<a href="/blog/post/2009/04/30/Daily-Tennis-News-April-30th.aspx" class="taggedlink">Daily Tennis News: April 30th

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Daily Tennis News: April 29th

by mltennis 29. April 2009 04:24

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

BUSINESS NEWS

Sharapova’s Condition Continues; She Drops Out of Rome and Madrid

The Maria Sharapova mystery deepened as the former world no.1, absent from the game for almost eight months apart from one doubles appearance, once again cancelled plans for a comeback at next week’s Internazionali d’Italia in Rome.
For the fifth time this year the winner of three major singles titles has told organizers that her troublesome right shoulder is still not sufficiently recuperated from the rotator cuff surgery she underwent in New York last October.
Sharapova, who turned 22 years old ten days ago, has also withdrawn from the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open which begins at the brand new La Caja Magica on May 9. Tournament officials of the French Open which begins at Roland Garros on May 24 have as yet received no indication that the American-based Russian will not compete.
According to reports from her management company she has been hitting in practice since before Christmas but there have been a series of apologies issued since she withdrew from an exhibition tournament in Hong Kong prior to the Australian Open.
Sharapova did make a brief return at Indian Wells on the doubles court in tandem with Elena Vesnina but she almost immediately withdrew from the ensuing Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, despite the fact that the title sponsors of the event also figure prominently in her portfolio of highly lucrative endorsers.
A statement from the tournament organizers in Rome said: “Maria Sharapova won’t be present at the Italian International Masters Women’s Open next week— the Sony Ericsson WTA has announced."
Sharapova last appeared on a competitive singles on August 6 last year when she beat Poland’s Marta Domochowska. She then withdrew from her next match against Ai Sugiyama of Japan. A month earlier she had been beaten in the second round of Wimbledon by fellow Russian Alla Kudryavtseva.
Her last tournament title came at Amelia Island more than a year ago although she reached the semi-finals in Rome last year, withdrawing before her match against Jelena Jankovic.
Sharapova’s prolonged absence has seen her ranking fall from no.3 at the time of the Montreal event to this week’s position of 64.
***
Britisher Dan Evans Signs with ACE Group International

Patricio Apey, the long time agent of Gabriela Sabatini and head of the London-based ACE Group International, was left smarting when Andy Murray decided to change his management company to 19 Entertainment, run by Simon Fuller who has masterminded the career of the Spice Girls and jump charged the commercial marketing of David Beckham.
However, Chilean born Apey is certain he has found a more than adequate replacement in Dan Evans, the 18 year-old from Birmingham who last summer was banished from Britain’s Lawn Tennis Association for allegedly nightclubbing on the night before playing a doubles match at Wimbledon but has responded impressively.
After Wimbledon, Evans’ world singles ranking was outside the top 1,000. This week it stands at 325 after winning his first ever Challenger event last month on the Channel Island of Jersey.
Evans, whose LTA ban lasted four months, is now Britain’s fifth ranked player and Apey, who also manages world no. 7 Gilles Simon said: “Dan is the best 18 year old in the world at the moment and we are delighted that he chose us as his management team. We will look to help him develop over the very important next 18 to 24 months.”
The player is equally optimistic. “The team at Ace have a proven track record with their work with Andy,” said Evans. “Their ideas were more imaginative and exciting than that of the other management groups."
***
Coria Retires From the Tour

One-time Roland Garros finalist Guillermo Coria has quit the game at the age of 27. The Argentine, who once rose to as high as three in the world, has barely competed since 2006 and had not won a title since Umag in 2005, so his announcement comes as no surprise.
He has played just one match this year, losing at a Challenger event in Bangkok. The last ATP match he played was in Kitzbuhel last July, and his last ATP win was a first round match against Peter Polansky in Casablanca in May 2008. That was one of only two ATP victories he achieved last season, as he underwent surgery on his right shoulder.
"I didn't feel like competing any more," Coria said in a statement published on the Argentine Tennis Association website. "I'm very happy with the decision I've taken. I have new projects and I will be able to spend more time with my family."
Coria’s career was tainted by a drug scandal, when he was banned in 2001 for two years after testing positive for steroid use. However, that penalty was reduced to seven months after further examination showed that innocent multivitamins he was taking had become tainted. Coria then settled a lawsuit with the New Jersey manufacturer of the multivitamin, and the case arguably led to more stringent precautions being taken in the manufacture and storing of sports drugs.
***
After a Setback Jankovic Thinks She is on the Road Back Where She Belongs

Jelena Jankovic has learned her lesson. Those who advise you and have your best interests at heart don’t always know best.
The Serb ended last year as the world No. 1 after stunning the tennis world with three victories in three weeks, in Beijing, Moscow and Stuttgart. Everything was great. She was on top of the world. So she set about changing things. Being the best wasn’t good enough. She needed to get faster, fitter, stronger, or so she was told, and she spent the close-season working to achieve that end. But it backfired, with the extra muscle she gained changing her body and slowing her down. Her speed, one of her greatest assets, had been lost.
A disappointing fourth round exit from the Australian Open was eventually followed by opening round losses at both Indian Wells and Miami, and it wasn’t until she got the clay under her feet in Marbella a couple of weeks ago that she finally began to turn things around. She won the title although against fairly modest opposition, and now believes that things are back on track.
"You listen to your team and to people who are working with you and you think it’s going to bring you results," said Jankovic at Stuttgart’s Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, where she is the defending champion. "You hope you’re going to get better. But we are all individuals. For some it might work but my body doesn’t accept it and you get a negative effect.
"I was one of the fastest players on the tour and had one of the best movements, and I started the year as one of the slowest. I felt very heavy on the court, I just felt so slow, and my whole game broke down and I couldn’t feel my shots. And with that your confidence goes down and everything gets ruined. But I had to stay positive and find a way to clear that and get back on the right way again, and I’m doing that at the moment. My game is getting back together. I’m not doing any more experiments. I’m just doing the same as I used to do and I think I will be okay."
***
Hewitt’s Legal Problems Continue in Court

Lleyton Hewitt has more to worry about at the moment than Tennis Australia’s Davis Cup dispute with India and the ITF, and rebuilding his ranking following hip surgery last year. His financial dealings have been aired in Victoria Supreme Court as he counter-sues his former agents, Octagon.
The company filed suit against the former No. 1, alleging he breached an exclusive contract with them resulting in the loss of merchandising and management fees. Octagon said Hewitt agreed to pay the firm between 16-20 percent of his earnings on a sliding scale depending on his ranking, Grand Slam and performances on the ATP Tour. Hewitt in turn filed a counter claim, accusing Octagon of failing to fulfill its obligations as his agent and that he suffered loss and damage as a result.
"As Octagon has chosen to engage in expensive and time-consuming litigation in relation to its former role as my representative and agent, I feel I have no choice but to defend myself and counterclaim in relation to the ways in which I believe that Octagon failed to discharge its obligations to me," Hewitt said on his Web site. "Naturally I would prefer not to be put in this position. I remain hopeful that this matter can be resolved out of court, but I am nevertheless prepared to fight to vindicate my position."
A decision will be reached by the court at a later date.
***
Americans Satisfied with Croatian Pick for Davis Cup Tie

Derek Fisher, an official of USTA who takes care about Davis Cup organization, showed great satisfaction with Porec, a coastal city on Adriatic sea, picked by Croatian Tennis Federation as a host for Davis Cup quarterfinal against USA in July.
“According to everything I saw, this city is really great. The same applies for the venue and hotels. It is obvious that this tie between Croatian and American players will be genuine spectacle”, said Fisher after inspection of The Zatika Hall in Porec.
This is new hall, built this winter for World Handball Championships. Zatika Hall had already passed tennis exam, since the Croats played here against Chile in the first round of Davis Cup play six weeks ago.
Porec is a 2.000 year old city oriented on tourism. There are only 12.000 inhabitants, but that number swells up during the season, with a peak in July. Capacity of Zatika Hall is 3.500 seats.
***
Baghdatis Receives Belgrade Wild Card

Marcos Baghdatis, former Australian open finalist, has been chosen for the final wild card in first ATP tournament ever in Belgrade.
In contention with popular Cypriot were three previous Grand slam winners, Lleyton Hewitt, Gaston Gaudio and Juan Carlos Ferrero. Two promising Serbian young players, Filip Krajinovic and Arsenije Zlatanovic, got first two wild cards much earlier.
The reason for choosing Baghdatis over more successful players was not given by owners, Femily Group, a firm owned by the Novak Djokovic family, but it is obvious that the world No 3 doesn’t hold a grudge against Baghdatis after this year Australian Open.
Baghdatis beat Djokovic in the forth round, finishing well past midnight and wasn’t able to recover for his next match and was forced to retire in the quarterfinal against Andy Roddick.
Belgrade tournament will be held next week with Novak Djokovic as first seed and the only participant from top ten.

***

We Hear---
---that the USTA will announce this week the hiring of a new national coach to work in the Carson Center.
***
THIS WEEK
MEN
Rome
WOMEN
Stuttgart
***
NEXT WEEK
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Belgrade
Estoril
Munich
WOMEN
Rome
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Bob Larson's Daily Tennis is published
Monday through Friday except Holidays
Monday and Thursday in November and December.
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Subscription rates are; $97USD a year,
$57USD for Six months, $37USD for Three months.
Bob Larson Tennis
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Daily Tennis News: April 28th

by mltennis 29. April 2009 04:22

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

BUSINESS NEWS

Peer Playing This Week in Arabian Morocco

She couldn’t play in Dubai, resulting in a worldwide storm of protest when the United Arab Emirates denied Shahar Peer permission to enter the country. But the Israeli found no such resistance from Morocco this week, where she is playing in an Arab country for the first time at the Grand Prix SAR event in Fes. Refreshingly, Royal Tennis Club manager Mohammed Kharchafi said, "It’s purely a sports event. Politics has nothing to do with it."
After Peer was unable to play at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships in February with organizers citing security concerns, the tournament faced a boycott the following week from the ATP as Israeli doubles specialist Andy Ram was entered. In the end, the UAE was forced to back down and Ram was allowed a ‘special entry permit’, although heavy restrictions were placed upon him. He was met at the airport by a security detail, his mobile phone had to be surrendered, he was unable to leave his hotel without an escort, and he had to use a separate changing room at the tournament site. There was also heavy security when he competed, with his match taking place on a side court.
The tournament was later fined a record $300,000 by the WTA, which is being appealed on the grounds that it was the government and not the (government-owned) tournament that refused Peer entry to the country.
***
Safina Enjoys Her Spot at the Top of the Tour

Dinara Safina almost got there several times before. Last week she made it to No.1, and this week she plays her first event as the top-ranked player in the world as she competes at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. So how does it feel to be called the best player in the world?
"It feels nice, I must say. It feels great to wake up and know you’re the best in the world. It is the dream of each player you know, and finally you get your dream.
Many players have a dream but the dream never comes true and I’m the lucky one. I cannot say it’s luck because by luck you cannot get to this spot, but it’s hard work and day by day, giving one hundred percent. When it pays off it’s a nice feeling to get the result from all the things that have been happening to me."
It took Safina quite a while to make her breakthrough from being merely good to being seen as a potential No.1. That breakthrough came in Berlin a year ago, and she has kept going ever since. She always knew it was in her, but getting it out was another matter.
"I had the shots. I’m still the same player, but I didn’t know what you use when, when to use my weapons. I’m lucky and happy that I found the right person who just opened my eyes. Many other coaches were always looking deep inside my technique and said change this, that, and they were confusing me. But he said I didn’t need to change anything, I have great shots, but use them. It was like a puzzle, and you have to put the pieces in the right place to get the picture. I’m just lucky that I found at the right moment the right person."
As well as using the right shots at the right time there was the matter of keeping her emotions under control and not following her brother’s example and blowing up when things started going against her.
"I think it was also a big change I did. I discussed with him (coach) a lot because people can follow your body language and see how you feel. So he said maybe you can hide it a little bit better. Okay, maybe show you are disappointed every four games, but not after every point. He said if I wanted to improve I had to change that, so I did."
***
USTA to Host Playoff Tournaments to Determine 2009 French Open Wild Cards

The USTA is hosting a playoff this week to award a men’s and a women’s singles main draw wild card to the 2009 French Open. The men’s wild card tournament will take place on the clay courts of the Boca West Country Club in Boca Raton, Fla., April 28-30. The women’s wild card tournament will be held April 29-May 2 at the same location. The USTA and the French Tennis Federation have a reciprocal agreement in which wild card entries into the main draw at the 2009 French Open and 2009 US Open are exchanged.
Eight players are scheduled to compete for the men’s wild card: John Isner, 24, of Tampa, Fla.; Scoville Jenkins, 22, of Atlanta; Evan King, 17, of Chicago; Jesse Levine, 21 of Boca Raton, Fla.; Michael McClune, 19, of Irvine, Calif.; Nathan Pasha, 16, of Atlanta; Rhyne Williams, 18, of Knoxville, Tenn.; and Donald Young, 19, of Atlanta.
Eleven players will compete for the women’s wild card: Kristie Ahn, 16, of Upper Saddle River, N.J.; Gail Brodsky, 17, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; Beatrice Capra, 17, of Ellicott City, Md.; Lauren Embree, 18, of Marco Island, Fla.; Nicole Gibbs, 16, of Manhattan Beach, Calif.; Madison Keys, 14, of Boca Raton, Fla.; Christine McHale, 16, of Englewood Cliffs, N.J.; Asia Muhammad, 18, of Henderson, Nev.; Sloane Stephens, 16, of Fresno, Calif.; Stacey Tan, 17, of Lakewood, Calif.; and CoCo Vandeweghe, 17, of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
***
Back Injury May Cause Draper to Return to Tennis

Australia’s Scott Draper, who quit tennis in 2005 and went on to become a professional on the golf tour, may be forced back into tennis because of a back injury.
This time he is looking for a coaching role rather than as a player, and he can point to a spell as coach to Lleyton Hewitt on his portfolio as he seeks a position. He did apply to work with Roland Garros champion Ana Ivanovic, but that role went instead went to Craig Kardon.
"It's very disappointing that I can't, at this stage, follow what I wanted to do," he told Melbourne’s The Age. "I believe in chasing your dreams and being passionate about what you do and I feel like I'm letting people down sometimes because they were excited about this person who was having a crack at something different and was a longshot, and they're the fun stories sometimes.
"I've looked at a bunch of things so far. I'm sort of in negotiations with one of the French players, which I don't want to talk too much about, but I ideally would like to be at home working with Aussie kids. If that doesn't eventuate then I certainly will be looking to get on the road and coach. I hope that doesn't necessarily happen, but I'm certainly willing to do it."
Tennis Australia is aware of Draper’s situation and could look for a role that he might play.
"I think he'd be great," said Tennis Australia Director Craig Tiley. "I don't know what it would be, and we haven't discussed specifics yet, but Scotty Draper played two sports at the highest levels and he's got to have something to offer."
***
ATP Senior Tour to Hold Event in China

The ATP Champions Tour has added the Chinese city of Chengdu to its schedule this year, marking the first time it has held an event in China. The tournament will take place at the 6,700-seat Sichuan Tennis Centre November 5-8, and features John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg and Michael Chang, as well as Marcelo Rios and Mats Wilander. Three other names will be announced later.
While the names of McEnroe and Borg are amongst the most legendary in tennis, the appearance of Chang, winner of the French Open 20 years ago, will provoke the most excitement in China.
“Ni Hao,” said the American-born player whose father Joe left China for the United States in 1966. “With the boom in tennis in China, I am happy that Chengdu has taken the bold step to host this tournament which will allow me to return to China to play official ATP tennis once more,” Chang said. “China has always held a special place in my heart.
***
Winning Paris is Federer’s #1 Goal

Roger Federer is changing strategy on the clay, aiming all of his resources at finally winning the French Open. The Swiss will see the results of a week of work with fitness trainer Pierre Paganini when he starts as second seed at this week's Rome Masters.
"I don't necessarily need to get to number one again," said the 13-time Grand Slam champion, "I just need to win the French Open, that's my goal."
The Swiss said that ranking is not atop any of his priority lists. "It doesn't matter if I'm 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 or 10 in the world. For someone like me, who has been No. 1 for so long and won so many titles, if you're not No. 1 then it's about winning titles and getting back No. 1. That's the position I'm in now."
Federer has never won a trophy in Rome after playing the 2003 final against Spain's Felix Mantilla and losing in a fifth-set tiebreak to Rafael Nadal three years ago.
"I'm expecting big things from myself, especially looking ahead for the French Open," Federer. I'd like to go extremely far there and create the opportunity to win the one Slam I haven't won yet."
***
Djokovic Hires Veteran Trainer

Plagued by suspicions that his fitness is not always top-notch, Novak Djokovic has gone straight to the source of strength, hiring the former coach of Austrian iron man Thomas Muster in hopes of lifting his level on court .
Djokovic is working with Gebhard Phil-Gritsch at this week's Rome Masters, taking on the renowned trainer after losing the Monte Carlo final to Rafael Nadal a week ago.
A decade ago, Muster ruled the clay almost to the extent that Nadal does today, mowing down opponents on a weekly basis on the dirt.
The Austrian, a three-time champion in Rome, was famed for his endurance and bull-like determination - traits that the fragile Djokovic would do well to imitate.
The third-ranked Serb has quit a variety of matches including three of the four Grand Slams in recent years.
"(Fitness) is what I'm going to need a lot of in the next period, which is very difficult," said Djokovic, who beat Stan Wawrinka for the Rome title a year ago.
***
Stuttgart Event is the Same This Year But Different

Usually, when a player returns to defend a title it is at the same time of the year as they played before. For Jelena Jankovic, defending her title at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is unusual. Unique, in fact.
Not only is the tournament being played at an entirely different time of the year - April instead of October - it isn’t even being played on the same surface. It was hardcourt before. Now it’s indoor clay, the first WTA Tour event to be played in such conditions. So does it really feel as if she is defending?
"For me, when you step on the court I’m not thinking about defending the title," said JJ. "For me, you’re just getting the points for this year. None of this matters, what you have done last year. You just try to make the best possible results for this year. But when I step on the court here for sure I will have memories from last year and playing very good tennis. It’s something that stays with you and you feel good coming back."
***
Jankovic Loses Weight as Part of Program to Regain #1 Ranking

Jelena Jankovic has shed seven kilos in order to regain her form from days on the top of tennis world.
“Her winter workouts were not good; she gained too much muscle and lost her mobility. That is the reason why she had to lose some weight,” explained Ricardo Sanchez, her coach, during the Fed Cup tie in Lleida against Spain last weekend.
“We are very satisfied with quality of her play. She has a new fitness coach, Miguel Maeso,” added Sanchez.
“It is already visible that she plays as old Jelena, a great champion who won three titles in row last autumn and finished year as No1. Our aim now is to win five titles in row including Roland Garros. She already won one, in Marbella, she plays Stuttgart this week, then Rome and Madrid and finishes clay court season in Paris. We think that she can win all of those tournaments.
“Jelena Jankovic and Dinara Safina are only No1 in history that never won a single Grand slam title.” Sanchez believes that that can be changed this year. ““Our aim is that she wins two or all three of remaining Grand Slams in 2009. I am sure she can do it,” he concluded.

***
Tomic’s Dream of a Davis Cup Record has Disappeared

Bernard Tomic’s dream of becoming Australia’s youngest ever Davis Cup player looks like it is being wrecked by the expected one year ban of the 28-times champion nation for refusing to play the scheduled Asia/Oceania Zone Group I third round tie in India on May 8-10.
Should the International Tennis Federation’s Davis Cup committee decide on a ban at their next meeting to be staged during the Wimbledon fortnight, then Australia will not be able to compete until February 2011.
By then Tomic, born in Stuttgart, Germany on October 21, 1992, will be too old to break the record of Australia’s youngest player set by a 17 years, 177 days old John Alexander back in 1968 in the final against the United States staged in Adelaide.
Alexander, who went on to play 41 rubbers for his country in a Davis Cup career that extended until 1982, partnered Ray Ruffels to a straight sets defeat against Bob Lutz and Stan Smith as the Australians lost out 4-1 to Donald Dell’s team that also featured Arthur Ashe and Clark Graebner.
In January Tomic became the youngest male player ever to win a match at the Australian Open when he beat Italy’s Potito Starace. Last September he was in the Australian squad to play Chile in Antofagasta and could have made his debut aged 15 years and 10 months. However Captain John Fitzgerald erred on the side of caution.

***

We Hear---
---that the German media has started calling Sabine Lisicki "Fraulein Bum Bum."
***
THIS WEEK
MEN
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Stuttgart
***
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Belgrade
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Bob Larson's Daily Tennis is published
Monday through Friday except Holidays
Monday and Thursday in November and December.
Delivery via e-mail to all countries
Subscription rates are; $97USD a year,
$57USD for Six months, $37USD for Three months.
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Daily Tennis News: April 27th

by mltennis 27. April 2009 07:10

Monday, April 27, 2009

BUSINESS NEWS

Australia Refuses to Play Davis Cup in India and Forfeits the Tie

Less than a third of the way through 2009, the year looks set to be remembered in tennis circles as the year worldwide issues took hold of tennis. First there was the Shahar Peer episode in Dubai, then the decision to play Israel’s Davis Cup tie against Stockholm in Malmo behind closed doors. Now the row which has blown up over Australia’s refusal to face India in Chennai seems to have totally devalued the 110 year-old competition.
For many years critics have been saying something needs to be done to modernize the Davis Cup format which has failed to move with the times since 1981 when the elite World Group was created along with a tiered system of competition with all other national teams competing in one of the four groups in one of the three regional zones.
Confusion has often prevailed but the sniping over the weekend between India and Australia did the competition no good at all. The Australians view a trip to country where there has been a history of terrorist incidents and a bomb blast killed 80 in Mumbai last November 26, as unsafe. Although the two cities are 825 miles distant, tensions are still likely to be high as Indian parliamentary elections will be imminent at the time of the tie set for May 8-10. The Indians disagree and victory in the tie won’t take place has been awarded to them but the thing that really suffers is the image of the Davis Cup.
The International Tennis Federation, who run the Davis Cup, has had to take the hard line and will reprimand Tennis Australia for refusing to play the Asia/Oceania Zone Group I third round tie. A statement insisted the ITF 'regret and respectfully disagree' with Tennis Australia's decision but the Davis Cup Committee in due course will decide on what punishment is fitting according to the Regulations of the 2009 Competition. A suspension from the 2010 competition is a possibility.
Independent security consultant, the Olive Group, was asked by the ITF to visit Chennai to investigate both the situation on the ground and to assess the security arrangements put in place by All India Tennis Association. The Olive Group subsequently reported that it was satisfied that the tie could go ahead as planned.
Under Davis Cup rules, withdrawal once the draw has been completed renders the offending nation ineligible to play in the subsequent year, unless otherwise decided by the Davis Cup Committee and/or the International Tennis Federation's board of directors. Tennis Australia does not expect its fate to be finalized until late July, when it would appeal any suspension delivered by the ITF's Davis Cup Committee.
To complicate matters Geoff Pollard, President of Tennis Australia for the past 20 years, is a long standing member of the ITF Board of Directors and chairman of the ITF Rules of Tennis and Technical Commission.
In a letter sent to the All India Tennis Association, Pollard had cited "high security risk during Indian election" as the reason for his team staying at home. "We asked for the tie to be moved because we have major security concerns for players, particularly during [the Indian] election," Pollard wrote. "The ITF decision has left us with no other option but not to send the team. It would be irresponsible of us to send our players into an area of such risk."
Australia has a long and proud tradition in the Davis Cup. Only the United States has won the trophy on more occasions but Anil Khanna, the general secretary of the AITA is highly critical of the decision and has claimed there has been 'arrogance and highly irresponsible actions' in negotiations with Tennis Australia . "Despite the ITF security team giving an excellent report that India is safe for the Aussie players, they have pulled out,” said Khanna.
"The reasons cited for pulling out of the tie reflect their ignorance. They are creating a situation solely out of their mind and not based on facts. We will intimate our sentiments to ITF in writing," he said. "We had a very peaceful [general] election. Even if incidents have occurred, they have nothing to do with the Davis Cup tie.
"Australia is also a member of ITF Board of Directors. They should have acted responsibly. They had done like this earlier also by not sending their team in Indonesia in a junior event. I hope they would act responsibly in future and learn lessons.”
Denmark was the last nation to default a Davis Cup tie on the grounds of security concerns, pulling out of the 2004 Europe/Africa Zone Group II first-round match against Algeria in Algiers. The Danes were forced to pay compensation to Algeria, but were not fined or suspended. India boycotted the 1974 final in South Africa in an apartheid protest.
"No two situations are exactly the same, but if I was to look for precedents then I would look to the Denmark-Algeria episode and the fact that India didn't play a final, and that should be the upper limit, given it's a final,” said Pollard.
***
The ITF Will Decide Soon Australia’s Penalty for Forfeiting Tie

The fate of Australia in the Davis Cup is likely to be decided by Wimbledon after the tennis power pulled out of what it considered a dangerous Asian zonal tie with India.
Australian officials are fairly confident that they will not be punished heavily by the international governing body due to the circumstances. But Tennis Australia is preparing an appeal in case of harsh sanctions.
"They've got the power to do all sorts of things, I suppose, but anything they do would be subject to the rights of appeal," said TA boss Geoff Pollard.
It is thought unlikely that the 23-time champion will be dropped into the Asia/Oceania Group II group after previously beating Thailand earlier this year.
Australia is expecting to pay a fine of around $25,000.
***
The U.S. Defeats the Czech Republic 3-2 to Advance to the Fed Cup World Group Final

The U.S. Fed Cup team came back from a 2-1 deficit to defeat the Czech Republic 3-2 in the 2009 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Semifinal. Liezel Huber and Bethanie Mattek-Sands defeated Iveta Benesova and Kveta Peschke 2-6, 7-6(2), 6-1, to clinch the tie and send the U.S. to the Fed Cup final for the first time since 2003.
In the final, the U.S. will travel to Italy, which defeated Russia in the other semifinal.
The Fed Cup final will be played November 7-8.

***
Dokic’s Performance in Fed Cup Action Has Positive Effect

Helping Australia to a 3-1 Fed Cup victory over Switzerland has boosted the confidence and ambitions of Jelena Dokic, after her career had stalled following her headline-grabbing run to the Australian Open quarterfinals in January.
She claimed a 7-6 6-4 win over Stefanie Voegele to give the home team a commanding 2-0 lead on Saturday, and Samantha Stosur wrapped up the tie with victory over the same player on Sunday. A delighted Dokic now heads off to France to work on her fitness ahead of Roland Garros. Having struggled with fatigue, the former world No. 4 is raring to go.
"I've struggled a little bit to handle everything after the Australian Open, but I'm getting a hand on it now," she said. "No matter what the day might hold, I just try to get up, be happy, smile and enjoy what I have. My goal now is to finish the year in the top 30. Maybe if I play well or get another good Grand Slam result, I may even be able to finish in the top 20. (And) once you get to the top 10 anything's possible, because we've seen there's not really a truly No. 1 player out there."
With promotion out of the zonal level achieved, tie-winning Stosur believes that Australian can now go ahead and once more join the elite.
"It's nice to finally back in Group II and we'll certainly be looking forward to next year to try and do even better," said Stosur. "I think we've got great potential. When Casey (Dellacqua) gets back (from shoulder surgery), if she can get herself back to where she was, we'll have three players almost in the top 50. "We've got to keep building this team. We all have a great time. We all like coming here for these weeks and playing and I think that also helps as well. With all of us back, I don't see any reason why we can't get into Group I and hopefully if we get there then we'll look forward."
***
Fed Cup Victory is Good for Serbia’s Morale

Jelena Jankovic doesn’t so far know what it is like to win a major, but she seemed to be almost as thrilled as if she had claimed a Grand Slam title as she secured a place for Serbia in the Fed Cup world group for the first time with victory over Anabel Medina Garrigues.
"When I won that last point, we were all so happy, we jumped on each other and just started screaming. It was a great experience. This is something we have wanted for a long time," said the delighted world No.4. "I am very, very happy that I was able to get the win today to secure the win for our team. You cannot compare playing for yourself in a tournament to playing for your country. It’s a special occasion, you really have to play with your heart."
JJ wouldn’t be JJ without some kind of health or fitness issue, and so it was in the Fed Cup win over Spain. Hanging around for the weather to clear didn’t help, either.
"I am pleased to have won despite the health problems I’ve had. I didn’t feel all that well during the match, but I managed to give my maximum and earn the third point, which is really important. The playing conditions were hard as it had been raining, and we had been in the hotel until 11 o’clock drinking coffee. The court was also significantly slower and the balls were heavier, but in any case the win is what matters."
Ana Ivanovic also played a significant role, with her three-set struggle over Medina Garrigues giving Serbia a 2-0 lead on Saturday. She was thrilled when Jankovic confirmed the win with the opening match on Sunday - possibly because that meant she could sit out the rest of the tie!
"I am so happy and proud of Jelena for pulling it off and bringing the third point for Serbia, given that she wasn’t feeling all that well," said Ivanovic. "We are all ecstatic because of the result. We fought long to be in this position and we’ve finally accomplished our aim – to qualify for the top-tier Fed Cup competition. Next year we will have a chance to fight for the title and I believe we have a team capable of doing that."
***
Djokovic Makes Final Inspection of Initial Serbia Open Site

The Serbia Open, owned by the family of Novak Djokovic, begins in Belgrade a week from now, and Novak was on-site checking the preparations and testing the court at the Milan Gale Muskatirovic Sports Center. He then traveled to Rome early, appearing on a television variety show.
Despite the involvement of the world’s No. 3 player, however, the €450,000 ($600,000) ATP tournament has not managed to attract a star-studded field. With it sandwiched between Masters Series events in Rome and Madrid, the top players have decided to give the tournament a miss, with Djokovic the only top 10 player expected to be in the lineup.
The 2004 Roland Garros winner, Gaston Gaudio, has been given a wild card as he attempts to rebuild his career, and local fans will be happy enough seeing Janko Tipsarevic and Viktor Troicki, as well as promising youngsters Filip Krajinovic and Arsenije Zlatanovic.
Belgrade organizers are keeping their wild cards available until the last possible moment.
Local media report that potential recipients could include Australian former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt - now not playing Davis Cup in India that week - former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis and 2004 French Open champion Gaston Gaudio.
***
Djokovic Hires Experienced Fitness Trainer

Novak Djokovic has engaged the help of fitness trainer Gebhard Phil-Gritsch, who helped Thomas Muster to a run of clay court success that has since been rivaled only by Rafael Nadal.
In 1995 he won 12 of 14 tournament finals, which included 40 consecutive wins and victory at Roland Garros. After reaching the No. 1 ranking in January 1996 Muster continued to excel in clay that year, eventually building an 111-5 win/loss record on the surface over the two seasons.

***

We Hear---
---that the USTA National Girls 18s Hardcourts Tournament is moving from Berkeley, California. Kalamazoo, Michigan, site of the National Boys 16s and 18s held at the same time, tried to get the event, but the event is moving to San Diego, California, site of the Girls 16s.
***
THIS WEEK
MEN
Rome
WOMEN
Stuttgart
***
NEXT WEEK
MEN
Belgrade
Estoril
Munich
WOMEN
Rome
***
Bob Larson’s Stock Report
Friday Stock Prices

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Bob Larson Tennis Stock Index $88.82
* The index is based on the total value of one share of each stock we report daily.
***
Results
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Cort Larson - Editor
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Daily Tennis News: April 24th

by mltennis 24. April 2009 07:57

Friday, April 24, 2009

BUSINESS NEWS

Tennis Australia to Respond to ITF Decision to Hold Davis Cup Tie in Chennai

The ITF has turned down the appeal from Australian to hold the India-Australia Davis Cup tie next month in a neutral site.
Tennis Australia announced it is holding a press conference at noon at the Mildura Lawn Tennis Club (later today) where Tennis Australia President Geoff Pollard will respond to the ITF decision.

***
Hewitt is Expected to Play in India

Despite an Australian appeal to shift next month's Davis Cup Asian zonal tie with India from Chennai to the safer surrounds of Singapore, Lleyton Hewitt seems to be determined to play.
The management of the former No. 1 rebuffed reports from India saying that Australia's top hope would not participate May 8-10 due to fears over security.
Indian officials said that Hewitt could not be bothered to interrupt his European clay court season to travel to the subcontinent, charges which the Australian's handlers dismiss.
"He (the official) would see that Lleyton has always placed playing for his country ahead of his own individual tournament play,"
Hewitt's management told Melbourne media. "Lleyton has been committed to playing this tie since it was announced and certainly has not placed any clay court plans ahead of his participation."
Tennis Australia was turned down in seeking a change of venue over the security issues after the ITF said conditions were safe to play. But whether the team would actually travel to India remains to be seen.
***
USA Fed Cup Team Does Not Receive Special Treatment as Honored Guests

You would think that the United States Fed Cup team would be treated as honored guests when they arrived at a fitness club in Brno, to work out in preparation for its tie against the Czech Republic. Maybe the problem was that they were seen as the ‘enemy’, or maybe it was a case of old-style socialist days’ mentality, but according to Liezel Huber they were made to feel less than welcome.
"Firstly, we had to pay $20 each. Considering you can join a gym for $20 a month, I wasn't too impressed," she revealed. "My mom was sitting on a bench reading her book and my racquet bag was by her feet. An employee came to her and told her she couldn't have regular shoes on in the gym. Then he said that no bags are allowed. They are scared we will steal stuff. That's their policy. Then he saw my water bottle and said that no outside drinks were allowed. We had to buy drinks from them!
"If that wasn't enough, he approached me a few minutes later when I was doing my bench press. He said he didn't want me to be upset and that he was only doing his job. He also added that I am breaking another rule. . . I needed to do all exercises on my towel. He then went to (team doctor) Jennifer and yelled to her about her not using her towel. The good news is that we got our workouts in and felt great, and the better news is that we are going to find another gym to work out in for the rest of the week!"

***
Safina Responds to Critics who Question Her Number 1 Status

Those who raised eyebrows at the universal acceptance of equal prize money for male and female players at Grand Slams and still insist the women’s game is a vastly inferior and less entertaining product, viewed this week’s elevation of Dinara Safina to world no.1 as further evidence to support their argument.
Safina may have managed to win only three games as she was pummelled by Serena Williams in January’s Australian Open final but she still overtook the American at the top of rankings regardless of not beating a player of any real note since Melbourne and suffering early exits in both Dubai and Miami to Virginie Razzano and Samantha Stosur.
Indeed Safina has only beaten two top ten players, fellow Russians Vera Zvonareva and Svetlana Kuznetsova, since winning the Olympic silver medal last August.
But she is insistent that her new position at the top of the women’s game will dispel the distinct stage fright the marred not only her mauling on the Rod Laver Arena but also last year’s French Open final when she was beaten in straight sets by Ana Ivanovic.
"What I would like from my next final is just to go out there and enjoy it,” said Safina who is gearing up for a concerted spell on European clay in the build up to this year’s French Open, starting next week in Stuttgart followed by Rome and Madrid. “If I can play without pressure I will let my body just go. This is the key. I just need to let my racket talk and not think about anything else."
The after effects of the loss to Williams have stayed with her for the past couple of months but she now has big hopes of legitimizing her ranking at Roland Garros. “Of course I have been thinking about what happened in Melbourne,” she added. “I was so close to winning my first Grand Slam. Some people have a Grand Slam title but never reach No 1. Here both were at stake for me in one match. It was so big, but it made me so small on the court.
"If I continue to play like this and I am fairly fit I think I will get there sooner or later. Next one, I hope. If not, I think there are going to be many more chances."
***
Roddick to Enjoy Playing at Queen’s Club

Andy Roddick may be lazing back this week, enjoying his honeymoon at the Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo Resort in Costa Rica. But the upcoming challenges on the ATP World Tour remain very much on his mind and specifically the English grass court season at Queen’s Club and then Wimbledon.
After losing weight in the off season and adapting his powerhouse game under Coach Larry Stefanki, the American believes he will be far better equipped to cope with the unique conditions on the lawns of London.
“I’m excited about my prospects this year,” said Roddick, who along with reigning champion Rafael Nadal and big British hope Andy Murray will be one of the main attractions at the newly re-titled AEGON Championships at Queens.
Roddick can point to four titles on the Queen’s grass to underline his credentials in the event and he continued: “I love the club. It’s kind of old and traditional and we don’t get a whole lot of that in the States so it’s a great change-up.
“Over the years I’ve gotten to know a lot of people there and I still say it’s the best grass court in the world. It plays perfectly and it’s always nice going back. I also feel very comfortable in London. I have some friends there and it’s always a really exciting time of the year.”
Stefanki is also well versed with the demands of grass after previously serving coaching stints with John McEnroe and former British no.1 Tim Henman. The Californian’s first Grand Slam with Roddick resulted in a semi-final finish and his optimism is high when he looks towards the English grass.
“I think he’s as capable as anyone to win on the grass, and I’m talking Wimbledon,” said Stefanki. “If he can serve with the variety that he’s serving right now, put himself in a position to move into the court more, play on the baseline on the return of serve and attack a lot more, I think the window of opportunity is very big for him at Wimbledon.” Roddick came close in 2004 and 2005, reaching the final before losing out to Roger Federer.
***
Philippoussis Retires, But he Keeps on Playing

How hard is it to walk away? Seemingly within days of returning home to a Melbourne suburb from his base in Las Vegas and declaring that he had given up any plans of playing again, Mark Philippoussis is out there competing on the Outback Champions Series.
Last month the 32-year old said, "The reason I was living in America was because when I played tournaments it was easy to be based there. I could go from tournament to tournament and have a week off, but now that I’m not playing tournaments I just wanted to come home."
Now he is playing tournaments, of sorts. And despite being unable to fully recover from a series of serious knee injuries, he has set his eyes, yet again, on returning to the ATP Tour.
"My ambition still is to get back on the tour," said Philippoussis, who this week defeated Wayne Ferreira to reach the semifinals of the $150,000 The Residences at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, Legends Championships. "(But) it's been tough with my injury because I have been unable to get fit enough to play competitive tennis."
Following knee surgery in early 2007 when he broke down at the Hyundai Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia, Philippoussis returned to competitive tournament tennis at the Outback Champions Series event in Dallas in 2007, losing the third-place match to John McEnroe. His only other Outback Champions Series tournament came earlier this year when he finished with a 1-2 round-robin record in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
***
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Bob Larson, Publisher

***

We Hear---
---that Tennis Channel will provide live coverage of the US Fed Cup team’s semifinal tie in Brno, Czech Republic, this weekend beginning at 7:30am ET Saturday and 6:00 am ET Sunday.
--- that Prince expects to announce news regarding the addition of a BIG name player to its athlete roster on Monday.
***
THIS WEEK
MEN
Barcelona
WOMEN
Fed Cup
***
NEXT WEEK
MEN
Rome
WOMEN
Stuttgart
***
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***
Results
For complete ATP and WTA results, please see our web site at www.tennisnews.com

Bob Larson - Publisher
Cort Larson - Editor
Bob Larson's Daily Tennis is published
Monday through Friday except Holidays
Monday and Thursday in November and December.
Delivery via e-mail to all countries
Subscription rates are; $97USD a year,
$57USD for Six months, $37USD for Three months.
Bob Larson Tennis
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Edina, MN 55424 USA
952-920-8947 (voice) or 952-920-8940 (fax)
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Bob Larson's Tennis Celebs: April 23rd Issue

by mltennis 24. April 2009 04:11

Thursday, April 23, 2008

Bob Larson's
TENNIS CELEBS

IN THIS WEEK'S ISSUE...

News
Tennis Shorts
WTA Scheduled To Play
Covers
Sightings
Appearing Soon
Money Mountain
He Said... She Said
Happy Birthday

NEWS

Nadal’s Record on Clay Even Surprises Himself

Even King of Clay Rafael Nadal is amazed at what he has accomplished on his preferred surface as the world No. 1 moves from strength to strength on the ATP. The Spaniard is now aiming for five titles in a row at this week's Barcelona Open.
Nadal is already well along in his French Open preparation. "I would have never dreamed to have accomplished all that I have. I'm just 22 but I've been on the Tour for seven years.
"Who would have thought that I could achieve this. My clay results have been unbelievable," said the Monte Carlo champion for the fifth consecutive time.

***

Australian Tennis Greats Assist Bushfire Victims

A Who’s Who of Australian tennis recently gathered in the Victorian town of Whittlesea to lend support to and raise the morale of victims of February’s devastating bushfires that wiped out entire communities.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Evonne Cawley was joined by doubles great Todd Woodbridge as well as Alicia Molik, John Fitzgerald, Wayne Arthurs, Paul McNamee, Richard Fromberg and Nicole Pratt, who posed for photographs, signed autographs and conducted tennis clinics.
There was a special treat in store for 13-year old Romy Stephens, who not only lost her home to the fires but her treasured tennis trophies. Tennis Victoria heard of her loss and arranged replicas of her two favorite trophies, and they were presented to her by Cawley.
"When I heard about the fires I wondered what I could do to help, and it has been great to put some smiles on some faces," Cawley said. "The day was all about having fun and making sure the victims know they have not been forgotten".
***

Gaudio is on the Comeback Trail

Former French Open champion Gaston Gaudio, the 30 year-old Argentine who suffered one of the most catastrophic loses of form in the aftermath of his great triumph in 2004, is on the comeback trail.
Gaudio, once ranked the world’s fifth best player, is currently listed at 966 on the ATP World Tour computer and until registering a first round victory over countryman Diego Junqueira at this week’s Banco Sabadell Barcelona Open, had not won a match on the main tour since beating Marc Giquel in the first round of the French Open nearly two years ago.
Apart from playing just one tournament in Vina Del Mar, Chile and a challenger in Miami, he was completely inactive during 2008, insisting he had become depressed and disillusioned with the sport. He was also suffering from an injured ankle.
Gaudio played his first match in more than a year after being granted a wild card into February’s Buenos Aires tournament but suffered a first round defeat in three sets to Spain’s Daniel Gimeno Traver. Barcelona tournament director Sixte Cambra was similarly charitable to the player who won the title at the Real Club in 2002, beginning his collection of eight ATP World Tour titles.
Now Gaudio is looking for another wild card into the upcoming French Open. “I’d love to play in Roland Garros,” said the Buenos Aires born player who beat countryman Guillermo Coria in five sets to lift the Coupe de Mousquetaires five years ago. “I’ve requested a wild card and am hoping to get it. This win is unbelievable, it’s great to win a match at this level again.”
The last of Gaudio’s titles came in July 2005 when he beat Fernando Verdasco to win in Kitzbuhel but he maintains: “I’m feeling better with my game. It’s been a long time since I’ve won. I’m not looking too far ahead.”
Gaudio will play next week at the Challenger level in Tunisia and has also applied for a free entry into the new Serbia Open in Belgrade next month. “I’m just hoping for some wild card invitations,” he said. “I’ll go where I’m invited.’
***

Moya is Pondering Returning to the Tour

Doctors are optimistic that former French Open champion Carlos Moya can return to tennis - if he wishes - at the end of the year after undergoing weekend operations on his foot and pelvic bone.
Spanish federation doctor Angel Ruiz-Cotorro says that the former No. 1 could be back on court in November after the surgery was successful. The question remains whether the 32-year--old who will receive a protected ranking, will want to bother with all the hard work.
"They have told me that the recuperation period will be between four or five months," said Moya, early Mallorcan mentor to Rafael Nadal. "It's best to accept the situation in a relaxed way and have more guarantees for next year."
Moya has his doubts about his abilities to return to the tennis elite. "My foot is about 80-years old," joked the winner of 20 titles. Moya last played in February in Acapulco.

***

Lisicki Hits 125 mph Serve at Charleston

There's a new serving power on the WTA Tour. Sabine Lisicki may have the biggest serve in the current women's game.
The 19-year-old German's serve is not only fast, but heavy. Getting a racket on it is one thing; keeping the ball in play is another. Lisicki uncorked an unofficial 125 mph serve in the second set of her 6-2, 6-4 win over Caroline Wozniacki in Sunday's final of the Family Circle Cup. The serve was equal to the fastest on the WTA Tour this year, matching the speed of a serve by Anna-Lena Groenefeld at Indian Wells.
However, Lisicki's serve was not official because the official IDS statistic
service did not record the Family Circle Cup. So, Lisicki will have to be content for now with the 124 mph serve she unleashed last year at Cincinnati.
Venus Williams owns the fastest serves in women's tennis with 129 mph efforts at the 2007 U.S. Open and 2008 Wimbledon.

***

Rafter Could be in Line for Davis Cup Captaincy

Former world No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion Pat Rafter could be in line to take over as Australia’s Davis Cup captain after guiding the national under-16 boys' team to the world finals of the Junior Davis Cup.
"I've never done this before so it was a good learning experience for me, knowing what I should say and what I shouldn't say and when I should keep quiet and when I should sort of get a bit stroppy with them," said Rafter, who when asked if he would like to take on the role of captain in the ‘main event’, said, "Never say never, mate. This was really my first jump into anything like this. I'll go back and see if certain opportunities present themselves and see if Tennis Australia want me. And if I've got the right time to do those things then, yeah, I might try and do something like that."
Tennis Australia certainly appear to be thinking of an eventual successor to John Fitzgerald, with Tennis Australia head Craig Tiley saying, "Pat understands what it takes to be a great player and he can offer that expertise to all of our young players. His sportsmanship, work ethic and humility are all the same qualities we want our young players to have."
***
Fila’s Bjorn Borg Apparel to be Revived

The Fila outfit worn by Bjorn Borg to some of his greatest triumphs at Wimbledon and Roland Garros is still regarded as arguably the most iconic male tennis attire of all time and now the Italian sports clothing company is planting its classic collection in the midst of world fashion.
In many people’s eyes Milan is the epicentre of the fashion universe and Fila has just opened its first flagship store on the world-revered Corso Como.
The Borg line will be on sale along with all the other Fila Vintage and Fila Gold collections. In addition the co-branded Fila-Wimbledon footwear collection will be available and for the real fashion aficionados Limited Editions and exclusive products will regularly be on sale.
The new store has been designed by Swedish Design agency Grow, and Fila hopes it will provide shoppers with "a distinctive and dynamic retail experience."
Luca Bertolino, Marketing Director of Fila Europe said: "We look forward to opening this premium store in Corso Como, Milan — one of the most stylish retail areas globally said. We believe this is an exciting first for Fila and will give us the opportunity to bring to consumers the style that Fila is famous for as well as the lifestyle direction the brand is headed in, through a calendar of initiatives that will make the shop a destination in Milan."
***

Duke’s Cecil Had a Career Week

What a week Duke freshman sensation Mallory Cecil had last week. The young blonde from Spartanburg, S.C., started off the week playing in the Family Circle Cup in a loss and finished it as the most valuable player in the Atlantic Coast Conference women's tournament.
Cecil received a wild card into the Family Circle Cup a year after she earned a berth in the tournament's qualifying event by winning the 2008 Smash Junior Cup at Family Circle Tennis Center. Cecil was unable to participate in the 2008 qualifying tournament due to an injury, and she was unable to play in this year's qualifying because of her college tennis conflicts.
Family Circle Cup general manager Bob Moran came to Cecil's rescue this year by giving her a wild card into the main draw where she suffered a 6-1, 6-2 loss to No. 13 seed Virginie Razzano of France. If Cecil had won, she would have had a big decision to make: continue playing in the pro tournament or rejoin her Duke teammates for the ACC tournament.
The opening-match appearance in 10,000-seat Family Circle Magazine Stadium obviously didn't hurt Cecil's tennis game. She returned to Duke and went undefeated in the ACC tournament while leading the Blue Devils to the tournament title. She was named the tournament's most valuable player.

***

Murray Adds His Name to Global Charity

Andy Murray has joined English soccer superstar David Beckham in an anti-malaria campaign, meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at his official residence of 10 Downing Street when the campaign was launched this week. The organization is named Malaria No More UK, a charity launched in a bid to prevent millions of deaths from the disease worldwide.
"This is the first global charity I've been involved with in this capacity and it was an easy decision," said Murray, who last week reached the semifinals of the Monte Carlo Masters before losing to eventual champion Rafael Nadal. "Malaria is completely preventable and stoppable but yet it still kills more children in Africa than any other single disease. We can radically change this, it is a huge opportunity and I'm urging the UK public to help save a life and get behind Malaria No More UK, a truly world-changing and life-saving initiative."

**********

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TENNIS SHORTS

IMG Signs Zvonareva

IMG announced it has signed a marketing and management representation contract with Vera Zvonareva.
Zvonareva, 24, who is currently ranked No. 6 on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, recently became only the second player in history (Lindsay Davenport 1997, 2000) to win both the singles and doubles titles at Indian Wells.
"I feel like I have worked really hard and accomplished quite a lot on court the last six months and working with a company like IMG, that has such a worldwide presence will help me capitalize on these results. It will be great to have a global team guiding and helping me to take care of my business career so I can focus on my tennis," said Zvonareva.
Her tennis management team at IMG will be led by Ben Crandell in Bradenton, Florida. It has not been announced if she will move her training base to the Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton.
**

Tennis Players Nominated for Sports Awards

Rafael Nadal, Venus Williams, Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic have all received nominations for the 10th Laureus World Sports Awards, which will be presented to winners in a series of individual ceremonies in May and June. Nadal is nominated for World Sportsman of the Year, Williams for World Sportswoman of the Year, while Djokovic and Ivanovic are both contenders for the World Breakthrough of the Year Award.

**********

WTA SCHEDULED TO PLAY

Upcoming schedules as of April 20, 2009
1. Dinara Safina - Stuttgart, Rome, Madrid
2. Serena Williams - Rome, Madrid
3. Elena Dementieva - Stuttgart, Madrid
4. Jelena Jankovic - Stuttgart, Rome, Madrid
5. Venus Williams - Rome, Madrid
6. Vera Zvonareva - Stuttgart, Rome, Madrid
7. Ana Ivanovic - Rome, Madrid
8. Victoria Azarenka - Stuttgart, Rome, Madrid
9. Svetlana Kuznetsova - Stuttgart, Rome, Madrid
10. Nadia Petrova - Stuttgart, Rome, Madrid
11. Caroline Wozniacki - Stuttgart, Rome, Madrid, Warsaw
12. Agnieszka Radwanska - Stuttgart, Rome, Madrid, Warsaw
13. Marion Bartoli - Stuttgart, Rome, Madrid
14. Flavia Pennetta - Stuttgart, Rome, Madrid
15. Alize Cornet - Stuttgart, Rome, Madrid
16. Zheng Jie - Stuttgart, Rome, Madrid, Warsaw
17. Dominika Cibulkova - Stuttgart, Rome, Madrid
18. Anabel Medina Garrigues - Rome, Madrid, Strasbourg
19. Kaia Kanepi - Rome, Madrid
20. Patty Schnyder - Stuttgart, Rome, Madrid

*********

COVERS

**********

A Reminder to Our Readers

We wish to remind our readers that our all-day tennis newswire is available to all tennis fans.
Just go to www.tennisnews.com anytime throughout the day for the latest tennis news. We surf the internet all day and post links to stories in newspapers and electronic media around the world. “We surf the net so you don’t have to."

**********

SIGHTINGS

Send your player sightings to: cort@tennisnews.com

**********

APPEARING SOON

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MONEY MOUNTAIN

2009 Prize Money Earnings

MEN (April 20)

1 Nadal, Rafael

$2,836,431

2 Murray, Andy

1,695,887

3 Djokovic, Novak

1,224,196

4 Federer, Roger

1,059,272

5 Roddick, Andy

1,004,573

6 Verdasco, Fernando

538,617

7 Tsonga, Jo-Wilfried

499,004

8 Del Potro, Juan Martin

495,362

9 Ferrer, David

429,357

10 Robredo, Tommy

426,351

WOMEN (April 20)

1

Williams, Serena

$2,019,404

2

Zvonareva, Vera

1,184,848

3

Azarenka, Victoria

1,119,797

4

Safina, Dinara

833,018

5

Williams, Venus

722,017

6

Dementieva, Elena

576,972

7

Ivanovic, Ana

449,107

8

Kuznetsova, Svetlana

441,034

9

Wozniacki, Caroline

358,892

10

Mauresmo, Amelie

327,217

**********

HE SAID... SHE SAID...

"Who would have thought that I could achieve this. My clay results have been unbelievable." - Rafael Nadal who is going for his 5th consecutive Barcelona clay court title

**********

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

April

Daniela Hantuchova
23
1983

Taylor Dent
24
1981

John Isner
26
1985

Nicole Vaidisova
26
1989

May

Shahar Peer
1
1987

Charles Hoeveler
5
1945

Ion Tiriac
9
1939

Wally Masur
13
1963

**********

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Daily Tennis News: April 23rd

by mltennis 23. April 2009 07:59

Thursday, April 23, 2009

BUSINESS NEWS

Australian Tennis Greats Assist Bushfire Victims

A Who’s Who of Australian tennis recently gathered in the Victorian town of Whittlesea to lend support to and raise the morale of victims of February’s devastating bushfires that wiped out entire communities.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Evonne Cawley was joined by doubles great Todd Woodbridge as well as Alicia Molik, John Fitzgerald, Wayne Arthurs, Paul McNamee, Richard Fromberg and Nicole Pratt, who posed for photographs, signed autographs and conducted tennis clinics.
There was a special treat in store for 13-year old Romy Stephens, who not only lost her home to the fires but her treasured tennis trophies. Tennis Victoria heard of her loss and arranged replicas of her two favorite trophies, and they were presented to her by Cawley.
"When I heard about the fires I wondered what I could do to help, and it has been great to put some smiles on some faces," Cawley said. "The day was all about having fun and making sure the victims know they have not been forgotten".
***
Woodbridge Worries Davis Cup Controversy Could Change Hewitt’s Interest

Todd Woodbridge believes the row over Australia’s Davis Cup tie with India could spell the end of Lleyton Hewitt’s participation in a competition he has passionately supported throughout his entire career.
Tennis Australia have requested that the Asia/Oceania Zone 1 tie be moved from Chennai on security grounds, following a terrorist attack in Mumbai last November and then an attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team that lead to the tour being abandoned and India’s Twenty20 series being transferred to South Africa. However, an ITF security team has said it is safe for next month’s tie to take place in Chennai as planned. Since the ITF decision, a train carrying 500 people was captured by political activists.
Tennis Australia has appealed the ITF decision, and is believed to have suggested Singapore as an alternative venue. However, if the request is refused and Australia refuses to play in India it could be fined and even be banned from the competition for a year.
"How can we expect our team to go and play in India when everybody else in that region is pulling out?" said Woodbridge. "I think it's irresponsible for the International Tennis Federation to expect us as players to go there and put ourselves on the line in a very, very difficult predicament with the way their social system's running. If this took us out this year and it effectively took us out of the competition next year, at 28 years of age it's unlikely that he (Hewitt) would play for Australia any more."

***
Jankovic and Ivanovic Are Ready for Fed Cup Duty

Serbia’s female tennis twosome of Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic have not enjoyed the happiest of years so far in 2009 as both have slipped down the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour world rankings. But this weekend they will be in a confident frame of mind as they bid to take their nation in the Fed Cup’s elite World Group for the first time.
Reigning French Open champion Ivanovic will be making her first appearance of the year on clay as Serbia travels to face a depleted Spanish team who will be without the injured Carla Suarez Navarro for the tie staged in the Catalonian city of Lleida.
But Ivanovic, who went through something of a crisis in confidence with alarming early defeats in Dubai, Indian Wells and Miami will be bolstered by the recent memory of her title win in Marbella where she beat both Suarez Navarro and Spain’s other leading player Anabel Medina Garrigues.
Jankovic has slipped from top spot to fourth on the current Sony Ericsson WTA Tour rankings with Venus Williams making up ground impressively behind her while Ivanovic started 2009 ranked at no.5 and this week sits two places lower.
But Ivanovic is not concerned that the tie is being played on clay in Spain. “Playing away in Fed Cup is a new experience for me,” said the 21 year-old. “In the last couple of years we’ve had some pretty intense qualifying competitions in Bulgaria and Hungary, but this is a first, as the winners have to be better in the overall five matches of the tie.
“It will be hard to play Spain on their own ground and on their favourite playing surface. I am confident Jelena and myself will win our rubbers. We have good results on clay and we are highly motivated to take Serbia to World Group for the first time ever.”
Ivanovic revealed she has been working hard on clay with new coach Craig Kardon and added: “I feel I have made a positive transition to the surface from hard courts. This is always one of the toughest parts of any season, because clay demands a different kind of movement and footwork out there but I like challenges.”

***
IMG Signs Zvonareva

IMG announced it has signed a marketing and management representation contract with Vera Zvonareva.
Zvonareva, 24, who is currently ranked No. 6 on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, recently became only the second player in history (Lindsay Davenport 1997, 2000) to win both the singles and doubles titles at Indian Wells.
"I feel like I have worked really hard and accomplished quite a lot on court the last six months and working with a company like IMG, that has such a worldwide presence will help me capitalize on these results. It will be great to have a global team guiding and helping me to take care of my business career so I can focus on my tennis," said Zvonareva.
Her tennis management team at IMG will be led by Ben Crandell in Bradenton, Florida. It has not been announced if she will move her training base to the Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton.
***
Dokic Claims She is Getting Better Physically

Jelena Dokic has admitted she is not in the best shape as she arrived for this weekends Australia’s Fed Cup clash with Switzerland in Mildura.
"I've been in pretty bad shape physically but I'm getting there. I'm looking forward to the rest of the season," said Dokic, who mesmerized her adopted country with her run to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in January. But since then she has struggled, and recently she withdrew from two tournaments in the United States with ‘sports fatigue injury’.
"After a four-year lay-off, it was hard after the Australian Open. I really struggled mentally and physically," she said. "(But) there are only so many chances that you get, and this is pretty much my last shot at it and I think I've started very well, so we'll see how far I can go. When you go through the stuff that I've been through, just being here is a great achievement. I enjoy my life much more now and I look forward to every single day. Even if I lose a match, it's just a tennis match and at the end of the day I think a lot of people have it a lot tougher than we do."
***
Santana Predicts Federer’s Number 1 Days are Over

Former Spanish great Manolo Santana gives Roger Federer no chance of returning to the top of the game with the No. 1 ranking spot set to stay for a long spell in the hands of Rafael Nadal.
"Even though Federer is No. 2, he's going to turn 28 this summer,"
said the tournament director in Madrid. "Rafa will only be 23 and then his tennis should get even better."
Four-time Grand Slam champion Santana insists that Rafa rules and said that winning the calendar-year Grand Slam is well within his possibilities. "I don't rule it out for this season. It's not easy but he could do it now or in the future. Rafa has no limits in his tennis."
Santana named Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray as the main threats to Nadal. "This year Rafa has already won Australia, Roland Garros - he owns the last four titles - is just like insurance. The toughest events are the US Open and Wimbledon."
***
US Teams Announced for World Junior Team Competitions

The USTA announced the top American juniors who will represent the United States in the qualifying events for the Junior Davis Cup (16-and-under) and Junior Fed Cup (16-and-under) by BNP Paribas and the World Junior Tennis Competition (14-and-under). Each event features a four-team round robin competition May 1-3 at the USTA Training Center Headquarters, located at the Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Fla.
The two teams from each division in the World Junior Tennis qualifying event in Boca Raton will advance to the 16-nation world final, held August 3-8 in Prostejov, Czech Republic. The Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup World Finals will be held September 29-October 4 in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. As Mexico is the host country, its teams will automatically qualify in Boca Raton, so only one other team from each division will advance to the 16-nation world final.

Junior Davis Cup

Jeremy Efferding, Lake Worth, Fla.

Dennis Mkrtchian, Reseda, Calif.

Shane Vinsant, Keller, Texas

Coach: Hugo Armando

World Junior Tennis - Boys

Joseph Di Giulio, Newport Beach, Calif.

Nikko Madregallejo, Duarte, Calif.

Mackenzie McDonald, Piedmont, Calif.

Coach: Andres Pedroso

Junior Fed Cup

Nicole Gibbs, Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Esther Goldfeld, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Lauren Herring, Greenville, N.C.

Coach: Roger Smith

World Junior Tennis - Girls

Brooke Austin, Indianapolis

Victoria Duval, Bradenton, Fla.

Jamie Loeb, Ossining, N.Y.

Coach: Kathy Rinaldi

***

Duke’s Cecil Had a Career Week

What a week Duke freshman sensation Mallory Cecil had last week. The young blonde from Spartanburg, S.C., started off the week playing in the Family Circle Cup in a loss and finished it as the most valuable player in the Atlantic Coast Conference women's tournament.
Cecil received a wild card into the Family Circle Cup a year after she earned a berth in the tournament's qualifying event by winning the 2008 Smash Junior Cup at Family Circle Tennis Center. Cecil was unable to participate in the 2008 qualifying tournament due to an injury, and she was unable to play in this year's qualifying because of her college tennis conflicts.
Family Circle Cup general manager Bob Moran came to Cecil's rescue this year by giving her a wild card into the main draw where she suffered a 6-1, 6-2 loss to No. 13 seed Virginie Razzano of France. If Cecil had won, she would have had a big decision to make: continue playing in the pro tournament or rejoin her Duke teammates for the ACC tournament.
The opening-match appearance in 10,000-seat Family Circle Magazine Stadium obviously didn't hurt Cecil's tennis game. She returned to Duke and went undefeated in the ACC tournament while leading the Blue Devils to the tournament title. She was named the tournament's most valuable player.

***

We Hear---
---that the Andy Roddicks are honeymooning at the Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo Resort in Costa Rica.
***
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***
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Daily Tennis News: April 22nd

by mltennis 22. April 2009 06:09

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

BUSINESS NEWS

ITF Announces Team Nominations for Fed Cup World Group Semifinals

ITALY v RUSSIA
Venue: Nova Yardinia, Castellaneta Marina, ITA (clay – outdoors)
Italy
Flavia Pennetta
Francesca Schiavone
Sara Errani
Roberta Vinci
Captain: Corrado Barazzutti
Russia
Vera Zvonareva
Svetlana Kuznetsova
Nadia Petrova
Anna Chakvetadze
Captain: Shamil Tarpischev
CZECH REPUBLIC v USA
Venue: Starobrno Rondo Arena, Brno, CZE (carpet – indoors)
Czech Republic
Iveta Benesova
Petra Kvitova
Lucie Safarova
Kveta Peschke
Captain: Petr Pala
USA
Bethanie Mattek-Sands
Liezel Huber
Melanie Oudin
Alexa Glatch
Captain: Mary-Joe Fernandez

***
Covering Wimbledon’s Centre Court is an Involved Process

If you believe that, with the construction of its new roof, you’ve seen the covers being pulled across Wimbledon’s Centre Court for the last time, then think again. Long delays as the rain falls will certainly be a thing of the past, but the roof will take between 8-10 minutes to close and in addition, a further 20-30 minutes will be needed for the air management system to create the correct conditions. In total, therefore, it will be 30-40 minutes between starting the cover process and the court being available for play. And, because of the time taken to close the roof, the existing Centre Court covers will initially be deployed should rain start to fall.
The air-management system has a vital role in controlling and stabilizing the internal environment within the arena – essentially controlling humidity and preventing either condensation on the inside of the roof or sweating of the grass – either of which would make the court slippery and unsuitable for play. To that end, eight liters of fresh air per second and per person will be pumped into the arena. With a capacity of 15,000 spectators, that is an astonishing 120,000 liters of fresh air per second.
There’s something else. Although natural light will be used as far as it is practical, lights will be used if necessary. Wimbledon has consistently denied that this will lead to night play being introduced. But - they have also said that ‘any match started will normally be completed and, if necessary, the roof closed for reasons of light as well as rain’. That suggests that, if a match is started, it will be played to a conclusion with the aid of artificial lighting. There’s more. Changes to the order of play, including the completion of an unfinished match on a different court to the one on which it started, may be authorized in exceptional circumstances in the best interests of completing The Championships on schedule.
There does seem to be some confusion, however. Although Wimbledon’s official statement refers to matches being played to a conclusion, Chairman Tim Phillips has talked of completing a set, rather than the match.
"The scheduling will still be the same as an outdoor day time event, but there is no absolute cut-off time," Phillips said. "The players will have to come off court when the roof closes. Ideally that would be at the end of a set rather than 8-8 in the final set. It's difficult to forecast all the circumstances that could arise, so we won't talk about a last time a match could finish. We will try to make a judgment call. Sometimes you won't get it right but we'll try to most of the time. I think we've all got a feeling of quiet confidence. If it gets to 22-22 in the final set it could go a bit pear-shaped!"
***
Rafter Could be in Line for Davis Cup Captaincy

Former world No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion Pat Rafter could be in line to take over as Australia’s Davis Cup captain after guiding the national under-16 boys' team to the world finals of the Junior Davis Cup.
"I've never done this before so it was a good learning experience for me, knowing what I should say and what I shouldn't say and when I should keep quiet and when I should sort of get a bit stroppy with them," said Rafter, who when asked if he would like to take on the role of captain in the ‘main event’, said, "Never say never, mate. This was really my first jump into anything like this. I'll go back and see if certain opportunities present themselves and see if Tennis Australia want me. And if I've got the right time to do those things then, yeah, I might try and do something like that."
Tennis Australia certainly appear to be thinking of an eventual successor to John Fitzgerald, with Tennis Australia head Craig Tiley saying, "Pat understands what it takes to be a great player and he can offer that expertise to all of our young players. His sportsmanship, work ethic and humility are all the same qualities we want our young players to have."
***
Fila’s Bjorn Borg Apparel to be Revived

The Fila outfit worn by Bjorn Borg to some of his greatest triumphs at Wimbledon and Roland Garros is still regarded as arguably the most iconic male tennis attire of all time and now the Italian sports clothing company is planting its classic collection in the midst of world fashion.
In many people’s eyes Milan is the epicentre of the fashion universe and Fila has just opened its first flagship store on the world-revered Corso Como.
The Borg line will be on sale along with all the other Fila Vintage and Fila Gold collections. In addition the co-branded Fila-Wimbledon footwear collection will be available and for the real fashion aficionados Limited Editions and exclusive products will regularly be on sale.
The new store has been designed by Swedish Design agency Grow, and Fila hopes it will provide shoppers with "a distinctive and dynamic retail experience."
Luca Bertolino, Marketing Director of Fila Europe said: "We look forward to opening this premium store in Corso Como, Milan — one of the most stylish retail areas globally said. We believe this is an exciting first for Fila and will give us the opportunity to bring to consumers the style that Fila is famous for as well as the lifestyle direction the brand is headed in, through a calendar of initiatives that will make the shop a destination in Milan."
***
Monfils Might Miss Roland Garros

French tennis is bracing itself for another disappointment in the build up to the French Open with the news that last year’s home bred semi-finalist Gael Monfils might be forced to miss Roland Garros because of a knee injury.
Such blows are nothing new to the French. Only last year a knee injured rendered Richard Gasquet a non-starter for the clay court major and now Monfils, currently ranked tenth of the ATP World Tour rankings, has ruled himself out of this week’s event in Barcelona as well as the imminent Masters 1000 Series tournaments in Rome and Madrid.
Speaking to the French national daily sports newspaper L’Equipe, Monfils revealed he had undergone an MRI scan after suffering pain in his 6-3, 6-1 opening round defeat to Janko Tipsarevic in Monte Carlo. “The results were not good and it’s possible I will not play Roland Garros,” confirmed the 22 year-old.
Almost a year ago Paris-born Monfils ignited his home town crowd by surging through the French Open singles draw with heroic wins over Jurgen Melzer, Ivan Ljubicic and David Ferrer before losing out to top seed Roger Federer in a thrilling four set semi-final.
“It seems as though it something pretty serious but I want to keep hope alive,” said Monfils. “For the moment I'm rested. The only thing I can do is to wait."
Knee problems also sidelined Monfils for three months at the end of 2007 and beginning of 2008. The injury is thought to be connected to him suffering from Osgood-Schlatter's disease when he was a teenager. The former junior World no.1’s playing style on clay, with his trademark slide where he ends up almost doing the splits, is also though to put stress on the joints.
French Federation doctor Bernard Montalvan maintained the after effects of Osgood-Schlatter's can periodically cause acute inflammation in the knee which Monfils has been experiencing since the match in Monte Carlo. "From time to time, there is an inflammation of the kneecap tendon and it's the case now," reported Montalvan.
Last year Monfils, coached by Australian Roger Rasheed since last July, could not play Wimbledon because of inflammation of the tendons in his right shoulder.
***
Gaudio is on the Comeback Trail

Former French Open champion Gaston Gaudio, the 30 year-old Argentine who suffered one of the most catastrophic loses of form in the aftermath of his great triumph in 2004, is on the comeback trail.
Gaudio, once ranked the world’s fifth best player, is currently listed at 966 on the ATP World Tour computer and until registering a first round victory over countryman Diego Junqueira at this week’s Banco Sabadell Barcelona Open, had not won a match on the main tour since beating Marc Giquel in the first round of the French Open nearly two years ago.
Apart from playing just one tournament in Vina Del Mar, Chile and a challenger in Miami, he was completely inactive during 2008, insisting he had become depressed and disillusioned with the sport. He was also suffering from an injured ankle.
Gaudio played his first match in more than a year after being granted a wild card into February’s Buenos Aires tournament but suffered a first round defeat in three sets to Spain’s Daniel Gimeno Traver. Barcelona tournament director Sixte Cambra was similarly charitable to the player who won the title at the Real Club in 2002, beginning his collection of eight ATP World Tour titles.
Now Gaudio is looking for another wild card into the upcoming French Open. “I’d love to play in Roland Garros,” said the Buenos Aires born player who beat countryman Guillermo Coria in five sets to lift the Coupe de Mousquetaires five years ago. “I’ve requested a wild card and am hoping to get it. This win is unbelievable, it’s great to win a match at this level again.”
The last of Gaudio’s titles came in July 2005 when he beat Fernando Verdasco to win in Kitzbuhel but he maintains: “I’m feeling better with my game. It’s been a long time since I’ve won. I’m not looking too far ahead.”
Gaudio will play next week at the Challenger level in Tunisia and has also applied for a free entry into the new Serbia Open in Belgrade next month. “I’m just hoping for some wild card invitations,” he said. “I’ll go where I’m invited.’
***
TIA adds Peter Francesconi to Head Up Industry Communications

Peter Francesconi has joined the Tennis Industry Association support staff to head up communications/public relations for the industry.
“I’m very excited about joining the TIA’s support staff,” Francesconi said. “I’ve always felt that my experience and relationships are well-suited to promoting the sport and contributing to that spirit of collaboration that has helped tennis to grow—exactly what the TIA is all about.”
Francesconi will focus on several areas for the TIA, among them developing and managing monthly tennis industry communications efforts that key on building industry and business contacts and networking. These efforts will include a newsletter featuring feeds and information from TennisIndustryNews.org., along with an expanded PR effort with TIA partners via the Cision software system.
“Pete’s experience and relationships really help round out our communications efforts,” says Jolyn de Boer, the TIA’s executive director. “The fact that he is involved in both the trade and consumer sides of the business is a great asset to what our mission is here at the TIA.”
Francesconi’s extensive experience in the tennis publishing business spans 22 years. Currently, he is the editorial director of Racquet Sports Industry magazine, the world’s largest trade magazine for tennis, and recently was named editor of TennisLife Magazine, the second largest consumer tennis publication in the U.S.
“Peter has an excellent reputation in this business,” adds TIA President Jon Muir. “I’m excited that he’s joining us and expanding his role, both for the TIA and for tennis overall.”
***
Nadal’s Record on Clay Even Surprises Himself

Even King of Clay Rafael Nadal is amazed at what he has accomplished on his preferred surface as the world No. 1 moves from strength to strength on the ATP. The Spaniard is now aiming for five titles in a row at this week's Barcelona Open.
Nadal is already well along in his French Open preparation. "I would have never dreamed to have accomplished all that I have. I'm just 22 but I've been on the Tour for seven years.
"Who would have thought that I could achieve this. My clay results have been unbelievable," said the Monte Carlo champion for the fifth consecutive time.

***

We Hear---
----that Lleyton Hewitt says he will play Davis Cup for Australia in Chennai or wherever..
***
THIS WEEK
MEN
Barcelona
WOMEN
Fed Cup
***
NEXT WEEK
MEN
Rome
WOMEN
Stuttgart
***
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Daily Tennis News: April 21st

by mltennis 21. April 2009 06:00

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

BUSINESS NEWS

Wimbledon Increases Prize Money in Pounds Sterling But is Less in US Dollars

Wimbledon’s two singles champions have been given a 13.3% pay rise this year with the winners of the men’s and women’s singles set to walk away with a cheque worth £850,000 ($1,245,530).
Last year Rafael Nadal and Venus Williams both collected £750,000 ($1,491,128) but despite the worldwide economic downturn, the strengthening of both the Euro and the US dollar against British sterling has prompted to generosity of the All England Club.
“We recognise the fact that many of the players who compete deal in US dollars or Euros,” said All England Club chairman Tim Phillips. “Last year at the time of the Championship the rate was almost two dollars to one pound. Now it is closer to 1.5 and that has come very much into our thinking. Hardly any of the players bank in sterling.”
The total prize money of the event will increase by 6.2% from £11,812,000 ($23,424,377) last year to £12,550,000 ($18,389,892) and winners in each round will benefit. However the increase is weighted heavily in favour of those players who survive to the later stages of the event.
“It’s the name players who drive interest in Wimbledon and indeed tennis,” added Phillips. “We are a very international tournament in a very international sport.”
Nevertheless there is an increase of 3.1% for the qualifying events that have been given budget of £562,800 ($824,688).
***
2009 All England Club Not the Same as 2008

With the Wimbledon Championships only a couple of months away the All England Club has officially unveiled its new look for 2009, complete with translucent sliding roof on Centre Court, a brand new No.3 show court and hugely modernized facilities for both players and spectators.
The roof, which weighs 1,000 tons, covers 5,200 square metres and will take less than ten minutes to close meaning lengthy rain delays on the most famous court in tennis will become a thing of the past, will get its full dress rehearsal on May 17 when the quartet of Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Tim Henman and Kim Clijsters play on the famous turf play in front of a sell-out 15,000 crowd.
It will be the biggest technological advancement of Wimbledon’s long history but both All England Club Chairman Tim Phillips and Chief Executive Ian Ritchie are insistent that the basic aims of the tournament will not change.
Although there is sufficient flood lighting to play after darkness has fallen, the idea of separate night sessions remains out of the question. “Wimbledon will continue to be an outdoor daytime tennis event,” insisted Phillips.
Ritchie added: “We set out to make Wimbledon the world’s premier tennis event; the tournament the players most want to win, the tournament the spectators most want to come to and the tournament everyone wants to watch.
“The new Centre Court roof project has been a sophisticated engineering feat. Much of the testing is complete and we are now making final adjustments ahead of the Centre Court Celebration event on May 17. That event is an important part of the testing procedure and will enable us to see how both the roof and the air management system actually perform under live conditions with a capacity crowd.”
Much of the development has centred on creating a ‘micro climate’ under the roof which will ensure condensation does not form underneath the folding concertina type roof made of the specially waterproof and see through material Tenara. The key element of the design is that light is able to still reach the grass but the special air management system that ensures the grass is not slippery will take 20 minutes to stabilise once the roof has closed.
But Wimbledon is emphatic that no long term plan involves following the example set by both the US and later Australian Opens who did away with grass for other surfaces. “We have got the inclination, time and resources to prepare grass court properly,” insisted Phillips.
“In this day and age when players are complaining about the wear and tear on the bodies from playing on hard courts and the fact that there are so many clay court events around the world, it’s important to preserve the tradition of playing on grass. After all the sport is called Lawn Tennis.”
Ritchie added that the grass would continue to be treated with respect and therefore not overplayed. “It’s a living, breathing surface,” he said. “We have got to be careful about the number of matches played with regard to the growing of the grass. When they come to play the Olympics here in 2012 that is something that must be taken carefully into consideration.”
The new ‘roofless’ No.2 Court will have a 4,000 capacity and the playing surface will be sunk 3.5 metres below ground level. Hawk-Eye line calling technology will be employed on No.2 Court as well as Centre and No.1. The daily ground capacity of Wimbledon has increased from 36,500 to 40,000.
***
Tennis Players Nominated for Sports Awards

Rafael Nadal, Venus Williams, Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic have all received nominations for the 10th Laureus World Sports Awards, which will be presented to winners in a series of individual ceremonies in May and June. Nadal is nominated for World Sportsman of the Year, Williams for World Sportswoman of the Year, while Djokovic and Ivanovic are both contenders for the World Breakthrough of the Year Award.
***
Murray Adds His Name to Global Charity

Andy Murray has joined English soccer superstar David Beckham in an anti-malaria campaign, meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at his official residence of 10 Downing Street when the campaign was launched this week. The organization is named Malaria No More UK, a charity launched in a bid to prevent millions of deaths from the disease worldwide.
"This is the first global charity I've been involved with in this capacity and it was an easy decision," said Murray, who last week reached the semifinals of the Monte Carlo Masters before losing to eventual champion Rafael Nadal. "Malaria is completely preventable and stoppable but yet it still kills more children in Africa than any other single disease. We can radically change this, it is a huge opportunity and I'm urging the UK public to help save a life and get behind Malaria No More UK, a truly world-changing and life-saving initiative."

***
Nadal’s Coach Claims Nadal Must Improve This Week

Coach and mentor Uncle Toni is not pleased with the clay progress of Rafael Nadal despite a fifth title claimed at the Monte Carlo Masters. And the man who has guided the world No. 1 from the start of his career says his nephew will have to lift his game this week in Barcelona.
"He was missing a little confidence in his game and you could see that his serve was incredibly weak," he said the the three-set win in the principality over Novak Djokovic. "But it's the first tournament on clay this season for him.
"I hope that with some more matches, it'll get better, it's obvious he must play better than this week.
"We know that there's a lot of work to do before Roland-Garros. But he still won. It's a very important tournament for us and to win for a fifth time is incredible."
Nadal,the kind of clay, stands an impressive 23-1 in claycourt finals, with his only loss coming at Hamburg in May 2007 to Roger Federer. He stands on 14 Masters 1000 crowns alongside the Swiss.
***
Moya is Pondering Returning to the Tour

Doctors are optimistic that former French Open champion Carlos Moya can return to tennis - if he wishes - at the end of the year after undergoing weekend operations on his foot and pelvic bone.
Spanish federation doctor Angel Ruiz-Cotorro says that the former No. 1 could be back on court in November after the surgery was successful. The question remains whether the 32-year--old who will receive a protected ranking, will want to bother with all the hard work.
"They have told me that the recuperation period will be between four or five months," said Moya, early Mallorcan mentor to Rafael Nadal. "It's best to accept the situation in a relaxed way and have more guarantees for next year."
Moya has his doubts about his abilities to return to the tennis elite. "My foot is about 80-years old," joked the winner of 20 titles. Moya last played in February in Acapulco.

***

We Hear---
---that Tennis Australia will suggest Singapore as a neutral venue for their Davis Cup tie with India when they appeal the decision that it remain in Chennai.
***
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Daily Tennis News: April 20th

by mltennis 20. April 2009 05:51

Monday, April 20, 2009

BUSINESS NEWS

Australia Concerned About Davis Cup Venue in India

The draw was made, India was to play Australia at home, the venue was chosen – Chennai. Australia appealed and wanted the venue to be changed because of security concerns, India protested and angrily questioned whether Australia wanted to be in the Asia/Oceania group at all, the ITF carried out a security check and upheld the venue as safe. And now Australia is appealing that decision, and the saga goes on.
"We will be lodging an official appeal on Monday," Tennis Australia spokesman Darren Pearce told Daily Tennis News. "It will be under the same grounds - our concerns for the security of our team."
It is difficult to see what Tennis Australia expects to gain by continuing to dispute the safety of the venue for the Asia-Oceania Group 1, due to take place May 8-10, after the ITF has been convinced by its own experts in the fields that the site presents no danger. The ITF’s decision comes, though, after the Indian Twenty20 cricket series was moved to South Africa because of similar concerns.
The tie is also set for just three days before voting in the region, another potentially threatening scenario.
And Australia's main hope Lleyton Hewitt has still not decided if he will take what he considers a risk to play for his country in a city where terrorists attacks on luxury hotels in November killed up to 150 persons.
Hewitt's management said he remains in Europe after playing in Monte Carlo, awaiting the final decision on the tie. The No. 57 is also said to be hoping for a wildcard entry into Rome starting in a week.
***
Charleston Attendance Figures Decline

Cool spring nights, big-name withdrawals and a rash of upsets all might have played a role in the Family Circle Cup's attendance figures that were the lowest in six years.
The 87,786 total that was 3 percent less than the 2008 tournament attracted actually was much better than the 5-8 percent decline that Family Circle Cup general manager Bob Moran had expected during this recession period.
That's even with then world's No. 1 Serena Williams withdrawing three days before the tournament's main draw started as well as the withdrawal of exciting top 10 player Victoria Azarenka, Venus Williams' loss in the round of 16 and the fact that only No. 1 seed Elena Dementieva of the top four seeds survived until Saturday's semifinals.
Plus, nights were unseasonably cold, possibly responsible for the Thursday night total of only 4,903 fans, which was the smallest night crowd during the tournament's nine years on Daniel Island.
***
Belgian Event Named Best ATP 2008 Challenger

The Ethias Trophy tournament in Mons, Belgium has been named the Best 2008 ATP Challenger tennis tournament. ATP Executive Chairman and President Adam Helfant presented the award to Tournament Director Dominique Monami and Tournament Manager Gaeten Jacquemin during the Monte Carlo Masters.
Recent winners of the event have included Olivier Rochus (2005), Janko Tipsarevic (2006), Ernests Gulbis (2007) and Teimuraz Gabashvili (2008). The tournament will take place later this year between October 5-11.
***
Mantilla is Twice a Winner

Felix Mantilla, the Spanish clay courter who reached no.10 in the world in the late 1990’s but much more importantly successfully won his fight against cancer, has made a victorious return to the playing arena by winning the ATP Champions Tour title in his home city of Barcelona.
Naturally it was an emotional victory for 34 year-old Mantilla who was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2006 after undergoing tests on a mole on his back. He becomes the first player ever to win ATP Champions Tour and an ATP World Tour titles on the hallowed clay of Barcelona’s Real Club de Tenis.
“To be honest, I didn’t think I’d be playing tennis like this again,” said Mantilla who beat Spain’s current Davis Cup captain and 2002 French Open champion Albert Costa in the final with a 6-4,6-1 scoreline.
“When I got my illness, I felt like I was retired and that it was finished. But then they gave me the possibility to come here and to play on the ATP Champions Tour and I thought ‘Why not?’ It’s always nice to play your sport whilst having fun.
“I have really good memories of this Centre Court here in Barcelona. It’s always special to be here and hopefully I can come back next year to defend my title.”
For the past year Mantilla has been contracted to work with Tennis Australia as a talent-spotter and clay court coach to the nation’s leading junior players. “I’m really happy that Tennis Australia gave me the opportunity to try and help them,” he said.
“I’m working to try and develop clay court tennis in Australia. We’re hoping that the young kids can grow up playing on slower surfaces, because that will help their play on all surfaces.”
***
Doubles Teams Could be Major Factor in Dusseldorf

The current top three doubles players in the world will compete at the Arag World Team Cup, held at Dusseldorf’s Rochusclub May 17-23.
As well at American twins Bob and Mike Bryan, who remain undefeated in their 10 matches at the event, Serbian world number three Nenad Zimonjic has joined team-mates Victor Troicki and Janko Tipsarevic at the 32nd staging of the team event.
The doubles has often proved crucial to the outcome of the ties, with Sweden last year defeating Russia 2-1 after saving a match point in the deciding doubles match tiebreak.
Two groups with four teams each play in a round-robin system, playing two singles and doubles. The winners of each group advance to the final. The most successful teams are Germany, Sweden, Spain and the U.S., with four wins each.
***
Lisicki Hits 125 mph Serve at Charleston

There's a new serving power on the WTA Tour. Sabine Lisicki may have the biggest serve in the current women's game.
The 19-year-old German's serve is not only fast, but heavy. Getting a racket on it is one thing; keeping the ball in play is another. Lisicki uncorked an unofficial 125 mph serve in the second set of her 6-2, 6-4 win over Caroline Wozniacki in Sunday's final of the Family Circle Cup. The serve was equal to the fastest on the WTA Tour this year, matching the speed of a serve by Anna-Lena Groenefeld at Indian Wells.
However, Lisicki's serve was not official because the official IDS statistic
service did not record the Family Circle Cup. So, Lisicki will have to be content for now with the 124 mph serve she unleashed last year at Cincinnati.
Venus Williams owns the fastest serves in women's tennis with 129 mph efforts at the 2007 U.S. Open and 2008 Wimbledon.

***
Tsonga and Monfils Pull Out of Barcelona

Injured Frenchmen Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils have withdrawn from this week's Barcelona Open with injuries as the clay season countdown draws closer to the start of Roland Garros.
Monfils was barely a factor in Monte Carlo this week, losing in the first round to Janko Tipsarevic while complaining of pain in both knees from tendonitis. 2008 Australian Open finalist Tsonga has not played since the Miami quarter-finals at the start of the month against Novak Djokovic.
Tsonga's handlers said that their man is training on the clay at home in Geneva but is not yet ready to risk his knees in tournament play. Monfils played the semi-final last year in Paris, losing to Roger Federer.

***
Monte Carlo was Good for Murray, Even in Defeat

Andy Murray comes away from Monte Carlo with renewed confidence after testing Rafael Nadal in their semi-final. And the Scot says that his experience this week as he produced the best clay results of his career will serve him well in the Rome Masters now just a week away.
"I just need to concentrate on every match and not thinking about making semis or finals of any of these tournament," said the world No. 4 who had never previously reached a clay quarter-final. "I'm just going to play each match and learn.
"I've obviously learned a lot this week. The way I played at the end will give me a great indication of how I need to play."
And with counsel from former Spanish clay great Alex Corretja, Murray is perhaps figuring how to get inside the head of the all-but-unstoppable Nadal.
The Scot is keeping his aspirations in check though. "I'm not thinking about winning clay court tournaments or making finals and stuff. I just concentrate on each match. I'll do a lot more winning that way."
***
BBC’s Thatcher Still Major Topic in Britain

Carol Thatcher, daughter of the former British Prime Minister Margaret, and the cause of a fierce argument based on political correctness that raged in her country’s media a couple of months after her observations of French tennis player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, remains unrepentant.
Earlier this year Thatcher was fired from her position as a roving reporter on BBC One's daily current affairs program The One Show, screened Monday to Fridays at 7pm, after she referred to Tsonga as a ‘golliwog’ during a backstage discussion about the Australian Open.
The comment made on February 3 was not broadcast live on air but instead uttered in a discussion that took place in a hospitality suite. Nevertheless it was leaked to the written press and The Times newspaper reported she referred to Tsonga as ‘half-golliwog’ and ‘the golliwog Frog.’
Thatcher, who was asked to apologise by the BBC but refused and has kept a low profile ever since, appeared on a weekend political chat show over the weekend with the former leader of the opposition, Lord Neil Kinnock. When admitted no regret of her phraseology concerning Tsonga but said: “It was in a context which wasn't really appreciated at the time.”
Tsonga's mother said that he was "deeply hurt and upset" and "absolutely astonished" by the comments. Subsequently Thatcher's agent claims that she has received death threats over the incident, and as a consequence intends to sue the BBC for leaking the story. In the aftermath the BBC has reportedly received more than 3000 complaints over Thatcher’s sacking but less than 150 letters and emails supporting the decision.
Thatcher continued: “The point I had to make was about today's obsession with political correctness and I think that still remains a topic that has to be really addressed and some common sense injected into it."
Speaking to her live on the The Andrew Marr Show, Lord Kinnock said: “"The one thing that really struck me when I heard the report that you'd used the word and stuck by the word was astonishment because I didn't think that somebody like you Carol would consciously or unconsciously use such a word. "Not because of this overworked term political correctness but merely out of courtesy - common humanity. I was really surprised by it.”
***
USTA’s Glick is Dead at 92

Irving V. Glick, M.D., the USTA’s head medical man for years, and a visionary orthopedic surgeon who was best known for developing broad medical oversight of tennis throughout the world, died on Friday evening, April 17, at his home in Great Neck, New York. Complete obituary is posted at www.tennisnews.com.

***

We Hear---
---that tomorrow the All England Club will release prize money figures for this year’s Championships. The USTA will likely be closely watching to determine prize money for the 2009 US Open.
***
THIS WEEK
MEN
Barcelona
WOMEN
Fed Cup
***
NEXT WEEK
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Rome
WOMEN
Stuttgart
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