yevgeny kafelnikov

John Isner Wins Hall of Fame Open For Record Fourth Time – Mondays With Bob Greene

July 22, 2019 by Admin

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

John Isner beat Alexander Bublik 7-6 (2) 6-3 to win the Hall of Fame Open in Newport, Rhode Island, USA

Nicolas Jarry beat Juan Ignacio Londero 7-6 (7) 6-4 to win the Swedish Open in Båstad, Sweden

Dusan Lajovic beat Attila Balazs 7-5 7-5 to win the Plava Laguna Croatia Open in Umag, Croatia

Fiona Ferro beat Alizé Cornet 6-1 2-6 6-1 to win the Ladies Open Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland

Elena Rybakina beat Patricia Maria Tig 6-2 6-0 to win the RRD Bucharest Open in Bucharest, Romania

Evgeny Donskoy beat Sebastian Korda 7-6 (5) 3-6 6-4 to win the President’s Cup in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan

SAYINGS

“She overcame every hurdle in front of her, and nothing was going to stop this amazing woman from becoming a champion.” – Max Eisenbud, in introducing China’s Li Na at the International Tennis Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

“I will do all I can to inspire, to help more young and upcoming players in the hope that they can enjoy this amazing sport.” – Li Na, after becoming the first Asian-born player to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

“Dreams are like fuel, and my dream was to one day win the French Open.” – Mary Pierce, the 2000 French Open champion who was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

“It means that I did it because of hard work. All my success came because I did work hard.” – Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who with Li Na and Mary Pierce was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

“My very first ATP Tour event was here in 2007 and I didn’t enjoy the courts that much back then because I didn’t know how to play on them. To say that I’ve won this event four times isn’t something I thought would be possible.” – John Isner, who did just that, winning the Hall of Fame Open for the fourth time.

“When you play a friend the emotions always take over.” – Fiona Ferro, after beating Alizé Cornet in the Lausanne, Switzerland, final.

STARS ON PARADE

In a third-round match at the 2006 US Open, China’s Li Na crushed Mary Pierce of France 4-6 6-0 6-0. It was Pierce’s last match of her career, but one she remembered. “Look where we are today,” Pierce said in Newport, Rhode Island, USA, where she and Li were inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Also inducted was Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov. In a strange twist of fate, all three won the same two Grand Slam tournaments – the French and Australian Opens. Li is the first Asian-born player to be inducted into the tennis shrine. Now 37, she won the 2011 French Open and the 2014 Australian Open. “I started (at) about 8 years old, but I hated tennis,” Li said. “Not bad, at least I’m standing here right now.” Pierce won the Australian Open in 1995 and the French Open in 2000. Kafelnikov, who is described as “one of the most dominant Russian players of his generation,” won the French Open in 1996 and the Australian Open in 1999. He also won a gold medal at the 2000 Olympics and led Russia to the Davis Cup title in 2002. “I know now what it is to be a Hall of Famer,” Kafelnikov said. “I will carry that responsibility for the rest of my life, and hopefully I won’t disappoint you.”

SUPER JOHN

Grabbing the big trophy in Newport, Rhode Island, USA, has become habit-forming for John Isner. The top-seeded American became the first player to win the Hall of Fame Open four times, his latest triumph coming over seventh-seeded Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan. It is Isner’s first title of the year, but that could because he broke his left foot while losing the Miami Open final to Roger Federer. The Newport event was his second tournament back, and he survived three-set battles in three of his four matches during the week. Not so in the final where Isner converted all three of his break points in the 76-minute victory. Bublik got the first break and served for the opening set, only to double-fault to send the set to a tiebreak. Isner easily won the tiebreak 7-2, then cruised to his 15^th ATP Tour singles title.

SWEDISH OPEN CHAMP

Riding his big-serving game, Nicolas Jarry fired 10 aces to win the Swedish Open, joining his grandfather as an ATP Tour winner. The 23-year-old from Chile didn’t drop a set in the clay-court tournament, stopping Juan Ignacio Londero in the final. “It was a really tough match,” Jarry said. “There was a lot of wind and I couldn’t manage to play as well as the other days, but (with) titles, you have to win them as you can and I am really happy to be able to pull this one off.” Playing in his third career final, Jarry won for the first time. His grandfather, Jaime Fillol Sr., captured six tour-level titles between 1971 and 1982, reaching a career-high ranking of 14^th in the world in 1974. “I have been working for this for a long time and it really means a lot,” Jarry said. “We are a big team back home and I really appreciate everybody that has been behind me for a long time.”

SWISS TOGETHERNESS

When the two French club teammates battled, it was the “little sister” who won her first WTA singles title in Lausanne, Switzerland. Fiona Ferro needed three sets to beat Alize Cornet, who described her conqueror as “like my little sister on the tour.” The victor clinched the title with her seventh break of serve in nine chances. “It was a very tough match against a fellow French player and a friend,” Ferro said. “It was very difficult to stay calm and to stay in the moment.” It was the 22-year-old Ferro’s first tour final. Cornet was the defending champion, although last year’s event was held in Gstaad, Switzerland. The loss snapped Cornet’s Swiss winning streak at nine matches. She was aiming to defend a title for the first time in her career.

SUCCESSFUL

Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina had no problems capturing her first WTA Tour title, the BRD Bucharest Open, dropping just two games in crushing Romania’s Patricia Maria Tig in the final between two unseeded players. Rybakina, who turned 20 a month ago, overpowered her opponent, hitting 30 winners against just 14 unforced errors. The only time she appeared to be in trouble came in the sixth game of the match when Tig had a chance to break back and level the score at 3-3. Instead, Rybakina held and never lost another game. Tig went through qualifying after returning from two years off the tour due to injuries and becoming a mother. Unfortunately, she was unable to show off her strong game in her eighth match of the week.

SNARES FIRST TITLE

This time, Serbian Dusan Lajovic came away with his first ATP Tour title, beating qualifier Attila Balazs to win the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag. Four months ago, Lajovic reached his first tour-level final at an ATP Master 1000 event, the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, before falling to Italy’s Fabio Fognini. Lajovic dropped just one set during the week, but swept his Hungarian opponent in straight sets in the title match. Balazs was trying to become the first qualifier to capture an ATP Tour title this season Five years after retiring from tennis, Balazs was contesting his first tour-level final.

SIMONA’S REWARDS

When she returned home, the newest Wimbledon champion, Simona Halep, was honored by Romania’s presidency as well as the Orthodox Church. The 27-year-old Halep is the first Romanian player to win a Wimbledon singles title. “I did the best I could, and that’s why I managed to win,” Halep said during a welcoming ceremony at the Bucharest international airport. The presidency awarded her the Star of Romania, while the church gave her the Patriarchal Cross, its highest distinction. “Simona is to many of the young a symbol of industriousness, perseverance and hope,” Patriarch Daniel, the head of the Romania Orthodox Church said. “We are happy to highlight that all of her achievements are the expression of a talent cultivated through sustained, constant effort.” Besides the cross, Patriarch Daniel also gave Halep a Bible. Among those welcoming Halep back to Romania were two former Romanian tennis stars, Ilie Nastase and Ion Tiriac. Halep also was selected to be the Romanian flag-bearer at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

SERBIAN HONORS

Novak Djokovic has been proclaimed “king of tennis” by the Serbian press after he captured his fifth Wimbledon title by beating eight-time champion Roger Federer. “Novak, King of Tennis,” the Blic daily newspaper proclaimed in a front-page headline. “The fifth Crown for the King,” the Vecernje Novosti newspaper, reported. The Danas daily newspaper said the match offered the public “all that can be seen in a perfect tennis match … suspense, drama and a happy ending … for Djokovic.”

SET FOR CITI OPEN

Fifteen-year-old Coco Gauff, who surprisingly reached the third round at Wimbledon, will be at the Citi Open in Washington, DC, USA, whether she is playing or not. Because of her ranking, the teenager does not qualify for either the main draw or the qualifying event. And, because she has already used her maximum allotment for her age group of three wild cards, she is ineligible to gain entry into the tournament that way. Whatever the outcome, Gauff will host the Citi Open Kids’ Day on Sunday, July 28. “Coco’s fairytale run at Wimbledon captured the hearts of fans worldwide and Washington DC cannot wait to host her first post-Wimbledon tennis appearance back in the United States at the City Open,” said Mark Ein, who owns management rights for the tournament. “We hope she gets into the qualifying but if not, we will provide our community and her fans a great opportunity to meet her and watch her play and practice as she prepares for the US Open.”

STRAIGHT TO THE BANK

The US Open will set another payoff record this year. The year’s final Grand Slam tournament will pay out more than USD $57 million, the richest in tennis history, and each singles champion will receive a record USD $3.85 million. The record payout also includes the winning men’s and women’s doubles champions, who will each split USD $740,000. Even the first-round losers in the singles main draw will have a hefty paycheck: USD $58,000. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) said it will also may a payment of USD $500,000 to support the ATP and WTA Tour player programs, including pensions. The US Open will be played August 26 through September 8.

SHE’S EXONERATED

Saying she played “professionally from the first to the very last point” in her first-round Roland Garros loss, Anna Tatishvili has been exonerated by the Grand Slam board. Returning to play at the French Open following a 31-month absence due to a serious ankle injury and several surgeries, the 29-year-old American was stripped of her entire USD $52,000 prize money when she lost 6-0 6-1 to Maria Sakkari in just 55 minutes. Officials claimed she had failed to play at a “professional standard.” But Tatishvili appealed what she called “the unfair and discriminatory sanction,” pointing out that a male player lost a qualifying match in 43 minutes and was not sanctioned. “The Grand Slam Board has reversed the sanction imposed on me at the 2019 French Open, acknowledging I played ‘professional from the first to the very last point’ and returning to me all the prize money that I earned,” she tweeted. “So happy the question of my performance is settled and I can move on with my tennis career. Excited to be back in competition.”

STINGING REBUKE

Bernard Tomic’s fine of USD $56,241 for not playing to “required professional standards at Wimbledon was upheld by the Grand Slam Board. Tournament organizers ruled that the Australian put in minimal effort in his 6-2 6-1 6-4 first-round loss to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The 26-year-old Tomic appealed the decision, saying he was not feeling well before the match. In refusing to overturn the original decision, the board criticized Tomic’s tennis career. “A review of your historical record of misconduct at Grand Slams, never mind elsewhere, provides little justification for an adjustment,” board director Bill Babcock wrote in the decision letter that was published by The New York Times. “In your case, Bernard, I am sure you would agree there is no historical evidence to give comfort to the theory that you can reform your behavior.” Babcock said if Tomic goes without sanction in his next eight Grand Slam tournaments then he would be refunded 25 percent of the fine. Tomic said he would appeal the decision further.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Båstad: Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen beat Federico Delbonis and Horacio Zeballos 6-7 (5) 7-5 10-5 (match tiebreak)oracio Zeballos 6-7 (5) 7-5 10-5 (match tiebreak)

Bucharest: Viktoria Kuzmova and Kristyna Pliskova beat Jaqueline Cristian and Elena-Gabriela Kuse 6-4 7-6 (3)

Lausanne: Anastasia Potapova and Yana Sizikova beat Monique Adamczak and Han Xinyun 6-2 6-4

Newport: Marcel Granollers and Sergiy Stakhovsky beat Marcelo Arevalo and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela 6-7 (10) 6-4 13-11 (match tiebreak)

Nur-Sultan: Andrey Golubev and Aleksandr Nedovyesov beat Chung Yunseong and Nam Ji Sung 6-4 6-4

Umag: Robin Haase and Philipp Oswald beat Oliver Marach and Jurgen Melzer 7-5 6-7 (2) 14-12 (match tiebreak)

SURFING

Hamburg: http://www.hamburg-open.com/

Atlanta: https://www.bbtatlantaopen.com/

Gstaad: https://swissopengstaad.ch/fr/

Jurmala: http://balticopentennis.com/

Palermo: https://www.palermoladiesopen.com/en/home/

Washington: https://www.citiopentennis.com/

Los Cabos: https://abiertoloscabos.com/en/home/

Kitzbühel: https://www.generaliopen.com/

San Jose: http://www.mubadalasvc.com/

Karlsruhe: https://karlsruheopen.de/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

MEN

$2,090,770 Hamburg European Open, Hamburg, Germany, clay

$777,385 BB&T Atlanta Open, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, hard

$660,463 J. Safra Sarasin Swiss Open, Gstaad, Switzerland, clay

WOMEN

$250,000 Baltic Open, Jurmala, Latvia, clay

$250,000 Palermo Ladies Open, Palermo, Italy, clay

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$2,046,340 Citi Open, Washington, DC, USA, hard

$858,565 Abierto Mexicano de Tenis Mifel presentado por Cinemax, Los Cabos, Mexico, hard

$657,526 Generali Open Kitzbühel, Austria, clay

WOMEN

$876,183 Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic, San Jose, California, USA, hard

$250,000 Citi Open, Washington, DC, USA, hard

$125,000 Liqui Moly Open Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany, clay

John Isner and his family — John Isner and family

Li Na, Mary Pierce and Yevgeny Kafelnikov Elected For Induction Into International Tennis Hall of Fame

January 20, 2019 by Admin

Chinese tennis great Li Na, France’s Mary Pierce, and Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia, each a two-time Grand Slam singles champion among their many career accolades, have been elected for induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Li Na, China’s first global tennis star, reached the world No. 2 ranking and was a champion at both the French Open and the Australian Open. Pierce is a former world No. 3 in singles and doubles, and four-time major champion, having won a singles title at the Australian Open, singles and doubles titles at Roland-Garros, and a mixed doubles title at Wimbledon. In addition to his two major singles titles, Kafelnikov is a former world No. 1, Olympic Gold Medalist, and the winner of four major doubles titles.

The new inductees will be celebrated on Tuesday, January 24 in a special ceremony in Rod Laver Arena at the Australian Open, joined by many other Hall of Fame tennis legends who will gather to welcome them for the first time as Hall of Fame inductees. The ceremony will take place at approximately 6:40 pm, just ahead of the first evening match.

In becoming Hall of Famers, Li Na, Pierce, and Kafelnikov join an elite group of just over 250 individuals hailing from 23 nations who have received the honor, which recognizes their careers as being among the most accomplished and impactful in the history of tennis. The three are being inducted in the Player Category. This is not a year of eligibility for the Hall of Fame’s other two categories – Contributor and Wheelchair.

“It’s a pleasure to congratulate Li Na, Mary Pierce, and Yevgeny Kafelnikov, and to welcome them into the International Tennis Hall of Fame,” stated Hall of Fame President Stan Smith. “They are three incredibly hard-working athletes who set and achieved goals at tennis’ highest levels. This is a well-deserved honor, and we look forward to celebrating them as Hall of Famers in Newport in July.”

Li Na, Pierce, and Kafelnikov will be officially inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on July 20, during Hall of Fame Weekend in Newport, Rhode Island.

New for 2019, ticket packages for Hall of Fame Weekend, inclusive of the Induction Ceremony and other special events, are on sale now on tennisfame.com/enshrinement.Individual Induction Ceremony tickets will go on sale on February 1.

For more info on online betting UK, go to https://www.olbg.com/

A Detailed Look At International Tennis Hall of Fame Nominees

September 11, 2018 by Admin

by Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

Before you participate in the new “fan voting” for the International Tennis Hall of Fame, read this!

I have been in some discussions via my Twitter profile @TennisPublisher about statistics with regard to what is a “Hall of Fame worthy” resume through the years.

I have generally felt that winning two major singles tournaments gets you into the Hall of Fame. You could also win only one major singles title but could also get in if you reached a few other major finals and reached the No. 1 ranking in the world and won over 20 singles titles. Doubles specialists would probably have to win at least eight major doubles titles with at least one from each of the four. Winning the Davis Cup / Fed Cup and an Olympic medal should also help in giving you consideration.

Fans can go to vote.tennisfame.com to submit their votes. The deadline for fans to vote is October 7.

Yevgeny Kafelnikov

2 majors singles titles (1996 French Open, 1999 Australian Open)

1 major singles runner-up finish

4 major doubles titles (1996, 1997, 2002 French, 1997 US Open)

26 career singles titles

27 career doubles titles

Career high singles ranking: No. 1

Davis Cup titles: 2002

Olympic accomplishments: Won Olympic gold in singles in 2000

Other: First player from Russia, man or woman, to rank No. 1 and win a major singles title. The last man to win singles and doubles titles at the same Grand Slam tournament at the 1996 French.

Current Hall of Famer Career Comparison: By comparison, Kafelnikov’s career is better than his fellow Russian Marat Safin, who was inducted in 2016. Safin also won two majors and reached No. 1 in the world like Kafelnikov, but no doubles majors, but won 11 fewer singles titles, 25 fewer doubles titles and did not win an Olympic medal, like Kafelnikov’s gold in Sydney. Kafelnikov’s record is also on par with the record of two major winners Ilie Nastase and Stan Smith and is certainly better than Michael Stich, this year’s inductee, who won one major (albeit Wimbledon) and reached two other finals, did not reach No. 1 in the world, won eight less singles titles, 17 fewer doubles titles.

Kafelnikov was not a popular player with a “bad guy” image so you could also compare him to that of Ilie Nastase, who, like Kafelnikov won two majors (the French and US Opens) and was also world No. 1.

Goran Ivanisevic

1 major singles title (2001 Wimbledon)

3 major singles runner-up finishes (1992, 1994 and 1998 Wimbledon)

0 major doubles titles

22 career singles titles

9 career doubles titles

Career high ranking: No. 2

Davis Cup titles: 2005

Olympic accomplishments: At the Olympic Games in Barcelona, he won won bronze medals in both singles and doubles for Croatia, a state that had only recently declared independence. In order to earn his single bronze medal, he won four straight five-set matches, a unique feat in the open era.

Other: Reached at least the quarterfinals at all four majors, including the semifinals at the US Open in 1996

Current Hall of Famer Career Comparison: Andy Roddick and Michael Chang are worthy comparisons here as each also entered the Hall of Fame with only one major title and multiple runner-up showings at majors (Roddick 3 Wimbledon final losses and 1 U.S. Open final loss and Change 1 U.S. Open final loss and 1 French Open final loss). Like Chang, Ivanisevic reached No. 2 in the world. Chang won 34 singles titles, Roddick won 32 and Ivanisevic won 22. Ivanisevic also won 9 doubles titles and won two Olympic medals.

Sergi Bruguera

2 major singles titles (1993, 1994 Roland Garros)

1 major singles runner-up finish (1997 Roland Garros)

0 major doubles titles

14 career singles titles

3 career doubles titles

Career high ranking: No. 3

Davis Cup titles: 0

Olympic accomplishments: Silver medal at the 1996 Olympics

Other: Reached at least fourth round at all four majors, but not past the fourth round other than the French. Opened the door to an armada of Spanish greats, including Al Costa, Juan Carlos Ferrero and Rafael Nadal.

Current Hall of Famer Career Comparison: Patrick Rafter, like Bruguera, won two majors and back-to-back as he did at the 1997 and 1998 US Opens. Rafter also reached two other major finals at Wimbledon in 2000 and 2001 (and reached at least the semifinals at the French and Australian) which is better than Bruguera’s other runner-up finish at the French and fourth-round finishes elsewhere. Rafter reached the No. 1 ranking famously for only one week, which tops Bruguera’s career high of No. 3. They are virtually equal in singles titles as Rafter won three fewer titles than Bruguera with 11. The Spaniard, however, does have an Olympic silver medal, which adds to his case. Jan Kodes is a fair comparison to Bruguera. Manuel Orantes, a fellow Spaniard like Bruguera, only won a single major title at the 1975 U.S. Open and only played one other major final at the French in 1974, which is not as good a record as Bruguera, despite Orantes winning 36 singles titles to Bruguera’s 14. Yannick Noah is another one-Slam inductee to compare to. He only won the 1983 French and only reached one other semifinal at a major at the 1990 Australian. Noah did win 23 singles titles and 16 doubles titles and reached a career singles ranking of No. 3 and No. 1 in doubles. Noah’s personality as a global ambassador certainly helps his cause as a Hall of Famer.

Thomas Muster

1 major singles title (1995 Roland Garros)

0 major singles runner-up finish

0 major doubles titles

44 career singles titles

1 career doubles titles

Career high ranking: No. 1

Davis Cup titles: 0

Olympic accomplishments: Did not compete

Other: Reached two Australian Open semifinals (1989, 1997) and three US Open quarterfinals but was 0-4 in his career at Wimbledon. Despite his reputation as one of the best clay court players ever, he only reached the French Open semifinals twice – in 1995 en route to the title and in 1990, losing to Andres Gomez.

Current Hall of Famer Career Comparison: Again, once can compare Muster and his one major title with that of Andy Roddick and Michael Chang. Muster was No. 1 in the world and won 44 career titles to Roddick’s 32 and Chang’s 34. Roddick, however, reached four other major finals. Chang also reached two other major finals, losing to Muster in the 1995 French final, and his career-high was one-rung lower at No. 2.

Also, Muster’s credentials should be compared to Yannick Noah, who also won his only major at the French in 1983. Muster won 21 more singles title than Noah and had a high

Yannick Noah is another one-Slam inductee to compare to. He only won the 1983 French and only reached one other semifinal at a major at the 1990 Australian. Noah did win 23 singles titles and 16 doubles titles and reached a career singles ranking of No. 3 and No. 1 in doubles.

Jonas Bjorkman

0 major singles titles

0 major singles runner-up finishes

9 major doubles titles (career Grand Slam in doubles)

6 career singles titles

54 career doubles titles

Career high singles ranking: No. 4 (No. 1 in doubles)

Davis Cup titles: 3

Olympic accomplishments: No medals

Other: Reached two career major singles semifinals (1997 US Open and 2006 Wimbledon) and won a career Grand Slam in doubles (3 Australian, 2 French, 3 Wimbledon, 1 U.S. Open)

Current Hall of Famer Career Comparison: Todd Woodbridge won 16 majors doubles titles, which is seven more than Bjorkman. Woodbridge won 83 doubles titles, 29 more than Bjorkman. Woodbridge also reached a major semi in singles at Wimbledon in 1997. Mark Woodforde won 12 major doubles titles, five more than Bjorkman and won 67 doubles titles, 13 more than Bjorkman, and also reached a Grand Slam semifinal in singles at the Australian Open in 1996. “The Woodies” also won Olympic gold and silver as a team.

Mary Pierce

2 major singles titles (1995 French, 2000 Australian)

3 major singles runner-up finishes (1994, 2005 French Open, 1997 Australian Open)

2 major doubles titles (2000 French doubles, 2005 Wimbledon mixed)

18 career singles titles

10 career doubles titles

Career high singles ranking: No. 3

Fed Cup titles: 2

Olympic accomplishments: No medals

Current Hall of Famer Career Comparison: Let’s compare Pierce with fellow Frenchwoman and Hall of Famer Amelie Mauresmo, who also won two major singles titles (2006 Australian Open and 2006 Wimbledon) but Piece reached three more major finals than Mauresmo. Mauresmo won 25 career titles, which is seven more than Pierce, but Pierce won seven more doubles titles, including the 2000 French doubles title. Pierce only reached a career high of No. 3, two rungs lower than Mauresmo’s career high of No. 1.

Li Na

2 major singles titles (2011 French Open, 2014 Australian Open)

1 major singles runner-up (2013 Australian Open)

0 major doubles titles

9 career singles titles

2 career doubles titles

Career high singles ranking: No. 2

Fed Cup titles: 0

Olympic accomplishments: Fourth-place at 2008 Beijing Olympic Games

Other: The first player from China to win a major singles title. Her final-round matches were watched by more people than perhaps any tennis match in the history of the world, being seen alone by over 100 million people in China (Super Bowl like numbers in that country alone). She is a major reason why there has been such an explosion in interest in tennis in China.

Current Hall of Famer Career Comparison: Amelie Mauresmo again can be a comparison here as she also won two major singles titles. Li Na reached an additional major singles final and won only nine career singles titles (against 25 for Mauresmo), which is a low number for a potential Hall of Famer.

Conchita Martinez

1 major singles title (1994 Wimbledon

2 major singles runner- up finishes (1998 Australian, 2000 French Open)

0 major doubles titles

33 career singles titles

13 career doubles titles

Career high singles ranking: No. 2

Fed Cup titles: 5

Olympic accomplishments: 3 Olympic medals in doubles, silver in Barcelona, bronze in Atlanta, silver in Athens

Other: Won five Fed Cup titles for Spain alongside Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, which is fourth-place all time.

Current Hall of Famer Career Comparison: Jana Novotna also won one major singles title (at 1998 Wimbledon), reached two other final-round finishes, a career high ranking of No. 2 and three Olympic medals just like Martinez. Novotna has 24 singles titles to 33 for Martinez. However, Novotna won 12 major doubles titles (and four in mixed doubles) and won 76 doubles titles (to 13 for Conchita). Novotna won one Fed Cup title to five for Conchita.

Bollettieri, Kafelnikov Highlight Those Overlooked by Tennis Hall of Fame

July 13, 2012 by Admin

By Randy Walker

The International Tennis Hall of Fame’s “Class of 2012” will be inducted Saturday in ceremonies in Newport, Rhode Island. Highlighting the class are former world No. 1 and teen phenom Jennifer Capriati and three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten and will also include 1975 US Open champion Manuel Orantes, administrator Mike Davies and wheelchair tennis standout Randy Snow.

While much will be written and spoken of these five inductees over the next few days, there are other deserving candidates who are being overlooked by the Hall of Fame’s selection committee, some who will likely have no one lobbying for their inclusion.

Daphne Akhurst is so regarded by Tennis Australia and the Australian Open that her name graces the Australian Open women’s singles trophy, won this year by Victoria Azarenka. As famed tennis historian and journalist Bud Collins describes in his book THE BUD COLLINS HISTORY OF TENNIS (available here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0942257707?tag=tennisgrancom-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0942257707&adid=1HSRFS3QCB6NKV4HTHXQ&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennisgrandstand.com%2F) Akhurst was “her country’s first prolific champ” winning five Australian singles titles from 1925 to 1931 and collecting 14 total majors, all at her national tournament, including five women’s doubles titles and four mixed doubles trophies. She also made the semifinals of the Australian in 1924 and at Wimbledon in 1928. She also was a quarterfinalist at the French in 1928 and at Wimbledon in 1925. She also was the first Australian woman to make the world’s Top 5 (No. 3 in 1928). She was born on April 22, 1903 and died January 9, 1933, while in childbirth.

Akhurst’s countrywoman, Thelma Long, who won 19 major titles (2 Australian singles, 12 Australian doubles, 4 Australian mixed, 1 French mixed titles) and is the most prolific winner of women’s major titles not currently in the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She’s won more major titles than the entire Class of 2012 combined! (As did Akhurst!)

Much more discussed, debated and whispered about throughout the tennis community are the two most well-known people who have been “overlooked” – Nick Bollettieri and Yevgeny Kafelnikov.

One of the ironies with Bollettieri is that his brand name is probably more recognizable around the world than the Tennis Hall of Fame itself. Said Kuerten when he was announced as a 2012 inductee, “I have to confess, in my first years playing tennis, I didn’t even know that the Hall of Fame existed.” During Kuerten’s teenage, formative tennis years, Bollettieri and his Bollettieri Academy was one of the most discussed topics in the sport as he jettisoned Andre Agassi to the upper echelon of the game in a global sonic boom across the sport in 1988, when “Guga” was 12 years old. The Bollettieri Academy was such a hot commodity that it was purchased by the sports marketing mega-firm, the International Management Group (IMG). The “tennis academy” system that Bollettieri made famous became a part of the everyday tennis vernacular and in pop culture. If you asked a New York City cab driver how you would turn a kid into a tennis pro, they’d say “Send them to a tennis academy.” Chances are, that cab driver would probably name Bollettieri specifically.

As for Kafelnikov, when presented with the “tale of the tape” comparing his career with Kuerten’s below, it’s pretty plain to see that Kafelnikov’s achievements and record exceed that of Kuerten. Kafelnikov won approximately 40 percent more career singles matches and prize money, six more singles titles (25 more titles in singles and doubles combined), double the major titles (singles and doubles combined) and double the number of semifinal or better finishes at Grand Slam tournaments than that of Kuerten.

SINGLES RECORD

Kafelnikov 609–306

Kuerten 358–195

SINGLES TITLES

Kafelnikov 26

Kuerten 20

WEEKS RANKED No. 1

Kafelnikov 6 weeks

Kuerten 43 weeks

MAJOR SINGLES TITLES

Kafelnikov 2 – 1996 French, 1999 Australian

Kuerten 3 – 1997, 2000, 2001 French

MAJOR DOUBLES TITLES

Kafelnikov 4 (1997 US Open, 1996, 1997, 2002 French Open)

Kuerten 0

MAJOR RUNNER-UP SHOWINGS SINGLES

Kafelnikov 1 (2000 Australian)

Kuerten 0

MAJOR SEMIFINAL FINISHES SINGLES

Kafelnikov 3 (1999, 2001 US Open, 1995 French)

Kuerten 0

BEST OLYMPIC RESULT

Kafelnikov Gold Medalist, Singles, 2000

Kuerten Quarterfinalist, Singles, 2000

DAVIS CUP RECORD/BEST TEAM RESULT

Kafelnikov Champion, 2002

Kuerten Semifinals, 2000

DOUBLES TITLES

Kafelnikov 27

Kuerten 8

PRIZE MONEY

Kafelnikov $23,883,797

Kuerten $14,807,000

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Kuerten leads series 7-5

Most notable matches

2001 Tennis Masters Cup – Kafelnikov d. Kuerten 62 46 63 in round robin

2001 US Open quarterfinals – Kafelnikov d. Kuerten 64 60 63

2001 French Open quarterfinals – Kuerten d. Kafelnikov 61 36 76 64

2000 Tennis Masters Cup – Kuerten d. Kafelnikov 63 64 in round robin

2000 Sydney Olympics quarterfinals– Kafelnikov d. Kuerten 64 75

2000 French Open quarterfinals– Kuerten d. Kafelnikov 63 36 46 64 62

1997 French Open quarterfinals – Kuerten d. Kafelnikov 62 57 26 60 64

For more information on the International Tennis Hall of Fame –and to view the list of inductees – go to www.TennisFame.com

A Look Back at Davis Cup History

December 1, 2011 by WTM

With Spain and Argentina set to do battle in the Davis Cup Final in Sevilla, Spain, WorldTennisMagazine.com looks back at some of the great moments in the history of the Davis Cup with excerpts from Randy Walker’s book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com). The following is the excerpt from the December 1 chapter.

1995 – In one of the most dramatic moments of his career, Pete Sampras collapses in cramps on match point as he outlasts Andrei Chesnokov 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-4 to give the United States a 1-0 lead over Russia in the Davis Cup Final in Moscow, Russia. Struggling with cramps in both hamstrings in the latter stages of the fifth set, the top-ranked Sampras guts out a 25-stroke rally on the final point of the match to dramatically fend off the pesky No. 91-ranked Chesnokov in 3 hours, 38 minutes. Writes Lee Hockstader of the Washington Post, “Pete Sampras didn’t walk off the court after his grueling five-set victory against Russia’s Andrei Chesnokov. He didn’t limp off the court. He didn’t even manage to crawl off the court. He was dragged from it — his cramped legs limp beneath him — by two U.S. Davis Cup teammates seconds after a heart-stopping, hair-raising, 25-stroke match point that left the Russian crowd in an uproar and Sampras flat on his back in pain. You might say he was lucky to get out alive.” Says U.S. Davis Cup Captain Tom Gullikson of Sampras and overcoming his cramping in the fifth set, “Pete has that low-key approach – and I think that helps him, because in tight spots a lot of people show their competitiveness more and get fired up. But then their muscles get so tight they can’t swing at the ball. One of Pete’s real strengths is that he hits out in the big moments.” Yevgeny Kafelnikov defeats Jim Courier 7-6, 7-5, 6-3 to even the score at 1-1 after the first day of play.

1991 – France wins the Davis Cup for the first time in 59 years – since the last of six titles by the famed Four Musketeers in 1932 – as Guy Forget upsets Davis Cup rookie Pete Sampras 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to clinch France’s 3-1 triumph over the United States in the Davis Cup Final in Lyon, France. The win causes an uproarious celebration as the crowd sings the French national anthem, The Marseilles, dance and applaud, while Forget, teammate Henri Leconte and French captain Yannick Noah run around the court with the French Flag. Noah then leads his team and support staff in a conga-line around the court. Says Forget of the glory of winning the Davis Cup, “I don’t think the Americans realize how much the Davis Cup means to the French team and the public. We have World Cup soccer, the Tour de France and the Davis Cup. In America, they have 10 different things more important than the Davis Cup.” Sampras, playing in his first Davis Cup series, also loses on the opening day of the best-of-five-match series to Henri Leconte. Says the world No. 6 of the loss, “It’s very disappointing. I feel like I’ve let down my team… so life goes on, really.”

1996 – France wins the Davis Cup title for an eighth time in the wildest final day in Davis Cup history as the final two singles matches last a total of 9 hours, 12 minutes in Malmo, Sweden. With France leading 2-1 entering the third and final day of the best-of –five-match series, Cedric Pioline of France nearly clinches victory in the fourth rubber, leading No. 9-ranked Thomas Enqvist of Sweden two-sets to love and 5-2 in the final set, only to lose 3-6, 6-7 (8), 6-4, 6-4, 9-7 in 4 hours, 25 minutes. Arnaud Boetsch of France, ranked No. 31, then wins the closest Cup-deciding match in the event’s history, beating No. 64 ranked Nicklas Kulti, 7-6 (2), 2-6, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 10-8. Boetsch saves triple-Cup point down at 6-7, 0-40 in the fifth set, but wins the epic in 4 hours, 47 minutes.

2007 – The United States ends its longest title drought in Davis Cup history, winning its first title in 12 years as identical twins Bob and Mike Bryan defeat Nikolay Davydenko and Igor Andreev 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-2 giving the United States a clinching 3-0 lead over Russia in the Davis Cup Final in Portland, Ore. “No words can explain how we feel right now, except Woooooooo!” Mike Bryan says to the crowd following the victory, the record 32^nd title for the United States. The Bryans victory comes a day after their teammates Andy Roddick and James Blake put the United States up 2-0 on the first day of play. Roddick, the No. 6 player in the world, defeats Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in the opening match and No. 13 ranked Blake beats Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3). Says U.S. Davis Cup Captain Patrick McEnroe after the Bryans clinching victory, “It’s been a long road; I couldn’t be happier for those guys, because they’ve been through it all together.”

1990 – In front of a crowd of 18,156 fans at the Florida Suncoast Dome – the most to watch a Davis Cup match in the United States – Rick Leach and Jim Pugh clinch the 29th Davis Cup title for the United States as they defeat Pat Cash and John Fitzgerald 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (2) in 3 hours, 6 minutes in the Davis Cup Final in St. Petersburg, Fla. The title is the first for the United States in eight years when John McEnroe leads the U.S. to victory over France in the 1982 Final in Grenoble, France.

1973 – Rod Laver and John Newcombe defeat Stan Smith and Erik van Dillen 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 giving Australia a match-clinching 3-0 lead over the United States in the Davis Cup Final in Cleveland, Ohio. The win ends the five-year reign of the United States as Davis Cup champions and earns Australia its 23rd Davis Cup title. Laver and Newcombe’s win takes only 66 minutes and is the worst doubles loss ever inflicted upon a U.S. Davis Cup team. Newcombe and Laver never face a break point, serve nine love games and lose only one point on serve in the third set. Says Laver, “I think it’s the best I’ve played in doubles.

USTA avoids 1996 seeding debacle with Serena Williams seeding

August 24, 2011 by Charles Bricker

When it came time for U.S. Open officials to either seed Serena Williams according to her ranking (No. 29) or bump her way up to the top three, my guess is there were some USTA executives who decided the last thing they needed was another 1996 nightmare.

Certainly, 1996 was a factor in the decision to just keep on seeding by the rankings.

Western & Southern Open - Day 2 — Serena Williams

If you weren’t following tennis then or were but have a short memory, it has been just about 15 years to the day that the USTA, Jay Snyder, who was then tournament director, and USTA President Les Snyder decided that the time had come for the U.S. Open to go Wimbledon and not strictly follow the rankings in the seeding.

The result was a pre-tournament uproar. The players cafeteria became the center for one angry meeting after another. French Open champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov, then ranked No. 4, had been reduced to a No. 7 seed and refused to play.

Fifteen Spaniards, including No. 16 ranked Felix Mantilla, who was refused one of the 16 seeds, threatened to leave New York en masse. Mark Miles, who was CEO of the ATP Tour, issued a strong rebuke to the Open: “This is OK for my country club tournament, but not a Grand Slam,” he said.

It didn’t help international relations that two U.S. players got improved seedings — Andre Agassi went from a No. 8 rank to No. 6 seed and Michael Chang, ranked third, was elevated to No. 2.

The player Chang exchanged with in the seeding, Thomas Muster, was livid.

Somehow, the Open went on with the subjective new seeding and the Spanish stayed when Mantilla was given a seeding to replace Kafelnikov, but surely no one at the Open forgot the mess that was created and they haven’t revisited the Wimbledon system since.

Re-seeding just one woman, Williams, is a lot different from a whole new seeding system, but would the WTA have objected? And would there have been a revolt from other women? Those are tough questions to answer right now and, besides, it’s moot because Serena is staying right where she belongs, at the No. 28 seed (she goes one place higher than her ranking because No. 3 Kim Clijsters is out with injury).

It’s too bad former director Snyder took so much heat, because he had a good case to re-seed players. Chang, who was moved up to No. 2, reached the final, where he lost to No. 1 Pete Sampras.

Kafelnikov, though he would in 1999 win the Australian Open and be runner-up the next year, had not in 1996 had a scintillating record on hardcourts. Mantilla, who was bumped out of the seedings altogether initially (there were only 16 seeds then), went out in the second round of the 1996 U.S. Open.

But the issue was more philosophic than logical. As several players pointed out, they spend all year on all surfaces getting their rankings up and, while seeding players by ranking isn’t perfect, it’s probably the most objective way to do it.

You could make a case that Serena Williams should be among the top four seeds, but if you start seeding players on the basis of their overall talent, then do you start taking into account their injuries? If Rafael Nadal, for example, misses 99 percent of the clay court season because of a knee injury and returns in time to play the French, which he has won multiple times, should his seeding be downgraded because he’s not in top form?

On the bottom line, it all becomes too subjective. Again, seeding by ranking is not perfect, but isn’t it the solution which is closest to perfection?

At No. 28, Serena will face the prospect of playing high-seeded players in early rounds, but so what? If she’s going to win the Open, she’s going to have to beat those players at some point. What does it matter, on the bottom line, whether it’s in the third round of the final?

RODDICK’S ADAPTABILITY WAS A BIG REASON HE WON SONY ERICSSON OPEN

April 5, 2010 by WTM

By Charles Bricker

I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard veteran tennis players comment that they can’t change their games, can’t add a new facet to their games, can’t make a necessary adjustment in their games because “that’s just not me,” or “that’s not my game.”

What separates Andy Roddick at age 27, and that’s not to suggest he’s an isolated case, is that he has been open to change, and that’s a big reason why he won the Sony Ericsson Open on Sunday and why he’s picked up his fifth Masters (or ATP 1000) shield and first since Cincinnati in 2006.

Players don’t like to change their play or modify how they play because they remember how many years they put in as juniors just to play well enough to turn professional. Now, at 26 or 27, merely thinking about change is mentally exhausting.

But Roddick understands, or been made to understand, that the men’s landscape has changed greatly since his near-undefeated run to the U.S. Open title in 2003. There is now Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and, somewhere out there recovering from injury, Juan Martin Del Potro.

Change or drown. That was the reality, and Roddick chose change. When he began his coaching association with Larry Stefanki on Dec. 1, 2008, he had picked the right catalyst. Like Roddick’s previous coach, Jimmy Connors, Stefanki didn’t need this job. He was comfortable, settled in with his family in southern California. And one thing has always been certain about Larry Stefanki — whether he was coaching John McEnroe, Marcelo Rios, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Tim Henman or Fernando Gonzalez, there would be no ego involved. I think Roddick liked that enormously about Stefanki.

Roddick has gone through a few coaches in his career. Tarik Benhabiles was the perfect choice for his last junior years and his early pro years, teaching Andy how to be prepare for a professional career.

Then, the switch to Brad Gilbert, who was very high profile and pumped Roddick up to new heights. With Gilbert, he tore through the U.S. hardcourt season and won the 2003 U.S. Open.

Enter the more laid-back Dean Goldfine. Wayyyy laid-back and maybe too much so for Roddick. It didn’t last and, for a short time, Roddick worked with older brother John until he hired Jimmy Connors.

The blast-away, full speed ahead game that won that major wasn’t going to hold up as Federer, Nadal and others rose to the top. Roddick made some improvements. Connors worked some technical adjustments to his backhand that gave Andy more confidence in the stroke. But it was Stefanki who solidified the one factor that has made a difference in Roddick’s game today.

Patience.

One of the highest moments in Roddick’s semifinal win last Friday over Nadal was coming out on top of a 14-stroke rally that pushed Roddick to display not only his more reliable backhand but a willingness to grind hard — even against the best grinder in tennis.

It’s not easy changing a big-hitting personality into a patient player. The mind might be willing, but there’s a little bell that goes off in your head after the sixth shot that says, “I’ve got to end this point now.” It’s almost an addiction.

That’s what Stefanki and Roddick have overcome. When you can pick your spots to go to the power game, you become an infinitely better player.

Picking your spots means pumping up the aggression against Nadal but being smart enough to stay back against Tomas Berdych, who has a much less reliable forehand, in the final. Picking your spots means a willingness to get to the net, but not every time. It means knowing when to throw in a serve-and-volley point. It means controlling that impetuous streak that says, “I can hit this running forehand for a winner, even though it’s only a 10 percent shot.”

Roddick has that now — a beautiful combination of styles that he can incorporate when the moment is right.

It hasn’t been a smooth ride to this new comfort zone for him and, certainly, there have been some self-doubts since that U.S. Open triumph in 2003. “Any athlete who says he doesn’t have a ‘what if’ moment probably isn’t being too honest with you,” Roddick said.

After he lost in the second round at Wimbledon in 2008 to Janko Tipsarevic, playing wimp tennis down the stretch of the final, fourth set, there was some negative thinking.

“I openly talked to Brook (soon-to-be wife Brooklyn Decker) and wondered if the best of it was gone,” Roddick explained. “I didn’t know. I honestly didn’t know. But I knew there was a way to find out, and that was to kind of go back to the drawing board and give myself every opportunity to succeed. Luckily, that’s given me some good days.”

After taking Federer to the wall, losing an excruciatingly long fifth set in the Wimbledon final last year and after the way he’s played this year, Roddick will be one of the favorites at the All England Club. On fast surfaces, he’s earned the right to be mentioned in the same sentence with Nadal, Federer, Djokovic and Murray. He’s no longer, “Oh, and maybe Roddick could be a spoiler.”

But, first, there is the clay season, which is underway today. It appears that Roddick will play only Madrid (May 9) and possibly the team event at Dussendorf the week before the French Open as preparation for Roland Garros, and though he has had some success on clay, it’s not his best surface.

He’ll spend the next month getting his body ready for the special rigors of playing on dirt and he’ll be bouyed by his best-ever fourth-round finish at the French a year ago.

He’s made a lot of changes in his game to get this far on the fast courts. Is there a reason he can’t make a major adjustment to clay as well?

Charles Bricker can be reached at nflwriterr@aol.com

FEDERER’S FIRST ATP TITLE

February 4, 2010 by WTM

Nine years ago, on February 4, 2001, Roger Federer finally broke through and won his first ATP singles title. As documented in the book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY, Federer, then relatively uncertain19-year-old struggling to live up to the heavy expectations thrust upon him, defeated Julien Boutter of France 6-4, 6-7, 6-4 in Milan, Italy to win his maiden ATP title. “What a relief,” said Federer after the match. “I’m really happy to have won my first title here in Milan. As a kid you always dream of winning your first title.” Federer has gone to win grander heights, netting an additional 61 ATP titles, including 16 major singles titles. Rene Stauffer, the author of the leading Federer biography THE ROGER FEDERER STORY: QUEST FOR PERFECTION ($24.95, New Chapter Press, www.RogerFedererBook.com) documents Federer and his coach at the time Peter Lundgren at this crucial time in Federer’s career in this exclusive book excerpt below.

Lundgren expected a lot from Federer in 2001, his first full season as Federer’s private coach. He was convinced that “if he plays like he did last fall in Sydney, Vienna or in Basel, he’ll be in the top 15.” He even dared to speculate that “he could have his first title very soon.”

At the start of the season, Federer and Martina Hingis won the Hopman Cup in Perth. It was not an especially significant event but it was, after all, the International Tennis Federation’s sanctioned world mixed tennis tournament. He reached the third round of the Australian Open—avenging his Olympic loss to DiPasquale in the first round before losing to eventual finalist Arnaud Clement. February, however, became the best month of his career to date. At the indoor event in Milan, Italy after the Australian Open, Federer defeated Olympic Champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov for the first time in his career in the semifinals to reach his third career ATP singles final. Federer seized the opportunity and, with his parents in the stands cheering him on, he finally won his first ATP singles title, defeating No. 53-ranked Julien Boutter of France 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-4.

Lundgren was correct. A milestone was achieved. “The relief is enormous,” Federer said. “I’ve had to wait a long time for this moment. It should get easier from here on out.” But the excursion to Milan didn’t end very happily for Roger’s father. In his excitement, he locked his car keys inside the car and had to smash in the car window to retrieve them.

A week later, another career milestone was achieved for the 19-year-old as he returned to Basel for Davis Cup duty against the United States. There was no stopping Federer. He beat Todd Martin and Jan-Michael Gambill in two breath-taking performances in singles, and in between, paired with Lorenzo Manta to defeat the American team of Gambill and Justin Gimelstob in doubles. With his three match victories in the 3-2 Swiss defeat of the USA, he joined Raul Ramirez, Neale Fraser, Nicola Pietrangeli, Frank Sedgman, Henri Cochet and Laurie Doherty as the seventh and the youngest player to win three live matches in a Davis Cup tie against the United States. “It’s like a dream,” said Federer, who shed tears of joy after his match-clinching victory over Gambill.

The Americans, by contrast, were stunned. “You’d have to be blind not to see that he’s got a great future in store for him,” said Gambill. U.S. Captain Patrick McEnroe didn’t try to make any excuses although he was missing his two strongest players, Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras, in this match. “We knew that Federer would be tough but we didn’t expect this,” he said. “Whenever he got hold of the ball, the point was his.”

February would bring even more success for Federer. The week after his single-handed defeat of the U.S. Davis Cup team, he reached the semifinals in Marseille where his 10-match winning streak was ended by Kafelnikov. The next week, he reached his fourth career singles final, losing to Nicolas Escude of France in a third-set tie-break in the final of Rotterdam. The ATP chose him their “Player of the Month” and effusively praised in their official press communication, “The Federer Express has arrived!” A playful warning was also issued in the press release stating that Federer, “has been blessed with so much talent that it almost seems unfair to his opponents.”

IS DAVYDENKO THE FAVORITE TO WIN THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN?

January 10, 2010 by WTM

By Bob Stockton

Can we call Nikolay Davydenko the favorite to win the 2010 Australian Open?

The Russian saved two match points Saturday to beat world No. 2 Rafael Nadal 0-6, 7-6 (8), 6-4 and win the Qatar Open in Doha and continue his run of top form.

It appears Davydenko still hasn’t cooled off since winning the biggest title of his career at the end of the 2009 season, winning the year-end ATP World Tour Finals in London in late November. In London, the Russian registered wins over the world’s No. 1, No. 2 and No. 5 players, defeating the No. 2 ranked Nadal 6-1, 7-6(4) in round-robin play, while he topped world No. 1 Roger Federer 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 in the semifinals and Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 6-4 in the final.

Since it is the first major of the season – and played in only the third week of the year – the Australian Open traditionally features unpredictable runs from players not used to playing major finals due to some top players not being in the best of shape after the off-season. For example, Thomas Johansson won the title in 2002 and Petr Korda took the title in 1998. Unforseen finalists through the years include Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 2008, Fernando Gonzalez in 2007, Marcos Baghdatis in 2006, Rainer Schuettler in 2003, Arnaud Clement in 2001 and Thomas Enqvist in 1999,

Will Davydenko fill this role in 2010?

Marat Safin and Yevgeny Kafelnikov are the only Russian men to win major singles titles – Kafelnikov bagging the 1996 French Open and the 1999 Australian Open, while Safin won the 2000 US Open and the 2005 Australian Open. Davydenko has never reached a major singles final.

Against Nadal, Davydenko led 4-1 in the second-set tiebreaker but unforced errors allowed Nadal to twice serve for the match. However, the second-ranked Spaniard sprayed his returns wide, and Davydenko broke two times to Nadal’s one in the decider to close it out.

Davydenko, ranked No. 6, has won three straight matches against Nadal and improved his record against the Spanish lefty to 5-4.

“I did not come here expecting to win. I am surprised that I have won,” Davydenko said. “It is an amazing feeling to have won here. I have played semifinals and finals here but never won.”

1995: Sampras Crushes Kafelnikov In Finest Davis Cup Moment

December 3, 2009 by WTM

The 2009 Davis Cup Final begins Friday in Barcelona as Spain plays host to the Czech Republic. As part of the countdown to the final, WorldTennisMagazine.com is presenting a special look at some of the best moments in the history of the Davis Cup, courtesy of the book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com). Each day, WorldTennisMagazine.com will present the anniversaries of some of the best matches from the event.

ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY – December 3

1995 – Pete Sampras concludes one of the finest performances of his career, dominating Russia’s Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on a clay court – his worst surface – to almost single-handedly win the 31^st Davis Cup title for the United States against Russia in Moscow. Sampras, the world No. 1 and the reigning Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion, accounts for all three points in the 3-2 U.S. victory, dramatically recovering from being dragged off the court in cramps following his 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-4 win over Andrei Chesnokov in the opening match of the series. The day after his epic first day heroics, Sampras returns to the court and, with Todd Martin, dominated Kafelnikov and Andrei Olhovskiy in a straight-sets doubles victory, before beating Kafelnikov to give the U.S. the match-clinching 3-1 lead. “I’ve never seen better clay court tennis,” U.S. captain Tom Gullikson says of the performance of Sampras. “The combination of power and patience and precision serving. It was flawless tennis…The great players have a sense of history. When the great players go down in the history books, not only will they be remembered by Grand Slam singles titles but how many times did they help their country win the Davis Cup.”

2006 – Russia wins the Davis Cup for the second time as former world No. 1 Marat Safin defeats Jose Acasuso 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) in the fifth and decisive match to give Russia a 3-2 win over Argentina in Moscow. Says Safin of the match-clinching victory, “I was under pressure and I was pretty scared. I didn’t want to let this cup go away…There were some very difficult moments today. It was tough to control the match. Everything worked out, thank God.” Acasuso is a substitute for Juan Ignacio Chela in the fifth match, a decision Argentine captain Alberto Mancini makes due to Acasuso’s unbeaten 2006 Davis Cup record and Acasuso having fresher legs than Safin, who enters the match having already played one singles match on Friday and in Saturday’s doubles. Says Safin, “Acasuso proved himself well. He served well and was confident on this surface, but he never played in such a match before, and my experience paid off.”

Davydenko Rules London

November 29, 2009 by WTM

Nikolay Davydenko won the biggest title of his career Sunday defeating Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 6-4 to win the year-end Barclay’s ATP World Tour Finals in London. Davydenko became the first Russian to win the season-ending championships and pocketed $770,000 with the victory. The Russian played flawless tennis from the baseline all week, registering wins over the world’s No. 1, No. 2 and No. 5 players. On Wednesday, he beat No. 2 ranked Rafael Nadal 6-1, 7-6(4) in round-robin play, while he topped world No. 1 Roger Federer 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 in the semifinals Saturday. His win over No. 5 del Potro prevented the Argentine from moving up passed Andy Murray into the No. 4 ranking and from joining 1974 champion Guillermo Vilas as the only Argentines to win the season-ending championships.

“Yeah!” exclaimed Davydenko when on-court commentator Mark Petchey told him that he beat the Australian Open champion (Nadal), the French Open champion (Federer), the Wimbledon champion (Federer) and the US Open champion (del Potro) en route to the title.

Davydenko was a finalist at the event last year, losing to Novak Djokovic when the event was played in Shanghai, China.

“He has probably elevated himself to one of the great Russian players by winning this title,” said Robbie Koenig on the ATP’s world feed commentary.

Roger Federer Routs Andre Agassi

November 16, 2009 by WTM

The countdown to London begins. As part of the lead up to start of the Barclay’s ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena in London on November 22, WorldTennisMagazine.com is presenting a special look at some of the best moments in the history of the season-ending ATP championships, courtesy of the book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com). Each day, WorldTennisMagazine.com will present the anniversaries of some of the best matches from the event.

ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY – November 16

2003 – Roger Federer routs Andre Agassi 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 to win the year-end ATP Masters Cup for the first time in his career. Playing at the West Side Tennis Club in Houston, Texas, Federer fires 11 aces in the 88-minute match that is delayed two-and-a-half hours due to rain. “It was one of the best matches for me this season,” Federer says. “I’m very happy how the whole year went, especially this tournament. I worked hard this year. You always have ups and downs but I feel this season has been complete.”

2001 – Twenty-year-old Lleyton Hewitt clinches the No. 1 year-end ranking, becoming the youngest player to accomplish the feat in the history of the ATP rankings since 1973. Hewitt clinches the ranking when he defeats fellow Aussie Patrick Rafter 7-5, 6-2 in his final round-robin match at the Tennis Masters Cup in Sydney, Australia. Hewitt’s victory, coupled with the loss of Gustavo Kuerten to Yevgeny Kafelnikov, ensures the top year-end ranking for the Adelaide, Australia native. Says Hewitt, the first Australian to finish the year ranked No. 1, “It’s an unbelievable feeling. To become No.1 at 20 years of age, and to do it in Australia, you couldn’t have written a better dream.” Hewitt, at 20 years, 8 months, is younger than the previous year-end No. 1 Jimmy Connors, at 22 years, 3 months, in 1974.

1997 – Pete Sampras wins the year-end ATP Tour Championships for a fourth time, defeating Russia’s Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in Hannover, Germany. Sampras becomes the first player to win the season-ending championships for a second consecutive year since Ivan Lendl in 1986 and 1987.