Uncategorized

Last year’s US Open women’s singles champion Bianca Andreescu of Canada will not be defending her title in Flushing Meadows, the world No. 6 confirmed on Thursday.

“After many discussions with those closest to me, I have made the difficult decision not to return to New York this year,” Andreescu said in a statement posted on social media. “I have taken this step in order to focus on my match fitness and ensure that I return ready to play at my highest level.”

A year ago at age 19, Andreescu beat Serena Williams of the United States in the final to win the title in New York. She was also the first tennis player from Canada to claim a Grand Slam singles trophy.

“The US Open victory last year has been the high point of my career thus far and I will miss not being there,” Andreescu continued. “However, I realize that the unforeseen challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, have compromised my ability to prepare and compete to the degree necessary to play at my highest level.

“I want to express my appreciation to the USTA and the WTA for all of their efforts in making the event happen. I look forward to joining my competitors back on court soon,” she added.

Andreescu joins world No. 1 Ash Barty of Australia on the list of players who have announced their withdrawal from the US Open, along with No. 5 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine and No. 7 Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands. 

With the absence of defending men’s champion Rafael Nadal, it will mark the first time since 2003 that both the defending men’s and women’s defending champions will not be in a U.S. Open field. That year, Pete Sampras did not play because he retired and Serena Williams could not play due to a knee injury.

From wire reports…

Pro tennis has roared back to life in China, with the country’s elite players vying for trophies at the inaugural leg of the Chinese Tennis Association (CTA) Tour, which wrapped up Saturday in the southwestern Yunnan Province.

The roar, however, was not as loud as many had expected, as all matches were played behind closed doors due to COVID-19 concerns.

On Tuesday, women’s world No. 29 Wang Qiang beat Zou Xinyi in the second round of the tournament, but only a smattering of applause rang around the 2,000-seat center court from a handful of players who were allowed to attend following social distancing guidelines.

Wang and Zou did not greet each other or shake hands at the net, but rather touched their rackets in compliance with social distancing rules. They did not shake hands with the chair umpire, neither.

This is what tennis looks like in a bio-secure “bubble,” where strict health protocols are put in place to ensure the safety of everyone involved. Similar bubble quarantine settings have been used by the NBA and World TeamTennis and proved a success in stemming the spread of the coronavirus.

This time, the bubble is working again, with no COVID-19 cases reported throughout the week-long domestic tennis tournament.

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY

“It’s definitely different, but it’s the safest thing to do at a most special time,” Wang, top seed of the tournament, said after the second-round match.

According to the health protocols set out by the organizers, all players, coaches and staff members of the event were required to take nucleic acid tests upon arrival and confined to a sealed-off zone; a resort. Players must wear masks when entering and leaving the court and handle their own towels during the game, and ball kids must wear gloves on court. Besides, players have to wash their own clothes and towels after the hotel suspended laundry services.

“It felt a little bit weird on court without spectators,” said Wang, who brought the Melbourne Park crowds to their feet when stunning Serena Williams in this year’s Australian Open.

“But safety is the utmost. We are playing behind closed doors to protect ourselves and our fans,” she added.

“For me, the hardest part of the ‘bubble’ system is washing clothes,” said Gong Maoxin, a men’s doubles player. “Perhaps I need to bring a small washing machine along to the next Tour event.”

Zhou Bing, director of the CTA Tour, said epidemic prevention has been the top priority of the organizers throughout the event.

“The CTA Tour has been successfully launched because the epidemic has been largely contained in China. Now we must prove that we can stage tennis events responsibly,” Zhou said, adding that health guidelines and protocols might become the new normal as pro tennis struggles to get back on its feet in the COVID-19 era.

The comeback of pro tennis suffered a major blow in June with Novak Djokovic’s ill-fated Adria Tour. Several top players, including the world No. 1 himself, tested positive for the coronavirus after competing in the event, which lacked basic safety measures such as social distancing.

“The past few months have shown that we can never be too careful with the virus. It’s better safe than sorry,” Zhou said.

SOMETHING IS BETTER THAN NOTHING

The CTA Tour has provided some much-needed competitive action for Chinese domestic players, with the suspension of the pro tennis circuit since early March and the cancellation of the WTA’s and ATP’s 2020 China tournament swing.

However, a home tour means that top Chinese players like Wang have to enter a main draw comprised mainly of ITF-level players and even teenager players.

“I think we have to make do with what we have. It feels good just to be able to step on the court again and play some matches after a five-month hiatus,” said Wang, who competed in both the women’s singles and doubles at the CTA Tour to “play as many matches as possible.”

Though the WTA has made a comeback this week with the Palermo Ladies Open, Wang said she would stick to playing domestic events for the time being, given the worsening global epidemic situation and international travel restrictions.

Last week, Wang pulled out of this year’s US Open, scheduled to open at the end of August, citing safety concerns.

Zhang Zhizhen, China’s top men’s singles player, said after his first-round victory at the CTA Tour, that the quality of play on the tour is more than enough to help him shake off the rust, though it cannot compare to the ATP.

“As my first tournament after such a long break, the CTA Tour is helping me to find my rhythm on court,” Zhang said.

 The USTA today announced that the US Open will offer $53.4 million in total player compensation in 2020 – nearly 95 percent of its total from 2019 – with $7.6 million dedicated toward player relief from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The USTA, WTA and ATP Tour worked collaboratively to build a payment structure for the 2020 US Open that would feature critical financial balance and support for players. First-round prize money for men’s and women’s singles increased by 5 percent over 2019 ($61,000 from $58,000), while second- and third-round singles prize money was unchanged. Doubles prize money for the rounds of 32, 16 and the quarterfinals also remained the same as 2019.

Both the men’s and women’s singles champion will earn $3 million.

The USTA will also provide $6.6 million in additional relief grants and subsidies due to the decision to not hold the Qualifying Tournament and the reduction of the Doubles draws. These funds will be allocated equally to the WTA and ATP, which will then make the determination of how to distribute and/or utilize them to provide replacement playing and ranking-point opportunities. Previously in 2020, the USTA contributed $1 million to an international player relief fund. “We’re proud to be able to offer a player compensation package that maintains nearly 95 percent of the prize pool from 2019,” said Mike Dowse, USTA Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director. “The prize money distribution for the 2020 US Open is the result of close collaboration between the USTA, WTA and ATP, and represents a commitment to supporting players and their financial well-being during an unprecedented time.”

First-round losers earn $61,000.

The USTA today announced that 13 Grand Slam singles champions and nine of the Top 10 women in the world headline the initial women’s singles entry list for the 2020 US Open, to be played August 31-September 13 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y.

The field is led by No. 2 Simona Halep, of Romania, a two-time Grand Slam champion; No. 3 Karolina Pliskova, of the Czech Republic; No. 4 Sofia Kenin, of the United States, the 2020 Australian Open champion; No. 5 Elina Svitolina, of Ukraine; No. 6 Bianca Andreescu, of Canada, the defending US Open women’s singles champion; No. 7 Kiki Bertens, of the Netherlands; No. 8 Belinda Bencic, of Switzerland; No. 9 Serena Williams, of the United States, a six-time US Open and 23-time Grand Slam champion; and No. 10 Naomi Osaka, of Japan, the 2018 US Open and two-time Grand Slam champion.

Eight additional Grand Slam champions are entered into the field, including: No. 12 Petra Kvitova, of the Czech Republic, a two-time Grand Slam champion; No. 16 Garbine Muguruza, of Spain, a two-time Grand Slam champion; No. 21 Angelique Kerber, of Germany, the 2016 US Open and two-time Grand Slam champion; No. 32 Svetlana Kuznetsova, of Russia, the 2004 US Open and two-time Grand Slam champion; No. 37 Sloane Stephens, of the United States, the 2017 US Open champion; No. 41 Jelena Ostapenko, of Latvia, the 2017 French Open champion; No. 58 Victoria Azarenka, a two-time Grand Slam champion; and No. 67 Venus Williams, of the United States, a two-time US Open and seven-time Grand Slam champion.

No. 127 Lizette Cabrera, of Australia, is the last player to receive direct entry into the women’s singles field. Four players entered using protected rankings: No. 78 Vera Zvonareva (RUS), a former world No. 2; No. 85 Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR); No. 120 Vera Lapko (BLR); and No. 123 Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL). Eight additional wild card entries will be selected by the USTA.

The 19 Americans who received direct entry into this year’s tournament are No. 4 Sofia Kenin, of Pembroke Pines, Fla.; No. 9 Serena Williams, of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; No. 13 Madison Keys, of Orlando, Fla.; No. 19 Alison Riske, of Pittsburgh; No. 29 Amanda Anisimova, of Aventura, Fla.; No. 37 Sloane Stephens, of Plantation, Fla.; No. 48 Jennifer Brady, of Orlando, Fla.; No. 51 Danielle Collins, of St. Petersburg, Fla.; No. 52 Coco Gauff, of Delray Beach, Fla.; No. 60 Bernarda Pera, of Tenafly, N.J.; No. 62 Lauren Davis, of Gates Mills, Ohio; No. 67 Venus Williams, of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; No. 73 Taylor Townsend, of Atlanta; No. 79 Madison Brengle, of Dover, Del.; No. 80 Jessica Pegula, of Buffalo; No. 88 Christina McHale, of Teaneck, N.J.; No. 96 Kristie Ahn, of Upper Saddle River, N.J.; No. 113 Shelby Rogers, of Charleston, S.C.; and No. 124 Caty McNally, of Cincinnati. The WTA rankings as of August 3 were used to determine the US Open main draw entry list. Seeds will be determined and announced closer to the start of the event

The USTA today announced that world No. 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia and seven of the world’s Top 10 headline the initial men’s singles entry list for the 2020 US Open, set to be played August 31-September 13 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y.

Joining Djokovic, a three-time US Open champion, among the Top-10 players on the entry list are No. 3 Dominic Thiem, of Austria; No. 5 Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, a 2019 US Open finalist; No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas, of Greece; No. 7 Alexander Zverev, of Germany; No. 8 Matteo Berrettini, of Italy; and No. 10 David Goffin, of Belgium. No. 4 Roger Federer, of Switzerland, had previously withdrawn from all remaining competition this year with a right knee injury. No. 37 Marin Cilic, of Croatia, the 2014 US Open champion, is also entered.

Sumit Nagal (IND), ranked No. 127, is the last man to receive direct entry into the field of 128. Three players used a protected ranking to gain entry: No. 71 Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE), No. 83 Mackenzie McDonald (USA) and No. 119 Jack Sock (USA). Eight additional wild card entries will be selected by the USTA.

The 13 Americans who received direct entry into this year’s tournament are No. 21 John Isner, of Greensboro, N.C.; No. 24 Taylor Fritz, of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.; No. 39 Reilly Opelka, of Delray Beach, Fla.; No. 45 Sam Querrey, of Las Vegas; No. 55 Tennys Sandgren, of Gallatin, Tenn.; No. 57 Tommy Paul, of Delray Beach, Fla.; No. 63 Steve Johnson, of Redondo Beach, Calif.; No. 81 Frances Tiafoe, of Hyattsville, Md.; No. 83 Mackenzie McDonald, of Orlando, Fla.; No. 102 Marcos Giron, of Thousand Oaks, Calif.; No. 111 Denis Kudla, of Arlington, Va.; No. 119 Jack Sock, of Kansas City, Mo.; and No. 126 Bradley Klahn, of Los Angeles.

The ATP rankings as of August 3 were used to determine the US Open main draw entry list. Seeds will be determined and announced closer to the start of the event.

The King Trophy came down to as dramatic a finish as you can have in World TeamTennis as one point decided the entire season with the New York Empire capturing the King Trophy over the expansion Chicago Smash, 21-20, in a Super Tiebreaker on Sunday at Center Court at Creekside at The Greenbrier in West Virginia. 

It all played out in front of a live nationally-televised audience on CBS Television Network. With the match in Extended Play at 20-20 and at 6-all in the Super Tiebreaker (best of 13) the Empire’s Coco Vandeweghe ripped a Sloane Stephens serve with a forehand down the line that nicked the baseline, was reviewed by Hawk-Eye and signaled in. The Finals Female Most Valuable Player Vandeweghe embraced her partner Nicole Melichar as the rest of the Empire players and head coach Luke Jensen joined into the celebration.  

“I never had this opportunity in World TeamTennis to do Extended Play, to the Super Tiebreaker to the super buster to the Super Breaker (last deciding point),” Vandeweghe said. “I mean I’ve never been under that kind of pressure, ever. It was so much fun to be on my racquet to control the situation. Luckily I controlled it in the right way. It really accentuated what World TeamTennis is; the team vibe, team energy, people picking each other up when they’re down. I had so much fun out there.”

Said Melichar: “I didn’t want to tell Coco to go line, because I know her instincts, but I felt that Bethanie (Mattel-Sands) was going to try and cross and then the second she hit it and they didn’t call an out call I was thrilled, but then the fact that they were challenging (asked to look at Hawk-Eye), we were like ‘oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no’ and then it was just pure joy. It was just incredible.”

World TeamTennis titles are nothing new for New York franchises as the New York Buzz won the King Trophy in 2008 and the New York Sportimes did the same in 2005.

“It’s just so amazing that it came down to one point,” Empire coach Luke Jensen told the crowd after accepting the King Trophy and the $500,000 winning check his team will split. “When you’re a Grand Slam champion you’ve accomplished what you wanted as a kid. That she (Coco) didn’t hesitate to take that shot is amazing. And for New York specifically. Her grandfather played for the Knicks (Ernie Vandeweghe). Her uncle played for the Knicks (Kiki)…We made the trade for her, I reached out to her to say she should play for the orange and the blue, the Knicks colors and our colors. She’s such a gamer and a winner.”

The Smash held a championship point in regulation at 4-all in the tiebreaker (best of nine) as Melichar hit a service winner that Genie Bouchard was unable to handle, giving the set to the Empire and sending the match into Extended Play, 20-18. Vandeweghe won her serve for 20-19, and the Empire pair then broke Bethanie Mattek-Sands’ serve to knot the score at 20-20.

“I’m proud of this team for the fight all year,” said Chicago Smash Coach Kamau Murray. “I made two different decisions at both the end of the regular time and the tiebreaker and we’d have been in a different position. I’m sorry to see it end this way, but they all played well … Looking ahead to next year, I think we have a good core. We’ll bring most of them back and we’ll be here (in the Finals) again.”

In Women’s Singles, 2017 US Open winner Stephens extended the Smash’s lead with a 5-3 win over Vandeweghe to make the score 16-13.

The Empire jumped out to a quick start thanks to the play of WTT Male Most Valuable Player Jack Sock as he recorded wins in Mixed Doubles with Vandeweghe and in Men’s Doubles with Neal Skupski. He then ran into a buzz-saw in the way of 18-year-old Smash rookie Brandon Nakashima, who reeled off a 5-0 win to swing the match in favor of Chicago.

“I think I would chalk that up as my worst set of the three weeks, and unfortunately it came on the most important day, as well,” Sock said. “I just kept my head up. I was able to put 10 points on the board with Neal and Coco and you can’t ask more than that.”

WTT CEO Carlos Silva still had goosebumps talking about the match an hour after the memorable conclusion. “A flip flop in the middle of the match with Nakashima coming back to win 5-0 and swing the match, you couldn’t ask for any more than that,” Silva said. “And Coco’s winning forehand was like a walk-off home run, a buzzer-beater. My heart is still pounding.”

No. 4 New York Empire def. No. 3 CHICAGO SMASH, 21-20 (EP)

Men’s Doubles: Jack Sock/Neal Skupski (Empire) def. Rajeev Ram/Brandon Nakashima (Smash), 5-2

Mixed Doubles: Sock/Coco Vandeweghe (Empire) def. Mattek-Sands/Ram (Smash), 5-4

Men’s Singles: Brandon Nakashima (Smash) def. Sock (Empire), 5-0

Women’s Singles: Sloane Stephens (Smash) def. Vandeweghe (Empire), 5-3

Women’s Doubles: Nicole Melichar/Vandeweghe (Empire) def. Genie Bouchard/Mattek-Sands (Smash), 5-4

Extended Play: Melichar/Vandeweghe (Empire) def. Bouchard/Mattek-Sands (Smash), 2-0

Super Tiebreaker: Melichar/Vandeweghe (Empire) def. Mattek-Sands/Stephens (Smash), 7-6

New Chapter Press, the world’s premier publisher for tennis books, has released three new tennis books for the 2020 year.

“The Pros: The Forgotten Era of Tennis” was written by Australian doctor, writer and peace activist Peter Underwood, and chronicles and narrates one of the most misunderstood and little-known eras of world tennis, the Professional or Pro Era from 1930 to 1967. The book focusing on Bill Tilden, Ellsworth Vines, Don Budge, Bobby Riggs, Jack Kramer, Pancho Gonzales, Ken Rosewall and Rod Laver. The book is available for sale and download here: https://www.amazon.com/Pros-Forgotten-Era-Tennis/dp/1937559912/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=The+Pros+Peter+Underwood&qid=1574131803&sr=8-1)

“Juan Martin del Potro: The Gentle Giant” is the first English-language book on Argentine tennis great Juan Martin del Potro and was written by respected Argentine tennis writer Sebastian Torok. The book tells the inspiring story of one of Argentina’s greatest tennis players, del Potro, who famously won the 2009 U.S. Open over Roger Federer and made a miracle comeback from four wrist surgeries to win the Olympic silver medal and lead his native Argentina to the Davis Cup title. The book is available for sale and download here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937559920/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_lRArEbY4VMWP3

“Pete Sampras: Greatness Revisited” by Steve Flink documents the then record 14 major singles championships won by Sampras, the man regarded as the greatest American male tennis player of all time. After a fairytale finish to his career when he won the 2002 U.S. Open, Sampras was somewhat forgotten by fans who were exhilarated by the exploits of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. The book is for sale and download here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08C1G2M1S/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_VwKdFb37VYRTA

All three books were published under the direction of New Chapter Press managing partner Randy Walker.

Founded in 1987, New Chapter Press (www.NewChapterMedia.com) is also the publisher of “The Greatest Tennis Matches of All-Time” by Steve Flink, “The Education of a Tennis Player” by Rod Laver with Bud Collins, “The Secrets of Spanish Tennis” by Chris Lewit, “The Bud Collins History of Tennis” by Bud Collins, “The Wimbledon Final That Never Was” by Sidney Wood, “Titanic: The Tennis Story” by Lindsay Gibbs, “Macci Magic: Extracting Greatness From Yourself And Others” by Rick Macci with Jim Martz, “Andy Murray, Wimbledon Champion: The Full Extraordinary Story” by Mark Hodgkinson, “Cattle To Courts: A History of Tennis In Texas” by Ken McAllister, “Sport of a Lifetime: Enduring Personal Stories From Tennis” by Judy Aydelott, “Trojan Tennis: A History of the Storied Men’s Tennis Program at the University of Southern California” by S. Mark Young, “Absolute Tennis: The Best And Next Way To Play The Game” by Marty Smith, “How To Permanently Erase Negative Self Talk So You Can Be Extraordinary” by Emily Filloramo, “Acing Depression: A Tennis Champion’s Toughest Match” by Cliff Richey and Hilaire Richey Kallendorf, “Your Playbook For Beating Depression: Essential Strategies For Managing and Living with Depression” by Cliff Richey and Mary Garrison, “Roger Federer: Quest for Perfection” by Rene Stauffer, “The Days of Roger Federer” by Randy Walker, “Jan Kodes: A Journey To Glory From Behind The Iron Curtain” by Jan Kodes with Peter Kolar, “Tennis Made Easy” by Kelly Gunterman, “On This Day In Tennis History” by Randy Walker, “A Player’s Guide To USTA League Tennis” by Tony Serksnis, “Court Confidential: Inside The World Of Tennis” by Neil Harman, “A Backhanded Gift” by Marshall Jon Fisher, “Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games” by Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli (www.Boycott1980.com), “Internet Dating 101: It’s Complicated, But It Doesn’t Have To Be” by Laura Schreffler, “How To Sell Your Screenplay” by Carl Sautter, “Bone Appetit: Gourmet Cooking For Your Dog” by Suzan Anson, “The Rules of Neighborhood Poker According to Hoyle” by Stewart Wolpin among others.

The ATP and organisers of the Citi Open announced on Tuesday that the event has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tournament, which was scheduled to begin on August 13, marked the planned resumption of the ATP Tour following the suspension of professional tennis in March. However, with the continued spread of the pandemic, the decision has been made to cancel the event.

“It’s disappointing that due to these unprecedented times, the Washington Open will not be able to go ahead this year,” said ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi. “I know how hard the event has worked to adapt to new and continually changing conditions. Unfortunately for the moment there are still large factors at play which are outside of our control. We look forward to the event returning as one of our signature American events in 2021.”

“After months of tireless work by our team and close collaboration with our many stakeholders, we are heartbroken to announce that we must unfortunately postpone the Washington Open until the summer of 2021,” said tournament manager Mark Ein.

“With only 23 days left until the start of the tournament, there are too many unresolved external issues, including various international travel restrictions as well as troubling health and safety trends, that have forced us to make this decision now in fairness to our players, suppliers and partners.”

The Wimbledon Championships have pledged to pay 10 million pounds (12.6 million U.S. dollars) to players despite this year’s tournament cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizing All England Lawn Tennis Club said Friday.

The grass-court Grand Slam is allocating funds to 620 players from all disciplines whose world ranking would have enabled them to gain entry into the tournament. The 256 players who would have competed in men’s and women’s singles main draws will each receive 25,000 pounds, while 224 players who have competed in qualifying competitions will each receive 12,500 pounds.

“We know these months of the uncertainty have been very worrying for the players, many of whom have faced financial difficulty during this period,” said the club CEO Richard Lewis.

“We are pleased that our insurance policy has allowed us to recognise the impact of the cancellation on the players and we are now in a position to offer this payment as a reward for the hard work they have invested in building their ranking to a point where they would have gained direct entry into The Championship 2020,” added Lewis.

Organisers will also distribute money to officials and international umpires. Wimbledon received over 100 million pounds (126 million U.S. dollars) insurance indemnity for the cancellation of its 2020 edition due to the coronavirus.

In addition, Wimbledon announced that the seeding formula it has used for the men’s singles draw since 2002 will be discontinued beginning in 2021. The seeding will be based solely on the ATP Rankings next year.

The Australian Open is on track to proceed early next year and will include a full schedule of events, per Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley.

“In terms of our plans for the Australian Open, as we’ve been saying for the past few weeks, we’re optimistic about having an AO in January with all the events and all the players,” Tiley said.

Tiley expressed the national body’s support for wheelchair tennis men’s number one, Dylan Alcott, who this week hit out at the US Open for excluding his category.

While the US Open will go ahead in August despite COVID-19, it will be with the exclusion of the wheelchair event, something 10-time grand slam title winner and Paralympian, Alcott described as “disgusting discrimination.”

“Dylan Alcott is a tremendous ambassador for tennis and has done a huge amount for our sport both here and around the world,” Tiley said.

“We understand how disappointed he is at not being able to compete at the US Open this year and we look forward to seeing him back on the court soon.”

Due to biosecurity restrictions, the U.S. Open also will not include qualifying, junior and mixed doubles events when it takes place in New York.

While backing Alcott, Tiley also empathized with the United States Tennis Association.

“We empathize with our US Open counterparts who have put an enormous amount of work into staging their event during such difficult circumstances and in these unprecedented times,” he said.