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Who Has The Greatest Backhand Volley of All Time?
May 25, 2018 by TennisGrandstand
Social media is a popular venue for discussions – and arguments – and one that has gone around is who has the best backhand volley of all time? Steve Flink, in his book "THE GREATEST TENNIS MATCHES OF ALL TIME" ($28.95, New Chapter Press, available here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0942257936/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_SIRbBbB48F1H1) rated Stefan Edberg and Martina Navratilova as having the best backhand volley of all time by men and women, respectively.
The backhand volley rankings are as follows.
BACKHAND VOLLEY
1. STEFAN EDBERG The Swede was his era's best at the net, by a considerable margin. He was the quintessential serve-and-volleyer, with a heavy kick serve designed to allow Edberg to get exceedingly close to the net for his first volley. His forehand volley was awfully good, but his backhand volley was stupendous. Edberg was supremely confident on the backhand volley, which he could "stick" better than anyone. Either high or low on the backhand volley, Edberg always had all of the answers, displaying finesse, precision and the capacity to put it away whenever possible.
2. TONY ROCHE The formidable Australian's backhand volley was virtually on a par with Edberg's—some would say that Roche's was even better. His shoulder turn and soundness were his enduring virtues as a player. No one wanted to allow Roche to hit that backhand volley if they had a choice because he invariably would keep the low ones deep and put the high ones away emphatically. Roche played the backhand volley with clinical efficiency.
3. KEN ROSEWALL While the understated Australian was more revered in some circles for his backhand ground stroke, the fact remains that his backhand volley was every bit as impressive. Rosewall altered his game when he left the amateur ranks and turned pro, realizing he had to approach the net more frequently. Once that change occurred, Rosewall put his stellar backhand volley on display with growing assurance. It was ineffably good.
4. ROD LAVER The two-time winner of the Grand Slam was spectacularly versatile, capable of taking his place alongside any of the great shot makers of all time. But I believe no one gave him the plaudits he deserved for his backhand volley. This deeply humble left-hander had good feel and great control on that side and he never wavered when he was set up for a backhand volley.
5. PETE SAMPRAS Over the second half of his career, the American became more committed to following his second serve in at almost all times. Sampras made serious strides in his ability to volley with the best in his business. He had a very good forehand volley as well, but his backhand volley was outstanding. Even when he was stretched out or reaching down to his shoelaces, he would make even the toughest backhand volleys look remarkably easy.
1. MARTINA NAVRATILOVA This outstanding left hander's athleticism was displayed most convincingly when she was stationed up at the net. Her speed and anticipation was second to none and her long reach on the backhand volley was phenomenal. It seemed almost impossible to get a ball by her on that side. Navratilova could not only pound her volleys for winners at sharp angles but also could use her touch for some astounding drop volleys.
2. BILLIE JEAN KING Her technique and flair on the backhand volley was comparable to Navratilova's. King had a much better backhand than forehand off the ground. On the volley she was highly skilled off both sides, but her backhand volley was more of a weapon. She would knife it away with total conviction, go down the line as well as crosscourt and her footwork and forward movement was outstanding.
3. EVONNE GOOLAGONG Goolagong was very comfortable at the net, relishing the challenge to end points with her dazzling athleticism and staggering grace. Goolagong's backhand volley was awesome. Navratilova and King were more adept at making the low volley in many ways, but Goolagong was the best on high backhand volleys and backhand overheads. She would leave audiences gasping when she played that shot.
4. MARIA BUENO The Brazilian's elegance and grace were reminiscent of Goolagong. This fierce competitor hit a heavy ball off the ground, but her forte was the volley. Bueno had wonderful touch and vision at the net, which made her such an estimable grass court player. She knew exactly what to do with the backhand volley and had one of the best ever.
5. VIRGINIA WADE The winner of three singles majors on grass courts—including Wimbledon in 1977—Wade possessed a terrific first serve. It was among the most potent of her time and she followed it in persistently. Up at the net, she was comfortable and usually in command, exhibiting very good lateral movement. Her backhand volley was first rate. Wade could knife that shot crosscourt with extraordinary regularity.
"The Greatest Tennis Matches of All Time" features profiles and rankings of the greatest matches of all time dating from the 1920s featuring Bill Tilden and Suzanne Lenglen up through the modern era of tennis featuring contemporary stars Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. Flink breaks down, analyzes and puts into historical context the sport's most memorable matches, providing readers with a courtside seat at these most celebrated and significant duels. Flink also includes a fascinating "greatest strokes of all-time" section where he ranks and describes the players who best executed all the important shots in the game through the years. Other champions featured in the book include Don Budge, Maureen Connolly, Rod Laver, Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf among many others.
The book is published by New Chapter Press, the premier global publisher of tennis books.
Flink, one of the most respected writers and observers in the game, is currently a columnist for TennisChannel.com. A resident of Katonah, N.Y., he is the former editor of World Tennis magazine and a former senior columnist at Tennis Week.
The book has received high praise from some of the most respected names in the sport, including Chris Evert, a winner of 18 major singles titles in her career, who wrote the foreword to the book.
Said seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras, "Steve Flink was there reporting on almost every big match I played in my career. He has seen all of the great players for the last 45 years. I encourage you to read this book because Steve is one of the most insightful writers on the game that I have known and he really knows his tennis."
Said former U.S. Davis Cup captain and player Patrick McEnroe, "As a writer and a fan, Steve Flink's knowledge of tennis history and his love of the sport are second to none, which is why you should read his book."
Said ESPN's Cliff Drysdale, "To see tennis through the eyes of Steve Flink is to wander through a wonderland. These are not fantasies because Steve captures the essence of tennis matches in graphic detail. There is no one more passionate or caring about his subject. In this absorbing book, I can relive matches that I have called on television."
Founded in 1987, New Chapter Press (www.NewChapterMedia.com) is also the publisher of "The Secrets of Spanish Tennis" by Chris Lewit, "Trojan Tennis: The Storied History of the Men's Tennis Program at the University of Southern California" by S. Mark Young, "The Education of a Tennis Player" by Rod Laver with Bud Collins, "Andy Murray, Wimbledon Champion: The Full Extraordinary Story" by Mark Hodgkinson, "The Bud Collins History of Tennis" by Bud Collins, "The Wimbledon Final That Never Was" by Sidney Wood, "Titanic: The Tennis Story" by Lindsay Gibbs, "Sport of a Lifetime" by Judy Aydelott, "Macci Magic: Extracting Greatness From Yourself And Others" by Rick Macci with Jim Martz, "Absolute Tennis: The Best And Next Way To Play The Game" by Marty Smith, "Roger Federer: Quest for Perfection" by Rene Stauffer, "The Days of Roger Federer" by Randy Walker, "Jan Kodes: A Journey To Glory From Behind The Iron Curtain" by Jan Kodes with Peter Kolar, "Acing Depression: A Tennis Champion's Toughest Match" by Cliff Richey and Hilaire Richey Kallendorf, "Tennis Made Easy" by Kelly Gunterman, "On This Day In Tennis History" by Randy Walker (www.TennisHistoryApp.com), "A Player's Guide To USTA League Tennis" by Tony Serksnis, "Court Confidential: Inside The World Of Tennis" by Neil Harman, "A Backhanded Gift" by Marshall Jon Fisher, "Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games" by Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli (www.Boycott1980.com), "How To Permanently Erase Negative Self Talk So You Can Be Extraordinary" by Emily Filloramo, "Internet Dating 101: It's Complicated, But It Doesn't Have To Be" by Laura Schreffler, "How To Sell Your Screenplay" by Carl Sautter, "Bone Appetit: Gourmet Cooking For Your Dog" by Suzan Anson, "The Rules of Neighborhood Poker According to Hoyle" by Stewart Wolpin among others.
Filed Under: Blogs, Featured Columns, Latest News, Lead Story Tagged With: Billie Jean King, Greatest Tennis Matches of All Time, Martina Navratilova, Stefan Edberg, Steve Flink, Tony Roche
"The Greatest Tennis Matches of All Time" Makes For Great Holiday Gift
December 5, 2017 by TennisGrandstand
Having trouble thinking of the proper holiday gift for the tennis player in your life? Consider the book "The Greatest Tennis Matches of All Time" by 2017 International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee Steve Flink
"The Greatest Tennis Matches of All Time" features profiles and rankings of the greatest matches of all time dating from the1920s featuring Bill Tilden and Suzanne Lenglen up through the modern era of tennis featuring contemporary stars Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. Flink breaks down, analyzes and puts into historical context the sport's most memorable matches, providing readers with a courtside seat at these most celebrated and significant duels. Flink also includes a fascinating "greatest strokes of all-time" section where he ranks and describes the players who best executed all the important shots in the game through the years. Other champions featured in the book include Don Budge, Maureen Connolly, Rod Laver, Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf among many others.
The hard-cover book, that makes for a centerpiece of a coffee table or at your local tennis club, retails for $28.95, and can be purchased here on Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/dp/0942257936/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_Qj-rybVBRK7ZW or at www.NewChapterMedia.com and where ever books are sold.
Founded in 1987, New Chapter Press (www.NewChapterMedia.com) is also the publisher of "The Greatest Jewish Tennis Players of All Time" by Sandra Harwitt, "The Secrets of Spanish Tennis" by Chris Lewit, "Sport of a Lifetime" by Judy Aydelott, "Absolute Tennis: The Best and Next Way To Play The Game" by Marty Smith, "Roger Federer: Quest for Perfection" by Rene Stauffer, "The Bud Collins History of Tennis" by Bud Collins (a new third edition published in late 2016), "The Education of a Tennis Player" by Rod Laver with Bud Collins, "The Wimbledon Final That Never Was" by Sidney Wood, "Acing Depression: A Tennis Champion's Toughest Match" by Cliff Richey and Hilaire Richey Kallendorf, "Your Playbook for Beating Depression" by Cliff Richey and Mary Garrison, "Titanic: The Tennis Story" by Lindsay Gibbs, "Jan Kodes: A Journey To Glory From Behind The Iron Curtain" by Jan Kodes with Peter Kolar, "Tennis Made Easy" by Kelly Gunterman, "On This Day In Tennis History" by Randy Walker, "A Player's Guide To USTA League Tennis" by Tony Serksnis, "Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games" by Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli (www.Boycott1980.com), "The Lennon Prophecy" by Joe Niezgoda (www.TheLennonProphecy.com), "Bone Appetit, Gourmet Cooking For Your Dog" by Susan Anson, "How To Sell Your Screenplay" by Carl Sautter, "The Rules of Neighborhood Poker According To Hoyle" by Stewart Wolpin, "People's Choice Guide Cancun" by Eric Rabinowitz, "Lessons from the Wild" by Shayamal Vallabhjee among others.
"The Greatest Tennis Matches of All Time" book
Filed Under: Archives, Blogs, Featured Columns, Latest News, Lead Story Tagged With: Andre Agassi, Andy Murray, Billie Jean King, Bjorn Borg, Chris Evert, Don Budge, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Margaret Court, Maria Sharapova, Martina Navratilova, Maureen Connolly, Novak Djokovic, Pete Sampras, Rafael Nadal, Rod Laver, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Steffi Graf
"WINNING" Documentary Featuring Martina Navratilova, Jack Nicklaus Now Available In Digital Formats
November 22, 2017 by TennisGrandstand
WINNING, the compelling and inspiring story of the journeys of nine-time Wimbledon champion Martina Navratilova, Paralympic tennis legend Esther Vergeer, golf great Jack Nicklaus, Olympic gymnast Nadia Comaneci and track and field star Edwin Moses and how they achieved and maintained greatness at the highest level of sport is now available for rent and purchase in digital formats.
The film, that was named by INC Magazine as one of its nine "must watch" documentaries, features candid interviews and archival footage of each athlete's most exciting championship moments, as well as unique "behind-the-scenes" access to their lives on and off the field of play. The film portrays through the words of these all-time greats what kind of mind-set, passion and dedication are needed to become a champion and to remain on top for decades.
WINNING is available on iTunes, Amazon Video and Google Play here: http://bit.ly/WINstore
The film is produced and directed by Jacqueline Joseph, the former head of The Arthur Ashe Foundation and Executive Producer for IBM's first-ever Official Grand Slam tennis tournament websites at the US Open, Wimbledon, French Open and Australian Open. A trailer for the film can be seen here: http://bit.ly/WINNINGFILM
"WINNING is a film that shines a spotlight on five of the greatest athletes in sports history," said Joseph. "The revealing stories that these athletes share in WINNING speak to everyone, young and old, on the court and outside the lines… because as they say, 'Sports is a metaphor for life.'"
In WINNING, these iconic athletes reminisce about the highs and lows of their careers and share a unique and intimate window into their lives. The film features rare archival footage of the athletes' childhoods, as well as some of their most memorable and historic moments at the Olympics, Wimbledon, The Masters, US Open, British Open and The Paralympics.
The film also features interviews with the athletes' families, coaches, agents and competitors including Olympic Gold Medalists Bart Conner and Derrick Adkins, track and field Olympians Benn Fields and Herb Douglas, tennis star Pam Shriver, legendary coaches Sven Groeneveld and Robert Lansdorp, Duke University Professor of Sports Psychology Greg Dale, Barbara Nicklaus, Jana Navratilova and former Olympic gymnastics coach Paul Ziert.
Navratilova is the most prolific winner of tennis titles in the professional era of tennis. She holds the records for the most singles (167) and doubles titles (177) won by a professional tennis player. She won 18 major singles titles, a record 31 major women's doubles titles and 10 mixed doubles titles, including her final title at the age of 49 at the U.S. Open. She ranked as the No. 1 player in the world for a total of 332 weeks in singles and a record 237 weeks in doubles. The 2017 U.S. Open marks the 30th anniversary of her becoming the last player to sweep the singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles at a major championship.
Vergeer has been described as the most dominant athlete in professional sports, losing only 25 matches in her 17-year career in wheelchair tennis. She won 42 Grand Slam tournaments, 22 year-end championships and seven Paralympic gold medals, including four in singles. She was the No. 1 player in the world from 1999 to her retirement in 2013, not losing a match in 10 years, winning the last 470 matches she played.
Nicklaus is regarded as the greatest golfer to ever play the game, winning a record 18 professional major titles, including a record six Masters titles, a record-tying four U.S. Open titles and a record-tying five PGA Championships. Equally as impressive is that Nicklaus finished as the runner-up at 19 other major championships while winning 73 career PGA Tour titles.
Comaneci was the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10.0 during her famous performance at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. She earned a total of seven perfect 10s in Montreal en route to winning three gold medals for Romania. At the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, she won two more gold medals, concluding her career with nine total Olympic medals and four World Championship medals.
Moses won gold medals in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal and at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Between 1977 and 1987, Moses won 107 consecutive finals and 122 consecutive races, setting the world record in the event four times.
More information on the film can be found at www.thewinningfilm.com and also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thewinningfilm and Twitter at www.twitter.com/thewinningfilm and Instagram at www.instagram.com/thewinningfilm
Filed Under: Archives, Blogs, Featured Columns, Latest News, Lead Story Tagged With: Jack Nicklaus, Martina Navratilova, WINNING
Can Rio Entice Elite Tennis Players?
August 2, 2016 by TennisGrandstand
The Olympics have tried, rather unsuccessfully, to compete with the Grand Slams, this despite the fact that Tennis is an original Olympic Sport. While everyone loves Olympic gold medals, Trophy silverware has always been far more prestigious. As such it is hardly surprising that the best tennis players are not particularly enthused by the idea of playing in the Olympics, with online tennis betting odds firmly in the favor of the annual quartet of majors.
Players like Milos Raonic, Tomas Berdych, and Feliciano Lopez have already announced that they won't be flying to Rio for the Olympics. Maria Sharapova (Five-time Grand Slam winner) has suggested that she would go if her two-year-long drug ban wasn't in place.
While the London games managed to maintain an aura of the Grand Slams, probably because they were staged on Wimbledon Courts, the Game in Rio couldn't possibly muster such prestige.
The controversy surrounding the Zika virus outbreak gives a lot of athletes the excuse the need to bail from the Olympics. Though, Sam Querrey chose to go the honest route, admitting that he didn't think sports like Golf and Tennis should be Olympic Sports in the first place.
Martina Navratilova said something similar when she opted out of Seoul, though John McEnroe admitted later on that he regretted bailing on the Seoul Olympics.
The only thing most top-tier players can see right now is the U.S Open at the Flushing Meadows, fast approaching at the end of August. For those most renowned Tennis players, the Rio games have nothing to offer, no better than all-star games, especially when you consider the potential for injury.
Of course, not everyone is so jaded about the sport, with the likes of Andre Agassi (who won gold in 1996) having been stirred by the spectacle of the biggest show on earth. Olympics fans might also have the opportunity to see Rafael Nadal represent Spain in Rio, though others might mourn over Roger Federer's decision to withdraw.
But Federer needs to time to recover from a surgical procedure, so his decision doesn't exactly say anything about his opinion on the Olympics. Andy Murray, on the other hand, has seen success at the Olympics and he will seek to maintain the momentum he built four years ago.
Murray believes that Tennis is definitely an Olympic sport and he has admitted to cherishing every moment he spent on the court during the London Games.
For Djokovic, the idea of not going to the Olympics is ridiculous, the Tennis superstar determining to redeem his previous Olympics failures in Rio. Despite the lack of interest amongst elite players from a number of countries, the United States is putting their best foot forward, sending a team of 12 to the Olympics led by the Williams sisters.
The Sisters have tasted success at the Olympics before and they would like to win every medal possible for their nation this time round. There are several other major players who have refused to allow Zika Virus fears to keep them away from Rio, the likes of Eugene Bouchard, Angelique Kerber, and Petra Kvitova determining to afford the Olympic games the respect they deserve.
Filed Under: Blogs, Featured Columns, Latest News, Lead Story Tagged With: Maria Sharapova, Martina Navratilova, Novak Djokovic, Olympics, Rio, Tennis
Coco Vandeweghe on her pre-match rituals, her U.S. Open debut, and wanting to party with Novak Djokovic
Coco Vandeweghe in action at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. this week. (Photo credit Romana Cvitkovic)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — American Coco Vandeweghe, who shot up 50 spots in the the WTA Tour rankings after reaching the Stanford final three weeks ago, is in action this week at the Citi Open. After receiving the tournament's last wildcard and her highest career seeding, Vandeweghe finds herself in the quarterfinals with fellow American Vania King as her next opponent.
I had a chance to chat with the rising star and she cheerfully reminisced about her greatest on-court moment, admitted she would want to party with Novak Djokovic, and disclosed some funny pre-match rituals she has.
What is your most memorable moment in your career?
Playing on opening night in Arthur Ashe stadium against Jelena Jankovic when she was no. 1 in the world, and I was 16 years old.
What would you do if you weren't a tennis player?
I would be in college – playing basketball, probably.
If you could play against any player in history, who would it be and why?
I'd want to play against a couple: Chris Evert, Lindsay Davenport, and Martina Navratilova because they're all great players. I've looked up to Lindsay for a long time and she's been a great friend, and so has Chris Evert.
If you were hosting a party, what three tennis players would you invite and why?
I would invite my coach who is an ex-tennis play, Jan-Michael Gambill, Irina Falconi who is a great friend of mine on the WTA Tour, and Novak Djokovic because he's seems like a lot of fun. [Laughs]
What are two things you couldn't live without?
Music and probably my family.
What do you to get ready in the day before a match?
I enjoy my sleep. [Smiles] And then I have my own little rituals and different tedious things that I do, like tying my left shoe before my right shoe.
If you could invite any three people, living or dead, to dinner, who would they be?
I would invite my grandmother who died two years ago – pretty much just family members, my grandfather, my mom, my family.
No famous people?
No, probably not. [Laughs]
If you were given a camera crew and unlimited access to the WTA Tour, what would you want to show the public about pro tennis?
Just how fun the women's tour is. We have great personalities, but we do dumb stuff sometimes. Even myself – dumb little fights like with the airline attendant, and me trying to sneak my tennis bag onto the airplane without trying to check it because it's a pain in the butt! There's a lot of fun stuff on Tour, and I would want to capture that.
Filed Under: Lead Story, Romi Cvitkovic Tagged With: Chris Evert, citi open, Coco Vandeweghe, irina falconi, Lindsay Davenport, Martina Navratilova, Novak Djokovic, Tennis
Azarenka's streak ends; Wozniacki thrills then disappoints — The Friday Five
March 30, 2012 by TennisGrandstand
By Maud Watson
It Ends
Victoria Azarenka's streak ends at the Sony Ericsson Open (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Victoria Azarenka managed to find a way to come back from the brink of defeat in her fourth round match against Dominika Cibulkova (thanks in large part to a choke job by the Slovak), but she couldn't pull off the feat twice. The Belarusian crumbled under the relentless pressure of the penetrating groundstrokes coming off the racquet of Marion Bartoli to suffer her first defeat of 2012. There's no shame in the loss. Bartoli has collected several big wins and is ranked number seven, but it was evident by the way Azarenka handled herself at the end that this was one of the toughest losses of her career. Still, I like Azarenka's chances of making a quick mental recovery and continuing to be the player to beat throughout the course of the season. She's matured and improved her game too much not to, and in the long run, the fact that the pressure of extending the unbeaten streak is over should only help her cause heading into the French.
Finding a Balance
So it was a just quarterfinal match at a premiere event, and she did fall to Sharapova in the semis. But the win Wozniacki posted over Serena Williams earlier this week in Miami was just what the doctor ordered to get her back on track and infuse her and her fans with the belief that she may have what it takes to win a major. And contrary to Serena's assessment of herself, she didn't play poorly. She posted typical Serena numbers with 36 unforced errors that were nearly completely offset by her 34 winners. And while Wozniacki's consistency played a large part in allowing her to weather the barrage of Williams, it was refreshing to see her adding a little more "oomph" to her groundies and serve. If she has in fact reconciled herself to the fact that she needs to beef up her game and take a few more risks, she could be well on her way to moving back towards the top and capturing that elusive major singles title.
Less than 24 hours after he had completed a huge breakthrough win by claiming just his third victory over Roger Federer, Andy Roddick found himself out of Miami in straight sets – including a second set bagel – to Juan Monaco. No offense to Monaco, who continues to enjoy a good run this week, but this was a bad loss for Roddick. It's understandable that he'd be mentally and physically drained after the Federer match, especially since his injuries have hampered his ability to stay in shape. But what made the loss to Monaco so maddening was the way he lost it. Against Federer, it appeared Roddick had turned back the clock and finally returned to the brand of tennis that took him to the top. He was going after his shots, aggressively attacking the ball and taking it to Federer. Against Monaco, he reverted to playing it safer and hanging out well behind the baseline, even though his lack of fitness should have encouraged him to be even more aggressive in an attempt to shorten the points. For his sake and his fans' sake, he needs to employ the tactics he did against Federer. Otherwise, that win against the Swiss will turn into a fluke instead of the turning it could be for the twilight of his career.
Where's Petko when you need her? Following in the (two left) footsteps of Monica Seles, Martina Navratilova became the first competitor to be booted off of ABC's Dancing with the Stars this past Tuesday night. Navratilova found herself at the bottom of the pack for two straight weeks, so it wasn't unexpected. But in many ways, it was still sad to see her go. Clearly out of her comfort zone and at times struggling to remember the routine, you could see glimpses where she was enjoying herself and the challenge of trying something she'd never done before. It is a shame her journey had to come to such an early end, but no doubt she has been an inspiration to others to get out and try something they never thought they could.
Hobbling to the Finish
At this point, it would virtually be a more shocking news story if Kim Clijsters were healthy. It seems every week we're hearing about a new injury for the Belgian No. 1, and this week was no exception. Clearly hampered in her loss to Wickmayer, it was later revealed that she has a tear in her hip muscle and will be out four weeks. Following the loss, rumors abounded that she was considering early retirement, and though she herself has put a stop to the rumors, I'm still not wholly convinced. With each injury setback, the desire to work at regaining her top form has to dwindle, and the fear factor she once had in the locker room is going to be all but non-existent come Roland Garros. Kim's a great competitor and an even better person, but it will be a bigger surprise if she manages to nab just one of the three prizes that enticed her to return to the game than if she calls it a career before season's end.
Filed Under: Lead Story, The Friday Five Tagged With: Andy Roddick, Caroline Wozniacki, dancing with the stars, Juan Monaco, Kim Clijsters, Maria Sharapova, Marion Bartoli, Martina Navratilova, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Sony Ericsson Open, Victoria Azarenka
The Meaning of a Last Name in Tennis; Berdych as His Own Worst Enemy — The Friday Five
March 2, 2012 by TennisGrandstand
Marko Djokovic (left) and Malek Jaziri (right)
In the movie Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Severus Snape once said, "Well, it may have escaped your notice, but life isn't fair." Of course, Professor Snape was saying that to the Boy Who Lived, but it pretty much sums up what Dubai tournament officials told No. 1 Arab player Malek Jaziri (ranked No. 104) and the press, as they attempted to justify giving a disputed wildcard to Marko Djokovic (younger brother of Novak and ranked 869) instead. The uproar caused by the decision is only partially justifiable, and it's most likely strictly due to the fact it involved the younger brother of the current No. 1. The Djokovic family did nothing wrong, having submitted the wildcard request at least a month ago. And as for Novak's part in getting his brother the wildcard, he's not the first star player to use his leverage. Many top tier players use their elite status to rake in huge appearance fees, and some, such as Hewitt and Clijsters, have also used leverage to garner wildcards for younger siblings. It's also not uncommon for tournaments to weigh other factors over actual merit when doling out wildcards. How many French, American, and Australian players have benefited from the reciprocal major wildcard agreement between their home governing bodies that competitors from non-Slam nations can only dream of? And don't get me started on the number of undeserving British players that have been handed a free pass to play on the most hallowed grounds in the sport. The real fault lies in how poorly tournament officials handled the situation. They previously told Jaziri he wouldn't have to play the qualifying event only to pull the rug out from under him in the 11th hour by giving the wildcard to the younger Djokovic. Had it been handled more professionally, Jaziri may not have been as disgruntled. And yes, the extremely low ranking of Marko Djokovic does suggest officials were pushing the limits. Then again, had it been awarded to a local Arab player of the same ranking, would this even be a topic of discussion? I think not.
New Day, New Clay
Come April, France will look to do what Switzerland could not – defeat the United States Davis Cup team on clay. This time it will be an outdoor clay court set in picturesque Monte Carlo. But while the venue will serve as a beautiful locale, it's still a surprising decision. French No. 1 Tsonga has already stated clay is not his best surface. A quicker hard court would help shorten the long rallies in which Monfils frequently finds himself entangled, not to mention better suit Llodra's attacking style. The long short of it is that, barring injuries, these are going to be two evenly matched teams no matter what the surface, and the French need to avoid falling into a false sense of security. Playing the U.S. on the red dirt doesn't mean what it did a decade or so ago.
Own Worst Enemy
Be it counting backwards from 10, taking a few deep breaths, or taking a page out of Frank Costanza's book and yelling "Serenity now!" (risking insanity later), Tomas Berdych needs to find some way of letting the little things go. On a breakpoint for Berdych to extend the second set into a tiebreak, a Murray serve was initially called out, only to have Hawkeye reverse the call. Mohamed Lahyani then awarded the point to Murray rather than replaying it, infuriating Berdych in the process. It's understandable that Berdych would rue letting the break point go, especially since he'd already saved multiple match points. But while he got his racquet on the serve, Lahyani was correct in his ruling. The initial out call in no way affected Berdych's play on it, and yet, the Czech was still ranting about it in his press conference. But this isn't the first time Berdych has failed to understand the rules and etiquette of the game, and sadly it probably won't be the last. He needs to learn to stop sweating the small stuff. It doesn't help his game any, and it certainly won't win him any fans. With a game as big as his – a game that is capable of earning him a major – it would just be a waste to see it not come to full fruition simply because he can't get out of his own way.
She won't get a ton of press, because she doesn't have multiple majors to her name, nor is she known outside tennis circles. All of that aside, the undisputed feel-good story of the week is Alisa Kleybanova's planned return to WTA competition. The young Russian announced last July that she had been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and would be undergoing treatment in Italy. She now says she's finished her cancer treatment, the doctors are pleased with her health, and she's anxious to return to action. Stories like this really drive home the point that tennis is just a game, and hopefully she'll be an inspiration to others. One thing is for certain – win or lose when she returns to the court in Miami later this month, it will go down as a victory.
The worlds of sports and entertainment are never lacking for surprises, and this week was no exception. Who can honestly say that they saw the announcement that Martina Navratilova would be joining the Season 14 cast of Dancing with the Stars coming? There are players I'd love to see take to the dance floor, and others that I can see wanting to join the cast. Somehow the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion didn't fit either mold. It's hard to imagine her in a frilly ball gown. But she may just be full of surprises. She's fit, and she also possesses the work ethic and commitment necessary for success. But it will be interesting to see how easily she takes direction from one of the show's regular pros, Tony Dovolani, as well as criticism from the judges. Hopefully she proves adept at both. It's just a fun TV show, but after the Seles debacle a few seasons ago, tennis could do with posting a respectable finish.
Filed Under: Lead Story, The Friday Five Tagged With: Alisa Kleybanova, Andy Murray, arab tennis, ATP Tennis, dancing with the stars cast, Davis Cup, france vs usa, Gael Monfils, grand slam champion, harry potter, hawkeye reverse, hodgkin's lymphoma, Kim Clijsters, Lleyton Hewitt, male jaziri, marko djokovic, Martina Navratilova, Michael Llodra, mohamed lahyani, monte carlo tennis, Novak Djokovic, red dirt, Sony Ericsson Open, tennis tv, Tomas Berdych, tony dovolani, wta tennis
Mondays With Bob Greene: Against Djokovic you need to be perfect
November 17, 2008 by Bob Greene
Novak Djokovic beat Nikolay Davydenko 6-1 7-5 to win the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, China
Fabrice Santoro won the PEOPLEnet Cup by beating Victor Hanescu 6-2 6-3 in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine
"I would put it in the same league as a Grand Slam because the best eight players in the world are participating here. I feel very happy. End up the season the way I started it, with a win in a big event." – Novak Djokovic, the Australian Open champion who beat Nikolay Davydenko to win the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup.
"Against Djokovic you need to be perfect, also play very fast and very good. That's what he did, and I didn't." – Nikolay Davydenko.
"At the moment it's Rafa and myself. I really still feel it's that way because … we've played big events on so many occasions. I mean, we still have to play a few more Grand Slam finals. If that's the case, I'm very happy from my side." – Roger Federer, after being ousted from the Tennis Masters Cup and failing to reach the semifinals.
"I didn't feel like I could go out and try to compete and win a tennis match. It's definitely a tough prospect trying to beat Roger (Federer) with no serve and not being able to move much." – Andy Roddick, after pulling out of the Tennis Masters Cup with a right ankle injury.
"I don't know if the injury (resulted) from my fight to be number one because in reality, I didn't play in any extra tournaments, I only played what I had to for the ranking and I don't think you can reproach me for that. I didn't do anything crazy to be No. 1." – Rafael Nadal.
"Rafa comes in off a very tough year and his body has been warning him for weeks. It's an acute injury that needs time to recuperate. If he played in Argentina, it could become worse." – Angel Ruiz-Cotorro, Spanish Davis Cup team doctor, saying Nadal would not play in the Cup final against Argentina.
"It's disappointing (Rafael) Nadal cannot be with us but we shouldn't talk about him any more from now on." – Emilio Sanchez-Vicario, Spain's Davis Cup captain, as he replaced the world's top-ranked player with little-known Marcel Granollers.
"It's always hard to win against Federer. I know that I have to play my best tennis. But in another way, it's easier for me because I have no question in any head. I just want to give everything, every point to my best tennis to win. It's easier to play in that way." – Gilles Simon, after beating Roger Federer in the first match at the Tennis Masters Cup.
"The better you play, the better he plays. He's quite a unique player and he makes you work hard and runs very well. He's unusual to play against." – Roger Federer, about Gilles Simon, who won their opening-round round-robin match at Shanghai.
"I think the umpires are not going to miss me. I've been quite tough on those guys." – Jonas Bjorkman, who retired after 17 years on the ATP tour.
"She will laugh at herself, cry over sad memories, swear if she is angry, be shy about intimate details, and that is why she is a perfect movie hero." – Film critic Dubravka Lakic, on his documentary on Jelena Jankovic.
"For the first time in my career I feel sad that the season is over." – Elena Dementieva.
After celebrating his Tennis Masters Cup victory by joining his coach, family and a former Miss University in the stands, Novak Djokovic realized he had cut his left hand. He had the trainer apply a bandage before accepting the trophy for capturing the season-ending tournament. Following his victory over Nikolay Davydenko, Djokovic celebrated by tossing two racquets, his wristbands and sweat-soaked shirt into the crowd at Shanghai's Qi Zhong Stadium. Then he went to the player's box where he hugged everyone in his entourage. That's when he noticed his bloody hand. "You don't feel the pain in the moments of happiness," Djokovic said.
STRICKENED
After losing his first round-robin match, Andy Roddick pulled out of the Tennis Masters Cup with a right ankle injury. The 26-year-old American said he rolled the ankle during a warm-up drill in practice. He initially hoped treatment would allow him to play his second match, against Roger Federer, but realized during his pre-match warm-up that he couldn't run or serve well enough. Roddick, who also missed the 2005 Tennis Masters Cup because of an injury, was replaced in the elite eight-man field by Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic.
When Rafael Nadal was forced to pull out of the Davis Cup final between Spain and Argentina, he was replaced by little-known Marcel Granollers, who will be making his Davis Cup debut. Granollers, who is ranked 56th in the world, will join David Ferrer, Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez as Spain attempts to win the famed international Cup for the first time since 2004. Also taking himself out of contention for the Spanish squad was Tommy Robredo.
STRAIGHT TO THE BANK
There's a whole new look to the career money leaders in women's tennis. Lindsay Davenport took over the top spot when she won USD $295,412 in 2008, boosting her career total to USD $22,144,715. Although she won both Wimbledon and the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha, Qatar, Venus Williams slipped behind her sister Serena, the US Open winner. But Serena and Venus are now second and third on the WTA Tour career earnings list. Serena has pocketed USD $21,961,407, with Venus right behind at USD $21,921,346. For 2008, Serena earned USD $3,852,173 and Venus USD $3,747,565. Steffi Graf dropped from first to fourth on the career earnings list with USD $21,895,277, followed by Martina Navratilova at USD $21,626,089.
SIMON SURPRISE
It didn't take long for this year's Tennis Masters Cup to pull off a surprise. Gilles Simon made his debut by shocking four-time champion Roger Federer 4-6 6-4 6-3. It was Simon's 50th ATP match win of the season, a year that saw the Frenchman break into the Top 10 of the South African Airways ATP Rankings for the first time. Simon has also shown that the opening set is only the beginning of a match. The 23-year-old leads the ATP with 14 match wins after losing the first set. Against Federer, he also was a break down in the second set. "I defeated him once in Toronto, so it was easier to finish the match," Simon said. "For sure it was one of the best victories of my career."
SWEDE GOING
Jonas Bjorkman has hung up his racquets. The Swede finished his 17-year tennis career when he and partner Kevin Ullyett failed to qualify for the doubles semifinals at the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, China. A Wimbledon singles semifinalist two years ago, Bjorkman won more than USD $14 million over his career as well as three Davis Cup titles with his country in 1994, 1997 and 1998. Although his playing career is over, Bjorkman isn't leaving the sport. He will be editing a Swedish tennis magazine.
SWEDE COMING
Stefan Edberg is making his Outback Champions Series debut at the Emirates NBD's The Legends "Rock" Dubai this week. The six-time Grand Slam tournament winner is joining the six-player round-robin field that includes Jim Courier, Sergi Bruguera, Anders Jarryd, Wayne Ferreira and defending champion Paul Haarhuis. Edberg is one of 15 men in the history of tennis to play in all four major singles finals during his career, winning twice at Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open. The stoic Swede lost the 1989 French Open final to Michael Chang in a five-set thriller.
SLOVAKIAN ADDED
Daniel Hantuchova will play in next year's inaugural Brisbane International tennis tournament. Organizers said the Slovakian star will join French Open champion Ana Ivanovic and reigning Australian Women's Hardcourt champion Li Na in the field. The Brisbane International will be played at a new tennis center in the Queensland capital from January 4-11 and replaces both the men's and women's Australian Hardcourt championships. The Brisbane International men's draw will feature Novak Djokovic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Marcos Baghdatis, Gael Monfils, Richard Gasquet and Mardy Fish.
A documentary film about Jelena Jankovic has opened in movie theaters in Serbia. The 80-minute film, titled "Jelena's World," follows the world's number one-ranked women's player during tournaments in Madrid and Berlin, as well as her frequent but brief visits to her hometown Belgrade. The movie's makers, Talas Film, hope to distribute the film world-wide. Director Tanja Brzakovic said the documentary was borne out of her fascination with Jankovic.
SERENA's SCHOOL
There's a school in Kenya named for Serena Williams. The tennis ace was on hand when the Serena Williams Secondary school in the Eastern province district of Makueni was opened. The school was constructed through funds provided by Serena, computer company Hewlett Packard and The Build African Schools Organization, which funds and supports construction of schools in marginalized areas. Since the area does not have electricity, the school's state-of-the-art computer laboratory runs on solar power supplied by Hewlett Packard. Following the ceremony, Williams paid a courtesy call on Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
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SERVING STILL
Andy Roddick is upset over plans to make players turn up for more tournaments next year. However, the hard-serving American refused to blame the rigorous tennis schedule for the ankle injury that forced him to pull out of the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai. "I think too much is asked of us as far as playing eleven months of the year, and now they're imposing more mandatory tournaments," Roddick said. "It doesn't make a whole lot of sense." The ATP tour has revealed a 2009 schedule that calls for top players to attend eight of the nine Masters events plus four lower-tier tournaments. That, of course, doesn't include the four Grand Slam tournaments.
STOPPING STILL
There will be an ATP tournament in Hamburg, Germany, in 2009, despite the legal battle over the future of the event. The German tennis federation (DTB) said the tournament would be held in late July. At the same time, the DTB is appealing a United States court decision that upheld the ATP's right to downgrade the Hamburg tournament from one in which all of the top players had to compete.
SHOES, ETC.
Lacoste has extended its partnership with the ATP and will be the official apparel and footwear partner of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals until 2013. As part of the restructuring of men's tennis in 2009, the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals will replace the Tennis Masters Cup as the season-ending tournament with the top eight singles players and top eight top doubles teams. As the exclusive provider of apparel and footwear for the tournament, Lacoste will also continue to dress the lines people and ball kids.
Tom Gorman has signed on as the new director of tennis at La Quinta Resort & PGA West in the Palm Springs, California, area. A two-time NCAA All-American Gorman reached the semifinals at the US Open, Wimbledon and the French Open during his long career. He was on the winning American Davis Cup team in 1972 and coached the US women's Wightman Cup and Federation Cup teams in 1984 and 1985. In 1986, he was named the US men's Davis Cup coach, a position he held for eight years. Gorman was coach with the Americans won the Davis Cup in 1990 and 1992.
SHARED PERFORMANCES
Shanghai: Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic beat Bob and Mike Bryan 7-6 (3) 6-2
Dnepropetrovsk: Guillermo Canas and Dmitry Tursunov beat Lukasz Kubot and Oliver Marach 6-3 7-6 (5)
SITES TO SURF
Davis Cup: www.daviscup.com
Odense: www.nordeadanishopen.dk/
Helsinki: www.ippopen.net
Macao: www.blackrocktourofchampions.com/3/events/2008/macao.asp
TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK
(All money in USD)
(Final)
(Nov. 21-23)
Argentina vs. Spain at Mar Del Plata, Argentina, hard
$125,000 IPP Open, Helsinki, Finland, hard
WOMEN'S TOUR
$100,000 Nordea Danish Open, Odense, Denmark, carpet
Blackrock Tour of Champions, Macao, China
Filed Under: Lead Story, Mondays with Bob Greene Tagged With: Anders Jarryd, Andy Roddick, Angel Ruiz-Cotorro, Daniela Hantuchova, Davis Cup, Dmitry Tursunov, Dubravka Lakic, Elena Dementieva, Emillio Sanzech-Vicario, Fabrice Santoro, French Open, Gael Monfils, Gilles Simon, Guillermo Canas, Jelena Jankovic, Jim Courier, Jonas Bjorkman, li na, Lindsay Davenport, Lukasz Kubot, Marcos Baghdatis, Mardy Fish, Martina Navratilova, Michael Chang, Nikolay Davydenko, Novak Djokovic, Oliver Marach, Paul Haarhuis, Peoplenet Cup, Rafael Nadal, Richard Gasquet, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Sergi Bruguera, Stefan Edberg, Steffi Graf, Tennis Masters Cup, Tom Gorman, Tommy Robredo, US Open, Venus Williams, Victor Hanescu, Wayne Ferreira, Wimbledon
On This Day In Tennis History Is Latest Book Release From New Chapter Press
November 11, 2008 by Tennis Grandstand
WASHINGTON, D.C. – New Chapter Press has announced the publication of its latest book – On This Day In Tennis History -a calendar-like compilation of historical and unique anniversaries, events and happenings from the world of tennis through the years – written by Randy Walker, the sports marketing and media specialist, tennis historian and former U.S. Tennis Association press officer.
On This Day In Tennis History ($19.95, 528 pages), is a fun and fact-filled, this compilation offers anniversaries, summaries, and anecdotes of events from the world of tennis for every day in the calendar year. Presented in a day-by-day format, the entries into this mini-encyclopedia include major tournament victory dates, summaries of the greatest matches ever played, trivia, and statistics as well as little-known and quirky happenings. Easy-to-use and packed with fascinating details, the book is the perfect companion for tennis and general sports fans alike and is an excellent gift idea for the holiday season. The book features fascinating and unique stories of players such as John McEnroe, Don Budge, Bill Tilden, Chris Evert, Billie Jean King, Jimmy Connors, Martina Navratilova, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Anna Kournikova among many others. On This Day In Tennis History is available for purchase via on-line book retailers and in bookstores in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. More information on the book can be found at www.tennishistorybook.com
Said Hall of Famer Jim Courier of the book, "On This Day In Tennis History is a fun read that chronicles some of the most important-and unusual-moments in the annals of tennis. Randy Walker is an excellent narrator of tennis history and has done an incredible job of researching and compiling this entertaining volume." Said tennis historian Joel Drucker, author of Jimmy Connors Saved My Life, "An addictive feast that you can enjoy every possible way-dipping in for various morsels, devouring it day-by-day, or selectively finding essential ingredients. As a tennis writer, I will always keep this book at the head of my table." Said Bill Mountford, former Director of Tennis of the USTA National Tennis Center, "On This Day In Tennis History is an easy and unique way to absorb the greatest-and most quirky-moments in tennis history. It's best read a page a day!"
Walker is a writer, tennis historian and freelance publicist and sports marketer. A 12-year veteran of the U.S. Tennis Association's Marketing and Communications Division, he served as the press officer for the U.S. Davis Cup team from 1997 to 2005 and for the U.S. Olympic tennis teams in 1996, 2000 and 2004. He also served as the long-time editor of the U.S. Open Record Book during his tenure at the USTA from 1993 to 2005.
More information on the book can be found at www.tennistomes.com as well as on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1627089030&ref=name and on myspace at http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=428100548
People mentioned in the book include, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt, Goran Ivanisevic, Andre Agassi, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Monica Seles, Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic, Maria Sharapova, Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters, Amelie Mauresmo, Anna Kounikova, Jennifer Capriati, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Martina Hingis, Gustavo Kuerten, Svetlana Kuznetsova, James Blake, Wilmer Allison, Mal Anderson, Arthur Ashe, Juliette Atkinson, Henry "Bunny" Austin, Tracy Austin, Boris Becker, Kark Behr, Pauline Betz, Bjorn Borg, Jean Borotra, John Bromwich, Norman Brookes, Louise Brough, Jacques Brugnon, Butch Buchholz, Don Budge, Maria Bueno, Rosie Casals, Michael Chang, Philippe Chatrier, Dodo Cheney, Henri Cochet, Maureen Connolly, Jimmy Connors, Jim Courier, Ashley Cooper, Margaret Court, Jack Crawford, Allison Danzig, Dwight Davis, Lottie Dod, John Doeg, Laurence Doherty, Reggie Doherty, Dorothea Douglass Lambert Chambers, Jaroslav Drobny, Margaret duPont, Francoise Durr, James Dwight, Stefan Edberg, Roy Emerson, Chis Evert, Bob Falkenburg, Neale Fraser, Shirley Fry, Althea Gibson, Pancho Gonzalez, Evonne Goolagong, Arthur Gore, Steffi Graf, Bitsy Grant, Darlene Hard, Doris Hart, Anne Jones, Gladys Heldman, Slew Hester, Bob Hewitt, Lew Hoad, Harry Hopman, Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman, Joe Hunt, Frank Hunter, Helen Jacobs, Bill Johnston, Perry Jones, Bob Kelleher, Billie Jean King, Jan Kodes, Karel Kozeluh, Jack Kramer, Rene Lacoste, Bill Larned, Art Larsen, Rod Laver, Ivan Lendl, Suzanne Lenglen, George Lott, Gene Mako, Molla Mallory, Hana Mandlikova, Alice Marble, Dan Maskell, Simone Mathieu, Mark McCormack, John McEnroe, Ken McGregor, Kitty Godfree, Chuck McKinley, Maurice McLoughlin, Frew McMillian, Don McNeill, Elisabeth Moore, Angela Mortimer, Gardnar Mulloy, Ilie Nastase, Martina Navratilova, John Newcombe, Yannick Noah, Jana Novotna, Betty Nuthall, Alex Olmedo, Rafael Osuna, Frank Parker, Gerald Patterson, Budge Patty, Fred Perry, Nicola Pietrangeli, Adrian Quist, Patrick Rafter, Dennis Ralson, Vinnie Richards, Nancy Richey, Cliff Richey, Bobby Riggs, Tony Roche, Mervyn Rose, Ken Rosewall, Elizbeth Ryan, Gabriela Sabatini, Pete Sampras, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Manuel Santana, Dick Savitt, Ted Schroeder, Gene Scott, Richard Sears, Frank Sedgman, Pancho Segura, Vic Seixas, Frank Shields, Pam Shriver, Stan Smith, Fred Stolle, Bill Talbert, Bill Tilden, Tony Trabert, Lesley Turner, Jimmy Van Alen, John Van Ryn, Guillermo Vilas, Ellsworth Vines, Brian Gottfried, Virginia Wade, Holcombe Ward, Watson Washburn, Mal Whitman, Mats Wilander, Tony Wilding, Helen Wills Moody, Sidney Wood, Robert Wrenn, Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan, Todd Woodbridge, Marat Safin, Leslie Allen, Sue Barker, Jonas Bjorkman, Mahesh Bhupathi, Donald Dell, Albert Costa, Mark Cox, Owen Davidson, Pat Cash, Mary Carillo, John Isner, Roscoe Tanner, Vijay Amritraj, Mark Woodforde, Tim Henman, Richard Krajicek, Conchita Martinez, Mary Joe Fernandez, Cliff Drysdale, Mark Edmondson, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Zina Garrson, Roland Garros, Wojtek Fibak, Tom Gullikson, Andres Gimeno, Vitas Gerulaitis, Fernando Gonzalez, Tim Henman, Goran Ivanisevic, Andrea Jaeger, Ivo Karlovic, Richard Krajicek, Petr Korda, Luke Jensen, Murphy Jensen, Rick Leach, Iva Majoil, Barry MacKay, Ivan Ljubicic, Cecil Mamiit, David Caldwell, Alex Metreveli, Nicolas Massu, Todd Martin, Gene Mayer, Thomas Muster, Tom Okker, Charlie Pasarell, Mary Pierce, Whitney Reed, Leander Paes, Renee Richards, Helen Sukova, Michael Stich, Betty Stove, Ion Tiriac, Brian Teacher, Wendy Turnbull, Richards, Fabrice Santoro, Ai Sugiyama, Patrick McEnroe, Camille Pin, Phil Dent, Jelena Dokic, Mark Edmondson, Gael Monfils, Xavier Malisse, Dinara Safina, Barry Lorge, Stefano Pescosolido, Fabrice Santoro, Roscoe Tanner, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Roger Smith, Erik van Dillen, Gene Mayer, Tamara Pasek, Stefan Koubek, Jie Zheng, Gisela Dulko, Kristian Pless, Chuck McKinley, Marty Riessen, Brad Gilbert, Tim Mayotte, Andrea Petkovic, Klara Koukalova, Bobby Reynolds, Dominik Hrbaty, Andreas Seppi, Christopher Clarey, Casey Dellacqua, Anders Jarryd, Janko Tipsarevic, Nadia Petrova, Christian Bergstrom, Ramesh Krishnan, Emily Sanchez, Marcos Baghdatis, Mark Philippousssis, Wally Masur, Paul McNamee, Daniela Hantuchova, Gerry Armstrong, Younes El Aynaoui, Thomas Johansson, Pat Cash, Lisa Raymond, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Chanda Rubin, Tony Roche, Alex O'Brien, Petr Korda, Karol Kucera, Amelie Mauresmo, Juan Gisbert, Pablo Cuevas, Jim Pugh, Rick Leach, Julien Boutter, Larry Stefanki, Chris Woodruff, Jill Craybas, Sania Mirza, Mike Leach, Maggie Maleeva, Guillermo Canas, Guillermo Coria, Donald Young, Dick Stockton, Johan Kriek, Milan Srejber, Zina Garrison, Slyvia Hanika, Karin Knapp, Laura Granville, Kei Nishikori, Scott Davis, Paul Goldstein, Alberto Martin, Nicolas Kiefer, Joachim Johansson, Jonathan Stark, Jakob Hlasek, Jeff Tarango, Amanda Coetzer, Andres Gomez, Richey Reneberg, Francisco Clavet, Radek Stepanek, Miloslav Mecir, Jose-Luis Clerc, Colin Dibley, Mikael Pernfors, Martin Mulligan, Robbie Weiss, Hugo Chapacu, Victor Pecci, Charlie Bricker, Greg Rusedski, Robin Finn, Kimiko Date, David Nalbandian, Goran Ivanisevic, Mikhail Youzhny, Nicole Pratt, Bryanne Stewart, Novak Djokovic, Rennae Stubbs, Corina Morariu, Marc Rosset, Kenneth Carlsen, Kimiko Date, Ryan Harrison, Richard Gasquet, Jimmy Arias, Jim Leohr, Felix Mantilla, Cedric Pioline, Annabel Croft, Brooke Shields, Jaime Yzaga, Slobodan Zivojinovic, Alberto Mancini, Peter McNamara, Andrei Chesnokov, Fabrice Santoro, Bud Collins, Mardy Fish, Sebastien Grosjean, Donald Dell, Petr Kuczak, Magnus Norman, Hicham Arazi, Nduka Odizor, Lori McNeil, Horst Skoff, Karolina Sprem, Ros Fairbank, Linda Siegel, Chris Lewis, Kevin Curren, Thierry Tulasne, Guy Forget, Fred Tupper, Jaime Fillol, Belus Prajoux, Ricardo Cano, Georges Goven, Ray Moore, Charlie Pasarell, Paul Annacone, Tomas Smid, Dmitry Tursunov, Elena Dementieva, Arnaud DiPasquale, Carl Uwe Steeb, Bill Scanlon, Jose Higueras, Jay Berger, Jana Novotna, Bill Dwyre, Lisa Dillman, Sean Sorensen, Paul McNamee, Jiri Novak, Benjamin Becker, Ion Tiriac, Neil Amdur, Tim Gullikson, Jan-Michael Gambill, Taylor Dent, Bryan Shelton, Vijay Amritraj, Martin Verkerk, Brian Gottfried, Carlos Moya, Jacco Eltingh, Adriano Panatta, John Feinstein, Aaron Krickstein, Wilhelm Bungert, Derrick Rostagno, Torben Ulrich, Daniel Nestor, Ray Ruffels, Cliff Drysdale, James Reilly, Andy Murray, Leander Paes, Alicia Molik, Barry MacKay among others.
New Chapter Press is also the publisher of The Bud Colins History of Tennis by Bud Collins, The Roger Federer Story, Quest for Perfection by Rene Stauffer and Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games by Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli and the soon to be released title The Lennon Prophecy by Joe Niezgoda. Founded in 1987, New Chapter Press is an independent publisher of books and part of the Independent Publishers Group. More information can be found at www.newchapterpressmedia.com
Filed Under: Archives, Lead Story Tagged With: Aaron Krickstein, Adrian Quist, Adriano Panatta, Ai Sugiyama, Albert Costa, Alberto Mancini, Alberto Martin, Alex Metreveli, Alex O'Brien, Alex Olmedo, Alice Marble, Alicia Molik, Allison Danzig, Althea Gibson, Amanda Coetzer, Amelie Mauresmo, Ana Ivanovic, Anders Jarryd, Andre Agassi, Andrea Jaeger, Andrea Petkovic, Andreas Seppi, Andrei Chesnokov, Andres Gimeno, Andres Gomez, Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, Angela Mortimer, Anna Kounikova, Annabel Croft, Anne Jones, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Arnaud DiPasquale, Art Larsen, Arthur Ashe, Arthur Gore, Ashley Cooper, Barry Lorge, Barry MacKay, Belus Prajoux, Benjamin Becker, Betty Nuthall, Betty Stove, Bill Dwyre, Bill Johnston, Bill Larned, Bill Scanlon, Bill Talbert, Bill Tilden, Billie Jean King, Bitsy Grant, Bjorn Borg, Bob Bryan, Bob Falkenburg, Bob Hewitt, Bob Kelleher, Bobby Reynolds, Bobby Riggs, Boris Becker, Brad Gilbert, Brian Gottfried, Brian Teacher, Brooke Shields, Bryan Shelton, Bryanne Stewart, Bud Collins, Budge Patty, Butch Buchholz, Camille Pin, Carl-Uwe Steeb, Carlos Moya, Casey Dellacqua, Cecil Mamiit, Cedric Pioline, Chanda Rubin, Charlie Bricker, Charlie Pasarell, Chis Evert, Chris Lewis, Chris Woodruff, Christian Bergstrom, Christopher Clarey, Chuck McKinley, Cliff Drysdale, Cliff Richey, Colin Dibley, Conchita Martinez, Corina Morariu, Dan Maskell, Daniel NEstor, Daniela Hantuchova, Darlene Hard, David Caldwell, David Nalbandian, Dennis Ralson, Derrick Rostagno, Dick Savitt, Dick Stockton, Dinara Safina, Dmitry Tursunov, Dodo Cheney, Dominik Hrbaty, Don Budge, Don McNeill, Donald Dell, Donald Young, Doris Hart, Dorothea Douglass Lambert Chambers, Dwight Davis, Elena Dementieva, Elisabeth Moore, Elizbeth Ryan, Ellsworth Vines, Emily Sanchez, Erik van Dillen, Evonne Goolagong, Fabrice Santoro, Felix Mantilla, Fernando Gonzalez, Francisco Clavet, Francoise Durr, Frank Hunter, Frank Parker, Frank Sedgman, Frank Shields, Fred Perry, Fred Stolle, Fred Tupper, Frew McMillian, Gabriela Sabatini, Gael Monfils, Gardnar Mulloy, Gene Mako, Gene Mayer, Gene Scott, George Lott, Georges Goven, Gerald Patterson, Gerry Armstrong, Gisela Dulko, Gladys Heldman, Goran Ivanisevic, Greg Rusedski, Guillermo Canas, Guillermo Coria, Guillermo Vilas, Gustavo Kuerten, Guy Forget, Hana Mandlikova, Harry Hopman, Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman, Helen Jacobs, Helen Sukova, Helen Wills Moody, Henri Cochet, Henry "Bunny" Austin, Hicham Arazi, Holcombe Ward, Horst Skoff, Hugo Chapacu, Ilie Nastase, Ion Tiriac, Iva Majoil, Ivan Lendl, Ivan Ljubicic, Ivo Karlovic, Jacco Eltingh, Jack Crawford, Jack Kramer, Jacques Brugnon, Jaime Fillol, Jaime Yzaga, Jakob Hlasek, James Blake, James Dwight, James Reilly, Jan Kodes, Jan-Michael Gambill, Jana Novotna, Janko Tipsarevic, Jaroslav Drobny, Jay Berger, Jean Borotra, Jeff Tarango, Jelena Dokic, Jelena Jankovic, Jennifer Capriati, Jie Zheng, Jill Craybas, Jim Courier, Jim Leohr, Jim Pugh, Jimmy Arias, Jimmy Connors, Jimmy Van Alen, Jiri Novak, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Joachim Johansson, Joe Hunt, Johan Kriek, John Bromwich, John Doeg, John Feinstein, John Isner, John McEnroe, John Newcombe, John Van Ryn, Jonas Bjorkman, Jonathan Stark, Jose Higueras, Jose-Luis Clerc, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Juan Gisbert, Julien Boutter, Juliette Atkinson, Justine Henin, Karel Kozeluh, Karin Knapp, Kark Behr, Karol Kucera, Karolina Sprem, Kei Nishikori, Ken McGregor, Ken Rosewall, Kenneth Carlsen, Kevin Curren, Kim Clijsters, Kimiko Date, Kitty Godfree, Klara Koukalova, Kristian Pless, Larry Stefanki, Laura Granville, Laurence Doherty, Leander Paes, Lesley Turner, Leslie Allen, Lew Hoad, Linda Siegel, Lindsay Davenport, Lisa Dillman, Lisa Raymond, Lleyton Hewitt, Lori McNeil, Lottie Dod, Louise Brough, Luke Jensen, Maggie Maleeva, Magnus Norman, Mahesh Bhupathi, Mal Anderson, Mal Whitman, Manuel Santana, Marat Safin, Marc Rosset, Marcos Baghdatis, Mardy Fish, Margaret Court, Margaret duPont, Maria Bueno, Maria Sharapova, Mark Cox, Mark Edmondson, Mark McCormack, Mark Philippousssis, Mark Woodforde, Martin Mulligan, Martin Verkerk, Martina Hingis, Martina Navratilova, Marty Riessen, Mary Carillo, Mary Joe Fernandez, Mary Pierce, Mats Wilander, Maureen Connolly, Maurice McLoughlin, Mervyn Rose, Michael Chang, Michael Stich, Mikael Pernfors, Mike Bryan, Mike Leach, Mikhail Youzhny, Milan Srejber, Miloslav Mecir, Molla Mallory, Monica Seles, Murphy Jensen, Nadia Petrova, Nancy Richey, Nduka Odizor, Neale Fraser, Neil Amdur, Nicola Pietrangeli, Nicolas Kiefer, Nicolas Massu, Nicole Pratt, Norman Brookes, Novak Djokovic, Owen Davidson, Pablo Cuevas, Pam Shriver, Pancho Gonzalez, Pancho Segura, Pat Cash, Patrick McEnroe, Patrick Rafter, Paul Annacone, Paul Goldstein, Paul McNamee, Pauline Betz, Perry Jones, Pete Sampras, Peter McNamara, Petr Korda, Petr Kuczak, Phil Dent, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Philippe Chatrier, Radek Stepanek, Rafael Nadal, Rafael Osuna, Ramesh Krishnan, Ray Moore, Ray Ruffels, Reggie Doherty, Rene Lacoste, Renee Richards, Rennae Stubbs, Ricardo Cano, Richard Gasquet, Richard Krajicek, Richard Sears, Richards, Richey Reneberg, Rick Leach, Robbie Weiss, Robert Wrenn, Robin Finn, Rod Laver, Roger Federer, Roger Smith, Roland Garros, Ros Fairbank, Roscoe Tanner, Rosie Casals, Roy Emerson, Ryan Harrison, Sania Mirza, Scott Davis, Sean Sorensen, Sebastien Grosjean, Serena Williams, Shirley Fry, Sidney Wood, Simone Mathieu, Slew Hester, Slobodan Zivojinovic, Slyvia Hanika, Stan Smith, Stefan Edberg, Stefan Koubek, Stefano Pescosolido, Steffi Graf, Sue Barker, Suzanne Lenglen, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Tamara Pasek, Taylor Dent, Ted Schroeder, Thierry Tulasne, Thomas Johansson, Thomas Muster, Tim Gullikson, Tim Henman, Tim Mayotte, Todd Martin, Todd Woodbridge, Tom Gullikson, Tom Okker, Tomas Smid, Tony Roche, Tony Trabert, Tony Wilding, Torben Ulrich, Tracy Austin, Venus Williams, Vic Seixas, Victor Pecci, Vijay Amritraj, Vinnie Richards, Virginia Wade, Vitas Gerulaitis, Wally Masur, Watson Washburn, Wendy Turnbull, Whitney Reed, Wilhelm Bungert, Wilmer Allison, Wojtek Fibak, Xavier Malisse, Yannick Noah, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Younes El Aynaoui, Zina Garrison, Zina Garrson
Mondays With Bob Greene: Naturally We Are Annoyed
October 27, 2008 by Bob Greene
Roger Federer won the Davidoff Swiss Indoors, beating David Nalbandian 6-3 6-4 in Basel, Switzerland
Andy Murray beat Andrey Golubev 6-1 6-1 to win the St. Petersburg Open in St. Petersburg, Russia
Robin Soderling won the Grand Prix de Tennis De Lyon by beating Julien Benneteau 6-3 6-7 (5) 6-1 in Lyon, France
Ana Ivanovic beat Vera Zvonareva 6-2 6-1 to win the Generali Ladies Linz in Linz, Austria
Elena Dementieva stopped Carolina Wozniacki 2-6 6-4 7-6 (4) to win the FORTIS Championships in Luxembourg
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova beat Julie Coin 6-4 6-3 to win the Internationaux Feminins de la Vienne in Poitiers, France
Hyung-Taik Lee won the Samsung Securities Cup Challenger in Seoul, Korea, by beating Ivo Minar 6-4 6-0
Jim Courier beat Thomas Enqvist 3-6 6-4 10-8 (Champions tiebreak) to win the Stanford Championships in Dallas, Texas
"There was a bit of disappointment but I gave a good fight for almost five years, so I'm proud of that, and I think Rafa deserves it this year because he's played consistently well." – Roger Federer, admitting he's disappointed about not finishing the year as the number one player.
"This season has been hard, long and punishing. I will be very happy when I lose in Bercy." – Richard Gasquet, after losing in Lyon, France, and talking about this week's tournament in Paris.
"To see him give up mentally beforehand is quite simply abnormal. It is disrespectful vis-à-vis the public who he is counting on supporting him at Bercy. Naturally we are annoyed." – Patrice Dominguez, national technical director of the French Tennis Federation, referring to Gasquet's comment.
"This year has been a very positive year for me and I am looking forward to continued success in Doha." – Venus Williams, after qualifying for the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha.
"It has been awhile since I last played and it feels wonderful to be one of the best eight players of the regular Sony Ericsson WTA Tour season." – Vera Zvonareva, who qualified for the Sony Ericsson Championships.
"You could never forecast that he was going to miss that shot. If he lets it bounce, he could hit it with the butt cap and make it and I wouldn't be there. That was as improbable as it gets, but that's why we play sports. The whacky happens." – Jim Courier, after Thomas Enqvist shanked an easy overhead on match point.
"I think I was just too casual. It's what you tell an amateur when you play the pro-ams with them, that sometimes they do those mistakes. They take their eye off the ball. I think I did that." – Thomas Enqvist.
"For the first set and a half we were completely outplayed. At 4-3 down in the second set Bopanna double-faulted at 40-40, and after that the momentum shifted our way." – Travis Parrott, after teaming with Filip Polasek to win the doubles at St. Petersburg, Russia.
"I'm really disappointed with how I played today. I had no concentration at any stage of the match. Maybe today I finally paid for all of the traveling and the many matches I've played over the last several weeks." – Vera Zvonareva, after losing to Ana Ivanovic in the title match of the Generali Ladies Linz.
"Rafael Nadal has donated the racquet he used to win the 2008 Wimbledon final, Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi both donated tennis racquets, while Roger Federer gave us the shirt off his own back." – Lleyton Hewitt, on items donated to help raise money for a charity, Cure Our Kids.
SET FOR DOHA
The final two spots in the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships have been clinched by Vera Zvonareva and Venus Williams. The women's tour will wind up with world's top eight singles players and top four doubles teams in Doha, Qatar, November 4-9. It will be the third time Venus Williams will compete in the season-ending event, but her first since 2002. Others in the field include Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic, Serena Williams, Dinara Safina, Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova.
SIGN OF RESPECT
The new tennis center in Brisbane, Australia, has been named for two-time US Open champion Pat Rafter. The 5,500-seat Rafter Arena will open in January for the Brisbane International men's and women's hard court championships. The tournament is a warm-up for the Australian Open, which is held in Melbourne. Novak Djokovic, Marcos Baghdatis and Ana Ivanovic are confirmed for the event, the first international tennis tournament to be played in Brisbane since 1994.
SWEDE VICTORY
When Robin Soderling captured his second Lyon trophy, he became the first Swedish player to win an ATP title in almost three years. The last Swede to capture a tournament on the men's tour was Thomas Johansson at St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2005. The victory over Frenchman Julien Benneteau will move Soderling into the top 20 of the South African Airways ATP Rankings for the first time. At Lyon, Soderling beat two top-ten players, Andy Roddick and Gilles Simon.
SWISS STAR
Roger Federer won his third straight Davidoff Swiss Indoors crown in his native Basel, Switzerland. He also has been runner-up twice in his nine appearances in Basel. And his 57th career title moves Federer into a tie with Ilie Nastase on the ATP list. He is now three titles behind Andre Agassi. Basel was Federer's fourth title of 2008, highlighted by his fifth consecutive US Open win. This one came over David Nalbandian, the 2002 Swiss Indoors winner and the tournament's number two seed. It was the first time since 1993 that the two top seeds have reached the final at Basel.
SHORT DAY
Andy Murray needed only 56 minutes to successfully defend his St. Petersburg Open title by defeating qualifier Andrey Golubev 6-1 6-1. It was the shortest final on the ATP tour this year, and the second fewest games in a title match since Mikhail Youzhny crushed Rafael Nadal 6-0 6-1 at the Chennai Open in January. Now ranked fourth in the world, Murray becomes the first British player to win consecutive titles since Mark Cox did it in March 1975. The Scott has won five titles this year, second only to the eight captured by Nadal. Murray is on a 12-match winning streak and has won 18 of his last 19 matches since losing in the first round of the Beijing Olympics to Taiwan's Lu Yen-Hsun.
For the second straight year, Nikolay Davydenko made a brief appearance at the St. Petersburg Open. This time he injured his left wrist during a first-round victory over Chris Guccione, and then pulled out of the tournament. "I was able to finish the match, but today I felt a lot of pain and I just can't play," Davydenko said. Last year, the Russian was fined USD $2,000 by the ATP for not trying hard enough during his loss to qualifier Marin Cilic in a second-round match. The fine was overturned on appeal. Davydenko's victory over Guccione was his 50th match win of the season, the fourth straight year he has won at least 50 matches.
STAYING ON TOP
Despite what happens the rest of the way, Jelena Jankovic will end the season as the number one player in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour rankings. Jankovic has a commanding points lead over Dinara Safina and will remain in the top spot regardless of the outcome of the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha. She secured the year-ending ranking by winning 12 straight matches en route to three consecutive titles in Beijing, Stuttgart and Moscow. She lost in the US Open final and reached the semifinals of two other Grand Slam tournaments.
SITTER MISSED
Holding match point at 9-8 in the Champions tiebreaker, Jim Courier sent a high defensive lob that just made it over the net in the final of the Stanford Championships in Dallas, Texas. But Thomas Enqvist, standing right on top of the net, elected not to let the ball bounce and shanked the overhead straight down off the frame of his racquet, giving Courier his sixth career Outback Champions Series title, 3-6 6-4 10-8 (Championships tiebreak). "I think I was too casual," Enqvist said, while Courier said the missed overhead was "one of the nuttiest match points I've ever been a part of."
SEASIDE TENNIS
Four top players will lead a five-day tennis "fantasy camp" on Maui, Hawaii, in November. Lindsay Davenport, Tom Gullikson, Robby Ginepri and Corina Morariu will participate in the four days of instruction and free play. Gullikson is the former US Davis Cup captain and Olympic coach, while Davenport was ranked number one in the world in both singles and doubles. She is one of only four women – joining Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert – to have been the year-ending number one at least four times. Ginepri is one of the top five American players currently on the ATP tour, while Morariu was ranked number one in the world in doubles before being diagnosed with leukemia. She made a complete recovery and was named Comeback Player of the Year on the WTA Tour. The "fantasy camp" is for adult tennis players ranging in skill from recreational to tournament-level.
STRIKING PAIR
Hall of Famer Michael Chang and women's tennis pro Amber Liu are now husband and wife. Matthew Cronin reports the pair was married at Lake Hills Community Church in Laguna Hills, California, with the reception and dinner taking place at the St. Regis Hotel in Dana Point, California. Among those in attendance were Chang's brother and coach, Carl; his cousin James Wan, who plays for Stanford University; John Austin, Anne Yelsey, Dick Gould, Lele Forood, Eliot Teltscher and Peanut Louis.
STRONG SALES
The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Championships will have some people in the seats, if ticket sales are any indication. According to tournament officials, more than 95 percent of the premium seats have been sold for the season-ending event that features the world's top eight women's singles players and top four doubles teams. The Championships will be held November 4-9 at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex in Doha, Qatar.
Lleyton Hewitt and his wife Bec have begun a month-long fundraising auction with proceeds going to Cure Our Kids, an organization which supports children with cancer and their families at The Children's Hospital at Westmead in New South Wales, Australia. The auction includes items donated by the Hewitts as well as from Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Ana Ivanovic, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graff, among others.
A former top-100 player from Italy, Federico Luzzi, is dead at the age of 28. Luzzi died at a hospital in Arezzo, Italy, of leukemia. He was hospitalized after retiring a few days earlier from an Italian league match, citing a high fever. He reached a career-high ranking of number 92 in 2002 before a shoulder injury plagued him the rest of his career. In February, Luzzi was suspended for 200 days and fined USD $50,000 by the ATP for betting on tennis. In 2001, he beat Ville Liukko of Finland 14-12 in the fifth set to complete a 4-hour, 35-minute victory, the longest Davis Cup match ever played by an Italian.
Bill Rusick, an All-American college player and later tennis coach and co-owner of a tennis club, has died at the age of 51. Rusick led Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville to two national championships and was inducted into the school's hall of fame. He coached at McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois, and served as club pro and co-owner at St. Clair Tennis Club. He suffered from pancreatic cancer.
Basel: Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles beat Christopher Kas and Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3 6-3
St. Petersburg: Travis Parrott and Filip Polasek beat Rohan Bopanna and Max Mirnyi 3-6 7-6 (4) 10-8 (match tiebreak)
Lyon: Michael Llodra and Andy Ram beat Stephen Huss and Ross Hutchins 6-3 5-7 10-8 (match tiebreak)
Seoul: Lukasz Kubot and Oliver Marach beat Sanchai Ratiwatana and Sonchat Ratiwatana 7-5 4-6 10-6 (match tiebreak)
Linz: Katarina Srebotnik and Ai Sugiyama beat Cara Black and Liezel Huber 6-4 7-5
Luxembourg: Sorana Cirstea and Marina Erakovic beat Vera Dushevina and Mariya Koryttseva 2-6 6-3 10-8 (match tiebreak)
Poitiers: Petra Cetkovska and Lucie Safarova beat Akgul Amanmuradova and Monica Niculescu 6-4 6-4
Paris: www.fft.fr/bnpparibasmasters//
Quebec: www.challengebell.com
Bratislava: www.stz.sk
Busan: www.busanopen.org/
Cali: www.tennisegurobolivar.com/
Doha: www.Sonyericsson-championships.com
Sunrise: http://www.championsseriestennis.com/arizona2008/
$2,450,000 BNP Paribas Masters, Paris, France, carpet
$125,000 Seguros Bolivar Open, Cali, Colombia, clay
$100,000 Busan Open Challenger, Busan, South Korea, hard
$175,000 Bell Challenge, Quebec City, Quebec, hard
$100,000 Ritro Slovak Open, Bratislava, Slovak Republic, hard
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
$4,450,000 Sony Ericsson Championships, Doha, Qatar, hard
$100,000 ITF women's event, Krakow, Poland, hard
$106,500 Tatra Banka Open, Bratislava, Slovakia, hard
Cancer Treatment Centers of America Championships at Surprise, Surprise, Arizona
Filed Under: Lead Story, Mondays with Bob Greene Tagged With: Amber Liu, Ana Ivanovic, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Andre Agassi, Andrey Golubev, Andy Murray, Bill Rusick, Carolina Wozniacki, Chris Evert, Corina Morariu, David Nalbandian, Davidoff Swiss Indoors, Dinara Safina, Elena Dementieva, Federico Luzzi, FORTIS Championships, Generali Ladies Linz, Grand Prix de Tennis De Lyon, Hyung-Taik Lee, Internationaux Feminins de la Vienne, Ivo Minar, Jim Courier, Julie Coin, Julien Benneteau, Lindsay Davenport, Lleyton Hewitt, Marcos Baghdatis, Martina Navratilova, Matthew Cronin, Michael Chang, Novak Djokovic, Olympics, Pat Rafter, Rafael Nadal, Rafter Arena, Robby Ginepri, Robin Soderling, Roger Federer, Samsung Securities Cup Challenger, Sony Ericsson Championships, St. Petersburg Open, Stanford Championships, Steffi Graf, Thomas Enqvist, Tom Gullikson, US Davis Cup, US Open, Venus Williams, Vera Zvonareva, Ville Liukko


text:
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This Memorandum is filed in support of the Motion of the United States To Appoint Trustee in the above-captioned case. This case arises from a civil antitrust Complaint filed by the United States on August 1, 2006. The United States filed a proposed Final Judgment simultaneously with the Complaint and the Court entered the Final Judgment on May 23, 2007.
The success of the Final Judgment in remedying the competitive problems identified in the Complaint depends upon the timely divestiture of the Sparrows Point business as defined in Section II(K) of the Final Judgment (hereinafter "Sparrows Point"). Although Mittal recently signed a contract to sell Sparrows Point, Mittal will not complete the divestiture by August 6, 2007, the deadline established under the Final Judgment. The United States first must approve the contract and the prospective Acquirer, as defined in Section IV(J) of the Final Judgment, and there are numerous other conditions to the closing of the transaction. Because the complete divestiture required by the Final Judgment has not been accomplished within the time prescribed by the Final Judgment, Court appointment of a trustee pursuant to Section V of the Final Judgment is warranted. The United States has informed defendant Mittal that it is filing this motion, which, pursuant to the terms of the Final Judgment, Mittal may not oppose. Joseph G. Krauss, a partner at Hogan & Hartson LLP, the candidate trustee selected by the United States, possesses the expertise, experience, and organization to accomplish the successful divestiture of Sparrows Point.
The Complaint alleges that the acquisition by Mittal of Arcelor S.A. ("Arcelor"), including its Canadian subsidiary Dofasco Inc. ("Dofasco") would violate Section 7 of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. § 18, because it would substantially reduce competition among manufacturers of tin mill products in the eastern United States. The Complaint sought adjudication that the acquisition of Arcelor by Mittal would violate Section 7 of the Clayton Act and further sought permanent injunctive relief.
The Final Judgment filed with the Complaint and entered by this Court on May 23, 2007, memorializes the parties' agreement to settle the case through the divestiture of one of Mittal's three tin mills located in the eastern United States or Canada. The essence of the settlement is the prompt and certain divestiture of a tin mill to assure that competition in the manufacture, distribution and sale of tin mill products in the eastern United States is preserved. To accomplish this objective, Section IV(B) of the Final Judgment requires defendant Mittal to "use its best efforts to divest the [Sparrows Point facility] as expeditiously as possible" to "an Acquirer or Acquirers acceptable to the United States in its sole discretion." Final Judgment ¶IV(B).
Section IV(B) of the Final Judgment provided that Mittal complete the divestiture of Sparrows Point by transferring all rights, title and interest in the package of assets comprising the "Sparrows Point business" within 90 days of the date the United States selected Sparrows Point as the divestiture business. Final Judgment ¶¶ II(K), IV(B). The initial 90-day divestiture period expired on May 20, 2007. Upon Mittal's request, the United States granted Mittal three separate extensions totaling 60 days, the last of which expired on July 20, 2007. The Court, upon Mittal's unopposed motion, granted another 15-day extension of the Divestiture Period that expires on August 6, 2007.
On August 1, 2007, Mittal and Bethlehem Acquisition Co. ("Bethlehem") executed an agreement for the purchase and sale of Sparrows Point (the "Agreement"). Bethlehem is a joint venture whose members include Esmark Inc., Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation, Industrial Union of Donbass and Companhia Vale do Rio Doce ("CVRD"). However, several events must occur before the divestiture is complete. First, the United States must determine whether Bethlehem is an acceptable Acquirer. Final Judgment ¶ IV(J). Second, the United States must determine whether the Agreement is acceptable. Id. Third, Sparrows Point must actually be conveyed pursuant to the Agreement. The Agreement is also subject to other approvals and conditions, including some relating to the financing of the purchase price. Mittal has informed the United States that the transaction will not close for up to 60 days from the date of signing for reasons unrelated to obtaining the required approval of the United States.
The United States is concerned that the objective of the Final Judgment, the preservation of competition, will be jeopardized if the Agreement does not proceed to closing or if the closing is unduly delayed. If the agreement fails for some reason, alternative efforts to sell Sparrows Point could be delayed even further without a trustee in place. Accordingly, it is now appropriate, pursuant to Section V(A) of the Final Judgment, to appoint a trustee selected by the United States to effect the required divestiture.
The purpose of the trust under the Final Judgment is to divest Sparrows Point to a purchaser demonstrated to the United States's satisfaction as having the intent and capability, including the necessary managerial, operational, and financial capability, of competing effectively in the manufacture, distribution and sale of tin mill products in the eastern United States. The terms of the Final Judgment provide that, after the appointment of a trustee becomes effective, only the trustee shall have the right to sell Sparrows Point.(1) In light of the present circumstances, i.e., the executed Agreement between Mittal and Bethlehem, the United States respectfully submits that it is appropriate for the Court to appoint a trustee at this time, but with explicit instructions that the trustee may fully discharge his responsibilities by seeking approval of Bethlehem and the Agreement pursuant to Sections IV(B) and IV(J) of Final Judgment, and if such approval is obtained, completing the divestiture pursuant to that agreement. Such a course would appear to offer the greatest likelihood of an expeditious completion of the divestiture process, and the trustee should understand that he is not obligated to restart the sales process unless there is reason to doubt whether a sale in accordance with the Agreement can be carried out expeditiously. Notwithstanding the Agreement, appointment of a trustee is warranted to ensure that in the event a sale pursuant to the Agreement does not occur expeditiously, a trustee is in a position to carry out the sales process without further delay.
The United States moves this Court to appoint Joseph G. Krauss, a partner at Hogan & Hartson LLP as Trustee. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Krauss served for 11 years at the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC"). In his tenure at the FTC and in private practice, Mr. Krauss has had experience with antitrust consent decrees and the sale of divestiture assets. Mr. Krauss's professional biography is attached as Exhibit 2 to the Declaration of Lowell R. Stern. Mr. Krauss also can call upon substantial legal resources at his firm, Hogan & Hartson LLP and other professionals as needed to assist him in the performance of his duties. Mr. Krauss is well suited to take on the responsibilities of Trustee under the Final Judgment.
For all of the foregoing reasons, the United States respectfully requests this Court to appoint Mr. Krauss as trustee pursuant to Section V of the Final Judgment.
1. The Final Judgment further provides that the trustee shall have the power and authority to accomplish the divestitures at the best price then obtainable upon a reasonable effort. Further, to assist in the divestitures, the trustee shall have the power and authority to hire, at the cost and expense of Mittal, any investment bankers, attorneys, or other agents reasonably necessary in the judgment of the trustee.


text:
Koszkowo – dawna gromada, czyli najmniejsza jednostka podziału terytorialnego Polskiej Rzeczypospolitej Ludowej w latach 1954–1972.

Gromady, z gromadzkimi radami narodowymi (GRN) jako organami władzy najniższego stopnia na wsi, funkcjonowały od reformy reorganizującej administrację wiejską przeprowadzonej jesienią 1954 do momentu ich zniesienia z dniem 1 stycznia 1973, tym samym wypierając organizację gminną w latach 1954–1972.

Gromadę Koszkowo z siedzibą GRN w Koszkowie  utworzono – jako jedną z 8759 gromad na obszarze Polski – w powiecie gostyńskim w woj. poznańskim, na mocy uchwały nr 20/54 WRN w Poznaniu z dnia 5 października 1954. W skład jednostki weszły obszary dotychczasowych gromad Jawory, Koszkowo i Wycisłowo wraz z obszarem 325 ha gruntów (położonych między granicami dotychczasowych gromad Studzianna i Wycisłowo) z dotychczasowej gromady Jeżewo ze zniesionej gminy Borek oraz obszary dotychczasowych gromad Dąbrówka i Grodnica ze zniesionej gminy Piaski w powiecie gostyńskim, a także obszar dotychczasowej gromady Studzianna ze zniesionej gminy Dolsk w powiecie śremskim w tymże województwie. Dla gromady ustalono 13 członków gromadzkiej rady narodowej.

Gromadę zniesiono 1 stycznia 1962, a jej obszar włączono do gromady Borek Wielkopolski w tymże powiecie.

Przypisy

Koszkowo

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
This agency has set its sights on one intention
Shobha, a sixty five-12 months-old day by day wage employee, is a resident of the Alipurduar district in West Bengal. Thrice every week, she might stroll up a hill to gather dry leaves and branches for fuel. One day, she felt her vision blurring out but paid no heed. That becomes till she became diagnosed with a cataract.
"Healthcare offerings in this locality is terrible. I got fortunate by attending the screening camp organized as a part of the Rural Eye Health Programme. That's once I got to recognize that I had an eye disease. Sightsavers became type enough to help me go through a cataract-removal surgery. Now, I can see truly," she says.
India is domestic to a 3rd of the arena's blind populace. The united states of America have approximately 12 million individuals with visible impairment than the worldwide general of 39 million, in line with a record published through the National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB). Despite this, the visually impaired are reduce-off when it comes to accessibility of education, healthcare, and employment. Only 29. Sixteen percent of India's blind are part of the education device as according to a survey carried out through the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). The equal survey factors out that the handiest 6.86 percent of faculties have to get admission to braille books and audio content material.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says some of the major reasons for blindness are cataract and refractive mistakes, which can be preventable eighty percent of the instances but lack of knowledge and bad entry to eye care in India make the situation tough.
Sightsavers, a global organization, is leaving no stone unturned in casting off avoidable blindness and assisting the irreversibly blind to lead a lifestyle of dignity in India. Over the ultimate 5 a long time, they have got touched the lives of 55 million human beings throughout one hundred districts in eight states.
"The blind deserve the identical satisfactory of life as that of a sighted man or woman and feature the right to participate equally within the society. We are running closer to just that via bringing eye fitness, academic assist, counseling, and training to the visually impaired population of the u. S. A .," RN Mohanty, CEO, Sightsavers India, tells YourStory.
Expanding possibilities for the visually impaired
Imagine no longer being capable of seeing as you walk down the bustling alleys of a metropolitan metropolis or trying to get admission in an academic group, or even trying to crack an activity interview given the discrimination and lots of prejudices.
Sightsavers gives a selection of programs to ease those difficulties and strengthen healthcare and promote inclusive education.
The enterprise runs many eye fitness programs. The Rural Eye Health Programme, also known as Netravasanth, objectives sixty-eight.84 percentage of the Indian population residing in rural regions. It has a five-year program that got here to impact 2015 and focuses on putting in place eye care centers for screening and treating cataracts.
The School Eye Health Programme, known as Vidyajyothi, was released in 2014 to enhance government faculties' knowledge of effects.
"Poor eye fitness hampers the instructional overall performance of students. We provide centers like unfastened eye check-ups, provision of spectacles to accurate refractive errors, or even behavior recognition classes about the importance of eye fitness. In this manner, eye ailments are nipped at the bud," explains Jatin Tiwari, Corporate Fund Raising (CFR), Sightsavers India.
The Urban Eye Health Programme, or Amrutha Daithi, was started in 2014 to cater to the urban slum populace. Sightsavers works with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as a part of the National Urban Health Mission to offer healthcare services like eye screenings, retinopathy, and corrective remedy.
Raahi, the National Truckers Eye Health Programme, changed into initiated to help truck drivers hold a better eye at the roads. "One in every four trackers have a distant imaginative and prescient problem, and nearly 1/2 of them want spectacles for you to see absolutely. This initiative targets to help them get the right of entry to eye care offerings and pressure effectively. We have set up vision centers, pop-up outreach camps, and eye screening stalls across places wherein truck drivers forestall to relaxation or sell off the shipment," Jatin says.
Quality schooling and get entry to suitable gaining knowledge of gear for the blind nonetheless stay a miles-fetched dream in India. The Inclusive Education Programme attempts to interrupt this cycle. Sightsavequipsping blind students in government schools with unfastened assistive gadgets, audiobooks, and knowledge of the braille material. Besides, the program imparts training for instructors and aid staff to decorate getting to know youngsters' results.
"The Social Inclusion Programme empowers the visually impaired to lead an impartial and pleasant existence. We help them to earn their each day bread by undertaking skill development sessions and presenting vocational training. We additionally work with the government to implement modifications at the coverage degree for higher inclusive practices," Jatin notes.
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This new record set comprises details of the gravestone inscriptions for nearly 41,500 individuals.
The bulk of the records date between 1618 and 2005. The full memorial inscription for each gravestone is included. As well as the name of the deceased additional family names are often included. Other details recorded can include cause of death and the profession of the deceased.


They're just really into long-distance.
A lot of planets have homes — warm, loving stars that nurture and care for them and make sure they have everything they need. But sometimes, a planet finds itself homeless, moving around the universe aimlessness and carelessly. These free floaters just haven't found a place to call home.
That was thought to be the case with 2MASS J2126, a gaseous nomad planet about 104 light-years from our own sun. While not common, free floating planets do exist. Astronomers, equipped with better instruments and more experience in how to find and identify strange objects in the universe, are in a better position these days to distinguish whether these lonesome celestial bodies are really planets, or just failed "brown dwarf" stars that couldn't ignite.
In the same neighborhood, there was TYC 9486-927-1 — a young star thought to be on its own as well. No one really made any connections between 2MASS J2126 and TYC 9486-927-1. Why would they? The two are more than 6 billion miles from one another. That's 7,000 times the distance between Earth and the sun. If the two were indeed pursuing an orbital relationship, it would take 2MASS J2126 nearly a million years to complete a single orbit around TYC 9486-927-1.
Well when it comes to space, time is relative. It turns out 2MASS J2126 has indeed found its host star in TYC 9486-927-1. It's also the widest planetary system ever found, according to researchers at the University of Hertfordshire, who detail their findings in a new paper published today in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
An artist's impression of 2MASS J2126.
The astronomers determined the link by measuring the orbital strength of the two lovebirds through the element lithium, which is very abundant in young stars and much rarer in older ones. The host star TYC 9486-927-1 looks to contain an amount of lithium characteristic of stars between 10 million and 45 million years old.
Knowing the age of the star allowed astronomers to determine the mass of 2MASS J2126 — which is estimated to be somewhere between 11.6 and 15 times the mass of Jupiter. It's a hefty planet, but still too small to be a star. And it's moving together with TYC 9486-927-1.
False color infrared image; the arrows show the projected movement of the star and planet on the sky over 1,000 years. The scale indicates a distance of 0.1 light-year. Light from the star takes about a month to travel to the planet.
In any case, further study of this planet and star certainly makes it clear that we should take a closer look at other planets we're calling free floaters — and how easy it might be for one of those little buggers to find a star system they can call home.