STARS
Andy Roddick won the China Open by beating Dudi Sela 6-4 6-7 (6) 6-3 in Beijing, China
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat Novak Djokovic 7-6 (4) 6-4 to win the Thailand Open in Bangkok, Thailand
Jelena Jankovic beat Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3 6-2 to win the China open women’s singles in Beijing
Maria Kirilenko defeated Samantha Stosur to win the Hansol Korea Open in Seoul, South Korea, 2-6 6-1 6-4
Alberto Martin beat Julian Reister 6-2 6-0 to win the ATP Challenger Trophy 2008 in Trnava, Slovakia
John McEnroe won the Vivium Victory Challenge in Luxembourg, beating Henri Leconte 6-1 6-4
Jim Courier beat Todd Martin 6-2 3-6 10-5 (match tiebreak) to win the Citadel Group Championships at The Palisades in Charlotte, North Carolina
SAYINGS
“I’ve been dreaming about this, so I’m very happy. I played unbelievable tennis against Novak. It’s one of the great moments of my life.” – Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, after beating Novak Djokovic to win the Thailand Open, his first ATP singles title.
“I lost to a great player. Bravo to Jo and his team for his first ATP title. I’m sure we’ll be seeing him again often in the future.” – Novak Djokovic.
“This feels really good. It’s been a lot of years since I’ve won one of these events, so many that I can’t even remember the last one I won.” – John McEnroe, after beating Henri Leconte to win the Vivium Victory Challenge.
“At first I couldn’t believe it. I thought that maybe they were joking or something. Me, playing with all these great players like Borg, McEnroe, Guillermo Vilas and Henri Leconte, is incredible. When I started to play tennis, Borg was my idol, so this is the most fantastic thing for me.” – Johny Goudenbour, who was given a wild card to play in a BlackRock Tour of Champions event in Luxembourg.
“If I was more consistent I think I would be ranked higher, maybe Top 10 or Top 15. But I have time to improve. I’m only 21 and I’ll get more experience in the time to come.” – Maria Kirilenko, after winning her third singles title of the year.
“Svetlana beat me two times this year. I was really motivated to get a win against her, and winning in two sets is very satisfying.” – Jelena Jankovic, after beating Svetlana Kuznetsova to win the China Open.
“I’m disappointed. I wasn’t moving the ball or doing the right things on the court. I love playing here, so it was disappointing to not play well in the final.” – Svetlana Kuznetsova.
“This was a good win for me. It was in China and in front of my home crowd. There were lots of fans supporting me, which gave me even more motivation.” – Zheng Jie, after upsetting Ana Ivanovic in the China Open.
“I was defending a lot. It was like running a marathon out there. She was really aggressive and was dominating a lot. I didn’t even realize how much I was running out there.” – Ana Ivanovic, after losing to Zheng Jie.
“I had a lot of pressure on me during those years and I was too young for it. … This time, win or lose, I’m just trying to enjoy it. I’m going to have more fun. And I think this will be good for Japanese tennis too.” – Kimiko Date-Krumm, on her returning to tennis after a 12-year hiatus following her retirement.
“I didn’t feel comfortable on court. Unfortunately, I didn’t win. The other guy was better than me.” – Marat Safin, after suffering a 6-4 7-6 first-round loss to Philipp Petzschner at the Thailand Open.
“Roger (Federer) has said he wants to put the Davis Cup into his calendar, but he wants to see all the details first. He will do anything possible to be there.” – Swiss Tennis spokeswoman Sandra Perez on whether Federer will play in a first-round Davis Cup tie against the United States.
“I will have to digest this one and make sure I go back on the right track for the next few tournaments.” – Amelie Mauresmo, a former world number one who has lost her last two first-round matches.
“People tend to think athletes have a glamorous life, traveling all the time to international destinations and staying at five-star hotels. But in reality it is not all that great. We do go through some difficult moments in our careers, with struggles, intrigues and fights, like in any other job.” – Fernando Meligeni, who has written a book about his 14-year career as a professional tennis player.
“As an American player it meant a lot to me to break the record. It’s nice to have the opportunity to play so many great pro circuit events in this country. I’ve played most of the pro circuit events held in the US and have met a lot of wonderful people, and have a lot of good memories from the different tournaments.” – Julie Ditty, after becoming the new record-holder of the most career USTA Pro Circuit titles.
SERVING WITH THE STARS
Johny Goudenbour’s day job is with the local tourist board in Luxembourg. But he lived a dream this past week at the Vivium Victory Challenge, a stop on the BlackRock Tour of Champions. Goudenbour was Luxembourg’s highest ranked tennis player for six consecutive years in the 1980s, and he reached a career high world ranking of 304. Now 45 years old, Goudenbour still plays inter-club level tennis in neighboring Germany, but his main job these days is putting together cultural films promoting his home town. He was surprised when he received a telephone call offering him a wild card into the seniors tournament being played in Luxembourg. Goudenbour upset both Carl-Uwe Steeb and Cedric Pioline before losing to Henri Leconte 6-2 7-5.
SECURITY CONCERNS
With tennis tournaments scheduled for the country in November, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has expressed its concern to Pakistan about security. A Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) offical said the ITF did not call for cancellation of the events, but asked for details on security arrangements in view of travel advisories issued by the United States, European and other countries. A record number of players from Great Britain, Australia, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Tanzania, Romania, Kazakistan, Iran, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Taiwan and India have entered the first tournament, which will be held in Islamabad.
SUING ATP?
His lawyer says Nikolay Davydenko is considering suing the ATP to get the men’s tennis organization to pay the Russian’s legal costs following a 13-month gambling inquiry that found no evidence that he did anything wrong. Attorney Frank Immenga said Davydenko wants the ATP to issue a more positive press statement and “maybe apologize,” according to the Bloomberg news agency. Davydenko also is considering taking action against Betfair Ltd., the British gambling site, for making public details of its probe into a Davydenko match.
STILL TOUGH
Andy Roddick says the game of tennis in the United States is in good health despite no American man winning a Grand Slam title in five years. Roddick was the last American man to win a major, the US Open in 2003. But the former world number one notes that the United States has three players in the top 25 and two in the top ten. Plus, he points out that the US won the Davis Cup in 2007 and the fact that the brothers Bob and Mike Bryan are the world’s top-ranked doubles team. “If you compare us with other countries, we’re very, very strong,” Roddick said.
SINO STAR
Zheng Jie is proving her Wimbledon showing was no surprise. The right-hander upset second-seeded Ana Ivanovic 7-6 (4) 2-6 6-4 at the China Open in a quarterfinal baseline slugfest that lasted six minutes short of three hours. It was Zheng’s second straight win over her Serbian opponent in as many 2008 meetings. She beat Ivanovic at Wimbledon to become the first Chinese player to topple a reigning world number one. It also was her first Top 10 win. In the Beijing tournament, she also beat Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, giving Zheng her second and third career wins over players ranked in the Top 10.
SPORTS HALL INDUCTEE
Billie Jean King is in yet another hall of fame. The tennis great is one of four athletes elected to the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame (BASHOF). Others included in the 2009 class are baseball pitcher Gaylord Perry, football tight end Dave Casper and quarterback Craig Morton. The four will be inducted at a banquet March 9 in San Francisco.
SELECTED
Two-time Grand Slam champion Rod Laver has been elected a Life Trustee of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum in Newport, Rhode Island. Nine new members have been elected to the Hall’s board of directors: Douglas Fonte, Lucy Garvin, Elizabeth Jeffett, Ted Leonsis , Andrew McElwee Jr., David Westin, Allen Brill, David Tyree and Nancy von Auersperg. Returning to the board are Robert Downey, Steve Lessing and Sue Ann Weinberg.
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SKIPPING OUT
Simone Bolelli has been banned by the Italian Tennis Federation from national team events for skipping the country’s Davis Cup matches with Latvia. Bolelli, ranked 45th in the world, chose instead to play tour events in Bangkok, Thailand, and in Tokyo, Japan. Bolelli said he told Italian Davis Cup captain Corrado Barrazzutti well in advance of the international team competition that he preferred to work on his fast-court game in Asia.
SWISS START
For the second time in nine years, the United States could face a Roger Federer-led Switzerland team when the two countries meet in a first-round Davis Cup match next year. The last time they faced each other, Federer won three points to lead Switzerland to victory in 2001. Spain and Argentina, this year’s finalists, will begin next year’s play at home, Argentina facing the Netherlands and Spain playing host to Serbia. In other World Group first-round matches, France will be at the Czech Republic, Chile at Croatia, Israel travels to Sweden and Austria goes to Germany.
SHRIVER CHARITY CLASSIC
US Open champion Serena Williams and Olympic gold medalist Elena Dementieva will face each other at the 23rd annual Pam Shriver Charity Tennis Classic in November. Williams is ranked number one in the world, while Dementieva is ranked number four. They will meet in a “Battle of Olympic Gold Medal Champions.” Williams teamed with her sister Venus to win the doubles gold medal at the Beijing Olympics. Net proceeds from the Tennis Classic are distributed to children’s charities under the guidance of the Baltimore Community Foundation.
SAYING IT ALL
Former ATP star Fernando Meligeni has turned author. His book – “Aqui Tem! Vitórias e Memórias de Fernando Meligeni com Andre Kfouri” – was released last week in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The book was written by Meligeni and Andre Kfouri, a well-known sports journalist in Brazil who currently is working for ESPN. Ranked as high as 25th in the world, Meligeni was a French Open semifinalist in 1999. He said he wrote the book to unveil some funny and stressful behind-the-scenes moments of his 14-year career on the tour.
SETS RECORD
Julie Ditty is the new record-holder for most career USTA Pro Circuit championships. The 29-year-old swept the singles and doubles titles at a recent ITF Women’s Circuit event in Albuquerque, New Mexico, earning her 31st and 32nd career USTA Pro Circuit titles, the most of any player, man or woman. On the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, the 29-year-old Ditty’s best result came last November when she reached the semifinals of an event and broke into the Top 100 for the first time. The previous record of 30 titles was held jointly by Paul Goldstein and Nana Smith.
SIXTH SENSE ACADEMY
Justine Henin and Carlos Rodrigez have opened a tennis academy in Florida. The superstar player, who was ranked number one in the world when she retired from the sport earlier this year, and her coach opened their second 6th Sense Tennis Academy, this one in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida, located 30 miles northwest of Orlando. Their first academy was opened in Belgium almost a year ago.
SUCCESSFUL PAIR
When Stephen Huss and Ross Hutchins won the doubles at China Open, it was their first title as a team. The 32-year-old Huss had won two other doubles crowns, including Wimbledon in 2005 with Wesley Moodie. Hutchins, nine years younger than his partner, won his first title in just his second ATP final. But Hutchins has done well in Beijing, having reached the semifinals last year when he was teamed with Eric Butorac. Huss and Hutchins became partners in Valencia, Spain, in April where they lost in the first round. Prior to winning in Beijing, their best result had been reaching the third round at Roland Garros.
SHARAPOVA OUT FOR YEAR
Because of her lingering shoulder injury, Maria Sharapova has decided to stop playing tournaments until next year. She is currently in Arizona where she is rehabilitating her shoulder. The injury has kept her from practicing the past several weeks, but she hopes to return to practice soon. She has decided to skip tournaments in Asia, Europe and the season-ending Championships. Sharapova won the Australian Open in January along with two other singles titles and has been ranked number one in the world this year.
SHARED PERFORMANCES
Beijing: Anabel Medina Garrigues and Caroline Wozniacki beat Han Xinyun and Xu Yi-Fan 6-1 6-3
Bangkok: Chuang Chia-Jung and Hsieh Su-Wei beat Vera Dushevina and Maria Kirilenko 6-3 6-0
Beijing: Stephen Huss and Ross Hutchins beat Ashley Fisher and Bobby Reynolds 7-5 6-4
Bangkok: Lukas Dlouhy and Leander Paes beat Scott Lipsky and David Martin 6-4 7-6 (4)
Trnava: David Zkoch and Igor Zelenay beat Daniel Koellerer and Michael Mertinak 6-3 6-1
SITES TO SURF
Tokyo: www.jta-tennis.or.jp/aigopen/e/
Stuttgart: www.porsche-tennis.de
Tashkent: www.tashkentopen.uz
Eindhoven: www.afastennisclassics.nl
Mons: http://www.ethiastrophy.be
Vienna: www.ba-ca-tennistrophy.at
Stockholm: www.stockholmopen.se
Moscow: www.kremlincup.ru
Henin: www.6senstennisacademie.com.
TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK
(All money in USD)
ATP
$832,000 AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships, Tokyo, Japan, hard
$416,000 Open de Moselle, Metz, France, hard
$125,000 Ethias Trophy, Mons, Belgium, hard
WTA TOUR
$650,000 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Stuttgart, Germany, hard
$175,000 AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships, Tokyo, Japan, hard
$145,000 Tashkent Open, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, hard
SENIORS
AFAS Tennis Classics, BlackRock Tournament of Champions, Eindhoven, Netherlands, carpet
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
ATP
$1,000,000 ATP Kremlin Cup, Moscow, Russia, carpet
$800,000 IF Stockholm Open, Stockholm, Sweden, hard
$755,000 Bank Austria TennisTrophy, Vienna, Austria, hard
WTA TOUR
$1,340,000 Kremlin Cup, Moscow, Russia, carpet
SENIORS
BlackRock Tour of Champions, Budapest, Hungary, carpet
Lucy Garvin
USTA Nominates Lucy S. Garvin As Chairman Of The Board And President
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., September 22, 2008 – The USTA Nominating Committee has announced the nomination of Lucy S. Garvin as USTA Chairman of the Board and President to serve a two-year term beginning January 1, 2009. Garvin, who has served on the USTA Board of Directors for eight years and is currently completing a two-year term as First Vice President, is a staunch volunteer who has dedicated more than 30 years to growing the sport of tennis at every level around the country. She will become the third female Chairman of the Board and President in USTA history.
In addition to her USTA Board responsibilities, Garvin, will continue to serve as a member of the Compensation and International Committees, and represent the USTA on the Grand Slam Committee and the ITF Junior Competitions Committee. She will also remain on the Board of USTA Serves – Foundation for Academics, Character, Excellence, as well as the National Public Parks Tennis Association. Garvin was recently elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame Board of Directors.
A former President of the USTA Southern Section, Garvin was inducted into the USTA Southern Tennis Hall of Fame in January 2005. In 1996, the South Carolina Tennis Association established the Lucy Garvin Volunteer of the Year Award in her honor, and she was inducted into the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 1998.
Garvin previously served as Board Liaison to the USTA Sections, to the Tennis in the Public Parks Task Force and to the Administration Division. She has been a member of the board’s Strategic Planning and Compensation Committees, the Budget Committee and the Diversity Guide Team. She also served as Council Co-Chair of the Community Development Division and chaired the USTA Section Presidents and Adult/Senior Recreation Committees. She was the USTA Southern Section Delegate and the Chairwoman of the USTA Delegates Assembly.
After attaining her degree in Nursing, she made a major career change in 1975, when she began working within the tennis industry at a facility in Greenville, S.C., and then established a consulting business for the management and marketing of tennis facilities throughout the South. During her lengthy tennis career, Garvin has fostered a stronger working relationship between the USTA and its tennis industry partners. A Certified Referee for the past 31 years, Garvin also serves as the referee for the Southern Junior Designated Tournament as well as the Girls’ 12 National Open. She played sanctioned tournaments from 1976 to 1990 and won a number of doubles titles at the local, state and sectional levels.
Lucy and her husband, Bob, also an avid tennis player, have two children, both of whom were ranked junior and collegiate players. The Garvins reside in Greenville, South Carolina, where they are all members of the USTA Southern Section.
In addition to the Garvin nomination, the following people have also been nominated in the new slate of elected Officers and Directors of the USTA Board:
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Jonathan Vegosen, of Chicago, Ill., and the USTA Midwest Section, is currently a Director at Large of the USTA and has been nominated as First Vice President. He serves as Board Liaison to the Player Development Council and as a member of the Budget Committee. Vegosen was Chair of the USTA Collegiate Committee, as well as Vice President and Board member of the Midwest Section, and Vice President of the Midwest Youth Tennis and Education Foundation. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and is a member of the Board of Directors of USTA Serves. Vegosen received his B.A. from Northwestern University, where he was captain of the varsity tennis team, and his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law. He now practices law in Chicago.
Joseph A. Grover of Richmond, Va., and the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section, is re-nominated to his current position as Vice President of the USTA. He is Chair of the Audit Committee, Vice Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee, a member of the Compensation Committee and serves as a Board Liaison to the USTA Sections. During his two-year term as Director at Large of the USTA Board of Directors, Grover served as Board Liaison to the USTA Sections and to the Adult/Senior Council, and was a member of the board’s Audit Committee.
David A. Haggerty, of Pennington, N.J., and the USTA Middle States Section, is currently a Director at Large on the USTA Board of Directors and has been nominated as Vice President. A member of the Strategic Planning Committee and Budget Committee, he also serves as Board Liaison to the Community Tennis Council-Green Group. A six-year member of the USTA Middle States Section Board, he began a two-year term as Tennis Industry Association President in January 2007. Since 2003, Haggerty has served as the CEO and President of Head USA and Penn Racquet Sports.
Donald L. Tisdel of Lake Oswego, Ore., and the USTA Pacific Northwest Section, is re-nominated to his current position as Secretary-Treasurer on the USTA Board of Directors. He is Chair of the Budget Committee, Vice Chair of the Investment Committee, a member of the Audit and Compensation Committees, and is a member of the Board of Directors of USTA Serves. Tisdel is co-founder of the Northwest Capital Appreciation equity firm, and was previously CEO of the Far West Federal Bank and Orbanco Financial Services.
Karin J. Buchholz, of Westchester County, N.Y., and the USTA Eastern Section, has been nominated for her first term as a Director at Large of the USTA Board of Directors. Currently Vice President of Community Relations and Fan Development with the New York Knicks, Buchholz has a rich history with tennis, leading a national industry initiative to grow the game by exposing it to new audiences. She served as the Executive Director and head tennis professional for the Harlem Junior Tennis Program, which was honored as one of President George Bush’s 1000 Daily Points of Light. She was a scholarship player at the University of Arizona, and spent three years playing professionally.
Steven K. Champlin,of Wayzata, Minn., and the USTA Northern Section, is nominated for his first Director at Large term with the USTA Board of Directors. He has served the USTA in numerous capacities on a sectional and national level since the early 1980s, most recently on the Grievance Committee and as Vice Chair of the Board Strategic Planning Committee. Champlin is a partner of the Dorsey & Whitney LLP law firm.
Hon. David N. Dinkins of New York City and the USTA Eastern Section, is nominated for his sixth term as Director at Large of the USTA Board of Directors. The 106th Mayor of New York City, Dinkins is a former Board member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and a current board member of the New York Junior Tennis League (NYJTL). He serves as Board Liaison to the Advocacy Task Force and is a member of the Board of Directors for USTA Serves.
Walter E. Massey, of Chicago, Ill. and the Midwest Section, is nominated as a Director at Large for the USTA Board of Directors. A renowned physicist and former director of the National Science Foundation, Dr. Massey has excelled as a leader in science, business, and education. The former President of Morehouse College (1995-2007) serves or has served as a board member to several of America’s leading companies, including Bank of America,BP Oil, Motorola, and McDonalds.
Pamela J. Sloan, ofStockton, Calif., and the USTA Northern California Section, is nominated for her first term as Director at Large of the USTA Board of Directors. Currently Vice Chair of the USTA Tennis in the Parks Committee and the Sectional Delegates, Sloan has served on countless USTA committees at the local, sectional and national level. She is currently the Director of Parks and Recreation for Stockton, where she plans, develops, operates and maintains all of the City’s parks, landscape districts and recreation facilities.
Carol J. Welder, ofAustin, Texas, and the USTA Texas Section, is nominated as a Director at Large of the USTA Board of Directors for a first term. She currently serves as Chair of the USTA Membership Services Committee, on the Executive and Management Committees for the Texas Section and on the Board of the Austin Sports Commission. Welder spent nine years as the Executive Director of the Capital Area Tennis Association in Austin, and has been an integral part of the growth of tennis in Texas, as an instructor, leader and child advocate.
Katrina M. Adams of White Plains, N.Y., and the USTA Eastern Section, is nominated for a third term as Director at Large of the USTA Board of Directors. A television analyst for Tennis Channel, Adams played on the WTA Tour for 12 years and achieved a career-high doubles ranking of No. 8 in 1989. In 2008, she was inducted into the Chicago District Tennis Association Hall of Fame. She was a USTA National Coach and served on the USTA Executive, and Player Development Committees. She serves as a member of the Budget Committee as well as a member of the Board of Directors of USTA Serves.
Tommy Ho, of Houston, Texas, and the USTA Texas Section, is nominated for his first term as Director at Large of the USTA Board of Directors. At 15, Ho was the youngest player to ever compete at the U.S. Open, but was forced to leave the game at age 24 due to a chronic back injury in 1997. He achieved a career high ranking of 85 in singles and 13 in doubles. Ho is currently a Senior Associate at Korn Ferry International.
Patrick J. Galbraith, of Bainbridge Island, Wash., and the USTA Pacific Northwest, is nominated for a second term as Director at Large of the USTA Board of Directors. He is a member of the Investment Committee and Board Liaison to the Professional Tennis Council. Previously, Galbraith served two years as a member of the ATP Player Council. A professional tennis player from 1989-2000, Galbraith is a two-time winner of the US Open Mixed Doubles Championship. He ended 1993 as the No. 1-ranked men’s doubles team with partner Grant Connell, and went on to win the World Doubles Championship in 1995. Galbraith was a member of the 1996 Davis Cup team and finished his career with 36 doubles titles. He is currently Vice President – Investments for UBS Financial Service, Inc.