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USTA Working with Serbian Media to Sort Through Credential Miscommunications

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By Romi Cvitkovic

March 14, 2013 — The U.S. Tennis Association said Thursday that they are working closely with the Serbian media outlet Sportska Centrala to sort through miscommunications regarding media credentials for the upcoming USA vs. Serbia Davis Cup series April 5-7 in Boise, Idaho.
Multiple USTA media representatives reached out to representatives of Tennis Grandstand Thursday to communicate that procedures for applying for the media credentials were not handled properly, thus the application for reporter Nebojsa Petrovacki was denied. Petrovacki is a former editor-at-large for Sportska Centrala, has covered dozens of ATP and WTA events over the last ten years, and is currently at the BNP Paribas Open as credentialed media.
While the Serbian Tennis Federation had stated in a correspondence with Sportska Centrala’s editor in chief, Alex Krstanovic, that only one Serbian journalist was credentialed for the series to their knowledge, the USTA said Thursday that at least four outlets were approved to cover the matches. According to the USTA, of those credentialed, only one applied as print media while the rest were internet or television applications.
Krstanovic, in an email on Thursday, said that in the media outlet’s original application for the Davis Cup tie, the Serbian Tennis Federation supported their reporter’s request for a credential, and had followed up with the International Tennis Federation on Thursday morning regarding the situation as well.
However, the USTA detailed that initial proper steps were not fully executed by the media outlet to warrant approval of the credential request upon original review.
The USTA has reached out to Petrovacki, and pending that proper steps are taken by the media outlet, the USTA “foresees (Petrovacki) getting re-credentialed” for the Davis Cup event in April.
With world No. 1 Novak Djokovic scheduled to participate as well as the soon-to-be named US team of John Isner, Sam Querrey, and Mike and Bob Bryan, the Davis Cup quarterfinal between the two tennis powerhouse countries is selling out fast. Secure your tickets here.
This article is a follow up to Wednesday’s piece on the denial of reporter Nebojsa Petrovacki’s credential request for the Davis Cup.

Mondays With Bob Greene: Naturally We Are Annoyed

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STARS
Roger Federer won the Davidoff Swiss Indoors, beating David Nalbandian 6-3 6-4 in Basel, Switzerland
Andy Murray beat Andrey Golubev 6-1 6-1 to win the St. Petersburg Open in St. Petersburg, Russia
Robin Soderling won the Grand Prix de Tennis De Lyon by beating Julien Benneteau 6-3 6-7 (5) 6-1 in Lyon, France
Ana Ivanovic beat Vera Zvonareva 6-2 6-1 to win the Generali Ladies Linz in Linz, Austria
Elena Dementieva stopped Carolina Wozniacki 2-6 6-4 7-6 (4) to win the FORTIS Championships in Luxembourg
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova beat Julie Coin 6-4 6-3 to win the Internationaux Feminins de la Vienne in Poitiers, France
Hyung-Taik Lee won the Samsung Securities Cup Challenger in Seoul, Korea, by beating Ivo Minar 6-4 6-0
Jim Courier beat Thomas Enqvist 3-6 6-4 10-8 (Champions tiebreak) to win the Stanford Championships in Dallas, Texas
SAYINGS
“There was a bit of disappointment but I gave a good fight for almost five years, so I’m proud of that, and I think Rafa deserves it this year because he’s played consistently well.” – Roger Federer, admitting he’s disappointed about not finishing the year as the number one player.
“This season has been hard, long and punishing. I will be very happy when I lose in Bercy.” – Richard Gasquet, after losing in Lyon, France, and talking about this week’s tournament in Paris.
“To see him give up mentally beforehand is quite simply abnormal. It is disrespectful vis-à-vis the public who he is counting on supporting him at Bercy. Naturally we are annoyed.” – Patrice Dominguez, national technical director of the French Tennis Federation, referring to Gasquet’s comment.
“This year has been a very positive year for me and I am looking forward to continued success in Doha.” – Venus Williams, after qualifying for the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha.
“It has been awhile since I last played and it feels wonderful to be one of the best eight players of the regular Sony Ericsson WTA Tour season.” – Vera Zvonareva, who qualified for the Sony Ericsson Championships.
“You could never forecast that he was going to miss that shot. 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.” – Jim Courier, after Thomas Enqvist shanked an easy overhead on match point.
“I think I was just too casual. 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.” – Thomas Enqvist.
“For the first set and a half we were completely outplayed. At 4-3 down in the second set Bopanna double-faulted at 40-40, and after that the momentum shifted our way.” – Travis Parrott, after teaming with Filip Polasek to win the doubles at St. Petersburg, Russia.
“I’m really disappointed with how I played today. I had no concentration at any stage of the match. Maybe today I finally paid for all of the traveling and the many matches I’ve played over the last several weeks.” – Vera Zvonareva, after losing to Ana Ivanovic in the title match of the Generali Ladies Linz.
“Rafael Nadal has donated the racquet he used to win the 2008 Wimbledon final, Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi both donated tennis racquets, while Roger Federer gave us the shirt off his own back.” – Lleyton Hewitt, on items donated to help raise money for a charity, Cure Our Kids.
SET FOR DOHA
The final two spots in the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships have been clinched by Vera Zvonareva and Venus Williams. The women’s tour will wind up with world’s top eight singles players and top four doubles teams in Doha, Qatar, November 4-9. It will be the third time Venus Williams will compete in the season-ending event, but her first since 2002. Others in the field include Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic, Serena Williams, Dinara Safina, Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova.
SIGN OF RESPECT
The new tennis center in Brisbane, Australia, has been named for two-time US Open champion Pat Rafter. The 5,500-seat Rafter Arena will open in January for the Brisbane International men’s and women’s hard court championships. The tournament is a warm-up for the Australian Open, which is held in Melbourne. Novak Djokovic, Marcos Baghdatis and Ana Ivanovic are confirmed for the event, the first international tennis tournament to be played in Brisbane since 1994.
SWEDE VICTORY
When Robin Soderling captured his second Lyon trophy, he became the first Swedish player to win an ATP title in almost three years. The last Swede to capture a tournament on the men’s tour was Thomas Johansson at St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2005. The victory over Frenchman Julien Benneteau will move Soderling into the top 20 of the South African Airways ATP Rankings for the first time. At Lyon, Soderling beat two top-ten players, Andy Roddick and Gilles Simon.
SWISS STAR
Roger Federer won his third straight Davidoff Swiss Indoors crown in his native Basel, Switzerland. He also has been runner-up twice in his nine appearances in Basel. And his 57th career title moves Federer into a tie with Ilie Nastase on the ATP list. He is now three titles behind Andre Agassi. Basel was Federer’s fourth title of 2008, highlighted by his fifth consecutive US Open win. This one came over David Nalbandian, the 2002 Swiss Indoors winner and the tournament’s number two seed. It was the first time since 1993 that the two top seeds have reached the final at Basel.
SHORT DAY
Andy Murray needed only 56 minutes to successfully defend his St. Petersburg Open title by defeating qualifier Andrey Golubev 6-1 6-1. It was the shortest final on the ATP tour this year, and the second fewest games in a title match since Mikhail Youzhny crushed Rafael Nadal 6-0 6-1 at the Chennai Open in January. Now ranked fourth in the world, Murray becomes the first British player to win consecutive titles since Mark Cox did it in March 1975. The Scott has won five titles this year, second only to the eight captured by Nadal. Murray is on a 12-match winning streak and has won 18 of his last 19 matches since losing in the first round of the Beijing Olympics to Taiwan’s Lu Yen-Hsun.
SHORT STAY
For the second straight year, Nikolay Davydenko made a brief appearance at the St. Petersburg Open. This time he injured his left wrist during a first-round victory over Chris Guccione, and then pulled out of the tournament. “I was able to finish the match, but today I felt a lot of pain and I just can’t play,” Davydenko said. Last year, the Russian was fined USD $2,000 by the ATP for not trying hard enough during his loss to qualifier Marin Cilic in a second-round match. The fine was overturned on appeal. Davydenko’s victory over Guccione was his 50th match win of the season, the fourth straight year he has won at least 50 matches.
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STAYING ON TOP
Despite what happens the rest of the way, Jelena Jankovic will end the season as the number one player in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour rankings. Jankovic has a commanding points lead over Dinara Safina and will remain in the top spot regardless of the outcome of the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha. She secured the year-ending ranking by winning 12 straight matches en route to three consecutive titles in Beijing, Stuttgart and Moscow. She lost in the US Open final and reached the semifinals of two other Grand Slam tournaments.
SITTER MISSED
Holding match point at 9-8 in the Champions tiebreaker, Jim Courier sent a high defensive lob that just made it over the net in the final of the Stanford Championships in Dallas, Texas. But Thomas 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, giving Courier his sixth career Outback Champions Series title, 3-6 6-4 10-8 (Championships tiebreak). “I think I was too casual,” Enqvist said, while Courier said the missed overhead was “one of the nuttiest match points I’ve ever been a part of.”
SEASIDE TENNIS
Four top players will lead a five-day tennis “fantasy camp” on Maui, Hawaii, in November. Lindsay Davenport, Tom Gullikson, Robby Ginepri and Corina Morariu will participate in the four days of instruction and free play. Gullikson is the former US Davis Cup captain and Olympic coach, while Davenport was ranked number one in the world in both singles and doubles. She is one of only four women – joining Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert – to have been the year-ending number one at least four times. Ginepri is one of the top five American players currently on the ATP tour, while Morariu was ranked number one in the world in doubles before being diagnosed with leukemia. She made a complete recovery and was named Comeback Player of the Year on the WTA Tour. The “fantasy camp” is for adult tennis players ranging in skill from recreational to tournament-level.
STRIKING PAIR
Hall of Famer Michael Chang and women’s tennis pro Amber Liu are now husband and wife. Matthew Cronin reports the pair was married at Lake Hills Community Church in Laguna Hills, California, with the reception and dinner taking place at the St. Regis Hotel in Dana Point, California. Among those in attendance were Chang’s brother and coach, Carl; his cousin James Wan, who plays for Stanford University; John Austin, Anne Yelsey, Dick Gould, Lele Forood, Eliot Teltscher and Peanut Louis.
STRONG SALES
The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Championships will have some people in the seats, if ticket sales are any indication. According to tournament officials, more than 95 percent of the premium seats have been sold for the season-ending event that features the world’s top eight women’s singles players and top four doubles teams. The Championships will be held November 4-9 at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex in Doha, Qatar.
STANDING TALL
Lleyton Hewitt and his wife Bec have begun a month-long fundraising auction with proceeds going to Cure Our Kids, an organization which supports children with cancer and their families at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in New South Wales, Australia. The auction includes items donated by the Hewitts as well as from Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Ana Ivanovic, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graff, among others.
SAD NEWS
A former top-100 player from Italy, Federico Luzzi, is dead at the age of 28. Luzzi died at a hospital in Arezzo, Italy, of leukemia. He was hospitalized after retiring a few days earlier from an Italian league match, citing a high fever. He reached a career-high ranking of number 92 in 2002 before a shoulder injury plagued him the rest of his career. In February, Luzzi was suspended for 200 days and fined USD $50,000 by the ATP for betting on tennis. In 2001, he beat Ville Liukko of Finland 14-12 in the fifth set to complete a 4-hour, 35-minute victory, the longest Davis Cup match ever played by an Italian.
SO LONG
Bill Rusick, an All-American college player and later tennis coach and co-owner of a tennis club, has died at the age of 51. Rusick led Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville to two national championships and was inducted into the school’s hall of fame. He coached at McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois, and served as club pro and co-owner at St. Clair Tennis Club. He suffered from pancreatic cancer.
SHARED PERFORMANCES
Basel: Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles beat Christopher Kas and Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3 6-3
St. Petersburg: Travis Parrott and Filip Polasek beat Rohan Bopanna and Max Mirnyi 3-6 7-6 (4) 10-8 (match tiebreak)
Lyon: Michael Llodra and Andy Ram beat Stephen Huss and Ross Hutchins 6-3 5-7 10-8 (match tiebreak)
Seoul: Lukasz Kubot and Oliver Marach beat Sanchai Ratiwatana and Sonchat Ratiwatana 7-5 4-6 10-6 (match tiebreak)
Linz: Katarina Srebotnik and Ai Sugiyama beat Cara Black and Liezel Huber 6-4 7-5
Luxembourg: Sorana Cirstea and Marina Erakovic beat Vera Dushevina and Mariya Koryttseva 2-6 6-3 10-8 (match tiebreak)
Poitiers: Petra Cetkovska and Lucie Safarova beat Akgul Amanmuradova and Monica Niculescu 6-4 6-4
SITES TO SURF
Paris: www.fft.fr/bnpparibasmasters//
Quebec: www.challengebell.com
Bratislava: www.stz.sk
Busan: www.busanopen.org/
Cali: www.tennisegurobolivar.com/
Doha: www.Sonyericsson-championships.com
Sunrise: http://www.championsseriestennis.com/arizona2008/
TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK
(All money in USD)
ATP
$2,450,000 BNP Paribas Masters, Paris, France, carpet
$125,000 Seguros Bolivar Open, Cali, Colombia, clay
$100,000 Busan Open Challenger, Busan, South Korea, hard
WTA TOUR
$175,000 Bell Challenge, Quebec City, Quebec, hard
$100,000 Ritro Slovak Open, Bratislava, Slovak Republic, hard
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
WTA TOUR
$4,450,000 Sony Ericsson Championships, Doha, Qatar, hard
$100,000 ITF women’s event, Krakow, Poland, hard
ATP
$106,500 Tatra Banka Open, Bratislava, Slovakia, hard
SENIORS
Cancer Treatment Centers of America Championships at Surprise, Surprise, Arizona

Krickstein and Courier Win Stanford Openers In Dallas

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DALLAS, October 22 – Aaron Krickstein and Jim Courier both registered opening night round-robin wins Wednesday at the 2008 Stanford Championships in Dallas at the Turpin Tennis Center on the campus of Southern Methodist University. Krickstein kicked off play with a 7-6 (4), 6-4 win over Todd Martin, while Courier defeated Karel Novacek of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-1. 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.
Krickstein’s win marked his second straight win over Martin in Outback Champions Series play, having beaten the 1994 Australian Open and 1999 US Open finalist earlier in the year in Naples, Fla. The two have played five times in all on the Outback Champions Series, Martin winning the first three meetings in 2006 and 2007 to lead the series 3-2. The two played three times during their ATP careers, Martin winning two of the three matches.
“I was taking what the match was giving,” said Krickstein of his win Wednesday. “Todd hits a bigger ball. I play a little steadier than Todd. He’s going to hit more winners. He’s gonna make more errors. That’s the way we’ve both always played. I felt like I had to serve well tonight to at least hold my serve and hang in there with his serve. I thought I did that.”
Martin struggled with his consistency during the match and said the cold and blustery conditions affected him more than usual after being low on match practice after suffering from a nagging back injury for most of the year.
“Aaron is really smart,” said Martin. “He’s a tighter player in the first place. He does a real good job of playing within himself — maybe too much at times, playing within himself. I can only last so long to play a well-constructed point. I got worse. I felt all right at the beginning – first time on hard court in a few weeks. It felt like 50 degrees, windy. I haven’t been on the court a whole lot lately because of my health. I just didn’t feel great. I made a concerted effort to play a couple of longer points, to see if I can’t get him to give me something. But he’s a stingy guy. He just doesn’t give many free points away.”
Krickstein, the former U.S. Davis Cup standout best known as the youngest man to win an ATP singles title at age 16 in Tel Aviv, Israel in 1983, continued his steady results of late on the Outback Champions Series. He reached his first Outback Champion Series final in Naples, Fla., in 2007, losing to Wayne Ferreira, while he reached his second career final earlier this year in Boston, losing to John McEnroe. He also finished in fourth place last month in Charlotte. His results so far this year as earned him a No. 5 ranking in the Stanford Champions Rankings that determine the year-end champion on the Outback Champions Series and the winner of a $100,000 bonus courtesy of Stanford Financial. Courier leads the rankings after five events with 3000 points, followed by John McEnroe with 1800 points, Wayne Ferreira with 1450 points, Martin with 1400 points and Krickstein with 1250 points.
Courier, a two-time French and Australian Open champion, had little difficulty with Novacek Wednesday, dictating play for most of the evening. Courier was the runner-up in Dallas last year, losing to Ferreira in the championship match.
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;
Thursday, October 23
6:30pm
Thomas Enqvist vs. Jimmy Arias
Wayne Ferreira vs. Justin Gimelstob
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 Group Standings
Group A
Jim Courier 1-0
Wayne Ferreira 0-0
Justin Gimelstob 0-0
Karel Novacek 0-1
Group B
Aaron Krickstein 1-0
Thomas Enqvist 0-0
Jimmy Arias 0-0
Todd Martin 0-1

What Happened 10, 20 and 25 Years Ago Today?

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So what salient events in the history of tennis happened 10, 20 and 25 years ago today? A gold medal, a first career ATP singles victory and hallmark achievement for John McEnroe. Read below from my soon-to-be-released book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, November 1, 2008 release, pre-order for 30 percent off at www.tennistomes.com) and enjoy.
September 30
1988 – Miloslav Mecir defeats Tim Mayotte 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 in the gold medal match at the Seoul Olympics in Seoul, Korea becoming the first man to win Olympic gold medal since tennis returned as a full-medal Olympic sport after a 64-year hiatus. No. 10 ranked Mecir, from the Slovak portion of Czechoslovakia, throws his racquet into the air and runs to the net with a wide grin after Mayotte nets a backhand volley on match point. “‘It’s a very good feeling,” Mecir says of winning gold. ”It’s difficult to say how this rates, however. I’ve played in so many tournaments. It is nice, though, to hear people cheering not only because I’m a good player, but because I am playing for them also.” Says Mayotte, “It’s strange because here, the emphasis is on medals instead of 100 percent on winning. So there is consolation in getting to the medal group. The ceremony was fantastic, it’s such a different way of doing things.” In women’s doubles, Pam Shriver and Zina Garrison win the gold medal, edging Helena Sukova and Jana Novotna of Czechoslovakia 4-6, 6-2, 10-8 in the gold medal match. “If I never do anything else in my life, this will be the highlight,” says Shriver. “It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten a charge like this from anything. This is just so different. Zina and I didn’t even know each other that well before we came here. And then we got here, were roommates, did everything together — including having her beat my brains out in singles the other day — and then we win this. It’s going to be hard to top for a while.” Says Garrison, “It was really strange to be on the victory stand and hear your national anthem. It’s just got to be the special moment in your life.”
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1998 – Seventeen-year-old Roger Federer defeats Guillaume Raoux of France 6-2, 6-2 in the first round in Toulouse for his first ATP singles match victory. Rene Stauffer, in his book The Roger Federer Story, Quest for Perfection, summarizes Federer’s achievement, “Yet, before the chase for the year-end No. 1 junior ranking reached its decisive phase, the unexpected happened. Federer achieved his first great breakthrough on the ATP Tour. With a ranking of No. 878, he traveled to Toulouse, France at the end of September and, to his own surprise, advanced through the qualifying rounds to progress into the main draw of the tournament. In only his second ATP tournament, the 17-year-old registered an upset victory over No. 45-ranked Guillaume Raoux of France-his first ATP match victory-allowing the Frenchman just four games. In the next round, Federer proved this win was not a fluke by defeating former Australian Davis Cup star Richard Fromberg 6-1, 7-6 (5). In the quarterfinals-his sixth match of the tournament including matches in the qualifying rounds-Federer lost to Jan Siemerink 7-6 (5), 6-2, with a throbbing thigh injury hampering him during the match. The Dutchman was ranked No. 20 and went on to win the tournament two days later, but Federer was also handsomely rewarded. He received a prize money check for $10,800 and passed 482 players in the world rankings in one tournament-moving to No. 396.”
1983 – John McEnroe defeats Ireland’s Sean Sorensen 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to tie two U.S. Davis Cup records in the Davis Cup qualifying round against Ireland in Dublin, Ireland. McEnroe’s win over Sorenson ties him with his Davis Cup Captain Arthur Ashe for the most singles victories by an American Davis Cupper with 27. The win also ties McEnroe with Vic Seixas for the most total wins (singles and doubles) with 38.