Tuesday, November 11, 2008

BUSINESS NEWS - Special Tour Championship Edition

Editor's Note: We have begun our Monday, Thursday publication schedule for November and December. This week and next, we will be publishing some Special Tour Championships Editions that will cover the players and events surrounding the Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha and the ATP Masters Cup in Shanghai.  Our Classifieds and College News will continue to stay on the Monday Thursday schedule.
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Ljubicic Deeply Involved in Selecting ATP Leader

As players goes there is none better versed with the current issues of the game and mindful what challenges the future presents than Ivan Ljubicic. The former world no. 3 currently sits as the voice of his peers on the ATP Board of Directors after spending six years on the Players Council, two of them as president. And this week in Shanghai he will closely involved in discussions to find a new ATP leader to succeed Etienne de Villiers.
According to Ljubicic, the person chosen will be faced with one of the most complicated jobs in the sporting world but certainly the players are hopeful that their issues will be given priority by the new man.
"What we are expecting from our new boss is someone who understands the issues and who can represent the players and understand and act on their problems," said Ljubicic. "For a long time, I have the feeling, it is the tournament problems that have had the priority - it has been about making sure the players turn up and play without thinking of the consequences it may create.
"All the options are open regarding the candidate we choose. Some are available as a non-executive chairman, some want to do the whole job, as chairman and CEO, so it depends on who we choose, as to which jobs they are offered. I am satisfied with the quality of the candidates. But it is no good having someone there who spends all his time either bitching with the WTA, or the ITF, or the grand slams. We need to find someone they will be satisfied with having at their meetings.
Ljubicic is insistent there is a need to focus on the quality rather than the quantity of events in upcoming years and clearly wants to avoid any further issues like the Hamburg tournament lawsuit played out last summer. "We appreciate it is not an easy task in today's world, with the sponsors and television requiring us to play as much as possible," he said.
"We are going to fulfill the 2009 schedule as it is because it would be a huge mess to try to renegotiate it now - I have always been a fan of trying things before announcing if they are bad or not. We have a couple of issues with the calendar which could be better but it is important to understand legally how much we can do to change. Etienne tried to make two or three changes and immediately the lawsuits came in. We have to make sure that isn't going to happen.
"We do not necessarily have to pick someone from inside the sport but I did wonder at times who Etienne was using as advisors. Trying to relegate Monte Carlo's status was a big mistake and he had to have spoken to people who were not giving him the best advice when that was decided."
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Nadal to Miss Davis Cup Finals

Rafael Nadal has lost his fitness battle and will not be able to play for Spain in next weekend's Davis Cup final in Argentina.
Nadal said in Barcelona that medical tests were not promising on the injury which has forced him from this week's Masters Cup in Shanghai. "I did everything I could to try to get to that final. I'm used to playing with pain and I have stood it quite well.
"But this is a different kind of pain, a new pain. I cannot manage to control it," said the heartbroken player.
Doctors say the world No. 1 needs at least a fortnight of rest before he can resume any training. That means his season ended just over a week ago as he quit a quarter-final against Nikolay Davydenko in Paris.
Medical men add that the Spaniard will then need up to a month and a half to return to his top level, a perfect project for the brief tennis off-season.
Argentine David Nalbandian is already dreaming of his nation's date with Spain - and is sorry that Nadal won't be there.
Nalbandian finished 11th in the ATP season rankings and would have been an alternate at Shanghai. But he preferred to head straight home to prepare for the final without the threat of jet-lag to deal with.
Argentine tennis is turning on the final, with fans also keeping an eye on Juan Del Potro's progress in China at the eight-man season wrap-up which ends on Sunday.
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Federer Still Has Confidence in Winning Masters Cup

Roger Federer faces a must-win Red group match at the Masters Cup as he plays Andy Murray. The Swiss defending champion has his back to the wall already in the "Group of Death" after going down in his opener against year-end rookie Gilles Simon of France.
"I'm just going to go match by match," said the Swiss who has won four of the last five editions of the season-ending classic. "That's the only way to go here anyway."
But he looked on the bright side: "This is the only tournament where I really have a chance after losing first rounds. So I'm - again - happy it happened here." Federer claimed the trophy a year ago in Shanghai after losing his first match against Fernando Gonzalez.

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Murray is Ready for His First Masters Cup

Andy Murray is ready to lift his level as the Scot begins play at his first Masters Cup this week in Shanghai.
The world No. 4 US Open finalist has been on the ground in the rainy metropolis for much of the week, as he prepared for his Monday night start against Andy Roddick, who is playing a year-ender for the sixth time and finally hoping for some meaningful success.
Meanwhile rookie Murray is eager to clash with drawcards like Roger Federer, against whom he stands 3-2. "If I want to compete with the big names for the whole year I need to improve on clay and grass," he told the BBC in the run-up to the season wrap-up.
Murray and Federer lead the Red group along with French newcomer Gilles Simon and Roddick. In the Gold side, Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic heads that quartet ahead of Russian Nikolay Davydenko, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro
Murray won three late titles in 2008 at Cincinnati, Madrid and St Petersburg. "The last few months for me have been great," he said. "My consistency has been very good and I've been able to play well in the best tournaments."
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Tsonga Has Trouble Getting His Towel When he Wants It

Shanghai debutant Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is ready to throw in the towel after his first match, complaining that ballboys and girls have not got a clue about how to work on court.
The Frenchman who claimed the last place in the season-wrap-up field said that he was robbed of energy in a Gold group defeat against Nikolay Davydenko by occasionally having to chase up his own towel after points.
"You are here and you want your towel," said Tsonga. "You say one time, two times, three times, and then you ask the other guy. The other guy looks around, so you have to say one time, two times, three times, and the towel comes.
"When I ask my towel, my towel didn't come - when I ask for a ball, the ball didn't come.  Sometimes you are tired and you play a long point and you say you want your towel and the guy look, I don't know, somewhere around."
Tsonga said the extra effort probably made his walk an extra kilometer (half-mile) during the match.
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For Djokovic Every Shanghai Day is Christmas

After his brief public spat with the New York crowd three months ago at the US Open, Novak Djokovic is pleased to be rated as a tennis hero in China.
"I'm always happy to get back to China," said the Serb, who won his opening match at the Masters Cup over Juan Del Potro. "The fans here are very passionate about this sport and they show a lot of respect and appreciation for players."
Djokovic said every day seems like Christmas in Shanghai at the season-ending event. "I get presents every day I get back to the hotel.  It's very nice from them (fans).  I really, really appreciate their support."
The contrast between Shanghai and New York could not be harsher for Djokovic, who drew jeers in Gotham when he complained that Roddick had rubbished him by saying he (Djokovic) was suffering with "about
16 injuries."
When he told the crowd it was not a very nice thing to say, they turned on him. But all was forgiven after the waters were calmed.
"I don't think there is a lot of tension between me and American tennis fans," said Djokovic. "It was just a small misunderstanding and that's all.  There were a lot of emotions played there."
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Federer Feels Insulted When Introduced as World Number 2

Roger Federer confesses that he's irked by court announcers who insist on presenting him as world No. 2. And the longtime top-ranked player who lost his title in August to Rafael Nadal is prepared to take steps to change that.
"I don't like the ring of it," said the 13-time Grand Slam champion, who topped the table for four and a half years. "When I'm being introduced on center court, it just sounds wrong to me, a bit awkward. ”I've been up there for so long that it sounds unfamiliar."
Federer, who opened play in the Red "group of death" losing to Frenchman Gilles Simon, said he had his own preferences: "It just sounds wrong. I'm number one or a Grand Slam champion - but not number two. "
"It's a challenge to get back to where I was. Next year will be a good chance. I'll do all I can and starting here."
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Djokovic’s New Shoes are a Sensation at Shanghai

The black and gold adidas shoes Novak Djokovic is wearing at the Tennis Masters Cup is attracting a lot of attention.
The world no. 3 and Australian Open champion has been chosen to launch the brand new limited edition Barricade V Shanghai which retails at $120 and there is very much a Chinese look to the shoe. The Wu lettering for "Shanghai" embroidered at the heel of the shoe and also printed on the outsole.

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THIS WEEK
MEN
Tour Championships in Shanghai
WOMEN
Nothing
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NEXT WEEK
MEN
Davis Cup Finals Mar del Plata
WOMEN
Nothing
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Bob Larson’s Stock Report
Monday’s Stock Prices

Stock

Last

Change

Adidas

17.00

-.50

Amer Sports

4.05

0.00

Head

2.10

0.00

K-Swiss

12.74

-.54

Nike

47.97

-1.44

Bob Larson Tennis Stock Index $83.86
* The index is based on the total value of one share of each stock we report daily.
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Results
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