Glaken
1
3-10-06
3-10-06
TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
From The Daily Times: "John McEnroe and James Blake are coming to Louisville for a tennis match. It sounds like a dream, and it is. The Centre Court Racquet Club announced Tuesday that a fund-raising event called "Healthy Returns for Education" will host an exhibition match on May 3 between McEnroe -- the fiery three-time Wimbledon singles and four-time US Open champion -- and Blake -- a current Davis Cup team member, former top-ranked collegiate player and recent winner of Tennis Channel Open in Las Vegas on March 5 over Lleyton Hewitt. The pair will spar in the final event of a week-long series to benefit Blount County student foundations and the Blount Memorial Foundation. Tickets will be limited for the exhibition match. The price tag is $75, which according to Centre Court co-owner Lenny Simpson, is easily a deal. "We could have gotten Andy Roddick, but we didn't want him," said Simpson, a former player on the ATP tour. "These guys are the best. They're going to put on a great show." -- Ouch...Lindsay Davenport has lost to a Belgian in the last three Indian Wells finals...From AndyRoddick.com: "Babolat and the Andy Roddick Foundation are partnering to pull strings for charity. Babolat, in partnership with the Andy Roddick Foundation, announces a Custom+Hybrid string promotion to support the Foundation's "No Compromise" campaign. From March 15 to June 30th all tennis players who restring their racquet with a Custom+Hybrid string combination will receive a blue bracelet featuring the "No Compromise" slogan of the Andy Roddick Foundation."...From Leighton Ginn writing for The Desert Sun: "Six of the top 10 women's players are absent from the Pacific Life Open, again bring into focus how the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour does not make it mandatory for the top 50 players to play in the top events. The Pacific Life Open is a Tier I event, and is the third richest on the tour with $2.1 million in prize money. The top-level tournaments on the ATP Tour, the Masters Series, are mandatory for the top-50 players, or they will suffer fines and loss of ranking points. Elena Dementieva and Lindsay Davenport said they would welcome following the ATP's model. "I think it may be a good idea. We have to support this tournament," Dementieva said. "It's one of the biggest tournaments on the tour and we're missing some top players. I think it would be a good idea." Davenport says, "I think that's definitely a step in the right direction. It has to be something that sets the Tier I apart from the other tournaments, where players don't feel like it's OK to play Tier II instead of such a big event like this. I think they're slowly starting to adopt the same philosophy the men have since Miami is mandatory."...Look, it's Marcelo Rios playing right-handed: http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060309/EVENTS10/603090332/1038/sports07 ...Justine Henin-Hardenne on her injured shoulder: "It's a serious problem in the shoulder so I am not serving at all (in practices). I rest my shoulder (so) I can play without any problem but I have trouble with that. It's a tendinitis problem and it's something that will be there for my whole career."...Guillermo Coria is out of Indian Wells this week with an elbow injury...The new ATP Masters Series Broadband Console at www.atpmastersseries.tv is free during Indian Wells...From tennis writer Charlie Bricker: "Jim Courier's first career was professional tennis. In his second, he became an entrepreneur. This weekend, he's both in the kickoff event in Naples of the new four-city Outback Champions Series that brings senior tennis back to the United States after a long absence. It has taken Courier the better part of three years to resurrect this tour in the way he wants it, with younger players, more prize money ($48,000 maximum first prize) and more intense competition, but he seems to have found the right eight-man mix with himself, John McEnroe, Michael Chang, Mats Wilander, Pat Cash, Aaron Krickstein, Mikael Pernfors and Petr Korda for this inaugural. There are 21 Grand Slam singles titles among these men and, while the round-robin format will continue to dictate eight-man fields, there are other suspects waiting to play. Pete Sampras, who will play the short World Team Tennis circuit this year, is a strong possibility for later this year or in 2007 and there are hopes that two other high-profile players, Patrick Rafter and Stefan Edberg, will be sufficiently recovered from injuries to get back on court."...Scheduled today at the senior Outback Champions Series-Naples are Mats Wilander vs. Aaron Krickstein, Michael Chang vs. Petr Korda, Jim Courier vs. Mikael Pernfors, and John McEnroe vs. Pat Cash...Andy Roddick on the Indian Wells event, which a group of veteran players and investors saved from being bought out by China or the Middle East, with a few investors complaining that none of the current crop of players stepped up to help: "I think they just put on a great event. I was ecstatic when I heard it's here to stay and I think we're all pretty happy about that. They've shown a lot just for tennis. Selfishly I like it here because it's beautiful and it's a really nice place to visit." Roddick, apparently a visual learner, talking to reporters on looking at tapes of his 'old days' when he was at the top of his game, with new coach-brother John: "It's a lot easier to comprehend what someone is telling you when there is a visual in front of you. I have been looking at a lot of my good matches to see what I was doing well, my temperament, everything. Just little things. Where you're firing, when you're firing. It really hit home, seeing it."...Mardy Fish was apparently a late entry into the MS-Miami as he was given a wildcard into the qualifying. Main draw wildcards in Miami thus far are Mark Philippoussis, Nicolas Lapentti, Shenay Perry, Gustavo Kuerten, Alex Kuznetsov, of course Donald Young, Ashley Harkelroad, Vania King, Alisa Kleybanova, Jamea Jackson, Anna Tatishvilli, Angela Haynes, and Sanja Ancic...Andy Roddick on changing his game in an attempt to challenge Roger Federer: "Maybe I got caught up in thinking about how to beat one guy, and I stopped thinking about how to beat everybody else. To his credit, that's the kind of pressure he puts on guys."...Tracy Austin speaking with Tennis Week on Martina Hingis: "So many top players, and I don't say this as a cut to them, they play such a similar bang-bang or heavy topspin style. So it's really nice to see Hingis, who moves with such elegance and is such a great thinker, out there. In the middle of the point, she'll come in and hit a drop volley. At the Australian Open, seeing the way she thinks on court and seeing her change up in the middle of the point and show her versatility, float into net and execute a drop volley is impressive. First of all, most players wouldn't even think of doing it and secondly, many can't execute it. I remember at one point, she hadn't serve and volleyed the entire match so she suddenly serve-and-volleyed. One of the great things about watching Hingis is you're always wondering what she's going to do next."...From Tennis Week: "(Roger) Federer is reportedly close to signing a record racquet-endorsement deal with Wilson that would make him a Wilson ambassador for life and serve as the most lucrative racquet contract in tennis history. The contract would pay Federer $2 million annually and continue after he retires from playing tournament tennis. Federer, who formerly played with the Wilson Pro Staff and currently plays with a Wilson nCode, would be named a Wilson lifetime ambassador."...Pete Sampras speaking with the Houston Chronicle on his comeback: "I'm actually trying a bigger racket. I used a small racket my whole time on tour. But now I'm an old guy, I need some extra power. I'm using the racket that Roger Federer uses. I don't even know the name of it -- I know it's red, that's all."...Martina Hingis speaking to reporters in Indian Wells on her comeback and getting fit: "I dropped weight because my lifestyle had changed. I was like a stick. When I played Pattaya, I was 125 pounds. Now I'm like 135, 132, that's a big difference. I couldn't kill a fly."...Jimmy Connors says Wimbledon officials need to step up and buy Bjorn Borg's Wimbledon trophies that the Swede is planning to hock.
3-10-06
TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
From The Daily Times: "John McEnroe and James Blake are coming to Louisville for a tennis match. It sounds like a dream, and it is. The Centre Court Racquet Club announced Tuesday that a fund-raising event called "Healthy Returns for Education" will host an exhibition match on May 3 between McEnroe -- the fiery three-time Wimbledon singles and four-time US Open champion -- and Blake -- a current Davis Cup team member, former top-ranked collegiate player and recent winner of Tennis Channel Open in Las Vegas on March 5 over Lleyton Hewitt. The pair will spar in the final event of a week-long series to benefit Blount County student foundations and the Blount Memorial Foundation. Tickets will be limited for the exhibition match. The price tag is $75, which according to Centre Court co-owner Lenny Simpson, is easily a deal. "We could have gotten Andy Roddick, but we didn't want him," said Simpson, a former player on the ATP tour. "These guys are the best. They're going to put on a great show." -- Ouch...Lindsay Davenport has lost to a Belgian in the last three Indian Wells finals...From AndyRoddick.com: "Babolat and the Andy Roddick Foundation are partnering to pull strings for charity. Babolat, in partnership with the Andy Roddick Foundation, announces a Custom+Hybrid string promotion to support the Foundation's "No Compromise" campaign. From March 15 to June 30th all tennis players who restring their racquet with a Custom+Hybrid string combination will receive a blue bracelet featuring the "No Compromise" slogan of the Andy Roddick Foundation."...From Leighton Ginn writing for The Desert Sun: "Six of the top 10 women's players are absent from the Pacific Life Open, again bring into focus how the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour does not make it mandatory for the top 50 players to play in the top events. The Pacific Life Open is a Tier I event, and is the third richest on the tour with $2.1 million in prize money. The top-level tournaments on the ATP Tour, the Masters Series, are mandatory for the top-50 players, or they will suffer fines and loss of ranking points. Elena Dementieva and Lindsay Davenport said they would welcome following the ATP's model. "I think it may be a good idea. We have to support this tournament," Dementieva said. "It's one of the biggest tournaments on the tour and we're missing some top players. I think it would be a good idea." Davenport says, "I think that's definitely a step in the right direction. It has to be something that sets the Tier I apart from the other tournaments, where players don't feel like it's OK to play Tier II instead of such a big event like this. I think they're slowly starting to adopt the same philosophy the men have since Miami is mandatory."...Look, it's Marcelo Rios playing right-handed: http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060309/EVENTS10/603090332/1038/sports07 ...Justine Henin-Hardenne on her injured shoulder: "It's a serious problem in the shoulder so I am not serving at all (in practices). I rest my shoulder (so) I can play without any problem but I have trouble with that. It's a tendinitis problem and it's something that will be there for my whole career."...Guillermo Coria is out of Indian Wells this week with an elbow injury...The new ATP Masters Series Broadband Console at www.atpmastersseries.tv is free during Indian Wells...From tennis writer Charlie Bricker: "Jim Courier's first career was professional tennis. In his second, he became an entrepreneur. This weekend, he's both in the kickoff event in Naples of the new four-city Outback Champions Series that brings senior tennis back to the United States after a long absence. It has taken Courier the better part of three years to resurrect this tour in the way he wants it, with younger players, more prize money ($48,000 maximum first prize) and more intense competition, but he seems to have found the right eight-man mix with himself, John McEnroe, Michael Chang, Mats Wilander, Pat Cash, Aaron Krickstein, Mikael Pernfors and Petr Korda for this inaugural. There are 21 Grand Slam singles titles among these men and, while the round-robin format will continue to dictate eight-man fields, there are other suspects waiting to play. Pete Sampras, who will play the short World Team Tennis circuit this year, is a strong possibility for later this year or in 2007 and there are hopes that two other high-profile players, Patrick Rafter and Stefan Edberg, will be sufficiently recovered from injuries to get back on court."...Scheduled today at the senior Outback Champions Series-Naples are Mats Wilander vs. Aaron Krickstein, Michael Chang vs. Petr Korda, Jim Courier vs. Mikael Pernfors, and John McEnroe vs. Pat Cash...Andy Roddick on the Indian Wells event, which a group of veteran players and investors saved from being bought out by China or the Middle East, with a few investors complaining that none of the current crop of players stepped up to help: "I think they just put on a great event. I was ecstatic when I heard it's here to stay and I think we're all pretty happy about that. They've shown a lot just for tennis. Selfishly I like it here because it's beautiful and it's a really nice place to visit." Roddick, apparently a visual learner, talking to reporters on looking at tapes of his 'old days' when he was at the top of his game, with new coach-brother John: "It's a lot easier to comprehend what someone is telling you when there is a visual in front of you. I have been looking at a lot of my good matches to see what I was doing well, my temperament, everything. Just little things. Where you're firing, when you're firing. It really hit home, seeing it."...Mardy Fish was apparently a late entry into the MS-Miami as he was given a wildcard into the qualifying. Main draw wildcards in Miami thus far are Mark Philippoussis, Nicolas Lapentti, Shenay Perry, Gustavo Kuerten, Alex Kuznetsov, of course Donald Young, Ashley Harkelroad, Vania King, Alisa Kleybanova, Jamea Jackson, Anna Tatishvilli, Angela Haynes, and Sanja Ancic...Andy Roddick on changing his game in an attempt to challenge Roger Federer: "Maybe I got caught up in thinking about how to beat one guy, and I stopped thinking about how to beat everybody else. To his credit, that's the kind of pressure he puts on guys."...Tracy Austin speaking with Tennis Week on Martina Hingis: "So many top players, and I don't say this as a cut to them, they play such a similar bang-bang or heavy topspin style. So it's really nice to see Hingis, who moves with such elegance and is such a great thinker, out there. In the middle of the point, she'll come in and hit a drop volley. At the Australian Open, seeing the way she thinks on court and seeing her change up in the middle of the point and show her versatility, float into net and execute a drop volley is impressive. First of all, most players wouldn't even think of doing it and secondly, many can't execute it. I remember at one point, she hadn't serve and volleyed the entire match so she suddenly serve-and-volleyed. One of the great things about watching Hingis is you're always wondering what she's going to do next."...From Tennis Week: "(Roger) Federer is reportedly close to signing a record racquet-endorsement deal with Wilson that would make him a Wilson ambassador for life and serve as the most lucrative racquet contract in tennis history. The contract would pay Federer $2 million annually and continue after he retires from playing tournament tennis. Federer, who formerly played with the Wilson Pro Staff and currently plays with a Wilson nCode, would be named a Wilson lifetime ambassador."...Pete Sampras speaking with the Houston Chronicle on his comeback: "I'm actually trying a bigger racket. I used a small racket my whole time on tour. But now I'm an old guy, I need some extra power. I'm using the racket that Roger Federer uses. I don't even know the name of it -- I know it's red, that's all."...Martina Hingis speaking to reporters in Indian Wells on her comeback and getting fit: "I dropped weight because my lifestyle had changed. I was like a stick. When I played Pattaya, I was 125 pounds. Now I'm like 135, 132, that's a big difference. I couldn't kill a fly."...Jimmy Connors says Wimbledon officials need to step up and buy Bjorn Borg's Wimbledon trophies that the Swede is planning to hock.