Tennis Now News

Block Party: James Blake Bursts Into US Open Third Round

Tennis Now — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:20:40 GMT

US Open ATP
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By Richard Pagliaro
© Natasha Peterson/Corleve

(September 2, 2010) James Blake has delivered dazzle and disappointment in some enthralling New York nights. Honored on opening night at the US Open earlier this week, he's heard the whispers wondering if this might be his Flushing Meadows Farewell. But dancing on his toes behind the baseline tonight like a boxer eager to beat his opponent to the punch in an entertaining brawl, Blake showed he still knows how to throw a block party and brought a few thousand of his fans along for another memorable ride.

Exhorting the fans inside Louis Armstrong Stadium with the wave of his hand, Blake drew a double fault from a rattled Peter Polansky to break serve then put the hammer down in closing a 6-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 crowd-pleasing win to surge into the US Open third round tonight.

"People say I've been struggling and everything, but I'm still having fun. I'm still having a great time competing," Blake said. "I still love what I do. Out here, I love it even more."

The Yonkers, N.Y. has spent part of his injury-ravaged season fielding questions about his future, but showed he still has juice left in his 30-year-old legs and plenty of lightning in his electric forehand in reaching the third round for the eighth straight time.

Now the degree of difficulty takes a dramatic leap as Blake will square off against third-seeded Novak Djokovic, who dispatched Philipp Petzschner, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(6) in an entertaining night match.

Djokovic ran down a long lob, spun around and hit a brilliant two handed backhand. ESPN analyst Brad Gilbert asked Djokovic if he was tempted to try to hit a Roger Federer-esque between the legs shot.

"Do you have that between the legs shot?" Gilbert asked?

"I've got something else between my legs," Djokovic replied with a sly smile after reaching the third round for the sixth straight year.

Based on the way Blake worked the crowd into a rousing state it looked like he spent some of his Wednesday evening watching good friend and former Davis Cup teammate Andy Roddick lose focus over a foot fault call in the third set and ultimately fall in four to Serbian Janko Tipsarevic.

A cranky Roddick did not engage a crowd eager to impose itself in that match. Blake wisely broke down the barrier between athlete and audience tonight in bouncing in exuberance on his toes, waving the fans on as the 205th-ranked Canadian qualifier stepped up to serve down break point at 4-all.

The crowd responded with a roar, Polansky's right arm tightened slightly and he sent a double fault beyond the service box as Blake broke for 5-4.

"Tonight, having the crowd there it made a big difference, getting that double fault at 4-all in the fourth set," Blake said. "I mean, I know Peter is a young guy and definitely felt the pressure there were seven or eight thousand people cheering for me right then. That makes a big difference. Just the energy level from the crowd gets my feet moving a little better. When I'm moving my feet, I'm playing some of my best tennis, if I'm playing that aggressive with my feet."

Blake can play the waiting game with all the restraint of an auctioneer rapidly reciting the alphabet.

Barely taking time to even bounce the ball before serving, Blake plays points quickly, races around the court as if rushing to catch a departing flight, spends his downtime between points spinning his racquet around his hands and sometimes swings at his forehand with all the force of a man determined to strike a shot at warp speed.

Wearing a worn out baseball cap in a show of support of his beloved Mets, who like Blake, have endured their share of struggle this season, he said in the post-match press conference he's found clarity on court and is convinced his grip it and rip it style is his best way to play in that it optimizes his talents.

"If you keep concentrating, keep the positive attitude, keep playing that way, the shots are going to go in," Blake said. "I had enough confidence in myself they were going to start going in. They did."

As a kid, Blake and older brother Thomas, who was in the support box, tried sneaking into the Open. He needed a wild card to gain entry into his 10th Open and the 108th-ranked Blake played with the passion of a man eager to extend his stay for at least another couple of days.

Hobbled by a right knee injury that sidelined him for two months, caused his ranking to plummet to outside the top 100 for the first time in five years, Blake has looked distracted and disconnected at times this year.

Returning to the place where he's produced some of his most memorable tennis, Blake regained the buzz in his game and reconnected with the fans all too eager to show their support. The result was Blake turning a two-man competition into a festive match in which he fed off the crowd participation.

"When I have the fans behind me, they helped me get through that at the end," Blake said. "I'm going to show some emotion out there and try to get the fans involved. I'm going to do my best. That's what they can expect from me."

Of course, working in concert with the crowd to dispatch a qualifier playing in his first Grand Slam main draw appearance is one thing, can Blake lift both his level of play and the fans along with him in a third-round clash against Novak Djokovic?

"I would expect it to be a pretty good match," Blake said. "He has one of the more underrated serves in the game. He's got a great service motion, a great serve, one of the best backhands in the game. His movement is unbelievable. I'm going to have to play well, that's for sure."

Blake can still unload on his mammoth forehand that sometimes comes off his strings sounding as if its hit with all the force of a steel door slamming shot. But he will be up against one of the best athletes and hard-court movers in the sport in Djokovic, who induces errors out of opponents with his ability to transition from defense to offense and run down virtually any shot. Djokovic is a more consistent player, which puts more pressure on Blake to squeeze shots closer to the lines in a search for open space.

"If I got out there and I start dictating, I feel like I have a good shot," Blake said. "But there's also a good shot that he comes out and plays great tennis and proves why he's No. 3 in the world right now. But it will be on Ashe Stadium. I think I'll have pretty good crowd support. Hopefully, I can come up with some of my best as I've been known to do before...Once you start getting a couple of wins, you really start believing anything's possible."

Capra Leading A Wonderful US Open Life

Tennis Now — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:43:35 GMT

US Open ATP
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US Open Other
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By Joe McDonald
© Natasha Peterson/Corleve

(September 2, 2010) If you thought Cinderella left the building when Melanie Oudin lost to Alona Bondarenko in the second round on Wednesday, get ready for another potential American fairy tale heroine: Beatrice Capra.

The World No. 317 made a name for herself today, scoring her first top 20 win with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 win over 18th-seed Aravane Rezai.

Playing her first career Tour-level main-draw event, the 18-year-old Capra finds herself treading into Oudin territory and that suits the Maryland native just fine.

"I really look up to Melanie," said Capra, who beat Karolina Spred to earn her first Tour-level win. "I watched all of her matches last year, and I was just so happy for her. You know, it was really inspiring to me because I played her a year before, and then she was getting to the quarters of a Grand Slam. It was just unbelievable, and I was so happy for her. I think she's pushed all of the Americans to do better. I mean, for sure I talk to Melanie a lot, and I will for sure ask anything about Maria Sharapova."

That's because Capra will face the three-time Grand Slam champion next. Sharapova did not face a break point in a 6-1, 6-2 thrashing of Iveta Benesova to advance to the third round.

Capra was the talk of the Open today and tennis indirectly gave her entry into the world.

She was born to an Italian family and her father emigrated to America. "He's from Monza," Capra said, "and he came over to start his business, which it's called the Tenax Corporation. It's an Italian company, so he started it in America. While he was there in Maryland, my mom taught tennis lessons. He wanted to take tennis lessons, so they met up and here I am."

Her last answer got a round of laughs from the press conference and much like Oudin this young lady is very engaging as she moves up the ranks.

She lives in Delray Beach and trains at the Evert Academy. Capra, who was a quarterfinalist in the US Open juniors last year and at the Roland Garros juniors in June, received a wild card into this tournament.

"A year ago today I was actually playing the juniors here," Capra said. "I've been playing mostly juniors tournaments the entire year and concentrating on that. I've played a couple of pro circuit events and done okay, but it's been mostly juniors. I played a couple of WTA events this year, and lost first round in the qualies in all of them. So, I mean, this is definitely the best I've done so far."

She played a very strong defensive game today, but feels she needs to be more aggressive if she’s going to have any shot against the 14th-seeded Sharapova.

Capra is well aware she's an immense underdog in that match, but is enjoying the ride while it lasts.

"I mean, I always wanted to play in one of the Grand Slams," she said. “I would be watching the Tennis Channel leading up. It's just like, you know, I always wanted that. Whenever I want something, you know, I do my best to get it. You know, every day I would be like, I want this, I want this, and I just can't, you know, believe that it's happening."

Truly, this Capra is living a Wonderful Life.

Joe McDonald is the publisher of TennisLedger.com where this article originated.

Richard Gasquet Dumps No. 6 Nikolay Davydenko From US Open Field

Tennis Now — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:20:57 GMT

US Open ATP
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US Open Other
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By Richard Pagliaro
© Natasha Peterson/Corleve

(September 2, 2010) Sixth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko became the highest-seeded man to fall from the US Open field in suffering a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 second-round setback to Richard Gasquet on the Grandstand court. The two-time US Open semifinalist had a visceral response to his loss — Davydenko is prepared to get trashed.

Actually, the 29-year-old Russian is ready to toss his racquets in the trash. Davydenko, who endorses Dunlop and wears Dunlop apparel has been playing with his old, unmarked Prince frame, but vowed to throw those in the garbage and actually begin playing with Dunlop in his next tournament.

"I talked to my brother and I will change all my racquets," Davydenko said after the match. "I will completely change to Dunlop and throw all of my (old) racquets in the garbage."

While the frames will take the fall for the lose, Davydenko, who missed 11 weeks after breaking his left wrist in Indian Wells and has won back-to-back matches just once since launching his comeback in June in Halle, concedes his issues may be more mental than physical or technical.

"I don't know if it's a wrist problem or a head problem," Davydenko said, stretching his legs out before him and staring down at his shoelaces for a moment. "After my injury, I play everything bad. I change from 18-string Prince to play 16-string during hard courts to try to get more control and top spin, but I have no confidence, no baseline game."

In addition to an equipment change, he's contemplating a head change.

"Maybe I need to go somewhere to change my brain," Davydenko deadpanned.

It was the first meeting between the pair in five years and while Davydenko hugs the baseline, takes the ball earlier and theoretically should be able to take the first strike in rallies it was Gasquet who took control in the baseline rallies in registering his second top 10 win of the season and first since he claimed his sixth career title beating Fernando Verdasco in Nice.

The 38th-ranked Frenchman has top 10 talent, who reached the US Open round of 16 in both 2005 and 2006, will play either No. 26 seed Thomaz Bellucci or big-serving Kevin Anderson for a place in the fourth round.

Asked to assess Gasquet's level of play, Davydenko sounded stumped.

"It's tough for me to say because I cannot return first serve. He was just pushing me back in the middle with high balls and I was destroying myself."

Sunshine Shutout: Caroline Wozniacki Rolls Into Third

Tennis Now — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:18:53 GMT

US Open ATP
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- Order of Play
- Singles Draw
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US Open WTA
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US Open Other
- Mixed Doubles Draw
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By Joe McDonald
© Natasha Peterson/Corleve

(September 2, 2010) Sunshine delivered a scalding case of tennis sunstroke on Arthur Ashe Stadium Court today. Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki shut out Chang Kai-Chen, 6-0, 6-0 in a 47-minute mismatch to storm into the US Open third round.

Wozniacki is nicknamed "Sunshine" for her perpetually positive disposition and you can’t blame the bubbly blond Dane for looking like a woman who lives on happy pills. Since Wimbledon, Wozniacki has been on a torrid tear, posting a 15-1 record and capturing consecutive championships in Montreal and New Haven.

The 2009 US Open runner-up has surrendered just two games in two rounds and both came in her 6-1, 6-1 demolition of Chelsey Gullickson.

Yes, it was just another day at the office for the Danish beauty, who said the added pressure of playing as the top seed for the first time in a major have not altered her aim — Wozniacki is here to win.

"The expectations maybe from the outside has changed, but from myself I always go into a tournament and I want to win it," Wozniacki said. "Doesn't really matter what tournament I'm playing, and I always believe in myself. It's not always possible to win every tournament, but at least I give it a shot."

Can Wozniacki break through to her win her first major in New York?

ESPN analyst Pam Shriver, reached the Open final as a serve-and-volleyer and says Wozniacki has the game and the goods to go all the way — or at least get back to the final.

"Wozniacki looks most confident and is playing some of her best tennis right now," Shriver told Tennis Now today. "It's a tough draw because the other two in her quarter, Maria Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova, are both tough. Wozniacki has been to the final last year and that's always a help. She's a very smooth mover and doesn't tear herself up when she moves whereas Sharapova is a sort of a violent mover."

The 5-foot-10 Wozniacki covers the court as comprehensively as virtually any woman in the field and says she places a premium on effort.

"The only time I get disappointed with myself is if I feel like I haven't given 100 percent," Wozniacki said. "I'm almost always giving 100 percent. It's just about if I lose a match, okay, the opponent was just playing better than me that day, and I need to get back and work harder and be better for next time."

Wozniacki can supplant Serena Williams as the World No. 1 if she wins the Open. She is no longer below the radar, like she was during the first week of last year’s US Open when she was overshadowed by the Melanie Oudin story and then super mom Kim Clijsters, who beat her in the final. Wozniacki, who says she spends some of her down time shopping in Manhattan, cites New York as one of her favorite cities.

"Well, the atmosphere here is great,” she said. "I really love playing here. I mean, it's a great feeling. Also coming back from last year, you know, being in the finals, coming back here and just, yeah, playing on the big courts, it's a great feeling."

Wozniacki, who raised her record to 28-6 on hard courts, has played 60 matches this season, second on the WTA Tour to Flavia Pennetta, who is about to play her 65th match today. She was runner-up to Jelena Jankovic at Indian Wells in March, but sprained her right ankle in Charleston in March and played through the injury, reaching the Roland Garros quarterfinals.

She took time after Wimbledon to recharge her batteries and says she's completely healthy now.

"I'm that type of person that I like to do everything 100 percent," she said. "If I don't feel like I'm practicing 100 percent, it makes me frustrated a little bit, when I have to take care of myself, you know, where I have to take care of my body.

“Charleston was, yeah, it was tough, you know. I got that ankle injury and wasn't feeling great. I had to take care of myself. You know, it's tough when I'm used to doing so much fitness off the court, and I really couldn't do that. It was great for me to have that time off after Wimbledon, and that's where I really started to feel like my ankle was feeling 100 percent and I could really practice 100 percent and go to sleep and feel, okay, today I've really done what I had to do. That's the way I need to progress. It's bringing out the results, and I'm really, really happy now. You know, hopefully I can just stay injury‑free and keep improving."

And now she’s looking to win her first major, even though a potential fourth-round meeting with Sharapova looms, Wozniacki has no fear of that encounter.

"I feel I can beat everybody on a good day. Definitely, I believe it's possible and we have to see. That's a dream for me," Wozniacki said.

Joe McDonald is the publisher of TennisLedger.com where this article originated.

Flying Fish: Mardy Mutes Pablo Cuevas

Tennis Now — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:38:26 GMT

US Open ATP
- Official Site
- Order of Play
- Singles Draw
- Singles Qualifying Draw
- Doubles Draw
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US Open WTA
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US Open Other
- Mixed Doubles Draw
- Juniors Draw
- Wheelchair Draw
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By Richard Pagliaro
© Natasha Peterson/Corleve

(September 2, 2010) The morning after Mardy Fish's good friend and former high school basketball teammate Andy Roddick was bounced out of the US Open in four sets of sound and fury, Fish took the court and pressed the mute button on Pablo Cuevas. The 19th-seeded Fish, who may well be America's best hope of going deep in the draw, crushed Cuevas, 7-5, 6-0, 6-2, to reach the Flushing Meadows third round for just the second time in 10 appearances.

Next up for Fish is the a third-round meeting with 32-year-old Arnaud Clement, the oldest man still standing in the singles draw. Clement held a 6-3, 5-5 lead when Eduardo Schwank retired from their second-round match. Should Fish prevail, he could get a shot at third-seeded Novak Djokovic with a trip to the quarters on the line.

Forgoing the typical tennis cliche of "playing one match at a time," Fish said he wants a shot at a top 10 player.

"I'd like another crack at a top 5 player, top 10 player in a Slam," Fish said. "I think I've beaten a couple of them in Slams, but never deep into a tournament. Sort of getting yourself into winning maybe another match and getting myself into the situation of playing, you know, a Djokovic or a Davydenko or one of these guys that has been there quite a few times you know, slam in, slam out, they're going deep so to put myself in a position to play them. I certainly feel like I can hang with them."

Fish has scored shutouts in three of the eight sets he's played. The Fish story — he shed 30 pounds in the offseason by hiring a nutritionist and eliminating pizza, french fries and junk food — has been almost as well publicized as a Jenny Craig commercial.

The physical transformation has helped Fish reinvent himself as a competitor.

Clawing his way back from a break down in the first set, he pulled out the opening set then glanced over at Cuevas on the changeover to see 24-year-old Uruguayan sucking deep gasps of air with an ice towel wrapped around his neck.

"I kind of fought hard to stay just a break down, to be honest, in that first set. I figured that hopefully I could weather this as long as I can, and eventually, you know, he'll maybe come down to earth a little bit," Fish said. "He gave me a few points there in that 5-4 game and the 6-5 game to allow me to win that first set, which was huge, because the weather, it was pretty hot. The first set is huge in this type of weather."

The sight of a tormented opponent looking like a man in dire need of an air-conditioned exit strategy prompted Fish, who grew up playing in the heat and humidity of Vero Beach, Florida, to put the hammer down. He won 12 of the final 14 games in dispensing some commanding closure as well as physical punishment.

The byproduct of his improved fitness means Fish can practice longer and harder and player smarter tennis on pivotal points because he no longer has to pull the trigger prematurely on low percentage shots.

"It got fun to practice. It's fun to, you know, try to outlast guys, and it's fun to see when, you know, you play a match like today and you're in the heat and you sort of crawl back and win that first set," Fish said.

There was a time when an out of shape Fish sometimes showed the competitive backbone of the Michilen Man running through a row of thumb tacks. Three years ago, Fish seemingly had the fifth set of a US Open second round match in hand before wilting and essentially donating the match to eighth-ranked Tommy Robredo.

Contrast that player to the man who has not only beat opponents, he's beat up on them in the latter stages of matches this week and you have to give Fish a serious shot of extending his run here.

Fish said he did not stay up to watch Roddick play periods of passive tennis in bowing to Janko Tipsarevic, but he played the type of assertive tennis that eluded his friend and frequent practice partner. Fish hit 14 aces, won 21 of 25 trips to net and often exploited Cuevas' deep court positioning with touch volleys and sharp-angled shots.

Fish, who won Newport and Atlanta back-to-back in posting a career-best 11-match winning streak earlier this summer, beat Roddick in the Cincinnati semifinals. Fish said Roddick is not as aggressive as he was when he captured the 2003 US Open, but believes the former No. 1 sticks to the script he devises for each opponent with coach Larry Stefanki.

"I've watched some tape of him when he won the US Open in 2003. He's certainly played a more aggressive style," Fish said. "But I think he's fitter now than he was back then, so he can rely on his legs a little bit more now. He's no dummy. You know, he's gonna play how he feels best suits him. You know, he's got a great team behind him that (coach) Larry Stefanki,they put together a game plan, and I guarantee you that's how it's gonna play...But with his serve, he can be on you like lightning."

The departure of Roddick combined with the fact Djokovic staggered through his first-round match and has not looked close to the form he displayed in advancing to the 2007 final gives Fish every incentive to perhaps put together a quarterfinal run as he did two years ago.

Continuing his trip through the Open is Fish's priority and the bigger picture is his pursuit of a place in the top 10. With no ranking points to defend between now and the end of the season, Fish has a legitimate shot to get to where he wants to go.

"I have played well here the past couple times that I've come. I've got a really good opportunity from the 12 month calendar year from Newport...maybe a 12 month run that I can try to get myself into the top 10," Fish said.

Open Observations: Only The Strong Survive

Tennis Now — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:12:03 GMT

US Open ATP
- Official Site
- Order of Play
- Singles Draw
- Singles Qualifying Draw
- Doubles Draw
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US Open WTA
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US Open Other
- Mixed Doubles Draw
- Juniors Draw
- Wheelchair Draw
- Live Scores

By Franklin L. Johnson
© Andy Kentla
© Howie Burnett

(September 2, 2010) The heat hung heavily in the air like a curtain adding another element to this Flushing Meadows fortnight. Anyone who claims tennis isn't a contact sport should review video of Victoria Azarenka's frightening collapse on court. Players and fans alike have braved health risk during the scorching early days of play. Drama and upsets erupted on Day 3 and here are some observations of what we've witnessed so far as we watch Day 4.

We've learned that Rafael Nadal spent some of his time after winning Wimbledon taking treatment for his creaky knees, which is both understandable and a wise from Nadal. What I don't understand is all the silence surrounding it? We should know what he's using and what the long term effects will be of his sacrifice in order to play his best tennis. Why is there secrecy about this?

Assuming the statement the USTA released claiming Azarenka hit her head and arm sprinting on a treadmill before her collapse trailing Gisela Dulko 1-5 on Wednesday is true, then why was Azarenka allowed to start her match after hitting her head just before it?

Surely there must have been other people in the fitness center who saw Azarenka's treadmill trip, if in fact that's really what happened.

Why can't the USTA, WTA and other governing bodies get their acts together about the importance of the health of the players coming first, not the bucks to be made?

Tennis seems to subscribe to "the show must go on" mentality. I'm shocked and amazed the incompetence goes on. Let's be real: Azarenka should never have been allowed to take the court, especially since she's had a history of having trouble with very hot conditions. Do players need to fall down and die from hitting their heads on the hard courts before somebody wakes up and smells the futility of the match managers?

Is tennis going to become a blood sport before the powers that be wake up and recognize this schedule and sport tends to cannibalize its own? If you think that's a gross generalization why have current and former World No. 1 players like Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin walked away from the game at times during their primes?

We watch the two hours these players spend on court, but don't see the countless hours of training and travel that go on behind the scenes.

Andy Roddick may still own one of the fastest serves in tennis history, but when it comes to downshifting game plans, A-Rod is as mobile as a Hummer stuck in neutral.

Not to kick a man when he's down because Roddick is only 14 months removed from a masterpiece of a match that ended with a gut-wrenching loss in the Wimbledon final, but do you honestly see any progress in his game?

Let's fact it, Andy is so one-dimensional in his play it's a wonder he gets as deep in tourneys as he does these days. His serve is not enough to beat human backboards who can serve big and chang direction like Tipsy. His forehand is no longer a "fearhand" to quote Brad Gilbert. Roddick hasn't added enough to his game while the Tour caught up and passed him. Tipsy exposed his lack of a second gear and ability to change a losing game.

Here's the harsh reality for Andy Roddick: yes, he is still our nation's best male player but unless he finds a way to expand and enhance his game he will not be a factor in majors in the future.

There is some silver lining in the cloud hanging over the future of US tennis. The young players have a lot of talent and it's good to see.

Little Melanie Oudin looked relieved to get the pressure off her shoulder. This is a time for Melanie to reboot her game, reset her resolve and redefine the type of tennis she wants to play. What happens when Cinderella is reunited with the glass slipper? There's still a long road ahead. The good news is Melanie is a fighter with deep desire and a positive spirit.

Ryan Harrison showed how young legs, a fresh spirit and smart tactical approach can take down a veteran like Ivan Ljubicic, who looked fried.

Donald Young has talent and nothing else. If Young doesn't get stronger and fitter and seek out a different coaching voice, he will never realize his potential.

Even if the scorching conditions subside, only the strong will survive in New York.

Tennis Now contributing writer Franklin L. Johnson is a writer, poet and avid tennis player based in New York. He has covered professional tennis for three decades. His recent columns include Champs Can Sow Seeds of American Tennis Growth, The GOAT Game Changer, What Do Roger Federer and Andy Murray's Coaching Changes Mean? American Anthem Needs New Tune, Tomas Berdych Played Tame Final and A Case For Vera.

US Open Day 4 - Matches to Watch

Tennis Now — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:52:22 GMT

US Open ATP
- Official Site
- Order of Play
- Singles Draw
- Singles Qualifying Draw
- Doubles Draw
- Live Scores

US Open WTA
- Official Site
- Order of Play
- Singles Draw
- Qualifying Draw
- Doubles Draw
- Live Scores

US Open Other
- Mixed Doubles Draw
- Juniors Draw
- Wheelchair Draw
- Live Scores

A day after Victoria Azarenka’s scary collapse and Andy Roddick’s complaining, here’s hoping Day Four provides us with some solid, competitive matches. There’s certainly plenty of intriguing possibilities in today’s matches to watch. All start times are Eastern.

MEN

Robin Soderling (SWE) vs. Taylor Dent (USA), 1 p.m. – Here lately, Robin Soderling has been more like Robin Staggering, losing in the third round to players outside the Top 10 in each of his last two events, and needing three sets in the second round of each to advance. Since his 10-week joy ride of reaching the finals at the French Open, the quarters at Wimbledon and the finals at Bastad, he’s just 3-2, including a five-set heart-stopper against the No. 214 player in the world in the Open’s first round. Dent actually upset Soderling at the US Open back in 2003, but was demolished by him (6-0, 6-1,6-1) in the second round of the French this year. Dent was very impressive in his first-round win over Alejandro Falla.

Peter Polansky (CAN) vs. James Blake (USA), 3 p.m. – The oddsmakers wouldn’t have bet on this matchup taking place for all the chili dogs at the Papaya King. Polansky, ranked 215th in the world, won just his second ATP match of the year, upsetting 30th-seeded Juan Monaco. His other ATP win this year was also against a seeded player in a tournament, when he defeated Jurgen Melzer at Toronto. Blake received a controversial wild card to the Open, despite being ranked 108th and losing in the first round of five of his last seven tournaments. A favorable draw saw him whip 321st-ranked Belgian Kristof Vliegen. If there’s any magic remaining in Blake’s racquet, this is the tournament where he’ll discover it. He has reached at least the third round five straight times, including quarterfinal appearances in 2005 and 2006.

Phillip Petzschner (GER) vs. Novak Djokovic (SRB), 7 p.m. – Relegated back to No. 3 in the world by Roger Federer’s recent surge, Djokovic looked painfully mortal for most of his five-set win over Viktor Troicki in the first round. Still it’s hard to count him out of any tournament. He’s reached at least the quarterfinals in four of his last five. He’s never faced 52nd-ranked Petzschner, who barely broke a sweat in sweeping Dusan Lojda 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 in the first round. It’s his victory since Wimbledon, breaking a five-match slide that has seen him slide 15 spots in the rankings.

WOMEN

Iveta Benesova (CZE) vs. Maria Sharapova (RUS), 7 p.m. – Sharapova limped her way through the first round, losing the first set before staging a come-from-behind victory. She hasn’t made it past the fourth round of a Grand Slam event this year. Failing to do so here means she’ll finish out of the Top 10 for a second straight year after five straight years inside. She’s 2-0 all-time against Benesova, whose ranked 68th, four years older and seven inches shorter. Benesova took a step into the spotlight two weeks ago at Montreal when she knocked off three opponents ranked higher than her, including then-No.3 Jelena Jankovic, to reach the round of 16.

Kaia Kanepi (EST) vs. Akgul Amanmuradova (UZB), 3 p.m. – Matchups don’t get much bigger than this, at least in stature. Thirty-third ranked Kanepi is 6 feet tall and 163 pounds, while Amanmuradova 78th-ranked Amanmuradova is 6-feet, 3-inches and 163 pounds. Expect a lot of firepower from these two. Kanepi is 42-16 on the year, with her most impressive stretches coming at Wimbledon (QF) and Palermo (F, def. Flavia Pennetta). Amanmuradova is 16-20 on the year and hasn’t played since reaching the quarters at Cincinnati, defeating No. 1 seed Jankovic along the way.

Svetlana Kusnetsova (RUS) vs. Anastasija Sevastova (LAT), 11 a.m. – We’re not sure if this is really that intriguing of a matchup, we just want to hear the radio call of it. “Kusnetsova serving, great return by Sevastova. Brilliant backhand by Kusnetsova. Back to Sevastova, Kusnetsova with the return, Sevastova again counters, to Kusnetsova, now Sevastova down the line! No, saved by Kusnetsova! And now it’s Sevastova hustling, but a tremendous backhand by Kusnetsova sends Sevastova lunging to her knees! Great return by Sevastova to Kusnetsova! Wait a minute, who’s who?”

Janko Tipsarevic Shocks Andy Roddick In US Open

Tennis Now — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:55:20 GMT

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By Richard Pagliaro
© Andy Kentla

(September 1, 2010) Andy Roddick stepped over the line and tumbled out of the US Open second round tonight. Janko Tipsarevic out served, out fought and out hustled Roddick, scoring a stirring 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(4) victory that sent Roddick to his earliest Flushing Meadows exit since he lost to Gilles Muller in the opening round five years ago.

It was another major disappointment for Roddick, who opened the season reaching the Australian Open quarterfinals, lost in the French Open third round and lost his serve once in a frustrating fourth-round exit at Wimbledon.

"I'll sleep a lot better than I did at Wimbledon, which basically I just felt like I hand-fed someone a win," Roddick said. "Tonight, I felt like the guy earned it. That's probably easier to deal with when you make the guy earn it and he comes up with the goods. Still not fun obviously."

Glancing at the stat sheet in front of him in the post-match press conference, Roddick confirmed what the numbers revealed: Tipsarevic played bold tennis on the big points and Roddick played protective tennis. At his best, Roddick can still compete with ferocity, he rarely beats himself yet he's reluctant to take risk and drive the ball down the line as Tipsarevic did tonight.

"People say that he was much more dangerous when he was young because he was really going for his forehand every chance that he had, you know," Tipsarevic said. "And now, I don't see that. He's a kind of player that you need to beat. Let's jus say, my opinion, he's going to wait for the mistake of the opponent rather than go for a big shot."

The tattoos that adorn his arms combined with with the sports spectacles on his face make Tipsarevic look a little bit like a biker moonlighting as a philosophy professor. The explosive Serbian stood up to the ninth-seeded American and a pro-Roddick crowd cracking 66 winners against just 30 unforced errors.

"I thought I hit the ball pretty well," Roddick said. "I thought he played very high-risk and executed for four sets. I kept telling myself this has to have an expiration date on it. Unfortunately, I needed another set for that."

In the fourth-set tie breaker, Roddick sent a backhand beyond the baseline and Tipsarevic followed with a backhand volley winner for 4-2. Attacking net again, Tipsarevic forced Roddick to come up with a pass, but his backhand found the net and it was 5-2.

On the longest point of the set, a 19-shot physical exchange, Tipsarevic sent a backhand long as Roddick crept closer at 4-5. But Tipsarevic launched his 5-foot-11 inch frame into a stinging serve down the middle and Roddick flailed a forehand return into net giving the Serbian, whose black beard seemed to grow longer during the three hour, 18 minute encounter, a match point.

Tipsarevic again attacked, anticipated Roddick's reply and blocked a backhand volley winner down the line to wrap up his second win over Roddick in a major. He beat the former World No. 1 in the second round of the 2008 Wimbledon.

At net, Roddick congratulated Tipsarevic with both praise and a playful death threat.

"He said 'Well done, man. You played great,' " Tipsarevic recalled. "And he said 'If you lose early, I'm going to kill you.' He said 'You beat me at Wimbledon and now if you lose early, I'm going to freaking kill you.' "

Roddick says he's recovered from the case of mononucleosis that plagued him earlier this summer yet the malaise continues to cripple his game at times just five months after he produced some potently dazzling tennis on hard court.

The 2003 US Open champion played some of the best tennis of his career in reaching successive Masters finals in Indian Wells and Miami where he dispatched Rafael Nadal and Tomas Berdych back-to-back to capture the Sony Ericsson Open.

He returned to New York to contest his 11th consecutive US Open leading the ATP Tour in hard-court wins but looked reluctant to unload on his forehand and didn't consistently delve into the corners of the box on his second serve. It was as if Roddick was waiting for Tipsarevic to tumble out of the zone, but that moment never arrived.

While Roddick rightly gave Tipsarevic the credit he deserves for producing some spectacular winners on down the line drives, the truth is Roddick simply did not take enough risk and play with enough aggression and ambition when it mattered most.

A cranky Roddick erupted in anger when hit with a foot fault call while serving at 2-5 in the third set. The lineswoman correctly called the foot fault but incorrectly claimed Roddick's right rear foot dragged on the baseline when it fact replay showed his left lead foot slid across the line.

Throughout his career, Roddick has sometimes used arguments with chair umpires as a form of stress relief and channeled that energy into his play. He continued to vent after the foot fault and seemed to draw a brief burst of energy from the outburst.

"It was the fact that I couldn't get her to admit that it wasn't the right foot just infuriated me," Roddick said. "The lack of common sense involved in that was unbelievable to me. I just have trouble when they stick to an argument that obviously isn't right. It's her job to call it. Like I said, there were two after that that they said front, and there's no argument there. There's zero argument there. I mean, we got to be able to maybe have a test, like point to your right foot, point to your left foot; okay, now call lines. I think that would be maybe standard."

An irate Roddick continuously harangued the lineswoman throughout the rest of the game, and was fired up enough to hold for 3-5. Roddick's problems began before that call as Tipsarevic took advantage of Roddick's timid tendency to hit straight down the middle.

A half-step slow to a slice backhand, Roddick shoveled that shot long and fell into a 0-30 hole. Roddick slapped a stiff-armed backhand beyond the baseline to face triple break point then bounced his blue Babolat frame off his court in disgust falling into a triple break point hole. Roddick saved the first break point but on the second he was stranded at net and stuck his racquet out like a man waving a cane in vain at a passing train as Tipsarevic blew a backhand pass by him down the line to break for 4-2.

With the exception of a few plaintive "come on Andy" exhortations, the crowd was as deflated as Roddick when Tipsarevic fired his 10th ace past a lunging Roddick to hold for 5-2.

The foot fault call came in the ensuing game inciting an incredulous Roddick to ask chair umpire Enrique Molina "Have you ever seen my right foot step over the line?" Molina shook his head.

"That is unbelievable! My right foot?" said Roddick, who wandered around the back of the court posing variations of that question to Molina, the lineswoman, coach Larry Stefanki and even in th direction of Tournament Referee Brian Earley, who was camped out in the corner of the court.

"Tell me one time my right foot has ever gone ahead of my left foot in my entire career," Roddick said, seemingly unaware that in fact it was his left foot that touched the baseline. "If it's my left foot don't say it's my right foot," Roddick said.

Tipsarevic, who had lost only two points on serve in the third set, fell to 30-all when serving for the set. Roddick had a shot to break back, but Tipsarevic hit a forehand volley winner to earn set point. Roddick attacked net but did not do enough with a volley, Tipsarevic ran it down and rifled a pass to seize the set.

The fired-up Serbian celebrated with a Lleyton Hewitt-esque viche, pointing his finger tips toward his eyes and fist -pumping to his box.

Return To Forever: John Isner Opens US Open With Win

Tennis Now — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:26:56 GMT

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By Joe McDonald

(September 1, 2010) The last time we saw John Isner at a major, it took him three days to earn a historic win. Needless to say, his return to the Grand Slam stage was a little bit easier today.

"Yeah, just a little bit," laughed Isner after he disposed of Frederico Gil, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. "I don't know the exact time of my match tonight, but obviously it was a lot less time on the court. So for my second‑round match I should be a little bit fresher than I was at Wimbledon."

Nicolas Mahut and Isner took a shared march into history at Wimbledon in June.

A three-day surreal saga that captivated the sporting world concluded when Isner cracked a backhand pass down the line and crumpled to the court in exhilaration and exhaustion in ending a 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7), 7-6(3), 70-68 epic encounter over French qualifier Mahut.

Isner's first career Wimbledon win was one for the ages. The Isner-Mahut marathon spanned three days and lasted a record 11 hours, 5 minutes to break the prior record of 6 hours, 33 minutes set when Fabrice Santoro beat Arnaud Clement at the 2004 French Open.

In comparison, Isner's opening-round US Open win felt like it was over in a New York minute though it lasted one hour, 57 minutes.

Yet, even if this match was relatively uneventful, his weeks leading up to the US Open were filled with uncertainty. Isner injured his ankle in Cincinnati, which was originally diagnosed as torn ligaments, but now seems to be just a bad sprain. Up to a week ago, he was not cleared by the his doctors, but now he has a clean bill of health.

"In my mind," he said, "I didn't think I was going to play, just because I didn't think my ankle was ready. But I got cleared to go. Once I got that news it was all systems go, doing everything I possibly can to get ready for, you know, today's match."

Right now, Isner says the ankle is about 90 percent, but his legs are not in match shape after missing the last few weeks due to the injury. He felt it on the court today and feels he has to have a few matches before he gets back into full tournament shape.

"The issue when you hurt your ankle, everything else shuts down," Isner said. "So that's just what happens. So I've just got to rebuild the strength in my legs. That was the issue tonight. Because when you have that hurt ankle you're not able to put any weight on it for a long time. Everything on the right side of my body was shut down. I have to get to the point where my left and right side are moving the same."

The injury may have been a blessing in disguise for the 18th seed as he was able to stay away from the limelight the last few weeks. He needed to take time off after Wimbledon to unwind and even turned his phone off for a few days. It was a reprieve from the constant questions about his marathon match.

"I went into the Atlanta tournament and felt pretty good out there," Isner said. "But then when I went to play D.C. it all kind of hit me. Either it was that match, kind of everything I did after the match, you know, a lot of interviews and whatnot, it kind of all just hit me. I kind of ran out of gas in D.C.

“From there, I didn't play Toronto. I knew I needed to take some time off like completely. That's what I did. I went home to North Carolina, turned my phone off for four days, got spoiled by my mom. Then I went into Cincinnati feeling great. Been hitting the ball great, just playing my best tennis. Unfortunately I hurt my ankle."

But now he’s back and enjoying his new found fame from the Eternal Match. Ironically, though, the first person he saw when he walked into the player’s lounge at Arthur Ashe was none other than Nicolas Mahut .

"It was the first time I've seen him in person since the match," Isner recalled. "What was it? Monday morning, I didn't fly into New York until Sunday night, so Monday mid day I came to the courts for the first time. As soon as I stepped into the locker room, honestly he was the first person I saw. We did the handshake, high five thing. Sat and talked for about five minutes. And ever since then, I keep running into him in the locker room and we talk. I talk to his coaches. He talks to my coach."

The opponents of the everlasting encounter are linked for life.

"Obviously, we're definitely good friends now," Isner said.

Joe McDonald is the publisher of TennisLedger.com where this article originated.

Q School: Sam Querrey Plays Hard Ball With Bradley Klahn

Tennis Now — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:52:18 GMT

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By Joe McDonald

(September 1, 2010) Bradley Klahn learned a few lessons today and the first one is Sam Querrey plays hard ball. Maybe it comes from his love of his hometown Los Angeles Dodgers, or maybe it’s just the only thing he knows.

One thing’s for certain, though, Klahn learned that the hard way during the first set of his US Open first-round match, when Klahn took a shot right to….well you know.

"That was an accident," Querrey said. "I mean, he hit a dropshot, and I ran up there and it was kind of better than I thought. So I kind of got a little confused where I was going to hit it. I kind of went at him. I didn't mean to hit it there. I felt bad because he's my buddy."

What the 23 year-old LA Open Champion didn’t feel bad about was the result, a 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 6-4 win over the his practice partner and Stanford junior, who is just learning the play with the professionals after winning the NCAA singles championship.

"You definitely have to learn," Querrey said. "I remember the first time I played Roger (Federer) when I was 18. I went out there knowing I was gonna lose. I was 18. He was like amazing. It was in Miami. It was a night match. I didn't know I was going to lose, but I assumed I was gonna lose. First time, I don't want to embarrass myself out there.

"But the more that I played, you know, Roger and Rafa and Andy and practiced with them, you know, you take the occasional set off them in practice and take a set here or two in the match and you beat a top 10 guy, then you kind of start to get the belief."

Often, it takes a win over a highly-ranked player to instill the self-belief in young players necessary to compete at the highest level.

“I beat Roddick next last year who was ranked No. 7," Querrey said. "When you see him beat these guys, it kind of gives you the belief that you could beat these guys too. It definitely takes a couple of years to get used to, you know, practicing with them, playing with them, and, you know, then you can beat them."

So consider that Lesson No. 2 for Klahn and Lesson No. 3 is keeping up with the heat. With temperatures in the mid-90s today, Querrey said he was definitely feeling it, as was Klahn, especially in the fourth set where the No. 20 seed was up 5-2, but Klahn came back, because the more experienced player was starting to cramp up.

"If he would have won that set, that have been an entertaining fifth set," Querrey said. "I mean, he was cramping worse than I was. I don't know what that would have been in the fifth set. Just serve and one shot."

Querrey said he felt he didn’t hydrate himself properly before today’s match, which could be why he cramped up. He also said that the weather today was no worse than the Legg Mason tournament earlier this month. In fact, he is against any rule changes that will allow for weather breaks.

"We talked about that in the council meeting the other day, whether or not they should close the roof if it gets to be, you know, over a certain temperature," Querrey said. "I think, you know, tennis is a physical sport. You should be rewarded with the hard work you put in. If the heat is too much for some guys, you know, if you're the more fit player, you shouldn't get penalized for that. I don't think so."

Joe McDonald is the publisher of TennisLedger.com where this article originated.

Alona Bondarenko Sends Melanie Oudin Out Of US Open

Tennis Now — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:12:33 GMT

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By Richard Pagliaro
© Dave Saffrin/New York Sports Scene

(September 1, 2010) Melanie Oudin turned her back to the court, faced the blue back wall and stared at her Wilson racquet as if searching the strings for solutions to the problems posed by Alona Bondarenko. Oudin mastered the art of the comeback during her rousing run to the 2009 US Open quarterfinals, but the resignation on her face in the final game today revealed a woman well aware Cinderella stories only come once in a career.

This time, the ferocious forehand was weighted with worry, the "courage" emblazoned on her shoes contrasted with the concern on her face and the crowd in Louis Armstrong Stadium waited for a moment that never came.

The 29th-seeded Bondarenko ran off 10 consecutive points to send Oudin out of the US Open second round, 6-2, 7-5.

Oudin conceded she felt a bit overwhelmed by the occasion.

"I think the nerves got the best of me today a little bit, especially in the first set," Oudin said. "Second set I started playing a lot better, making the points a little bit longer. But, yeah, the first set definitely like the crowd was like really, really loud. It was just like a lot. The second I got out there, I guess it kind of overwhelmed me a little bit, so."

On match point, Oudin pushed a running backhand down the line wide, looked down with vacant eyes then walked to the net to shake hands as the crowd, which was nearly mute during the final two games, offered appreciative applause.

The 18-year-old Oudin, who made "believe" her personal mantra in etching the word on her adidas in playing with resolve and resilience at the '09 Open, snapped a four-match losing streak in her first-round win over 143rd-ranked qualifier Olga Savchuk. But she has not beaten a top-30 ranked opponent since scoring three consecutive comeback wins over Russians Elena Dementieva, Maria Sharapova and Nadia Petrova at the Open last year and could not hold off the 33rd-ranked Bondarenko today.

A nervous Oudin could not find her first serve at 5-all in the second set. She slapped her forehand into the net, netted a backhand down the line and missed another forehand before lofting a running lob long to drop serve at love.

Oudin won just eight of 25 points played on her second serve. Unable to break Bondarenko down in baseline rallies, Oudin began to play closer to the lines.

"I mean, it's tough coming back, especially after like the US Open I had last year, coming back and expecting to do that well again," Oudin said. "And, yes, the expectations for me I think from like the fans were extremely high. You could tell by the crowd. Even the second I walked out there, people like expected me to win again like last year."

Tennis is all about adjustments and opponents have learned that Oudin thrives off pace, particularly to her forehand. She has worked with coach Brian de Villiers to move forward in the court on her terms, but at 5-feet-6 Oudin does not have a lot of sting on her serve and her reach can be exposed when opponents draw her into net with short slices.

Oudin is at her best when she's running around her backhand and hammering her favored forehand, but Bondarenko refused to let Oudin find her comfort zone in the final stages of the match.

The match showed Oudin's game is still very much a work in progress and she views every match as another credit course on the learning curve that is the pro circuit.

Five minutes after her post-match press conference concluded, a relieved Oudin was on the receiving end of a hug from her younger brother as they walked down the hallway inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.

"I guess I'm a little tiny bit relieved now," Ouudin said. "I can kind of start over, I guess like start over from all the expectations from like last year. And now I can just go out and hopefully do really well the rest of the year and keep working hard."

Her US Open dream may be over for this year, but Oudin is still part of the tournament, playing mixed doubles with Ryan Harrison.

Ana's Revival: Ivanovic Cruises Into US Open Third Round

Tennis Now — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:42:00 GMT

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By Richard Pagliaro
© Natasha Peterson/Corleve

(September 1, 2010) Tennis is a numbers game, but Ana Ivanovic refuses to be defined by the digits next to her name. The former World No. 1 is not seeded in this US Open, but that hasn't stopped her from surging into the third round for the first time in three years. Ivanovic stomped 21st-seeded Zheng Jie, 6-3, 6-0, in a commanding conquest and has a shot to go deeper in the draw with the departure of 13th-seeded Marion Bartoli.

In a match of French women, 157th-ranked wild card Virginie Razzano surprised former Wimbledon finalist Bartoli, 7-5, 6-4. It's a break for Ivanovic, who will face Razzano rather than Bartoli. Two-handed terror Bartoli beat Ivanovic in straight sets in Stanford last month.

The 40th-ranked Ivanovic has surrendered just eight games in reaching the third round and is playing with much more confidence than she was two years ago when as World No. 1 she fell to 188th-ranked qualifier Julie Coin in Flushing Meadows.

"I think rankings obviously tell a lot about the player, but I think just the way you feel about your game at the time," Ivanovic said. "I remember a couple years ago when I was here and I was saying, 'Even though I'm No. 1, I don't feel I'm playing as No. 1.' Now I'm ranked, I really don't know what. But I feel like I'm playing like a top 10 player, you know, and I have confidence that I can beat these players. That's huge for me."

She looked particularly pumped up for today's rematch with Zheng and with good reason. Two years ago, the then 133rd-ranked Zheng became the third lowes-tranked player to defeat a World No. 1 when she pounded out a 6-1, 6-4 win over Ivanovic at Wimbledon.

This time around, Ivanovic played first-strike tennis in firing her forehand with ambition and accuracy.

The tennis treadmill seemed stuck in reverse for Ivanovic, who had won back-to-back matches at just three of the first 11 tournaments she played this season, reaching the semifinals at Brisbane in her first event of the season and advancing to the Rome semifinals in May.

With her confidence in tatters and game leaking errors, Ivanovic watched her ranking fall to No. 63 and was denied a Rogers Cup wild card as the tournament director publicly suggested she was not worthy of a wild card. That rebuke seemed to fire up Ivanovic and she surged to the Cincinnati semifinals last month.

Ivanovic played with a fearlessness on her ascent to the top of the tennis rankings and admits she played with the apprehension of a woman bearing the burden of trying to defend ranking points.

"I see myself also as two different persons," Ivanovic said. "Once you're actually coming up and you have no expectations, you are hungry for success, and you really don't know what the stakes are. You just go for it. You have no fear. You play freely against anyone you come up against."

The pressure constricted Ivanovic's competitive instincts and she broke down in tears after losses earlier this season.

"Once you actually get in a position to defend some points and there is more outside pressure coming in, it is a lot different story," Ivanovic said. "Because even though you perceive yourself the same or maybe even better, if you're improving, still there is a lot of outside effect. That creates some doubts and obviously pressure. Everyone deals with it differently. That's what I feel it was the biggest change with me, is that I managed to sort of let go of this."

Winning six of her last seven matches has been emotionally liberating for Ivanovic, who looks like a player no longer afraid of losing.

"Now I feel, you know, as I am just coming up again, and I have really nothing to lose. I got that joy of competing again," Ivanovic said.

Coming Of Age: Ryan Harrison Upsets No. 15 Ivan Ljubcic At US Open

Tennis Now — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:52:30 GMT

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By Richard Pagliaro
© Al Bello

(September 1, 2010) Ryan Harrison grew up dreaming of playing at the US Open. In the shadow of Arthur Ashe Stadium, the 18-year-old qualifier came of age in seizing center stage. Competing with conviction, Harrison made his US Open debut one to remember in stunning 15th-seeded Ivan Ljubicic, 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-4 in the biggest upset of the tournament so far to advance to the US Open second round.

It was Harrison's second hard-court win of the season and his first hard-court victory since he beat Taylor Dent at Indian Wells. He played Ljubicic in the second round of Indian Wells and lost 6-2, 7-6(2).

"It's definitely the biggest one of my career so far. So to win on this stage here and to take out a top 20 player in the world is the biggest win of my career," Harrison said. "I've always believed in myself. I have always had confidence in myself, so obviously I'm extremely excited and really pleased with what happened."

In today's rematch, Harrison shrewdly mixed up his shots, attacked net on occasion and showed his poise in the final set. Harrison was up a break and dropped serve to fall to 4-all. He immediately broke back on the strength of several deep shots then served out the match with aggression.

Harrison comes from a tennis family. His father, Pat, played collegiate tennis at Oklahoma State and Mississippi before a brief pro career in futures and challengers. Pat Harrison taught sons Ryan and Christian tennis and gave a then 11-year-old Ryan a tennis lesson when father and son met in the Shreveport, La. city title match.

"I mean, I'm an 11-year-old kid playing my dad. I wanted to win more than anything in the world at the time," Harrison recalled. "But he played on the tour. He played four years in college at Oklahoma State and Ole Miss. He was a good player. He really knew how to play, and has obviously taught me my game since I was really little. So he went out and put a good beating on me, and I took it well. Everything was fine, kept working, went out to the practice court next day."

The elder Harrison taught his son an all-court game and Ryan displayed that today against the 31-year-old Ljubicic. Attacking net at times, defending wide balls with determination, Harrison showed more variety in his game than Indian Wells champion Ljubcic.

"I feel like I'm quick enough to play defense when I need to. I'm comfortable playing at the net, and I still can use my forehand and my backhand up the line," Harrison said. "I felt like there's a you have to have a base of the way you're trying to play and the way you go out there and play people. But the all court game really allows me to kind of taper my opponent a little bit more. Obviously if you have a guy that doesn't pass as well, I will be looking at serving and volleying, transition a little bit more.If you've got a guy that's pretty inconsistent, then at that point I'll use my speed and ability to stay steady from the ground."

Harrison's first experience to high stakes tennis came when he was 14-year-old and was asked to warm-up Andy Roddick before his US Open quarterfinal vs. Roger Federer. Roddick stopped the practice and offered Harrison $50 if he beat his older brother John in a tie breaker.

"I ended up losing 10-8 and that was a great experience for me with Andy Roddick in the chair," Harrison recalled with a smile. "Fifty bucks was a lot of money for me. That was like 20 cheeseburgers."

Losing a bet to Roddick in Australia in January, Harrison had to go pick up a cup of coffee for the top-ranked American clad only in a towel and flip flops.

He will be fully dressed when he plays Sergiy Stakhovsky in the second round.

More to follow.

Andre Agassi nominated for Hall of Fame

Tennis Now — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:43:44 GMT

An American favorite leads the ballot for induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, the hall announced Wednesday.

Andre Agassi, who won eight Grand Slam singles titles, 60 titles overall and more than 431 million in prize money, is the only recent player on the ballot.

Agassi finished the 1999 season ranked No. 1 and ended 14 other seasons ranked among the Top 10, one of a rare class to finish in the Top 10 in three different decades (1980s, 1990s, 2000s). He won the Australian Open four times, the French Open once, Wimbledon once, and the US Open twice. He married WTA legend Steffi Graf in 2001 and has two children.

Two other players have been nominated in the Master Player Category – Thelma Coyne Long and Christine Truman Janes.

Long played 22 years, winning 19 major titles – two singles, 12 doubles and five mixed doubles, with 18 of them coming in Australia. In 1941, she joined the Red Cross, then the Australian Women’s Army Service, rising to the rank of captain and receiving two service medals. She was named to the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in 2002 and will turn 92 in October.

Janes made her Wimbledon debut at age 16 and lost to Althea Gibson in the semifinals. She won the French Open in 1959, and was the runner-up that year at the US Open, as well as at Wimbledon in 1961. At the time of her win in France, she was the youngest woman to ever win the title, age 18. The year before, she defeated Gibson in the Wightman Cup, bringing the trophy back to Great Britain after 21 straight losses to the United States. She was ranked in the Top 10 in the world from 1957-1961, peaking at No. 2 in 1959. She retired in 1975 and became a tennis commentator for BBC Radio.

Two contributors have also been nominated – Mike Davies and Fern Lee “Peachy” Kellmeyer. Kellmeyer is the current senior vice president of the WTA, and served as the first tour director of the Virginia Slims circuit. In 1977, she brought women’s tennis to Madison Square Garden for the first time.

A native of Wales who now lives in Arlington, Texas, Davies was the No. 1 player in Great Britain in 1957 and 1958. He joined the executive staff of World Championship Tennis upon retiring in 1967. He left the WCT for the ATP in 1981, and was named Executive Director in 1986. Voting will take place over the next few months, with an announcement coming early next yeaer. The Induction Ceremony will be held July 9, 2011 in Newport, Rhode Island in conjunction with the

Azarenka Collapses On Court At US Open

Tennis Now — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:09:34 GMT

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By Richard Pagliaro
© Howie Burnett
Tony Chang/Chang Photography

(September 1, 2010) On-court temperatures soared to 104 degrees and the the court claimed a casualty in frightening fashion today. Victoria Azarenka was trailing Gisela Dulko 5-1 in the US Open second round when she collapsed to the court behind the baseline. Azarenka retired from the match, was taken to a local hospital and diagnosed with a mild concussion.

The 10th-seeded Belarusian said she fell running sprints before the match, hit her arm and head and felt dizzy on court.

“I was warming up in the gym prior to my match against Gisela Dulko when I fell while running a sprint," Azarenka said in a statement. "I fell forward and hit my arm and head. I was checked by the medical team before I went on court and they were courtside for monitoring. I felt worse as the match went on, having a headache and feeling dizzy. I also started having trouble seeing and felt weak before I fell. I was taken to the hospital for some medical tests and have been diagnosed with a mild concussion."

Though Azarenka seemed to be suffering from the heat as well, US Open Tournament Referee Brian Earley said "this does not seem to be primarily a heat-related illness."

As trainers treated the fallen Belarusian, Dulko trotted over with an ice pack to try to aid her ailing opponent, who was force to retire.

"Victoria Azarenka retired from her match with headache-like symptoms. She was taken to a nearby hospital for diagnostic testing," Tournament Referee Earley said in a statement. "Out of respect to her privacy, we can not give any more details. Howeve,r we can say that this does not seem to be primarily a heat-related illness."

Azarenka beat Maria Sharapova to win the Stanford title and was regarded as a a contender in the third quarter of the draw that features third-seeded Venus Williams and French Open champion Francesca Schiavone.

Dulko said she noticed Azarenka begin to slow her pace of play in the fourth game.

"It was really hot and hard conditions. I start to feel at 3-1 she started to take more time for serving," Dulko said. "When that happened and she fell on the floor, I was feeling terrible. It's not nice to be in that situation. I just crossed the net and take some ice to her because I did not know what to do actually. I hope she is feeling good soon."

Fortunately, Azarenka did not hit her head on the hard court when she collapsed. A wheel chair was brought out onto court to help Azarenka off.

World No. 41 Dulko is accustomed to training in hot conditions in her hometown of Buenos Aires, but said she felt the heat during a pre-US Open practice session here.

"I'm used to this kind of weather, but the first day when I got here I was feeling dizzy as well," said Dulko, who reached the Flushing Meadows fourth round last year in what was her best US Open result. "It's hard to play in these kind of conditions today. I am much better off because I get used to it. In Argentina, it's hot as well."

Dulko and partner Flavia Pennetta are the top seeds in the doubles draw. She will face Anastasia Pavlyunchenkova, a fast-rising, hard-hitting young Russian, for a spot in the fourth round. The 20th-seeded Pavlyunchenkova pounded out a 6-2, 6-4 win over Sania Mirza.

The Dulko-Pavlyunchenkova match pits the slender Argentine's assortment of speeds and spins against Pavlyunchenkova's power.

"She is playing some unbelievable tennis," Dulko said. "She's a young girl, who hits the ball hard so it should be a good match."

Hard Ball: Rafael Nadal On Open Adjustments

Tennis Now — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:40:05 GMT

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By Richard Pagliaro
© Natasha Peterson/Corleve

(September 1, 2010) The US Open is the only Grand Slam title trophy missing from Rafael Nadal's major trophy collection and the two-time semifinalist is trying to make necessary adjustments to acquire it. The top-seeded Spaniard didn't completely find his comfort zone in Tuesday night's 7-6(4), 7-6(4), 6-3 win over Teymuraz Gabashvili, but played the pivotal points with purpose. Nadal is trying to adapt his heavy topspin game to the faster speed and lower bounce of the ball off the blue Deco Turf courts.

"(The US Open) Is the more difficult for me, especially I think because the ball," Nadal said. "The ball is the more difficult thing for me because the ball I think is more easy to play that ball for the players when they have the flat shots, no? That's much easier for them than for the topspin players. That's the only thing. But I won Olympics with this ball. I won in Beijing in 2005 with this ball. I can do it."

Nadal's history in Flushing Meadows is littered with losses to players who hit flat, including Juan Martin del Potro last year and James Blake, and players with the ability to flatten out the ball, including Andy Murray, who knocked Nadal out of the 2008 semifinals, David Ferrer and Mikhail Youzhny.

The eight-time Grand Slam champion is trying to play a bit flatter when he draws the mid-court ball but said he's trying to use his topspin to dictate play.

"The thing is play with topspin, but play very aggressive all the time, play with very high rhythm. That's the way," Nadal said.

The Nadal backhand return was an issue in Cincinnati where he seemingly had so little confidence in his two-handed backhand, he resorted to chipping back his return in his matches against Julien Benneteau, where hs saved a match point and his quarterfinal loss to Marcos Baghdatis.

Practicing with his coach, Uncle Toni Nadal, who was not in Cincinnati but made the trip to New York, Nadal has consistently worked on driving through the backhand and finishing that stroke, but concedes it's still a work in progress.

"The forehand is working well. The backhand is not that bad that I had last weeks," Nadal said. "So improves a little bit. Just remains a little bit of this confidence to have a little bit more, you know, to improve a little bit that level, to go to the next step."

The next step could be a slightly tricky one as Denis Istomin awaits. The 39th-ranked Istomin is coming off the New Haven finals and pushed Nadal to three sets on the grass of Queen's Club, 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-4.

"He's playing well. He had a very good tournament in New Haven. Yeah, sure is difficult opponent, good player," Nadal said. "I played against him in the second round of Queen's. I had a very difficult match...He plays a little bit more calm than Gabashvili. So, I don't know, I just have to keep playing like I did today, a little bit more aggressive, a little bit more confidence."

BREAKING NEWS: Victoria Azarenka Collapses at US Open

Tennis Now — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:29:10 GMT

Gisela Dulko advanced to the third round of the U.S. Open Wednesday morning, but not the way she wanted to.

Victoria Azarenka has had to retire from a Grand Slam due to some form of heat exhaustion. Azarenka collapsed while trailing Dulko 5-1 in their first set.

It has been an unusually-hot week in New York City, with the temperature at 90 degrees with 42 percent humidity during the match.

Azarenka went down to the court without appearing to hurt a leg, foot or ankle. Dulko instinctively went to check on her, but was asked to step back by medical personnel who were on the scene early and yelled to the sideline for water.

After a few moments on the ground, Azarenka left the court in a wheelchair with a trainer checking her pulse.

Dulko moves on to the third round to play either Sania Mirza or Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

US Open Day 3 Matches to Watch

Tennis Now — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:07:55 GMT

US Open ATP
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- Singles Draw
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- Doubles Draw
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US Open WTA
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US Open Other
- Mixed Doubles Draw
- Juniors Draw
- Wheelchair Draw
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While some competitors have yet to take the court for the first time, others kick off the second round of the US Open today.
There are a number of American hopefuls in action for both the men and the women, including a pair of young male wild cards seeking to make their names at the national tournament.

Men

Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) vs. Andy Roddick (USA) [9], 7 p.m. – Ranked as high as 35th earlier this year, Tipsarevic has slid to 44th, and is just a tick above .500 (18-16) for the season. Previous to a first-round defeat at Toronto, he had put together a nice North American summer, reaching the semifinals at Los Angeles (lost to Sam Querrey) and the quarterfinals at Washington (lost to Marin Cilic). He’s 1-1 all-time against Roddick, with both matches taking place at Wimbledon. Ranked and seeded ninth, Roddick breezed through his opening match and has now won eight of his last 11 matches. With Fernando Verdasco and Tomas Berdych both struggling in front of him this summer, a big push at the Open could see Roddick rise higher in the Top 10.

Sam Querrey (USA) [20] vs. Bradley Klahn (USA), 11 a.m. – It’s a shame to see two Americans face off in the first round on their home soil, but that’s the way the seeding works out some times. Twenty-year-old Bradley Klahn won the NCAA men’s singles title last spring for Stanford, and was awarded a wild card for the Open. A native of Poway, a suburb of San Diego, Klahn was the No. 1 tennis recruit in the country coming out of high school in 2008. Querrey is nearly a forgotten man. Ranked 22nd, he’s 35-18 on the year with four titles, but since winning at Los Angeles, he’s a “blah” 2-3.

Ryan Harrison (USA) vs. Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) [15], 11 a.m. – The 18-year-old Harrison will have the hometown cheers on his side this morning, but will need more than that to pull off the upset. Just 3-8 in 2010 in ATP events, Harrison received a wild card to the field and is the youngest American in the Top 250. He played decent against Ljubicic in their only previous meeting, a 6-2, 7-6(2) win for the Croatian at Indian Wells this year. The 31-year-old Ljubicic has been in the top 20 for 21 straight weeks, but is largely riding his Indian Wells title. Since March, he’s just 7-10.

Women

Ana Ivanovic (SRB) vs. Jie Zheng (CHN) [21}, 11 a.m. – Ivanovic sat out the Rogers Cup after an impressive semifinal performance at Cincinnati. It was her best performance since a semifinal trip at Rome in May. She’s met Zheng twice on hard courts, losing at the 2008 Olympics after winning at Montreal in 2006. Zheng reached the quarterfinals at Montreal, but was upset in the first round at New Haven.

Melanie Oudin (USA) vs. Alona Bondarenko (UKR) [29], 3 p.m. – An outstanding second-round matchup for the fist-pumping American sweetheart, who comes into the tournament ranked 43rd, just 10 spots behind Bondarenko. If you ever doubted that tennis is a young person’s sport, realize that at 26, Bondarenko is eight years older than Oudin. Bondarenko has been a dud this summer, going 1-4 since Wimbledon. Before Monday, Oudin had lost three straight opening-round matches.

Gisela Dulko (ARG) vs. Victoria Azarenka (BEL) [10], 11 a.m. – Don’t cry for Argentina, Azarenka. The No. 10-seeded Belarus native has one of the tougher second-round draws among the top players, taking on the 25-year-old Dulko who owns a two-match win streak over her, including a straight sets demolition at the French Open in May. The series is split 2-2 all-time with all four matches being played on clay. Azarenka has had a strong summer, winning Stanford with three wins over top 15 players and reaching the semifinals at Montreal. Dulko has fallen in the first round in two of her last three events.

James Blake Gives Thanks For The Memories

Tennis Now — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:27:30 GMT

US Open ATP
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By Joe McDonald

(August 31, 2010) As James Blake stood on the court of Arthur Ashe last night, you had to wonder if this was going to be his swan song. After all, the 29-year-old Yonkers, N.Y. native has struggled with injuries the last few years and he’s not getting any younger.

"A couple people mentioned something like that to me," he said after downing Kristof Vliegen in straight sets, 6-3 6-2 6-4. "They're trying to get rid of me already. I hope that's not the case.But, you know, I was just really honored to be there. I didn't think of that until it came up yesterday when someone sort of mentioned that to me, 'cause I really, when I got the call first or email first actually about being a part of it, I didn't tell any of my friends or even my coach or anyone, because I thought in a couple weeks they were going to call and tell me, We found someone better, forget it, you don't need to be here for it."

Blake, though, is not ready to hang it up. He is planning of playing as long as possible and just looks at his friend, Andre Agassi, with whom he had that classic encounter, back in 2005, where the future Hall of Fame legend came back from two sets down to win quarterfinals.

"I think we all remember his speech here in his last match," Blake said. "He's someone that also played with a little bit of emotion and fed off the crowd and enjoyed tennis and appreciated as much, had a second career as well when he dropped all the way down to 141 and came back to No. 1.

"What he did, he belonged there last night as well as someone that's inspired so many others, including myself. He finished here, he beat me when he was 35, I think, 34, 35. You know, there's a chance I still could be playing in four or five more years.

"His brand of tennis maybe took a little less punishment on his body because he was the one doling out all the punishment. I'm proud to say I'm a friend of his. He's someone that helped me. You wouldn't think of a superstar like that calling a young kid to give him a scouting report, helping him out when he really didn't need to, treating him at his nightclub in Las Vegas. Everything you could think of for a superstar they normally wouldn't do, he was there to do. To be a normal guy, to be one of the guys in the locker room, I respected him so much for that."

Also Blake can look at Mardy Fish, whom many have picked to be a dark horse choice at this Open. Fish lost 30 pounds and is in the best shape of his life. Yet Blake feels it’s different with him as he tends to need to put on weight, rather than lose it.

So there may still be a chance for Blake, but he is clearly on the downside of his career and may pack it in, even as early as next year and if he does he will be able to look back at all the great matches he's played and how far he's come from the skinny teenager with scoliosis, who grew up in Fairfield, Conn. dreaming of playing for Harvard, where older brother, Thomas Blake, was on the team.

Blake's achievements have far exceeded those early aspirations as he rose to No. 4 in the world and helped the United States capture the Davis Cup in Portland in 2007 when he beat Mikhail Youzhny, 6–3, 7–6, 6–7, 7–6 to stake the USA to a 2-0 lead.

"It's the most memorable, yeah," he recalled of completing the Davis Cup dream. "That's the one that I think I'll remember forever 'cause that Davis Cup team was one that had been through a lot together. We played so many matches together, I think the most of any group, specific group, in U.S. history.

"We just had so much fun together. We had won a lot, we had lost a lot. We made it through that whole journey, got to the finals, and we all contributed. Andy won. I won a close one. The Bryans closed it out. We were all part of that year, part of that victory, shared holding that victory, being part of something special. For me, that was pretty darn exciting, especially since I lost to him the year before on the clay in Russia. To get a win over him, three tiebreaks, it wasn't on cruise control by any stretch. Came through in a lot of big points, had a lot of confidence at that time. Had the fans and the team right behind me.

"That's always going to be a pretty good memory. When you have the Bryan twins playing doubles for you, you feel pretty confident going into Saturday up 2‑0."

Maybe, though he will have one more memorable match in his at the 2010 US Open.

Joe McDonald is the publisher of TennisLedger.com where this article originated.

Maria Sharapova Shows Flaws, Firepower In Open Win

Tennis Now — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 22:26:49 GMT

US Open ATP
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By Joe McDonald
© Dave Saffrin

(August 31, 2010) It’s no surprise many are picking Maria Sharapova to regain her Grand Slam champion status during this Flushing Meadows fortnight. After all, the 2006 US champion has a wide open field and nemesis Serena Williams, who beat Sharapova in the Wimbledon fourth round, is sidelined with a bad foot.

So today when she dropped the first set to Jamilla Groth, you had to wonder if the good Maria was back or the bad Maria, who struggled since coming back from shoulder surgery, was still around.

The 14th-seeded Sharapova answered that question in storming back for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory.

"I think she came out today and really swung and didn't give me much time to do anything out there," Sharapova said. "She served really well in the first set. I wasn't returning that well, giving her a lot of looks, you know, on second serves. Against a player like that, who kind of plays the 1‑2 punch type of tennis, you know, it's quite difficult to get a rhythm in the beginning."

Sharapova's experience as a three-time major champion was evident as she patiently picked Groth apart and stepped into the court to rip returns off second serves. Rattled at times by Sharapova's predatory posture on the return, Groth committed 12 of her 14 double faults in the final two sets.

"I just hung in there. Between the first and second set, I knew that it wasn't over," Sharapova said. "In tennis you have either two or three sets to play. So I still knew I had my chances."

Shaking off the first set stutter, Sharapova found her form and cruised in her first US Open match since losing to American sweetheart Melanie Oudin in the 2009 third round. She needs to send a message as a potential quarterfinal with top-seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki looms early next week in what would be a blockbuster clash between two of the most photogenic players in the game.

First, Sharapova needs to continue to finish her matches strong. Next up is Iveta Benesova in the second round and as of right now, she is still trying to find her form in this Open.

Sharapova didn't exactly sound like she was stressed out.

"Based on my results in the past,” she said, “I've been in different situations coming into a Grand Slam playing really well in the beginning, playing well throughout, or starting quite slow and then finding my game throughout.So it depends. It really depends on the tournament, the situation, your opponent, really getting through matches. Days like this where your opponent was playing really well, you really have to find, you know, ways to hang in there and ways to fight. And at the end of the day, just hope you give yourself another opportunity."

Sharapova actually looks the strongest since she had shoulder surgery back in October 2008. When she came back last year, her serve looked weak as she was recovering from the injury. But now, she’s fully healthy and time to turn the page.

"Yeah, last year with my whole game, I was just trying to find, you know, where my feet were on the ground, just trying to find my position, see how I could handle playing a lot of matches under different circumstances," Sharapova said. "You know, this year, you know, a whole year with the tournaments and experience, it feels really good to be healthy coming in, just playing and not worrying about, uhm, how physically you feel."

Earlier this season, Sharapova took two smaller tournaments the first was in February in Memphis and then right before Roland Garros in Strasbourg. But these smaller tourneys are not what she’s looking for. Not with three Grand Slams under her belt, yet none since the surgery.

"Experience helps," she said. "But, I don't know, it's really at the end of the day about going out there and doing it and finding the mental strength, the physical strength, you know, challenging yourself to go out there and be better every day."

And today Groth learned that from Sharapova and now Benesova looms as the next obstacle.

Joe McDonald is the publisher of TennisLedger.com where this article originated.

Revival: Mirjana Lucic Continues Comeback

Tennis Now — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 22:04:07 GMT

US Open ATP
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US Open Other
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By Richard Pagliaro

(August 31, 2010) Mirjana Lucic slammed her sledgehammer forehand with all the ambition of a woman striking back at barriers that stood in her path in the past. The 1996 US Open junior champion defeated an old junior rival, Alicia Molik, 7-6(5), 6-1, to earn her first US Open main draw victory since 1999 and launch a most unlikely US Open comeback story.

At the age of 28, eight years removed from her last major match win at Roland Garros and 11 years after she reached the Wimbledon semifinals, the 153rd-ranked Croatian qualifier was beaming.

"I feel fantastic. I'm so so happy," Lucic said. "I worked so hard to get here. It feels incredible.
Like I said, I've worked so hard. Every round in qualies has been tough, and it just feels so rewarding."

The very fact Lucic is still playing professional tennis is a victory of sorts. She sat out nearly four years due to personal issues, including clashes with her abusive father. Whether the wounds from that period of her life have healed is uncertain as Lucic would not revisit those dark years in today's post-match press conference. Lucic said her career may have been on life support for years, but her tennis dreams never died.

"I don't want to go into the reasons about everything. It was just unfortunate why I haven't played," Lucic said. "It wasn't because I was sick of tennis or anything like that. It was just a lot of unfortunate circumstances. You know, my dream never died and never went away. I was just waiting for an opportunity. I have it, and I've been living my dream last couple years. I've been improving slowly, but it's been moving forward. So I'm happy."

In April of 1997, Lucic won the first pro tournament she ever entered in Bol and reached the final of her second pro tournament in Strasbourg, bowing to Steffi Graf, who praised her as a player with great promise.

Less than a year later, Lucic made her mark on the Grand Slam stage. Playing her first pro doubles event, she partnered Martina Hingis to become the youngest player in history to win an Australian Open doubles title at age 15 years, 10 months and 21 days.

In 1998, playing in her very first tour doubles event, Lucic became the youngest player in history to win a title at the Australian Open at age 15 years, 10 months and 21 days, when she and Hingis won the women's doubles title.

Though she essentially walked away from the sport to put her life back in order after experiencing problems with her domineering father, Lucic said in her mind she never walked away from the game.

"Never. I was just waiting for my opportunities. I never quit," Lucic said. "I'm 28 now. People are calling me a veteran, which is like, Oh, so depressing. I'm like old at 28. But, you know, I just love it out there. I'm doing what I love, and I know that there is still a lot of good tennis in me, a lot of good results. That's what's pushing me, and that's why I'm doing it."

Lucic took a significant step in crafting a career revival today and will face fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic in the second round.

"You know, it's funny. Every match I win now, it's like winning an entire tournament," Lucic said. "Before, I was really lucky and blessed to be so good when I was so young. And it was just normal. I grew up winning since I was six years old. I was winning tournaments and it was always normal. But once that has been sort of taken away for years you haven't had that feeling, you know, it's incredible. Every match gives me such satisfaction. I really enjoy it so much. And just the fact that I have the ability to do it again, I'm really happy out there."

Novak Djokovic Wins Battle Of Belgrade

Tennis Now — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:26:44 GMT

US Open ATP
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US Open Other
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By Richard Pagliaro
© Dave Saffrin

(August 31, 2010) Searing sun has burned Novak Djokovic in the past. So when Djokovic found himself battling scalding temperatures that soared above 100 degrees on court against his childhood friend Viktor Troicki in the US Open first round, he welcomed the inviting cool shade as if it were the welcoming warm embrace of his girlfriend.

In a match of Serbian Davis Cup teammates, Djokovic did not exactly play with the conviction of a Grand Slam champion but showed some stubborn resilience to rally for a 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over the 47th-ranked Troicki.

Djokovic kept his competitive composure in the latter stages of the three hour, 40-minute win then broke up the crowd when he compared the feeling of the shelter of the shade to sharing a loving embrace with his girlfriend.

"The sun came down and I didn't have any more heat, (I was asked) what kind of feeling was it," Djokovic said. "It just came up to me. It's one of the best feelings, I guess, when you're sleeping with your close one. So I compare it to that."

"It felt unbelievable. Let's get back to tennis now," Djokovic said with a sly smile in the post-match press conference.

Leave it to Djokovic to share the love after enduring an experience that has proved to be painful in the past. He has retired from matches in three of the four Grand Slam tournaments in the past due to heat or breathing issues and anytime the heat and humidity collide on court Djokovic can begin to wear that haunted look of a man who just completed a marathon only to be informed there's another 10 miles to run.

Today, Djokovic had a measured response to the heat: he waited it out.

"Look, you know, it was very hot. It was just very hot," Djokovic said. "It's same for everybody. That's all basically I can say. You know, heat issue is something that, you know, it's just there. You cannot affect it. The weather is weather. You just have to try to be patient and wait for the shadows, like I did."

Contesting his 24th consecutive Grand slam event Djokovic stared down a familiar face in Troicki. This was their sixth professional meeting — Djokovic holds a 5-1 edge — but their first meeting came when Djokovic was 9-years-old and Troicki was 10 in Djokovic's first tournament.

Needless to say, things did not go Djokovic's way that day.

"My first tournament in my life that I've played, first match officially, it was under 10," Djokovic said. "I won my first round and then I played him second round. He destroyed me. We keep on talking about that. But we are very good friends for a long time already."

Since that match, the pair have joined forces on Serbian Davis Cup squad and have a shot to lead the nation to its first Davis Cup final when Serbia hosts the Czech Republic in the September 17-19th Davis Cup semifinals in Belgrade.

"We won many things together with Davis Cup, a lot of matches. We won European team championship under 18 together," Djokovic said. "So we share a lot of nice moments. It's never easy to play a good friend on the court. Just bad luck for him today because he's been playing really well, you know, lately. Today he was the better player on the court for a while. Just too bad."

Djokovic survived today, but the reality is, like compatriot and fellow former US Open finalist Jelena Jankovic, who also escaped with an opening-round match that went the distance, he must pick up his play if he is to go deep into the second week. Like Jankovic, Djokovic is an exceptional athlete who covers the court comprehensively, moves quickly and returns well, but is prone to periods of retrieving tennis.

The 2007 US Open runner-up is in the same quarter as Americans Andy Roddick, who beat Djokovic in Cincinnati, and Mardy Fish, the Cincinnati runner-up to Federer.

Djokovic didn't need to watch replays of Roger Federer's between-the-legs highlight reel winner that electrified the fans on Monday night — he experienced a similar shot in real life in the 2009 semifinals.

"No. I've seen it live last year passing next to me," Djokovic said with a smile. "That's enough traumatic experiences for me. Today when Viktor tried to do the same thing, I said, No, no, please. He was running for the ball between the legs. Please miss it. Please don't embarrass me again."

The master mimic who entertained the crowd with his impressions of Nadal, Roddick and Maria Sharapova during his run to the '07 final was asked if he would consider trying to emulate Federer's tweener himself.

"No, definitely not. I am not as good as he is in that. I'd like to be very careful with my racquet," Djokovic said glancing down below his waist. "You know what I mean."

Fish Story: Fitter Mardy Fish Goes The Distance

Tennis Now — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:33:05 GMT

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By Joe McDonald
© Natasha Peterson/Corleve

(August 31, 2010) Every picture tells a story and Mardy Fish's personal scrapbook reveals old images of a bloated Fish who looked like he spent more of his spare time buffet busting than investing time in intensive tennis training. That was then and this is now and today a sleeker, stronger Fish showed how his commitment to physical reinvention continues to create a career revival.

A frustrated Fish slammed his Wilson racquet in frustration shortly before falling into a two-set to one hole then regained his composure and reeled off 12 of the last 13 games in scorching heat to dispatch 82nd-ranked Czech Jan Hajek, 6-0, 3-6, 4-6, 6-0, 6-1 and advance to the US Open second round.

"I won," Fish laughed when asked at what happened today. "No, these guys are good, man. You know, I started out great. I made one unforced error in the first set, entire first set. Played a bad game early in the second and he held, served well, held throughout there. Four‑all in the third set he hit four winners, broke me there, and played a long game the next game and he held.

"Next thing you know, you're down two sets to one thinking, you know, maybe you're going home. That's not where I want to be right now, so I was lucky to turn it around and play a little more aggressive. I was playing a little too defensive. You know, lucky enough to turn it around."

Much has been made of Fish's 30-pound weight loss and the impact of dropping the equivalent of a racquet bag filled to the brim was evident today as Fish consistently ran down wide balls behind the baseline while a Hajek wilted in the withering heat.

It was 11 months ago when Fish, who missed the tournament last year and underwent surgery on his creaky knees, hired a nutritionist to cook all his meals. Eliminating pizza and his favorite junk foods from his diet, Fish did not eat meals after 8 o'clock at night and with the help of wife Stacey Gardner, the former Deal Or No Deal spokes model and an attorney, and nutritionist Christian LoCasio, Fish dropped 30 pounds.

Reducing the strain on his knees, Fish has been healthier this season in producing the best tennis of his career.

"I had my knee surgery because I was too heavy," Fish said. "That was why my knees were hurting. Both knees were hurting. I mean, one needed repair and the other one was just sore all the time.I was just too heavy, flat out too heavy. So that's why I did it."

He's lost weight and gained success in winning back-to-back tournaments for the first time in Newport and Atlanta in producing a career-best 11-match winning streak.

Fish fought back past former high school housemate Andy Roddick in the Cincinnati semifinals before bowing to defending champion Roger Federer. Fish finished third in the US Open Series behind Andy Murray and Federer and entered the Open as arguably America's best hope to go deep in the men's draw.

It's been a remarkable revival for the son of a Vero Beach, Florida teaching pro widely regarded as a talented, but out of shape underachiever in the early years of his career. Fish said when he flips through old photos of himself he's surprised at how out of shape he was.

"I can look at pictures, and some pictures I might look okay and some, you know, not," Fish said. "Even from 2009 Wimbledon, I mean, you know, it's almost embarrassing to think about as a professional athlete or a professional tennis player. I mean, we have to be in such good shape. It's pretty crazy how I kind of got away with it for a little while, at least.

I feel like a completely different person, playing like a completely different player, and able to do things that I've never been able to do before Hopefully it's a career thing."

And he is seeing the results, because in Cincinnati he beat Gilles Simon, Fernando Verdasco, Richard Gasquet and scored his third straight win over 2008 US Open finalist Murray.

All of this showed today as Fish was on the ropes to Hajek, but with temperatures in the mid-90s, the Czech wilted, while Fish enjoyed the heat, like…well a fish enjoys water.

"Yes, it's hot," he thought. “This is probably the hottest it's gonna be here. But, I mean, from what we went through this summer, what John (Isner) and I went through this summer in Atlanta, I mean, it's just not even ‑‑ I can't tell you. It's not even close. It's not even ‑‑ I mean, it's 50 degrees less, I'm telling you, and no humidity, so it just feels nice. It just feels kind of hot."

And even with the heat, Fish endured. And many a champion has a five set scare in the first round or two. Today, Fish survived the test and the heat.

A US Open quarterfinalist two years ago, Fish is in the same quarter of the draw as Roddick and third-seeded Novak Djokovic and with 16th-seeded Marcos Baghdatis bowing to 32-year-old Arnaud Clement today there is opportunity for Fish to make a second-week run.

Joe McDonald is the publisher of TennisLedger.com where this article originated.

A US Open Survival Story: Jankovic Advances

Tennis Now — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:37:16 GMT

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By Richard Pagliaro
© Dave Saffrin

(August 31, 2010) Jelena Jankovic sprinted back to the blue wall of Arthur Ashe Stadium in pursuit of a lob and clung to the shade as a welcome shelter from a searing sun. Jankovic had her back to the wall as US Open debutante Simon Halep served for the match, but the speedy Serbian showed her survival skills in bouncing back to break serve and score eight straight points to post a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 triumph to reach the US Open second round.

"It was really hot and windy. My opponent played really well," Jankovic said "She was putting a lot of balls in the court. She didn't really make many mistakes, and I really had to work for every point. But I wasn't playing my best tennis. I was just trying to find my rhythm out there and trying to do my best to get through. I'm happy that I was able to get through this match. It was a really tough one for me."

It was a victory gained more on guile than game. Jankovic suffered a sprained left ankle in Portoroz earlier this summer and has staggered through the US Open Series. As the top seed in Montreal two weeks ago, Jankovic lost in straight sets to 75th-ranked qualifier Iveta Beneseova. It was her fourth loss in six matches and prompted Jankovic to admit the obvious: her game and confidence are sagging.

"I didn't really feel like a top-five player out there," said Jankovic. "My game hasn't been at the top level for the last couple of tournaments."

Since her run to the Roland Garros semifinals, Jankovic has registered a 6-6 record with four of her losses coming to players ranked outside the top 25, including a 7-6(3), 6-4 setback to 114th-ranked Akgul Amanmuradova in Cincinnati.

The 2008 Open runner-up to Serena Williams looked slightly fresher than Halep in the latter stages. Seeking her first career Grand Slam main draw victory, Halep had the match on her racquet, but ran out of gas in the critical stages.

"Physically, I think she was more stronger than me," Halep said. "She didn't hit so hard, but she changed the rhythm of the points. I was very close and I am sad I didn't win. I will try to do it next time."

The fourth-seeded Jankovic resides in the softest quarter of the draw, but will need to pick up her play considerably if she is to reach the quarterfinals for the fourth time in her last five Flushing Meadows appearances.

Athletically, Jankovic remains one of the most gifted players in the game, but her habit of reverting to retrieving when the going gets tough likely won't get the job done against the seeded power players in the draw.

"There are days when you're not going to be feeling the ball, you're not going to be moving your feet," Jankovic said. "In those days, you just really have to fight and really have to try your best and give your maximum and try to get through these kind of matches. If you are able to do that, then it gives you a lot more confidence for the next round."

The next round pits Jankovic against one of the most unlikely of all US Open comeback stories. Croatian qualifier Mirjana Lucic, who reached the 1999 Wimbledon final at age 17, defeated Alicia Molik, 7-6(5), 6-1, and will face Jankovic in the second round.

"I feel fantastic. I'm so so happy," Lucic said. "I worked so hard to get here. It feels incredible."

The 28-year-old Lucic who missed nearly four years of her pro career due to personal issues she would not revisit in today's post-match press conference, posted her first US Open main-draw victory since 1999.

Though she essentially walked away from the sport to put her life back in order after experiencing problems with her father, Lucic said in her mind she never walked away from the game.

"Never. I was just waiting for my opportunities. I never quit," Lucic said. "I'm 28 now. People are calling me a veteran, which is like, Oh, so depressing. I'm like old at 28. But, you know, I just love it out there. I'm doing what I love, and I know that there is still a lot of good tennis in me, a lot of good results. That's what's pushing me, and that's why I'm doing it."

Arnaud Clement Outlasts Marcos Baghdatis At US Open

Tennis Now — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:01:33 GMT

US Open ATP
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By Richard Pagliaro
© Natasha Peterson/Corleve

(August 31, 2010) Eyes riveted on the ball, a streaking Marcos Baghdatis was racing near the sideline in pursuit of an Arnaud Clement drop shot late in the fifth set of today's US Open first round. Baghdatis got his racquet on the ball but could not lift it above the net then tried to go airborne in hurdling the white court-side seat only to bounce off it like a man shoved into a barricade.

The shot was symbolic of the match: the 16th-seeded Cypriot expended every ounce of energy and effort trying to keep pace with Clement on a scorching hot day, but ultimately ran out of time and space.

The 32-year-old Frenchman, the second oldest man still standing in the singles draw, squeezed out a 6-3, 2-6, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5, victory in a physically grueling three hour, 27-minute first-round win on Armstrong Stadium Court.

Coming up slightly short in a battle of former Australian Open finalists, Baghdatis is the highest-seeded man to fall from the draw.

"I was really heavy on court. I wasn't feeling very fit," Baghdatis said. "It's not a matter of fit, but very heavy. I couldn't play aggressive. I was really defensive today, and Arnaud played a very good first set."

Clement reached the US Open quarterfinals 10 years ago and earned his first Flushing Meadows main draw victory in three years today. The draining duel contested in oppressive heat that hung like a curtain over the proceedings, left Clement, who pulled off his ever-present sunglasses to rub his red eyes, longing for a post-match remedy: rest.

"It was fanstastic for me today. It was a very hot match, a very difficult match," Clement said. "The match was very long and so I just want to take a rest now."

Baghdatis's exit came a few hours after Ernests Gulbis, the No. 24 seed, lost to Jeremy Chardy, 6-2, 7-6 (1), 6-4. The loss caps a miserable Grand Slam season for Gulbis, who failed to win a match in a major this year. Gulbis won his first career title in Delray Beach in February, celebrated his 22nd birthday on Monday, but came out a bit flat today and never really recovered.

The 68th-ranked Clement went winless during the US Open Series with opening-round exits in Washington, DC and New Haven.

Playing with the passion as clear as the perspiration pouring from his pores, Clement clawed back from a mid-match lapse in which Baghdatis won 12 of 15 matches to seize a two sets to one lead.

At that point, Clement began to play with more aggression. Driving his flat backhand return up the line and following that shot to net, Clement dared Baghdatis to beat him on the pass. Clement won 13 of 25 trips to the net over the course of the final two sets to turn the tide on an exceedingly tight match.

Baghdatis opened the season beating Mardy Fish to win Sydney. Though he has never surpassed the second round of the Open, the charismatic Baghdatis had been on a roll in recent weeks, reaching the Washington, DC final and beating World No. 1 Rafael Nadal en route to the Cincinnati semifinals.

The 2006 Australian Open runner-up wears clothes without a sponsor's logo. Baghdatis said he buys clothes from Technifibre and his mother sews the Cypriot flag on them, but he's never made his mark in New York despite entertaining losses to Roger Federer and Andre Agassi in past Opens. He fought off two match points before sending a forehand wide to end it.

"I don't think it's the heat," Baghdatis said of his loss. "I played in Washington, played in Cincy; was pretty hot, you know. So I don't think it was the heat. I think I was a bit tired mentally, physically, also. So, yeah, I guess that's the reason I felt very heavy today and couldn't play my tennis aggressive."

While Baghdatis went out, Clement moves on to face Eduardo Schwank, who defeated former US Open semifinalist Robby Ginepri, 6-4, 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-3.

On the Runway To The US Open

Tennis Now — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:14:57 GMT

By Jean Kirshenbaum
© Natasha Peterson/Corleve

(August 31, 2010) Sprinting through the tunnel onto Arthur Ashe Stadium court at the US Open is now like sashaying down the red carpet at the Academy Awards. Like the designers who bring out their spring collections during Fashion Week, August has been a Fashion Month for the women of tennis.

How fitting, since this biggest major of the year is in New York City, a haven of high fashion.
The Australian Open is the Grand Slam for families, held during the height of the Aussie summer. Roland Garros comes complete with cosmopolitan Parisian passion and Wimbledon is the most traditional of the majors, but New York City brings tennis' glitz, glamor and grit.

Clothing sponsors can cash in on the appeal of Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic and top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, who wears adidas' Stella McCartney line.

For Ana Ivanovic for some more a model and no longer a top of the line player, is coming out with a purple and pink number from adidas that looks something like a like a shiny polyester pink curtain with a plum valance.

Tennis Now sat down with Tennis Now's Buenos Aires-based columnist, Alberto Amalfi, and long-time writer Jean Kirshenbaum to discuss the role of fashion in tennis.

It turned out to be quite a lively debate.

Tennis Now: What do you think of the focus on what players are wearing? Is it something positive for the players or tennis?

JK: I don’t think it’s positive, and I don’t know what other fans think. My friends and I laugh at a lot of it. Clearly, some of the players think it’s worthwhile because they perpetuate the focus with partnerships with the clothing companies.by seeking attention. For Caroline Wozniacki, the association with adidas seems not to be just for the money, but also for reasons of competition. This year her dress is simply indescribable, although one fan said on another web site that it looks like a "terminator" outfit. That actually may be appropriate for a killer competitor with a high ranking. Here’s how Caroline sees it: From an August adidas press release: "I am proud to be able to be so successful and stylish on court. Women’s competition is all about the look, and being able to be dressed by Stella I am always one step ahead of the other girls on court."

Tennis Now: Competition is "all about the look?" This is an astonishing statement. If Adidas put these words in her mouth, she should have swallowed them. And when you think about the "looks" of some of players, that’s really scary.

AA: Overall, I think a concern for tennis fashion is a good thing in that it helps drive the tennis industry. If people aren't buying new clothes — and during this economy people aren't buying racquets as much — then it hurts the manufacturers, who in turn then cut back their sponsorship of tennis which hurts the game economically. The bottom line is fashion is a form of individual expression — clothes may not make you play better but they can make you feel better about the way you look and create a comfort zone when you walk out onto a stadium court. As Serena Williams' often says when asked about her outfits: "I like to look good on court and when I look good, I play good."

Tennis Now: How do you think a focus on fashion in tennis came about?

JK: I don’t have access, of course, to players of an earlier era, but I bet King, Evert, et. al. could provide some perspective about what they wore and whether and how much they were concerned about clothes on the court. In her book, Getting a Grip, Monica Seles talks about how she wanted to look "cute" and was very conscious of how she looked, especially in comparison with Chris Evert and some others players she perceived as more attractive. Serena Williams, in her book On the Line, several times mentions that as a little girl she looked “cute” in her pink Puma dress. I don’t pretend to know who started “the dress” thing, but it seems the focus became sharper with Maria Sharapova. Being so tall and slender, she has a model’s stature. The tennis clothes manufacturers latched onto it, made some money, and she became the darling of fashion and sports publications. Then, they made a big deal out of what she would be wearing at the next major. The media bought into the marketing hype and jumped on it. It offers something else to write about besides speculating on the winners, and the intricacies of their games. It seems that since Sharapova, we have many more tennis "darlings" today.

AA: I have to disagree with you. Chris Evert really catapulted tennis fashion when she wore Elesse — she was being featured in non-sports magazines at that time. Also, Gabriela Sabatini always got a lot of attention for her clothes. I live in Buenos Aires and Gaby is still a star in Argentina and still looks fashionable. When Anna Kournikova started wearing the short adidas tops that would expose her stomach when serving, that was another big leap forward.   Graf almost always wore the separates — skirt and top — although I recall a match at Madison Square Garden, which was one of the few times I ever saw her wear a full tennis dress, a one piece.   Really, you could say the start of the fascination with tennis players and how they dress dates back to Gorgeous Gussie Moran — in the Ted Tinling outfit that gained international attention. Then he was designing for people like Billie Jean King, etc.

Tennis Now: That’s interesting history. What’s the relevance or importance to fashion today?

AA: But look, fashion has always been important to tennis. Stan Smith sneakers are the biggest selling tennis shoes ever and still sold today. Anna Wintour, one of the most important fashion figures, is in Roger Federer's box at matches — she's not at golf or boxing or baseball. That shows it is relevant and also another way for tennis to infiltrate and influence pop culture. if you visited the US Open last year you saw hundreds of fans wearing either Federer's "RF" branded baseball cap or the Federer red, white and blue warm-up jacked. That's great for tennis when tennis clothes cross over and become part of the fashion culture. It creates even more interest in tennis which is great for the game. Tennis changed fashion when Rene Lacoste created the Lacoste tennis shirt. You look at iconic brands like Lacoste, Fred Perry, Fila — they are rooted in tennis and these are multi-million businesses, so I think it's important. Above and beyond the business aspect, fashion is fun, it's cool it's something every single one of his participate in every morning we get up and get dressed. We can all relate to fashion even if we're not Roger Federer or Maria Sharapova.

JK: Granted, it is important to the business side of tennis. I can understand why someone who makes a living in the tennis industry would see it that way. From a fan’s perspective, however, does this matter? Is what’s good for the business of tennis good for the fan? That’s parallel to the old adage that what’s good for General Motors is good for the country. Other than as entertainment and something to talk about, do I care what tennis players wear? It’s superficial, for several reasons. Despite Wozniacki’s opinion, other than comfort, fashion has nothing to do with competition. That seems to be how most of the men look at it, since, with some exceptions, like Federer and now Nadal, most of them wear baggy shirts and shorts, which to me indicates that they don’t give a damn about fashion. They appear to prefer comfort over the distractions of style. They are there to win, not to look good. And they don’t look good. Many of these players do nothing to add to the image of tennis, but in fact drag it down.

AA: Again, I totally disagree. Fashion is functional too. The materials they use today breath better and keep the sweat away from the players' skin.

Tennis Now: What do you think the players think about fashion in tennis?

AA: The players seem to enjoy it and helps to break the tension of intense competition because, plain and simple, they are attractive and nice to look at. Because the really attractive players can increase their income with modeling. Because it’s entertaining. The media, the players, and the fans have fun with it. Also, think about how the focus on what the women players wear and how they look is an opportunity to widen the tennis audience, which is good for tennis. If everyone wore the same outfit not only would it be boring but the players would not be able to express their personalities.

JK: You must be kidding. Some people would see that as a rather sexist point of view, which I am sure is not your intention. I just don’t think this is something a man can totally grasp. Your perspective puts pressure on the female players to look pretty. Not everyone participates in the "I feel pretty" tennis fashion game — either by choice or because they are not considered attractive enough to be able to sell the brand. Fashion in tennis is predicated on the precept that, as with so many other products or brands, sex sells. Why else would Tennis Now show that tasteless, coarse video of Serena Williams’ butt?! Also, you have to agree that some of the women players have gone beyond the boundaries of good taste. Is that a positive for tennis? One outcome could be the opposite of what’s intended. Parents may steer their girls away from tennis because they want them to learn to play a sport without concern for what they wear and how they look. There is enough competition on the court. Who needs to add looks and clothes?

AA: How many parents are taking parenting advice from 20-something tennis players, many of whom don't have kids themselves? I mean it's like saying don't let your kids watch pop stars because of the way they dress? At the end of the day, the sport is still a competition, it's still about winning more than fashion. Clothes can enhance a competitor, but they do not define the competitor and look at a sport like beach volleyball or swimming or even figure skating where outfits can be more revealing. I think it's superficial and lame to blame tennis or call tennis sexist because of the players' clothes. These players are playing in 95 degree heat and high humidity in New York City, should they be wearing sweatsuits? I mean less than 10 years ago the USTA refused to allow Tommy Haas to wear a sleeveless shirt on court and less than 100 years ago men wore trousers on court, times change and so do styles.

Tennis Now: Aside from modeling money and endorsements, are there other reasons players might be concerned about clothes and how they look?

AA: I don't think it is superficial. I think how you dress on court is a reflection of your personality. Because it's not like baseball or football wear you wear a team uniform. Yes, in a sense they are on the adidas team or Nike team or Fila team, but how they dress — whether they wear baggy shorts, sleeveless shirts, headbands, visors, etc. part of that is comfort and part of that is a statement. When Serena Williams showed up at the US Open wearing the cat suit she was making a clear statement in saying she is not a conformist, she likes to seize the attention spotlight and it reveals she views the US Open as part theater and views herself as part entertainer and not just an athlete.

JK: If players are making statements, as you say, that’s good for them and entertaining for the fans. Yes, in addition to sporting competition, tennis has become theater, but it can go too far. With his excellent game, black clothes and flowing (fake) hair, Andre Agassi encompassed both. When he brought his amusing imitations of other players to the tennis court, his behavior fell into the category of theater. Unfortunately, he has become subdued and lost his comedic flair. It seems to be a matter of whether you see tennis clothes as costumes or uniforms. I go for uniforms.

Tennis Now: What other thoughts do you have about intertwining fashion and tennis?

AA:   When I go to a Mets or Yankes games I see 10,000 to 20,000 people wearing jerseys or shirts. That is revenue not only that helps the teams and MLB but it also puts the team brand out there when people wear their clothes on the street. Similarly, if I see someone wearing the Roger Federer warm-up jacket that he wore during the US Open last year it's a way of seeing tennis influencing pop culture and everyday street fashion. And let's be honest: the country is trying to come out of a recession, the tennis industry can get a boost and sometimes a spike in sales when clothing or tennis shoes become popular and it's a free advertisement for the sport.

.JK: Fans wearing jerseys at baseball and football games may mean revenues, but it is just not comparable to fans at tennis matches. Those jerseys display the names of their teams and the players they like, not the maker of the jerseys. That’s identity and conformity, not fashion. And there is no benefit to the brand. With the exception of some of the more boisterous groups who want to display support for a countryman, tennis fans and spectators don’t generally wear the names of tennis players on their shirts when they go to tournaments. And I think they would look silly if they did. They do wear the names and logos of the majors US Open or whatever, on caps, shirts and jackets. But that’s not fashion or advertising. It’s recognition that’s akin to college bumper stickers.

I, for one, consciously avoid tennis wear with the manufacture’s logo, no matter how attractive or fashionable. Why should I be an advertisement for Nike, Adidas, Fila, etc.? They aren’t giving me endorsements that come with lots of money. With some exceptions, brand labels in civilian clothes are hidden inside the collar, for the most part and not emblazoned prominently with names or logos. Why should tennis players be walking billboards? Oh, for the money, I forgot. You would say for the good of tennis overall. I can be convinced.

AA:   In World TeamTennis players wear their names on the back of the shirts. It could be marketed in majors that way as well. Look at the World Cup. If you visited virtually any country in the world during the World Cup people were wearing player jerseys and tennis could strive for that impact. To deny the importance of that marketing muscle is a bit of an antiquated view. Look, with the exception of the Open Era and adopting yellow balls and instant replay tennis has been fairly resistant to change. Why not embrace the marketing power apparel and shoes have as other sports do?

Jean Kirshenbaum is a Tennis Now contributing writer and avid tennis player based in Pennsylvania. Her previous columns include All Dressed In White, Ad In, Ad Out: Best and Worst TV Ads, Dressed To Kill: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly and Tennis Nearly Killed Me...And Then It Saved My Life.

Stupefying: Roger Federer Brings Trick Shot To US Open Again

Tennis Now — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:22:09 GMT

US Open ATP
- Official Site
- Order of Play
- Singles Draw
- Singles Qualifying Draw
- Doubles Draw
- Live Scores

US Open WTA
- Official Site
- Order of Play
- Singles Draw
- Qualifying Draw
- Doubles Draw
- Live Scores

US Open Other
- Mixed Doubles Draw
- Juniors Draw
- Wheelchair Draw
- Live Scores

By Richard Pagliaro
© Andy Kentla

(August 30, 2010) Tennis theatricality comes to court when Roger Federer plays in New York at night. On the game's largest Grand Slam stage, Federer continues to be tennis' most electrifying player creating the type of jaw-dropping, pupil-popping shots you'd swear require special effects or at least a stunt double to pull off.

Holding a 6-1, 5-3 lead over Brian Dabul in Monday night's US Open first-round clash, Federer found himself at net only to see a Dabul loft a running lob that seemed destined to be a winner soar over his head.

Some players might have conceded a winner, some might have given perfunctory pursuit and some might have even managed to get a flailing racquet frame on the ball.

Federer takes improvisational brilliance to Harry Potter proportions.

How many players on the planet could have pulled off the circus shot Federer did? Sprinting with his back to the net like a man determined to break through the blue back wall, Federer caught up to the ball near the baseline and flicked the stunning, running between the legs shot that landed for a clean winner in the corner, left Dabul shrugging in disbelief, brought an electrified crowd to its feet and made Federer's William Tell style video trick should look positively pedestrian by comparison.

"I had to really give the last big push at the end. I didn't have time to set it up," Federer said. "So I felt like this one was incredible again. I turned around and couldn't believe the shot landed in the corner. So the ovation was fantastic. Crowds went wild. Yeah, you could see on my reaction I couldn't believe it."

The stupefying shot was the tennis equivalent of Willie Mays' basket catch of Vic Wertz. The Swiss stylist struck the shot su superbly by the time he turned around the yellow ball was already landing on the blue court. The resounding roar of the crowd told Federer all he needed to know and he waved his arms enjoying his own ridiculous racquet work.

"The thing is, by the time I turn around it's already in the corner of the court on the other side, so I'm almost looking for the ball first up," Federer said. "And then I just I'm not even sure if I saw the bounce or not, and then obviously the crowd gave me the answer, which was kind of good."

The shot brought the fans to their feet and Dabul to his knees as Federer wrapped up a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 triumph to set up a second-round encounter with Germany's Andreas Beck.

The second-seeded Swiss raised his record to 16-0 in US Open night matches and secured his spot in the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, to be held at The O2 in London, November 21-28th.

The 29-year-old Federer pulled off the between the legs trick shot for the second straight year. He used it as a passing shot in his semifinal win over Novak Djokovic last September.

"Obviously the importance of last year's was probably a little bit more important just because I think it was Love 30 to go Love 40, two points away from the match, and it was a semifinal," Federer said. "So obviously that has a little bit of an impact, too."

While the 2009 edition was a bigger game-changer, Monday night's 'tweener was a more spectacular shot because Federer covered more ground to hit it and because Dabul, unlike Djokovic last year, was actually camped out on the baseline making the fact Federer pulled it off past the Argentine even more astounding.

"I knew I hit it (well). I had good contact, perfect speed and hit and everything," Federer said. "I kind of like it when the ball like gets away from me a little bit, so I hit it with it's lower because then I can generate more pace."

How can Federer possibly top the shot? Asked if he combine his between-the-legs acumen with the television magic shot of knocking a bottle off a man's head, Federer said: "That's kind of tough, the trajectory going up. You can feel like the nose and everything being hit first."

US Open Day 2 Matches to Watch

Tennis Now — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:30:28 GMT

It might still be the opening round, but there are plenty of intriguing match-ups on hand today as Day Two warms up in New York at the US Open. Here’s a look at a few of the top draws for Tuesday.

Men

Viktor Troicki(SRB) vs. Novak Djokovic(SRB)[3] – They just saw each other two weeks ago at the ATP Cincinnati, with Djokovic taking a 6-3, 7-5 win in the second round. Troicki responded by reaching the semifinals in New Haven, beating three consecutive players ranked above him. Djokovic has a 4-1 all-time mark against his fellow Serbian, and is trying to get his name back in the limelight after his brief appearance at No. 2 in the rankings came to an end. Djokovic only has one title in 2010, and this would be a great time to double his Grand Slam total to two. He has had some success at Flushing Meadows, reaching the final here in 2007.

Jan Hajek(CZE) vs. Mardy Fish(USA)[19] – The eyes of a nation are firmly focused on Mr. Fish thanks to his meteoric summer rise through the rankings. Hajek is the perfect opening patsy to get Fish Fever ramped up hot and heavy in New York. Hajek hasn’t made it past the second round in his last seven tournaments.

Fabio Fognini(ITA) vs. Fernando Verdasco(ESP)[8] – It’s revenge time for Verdasco, who was shocked by Fognini in the first round of Wimbledon back in June in a marathon match – 6-7(9), 2-6, 7-6(6), 4-6. For being ranked eighth in the world, Verdasco hasn’t done much since, other than a quarterfinal appearance in Washington. Ranked 86th, Fognini is 1-2 all-time against Verdasco, smaller (5-10) and slightly built (163 pounds). He’s just 14-21 this year, but thrives at the Slams, reaching the third round at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Women

Jelena Jankovic(SRB)[4] vs. Simona Halep(ROU) – Since falling in the fourth round at Wimbledon, Jankovic has been in a free-fall, going just 2-4 and losing to players ranked 75th, 114th and 129th. Had we known Serena Williams would miss the entire US Open Series as well as the final Grand Slam of the season, we’d have thought it’d be Jankovic with the shot to surpass her for No. 1, not Caroline Wozniacki.

Kateryna Bondarenko(UKR) vs. Na Li(CHN)[8] – Li won their only previous matchup, but hasn’t impressed much since following up her Wimbledon quarterfinal trip with a semifinal appearance at Copenhagen. Bondarenko ended 2009 ranked 29th, but has slid back 30 spots since. She reached the second round at the Australian and French Opens, and upset Petra Kvitova at New Haven last week.

Svetlana Kuznetsova(RUS)[11] vs. Kimiko Date Krumm(JPN) – For people like your author who are on the wrong side of 30 themselves, it’s hard not to root for Date Krumm, now less than a month shy of her 40th birthday. Ranked 51st in the world, she made her professional debut when Kuznetsova was three years old. The 13th-ranked Russian native needs a huge push here, or she’ll miss finishing in the year-end Top 10 for the first time since 2005. She’s a great dark horse here, playing well this summer with a win at San Diego and a semifinal appearance at Montreal of late.

Venus Victorious In US Open Return

Tennis Now — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:40:15 GMT

US Open ATP
- Official Site
- Order of Play
- Singles Draw
- Singles Qualifying Draw
- Doubles Draw
- Live Scores

US Open WTA
- Official Site
- Order of Play
- Singles Draw
- Qualifying Draw
- Doubles Draw
- Live Scores

US Open Other
- Mixed Doubles Draw
- Juniors Draw
- Wheelchair Draw
- Live Scores

By Richard Pagliaro
© Natasha Peterson/Corleve

(August 30, 2010) Clad completely in black, Venus Williams made a successful return to tournament tennis beneath the bright white lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium tonight. It wasn't exactly vintage Venus, but the third-seeded Williams withstood a brief period of patchy play to power into the US Open second round with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Italian Roberta Vinci.

Williams whipped 10 aces, including an emphatic ace on her opening serve, and won 25 of 30 points played on her first serve against a light-hitting opponent reduced to the role of retriever.

"I think today went pretty well. It was pretty straightforward," Williams said. "I think during some of the tighter points of the match I was able to play really well to get those points. Obviously I was pumped on those points, too. That felt nice. I definitely missed playing the big points and being on the court this summer."

It was Williams' first match since she was on the wrong end of one of the most monumental upsets in Wimbledon history. World No. 82 Tsvetana Pironkova masterfully mixed up the pace of her shots in luring Williams into an implosion of errors. By the time the dust had settled, Pironkova pulled off a shocking 6-2, 6-3 conquest of the five-time Wimbledon winner in the quarterfinals.

"Not having played any matches wasn't ideal," Williams said. "And, I mean, obviously practice is so much different from a match. I felt like I was hitting well in practice, but to translate into a match is something completely different. So definitely, you know, a different position to be in, but I think I handled it well. Just looking to build momentum going to the next matches."

Williams skipped the entire US Open Series with a knee injury, but moved well laterally and was quick off the mark in chasing down wide shots.

She burst out to a 4-2 lead only to see Vinci break back, blocking a high forehand volley into the open court for 3-4. Vince held for 4-all, but Williams withstood that brief mis-step and unleashed some explosive shotmaking in front of the capacity crowd.

"Playing the opening night is a big deal. It's usually always sold out," Williams said. "This is the event to come to, you know, New York, the opening night of the US Open. Really an honor. I love doing it. I've had the opportunity on a lot of occasions. Everyone's watching. They're looking for those big shots, those big plays. They appreciate the tennis and are very educated on what the game's about. When you get that applause, you know they appreciate it."

MORE TO FOLLOW

Victoria Azarenka Finds US Open Motivation In McEnroe

Tennis Now — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:56:56 GMT

US Open ATP
- Official Site
- Order of Play
- Singles Draw
- Singles Qualifying Draw
- Doubles Draw
- Live Scores

US Open WTA
- Official Site
- Order of Play
- Singles Draw
- Qualifying Draw
- Doubles Draw
- Live Scores

US Open Other
- Mixed Doubles Draw
- Juniors Draw
- Wheelchair Draw
- Live Scores

By Richard Pagliaro
© Tony Chang/Chang Photography

(August 30, 2010) Victoria Azarenka has been reading about relationships lately, pondering the prospect that "Women Are Crazy And Men Are Stupid" and may well have found a tennis kindred spirit in former US Open John McEnroe. Azarenka opened her US Open with a slightly schizophrenic, 6-0, 5-7, 6-1 victory over Romanian qualifier Monica Niculescu and could be poised to make some noise in the same quarter of the draw that includes third-seeded Venus Williams and French Open champion Francesca Schiavone.

The 10th-seeded Belarusian strikes the bold, flat strokes that play well on the US Open hard courts. Azarenka has the ability to overpower virtually any woman in the draw when she's on her game, but knows she must channel her tendency to erupt in anger when things aren't going well into positive energy.

Enter McEnroe.

The pair met during a World TeamTennis match and when Azarenka slipped an ace past McEnroe he was impressed enough to invite her to hit.

"I played World TeamTennis against him this summer and I actually aced him there and he was like 'How could you ace me?' " Azarenka recalls. "And he was like 'I would love to hit with you.' He's absolutely a good guy."

Both Azarenka and McEnroe are Nike endorsers. They practiced together before the Open and Azarenka came off the court feeling she could relate to the temperamental New Yorker.

"John is great. He has the kind of personality kind of close to mine," Azarenka said. "It was great to hit with him. He is playing unbelievable. He chips and plays the forehand flat. It was a great experience and I really appreciated that. He told me I could hit with him any time and I am definitely gong to take that opportunity. I think it looks like he is losing it, but he's not. He stays focused and has that passion for the game."

Playing with passion without losing her purpose or her temper has been a challenge for Azarenka, who is soft spoken off court but can scream at herself in frustration on court. Azarenka asserts her anger can be the fuel to ignite her play provided she doesn't delve into periods of frustration.

"I think there are two different ways to get angry or to get upset," Azarenka said. "If I get angry to push myself to do better, which may seem I'm getting frustrated at myself, but I'm not. I am an emotional player. l just to bring myself into the game and that's what I need to do."

Azarenka applied that emotion in beating Serena Williams in the 2009 Miami final and dispatched Maria Sharapova in last month's Stanford final. With Serena and Justine Henin both out of the draw, can Azarenka seize the opportunity to reach her first semifinal?

"I do believe in myself; in Miami it was different," Azarenka said. "Every week is different and in a Grand Slam it's very different. Maria has been playing really well even after Stanford. There are so many good players on the Tour, but I believe in myself."

An avid reader, Azarenka has been reading her second book in English, a satire on relationship self-help books: "Women Are Crazy And Men Are Stupid."

"It was really funny because my coach always carries thousands of books with him and I actually haven't been reading books in English, this was my second one, and I was like 'Okay I'm gonna buy it,' " Azarenka said. "So I've been reading it."

Birthday Bash: Andy Roddick Rolls Into US Open Second Round

Tennis Now — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:34:02 GMT

US Open ATP
- Official Site
- Order of Play
- Singles Draw
- Singles Qualifying Draw
- Doubles Draw
- Live Scores

US Open WTA
- Official Site
- Order of Play
- Singles Draw
- Qualifying Draw
- Doubles Draw
- Live Scores

US Open Other
- Mixed Doubles Draw
- Juniors Draw
- Wheelchair Draw
- Live Scores

By Richard Pagliaro
© Dave Saffrin/New York Sports Scene

(August 30, 2010) He has supplanted the spiky hairstyle that once burst from beneath the backward baseball cap like an unruly chia pet with a more conservative style and while he can still rock the radar gun at will, Andy Roddick is more of a measured purpose pitcher on serve now. The 2003 US Open champion may be getting older but he still knows how to throw a birthday bash on court.

Roddick celebrated his 28th birthday and 11th consecutive US Open in style today, rolling to a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 thrashing of 30-year-old Stephane Robert on Arthur Ashe Stadium court.

It's been seven years since Roddick dispatched David Nalbandian and Juan Carlos Ferrero in succession to capture his lone major title in Flushing Meadows. He joins Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt as the lone former champions in the field.

Roddick says he doesn't dwell on age but each passing birthday is a reminder he's closer to the finish line.

"I don't really think about it, because it makes no difference what I think about it. It's like you go out there and give the best of what you got on that day," Roddick said. "You wake up in the morning and you put what you can into that single day. Obviously I know I'm probably closer to finished than I am to the start. But I don't know. It's a number. I'm barely older than I was yesterday."

The two-time US Open finalist played some of the best tennis of his career in reaching successive Masters 1000 finals in Indian Wells and Miami last spring. He asserted an aggressive game plan in defeating Rafael Nadal in the semis before downsizing the big-hitting Tomas Berdych in the Sony Ericsson Open final.

Though Roddick has won two titles this year and leads the ATP Tour in hard-court wins with a 34-7 record, he hasn't elbowed his way into contender conversations that revolve primarily around five-time champion Roger Federer, Nadal and 2008 finalist Andy Murray and Roddick seems to enjoy flying under the radar a bit.

Robert offered little resistance today and if Roddick can continue to manage matches as he did this afternoon he could put together a run in a favorable quarter that features third-seeded Novak Djokovic, a former finalist whose serve and confidence have been shaky. Roddick, who dismissed Djokovic in Cincinnati, faces Janko Tipsarevic next. The tatooed Serbian was a 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(0), 6-2 victor over Olivier Rochus. Roddick and Tipsarevic have split two prior meetings, both coming on the grass of Wimbledon, with Tipsarevic winning their most recent encounter two years ago.

Roddick says he feels he's recovered from the mild case of mononucleosis that prompted him to withdraw from the Rogers Cup in Toronto and is coming off a semifinal effort in Cincinnati where he served for a spot in the final before losing his serve and his grip on the match in succumbing to good friend Mardy Fish.

"It's going the right way. To be honest, once you decide to play, I think you throw all the excuses and everything else out the window," Roddick said. "If I decide to play, then it's up to me to give 100 percent of what I have. So it's not something I really want to discuss too much from this point forward. It's something that's there. You know, I'm not going to analyze it every day. It's not perfect, but it's fine. You know, it's going the right way."

Roddick and wife Brooklyn Decker own an apartment in the Grammercy Park area and he appreciates the direct approach of New Yorkers.

Asked if he feels like a New Yorker, Roddick replied: "I certainly pay enough taxes for it."

"I mean, it is nice having a place here and having a kind of quasi home," Roddick said. "I always feel comfortable here in New York even when I didn't have a place. I stayed at the same hotel and everything for years and years and years and years, so I don't mind New York. People tell you what they think, and I've always kind of appreciated that."

Sania Mirza Opens Up At US Open

Tennis Now — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:01:39 GMT

US Open ATP
- Official Site
- Order of Play
- Singles Draw
- Singles Qualifying Draw
- Doubles Draw
- Live Scores

US Open WTA
- Official Site
- Order of Play
- Singles Draw
- Qualifying Draw
- Doubles Draw
- Live Scores

US Open Other
- Mixed Doubles Draw
- Juniors Draw
- Wheelchair Draw
- Live Scores

By Richard Pagliaro

(August 30, 2010) Sania Mirza made a successful return to Grand Slam singles life today as a newly-wed trying to revive her ranking in her latest return from a wrist injury. Playing ambitious tennis and firing her favored forehand without hesitation, Mirza swept Michelle Larcher de Brito, 6-3, 6-2, on Court 7 to advance to the second round of the US Open.

It was the fourth consecutive win in a week for Mirza, who won three rounds of qualifying in what she called "the first qualies of my life" to reach the main draw.

"In a way, it's a very different experience, but it's a very good feeling to win back-to-back matches," Mirza said.

Asked the most rewarding aspect of her first main draw major win since the 2009 US Open, Mirza replied "everything", adding "the fact that I'm healthy is very important. I was out for almost five months. It's not easy (to come back). I love the US Open. I've always done well here."

Sidelined with a wrist injury for nearly four and a half months, the 23-year-old from Mumbai has seen her ranking tumble to No. 159. It's the third straight season she's endured an injury-riddled season with her last complete season coming in 2007.

"So many players have wrist issues now," Mirza said. "I ice it and try to manage it, but can't get rid of it. I've had it for two and a half years. Everytime I start playing well it comes back again...Mentally, it's tough to get back when you can't do it physically. You're thinking 'What if my wrist start to hurt again?' It plays in the back of your mind."

Mirza wasn't exactly spending her four-month sabatical surfing the internet in her down time between rehab sessions. In April, she took a walk down the aisle.

Wearing a red dress worn by her mother a quarter century ago, Mirza married Pakistani cricket star Shoaib Malik in Hyderabd on April 12th. The wedding was originally scheduled for April 15th, but was held earlier to avoid the anticipated media attention over one of the highest-profile weddings in recent years.

Though the wedding itself was a small Islamic ceremony attended by 50 family members, the wedding reception was a much larger affair. Mirza reports nearly 5,000 people attended the reception and the couple personally greeted every guest, which meant she was standing on a stage for nearly five hours.

"It was more than 5 hours standing on a stage greeting the guests," Sania said. "Close to 5,000 people were at the main reception. At the wedding itself there were only about 50 people just my family and his family."

The fact that her husband is an athlete has helped in providing a supportive presence in her latest comeback bid while giving Mirza a sense of perspective.

"Mentally, I think it's much harder to come back than it is physically," Mirza said. "I don't have to come back, but the desire is still there because I love tennis, I love competing and I love the challenge. Tennis is a part of my life, it's not my life."

Nikolay Davydenko Rebuilding Confidence, Game At US Open

Tennis Now — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:41:06 GMT

US Open ATP
- Official Site
- Order of Play
- Singles Draw
- Singles Qualifying Draw
- Doubles Draw
- Live Scores

US Open WTA
- Official Site
- Order of Play
- Singles Draw
- Qualifying Draw
- Doubles Draw
- Live Scores

US Open Other
- Mixed Doubles Draw
- Juniors Draw
- Wheelchair Draw
- Live Scores

By Richard Pagliaro
© Natasha Peterson/Corleve

(August 30, 2010) Nikolay Davydenko is back from a broken left wrist, but it's his confidence that still shows some cracks. The sixth-seeded Russian rolled to a 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 US Open first-round win over 32-year-old Houston resident Michael Russell in a battle of veterans on Armstrong Stadium Court, but the two-time US Open semifinalist says it's his head, rather than his wrist that poses the biggest challenge as he tries to regain his form.

"Head. Mentally (it is a) problem," Davydenko said. "Because you always practicing. You can play forehand, backhand, but for sure it's important on the match what you need to do with forehand and backhand. That's it. You can hit balls, but where you hit and how you hit, that's the much important. That's was everything it's important in your mind, like concentration and you see how the ball finally where you need to play and everything. That's very difficult."

The 29-year-old Russian was sidelined for 11 weeks after breaking his left wrist in Indian Wells in March. Though Davydenko is right handed, his two-handed backhand is one of his best shots and the injury left him unable to practice it.

When healthy, Davydenko typically is one of the Tour leaders in matches played. The enforced layoff gave him time to spend with wife Irina, who now assists Davydenko's brother, Eduard as his coach. While Davydenko said the time off recharged him emotionally, it drained some of his self-confidence and he says he no longer feels like a top 10 player.

"For sure I am happy now come back, have recover from injury and feeling now in the tournament. I like to playmore tournament matches," Davydenko said. "But tennis is different. Not better. For sure not better. Before my injury I feel much more confidence and I feel much more stronger. If you play matches, you feel like top 10. In the moment, I don't feel like this. I don't feel like I play like top 10."

Two players on the comeback trail will square off in the second round when Davydenko takes on Richard Gasquet, a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Germany's Simon Greul. World No. 37 Gasquet tested positive for cocaine in Miami in March of 2009, missed the 2009 Roland Garros and Wimbledon but successfully appealed his suspension and was reinstated to tennis.

Davydenko, who was once at the center of a gambling investigation in a match in Sopot, Poland, but was eventually cleared of any wron doing, said Gasquet is still a top 10 talent.

"He was good player. For sure is also head problem," Davydenko said. (It is) not about tennis. He play very good tennis. It's like if he was already like in top 20 and top 10, why not? You know, always you can come back. It's not big problem."

Book Review: Women's Tennis Tactics

Tennis Now — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:19:13 GMT

"This is one of the best tennis books I have read. Tour-level expertise is clearly explained and logically presented. This book, with its on-court drills, is an asset to professional and club players alike."

--Alistair Higham LTA Coach Education Manager

"In Women’s Tennis Tactics, Rob Antoun has applied his expertise of coaching and the women’s game to create a practical on-court approach ideal for developing today’s players. It's an outstanding publication.”

--Craig A. Morris Education and Well-Being Manager for Tennis Australia

"A practical guide on building and strengthening your game, Women's Tennis Tactics is an essential read. Every female tennis player should have this book! ”

--Cara Black WTA Doubles Champion

Book Review: Maximum Tennis

Tennis Now — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:15:40 GMT

"Only a few people in the sport of tennis have the background of Nick Saviano to take a player's tennis to the next level of excellence. You should buy it!" -- Nick Bollettieri

Few players can serve like Andy Roddick or Venus Williams, and rifle returns as quickly as Andre Agassi, but all the game’s elite athletes have 10 characteristics in common that enable them to play their best possible tennis.

As a professional player, an elite coach, and a coach of top coaches, author Nick Saviano has seen the difference that mindset can make. Now, in Maximum Tennis, Saviano draws together the common links shared by the best players—elements you can use to reach your full potential.

Play from the heart. Simplify your stroke. Focus on the elements you control. Play to your personal strengths. Maximum Tennis distills the nature of championship play into its essence, helping you play to your strengths and enjoy the game every time you step on the court. Some of the best to ever play and coach add their own examples to each of Saviano’s lessons.

Contributors include Jim Courier, Chris Evert, Nick Bollettieri, Billie Jean King, Stan Smith, and many more. According to Saviano, great players aren’t born; they’re made. In Maximum Tennis, this internationally recognized coach draws from his experience on the courts and behind the scenes with some of the sport’s top names. He reveals concepts any player can learn—and every coach can teach—to help you reach your full potential and enhance your love of the game.