By Bob Stockton
* A revolutionary new technique will be implemented at the All England Club in 2012 that will allow the facility to resurface its grass courts for the London Olympics, which will be held on the same courts just two weeks after the conclusion of Wimbledon. Wimbledon’s courts have traditionally turned from pristine green lawns to scuffed up patches of dirt after two-weeks of play during the Championships. However, the All England Club’s head groundsman Eddie Seaward has been experimenting with a new system that he is confident will ensure that there are no problems for London 2012. He sowed a fresh batch of rye grass on July 5, the day after this year’s Wimbledon finished, and reported a successful result by the 19. Grass courts traditionally deteriorate faster than other surfaces, particularly after prolonged periods of use, and there were fears that the courts will be in a poor state when the Olympics take place at the historic venue.
Debbie Jevans, head of the 2012 Olympic tennis competition, said during a press briefing, “Following recent Wimbledon Championships, they have been able to get the court into top condition straight away and in 2012, they will look at planting a fresh batch of fast growing grass straight after Wimbledon. Every test they have done so far to recover the grass courts suggests that the court will be fine for the Olympics. Following recent Wimbledon Championships, they have been able to get the court into top condition straight away and in 2012, they will look at planting a fresh batch of fast growing grass straight after Wimbledon. Every test they have done so far to recover the grass courts suggests that the court will be fine for the Olympics.”
The tennis tournament at Wimbledon will take place during the first week of the Games while the All England Club will be hosting Olympic tennis for the first time since 1908.
* The Swiss Indoors has been told by the ATP World Tour that Davidoff, the tobacco company that has been a 17-year title sponsor of the event, cannot extend its affiliation with the event, due to worldwide laws restricting tobacco advertising on television. The tournament, played in the hometown of Roger Federer, was promoted in status last year to an ATP 500-level event, giving the tour central control over TV rights. The 2009 Swiss Indoors was broadcast in 150 countries and had a six-fold increase in ratings, but the sponsor’s name was dropped during transmissions.
* James Blake, who grew up in Fairfield, Conn., accepted a wild-card entry into the Pilot Pen tournament in New Haven, Conn. “Adding James Blake, a two-time champion and hometown favorite, to our field is one of the best ways to strengthen our player field even more,” said tournament director Anne Worcester.
* Mercedes-Benz will be honored for its ongoing contribution to tennis with the Joseph F. Cullman 3rd Award by the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum, at the 30th annual “Legends Ball” on Friday, September 10, 2010 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. This special night of celebration will also honor a host of tennis luminaries including Martina Navratilova, who will receive the Eugene L. Scott Award and the Hall of Fame Class of 2010 – Todd Woodbridge, Mark Woodforde, Gigi Fernandez, Natasha Zvereva, Owen Davidson, wheelchair tennis pioneer Brad Parks and Derek Hardwick, former chairman of the British Lawn Tennis Association. The Joseph F. Cullman 3rd Award honors an exceptional company that shares Joe Cullman’s enthusiasm for tennis and has also made a significant contribution to society at large – both philanthropically and through outstanding generosity of spirit. Cullman served as President and Chairman of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum from 1982-88, a tenure during which the organization was elevated to worldwide recognition. He hoped that visits to the historic site would inspire young people to play tennis, learn and appreciate its history, and honor the great players of the past. Previous recipients of the award have been: BNP Paribas (2006); Rolex Watch U.S.A., Inc. (2007), Sony Ericsson (2008), and Tennis Channel (2009). “The wise investment that Mercedes-Benz has made in tennis has been integral to the growth of the sport around the world,” said Christopher E. Clouser, chairman of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum. “They have been and continue to be avid supporters of tennis. For that we are proud to honor them alongside the other great champions and legends of the game.” For tickets, sponsorship opportunities, or to learn more about the event, call 212-843-1740 or e-mail legendsball@hgnyc.com.
* Cliff Richey, former U.S. No. 1, Davis Cup hero and author of the book ACING DEPRESSION: A TENNIS CHAMPION’S TOUGHEST MATCH ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.CliffRicheyBook.com) will be speaking about overcoming obstacles in life and his fight with depression at 3 pm on Sunday, August 15 at the Westwood First Presbyterian Church, 3011 Harrison Ave, Cincinnati, Ohio. Richey will also sign be selling and signing copies of his book, which has been met with rave reviews. Richey is also expected to appear on site at the Western and Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati on Monday, August 16 at the ACE AUTHENTIC booth on site at the event.
* The USTA conducted a tennis clinic featuring the QuickStart play format on the White House South Lawn alongside USTA Chairman of the Board and President Lucy S. Garvin, World Team Tennis Washington Kastles owner, Mark Ein, world No. 20 Sam Querrey, and doubles team Bob and Mike Bryan on Tuesday, August 3. The event was part of the South Lawn Series, a summer-long series of events that brings local children, sports leagues and community programs together to the South Lawn in support of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to combat childhood obesity.
* The USTA announced that the Opening Night Ceremony for the 2010 US Open will celebrate those who Dream, Succeed and Inspire. The night will feature tributes to tennis greats Martina Navratilova and James Blake, wheelchair tennis star Esther Vergeer and USTA member Dori Samadzai-Bonner who has embraced tennis since coming to this country from her native Afghanistan. The primetime ceremony, will be hosted by Christiane Amanpour, host of ABC News’ “This Week,” and will feature a special musical performance by award-winning performer Gloria Estefan. Navratilova, a four-time US Open singles champion and the most prolific winner in the history of the sport, recently defeated her toughest opponent in breast cancer. Born in Czechoslovakia, Navratilova sought political asylum in the U.S. in 1975, then changed the face of women’s tennis with an aggressive game and a inspirational desire to be the best. Navratilova brought this same zeal to her fight with cancer, and will put an exclamation mark on her triumph when she climbs Tanzania’s Mt. Kilimanjaro in December. Blake, a long-time US Open fan favorite and Davis Cup champion, grew up with scoliosis, which forced him to wear a back brace for 18 hours a day as a youth, and later made a triumphant return to the men’s tour after he fractured his neck in 2004 when he collided with a net post during practice. Blake has been a professional tennis player since 1999, when he left Harvard to pursue his dream of becoming a professional tennis player. Vergeer, perhaps the most dominant female athlete in all of sports, has been confined to a wheelchair since the age of eight, when she lost the ability to use her legs after undergoing surgery for a spinal defect and brain hemorrhage. She began playing wheelchair tennis at age 12, and has not lost a singles match since January 2003, an incredible unbeaten streak of 390 matches. She will look to continue her inspirational streak by successfully defending her singles and doubles titles at the 2010 US Open Wheelchair Tennis Competition, which will be held September 9 to 12 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Samadzai-Bonner grew up in Afghanistan where girls were barred from taking parts in sports of any kind. She dreamed of coming to America, and succeeded after a lengthy trip that brought her here via stops in India and Thailand. Now a resident of Montgomery, AL, and a USTA member, she discovered tennis as a senior in high school and has been playing ever since. “Tennis instantaneously became my escape from the years of misery I lived through simply because I was born a girl,” she says. Following the on-court tribute to the four inspirational individuals, 7-time Grammy-Award winning singer/songwriter Gloria Estefan will perform the inspiring song, “Reach” which was written as the Official Theme Song to the XXVI Olympic Games. The song is a fitting capstone to this special night. Estefan’s own story is one of dreams, success and inspiration, as she immigrated to the United States from her native Cuba and came back from a life-threatening accident to become one of the most revered Hispanic female role models. Estefan has received numerous recognitions and honors, and in 1992, she was invited by President George Bush to serve as a public member of the United States Delegation to the 47th General Assembly to the United Nations. In addition, she was the first-ever Latin female to receive the BMI “Songwriter of the Year” award. Estefan sold over 90 million albums world-wide and has composed 15 of her own Top 10 Hits. She has written international hit songs recorded by renowned artists such as Shakira and Jennifer Lopez
* Tennis Channel, the only 24-hour, television-based multimedia destination dedicated to both the professional sport and tennis lifestyle, will chronicle the renovation of Centennial Tennis Center in Nashville, Tenn., on its new program, Community Surface, which will air Monday, Sept. 13, at 7:30 p.m. ET – the day after the 2010 US Open. The half-hour Community Surface built by SportMaster will take viewers behind the scenes as Tennis Channel, court-resurfacing company and presenting sponsor SportMaster, and the United States Tennis Association (USTA), renovate the public tennis facility that was badly damaged in Nashville’s May floods. During the national headline-grabbing storms, 36 inches of rain destroyed many of the 19 courts at Centennial Tennis Center which, due to insufficient repair funds, has left them unplayable and closed so far this summer. Following a week of repairs in August, members of the Nashville tennis community will be able to enjoy these courts again for the first time since the spring catastrophe. “By showcasing how the makeover of just one public center can rejuvenate an entire tennis community, we hope Tennis Channel can inspire others to work together to improve their local facilities or help with other tennis needs,” said Laura Hockridge, vice president, original programming, Tennis Channel. “Three-fourths of our viewers also play tennis recreationally, and this program is a natural reflection of the grass-roots connections that exist all over our country.” Hosted by writer and television personality Touré, who also hosts Fuse TV’s Hiphop Show and On the Record, the program is being taped in Nashville Aug. 10-18. Centennial Tennis Center’s courts will be sealed off with privacy screens during the renovation, with local dignitaries and key members of the tennis community on hand for the grand revelation Wednesday, Aug. 18.