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LA Tennis Challenge brings fun with Djokovic, Sampras and the Bryan Bros

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By Rachel Bird, Special for Tennis Grandstand

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 4, 2013) — With Southern California professional tennis on the decline, good friends Justin Gimelstob and Mardy Fish decided to do something about it. A year ago they were informed that the contract for the long-standing Farmers Classic at UCLA would not be renewed. Enter the first ever LA Tennis Challenge on Monday, March 4th at the brand new Pauley Pavilion at UCLA (to be televised Tuesday, March 5th at 7pm on Tennis Channel). Nothing was too outrageous. The more celebrities the better. The evening was all about charity and raising tennis awareness in Southern California.
To open the event, a red carpet was rolled out for stars and tennis players alike. Evan Handler (Sex & the City, Californication), Gregg German (Ally McBeal), Tim Olyphant (Deadwood, Justified) and Keenan Ivory Wayans (In Living Color, White Chicks) came out to support charity and tennis. Inside the arena were more stars like Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory), Rainn Wilson (The Office), Bruce Willis and Gerard Butler.
The charities for whom proceeds from the LA Tennis Challenge are to be distributed among include:

  • The Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation
  • The Justin Gimelstob Children’s Fund
  • Novak Djokovic Foundation
  • Call To Cure
  • Southern California Tennis Association

Tommy Haas, the “older” player experiencing a resurgence, and James Blake, fresh off his doubles win in Del Ray, Florida, kicked things off with a one-set singles match. It was during their warm-up that the people in the best seats realized they would have to stay alert, as balls would be flying into their area regularly. Justin Gimelstob quipped that in the worst case scenario see the sponsor Esurance, which got a laugh. Quite a few people were hit during the course of the evening, but no one seemed hurt and most people shook it off.
Angelenos Haas and Blake had some fun rallies, like a tweener Haas kept in play and an overhead slam Blake was about to take until he heard Haas whimper and then just tipped it over the net. But for the most part, they came to play and were competitive. Then Haas broke the net.
Gimelstob was a real professional as he dealt with the various challenges of the evening. He kept it fun and light during the fifteen minutes it took to repair the net and first had Haas and Blake play mixed doubles with two little girls. Then he had them sign autographs while he invited all the kids to come down to do tennis drills. Meanwhile there was a raffle, which included signed Federer and Nadal memorabilia.
With the instructions to stop hitting so hard into the net, play resumed. Gimelstob decided Haas and Blake would play a tiebreak at five-all to speed things up. At 7-5, Haas emerged victorious.
Next, Mardy Fish, another Los Angeles resident, was trotted out to play the #1 ranked player, Novak Djokovic. It was announced that a local Serbian church wanted to do something special to welcome him, so a Serbian dance troupe in traditional garb emerged and did a number. At the end, Djokovic joined them. The incongruity was amusing.
Djokovic opened with a love game but the crowd seemed to be pulling for Fish. Fish gave it a real fight before Djokovic went up 3-2. Then Djokovic got silly. He had some words with a lady in the front row who got hit. He handed his racket over and let a little ball girl play a point. He mentioned that his serve was a let and complained to the chair umpire that he’d been sleeping.
Fish fought back to 4-all. Then a lineman called a fault that went Djokovic’s way. Fish was obviously disappointed. Meanwhile Djokovic high-fived and hugged the lineman. When he went up 5-4, Djokovic did a little Serbian dance before he took his seat.
At 7-all there was a tiebreak. After some horsing around, Djokovic took the set and dropped to the ground like he’d won a Slam, lying on his back as if in disbelief. The crowd burst out laughing and cheering. It only got more wild and crazy from there.
Gimelstob introduced the Bryan Brothers as the best doubles team of all time, claiming they’d won five million tour titles. Their childhood hero, Pete Sampras, came out next to join his doubles partner, Djokovic. It was past and present world number one’s doubles.
Pistol Pete started out a little rusty when he tried to finish a point at the net and ended up hitting straight into the net. Soon after he hit a shot that the Bryan Brothers threw up their rackets simultaneously to hit. After a particularly good point, Djokovic went to chest bump Sampras, a la Bryan Brothers, and got nothing but Pete’s back.
Djokovic had more words with the chair ump after he played through a call he hadn’t heard. “ARE YOU SERIOUS?” Obviously all in good fun. Later he re-enacted a point in slow-motion to prove it had gone out. Up 4-2, Djokovic was loose and celebrating with a little dancing.
The chair ump was replaced in the middle of the match with Rainn Wilson, or Dwight Schrute from The Office. Wilson started out by calling a time warning on Sampras. Then he coached him, “Keep your eye on the ball, Pete.” He wanted to know what Djokovic and Sampras were talking about when they had little chats at the baseline. Then he asked for some popcorn.
Wilson called for quiet and then fake passed gas as a Bryan brother served. A Bryan ended up throwing some of the popcorn at him. When Djokovic served, Wilson called him Choko-vic but when Djokovic had an ace, he received a thumbs up.
Sampras had it with Wilson’s antics and got the microphone from Gimelstob. “It’s time we had a real actor out here! Bruce Willis.” Willis was sitting courtside and the fans went nuts. He got up and made a move to come out to the court but the lights went out.
Gimelstob had to think fast. The fans were game so they acted on his joking request and turned on their flashlight apps on their phones. Pauley Pavilion looked like a tennis vigil. Gimelstob said it wasn’t regulation to play without lights but threw caution to the wind and suggested a super ten-point tiebreaker to end the evening. The fans were into it.
With more abuse from Wilson, the so-called “Robot tennis sensations of Camarillo, CA” the Bryan Brothers won the tiebreaker, 10-7. Bruce Willis and Gerard Butler came out to see the tennis players. The fans were crazy for Djokovic. I heard one security guard say he’d never seen anything like it. Meanwhile, I took shelter in the Audi R8 that was on display courtside. It’s a tough life, but someone’s gotta do it!
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Win Tickets to Saturday's SAP Open Exhibition Match with Roddick, Graf, Davenport and Gimelstob

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Feb. 12, 2013 — Tennis Grandstand has partnered up with this week’s SAP Open and it is our pleasure to offer you the chance to win 2 tickets to an additional evening of live tennis, featuring an exhibition match on Saturday, Feb. 16th at 7pm at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA.
The match will feature a newly-retired Andy Roddick partnering up with Stefanie Graf to take on the team of Lindsay Davenport and Justin Gimelstob.
In order to enter to win 2 tickets to Saturday evening’s exhibition match, please state in the comments below:

  1. Who your favorite player of the above four is (Roddick, Graf, Davenport, Gimelstob), and
  2. State why they are your favorite, ie a memory, how they inspired you, etc.

Contest closes Thursday, Feb. 14, 2012 at 8pm EST. Winner will be chosen at random from all entrees.
(Please note that you must be able to attend the live match; tickets will be able available for pickup at will call.)
The winner of the tickets would receive access to the exclusive SAP Ace Club hospitality area located within the pavilion and seats located in the baseline lower bowl area, a short walk from the Club.
In its last year in San Jose, the SAP Open has prepared a unique experience to help fans enjoy the excitement of the second-oldest men’s professional tournament in the United States. The event has been won by virtually every tennis superstar, including Arthur Ashe, John McEnroe, Pete Sampras and SAP Ambassadors Andy Roddick and Milos Raonic.
Good luck and we look forward to seeing you at the SAP Open all week which takes place Feb. 11-17!

Courier Wins Dramatic Stanford Championships Final In Dallas

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DALLAS, October 26 – Jim Courier won his sixth career Outback Champions Series event – and his third title in 2008 – with a dramatic 3-6, 6-4, 10-8 (Champions Tie-Breaker) victory over Thomas Enqvist of Sweden Sunday in the final of the $150,000 Stanford Championships at the Turpin Tennis Center on the campus of Southern Methodist University. Courier won the last four points of the decisive Champions tie-breaker, played in lieu of a third set, and won the match when Enqvist missed a sitter overhead on match point. Courier called the missed overhead, “one of the nuttiest match points I’ve ever been a part of.”
With Courier holding match point leading 9-8 in the Champions tie-breaker, the two players engaged in a cross-court backhand exchange from the baseline before Enqvist blasted a deep backhand down-the-line approach shot that Courier was able to retrieve with a desperation lob. Enqvist, standing right on top of the net, elected not to let the ball bounce and shanked the overhead straight down off the frame of his racquet.
“You could never forecast that he was going to miss that shot,” said Courier of the missed overhead. “If he lets it bounce, he could hit it with the butt cap and make it and I wouldn’t be there. That was as improbable as it gets, but that’s why we play sports. The whacky happens. You just have to be paying attention.”
Enqvist did not blame the sun for the missed shot, just being too relaxed and letting his mind wander before finishing the point.
“I think I was just too casual,” he said. “It’s what you tell an amateur when you play the pro-ams with them, that sometimes they do those mistakes. They take their eye off the ball. I think I did that. It was a changeover (on the next point), and I think I was on my way to the other side (of the net) before I finished the shot. It was a bad time, obviously, to make that kind of mistake.”
Courier won a first-prize paycheck of $54,000 for winning the singles final and all three of his round-robin singles matches during the week. Enqvist earned $32,000 for his runner-up showing and for also winning all three of his round-robin singles matches.
Enqvist was the more aggressive player at the start of the match, dictating play from the baseline and working on Courier’s weaker back-hand wing. He broke Courier’s serve in the eighth game of the first set and served out the 6-3 set victory the next game. In the second set, Courier played with more urgency and aggression and registered one service break to take the second set 6-4 and force the decisive Champions tie-breaker, the 10-point tie-breaker played in lieu of a third set. Courier trailed 8-6 in the decisive tie-breaker, but rallied to win the final four points of the match, executing a backhand passing shot at 8-8 and benefitting from Enqvist’s missed overhead at 9-8 to win the match.
“I was hanging on by my fingernails at 8-6 (in the tiebreak),” said Courier. “I was just hoping for a little bit of luck and sometimes that’s what it takes.”
Courier attributed a change of strategy to a more defensive game plan to counter-attack the hard-hitting of Enqvist to getting him into the match after losing the first set.
“I really had to make a pretty major adjustment on my return serve against him, because he was really bringing the heat much bigger than I’d seen this week,” said Courier. “It was quicker today because it was warm, so I really had to revert back to just blocking everything back and just defending, which is not my nature. I like to play offense, but the nature of tennis is that if you’re ‘A-game’ isn’t working, you have to find another way. And that’s what I did today. I hung in there.I was a little tired coming into today. It’s been a busy week. I felt like I needed to try to find some energy for the finish, which I did. I served pretty well in the tiebreak, and just hung in. And that’s the thing about this sport, you just have to be better than the other guy. I was – just by my finger nails like (Olympic swimmer Michael) Phelps winning by a hundredth of a second. That was kind of the difference out there today, like winning by a hundredth of a second.”
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Said Enqvist of Courier, “He’s probably one of the toughest competitors we have in the game. It’s not the first time he pulled off this kind of victory. He always, always stays in the game, tries to find a way to win it. That’s one of his biggest strengths.”
The victory also earned Courier 800 ranking points to extend his lead in the Stanford Champions Rankings that determine the year-end champion on the Outback Champions Series circuit, the global tennis circuit for champion tennis players over the age of 30. For the first time in 2008, the year-end No. 1 on the Stanford Champions Rankings earns a $100,000 bonus. Courier now leads in the rankings with 3800 points, followed by John McEnroe and Wayne Ferreira with 1800 points and Aaron Krickstein with 1650 points. Enqvist earned 600 points to move into the No. 6 ranking position.
Enqvist, 34, was competing in his first Outback Champions Series final in only his second career event on the global champions’ tennis circuit. The 1999 Australian Open finalist and former world No. 4 was, coincidentally, the last player Courier played on the ATP circuit, handing the two-time French and Australian Open a second-round defeat at the 2000 Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne, Fla. – Courier’s final ATP singles match. The championship match in Dallas was the first Outback Champions Series meeting between the two players. Courier won six of eight meetings on the ATP tour.
Courier, 38, was appearing in his ninth career Outback Champions Series final and his fourth final for the 2008 season. Courier won events earlier this year in Grand Cayman in April and Charlotte in September while he lost to Pat Cash in the final in Newport in August.
In Sunday’s third place match, Krickstein defeated Ferreira 6-2, 6-4.
Founded in 2005, the Outback Champions Series features some of the biggest names in tennis over the last 25 years, including Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Courier and many others. To be eligible to compete on the Outback Champions Series, players must have reached at least a major singles final, been ranked in the top five in the world or played singles on a championship Davis Cup team. Each event also has the right to choose a “wild card” entrant.
The Outback Champions Series features eight events on its 2008 schedule, with each event featuring an eight-man round-robin match format. The winner of each four-player division meets in the title match while second place finishers in each division play in the third-place match. Each event features $150,000 in prize money with an undefeated winner taking home $54,000 as well as Champions Series ranking points that will determine the year-end Stanford Champions Rankings No. 1. Beginning in 2008, the year-end champion will receive a $100,000 bonus courtesy of Stanford Financial Group, the official rankings sponsor of the Outback Champions Series.
The 2008 Outback Champions Series kicked off March 12-16 in Naples, Fla., at The Oliver Group Champions Cup where Martin defeated McEnroe in the final. Courier won the second event of the season at The Residences at The Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman Legends Championships April 16-20, defeating Ferreira in the final, while McEnroe won his first career Outback Champions Series even in Boston April 30- May 4, defeating Krickstein in the final. Pat Cash won his first Outback Champions Series title in Newport, R.I., in August, defeating Courier in the final, while Courier won his second event of the season in September in Charlotte, defeating Martin in the final. The next two events on the 2008 Outback Champions Series calendar are Surprise, Ariz., and Dubai, U.A.E. More information can be obtained by visiting www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com.
InsideOut Sports & Entertainment is a New York City-based independent 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 Outback Champions Series, a collection of tennis events featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including one-night “Legendary Night” exhibitions as well as charity events and tennis fantasy camps, including the annual Ultimate Fantasy Camp. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com
Results for the week at the Stanford Championships
Round-Robin Results from Wednesday, October 22
Aaron Krickstein, United States, def. Todd Martin, United States, 7-6 (4), 6-4
Jim Courier, United States, def. Karel Novacek, Czech Republic, 6-3, 6-1
Round-Robin Results from Thursday, October 23
Thomas Enqvist, Sweden, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, 6-3, 6-2
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. Justin Gimelstob, United States, 6-2, 7-6 (4)
Round-Robin Results From Friday, October 24
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. Karel Novacek, Czech Republic, 7-5, 6-2
Todd Martin, United States, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, 6-4, 6-2
Thomas Enqvist, Sweden, def. Aaron Krickstein, United States, 6-1, 6-1
Jim Courier, United States, def. Justin Gimelstob, United States, 6-2, 4-6, 11-9 (Champions Tie-Breaker)
Round-Robin Results From Saturday, October 25
Jim Courier, United States, def. Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, 6-4, 6-3
Thomas Enqvist, Sweden, def. Todd Martin, United States, 4-6, 6-4, 11-9 (Champions Tie-Breaker)
Aaron Krickstein, United States, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, 6-3, 6-4
Karel Novacek, Czech Republic, def. Justin Gimelstob, United States (walkover, back injury)
Results From Sunday, October 26
Third-Place Play-off
Aaron Krickstein, United States, def. Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, 6-2, 6-4.
Championship Match
Jim Courier, United States, def. Thomas Enqvist, Sweden, 3-6, 6-4, 10-8 (Champions Tie-breaker)
Round-Robin Group Standings
Group A
Jim Courier 3-0
Wayne Ferreira 2-1
Karel Novacek 1-2
Justin Gimelstob 0-2
Group B
Thomas Enqvist 3-0
Aaron Krickstein 2-1
Todd Martin 1-2
Jimmy Arias 0-3

Courier and Enqvist To Square Off In Stanford Championships Final

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DALLAS, October 25 – Jim Courier and Thomas Enqvist both completed perfect 3-0 round-robin records Saturday to advance into the championship match at the $150,000 Stanford Championships at the Turpin Tennis Center on the campus of Southern Methodist University.  In a re-match of the 2007 final of the Stanford Championships, Courier defeated defending champion Wayne Ferreira 6-4, 6-3, while Enqvist edged Todd Martin 4-6, 6-4, 11-9 (Champions Tie-Breaker). The Stanford Championships is the sixth of eight events on the 2008 Outback Champions Series, the global tennis circuit for champion tennis players age 30 and over.
Courier, a two-time French and Australian Open champion, used his trademark inside-out forehand to take early control of points and dictate play in winning his fourth straight match against Ferreira. Nonetheless, Ferreira stayed right with Courier until he served to stay in the opening set at 4-5. That’s when Courier struck for the decisive – and only – break of the first set to finish it off 6-4. The second set wasn’t much different, although it was even more in Courier’s favor. Courier gained an early break in the second set and never looked back. He ran into a bit of trouble while serving for the match at 5-3, but he saved two break points to seal the victory with a 6-3 decision.
“I had that lead in second set, but it never really felt safe,” said Courier. “Even though I’m serving well, I know Wayne is capable of doing just what he did in the second set, which is ripping some big shots and chasing some balls down.”
With a perfect 3-0 record heading into Sunday’s championship match, Courier said he is feeling great about his current form. “I’m playing really well,” he said. “My game is predicated on the forehand and the serve. The serve and the forehand is a one-two setup punch. I return pretty well to get into points, and from there I try to dominate with my forehand. It’s no mystery to any of these guys. We all know each other well at this point. It’s just about executing on the day. Right now, I’m on a good service rhythm, particularly on these courts, with how the ball is really flying here.”
“He served really well,” said Ferreira of Courier. “The ball was so fast today. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s during the day. The balls, they don’t really fluff up, they get really light. When he’s serves well and the ball is getting through like that, it’s tough. And when I got the ball in, it was hard to get rid of him and get the point going. So, a little bit tough. He just served better than me.”
Enqvist advanced into his first career Outback Champions Series final by outlasting Martin. Both men played at an extremely high level throughout the evening, but it was Martin who seized control early. The American moved Enqvist all over the court early on in the match and took the first set 6-4, with one service break. Enqvist, a former world No. 4 and the singles runner-up at the 1999 Australian Open, battled back in the second set, getting more aggressive and breaking early set to force a Champions tiebreaker, played in lieu of the third set. By winning at least a set, Enqvist was assured of reaching the final, but he pushed through none-the-less and won the Champions Tie-breaker 11-9.
“Todd was serving unbelievably well for a set and a half,” said Enqvist. “He forced me to make a lot of mistakes and then I started to get a few second serves to look at, I broke him and after that I played well enough to finish the second set off. But it all came down to the match tie-breaker. After I was down 5-Love, I started to serve really well and I was able to win a few important points. Sometimes luck goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t. It was a tough match, and I think I was a bit lucky tonight to win.”
While Ferreira will not defend his 2007 title in Dallas, he will play in Sunday’s third-place match against Aaron Krickstein, a 6-3, 6-4 winner over Jimmy Arias on Saturday. Against Arias, Krickstein broke serve in the second game of the match to open up a 2-0 lead and used that momentum to build a quick 5-0 advantage. Arias ran off three straight games at that point, but Krickstein served out the set at 5-3. Krickstein and Arias used similar tactics throughout the day, being consistent from the back of the court while waiting for an attackable forehand. Little separated the two players in the second set as the two progressed to 3-3. Krickstein, however, was quicker and had more power, and that primary difference finally started to show. He broke for a 4-3 lead and Arias could not recover, dropping serve again to succumb 6-3 in the second set.
“I played much better today,” said Krickstein. “I served much better. I got off to a good start, as opposed to yesterday. I moved better. But a lot of it is who you play. Thomas (Enqvist, his Friday opponent) hits a big ball. He certainly hits the biggest ball out here than anybody I’ve played. He serves really big. You need to hang in there on the first serve, like I did with Todd (Martin) in the first day, but I didn’t do that yesterday and it snowballed on me.”
Founded in 2005, the Outback Champions Series features some of the biggest names in tennis over the last 25 years, including Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Courier and many others. To be eligible to compete on the Outback Champions Series, players must have reached at least a major singles final, been ranked in the top five in the world or played singles on a championship Davis Cup team. Each event also has the right to choose a “wild card” entrant.
The Outback Champions Series features eight events on its 2008 schedule, with each event featuring an eight-man round-robin match format. The winner of each four-player division meets in the title match while second place finishers in each division play in the third-place match. Each event features $150,000 in prize money with an undefeated winner taking home $54,000 as well as Champions Series ranking points that will determine the year-end Stanford Champions Rankings No. 1. Beginning in 2008, the year-end champion will receive a $100,000 bonus courtesy of Stanford Financial Group, the official rankings sponsor of the Outback Champions Series.
The 2008 Outback Champions Series kicked off March 12-16 in Naples, Fla., at The Oliver Group Champions Cup where Martin defeated McEnroe in the final. Courier won the second event of the season at The Residences at The Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman Legends Championships April 16-20, defeating Ferreira in the final, while McEnroe won his first career Outback Champions Series even in Boston April 30- May 4, defeating Krickstein in the final. Pat Cash won his first Outback Champions Series title in Newport, R.I., in August, defeating Courier in the final, while Courier won his second event of the season in September in Charlotte, defeating Martin in the final. The next three events on the 2008 Outback Champions Series calendar are Dallas, Surprise, Ariz., and Dubai, U.A.E. More information can be obtained by visiting www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com.
InsideOut Sports & Entertainment is a New York City-based independent 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 Outback Champions Series, a collection of tennis events featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including one-night “Legendary Night” exhibitions as well as charity events and tennis fantasy camps, including the annual Ultimate Fantasy Camp. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com
The remaining schedule for The Stanford Championships is as follows;
Sunday, October 26
1:30 pm
Wayne Ferreira vs. Aaron Krickstein – 3rd place match
Followed by
Jim Courier vs. Thomas Enqvist – Championship match
Round-Robin Results from Wednesday, October 22
Aaron Krickstein, United States, def. Todd Martin, United States, 7-6 (4), 6-4
Jim Courier, United States, def. Karel Novacek, Czech Republic, 6-3, 6-1
Round-Robin Results from Thursday, October 23
Thomas Enqvist, Sweden, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, 6-3, 6-2
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. Justin Gimelstob, United States, 6-2, 7-6 (4)
Round-Robin Results From Friday, October 24
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. Karel Novacek, Czech Republic, 7-5, 6-2
Todd Martin, United States, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, 6-4, 6-2
Thomas Enqvist, Sweden, def. Aaron Krickstein, United States, 6-1, 6-1
Jim Courier, United States, def. Justin Gimelstob, United States, 6-2, 4-6, 11-9 (Champions Tie-Breaker)
Round-Robin Results From Saturday, October 25
Jim Courier, United States, def. Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, 6-4, 6-3
Thomas Enqvist, Sweden, def. Todd Martin, United States, 4-6, 6-4, 11-9 (Champions Tie-Breaker)
Aaron Krickstein, United States, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, 6-3, 6-4
Karel Novacek, Czech Republic, def. Justin Gimelstob, United States, walkover (Luis Herrera of Mexico def. Novacek 6-3 in exhibition match)
Round-Robin Group Standings
Group A
Jim Courier 3-0
Wayne Ferreira 2-1
Karel Novacek 1-2
Justin Gimelstob 0-3
Group B
Thomas Enqvist 3-0
Aaron Krickstein 2-1
Todd Martin 1-2
Jimmy Arias 0-3

Ferreira Set For Courier Clash At Stanford Championships In Dallas

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DALLAS, October 24 – Defending champion Wayne Ferreira defeated Karel Novacek 7-5, 6-2 in round-robin play Friday at the 2008 Stanford Championships setting up a Saturday clash with top rival Jim Courier for the right to advance to the event’s championship match. Courier defeated Justin Gimelstob 6-2, 4-6, 11-9 (Champions Tie-Breaker) Friday evening to join Ferreira with a perfect 2-0 round-robin record in the tournament’s Group A. The winner of Saturday afternoon’s match-up – a re-match of the 2007 Stanford Championships final – will advance to the Sunday final at the Turpin Tennis Center on the campus of Southern Methodist University. In other matches played Friday, Todd Martin recovered from his Wednesday loss to Aaron Krickstein to defeat Jimmy Arias 6-4, 6-2 to even his round-robin record at 1-1 in Group B. Thomas Enqvist increased his record to 2-0 in Group B with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Aaron Krickstein.
Ferreira and Courier have established one of the best rivalries on the Outback Champions Series since the global tennis circuit for champion tennis players was founded in 2005. Their match on Saturday will be their 12th Outback Champions Series meeting, with Courier leading the series 6-5. After Ferreira won the 2007 Stanford Championships final by a 2-6, 6-3, 11-9 (Champions Tie-Breaker) margin (played indoors at the Dr. Pepper StarCenter in Frisco), Courier won the next three meetings in 2008 in the Cayman Islands, Boston and Newport heading into Saturday’s match-up. During their ATP careers, Courier won nine of 11 career meetings.
“It’s always fun to play against him,” said Ferreira of Courier. “He’s a great competitor. He’s leading the tour, so it’s always nice to try to beat him. It’s a tough one. He’s playing pretty well. Last couple of weeks, in Charlotte, he played very well, but I do well against him. We have tough battles. I’ve won a few of them. It’s always close. I’m excited.”
Said Courier of his rivalry with Ferreira and their pending match, “I beat him in Caymans. I beat him in Boston and I beat him in Newport, so, I’ve got the better of him this year. But it’s not been easy. Our match in Caymans was a war. It was super hot, humid day. Both of us barely survived it. I just won the big points – the old cliché. He’s playing well here. He’s definitely stepped up his game here. I’m sure he’s ready for a little revenge, but I’m ready for a little Dallas revenge on him, too.”
The Courier-Ferreira match will also have reverberations on the Stanford Champions Rankings, used to determine the year-end champion on the Outback Champions Series and the winner of a year-end $100,000 bonus. Courier currently leads the rankings with 3000 points, while Ferreira stands in third place with 1750 points, 100 points behind second-place John McEnroe, who is not playing in Dallas this week. A win for Ferreira would cut into Courier’s lead and put him in contention for winning the year-end cash prize.
Against Gimelstob, Courier had to escape a 5-8 deficit in the Champions Tie-Breaker – the 10-point tie-breaker played in lieu of a third-set – to pull out the victory. Gimelstob, a last-minute replacement in the field when three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker withdrew from the event with a back injury, played spirited tennis, but not enough to overcome the two-time French and Australian Open champion.
“It was a tough start,” said Gimelstob, a former U.S. Davis Cup teammate of Courier. “I haven’t played much competitive tennis. It’s different just practicing and actually playing a match. It took me a little while. I got incrementally better between yesterday and today, but I had some chances there tonight. I fought back. I started serving a little better, but he (Courier) puts a lot of pressure on you. If you play some bad points, there’s not a lot of margin for you in the tiebreaker.”
After struggling to find his form in his loss to Krickstein on Wednesday night, Martin found his rhythm against Arias, especially on his serve that helped him register the straight-set win.
“I felt much better with my serve,” said Martin. “My toss was more consistent and that frees me up quite a bit. And also just getting used to the speed of the court, playing two days out of three is better than two days out of seven over three weeks.”
After his impressive win over Martin on Wednesday night, Krickstein ran into a buzz saw in Enqvist, who did little wrong in registering the 6-1, 6-1 victory.
“I had a bad start and served a bad game to begin with and got behind the eight ball right away,” said Krickstein. “He serves awful well, so he’s not a good player to be playing catch-up with. I got down two breaks. I had a few chances to get back into it, but he was playing awful well. I just never could get ahead to get any momentum. I was always clawing back, fighting back from behind. It was certainly was a struggle for me.”
Enqvist said he felt the match was much closer than the score indicated.
“I think we had a lot of good rallies, especially on the second set where I came out on the top of those and I broke him,” said Enqvist, the 1999 Australian Open runner-up to Yevgeny Kafelnikov. “Then you can relax and you can take a few chances. Aaron is a very dangerous player, very consistent. And if you don’t play well against him, he can easily turn the match around on you and beat you. So, it was big scores, but it was very good tennis, especially in the second set.”
Founded in 2005, the Outback Champions Series features some of the biggest names in tennis over the last 25 years, including Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Courier and many others. To be eligible to compete on the Outback Champions Series, players must have reached at least a major singles final, been ranked in the top five in the world or played singles on a championship Davis Cup team. Each event also has the right to choose a “wild card” entrant.
The Outback Champions Series features eight events on its 2008 schedule, with each event featuring an eight-man round-robin match format. The winner of each four-player division meets in the title match while second place finishers in each division play in the third-place match. Each event features $150,000 in prize money with an undefeated winner taking home $54,000 as well as Champions Series ranking points that will determine the year-end Stanford Champions Rankings No. 1. Beginning in 2008, the year-end champion will receive a $100,000 bonus courtesy of Stanford Financial Group, the official rankings sponsor of the Outback Champions Series.
The 2008 Outback Champions Series kicked off March 12-16 in Naples, Fla., at The Oliver Group Champions Cup where Martin defeated McEnroe in the final. Courier won the second event of the season at The Residences at The Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman Legends Championships April 16-20, defeating Ferreira in the final, while McEnroe won his first career Outback Champions Series even in Boston April 30- May 4, defeating Krickstein in the final. Pat Cash won his first Outback Champions Series title in Newport, R.I., in August, defeating Courier in the final, while Courier won his second event of the season in September in Charlotte, defeating Martin in the final. The next three events on the 2008 Outback Champions Series calendar are Dallas, Surprise, Ariz., and Dubai, U.A.E. More information can be obtained by visiting www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com.
InsideOut Sports & Entertainment is a New York City-based independent 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 Outback Champions Series, a collection of tennis events featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including one-night “Legendary Night” exhibitions as well as charity events and tennis fantasy camps, including the annual Ultimate Fantasy Camp. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com
The remaining schedule for The Stanford Championships is as follows;
Saturday, October 25
1:30pm
Aaron Krickstein vs. Jimmy Arias
Mixed doubles featuring Anna Kournikova
Jim Courier vs. Wayne Ferreira
6:30pm
Thomas Enqvist vs. Todd Martin
Mixed doubles featuring Anna Kournikova
Justin Gimelstob vs. Karel Novacek
Sunday, October 26
1:30 pm
3rd place match
Championship match
Round-Robin Results from Wednesday, October 22
Aaron Krickstein, United States, def. Todd Martin, United States, 7-6 (4), 6-4
Jim Courier, United States, def. Karel Novacek, Czech Republic, 6-3, 6-1
Round-Robin Results from Thursday, October 23
Thomas Enqvist, Sweden, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, 6-3, 6-2
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. Justin Gimelstob, United States, 6-2, 7-6 (4)
Round-Robin Results From Friday, October 24
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. Karel Novacek, Czech Republic, 7-5, 6-2
Todd Martin, United States, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, 6-4, 6-2
Thomas Enqvist, Sweden, def. Aaron Krickstein, United States, 6-1, 6-1
Jim Courier, United States, def. Justin Gimelstob, United States, 6-2, 4-6, 11-9 (Champions Tie-Breaker)
Round-Robin Group Standings
Group A
Jim Courier 2-0
Wayne Ferreira 2-0
Justin Gimelstob 0-2
Karel Novacek 0-2
Group B
Thomas Enqvist 2-0
Aaron Krickstein 1-1
Todd Martin 1-1
Jimmy Arias 0-2

Enqvist and Ferreira Post Opening Wins In Dallas

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DALLAS, October 23 – Thomas Enqvist and Wayne Ferreira each posted opening round-robin match victories Thursday at the 2008 Stanford Championships at the Turpin Tennis Center on the campus of Southern Methodist University. Enqvist, from Sweden, defeated American Jimmy Arias 6-3, 6-2, while Ferreira, the defending champion from South Africa, defeated Justin Gimelstob of the United States 6-2, 7-6 (4). The Stanford Championships are the sixth of eight events on the 2008 Outback Champions Series, the global tennis circuit for champion tennis players age 30 and over.
Enqvist, a former world No. 4 and the singles runner-up at the 1999 Australian Open, is competing in his second Outback Champions Series event. The Swede, who is two-and-a-half years removed from his ATP career, posted a 2-1 round-robin record in his debut event in Charlotte last month, but failed to advance into the tournament’s championship match or third-place match. His win over Arias Thursday puts him in good standing in round robin Group B with upcoming matches against Todd Martin and Aaron Krickstein. Against Arias, Enqvist broke serve to open the match and held on to win the opening set 6-3. The Swede over-powered Arias from the baseline in the second set, registering two service breaks to close out the second set 6-2.
“I played steady and I took my chances, so I think it was a good match,” said Enqvist. “It’s always important to get off to a good start.”
Arias, 10 years older and six inches shorter than Enqvist, said his inability to put enough balls away against his younger, stronger opponent was the major difference in the match.
“I’m annoyed at myself in some ways, because I can hit the ball big enough to compete with him, but I have trouble pulling the trigger sometimes,” said the 44-year-old Arias. “I’m just a little edgy, so that I over spin and when I over spin, it doesn’t do enough to hurt him. Like, I’m not going to hit a winner and then eventually he’s going to get a hold of one and hit it 700 miles per hour and then I’m in trouble. Obviously he serves bigger than me and all that sort of stuff to. I just wish there were certain points. Like in the last game, I had love-15, and I had a short forehand and I approached to his backhand with spin. And he got there and ripped a backhand cross-court winner. I should have been able to put that ball away, the forehand, but I was so tense, I couldn’t quite let it fly. And that’s not good enough against him. It might be good enough against some people, but it’s not good enough against him.”
A fan favorite at Outback Champions Series events due to his constant bantering with his opponents and the fans, Arias admitted in his post-match press conference that his behavior is not a reflection of him being loose on the court, but rather a cover for his nerves.
“I’m the opposite of loose – I’m faking like you wouldn’t believe,” said Arias, who ranked No. 5 in the world in 1984. “I’m as tight as a drum. I wish I could relax. I mean, I’m having fun playing. But I want to play well. I hit some cool shots, actually, that I was happy with. A couple of half-volleys that I couldn’t believe I made.”
Ferreira won the Stanford Championships last year when the event was played indoors at the Dr. Pepper StarCenter in Frisco, defeating Jim Courier 2-6, 6-3, 11-9 (Champions Tie-Breaker) in the final. Against Gimelstob, a last-minute replacement in the tournament for the injured Boris Becker, Ferreira registered back-to-back service breaks in the sixth and eighth games to capture the first set. Neither player surrendered serve in the second set, before Ferreira took the tie-breaker 7-4.
“It’s great here,” said Ferreira of Dallas and the Turpin Tennis Center at SMU. “The facility is fantastic. The kids at this school are a little spoiled to have a facility like this to come out to everyday. It’s fun for us to come out here and play, too. A lot of the guys playing here are really, really good. It’s a blast. I’m already having a lot of fun.”
Despite being a replacement for the popular Becker, who pulled out of the event on Wednesday with a back injury, Gimelstob received plenty of crowd support from the fans, including a group of women who were quite vociferous in their support for the former U.S. Davis Cup team member.
Joked Gimelstob of the group of female supporters, “They’ve got very good taste down here in Dallas.”
Gimelstob, 31, was competing against Ferreira on the exact one-year anniversary date of his final ATP singles match in St. Petersburg, Russia in 2007.
Founded in 2005, the Outback Champions Series features some of the biggest names in tennis over the last 25 years, including Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Courier and many others. To be eligible to compete on the Outback Champions Series, players must have reached at least a major singles final, been ranked in the top five in the world or played singles on a championship Davis Cup team. Each event also has the right to choose a “wild card” entrant.
The Outback Champions Series features eight events on its 2008 schedule, with each event featuring an eight-man round-robin match format. The winner of each four-player division meets in the title match while second place finishers in each division play in the third-place match. Each event features $150,000 in prize money with an undefeated winner taking home $54,000 as well as Champions Series ranking points that will determine the year-end Stanford Champions Rankings No. 1. Beginning in 2008, the year-end champion will receive a $100,000 bonus courtesy of Stanford Financial Group, the official rankings sponsor of the Outback Champions Series.
The 2008 Outback Champions Series kicked off March 12-16 in Naples, Fla., at The Oliver Group Champions Cup where Martin defeated McEnroe in the final. Courier won the second event of the season at The Residences at The Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman Legends Championships April 16-20, defeating Ferreira in the final, while McEnroe won his first career Outback Champions Series even in Boston April 30- May 4, defeating Krickstein in the final. Pat Cash won his first Outback Champions Series title in Newport, R.I., in August, defeating Courier in the final, while Courier won his second event of the season in September in Charlotte, defeating Martin in the final. The next three events on the 2008 Outback Champions Series calendar are Dallas, Surprise, Ariz., and Dubai, U.A.E. More information can be obtained by visiting www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com.
InsideOut Sports & Entertainment is a New York City-based independent 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 Outback Champions Series, a collection of tennis events featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including one-night “Legendary Night” exhibitions as well as charity events and tennis fantasy camps, including the annual Ultimate Fantasy Camp. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com
The remaining schedule for The Stanford Championships is as follows;
Friday, October 24
1:30pm
Wayne Ferreira vs. Karel Novacek
Todd Martin vs. Jimmy Arias
6:30pm
Thomas Enqvist vs. Aaron Krickstein
Jim Courier vs. Justin Gimelstob
Saturday, October 25
1:30pm
Aaron Krickstein vs. Jimmy Arias
Mixed doubles featuring Anna Kournikova
Jim Courier vs. Wayne Ferreira
6:30pm
Thomas Enqvist vs. Todd Martin
Mixed doubles featuring Anna Kournikova
Justin Gimelstob vs. Karel Novacek
Sunday, October 26
1:30 pm
3rd place match
Championship match
Round-Robin Results from Wednesday, October 22
Aaron Krickstein, United States, def. Todd Martin, United States, 7-6 (4), 6-4
Jim Courier, United States, def. Karel Novacek, Czech Republic, 6-3, 6-1
Round-Robin Results from Thursday, October 23
Thomas Enqvist, Sweden, def. Jimmy Arias, United States, 6-3, 6-2
Wayne Ferreira, South Africa, def. Justin Gimelstob, United States, 6-2, 7-6 (4)
Round-Robin Group Standings
Group A
Jim Courier 1-0
Wayne Ferreira 1-0
Justin Gimelstob 0-1
Karel Novacek 0-1
Group B
Aaron Krickstein 1-0
Thomas Enqvist 1-0
Jimmy Arias 0-1
Todd Martin 0-1

Becker Forced To Withdraw From The Stanford Championships In Dallas

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DALLAS, October 22, 2008 – InsideOut Sports & Entertainment today announced that Boris Becker has withdrawn from competing in The Stanford Championships this week at Southern Methodist University due to a back injury. Becker, scheduled to make his debut on the Outback Champions Series circuit, will be replaced in the field by former U.S. Davis Cup player Justin Gimelstob.
“I am disappointed that I will be unable to play in Dallas due to a back injury,” said Becker. “I went to my doctor in Munich for treatment on Monday and it was fine but the long flight to the States Tuesday made it worse and after trying to hit for 30 minutes today it was clear that I would be unable to play tomorrow night. I am sorry I won’t be able to play this week as I was looking forward to playing the Stanford Championships in Dallas very much but I hope to play in an Outback Champions Series tournament soon.”
Two-time French and Australian Open champion Jim Courier headlines the field of players in Dallas along with 1992 Olympic silver medalist and defending champion Wayne Ferreira and 1999 US Open finalist Todd Martin. Anna Kournikova, the former top 10 star of the WTA Tour, will also be in Dallas competing in special mixed doubles exhibition matches during the day and night sessions on Saturday, Oct. 25. Play begins tonight and runs through Sunday, October 26. Becker was scheduled to play his first match against Ferreira on Thursday evening.
Tickets for the event can be purchased by calling 877-332-TIXX (8499). Ticket prices start at $12. Full ticket and schedule information can be found at www.championsseriestennis.com.
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Founded in 2005, the Outback Champions Series features some of the biggest names in tennis over the last 25 years, including Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Courier and many others. To be eligible to compete on the Outback Champions Series, players must have reached at least a major singles final, been ranked in the top five in the world or played singles on a championship Davis Cup team. Each event also has the right to choose a “wild card” entrant.
The Outback Champions Series features eight events on its 2008 schedule, with each event featuring an eight-man round-robin match format. The winner of each four-player division meets in the title match while second place finishers in each division play in the third-place match. Each event features $150,000 in prize money with an undefeated winner taking home $54,000 as well as Champions Series ranking points that will determine the year-end Stanford Champions Rankings No. 1. Beginning in 2008, the year-end champion will receive a $100,000 bonus courtesy of Stanford Financial Group, the official rankings sponsor of the Outback Champions Series. Through the first five events in 2008, Courier holds the No. 1 ranking with 3000 points. McEnroe holds the No. 2 ranking with 1800 points while Ferreira is in third position with 1450 points.
The 2008 Outback Champions Series kicked off March 12-16 in Naples, Fla., at The Oliver Group Champions Cup where Martin defeated McEnroe in the final. Courier won the second event of the season at The Residences at The Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman Legends Championships April 16-20, defeating Ferreira in the final, while McEnroe won his first career Outback Champions Series even in Boston April 30- May 4, defeating Krickstein in the final. Pat Cash won his first Outback Champions Series title in Newport, R.I., in August, defeating Courier in the final, while Courier won his second event of the season in September in Charlotte, defeating Martin in the final. The next three events on the 2008 Outback Champions Series calendar are Dallas, Surprise, Ariz., and Dubai, U.A.E. More information can be obtained by visiting www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com.
InsideOut Sports & Entertainment is a New York City-based independent 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 Outback Champions Series, a collection of tennis events featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including one-night “Legendary Night” exhibitions as well as charity events and tennis fantasy camps, including the annual Ultimate Fantasy Camp. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com

Maria Sharapova, version 3.1

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Maria Sharapova might be out of the running for the rest of the season (darn that nagging shoulder injury!), but it hasn’t stopped her from hitting the town — especially in the name of a good cause.
Last weekend she came out to Thousand Oaks, Calif. in full fashion regalia — a green dress from 3.1 Phillip Lim, shoes by Dior, and a brown hyper-zippered Stella McCartney clutch — in support of brothers Mike and Bob Bryan, who’ve taken a page out of Andre Agassi’s philanthropic book with the establishment of their eponymous foundation.
Saturday’s All-Star Tennis Smash raised money for local and national charities supported by the twins, including City Impact, an organization supporting at-risk youth in Ventura County. The half-day event started with a pro exhibition featuring celebs and athletes, including Agassi (in his public playing appearance this year), Jon Lovitz, Jimmy-Jean Louis, Melissa Rivers, Lindsay Davenport, James Blake, Justin Gimelstob, Thomas Blake, and Robby Ginepri.
Afterwards, the brothers feted Agassi for his charitable endeavors at a gala dinner attended by Masha, among others. The evening began with an auction (autographed racquets, days with tennis players) and was capped off with performances by Evan and Jaron and Brandi Carlile.
More: Ventura County Star via hcfoo.

Switzerland (and Federer) Set For Another Davis Cup Showdown With The USA

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The U.S. Davis Cup team drew a tough first round match at home against Switzerland – and presumably five-time Wimbledon and U.S. champion Roger Federer – in the 2009 Davis Cup competition. The first round tie will be held March 6-8, 2009 at a site chosen by the United States Tennis Association. The last time the two nations met in Davis Cup play, Federer orchestrated one of the greatest single performances ever achieved by a player against a U.S. Davis Cup team, accounting for all three points in the 3-2 first round upset of the United States in 2001 in Basel, Switzerland. In review of this historic effort from Federer, the following is an excerpt from my upcoming book due out November 1 ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY on that series as well as an excerpt from Rene Stauffer’s book THE ROGER FEDERER STORY, QUEST FOR PERFECTION which discusses the month of Feburary, 2001 – one of the most important in Federer’s career.
February 9, 2001 – Patrick McEnroe makes his debut as U.S. Davis Cup captain and his top player Jan-Michael Gambill wins his first “live” Davis Cup rubber in defeating Michel Kratochvil 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 as the United States and Switzerland split the opening two matches in the first day of play in the 2001 Davis Cup first round in Basel, Switzerland. Todd Martin is defeated by Swiss No. 1 Roger Federer 6-4, 7-6, 4-6, 6-1 in the opening rubber of the tie.

February 10, 2001 – Justin Gimelstob earns a dubious Davis Cup distinction when he and Jan-Michael Gambill are defeated by Switzerland’s Roger Federer and Lorenzo Manta 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 as the United States goes down 2-1 to the Swiss after the second day of play in the Davis Cup first round in Basel, Switzerland. The loss, which ultimately becomes his Davis Cup finale, drops Gimelstob’s Davis Cup record to 0-3, tying him with Robert Wrenn and Melville Long for the worst-ever record for a U.S. Davis Cup player. Wrenn loses two singles and a doubles match in the 1903 Davis Cup Challenge Round against Britain for his 0-3 record, while Long turns the same trick in the 1909 Davis Cup Challenge Round against Australasia. Gimelstob also loses in doubles with Todd Martin in the 1998 Davis Cup semifinal against Italy and, also in that tie, loses a dead-rubber singles match to Gianluca Pozzi.
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February 11, 2001 – Roger Federer clinches a near single-handed victory for Switzerland over the United States in the first round of Davis Cup, defeating Jan-Michael Gambill 7-5, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 in the 3-2 win in Federer’s hometown of Basel. Federer, who beat Todd Martin in the opening singles and paired with Lorenzo Manta to beat Gambill and Justin Gimelstob in the doubles rubber, becomes one of seven players to win three live matches against a U.S. Davis Cup team, joining Laurie Doherty of Britain, Henri Cochet of France, Frank Sedgman and Neale Fraser of Australia, Nicola Pietrangeli of Italy and Raul Ramirez of Mexico. Says Federer, the future world No. 1, “My total game was good the whole weekend. I can’t complain. I was serving well, feeling well from the baseline. … Usually when I get tired I let go a little bit mentally, but that was absolutely not the case. It was just total relief, total happiness at one time. I was so happy for the team, happy for Switzerland — to beat such a big country.” Eighteen-year-old Andy Roddick, another future world No. 1, makes his Davis Cup debut in the dead-rubber fifth-match and becomes the eighth-youngest American to play a Davis Cup match in defeating George Bastl 6-3, 6-4. Incidentally on the same day back in the United States, Venus and Serena Williams as well as Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras appear on the celebrated American television show “The Simpsons.”
Stauffer also documents Federer’s first ever ATP tournament victory in Milan, Italy the week before playing the United States in the tail end of his chapter “No Pain, No Gain.”
At the start of the season, Federer and Martina Hingis won the Hopman Cup in Perth. It was not an especially significant event but it was, after all, the International Tennis Federation’s sanctioned world mixed tennis tour­nament. He reached the third round of the Australian Open-avenging his Olympic loss to DiPasquale in the first round before losing to eventual finalist Arnaud Clement. February, however, became the best month of his career to date. At the indoor event in Milan, Italy after the Australian Open, Federer defeated Olympic Champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov for the first time in his ca­reer in the semifinals to reach his third career ATP singles final. Federer seized the opportunity and, with his parents in the stands cheering him on, he finally won his first ATP singles title, defeating No. 53-ranked Julien Boutter of France 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-4.

Lundgren was correct. A milestone was achieved. “The relief is enormous,” Federer said. “I’ve had to wait a long time for this moment. It should get easier from here on out.” But the excursion to Milan didn’t end very happily for Roger’s father. In his excitement, he locked his car keys inside the car and had to smash in the car window to retrieve them.

A week later, another career milestone was achieved for the 19-year-old as he returned to Basel for Davis Cup duty against the United States. There was no stopping Federer. He beat Todd Martin and Jan-Michael Gambill in two breath-taking performances in singles, and in between, paired with Lorenzo Manta to defeat the American team of Gambill and Justin Gimelstob in dou­bles. With his three match victories in the 3-2 Swiss defeat of the USA, he joined Raul Ramirez, Neale Fraser, Nicola Pietrangeli, Frank Sedgman, Henri Cochet and Laurie Doherty as the seventh and the youngest player to win three live matches in a Davis Cup tie against the United States. “It’s like a dream,” said Federer, who shed tears of joy after his match-clinching victory over Gambill.

The Americans, by contrast, were stunned. “You’d have to be blind not to see that he’s got a great future in store for him,” said Gambill. U.S. Captain Patrick McEnroe didn’t try to make any excuses although he was missing his two strongest players, Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras, in this match. “We knew that Federer would be tough but we didn’t expect this,” he said. “Whenever he got hold of the ball, the point was his.”

February would bring even more success for Federer. The week after his single-handed defeat of the U.S. Davis Cup team, he reached the semifinals in Marseille where his 10-match winning streak was ended by Kafelnikov. The next week, he reached his fourth career singles final, losing to Nicolas Escude of France in a third-set tie-break in the final of Rotterdam. The ATP chose him their “Player of the Month” and effusively praised in their official press communication, “The Federer Express has arrived!” A playful warning was also issued in the press release stating that Federer, “has been blessed with so much talent that it almost seems unfair to his opponents.”

Mondays With Bob Greene: They Should Have Picked Me In The First Place

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STARS
Rafael Nadal beat Nicolas Kiefer 6-3 6-2 in Toronto, Canada, to win the Rogers Cup
Dinara Safina won the East West Bank Classic in Los Angeles, California, by beating Flavia Pennetta 6-4 6-2
Nicolas Devilder beat Bjorn Phau 7-5 6-0 to win the Porsche Open in Poznan, Poland
Sara Errani won the Banka Koper Slovenia Open, defeating Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3 6-3 in Portoroz, Slovenia
Filippo Volandri beat Potito Starace 5-7 6-4 6-1 to win the San Marino Cepu Open in San Marino
SAYINGS
“I win on every surface, no? I win on grass, on hard, on indoor, and on clay, too. So if I am playing my best tennis I can win on every surface, no?” – Rafael Nadal, after beating Nicolas Kiefer to win the Rogers Cup.
“I haven’t changed anything this year. I just try to practice hard every day and the results are starting to come.” – Sara Errani, who won the Slovenia Open for her second title in three weeks.
“The hard court season just started so it is not the end of the world, but I wish I could have started better. I’ve got to regroup and look forward.” – Roger Federer, after losing his opening Roger Cup match to Gilles Simon.
“I was playing like I was in a dream. I just saw the ball and hit it as hard as possible.” – Gilles Simon, after beating Roger Federer 2-6 7-5 6-4 in Toronto.
“Some points were very close and I didn’t make them. I think I shouldn’t look only at my game today, I should see the whole week in general. I think this was a big step forward for me. This is how I have to look at it.” – Nicolas Kiefer, after losing to Nadal in Toronto.
“In one of those super tiebreakers, it’s pretty much anyone ballgame.” – Mike Bryan, who with his brother Bob led the match tiebreaker 6-3 before losing the Toronto final to Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic 6-2 4-6 10-6.
“Hopefully my time will come. It’s not the end of the world.” – Jelena Jankovic, whose semifinal loss kept her from gaining the world number one ranking.
“It was a perfect match. I have nothing bad to say. My coach said it was the best match I ever played.” – Dinara Safina, after crushing Victoria Azarenka 6-3 6-1 in a quarterfinal match at Los Angeles.
“Before it was all golf, golf, golf. I probably practice more tennis than golf now.” – Greg Norman, who finished third in the British Open shortly after marrying tennis legend Chris Evert.
“It’s been suspended. The Tour will evaluate the results of the testing period and make a decision as to whether to adopt on-court coaching or not.” – WTA Tour spokesman Andrew Walker.
“I’m for it but they wanted more opinions. The results weren’t convincing enough and some of the younger players don’t know what they want, so we need more time to see how they feel.” – Player Council representative Patty Schnyder on the WTA Tour suspending on-court coaching.
“It’s a little distracting when you have coaches walking on court and most of them are parents. That’s what I didn’t like about it. On the other hand, it worked perfectly for me.” – Nadia Petrova, about the on-court coaching.
STUNNED
Bob and Mike Bryan led 6-3 in the match tiebreak at the Rogers Cup before Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic won the final seven points to capture their third straight doubles title. It was the third time this season the top two doubles teams have clashed, the Bryan brothers winning the Masters Series Rome, with the Canadian/Serbian team capturing the Masters Series Hamburg. It was the first time Nestor had won the Canadian title since 2000. Simonjic’s best previous finish was the quarterfinals two years ago with Fabrice Santoro.
STOPPED
Jelena Jankovic’s bid to become number one in the world was derailed by Dinara Safina in the semifinals of the East West Bank Classic. If she had reached the final, Jankovic would have replaced fellow Serbian Ana Ivanovic as the world’s top-ranked female player. Safina moved up one spot, from ninth to eighth, in the WTA Tour rankings.
STREAKING
No player has been hotter on the WTA Tour lately than Dinara Safina. She was down match point before beating qualifier Alla Kudryavtseva in the round of 16 at the East West Bank Classic. Then she lost a 4-2 opening set lead in the semifinals before winning five of the final six points in the tiebreaker and dominating the second set to knock off Jelena Jankovic 7-6 (3) 6-1. That victory put Safina in her fourth final in her last five tournaments, including the French Open, and she easily won that by beating Flavia Pennetta 6-4 6-2. The Russian moved up in the rankings from number nine to number eight, and she improved her match record to 22-3 since the start of May. Eight of her 22 wins have come against top-ten players.
SHAKY START
Gilles Simon was the latest stumbling block for Roger Federer. The Frenchman upset the world’s top-ranked player 2-6 7-5 6-4 to hand the Swiss player his second straight defeat. It was Federer’s first match since his five-set loss to Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon. Federer appeared to be in great shape, winning the first four games of the match before losing to Simon. Then Federer and fellow Swiss Stanislav Wawrinka, preparing for the Beijing Olympics, lost their second-round doubles match to Lukas Dlouhy and Leander Paes 6-4 6-4.
SWISS CHEESE
With his victory in Toronto, Rafael Nadal is ready to overtake Roger Federer for the world number one ranking. Federer has held the top ranking for a record 234 weeks, but his commanding 1,445-point cushion at the start of this year is now less than 300 points. “Every player wants to be number one,” Nadal said. “I would love to be number one, but I am number two right now. I’m very happy to be number two, because with my titles, with my points, in a normal situation I would have been number one before. … Because if I am number two, it’s because in front of me there is amazing player like Roger.”
STEPPING IN
John McEnroe has come to the rescue of the United States Tennis Association. In March, the USTA prepared a series of commercials to promote the 10-tournament summer season known as the U.S. Open Series. The commercials featured the world’s top players and former player Justin Gimelstob. But Gimelstob unleashed a tirade against former WTA Tour player and model Anna Kournikova, and although he has since apologized, the USTA decided to kill the ads. Along came McEnroe, who shot new footage that was inserted into the existing ads. “They should have asked me in the first place,” McEnroe said. “The U.S. Open has always been close to my heart. I grew up in Queens.”
STRANGE PAIRING
Fans at the Tanga Cement tennis championships in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, complained about one first-round match, charging unfair pairings. Sebastian Mtupili, who is more than 30 years old, beat ten-year-old John Njau 6-0 6-0. Players from Kenya, Zimbabwe, Sudan and Tanzania competed in men’s and women’s singles and doubles, and veterans, but there was no lower age limit for those entering the tournament. The singles winners each received USD $1,000.
SIDELINED
A knee injury is keeping Venus Williams on the sidelines this week. The Wimbledon champion withdrew from the Rogers Cup women’s tennis tournament in Montreal, Canada, because she did not want to risk aggravating the tendinitis in her knee ahead of the Beijing Olympics, according to tournament director Eugene Lapierre. Also pulling out of the tournament was Tatiana Golovin, who has been sidelined since injuring her back at a tournament in Germany in May.
Serena Williams pulled out of the East West Bank Classic in Los Angeles, California, because of her left knee. That came a few days after she withdrew from the semifinals at Stanford, California, with the same injury. “I’m working hard to be ready for the Olympics and U.S. Open,” Serena said.
SWITCHING SPOTS
Who will be seeking gold in tennis at the Beijing Olympics is a work in flux. Mary Pierce withdrew because of injury and was replaced by Amelie Mauresmo, who also withdrew. So Pauline Parmentier will play both singles and doubles for France. Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine will replace the injured Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands.
STRONG COMEBACK
Chung Yung-Jan and Chuang Chia-Jung had to rally to win their seventh WTA Tour doubles title. The Taiwanese pair trailed 6-2 4-2 in the final of the East West Bank Classic before fighting back to defeat Eva Hrdinova and Vladimira Uhlrova 2-6 7-5 10-4 (match tiebreak). The top seeded team in the tournament, Chan and Chuang have now won two titles at the Tier II level or above. Their first five titles came at the Tier III and IV level. They won a Tier I event at Rome earlier this year.
SANCHEZ VICARIO TO WAIT
Arantxa Sanchez Vicario will have to wait two years for her latest honor. The Spanish star had to miss her induction into the Rogers Cup Hall of Fame when acute gastroenteritis forced her to cancel her plans to travel to Montreal and instead remain in Spain for treatment. Sanchez Vicario, who won the Canadian tournament in 1992 and 1994, retired as a player after the 2002 season and has since become a tennis analyst for Spanish television. She also is tournament director for a women’s event in Barcelona, Spain.
Boris Becker was on hand in Toronto where he was inducted into the Rogers Cup Hall of Fame during the men’s event. Becker won the tournament in 1986.
SIGNALS, PERHAPS
When an eight-year-old girl playing her first junior tennis tournament questioned a number of line calls, officials became suspicious. After they checked, Anastasiya Korzh was ejected from the tournament when she was found to be wearing a radio earpiece under her headband, linked by a cord to a receiver under her shirt. Korzh’s father said he was using the earpiece only to help his daughter keep score in the under-10 tournament.
SUSPENDED
No more on-court coaching for players on the WTA Tour. The controversial initiative, which was never used at the Grand Slam tournaments, has been suspended by the women’s tour, which will evaluate the results of the testing period and make a decision whether or not to bring it back.
SOUTHERN-BOUND
Carlista Mohammed of Trinidad and Tobago will be taking a lot of hardware with her when she travels to Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she is on a full tennis scholarship. The 18-year-old Mohammed recently won the women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles titles at the 2008 Evian National Tennis Championships in Trinidad and Tobago. She also won the singles titles at both the Citi-Tranquil and South Open Classifieds tournaments. “It feels really good to be leaving with everything,” said Mohammed, who will be majoring in linguistics with a minor in sports psychology at Southern University.
SINGING HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Eleven tennis players would love to celebrate their birthday with a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics. The players who will turn a year older during the Beijing Games, and their birthdays, all in August, are: Roger Federer, Switzerland, Aug. 8; Kateryna Bondarenko, Ukraine, 8; Pepa Martinez, Spain, 12; Nicolas Lapentti, Ecuador, 13; Alona Bondarenko, Ukraine, 13; Lu Yen-Hsun, Chinese Taipei, 14; Robin Soderling, Sweden, 14; Chan Yung-Jan, Chinese Taipei, 17; Liezel Huber, United States, 21; Nicolas Almagro, Spain, 21; and Olga Govortsova, Belarus, 23.
STILL GOING
Kimiko Date-Krumm has continued her amazing return to pro tennis by reaching the finals in singles and doubles at the USD $25,000 Miyazaki tournament in Japan. She won the singles, beating Kyung-Yee Chae of Korea 6-3 6-2, but lost the doubles in a match tiebreak 4-6 6-3 10-7.
Jelena Dokic also was a winner in her latest stop on the comeback trail. She captured a USD $25,000 ITF tournament in Darmstadt, Germany, beating Michelle Gerards of the Netherlands 6-0 6-0 in the final.
SANCTIONED
Frantisek Cermak of the Czech Republic and Michal Mertinak of Slovakia have been suspended and fined by the ATP for betting on tennis matches. Cermak was banned for 10 weeks and fined USD $15,000, while Mertinak received a two-week suspension and a $3,000 penalty. Both were doubles winners earlier this month. Cermak teamed with Roger Wassen to win in Amersfoort, Netherlands, while Mertinak won in Umag, Croatia, with Petr Pala. The ATP said neither player placed bets on his own matches, and the independent hearing officer found no evidence of any intent to affect the outcome of any matches wagered upon.
SAMPRAS SELLS
After dropping his asking price by USD $2 million, Pete Sampras sold his home in Beverly Hills, California. The former tennis star reportedly dropped the price from $25 million to $23 million for the two-story house that has five bedrooms and twelve bathrooms. There is a detached guesthouse, a separate gym and a tennis court. The main house includes a home theater and the master bedroom suite has his-and-hers bathrooms.
SEARCHING FOR DOLLARS
Georg von Waldenfels, head of the German Tennis Federation, told a court that the ATP Tour’s planned tournament restructuring would have a devastating effect on the annual men’s clay court event in Hamburg. The first witness in a federal trial held in Wilmington, Delaware, von Waldenfels said the ATP’s plan to move the Hamburg tournament from May to July and downgrade it to second-tier status would make it difficult to attract top players to Germany since a July date would come when the top players are gearing up for the North American hard court season that leads up to the U.S. Open. The German federation has filed suit claiming the ATP’s tournament restructuring violates antitrust laws by attempting to monopolize player commitments and tournament sanctions in men’s professional tennis.
SMELLY SPOT
The bird carcass causing a stink at a tennis tournament in Vancouver, British Columbia, will be staying right where it is. The dead heron fledgling likely fell out of a nest in the tree and died, dangling several meters (yards) above a path between tennis courts at Stanley Park. City parks board chairwoman Korina Houghton said the bird won’t be removed because doing so could disturb the large colony of endangered great blue heron nesting in the trees above, one of the largest colonies in the Canadian province.
SHARED PERFORMANCES
Toronto: Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic beat Bob and Mike Bryan 6-2 4-6 10-6 (match tiebreak)
Poznan: Johan Brunstrom and Jean-Julien Rojer beat Santiago Giraldo and Alberto Martin 3-6 6-3 10-5 (match tiebreak)
San Marino: Yves Allegro and Horia Tecau beat Fabio Colangelo and Philipp Marx 7-5 7-5
Los Angeles: Chan Yung-Jan and Chuang Chia-Jung beat Eva Hrdinova and Vladimira Uhlrova 2-6 7-5 10-4 (match tiebreak)
Portoroz: Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual beat Vera Dushevina and Ekaterina Makarova 6-4 6-1
SITES TO SURF
Cincinnati: www.cincytennis.com
Cordenons: www.euro-sporting.it/challenger
Vancouver: www.vanopen.com
Montreal: www.rogerscup.com
Stockholm: www.nordiclightopen.com
Graz: www.stennismasters.at
Segovia: www.teniselespinar.com
Los Angeles: www.countrywideclassic.com
Vale do Lobo: www.grandchampions.org
TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK
(All money in USD)
ATP
$2,450,000 Western & Southern Financial Group Masters, Cincinnati, Ohio, hard
$135,000 Internazionali del Friuli Venezia Giulia, Cordenons, Italy, clay
$100,000 Odlum Brown Vancouver Open, Vancouver, Canada, hard
WTA TOUR
$1,340,000 Rogers Cup, Montreal Canada, hard
$145,000 Nordea Nordic Light Open, Stockholm, Sweden, hard
SENIORS
s Tennis Masters, Graz, Austria, clay
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
ATP
$525,000 Countrywide Classic, Los Angeles, California, hard
$125,000 Open Castilla y Leon, Segovia, Spain, hard
WOMEN
$100,000 ITF event, Monterrey, Mexico, hard
SENIORS
Vale do Lobo Grand Champions CGD, Vale do Lobo, Portugal, hard