Monday, September 22, 2008

BUSINESS NEWS

ITF Announces Seeds for 2009 Davis Cup

Argentina and Spain head the seeds for the draw for the World Group of the 2009 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas, which takes place in Madrid on Tuesday 23 September at 12:30 local time (10:30 GMT).
Seeds for 2009 World Group Draw:
1. Argentina
2. Spain
3. Russia
4. USA
5. Croatia
6. Sweden
7. Germany
8. France
According to the Davis Cup Regulations, the two finalist nations are seeded No. 1 and No. 2 in the World Group for the following year, and will be drawn in opposite halves. Seeds 3-8 are in accordance with the latest Davis Cup Nations Ranking. The seeded nations will be drawn against Austria, Chile, Czech Republic, Israel, Netherlands, Romania, Serbia and Switzerland. Seeds for the Zonal Group I and Group II competitions are also based on the latest Davis Cup Nations Ranking. The Group I seeds are as follows:
Seeds for 2009 Europe/Africa Zone Group I:
1. Slovak Republic
2. Belgium
3. Great Britain
4. Belarus
Other nations: Italy, Macedonia FYR, Poland, South Africa, Ukraine
Seeds for 2009 Asia/Oceania Zone Group I:
1. Australia
2. Korea, Rep.
3. India
4. Japan
Other nations: China P.R., Chinese Taipei, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Uzbekistan
Seeds for 2009 Americas Zone Group I:
1. Brazil
2. Peru
Other nations: Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Uruguay
All the draws will take place at BNP Paribas’s Madrid offices and can be heard live on Davis Cup Radio on the official Davis Cup website: www.daviscup.com.
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Roddick Was Disappointed and Disappointing in Madrid

Andy Roddick was bemoaning his lost opportunities after a brutal weekend at the hands of Spain, with the defending champion US going out of the Davis Cup semi-final 4-1 in Madrid. No. 8 Roddick, formerly a No. 1 powerhouse, lost both of his singles rubbers, ending a nine-rubber win streak in the worldwide team competition. Roddick was downed by both David Ferrer and Rafael Nadal in front of 21,000 in Madrid's Plaza de Toros Las Ventas arena. "I don't think you could draw up a tougher situation than Nadal on clay away with this crowd," said Roddick. "That's probably the toughest match that you can think of. Even playing Roger on grass, at least you can serve and the points are a little bit quicker," said the two-time Wimbledon finalist. Roddick, whose love of clay is minimal, was put off his game by the six hours of overnight rain which soaked the venue, leaving the court heavy and favored the game of top-ranked Nadal. "I got to the court and it was raining and it was getting heavier. And then I see them carting out the wheelbarrows and putting more clay on the court. When it was time to start, I said 'oh no.'"
The disappointed Roddick called his straight-sets loss "high-risk, high-reward. "He's rough on this surface." The US went into the tie hampered by absences with James Blake opting out due to poor results, and injured doubles ace Bob Bryan, replaced by Mardy Fish who earned the only US point in doubles alongside Mike Bryan.
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What Will Federer do for a Coach Now?

With the news that Jose Higueras is the USTA's new Director of Coaching for Elite Player Development, the lucrative post of cajoling Roger Federer into his finest form is again vacant. And once more the overriding favorite for the job is Darren Cahill, the Australian who guided Lleyton Hewitt to the top and then breathed new life into the later years of Andre Agassi's career. Higueras, employed as a clay court guru up to the French Open, was recalled to Federer's camp for the US Open and clearly did an excellent job with the former world no.1 winning his first major in 2008 in impressive fashion.  However Las Vegas based Cahill, currently a television analyst with ESPN, has been a long-term coaching target of Federer ever since he split with Peter Lundgren at the end of 2003. The Adelaide-born Aussie was a close friend of the late Peter Carter, Federer's coach during his formative years who was tragically killed in a South African road accident.

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Second Guessing Begins on Abundance of Empty Seats at Wimbledon’s Davis Cup

Mindful that the Lawn Tennis Association has just signed a $55 million (£30 million)  sponsorship deal with AEGON and in all probability is likely to benefit from another All England Club handout in the region of $45 million (£25 million), Andy Murray questioned just why it was necessary to charge children $35 (£20) a ticket to watch the climax of Britain's Davis Cup defeat against Austria. By the time Alex Bogdanovic lost the deciding rubber to Alexander Peya on Wimbledon's No.1 Court, Murray's seat on the British bench was vacant – midway through the rubber he decided the sanctuary of the locker room was a better option. But there were also large sections of seating in the 11,000 stadium unoccupied and crying out for the vociferous support only optimistic youngsters could provide. "There's no doubt £20 is a lot of money to most people and maybe they should think about giving a lot of tickets away to children," said Murray after the 3-2 defeat to Austria meant Britain will be relegated to the Euro-African Zone Group One next year. "We want more kids in Britain to take up the sport, surely the best way of getting them interested is to allow them to come to see us guys play." Murray was overlooked for Saturday's doubles as a precautionary measure as Captain John Lloyd revealed he had been suffering from a slight abductor strain which could have hampered his chances on the reverse singles rubbers. As it transpired the world no.4 beat both Peya and Jurgen Melzer in impressive fashion but his brother Jamie and Ross Hutchins – son of the LTA's Head of Men's Tennis – were comprehensively outplayed by Julian Knowle and Melzer. Lloyd, British captain for five ties but now under close scrutiny for his team selection said: "Andy was up for it. If we lose this tie, I will take the heat, Andy was certainly able to play but he left it up to me. I talked to the medical guys and then came to my decision. "I have to look at the big picture. We have to win three matches and I thought this was the way that offered us our best chance."  However Lloyd is not the only one whose decisions are being debated. The Lawn Tennis Association is being questioned for not marketing this tie better. There was no advertising of the tie around London area and when it was clear the final day was crucial and thousands of tickets had not been sold, they requested that the BBC did not announce the fact spectators could pay at the gates.
Curiously Bruce Philipps, the LTA's commercial chief who also takes the title Head of Communications, was notable by his absence at the All England Club throughout the duration of the tie.
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Adidas Introduces its 2009 Tennis Racket Line

The new line of Adidas rackets, to be offered worldwide will be available in the US on February 1, will be made of three groups named after an Adidas model tennis shoe;  Barricade, Response and Feather. Four Barricade models have been created; The Barricade Tour is designed for the “Tournament Player.”  It is the heaviest at 330g and the stiffest of the new rackets. The Barricade Tour Light is 30g lighter, suiting good juniors, but it offers the same control with every swing. Both the Barricade Tour and Tour light come with an 18/20 string pattern. The third racket in this group is the Barricade itself; a lighter and less stiff version of the Tour racket with a 16/19 string pattern.  There is a Barricade Junior model. All rackets in the Barricade family feature the Adidas POWER STRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY (PST). Three structures at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock act like the claws on the Barricade shoe to improve torsional stability. The Response racket has the perfect combination of power and control for most club players. The higher frame height gives greater power while the stiffness and string pattern bring control. The Feather is the lightest of the Adidas Tennis Racket groups, just like the Feather shoe. However the Feather actually has the thickest frame offering a little extra power for the recreational or older club player. The Barricade range of rackets will retail for $185.00, and the Feather racket for $165.00, while the Response comes in at $145.00 “Building on our footwear and apparel success Adidas tennis feels the market is right for the return to racket production,” says Simon Cartwright, Vice President of Global Tennis.  Adidas rackets will be sold through Adidas own retail as well as tennis specialist stores worldwide. 
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Serena Williams to Publish her Memoirs

Multi-tasking US Open champion Serena Williams expects to stretch her off-court talents even wider afield with the expected publication of her memoirs in 2009.
The American has been the subject of a bidding war in recent weeks. Her price no doubt raised by another title at Flushing Meadows this month. Terms of the deal were not revealed, with sources telling American media that negotiations were in the $1.3 million range. The book - sure to be ghost-written - is to be published by little-known Grand Central Publishing. "Serena Williams is one of the world's most remarkable athletes," said a statement from the delighted company.
"We've watched her rise to No.1 despite physical and emotional setbacks, and her hard work and determination have inspired legions of fans young and old. Serena will give her memoir a strong motivational slant." Williams, 26, lifted her ninth Grand Slam title with her New York win over Jelena Jankovic, coming in the wake of her Beijing Olympic doubles gold alongside elder sister Venus. The Williams pair have never limited their interests to tennis, dabbling in design, fashion and television acting appearances as well.
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Sharapova to be the Face of Cole Haan Sporting for 2009

Cole Haan, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NIKE, Inc., announced Maria Sharapova as the face of Cole Haan Sporting, a new collection for Spring 2009. The Collection introduces new technologies like Flywire which build on the successful Nike Air franchise by recasting them into fashion-forward designs. It includes men's and women's footwear and accessories, and features Sharapova. This lifestyle fashion collection will encompass day to evening silhouettes in both the footwear and accessories categories. For Spring 2009, the Cole Haan Sporting line is inspired by nautical, court, track, and golf. Signature men's styles include the brand's iconic boat shoe and lace-ups in bold color palettes paired with classic neutrals.
The accessory collection encompasses a range of silhouettes from a tennis racquet bag to a versatile duffle. Weaving style with innovation, the accessories will be created from recycled plastic bottles and will be trimmed in vegetable chrome-free leather. Cole Haan Sporting will be sold at Cole Haan boutiques worldwide, luxury department stores and on Cole Haan.com. Price points range from $115 to $550.

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We Hear—
--that James Blake has confirmed his place at the Venetian Macao Tennis Showdown, November 20, 2008.  Blake takes his place alongside US Open Champion Roger Federer, and tennis legends Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe.  
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