Glaken
1
7-14-06
7-14-06
TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
Pete Sampras went 1-for-2 in his latest World TeamTennis outing, winning a doubles, losing a doubles with Rick Leach to Mark Knowles and Sam Warburg, and losing to Warburg 5-2 in singles as his Newport Beach Breakers lost to the Sacramento Capitals...Serena Williams will arrive in Cincinnati to begin practicing today, and will play her opening-round match, her first since January at the Australian Open, on Tuesday night. Will it be fat Serena or buff-Slam-winning Serena?...From Langston Wertz, Jr., of the Charlotte Observer: "Serena Williams, where are you? Ratings for Saturday's Wimbledon final were down 45 percent. Amelie Mauresmo and Justine Henin-Hardenne, solid but uninteresting players, are battling for every other major championship nowadays. And neither one can consistently hold your racket. Serena, I hear you when you say your knee hurts, but it bothers me when you're at every Hollywood premiere, posing in high heels, or wearing all white at the Kentucky Derby, looking glam -- and not limping. U.S. Fed Cup coach Zina Garrison and Billie Jean King think you could be the greatest female athlete ever. Not just the best tennis player."...From Forbes.com: "British Prime Minister Tony Blair's tennis partner, Lord Levy, who made his money as an impresario in the 1960s and 1970s managing singers like Alvin Stardust and Chris Rea, has been arrested by police investigating the U.K.'s "cash-for-honors" scandal in which government figures have been accused of selling British titles." -- So that explains those 'Lord Tarango' references...Hard to keep up the argument against equal prize money at Wimbledon when the women's final was better than the men's, with Amelie Mauresmo and Justine Henin-Hardenne actually playing grasscourt tennis, trying to beat each other to the net, while Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal comparatively slogged away from the baseline...From Court Coverage on the Mariano Puerta's doping cut-back: "Apart from the fact that it accepts Puerta's far-fetched story, this is intriguingly sensible: the rule doesn't make any sense, so we won't apply it. In other words, they're pointing out that the anti-doping code makes no distinction between an athlete whose first offence was using HGH vs. an athlete whose first offence was taking a recently-banned hair loss drug. This decision makes that distinction, and calls for the code to be changed to that effect. No public reaction from WADA on this yet."...Venus Williams somehow won the award for best women's tennis player at the ESPYs, with Roger Federer winning for the men...Pete Sampras and Jim Courier will play a three-set exhibition match during the WTA stop in Carson...From Steve Bierley of The Guardian: "With Greg Rusedski missing because of injury and the doubles specialist James Auckland getting married, Britain's Davis Cup captain Jeremy [Ed. Note: "Master"] Bates has had to cobble together a Davis Cup team to play Israel in Eastbourne next week, but even so the selection of the 29-year-old Jamie Delgado, ranked outside the world's top 400, smacks of desperation."...The Telegraph's Gavin Versi on WTA Tour CEO Larry Scott being on the same page as the ATP's E.T. in being unable to change the tennis calendar since the Slams won't budge: "Fundamental to any structural changes in the calendar is moving the Grand Slam tournaments. At present one of the four major tournaments, the Australian Open, takes place in only the third week of the season, while the French Open and Wimbledon are played within a six-week period. "We do think that [moving it back] would offer some improvements to the calendar but all the indications from Australia are that that is not going to be possible in the foreseeable future," Scott told The Sunday Telegraph. Game over? If this one piece of illogical scheduling cannot be changed -- and there are reasons for this, such as conflicts with other Australian events, sponsorship and television issues -- then how can authorities change the calendar?"...From Neil Harman writing for The Times: "Brad Gilbert has never been to Eastbourne. That the celebrated American coach is scheduled to arrive on the Sussex coast next week indicates that one of the most significant deals in the history of British tennis is about to be confirmed. The sport's landscape may never be quite the same again...so the small print of the agreement to entice Gilbert to become the fulcrum of Roger Draper's celebration of 100 days as the LTA's chief executive was being meticulously checked. Exactly what the final draft will entail has become a popular guessing game, but confirmation of [Andy] Murray's selection for next week's EuroAfrica zone group one Davis Cup tie against Israel at Devonshire Park, and that Gilbert will be lurking at the side of the court, confirms that there definitely is a deal. Where the former coach of Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick will be placed strategically in the LTA hierarchy remains the greatest poser...Where Gilbert stands in all this is the most intriguing question. He is clearly going to spend a lot of time on the road with Murray, as well as a definitive period in Britain overseeing a coaching programme that has plenty of idealistic proteges, none of whom has the experience of the big time that Gilbert can bring to the table."...From Mike Koreen of the Toronto Sun: "With the wilting women of tennis off to Montreal this year, Grant Connell is not afraid to make promises about men's star power in Toronto next month. The first-year tournament director of the Rogers Cup -- Aug. 5-13 at the Rexall Centre at York University -- didn't hesitate when asked if he will promote the fact Wimbledon champion Roger Federer and runner-up Rafael Nadal are scheduled to compete in the tournament. "Absolutely," Connell said at a news conference yesterday. Tennis Canada was criticized last year for promoting appearances by such stars as Venus Williams, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova in Toronto, only to see those three and other big names drop out because of supposed injuries. But the men's ATP tour has a much better record of delivering its stars to tier I events, like the Rogers Cup. The Canadian men's tournament in Montreal last year had nine of the top 10 players and the year before in Toronto each of the top 10 players showed up. The top 50 ATP players automatically are entered in this year's event." -- Except the ATP Masters Series events aren't called "Tier I" -- go back to writing golf Mike. And, as every year, both Federer and Nadal are looking forward to the bigger Cincy event, so good chance one or both will pull from Toronto...From the ATP: "Roger Federer's burgeoning trophy cabinet just lost more precious real estate. The ATP World No. 1 was voted Best International Male Athlete at ESPN's ESPY Awards in Hollywood on Wednesday night. Federer was unable to attend the ceremony, but tennis was represented by James Blake, who was nominated for two awards, and Venus Williams. Blake was nominated alongside Federer, Rafael Nadal and David Nalbandian for Best Male Tennis Player and also for Best Game for his 2005 US Open quarterfinal with Andre Agassi. The ESPYs will be shown on Sunday night at 9 pm ET on ESPN." And from SI.com on the ESPYs: "Comedian Will Ferrell interrupted [Lance] Armstrong's acceptance speech to sing the 1970s song Times of Your Life with lyrics rewritten for Armstrong. "You've beat the best, let's not forget every urine test," Ferrell crooned after introducing a white-suited astronaut the comic insisted was Armstrong's long-lost father, Neil Armstrong. "Neil Armstrong is not my dad and I don't even think that's Neil Armstrong," the cyclist said. "Well said," Ferrell replied before plowing on with the musical parody."
7-14-06
TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
Pete Sampras went 1-for-2 in his latest World TeamTennis outing, winning a doubles, losing a doubles with Rick Leach to Mark Knowles and Sam Warburg, and losing to Warburg 5-2 in singles as his Newport Beach Breakers lost to the Sacramento Capitals...Serena Williams will arrive in Cincinnati to begin practicing today, and will play her opening-round match, her first since January at the Australian Open, on Tuesday night. Will it be fat Serena or buff-Slam-winning Serena?...From Langston Wertz, Jr., of the Charlotte Observer: "Serena Williams, where are you? Ratings for Saturday's Wimbledon final were down 45 percent. Amelie Mauresmo and Justine Henin-Hardenne, solid but uninteresting players, are battling for every other major championship nowadays. And neither one can consistently hold your racket. Serena, I hear you when you say your knee hurts, but it bothers me when you're at every Hollywood premiere, posing in high heels, or wearing all white at the Kentucky Derby, looking glam -- and not limping. U.S. Fed Cup coach Zina Garrison and Billie Jean King think you could be the greatest female athlete ever. Not just the best tennis player."...From Forbes.com: "British Prime Minister Tony Blair's tennis partner, Lord Levy, who made his money as an impresario in the 1960s and 1970s managing singers like Alvin Stardust and Chris Rea, has been arrested by police investigating the U.K.'s "cash-for-honors" scandal in which government figures have been accused of selling British titles." -- So that explains those 'Lord Tarango' references...Hard to keep up the argument against equal prize money at Wimbledon when the women's final was better than the men's, with Amelie Mauresmo and Justine Henin-Hardenne actually playing grasscourt tennis, trying to beat each other to the net, while Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal comparatively slogged away from the baseline...From Court Coverage on the Mariano Puerta's doping cut-back: "Apart from the fact that it accepts Puerta's far-fetched story, this is intriguingly sensible: the rule doesn't make any sense, so we won't apply it. In other words, they're pointing out that the anti-doping code makes no distinction between an athlete whose first offence was using HGH vs. an athlete whose first offence was taking a recently-banned hair loss drug. This decision makes that distinction, and calls for the code to be changed to that effect. No public reaction from WADA on this yet."...Venus Williams somehow won the award for best women's tennis player at the ESPYs, with Roger Federer winning for the men...Pete Sampras and Jim Courier will play a three-set exhibition match during the WTA stop in Carson...From Steve Bierley of The Guardian: "With Greg Rusedski missing because of injury and the doubles specialist James Auckland getting married, Britain's Davis Cup captain Jeremy [Ed. Note: "Master"] Bates has had to cobble together a Davis Cup team to play Israel in Eastbourne next week, but even so the selection of the 29-year-old Jamie Delgado, ranked outside the world's top 400, smacks of desperation."...The Telegraph's Gavin Versi on WTA Tour CEO Larry Scott being on the same page as the ATP's E.T. in being unable to change the tennis calendar since the Slams won't budge: "Fundamental to any structural changes in the calendar is moving the Grand Slam tournaments. At present one of the four major tournaments, the Australian Open, takes place in only the third week of the season, while the French Open and Wimbledon are played within a six-week period. "We do think that [moving it back] would offer some improvements to the calendar but all the indications from Australia are that that is not going to be possible in the foreseeable future," Scott told The Sunday Telegraph. Game over? If this one piece of illogical scheduling cannot be changed -- and there are reasons for this, such as conflicts with other Australian events, sponsorship and television issues -- then how can authorities change the calendar?"...From Neil Harman writing for The Times: "Brad Gilbert has never been to Eastbourne. That the celebrated American coach is scheduled to arrive on the Sussex coast next week indicates that one of the most significant deals in the history of British tennis is about to be confirmed. The sport's landscape may never be quite the same again...so the small print of the agreement to entice Gilbert to become the fulcrum of Roger Draper's celebration of 100 days as the LTA's chief executive was being meticulously checked. Exactly what the final draft will entail has become a popular guessing game, but confirmation of [Andy] Murray's selection for next week's EuroAfrica zone group one Davis Cup tie against Israel at Devonshire Park, and that Gilbert will be lurking at the side of the court, confirms that there definitely is a deal. Where the former coach of Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick will be placed strategically in the LTA hierarchy remains the greatest poser...Where Gilbert stands in all this is the most intriguing question. He is clearly going to spend a lot of time on the road with Murray, as well as a definitive period in Britain overseeing a coaching programme that has plenty of idealistic proteges, none of whom has the experience of the big time that Gilbert can bring to the table."...From Mike Koreen of the Toronto Sun: "With the wilting women of tennis off to Montreal this year, Grant Connell is not afraid to make promises about men's star power in Toronto next month. The first-year tournament director of the Rogers Cup -- Aug. 5-13 at the Rexall Centre at York University -- didn't hesitate when asked if he will promote the fact Wimbledon champion Roger Federer and runner-up Rafael Nadal are scheduled to compete in the tournament. "Absolutely," Connell said at a news conference yesterday. Tennis Canada was criticized last year for promoting appearances by such stars as Venus Williams, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova in Toronto, only to see those three and other big names drop out because of supposed injuries. But the men's ATP tour has a much better record of delivering its stars to tier I events, like the Rogers Cup. The Canadian men's tournament in Montreal last year had nine of the top 10 players and the year before in Toronto each of the top 10 players showed up. The top 50 ATP players automatically are entered in this year's event." -- Except the ATP Masters Series events aren't called "Tier I" -- go back to writing golf Mike. And, as every year, both Federer and Nadal are looking forward to the bigger Cincy event, so good chance one or both will pull from Toronto...From the ATP: "Roger Federer's burgeoning trophy cabinet just lost more precious real estate. The ATP World No. 1 was voted Best International Male Athlete at ESPN's ESPY Awards in Hollywood on Wednesday night. Federer was unable to attend the ceremony, but tennis was represented by James Blake, who was nominated for two awards, and Venus Williams. Blake was nominated alongside Federer, Rafael Nadal and David Nalbandian for Best Male Tennis Player and also for Best Game for his 2005 US Open quarterfinal with Andre Agassi. The ESPYs will be shown on Sunday night at 9 pm ET on ESPN." And from SI.com on the ESPYs: "Comedian Will Ferrell interrupted [Lance] Armstrong's acceptance speech to sing the 1970s song Times of Your Life with lyrics rewritten for Armstrong. "You've beat the best, let's not forget every urine test," Ferrell crooned after introducing a white-suited astronaut the comic insisted was Armstrong's long-lost father, Neil Armstrong. "Neil Armstrong is not my dad and I don't even think that's Neil Armstrong," the cyclist said. "Well said," Ferrell replied before plowing on with the musical parody."