Djokovic. “We have a written agreement, even if for sportsmen like us a handshake is enough,” the 43-year-old German said. “Our partnership has been crowned with success these past 12 months and I’m delight to continue our work with the whole team.” Becker began coaching Djokovic in December 2013. Since then, the Serb has won six titles, including his second Wimbledon, and is close to finishing the year as the world number one player.

SELECTED

Two-time US Open champion Pat Rafter has been appointed Tennis Australia’s new director of performance. The former world number one will report directly to Tennis Australia chief Craig Tiley. “It’s a challenge I am really looking forward to,” Rafter said. “There is so much I can learn, but also a lot I think I can contribute. I feel the time is right to step into this role and help us take the next step.” Rafter is already Australia Davis Cup captain.

SECOND TIME

Andrea Petkovic has won her second Fed Cup Heart Award. Her latest recognition came for her performance during Germany’s semifinal victory over Australia in April. She previously received the honor in 2011. A check for USD $10,000 was presented to Petkovic and will be donated to her chosen charity, Help for Kids with Cancer Frankfurt. A total of five Heart Awards have been presented this year. Others honored were Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, Simona Halep of Romania, Teliana Pereira of Brazil and Sabina Sharipova of Uzbekistan. The Fed Cup Heart Award recognizes players who have represented their country with distinction, shown exceptional courage on court and demonstrated outstanding commitment to their team.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Bratislava: Ken Skupski and Neal Skupski beat Norbert Gombos and Adam Pavlasek 6-3 7-6 (3)

Limoges: Katerina Siniakova and Renata Voracova beat Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic 2-6 6-2 10-5 (match tiebreak)

Taipei: Chan Yung-Jan and Chan Hao-Ching beat Chang Kai-Chen and Chuang Chia-Jung 6-4 6-3

SURFING

London: www.barclaysatpworldtourfinals.com/en/

Dubai: www.dubaitennis.com

Toyota: www.dunlop-tennis.jp

Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$6,500,000 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, London, England, hard

WOMEN

$75,000 Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, hard

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$220,000 Challenger Tour Finals at Sao Paulo, Brazil, clay

WOMEN

$75,000 Dunlop World Challenge Tennis Tournament, Toyota, Japan, carpet

DAVIS CUP

World Group Final

France vs. Switzerland at Lille, France, clay

Stan Wawrinka Beats Roger Federer In All-Swiss Final at Monte-Carlo: Mondays with Bob Greene

April 20, 2014 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Stanislas Wawrinka beat Roger Federer 4-6 7-6 (5) 6-2 to win the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters in Monte-Carlo, Monaco

Donna Vekic beat Dominika Cibulkova 5-7 7-5 7-6 (4) to win the BMW Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Nick Kyrgios beat Filip Krajinovic 7-6 (10) 6-4 to win the Sarasota Open in Sarasota, Florida, USA

FED CUP

World Group

(Semifinals)

Czech Republic beat Italy 4-0 at Ostrava, Czech Republic

Germany beat Australia 3-1 at Brisbane, Australia

World Group Playoffs

Russia beat Argentina 4-0 at Sochi, Russia

Canada beat Slovak Republic 3-1 at Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

France beat United States 3-2 at St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Poland beat Spain 3-2 at Barcelona, Spain

World Group II Playoffs

Romania beat Serbia 4-1 at Bucharest, Romania

Netherlands beat Japan 3-2 at ’s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands

Sweden beat Thailand 4-0 at Lidkoping, Sweden

Switzerland beat Brazil 4-1 at Catanduva, Brazil

SAYING

“I can see that when mentally I’m there and I’m fighting, I can play tennis, I can beat all the players. I did an amazing job.” – Stanislas Wawrinka, after beating Roger Federer in the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters.

“Of course, I’m very happy for Stan. It’s a huge win for him after winning his first Grand Slam this year, also to win his first Masters 1000. To take the opportunities when they’re there, that’s key in a tennis player’s career. So I’m very happy for him.” – Roger Federer, following his loss to Stanislas Wawrinka in Monte-Carlo.

“It’s always special to play Roger. We know it’s always a strange match, especially being in the final here. He’s my best friend on the tour. We respect each other so much. I’m just trying on the court to win the match. Before and after, we are still very good friends. During the match, we just try everything to win. Today I’m really happy to take that one.” – Stanislas Wawrinka.

“I have had to wait 10 years to beat him on clay. It was a long wait but I am pleased with the win and the way I played.” – David Ferrer, after beating Rafael Nadal on the clay in Monte-Carlo.

“I didn’t play the right way. I didn’t play with the right intensity with my forehand. I played too short. I gave him the chance to have the control of the point almost all the time.” – Rafael Nadal.

“I just rest now. I cannot play tennis for some time. How long, I don’t know. It’s really not in my hands anymore. I’m going to rest and see when it can heal 100 percent, then I will be back on the court.” – Novak Djokovic,

“Rafa’s not a machine. Sometimes he can play not so good. Maybe today he didn’t play his best tennis, and I played very good.” – David Ferrer.

“I was frustrated, let’s be honest. I did chuck a ball out of the stadium, I did scream sometimes. I was aggravated to a degree, but not to the extent where I totally lost it.” – Roger Federer, after hitting a ball out of the stadium in frustration during his match with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

“It’s amazing to hit triple digits. It’s a great milestone to say that you have a hundred, to be the first player to hit a hundred titles. Kind of snuck up on us pretty quick. Last few years we’ve been really hot. We always wanted to beat the Woodies’ record of 61. Then trying to clip Todd Woodbridge’s 83 titles. All of a sudden I’m at 99. It will feel a lot better when we do it as a team. We’ve always looked at our career as team titles, doing it together. That’s the huge goal for this year, to do it together.” – Mike Bryan, who won his 100 career doubles title and teamed with his twin brother Bob to capture their 98^th crown.

“I think of myself as two different people. There’s the Serena Williams that everyone knows: She’s crazy. She can’t make a mistake. And she’s angry and just not nice, to be honest. I’m only that person for three hours a day, when I’m on the court. The rest of the time I’m just Serena. I’m the class clown.” – Serena Williams, in comments she told Fitness Magazine.

SWISS SWITCH

Stanislas Wawrinka has shown that being ahead of Roger Federer in the ATP Tour Rankings is no fluke. The “other Swiss” beat Federer for only the second time in their careers to capture his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title, the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. “When I came here, for me it was more like a test. I knew I was playing good tennis, but I didn’t expect to win because the draw was so strong,” Wawrinka said. Instead, the 29-year-old Wawrinka came on strong in the second half of the final to capture the Monte-Carlo crown to go along with the Australian Open title he won in January. “When you win a match like this, it’s only one or two points, especially in the tiebreak,” Wawrinka said. “But I think I did a great tiebreak. I was serving big and being really aggressive. Then I took the advantage at the beginning of the third set. I saw that he was a little bit tired. Me, I was playing better and better, especially moving better.” Federer, who has never won Monte-Carlo, agreed with Wawrinka. “I think it’s one of those finals that I could have won,” Federer said. “But Stan was tougher at the end. I think he deserved it just a little bit more.” It was the first all-Swiss final on the ATP World Tour in 14 years, and was the fourth time Federer had reached the final at Monte-Carlo and lost, the first three times to Rafael Nadal. “I would have loved to have won a second title (this season) because I’ve come close a few times,” Federer said. “That’s my next objective, that I get to the very end more frequently. But clearly I’m happy that the clay court season started so well for me.”

SIDELINED

Fresh off from winning two ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events, Novak Djokovic’s season is on hold because of an injury to his right wrist. With his right arm heavily taped, the Serb was visibly hampered in his semifinal loss at the Monte Carlo Masters to Roger Federer. The injury severely hampered Djokovic’s serve and backhand. “I just rest now,” Djokovic said. “I cannot play tennis for some time. How long, I don’t know. It’s really not in my hands anymore.” Ranked second in the world, Djokovic said there was one positive thing about his injury. “The good thing is I don’t need to have a surgery,” he said. “I don’t have any rupture or something like that.” He had complained earlier in the week about the pain, but said he felt better after taking a day off from playing and training. But a long quarterfinal win over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez aggravated the injury. “Long match, long rallies, heavy balls, definitely did not help the state of my arm,” said Djokovic, who was seeking to win his fifth straight Masters title. “The pain was there every single day from 10 days ago. At some stages it was very painful.”

STRUGGLING

A back injury and defeat in the Australian Open final has cost Rafael Nadal his confidence. At least that’s what the world’s top-ranked player is saying. “I don’t have to lie to anybody,” Nadal said. “After what happened in Australia it was little bit harder for me to find again the intensity, the confidence, the inside power that I always have.” Although he won a clay court tournament in Rio de Janeiro after the Australian Open, Nadal fell in the third round of the Indian Wells Masters and lost the final of the Miami Masters. Then came the Monte-Carlo Masters where Nadal lost in the quarterfinals to fellow Spaniard David Ferrer. Asked if his back was still bothering him, Nadal said: “No, no, the back is not an excuse. The back is in good shape. The physical performance is fine. No problem about that.” The left-hander vowed: “I’m going to fight to try to find that solution soon.”

SUCCESS, FINALLY

It took 10 years, but David Ferrer has finally posted a win over fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal on clay. Ferrer’s 7-6 (1) 6-4 win snapped Nadal’s 30-match clay-court winning streak and came in the quarterfinals in Monte-Carlo. The last time Ferrer beat Nadal on clay was in their first ATP World Tour meeting in Stuttgart, Germany. “I have had to wait 10 years to beat him on clay,” Ferrer said. “It was a long wait but I am pleased with the win and the way I played. I spoke with my coach and we had a clear game plan. But with Rafa, it’s always tough because he doesn’t allow you to follow it. The good thing was I was able to deal with his attacks and stay strong physically for the whole match.” Nadal said he failed to stay with his own game plan. “I didn’t play the right way,” the world’s top-ranked player said. “I didn’t play with the right intensity with my forehand. I played too short. I gave him the chance to have the control of the point almost all the time.” Nadal has won Monte-Carlo eight straight years until he lost to Novak Djokovic in the final last year.

SIBLING POWER

The records keep falling for the Bryan brothers. Mike Bryan became the first player to win 100 tour-level doubles titles when he and twin Bob Bryan captured the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, defeating Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo 6-3 3-6 10-8 (match tiebreak). It was the 98^th team title for the Americans. It was the fifth title in a row for the Bryans and extended their winning streak to 21 matches. The 35-year-olds have not lost since the Memphis, Tennessee, USA, final in February. The brothers’ goal now is to win 100 titles together. “I will feel a lot better when we do it as a team,” Mike Bryan said. “We’ve always looked at our career as team titles, doing it together. That’s the huge goal for this year, to do it together.” Brother Bob said their goal is to hit the century mark before Roland Garros. “We’ve got two tournaments or three coming up before the French,” Bob Bryan said. “It’s incredible to see what he’s done. I guess I’m knocking on the door. The Californian pair have now won the Monte-Carlo Masters four times and lead with 29 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles together.

STAR ARISING

Donna Vekic is out to prove she belongs with the best players on the WTA tour. The 17 year old from Croatia won her first WTA title – the BMW Malaysian Open – by posting her first win over a Top 10 player, Dominika Cibulkova. “I’m so happy – I don’t know what to say, I’m so, so happy,” Vekic said. She was runner-up in her first two WTA finals – at Tashkent in 2012 and Birmingham in 2013. And she was close to losing at Kuala Lumpur as she trailed Cibulkova 7-5 5-4. But Vekic reeled off seven straight games to take the second set and grab a 4-0 lead in the third. Cibulkova, herself a young player on the rise in the rankings, did not go down easily. She staved off three match points at 5-2 and eventually forced a tiebreak. When Vekic closed out the 5-7 7-5 7-6 (4) victory with a forehand winner, she finished the match by winning one more point than her Slovakian opponent, 122 to 121. Vekic also had 11 aces to just two for Cibulkova. At 17 years, 10 months and 23 days old, Vekic is the first player under 18 to win a WTA title since American Vania King captured Bangkok in 2006. “It was a very tough match,” Vekic said. “She played very well throughout the whole match. I was up 5-1 in the third set and she came back out playing insane. So I’m happy I was able to get through in the end.”

S’IL VOUS PLAIT

Not surprisingly, the French Open will pay out more this year than ever before. The men’s and women’s champions will each earn 1.65 million euros (USD $2,277,640), an increase of 150,000 euros (USD $207,059) from last year. Gilbert Ysern, tournament director at Roland Garros as well as French Tennis Federation director, said “this notable increase in Roland Garros prize money is part of the plan that was put in place for 2013 until 2017.” In all, total prize money for the clay court Grand Slam tournament increased by 3 million euros (USD $4.1 million) from last year. The biggest increases have come for those losing in the early rounds.

SKIPPING PARIS?

Being with his wife when she gives birth is Roger Federer’s top priority. Consequently the Swiss star could possibly miss this year’s French Open. The day before Christmas Federer announced he and his wife Mirka were expecting their third child, although they have not said when. The 32-year-old Federer says he still does not know the due date. “So we’re just waiting,” Federer said. “It’s a priority for me trying to be there, trying to support my wife. I’ve played enough tennis matches. Missing a tournament or missing a match wouldn’t change anything for me.”

SHORT PROBLEM

Normally when Rafael Nadal misses his first serve, he just reaches into his pocket for the second ball. At Monte-Carlo, however, he had to get the second ball from a ball person. That’s because of a problem the Spanish ace had with the pockets in his shorts. “The ball comes out of the bottom of them and gets in the way,” the world’s top-ranked player told Teledeporte. “We’ll try to sort it out for the next tournaments, but here it won’t be possible.” Pete Sampras always had just one ball at a time, as does Serena Williams. But Nadal, like many of today’s male players, grabs two balls and puts one in his pocket. “When you have been doing something the same way for so many years, when there is a change you have to think about it and it makes things a bit more difficult,” Nadal said. “But it’s better to do it that way than have the ball popping out of the bottom of your shorts, which is quite uncomfortable.”

SIDELINED

Great Britain’s top woman player, Laura Robson, has decided to undergo surgery on her left wrist, meaning she will miss both the French Open and Wimbledon. She was plagued by the left wrist problem throughout this year, playing just one match, and losing that to Kirsten Flipkens 6-3 6-0 in the first round of the Australian Open. She had retired because of the long-standing injury I her opening match against Yanina Wickmayer at a warm-up event in Hobart, Australia. Currently ranked 64^th in the world, Robson announced on her Facebook page that she will have the operation, which will be performed by the same Minnesota-based doctor who operated on the wrist of former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro. “I wanted to inform my lovely supporters that I have decided to have minor wrist surgery at the Mayo clinic with one of the best wrist doctors in the world, Dr. Richard Berger,” Robson wrote. “Dr. Berger is very confident that I will be able to return to the tennis court pain free before you even have time to miss me.” The 20-year-old Robson won the Wimbledon girls’ singles title in 2008 and reached a career-high of 27thin the rankings last year.

SEEKING A COACH

Andy Murray hopes to have a new coach by next month’s French Open. The 26-year-old Murray won the London Olympics singles gold, the US Open and Wimbledon with Ivan Lendl as his coach. But the two announced their split last month and Murray is seeking a replacement. “The plan is to think exactly what I need over the next week, two weeks,” Murray told BBC Sport. “There’s a lot of factors you need to look at and I would hope I would have someone in place by the French Open, but I don’t want to rush it. I don’t want to get someone just because they’ve won a lot of tournaments or were great players.”

SAID WHAT?

No one was more surprised than Donald Young when an umpire assessed him a warning for what he said in a first-round match at the Sarasota ATP Challenger tournament in Sarasota, Florida, USA. What Young muttered after putting a backhand into the net was “son of a biscuit.” After being given the warning for his comment, the former world junior number one told the umpire: “Come on Keith, don’t give me crap for that, man, I said ‘son of a biscuit.’ That’s a problem? That’s a problem now?” Despite the warning, Young won his first-round match, beating Alexander Zverev, a 16-year-old qualifier from Germany. He then beat Zverev’s brother, Mischa, in the next round before losing to Nick Kyrgios of Australia. Kyrgios went on to win the Sarasota tournament, stopping Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic 7-6 (10) 6-4 in the final.

SENT PACKING

The men’s tournament in St. Petersburg, Russia, is moving to Tel Aviv, Israel. The ATP Board of Directors, meeting in Monte-Carlo, approved the tournament’s move, and now needs only a final agreement of conditions between the tournament and the ATP World Tour. “After 19 memorable years in St. Petersburg, the time has come for us to take the tournament in a new direction,” said Ruslan Linkov, a tournament representative. “We are very excited about the opportunities that lie in Tel Aviv and look forward to hold a successful event in September.” The tournament will be held at the Israel Tennis Centre at Ramat HaSharon this September and will offer USD $1,000,000 in prize money. It will be the first ATP World Tour event held in Israel since 1996.

STALWARTS ALL

Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska, Romania’s Simona Halep, Brazil’s Teliana Pereira and Uzbekistan’s Sabina Sharipova have been named the first four winners of the 2014 Fed Cup Heart Award. The four recipients were decided more than 60,000 fans casting ballots on FedCup.com and FedCup.com/es. The winners will receive a check to be donated to their chosen charity. It is Radwanska’s second career Heart Award for her performance in the World Group and World Group II first-round category. The other three were Zone Group I winners. The Fed Cup Heart Award recognizes players who have represented their country with distinction in Fed Cup competition.

STARTING YOUNG

The top eight ranked boys and girls on the 18-and-under International Tennis Federation Junior World Rankings at the end of the year will compete in the ITF Junior Masters, a new event that be held next April at the Sichuan International Tennis Centre in Chengdu, China. According to the ITF announcement, the competition will consist of two knock-out singles events, with each player guaranteed three matches to determine their final finishing position. The Sichuan International Tennis Centre, which was built in 2008, has already hosted a number of international events. The new competition will be played three match courts, including a 6,000-seat stadium court.

SPLIT ENDS, TOO?

When Danish star Caroline Wozniacki showed up to caddy for her fiancé Rory McIlroy at a par-3 hit and giggle event prior to The Masters, she had dyed her hair pink. By the final round other the golf major, Wozniacki’s hair was its normal blonde. But returning to her natural color may not have been easy. The tennis star posted on social media: “Does anyone know if semi-permanent hairy dye from the brand Manic Panic washes off completely after a little while?” Gold Digest writer Dan Jenkins wrote on social media: “High-level talk on Augusta National veranda: ‘Exactly what color is Caroline Wozniacki’s hair?’ I’m going with a blend of violet and stupid.”

SALUTED

The chairman and CEO of the WTA, Stacey Allaster, is the first person from the tennis industry to be given the Great Wall Friendship Award. The award, established by the Beijing Municipal Government, acknowledges global professionals and experts who have played instrumental roles in facilitating the development of China’s capital. “It is an honor to receive this award, and this is an accomplishment to be shared with the entire China Open team,” Allaster said. “Together we shared a vision to build the China Open into one of the world’s most exciting sports entertainment events in the world. With the success and growth of the China Open, the WTA will host 10 events in China in 2014 as women’s tennis continues to grow and develop within the region.” Since the Great Wall Friendship Award was first given in 1999, 176 honorees from 30 countries have been selected. Of those 176, only three have been from the sports industry: Allaster; Hein Vergruggen of the Netherlands, chairman of the International Olympic Committee Coordination Commission for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games; and American basketball star Stephen Marbury, who now plays for the Beijing Ducks. Besides Allaster, 14 other foreign experts received the Great Wall Friendship Award.

SCHOOL TIME

Paul Annacone, an Australian Open doubles champion and coach of both Roger Federer and Pete Sampras; Judy Murray, mother of Andy Murray and Great Britain’s Fed Cup captain, and Patrick McEnroe, USTA Player Development general manager, will be among the keynote speakers at this year’s Tennis Teachers Conference, which will be held in New York City in conjunction with the US Open. The four-day conference, beginning August 22, will bring together the leading tennis teaching professionals and coaches to share best practices. The event offers educational resources, facilitating innovative teaching techniques and creating networking opportunities among the members of the various associations. The conference also will include a series of interactive on-court sessions and presentations.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Kuala Lumpur: Timea Babos and Chan Hao-Ching beat Chan Yung-Jan and Zheng Saisai 6-3 6-4

Monte-Carlo: Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan beat Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo 6-3 3-6 10-8 (match tiebreak)

Sarasota: Marin Draganja and Henri Kontinen beat Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo and Franko Skugor 7-5 5-7 10-6 (match tiebreak)

SURFING

Barcelona: www.barcelonaopenbancsabadell.com/

Bucharest: http://brd-nastase-tiriac-trophy.ro/2014/

Stuttgart: www.porsche-tennis.de

Marrakech: www.lallameryemtennis.com/

Ostrava: www.prosperitaopen.cz/

Munich: http://bmwopen.de/

Qeiras: www.portugalopen.pt/

Tunis: www.tct.org.tn/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$2,562,150 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain, clay

$592,239 BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy, Bucharest, Romania, clay

WOMEN

$644,900 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Stuttgart, Germany, clay

$250,000 Grand Prix De SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem, Marrakech, Morocco, clay

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$590,148 Portugal Open, Qeiras, Portugal, clay

$590,148 BMW Open by FWU AG, Munich, Germany, clay

$125,000 Tunis Open, Tunis, Tunisia, clay

$117,586 Prosperita Open 2014, Ostrava, Czech Republic, clay

WOMEN

$250,000 Portugal Open, Qeiras, Portugal, clay

Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka

Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka

STARS

Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic 6-3 6-1 to win the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters in Monte Carlo, Monaco

Sam Querrey beat Paolo Lorenzi 6-1 6-7 (3) 6-3 to win the Sarasota Open in Sarasota, Florida, USA

FED CUP

World Group Semifinals

Serbia beat Russia 3-2 at Moscow, Russia
Czech Republic beat Italy 4-1 at Ostrava, Czech Republic

World Group Playoffs

United States beat Ukraine 5-0 at Kharkiv, Ukraine
Japan beat Belgium 4-1 at Tokyo, Japan
Slovak Republic beat Spain 3-2 at Marbella, Spain
Australia beat Germany 3-2 at Stuttgart, Germany

World Group II Playoffs

France beat Slovenia 5-0 at Besançon, France
Switzerland beat Belarus 4-1 at Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland
Sweden beat Great Britain 4-1 at Borås, Sweden
Argentina beat China 4-1 at Buenos Aires, Argentina

Group II
Round-Robin

Europe/Africa at Cairo, Egypt: Turkey and Georgia promoted to Europe/Africa Zone Group I in 2013; Norway and Denmark relegated to Group III

Americas at Guadalajara, Mexico: Chile and Mexico promoted to Americas Zone Group I in 2013

Group III
Round-Robin

Europe/Africa at Cairo, Egypt: Lithuania and Tunisia promoted to Europe/Africa Zone Group II in 2013

DAVIS CUP

Asia/Oceania Zone Group IV at Doha, Qatar: United Arab Emirates and Cambodia promoted to Asia/Oceania Zone Group III in 2013

SAYING

“To start the clay-court season winning here is an amazing feeling. This tournament is very special for me.” – Rafael Nadal, after winning at Monte Carlo for the eighth straight year.

“It’s a historic moment for us. I cannot even believe that we are in the final. We came a long way and I’m very happy we were able to win this match.” – Jelena Jankovic, after leading Serbia into its first Fed Cup final.

“It’s very important to break that situation. It’s important to win a tournament another time. Especially (this) tournament. (Breaking) that situation (and) winning a Masters 1000, one of my favorites, (makes) everything perfect today.” – Rafael Nadal, about snapping a seven-match final losing streak to Novak Djokovic.

“It’s been a tough week, not just for me but for everybody in my family. We’re going through this together. In the end, I played the final and I’m really happy for that.” – Novak Djokovic, who just hours before he played his third-round match learned of his grandfather’s death.

“It was like a bullfight. She knocked me down and then I knocked her down.” – Tamaryn Hendler of Belgium, after losing her opening singles match to Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-1 6-4.

“It has been such a long journey and we’ve worked so hard. We felt like the dark horses coming into this event – but very prepared dark horses. All that work has really paid off and it means so much to move on to the Group III stage. Imagine what we have achieved in our first season with less than 30 tennis courts in the whole of Cambodia. The complex in Doha has 27 courts. That puts this amazing feat in perspective. It is such an inspiration for all the tennis playing kids back home.” – Tep Rithivit, captain of Cambodia’s victorious Davis Cup team.

“It’s been a great couple weeks in Monaco with the Davis Cup and now the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 event. It’s always a pleasure to see Prince Albert II and the beautiful scenery. We couldn’t ask for a better place to win our 20th Masters 1000 title.” – Mike Bryan, after he and brother Bob won the Monte Carlo doubles.

“Usually you look through the rankings to see who’s playing well, and you look at some of the good match-ups, as well as who’s healthy, and put together the best team possible for that tie.” – Mary Joe Fernandez, when asked about the criteria she used in choosing the United States Fed Cup team.

“I love being able to participate in the Olympics. It’s so cool. You get to play for your country. You get to see the athletes from other sports. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I’m trying to get my third-in-a-lifetime experience.” – Serena Williams, when asked about playing the London Olympics this summer.

“Hopefully both Serena and Venus will be ready to go. I have talked to them many times about Fed Cup and playing. They enjoy it. If it works and if they are healthy I expect them to be here.” – Mary Joe Fernandez, on the possibility of sisters Venus and Serena Williams playing on the same Fed Cup team again.

“I think it is more huge for the media for me to win singles (at the Olympics). For me, any medal is great. If I win singles, it would be awesome. If I win doubles, it would be awesome, or if I win mixed.” – Serena Williams, on playing in the Olympics.

STREAK CONTINUES

ATP Masters Series Monte Carlo - Day Eight — Rafael Nadal wins Monte Carlo for eighth straight year (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Rafael Nadal put a punctuation point on his latest title. The Spaniard won the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters for the eighth consecutive year, and this time with a thorough thrashing of top-ranked Novak Djokovic. The win ended a run of seven straight losses to her Serbian rival in title matches. The victory ran Nadal’s winning streak to 42 in a row at Monte Carlo and was his first tournament title since the 2011 French Open. “I always loved this tournament since I was a kid,” Nadal said after winning his 47th career title. “One of my dreams was to play here. It’s a historic tournament (where) you see all your idols when you are a kid playing here.” Nadal now leads his head-to-head series with Djokovic 17-14, but it was his first win over the Serb since the 2010 ATP Finals in London. Djokovic had beaten Nadal in three consecutive Grand Slam finals.

SERVING A WIN

Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova found her winning ways just in time to power the Czech Republic into the Fed Cup final where it will be defending its title. Kvitova beat Francesca Schiavone 6-4 7-6 (1) in the reverse singles to give the Czechs an insurmountable 3-0 lead over Italy. “It was important for me to win; it’s a confidence booster,” said Kvitova, who has played only three matches – and lost two – on the WTA Tour since helping the Czech Republic win its first-round Fed Cup tie in February. The defending champion Czechs will take on Serbia in November’s final. “I really wanted to be in the final again,” Kvitova said. “It’s unbelievable. It was an unbelievable feeling (to win).” Sara Errani defeated Andrea Hlavackova to give Italy a point before Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka took the doubles to make the final score 4-1. Italy’s Flavia Pennetta retired from the doubles at 5-6 because of a wrist injury.

SUCCESSFUL SERBIA

Jelena Jankovic won both of her singles matches to lead Serbia into the Fed Cup final for the first time. After Ana Ivanovic won the opening reverse singles to give Serbia a 2-1 lead, Jankovic clinched the tie with a6-1 6-4 victory over Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova. Trailing 3-0 in the second set, Jankovic won five consecutive games and closed out the victory on her first match point. Jankovic had won the first point for Serbia, defeating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova before Kuznetsova stopped Ivanovic in the second match on opening day. In the reverse singles, Ivanovic beat Pavlyuchenkova 3-6 6-0 6-3, winning 10 straight games after losing the first set to take a 4-0 lead in the third. Serbia will face defending champion Czech Republic in the final in November. It was Serbia’s first Fed Cup victory over Russia in four meetings.

SIGNATURE MOVE

Cambodia wasn’t just satisfied with making its Davis Cup debut. Playing at The Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha, Qatar, the Cambodian team of Kenny Bun, Pannhara Man, Samneang Long, Vetu Mam and captain Tep Rithivit won promotion from the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Asia/Oceania Zone Group IV to Zone Group III in 2013 by beating Turkmenistan 3-0. Also earning promotion to Group III next year was the United Arab Emirates, who defeated Qatar 2-1. The largest annual international team competition in sport, Davis Cup by BNP Paribas had 123 nations competing in 2012.

STYLISTIC

After replacing Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as the number one-ranked tennis player in the world, Novak Djokovic took over some of their honors also. The Serb has been named one of Time Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential People in the World. Djokovic was one of six athletes named to the list, joining Jeremy Lin, Lionel Messi, Oscar Pistorious, Tim Tebow and Yani Tseng. “While he yukked it up, he also upped his training regimen and refined his exquisite baseline shot-making,” Bill Saporito, Time’s sports editor, said of Djokovic. “No one has a more lethal backhand down the line. He got mentally tougher, too.” It marks the fifth time in six years that an ATP World Tour player has been selected for the Time 10. Federer was on the list in 2007 and 2010, while Nadal was named in 2009 and 2011.

STILL SIDELINED

The clay-court season is now out for Kim Clijsters. The Belgian is skipping the French Open and the entire clay-court season as she has been recovering much slower than expected from a hip muscle team suffered during the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, Florida, in March. “My current physical condition does not allow me to be ready for Roland Garros,” said Clijsters, who will resume training in about three weeks and hopefully be ready for the grass courts. She is entered into the Rosmalen, Netherlands, grass court tournament in mid June, one week before Wimbledon. She also hopes to play the Olympic tennis event, which will be held at Wimbledon.

STRANGE HAPPENINGS

Serena Williams had no problems winning both of her Fed Cup singles matches for the United States against Ukraine, dropping just eight games and never more than three games in any set. But it wasn’t as smooth as it looked. In both matches, Williams was broken while serving for the match. And the sixth game of the first set against Lesia Tsurenko lasted 22 points as Williams served three aces, three double faults and saved two break points. “I felt I won that game and I kept giving it away,” Williams said. “I kept hitting double faults. That game was really good for me to get through, for sure.” With Williams leading the way, the Americans swept Ukraine 5-0 with Christina McHale capturing both of her singles matches and Liezel Huber and Sloane Stephens winning the doubles.

SUFFERS INJURY

Julien Benneteau of France fractured his right elbow and sprained his right ankle when he fell in his opening set against third-seeded Andy Murray at the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters. A former French Open quarterfinalist, Benneteau trailed 6-5 when he slipped and rolled his ankle while scampering to retrieve a shot from the baseline. He hurt his wrist while trying to break his fall. “When he went down, he was making quite a lot of noise,” Murray said. After being treated extensively, Benneteau continued to play, but only briefly before retiring from the third-round match.

SUMMER OLYMPICS

Stephanie Vogt of Liechtenstein and Veronica Cepede Royg of Paraguay have clinched spots in the 2012 Olympic tennis event, which will be held July 28 through August 5 at Wimbledon. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) confirmed the two players selected by the Tripartite Commission from nations with small Olympic teams. The 22-year-old Vogt will become the first player from Liechtenstein to compete in an Olympic tennis event. The 20-year-old Royg will become the first player from Paraguay to compete in Olympic tennis since Rossana de los Rios in 2000. There will be 56 direct entries into the singles, with eight ITF places in the men’s singles and six ITF places and two Tripartite Commission Invitation places in the women’s singles. There will be 24 direct acceptances and eight ITF places in the men’s and women’s doubles, while there will be 12 direct acceptances and four ITF places in the mixed doubles. A maximum of six men and six women will be allowed per country, with a maximum of four singles players, two doubles teams and two mixed doubles teams. Entries for mixed doubles will be taken from those players already competing in singles or doubles.

SPECIAL PLACE

Tokyo’s Ariake Coliseum is a special place for veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm. The 41-year-old beat Belgium’s Tamaryn Hendler to help lead Japan to a 4-1 victory in a Fed Cup World Group playoff. Sixteen years ago, the Japanese right-hander enjoyed perhaps the finest triumph of her career. Then 25 years old and known as Kimiko Date, she beat Steffi Graf in a 12-10 third-set marathon that would be one of the greatest in the history of Japanese tennis. The reverse singles win leveled the tie at 2-2 before Japan won the doubles to move into the World Group semifinals for the first and only time. Following the Fed Cup loss, Graf would go on to win Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open titles. It was Date’s final year before a nearly 12-year retirement from the sport. In 2008, Date and Graf played an exhibition match at Ariake to commemorate the 12th anniversary of their battle. After Date won 6-2 6-3, Graf said she should consider returning to the WTA Tour. Three weeks later, at the age of 37, Date-Krumm announced she would play again.

SECOND TITLE OF YEAR

Twins Bob and Mike Bryan won their third Monte Carlo Rolex Masters doubles title, beating the second-seeded team of Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor. It was the 20th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 team crown for the Americans. “It feels nice to win again in Monte Carlo, especially against two legends, Danny and Max,” said Boy Bryan. “They’ve been playing great the last 15 months and hopefully we’ll all get to play in many more big matches.” The top-ranked Bryans did not lose a set in winning their second tournament title of the year. It was their 77th career title.

STANDING IN LINE

American men are standing in line for a chance to play mixed doubles with Serena Williams at the London Olympic Games. John Isner, America’s highest-ranked men’s singles player, is the latest to join the Serena Sweepstakes. “I may be the odd man out,” Isner said. “But I’m pretty good friends with Serena. Might need to bribe her, maybe send a gift in the mail to get her to play with me.” Other candidates to team with Serena are Andy Roddick and the Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike, as mixed doubles has been added to this year’s Olympic program. “A girl loves to have choices,” Serena said earlier. “Obviously the Bryans are like the world’s best doubles players. Andy and I are super, super close. Personally I love John. You’re not going to break the guy. It’s an automatic I-don’t-know-how-many games. I think it’s so hard to choose. I don’t know if you just throw everyone’s name in a hat and figure out what happens next. ‘Regardless, we want to do really well and take home a medal for the country. That’s what it’s all about.”

SIGNS WITH ESPN

John McEnroe will add Wimbledon to his ESPN announcing duties this summer. The seven-time Grand Slam tournament champion has worked the US Open for ESPN since 2009. As a player, McEnroe won 77 singles titles, including four US Open titles and three at Wimbledon. He also won 10 additional major championships in doubles or mixed doubles. While known for his brash on-court behavior, McEnroe has earned a reputation for insightful and outspoken commentary on television. “His rare combination of insight, candor and personality behind the microphone mirrors the multi-talented player he was on the court,” John Wildhack, ESPN executive vice president, production, said in announcing the multi-year contract.

STARS ON PARADE

Tennis Hall of Famers Chris Evert and Mats Wilander will join Todd Martin and others on May 6 for an afternoon of tennis to raise money for “Match for a Cure.” The vent will be held at the Omni Amelia Island Plantation in Amelia Island, Florida, USA. The headline event is an “Ultimate Miracle Match” pitting Martin against Bill Przybysz, the Miracle Match Foundation founder who is a leukemia survivor and tennis professional.

SAD NEWS

Although he reached the final of the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters, it was not a good week for Novak Djokovic. Just hours before his third round match against Alexandr Dolgopolov, Djokovic learned of the death of grandfather. When he completed the rain-interrupted victory over his Ukrainian foe, Djokovic crouched down, his hands on his knees. He then appeared to wipe away tears with his forearm before pointing with both hands to the sky. Dolgopolov stood at the net, applauding. Djokovic skipped the post-match news conference, with a spokesperson for the ATP World Tour saying the Serb “just felt totally exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally.” Following the final, where he lost to Rafael Nadal, Djokovic said he felt emotionally drained. “I definitely don’t want to take away anything from Rafa’s win. He was a better player,” Djokovic said. “But it’s a face that I just didn’t have any emotional energy left in me.” At the post-match interview, Djokovic said he had not decided what his schedule will be over the next few days. “I obviously have to go to visit my grandfather’s grave and see, because I wasn’t there (at the) funeral yesterday (Saturday),” he said. “So I’ll be there.”

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Monte Carlo: Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan beat Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor 6-2 6-3

Sarasota: Johan Brunstrom and Izak Van Der Merwe beat Martin Emmrich and Andreas Siljestrom 6-4 6-1

SURFING

Barcelona: www.barcelonaopenbancsabadell.com

Bucharest: http://brd-nastase-tiriac-trophy.ro/2012/

Stuttgart: www.porsche-tennis.de

Kaohsiung: www.oectennis.com/

Fès: www.frmt.ma

Munich: www.bmwopen.de/

Belgrade: www.serbiaopen.rs/

Estoril: www.estorilopen.net

Budapest: www.budapestgrandprix.hu

Medellín: www.tennissegurosbolivar.com

Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$2,179,536 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain, clay
$523,619 BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy, Bucharest, Romania, clay
$125,000 OEC International Tennis Challenge, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, hard

WOMEN

$740,000 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Stuttgart, Germany, clay
$220,000 Grand Prix de SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem, Fès, Morocco, clay

DAVIS CUP

Asia/Oceania Group III at Tehran, Iran, clay (round-robin, eight nations in two pools): Bangladesh, Iran, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Oman, Syria, Vietnam

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$523,619 BMW Open, Munich, Germany, clay
$523,619 Estoril Open, Estoril, Portugal, clay
$484,000 Serbia Open, Belgrade, Serbia, clay
$125,000 Tunis Open, Tunis, Tunisia, clay

WOMEN

$220,000 Budapest Grand Prix, Budapest, Hungary, clay
$220,000 Estoril Open, Estoril, Portugal, clay

SENIOR

Seguros Bolivar Tennis Champions, Medellín, Colombia, hard

DAVIS CUP

Europe Zone Group III at Sofia, Bulgaria, clay (round-robin, 13 nations in four pools): Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Iceland, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro, Norway, San Marino

fed cup

STARS

FED CUP

DAVIS CUP

SAYING

STREAK CONTINUES

SERVING A WIN

SUCCESSFUL SERBIA

SIGNATURE MOVE

STYLISTIC

STILL SIDELINED

STRANGE HAPPENINGS

SUFFERS INJURY

SUMMER OLYMPICS

SPECIAL PLACE

SECOND TITLE OF YEAR

STANDING IN LINE

SIGNS WITH ESPN

STARS ON PARADE

SAD NEWS

SHARED PERFORMANCES

SURFING

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

WOMEN

DAVIS CUP

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

WOMEN

SENIOR

DAVIS CUP

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