Marketability and Tennis

by Savannah

An interesting interview with Marin Čilić's agent Vincent Stavaux by @franckramella of L'Équipe appeared over the weekend. In it he addressed the issue of his client's lack of popularity in what passes for tennis media and why companies like Nike haven't pursued him. Thanks to @markalannixon for the translation.

Tell us why we should like Marin Čilić?

"People need to find out who he really is. He's atypical on the tour. His natural kindness, not false, his amenability, his availability are to me exceptional. Everyone says: "Yes, but he lacks charisma and that sort of thing", but as soon as they meet him, they change their minds about him. We had a meeting here (in Marseille) with seniors, they were astonished by his kindness. He spoke to them in French, they were touched. And every tournament director will tell you: "Marin Čilić is special because everything he does he does with a smile." He's available when that's not always the case. He plays the game and never shows up just for the appearance money. In Rotterdam, he asked me Saturday morning, because he lacked a bit of confidence: "You believe in going to Marseille? I don't want to go there if I won't do well." I swear he said that!"

But he's not mentioned much - not by the media either -, while attention is paid more easily to the more extroverted ones ...

"To me, that's an excellent societal question. Everyone screams about and spits on the paparazzi and the sensationalist tabloids, but they have readers. It's a bit the same here. I have trouble understanding that, in relation to Marin, people prefer watching Kyrgios who throws his racquet and spits, though I have nothing against him. But hearing that sort of thing is problematic. Because what? For tennis to be fun you have to insult the umpires? Shout "fuck" everywhere? Watching a Roger at the top of his art entertaining the crowd, that's tennis to me. Not smashing racquets or whatever .. That's hypocritical."

Do you think we push too much for excess while constantly complaining that the sport is too policed?

"Stop! If people don't want to watch that sort of tennis, they can watch another sport. I'm against all rules that that make the game colourless under the pretext of making it more pleasant for the majority of people."

How do you fight for Čilić's existence in that world?

"What's a shame is that sponsor brands look strongly for that. Either you're right at the top or you're outrageous. But if you're in the category of player like Tomas Berdych, David Ferrer or Marin Čilić, you're nothing.Every time. They hide behind excuses like: "He's from Croatia, it's not a market." It's a very small argument."

Go ahead. We're giving you the chance to sell us Čilić ...

"His generosity. I think Marin Čilić is Pat Rafter's successor in the sense that he does a lot of things for a lot of people. He helps without talking about it. I was astonished when I found out years after that Rafter had built a hospital from the ground up with his own money. Marin gets involved, gives quite a lot to foundations. If people only knew what a big heart he has ..."

The thing is many of the players, male and female, coming up are in the category of Tomáš Berdych, David Ferrer and Marin Čilić. The problem is tennis has never been good at marketing players like them and worse at marketing players from Eastern Europe.

Players from Eastern Europe who play for Western European countries like Belinda Bencic and before her Martina Hingisová Molitor who played as Martina Hingis do get/got the full star treatment. Angelique Kerber is Polish but plays for Germany. And there's Simona Halep of Romania. None of them, not one, can headline an event. None of them have that "thing" that draws people to them.

It's the same on the men's side. The top male player, despite all of the effort his people put into promoting him, is not as charismatic as the two men who despite their current woes are still the biggest stars in the sport. And he doesn't wear Nike either. Let's look past him at the up and comers. Alexander Zverev is of Russian descent but both he and his brother who plays as Mischa Zverev play for Germany. Borna Ćorić of Croatia has the good looks that could get him places à la Marat Safin but none of them have the star power to draw casual fans to the sport. Čilić is a very handsome man but as his agent opines he comes from an area of the world that is not considered "a market". The same thing is said of Tomáš Berdych.

Since Čilić brought up David Ferrer I'll mention him briefly. People rant and rave about Feliciano López but in person Ferrer is the much better looking man. Still, neither one of them wear Nike or Adidas, the top brands in sports.

And yes there is Maria Sharapova who, to put it mildly does get a lot of publicity. The WTA has a type and she is still it. Did she get the push because she is based in the States while players like Maria Kirilenko, Anastasia Myskina and Elena Dementieva were unknown outside the world of tennis fanatics?

So what is going on? Why are players who have been consistently top ten so hard to market? Why is there such a push for players like Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic but not for men and women, with few exceptions, out of Eastern Europe? Is it language? Is it that many of the Eastern European countries are poor? When the duopoly is gone who will replace them in terms of marketing? I have no answer and from the interview posted above agents are hitting a brick wall with the big ad agencies and clothing purveyors. If a marketing strategy can't be created now what is going to happen in the next two or three years? Who will be the standard bearers for a sport that will be dominated by players from countries that are not "markets"?

If tennis doesn't want to fade in the minds of sports fans a solution to the marketing problem will have to be found.


© SavannahsWorld 2016 All Rights Reserved

The Rear View Mirror - 2014

by Savannah


via AFP

Transition years. They mean many things to many people. For the most part they bring uncertainty. Who will win the Slams? For the ATP the next question is who will dominate the Master 1000 events? For the WTA it means who will find her way to the top of the heap and will she get there by winning a Slam or will she simply play enough tournaments to give her the points to be named top dog? The ATP came close to having a slamless number one and suddenly all the mockery and scorn for the WTA and it's roster of slamless number ones disappeared. It didn't happen but the double standard between women's tennis and men's tennis is as real as it ever was. More on that later.

Nishikori Kei didn't win a Slam but he made the Final of the US Open. He beat the best clay courter ever on his best surface. No matter how he did it it was a win. He finished the year ranked fifth in the world. And no one doubts he's due to win a Slam, maybe in 2015. It's going to be interesting to see how he handles going from the hunter to the hunted, and whether his body will withstand the beating it will have to take to stay at the top of the men's game. And he's doing it with a celebrity coach or "super coach" as they're being called now, Michael Chang in his employ. Chang won the French and is an example of what a small man can do when he puts his mind to it. Of course the tennis of his time is not the tennis of today but he seems to be able to prepare his charge for today's physical game. The knock on Asian men in tennis has always been size but do the really big men of the West dominate the sport? Not really. Marin Ćilić, the US Open champion, is the exceptional big man who has won a Slam. The top male players are physical specimens but they're not "big men". John Isner is a big man. So is Milos Raonic. People want these men to do well but right now other than the hit and hit harder mindset they haven't shown themselves to be able to withstand the grind mentally.

But I digress. I think Nishikori is the ATP Player of the Year, Slam or no Slam. I'm sure there are those who will pick someone else, someone who has won a Slam, or holds the top ranking, or is considered a demigod. This was a transition year. And the man who is poised to take advantage of this time is Nishikori. I say this not as a big fan of his, I'm not, but it is what it is. Now it's Nishikori's turn to prove that 2014 was not a fluke, that he's ready to step up.


via Jen Pottheiser

This was not an easy decision. I know it should have been but it wasn't. I started this end of year post talking about transition and chose a man who hasn't won a Slam as my ATP Player of the Year. In the end though Serena Williams proved beyond a doubt that she is the dominant female player of her generation. In a year where mental fatigue showed, in a year where there was just a whiff of drama in her camp, in a year where the pack was nipping at her heels she somehow found a way to hold on to the top spot via convincing wins at the US Open and the YEC. She survived a year where coaches openly told their charges to tank matches, with no consequences from the subservient tennis press or the WTA, so that she would not win a the year end tournament. There was the usual hating from the usual corners of the tennis world, dank dark places where her dominace is looked on with hatred and envy, who want anyone but Serena at the top of the women's game. But there she sits, and the haters have, for now, retreated to their caves and are plotting for 2015.

Who else did I think of? Surprisingly Caroline Wozniacki who refocused on her game and gave players fits at the end of the year. Simona Halep didn't make the cut with me because she has not shown that she can mentally handle that Sunday afternoon match with all eyes on her. Petra Kvitova? It looks as if she's finally working on her fitness. Her inability to move is what's holding her back. Maria Sharapova? She's not able to bully players anymore and that could mean trouble for her in 2015. Ana Ivanovic? I can hear it now. "You picked Nishikori for ATP Player of the Year so why not Ana who really fought her way back into the top five?" I think her being able to do that without changing much if anything about her game points to the weakness and mental frailty of everyone ranked below Serena. "But Maria is tough!" I hear you saying. She knows who she can bully and who she can't. She's in Halep's head. Kvitova has to be interested in order to win those big matches. If you scream and holler at Ivanovic she cracks.

This is why, despite the good year many in the top five had in the end I had to choose Serena Williams. Her team has her ready for just about every match. Yes she has bad days, we all do. But when it matters, when winning is the only option, a win it will be. Looking ahead I don't think she's going to play as much in 2015. She'll play the Slams, she'll play the big tournaments but right now her strategy has to be to stay healthy mentally and physically. It's not going to get any easier for her. She is vulnerable, but I feel that Serena will find a way to stay within the top five.

This and That

It's been an interesting "off season" hasn't it? To get this out of the way I haven't watched one second of the IPTL event in Asia and didn't intend to. The 2015 season starts in a few weeks and it's going to be a month of living backwards - sleeping in the day and up at night. I'm not going to do that for exhibition matches. I didn't watch the event in London either.

Not that I haven't been paying attention though. I've been Tweeting and keeping up with current events in tennis, which seems to mean keeping up with who is coaching who for 2015. So let's discuss that for a few minutes.

The most recent news is that Martina Navratilova will be joining Agniezska Radwanska's team on a part time basis. Aga has seen the WTA pass her by and while she is a mere ten points behind Ivanovic in the rankings most of the wins she has are against up and comers who haven't figured her out yet. The top women don't have big problems with her anymore. Navratilova has made no secret of wanting to coach and taking on Aga is going to be an interesting experiment. I guess Aga wants to improve her aggression the way Ivanovic and Wozniacki have so she has a better chance of winning seven matches instead of five at a Slam. I don't expect to see much in Melbourne since they won't have had much time to work together. At least that's how it looks from the outside.

Then there was the intriguing he is then he isn't situation with Sloane Stephens and Nick Saviano. Sloane was seen working at his academy and as quick as you can type 140 characters it was being reported that Saviano was her new coach. Then came the clarification: He's not her coach, not really. She's at his Academy but he's not officially her coach. Got that? This is after Thomas Högstedt was announced as her coach but he then signed on to "consult" with Simona Halep who said she must have a Romanian coach since only a Romanian can understand her. Capiche? So right now Sloane has no coach. This young woman had better remove her head from her posterior and realize the WTA has truly passed her by and that she's joined the ranks of American players who serve as cannon fodder for the real contenders on the tour. It makes no sense to be uncoachable when you haven't won a damn thing.

The other coachless wonder is Eugenie Bouchard, the latest WTA special snowflake. I really think the WTA has created a monster with Ms Bouchard. At the YEC she was heard asking then coach Saviano why they played the event. At the YEC! You're one of the best, one of the top eight women in the world, and you're not honored to make the cut, you don't get that you're in elite company, that everyone ranked below you wants to be where you are? As if that wasn't bad enough she posted a Tweet jokingly proclaiming a ball machine as her new coach. Talk about disrespectful.
Yes she's done more than Sloane but at least Sloane doesn't disrespect the sport that is allowing her to live a life many dream of. Oh wait, Bouchard already lived that life. Maybe that's it. It's not a big deal for her to be treated differently from others so the things that get other players excited don't move her. I wonder if Tennis Canada wants her to choose a Canadian? I wonder if some US based coach thinks he can work with her. As I write this she and the machine are still working together.

Wim Fissette, who famously encouraged Simona Halep to throw a match to stop Serena Williams from making the final of the YEC, advice that to her credit she ignored, will now be working with Madison Keys when she plays out of the United States. Lindsay Davenport will work with her in the US. Madison Keys is, in my opinion, the best hope for the United States as long as she stays out of the clutches of the USTA and it's coaches. She has the killer instinct, she just doesn't know how to harness and control it. I'm glad she's made moves to improve her game.

On December 9 the WTA announced a deal with London based Perform Group worth $525 million dollars. To quote from the press release

Perform is paying the rights fees and guaranteeing money to produce all 2,000 main-draw singles matches and 300 semifinals and finals of doubles matches each year. Networks that choose to produce tournaments on their own will receive subsidies from the venture, which is called WTA Media.

There's no word yet on what this will cost fans to get access to the streams. It's a good move by the WTA. This will make sure women's tennis gets more exposure. I hope it will mean higher quality tennis as well. If we return to the style of tennis that was the norm before the modern era I don't know that many people who are not already fans will be motivated to watch. No one wants to see what one tennishead called "strike and push" tennis anymore.

On the men's side there hasn't been much change. The former players who became coaches this year seem to be keeping their jobs for now so no drama there.

Andy Roddick, the last American man to win a Slam back in the dark ages of 2003, was made an honorary member of Wimbledon. That's your year end proof that the old boy tennis network is alive and well.

Meanwhile Pete Sampras lobbed a few over the wall. With Isner the highest ranked US man at nineteen Sampras said the outlook for US tennis on the mens side is bleak. He was quoted as saying the following:

"I don't see anyone, I don't really know anyone that even people are talking about to break through even into the top 10.

"We're not into the 90s anymore. It will be quite a while to see American tennis back to where it was," said the 14-times major winner who is in India to take part in the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL).

"I think the game has got so international, so global that a lot of kids are playing tennis all around the world. So it makes it tougher for the Americans.

"Maybe the world is more hungry and for whatever reasons, we are not producing juniors, young pros with potential. It's just a phase and hopefully doesn't last that long."

No one talks that bluntly about the state of mens tennis in the United States. I'm sure a lot of folks got the vapors after reading that.

Speaking of talking bluntly and the old boy tennis network Romanian player Marius Copil told the following story about Bernard Tomic to a Romanian reporter. It shows why some juniors are legends in their own minds and have a difficult transition to the Main Tour. The translation I'm using is from an article posted by Filippo Scala and appears on the TennisWorldusa.org site.

Q. Some players from your generation like Milos Raonic, Grigor Dimitrov and Bernard Tomic have already achieved great results. What do you think made the difference compared to you?

A. Let me make you an example. In 2009, I played a Semifinal in Cremona, Italy, against Tomic, who was ranked No. 170 at that time. I was somewhere around No. 200. Do you know how many people he had with him? 6! I only had a physical coach. This is the difference. Tomic told me that he received a credit card from the Australian Tennis Federation and had already spent $ 1.5 million. It was a card with unlimited amount! On top of that, he had signed a contract with Nike since he was a junior. Had he been ranked between 50 and 100, he would have received € 300.000 a year, which would have doubled in case he had broken into the top-50. On the contrary, I receive $15.000 from my sponsor and I have to give 20% to my manager. This, I think, says it all.

Of course in the world of tennis his saying somewhere else in the interview that Sharapova isn't his type got more attention than the statement about Tomic and Tennis Australia.

Oh yeah about Grigor Dimitrov. I still don't see it. With Borna Ćorić and Alexander Zverev I see it. Both will have to create public personas that will resonate with Western audiences though. They have a bit of star power that is sorely lacking among up and comers at the moment.

That said I do see a period of mediocrity for both men's and women's tennis arriving sooner than people want to believe. I don't see superstars like we have now, men and women who transcend their sport. But who knows?

Anyway Brisbane starts in a few weeks. I'd better rest up.

The Final Four

by Savannah


Photo via Alex Goodlett Getty Images


Photo via John G Mabanglo EPA

The WTA is trying, rather lamely, to make it seem as if Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki are besties. Both women are loyal to the WTA and will go along with whatever PR their association wants. I mean the ATP had success with making us believe Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer were besties until Rafa quit the Players Association because of differences with Federer.

But I digress.

As you all know I don't do picks. I don't play Suicide Pools or any of the games associated with tennis because I want to be free to enjoy the tennis without wondering if I'm going to finish second or third in a pool or game.

That said the obvious pick would be Serena Williams. I mean she's the top player. Her head to head vs Caroline Wozniacki, her "best friend", is 8-1. But this is the 2014 US Open where anything can happen. Serena has not played her best in this tournament. Most fans breathed a sigh of relief when she made the Quarter Finals, her first ever this year, and the Final. I want to say she'll romp but Wozniacki has had it with playing defensive, get every shot back, tennis. She's discovered the joys of aggression, of taking it to her opponent. Is she picturing her ex with every return she hits? Who knows? Whatever makes it easy for you girl. She'll still have to face Serena in a Final in a year that's been kind of "meh" for her. Whatever demons were tormenting her she seems to have them under control but I don't think this will be an easy match. I think Woz will win a set. I think they'll play each other tough. It shouldn't be a toss up but it could be. Woz has had a successful year and seems willing to take it to her opponents.

It should be a good match.


via Art Seitz/Splash News


via Getty Images

If you follow me on Twitter you know how I feel about the so called tennis "journalists" who are saying the ATP Final at this years US Open is going to suck. I think it's disgusting that men and women who are paid for their expertise are upset that one player didn't make the Final and therefore no one is going to watch. That is why tennis is in trouble. The same people were whining that "it's always the same guys" in the Final of a major and "majors have become predictable. Handed a Final where both men have had to go through a Murderer's Row of opponents instead of doing what most sports writers would do they're whining because a player who had a cake walk to the Final, who never had to play a match in the debilitating heat of the BJK Center, didn't make it. When Nishikori Kei won his match I got the impression that fans of the cult of the FedGod were sipping champagne and celebrating what would have been a record setting Final victory. I guess they hadn't been paying attention to how Marin Cilic had played this tournament. They're only "journalists" and it's supposed to be their job to make note of such things but they went for the PR, for the ish to put it somewhat politely, and penciled in their idol. The Twitter silence was deafening. They had to wait to be told what to think. And that is pathetic.

What do I think? I expect a good match. I expect both men - one a big man who can move, the other a small man who plays with finesse - will play their hearts out. I expect at least four sets. I have no idea who will win. This match is a toss up. Unlike the Women's Final, where all will depend on Serena, this Final will depend on who plays better.

I read that not one journalist from Croatia made it to New York. Their editors must be kicking themselves.

I'm not going to get into how the story line became the coaches of the players who played the semifinals. I mean really? It seemed that the consensus was Edberg would out think them all. Ha! The coach can't play the match. And truth be told it was never about them. Commentators wanted to make it about their time in the sun and it really wasn't. Sad that this became the narrative.

I wonder how late interns will be up putting together the promo for Cilic vs Nishikori. Good times.

The Disaster that is United States Tennis

by Savannah

This was a Fed Cup week for the women of the WTA so the ATP stepped into the breach with three 250 tournaments.


via PBZ Zagreb

Marin Cilic got a nice win over Tommy Haas in Zagreb. I saw some of the play up to the semi finals and Haas was playing well after being pushed by opponents so it's not like Cilic was facing an untested man across the net. I didn't see the Final but from the score it looks as if it was a decent match with Cilic winning 6-3, 6-4. Some would say he routined Haas. I can't say yea or nay. Team Figure Skating from Sochi occupied my time.

Meanwhile two of the Clown Princes of tennis ended up hoisting trophies.


TAM Perú

Fabio Fognini, who when he's not on top of his game and feels he doesn't have a chance can put on a horrid display on court obviously felt good in Viña del Mar winning the final over Leo Mayer 6-2, 6-4. I like to see Fognini when he's playing his best so I'm sorry I missed this one yesterday.


via AFP

Gaël Monfils is one of the biggest underachievers in tennis. With the talent he has there is no reason he couldn't easily be in the top five contending in Slams and M1000's. Instead when he feels pressed he goes into his act becoming a showman instead of a tennis player. Whenever I see Gaël start clowning I know he is finished.

Yesterday he played Richard Gasquet for the title in Montpellier and to be honest I expected Gasquet to win. I was surprised to see that Gaël won. Maybe he has matured and the new look is in effect inside and out. I hope so. He is too talented not to take advantage of it.

The Fed Cup Disaster

Italy didn't even think it had to send it's "A" team to play the United States in the US city of Cleveland, Ohio. The only player I'd heard of before was Karin Knapp. Mary Jo Fernandez, our Fed Cup coach, picked a good team in my opinion: Madison Keys, Alison Riske, Christina McHale and Lauren Davis who would team up with Riske to play doubles. I'm geoblocked from Fed Cup TV so I didn't make a particular effort to watch but I have to say that I was surprised that Madison Keys didn't win a singles match. Not one. At least McHale won a set. Keys went down to Camila Giorgi (sorry I have heard of her) 6-2, 6-1 and never took the court again. Is she injured? Did they make sure her brain was functioning? The only match the US won was when Riske and Davis took the doubles in straight sets. I wonder if the Italian team cared since they'd won the tie already.

This result was a disaster for American tennis and completed a Fed Cup/Davis Cup wipe out. Our men couldn't beat a team carried by one man and our women, who to their credit have been playing better lately, couldn't rise to the insult of have having a "B" team sent to play them and at least make the tie competitive.

Is it poor coaching? Is it because our top player didn't play? I call bullshit. These young women have had millions of dollars invested in them by the USTA and can't even beat Camila Giorgi and Karin Knapp. Nastassja Burnett and Alice Matteucci played doubles for Italy. Ironically there have been no calls for Mary Jo to step down because to be honest who would be stupid enough to take the job? Mary Jo is an insider and with her husband still a mega agent they're not going to go after her like they would any other Captain are they?

Serena Williams is 31 years old. She's focused on her legacy. Venus Williams is playing for pride and her legacy as well. I've been saying for a while now that after the Williams Sisters retire there is NO ONE. Of all the up and comers I've seen the only one who impressed is Victoria Duval and she may go to college instead of turning pro right away. Sloane Stephens? Forget her. She thinks she's playing for her legacy when she doesn't even have one and by the looks of things may never have one.

Andy Roddick was US tennis for years but he rightly decided it was time for him to step down and do other things. Those who were supposed to step into his shoes? Ain't happening.

But this means nothing to the US tennis establishment. There isn't an American in the top ten except for Serena and that drives them up the wall. There is this kid playing juniors now, Francis Tiafoe, who is sixteen and picked up tennis pretty much on his own. He's still four or five years away.

I'm sure there are frenzied meetings going on about what to do but I don't know if they can do anything. Offer Duval the moon to keep playing? Force Tiafoe to go up against the big boys when he hasn't finished growing mentally or physically yet? Our players can't think on court. Therefore they can't adapt on court. They think they're the shit without having any great achievements, hell without any achievements outside of lower level events or events tailor made for them. Hell at least the Brits have Andy Murray. We've got no one.

Time to Catch Up

by Savannah


Milos Raonic via PORNCHAIKITTIWONGSAKUL

I have been watching tennis. Well kind of. It's hard to switch time zones from one coast of the United States to another, a three hour difference. Changing fourteen hours is another thing altogether.


Zhang Shuai via WTATennis

There have been firsts during my little hiatus. There have been signs that some do have the ability to live up to what their Federations expect of them.


Ernests Gulbis via StPetersburg Open

Some even managed to drop their perceived don't give a damn attitude and hoist a trophy.


Gilles Simon via French Tennis Magazine

Some went into witsec to avoid aliens enraged that once again one of their children has been snatched.


Aga Radwanska via PAP/EPA/JEON HEON-KYUN

Common sense finally won out for one woman who decided that brunettes have more fun and that ombre hair works much better for her than a total blonde dye job. And she managed to lift a trophy.


Joao Sousa via AP/Vincent Thian

Do National firsts trump personal firsts? When they mesh its a beautiful thing no?


Petra Kvitova via AP

If all of tennis believes your personal life will cause your professional life to go on the skids the best way to shut people up is to win a title right? So what if you're still out of shape and your bustline will end up somewhere around your knees before you're thirty if you don't start using a decent sports bra? Oh, and you could stand to lose a few pounds so your gut doesn't hang over the top of your skirt? What was that? He likes it? Well then. Who are we to say? Maybe frump is the new in look but I didn't see it in the September Vogue. Then again Ms Wintour wouldn't let you anywhere near her magazine would she?

AHEM.

At any rate there was a lot of news taking place off court. I guess this is the time of year when Federations, what passes for the tennis press, players and anyone remotely associated with tennis decides to let mere mortals, aka regular fans, know some of what's going on behind the scenes.

An example of this was the announcement that Canadian Michael Downey will be the new chief executive of the British Lawn Tennis Association. Well he does speak English right? I won't go into how different British English is from all other forms of English but I digress.

A few days after Downey was publicly announced an interesting news article was published that said, well read this for yourself.

The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is set to announce a two-year funding freeze for grassroots projects just as clubs are bursting at the seams and desperate to capitalise on Andy Murray's Wimbledon triumph.

As LTA chief executive Roger Draper steps down from his £640,000-a-year post tomorrow at the end of a controversial five-year reign at the top of the game's governing body, documents circulated earlier this month warn that the highly contentious move is on its way.

Instead of awarding capital grants to clubs around the country, the LTA will announce that any club wanting to expand or improve its infrastructure will receive only an interest-free loan. Coaches and club chairmen said the move was incomprehensible at a time when interest in tennis was unprecedented.

Sources told The Independent on Sunday that the LTA is prioritising the elite game over grassroots tennis.

The source said: "There is only a certain amount of money at the LTA and something has to give, but it will be a shame if grassroots projects are being hit at a time when we all want to capitalise on the interest around the UK after Andy's fantastic year."

Emphasis mine. That emphasis on the elite game has worked soooo well for them hasn't it? Long time readers will remember the hype when Draper took over. He was going to stop the paying of large stipends and other kinds of support to players who have performed poorly at best on the world stage. I get the feeling nothing has changed.



Obviously feeling no pain Andy Murray, who is British Tennis, Tweeted this picture from his hospital bed after undergoing back surgery to relieve what's been described as a long term back injury. Keep in mind Murray had just played Davis Cup for England. I was going to say his country but he's a Scot by birth and seemingly by inclination. Is there any British man who can step into Murray's shoes in the near future? There's been some hype around Daniel Evans but we'll have to wait and see if he can handle the pressure.

Then there's the WTA. It deserves it's own series here but it gets tiresome writing the same thing over and over for me.

Anyway WTA CEO Stacey Allaster when asked whether women should play three-out-of-five sets at the Grand Slams, Allaster said her players were, “Ready, willing, and able—all you have to do is ask us.”

Really Stacey? Many of your players are dead on their feet if they have to go three sets. Five sets and you'll need paramedics courtside. Why fan the flames at this time especially when even your top players play in mostly empty stadiums (except in Istanbul)? You think people will pay to see who collapses in a heap first in the fourth set?

Meanwhile newly named Spanish Davis Cup Captain Carlos Moyá went after Ivan Lendl and his pupil, the above mentioned Andy Murray. Why? Maybe he was bored?

For me, Murray is neither Novak nor Rafa," Moya writes. "He can become one [of those types of players], but right now he is not. In terms of consistency, he is far away. Rafa has made 12 finals in 13 tournaments and has won 10. Djokovic has lost very few matches. Murray—not just this year—is a player who has trouble mentally enduring throughout the year.”

Moya also criticized Murray's coach, Ivan Lendl. Moya believes Lendl is having Murray focus too much on the majors and not enough on the other tournaments.

The original article is in Spanish . A translation is HERE

If we're going to have throw downs between the previous generation maybe Stacey Allaster can rent out her paramedic team. That'll help any cash flow issue no?

The controversy surrounding Marin Cilic continues. Tennis fans are shocked and appalled that Cilic cited an injury when he withdrew from Wimbledon. YAWN!!!
If Andre Agassi was given a pass by what passed for drug testing and discipline because he tested positive for crystal meth why do people think that Cilic is the first player to ever cite an injury as a reason to withdraw from a competition?

Anyway the ITF has " released the entire decision on Cilic. Read it and make up your own mind. I think Cilic has shown respect for the sport by opting not to play while his appeal is pending unlike others who continue to play.

Sigh. There's even more. Patty Schnyder has surfaced and is separated from her last Rainer. He's living with a new girlfriend on a horse farm somewhere while Patty is said to be teaching tennis somewhere. I've attached a horrid Google translation.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga continues making somewhat controversial statements " regarding tennis, his this time but of course he threw another player under a bus.

How did Murray win his slams? Because he's surrounded by 14 people. I won't be travelling with that many, but perhaps I'll have a group where I train.

It's complicated for me. I'm not going to pretend otherwise. It's really a bit sad because I train like crazy. I'm an animal physically, but that's not how I'm going to beat the top 2-3. I've tried to see just how far I can go. But there's a point where my body says to me "You're a nice guy, but this isn't possible." I can't go 5 sets with those guys without it affecting my health. I'm not on the same planet as Nadal and Djoko. Their level never drops, so I have to beat them quickly.

I have to be explosive. I have to change the way I work. I have to be quicker, pack more punch, move forward, hurt them.

Some things never change. The link is in French which the machine translations don't screw up as much as they do other languages.


Illustration Igor Kravarik

You didn't think I'd leave this out did you?

I have to say tennis fans are loyal fans. Player abused meth? Still has tons of fans. Player mistakenly takes a controlled substance? Loyal fans. Player and her family attack soon to be ex husband, steals his passport and other items, and it's a plot by the estranged husband to get his hands on her money.

So far only one source has posted a denial by Hingis camp and it wasn't attributed to anyone.
Why did Martina and her family jump her ex? Who knows? It'll probably be revealed by sources overseas not anyone who covers tennis here. There were questions about why she was enshrined in the Tennis Hall of Fame and then went back out on the main tour as a doubles player but have you read any explanation about why that was okay? Me neither.

I did find out that Hingis is known for having a temper. There is the incident from back in the day between her and her then doubles partner Anna Kournikova.

In November 2000 they played an exhibition match in Santiago, Chile, which featured an on-court strop, followed by a locker-room bust-up over a disputed line call. Hingis had asked Kournikova to intervene regarding the decision but the Russian is reported to have concurred with the line judge. At the next changeover Hingis, then the women's No1, hissed: "Do you think you are the queen? Because I am the queen."

Cut to the locker room later and a screaming match that involved vases, flowers and trophies being flung. "It was so bad I thought they were going to beat each other up," said a frightened Jaime Fillol, the former Chilean player, who organised the event.

The details are " HERE

Who says tennis is dull?

Marin Cilic Tested Positive for a Banned Substance in Munich

BREAKING NEWS

Leading Croatian newspapers are reporting that Marin Cilic tested positive for a banned substance in April during the Munich tournament. Cilic is said to have totally cooperated with the ITF and an agreement was reached that he would not play for three months. The match he "lost" at Wimbledon was actually a tank since he learned of the positive test at that time.

For updates please follow @radosko on Twitter. He's translating the Croatian.

UPDATE

Amy Fetheroff posted a full translation of the Croatian report. Thanks Amy!

The following report appeared on Jutarnji.hr, a credible Croatian news source. This has been translated by Mateja Vidakovic:

Marin Cilic tested positive in a drug test during the ATP tournament in Munich this year. Though no information is yet disclosed by the ITF, Marin’s manager Vincent Stavaux claimed, “There will be no comment until we are able to comment,” indirectly confirming there was a problem.

According to the information available, Marin Cilic failed the drug test during the tournament in April, only two weeks after passing a doping check with flying colors, during the Monte Carlo Masters 1000. When he lost to Ivan Dodig in Munich, he was tested again and confirmed to have an illegal substance in his body.

Reports claim that careless consumption of glucose was to blame for the test coming up positive. Marin was left with no glucose during the Munich tournament, and one of his confidants bought some in a pharmacy. The glucose supposedly had a warning labeled on it for sportsmen. According to sources close to Marin, he failed to read the warning and then subsequently tested positive.

Further supporting this theory is what transpired after Munich. Croatia’s top player agreed to cooperate with the ITF anti-doping agency as soon as he was informed about testing positive. Cilic found out during Wimbledon and therefore forfeited his second round match against Kenny De Schepper. Therefore, his knee injury was a ruse as Marin awaited for the situation to unfold after Wimbledon.

According to Marin’s statement for the Jutarnji list paper, he hopes to be able to play in Montreal. Considering the tournament begins on the 5th of August, there is a theory stating the ITF will suspend Marin for three months, but retroactively. Considering he lost against Dodig on the 2nd of May, the three month suspension could fit from then on up until the beginning of Montreal. Its assumed that the penalty is so lenient due to Marins co-operation with the ITF.

If this retroactive suspension would be the case, then Cilic would be stripped of all the points and prize money he won in the last three months. In this case, Canada would be a new start. The worst case scenario for the Croat would be that his statement about Montreal, and the matching dates, would only be a coincidence. In this case, Cilic has hard times ahead of him as we await for the ITF to issue a statement.

Well That Was Some Weekend

by Savannah


Being American and all I suppose I'm required to start this post with a picture of Miss Melanie Oudin, a Southern girl who said that she really didn't want to come up North because, well, she's a Southern girl. It brought to mind Blanche Devereaux's comments about her going against social barriers in the south by dating a northerner and scandalizing her class.

But I digress.

What is kind of interesting is that Blanche, uh, Melanie, defeated Jelena Jankovic, a former WTA #1. Do I have to mention she was one of the Slamless number ones? I guess I should because there are some who may be new to tennis who are trying to learn as much as possible about the sport. JJ played every tournament known to God and man in order to achieve the top ranking, a path followed by several other of her peers who made it to the top without winning a Slam along the way.

Anyway I think it's time to acknowledge that JJ is in a serious decline. She's never been the same since that idjut Ricardo Sanchez had her bulk up to improve her stamina. Does JJ need to take some time off and assess where she wants to go in tennis? Then again who am I? I sit on my couch or at the dining table watching television and knowing every move a player should make on court. Still a brief vacation may do JJ some good.



Then there's Alize Cornet looking like she stepped out of a Renoir painting in her trophy picture. Alize showed great promise as a young teen and was being touted as the next best among the French women. Alize then proceeded to fall off the face of the earth tennis wise. She's been making a comeback, this is her second title in four years, and I'm glad to see her continuing to play and try to get her ranking up. I'm not sure if she's ready for the big babes of the WTA yet but she's trying to live up to her potential more or less out of the limelight.



There is this grass warm up tournament held in Germany right after the French Open in a place called Halle. The tournament pays big bucks to big names to have them show up with clay court hang over's and bring the fans out. The players do their thing and then go off for some rest and relaxation before the next big dance held in fabled London SW19.

When the dust settled this year the Halle Final was played between two men who are both in their thirties. Tommy Haas, seen above, is 34. He played this guy named Roger Federer who found himself in another final.

Federer is not used to his opponents fighting back. He loves the adulation and resignation many who take the court against him exhibit and uses it to push him towards his goal sure of a win and building up more adulation from the prostrate tennis media.

Haas had nothing to lose and played aggressive, fearless, non adulatory tennis. He treated Federer as just another guy across the net and came away with a win.

MV did send me another email by the way. Something about her Captain being locked in the man wing of the house - you didn't think a mere man cave would suffice did you - and not coming out for food or practice.

Anywho Haas earned himself a Wild Card into Wimbledon based on his play. I don't think there are too many players who want to see his name in their quarter.



Then there's Marin Cilic, the tall, dark and some would say handsome player from Croatia (Is there any other kind?). He found himself playing another man who seemed to have decided that he was sick of waiting for the indoor season to get some silverware to put in his trophy chest, David Nalbandian. It was very windy and I wondered if Mr. Indoor Tennis would have trouble against Cilic who played well this tournament. David - not Fat Dave at the moment - is Nalbandian fit. That is all I'm going to say about that.

But it wasn't stamina or the elements that cost David the trophy. David, in a fit of blind anger, kicked one of the ad boxes the lines people stand in during play and sit in during a break. I've always thought those boxes were silly since they restrict the movement of the line judges.

I'm going to take a minute and describe "blind anger" for those who seem not to understand what that term means. There are people who get so angry, with
themselves, others, or circumstance, that they are literally blind. It's why murderers sometimes say they don't remember committing the act. They're blind not only emotionally but in a way physically since they grab the first thing they can and wail away. In David's case he kicked the thing that was in front of him, the ad box. I don't think he even saw that there was someone sitting inside the box. The line judge had no way to get away.



Yes it's a cut. Cut's bleed. David did not run away, he stayed there talking to the man until the medics arrived. If you read some of the shit the "professional journalists" tweeted yesterday you'd think David picked up a piece of the splintered wood and bashed the man's head in. Not only was the physical act of kicking the ad box raised to the level of a capital crime but some of the comments revealed a deep seated animus against David Nalbandian, coming from where I don't know and don't want to speculate lest I come down to their level, a place I don't want to be.




The rule book states there are penalties that have to be assessed in a case like this and David has been penalized by the powers that be. All of which makes me wonder where these outraged "journalists" were when current favorite Grigor Dimitrov chased after an official after a match and assaulted him not only verbally but physically? What about Victoria Azarenka's outbursts a mere two or three years ago that are never discussed by the "tennis media"? And of course there's Yanina Wickmayer who threw a racquet and hit a lines woman in the head? That woman went to the hospital. I guess because none of these people follow tennis that's played away from glamourous resorts or stadium complexes think no one else does either. Then they wonder why certain of their favorites are not popular with the average tennis fanatic and think good p.r. and nice pictures will win fans over.




There were some who said Nalbandian's punishment didn't go far enough, that he should be forced to pay at least what Serena Williams was fined. Do. Not. Get.Me. Started.

There was no blood shed during that US Open incident. There was a verbal threat but no blood was spilled anywhere. The fear of the anger of an African American woman is what fueled that storm, nothing more, nothing less. Has Andy Roddick done more verbal abuse on court? Yes. Did Andre Agassi do physical damage to officials? Yes. But hey, it's just Andy in the heat of battle. And Andre is SUCH a competitor isn't he?



Nalbandian committed an infraction and he's paying for it. That is what the rule book calls for. He is not up for capital murder. Let's let this furor die.

The USTA Does Absolutely Nothing...

Except figure out how to spend a lot of money so that they can cram more people into the US Open in a couple of years. Are they putting a roof on Ashe? No. Armstrong? No.
Somewhere? No.

They're moving some of the outer courts around and taking away the best court for watching tennis, The Grandstand court. If you've been there you know that the Grandstand court is linked to Louis (pronounced Lewis as was clearly stated in Louis Armstrong's cover of "Hello Dolly") Armstrong stadium and provides fans a way to go back and forth without having to exit one to get to the other or vice versa. There was a lot of whining about the long lines that form for Grandstand entry and the logjam that sometimes follows.

It should be mentioned that admittance to Armstrong and/or The Grandstand requires the mere purchase of a Grounds Pass. There is no need to pay an exorbitant amount of money to get a decent seat in Ashe, or to pay a somewhat more reasonable amount to sit in the blue seats and watch the jumbotrons.

With this announcement the US Open will remain the only Slam without at least one of it's main venues having a roof. I've heard all about the swamp land and it's boring now. I mean they're moving the Grandstand off of the soft ground and onto a portion of the property that is not swamp. All I see them doing is shifting deck chairs. The longer they wait the more expensive it'll become. I'm just saying.

Lazy, Hazy Crazy Days of Summer

by Savannah


It was a given that Marion Bartoli would fight back. Some complained that quarterfinalist Maria Sharapova didn't, that she was intimidated and tight. Semi finalist Sabine Lisicki, the flame thrower of the new generation put up a bit of a fight but in the end she went down with a bit of a whimper. The newly slim - not yet svelte-Bartoli was a horse of a different color. With all her twists and turns and jumping up and down it's easy to overlook her ability to play with power. All the moving around is a disguise, a way for Marion to distract and confuse while she blows you off the court. She defeated a just returning to play Serena at Wimbledon and if you think both players didn't have that match in mind I don't know what to tell you.

The match was played at noon California time, a time probably dictated by broadcast requirements, and Serena, who was playing her first day match came out a little slow. The sun was obviously bothering her from one side and Marion looked as if she was going to run away with the first set. If she had been playing anyone else, one of the new jacks perhaps, that would've been the case.

Instead Serena worked herself into that first set. Ignoring the scoreline she used a service motion she's never used in public before and while it didn't quite work showed that she was thinking, in the match and looking for her chance. Her Dad was there but she didn't call him down to discuss strategy or bitch. This is the Williams way.

Marion on the other hand asked to talk to her coach/father Walter when she was up 5-4. He seemed to give her a pep talk and she seemed satisfied. When she looked up again she had lost five straight games.

Marion is not of the old or new generation. She is a player unto herself. But reflexively she asked for a consult she didn't need. And that tightened her up mentally and physically. There was some discussion about her hand and she kept shaking her right arm out but when she finally won a game she was striking the ball without any problem. For many that is the problem with Maid Marion. Again her goal is to obfuscate, to distract. Serena didn't go for it.

There is talk about Serena being a favorite for the US Open. There are some who say you'll have to pry the trophy out of Kim Clijsters cold hands. Clijsters had not played since she showed up for the French Open and was quickly dispatched. This is her strategy. She comes into the US Open fresh as a daisy while everyone else has been playing as full a schedule as they can entering Flushing Meadows. Toronto and Cincinnati are Mandatory for WTA players. So was San Diego. It's a given in my book that Clijsters will have a very nice draw in New York just like she always has. Look for Serena, who will be unseeded, to have to face murderers row.
I'm not making Serena my favorite for the US Open. She is playing much better than she was in Paris and London but her father says she's only 60% back. You ignore Richard Williams comments about his daughters at your peril.

I didn't see the final at Umag in Croatia but I did see the semifinal between Juan Carlos Ferrero and Aleksandr Dolgopolov the day before. Dolgopolov shut down any and every idea Juanqui had defeating the defending champion. It seems the man with the best hair in the ATP had relaxed and was playing a style he hadn't played before. He made Ferrero look and maybe feel old. It was no surprise to me to hear that he defeated local favorite Marin Cilic. And yeah, that is one hell of a trophy. And no I ain't goin' there.

Nadia Petrova wore a kit by Ellesse and found her way to a trophy ceremony for the first time since 2008 at the inaugural CitiOpen held in a suburb of Washington DC. In the middle of the US Open series the WTA stages an inaugural event that is not part of that series allowing Tennis Channel to totally diss their product during an intriguing semi final match between Shahar Pe'er and Tamira Paszek and switch without an announcement that they were going to do so, to the semifinal between Ryan Harrison and Mardy Fish in Los Angeles.I finished watching the match online and decided that that was the last time I would invest in a woman's match on TC. Even though Harrison made it interesting there was no way Fish wasn't going to win that match. It was unclear who would win the women's semifinal. Add to that the heat and the length of the match and it was a better match to watch. Then again, who cares if two non Americans were playing a match that some suit decided should have been over in about two hours right? Much more exciting to see the "Alpha Male" of American tennis playing the up and comer, the future of American tennis right?

But I digress. I'm glad Nadia, retro kit and all, won a tournament. Sure Pe'er, after a three hour match was fried, but a win is a win even if US television decides your match is unimportant.

Marcel Granollers won the all Spanish final at Gstaad defeating the newly shorn Fernando Verdasco. Once again the PR firm representing the Alien Babies protested the use of one of their species gestation device. And once again their protests fell on deaf ears.

Ernests Gulbis doesn't fit the US tennis establishments view of a player from Eastern Europe. As tennis heads know all players from Eastern Europe have crawled out of their hovels and play tennis to the best of their abilities because they don't want to go back to their shacks with dirt floors and outdoor toilet facilities. Like many American players Ernests comes from a "very wealthy family" and his fits and starts on the court have been attributed to his "not needing to play" tennis. After all he flies to and from events in a private plane they always say.

None of this gets mentioned when someone like Sam Querrey, who also comes from a very wealthy family, plays. Last I checked Andy Roddick's family isn't destitute and neither is Mardy Fish's family but again I digress. They were blathering on about Ernests father and how he made his money and only Darren Cahill was able to shut them up and insert some talk about the tennis into his commentary. He couldn't do anything about Pam Shriver making up injuries for Mardy Fish when it became clear he wasn't going to pound Ernests into the pavement and win the match. The biggest question was whether Ernests would hold his nerve and defeat the visibly fatigued Fish.

The only thing Gulbis did wrong, and I'm sure his coach Guillermo Canas ripped him a new one about it, was when serving to close out his service game up 40-0 in the second set Gulbis served and before the ball landed was walking off the court. Gulbis hasn't earned the right to do shit like that and even if he did think he has swagger you don't do that. It's a bush league move and all it did was piss Fish off and force Gulbis to have to serve twice for the match. He closed it out the second time but he's going to have to check his ego at the gate going forward.

Xavier Malisse and Mark Knowles won the doubles crown in Los Angeles.

Sania Mirza and Yaroslava Shevedova took the doubles crown at the CitiOpen.

Maria Kirilenko and Victoria Azarenka were the doubles queens at Stanford.

The team of Cermak and Polasek were the doubles winners at Gstaad.

Bolelli and Fognini were the champions at Umag.

This and That 3/31/2010

by Savannah

The WTA has jumped into social networking with both feet. It's new fan site,
http://www.WTASuperFans.com/, has a great look and provides interesting tidbits on the players. Serena Williams gives details on a recent awkward moment involving her hitting partner " Big Sascha". I have to admit I agree with her comments.

As far as Twitter is concerned Serena, along with Anne Keothavong, Svetlana Kuznetsova (who posts in both Russian and English) and Venus Williams are the most prolific and hilarious of the women. Among the men only Andy Roddick posts enough to make himself interesting and give a glimpse into his personality. I was taken back when he admitted he had Justin Bieber fever. Talk about awkward.

Another American player, Sam Querrey, whom I don't follow, managed to put his foot in his mouth last night.

RT @samquerrey: although i still wish i was in the tournament im glad to be home and away from guido-ville a.k.a. miami!!!

I'm glad I saved the post because when you go to his Twitter page now the post has been deleted. Calling an Italian-American a "guido" is not cool. Why he used it in reference to the resident's of Miami is not clear. Wonder what he says about other ethnic minorities when no one is looking.

Sony Ericsson Open/Miami Watch

I'm still waiting to see what all the fuss is about regarding Yanina Wickmayer. Marion Bartoli (above) took her out in straight sets last night.

Did this man play the match of his life last night? He played the man across the net plus a rowdy, pro Monogram crowd.

The crowd during the men's night match was comparable to the crowd during the day match between Nicolas Almagro of Spain and Tomaz Bellucci of Brazil. Almagro had to stop playing at one point because of the heckling and an offending fan was warned that his next outburst would lead him to the exit.

Marin Cilic who was seeded 7th at Key Biscayne lost to Fernando Verdasco who will play Berdych next.

Pictures of the Day

Both of the above were taken during the Verdasco match.

End Note:

Serena Williams is reported to be "questionable" for Rome.

Who'd A Thunk It?

by Savannah

In a Fed Cup tie that was seen as a toss up by many observers the team from the United States led by Captain Mary Jo Fernandez crushed Team France 4-1. Amelie Mauresmo watched from the stands as the French women went down to defeat. Alize Cornet of France lost both of her rubbers and seems to still be having problems with her confidence. A short time ago she was seen as the next big thing in French women's tennis.

The United States joins the Czech Republic, Italy, and Russia in the next round. The United States will face Russia in the in United States. Some are already asking if Shamil Tarpishev will try and recruit Maria Sharapova to play the tie for Russia. Alisa Kleybanova, while fitter than she was last year still ran out of steam in her match against Jelena Jankovic who did end up playing for Serbia despite reports to the contrary.

Speaking of Serbia Ana Ivanovic played poorly. Like Cornet she has been in a swoon of late and doesn't seem to be coming out of it any time soon.

I should mention that Jelena Jankovic has reportedly fired coach Ricardo Sanchez and will be flying solo for awhile. JJ really needs to listen to the commentary Martina Navratilova did of her last match.

Weekend Highlights

Feliciano Lopez ended his absence from the winners circle by winning the South African Open.

Marin Cilic successfully defended his title in Zagreb.

Tomaz Bellucci won in Santiago.

US Open Day 10 Impressions

by Savannah

It ended as it had to. The stage was huge, the hype was out of control, and the junior who had been overlooked for so long played her age and experience. Melanie Oudin never really relaxed last night. With so many people talking at her, including Fed Cup Captain Mary Jo Fernandez about what to do against Caroline Wozniacki it seems as if the voice of her coach got drowned out.
He said as much in his brief talk with Pam Shriver.
What happens now? Will she continue to play juniors with occasional forays onto the main tour or will her team encourage her stick to the main tour. As we saw last night she is really not ready to play the big dogs. She needs to work on her game if she's going to compete with the top seeds. It would be nice if she continues to do what she's been doing but the hypebeast is merciless and needs to be fed. Let's see what happens to young Ms Oudin over the next year. Oh, and look out for the Russian Fed Cup team. You, Melanie, are on their radar.

As for Caroline Wozniacki she played a beautifully focused match. She did not let the moment get to her. She was the seed and she played like it. Anyone who has raised children knows the two years from seventeen to nineteen are crucial for emotional and physical growth. Caroline has been playing the main tour for some time now. She's had her share of spectacular failures and glorious wins. She won the Pilot Pen tournament, the warm up for the US Open after taking some much needed time off. There was never a doubt as to who would win the match, all the quips about starting the match in the second set aside.

Caroline will face Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium in her semi final match. I'd never seen Wickmayer play before and unfortunately all I knew about her was from an incident earlier this year where she had a spectacular meltdown and threw a ball that hit a lines person causing the person to have to go to the hospital. I had no idea how she would play Kateryna Bondarenko who is also a fiery character.

The match was not bad. I've seen worse played by higher ranked players. The major disappointment was K-Bond who showed none of the fire that got her a love and love victory in the prior round. She was playing cautiously and never let herself relax enough to get into the match. She picked up a little in the second set but it wasn't enough. Wickmayer flared up but quickly calmed down and stifled any hope Kateryna had of forcing a third set. Yanina showed sound fundamentals and a good tennis brain. Her match against Caroline will test her new found calm, and her skills.

Hype, the US Open, and Privilege

It was the above mentioned Pam Shriver who got booed last night but long before that bizarre on court interview with the loser of the match while the winner stood by the people who run the tournament showed the worst judgement of the event so far.

Anyone who goes to the night session knows that if the day session on Ashe runs long there can be a substantial wait while the cavernous stadium is cleaned - believe me it needs to be cleaned - and prepared for the evening.

Anyone who has been to a tennis match knows that once play starts fans are allowed in only at changeovers. With last nights highly anticipated women's match the lower tier seats were going to be full early because people wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

If normal protocol had been followed the women's match would've started about 8p Eastern time. Not bad right? I mean if push came to shove one of the matches could simply be moved to Armstrong. That's what happened the other night right?

As it turned out the cleaning people were told to scram and the women took the court about seven thirty, plus or minus fifteen minutes. The seats were empty and ESPN did show the fans still trying to enter Ashe even as the women were playing the first set. Needless to say there were delays on the first couple of changeovers until the fans were seated.

Now why would that happen? Was ESPN anxious to get tennis off the air and so pushed for the match to start no matter what or was something else at work here?

Let's get real. There was no way the women's match was going to be moved. There was absolutely no way the mens match was going to be moved. I don't think Caroline or Melanie have enough juice to dig in their heels and say "we ain't moving" but someone else playing last night did. Could it be that someone was anxious to get back to his Carlyle apartment at a "decent" hour so he could rest his sacred head on his silk monogrammed pillow cases and contemplate his glory? I don't have a clue. I just found it odd that they literally threw the women on the court the way they did. Since no one in the main stream tennis media will ask the question I just thought I would.

As for Pam Shriver's behavior I give her a pass. She is told where to go and who to talk to. She doesn't have control over her actions in and around the court. Some asshole told her to grab Melanie right after the match ended. Melanie could clearly be heard asking Pam "Right now?" in total shock. She asked Pam if she was sure more than once before the interview started. I'd love to see what would happen if they tried to interview any other player, male or female, in that situation. I don't blame Pam, I blame the idiot produceer. There are those who will say she should have just said no. She has children.

This and That

Fernando Verdasco played through pain and finished his match against Novak Djokovic yesterday afternoon. Novak will face the Monogram next.

Lots of chatter among the talking heads about the Marin Cilic vs Juan Martin del Potro match, most of it having to do with their height. They're very tall. We know that. How do their games match up guys? Does either one have that one shot or element in their game that will neutralize the other? Oh wait, they're tall. My bad.

I've been trying to figure out why all the hate towards Yanina Wickmayer. Could it be because she went to Florida to train and then went back to Belgium? I don't know. It's just bizarre. I mean people train in Florida all the time and then play for their home country.

Rumors started flying last night about Justine Henin coming back to the tour. Soon. Guess that involuntary vacation must be over soon.

It should be mentioned that the McEnroe family has always had rather close ties with Novak Djokovic. Was the other night staged? Maybe. Did Novak's people want to rehab his image with American tennis fans? Probably. Did it work? Cute is good the first couple of times. After a couple of times it gives you cavities. Oh and John, now there really is only one American left.

Reports are that none of the top Russian women will play the Kremlin Cup. With the Roadkill schedule the way it is it makes perfect sense for them not to play. Rumors are that Elena Dementieva will be added to the draw via a WC so that if she does withdraw she doesn't end up with a zero pointer. As of now I'm reading Dinara Safina, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Maria Sharapova will also skip the event.

The WTA corrected itself regarding the number one ranking. Serena Williams has to win the Open in order to regain the top spot. Film at eleven.

End Note


There are people who don't like Andy Roddick. That is their perogative. I'm not a big fan but sometimes he shows flashes of the person he was when he first came on tour. In a startlingly frank online piece The Guardian did a pre US Open assessment of the American tennis scene. Andy's fans may read it and weep but the end of the article is what made me sit up and take notice. I have to thank tennis head "Special600" for posting this article.

Aficionados have long known about the talents of the 17-year-old Melanie Oudin, who beat the former world No1 Jelena Jankovic at Wimbledon this year, but casual observers – and there are always plenty of those in the stands at Flushing Meadows – embraced her second-round victory over the No4 seed, Elena Dementieva, early on Thursday as the second coming of Billie Jean King. Likewise, the local media heralded Oudin's progress into the third round, where she will meet Maria Sharapova, as a landmark moment for US women's tennis.

"Everyone keeps waiting for the American girl. You went through that being a boy," was the questioned posed to Roddick after his victory over Gicquel. There is one major flaw with that question and it is that no one is "waiting for the American girl", at least not if they acknowledge that in Venus and Serena Williams the host country has the two most dominant players in the women's game.


Indeed, while America's male players have floundered since Roddick's victory here in 2003, the Williams sisters have won eight grand slam titles between them. Serena currently holds three of the major trophies. It is hardly Oudin's fault that in the rush to diminish the Williams sisters her achievement has been elevated beyond its true status, but it doesn't diminish the ugliness of the sentiment.

Perhaps if the question had been "everyone keeps waiting for the 'white' American girl" there would have been no ambiguity.

As it was, Roddick, who is a close friend of Serena Williams, did not let the moment pass without kicking back.

"From what I have been looking at and reading, it doesn't seem like Venus and Serena are in any hurry to go anywhere,'' he said, with noticeable sarcasm. "Everyone is always looking for the next big thing. Well, the present, as far as the women's game goes, is pretty good. It feels like [people] will only really appreciate that once they are gone."

Don't count on it.