Black Tennis Pros

I absolutely love this article by Claudia Johnson that appears on SI.com. It captures my total disdain for inept commentators and why the mute button on my remote is practically worn out.

Color me cranky, but tennis commentators who talk during points chap my ass (as we used to say where I grew up in Texas). It's like trying to watch your favorite film with the director's commentary running -- and you can't turn it off. Or sinking into a soothing massage and your masseuse won't shut up.

Mind you, I think tennis commentators are the best in the biz -- smart, funny, insightful. I agree with SI.com's Jon Wertheim that they're "a competent bunch with a nice mix of styles" and that "critiques about the commentators are fairly muted," but I have to second Tennis Magazine Editor-in-Chief James Martin's suggestion:

"Television needs to come up with a new mute button. Not one that blocks out the sounds of the game. Listening to the ball come off the strings, the sliding (or squeaking, depending on surface) of the shoes, the grunts of the players, and the 'shhhs' of a crowd before a big point -- this is the soundtrack to my life, my passion. No, this new mute button will keep all of those sounds but simply, mercifully, block out the commentators' blather."

Get out of my head.

American Serena Williams still doesn't feel like she's at her "A game," but she's certainly bringing more than her opponents can handle. Serena took out China's Peng Shuai 6-1, 6-4.


Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga continued to over power his opponents. Tsonga knocked out Israeli Dudi Sela 6-4, 6-2, 1-6, 6-1.


American James Blake played a great match against Russia's Igor Andreev. Blake was a man on a mission and defeated Andreev 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1


Frenchman Gael Monfils was a bit more of his acrobatic self in his match against Spain's Nicolas Almagro. There was a lot of drama in this match, Almagros was not satisfied with a number of the calls. At one point Monfils sat down while waiting for Almagros to hash it out with the officials. Unfortunately all of that griping did not help Almagros' cause, he was defeated 6-4, 6-3, 7-5.

Don't blink...the very small number of five Black tennis professionals is all that began the Australian Open 128 player draw. And with the fatal swing of a racquet, we're down one. Venus Williams had a rough second round and could not get the job done.

Oh well, moving on with those who did get the job done:

First up, American Serena Williams. Serena had to put up a good fight against what seemed to primarily be herself. Nonetheless, she's through to the third round after defeating Argentine Gisela Dulko 6-3, 7-5.

"It was a very tough second set, she started playing unbelievable, hitting winners left and right," Williams said. "She had a couple of opportunities but I always felt I wasn't going to lose.

"I feel I could play a lot better."

Blake, who will play Russian Igor Andreev, said he had not been aware of the problem until Keothavong addressed the crowd.

"I didn't even notice him till he said it," Blake told reporters. "We were going to wait for security but he said he didn't mind as long as I didn't mind when I was down that end.

"He was doing something that got under his skin.

"That can be very frustrating when it's just one person and you hear it constantly, especially when they're talking during a point.

"I just hope it was not intentional. People are entitled to have a few Heinekens but if they have one too many they may just forget how loud their voice can be."

WOMEN'S SINGLES

Round 1

Venus Williams, USA vs. Angelique Kerber, GER

Serena Williams, USA vs. Meng Yuan, CHN


MEN'S SINGLES

Round 1

Gael Monfils, FRA vs. Martin Vassallo Arguello, ARG

James Blake, USA vs. Qualifier

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA vs. Juan Monaco, ARG

Slovakia stunned defending champions the United States at the Hopman Cup on Monday.

Dominik Hrbaty completed the surprise triumph with a three-set victory over James Blake after Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova had beaten Meghann Shaughnessy in the opening rubber.

Hrbaty and Cibulkova later completed a 3-0 whitewash of the US by winning the mixed doubles 6-4 7-6.

U.S. Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe was unswayed by recent events at Flushing Meadows when making up the team for the semifinal in Spain later this month. McEnroe passed over two hot-handed American men, Sam Querrey and Mardy Fish, and named the same team of Andy Roddick, James Blake and the doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan to meet the Spaniards in Madrid as the Americans defend their 2007 title.

"I'm happy to see those guys doing well," McEnroe said of Querrey and Fish, who had breakthrough runs at the Open. "I hope those guys continue to put up good results and to make it a difficult decision for me in the future. But for this match it wasn't a difficult decision."

Fish beat Blake in the third round and made it to his first Open quarterfinal before falling to world No.1 Rafael Nadal. Querrey, a 20-year-old Californian, fell to Nadal in four sets in the fourth round. Blake remains the second-highest-ranked American, McEnroe argued. He also said he wanted to stay with a team he has used in 11 straight ties. "I want to go with the guys I think give us the best chance to win," McEnroe said. "At this point, I still thoroughly believe that Roddick and Blake give us the best chance."

American Serena Williams advanced to the third round when she demolished Russian Elena Vesnina 6-1, 6-1. Serena's next opponent will be Ai Sugiyama of Japan.

Of Sugiyma, Serena said, "She is relentless, so I better be ready. That girl is a tough cookie."

American James Blake advanced to the third round when Belgian Steve Darcis retired in the third set with Blake leading 4-6, 6-3, 1-0. Blake's next opponent will be good friend and fellow American Mardy Fish.

"It's going to be fine, it's great. We're close enough friends that, no matter what happens, we're going to be friends afterwards."

With regard to Democratic Presidential Nominee Barack Obama Blake said, "I'm proud of that Harvard man. Harvard graduate school, but we'll claim him."

American Venus Williams advanced to the third round and in doing so treated Rossana de los Rios of Paraguay to a good old fashioned beat down defeating her 6-0, 6-3.

"Whichever way the draw goes, whichever way the matches go, as long as hopefully it's a win for me, I'm pretty happy about it."

Frenchman Gael Monfils advanced to round 3 after defeating Russian Evgeny Korolev 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

Monfils will celebrate his 22nd birthday this weekend.

Here are few candids of the U.S. Tennis Team before leaving the U.S. and after arriving in Beijing. Some of the shots are from Bob Bryan's iPhone. Bob will be blogging from the Olympics.

Welcome monitors at check in.

Our illustrious team!

Preparing to go to Beijing.

James Blake, Bob and Mike Bryan arrive in Beijing.

Venus Williams was escorted past dozens of waiting photographers as the American team arrived at the airport.

Lindsay Davenport made her way through the airport as the American team arrived.

A general exterior view of the Beijing Olympic Green Tennis Center ahead of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

NEW YORK -- Evian Natural Spring Water, the official bottled water of the U.S. Tennis Open, will have significant on-site presence when the event begins Aug. 25.

Among other activations, Evian will be the official recycling sponsor of the U.S. Open. Evian recycling bins will be placed throughout the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, N.Y.

Evian will also feature brand pitchman James Blake, among the top-ranked American tennis players in the world, in person and through marketing support.

Blake will be at the Evian booth, where kiosks will enable fans to access ShopEvian.com. Any purchase made at the Web site will include a complimentary Evian Brumisateur Facial Spray designed by Blake (while supplies last). The bottles currently are for sale at the Web site ($5.50). Visitors to the Evian booth will also have the opportunity to create their own Evian commercial, which they can view online.

Aug. 28 has been named Evian Day, during which about 25,000 of the Blake Brumisateurs will be handed out. In addition, people can win items such as autographed Blake memorabilia, a pair of tickets to the 2009 U.S. Open, gift certificates to a chic New York restaurant or a year's supply of Evian.

Evian added to its roster last month when it signed Canadian tennis pro Frank Dancevic as a spokesman.

The Washington Kastles first Head Coach is Thomas Blake, former US Open participant and doubles partner of his world no. 8 brother James Blake. Thomas is coaching Serena Williams and teammates Justin Gimelstob, Scott Oudesma, Sacha Jones, and Mashona Washington in the Kastles’ inaugural season.

Thomas, who attended Harvard University, earned All-American honors in both singles and doubles. After graduating in 1996, he turned professional.

According to the Washington Post, although The Kastles lost to the Boston Lobsters (22-19), no one really cared because all the pros hung around to sign autographs for every fan 15 or younger. Then all the beautiful people headed off to the Park nightclub to unwind. (Except Williams, who showed up at Blue Duck Tavern in a flowery summer dress with a large group of pals.) Highlights: Kastles Head Coach Thomas Blake, older brother of tennis pro James Blake, looked even better up close -- the 31-year-old bachelor is "completely, unattached, single"; a girl got too close to a candle and her hair caught on fire (she's fine, just a little singed), and we found Ein (team owner) -- nursing a Heineken, tie finally off -- looking pretty pleased. "So far, so good," he said with a grin.

The nine players nominated for the U.S. Olympic team for tennis at the 2008 Olympic Games, Aug. 10-17, in Beijing, China, have been announced by the USTA, the governing body for the sport of tennis in the United States.

U.S. women’s tennis coach Zina Garrison announced a four-woman team with three singles entries and two doubles teams. All three singles players -- Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Lindsay Davenport -- are former Olympic gold medal winners. The two nominated U.S. women’s doubles teams consist of world No. 1 Liezel Huber with Davenport and the Williams sisters.


U.S. men’s tennis coach Rodney Harmon announced a five-player men’s team, also with three singles entries and two doubles teams. James Blake, Sam Querrey and Robby Ginepri were named to the team in singles. Bob and Mike Bryan, the No. 1 doubles team in the world, and Blake and Querrey have been nominated as the two U.S. men’s doubles teams.

The 2008 Olympic tennis competition will be staged August 10-17 on the hard courts of the Olympic Green Tennis Center in Beijing. The United States has won 15 Olympic medals in men’s and women’s tennis since it returned as a full medal sport in 1988 -- more than any other nation.

“Selection to the U.S. Olympic team is a tremendous honor for these athletes, and one they truly deserve,” said Jane Brown Grimes, Chairman of the Board and President, USTA. “The Olympics provides one of the greatest global platforms to showcase our sport, and we expect this to be a very memorable summer for tennis.”
“Each player selected to our U.S. Olympic team knows what playing for their country is all about,” said Arlen Kantarian, CEO, Pro Tennis, USTA. “All of these players have worn the Stars and Stripes as part of the U.S. Davis Cup and Fed Cup teams, and will be outstanding competitors -- and first-class ambassadors -- for our country in Beijing.”

“With three former gold medalists on our team and the No. 1 doubles player in the world, we are certainly capable of earning medals at this Olympics,” said Garrison. “I have great memories of the Olympics as a player and coach, and I am thrilled to be a part of the excitement once again.”

“The guys are all honored to receive the nomination to represent their country,” said Harmon. “With all of our singles players making their Olympic debuts and the Bryans searching for one of the few prizes they have still to earn in their accomplished careers, our goal is to be on the podium when all is said and done.”

Serena Williams, 26, will be making her second Olympic appearance having won a gold medal in women’s doubles at the 2000 Olympic Games with sister, Venus, becoming the first set of siblings to win Olympic gold in tennis. A resident of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., Serena has won eight Grand Slam singles titles, and in 2003, became one of only five women to hold all four Grand Slam singles titles within a 12-month period.

Venus Williams, 28, will be making her third Olympic appearance having won a gold medal in both women’s singles and women’s doubles at the 2000 Olympic Games, joining Helen Wills in 1924 as the only player to sweep both titles at the same Olympiad. A resident of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., Venus holds four Wimbledon and two US Open singles titles.

Lindsay Davenport, 32, will be making her third Olympic appearance having won a gold medal in singles at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Davenport took 11 months off from professional tennis to have her first child in June 2007, returning to the tour in September 2007. A resident of Laguna Beach, Calif., she has won 55 singles titles and 37 doubles titles in her career, including the 1998 US Open, 1999 Australian Open and 2000 Wimbledon titles.

Liezel Huber, 30, will be making her first Olympic appearance as an American (she competed at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney representing her native South Africa). A resident of Cypress, Texas, she became an American citizen in July 2007 with the hopes of competing for the U.S. in the Olympics. Ranked No. 1 in doubles since November 2007, Huber has won three Grand Slam doubles titles. She made her debut for the U.S. Fed Cup team in April.

James Blake, 28, will be making his Olympic debut in Beijing. A resident of Tampa, Fla., Blake has the chance to make history by becoming the first African-American male to win an Olympic tennis medal. Blake missed the 2004 Olympic Games while recovering from a broken vertebra. The winner of 10 singles and five doubles titles during his career, he is currently the No. 2 ranked American and in 2007, helped the U.S. win the Davis Cup title.

Sam Querrey, 20, will be making his Olympic debut in Beijing. Querrey is having a breakthrough year in just his second full season as a pro. He broke into the Top 50 in 2007 and his ranking continues to rise after winning his first singles title in March in Las Vegas. He currently resides in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Robby Ginepri, 25, will be making his Olympic debut in Beijing. He missed being named to the 2004 U.S. Olympic team despite being ranked No. 35 in the world (he was the fifth-ranked American entered and the maximum number of singles players per country is four). A resident of Kennesaw, Ga., Ginepri has the distinction of being the only active American man other than Andy Roddick to reach the semifinals at a Grand Slam event (2005 US Open).

Bob and Mike Bryan, 30, will be making their second appearance in the Olympics having reached the quarterfinals in 2004 in Athens, losing to eventual gold medalists Fernando Gonzalez and Nicolas Massu of Chile. The Bryans, currently residing in Wesley Chapel, Fla., joined the great, great uncles of President George W. Bush as the only two sets of brothers to play tennis for the United States in the Olympics (Arthur and George Wear competed in the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis and each won a bronze medal with different doubles partners.). Together, the Bryans have won the career Grand Slam in doubles and in 2007, helped the U.S. capture its first Davis Cup title since 1995.

Venus and Serena Williams are the last American women to win Olympic gold in tennis. The women were shut out of the medal stand at the 2004 Olympic Games for the first time since tennis returned to Olympic competition in 1988.

Andre Agassi was the last American man to win Olympic gold in men’s singles when he defeated Spain’s Sergi Bruguera in the gold medal match at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Ken Flach and Robert Seguso are the last American team to win Olympic gold in men’s doubles when they defeated Sergio Casal and Emilio Sanchez of Spain in the gold medal match at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. Mardy Fish was the last American to earn an Olympic medal in tennis, winning silver at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

Tennis was part of the Olympic program from the first modern Olympiad in 1896 until 1924. After a 64-year hiatus, tennis returned to the official Olympic program in 1988, becoming the first sport to feature professional athletes.

Team nominations are subject to approval by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Round 1 - Singles

James Blake, USA vs. Kei Nishikori, JPN

Donald Young, USA vs. Fernando Vicente, ESP*
*Young defeated Vicente 6-3, 7-6(5)











Round 1 - Singles

Gael Monfils, FRA vs. Maximo Gonzalez, ARG*
*Monfils defeated Gonzalez 6-3, 6-4













Round 1 - Doubles

Jeff Coetzee, RSA and Wesley Moodie, RSA
vs
Oliver Marach, AUT and Michael Mertinak, SVK

The draw for the first U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships at River Oaks will be determined Friday, and then it will be possible for Van Barry, the club's tennis director, to set his first-round schedule.

But Barry already has locked in one match, hoping to create an early buzz at the ticket window. Presumptive top seed James Blake will be on the Tuesday, April 15, evening card, no matter whom he faces.

Blake, a two-time champion of the River Oaks International exhibition tournament, is competing with the U.S. Davis Cup team this weekend in its quarterfinal match against France at Winston-Salem, N.C. The 28-year-old American is coming off consecutive quarterfinal appearances in the season's first two Master Series tournaments at Indian Wells and Miami, which have lifted him a notch in the rankings to No. 8.

He won at River Oaks in 2003 and 2005. The latter title help spur a comeback from injury and illness that saw him climb from below 200 to as high as No. 4 at the end of 2006.

Round 2 - Women's Singles

Serena Williams, USA
defeated
Edina Gallovits, ROU 6-1, 6-2










Venus Williams, USA
defeated
Marta Domachowska, POL 6-4, 6-3








Milagros Sequera, VEN
defeated by
Daniela Hantuchova, SVK 6-2, 6-1








Round 2 - Men's Singles

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA
defeated
Jurgen Melzer, AUT 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-1








James Blake, USA
defeated
Andreas Seppi, ITA 7-5, 6-3