World Tennis Magazine

Unique Tennis Perspectives

itf

Andy Murray, Serena Williams Big Miami Winners — Mondays With Bob Greene

by

By Bob Greene

STARS

Andy Murray beat David Ferrer 2-6 6-4 7-6 (1) to win the men’s singles at the Sony Open Tennis in Miami, Florida, USA

Serena Williams beat Maria Sharapova 4-6 6-3 6-0 to win the Sony Open Tennis women’s singles in Miami, Florida, USA

Benoit Paire beat Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-4 5-7 6-4 to win the Orange Open Guadeloupe in Le Gosier, Guadeloupe

SAYING

“It was a brutal, brutal match. Both of us were kind of on our last legs.” – Andy Murray, following his three-set victory over David Ferrer.

Serena Williams poses with Sony Open winner’s trophy

“I’m happy to be here holding the championship. It definitely wasn’t my best tournament, but those are the moments that count, when you can go and do the best you can and still come out on top and always try to improve. And I finally have a record. It’s really cool. I can’t seem to catch up with Margaret Court or Steffi or anything, so I’m really happy to have something going right now.” – Serena Williams, after winning the Sony Open women’s singles.

“That’s why she’s number one in the world. She’s really capable of doing that. I was controlling a lot of the points in the first set and the beginning of the second. Then toward the end, I wasn’t there.” – Maria Sharapova, after losing for the 11th straight time to Serena Williams.

“Maria played the best I have seen her play. She was moving unbelievable and she was hitting winners from everywhere. I think after the first set I had over 20 unforced errors and I thought to myself, ‘Why am I playing like this?’ And now it’s like, ‘How did I end up winning when I actually wasn’t on top of my game?’ I need that videotape so I can go home and study it and train and try to get better.” – Serena Williams.

“Playing against someone like Novak and coming out on top at this time of my career, it’s unbelievable. These are the moments I appreciate the most, going on those big stadiums, big stages, playing against the best people in the world.” – Tommy Haas, after upsetting two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic.

“All the credit to him. He played a great match and he was the better player, no question about it. As far as I’m concerned, it’s definitely the worst match I have played in a long time.” – Novak Djokovic.

“Every day is a new day. We were six match points down in our second match. Everything turned around. Sometimes you need some luck to win these big tournaments. The tennis gods were on our side this tournament, but we also worked hard.” – Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, who teamed with Jean-Julien Rojer to win the Sony Open men’s doubles.

“It was important for us to start strong. In the second set there were a few deciding points that could have gone either way and we were a bit unlucky there, but we were strong in the tiebreaker. It was very important for us not to let it get to the super tiebreaker.” – Nadia Petrova, after teaming with Katarina Srebotnik to win the women’s doubles in Miami.

“We started off winning Sydney, then apart from losing against the Williams sisters in the Australian Open, every tournament we’ve played we’ve made it at least to the final. After three runner-ups we knew sooner or later we’d win again, but even if we didn’t win today we’d be really happy with the final. We appreciate making finals, we know how tough it is to make it this far. But winning today is great.” – Katarina Srebotnik.

“Serena really had an answer for everything. The first set just went too quickly. In the second set I was really trying to make something happen, but she was playing too well. She served too well – it seemed like nearly three aces every game. I really couldn’t do anything out there today. When Serena’s playing like that, it really doesn’t even matter who’s on the other side of the net.” – Agnieszka Radwanska, after losing to Serena Williams in the semifinals.

“There’s no specific thing that I’d say has happened or is not happening, but I don’t think it really matters. I’m 16th in the world. I can lose in the first round the next two months and I probably would still be top 30. I’m not really too concerned about winning or losing or any of that, I don’t think. My life has changed, yeah, but I wouldn’t say I’m in a panic or anything.” – Sloane Stephens, who has posted a 2-5 match record since upsetting Serena Williams at the Australian Open in January.

“I look crazy because I’m constantly having an argument with myself. We’re going back and forth and trying to figure things out. I’m talking to myself inside, and she’s talking back and giving me lip. I give her a little attitude, and then I tell her she stinks, and she tells me to shut up. We get into it a little bit. Then we get along.” – Serena Williams, explaining her on-court conversations with herself.

STRUGGLE, BUT VICTORIOUS

Battling a tenacious foe and brutal heat, an exhausted Andy Murray prevailed to win the Sony Open Tennis, besting David Ferrer. “I showed good mental strength to get through that match because it easily could have slipped away from me,” Murray said after the 2 hour, 45 minute battle. “It was one of the toughest matches I have had to play in a Masters Series for sure.” Murray was one point from defeat when he hit a forehand that skipped off the baseline. Ferrer appealed the call, but lost. The Spaniard battled leg cramps throughout the final set, and collapsed onto the court after a 28-point exchange in the tiebreak. It was the second time Murray has won on the hard courts in Miami, having captured the title in 2009. This year his path may have been a little easier because Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal skipped the tournament and Novak Djokovic was upset in the fourth round. “I don’t think either of us played our best tennis,” Murray said of the final. “There was a lot of breaks and ups and downs, quite a lot of mistakes from both of us. But what I did do was fight hard.” Ferrer fell to 0-13 against top-five players in finals. And Spaniards have never won in Miami, losing all six times they have reached the title match, with Nadal losing three of those matches. “I don’t think he gets the respect that he deserves within the game,” Murray said of Ferrer. “He’s been in the top five in the world now for at least three years. He’s improved his game every single year. That takes, you know, a great attitude to be able to do that.”

SIXTH FOR SERENA

Serena Williams considers the Sony Open Tennis in Miami, Florida, USA, her home tournament, and she doesn’t like losing at home. The world’s top-ranked woman beat Maria Sharapova for the 11th straight time to take home a record sixth title at the Miami tournament. Sharapova, on the other hand, is now 0-5 in finals on the hard court event. It was the Russian who quickly jumped out front, winning the opening set and taking a 3-2 lead in the second with a service break. That was when Williams stepped up her game. At the age of 31, Williams becomes the oldest female champion at Miami, winning for the first time since 2008 and surpassing Steffi Graf, a five-time champion. “It’s tough to lose in the final stage because you work so hard to get there,” Sharapova said. “But the more I give myself this opportunity, the better chance I have of winning.” It was Serena’s 48th title of her career, four more than any other active player and the 10th most in history. She is the fourth woman – after Chris Evert, Graf and Martina Navratilova – in the Open Era to win the same tournament six or more times. Evert in 1986 was the only other woman to win a title after her 30th birthday. Serena also now has 61 career match wins at the Sony Open Tennis, passing Graf’s previous record of 59.

Serena’s title didn’t come easy. Dominika Cibulkova led 6-2 4-1 before Williams rallied for a 2-6 6-4 6-2 fourth-round victory. Then, in the quarterfinals, she shook off six double-faults and rallied from a 2-5 second-set deficit to overtake Li Na 6-3 7-6 (5). “I realized I was down. It was just one point at a time after that,” Williams said. “The tiebreak was good. It just came down to one point at the end.”

SAXON SHOCKERS

Two Germans pulled off shockers at the Sony Open Tennis. First, Tobias Kamke stunned fifth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro in a second-round battle. That was topped by Tommy Haas, who shocked two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic in their fourth-round match. A week away from turning 35, Haas ended Djokovic’s 14-match winning streak in Miami and handed the world’s top-ranked man only his second loss of the year.

“He didn’t play obviously his best tennis, but still I think I did a good job and am pretty satisfied with that,” said Kamke. Del Potro had two set points at 5-2 in the opening set and was up a mini break in the tiebreak. But it was Kamke who reached the third round of an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event for the first time in his career.

It was the second time Haas has beaten a number one-ranked player. In 1999, he bested Andre Agassi. Haas was ranked number two in the world in 2002, but since then has struggled with injuries, including right rotator cuff surgery later that year, arthroscopic shoulder surgery in 2003, a shoulder injury in 2008, and in 2010 underwent surgery on his right hip and his right elbow.

SONY OPEN SWITCH

If you only watched the Sony Open Tennis men’s singles final on Tennis Channel, you saw Andy Murray run away with the victory. That’s because the first 30 games of the 2 hour, 45 minute battle was shown on CBS. The over-the-air network switched to basketball just as Murray and David Ferrer got ready for the decisive third-set tiebreak. Murray won the tiebreak 7-1, a far cry from the hard-fought match the two had engaged in for nearly three hours. Tournament director Adam Barrett said CBS officials had a commitment to show the basketball. While Tennis Channel televised the end of the final, CBS later showed a replay of the final point. “They stayed with our match for as long as possible, forgoing their pre-NCAA tournament coverage and delaying the start of the Michigan-Florida tip-off in an attempt to complete its broadcast of the match,” Barrett said in a statement. “Although we wish the match could have been shown in its entirety, we understand that these situations do arise.”

STEP UP FOR MURRAY

After winning the Sony Open, Andy Murray has regained the number two spot in the Emirates ATP Rankings, behind Novak Djokovic and knocking Roger Federer to number three in the world. David Ferrer also moved up a spot, replacing fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal in fourth place. According to ATP stats guru Greg Sharko, it is the first time since November 10, 2003, that both Federer and Nadal will be ranked outside the top two. Murray spent four weeks ranked number two in the world back in 2009 when Federer was number one and Nadal number three.

STRONG PAIRING

It was their third and biggest doubles title as Nadia Petrova and Katarina Srebotnik have proven to be one of the top teams in women’s tennis. They beat Lisa Raymond and Laura Robson to capture the Sony Open Tennis, and they won in Sydney, Australia, earlier this year. But the pair has reached the final in every tournament they have played in 2013, except the Australian Open where they lost to sisters Venus and Serena Williams. Petrova and Srebotnik now have three WTA doubles titles together, having also won Moscow in 2008. Individually, Petrova now has 23 WTA doubles titles and Srebotnik 32 – and both had already conquered Miami as well. Petrova won the title twice before, teaming with Meghann Shaughnessy in 2004 and with Maria Kirilenko in 2012. Srebotnik won in 2008 with Ai Sugiyama. Now they plan on taking a few weeks off. “We have about three weeks of no tournaments now, which is great, for Nadia too,” Srebotnik added. “Nadia plays singles as well, so this will be very good for her. It’s like a double job playing both singles and doubles. I have to give her a lot of respect, because even after a tough day at the office on the singles side, she comes out and performs 100 percent in doubles. Not a lot of players are capable of that. I’m happy she’s that determined to do well in doubles.”

STAYING THE COURSE

After Pakistan’s Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi and Dutchman Jean-Julien Rojer won their first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophy by defeating Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski 6-4 6-1, the two wanted to celebrate. “I’m going to make a phone call to the Dutch Davis Cup captain to see if I can arrive a day later, because I would like to properly celebrate our win,” Rojer said. Qureshi said, “I’ve heard so much the past two weeks about Miami but I haven’t been out. Jules went to Ultra Fest when Swedish House Mafia were playing and he didn’t take me. I really hope he has something figured out tonight or I’ll be disappointed.” It was their third title together, having won in Estoril, Portugal, and Halle, Germany, last year. And winning the final was much easier than getting to the title match. They staved off six match points in their second-round win over Treat Huey and Dominic Inglot, winning the match tiebreak 14-12. “Sometimes you need some luck to win these big tournaments,” Qureshi said. “The tennis gods were on our side this tournament, but we also worked hard.”

SOUTH AMERICAN SWING

A combined ATP and WTA event will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, beginning next year. The biggest tennis tournament in South America, it will replace the combined ATP-WTA event in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Organizers of the Rio Open announced it will be played February 15-23. The men’s prize money will be USD $1.2 million, while the women’s purse will be USD $235,000. It will be the second tournament in Brazil for both the men and women. Rafael Nadal won this year’s ATP event in Sao Paulo, while Venus Williams won the WTA tournament in the southern city of Florianopolis.

SHOULDER INJURY

Tomas Berdych will miss the Czech Republic’s Davis Cup quarterfinal tie against Kazakhstan this week. He said he was unavailable for the tie after losing in the Sony Open quarterfinals against Richard Gasquet. “Last night’s match was the last straw for me,” the sixth-ranked Berdych said. “I woke up this morning and my shoulder hurt so much that it was clear I would not be able to play in Kazakhstan.” The defending Davis Cup champions will field a team of Radek Stepanek, Lukas Rosol, Jan Hajek and Ivo Minar.

SONY OPEN PLANS

The Sony Open wants to get better. Tournament officials said a USD $50 million project to improve the tournament site will begin after next year’s event. The plans include three new stadiums, upgrading the current stadium and adding an acre of green space. The new stadiums would set 3,000 to 6,000. Completion of the project, to be done in three phases, is scheduled before the start of the 2017 tournament.

STOP BICKERING

Non-playing captain S P Misra says India’s top players and the country’s tennis federation AITA should end their fighting for the betterment of Indian tennis. Somdev Devvarman led a players revolt, demanding better conditions, as the country’s top players refused to play against Korea. India lost that tie 4-1 and must beat Indonesia this week or face relegation. AITA agreed to some of the players’ demands and players have agreed to play against Indonesia. Named to India’s squad were Devvarman, Leander Paes, Yuki Bhambri and Sanam Singh. “It (the revolt) was quite unfortunate and most of their demands have been conceded by the AITA, and whatever that remains can be resolved amicably, and (the) sooner we do it, it is better for Indian tennis,” said Misra, who also said he will step down from his position following this week’s tie.

STANDING FOR ELECTION

Twenty-two people have nominated to run for the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Board of Directors. Elections for the 13 board members will take place on July 12 at the ITF’s annual general meeting in Paris, France. Those nominated include Sergio Elias of Chile; Ismail El Shafei, Egypt; Jean Gachassin, France; Jack Graham, Canada; David Haggerty, United States; Tarak Cherif, Tunisia; Steven Healy, Australia; Nao Kawatei, Japan; Anil Khanna, India; Chris Kypriotis, Brazil; Ronald Leitgeb, Austria; Suwat Liptapanlop, Thailand; Ingrid Lofdahl-Bentzer, Sweden; Juan Margets, Spain; Antonio Martinez Cascales, Spain; Roman Murashkovsky, Russia; Stuart Smith, Great Britain; Rene Stammbach, Switzerland; Stefan Tzvetkov, Bulgaria; Karin van Bijsterveld, Netherlands; Jon Vegosen, United States; and Georg van Waldenfels, Germany.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Le Gosier: Dudi Sela and Jimmy Wang beat Philipp Marx and Florin Mergea 6-1 6-2

Miami (men): Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi and Jean-Julien Rojer beat Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski 6-4 6-1

Miami (women): Nadia Petrova and Katarina Srebotnik beat Lisa Raymond and Laura Robson 6-1 7-6 (2)

SURFING
Charleston: www.familycirclecup.com
Monterrey: http://abiertomonterrey.com/
Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com
Katowice: www.bnpparibaskatowiceopen.com/pl
Casablanca: www.frmt.ma/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK
(All money in USD)

WOMEN

$795,707 Family Circle Cup, Charleston, South Carolina, USA, clay
$235,000 Monterrey Open, Monterrey, Mexico, hard

DAVIS CUP

World Group Quarterfinals

Canada vs. Italy at Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
United States vs. Serbia at Boise, Idaho, USA
Argentina vs. France at Buenos Aires, Argentina
Kazakhstan vs. Czech Republic at Astana, Kazakhstan

Group I – Second Round

Americas Zone: Ecuador vs. Chile at Manta, Ecuador; Colombia vs. Uruguay at Cucuta, Colombia

Asia/Oceania Zone: Uzbekistan vs. Australia at Namangan, Uzbekistan; Japan vs. Korea at Tokyo, Japan

Europe/Africa Zone: Great Britain vs. Russia at Coventry, Great Britain; Poland vs. South Africa at Zielona Góra, Poland; Romania vs. Netherlands at Brasov, Romania; Ukraine vs. Sweden at Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine

Group I – Playoffs

Asia/Oceania Zone: China vs. Chinese Taipei at Tianjin, China; India vs. Indonesia at Bangalore, India

Group II – Second Round

Americas Zone: El Salvador vs. Mexico at Ciudad Merliot, El Salvador; Peru vs. Venezuela at Arequipa, Peru

Asia/Oceania Zone: Pakistan vs. New Zealand at Yangon, Myanmar; Philippines vs. Thailand at Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines

Europe/Africa Zone: Ireland vs. Finland at Dublin, Ireland; Monaco vs. Latvia at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Monaco; Bosnia/Herzegovina vs. Moldova at Mostar, Bosnia/Herzegovina; Portugal vs. Lithuania at Lisbon, Portugal

Group II – Playoffs

Americas Zone: Barbados vs. Puerto Rico at St. Michael, Barbados; Guatemala vs. Haiti at Guatemala, Guatemala

Asia/Oceania Zone: Lebanon vs. Sri Lanka at Jounieh, Lebanon; Kuwait vs. Syria at Mishref, Kuwait

Europe/Africa Zone: Bulgaria vs. Estonia at Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Tunisia vs. Belarus at Tunis, Tunisia; Hungary vs. Luxembourg at Budapest, Hungary; Cyprus vs. Benin at Nicosia, Cyprus

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$584,400 US Men’s Clay Court Championships, Houston, Texas, USA, clay
$525,700 Grand Prix Hassan II, Casablanca, Morocco, clay
$100,000 Jalisco Open Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico, hard

WOMEN

$235,000 BNP Paribas Katowice Open, Katowice, Poland, clay

A Closer Look at the Longest Tie-Breaker in Tennis History

by

By Randy Walker

 

The longest tie-breaker on record was played last weekend.

Except, it’s not on record.

The talk of the tennis world on Monday – particularly on Twitter – was of a 70-point tie-breaker played Sunday between two members of Monaco’s Davis Cup team in the third round of qualifying at the $10,000 USTA Futures event in Plantation, Florida – Benjamin Balleret defeating Guillaume Couillard 7-6 (36-34), 6-1. The tie-breaker was 20 points longer than the previous longest tie-breaker on record, which was, according to THE BUD COLLINS HISTORY OF TENNIS, a 50-point (26-24) tie-breaker in a Wimbledon doubles match from 1985.

The only “problem” with the Balleret-Couillard tie-breaker is that there is, technically, no real “record” of it.

After word of the epic tie-breaker was distributed via social media from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA), I sent an email to David Littlefield, the USTA/ITF Tour Supervisor on site at the event, to get more details on the historic match, such as number of set points each player had, how long the tie-breaker was in length of time and any other stats that could be mustered. The official chair umpire’s scorecard is always the official record of any tennis match that is played.

Littlefield reminded me in his return email to me late Monday night that the Balleret-Couillard match was only a qualifying match in a Futures event, the lowest level tournament in pro tennis and, as he wrote, “all matches in qualifying are played without any chair umpire or any lines people. The players call their own lines and the matches have a few ‘roving’ certified officials that watch several courts at once and may be called on from time to time to settle any disputes between the players. There is no ‘official’ record of the match, such as a scorecard, no total time of the set, nor any way to know the number of set points any of the players had in the course of the tie-break.”

He went on to write that the now famous tie-breaker was witnessed by spectators and that the players are true professionals who “would not just make up a score for the hell of it.”

Couillard tweeted that he had 11 set points in tie-breaker, meaning that Balleret had at least 19 set points.

Balleret is 29 years old and currently ranked No. 636 after posting a career high ranking of No. 204 in 2006. That year, he qualified for his hometown ATP tournament in Monte Carlo, defeating former top-five player Jonas Bjorkman in the final round of qualifying. Couillard is currently unranked, held a career-high ranking of No. 569 in 2002 and is 37 years old.

According to the authoritative THE BUD COLLINS HISTORY OF TENNIS book ($35.95, available here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0942257707?tag=tennisgrancom-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0942257707&adid=087RCZKNYEKKPGGYZJW3&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennisgrandstand.com%2F ) the longest tie-break on record – 50 points – came in the first round of Wimbledon in 1985 when Michael Mortensen and Jan Gunnarson defeated John Frawley and Victor Pecci 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (26-24). The full list of the longest tie-breakers from the Collins’ book is found below.

Longest Tie-Breakers

Men’s Singles

38 – (20-18) Roger Federer d. Marat Safin 6-3, 7-6 (20-18), semifinal, 2004 Tennis Masters Cup, Houston

38 – (20-18) Bjorn Borg d. Premjit Lall 6-3, 6-4, 9-8 (20-18), first round, 1973 Wimbledon

38 – (20-18) Andy Roddick d. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-7 (18-20), 7-6 (7-2), 6-2, 6-3, first round, 2007 Australian Open

38 – (20-18) Goran Ivanisevic d. Daniel Nestor 6-4, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (20-18), first round, 1993 US Open

38 – (20-18) Jose Acasuso d. Bjorn Phau 7-5 7-6 (20-18), first round, Toronto, 2006

38 – (20-18) Goran Ivanisevic d. Greg Rusedski, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (20-18), semifinal, Queens Club, 1997

Women’s Singles

40 – (21-19) Emmanuelle Gagliardi d. Tara Snyder 6-7 (19-21), 6-1, 6-1, second round, Madrid, 1999

Men’s Doubles

Benjamin Balleret
Benjamin Balleret

50 – (26-24) Michael Mortensen and Jan Gunnarson d. John Frawley and Victor Pecci 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (26-24), first round, Wimbledon, 1985

Women’s Doubles

42 – (22-20) Nicole Pratt and Bryanne Stewart d. Corina Morariu and Rennae Stubbs 7-6 (5), 7-6 (22-20), first round, 2006 Amelia Island

 

USTA raises concerns over possible MLS Stadium in Queens: This Week in Tennis Business with Justin Cohen

by

By Justin Cohen

USTA Questions Major League Soccer Plan for Expansion Team in Flushing Meadows

Report: USTA Questions Major League Soccer Plan for Expansion Team in Flushing Meadows

According to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com, Major League Soccer’s intention to put an expansion team in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, near Citi Field, is being met with opposition from some local Queens residents as well as the United States Tennis Association, whose facility could be impacted by a new soccer stadium. The USTA believes a new stadium in the park, which also would stage concerts, would increase noise and traffic, according to a published report. “It raises a lot of concerns for us,” Gordon Smith, executive director of the USTA, told The New York Times. “We ought to be considered in a very different light, because we raise almost none of those complications.” Some neighborhood groups worry the parkland would not be adequately replaced.

Voters to Decide Future of Crandon Park and Sony Open

According to a press release, Miami-Dade County voters casting ballots this fall will have an opportunity to approve tournament-funded upgrades to the Crandon Park Tennis Center that will enhance the park for year-round public use and safeguard the Sony Open’s future in Miami. Voters will be asked to vote yes on #238, a referendum to authorize improvements to the park’s facilities and an extension of the Tournament’s usage agreement beyond the current nine year term. The park improvements would be entirely paid for by Tournament-generated revenues and cost savings, with NO COST TO TAXPAYERS. If approved, the proposed park improvements would be the first major Tennis Center updates since 1994, when Stadium Court opened. Tournament owner IMG estimates the total enhancements would cost approximately $50 million, without a single penny of public money spent. Efforts to educate the public on the measure and galvanize support are being spearheaded by the Park Partnership campaign, a coalition of business and civic leaders from Miami-Dade County and beyond. Members of the Park Partnership steering committee include Chair Adam Barrett, Honorary Chair and retired tennis star Mary Joe Fernandez, Stephanie Sayfie Aagaard, Key Biscayne Mayor Frank Caplan, Al Dotson, Jr., Maria Alonso, Marcelo Claure, Richard McLeod, Javier Soto, Phillis Oeters, Joy Lundeen, Jennifer Stearns Buttrick, James Champion, William D. Talbert, III, Jeff Bartel, Florencia Tabeni, Frances Sevilla-Sacasa, Mark Trowbridge and Tico Casamayor, among others. Beyond its standing as one of the world’s most prominent tennis tournaments, the Sony Open is a significant economic engine for Miami-Dade County. In fact, the Tournament is among the largest recurring events to take place in Miami, generating an impact of more than $386 million annually. In addition, the Tournament and Miami receive more than 7,000 hours of global television coverage broadcast throughout 180 countries. The need for a County-wide vote stems from an amendment to the Miami-Dade County Home Rule Charter which requires that two-thirds of Miami-Dade County voters approve extensions or modifications to leases and construction of any permanent structures in Crandon Park. The Sony Open’s proposed park updates include new green spaces, shaded areas, landscaping with plants and trees native to Key Biscayne, and show courts with comfortable seating. The Tournament’s capacity, terms of use and limitations on height of park structures will remain in place. Miami-Dade County will continue to own and operate the Tennis Center, ensuring the improved facilities are open to the public for 49 weeks of the year. The 2012 Sony Open was the most successful Tournament held to date, drawing more than 326,000 attendees, nearly 20 percent of whom currently reside outside the U.S., and resulting in the booking of more than 15,000 hotel room nights. The election will be held on November 6, 2012, with early voting beginning on October 27, 2012. Learn more about the Park Partnership campaign at www.parkpartnership.com.

International Tennis Federation Unconcerned Over WTA Dispute Over 2016 Rio Qualifications

According to an article written by David Gold of Inside The Games, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) is unconcerned about the fall out with the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) over qualification requirements for the next Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. The ITF announced that players hoping to compete in Rio would have to make themselves available for three Federations Cup ties before the Games, compared to the two required for London. That has been met by opposition from the WTA, with women’s world number two, Maria Sharapova of Russia, publicly voicing her disappointment at the decision. One positive change which has been welcomed is that the qualification window began straight after the end of London 2012. According to Tennis.com, ITF spokesperson Kris Dent said that the opposition of the WTA does not change anything. “We haven’t had contractual agreement with ATP for years (over Davis Cup requirements),” he was reported as saying. “Our priority is going from strength to strength and the Fed Cup has done that. The Fed Cup final in Prague sold out in six hours…let’s face it, there is a requirement for players every week that they play on tour.” ITF spokesperson Barbara Travers insists that, contrary to the claims of some of the top women’s players, there is a dialogue with them, and that the issue is simply a case of a disagreement.

David A. Haggerty Nominated as USTA Chairman of the Board and President

The USTA Nominating Committee has announced the nomination of David A. Haggerty as USTA Chairman of the Board and President to serve a two-year term beginning January 1, 2013. Haggerty has served on the USTA Board of Directors for six years and is currently completing a two-year term as First Vice President. He is a member of the Budget, International, Major Construction Oversight and Compensation committees and represents the USTA on the Grand Slam Committee and the ITF Women’s Circuit Committee. He also is a member of the Board of Directors for USTA Serves. Prior to his appointment as president, Haggerty served as the Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee and as a member of the Compensation and Executive committees. Since 2007, he has served as a member of the Budget Committee. Haggerty also served for six years on the Board of Directors of the USTA Middle States Section, including two years as Vice President, and he served nationally as Chair of the USTA Section Marketing and Public Relations Committee in 2005-06 and Strategic Planning in 2009-10. Haggerty served a two-year term as President of the Tennis Industry Association from January 2007 to January 2009 and has served on the TIA’s Executive Committee for more than 20 years. Haggerty is the former Chairman of Head USA, a position he held until his retirement in March 2010. He began his career in tennis in 1980, when he was hired by Prince as Product Manager for accessories. In his 14 years at Prince, Haggerty worked his way up to General Manager before taking a position at Dunlop as President of Racquet Sports. He moved to Head in 1998, where he served as General Manager and President of Head/Penn Racquet Sports before becoming Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Head’s U.S. businesses. He currently serves as an External Director on the board of directors for Kepner-Tregoe, a global management consulting company that focuses on improving the business performance of clients worldwide using proven management methods. He has been nominated as a Board member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame beginning in 2013. Haggerty was the No. 1 singles player and captain for three of his four years at George Washington University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration. Haggerty has five children and lives in Pennington, N.J. In addition to the Haggerty nomination, other individuals nominated as new Officers and Directors of the USTA Board include Katrina M. Adams, Donald L. Tisdel, Thomas S. Ho, Patrick J. Galbraith, Alexander Boyd Andrews IV, Joan E. Baker, Raymond Benton, Mark D. Ein, Andrew A. Valdez, Jeff Williams, Todd Martin, Chanda Rubin and Brian Vahaly. Current USTA Chairman of the Board and President Jon Vegosen will remain on the USTA Board of Directors and will serve as Immediate Past President during the 2013-14 term.

Malaysian Open Comes of Age in its Fourth and Most Successful Year

According to an official tournament press release, in its fourth year on Malaysian soil, the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur 2012 enjoyed one of its best ever showcases at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil from September 22-30. Attendances had increased greatly from past years, as the final three days saw almost 15,000 people head down for a spectacle of tennis they would not soon forget, while Sunday’s attendance of 5,300 was the best ever seen in KL. The Sunday final saw second seeded Argentine Juan Monaco top Frenchman Julien Benneteau 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. Part of the heightened appeal came from the most internationally diverse field of players the tournament has ever featured – with participants from over 24 countries across five continents arriving – along with several marquee names gracing the courts, such as David Ferrer, Juan Monaco, Kei Nishikori, Feliciano Lopez and Alexandr Dolgopolov. “It has been the most exciting, most attended and most diverse tournament we have had. Tournament staff personally met tourists from Australia, Spain, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Switzerland, Hawaii, China, the Philippines, Egypt, the USA, Singapore, Argentina, Japan, Austria, the UK and Germany, who had come down to watch the Malaysian Open,” said Tournament Director Nick Freyer of IMG, organizers of the event since inception. The tournament was also notable for marking Malaysian history as Si Yew Ming became the first local to win a match in an ATP 250 tournament and the Malaysian wildcard performances indicated significant improvement in local standards. Accordingly, to further boost the appeal of the sport in the young generation, over 2,000 students were introduced to professional tennis via a high impact and highly successful schools visit program. One of the touching stories of the 2012 tournament was two bus-loads of university students who took an overnight road trip from Perlis to visit the event. The tournament was broadcast live and delayed in High Definition to over 350 million people across the world, complete with Malaysian Truly Asia Hawkeye branding, over its final four days. In Malaysia, Astro broadcast over 100 hours of the tournament domestically. “We know because of the length of the final match, it overran on many television stations throughout the world, onto other programming. In the UK, it overran onto live Series A football programming, but ESPN UK choose to continue its live transmission of the Malaysian Open. I think that was a great tribute to the blockbuster quality of the match and the tournament,” said Freyer. The 2013 tournament will be held from September 21-29.

2013 Hyundai Hopman Cup Line-Up Announced

The official line-up for the 2013 Hyundai Hopman Cup has been announced and the 25th edition of the ITF’s mixed team competition will not disappoint. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Andrea Petkovic and Fernando Verdasco are just some of the new additions who will join the likes of Novak Djokovic, John Isner, Ana Ivanovic, Bernard Tomic and Venus Williams at the Perth Arena from December 29, 2012-January 5, 2013. The complete teams for the competition are as follows: Tomic and Casey Dellacqua (Australia), Tsonga and Mathilde Johansson (France), Tommy Haas and Petkovic (Germany), Andreas Seppi and Francesca Schiavone (Italy), Djokovic and Ivanovic (Serbia), Kevin Anderson and Chanelle Scheepers (South Africa), Verdasco and Anabel Medina Garrigues (Spain) and Isner and Williams (United States).

Hewitt, Stosur Commit to 2013 Brisbane International

Former Grand Slam champions Lleyton Hewitt and Samantha Stosur have both committed to start their 2013 season at the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp. It will be the first appearance in Brisbane for Hewitt, a former World No. 1. “I love playing the Australian tournaments and I have heard so many good things about the tournament. I am looking forward to kicking off the New Year there,” said Hewitt. “I am thrilled that Sam and Lleyton have both committed to the Brisbane International for 2013, adding more star power to an already imposing line up,” said Brisbane International Tournament Director, Cameron Pearson.

2012 PowerShares Series Kicks Off This Saturday in Arizona

The 2012 PowerShares Series will kick-off this Saturday, October 13 when tennis legends John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Michael Chang and Todd Martin compete in the Cancer Treatment Centers of America Tennis Championships, Presented by Sanderson Ford and Lincoln in Surprise, Ariz. The PowerShares Series will visit 12 U.S. cities during its seven-week season. Each event on the circuit will feature four champions squaring off in a one-night tournament held in one session for all ticket holders. Fans will see two 1-set semifinal matches followed by the championship match featuring the semifinal winners, in each of the shootout style tournaments that take approximately three hours from start to finish. Other players set to compete in the Series this year include Grand Slam Champions Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander and Pat Rafter. The players will compete for a prize pool totaling $1 million, to be shared by the top three finishers at the conclusion of the season. Following the Series stop in Arizona, fans will have the opportunity to attend the matches in Chicago, Detroit, Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, Tampa, Atlanta, San Jose, Las Vegas, Denver and Anaheim. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting www.PowerSharesSeries.com.

USPTA Raises More Than $7,500 at World Conference on Tennis in California

The United States Professional Tennis Association raised more than $7,500 during its silent auction at the USPTA’s Tennis Buying Show at the World Conference on Tennis, which was held from September 16-21 at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa in Monterey, Calif. Auction items included a signed Maria Sharapova racquet, courtesy of HEAD/Penn, two tickets to the 2013 US Open, courtesy of the USTA, Nike shoes for a year, courtesy of Fromuth, and much more. The auction benefits the USPTA foundation, which through grants supports various programs in the community that help to grow tennis and bring the game to those who might not otherwise have the chance to play.

Maria Sharapova as advocate, Australian Open crisis averted — The Friday Five

by

By Maud Watson

(Potential) Crisis Averted

Fans, players, and Australia Tennis staff can all breathe a little easier, as it seems any chance of a potential boycott of the first major of 2013 has been avoided.  Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley and Australia Tennis Chief Executive Steve Woods spearheaded an effort to meet demands put forth by the ATP Players Council for higher prize money, and their efforts paid off in a huge way.  Prize money for the upcoming Australian Open will be $31.1 million.  This is approximately a 15% increase, reportedly the largest increase in the history of tennis.  Woods and Tiley will be meeting with the ATP Players Council to determine exactly how the increased purse will be doled out, but it’s likely the early round losers will be the biggest benefactors.  Just how likely a boycott was will remain unknown, but it was nice to see management willing to work with the players to ensure that the 2013 Australian Open continues in the tradition of being a top-notch event.

Maria Sharapova

Unlikely Advocate 

There are any number of players who might make a good candidate for the WTA’s campaign to decrease grunting/shrieking on tour.  Someone like Caroline Wozniacki, Li Na, or Aga Radwanska comes to mind.  But one of the least likely advocates has to be Maria Sharapova.  The Russian has come out in full support of the WTA’s plan, which is not surprising given that as it currently stands, it won’t impact her and the rest of the current crop of shriekers.  There’s no sense rehashing the pros and cons of the WTA’s proposal, but it’s questionable how much Sharapova’s comments actually helped its cause.  As one of the loudest on tour, her remarks seemed hypocritical.  The fact that her own shrieking volume can fluctuate to a very low level during a match to virtually non-existent on the practice court would seem to suggest the noise level could be controlled much easier than she has argued.  For that reason, perhaps her silent support would have been preferred, as judging by some of the message boards, Sharapova’s statements have only encouraged many fans to clamor for the WTA to take immediate action that is enforced uniformly across the board and at all levels of the game.

Butting Heads

The WTA has dropped its working agreement with the ITF over Fed Cup and new player requirements for Olympic eligibility.  The new requirements state players must make themselves available for three ties prior to Rio, whereas they only had to make themselves available for two years prior to the London games, with at least one of the two years being 2011 or 2012.  The WTA and some of its players feel these new requirements are unfair, but the ITF isn’t concerned.  The system for determining who qualifies for the Olympics does need some adjusting (like not punishing players who happen to be the fifth best in a tennis-rich nation like Spain or France), and the Fed Cup structure definitely needs revamped.  But it’s easy to see where the ITF is coming from on this one.  As the Olympics become increasingly popular with the players, it’s only natural the ITF would look to use it as an incentive to get the players to compete in other ITF-governed events like Fed Cup.  On the other hand, the WTA is correct in that theoretically every player represents his or her nation every time they step out onto the court.  The WTA arguably loses a little credit by threatening to stage its own team competitions and/or allowing players to compete in exos during Fed Cup weeks, which outside of the likely choice of venue and fat paycheck that comes with an exo, isn’t all that different than committing to play a tie.  Either way, it’s going to be interesting to see how this all unfolds.  Will the top players cave to compete in Rio?  If the players refuse to meet the requirements, will the ITF stick to its guns at the risk of a depleted field?  Time will tell.

Pushing Forward

Indian Wells has always been one of the premiere events in the sport.  In fact, it’s the fifth-highest attended event in the sport, just behind the four majors.  But if owner Larry Ellison and new CEO Ray Moore have anything to say about it, the desert event will soon be rivaling those four historic tournaments.  Earlier this week, Ray Moore announced an ambitious plan to have an 8,000 seat stadium completed in time for the 2014 event.  The tournament, like the Miami Masters, currently lacks a decent second show court.  This proposed stadium would rectify this problem.  There is also talk of adding a new parking lot, entrance, and box office.  Much like the addition of the Hawk-Eye on all courts, with the money and clout of Ellison behind it, these upgrades look like a real possibility.  It’s unlikely (at least in the foreseeable future) Indian Wells will officially receive status as the “Fifth Slam,” but hopefully with these types of plans and actions, they will inspire other premiere events to further raise the bar at their own tournaments.

Sad World

As if Roger Federer didn’t have enough to worry about as he prepares to defend points from his successful 2011 autumn campaign in order to maintain the number one ranking, now some loony tune has threatened to assassinate him.  A user on the website baidu.com made the death threat and allegedly posted a picture of a decapitated Federer on his knees on a court, with a masked executioner standing next to him.  It’s likely that the threat is nothing more than words and a desperate attempt to get attention, but particularly when one considers what happened to Monica Seles, no chances can be taken.  For that reason, security around Federer in Shanghai has been tightened, with added security for the rest of the players.  It’s a sad world we live in that this sort of thing happens.  Federer’s safety and that of his family is most important, but hopefully this jerk hasn’t also thrown him off his game.

Sharapova, Djokovic Lead Olympic Tennis Entries

by

Maria Sharapova

By Staff and Wire Reports

World No. 1 players Maria Sharapova and Novak Djokovic headline the list of entries for the 2012 Olympic tennis competition, announced Tuesday by the International Tennis Federation.

The 2012 Olympic Tennis Event will be held at The All England Club, Wimbledon from 28 July until 5 August.

Three of the four gold medalists from the Beijing Games in 2008 will return to defend their titles: Rafael Nadal of Spain, Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland, and two-time champions Venus and Serena Williams of the United States.  Women’s singles champion Elena Dementieva of Russia has since retired.

This is the strongest ever Olympic singles entry, led by the two world No.1s, Beijing bronze medalist Djokovic of Serbia and Russia’s  Sharapova. Nineteen of the current world’s Top 20 will contest both the men’s and women’s events, with the exceptions being Mardy Fish of the United States and Marion Bartoli of France.

Sixty-four (64) players will contest both the men’s and women’s singles. In the men’s singles, there are 56 direct acceptances and eight ITF Places; while in the women’s singles, there are 56 direct acceptances, six ITF Places and two Tripartite Commission Invitation Places.

All players must also have received an official nomination from their National Olympic Committee and have met the qualification criteria set by the ITF and approved by the International Olympic Committee.

Direct acceptances were based on the singles world rankings of 11 June 2012, with a limit of four singles players per gender per country. Nations were also able to nominate up to two doubles teams per event, with a maximum of six players per gender per country in total.

Thirty-two (32) teams will contest both the men’s and women’s doubles, with 24 direct acceptances and eight ITF Places in both events. Direct acceptances were based on the combined world rankings of each team on 11 June, with each player using the better of their singles and doubles world ranking. Any player ranked in the doubles Top 10 on 11 June was eligible for direct acceptance with a partner of any ranking.

Mixed doubles will be included in the 2012 Olympic Tennis Event for the first time since 1924. Entries for the 16-team event will be determined on site from those players already participating in singles or doubles. Teams have to be nominated by their National Olympic Committee by 31 July. There will be 12 direct acceptances based on the combined world rankings of each team on 11 June, and four ITF Places.

Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) is included in the direct acceptance list having qualified under the ITF’s entry criteria, approved by the International Olympic Committee. However, her entry has not yet been confirmed by the Swiss Olympic Committee.

The ITF believes that all qualified players should be allowed to compete in the Olympic Games, and will continue to do everything in its power to convince the Swiss Olympic Committee to respect the ITF’s qualification criteria and enter Bacsinszky into the 2012 Olympic Tennis Event.

The ITF Olympic Committee determined that Tamira Paszek of Austria is ineligible to contest the Olympic Tennis Event having not met the minimum participation requirements in Fed Cup.

ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said: “We are delighted to see the strongest ever field in the history of the Olympic Tennis Event. Since tennis’s return to the Olympics in 1988, the event has continued to grow at each Games, with the current generation of players all embracing this unique opportunity to represent their country in individual competition. The All England Club will provide an iconic backdrop for the event and we expect that the competition in each discipline will be fierce.”

Tennis was a part of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. The first woman to win an Olympic medal in any sport was tennis player Charlotte Cooper of Britain at the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris. After the 1924 Paris Games, tennis withdrew from the Olympics but returned as a demonstration event at 1984 Los Angeles and as a full medal sport at 1988 Seoul.

The All England Club previously staged the Olympic Tennis Event in 1908 at its old site in Worple Road. This is the first event to be held on grass since tennis’s return as a full-medal sport.

Forty-five (45) countries will compete in this year’s event.

More information on the history of Olympic tennis, including anecdotes, records and day-by-day accounts of previous Olympic Games, can be found in a special $2.99 ebook “Olympic Tennis: An Historical Glimpse” available here: http://www.amazon.com/Olympic-Tennis-Historical-Snapshot-ebook/dp/B008EOXW40/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340724901&sr=8-1&keywords=Olympic+Tennis+Randy+Walker

The full entries are as follows

 

Men’s singles entry list

– Argentina: Juan Martin del Potro, Juan Monaco, Carlos Berlocq, David Nalbandian

– Australia: Bernard Tomic, Lleyton Hewitt (*)

– Austria: Jurgen Melzer

– Belgium: Olivier Rochus, David Goffin, Steve Darcis

– Brazil: Thomaz Bellucci (*)

– Bulgaria: Grigor Dimitrov

– Canada: Milos Raonic, Vasek Pospisil (*)

– Chinese Taipei: Lu Yen-Hsun

– Colombia: Santiago Giraldo, Alejandro Falla

– Croatia: Marin Cilic, Ivo Karlovic, Ivan Dodig

– Cyprus: Marcos Baghdatis

– Czech Republic: Tomas Berdych, Radek Stepanek

– Finland: Jarkko Nieminen

– France: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon, Gael Monfils, Richard Gasquet

– Germany: Philipp Kohlschreiber

– Great Britain: Andy Murray

– India: Somdev Devvarman (*)

– Italy: Andreas Seppi, Fabio Fognini

– Japan: Kei Nishikori, Go Soeda, Tatsuma Ito

– Kazakhstan: Mikhail Kukushkin

– Luxembourg: Gilles Muller

– Netherlands: Robin Haase

– Poland: Lukasz Kubot

– Romania: Adrian Ungur (*)

– Russia: Mikhail Youzhny, Alex Bogomolov Jr, Nikolay Davydenko, Dmitry Tursunov

– Serbia: Novak Djokovic, Janko Tipsarevic, Victor Troicki

– Slovak Republic: Lukas Lacko, Martin Klizan

– Slovenia: Blaz Kavcic (*)

– Spain: Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer, Nicolas Almagro, Fernando Verdasco

– Switzerland: Roger Federer, Stanislas Wawrinka

– Tunisia: Malek Jaziri (*)

– Ukraine: Sergiy Stakhovsky (*)

– USA: John Isner, Andy Roddick, Donald Young, Ryan Harrison

– Uzbekistan: Denis Istomin 

(*)  ITF Place


Women’s singles entry list

– Australia: Samantha Stosur

– Belarus: Victoria Azarenka

– Belgium: Yanina Wickmayer, Kim Clijsters

– Bulgaria: Tsvetana Pironkova

– Canada: Aleksandra Wozniak

– China, P.R.: Li Na, Peng Shuai, Zheng Jie

– Chinese Taipei: Hsieh Su-Wei

– Croatia: Petra Martic

– Czech Republic: Petra Kvitova, Lucie Safarova, Petra Cetkovska, Klara Zakopalova

– Denmark: Caroline Wozniacki

– Estonia: Kaia Kanepi

– France: Alize Cornet (*)

– Georgia: Anna Tatishvili (*)

– Germany: Angelique Kerber, Sabine Lisicki, Andrea Petkovic, Julia Goerges

– Great Britain: Anne Keothavong (*), Elena Baltacha (*)

– Hungary: Agnes Szavay

– Israel: Shahar Peer

– Italy: Sara Errani, Flavia Pennetta, Roberta Vinci, Francesca Schiavone

– Kazakhstan: Galina Voskoboeva, Yaroslava Shvedova

– Liechtenstein: Stephanie Vogt (#)

– New Zealand: Marina Erakovic

– Paraguay: Veronica Cepede Royg (#)

– Poland: Agnieszka Radwanska, Urszula Radwanska

– Romania: Monica Niculescu, Simona Halep, Sorana Cirstea, Irina-Camelia Begu

– Russia: Maria Sharapova, Vera Zvonareva, Maria Kirilenko, Nadia Petrova

– Serbia: Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic

– Slovak Republic: Dominika Cibulkova, Daniela Hantuchova

– Slovenia: Polona Hercog

– Spain: Anabel Medina Garrigues, Carla Suarez Navarro, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, Silvia Soler-Espinosa

– Sweden: Sofia Arvidsson

– Switzerland: Timea Bacsinszky

– Tunisia: Ons Jabeur (*)

– Ukraine: Alona Bondarenko, Kateryna Bondarenko (*)

– USA: Serena Williams, Christina McHale, Venus Williams, Varvara Lepchenko

(*)  ITF Place

(#) Tripartite Commission Invitation Place


Men’s doubles entry list 

– Argentina: David Nalbandian/Eduardo Schwank (*)

– Austria: Jurgen Melzer/Alexander Peya

– Belarus: Alexander Bury/Max Mirnyi

– Brazil: Marcelo Melo/Bruno Soares, Thomaz Bellucci/Andre Sa (*)

– Canada: Daniel Nestor/Vasek Pospisil

– Colombia: Juan Sebastian Cabal/Santiago Giraldo (*)

– Croatia: Marin Cilic/Ivan Dodig

– Czech Republic: Tomas Berdych/Radek Stepanek

– France: Michael Llodra/Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Julien Benneteau/Richard Gasquet

– Germany: Christopher Kas/Philipp Petzschner

– Great Britain: Andy Murray/Jamie Murray, Colin Fleming/Ross Hutchins

– India: Leander Paes/Vishnu Vardhan, Mahesh Bhupathi/Rohan Bopanna

– Israel: Jonathan Erlich/Andy Ram (*)

– Italy: Daniele Bracciali/Andreas Seppi

– Japan: Kei Nishikori/Go Soeda (*)

– Netherlands: Robin Haase/Jean-Julien Rojer

– Poland: Mariusz Fyrstenberg/Marcin Matkowski

– Romania: Horia Tecau/Adrian Ungur (*)

– Russia: Nikolay Davydenko/Mikhail Youzhny (*)

– Serbia: Janko Tipsarevic/Nenad Zimonjic, Novak Djokovic/Victor Troicki

– Slovak Republic: Martin Klizan/Lukas Lacko (*)

– Spain: Marcel Granollers/Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer/Feliciano Lopez

– Sweden: Johan Brunstrom/Robert Lindstedt

– Switzerland: Roger Federer/Stanislas Wawrinka

– USA: Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan, John Isner/Andy Roddick

(*)  ITF Place


Women’s doubles entry list 

– Argentina: Gisela Dulko/Paola Suarez

– Australia: Jarmila Gajdosova/Anastasia Rodionova, Casey Dellacqua/Samantha Stosur

– Canada: Stephanie Dubois/Aleksandra Wozniak (*)

– China, P.R.: Peng Shuai/Zheng Jie, Li Na/Zhang Shuai

– Chinese Taipei: Chuang Chia-Jung/Hsieh Su-Wei (*)

– Czech Republic: Andrea Hlavackova/Lucie Hradecka, Petra Cetkovska/Lucie Safarova

– France: Alize Cornet/Kristina Mladenovic (*)

– Georgia: Margalita Chakhnashvili/Anna Tatishvili (*)

– Germany: Angelique Kerber/Sabine Lisicki, Julia Goerges/Andrea Petkovic

– Great Britain: Laura Robson/Heather Watson (*)

– Hungary: Timea Babos/Agnes Szavay (*)

– India: Rushmi Chakravarthi/Sania Mirza (*)

– Italy: Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci, Flavia Pennetta/Francesca Schiavone

– Kazakhstan: Yaroslava Shvedova/Galina Voskoboeva

– Poland: Agnieszka Radwanska/Urszula Radwanska, Klaudia Jans-Ignacik/Alicja Rosolska

– Romania: Irina-Camelia Begu/Monica Niculescu, Sorana Cirstea/Simona Halep

– Russia: Maria Kirilenko/Nadia Petrova, Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina

– Slovak Republic: Dominika Cibulkova/Daniela Hantuchova

– Slovenia: Andreja Klepac/Katarina Srebotnik

– Spain: Nuria Llagostera Vives/Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, Anabel Medina Garrigues/Arantxa Parra Santonja

– Ukraine: Alona Bondarenko/Kateryna Bondarenko (*)

– USA: Liezel Huber/Lisa Raymond, Serena Williams/Venus Williams

(*)  ITF Place

 

ITF sets record straight on 10-and-under tennis

by

By Dave Miley

As the Director of Development for the International Tennis Federation (ITF), I have seen remarkable growth and progress over the past five years through the ITF’s Tennis Play and Stay campaign and the subsequent launch of Tennis10s / 10U Tennis Worldwide. I was surprised therefore to read an article this week in WorldTennisMagazine.com from Charlie Bricker. It was obvious that he had been misinformed about the ITF global rule change for 10 and under competition which was unanimously approved by the ITF Annual Meeting in 2010 and which came into effect in January 2012.

This article indicated that the French Federation (FFT) does not follow the ITF rule prohibiting yellow balls for 10U competition. This is untrue and I have sent to Mr. Bricker an email from the person in charge at the FFT confirming that the yellow ball is not used in 10 and under competition and enclosing the detailed direction given by the FFT to all sanctioned 10U competitions. They mandate the use either the orange (for eight year olds on an 18 meter court) or green ball (for 9-10 year olds on a full-size court).

The FFT has been using the green ball in the 10U nationals for over five years, and players, coaches and parents are aligned. The yellow balls are NOT used for any sanctioned 10U competition in France. Thus the rule change of the ITF is fully respected throughout France. Incidentally, the French have more players than any other nation competing in the main draws of the Grand Slams, so by that measurement they have been quite successful at developing players.

The article also continued to say that the rule forces children to play on smaller courts. This is not true. The green ball is played on the full tennis court. The ITF rule simply eliminates the use of the yellow ball in 10 and under competition.

For clarification, the rule prohibiting yellow balls 10U tournaments was unanimously approved by the ITF’s 205 member nations – including France and the US – in 2010, and went into effect on January 1, 2012. This was monumental, because it represented merely the fifth rule change in the history of tennis.

Certainly coaches are free to use various balls – and methods – during training. The ITF does NOT mandate anything about how practice sessions are structured but of course has guidelines recommending the use of certain balls, rackets and courts for different ages. I am attaching a leaflet which outlines these guidelines. (See gallery at bottom)

Virtually every other sport already uses appropriate-sized equipment for children and the rule change was only implemented after 10 years of discussion/interaction with coaches, the tennis ball and racket manufacturers and tennis specific sports scientists. Not only were the USTA involved in the ITF Task Force during those 10 years but also represented in the task force were the PTR and the USPTA though Dan Santorum and Fred Viancos respectively.

The feedback worldwide to the rule change has been very positive and my understanding is that it has already had a very positive impact in the USA and the balls sales of red, orange and green balls in the USA (50,000 to 3.5 million) and the increase in the numbers of children playing competitively in 10 and under competitions in the USA demonstrates this success. Prior to the launch of 10 and under tennis, the number of American boys and girls participating in sanctioned 10U competition was extremely low and was even less than the total number participating in a small country like Belgium.

I am attaching the information from the FFT on their 10 and under events, the tennis 10 parent’s leaflet and also a letter sent last February to the Wall Street Journal which outlines the ITF position related to certain concerns expressed at that time. (Gallery also included at bottom)

We have a great sport and we believe these changes will make the sport much better not only for increasing participation but also from the area of developing high performance players.

The ITF value very much the promotion that publications like yours give to the sport. However it is important for the ITF to ensure that the facts about the rule change are presented correctly and as you will see from the points made above, the article did not do that and I would appreciate it if you would correct the inaccuracies as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Miley
ITF Executive Director, Development

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

by

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

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

Vero Beach, Florida Futures tennis tournament

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

USA Completes 5-0 Davis Cup Stunner Over Switzerland — Mondays With Bob Greene

by

STARS

Angelique Kerber beat Marion Bartoli 7-6 (3) 5-7 6-3 to win the Open GDF Suez in Paris, France

Daniela Hantuchova beat Maria Kirilenko 6-7 (4) 6-3 6-3 to win the PTT Pattaya Open in Pattaya City, Thailand

Jesse Levin beat Steve Darcis 6-4 6-4 to win the YP Challenger of Dallas in Dallas, Texas, USA

Olga Govortsova beat Magdalena Rybarikova 6-3 6-7 (6) 7-6 (5) to win the Dow Corning Tennis Classic in Midland, Michigan, USA

Alexandra Dulgheru beat Mandy Minella 6-3 1-6 6-3 to win the VI Copa Bionaire in Cali, Colombia

DAVIS CUP
(First Round)

World Group

Spain beat Kazakhstan 5-0 at Oviedo, Spain
Austria beat Russia 3-2 at Wiener Neustadt, Austria
France beat Canada 4-1 at Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
United States beat Switzerland 5-0 at Fribourg, Switzerland
Czech Republic beat Italy 4-1 at Ostrava, Czech Republic
Serbia beat Sweden 4-1 at Nis, Serbia
Croatia beat Japan 3-2 at Hyogo, Japan
Argentina beat Germany 4-1 at Bamberg, Germany

Group I

Americas: Uruguay beat Peru 3-1 at Montevideo, Uruguay; Colombia beat Ecuador 4-1 at Salinas, Ecuador

Asia/Oceania: Uzbekistan beat New Zealand 3-2 at Tauranga, New Zealand; Korea vs. Korea beat Chinese Taipei 4-1 at Gimcheon, Korea; Australia beat China 5-0 at Geelong, Australia

Europe/Africa: Great Britain beat Slovak Republic 3-2 at Glasgow, Great Britain; Netherlands beat Finland 5-0 at s’Hertogenbosch, Netherlands; Slovenia beat Denmark 5-0 at Velenje, Slovenia

Group II

Americas: Barbados beat Paraguay 3-2 at St. Michael, Barbados; Mexico beat El Salvador 5-0 at Distrito Federal, Mexico; Dominican Republic beat Bolivia 4-1 at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Venezuela beat Puerto Rico 5-0 at Caracas, Venezuela

Asia/Oceania: Philippines beat Pacific Oceania 5-0 at Camarines Sur, Philippines; Pakistan leads Lebanon 2-1 at Jounieh, Lebanon; Indonesia beat Hong Kong 3-2 at Hong Kong; Thailand beat Sri Lanka 3-2 at Colombo, Sri Lanka

Europe/Africa: Ukraine beat Monaco 5-0 at Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine; Cyprus beat Morocco 3-2 at Limassol, Cyprus; Hungary beat Ireland 3-2 at Szeged, Hungary; Latvia beat Egypt 3-2 at Cairo, Egypt; Belarus beat Moldova 4-1 at Minsk, Belarus; Bosnia/Herzegovina beat Turkey 3-1 at Ankara, Turkey; Estonia beat Luxembourg 5-0 at Tallinn, Estonia; Poland beat Madagascar 5-0 at Warsaw, Poland

SAYING

“It’s one of the greatest wins of my life. No, that’s wrong, it’s the greatest win of my life.” – John Isner, after beating Roger Federer in the first-day singles to give the United States a 2-0 lead over Switzerland in Davis Cup play.

“The mission was to go out there and not allow an artist a canvas to work with.” – Jim Courier, United States Davis Cup captain, about John Isner’s upset win over Roger Federer.

“You would like to be in the final in every tournament you play but let’s be realistic. The positive thing is I have the feeling I can play better than this.” – Maria Sharapova, after losing to Germany’s Angelique Kerber in the Paris Open quarterfinals.

“This win is unbelievable for me. I will enjoy it for sure over the next days. And I believe in myself more. I know I can play with the top players.” – Angelique Kerber, after winning the Paris Open.

“I gave everything I had and Angelique did the same. You have to know when to accept defeat, though. It’s what sport is all about. I didn’t fluff my lines when it came to the final and I was simply beaten by a better player.” – Marion Bartoli, after losing to Angelique Kerber in the final in Paris.

“It was the first time I defended a title in my career, but it’s better late than never.” – Daniela Hantuchova, who won at Pattaya City for the second straight year.

“These have been very hard months for me, during which I realized I don’t have the energy I need nor am I prepared to do all I have to do to be where I want to be.” – Fernando Gonzalez, announcing his impending retirement.

John Isner in Davis Cup action

STUNNER

It was only apropos that John Isner close out the United States’ stunning Davis Cup victory over Switzerland. It was, after all, Isner, who provided the big shocker when he beat Roger Federer in four sets in the opening singles. That gave the Americans a 2-0 lead, and they proceeded to clinch the first-round tie when Mike Bryan and Mardy Fish teamed up to stop Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka in the doubles. The Swiss duo had won the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics. Fish had started the rout by beating Wawrinka to being the five-match competition. After the Americans clinched, Federer stepped aside and let Michael Lammer get a chance to play. The United States turned to 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and he got the victory. Then Isner stopped Martco Chuidinelli to complete the 5-0 win.

SWEET VICTORY

Angelique Kerber capped a tremendous week by capturing her first WTA title, besting Marion Bartoli to win the Open GDF Suez. Kerber is the first German to win the Paris tournament since Steffi Graf in 1995. After winning the first-set tiebreak, Kerber raced to a 5-2 lead in the second set, only to have Bartoli win five straight games and level the match. “I got a little bit nervous,” Kerber admitted about the second-set slipup. But she won the first four games in the final set and converted her fifth match point for her first WTA title. During the week, Kerber also defeated third-ranked Maria Sharapova, beating top-10 players for the first time in her career. “I knew I had nothing to lose,” Kerber said of the final. “She was the favorite today.

STOPPED BY INJURY

Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova is skipping the Qatar Ladies Open because of an unspecified injury. Tournament officials said they have no information on the injury. The tournament’s number one seed is Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, who is the WTA’s top-ranked player.

SERBS ADVANCE

Even without the world’s top-ranked player, Serbia grabbed a spot in the Davis Cup semifinals by besting Sweden 4-1. With Novak Djokovic resting up after winning the Australia Open for the third time, Serbia showed its depth when Janko Tipsarevic won both his singles matches and Viktor Troiki and Dusan Lajovic also won. Sweden’s only point came when Johan Brunstrom and Robert Lindstedt teamed up to win the doubles. “It’s never easy to play matches in which are the odds-on favorite, but the players deal with the pressure really well against Sweden,” said Serbian coach Bogdan Obradovic.

STAYING THE COURSE

Daniela Hantuchova has found a spot she loves. She won the PTT Pattaya Open for the second straight year for her fifth career title, the first time she has ever successfully defending a WTA title. But Hantuchova also had a rare lapse. She lost a set for the first time in 10 career matches in Pattaya City.

SAYONARA

Once ranked as high as fifth in the world, Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez says he will retire from the ATP tour after playing at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, Florida, USA, in March. The 31-year-old Gonzalez reached the Australian Open final in 2007, where he lost to Roger Federer, but has struggled with his fitness following hip surgery in 2010. He current is ranked 268th in the world. “These have been very hard months for me, during which I realized I don’t have the energy I need nor am I prepared to do all I have to do to be where I want to be,” Gonzalez said. “I’m retiring from professional tennis but I want to remain close to tennis … After mourning the end of my career there will be nothing better than to work in my foundation” developing the game in Chile.

STEPPING DOWN

Jim Curley’s reign as tournament director of the US Open has ended. Saying “it is time for a change,” Curley has left a post he has held since 2001. He will stay on as a consultant through this year’s US Open, the final Grand Slam tournament of the year which runs August 27 through September 9. Deputy tournament director David Brewer will take over as tournament director and will oversee the United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) professional tennis operations.

SPONSOR

The International Tennis Federation has renewed its sponsorship agreement with Wilson Racquet Sports as an international partner of Davis Cup and Fed Cup. Wilson will remain the official ball of Davis Cup and Fed Cup competition for a further five years, starting in 2013 and running through 2017. “The Davis Cup and Fed Cup are iconic tennis institutions, important to the heritage of the sport and to our brand,” said Jon Muir, general manager for Wilson Racquet Sports. “These events help to drive the local participation efforts in many countries around the world, and our brand and business efforts have aligned to support this as well. We are pleased to continue this strong partnership and look forward to bringing the energy of the game to all generations of tennis fans.”

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Cali: Karin Knapp and Mandy Minella beat Alexandra Cadantu and Roluca Olaru 6-4 6-3

Dallas: Chris Eaton and Dominic Inglot beat Nicholas Monroe and Jack Sock 6-7 (6) 6-4 19-17 (match tiebreak)

Midland: Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka beat Vesna Dolonts and Stephanie Foretz Gacon 7-6 (4) 6-2

Paris: Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond beat Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Petra Martic 7-6 (3) 6-1

Pattaya: Sania Mirza and Anastasia Rodionova beat Chan Hao-Ching and Chan Yung-Jan 3-6 6-1 10-8 match tiebreak)

SURFING

Rotterdam: www.abnamrowtt.nl/

San Jose: www.sapopentennis.com

São Paulo: www.brasilopen.com.br

Doha: www.qatartennis.org

Bogotá: www.copacolsanitas.com/

Marseille: www.open13.fr

Memphis: www.memphistennis.com

Buenos Aires: http://copaclaro.com

Dubai: www.dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com

Monterrey: www.abiertodetenismonterrey.com/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$1,590,000 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, hard
$531,000 SAP Open, San Jose, California, USA, hard
$475,300 Brasil Open 2012, Sao Paulo, Brazil, clay

WOMEN

$2,168,400 Qatar Total Open, Doha, Qatar, hard
$220,000 XX Copa BBVA Colsanitas, Bogotá, Colombia, clay

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$1,155,000 Regions Morgan Keegan Championships, Memphis, Tennessee, USA, hard
$676,226 Open 13, Marseille, France, hard
$484,100 Copa Claro, Buenos Aires, Argentina, clay

WOMEN

$2,000,000 Dubai Duty Free Championships, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, hard
$220,000 Memphis International, Memphis, Tennessee, USA, hard
$220,000 Whirlpool Monterrey Open, Monterrey, Mexico, hard

SENIORS

Delray Beach International Tennis Championships, Delray Beach, Florida, USA, hard

After ITF Rejection, Buchholz/Davies to Meet with ATP, WTA About new Cup-Format Event

by

The future of Davis Cup and the ITF’s iron-fisted hold over it very likely will reach a tipping point not long after the first of the year when the two men at the forefront of changing the Cup format meet with the two most powerful people in professional tennis — Adam Helfant of the ATP and Stacy Allaster of the WTA.

“If the ATP and WTA didn’t have serious interest in what we’re doing, I don’t think they’d be meeting with us,” said Butch Buchholz, the founder and former tournament chairman of the Sony Ericsson Open, which is the most important non-Slam tournament in the world.

Buchholz and former British Davis Cupper Mike Davies have been working for months on a plan to change the interminably long, 11-month-long Cup competition to more of a festival-like 10-day or two-week event which would include both men and women and be far more attractive to the best players.

Buchholz and Davies have gotten thumbs up from a legion of top-20 players, including No. 1 Rafael Nadal and No. 2 Roger Federer, and it now appears as though the ATP and WTA are also very interested in joining the conversation, which could put extreme pressure on the ITF, which owns the Cup tournament, to make changes.

But even if the January meeting produces a unified front in favor of a new format, would the ITF acquiesce?

Davis Cup

“Mike and I were hopeful that the ITF would look at their asset and see if it needs to be changed,” said Buchholz. “They decided they didn’t need change. Their management doesn’t want to change.”

So, what happens if that tipping point is reached, where even with strong backing of both men’s and women’s tours the ITF refuses to alter its format?

“Our meeting with the ITF ended cordially and we accepted their decision,” said Buchholz. “But Mike and I are going forward until someone stops it. If the ATP and WTA get behind this, I don’t know how the ITF will react. My guess is they won’t be happy about it, even though they’ve heard what the players have said. The players want change.”

Obviously, if there is a Buchholz/Davis plan in place, with TV, sponsorship and ATP/WTA backing, the players can simply make the decision to play that event instead of Davis Cup, and that would probably be the end of Davis Cup as we know it.

Under the Davis Cup format, 16 World Group nations begin play in February to get down to eight. They then take four months off and play the quarterfinals in July, right after Wimbledon. The final four play after the U.S. Open in September and the final is in early December. It seems to go on forever, playing havoc with player schedules.

What Buchholz and Davis have conjured is a multi-nation festival that is more like a World Cup or Nations Cup, to be held perhaps over 10 days to two weeks, with both men and women competition, singles and doubles.

There are major issues. How to find time on the calendars of the two pro tours, for example. That has been made more difficult recently by the ATP’s decision to soon knock three weeks off its calendar. However, by changing the Davis Cup (and women’s Fed Cup format), the ATP and WTA will each save three weeks that were formerly reserved for Cup play.

There are other questions. Should the competition be held every year or every other year? How many nations? Where would it be played? All these questions will get a complete airing at the January meeting with the ATP and WTA.

While Helfant and Allaster haven’t directly endorsed the Buchholz/Davis changes, they’ve said enough about the issue to indicate that they’re interested in discussing it, and that’s more than ITF is willing to do.

In fact, if Helfant properly represents his players, he’ll be strongly in favor of a format and/or name change to the competition. As for the WTA, Fed Cup is among the least publicized women’s professional team competition in the world. How can women players lose being placed on a 10-day or two-week world stage with beaucoup television alongside the men?

This format change is being driven by constant player complaints about how Davis Cup interrupts the tour schedule.

Federer didn’t play in either of Switzerland’s two losses this year, and now the Swiss are out of the World Group. Nadal didn’t play in either of Spain’s matches. Andy Roddick, a longtime U.S. fixture, didn’t play this year because he felt it would hinder his tour preparation, though he has consented to play in 2011 for new captain Jim Courier.

Interestingly, Courier, even as he accepted the captaincy, said he also wants to see some serious discussion about changing the Davis Cup format.

The Davis Cup final this year, played earlier this month, was won by Serbia over France and the ratings were probably very good in France. But in the biggest tennis market in the world, the U.S., the ratings were probably very weak.

It’s hard to know exactly how many Americans watched because the cable subscription Tennis Channel, which aired it, has failed to respond to repeated requests for ratings numbers. France vs. Serbia on an NFL Sunday in theU.S.? It’s not difficult to forecast very low ratings.

If a change was made, there would be multiple television organizations at the festival and the U.S., which has rarely been out of the World Group, would be in it — a probable ESPN telecast.

If push comes to shove and the ITF refuses to climb on board the wagon, it becomes a sponsorship bidding war, and Buchholz seems encouraged by his discussions with companies that have deep pockets.

No one is committing to anything financial, of course, until the entire program is in place, and that requires backing from the ATP and WTA. “We’ve talked to television people, who seem to like the concept,” said Buchholz. “And everyone feels it should be both men and women.”

Buchholz and Davies are not anti-ITF. Both played Davis Cup many times and love the team competition that pits country against country. But things have changed over the last 20 years and there is greater pressure on the players to perform on the tours — so much pressure that they’re rethinking how much Davis Cup they can play.

It is the players’ reluctance that is spurring Buchholz and Davies to find a new direction, and they’re adamant.

“We are not going to deviate from what we’re doing because what we’re doing, we believe, is good for tennis,” Buchholz said.

RODDICK REMAINS NON-COMMITTAL ON DAVIS CUP

by

Andy Roddick, this generation’s greatest American Davis Cup player, was non-committal about his future of representing his country in future series and ruled himself out of playing later this year.

During the Tennis Channel’s coverage of Serbia’s victory over the United States in Belgrade Sunday, Roddick phoned in on the air to good friend and Tennis Channel commentator Justin Gimelstob and, when asked about playing on the team in the future, Roddick said simply “I don’t know” stating again “it won’t be this year.”

Andy Roddick
Andy Roddick

Roddick, known as the ultimate team player, remained in touch with the U.S. team, saying he spoke to U.S. team member John Isner after his loss in his Davis Cup debut match Friday.

He hinted that he would sit out the rest of the year, bowing to Isner and Sam Querrey, the two U.S. singles players to play against Serbia, to play in the remaining U.S. match later this year.

“If you commit to Davis Cup, you have to commit for the whole year,” said Roddick.

The 3-2 loss to Serbia places the United States into the Davis Cup Play-off Round, set for September 17-19. The United States will have to win this round to remain in the elite 16-team Davis Cup World Group in 2011 and be eligible to win the Davis Cup title. The draw for the Play-off Round will be made in May and the United States will likely play against a team emerging from the Europe-Africa, Asia-Oceania or Americas Zone Group I, depending on the seedings and draw made by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

Roddick decided not to play Davis Cup in 2010 after he was advised that playing tennis on clay courts in Serbia during the hard court season would create further knee problems for the 27-year-old. Roddick has been the stalwart of the U.S. team since making his Davis Cup debut in 2001, leading his country to the title in 2007 over Russia. He has a 31-11 Davis Cup record (all in singles) and ranks behind John McEnroe for most Davis Cup singles victories by an American player.

Insiders predict he will play for the United States again, pending he remains healthy. In order for him to be eligible to participate in the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Roddick will have to “make himself available” for Davis Cup for one series in either 2011 or 2012, according to ITF rules. A player must make themselves available for Davis Cup or Fed Cup for two years between Olympic years, provided that one of those years is either one of the two years preceding the Olympic Games. Roddick did represent the United States in the 2004 Olympic Games, but skipped the 2008 Games in Beijing to prepare for the U.S. Open. On his twitter profile, Roddick has said he would like to play in the new mixed doubles at the 2012 Games in London with Serena Williams.

When asked on the Tennis Channel if someday he would like to be captain of the U.S. Davis Cup team, Roddick said he would “love to do it some day,” but admitted he would have to maneuver through some “political correctness” to get the job as the leading American tennis ambassador.