jennifer capriati

The Serena Williams U.S. Open Career – Spectacular Wins, Dramatic Losses

August 24, 2022 by Admin

by Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

With the 2022 U.S. Open being the swan-song for Serena Williams, I’ve scoured my “On This Day In Tennis” collection to come up with the greatest wins and most dramatic losses in the wide-ranging tennis career for Williams at the USTA National Tennis Center.

SERENA’S GREATEST WINS

2014 – Serena Williams wins the U.S. Open for a sixth time and for a third year in a row defeating Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 6-3 in the final. At age 32, Williams becomes the oldest woman to win the U.S. Open in the Open Era and also earns her 18th major singles title, tying her for fourth place all time with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, who congratulate her on court during the post-match ceremonies and present her with a Tiffany bracelet.

2013 – In the longest U.S. Open women’s final on record, Serena Williams wins her fifth U.S. Open women’s singles title with a 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-1 victory over Victoria Azarenka in two hours and 45 minutes. The win is the 17th major singles title for Williams, who earns $3.6 million with the title that includes a $1 million bonus for winning the U.S. Open Series of events leading into the event. Says Williams, “I think my dad got me into tennis because of the money, but me being naïve and silly, I never thought about it. I just thought I want to win. I wanted to do what (sister) Venus does.”

2012 – Serena Williams win her 15th major singles title and fourth U.S. Open defeating with a 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 win over world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, who fails to serve out the match while leading 5-4 in the final set. “I was preparing my runners-up speech,” says Williams of the final stages of one of the most exciting U.S. women’s final. Writes Chris Clarey with the New York Times, “Although Azarenka had done an often-admirable job of coping with Williams’s first-strike pressure in this big-swinging final, she could not quite handle the chance to win her first United States Open.”

2008 – Serena Williams defeats Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 7-5 to win the U.S. Open for a third time for her ninth major singles title and to return her to No. 1 world ranking, two years removed from being ranked outside the top 125. “I’m pushing the doors to double digits, which I obviously want to get to,” says Williams of her major singles count after winning in New York without losing a set and dropping only 40 games in all. Jankovic has four set points in the second set while serving at 5-4 but is unable to convert. Says Jankovic, “I gave her a lot of gifts when it was crucial.”

2002 – For the second consecutive year, sisters Venus and Serena Williams meet in a prime-time U.S. Open women’s singles final. However, unlike 2001, younger sister Serena turns the tables on her older sister, defeating the two-time defending champion 6-4, 6-3 to win her second US Open women’s singles title.

1999 – Seventeen-year-old Serena Williams becomes the first black woman since Althea Gibson in 1958 to win a major singles title, defeating Martina Hingis 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the U.S. Open women’s singles final. Says Williams of her post-match victory reaction, “It was pretty exciting I’m thinking, ‘Should I scream? Should I yell? Should I cry? What should I do?’ I guess I ended up doing them all.”

1999 – In a battle of teenagers and future U.S. Open champions, 17-year-old Serena Williams, the eventual champion, defeats 16-year-old Kim Clijsters 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 in a dramatic third-round U.S. Open match on Louis Armstrong Stadium. Williams comes back from a 3-5 third-set deficit and wins 16 of the last 17 points of the match. When asked if she felt like she was going to lose trailing 3-5 in the final set, Williams says “I never think — no matter if I’m down 6-0, 5-0, Love-40, I never think I’m going to lose until the match is over.”

SERENA’S BIGGEST LOSSES

2020 – Competing in an empty Arthur Ashe Stadium due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Victoria Azarenka defeats Serena Williams 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the semifinals of the U.S. Open, avenging her loss to Williams in three-set U.S. Open finals in 2012 and 2013.

2019 – Bianca Andreescu withstands a furious Serena Williams second-set comeback and a thunderous American crowd to become Canada’s first major singles champion with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Williams, who was attempting to win her 24th major singles title to tie the all-time record of Margaret Court. Andreescu leads Williams 6-3, 5-1 but fails to serve out the title twice as Williams fights to get back into the match with the support of some of the loudest encouragements ever heard in Arthur Ashe Stadium. “I had some doubts because I’ve witnessed her come back from being 5-0 down, 5-1 down, 5-2 down,” says Andreescu. “I just told myself to stick with my tactics. She started playing much better. I think the crowd really helped her, as well. I was blocking out the noise, or trying to. I could barely hear myself think really. It was really, really loud. But I guess that’s what makes this tournament so special… but it definitely wasn’t easy, especially when she started coming back in the second set.”

2018 – Naomi Osaka wins a chaotic and drama-filled U.S. Open final, dominating Serena Williams 6-2, 6-4 to win her first major singles title. Williams receives three code violations from chair umpire Carlos Ramos in the second set. The first came in the second game of the second set when Ramos felt she was receiving illegal coaching from the stands from her coach Patrick Mouratoglou and Williams insisting to Ramos that it was not the case and demanding an apology. Williams later smashes her racket in disgust after failing to consolidate a service break advantage at 3-1 in the second set, resulting a point penalty from Ramos. During the changeover with Osaka leading 4-2, she then calls Ramos “a thief” for taking a point from her which results in Ramos issuing another code violation and a game penalty, giving Osaka the 5-3 lead. The loss prevents Williams from equaling the all-time major singles victory record set by Margaret Court with 24.

2015 – In one of the biggest upsets in tennis history, Roberta Vinci, a 32-year-old ranked No.xx and playing in her first career major semifinal, ends the Serena Williams quest for the Grand Slam 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals of the U.S. Open. “The best moment of my life,” says Vinci, who had not even won a set from Williams in their four previous matches. Says Williams in a terse post-match press conference, “I don’t want to talk about how disappointing it is for me. If you have any other questions, I’m open for that.”

2011 – Sam Stosur defeats Serena Williams 6-2, 6-3 to become the first Australian winner of a women’s singles major since Evonne Goolagong Cawley at Wimbledon in 1980. The match is highlighted by a “hindrance” call on Williams by chair umpire Eva Asderaki in the first game of the second set, after Williams apparently saved a break point. Writes Karen Crouse with the New York Times, “Stosur had reeled off 12 consecutive points to secure the first set, so when Williams ripped a forehand to Stosur’s backhand for an apparent winner to stave off another break, she could not contain her glee. “Come on!” she screamed. But Stosur stuck out her racket and got a piece of the ball, and when she made contact, it brought into play the hindrance rule.” As the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd rained down with boos over the call, Williams won the first point after the hindrance call and again walks up to Asderaki, points her racket at her and said something that resulted her being given a code violation by Asderaki. “If you ever see me walking down the hall, look the other way,” Williams then says to Asderaki. “You’re out of control. You’re a hater and you’re unattractive inside.” Williams then says, “Code violation for this? I expressed who I am. We’re in America last time I checked.”

2009 – A point penalty on match point against Serena Williams gives Kim Clijsters a 6-4, 7-5 victory in the raucous ending in the U.S. Open semifinals. With Clijsters leading 6-5 in the second set, Williams is called for a foot-fault on her second serve while down 15-30. After complaining to chair umpire Louise Engzell, Williams then approaches and threaten the line-judge with a flurry of expletives. Because she already received a code violation warning or a smashed racket, Williams is then given a point penalty, which because the score was 15-40, double-match point for Clijsters, awards the match to Clijsters. Liz Robbins in the New York Times describes the happenings as “a shocking display of vitriol and profanity toward a line judge at the most inopportune time” writing “In a matter of confusing minutes, Williams turned what had been a scintillating women’s match into an ugly and improbable spectacle.”

2004 – In a match that is credited with ushering in the era of electronic line-calling in tennis, Jennifer Capriati defeats Serena Williams 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a quarterfinal U.S. Open match that is highlighted by four critical calls on points that go against Williams when television replays clearly show that Williams should have won. The most egregious error comes at deuce in the first game of the final set when chair umpire Mariana Alves overrules a clear backhand winner from Williams. Capriati breaks serve in the game and persists to victory. The U.S. Tennis Association and the WTA Tour both issue statements acknowledging that mistakes were made in line-calling and 18 months later, the USTA takes the lead in having electronic line-calling debut at the Miami Open in March of 2006. Says Williams of the match, despite the line-calling controversies, “I pretty much dug my own grave and got in, pretty much covered myself up with dirt.”

2007 – Saying her opponent “made a lot of lucky shots,” Serena Williams is defeated by Justine Henin 7-6 (3), 6-1 in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open. The match marked Henin’s third Grand Slam quarterfinal win over Williams in a Grand Slam in 2007, also beating the 2007 Australian Open champion in the quarterfinals of the French Open and Wimbledon.

2001 – In an historic evening for women’s tennis, Venus Williams wins her second U.S. Open singles title defeating younger sister Serena Williams 6-2, 6-4 in the first-ever all-sister U.S. singles final in the first ever prime time major singles final. The 69-minute final marks only the second time in the history of tennis that two sisters compete in the final of the major singles final – the only other occasion coming 117 years earlier in the Wimbledon final in 1884, when Maud Watson beats her younger sister Lillian for the title. The Associated Press calls the match “a very public spanking…that was far more historic than dramatic.” Says Venus in the post-match trophy ceremony of the final, “There have been some good things and bad things. I always like to win. But I’m the big sister. I want to make sure she has everything, even if I don’t have

1998 – One year after a famous intentional chest-bump incident with Venus Williams in the U.S. Open semifinals, Irina Spirlea beats Serena Williams 6-3, 0-6, 7-5 in the third round of the U.S. Open. Both Williams, a U.S. Open debutant, and Spirlea say in their post-match press conference that the chest-bump incident between Spirlea and the Williams family was in the past. Says Williams, “People who dwell on the past and problems still remember that.” Says Spirlea, “Serena and I shook hands. We talk. I talk to her. They talk to me. It is normal. Would we go out to dinner? Don’t ask so much. I am too tired to go out to dinner. I’m going to have room service, so I am going to call her in my room and have room service?”

The Greatest Four U.S. Open Matches In The 50 Years Of The Open Era

August 20, 2018 by Admin

By Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher

Steve Flink is not only recognized as the International Tennis Hall of Fame journalist and historian, inducted in 2017, but also as the leading authority on the greatest tennis matches of all time. So much so that he wrote the book on it, not surprisingly called “The Greatest Tennis Matches of All Times”

In his book, Flink describes in great detail and ranks the 31 greatest tennis matches of all time. (A last minute entry just before press time bumped the number of matches featured in the book from 30 to 31, as you can read here: http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/6294)

As part of his collection, Flink includes four that were played at the U.S. Open and we present them to you in US Open and All-Time order below.

US OPEN #4, ALL-TIME #21 – BILLIE JEAN KING d. EVONNE GOOLAGONG 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, final, U.S. Open, Forest Hills, grass, 1974

The last edition of the U.S. Championships to be contested on the grass courts, Billie Jean King and Evonne Goolagong played one of the most iconic major finals of all time, featuring some of the most exciting points that are still shown on highlight reels. “King and Goolagong produced some of the most spectacular points ever played in a match of this importance,” wrote Flink of this battle between 1970s tennis icons.

“In many ways, none of her competitive victories matched her triumph over Goolagong at Forest Hills in 1974,” Flink wrote of Billie Jean King. “She had played better tennis matches before, from a purely technical standpoint, but she had never shown more gumption under such trying circumstances.”

“My greatest high,” Goolagong would say years later to Flink, “was to hit a ball well, to try to do it perfectly, to try different things with my shots whether they came off or not. I can think back to matches I lost where I played one or two points perfectly, and that gave me a thrill. The most exciting match I ever played was the 1974 U.S. Open final against Billie Jean, and I lost it. What I recall most about that match was standing there in the Forest Hills stadium. Billie Jean and I had just had a great point. I looked down at my arms and there were goosebumps.”

US OPEN #3, ALL-TIME #19 – JIMMY CONNORS d. BJORN BORG 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9), 6-4, final, U.S. Open, 1976

In 1974, Jimmy Connors dominated tennis, winning all three major tournaments he played (he was not allowed to play the French Open, due to his participating in World Team Tennis). However, Connors was shutout of major titles until beating Bjorn Borg is this riveting and important final at the U.S. Open, capped with perhaps the most exciting tiebreaker played in the history of the event under the lights on clay at the West Side Tennis Club at Forest Hills.

Said Connors after the victory, “If the sun rose and set only on Wimbledon and Forest Hills,” he reflected, “there would be a lot of guys without tans.” Wrote Flink, “That was a fair comment, but Connors fully realized that he could not settle for minor triumphs. He had built his reputation on getting the job done when the stakes were high and this triumph over Borg on a landmark occasion was one of the shining moments of Connors’s career.”

US OPEN #2, ALL-TIME #17 – JUSTINE HENIN d. JENNIFER CAPRIATI 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4), semifinal, U.S. Open, 2003

In my “On This Day In Tennis History” book, ebook, audio book and mobile app, I list two of Justine Henin historic wins on the same date, September 6, 2003, because her epic semifinal win over Jennifer Capriati ended at 12:27 am, so technically the same date as her final-round win over Kim Clijsters the next evening.

Wrote Flink, “Henin had recorded a singularly impressive triumph over a keynote rival, somehow eclipsing Capriati 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4) in three hours, gaining the win under adverse circumstances in front of a partisan crowd heavily favoring her opponent. Henin had overcome one Jennifer Capriati, the frenzied nighttime crowd, two bouts of cramps, and whatever demons were surely invading her mindset, to reach her first U.S. Open final. That was no mean feat. For Capriati, the defeat was devastating in many ways, deeply wounding, even bewildering. She had been on the edge of winning the match so many times that to come out second best in such a scuffle was almost more than she could bear.”

Said Capriati after the match, “You have to give her [Henin] credit for the way she was feeling, to stay out there and win. But I definitely feel I had the match in my hands, and it was my match to win….When I came off the court, I just felt the whole world was coming down on me. My heart was being ripped out. It was a great match and I gave it all I had. She did, too…Some losses that stay with you forever, the same as the wins.”

Said Henin, “In the first set I think it was a very high level of tennis. I was leading 4-1 but Jennifer was playing very well. I was playing unbelievable. And then the crowd gave her a lot of support. It wasn’t easy for myself in the first set, but I stayed very calm…Then she was leading me 5-3 in the second set. That was the key of the tournament, 30-30, I come to the net. It’s a big save I did at this point. In the third set I was cramping. I wasn’t able to think at all because I thought the match was over many times. It was an amazing feeling [to win]. Unbelievable.”

US OPEN #1, ALL-TIME #9 – PETE SAMPRAS d. ANDRE AGASSI 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5), quarterfinal, U.S. Open, 2001

It is interesting that Flink places a quarterfinal match and not a final as his greatest U.S. Open match, according to the rankings in this book. However, there is no denying the brilliance exhibited between all-time greats Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi in this night-time spectacle. Wrote Flink of Sampras and Agassi, “They had never played simultaneously at a loftier level against each other. They had produced what many considered the best match ever at the U.S. Open. They had joyously shared in a masterpiece of a match, and it was a contest that would linger forever in the minds of all who were there to witness it.”

Said Sampras to Flink in 2012 of his triumph, “It is rare in tennis when two guys are playing great at the same time. I was doing what I do really well that night, and Andre was solid as a rock and wasn’t making any errors. So we just got into this dogfight. Physically I felt like I was doing more of the work because of the stopping and starting with my serve-and-volley, so I was feeling it in my legs a little bit at the end of the match. Andre was mentally very strong that night. It was two great players playing really well and it resulted in one of the best and most dramatic matches that I was ever a part of. People to this day still ask me about that match. It was ironic that it was a quarterfinal but people were ready for this match and I felt both of us lived up to it.”

“THE GREATEST TENNIS MATCHES OF ALL TIME,” a hard-cover book that retails for $28.95, can be purchased via this link http://m1e.net/c?136411417-LVOB7oNCoIRGc%407612075-eWVmYMp7oSMI2 at www.NewChapterMedia.com and where ever books are sold.

Flink, one of the most respected writers and observers in the game, is currently a columnist for TennisChannel.com. A resident of Katonah, N.Y., he is the former editor of World Tennis magazine and a former senior columnist at Tennis Week.

The book has received high praise from some of the most respected names in the sport, including Chris Evert, a winner of 18 major singles titles, who wrote the foreword to the book.

Said seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras, “Steve Flink was there reporting on almost every big match I played in my career. He has seen all of the great players for the last 45 years. I encourage you to read this book because Steve is one of the most insightful writers on the game that I have known and he really knows his tennis.”

Said former U.S. Davis Cup captain and player Patrick McEnroe, “As a writer and a fan, Steve Flink’s knowledge of tennis history and his love of the sport are second to none, which is why you should read his new book.”

Said ESPN’s Cliff Drysdale, “To see tennis through the eyes of Steve Flink is to wander through a wonderland. These are not fantasies because Steve captures the essence of tennis matches in graphic detail. There is no one more passionate or caring about his subject. In this absorbing book, I can relive matches that I have called on television.”

Said CBS, NBC and Tennis Channel commentator Mary Carillo, “The GREATEST TENNIS MATCHES OF ALL TIME is a masterful tennis epic. Its pages are brimming with insight, hindsight. And as always with Steve Flink, the 20/20 vision of the subtleties and complexities of a match. From Budge to Nadal and “Little Mo” to Serena Williams, Steve will guide you through the greatest matches you ever saw, or never saw. The game’s finest players and brightest moments will come alive and play again, right before your eyes. This book is a tennis treasure.”

Founded in 1987, New Chapter Press (www.NewChapterMedia.com) is also the publisher of “Roger Federer: Quest for Perfection” by Rene Stauffer, “The Bud Collins History of Tennis” by Bud Collins, “The Education of a Tennis Player” by Rod Laver with Bud Collins, “The Wimbledon Final That Never Was” by Sidney Wood, “Acing Depression: A Tennis Champion’s Toughest Match” by Cliff Richey and Hilaire Richey Kallendorf, “Titanic: The Tennis Story” by Lindsay Gibbs, “Jan Kodes: A Journey To Glory From Behind The Iron Curtain” by Jan Kodes with Peter Kolar, “Tennis Made Easy” by Kelly Gunterman, “On This Day In Tennis History” by Randy Walker, “A Player’s Guide To USTA League Tennis” by Tony Serksnis, “Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games” by Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli (www.Boycott1980.com), “The Lennon Prophecy” by Joe Niezgoda (www.TheLennonProphecy.com), “Bone Appetit, Gourmet Cooking For Your Dog” by Susan Anson, “How To Sell Your Screenplay” by Carl Sautter, “The Rules of Neighborhood Poker According To Hoyle” by Stewart Wolpin, “People’s Choice Guide Cancun” by Eric Rabinowitz, “Lessons from the Wild” by Shayamal Vallabhjee among others.

1974 US Open Final Billie Jean King and Evonne Goolagong

Rick Macci On Evaluating Talent “It’s In The Eye Of The Beholder”

June 4, 2014 by Admin

At the second week of major tennis tournaments, there is the interesting dichotomy on the grounds between the great champions of the present and the potential champions of the future. The last contenders for the singles crowns are battling it out in the final rounds of the tournament on the show courts, while on the outer courts, the junior champions are competing for the junior title, while also looking to impress manufacturers, sponsors, coaches, media and fans.

But how hard or hard is it to watch one of these up-and-coming players and properly evaluate whether they will become a top-ranked player.

Rick Macci has been evaluating talent for most of his professional career, most notably working with the likes of future world No. 1 players Venus and Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick and Jennifer Capriati. Macci discusses evaluating talent in a chapter in his book “Macci Magic: Extracting Greatness From Yourself And Others” ($19.95, New Chapter Press, available here on amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1937559254/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_0m6Jtb0AS6VHDMF8

Part of the chapter is excerpted exclusively below:

Evaluating talent in my opinion is a real art. Everything in life is in the eye of the beholder, whether it is football, basketball, baseball, tennis, hockey or golf. People see what they want to see. People gain their knowledge whether it be from reading, watching television, their own life experiences and just what they’ve been used to. And that’s kind of their baseline, or their reference point, on how they come up with assertions or assumptions, or how they see things. No one in life has a crystal ball, and obviously if it’s a sport or a field you’ve done for a long time, your ball is going to be a little more crystallized than others.

It’s interesting because I’ve heard many, many people say they have a lot of talent, they’re fast, they’re going to be big, they’re strong, they have great strokes, whatever. People can’t predict stardom or predict how good someone is going to be. There are so many mitigating factors when you’re dealing with children that nobody knows what’s inside someone’s head. There are also too many speed bumps. Life throws you too many curve balls. It’s a dress rehearsal each day. Life — you don’t know what you’re going to get. So to say you can mail it in and say someone’s going to be the next Roger Federer, the next LeBron James or the next Wayne Gretzky, it is almost impossible to do that. But some have an eye, a vision, a feeling, and a gift to see the future.

The main reason why athletes improve is, No. 1 they have to have an enormous burning desire to work hard. If that’s not there, I don’t care how talented you are, some day, somewhere, somebody, it will beat you. If you don’t work hard at anything, nothing’s going to happen. You can acquire that. It doesn’t mean you have to have that at age 8 or 10 or 12. You can acquire that. It’s a long-term process but it still helps to acquire those habits at a young age. If you’re used to things being given to you, or you had the opportunity just because of finances, or someone had the knowledge to help you, that might be why you’re good at a young age. You just had a better opportunity to get better sooner.

I like to tell people it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. It’s a long-term process. Athletes in general, when you’re looking at someone, the first thing you always want to digest is the genetic background, whether it be the mom, the dad, the grandma, the aunt, the uncle. Genetics play a big role in this. It just blows me away that people don’t understand that.

It’s interesting that two of the best women that ever played tennis live in the same household — Venus and Serena Williams. The best doubles team of all time, they’re twins (Bob and Mike Bryan). You see it all the time. A guy played in the NFL, now his son does. A guy played Major League Baseball, now his son does. Same in the NBA. You were great in track and field, and now your daughter is an Olympic swimmer. It’s amazing when you look at world-class athletes, more than likely — and I’m not saying it couldn’t happen — but the genetics play a major league role in your specific athleticism. So that’s the first thing that I look for. Period.

This doesn’t mean that’s a given. You might have gotten a certain kind of genetics that aren’t conducive to your sport. I’ve had people that their mom won the 800 meters and was seven-time world champion and her daughter has those long, slow, gliding muscles, but her ability to get in and out of the corner on the tennis court looked like she had a broken leg. Yet if I wanted her to run from here to California she’d still be running. She seemingly had two hearts, two lungs, and once she got going it was see you later! But she never got that fast twitch. Her brother, who was the No. 1 hockey player drafted in the NHL, got the fast twitch. And he could go from A to B quicker than you can say A to B.

Genetics play a big key in this thing. So in evaluating talent, that’s huge. Just because you can make 20 jump shots in a row at age 12, or you can throw a 90-mile-per-hour fast ball at age 12, or you’re No. 1 in the United States at age 12 in tennis, all it means is one thing: You’re the best in your age group at that time. Or you’re the best in that tournament. That’s all that stuff means. Period.

Now it’s better than not playing at all. It’s a nice start, but you’ve got to look through the evaluation of the result. First, I look at the genetics. How do they move? How do they stop? How do they start? How big are they going to be? Maybe instead of growing up they’re going to grow out. That could be deadly, besides not healthy. You really need to look deeper inside and kind of forecast the future on how the size and the weight is going to affect the movement part of it.

Besides the work ethic, which I said was just gigantic, there’s the attitude. Some people want to continue to grow and learn, some people want to get smarter, some people think they know it all. Believe me, the smartest people keep wanting to get smarter. The best people just want to keep getting better. That’s a mindset, that’s an attitude. You don’t know how that’s going to play out when people get older. The mind always will control the body and choices, and beliefs influence our wiring, good or bad.

We can sit here and say, “I can’t believe this one didn’t make it” or “That first-round draft choice in the NFL, how come that guy made it and this guy didn’t? He was 6-4, he was 240, he could throw it 80 yards, he broke all the records in college but he’s a bust in the NFL.”

Well, let me tell you something. Most sports, as you go from juniors and college to pro, the speed of the game gets faster. Every athlete will tell you that. How that affects your nervous system, and how you make decisions is huge. You’ve got to be able to have a mind that can slow things down, and maybe you can never just do that. That might make you scared, make you afraid, and that could make you then hit the ball late or hold onto the ball too long or affect your balance. Or make you afraid of getting hit. You just don’t know how that’s going to impact you. When you look at evaluating talent you can’t be caught up in the moment. There are all these other factors that go into it that we just don’t know.

You could be the No. 1 junior in the world in your sport, but you just don’t know what’s going to happen.

Look at Michael Jordan. He got cut from his basketball team when he was a sophomore in high school. I’d hate to be that coach. Maybe indirectly he did M.J. a favor and that made him work harder and get rougher and rougher! At the end of the day Jordan is the best basketball player of all time. Period. No one knew what’s inside of him. I’m sure he was pretty quick and could jump and had a decent jump shot, but at 15 years old getting cut from your team — to me that’s huge. It shows us all it is not where you start, it is where you finish. Never ever give up! Never!

To read the rest of this chapter – and the rest of the book – please pick up a copy of “Macci Magic: Extracting Greatness From Yourself And Others,” which is available where books are sold, including here on Amazon.com: http://m1e.net/c?150001094-X99l/7XH5chA2%4063364085-8b8oWs74ZG6qQ The book is the entertaining and inspirational manual and memoir that helps pave the way to great achievement not only in tennis, but in business and in life. Macci, known as the coach of tennis phenoms, including five world No. 1 players – Venus and Serena Williams, Jennifer Capriati, Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova – shares his secrets to success both on and off the tennis court through anecdotes and more than 100 of his famous “Macci-ism” sayings that exemplify his teaching philosophy and illustrate the core role and power of positive thinking in the molding of a champion.

The book was written with Jim Martz, the former Miami Herald tennis writer, author and current Florida Tennis magazine publisher. Former world No. 1 and U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick contributed the foreword to the book while another teen phenom student of Macci’s, Tommy Ho, wrote a preface to the book.

Among those endorsing the book are ESPN basketball commentator and tennis fan Dick Vitale who says of Macci, “He will share his secrets for becoming a better all-around person and tennis player and gives you all the tools you will need to assist you in THE GAME OF LIFE!”

Said Mo Vaughn, three-time Major League Baseball All-Star, former American League MVP, “Rick Macci is the best coach I’ve seen. He can coach any sport on any level in any era. That’s due to his ability to communicate directly with his athletes on a level that they clearly understand the technique and what it takes both physically and mentally to be successful. Ultimately the best thing about Rick Macci is that no matter your age, ability or goals being with him on a consistent basis will teach you life lessons that you can take with you regardless of what you do. Rick Macci can make any person better just by his coaching style. My daughter Grace is lucky to have Rick Macci in her life.”

Said Vince Carter, NBA All-Star and Olympic gold medalist of Macci, “As a professional athlete, I have been around many coaches. Rick’s dedication and commitment to turning kids into great tennis players is paramount. The confidence and technique he continues to instill in my daughter amazes me. Rick Macci’s ability to cultivate a player is a testimony of his dynamic coaching skills.”

Said popular tennis coach and personality Wayne Bryan, father of all-time great doubles team Bob & Mike Bryan, “Rick Macci has long been at the very top of the mountain as a tennis coach. Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Andy Roddick, Jenny Capriati are on his laundry list of Grand Slam champs and all-time greats that he has worked with, but he has coached so, so many other pros and Division I college players through the years. He is a coaches’ coach. He is passionate, motivational, dedicated to the game and players, super hard working from dawn to dusk and into the night when the court lights come on, very bright, knows the game inside and out, still learning, and still striving. He is engaging, fun and funny. His new book is loaded with great stuff and stories are such a great way to entertain and educate and inspire — and no one can tell a story or give a lesson better than Rick. You will enjoy this book and be a better person for having read it.”

Macci is a United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Master Professional, and seven-time USPTA coach of the year. He founded he Rick Macci Tennis Academy and has been inducted into the Florida USPTA Hall of Fame. He lives in Boca Raton, Florida.

Founded in 1987, New Chapter Press (www.NewChapterMedia.com) is also the publisher of “The Education of a Tennis Player” by Rod Laver with Bud Collins, “The Greatest Tennis Matches of All-Time” by Steve Flink, “Roger Federer: Quest for Perfection” by Rene Stauffer (www.RogerFedererBook.com), “The Bud Collins History of Tennis” by Bud Collins, “The Wimbledon Final That Never Was” by Sidney Wood, “Acing Depression: A Tennis Champion’s Toughest Match” by Cliff Richey and Hilaire Richey Kallendorf, “Titanic: The Tennis Story” by Lindsay Gibbs, “Jan Kodes: A Journey To Glory From Behind The Iron Curtain” by Jan Kodes with Peter Kolar, “Tennis Made Easy” by Kelly Gunterman, “On This Day In Tennis History” by Randy Walker (www.TennisHistoryApp.com), “A Player’s Guide To USTA League Tennis” by Tony Serksnis, “A Backhanded Gift” by Marshall Jon Fisher “Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games” by Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli (www.Boycott1980.com) among others.

"Macci Magic" book by Rick Macci — “Macci Magic” book by Rick Macci

“Macci Magic” Book By Renowned Tennis Coach Rick Macci Now Available

December 18, 2013 by Admin

“MACCI MAGIC: Extracting Greatness From Yourself and Others” – the new, inspiring book by renowned tennis coach Rick Macci, is now available for sale and download, New Chapter Press has announced.

“Macci Magic,” available where books are sold, including here on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Macci-Magic-Extracting-Greatness-Yourself/dp/1937559254/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1387141455&sr=8-1 is the entertaining and inspirational manual and memoir that helps pave the way to great achievement not only in tennis, but in business and in life. Macci, known as the coach of tennis phenoms, including five world No. 1 players – Venus and Serena Williams, Jennifer Capriati, Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova – shares his secrets to success both on and off the tennis court through anecdotes and more than 100 of his famous “Macci-ism” sayings that exemplify his teaching philosophy and illustrate the core role and power of positive thinking in the molding of a champion.

Said popular tennis coach and personality Wayne Bryan, father of all-time great doubles team Bob & Mike Bryan, “Rick Macci has long been at the very top of the mountain as a tennis coach. Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Andy Roddick, Jenny Capriati are on his laundry list of Grand Slam champs and all-time greats that he has worked with, but he has coached so, so many other pros and Division I college players through the years. He is a coaches’ coach. He is passionate, motivational, dedicated to the game and players, super hard working from dawn to dusk and into the night when the court lights come on, very bright, knows the game inside and out, still learning, and still striving. He is engaging, fun and funny. His new book is loaded with great stuff and stories are such a great way to entertain and educate and inspire — and no one can tell a story or give a lesson better than Rick. You will enjoy this book and be a better person for having read it.”

Macci is a United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Master Professional, and seven-time USPTA coach of the year. He founded he Rick Macci Tennis Academy, and has been inducted into the Florida USPTA Hall of Fame. He lives in Boca Raton, Florida.

"Macci Magic: Extracting Greatness From Yourself and Others" — “Macci Magic: Extracting Greatness From Yourself and Others”

Jennifer Capriati elected to International Tennis Hall of Fame

April 13, 2012 by WTM

A former world No. 1, Capriati won three Grand Slam tournament titles and an Olympic gold medal during her career.

NEWPORT, R.I., USA, April 13, 2012 – American tennis star and former world No. 1 Jennifer Capriati has been elected to receive the highest honor in the sport of tennis- induction to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In addition to her world No. 1 status, Capriati’s successful career featured an Olympic gold medal, three Grand Slam titles, a Fed Cup title with the United States team, and an ability to stage remarkable comebacks. Capriati cracked the world top-10 in 1990, her first season on tour, and in October 2001, she became the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) World No. 1, a position she held for a total of 18 weeks.

“I am thrilled to learn that I have been elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. This is a dream come true and an extraordinary tribute. I love this game and am incredibly honored by the Hall of Fame’s vote. Tennis has been my passion and dedication for my entire life, and to be acknowledged for this passion and dedication is truly icing on the cake,” said Capriati. “Finally, to all of my fans: You mean so much to me. I am, and have always been, blessed beyond words by your support both during and after my playing days. You unquestionably made this game so memorable for me and I miss you all so much. I can’t wait to go to Newport to express my sincere appreciation to my fans, and celebrate with them, my family, my coaches, and everyone else in the tennis community. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I truly feel humbled to be a part of history and am honored to be considered among the greatest of all time.”

Capriati has been elected to the Hall of Fame in the Recent Player Category, and she is the final member of the Hall of Fame Class of 2012 to be announced. The previously announced members of the Class of 2012 are former world No. 1, Brazilian tennis star Guga Kuerten; Spanish tennis legend Manuel Orantes; tennis administrator and promoter Mike Davies; and wheelchair tennis star Randy Snow, who will be honored posthumously. The Class of 2012 Induction Ceremony will be held on July 14, 2012 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.

“Jennifer Capriati had one of the most accomplished and exciting tennis careers in recent years, and she is most deserving of the honor of Hall of Fame election. We look forward to celebrating this achievement with her and her fans,” said Christopher E. Clouser, chairman of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Capriati, 36, is originally from New York, N.Y., but she has been a long-time resident of Tampa and West Palm Beach, Fla.

In her first season on the WTA, 1990, Capriati reached the finals of two of her first three pro events, losing to Hall of Famers Gabriela Sabatini and Martina Navratilova, and she advanced to the semifinals of the French Open before falling to eventual champion Monica Seles. She also captured her first career title in her first season on tour, defeating Zina Garrison at Puerto Rico.

In 1992, Capriati won the Olympic gold medal at the Barcelona games, defeating both the second-seeded Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario and the top-seeded Stefanie Graf. She was a member of the championship United States Fed Cup team in 2000.

Capriati took a break from tennis in 1994-95 and 1997-98, staging a successful comeback in the 1999, 2000, and 2001 seasons.

At the Australian Open in 2001, Capriati defeated top seed and world No. 1 Martina Hingis in straight sets to win her first Grand Slam title. Having entered the tournament seeded No. 12, she was the lowest seed to ever win the title, a record that still stands today. She then entered the French Open seeded No. 4, and defeated No.1 seed Hingis in the semifinals and No. 12 seed Kim Clijsters in the final to win her second consecutive Grand Slam title. She was the only player that year to reach at least the semifinals of all four of the Grand Slam tournaments.

In 2002, Capriati advanced to her second consecutive Australian Open final, this time as No. 1 seed. Once again facing Hingis, Capriati fought back from 6-4, 4-0 down and saved four championship points, in brutally hot weather, to eventually prevail 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-2, to claim her third Grand Slam title. The match was widely regarded as one of the greatest comebacks in tennis history, and it was named one of the ten best matches of the decade by Tennis magazine. The dramatic match earned Capriati the 2002 ESPY Award for Comeback Player of the Year, for which the other nominees were Hockey Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux and Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan.
Capriati stopped playing at the end of the 2004 season, having compiled a career record of 430-176 and having won 14 career singles titles and 1 doubles title.

Eligibility & Voting
The International Tennis Hall of Fame elects people in three categories- Recent Player, Master Player, and Contributor. Capriati has been elected in the Recent Player Category. Eligibility criteria for this category is as follows: active as competitors in the sport within the last 20 years prior to consideration; not a significant factor on the ATP World Tour or WTA within five years prior to induction; a distinguished record of competitive achievement at the highest international level, with consideration given to integrity, sportsmanship, and character. A panel of International Tennis Media vote on the Recent Player nominee. A 75% favorable vote is required for election.

Located in Newport, Rhode Island, the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history of tennis and honoring its greatest champions and contributors.

Agassi beats Federer for 700th win; Youzhny’s bloody head: On this day in Sony Ericsson Open history

March 31, 2011 by Admin

The Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla., is the biggest, most prestigious tennis tournament in the United States next to the US Open. Its history dates back to 1985 and is documented in pages in my book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com). The following are events that happened in the history of the tournament – also previously called the Lipton Championships, the NASDAQ-100 Open and the Ericsson Open – as excerpted from the book from March 31.

2001 – In one of the most gripping finals in the history of the WTA Tour, Venus Williams fights off eight match points to win her 16th title of her career at the Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla., defeating Jennifer Capriati 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4). Williams clinches the match on her fourth match point to win her 18th consecutive match at the tournament.

2002 – Thirty-one-year-old Andre Agassi wins his 700th career match, defeating 20-year-old Roger Federer 6-3, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in the final of the NASDAQ-100 Open in Key Biscayne. Says Agassi, “I think as you get older, you have a greater capacity to appreciate everything. Those moments are not promised. Who knows if it will ever happen again? The older I get, the more I keep that in perspective.”

2007 – Serena Williams stages an incredible comeback and fights off two championship points in the second set to defeat Justine Henin 0-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the final of the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla. Says Williams, the reigning Australian Open champion, who nine months earlier languishes at No. 140 in the WTA rankings, “When I get down, a part of me just plays better. I think all champions have that.” Says Henin of Williams, “She’s a fighter. It’s tough to close the matches against her, because she goes for it. She’s a champion, and that makes a difference from the other players, for sure.”

1996 – Goran Ivanisevic is stricken with a sore neck which forces him to quit trailing Andre Agassi 0-3, 0-40 after only 10 minutes of play in the men’s singles final at the Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne, Fla.

2008 – Mikhail Youzhny of Russia gains more exposure and international attention for an strange outburst of anger in the third round match at the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla., than he does in coming back from two-sets-to love to clinch the Davis Cup title for Russia in 2002. Trailing Nicolas Almagro 4-5 in the third set of their third-round match, the No. 11-ranked Youzhny bangs his head three times with his racquet strings, causing him to bleed down the front of his face. The video becomes a viral video sensation on the internet, registering 500,000 hits on YouTube within 24 hours. Youzhny wins the match 7-6 (4), 3-6, 7-6 (6).

Redemption for Thomas Muster: On this day in Sony Ericsson Open history

March 30, 2011 by Admin

1997 – Eight years after having to default the final of the Lipton Championships after tearing ligaments in his knee after being hit by a car driven by a drunk driver, Thomas Muster of Austria defeats Spain’s Sergi Bruguera 7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-1 to win the Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne, Fla. “It’s very emotional for me because of what happened here eight years ago,” says Muster of the victory, his 44th and ultimately his final ATP tournament title.

2000 – Martina Hingis hands Monica Seles the worst loss of her professional career, defeating the former world No. 1 6-0, 6-0 in 39 minutes in the semifinals of the Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla. Lindsay Davenport edges Sandrine Testud 6-1, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (7) in a much more competitive women’s semifinal match. Seles is hampered by a right ankle sprain that limits her movement and is the major factor in the one-sided match.

2002 – Serena Williams fights off seven second-set points and defeats Jennifer Capriati 7-5, 7-6 (4) in the women’s singles final at the NASDAQ-100 Open in Key Biscayne, Fla.

1996 – Steffi Graf wins her unprecedented fifth title at the Lipton Championships, defeating Chanda Rubin 6-1, 6-3 in 54 minutes in the women’s singles final in Key Biscayne, Fla. The title was Graf’s 97th of her career in her 124th final. Says Rubin of Graf, “Her game is oppressive, and it forces you to go for too much. I came up quite a bit short today, and that kind of was the story to the match.”

2004 – Three-time defending champion Andre Agassi sees his 19-match winning streak at the NASDAQ-100 Open end in a 6-2, 7-6 (2) fourth-round loss to Agustin Calleri of Argentina. Agassi holds five set points in the second set, but is unable to convert to even the match at one-set apiece. Says Agassi, who also misses a chance to win his 800th career ATP match victory. “I missed some chances. I needed to step it up and play to his standard, and I didn’t do that.”

2008 – In an exciting day of women’s tennis at the Sony Ericsson Open, Lindsay Davenport, playing in Key Biscayne for the first time in five years, upsets world No. 2 Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-2, while world No. 3 Svetlana Kuznetsova comes from back a 2-5 third-set deficit – and saves a match point – in defeating Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 1-6, 7-5, 6-0. In the early hours of the day – the night before – Jelena Jankovic rallies from a 1-5 deficit in the third set and saves five match points in the final-set tie-break to register a second-round win over Sofia Arvidsson of Swede 6-7 (7), 6-2, 7-6 (9) in a match that concludes at 12:30 am. Says Jankovic, ”I didn’t play well, but I was hanging in there. I really believed in myself. I played one point at a time…I don’t like to lose. No matter what the score is, the match is not over until it is over. I’m a big fighter, and it was very important for my confidence to show that I don’t give up.” Jankovic eventually reaches the final of the tournament, where she is defeated by Serena Williams in a tight three-set final.

CLIJSTERS, DAVYDENKO OUT OF FRENCH OPEN

May 14, 2010 by WTM

Kim Clijsters, the former world No. 1 and reigning US Open champion, has pulled out of the French Open starting on May 23 because she has not fully recovered from an injury to her left foot.

Clijsters, who returned to competitive tennis in 2009 after a two-year retirement and currently the No. 10-ranked WTA Tour player, reached the final in Paris twice, in 2001 and 2003, losing to Jennifer Capriati and Justine Henin.

The 26-year-old from Belgium, who has not played the French Open since reaching the semifinals in 2006, will be replaced in the main draw by Canada’s Stephanie Dubois.

Russian men’s world No. 6 Nikolay Davydenko is struggling with a sore left wrist and has also pulled out, organizers said in a statement.

Davydenko, a French semifinalist in 2005 and 2007 and a quarterfinalist last year, joins US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro and Tommy Haas as withdrawals.

OUDIN SIGNS WITH VIRGIN MOBILE, SAP STAYS IN SAN JOSE: THIS WEEK IN TENNIS BUSINESS

March 10, 2010 by WTM

By Justin Cohen

Melanie Oudin has signed an endorsement deal with Virgin Mobile that will reportedly pay her between $500,000 and $2 million over four years. Virgin Mobile announced that they will donate $1 million to homeless youth organizations if Oudin wins the 2010 US Open in New York.

Sony Ericsson has reached a contract extension with the WTA Tour through 2012 but will no longer be the title sponsor of the women’s professional tour, as well as the year-end championships. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Sony Ericsson’s current six-year, $88 million deal as the global title sponsor of the WTA Tour is set to expire at the end of 2010.
SAP, a German business software company, has renewed its title sponsorship with the ATP tournament in San Jose, Calif., for the next three years. Last month, Fernando Verdasco defeated Andy Roddick in three sets to capture the title in San Jose.
Champions Porsche has extended its sponsorship deal for another five years with the ATP World Tour Delray Beach International Tennis Championships.
Pete Sampras recently listed his Los Angeles mansion on the market for $25 million, while Andy Roddick is selling his Austin, Texas, home for $4 million. Jennifer Capriati’s house in Wesley Chapel, Fla., is on the market for $2.1 million.
Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Justine Henin and Lindsay Davenport will take part in the second “Hit for Haiti” on March 12 at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. The match will follow the already set men’s exhibition match for Haiti featuring Roger Federer and Pete Sampras taking on Rafael Nadal and Andre Agassi in a doubles match.
The World Economic Forum has named Roger Federer as one of its “Young Global Leaders for 2010.” Out of a list of 5,000 eligible candidates, only 197 were selected.
Tennis Channel Chairman and CEO Ken Solomon was sworn in as a member of President Barack Obama’s Committee of Arts and the Humanities in the U.S. Supreme Court. “It is extremely humbling to be named to this esteemed committee, but the highest honor will come in what we’re able to accomplish,” said Solomon, who has more than 25 years of television and multimedia experience. “Not only can we drive our nation’s economic growth via the arts and humanities, but through cultural diplomacy we seek to strengthen our relationship within the global family of nations as well. I welcome this service, the work ahead and the chance to advance the democratization of the arts through education.”
According to The London Telegraph, the Lawn Tennis Association might pursue Tim Henman as the next captain of Great Britain’s Davis Cup squad. Current captain John Lloyd acknowledged that his job might be in jeopardy following Great Britain’s loss to Lithuania last weekend.
According to the DPA, Serbian Davis Cup captain Bogdan Obradovic has requested that Serbia’s tie against host Croatia be played in Zagreb because the team is concerned it will attract a more rowdy and nationalistic crowd. Currently, Split is the front-runner city to host the Davis Cup quarterfinal match. Croatian newspaper Jutamji List has reportedly said the comment Obradovic said is “the start of psychological warfare already four months before.” World No. 2 and Serbian player Novak Djokovic insisted that, “I heard that my camp is complaining about Split as the host, but I think that the war years are far behind us and that we should not overreact.” Split was heavily bombed by Serbia during the Balkan Wars fought
Tennis Channel plans to carry 90 hours of television coverage of this week’s BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, following a couple years of scattered coverage by Fox Sports Net.
Martina Hingis recently told the Neue Luzemer Zeitung that she has gotten engaged to Zurich lawyer Andreas Bieri. “It’s true, Andreas made a marriage proposal to me,” said Hingis. “I was totally surprised. Naturally, I accepted.”
2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, who has been sidelined with a wrist injury, has resumed training and hopes to return at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. Russian WTA Tour star Elena Vesnina also plans to return in Miami having been sidelined recently due to a leg injury.
Sania Mirza will be sidelined for at least six weeks so she can rest her injured right wrist. Since leaping into the Top 30 in 2008, Mirza has been plagued with many injuries since and is now ranked No. 83. “I got some MRIs done yesterday,” said Mirza. “I have been struggling with this injury since the Fed Cup. But I played on with it a little bit, just to try out if I could. But right now I need six weeks off and then we will take a re-evaluation of the situation.”
Pop star Shakira’s music video, Gypsy, featuring Rafael Nadal as last week’s top Billboard music video.