Monday, August 24, 2009
BUSINESS NEWS
Dementieva Wins Toronto and Takes Over the Lead in US Open Series
No. 4 seed Elena Dementieva captured her second career US Open Series tournament title and moved into sole possession of first place atop the Women’s Standings with a 6-4, 6-3 victory against unseeded Maria Sharapova in Sunday’s final in Toronto. Dementieva earns 100 total points, and, with one week remaining, is ahead of Flavia Pennetta of Italy -- who will attempt to win the US Open Series overall title in New Haven.
On the men’s side, Roger Federer collected a record fifth career US Open Series tournament title -- and third in Cincinnati -- with a 6-1, 7-5 win over No. 4 seed Novak Djokovic. Andy Murray, by virtue of advancing to the semifinals, assumes first place in the men’s standings. Sam Querrey now heads to New Haven to compete for the US Open Series overall title.
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France Hopes to win Davis Cup Next Year
French National Tennis team will be among the major title aspirants of the Davis Cup 2010, European press have predicted.
According to a number of Europe's leading tennis publications, the chief coach of the French tennis team for the first time in many years will be able to obtain all the best tennis players to perform for the National Team of France in Davis Cup.
Currently the French tennis squad looks really threateningly overpowering with such players as Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon, Michael Llodra, Richard Gasquet and Gael Monfils. In addition to them, some famous veterans including Fabrice Santoro, Arnaud Clement and Sabastian Grosjean are also determined to play for the team next year.
However this year, according to most analysts, Spain remains the major favorite to win the title.
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The Shrieking de Britio Moves to France
Michelle Larcher de Brito, the loudest teenager in tennis whose shrieking as much as on court talent made a lot of people take notice of her game this year, has become the latest high profile recruit of the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy, situated just outside Paris.
The Portuguese 16 year-old who reached the French Open’s third round, established a career high Sony Ericsson WTA Tour world ranking of 76 a few weeks later and effectively reignited the debate on ‘grunting’ and caused former world no.1 Martina Navratilova to call it cheating, was based at the IMG Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
More recently her father Antonio has taken a much more leading role in her coaching and a European base is more conducive for the Lisbon-born player who moved to Florida with her family at the age of nine.
Angolan-born Antonio will still be primarily working with his daughter at Mouratoglou’s although she will be part of the group of Elite Team group alongside Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the 18 year-old Russian who currently is ranked 35th in the world and Grigor Dimitrov, the former world no.1 junior from Bulgaria.
Both father and daughter will be assisted by a dedicated team which will monitor the physical preparation, provide high calibre sparring and during certain periods additional expert coaching advise. The Mouratoglou coaching roster features Tony Roche, Peter McNamara and Peter Lundgren.
Mouratoglou set up the academy in 1996 with the accent very much on elitism. He introduced the slogan: ‘to give the best, we take only the best’. With victories already established over top 20 players such as Jie Zheng, Flavia Pennetta and Agnieszka Radwanska, Larcher de Brito clearly fits in that category.
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Vera Zvonareva to Become a Diplomat after Tennis
Vera Zvonareva is planning to become a diplomat at the end of her tennis career. Now, she is studying at the Moscow Diplomatic Academy, and planning someday to work in the Russian Foreign Office.
“I always liked studying. Being already a professional tennis player, I still went every day to school and trained at nights,” said Zvonareva.
Zvonareva’s plans are really unusual. As a rule, the majority of Russian tennis stars at the end of their sporting careers prefer to stay in sport. For example, a well-known in the past Russian tennis player Andrei Chesnokov is currently a personal trainer of Elena Dementieva, while the former Russia number 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov was recently appointed vice-president of the Russian Tennis Association.
Sometimes tennis players decide to start their own business, for example, in restaurant or sports equipment industries.
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ATP Champions Tour to Travel to USA
The ATP Champions Tour takes place in Spain, Brazil, Portugal, France, China, Italy, Luxembourg and England. Up to now there have been no tournaments in the United States. But that is about to change, as John McEnroe will join Mats Wilander and Pat Cash next February at the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships in Florida after the ATP Champions Tour unveiled another new event for 2010.
The Delray Beach International Tennis Championships is to become a unique showcase of tennis’ greatest talents across multiple eras when it simultaneously hosts the ATP Champions Tour and the ATP World Tour, creating a 9-day extravaganza from February 20-28 at the Delray Beach Stadium & Tennis Center. The event will begin with the 8-player, 4-day ATP Champions Tour event and culminate with the ATP World Tour tournament that has been played in Delray Beach for the past 12 years. It joins Zurich, Switzerland as a new event on the 2010 calendar.
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Srichaphan Delays His Planned Return to the Tour
Paradorn Srichaphan has abandoned his attempt to make a return to the ATP Tour at next month’s Thailand Open. The former world No.9 has not played a competitive match since retiring against Luis Horna in the first round of Miami in March 2007, and he has since twice undergone surgery on his right wrist.
"My wrist is getting better but not good enough to let me hit like I used to,” he told the Associated Press. “I wanted to come back in the Thailand Open but at this stage the chance to play any match this year is 50 percent. (But) I'm not going to quit. I just want to be back when I'm really ready."
Meanwhile, after marrying former Miss Universe Natalie Glebova, the 30-year old has gone into business by opening an Italian restaurant, and this year during Wimbledon - where he famously defeated Andre Agassi in 2002 and followed that up with a victory over Rafael Nadal the following year - he was featured in a Thai TV show showing the background to the tournament and various famous London locations.
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Molik Trying a Comeback in New Haven
Alicia Molik, who has not played since a first round defeat at the Beijing Olympics, is to begin a second comeback to the game by competing in doubles at the Pilot Pen event in New Haven with partner Meghann Shaughnessy. The pair has also requested a wild card into the US Open that begins August 31st.
The 28-year old Australian was forced out of the game in October 2005 after contracting an inner-ear virus that affected her balance, and although she later recovered and returned to the Tour she enjoyed only limited success.
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Williams Sisters to Join the Celebrities Becoming Owners of Miami Football Team
Serena and Venus Williams already have wide-ranging interests away from the courts, that include fashion design, acting and an interior design company. Now they are expected to add part ownership in the Miami Dolphins American football team.
“There have been preliminary talks and hopefully it will work out,” Serena said in Toronto, where she was competing. “That would be a great opportunity for both of us. We’ll see what happens, you never know.
"There's always so many opportunities out there, and Venus and I are always trying to expand our brand and do the best that we can do, and if an opportunity presents itself, we would love to see where it can take us."
If it goes through, they would be joining Gloria and Emilio Estefan and Marc Anthony among others.
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Obziler to Retire from the Tour
Israel’s Tzipi Obziler, at 36 years of age the veteran singles player of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, has finally announced her retirement just eight months short of her 37th birthday.
Politics now beckon for the player who cracked the world’s top 100 for the first time at an age when most players had long since laid down their competitive rackets. Obziler is already an elected member of her local Givatayim city council and she is very interested in moving into national government.
"The time has come," said Obziler who established a career best world ranking of 75 at the age of 34, helped Israel's Fed Cup team to the elite eight-country World Group competition and gave Venus Williams a three set fright at the French Open two years ago. "I thank this small, incredible country for giving me a stage for a tremendous career."
Earlier this year, she notched her 61st Fed Cup tie appearance, equaling the competition record previously set by her compatriot Anna Smashnova. Although inactive since playing the qualifying round of the Warsaw tournament in May, she has not ruled out the possibility of making another Fed Cup appearance. . "If Captain Lior Mor decides he wants me on the team and I see that I'm physically capable of playing, than of course I wouldn't refuse," she said.
Shahar Peer, Israel’s no.1 led the praise for Obziler. “Tzipi was like an older sister to me,” she said. From my first day in the national team she always helped and supported me. As far as I'm concerned she is a model athlete both on and off the court."
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Ricky's Notes
By Ricky Dimon
Seven directly-entered players, including Gilles Simon and David Ferrer, pulled out of this week's Pilot Pen Tennis event in New Haven. Ferrer's withdrawal came after the draw had already made, so Olivier Rochus gained a lucky loser spot and got Ferrer's bye straight into the second round. . . Ivo Minar withdrew from New Haven and is also out of the U.S. Open. Minar's exit gives Rajeev Ram direct entry into the U.S. Open main draw. Ram would have been in it with a wild card, which will go to fellow American Ryan Sweeting now that Ram no longer needs it. . . James Blake on why he is not participating in New Haven, where he has enjoyed great success throughout his career: "I do have a lot of commitments coming up; I have my clothing line coming out. The fans are the best but this year it was just too tough, especially with how the scheduling has been for the ATP with the 500 and two 1000s right before. That makes it really difficult.". . . Kristof Vliegen updated his status via a blog last week. Said the Belgian: "I am injured again on my back. It's not the same as last year so that's already good news! I was supposed to go to Cincinnati this week and New Haven next week, but I've canceled everything. I'm trying to get ready for US Open." Vliegen has not played since a second-round loss in Bastad more than a month ago.
Dmitry Tursunov had a CT scan on his injured ankle on Thursday in San Francisco and expects to have the results sometime today (Monday). For now Tursunov says he is questionable for the U.S. Open. . . Danai Udomchoke has started an MBA course while he recovers from a shoulder injury. The Thai, who has not played since a first-round loss in Indianapolis, hopes to return next month for a Davis Cup tie against China. . . Guillermo Canas played an exhibition match on Saturday in Crandon Park, site of the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida. Canas is interested in developing a tennis academy there and becoming more involved in the local tennis community. . . Brydan Klein is taking a racial sensitivity training course in the aftermath of his racial abuse of Raven Klaasen last month in Eastbourne. If Klein successfully completes the course, his six-month ban will be reduced to four months.
John Isner, Mardy Fish, and Bob and Mike Bryan will participate in a series of exhibition events during the off-season between the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Starting December 2, the American foursome will entertain fans in Birmingham, Chattanooga, and Atlanta on consecutive days. . . Andy Roddick has been expressing his displeasure for the ATP Tour constantly changing the type of balls, going back and forth between Penn and Wilson. “I still think that we shouldn’t be changing tennis balls midsummer. That’s just, you know, at the height of not using common sense. . . Novak Djokovic is still in negotiations with Todd Martin, whom is expected to get on board with Djokovic as a second coach. Djokovic said in Cincinnati that he hopes to have Martin in his camp at the U.S. Open. . . Andre Agassi will be honored at a tennis benefit at The Ross School in East Hampton, New York. Proceeds will go to Ross scholarships and athletic programs and the event will feature a doubles exhibition match and a clinic by Nick Bollettieri. . . ESPN plans to pair brothers John and Patrick McEnroe in the TV booth for its coverage of the U.S. Open starting August 31. "Patrick has learned to do and been effective at both roles, whether he's the color commentator or the play-by-play person," said John. "Because he's gotten to that point, it's allowed us finally to be in the same booth."
Israel's Shahar Peer, who could not play earlier this year in Dubai when the United Arab Emirates refused to issue her a visa, says she intends to participate in the 2010 event. "Next year I can go to Dubai and it's nothing to do if I'm Israeli or not." Peer received a wild card into last week's Rogers Cup as compensation for missing the Dubai tournament. . . Alicia Molik is making her return to the WTA Tour this week in New Haven after retiring last September due to a middle-ear condition. The 28-year-old Australian also has a wild card into the U.S. Open. . . Jelena Jankovic insists she does not grunt on the court, nor is she a fan of those who do. "I don't know the reasons why they're doing it," Jankovic said. "It's good to breathe when you're hitting the ball, but to a certain volume. You shouldn't be (heard) from miles away. I think that goes over the limit.". . . Jelena Dokic is recovering from mononucleosis and is not playing this week in New Haven, as she previously had hoped. Dokic is currently practicing for the U.S. Open at Bollettieri's academy in Florida, where her agent says she is 100 percent.
That’s all, no more notes,
Ricky.
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We Hear---
--that Charleston, South Carolina is making it known they want to host a US Davis Cup tie in the future. The stadium at the Family Circle Cup is ready.
--that in press conferences in New Haven, Richard Gasquet could only answer questions specifically about Saturday's matches and nothing about his recent doping experience.
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THIS WEEK
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NEXT WEEK
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US Open
WOMEN
US Open
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