<a href="/blog/post/2009/05/28/Daily-Tennis-News-May-28th.aspx" class="taggedlink">Daily Tennis News: May 28th

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Daily Tennis News: May 27th

by mltennis 27. May 2009 04:07

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

BUSINESS NEWS

Murray is Concerned About the Sparseness of British Men in Elite Tennis

Andy Murray may be placed higher than any fellow British tennis player since rankings began and three British women players contested the opening round of the French Open for the first time since 1993 but the hard to please Scot is still far from satisfied.
The sparseness of British talent is reflected in the fact only two out of an available wild cards have been handed to home grown players for the upcoming AEGON Championships at London’s Queens Club; Alex Ward who won the recent Challenger event in Sarasota as a qualifier and Josh Goodall who suffered two straight sets defeats in his Davis Cup debut against the Ukraine two months ago.
Murray is known to be frustrated in his position as the only British player of consequence and his future commitment to the British Davis Cup is tinged with doubt. Excluding himself and looking at the rest of the British picture, he said: “The first four or five months of this year have been very poor.
"They have won so few matches. James Ward won a Challenger but before that they'd struggled. Dan Evans has won a Challenger [in Jersey two months ago], but since then has not done anything. It's about sustaining it.”
Apart from Murray, the next nine Britons in the rankings have played five matches between them on the main tour and amassed just one victory. Even at Challenger level and above they have won a total of just 37 matches in 2009.
Murray added: "If someone does well at Wimbledon and makes the third round, they should keep everything rolling, not just sit back and think it's great, because it's not. You can't just win a tournament and expect everything to be given to you."
As his girlfriend Kim’s father is the Lawn Tennis Association’s Head Women’s Coach Nigel Sears, Murray is less damning about the female game in Britain. “The women have been doing well for quite a while now and I’ve been saying that for six or eight months.
“To get three or four girls in the main draw is great, I don’t know the last time that’s happened aside from Wimbledon where the wildcards come in. But the guys need to step up because they’re struggling.
***
International Tennis Writers Association is Reflecting a Major Sign of the Times

With the world’s tennis press going through a distinct crisis because of the economic downturn, the future of the International Tennis Writers Association hangs in the balance.
Many notable tennis writers no longer travel to the four major tournaments. The current French Open is bereft of its’ annual representatives from respected American newspapers such as the Washington Post, the Miami Herald, the Houston Chronicle or the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel.
In Britain long term Sunday Telegraph Clive White lost his job late last year and now ITWA, established to serve the purposes of the world’s travelling tennis correspondent’s ten years ago, is facing a leadership crisis.
Neil Harman, tennis correspondent of the London Times has announced he will stand down as ITWA President at the upcoming Annual General Meeting at Roland Garros and several of the current board have also tendered their resignations. Currently no respected names from the world’s big newspapers, have offered to stand as candidates for the forthcoming election.
These are changing times in tennis with a newly appointed chief executive at the ATP World Tour, Larry Scott about the take his leave from the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and a new leadership team at the French Open with Jean Gachassin as president and Gilbert Ysern tournament director.
A figurehead is required for the world’s tennis press to continue to stress their importance of spreading the word.
***
Strange Roland Garros Scheduling Doesn’t Bother Federer

Roger Federer can't be bothered worrying about scheduling at the French Open, where a Sunday start makes the first round as chaotic as any plan dreamed up at the equally unorthodox US Open.
While Wimbledon and the Australian Open basically follow tradition - halves of the draw play on alternate days with some degree of order and logic involved - it's a free for all at Roland Garros as the event stages the early start in a dash for cash.
Meanwhile, the three-time finalist takes things as they come - even when it takes three days to complete the opening round. And even the most elite of players is not always pampered by the Order of Play committee.
"I asked for a Sunday star, but Monday (what he got) and Tuesday would have been OK," Federer said after advancing into the second round. "Wednesday, as well.
"We can go through the whole week if you want to. What counts is that in any case, you have to win seven matches. Never mind who you're going to play against and the type of weather you have - what you have to do is end this race and win the battle."
***
Federer Concerned About the Paris Heat on His Pregnant Wife

Due to regular training in the 45 Celsius (115 F) of Dubai, the heat which marked the first few days of play at the French Open was nothing special for Roger Federer. But it's pregnant wife Mirka about whom the Swiss is most concerned regarding the weather.
"It's (keeping cool) is even more important for her than for me," said the second seed at the French Open. "She likes watching me when I play. She wants to be here at each and every single match, but if it's too warm, maybe if she needs a bit of fresh air, no problem."
Mirka Vavrinec, who married her longtime boyfriend in April just before the start of the clay season, is due to give birth in late summer. So watching her health is the top priority off the court for the new family.
Federer, a 13-time Grand Slam winner, says he has never relied on a lot of support during his matches. So if Mirka is there, it's great, but....
"I don't really watch them (his team) very often. Five times per match only, so it's quite simple. I prefer if she's here. And if she's feeling good, it's simpler for me."

***

We Hear---
--that the British LTA is going counter to its practice of not recommending Wimbledon wildcards for players ranked below 250 when it recommends a wildcard for 15 year-old Laura Robson who is ranked 485. If she gets it, the defending Wimbledon Girls champion, who reached the Australian junior finals will become the youngest player at Wimbledon since Martina Hingis in 1995.
***
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Daily Tennis News: May 26th

by mltennis 26. May 2009 05:09

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

BUSINESS NEWS

France Doesn’t Fear Being Replaced as Grand Slam Country by Spain

With Ion Tiriac’s claim that Madrid and it’s La Caja Magica now has the capability to become a Grand Slam venue, the French Open’s newly appointed Director General of the French Federation de Tennis and tournament director of the French Open Gilbert Ysern insists Roland Garros has no reason for concern.
Ysern was only appointed to his new role under the FFT’s new president Jean Gachassin in April but he has quickly set out on his new task. Plans for the brand new stadium complete with roof are in place, studies on putting a detachable roof on Court Philippe Chatrier are also well advanced and any threat of Madrid snatching the position of being the clay court Grand Slam are completely disregarded.
“Roland Garros is going to be a Grand Slam forever and Madrid will never be a Grand Slam,” insisted Ysern as he revealed €120 million (Euros) have been designated to build the new stadium at the adjoining Georges Hébert site 500 metres from the current perimeter of the tournament site that is initially planned for 2014. The FFT would supply €80m of this figure with further €20m coming from both the Parisian city council and the French government.
Ysern also admitted that, unlike the newly roofed All England Club, night play is very much on the FFT’s agenda in years to come and that Sunday start for the tournament is now a fixture in the tournament’s scheduling.
“The plan would very much be for us to stage separate sessions for the new stadium at night,” he admitted. “We are mindful of the way things are done at both the Australian Open and the US Open and see this as something that would benefit this tournament.”
Ysern is concerned that Roland Garros has fallen behind in the constant battle on one-upmanship with the other three Grand Slams but reiterated the FFT have not been galvanised into action by the new €180m facility in Madrid that boasts sliding roofs on three courts.
“Some time ago Roland Garros led the way amongst the four Grand Slam events in implementing new features and ideas,” he said. “Now we are behind the other three but that is an issue we most certainly intend to address in the next few years.”
A retractable roof for the existing Court Philippe Chatrier would augment the new stadium but there are local issues. “We are looking into that at the moment,” said Ysern. “We are not allowed to build anything permanent above the existing height of Chatrier so we are thinking in terms of having a roof that would be erected for the duration of the event and then taken down before being put up again the following year.”
***
Wimbledon’s Court #2 and the Accompanying Myth About to be Destroyed

Many is the legendary tennis name who will view the bulldozers moving into the All England Club again as soon as this year’s Championships come to a conclusion without any sense of remorse.
Court No.2, long known as the Graveyard of Champions, will be demolished and replaced by a brand new 2,000 seater show court. John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Martina Hingis and both Williams sisters have all met their demise on the notorious arena.
The intimacy of the court and the fact that noises from the adjoining arenas can be easily heard made many top players complain. Tim Phillips, Chairman of the All England Club, said: “With its unofficial name of the ‘Graveyard of the Champions’ old Court 2 has played its part in framing Wimbledon’s history.
“While acknowledging that contribution, we also have to consider Wimbledon’s future and the time is now right to build a court with all the excellent spectator comforts that people have come to expect at The Championships.”
The work will start in July 2009 and the new court should be ready for play at the Championships in two years time. This year's Championships will see the introduction of a retractable roof over Centre Court. A new 4,000-seat Court Two will also be used for the first time.
***
Wimbledon’s Debenture Sale Brought in Big Revenue

It shouldn’t be a problem for Wimbledon to quickly start paying down debt incurred by the new show court roof after easily selling 2,500 Centre Court debentures for a handy cash flow of nearly $100 million.
The rights to Centre court boxes for the 2011-2015 period were quickly snapped up at the equivalent of nearly $45,000 each. The club said that the offering was over-subscribed.
While Wimbledon "doesn't do costings," according to club official who recently refused to name the price of the massive roof project to be debuted at this summers' edition, the debenture money will go a long way towards any long-term debt.
The just-completed construction also included upgrades to the bars and restaurants for the public and debenture holders and increased capacity by 1,200 to 15,000 and new wider, padded seats throughout the court.
***
Ivanovic Seeking Some Winning Rituals in Paris

French Open champion Ana Ivanovic is looking towards re-establishing a few winning rituals to follow in Paris as she attempts to repeat as titleholder at Roland Garros.
The Serb fought through into the second round with an opening-day win and says that the knee injury which kept her off the courts for the last few weeks is well under control.
But there is perhaps something missing in the grand scheme of the Grand Slam.
Ivanovic and her team say that in the heady days of the 2008 run to the trophy over Dinara Safina, any informal off-court rituals they may have practiced have been forgotten.
"We didn't keep track of anything last year. But I am a little bit superstitious - I need to find new rituals for this year.
"Every year, every place you try to find a certain restaurant or a certain place where you feel comfortable. I have to look for this."
***
Djokovic Received Comforting Words from Carlos Moya

Novak Djokovic begins his French Open campaign inspired by a compliment from Spain's Carlos Moya after his four-hour losing battle in Madrid against Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic was devastated in the hours after his fighting loss. But he says he was lifted by kind words from Moya, former No. 1 and Paris champion. "He came up to me and said that it has been the best three-set match that he watched on this surface ever. So I think that's a big compliment from a big champion as he is."
Djokovic, now ranked fourth after being overhauled by Andy Murray lost to Nadal in Masters 1000 finals in Monte Carlo and Rome and considers his clay season something of a success. "I don't know if I can rate myself as a number two (on clay). There’s not really a clay court rankings.
"But I've been certainly playing some good tennis. The semi against Rafa in Madrid gave me even more self-belief that I might in our next encounter might win against him.
"It's a big improvement from what I felt last year playing on clay."
He opens play at Roland Garros against Nicolas Lapentti.
***
Tennis Corporation of American Promotes Pant to Rochester Position

The Tennis Corporation of America (TCA), the Chicago-based parent company of Midtown Athletic Clubs, has announced that its National Tennis Director, Ajay Pant, is relocating to Rochester, New York where he will oversee the greatly expanded racquet sports operations at Midtown Athletic Club in Rochester while continuing to manage all tennis operations for Midtown Athletic Clubs.
Pant has been with Tennis Corporation of America since 1993 and brings decades of tennis experience to his new role. During his time with TCA, Mr. Pant has held positions as Head Tennis Professional, Club Manager and most recently National Tennis Director and General Manager at the Midtown Tennis Club in Overland Park, KS.
Pant’s credentials include Master Professional, National Tester and National Clinician (Professional Tennis Registry, PTR); P-1 certification (United States Professional Tennis Association, USPTA).
***
Ricky’s Notes
By Ricky Dimon

Despite playing last week in Kitzbuhel, Mario Ancic decided he was not fully recovered from an illness and pulled out of the French Open. Frenchman Mathieu Montcourt took Ancic's place in the main draw as a lucky loser and promptly advanced to the second round when Yen-Hsun Lu retired after one set. . . The USTA gave its wildcard back to the French Tennis Federation after planned recipient John Isner withdrew due to having mononucleosis. The FTF then awarded it to Frenchman Romain Jouan, who drew Andy Roddick in the first round. . . Rafael Nadal hoped for a warmer reception in Paris than the one he got at last year's indoor Masters Series event, when he retired after one set of a match against Nikolay Davydenko. "It was painful for me to go off the court when I was injured," Nadal said. "It was really a tough moment, and the crowd, they booed me a little bit.". . . Nadal lost a one-set exhibition match in Paris to world No. 109 Brian Dabul on Saturday. Nadal's tune-up for the French Open also included a 6-3, 6-3 win over Arnaud Clement at the Guinot Mary Cohr Masters exhibition.
Mischa Zverev, who put host Germany in the final of last week's World Team Championships with a doubles victory over Sweden, called it "the greatest day of my life." Added Zverev: "I had the feeling the whole nation was on the court supporting us." Germany, however, lost to Serbia a day later in the title match. . . Ivo Karlovic set a record for most aces in one match on Sunday in a five-set loss to Lleyton Hewitt. The 6'10'' Croat fired 55 aces past Hewitt, breaking his own mark of 51 that he shared with Joachim Johansson. Roddick previously held the French Open record with 37, which he set in 2001. . . Karlovic also extended his futile record of most career five-set set losses without a single five-set win. He is now 0-11 when he has to go the distance. . . Niki Pilic, who once trained both Novak Djokovic and Ernests Gulbis at his academy in Munich, is with Gulbis in Paris on a part-time basis and was in the stands for the 20-year-old Latvian's four-set win over Sam Querrey. Jose Higueras, the director of coaching for the USTA's Elite Player Development program, was at the match to watch Querrey.
Hewitt is suing Octagon, his former management agency, claiming it wrongfully kept $1.35 million from him. Octagon previously sued Hewitt for an alleged breach of contract. . . The International Tennis Federation fined Tennis Australia $13,000 for the refusal of Australia's Davis Cup team to travel to Chennai, India for a scheduled tie. "The way the ITF went about it was a disgrace in the first place," said Hewitt. "I fully back what Tennis Australia has done.". . . Players at the Masters Series event in Madrid earlier this month voiced complaints over footing on the courts, small locker rooms, distracting sun reflections, and an inadequate number of practice courts. Tournament promoter Ion Tiriac took responsibility and vowed changes. "Up to a certain point they are right," Tiriac said. "My fault. Definitely whatever is wrong just throw it back to me.". . . Tomas Berdych recently noted the benefits of parent coaching as opposed to tennis academies. "It was different then," Berdych said of his days being coached every day by his father. "Now people just take their kids to an academy, leave the kid there, go home. You need more support from the parents."
Vera Zvonareva, seeded sixth on the women's side, pulled out of the French Open with an ankle injury. She was replaced in the draw by lucky loser Katie O'Brien of Britain. . . Recovering from a knee injury, defending champ Ana Ivanovic expressed confidence heading into Roland Garros. "Thankfully the pain and inflammation in my knee has gone away so I have been able to practice this week," Ivanovic said. "My timing is pretty good at the moment and I'm optimistic about my chances of success in Paris.". . . Polish star Agnieszka Radwanska pulled out of last week's Warsaw Cup in her home country citing a back injury. But her father, Richard Radwanski, was behind the move and claimed it was due to strained relations between the family and tournament organizers. "There is another issue--that the organizers of the event are not treating us properly," Radwanski explained. . . Ai Sugiyama is playing in a record 60th consecutive Grand Slam. Her streak began at Wimbledon in 1994.
Fernando Verdasco says he will return to Las Vegas in July to work with trainer Gil Reyes in preparation for the U.S. Open Series. Verdasco trained with Reyes in Las Vegas during the off-season prior to his run to the Australian Open semifinals. . . Taylor Dent, who is back from retirement and reached the fourth round of the Sony Ericsson Open earlier this season, received a wildcard into the Pilot Pen tournament. Part of the U.S. Open Series, the event takes place one week before the U.S. Open. . . In last week's issue of Men's Fitness magazine, Nadal was named the fittest man in the world. . . Pete Sampras, the all-time leader in men's singles majors titles with 14 to Roger Federer's 13, is picking Federer to win Wimbledon this summer. "If I was to put my money on it, I would say Roger," Sampras said. "But he's not a shoo-in.''

***

We Hear---
--that Rafael Nadal received a million dollars to have held a hitting session with the daughter and son of the president of Ouzbékistan after losing in the Madrid finals.
--that Nick Bollettieri was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Saturday in Birmingham. He attended college there in the early 1950s.
***
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Daily Tennis News: May 22nd

by mltennis 22. May 2009 05:31

Friday, May 22, 2009

BUSINESS NEWS

Dokic Formally Charged

Damir Dokic, the notorious father of tennis player Jelena Dokic, is facing an eight year jail sentence in his native Serbia after being formally charged with posing a threat to the Australian ambassador in Belgrade.
Dokic, who has been ostracized by his 26 year-old daughter, was arrested at his home in the town of Vrdnik earlier this month after bragging to the Serbian media that he planned to blow up Australian ambassador Clare Bergin, unless she ordered a stop of media reports of the that he had physically abuse he subjected Jelena to during his time as her tennis coach.
When Serbian police arrested Dokic they found a stash of illegal weapons in his house including two nail bombs, 20 bullets, seven hunting rifles and a Beretta pistol.
He made the threat following claims published in Australian magazine Sport and Style as part of an interview with Jelena in which she revealed her father physically abused her during their troubled relationship that saw her rise to fourth place in the world rankings. She subsequently fled from the family home seven years ago to escape the threat of violence.
Dokic reportedly said of Ambassador Bergin: “"I'm a war veteran and I'll kill her with a hand grenade launcher in centre of Belgrade. I know Serbian police could arrest me because of this words. However, I'm not afraid as this is the only way to stop the journalistic scam from Australia."
He has since been charged with making a threat to the ambassador's safety and illegal bomb possession – charges that carry maximum jail terms of one and eight years respectively. His lawyer was preparing to apply for bail in the town of Ruma where the charges were filed.
However as Dokic is still technically an Australian citizen he could be offered consular assistance by the nation’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. "The Australian government has written to Mr. Dokic offering him consular assistance," said a spokesman. “Mr. Dokic has not requested consular assistance to date."
Dokic's lawyer, Bosiljka Djukic previously appealed for the court later today to drop the investigation. ``There is no evidence Dokic committed that crime,'' she said. ``I also expect that my client will be released from detention, as he has been detained on suspicion of having committed that crime.''
***
Nadal is Bettors’ Favorite to Win Roland Garros

Landing in the same half of the French Open draw as four-time champion Rafael Nadal has not helped the odds of Andy Murray's title chances at the clay-court Grand Slam.
Ladbroke's of London have eased the world No. 3 Scot's odds to 16/1, from 14/1 for the victory.
Nadal is a prohibitive favorite to win a fifth straight Paris title at 4/11 to defend his crown, while Roger Federer has a 4/1 chance of his first title at the major.
"Murray has been handed a tricky opener and a potential showdown with Nadal in the semis. If he wins the competition he'll have done it the hard way," said a spokesman.
Fourth seed Novak Djokovic, loser to Nadal in two clay Masters 1000 finals over the past six weeks, is 5/1 for the title.

***
Ivanovic Expects to Play at Roland Garros

Ana Ivanovic has dismissed speculation that she may not be fit enough to defend her French Open crown as play gets underway this weekend, after she recently withdrew from Madrid with a knee injury.
"Luckily, the inflammation of the hamstring has subsided, and I’ve been able to practice for a couple of days. I feel good and I am optimistic about my chances of defending the Paris title. It’s obvious I didn’t have adequate preparations in the run-up to the French Open, but neither did I last year ahead of the event and still went on to win it," she said.

***
Ancic Pulls Out of Roland Garros

Mario Ancic is the latest player to pull out of the upcoming French Open citing a lack of fitness and match preparation after a recurrence of the mononucleosis earlier this year that has blighted his career.
Even though the 25 year-old Croat won three qualifying matches at this week’s Interwetten Austrian Open in Kitzbuhel, he maintained he would not be able to withstand the physical stresses of playing a best of five sets match at Roland Garros.
“I'm still not completely ready,” said the player who three years ago played a marathon five setter against Tommy Robredo to reach the French Open quarter finals. “My physical performances are still not at a good enough level, at least not for Roland Garros, where matches can stretch to five sets," said Ancic.
The 38th-ranked Croatian also missed the 2007 French Open due to illness that is referred to as glandular fever in Europe. Ancic joins former French Open semi-finalist David Nalbandian (hip surgery), American wild card John Isner (also mono) and Japanese Kei Nishikori (elbow injury) on the absentee list at the year’s second Grand Slam.
Ancic seems certain to make his playing return on his favoured grass in the AEGON Championships at London’s Queen’s Club in two and half weeks’ time.
***
Eastbourne’s Field Continues to Improve

The three most promising young talents on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, Agnieszka Radwanska, Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki all figure in the entry list for the AEGON International to be played on the grass of Eastbourne’s Devonshire Park a week before Wimbledon.
Radwanska , the first of the trio to break through into the world’s top ten won her first WTA Tour grass court title at the event last year, defeating Nadia Petrova in three sets and will be looking for a repeat in the tournament which runs June 13 thru 20 and this year also features a men’s event.
Azarenka won her first WTA Tour title earlier this year in Brisbane and has subsequently won tournaments in Memphis and Miami. She is currently ranked ninth in the world and will be competing in Eastbourne for the second time.
Wozniacki became the first Danish woman ever to win a WTA Tour singles title when she defeated the elder Radwanska sister in Stockholm last year. The 18 year old now has four singles titles to her name and has reached a career high world ranking of No.10. Wozniacki has won on grass before, claiming the junior Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2006.
A week earlier the female grass court focus will be on the AEGON Classic at Birmingham’s Edgbaston Priory with Maria Sharapova the star attraction. But Jelena Dokic, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Sam Stosur and Urszula Radwanska have all joined the entry list for the event which runs June 8 thru 14.
***
Schuettler is Honored in Dusseldorf

There was compensation, of sorts, for Rainer Schuettler after he became only the second player in the 32-year history of the Arag World Team Cup to be hammered 6-0 6-0 in a match.
The 33-year old German was awarded the tournament’s Fair Play Trophy, voted for by a jury of international media representatives and the eight team captains. He is the third German player to receive the trophy, after Eric Jelen in 1991 and Michael Stich in 1997. Last year, the trophy went to American James Blake.
Schuettler’s defeat was the first whitewash at the tournament since Germany’s Damir Keretic beat Australian Paul McNamee in 1987. McNamee of course recovered to become tournament director of the Australian Open for several years, a position he still holds at the Hyundai Hopman Cup that he founded with Charlie Fancutt.
***
Sharapova to Wear Tiffany Earrings at Roland Garros

Tiffany & Co. announced that Maria Sharapova will wear Tiffany earrings at the French Open, May 24–June 7.
The partnership between Sharapova and Tiffany & Co. provides the tennis star with Tiffany earrings to wear at each of the four Grand Slam events: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. The group of earrings is called Tiffany for Maria Sharapova.

***
EDITORS NOTE:
In celebration of Memorial Day several sections of Daily Tennis News will not be published Monday, May 25 and will resume on Tuesday, May 26.

***

We Hear---
--that with the Roland Garros announcement that it will have a retractable roof over its center court within five years, USTA President Lucy Garvin insists the US Open cannot be the only one of the four Grand Slam tournaments to not have some kind of retractable roof. So, there is plenty of discussion about what to do. One problem of covering the largest stadium is the estimated cost of up to $100 million!
---that Novak Djokovic has been relaxing before Roland Garros by meeting up with Formula 1 drivers Felipe Massa, Sebastian Vettel and Sebastien Bourdais as they were practicing for Sunday’s Grand Prix in Monaco.
***
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Monday through Friday except Holidays
Monday and Thursday in November and December.
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Bob Larson's Tennis Celebs: May 21st Issue

by mltennis 22. May 2009 04:06

Thursday, May 21, 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

Clijsters is Really Serious About Her Comeback

Kim Clijsters may have been just a quarter of the cast list that ushered in a new era at Wimbledon last weekend but the Belgian was the only one of the four still to harbor serious tennis aspirations with her fully fledged comeback only a few months away.
Now Clijsters’ management company, the Belgian-based Sports, media and entertainment group Golazo are to open a new office in London to be on hand for not just the All England Club but also the 2012 Olympic Games.
The London office will also be the headquarters for Trinity, a spin off company specializing in the representation of top talent in sports and entertainment, and Golazo have head hunted John Dolan, the highly experienced Senior Communications Manager of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour to take charge.
Bob Verbeeck, Chief Executive Officer of Goalzo explained: “With our Belgian based headquarters, we can service our clients throughout continental Europe. With regards to the United Kingdom, we felt there was a need for a local division focusing on the UK market specifically with all the developments around London 2012.”
Dolan, a native of Cork in the Republic of Ireland, is to leave the WTA Tour after 12 years and will take the title of Trinity Managing Director with his two major responsibilities being Clijsters and Pamela Jelimo, the Kenyan middle distance runner who became the first woman from her country to win Olympic gold in the 800 metres at last year’s Beijing games.
“I am very excited to join the Golazo team and the chance to work with a business expert like Bob Verbeeck,” said John Dolan who established a close relationship with Clijsters during her initial seven year career on the WTA Tour that saw her top the world rankings for the first time in August 2003 and win the 2005 US Open title.
“At Trinity, our belief in talent representation is that it is truly a three-way relationship. Success comes from an equally integrated approach to talent, media and entertainment. For our clients, their talent is obviously what they excel at, but without media exposure nobody would know their story and finally the aim is to not only to be successful on the track, field, arena or court, but being entertainers on top of that".
Golazo sports, media and entertainment cites its mission statement as a desire to create added value for its different kinds of companies, athletes, participants and/or audience within the domains of sports, media and entertainment. Innovation, creativity and integrated solutions are the keywords in realizing that goal.
***

Zvonareva Takes on Honorary Post with UNESCO

Vera Zvonareva has been named a "Promoter of Gender Equality" as part of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour's partnership with UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. In this role she joins fellow players Venus Williams, Tatiana Golovin and Zheng Jie who were previously named as Promoters of Gender Equality for the program in November 2006, May 2007 and September 2007, respectively. WTA Tour founder Billie Jean King, was also named "Global Mentor for Gender Equality" in November 2008.
Zvonareva has already shown a keen interest in education and international leadership, having enrolled in the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2007 where she is studying for a post-graduate diploma in International Relations and Economics. In her new role as a Promoter of Gender Equality, Zvonareva will raise awareness of gender equality issues at both a national and global level, and have a direct involvement in current and future women's leadership programs to be developed through the UNESCO-Sony Ericsson WTA Tour partnership.
"I am truly honored to be serving as a Promoter of Gender Equality, especially being the first one from Russia," said Zvonareva. "I think that the UNESCO-Sony Ericsson WTA Tour partnership is incredibly important and this is a role that I value highly and will work extremely hard in helping young girls and women all around the world to gain better opportunities to succeed in whatever they wish to do. In particular I very much believe in the importance and value of education and the rights of all women and girls to have equal access to it."
"Great strides have been made in recent years to improve the role of women in society but many challenges still remain," said Stacey Allaster, president of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. "Through our partnership with UNESCO, we seek to show the world that women deserve the same possibilities as men and to create real leadership opportunities for women and girls. I am delighted that Vera Zvonareva will be taking a leadership role herself in this valuable initiative."
***

Father Novak Says A Dream Has Come True

It’s a dream come true for Srdjan Djokovic. His son Novak is performing on the world’s grandest stages and winning top honors, with the Australian Open trophy already on his shelf. But he isn’t surprised. He always felt that Novak was special and dedicated himself to giving his son the best opportunities he could.
"I wasn’t fanatical and invested in Novak without any sound basis," Srdjan said in an interview with Belgrade’s NIN magazine. "Ever since he was six, when he started training in Jelena Gencic’s camp, we knew a great career was ahead of him. To be more specific, it wasn’t us who knew it, but all the relevant people of this sport both domestically and abroad knew it. Together with my friends I used to dream of sitting together with my family in a Wimbledon or Roland Garros box, watching my son play in the final and lifting the trophy and twenty-odd thousand people cheering in the stands.
“That dream has come true."

***

Ivanovic Might Miss French Open

Defending champion Ana Ivanovic could miss the French Open, according to her coach, Craig Kardon.
The Serb, who rose briefly to world No. 1 following her victory at Roland Garros last year, recently withdrew from Madrid with a knee injury, and Kardon believes it is sufficiently severe to sideline her next week.
"I am not sure she is even going to be able to play at the French Open because of this knee injury," he said. "But I know her confidence is still pretty high and her level of play is good enough for Ana to win it again (if she is fit enough to play)."
It is almost as if winning at Roland Garros carries a curse. Several players have found their career slide after winning there, one of the most noticeable being Iva Majoli. After winning her one and only major in 1997 her career went into free fall. By the end of 1999 she had slumped to 163, and she claimed just one more title, in Charleston, five years after winning Roland Garros.
Ivanovic does not face that kind of meltdown, but she has struggled since winning her maiden Slam. Partly because of injury, she has managed to win just one title since, in Linz against modest opposition last October. She famously fell in the third round at Wimbledon to 133rd-ranked Jie Zheng, then in the second round of the U.S. Open to 188th-ranked qualifier Julie Coin. She was forced to withdraw from the Tour Championships in Doha with illness after losing two round-robin matches, and then at the Australian Open she was beaten in the third round by 31st ranked Alisa Kleybanova.
***
Illness Forces Isner Out of French Open

John Isner, the big serving American who seemed like he was going to become the next force in world tennis when he took the ATP World Tour by surprise a couple of years ago and won the United States Tennis Association wild card play off for the French Open last month won’t be going to Roland Garros after all. The 6ft 9ins tall 24 year-old has been diagnosed with suffering from mononucleosis or glandular fever as it is known in Europe.
Isner, currently ranked 114 in the world but more than 20 places higher a year ago, came out on top in an eight man contest for the wild card on the clay of Boca West Country Club in Florida. The seven other contestants for the place were Scoville Jenkins, Evan King, Jesse Levine, Michael McClune, Rhyne Williams, Donald Young and 16 year-old Nathan Pasha.
U.S. Davis Cup Captain Patrick McEnroe, the USTA's general manager of elite player development, is currently deciding what player will be the fortunate recipient of the wild card won by Isner who last month also made it to the quarter finals of the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston, Texas at the River Oaks Country Club. A few weeks earlier he played impressively in the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells beating both Gael Monfils and Marat Safin before eventually losing out to current world no.5 Juan Martin del Potro.
A disappointed McEnroe revealed: “Isner has mono and will not be playing. We're in the process of figuring out what we're going to do, but there is nothing to report on our decision as of yet.”
Roger Federer is of course the most notable mono victim in the past couple of years but by far the most debilitating case is that of Mario Ancic who is still affected by the virus more than two years on from being first diagnosed. The Croat could not play last year’s Olympics and US Open and has only just returned from another enforced two month break from competition.
Isner made his debut in the Roland Garros main draw last year when ranked 82 in the world and suffered a first round defeat when he lost out in five sets to the infinitely more experienced clay courter Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina.
***

Federer Was Calm After Defeating Nadal

Roger Federer had no trouble controlling his excitement after ending his five-match loss streak to Rafael Nadal at the final of the Madrid Masters. And after finally winning his first title of the season over his toughest rival on the most demanding surface, there is plenty for the Swiss to look forward to at the French Open.
"It’s not the moment to get carried away," said the ice-calm Federer. "But this win is definitely good for my confidence. Beating Rafa in the final definitely proves that I'm doing the right things.
"I'm working extremely hard and it is paying off so it’s a nice feeling."
Federer says his whole dynamic for Roland Garros has now changed for the better. "I'm very excited about going to Paris.
"A couple of weeks ago I was still a little bit unsure about my game and not sure if I could win the French. I always knew that I was going to get stronger week by week on clay.
"Obviously I didn’t give myself the best opportunity in Monaco but I worked extremely hard in the two off weeks I had before and after Rome and it’s all finally paying off."
***

Graf Sees Changes at Wimbledon

Steffi Graf is amazed at the physical improvements to to the All England club in the decade since she last competed at Wimbledon.
Though she accompanied husband Andre Agassi each summer to the event until his 2006 retirement, actually getting back on the court for the weekend's VIP exhibition debut of the Centre court roof was an eye-opener for the seven-times champion.
Graf, 40, next month, last played the event in 1999, losing the final to Lindsay Davenport. "It's changed a lot in 10 years. I've come to watch Andre over the years but as a spectator you feel very different. It all feels like a long time ago."
The year after Graf's departure, improvements started coming thick and fat to the grounds, including construction of the new Millennium media building, the introduction of equal prize money and the ending of the tradition that lady competitors curtsey to the Royal Box when leaving the court.

***

Arizona Senior Event Has Agassi and a Full Field of Stars

The full field of players who will join Andre Agassi at the 2009 Cancer Treatment Centers of America Tennis Championships in Surprise, Ariz., has been announced. It will mark the first time Agassi has played in an Outback Champions Series event, and it will be played Oct. 8-11.
Playing alongside Agassi in the eight-player field will be Hall of Famers Jim Courier and Mats Wilander, 2003 Wimbledon finalist Mark Philippoussis, 1992 Olympic silver medalist Wayne Ferreira, 1986 French Open finalist Mikael Pernfors and former U.S. Davis Cup standouts Aaron Krickstein and Jimmy Arias.
The Cancer Treatment Centers of America Tennis Championships is one of eight events on the 2009 Outback Champions Series, the global tennis circuit for champion tennis players age 30 and over. The tournament will be an eight-player, single-knock-out event with the winner earning $60,000.
***

Agassi to Play Sampras in Macao Exhibition

The 3,000 all-suite hotel Venetian Macao announced it would present an exhibition October 25, “The Venetian Macao 2009 Showdown” featuring Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras.
The 15,000-seat hotel arena will present an undercard of two world class juniors, Ryan Harrison from the US and Yuki Bhambri from India. They will play a timed 45-minute singles match before the feature match and then join the stars in a doubles match.
This event will mark the third time the hotel has brought in famous tennis stars in an exhibition events. They brought in Roger Federer and Sampras in 2007 and then last year featured Federer, James Blake, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe.

**********

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**********

TENNIS SHORTS

Ricky’s Notes
By Ricky Dimon

Twins Bob and Mike Bryan were replaced on the United States squad at this week's World Team Championships in Dusseldorf, Germany by Mardy Fish, while Robby Ginepri is making his first appearance since February after recovering from a hip injury. Ginepri has been training in Argentina with coach Diego Montoya. . . Gael Monfils will take the court at this week's Guinot-Mary Kohr Masters exhibition event in Paris for the first time since an opening-round loss at the Masters Series Monte-Carlo. Monfils, who will face Marcos Baghdatis on Wednesday, has been sidelined with tendinitis in both knees. . . Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray are also scheduled to participate in the exhibition. . .
The ATP is developing a new TV series called "ATP World Tour Uncovered," which will offer a behind-the-scenes look at men's tennis. Justin Gimelstob will host the show, to be produced by British Telecom and IMG. . . The Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced Mathieu Montcourt's ban from eight weeks to five for his gambling activities in 2005. Montcourt will begin serving the suspension on July 6, so he will miss neither Wimbledon nor the U.S. Open.

***

Head is Offering Interesting Promotion

Want to go to London to see the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals (previously known as the Masters Cup)? And even meet up and hit balls with Andy Murray?
Head is giving tennis fans the opportunity to win a trip to a personal training session with Murray and to the season-ending climax with the Golden Head Ball promotion, which runs from now until July 31.
During the promotion, fans will look for a Golden Head Tennis Ball, either in the Head ATP cans (not available in the USA) or on http://www.head.com/goldenheadtennisball/, and then register online to win. The grand prize includes the chance to watch Murray prepare for an ATP match and even hit some balls with him in an exclusive training session and a roundtrip airfare for two to London, hotel stay and VIP tickets to the finals.

**********

WTA SCHEDULED TO PLAY

Upcoming schedules as of May 18, 2009
1. Dinara Safina - Roland Garros, 's-Hertogenbosch
2. Serena Williams - Roland Garros
3. Venus Williams - Roland Garros
4. Elena Dementieva - Roland Garros, Eastbourne
5. Jelena Jankovic - Roland Garros, Eastbourne
6. Vera Zvonareva - Roland Garros, Eastbourne
7. Svetlana Kuznetsova - Roland Garros
8. Ana Ivanovic - Roland Garros, Eastbourne
9. Victoria Azarenka - Roland Garros, Eastbourne
10. Caroline Wozniacki - Roland Garros, Eastbourne
11. Nadia Petrova - Roland Garros, Eastbourne
12. Agnieszka Radwanska - Roland Garros, Eastbourne
13. Marion Bartoli - Roland Garros, Eastbourne
14. Flavia Pennetta - Roland Garros, 's-Hertogenbosch
15. Zheng Jie - Roland Garros, Birmingham, Eastbourne
16. Amelie Mauresmo - Roland Garros, Eastbourne
17. Patty Schnyder - Roland Garros
18. Anabel Medina Garrigues - Roland Garros, Eastbourne
19. Kaia Kanepi - Roland Garros, Birmingham, Eastbourne
20. Dominika Cibulkova - Roland Garros, 's-Hertogenbosch

*********

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

**********

MONEY MOUNTAIN

2009 Prize Money Earnings

MEN (May 11)

1 Rafael Nadal

$3,784,580

2 Murray, Andy

1,717,281

3 Djokovic, Novak

1,593,344

4 Federer, Roger

1,196,312

5 Roddick, Andy

1,004,573

6 Verdasco, Fernando

660,080

7 Ferrer, David

635,908

8 Del Potro, Juan Martin

565,571

9 Robredo, Tommy

516,220

10 Tsonga, Jo-Wilfried

513,377

WOMEN (May 18)

1

Williams, Serena

$2,037,504

2

Safina, Dinara

1,864,243

3

Azarenka, Victoria

1,254,262

4

Zvonareva, Vera

1,184,848

5

Williams, Venus

824,667

6

Kuznetsova, Svetlana

738,184

7

Wozniacki, Caroline

699,067

8

Dementieva, Elena

634,472

9

Ivanovic, Ana

469,107

10

Mauresmo, Amelie

468,117

**********

HE SAID... SHE SAID...

"It’s not the moment to get carried away. But this win is definitely good for my confidence. Beating Rafa in the final definitely proves that I'm doing the right things." - Roger Federer following his win over Rafael Nadal at the Madrid Masters.

**********

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

May

Eric Butorac
22
1981

Jurgen Melzer
22
1981

Novak Djokovic
22
1987

John Newcombe
23
1944

**********

Bob Larson - Publisher
Cort Larson - Editor
Bob Larson's Tennis Celebs is published weekly.
Delivery via e-mail to all countries is $47US a year.
Junior subscription rate $27
Bob Larson Tennis
P.O. Box 24256
Edina, MN 55424 USA
001 952 920 8947 (voice) or 001 952 920 8940 (fax)
E-mail address bob@tennisnews.com
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Daily Tennis News: May 21st

by mltennis 21. May 2009 08:46

Thursday, May 21, 2009

BUSINESS NEWS

Ivanovic Might Miss French Open

Defending champion Ana Ivanovic could miss the French Open, according to her coach, Craig Kardon.
The Serb, who rose briefly to world No. 1 following her victory at Roland Garros last year, recently withdrew from Madrid with a knee injury, and Kardon believes it is sufficiently severe to sideline her next week.
"I am not sure she is even going to be able to play at the French Open because of this knee injury," he said. "But I know her confidence is still pretty high and her level of play is good enough for Ana to win it again (if she is fit enough to play)."
It is almost as if winning at Roland Garros carries a curse. Several players have found their career slide after winning there, one of the most noticeable being Iva Majoli. After winning her one and only major in 1997 her career went into free fall. By the end of 1999 she had slumped to 163, and she claimed just one more title, in Charleston, five years after winning Roland Garros.
Ivanovic does not face that kind of meltdown, but she has struggled since winning her maiden Slam. Partly because of injury, she has managed to win just one title since, in Linz against modest opposition last October. She famously fell in the third round at Wimbledon to 133rd-ranked Jie Zheng, then in the second round of the U.S. Open to 188th-ranked qualifier Julie Coin. She was forced to withdraw from the Tour Championships in Doha with illness after losing two round-robin matches, and then at the Australian Open she was beaten in the third round by 31st ranked Alisa Kleybanova.
***
Illness Forces Isner Out of French Open

John Isner, the big serving American who seemed like he was going to become the next force in world tennis when he took the ATP World Tour by surprise a couple of years ago and won the United States Tennis Association wild card play off for the French Open last month won’t be going to Roland Garros after all. The 6ft 9ins tall 24 year-old has been diagnosed with suffering from mononucleosis or glandular fever as it is known in Europe.
Isner, currently ranked 114 in the world but more than 20 places higher a year ago, came out on top in an eight man contest for the wild card on the clay of Boca West Country Club in Florida. The seven other contestants for the place were Scoville Jenkins, Evan King, Jesse Levine, Michael McClune, Rhyne Williams, Donald Young and 16 year-old Nathan Pasha.
U.S. Davis Cup Captain Patrick McEnroe, the USTA's general manager of elite player development, is currently deciding what player will be the fortunate recipient of the wild card won by Isner who last month also made it to the quarter finals of the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston, Texas at the River Oaks Country Club. A few weeks earlier he played impressively in the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells beating both Gael Monfils and Marat Safin before eventually losing out to current world no.5 Juan Martin del Potro.
A disappointed McEnroe revealed: “Isner has mono and will not be playing. We're in the process of figuring out what we're going to do, but there is nothing to report on our decision as of yet.”
Roger Federer is of course the most notable mono victim in the past couple of years but by far the most debilitating case is that of Mario Ancic who is still affected by the virus more than two years on from being first diagnosed. The Croat could not play last year’s Olympics and US Open and has only just returned from another enforced two month break from competition.
Isner made his debut in the Roland Garros main draw last year when ranked 82 in the world and suffered a first round defeat when he lost out in five sets to the infinitely more experienced clay courter Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina.
***
Physical Condition May Force Monfils Out of French Open

2008 semi-finalist Gael Monfils is fearful for his chances of playing the French Open due to an inflamed kneecap problem which doctors say could require surgery.
The athletic youngster coached by Australian Roger Rasheed has not played since losing in the Monte Carlo first round six weeks ago and was beaten this week in a hit-and-giggle exhibition prior to Roland Garros by Marcos Baghdatis.
Monfils say his chances of making a start when the home Grand Slam starts on Sunday are slim. "If I had to decide today, the answer would be no,” said the No. 11.
The 22-year-old said he has tried to play in pain during practice to no avail. :I’ll make my decision at the last minute. I have six days until the Tuesday start and I'm hoping for a miracle."
***
Father Novak Says A Dream Has Come True

It’s a dream come true for Srdjan Djokovic. His son Novak is performing on the world’s grandest stages and winning top honors, with the Australian Open trophy already on his shelf. But he isn’t surprised. He always felt that Novak was special and dedicated himself to giving his son the best opportunities he could.
"I wasn’t fanatical and invested in Novak without any sound basis," Srdjan said in an interview with Belgrade’s NIN magazine. "Ever since he was six, when he started training in Jelena Gencic’s camp, we knew a great career was ahead of him. To be more specific, it wasn’t us who knew it, but all the relevant people of this sport both domestically and abroad knew it. Together with my friends I used to dream of sitting together with my family in a Wimbledon or Roland Garros box, watching my son play in the final and lifting the trophy and twenty-odd thousand people cheering in the stands.
“That dream has come true."

***
Mauresmo is Looking Forward to This French Open

With few expectations of her, Amelie Mauresmo might finally be able to enjoy Roland Garros instead of dreading it. Her best results there have been a couple of quarterfinals, in 2003 and 2004, as she often crumbled under the pressure of playing in front of a crowd who naturally expected that the most from a player who, after all, did ascend to world No. 1.
"It's probably the toughest tournament I've played," said Mauresmo. "When I think about all those years I was never really able to enjoy myself fully during this week or couple of weeks. It was not only pressure from the media but pressure from myself, hoping to do well and wanting to do well so much. So it's always been something that has given me a lot of trouble over the years."
Having spent two years struggling to regain her place at the top of the game after undergoing an appendectomy in February 2007 and considering retirement, she recently climbed back into the top 20 again. Now she finds herself in the perfect situation - back in form but no longer in the spotlight.

***
Ranking System no Worry for Murray

There's no worry for Andy Murray over the ATP rankings which have seen him through to a career-best standing of third on the ATP. But that's not the case with Novak Djokovic, whom the Scot passed last week for the honor.
As far as Murray's concerned, the system is just fine after being mathematically tweaked by ATP boffins over the close season. To muddy the waters, world No. 1 Rafael Nadal has called for a two-year ranking system as he reigns with a more than 5,000 point comfort zone over No. 2 Roger Federer.
Djokovic, beaten finalist on clay against Nadal at Monte Carlo and Rome and a marathon semi-final loser to the Spaniard in Madrid, called the system "cruel.
But it's all good for Murray, who is benefiting from his own solid play heading into the French Open at the weekend. "There always seem to be problems, and now it's obviously the rankings.
"Until this week I've never heard anyone complain. I think maybe only in the last week it's become a problem for Novak. I think the rankings reflect very well how the guys are playing."
***
Agassi to Play Sampras in Macao Exhibition

The 3,000 all-suite hotel Venetian Macao announced it would present an exhibition October 25, “The Venetian Macao 2009 Showdown” featuring Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras.
The 15,000-seat hotel arena will present an undercard of two world class juniors, Ryan Harrison from the US and Yuki Bhambri from India. They will play a timed 45-minute singles match before the feature match and then join the stars in a doubles match.
This event will mark the third time the hotel has brought in famous tennis stars in an exhibition events. They brought in Roger Federer and Sampras in 2007 and then last year featured Federer, James Blake, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe.

***

We Hear---
---that the ITF is holding a meeting Friday to determine what penalty, penalties or if there should be any action to be taken against Australia for not participating in the recently scheduled Davis Cup tie with India in Chennai, India.
***
THIS WEEK
MEN
Dusseldorf
Kitzbuhel
WOMEN
Strasbourg
Warsaw
***
NEXT WEEK
MEN
Paris
WOMEN
Paris
***
Bob Larson’s Stock Report
Wednesday Stock Prices

Stock

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+.38

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Bob Larson Tennis Stock Index $81.95
* The index is based on the total value of one share of each stock we report daily.
***
Results
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Bob Larson's Daily Tennis is published
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Daily Tennis News: May 20th

by mltennis 20. May 2009 04:01

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

BUSINESS NEWS

Clijsters is Really Serious About Her Comeback

Kim Clijsters may have been just a quarter of the cast list that ushered in a new era at Wimbledon last weekend but the Belgian was the only one of the four still to harbor serious tennis aspirations with her fully fledged comeback only a few months away.
Now Clijsters’ management company, the Belgian-based Sports, media and entertainment group Golazo are to open a new office in London to be on hand for not just the All England Club but also the 2012 Olympic Games.
The London office will also be the headquarters for Trinity, a spin off company specializing in the representation of top talent in sports and entertainment, and Golazo have head hunted John Dolan, the highly experienced Senior Communications Manager of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour to take charge.
Bob Verbeeck, Chief Executive Officer of Goalzo explained: “With our Belgian based headquarters, we can service our clients throughout continental Europe. With regards to the United Kingdom, we felt there was a need for a local division focusing on the UK market specifically with all the developments around London 2012.”
Dolan, a native of Cork in the Republic of Ireland, is to leave the WTA Tour after 12 years and will take the title of Trinity Managing Director with his two major responsibilities being Clijsters and Pamela Jelimo, the Kenyan middle distance runner who became the first woman from her country to win Olympic gold in the 800 metres at last year’s Beijing games.
“I am very excited to join the Golazo team and the chance to work with a business expert like Bob Verbeeck,” said John Dolan who established a close relationship with Clijsters during her initial seven year career on the WTA Tour that saw her top the world rankings for the first time in August 2003 and win the 2005 US Open title.
“At Trinity, our belief in talent representation is that it is truly a three-way relationship. Success comes from an equally integrated approach to talent, media and entertainment. For our clients, their talent is obviously what they excel at, but without media exposure nobody would know their story and finally the aim is to not only to be successful on the track, field, arena or court, but being entertainers on top of that".
Golazo sports, media and entertainment cites its mission statement as a desire to create added value for its different kinds of companies, athletes, participants and/or audience within the domains of sports, media and entertainment. Innovation, creativity and integrated solutions are the keywords in realizing that goal.
***
Hosting World Team Cup is a Very Big Deal in Dusseldorf

How proud is Dusseldorf of staging the Arag World Team Cup? Very, to the extent that even the street outside the Rochusclub has been painted in celebration.
Workers spent five hours, finally ending at midnight on the night before the event began, painting stencils on the highway to depict the tournament logo and the name of the champion team for every one of the previous 31 years of the tournament.
Such are the crowds that the tournament attracts, the road outside the club is closed off to all but access traffic and local residents, with most spectators walking up the road past the painted logos to the club entrance.

***
Zvonareva Takes on Honorary Post with UNESCO

Vera Zvonareva has been named a "Promoter of Gender Equality" as part of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour's partnership with UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. In this role she joins fellow players Venus Williams, Tatiana Golovin and Zheng Jie who were previously named as Promoters of Gender Equality for the program in November 2006, May 2007 and September 2007, respectively. WTA Tour founder Billie Jean King, was also named "Global Mentor for Gender Equality" in November 2008.
Zvonareva has already shown a keen interest in education and international leadership, having enrolled in the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2007 where she is studying for a post-graduate diploma in International Relations and Economics. In her new role as a Promoter of Gender Equality, Zvonareva will raise awareness of gender equality issues at both a national and global level, and have a direct involvement in current and future women's leadership programs to be developed through the UNESCO-Sony Ericsson WTA Tour partnership.
"I am truly honored to be serving as a Promoter of Gender Equality, especially being the first one from Russia," said Zvonareva. "I think that the UNESCO-Sony Ericsson WTA Tour partnership is incredibly important and this is a role that I value highly and will work extremely hard in helping young girls and women all around the world to gain better opportunities to succeed in whatever they wish to do. In particular I very much believe in the importance and value of education and the rights of all women and girls to have equal access to it."
"Great strides have been made in recent years to improve the role of women in society but many challenges still remain," said Stacey Allaster, president of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. "Through our partnership with UNESCO, we seek to show the world that women deserve the same possibilities as men and to create real leadership opportunities for women and girls. I am delighted that Vera Zvonareva will be taking a leadership role herself in this valuable initiative."
***
ATP to Change Seating Configuration for World Tour Finals

There will be something new at the ATP World Tour Finals when they are held in London in November. There will no longer be the sight of rows of empty seats being beamed by TV cameras around the world as those holding courtside VIP seats spend their time in the hospitality area instead of watching the tennis they have supposedly come to see.
Fewer than 10 per cent of the 14,500 seats will be occupied by corporate clients, and they will be placed at the rear of the lower section of the arena. The places nearest the side of the court will be filled by the general public, which should mean that organizers will not have to explain to television viewers the empty seats at certain times of the day in the corporate areas. More than 150,000 of the 250,000 tickets have been sold for the biggest tennis event ever to be staged in London outside of Wimbledon.
***
Prince is Running a Pre-Roland Garros Promotion in Paris

Prince is sponsoring, and Gael Monfils is hosting, a junior clinic, autograph signing and exclusive media Q&A session in the days leading up to the start of play.
Monfils will be appearing Thursday, May 21 at the SNC Golf et Tennis des Haras de Jardy Boulevard de Jardy, 92420 Vaucresson, France.

***
Sharapova Looking Forward to Grass Play and Wimbledon

As Maria Sharapova takes her first tentative steps back on a tennis court her footing is far from sure on the Polish clay of Warsaw. But the former world no.1 who once described her clay court style as akin to ‘ a cow on ice’ is far more assured on English grass and seeing the need to play matches before Wimbledon, she has entered the AEGON Classic at Birmingham’s Edgbaston Priory Club.
The 22 year-old American-based Russian has a distinct affinity with the event that will be played this year from June 8 thru 14. She has taken the title twice before in 2004 and then again 12 months later. After missing almost nine months of competition because of an injured shoulder that required surgery, will be intent on a hat-trick of victories.
Sharapova first captured Birmingham’s attention in 2003 when, aged 17, she won two qualifying rounds and then went on to reach the semi finals. She said: “I’m really excited about getting back on to the grass courts again and playing in the AEGON Classic. Birmingham is a really special tournament for me and I always get great support. I’ve won there twice before and I always feel very welcome - it’s excellent preparation for Wimbledon”
And she can most certainly speak from experience. In 2004 she won her first Birmingham title in 2004 and just three weeks later went on to overcome Serena Williams to win the first of her three major titles at Wimbledon. Her two Birmingham titles came with final victories over Tatiana Golovin and Jelena Jankovic.
Last week Britain’s Lawn Tennis Association announced that China’s Jie Zheng and Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi would be playing the event. Patrick Hughesman, AEGON Classic Tournament Director, said: “The player field is looking very strong this year and I am looking forward to an excellent week of tennis.”

***

We Hear---
---that Gael Monfils has made good progress from the knee problems which threatened to rule him out of the French Open and will now plays an exhibition match against Marcos Baghdatis at the Guinot Mary Cohr event in Paris.
--that Nikolay Davydenko’s pull out from this week’s Interwetten Austrian Open in Kitzbuhel is purely precautionary after the 10^th ranked Russian suffered hip problems last week in Madrid but he will definitely play the French Open.
--that Ana Ivanovic has joined several top tennis stars by signing a one-year sponsorship deal with private aircraft firm NetJets Inc.
***
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***
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***
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Daily Tennis News: May 19th

by mltennis 20. May 2009 04:00

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

BUSINESS NEWS

Australian Open Loses Another Major Sponsor

The tough economic times have apparently struck the all-but-recession-proof Australian Open, with media reporting that a second major sponsor has dropped its support.
Melbourne's Age newspaper indicate that personal grooming giant Garnier will no longer be a part of the first major of the season. The European firm joined mortgage firm GE Money in pulling out.
Garnier played a leading sponsor role for five years, with it's on-site grooming boutique a favorite with female players, who received pricey salon treatments for free.
GE Money had already seen the writing on the wall during this year's edition as the global recession started to bite, but courts were still adorned with the ill-starred sponsor's logo.
The Open has been on a prize money and attendance spurt over the last decade.
***
Sharapova, Back on a Singles Court, Wins Her First Match

Some of the signs were ominous but finally after nine months of inactivity because of protracted shoulder problems, former world no.1 Maria Sharapova returned to the competitive singles court with a laborious opening round win in the Warsaw Open.
Sharapova, who last played singles at the Rogers Cup in Montréal last August and has plummeted to a ranking of 126 in the world which is insufficient to warrant a place in the main draws of the four Grand Slams, beat Italy’s Tatiana Garbin 6-1, 6-7, 6-3 and now faces a second round encounter against a lucky loser after the tournament’s prospective top seed Victoria Azarenka pulled out of the event.
The 22 year-old Russian who can number the crowns of Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open amongst her collection, played with a criss-crossed protective bandage on the right shoulder which underwent surgery in New York last fall. Sharapova’s serve, which was widely regarded as one of her greatest weapons during her pomp, seemed a shadow of its’ former self; she failed to unleash a solitary ace, hit nine double-faults, was broken five times, and won only 36% of points on second serve.
She initially romped to a 6-1,5-2 lead before nerves clearly set in and squandered six match points before eventually rounding out victory over the 68th ranked Garbin. However she was forced to rally from 3-1 down in the final set.
Cynicism could easily have been provoked by Sharapova’s post match comments. "My shoulder is fine,” she insisted after her two hours 32 minutes reappearance on the singles stage. “It didn't give me any problems during the match.
“I should have finished the match in the second set but after nine months it's never easy. I stayed in the match and it worked out in the end."
Her ranking was sufficient several weeks ago make the cut into the French Open but of course wild cards, like the one she has been granted in Warsaw, will be readily forthcoming from every tournament director in the world.
She continued: "I've had a lot of time to think about what I've accomplished and what I still want to do. There are so many more things I want to achieve, more Grand Slams, and for now I have lots of motivation left and am determined to compete. But this week my focus is on this tournament.
“I'm not thinking about Roland Garros yet, or what will be happening in a week or a month from now. I'm just happy to be back finally. I'm just focusing on playing one match at a time."
Reports suggest that she has enjoyed her time off the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, establishing a relationship with boyfriend Charlie Ebersol (son of NBC Sports chairman Dick) and taking a course of cookery lessons.
Sharapova admitted: "In these nine months the only thing I've accomplished is probably a good pasta carbonara. At the end of the day that's not my specialty, my specialty is to go out and compete and win Grand Slams."
“I certainly had desire to win my first match back," the Russian said. "I'm hungry, I haven't played for a while and I want it really bad and sometimes I actually have to stop myself at times and tell myself to be patient. Although these nine months have been pretty difficult, I've definitely had to test out my patience.
***
All England Club Assesses Its New Roof

Day two in the new technological world of the All England Club saw the start of investigation into the computer loads of data gathered from the Centre Court celebration complete with the first ever matches under the new Centre Court roof.
The only cause for any real concern was the potential temperatures that could be reached under the translucent structure on a particularly humid July day and how well the micro-climate air conditioning will work.
Sunday was cold, chilly and damp but things are expected to warm up considerably in South West London come the time for the Championships in just over a month’s time.
As Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters and Tim Henman played, things were considerably more temperate under the roof than outside on the grounds of the All England Club. But as Ian Ritchie, the chief executive, said. “What you don't want is air-conditioning systems that blast out huge amounts of cold air and everyone is freezing. We were aware that it was warm and there is flexibility as to the temperatures we can set.”
Ritchie and his team will continue tests and checks while fine tuning for the next few weeks. But he maintained: “We are not here this morning looking at the need for major remedies.
“We needed to have this event when we did in case we needed time to adjust anything but all went as well as we could have hoped. Eddie Seaward, our head groundsman, was delighted with the state of the court and that was always the most important thing.”
***
Brodsky Becomes Touring Pro and Gets a New Coach

This year's Family Circle Cup women's tournament has produced a new coaching alliance and given the tournament site its own touring pro. Promising U.S. 17-year-old Gail Brodsky of Brooklyn, N.Y., now calls Family Circle Tennis Center her home base and former touring pro Lenny Schloss her coach.
After failing to qualify for the Family Circle Cup's main draw, Brodsky and her father were walking around the tournament grounds when her father spotted a demonstration being conducted by Schloss, who has been teaching his HAL 3in1 eye-hand coordination program at Family Circle Tennis Center for a year now.
The basis of the eye-hand program is to coordinate the eye to stay focused on the ball while practicing footwork and strokes. Eduard and Gail say they have never seen anything like Schloss' program.
Now ranked No. 360 in the world, Gail Brodsky has taken on Schloss as her coach. "Family Circle is her home base as much as she can come," Eduard said recently from Boca Raton, Fla., where Gail competed for but failed to win a wild-card berth in the French Open. She carries one of the eye-hand machines with her on the pro circuit. She advanced to the quarterfinals of a $50,000 challenger in Indian Harbor, Fla., two weeks ago in her latest competition.
While Eduard and Gail travel the tennis world, wife and mother Julia remains back home in Brooklyn working as a dog groomer to help finance their travel. But Eduard will remain in Brooklyn this week helping his wife as a dog groomer while Gail travels to Family Circle Tennis Center to train for nearly a month around a trip late this month to California to compete in another pro challenger.
The Brodsky family moved to the United States from Ukraine more than a decade ago.
Schloss, who said he acquired the patent for the eye-hand machine from a man from China six years ago, was limited by injuries to three years (1968-71) on the pro circuit but earned a top 10 U.S. ranking and defeated the likes of Tony Roche. Schloss owned a thriving indoor tennis club in Baltimore for 16 years prior to joining the Family Circle staff.
***
Federer Was Calm After Defeating Nadal

Roger Federer had no trouble controlling his excitement after ending his five-match loss streak to Rafael Nadal at the final of the Madrid Masters. And after finally winning his first title of the season over his toughest rival on the most demanding surface, there is plenty for the Swiss to look forward to at the French Open.
"It’s not the moment to get carried away," said the ice-calm Federer. "But this win is definitely good for my confidence. Beating Rafa in the final definitely proves that I'm doing the right things.
"I'm working extremely hard and it is paying off so it’s a nice feeling."
Federer says his whole dynamic for Roland Garros has now changed for the better. "I'm very excited about going to Paris.
"A couple of weeks ago I was still a little bit unsure about my game and not sure if I could win the French. I always knew that I was going to get stronger week by week on clay.
"Obviously I didn’t give myself the best opportunity in Monaco but I worked extremely hard in the two off weeks I had before and after Rome and it’s all finally paying off."
***
Dusseldorf Hosting Junior Team Event This Year

The Arag World Team Cup is hosting an International City Friendship Cup in association with the city of Dusseldorf for the first time this year. Children up to the age of 14 from Dusseldorf’s partner cities of Moscow (Russia), Warsaw (Poland), Chemnitz (Germany) and Palma de Majorca (Spain) will take part and play the same system of the Arag World Team Cup, with two singles and a doubles in a round-robin.

***
Arizona Senior Event Has Agassi and a Full Field of Stars

The full field of players who will join Andre Agassi at the 2009 Cancer Treatment Centers of America Tennis Championships in Surprise, Ariz., has been announced. It will mark the first time Agassi has played in an Outback Champions Series event, and it will be played Oct. 8-11.
Playing alongside Agassi in the eight-player field will be Hall of Famers Jim Courier and Mats Wilander, 2003 Wimbledon finalist Mark Philippoussis, 1992 Olympic silver medalist Wayne Ferreira, 1986 French Open finalist Mikael Pernfors and former U.S. Davis Cup standouts Aaron Krickstein and Jimmy Arias.
The Cancer Treatment Centers of America Tennis Championships is one of eight events on the 2009 Outback Champions Series, the global tennis circuit for champion tennis players age 30 and over. The tournament will be an eight-player, single-knock-out event with the winner earning $60,000.
***
Federer Has Strong Desire for Paris Title

Roger Federer says he will be the first to try and prevent Rafael Nadal from claiming a fifth straight French Open title which would move him halfway towards a Grand Slam.
The Swiss now speaks with fresh authority after defeating Nadal on clay for the first time in two years and snapping a five-match loss streak to the Spaniard with a weekend title at the Madrid Masters.
Federer heads to Paris for Sunday's French Open start with a huge confidence boost. "When a guy wins the Australian Open and his better surface is clay then there is a big chance that he might go two for two Slams.
"I came very close a few times and it’s not the easiest thing to do," said the 13-time major champion who is chasing his own history. "I said a couple of weeks ago that he definitely has a chance.
"But there are guys who don’t want to allow him to do that - and I am the first.
"I have a great record at Wimbledon and the US Open and I have my dreams at the French Open so I have some say there hopefully."

***

We Hear---
---that Rafael Nadal is the first to qualify for November ATP World Tour Finals
***
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Daily Tennis News: May 18th

by mltennis 18. May 2009 05:11

Monday, May 18, 2009

BUSINESS NEWS

WTA Rejects Dubai Appeal

The WTA Board, meeting in Madrid last week, has rejected an appeal by the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships and determined that the record $300,000 fine imposed upon the Premier 5 event earlier this year must stand.
The fine was the result of Israeli player Shahar Peer being denied entry to the United Arab Emirates just a day before she was to compete in the $2 million event in February. The decision generated worldwide protests and outrage and threatened the continuation of the tournament as well as other sporting events in the UAE.
The Government then was forced into reverse the following week and Israel’s Andy Ram was granted entry to compete in the ATP tournament.

***
Wimbledon’s Roof on Centre Court is a Success

Wimbledon’s new retractable roof was declared a resounding success after its full dress rehearsal by the All England Club, former champions Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf and the 15,000 fans.
Aside from the eerie sight of a technician crawling around on the translucent material, complete with a glue gun in his hand, and two curious pigeons that had flown in just as the roof was about to fully close only to find themselves trapped for the rest of the afternoon, everything went to plan.
A fully-fledged South-West London downpour of rain did not stop play for a moment, not a drop of moisture managed to find its’ way onto the hallowed turf and none of the four players taking part in the dress rehearsal slipped once although Kim Clijsters did attempt her infamous ‘splits’ on a couple of occasions.
“We could not be happier with the way things went and we have gathered lots of data to study before the Championships begin in five weeks time,” said the All England Club’s chief executive Ian Ritchie. “Although we wanted to make this a memorable occasion and a part of history, the main purpose of the exercise as far we were concerned was to ensure everything worked properly with a capacity crowd.”
As if on cue the first drops of rain began to fall just three minutes after the roof completely closed but for the first time in the Centre Court’s 87 year history, it really did not matter. The fourth member of the playing quartet, Tim Henman who now sits on the All England Club’s Committee of Management, maintained: “It was a real treat to be able to keep on playing in perfect conditions when it was so rainy, cold and unpleasant outside.
“I have only good things to say about the roof. Initially I was a little skeptical but my only concern was the technology. I was cautious that if you didn’t have the air management system there could be the scenario where it would be difficult to play because there’s moisture. It could affect the grass or even ruin it. But now it’s clear that is not the case.”
Both Agassi and Graf joined in the praise. “It’s only added to the Wimbledon atmosphere,” said Agassi. “I was a little concerned that there might be some moisture on the surface which would make things slippery for the players but it felt great.
“Plus the sound of the ball on the racket in that closed environment was magnificent and I think it’s going to ensure that there are some titanic battles on Centre Court that we have not seen yet.”
Graf who has not played on her favourite court for ten years joked: “I might just ask for a wild card into the tournament now. I don’t think I have ever smiled so much being on a tennis court. Beforehand I was really nervous but after a few points I just did not want it to stop. It was just unbelievable being out there.”
For the record Henman and Clijsters beat Agassi and Graf 7-6 in the Mixed Doubles before Agassi got the better of Henman in singles 6-4 and then Clijsters also scored a 6-4 singles win over Graf.
Now the question is will the next project of the All England Club be to build a similar roof over No.1 Court? Ritchie responded: “We've had to rebuild Centre Court from the bottom up, it's taken three years in construction terms and considerably longer in planning.
"It would be tricky to look at a roof on Number One Court but we wouldn't rule anything out in future. I'm sure it'll be on the agenda but it's not a priority at the moment."
***
Russia’s Injuries Dampen World Team Cup Hopes

Team Russia has suffered a serious dent to it’s title hopes at the Arag World Team Cup, with its top two members withdrawing from Sunday’s opening round with injury.
Dmitry Tursunov, who was planning to make his return after not playing since Miami in March, injured his left ankle during training on Saturday evening. And Igor Andreev is suffering with the recurrence of an abdominal muscle injury which prevented him playing in Madrid last week.
In their place, Evgeny Korolev defeated Andreas Seppi and Stanislav Vovk was beaten by Simone Bolelli to leave the tie with Italy at 1-1. Both Tursunov and Andreev hope to compete later in the week.
***
Nieminen Suffers Wrist Injury

There is bad news and good news for Jarkko Nieminen.
The bad news is that after undergoing wrist surgery this week he will out of tennis for the next three months. The Finn injured his wrist while hitting a routine backhand during his semi-final match against Gaston Gaudio at the Tunis Challenger, and will wear a cast for five weeks before starting rehabilitation. He wrote on his web site: "In spite of not being able to hit a two handed backhand in the next 3 months, I will instead be able to practice areas of my game which usually get less attention, such as the slice backhand and the inside out forehand. I will also begin practicing a one handed backhand - time will tell how well I succeed with this."
The good news? The 27 year old will also use his injury layoff to participate in the promotion of his new book "Pelaamisen Lumo" – translated in English as "Fascination of Competing" – which hits bookstores in Finland this week.
***
Dusseldorf Celebrates 80^th Anniversary With White Sunday

Remember when tennis used to be played in white? Now the only place that is guaranteed is Wimbledon, and even then it is only because the rules demand it. But, as well as at Wimbledon, there is a rich history at Dusseldorf’s Rochusclub, and to mark the 80th anniversary of the club’s induction the opening day of the Arag World Team Cup was this year named as White Sunday.
"In memory to the official induction of the Rochusclub at the Rolanderweg in 1929 we kindly ask all our fans, customers, partners and sponsors to support the event with this "White Day" idea," said the tournament website. "As a tribute to the historical motto of the ‘White Tennis Sport’ we would like to encourage you to join us on that day in predominantly white wardrobe. Feel free to express yourself on Sunday the way you like – please join and support us with your great ideas on this unique occasion on the ATP tour."
There was also an incentive for fans to come up with something special. The fan with the best outfit in white could win two tickets for the 2010 final.
***
Agassi Might Come Back to London for December Senior Event

Andre Agassi has laid the bait for the organizers of The Masters senior event at London’s Royal Albert Hall in December, maintaining he would not rule out another playing return to the city he and his wife Steffi Graf love.
Agassi is committed to playing on Jim Courier’s Outback Tour of Champions in Sunrise, Arizona in October and will also be contesting World Team Tennis this summer for the Philadelphia Freedoms.
Clearly the Centre Court celebration at Wimbledon sparked Agassi’s imagination and the Royal Albert Hall tournament has targeted Agassi as their prospective main attraction in the bid to maintain ticket sales in the event which follows immediately after the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals across town at the 02 Arena.
Looking forward to the Albert Hall date, which last year spotlighted Pete Sampras’ first London return in six years, the 39 year-old admitted: “Playing there would certainly be a lot of fun. Coming back to London anytime is something special and right then, just before Christmas, would be very interesting.
“Jim [Courier] telephoned me and said ‘I’ve never asked you for a favor all my life. So I’m asking you now’. I agreed before I knew what he wanted so I’ll be playing in Phoenix. After that I’m not sure but I’m not ruling anything out.
“I don’t think either Steffi or I have ever smiled so much for so long on a tennis court so much as we did out there on the Centre Court. So you can never say never against coming back to play another event so quickly.”
With a return for Sampras unlikely and John McEnroe unsure how much singles play he will undertake on the ATP Champions Tour this year, the current prospective main attractions at the Albert Hall are the trio of former Wimbledon champions Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and Goran Ivanisevic. But both Agassi and Patrick Rafter figure very high on the wish-list to add some new zest to the event which has been a fixture on the London sporting calendar for the last 12 years.
***
Tsonga Carries the Hopes of France at Roland Garros

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will be watched by and carry the hopes of millions of French people both at home and around the world when he begins his quest for the title at Roland Garros next week.
That would be a pretty nerve-wracking prospect to most, but Tsonga, with two tournament titles to his name this year, says he is unconcerned. Unlike many who act as if defeat on the court is the end of the world, he has everything in perspective.
"No, I don’t know pressure because for me the pressure is when you have nothing on your plate to eat or nowhere to sleep," he said after winning his opening match at the Arag World Team Cup. "So for me it is not pressure. I take it as fun and that’s it."
Roland Garros is, of course, very special to any French player, and Tsonga remembers his first visit there and the awe he felt.
"The first time I went there I was maybe 13 years old," he recalled. "Yes of course it was special. When I was on the court or in the locker room I said, ‘Wow, Andre Agassi played Sampras here’. It was crazy."
***
Agassi Thinks Nadal Could Win a Grand Slam

Legend Andre Agassi believes Rafael Nadal has enough game to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win a Grand Slam. The Spaniard's only missing link in the trophy case is the US Open, where his hard-court game is quickly coming up to world-class level.
Nadal began 2009 with the Australian crown, beating Roger Federer. With the French Open starting Sunday, the Spaniard is bidding for a fifth straight title there.
He will be defending the Wimbledon crown which he snatched from Federer last summer and will have to try his luck should he be in contention for the all-time honors by the time New York rolls around.
"I never thought for a second his game could ever translate to grass," said Agassi, 39, winner of all four majors over the course of his career which ended at the US Open three years ago. "But he calls his shot and he executes, it wouldn't shock me to see him pull off the unthinkable," said the American.
"When he first won in Paris and he came here and said it was awesome to win the French Open but his dream was to win in Wimbledon. People laughed and I was one of them," said Agassi. "To see what Nadal managed to accomplish last year was part of what made it so special, watching that epic (Wimbledon) final, that probably transcends any other match ever played."
"If he retains Paris and comes here with the confidence to put together two good weeks, I think we could be looking at him in New York with a realistic opportunity of going on to achieve the unthinkable."
***
Murray Has High Hopes for Roland Garros

Andy Murray is keen to hit the Paris practice courts from Tuesday after his brief weekend stop in London to celebrate his 22nd birthday and make an appearance at the All England Club for an on-court interview and to witness the exhibition testing the new roof on centre court. Juan Del Potro blew out the candles early for the Scot on Friday in the Madrid quarter-finals but the straight-set loss left Murray far from discouraged.
"I'm behind the very top guys. It's just a matter of getting that confidence when it comes to playing matches on clay and taking my opportunities," he said of his fast-improving clay skills.
"I wasn't expecting to be making finals every week, but there's definitely been an improvement compared to last year."
But the No. 3 who has never been beyond the Roland Garros third round is eager to test himself after also reaching the Monte Carlo semis during the spring campaign. "I feel confident going in to the French, better than I have done in previous years, I just need to work in a few bits and pieces but my game is definitely better on clay this year than last."
***
Agassi is Impressed with Murray

Andre Agassi has added his name to the list of those who believe that Andy Murray will win a major - sooner rather than later.
"His ability to move around the court seems to be at the highest level. His ability to absorb pace is remarkable," said Agassi in London. "He has the ability to step up when he has to, which is an asset in this game. He understands the court and has a good sense of where he is and that's the kind of game that translates against a lot of different types of players which will help him throughout his career. His best surface to win on is New York and Australia, but I would be surprised if he doesn't find a way to win here (Wimbledon)."
The last British player to win a major was Fred Perry in 1936, at the U.S. Open. John Lloyd reached the final of the Australian Open in 1977, losing in five sets to Vitas Gerulaitis, Greg Rusedski reached the 1997 U.S. Open final before going down to Pat Rafter, and Murray reached the U.S. Open final last year before falling to Roger Federer.

***
Federer is Confident His Health is Good

Earlier this year, Roger Federer was struggling with his back. So much, in fact, that he withdrew not only from the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships but from a Davis Cup tie. Now, those problems are firmly in the past.
"I had some good serving already this year but then at the same time I couldn’t do it consistently. I would go through a few games where I would serve very well and then get broken a couple of times is a row and that’s not something that I am used to. I just felt that I couldn’t hit my spot so well, and today and this whole week it has been coming back," said Federer after his victory at Madrid Masters.
"I am obviously aware that this is altitude and that it’s easier to serve well here and to mix it up but still I feel, in my body, that the serves are working, the motion as well, I have the right rhythm and I think that is very good looking forward to the French Open where it is important to serve well, for me."

***
Federer Expects Nadal to Have Stiff Competition in Paris

Andre Agassi last week stated that he believes Rafael Nadal can win a Grand Slam. Well, Roger Federer has some thoughts on that.
"I think when a guy wins the Australian Open and his better surface is clay then sure there is a big chance that he might go two for two," said Federer. "But I came very close a few times and it’s not the easiest thing to do. I said a couple of weeks ago that he definitely has a chance. There are guys who don’t want to allow him to do that and I am the first guy so...
I have a great record at Wimbledon and the US Open and I have my dreams at the French Open so I have some say there hopefully."
***
Ricky’s Notes
By Ricky Dimon

Twins Bob and Mike Bryan were replaced on the United States squad at this week's World Team Championships in Dusseldorf, Germany by Mardy Fish, while Robby Ginepri is making his first appearance since February after recovering from a hip injury. Ginepri has been training in Argentina with coach Diego Montoya. . . Gael Monfils will take the court at this week's Guinot-Mary Kohr Masters exhibition event in Paris for the first time since an opening-round loss at the Masters Series Monte-Carlo. Monfils, who will face Marcos Baghdatis on Wednesday, has been sidelined with tendinitis in both knees. . . Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray are also scheduled to participate in the exhibition. . . Albert Montanes, Florent Serra, Bobby Reynolds, Gilles Muller, and Ivan Ljubicic opted for rest over tennis in the week leading up to Roland Garros. They joined Jarkko Nieminen--sidelined due to wrist surgery--on the Austrian Open withdrawal list. . . One more withdrawal would have sent Andreas Beck directly into the Kitzbuhel main draw and opened a wild card spot for Tommy Haas. Instead, Beck needed a wild card to gain entry, thus denying Haas a place in the tournament.
Playing for the first time since retiring in his opening match at the Masters Series Indian Wells, Mario Ancic successfully qualified in Kitzbuhel. The oft-injured Croat, recovering from an illness, beat Alexander Peya in the final round on Sunday. . . Rakuten, a Japanese-owned e-commerce company, has agreed to become the title sponsor of the Japan Open. Previously sponsored by AIG, the tournament begins on October 5…
2004 Roland Garros champion Gaston Gaudio enjoyed another productive week in his comeback on the ATP World Tour. One month after winning his first ATP-level match in over a year and capturing a Challenger title, Gaudio upset top-seeded Fabrice Santoro on his way to the quarterfinals of the Bordeaux Challenger. The 30-year-old also received a wild card into the French Open. . . Former Top 10 player Joachim Johansson, previously retired due to shoulder problems, won a match for the first time since February on his way to reaching the semifinals of a Challenger in Izmir, Turkey. The Swede, however, withdrew before his semifinal match against Andrea Stoppini as a result of shoulder tightness.
Frenchmen receiving wild cards into their country's upcoming Grand Slam are Adrian Mannarino, Josselin Ouanna, Laurent Recouderc, Guillaume Rufin, and Alexandre Sidorenko. 16-year-old Aussie Bernard Tomic and USTA playoff winner John Isner are also in the French Open field with wild cards. . . The Madrid Open is over, but event promoter Ion Tiriac is still pushing for blue courts in future years. "We try something new every year," Tiriac said. "The ATP has nothing in the rules that does not say I cannot play in any color I want."…Ernests Gulbis, who split with coach Karl-Heinz Wetter in March, is training with former mentor Niki Pilic in Munich prior to the French Open. Pilic says he will not coach Gulbis full time, but will travel with Gulbis to Roland Garros if asked by the 20-year-old Latvian.
Christophe Rochus is upset with the new ranking system that he says is weighted unfairly in favor of the top players. "They doubled the ATP points this year," Rochus noted. "But it turns out that in some Challengers and first rounds of ATP tournaments the points were not doubled. Meaning it's much harder for players who are trying to climb up the rankings through challengers. They only doubled the points for the better players, in the later stages of tournaments.". . . In the wake of Rafael Nadal's proposal for a two-year ranking system, Novak Djokovic called the new format "cruel." After falling from third to fourth last week despite a title in Belgrade to go along with runner-up finishes at the first two clay-court Masters Series events, Djokovic said, "That shows how cruel the ranking system is in this sport.". . . Andy Murray, who rose from No. 4 to No. 3 in the rankings last week, disagrees with Nadal and Djokovic about perceived flaws in the points system. Explained Murray: "It's great that Novak's done well the last few weeks, but the first three or four months of the year I played a lot better than him so I think the rankings reflect very well how the guys are playing.". . .
The ATP is developing a new TV series called "ATP World Tour Uncovered," which will offer a behind-the-scenes look at men's tennis. Justin Gimelstob will host the show, to be produced by British Telecom and IMG. . . The Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced Mathieu Montcourt's ban from eight weeks to five for his gambling activities in 2005. Montcourt will begin serving the suspension on July 6, so he will miss neither Wimbledon nor the U.S. Open…Tournament organizers of the WTA event in Auckland--set for January of 2010--have already said they will give Kim Clijsters a wild card. Clijsters, who played under the new roof on Centre Court at Wimbledon on Sunday and won two exhibition matches, said this week she will once again be sponsored by Babolat upon her return to tennis. . . Jelena Jankovic says she will part ways with trainer Ricardo Sanchez after the French Open.

***

We Hear---
---that Agnieszka Radwanska, due to "low back strain," is out of the Warsaw event.
--that Canadian Larry Jurevich, currently the British Lawn Tennis Association's Head of Coach Education is set to be the latest big money departure from the National Training Centre at Roehampton. He reportedly wants to return to his homeland for personal reasons and has asked to go on part-time employment but the LTA see the post as very much a full-time job.
***
THIS WEEK
MEN
Dusseldorf
Kitzbuhel
WOMEN
Strasbourg
Warsaw
***
NEXT WEEK
MEN
Paris
WOMEN
Paris
***
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Daily Tennis News: May 15th

by mltennis 15. May 2009 04:06

Friday, May 15, 2009

BUSINESS NEWS

Paris Masters to Move to New Venue

The Paris Masters is to move from its traditional home of Bercy to Roland Garros - once the center court there has a roof. But, although it was expected to be ready sooner, the failure of Paris to secure the 2012 Olympics (won instead by London) means the roof will not now be in place until at least 2013.
The roof, which will be designed to close in 10 minutes, is estimated to cost 120 million Euros ($163 million), with the Paris City Council and the French government each investing 20 million Euros ($27 million) in the project. The work is planned to start in 2010 or 2011 and is expected to be finished in three years.
***
Clijsters Turns Down Invitation to Play Wimbledon

Kim Clijsters has turned down the chance of playing in the Wimbledon Championships next month, according to a report in the London Times.
The Belgian, who will participate in Wimbledon’s Centre Court Celebration with Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi and Tim Henman this weekend to test the new roof, was offered a special invitation to compete in The Championships by club chairman Tim Philips when he saw her on the grounds. Instead, 25-year old Clijsters will return to the tour as planned at Cincinnati in August.
Having been consumed with becoming a housewife and mother, and caring for her father before he died of cancer earlier this year, Clijsters had not given a thought to returning to the tour. But the invitation to compete in the Wimbledon exhibition match made her reconsider.
"It is true to say the ‘click’ came when Wimbledon asked if I would play in the roof celebration," Clijsters said. "I had been hitting a few balls but nothing serious. When the call came, I had something to work towards, I needed to get back into shape, to set a few goals. Then I discovered I was actually enjoying it.
"I don’t want to be seen as a powerful woman who is doing anything superhuman, but it is nice to show it is possible to have children and still have a professional sports career. The old-fashioned image is of a mother staying at home to take care of the children, but things are changing. I know there will be a lot of attention because of the career I had and I suppose people are bound to compare. I’m just intrigued as to how much I’ll enjoy it."
Meanwhile, Clijsters is very impressed with the most famous roof in tennis. "The roof is unlike any other I have seen," she said. "In Australia, it felt as if the world was closing in on you, but there is so much natural light under this roof, you don’t feel as if you are under cover at all."
***
USTA Names Austin, Texas as Site for Regional Tennis Training Center

The USTA announced that the Austin Tennis Academy (Austin, Texas) will be the third USTA Certified Regional Training Center as part of its continuing expanded efforts to develop future American tennis champions. The USTA plans to announce at least
two additional sites throughout the state to create a Regional Training Center network to better serve the junior tennis community in the USTA Texas Section.
The USTA Certified Regional Training Centers will expand the USTA Player Development program’s reach throughout the country by partnering with academies, clubs and tennis centers that have a proven record of identifying and developing tennis players.
In addition to continuing their already existing programs, the USTA Certified Regional Training Centers will now also host USTA training camps for players in their region ages 10-14. These players will be selected in conjunction with the USTA national coaching staff and their respective USTA Section Coaches Commission. The Centers also will help identify talent in players as young as 6-years-old, run programs using the QuickStart format and host QuickStart tournaments for players 8-and-under and 10-and-under.
***
Head is Offering Interesting Promotion

Want to go to London to see the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals (previously known as the Masters Cup)? And even meet up and hit balls with Andy Murray?
Head is giving tennis fans the opportunity to win a trip to a personal training session with Murray and to the season-ending climax with the Golden Head Ball promotion, which runs from now until July 31.
During the promotion, fans will look for a Golden Head Tennis Ball, either in the Head ATP cans (not available in the USA) or on http://www.head.com/goldenheadtennisball/, and then register online to win. The grand prize includes the chance to watch Murray prepare for an ATP match and even hit some balls with him in an exclusive training session and a roundtrip airfare for two to London, hotel stay and VIP tickets to the finals.

***
Zvonareva to be Honored in Paris Next Week

Russia’s Vera Zvonareva will next week be named as a UNESCO Promoter of Gender Equality at a ceremony to be held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. Attending with Zvonareva will be UNESCO Assistant Director-General, Bureau of Strategic Planning Hans d’Orville, UNESCO Director, Division for Gender Equality, BSP Saniye Gulser Corat, and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour President Stacey Allaster.

***
Federer Looking Forward to Wimbledon’s New Roof

Chalk up Roger Federer as one of the tour players who is looking forward to seeing the new Wimbledon roof in action. "All the players are excited to see how it’s going to really work especially with the lighting as well and having 15-16,000 people in a stadium.
"It’s a massive job and that’s why, from my side, we appreciate it very much that Wimbledon has gone forwards and into innovation and tradition and mix those all together is really nice to see."

***

We Hear---
---that Peter Burwash International has signed on to manage the tennis operation at the upscale resort La Gemma Dell’Est in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
--that Tim Henman, who has spent much of his time on the golf course since retiring from tennis in the fall of 2007, is hugely concerned at reports of how much practice time Andre Agassi has been putting in before this weekend's Wimbledon event.
***
THIS WEEK
MEN
Madrid
WOMEN
Madrid
***
NEXT WEEK
MEN
Dusseldorf
Portschach
WOMEN
Berlin
Strasbourg
***
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