Face Of The Day

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Juan Monaco of Argentina gestures during to a match against Jeremy Chardy of France during the ATP Paris Masters tennis tournament on November 10, 2009.

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Singles - Second Round
[6] N Davydenko (RUS) d B Becker (GER) 62 61
[7] F Verdasco (ESP) d A Seppi (ITA) 67(3) 64 64
[8] J Tsonga (FRA) d A Montanes (ESP) 61 75
[11] G Simon (FRA) d I Ljubicic (CRO) 63 36 76(4)

Singles - First Round
N Almagro (ESP) d M Chiudinelli (SUI) 62 64
[Q] D Guez (FRA) d S Wawrinka (SUI) 63 64
J Monaco (ARG) d J Chardy (FRA) 76(6) 75
J Benneteau (FRA) d P Petzschner (GER) 46 75 63
[Q] A Clement (FRA) d F Lopez (ESP) 63 61

Doubles - First Round
B Soares (BRA) / K Ullyett (ZIM) d P Cuevas (URU) / O Marach (AUT) 61 76(6)
M Granollers (ESP) / T Robredo (ESP) d J Del Potro (ARG) / F Gonzalez (CHI) 76(2) 62
C Kas (GER) / P Kohlschreiber (GER) d J Monaco (ARG) / R Nadal (ESP) 46 75 15-13 - saved 2 M.P
J Kerr (AUS) / T Parrott (USA) d M Damm (CZE) / J Erlich (ISR) 63 64
J Brunstrom (SWE) / J Rojer (AHO) d [WC] S Grosjean (FRA) / F Santoro (FRA) 63 36 10-5

The roaring crowd lifted him over the finish line.

Say what you will about Gilles Simon but, on one leg, he gutted out a victory over Ivan Ljubicic who, after the battle, couldn't get out of there fast enough.

It's tough losing a tight match in a final-set breaker to a player on one leg. Especially when you actually have a serve.

Despite his frail frame and wisp of weaponry, Simon has gonads.

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It was shocking to see how Arnaud Clement tore Feliciano Lopez a new hole.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the defending champ, got through, Julien Benneteau outlasted a choking Philipp Petzschner, and David Guez, a homegrown qualifier, upset Stanislas Wawrinka.

Not a bad day for France, Jeremy Chardy the only casualty.

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Paris Masters Open Thread

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French Sebastien Grosjean jumps to smash a ball against Croatian Ivan Ljubicic during their ATP Paris Indoor Master Tournament tennis match on November 9, 2009 at the Palais Omnisport de Bercy in Paris.

MONDAY, 9 NOVEMBER, 2009

Singles - First Round
[Q] L Kubot (POL) d A Beck (GER) 64 36 64
A Seppi (ITA) d P Kohlschreiber (GER) 63 63
V Troicki (SRB) d P Mathieu (FRA) 76(4) 30 ret. (right calf)
J Isner (USA) d [Q] A Falla (COL) 46 76(10) 75 - saved 3 M.P.
[WC] M Safin (RUS) d [Q] T Ascione (FRA) 64 46 76(3) - saved 3 M.P.
I Karlovic (CRO) d P Cuevas (URU) 76(3) 64
A Montanes (ESP) d V Hanescu (ROU) 36 63 76(3)
I Ljubicic (CRO) d [WC] S Grosjean (FRA) 76(2) 64
T Berdych (CZE) d [Q] V Millot (FRA) 63 76(4)

Doubles - First Round
[WC] A Clement (FRA) / M Llodra (FRA) d J Levinsky (CZE) / F Polasek (SVK) 36 61 10-4
S Aspelin (SWE) / P Hanley (AUS) d J Chardy (FRA) / G Simon (FRA) 64 36 10-7
J Benneteau (FRA) / J Tsonga (FRA) d J Coetzee (RSA) / M Melo (BRA) 63 64


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French national football team captain Thierry Henry (L) and a team mate attend the Paris Bercy Indoor Masters ATP tennis tournament, on November 9, 2009 in Paris.

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French Gunther Low, 'air guitar' world champion, performs before the start of the ATP Paris Indoor Master Tournament first round tennis match, on November 8, 2009.

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Even though it's way late on the ATP calendar, this has been one of my favorite tournaments over the years. Fast indoor carpet. (Oops. That was changed to a hard court recently.) Enthusiastic fans. Nightclub/rock concert atmosphere. Some great mini-classics contested over the years.

The Top 4 are entered and, if there are no last-minute withdrawals, all can face some trouble before the quarterfinals. Rafael Nadal has drawn defending championg Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarters, but may have to face nemesis Tomas Berdych in the third round. Roger Federer won't be troubled by Fernando Verdasco in the quarters, but he could get all he can handle from Gael Monfils in the third round. Will be interested to see how he recovers from losing his home crown to Novak Djokovic, who could have a challenge from Feliciano Lopez in the third round, before facing Nikolay Davydenko in the quarters. Andy Murray draw the toughest quarter and could cruise or lose at any point before facing Juan Martín del Potro in the quarters.

It should be interesting to see which top players still have the physical and mental drive to stand tall on Sunday, or will a new champion be crowned?

Italy Wins Second Fed Cup

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Team Italy (left Corrado Barazzutti, Francesca Schiavone, Roberta Vinci, Sara Errani, Flavia Pennetta) lift the trophy after the final match of the Fed Cup World Group between Italy and the USA at Circolo Tennis Rocco Polimeni on November 8, 2009 in Reggio Calabria, Italy.

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Twas a clean sweep.

Sunday Champions

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Novak Djokovic of Serbia kisses the trophy after defeating Roger Federer of Switzerland in the final during Day Seven of the Davidoff Swiss Indoors Tennis at St Jakobshalle on November 8, 2009 in Basel, Switzerland.

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This was the only match I watched. The most interesting part of it was the 23-minute game that closed out the first set. That passage of play encapsulated their entire rivalry and demonstrates why I have a hard time watching these two play each other. It's like Raja can't positively channel his dislike of Djoke and Djoke, it seems, keeps waiting for Fed to do just that and starts falling apart himself.

It's become a rivalry that produces ugly tennis.

Still, to watch Raja dismantled in front of his hometown crowd at an event he's won three years running against a player he really doesn't like and respects even less was quite a spectacle.

Will be interesting to see where they go from here.

Reuters

Andy Murray of Britain poses with the Valencia Open Throphy after defeating Mikhail Youzhny of Russia in the Valencia Open final tennis match in Valencia November 8, 2009.

Fernandez and Farina Receive Fed Cup Award

Mary Joe Fernandez and Silvia Farina Honored with 2009 Fed Cup Award of Excellence


Silvia Farina (Elia)

NEWPORT, R.I., U.S.A., November 7, 2009 - The International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) have announced that Mary Joe Fernandez, USA Fed Cup Captain, and Silvia Farina, the player with the most Fed Cup wins in Italy's history, are the recipients of the 2009 Fed Cup Award of Excellence. Presentation of the Fed Cup Award of Excellence will be made on Sunday, November 8 in Reggio Calabria, Italy during the Fed Cup World Group Final presented by BNP Paribas and contested between USA and Italy.

Presenting the award will be ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti and Jane Brown Grimes, president emerita of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum.

"Mary Joe and Silvia have played an important role in the history and growth of the Fed Cup, with Mary Joe leading Team USA to their first final in nine years and Silvia posting such tremendous results for Italy over the years," said ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti. "They have both been active contributors to the Fed Cup and we are honored today to present them with the 2009 Fed Cup Award of Excellence."

The Fed Cup Award of Excellence was inaugurated by the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the International Tennis Federation in 2001. The Fed Cup Award of Excellence is presented to a person who represents the ideals and spirit of the Fed Cup competition and must be a member of a past or present Fed Cup team.

Current Team USA Captain Mary Joe Fernandez was a member of the 1996 winning Fed Cup team. During her career, Fernandez had seven WTA singles victories, 17 doubles titles and was ranked as high as No. #4 in the world. Fernandez captured two Grand Slam doubles victories (1996 French Open with Lindsay Davenport and 1991 Australian Open with Patty Fendick). In addition, she was the runner-up in three Grand Slam singles tournaments. Fernandez has two Olympic gold medals, won in partnership with Gigi Fernández. Fernandez retired in 2000 and is currently a commentator for ESPN.

Italy's Silvia Farina reached a career high world ranking of No. 11 in 2002. She captured three singles victories and 11 doubles victories during her career. In addition, she represented Italy on nine Fed Cup teams and three Olympic teams. Farina has a record 23 Fed Cup victories, more than any other Italian player in Fed Cup history.

Past recipients of the Fed Cup Award of Excellence are Spain's Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario and Conchita Martinez in 2001; Great Britain's Virginia Wade in 2002; Larisa Savchenko of Latvia in 2003; Olga Morozova of Russia in 2004; Françoise "Frankie" Dürr of France in 2005; Sabine Appelmans of Belgium in 2006; Lea Pericoli of Italy in 2007; and Miguel Margets of Spain in 2008.

The 2009 World Group Fed Cup Final presented by BNP Paribas will be contested in Calabria, Italy between USA and Italy on November 7 - 8. The tournament will be streamed live on www.fedcup.tv

Fed Cup Final Open Thread

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USA team during the national anthems at the Final of the Fed Cup World Group between Italy and the USA at Circolo Tennis Rocco Polimeni on November 7, 2009 in Reggio Calabria, Italy.

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Italy leads USA 1-0. I haven't checked the scores, but that would mean Flavia Pennetta had her way with Alexa Glatch. Melanie Oudin just broke Francesca Schiavone in the fourth game of the second rubber.

Quote For The Day

"It's in the hands of the Grand Slam administrator, who I believe has now completed his investigation and will be making a ruling within the next two weeks. That's what we have been told -- that Serena would hear, we would hear. We really have not gone down that path of making a judgment as to what would be right or wrong at this point. She was defaulted out of the singles and she has apologized sincerely. So we'll just have to see what the Grand Slam administrator comes to the Grand Slam committee chairs with. I think Serena is very anxious to hear." --Lucy Garvin, USTA President

Face Of The Day

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Leonardo Mayer of Argentina, reacts during the ATP 500 World Tour Valencia Open tennis tournament against Andy Murray of Britain at the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, in Valencia, Spain, Thursday Nov. 5, 2009.

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Singles - Second Round
[1] A Murray (GBR) d L Mayer (ARG) 64 36 63
[2] N Davydenko (RUS) d J Monaco (ARG) 63 75
[4] F Verdasco (ESP) d J Tipsarevic (SRB) 63 63
[7] T Robredo (ESP) d F Lopez (ESP) 46 63 64
A Montanes (ESP) d [8] D Ferrer (ESP) w/o (hamstring)
M Youzhny (RUS) d P Cuevas (URU) 62 26 61

Doubles - Quarterfinals
[3] F Cermak (CZE) / M Mertinak (SVK) d J Coetzee (RSA) / S Huss (AUS) 36 64 13-11
V Hanescu (ROU) / H Tecau (ROU) d P Cuevas (URU) / J Monaco (ARG) 75 61
M Granollers (ESP) / T Robredo (ESP) d M Knowles (BAH) / M Llodra (FRA) 75 64

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Davidoff Swiss Indoors Basel

Singles - Second Round
[2] N Djokovic (SRB) d J Hernych (CZE) 60 60
[4] [WC] M Cilic (CRO) d V Troicki (SRB) 76(7) 67(8) 76(6) - saved 3 M.P.
[6] S Wawrinka (SUI) d J Nieminen (FIN) 75 26 61
R Gasquet (FRA) d J Isner (USA) 46 76(9) 62 - saved 2 M.P.
[Q] E Korolev (RUS) d J Chardy (FRA) 64 76(1)
[WC] M Chiudinelli (SUI) d [Q] M Lammer (SUI) 26 63 63

Doubles - Quarterfinals
[1] D Nestor (CAN) / N Zimonjic (SRB) d J Cerretani (USA) / A Qureshi (PAK) 64 64
C Kas (GER) / V Troicki (SRB) d S Lipsky (USA) / F Polasek (SVK) 64 62
M Melo (BRA) / A Sa (BRA) d L Dlouhy (CZE) / P Kohlschreiber (GER) 63 64

Outrageous

US Open semi-finalist Yanina Wickmayer and her Belgian compatriot Xavier Malisse were on Thursday handed one-year bans for falling foul of doping regulations, the Belga news agency reported.

Wickmayer, the world number 18, was suspended by the Flemish Doping Tribunal (VDT) for failing to fulfil [sic] the controversial "whereabouts rule" while Malisse was also punished for missing a drugs test.

Both players can appeal their suspensions to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The suspension was announced despite 20-year-old Wickmayer currently playing in the Tournament of Champions event in Bali where on Friday she would be attempting to reach the semi-finals.

Wickmayer was accused of failing on three occasions to fulfil [sic] the ADAMS (Anti-Doping Administration and Management System) under which athletes are obliged to tell national anti-doping authorities where they will be at a chosen hour each day for a three-month period.

The sanctions came as a surprise - only last month, it was expected that the two players would escape with just a reprimand.

Malisse, 29, is currently 95 in the world, having been at 19 in 2002. He has won three titles in his career.

Color me curious that two Belgian players who haven't even tested positive for anything are banned for a year by a Flemish Doping Tribunal from the sport simply for not reporting whereabouts or missing a test mere weeks before another controversial Belgian player returns to the tour.

Can't say I'm a fan of either player -- didn't even know Malisse was still playing -- but this seems like overkill.

Actually, I think it's outrageous.

Wickmayer, who's contesting that other event that has no business on the WTA calendar, said she would immediately appeal.

Roland Garros To Move?

I hope the new stadium, if built, has lights.

The federation announced this year a project to build a new center court with a retractable roof that could be in use by 2013 or 2014.

The new 14,600-seat stadium would be located just under 500 yards from the current center court and surrounded by two other smaller, covered arenas at a cost of $177 million.

The project is reportedly facing opposition from green members of the city council and residents living near the stadium. Paris city hall said it remained committed to the project.

“Paris city hall and its political majority wants the French Open to stay in Paris,” city hall said in a statement. “We are well aware of the necessity for the French tennis federation to modernize its facilities to stay competitive. We want to find a solution in this area.”

Ysern said the federation has the right to use Roland Garros until 2015.

“We have already injected a lot of money, an architect has been appointed and has already started his works. We can’t lose our time. We have to build,” Ysern said.

The FFT chose architect Marc Mimram, who designed the overpass that connects France and Germany across the Rhine River in Strasbourg.

Ysern added the FFT would pursue other options—including the possibility of moving the tournament away from its historical site—in case the new stadium project falls through.

“We are thinking about the impact of such a relocation,” Ysern said. “When you want something and you understand it’s not sure that you are going to get it, you have to think about other options.”

The FFT hasn’t determined a site yet but it would be difficult to build a new arena in Paris itself, with the organizers probably being forced to consider a move toward the suburbs.

No Title Sponsor?

Would love to be a fly on the wall for these negotiations.

"The deadline to respond to the renewal is the end of this year," Aldo Liguori, Sony Ericsson's corporate vice-president and head of global communications, told reporters on the final day of the $4.5 million Tour Championships.

"We still have a little bit of time left. I can certainly confirm we are looking at it very carefully. We are looking at our sponsorship seriously.

"We haven't made any decision yet, and all options are open. We will announce the decision alongside our partner at the appropriate time. That's all that I can say today because as of today we've not made any decision."

Basel And Valencia Open Thread

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Roger Federer of Switzerland receives an award for his 3 previous wins in Basel before his match against Olivier Rochus of Belgium during Day One of the Davidoff Swiss Indoors Tennis at St Jakobshalle on November 2, 2009 in Basel, Switzerland.

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The world No. 1 is back.

Andy Murray is back.

The season is too long.

Have at it.

Andre Agassi And Doping II

This is not a dead issue.

"We take it extremely seriously if anyone has taken anything on the banned list of drugs, whether it is believed to be performance-enhancing or not," Howman told the Sunday Telegraph.

Last week's admission by Agassi that he took crystal meth and then deceived the authorities by declaring that he had fallen prey to "spiked soda" will not be allowed to rest by Wada.

The agency has an eight-year statute of limitations and cannot punish the player now he has retired, but Howman is demanding that the ATP and ITF take action. He wants the governing bodies to investigate whether he "lied on oath" after he failed the drugs test in 1997.

"Wada's position is simple," said Howman. "The tennis authorities should investigate a possible breach of the law by Agassi, if he lied on oath about this, and also a possible breach of the law by his lawyers. If his lawyers knew at the time he was lying, then that is extremely serious.

"There are limitations over what he can do, but we don't believe this is a dead issue. We believe the authorities should be investigating the possibility of perjury."

Wada are due to send out letters to the authorities this week.

I don't see how WADA can really do anything since it didn't have jurisdiction over the case in 1997, but it sure doesn't appear as though it wants to be disregarded.

Quote For The Day

"So back to my first question: What’s special about Serena’s game? There are many elements you could point to, of course, but what struck me in Doha was how the normal rules of the sport don’t seem to apply to her. She can run through an approach shot and still put it right where she wants it. She can hit a backhand winner with her body completely open and parallel to the net. She can make perfectly solid contact with a ball even she's off balance. She can get to a short ball a second late and find a way to flip it inside-out for a surprisingly angled winner.

"Her ability to do this is generally chalked up to the vague and faintly insulting term “athleticism.” And that’s got a lot to do with it, even if it is a cliché. It was said that Boris Becker couldn’t put two service tosses in a row anywhere near each other, but it didn’t matter, he was such an athlete that he just went up and crushed the ball, wherever it happened to be—the normal rules didn’t apply to him. But when it comes to the Williamses, I also think of something Andy Roddick said about the way the sisters trained as kids in Florida. He said that no one worked more diligently or hit balls with more purpose or dedication than they did. What seems like talent or god-given athleticism in a top player is always the product of work as well, work that was done long before we saw that player on TV. Serena is still living off of it. Whatever position she finds herself in as she sets up for a shot, her ability to make something out of it, to hit the ball well, remains automatic.

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After a week of wild and painful drama in Doha, I found myself thinking...[w]hy can’t we have more serves like this? Why can’t we have more solid and impressive tennis? Maybe we will next year. Until then, I’m happy to leave 2009 with a reminder, six weeks after she was at her worst at the U.S. Open, of how good the women's game can look when Serena Williams is at her best." --Steve Tignor

Indoor Champions

I kicked the ATP to the curb to cover the Sony Ericsson Championships, but the beloved-by-all Marat Safin played his last match in Russia, bowing to the eventual champion, a few veterans took titles, a young qualifier won his second, and another Argentinean announced himself.



Seventh seed Jurgen Melzer ended a 21-year wait for a homegrown champion at the Bank Austria Tennis Trophy Sunday in Vienna as he defeated top seed Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-3 in the final of the ATP World Tour 250 indoor hard-court tennis tournament on November 1, 2009.


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Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia kisses his trophy after winning his Lyon Open final tennis match against Michael Llodra of France in Lyon November 1, 2009.


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Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine holds up the trophy after defeating Horacio Zeballos of Argentina in the men's final match at the St.Petersburg Open tennis tournament November 1, 2009.

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This week, Roger Federer, despite rumors he was going to rest the rest of the season, returns to action to defend his title at his hometown tournament in Basel and Andy Murray descends upon Valencia to take on the Spanish stars in a new old event.