He's the Russian tennis player who was the last man to defeat Rafael Nadal on clay. That was in April 2005 and since then, Nadal has gone on to become the number two player of the world and winner of the last two French Opens.
But even more impressively, Nadal has accumulated a historic men's streak of winning 72 consecutive matches on clay (Chris Evert holds the women's record with 125 straight wins). On Sunday, Nadal overpowered Guillermo Canas 6-3, 6-4 to win the Barcelona Open for a record-equalling third time and tp preserve his streak as he prepares to compete for a third straight French title. He next plays the man's tournament in Rome which begins in a week.
"It's great to win again at home," said Nada, according to the Associated Pressl. "This streak is not a normal thing, and I know it will end some day. But I'm only thinking about playing each match well. I'm very happy after winning here three times at my club," said Nadal. "Willy (Canas) is one of the best players in the world on clay, and he's having a fantastic start to the season."
Canas joked: "Congratulations to Rafa for this season.. and the previous one, and the one before that."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Rafael Nadal, the world's dominant player on clay, and Guillermo Canas, the comeback king of the men's tour, will meet on Sunday in a mouth-watering final at the Barcelona Open. Nadal, who beat David Ferrer 7-5 6-1 in his semi-final, has won a record 71 consecutive matches on clay stretching back to April 2005 when he lost to Russian Igor Andreev in Valencia.
Argentine Canas outlasted his compatriot Agustin Calleri 7-6 6-7 6-2 to reach his third final of a year in which his ranking has risen from 142 to 28, including back-to-back wins over world number one Roger Federer in Indian Wells and Miami last month.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Rafael Nadal extended his unbeaten run on clay to 70 matches Friday and advanced to the semifinals of the Open Seat Godo by beating Potito Starace of Italy 6-2, 7-5.
After dropping serve to Starace in the 10th game of the second set, the two-time defending champion immediately broke the Italian for the fourth time before serving out the win.
"I came out on top in the difficult moments," Nadal said. "The truth is I didn't feel great, especially in the second set when I had a few break point chances against me."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The classy Roger Federer is on the cover of the new issue of Men's Vogue. His pal and fellow world number one Tiger Woods was previously on the magazine's cover...I believe on its first issue last year. These guys are always copying each other!

Here is an interesting bit in the article about Bjorn Borg:
Last fall, as Federer was settling in to his new apartment at the vast under-construction marina in Dubai, he heard that the greatest of all tennis head-to-heads was being reprised up the road: Björn Borg was billed to play John McEnroe in the "Legends Rock Dubai" exhibition event. Though they played out their indelible rivalry before Federer was born, he has always been a Borg man (everyone is one or the other). He and the iconic Swede had spoken on the phone, but they had never properly met.
Federer retains an aura of boyishness, and in the corner of a bar in one of Dubai's decadently opulent, apparently gold-plated hotels, he giggles a bit as he recalls how he approached Borg. "I called this guy who knew him and said, 'Tell Björn I will be on court tomorrow at 10.' I wanted to say something specific so it would be easy for him to say no. I didn't want to embarrass him."
Federer need not have worried. The holder of 10 Grand Slam titles (and counting) arrived at the appointed hour to find the 11-time Grand Slam winner already warming up. "He played very well," Federer recalls, with an element of awe. "I could easily still practice with him, you know."

Another part of the article reads: I'm reminded how on my first meeting with him, that sunny breakfast, he was studying the newspaper reports of his Wimbledon victory the day before. That, he admits, is one ritual he can't shake. After every win, he waits up and gets a paper as soon as it comes out—at three or four in the morning—to read about whatever miracles he performed the previous afternoon. He can't get to sleep otherwise.
Thinking of this, he smiles, looks around the bar of the gold-plated hotel in this soulless fantasy of a resort, and explains what might actually be the most pressing challenge of his life. "I have to know somehow that it is all real, that it is out there," he says. That reality check will begin again for Roger Federer this month in Paris. Immortality waits, but so, he hopes, does Rafael Nadal.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Andre Agassi, soccer's Mia Hamm and cycling legend Lance Armstrong announced this week that they have put together a group of 12 athletes with the goal of changing the world by assembling a dream team of philanthropy. It includes skateboarder Tony Hawk, running back Warrick Dunn, Jeff Gordon, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, former tennis phenom Andrea Jaeger and Muhammad Ali. Individually these athletes have raised more than $500 million to aid at-risk kids, build schools, help the sick and provide homes and safe places for children to play.
Armstrong says the impact of athletes is undeniable: "The reality is that athletes have a lot of power. We have the ability as entertainers to make an impact on the world ... We want to encourage our fellow athletes to think philanthropically ... and if they don't quite know where to go we can partner them up with someone that needs their help."
I'm happy to see Andrea Jeager included in this. She was once ranked as high as number two in the world and was a finalist at Wimbledon and the French Open but had her career cut short by chronic injuries in 1984. She has spent her career winnings and raised many millions more for a camp for kids with cancer that she has run for nearly two decades.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Rafael Nadal of Spain eyes the ball against Thomas Johansson of Sweden during their Barcelona Open tennis match in Barcelona, Spain. Nadal won 6-1, 6-4. The top seed is bidding to become only the second man to win the title in three successive years. Reuters reports that Nadal does not feel any extra pressure on the court because of the historic streak. "When I step on the court, I don't think about records," he said. "I just think about the match itself and the opponent because they deserve respect. I have said many times that I will lose some time. I don't know if it will be here, or Rome, or Hamburg or Roland Garros, but I don't put a date on it. I think the record will be around for a long time, so there is no more pressure."
(AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Serena Williams is not only an ambitious tennis champion these days, she's also a confident one.
I don't know the last time she won a tournament on clay but I'm sure it's been at least three years. But that doesn't mean she doesn't think she can win the French Open which begins next month. She beat her sister Venus for the 2002 title but has not made it to the finals since.
But after storming to victory at the Australian Open in January and making minced meat out of Maria Sharapova, Serena believes in herself again and also loves proving skeptics wrong.
"Everybody had written me off. Everyone was like 'she can't win a grand slam,' which I thought was outrageous," Williams told Reuters in an interview with Reuters on Tuesday. "It was good. I like nothing more than proving people wrong."
Serena, 25, also claimed her fourth Sony Ericsson Open title last month in Miami where she overcame an opening set 0-6 blowout by top-ranked Justine Henin. Now she has her eyes on Paris.
"I have something in mind, but I'm not going to say. It has something to do with clay," the 12th-ranked Williams said slyly. "I'm really looking forward to Roland Garros. It's going to be fun....I'm playing again in Germany in a couple of weeks, then there's Rome," she said about her preparation for the French. I want to start sliding more. I've been playing on hard courts for so long, so intensely that I haven't been sliding as well as I want to, so I have to work harder on that."
I applaud Serena's confidence but still think Justine Henin is more likely to win with Serena sp prone to knee injuries. Justine is a three-time champion in Paris and beat Serena in the 2003 semis when Williams was absolutely dominating the women's game.
But hey, Serena has already proven skeptics like me wrong!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Rafael Nadal of Spain returns the ball to Kristof Vliegen of Belgium during their Barcelona Open tennis match, In Barcelona Spain on Wednesday. Nadal won 6-1, 6-2.
(AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Andre Agassi waved goodbye to his tennis career last September at the U.S. Open.
He told "Good Morning America" host Robin Roberts in a feature piece aired Tuesday morning that "I really don't" miss playing pro tennis, but he added: "I miss the people."
Agassi has plenty to keep him busy and aside from wife Steffi Graf and their kids Jaden and Jaz, his biggest passion is clearly the college preparatory charter school he founded to helping at-risk kids hit the books in his hometown of Las Vegas.
"I believe that post-tennis can be a platform … to affect people for a lot longer than two hours … to get in the fabric of their lives, to really make a difference," Agassi told Roberts.
The academy was created by Agassi's nonprofit foundation and is located in one of Las Vegas' roughest neighborhoods.
"We have eight-hour school days versus six-hour school days," he said on GMA. "We put it in the most economically challenged part of Las Vegas, the reason being to reach the kids that needed it the most. … We got a lot of feedback saying, 'Don't put the school here because there's going to be graffiti, there's going to be crime. I said, 'Wait a second. Let's actually bet on the human spirit. Let's put something here and give ownership to this community and let them take ownership in it and see what happens."
The Department of Education has already named the academy a model for other schools and the annual price tag is $8,000 per student — not a penny more than the national average expenditure per public school student.
All neighborhood children are equally eligible, and admission is determined by lottery. The tuition is 100 percent free, with costs covered by Agassi's nonprofit organization.

Said Agassi: "Las Vegas has the highest teen dropout rate of school, teen pregnancies. We lead in all the worst stats in the world," he said. "If it works here, it works anywhere. If we are doing it with the national average, we are literally removing the excuses. It's not just about the books," Agassi said. "You could have straight A's, and if you interfere with somebody else's education, someone else's goals and dreams for their life, there's the door. … It's a culture. It's a way of life."
"We're going to have a sign there that's going to be going, 'Georgetown, three miles that way,' and an arrow point[ing] to Yale, you know, 2,900 miles that way," he added.
Today's 10th-graders have been students of the Agassi Academy since the first day it opened its doors. In 2009, they will be the first graduating class.
\"It will prove that the world can actually be this way, is how it's going to feel to me. Watching these kids go off to college, these children that society has written off — the most having a future of their choosing is — is a miracle," Agassi said. "It's a miracle of, of what happens when people come together. People come together, the world changes. That's a fact."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Music icon Sir Elton John will join tennis superstar Andy Roddick at the third annual Andy Roddick Foundation Charity Gala on October 14th, 2007 at the Hilton Austin, according to AndyRoddick.com.
“I am ecstatic that Elton will be performing again in October, he is a musical genius and true philanthropist,” Roddick said through his site. “His first concert for our charity gala in 2005 was remarkable. We are all thrilled to have him back in Austin for such a worthy cause.”
Roddick will host the evening’s festivities that will include an auction, dinner and an intimate concert with Elton John. Seating will be for 700 at the elegant, four-star Hilton Austin. Executive Chef Mark Dayanandan, winner of this year’s Diamond Chef Award, will be creating a special dinner for the Gala.
Founded in 2000, the Andy Roddick Foundation has raised over six million dollars for various Southern Florida and Austin based children’s organizations. The third annual Charity Gala will benefit several organizations in Austin and central Texas.

Elton and Andy would seem to be unlikely friends but the truth is, they have for some time now been there to support each other's charitable events. I was at the Team Tennis Smash Hits event last fall, which benefits the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and Elton and Andy played some pretty good doubles against Pete Sampras and Anna Kournakova as Elton's pal and fellow event organizer Billie Jean King watched from the sidelines. It's so cool to have people using their fame to raise money for others.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Spain's top player and world number two Rafael Nadal, left, and Bartolome Salva Vidal competed against David Ferrer and Fernando Vicente on Tuesday. The pair won their Barcelona Open tennis doubles match 6-3, 6-4. (AP Photos: /Manu Fernandez)

But Russia's Marat Safin, a former number one and winner of the 2000 U.S. Open and 2005 Australian Open, was not as fortunate. He lost his opening round match in straight sets.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm gonna have to pry those lacross sticks out of the hands of my nephews and replace them with tennis rackets. Gotta get them ready for Wimbldeon! The All England Club announced Tuesday that its total money purse this will make it the most lucrative tennis tournament ever.
Both men's and women's singles champions will receive $1.40 millionwith the men's champion's check increased by 6.9 percent while the women's up by 12 percent after Wimbledon decided in February to offer equal prize money, according to a Reuters report.
"No tennis tournament has ever offered higher prize money than Wimbledon in 2007," Tim Phillips, chairman of the All England Club said. "We want to reward the players appropriately for the talent, entertainment and drama they bring to the grass courts of Wimbledon.
Plans were also unveiled on Tuesday to build a new 4,000-seat Court Two, to be completed by the 2009 championships. The current Court 2 has long been known as the graveyard of champions where such stars as Venus Williams, Andre Agassi and John McEnroe have all suffered early departures over the years. Building work will begin on the new Court Two immediately after this year's championships which conclude on July 8.
Also underway is work on Center Court which will have its capacity increased from 13,800 to 15,000 by 2009 and will also have a retractable roof that will allow play to continue and minimize Wimbledon's infamous rain delays. It will cover the court in 10 minutes, although there would still be a 30-minute wait while the air management system created perfect playing conditions.
"We want this to be the premier tennis tournament in the world, that's why we are doing so much work on Center Court," Phillips told reporters. "But we still want to retain the image of a tennis tournament in the garden and don't want the place to be full of concrete."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Former Russian President Boris Yeltsin, who died Monday at the age of 76, was a big tennis fan who could always be seen at Davis Cup matches and at the Kremlin Cup tournament. Yeltsin, pictured above with Marat Safin last September, also played the game and was memorably seen having a temper tantrum over his poor play during a "60 Minutes" interview he did years ago with Lesley Stahl.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

MEN'S TOUR:Roger Federer has enough computer points to remain number one for many more months even if he didn't play another match until Wimbledon. But Rafael Nadal is still a strong number two who could challenge Federer's reign if he wins more titles on hardcourt, grass and indoor surfaces.
1. Roger Federer 2. Rafael Nadal 3. Andy Roddick 4. Nikolay Davydenko 5. Tommy Robredo 6. Novak Djokovic 7. Fernando Gonzalez 8. Ivan Ljubicic 9. James Blake 10. Andrew Murray
Former grand slam winners currently ranked outside the top 10:
18. Juan Carlos Fererro 20. Lleton Hewitt 26. Marat Safin 33. Carlos Moya

WOMEN'S TOUR:
Justine Henin is a worthy number one but I think the most feared woman on tour is Serena Williams. If she can stop getting injured, she can dominate anybody. She beat Henin in the Miami final and second-ranked Maria Sharapova in the Australian Open final. So really, Serena is more of an unofficial number two because she is playing far better, and far more dominating tennis than anyone ranked above her.
Here are the official WTA rankings:
1. Justine Henin 2. Maria Sharapova 3. Amelie Mauresmo 4. Kim Clijsters 5. Svetlana Kuznetsova 6. Martina Hingis 7. Jelena Jankovic 8. Nicole Vaidisova 9. Nadia Petrova 10. Dinara Safina
Former grand slam winners currently ranked outside the top 10:
12. Serena Williams 22. Venus Williams 34. Anastasia Myskina 63. Lyndsay Davenport (Davenport currently inactive).

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Southern California's Mike and Bob Bryan really are the masters of all surfaces. They have won major titles on hardcourt, indoor courts, grasscourts and on Sunday added another claycourt title to their resumes beating Julien Benneteau and Richard Gasquet in the Masters Series at the Monte Carlo Country Club on Sunday.
(Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(L-R) Vania King carries the US national flag as teammates Lisa Raymond, Venus, and Serena Williams celebrate their victory over Belgium, 22 April 2007, in their Fed Cup World Group 2007 second round quarter-finals stage in Delray Beach, Florida. King stepped in for an injured Serena Williams on Sunday and won. Belgium was without its top-ranked players: Justine Henin and Kim Clisters. King is also a terrific singer! She sang tne national anthem at Fed Cup and last summer, did so at the women's tournament at the Home Depot Center in Carson.
Photo: ROBERT SULLIVAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's kinda hard to feel sorry for Roger Federer, a player who has lost just 11 matches since the start of the 2005 season.
But against Rafael Nadal on clay, Federer turns into something of a mere mortal. On Sunday, Nadal beat him 6-4, 6-4 in. It was the fifth time Federer has lost to Nadal on clay and the world's top-ranked player's third loss this season. He has not won a tournament since February.
The two-time defending French Open champion Nadal is 14-0 in clay-court finals and won the title at Monte Carlo for the third straight year.
Federer has four Wimbledon titles, and three at both the U.S. and Australian opens, but still needs the French Open to complete a career grand slam and to win four consecutive majors. The four majors need to be won in the same calendar year to be considered a tennis grand slam.
Federer told reporters after the match that he is not discouraged by the loss: "I feel this match gave me some information. I'm absolutely in the mix with him on clay. I feel like I'm in good shape for the rest of clay-court season, and it's going to come down to the French Open to see who wins."
In his news conference, Nadal said: "Today's match was very close. For sure, it's a surprise to win in two sets against the No. 1. I was confident because I was playing my best tennis this week."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Some history took place at the Monte Carlo Masters on Friday with world number one Roger Federer winning the 500th of his brilliant career while second-ranked Rafael Nadal won his 65th consecutive match on clay.
The two players are one match win away from squaring off in the finals. While Nadal beat Federer four times last season, including three times on clay, Federer won their last two meetings. They took place in the Wimbledon final and in the year-end Masters Series final.
Both were dominant in their quarterfinal wins with Nadal beating Philipp Kohlschreiber, 6-2, 6-3 and Federer defeating David Ferrer, 6-4, 6-0. Federer plays two-time champion Juan Carlos Ferrero in today's semis while Nadal takes on Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 8:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OK, so Rafael Nadal won in Monte Carlo today - his 64th straight win on clay. He surpassed Guillermo Vilas' nearly 30-year record last year. It will be interesting to see if Roger Federer, also playing Monte Carlo, will be able to stop the streak before it reaches 70!
But talk of the streak has me thinking about Chris Evert who was, quite simply, the best claycourt player in the history of tennis. Beginning in August 1973, she won a record 125 consecutive matches on the surface until Tracy Austin stopped her 7-6 in the third in the semifinals of the Italian Open on May 12, 1979.
Imagine not losing a match on clay for nearly six years!
With that record snapped, Evert then won another 72 consecutive matches on clay before losing in a semifinal of the 1981 French Open to Hana Mandlikova. She never had such lengthy streaks again but ended up winning the French Open a record seven times including three final-round wins over arch-rival Martina Navratilova.
Evert retired from the professional tour in 1989. During her career, she won 157 singles titles (second-most in history) and won at least one Grand Slam singles title each year for 13 consecutive years from 1974 through 1986. She won 18 Grand Slam singles titles during her career and reached the finals in 34 and the semifinals in 52 of the 56 Grand Slams events she entered. Her overall record in Grand Slam events was 297-38 for a winning percentage of .887.
Now THAT'S an all-time great.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(AP) -- Roger Federer eased past Lee Hyung-taik 6-4, 6-3 Thursday in the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters. Federer, who has reached the quarterfinals at Monte Carlo three straight times, set up match point with a serve-and-volley winner and then earned the victory when Lee hit a powerful backhand long.
Lee broke the top-ranked Swiss star in the third game of the first set, but Federer broke back in the fourth and took control after that.
"Maybe it was just my timing in the beginning," Federer said. "I was just shanking a lot of the balls and not able to keep the ball in play. Once I was able to do that, I was in total control. So I never felt worried too much today."
Federer, a 10-time Grand Slam champion, lost last year to Rafael Nadal in the final at both the Monte Carlo Masters and the French Open -- the only major Federer has not won. Federer next plays 12th-seeded David Ferrer of Spain, who has never won a set against Federer in five losses. Ferrer recovered from 4-1 down in the first set to beat No. 6 Novak Djokovic of Serbia 7-5, 6-4.
"He's an excellent player, especially on clay," Federer said. "This is where he's got the most confidence, so it's going to be difficult to beat him here. Having not lost a set doesn't mean much."
Federer's match against Lee was played under cloudy skies, and he beat Andreas Seppi on Tuesday in bright sunshine.
"I had a really quick court (for) the first match and a really slow court the second match," Federer said. "It's really good (that) I played in both conditions so I'm ready for anything."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Serena Williams said the groin injury that forced her to retire from a match last week has healed and she'll be able to play for the U.S. Fed Cup team this weekend against Belgium, the Associated Press reports.
Here is the rest of the AP story:
This will be Williams' first Fed Cup match since 2003.
The U.S. team, which also includes Venus Williams for the first time since 2005, will be heavily favored against a Belgian team missing its top two players. No. 1-ranked Justine Henin and No. 4 Kim Clijsters declined to participate.
Serena pulled her groin in practice April 9, then retired the next day trailing Chan Yung-jan 5-3 at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, S.C. Williams said she took a few days off before she resumed practicing, and she's feeling much better.
"I figured I was going to play this weekend," she said Wednesday. "When I got hurt in Charleston, it wasn't even a second thought in my mind. I just knew I was going to be here."
The loss at Charleston was only the second in 17 matches this year for Williams, who has won the two biggest titles so far -- the Australian Open and the Sony-Ericsson Open. She fell to 140th in the rankings last July because of a long layoff but is now 12th.
The first two singles matches in the best-of-five matchup with Belgium will take place Saturday, with two singles matches and doubles Sunday. The winner advances to the semifinals in July against Spain or Russia.
The Williams sisters decided to participate in the first round in part because Delray Beach is only a 30-minute drive from their home in Palm Beach Gardens. In addition, they enjoy a good relationship with U.S. captain Zina Garrison.
"I love playing Fed Cup," Serena said. "I love playing for the United States. Since 2003, I've had various amounts of injuries. I've been on the tour kind of on and off.
"More than anything, I love playing for Zina. It's another great opportunity for me to play for Zina."

GO USA!!!!!!!!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

He's a different player on the dirt.
Rafael Nadal, who has won just one tournament since last year's French Open (the Pacific Life Open on hardcourt) extended his winning streak on clay to 63 matches Wednesday after beating Juan Ignacio Chela 6-3, 6-1 in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters.
According to the Associated Press: Nadal, the two-time defending French Open champion, is seeking his third straght Monte Carlo title. He has not lost on clay since Igor Andreev of Russia beat him in the quarterfinals of the Valencia Open in April 2005.
"It was very nice to come back here and play the first match like this," Nadal said. "I felt very well, very comfortable on court. I could have served a little bit better, but for the rest I'm very happy."
The second-seeded Spaniard next plays Kristof Vliegen of Belgium -- a repeat of last year's third round match, which Nadal won in straight sets.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Roger Federer of Switzerland and Rafael Nadal of Spain address a 'round table' press conference Monday during Day One of the Masters Series at The Monte Carlo Country Club. (Photos by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I caught up with Martina Navratilova Saturday night at the GLAAD Awards in Hollywood where she received a special award [and a sustained standing ovation] for her work as an equal rights activist for gays and lesbians. I asked her what she thought about what was happening right now on the women's tour:
"I still think it's going to be Justine Henin [ranked number one] at the end of the year because she's the best player out there," Martina said. "[Serena Williams] has played four tournaments won two and lost early in the other two but the year is young and she seems to be motivated. We'll see. She might end up being number one at the end of the year but she needs to stay healtheir than she is right now."
Serena, currently ranked 12th, won her eighth grand-slam tournament in January at the Australian Open. But she has played only nine tournaments in the past 12 months. She will indeed have to stay healthy if she wants to try and climb up the list of all-time grand slam champions. Ahead of her still are Monica Seles (9), Billie Jean King (12), Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert (18), Steffi Graf (22) and Margaret Court (24).
By the way, Martina looked SENSATIONAL Saturday night.
Seeing her and Billie Jean within four days, plus Jimmy Connors and Tracy Austin too? This is a part-time tennis blogger's dream!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ouch! Bloody hell!
Steffi Graf required three stitches Sunday after husband Andre Agassi inadvertently hit her in the face with his racket during a fundraiser that followed the final of the U.S. Clay Court Championships.
Graf and Agassi were holding hands -- her left to his right -- while rallying with a couple of youngsters when Agassi's follow-through struck his wife in the face.
Agassi held his racket in his left hand. After she was hit, Graf lifted her left hand to her mouth and walked off to the side of the court with Agassi following closely behind her to check on her well-being. She wiped her mouth with a towel before leaving the stadium for an on-site doctor to administer three stitches to her lip, officials said. It was not clear whether the cut was to the inside or outside of her mouth area.
She suffered no damage to her teeth, officials said.
"She's OK," Agassi said. "It was an unfortunate accident."
Agassi and Graf were in Houston because Agassi is part of a reality show called 'The Big Give,' an upcoming Oprah Winfrey production. An auction benefiting an elementary school in the Houston vicinity chosen for the show raised at least $225,000 Sunday.
The doctor who paid $70,000 for a trip to play tennis with the couple stitched up the multiple Grand Slam winner. Agassi retired last year at the U.S. Open, having won eight Grand Slam titles. Graf retired in 1999 with 22 Grand Slam titles. The couple has two children and live in Las Vegas.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If there's anyone who is getting tired of reading about The Billies, too bad! Nah, this really should be my last posting about the great event held Wednesday night. I talked to several great female athletes about Billie Jean King's contributions to sports and society and here is some of what they had to say:
Lisa Leslie: "She's the only female athlete that I actually saw on television and I think that just the fact that she's opened the door for us and really been a catalyst of Title IX and helping us to have scholarships and the opportunities. I would have never been able to get to USC. Billie Jean King has so much of an impact not just on me but any child born in 1972 [the year of Title IX] and beyond."
Donna de Varona, the Olympic Gold Medalist in swimming and longtime sports broadcaster, told me how she and Billie Jean came together to launch the foundation back in 1974. "Right after she beat Bobby Riggs, I said, 'Why don't we join forces? I'll bring the Olympic community to tennis, you've done so much for women's sports and tennis, we'll put our heads together, we'll start a foundation. She wrote the check and founded the foundation and I was its first president. So we've been friends ever since."
Donna is glad to see people appreciating King so much these days.
"It's about time!" she says. "And at least they did it while she's still alive and can add her personality to the naming of the [United States] Tennis Cenrter, the Hall of Fame in New York and this event. Billie Jean has been able to come back to the foundation and really breathe new life and new energy and create these awards that honor journalists which I think is very important."
Tracy Austin: "I believe that naming the National Tennis Center after Billie Jean King was really, really important not only for women tennis players, but for women in sports," Tracy added. "All women in sports have to realize what she's done, stood up for what is right and stood up for equal rights. But it's not just equal rights for women. She wants equal rights for everybody, for all races, for young and old, she wants everybody to be thought of as equal."
Lindsay Davenport: "When I was about 15 or 16 and first started playing on the tour, I really got an appreciation for Billie Jean - at first because of what she has done for tennis and how she paved the way for players like myself to be fortunate enough to earn a living. The more time you spend with Billie and the more you're around it, you learn that she really kind of paved the way for all women's sports and all female athletes by fighting for what she believed in."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After covering the Oscars, Grammys, Emmys etc., you think you pretty much have had your award show highs for the year. But I ended up having mine last night at The Billies! Who knew?
What an incredible evening put on by the Women's Sports Foundation and it was very exciting to be around all these sports legends. It was a privledge I will never forget. Since I was seated in the back, I was able to stand and dance to Elton John's 10-song set with my new friend Kennette Coffman. We boogied to "Bennie and the Jets," "Tiny Dances," "Rocket Man," "Philadelphia Freedom" and others. Since Elton wrote "Philadelphia Freedom" for Billie Jean, his close friend of more than three decades, it was particularly touching when during the song, they briefly showed a split-screen of him singing and Billie Jean watching from the audience.
"She's an amazing woman," Elton said of BJK. "She has the same energy and ambition that she had when she first came to England [to play Wimbledon in 1962] as Billie Jean Moffit. I really admire that in a person....She's one of the most motivational people I've ever met, one of the truest and loyalist people I've ever met."
As Elton sang, assorted sports legends would congregate in back of us. Cheryl Miller, Nancy Lieberman and Ann Meyers-Drysdale were huddling and giggling a few feet away from me after they presented an award, swimmer Diana Nyad and Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes stopped by to gab with my seatmate Tuti B. Scott, a member of the foundation's staff. During "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me," 1994 Wimbldeon Champion Conchita Martinez walked by and I gave her a thumbs up.
I was seated at the table next to Dorothy Herrill-Doyle (pictured, right) who played on the baseball league that inspired the movie "A League of Their Own." Dorothy played for the Rockford Peaches from 1944-50 and 1952. She said to me, "What a wonderful occasion" and talked about how honored she felt to be a part of the event's parade of champions who took the stage.
The parade included Billie Jean King, Donna de Varona, Lisa Leslie, Lyndsay Davenport, Julie Foudy, Domenique Dawes, Temeka Johnson, Tracy Austin, Amanda Freed, Mary Osbourne, Ann Meyers-Drysdale, Rosie Casals and Susan Enquist, among many others others.
Billie Jean was announced last and she jogged out with the energy of a teenager (she's 63!). She was, as always, in the moment.
"My dream since I was 12 years old is that boys and girls have equal opportunity and we don't," King said to the crowd. "That's why we started the Women's Sports Foundation and that's why we continue today."
The Billies are hosted by the Women's Sports Foundation and recognize media excellence in women's sports and physical activity while simultaneously raising funds. The foundation was founded in 1974 by King and DeVarona was its first president.
The evening was star-studded. Geena Davis, star of "A League of Their Own" charmed the crowd and paid tribute to King because "she bucked centuries of accepted practice" in her fight for equality in sports and society. Other presenters included John Amaechi, Jimmy Connors, Elisabeth Shue, Marilee Matlin, Deion Sanders, Rodney Peete, Davenport, Cheryl Miller and Nancy Leiberman.
But Sharon Stone pretty much stole the show by hosting the live auction.
"I want your money," Stone said, point-blank. "And you're here because you want to give it to me."
She flirted and seduced audience members into spending $300,000 on trips to Wimbledon and the U.S. Open with all kinds of perks. The Wimbledon trip included an invite to Elton's annual ball at his estate and at the U.S. Open, the highest bidder will watch the semis and finals from Billie's Jean's stadium suite!
"This is the most fantastic evening," Stone told the audience before the auction. "To see all these women athletes come out is just so thrilling...Billie Jean is an inspiration and has changed the way that we can live with the courage and inspiration by which she has lived."
The winners of Billies in each categorywere: Breakthrough and Innovation * "MADE" MTV Networks, series of episodes, Francis Lyons and Robert Yacyshyn 2. Entertainment * "The Heart of the Game" Documentary by Ward Serrill 3. Journalism * "Lady Caliphs" John Fish and John Barr 4. Influential Personality * Ross Greenburg, HBO Sports President.
To read my interviews with Billie Jean King, Jimmy Connors, Tracy Austin and Lyndsay Davenport, check my other blog Deuce! where they will be posted.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When I chatted with Jimmy Connors the other night at The Billies, the first thing I did was plug this new blog! Then I asked this great champion and the current coach of Andy Roddick if he felt that professional tennis was getting snubbed by mainstream daily newspapers these days.
"It's kind of gone to the back page, a line here and a line there. For a game that attracts so many fans and corporate sponsorships to get so little coverage is mind-boggling," Connors said.
Front page attention was routine during the Connors hey-dey in the 1970s and 80s when he competed against rivlas like Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe on a regular basis on his way to winning five U.S. Opens, two Wimbledons and an Australian Open as well as close to 100 other tour titles.
He believes Roddick has the potential to bring back that sort of attention to the game.
"He certainly has the opportunity, the game and the attitude," Connors said. "He's got it all so he just has to go out there and put things together and win the Wimbledons and the U.S. Opens and to bring that kind of excitement and electricity back into the game."
Connors presented an award at The Billies with a pregnant Lindsay Davenport and when the teleprompter failed, he took it with good humor saying "I never trusted those things anyway." He also talked to Lindsay's expanding tummy and urged the unborn child to take up a two-handed backhand.
It was a charming and relaxed Connors and his respect for Billie Jean King has only increased since the days when her won his first U.S. Open back in 1974 and King took the women's title.
"Back then I was a little bit younger and was very interested more in her game and her attitude and what she brought to the tennis and the way she got through her matches and the attitude that she brought there," Connors told me before the eent. "What she was doing behind the scenes really filtered back to the guys. But for me, being young and trying to make my mark in tennis, I really didn't [follow her off-court work] until later on when things really started going forward. Once she beat Bobby Riggs, there was a whole new attitude and generation that was born."
Connors' regard for King was evident last summer when he joined old nemesis John McEnroe and former fiancee Chris Evert as part of the ceremony marking the naming of the U.S. National Tennis Center after Billie Jean King. Connors remarks were heartfelt and moving.
"I don't think there's been that electricity and excitement around an evening at the U.S. Open in quite some time and nobody deserves it more than her, that's for sure."
I told Jimmy it was fun to see him and Chrissie together again at the U.S. Open.
Connors: [laughs] Well, maybe for some people it was fun. [laughs more] Yeah, it's been a long time ago for both of us. A lot has happened to both of us along the way. To still have an opportunity to see each other and be friends is always good."
Evert and Connors were both number one in the sport when they were engaged in 1974, even winning an unprecedented "love double" by both winning at Wimbledon that year. By the next year, they had broken up. Jimmy married his wife Patti in 1979. Evert married John Lloyd the same year but they divorced in 1987. Chrissie married Andy Mill the next year and had three sons. She and Mill recently split after 19 years of marriage.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It was a real treat to meet Tracy Austin the other night at The Billies, the Women's Sports Foundation awards gala. (the picture posted is Tracy at last year's event. This year she looked even prettier!). Tennis fans know that the epic rivalry between Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova would have been more of a three-way battle if Tracy Austin's playing career not been cut short by injuries. Tracy beat both Martina [semis] and Chrissie [final] to take the 1979 U.S. Open and two years later, beat Martina in the final (7-6 in the third!) to win the U.S, Open a second time. Austin, ranked number one for a time in 1980, often beat the twin-titans of the game and did not fear them. She had a mental toughness that rivaled Evert's and was the one who snapped Chrissie's 125-match clay court winning streak in Rome in 1979.

Tracy left the tour midway through the 1983 season, briefly came back in 1988 then suffered a broken leg in a car accident. Gritty as ever, she returned to the tour in the early 90s - AFTER she had been inducted into the International Hall of Fame - and had a few big wins including a match at what is now called the Pacific Life Open. I was in the front row in the stadium court when Tracy played a tough three-setter against a player whose name I don't remember. I reminded her of that match when we chatted at The Billies.
"I won! Can you believe that? I didn't win the whole thing but I won that match. It was fun to come back after a car accident," she said.
Austin, the mother of three sons. has kept plenty busy in the broadcast booth since then. She does the U.S. Open for the USA network, Wimbledon for BBC and the Australian Open for Channel 7 in Australia. She also works for MSNBC during the French Open and Wimbledon.
And she still loves the game that made her a superstar and in 2005 she and Jana Novotna took the women's senior doubles title at Wimbledon: "I play about three times a week. I love it and I feel very fortunate to have the passion to still play after all these years."
Tracy got a huge applause when she walked out on stage during the Hall of Champions portion fo the evening along with fellow American tennis players Lindsay Davenport and Pam Shriver.
Earlier, she shared with me her early memories of Billie Jean King:
I actually met Billie when I was about 8 years old. She came to our club to do a commercial for Wilson. I met her and was obviously ecstatic. As an up and coming junior, to meet her then, she was great to the kids. That's what's impressive about Billie. No matter how big a star she is, she talks to everybody. Even when I came on the tour, she was one of the few who made me feel comfortable even though I was kind of a rival. She was my Fed Cup coach and she was our Whitman Cup coach so she would help me with my game even though I was going to compete with her.in the future. She's a giver, always willing to giver, always wanting to help and willing to get behind causes that she believes in and give her time. That's what I think is so amazing about Billie is just the passion that she has. Most people have a passion or a desire to get involved with something but they didn't follow through. When she decides she's going to get behind something, she does it 100 percent. Even when she goes out on a limb. When she started the WTA tour, it was gutsy to go against the USTA, it was gutsy to demand equal prize money. She was really the pioneer."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 9:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was a very pregnant and glowing Lindsay Davenport who appeared at The Billies on Wednesday night, taking the stage first during a grand parade of champions then later with Jimmy Connors as an award presenter. But before the show, Lyndsay, the former number one and three-time grand slam winner, stopped by to chat for a few minutes about her pregnancy, Serena's comeback, and, of course, Billie Jean King.

"When I was about 15 or 16 and first started playing on the tour, I really got an appreciation for Billie Jean - at first because of what she has done for tennis and how she paved the way for players like myself to be fortunate enough to earn a living. The more time you spend with Billie and the more you're around it, you learn that she really kind of paved the way for all women's sports and all female athletes by fighting for what she believed in."

On Serena: 'Oh, I'm so happy for her. I've always loved her and I was so excited for her at the Australian Open and everything she's done since."

On her future playing plans: 'I don't know, I haven't decided. I don't know what it's like to have a baby, obviously, so we'll see what I can manage. Hopefully! We like to think we can do it all so we'll see what happens."
She doesn't know if she is having a boy or a girl ("Everything in our house is green") and has only discussed names a couple of times with her husband. She's due on June 25, "right around Wimbledon."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Got the chance to talk to Billie Jean King last night at the Women's Sports Foundation awards gala named after her: The Billies! Even though the past year has been an absolute lovefest directed toward Billie Jean, she remains focused on the future.
The first thing she talked to me about was how excited she is that the United States Tennis Assn. is finally getting behind the Team Tennis concept that she has been passionately promoting for decades.
"I've been trying to sell it as a team sport for, how old am I? 63? For 45 years. The USTA for the first time is promoting tennis as a team sport with the kids."
But the team tennis dream is only one of the many she has been working on all these years. One of the others is equal prize money at all the grand slam tournaments. It is only a few months ago that Wimbledon fnally decided to join longtime equal prize money tourneys U.S. Open and Australian Open. The French Open made the move last year.
"We're finished! We're done! Another one off the list!" Billie Jean said. "If you read over history, it goes by really fast if you read it. But if you live it, it goes really slow. Like equal prize money at the majors? We started worrying about that in 1968. When I won Wimbledon in '68, I got 750 pounds and Rod Laver got 2,000 so it started right there."

I could not resist asking Billie Jean about the thunderous reception she got a few months ago at New York's fashion week when she upstaged everyone, including First Lady Laura Bush, when she came out in a red pantsuit and sneakers to the sounds of Michael Jackson's hit "Billie Jean." She got the biggest applause of anyone at the event.
"It's because I'm a jock baby! I'm real baby! I look like other people, I'm not skinny."

Then I asked kind of a stupid question: 'So how'd you get Elton to come perform tonight?"
"He did last year too!" BJK said. "How did I get him? He's a FRIEND! And World Team Tennis has raised over $9 billion for its Elton John AIDS Foundation."
I had to know what it was like to be at Elton's 60th birthday celebration a few weeks back: "I was at the party and the concert. Awesome. It was so much fun."
Then it was time to try and get Billie Jean to reflect on all the attention that has been coming her way over the past year.
Me: "You're a rock star!"
BJK: "Noooooooo. I'm not finished yet. I'm always striving to help. But tonight is really to celebrate the excellence in media coverage of women's sports. We don't get a lot of it but Rutgers has done a nice job the last few days. You see how great women athletes are. They were absolutely a great example of the things sports teaches you, the lessons in life, how to be a leader and all the great things that can come."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With Lyndsey Davenport officially retired, Monica Seles and Jennifer Capriati unofficially retired and Billie Jean King just too old to play, things were looking pretty dire for the U.S. when it comes to international competition. But there's a couple of big names who on Wednesday announced that they are committed to playing later this month. Venus and Serena Williams will play for the United States' team in this month's first round Fed Cup tie against Belgium. It should be a real battle if Belgium is represented by its top two players: Justine Henin and Kim Clisters.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The king of Clay is back on the dirt.
Two-time defending French Open champ Rafael Nadal has not been on the same kind of roll since winning in Paris last year and going the entire season undefeated on clay. But he did win the Pacific Life Open last month. Here is returns the ball against Argentinian David Nabaldian during Illes Balears Tournament in Calvia at Mallorca Island on Wednesday. Nadal won 7-6, 6-3.
(Photo: JAIME REINA/AFP/Getty Images)

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So much for a Williams sisters showdown in the quarterfinals of the Family Circle Cup this week. Serena Williams retired from her match against Chan Yung-Jan on Tuesday with a groin pull. Taipei, was up 5-3 in the first set when Williams withdrew, apologizing to the crowd before she left stadium court.
Williams, the third seed, said she strained the muscle in Monday's practice and a trainer said it didn't seem like it would affect her play in future tournaments. She played with her right thigh wrapped and said she will treat her injury with ice and massage.
"But it could potentially get worse if I don't take care of it," Williams told reporters. "I've been playing a lot on the clay and, like I said, I was just sliding a lot and I think I just slid too far," she said.
Meanwile, Venus Williams, ranked No. 29, needed just over an hour to defeat the Australian Samantha Stosur 6-2, 6-2.on a chilly day.
"I feel really good," said Venus, playing in her fourth tournament after being sidelined earlier this year with a wrist injury. "I don't think of myself as an underdog. I just think of myself not being as highly ranked as I should be and that happens when you take time off."
I hope the Williams sisters can keep themselves healthy in 2007! They are so good for the game and so gifted. But their biggest challenge seems to be not getting injured!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Remember Taylor Dent?
He's a talented young American from Huntington Beach with a serve and volley game who, when fit, can get on a real tear. But the former U.S. Davis Cup player Taylor Dent had back surgery last month for the second time in a year but still hopes to return to the tennis tour by the end of the summer hard-court circuit.
Dent was ranked as high as 21st in 2005, was winning tournaments and made it to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open before losing to Andre Agassi.
But he hurt his back in early 2006 and had his first surgery surgery last May.
"I hope to be back on the court in the next four or five months," Dent said in a statement released Tuesday by his agent. "The road back to the top 30 in the world will be very tough and long, but I am looking forward to starting my recovery."
Dent, 25, plans to begin rehabilitation within the next two months.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sheesh. If I as a fan have not yet recovered from Roger Federer's 7-6 in the third loss to Guillermo Canas at the Miami tournament (his second loss to Canas in a month), it seems that Federer is faster at digesting his losses than I am!
Ruerters reports today that Federer has pronounced himself he fully fired-up for the start of the claycourt season .
despite his recent shock defeats to Argentina's Guillermo Canas.
"They were tough matches for me and Miami hurt in particular because losing 7-6 in the third set is never fun," Federer told a news conference in his home city of Basel where a postage stamp bearing his likeness was unveiled. "But I would honestly rather lose to the same guy twice than lose to two different guys. I think if I lost to two different players I would think I wasn't playing well but with one guy I can think 'okay, this guy is on a roll'. It's just easier to digest."
He is due to fly to Monaco on Wednesday for next week's claycourt Master Series tournament in Monte Carlo.
The world number one has not competed since his second defeat to Canas on March 27. He is hoping his rare slump (He's lost just 12 matches since the start of the 2005 season) could even prove a blessing in the long-term -- by giving him more time to prepare for his tough summer schedule.
"That's the only advantage I can see, because it has definitely taken away my confidence a little bit, but it has also given me more time and maybe that is just as good a thing. It's exactly what I didn't have for the last two or three years, one of those surprise losses where all of a sudden I got more time off so I hope it can help me out."
Federer said he had spent time since the second defeat building up his fitness levels with conditioning coach Pierre Paganini and would use Monte Carlo to test the level of his claycourt play.
"There were a few seasons when I skipped Monaco to give myself more of a break but I have stopped doing that because the tournament gives you a good idea of how you are playing and what stuff you still have to work on at the practice courts. It's similar to the French Open in the way it plays and even if you lose in the first round it helps give an indication of how the other guys are playing and reminds you how clay is supposed to be played."
Federer has won four straight Wimbledons, three straight U.S. Opens and a trio of Australian Opens but the closest he's gotten to winning the French Open was reaching the final last year where he won the first set 6-1 against Rafael Nadal then lost the next three when his level of play dropped. It was one of three claycourt losses to Nadal in 2006.
"Last year I couldn't win a single claycourt tournament, so I want to do that this year, and the French Open is obviously huge for me as the one Slam I haven't yet won," Federer said. If I can win it this year it would also mean I could still win all four Slams in a row. Then the following month I will be trying to equal Bjorn Borg's record (of five successive Wimbledon titles), so it's going to be a very interesting summer for me. Hopefully the time off after Miami should be an important part of making sure I'm absolutely ready for the next tough 12 weeks."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

World number one tennis player Roger Federer of Switzerland gestures after unveiling a giant replica stamp, during the launch of a Swiss postage stamp bearing his portrait today in Basel. To commemorate Federer’s record-breaking streak at the top of the ATP world rankings for 161 consecutive weeks, the Swiss Post issued a one Swiss franc stamp to honor the 25-year-old, 10-time Grand Slam Champion. Living persons are not normally presented with the distinction. AFP PHOTO: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images)

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Whether it's called the Countrywide Classic or Mercedes-Benz Cup or Infiniti Open, the men's pro tournament at UCLA is one of my favorite events during the summer where over the years I've seen some terrific matches. But the practice sessions are also memorable ranging from sitting in the hot sun with my nephew, Anthony, watching Patrick Rafter and Mark Phillopousis practicing on an empty stadium court in 1997 (Rafter would win the U.S. Open a few months later) to Andy Roddick practicing under the watchful eye of Jimmy Connors last year in their first tournament together. There was also the year I was sitting on some bleachers watching Lleyton Hewitt hit and didn't realize I was sitting next to Tara Reid until someone came up and asked her for an autograph. This was in her pre-trainwreck years.
And a great memory was in 2004 when Andre Agassi hit the practice courts just one day after giving a moving speech at the Hall of Fame induction of his wife, Steffi Graf. A fan yelled out: "Nice speech Andre!" Agassi yelled back: "She deserves it!" I believe it's the 2006 tournament was Andre Agassi's last title and he returned last summer for an encore appearance.
But with Agassi no longer playing, the tournament loses a major marquee name and as of now, I don't see that Andy Roddick - always a popular drawing card - has committed to playing there. I was at the night session last year where Roddick injured his back but kept playing in pain and won. But he had tio default the next round.
Germany's Tommy Haas is the defending champion and slated to play this year along with U.S. Davis Cup player James Blake, 2000 U.S. Open Champion Marat Safin and top-tenner Fernando Gonzalez. I assume the Bryan bros. will be headlining the doubles since this is sort of their local tournament.

I think Rafael Nadal could provide some much-needed star-power, and, of course, Roger Federer! Anyway, I hope the July 16-22 tournament is able to land a few more big names for its 32-player draw because as the longest running annual pro sporting event in L.A., it deserves a top field. Its past champions include Connors, Pete Sampras, Agassi, Michael Chang, and Stefan Edberg, among others.
More information about the tournament can be found at countrywideclassic.com.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 3:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships has always been a good tournament for Andy Roddick. It was one of his first titles on tour and his is a three-time champion who has played in five out of the last six finals. But Roddick's Davis Cup heroics over the weekend caused him to aggravate a hamstring injury that occured during a quarterfinal match at the Sony Ericcson Open a few weeks ago.
Roddick, ranked third in the world, said he "kind of tweaked it" again Friday in his Davis Cup win over Fernando Verdasco of Spain in Winston-Salem, N.C.
"Luckily, the adrenaline there was able to kind of get me through," he said. The injury "is not one that heals in two days."
A doubles win by Americans Bob and Mike Bryan on Saturday gave the U.S. team a 3-0 lead and kept Roddick from having to play Sunday in a second singles match. The U.S. beat Spain 4-1. These photos show a victorious U.S. team of Roddick, James Blake, Mardy Fish and the Bryan brothers celebrating.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Martina Hingis withdrew from the Family Circle Cup on Saturday because of a hip injury and is the latest star to pull out of the tournament held for over 30 years at Hilton Head, South Carolina. Already out: Svetlana Kuznetsova, ranked No. 5, withdrew Friday because of a wrist injury. Earlier, top-ranked Justine Henin withdrew, followed by No. 2 Maria Sharapova and No. 3 Amelie Mauresmo.
Hingis, ranked No. 6, said she hurt her left hip last week: "I have been working as hard as possible to be in competitive shape for the tournament but unfortunately have not recovered enough,"she said in a statement.
So this should be a nightmare for organizers, rght?
Notsomuch. The rejuventated Serena Williams, winner of the 2007 Australian Open and Sony Ericcson Open, is in the draw. Although her ranking doesn't reflect it yet, Serena is the best player in the world so far this year. Another major plus is Venus Williams who is starting to play well again. Unfortunately, the sisters are on the same side of the draw and could meet in the quarterfinals.
Serena is the third seed while Venus, who won the event three years ago, is unseeded this year.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mike and Bob Bryan had good reason to do one of their post-match chest bumps Saturday: they gutted out a tough, four-set win over Spain's Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco to give the U.S. an insurmountable lead and send their country into the Davis Cup semifinals.
The Americans have not won the Davis Cup title since 1995, an era when they often had the likes of Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Michael Chang from which to choose from to play singles. But the 7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5) win by the Bryan twins puts the U.S. a step closer. They will next play at Sweden on Sept. 21-23.
The Bryans improved to 11-1 in the Davis Cup overall and their victory means Andy Roddick can rest his injury and sit out tomorrow's meaningless singles matches.
Congrats to the U.S. team!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's a nice way to go out.
Greg Rusedski, the 1997 U.S. Open runner-up, retired Saturday after Great Britain beat Holland in their Davis Cup Euro / Africa Zone Group One clash. Rusedski and Jamie Murray helped Britain open up an unassailable 3-0 lead in the tie in Birmingham as they beat Dutch duo Robin Haase and Rogier Wassen 6-1 3-6 6-3 7-6 in the doubles.
And with Murray's brother Andrew and Tim Henman winning their singles matches on Good Friday, John Lloyd and his men can now plan for a World Group play-off in September.
But they will have to do so without Rusedski, who said: "It was a proud moment as it's going to be my last match.
"I'm officially retiring on a win today. I would like to thank all the fans for supporting me for 13 years playing Davis Cup for the country. I'd like to thank Jamie for carrying me through the doubles today."
Lloyd paid tribute to the former British number one, saying: "It's good to go out playing a match like that but we'll miss him. We've had a great team and Greg has been a big part of it."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Andy Roddick's coach, Jimmy Connors, only dabbled in Davis Cup during his stellar career leaving it to John McEnroe to do much of the heavy-lifting in the late 70s and early 80s. Andre Agassi took over from there as a Davis Cup stalwart but as he aged and stopped playing for the U.S. team, Roddick took the baton and has been a real hero for American tennis.
Playing just over a week after straining his left hamstring, Roddick shook off a slow start to beat Spain's Fernando Verdasco 7-6 (5), 6-1, 6-4 on the fast, indoor hard court. In the first match of the best-of-five event, James Blake broke out of his slump to beat Tommy Robredo 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. The U.S. takes a 2-0 lead over Spain in the quarter-finals and needs to win only one out of the next three matches to advance to the semifinals.
"With Andy coming in off a slight injury. I really felt like it was time for James to step up and win a big match," U.S. captain Patrick McEnroe said. "He did, so Andy could come out with a 1-0 lead. After Andy won that first set, the momentum swung in his favour."
Roddick acknowledged he wasn't 100 per cent from the injury that forced him to retire in the quarter-finals of the Sony Ericsson Open.
"We had a tough conversation the other night just about where I was at, and whether I could get through two (matches)," he said. "I'm sure I'll spend a very boring day (Saturday) on my face with various gimmicks attached to my leg."
Roddick improved to 23-9 in Davis Cup play.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 6:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

U.S. Davis Cup Captain Patrick McEnroe, pictured today watching James Blake win his singles match, has a fun new metrosexual hairdo. Is it just me or does he now look more like film critic Richard Roeper's brother than John McEnroe's bro?

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 4:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Her little sister Serena may be back in championship form so far in 2007, but Venus Williams is having a tougher go at her comeback. Earlier today at the Bausch & Lomb Championships in Amelia Island, FL, Venus lost her quarterfinal match to Tatiana Golovin 6-2, 6-3. It was a repeat of the only previous encounter between the duo in 2005, when Golovin rolled to a straight-sets win.
Seeking her first career title, Golovin used a quick start to make it a long afternoon for Williams. Golovin won the first three games of the match, then broke an obviously frustrated Williams to win the first set. It was an even more impressive start to the second set as Golovin won the first four games. However, Williams - a five-time Grand Slam champion - showed some grit by twice breaking Golovin to close within 4-3. But after breaking back, Golovin served out the match at love en route to reaching her second semifinal of the year. She also made the final four at Antwerp.
Williams, who fell to 11-2 this year, had dropped just one set in her first three matches this week.
Venus played a limited schedule last year due to a chronic wrist injury but has won one tournament this year. Her last major title came when she won Wimbledon in 2005.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Off to a great start! James Blake broke his slump and beat Tommy Robredo 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 on Friday to give the United States a 1-0 lead over Spain in the Davis Cup quarterfinals. Blake, who had lost six of his past nine matches, dominated on the fast, indoor hard court, exposing Robredo's backhand.
Blake was broken for the first time when serving for the match at 5-2. But after Robredo held, Blake clinched the victory with a volley at the net into the open court, pumping his fist and delighting the sellout crowd.
Andy Roddick will test his sore left hamstring against Fernando Verdasco in today's second match of the best-of-five format.
The crowd of 14,453, the largest to watch the Davis Cup in the U.S. in more than 15 years, yelled "Let's go James" well before the first match started in hopes of ending the Americans' Davis Cup drought. The U.S. has a record 31 titles, but none since 1995.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Still too early to report any U.S. scores but here are some results from some of the other countries playing Davis Cup matches this weeklend:
Britain's Tim Henman celebrates as he beats Robin Haas from the Netherlands to give his team a 2-0 advantage in the Davis Cup tie between Britain and the Netherlands, at the NEC stadium in Birmingham, 06 April 2007. AFP PHOTO/CHRIS YOUNG (Photo: CHRIS YOUNG/AFP/Getty Images)

Sweden's Thomas Johansson returns a ball to Argentina's David Nalbandian during the Davis Cup quarter-final between Sweden and Argentina in Gothenburg, Sweden, 06 April 2007. Johansson gave his team a 1-0 lead in the Davis Cup tie after a victory against Nalbandian. AFP PHOTO / DANIEL SANNUM LAUTEN (Photo: Daniel Sannum Lauten/AFP/Getty Images)
Argentina's David Nalbandian returns the ball to Sweden's Thomas Johansson on the first day of the Davis Cup quarter final between Sweden and Argentina in Gothenburg, Sweden, 06 April 2007. AFP PHOTO / DANIEL SANNUM LAUTEN (Photo: Daniel Sannum Lauten/AFP/Getty Images)

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Andy Roddick had to pull out of his quarterfinal match with Andy Murray last week at the Ericcson Open because of a hamstring injury. Buit it appears to be all better now. Andy (pictured above with teammate Bob Bryan) is set to lead the U.S. beginning tomorrow in their Davis Cup quarterfinal against Spain.
The U.S team, which also includes James Blake (pictured below w/Spain's Fernando Verdasco) and the world's top doubles team of Mike and Bob Bryan, will have plenty of crowd support and the benefit of playing on a favorable surface in its matchup against Spain that begins Friday at the Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

While Roddick is healthy enough to play, Spain will be without Rafael Nadal - the world's second-ranked player - due to a foot injury. Nadal used the 2004 matchup in the final to stamp himself as a star and lift Spain to a 3-2 triumph over the United States in Seville. In the previous meeting, Spain had the advantage of being cheered on by 27,000 rabid fans and playing on their clay surface.
Trying to improve on its 16-3 record in the quarterfinals, the U.S. now gets to play in front of a sold-out crowd at the 14,453-seat Coliseum. The Americans also have chosen a hard court surface, something that could be a major advantage.
Both teams are pictured below:

Team USA, left, and Team Spain, right, pose for a photo after the draw ceremony for their Davis Cup quarterfinal tennis matches in Winston-Salem, N.C., Thursday, April 5, 2007. From left, Mike Bryan, Bob Bryan, James Blake, Andy Roddick, Patrick McEnroe, Emilio Sanchez, Tommy Robredo, David Ferrer, Fernando Verdasco, and Feliciano Lopez.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 5:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If there was ever a tennis player who could write a compelling memoir, it's the recently-retired champion Andre Agassi. He's a future hall of famer for winning all four of the sports major titles as well as the Olympic Games but more than that, he is a sports icon who had great appeal outside tennis and to several generations. While he started out as a brash kid with long hair and flashy clothes, he went on to become the most articulate sportsman and elder statesman the game has ever had.
It was announced late Wednesday that Agassi's memoirs are to be published by Alfred A. Knopf and were strongly desired by numerous publishers. Financial terms were not disclosed but bidding reportedly topped $5 million as publishers flew out to see Agassi at his hometown of Las Vegas, touring his Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, a charter school for at-risk youth, and then meeting with him at his office.
David Hirshey, senior vice president and executive editor at HarperCollins, one of the publishers that competed for the book, said the deal was more in line with what a former U.S. president would get.
"This is White House money," Hirshey said. "I can't remember the last time a sports figure got more than two million."
His book is not yet titled and no release date has been set.
Aggasi (pictured at right w/great rival Pete Sampras) said in a statement: "I recently had the privilege of meeting with top executives and editors from eight publishing houses. Everyone was very impressive, but in the end, I felt the strongest connection with (Knopf head) Sonny Mehta and his colleagues at Knopf."
Mehta calls Agassi's "an extraordinary life, and he has a great story to tell -- an inspiring story of determination, competition, and what it takes to become one of the greatest athletes of our time. Additionally, he is someone who has chosen to use his success as an instrument for change in the world."
In addition to the story of his tennis life where he went to teen prodigy to number one back down to number 141 then back up to number one. His downslide occured during his marriage to actress Brooke Shields in 1997 but his game was back on track for good by the time he married tennis great Steffi Graf who had retired from the game by the time they married. Agassi and Graf have a son and daughter together who have parents who have both won the Olympics, been ranked number one and won a combined 30 grand slam titles.
I look forward to Agassi's book. He is introspective and thoughtful and one of the few straight guys in the public eye who has never been afraid to show emotion or talk about his feelings.
He has simply been himself...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Novak Djokovic is a big hero in his hometown of Belgrade, Serbia, and was treated like a rock star upon his return Monday. I'm just nuts about this kid ands the breath of fresh air he brings to tennis. When you can hold your nerve and win such a big title so young (he's 19), the sky is the limit.
Reporters asked Djokovic how he succeeded in defeating Guillermo Canas in the final of the Sony Ericcson Open on Sunday after Canas had upset top-ranjked Roger Federer twice within a two-week period.
"I cannot now give any advices or tips to Roger," Djokovic said with a smile. "It would be not so nice, you know. He's No. 1 and probably the best player ever in the history of this sport."
Djokovic, a Serb, and Scotsman Andy Murray, both 19, have been touted as future Grand Slam champions.
"Two young players, it's always nice," Djokovic said. "I think it's a great thing for tennis to see Rafael Nadal, Murray and myself playing so well and bringing something so new into tennis. "I think you all had enough of Federer winning every tournament, so it's good."
Despite his two bizarre losses to Canas, Federer is still the man at the top of the heap. On Monday, he began his 166th consecutive week at No. 1, a record, and leads by such a wide margin he's almost certain to remain on top through Wimbledon. He has won the past three major events and needs four more Grand Slam titles to equal Pete Sampras' record of 14.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It is a glammed-up Monica Seles! It looks like retirement agrees with this former number one who ruled tennis with Steffi Graf for several years in the 90s winning four Australian Opens, three French Opens, and two U.S. Opens between 1990 and 1996. To put her accomplishments in perspective, the only players to have won more Grand Slam titles during their careers are all tennis legends: Graf, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King and Margaret Smith Court.
Her career was interrupted tragically in 1993 when she was stabbed by a deranged fan of Graf's while playing a match in Hamburg. Monica was out for 2.5 years healing from her physical and psychological wounds. She was never the same player again but she was still damned good and won many more titles before chronic foot injuries drove her out of the game for good around three years ago.
I'll always cherish being in the second row of Monica's match against Lyndsay Davenport at the year-end championships at Staples Center. I think it was four years ago. Davenport appeared poised for a straight sets win but Seles fought off seven match points - most of them with winners - and ended up winning the match!

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I am so happy to post this! The HBO documentary, "Billie Jean King: Portrait of a Pioneer," was announced as a winner of the coveted 2006 George Foster Peabody Awards.
Anyone who saw this program profiling the extraordinary life of BJK came away with such respect for this force of nature. I think the documentary is largely responsible for bringing Billie Jean back in the public eye in a big way. She has always been busy doing various things but suddenly this summer, she was Billie Jean King superstar again. The United States Tennis Center was named after her in late August at the U.S. Open, she received an award from the Human Rights Campaign, and was even a model during a fashion week fundraiser in New York getting the most applause when she strutted down the catwalk in a red pantsuit to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean."
Anyway, congrats to the people behind this magnificent documentary and to its legendary subject.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was watching Serena Williams getting whipped in the final of the Sony Ericcson Open yesterday morning on television but had to leave mid-match to meet my dad at the movies (We saw "The Shooter" and we both liked it a lot!). Serena was down 0-6, 3-4 to top-ranked Justine Henin when I turned the set off wondering if she would be able to find a way back. Well...she did! In an extraordinary display of heart and competitive fire, Serena saved two match points late in the second set to prevail over Henin, 06 75 63, for her fourth career Sony Ericsson Open title. Serena whipped second-seed Maria Sharapova, who she beat in January for the Australian Open title, in an earlier round.
"When I get down, a part of me just plays better," Williams said after the match. "I think all champions have that."
The comeback was nothing new for Williams, who revived her career by winning the Australian Open in January for her eighth Grand Slam title. Once ranked No. 1, she fell to 140th last July because of long layoffs, but will climb back to 11th next week.
This is the most dramatic comeback since Andre Agassi, ranked number one in 1995, fell all the way down to 141 by late 1997. By 1999, he was number one again.
Like Agassi, Serena has enough talent and self-belief to weather these peaks and valleys that most players can never climb out of.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)