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2006/12/07
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Watching the dazzling United States Open play of Rafael Nadal at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday, the majestic Manhattan skyline in the background, could inspire even the most casual tennis player to grab a racket and head out to the park. However, for many city residents, the cost of playing on a public court is now simply too steep.
When the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation announced rate increases in 2011 — to $200 from $100 for a seasonal permit to play on any of the city’s 600 courts — officials expected to see a decline in participation. But people have been abandoning the courts at a far higher pace than predicted, according to a report released on Thursday by the Independent Budget Office, the city’s fiscal watchdog.
The city sold nearly half as many permits in 2012 as it did in 2010 — a drop to 7,265 from 12,774.
In addition to the fee increase for tennis permits, the city also raised the cost of membership at its recreation centers, causing similarly sharp declines in participation. In addition, the report found that it was harder to evaluate the effect of higher fees for the use of ball fields because the data was limited.
The higher fees at the facilities were meant to generate more revenue for the city, but with so many people balking at the prices, income was lower than projected.
The city expected it would take in an extra $6.3 million in 2012 after the increases took effect, according to the report, but the revenue grew by just $1.1 million.
“For a relatively small amount of savings for the city, this is a really dramatic impact for thousands of people,” said Holly M. Leicht, executive director of New Yorkers for Parks, a nonprofit advocacy group.
Recreation centers have been particularly hard hit by the fee increases, and the city fell $4 million short of its projected revenue of $8.8 million.
In the first year they took effect, annual memberships for the city’s 35 recreation centers fell 51.9 percent, to 46,000 in 2012 from roughly 96,000 in 2011, according to the report.
The decline at the centers was evident last year. Veronica M. White, the parks commissioner, speaking at a City Council hearing in January, said the city was taking steps to bring people back. For instance, Ms. White said, the department would create a new lower-priced membership category for young adults, ages 18 to 24. Memberships are free for children younger than 18.
But there has been no discussion of changing the fee structure at the tennis courts.
Some players might find the courts still crowded, a phenomenon that could stem in part from no change to the fee for those 62 and older, who still pay $20, and for those 17 and younger, who pay $10.
The parks department also sells single-play permits, the cost of which rose to $15 in 2011 from $7 in 2005.
“We have gotten more single complaints about the tennis fee increases than almost any other issue,” said Geoffrey Croft, the president of the nonprofit advocacy group NYC Park Advocates and a casual tennis player.
“These courts were built with public dollars and they should be free or close to free,” Mr. Croft said. “What is happening is people are either not playing or they are sneaking onto the courts.”
www-nytimes-com/2013/09/13/nyregion/sales-of-tennis-court-permits-plunge-after-city-raises-fee-html?_r=0
When the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation announced rate increases in 2011 — to $200 from $100 for a seasonal permit to play on any of the city’s 600 courts — officials expected to see a decline in participation. But people have been abandoning the courts at a far higher pace than predicted, according to a report released on Thursday by the Independent Budget Office, the city’s fiscal watchdog.
The city sold nearly half as many permits in 2012 as it did in 2010 — a drop to 7,265 from 12,774.
In addition to the fee increase for tennis permits, the city also raised the cost of membership at its recreation centers, causing similarly sharp declines in participation. In addition, the report found that it was harder to evaluate the effect of higher fees for the use of ball fields because the data was limited.
The higher fees at the facilities were meant to generate more revenue for the city, but with so many people balking at the prices, income was lower than projected.
The city expected it would take in an extra $6.3 million in 2012 after the increases took effect, according to the report, but the revenue grew by just $1.1 million.
“For a relatively small amount of savings for the city, this is a really dramatic impact for thousands of people,” said Holly M. Leicht, executive director of New Yorkers for Parks, a nonprofit advocacy group.
Recreation centers have been particularly hard hit by the fee increases, and the city fell $4 million short of its projected revenue of $8.8 million.
In the first year they took effect, annual memberships for the city’s 35 recreation centers fell 51.9 percent, to 46,000 in 2012 from roughly 96,000 in 2011, according to the report.
The decline at the centers was evident last year. Veronica M. White, the parks commissioner, speaking at a City Council hearing in January, said the city was taking steps to bring people back. For instance, Ms. White said, the department would create a new lower-priced membership category for young adults, ages 18 to 24. Memberships are free for children younger than 18.
But there has been no discussion of changing the fee structure at the tennis courts.
Some players might find the courts still crowded, a phenomenon that could stem in part from no change to the fee for those 62 and older, who still pay $20, and for those 17 and younger, who pay $10.
The parks department also sells single-play permits, the cost of which rose to $15 in 2011 from $7 in 2005.
“We have gotten more single complaints about the tennis fee increases than almost any other issue,” said Geoffrey Croft, the president of the nonprofit advocacy group NYC Park Advocates and a casual tennis player.
“These courts were built with public dollars and they should be free or close to free,” Mr. Croft said. “What is happening is people are either not playing or they are sneaking onto the courts.”
www-nytimes-com/2013/09/13/nyregion/sales-of-tennis-court-permits-plunge-after-city-raises-fee-html?_r=0
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2006/12/07
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Canadian tennis is where it has never been before.
For the first time ever, Canada competes in the Davis Cup semifinals in Belgrade, Serbia. While the odds are stacked against the Canucks who take on the host country, fans are relishing every history-making victory.
Rising stars Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil lead a Canadian tennis program that has been restructuring for years, but the team is now two wins away from advancing to the Davis Cup final.
Raonic, the world No. 11 from Thornill, Ont., admits Canadian tennis has come a long way, but there is still lots of work to do.
"We've made it this far, but it's not over," Raonic said. "We have to keep pushing forward."
For the first time ever, Canada competes in the Davis Cup semifinals in Belgrade, Serbia. While the odds are stacked against the Canucks who take on the host country, fans are relishing every history-making victory.
Rising stars Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil lead a Canadian tennis program that has been restructuring for years, but the team is now two wins away from advancing to the Davis Cup final.
Raonic, the world No. 11 from Thornill, Ont., admits Canadian tennis has come a long way, but there is still lots of work to do.
"We've made it this far, but it's not over," Raonic said. "We have to keep pushing forward."
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2006/12/07
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With an Olympic gold medal and eight Grand Slam titles in men's doubles tennis, Toronto's Daniel Nestor has claimed the sport's highest honours.
But for the 41-year old, teaming up with Vancouver's Vasek Posipsil to put Canada on the verge of a first ever berth in a Davis Cup final is right up there among the greatest moments in his career.
Nestor and Pospisil hung on for a 6-7 (6), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 10-8 victory over Serbia's Nenad Zimonjic and Illja Bozoljac on Saturday.
"It's just as good as a gold medal or Wimbledon for sure," said Nestor, who is usually reserved in media interviews but walked into the post-match press conference with a big smile on his face.
"It's emotional because this is a team atmosphere and we're all in this together and we're having a great year. We love the camaraderie and that's what's special."
Canada has a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five tie heading into the final two singles matches on Sunday.
It was a match Canada couldn't afford to lose with both Milos Raonic and Pospisil heading into Sunday's reverse singles matches as underdogs playing against Novak Djokovic and Janko Tipsarevic, respectively.
Pospisil admitted that he panicked in getting quickly dispatched in straight sets by Djokovic on Friday. But Saturday's match was different.
"I was a lot more calm today," said the 23-year old Pospisil. "I wanted to bounce back strong and I was happy to play the way I did today and now I'll try to keep that confidence and momentum for (Sunday) and try to play it sharp as well."
In the marathon fifth set, Pospisil got the opportunity to serve for the match after Zimonjic double-faulted before volleying into the net on consecutive points to give Canada the only break.
Bozoljac's booming serve caused the Canadians problems all day.
"When all four players are playing well it's going to come down to a few points here and there," said Pospisil. "Obviously the fifth set it's going to come down to a few lucky shots and a few good points and we were fortunate that we took the opportunity when we had it."
Boisterous fans
The several hundred red-clad Canadian supporters had been louder than their Serbian counterparts and were rewarded when Nestor volleyed a return down to seal the victory.
After hitting the winning shot, Nestor celebrated with Pospisil before getting mobbed at the Canadian bench.
"The people that come to travel here and come to sacrifice their time and support us is amazing," said Nestor, who first rose to prominence as a 19-year-old in 1992 when he beat then world No. 1 Stefan Edberg in a Davis Cup singles match in Vancouver.
"We really appreciate it and we've never had support like this on the road before so they're very deserving and helpful of our victories."
Canada forced the fifth set after a frantic tiebreaker in the fourth that saw the teams trade mini-breaks. Zimonjic gave Canada two set-point opportunities when his volley into the net put Canada up 6-4. Pospisil won it on the next point with an ace.
Pospisil had trouble getting his first serves in to start the match but Canada still won the first three points of the opening game. But Serbia fought back to break.
It took a few games for Pospisil to get comfortable on serve but Nestor looked sharp right from the start, which prevented Canada from going down further. As Pospisil found his serve, Canada eventually broke back in the eighth game to tie the first set 4-4.
Canada picked up a mini-break to go up 4-3 in the tiebreak but Serbia came back with two mini-breaks of their own and won the set when Nestor put a shot into the net.
Sunday opens with a battle of the top-ranked players, as world No. 1 Djokovic takes on top-Canadian and world No. 11 Raonic, while No. 41 Pospisil takes on 23rd-ranked Tipsarevic in the second match.
Pospisil, Nestor give Canada Davis Cup lead over Serbia - CBC Sports - Tennis
But for the 41-year old, teaming up with Vancouver's Vasek Posipsil to put Canada on the verge of a first ever berth in a Davis Cup final is right up there among the greatest moments in his career.
Nestor and Pospisil hung on for a 6-7 (6), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 10-8 victory over Serbia's Nenad Zimonjic and Illja Bozoljac on Saturday.
"It's just as good as a gold medal or Wimbledon for sure," said Nestor, who is usually reserved in media interviews but walked into the post-match press conference with a big smile on his face.
"It's emotional because this is a team atmosphere and we're all in this together and we're having a great year. We love the camaraderie and that's what's special."
Canada has a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five tie heading into the final two singles matches on Sunday.
It was a match Canada couldn't afford to lose with both Milos Raonic and Pospisil heading into Sunday's reverse singles matches as underdogs playing against Novak Djokovic and Janko Tipsarevic, respectively.
Pospisil admitted that he panicked in getting quickly dispatched in straight sets by Djokovic on Friday. But Saturday's match was different.
"I was a lot more calm today," said the 23-year old Pospisil. "I wanted to bounce back strong and I was happy to play the way I did today and now I'll try to keep that confidence and momentum for (Sunday) and try to play it sharp as well."
In the marathon fifth set, Pospisil got the opportunity to serve for the match after Zimonjic double-faulted before volleying into the net on consecutive points to give Canada the only break.
Bozoljac's booming serve caused the Canadians problems all day.
"When all four players are playing well it's going to come down to a few points here and there," said Pospisil. "Obviously the fifth set it's going to come down to a few lucky shots and a few good points and we were fortunate that we took the opportunity when we had it."
Boisterous fans
The several hundred red-clad Canadian supporters had been louder than their Serbian counterparts and were rewarded when Nestor volleyed a return down to seal the victory.
After hitting the winning shot, Nestor celebrated with Pospisil before getting mobbed at the Canadian bench.
"The people that come to travel here and come to sacrifice their time and support us is amazing," said Nestor, who first rose to prominence as a 19-year-old in 1992 when he beat then world No. 1 Stefan Edberg in a Davis Cup singles match in Vancouver.
"We really appreciate it and we've never had support like this on the road before so they're very deserving and helpful of our victories."
Canada forced the fifth set after a frantic tiebreaker in the fourth that saw the teams trade mini-breaks. Zimonjic gave Canada two set-point opportunities when his volley into the net put Canada up 6-4. Pospisil won it on the next point with an ace.
Pospisil had trouble getting his first serves in to start the match but Canada still won the first three points of the opening game. But Serbia fought back to break.
It took a few games for Pospisil to get comfortable on serve but Nestor looked sharp right from the start, which prevented Canada from going down further. As Pospisil found his serve, Canada eventually broke back in the eighth game to tie the first set 4-4.
Canada picked up a mini-break to go up 4-3 in the tiebreak but Serbia came back with two mini-breaks of their own and won the set when Nestor put a shot into the net.
Sunday opens with a battle of the top-ranked players, as world No. 1 Djokovic takes on top-Canadian and world No. 11 Raonic, while No. 41 Pospisil takes on 23rd-ranked Tipsarevic in the second match.
Pospisil, Nestor give Canada Davis Cup lead over Serbia - CBC Sports - Tennis
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2006/12/07
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TODAY’S instalment of Inside Team Tomic, the diary of Thomas Drouet, the practice partner of Australian tennis star Bernard Tomic, gives further insight into life with a domineering and abusive father.
John Tomic headbutted Drouet and left him unconscious on a Madrid street. Bernard Tomic’s father was banned from ATP tournaments and has been sentenced to eight months’ jail by a Spanish court for the assault, suspended for two years unless he reoffends. He is appealing.
Drouet’s injuries cannot be disputed and John Tomic’s behaviour is another example of the behaviour of “bad dads’’ on the world’s tennis circuit.
Drouet writes that Bernard Tomic is under constant stress because of the temper tantrums of his father. The opening instalment of Drouet’s diary in yesterday’s Sunday Herald Sun described the beginning of a job that became a disaster.
In today’s Herald Sun, Drouet describes how he saw Bernard Tomic punched by his father: “Pow, one punch. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Right there in front of me. Bernard has tears in his eyes. John walks away and rests two racquets on an angle against the wall then snaps his foot down on them, breaking them. Crack, crack. It’s crazy.’’
This sad introduction to what happens behind this glamour sport will give readers an understanding of what may ruin the career of Australia’s brightest tennis hope.
Joke on the taxpayer
WHEN rogue Frankston MP Geoff Shaw was enjoying a taxpayer-funded jaunt in Europe while under investigation for rorting his parliamentary privileges, the only man with the power to recall him was on his own tour of China.
Ken Smith, the Speaker of Victoria’s Legislative Assembly, is now on another trip on the taxpayer, this time in Greece with six other state politicians.
The trip to promote trade opportunities with a country in severe economic decline appears more focused on visits to tourist sites such as the Acropolis than anything that might benefit Victorian industry.
The 10-day trip includes a visit to the ancient theatre of Herodes Atticus for a performance of a comedy by Aristophanes that might provide the last laugh on the taxpayer.
The Herald Sun has long campaigned against the winter escapes of politicians that produce little more than reports on what they have not achieved.
The pollies would do better by looking after their responsibilities at home.
www-heraldsun-com-au/news/opinion/bad-dads-of-tennis/story-fni0ffsx-1226719588597
John Tomic headbutted Drouet and left him unconscious on a Madrid street. Bernard Tomic’s father was banned from ATP tournaments and has been sentenced to eight months’ jail by a Spanish court for the assault, suspended for two years unless he reoffends. He is appealing.
Drouet’s injuries cannot be disputed and John Tomic’s behaviour is another example of the behaviour of “bad dads’’ on the world’s tennis circuit.
Drouet writes that Bernard Tomic is under constant stress because of the temper tantrums of his father. The opening instalment of Drouet’s diary in yesterday’s Sunday Herald Sun described the beginning of a job that became a disaster.
In today’s Herald Sun, Drouet describes how he saw Bernard Tomic punched by his father: “Pow, one punch. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Right there in front of me. Bernard has tears in his eyes. John walks away and rests two racquets on an angle against the wall then snaps his foot down on them, breaking them. Crack, crack. It’s crazy.’’
This sad introduction to what happens behind this glamour sport will give readers an understanding of what may ruin the career of Australia’s brightest tennis hope.
Joke on the taxpayer
WHEN rogue Frankston MP Geoff Shaw was enjoying a taxpayer-funded jaunt in Europe while under investigation for rorting his parliamentary privileges, the only man with the power to recall him was on his own tour of China.
Ken Smith, the Speaker of Victoria’s Legislative Assembly, is now on another trip on the taxpayer, this time in Greece with six other state politicians.
The trip to promote trade opportunities with a country in severe economic decline appears more focused on visits to tourist sites such as the Acropolis than anything that might benefit Victorian industry.
The 10-day trip includes a visit to the ancient theatre of Herodes Atticus for a performance of a comedy by Aristophanes that might provide the last laugh on the taxpayer.
The Herald Sun has long campaigned against the winter escapes of politicians that produce little more than reports on what they have not achieved.
The pollies would do better by looking after their responsibilities at home.
www-heraldsun-com-au/news/opinion/bad-dads-of-tennis/story-fni0ffsx-1226719588597
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2006/12/07
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29893
Croatia's world number 24-ranked tennis star, Marin Cilic, has been handed a nine-month doping ban.
The 24-year-old has had the ban back-dated to May 1 this year, meaning he will be able to return to action on February 1, 2014.
The substance in question originated from a glucose tablet purchased at a pharmacy in France. Unbeknownst to me, the glucose tablets contained a substance that is banned in competition
Croatian tennis star Marin Cilic
Cilic's doping violation came when he tested positive for the stimulant nikethamide at the Munich Open in May.
''The International Tennis Federation announced today that Marin Cilic has been found to have committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation under Article 2.1 of the Tennis Anti-Doping Program (presence of a Prohibited Substance in a Player's Sample),'' a statement confirmed.
Cilic, a former number nine and 2010 Australian Open semi-finalist, provided a urine sample during the Munich event and a WADA-accredited laboratory in Montreal found it to contain nikethamide, which is banned under section S6 (Stimulants) of the 2013 WADA List of Prohibited Substances and Prohibited Methods.
The Croatian, who said he would appeal his ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, claimed he was unaware that Coramine tablets he bought contained nikethamide, for which he did not hold a valid Therapeutic Use Exemption.
''The substance in question originated from a glucose tablet purchased at a pharmacy in France. Unbeknownst to me, the glucose tablets contained a substance that is banned in competition,'' Cilic said in a statement.
''I wish to emphasise that I have never knowingly or deliberately taken any banned substances in my life and that I am opposed to any use of performance-enhancing substances in sport.''
An Independent Tribunal agreed that Cilic ingested the nikethamide inadvertently as a result of taking the tablets and did not intend to enhance his performance in doing so.
Therefore he met the preconditions of Article 10.4 of the program, which entitles him to a reduction of the period of ineligibility based on an assessment of his fault.
Cilic will miss the Australian Open while serving out the latter stages of his ban.
Read more: Marin Cilic Banned For Nine Months On Doping | Croatia | Tennis
The 24-year-old has had the ban back-dated to May 1 this year, meaning he will be able to return to action on February 1, 2014.
The substance in question originated from a glucose tablet purchased at a pharmacy in France. Unbeknownst to me, the glucose tablets contained a substance that is banned in competition
Croatian tennis star Marin Cilic
Cilic's doping violation came when he tested positive for the stimulant nikethamide at the Munich Open in May.
''The International Tennis Federation announced today that Marin Cilic has been found to have committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation under Article 2.1 of the Tennis Anti-Doping Program (presence of a Prohibited Substance in a Player's Sample),'' a statement confirmed.
Cilic, a former number nine and 2010 Australian Open semi-finalist, provided a urine sample during the Munich event and a WADA-accredited laboratory in Montreal found it to contain nikethamide, which is banned under section S6 (Stimulants) of the 2013 WADA List of Prohibited Substances and Prohibited Methods.
The Croatian, who said he would appeal his ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, claimed he was unaware that Coramine tablets he bought contained nikethamide, for which he did not hold a valid Therapeutic Use Exemption.
''The substance in question originated from a glucose tablet purchased at a pharmacy in France. Unbeknownst to me, the glucose tablets contained a substance that is banned in competition,'' Cilic said in a statement.
''I wish to emphasise that I have never knowingly or deliberately taken any banned substances in my life and that I am opposed to any use of performance-enhancing substances in sport.''
An Independent Tribunal agreed that Cilic ingested the nikethamide inadvertently as a result of taking the tablets and did not intend to enhance his performance in doing so.
Therefore he met the preconditions of Article 10.4 of the program, which entitles him to a reduction of the period of ineligibility based on an assessment of his fault.
Cilic will miss the Australian Open while serving out the latter stages of his ban.
Read more: Marin Cilic Banned For Nine Months On Doping | Croatia | Tennis
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2006/12/07
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Albuquerque has been a stop to which Mirjana Lucic-Baroni looks forward.
The 31-year-old from Croatia won the 2010 ColemanVision Tennis Championships singles title and advanced to the quarterfinals a year later. After missing last season’s tournament, Lucic-Baroni was glad to be back on the Tanoan Country Club courts Tuesday.
“It’s like coming home,” she said with a smile.
Asia Muhammad knows the feeling. The 22-year-old Californian has made herself comfortable in New Mexico, winning the past two ColemanVision doubles titles and advancing to the singles semifinals last year. As luck of the draw would have it, Lucic-Baroni and Muhammad barely had a chance to get comfortable before facing each other in Tuesday’s opening round of main-draw singles.
In what turned into a hard-fought match, Lucic-Baroni came from behind to avert a potential upset with a 6-4, 6-4 victory. Muhammad led the opening set 4-1 before Lucic-Baroni, the tournament’s No. 3 singles seed, was able to turn the momentum.
“(Muhammad) served incredible,” Lucic-Baroni said. “I’d never played her before and she surprised me a little bit. I’m glad I was able to bounce back and win the match, especially after being 4-1 down in the first.”
If Muhammad’s serve set the tone early, Lucic-Baroni’s rocket serves became the story of the match later on. Forcing Muhammad deep and keeping her off balance, Lucic-Baroni took the final five games of the opening set.
Both players held serve through 4-4 in the second set, but Lucic-Baroni finally picked up a break to go up 5-4 on a Muhammad double-fault. Lucic-Baroni easily held serve in the clinching game to move into the second round.
“A lot of ups and downs today,” Lucic-Baroni said, “but my serve finally came around. Playing at altitude suits my game, but it kind of takes time to get used to it. I’m glad I’ll get a chance to stay a while because I really like playing here. It’s a great tournament.”
Three other main-draw singles matches were played Tuesday after qualifying concluded in the morning. Jessica Pegula outlasted Amra Sadikovic in three sets, 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-2; Stephanie Dubois topped Sesil Karatantcheva 6-3, 6-2; and Chieh-Yu Hsu defeated Tereza Mrdeza 6-4, 6-3.
Muhammad did not have long to dwell on the loss. After a change of clothes and a quick warm-up, she was back on the court for doubles.
Playing with Allie Will – her third partner in three years at the ColemanVision Championships – Muhammad moved into the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Madison Brengle and Olivia Rogowska. Muhammad/Will are the tournament’s No. 2 doubles seed.
In other first-round doubles matches: Sanaz Marand and Ashley Weinhold swept Jan Abaza and Louisa Chirico 6-2, 6-1; Kristina Barrois and Sadikovic edged Emily Harman and Elizabeth Lumpkin 7-5, 4-6, 12-10; Melanie Oudin and Taylor Townsend defeated Pegula and Maria Sanchez 1-6, 6-4, 10-2.
NOTES: Barrois was one of four players to earn a spot in the main singles draw with a qualifying match win Tuesday. Caitlin Whoriskey, Brooke Austin and Sachia Vickery also advanced. Austin was leading Alexandra Stevenson (4-6, 6-3, 3-0) when Stevenson, the daughter of former NBA great Julius Erving, retired. … Former Wimbledon runner-up and three-time Grand Slam mixed doubles champ Zina Garrison was on hand for Tuesday’s doubles matches. Garrison currently coaches Townsend. … Mayor R.J. Berry on Tuesday declared today ColemanVision Tennis Championships Day in Albuquerque.
Tennis pro from Croatia like playing in ABQ | ABQJournal Online
The 31-year-old from Croatia won the 2010 ColemanVision Tennis Championships singles title and advanced to the quarterfinals a year later. After missing last season’s tournament, Lucic-Baroni was glad to be back on the Tanoan Country Club courts Tuesday.
“It’s like coming home,” she said with a smile.
Asia Muhammad knows the feeling. The 22-year-old Californian has made herself comfortable in New Mexico, winning the past two ColemanVision doubles titles and advancing to the singles semifinals last year. As luck of the draw would have it, Lucic-Baroni and Muhammad barely had a chance to get comfortable before facing each other in Tuesday’s opening round of main-draw singles.
In what turned into a hard-fought match, Lucic-Baroni came from behind to avert a potential upset with a 6-4, 6-4 victory. Muhammad led the opening set 4-1 before Lucic-Baroni, the tournament’s No. 3 singles seed, was able to turn the momentum.
“(Muhammad) served incredible,” Lucic-Baroni said. “I’d never played her before and she surprised me a little bit. I’m glad I was able to bounce back and win the match, especially after being 4-1 down in the first.”
If Muhammad’s serve set the tone early, Lucic-Baroni’s rocket serves became the story of the match later on. Forcing Muhammad deep and keeping her off balance, Lucic-Baroni took the final five games of the opening set.
Both players held serve through 4-4 in the second set, but Lucic-Baroni finally picked up a break to go up 5-4 on a Muhammad double-fault. Lucic-Baroni easily held serve in the clinching game to move into the second round.
“A lot of ups and downs today,” Lucic-Baroni said, “but my serve finally came around. Playing at altitude suits my game, but it kind of takes time to get used to it. I’m glad I’ll get a chance to stay a while because I really like playing here. It’s a great tournament.”
Three other main-draw singles matches were played Tuesday after qualifying concluded in the morning. Jessica Pegula outlasted Amra Sadikovic in three sets, 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-2; Stephanie Dubois topped Sesil Karatantcheva 6-3, 6-2; and Chieh-Yu Hsu defeated Tereza Mrdeza 6-4, 6-3.
Muhammad did not have long to dwell on the loss. After a change of clothes and a quick warm-up, she was back on the court for doubles.
Playing with Allie Will – her third partner in three years at the ColemanVision Championships – Muhammad moved into the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Madison Brengle and Olivia Rogowska. Muhammad/Will are the tournament’s No. 2 doubles seed.
In other first-round doubles matches: Sanaz Marand and Ashley Weinhold swept Jan Abaza and Louisa Chirico 6-2, 6-1; Kristina Barrois and Sadikovic edged Emily Harman and Elizabeth Lumpkin 7-5, 4-6, 12-10; Melanie Oudin and Taylor Townsend defeated Pegula and Maria Sanchez 1-6, 6-4, 10-2.
NOTES: Barrois was one of four players to earn a spot in the main singles draw with a qualifying match win Tuesday. Caitlin Whoriskey, Brooke Austin and Sachia Vickery also advanced. Austin was leading Alexandra Stevenson (4-6, 6-3, 3-0) when Stevenson, the daughter of former NBA great Julius Erving, retired. … Former Wimbledon runner-up and three-time Grand Slam mixed doubles champ Zina Garrison was on hand for Tuesday’s doubles matches. Garrison currently coaches Townsend. … Mayor R.J. Berry on Tuesday declared today ColemanVision Tennis Championships Day in Albuquerque.
Tennis pro from Croatia like playing in ABQ | ABQJournal Online
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2006/12/07
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Italian tennis player Claudia Coppola has been suspended for six months after being found guilty of two charges under the sport's anti-corruption program.
The Tennis Integrity Unit says the 18-year-old Coppola admitted breaking the rules against fixing the outcome of a match and soliciting a player not to give his or her best effort.
No details of the case were disclosed on Wednesday.
Coppola also was fined $4,000. The amount will be reduced to $3,000 if she completes an anti-corruption training program.
The Italian is ranked a career-high No. 869. She has career earnings of $8,301.
The Tennis Integrity Unit says the 18-year-old Coppola admitted breaking the rules against fixing the outcome of a match and soliciting a player not to give his or her best effort.
No details of the case were disclosed on Wednesday.
Coppola also was fined $4,000. The amount will be reduced to $3,000 if she completes an anti-corruption training program.
The Italian is ranked a career-high No. 869. She has career earnings of $8,301.
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2006/12/07
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29893
Canberra teenager Nick Kyrgios made his Davis Cup debut last week and Tennis ACT has ambitions to host Davis Cup matches from 2015.
Regular professional tennis is set to return to Canberra by the 2014-15 summer, with Tennis ACT poised to launch a new, annual Australian Pro Tour event.
The tournament will debut following the $20million redevelopment at the National Sports Club in Lyneham, due for completion in November 2014.
Canberra hasn’t hosted a regular professional tournament since 2006, when the Canberra Women’s Classic, formerly the Canberra International, went bust.
The women’s event had been an Australian Open preparation tournament between 2001-06 and boasted champions such as Justin Henin and Ana Ivanovic, who went on to become world No.1.
But it eventually became unsustainable due to a lack of sponsorship, crowds and support from Tennis Australia.
Work on the refurbished Lyneham tennis facility is due to start in November and will provide Canberra with a variety of international-standard tennis surfaces, including European clay and hardcourts – indoor and outdoor.
Tennis ACT chief executive Ross Triffitt said it would put Canberra in a strong position to bid for events such as Davis Cup and Fed Cup ties from 2015.
Triffitt also revealed he was in discussions with Tennis Australia, the ACT Government and private sponsors about setting up a new tournament.
The Canberra International could be announced as early as November and would be a mixed tournament, with a men’s and women’s draw.
‘‘The redevelopment of Lyneham will allow us to bring major international events back to Canberra,’’ Triffitt said.
‘‘A marquee tennis event is very important for the growth of the sport ... but people need to understand it won’t be an Australian Open series event with [Roger] Federer playing, it’s going to be an event that will feature top international players.
‘‘The Canberra Women’s Classic proved not to be sustainable in the long term, we’re looking for an event we can develop.
‘‘We want to pitch it at a sustainable level and then grow it rather than come in too big and too hard too early.
‘‘There has been a lot of thought about how that might evolve to link into the Asia Pacific Tennis League and the Australian Open series.’’
The Lyneham redevelopment is the centrepiece of Tennis ACT’s strategy to engage more interest in the sport, from elite to grassroots levels.
A $300,000 development has just been completed at North Woden tennis club, which will enable it to host Asia Pacific Tennis League matches this summer, involving the Canberra Velocity teams, headlined by Kyrgios.
North Woden will also be the site of an ACT-funded pilot program, enabling community players to make court bookings and provide easier access to facilities for recreational players.
Hirers would book and pay online and be given access to entry security codes.
The pilot is being monitored closely by Tennis Australia for the potential roll out across the country.
Registered players in the ACT are up almost 14 per cent this year and Triffitt said the ongoing challenge was having facilities available to meet demand.
‘‘This is really our pilot club for the potential direction of a lot of the community clubs, opening access to facilities through online booking,’’ Triffitt said.
‘‘We’ve already got a lot of interest from other community clubs, so once we go through a proof of concept and iron out a lot of the bugs it will be ready to roll out at other facilities.’’
At one time tennis could have strongly claimed to be Australia’s national sport, but facilities have dwindled over the decades.
Plans to establish a multi-sport facility in the new Canberra suburb of Throsby, incorporating tennis, netball and squash, have been put on hold.
But Triffitt said Tennis ACT was working with ACT Government and private developers to establish more facilities in areas of need.
‘‘Gone are the days when they would establish a new suburb and put in a church and a tennis court,’’ Triffitt said.
‘‘We’ve seen the growth in Gungahlin, prior to that South Tuggeranong and on the horizon Molonglo. These are the areas that are perfect participation bases for a sport like ours and we don’t have facilities in those areas.
‘‘The population is growing and the demand is growing, so we’ve got to find locations for the facilities. We’re working with a private sector as well.’’
Read more: Davis Cup on the agenda for Tennis ACT
Regular professional tennis is set to return to Canberra by the 2014-15 summer, with Tennis ACT poised to launch a new, annual Australian Pro Tour event.
The tournament will debut following the $20million redevelopment at the National Sports Club in Lyneham, due for completion in November 2014.
Canberra hasn’t hosted a regular professional tournament since 2006, when the Canberra Women’s Classic, formerly the Canberra International, went bust.
The women’s event had been an Australian Open preparation tournament between 2001-06 and boasted champions such as Justin Henin and Ana Ivanovic, who went on to become world No.1.
But it eventually became unsustainable due to a lack of sponsorship, crowds and support from Tennis Australia.
Work on the refurbished Lyneham tennis facility is due to start in November and will provide Canberra with a variety of international-standard tennis surfaces, including European clay and hardcourts – indoor and outdoor.
Tennis ACT chief executive Ross Triffitt said it would put Canberra in a strong position to bid for events such as Davis Cup and Fed Cup ties from 2015.
Triffitt also revealed he was in discussions with Tennis Australia, the ACT Government and private sponsors about setting up a new tournament.
The Canberra International could be announced as early as November and would be a mixed tournament, with a men’s and women’s draw.
‘‘The redevelopment of Lyneham will allow us to bring major international events back to Canberra,’’ Triffitt said.
‘‘A marquee tennis event is very important for the growth of the sport ... but people need to understand it won’t be an Australian Open series event with [Roger] Federer playing, it’s going to be an event that will feature top international players.
‘‘The Canberra Women’s Classic proved not to be sustainable in the long term, we’re looking for an event we can develop.
‘‘We want to pitch it at a sustainable level and then grow it rather than come in too big and too hard too early.
‘‘There has been a lot of thought about how that might evolve to link into the Asia Pacific Tennis League and the Australian Open series.’’
The Lyneham redevelopment is the centrepiece of Tennis ACT’s strategy to engage more interest in the sport, from elite to grassroots levels.
A $300,000 development has just been completed at North Woden tennis club, which will enable it to host Asia Pacific Tennis League matches this summer, involving the Canberra Velocity teams, headlined by Kyrgios.
North Woden will also be the site of an ACT-funded pilot program, enabling community players to make court bookings and provide easier access to facilities for recreational players.
Hirers would book and pay online and be given access to entry security codes.
The pilot is being monitored closely by Tennis Australia for the potential roll out across the country.
Registered players in the ACT are up almost 14 per cent this year and Triffitt said the ongoing challenge was having facilities available to meet demand.
‘‘This is really our pilot club for the potential direction of a lot of the community clubs, opening access to facilities through online booking,’’ Triffitt said.
‘‘We’ve already got a lot of interest from other community clubs, so once we go through a proof of concept and iron out a lot of the bugs it will be ready to roll out at other facilities.’’
At one time tennis could have strongly claimed to be Australia’s national sport, but facilities have dwindled over the decades.
Plans to establish a multi-sport facility in the new Canberra suburb of Throsby, incorporating tennis, netball and squash, have been put on hold.
But Triffitt said Tennis ACT was working with ACT Government and private developers to establish more facilities in areas of need.
‘‘Gone are the days when they would establish a new suburb and put in a church and a tennis court,’’ Triffitt said.
‘‘We’ve seen the growth in Gungahlin, prior to that South Tuggeranong and on the horizon Molonglo. These are the areas that are perfect participation bases for a sport like ours and we don’t have facilities in those areas.
‘‘The population is growing and the demand is growing, so we’ve got to find locations for the facilities. We’re working with a private sector as well.’’
Read more: Davis Cup on the agenda for Tennis ACT
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2006/12/07
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29893
Tennis Academy director and head professional Dan Barrie departed early this morning for the United States to attend the 2013 World Conference on Tennis, hosted by the United States Professional Tennis Association.
The annual event is the tennis industry's premier educational experience for tennis professionals.
More than 1,000 of the nation's most influential tennis teachers and industry leaders will gather from Monday to Friday at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Hotel in Orlando, Florida, to attend educational seminars and tennis industry meetings, network and see new products.
Among the featured speakers are coach of 10 former World No 1 players Nick Bollettieri, 10-and-Under Tennis expert Mike Barrell, and former touring pro and general manager of USTA Player Development Patrick McEnroe.
"This year the educational offerings will focus on four core competencies: 10 and Under Tennis, club operations, teaching/sport science and high performance" said USPTA President, Tom Daglis.
"Participants will also be able to attend a tennis buying show and have certification upgrade opportunities."
Founded in 1927, USPTA strives to raise the standards of the tennis profession while promoting greater awareness of the sport.
With over 15,000 members worldwide, USPTA is the oldest and largest organisation of tennis teaching professionals in the world.
For information on learning tennis, contact Bahrain Tennis Academy on [email][email protected][/email].
The annual event is the tennis industry's premier educational experience for tennis professionals.
More than 1,000 of the nation's most influential tennis teachers and industry leaders will gather from Monday to Friday at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Hotel in Orlando, Florida, to attend educational seminars and tennis industry meetings, network and see new products.
Among the featured speakers are coach of 10 former World No 1 players Nick Bollettieri, 10-and-Under Tennis expert Mike Barrell, and former touring pro and general manager of USTA Player Development Patrick McEnroe.
"This year the educational offerings will focus on four core competencies: 10 and Under Tennis, club operations, teaching/sport science and high performance" said USPTA President, Tom Daglis.
"Participants will also be able to attend a tennis buying show and have certification upgrade opportunities."
Founded in 1927, USPTA strives to raise the standards of the tennis profession while promoting greater awareness of the sport.
With over 15,000 members worldwide, USPTA is the oldest and largest organisation of tennis teaching professionals in the world.
For information on learning tennis, contact Bahrain Tennis Academy on [email][email protected][/email].
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
During last month’s US Open, Andy Murray came up against Denis Istomin – a rare example of a tennis player who is coached by his mother – and was asked if he might consider following suit.
“Maybe when I come to the end of my career, it might be something that would be nice to do,” said Murray. “I know that tactically she’s very good.
“Basically my mum coached me and my brother until 11, 12 years old.”
Parents hold the power in a tennis player’s retinue. It was not the coach who presented an unsuspecting toddler with a cut-down racket, drove him to practice, and directed death stares at his opponents for the past 20 years.
But while Judy Murray sent Andy off to work with Leon Smith (now Great Britain’s Davis Cup captain) as a teenager, not every parent is so good at letting go. You only have to look at the cautionary tale of John and Bernard Tomic, which has been laid bare over the past week by Bernard’s former hitting partner Thomas Drouet.
In May, Drouet went to the police after being butted by John – who is Bernard’s father, coach and constant companion – in a Madrid car park.
Photos showed him wearing a neck brace and a sort of “X marks the spot” configuration of sticking plaster across the bridge of his nose.
Now he has told the story of his life in the Tomic camp. Even after the ensuing court case, which handed John Tomic a suspended eight-month jail sentence for assault, the details are still shocking.
Drouet and his only ally, fitness trainer Salva Sosa, are constantly being verbally abused, having their pay docked or being told to sleep on airport benches.
Bernard is almost as volatile as his father, switching from sympathetic to authoritarian without warning. At one point, the father and son start shooting each other in the legs with an air pistol as a sort of macho contest.
At another, Bernard wins the Sydney International – his first ATP title – but then celebrates to such an extent that he loses 3kg of muscle.
You have to feel for Bernard. With John by his side every day of his life, it is little wonder that he is always in trouble with the cops. Nor that he comes across like a hostage with Stockholm Syndrome.
“If you do one mistake it will be to try to separate them,” Sosa tells Drouet at one point. “Coming between them, you are dead, let Bernard do it for himself.”
John is part of a long tradition of obsessional, sometimes unhinged tennis dads. As Peter Bodo wrote in his 1995 book Courts of Babylon: “Men like Roland Jaeger, Stefano Capriati, Peter Graf, Karolj Seles and Jim Pierce have a few striking things in common – in different ways, they all began as hungry outsiders looking in at the glamorous world of pro tennis. Three of them moved to America [as John Tomic did Australia] to further their family ambitions.”
Pierce is the most extreme example. At the age of 18, his daughter Mary was forced to hire a bodyguard and take out a restraining order.
“He would slap me after I lost a match or sometimes just if I had had a bad practice,” she told Sports Illustrated magazine.
The story turned out better than could have been expected for Mary Pierce, who won two grand slam titles and now seems to have transcended her unstable upbringing.
Bernard, who is still only 20 years old, has the talent to follow her example. But does he have the strength? We can only hope that Drouet’s jaw-dropping confessional, which has gone viral within tennis’s locker-rooms, will help to spring him out of this toxic relationship.
Tales of tennis talent caught in the parent trap - Telegraph
“Maybe when I come to the end of my career, it might be something that would be nice to do,” said Murray. “I know that tactically she’s very good.
“Basically my mum coached me and my brother until 11, 12 years old.”
Parents hold the power in a tennis player’s retinue. It was not the coach who presented an unsuspecting toddler with a cut-down racket, drove him to practice, and directed death stares at his opponents for the past 20 years.
But while Judy Murray sent Andy off to work with Leon Smith (now Great Britain’s Davis Cup captain) as a teenager, not every parent is so good at letting go. You only have to look at the cautionary tale of John and Bernard Tomic, which has been laid bare over the past week by Bernard’s former hitting partner Thomas Drouet.
In May, Drouet went to the police after being butted by John – who is Bernard’s father, coach and constant companion – in a Madrid car park.
Photos showed him wearing a neck brace and a sort of “X marks the spot” configuration of sticking plaster across the bridge of his nose.
Now he has told the story of his life in the Tomic camp. Even after the ensuing court case, which handed John Tomic a suspended eight-month jail sentence for assault, the details are still shocking.
Drouet and his only ally, fitness trainer Salva Sosa, are constantly being verbally abused, having their pay docked or being told to sleep on airport benches.
Bernard is almost as volatile as his father, switching from sympathetic to authoritarian without warning. At one point, the father and son start shooting each other in the legs with an air pistol as a sort of macho contest.
At another, Bernard wins the Sydney International – his first ATP title – but then celebrates to such an extent that he loses 3kg of muscle.
You have to feel for Bernard. With John by his side every day of his life, it is little wonder that he is always in trouble with the cops. Nor that he comes across like a hostage with Stockholm Syndrome.
“If you do one mistake it will be to try to separate them,” Sosa tells Drouet at one point. “Coming between them, you are dead, let Bernard do it for himself.”
John is part of a long tradition of obsessional, sometimes unhinged tennis dads. As Peter Bodo wrote in his 1995 book Courts of Babylon: “Men like Roland Jaeger, Stefano Capriati, Peter Graf, Karolj Seles and Jim Pierce have a few striking things in common – in different ways, they all began as hungry outsiders looking in at the glamorous world of pro tennis. Three of them moved to America [as John Tomic did Australia] to further their family ambitions.”
Pierce is the most extreme example. At the age of 18, his daughter Mary was forced to hire a bodyguard and take out a restraining order.
“He would slap me after I lost a match or sometimes just if I had had a bad practice,” she told Sports Illustrated magazine.
The story turned out better than could have been expected for Mary Pierce, who won two grand slam titles and now seems to have transcended her unstable upbringing.
Bernard, who is still only 20 years old, has the talent to follow her example. But does he have the strength? We can only hope that Drouet’s jaw-dropping confessional, which has gone viral within tennis’s locker-rooms, will help to spring him out of this toxic relationship.
Tales of tennis talent caught in the parent trap - Telegraph
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2006/12/07
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For many, the US Open marks the fourth and final time that attention must be paid to tennis for the year. From a historical standpoint, that's an accurate assessment. Little to nothing that happens for the rest of 2013 will be remembered in the long run. The No. 1 rankings on both tours have been decided, Masters events feel a little smaller when they don't lead to a major and Andy Murray announced that he's going to have back surgery and likely won't be seen again until 2014.
Yet tennis will be played, by the rest of the best in the world, and sometimes what happens in the fall doesn't just stay in the fall. Two years ago, Roger Federer began his long run back to No. 1 with three late-season tournament wins. Here are four things to keep an eye on over the last six weeks of 2013.
Can Novak Djokovic adjust?
Your move, Nole.
With his US Open win, Rafael Nadal has not only won his past three matches over Djokovic, he has taken his No. 1 ranking, as well. This is one of the few rivalries that really has gone back and forth. After losing seven straight to Djokovic, Nadal brought more aggression and variety to their matches.
What can the Serb do to counteract that? In the past, he was patient against Rafa, but to play that way you have to be confident that you can win in the end. The indoor hard-court season, where Rafa traditionally struggles, should offer Djokovic a few chances to get that confidence back going into 2014.
Can Rafa sustain?
Even in Nadal's No. 1 seasons, 2008 and 2010, he faded down the indoor stretch. He has never won Shanghai, Paris or the World Tour Finals -- the latter is the only event of real significance missing from his resume. The faster surfaces and faster play indoors hurts Rafa, as does his body, which is typically beat up by the end of the season.
He says he'll try to do better this time, though it would also make sense for him to rest his knees at this time of year. Will Nadal continue to have highs and lows in his late 20s? Or will he be a consistent No. 1? We'll get an early answer this fall.
Can Roger bounce back?
As I said above, this has often been a time for Roger Federer to shine. He has won six World Tour Finals, and he loves indoor hard courts the same way Rafa loves outdoor clay.
When we last saw him, at the US Open, the 32-year-old Federer's expectations appeared distinctly lowered -- after months of back trouble, he just wanted to be able to train well again. This fall will tell us how that's going. If he can win a title, make himself competitive and qualify for the WTFs, he'll feel better for 2014. But more early losses would, like the early losses at the majors this year, be something new -- Federer has always finished strong.
Is anyone in the same league as Serena?
For most of the past two seasons, the WTA had a healthy and competitive big three -- Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova divvied up the big titles, played often-intriguing matches and were virtually always in contention.
Now that ruling class is on shakier ground, yet no one has risen up this year to challenge them, either. Sharapova, after shoulder problems and a lost summer with Jimmy Connors, has fallen off, while Vika failed to close the gap with Serena at the Open.
It feels again as if there's Serena ... and everyone else, and this fall will be a battle to see who's the best among everyone else. The one must-watch will be the tour championships, which are in Istanbul for the last time. Will Sharapova be there? Can Vika regain her momentum? Or will Serena, at 32, finish what might be her best season yet?
Tennis -- What to expect from the final weeks of 2013 - ESPN
Yet tennis will be played, by the rest of the best in the world, and sometimes what happens in the fall doesn't just stay in the fall. Two years ago, Roger Federer began his long run back to No. 1 with three late-season tournament wins. Here are four things to keep an eye on over the last six weeks of 2013.
Can Novak Djokovic adjust?
Your move, Nole.
With his US Open win, Rafael Nadal has not only won his past three matches over Djokovic, he has taken his No. 1 ranking, as well. This is one of the few rivalries that really has gone back and forth. After losing seven straight to Djokovic, Nadal brought more aggression and variety to their matches.
What can the Serb do to counteract that? In the past, he was patient against Rafa, but to play that way you have to be confident that you can win in the end. The indoor hard-court season, where Rafa traditionally struggles, should offer Djokovic a few chances to get that confidence back going into 2014.
Can Rafa sustain?
Even in Nadal's No. 1 seasons, 2008 and 2010, he faded down the indoor stretch. He has never won Shanghai, Paris or the World Tour Finals -- the latter is the only event of real significance missing from his resume. The faster surfaces and faster play indoors hurts Rafa, as does his body, which is typically beat up by the end of the season.
He says he'll try to do better this time, though it would also make sense for him to rest his knees at this time of year. Will Nadal continue to have highs and lows in his late 20s? Or will he be a consistent No. 1? We'll get an early answer this fall.
Can Roger bounce back?
As I said above, this has often been a time for Roger Federer to shine. He has won six World Tour Finals, and he loves indoor hard courts the same way Rafa loves outdoor clay.
When we last saw him, at the US Open, the 32-year-old Federer's expectations appeared distinctly lowered -- after months of back trouble, he just wanted to be able to train well again. This fall will tell us how that's going. If he can win a title, make himself competitive and qualify for the WTFs, he'll feel better for 2014. But more early losses would, like the early losses at the majors this year, be something new -- Federer has always finished strong.
Is anyone in the same league as Serena?
For most of the past two seasons, the WTA had a healthy and competitive big three -- Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova divvied up the big titles, played often-intriguing matches and were virtually always in contention.
Now that ruling class is on shakier ground, yet no one has risen up this year to challenge them, either. Sharapova, after shoulder problems and a lost summer with Jimmy Connors, has fallen off, while Vika failed to close the gap with Serena at the Open.
It feels again as if there's Serena ... and everyone else, and this fall will be a battle to see who's the best among everyone else. The one must-watch will be the tour championships, which are in Istanbul for the last time. Will Sharapova be there? Can Vika regain her momentum? Or will Serena, at 32, finish what might be her best season yet?
Tennis -- What to expect from the final weeks of 2013 - ESPN
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UCLA dominated play at the recently completed Costa Mesa Pro Tennis Classic, as players with Bruin ties took home both the singles and doubles titles at the Costa Mesa Tennis Center on Sunday.
Former player Haythem Abid, who played at UCLA from 2006-10, won five straight matches in the singles draw to take home the title, downing Ernesto Escobedo, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 in Sunday's final. Abid, from Tunisia, was unseeded in the 32-player draw. He is currently ranked No. 748 in the ATP World Tour rankings.
In the men's doubles draw, Bruin junior Marcos Giron teamed with incoming freshman Mackenzie McDonald to win the championship, beating the South African duo of Keith-Patrick Crowley and Matt Fawcett, 6-3, 6-2. Giron and McDonald upset top-seeded Carsten Ball and Daniel Garza in the quarterfinals, 7-5, 3-6, (12-10).
A total of seven former or current UCLA players competed in Costa Mesa last week, as Abid, Giron and McDonald were joined in the draws by Nick Meister, Clay Thompson, Dennis Mkrtchian and Dennis Novikov.
Former player Haythem Abid, who played at UCLA from 2006-10, won five straight matches in the singles draw to take home the title, downing Ernesto Escobedo, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 in Sunday's final. Abid, from Tunisia, was unseeded in the 32-player draw. He is currently ranked No. 748 in the ATP World Tour rankings.
In the men's doubles draw, Bruin junior Marcos Giron teamed with incoming freshman Mackenzie McDonald to win the championship, beating the South African duo of Keith-Patrick Crowley and Matt Fawcett, 6-3, 6-2. Giron and McDonald upset top-seeded Carsten Ball and Daniel Garza in the quarterfinals, 7-5, 3-6, (12-10).
A total of seven former or current UCLA players competed in Costa Mesa last week, as Abid, Giron and McDonald were joined in the draws by Nick Meister, Clay Thompson, Dennis Mkrtchian and Dennis Novikov.
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It's the time of year when players pack their bags and head for Asia, and on the WTA tour, that now means an extended stay.
The post-US Open season, once dominated by European indoor events, has become a full-fledged Asian swing. Serena Williams and the injured Maria Sharapova aside, most of the top women are in Toyko this week for the first big event of the fall, followed by the Premier mandatory event in Beijing next week and other smaller events in the region in surrounding weeks. That trend will only increase starting next year, when Singapore begins the first of its five years hosting the TEB BNP Paribas year-end championships.
In 2007, there were indoor European events during six of the nine weeks of play after the US Open, including all but one of the high-level tournaments (Beijing) and the year-end championships in Madrid. Next year, six of the seven tournament weeks after the US Open will contain events in South East Asia, including all but one (Moscow) of the high-level Premier tournaments. Events in places like China and Thailand are also dotted through the early part of the season, along with tournaments in Doha and Dubai that have given the tour an established presence in the Persian Gulf. Although Europe still has the highest concentration of the 54 tournaments on the WTA -- as well as over two-thirds of the top 100 -- Asian events now outnumber North American ones. The Asia-Pacific region as a whole will account for 23 of the tour's events in 2014.
The shift has been caused largely by financial factors. The tour, still without a lead global sponsor following the departure of Sony Ericsson last year, wants to put tournaments in its most lucrative locales -- traditional strongholds like Europe, the U.S. and rapidly growing Southeast Asia.
"I think we just made a strategic decision to nurture our mature markets and make them successful, [plus] look at where an opportunity is -- one market," WTA CEO Stacey Allaster told ESPN.com at the New York Tennis Debate last month. "And we chose Asia in 2008.
"And we're only starting," she added. "We haven't even begun to realize the opportunity of China and Southeast Asia."
China has been at the forefront of the trend, going from just one event in 2007 to a scheduled eight in 2014. That will include five WTA events, two at the Premier level and three at the lower International level -- including a new tournament in Wuhan, Li Na's hometown.
The other three will be WTA 125 tournaments, a new, smaller group of events introduced last year to try to bridge the gap with the minor league ITF Pro circuit events as well give more playing opportunities to lower-ranked players following the calendar overhaul done as part of the WTA's Roadmap project in 2009.
As China's economy has grown and trade has increased, the nation has also invested in its presence on the international sporting scene, most prominently with the Beijing Games in 2008. Tennis tournaments also have been a significant part of that effort -- Shanghai hosted the ATP season-ending Masters Cup from 2005 to 2008, and since 2009, China has had a top-level tour event on both the men's and women's side with the ATP Masters in Shanghai and the WTA Premier mandatory in Beijing.
At the same time, a growing cadre of Chinese players on the women's tour has helped capture the attention of the general public. Growing enthusiasm then turned into full-blown frenzy when Li became the first Chinese player to win a singles Grand Slam title at the French Open in 2011 -- some major "good fortune" for the WTA's strategy, notes Allaster.
But the tour's initial focus on China has now broadened to include the whole region, she adds.
"What has been clear to me as we went through the [bidding] process of the year-end championships is that China is China. China is not your Asia-Pacific strategy," said Allaster. "Southeast Asia is a big world, and [having the] championships in Singapore becomes a gateway into Southeast Asia."
The overall distribution of tournaments seems to be working financially. Prize money, now partly linked to tournament revenues, has gone up by two-thirds since the Roadmap was implemented in 2009. And although the global presence of the WTA has increased, critics have said that long-running tournaments are being uprooted from traditional venues to make way for extravagant, state-bankrolled events, and also noted spotty attendance at big stadiums in Beijing and Shanghai.
While selecting the next host of the year-end championships, the WTA expressly said a "government-backed" bid was the most practical option given the high sums involved -- a financial commitment of at least $15 million a year, plus operating costs of $6 million to $10 million. The deal with Singapore was for a "record-breaking" amount, said the tour when announcing the deal, with the five-year length of the agreement providing added security. Allaster has said the year-end championships account for 40 percent of the tour's net revenue, which is more than a sponsorship.
Still, there is a ceiling on the number of events in any one place. "There's only so many weeks on the tour, so we're quite limited, and also by the geographic flow of the Grand Slams," said Allaster. "So it's either the start of the year or after the US Open.
''So we're for the most part full, for our Premier and our International [events]. We're solidifying our Asian swing now that Singapore is where the championships will be. I think the WTA 125s, the new events we've created, that's where we can build women's tennis throughout Asia-Pacific. I could foresee 10, 15 of them five years from now.''
Overall, geographic fluctuations are hardly new. The emergence of Steffi Graf and Boris Becker fueled a surge of public interest in Germany in the 1980s that led to many big tournaments springing up there. But as the number of top-level players dried up, so did the events, an experience that continues to serve as a
The post-US Open season, once dominated by European indoor events, has become a full-fledged Asian swing. Serena Williams and the injured Maria Sharapova aside, most of the top women are in Toyko this week for the first big event of the fall, followed by the Premier mandatory event in Beijing next week and other smaller events in the region in surrounding weeks. That trend will only increase starting next year, when Singapore begins the first of its five years hosting the TEB BNP Paribas year-end championships.
In 2007, there were indoor European events during six of the nine weeks of play after the US Open, including all but one of the high-level tournaments (Beijing) and the year-end championships in Madrid. Next year, six of the seven tournament weeks after the US Open will contain events in South East Asia, including all but one (Moscow) of the high-level Premier tournaments. Events in places like China and Thailand are also dotted through the early part of the season, along with tournaments in Doha and Dubai that have given the tour an established presence in the Persian Gulf. Although Europe still has the highest concentration of the 54 tournaments on the WTA -- as well as over two-thirds of the top 100 -- Asian events now outnumber North American ones. The Asia-Pacific region as a whole will account for 23 of the tour's events in 2014.
The shift has been caused largely by financial factors. The tour, still without a lead global sponsor following the departure of Sony Ericsson last year, wants to put tournaments in its most lucrative locales -- traditional strongholds like Europe, the U.S. and rapidly growing Southeast Asia.
"I think we just made a strategic decision to nurture our mature markets and make them successful, [plus] look at where an opportunity is -- one market," WTA CEO Stacey Allaster told ESPN.com at the New York Tennis Debate last month. "And we chose Asia in 2008.
"And we're only starting," she added. "We haven't even begun to realize the opportunity of China and Southeast Asia."
China has been at the forefront of the trend, going from just one event in 2007 to a scheduled eight in 2014. That will include five WTA events, two at the Premier level and three at the lower International level -- including a new tournament in Wuhan, Li Na's hometown.
The other three will be WTA 125 tournaments, a new, smaller group of events introduced last year to try to bridge the gap with the minor league ITF Pro circuit events as well give more playing opportunities to lower-ranked players following the calendar overhaul done as part of the WTA's Roadmap project in 2009.
As China's economy has grown and trade has increased, the nation has also invested in its presence on the international sporting scene, most prominently with the Beijing Games in 2008. Tennis tournaments also have been a significant part of that effort -- Shanghai hosted the ATP season-ending Masters Cup from 2005 to 2008, and since 2009, China has had a top-level tour event on both the men's and women's side with the ATP Masters in Shanghai and the WTA Premier mandatory in Beijing.
At the same time, a growing cadre of Chinese players on the women's tour has helped capture the attention of the general public. Growing enthusiasm then turned into full-blown frenzy when Li became the first Chinese player to win a singles Grand Slam title at the French Open in 2011 -- some major "good fortune" for the WTA's strategy, notes Allaster.
But the tour's initial focus on China has now broadened to include the whole region, she adds.
"What has been clear to me as we went through the [bidding] process of the year-end championships is that China is China. China is not your Asia-Pacific strategy," said Allaster. "Southeast Asia is a big world, and [having the] championships in Singapore becomes a gateway into Southeast Asia."
The overall distribution of tournaments seems to be working financially. Prize money, now partly linked to tournament revenues, has gone up by two-thirds since the Roadmap was implemented in 2009. And although the global presence of the WTA has increased, critics have said that long-running tournaments are being uprooted from traditional venues to make way for extravagant, state-bankrolled events, and also noted spotty attendance at big stadiums in Beijing and Shanghai.
While selecting the next host of the year-end championships, the WTA expressly said a "government-backed" bid was the most practical option given the high sums involved -- a financial commitment of at least $15 million a year, plus operating costs of $6 million to $10 million. The deal with Singapore was for a "record-breaking" amount, said the tour when announcing the deal, with the five-year length of the agreement providing added security. Allaster has said the year-end championships account for 40 percent of the tour's net revenue, which is more than a sponsorship.
Still, there is a ceiling on the number of events in any one place. "There's only so many weeks on the tour, so we're quite limited, and also by the geographic flow of the Grand Slams," said Allaster. "So it's either the start of the year or after the US Open.
''So we're for the most part full, for our Premier and our International [events]. We're solidifying our Asian swing now that Singapore is where the championships will be. I think the WTA 125s, the new events we've created, that's where we can build women's tennis throughout Asia-Pacific. I could foresee 10, 15 of them five years from now.''
Overall, geographic fluctuations are hardly new. The emergence of Steffi Graf and Boris Becker fueled a surge of public interest in Germany in the 1980s that led to many big tournaments springing up there. But as the number of top-level players dried up, so did the events, an experience that continues to serve as a
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Michael Downey was back behind his desk at Tennis Canada’s offices Wednesday, jet-lagged after a whirlwind trip to London, where he did some house-hunting and was introduced to the media as the new chief executive of British tennis.
Downey will leave his post as Tennis Canada president and CEO at the end of 2013, after nine years on the job, and start 2014 in one of the most high-profile positions in the sport: head of the Lawn Tennis Association. The 56-year-old says he’s “euphoric” about the appointment and credits the current health of Canadian tennis for earning him the opportunity.
Impressed by a business résumé that includes leadership roles with what is now Molson Coors Brewing Co. and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd., the LTA hired Downey to undertake huge tasks in the market he calls “the cradle of tennis.” The biggest will be converting the popularity of superstar Andy Murray into increased tennis participation across Britain.
“The results of Tennis Canada are why I’m getting this job. Fundamentally, it’s Milos Raonic and Eugenie Bouchard, Canada’s Davis Cup success and the growth of participation numbers that opened the door for me,” Downey said. “I had to go get it, but I would have never been asked to interview if the world wasn’t saying, ‘Wow, look at tennis in Canada. What’s in the water over there?’”
He leaves with a heavy heart, as Tennis Canada is enjoying the fruits of its labour, starting with increases of at least 3 per cent per year in participation since 2008 (more than five million Canadians currently play the sport once a year, and 1.2 million play frequently). Montreal’s national training centre, established in 2007, has churned out players such as Raonic (currently ranked No. 11 in the world), Bouchard (No. 46) and rising junior star Filip Peliwo. Canada’s Davis Cup squad recently made its first World Group semi-final appearance in the open era.
Downey says one major project he didn’t finish at Tennis Canada is an initiative that would unite the country’s registered players.
“I wish we had gotten to pursue a national membership program with our provincial partners,” he said. ”It would be a great opportunity to bring these people together. And I’m not just talking about a way to raise money for tennis in Canada, but a way of communicating and pulling them together in a common interest. We’ve done research on it but haven’t put the meat and potatoes behind it. That will be left to the next leader.”
In his new role, Downey will make £300,000 ($497,500) per year and says he’s not bothered by the fact his predecessor at the LTA, Roger Draper, drew £400,000 plus benefits .
“While I wouldn’t want to be behind the industry, I believe what I’m being compensated is very fair and competitive, but this is about a lot more than money for me,” said Downey, whose partner, television writer/producer Jinder Chalmers, is moving with him to London. “This is an incredible opportunity to live in one of the most magnificent cities in the world at age 56 and to lead an organization where tennis is close to a religion.”
He has some advice for the next president and CEO of Tennis Canada:
“I don’t play tennis, but I have phenomenal passion for it, and I love to go out and talk about it. The colleagues here at Tennis Canada want to see that passion in their leader and they will follow it. We are just scratching the surface with tennis in Canada. Whoever gets this job will be very lucky.”
Downey moves on from Tennis Canada with few regrets - The Globe and Mail
Downey will leave his post as Tennis Canada president and CEO at the end of 2013, after nine years on the job, and start 2014 in one of the most high-profile positions in the sport: head of the Lawn Tennis Association. The 56-year-old says he’s “euphoric” about the appointment and credits the current health of Canadian tennis for earning him the opportunity.
Impressed by a business résumé that includes leadership roles with what is now Molson Coors Brewing Co. and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd., the LTA hired Downey to undertake huge tasks in the market he calls “the cradle of tennis.” The biggest will be converting the popularity of superstar Andy Murray into increased tennis participation across Britain.
“The results of Tennis Canada are why I’m getting this job. Fundamentally, it’s Milos Raonic and Eugenie Bouchard, Canada’s Davis Cup success and the growth of participation numbers that opened the door for me,” Downey said. “I had to go get it, but I would have never been asked to interview if the world wasn’t saying, ‘Wow, look at tennis in Canada. What’s in the water over there?’”
He leaves with a heavy heart, as Tennis Canada is enjoying the fruits of its labour, starting with increases of at least 3 per cent per year in participation since 2008 (more than five million Canadians currently play the sport once a year, and 1.2 million play frequently). Montreal’s national training centre, established in 2007, has churned out players such as Raonic (currently ranked No. 11 in the world), Bouchard (No. 46) and rising junior star Filip Peliwo. Canada’s Davis Cup squad recently made its first World Group semi-final appearance in the open era.
Downey says one major project he didn’t finish at Tennis Canada is an initiative that would unite the country’s registered players.
“I wish we had gotten to pursue a national membership program with our provincial partners,” he said. ”It would be a great opportunity to bring these people together. And I’m not just talking about a way to raise money for tennis in Canada, but a way of communicating and pulling them together in a common interest. We’ve done research on it but haven’t put the meat and potatoes behind it. That will be left to the next leader.”
In his new role, Downey will make £300,000 ($497,500) per year and says he’s not bothered by the fact his predecessor at the LTA, Roger Draper, drew £400,000 plus benefits .
“While I wouldn’t want to be behind the industry, I believe what I’m being compensated is very fair and competitive, but this is about a lot more than money for me,” said Downey, whose partner, television writer/producer Jinder Chalmers, is moving with him to London. “This is an incredible opportunity to live in one of the most magnificent cities in the world at age 56 and to lead an organization where tennis is close to a religion.”
He has some advice for the next president and CEO of Tennis Canada:
“I don’t play tennis, but I have phenomenal passion for it, and I love to go out and talk about it. The colleagues here at Tennis Canada want to see that passion in their leader and they will follow it. We are just scratching the surface with tennis in Canada. Whoever gets this job will be very lucky.”
Downey moves on from Tennis Canada with few regrets - The Globe and Mail
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Novak Djokovic, the world's top-ranked tennis player, announced via social media on Wednesday that he was engaged to marry his longtime girlfriend, Jelena Ristic.
"Meet my fiance (sic) and future wife," Djokovic, 26, said in a tweet that linked to a photo of the Serbian-born tennis star being kissed by his fiancee, also a Serb. "So happy! Thank you for the wonderful wishes #NoleFam and friends!"
Ristic is well-known to tennis fans as a fashionable and enthusiastic presence at Djokovic's matches and is director of his charitable foundation.
Djokovic became a top-10 player on the ATP tour in 2007 but was overshadowed for several years by Roger Federer, the so-called Swiss Maestro, considered by many to be the greatest tennis player of all time, and Spaniard Rafael Nadal.
But in 2011 Djokovic surged past both men to claim the number 1 ranking by putting together one of the best seasons in the sport's modern era, winning the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open and losing only six matches.
Though Federer briefly reclaimed the No. 1 spot after winning Wimbledon in 2012, Djokovic has held it for most of the past two years.
Earlier this month he lost to Nadal in the finals of the U.S. Open.
Djokovic, who credits his rise to the top of his sport in part thanks to a gluten-free diet, in August released an autobiographical book about his nutrition and training regime, titled "Serve to Win."
Tennis star Novak Djokovic announces engagement to girlfriend | Reuters
"Meet my fiance (sic) and future wife," Djokovic, 26, said in a tweet that linked to a photo of the Serbian-born tennis star being kissed by his fiancee, also a Serb. "So happy! Thank you for the wonderful wishes #NoleFam and friends!"
Ristic is well-known to tennis fans as a fashionable and enthusiastic presence at Djokovic's matches and is director of his charitable foundation.
Djokovic became a top-10 player on the ATP tour in 2007 but was overshadowed for several years by Roger Federer, the so-called Swiss Maestro, considered by many to be the greatest tennis player of all time, and Spaniard Rafael Nadal.
But in 2011 Djokovic surged past both men to claim the number 1 ranking by putting together one of the best seasons in the sport's modern era, winning the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open and losing only six matches.
Though Federer briefly reclaimed the No. 1 spot after winning Wimbledon in 2012, Djokovic has held it for most of the past two years.
Earlier this month he lost to Nadal in the finals of the U.S. Open.
Djokovic, who credits his rise to the top of his sport in part thanks to a gluten-free diet, in August released an autobiographical book about his nutrition and training regime, titled "Serve to Win."
Tennis star Novak Djokovic announces engagement to girlfriend | Reuters
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Three years ago, when I was doing research for my book High Strung, I came across a scouting report that Tennis Magazine ran in the mid-1970s on the promising young American players of that moment. A teenage John McEnroe was among the prospects, but he wasn’t at the top of the list, or even near the the top. For all of his artistic skill, the slouchy lefty was never a dominant junior; in those days, he typically played second-fiddle to someone named Van Winitsky. But young Johnny Mac had something that caught people’s eye. His coach, Harry Hopman, often said he would be No. 1 in the world someday. Tennis wasn’t that prescient, but its scouts weren’t wrong about McEnroe, either. They said he was the most gifted of the new crop, and that he could be the best of them, if he used those gifts wisely. The implication was, he might not.
In hindsight, we know McEnroe made the most of his God-given game, and his greatness now looks as if it were a foregone conclusion. At the time, though, there was no way to know that this prep-school kid, who liked soccer as much as tennis, would go from diffidence to dominance. In 1976, McEnroe’s future No. 1 ranking and seven Grand Slam titles were still a matter of “if,” rather than “when.”
And that’s always the case when we try to take the measure of young tennis players. We’ve seen it again on the WTA side this year, as we try to predict who might be the next young player to compete for majors and crack the Top 5. The tour is due for some new blood—No. 1 Serena Williams turned 32 today, and even her younger challengers aren’t as young as they once were: Victoria Azarenka and Agnieszka Radwanska are 24 now. The 23-year-old Caroline Wozniacki, despite already appearing to be on the downslope of her career, is still the third-youngest player in the Top 20.
Who can make her the fourth, the fifth, the sixth youngest? Four players under 21 are currently bunched together in the 40s. It has looked, at various times this season, as if each of them could be be the proverbial "real deal." Eugenie Bouchard is the latest to throw her racquet into the ring—this week she reached the quarters in Tokyo and showed a lot of heart and game in losing to Venus Williams in three sets. Here’s a look the strengths and flaws—the “if”s—that Bouchard and her fellow WTA prospects bring to the court. Which of them is McEnroe, and which is Winitsky, is still anyone’s guess.
*****
Sloane Stephens (Age: 20; Ranking: 13)
For Her: Stephens has two things you can’t teach: Speed and easy power. She can hit her serve 120 M.P.H. and put the ball past her opponents from the baseline without seeming to take on much risk. Though she lost to Serena at the U.S. Open, she showed that her win over her in Australia wasn’t a fluke. Sloane is one of the few players who can make the world No. 1 scramble, and that’s saying something. Stephens already has the ability to get on a roll and win a major. It easily could have happened at Wimbledon this year.
Against Her: But that's the thing, it didn't happen at Wimbledon, because Stephens didn't take advantage of her draw; she lost a match she could have won against Marion Bartoli. Right now Sloane is the Johnny Mac of the group–she may already be ranked No. 13, but whether she uses her considerable talent is still an “if.” At times, she can look and sound like a weary veteran who’s tired of the game and the road and the media—she already seems to be over it all. Serena had 16 majors when they played at Flushing Meadows, Sloane had none. Guess who was the hungrier competitor that day?
Laura Robson (Age: 19; Ranking: 38)
For Her: I almost put an exclamation point next to Robson’s age above—she’s still only 19? She already has a lot of experience, which is a plus, I think. Robson has power on both sides, and has shown a capacity to beat some of the WTA’s best. The popular Brit also has a lot of people backing her up.
Against Her: She can hit with pace like Sloane, but she doesn’t have her speed. And while she can stick a solid first serve, the second one tends to get shaky at the wrong times. Just as important, how much does Robson love the game and the grind? Considering how early she started, how long will she love it? One of her ex-coaches questioned her commitment, but that might not mean much—he’s a famous taskmaster who has burned other players out. Still, I wonder if her mind is one track enough. Plus, all those people backing Our Laura up can also weigh her down.
Madison Keys (Age: 18; Ranking: 43)
For Her: Big forehand, bigger serve, an athletic pedigree, a quietly determined demeanor, and height. She has more raw power than any of her peers, and at 18, she’s just getting started.
Against Her: So far it appears as if Keys attended the notorious Petra Kvitova School of Tennis—like the Czech, you don’t know what you’re going to get from her from day to day, set to set, shot to shot. The question for Keys may be whether she can develop a rally ball, a first gear, a way to work the point before going for broke. If not, the question will be: Can she still have success without it? Kvitova has, to a degree.
Monica Puig (Age: 20; Ranking: 44)
For Her: Anyone who has seen her tweets, which end with her personal hashtag #picapower, knows Puig is an ambitious promoter of herself. And that’s true on court as well: She’s feisty.
Against Her: At 5’7”, Puig isn’t going to have the power or range of Stephens and Keys, who is one spot ahead of her in the rankings.
Eugenie Bouchard (Age: 19; Ranking: 46)
For Her: If her match against Venus Williams this week in Tokyo is any indication, when it comes to on-court attitude, Bouchard is the best of this bunch. Against Venus, she stuck to the business at hand and never got distracted or down on herself. She’s also an excellent counter-puncher and redirector of the ball who can generate her own pace. Stephens began the year as the bright new star; Bouchard may end it in the
In hindsight, we know McEnroe made the most of his God-given game, and his greatness now looks as if it were a foregone conclusion. At the time, though, there was no way to know that this prep-school kid, who liked soccer as much as tennis, would go from diffidence to dominance. In 1976, McEnroe’s future No. 1 ranking and seven Grand Slam titles were still a matter of “if,” rather than “when.”
And that’s always the case when we try to take the measure of young tennis players. We’ve seen it again on the WTA side this year, as we try to predict who might be the next young player to compete for majors and crack the Top 5. The tour is due for some new blood—No. 1 Serena Williams turned 32 today, and even her younger challengers aren’t as young as they once were: Victoria Azarenka and Agnieszka Radwanska are 24 now. The 23-year-old Caroline Wozniacki, despite already appearing to be on the downslope of her career, is still the third-youngest player in the Top 20.
Who can make her the fourth, the fifth, the sixth youngest? Four players under 21 are currently bunched together in the 40s. It has looked, at various times this season, as if each of them could be be the proverbial "real deal." Eugenie Bouchard is the latest to throw her racquet into the ring—this week she reached the quarters in Tokyo and showed a lot of heart and game in losing to Venus Williams in three sets. Here’s a look the strengths and flaws—the “if”s—that Bouchard and her fellow WTA prospects bring to the court. Which of them is McEnroe, and which is Winitsky, is still anyone’s guess.
*****
Sloane Stephens (Age: 20; Ranking: 13)
For Her: Stephens has two things you can’t teach: Speed and easy power. She can hit her serve 120 M.P.H. and put the ball past her opponents from the baseline without seeming to take on much risk. Though she lost to Serena at the U.S. Open, she showed that her win over her in Australia wasn’t a fluke. Sloane is one of the few players who can make the world No. 1 scramble, and that’s saying something. Stephens already has the ability to get on a roll and win a major. It easily could have happened at Wimbledon this year.
Against Her: But that's the thing, it didn't happen at Wimbledon, because Stephens didn't take advantage of her draw; she lost a match she could have won against Marion Bartoli. Right now Sloane is the Johnny Mac of the group–she may already be ranked No. 13, but whether she uses her considerable talent is still an “if.” At times, she can look and sound like a weary veteran who’s tired of the game and the road and the media—she already seems to be over it all. Serena had 16 majors when they played at Flushing Meadows, Sloane had none. Guess who was the hungrier competitor that day?
Laura Robson (Age: 19; Ranking: 38)
For Her: I almost put an exclamation point next to Robson’s age above—she’s still only 19? She already has a lot of experience, which is a plus, I think. Robson has power on both sides, and has shown a capacity to beat some of the WTA’s best. The popular Brit also has a lot of people backing her up.
Against Her: She can hit with pace like Sloane, but she doesn’t have her speed. And while she can stick a solid first serve, the second one tends to get shaky at the wrong times. Just as important, how much does Robson love the game and the grind? Considering how early she started, how long will she love it? One of her ex-coaches questioned her commitment, but that might not mean much—he’s a famous taskmaster who has burned other players out. Still, I wonder if her mind is one track enough. Plus, all those people backing Our Laura up can also weigh her down.
Madison Keys (Age: 18; Ranking: 43)
For Her: Big forehand, bigger serve, an athletic pedigree, a quietly determined demeanor, and height. She has more raw power than any of her peers, and at 18, she’s just getting started.
Against Her: So far it appears as if Keys attended the notorious Petra Kvitova School of Tennis—like the Czech, you don’t know what you’re going to get from her from day to day, set to set, shot to shot. The question for Keys may be whether she can develop a rally ball, a first gear, a way to work the point before going for broke. If not, the question will be: Can she still have success without it? Kvitova has, to a degree.
Monica Puig (Age: 20; Ranking: 44)
For Her: Anyone who has seen her tweets, which end with her personal hashtag #picapower, knows Puig is an ambitious promoter of herself. And that’s true on court as well: She’s feisty.
Against Her: At 5’7”, Puig isn’t going to have the power or range of Stephens and Keys, who is one spot ahead of her in the rankings.
Eugenie Bouchard (Age: 19; Ranking: 46)
For Her: If her match against Venus Williams this week in Tokyo is any indication, when it comes to on-court attitude, Bouchard is the best of this bunch. Against Venus, she stuck to the business at hand and never got distracted or down on herself. She’s also an excellent counter-puncher and redirector of the ball who can generate her own pace. Stephens began the year as the bright new star; Bouchard may end it in the
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The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is set to announce a two-year funding freeze for grassroots projects just as clubs are bursting at the seams and desperate to capitalise on Andy Murray's Wimbledon triumph.
As LTA chief executive Roger Draper steps down from his £640,000-a-year post tomorrow at the end of a controversial five-year reign at the top of the game's governing body, documents circulated earlier this month warn that the highly contentious move is on its way.
Instead of awarding capital grants to clubs around the country, the LTA will announce that any club wanting to expand or improve its infrastructure will receive only an interest-free loan. Coaches and club chairmen said the move was incomprehensible at a time when interest in tennis was unprecedented.
Sources told The Independent on Sunday that the LTA is prioritising the elite game over grassroots tennis as it prepares to pay around £150m for a roof for Wimbledon's No 1 court, and factors in a 40 per cent rise in the tournament's prize money. The 2013 total pot was £22.6m, up £6.5m on 2012, with men's and women's singles winners each receiving £1.6m.
The source said: "There is only a certain amount of money at the LTA and something has to give, but it will be a shame if grassroots projects are being hit at a time when we all want to capitalise on the interest around the UK after Andy's fantastic year."
Westward Ho! Tennis Club in Bideford, Devon, currently has four outdoor courts and has been trying to expand for several years. Chairman Martin Morris said his club has been inundated with juniors wanting to take up the game.
Four years ago the club was promised a £500,000 LTA grant to help it expand, but by the time it secured planning permission this year the LTA's offer had changed to a £200,000 interest-free loan, leaving the club's plans in the balance.
Now Westward Ho! has applied for a £300,000 grant from Sport England, which, Mr Morris said, had been "very helpful".
"We have 120 juniors at the club and are really struggling to get them coaching on a weekly basis," he added. "I know the LTA wants to increase participation but I'm not sure how they are going about it."
Mr Draper has been criticised for focusing on improving the LTA's commercial base while neglecting the grassroots. Since 2008, despite annual revenues of more than £60m, the number of adults playing the game at least once a week has fallen from 487,500 to 424,300, according to Sport England. Last December, when it announced a public funding round worth £7.1m a year to the LTA, Sport England said a further £10.3m award would be halted unless participation improved within 12 months.
Mike Downey, the current head of Tennis Canada, was announced last week as Mr Draper's successor. The 56-year-old Canadian takes up his role in January with a starting salary of £300,000 and possible further bonus payments that could reach £90,000 a year. He led a successful participation drive in Canada, increasing the number of regular players on public courts by around 30 per cent over the past six years.
Federation Cup coach Judy Murray, the Wimbledon champion's mother, has been a passionate advocate of improving grassroots tennis and has called on the LTA to introduce more "free courts" around the UK to widen the game beyond what she called its "middle-class and elitist" base. Mrs Murray would like to see elite coaches working with children at the very earliest stage: "Your role model is one thing but you're only as strong as your grassroots, which is the issue we're finding now."
Asked about the funding freeze, a spokesman for the LTA said: "The Lawn Tennis Association is writing a new facility strategy and, until this has been agreed and published, the LTA will be investing funding into areas of high population and latent demand for tennis, for facilities that can demonstrate how they will get more people playing more often."
Tennis funds frozen despite Andy Murray's success - Tennis - Sport - The Independent
As LTA chief executive Roger Draper steps down from his £640,000-a-year post tomorrow at the end of a controversial five-year reign at the top of the game's governing body, documents circulated earlier this month warn that the highly contentious move is on its way.
Instead of awarding capital grants to clubs around the country, the LTA will announce that any club wanting to expand or improve its infrastructure will receive only an interest-free loan. Coaches and club chairmen said the move was incomprehensible at a time when interest in tennis was unprecedented.
Sources told The Independent on Sunday that the LTA is prioritising the elite game over grassroots tennis as it prepares to pay around £150m for a roof for Wimbledon's No 1 court, and factors in a 40 per cent rise in the tournament's prize money. The 2013 total pot was £22.6m, up £6.5m on 2012, with men's and women's singles winners each receiving £1.6m.
The source said: "There is only a certain amount of money at the LTA and something has to give, but it will be a shame if grassroots projects are being hit at a time when we all want to capitalise on the interest around the UK after Andy's fantastic year."
Westward Ho! Tennis Club in Bideford, Devon, currently has four outdoor courts and has been trying to expand for several years. Chairman Martin Morris said his club has been inundated with juniors wanting to take up the game.
Four years ago the club was promised a £500,000 LTA grant to help it expand, but by the time it secured planning permission this year the LTA's offer had changed to a £200,000 interest-free loan, leaving the club's plans in the balance.
Now Westward Ho! has applied for a £300,000 grant from Sport England, which, Mr Morris said, had been "very helpful".
"We have 120 juniors at the club and are really struggling to get them coaching on a weekly basis," he added. "I know the LTA wants to increase participation but I'm not sure how they are going about it."
Mr Draper has been criticised for focusing on improving the LTA's commercial base while neglecting the grassroots. Since 2008, despite annual revenues of more than £60m, the number of adults playing the game at least once a week has fallen from 487,500 to 424,300, according to Sport England. Last December, when it announced a public funding round worth £7.1m a year to the LTA, Sport England said a further £10.3m award would be halted unless participation improved within 12 months.
Mike Downey, the current head of Tennis Canada, was announced last week as Mr Draper's successor. The 56-year-old Canadian takes up his role in January with a starting salary of £300,000 and possible further bonus payments that could reach £90,000 a year. He led a successful participation drive in Canada, increasing the number of regular players on public courts by around 30 per cent over the past six years.
Federation Cup coach Judy Murray, the Wimbledon champion's mother, has been a passionate advocate of improving grassroots tennis and has called on the LTA to introduce more "free courts" around the UK to widen the game beyond what she called its "middle-class and elitist" base. Mrs Murray would like to see elite coaches working with children at the very earliest stage: "Your role model is one thing but you're only as strong as your grassroots, which is the issue we're finding now."
Asked about the funding freeze, a spokesman for the LTA said: "The Lawn Tennis Association is writing a new facility strategy and, until this has been agreed and published, the LTA will be investing funding into areas of high population and latent demand for tennis, for facilities that can demonstrate how they will get more people playing more often."
Tennis funds frozen despite Andy Murray's success - Tennis - Sport - The Independent
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According to the online etymology dictionary the word tennis originated in the mid 14th century and is most likely from Anglo-French tenetz "hold! receive! take!," from Old French tenez, imperative of tenir "to hold, receive, take," which was used as a call from the server to his opponent. The original version of the game which was a favorite sport of medieval French knights was played by striking the ball with the palm of the hand, and in Old French was called la paulme, literally "the palm," but to an onlooker the service cry would naturally seem to identify the game.
The use of the word for the modern game is from 1874, short for lawn tennis, which originally was called sphairistike (1873), from Greek sphairistike (tekhne) "(skill) in playing at ball," from the root of sphere. It was invented, and named, by Maj. Walter C. Wingfield and first played at a garden party in Wales, inspired by the popularity of badminton.
Looking at the popularity of the sport today one can see the long history has added a special flavour to the game. The internet has provided new life for certain sports especially but all sport in general. The availability of the actual games on the net makes for a different kind of interaction between the games and the public.
The use of technology to bet has revolutionized the tennis world. It has become a main event on the punters calendar. The big betting sports such as the horses or dogs and then football and cricket garner the lion’s share of the spoils.
Tennis is starting to see the results of the online gambling industry’s interest making money with the odds on tennis. The in game feature offered at online gambling operations is giving the punter an exciting opportunity to put their money on the line at strategic points in the match.
Tennis Making Money for Online Gambling
The use of the word for the modern game is from 1874, short for lawn tennis, which originally was called sphairistike (1873), from Greek sphairistike (tekhne) "(skill) in playing at ball," from the root of sphere. It was invented, and named, by Maj. Walter C. Wingfield and first played at a garden party in Wales, inspired by the popularity of badminton.
Looking at the popularity of the sport today one can see the long history has added a special flavour to the game. The internet has provided new life for certain sports especially but all sport in general. The availability of the actual games on the net makes for a different kind of interaction between the games and the public.
The use of technology to bet has revolutionized the tennis world. It has become a main event on the punters calendar. The big betting sports such as the horses or dogs and then football and cricket garner the lion’s share of the spoils.
Tennis is starting to see the results of the online gambling industry’s interest making money with the odds on tennis. The in game feature offered at online gambling operations is giving the punter an exciting opportunity to put their money on the line at strategic points in the match.
Tennis Making Money for Online Gambling
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2006/12/07
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Canadian Milos Raonic upset top-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 7-6 (4), 6-3 to claim his fifth title at the Thailand Open on Sunday.
The No. 11-ranked Raonic put up 18 aces to beat his No. 6-ranked opponent in the final at the Impact Arena in one hour, 17 minutes.
It was Raonic's fifth tour victory, adding to the three in San Jose from 2011-13 and Chennai in 2012.
He also improved his unbeaten record over Berdych to 2-0 after also beating the Czech player in the Cincinnati Masters last year.
Berdych had his chances in the match with a set point at 6-5 in the first but Raonic used his big serve to force a weak return before sending a forehand winner to escape.
The Canadian then relied on powerful serves to force the tie-break, which he sealed with another booming serve.
Raonic managed an early break in the second game to take a 2-0 lead in the second after Berdych netted two successive shots.
At 5-3, Raonic produced another ace to set up a championship point before blasting a forehand winner to take the match.
"It feels great to win the title," said the 22-year-old from Thornhill., Ont., now 37-17 this season.
"The first set was about finding rhythm. Once I did I was solid after that," he said.
"I knew I had to play slightly more aggressive, not just put the ball in play. I did that and was able to take control, I got some insight into what I needed to do to beat him."
Raonic's next challenge will be in Tokyo, where he lost the 2012 final to Japan's Kei Nishikori.
"I'll have to carry this momentum onto Tokyo," he said before flying overnight to the Japanese capital for a Monday arrival.
"The only thing I'm worrying about is what I need to do in the first match (against Japan's Go Soeda).
"I'm serving well and doing a lot of good things, I want to keep that up and put myself in a position to win more."
Raonic said he's been working hard on his game since losing to Rafael Nadal in the Rogers Cup final in Montreal in August.
"I maybe wasn't playing my best tennis there but I've been improving a little at a time," he said.
And the payoff for the work came in Bangkok.
"I'm happy with how I dealt with this whole week, I fought my way through and put the pieces together to win," he said.
Milos Raonic wins Thailand Open - CBC Sports - Tennis
The No. 11-ranked Raonic put up 18 aces to beat his No. 6-ranked opponent in the final at the Impact Arena in one hour, 17 minutes.
It was Raonic's fifth tour victory, adding to the three in San Jose from 2011-13 and Chennai in 2012.
He also improved his unbeaten record over Berdych to 2-0 after also beating the Czech player in the Cincinnati Masters last year.
Berdych had his chances in the match with a set point at 6-5 in the first but Raonic used his big serve to force a weak return before sending a forehand winner to escape.
The Canadian then relied on powerful serves to force the tie-break, which he sealed with another booming serve.
Raonic managed an early break in the second game to take a 2-0 lead in the second after Berdych netted two successive shots.
At 5-3, Raonic produced another ace to set up a championship point before blasting a forehand winner to take the match.
"It feels great to win the title," said the 22-year-old from Thornhill., Ont., now 37-17 this season.
"The first set was about finding rhythm. Once I did I was solid after that," he said.
"I knew I had to play slightly more aggressive, not just put the ball in play. I did that and was able to take control, I got some insight into what I needed to do to beat him."
Raonic's next challenge will be in Tokyo, where he lost the 2012 final to Japan's Kei Nishikori.
"I'll have to carry this momentum onto Tokyo," he said before flying overnight to the Japanese capital for a Monday arrival.
"The only thing I'm worrying about is what I need to do in the first match (against Japan's Go Soeda).
"I'm serving well and doing a lot of good things, I want to keep that up and put myself in a position to win more."
Raonic said he's been working hard on his game since losing to Rafael Nadal in the Rogers Cup final in Montreal in August.
"I maybe wasn't playing my best tennis there but I've been improving a little at a time," he said.
And the payoff for the work came in Bangkok.
"I'm happy with how I dealt with this whole week, I fought my way through and put the pieces together to win," he said.
Milos Raonic wins Thailand Open - CBC Sports - Tennis
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2006/12/07
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29893
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The 28-time Davis Cup champions get their latest shot at returning to the competition's top tier in the World Group playoff against Poland in Warsaw.
And a team featuring Lleyton Hewitt and Bernard Tomic needn't look far for motivation.
The proud Davis Cup nation has not appeared in the top 16 since 2007, with last year's heartbreaking defeat to Germany the nation's third straight World Group playoff loss.
"We're sick and tired of being where we are and falling over at the last hurdle," Rafter said.
Rafter's squad spent last week training in Munich, minus late arrival Hewitt who reached the last 16 at the US Open, and has since spent five days finalising preparations on the indoor clay court at Warsaw's Towar Hall.
The form and attitude displayed by the players over the past fortnight has surpassed anything Rafter has seen since he took the captaincy in late 2010.
"So far it's the best preparation we've ever had," Rafter said.
"It's going to be a tough one. We're playing these guys at home on clay, but the boys have given themselves the best opportunity to get there and that's what I'm most proud of."
Last year's failed attempt to return to the World Group remains a bitter pill to swallow for Rafter's team.
Australia led Germany 2-1 in Hamburg before Tomic and Hewitt both lost reverse singles matches on the final day.
"That was a very heavy mental loss for all the boys. We took that one pretty hard," Rafter said.
"We hope that we can get in that position again and we can get over the line this time."
Australia were handed a tough but winnable draw in facing Poland, who are attempting to reach the World Group for the first time.
The visitors' prospects could be significantly boosted with serious doubts over the fitness of Poland's leading light Jerzy Janowicz, by far the highest ranked player in the tie at world No.14.
The Wimbledon semi-finalist has been troubled by an ongoing back problem and had to resort to serving underarm at one point during a first-round loss to Argentine qualifier Maximo Gonzalez at the US Open.
His withdrawal would likely mean 113th-ranked Michal Przysiezny joining world No.70 Lukasz Kubot in the singles.
Specialist doubles duo Marcin Matkowski and Mariusz Fyrstenberg will take on the unbeaten Davis Cup pair of Hewitt and Chris Guccione.
Rafter has indicated 32-year-old Davis Cup great Hewitt will only feature in one singles rubber, meaning Marinko Matosevic, yet to prove himself under pressure, will likely come in for either an opening rubber or the reverse singles.
Top-ranked Australian Tomic won both of his singles matches in Australia's last win over Uzbekistan again looms as crucial to hopes.
But the 20-year-old will have to overcome a modest record and clay and a dramatic period culminating in his father being charged with assault.
The inspirational Hewitt, who boasts a 39-13 win-loss record in Davis Cup singles, remains the driving force of the side and earning another crack at the World Group would provide even more motivation to extend his career.
"Whether you're playing Taiwan in Kaohsiung or Serbia in the final, Lleyton's always the same. He fires up," Rafter said.
Read more: Australian Davis Cup team 'sick and tired' of tennis wilderness