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Mary Joe Fernandez

Americans Serena Williams and John Isner shine — The Friday Five

April 13, 2012 by TennisGrandstand

By Maud Watson

In the Zone

Serena Williams was firing on all cylinders last week in Charleston, which wasn’t just bad news for the rest of the field – it was devastating. Serena showed no mercy as she demolished her opponents en route to the title, dropping a grand total of just three games in the semis and final. Though it was an absolute clinic by the decorated Grand Slam champion, it’s difficult to use as a barometer for how she’ll perform in Paris. For starters, near the latter rounds, she played above her head (even by her lofty standards), and that level for her has increasingly become the exception rather than the norm. Additionally, while there are few players who at their best can potentially hang with Serena at her best, it’s still worth noting that the currently hottest players on the WTA were absent. Finally, there’s the fact that the win is unlikely to have a substantial carry-over effect on Serena herself. She’s frequently shown she never lacks for confidence at any event, irrespective of how match fit she is, simply taking things as they come. So, congrats on a well-deserved 40th career singles title for the younger Williams, who reminded the world of what she’s capable of when her heart and head are in it, but one fantastic title win does not just yet a heavy favorite for Roland Garros make.

Riding the Momentum

John Isner shines in Davis Cup action

Where Ryan Harrison failed to capitalize on his opportunity when named to the U.S. Davis Cup Team, John Isner continued to shine. Since upsetting Roger Federer in the team competition this past February, he’s continued to improve and surprise everyone, including perhaps himself. He delivered a much-needed win against Simon to pull the Americans even with France on the opening day of last weekend’s tie, and he clinched the victory with his triumph over Tsonga. He’s also being smart with his scheduling, choosing to sit out the optional Masters 1000 event next week in Monte Carlo in order to rest and get fit for the remainder of the clay court and following grass court seasons. As he continues this good run of form, he’s set to become the No. 1 American man sooner rather than later. Such an achievement would be a crowning moment for Isner as well as the USA, given that Isner has been one of the handful of Americans to consistently comport himself with class and dignity this season.

PR Nightmare

Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario needs a crash course in public relations stat. We previously heard she was broke thanks to the mishandling of her finances by her parents, which has since been followed by rebuttal from her mother claiming otherwise. Now the “Barcelona Bumblebee” is upsetting her nation’s top female player by personally attacking Anabel Medina Garrigues during her announcement that Garrigues would not be part of her Fed Cup squad. As captain, it’s her prerogative as to who she’d like to select for the team, but there was no need to launch an attack against the Spanish No. 1. Her actions and decisions in recent months might suggest it’s time for the Spanish Tennis Federation to consider looking at a potential replacement. It’s a shame given what all Sanchez-Vicario has done in the sport and for her county, but recent behavior dictates that a review of her ability to be a leader at this point in time is in serious doubt.

Good Cause

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will be facing off in an exhibition on July 14, when they hope to break the tennis attendance record by filling all of the 80,000 seats in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid where the match will take place. The proceeds from the match will go to both the Real Madrid Foundation and the Rafael Nadal Foundation, which provide funding for programs aimed at disadvantaged children. It’s great to see two of the biggest names in the sport continue to give back (especially in the midst of a busy summer schedule), and while they’re going for an ambitious record, as one of the most exciting rivalries in the sport right now, they might just do it.

Potentially Ugly

Mary Joe Fernandez is living in a dream world if she thinks Serena’s “heart is in Fed Cup, ” as Serena’s sudden patriotism is undoubtedly spurred on by her desire to play in the Olympics. Despite committing to her second tie this season, Serena will still need to get special permission from the Olympic Committee to compete in London. Sister Venus is looking to try and raise her ranking high enough to gain automatic entry for the London Games, but if she doesn’t, she’ll also require special permission to compete in the British capital. Where this may get messy is if another player – a player who has put in more time representing their country during the non-Olympic years – gets burned. It’s hard to vilify the Williams Sisters, who are just doing the same as other top pros this season and also have historically performed well in the Olympics. Still others will contend spots should go to those who have put in the time and who arguably could still medal for the USA (especially when factoring in Venus’ health liabilities). Of course, the ITF could just spare the U.S. and other nations, like Russia, this potentially ugly situation by doing away with the whole problematic Fed/Davis Cup participation rule, but hard to see that happening any time soon.

Filed Under: Lead Story, The Friday Five Tagged With: Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Davis Cup, Fed Cup, John Isner, Mary Joe Fernandez, Novak Djokovic, Olympics, Rafael Nadal, Ryan Harrison, Serena Williams, spanish tennis, tennis news

Mondays with Bob Greene: It is not crucial that we immediately get Nadal, Federer or Murray to play

December 8, 2008 by Bob Greene

STARS
Cedric Pioline beat Greg Rusedski 6-7 (4) 7-6 (3) 11-9 (Champions tiebreak) to win the BlackRock Masters Tennis in London, England
SAYING
“I took my chances and it worked. It was really close and it came down to a few points and I think at the end maybe I just returned a little bit better than him.” – Cedric Pioline, about winning the BlackRock Masters in London, England.
“I was just one or two points short. I had one match point in the second-set tiebreak, but Cedric played great and I think he’s a deserving champion.” – Greg Rusedski, after losing to Pioline.
“I think Roger’s going to break (my) record over the next couple of years. There’s a lot left in him. I think he’s gotten to a stage where it’s about the majors.” – Pete Sampras, on Roger Federer breaking his men’s record of 14 Grand Slam tournament singles titles.
“He is not going to overplay next year. He is just going to try to make sure that he peaks for the tournaments that mean the most to him.” – Tony Godsick, Roger Federer’s agent.
“It is not crucial that we immediately get (Rafael) Nadal, (Roger) Federer or (Andy) Murray to play. It is important that we get quality matches.” – Novak Djokovic, on the first ATP tournament to be played in Belgrade, Serbia, in May 2009.
SURPRISE
The United States Fed Cup team will take on Argentina in Surprise, Arizona, in February. The matches will be played at the Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex, which received the 2008 USTA Outstanding Facility Award. A USTA Pro Circuit women’s event is also played at the complex. This will be the fourth Fed Cup meeting between the Americans and Argentina, with the South Americans winning the last meeting in the 1993 quarterfinals in Frankfurt, Germany. The United States leads the overall series 2-1. Mary Joe Fernandez will make her debut as captain of the US Fed Cup team.
STAYING HOME
Russia will begin the defense of its Fed Cup title by staying home February 7-8 against China. The tie will be held on an indoor hard court in Moscow. Spain, runner-up to Russia this year, will travel to Brno, Czech Republic, for its first-round tie. Other World Group matches will find Italy at Orleans, France, while Argentina takes on the United States in Surprise, Arizona. Serbia, boasting two of the world’s top five players, will make its World Group II debut at home in Belgrade against Japan.
SLOWING DOWN
Only two clay-court tournaments are on Roger Federer’s schedule for 2009 prior to the French Open. Federer will go into the only Grand Slam tournament he has not won after playing Masters series events in Rome and Madrid. This year, the Swiss superstar played four clay-court events ahead of the French Open: Estoril, Portugal; Monte Carlo, Rome and Hamburg, Germany. Federer has reached the French Open final in each of the past three years, losing each time to Spain’s Rafael Nadal.
SERBIAN STOP
Belgrade, Serbia, is now a stop on the ATP tour. Novak Djokovic announced the Serbian capital will stage a USD $500,000 men’s tournament in May. Djokovic’s family bought the license of the ABN Amro Open, which had previously been held in the Netherlands. Ana Ivanovic, the reigning French Open women’s singles champion, is reportedly negotiating to buy a franchise for a WTA Tour event to be held in Belgrade next winter. Challenger events have been held in the past, but Belgrade has never been a stop on the main tours of either the ATP or WTA. Niki Pilic will be the director of the men’s tournament.
SHARAPOVA THREATENED
A former college football player has been arrested and charged with threatening Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova. Leonard Taylor, who was a defensive back for the University of Wisconsin from 1995-95, reportedly threatened to kill Sharapova and her family as well as his former college coach, Barry Alvarez, who is now the University of Wisconsin athletic director. Taylor’s father told police his son has been diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic and stopped taking his medication about three months ago.
SYDNEY OUT?
Jelena Jankovic may not play the Sydney International after all. While organizers earlier said she would be in the field, they now say she has withdrawn from the official acceptance list. “Players often end up re-arranging their schedules a number of times and Jelena has not finalized her plans for 2009 yet,” said Craig Watson, the tournament director. Watson said Jankovic still could enter the tournament as a wild card.
SENIOR KING
Cedric Pioline rallied from match point down to outlast Greg Rusedski in an ace-filled match to win his first BlackRock Masters Tennis trophy. The Frenchman prevailed 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3) 11-9 (Champions tiebreak) as he and his British foe pounded out 22 aces. Rusedski reached match point at 9-8 in the Champions tiebreak, but Pioline won the next three points to grab the title. Pioline ended the season finale before packed crowds at Royal Albert Hall by winning all four of his matches, beating Jeremy Bates, John McEnroe and Pete Sampras en route to the final. Rusedski was perfect until he met Pioline, beating Guy Forget, Stefan Edberg and Pat Cash.
SAMPRAS THE TRAVELER
Pete Sampras is back on the world-wide tennis tour after spending some time in retirement. Last year, Sampras played exhibition matches against Roger Federer in the Far East. He began this month in Prague, presenting a tennis racquet to Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus while visiting the famed Prague Castle. He then played an exhibition match against Czech Radek Stepanek before going to London to compete in the BlackRock Masters tournament at Royal Albert Hall. Sampras won his first two matches, beating John McEnroe and Jeremy Bates, before losing to eventual winner Cedric Pioline.
SLUGGING IT OUT
Victor Hanescu proved that he is Romania’s top player by winning the First Edition of National Tennis Championship “Masters Romania” in Bucharest, a tournament limited to Romanians. In a match that lasted 12 minutes shy of two hours, Hanescu defeated Victor Crivoi 4-6 6-3 6-3. Monica Niculescu beat Irina Begu 1-6 6-4 6-1 to capture the women’s title. Both winners reportedly received houses valued at USD $210,000. The runners-up received SUVs, while those who finished in third place in the closed championships will receive free flights to all competitions throughout 2009, according to Xinhua, the Chinese news agency.
STILL UP THERE
He may be ranked number two in the world on the ATP tour, but Roger Federer still is the leading tennis player when it comes to raking in the money. Federer was fifth on the Forbes Magazine’s list of Best-Paid Celebs Under 30, having earned USD $35 million in 2007, including on-court winnings and endorsements. The only other tennis player in the Top 10 was Maria Sharapova, who earned a reported USD $26 million to finish at seventh. Serena and Venus Williams finished at 11th and 12th, respectively, on the magazine’s list. According to Forbes, the Best-Paid Celeb Under 30 was entertainer Beyonce Knowles, who earned USD $80 million in 2007, nearly double the amount of Justin Timberlake. Federer is the all-time ATP leader in career prize money, having earned USD $44.5 million to date.
SO LONG
With most top players in an off-season, Mondays With Bob Greene also will take a few weeks off. We will return on Monday, January 12, 2009. Have a great holiday.
SITES TO SURF
Doha: www.qatartennis.org
Brisbane: www.brisbaneinternational.com.au/
Chennai: www.chennaiopen.org/
Auckland: www.asbclassic.co.nz
Australian Open: www.australianopen.com/
ATP: www.atptennis.com
WTA Tour: www.sonyericssonwtatour.com
ITF: www.itftennis.com
TOURNAMENTS BEGINNING JANUARY 5, 2009
ATP
$1,110,250 Qatar ExxonMobil Open, Doha, Qatar, hard
$484,750 Brisbane International, Brisbane, Australia, hard
$450,000 Chennai Open, Chennai, India, hard
$100,000 Sao Paulo Challenger, Sao Paulo, Brazil, hard
WTA TOUR
$220,000 Brisbane International, Brisbane, Australia, hard
$220,000 ASB Classic, Auckland, New Zealand, hard

Filed Under: Lead Story, Mondays with Bob Greene Tagged With: Ana Ivanovic, Andy Murray, Barry Alvarez, BlackRock Masters Tennis, Cedric Pioline, Fed Cup, Greg Rusedski, Jelena Jankovic, Maria Sharapova, Mary Joe Fernandez, Niki Pilic, Novak Djokovic, Pete Sampras, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, USTA pro circuit, Victor Crivoi, Victor Hanescu

On This Day In Tennis History Is Latest Book Release From New Chapter Press

November 11, 2008 by Tennis Grandstand

WASHINGTON, D.C. – New Chapter Press has announced the publication of its latest book – On This Day In Tennis History -a calendar-like compilation of historical and unique anniversaries, events and happenings from the world of tennis through the years – written by Randy Walker, the sports marketing and media specialist, tennis historian and former U.S. Tennis Association press officer.
On This Day In Tennis History ($19.95, 528 pages), is a fun and fact-filled, this compilation offers anniversaries, summaries, and anecdotes of events from the world of tennis for every day in the calendar year. Presented in a day-by-day format, the entries into this mini-encyclopedia include major tournament victory dates, summaries of the greatest matches ever played, trivia, and statistics as well as little-known and quirky happenings. Easy-to-use and packed with fascinating details, the book is the perfect companion for tennis and general sports fans alike and is an excellent gift idea for the holiday season. The book features fascinating and unique stories of players such as John McEnroe, Don Budge, Bill Tilden, Chris Evert, Billie Jean King, Jimmy Connors, Martina Navratilova, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Anna Kournikova among many others. On This Day In Tennis History is available for purchase via on-line book retailers and in bookstores in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. More information on the book can be found at www.tennishistorybook.com
Said Hall of Famer Jim Courier of the book, “On This Day In Tennis History is a fun read that chronicles some of the most important-and unusual-moments in the annals of tennis. Randy Walker is an excellent narrator of tennis history and has done an incredible job of researching and compiling this entertaining volume.” Said tennis historian Joel Drucker, author of Jimmy Connors Saved My Life, “An addictive feast that you can enjoy every possible way-dipping in for various morsels, devouring it day-by-day, or selectively finding essential ingredients. As a tennis writer, I will always keep this book at the head of my table.” Said Bill Mountford, former Director of Tennis of the USTA National Tennis Center, “On This Day In Tennis History is an easy and unique way to absorb the greatest-and most quirky-moments in tennis history. It’s best read a page a day!”
Walker is a writer, tennis historian and freelance publicist and sports marketer. A 12-year veteran of the U.S. Tennis Association’s Marketing and Communications Division, he served as the press officer for the U.S. Davis Cup team from 1997 to 2005 and for the U.S. Olympic tennis teams in 1996, 2000 and 2004. He also served as the long-time editor of the U.S. Open Record Book during his tenure at the USTA from 1993 to 2005.
More information on the book can be found at www.tennistomes.com as well as on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1627089030&ref=name and on myspace at http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=428100548
People mentioned in the book include, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt, Goran Ivanisevic, Andre Agassi, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Monica Seles, Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic, Maria Sharapova, Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters, Amelie Mauresmo, Anna Kounikova, Jennifer Capriati, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Martina Hingis, Gustavo Kuerten, Svetlana Kuznetsova, James Blake, Wilmer Allison, Mal Anderson, Arthur Ashe, Juliette Atkinson, Henry “Bunny” Austin, Tracy Austin, Boris Becker, Kark Behr, Pauline Betz, Bjorn Borg, Jean Borotra, John Bromwich, Norman Brookes, Louise Brough, Jacques Brugnon, Butch Buchholz, Don Budge, Maria Bueno, Rosie Casals, Michael Chang, Philippe Chatrier, Dodo Cheney, Henri Cochet, Maureen Connolly, Jimmy Connors, Jim Courier, Ashley Cooper, Margaret Court, Jack Crawford, Allison Danzig, Dwight Davis, Lottie Dod, John Doeg, Laurence Doherty, Reggie Doherty, Dorothea Douglass Lambert Chambers, Jaroslav Drobny, Margaret duPont, Francoise Durr, James Dwight, Stefan Edberg, Roy Emerson, Chis Evert, Bob Falkenburg, Neale Fraser, Shirley Fry, Althea Gibson, Pancho Gonzalez, Evonne Goolagong, Arthur Gore, Steffi Graf, Bitsy Grant, Darlene Hard, Doris Hart, Anne Jones, Gladys Heldman, Slew Hester, Bob Hewitt, Lew Hoad, Harry Hopman, Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman, Joe Hunt, Frank Hunter, Helen Jacobs, Bill Johnston, Perry Jones, Bob Kelleher, Billie Jean King, Jan Kodes, Karel Kozeluh, Jack Kramer, Rene Lacoste, Bill Larned, Art Larsen, Rod Laver, Ivan Lendl, Suzanne Lenglen, George Lott, Gene Mako, Molla Mallory, Hana Mandlikova, Alice Marble, Dan Maskell, Simone Mathieu, Mark McCormack, John McEnroe, Ken McGregor, Kitty Godfree, Chuck McKinley, Maurice McLoughlin, Frew McMillian, Don McNeill, Elisabeth Moore, Angela Mortimer, Gardnar Mulloy, Ilie Nastase, Martina Navratilova, John Newcombe, Yannick Noah, Jana Novotna, Betty Nuthall, Alex Olmedo, Rafael Osuna, Frank Parker, Gerald Patterson, Budge Patty, Fred Perry, Nicola Pietrangeli, Adrian Quist, Patrick Rafter, Dennis Ralson, Vinnie Richards, Nancy Richey, Cliff Richey, Bobby Riggs, Tony Roche, Mervyn Rose, Ken Rosewall, Elizbeth Ryan, Gabriela Sabatini, Pete Sampras, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Manuel Santana, Dick Savitt, Ted Schroeder, Gene Scott, Richard Sears, Frank Sedgman, Pancho Segura, Vic Seixas, Frank Shields, Pam Shriver, Stan Smith, Fred Stolle, Bill Talbert, Bill Tilden, Tony Trabert, Lesley Turner, Jimmy Van Alen, John Van Ryn, Guillermo Vilas, Ellsworth Vines, Brian Gottfried, Virginia Wade, Holcombe Ward, Watson Washburn, Mal Whitman, Mats Wilander, Tony Wilding, Helen Wills Moody, Sidney Wood, Robert Wrenn, Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan, Todd Woodbridge, Marat Safin, Leslie Allen, Sue Barker, Jonas Bjorkman, Mahesh Bhupathi, Donald Dell, Albert Costa, Mark Cox, Owen Davidson, Pat Cash, Mary Carillo, John Isner, Roscoe Tanner, Vijay Amritraj, Mark Woodforde, Tim Henman, Richard Krajicek, Conchita Martinez, Mary Joe Fernandez, Cliff Drysdale, Mark Edmondson, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Zina Garrson, Roland Garros, Wojtek Fibak, Tom Gullikson, Andres Gimeno, Vitas Gerulaitis, Fernando Gonzalez, Tim Henman, Goran Ivanisevic, Andrea Jaeger, Ivo Karlovic, Richard Krajicek, Petr Korda, Luke Jensen, Murphy Jensen, Rick Leach, Iva Majoil, Barry MacKay, Ivan Ljubicic, Cecil Mamiit, David Caldwell, Alex Metreveli, Nicolas Massu, Todd Martin, Gene Mayer, Thomas Muster, Tom Okker, Charlie Pasarell, Mary Pierce, Whitney Reed, Leander Paes, Renee Richards, Helen Sukova, Michael Stich, Betty Stove, Ion Tiriac, Brian Teacher, Wendy Turnbull,  Richards, Fabrice Santoro, Ai Sugiyama, Patrick McEnroe, Camille Pin, Phil Dent, Jelena Dokic, Mark Edmondson, Gael Monfils, Xavier Malisse, Dinara Safina, Barry Lorge, Stefano Pescosolido, Fabrice Santoro, Roscoe Tanner, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Roger Smith, Erik van Dillen, Gene Mayer, Tamara Pasek, Stefan Koubek, Jie Zheng, Gisela Dulko, Kristian Pless, Chuck McKinley, Marty Riessen, Brad Gilbert, Tim Mayotte, Andrea Petkovic, Klara Koukalova, Bobby Reynolds, Dominik Hrbaty, Andreas Seppi, Christopher Clarey, Casey Dellacqua, Anders Jarryd, Janko Tipsarevic, Nadia Petrova, Christian Bergstrom, Ramesh Krishnan, Emily Sanchez, Marcos Baghdatis, Mark Philippousssis, Wally Masur, Paul McNamee, Daniela Hantuchova, Gerry Armstrong, Younes El Aynaoui, Thomas Johansson, Pat Cash, Lisa Raymond, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Chanda Rubin, Tony Roche, Alex O’Brien, Petr Korda, Karol Kucera, Amelie Mauresmo, Juan Gisbert, Pablo Cuevas, Jim Pugh, Rick Leach, Julien Boutter, Larry Stefanki, Chris Woodruff, Jill Craybas, Sania Mirza, Mike Leach, Maggie Maleeva, Guillermo Canas, Guillermo Coria, Donald Young, Dick Stockton, Johan Kriek, Milan Srejber, Zina Garrison, Slyvia Hanika, Karin Knapp, Laura Granville, Kei Nishikori, Scott Davis, Paul Goldstein, Alberto Martin, Nicolas Kiefer, Joachim Johansson, Jonathan Stark, Jakob Hlasek, Jeff Tarango, Amanda Coetzer, Andres Gomez, Richey Reneberg, Francisco Clavet, Radek Stepanek, Miloslav Mecir, Jose-Luis Clerc, Colin Dibley, Mikael Pernfors, Martin Mulligan,  Robbie Weiss,  Hugo Chapacu, Victor Pecci, Charlie Bricker, Greg Rusedski, Robin Finn, Kimiko Date, David Nalbandian, Goran Ivanisevic, Mikhail Youzhny, Nicole Pratt, Bryanne Stewart, Novak Djokovic, Rennae Stubbs, Corina Morariu, Marc Rosset, Kenneth Carlsen, Kimiko Date, Ryan Harrison, Richard Gasquet, Jimmy Arias, Jim Leohr, Felix Mantilla, Cedric Pioline, Annabel Croft, Brooke Shields, Jaime Yzaga, Slobodan Zivojinovic, Alberto Mancini, Peter McNamara, Andrei Chesnokov, Fabrice Santoro, Bud Collins, Mardy Fish, Sebastien Grosjean, Donald Dell, Petr Kuczak, Magnus Norman, Hicham Arazi, Nduka Odizor, Lori McNeil, Horst Skoff, Karolina Sprem, Ros Fairbank, Linda Siegel, Chris Lewis, Kevin Curren, Thierry Tulasne, Guy Forget, Fred Tupper, Jaime Fillol, Belus Prajoux, Ricardo Cano, Georges Goven, Ray Moore, Charlie Pasarell, Paul Annacone, Tomas Smid, Dmitry Tursunov, Elena Dementieva, Arnaud DiPasquale, Carl Uwe Steeb, Bill Scanlon, Jose Higueras, Jay Berger, Jana Novotna, Bill Dwyre, Lisa Dillman, Sean Sorensen, Paul McNamee, Jiri Novak, Benjamin Becker, Ion Tiriac, Neil Amdur, Tim Gullikson, Jan-Michael Gambill, Taylor Dent, Bryan Shelton, Vijay Amritraj, Martin Verkerk, Brian Gottfried, Carlos Moya, Jacco Eltingh, Adriano Panatta, John Feinstein, Aaron Krickstein, Wilhelm Bungert, Derrick Rostagno, Torben Ulrich, Daniel Nestor, Ray Ruffels, Cliff Drysdale, James Reilly, Andy Murray, Leander Paes, Alicia Molik, Barry MacKay among others.
New Chapter Press is also the publisher of The Bud Colins History of Tennis by Bud Collins, The Roger Federer Story, Quest for Perfection by Rene Stauffer and Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games by Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli and the soon to be released title The Lennon Prophecy by Joe Niezgoda. Founded in 1987, New Chapter Press is an independent publisher of books and part of the Independent Publishers Group. More information can be found at www.newchapterpressmedia.com

Filed Under: Archives, Lead Story Tagged With: Aaron Krickstein, Adrian Quist, Adriano Panatta, Ai Sugiyama, Albert Costa, Alberto Mancini, Alberto Martin, Alex Metreveli, Alex O'Brien, Alex Olmedo, Alice Marble, Alicia Molik, Allison Danzig, Althea Gibson, Amanda Coetzer, Amelie Mauresmo, Ana Ivanovic, Anders Jarryd, Andre Agassi, Andrea Jaeger, Andrea Petkovic, Andreas Seppi, Andrei Chesnokov, Andres Gimeno, Andres Gomez, Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, Angela Mortimer, Anna Kounikova, Annabel Croft, Anne Jones, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Arnaud DiPasquale, Art Larsen, Arthur Ashe, Arthur Gore, Ashley Cooper, Barry Lorge, Barry MacKay, Belus Prajoux, Benjamin Becker, Betty Nuthall, Betty Stove, Bill Dwyre, Bill Johnston, Bill Larned, Bill Scanlon, Bill Talbert, Bill Tilden, Billie Jean King, Bitsy Grant, Bjorn Borg, Bob Bryan, Bob Falkenburg, Bob Hewitt, Bob Kelleher, Bobby Reynolds, Bobby Riggs, Boris Becker, Brad Gilbert, Brian Gottfried, Brian Teacher, Brooke Shields, Bryan Shelton, Bryanne Stewart, Bud Collins, Budge Patty, Butch Buchholz, Camille Pin, Carl-Uwe Steeb, Carlos Moya, Casey Dellacqua, Cecil Mamiit, Cedric Pioline, Chanda Rubin, Charlie Bricker, Charlie Pasarell, Chis Evert, Chris Lewis, Chris Woodruff, Christian Bergstrom, Christopher Clarey, Chuck McKinley, Cliff Drysdale, Cliff Richey, Colin Dibley, Conchita Martinez, Corina Morariu, Dan Maskell, Daniel NEstor, Daniela Hantuchova, Darlene Hard, David Caldwell, David Nalbandian, Dennis Ralson, Derrick Rostagno, Dick Savitt, Dick Stockton, Dinara Safina, Dmitry Tursunov, Dodo Cheney, Dominik Hrbaty, Don Budge, Don McNeill, Donald Dell, Donald Young, Doris Hart, Dorothea Douglass Lambert Chambers, Dwight Davis, Elena Dementieva, Elisabeth Moore, Elizbeth Ryan, Ellsworth Vines, Emily Sanchez, Erik van Dillen, Evonne Goolagong, Fabrice Santoro, Felix Mantilla, Fernando Gonzalez, Francisco Clavet, Francoise Durr, Frank Hunter, Frank Parker, Frank Sedgman, Frank Shields, Fred Perry, Fred Stolle, Fred Tupper, Frew McMillian, Gabriela Sabatini, Gael Monfils, Gardnar Mulloy, Gene Mako, Gene Mayer, Gene Scott, George Lott, Georges Goven, Gerald Patterson, Gerry Armstrong, Gisela Dulko, Gladys Heldman, Goran Ivanisevic, Greg Rusedski, Guillermo Canas, Guillermo Coria, Guillermo Vilas, Gustavo Kuerten, Guy Forget, Hana Mandlikova, Harry Hopman, Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman, Helen Jacobs, Helen Sukova, Helen Wills Moody, Henri Cochet, Henry “Bunny“ Austin, Hicham Arazi, Holcombe Ward, Horst Skoff, Hugo Chapacu, Ilie Nastase, Ion Tiriac, Iva Majoil, Ivan Lendl, Ivan Ljubicic, Ivo Karlovic, Jacco Eltingh, Jack Crawford, Jack Kramer, Jacques Brugnon, Jaime Fillol, Jaime Yzaga, Jakob Hlasek, James Blake, James Dwight, James Reilly, Jan Kodes, Jan-Michael Gambill, Jana Novotna, Janko Tipsarevic, Jaroslav Drobny, Jay Berger, Jean Borotra, Jeff Tarango, Jelena Dokic, Jelena Jankovic, Jennifer Capriati, Jie Zheng, Jill Craybas, Jim Courier, Jim Leohr, Jim Pugh, Jimmy Arias, Jimmy Connors, Jimmy Van Alen, Jiri Novak, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Joachim Johansson, Joe Hunt, Johan Kriek, John Bromwich, John Doeg, John Feinstein, John Isner, John McEnroe, John Newcombe, John Van Ryn, Jonas Bjorkman, Jonathan Stark, Jose Higueras, Jose-Luis Clerc, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Juan Gisbert, Julien Boutter, Juliette Atkinson, Justine Henin, Karel Kozeluh, Karin Knapp, Kark Behr, Karol Kucera, Karolina Sprem, Kei Nishikori, Ken McGregor, Ken Rosewall, Kenneth Carlsen, Kevin Curren, Kim Clijsters, Kimiko Date, Kitty Godfree, Klara Koukalova, Kristian Pless, Larry Stefanki, Laura Granville, Laurence Doherty, Leander Paes, Lesley Turner, Leslie Allen, Lew Hoad, Linda Siegel, Lindsay Davenport, Lisa Dillman, Lisa Raymond, Lleyton Hewitt, Lori McNeil, Lottie Dod, Louise Brough, Luke Jensen, Maggie Maleeva, Magnus Norman, Mahesh Bhupathi, Mal Anderson, Mal Whitman, Manuel Santana, Marat Safin, Marc Rosset, Marcos Baghdatis, Mardy Fish, Margaret Court, Margaret duPont, Maria Bueno, Maria Sharapova, Mark Cox, Mark Edmondson, Mark McCormack, Mark Philippousssis, Mark Woodforde, Martin Mulligan, Martin Verkerk, Martina Hingis, Martina Navratilova, Marty Riessen, Mary Carillo, Mary Joe Fernandez, Mary Pierce, Mats Wilander, Maureen Connolly, Maurice McLoughlin, Mervyn Rose, Michael Chang, Michael Stich, Mikael Pernfors, Mike Bryan, Mike Leach, Mikhail Youzhny, Milan Srejber, Miloslav Mecir, Molla Mallory, Monica Seles, Murphy Jensen, Nadia Petrova, Nancy Richey, Nduka Odizor, Neale Fraser, Neil Amdur, Nicola Pietrangeli, Nicolas Kiefer, Nicolas Massu, Nicole Pratt, Norman Brookes, Novak Djokovic, Owen Davidson, Pablo Cuevas, Pam Shriver, Pancho Gonzalez, Pancho Segura, Pat Cash, Patrick McEnroe, Patrick Rafter, Paul Annacone, Paul Goldstein, Paul McNamee, Pauline Betz, Perry Jones, Pete Sampras, Peter McNamara, Petr Korda, Petr Kuczak, Phil Dent, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Philippe Chatrier, Radek Stepanek, Rafael Nadal, Rafael Osuna, Ramesh Krishnan, Ray Moore, Ray Ruffels, Reggie Doherty, Rene Lacoste, Renee Richards, Rennae Stubbs, Ricardo Cano, Richard Gasquet, Richard Krajicek, Richard Sears, Richards, Richey Reneberg, Rick Leach, Robbie Weiss, Robert Wrenn, Robin Finn, Rod Laver, Roger Federer, Roger Smith, Roland Garros, Ros Fairbank, Roscoe Tanner, Rosie Casals, Roy Emerson, Ryan Harrison, Sania Mirza, Scott Davis, Sean Sorensen, Sebastien Grosjean, Serena Williams, Shirley Fry, Sidney Wood, Simone Mathieu, Slew Hester, Slobodan Zivojinovic, Slyvia Hanika, Stan Smith, Stefan Edberg, Stefan Koubek, Stefano Pescosolido, Steffi Graf, Sue Barker, Suzanne Lenglen, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Tamara Pasek, Taylor Dent, Ted Schroeder, Thierry Tulasne, Thomas Johansson, Thomas Muster, Tim Gullikson, Tim Henman, Tim Mayotte, Todd Martin, Todd Woodbridge, Tom Gullikson, Tom Okker, Tomas Smid, Tony Roche, Tony Trabert, Tony Wilding, Torben Ulrich, Tracy Austin, Venus Williams, Vic Seixas, Victor Pecci, Vijay Amritraj, Vinnie Richards, Virginia Wade, Vitas Gerulaitis, Wally Masur, Watson Washburn, Wendy Turnbull, Whitney Reed, Wilhelm Bungert, Wilmer Allison, Wojtek Fibak, Xavier Malisse, Yannick Noah, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Younes El Aynaoui, Zina Garrison, Zina Garrson

The Origins Of Olympic Tennis

August 6, 2008 by Randy Walker

Some say that tennis is relatively new sport in the Olympic Games. However, tennis was one of the nine sports on the original Olympic program at the first Modern Olympics in 1896 in Athens, Greece. The first Olympic tennis champion was John Boland, an Irishmen vacationing in Greece at the time of the first Modern Games. He entered into the tennis competition upon the urging of a Greek classmate from Oxford. Boland, who would later found the University of Ireland and serve Britain as a member of Parliament, won the singles competition in an eight-man field and paired with a German, Fritz Traun, to sweep the doubles title.
Tennis was a fixture on the Olympic program through the 1924 Games in Paris. The International Tennis Federation – the international governing body for tennis – and the International Olympic Committee saw differences on the definition of amateurism, and on whether Wimbledon should be played in Olympic years. What resulted was the exclusion of tennis from the Olympic Games as an official medal sport until 1988 in Seoul, South Korea.
Tennis triumphantly returned to the Olympic Games in 1988 in Seoul, becoming the first Olympic sport to allow professionals to compete (Basketball followed suit in 1992). Steffi Graf of West Germany completed the rarest feat in the sport by capping a “Golden Slam” at the Seoul Games, having won all four major titles in professional tennis heading into the 1988 Games.
A compilation of Olympic tennis results and medalists are compiled below…
1896 – ATHENS, GREECE

MEDALISTS
Men’s Singles
GOLD — John Boland (Great Britain)
SILVER — Demis Kastaglis (Greece)
BRONZE — Momcsillo Topavicza (Hungary)
Men’s Doubles
GOLD — John Boland (Great Britain) and Fritz Traun (Germany)
SILVER — Demis Kasdaglis and Demetrious Petrokokkinos (Greece)
BRONZE — Edwin Hack (Australia) and George Robertson (Great Britain)
RESULTS
Men’s Singles Gold Medal Match— John Boland (Great Britain) def. Demis Kastaglis (Greece), 7-5, 6-4, 6-1.
Men’s Doubles Gold Medal Match— John Boland (Great Britain) and Fritz Traun (Germany) d. Demis Kasdaglis and Demetrios Petrokokkinos (Greece), 6-2, 6-4.

1900 – PARIS, FRANCE

MEDALISTS
Men’s Singles
GOLD — Laurie Doherty (Great Britain)
SILVER — Harold Mahony (Great Britain)
BRONZE — Reggie Doherty (Great Britain)
A.B.J. Norris (Great Britain)
Men’s Doubles
GOLD — Reggie Doherty and Laurie Doherty (Great Britain)
SILVER — Spalding de Garmendia (United States) and Max Decugis (France)
BRONZE — G. de la Chapelle and Andre Prevost (France)
Harold Mahony and A.B.J. Norris (Great Britain)
Women’s Singles
GOLD — Charlotte Cooper (Great Britain)
SILVER — Helene Prevost (France)
BRONZE — Marion Jones (United States)
Hedwig Rosenbaum (Bohemia)
Mixed Doubles
GOLD — Charlotte Cooper and Reggie Doherty (Great Britain)
SILVER — Helene Prevost (France) and Harold Mahony (Great Britain)
BRONZE — Hedwig Rosenbaum (Bohemia) and Archibald Walden (Great Britain)
Laurie Doherty (Great Britain) and Marion Jones (United States)

RESULTS
Men’s Singles Gold Medal Match — Laurie Doherty (Great Britain) def. Harold Mahony (Great Britain), 6-4, 6-2, 6-3.
Men’s Doubles Gold Medal Match— Reggie Doherty-Laurie Doherty (Great Britain) def. Spalding de Garmendia (United States) and Max Decugis (France), 6-3, 6-3, 7-5
Women’s Singles Gold Medal Match — Charlotte Cooper (Great Britain) def. Helene Prevost (France), 6-3, 6-3, 7-5.
Mixed Doubles Gold Medal Match — Charlotte Cooper and Reggie Doherty (Great Britain) def. Helene Prevost (France) and Harold Mahony (Great Britain), 6-2, 6-4.
1904 – ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, UNITED STATES

MEDALISTS
Men’s Singles
GOLD — Beals Wright (United States)
SILVER — Robert LeRoy (United States)
BRONZE — Alphonso Bell (United States) and Edgar Leonard (United States)
Men’s Doubles
GOLD — Edgar Leonard and Beals Wright (United States)
SILVER — Alphonso Bell and Robert LeRoy (United States)
BRONZE — Joseph Wear and Allen West (United States)
Clarence Gamble and Arthur Wear (United States)

RESULTS
Men’s Singles Gold Medal Match — Beals Wright (United States) def. Robert LeRoy (United States) 6-4, 6-4.
Men’s Doubles Gold Medal Match — Edgar Leonard and Beals Wright (United States) def. Alphonso Bell and Robert LeRoy (United States), 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.
1908 – LONDON, ENGLAND (Outdoor)

MEDALISTS
Men’s Singles
GOLD – Josiah Ritchie(Great Britain)
SILVER – Otto Froitzheim (Germany)
BRONZE – Wilberforce Eaves (Great Britain)
Men’s Doubles
GOLD — George Hillyard and Reggie Doherty (Great Britain)
SILVER — Josiah Richie and James Parke (Great Britain)
BRONZE — Charles Cazalet and Charles Dixon (Great Britain)
Women’s Singles
GOLD — Dorothea Chambers (Great Britain)
SILVER — Penelope Boothby (Great Britain)
BRONZE — Joan Winch (Great Britain)

RESULTS
Men’s Singles Gold Medal Match – Josiah Ritchie (Great Britain) def. Otto Froitzheim (Germany), 7-5, 6-3, 6-4
Men’s Singles Bronze Medal Match – Wilberforce Eaves (Great Britain) def. Ivie John Richardson (South Africa), 6-2, 6-2, 6-3.
Men’s Doubles Gold Medal Match — George Hillyard and Reggie Doherty (Great Britain) def. Josiah Richie and James Parke (Great Britain) 9-7, 7-5, 9-7.
Women’s Singles Gold Medal Match — Dorothea Chambers (Great Britain) def. Penelope Boothby (Great Britain), 6-1, 7-5.
1908 – LONDON, ENGLAND — (Indoor)

MEDALISTS
Men’s Singles
GOLD — Arthur Gore (Great Britain)
SILVER — George Caridia (Great Britain)
BRONZE — Josiah Ritchie (Great Britain)
Men’s Doubles
GOLD — Arthur Gore and Herbert Barrett (Great Britain)
SILVER — George Simond and George Caridia (Great Britain)
BRONZE — Wollmar Bostrom and Gunnar Setterwall (Sweden)
Women’s Singles
GOLD — Gwendoline Smith (Great Britain)
SILVER — Angela Greene (Great Britain)
BRONZE — Martha Adlerstraille (Sweden)
RESULTS
Men’s Singles Gold Medal Match — Arthur Gore (Great Britain) def. George Caridia (Great Britain), 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.
Men’s Doubles Gold Medal Match — Arthur Gore and Herbert Barrett (Great Britain) def. George Simond and George Caridia (Great Britain), 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Women’s Singles Gold Medal Match — Gwendoline Smith (Great Britain) def. Angela Greene (Great Britain), 6-2, 4-6, 6-0.
1912 – STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN (Outdoor)

MEDALISTS
Men’s Singles
GOLD — Charles Winslow (South Africa)
SILVER — Harold Kitson (South Africa)
BRONZE — Oskar Kreuzer (Germany)
Men’s Doubles
GOLD — Charles Winslow and Harold Kitson (South Africa)
SILVER — Felix Pipes and Arthur Zborzil (Austria)
BRONZE — A. Canet and M. Meny (France)
Women’s Singles
GOLD — Marguerite Broquedis (France)
SILVER — Dora Koring (Germany)
BRONZE — Molla Bjurstedt (Norway)
Mixed Doubles
GOLD — Heinrich Schomburgk and Dora Koring (Germany)
SILVER — Gunnar Setterwall and Sigrid Fick (Sweden)
BRONZE — A. Canet and Marguerite Broquedis (France)

RESULTS
Men’s Singles Gold Medal Match — Charles Winslow (South Africa) def. Harold Kitson (South Africa), 7-5, 4-6, 10-8, 8-6.
Men’s Singles Bronze Medal Match – Oskar Kreuzer (Germany) def. Ladislav Zemla (BOH), 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1
Men’s Doubles Gold Medal Match — Charles Winslow and Harold Kitson (South Africa) def. Felix Pipes and Arthur Zborzil (Austria), 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
Women’s Singles Gold Medal Match — Marguerite Broquedis (France) def. Dora Koring (Germany), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Mixed Doubles Gold Medal Match — Dora Koring and Heinrich Schomburgk (Germany) def. Sigrid Fick and Gunnar Setterwall (Sweden), 6-4, 6-0.
1912 – STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN (Indoor)

MEDALISTS
Men’s Singles
GOLD — Andre Gobert (France)
SILVER — Charles Dixon (Great Britain)
BRONZE — Anthony Wilding (Australia)
Men’s Doubles
GOLD — Andre Gobert and Maurice Germot (France)
SILVER — Gunnar Setterwall and Carl Kempe (Sweden)
BRONZE — Arthur Beamish and Charles Dixon (Great Britain)
Women’s Singles
GOLD — Edith Hannam (Great Britain)
SILVER — Thora Gerda Sophy Castenschiold (Denmark)
BRONZE — Mabel Parton (Great Britain)
RESULTS
Men’s Singles Gold Medal Match — Andre Gobert (France) def. Charles Dixon (Great Britain), 8-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Men’s Singles Bronze Medal Match – Anthony Wilding (Australia) def. Gordon Lowe (Great Britain), 4-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-0
Men’s Doubles Gold Medal Match— Andre Gobert and Maurice Germot (France) def. Gunnar Setterwall and Carl Kempe (Sweden), 6-4, 12-14, 6-2, 6-4.
Women’s Singles Gold Medal Match — Edith Hannam (Great Britain) def. Thora Gerda Sophy Castenschiold (Denmark), 6-4, 6-3.
Mixed Doubles Gold Medal Match — Edith Hannam and Charles Dixon (Great Britain) def. Helen Aitchison and Roper Barrett (Great Britain), 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.

1920 – ANTWERP, BELGIUM

MEDALISTS
Men’s Singles
GOLD — Louis Raymond (South Africa)
SILVER — Ichiya Kumagae (Japan)
BRONZE — Charles Winslow (South Africa)
Men’s Doubles
GOLD — Noel Turnbull (South Africa) and Max Woosnam (Great Britain)
SILVER — Seiichiro Kashio and Ichiya Kumagae (Japan)
BRONZE — Pierre Albarran and Max Decugis (France)
Women’s Singles
GOLD — Suzanne Lenglen (France)
SILVER — Dorothy Holman (Great Britain)
BRONZE — Kitty McKane (Great Britain)
Women’s Doubles
GOLD — Kitty McKane and Winifred McNair (Great Britain)
SILVER — Geraldine Beamish and Dorothy Holman (Great Britain)
BRONZE — Elizabeth D’Ayen and Suzanne Lenglen (France)
Mixed Doubles
GOLD — Suzanne Lenglen and Max Decugis (France)
SILVER — Kitty McKane and Max Woosnam (Great Britain)
BRONZE — Milade Skrbkova and Razny Zemie (Czechoslovakia)

RESULTS
Men’s Singles Gold Medal Match— Louis Raymond (South Africa) def. Ichiya Kumagae (Japan), 5-7, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4.
Men’s Doubles Gold Medal Match — Noel Turnbull (South Africa) and Max Woosnam (Great Britain), def. Seiichiro Kashio and Ichiya Kumagae (Japan), 6-2, 7-5, 7-5.
Women’s Singles Gold Medal Match — Suzanne Lenglen (France) def. Dorothy Holman (Great Britain), 6-3, 6-0.
Women’s Doubles Gold Medal Match — Kitty McKane and Winifred McNair (Great Britain) def. Geraldine Beamish and Dorothy Holman (Great Britain), 8-6, 6-4.
Mixed Doubles Gold Medal Match — Suzanne Lenglen and Max Decugis (France) def. Kitty McKane and Max Woosnam (Great Britain), 6-4, 6-2.
1924 – PARIS, FRANCE

MEDALISTS
Men’s Singles
GOLD –Vincent Richards (United States)
SILVER — Henri Cochet (France)
BRONZE — Umberto Luigi de Morpurgo (Italy)
Men’s Doubles
GOLD — Vincent Richards and Frank Hunter (United States)
SILVER — Jacques Brugnon and Henri Cochet (France)
BRONZE — Jean Borotra and Rene Lacoste (France)
Women’s Singles
GOLD — Helen Wills (United States)
SILVER — Didi Vlastro (France)
BRONZE — Kitty McKane (Great Britain)
Women’s Doubles
GOLD — Helen Wills and Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman (United States)
SILVER — Kitty McKane and Dorothy Covell (Great Britain)
BRONZE — Evelyn Colyer and Dorothy Shepherd Barron (Great Britain)
Mixed Doubles
GOLD — Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman and R. Norris Williams (United States)
SILVER — Marion Jessup and Vincent Richards (United States)
BRONZE — Hendrik Timmer and Cornelia Bouman (Netherlands)

RESULTS
Men’s Singles Gold Medal Match — Vincent Richards (United States) def. Henri Cochet (France), 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 5-7, 6-2.
Men’s Singles Bronze Medal Match – Umberto Luigi de Morpurgo (Italy) def. Jean Borotra (France), 1-6, 6-1, 8-6, 4-6, 7-5
Men’s Doubles Gold Medal Match — Vincent Richards and Frank Hunter (United States) def. Jacques Brugnon and Henri Cochet (France), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.
Women’s Singles Gold Medal Match— Helen Wills (United States) def. Didi Vlastro (France), 6-2, 6-2.
Women’s Doubles Gold Medal Match — Helen Wills and Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman (United States) def. Kitty McKane and Dorothy Covell (Great Britain), 7-5, 8-6.
Mixed Doubles Gold Medal Match — Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman and R. Norris Williams (United States) def. Marion Jessup and Vincent Richards (United States), 6-2, 6-3.
1988 – SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

MEDALISTS
Men’s Singles
GOLD — Miloslav Mecir (Czechoslovakia)
SILVER — Tim Mayotte (United States)
BRONZE — Stefan Edberg (Sweden)
Brad Gilbert (United States)
Men’s Doubles
GOLD — Ken Flach and Robert Seguso (United States)
SILVER –Sergio Casal and Emilio Sanchez (Spain)
BRONZE — Stefan Edberg and Anders Jarryd (Sweden)
Miloslav Mecir and Milan Srejber (Czechoslovakia)
Women’s Singles
GOLD — Steffi Graf (West Germany)
SILVER — Gabriela Sabatini (Argentina)
BRONZE — Zina Garrison (United States)
Manuela Maleeva (Bulgaria)
Women’s Doubles
GOLD — Zina Garrison and Pam Shriver (United States)
SILVER — Jana Novotna and Helena Sukova (Czechoslovakia)
BRONZE — Liz Smylie and Wendy Turnbull (Australia)
Steffi Graf and Claudia Kohde Kilsch (Germany)

RESULTS
Men’s Singles Gold Medal Match — Miloslav Mecir (Czechoslovakia) def. Tim Mayotte (United States), 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.
Men’s Doubles Gold Medal Match — Ken Flach and Robert Seguso (United States) def. Sergio Casal and Emilio Sanchez (Spain), 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (1-7), 9-7.
Women’s Singles Gold Medal Match — Steffi Graf (West Germany) def. Gabriela Sabatini (Argentina), 6-3, 6-3.
Women’s Doubles Gold Medal Match — Zina Garrison and Pam Shriver (United States) def. Jana Novotna and Helena Sukova (Czechoslovakia), 4-6, 6-2, 10-8.
1992 – BARCELONA, SPAIN

MEDALISTS
Men’s Singles
GOLD — Marc Rosset (Switzerland)
SILVER — Jordi Arrese (Spain)
BRONZE — Goran Ivanisevic (Croatia)
Andrei Cherkasov (CIS)
Men’s Doubles
GOLD — Boris Becker and Michael Stich (Germany)
SILVER — Wayne Ferreira and Piet Norval (South Africa)
BRONZE — Goran Ivanisevic and Goran Prpic (Croatia)
Javier Frana and Christian Miniussi (Argentina)
Women’s Singles
GOLD — Jennifer Capriati (United States)
SILVER — Steffi Graf (Germany)
BRONZE — Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (Spain)
Mary Joe Fernandez (United States)
Women’s Doubles
GOLD — Mary Joe Fernandez and Gigi Fernandez (United States)
SILVER — Conchita Martinez and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (Spain)
BRONZE — Natasha Zvereva and Leila Meshki (CIS)
Rachael McQuillan and Nicole Provis (Australia)

RESULTS
Men’s Singles Gold Medal Match — Marc Rosset (Switzerland) def. Jordi Arrese (Spain), 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 8-6.
Men’s Doubles Gold Medal Match — Boris Becker and Michael Stich (Germany) def. Wayne Ferreira and Piet Norval (South Africa), 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3
Women’s Singles Gold Medal Match — Jennifer Capriati (United States) def. Steffi Graf (Germany),  3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Women’s Doubles Gold Medal Match — Mary Joe Fernandez and Gigi Fernandez (United States) def. Conchita Martinez and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (Spain), 7-5, 2-6, 6-2.
1996 – ATLANTA, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES

MEDALISTS
Men’s Singles
GOLD — Andre Agassi (United States)
SILVER – Sergi Bruguera (Spain)
BRONZE – Leander Paes (India)
Men’s Doubles
GOLD – Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge (Australia)
SILVER – Tim Henman and Neil Broad (Great Britain)
BRONZE – Marc-Kevin Goellner and David Prinosil (Germany)
Women’s Singles
GOLD — Lindsay Davenport (United States)
SILVER – Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (Spain)
BRONZE – Jana Novotna (Czech Republic)
Women’s Doubles
GOLD — Mary Joe Fernandez and Gigi Fernandez (United States)
SILVER – Jana Novotna and Helena Sukova (Czech Republic)
BRONZE – Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Conchita Martinez (Spain)
RESULTS
Men’s Singles Gold Medal Match – Andre Agassi (United States) def. Sergi Bruguera (Spain), 6-2, 6-3, 6-1.
Men’s Singles Bronze Medal Match – Leander Paes (India) def. Fernando Meligeni (Brazil), 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
Men’s Doubles Gold Medal Match – Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge (Australia) def. Tim Henman and Neil Broad (Great Britain) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.
Men’s Doubles Bronze Medal Match – Marc-Kevin Goellner and David Prinosil (Germany) def. Paul Haarhuis and Jacco Eltingh (Netherlands), 6-2, 7-5
Women’s Singles Gold Medal Match – Lindsay Davenport (United States) def. Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (Spain), 7-6 (6), 6-2.
Women’s Singles Bronze Medal Match – Jana Novotna (Czech Republic) def. Mary Joe Fernandez (United States), 7-6 (8), 6-4
Women’s Doubles Gold Medal Match — Mary Joe Fernandez and Gigi Fernandez (United States) def. Jana Novona and Helena Sukova (Czech Republic), 7-6 (6), 6-4.
Women’s Doubles Bronze Medal Match – Conchita Martinez and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (Spain) def. Manon Bollegraf and Brenda Schultz-McCarthy (Netherlands), 6-1, 6-3
2000 – SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

MEDALISTS
Men’s Singles
GOLD – Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Russia)
SILVER – Tommy Haas (Germany)
BRONZE – Arnaud DiPasquale (France)
Men’s Doubles
GOLD – Sebastien Lareau and Daniel Nestor (Canada)
SILVER – Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge (Australia)
BRONZE – Alex Corretja and Albert Costa (Spain)

Women’s Singles
GOLD — Venus Williams (United States)
SILVER – Elena Dementieva (Russia)
BRONZE – Monica Seles (United States)
Women’s Doubles
GOLD – Venus Williams and Serena Williams (United States)
SILVER – Miriam Oremans and Kristie Boogert (Netherlands)
BRONZE – Els Callens and Dominique Van Roost (Belgium)
RESULTS
Men’s Singles Gold Medal Match – Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Russia) def. Tommy Haas (Germany), 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.
Men’s Singles Bronze Medal Match – Arnaud DiPasquale (France) def. Roger Federer (Switzerland), 7-6 (5), 6-7 (7), 6-3
Men’s Doubles Gold Medal Match – Daniel Nestor and Sebastien Lareau (Canada) def. Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge (Australia) 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (2)
Men’s Doubles Bronze Medal Match – Alex Corretja and Albert Costa (Spain), def. David Adams and John-Laffnie de Jager (South Africa), 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
Women’s Singles Gold Medal Match – Venus Williams (United States) def. Elena Dementieva (Russia), 6-2, 6-4
Women’s Singles Bronze Medal Match – Monica Seles (United States) def. Jelena Dokic (Australia), 6-1, 6-4
Women’s Doubles Gold Medal Match – Venus Williams and Serena Williams (United States) def. Miriam Oremans and Kristie Boogert (Netherlands) 6-1, 6-1.
Women’s Doubles Bronze Medal Match – Els Callens and Dominique van Roost (Belgium)def. Natalia Zvereva and Olga Barabanschikova (Belarus), 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
2004 – ATHENS, GREECE

MEDALISTS
Men’s Singles
GOLD – Nicolas Massu (Chile)
SILVER – Mardy Fish (United States)
BRONZE – Fernando Gonzalez (Chile)
Men’s Doubles
GOLD – Nicolas Massu and Fernando Gonzalez (Chile)
SILVER – Nicolas Kiefer and Rainer Schuettler (Germany)
BRONZE – Ivan Ljubicic and Mario Ancic (Croatia)

Women’s Singles
GOLD – Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium)
SILVER – Amelie Mauresmo (France)
BRONZE – Alicia Molik (Australia)
Women’s Doubles
GOLD – Li Ting and Sun Tiantian (China)
SILVER – Virginia Ruano Pascual and Conchita Martinez (Spain)
BRONZE – Paola Suarez and Patricia Tarabini (Argentina)
RESULTS
Men’s Singles Gold Medal Match – Nicolas Massu (Chile) def. Mardy Fish (United States) 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
Men’s Singles Bronze Medal Match – Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) def. Taylor Dent (United States), 6-4, 2-6, 16-14
Men’s Doubles Gold Medal Match – Nicolas Massu and Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) def. Nicolas Kiefer and Rainer Schuettler (Germany), 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4
Men’s Doubles Bronze Medal Match – Ivan Ljubicic and Mario Ancic (Croatia) def. Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi (India), 7-6 (5), 4-6, 16-14
Women’s Singles Gold Medal Match – Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) def. Amelie Mauresmo (France), 6-3, 6-3
Women’s Singles Bronze Medal Match – Alicia Molik (Australia) def. Anastasia Myskina (Russia), 6-3, 6-4
Women’s Doubles Gold Medal Match – Li Ting and Sun Tiantian (China) def. Virginia Ruano Pascual and Conchita Martinez (Spain), 6-3, 6-3
Women’s Doubles Bronze Medal Match – Paola Suarez and Patricia Tarabini (Argentina) def. Ai Sugiyama and Shinobu Asagoe (Japan), 6-3, 6-3

Filed Under: Archives, Lead Story Tagged With: Arantxa Sanchez, Charlotte Cooper, Demetrious Petrokokkinos, Demis Kastaglis, Edwin Hack, Emilio Sanchez, Fritz Traun, Gabriela Sabatini, George Robertson, Goran Ivanisevic, Jennifer Capriati, John Boland, Jordi Arrese, Ken Flach, Marc Rosset, Mary Joe Fernandez, Milan Srejber, Miloslav Mecir, Olympic Games, Robert Seguso, Stefan Edberg, Steffi Graf, Tim Mayotte, Zina Garrisson

25 Years Ago Today: Noah Triumphs!

June 5, 2008 by Randy Walker

It was 25 years ago today on June 5, 1983 when Yannick Noah set off the perhaps the biggest celebration in French tennis since the Four Musketeers won the Davis Cup for France for the first time in 1927, by becoming the first man from his nation to win the French Open singles title, defeating Mats Wilander in the final. June 5 is a day of big occurrences in tennis history, as seen below in this exclusive early excerpt from my upcoming book On This Day in Tennis History. To pre-order this book (due out Sept. 1) you can click here for a 39 percent discount.
June 5
1983 – Yannick Noah creates a frenzy of French patriotism at Stade Roland Garros becoming the first Frenchman in 37 years to win the men’s singles titles at the French Open, defeating Mats Wilander 6-2, 7-5, 7-6 in two hours and 24 minutes in a passion-filled final. Noah serves and volleys and chips and charges on the slow red clay court to become the first Frenchman since Marcel Bernard in 1946 to win the French men’s singles title. Noah was discovered at age 10 in the African nation of Cameroon, the birthplace of his father, when Arthur Ashe informs French Tennis Federation President Philippe Chatrier of Noah’s talent after seeing him play – with a tennis racquet carved out of wood – during a U.S. State Department visit to Cameroon. Wilander was attempting to defend the title he won the year before as an unknown 17-year-old, but is unable to hit enough passing shots to fend off the constant net attacks by the dread-locked 23-year-old Noah. Wrote Bud Collins in the Boston Globe, “Perhaps the French will rename that huge monument at Place de l’Etoile and call it Noah’s Arc de Triomphe. The original outlasted a flood, but the current one opened the floodgates of emotion at Stade Roland Garros and washed away not only the Swedish Reign of Terror in the French Open, but also a seemingly impenetrable barrier that has separated French male players from their own title for 37 years.”
1953 – With his bag packed ready for a trip to Cleveland to play in the U.S. Pro Championships, Bill Tilden, regarded by many as the greatest player in the history of the sport, is found dead in his hotel room in Los Angeles at the age of 60. The cause of death for the seven-time U.S. men’s singles champion is a heart attack.
1973 – A in rare major final played on a Tuesday due to bad weather in Paris, Ilie Nastase beats Nikki Pilic 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in 90 minutes to win the French Open for the first time. Said Nastase, “It meant much more to me to win Forest Hills last September because I thought I could never win a major grass tournament. Still, this is an important one.” Less than one hour after the match, Pilic is notified that he is suspended from competing on the circuit for 25 days for refusing to play for Yugoslavia in Davis Cup play, a decision that results in a player boycott of Wimbledon in defense of Pilic. Nastase, however, is one of the few ATP union players who does not honor the boycott.
1977 – Guillermo Vilas routs Brian Gottfried 6-0, 6-3, 6-0 to win his first major singles title in the most decisive French Open men’s singles final in the event’s history.
1982 – Martina Navratilova wins the French Open for the first time in her career, defeating future nun Andrea Jaeger 7-6, 6-1. Following the match, Jaeger accuses Navratilova of illegally receiving coaching signals from her coach, Renee Richards. ”It sort of blew my concentration,” said Jaeger, the 17-year-old American who was in her first Grand Slam final. ”It’s difficult to be playing three people at once. ‘I was trying in the whole first set to deal with it, and I was doing fine. But it was annoying. They’ve done it in other matches. It’s not very good for tennis. ‘She played well and I lost. But it shouldn’t happen. I might win, 0-0, or lose, 0-0, but I want to win by myself or lose by myself.” Said Navratilova, ”This is a shock. All I can say is that I never looked at Renee except for encouragement. Here I have won the final of one of the biggest tournaments in the world. Thank you very much, Andrea. I didn’t have to look up at them. Before I played, I went over the match 20 times with Renee. I could have recited in my sleep what I had to do against her. I didn’t need to look at Renee.”
1988 – In a near flawless display of clay court tennis, Mats Wilander wins the French Open for a third time in his career, defeating French native son Henri Leconte 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 in the men’s singles final. Wilander misses only two of 74 first serves, committs only nine unforced errors and does not hit a volley during the one-hour and 52 minute match.
1990 – Fourteen-year-old Jennifer Capriati becomes the youngest Grand Slam semifinalist in tennis history, defeating Mary Joe Fernandez 6-2, 6-4 in the women’s quarterfinals at the French Open.
1993 – Steffi Graf wins her third French Open women’s singles title and her 12th career Grand Slam singles title, defeating Mary Joe Fernandez 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the French Open women’s singles final.
1994 – Sergi Bruguera wins his second straight French Open men’s singles title, defeating unseeded countryman Alberto Berasategui 6-3, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 in the men’s singles final.
1999 – Twenty-nine-year-old Steffi Graf claims her 22nd – and final – major singles title, upending Martina Hingis 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 in the women’s singles final at the French Open. Hingis served for the title leading 6-4, 5-4, but Graf, inspired by the French crowd chanting “STEF-FEE, STE-FEE” breaks Hingis and wins eight of the next 10 games. “It was my greatest victory,” said Graf. “I came here without belief – but the crowd lifted me. At 1-0 in the third I knew the momentum was with me. She got tight. Then at 3-0 I got tight and she almost caught me. It was the craziest match. ‘Quit worrying,’ I told myself. ‘Go for your shots.’ I did.”
2003 – Serena Williams is defeated by Belgium’s Justine Henin-Hardenne 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 in front of a raucously pro-Henin Hardenne crowd in the semifinals of the French Open, ending Williams’ 33-match Grand Slam winning streak. The match is highlighted by an incident in the third-set that would prove contentious and acrimonious between the two rivals for years to come. With Williams serving at 4-2, 30-0 in the final set, Henin-Hardenne raises her hand indicating she is not ready to return serve. Williams serves in the net, then protests, to no avail, to the chair umpire and tournament referee that she should be given a first serve, while Henin-Hardenne says nothing of her gesture. Williams then loses the next four points to lose her service-break advantage and eventually the match. Said Henin-Hardenne, “I wasn’t ready to play the point. The chair umpire is there to deal with these kind of situations. I just tried to stay focused on myself and tried to forget all the other things…It’s her point of view but that’s mine now and I feel comfortable with it….I didn’t have any discussion with the chair umpire. He didn’t ask me anything. I was just trying to focus on playing the returns. She saw me and she served. It was her decision to serve. I just tried to stay focused on the second serve. One point in the match doesn’t change the outcome.”
2005 – Nineteen-year-old Rafael Nadal of Spain fends off a charge from unseeded Mariano Puerta of Argentina to win his first major singles title at the French Open. Nadal wins the title and his 24th consecutive match with a 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-1 7-5 decision over Puerta to become the fourth youngest men’s singles champion at Roland Garros. Nadal joins 1982 champion Mats Wilander as the only player to win Roland Garros in his debut.

Filed Under: Archives, Lead Story Tagged With: Andrea Jaeger, Bill Tilden, Boston Globe, Brian Gottfried, Bud Collins, Davis Cup, French Tennis Federation, Guillermo Vilas, Ilie Nastase, Jennifer Capriati, Justine Henin, Marcel Bernard, Mariano Puerta, Martina Navratilova, Mary Joe Fernandez, Mats Wilander, Nikki Pilic, Philippe Chatrier, Rafael Nadal, Renee Richards, Roland Garros, Serena Williams, Sergi Bruguera, Stade Roland Garros, Steffi Graf, Yannick Noah

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