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Former top-10 player Mardy Fish, whose career has been in limbo due to a heart condition and its psychological after effects, is dabbling in professional golf.
Fish, 31, played two events in the last three weeks on the All-American Gateway Tour, a developmental circuit for up-and-coming professionals hoping one day to earn their PGA Tour card.
He failed to make the cut at both the ASU Karsten Golf Course in Tempe, Ariz., Oct. 29-Nov. 1, and the Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, Ariz., Nov. 11-13.
Fish has missed most of the past two tennis seasons while recovering from an accelerated heart beat that first struck him at a Davis Cup match in February 2012.
It resurfaced at the Sony Ericsson Open in March that same year. Doctors induced extreme heart palpitations to try to pinpoint the problem. Fish also underwent a heart procedure known as cardiac catheter ablation to resolve a form of arrhythmia.
Following a number of fits and starts, Fish hasn't played since August, when he retired in the third set of his match against Jarkko Nieminen at a tournament in Winston-Salem, N.C. He pulled out of the U.S. Open the following week citing "personal reasons."
All told, he went 4-5 in five ATP-level events in 2013.
Reached by email, Fish did not deny he was taking a stab at pro golf, which included three-week trip to Florida this fall to train with a PGA pro. But said he did not want to discuss it until he had "a few days to think about things."
His agent, John Tobias, did not return repeated emails and phone calls.
Fish may be looking to follow in the footsteps of Scott Draper.
Draper, an Australian once ranked in the top 50, attempted to transition to pro golf after retiring from tennis. In 2007, he won the New South Wales PGA Championship on the PGA Tour of Australasia.
Fish, a Minnesota native who lives in Los Angeles, has talked superficially about the "demons" that have dogged him despite assurances from doctors that he is fit to compete.
"It took me months and months to get back to normalcy – to have a glass of wine at dinner, to go out to a movie with my wife," Fish told reporters last March at a charity exhibition in Los Angeles shortly before returning to competition after a six-month absence. "Just those normal things that you take for granted I wasn't able to do for a long time."
It's unclear when, or if, Fish will pick up his tennis career.
Now ranked No. 369, he could return to the men's tour using a protected ranking of No. 25, which would allow him to enter up to nine high-level events, according to the ATP. The protected ranking expires on March 31, 2014.
At the few tournaments he played this year, Fish called his situation "day to day" and said that his problems were both mental and physical.
The 6-2 power player hasn't competed at Grand Slam tournament since pulling out of his fourth-round match at the 2012 U.S. Open against Roger Federer just hours before he was scheduled to play.
Doug Henderson, a spokesman for the Arizona-based All-American Gateway Tour, said the low-level tour caters to players aged 25-35 looking to break into professional golf.
Anyone can enter but it's recommended they have at least a plus-3 handicap "to be competitive," Henderson said.
Players who perform well can earn an exemption to the Web-com tour, a direct feeder to the PGA Tour.
"He didn't do terribly," Henderson said of Fish, who shot 78-75 in both events, missing the cut by 13 and 12 strokes. "But he didn't quite make the cut."
Fish owns six career titles and reached a ranking-high of No. 7 in August 2011. He has advanced to three major quarterfinals at the U.S. Open, Wimbledon and Australian Open and won the silver medal at the 2004 Olympics.
Tennis star Mardy Fish trying his hand at golf
Fish, 31, played two events in the last three weeks on the All-American Gateway Tour, a developmental circuit for up-and-coming professionals hoping one day to earn their PGA Tour card.
He failed to make the cut at both the ASU Karsten Golf Course in Tempe, Ariz., Oct. 29-Nov. 1, and the Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, Ariz., Nov. 11-13.
Fish has missed most of the past two tennis seasons while recovering from an accelerated heart beat that first struck him at a Davis Cup match in February 2012.
It resurfaced at the Sony Ericsson Open in March that same year. Doctors induced extreme heart palpitations to try to pinpoint the problem. Fish also underwent a heart procedure known as cardiac catheter ablation to resolve a form of arrhythmia.
Following a number of fits and starts, Fish hasn't played since August, when he retired in the third set of his match against Jarkko Nieminen at a tournament in Winston-Salem, N.C. He pulled out of the U.S. Open the following week citing "personal reasons."
All told, he went 4-5 in five ATP-level events in 2013.
Reached by email, Fish did not deny he was taking a stab at pro golf, which included three-week trip to Florida this fall to train with a PGA pro. But said he did not want to discuss it until he had "a few days to think about things."
His agent, John Tobias, did not return repeated emails and phone calls.
Fish may be looking to follow in the footsteps of Scott Draper.
Draper, an Australian once ranked in the top 50, attempted to transition to pro golf after retiring from tennis. In 2007, he won the New South Wales PGA Championship on the PGA Tour of Australasia.
Fish, a Minnesota native who lives in Los Angeles, has talked superficially about the "demons" that have dogged him despite assurances from doctors that he is fit to compete.
"It took me months and months to get back to normalcy – to have a glass of wine at dinner, to go out to a movie with my wife," Fish told reporters last March at a charity exhibition in Los Angeles shortly before returning to competition after a six-month absence. "Just those normal things that you take for granted I wasn't able to do for a long time."
It's unclear when, or if, Fish will pick up his tennis career.
Now ranked No. 369, he could return to the men's tour using a protected ranking of No. 25, which would allow him to enter up to nine high-level events, according to the ATP. The protected ranking expires on March 31, 2014.
At the few tournaments he played this year, Fish called his situation "day to day" and said that his problems were both mental and physical.
The 6-2 power player hasn't competed at Grand Slam tournament since pulling out of his fourth-round match at the 2012 U.S. Open against Roger Federer just hours before he was scheduled to play.
Doug Henderson, a spokesman for the Arizona-based All-American Gateway Tour, said the low-level tour caters to players aged 25-35 looking to break into professional golf.
Anyone can enter but it's recommended they have at least a plus-3 handicap "to be competitive," Henderson said.
Players who perform well can earn an exemption to the Web-com tour, a direct feeder to the PGA Tour.
"He didn't do terribly," Henderson said of Fish, who shot 78-75 in both events, missing the cut by 13 and 12 strokes. "But he didn't quite make the cut."
Fish owns six career titles and reached a ranking-high of No. 7 in August 2011. He has advanced to three major quarterfinals at the U.S. Open, Wimbledon and Australian Open and won the silver medal at the 2004 Olympics.
Tennis star Mardy Fish trying his hand at golf
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2006/12/07
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Holders Czech Republic took a 2-1 lead over hosts Serbia in the Davis Cup final after Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek romped to a 6-2 6-4 7-6 (4) win over Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac in Saturday's (Sunday, PHL time) doubles.
The result put the Czechs firmly in the driving seat with Berdych now facing world number two Novak Djokovic in Sunday's (Monday, PHL time) opening singles before Stepanek takes on Dusan Lajovic, a late replacement for the injured Janko Tipsarevic, or Bozoljac.
An exhausted Djokovic, who arrived in his hometown after winning four tournaments and 22 matches on the trot before recording a straight-sets victory over Stepanek on Friday (Saturday, PHL time), was rested for the doubles.
"Djokovic was totally honest this morning and said that while he was prepared to spend every last ounce of energy in the singles, asking him to play in the doubles too would have been too much," Serbia captain Bogdan Obradovic told a news conference.
"These two guys beat some really good teams, including the Bryan brothers [in the quarterfinal win over the U.S.], so putting them together was a logical choice given the circumstances and we have no regrets at all.
"We've been here many times before and if Djokovic beats Berdych to level the score we are confident we can clinch it in the fifth rubber although we are in a very tough situation," added Obradovic.
Berdych and Stepanek improved their Davis Cup doubles record as a pair to 14-1 with an effervescent performance in the packed Kombank Arena, with several hundred colorful Czech fans often gaining the upper hand over 15,000 home supporters in terms of noise.
The away contingent let off their loud horns and danced to the tunes of a Serbian brass-band brought in to put some wind in the home team's sails.
Volleying past their opponents almost at will and carving them open with passing shots time and again, the Czech duo broke both Zimonjic's and Bozoljac's serve in the opening set as the Serbians also committed too many unforced errors.
With the flat-looking Zimonjic dropping his serve again in the opening game of the second set, the visitors comfortably held on to their advantage as Stepanek ran both Serbs ragged with devastating forays to the net.
Audacious volleys
The Czechs faced their only break point of the match in the fifth game of the third set but Stepanek held serve after a pair of audacious volleys and the champions then stormed back from a 3-1 deficit in the tiebreak to seal victory in two hours 12 minutes.
"We complement each other on the court and that's why we work well in the doubles," said Stepanek.
"This is one of the best Davis Cup doubles matches I've ever played but a lot of the credit goes to Berdych and our fantastic fans who sacrifice so much to follow us around the world and are an unofficial team member.
"We are in a good position to retain the title but we have to stay humble and focused because we face two difficult singles tomorrow."
Should Djokovic redress the balance on Sunday (Monday, PHL time0, Obradovic faces another painful selection dilemma as he prepares to choose between Bozoljac and Lajovic who was brushed aside by Berdych on Friday (Saturday, PHL time).
"We have to sit down and see what the best course of action is," said Serbia's captain.
"I will talk to the entire squad and make a decision but obviously our first priority is to keep the tie alive and we certainly can't take for granted that Djokovic will beat a player of Berdych's quality."
The Serbs fought back from 2-1 down in the 2010 semis against the Czechs, in the final against France when they won their maiden Davis Cup title and in this year's semis against Canada, each time in the imposing Kombank Arena.
Tennis: Czechs on verge of retaining Davis Cup trophy | Sports | GMA News Online
The result put the Czechs firmly in the driving seat with Berdych now facing world number two Novak Djokovic in Sunday's (Monday, PHL time) opening singles before Stepanek takes on Dusan Lajovic, a late replacement for the injured Janko Tipsarevic, or Bozoljac.
An exhausted Djokovic, who arrived in his hometown after winning four tournaments and 22 matches on the trot before recording a straight-sets victory over Stepanek on Friday (Saturday, PHL time), was rested for the doubles.
"Djokovic was totally honest this morning and said that while he was prepared to spend every last ounce of energy in the singles, asking him to play in the doubles too would have been too much," Serbia captain Bogdan Obradovic told a news conference.
"These two guys beat some really good teams, including the Bryan brothers [in the quarterfinal win over the U.S.], so putting them together was a logical choice given the circumstances and we have no regrets at all.
"We've been here many times before and if Djokovic beats Berdych to level the score we are confident we can clinch it in the fifth rubber although we are in a very tough situation," added Obradovic.
Berdych and Stepanek improved their Davis Cup doubles record as a pair to 14-1 with an effervescent performance in the packed Kombank Arena, with several hundred colorful Czech fans often gaining the upper hand over 15,000 home supporters in terms of noise.
The away contingent let off their loud horns and danced to the tunes of a Serbian brass-band brought in to put some wind in the home team's sails.
Volleying past their opponents almost at will and carving them open with passing shots time and again, the Czech duo broke both Zimonjic's and Bozoljac's serve in the opening set as the Serbians also committed too many unforced errors.
With the flat-looking Zimonjic dropping his serve again in the opening game of the second set, the visitors comfortably held on to their advantage as Stepanek ran both Serbs ragged with devastating forays to the net.
Audacious volleys
The Czechs faced their only break point of the match in the fifth game of the third set but Stepanek held serve after a pair of audacious volleys and the champions then stormed back from a 3-1 deficit in the tiebreak to seal victory in two hours 12 minutes.
"We complement each other on the court and that's why we work well in the doubles," said Stepanek.
"This is one of the best Davis Cup doubles matches I've ever played but a lot of the credit goes to Berdych and our fantastic fans who sacrifice so much to follow us around the world and are an unofficial team member.
"We are in a good position to retain the title but we have to stay humble and focused because we face two difficult singles tomorrow."
Should Djokovic redress the balance on Sunday (Monday, PHL time0, Obradovic faces another painful selection dilemma as he prepares to choose between Bozoljac and Lajovic who was brushed aside by Berdych on Friday (Saturday, PHL time).
"We have to sit down and see what the best course of action is," said Serbia's captain.
"I will talk to the entire squad and make a decision but obviously our first priority is to keep the tie alive and we certainly can't take for granted that Djokovic will beat a player of Berdych's quality."
The Serbs fought back from 2-1 down in the 2010 semis against the Czechs, in the final against France when they won their maiden Davis Cup title and in this year's semis against Canada, each time in the imposing Kombank Arena.
Tennis: Czechs on verge of retaining Davis Cup trophy | Sports | GMA News Online
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The Czech Republic retained the Davis Cup tennis title by beating Serbia 3-2 after Radek Stepanek swept past Dusan Lajovic in Sunday’s decisive singles match.
The Czech veteran beat the 117th-ranked Lajovic 6-3, 6-1, 6-1, converting his first match point with a volley to send about a thousand visiting Czech fans at Belgrade Arena into wild celebrations, blowing trumpets and beating drums. Stepanek spread his hands on the court as Tomas Berdych and other Czech teammates jumped on him.
“This is an amazing moment,” Stepanek said.
The Czechs won their second straight Cup, with last year’s having been its first as an independent nation. Serbia won its only crown in 2010, beating France in Belgrade.
Lajovic, who has a 5-12 record on the ATP Tour and had never played in the Davis Cup before this weekend, replaced Janko Tipsarevic, who missed the final with a heel injury. He also lost his first singles against Berdych on Friday — which was also his first career best-of-five match — and found himself thrust into by far the biggest match of his life against Stepanek. The 23-year-old Serb started well, breaking Stepanek in the opening game of the match. But the 34-year-old Czech responded swiftly with two consecutive breaks to take a 5-2 lead. Stepanek controlled the match from then on, breaking Lajovic’s serve to go up 3-1 in the final set and then adding a break before serving out the match.
Serbian captain Bogdan Obradovic said his team’s chances of winning were crippled by Tipsarevic’s injury and a 12-month doping ban against Viktor Troicki, who helped Serbia win its only title.
“We couldn’t find the real replacement for the two,” Bogdanovic said. “We’ll try the next year.”
The Czechs got the crucial point in Saturday’s doubles to go up 2-1. Second-ranked Novak Djokovic then kept alive Serbia’s hopes by beating Berdych 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-2 earlier Sunday to improve his career record against the Czech to 15-2.
“We both entered this match with a lot of tension,” Djokovic said. “I managed to break his resistance in the second set.”
Berdych was leading 5-4 in the second-set tiebreaker when he sent wide an easy backhand volley at the net. Then he lost a point on his serve, and Djokovic took his first chance to serve out the set.
Djokovic, who improved his winning streak to 24 matches since losing the U.S. Open final to Rafael Nadal in September, converted his first match point with an ace, bringing cheers from the 17,000-strong boisterous Serbian crowd at the arena.
“It’s really hard to find right and correct words to explain at what level he’s playing and how strong Novak is,” Berdych said. “He is now the best player when he’s playing indoors, and that’s what he proved today.”
Tennis: Czech Republic retains Davis Cup | Toronto Star
The Czech veteran beat the 117th-ranked Lajovic 6-3, 6-1, 6-1, converting his first match point with a volley to send about a thousand visiting Czech fans at Belgrade Arena into wild celebrations, blowing trumpets and beating drums. Stepanek spread his hands on the court as Tomas Berdych and other Czech teammates jumped on him.
“This is an amazing moment,” Stepanek said.
The Czechs won their second straight Cup, with last year’s having been its first as an independent nation. Serbia won its only crown in 2010, beating France in Belgrade.
Lajovic, who has a 5-12 record on the ATP Tour and had never played in the Davis Cup before this weekend, replaced Janko Tipsarevic, who missed the final with a heel injury. He also lost his first singles against Berdych on Friday — which was also his first career best-of-five match — and found himself thrust into by far the biggest match of his life against Stepanek. The 23-year-old Serb started well, breaking Stepanek in the opening game of the match. But the 34-year-old Czech responded swiftly with two consecutive breaks to take a 5-2 lead. Stepanek controlled the match from then on, breaking Lajovic’s serve to go up 3-1 in the final set and then adding a break before serving out the match.
Serbian captain Bogdan Obradovic said his team’s chances of winning were crippled by Tipsarevic’s injury and a 12-month doping ban against Viktor Troicki, who helped Serbia win its only title.
“We couldn’t find the real replacement for the two,” Bogdanovic said. “We’ll try the next year.”
The Czechs got the crucial point in Saturday’s doubles to go up 2-1. Second-ranked Novak Djokovic then kept alive Serbia’s hopes by beating Berdych 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-2 earlier Sunday to improve his career record against the Czech to 15-2.
“We both entered this match with a lot of tension,” Djokovic said. “I managed to break his resistance in the second set.”
Berdych was leading 5-4 in the second-set tiebreaker when he sent wide an easy backhand volley at the net. Then he lost a point on his serve, and Djokovic took his first chance to serve out the set.
Djokovic, who improved his winning streak to 24 matches since losing the U.S. Open final to Rafael Nadal in September, converted his first match point with an ace, bringing cheers from the 17,000-strong boisterous Serbian crowd at the arena.
“It’s really hard to find right and correct words to explain at what level he’s playing and how strong Novak is,” Berdych said. “He is now the best player when he’s playing indoors, and that’s what he proved today.”
Tennis: Czech Republic retains Davis Cup | Toronto Star
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Elena Baltacha, the former British No1, has announced her retirement from tennis at the age of 30 after failing to shrug off a series of injuries that saw her slip down to 216 in the WTA rankings.
Baltacha was talented enough to break into the top 50, reaching a career-high 49 in 2010, and beat the top-10 players Li Na and Francesca Schiavone although she never got beyond the third round of a grand slam tournament.
"It just feels it's the right time," said Baltacha. "My body has taken such a bruising over the last 16 years and that's finally taken its toll. I have had some amazing experiences through playing tennis – some incredible highs and some very low lows – and I wouldn't change any of them, but now my mind and my body are telling me it's time to move on to a new phase of my life.
"I still absolutely love tennis and I want to take that passion and put it into learning to be the best coach I can be so that I can take all my experiences as a player and use that to help develop the next generation of British tennis players."
Baltacha pursued a successful career despite being diagnosed with a chronic liver condition, primary sclerosing cholangitis, which compromises the immune system, when she was 19. She was ranked the British No1 from December 2009 to June 2012, and reached the third round at the Australian Open in 2005 and 2010, and at Wimbledon in 2002.
She also won 11 International Tennis Federation singles titles, most recently the Aegon Trophy in Nottingham in June this year, and made more than US$1m (£620,000) in prize money.
Baltacha was also a Fed Cup stalwart, playing in 39 ties from 2003 to 2012 and was also part of Team GB at the London 2012 Olympic Games. And Britain's captain, Judy Murray, was quick to pay tribute, calling her "the most incredible ambassador for women's tennis in Britain for the past 12 years".
"Her work ethic and competitive spirit are second to none," she added. "If we could bottle those qualities, we would have many more top players. She's the perfect role model for our junior girls and the Fed Cup won't be the same without her."
Elena Baltacha retires from tennis | Sport | theguardian-com
Baltacha was talented enough to break into the top 50, reaching a career-high 49 in 2010, and beat the top-10 players Li Na and Francesca Schiavone although she never got beyond the third round of a grand slam tournament.
"It just feels it's the right time," said Baltacha. "My body has taken such a bruising over the last 16 years and that's finally taken its toll. I have had some amazing experiences through playing tennis – some incredible highs and some very low lows – and I wouldn't change any of them, but now my mind and my body are telling me it's time to move on to a new phase of my life.
"I still absolutely love tennis and I want to take that passion and put it into learning to be the best coach I can be so that I can take all my experiences as a player and use that to help develop the next generation of British tennis players."
Baltacha pursued a successful career despite being diagnosed with a chronic liver condition, primary sclerosing cholangitis, which compromises the immune system, when she was 19. She was ranked the British No1 from December 2009 to June 2012, and reached the third round at the Australian Open in 2005 and 2010, and at Wimbledon in 2002.
She also won 11 International Tennis Federation singles titles, most recently the Aegon Trophy in Nottingham in June this year, and made more than US$1m (£620,000) in prize money.
Baltacha was also a Fed Cup stalwart, playing in 39 ties from 2003 to 2012 and was also part of Team GB at the London 2012 Olympic Games. And Britain's captain, Judy Murray, was quick to pay tribute, calling her "the most incredible ambassador for women's tennis in Britain for the past 12 years".
"Her work ethic and competitive spirit are second to none," she added. "If we could bottle those qualities, we would have many more top players. She's the perfect role model for our junior girls and the Fed Cup won't be the same without her."
Elena Baltacha retires from tennis | Sport | theguardian-com
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Six of world's top 30 women tennis players are set to join the field for the upcoming WTA Tour event in Auckland.
World no 14 Roberta Vinci, Kirsten Flipkens (20), Sorana Cirstea (22), Elena Vesina (25), Jamie Hampton (28), and Lucie Safarova (29) will join superstars Venus Williams and Ana Ivanovic, who were named to take part seven weeks ago.
Vinci will be the tournament's top seed. Last year, the Italian claimed a career-high world ranking of 11, took home two WTA Singles titles, and reached the quarter-finals of the US Open.
She also comes to Auckland as the number one ranked doubles player in the world, a year after winning the Australian Open doubles title with fellow Italian Sara Errani.
Former tournament champion Yanina Wickmayer, Laura Robson and Monica Puig had also already been announced, while New Zealander Marina Erakovic, who won her first WTA Singles tournament this year in Memphis, will also take part.
"To have a field featuring eight players in the world's top 30 as well as Venus, Marina and former champion (Wickmayer) means fans will catch outstanding tennis no matter which session they attend," tournament director Karl Budge said.
"With the likes of Venus, Wickmayer and renowned giant killer Laura Robson all being outside the protected seeds, we will see some very tough match ups in the first two days."
The Auckland WTA tour event will take place in Auckland between December 30 and January 4.
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ASB Classic | Tennis stars to descend on Auckland | Stuff.co.nz
World no 14 Roberta Vinci, Kirsten Flipkens (20), Sorana Cirstea (22), Elena Vesina (25), Jamie Hampton (28), and Lucie Safarova (29) will join superstars Venus Williams and Ana Ivanovic, who were named to take part seven weeks ago.
Vinci will be the tournament's top seed. Last year, the Italian claimed a career-high world ranking of 11, took home two WTA Singles titles, and reached the quarter-finals of the US Open.
She also comes to Auckland as the number one ranked doubles player in the world, a year after winning the Australian Open doubles title with fellow Italian Sara Errani.
Former tournament champion Yanina Wickmayer, Laura Robson and Monica Puig had also already been announced, while New Zealander Marina Erakovic, who won her first WTA Singles tournament this year in Memphis, will also take part.
"To have a field featuring eight players in the world's top 30 as well as Venus, Marina and former champion (Wickmayer) means fans will catch outstanding tennis no matter which session they attend," tournament director Karl Budge said.
"With the likes of Venus, Wickmayer and renowned giant killer Laura Robson all being outside the protected seeds, we will see some very tough match ups in the first two days."
The Auckland WTA tour event will take place in Auckland between December 30 and January 4.
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ASB Classic | Tennis stars to descend on Auckland | Stuff.co.nz
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Santiago: Past and present tennis stars took part in a farewell game for Chilean player Nicolas Massu here.
World No.1 Rafael Nadal and No.2 Novak Djokovic along with retired Argentine David Nalbandian faced off Wednesday night in Massu`s honour.
"I can`t believe it. On my farewell night Nadal and Djokovic are here to help me say goodbye and someone who was World No.3 like Nalbandian. I don`t know to react," Massu said prior to the event.
"It will be my last match and thousands of memories will pass through my head -- the trips, the matches, the Davis Cup, everything that tennis gave me, thanks to god," the double Olympic medal winner said.
At the inaugural game at Santiago`s Arena Stadium, Massu played Nalbandian while Nadal took on Djokovic in the star match, just two weeks after Djokovic beat Nadal in the ATP World Tour final in London.
Massu, 33, announced in August that he would retire after 16 years as a professional tennis player, during which time he won two gold medals at the 2004 Olympics at Athens, secured 32 Davis Cup wins and ranked a highest of ninth worldwide.
Speaking of Massu`s double medal win at the Olympics, Nadal said: "Winning in singles and doubles is very complicated. That can, may be, happen in a tournament but I don`t think it can happen at the upcoming Olympics in Rio. It`s unlikely to happen, it was a historic event and very successful for Chile."
Massu, along with the former World No.1 Marcelo Rios, currently serve as captains of Chile`s Davis Cup team.
IANS.
Tennis stars bid farewell to Nicolas Massu
World No.1 Rafael Nadal and No.2 Novak Djokovic along with retired Argentine David Nalbandian faced off Wednesday night in Massu`s honour.
"I can`t believe it. On my farewell night Nadal and Djokovic are here to help me say goodbye and someone who was World No.3 like Nalbandian. I don`t know to react," Massu said prior to the event.
"It will be my last match and thousands of memories will pass through my head -- the trips, the matches, the Davis Cup, everything that tennis gave me, thanks to god," the double Olympic medal winner said.
At the inaugural game at Santiago`s Arena Stadium, Massu played Nalbandian while Nadal took on Djokovic in the star match, just two weeks after Djokovic beat Nadal in the ATP World Tour final in London.
Massu, 33, announced in August that he would retire after 16 years as a professional tennis player, during which time he won two gold medals at the 2004 Olympics at Athens, secured 32 Davis Cup wins and ranked a highest of ninth worldwide.
Speaking of Massu`s double medal win at the Olympics, Nadal said: "Winning in singles and doubles is very complicated. That can, may be, happen in a tournament but I don`t think it can happen at the upcoming Olympics in Rio. It`s unlikely to happen, it was a historic event and very successful for Chile."
Massu, along with the former World No.1 Marcelo Rios, currently serve as captains of Chile`s Davis Cup team.
IANS.
Tennis stars bid farewell to Nicolas Massu
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Novak Djokovic's most recent opponents have compared him to a videogame for his seemingly automated brilliance, to a luxury car for the flawless contours of his game and to a wall for his impenetrable defense.
They have a point. Djokovic finished the season by winning 24 straight matches, including 13 victories against the Top 10.
But more appropriate—and more human—comparisons should include John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker, Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Mats Wilander and Andre Agassi, who each have won between six and eight career Grand Slam titles. The achievements of those seven all-time greats rank just below those of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Djokovic's boyhood idol, Pete Sampras.
Now Djokovic, with his six Grand Slam titles, is in that pack, too. The difference between him and the seven greats is that they're all long-retired while he still can break away. He is playing the best tennis of his career, with few threats younger than him ( Andy Murray is a week older and missed the past two months after back surgery).
Djokovic's place in the tennis pantheon often is overshadowed by the tiresome and premature Federer-Nadal debate—one that he could barge into with a few more great years, the same way he inserted himself into their rivalry. Already, though, he ought to be recognized for catching up to so many modern legends.
He has spent 101 weeks at No. 1 in his career and has a chance to regain that spot next spring, which would be a remarkable achievement considering how rarely No. 1 Rafael Nadal has lost in the past 12 months. Three of Nadal's seven losses were against Djokovic.
Djokovic also has won 61% of his career matches against the Top 10—a higher winning percentage than five of his seven predecessors, including Agassi and Connors. And none has a longer winning streak against the Top 10 than his best of 15, according to data provided by Jeff Sackmann of Tennis Abstract. Djokovic has won three year-end finals (among the seven, only Lendl has more). He has a Davis Cup—Connors doesn't—and an Olympic medal, which only three of the seven do. He has 41 career titles. The other seven averaged 66.
And he won't turn 27 for six months.
Djokovic's dedication to his home nation of Serbia, as a citizen and as a Davis Cup and Olympic competitor, at times can obscure his individual accomplishment. That was never more true than this past weekend in Belgrade, when Djokovic played six nearly flawless sets of tennis to win both of his singles matches against Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych.
"He is one of the best players in our era," No. 7 Berdych said last Friday here after Djokovic routed Stepanek, winning 15 straight points at one stage. "He didn't miss one shot," Stepanek marveled. Later, defying the rankings, Stepanek said Djokovic is "the best player in the world."
But Djokovic also watched helplessly as his teammates lost the other nine sets, and the final against the Czech Republic.
Serbia was already on its way to losing when Djokovic held a news conference after beating Berdych on Sunday. So instead of exuding happiness after concluding his own season with a big win, Djokovic was tense and terse, knowing Serbia would lose unless Dusan Lajovic could pull off a mammoth upset of Stepanek. Lajovic didn't come close to winning a set.
Playing in Serbia is a unique experience for Djokovic, for better and for worse. So often when he is on the road, the crowds favor his opponents, including in London earlier this month at the World Tour Finals. Two of his most loyal non-Serbian fans, 26-year-old Englishwoman Kate Langley and 23-year-old Australian Katrina Williams, are contrarians who like him in part because so few others do, particularly in their respective countries.
But fans' indifference or even hostility toward Djokovic never made much tennis sense. If there were a ranking for on-court graciousness that covered applause for opponents' best winners, conceding close calls and post-match congratulations after those rare defeats, Djokovic would be close to the top.
In Belgrade, Serbian fans nearly make up for the negativity Djokovic receives the rest of the year with a few hours of deafening cheers. Langley and Williams said they felt uneasy suddenly backing a crowd favorite.
"It's an amazing feeling, like no other," Djokovic said of playing before a packed Belgrade Arena, when fans "are giving you the right energy and support in every moment."
The pressure is enormous, though. He is too popular and too important in Serbia to spend much time here without being hounded in a way he isn't anywhere else. Many in the country consider him its leading flag-bearer. An article in Air Serbia's latest in-flight magazine called Djokovic "certainly Serbia's best asset." Branko Bukvic, a 32-year-old lawyer, called Djokovic "the best ambassador of this country" on the first day of the Davis Cup final.
That pressure can turn negative when he doesn't meet enormous expectations, such as not playing doubles against the Czech Republic.
At one time winning the Davis Cup was the top accomplishment in men's tennis. In Serbia in 2010, it still was, judging by Djokovic's celebrations with his teammates and fans after clinching the Cup in Belgrade.
But tennis today largely is an individual pursuit, and Djokovic is hot on the trail of some of its biggest individual success stories. His aggressive baseline game makes him more a descendant of Connors, Lendl, Wilander and Agassi than of serve-and-volleyers McEnroe, Edberg and Becker.
What unites them is that none quite reached the heights of the three best players in the sport's modern era: Federer, Nadal and Sampras. Wilander lost interest after reaching No. 1. Agassi at times struggled for motivation. And his accomplishments were hemmed in by Sampras's, just as many of the rest took turns on top in the 1970s, '80s and early '90s.
Djokovic similarly would have accomplished so much more if not for
They have a point. Djokovic finished the season by winning 24 straight matches, including 13 victories against the Top 10.
But more appropriate—and more human—comparisons should include John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker, Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Mats Wilander and Andre Agassi, who each have won between six and eight career Grand Slam titles. The achievements of those seven all-time greats rank just below those of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Djokovic's boyhood idol, Pete Sampras.
Now Djokovic, with his six Grand Slam titles, is in that pack, too. The difference between him and the seven greats is that they're all long-retired while he still can break away. He is playing the best tennis of his career, with few threats younger than him ( Andy Murray is a week older and missed the past two months after back surgery).
Djokovic's place in the tennis pantheon often is overshadowed by the tiresome and premature Federer-Nadal debate—one that he could barge into with a few more great years, the same way he inserted himself into their rivalry. Already, though, he ought to be recognized for catching up to so many modern legends.
He has spent 101 weeks at No. 1 in his career and has a chance to regain that spot next spring, which would be a remarkable achievement considering how rarely No. 1 Rafael Nadal has lost in the past 12 months. Three of Nadal's seven losses were against Djokovic.
Djokovic also has won 61% of his career matches against the Top 10—a higher winning percentage than five of his seven predecessors, including Agassi and Connors. And none has a longer winning streak against the Top 10 than his best of 15, according to data provided by Jeff Sackmann of Tennis Abstract. Djokovic has won three year-end finals (among the seven, only Lendl has more). He has a Davis Cup—Connors doesn't—and an Olympic medal, which only three of the seven do. He has 41 career titles. The other seven averaged 66.
And he won't turn 27 for six months.
Djokovic's dedication to his home nation of Serbia, as a citizen and as a Davis Cup and Olympic competitor, at times can obscure his individual accomplishment. That was never more true than this past weekend in Belgrade, when Djokovic played six nearly flawless sets of tennis to win both of his singles matches against Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych.
"He is one of the best players in our era," No. 7 Berdych said last Friday here after Djokovic routed Stepanek, winning 15 straight points at one stage. "He didn't miss one shot," Stepanek marveled. Later, defying the rankings, Stepanek said Djokovic is "the best player in the world."
But Djokovic also watched helplessly as his teammates lost the other nine sets, and the final against the Czech Republic.
Serbia was already on its way to losing when Djokovic held a news conference after beating Berdych on Sunday. So instead of exuding happiness after concluding his own season with a big win, Djokovic was tense and terse, knowing Serbia would lose unless Dusan Lajovic could pull off a mammoth upset of Stepanek. Lajovic didn't come close to winning a set.
Playing in Serbia is a unique experience for Djokovic, for better and for worse. So often when he is on the road, the crowds favor his opponents, including in London earlier this month at the World Tour Finals. Two of his most loyal non-Serbian fans, 26-year-old Englishwoman Kate Langley and 23-year-old Australian Katrina Williams, are contrarians who like him in part because so few others do, particularly in their respective countries.
But fans' indifference or even hostility toward Djokovic never made much tennis sense. If there were a ranking for on-court graciousness that covered applause for opponents' best winners, conceding close calls and post-match congratulations after those rare defeats, Djokovic would be close to the top.
In Belgrade, Serbian fans nearly make up for the negativity Djokovic receives the rest of the year with a few hours of deafening cheers. Langley and Williams said they felt uneasy suddenly backing a crowd favorite.
"It's an amazing feeling, like no other," Djokovic said of playing before a packed Belgrade Arena, when fans "are giving you the right energy and support in every moment."
The pressure is enormous, though. He is too popular and too important in Serbia to spend much time here without being hounded in a way he isn't anywhere else. Many in the country consider him its leading flag-bearer. An article in Air Serbia's latest in-flight magazine called Djokovic "certainly Serbia's best asset." Branko Bukvic, a 32-year-old lawyer, called Djokovic "the best ambassador of this country" on the first day of the Davis Cup final.
That pressure can turn negative when he doesn't meet enormous expectations, such as not playing doubles against the Czech Republic.
At one time winning the Davis Cup was the top accomplishment in men's tennis. In Serbia in 2010, it still was, judging by Djokovic's celebrations with his teammates and fans after clinching the Cup in Belgrade.
But tennis today largely is an individual pursuit, and Djokovic is hot on the trail of some of its biggest individual success stories. His aggressive baseline game makes him more a descendant of Connors, Lendl, Wilander and Agassi than of serve-and-volleyers McEnroe, Edberg and Becker.
What unites them is that none quite reached the heights of the three best players in the sport's modern era: Federer, Nadal and Sampras. Wilander lost interest after reaching No. 1. Agassi at times struggled for motivation. And his accomplishments were hemmed in by Sampras's, just as many of the rest took turns on top in the 1970s, '80s and early '90s.
Djokovic similarly would have accomplished so much more if not for
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A South Florida sports legend reached a major milestone today.
Tennis champion Gardnar Mulloy celebrated his 100th birthday at his home in Miami surrounded by close friends and family.
“Gardnar is a living institution in tennis,” said Jim Martz, editor of Florida Tennis Magazine He told CBS4′s Eliott Rodriguez, “I’ve never met anyone more inspirational. He always has a positive attitude, and always looks at the bright side of things.”
Mulloy began playing professional tennis in 1934 and was still working as a tennis pro at Fisher Island until just a few years ago.
The former Wimbledon and U.S. National Champion has 127 tennis championships and 25 international titles.
“Gardnar is a true Renaissance man,” said longtime Miami tennis pro Don Petrine. “Not only was he a great tennis player well into his 50s, which is unheard of these days, he was also a war veteran, captain of his naval ship, and an animal activist.”
In fact, Mulloy is the former president of Pet Rescue in Miami, an organization that supports adoption and no-kill options for stray pets.
Mulloy spent his birthday relaxing with family members at his home near the Miami River. It’s a home he built more than 60 years ago. “Gardnar has been an ambassador for tennis and for Miami,” said Miami tennis pro John Geraghty, a former University of Miami All American player. “He grew up near downtown Miami not far from the Orange Bowl and he never left. He loves tennis and he loves Miami.”
Miami also loves Gardnar Mulloy. And this weekend he will receive plenty of birthday love from Miami and beyond.
Miami Tennis Champ Celebrates 100th Birthday « CBS Miami
Tennis champion Gardnar Mulloy celebrated his 100th birthday at his home in Miami surrounded by close friends and family.
“Gardnar is a living institution in tennis,” said Jim Martz, editor of Florida Tennis Magazine He told CBS4′s Eliott Rodriguez, “I’ve never met anyone more inspirational. He always has a positive attitude, and always looks at the bright side of things.”
Mulloy began playing professional tennis in 1934 and was still working as a tennis pro at Fisher Island until just a few years ago.
The former Wimbledon and U.S. National Champion has 127 tennis championships and 25 international titles.
“Gardnar is a true Renaissance man,” said longtime Miami tennis pro Don Petrine. “Not only was he a great tennis player well into his 50s, which is unheard of these days, he was also a war veteran, captain of his naval ship, and an animal activist.”
In fact, Mulloy is the former president of Pet Rescue in Miami, an organization that supports adoption and no-kill options for stray pets.
Mulloy spent his birthday relaxing with family members at his home near the Miami River. It’s a home he built more than 60 years ago. “Gardnar has been an ambassador for tennis and for Miami,” said Miami tennis pro John Geraghty, a former University of Miami All American player. “He grew up near downtown Miami not far from the Orange Bowl and he never left. He loves tennis and he loves Miami.”
Miami also loves Gardnar Mulloy. And this weekend he will receive plenty of birthday love from Miami and beyond.
Miami Tennis Champ Celebrates 100th Birthday « CBS Miami
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Australian tennis player Matt Ebden has ended his season by rocketing back into the world's top 70 after claiming back-to-back ATP Challenger titles in Japan.
Ebden capped off his late charge with victory at the Dunlop World Challenge in Toyota on Sunday, beating Japan's Yuichi Sugita 6-3 6-2 in the final.
It was the 25-year-old's third trophy in four events on the second-tier professional tour, including last week's tournament in Yokohama, bumping him up to No.68 on the world rankings.
"Special way to finish the season with two titles in a row here in Japan!! Thanks everyone for the support #blessed," Ebden wrote on Twitter.
Barely two months ago, the West Australian was ranked 135th but he's now back inside the top 70 first the first time since October last year when he reached a career-high 61st.
Since bowing out in the first round of the US Open, Ebden has won 29 of his past 34 matches and improved his ranking by 66 places.
He now sits hot on the heels of compatriots Bernard Tomic (No.51), Lleyton Hewitt (No.60) and Marinko Matosevic (No.61) heading into Australia's summer of tennis.
Ebden rises up tennis world rankings - Yahoo!7 Sport
Ebden capped off his late charge with victory at the Dunlop World Challenge in Toyota on Sunday, beating Japan's Yuichi Sugita 6-3 6-2 in the final.
It was the 25-year-old's third trophy in four events on the second-tier professional tour, including last week's tournament in Yokohama, bumping him up to No.68 on the world rankings.
"Special way to finish the season with two titles in a row here in Japan!! Thanks everyone for the support #blessed," Ebden wrote on Twitter.
Barely two months ago, the West Australian was ranked 135th but he's now back inside the top 70 first the first time since October last year when he reached a career-high 61st.
Since bowing out in the first round of the US Open, Ebden has won 29 of his past 34 matches and improved his ranking by 66 places.
He now sits hot on the heels of compatriots Bernard Tomic (No.51), Lleyton Hewitt (No.60) and Marinko Matosevic (No.61) heading into Australia's summer of tennis.
Ebden rises up tennis world rankings - Yahoo!7 Sport
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Becoming the first Canadian to crack the top-10 on the ATP World Tour and appearing in the Rogers Cup final cinched a third straight Tennis Canada male player of the year award for Milos Raonic.
The Thornhill, Ont., native finished the season ranked 11th, had a 5-1 record in Davis Cup play and won championships in San Jose and Bangkok.
“In his young career, Milos has already hit so many pinnacles in Canadian tennis, and his commitment to continue developing as a player shows his potential is nowhere near being fully realized yet,” Tennis Canada president and CEO Michael Downey said in a statement.
At the Grand Slams, Raonic’s strong 2013 season also included an appearance in the round of 16 at the Australian and U.S. Open tournaments, matching a career best, and being a semifinalist in Barcelona.
In Davis Cup action, the 22-year-old Raonic won clinching matches for Canada in its first-round tie against Spain and quarter-final versus Italy. His lone loss came at the hands of then-world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the semifinals in Serbia.
“It was definitely a good season for me, and it’s been incredible to receive so much support from Canadian fans,” Raonic said in statement released by Tennis Canada. “Being able to play at home at Davis Cup and Rogers Cup, it was amazing to see how passionate Canadians can be about tennis.
“It feels great to be honoured with this award from Tennis Canada for another year.”
Raonic captured his third consecutive San Jose crown in February and defeated top-10 players Richard Gasquet and Tomas Berdych on his way to claiming the Bangkok title in September.
Pospisil, Nestor honoured
Tennis Canada also recognized Vancouver’s Vasek Pospisil and Toronto’s Daniel Nestor, who were named most improved male player of the year and male doubles player of the year, respectively.
Pospisil was honoured for rising nearly 100 points in the rankings, ending up a career-high 32nd after completing the 2012 campaign at world No. 125.
He was the only player on the ATP World Tour to make both his top-100 and top-50 year-end debuts in the same year.
A surge in the season's second half highlighted Pospisil's season. At the end of July, he captured the Odlum Brown Vancouver Open, a $100,000 Challenger event.
From there, he clinched a top-10 victory over Berdych at the Rogers Cup in Montreal in the third round but lost to Raonic in the semifinals.
At the Shanghai Masters, the 23-year-old Pospisil ousted 10th-ranked Gasquet and nearly upended No. 4 David Ferrer in Beijing.
Thrilling match
In his third ATP semifinal of the season, Pospisl fell to Roger Federer in a thrilling match in Basel, Switzerland.
Meanwhile, Nestor is Canada's top male doubles player for the 13th straight season.
He added to his storied career, becoming the first player to reach 900 doubles victories. And by capturing the Winston-Salem championship in August, it marked the 20th consecutive year in which Nestor has clinched at least one ATP World title.
Nestor, 41, also played an important role in Canada's Davis Cup success, partnering with Pospisil for a pair of marathon doubles victories: in the quarter-finals against Italy and semifinals versus Serbia.
Nestor also shone in mixed doubles with Kristina Mladenovic, winning the Wimbledon crown and reaching the French Open final.
Female athletes will be recognized by Tennis Canada on Tuesday.
Milos Raonic is Tennis Canada's top male player for 2013 - CBC Sports - Tennis
The Thornhill, Ont., native finished the season ranked 11th, had a 5-1 record in Davis Cup play and won championships in San Jose and Bangkok.
“In his young career, Milos has already hit so many pinnacles in Canadian tennis, and his commitment to continue developing as a player shows his potential is nowhere near being fully realized yet,” Tennis Canada president and CEO Michael Downey said in a statement.
At the Grand Slams, Raonic’s strong 2013 season also included an appearance in the round of 16 at the Australian and U.S. Open tournaments, matching a career best, and being a semifinalist in Barcelona.
In Davis Cup action, the 22-year-old Raonic won clinching matches for Canada in its first-round tie against Spain and quarter-final versus Italy. His lone loss came at the hands of then-world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the semifinals in Serbia.
“It was definitely a good season for me, and it’s been incredible to receive so much support from Canadian fans,” Raonic said in statement released by Tennis Canada. “Being able to play at home at Davis Cup and Rogers Cup, it was amazing to see how passionate Canadians can be about tennis.
“It feels great to be honoured with this award from Tennis Canada for another year.”
Raonic captured his third consecutive San Jose crown in February and defeated top-10 players Richard Gasquet and Tomas Berdych on his way to claiming the Bangkok title in September.
Pospisil, Nestor honoured
Tennis Canada also recognized Vancouver’s Vasek Pospisil and Toronto’s Daniel Nestor, who were named most improved male player of the year and male doubles player of the year, respectively.
Pospisil was honoured for rising nearly 100 points in the rankings, ending up a career-high 32nd after completing the 2012 campaign at world No. 125.
He was the only player on the ATP World Tour to make both his top-100 and top-50 year-end debuts in the same year.
A surge in the season's second half highlighted Pospisil's season. At the end of July, he captured the Odlum Brown Vancouver Open, a $100,000 Challenger event.
From there, he clinched a top-10 victory over Berdych at the Rogers Cup in Montreal in the third round but lost to Raonic in the semifinals.
At the Shanghai Masters, the 23-year-old Pospisil ousted 10th-ranked Gasquet and nearly upended No. 4 David Ferrer in Beijing.
Thrilling match
In his third ATP semifinal of the season, Pospisl fell to Roger Federer in a thrilling match in Basel, Switzerland.
Meanwhile, Nestor is Canada's top male doubles player for the 13th straight season.
He added to his storied career, becoming the first player to reach 900 doubles victories. And by capturing the Winston-Salem championship in August, it marked the 20th consecutive year in which Nestor has clinched at least one ATP World title.
Nestor, 41, also played an important role in Canada's Davis Cup success, partnering with Pospisil for a pair of marathon doubles victories: in the quarter-finals against Italy and semifinals versus Serbia.
Nestor also shone in mixed doubles with Kristina Mladenovic, winning the Wimbledon crown and reaching the French Open final.
Female athletes will be recognized by Tennis Canada on Tuesday.
Milos Raonic is Tennis Canada's top male player for 2013 - CBC Sports - Tennis
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Asia is playing host to major tennis tournaments as its popularity - and money earning potential - grows in the region.
Hong Kong is set to host its first international tennis tournament in more than a decade when the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) stages a new competition in September next year.
The WTA is also moving its season-ending championships to Singapore, as it tries to increase its fan base in the region.
The BBC's Rico Hizon met WTA's head, Stacey Allaster, in Singapore and asked her what big live events like these could mean for the popularity of tennis in Asia.
BBC News - Tennis courts the Asian dollar
Hong Kong is set to host its first international tennis tournament in more than a decade when the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) stages a new competition in September next year.
The WTA is also moving its season-ending championships to Singapore, as it tries to increase its fan base in the region.
The BBC's Rico Hizon met WTA's head, Stacey Allaster, in Singapore and asked her what big live events like these could mean for the popularity of tennis in Asia.
BBC News - Tennis courts the Asian dollar
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When Chris Kermode starts work as the ATP's new executive chairman in January, he will continue the impossible search for the perfect tennis calendar and consider whether London has any serious rivals as home of the World Tour Finals.
He will also need to do his bit to ensure the sport promotes a robust drug testing programme, while placating those leading players who have expressed distrust in the system after two much-discussed recent cases.
Novak Djokovic is the most high-profile example. The world number two has been fiercely critical of the doping control officer who was on duty when his good friend Viktor Troicki failed to take a blood test in Monte Carlo in April, and was ultimately banned from the sport for 12 months.
Andy Murray is much more supportive of the system in place, but there are others who have serious misgivings: I was party to a conversation in London recently in which a leading agent described (in very colourful terms) why he feels Troicki was so badly let down by the authorities.
That should be of concern to any executive chairman, although it doesn't mean there should be any less responsibility on the shoulders of the player.
The doping control officer in the Troicki case could, and should, have been more persuasive, but two independent panels have concluded that she did inform the Serb of the consequences of leaving the anti-doping room without first providing a blood sample.
Athletes across all sports tend to take a hardline stance when talking theoretically about sanctions, although their resolve can be weakened when a friend or training partner is implicated. It is always the player's responsibility to provide a sample.
Tennis's drug-testing programme is managed by the International Tennis Federation on behalf of itself, the ATP Tour, the WTA Tour, and the four Grand Slams. Dr Stuart Miller heads up the ITF's anti-doping operation. "I don't know if Mr Djokovic has read the full decisions," he told me, when we discussed the Troicki case last week, "but they are very clear in their findings."
"We're not here to get into wars of words with individuals over this, but what we must do is have a strong set of rules that are upheld consistently not only just in tennis, but across sport in general."
Since August 2011, the Court of Arbitration for Sport has cut the length of bans served by four tennis players. In October, Marin Cilic's ban for testing positive for nikethamide was reduced to four months on appeal. Eleven days later, when Troicki's suspension was reduced by six months, the ITF issued a press release dripping in frustration.
The uncomfortable truth for those running tennis, however, is that they have not invested enough in the battle against doping in recent years. The number of blood tests - and out-of-competition tests - has been pitifully small.
The World Anti-Doping Agency's analysis from 2012 shows that blood tests accounted for less than 5% of the total number of tests conducted on tennis players. Athletics carried out 3,947 blood tests in that calendar year. Tennis conducted only 166.
There were nearly 20 times as many out-of-competition tests in athletics as there were in tennis. Even allowing for the greater number of those involved in the various track and field events, they are comparisons that should shame tennis.
The 2013 figures should make for better reading, as a number of changes have been made to the sport's anti-doping programme in the course of this year. There is now a higher proportion of both out-of-competition and blood testing - and biological passports have been introduced for the players.
It appears more funding has been provided, although whether it is sufficient is highly debatable - especially as researchers in Sweden recently identified a fairly common gene that would prevent some of us from ever returning a positive test.
A robust and well-funded programme is essential to the integrity of the sport, and also to those of us who regularly field questions from people who think that what they are watching is just too good to be true.
BBC Sport - Why tennis must step up the fight against doping
He will also need to do his bit to ensure the sport promotes a robust drug testing programme, while placating those leading players who have expressed distrust in the system after two much-discussed recent cases.
Novak Djokovic is the most high-profile example. The world number two has been fiercely critical of the doping control officer who was on duty when his good friend Viktor Troicki failed to take a blood test in Monte Carlo in April, and was ultimately banned from the sport for 12 months.
Andy Murray is much more supportive of the system in place, but there are others who have serious misgivings: I was party to a conversation in London recently in which a leading agent described (in very colourful terms) why he feels Troicki was so badly let down by the authorities.
That should be of concern to any executive chairman, although it doesn't mean there should be any less responsibility on the shoulders of the player.
The doping control officer in the Troicki case could, and should, have been more persuasive, but two independent panels have concluded that she did inform the Serb of the consequences of leaving the anti-doping room without first providing a blood sample.
Athletes across all sports tend to take a hardline stance when talking theoretically about sanctions, although their resolve can be weakened when a friend or training partner is implicated. It is always the player's responsibility to provide a sample.
Tennis's drug-testing programme is managed by the International Tennis Federation on behalf of itself, the ATP Tour, the WTA Tour, and the four Grand Slams. Dr Stuart Miller heads up the ITF's anti-doping operation. "I don't know if Mr Djokovic has read the full decisions," he told me, when we discussed the Troicki case last week, "but they are very clear in their findings."
"We're not here to get into wars of words with individuals over this, but what we must do is have a strong set of rules that are upheld consistently not only just in tennis, but across sport in general."
Since August 2011, the Court of Arbitration for Sport has cut the length of bans served by four tennis players. In October, Marin Cilic's ban for testing positive for nikethamide was reduced to four months on appeal. Eleven days later, when Troicki's suspension was reduced by six months, the ITF issued a press release dripping in frustration.
The uncomfortable truth for those running tennis, however, is that they have not invested enough in the battle against doping in recent years. The number of blood tests - and out-of-competition tests - has been pitifully small.
The World Anti-Doping Agency's analysis from 2012 shows that blood tests accounted for less than 5% of the total number of tests conducted on tennis players. Athletics carried out 3,947 blood tests in that calendar year. Tennis conducted only 166.
There were nearly 20 times as many out-of-competition tests in athletics as there were in tennis. Even allowing for the greater number of those involved in the various track and field events, they are comparisons that should shame tennis.
The 2013 figures should make for better reading, as a number of changes have been made to the sport's anti-doping programme in the course of this year. There is now a higher proportion of both out-of-competition and blood testing - and biological passports have been introduced for the players.
It appears more funding has been provided, although whether it is sufficient is highly debatable - especially as researchers in Sweden recently identified a fairly common gene that would prevent some of us from ever returning a positive test.
A robust and well-funded programme is essential to the integrity of the sport, and also to those of us who regularly field questions from people who think that what they are watching is just too good to be true.
BBC Sport - Why tennis must step up the fight against doping
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2006/12/07
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The Coachella Valley is hosting the 20th annual Palm Springs Open this weekend, an international tennis tournament run by the Desert Tennis Association (DTA) that benefits the AIDS Assistance Program.
The tournament, which runs Friday through Sunday, is expected to attract more than 300 tennis players from 15 states and seven countries.
The Palm Springs Open is part of the Gay Lesbian Tennis Alliance tour (GLTA) and will be held at the following host sites: Mission Hills Country Club, Monterey Country Club, Rancho Las Palmas Country Club and the Plaza Racquet Club.
Mission Hills Country Club is hosting a banquet at 7 p.m. Saturday. Banquet tickets are $40 per person and include a no-host cocktail reception, dinner and entertainment, which includes a talent show (seating is limited). All proceeds go to the AIDS Assistance Program.
Nabil Najjar, a volunteer who took over the tournament in 2001 when it had 120 players, has been instrumental in expanding the tournament to where it is today. Last year, the Palm Springs Open raised $8,000 and Najjar hopes to reach $10,000 this weekend.
“The money raised helps provide food, clothing and other things needed for the needy who have AIDS to survive,” Najjar said. “We have 15 dedicated volunteers who have put in a lot of hard work, and it’s a great feeling of accomplishment knowing we’re able to help a lot of people.”
Najjar stressed the tournament is open to everyone regardless of sexual orientation. The Palm Springs Open is one of the biggest tournaments on the LGBT Tour, which hosts nearly 70 tournaments around the globe.
“The desert attracts so many players because of the beautiful weather,” Najjar said. “Since it’s a holiday weekend, the players use it as a vacation getaway, and at the same time, they’re able to play competitive tennis while supporting a great cause.”
The tournament has five divisions of play from beginner to open level. The finals are held at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday at the Plaza Racquet Club.
www-mydesert-com/article/20131128/SPORTS07/311280022/LGBT-tennis-tournament-begins-Palm-Springs
The tournament, which runs Friday through Sunday, is expected to attract more than 300 tennis players from 15 states and seven countries.
The Palm Springs Open is part of the Gay Lesbian Tennis Alliance tour (GLTA) and will be held at the following host sites: Mission Hills Country Club, Monterey Country Club, Rancho Las Palmas Country Club and the Plaza Racquet Club.
Mission Hills Country Club is hosting a banquet at 7 p.m. Saturday. Banquet tickets are $40 per person and include a no-host cocktail reception, dinner and entertainment, which includes a talent show (seating is limited). All proceeds go to the AIDS Assistance Program.
Nabil Najjar, a volunteer who took over the tournament in 2001 when it had 120 players, has been instrumental in expanding the tournament to where it is today. Last year, the Palm Springs Open raised $8,000 and Najjar hopes to reach $10,000 this weekend.
“The money raised helps provide food, clothing and other things needed for the needy who have AIDS to survive,” Najjar said. “We have 15 dedicated volunteers who have put in a lot of hard work, and it’s a great feeling of accomplishment knowing we’re able to help a lot of people.”
Najjar stressed the tournament is open to everyone regardless of sexual orientation. The Palm Springs Open is one of the biggest tournaments on the LGBT Tour, which hosts nearly 70 tournaments around the globe.
“The desert attracts so many players because of the beautiful weather,” Najjar said. “Since it’s a holiday weekend, the players use it as a vacation getaway, and at the same time, they’re able to play competitive tennis while supporting a great cause.”
The tournament has five divisions of play from beginner to open level. The finals are held at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday at the Plaza Racquet Club.
www-mydesert-com/article/20131128/SPORTS07/311280022/LGBT-tennis-tournament-begins-Palm-Springs
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Serena Williams believes she and sister Venus 'changed the dynamic' of tennis as they arrive in Argentina for an exhibition match.
Serena, speaking ahead of the siblings' match-up on Saturday in Buenos Aires, believes being successful African-American women helped her and Venus leave an indelible mark on the world of tennis.
"We've brought a lot of passion, we've brought a lot of style and fashion as well to the game," Serena said.
"I think that totally changed the dynamic of the game. I remember in particular Venus started wearing all these amazing outfits and I was so influenced by that.
"I definitely think we had a huge impact on tennis in that way. As well, of course, bringing such power into tennis, and bringing a new colour.
"Being African-American, and playing successful tennis and winning grand slams, that hadn't been done in a long time. I think that got so much excitement involved in tennis as well."
Serena revealed this was the first time she had ever visited Argentina and the 17-time grand slam champion said she was excited by being in the South American country.
"This is my first time in Argentina, never been here before," she said.
"I've always wanted to come here and visit more of South America and bring tennis here. Myself and Venus, we've never played that much in South America because there are not too many tour events.
"So, we're really excited to be here in South America and have an opportunity to bring our tennis to Argentina especially, it's really, really exciting."
Venus, who relaunched her EleVen fashion brand in 2012, is happy to balance her off-court activities with her tennis career, despite dropping to 47 in the world rankings.
"I'm grateful and happy to be doing what I love down here, despite that in sport and in life, sometimes you're injured, sometimes you're hurt, sometimes you don't feel amazing," Venus said.
"I'm just happy to be playing great tennis. I do everything at the same time, tennis and fashion and all that stuff. You don't have to stop one to do the other."
Tennis News | Serena: Williams sisters changed tennis
Serena, speaking ahead of the siblings' match-up on Saturday in Buenos Aires, believes being successful African-American women helped her and Venus leave an indelible mark on the world of tennis.
"We've brought a lot of passion, we've brought a lot of style and fashion as well to the game," Serena said.
"I think that totally changed the dynamic of the game. I remember in particular Venus started wearing all these amazing outfits and I was so influenced by that.
"I definitely think we had a huge impact on tennis in that way. As well, of course, bringing such power into tennis, and bringing a new colour.
"Being African-American, and playing successful tennis and winning grand slams, that hadn't been done in a long time. I think that got so much excitement involved in tennis as well."
Serena revealed this was the first time she had ever visited Argentina and the 17-time grand slam champion said she was excited by being in the South American country.
"This is my first time in Argentina, never been here before," she said.
"I've always wanted to come here and visit more of South America and bring tennis here. Myself and Venus, we've never played that much in South America because there are not too many tour events.
"So, we're really excited to be here in South America and have an opportunity to bring our tennis to Argentina especially, it's really, really exciting."
Venus, who relaunched her EleVen fashion brand in 2012, is happy to balance her off-court activities with her tennis career, despite dropping to 47 in the world rankings.
"I'm grateful and happy to be doing what I love down here, despite that in sport and in life, sometimes you're injured, sometimes you're hurt, sometimes you don't feel amazing," Venus said.
"I'm just happy to be playing great tennis. I do everything at the same time, tennis and fashion and all that stuff. You don't have to stop one to do the other."
Tennis News | Serena: Williams sisters changed tennis
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IT says a lot about Australia's year on the tennis court that a surprise doubles pairing and a resurgent veteran are vying with our highest ranked player, Samantha Stosur, for the sport's biggest award. The prestigious Newcombe Medal for the best Australian tennis player of the year will be awarded tonight at a black-tie event in Melbourne with no obvious standout among the five finalists.
On rankings Stosur starts favourite but she hasn't had her best year, sliding from ninth to 18th in the world, although it still might be enough to claim her second Newcombe given her opposition.
The doubles pairing of Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua are the bolters in the field after they came from nowhere to reach three grand slam finals.
And then there is Lleyton Hewitt who at 32 resurrected his career on the back of a healthy body but he still is only ranked No.60 in the world.
One of his best achievements for the year came alongside another nominee, Bernard Tomic, with the pair dragging Australia back into the Davis Cup World Group for the first time in six years. Hewitt is pleased just to be back in the running for such an award given his troubles with injury over the past three years.
``It means a lot to me, honouring a guy like John Newcombe who meant so much to me in terms of really instilling the Australian history and tradition (in me), in particular playing Davis Cup for Australia; he was my first captain of the Davis Cup team," Hewitt said.
``It means a lot obviously to go up there and catch up with Newk. To go there and have a chance to win the Newcombe Medal will be fantastic." Tomic gets into the field despite not fulfilling most of his goals for the year.
After an impressive Australian Open campaign the 21-year-old declared he was ready to break into the Top Ten but instead moved just one ranking place in 12 months finishing at No.51.
The latest attempt to kick-start his career has Tomic relocating to Melbourne where he will start with a new coach, Croatian Velimir Zovko.
Another promising young gun, Canberra's Nick Kyrgios, is the outsider in the field.
The Australian Open junior winner was rewarded for his rapid development which saw him move inside the top 200.
No Cookies | Herald Sun
On rankings Stosur starts favourite but she hasn't had her best year, sliding from ninth to 18th in the world, although it still might be enough to claim her second Newcombe given her opposition.
The doubles pairing of Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua are the bolters in the field after they came from nowhere to reach three grand slam finals.
And then there is Lleyton Hewitt who at 32 resurrected his career on the back of a healthy body but he still is only ranked No.60 in the world.
One of his best achievements for the year came alongside another nominee, Bernard Tomic, with the pair dragging Australia back into the Davis Cup World Group for the first time in six years. Hewitt is pleased just to be back in the running for such an award given his troubles with injury over the past three years.
``It means a lot to me, honouring a guy like John Newcombe who meant so much to me in terms of really instilling the Australian history and tradition (in me), in particular playing Davis Cup for Australia; he was my first captain of the Davis Cup team," Hewitt said.
``It means a lot obviously to go up there and catch up with Newk. To go there and have a chance to win the Newcombe Medal will be fantastic." Tomic gets into the field despite not fulfilling most of his goals for the year.
After an impressive Australian Open campaign the 21-year-old declared he was ready to break into the Top Ten but instead moved just one ranking place in 12 months finishing at No.51.
The latest attempt to kick-start his career has Tomic relocating to Melbourne where he will start with a new coach, Croatian Velimir Zovko.
Another promising young gun, Canberra's Nick Kyrgios, is the outsider in the field.
The Australian Open junior winner was rewarded for his rapid development which saw him move inside the top 200.
No Cookies | Herald Sun
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Peter Graf, the father, former coach and ex-manager of legendary German tennis player Steffi Graf, died in Mannheim from cancer late Sunday, media reports said. He was 75.
Peter Graf accompanied his daughter during her climb to the top of the tennis world, but the two later had a falling out after he was sentenced to more than three years in the prison in 1997 for tax evasion.
Graf, who spent a year in prison, had recently been coaching foreign tennis players.
Peter Graf had mended his relationship with his daughter, who won 22 Grand Slam titles during her career.
Tennis legend Steffi Graf`s father dies
Peter Graf accompanied his daughter during her climb to the top of the tennis world, but the two later had a falling out after he was sentenced to more than three years in the prison in 1997 for tax evasion.
Graf, who spent a year in prison, had recently been coaching foreign tennis players.
Peter Graf had mended his relationship with his daughter, who won 22 Grand Slam titles during her career.
Tennis legend Steffi Graf`s father dies
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The bravado Serena Williams sometimes displays normally might get an athlete in trouble, at least in the court of public opinion. But Serena's play often backs up her words.
SI-com reports that during a press conference in Argentina where the sisters are participating in an exhibition event, Serena said, "We changed tennis."
"We brought passion and fashion wearing extravagant clothes. And also style, power as a new skin color as we are African-Americans. We improved tennis. "I think that totally changed the dynamic of the game. I remember in particular Venus started wearing all these amazing outfits and I was so influenced by that. ... I definitely think we had a huge impact on tennis in that way. As well, of course, bringing such power into tennis, and bringing a new color."
Serena Williams is the owner of 17 Grand Slam championships. Venus has seven, and the two have paired up to win 13 doubles grand slams. Both have Olympic gold medals in singles and doubles.
Those statistics give Serena license to say how her family impacted the game.
"Being African-American, and playing successful tennis and winning Grand Slams, that hadn't been done in a long time," Serena said. "I think that got so much excitement involved in tennis as well."
Venus has fallen from the ranks of the top women's players in the world the last two years. In 2011, she revealed that she suffers from Sjogren's syndrome, which attacks the autoimmune system.
Her battle may have tempered her remarks from being as bold as Serena's, but she did talk about the source of her and her sister's vision about making an impact on the sport.
"I think that a lot of credit has to be given to my mom and my dad for changing the game that we played, really thinking about the moves we were doing to really change the game of women's tennis," she said.
Serena Williams News Update: Says She and Venus Williams Reinvented Tennis With Their Power, Fashion and Skin Color (VIDEO) : TENNIS : Sports World News
SI-com reports that during a press conference in Argentina where the sisters are participating in an exhibition event, Serena said, "We changed tennis."
"We brought passion and fashion wearing extravagant clothes. And also style, power as a new skin color as we are African-Americans. We improved tennis. "I think that totally changed the dynamic of the game. I remember in particular Venus started wearing all these amazing outfits and I was so influenced by that. ... I definitely think we had a huge impact on tennis in that way. As well, of course, bringing such power into tennis, and bringing a new color."
Serena Williams is the owner of 17 Grand Slam championships. Venus has seven, and the two have paired up to win 13 doubles grand slams. Both have Olympic gold medals in singles and doubles.
Those statistics give Serena license to say how her family impacted the game.
"Being African-American, and playing successful tennis and winning Grand Slams, that hadn't been done in a long time," Serena said. "I think that got so much excitement involved in tennis as well."
Venus has fallen from the ranks of the top women's players in the world the last two years. In 2011, she revealed that she suffers from Sjogren's syndrome, which attacks the autoimmune system.
Her battle may have tempered her remarks from being as bold as Serena's, but she did talk about the source of her and her sister's vision about making an impact on the sport.
"I think that a lot of credit has to be given to my mom and my dad for changing the game that we played, really thinking about the moves we were doing to really change the game of women's tennis," she said.
Serena Williams News Update: Says She and Venus Williams Reinvented Tennis With Their Power, Fashion and Skin Color (VIDEO) : TENNIS : Sports World News
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Tomic, currently ranked 51st in the world, said he would continue to be coached by his father away from tournaments as he targets a rise into the top 20 this year.
"This guy will be more there on court, spending more hours with me," the 21-year-old told the Sydney Morning Herald.
"My dad will sort of be less, but obviously my dad knows me best, and if he sees something that's obviously wrong or mistaken then they'll have a talk about it outside of tennis.
"He's from Croatia, he speaks my language, and it's very important for me to have a good communication, someone that understands me, my background, because it's not easy - I'm a difficult sort of guy," Tomic added.
Former taxi driver John Tomic was sentenced to eight months in prison by a Spanish court in September for head-butting Frenchman Thomas Drouet and breaking his nose.
Tomic was not required to serve jail time because his sentence was under two years in length.
The ATP decided last year to withhold his accreditation for all tour events and will consider whether to lift the ban next May.
His son, long-touted as the great hope for Australian men's tennis and a Wimbledon quarter-finalist in 2011, made headlines in Australia recently after being pictured celebrating his 21st birthday in a Gold Coast nightclub.
Tomic has recently moved his base from Queensland, however, and will work with former Croatian Olympic team coach Zovko at the National Tennis Centre in Melbourne.
"From what I've heard, he's disciplined, it's something what I need, and it's obviously something new. I'm looking forward," Tomic said.
"I can't say what he can bring, but obviously I'm going to pick it up throughout the weeks as they go by and hopefully it can work out."
Tomic will start his season at the Hopman Cup team event in Perth before defending his maiden ATP title at the Sydney International in the week before the Australian Open, which starts on January 13.
Tomic links up with Croatian coach during dad's ban - Tennis - Eurosport Asia
"This guy will be more there on court, spending more hours with me," the 21-year-old told the Sydney Morning Herald.
"My dad will sort of be less, but obviously my dad knows me best, and if he sees something that's obviously wrong or mistaken then they'll have a talk about it outside of tennis.
"He's from Croatia, he speaks my language, and it's very important for me to have a good communication, someone that understands me, my background, because it's not easy - I'm a difficult sort of guy," Tomic added.
Former taxi driver John Tomic was sentenced to eight months in prison by a Spanish court in September for head-butting Frenchman Thomas Drouet and breaking his nose.
Tomic was not required to serve jail time because his sentence was under two years in length.
The ATP decided last year to withhold his accreditation for all tour events and will consider whether to lift the ban next May.
His son, long-touted as the great hope for Australian men's tennis and a Wimbledon quarter-finalist in 2011, made headlines in Australia recently after being pictured celebrating his 21st birthday in a Gold Coast nightclub.
Tomic has recently moved his base from Queensland, however, and will work with former Croatian Olympic team coach Zovko at the National Tennis Centre in Melbourne.
"From what I've heard, he's disciplined, it's something what I need, and it's obviously something new. I'm looking forward," Tomic said.
"I can't say what he can bring, but obviously I'm going to pick it up throughout the weeks as they go by and hopefully it can work out."
Tomic will start his season at the Hopman Cup team event in Perth before defending his maiden ATP title at the Sydney International in the week before the Australian Open, which starts on January 13.
Tomic links up with Croatian coach during dad's ban - Tennis - Eurosport Asia
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Goran Ivanisevic got the first of what he hoped would be two victories on Wednesday, as he defeated Greg Rusedski 7-6(2), 7-6(6) at the Statoil Masters Tennis, held at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
Half an hour later, the 2001 Wimbledon champion was on the way to the Hawthorns, hoping to see his favourite football team, West Bromwich Albion, pull off a famous victory over Manchester City. However, on Ivanisevic’s first time at the Hawthorns, the ‘Baggies’ went down to Manchester City 3-2.
Goran will return to London on Wednesday night, before entertaining the crowds at the Royal Albert Hall once again on Thursday when he partners Sergi Bruguera against Mark Philippoussis and Fabrice Santoro in the afternoon session.
Wednesday’s evening singles match came to an abrupt end after Mark Philippoussis was forced to retire with a back injury. The Australian trailed Tim Henman 4-5, and injured his back in his service motion to start the 10th game.
Henman entertained the crowd at the Royal Albert Hall as he knocked up with the ball girls, a member of Il Divo who was in attendance and a member of the audience. But after several minutes of treatment, it was deemed Philippoussis was not fit to continue.
"It was really unfortunate," said Henman. "It's a great new surface this year and I think it really benefits the players. You feel like you can construct rallies out there. I think we played some good tennis at times. To end like that is really unfortunate for Mark, hopefully he can recover quickly."
Philippoussis said, "Obviously it’s not the way you want to finish on the court, especially for such a beautiful cause. It's a great event so it's incredibly disappointing. I was having a great time out there, it's a great court, so I hope I can rest it for a couple of days, and hopefully see if I can get out there on Friday."
In the Legends Tournament, former World No. 5 Henri Leconte defeated Jeremy Bates 7-6(2), 7-5 in Group B.
Statoil Masters Tennis 2013 - Ivanisevic, Henman Win Openers - Tennis - ATP World Tour
Half an hour later, the 2001 Wimbledon champion was on the way to the Hawthorns, hoping to see his favourite football team, West Bromwich Albion, pull off a famous victory over Manchester City. However, on Ivanisevic’s first time at the Hawthorns, the ‘Baggies’ went down to Manchester City 3-2.
Goran will return to London on Wednesday night, before entertaining the crowds at the Royal Albert Hall once again on Thursday when he partners Sergi Bruguera against Mark Philippoussis and Fabrice Santoro in the afternoon session.
Wednesday’s evening singles match came to an abrupt end after Mark Philippoussis was forced to retire with a back injury. The Australian trailed Tim Henman 4-5, and injured his back in his service motion to start the 10th game.
Henman entertained the crowd at the Royal Albert Hall as he knocked up with the ball girls, a member of Il Divo who was in attendance and a member of the audience. But after several minutes of treatment, it was deemed Philippoussis was not fit to continue.
"It was really unfortunate," said Henman. "It's a great new surface this year and I think it really benefits the players. You feel like you can construct rallies out there. I think we played some good tennis at times. To end like that is really unfortunate for Mark, hopefully he can recover quickly."
Philippoussis said, "Obviously it’s not the way you want to finish on the court, especially for such a beautiful cause. It's a great event so it's incredibly disappointing. I was having a great time out there, it's a great court, so I hope I can rest it for a couple of days, and hopefully see if I can get out there on Friday."
In the Legends Tournament, former World No. 5 Henri Leconte defeated Jeremy Bates 7-6(2), 7-5 in Group B.
Statoil Masters Tennis 2013 - Ivanisevic, Henman Win Openers - Tennis - ATP World Tour
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• The Daily Mail has inducted Roger Federer into its sporting Hall of Fame.
• The ITF responds to criticism of its anti-doping policies.
• In case you were wondering, Wozilroy is still going strong.
• Format changes would improve Davis Cup as a competition, but the ITF isn’t going to hear it. From the BBC’s Russell Fuller:
[Andy] Murray suggested to BBC Sport in September, when he made his return to the Great Britain side for the successful World Group play-off against Croatia, that the competition should be made “mandatory” to boost its position in the calendar.
Others argue that an annual competition spread throughout the season is no longer viable, but Francesco Ricci Bitti — head of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), which organises the Davis Cup — says widespread reform is not on the agenda.
“We do our best to improve and to listen, but what we are not prepared to breach is our principles: home and away ties, nomination [choice of players] by the country, and the yearly competition,” he said at September’s draw for the 2014 competition.
“People talk about [playing every] two years, but it’s a very naive idea. The tennis calendar is an annual calendar, so if you change one year, you have to adjust again.” • The New York Times profiles Janko Tipsarevic, who began the season in the top 10 and has fallen to No. 36. Tipsarevic has been ruled out of the Davis Cup final due to injury, though is anyone ever really ruled out? The 29-year-old Serb rejects the poverty narrative that is sometimes too easy to tell.
“Look, to be honest with you, I don’t want to cry and say it was ridiculously tough,” Tipsarevic said of his unlikely path to success. “It was, but I honestly didn’t feel it that much. I was lucky enough that I had a very, very dedicated father who was at the time working three jobs to support my tennis, and just for the record, I don’t really like these Rocky Balboa stories: He was poor and didn’t have money and then from nothing he became something, you know.”
“Obviously it was really difficult,” he added, “but I was lucky enough that I had a father who was providing me enough to dress and eat and play enough tennis. I was lucky enough to be surrounded with good people who were pushing me to work hard, and this is how it happened.”
There were foreign backers, too, including the management company ProServ whose representatives spotted Tipsarevic at a junior tournament and gave him funding. “Borrowed money,” Tipsarevic said. “Which later on I returned ’til the last penny.”
• Eugenie Bouchard has been doing quite a bit of Canadian press in her offseason. It’s well-deserved after a great season. From Rachel Brady of The Globe and Mail:
Compelling results in Bouchard’s rookie season on tour prompted legendary tennis star Martina Navratilova to call the Canadian a “potential Grand Slam champion.” She made her first WTA final in Osaka, Japan, rallied to two semi-finals, upset world No. 12 Ana Ivanovic on centre court at Wimbledon, and beat top-15 players such as Sloane Stevens and Jelena Jankovic. She also took Williams to three sets in Cincinnati.
“Serena was so accurate with every shot, she could put her serve anywhere she wanted to, and I found it tough to predict where she was going,” Bouchard says. “I need to improve my anticipation and running to the ball, but that gave me so much experience, so did being on centre court with Sharapova at the French Open, with Ivanovic at Wimbledon.
“You can’t duplicate those moments; you can’t feel that in practice. Now, when I walk onto a centre court, I know I’ve been there.”
• Too soon? Too bad. The Mubadala World Championships exhibition event in Abu Dhabi has released its draw already and it looks like Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray could face off on Dec. 27. Rafael Nadal is also in the field.
Daily Bagel: Andre Agassi discusses his business ventures and life after tennis | Beyond The Baseline