gael monfils

Monfils Is New Tennis Ambassador for ASICS: This Week in Tennis Business with Justin Cohen

January 9, 2013 by Justin Cohen

By Justin Cohen

Gael Monfils ASICS — Gael Monfils for ASICS

ASICS signs Monfils as latest Tennis Ambassador

ASICS just announced it has signed French tennis star, Gaël Monfils, as its latest worldwide tennis ambassador. Monfils, a former world No. 7 and four-time ATP tournament winner, has signed a multi-year contract and will begin wearing ASICS footwear and apparel from the beginning of the 2013 tennis season. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The French star will also feature in ASICS’ 2013 brand advertising campaign. Monfils will be seen in print ads, in-store material and an online film, which has just been released, in which he discusses his personal journey of improvement and the importance of staying positive. The video can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/ASICSvideo/. As part of his role, Monfils will be involved in the development of future ASICS tennis collections providing input on the requirements of top-level players and giving feedback to the design teams. “2013 is going to be a fresh start in my tennis career and I am looking forward to beginning the season wearing ASICS footwear and apparel. With the help and support of a world class brand like ASICS, I am confident I will make it back to the top of the game and be challenging for titles this year,” said Monfils.

2013 Australian Open on ESPN2 to feature over 100 live hours of coverage

The 2013 Australian Open presented by Franklin Templeton Investments begins this Sunday with more than 100 live hours during the two-week tournament on ESPN2 HD and 600+ on ESPN3. The action gets underway Sunday, January 13, at 6:30 p.m. ET with a 12.5-hour telecast. ESPN’s 29th consecutive Australian Open represents the company’s longest uninterrupted professional sports programming relationship. Daily action continues each night with afternoon re-airs totaling more than 50 additional hours through the women’s championship Saturday, January 26, and the men’s championship Sunday, January 27, both at 3 a.m. with re-airs later each day at 9 a.m. and in prime time. The telecasts are also available through WatchESPN online at WatchESPN.com and on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app. Expanded digital coverage includes 600 hours on ESPN3, all live, with users choosing between ESPN2 or action on up to other seven courts with all matches available on-demand after completion. ESPN3’s coverage starts at 7 p.m. over the first 11 days of the tournament with the first ball each day of all TV court matches. Additionally, ESPN3 will offer live matches not airing on ESPN2, including the men’s, women’s and mixed doubles championships and the finals of the boys and girls divisions. The best tennis team in television returns for 2013, led by Cliff Drysdale – who has been with ESPN since its first tennis telecast in 1979. Darren Cahill, Chris Evert, Mary Joe Fernandez, Brad Gilbert, Patrick McEnroe and Pam Shriver return with hosts Chris Fowler, who also calls matches including the finals, and Chris McKendry. Tom Rinaldi will contribute features, news and interviews during event coverage and on SportsCenter.

Tennis Channel announces 2013 Australian Open broadcast schedule

Tennis Channel’s sixth year of televising the Australian Open, the first major tournament of the annual tennis season, will begin Monday, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m. ET. The network plans for more than 30 hours of live match telecasts during the two-week competition again this year, with more than 180 hours of dedicated tournament coverage overall. In addition to 10 consecutive nights of live prime-time matches running into the middle of the second week (complete schedule follows), Tennis Channel viewers will again be able to tune in throughout the competition for encore match coverage and a sense of where things stand as the tournament progresses. New for 2013 is a retooled format for daily highlight and encore-match show Australian Open Today. Previously a single programming block that ran once in the morning and again each afternoon, this year’s version will feature two daily editions, one dedicated to the tournament’s most recent day session and one to the most recent night session. This nearly doubles the amount of first-run Australian Open Today programming, from 41 hours in 2012 to an estimated 72 hours in 2013. This year’s Tennis Channel on-air team includes Bill Macatee, Martina Navratilova, Brett Haber, Lindsay Davenport, Justin Gimelstob and Renee Stubbs.

McGarryBown, DDB to handle marketing for USTA

According to an article written by Maureen Morrsion on AdAge.com, McGarryBowen’s Chicago office and DDB’s New York office have been hired by the United States Tennis Association to handle marketing after a review. Interpublic Group of Cos.’ Martin Agency had the account since 2009, but chose not to defend the business when it went into review. There was no consultant overseeing the process. “We enjoyed our three-year relationship as USTA’s agency of record. It’s been a great partnership and we wish them the best,” said Chris Mumford, executive VP-director of account management at Martin. McGarryBowen will work on promoting the U.S. Open series of tournaments, while DDB will handle the USTA brand, focusing on marketing efforts towards recreational play, rebranding USTA and “branding what the USTA means, brand promise and launching a tagline,” said Sue Hunt, CMO of USTA. As for why the USTA awarded the assignments to two separate agencies, Ms. Hunt said that “we consider these brands to be very, very different.” The shift to McGarryBowen — which is owned by Dentsu and is in the process of building a global network to expand the U.S. agency brand further into Europe and into Asia — comes as the USTA wants to find new fans, and to do so, it might need to increasingly look abroad. A recent NPR report noted that the sport has been losing fans at its live tournaments in the U.S. in part because of the recession, while players are being lured by the prospects of making more money in global markets. In addition to promoting the U.S. open, Dentsu-owned McGarryBowen will be charged with promoting the Emirates Airlines U.S. Open Series of tournaments, as well as increasing the fan base. In recent years, the USTA had moved more marketing dollars into a campaign that was geared toward recruiting kids under 10 to tennis. In 2011, when the campaign launched, the spending on it accounted for nearly half of the USTA ad budget, nearly all of which had typically been used to the U.S. Open and the then-named Olympus U.S. Open series. According to people familiar with the matter, the budget is between $15 million and $20 million annually.

Isner becomes next Brand Ambassador for Anatabloc®

Star Scientific, Inc. (STSI), today announced that John Isner, the top-ranked American player on the ATP World Tour, will be the next brand ambassador for the Company’s Anatabloc® dietary supplement for anti‐inflammatory support. Isner is the second brand ambassador for Anatabloc®, joining PGA Tour champion Fred Couples. Isner recently learned about the benefits of Anatabloc® and started using the supplement to help provide anti-inflammatory support naturally. “Anatabloc has allowed me to stay on the court longer and in the gym longer, while at the same time helping with the recovery process. I simply do not feel as sore and fatigued as I have in the past,” Isner stated. “We are extremely proud to have John teaming up with Anatabloc®, a product that is becoming increasingly popular in the world of professional athletics,” said Isner’s manager, Sam Duvall, Vice President at Lagardere Unlimited Tennis. “John is a phenomenal athlete who has become a giant in the world of tennis,” stated David Dean, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Star Scientific, Inc. “He will be a tremendous partner for Star Scientific as he helps spread the word about Anatabloc®, and the difference it is making in his game. We are excited to have him as an Anatabloc® brand ambassador. Sales continue to grow and we are looking forward to a great year ahead.”

Djokovic’s Serbia Open dropped from ATP schedule

The ATP World Tour announced that the Serbia Open, which is owned by World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and run by his family, has been dropped from the ATP tournament calendar effective immediately. The ATP World Tour 250 event had been held during the clay court season prior to the start of the French Open. The inaugural event drew sell-out crowds as local hero Djokovic triumphed in 2009. However, its fortunes have faded since then and the ATP has now purchased back its Tour membership.

U.S. National Indoor tickets on sale

Individual tickets for the 2013 U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships went on sale through all Ticketmaster outlets on Monday, January 7th at 10:00 a.m. Tickets start at $15 and may be purchased through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or visiting ticketmaster.com. Tickets may also be purchased by contacting the tournament box office at (901) 765-4401 or by stopping by The Racquet Club of Memphis box office (M-F 9am-5pm CST, Sat. 9am-12pm CST). The U.S. National Indoor, which will take place February 16-24 at The Racquet Club of Memphis will feature both legends of the game as well as some of best players on the current ATP and WTA World Tour. Players committed to Memphis as of January 5, 2013 include: Milos Raonic, John Isner, Alex Dolgopolov, Kei Nishikori, Sam Querrey, Fernando Verdasco, Mardy Fish, Lleyton Hewitt, Bob and Mike Bryan, Vicki Duval and Shahar Peer.

West Clinic to sponsor Hawk-Eye during 2013 U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships in Memphis

The Racquet Club of Memphis is pleased to announce that The West Clinic, one of the nation’s premier cancer clinics, will be the official title sponsor of the Hawk-Eye instant replay system during the 2013 U.S. National Indoor Championships to be held February 16-24, 2013. Hawk-Eye has transformed the game of tennis for the past seven years as the most successful instant replay system in sports. The network of cameras and computers accurately calculates the bounce mark made by the ball on the court and reliably determines whether a shot is in or out. Hawk-Eye assures players, officials, and fans that the correct call is made with each point.

Thomaz Bellucci upsets Janko Tipsarevic to win Swiss title — Monday with Bob Greene

July 23, 2012 by Bob Greene

STARS

Juan Monaco beat Tommy Haas 7-5 6-4 to win the bet-at-home Open – German Tennis Championships in Hamburg, Germany

Dominika Cibulkova beat Marion Bartoli 6-1 7-5 to win the Mercury Insurance Open in Carlsbad, California, USA

Andy Roddick beat Gilles Muller 1-6 7-6 (2) 6-2 to win the BB&T Atlanta Open in Atlanta, Georgia

Thomaz Bellucci beat Janko Tipsarevic 6-7 (6) 6-4 6-2 to win the Crédit Agricole Suisse Open in Gstaad, Switzerland

Polona Hercog beat Mathilde Johansson 0-6 6-4 7-5 to win the Sony Swedish Open in Båstad, Sweden

Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor beat Garbine Muguruza 6-3 4-6 6-4 to win the BCR Open Romania in Bucharest, Romania

SAYING

“I know by now the score of a set is irrelevant. Whether it’s 7-6 or 6-1, it still counts the same. With most other sports, you get way up in the first quarter and it actually means something in regards to the rest of the game. In tennis, it’s not really the case too often, with the exception of momentum. You just try to start over and put some holds together. I was able to (slide) out the second set and I think he might have gotten a little tired in the third.” – Andy Roddick, after winning the BB&T Atlanta Open.

“It’s amazing, it’s a dream come true. I will always remember this great week because it’s very important for me and my team. It was a big goal we had preseason when we were practicing very hard.” – Juan Monaco, after winning in Hamburg, Germany.

“He played a tremendous match. All credit to him. He performed really well, especially when it came down to the big points. I tried to play my best; I thought I played really well throughout the match. Having the crowd support really lifted me to another gear, but it just wasn’t enough today.” – Tommy Haas, after falling to Juan Monaco in the final in Hamburg.

“I didn’t think they were in. I didn’t need any challenges. I just needed that feeling of seeing where the ball was landing and how far I was missing in the court to help me get the range, because I wasn’t feeling how far I was missing it.” – Coco Vandeweghe, after using all of her challenges in a 6-2 7-6 (4) loss to Channelle Scheepers at the Mercury Insurance Open.

“It doesn’t matter if its singles, doubles, triples or whatever it is. If you win titles, you can always build off of it, so we’re really fired up.” – Ryan Harrison, who teamed with Matthew Ebden to win the doubles at the BB&T Atlanta Open.

“I’m so happy for this week, last week, for the year. It’s a pleasure to play with Fernando, who plays unbelievable singles and unbelievable doubles. I hope that we can continue like this and can play the Masters in London this year.” – David Marrero, who teamed with Fernando Verdasco to capture the doubles title at Hamburg.

SWISS MASTER

It’s old hat for Thomaz Bellucci to collect the winner’s trophy in Gstaad, Switzerland. The Brazilian won his first ATP World Tour title in Gstaad as a qualifier in 2009. He captured the title again on Sunday by upsetting top-seeded Janko Tipsarevic 6-7 (6) 6-4 6-2. “Gstaad is very special for me because I won my first title here three years ago, which was a surprise and unexpected,” said Bellucci. “For me to win one more time here is very special. I feel very comfortable here, like I’m playing at home.” With the victory, Bellucci avenged his loss to Tipsarevic a week earlier in the semifinals at Stuttgart, Germany. “This was my first time in Gstaad and I honestly don’t know why,” Tipsarevic said. “I should have come and played here more often. It’s an amazing event and a great tournament. Even though I lost in the final, I had an incredible two weeks with the win in Stuttgart and the final here.”

SECOND TITLE OF 2012

Andy Roddick claimed his second title of 2012 and 32nd of his career when he beat Gilles Muller in the final at Atlanta, Georgia, USA. “I’ve won 32 times now and every one of them, I’ve never assumed I was going to win again. I’ve always appreciated it,” the American said. “I go through the process of playing, work hard, and hope that I can put myself in position enough times to create some success.” Against Muller, the fourth-seeded Roddick started slowly. And he needed treatment from a trainer on his right shoulder after he had been broken twice and lost the opening set 6-1. The treatment apparently helped as Roddick didn’t face a break point in the second set and finished the match with 18 aces, just two fewer than the left-hander from Luxembourg who was seeking his first career ATP crown. “I was able to pull out the second set and I think he might have gotten a little tired in the third,” Roddick said. Muller was playing in his first ATP final since 2005. “I played very well in the first two sets,” he said. “At the end of the second set, I got very tight. I felt like I was in a position to win that match. I was too nervous to close it and then Andy started to play better. He started to return my serves and put a lot of balls in the court. And I started to miss a lot. Maybe I lost the belief in myself.”

STOPPED BY INJURIES

Rafael Nadal won’t be defending his men’s singles gold medal at the London Games because of an injury. “I am not in condition to compete in the London Olympics, so I will not be traveling as planned with the Spanish delegation to compete in them,” said Nadal, who has been recovering from a knee injury. The left-hander, who won the French Open earlier this summer, had been scheduled to carry Spain’s flag in the opening ceremonies.

Nadal won’t be the only tennis star that will be missing the Olympics. Frenchman Gael Monfils withdrew from the Games with a right knee injury. And Estonian tennis star Kaia Kanepi pulled out of the women’s singles and doubles due to a heel injury.

SLOWED

Marion Bartoli ran out of steam at the wrong time. The top-seeded French woman was beaten by Dominika Cibulkova in the final at Carlsbad, California, USA. But Bartoli had a good excuse. Struggling with a sore hip during the week, Bartoli had a series of three-set matches. By the time they reached the final, Bartoli had spent a total of four more hours on court than her opponent. The fatigued Bartoli had six double faults in the final, with the last one giving Cibulkova three match points. “Today I played well all through the match,” said the winner. “In the past finals I was nervous. This was the first one where I just went for it. Everything went my way.”

SPREADING OUT

Wimbledon has finally listened to players and will move the grass-court Grand Slam tournament back a week in the schedule. That gives a three-week break between the clay courts of Roland Garros and the grass at the All England Club. “The best interests of tennis will be served by allowing the players more time to recuperate and to adjust from the clay of Roland Garros to the grass at Wimbledon,” said Philip Brook, chairman of the All England Club. “All our research indicates that there is widespread support within the game for extending the gap between the French Open and Wimbledon and, importantly, we think most players will welcome the prospect of a longer grass court season and spending more time on the softer surface of grass. In making this change from 2015, we recognize that there will be some important consequences for the overall tennis calendar and enough time needs to be given to allow us all to plan accordingly.”

SWEDISH SPECIAL

Sweden turns out to be the perfect place for Polona Hercog. The Slovenian won her second consecutive Swedish Open title, this time rallying to down Mathilde Johansson 06 6-4 7-5. Hercog took a 5-1 lead in the final set before losing her concentration. When her French opponent fought back to knot the set at 5-5, Hercog captured the next two games for the title. “Sometimes nerves kick in too much,” Hercog said. “But I’m really glad that I managed to calm myself down in the last two games.” Last year Hercog beat Johanna Larsson of Sweden in the championship match.

STARS OF THE PAST

Several Grand Slam tournament champions, including Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Pete Sampras, will play a series of matches in the United States this fall. Also competing in the four-player mini-tournaments to be held in October and November will be Patrick Rafter, Jim Courier, Michael Chang, Mats Wilander and Todd Martin. Each event will feature one-set semifinals and a one-set title match. Formerly known as the Champions Series, the PowerShares Series will open October 13 in Surprise, Arizona, and wrap up November 30 in Anaheim, California. Other cities that will stage events include Chicago, Detroit, Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Tampa, Florida, Atlanta, San Jose, California, Las Vegas and Denver.

SWITCHING CAPTAINS

Once one of France’s top players, Amelie Mauresmo will try to lead her nation back to the top in Fed Cup. The French Tennis Federation announced the former world number one will take over from Nicolas Escude as Fed Cup team captain. The 33-year-old Mauresmo led France to the Fed Cup title as a player in 2003. She also won two Grand Slam tournament titles in 2006, the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Mauresmo retired as a player in 2009. For the past few weeks, Mauresmo has been working with current Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, who reclaimed the world number one spot after reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon. France is currently in World Group II.

STUMBLE

Three years ago Melanie Oudin was the future of American women’s tennis. She had upset Maria Sharapova en route to a surprising US Open quarterfinal berth and starred on the American Fed Cup team. Now, her ranking has fallen so low that she won’t earn direct entry into this year’s US Open. Oudin is currently ranked 121st in the world. The top 102 women have automatically qualified for the year’s final Grand Slam tournament, with two others – Agnes Szavay and Timea Bacsinszky – using protected rankings to gain berths in the field. Oudin will probably receive one of the eight wild card entries the United States Tennis Association will hand out. Sixteen additional players will make it through qualifying.

SET FOR FLUSHING

World number one Roger Federer, defending champion Novak Djokovic and 2012 French Open champion Rafael Nadal lead the men’s singles field at this year’s US Open, the fourth and final Grand Slam tournament of the year. Two other former US Open champions – Andy Roddick and Juan Martin del Potro – will also be in the field as each of the world’s top 101 men received direct entry into the two-week event. Federer is seeking his sixth US Open singles title. Both the men’s and women’s US Open singles champions will earn USD $1.9 million and can earn an additional USD $1 million in bonus prize money for a potential payout of USD $2.9 million. Other American men who received direct entry into this year’s tournament include John Isner, 13 Mardy Fish, Ryan Harrison, Sam Querrey, Donald Young, Brian Baker, Jesse Levine and Michael Russell. The last player to receive direct entry into the men’s 128-player field was Rogerio Deutra Silva of Brazil, ranked 101st in the world. Sixteen more players will gain entry through qualifying, while the remaining eight spots will be filled by wild cards awarded by the United States Tennis Association (USTA).

SENIORS TO SCOTLAND

The ATP Champions Tour will visit Scotland for the first time in 2013. An event is scheduled to be held in Edinburgh the week before Wimbledon. Tennis has become hugely popular in Scotland in recent years because of the success of brothers Andy and Jamie Murray, and WTA player Elena Baltacha.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Atlanta: Matthew Ebden and Ryan Harrison beat Xavier Malisse and Michael Russell 6-3 3-6 10-6 (match tiebreak)

Bucharest: Irina-Camelia Begu and Alize Cornet beat Elena Bogdan and Raluca Olaru 6-2 6-0

Båstad: Catalina Castaño and Mariana Duque-Mariño beat Eva Hrdinova and Mervana Jugic-Salkic 4-6 7-5 10-5 (match tiebreak)

Carlsbad: Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears beat Vania King and Nadia Petrova 6-2 6-4

Gstaad: Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez beat Robert Fafrah and Santiago Giraldo 6-4 7-6 (9)

Hamburg: David Marrero and Fernando Verdasco beat Rogerio Dutra Silva and Daniel Munoz-De La Nava 6-4 6-3

SURFING

Kitzbühel: www.bet-at-home-cup.com/de/

Los Angeles: www.farmersclassic.com/

Baku: www.bakucup.az/

Astana: www.alau.info

Olomouc: www.itscup.cz

Olympic Games: www.london2012.com/tennis/

Washington: www.citiopentennis.com/

Vancouver: www.vanopen.com/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$557,550 Farmers Classic, Los Angeles, California, USA, hard
$451,250 bet-at-home Cup Kitzbühel, Kitzbühel, Austria, clay
$125,000 President’s Cup, Astana, Kazakhstan, hard

WOMEN

$220,000 Baku Cup, Baku, Azerbaijan, hard
$100,000 ITF Astana Women’s $100,000, Astana, Kazakhstan, hard
$100,000 ITS Cup, Olomouc, Czech Republic, clay

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

Olympic Games, Wimbledon, Great Britain, grass
$1,049,760 Citi Open, Washington, DC, USA, hard
$100,000 Odlum Brown Van Open, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, hard

WOMEN

Olympic Games, Wimbledon, Great Britain, grass
$220,000 Citi Open, Washington, DC, USA, hard
$100,000 Odlum Brown Van Open, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, hard

Could Indian Wells Stomach Bug Be Worse Than 1988 U.S. Open?

March 13, 2012 by Admin

The major storyline after the first weekend of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., has been more about the stomach bug and not the tennis.

France's Gael Monfils reacts before bein — France's Gael Monfils (PASCAL GUYOT/AFP/Getty Images)

Players such as Francesca Schiavone, Vera Zvonareva, Gael Monfils and Jurgen Melzer are among the top players forced to withdraw from matches due to the viral infection causing fever, vomiting and diarrhea.

Tournament organizers can hope that the event does not turn into medical ward like it almost did at the US Open back in 1988. A bug nearly wiped an entire session of play – and helped to determine one championship match in America’s Grand Slam tournament.

On September 9, 1988, the traditional second Friday schedule at the US Open in New York was nearly a non-starter as Rick Leach, stricken with a stomach flu, was forced to withdraw from the men’s doubles final against Emilio Sanchez and Sergio Casal, and Chris Evert was not able to post in her women’s singles semifinal against Steffi Graf for the same reason. Fans in the stadium were left to only watch Gabriela Sabatini defeating Zina Garrison in the other women’s semifinal and then being served some senior doubles featuring Hank Pfister vs. Tom Gullikson in senior men’s singles and then Bob Hewitt and Frew McMillan vs. Marty Riessen and Sherwood Stewart in senior men’s doubles.

Evert was sickened two nights earlier and did not leave the room until defaulting to Graf, who would go on to win only the third Grand Slam by a woman beating Sabatini in the women’s singles final.

“My body feels like it’s been through a war,“ Evert said in a written statement at the end of what was eventually her second-to-last US Open appearance. “Every muscle and joint aches. Physically, I couldn’t go out and play. I don’t have any energy. I think I’ve been through the worst of it, with the vomiting and diarrhea, but I still have a temperature of 101 degrees.”

Leach was sickened the night before the men’s doubles final and his condition was worse than Evert’s. He had a 103-degree fever and could not even stand out, vomiting much of the night before the final. He was actually hospitalized before being released the next day. The day before the final on Thursday, Leach had to stop practice after only a few minutes, claiming fatigue. The morning of the final, Leach was very ill and vomiting in the locker room.

Perhaps the best known episode of getting sick on court was Pete Sampras and his throwing up in the fifth-set tie-breaker of his 1996 US Open quarterfinal win against Alex Corretja (although I recall Andy Murray’s lunch being splattered all over the Grandstand court a few years back at the US Open in match against Arnaud Clement. No one wants to have the indignity of getting in sick in front of anybody, no less in front of thousands of fans and TV viewers.

Wojtek Fibak, the great Polish player of the 1970s and 1980s, was also the victim of a stomach bug at a very inopportune time. As documented in my book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com), on October 16, 1983, Vitas Gerulaitis won the men’s singles final at the Swiss Indoor Championships in Basel when Fibak had to rush off the court with a stomach ailment with Gerulaitis leading 4-6, 6-1, 7-5, 5-5. Said Fibak after the match of his predicament, ”I couldn’t stand it anymore.”

Australian Open: Midnight at the Oasis

January 11, 2012 by WTM

by Thomas Swick

The Australian Open is the oasis in the tennis fan’s desert, coming four months after the previous grand slam and four months before the next grand slam. Watching the tournament on TV has the same restorative effect as a mid-winter vacation in the Caribbean: it is a needed reminder that there exists somewhere a land of sunshine, warmth, long days, long rallies. Into our cold, dark nights (the matches are usually shown at ungodly hours) come scenes of tanned, healthy, hatted people (and those are just the fans), visions of hard-court ballistics, and a promise of what will be ours if we can only wait a few months.

But like each of the slams, the Australian Open has its own character. While fans at the French Open are described as knowledgeable (and unforgiving), and those at Wimbledon decorous, and those at the U.S. Open extroverted, those in Melbourne are portrayed as carefree. The no-worries-mate nation has created the Happy Slam. The people’s penchant for putting on costumes reveals a Dame Edna-like distain for public opinion. Sizzling under a fierce sun they keep themselves hydrated, apparently not always with water. They hand the victor a toy koala.

Australia, despite its great tradition of tennis, always seemed a long way to go to play it. That was before Qatar and Chennai. Non-tennis fans are still fairly oblivious to the goings on down there (as they aren’t about Wimbledon or the U.S. Open), but tennis aficionados (as well as some insomniacs) watch the Australian with hungry if bleary eyes.

Like Australians, the tournament takes pleasure in upending the established order. Last January, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer – fresh off their holiday BFF tour – came in as the kings, only to be deposed by Novak Djokovic, who went on to have a year of years, winning every slam except the French. The fact that he wasn’t Sports Illustrated’s “Sportsman of the Year” – beaten out by two college basketball coaches – was an indication not only of the sorry lack of respect for tennis but the sad parochialism of American journalism. If Mardy Fish had done what Djokovic did, you can be sure he would have won the honor. (Further boosting Djokovic’s claim to “Sportsman of the Year” is the fact that he’s the only one of the top three who smiles during matches, and occasionally applauds opponents’ shots.)

Federer in Melbourne 2 c Australian Open — Roger Federer © Ben Solomon for AustralianOpen.org

Now the tennis world is waiting to see if he can continue his domination. Federer ended the year triumphantly in London, outlasting a weary and gimpy field. It was a glorious sight for the Federer faithful, evidence of his phenomenal physical condition (the Last Man Standing had been the Oldest Man Playing) and a happy flashback to his erstwhile invincibility. But that was two months ago, and now the Cal Ripken of Tennis is nursing a back injury which caused him to pull out of the Qatar Open, with profuse apologies to the fans.

Nadal is not 100 percent (one can only guess at the last time he was), and he lost in straight sets in Qatar to Gael Monfils. He has already announced that as soon as the Australian is over he’s going to take time off to rest his shoulder.

For many number 1’s, all this would not be unpleasant news. But Djokovic is at such a high level right now that he may actually relish toying with uninjured, excuseless legends. Federer’s game, for all its beauty and grace, seems already to be of an older, less ferociously-ripped time. (At least his one-handed backhand does.) In fact, the biggest challenge to Djokovic may come from Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who has good memories of the Australian Open.

Life’s more complicated on the women’s side. Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters are both ailing (ankle and hip), though at least the Belgian appears to still like tennis. Neither of them is in the Top 10, though none of the Top 10 players would be overjoyed to find them in her draw.

Wozniacki of Denmark reacts after winning her match against Cibulkova of Slovakia at the Sydney International tennis tournament — Caroline Wozniacki

The Big 10 is comprised of a percolating mix of Slavs, immigrant Slavs, and three pesky non-Slavs. Everyone is still waiting to see if world number 1 Caroline Wozniacki (from the immigrant group) can win a grand slam. Everyone, that is, except most of Australia, which would like nothing better than to see its Sheila, Samantha Stosur, do in Melbourne what she did in New York.

Will she be able to handle the pressure of playing in front of her bewigged and face-painted compatriots? Will Wozniacki get the monkey off her back and the koala in her hands? Will the literate Andrea Petkovic surprise everyone by winning the tournament and then quoting Clive James? (Though probably not his poem, “Bring Me the Sweat of Gabriela Sabatini.”) Whatever happens, it will be worth staying up to watch it.

Nadal Signs Three-Year Contract To Participate in Gerry Weber Open in Halle: This Week in Tennis Business with Justin Cohen

December 14, 2011 by Justin Cohen

Gerry Weber Open Nadal 2012 — Rafael Nadal to return to Gerry Weber Open

World No. 2 Rafael Nadal will return to Halle, Germany in 2012 to compete in the Gerry Weber Open after signing a three-year contract with the ATP World Tour grass court event. “The Gerry Weber Open is a fantastic tournament. I’m very happy that I may finally play in Germany and in front of my German fans again,” said Nadal. The 25-year-old Spaniard, who has once before played in Halle in 2005, has won three grass court titles in his career including two Wimbledon titles and has recently chosen the grass-court event at Queen’s Club for his pre-Wimbledon tune-up.

Gerry Weber Open tournament officials also announced late last week that 16-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, Tomas Berdych and Gael Monfils will also join Nadal as participants in the 2012 event, to be held 11-17, 2012. “In all the conversations I have held with the players, it has been confirmed to me once again that our tournament for them is an important mark in their schedules,” said Ralf Weber, Tournament Director. Federer, who has committed to the tournament through a lifetime contract, is a five-time champion in Halle, while Berdych won the title in 2007 over Marcos Baghdatis.

Global Rule Change for Tennis begin on January 1, 2012 in the United States

According to a press release, the USTA recently announced that effective January 1, 2012 the rules of tennis officially will be changed and require that 10 and Under Tennis tournaments be played utilizing smaller, lighter racquets and lower-bouncing balls on smaller courts. The change was adopted by the USTA in the summer of 2010. This rule change signifies the emergence of 10 and Under Tennis as an integral part of the development of young players. The scaled-down equipment and smaller courts better allow kids to rally and play the game earlier in their development, and increase the likelihood that they will return to the court and continue to improve while having fun doing it. “We want tennis to be fun and accessible to kids as they enter the game,” said Jon Vegosen, USTA Chairman of the Board and President. “Similar to other sports such as baseball, basketball and soccer, kids will now learn and compete on the right-sized court with the right-sized equipment, which will help us grow the game.” “Scaling tennis to the size of children will promote greater participation and ensure that young kids will be able to play tennis by developing their skills much more quickly,” said Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA. “This rule change to the competition format for kids ages 10 and under is critical to the long-term growth of our sport, and ultimately will help us develop new generations of world-class players.” The specifications for the revised rule hold that all tournaments for those ages nine and 10 be played on 60-foot courts using orange low-compression tennis balls and regulation nets (3- feet at the center) or, for those more experienced and more skilled players, on 78-foot courts with green lower-compression balls. Tournaments for those eight years-old and younger are to be played on 36-foot courts using either red low-compression balls or foam balls and nets at a height of two-feet, 9-inches. In preparation of the rule change, in 2011 the USTA helped install more than 3,000 youth-sized tennis courts in 283 markets in 45 states throughout the country. The courts were either constructed or refurbished by painting permanent 36-foot and 60-foot tennis lines on existing 78-foot tennis courts, or constructing stand-alone 36-foot and 60-foot courts. These courts were built in 502 facilities, which include public parks, school yards, tennis facilities and at local community based youth organizations. For more information on the rule change, visitwww.10andundertennis.com.

Federer commits to Davis Cup tie against United States

16-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1 Roger Federer has confirmed that he will participate in Switzerland’s World Group First Round tie against the United States in Freiburg, Switzerland from February 10-12, 2012. The tie will be played on indoor clay. The 30-year-old tennis star has not played a non-relegation tie since 2004.

Andy Murray’s mother hired as Britain’s new Fed Cup captain

Judy Murray, the mother of ATP World Tour players Andy and Jamie, has been hired by the Lawn Tennis Association as the new Fed Cup captain for Britain. Murray is a longtime coach and former player from Scotland who has worked with several British junior players in the past as well as her sons. To go along with her new title as Fed Cup captain, she will also mentor other female coaches. “It is a huge honor for me to represent my country in this way,” said Murray. “The role presents a very exciting challenge, given the mix of talent, experience and determination we have in our top female players right now.” Britain’s first Fed Cup tie under Murray will be during the Europe/Africa Zonal Group Competition with 14 other teams the week after the Australian Open in Israel.

Eleven players graduate from ATP University in London

During a recent three-day workshop in London at the Marriott County Hall, eleven up and coming players graduated from the ATP University. The program covered a variety of topics including an overview of the ATP World Tour, rules and officiating, anti-corruption, media relations, giving back and personal finances. Since its inception in 1990, more than 800 players have graduated from the program. The 2011 graduates included Arnau Brugues, Sergei Bubka, Martin Emmrich, Malek Jaziri, Bastian Knittel, Konstantin Kravchuck, Vasek Pospisil, Adil Shamasdin, Andreas Siljestrom, Franco Skugor and Amir Weintraub.

Kuznetsova rehires Olga Morozova as coach

Two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, who finished the year ranked No. 19 after only reaching one WTA Tour final in 2011, has rehired Olga Morozova as her coach. British journalist Simon Chambers first reported that the Russian is currently training in Dubai with Morozova. Despite bringing on Morozova as her new coach, the former world No. 2 doesn’t know if her coach will travel with her full-time. Morozova previously coached Elena Dementieva, Kuznetsova in 2008 and some British juniors.

Hantuchova hires Claudio Pistolesi as new coach

The Slovak News Agency (SITA) recently reported that world No. 24 Daniela Hantuchova has hired Italian Claudio Pistolesi as her new coach and they will begin working together on a three tournament trial basis. Pistolesi has coached many players in the past including most recently Robin Soderling, Monica Seles, his former wife Anna Smashnova, Ai Sugiyama and Davide Sanguinetti. “Claudio and I have known each other for many years, so on personal level we both know what to expect, which is a big plus,” Hantuchova told SITA. “Tennis wise it’s very important for me to know that he was coach of a No. 1 already. He has huge experience and can give me lot of things. For example he wants me to play at the net more often, which was one of my goals for a long time already, but I didn’t do it too much in past.”

Bryan Brothers commit to Delray Beach International Tennis Championships

Bob and Mike Bryan, the top-ranked doubles duo on the ATP World Tour, just confirmed that they will participate in the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships in South Florida from February 24-March 4, 2012. The Bryan Brothers won back-to-back titles in Delray Beach in 2009 and 2010. “The Bryans are favorites here in Delray Beach,” said Mark Barton, Delray Beach International Tennis Championships Tournament Director. “They’ve got game beyond the court. When they come to town they jam on our music stage and have a good time with the fans.” The former Stanford standouts from Southern California will join Andy Roddick and John Isner in the ATP World Tour event, while Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander, Pat Cash and Michael Chang will headline the 8-player ATP Champion’s Tour round-robin tournament to be held at the same time. The Delray Beach event is the only tournament in the world to host both Tours at the same venue during the same week. A holiday ticket special is being offered by the tournament with discounts of 50% off box and reserved seats and 40% off grandstand seats for specific sessions: Opening Night (24 February) and Day Sessions on Monday (27 February) and Wednesday through Friday (29 February-2 March). The discount will be in effect through December 31. To order tickets for the tournament, please visit the official tournament website at www.YellowTennisBall.com or call the ticket office at (561) 330-6000.

del Potro to embark on 2012 season at Apia International Sydney

2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro will begin his 2012 season by playing down under at the Apia International Sydney, which runs from January 8-14. It will be the second straight season the Argentine will start his season playing at the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre. Currently ranked No. 11 in the world, del Potro will join Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis in the men’s draw. “Sydney is a great city and I like the tournament very much,” said del Potro. “In Sydney they gave me one of the first wild cards after my injury and I appreciate this very much from them. The people at the tournament and also in Sydney were very nice to me and my team and I remember this. I hope I can do very well in January because the tournament has a great history and tradition and a lot of players from Argentina have played in it and done very well. I would love to see all the fans from Argentina come to the tennis to support me.” Tickets to the Apia International Sydney are on sale now and can be ordered by visiting www.ticketek.com.au or by calling 1300-888-104.

World No. 33 Gajdosova to begin 2012 season playing at Moorilla Hobart International in Australia

World No. 33 and Australian No. 2 Jarmila Gajdosova will start her 2012 season by defending her title at the Moorilla Hobart International in Australia, which will be played from January 6-14 at the Domain Tennis Centre. “I’m really excited about coming back to Hobart, and after my success this year I hope to perform well in early January,” said Gajdosova. “The crowds are so supportive in Hobart. I really enjoy playing out there on the centre court.” Gajdosova won the 2011 title just 11 months ago by defeating American Bethanie Mattek-Sands, which was her second career WTA Tour title.

Simon to make first appearance at Brasil Open in February

World No. 12 Gilles Simon of France will make his first appearance at the Brasil Open in Sao Paulo from February 11-19, 2012. Simon is the third player to commit to the tournament, joining former Wimbledon finalist David Nalbandian and former world No. 7 Fernando Verdasco in the main draw. Simon won singles titles in Sydney and Hamburg in 2011.

Soderling withdraws from 2012 Australian Open, aiming for February return

World No. 13 Robin Soderling, a two-time French Open finalist, announced that he has withdrawn from the 2012 Australian Open in Melbourne due to his continued battle with mononucleosis, which has kept him out of competition since July. The former world No. 4 last played at the SkiStar Swedish Open in Bastad, where he captured his 10th career ATP World Tour title. Soderling insists he is feeling much better, but his recovery has taken longer than expected. The Swede hopes to be back competing in tournaments by February. “My goal is to start with practice in January and I hope for a tournament comeback in February,” said Soderling. “But at this stage, it is hard to know when and where. I hope my body will allow me to do that.” In 2011, Soderling won 20 of his first 21 matches, finishing with a 38-9 record.

Cilic pulls out of 2012 Chennai Open, doubtful for Australian Open

World No. 21 and two-time Chennai Open champion Marin Cilic of Croatia has pulled out of the 2012 Chennai Open with a patella tendon injury and is doubtful for the Australian Open in Melbourne, which starts on January 16.

Serena Williams in, Sharapova out as US Open reaches halfway point

September 5, 2011 by Bob Greene

STARS

(US Open, First Round)

Flavia Pennetta beat third-seeded Maria Sharapova 6-3 3-6 6-4

Serena Williams beat fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka 6-1 7-6 (5)

Alexandra Dulgheru beat fifth-seeded Petra Kvitova 7-6 (3) 6-3

Simona Halep beat sixth-seeded Li Na 6-2 7-5

Juan Carlos Ferrero beat seventh-seeded Gael Monfils 7-6 (5) 5-7 6-7 (5) 6-4 6-4

Christina McHale beat eighth-seeded Marion Bartoli 7-6 (2) 6-2

Janko Tipsarevic beat ninth-seeded Tomas Berdych 6-4 5-0 retired

Julien Benneteau beat 10^th-seeded Nicolas Almagro 6-2 6-4 6-3

SAYING

“I just have cramping in my leg. That’s all. I don’t know. There are no questions. I already finished my press conference in English. I talked half an hour. I just have cramping in front and behind. That’s why I was so painful. That’s all.” – Rafael Nadal, explaining his cramping and sliding out of his chair to the floor during the English portion of his post-match news conference following his third-round victory over David Nalbandian.

“First two sets were ideal. I could not play better. I mean, I was getting a lot of balls back, I was ending the points when I needed to, I was making a lot of winners, my serve was OK, return was great. I felt fantastic on the court. There is not much I can say when everything seems fun and when you’re playing such good tennis.” – Novak Djokovic, after winning his second-round match 6-0 6-0 6-2.

“I hate losing. I’m the worst loser in the world. I’m still working on that. But, you know, that kinda keeps me motivated and keeps me going.” – Serena Williams, after losing just three games in her first two matches.

“You’re supposed to have a few nerves. If you don’t, you don’t care. So I do care a lot. That’s maybe why.” – Roger Federer, admitting he was a little nervous before his second-round win over Dudi Sela.

“Before I come to the court, I never think like I was Grand Slam champion. French Open is like three month already. I mean, is enough time to forget. Now is hard court season. You have to focus on hard court. You can’t only think about what you do on clay court. If you think about clay, you have to think about next year, not this year.” – Li Na, French Open champion, after losing her first-round match.

“Sometimes I feel like it’s a great experience for me to be in this position. I’m having a ton of fun with it. But sometimes I feel like I’m playing with house money a little bit just because I just would never have imagined two years ago, in 2009, not even having to come back here [following knee surgery], to be in this position. So it’s great. It’s just great.” – Mardy Fish, following his first-round victory, on playing the 2011 US Open as the top-ranked American.

“They can say what they want. I’m the type of player I am. I’ve won a lot of tournaments. I’m number one in the world, and of course I can still improve. There are a lot of things to my game I can still improve, but everyone can.” – Caroline Wozniacki, responding to critics who say she needs to develop a big shot to win a Grand Slam tournament.

“I think everyone’s light turns on at their own time. I’m starting to feel like mine is turning on. Not everybody does it when everybody expects it to be done. I wish it could have been earlier. It’s starting to come now and I’m excited about it.” – Donald Young, who is finally winning matches on the ATP Tour seven years after reaching the number one ranking in the juniors

SWISS MASTER

Switzerland’s Roger Federer continues to write his name in the record book. By reaching the fourth round, Federer increased his Grand Slam tournament match wins to 226, making him second in the Open Era behind Jimmy Connors, who had 233. Federer is trying to set an Open Era record by winning his sixth US Open title. He currently shares the record of five with Connors and Pete Sampras. The Swiss master is bidding to become the first man to win six or more titles at two different Grand Slam tournaments, and to become the fourth man in history to win six or more US Championships or US Opens. Bill Larned, Richard Sears and Bill Tilden all won seven titles.

Federer has won at least one Grand Slam tournament title every year since winning his first at Wimbledon in 2003. This year, he lost to eventual winner Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the Australian Open, was runner-up to winner Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros and lost in the quarterfinals to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at Wimbledon.

In winning his five US Opens, his victims in the final were Lleyton Hewitt in 2004, Andre Agassi in 2005, Andy Roddick in 2006, Novak Djokovic in 2007 and Andy Murray in 2008. In those five victories combined, Federer lost just two sets.

SO GLOBAL

Sixty-seven countries have players in this year’s US Open, including Burundi, Netherlands Antilles, Bahamas and Guam, counting all of the competitors. The nation with the largest contingent in the men’s and women’s singles draw is, not surprisingly, the United States, with 29 players – 15 women and 14 men. But Russia has the largest group in women’s singles with 16. There are five men from Russia, giving the country a total of 21, the same size as France, which is represented by 14 men and seven women. Spain is next with 19 – 13 men and six women.

Burundi’s lone representative was Hassan Ndayishimiyo, who lost his first-round match in junior boys’ singles qualifying. Daniela Schippers, in the junior girls’ singles qualifying, also lost her first match. Other countries that had players only in the juniors include Mexico, Bolivia, Egypt, Philippines, Korea, Ecuador, Madagascar, Peru and Paraguay.

Among those countries with just one player in the competition were Denmark (who’s lone competitor was the world’s top-ranked woman, Caroline Wozniack), Cyprus, Finland, Luxembourg, Monaco, Tunisia, Georgia, Greece and New Zealand.

Conor Niland and Louk Sorensen qualified for the men’s singles, marking the first time in tennis history that Ireland had two players in the main draw at a Grand Slam tournament. Neither made it out of the first round. Niland retiring from his match against top-ranked Novak Djokovic because of food poisoning. Sorensen retired because of cramping during his first-round match against “lucky loser” Rogerio Dutra Da Silva of Brazil.

Jean-Rene Lisnard became the first player from Monaco to win a Grand Slam tournament match when he moved into the second round with a 7-6 (5) 6-2 6-4 win over Belgium’s Olivier Rochus. That was as far as he went.

Three Japanese were in men’s singles draw, the most from that country in a Grand Slam tournament since Roland Garros in 1974 and the first time at the US Open since 1972. All three – Kei Nishikori, Go Soeda and Tatsuma Ito – played only one match.

Three men from Colombia were also in the men’s singles, the first time since the 1977 Roland Garros that Colombia has had three men competing at a Grand Slam event and the first time at the US Open since 1976. Alejandro Falla was the only one to win his first-round match before losing to Tommy Haas in the second round.

SAY BYE-BYE

There were 14 retirements in the opening week of the US Open, a Grand Slam tournament Open Era record. And that doesn’t include the walkovers or lucky losers. Ten men retired from their matches in the first six days, with three complaining of injuries to their right shoulder. Two others – Nicolas Mahut and Marcel Granollers – pulled an abdominal muscle. Kei Nishikori complained of a sore lower back, Frank Dancevic said he had pulled a hamstring, Marinko Matosevic rolled his ankle, and Louk Sorensen had cramps.

Only four women retired in the first week – Japan’s Misaki Doi with cramps, Japan’s Ayumi Morita with an injured right shoulder, American Jamie Hampton with heat illness and Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer with lower back pain.

SEE YOU IN LONDON

Andy Murray and Roger Federer became the third and fourth players, respectively, to qualify for the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals, which will be held in London, Great Britain, November 20-27. The two join Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal in the elite eight-player singles field. The 30-year-old Federer will be making his 10^th straight appearance in the season finale, where he is a five-time champion. He won successive titles in 2003-04 when the tournament was held in Houston, Texas, USA, and in 2006-07 in Shanghai, China. He is the third player to qualify for the season finale for 10 or more consecutive years, joining Ivan Lendl (12) and Pete Sampras (11). Murray will be making his fourth straight trip to the Finals. The top three teams in the 2011 ATP Doubles Team Rankings have also qualified for the year-end finale: Bob and Mike Bryan, Michael Llodra-Nenad Zimonjic and Max Mirnyi-Daniel Nestor. All six players are past champions in the season-ending tournament.

SITE TO SEE

The US Open has a new show court. Gone are old courts 17 and 18, which in the second week of the year’s final Grand Slam tournament were used primarily for practice. The new Court 17 is a sunken gem with full television capabilities, state-of-the-art video screens and will include the Chase Review electronic line calling system. While bench seating was installed so that it could be used this year, future plans call stadium-style seats. The court was built as an amphitheater and will seat more than 2,500, making it the fourth-largest court at the US Open.

SET FOR DELRAY BEACH

Two former world number ones – Andy Roddick and Ivan Lendl – will participate in the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships. Roddick will join the ATP field, while Lendl will compete in the ATP Champions Tour field for the 2012 event, which runs February 24 to March 4 in Delray Beach, Florida, USA. Besides the ATP and seniors fields, the 20th anniversary of the event will also include a 10-and-under championships among other events. Joining Lendl in the seniors field will be Mats Wilander, Pat Cash, Michael Pernfors, Aaron Krickstein and Jimmy Arias.

STAR TURN

Pancho Gonzalez, twice a winner of the US Nationals, is the 2011 inductee into the US Open Court of Champions. A tennis pioneer, Gonzalez was 12 years old when he taught himself how to play tennis. He won the US Championships in 1948-49 and also won two matches to help the United States defeat Australia to capture the 1949 Davis Cup title. When tennis became open in 1968, Gonzalez, then 40 years old, reached the semifinals at Roland Garros and the quarterfinals of the inaugural US Open. The following year, he played Charlie Pasarell at Wimbledon in a five-hour match that spanned two days and led to the advent of the tiebreak. He also became the oldest player to win a professional tournament when he captured the Des Moines Open just shy of his 44^th birthday.

SELECTED

Rick Welts, president and chief executive officer of the Phoenix Suns, and the Sportsmen’s Tennis and Enrichment Center of Boston, are the 2011 recipients of the USTA ICON Awards. The award honors individuals and organizations that have made a positive impact on diversity and inclusion in tennis and society, but also emphasize the United States Tennis Association’s commitment to fairness and equality. Previously known as the Breaking Barriers Awards, earlier honorees include Arthur Ashe, baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, former USTA president Judy Levering, and AT&T Mobility’s CEO Ralph de le Vega.

The USTA also paid tribute to the career of Billie Jean King by introducing the inaugural Billie Jean King Legacy Award. The first recipient of the award was David N. Dinkins, the former mayor of New York City.

SPONSOR

Novak Djokovic is the newest Brand Ambassador for Audemars Piguet watches. Djokovic, who is ranked number one in the world, joins a Brand Ambassador team that includes Michael Schumacher, Leo Messi, LeBron James, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and golfers Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy.

SURFING

New York: www.usopen.org/

Genova: www.atpgenova.com

Biella: www.federtennis.it

Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com/

Szczecin: www.pekaoopen.pl

Tashkent: www.tashkentopen.uz/

Quebec City: www.challengebell.com/

Ningbo: www.tennis.org.cn

Sofia: http://tclevski.com

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN and WOMEN

US Open (first week), New York, New York, USA, hard

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

US Open (second week), New York, New York, USA, hard

$122,000 AON Challenger, Genova, Italy, clay

WOMEN

US Open (second week), New York, New York, USA, hard

$100,000 XII Torneo Internazionale Regione Piemonte, Biella, Italy, clay

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$153,000 Pelkao Szczecin Open, Szczecin, Poland, clay

$100,000 Ted Open, Istanbul, Turkey, hard

WOMEN

$220,000 Tashkent Open, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, hard

$220,000 Bell Challenge, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, hard

$100,000 ITF Women’s International Challenge, Ningbo, China, hard

$100,000 Allianz Cup, Sofia, Bulgaria, clay

DAVIS CUP

(September 16-18)

World Group Semifinals

Serbia vs. Argentina at Belgrade, Serbia, hard

Spain vs. France at Cordoba, Spain, clay

World Group Playoffs

Romania vs. Czech Republic at Bucharest, Romania, clay; Russia vs. Brazil at Kazan, Russia, hard; Israel vs. Canada at Ramat Hasharon, Israel, hard; South Africa vs. Croatia at Potchefstroom, South Africa, hard; Chile vs. Italy at Santiago, Chile, hard; Japan vs. India at Tokyo, Japan, hard; Belgium vs. Austria at Antwerp, Belgium, hard; Australia vs. Switzerland at Sydney, Australia, grass

Group I

Americas 1^st round playoffs: Ecuador vs. Mexico at Guayaquil, Ecuador; Asia/Oceania 2^nd round playoffs: Philippines vs. Chinese Taipei at Lapu-Lapu, Philippines; Europe/Africa 2^nd round playoffs: Finland vs. Poland at Espoo, Finland, hard; Slovak Republic vs. Ukraine at Bratislava, Slovak Republic, clay

Group II

Americas 3^rd round: Paraguay vs. Peru at Asuncion, Paraguay, clay; Asia/Oceana 3^rd round: Korea vs. Thailand at Gimcheon, Korea, hard; Europe/Africa 3^rd round: Great Britain vs. Hungary at Glasgow, Scotland, Great Britain; Denmark vs. Bosnia/Herzegovina at Hillerod, Denmark, hard

Roger Federer, Serena Williams on cruise control

September 1, 2011 by Bob Greene

NEW YORK – One day after older sister Venus pulled out of the US Open with an illness, Serena Williams put a hurting on Michaella Krajicek.

Considered a favorite to win her fourth title on Arthur Ashe Stadium, Williams powered her way into the third round, crushing her Dutch foe 6-0 6-1.

Roger Federer found a little more resistance in his second-round men’s match, but not a lot more as he toppled Israel’s Dudi Sela 6-3 6-2 6-2.

“Not much trouble on my serve, and from the baseline I also thought I had the upper hand,” said Federer, who is seeking his sixth US Open crown. “When it’s like that, obviously it’s tough for the opponent, but I just think I was superior today.”

No. 7 Gael Monfils of France was the highest men’s seed to be ousted when he fell to Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-6 (5) 5-7 6-7 (5) 6-4 6-4.

Because injuries and illnesses have kept her out of tennis for most of the past year, Williams was seeded only 28^th this year. Yet she is the favorite over top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki, who has yet to win a Grand Slam tournament title.

The defending US Open women’s champion, Kim Clijsters, who also captured the Australian Open in January, is not here because of injuries. Also on the sideline are French Open champion Li Na of China and Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, ensuring there will be a fourth different Grand Slam tournament women’s champion in 2011.

It wasn’t as if Williams was facing a strong foe. This was Krajicek’s first Grand Slam tournament main draw since Wimbledon in 208, and she had reached the second round at a major for the first time since the US Open four years ago.

Williams, on the other hand, showed the game that took her to two tournament titles this year and raised her ranking from the high 100s to 29^th in the world – that low simply because of the paucity of matches played in the last year.

“I just hope to keep my errors down and keep making my shots, and hopefully I will be able to win five more matches,” Williams said. “If not, I’m still happy to be there.”

That’s because she wasn’t at last year’s US Open. A series of injuries and illnesses kept her out of tennis for 11 months, and she missed three Grand Slam tournaments during that time. Williams returned to the sport in June and didn’t win her first title of 2011 until Sanford. She followed that by capturing the hard-court warm-up event in Toronto, then pulled out of Cincinnati with an injury after winning her opener.

Krajicek just found herself in another league against Williams.

“I told her after the match welcome back,” Williams said. “I know she’s been going through a really tough time. … I hope she doesn’t get discouraged because she’s played well.

“She never gave up today no matter what the score looked like. I thought it was a really tough match. It was good for her and, you know, she’s still young. Her whole life is ahead of her.”

With his victory, Federer moved into second place behind Jimmy Connors with 225 Grand Slam tournament wins, snapping a tie with Andre Agassi. Connors leads with a 233-49 win-loss record.

“It was a good match for me in breezy conditions,” said Federer. “It was a bit tricky early on to find the rhythm. That’s why I was happy to get the first break in the first set.”

From then on it was close to a rout as Sela had nothing in his arsenal to threaten the Swiss master. It was Federer who was controlling the points, determining the speed and length of the rallies, and then usually finishing them off with a winner. In all, Federer had 31 winners, 21 more than Sela, and wound up winning 83 points to just 48 for his Israeli opponent.

In Ferrero, Monfils faced a strong foe. Currently ranked 105^th in the world, the Spaniard is playing his first Grand Slam tournament this year, having missed the Australian Open while recovering from surgery, the French Open with a shoulder injury and Wimbledon with an unspecified injury.

But Ferrero was a finalist on the hard courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in 2003, losing to Andy Roddick, and won Roland Garros in the same. In September 2003, he was ranked No. 1 in the world.

The acrobatic Monfils couldn’t match the firepower off the ground that carried Ferrero to victory. Whenever Monfils appeared ready to take charge of the match, Ferrero came up with the correct answer.

In defeat, Monfils won over the audience with his crowd-please style of play, diving for shots and chasing down every ball. When the match ended, the crowd gave Monfils a standing ovation.

“It was like very lovely,” the Frenchman said of the crowd’s response. “It was a good feeling. Even though I lost the match, it was a good feeling.”

What strange racquet was used to win Washington last week?

August 8, 2011 by Charles Bricker

Wilson? Head? Babolat? Volkl? Pffffft.

None of those big-money racket manufacturers won last week’s Legg-Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C.

The racket in Radek Stepanek’s right fist — the won with the “B” stenciled on the strings — was made by Jay Bosworth of Bosworth Tennis in Boca Raton, Fla., a virtually unknown company to fans that doesn’t do endorsements, doesn’t pay players to use its equipment, but a firm which is well known to a lot of pros.

Jay wasn’t in the stands on that sweltering day to watch his 32-year-old client overcome a rain delay and win his first ATP 500 event, the fifth title of his career and his first since 2009. But he was all over his TV set as Radek used his 10-sided Bosworth frame to whip world No. 7 Gael Monfils by 6-4, 6-4.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was really cool. I was so proud of the way Radek played,” said Bosworth, who ascended to presidency of the company after his father, Warren Bosworth, died a year ago.

What’s different about a Bosworth racket? For starters, the 10-sided head, which creator Warren Bosworth created to widen the sweet spot on the strings. Next, the racket is custom fitted to the player’s style, down to the curve of the grip.

But doesn’t Babolat do that for Rafael Nadal and Wilson for Roger Federer? I asked Jay.

“Yes, but we’re more proactive about it. I give the players my thoughts about how I think they should play.”

Tennis insiders know all about Bosworth rackets, but the company was probably a complete mystery to most fans. Ivan Lendl used a Bosworth. Martina Navratilova used a Bosworth. Players under contract for big money with major manufacturers might not use a Bosworth racket, but they would have their rackets customized by Bosworth.

Stepanek formed an alliance with Bosworth after a long talk with Lendl, who, like Radek, was born in the Czech Republic.

“Everyone at first was laughing at me,” Stepanek recalled the initial reaction to the 10-sided frame. “Everyone was trying to get inside my bag, to see the racket.”

Stepanek says his Bosworth has “double the sweet spot. “Even when I was with Volkl, they customized my rackets,” he explained. “It’s made for me, for what I need. I need a bigger hand and it’s a great help to have someone who understands rackets that well.”

Warren Bosworth founded his first tennis business in 1972, marketing his early rackets under the Fox brand. Bosworth Tennis was born in 1982, the year son went to work for father.

The company employs just five people and now makes rackets for amateurs as well as professionals, though Stepanek is, apparently, the only to pro using a Bosworth.

The shot of the season on the ATP World Tour

August 8, 2011 by Charles Bricker

If this isn’t the shot of the season on the ATP tour and possibly one of the all-time single point sequences, then it certainly must be top five or, possibly, top three.

It happened Sunday afternoon at the Legg-Mason final in Washington, D.C.,. and showed why Gael Monfils — not Rafa Nadal — is the greatest pure athlete in the game.

BESTPIX Legg Mason Tennis Classic presented by Geico - Day 7 — Gael Monfils

You don’t have to watch this point over and over to appreciate it. One time is enough. But you will want to watch it over and over because, if you haven’t seen Monfils perform with this kind of incredible speed and athletic ability before, you will be quite amazed.

Monfils lost the point, but not before he saved three volleys and, in one of the most acrobatic and athletic plays you’ll ever see in tennis, leaped approximately three feet on the dead run to return an overhead from Radek Stepanek.

OK. Here’s how it happened and I wouldn’t be surprised if it hits youtube.com by Monday, allowing you to see it in full color.

Shortly after a long rain delay, Stepanek was serving at 4-3 and 15-love. Step’s first ground stroke was a backhand deep and flat to Monfils’ forehand corner. Gael made a sliding (yes, sliding on a hardcourt) retrieval, his shoes screeching as he came to a halt outside the plane of the doubles line.

His return was defensive, down the middle, and Radek, already well on the way to the net behind his first groundie, guided a forehand volley now deep to Monfils’ backhand side. No problem. Gael, his long legs in full flight, was there and threw up a lob.

Stepanek retreated a step, measured it and slammed the overhead straight on, a little to the right of Monfils’ center mark. And here’s where the gasps occurred.

On a full run to get back into position, Monfils jumped, his right arm stretched high, and he returned the smash. How high was he? I’d make the height of back-wall curtain about six-feet and, looking straight at Monfils, his waist was about even with the top of the wall. Can we say he was three feet off the ground when he hit that overhead? I’d call that a fair estimate.

Unfortunately, he didn’t get the point, but Stepanek needed two more volleys to put it away.

I’ve seen a lot of tennis in my years, but I can’t say that I’ve seen more pure athletic ability in one point than I saw in this spectacular display.

Monfils’ speed propels him into Legg Mason finals on Sunday

August 7, 2011 by WTM

By Christopher Lancette

Two points illustrated the difference in Gael Monfils’ 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (8-6) victory over John Isner in a semifinal match ending at 1:15 a.m. Sunday morning because of numerous rain delays – setting up a Legg Mason Tennis Classic championship date with Radek Stepanek on Sunday at 3 p.m.

The first was a flashy one – the kind of Monfils play that Janko Tipsarevic’s coach warned him about in his contest with the lightening quick Frenchman. Down 4-5 in the third set and serving at deuce, Isner ran Monfils from wing to wing and hit what would have been winning shots against most players on the tour. Isner closed in behind Monfils’ last shot and put himself in position for what should have been an easy volley winner. Isner, however, looked up to see where his opponent was – taking his eye off the ball just long enough to cause him to frame the volley attempt. Point Monfils.

Two points earlier, in a play that won’t make the highlights, Isner attempted to hit a drop shot. Monfils’ eyes grew wide, though, the instant he saw Isner drop his elbow – the “tell” that a drop shot is coming. He sprinted forward, pounced on the ball and easily smacked a backhand crosscourt winner.

Though Isner ultimately came back and held serve on that game, Monfils’ strategy of using his speed to always make his opponent hit another shot proved to be an investment that paid off as the hour grew later. He wore Isner down, which also forced Isner to work harder during his service games and to take bigger risks on just enough of his own shots to make a few critical errors.

“[Monfils’ reaction time] puts a lot of pressure on you and makes the court smaller,” Isner said. “A lot of times that forces you to go for the lines because you feel like it’s the only place you can put the ball past him.”

Monfils also fended off Isner’s powerful serve with tremendous returns, getting rallies started on returns and creating opportunities to win points. He put Isner in 0-30 and 0-15 hole repeatedly. All the extra sweat drained Isner just enough to leave Monfils fresher and more accurate in the third set tiebreaker. Up 7-6 but facing Isner’s serve, Monfils returned a boomer, stayed in the point, and won the match when an Isner forehand hit the net.

After the match, Monfils characterized his ability to read his opponents’ shots and react as a “gift” that he’s blessed to possess. He also said he could have played a few points a bit smarter.

“I played two fancy shots I could have been more aggressive on or more taking care of my business,” he said.

Then he raced out of the press room to stretch, wind down and try to catch some winks before the Sunday final.

Photos by credit © Won-ok Kim

Legg Mason Tennis Classic preview – Around the corner

July 31, 2011 by WTM

The two stops on the ATP World Tour for this week include a 250 level tournament on clay played in Kitzbuhel, Austria as well as a 500 level tournament on hard courts in Washington, D.C.

Legg Mason Tennis Classic

For those serious about training for the final Grand Slam of the year, the Legg Mason Classic is the place to be. Bumped up a couple of years ago from a level 250 event, this year’s edition might appear to be a little thin on top-level talent with the withdrawal of Andy Roddick and with the big guns like Nadal and Federer still taking a bit more time off the tour to rest up for a strong late season push towards the Open.

Seeded first in D.C. this year is Frenchman Gael Monfils who will thrill the crowds with his acrobatic style of play. With the top sixteen seeds having a first-round bye, Monfils will open against the winner of Ryan Sweeting and Alex Bogomolov Jr., both of the United States. Also in “Le Monfs” quarter of the draw are Dmitry Tursunov, Michael Llodra and Janko Tipsarevic. Monfils should be able to navigate his way through this section and advance to the semi-finals.

In the next section of the draw, eight seed and defending champion David Nalbandian will try to jump-start his mediocre 2011 season. As we have been accustomed to in recent years, it has been injuries that have derailed the 29 year-old Nalbandian’s progress on the circuit. This year he missed three months between March and June due to a hamstring injury. Having lost in the third round of Queen’s Club (Verdasco) and Wimbledon (Federer), Nalbandian will have the added pressure of defending his winning points from a year ago. In his first match Nalbandian will face the winner of James Blake vs. Tatsuma Ito.

Also in this quarter are big servers John Isner and Kevin Anderson, both of whom are having solid seasons thus far. Isner in particular has been doing well since Wimbledon by winning the grass court event in Newport and then making the finals in Atlanta. Rising American star Ryan Harrison is also in this section of the draw and has made back-to-back semi-finals over the past couple of weeks. We’ll see if he can maintain this level of play and respond to the challenge of a somewhat tougher field that he has faced in LA and Atlanta.

If he’s fully healthy and has been training since Wimbledon, then I’d give Nalbandian a fair chance at making it to the semi’s, but I feel that Isner is probably the man to beat given his recent results and his usual success on the summer hard-court swing. Let’s not count out Harrison either as his confidence is mounting with every event he enters.

The next quarter we look at is a bit more wide-open. You’ve got some talented veterans such as Tommy Haas and Fernando Gonzalez, both of whom are trying to regain their form after long injury layoffs. Marcos Baghdatis, a finalist from a year ago is also present as are Jurgen Melzer, Xavier Malisse and Somdev Devvarman. Good luck picking someone to emerge from this slice of the draw.

Haas still has a long way to go to prove he can mount a successful comeback after missing a full year on the tour. Gonzo has not played much this year either and it does not seem like at 31 years old his body can consistently perform when needed. Baghdatis has proved himself capable at this event but he has not played a hard court event since March. Same story for Melzer, who has been playing a full clay-court schedule since March with the exception of Wimbledon.

My pick here would be either the X-man – Malisse or Devvarman who has played well here in the past with a quarter-final showing in 2008 and a round-of-sixteen finish in 2009.

In the final quarter Mardy Fish is the clear choice to advance deep into the draw due to his exceptional play as of late. The now firmly entrenched number one American player has demonstrated that he is a worthy successor to Andy Roddick at the moment and is playing some of the best tennis of his career. You’d have to say Fish is the tournament favorite given his hot play on the summer swing and there does not appear to be much opposition for him in the early rounds.

He could get Fernando Verdasco in the quarter-finals, but otherwise should dispatch guys like Radek Stepanek and Jarkko Nieminen in the first couple of rounds.

As he did a year ago, Fish is definitely placing himself in the conversation for the next level of contenders at the U.S. Open behind the big names like Djokovic, Nadal and Federer.

Bet-At-Home Cup Kitzbuhel

For those players whose games are more suited for clay, Kitzbuhel offers them a chance at some ranking points they might not be able to attain on the North American hard court swing. The event has not been played since 2009, and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez won the tournament that year.

Seeded first is renowned dirt-baller Juan-Ignacio Chela who constantly surprises me with his resilience on the tour. Just when you think his career is about to implode he’ll turn it around with some strong play. He lost four opening matches in a row from late March to early May, then he made the round of sixteen in Rome, won the World Team Championship in Dusseldorf and then advanced to the quarter-finals of the French Open before falling to Andy Murray. It should be noted however that Chela has lost his opening match of his two previous tournaments, both which have been on clay. Suffice it to say that in a tournament labelled, “bet at home”, I wouldn’t bet on Chela.

Albert Montanes is in the top half of the draw as well and is due for some clay court success, while Fabio Fognini and Marcel Granollers are two other talented clay-court players who could make their way towards the final.

One first round match that certainly caught my attention in the draw was fifth seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber against the former king of clay, Thomas Muster. Yes that’s right, at the ripe old age of 43, Muster continues to pop up at challenger events and ones like this one where he is awarded a wildcard in recognition of his previous contributions to the sport. Obviously being Austrian is what got him in the door here, as his record is 0-9 coming into the event. Someone should really tell this guy about the senior tour where his results might be a little more encouraging.

The bottom half of the draw has second seeded Feliciano Lopez, as well as Ivan Ljubicic and Igor Andreev who are all capable players on this surface.

While it might be a bit hard to understand the merits of playing clay court events during the lead-up to a hard court Grand Slam, there are only so many spots open in Washington and these guys do need to earn a living. Just don’t expect any of the names from Kitzbuhel to factor into contention once they arrive in North America.

A summary of the first week of Wimbledon – Mondays with Bob Greene

June 27, 2011 by Bob Greene

STARS

Wimbledon

(First Week)

Tsvetana Pironkova beat second-seeded Vera Zvonareva 6-2 6-3

Sabine Lisicki beat third-seeded Li Na 3-6 6-4 8-6

Bernard Tomic beat fifth-seeded Robin Soderling 6-1 6-4 7-5

Tamira Paszek beat sixth-seeded Francesca Schiavone 3-6 6-4 11-9

Feliciano Lopez beat eighth-seeded Andy Roddick 7-6 (2) 7-6 (2) 6-4

Lukasz Kubot beat ninth-seeded Gael Monfils 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-3

Melinda Czink beat 10^th-seeded Samantha Stosur 6-3 6-4

OTHER

Paul Capdeville beat Pierre-Ludovic Duclos 7-5 6-1 to win the Jalisco Open in Guadalajara, Mexico

DAVIS CUP

Americas Zone Group III: Barbados and Bolivia promoted to Group II for 2012; Jamaica and Honduras demoted to Group IV.

SAYING

“I was very calm, but inside I was bursting.” – Bernard Tomic, a qualifier from Australia, after upsetting fifth-seeded Robin Soderling and becoming the first 18-year-old man since 1990 to reach Wimbledon’s fourth round.

“When he’s healthy, he must be in the top five … So will be a very tough opponent for me. I know that. I’m not lucky to play against (Juan Martin) del Potro in the round of 16.” – Rafael Nadal, talking about his fourth-round opponent.

“I’m moving well, and I’m using all of my arsenal. I thought today was a particularly good performance on my serve.” – Roger Federer, after his straight-set third-round victory over David Nalbandian.

“From the bright side, I hung in there in the important moments. I stayed emotionally stable, believing that I can win, and that’s what matters the most.” – Novak Djokovic, who outlasted Marcos Baghdatis in a third-round match.

“Probably the opinion of the past champions, they have more troubles between each other. Is different. But for me the rivalry is only inside the court. Doesn’t affect the rest.” – Rafael Nadal, disagreeing with Jimmy Connors’ assertion that today’s players are too soft because they are friends off the court.

“It was not against them. It was just that we played a very long first set, and I was exhausted and I was tired and I was feeling worse and worse. … I normally never act like that. I felt at this point I had to get all this frustration out and start again.” – Marion Bartoli, after telling her parents to leave the stands at her match.

“You keep moving forward until you decide to stop. At this point I’ve not decided to stop so I’ll keep moving forward.” – Andy Roddick, after being upset in the third round.

“Don’t bet against me.” – Serena Williams, when asked about her chances of winning her third consecutive Wimbledon title despite missing more than 11 months with injuries and illnesses.

“I’m feeling better and glad to be still in the tournament. I just need that rhythm that I have been missing and keep serving like I did today.” – Serena Williams, after winning her third-round match.

“I’ve got to play relaxed, have fun. That’s when I play my best tennis. I think I can play really well when I do that. I don’t really want to stop now after you’ve done it. You really want to keep going. That’s what I’m going to do.” – Bernard Tomic, following his upset of fifth-seeded Robin Soderling.

“He’s a nice kid who just doesn’t fear too much. He just goes out and plays. I think that’s a strength in one way, because you just play your game and you don’t really think about your surroundings.” – Xavier Malisse, talking about his next opponent, 18-year-old Bernard Tomic.

“Very impressed. First time I have seen him play live. I tell you, a star in the making. I really liked the way he played, his composure. I expect a lot more from him.” – Boris Becker, commenting on Bernard Tomic.

“The goal is the second week.” – John Isner, who didn’t make it, instead losing in the second round to Nicolas Almagro.

“My ranking, for me, it’s not an issue. I’ll get wild cards into a certain amount of tournaments that I’ll want to play anyway. As I’ve always said, your ranking takes care of itself. Once you’re actually in the tournament, if I can play at that level consistently, then my ranking’s the furthest thing from my mind.” – Lleyton Hewitt.

“Before, my tennis was a priority, I was 100 percent focused on it. But the older you get, the interest for other things. Now I want to spend more time with friends and family. Of course, this does not mean that my career is over, I would love to be on top again.” – Jelena Jankovic, a former world number one player, after she lost in Wimbledon’s first round.

SENT TO COURT 2

WTA CEO Stacey Allaster said she was “disappointed” that four-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams was sent to Court 2 for her second-round match. Williams insisted that the world’s two top-ranked men, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, would never be scheduled for a court outside either Centre Court or Court One. “Serena Williams is a four-time Wimbledon singles champion, the defending champion of Wimbledon, and a 13-time Grand Slam singles champion. I share her disappointment,” Allaster said in a statement. The All England Club noted frequent interruptions caused by rain had forced some court changes but denied there was any bias against either Serena or sister Venus, a five-time Wimbledon winner. Venus also has played on Court 2 this year. “They like to put us on Court 2, me and Venus, for whatever reason. I haven’t figured it out yet.” Serena said. “Maybe one day we’ll figure it out. They (Nadal and Djokovic) are never moved across. Actually, Venus and I have won more Wimbledons together than a lot of the players or by ourselves in doubles even. I don’t make it a big issue, but I think at some point maybe I should.”

STOPPED AT THE BORDER

Novak Djokovic is missing one member of his entourage at Wimbledon. Great Britain has refused to allow Djokovic’s white toy poodle into the country. “He is upset he can’t bring Pierre to Wimbledon and he is pleading with the authorities to let the dog in,” a source close to the player said. “Whenever he can, he takes the dog with him. He is genuinely upset. For him this is a very serious issue.” Djokovic was photographed with the dog in Paris during Roland Garros, and both were on the cover of the July edition of fashion magazine L’Uomo Vogue. The poodle even has his own Twitter page.

SCREECHING

Ian Ritchie, the chief executive of the All England Lawn and Tennis Club, wants to put a stop of the grunting, yelling, shrieking, crying or high-pitched yelping found on the courts at Wimbledon. Ritchie was quoted in The Telegraph of London saying tournament officials would “prefer to see less grunting” at the grass court Grand Slam tournament. “We have discussed it with the tours and we believe it is helpful to reduce the amount of grunting. We are one tournament in a global circuit. But we have made our views clear and we would like to see less of it.”

SENT OFF

Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli caused widespread amazement during her third-round match when she demanded her parents leave Court 12 while she was playing. Bartoli, who was runner-up at Wimbledon in 2007, is coached by her father, who gave up his career as a doctor to mentor her. When Bartoli trailed 3-4 in the final set against Italy’s Flavia Pennetta, she told her parents to leave the stands. “I was so tired and exhausted that really I had to express my emotions somehow,” the player said. “I saw them right after the match, my parents, and they understood completely. It was not against them. It was just that we played a very long first set, and I was exhausted and I was tired and I was feeling worse and worse. I normally never act like that.” Bartoli won the match.

STOP PROTEST

Demonstrators were stopped Saturday from entering the Wimbledon tennis championships by police, causing a backup of thousands of fans who were waiting to get inside the gates. The 14 protesters from the Spanish-based 15M movement, wearing yellow T-shirts reading “real democracy now,” had tins of paint and banner-making equipment hidden in their bags. Sources said they were seeking to protest Madrid’s economic policies. It was feared they might have been targeting the match involving the world’s number one player, Rafael Nadal of Spain, the defending Wimbledon men’s champion. Club officials kept the gates closed for an extra 45 minutes while they assessed the nature of the threat. The group was removed from the queue and left peacefully.

SOFIA, HERE WE COME

The WTA Tournament of Champions will move next year from Bali to a new venue in Sofia, Bulgaria. The tournament features the six highest-ranked players who have won a title during the year, but who have not qualified for the season-ending WTA Championships. Bali will stage the event for the last time November 2-6 this year before the tournament moves to the Arena Sofia for three years beginning in 2012. Bulgaria has not hosted a WTA tournament in 22 years.

STOPPED

Li Na’s run at Wimbledon was much shorter than at the year’s first two Grand Slam tournament. At Roland Garros earlier this month, Li became the first player from Asia to win a major singles title. In January, she was runner-up at the Australian Open. But at Wimbledon Li wasted two match points before losing to wild-card entry Sabine Lisicki of Germany 3-6 6-4 8-6.

Cashing in on her success in Paris, the 29-year-old Li reportedly signed an endorsement deal with Daimler AG to endorse its Mercedes Benz that is worth about USD $1.5 million annually for three years. Li’s agent, Max Eisenbud of IMG, acknowledged a deal had been struck, but he would not confirm the numbers. Li Na’s other endorsement deals include Nike, Rolex, Spider Tech and Haagen Dazs. She is expected to pull in about USD $10 million in endorsement money this year, which would rank her second in women’s tennis only behind Maria Sharapova, who makes about USD $25 million a year and is the highest earning female athlete in the world.

SAY IT RIGHT!

Germany’s Julia Goerges gets upset when people call her “gorgeous.” Her name, after all, should be pronounced “Gur-ges” with a hard “g” in each case – like “gurgle.” Umpire Graeme Jones had problems with pronouncing Goerges’ name, most of them variations of “gorgeous” and all tickling the spectators. Finally Goerges had enough and corrected the umpire. “Honestly, I don’t really like it,” the 22-year-old brunette said. “It’s just that people sometimes read my name and can’t pronounce it because they haven’t heard it before, especially in America. You can make the joke once, but you don’t have to do it two or three or four times in a row. It’s getting to really annoy me. … I want to show what I can do in tennis and it has nothing to do with how you look on court. If you’re good-looking on court, it doesn’t win any matches.” Goerges lost in the third round.

SOFTIE SERENA

Jack Marshall of Scunthorpe in northern England helped reveal the softer side of Serena Williams. The 5-year-old was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2009. His mother Tracy contacted a number of celebrities via Twitter to help spread awareness of his illness and raise money to support him and other sufferers. “I read his story and my heart kind of went out for him,” Williams said. “I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ That was one thing, I thought if I made it to Wimbledon, I wanted to invite Jack out. The youngster watched Williams win her second-round match. “I got to meet him yesterday. It’s just been so amazing, his whole story, to be so small to have such courage,” Serena said. “He calls me his best bud, so I love it.”

SERIOUSLY

It was 30 years ago when John McEnroe screamed at a Wimbledon umpire, “You cannot be serious.” Called “Superbrat” by the British tabloid media, McEnroe’s outburst came in a first-round match against fellow American Tom Gullikson, who was serving in the opening set when a McEnroe shot was called out. Approaching umpire Edward James, McEnroe said: “Chalk came up all over the place, you can’t be serious man.” Then, his anger rising, the left-hander yelled: “You cannot be serious. That ball was on the line. Chalk flew up. It was clearly in. How can you possibly call that out? Everybody knows it’s in in the whole stadium and you call it out? You guys are the absolute pits of the world, you know that?” James then politely announced: “I’m going to award a point against you, Mr. McEnroe.” The umpire later docked McEnroe another point for racquet abuse. After he beat Bjorn Borg to win the first of his three Wimbledon titles, McEnroe became the first singles champion to not be made an honorary member of the All England Club.

SET FOR TORONTO

Sisters Venus and Serena Williams are heading to Canada this summer. “Venus and I are thrilled to come to Toronto this summer to play at Rogers Cup,” Serena said. For the first time, Rogers Cup will be a virtual combined event with the men playing in Montreal and the women in Toronto at the same time, August 5-14. Previously the two events were played on successive weeks. “They’re really excited to get back on the court and play a lot of tennis over the next couple of years,” tournament director Karl Hale said of the Williams sisters. “They’re hungrier than ever to get out and achieve on the tennis court, which will be good for Rogers Cup.”

SHORTER, THANKFULLY

For the second straight year, Nicolas Mahut and John Isner faced each other in the opening round of Wimbledon. A year ago, the two battled their way into history as Isner needed more than 11 hours to win. Isner repeated his victory, but this time he needed only 2 hours, 3 minutes to wrap up a 7-6 (4) 6-2 7-6 (6) clash in fading daylight and move into the second round. “I’m just really thrilled to have won that third set,” Isner said, “because if I lose that third set, then chances are we don’t finish. You know, our match goes to a second day.” Last year, they battled for three days.

SMASH FOR JOPLIN

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) is donating USD $100,000 to the city of Joplin, Missouri, USA, to assist with disaster relief efforts in the tornado-stricken community. The USTA is committed to helping rebuild Joplin High School and its tennis courts, which were demolished in the storm. In addition, the USTA will bring SmashZone, the interactive fan attraction featured annually at the US Open, to Missouri Southern State University in an effort to help boost the spirits of the children and families affected by the disaster. The USTA contribution consists of a USD $25,000 donation from the USTA Missouri Valley Section, a USD $25,000 donation from USTA National, and a USD $50,000 grant for refurbishment of the high school tennis courts and technical assistance. In addition to its $100,000 donation, the USTA is working with tennis manufacturers and retailers to collect additional donations including equipment and tennis gear for the Joplin High School tennis team.

SPIFFY GARDENS

A battle with his gardener over money has prevented Boris Becker from selling his villa in Spain. The gardener claims the three-time Wimbledon champion owes him nearly USD $400,000 for the upkeep of the grounds. A court has decided to hold the debt against the villa, meaning it will be claimed against any eventual sale of the property. “There is a lawsuit and we are fighting it,” Becker said. “They wanted more money than they were supposed to get. It is my house and hasn’t been taken.” Becker is asking USD $24 million for the property, which has been on the market since 2007. He wanted to gardens in pristine condition for the benefit of potential buyers. Becker now lives in Switzerland with his wife Lilly but is currently staying at his home in Wimbledon.

SHOWING OFF

In partnership with Fila, the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum in Newport, Rhode Island, USA, has unveiled a new exhibit to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the brand that has been worn by many great champions of tennis, including Hall of Famers Bjorn Borg, Boris Becker and Monica Seles. “At the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum, our mission is to preserve and showcase the history of tennis, with the goal of honoring the legends and inspiring tennis fans,” said CEO Mark L. Stenning. “From Borg’s Wimbledon victories to Seles’ French Open title, Fila has been an integral partner in great moments in tennis history and we are pleased to celebrate their milestone anniversary by showcasing the brand’s rich history to our visitors.” The special exhibit was unveiled in mid-June and will be changed throughout the year as part of Fila’s year-long celebration of the centennial anniversary of the brand. The exhibit includes design sketches as well as dramatic photos of Fila players in action. A wooden Fila tennis racquet and polo shirts worn by Hall of Famer Boris Becker are also part of the display.

SAD NEWS

Lance Lumsden, one of the best tennis players to come out of Jamaica, has died at the age of 71. According to his nephew, Richard Lumsden, the former Davis Cup player had been undergoing treatment for cancer . Lumsden played at Southern Illinois University in the early 1960s and was one of the first Jamaicans to play tennis on the international circuit in the modern era. In 1968, the first year of the era of Open tennis, he played the world number one, Australia’s Rod Laver, in the first round of the French Open in Paris. Lumsden competed in Davis Cup under the flag of the Commonwealth Caribbean. In 1966, Lumsden and Richard Russell defeated Venezuela 3-2, the first time the Commonwealth Caribbean had won a Davis Cup tie. In the following tie against the United States at the St Andrew Club in Kingston, Lumsden and Russell beat the top-ranked American doubles team of Arthur Ashe and Charlie Pasarell 6-4 7-9 14-12 4-6 6-4. It was the first time the Commonwealth Caribbean had won a Davis Cup match against the United States. Although the United States won the tie by 4-1, the doubles victory by Lumsden and Russell in May 1966 is still regarded as one of the finest hours in the history of tennis in Jamaica and the Caribbean. After retiring from tennis, Lumsden settled in Vienna, Austria, where he married and raised a family. He leaves sons Joris, Marco and Robin, the latter the current honorary consul of Jamaica to Austria.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Guadalajara: Vasek Pospisil and Bobby Reynolds beat Pierre-Ludovic Duclos and Ivo Klec 6-4 6-7 (6) 10-6 (match tiebreak)

SURFING

Wimbledon: www.wimbledon.com

Braunschweig: www.nordlb-open.org/

Turin: www.sporting.to.it/

The Lawn Tennis Association: www.lta.org.uk/

Tennis Brit: www.tennisbrit.co.uk/

Bastad: http://women.swedishopen.org/

Budapest: www.budapestgrandprix.hu/joomla15/

Newport: www.tennisfame.com/

Pozoblanco: www.tennispozoblanco.com/

Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

Wimbledon, London, Great Britain, grass (second week)

$163,300 Braunschweig, Germany, clay

$122,000 Turin, Italy, clay

WOMEN

Wimbledon, London, Great Britain, grass (second week)

SENIORS

Volkswagen Senior Classic, Turin, Italy, clay

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$441,500 Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, Newport, Rhode Island, USA, grass

$120,800 ATP Challenger Ciudad de Pozoblanco Open, Pozoblanco, Spain, hard

WOMEN

$220,000 Collector Swedish Open Women, Bastad, Sweden, clay

$220,000 Poli-Farbe Budapest Grand Prix, Budapest, Hungary, clay

DAVIS CUP

World Group

Quarterfinals

Sweden vs. Serbia at Halmstad, Sweden, hard

Argentina vs. Kazakhstan at Buenos Aires, Argentina, clay

United States vs. Spain at Austin, Texas, USA, hard

Germany vs. France at Stuttgart, Germany, clay

Group I

Americas Zone, 2^nd round: Ecuador vs. Canada at Guayaquil, Ecuador, clay; Uruguay vs. Brazil at Montevideo, Uruguay, clay

Asia/Oceania Zone, 2^nd round: China vs. Australia at Beijing, China, hard; Japan vs. Uzbekistan at Kobe, Japan, hard; playoffs: New Zealand vs. Philippines at Taranaki, New Zealand, hard

Europe/Africa Zone, 2^nd Round: Italy vs. Slovenia at Arzachena, Italy, clay; South Africa vs. the Netherlands at Potchefstroom, South Africa, hard; Switzerland vs. Portugal at Berne, Switzerland, hard

Group II

Americas Zone, 2^nd round: Peru vs. Dominican Republic at Lima, Peru, clay; Paraguay vs. Venezuela at Asuncion, Paraguay, clay; playoffs: El Salvador vs. Netherlands Antilles at Santa Tecia, El Salvador, clay; Puerto Rico vs. Haiti at Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, hard

Asia/Oceania Zone, 2^nd round: Korea vs. Pakistan at Gimcheon, Korea, hard; Thailand vs. Indonesia at Nonthaburo, Thailand, hard; playoffs: Syria at Hong Kong, hard; Pacific Oceania vs. Iran at Guam, hard

Europe/Africa Zone: 2^nd round: Great Britain vs. Luxembourg at Glasgow, Scotland, hard; Hungary vs. Belarus at Godollo, Hungary, clay; Bosnia/Herzegovina vs. Estonia at Tuzla, Bosnia/Herzegovina, hard; Denmark vs. Latvia at Fredericksburg, Denmark, clay; playoffs: Ireland vs. Tunisia at Dublin, Ireland, hard; Bulgaria vs. Cyprus at Sofia, Bulgaria, carpet; Lithuania vs. Morocco at Vilnius, clay; Greece vs. Monaco at Thessalonica, Greece, clay

Group III

Africa Zone at Cairo, Egypt, clay (round-robin in four pools; two nations promoted to Europe/Africa Zone Group II for 2012): Algeria, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, Zimbabwe

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