Radwanska

Alexander Zverev Shocks Novak Djokovic to Win ATP Finals – Mondays with Bob Greene

November 19, 2018 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Alexander Zverev beat Novak Djokovic 6-4 6-3 to win the Nitto ATP Finals in London, Great Britain

Peng Shuai beat Lauren Davis 1-6 7-5 6-4 to win the Oracle Challenger Series women’s singles in Houston, Texas, USA

Bradley Klahn beat Roy Smith 7-6 (4) 7-6 (4) to win the Oracle Challenger Series men’s singles in Houston, Texas, USA

Prajnesh Gunneswaran beat Saketh Myneni 6-2 6-2 to win the Bengaluru Tennis Open in Bangalore, India

Luksika Kumkhum beat Sabine Lisicki 6-1 6-3 to win the Taipei OEC Open in Taipei, Taiwan

SAYINGS

“I fell to my knees, so my knees kind of hurt. Apart from that, I was very happy. Obviously, it’s quite astonishing, winning this title, beating two such players back-to-back, Roger (Federer) and Novak (Djokovic) in semifinals and final. It means so much. I’m incredibly happy and incredibly proud of this moment right now.” – Alexander Zverev, after winning the ATP Finals.

“You are a sharing person and you have shared some titles with me. I appreciate you letting me win one today.” – Alexander Zverev, thanking Novak Djokovic at the post-match awards ceremony.

“It’s been a hell of a ride.” – Mike Bryan, who teamed with Jack Sock to win the ATP Finals doubles title.

“Taking into consideration my health and the heavy burdens of professional tennis, I have to concede that I’m not able to push my body to the limits required.” – Agnieszka Radwanska, announcing she is retiring from the WTA Tour as a player.

SHOCK IN LONDON

Alexander Zverev crowned his remarkable year by capturing the season-ending ATP Finals with a surprising one-two finish. “I really can’t describe it,” Zverev said after overpowering Novak Djokovic in the final. “It is the biggest title I have ever won.” The 21-year-old German upset six-time champion Roger Federer in the semifinal before stopping Djokovic’s bid to equal Federer’s record. “Sascha (Zverev) definitely played much better than he did in the group stage,” said Djokovic, who beat Zverev 6-4 6-1 in the round-robin portion of the event. “He deserved to win.” Djokovic had sailed through the round-robin portion and the semifinals without dropping his serve. Zverev broke the Serb four times in the title match. Battling from the baseline, the two held until the ninth game, when Djokovic netted a forehand to lose serve. Zverev pounded three aces to close out the opening set. Zverev broke Djokovic’s first two service games in the second set while losing his own. His final service break came on the final game when he produced a stunning backhand down the line on match point. It was only the third loss for Djokovic since the beginning of Wimbledon in the summer. “(Djokovic and Federer) are still going to be the guys to beat at the big tournaments,” Zverev said. “(But) I will do everything I can to get better, to compete with them always. I feel like I’m doing that. But I still have a lot of things to improve. I’m still very young.”

SAYONARA

At the age of 29, Agnieszka Radwanska is calling it quits. The Polish star, a former Wimbledon finalist, cited health issues in announcing her retirement. “Today, after 13 years of playing tennis competitively, I have decided to end my career,” Radwanska said on her Facebook page. “Unfortunately, I am no longer able to train and play the way I used to, and recently my body can’t live up to my expectations. I’m hanging the racquet up and say goodbye to the pro tour, but I’m not leaving tennis.” Radwanska lost the 2012 Wimbledon final in three sets to Serena Williams. That same year she reached her highest ranking, second in the world. In her career, she won 20 WTA Tour titles, including the WTA Finals in 2015. “Tennis is and always has been special in my life,” Radwanska said. “But now it’s time for new challenges, new ideas, equally as exciting as those on the tennis court, I hope.”

SPECIAL WEEK

Thailand’s Luksika Kumkhum sailed through the Taipei OEC Open without dropping a set. She finished her marvelous with a straight-set win over Germany’s Sabine Lisicki, who entered the USD $125,000 tournament with a wild card. The 25-year-old Kumkhum won 86 percent of the points on her first serve and 82 percent on her second serve. She finished the convincing 50-minute win with four aces. This was Kumkhum’s best year, reaching the third round of the Australian Open and gaining her highest ranking of 80th in the world.

SMASHING WIN

“It was a hell of a match,” Mike Bryan said after he and Jack Sock won the ATP Finals doubles title. The Americans saved a match point while beating the French team of Pierre-Hughes Herbert and Nicolas Mahut. The Frenchmen staved off five championship points during the tiebreaker before having one of their own. But the 40-year-old Bryan and his young partner closed out the victory 13-11. It was the fifth time Bryan has won the season-ending tournament, the first four with his usual partner, his twin Bob, who has been out since May with an injured hip. This was the first ATP Finals that Mike Bryan and Sock had played together. “This could be our lash hurrah because Bob’s training back in Florida,” Bryan said. Since teaming up, Sock and Bryan also won Wimbledon and the US Open.

SORRY ABOUT US OPEN

Serena Williams told GQ Magazine that she is remorseful over the US Open incident with chair umpire Carlos Ramos, but notes there was a history to her reaction over his calls. “I think a person can be a little bit more sensitive to anything in that moment,” Williams told GQ. “You know, it becomes a trigger moment. When you go through a really extreme ordeal not once, not twice, not three times, it becomes a trigger moment.” In her US Open finals loss to Japan’s Naomi Osaka, Williams first was assessed a “coaching” code violation by Ramos. Williams argued with the umpire and demanded an apology. She later was given a code violation, which drew a point penalty, for racquet abuse. A third violation for arguing resulted in a game penalty. Williams, who is pictured on the magazine’s cover, said her previous problems at the US Open in 2004, 2009 and 2011 resulted in last year’s blowup. In the 2004 quarterfinals, Williams hit a shot that was ruled to be in by the line judge, but the point was credited to her opponent. In 2009, a line judged called a foot fault on Williams, whose loud reaction drew a penalty point, ending the match. Two years later, Williams yelled “Come on!” when she hit a forehand to start the second set. But the chair umpire, saying play wasn’t over, gave her opponent the point.

SWITCHING COACHES

Germany’s Angelique Kerber has hired Rainer Schuettler as her coach. The 2003 Australian Open finalist, Schuettler replaces Wim Fissette, who split with Kerber just before the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore. The 42-year-old will officially join Team Kerber when the reigning Wimbledon champion begins her training at the end of this month.

Elina Svitolina, who won this year’s WTA Finals, has elevated Andrew Bettles to be her head coach. Bettles has served as Sviolina’s hitting partner an dtraveling coach through much of the last two seasons while Thierry Ascione served as her head coach. Svitolina announced she had split with Ascione after the US Open. Before working with Svitolina, Bettles had been a hitting partner for Ana Ivanovic before the Serbian retired in 2016.

Dmitry Zavioloff, who previously coached Timea Bacsinszky and Stan Wawrinka, is now the permanent coach for Johanna Konta. Zavioloff had been working with Konta for a trial period.

Michael Joyce, who had coached Konta, is now the coach of Eugenie Bouchard. Once ranked in the Top 10, Bouchard finished the 2018 season ranked 89th in the world.

Kiki Bertens, the first Dutch woman since Betty Stove to finish the season ranked in the Top 10, wil add former player Elise Tamaela to her team as a part-time coach and traveling physio. The team includes full-time coach Raemon Sluiter and physio Remko De Rijke.

Maria Sakkari, who split with Thomas Johansson at the end of the season, has hired Mark Petchey as her new coach. Petchey formerly coached Andy Murray and has most recently served as a television commentator.

SHARING THE CALENDAR

The tennis calendar has yet another new team event. The men’s tennis tour said the 24-team ATP Cup will be held in January 2020 a week before the start of the Australian Open. The newest team event was announced three months after the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said it would hold a one-week competition for 18 nations in Madrid, Spain, in November 2019. The ATP Cup, which will be played over 10 days in Australia, will offer USD $15 million in prize money and be held in conjunction with Tennis Australia. Tennis Australia also is a partner of the Laver Cup, which pits European players against a “World” team in September. “All of us players around the world are unified and united in this event,” American John Isner said. “It’s the perfect week for it. Everyone wants to be in tip-top shape come the Australian Open, and this event is going to allow us to do that.”

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Bangalore: Max Purcell and Luke Saville beat Purav Raja and Antonio Sancic 7-6 (3) 6-3

Houston (men): Austin Krajicek and Nicholas Monroe beat Marcelo Arevalo and Jamie Cerretani 4-6 7-6 (3) 10-5 (match tiebreak)

Houston (women): Maegan Manasse and Jessica Pegula beat Deirae Krawczyk and Giuliana Olmos 1-6 6-4 10-8 (match tiebreak)

London: Mike Bryan and Jack Sock beat Pierre-Hughes Herert and Nicolas Mahut 5-7 6-1 13-11 (match tiebreak)

Taipei: Ankita Raina and Karman Thandi beat Olga Doroshina and Natela Dzalamidze 6-3 5-7 retired

SURFING

Lille: https://www.daviscup.com/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

DAVIS CUP
Final

France vs. Croatia in Lille, France, clay

Agnieszka Radwanska Captures WTA Finals Singapore, Roger Federer Wins Basel – Mondays with Bob Greene

November 2, 2015 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Agnieszka Radwanska beat Petra Kvitova 6-2 4-6 6-3 to win the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore in Singapore

Roger Federer beat Rafael Nadal 6-5 5-7 6-3 to win the Swiss Indoors in Basel, Switzerland

Joao Sousa beat Roberto Bautista Agut 3-6 6-3 6-4 to win the Valencia Open in Valencia, Spain

Hsieh Su-Wei beat Yulia Putintseva 7-6 (5) 2-6 6-2 to win the $100,000 Nanjing ITF in Nanjing, China

Thiemo de Bakker beat Victor Estrella Burgos 7-6 (1) 4-6 6-3 to win the Monterrey Open in Monterrey, Mexico

Monica Niculescu beat Pauline Parmentier 7-5 6-2 to win the Internationaux Féminins de la Vienne in Poitiers, France

DAVIS CUP

Group I Second-round Playoffs

Americas Zone: Barbados beat Uruguay 3-2 at St. Michael, Barbados

Europe Africa Zone: Sweden beat Denmark 3-2 at Slagelse, Denmark; Slovenia beat Lithuania 5-0 at Kranj, Slovenia

SAYING

“It means everything. It couldn’t be any better. I think that was the biggest day in my life.” – Agnieszka Radwanska, after winning the season-ending BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore

“I think I played really well in the second (set) when I came back and tried to push her a little bit and tried to play my game and not make the mistakes I had in the first set. I just couldn’t really continue in the third and I think Aga played a little bit better at the end of the third set as well.” – Petra Kvitova.

“After all the matches and big finals we’ve played over the years, to have a final here in Basel was amazing for the crowd and for me personally. To come through and win was very special.” – Roger Federer, following his victory over Rafael Nadal in the Swiss Open final.

“He played too well and I didn’t play bad either. It was a positive final for me – I lost but I was very close to the win.” – Rafael Nadal.

“It’s incredible. I feel like it was a perfect day. – Martina Hingis, after she and Sania Mirza won the doubles in Singapore.

“On court, off court, we have a lot of fun. To play in tournaments like this is what we’ve fought all our lives for and it’s incredible to play in front of a packed stadium. We feel very fortunate. We’ve done some amazing things together and it’s the perfect way to end the year for us.” – Sania Mirza.

“I was done. No energy anymore. I was tired.” – Simona Halep, after losing her second straight round-robin match in Singapore.

“I think I’m making better choices … wait for the perfect ball to really attack. You have to be aggressive, but in a good way, making good choices.” – Garbiñe Muguruza.

“It’s always tough to sit after a match and say you’re happy, especially after you lose it. But it would be quite unprofessional of me to not take a lot of positives out of this week.” – Maria Sharapova, after losing her semifinal match following a 3-0 round-robin record.

“I feel weird. It’s really tough to describe.” – Petra Kvitova, explaining her lethargic play in her first round-robin match.

“Well, I feel like everyone else on tour: I work hard, I give my best. As long as you continue to work and believe in yourself, you’re going to have results.” – Venus Williams, who played her first WTA match in October 1994 – 21 years ago.

“Actually I think I had a good year this year. Ups and downs, but it was OK. I will finish number two or three in the world, so it’s pretty good for me.” – Simona Halep.

“It’s never been the easiest road, but it doesn’t mean that it’s not a road worth travelling.” – Venus Williams.

SWISS MAESTRO

After 3½ years, it was finally Roger Federer who came out on top. Federer beat arch-rival Rafael Nadal for only the 11^th time in their 34 meetings, but this one came on Federer’s home court in Basel, Switzerland. “This was my best victory in Basel, considering everything I’ve done throughout my career here,” said Federer, who won the Swiss Open for a seventh time. “It was a big match for me, probably more than for him.” Federer and Nadal last met in the Australian Open semifinals nearly two years ago and played their last final in Rome in 2013. It was Federer’s first win over Nadal since Indian Wells, California, USA, in 2013 and snapped a five-game Nadal string. The victory was Federer’s 88th and boosted his season record to 58-9. Despite the loss, it was one of the year’s best performances by the left-handed Spaniard. “A few small things made the difference, like one game in the third set,” Nadal said. “I was not very far away … Losing on the surface where I’ve only beaten Roger once, and playing well at his home is all good news for me. My goal is to be competitive against the top players again.” Basel is the fifth tour event at which Federer has won at least seven times. He has won eight career titles at Halle, Germany, and seven at Wimbledon, Basel, Cincinnati and Dubai,

SINGAPORE STAR

Playing almost flawless tennis, Agnieszka Radwanska finished the year by winning the season-ending WTA Finals in Singapore, outlasting Petra Kvitova in the finale. “A few weeks ago I didn’t even know I would be here,” Radwanska said in the courtside interview. She became the first player in history to capture the crown after compiling a 1-2 record in the round-robin portion of the event, losing to Maria Sharapova and US Open champion Flavia Pennetta. But by beating top-seeded Simona Halep and getting help from Sharapova, Radwanska made it to the semifinals where she upset Garbiñe Muguruza in three sets. Then came Kvitova, who knocked off Sharapova in the semifinals. “I was doing the right thing in the important moments of a really close match,” Radwanska said of her victory over her Czech opponent. “I had my chances in the second set, but it doesn’t really matter how I won. It means the world to me.” Playing a stellar counter-punching game, Radwanska built a 6-2 2-0 lead before Kvitova found the range. The left-hander then won eight of the next 10 games to level the match at a set apiece and build a 2-0 led in the deciding set. Radwanska, however, went on streak of her own, winning six of the next seven games to capture the title.

SOUSA TRIUMPHANT

Portugal’s Joao Sousa won his second career ATP World Tour title by stopping Roberto Bautista in the Valencia Open final. It was Sousa’s first title in four final appearances this year. “I’ve been based in Spain since I was 15 years old, so in a way I feel a bit at home here and it’s great to be able to win this title here and in front of my family, who I had no idea was going to come,” Sousa said. “They drove 10 hours from Portugal to be here today.” Bautista Agut, playing in front of his home crowd, lost in the final for the second straight week. He also was runner-up a week ago in Moscow. “I was playing very well, a set and 3-2, had a ball for 4-2 in the second,” the Spaniard said. “Unfortunately my intensity went down and I was very tired in the third set. … It’s been a long season and obviously this has affected my performance today.”

SENT PACKING?

According to the tournament director, Juan Carlos Ferrero, the Valencia Open will not be held next year because of a dispute between the organizers of the indoor hard court event and the regional government. Ferrero, who won the French Open in 2003, said his group was considering renting or selling to another city the license for the event, which has been held annually since 2003. “We feel we have been deceived,” Ferrero said. “In 2014, there was an accord with the previous administration and it was not honored and we feel deeply deceived by the new government. It’s not state aid or a subsidy. It’s a commercial agreement, an accord that benefits the administration financially. This tournament was a gift for the Valencia residents, but we have to move on. I am very upset. It was me who bought the tournament many years ago with the understanding it would have a future.”

SET FOR BOTH

Andy Murray says he plans on playing the World Tour Finals in London and the Davis Cup final against Belgium. There had been rumors that Murray might skip the elite eight-player event because it is played on a different surface than the one being used when Great Britain takes on Belgium the following week in the Davis Cup final. “My intention is to play at the O2,” Murray said, referring to the London arena. Murray is playing this week at the Paris Masters, which will be played on a similar hard court as to that used in the ATP World Tour Finals. The Davis Cup final will be played on clay. Murray said he intends to train on both hard court and clay in the next two weeks.

SANIA AND MARTINA

They are ranked number one in the world and were officially crowned the best doubles team in 2015. Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza showed why when they easily won the doubles at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore, dominating Garbiñe Muguruza and Carla Suárez Navarro 6-0 6-3. Now unbeaten in their last 22 matches, Hingis and Mirza have won nine titles since teaming up earlier this year. “Sania just played out of her mind. She was everywhere today – on her side, behind me,” Hingis said. “It’s about choosing the right partner.” It was Mirza who unleashed a forehand to break Muguruza in the second game of the match. And a backhand volley by Mirza was the key to another service break.

SHARAPOVA IS BACK

Maria Sharapova was just happy to be back playing again. And she made a big impression at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore, rolling through the round-robin portion of the year-ending event undefeated before falling in the semifinals to Petra Kvitova. “I was able to play quite physical matches and get through them,” said Sharapova, who was playing for the first time since Wimbledon. “I think that was something that I wasn’t sure of coming into this week because I hadn’t played a lot.” The Russian, sidelined with leg and arm ailments, saw her ranking drop for second in the world to number four. Yet some observers felt she was the player to beat since top-ranked Serena Williams had skipped the elite event because of her own ailments. “I didn’t have expectations coming into this week,” Sharapova said. She led 5-1 in the second set before Kvitova ripped five straight games and won 6-3 7-6 (3). “I felt like I took my foot off the gas,” Sharapova said. “I gave her more time, more angles, and she took advantage.”

Sharapova and Kvitova will more than likely meet again next week when Russia travels to the Czech Republic for the Fed Cup final.

STRUGGLING SIMONA

Simona Halep says she simply ran out of energy at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore. Top-seeded in the year-ending tournament because of the absence of top-ranked Serena Williams, Halep lost in straight sets to eventual champion Agnieszka Radwanska 7-6 (5) 6-1, her second round-robin loss and ending her bid for the title. Halep led the tiebreak 5-1, only to have Radwanska win the next six points and the set. “I felt that I lost the chance to win the first set and probably I lost the chance to win the match in that moment,” said Halep. “My coach was telling me many things, but I couldn’t hear because I was done and I was very nervous there. But, you know, it’s good that happened. Next time I will know that if I’m not well-prepared physically, I have just to do something else on court.” While Halep won the biggest title of her career at Indian Wells, California, USA, in May, she suffered a second-round loss at the French Open, which the Romanian said was the biggest disappointment of her year. “I’m happy with my year,” she said. “I just want to take the holiday now. I don’t want to think about tennis anymore. Then I will be stronger.”

STOPPING SOMETIME

According to Flavia Pennetta, losing to Maria Sharapova at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals in Singapore was the “perfect: way to end her career. Of course, the 33-year-old Italian announced her retirement when she won the US Open in September. That made her the oldest first-time Grand Slam tournament winner. Then she played in order to gain enough points to qualify for the elite eight-player field in the season-ending event. But after losing to Sharapova, she told reporters: “Right now I feel like it’s not my last match. I feel normal completely. I don’t know why. Maybe in a few days I will feel more the difference. Right now it’s so far so good.”

SUPERB SENIORS

Martina Navratilova is still a champion. The veteran left-hander won the WTA Legends Classic, defeating fellow Legends Tracy Austin, Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario and Marion Bartoli in an innovative doubles format. Although Navratilova tied Sánchez-Vicario and Austin in matches on and lost, the American won the most games of the week. Other legends participating in activities during the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore tournament were Mary Pierce and Li Na.

SIGNED UP

The 2016 Hopman Cup field will have its highest-ranked field yet. The women’s top-ranked player, Serena Williams, and men’s world number two, Andy Murray, both have agreed to play in the exhibition. Eight players will be making their Hopman Cup debut: Gael Monfils and Caroline Garcia for France; Nick Kyrgios representing Australia; Alexandr Dolgopolov and Elina Svitolina for Ukraine; Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic; Alexander Zverev of Germany, and American Jack Sock. For the first time in Hopman Cup history, Australia will field two teams in the January 3-9 competition. The field includes: Australia Gold: Lleyton Hewitt and Casey Dellacqua; Australia Green: Kyrgios and a female player to be announced; Czech Republic: Vesely and Lucie Safarova; France: Monfils and Garcia; Germany: Zverev and Sabine Lisicki; Great Britain: Murray and Heather Watson; Ukraine: Dolgopolov and Svitolina; and the United States: Serena Williams and Sock.

STEPPING UP

As expected, Lleyton Hewitt is the new captain of Australia’s Davis Cup team. The two-time Grand Slam tournament champion and former world number one is taking over for interim skipper Wally Masur. Hewitt will retire after playing in his 20^th consecutive Australian Open in January. The 34-year-old will become the youngest Australian Davis Cup captain since World War II. “I’ve been fortunate enough to work under some of the greatest Davis Cup captains in history,” said Hewitt, who played in 40 ties over a record 17 years. His captains included Australian tennis greats Neale Fraser, John Newcombe and Pat Rafter. “For me, it’s about instilling my experience in these younger guys,” said Hewitt, who will lead a team that includes Bernard Tomic, Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis.

SAD NEWS

Patricia Canning Todd, who won four Grand Slam tournament titles in the 1940s, is dead at the age of 93. Her son, Whitney, confirmed Todd died in September in Encinitas, California, USA. Todd won the singles at the French Championships in 1947, defeating Doris Hart. The two then teamed to win the Wimbledon doubles that year. In 1948, Todd reached the semifinals at Paris only to be disqualified for refusing to play on an outside court. “I told the committee yesterday I would play only on center court,” Todd was quoted as saying by United Press. “I’m the defending champion, and I don’t see why I can’t play in center court instead of another women’s singles match.” The French Lawn Tennis Association declared that Todd had forfeited the match to Nelly Landry of France, who went on to win the title. Despite the disqualification, she won the French women’s doubles with Hart and the mixed doubles with Jaroslav Drobny. She also reached the final in Paris in 1950, losing to Hart. Born in San Francisco, California, Mary Patricia Canning met Richard Bradburn Todd while playing at the United States Nationals in Forest Hills, New York. They married on Christmas Day 1941 and Todd gave birth to their daughter Patricia in 1943. She was married and a mother for most of her professional career, a rarity in the 1940s and 1950s. In addition to her son, she is survived by her daughter, Patricia Higley, a grandson and a great-grandson.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Basel: Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares beat Jamie Murray and John Peers 7-5 7-5

Monterrey: Thiemo de Bakker and Mark Vervoort beat Paolo Lorenzi and Mark Vervoort by walkover

Nanjing: Shuko Aoyama and Eri Hozumi beat Chan Chin-Wei and Zhang Kai-Lin 7-5 6-7 (7) 10-7 (match tiebreak)

Poitiers: Andeea Mitu and Monica Niculescu beat Stephanie Foretz and Amandine Hesse 6-7 (5) 7-6 (2) 10-8 (match tiebreak)

Singapore: Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza beat Garbiñe Muguruza and Carla Suárez Navarro 6-0 6-3

Valencia: Eric Butorac and Scott Lipsky beat Feliciano Lopez and Max Mirnyi 7-6 (4) 6-3

SURFING

Paris: www.bnpparibasmasters.com/

Zhuhai: www.wtaelitetrophy.com/

Hua Hin: http://worldtennisthailand.com/

Bratislava: www.stz.sk/

Fed Cup: www.fedcup.com

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$4,219,260 BNP Paribas Masters Paris, Paris, France, hard

$125,000 World Tennis Thailand Championships, Hua Hin, Thailand, hard

WOMEN

$2,150,000 Huajin Securities WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai, Zhuhai, China, hard

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$100,000 Peugeot Slovak Open, Bratislava, Slovakia, hard

FED CUP

Nov. 14-15

(Final)

Czech Republic vs. Russia at Prague, Czech Republic, hard

American David Haggerty Takes Over ITF Helm – Mondays with Bob Greene

September 28, 2015 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Milos Raonic beat Joao Sousa 6-3 3-6 6-3 to win the St. Petersburg Open in St. Petersburg, Russia

Agnieszka Radwanska beat Belinda Bencic 6-2 6-2 to win the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Japan

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat Gilles Simon 7-6 (5) 1-6 6-2 to win the Moselle Open in Metz, France

Jelena Jankovic beat Denisa Allertova 6-2 6-0 to win the Guangzhou International Women’s Open in Guangzhou, China

Irina-Camelia Begu beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-3 6-1 to win the Korea Open in Seoul, Korea

Hyeon Chung beat Yuki Bhambri 7-5 6-4 to win the OEC Kaohsiung Challenger in Kaohsiung, Taiwan

SAYING

“It’s such a great feeling to come to St. Petersburg and to be able to win this event. It was a great experience overall with the event, the city and the people.” – Milos Raonic, who won the St. Petersburg Open.

“I think I played my best. Of course I feel sad that I couldn’t have the title here. I was really confident that I could beat him today, but he played and served very well in the important moments.” – Joao Sousa, who lost to Milos Raonic in the St. Petersburg Open final.

“I’m never going to be a powerful tennis player, even if I spend the whole day in the gym. That’s the way I play, trying to find a way to beat those stronger players.” – Agnieszka Radwanska, after winning the Pan-Pacific Open.

“It’s amazing to win a title in China for second time this year. Obviously China is very special to me.” – Jelena Jankovic, following her victory at the Guangzhou Open.

“It was an amazing time for me here. I’m so happy I could beat so many good players here and play my first final. Jelena was too good, but I’m happy with my week.” – Denisa Allertova, who upset Simona Halep and Sara Errani on her way to the Guangzhou Open final.

“The key today was to stay calm and make my opponent run more, and I think I was successful in those. I was also hitting the balls deep and close to the lines,” Begu described. “I also think I was better on the important points. I wasn’t dominating every game, but I did better on the big points.” – Irina-Camelia Begu, after beating qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich to win the Korea Open.

“Happy to be back home from hospital. I feel much better and hopefully I will be back soon on court. Thank you for your support and many nice messages.” – Lucie Safarova, who spent a week in the hospital with a bacterial infection.

“Tennis is a very selfish sport and I have always loved getting together as a group and playing for your country.” – Lleyton Hewitt, saying how much he enjoyed playing Davis Cup for Australia.

“We have an opportunity to win the event in the next match, but there’s so much tennis still to go. We still need to win three matches and there’s two or three months until the next tie, and a lot can happen between now and then.” – Andy Murray, who is seeking to become only the fourth player to win the Davis Cup, Olympic gold and multiple Grand Slam tournaments.

SUPER ANDY

Milos Raonic ended a 14-month title drought, winning his seventh ATP World Tour crown at the St. Petersburg Open. It was the Canadian’s first tournament victory since he underwent surgery on his right foot in May, forcing him to miss Roland Garros. Raonic’s last title came in the Citi Open in Washington, DC, in August 2014 when he beat fellow Canadian Vasek Pospisil. In the Russian final, Portugal’s Joao Sousa became the first player in the tournament to break Raonic’s serve. But a Sousa double-fault helped Raonic break his opponent in the second game of the deciding set. The winner finished with 22 aces and saved nine of 10 break points. “This year has been a tough one,” said Sousa, who lost in the final for the third time this year. “It has been my best year, but a tough one as I lost three finals. It’s really, really tough to accept it. But I think I can improve. I’m going to work for it and hopefully I can win the next one.”

SAME FOES, DIFFERENT WINNER

This time it was Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who came out on top. In a rematch of the 2013 Moselle Open final, Tsonga defeated fellow Frenchman Gilles Simon to capture his 12^th ATP World Tour title. Two years ago, it was Simon who ended up with the biggest trophy. It was Tsonga’s third title in five years, winning also in 2011 and 2012. “It’s always tricky to play against Gilles, the ball always comes back,” Tsonga said. Simon led the first-set tiebreak 5-2 before Tsonga won five straight points and the opener. After Simon dominated the second set to pull even, Tsonga overpowered his opponent in the decider, converting on his second match point. “He was more solid than me on the important points, especially in the first set,” Simon said. Tsonga extended t4he run of homegrown dominance in Metz, becoming the sixth Frenchman to win the Moselle Open in the past seven years.

SECOND TIME

Agnieszka Radwanska finally has another title, and this time a familiar. Poland’s top female player won the Pan-Pacific Open for the second time, crushing Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic in the title match. It was Radwanska’s first title since capturing the Rogers Cup in Montreal, Canada, last year. The 26-year-old also won the Pan-Pacific in 2011, and is the first player to have won the event twice since it moved outdoors and onto a hard court in 2008. “This is the first tournament I have won twice, so it’s very special for me,” Radwanska said. The victory also boosted her back into the Top 10 in the rankings. At 2-all, Radwanska won eight straight games to lead 6-2 4-0. “I really didn’t expect that kind of score against Belinda, she’s playing so well,” Radwanska said. The 18-year-old Bencic said her hard-fought victory over top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals took a toll on her. “Agnieszka made me run a lot and my serves were so slow today because, after yesterday, I couldn’t do anything with my legs anymore,” Bencic said. “In the second set I tried to go for my shots more, even if it meant making more mistakes. I still have a lot to learn to play like her, she’s so smart.”

SEED TRIUMPHANT

It was left for Jelena Jankovic to uphold the seeding at the Guangzhou International Women’s Open. The fourth-seeded Serb stopped the surprising run of Denisa Allertova to capture her first WTA title of the year. And she did it in a romp. With Allertova leading 2-1 in her first WTA final, Jankovic ripped through the next 11 games, serving an ace on match point, to win the tournament. En route to the final, Allertova ousted both top-seeded Simona Halep and third-seeded Sara Errani. Then, after trading service breaks with Jankovic, Allertova held for a 2-1 lead. That’s when Jankovic, the only seeded player left in the tournament, began her run, losing just 20 points in those 11 games and giving the Serb her first WTA title in more than two years. She did win a $125,000 tournament in Nanchang, China, this past summer. Jankovic now has 14 WTA titles to her name, her biggest coming at Indian Wells, California, USA, back in 2010.

SWITCH IN LEADERS

American David Haggerty is the new president of the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The 58-year-old Haggerty succeeds Italy’s Francesco Ricci Bitti, who had headed the sport’s governing body for 16 years. Haggerty will serve a four-year term.

Katrina Adams, president of the United States Tennis Association (USTA), was one of three vice presidents selected at the ITF annual general meeting in Santiago, Chile. Others named were Anil Khanna of India and Rene Stammbach of Switzerland. “The selection of vice presidents reflects the diversity on the new board and the experience of these board members,” Haggerty said. “The whole ITF Board is committed to working together over the next four years to enable the continued growth of the organization.” Others elected to the board were: Martin Corrie, Great Britain; Sergio Elias, Chile; Ismail El Shafei, Egypt; Bernard Giudicelli, France; Jack Graham, Canada; Thomas Koenigsfeldt, Denmark; Celia Patrick, New Zealand; Aleksei Selivanenko, Russia; Stefan Tzvetkov, Bulgaria; and Bulat Utemuratov, Kazakhstan. Elias, Graham, Khanna and Stammbach were reelected to the board.

STOPPED

Qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich’s run through the Korea Open draw was halted in the final of the Seoul tournament by Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu. The winner captured eight straight games to build a 6-3 5-0 lead. Sasnovich held at love to stop the streak, but the top-seeded Begu served out the victory. “I’m so happy to win my first WTA title in three years. It’s been a long time and I’ve improved a lot, I think,” said Begu, who hadn’t won since conquering Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in 2012. “I’ve learned a lot from many matches and many experiences, and most of all I think I’ve become much more consistent when I’m playing. I feel totally different from three years ago.” Sasnovich came out of qualifying and upset two of the top three seeds, including third-seeded Sloane Stephens in the quarterfinals and second-seeded Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the semis.

SERVING TIEBREAKS

Leonard Mayer of Argentina and Joao Souza of Brazil will more than likely keep their record now that the International Tennis Association (ITA) has come up with new rules. Beginning next year, Davis Cup fifth-set matches will be decided in a tiebreak. Earlier this year, Mayer and Souza played the longest Davis Cup singles match on record – 6 hours, 42 minutes. The fifth set alone lasted 2 hours, 30 minutes before Mayer won 7-6 (4) 7-6 (5) 5-7, 5-7, 15-13. The Davis Cup has had tiebreakers in all sets except for the fifth since 1989. Only one match remains to be played under the old rules. Belgium will play host to Great Britain in this year’s final at Ghent, Belgium, November 27-29.

SPEARHEADING RUSSIAN TEAM

Maria Sharapova has been named to the Russian squad that will face the Czech Republic in Prague in the Fed Cup final November 14-15. Others named by Russian captain Anastasia Myskina are Ekaterina Makarova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Elena Vesnina. “It’s great that all the girls agreed immediately to play,” Myskina said. Sharapova is ranked third in world, Makarova 20^th, Pavlyuchenkova 33^rd and Vesnina 117^th. The two nations have met five times in Fed Cup, but three of those meetings were between Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union. The Czechs are defending Fed Cup champions and lead their head-to-head record with Russia 3-2, including winning their most recent encounter in the 2011 final in Moscow. Russia has won the Fed Cup four times and will be playing in their 11^th Fed Cup final.

STEPPING DOWN

Stacey Allaster is leaving her job as the WTA Tour’s chief executive officer, a position she has held for the past six years. She announced that she was stepping down for personal reasons. “It has been a privilege to lead the organization that Billie Jean King founded and to have worked with the world’s best female athletes, dedicated tournament promoters and passionate and professional WTA team members,” Allaster said in a statement released by the WTA. She said the death in 2013 of Brad Drewett, the former ATP Tour chief executive and her brother-in-law, pushed her to devoting more time to family. She led the WTA through a growing period with more events in the Asia-Pacific region and expanded media exposure worldwide. She was named on the Most Powerful Women in Sports by Forbes magazine. WTA board member Lisa Grattan said a search for Allaster’s replacement has begun.

SAFAROVA READY?

When the Czech Republic takes on Russia in the Fed Cup final, Lucie Safarova hopefully will be in the lineup. A finalist at Roland Garros in June, Safarova recently spent a week in the hospital after contracting a fever and suffering from pain in her neck – pain caused by a bacterial infection. The 28-year-old left-hander may be ready to play the China Open in Beijing next week. She is expected to play in the Fed Cup final in Prague against Russia on November 14-15.

STAN STOPPED

An ankle injury caused Stan Wawrinka to pull out of the Moselle Open in Metz, France. Wawrinka was playing Germany’s Dustin Brown in a second-round match when he twisted his right ankle. “It was painful in the match, but still OK with tape on it,” said Wawrinka, the reigning Roland Garros champion who was the top seed in Metz. “But after a lot of treatment last night and some tests this morning, it’s dangerous for me to play because the pain is still there. So I will have to see a doctor to see if I will be OK in the next few weeks.”

SITE SET

The Davis Cup final will be held in Flanders Expo, a 13,000-seat arena in Ghent, Belgium. The Belgium team opted to play indoors on a clay court in an attempt to neutralize Great Britain’s Andy Murray, the world’s third-ranked player. Clay is Murray’s least favorite surface. Britain is appearing in its first Davis Cup final since 1978. Belgium’s last appearance in the final of the international team competition was in 1904. The Davis Cup final will be held November 27-29.

SIGNS ON AGAIN

It’s Yannick Noah to the rescue once again. The last French man to win a Grand Slam tournament title, Noah has been named captain of the French Davis Cup team for the third time. Noah, who won the French Open in 1983, was named to succeed Arnaud Clement. In his first two stints as captain, Noah led the French team to the Davis Cup title in 1991 and 1996. France also won the Cup in 2001, but were beaten in four other finals: 1999, 2002, 2010 and 2014, the latter against a Switzerland team that included Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka.

STILL WINNING

The doubles team of Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza just keep on winning. After capturing the US Open, they won their sixth title of the year, this time at the Guangzhou International Women’s Open with a powerful performance that saw them not lose a set the entire week. The pair has now won six of the 13 events they’ve entered since joining forces in March, posting a combined 42-7 record as a team. At Guangzhou, Hingis and Mirza beat Xu Shilin and You Xiaodi 6-3 6-1 in the title match. “Thankfully we watched them play last night so we knew the way they played, how they won, and we were very well prepared to play them today,” Hingis said. “There were definitely no surprises out there.”

SET FOR ABU DHABI

Rafael Nadal will spend New Year’s Eve in Abu Dhabi. The Spaniard has confirmed he will play the Mubadala World Tennis Championship (MWTC), which begins on December 31. Six of the world’s best players have agreed to play the three-day event, including Canada’s Milos Raonic, who will be making his MWTC debut. Nadal has won the exhibition twice.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Guangzhou: Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza beat Xu Shilin and You Xiaodi 6-3 6-1

Kaohsiung: Hsieh Cheng-Peng and Yang Tsung-Hua beat Gong Mao-Xin and Peng Hsien-Yin 6-2 6-2

Metz: Lukasz Kubot and Edouard Roger-Vasselin beat Pierre-Hughes Herbert and Nicolas Mahut 2-6 6-3 10-7 (match tiebreak)

Seoul: Laura Arruabarrena and Andreja Klepac beat Kiki Bertens and Johanna Larsson 2-6 6-3 10-6 (match tiebreak)

St. Petersburg: Treat Huey and Henri Kontinen beat Julian Knowle and Alexander Peya 7-5 6-3

Tokyo: Garbiñe Muguruza and Carla Suárez Navarro beat Chan Hao-Ching and Chan Yung-Jan 7-5 6-1

SURFING

Kuala Lumpur: www.malaysianopentennis.com/2015/

Shenzhen: www.shenzhenopen.com/

Wuhan: www.wuhanopen.org/

Tashkent: www.tashkentopen.uz/en/

Orléans: www.opendorleans.com/

Tiburon: http://tiburonchallenger.com/

Beijing: www.chinaopen.com.cn/

Tokyo: www.rakutenopen.com/

Sacramento:www.sacchallenger.com/

Mons: www.ethiastrophy.be/fr/accueil

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$1,041,540 Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, hard

$668,945 Shenzhen Open, Shenzhen, China, hard

$120,291 Open Orléans, Orléans, France, hard

$100,000 Tiburon Challenger, Tiburon, California, USA, hard

WOMEN

$2,212,250 Dongfeng Motors Wuhan Open, Wuhan, China, hard

$226,750 Tashkent Open, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, hard

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$3,944,715 China Open, Beijing, China, hard

$1,397,250 Rakuten Japan Open, Tokyo, Japan, hard

$100,000 Sacramento Challenger, Sacramento, California, USA, hard

$119,188 Ethias Trophy, Mons, Belgium, hard

WOMEN

$4,720,380 China Open, Beijing, China, hard

Roger Federer Wins 1,000th Career Match and 83rd Title – Mondays with Bob Greene

January 11, 2015 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

David Ferrer beat Tomas Berdych 6-4 7-5 to win the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, Qatar

Maria Sharapova beat Ana Ivanovic 6-7 (4) 6-3 6-3 to win the women’s singles at the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp in Brisbane, Australia

Roger Federer beat Milos Raonic 6-4 6-7 (2) 6-4 to win the men’s singles at the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp in Brisbane, Australia

Stan Wawrinka beat Aljaz Bedene 6-3 6-4 to win the Aircel Chennai Open in Chennai, India

Simona Halep beat Timea Bacsinszky 6-2 6-2 to win the Shenzhen Open in Shenzhen, China

Venus Williams beat Caroline Wozniacki 2-6 6-3 6-3 to win the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand

Poland beat the United States 2-1 to win the Hopman Cup

SAYING

“It’s a special moment, no doubt about it. I’ve played a lot of tennis over the years, so to get to 1000 wins tonight really means a lot to me.” – Roger Federer, whose 1,000^th match victory gave him his 83^rd career title.

“It’s a great feeling to come back to the competition and have the feeling of winning a title. It’s positive for me, a good way to finish the week. I’m practicing very hard and I’ll be practicing tomorrow. I’m very motivated to be back at my best in singles too.” – Rafael Nadal, who teamed with Juan Monaco to win the Qatar ExxonMobil Open doubles.

“Wins like this always give a lot of confidence.” – Agnieszka Radwanska, after she beat Serena Williams to lead Poland to the Hopman Cup title.

“Everyone needs a coffee every now and again, right?” – Serena Williams, when she had an espresso during her Hopman Cup competition against Italy’s Flavia Pennetta.

“By the time you’re 34 you have a lot of experience and if you can stay in shape, stay fit, can move and hit the ball and don’t have five kids at home then why not? There’s nothing holding me back from being here and doing well. Of course I can’t play forever. Someone else has to take the torch at some point. While I’m here I’m enjoying it.” – Venus Williams, when asked if she was thinking of retiring.

“I am so happy to be here. It’s very exciting to start to play. I am enjoying the moments with the players and the fans. I miss everything. I miss the nerves of playing a match. I miss the feeling when you win a tournament. I miss the fans, the players.” – Juan Martin del Potro, who is returning to the ATP World Tour to defend his title in Sydney, Australia.

SPECIAL WIN

When Roger Federer captured his 83^rd career title, he became only the third player in the Open Era to win 1,000 matches. The 33-year-old Swiss master joins Jimmy Connors (1,253) and Ivan Lendl (1,071) reaching the 1,000-match plateau. Hall of Famers Rod Laver and Roy Emerson joined the on-court ceremony after the final. “Clearly it’s a special day for me, winning a title plus getting to the magic number of 1,000,”’ Federer said after his 6-4 6-7 (2) 6-4 win over Milos Raonic at the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp. “It feels very different to any other match I’ve ever won. All those (milestone) numbers didn’t mean anything to me, but for some reason 1,000 means a lot because it’s such a huge number. Just alone to count to 1,000 is going to take a while.” Federer had to work hard for the title because Raonic played so well. But the Canadian double-faulted in the 10^th game to give Federer a championship point, and the veteran closed out the victory. “Looking back it’s almost nicer winning this way through a tight match with nerves and humid conditions against a great player in a final,” Federer said. “It means so much more than just running away with it with the score maybe winning 6-4, 6-4, which was looking very likely at one stage. I guess I was much more happy having to go three sets in the end rather than winning in straight.”

SPANISH CHAMPION

David Ferrer defeated Tomas Berdych to win the Qatar Open, his 22^nd career ATP title. “The performance, it was very good,” Ferrer said. “I’m happy because it never is easy to begin the season winning one tournament.” The victory in Doha, Qatar, makes it six consecutive years that the Spaniard has won at least one title. “First of all, David is never tired,” Berdych said after the title match. “Not after the match he played yesterday after 2½ hours. I have seen him playing five hours and then he played the next day.” Ferrer won his semifinal in three tiebreak sets against seventh-seeded Ivo Karlovic. Berdych had sailed through the early rounds of the tournament without dropping his serve in 34 service games. But Ferrer broke him four times. “In important points I got a little bit lucky,” Ferrer said. “I tried to be confident in the bad moments. I played very good in those moments.”

SHOWTIME FOR MARIA

Maria Sharapova is hoping the Brisbane International is an omen of things to come. The Russian outlasted Ana Ivanovic 6-7 (4) 6-3 6-3 to capture the hard-court title and head into the Australian Open. In 2008, Sharapova beat Ivanovic to win the year’s first Grand Slam tournament title – her only other victory in Australia. The win also moved Sharapova closer to the number one ranking as she is now just 681 points behind Serena Williams. The Russian has now won at least one WTA title every year since 2003. “She had some great comebacks,” Ivanovic said of Sharapova. “She got back the balls that I thought weren’t coming over the net. That’s why she’s where she is, and that’s why she’s such a great champion.” Sharapova was also impressed with her Serbian opponent. “She was doing a lot of things better in the first set, and she deserved to win the first set, but I hung in there,” Sharapova said. “The third set came down to a few points, really. I’m just happy that I managed to get it in three.”

SENIOR CITIZEN

It was like old times for Venus Williams, who bounced back from a disastrous first set to knock off top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki and win the Auckland Classic. It was the 46^th career title for the seven-time Grand Slam tournament champion, who at 34 is 10 years older than Wozniacki. The Dane controlled the beginning of the match, breaking Williams twice to take the first set, then broke her again at the start of the second. That’s when the veteran American turned the match around, spraying powerful winners all over the court. “The first set went fast and then it was like, ‘Time to take it to three,’” Williams said. “I tried to stay level-headed in the second and that worked. It felt good to figure it out and run away with it a little bit.” Williams has never lost to Wozniacki in their six career meetings.

STAN THE MAN

Stan Wawrinka has a reason for enjoying his visits to Chennai, India. The 29-year-old Swiss successfully defended his Aircel Chennai Open title by defeating qualifier Aljaz Bedene 6-3 6-4. It is Wawrinka’s third Chennai title in five years. “It’s an amazing atmosphere,” Wawrinka said. “It’s one of the reasons I come back every year. It was a great final. I’m really happy with my level.” After winning Chennai last year, Wawrinka went on to capture his first Grand Slam tournament title, the Australian Open, and reached as high as third in the world in the Emirates ATP Rankings. “I feel really happy,” Wawrinka said after repeating as champion for the first time in his career. “It’s tough to win tournaments on the ATP Tour. I feel good.”

Bedene, the first qualifier in the 20-year history of the tournament to reach the final, won seven matches during the week. In the main draw the 25-year-old Slovenian beat three Spanish players in succession: second-seeded Feliciano Lopez, fifth-seeded Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and third-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut. “It’s been a great week,” Bedene said. “I guess the hard work pays off. … I don’t want to stop here. I just want to raise my level to the level of Stan’s game.”

SICK BUT SUCCESSFUL

Simona Halep wasn’t feeling well before the Shenzhen Open final. It was Timea Bacsinszky who was feeling down after the match. “I wasn’t feeling very well before the match – I was a little bit sick – so I told myself I have nothing to lose, just go on court, be relaxed, stay focused and fight for every point,” Halep said. “It worked, and I felt really relaxed today.” So relaxed she clobbered Bacsinszky 6-2 6-1 to capture her ninth WTA title. Halep is only the second winner of the Shenzhen Open. Li Na won the first two editions before retiring last year.

SINGLES SHOCKER

Rafael Nadal’s year hasn’t started out the way he really wanted. Playing in his first ATP World Tour event, Nadal was shocked 1-6 6-3 6-4 by Michael Berrer, a 34-year-old qualifier playing his final season, in the first round of the Qatar Open. Nadal has been sidelined with back and wrist injuries, and his service speed was affected greatly. “Little things didn’t quite work out for me today,” Nadal said. “This is the third comeback of my career after injury, so we will see how it goes in a couple of months. I wanted to start well, but it was not the case today. I also want to play in the Australian Open, which is a tournament I like a lot. I don’t know if that will be the case either, but I am going to work for it. If not. I will be playing at Rio and Buenos Aires.” Berrer had taken only four games in four sets off Nadal in their previous two meetings. “It’s one of the matches which will stay in my memory forever, but let’s be honest, it was the first match for Rafa after injury,” Berrer said. “It’s also my last season and I had nothing to lose, and I’m enjoying it here – so why not?”

Nadal did wind up with a trophy at Doha. He claimed a record fourth Doha doubles crown, teaming with Juan Monaco to win their first team title. Nadal won the doubles in 2009 and 2011 with Marc Lopez and in 2005 with Albert Costa. It was Nadal’s ninth career ATP World Tour doubles title.

SIDELINED

US Open champion Marin Cilic and Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga have pulled out of from the Australian Open because of injuries. Cilic, a 26-year-old Croatian, has been struggling with a right shoulder problem for more than a month. “I am really disappointed to announce that I had to withdraw from the Australian Open,” Cilic said in a statement. “I was advised by doctors to be careful as much as possible to avoid even more serious problems.”

Tsonga is suffering from an injury to his right arm. “I’m still suffering from a forearm inflammation and that prevents me being at 100 percent of my capacities in a competition,” the 29-year-old said. “I’m going to receive over three weeks all the needed treatments to be able to be back on track in the best conditions.” Tsonga hurt his arm while playing for France in the Davis Cup final. His 2008 Australian Open final appearance is his best career Grand Slam performance.

Great Britain’s Laura Robson also withdrew from the year’s first major. The 20-year-old has been sidelined with a left wrist injury and has not played since January 2014.

SICK BAY

This week’s Heineken Tennis Open in Auckland, New Zealand, has been riddled with withdrawals. David Ferrer, who was to have been the top seed, pulled out because of a back sprain. Earlier, seventh-seeded John Isner, the defending champion, cited tiredness after playing for the United States at the Hopman Cup, and sixth-seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils withdrew for personal reasons.

STOPS SERENA

Agnieszka Radwanska has given notice that she’s a force to be reckoned with this year. She beat Serena Williams twice to lead Poland to its first Hopman Cup title. Ranked fifth in the world, Radwanska stopped Williams 6-4 6-7 (3) 6-1, then returned to partner Jerzy Janowicz to a 7-5 6-3 doubles victory over Williams and John Isner as Poland became the 13^th nation to win the mixed team event. Isner edged Janowicz 7-6 (10) 6-4 in the men’s singles, setting up the decisive mixed doubles. “When I go and play against her, you have nothing really to lose, she is number one in the world and a great champion,” Radwanska said of Williams. “It doesn’t matter what the score is. It’s never over, she’s a great fighter. I’m just very happy that could come back after that second set and play my good game in the third set.” It was the first time in nine career meetings that Radwanska has beaten Serena. And it comes after the Polish star signed Martina Navratilova as a coach. Radwanska was a semifinalist at last year’s Australian Open.

STUMBLING START

It has been a frustrating start of the season for Serena Williams. Twice the top-ranked American lost singles matches – to Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska and to Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard. But it was more than just losing. Williams appeared listless in both the singles and the mixed doubles of the final, where she and partner John Isner lost to Radwanska and Jerzy Janowicz. During the doubles, where she struggled on her serve, Williams lost her cool after a contentious point that brought the tournament referee onto the court to resolve the disagreement. Minutes later, Williams smashed her racquet in frustration after missing a volley. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I am so tired, it’s so weird,” Williams said early in the tournament. “I can’t get my body to move and I feel like I have no energy. It is a little frustrating because I know I can play 2,000 times better.” She beat Italy’s Flavia Pennetta after failing to win a game in the first set, then lost 6-2 6-1 to Bouchard. Williams followed by edging the Czech Republic’s Lucie Safarova in three sets, setting the stage for the loss to Radwanska. “I have been practicing so well, I just have not been able to put it through in my matches,” Williams said. “Hopefully it will be able to come through soon.”

SERVING UP ACES

Ivo Karlovic may have reached only the semifinals at the Qatar Open, but he is rapidly closing in on the top spot in firing aces. The 35-year-old Croat slammed 30 aces and 67 winners while losing 6-7 (2) 7-6 (5) 7-6 (4) to David Ferrer. That pushed Karlovic past Andy Roddick for second place on the all-time ace list with 9,092. Earlier in the week, Karlovic had become just the third player to reach the 9,000 aces plateau, joining Roddick and all-time leader Goran Ivanisevic. “Now I’m in the club,” Karlovic said. “It’s definitely one of my goals to be number one in all aces. This year, maybe, I will do it.” Ivanisevic holds the mark with 10,183 aces. Roddick is now in third place with 9,074.

STRAIGHT IN

France’s Lucas Pouille and Oceane Dodin are among six players awarded wild-card entries into the Australian Open main draws. Pouille and Dodin were given wild cards due to a reciprocal agreement between Tennis Australia and the French Tennis Federation. Americans Denis Kudla and Irina Falconi won their respective divisions of the USTA Pro Circuit Australian Open Wild Card Challenge. Zhang Ze and China and Chang Kai-chen of Taiwan are the Asia-Pacific wild card entries.

SPIKE IN PAY

The Australian Open increased its prize money at the last moment because of a weaker Australian currency. Organizers of the year’s first Grand Slam tournament said it wanted to ensure that players are not penalized by Australian dollar’s slide by 4.1 percent in December, reaching its lowest exchange rate against the US dollar in more than five years. In October, the prize money for this year’s tournament was announced at $36.3 million Australian. Last week, organizers increased that to a record $40 million Australian (USD $32.57 million).

SPLITSVILLE

Andy Murray says his split with long-term hitting partner and assistant coach Dani Vallverdu and fitness trainer Jez Green came about because they didn’t agree with his decision to hire Amelie Mauresmo as his head coach. Vallverdu had been with Murray since the two met at the Sanchez-Casal Academy in Spain more than a decade ago. “The most important point in any team is that everyone has the same vision, everyone wants to move forward together,” Murray said. “I feel that’s what I have now. Maybe the last four or five months of last year it wasn’t like that. It’s not as much fun traveling when that’s the case. If everyone isn’t right into it, that isn’t how you want to work.”

STILL HURTING

Juan Martin del Potro admits he still has a sore left wrist as he returns to the ATP World Tour. “It bothers me sometimes when I hit backhands, but I am trying to hit harder because I need to hit harder if I want to play this tournament,” the 2009 US Open champion said before beginning a title defense at this week’s Apia International Sydney. “Sometimes the pain is high, sometimes it is low. It’s much better than (it was) three or four weeks ago and the doctor says that I can’t make it worse by playing at a high level, so I am very positive for that.” Del Potro said he played in pain for 18 months before deciding last February to have surgery on his wrist. The Argentine star contemplated a comeback after the US Open but felt his wrist wasn’t quite ready. He’s confident that now is the right time to return. “I know I need to be calm and to be patient, to stay healthy and play as well as I can,” del Potro said. “It will be a long road to get in good shape and to get to my level.”

STYLIST

Kei Nishikori is featured on this month’s cover of Time Magazine ASIA. The Japanese star is profiled by Hannah Beech, who quotes Andre Agassi as saying, “Kei is one of the few players that I’d pay money to see play.” The 25-year-old tells about his early move to train in Florida.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Auckland: Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci beat Shuko Aoyama and Renata Voracova 6-2 6-1

Brisbane (men): Jamie Murray and John Peers beat Alexandr Dolgopolov and Kei Nishikori 6-3 7-6 (4)

Brisbane (women): Martina Hingis and Sabine Lisicki beat Caroline Garcia and Katarina Srebotnik 6-2 7-5

Chennai: Yen-Hsun Lu and Jonathan Murray beat Raven Klaasen and Leander Paes 6-3 7-6 (4)

Doha: Rafael Nadal and Juan Monaco beat Julian Knowle and Philipp Oswald 6-3 6-4

Shenzhen: Lyudmyla Kichenok and Nadiia Kichenok beat Liang Chen and Wang Yafan 6-4 7-6 (6)

SURFING

Sydney: www.apiainternational.com.au/

Auckland (men): www.festivaloftennis.co.nz/heinekenopen/

Hobart: www.hobartinternational.com.au/

Melbourne: www.ausopen.com

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$519,395 Heineken Open, Auckland, New Zealand, hard

$494,310 Apia International Sydney, Sydney, Australia, hard

WOMEN

$665,900 Apia International Sydney, Sydney, Australia, hard

$226,750 Hobart International, Hobart, Australia, hard

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN and WOMEN

Australian Open (first week), Melbourne, Australia, hard

Martina Navratilova, Justin Gimelstob Join Coaching Ranks – Mondays with Bob Greene

December 14, 2014 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

SAYING

“My goal is to win a Grand Slam, so to have someone with Martina’s accomplishments in my corner is going to be hugely advantageous and give me a big boost. We are originally from a similar part of the world so we share an understanding about tennis and life, which I’m sure will translate into a successful relationship.” – Agnieszka Radwanska, announcing Martina Navratilova will be her coaching consultant in 2015.

“Now it’s normal to expect that there is a new generation of players, younger players that are right at the top like (Japan’s Kei) Nishikori, (Canada’s Milos) Raonic, (Bulgaria’s Grigor) Dimitrov who have the quality to win against the best, and they have done that. It’s definitely going to be an interesting year.” – Novak Djokovic, saying the domination by the “Big Four” may be ending in 2015.

“The pleasure of winning again was greater and I felt this year I was happy, this year on the tour there were no setbacks. I have two more kids now, I play great, so overall wonderful season. I could not have been happier.” – Roger Federer, on his 2014 season.

“Novak (Djokovic) gets the nod for player of the year by winning Wimbledon and then finishing the year number one buoyed by a dominant performance in the fall season. He was incredibly consistent, posting a 61-8 record on the year and winning seven titles.” – Jim Courier, who with Martina Navratilova and writer Doug Robson selected Djokovic as the 2014 Player of the Year.

SIGNING UP

Only one player ranked among the top 200 in the world – top 100 men and top 100 women – will be missing when the Australian Open begins in mid-January. Craig Tiley, Tennis Australia’s chief executive, called it one of the “deepest and strongest” fields in the Grand Slam tournament’s history. The only absentee will be Petra Cetkovska of the Czech Republic, who withdrew from the women’s draw with a hip injury.

SERB IS BEST

Novak Djokovic was voted Player of the Year and his Wimbledon five-set final victory over Roger Federer was the Match of the Year, according to a panel of experts from USA TODAY newspaper and The Tennis Channel. The judges on the committee were former Grand Slam tournament champions Martina Navratilova and Jim Courier along with USA TODAY tennis writer Doug Robson. Djokovic was selected over the women’s top-ranked player, Serena Williams, while the Djokovic-Federer match won out over the title match at the WTA Finals between Williams and Roman’s Simona Halep. All three judges selected the Wimbledon final as the Match of the Year. “It saved Djokovic’s season,” Robson said. “Had Federer won the final set, he likely would have finished the year at number one instead of the Serb.”

SOUTH AMERICA-BOUND

Rafael Nadal will be heading to South America in February. The Spaniard will be returning to Buenos Aires for the first time since 2005 when he will top-seeded at the 2015 Argentina Open presentado por Buenos Aires Ciudad. “I love playing in Latin America because it feels like home,” Nadal said. “After having to pull out at the last minute this season due to stomach problems, I’m very excited to go back in 2014. I hope I can play my best tennis there and see all the Argentine fans, who love our sport so much.”

SELECTS MARTINA

Agnieszka Radwanska has turned to one of the game’s great players for coaching help. Ranked sixth in the world, Radwanska has hired 18-time Grand Slam tournament champion Martina Navratilova as a coaching consultant for next year. Navratilova will work with Radwanska at the four Grand Slam events while Tomasz Wiktorowski will remain Radwanska’s full-time coach. “I am absolutely delighted that Martina has agreed to help me and my team next season,” Radwanska said. “She is my idol in tennis and I am honored we will be working together. Her achievements speak for themselves and I hope that I can learn from all her experience.” The 25-year-old Radwanska has finished six of the last seven years ranked in the top 10, but she has only reached one Grand Slam tournament final, losing to Serena Williams at Wimbledon in 2012. It will be Navratilova’s first stint as a WTA elite coach.

SIGNS TV PACT

All singles matches played on the WTA tour will be televised for a 10-year span beginning in 2017. The new media rights contract will be worth more than USD $525 million, according to the WTA. Under the deal, the WTA keeps its international television rights with its current broadcast distribution partner, PERFORM, but expands the scope of their relationship. The current agreement, which began in 2013, runs through 2016. Under the existing contract, only about one-third of all singles matches are televised, according to WTA chairman and CEO Stacey Allaster. Under the new agreement, the tour and PERFORM will form WTA Media, which will produce all main-draw matches in singles, along with the semifinals and finals in doubles at every tour event. WTA Media will also develop content for the web and magazine shows for television.

STEPHENS AND SAVIANO?

At least right now Sloane Stephens is working with coach Nick Saviano. But the young player has yet to decide if the two will work together next year. The 21-year-old American began training with Saviano earlier this month in Plantation, Florida. Saviano recently split with seventh-ranked Eugenie Bouchard. He has also coached a number of other players over the years. Stephens only recently began working out after recuperating from a wrist injury. If she is healthy enough, she will start her season in Auckland, New Zealand, in January. She has not decided if she will play Sydney or Hobart the following week, but has said she will play the Australian Open.

SEES YOUNGSTERS COMING

Novak Djokovic believes the days of the “Big Four” may be ending. Either the world’s top-ranked player, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray have won 36 of the last 39 Grand Slam tournament titles. But 2014 may have been the beginning of the end of their domination. When Croatia’s Marin Cilic beat Japan’s Kei Nishikori in the US Open final, it was the first time since the 2005 Australian Open that a men’s Grand Slam tournament final did not feature either Djokovic, Nadal or Federer. Besides the victory of Cilic at the US Open in September, last January saw Switzerland Stanislas Wawrinka capture the Australian Open. “It’s really unpredictable,” Djokovic said. “It’s going to be hard to say who are the clear favorites to win the Grand Slams.”

SIGNS NEW COACH

John Isner has turned to Justin Gimelstob for coaching help in 2015. “I’m really excited to start working with Justin,” said Isner, America’s top-ranked male player. “He has so much experience within the tennis business and I’ve long respected his knowledge of the sport. I think it will be great for me to have a new perspective helping me with my game.” A former player who won 13 ATP World Tour doubles titles, Gimelstob currently has been a broadcaster with Tennis Channel. He also is a member of the ATP Board. “John is a very unique talent, a great guy both on and off the court and I am thrilled to be able to be part of his team,” said Gimelstob, who replaced Mike Sell as Isner’s coach. “Coaching is in my blood. My father and uncle were both basketball coaches and I had the good fortune of working with some of the best tennis coaches in the world during my career. Gimelstob will be on the road when Isner attempts to defend his title in Auckland, New Zealand, to start the 2015 ATP World Tour campaign.

SHE’S NUMBER ONE

American CiCi Bellis, who at the US Open in September became the youngest player to win a Grand Slam tournament match since Anna Kournikova in 1996, has clinched the world’s year-end number one junior girls ranking. The 15-year-old Bellis shocked Australian Open finalist Dominika Cibulkova in the opening round at the US Open. She clinched the year-ending ranking by reaching the semifinals of the Orange Bowl Junior Championships, where she was upset by fellow American Sonya Kenin.

STRAIGHT TO THE BANK

Prize money on the ATP World Tour in 2015 will exceed USD $100 million for the first time. Players on the men’s tennis tour will see the prize money pool reach USD $135 million by 2018. “The increases at ATP events are a testament to the sustained success of men’s professional tennis, as well as demonstrating the ATP’s confidence in the strength of its product and projected growth in future years,” the ATP World Tour said in a statement. The biggest increases come at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 category, with tournaments providing annual increases of 11 percent and the ATP contributing an additional 3 percent increase. Player compensation at the ATP World Tour 250 events will increase at an average of 3.5 percent per year during the same period.

SUPER PERFORMANCE

Sam Riffice could be a star of the future on the ATP World Tour. The 15-year-old from Roseville, California, USA, became only the second player to win the 16-and-under boys title at both the Eddie Herr and Orange Bowl Junior Championships in the same. Riffice stopped Mattias Siimar of Estonia 6-1 1-6 7-5 to capture the Metropolia Orange Bowl Boys’ 16s crown in Plantation, Florida, USA. “These are definitely two of the biggest tournaments of the year,” Riffice said. “The whole year I trained to do well here, and to be able to win both of them is incredible.” The only other player to win both Boys’ 16s titles in the same year was Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov, who did it in 2006.

Canada’s Bianca Andreescu won the Girls’ 16s Orange Bowl title, defeating Dominique Schaefer of Peru 7-5 6-3 in the final.

STYLIST TSONGA

Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is featured in a photo spread in the latest edition of GQ France. Ranked 12^th in the world, the 29-year-old Tsonga is shown modeling winter coats and jackets in a 10-page spread. “I like to dress fashionably, it’s great,” Tsonga said. “I think GQ is the best magazine for me in terms of fashion for men. It’s very cool and I’m very happy to do some photos for them.”

SURFING

Brisbane: www.brisbaneinternational.com.au/

Doha: www.qatartennis.org/

Chennai: www.aircelchennaiopen.org/2015/

Shenzhen: www.shenzhenopentennis.com/2015/chs/

Auckland: www.festivaloftennis.co.nz/asbclassic/

TOURNAMENTS WEEK OF JAN. 5, 2015

(All money in USD)

MEN

$1,195,500 Qatar ExxonMobil Open, Doha, Qatar, hard

$511,825 Brisbane International presented by Suncorp, Brisbane, Australia, hard

$459,140 Aircel Chennai Open, Chennai, India, hard

WOMEN

$881,100 Brisbane International presented by Suncorp, Brisbane, Australia, hard

$426,750 Shenzhen Open, Shenzhen, China, hard

$226,750 ASB Classic, Auckland, New Zealand, hard

TOURNAMENTS WEEK OF JAN. 12, 2015

(All money in USD)

MEN

$519,395 Heineken Open, Auckland, New Zealand, hard

$494,310 Apia International Sydney, Sydney, Australia, hard

WOMEN

$665,900 Apia International Sydney, Sydney, Australia, hard

$226,750 Hobart International, Hobart, Australia, hard

Now That She’s Beaten Cancer, Vicky Duval’s Returning To Tennis – Mondays with Bob Greene

December 8, 2014 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

SAYING

“When you go through hard times, you find out who your true friends are, and Serena Williams was one of the first people to be there for me when my engagement unraveled last spring. She didn’t have to support me – she has her own life, her own problems and her own career to worry about – but she was there when I needed someone to lean on the most.” – Caroline Wozniacki, writing why she believes Serena Williams should be selected Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.

“It was my fault because I’ve yelled and said some bad words to him. I was irresponsible after all the sacrifices he made for me. I admit that I was scared in that moment he hit me, but I know he regrets what he did and he loves me as much as I love him. He maybe exaggerated a little, but he didn’t deserve to be arrested. I’m worried for him. I want to continue this journey in tennis with the support of the whole family. When I read that he is described as a “criminal” and a “beast,” I feel like I want to scream. I feel guilty for what is happening.” – Iona Andrada Surdeanu, who was slapped by her father after she lost a quarterfinal match in an ITF tournament in Israel.

SHE’S CANCER FREE

Vicky Duval is cancer-free after undergoing chemotherapy treatments. “Everything is good, the 19-year-old said. “It seems to be all gone. I’m going to have follow-up in January. It’s three months the first year and then every six months after that. But so far I’m in the clear.” Duval had reached a career-high 87^th in the world when she learned she had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. That came in June while she was playing at Wimbledon. After being diagnosed, she continued to play, beating 29^th-seeded Sorana Cirstea of Romania in the opening round before falling to Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic. Then she returned to the United States to undergo treatment. She currently is training in Bradenton, Florida, USA, where she has lived for several years, and plans on returning to competition at smaller tournaments close to home. “I’m thinking about doing a few challengers in the states,” she said. “I know there are a few toward the end of January, so maybe start with that and go from there.”

SEEKS “SUPERCOACH”

Agnieszka Radwanska has a new coach, but is not saying who it is. Radwanska told the Polish media that she will be working with a former Grand Slam tournament champion who has previous coaching experience. The new coach will be a consultant who will work with Radwanska for parts of the season while she continues to have Tomasz Wiktorowski as her regular coach. The new team member is expected to be announced in January.

SELECTED FOR HONOR

Three times Andy Roddick reached the Wimbledon final, where the winner is automatically made an honorary member of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. All three times Roddick lost to Roger Federer. Now, according to Tim Henman, Roddick has been made an honorary member by the All England Club. The American was in London to participate in a senior event. “I was able to take him to Wimbledon a couple of days ago because he’s being made an honorary member, which he was so excited about, having been a three-time finalist,” Henman said. “If you win the tournament, you become a member automatically, but I think with his impact in that event and his rapport with the British crowd, it was felt that it would be a really nice gesture. … It’s very rare to be made an honorary member when you haven’t won the singles title there. I think Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde are the only ones I can think of, and they won the doubles 87 or so times. They’re a rare breed, but in Roddick’s case, it’s thoroughly well deserved.”

SPLITTSVILLE

Australian Open organizers have listened to the players. The year’s first Grand Slam tournament in 2015 will find a new extreme heat policy. Tournament director Craig Tiley said the new policy will be applied when the temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and the Wet Bulb Global Temperature – a measurement that accounts for humidity, wind direction and the temperature – exceeds a reading of 32.5. “We’ve consulted the playing group and this is seen as the fairest way to implement the policy by many of the top players,” Tiley said. The tournament referee will has the absolute discretion on whether or not to apply the extreme heat policy. In another change, when the extreme heat policy is invoked, matches in progress will be suspended at the end of an even number of games in that set or at the completion of a tiebreaker. With Margaret Court Arena remodeled, the Australian Open has three courts with retractable roofs for the 2015 tournament.

SAYS THE FANS

Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska has been voted the fans’ favorite player. Roughly 70,000 votes were cast in the WTA Fan Favorite Awards, and the Italian duo of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci were selected the Fan Favorite Doubles Team. The WTA Finals match between winner Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki was named the Match of the Year, while the fans voted the Maria Sharapova-Simona Halep French Open battle their favorite Grand Slam Match of the Year. Sharapova was also selected the Fan Favorite Facebook page and the Fan Favorite Tweet, while Wozniacki was named Fan Favorite Twitter. And Venus Williams came away the winner for Fan Favorite Dress.

SPANISH FAVORTE

Even though he has been sidelined by injuries, Rafael Nadal was selected the “Favorite Son of Mallorca.” “The first thing that I do when I’m playing on other countries, whether I win or lose in the tournament, is to seek for the fastest way to go back to Mallorca, the 28-year-old Spaniard said. The 11^th person to receive the award, Nadal underwent appendectomy surgery in November. He has begun training again. “What I must do is play well, prepare and, when the moment comes, give myself opportunities,” he said. “If one of those is in the final rounds, anything could happen.”

SET FOR MEMPHIS

John Isner, the top-ranked American, and two-time defending champion Kei Nishikori have committed to play the Memphis Open in February. Isner reached lost the Memphis final in 2010 to fellow American Sam Querrey. The two then teamed to win the doubles title in the ATP World Tour 250 event.

SLAPPED BY FATHER

Umpires called police when a junior player from Romania, Iona Andrada Surdeanu, was slapped by her father, who is also her coach, causing blood to stream down her face. Lucian Surdeanu slapped his daughter for losing her quarterfinal match at a junior girls’ International Tennis Federation Tournament in Israel. According to witnesses, the 16-year-old screamed when her father hit her as “punishment” for losing to top-seeded Daria Kruzhkova of Russia 6-2 7-6 (0). Surdeanu defended her father, saying it was normal for him to punish her after matches, usually by taking her phone. “I didn’t play well in that match,” she said. “At the end, he went to confiscate my phone. That’s the way he punishes me when it is my fault and I don’t win matches. I was annoyed and I threw the phone at him. Of course he didn’t catch it and he got angry because of the way I’ve behaved. He pushed me and slapped me twice. One of the slaps hit my nose. I sat down on my knees and I put my hands on my face so he would not be able to hit me again. I had a little blood, I was scared and shaking. He gave me a wet towel and said that I should go to the tournament’s doctor. When I came back, he was already kicked out from the tennis court … By the time I got to the hotel, they had already arrested him. … At the police station they didn’t let me see him, like he was dangerous and I had to stay away from him. My father is not a beast. He didn’t break my nose. I didn’t have my face covered in blood. It’s true he slapped me, but so what. I deserved it.” The father was fined for hitting his daughter.

SERENA BOOSTER

Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki have developed a close friendship over the last few years. Wozniacki visited Williams when she was injured and ill, and the two have attended weddings and fashion shows together. When Wozniacki ran the New York City Marathon, awaiting her at the finish line was Williams. Now, Wozniacki has penned an essay for Sports Illustrated nominating Williams for Sportsman of the Year. “My only problem with Serena is that I’m tired of losing to her,” Wozniacki wrote. “So I told her, ‘Watch out, I’m coming for you in 2015.’”

SURFING

ATP: www.atpworldtour.com

WTA: www.wtatennis.com

ITF: www.itftennis.com

World Tennis Magazine: www.worldtennismagazine.com

TOURNAMENTS WEEK OF JAN. 5, 2015

(All money in USD)

MEN

$1,195,500 Qatar ExxonMobil Open, Doha, Qatar, hard

$511,825 Brisbane International presented by Suncorp, Brisbane, Australia, hard

$459,140 Aircel Chennai Open, Chennai, India, hard

WOMEN

$1,000,000 Brisbane International presented by Suncorp, Brisbane, Australia, hard

$500,000 Shenzhen Open, Shenzhen, China, hard

$250,000 ASB Classic, Auckland, New Zealand, hard

Shockers Shred Women’s Draw, Swiss Men at Roland Garros – Mondays with Bob Greene

June 1, 2014 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

(French Open – First Week)

Garbiñe Muguruza beat top-seeded Serena Williams 6-2 6-2

Kristina Mladenovic beat second-seeded Li Na 7-5 3-6 61

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez beat third-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4 5-7 6-2 6-0

Ajla Tomljanovic beat third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 6-4

Ernests Gulbis beat fourth-seeded Roger Federer 6-7 (5) 7-6 (3) 6-2 4-6 6-3

Svetlana Kuznetsova beat fifth-seeded Petra Kvitova 6-7 (3) 6-1 9-7

Eugenie Bouchard beat eighth-seeded Angelique Kerber 6-1 6-2

Martin Klizan beat ninth-seeded Kei Nishikori 7-6 (4) 6-1 6-2

Samantha Stosur beat ninth-seeded Dominika Cibulkova 6-4 6-4

SAYING

“I’m going to go home and work five times as hard to make sure I never lose again.” – Serena Williams, after losing to Garbiñe Muguruza.

“I just couldn’t kind of figure it out.” – Roger Federer, after losing to Ernests Gulbis.

“I think it was the biggest, probably, win of my career.” – Ernests Gulbis.

“I was trying to find my game, trying to find to be aggressive, trying to find anything – and I didn’t. – Stanislas Wawrinka, the Australian Open champion after losing his first-round Roland Garros match.

“Always wanted to play him on clay and see how good he is. He showed me a lesson today.” – Robby Ginepri, after losing to Rafael Nadal 6-0 6-3 6-0.

“I think that tennis is a sport where we should be able to think. This is really truly what I think. It’s physical, it’s mental, there are strategies. Otherwise, you know, it’s just about keeping an eye on the clock.” – Rafael Nadal, complaining that chair umpire Pascal Maria is a stickler for a rule that limits players to 25 seconds before they must serve.

“That’s a surprise for everyone,” – Simona Halep, after it was mentioned that at number four she is the highest seeded player remaining in the women’s singles.

“The performance was great from the start till the end. I came with the exact level of intensity that I was looking for before the start of the match.” – Novak Djokovic, after his easy 6-1 6-4 6-1 fourth-round victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

“I really believe in my skills. I believe I can play with the best girls out there.” – Eugenie Bouchard, an 18-year-old Canadian who was still in the running for the Roland Garros women’s singles title when the second week started.

“I’m so happy to be back in the quarterfinals. It’s such a special tournament for me. It’s a big step, but when you get there it will get more difficult. Hopefully I will raise my level.” – Maria Sharapova, after beating Samantha Stosur in a fourth-round match.

“Mentally I have already switched to the grass, to be quite honest. For me, it’s like, ‘OK, clay-court season was fun, but we are moving on.’” – Roger Federer.

“I’ve had ups and downs (since the Australian Open). That’s why I’m saying I am not at the level of (Novak) Djokovic, (Rafael) Nadal, (Roger) Federer, because they have been around for many years and they win everything. I know I’ll have the level. I could defeat them, but it’s different. I need to put the puzzle back together, find solutions, because the pressure is different.” – Stanislas Wawrinka.

“You care. I don’t care. I don’t have to write. … So write whatever you want, whatever you feel. Because for me, the only thing that matters to me is I won today.” – Rafael Nadal, when asked after his first-round match if he or Novak Djokovic was the man to beat at Roland Garros this year.

“After eight times that he has won here, I think he deserves that role.” – Novak Djokovic, when asked if Rafael Nadal was the favorite to win Roland Garros.

“It doesn’t go week by week. I don’t know who’s talking all the time, but Rafa is the favorite, and then Novak, and then the rest. It’s very clear.” – Roger Federer, when asked who should be the favorite to win the men’s singles at Roland Garros.

“You know, my playing memories end at Wimbledon. My last point was the ace on match point. The rest of the hard drive is erased.” – Marion Bartoli, who played three more matches after winning Wimbledon last year and before retiring from tennis.

SCENE OF THE FUTURE?

The face of women’s tennis changed dramatically on the Parisian red clay of Roland Garros. In a week like no other in Grand Slam tournament history, four of the top five women in the world rankings were sent off to prepare for their grass-court campaigns, having been ousted from the year’s second major event. Gone were top-ranked Serena Williams, number two Li Na, number three Agnieszka Radwanska and number five Petra Kvitova. Also eliminated before the second Monday of the two-week tournament were eighth-seeded Angelique Kerber and ninth-seeded Dominika Cibulkova.

The first three rounds included the ousters of former French Open champions Serena Williams (2013 and 2002), Li Na (2011), Francesca Schiavone (2009) and Ana Ivanovic (2008), as well as former world number ones Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki.

The new faces going into the second week include 18-year-old Eugenie Bouchard of Canada, 20-year-old Garbiñe Muguruza of Spain, 21-year-old Sloan Stephens of the United States and 22-year-old Simona Halep of Romania. The veterans are led by Maria Sharapova, who won Roland Garros two years ago, former number one Jelena Jankovic and 2009 French Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova. But only one will be standing when the red dust settles on Saturday.

The men’s seeds were also thinned in the first eight days of play, just not nearly as much as the women. But missing are Switzerland top two players – Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka, who was seeded third at Roland Garros this year, and 17-time major winner Roger Federer. Also gone was ninth-seeded Ken Nishikori of Japan, who played in Paris despite an injured hip.

With the losses of Wawrinka and Li Na, it was the first time in history that both the men’s and women’s Grand Slam singles championships lost in the first round of the next major. And it was the first time since tennis turned professional in 1968 that the top three seeds in the women’s draw have failed to qualify for the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament.

SERENA VS. VENUS KAYOED

This year’s draw could have resulted in the Williams sisters meeting each other in the third round, bringing back memories. In 2002, the two met in the final at Roland Garros, with Serena winding up with the bigger trophy. This year, however, neither reached the third round. “I felt like this was a match that I was most likely going to win,” Venus said. “I’m sure – I don’t know how Serena felt, but I’m sure she feels like that every time she goes on the court. So I think our expectation was to play in the next round.” Instead, it was their conquerors – Garbiñe Muguruza beat Serena, 19-year-old Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia ousted Venus – who met in the third round with Muguruza winning 6-2 6-4. “I think she played really well and she played really smart,” Serena said of Muguruza. Asked about her 2014 campaign so far, Serena said: “My first few months I don’t think have been great at all. I haven’t gotten past the fourth round of a Grand Slam this year. I have a couple words to describe it, but I think that would be really inappropriate so I’m going to leave it at that.”

STREAK ENDS

One by one, Roger Federer’s incredible records are coming to an end. His streak of nine consecutive quarterfinals at the French Open was ended by Ernests Gulbis of Latvia, who pounded out a 6-7 (5) 7-6 (3) 6-2 4-6 6-3 victory over the fourth-seeded Swiss. It was Federer’s earliest exit from Roland Garros since he was beaten in the third round by Gustavo Kuerten in 2004. Since then, Federer had reached the quarterfinals in a record 36 consecutive major tournaments, a streak that ended at Wimbledon last year when he was ousted in the second round. The Swiss master also has Grand Slam tournament streaks of 10 consecutive finals and 23 straight semifinals. Even Gulbis was humbled by his victory over the 32-year-old Federer. “I’m sorry I had to win,” Gulbis told the crowd following the match. “I know all of you like Roger.”

SAY BYE-BYE

With the top two players, Serena Williams and Li Na, sitting on the sidelines, the road to the Roland Garros women’s singles title appeared to be wide open for the tournament’s number three seed, Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland. But those earlier upsets proved to be the boost the 21-year-old Ajla Tomljanovic of Croatia needed. “After seeing the two first seeds go out, you kind of feel you can do this too,” Tomljanovic said after knocking off Radwanska 6-4 6-4. “I grew up with these girls who are beating them. I went into the stadium for the first time, and she (Radwanska) kind of feels like home there, because she’s been there a lot more than I have. I went out there and inside I really thought I could win. I think that showed and it is why I won.”

STUMBLE BY STAN

He is the reigning Australian Open champion, a player who has posted victories over the top two players in the world this year. But the brilliant playmaking that has taken Stanislas Wawrinka to number three in the world was missing when he took to the court for his first-round match at Roland Garros. Two hours and 23 minutes later, Wawrinka had fallen to unheralded Spaniard Guillermo Garcia Lopez 6-4 5-7 6-2 6-0. Wawrinka became the highest seeded man to lose in the opening round at Roland Garros since third-seeded Andy Roddick lost to Igor Andreev in 2007. He also was the first Australian Open champion to lose in the first round of the subsequent Roland Garros since Petr Korda in 1998. Before the year’s second Grand Slam tournament began its two-week run, Wawrinka had been tabbed as possibly the first man to win the Australian Open and French Open back-to-back since Jim Courier in 1992. Instead, it was Wawrinka who self-destructed, making 62 unforced errors to just 28 for his opponent. “Now it’s a different picture for my career,” Wawrinka said. “I need to put the puzzle back together, but differently than in the past, because now, after winning a Grand Slam, a Masters 1000, being number 3 in the world, everything is different, and I still didn’t find all the pieces.”

SEESAW RESULTS

Li Na has a somewhat strange relationship with Roland Garros. It seems to be all or nothing. The Chinese star showed almost no clay-court prowess until she won the French Open in 2011, her first Grand Slam tournament title. Since then, however, she’s been backsliding in the only major tournament played on clay. She was ousted in the fourth round in 2012 when she was attempting to defend her title, then was upset in the second round last year. This year, Li Na was ousted in the first round by Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic 7-5 3-6 6-1. “I think doesn’t matter who plays today against me, I always lose the match today, because I don’t think she was put a lot of pressure from me,” Li said. “I think today just I gave it away for the match.” It was a career-best victory for the 21-year-old Mladenovic, whose ground strokes were consistently deep, keeping her opponent pinned behind the baseline. “I just tried to believe in myself and working really hard every day just to achieve and believe where she is and try one day to be up there,” Mladenovic said. “I had to be really calm and take my chances and being mentally strong … it was such a nice feeling to have such a big win here in front of my crowd.”

STANDING TOGETHER

The upsets weren’t limited to the singles draw in the first week at Roland Garros. French wildcards Julie Coin and Pauline Parmentier knocked off the defending women’s doubles champions Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina 6-3 5-7 6-3. In their two previous French Opens, Parmentier and Coin had never gone beyond the second round. Their win over the third-seeded team of Makarova and Vesnina put the French pair into the third round.

SINGLES FINALE

Michaël Llodra’s singles career ended at Roland Garros. The Frenchman lost to Spain’s Fernando Verdasco 6-2 7-6 (4) 7-6 (3). The 34-year-old reached the doubles final on the red clay at Paris a year ago with countryman Nicolas Mahut, and is still in this year’s doubles draw. He’s also playing mixed doubles at Roland Garros. But Mahut has announced that this will be his final year on the ATP World Tour, singles or doubles. “It’s not like I’m stopping after Roland Garros,” Llodra said. “I decided to play until the end of the year, so I didn’t think I’d feel a lot in terms of my emotions. But then people saw my emotion on the court, I probably am one of the most Parisian of all the French; I was here when I was five years old. At the beginning, of course, probably not to come and watch tennis, but to make paper airplanes on center court. And then I started as a junior, and then my first senior match. Then an incredible number of matches where it turned around and the tremendous pleasure shared with the crowd and the family.” His first main-draw match at Roland Garros was in 1999 against two-time champion Sergi Bruguera of Spain.

STRANGE FLAG

When Victor Estrella Burgos took to the court in his first-round match at Roland Garros, he became the first player from the Dominican Republic in more than a half-center to compete in a Grand Slam tennis tournament – and only the second to do so. The only other Dominican to compete in the main draw of a major was Manuel Morales, who lost in the first round of the 1956 French Open. “This day, I’ll remember. I’m never going to forget,” Estrella Burgos said of this year’s tournament. “When I get into the court I almost want to cry for the first time. There are so many people from the Dominican who come to see me.” In March, Estrella Burgos, who plays mostly on the lower-level Challenger tour, became the first Dominican to break into the top 100 of the ATP rankings. He turned pro in 2002, then stopped playing to work as a coach. After resuming his career, he considered retiring after injuring his right elbow two years ago. His first Grand Slam tournament appearance ended in a 6-1 6-4 6-7 (6) 6-4 loss to Jerzy Janowicz of Poland.

SURFACE SWITCH

Stanislas Wawrinka wants to atone for his surprising loss on the red clay of Roland Garros. But he’s seeking his atonement on the grass courts of The Queen’s Club in London. After his brief stint in Paris, Wawrinka accepted a wild-card entry into the Aegon Championships, a grass-court warm-up event for Wimbledon. The Australian Open champion, Wawrinka joins a field in the London tournament that includes Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, Tomas Berdych, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Grigor Dimitrov and four-time winner Lleyton Hewitt. “I love London,” Wawrinka said. “I love the atmosphere, it is an important tournament with a lot of history, and playing at The Queen’s club gives me the best possible chance to become comfortable on grass.”

SHARING A SEAT

Like all tennis professionals, when he’s on the court during a match Novak Djokovic is unrelenting in trying to beat his opponent. But when rain suspended play in his match against Joao Sousa, Djokovic sat down while a ball boy stood over him with an umbrella. Djokovic had the young man join him on the bench, then held the umbrella over them both while the young man held the Serb’s racquet. When play resumed, the two shook hands and Djokovic went to the baseline while his most recent companion returned to ball boy duties.

SICK BAY

Kei Nishikori probably shouldn’t have even tried to play Roland Garros this season. After all, he had suffered a hip injury in the Madrid Open final two weeks ago. He underwent treatment in Florida before flying back to Europe for the year’s second Grand Slam tournament. His movement was visibly hampered in his 7-6 (4) 6-1 6-2 first-round loss to Slovak Martin Klizan. “I’m actually happy to finish the match,” Nishikori said. “I was really disappointed that my performance was – I mean, not very bad, but it wasn’t a perfect match for me today. And I didn’t have much practice. So I knew this is going to be happen.” The first Japanese man to be ranked in the top 10 in the world, Nishikori had appeared to be a strong challenger for this year’s Roland Garros title. After all, he won his first clay-court title last month, the Barcelona Open, and reached the Madrid Open final by defeating David Ferrer in the semifinals. In the title match he led Rafael Nadal by a set and a break, 6-2 4-2, before retiring with the injury. It wasn’t the first time injuries have derailed Nishikori’s career. He had right elbow surgery in 2009 and an abdominal injury forced him to skip Roland Garros in 2012. “It’s tough for me, but I guess this is my tennis life, you know,” he said. “I have to take care of my body and injury will come again, for sure. So I have to mentally be ready. I have to do whatever I can do to get healthy.”

SOLACE, PERHAPS?

Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki found a way to forget about their quick exits from the French Open. The two players – Williams the current number one and Wozniacki a former number one – flew from Paris to Miami, Florida, USA, where they attended Game 6 of the National Basketball Association’s Eastern Conference playoffs. The Miami Heat beat the Indiana Pacers 117-92 to return to the NBA Finals for the fourth consecutive year. After the game, Wozniacki posted a photo of her and Williams posing with the Heat’s Greg Oden.

SURFING

Paris: www.rolandgarros.com

Prostejov: www.czech-open.cz

Marseille: www.tennisclubmarseille.fr

Halle: www.gerryweber-open.de

London: www.lta.org.uk

Birmingham: http://www.lta.org.uk/

Caltanissetta: www.atpcaltanissetta.com/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

Roland Garros, Paris, France, clay (second week)

$145,242 UniCredit Czech Open, Prostejov, Czech Republic, clay

WOMEN

Roland Garros, Paris, France, clay (second week)

$100,000 Open Féminin de Marseille, Marseille, France, clay

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$968,182 Gerry Weber Open, Halle, Germany, grass

$968,182 Aegon Championships, London, Great Britain, grass

$145,021 Caltanissetta, Italy, clay

WOMEN

$644,900 Aegon Classic, Birmingham, Great Britain, grass

Novak Djokovic, Flavia Pennetta Capture BNP Paribas Open Titles – Mondays with Bob Greene

March 17, 2014 by Admin

By Bob Greene

STARS

BNP Paribas Open

Indian Wells, California, USA

Men’s singles: Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer 3-6 6-3 7-6 (3)

Women’s singles: Flavia Pennetta beat Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2 6-1

Men’s doubles: Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan beat Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares 6-4 6-3

Women’s doubles: Hsieh Su-Wei and Peng Shuai beat Cara Black and Sania Mirza 7-6 (5) 6-2

OTHER

Lukas Rosol beat Steve Johnson 6-0 6-3 to win the Irving Tennis Classic in Irving, Texas, USA

Thomas Enqvist beat Stefan Edberg 6-2 6-3 to win the Kings of Tennis in Stockholm, Sweden

SAYING

“Today was my day and I really enjoyed this moment. After so many years of working hard, this is the best moment.” – Flavia Pennetta, who won the BNP Paribas Open women’s singles title.

“Personally, I’m very happy. I think I’m playing great tennis now and I’m really enjoying myself. Of course, I would have liked to have more won a few more points at the end but Novak made it tough, so congratulations to him for winning.” – Roger Federer, after falling to Novak Djokovic in the final at Indian Wells.

“The disappointing feeling always comes first, especially when you really, really have ambition to win the tournament. Of course, still good two weeks. First final here. Big event. And still good result. But it’s always disappointing that I really couldn’t play my 100 percent today.” – Agnieszka Radwanska, after losing to Flavia Pennetta.

“I just went for the winner.” – Alexandr Dolgopolov, who rifled a forehand on match point to upset top-ranked and defending champion Rafael Nadal.

“I am fine with the back. I didn’t have bad feelings with my back. The bad feelings were with the forehand and the backhand.” – Rafael Nadal, referring to his back injury at the Australian Open after losing to Alexandr Dolgopolov at the BNP Paribas Open.

“We are old, but we still good athletes. We are strong. We have so many years on the tour, and we know how to handle the emotion and everything.” – Flavia Pennetta.

“To get broken two consecutive times in that situation isn’t good enough. I played poor tennis at that stage. I didn’t make enough balls (and) missed easy shots … So over the course of the set, if you give up enough unforced errors on basic shots, then with the amount of free points he gets on his serve, that’s going to add up to a negative result.” – Andy Murray, following his 4-6 7-5 6-3 loss to Milos Raonic.

“We’re the number one team, and people may know us more now, but we still feel the same as before. All of this is nice because it helps us become more confident and believe in ourselves more on the court, and we’re more motivated now. too, but nothing has changed. We’re still the same people.” – Peng Shuai, who with partner Hsieh Su-Wei has never lost once they reach the final.

“We’ve known each other a very long time. Sometimes we don’t practice together – like at Wimbledon we never practiced together – but every time we go on court together, we try every point. If she misses a shot, I give her support. When I miss, she supports me. It’s very important in doubles. When we get into a final, we don’t think, we just try every point. This is the key for us.” – Hsieh Su-Wei.

STANDING TALL

In a battle of giants, Novak Djokovic reigned supreme by edging Roger Federer and capture his first title of 2014, the BNP Paribas Open. “Today was an incredible match,” Djokovic said when he was presented with the winner’s trophy. “It was an incredibly difficult match. Roger is playing great and it’s always a pleasure playing with him.” If Federer was playing great, Djokovic was just a few points better. The Serb lost his opening service game and subsequently the first set. Then, serving for the match, he was broken again. That necessitated a tiebreak, which Djokovic won 7-3. “I would have liked to have won a few more points at the end, but Novak made it tough,” Federer said. The hard-fought win gave Djokovic his third title in the California desert tournament, one less than Federer. Despite the loss, Federer leads their head-to-head record 17-16.

SPECIAL TITLE

One year after contemplating retirement, Flavia Pennetta has won the biggest title of her career. “After so many years and so much work and everything, this is the moment I’ve always waited for,” the Italian said. Best known as a doubles player, Pennetta seriously considered quitting the tour last year when her ranking dropped and victories were few. But she reached the semifinals at the US Open last September and now has won one of the biggest titles outside of the four Grand Slam tournaments. “And it’s coming when you don’t expect it, because in the beginning of the week I never expected to be the champion or to be in the final or semifinal,” Pennetta said. The champion’s victory was made much easier when her opponent, Agnieszka Radwanska, struggled with a knee injury that severely limited her movement. The Pole called for a medical timeout early in the second set and received treatment twice. “I’m sorry I could run as much as I could,” Radwanska tearfully told the crowd. “But I had a great week; it was my first final here.

It’s disappointing to lose, but Flavia was just playing too good today.” Pennetta proved her run to the title wasn’t a fluke dependent on Radwanska’s injury. The Italian beat American Sloane Stephens in the quarterfinals and Australian Open champion Li Na in the semis. It was her 10^th career singles title, but her first in four years. “For me it was something I was waiting a long time, and finally I have a good trophy in my hands.”

SUPREME PAIR

It took 15 years for brothers Bob and Mike Bryan to win their first BNP Paribas Open doubles title. Now, the 35-year-old American twins have won two straight, beating in the final the second-seeded team of Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares. “It was a great couple weeks for us and for the sport of doubles,” Bob Bryan said. “We’re excited to win our hometown ATP Masters 1000 and play so well against Bruno and Alex, who continue to put up great results.” The Bryans, who were the top-seeded duo, improved their record to 7-1 against Peya and Soares as they increased their record number of doubles titles to 95. It was the third time this season that Peya and Soares finished as runners-up, matching their finishes at Doha and Auckland in January.

STILL PERFECT

When Hsieh Su-Wei and Peng Shuai reach the final, they are perfect. Hsieh and Peng increased their record to 11-0 together in WTA doubles finals. Their latest came in Indian Wells, where they stopped Cara Black and Sania Mirza in the BNP Paribas Open title match. The winning duo is currently the top-ranked doubles team in the world. Together they have captured Bali in 2008; Sydney, Rome and Beijing in 2009; Rome, Wimbledon, Cincinnati, Guangzhou and the WTA Championships last year, and Doha earlier this year. “We didn’t think about it,” Peng said when asked if they thought about their streak when they were on the court. “Every time we just try to fight every point.”

SURPRISE

The third round proved to be as far as top-ranked Rafael Nadal could get at the BNP Paribas Masters. The defending champion fell to Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3 3-6 7-6 (5) in the tournament’s biggest upset. Nadal had reached the semifinals at Indian Wells every year since 2006, winning the title in 2007, 2009 and last year. Dolgopolov, ranked 31^st in the world and from Ukraine, beat Nadal for the first time after five losses, including in the clay court final at Rio de Janeiro two weeks ago. Serving for the match at 5-3 in the third set, Dolgopolov was broken at love, the final point coming when he double-faulted. “The point was just not to get too nervous,” he said. “I knew he’s going to make me play that game and not miss much, and I just gave it away. That was all me. I just tried to forget about that and come back.” Dolgopolov thought he won the match with an ace, but the call being overturned on a challenge from Nadal. “I thought, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’” Dolgopolov said. “I was thinking he’s going to challenge because I didn’t really raise my hands up or anything after that ace because I knew it was close and I wasn’t sure it was on the line. Then I just tried to come back as fast as I could to the line so I didn’t have enough time to think about it and just serve and start the point.” Dolgopolov hot his second serve in and followed with a blistering forehand that Nadal couldn’t return. Point, game and match, Dolgopolov.

SENT PACKING

On the same day that Rafael Nadal was ousted from the BNP Paribas Open, Maria Sharapova was also sent packing in an upset. The fourth-seeded Russian fell to Italian qualifier Camila Giorgi, 6-3 4-6 7-5. “I did not play a good match at all,” Sharapova said. “She’s quite aggressive, but some shots she hit incredible for a long period of time. But, you know, if I’m speaking about my level, it was nowhere near where it should have been.”

SIDELINED

Injuries the past two years are keeping Victoria Azarenka from adding to the number of titles she has won at Key Biscayne, Florida, USA. A two-time winner of the event, Azarenka withdrew from this week’s tournament because of a lingering foot injury. Last year, she missed the event because of an ankle injury. After missing more than a month, Azarenka lost her opening match at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, USA

SWITCHEROO

Caroline Wozniacki is once again seeking a new coach – perhaps. Michael Mortensen was hired earlier this year, but last week told Danish newspaper Esktra Bladet that he no longer will be working with the right-hander. He noted that Wozniacki will continue working with her father. “I can’t do much more right now,” Mortensen said. “It’s better if the two of them continue working alone.” Mortensen, an experienced coach, said he wanted the player to make changes in her game, but she disagreed. “She wants to work on the things she emphasizes, and that’s totally fine,” Mortensen said. “There’s a lot of pressure on her and a lot of points she has to defend, and she wants to become familiar with her own game again.” Once ranked number one in the world, Wozniacki keeps returning to working with her father. Her previous coach, Thomas Hogstedt, also lasted only a few months.

SENIOR TOPPER

Defending champion Stefan Edberg didn’t stand a chance against fellow Swede Thomas Enqvist when the two clashed for the Kings of Tennis crown at Stockholm’s Waterfront Centre. Playing in his first final at the Stockholm event, the 40-year-old Enqvist kept Edberg back of the baseline, let alone the net. “I’m super happy to win this title,” Enqvist said. “I’m from Stockholm so I have a lot of friends and family here. It was always very special to play the Stockholm Open, and now to get to win this event in my home city is just as special.” It was the ninth ATP Champions Tour title for Enqvist, but his first since Rio de Janeiro in 2012. He now is jointly ranked atop the ATP Champions Tour rankings with Delray Beach Open champion Andy Roddick.

SPECIAL CEREMONY

An inductee into the International Tennis Hall of Fame last year, Charlie Pasarell has received his official Hall of Fame ring. Pasarell was presented with his ring in a special ceremony at the BNP Paribas Open by Hall of Fame Chairman Christopher Clouser, Hall of Fame President Stan Smith. Besides Smith, other Hall of Famers participating in the ceremony included Rod Laver, Donald Dell, Bud Collins, Butch Buchholz, Brad Parks, Rosie Casals, Roy Emerson and Mark Woodforde.

SCHOOL’S OUT

Eleven ATP World Tour players are recent graduates of the ATP University in Miami, Florida, USA. Players were schooled in media relations, finance, anti-corruption, marketing, rules and officiating, medical services, nutrition and giving back. The new graduates include Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic, Dominic Thiem of Austria, Guilherme Clezar of Brazil, Thomas Fabbiano of Italy, Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics, Frenchmen Guillaume Rufin and Pierre-Hugues Herbert, American Bradley Klahn, Kazakhstan’s Aleksandr Nedovyesov and Colombia’s Alejandro Gonzalez. Almost 900 players have graduated from the university since it was established in 1990.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Irving: Santiago Gonzalez and Scott Lipsky beat John-Patrick Smith and Michael Venus 4-6 7-6 (7) 10-7 (match tiebreak)

SURFING

Miami: www.sonyopentennis.com

Guadalajara: http://jalisco-open.com/

ATP: www.atpworldtour.com

WTA: www.wtatennis.com

International Tennis Federation: www.itftennis.com

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$4,720,390 Sony Open, Miami, Florida, USA, hard (first week)

WOMEN

$4,720,380 Sony Open, Miami, Florida, USA, hard (first week)

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$4,720,390 Sony Open, Miami, Florida, USA, hard (second week)

$100,000 Zurich Jalisco Open, Guadalajara, Mexico, hard

WOMEN

$4,720,380 Sony Open, Miami, Florida, USA, hard (second week)

Murray, Sharapova Thrive, Radwanska Falters in Olympic Tennis under Wimbledon Roof

July 29, 2012 by Admin

By Randy Walker

For the first time in 100 years, Olympic tennis was played indoors.

The roof on Centre Court at Wimbledon – complete with its own @WimbledonRoof Twitter profile – was closed Sunday on the second day of Olympic tennis as torrential rains hammered the All England Club.

It marked the first time since 1912 when the Stockholm Games had a separate indoor tennis event that Olympic tennis was played indoors. The 1912 and 1908 Olympic Games, curiously, held both indoor and outdoor tennis competitions.

Julia Goerges of Germany and No. 2 seed Agnieska Radwanska of Poland had the distinction of playing the historic first indoor match of the day at the All England Club, with Goerges registering the biggest upset so far of the Games defeating the 2012 Wimbledon runner-up 7-5, 6-7, 6-4.

Also under the Wimbledon roof, No. 4 seed Andy Murray, making his return to Centre Court three weeks after being the first Brit to reach the Wimbledon men’s final in 74 years, defeated Swiss flag-bearer Stan Wawrinka 6-3, 6-3. Murray and Warinka, in fact, played the first complete match under the roof in Wimbledon history back in 2009, Murray winning 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in a round of 16 match that concluded at 10:39 pm.

Maria Sharapova made her long-awaited Olympic debut also under the roof, defeating Israel’s Shahar Peer 6-2, 6-0. Sharapova said “I have been waiting for this moment since I was a little girl,” of her Olympic debut to Rennae Stubbs courtside following the match on Bravo TV. Sharapova did not compete in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, shortly after her breakthrough victory as a 17-year-old at Wimbledon, and was forced to withdraw from the 2008 Beijing Games due to her shoulder injury that hampered her career for the better part of two years.

With many first-round singles and doubles matches postponed due to the inclement weather, Olympic officials may become hard-pressed to finish the Olympic tennis event on time should rain further rain postpone a significant number of matches this week. For full Olympic tennis results and schedule information, go to www.ITFTennis.com.

When Olympic tennis was last played indoors back in 1912 in Stockholm, it was the most popular event of the Games with spectators lining up for three hours to get glimpses of the matches. The Swedish Royal family attended the matches daily. Andre Gobert of France was the surprise gold medalist in indoor men’s singles, defeating Britain’s Charles Dixon in the final. Dixon upset Wimbledon champion Tony Wilding of New Zealand in the semifinals – Wilding settling for a bronze medal. The women’s indoor tennis field only featured eight players, Edith Hannam of Britain emerging with the gold medal defeating Sophie Castenschiold of Denmark 6-4, 6-3 after trailing 0-3 in both sets.

As documented in the Kindle Ebook Olympic Tennis: An Historical Snapshot (available here for $2.99 http://www.amazon.com/Olympic-Tennis-Historical-Snapshot-ebook/dp/B008EOXW40/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343581861&sr=1-1&keywords=Olympic+Tennis) at the 1908 London Games, the indoor event was held in May at the Queens Club, while the All England Club on Worple Road conducted an outdoor event after the Wimbledon Championships were held in July. At the indoor event, Great Britain and Sweden were the only competing nations as Britain’s Arthur Gore defeated teammate George Caridia to win the gold medal in men’s singles. Gore would follow up his Olympic success by winning the men’s singles title at Wimbledon two months later. In women’s singles, Gladys Eastlake-Smith beat countrywomen Alice Greene to win gold, then got married two days later!

Record 24 Aces Lift Serena Williams Into Wimbledon Final

July 5, 2012 by Admin

By Randy Walker

Serena Williams blitzed her way into her seventh Wimbledon final Thursday, firing a new Wimbledon record – and all-time record tying – 24 aces in her 6-3, 7-6 (6) victory over Victoria Azarenka.

Williams, seeded No. 6, will be seeking her fifth Wimbledon title – equaling the number her old sister Venus Williams won – against Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska, seeded No. 3.

Radwanska became the first Pole since Jadwiga Jedrzejowka in 1937 to reach the Wimbledon final with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Angelique Kerber.

Williams broke her own Wimbledon ace record of 23, set during her 6-7, 6-2, 9-7 third-round win Saturday over Jie Zheng of China. Her 24 aces equals the all-time record set by Kaia Kanepi, who hit 24 in a first-round win over Lucie Safarova in Tokyo in 2008.

Williams has served 85 aces in her six matches so far at Wimbledon, four shy of the all-time Wimbledon record, according to THE BUD COLLINS HISTORY OF TENNIS (available here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0942257707?ie=UTF8&tag=newchapre-20&linkCode=shr&camp=213733&creative=393185&creativeASIN=0942257707&ref_=sr_1_1&s=books&keywords=bud%20collins%20history%20of%20tennis&qid=1341500938&sr=1-1)

“Watching Serena Williams serve when she is in peak form is astonishing,” wrote tennis historian Steve Flink in his new book THE GREATEST TENNIS MATCHES OF ALL TIME (available here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0942257936?ie=UTF8&tag=newchapre-20&linkCode=shr&camp=213733&creative=393185&creativeASIN=0942257936&ref_=sr_1_1&keywords=Greatest%20tennis%20matches%20of%20all%20time&qid=1341504389&sr=8-1) where he ranks the Serena Williams first serve No.1 of all time. “Her motion is the most natural of any woman player I have ever seen. Her toss is reliable, her velocity impressive, her ability to rack up free points ever apparent. It is a daunting first serve, delivered with power and panache. As the serve goes, so goes Serena Williams.”

Williams sealed what some are calling one of the finest women’s matches ever played on Centre Court with her 24^th ace at seven points to six in the second-set tiebreker. The 24 aces is the equivalent of six games, half the amount of games required to win a straight-set match.

“I have been working so hard,” said a cheerful Williams to the BBC after the match. “I really wanted it.”

Williams is coming into Wimbledon after a shock first-round upset in the first round of the French Open last month to Virginie Razzano. She returned to tennis last summer after a year off the circuit after suffering from a serious foot injury, sustained while cutting her foot on a broken glass at a restaurant in Germany in July of 2010. She also suffered from a near-fatal hematoma and pulmonary embolism last year. She has won 13 major singles title, but not one since Wimbledon in 2010.

Williams lead the match 6-3, 3-1, but was broken back in the sixth game by Azarenka, regarded as one of the best serve-returners ever in women’s tennis.

“Victoria is a great player,” said Williams. “She was playing really well. I was getting tight there in the second set. I was happy to get through that second set tiebreak.”

Radwanska won five straight games to claim the first set and held on with her steady style of play to advance into her first career major singles final.

“This is a dream from when I was kid,” said Radwanska. “Everybody’s dream is to play the final of a Grand Slam.”

Said Williams of facing Radwanska Saturday for the women’s title, “She’s going to get every ball back. I am so happy I have gotten this far.”

Alexander Zverev Shocks Novak Djokovic to Win ATP Finals – Mondays with Bob Greene

Agnieszka Radwanska Captures WTA Finals Singapore, Roger Federer Wins Basel – Mondays with Bob Greene

American David Haggerty Takes Over ITF Helm – Mondays with Bob Greene

Roger Federer Wins 1,000th Career Match and 83rd Title – Mondays with Bob Greene

Martina Navratilova, Justin Gimelstob Join Coaching Ranks – Mondays with Bob Greene

Now That She’s Beaten Cancer, Vicky Duval’s Returning To Tennis – Mondays with Bob Greene

Shockers Shred Women’s Draw, Swiss Men at Roland Garros – Mondays with Bob Greene

Novak Djokovic, Flavia Pennetta Capture BNP Paribas Open Titles – Mondays with Bob Greene

Murray, Sharapova Thrive, Radwanska Falters in Olympic Tennis under Wimbledon Roof

Record 24 Aces Lift Serena Williams Into Wimbledon Final

Contact Us

Recent

Search

Radwanska

Footer

Contact Us

Recent

Search