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Sloane Stephens Becomes USTA Foundation’s First National Excellent Program Ambassador

November 4, 2019 by TennisGrandstand

The USTA Foundation, the national charitable arm of the United States Tennis Association, has announced that it has appointed 2017 US Open Champion and world No. 23 Sloane Stephens as the National Excellence Program Ambassador. Stephens will kick-off at the Excellence Program College Pathway Camp on Nov. 8 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando.

In her new role, Stephens will help to promote the five pillars of the Excellence Program including Individual Player Grants, Coaching Education, Activations, College Preparation support and a Team component, while supporting the USTA Foundation’s overall mission, its programs, and player success stories.

“It’s an honor to join the USTA Foundation as the National Excellence Program Ambassador. Our shared missions to change lives through tennis and education are vital to making tennis accessible and fun for many children. I’m looking forward to sharing my tennis story and pathway with all of our Excellence Team players. And I look forward to seeing the impact of our work.”

Through its partnership with USTA Player Development, the USTA Foundation Excellence Program is designed to provide underserved junior tennis players from under-resourced populations an opportunity to fulfill their coaching, equipment, tournament and travel needs at no cost. These students are high-performance tournament level players who compete at the regional, national and international levels. The program also includes a player pathway for students who participate in the National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network.

Stephens will participate in numerous appearances where players will have an opportunity to engage with the grand slam champion, including the annual Excellence Program College Pathways Workout this fall at the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona, Florida. During the two-day camp, Stephens will serve as the guest speaker and participate in a photo opp. with all players and coaches.

NJTL participants will also have a unique opportunity to engage with Stephens through a video conference session where they will get to ask questions and engage in dialogue on various topics related to tennis, education, competition and sportsmanship. Stephens will also participate in other multimedia platforms such as the first official NJTL Excellence Program endorsement video, while also utilizing her social media channels to bring awareness of the program’s various activations, its positive impact on the student participants, and its overall success

“Sloane is a model athlete and the ideal ambassador for our Excellence Program on and off the court,” said Dan Faber, USTA Foundation Executive Director. “Her willingness to engage with our student athletes speaks volumes and will have a lasting impact on their lives. We thank Sloane for supporting our mission and serving as our first ambassador for this incredible program.”

Ash Barty Wins Shiseido WTA Finals, Earns Year-End No. 1

November 3, 2019 by TennisGrandstand

WTA World No.1 Ashleigh Barty claimed her fourth singles title of the season today at the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen, prevailing over the defending champion Elina Svitolina in the final. She becomes the first Australian woman to lift the Billie Jean King Trophy in 43 years, after Evonne Goolagong Cawley did so in 1976.

Barty’s win also signifies another historic milestone, as the Australian has won the largest prize money check in professional tennis by earning $4.42 million.

Barty becomes the first reigning World No.1 to lift the Billie Jean King Trophy since Serena Williams in 2013 and is now the fifth player to clinch the title on her debut appearance, following Serena Williams (2001), Maria Sharapova (2004), Petra Kvitova (2011) and Dominika Cibulkova (2016). Including the victory over Svitolina, Barty has won a Tour-leading 56 match wins this season.

Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic successfully defended their WTA Finals crown, defeating No.2 seeds Hsieh Su-Wei and Barbora Strycova to lift the Martina Navratilova Doubles Trophy once again. They become the first team to clinch back-to-back WTA Finals doubles titles in 11 years, after Cara Black and Liezel Huber from 2007-08.

Babos has now won her third WTA Finals doubles title, having also triumphed in 2017 with Andrea Sestini Hlavackova. The last player to capture three consecutive WTA Finals doubles titles was Lindsay Davenport from 1996-98.

The WTA also announced that Barty and Barbora Strycova have earned the 2019 WTA Year-End World No.1 Singles and Doubles Rankings presented by Dubai Duty Free.

Australia’s Barty has clinched the year-end WTA singles No.1 ranking for the first time in her career, becoming the 14th WTA player since the inception of computer rankings in 1975 to achieve the accolade.

Strycova has earned this season’s year-end No.1 doubles ranking also for the first time, and 2019 marks the second year in a row a player from the Czech Republic has achieved the honor, after Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova ended 2018 as the co-ranked No.1 team.

“On behalf of Dubai Duty Free, I’d like to offer our congratulations to Ashleigh Barty and Barbora Strycova on achieving the WTA Year-End World No.1 singles and doubles rankings for the first time in their careers,” said Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman & CEO, Dubai Duty Free. “Ashleigh and Barbora have written their names into the history books in 2019 following their debut Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon respectively, which was just one of many amazing achievements this season, and I look forward to welcoming them to the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships next year in February.”

Barty became the 27th player to reach the WTA World No.1 ranking on June 25, 2019, and including her triumphant week at the Shiseido WTA Finals Shenzhen, has amassed 15 weeks in the top spot. Her ascent to the World No.1 ranking over the summer also marked the first time an Australian woman had held the position since Evonne Goolagong Cawley reached this historic milestone on April 26, 1976.

Top 5 All-Time Male Clay Court Tennis Players

November 2, 2019 by TennisGrandstand

There is no denying to the fact that Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novac Djokovic are the three greatest male players in the current tennis arena. The discussion to who ranks no.1 can drive lots of judgements there exists few court surfaces that bring the best in tennis players. Clay court and grass court offers incomparable convenience to the players and they win the title on the court that supports their gameplay.

If we take a look at the history of tennis tournaments, Pete Sampras won several titles on a grass court and shown unbelievable poor performance on the clay courts. Out of his 14 grand slam title not a single court way clay and this means that court surface has a very significant role in deriving the best player performance. The difference exists due to the bounce of the ball in various court surfaces.

Well, the top 5 male tennis players who master the art of playing at clay courts are:

● Ivan Lendl – He was quite a dominant player of his time and won 28 titles on clay court including three French Open titles. He played the aggressive game from start to finish showing his prowess and strength on the court.
● Roger Federer – The name itself says all about his success and achievements with more than 1000s of winning history and remarkable 20 Grand Slam titles. He aces the clay court with great ease and success. When he is on the court, the best odds cross all the limits. People across the world have a deep faith in his style and confidence and bet on his name online through Unibet.
● Guillermo Vilas – When it comes to winning the title on the clay court, this legend player drives great attention. With 49 titles win and 1 French Open title, he conquered the clay-court marking great success stories and setting an example for coming players.
● Björn Borg– The most interesting fact about this great tennis player is that he retired at a very young age of 26 and thus his achievements were acquired in a very short time. He won 6 French Open Titles out of 8 he participated in and together won 30 clay titles, making him the master of clay court.
● Rafael Nadal – This name needs no special mention as he has already claimed 59 clay court titles and still heading towards the path of success with more power and strength. He is truly the master of clay court and seems unstoppable in the current time. This 37-year-old tennis player never fails to surprise the viewers with his game ad what else one can say in his praise.

Tennis game resides in the hearts of millions of viewers in the entire world and people love to bet on the game through various live casino sites. Online casino trend is taking a huge leap and all thanks to the technology and internet that is bringing together fun and entertainment from the world at one point. Betting on sports now lies online and the fun has just manifold numerous times.

Tommy Haas Remains Undefeated For 2019 On Invesco Series QQQ Tour With Los Angeles Victory

October 26, 2019 by TennisGrandstand

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Tommy Haas won his fourth Invesco Series QQQ title of the year Saturday by defeating U.S. Davis Cup captain and defending champion Mardy Fish 6-2 in the one-set final of the SoCal Honda Dealers Helpful Cup at the Sherwood Country Club.

Haas, the former world No. 2 and silver medalist at the 2000 Olympic Games, increased to a perfect 8-0 on the year with the victory. Earlier this year, he won titles in Newport Beach, Calif, Maui, Hawaii and New Haven, Connecticut on the North American tennis circuit for champion tennis players over the age of 30.

Haas broke Fish in the opening game of the final and never looked back, ripping his picturesque one-handed backhand and hitting key aces and service winners to claim the tournament title.

“It was just a couple important points here and there and I got up an early break and that helped me calm down and relax,” said Haas. “I’m pretty happy with the way I played.”

Haas, who lives in Southern California and who serves as the Indian Wells tournament director, said playing on the Invesco Series QQQ circuit is a great way for him to stay in shape and keep his competitive juices flowing since retiring from the ATP World Tour in 2017.

“I enjoy playing tennis with lots of my friends here in Los Angeles to try to get ready for these events,” said Haas, age 41. “It’s a great way to get that adrenaline rush going and still trying to see how well you move at times and to see if you can hit a shot here or there. It’s always fun. I really I enjoy it.”

The win over Fish avenged his loss to the 2004 Olympic silver medalist in the semifinals of the event last year by a 7-6(3) margin. Fish went on to win last year’s event, defeated James Blake in the final.

Since joining the Invesco Series at the start of the 2018 season, Haas has compiled an impressive 13-3 won-loss record. Last year, he won titles in Charleston, S.C. and Kohala Coast, Hawaii.

To advance to the final, Haas defeated 2003 U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick 6-3 while Fish beat two-time French and Australian Open champion Jim Courier 6-3.

The 10th and final event on the 2019 Invesco Series QQQ will be held Thursday, November 14 at Rice University in Houston with the Oracle Champions Cup Presented by RBC Wealth Management. The event will feature Haas, Blake, Roddick and, in his Invesco Series QQQ debut, Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain.

Results from earlier this year are as follows:
January 26 – Newport Beach, CA (Newport Beach Tennis Club) F: Tommy Haas def. Andy Roddick 7-6(2); SF: Tommy Haas def. Mardy Fish 6-3, Andy Roddick def. James Blake 6-3
April 4 – Tampa, FL (Innisbrook Resort) F: James Blake def. Jim Courier 6-3; SF: James Blake def. Mardy Fish 6-3, Jim Courier def. John McEnroe 7-6(4)
April 6 – Charleston, SC (Volvo Car Stadium) F: Lleyton Hewitt def. Andy Roddick 6-2; SF: Lleyton Hewitt def. Mats Wilander 6-3, Andy Roddick def. Jim Courier 6-4
May 4-5 – Maui, HI (Royal Lahaina Resort) F: Tommy Haas def. Mardy Fish 6-4; SF: Tommy Haas def. Mark Philippoussis 6-2, Mardy Fish def. Michael Chang 6-3
July 21 – Newport, RI (International Tennis Hall of Fame) F: Todd Martin def. Mats Wilander 6-2 SF: Todd Martin def. Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-4, Mats Wilander def. Jim Courier 6-2
August 3 – San Jose, CA (San Jose State University) F: James Blake def. Mark Philippoussis 7-6(4); SF: James Blake def. Michael Chang 6-2, Mark Philippoussis def. Andy Roddick 7-6(4)
September 7 – New Haven, CT (Yale University) F: Tommy Haas def. Mark Philippoussis 6-4; SF Mark Philippoussis def. Andy Roddick 6-4, Tommy Haas def. James Blake 6-2.
September 26 – Toronto, ON (Mattamy Athletic Centre): F: James Blake def. Robby Ginepri 6-4; SF: James Blake def. Jim Courier 6-3, Robby Ginepri def. Andy Roddick 6-4.
October 26 – Los Angeles, CA – (Sherwood Country Club) Tommy Haas def. Mardy Fish 6-2, SF: Tommy Haas def. Andy Roddick 6-3, Mardy Fish def. Jim Courier 6-3

In 2018, Blake won his first Invesco Series QQQ year-long points championship by winning titles in Winston-Salem, New Haven and Houston, while also finishing as runner-up in Los Angeles and Orlando.

In 2017, the year-long points championship was decided in the final match of the season when Andy Roddick defeated James Blake in the Los Angeles final at the Sherwood Country Club. Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion and world No. 1, won four Invesco Series QQQ titles in all in 2017, winning in Birmingham, Ala., Chicago, Lincoln, Neb., and Los Angeles. Blake, the former world No. 4 and former U.S. Davis Cup star, won series titles in Charleston, S.C., Winston-Salem, N.C. and in Lynchburg, Va.

In 2016, Mark Philippoussis won the Series points title with 1600 points and tournament titles in Memphis, Tulsa, Newport, Winston-Salem and New Haven. Roddick finished in second place, also earning 1600 points but losing the head-to-head tiebreaker with Philippoussis 5-2, while winning titles in Charleston, St. Louis, Los Angeles and Orlando. Blake finished in third place with 1100 points and tournament titles in Chicago, Portland and Brooklyn.
In 2015, Roddick won the Series points title in his second year of competing on the series with 1,600 points. Roddick won a record eight events Los Angeles, Lincoln, Chicago, Austin, Little Rock, Dallas, Richmond and Minneapolis. Blake finished second in the points rankings with 1,200 points, winning events in Boston and Cincinnati. Philippoussis finished in third with 1,100 points, winning titles in Salt Lake City and Vancouver. The year before in 2014, McEnroe won the points title for the first time in the nine-year history of Invesco Series QQQ tennis by winning events in Kansas City, Indianapolis, Nashville and Charlotte.

ABOUT INSIDEOUT SPORTS + ENTERTAINMENT
InsideOut Sports + Entertainment is a Los Angeles based producer of proprietary events and promotions founded in 2004 by former world No. 1 and Hall of Fame tennis player Jim Courier and former SFX and Clear Channel executive Jon Venison. In 2005, InsideOut launched its signature property, the Champions Series, a collection of tournaments featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including “Legendary Night” exhibitions, The World Series of Beach Volleyball and numerous corporate outings. Since inception, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment has raised over $5 million for charity. In 2014, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment merged with Horizon Media, the largest privately held media services agency in the world. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or InvescoSeries.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

ABOUT HORIZON MEDIA
Horizon Media, Inc. is the largest and fastest growing privately held media services agency in the world. The company was founded in 1989, is headquartered in New York and has offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Chicago. Horizon Media was chosen as 2011 Independent Media Agency of the Year by Mediapost, 2010 U.S. Media Agency of the Year by Adweek, Brandweek, and Mediaweek as well as by Ad Age and as one of the world’s ten most innovative marketing and advertising companies by Fast Company in 2011. In 2012, Bill Koenigsberg, President, CEO and Founder, was honored by Advertising Age as Industry Executive of the Year. Most recently, in 2014, Bill Koenigsberg was named 4As Chair of the Board and is the first person from a media agency to hold this prestigious position in the 100 year history of the 4As, the marketing industry’s leading trade association. The company’s mission is “To create the most meaningful brand connections within the lives of people everywhere.” By delivering on this mission through a holistic approach to brand marketing, Horizon Media has become one of the largest and fastest-growing media agencies in the industry, with estimated billings of over $5.3 billion and over 1,200 employees. The company is also a founding member of Columbus Media International, a multi-national partnership of independent media agencies. For more information, pleasevisithorizonmedia.com.

ABOUT INVESCO
Invesco Ltd. is an independent investment management firm dedicated to delivering an investment experience that helps people get more out of life. NYSE: IVZ; Invesco.com, Invesco Distributors, Inc. is the US distributor for Invesco Ltd. and is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Invesco Ltd.”

Taylor Fritz, Reilly Opelka, Sam Querrey, Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock To Play For USA at 2019 Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals

October 21, 2019 by TennisGrandstand

The USTA and United States Davis Cup Captain Mardy Fish announced that Taylor Fritz, Reilly Opelka, Sam Querrey, Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock will represent the U.S. in the 2019 Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals November 18-24 in Madrid.

This year’s Finals – the first under the new, 18-team format featuring six groups of round-robin play followed by a knockout bracket – will be played on hard courts at La Caja Magica, the home of the Madrid Open. In Fish’s first ties as Captain, the U.S. will compete in Group F against Canada on Tuesday, November 19, and Italy, on Wednesday, November 20. Each tie features two singles and one doubles match, all best of three sets, played in one day. Captains have until one hour before the scheduled start of the tie to make their singles and doubles selections.

Félix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov, Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil were selected to represent Canada. The U.S. is 15-0 all-time vs. Canada, but the two haven’t played since 1965.

Matteo Berrettini, Fabio Fognini, Andreas Seppi and Simone Bolelli were selected to represent Italy. The U.S. is 7-3 all-time vs. Italy, the last tie being an Italian victory in the 1998 Semifinals.

The winner of each Group advances to the knockout Quarterfinal stage, as will the two second-best teams with the best records based on sets and games won. Performance at the Finals also has implications for the following year: The four semifinalists earn automatic entry into the 2020 Finals; The 12 teams that finish in 5th to 16th position will compete in the 2020 Qualifiers; The two teams with the worst records after the Group stage will be relegated to Zone Group play in 2020.

The U.S. team is a blend of Davis Cup youth and experience. Querrey is the most tenured Davis Cup player of the nominees, having played in 14 ties over eight years beginning in 2008, the year following the U.S.’s last Davis Cup title. Querrey, 32, featured in all three ties in 2018, going 3-0 in singles. Sock, 27, made his debut in 2015 and has played in six ties, in which the former world doubles No. 2 has gone 3-0 in doubles matches. Tiafoe, 21 and ranked No. 53, earns his second nomination, after debuting in last year’s Semifinals vs. Croatia.

Fritz and Opelka each earn their first U.S. Davis Cup nominations, becoming the 142nd and 143rd players to compete in Davis Cup for the U.S. Fritz, 21, has had a 2019 season in which he won his first ATP title at Eastbourne, over Querrey, and reached two additional ATP finals to make his Top 25 debut, becoming the youngest American in the Top 25 since Andy Roddick in 2004. Opelka, 22, also won his first ATP singles title this year, at the New York Open, and reached two additional ATP semifinals. Opelka, currently ranked a career-high No. 37, is second on tour to John Isner in aces this year, with 871.

For more information, including access to player and historical Davis Cup records, please go to www.usta.com/daviscup, www.daviscup.com or www.daviscupfinals.com.

Follow Team USA using hashtag #TeamUSATennis on Facebook @USTA, on Twitter @USTA and on Instagram @USTA. Wilson is the official ball of the U.S. Davis Cup team. Deloitte is the official team sponsor of the U.S. Davis Cup Team.

Strength and Conditioning Tips to Immediately Improve Your Table Tennis Game

October 20, 2019 by TennisGrandstand

Table tennis is a game that people often underestimate. It’s played at parties and work for fun, but if you’re serious about getting better at table tennis, and have seen the pros play, then you’ll know it takes some considerable fitness. Once games get serious, you need a combination of speed, stamina, and strength to be able to keep up with the best.

Speed training
The table in table tennis isn’t large compared to a full game of tennis, but the sheer speed of the ball means you need to have lightning-fast reflexes, coupled with a swift hand and footwork to remain competitive. Being able to get to the ball quickly and deliver back a difficult shot may be the difference between winning and losing.
There are several drills you can use to increase the speed of your footwork and make sure you never get beaten by the speed of the ball again. The first is to take a rope ladder that’s often used with track and field athletes and football players. Lay this down on the floor and practice running up and down the ladder, making sure to keep on your toes, and placing each foot in every hole up the ladder. This can be done in a variety of ways to improve your foot speed in different directions.

Stamina training
After speed, stamina is the next thing you’ll need to build to make sure your table tennis game is on point. The first best way to improve your stamina is simply to play more games. If you’re training vigorously three or four times a week, you’ll find that your stamina increases quickly to meet the demands of the games you’re playing. We recommend using the STIGA advantage tennis table at DDPlan.com for all your practice games. Training through games will only take you so far, though. If your practice sessions only last around an hour, this won’t prepare you for a tournament that could last for a full day.

To improve your stamina further, we recommend a combination of high-intensity interval training and longer aerobic sessions. A high-intensity interval training session may be done with any cardio machine such as a treadmill or bike, or can be done outside with sprints or stair climbs. If you choose to work out at the gym, focus on going all out for around 30-45 seconds, and then relaxing to approximately 30% effort for 1 minute. This will increase your capacity to recover from high-intensity work back to your normal heart rate, which is crucial for table tennis.
If you’re training outdoors, then pick a hill or stairs to sprint up and simply run up the hill as fast as possible, and then use the walk down as your recovery time. For both indoors and outdoors high-intensity interval training, try to perform 10-15 rounds of high effort and low effort per session.

UTR, Tennis Australia Announce Multi-City Australian Open UTR Wildcard Playoff

October 15, 2019 by TennisGrandstand

Universal Tennis (www.MyUTR.com) and Tennis Australia, today announced the AO2020 UTR Wildcard Playoff, a multi-week, multi-city event that gives all tennis players, regardless of age and ability, the opportunity to play their way into the main draw of the Australian Open 2020 via the AO Wildcard Playoff in Melbourne.

The new AO2020 UTR Wildcard Playoff will kick off in Queensland from Thursday 7th to Sunday 10th November, with New South Wales to follow from Thursday 14th to Sunday 17th November. The top two finishers (male and female) in each event will advance to the AO2020 UTR Wildcard Playoff Finals in Melbourne, from which two winners will gain entry into the AO Wildcard Playoff, held Monday 9th to Sunday 15th December.

The AO2020 UTR Wildcard Playoff will utilize the Universal Tennis tournament platform and organize draws based on a player’s Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) Powered by Oracle, to create a competitive, level-based staggered entry format. Staggered entry draws based on UTR have quickly been gaining global traction as the preferred way to create a truly open community tournament where players are matched purely on skill level for better competition.

Craig Tiley, Tennis Australia CEO and Australian Open Tournament Director said, “This is an exciting chance for us to open up opportunities for the everyday player and bring a new level of innovation to the Australian Open. The AO 2020 UTR Wildcard Playoff will encourage players of all levels to get excited about the sport as well as offer a creative and fun way for them to get involved. Our partnership with Universal Tennis is integral to our efforts to grow the game and create more opportunities for players of all levels to have a fantastic tennis experience wherever they are.”

The AO2020 UTR Wildcard Playoff is part of a long-term partnership between Tennis Australia and Universal Tennis that aims to create more pathways within the game and increase local participation through level-based tennis. Today, there are tens of thousands of tennis players in Australia who have a UTR, which allows them to unlock a more fun and flexible tennis experience by finding better matches and more people to play with.

“Our goal at Universal Tennis is to increase tennis participation in local ecosystems and bring players together via level-based play opportunities,” said Mark Leschly, Universal Tennis Chairman and CEO. “Together with Tennis Australia, we are excited to offer players a new road to the Australian Open via the AO2020 UTR Wildcard Playoff. Creating engaging events that allow players of any level to have a competitive match is key to achieving our shared goal of growing the game and making tennis more affordable, accessible, and fun for all.”

AO2020 UTR Wildcard Playoff Calendar:

● Stage 1 – Queensland Qualifying: Thursday 7th November to Sunday 10th November 2019. New South Wales Qualifying: Thursday 14th November to Sunday 17th November. Two finalists from each event will move on to Stage 2.
● Stage 2 – Melbourne Final: Friday 6th December and Saturday 7th December 2019. Two winners receive entry into the AO Wildcard Playoff.
● Stage 3 – Melbourne AO Wildcard Playoff: Monday 9th December to Sunday 15th December 2019. Winner receives entry into the Australian Open Main Draw.

Registration for the New South Wales and Queensland AO UTR Wildcard Playoff Qualifying closes on October 30, 2019 at 11:59 PM AEST. For more information and to register for the Queensland AO UTR Wildcard Playoff visit MyUTR.com/AOWCQLD. To register for the New South Wales AO UTR Wildcard Playoff visit MyUTR.com/AOWCNSW.

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About Universal Tennis
The mission of Universal Tennis is to make tennis more affordable, accessible and fun for all players, regardless of age, gender, level and socioeconomic status. Anchored by the Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) Powered by Oracle – the world’s most accurate tennis rating system – Universal Tennis is creating opportunities and pathways for players from all over the world, in all stages of life, to find better matches and unlock a more fun and flexible tennis experience. Visit MyUTR.com to learn more.

About Tennis Australia
Tennis Australia is the governing body of tennis in Australia, promoting and facilitating participation in tennis at all levels. TA also conducts national and international tournaments including the Australian Open. For more information please visit tennis.com.au.

Carreno Busta Beats Alexander Bublik To Win Chengdu Open

September 29, 2019 by TennisGrandstand

Former world No.10 Pablo Carreno Busta ended his two-year title drought with a commanding performance against Kazakhstan’s rising star Alexander Bublik here at the Sichuan International Tennis Centre to pick up his fourth career title in the Chengdu Open.

Having struggled with a shoulder injury that inhibited his performances during the early season, the 28-year-old looked back to his best in a thrilling 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(3) comeback victory in two hours and eight minutes.

The Spaniard did not drop a single game during the final, facing and saving a solitary break point that came in the very first game of the match.

At 5-4 on serve in the first set, the current world No.63 had two break opportunities to close out the set, but could not convert and subsequently lost the opener when, at 5-6 down in the tiebreak, an astute Bublik correctly read his cross-court return and rushed the net to execute a superb cross court slice.

In the second set, Carreno Busta missed two break chances in the first game but converted the third that came in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead and held on to force a decider.

After Bublik once again saved two breaks in his first service game of the third set, neither player dropped serve and set the stage for a tie-break in which Carreno Busta raced to a 4-0 lead. The Spaniard completed the win on his second match point at 6-3 up with a sublime cross court backhand that perfectly encapsulated his stunning performances throughout this week.

“It was an incredible week here in Chengdu. It was a pleasure for me to back here. During the week, I felt really comfortable on court. The surface was fast but I was very good with my serve during all my matches and I think that was the key to me being the winner of the tournament. This year has been quite tough for me because of injuries at the beginning of the year. It’s really tough when you cannot play and cannot enjoy this sport. But I just tried to continue working hard because I know when you work and you do as much as possible, normally you will get the prize. Look, now we are here with the trophy and winning my fourth ATP title, for me this is the reason to continue fighting and continue playing this sport,” said the Gijon native, who was a doubles runner-up in his last Chengdu Open outing in 2016.

The 22-year-old Bublik was despondent after his defeat but paid tribute to his opponent and took heart in his strong performances during the week, highlighted by a comeback win over fourth seed Grigor Dimitrov in the quarterfinals.

“It’s been a great week. I got to the final by a breaker and I went down by a breaker in the final match. I’m happy to have made my second final and I’m happy for Pablo, he played an unbelievable match. The match with Grigor (was probably my most memorable). I came back from losing a set and saved a couple of match points. That was a good match,” said the world No.71, who can expect to surpass his career high of No. 69 next week.

In doubles, the dream run of Serbian best friends Dusan Lajovic and Nikola Cacic came to a victorious conclusion here at the Chengdu Open as they romped to a well-deserved 7-6(9), 3-6, 10-3 win in one hour and 41 minutes over former world No.5 Jonathan Erlich and this year’s Roland Garros finalist Fabrice Martin.

In a tense and exciting end to the first set, both pairs saved set point twice during the tiebreak before the Serbian duo got a crucial mini-break at 9-9 when Erlich sliced a net shot wide and Cacic got the winning point when Martin hit his return into the net.

Lajovic and Cacic started strong with an opening break in the second set but they then failed to hold serve in their first two service games and conceded the set.

The Serbians started the super tiebreaker with intent and aggression and raced to a 7-0 lead, partly due to a string of unforced errors and uncharacteristically sloppy play from their opponents. The Israeli-French combo of Erlich and Martin eventually got off the mark and won three of the next four points to make it 3-8, but Cacic would not be denied his maiden doubles title.

The 28-year-old’s second serve was returned directly to a waiting Lajovic at the net, who sliced it down towards Erlich’s feet. The Israeli’s attempted return did not make it over the net and the Serbians embraced in celebration.

“I think today we played a very good match, except that we lost some focus in the beginning of the second set. In the super tiebreaker we were really aggressive and focused from the first point, I don’t think we made one unforced error. Overall, it has been a really great week. We’ve known each other for 20 years and we’re best friends, so sharing the court is a special thing,” said 29-year-old Lajovic, who is picking up his second career doubles title in his first final since his maiden title at Istanbul in 2015.

Cacic is ranked at a career high of No. 127, which enabled him to make the draw in Chengdu together with his close friend and compatriot, who is more focused on singles. The win here is likely to push Cacic into the Top 100 and raise Lajovic’s ranking from his current No. 135 as well, enabling the duo to qualify for more Tour level tournaments.

“This week is the best week so far for me in my career. I am really happy that I won my very first ATP title with Dusan. This is a special moment for me and I am really grateful and thankful for what he does for me. He tries to help me as a friend to push me up the rankings and be able to play the big tournaments. Luckily this week we made it here and now I can break the Top 100 with these points,” said Cacic.

The close-knit duo plan to play at more ATP 250 events in the coming weeks to raise up their rankings with the goal of playing in Masters and Grand Slam events together in future.

The tournament is owned by IMG and is organized by the Chinese Tennis Association and Chengdu Municipal Government, is co-organized by Chengdu Sports Bureau, Shuangliu District Government and Chengdu Culture Tourism Group and is promoted by Sichuan Investment International Tennis Centre Development Co., Ltd., CCTV IMG (Beijing) Sports Management Co. Ltd. and WME IMG China Culture Development Co. Ltd.

The Chengdu Open is also very proud to have the distinguished support from ATP Tour’s Premier Partner Emirates, the official player hotel St. Regis Chengdu, which fast became a favourite of the players, Dunlop tennis balls, the official water VOSS, the official car BMW / Reach Now, the Sichuan Tennis International Hotel, which is conveniently located adjacent to the courts and provides efficient services to the tournament, the exclusive official digital media partner Iqiyi Sports, the official stringer Yonex, the official public transportation platform Tian Fu Tong, the official gym equipment Impulse and the official tea Sichuan Mengding Tea Co. Ltd.

The official tournament website www.ChengduOpenTennis.com has additional information about the tournament.

James Blake Beats Robby Ginepri To Win Invesco Series Title In Toronto

September 27, 2019 by TennisGrandstand

TORONTO – James Blake defeated Robby Ginepri 6-4 to win the RPIA Championships, the eighth of ten events on the 2019 Invesco Series QQQ, held Thursday at the Mattamy Athletic Centre at Ryerson University.

The win was the third tournament title this year for Blake on the North American tennis circuit for champion tennis players over the age of 30 and his 16th career title since joining the circuit in 2014. The win also allowed Blake to once again leap-frog former world No. 2 Tommy Haas into first-place in the season-long Invesco Series QQQ points standings. Blake earned 400 points for his tournament win Thursday to give him 1300 points for the year, 100 more than Haas with 1200 points. Haas, like Blake, also has won three tournament titles in 2019, but Blake has played five events so far this year against only three for Haas and only a player’s best four results for the year count for the Invesco Series rankings. Both Blake and Haas will each play in one more event the rest of the this season – Blake in Houston in November and Haas in Los Angeles in October. Earlier this year, Blake, the former world No. 4, won titles in Tampa and San Jose, California while Haas won titles in Newport Beach, Calif., Maui, Hawaii and New Haven, Connecticut. Haas does have a head-to-head win over Blake in the semifinals of New Haven by a 6-2 scoreline, that could prove significant as a tiebreaker if there is a tie in points between Blake and Haas after the next two events.

In 2018, Blake won three events to fend off Haas and win the season-long points title for the first time. In 2017, he lost to Andy Roddick in the final match of the season in Los Angeles to be edged by his former U.S. Davis Cup teammate for the points title.

Ginepri was making his second career Invesco Series appearance after playing in 2018 in Winston-Salem, N.C., where he lost to Roddick 7-6(4) in the semifinals. The 2005 U.S. Open semifinalist was a late substitute in the field replacing defending champion Mark Philippoussis, who was forced to withdraw due an injured right shoulder.
To advance into the final, Blake defeated former world No. 1 Jim Courier 6-3 in the first semifinal, while Ginepri defeated Roddick 6-4. The win over Roddick was Ginepri’s first career Invesco Series QQQ match win.

The remaining 2019 Invesco Series QQQ schedule is as follows:
Los Angeles, CA – October 26 (Sherwood Country Club) Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, Tommy Haas, Mardy Fish
Houston, TX – November 15: (Rice University) Andy Roddick, James Blake, Mark Philippoussis, Juan Carlos Ferrero
Results from earlier this year are as follows:
January 26 – Newport Beach, CA (Newport Beach Tennis Club) F: Tommy Haas def. Andy Roddick 7-6(2); SF: Tommy Haas def. Mardy Fish 6-3, Andy Roddick def. James Blake 6-3
April 4 – Tampa, FL (Innisbrook Resort) F: James Blake def. Jim Courier 6-3; SF: James Blake def. Mardy Fish 6-3, Jim Courier def. John McEnroe 7-6(4)
April 6 – Charleston, SC (Volvo Car Stadium) F: Lleyton Hewitt def. Andy Roddick 6-2; SF: Lleyton Hewitt def. Mats Wilander 6-3, Andy Roddick def. Jim Courier 6-4
May 4-5 – Maui, HI (Royal Lahaina Resort) F: Tommy Haas def. Mardy Fish 6-4; SF: Tommy Haas def. Mark Philippoussis 6-2, Mardy Fish def. Michael Chang 6-3
July 21 – Newport, RI (International Tennis Hall of Fame) F: Todd Martin def. Mats Wilander 6-2 SF: Todd Martin def. Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-4, Mats Wilander def. Jim Courier 6-2
August 3 – San Jose, CA (San Jose State University) F: James Blake def. Mark Philippoussis 7-6(4); SF: James Blake def. Michael Chang 6-2, Mark Philippoussis def. Andy Roddick 7-6(4)
September 7 – New Haven, CT (Yale University) F: Tommy Haas def. Mark Philippoussis 6-4; SF Mark Philippoussis def. Andy Roddick 6-4, Tommy Haas def. James Blake 6-2.
September 26 – Toronto, ON (Mattamy Athletic Centre): F: James Blake def. Robby Ginepri 6-4; SF: James Blake def. Jim Courier 6-3, Robby Ginepri def. Andy Roddick 6-4.

In 2018, Blake won his first Invesco Series QQQ year-long points championship by winning titles in Winston-Salem, New Haven and Houston, while also finishing as runner-up in Los Angeles and Orlando.

Ultimate Tennis Betting Tips Guide

September 20, 2019 by TennisGrandstand

Thousands of enthusiastic bettors place tennis wagers every day. Bookmakers cover most competitions on the ATP and WTA tours. However, let’s not forget about Grand Slam events like the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. Team tournaments such as the Fed and Davis Cups are also huge hits among punters.

If you’re not familiar with the sport, tennis can be extremely tricky to bet on. Unlike football, for instance, there’s no possibility of a draw. Occasionally, this can have a huge impact on the odds. Several factors need to be analyzed before you place any bets. We’ll break them down for you during this ultimate tennis betting tips guide.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a newcomer or a seasoned punter. Stay on this page, and we’ll share our expert knowledge with you. Don’t fall into the same old traps and waste your money on pointless wagers. It’s possible to win regularly if you set some time aside to study your bets. Here’s what we know.

Risk Versus Reward

When the top players are competing, it can be difficult to find value for money wagers. The top five players on both the men’s and women’s tours are usually heavy favourites. However, that doesn’t always mean that they always win. Evaluate risk versus reward before you make any decisions.

If one of your selections slips up, are your potential returns worth it? Try not to stake huge amounts of money on tricky games. You’d be surprised at the number of times the underdog wins. If you want to increase your odds, why not create a multiple? You could include Federer and Nadal as part of a treble, for example.

Research The Statistics

It’s incredibly important to analyze stats and results before placing a bet. Luckily, most of the top online bookmakers provide them. This allows you to study form and head-to-head results. What’s more, players can excel on different surfaces. Rafa Nadal at the French Open and Roger Federer at Wimbledon are two examples that spring to mind. Find out what your player’s strengths are and try to build your bets around them.

Furthermore, form is one of the most important metrics to consider. If a player is on a winning streak, their odds will shorten. However, if they’ve lost three out of their last five games, their odds will lengthen. Set a few minutes aside to research the statistics before you start.

Study The Markets

If you have a deep understanding of the markets, more betting opportunities will open up. For instance, if the odds on an outright win are low, you could bet on the correct score or the total number of games in a set.

Most modern online bookmakers also offer a live betting service. If you’re not sure about who’s going to win, you could wait and see which player makes the better start. However, be aware that the odds can fluctuate rapidly during a live match. If Serena Williams wins the first set, for instance, the odds will swing dramatically in her favour.