After Match Pressers

Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova, Melanie Oudin, Jesse Witten, and more





how far?









Preppy Murray Wears Fred Perry


Gosh it's becoming a thing now to announce and showcase your "kit" right before the start of an Open. Let's see Maria, Roger, Nadal, Serena, Venus they're all doing it!


Well, I guess there's a new kind on the fashion block. Welcome: Preppy Murray

When you're on the Yale Campus, don't you feel a little smarter?

Flavia and Caroline take over the Yale Bowl Stadium while promoting the Pilot Penn Classic in New Haven, CT.



Nice appearance Coach, you obviously got some help with your lines from the Drama Department.






Thanks Forty Deuce, great find!

ONLINE STREAMING LIVE


Don't miss a match this weekend! Get free live streaming:

Myp2p.eu

http://channelsurfing.net/
ATP Western & Southern 2pm EST
WTA Rogers Cup 4pm EST

The boat has taken off...

Kleybs you just won me over... Kleybs I like your backhand- that I'll give you!

Sony Ericsson WTA Tour | Video | Features | Features | Coming Off Court with Kleybanova

5 hours on court is not easy on you? Isn't that what you do all day anyway, remember, your job?



What a slouch!

Me & my BFF

Dear Ms. Allaster,

I want to thank you for trusting my marketing know-how, and hiring me as your new PR guru. I just know that we are going to get along famously.

I have checked my schedule, and I am indeed available for our once-a-month check-in meetings. We will discuss our marketing plan, and ensure that we are staying on point (but remaining flexible) in our ultimate goal of surpassing those silly boys over at the ATP.

To give you an example of my awesome marketing skills, let's get straight to the first topic of discussion:



What the f*** is up with that hair?

In order to consistently convey a message of hippness, you simply cannot (and I repeat), you cannot walk around with hair like that!

See, I'm amazing!

Look she can do it:



And so can you!

See you next month,
Your Marketing PR Guru

New Poll

Hi All,

There's a great article on Tennis the magazine about the rising volume of players on the tour. Which got me thinking about the rising volume of tennis spectators these days.

How do you feel about this issue? Make sure to vote and let others know how tennis should be experienced.

There's a lot of articles online about the loudness of High school matches, college team matches, recreational tennis matches and matches at the professional level where the fans have affected the result.

Tennis as you all know, should be a Gentleman's game, but the game has been evolving over the years as players at every level and their fans get louder and louder.

So what's the call?

Monday Rankings ATP

As of Aug. 17

Oh... yah, in case you didn't know, Andy Murray is the new No.2. Unfortunately for him, he's got to defend 1,000pts this week in Cincinnati where he's got a tough Draw.

So maybe Rafa will be back to No.2 by the weekend. Sounds like musical chairs. The weakest link Gilles Simon, No.9, is about to be left out.

01 Roger Federer
02 Andy Murray
03 Rafael Nadal
04 Novak Djokovic
05 Andy Roddick
06 Juan Martin del Potro
07 Jo-Willie Tsonga
08 Nikolay Davydenko
09 Gilles Simon
10 Fernando Verdasco

Something about these guys makes them special. I call them the noise makers. Check out Marat's sad #61 ranking.

11 Robin Soderling
21 Tommy Haas
38 Richard Gasquet
61 Marat Safin

Monday Rankings WTA

As of Aug. 17

Wow, what is going on with the WTA Tour? Listen up, Stacey Allaster, CEO, your product is sucking ass right now! I hate to lay it to you, honey, but you really must do something.. anything.. fast!

Take a clue from your "frenemy" the ATP, and get yourself a revamped ranking system that highlights the best players. Also, you could start getting your matches to your audience LIVE for FREE, online streaming is not such a bad idea. Here's your Draw.

01 Dinara Safina
02 Serena Williams
03 Venus Williams
04 Jelena Jankovic
05 Elena Dementieva
06 Svetlana Kuznetsova
07 Vera Zvonareva
08 Caroline Wozniacki
09 Victoria Azarenka
10 Flavia Pennetta

Lookout Top10-- they're creeping up and they're about to cut you!
17 Sam Stosur
23 Sorana Cristea
49 Maria Sharapova
NR Kim Clijsters

My Girlfriend and I are back together


She's winning tournaments on tv. and I'm watching them.


She's smiling, enjoying herself on court, and I'm smiling watching her smile.


Yes, that's about the extent of our love affair.

And well, that just works for us

Murray Guarantees No. 2 Ranking

Scot Andy Murray has guaranteed he will rise to a new career-high of No. 2 in the South African Airways 2009 ATP Rankings on Monday, after snapping Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal’s four-year dominance at the top of the men’s game.

Murray became the first Briton since Roger Taylor in 1970 (l. to Rod Laver) to reach the Rogers Cup final on Saturday, after defeating seventh-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 7-6(8) in one hour and 50 minutes on Saturday afternoon. Murray saved two set points in the tie-break at 5-6 and 7-8. It was the pair’s third meeting.

Murray will be the first player other than Federer and Nadal, who both lost in the Rogers Cup quarter-finals on Friday, to rank No. 2 since 18 July 2005. Murray, 22, is already the highest-ranked Briton in ATP history (since 1973). By reaching Sunday’s final, Murray has accumulated 8,850 points to surpass Nadal’s total haul of 8,665 points. (Source)

Poll Results: Hitting your Opponent at Net?


From Facebook Poll

So what you guys are telling me is that 84% of you don't mind hitting your opponent at the net. Wow, guys, wow!

And 41% actually enjoy going for them! ( ouch!!)

Ok... well at least we have some nice people amongst us (15%) who would actually aim for the rest of the court. That's refreshing, since I'm pretty sure I'm part of the mean group mentioned above.

Thanks for polling everyone...

New Poll coming up this week. I'll make sure to post those results.

Bryan Brothers To Release Debut Album

From ATP World Tour News

Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan will attempt to conquer the music world when the American twins release their debut album Let It Rip, with close friend and accomplished singer/songwriter David Baron on 1 September 2009.

The Bryan Brothers Band Featuring David Baron will perform three new songs from their debut album on the Festival Stage on Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day on 29 August at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the venue of the US Open, in Flushing, New York. The following day, the band will play a special set at The Mercury Lounge in New York City.

“Music has always been a big part of our lives. We’ve spent countless hours jamming in hotel rooms all over the world and it’s been our dream to do a real record. We’ve had a blast making this album and we hope to share our passion for music with our fans,” said Bob Bryan.

The album, Let It Rip, will contain five songs that feature Bob Bryan playing the bass and keyboards, Mike Bryan on the drums, and David Baron as the lead vocalist also playing piano and guitar.

In 2009, The Bryan Brothers Band Featuring David Baron has already performed at the SAP Open in San Jose, the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships, the US Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston and at Wimbledon.

The Bryan twins have won 54 ATP World Tour doubles titles (54-36 overall), including seven Grand Slam championships, and an Olympic Games bronze medal in Beijing last year.

More information on The Bryan Brothers Band Featuring David Baron can be found on www.bryanbrosband.com, which will be made live before their debut at Arthur Ashe Kids Day.

Fruit of the Loom



Djokovic takes his cues from Maria and Ana and entered the modeling world tonight at the Montreal Player Fashion show. Wonder what endorsements he'll be getting from this? How about Fruit of the Loom guys?

Alright, Ok

So, our blog has been M.I.A for a while now.

We should have warned you the summer in Seattle hit- and boom- we were out the door. Since the sunshine arrived we've been playing tennis, hiking, canoeing and enjoying this great city. We've been meaning to get back to posting, so now that fall is around the corner we'll have more indoor time to do so.


Except, this time around we're going to blog with a new twist...

If we 3.5 players.. worked this hard



Sex Pot!

Ok, when I think of "sexy", I don't think of a Brit with crooked, bad teeth. Nor do I think about someone with such horrible fashion sense. What do you think? He looks like he's filming a Bond movie.. running in the sand, with his hair blowing, and birds flying behind. I get it, they were going for the super-hero look. Well done then!





Here kitty kitty, look this way. Smile kitty kitty, it's your day!

Shakira love tennis

"I'll teach you how to sing if you teach me how to hit"

Sony Ericsson Pics, we can't be there, and we can't get nice coverage on TV


Whenever, Wherever ... he goes (I go)

Shakira is present for Nadal's match, last time she showed up in Abu Dhabi of all places. .. remember Love Connection

Venus dress is screaming Miami South Beach, lets go dancing tonight V.

Serena, making me thirsty for some OJ.

My little baby girl, Caroline is growing up, people! C'mon few more matches and you'll be Top10, you're that close, silly. And you'll prove me right.

Eww... Eva Peron would disapprove, trust me, Juan Martin, no, no, no va. I know you have a lot of Argentine pride in you, but dude, you're wearing the flag, save that outfit for Davis Cup.

Omg, you're still playing on the tour? Geez.. the WTA must really be auditioning retirees to fill out the draw. Let's see what Kimmie can do when she returns this summer. As for you, Patti Schynder, go home.

You're really top 10? Really? naw... for real? Ok I believe you, you're face says it all.

Tennis "Zen"




"You find out that life is a game of inches, so is [tennis]. Because in either game - life or tennis - the margin for error is so small. I mean, one half a step too late or too early and you don't quite make it. One half second too slow, too fast and you don't quite hit it. The inches we need are everywhere around us. They are in every break of the match, every minute, every second. Champions fight for that inch! Champions tear themselves and everyone else around them to pieces for that inch! They claw with their fingernails for that inch. Because they know when you add up all those inches, that's gonna make the difference between winning and losing! between living and dying..."

~ Vince Lombardi

fishing, hockey, and HS basketball better coverage than Indian Wells... What the F?



Once again, Fox Sports (Comcast Sports Network) in the SF Bay Area is pre-empting or abbreviating coverage of the IW Masters. No Nadal/Nalbandian on Wednesday night, nor Federer/Verdasco. The 2009 coverage [stinks] as bad as 2008. At least Tennis Channel wouldn't pre-empt coverage to air a 2008 rerun or a hockey game. Please let Charlie Pasarell know.
-- Annette, Oakland, Calif.

• Amen. In a word, this situation is unacceptable. Indian Wells is a world-class event with record attendance and a top-tier sponsor.....and television coverage unfit for a high school jiu-jitsu tournament. How do you call your tournament the "Fifth Slam" and have your coverage get pre-empted for fishing? This is like owning a sweet new Macbook and then having dial-up Internet access. You may as well cut bait entirely and stream matches online than alienate fans like this.

I see this from the tournament's perspective. ESPN was unwilling to give them enough hours of coverage. And much as we all love Tennis Channel, it's still --thanks, Dolans! -- unavailable in so many markets. It also bears mentioning that the international coverage draws high marks. If you want it straight from the directors' mouths, click here.

Still, the current situation is untenable and here's what I don't get: In recent years, the USTA was negotiating with ESPN for broadcast rights of the U.S. Open and, presumably, negotiating from a position of some strength. Why not say, "As part of the deal, you have to guarantee X hours of coverage of the Indian Wells and Key Biscayne events. Our organization, after all, is based on promoting and growing tennis in the U.S., and when the second- and third-biggest Americans event are, for all intents, not televised, it's a real problem. What's that? The ratings would rival those for bull riding and bass fishing? Fine, throw it on ESPN Classic or ESPNU or ESPN Reject Bin. Just somewhere so there's a distinct time and place and the viewers can watch without having to worry that the matches will be pre-empted for the saltwater taffy pull." Then the USTA could either turn around and charge a fee to IW and KB for using its leverage, or even get some sort of equity stake. Anything to avoid the current situation, which has the effect of chilling interest in the sport.

Just to be clear: This has nothing to do with the quality of the broadcasters --Lindsay Davenport, Justin Gimelstob, Ted Robinson -- or the productions. It's just a function of access.

Side note: Just so you know, I think Lindsay did an incredible job as a commentator. Much better than Justin Gimelstob. But then, as you know. I don't really care for him. He's lousy.

Bye Bye Larry, Thanks for visiting



Well, well. The recipient of two consecutive Gonad Awards for Biggest Overall Disappointment on the WTA, I'm happy to see Larry Scott resigning from CEO of the WTA to become Commissioner of NCAA's Pac-10.

As Savannah wrote, this provides a prime opportunity for the tours to join, something Billie Jean King has been calling for rather loudly in recent weeks.

The BNP Paribas Open proved just how poor the WTA product is now. Scott's resignation should inspire those with the biggest influence on women's tennis to take a comprehensive inventory of the tour and suggest some much-needed improvements.
Trackback

I call twins!

But twins, would mean a noisy plane ride for the master.

Seattle Tennis a Palm Springs Heaven

BNP Paribas came and went; just like that.

Hosting friends from out of town for a week plus March Madness and Indian Wells, left little time to update. I did get to see some of the men's and women's semis and finals on t.v. However, the BNP Paribas on the women's side was pretty uneventful. The WTA Tour lacked star power without Venus & Serena these last two weeks. With the upsets of JJ and Elena, there was little drama.

The men's tournament was phenomenal! Can't believe Federer lost 6-1 in the 3rd to Murray. I didn't watch that match, but caught the end score. Roddick played well, but Nadal continues to impress me all the time. I missed the Final but I can't imagine how he beat Andy Murray so easily. Glad I recorder it.

Nadal is so ahead in the rankings, Federer should start relishing his No.2 slot soon before he's bumped down. Can't wait to catch some good tennis on TV these next two weeks during the Sony Ericsson Open.

Anyway, I haven't hit in almost a week. Time to hit the courts tonight! I have a USTA Match this Friday.

Righty v Lefty - "The Struggle"



I have never given it much thought that a big factor between the winner and the loser in the great rivalry between RogerFederer and Rafael Nadal is not the surface but whether the player's are left or right handed. This weekend, after playing a very difficult lefty in a USTA League tennis match, I finally understood what it must be like for Federer to play a left handed player, and one as talented as Nadal, for 5 excruciating sets.

First off, Left handed players have an advantage when it comes to playing righties. They are accustomed to playing righties because most of the world is right handed. A righty practices with righties about 80-90% of the time, and not often enough, encounters a left handed opponent. So left handed players are adept to playing righthanders. But we, right handers are always thrown when we face the dreadful lefty spin.

Now, I'm considered a pretty good 4.5 player in my neck of the woods and usually have no problem breaking players with my excellent return of service. One time, while playing college tennis I broke my opponent every time they served, I held ONLY once and won the match! Score, 7-6, 7-5! Unfortunately, my return of serve (my biggest weapon) is neutralized when I play a lefty spin. And usually, my left handed opponent zeros in on his God-given advantage.



In my match this weekend, the match came down to one singular tactic. My opponent diligently figured he could diffuse my slice backhand with his lefty spin. He would come in behind every short ball he hit to my backhand and finish the point with him at the net. What he did in essence is kind of the way,Nadal uses his lefty spin to Federer's backhand for the entirety of their matches. Taking away the rest of Federer's magical repertoire and focusing the game on one thing, Nadal's left hand forehand to Federer's backhand. Well, that's exactly how I felt playing this guy. Frustrated, I yearned to see a good ball that I could rip with my solid forehand. Unfortunately, this was the typical battle of the 'lefty v therighty.'



Here are some tactics to consider next time you play a left-handed player. Some of these in combination can work to perfection.

Return of Serve
1. Consider stepping into the court, to receive serve, and hit the ball early off the bounce before it generates too much spin.
2. Swing from low to high, to return. Swinging upward will not clash with the ball's projected spin.
3. Follow through completely on your swing, don't hesitate upon contact as you will lose control sending the ball flying into outer space

The Match
1. Don't let you're opponent control the point. Stay aggressive and take charge.
2. Attack their weakness, lefty's too have a weakness and it's usually in the form of their backhand.
3. Nail them to one corner, until you have the perfect ball to put away to the open court.

Serving
1. Be EXTRA focused on holding serve, their serve may be difficult to register at first, so hold serve until you become familiar with their patterns.
2. Hold serve, again, nothing might work but at least you're holding.
3. SURPRISE: Use righty spin on your serve to wreak havoc on their return.

It can be a struggle out there, when you're opponent doesn't let you see anything else but one tactic for an entire match. So what to do when you're playing a lefty? Give them a similar medicine and zero in on one tactic.this can be, usually hitting to one side of the court for the entire match.

I didn't have the most pleasant day playing a lefty, nor did I win my match. Like Federer, I faced a very good lefty, and I can only hope to beat them next time.

Federer: Mirka is Pregnant



Dear Fans

I arrived in Indian Wells earlier this week and I am eager to get back out on court. My back is feeling much better and I am ready to go.

I also have some really awesome news to share with all of you: Mirka and I are excited to let you know that we will be parents this summer! Mirka is pregnant and we are so happy to be starting a family together. This is a dream come true for us. We love children and we are looking forward to being parents for the first time. Mirka is feeling great and everything is going well.

Speak soon and thanks for all your continued support!

Roger

OOOH Gilles Simon. Don't do that!

eewww...

Check out that arch in his back? Scary.

Looks like he might have some experience in this department. Is this what they call gym training? This must be the strength and flexibility portion!



Ha... only befitting of the French to play like this.

Can I get in on this? Like right now!

They need to start a lotto system, where an average joe like me gets a chance to get trained for 1 week by these pro's.

Wait! That's an idea for a show... Tennis Channel, pay up!


The Split

The pairing of Roger Federer + Darren Cahill is over before it even began reports The New York Times:



Federer, the 13-time Grand Slam singles champion from Switzerland, and Cahill, one of the most successful coaches in tennis, have long been considered a likely match. Both are understated and analytical, and Federer has a strong connection with Cahill’s home country of Australia.

But according to Federer’s agent, Tony Godsick, Federer and Cahill will not be working together going forward, in large part because Cahill was not prepared to travel as extensively as Federer would have required. Cahill has two young children and is now based in Las Vegas, where he moved when he was coaching now-retired American star Andre Agassi. Cahill also has a second home in Adelaide, Australia.

“Darren’s a great guy, and personally I think it was a good fit, but it just didn’t go much further once it came down to the traveling,” Godsick said. “Darren thought about it once he got there. Roger is a guy who lives in Switzerland and trains in Dubai, and Darren has kind of set up a comfortable life in Vegas. And I think he realized that just being on the road 20-plus weeks would be too tough a go for him with his young family.”

trackback

Copyright © 2008 - mobster blog - is proudly powered by Blogger
Smashing Magazine - Design Disease - Blog and Web - Dilectio Blogger Template