Volvo Car Open

Two Events, Two Victories For Lleyton Hewitt On The Invesco Series QQQ Circuit

April 8, 2019 by Admin

It’s been two events and two victories for Lleyton Hewitt in his Invesco Series QQQ career. The former world No. 1, Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion and still part-time doubles specialist on the ATP Tour won his second career title on the North American tennis circuit for champion tennis players over the age of 30 Saturday night defeating Andy Roddick 6-2 in the one-set title match to win the Invesco Legends Charleston, played in conjunction with the WTA Tour’s Volvo Car Open.

Hewitt, 38, made his Invesco Series QQQ debut last July in Newport, R.I. on the grass courts at the International Tennis Hall of Fame defeating James Blake in the semifinals and Tommy Haas in the final. Saturday night on clay in Charleston, Hewitt remained undefeated on the Series by dominating with his grinding baseline game that earned him 30 career ATP singles titles.

Hewitt and Roddick played 14 times during their ATP Tour career, each player winning seven matches and Hewitt was able to move ahead in the bragging rights department with his victory in their first Invesco Series meeting. Roddick joked that he was not looking forward to playing Hewitt in the final saying “I know Lleyton plays like 40 weeks a year” and remembering their hard-fought slug-fest matches from their ATP days, including a memorable five-set quarterfinal night match in 2001, won by Hewitt en route to winning his first major title. Hewitt played his last career ATP singles match at the 2016 Australian Open, losing in the second round to David Ferrer. He played nine doubles events in 2018, along with his one Invesco Series appearance, and so far in 2019 he has played four events. While serving as Australia’s Davis Cup captain, he has managed to earn an ATP doubles ranking of No. 228.

Roddick is playing his sixth season on the Invesco Series after retiring from the ATP Tour in 2012 and was seeking his 18^th career title on Series and his first since beating James Blake in the title match in Los Angeles in October of 2017. Saturday marked the second straight year that Roddick lost in the Charleston final. In 2018, he was defeated by Tommy Haas 6-1 in the title match.

En route to the final, Hewitt beat 54-year-old Mats Wilander 6-3 while Roddick beat 48-year-old Jim Courier 6-4. Hewitt said he grew up idolizing Wilander, who won his first major title at the French Open at 17 years old in 1982 when Hewitt was one year old. “This was the first time we ever hit balls together so it was a lot of fun,” said Hewitt. Roddick’s win over Courier moved him to a perfect 7-0 against the two-time French and Australian Open champion on the Invesco Series. Quipped Roddick of the win, “I got a little lucky. I’m just not that good anymore.”

The Invesco Series QQQ circuit continues Sunday, May 5 in Maui at the Royal Lahaina Resort at the Hawaii Champions Cup with John McEnroe, Mardy Fish, Tommy Haas and Michael Chang in the field Earlier this season, Tommy Haas kicked off the 2019 Invesco Series QQQ circuit in January by defeating Roddick 7-6 (2) in the title match at the Oracle Champions Cup in Newport Beach, California. James Blake won the second event of the season on Thursday at the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Fla., defeating Courier 6-3 in the final. Through three events so far in 2019, there is a four-way tie for the top spot in the year-long Invesco Series QQQ points rankings with Haas, Blake, Hewitt and Roddick all having 400 points.

The remaining 2019 Invesco Series QQQ schedule is as follows:

Maui, HI – May 5 (Royal Lahaina Resort): John McEnroe, Mardy Fish, Tommy Haas, Michael Chang

Newport, RI – July 21 (International Tennis Hall of Fame): Todd Martin, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Jim Courier, Mats Wilander

Boston, MA – September 7 (Venue and Players TBA)

Toronto, ON – September 26 (Mattamy Athletic Centre): Players TBA

Orlando, FL – Date and Venue TBA: Players TBA

Los Angeles, CA – Date and Venue TBA: Players TBA

Austin, TX – November 15: Venue and Players TBA

In 2018, Blake won his first Invesco Series QQQ year-long points championship by winning titles in Winston-Salem, New Haven and Houston, while also finishing as runner-up in Los Angeles and Orlando.

In 2017, the year-long points championship was decided in the final match of the season when Andy Roddick defeated James Blake in the Los Angeles final at the Sherwood Country Club. Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion and world No. 1, won four Invesco Series QQQ titles in all in 2017, winning in Birmingham, Ala., Chicago, Lincoln, Neb., and Los Angeles. Blake, the former world No. 4 and former U.S. Davis Cup star, won series titles in Charleston, S.C., Winston-Salem, N.C. and in Lynchburg, Va.

In 2016, Mark Philippoussis won the Series points title with 1600 points and tournament titles in Memphis, Tulsa, Newport, Winston-Salem and New Haven. Roddick finished in second place, also earning 1600 points but losing the head-to-head tiebreaker with Philippoussis 5-2, while winning titles in Charleston, St. Louis, Los Angeles and Orlando. Blake finished in third place with 1100 points and tournament titles in Chicago, Portland and Brooklyn.

In 2015, Roddick won the Series points title in his second year of competing on the series with 1,600 points. Roddick won a record eight events Los Angeles, Lincoln, Chicago, Austin, Little Rock, Dallas, Richmond and Minneapolis. Blake finished second in the points rankings with 1,200 points, winning events in Boston and Cincinnati. Philippoussis finished in third with 1,100 points, winning titles in Salt Lake City and Vancouver. The year before in 2014, McEnroe won the points title for the first time in the nine-year history of Invesco Series QQQ tennis by winning events in Kansas City, Indianapolis, Nashville and Charlotte.

ABOUT INSIDEOUT SPORTS + ENTERTAINMENT

InsideOut Sports + Entertainment is a Los Angeles based producer of proprietary events and promotions founded in 2004 by former world No. 1 and Hall of Fame tennis player Jim Courier and former SFX and Clear Channel executive Jon Venison. In 2005, InsideOut launched its signature property, the Champions Series, a collection of tournaments featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including “Legendary Night” exhibitions, The World Series of Beach Volleyball and numerous corporate outings. Since inception, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment has raised over $5 million for charity. In 2014, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment merged with Horizon Media, the largest privately held media services agency in the world. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or InvescoSeries.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

ABOUT HORIZON MEDIA

Horizon Media, Inc. is the largest and fastest growing privately held media services agency in the world. The company was founded in 1989, is headquartered in New York and has offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Chicago. Horizon Media was chosen as 2011 Independent Media Agency of the Year by Mediapost, 2010 U.S. Media Agency of the Year by Adweek, Brandweek, and Mediaweek as well as by Ad Age and as one of the world’s ten most innovative marketing and advertising companies by Fast Company in 2011. In 2012, Bill Koenigsberg, President, CEO and Founder, was honored by Advertising Age as Industry Executive of the Year. Most recently, in 2014, Bill Koenigsberg was named 4As Chair of the Board and is the first person from a media agency to hold this prestigious position in the 100 year history of the 4As, the marketing industry’s leading trade association. The company’s mission is “To create the most meaningful brand connections within the lives of people everywhere.” By delivering on this mission through a holistic approach to brand marketing, Horizon Media has become one of the largest and fastest-growing media agencies in the industry, with estimated billings of over $5.3 billion and over 1,200 employees. The company is also a founding member of Columbus Media International, a multi-national partnership of independent media agencies. For more information, pleasevisithorizonmedia.com.

ABOUT INVESCO

Invesco Ltd. is an independent investment management firm dedicated to delivering an investment experience that helps people get more out of life. NYSE: IVZ; Invesco.com, Invesco Distributors, Inc. is the US distributor for Invesco Ltd. and is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Invesco Ltd.”

Madison Keys Solves Caroline Wozniacki, Wins Volvo Car Open – Mondays with Bob Greene

April 8, 2019 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Madison Keys beat Caroline Wozniacki 7-6 (5) 6-3 to win the Volvo Car Open in Charleston, South Carolina, USA

Garbiñe Muguruza beat Victoria Azarenka 6-1 3-1 retired to win the Abierto GNP Seguros women’s singles in Monterrey, Mexico

Alexander Bublik beat Emilio Gomez 6-3 6-2 to win the Abierto GNP Seguros men’s singles in Monterrey, Mexico

DAVIS CUP

Group II, First Round

Americas: Peru beat El Salvador 3-2 at Santa Tecia, El Salvador

Asia/Oceania: Thailand beat Philippines 3-1 at Nonthaburi, Thailand

Europe/Africa: Romania beat Zimbabwe 4-1 at Piatra Neamt, Romania; Lithuania beat Morocco 3-2 at Marrakech, Morocco

SAYINGS

“More than anything I really trusted my game and went for my shots.” – Madison Keys, after winning the Volvo Car Open.

“It’s all those feelings I missed so much: the adrenaline, the nerves, the excitement, everything. You can’t recreate that outside of the arena.” – Shelby Rogers, playing in her first tournament since undergoing knee surgery in March 2018.

“I’m on the right track, but there are a lot of young players playing well. The ultimate dream is to win a Grand Slam and be number one.” – Felix Auger-Aliassime, after being complemented by Roger Federer.

“When you get an award for the career you spent your whole life in, it’s such a big honor. It’s especially nice because I’ll be getting the award in Paris. It’s a place that is special and I always loved playing there.” – Gabriela Sabatini, after being named the 2019 Philippe Chatrier Award recipient.

STRONG PERFORMANCE

Trusting in her own game, Madison Keys wrapped up a winning week by overpowering Caroline Wozniacki and winning a WTA title for the first time in nearly two years. “I just knew the games I was losing in the first set I was just being too tentative and not really trusting my shot,” said the 24-year-old American. “I just knew I had to go for it. I think that’s how I have to play … 100 percent believing in my game.” It was Keys’ first clay court title and her fourth career crown. The triumph also completed an excellent week in which Keys defeated three Grand Slam tournament champions – Jelena Ostapenko, Sloane Stephens and Wozniacki. In a match that had just three breaks of serve, Keys fired 45 winners to 38 unforced errors. Wozniacki had just seven winner and 15 unforced errors. “I think I served really well today, and I definitely think I kept a lot of pressure on (Wozniacki),” Keys said. “I think I returned well. So that a combination of still going for my shots and trying to be aggressive and really make her play her best tennis, I think, was the difference.” Keys broke her Danish opponent to go up 4-2 in the second set, and when she held for a 5-2 lead, she was just one game away from the title.

SPANISH GOLD

Garbiñe Muguruza had a commanding 6-1 3-1 lead in Monterrey, Mexico, when Victoria Azarenka retired with a leg injury, giving the Spaniard her second straight Abierto GNP Seguros title. While Muguruza had a lopsided score, Azarenka made her work for every point and every game. In both the fourth and sixth games of the match, Muguruza saved three break points before holding. The Spaniard converted four of 10 break points while hitting 16 winners to 11 unforced errors. Azarenka was unable to convert any of her six break points, while committing 22 unforced errors against 13 winners. The Belarusian received treatment on her leg during a medical timeout between sets. Her movement was significantly hampered in the second set, but was able to save break points to hold for 1-1 in the second set. Two games later, Azarenka retired. It was Azarenka’s first final since she won the Miami Open in 2016. It was the first time Muguruza had defending a WTA singles title as she gathered her seventh career title.

SICK CALL

An injured foot has caused top-seeded John Isner to withdraw from this week’s US Men’s Clay Court Championship. “It is very disappointing to not compete there this year,” said Isner, who was hurt in the final of the Miami Open where he lost to Roger Federer. “I am hopeful that I will be back on the court in a few weeks.” With Isner on the sidelines, Steve Johnson becomes the top seed in the tournament. Johnson is attempting to become the first player to win the tournament three consecutive times since Bobby Riggs did it from 1936-38.

SHE’S A WINNER

Now that Naomi Osaka has the spoils – the US Open and Australian Open titles – she is reaping the rewards. The world’s top-ranked player has signed a deal with Nike and will first wear Nike gear at the Stuttgart Grand Prix later this month. The first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam tournament, Osaka said: “Nike has a legendary track record of writing history and I look forward to being a part of those moments for many years to come.” Osaka also has deals with Japanese airline All Nippon Airways, car manufacturer Nissan and watch company Citizen.

STRAIGHT IN

Teenager Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada has received a wildcard entry into the Madrid Masters. That came as a result of the 18-year-old reaching the Miami Open semifinals where he lost to John Isner. Because of his play in Miami, Auger-Aliassime rose 24 places to a career-high ranking of 33^rd in the world and is the youngest player in the world’s top 50. “I have great memories from my junior career at the Caja Magica, where I hope to produce some magic again,” the young Canadian said. The Madrid Masters starts on May 5.

SPECIAL HONOR

Argentina’s Gabriela Sabatini has been awarded the International Tennis Federation’s highest honor, the Philippe Chatrier Award. The 1990 US Open winner, Sabatini was ranked as high as third in the world and was in the top 10 for almost 10 years. She also won the Wimbledon doubles in 1988, the same year she won the silver medal at the Seoul Olympics. Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006, Sabatini retired in 1996 at the age of 26 with 27 singles titles and 14 doubles titles. She has spent the last two decades promoting tennis with UNICEF, UNESCO and at the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games last summer. The Philippe Chatrier Award is given to individuals and organizations that gave tribute to tennis on and off the court. “The ITF Board of Directors are delighted to award the ITF’s highest accolade to Gabriela, a great champion and inspirational role model who has given so much to the sport through her contributions to many organizations for the benefit of young people and aspiring tennis players around the world,” ITF President David Haggerty said. She will receive the award at the ITF’s annual dinner in Paris on June 4.

SO HAPPY SHE CRIED

She cried because it was such a special moment. “I don’t remember the last time I cried after winning a first set,” Shelby Rogers said after beating Russia’s Evgeniya Rodina 6-4 6-2 in the first round of the Volvo Car Open. “It’s kind of embarrassing, to be honest. It was a great moment. I enjoyed every second of it – even when I got broken. That’s part of it.” What made it so special was that it was Rogers’ first match since knee surgery in March 2018. And it came in her home city of Charleston, South Carolina, USA. It made no difference to Rogers that she lost in the second round to former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.

STADIUM NAME

St. Jakobshalle arena in Roger Federer’s hometown of Basel, Switzerland, will be renamed Roger Federer Arena. The only question is when. The arena is the site of the Swiss Indoors, a tournament Federer has won nine times. Basel city counselor Martina Bernasconi has launched a petition to change the name, saying Federer’s importance to his countrymen should be all that really matters. “He is the most popular ambassador of Switzerland,” she said. “Because he speaks the Basel dialect, people have a high identification with him. He was born in Basel and lived 16 years in this town, visited the school and his first tennis club was Old Boys Basel. He married (his wife Mirka) here and his parents live in Basel. All over the world, he is well known, so he is really popular, not only as a sportsman.” Bernasconi, however, concedes there are problems. The first is that Switzerland only honors someone after they have died. Then there’s that Federer gets paid for the use of his name. Asked if he was against the petition, Federer said: “No, I would be glad if it happened. But I also understand if it does not work. That’s what other people should decide, not me. That’s why I have not commented yet.

SWITCH

The men’s final at the Tokyo Olympics next year will be a best-of-tree tiebreak sets instead of best-of-five. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) said the change will bring the men’s gold medal match into line with other Olympic singles matches, which are all played as best-of-three sets. The ITF said the men’s and women’s doubles matches would feature a match tiebreak to 10 points when tied at one-set all, as is the case in mixed doubles. “These amendments reduce concerns of overplay for players who reach the latter stages of all three events – singles, doubles and mixed doubles,” the ITF said in a statement.

SENTENCED

Roger Federer owns his own initials again. The Swiss star will reclaim his famous “RF” logo from Nike after the company stopped selling merchandise featuring the mark, according to Tennis Now. When Federer switched from Nike to Japanese label Uniqlo last year, he was unable to immediately use the “RF” logo since Nike had registered its trademark and owned the rights to it. According to the report, now that Nike has stopped selling “RF” branded merchandise, Federer will regain control of his initials and logo.

SON FOR VERDASCO

Fernando Verdasco and his wife Ana Boyer are the parents of a boy. They named their first child Miguel in honor of Boyer’s father, who died in 2014. In order to stay in Madrid with his wife awaiting the birth, Verdasco missed both Indian Wells and the Miami Open. The pair married in 2017. She is the daughter of Filipino socialite and television host Isabel Preysler.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Charleston: Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Alicja Rosolska beat Irina Khromacheva and Veronika Kudermetova 7-5 6-2

Monterrey (men): Evan King and Nathan Pasha beat Santiago Gonzalez and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi 7-5 6-2

Monterrey (women): Asia Muhammad and Maria Sanchez beat Monique Adamczak and Jessica Moore 7-6 (2) 6-4

SURFING

Lugano: https://samsungopen.ch/

Houston: https://www.mensclaycourt.com/

Marrakech: https://www.frmt.ma/

Taipei: https://www.sportsv.net/tennis/santaizi

Lugano: https://samsungopen.ch/

Fed Cup: https://www.fedcup.com/

Monte Carlo: http://montecarlotennismasters.com/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

MEN

$662,173 Grand Prix Hassan II, Marrakech, Morocco, clay

$652,245 Fayez Sarofim & Co. US Men’s Clay Court Championship, Houston, Texas, USA, clay

$162,480 Taiwan Santaizi Challenger, Taipei, Taiwan, hard

WOMEN

$250,000 Claro Open Colsanitas, Bogota, Colombia, clay

$250,000 Samsung Open presented by Corner, Lugano, Switzerland, clay

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$6,261,660 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, Monte Carlo, clay

$162,480 Kunming Open, Anning, China, clay

$108,320 Elizabeth Moore Sarasota Open, Sarasota, Florida, USA, clay

FED CUP

World Group Semifinals

France vs. Romania at Rouen, France, clay

Australia vs. Belarus at Brisbane, Australia, hard

World Group Playoffs

Czech Republic vs. Canada at Prostejov, Czech Republic, clay; United States vs. Switzerland at San Antonio, Texas, USA, hard; Latvia vs. Germany at Riga, Latvia, hard; Belgium vs. Spain at Kortrijk, Belgium, hard

World Group II Playoffs

Russia vs. Italy at Moscow, Russia, clay; Japan vs. Netherlands at Osaka, Japan, hard; Great Britain vs. Kazakhstan at London, Great Britain, hard; Slovakia vs. Brazil at Bratislava, Slovakia, clay

Angelique Kerber Falls Again, This Time In Mexico – Mondays with Bob Greene

April 10, 2017 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Daria Kasatkina beat Jelena Ostapenko 6-3 6-1 to win the Volvo Car Open in Charleston, South Carolina

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova beat Angelique Kerber 6-4 2-6 6-1 to win the Abierto GNP Seguros in Monterrey, Mexico

DAVIS CUP

World Group Quarterfinals

Belgium beat Italy 3-2 at Charleroi, Belgium

Australia beat United States 3-2 at Brisbane, Australia

France beat Great Britain 4-1 at Rouen, France

Serbia beat Spain 4-1 at Belgrade, Serbia

Group I

Americas Zone, Second Round: Brazil beat Ecuador 5-0 at Ambato, Ecuador; Colombia beat Chile 3-1 at Medellin, Colombia

Asia/Oceania Zone, Second Round: Kazakhstan beat China 4-1 at Astana, Kazakhstan; India beat Uzbekistan 4-1 at Bangalore, India

Asia/Oceania Zone Relegation Playoff: New Zealand beat Korea 3-2 at Auckland, New Zealand

Europe/Africa Zone, Second Round: Netherlands beat Bosnia/Herzegovina 3-1 at Zenica, Bosnia/Herzegovina; Belarus beat Austria 3-1 at Minsk, Belarus; Portugal beat Ukraine 4-1 at Portugal, clay

Group II

Americas Zone, Second Round: Barbados beat Guatemala 3-2 at St. Michael, Barbados; Venezuela beat El Salvador 3-2 at Miami, Florida, USA

Americas Zone, Relegation Playoff: Mexico beat Paraguay 5-0 at Zapopan, Mexico; Bolivia beat Bahamas 3-1 at Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia

Asia/Oceania Zone, Second Round: Thailand beat Philippines 5-0 at Nonthaburi, Thailand

Asia/Oceania Zone, Relegation Playoff: Iran beat Vietnam 5-0 at Isfahan, Iran; Indonesia beat Kuwait 4-1 at Solo, Indonesia

Europe/Africa Zone, Second Round: Sweden beat Turkey 4-1 at Antalya, Turkey; Lithuania beat Georgia 3-2 at Tbilisi, Georgia; Denmark beat Norway 4-1 at Stavanger, Norway; South Africa beat Slovenia 5-0 at Centurion, South Africa

Europe/Africa Zone, Relegation Playoff: Tunisia beat Cyprus 4-1 at Nicosia, Cyprus; Finland beat Madagascar 3-2 at Hanko, Finland; Morocco beat Latvia 3-2 at Marrakech, Morocco; Estonia beat Monaco 3-2 at Tallinn, Estonia

Group III

Europe Zone at Sozopol, Bulgaria: Ireland and Luxembourg promoted to Europe/Africa Zone Group II in 2018

Group IV

Asia/Oceania Zone at Isa Town, Bahrain: Cambodia and Saudi Arabia promoted to Zone Group III in 2018

SAYING

“I was ready to be on the court five, six hours. Because it’s a final, I have to be ready for everything, but I’m happy that I finished it in, let’s say, an easy way. So, I am very happy and proud of myself.” – Daria Kasatkina, after winning her first WTA title, the Volvo Car Open.

“In doubles, you win and lose as a team. so you set shared goals. I never set out to be number one. You always try to improve and string together results to build up confidence. But it’s pretty cool to know I’ve got to number one.” – Henri Kontinen, the first player from Finland and the 50^th player to be ranked number one in the world in men’s doubles.

“Everything was going in. She was hitting the lines. Everything that could go her way today was going her way. All I could do was try my best, try my hardest to fight and try and get somewhat of a grip on it. But you know, it is what it is sometimes.” – Caroline Wozniacki, after losing to Jelena Ostapenko in the Volvo Car Open quarterfinals.

“He wants us to play every point, be focused on every point, even if it’s 0-40, 40-0. He just wants to win everything.” – Nicolas Mahut, explaining French Davis Cup captain Yannick Noah.

“I tried my best to think this could be the best match she’ll ever play in her life, honestly. I basically won the match but still lost.” – Venus Williams, after losing to Laura Siegemund in Charleston.

“It gives me a lot of confidence because I was pretty unlucky this year. I’ve had a lot of these kinds of matches, but I was losing them, and you start to doubt. Now I feel very confident on clay and I think I showed I still have some good tennis in my hands.” – Laura Siegemund, after beating Venus Williams.

“A simple phone call would have sufficed to tell me that I was not playing. A captain can have his style, but criteria for selection should be transparent. If it was form, I just won an event. That said, team is more important than me. Country is even bigger. My full support to the team.” – Leander Paes, disappointed after being passed over for a spot on India’s Davis Cup team in its tie against Uzbekistan.

“Indian tennis is far bigger than Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes, and it is important everyone around realizes that and acts accordingly.” – Mahesh Bhupathi.

“I mean, playing Serena, I’m not surprised. Playing Venus, I’m not surprised. And Federer is Federer.” – Madison Keys, when asked if she was surprised by the continued success of Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Roger Federer, all of whom are 35 or older.

“I’ve lived exactly how I’ve wanted to. I’ve tried my hardest every single time. I didn’t win the matches I should have always won, but I really gave it my all. That, for me, is enough.” – Venus Williams.

“I think my forehand, especially on the clay, is heavy. I think a lot of players find it difficult. For me, I love not finishing the point in one-two strokes, but a couple more. On clay that is easier for me. The sliding also.” – Kiki Bertens, who is delighted to be back playing on clay, her favorite surface.

“I think if you’re not enjoying it at this time, what are you doing it for? I don’t have necessarily anything to prove. If you can’t step on court and enjoy that feeling of hitting a winner or having a crowd cheer for you, it’s probably time to do something else.” – Samantha Stosur, the 2011 US Open champion.

SUPER TEENS

The future may have been on view at the Volvo Car Open. In an all-teenager final, the first in a WTA event since 2009, Daria Kasatkina stopped Jelena Ostapenko to win her first tour title. “It’s very difficult to describe my feeling now,” Kasatkina said. “I feel I’m just sleeping and everything is not real.” The victorious Russian won the French Open girls singles in 2014, while her Latvian opponent won the junior Wimbledon title the same year. “These two are the future of women’s tennis,” Hall of Famer Tracy Austin said before the match. “They really have great talent and they have great drive, and you can see that they have a lot of weapons.” Ostapenko won a long sixth game to level the opening set. She would win just one more game in the battle of 19-year-olds. “When I won the last ball, everything like closed and I just feel like I’m dreaming,” said Kasatkina, who was playing in her first WTA final.

SHOCKER

Not even the world’s top player could keep Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova from winning the Monterrey, Mexico, tournament. The Russian captured her fourth Abierto GNP Seguros title by shocking Angelique Kerber in the final. Despite being ranked number one in the world, Kerber is still seeking her first title of the season. Pavlyuchenkova continued her sparkling 2017, having reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and Indian Wells. After Kerber rallied to win the second set and level the match, the big-hitting Russian raced to a 5-0 lead in the decider. Two games later, Pavlyuchenkova triumphantly lifted the trophy. “I’m really overwhelmed and don’t think I realized that I just won my fourth Monterrey trophy,” Pavlyuchenkova said. “Playing the final against the number one player in the world is already very special because everyone wants to compete against the number one. You don’t get so many chances to do it, so it was one opportunity for me today. Beating her feels amazing.” Pavlyuchenkova also beat Kerber in the Monterrey final in 2013, besides winning the crown in 2010 and 2011.

SOARING KYRGIOS

Nick Kyrgios won both of his singles matches to lead Australia over the United States and into the Davis Cup semifinals. The young Australian captured the decisive rubber with a 7-6 (4) 6-3 6-4 victory over Sam Querrey, slamming an ace on match point. “I’ve been looking forward to this tie for a long time now,” said Kyrgios, who also beat John Isner on the first day. Against Querrey, who replaced Jack Sock in the reverse singles, Kyrgios double-faulted twice in his opening service game and fell behind 0-3. He won the first-set tiebreak on his third set point. He also trailed 1-4 in the third set before rallying to win the decider. “Tough third set out there,” Kyrgios said. Obviously, a lot of emotions close to the finish line. Sock, America’s top-ranked player, was upset in his opening singles by Jordan Thompson. Sock then teamed with Steve Johnson to win the doubles and give the United States its first point. In the dead fifth rubber, Isner downed Sam Groth 7-6 (5) 6-3.

STOPPED SHORT

Caroline Wozniacki’s bid for a spot in the Top Ten came up one match short. The former world number one would have earned a spot in the Top Ten if she reached the semifinals of the Volvo Car Open. Instead, she ran into 19-year-old Jelena Ostapenko, who came away with a 6-2 6-4 victory. The Latvian had 40 winners to just 14 by Wozniacki. And the Dane could convert only one of the five break chances she created, while Ostapenko converted four of eight. “I really tried my best out there,” Wozniacki said. “I was trying to grind everything down. I tried to change the pace when I had the opportunity, but I mean if she played like this every day, then she would be number one in the world.”

SET TO RETURN

Victoria Azarenka, less than seven months after giving birth to her son Leo, is returning to the tennis tour in July. “I am very excited to be returning to the WTA at the Bank of the West Classic,” Azarenka said. “Becoming a mother has been the most rewarding thing that has ever happened to me and really puts things in perspective. I am looking forward to beginning this new stage of my career.” The two-time Australian Open champion has not played since winning both the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, USA, and the Miami Open last year. She sat out the remainder of 2016 after announcing she was pregnant. The Bank of the West Classic begins July 31.

SUOMI STAR

Henri Kontinen is now number one in the world, replacing France’s Nicolas Mahut at the top of the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings. Kontinen is the first player from Finland and the 50^th player overall since the team rankings began in Mach 1976 to become world number one. At age 26, Kontinen is the youngest player to reach the top spot in the rankings since American twins Bob and Mike Bryan did it at age 25 in September 2003. Three months earlier, in June 2003, Max Mirnyi of Belarus also became number one in the world at age 25. Kontinen and teammate John Peers of Australia have posted a 25-6 r3ecord since mid-October 2016, capturing titles at the Paris Masters, the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals and the Australian Open.

SO CLOSE

Laura Siegemund simply outplayed Venus Williams when they clashed in the second round of the Volvo Car Open. “I really played the best game I could,” Williams said after losing 6-4 6-7 (3) 7-5. “I pretty much hit winners, but she hit winners back on me and I just didn’t have any answers for that. I don’t know much more that I could do. I mean, there were some errors I made in the beginning, but when push came to shove, I feel like I did the right things but somehow inexplicably came up empty.” Williams staved off a match point in the second set, breaking Siegemund as she served for the match. The veteran eventually won the set to level the match, before Siegemund saved two match points of her own as Williams served at 5-4. The German won the final three games to reach the third round. “It was a really good match; it was going up and down,” Siegemund said. “I just tried to believe in my game, and if I was down, I told myself I was going to get more chances.”

STRONG PERFORMANCE

Defending Davis Cup champion Great Britain didn’t stand a chance against France in the quarterfinals of the international team event. It didn’t help that Great Britain was playing without its top player, world number one Andy Murray, who is injured. France was also missing its top players – Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is currently taking a break from the tour following the birth of his first child, while Richard Gasquet and Gael Monfils are injured. But French captain Yannick went with Nicolas Mahut, Jeremy Chardy, Lucas Pouille and Julien Benneteau, and they came away with a 4-1 victory. “What we hope is that these guys enjoy this moment and keep working hard and having a good season,” Noah said. “The next time we’re going to see each other is going to be after the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, so there is a lot of tennis to be played.”

STIRRING TIE

In his debut as non-playing captain, Mahesh Bhupathi led India to 4-1 Davis Cup victory over Uzbekistan. But the win came amidst a row between Bhupathi and his former doubles teammate, Leander Paes. Bhupathi passed over Paes when he selected the team to take on Uzbekistan, choosing instead Rohan Bopanna, who partnered Sriram Balaji to win the doubles and give India an unbeatable 3-0 lead. After being left off the Davis Cup team for the first time in 27 years, Paes complained that, “A captain can have his style, but criteria for selection should be transparent. If it was form, I just won an event.” Bhupathi disagreed. “To hear that Leander has suggested I did not inform him and it could have been handled better is not true,” the captain said. “I have followed the most transparent method of dealing with every player in the squad. And, look, it is not about Leander. Nor is it personal. As captain, I will never allow it to be. It is about discipline, about respect and about attitude.”

Paes made his Davis Cup debut for India in 1990 in a tie against Japan. He currently is tied with Nico Pietrangeli of Italy for the most doubles wins in Davis Cup history with 42.

SUCCESSFUL APPEAL

Daniel Garza was successful in his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The Mexican player had been suspended for six months and fined USD $5,000 after being found guilty of attempting to influence the outcome of a match. The CAS upheld his appeal, meaning Garza can resume his career immediately. He also has been awarded USD $3,000 as a contribution toward his legal expenses. Garza reached a career-high ranking of 294 in 2012.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Charleston: Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova beat Lucie Hradecka and Katerina Siniakova 6-1 4-6 10-7 (match tiebreak)

Monterrey: Nao Hibino and Alicja Rosolska beat Dalila Jakupovic and Nadiia Kichenok 6-2 7-6 (4)

SURFING

Houston: www.mensclaycourt.com/

Marrakech: www.gphassan2tennis.com/

Biel: www.ladiesopen.ch/

Bogota: www.copaclarocolsanitas.com/

Monte Carlo: www.montecarlotennismasters.com/

Sarasota: www.sarasotaopen.org

Fed Cup: www.fedcup.com/en/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

MEN

$600,345 Fayez Sarofim & Co. US Men’s Clay Court Championships, Houston, Texas, USA, clay

$575,419 Grand Prix Hassan II, Marrakech, Morocco, clay

WOMEN

$226,750 Ladies Open Biel Bienne, Biel, Switzerland, hard

$226,750 Claro Open Colsanitas, Bogota, Colombia, clay

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$4,935,940 Monte Carlo Rolex Masters, Monte Carlo, Monaco, clay

$125,000 2017 Santaizi Challenger, Taipei, Taiwan, carpet

$125,000 International Challenger China 2017 Qingdao, Qingdao, China, clay

$100,000 2017 Elizabeth Moore Sarasota Open, Sarasota, Florida, USA, clay

WOMEN

$115,000 Zhengzhou Women’s Tennis Open, Zhengzhou, China, hard

FED CUP

World Group Semifinals

United States vs. Czech Republic at Wesley Chapel, Florida, USA, clay

Belarus vs. Switzerland at Minsk, Belarus, hard

World Group Playoffs

France vs. Spain at Roanne, France, clay; Russia vs. Belgium at Moscow, Russia, clay; Germany vs. Ukraine at Stuttgart, Germany, clay; Slovakia vs. Netherlands at Bratislava, Slovakia, clay

World Group II Playoffs

Italy vs. Chinese Taipei at Barletta, Italy, clay; Romania vs. Great Britain at Constanta, Romania, clay; Serbia vs. Australia at Zrenjanin, Serbia, hard; Canada vs. Kazakhstan at Montreal, Quebec, Canada, hard

Andy Roddick Continues Winning Ways on PowerShares Series With Win In Charleston, S.C.

April 9, 2016 by Admin

Andy Roddick picked up in 2016 just where he left off in 2015 on the PowerShares Series, winning his debut event of the new season in Charleston, S.C. Saturday night, defeating Andre Agassi 6-1 in the one-set championship match.

Roddick’s win at Daniel Island, played in conjunction with the Volvo Car Open, is his 11th career title on the North American tennis circuit for champion tennis players over the age of 30. Roddick, 33, dominated the PowerShares Series in 2015, winning a single-season record eight titles. In his debut year on the Series in 2014, he won two of the three tournaments he played.

Roddick beat in his former Davis Cup teammate James Blake 6-3 earlier in the night to advance to the final, while Agassi beat Mardy Fish 6-2 in the other semifinal.

Roddick and Fish were returning to the site of their 2004 U.S. Davis Cup semifinal win against Belarus, where Roddick made tennis history by hitting a 155 mph serve, then the fastest recorded serve in history. Saturday night, 12 years removed from his record-breaking service performance, Roddick was still serving heat, his fastest serve being struck at 135 mph.

On Friday night, Blake won the opening event on the 2016 PowerShares Series in Chicago defeating John McEnroe 6-4 to win his fifth career PowerShares Series title. Through two events, Blake leads the PowerShares Series rankings with 500 points, followed by Roddick with 400 points and Agassi with 300 points and McEnroe and Fish with 200 points each.

Saturday’s event marked the first time a Champions Series event was played on clay since 2010 when Stefan Edberg defeated Marat Safin in the finals in the Cayman Islands.

Each PowerShares Series event features two one-set semifinal matches and a one-set championship match and, for the second straight year, players make their own line calls with assistance of electronic line-calling.

The remaining 2016 PowerShares Series schedule with player fields are listed below and ticket, schedule and player information can be found at www.PowerSharesSeries.com;

April 14 St. Louis (Chaifetz Arena) – John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, James Blake

April 22 Memphis (Landers Center) – John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, Mark Philippoussis

April 23 Tulsa (BOK Center) – John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, Mark Philippoussis

July 17 Newport, R.I. (International Tennis Hall of Fame) – Andy Roddick, James Blake + 2 Players TBA

August 21 Winston-Salem, N.C. (Wake Forest University) – Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, James Blake, Mardy Fish

August 25, 26 New Haven (Yale University) – Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, James Blake, Mardy Fish

November 4 Portland, Oregon (Moda Center) – Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, Mardy Fish and TBA

November 5 Denver (1stBank Center) – Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, James Blake and TBA

December 1 Orlando (Amway Arena) – Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, James Blake

December 3 New York (Barclays Center) – Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, James Blake

In 2015, Andy Roddick won the PowerShares Series points title in his second year of competing on the series with 1,600 points. Roddick won a record eight events Los Angeles, Lincoln, Chicago, Austin, Little Rock, Dallas, Richmond and Minneapolis. Blake finished second in the points rankings with 1,200 points, winning events in Boston and Cincinnati. Mark Philippoussis finished in third with 1,100 points, winning titles in Salt Lake City and Vancouver. The year before in 2014, McEnroe won the points title for the first time in the nine-year history of Champions Series tennis by winning events in Kansas City, Indianapolis, Nashville and Charlotte.

ABOUT INSIDEOUT SPORTS + ENTERTAINMENT

InsideOut Sports + Entertainment is a Los Angeles based producer of proprietary events and promotions founded in 2004 by former world No. 1 and Hall of Fame tennis player Jim Courier and former SFX and Clear Channel executive Jon Venison. In 2005, InsideOut launched its signature property, the Champions Series, a collection of tournaments featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including “Legendary Night” exhibitions, The World Series of Beach Volleyball and numerous corporate outings. Since inception, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment has raised over $4 million for charity. In 2014, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment merged with Horizon Media, the largest privately held media services agency in the world. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or www.powersharesseries.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube

ABOUT HORIZON MEDIA

ABOUT INVESCO POWERSHARES

Invesco PowerShares Capital Management LLC is leading the Intelligent ETF Revolution® through its lineup of more than 140 domestic and international exchange-traded funds, which seek to outperform traditional benchmark indexes while providing advisors and investors access to an innovative array of focused investment opportunities. With franchise assets of nearly $100 billion as of October 2, 2015, PowerShares ETFs trade on both US stock exchanges. For more information, please visit us at invescopowershares.com or follow us on Twitter @PowerShares.

ABOUT POWERSHARES QQQ

PowerShares QQQ™, an exchange-traded fund (ETF) based on the NASDAQ-100 Index®, is one of the largest and most traded ETFs in the world. Under most circumstances, QQQ will consist of all of the stocks in the index which includes 100 of the largest domestic and international nonfinancial companies listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market based on market capitalization.