mobster blog

After Match Pressers

2009-09-06T14:18:00.000-07:00

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

how far?

2009-09-06T13:53:00.000-07:00

Preppy Murray Wears Fred Perry

2009-08-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-08-25T11:50:00.001-07:00

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

2009-08-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-08-20T13:00:00.001-07:00

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

2009-08-19T04:50:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-18T11:55:00.001-07:00

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

2009-08-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-15T14:28:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-08-14T14:16:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-13T21:02:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-06T10:59:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

Sex Pot!

2009-04-06T10:42:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-31T15:09:00.000-07:00

"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

2009-03-30T17:10:00.000-07:00

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"

2009-03-27T13:34:00.000-07:00

"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?

2009-03-25T13:47:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

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

Seattle Tennis a Palm Springs Heaven

2009-03-23T14:40:00.000-07:00

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"

2009-03-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-12T13:32:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-11T21:48:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-11T14:44:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-11T14:31:00.000-07:00

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.”

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What racquet to buy?

2009-03-07T15:10:00.000-08:00

Of course, buying a new racquet can be a little nerve racking, especially if you are new to tennis. It's even frustrating for experienced players. Even the pro's, from time-to-time, get stuck with a racquet that's absolutely wrong for their game.

The racquets of today are the best our sport has ever seen. They are specifically designed to help you attain your desired objective on the court.

THE BASICS

The Grip
When trying a new racquet, make sure it feels good in your hand. Seems basic, but don't underestimate the affect of picking a grip too large or too small.

The Weight
Some racquets are either too head heavy or too head light. Don't judge the weight by the printed specs on the racquet. Judge the weight by how it feels when you swing it. Never buy a racquet that feels heavier than what you like. Preferably, go with a racquet that is head light. Eventually, you can easily add tape to the head of your racquet for a little more pop.

Head Size
The head size is determined by preference and skill. Advanced players normally opt for a medium or smaller sized frame, which can be better controlled. If you're a beginner and want more space on your racquet, go for a slightly larger frame. The larger frame will offer you a bigger sweet spot at the center of the racquet to help you hone your accuracy. I never recommend the largest frames; bigger is not always better. It's like driving an SUV - it's not always the easiest thing to maneuver.: )

Length
The length of the racquet is best determined by your preference. The length of the racquet matters most if you want to gain a few inches of height or reach. A longer racquet can give you added height on your serve or a longer reach on your two-handed backhand.

The Racquet Features
Racquets are tweaked in various ways that make them feel differently. And there's no way to know how these racquets feel until you "test drive them" on the court. Here's some things to look out for before buying:

Control

Feel & Comfort

Power

Spin

Stability

Weight

Manueverablility

Recommending a racquet is never easy because it requires knowledge of your play style and level of play. Here's a few tips that can help the person recommending a racquet put you along the right path of discovering the perfect racquet for you.

Before buying a new racquet you should first analyze your style of play. Are you a a beginner, intermediate or an advanced player? There's differing racquets depending on your level of play.

Secondly, you should determine what you want to accentuate in your game style. Do you want to accentuate your ability to rally, serve, or volley or all? You want optimal performance, so demo the line of racquets that best goes with your style.

Knowing what type of game you play can make it easy for a tennis shop professional to recommend a line of racquets for you.

GOOD PICKS

Here is a list of outstanding racquets with varying features:

Prince 03
Head Liquidmetal
Head Flexpoint Radical
Yonex RDS
Bablot Aeropro Drive

How low can you go?

2009-03-05T11:44:00.000-08:00

Everyone in the world wants to know, what happened to Nicole Vaidisova. I like the article below, thanks Forty Deuce for the find.

'Private voice' saying all the wrong things to Vaidisova

by TOM TEBBUTT
March 2, 2009

Athletic and attractive, Nicole Vaidisova was primed to become the next Maria Sharapova and reap the benefits that inevitably follow in lucrative endorsements. But that is all in the past.

At 17, she reached the semi-finals of the 2006 French Open and the 2007 Australian Open, and ranked No. 7 in the world just after turning 18.

Now, less than two months from her 20th birthday, the six-foot, blond Czech will this week drop to about No. 80 in the WTA Tour rankings. She is playing so poorly she is a pushover for opponents.

After a quarter-final finish at Wimbledon last July, she was just 2-7 for the rest of 2008.

This year, Vaidisova began with what should have been a character-building 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-5 win over Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia in Auckland, New Zealand, but her three most recent matches have been abysmal: 6-1, 6-1 loss to No. 131-ranked Mara Santangelo of Italy; 6-2, 6-1 loss to No. 96 Séverine Bremond of France; and 6-1, 6-4 loss to No. 134 Émelie Loit of France.

Against Bremond at the Australian Open, Vaidisova won the first two games, missed a smash right on top of the net, then fell apart. It was painful to watch her incapable of stringing together more than two or three shots without drilling the ball into the middle of the net or flinching it well out of bounds.

By all accounts, Vaidisova has no physical problems and plays well in practice. But a source familiar with the situation said: "She basically cannot compete. And there's a difference between that and trying. The minute things go wrong, she can't handle it. There's a complete irrationality about her when that starts to happen on court."

The source, referring to Vaidisova's boyfriend of more than a year, compatriot and men's tour player Radek Stepanek, added: "The one thing that's unfair is to say it's all about Radek. If it wasn't him, it would be another boyfriend."

After working with David Felgate since last April, Vaidisova and the Briton split after the 2009 Australian Open.

"What's hard for any player like her, her margins [for error] are quite low," Felgate said of Vaidisova's powerful, flat-trajectory ground strokes. "When she was winning and confident and it's all going in, it works very well. You start to miss, the inevitable happens and you lose a bit of confidence.

"I will say that Nicole tried everything. She didn't leave one stone unturned. She wasn't just going though the motions. She was trying to get back."

Dr. Jim Loehr, the renowned American sports psychologist who has worked with numerous players including Jim Courier, Monica Seles and Daniela Hantuchova, says someone struggling has to work on his or her inner "private voice" and "craft a whole new way of looking at things that will change how they feel on the court."

"It's going to take a new story," Loehr added, "and a new beginning and she can actually put together an understanding of why she got herself in this situation. Players have amazing insights, once they sit down and rally that wise, perceptive and intelligent part of themselves. They probably will see where this all came from.

"And she needs to play a lot of competitive matches that are not tournament-based, play different players in practice and get her private voice going properly in those matches when she's not really putting it on the line."

Vaidisova is not willing to drop down to lower-level Challenger events to try to regain her confidence. Recently, her agent, Olivier van Lindonk of IMG, wrote in an e-mail that his client will next play this month's big events in Indian Wells, Calif., and Miami.

He also wrote that Vaidisova has been training at the Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida and is "exploring starting to work again with her stepdad [and former coach] Ales Kodat."

One person who has observed much of the unravelling of Vaidisova, wondered: "I don't know how low she's got to get before she lets go."

The implication was that, maybe then she could finally put it all back together.

So, what I've been thinking about Vaidisova is that she doesn't have a fighter's spirit in her. Nicole simply doesn't have the fire to win that Sharapova, Henin, Venus and Serena have. What she has is professional tennis skills, for exhibition matches and a beautiful face and bod.

Poor Nicole. This girl is headed for a very early retirement from tennis if she doesn't seek the right people to boost her confidence and help her find her inner-self on the court.

Jelena's Orbit

2009-03-03T12:00:00.000-08:00

The making of:

And, the commercial:

Good to see she takes direction well. I'm sure they could find her a script in Hollywood.

Don't Go to Cacapulco! III

2009-02-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

Well, Venus makes it sound so dandy out in Acapulco. Truth is, I was there last summer! And it was not so dandy at all, in fact, it was the worst vacation I have ever had (equaling my visit to Myrtle Beach, So. Carolina in 2005).

From what I know, Acapulco was the hot-spot for Hollywood celebrities back in the 50's. The place was hot!! The resort I stayed at had hosted the likes of Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, and so on. The Hollywood scene eventually moved on to other exciting Mexican resort towns like Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo; where many Americans now vacation. I got an amazing deal, so I decided to go to the infamous resort town.

Looks pretty from afar!

So get this, I get there in the evening and immediately I want to know where to go for a drink. I was directed to hit the strip where 3 BIG outdoor dance bars are located. There were hundreds of people on the strip, none taller than 5'5" Feeling like the only (giant) American in town, was a strange feeling. The next day, I headed for the beach but an awful "poo poo" smell kept me from going in the water. I inquired about the smell and the locals informed me it was ALWAYS like that. They told me that the sewage was being drained into the beach. YUCK!

I was doubtful. So I headed 3 miles north and later 6 miles south to where the new resorts were located and found that the beaches we're not any better. The "poo" smell, according to a very clever resort guide, was due to "the cleansing process that the sea undergoes around that time of the year." Very clever, I thought, but it sounded like an urban legend to me. Needless to say, going to the beach was a dead topic for the rest of my trip. Instead, I spent my time playing tennis on clay against the local junior talents, until...

I came to know the real Acapulco!

I got food poisoning from one of the restaurants in town. I had to sit in my air-conditioned room watching t.v. for a few days.

The only fun part of my trip was eating coconut salad on the side of the road on a high cliff with a great view of the beach. That was fun!

I'm always a rascal while traveling and I can never stay confined to my hotel room. I always manage to go see the real face of the town/city I'm visiting.

The Pros:
Good Scenery
Beautiful Resorts (that you shouldn't venture outside of)
Cheap Tennis Courts

The Cons:
Dirty Beaches
Bad Food
Polluted & Congested City
Limited Entertainment

Chances of making it back to Acapulco..? Hmm... not anytime soon.

Posted by bigE

Back to School: Jelena, Maria, Nicole practicing @ Bolletieri this week

2009-02-27T13:39:00.000-08:00

With all the tournament cuts the WTA made, looks like a lot of players are left on the courts.. practicing. Roadmap 2009.. is that what it is called now?

Well, the new Tour Road Map left out some of my favorite smaller tournaments in the US like the Bausch & Lomb at Amelia Island and the Acura Classic in San Diego. Boo.. road map!

How's that knee, Serena?

2009-02-26T14:27:00.000-08:00

She's in hollywood, he's in LA. How are they not interviewing her in person? Prob, bc she's not in hollywood at all ! Anyway, Serena is looking good and sounds confident (not arrogant). I like that!

"Don't go to Cacapulco!" II

2009-02-25T15:20:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Hello again everyone!

So Isha and I did end up going around Acapulco last night. We didn't drive around too much though, because I think I almost fell into a coma, I was ready to just give up and go to sleep! But I stayed out long enough to do a bit of shopping: I got a necklace, it has silver and opal on it. It's pretty cool.

Today went really well. I woke up in the morning and went to practice, and I was having so much fun that the hour went by so fast. In the afternoon I spent some time catching up on my e-mail and watching TV shows. I've been downloading TV shows from iTunes... like Grey's Anatomy (my favorite show), The Starter Wife and The Practice. It was a slow, slow afternoon!

Later on I went out and warmed up, hit some balls and ate, the typical routine for an athlete. I'm feeling confident about my game, so nothing too much.

I had a tough start to my match tonight. She was playing well and aggressively. I wish I could have gotten more serves in. I got through it though, and I'm just looking forward to my next match tomorrow night. I don't mind playing at night, I just play when the tournament tells me to!

Well it's midnight now, I've got to calm down and try to go to bed. I can't stay up reading or watching TV shows. I love to multitask. I have a fear of missing out. It sounds childish, I know, but I really have to convince myself to go to sleep.

I'll talk to you all again after my match tomorrow night!

Venus

My note to Venus for Acapulco travel:

Dear V,

Have u gone to the beach yet? Don't get in the water! I'll tell you why later!

Are you staying at the Princess Resort next to the tennis stadium? Make sure to try the local coconut fruit salad the vendors make on the side of the road. It is divine! Trust me on this girl. It's so delicious!

Go Venus,
bigE

Maria "One dollar at a time" Sharapova!

2009-02-25T15:16:00.000-08:00

Still pulling in the Ca$h!

Thanks Maria Sharapova Blog

Don't go to Cacapulco!

2009-02-24T21:30:00.000-08:00

Venus enters the blogsphere from Acapulco, Mexico.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Hello again everyone! I'm excited to be blogging again, this time from Acapulco!

The trip here from Dubai... oh my gosh, it was long. I didn't realize it would be that long. It took 30 hours to get here, which was my longest trip ever! But I was mentally prepared for it. I was strategic: I only slept on the first flight, and after I landed in New York, I didn't sleep until I got here. It was a winning game plan. I got a full night's sleep last night and woke up happy.

I got to Acapulco around 10 last night, opened the windows and the sea was right there. I was SO happy! Then I went to the player party, it was a White Party. But I was wearing my black warm-up suit! With a green stripe... Anyway, the party was really nice. The chicken was great - I really love meat, I just had to try it.

This morning it got even better. I went down for breakfast and I just knew it was American breakfast, I could just smell it! I smelled the pancakes and syrup. I was way too happy about it. I even took a picture of myself at breakfast - it was just ridiculous. The strange thing is, I usually can't stand breakfast! I never eat it. But I was just so happy to smell the syrup. I think it was the feeling of smelling something from back home. It was a long way from Dubai and there were so many hardships along the way, I didn't think I'd ever make it here. But I kept a positive attitude on the trip. I took it one mile at a time.

I was very busy today. I practiced first thing in the morning and had my workout, then spent the afternoon in interviews and meetings. Now I have a little free time. I'm trying not to fall asleep - that would undermine my whole success so far! I'm about to go to the training room and then I'm planning on just relaxing. I'll be playing matches every day starting tomorrow, so I'm hoping I can get into a car and just have a look around Acapulco tonight. Then I'm going to settle in here and hopefully start winning matches!

So, nothing too interesting yet, just living the dream in Acapulco!

Venus

I have a great story about my visit to Acapulco last year. I'll give you some good reasons to not go to caca-pulco!

Whata Dork!

2009-02-24T16:07:00.000-08:00

#1

#2

look at me! look at me! I'm having a lot of fun!

2009-02-23T12:41:00.001-08:00

I always love boat excursions during a tournament. I try to squeeze in as much beach tennis and volleyball, oohh and foos ball too!

Did u take the picture yet? I have to go back to my hotel room, I'm not feeling well today. I have a headache!

Girl, u better work!

2009-02-23T12:30:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Top 10

2009-02-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

Ahh... has anyone noticed a new entry in to the Top 10 this week?

Surprise, Surprise.... look it's Gael Monfils!

Now, can I just say. I hate watching him play on t.v. He's so apathetic and uninspiring. He plays as if he had nothing better to do, lazy tennis. He must be saving his engine for soccer practice with the Spaniards after dinner.

Here is how I interpret his attitude: Big points, ahh.. who cares, it's just a match! Careless mistakes? Nah... they were forced!

Sister Rivalry

2009-02-22T14:25:00.001-08:00

At the end of last year, I was convinced 2009 was going to be the year of Venus. I predicted Venus would finally leave Serena in the dust. I felt Venus would conquer in Australia, rule Wimbledon and shine at the US Open. 2008 was a great year for Venus, she won the Year-End Championships and Wimbledon. I've never been a die-hard Venus Williams fan, so I felt my prediction was not biased in any way.

Unfortunately, this has not been the “Year of Venus” I initially imagined. Despite winning the Year-End Championships in Doha this past November, and coming into the Australian Open red-hot, her results have been less than stellar. Venus lost in the third round in Australia, in a shocking upset, while most her fans in US lay sleeping.

This week, Venus won Dubai (a premier event) by edging her sister in the semifinals. What does this mean? Absolutely nothing. The buzz is out about Venus returning to a Top-5 ranking since 2002, but unfortunately this event signals little as to what the rest of the year will be like for Venus. You see, Venus holds a 10-9 record versus Serena in head-to-head match ups. But the real measure is Serena's 10 Grand Slams to Venus' 7.

It’s apparent that the matches between the two sisters have developed into heated battles. They BOTH want to win! And, as everyone is starting to say, time is running out for both. Each win seems to matter more now, as they contemplate their individual legacies. Especially when considering Grand Slam totals. The problem for Venus, in my opinion, is that it's a little late to start getting pumped up about beating Serena. In the numerous Grand Slam Championships they’ve played each other, Serena holds a 5-2 lead over Venus. Serena brought a raw, angry determination to her matches, that uttered, "I'm the best player on this court." Venus, on the other hand, walked around the tour in those early days making way for her sister, photographing her, and applauding her. That was sweet. But it may have hurt her chances of overtaking her sister in the “grand slam” scheme of things.

So, back to the current. Venus winning Dubai, earning 800 points and beating Serena along the way, means little. Venus may go on to win Wimbledon this year, for her 8th Grand Slam Title. That's dandy, but she'll never match Serena's legacy now, as she nears the last half of her illustrious tennis career. During the first part of their rivalry, Venus held a mental edge over Serena. But instead of focusing on her own legacy in the sport, Venus was too busy coddling her younger sister's ego. And because of this, Venus allowed Serena to believe she was the better of the two. Nearly a decade later, it would appear that the lead Venus gave Serena is simply too wide to close. In a way, Serena has Venus to thank for her memorable career.

In case you didn't know, it's a Venus Weekend around here...

2009-02-21T17:48:00.000-08:00

Trackback

Fun times with V!

2009-02-21T17:40:00.000-08:00

Miss Williams. By that i don't mean Serena aka Aneres, Go V!

Go girl, get your hair, did!

Original Video- More videos at TinyPic

WTA lays a heavy hand on UAE

2009-02-21T17:10:00.000-08:00

From Craig Hickman's Tennis Blog

SONY ERICSSON WTA TOUR LEVIES LARGEST EVER FINANCIAL PENALTIES AND SETS CONDITIONS FOR FUTURE OF DUBAI TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA, USA – Following a special meeting of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Board conducted earlier today in connection with the decision by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this past week to deny the visa application of Israeli Tour player Shahar Peer, the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour announced that effective immediately it is taking the actions described below.

Commenting on today’s actions, Larry Scott, Chairman & CEO of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour stated: “The actions taken today are intended to redress the wrongs suffered by Shahar Peer, who was victimized by an unjust policy of discrimination by the UAE. These actions are also intended to send a clear message that our Tour will not tolerate discrimination of any kind and that we will never allow this situation to happen again, in UAE or elsewhere. Thanks to the courage of Shahar, and all those individuals and organizations – including her fellow players – that supported her, the UAE has changed their policy and another barrier of discrimination has fallen.”

Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Actions in re Shahar Peer, Anna Lena Groenefeld and Dubai Tournament:

· Shahar Peer Ranking Points - The awarding of 130 ranking points to Shahar Peer – an amount equal to the points that she earned during the same week in 2008 (week of Memphis) that she was unable to defend this past week in Dubai as a result of the denial of her entry visa by UAE. Such points will remain on Ms. Peer’s ranking until such time as she has had an opportunity to earn equivalent points at the next tournament offering ranking points equal to the Dubai tournament.

· Shahar Peer Prize Money – The awarding of US$44,250 to Shahar Peer – an amount equal to the average prize money that she earned per tournament (singles and doubles) in 2008, grossed up to take account for the increased prize money on offer at 2009 tournaments.

· Anna Lena Groenefeld Prize Money – The awarding of US$7,950 to Anna Lena Groenefeld, who was to be Shahar Peer’s doubles partner in Dubai and who was unable to compete in doubles with Ms. Peer as a result of the denial of Ms. Peer’s entry visa by UAE. This amount is equal to the average prize money that she earned per tournament in doubles in 2008, grossed up to take account for the increased prize money on offer at 2009 tournaments.

· Dubai Tennis Championships Financial Penalty – The fining of the Dubai tournament US$300,000 for breach of Tour Rules, By-Laws and conditions of membership related to the denial of entry to Shahar Peer. This fine amount represents the highest fine ever levied against a Tour member. Proceeds from the fine shall be used to compensate each of Ms. Peer and Ms. Groenefeld, with the balance to be donated to a charity or charities, to be determined by the Tour in consultation with Ms. Peer.

· Dubai Tennis Championships Financial Performance Guarantee – The posting by the Dubai tournament of a US$2 million financial performance guarantee by July 1, 2009 that the conditions described below will be satisfied.

· Dubai Tennis Championships Conditions for Continued Membership – The establishment of a series of conditions to be met by the Dubai tournament in order to maintain its membership and be included on the Tour’s 2010 calendar, including: (i) confirmation of the written assurances already received that all players who qualify for the tournament shall, regardless of nationality, or any other reason, be allowed to play in the Dubai event and shall be issued entry visas or permits, (ii) proof of approved UAE entry permit to enter the UAE for any Israeli player a minimum of eight (8) weeks prior to the start of the 2010 Dubai tournament, and (iii) guarantee that Ms. Peer shall be offered a wildcard to play the Dubai tournament in 2010 in the event that she does not qualify by ranking.

Yeah! Pull the gloves out, right now!

I'm glad to see the WTA has laid down some sort of authority over the incident and with a nice heavy hand!

The Dubai tournament is one of the player's favorite road stop on the tour, hopefully, they'll get it right from here on end. Otherwise, the WTA has made it pretty clear they're the authority when it comes to womens tennis.

Flash Back!

2009-02-21T17:02:00.000-08:00

I just ran across this video and I thought I would share this flash back of two greats playing each other.

Enjoy!

Seattle Tennis - A Palm Springs Heaven!

2009-02-18T12:46:00.000-08:00

What's with all the beautiful weather in Seattle? In case you didn't know, Seattle has had amazing, sunny weather the past week or two. But what most people don't know is that this is pretty common for this time of year. So, no, it's not always raining here!

What else? Well, this weekend, the USTA League Tennis got underway in the Northwest, and my team had our first match! Roger Mark (Avanti Sports) recommended me for the 4.5 Dao Team, led by the very capable and clever doubles player Duong Dao. This was my first time playing USTA League Tennis, so I was very excited!

I started practicing with Dao's team back in December. And as my singles challenge record indicates (1-4), I didn't have the "warmest of welcomes" by the guys.

But if you know me, you know I'm a fighter. So I pulled out The Inner Game of Tennis (read earlier blog) and Winning Ugly (Brad Gilbert) in order to mentally prepare myself to produce a better challenge record against my new teammates. I was going to be on the starting lineup for our upcoming match (come hell or high water)! In addition, I worked out in the gym and on the court regularly to up my fitness level.

Six pounds lighter, faster, stronger and armed with the advice of Gilbert and Gallwey, I racket up impressive numbers at practice, winning several key challenge matches.

Which brings us to this weekend. A very intriguing first match was booked. We were set to play the Ball Busters, a team I had contemplated playing for in November before finally deciding on the Dao Team. Unfortunately, the captain of the Ball Busters felt they had their singles line-up pretty much settled. Seeing as how I suck at Doubles, I had no other option but to join a team in which I could compete rather than warm the bench. And so, with some persuasion, I was chosen to start as #2 Singles, against the team that wouldn't have me! The prospect of revenge can be quite salivating, indeed!

Actually, it was much more stressful than you can imagine. In fact, I became so nervous during the warm-up that I could not get a long rally going. My hands were sweating and my feet were dead. I had the jitters. I wanted to win eagerly for the obvious reasons of proving a point and giving my team a lead. With the match underway, I settled into my pre-match summary (as instructed by Gilbert in "Winning Ugly"). My nerves never really did settle. Nonetheless, I won my match 6-2, 6-2. Our team had the early lead at 1-0.

Unfortunately, things overall didn't work out as I had hoped. My team lost the match 3-2. A bittersweet victory for me. But definitely, much sweeter than bitter.

Posted by bigE

A girl named Maria... is back on court

2009-02-18T12:30:00.000-08:00

She looks a little thicker! That is definitely not a bad thing when it comes to Masha! Is this a publicity stunt to show the world she's healthy and training? Why does she keep us guessing? Ok. I give up. I just want to know when she's playing again. I would love for her to return at Indian Wells, as I will be there next month, can't wait!

Where do we go from here?

2009-02-18T12:05:00.000-08:00

From Forty Deuce

Here's the thing about JJ losing to players significantly ranked lower than her. To me, it simply defies expectation. Her game is built on retrieving, counterpunching, and forcing players to go for too much and miss. But whatever Ricardo "European Tennis Genius" Sanchez did to her game over the off-season has completely thrown it out of whack. It's as though he tried to transform her into a player that she isn't/wasn't/won't be(?) comfortable being. An attacking retriever, a la Nole.

My sense of JJ's game and her success over the past few years was that it was totally "accidental". Like, she was just a retriever who ran around, dumping balls back, and then her opponent would miss out of frustration. And then next thing you know she won the match not in any spectacular way but simply because her opponents imploded. It was like "Well, I ran around for two hours and next thing you know, I won!" She didn't really have to think that much on the court. Just get the ball back and wait for the girl to miss. And it worked. She was able to beat 95% of the tour and she almost NEVER lost to anyone ranked significantly below her. She was that one player on the women's tour that you could count on to make the QFs easily, only to get beat by the players she was "supposed to lose to", like Ana, Serena, Venus, Dina, Lena, etc.

Because here's the thing about being an offensive attacking player (which is what most of the top girls are). You're going to lose to low ranked players. You're going to have those days where because you go for so much and hit with so little margin, you're just going to miss and lose.

But if JJ is losing to the likes of Kaia Kanepi, then there's something seriously wrong with her game. She shouldn't be going for so much that she consistently misses. I mean, the girl became #1 with no kill shot and no serve. She hobbled into the semifinals of AO 08 on one leg playing puffball retriever tennis. She made the semis of RG with one arm tied behind her back. Then she disappears for a few months, attests to working on her game and getting fitter, and now she's losing all the time. Not just losing tight three setters. But getting embarassed (bagels from Bartoli, breadsticks from Momo, and now straights to Kanepi).

The game that she is being asked to play is just not her style and I'm not sure she'll ever be used to it. She's just not used to missing shots. And when you're not used to it it starts to drain you and affect your confidence. Ana, Dina, Serena, they'll miss shots. But they shake it off when they know they played the right shot, went for it all, and missed. Ok, on to the next point. It's part of their mindset and psychology as an attacking player. But you can see it with JJ. She dumps balls into the net and everytime she looks absolutely befuddled as to how she missed that shot.

JJ's in a tough spot. On the one hand, if she plays a la JJ of 07 and 08, she'll consistently win and be in the top 5. But she'll never consistently beat the top girls at a Slam. Without being aggressive and taking it to them, there's no way. But if she adjusts her game and plays more of an attacking style as she has in 09, then sure, maybe (and it's a big maybe) she's added enough pop to her game that she can beat the top girls. But she's going to have to get used to losing these totally random matches against girls she should beat easily. And to be honest, I don't think that's part of her makeup. Trackback

look, it's going to be a while

2009-02-18T11:51:00.000-08:00

From Roger Federer's official page:

Dear Fans,

Today I am disappointed to announce that I am withdrawing from both Dubai and the Davis Cup tie in the United States. This was a hard decision to make as I am missing not only one of my favorite events on tour in Dubai but I am also missing out on an opportunity to help my country try and move on to the next round of Davis Cup. After injuring my back last fall, I did not have enough time to strengthen it completely. As a precautionary measure, I will use the next few weeks to make sure the back injury is fully rehabilitated and I am ready for the rest of the 2009 season.

As always, thanks for your continued support.
Roger

If u ever have had back pain, you know it doesn't go away permanently with a little rub. I hate to be a pessimist but once the back pain starts, it's never the same again. It's chronic, it's nagging, it's a frustrating pain to have to play with. And he's saying he's been having this pain since last fall? Oh boy, that doesn't sound good. Poor Fed, I wish him a speedy recovery.

Her official response

2009-02-17T11:48:00.000-08:00

An official statement released today from Shahar Peer.

From The WTA Tour

In response to the tremendous outpouring of support and empathy over the UAE decision to deny me a visa that would allow me to play in the Dubai Tennis Championships, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to my friends and fans around the world, and my fellow players. While this is a very difficult moment for me personally and professionally, and the fact that the visa denial was issued at the last moment, I firmly believe that my fellow competitors should not be harmed the way I was - they were in or on their way to Dubai and denying them the right to play in this year's tournament at the last moment would not make the wrong right. In fact, it troubles me greatly that my doubles partner Anna-Lena Groenefeld from Germany will not be able to compete as we had planned. Going forward, I am confident that the Tour will take appropriate actions to ensure that this injustice is not allowed to occur in the future, and that the Tour will make sure I will not be further harmed in the short and long term. There should be no place for politics or discrimination in professional tennis or indeed any sport.

In an interesting twist to this saddening story, information has surfaced that Dubai Tournament organizer's denied an ATP Israeli doubles team from competing in last year's event. The pair withdrew last minute but no word was mentioned as to the reason. Information has surfaced shedding light to last year's last minute withdrawal. Doug Robson: Ram Also denied Visa

¡La passion de ma vie!

2009-02-16T13:53:00.000-08:00

Lately, I've been doing a lot of practice for the upcoming Spring season. In fact, I've been so focused on tennis, that I've been neglecting my other passion - photography. Both art forms require a reasonably dry day and good, clear vision. Unfortunately, in Seattle, a dry day in the middle of winter is an extremely rare thing. It just happens that late last week, Seattle was blessed with the ideal tennis/photography day. Not too cold, some cloud coverage, with a good amount of sunlight. Perfect naturally diffused light! I took my camera and rackets to the court, practiced some serves and inside-out forehands, and took some pictures during my usual sit-down breaks to zen out and meditate. It was one of those fulfilling days. You know the kind. Where you feel like you've satisfied several of your life's passions at the same time. I'm going to incorporate this new "artistic" pairing a lot more nowadays. Of course, I went home later, completely famished and hungry for some good chow down. The following picture is the calm (sink) before the storm! ~ Jocko

BIG ISSUE ON HAND

2009-02-15T22:51:00.000-08:00

From the WTA Tour

Statement from Larry Scott, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, regarding the United Arab Emirates' decision to deny a Visa to Israeli Tour Professional Shahar Peer to play in the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships.

We are deeply disappointed by the decision of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) denying Shahar Peer a Visa that would permit her to enter the country to play in the Dubai Tennis Championships. Ms. Peer has earned the right to play in the tournament and it is regrettable that the UAE is denying her this right.

Following various consultations, the Tour has decided to allow the tournament to continue to be played this week, pending further review by the Tour's Board of Directors. Ms. Peer and her family are obviously extremely upset and are disappointed by the decision of the UAE and its impact on her personally and professionally, and the Tour is reviewing appropriate remedies for Ms. Peer and also will review appropriate future actions with regard to the future of the Dubai tournament. The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour believes very strongly, and has a clear rule and policy, that no host country should deny a player the right to compete at a tournament for which she has qualified by ranking.

Excellent articles below, on the aftermath of Shahar Peer being denied a visa to compete in Dubai. It will be interesting to see if the WTA Tour decides to let this blow over, or really take action against the Dubai tournament. I'm really alarmed that the organizers of the Barclays Dubai Championships have not offered an apology or explanation regarding their decision to deny Peer from competing.

NY Times
Yahoo Sports

Hello, Tatiana!

2009-02-12T14:05:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a while since we've seen or heard from Tatiana Golovin. Until now. Can I just say, "Wow!" I think Tat looks more exotic than Hantuchova or Kirilenko in this photo shoot. Hot, hot, hot!

From Sports Illustrated: Tatiana Golovin, 21, was born in Moscow, but moved to Paris as a child. A French citizen, Golovin turned pro when she was 15, and paired with countryman Richard Gasquet to win the mixed doubles title at Roland Garros in 2004. Golovin earned her first WTA singles title in April, 2007, defeating Venus Williams and Ana Ivanovic en route to winning the Bausch and Lomb Championships.

Interview with GDF Suez Open

GDF Suez Open: Tatiana, how are you?
Tatiana:I'm good. I'm really happy to be here at the Open GDF SUEZ and see the tournament again. It brings back some really good memories from when I played really well here. And it's true that I can't wait to come back.

GDF: How is your health doing right now?
Tatiana: Well, it always takes some time to heal correctly and get back into shape. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed and doing what it takes to come back as quickly as possible.

GDF: What exactly is bothering you?
Tatiana:I suffer from lower back inflammation, and it requires lots of therapy, treatment and rest. You have to be especially patient.

GDF: Aren't you getting impatient?
Tatiana:I'ts not too bad. I try to stay as busy as possible. I'm going to go back to my management classes. I try to get interested in a lot of other things.

GDF: When do you think you'll be completely healed?
Tatiana:Well, for now, I'm living day by day. I'm making my back my priority and it will take as long as it needs to heal. In any case, I'm staying positive.

GDF: Rumour has it that you might end your career...
Tatiana:Those are just rumours; it's too easy to say such a thing. I'm just taking my time to get better.

GDF: Tell us about your swimsuit photo shoot for Sports Illustrated?
Tatiana:It was really great. We spent a superb week in the Dominican Republic with a great staff. I really like the photos we took. It was an unforgettable experience. I liked it because it was totally different from what I'm used to as a tennis player. Everyone was really nice and it makes me want to repeat the experience.

GDF: Would you like to do it on a regular basis?
Tatiana:Not regularly, since it's not my line of work as a tennis player. But from time to time, it's a good experience.

GDF: Is it something you could imagine doing in the future?
Tatiana:I don't think so, because models have been posing since they're very little. It's a lot of work. For now, I'm not thinking about that.

Interview

I'm crossing my fingers for your return, Tat. Looking good!

Tennis Zen

2009-02-09T18:08:00.000-08:00

One of the major no-nos that tennis players do on the court is to judge their performance. I do it, and I've watched many times as students stare in awe after they hit a winner down the line.

In my 10 years of playing tennis, I've come to learn that there should be little to no judgment when executing on the tennis court. I love this passage from The Inner Game of Tennis (W. Timothy Galley) that talks about quieting the mind and allowing your shot to happen spontaneously. It's about trusting your body to achieve its peak performance.

The image comes to my mind of the balanced movement of a cat stalking a bird. Effortlessly alert, he crouches, gathering his relaxed muscles for the spring. No thinking about when to jump, nor how he will push off with his hind legs to attain the proper distance, his mind is still and perfectly concentrated on his prey. No thought flashes into his consciousness of the possibility or consequences of missing his mark. He sees only the bird. Suddenly the bird takes off; at the same instant, the cat leaps. With perfect anticipation he intercepts his dinner two feet off the ground. Perfectly, thoughtlessly executed action, and afterward, no self-congratulations, just the reward inherent in his action: the bird in the mouth.

I tell everyone I coach to limit the amount of judgment they place on themselves while playing. And instead, to replace that judgment with concentrated action. The concentration should be like meditation. Simply enjoy the action taking place, whether it produces a good or bad shot.

In short, 'getting it together' requires slowing the mind. Quieting the mind means less thinking, calculating, judging, worrying, fearing, hoping, trying, regretting, controlling, jittering or distracting.

When I first started playing tennis, there was a lot of judgment going on in my head. Most of it was uncontrolled energy focused on shot accuracy. So if you're just starting out in the game of tennis, this is an important lesson to learn. Even if you've been playing for years (like myself), it's a lesson worth repeating in your head continually. I keep The Inner Game of Tennis in my hitting bag, and from time to time find it useful to skim the pages on concentration when my actions start to become forced.

The Inner Game

2009-02-09T17:26:00.000-08:00

It's February, I've signed up for USTA League Tennis for the first time and I'm really excited about getting into tip-top tennis shape. I play at the 4.0-4.5 level; self-taught. This past summer I had my first major tennis injury, which forced me to stop playing for a few months. In December I started working out and hitting again. And though the strokes are still there, something essential has been dearly missing from my game.

My self-belief.

I'm struggling to get into my groove. I'm losing matches I shouldn't. Fading in crucial moments and holding back when I'm ahead. All this is mental. The old tricks I played on myself in the past aren't working anymore.

After losing 4 straight matches on the team ladder, I had been feeling a little dejected. So I decided to turn to the source that first helped me leap bounds a few years ago.

I have started to re-read my favorite tennis book, The Inner Game of Tennis by
W. Timothy Gallwey (the classic). A few years back, I picked up this book and it really helped me to play the game with a stronger mind. This book is gold for any tennis player. If tennis had a religion, this is it! Body, mind, and soul can be nourished and harnessed with this tennis treasure.

My current record on the team ladder 3-4.. not so bad for only reaching the first chapter. The Inner Game is my fifth element. If you have not read it yet, do so and learn to play tennis with a vengeance.

posted by bigE

Seattle Tennis - A Palm Springs Heaven!

2009-02-08T12:31:00.000-08:00

It's way to sunny out for me to being sitting on my couch updating my blog. My racquet bag is packed, had my breakfast, got my water bottle and I'm headed to the courts!

Who would have thought, Seattle in the winter can be sunny and 50F. And believe me, that's good!

I can't wait to tell you how difficult it is to maintain your game during the winter in Seattle. I, for one, like to bring my A-GAME on Day 1 of the summer season!

So here I go... no?

Okhey!

2009-02-06T13:23:00.000-08:00

Serena showing her fun personality on Jay Leno.

Busy Bee, Bu$zz$Z$Zz

2009-02-06T07:40:00.000-08:00

Ms. Sharapova keeps busy while she nurses injuries, no? Check out her latest news provided by BrandWeek

Cole Haan is featuring tennis star Maria Sharapova in its new spring ad campaign, marking the first time the Nike fashion subsidiary has used a Nike athlete as its face.

The campaign for Cole Haan’s 2009 sporting collection will debut the week of Feb. 9 in the March issue of Condé Nast’s Vanity Fair magazine.

"We are able to leverage her interest in fashion and sport, while connecting with our consumer in a new and unique way,” said Cole Haan CMO Michael Capiraso.

Ads will appear in subsequent issues of Condé Nast’s Vogue and Lucky, Hearst Magazines’ Harper’s Bazaar, Time Inc.’s InStyle, and American Express Publishing’s Travel + Leisure.

A catalogue of the collection will be polybagged and included with the April issue of Hachette Filipacchi Media’s Elle—which is the first time Cole Haan has included a catalogue with a magazine.

The campaign also will have a presence on NYTimes.com, NYmag.com and Style.com. Out-of-home executions include billboards and phone kiosks in New York City and on buses and bus shelters in South Florida.

Fashion photographer Martyn Thompson shot the campaign. Assouline is the creative agency.

Cole Haan’s U.S. ad spending totaled $12.4 million through Nov. 2008, up slightly from $12.1 million in 2007, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus.
TrackBack

Surprisingly, looks like she's making more $$ off the court than on the court. Good for her, no?

Tsonga's So. Africa visit

2009-02-05T23:28:00.000-08:00

Travelling via police escort, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Jeff Coetzee and Wesley Moodie headed to Soweto (South Western Townships) on Wednesday to meet and coach some of the sprawling township’s kids at the Arthur Ashe Tennis Centre in White City, Jabavu.

Tsonga and Coetzee/Moodie, the SA Tennis Open singles and doubles No.1 seeds respectively, spent more than an hour running through basic training drills with the youngest kids, while hitting with or coaching the future generation of South African tennis players, some of whom had never picked up a racquet before.

At the end of the clinic, youngsters from the Jabavu and neighbouring areas broke out in song in appreciation and moments later the broad-smiling Muhammad Ali look-alike tennis pro started dancing, even throwing in the odd Ali-shuffle in his routine.

"As a kid I never had a chance to go to clinics which were conducted by the world's top players," said Tsonga. "It's really great for them although I think many of them do not know the players here. But I would like them to go home and dream about becoming professional tennis players one day. They've got to be able to dream about it because that could be the start of great things for them. It's so important that they are able to dream."

You can read more about Tsonga's visit to Soweto here

Jelena's World hits the Web

2009-02-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

You can view the entire documentary on Jelena on Youtube. Note: You won't understand the language but you'll get the gist. Here's a taste:

Sharapova shoulder woes continue

2009-02-04T20:30:00.000-08:00

Oh-oh, it looks like Sharapova's shoulder injury may end up being a career-ending one. The Sharapova Camp has been very hush-hush about her rehab progress, leaving fans wondering about the severity of her injury. What kind of injury requires over 8 months of rest?

Although her shoulder appears to be recovering, it may not be able to handle the high intensity of the professional tour. The grinding routine and the grueling training sessions would wreck havoc on a shoulder that seems to be chronically injured.

Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait for the final verdict from Maria herself.

We all know she's a tiger, and I'm sure she's fighting hard to get back on the WTA tour. Let’s just hope luck is also apart of her comeback equation.

Maria Withdraws from Paris and Dubai

Kim to return next spring

2009-02-03T21:58:00.000-08:00

Gosh, I wish this article was in English so I could get the full scoop on what's going on with Kimmy. From what I gathered (3 years of studying French doesn't get you very far), here are the details:

A. Belgian Magazine, LE VIF, reports rumors that former No. 1 Kim Clijsters is considering a return to tennis in Spring 2010.

B. She reportedly has been practicing with compatriot Kirsten Flipkins.

C. Kim is planning on playing an exhibition match this summer in Belgium, but no opponent or venue has officially been booked.

Fashion Patrol

2009-02-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

I love the Australian Open. And one of the reasons I love it is due to the outrageous outfits the players get to wear. Some are hot, and some are not. With the winners finally crowned Down Under, here are my picks for the Best and Worst Dressed Players at the 2009 Australian Open.

Top 5 Best Dressed

#5 - Zheng Jie Simple, yet chic. Understated elegance. Nothing like a little Mercedes symbol to add a little class to your outfit as well. Great job, Zheng Jie!

#4 - Dinara Safina If you had asked me to predict who would be on my shortlist of worst dressed players before the start of the Aussie Open, I would have put Dinara Safina firmly on that list. Fortunately, I would've been wrong. Turns out, Dinara was as sick of her pink, "pepto bismol" outfit as we were. I love her new look. Let's just hope that hideous pink outfit remains shelved....permanently!

#3 - Elena Dementieva Elena was once the featured cover story for Canada's street-style magazine PEACE. She's a little bit of a fashionista, actually. She definitely delivered in the style department this year at the Australian Open. Her bright orange outfit really popped, especially against the deep blue of the courts. Can't wait to see her next outfit!

#2 - Roger Federer The Fed always shows up looking stylish and chic. If it hadn't been for Rafa's drastic transformation this year, I would have put him as #1. He was even wearing a matching belt. Whether on or off the court, the Swiss Maestro is a class act.

#1 - Rafael Nadal Like the rest of the world, I was completely shocked when I first saw Rafa's new look. No more sleeveless shirts or longer shorts. I guess being the World #1 comes with responsibilities other than stellar on-court performance. I liked his sense of color coordination too. Congrats on the new look Rafa, and on winning this year's trophy Down Under!

Top 5 Worst Dressed

#5 - Jelena Jankovic She looked like she was on maternity leave. And that color? How can you instill the fear of God into your opponent with a soft green pastel color. And to top things off, the outfit looked as if it had been washed one too many times. But since this is her first outing wearing a dress from her new sponsor ANTA, I'm willing to give her a little break.

#4 - Jelena Dokic We all love the comeback story of Jelena Dokic, but that doesn't mean we have to love her outfit. She looked like she had just stepped out of a time machine from the days of Martina Navratilova. She should save this outfit for her next 80s Night party. With all that hard earned cash, I hope she shows up next time with something a little more stylish (and current). I have faith in her.

#3 - James Blake Hello Grandpa Blake. The word out"fit" can sometimes refer to the size of the fit. Look at how much room he has in that shirt. It's like he's drowning in that rag. For someone that looks like a commercial print model, he has no excuse for showing up to the Australian Open wearing a shirt tailor-made for a man twice his size. C'mon!

#3 - Andy Murray If you're as pasty as Murray, you might want to steer clear of colors that make your skin look even more bleached. Australia is the prefect place to debut a new outfit, one with a splash of color. Perhaps a bold, primary color like red, which mirrors his fiery personality. And while he's at it, we suggest he get a tan! One more thing. Next time, please don't wear a shirt with dark patches under your armpits. Not a good idea.

#1 - Alisa Kleybanova Can you say "train wreck"? Kleybenova's outfit takes the highest honors for The Worst Dressed Player at the Australian Open. Congratulations Alisa! Those hideous colors, and that horrible hat. I couldn't believe my eyes the first time I saw her images flash on the TV screen. Especially when contrasting her against the super stylish Ana Ivanovic. Next time, she should phone her compatriot Dementieva for some much-needed fashion advice, or face the danger of being a repeat offender. Man, it's a good thing she's got some major game.

Broken Psyche

2009-02-01T23:51:00.000-08:00

I'm still trying to process the trophy ceremony, which left me in tears, though I had cheered for Nadal the entire match. I like what Laikhuran P, from India had to offer as a response to the article, Dealing with the hurt

"That moment when Roger's emotion burst ,I thought, well, it was not just a game. It was a lot more than it. He perhaps realized that he has reached a point in life where he needs to start thinking beyond tennis. Even if he continues for another three years, something on his face tells me there is something going on in his mind other than tennis . As for the game, I think Roger himself knows he is against this huge thick high wall which he may not be able to dismantle. Ever. I think he knows this was the best moment to achieve that 'pinnacle' which has still eluded him."

Dinara, 'Sorry Not Much to Say'

2009-01-31T12:15:00.000-08:00

Dinara is always so candid with the media. Here's what she had to offer after the speedy final she played.

Q. Was it just simply a bad case of nerves tonight?

DINARA SAFINA: Well, I would say so. You know, it was first time for me to play not only for the Grand Slam, but it's also for No. 1 spot. And I never been through this situation, you know, and she was already.

So, I mean, she was much more times in this situation. I would say she was much more experienced than I was today stepping on the court.

Q. Can you compare the disappointment you feel now to what you felt in Paris?

DINARA SAFINA: It's both disappointing, you know. You cannot pick one. I feel the same, you know, disappointing. French Open and here. I would say today that I was not able maybe to show my game, you know. It's also very disappointing.

Q. How long do you think she can stay No. 1 if she performs like this tonight?

DINARA SAFINA: Well, with her, you know, she doesn't play that many tournaments. That's the problem by her. You know, if she plays every week, like most of the players does, then, of course, it will be tough.

But, I mean, she's a champion. She proved it. It just depends on her.

Q. Is she the best player you've ever played against? Would you rate her that high?

DINARA SAFINA: I don't know, and Justine. I don't know. For me, either because just like the way was Justine. I think for me, Justine was best. Not I don't have anything against Serena, but I love the way Justine was playing. I love the way she was on the court and all these things. Just maybe I like more Justine.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

2009-01-31T11:43:00.000-08:00

Congrats to Serena for winning her 10th Grand Slam!

A demolishing victory, 6-0, 6-3 in less than an hour that left her young opponent in tears. Glad I didn't pay for one of those expensive front row tickets.

Serena always plays her best tennis on the biggest stages of tennis. She roared in this final, looking nothing like the Serena of week 1 playing Gisela Dulko. Serena lives for these moments and there's something to be appreciated of her grit, ferocity and power.

Serena returns to No.1.

No Changes at the Top

2009-01-30T13:52:00.000-08:00

Rankings, Rankings, I love rankings!

No Changes in the rankings for the Top 4 after Aussie, regardless of the Final.

Rafa is ahead of the pack... by a mile.

And Muzz made no in roads towards the top despite coming to Oz red hot.

Novak's dream of becoming No.1 ... is only a dream at the moment.

LLeyton Hewitt coming to America

2009-01-29T11:45:00.000-08:00

Lleyton Hewitt is strongly considering basing himself overseas, possibly in the US, to ease the massive travel load and accommodate his family life.

Hewitt has long held out against the trend of his fellow Australian players and remained in his homeland but, with the addition of a second child last month, he is now discussing whether to leave Australia for what would be the remainder of his career.

"Basically it's been something we've talked about for a number of years now, which is the possibility of having an overseas base," Hewitt's manager David Drysdale said yesterday.

"From the point of view of all the Australian players in the past — Philippoussis, Cashy, Rafter, the Woodies, everybody has had an overseas base.

"And it makes it easy to travel … the guys that live in Europe or the US, if they get knocked out early in the tournament, they can get off the tour, go home, spend three or four days at home, chill out, recharge the batteries and then go back to the next tournament.

"If you do that and you live in Australia, you've got to take two or three weeks off because of the distance coming back, and the time differences to your body and everything else.

"Lleyton's always done that — he's taken two or three weeks off at a time, or longer, when he comes back for a break."

Drysdale said no decision had been made, but a move was possible this year.

"Who knows, it could be in three weeks time, it could be in three months time," he said.

Drysdale said discussions about a possible move had come to the fore because of the birth of Lleyton and Bec Hewitt's second child, Cruz, and they were weighing up the travel load their family of four now faced.

"Lleyton is such a family man, he wants to have them around," he said.

"And so we started to discuss the possibilities of where, you know, Bec and the kids might be able to stay at home every now and then for a tournament. Lleyton could go and play, if he gets knocked out, he comes back.

"Because, again, I guess it's to knock the rumour on the head about retirement — we're looking at a full schedule for him, and so we're looking at ways to make it as easy as possible.

"So a lot of it was discussed but nothing got decided. Lleyton now heads back overseas next week for the American stint."

Hewitt is keen to play a full schedule this year after managing only 31 matches in an injury-afflicted 2008 that ended with delicate hip surgery, and the rigors of his travel schedule are evident in his planned program for early in 2009.

"As to where, I think he's be looking around the US. It would be somewhere where he's been, and he's been happy with, and he likes the place and feels comfortable living there."

Drysdale said that given that Mia was three and Cruz barely a month old, schooling was not a factor, which arguably made prospective relocation easier.

He said that Hewitt hoped to play at least another two years on the tour.

"It could be from two to four, who knows," he said.

"The guy is so patriotic about his country it's hard to get him to think outside of (living in Australia)."

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Cha-Ching!

2009-01-29T11:37:00.000-08:00

Jelena Dokic has capped the spectacular comeback that won her a top-100 ranking in women's tennis and a wad of prizemoney with a $1 million sponsorship.

Dokic, 25. has signed a three-year-contract - her first in seven years - to become the new face of budget airline Jetstar.

As part of the deal she will receive free flights to all venues in Australasia.

Details of the contract are being negotiated, but Dokic is not expected to appear in television ads.

Dokic was considering offers from several companies wishing to cash in on her Australian Open comeback, IMG manager David Malina said.

This week Dokic posed for Jetstar publicity photos in front of Melbourne's skyline.

She won huge public support as she played her way into the quarter-finals, finally bowing out this week to world No. 3 Dinara Safina.

The match was a TV ratings winner with 3.2 million viewers tuning in.

Dokic won the hearts of fans with her fighting spirit and openness about her past troubles: depression, weight gain and a short-lived retirement that all stemmed from family estrangement brought on by her volatile and overbearing father Damir.

In a frank interview after her heartwarming run to the quarter-finals, Dokic on Wednesday recalled the other life-changing week when her competitive instincts stopped her from putting away the racquet for good two years ago.

Her comments have drawn offers from women's magazines, but it is believed Dokic has rejected them.

Next week Dokic joins fellow Aussie Samantha Stosur at the Federation Cup in Perth.

Trackback

Tonight Tonight...

2009-01-28T15:19:00.000-08:00

Jelena Jankovic’s loss to Marion Bartoli cost her more than a big check at the end of the Australian Open.

The Serbian star will now lose the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour No. 1 ranking to one of three other top players on Monday.

Jankovic had an outside chance of holding onto the top spot after her fourth round defeat, but because Dinara Safina reached the semifinals, Jelena will be ousted after seventeen consecutive weeks.

An Australian Open singles title would guarantee former world number one Serena Williams or newcomers Dinara Safina and Elena Dementieva the number one ranking. However, each of the trio still has a chance to claim the top spot without winning the Grand Slam.

Elena Dementieva
The Russian could become the 19th player since the inception of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Computer Ranking System (second Russian, along with Maria Sharapova) was introduced on November 3, 1975.

Dementieva needs to:
- Win the singles title
- Reach the finals if Safina does not also reach the finals

Dinara Safina
Like Dementieva, the Russian could become the 19th player since the inception of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Computer Ranking System (second Russian, along with Maria Sharapova) was introduced on November 3, 1975.

Safina needs to:
- Win the singles title
- Reach at least SF and neither Dementieva nor S.Williams advance to the finals

Serena Williams
The American is aiming to return to the World No.1 ranking for the third time in her career. S.Williams has held the World No.1 ranking for 61 weeks (57 weeks: 7/8/02 to 8/10/03 and 4 weeks: 9/8/08 to 10/5/08).

Williams needs to:
- Win the singles title
- Reach the finals if Safina does not also reach the finals

For more Jelena Jankovic to Lose Top Spot; Ranking Race Between Serena Williams, Dinara Safina and Elena Dementieva

Spanish Conquistedor!

2009-01-27T23:43:00.000-08:00

In 2006, it was Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis (5-7 7-5 6-0 6-2). In 2007, the Chilean Fernando González (7-6(2) 6-4 6-4) stunned the world. 2008 saw the Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (4-6 6-4 6-3 7-6(2)) brought the Aussie Open fans to life. And in 2008, a new Spaniard looks to be very well be this years Dark Horse.

Verdasco does it again! In this tournament alone, he's taken out Stepanek, Andy Murray, Tsonga, and now he gets a crack at his compatriot Nadal.

Burnt Out

2009-01-26T22:05:00.000-08:00

With temperatures reaching the upper 130's, Djokovic retires during his QF match against Andy Roddick. Following a very inspiring 1st set (in which he played flawlessly), Djokovic seemed to take a dip in his quality of play, going down a break early in the 2nd set. From that point on, it was all downhill. His feet stopped moving, his shots were barely making it past the service line, and his confidence was waning. It was sad to watch, actually. And I'm not even a fan of the Djoker. Perhaps it was the near 140 degree temperature, and then again, perhaps not.

He has a record of both taking medical timeouts and retiring from matches. Here's his history of retirement: 2005 & 2006 French Open, 2007 Wimbledon, and now the 2009 Australian Open. He's only 20, and soon he'll have retired from all 4 Slams! Not an accolade you'd want under your belt, Novak! And I'm only talking about his Grand Slam record. If you take a look at his retirement stats at the smaller tournaments, it's not any better.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not against medical timeouts. In fact, I believe they're necessary. If you're in danger of injuring or hurting yourself during a match, you should be allowed the proper amount of time to be accessed and to be treated. However, when players appear to abuse the rule either to help boost their level of play or to cool down the game of their opponent, I start to become suspicious.

To the credit of Roddick, he was tracking down drop shot after drop shot, showing off his newly found fitness and speed.

Funny that he would retire to Roddick, considering Andy's recent criticism of Djokovic at the US Open. He accused Novak of lying about or faking his injuries as a strategy to get through tight matches. I'm starting to think he's right.

Update: Verdasco dispatches Murray

2009-01-26T00:03:00.000-08:00

I guess Murray can go home and relax - he no longer has to worry about living up to his very high expectations. We've been treated this week with so much high octane tennis. Kudos to Verdasco as well. He played extremely offensively, making Murray play a very defensive game.

Serena squeaks thru

2009-01-25T20:26:00.000-08:00

Sitting with all of my tennis "mates" at a local pub watching the Aussie Open. I was so bummed to see Azarenka retire from her march against Serena due to some form of heat stroke. And she was hitting so well, penetrating thru the court and taking the first set from Serena, 6-4. We are sure to see more from her in the very near future. Serena's fans can breath a sigh of relief as she makes it into the Quarters. If she makes of past that round, she will overtake Jankovic as the new No. 1!

The Other Jelena!

2009-01-25T14:39:00.000-08:00

(This is the last game of from the Dokic v Kleybanova match. Enjoy!)

What an incredible match! I became a fan instant fan of Jelena Dokic after seeing her play her 1st round match against the upcoming Tamira Paszek. Check out this picture of Jelena's concentration during the Kleybanova match last night. Amazing! Only the very best players display this kind of focus. Inspirational!

Watching her play, you can't help but love her. She has this uncanny way of sucking the viewer in, drawing them into her side of the court. And with all that she's been through over the years, it's as if the rest of the world is willing her on to win. We love a comeback story, don't we? During her match with Kleybanova, I saw glimpses of her former Top 10 form. Shots that you thought were over, weren't. Just when you thought she was out of that 3rd set, she'd come up with this amazing passing shot that simply took your breath away. Exhilarating match. One player would seize the upper hand, only to have it take away moments later. Talk about drama. This was a match worthy of a final.

There was this one moment of the 3rd set where Kleybanova made this incredible crosscourt shot. It was too good! ESPN pans to see the expression on Jelena's face. Instead of rolling her eyes or getting mad, she has this look on her face that reads, "Damn that was good!" All done with a big smile. I love it! She has it all. Personality, concentration, drive, determination, power, grace, timing. Wow! (Now, let me say, I'm re-watching that match as I compose this blog.)

Let's go, Jelena! I predict that she will regain her Top 10 ranking soon. You now have one new, undying fan. :)

Side note: Kleybanova should hold her head high after that match. I saw signs of a future champion watching her play. She showed a lot of courage and spirit. I look forward to seeing her tennis future unfold.

The Ass

2009-01-25T14:06:00.000-08:00

I can't believe the Tennis Channel has hired Justin Gimelstob to commentate. Are they crazy? Are they suffering from amnesia? He shocked the tennis world after unleashing a hate-filled rant against Anna Kournikova and calling several female players at Wimbledon "sexpots".

Gimelstob stated that he wanted to "hurt" Kournikova by serving the ball directly into her stomach.

If she's not crying by the time she comes off court, then I did not do my job.

When asked if he hated the Russian, he replied:

Hate is a very strong word. I just despise her to the maximum level just below hate.

He went on to say that he would not like to sleep with Kournikova, "because she's such a douche". Instead, "I wouldn't mind my brother, who is kind of a stud, nail her and then reap the benefits."

Gimelstob, 31, was forced to issue an apology to the women's game and found himself suspended from the professional US tennis league in which he plays.

Regardless of his half-hearted apology, I cannot believe that the Tennis Channel decided to hire him. I feel very strongly about this. Imagine if Don Imus were let off the hook so easily? The WTA and it's players have fought hard over the years to earn their rightful respect. Allowing this kind of mindless, misogynistic offense only demeans their progress.

And that isn't even taking into account his below average, extremely annoying commentating style.

Come on Tennis Channel, make this right!

Federer in 5!

2009-01-24T23:43:00.000-08:00

Phew! Can you say "stressed out"? Being a hardcore Federer supporter and fan, I was so worried to see him go down 2 sets to Tomas Berdych in the Round of 16 at the Aussie Open tonight. The hard-hitting Czech was in complete control during those 1st two sets. His forehands were crisp and literally hitting the line, time and time again.

But in the 7th game of the 3rd set, a combination of increased performance by Federer and a couple of unforced errors by Berdych, found the Fed Express turning the tide for the first time during the match. Roger had found his stride and starting believing in himself again. He took the match 4/6 6/7 6/4 6/4 6/2. Wow! I was sweating beads! I actually took a shower break just to calm my emotions down. Haha! In a night that saw Jelena Jankovic make an early exit, this would have been an even bigger upset! Luckily for JJ (and Federer), her headline is safe.

The true sign of a Champion is his ability to dig down deep, and to find the courage to fight no matter what. It was so refreshing to see Federer showing so much emotion.

This win will give Federer a lot of confidence heading into the Quarterfinals. Look out del Potro!

Lights Out!

2009-01-24T17:45:00.000-08:00

Marion Bartoli is through to the Quarterfinals of the Australian Open, as she dispatches Jelena Jankovic in 2 very convincing sets - 61 64. The flat-hitting French woman was on fire the entire match, putting it to the current #1 in fashionable style. She's sporting a new, streamlined physique as well. She actually looks like a tennis player (despite her balletesque serving stance). Jelena is likely to lose her #1 ranking following the Aussie Open, and will have to fend off the media wolves regarding her validation as #1. In order for her to stay at the top, either Serena, Safina, or Dementieva will have to lose in their Quarterfinal matches. I doubt that all of the remaining top seeds will fall before the Semifinals.

Side note: Perhaps Jelena should challenge the line calls a little less. In the second set alone, she challenged 3 times, losing each of those challenges. And that was at 2-2! After that, she had no challenges remaining for the entire set. I read somewhere that Serena consciously decides not to challenge often, preferring to stay in the moment and not be sidetracked by the minor details. Seems to work for her!

No Underwear

2009-01-24T11:59:00.000-08:00

LMAO!

Serena on streaker: My Innocent Eyes

Life after tennis is BORING, that explains all the Comebacks!

2009-01-24T11:46:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered why tennis has more comebacks than any other sport? More comebacks than Madonna could possibly spice up?

Listen to this, a former Tennis star (at age of 35) is thinking about making a comeback in 2009. He's gotten into shape and is now asking for Wild Cards into ATP Events.

Rusedski confirms surprise comeback

A comeback in a sport where 17-25 is the prime age? Hmmm....

Got Juice?

2009-01-23T03:44:00.000-08:00

Anyone up for some Kleybanova Juice?

Russian, Alisa Kleybanova, was literally squeezing sweat from her bunched up hair during her 3 hour match against Ana Ivanovic this morning. At every change of break, she would wring out approximately a half a cup of "Kleybanova Juice".

Welcome back!

2009-01-23T03:15:00.000-08:00

Anyone who saw the match this morning between the resurgent Jelena Dokic and the up-and-coming Danish teen, Caroline Wozniacki, can tell that Dokic is back! For a moment tonight, Dokic was playing some of the most amazing tennis of her career. Dokic won 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. She's into the Rd of 16, her best showing since 2002. She was playing Top 10 tennis again. With some work and a little re-polishing (and with virtually no points to defend this year), Dokic can be in the top 20 in no time. What a great surprise for 2009! I'm such a sucker for comebacks.

This leaves all the top contenders wondering, "Who invited her to the party?"

While we lay sleeping

2009-01-22T12:31:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning, without even bothering to look at the match scores from last night, which included Venus, Blake, Tsonga and Gulbis.

Well, it didn't take long for me to learn that Venus got knocked out by Carla Suarez Navarro, in the 2nd round!

OMG, I had written in Venus as my favorite to win the Australian Open, over her sister Serena. Especially after Serena's performance last night. Up until the Australian Open, it looked to me like Venus was playing amazing and hungry tennis.

Venus' Australian Open record is 33-10 - almost identical to her French Open record of 35-12. Which is not bad by any means, just not as impressive as her 5 titles and 58-7 record at Wimbledon.

Since 2004, Venus has had exits in the 3RD, 4TH, 1ST, QF and now in the 2RD at the Australian. Next time, I'll go with my heart. Go JJ!

Ivo the Terrible!

2009-01-22T00:22:00.000-08:00

I was stunned watching the Ancic/Karlovic match tonight. Karlovic can barely sustain a rally longer than 2 balls. A good 4.0 recreational player would give him a run for his money. The only thing that Karlovic has in his “bag of tricks” is a powerful serve. Personally, I don’t enjoy watching a match where a player depends on one aspect of his/her game (ie, the serve) to win a match. It’s boring, and lacks depth. At least on the women’s side of tennis, there’s much more variety. Of course, the women are starting to hit as hard as the men. Soon, the game of tennis will become a game of serving and powerful baseline hitting. That’ll be a sad day indeed!

Musical Chair Rankings

2009-01-20T16:32:00.000-08:00

By winning her first round match, Jankovic increased her chances of remaining No. 1 at the conclusion of the Australian Open. Here is a look at the possible scenarios regarding the coveted No. 1 ranking. Our friends over at OntheBaseline did the calculation.

Number One Ranking Projections

Points defending at Melbourne: Jelena Jankovic (900, reached 2008 SF), Serena Williams (500, reached 2008 QF), Dinara Safina (4, fell 2008 1r) and Elena Dementieva (280, reached 2008 4r).

With the winner receiving 2000 ranking points, and the top four ranking positions being so close, here are some scenarios:

• If Jelena Jankovic wins, she will remain No.1 regardless.

• If Dinara Safina wins, she will become No.1, regardless.

• If Serena Williams wins, she will become No.1 IF… she does not play Jankovic in the finals.

• If Elena Dementieva wins, she will become No.1 IF … she does not play Jankovic in the finals.

Additionally, with Jankovic winning her first round match at the Australian Open, Safina would need to reach AT LEAST the semifinals, while S.Williams and Dementieva would need to reach the finals to have a chance to become the World No.1.

Go JJ!

We'll keep you updated about rankings as matches unfold.

Who’s the djoker now?

2009-01-19T19:11:00.000-08:00

Roger Federer was playing some mind games with Djokovic, stating that he may have made a mistake switching from Wilson to Head right before a Grand Slam.

“I mean it’s tough because there’s always a factor with the weather, how do you play, day form, you know, other contenders, the pressure, now a new racquet. I’m quite surprised he made a switch like this in the best phase of his career. He can for sure play good tennis, but I think when it comes down to the crunch you just have that bit of a doubt maybe, because you are not quite that comfortable with that racquet. But we’ll see what happens. It’s going to be a big test for him."

To Djok or not Djok?

2009-01-19T18:55:00.000-08:00

The Djoker has been off his game lately. And if he doesn’t get into groove soon, he might be exiting the Aussie Open sooner than he’d like.

He looks frustrated and annoyed, never very happy with himself. And not just in the Australian Open either. During his Nieminen match last week, he looked deflated and lacked concentration.

Where is the confident, aggressive play that led him to his victory in Melbourne last year? Personally, I think the pressure to keep up with the leading pack is starting to mentally wear on him.

The Curious Case of Jelena Jankovic

2009-01-18T11:35:00.000-08:00

Jelena Jankovic, now spending her 16th week as the #1 ranked female player, has been receiving some harsh criticism as of late, both from the outspoken tennis pundits and from her very own peers. Apparently, there will be no respect for Jelena's game until she wins that elusive Grand Slam title. How fair is that? Even the great Roger Federer pitched in by throwing dirt this week:

I would hope, though, that if he (Andy Murray) were to become world No 1 he would win a grand slam first, not like on the women's side. No disrespect to Jelena Jankovic."

If you ask me, that's a lot of pressure to place on her Serbian shoulders.

Since her thrilling and inspiring loss at the 2008 US Open Final at Arthur Ashe Stadium, I’ve been watching Jankovic more closely than ever, and I have good reason to believe that she will continue to rack up successive weeks at No. 1.

Though any Jankovic fan will admit that she does not have the fire power that makes results come easily, it’s her determination to win and her fighting spirit that is most admirable about her game.

Unlike the hot-and-cold playing of some of the women on the circuit (ie, Dinara Safina), Jelena is consistent at progressing to the latter stages of the tournaments that she enters. Favorable draw or not, Jelena shows up week-in, week-out, and wins….a lot! This proves that there is more than one way to reach the top.

Although other women lifted Grand Slam trophies last year, no one had the consistency or longevity that was required to capture the No. 1 ranking. Therefore, it was up to our JJ to take up the slack of the WTA tour, despite the unfair snickering from the sidelines.

With the 2009 season now underway, her fans can sit back and enjoy the ride as they cheer Jelena on to her first Grand Slam title, and with it the validation she deserves.

Come back tomorrow to read my follow-up blog, with my reasons for seeing Jelena win BIG in 2009!

To be continued…

Federer gets tough draw!

2009-01-17T12:46:00.000-08:00

It seems everywhere I look, journalist are writing about the "difficult" draw Federer was handed for the upcoming Australian Open. According the Tennis Experts Blog by Martin Rogers (Federer slammed by Aussie draw),

Roger Federer finds plenty to get angry about these days, and his Australian Open draw likely won't improve his mood.

Tough draw? Are you serious? Federer is lucky to be in the bottom half of the draw. At this stage of the game, it's more psychological for the Fed Express. And the only true psychological competitors that Federer currently has on the circuit are Nadal and Murray. But for good measure, let's take a look at his competition for the upcoming Aussie Open.

Seppi - In Federer's 1st Round, he will have to face the very capable Andreas Seppi. But despite the skill level of the Italian, Federer holds a 3-0 record over him. Their latest meeting was in Doha, where Federer out-played Seppi 6/3 6/3.

Moya - To date, Federer holds a commanding 7-0 lead in head-to-head confrontations with the Spaniard. And this takes into account when Moya was at his very best. In their latest match-up, Federer showed impeccable form in downing Moya in straight sets at 6/2 6/3.

Safin - The last time Safin took down the King was in 2005 at the Australian Open. That was a different Safin. Since then, he has lost every encounter to Federer. Their last match was at the 2008 Wimbledon Championships, where Federer took Safin out in straight sets, 6/3 7/6(3) 6/4. En route to that match, Safin was showing his best form to-date. Even at his best, Federer showed no signs of weakness to the Russian. Their current head-to-head stats show Federer up 9-2.

Djokovic only potential roadblock Federer is likely to face on his way to appearing in his 18th Grand Slam Final appearance. And even then, Federer holds a 7-2 head-to-head lead over the Serb. The Djoker hasn't been playing his best tennis as of late either, losing twice in two weeks to players outside the Top 30. He will have to improve his form prior to his meeting with Federer if he wants to put a dent in the King's armour.

So, tough draw? I hardly think so! These are players that Federer holds a competitive advantage over, both psychologically and physically. The real competition is in the upper half of the draw, where many of the younger, up-and-coming talents will have to out-gun and out-play each other just to make it to the Final.

Although the media is oh-so eager to create drama, I highly doubt that Federer is all that worried about his half of the draw. See you in Melbourne!

Australian Open Draw Out - ATP

2009-01-16T13:18:00.000-08:00

Looking at the men's draw for this years Australian Open, we're in for a good one.

Upper Half of the Draw
Nadal gets the BIG Names, Half the city of Paris, three compatriots and four Argentines.. and a very long road to the Final.

Murray and Tsonga look primed for a Quarterfinal match-up at Rod Laver Arena. But Tsonga may first have to pass an impromptu exam sometime in the 3rd or 4th Rounds with veterans Blake and/or Schuttler.

Lower Half of the Draw
Djokovic, not playing his best tennis, comes to the Australian Open as the defending Champion and could face Jarkko Niemenen in the 3rd round. He lost to Jarkko in straight sets at the Medibank International in Sydney last night. But, if everything goes according to plan, Novak will await the winner of Nalbandian/Roddick in the Quarterfinals. This match-up is sure to be a healthy check-up before a potential rematch of last year's Semifinal with Roger Federer.

Federer has two former champions, Carlos Moya and Marat Safin, both nowhere near their former best. Facing little to no resistance, Fed could walk his way right into the Championship match simply by passing his first hurdle in the Semifinals.

Australian Open Draw Out - WTA

2009-01-16T00:18:00.000-08:00

The draw for the Australian Open has just been posted! And here’s a Mobster Blogster view-from-the-sky outlook of this year’s key attractions on the women’s side of the field.

Upper Half of the Draw
Jelena on cruise control until Marion Bartoli in the Round of 16; a possible tricky match up. Look for Jelena to meet Vera Zvonareva in the Quarters.

Ivanovic gets a slightly thicker quarter of the draw with many young talents hiding behind every corner. Watch for a possible repeat of last years match between Ivanovic and the smart and feisty Caroline Wozniacki in the Round of 16. If Ana can scrape by with a win there, look for a blockbuster Roland Garros rematch with Dinara Safina in the Quarterfinals.

Lower Half of the Draw
Venus is gifted a watered-down quarter of the draw, with the prospect of facing a collection of the weakest servers on the WTA tour. She is likely to face the surprise Olympic Champion, Elena Dementieva, in the Quarterfinals.

Serena gets a bunch of sentimental crowd favorites in her quarter of the draw: Amelie Mauresmo, Jie Zheng, and Nicole Vaidasova. However, it's unlikely any of these match-ups will materialize. Here we go again - another Semifinal match-up between Venus and Serena.

Novak denied!

2009-01-15T20:51:00.002-08:00

I guess the old adage of "the 3rd times a charm" doesn't hold true for Nole! And to top things off, he lost yet again to a tricky lefty! Federer can breath a sigh of relief, as his No. 2 ranking is still intact. Congrats to Jarkko, on a hard-fought, smart match against the world No. 3. At 27, this is his first win over a Top-5 player. Fun match to watch!

Thanks to channelsurfing.net for providing FREE, live streamed matches from Sydney.

Watch Tennis Online - FREE

2009-01-14T21:05:00.000-08:00

Instead of paying that ridiculous subscription fee of $129 (RE: The not-so-free TennisTV.com), visit this site for FREE live streaming coverage of tennis matches.

http://www.channelsurfing.net/

We've been watching matches from the Heineken Open, the Kooyong Classic, and the Medibank International. Great coverage and decent commentary. Happy Watching!

Wozniacki pushes Serena's buttons

2009-01-14T10:32:00.000-08:00

Great match in Sydney between Serena Williams and the rising Danish star, Caroline Wozniacki. Wozniacki served for the match at 6-5 in the third set but couldn't close out the match. Serena had to save 3 match points against the feisty teenager, before taking the match in 3 tight sets at 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(3) in 2 hours and 40 minutes. As predicted in our "2009 WTA Projections" post, Wozniacki is well on her way into the top tier of women's tennis. Congrats to Serena on her hard-fought win!

The not-so-free TennisTV.com

2009-01-13T21:38:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure about you, but I was eagerly awaiting the debut of the FREE TennisTV.com. Picture this (and I quote from their website):

Live video streaming of more than 700 matches in 2009 - and more in 2010 - daily and match specific highlights, exclusive interviews and behind the scenes features from more than 40 tournaments around the world.

They were scheduled to launch the FREE streaming in time for the Australian Open. Now imagine my utter disappointment when I visited their website today, only to find out that it is in fact NOT FREE. An annual subscription to TennisTV.com will cost a whopping $129.95.

Go figure! Tell us you're coming out with a revolutionary way of viewing tennis online for free. Then days before the streaming is suppose to begin, you conveniently DELETE the word FREE and replace it cleverly with $129. Nice one. Extremely disappointing. Bad on you TennisTV.com, bad on you!

2009 Projections - Part II

2009-01-11T20:21:00.000-08:00

WTA HEADLINES

Injured, Injured, Mono

Three interesting comebacks to watch for on the WTA:
Maria Sharapova – will her nagging shoulder injury indefinitely suspend her return to the top of the game? Her recent announcement to withdraw from the Australian Open only fuels the doubtful fires.
Amelie Mauresmo – can she regain her fitness and form in 2009, or does she face retirement?
Nicole Vaidasova - once touted as a future Top 10 elite player, can she recover from a dismal 2008 season to realize her true potential?

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus

An inspired Venus Williams can have one of the best seasons of her veteran career. For the past three years, her performance has shown steady improvement. Will 2009 be the year of Venus? If little sister Serena has anything to say about it, 2009 will more likely be the year of Serena. Whatever the outcome, their newly found commitment towards their careers and legacy will inspire both to show up to win. We predict, however, that Venus will outlast Serena in the game and produce better tennis for a longer duration of time. This could very well be the year that Venus puts herself first, leaving baby sister Serena behind.

Anando 2009

Ana Ivanovic's off season was as busy as ever with vacationing, buying a new $4.5M mansion in Mallorca, and ,of course, Nando. With Ana being completely smitten by Fernando Verdasco, will her focus on winning be a little clouded? And imagine what would happen if their relationship were to end!

We think that Ana's results this year will be less than stellar. But who needs a Grand Slam when you have love!

The Return of the Queen

The WTA Tour is keeping a close watch for any signs of a Justine Henin return. If rumors do surface, they are likely to occur after Wimbledon.

Confessions of a teenage drama queen
Watch as the young stars of the WTA tour continue their climb up the world stage of tennis.

Bank your deposits on Caroline Wozniacki and Dominika Cibulkova. One of these young talents will work her way into the Top 10 for 2009.

American tennis fans will become more familiar with the name Coco Vandeweghe, as this feisty teenager begins her promising journey up the pro-women's tour.

Retirement Roll Call
Who will make the official announcement first: Amelie Mauresmo, Lindsay Davenport, Patty Schnyder, or Mary Pierce?

2009 WTA Thread to follow

Jelena Jankovic will be tested, out-gunned and hunted by the competition as she attempts to validate her #1 ranking with a Grand Slam title. She said a lot during the off season, and will have to back those words up with a ton of action. Is she up to the challenge? We think so.

Sharapova withdraws from Australian Open

2009-01-10T23:13:00.000-08:00

BREAKING NEWS: Sharapova announces Sunday that she will withdraw from the Australian Open.

“I am very sorry to announce that I am not going to be able to defend my title at this year’s Australian Open. My shoulder is doing great, but I just started training a few weeks ago and I am just not near the level I need to be to compete at the highest levels