Black Tennis Pros

This beautiful group of fans happens to include the mother of Sachia Vickery (2nd from Right), Ms. Paula Liverpool.

The 2019 U.S. Open Fan Week has taken off in a very busy, exciting, and depth of activities kind of way.  Central to Fan Week, of course, is none other than the Qualifying Tournament.  Fan Week expands and includes various genres of music, appetizing varieties of food styles, Featured Practices, and Legends Matches - Fan Week will not disappoint, and admission is free!

Walking by the Fan Week Center Stage is an event unto itself.  A multitude of activities is frequently taking place in various manners, from giving participating fans free gifts immediately, to entering them into drawings for even greater gifts, including the Grand Prize which includes tickets to the 2019 Men's Semifinals, photo on court, restaurant passes, and a prize pack of U.S. Open merchandise.  Fans can also stop by the Fan Access Pass Booth to win these prizes.




Results from today's Qualifying Matches:

Victoria Duval, USA  def. by  Xu Shilin, CHN   3-6, 2-6

Asia Muhammad, USA  def.  Basak Eraydin, TUR, 7-5, 6-1

Hailey Baptiste, USA  def.  Anna Bondar, HUN   6-3, 6-1

Heather Watson, GBR(8)  def. by  Mariam Bolkvadze, GEO   4-6, 2-6

Sachia Vickery, USA  def.  Francoise Abanda, CAN   6-4, 6-2

Elias Ymer, SWE(16)  def. by  Tallon Griekspoor, NED   5-7, 2-6

Donald Young, USA  def by.  Jason Jung, TPE(23)   3-6, 7(4)-6, 5-7

Darian King, BAR   def.  Malek Jaziri, TUN(5)   6-2, 6-4

Jay Clarke, GBR  def.  by  Mitchell Krueger, USA   7(2)-6, 4-6, 4-6

Sachia Vickery, USA

Francois Abanda, CAN

Donald Young, USA

Hailey Baptiste, USA

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Buda(ful)

A post shared by Heather Watson (@heatherwatson92) on Feb 24, 2019 at 10:55am PST

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@vera.zvonareva and Ekaterina Alexandrova win doubles title of the Hungarian Ladies Open with a 64 46 10-7 victory over @fannystollar and @heatherwatson92 @wta

A post shared by hungariantennis (@hungariantennis) on Feb 24, 2019 at 8:06am PST

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Wearing a smile 😘

A post shared by Heather Watson (@heatherwatson92) on Jan 30, 2019 at 11:45am PST

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Keep fighting Andy, you’re got a heart of pure gold! You’re most definitely one of the most liked and respected players on the tour. I know all of us girls in the locker room are in awe & so grateful for how you always fight in our corner! Thank you so much for that. You inspire me in so many ways and I don’t want you to go!! Stay strong and keep fighting 💛 it’s pretty nerve racking playing with you because you’re pretty gosh darn Awesome (with a capital A)😅 but jheez am I so grateful I have!

A post shared by Heather Watson (@heatherwatson92) on Jan 11, 2019 at 12:28am PST

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Sometimes it is hard to know who bears the greater frustration – Gael Monfils, or those watching a player with such blockbuster talents struggle to translate his game for grass. The No.24 seed launched a late comeback against 20-year-old Wimbledon debutant Jiri Vesely, but ultimately bowed out 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-7(1), 6-7(3), 6-4.

“I’m always frustrated when I play on grass,” said Monfils, who has never reached the second week at Wimbledon. “For me, it’s a court where I cannot feel comfortable, and if I cannot feel comfortable I cannot use my conditioning. My main thing is playing physically, and I can’t on grass. It’s not fun at all, for me. It’s very frustrating.”

Hate to see him go, NOBODY plays tennis like Monfils!


Britain's Heather Watson does not shy away from a battle. She has developed quite the reputation for getting herself out of tight corners, running and running until her opponent quite simply has enough. For a passage of time, that’s exactly what she did against Kerber, a fearsome figure on the other side of the net with two Grand Slam semi-finals to her name.

“I started very poorly,” she admitted. “A lot of unforced errors. Didn't serve very well. The set kind of went just very quickly.”

 “I didn't want to play her today as who she was,” Watson said. “I wanted to play her as just the person that's - I wanted to play the tournament. I didn't care who it was. Just wanted to get on the next round.”

“The second set I kept fighting through,” Watson said. “I found my way. I think from both of us there was some unbelievable tennis. I managed to take that second set and was very pleased with how I was playing. I thought I played very well.”

“With more experience playing these top players, I think, you know, next time I'll learn to take my opportunities.”

Watson lost to Kerber 6-2, 5-7, 6-1.

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Five-time Wimbledon Champion Serena Williams has her eyes on the prize - as usual. The world no. 1 eased through round one with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Anna Tatishvilli of Georgia. Serena is without a doubt the favorite to win.


'I have nothing to prove, nothing to hide, nothing to lose' ~ Venus Williams. There you go! It's all in the history books at this point and what will be, will be. Ms. Williams etched another win in the books, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 over Teresa Torro-Flor of Spain. WORK IT OUT VENUS!!


Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga wasted little time in securing a place in the second round of Wimbledon when returning to Court One on Tuesday morning.

The 14th seed had been left frustrated by heavy late-evening rain which denied him the chance to serve for the match in an epic clash against Austrian Jurgen Melzer.

Tsonga won the match 6-1, 3-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.


Still buzzing from her first WTA title a few days ago, American teenager Madison Keys showed again why she is being tipped for a big future as she powered into Wimbledon's second round on Tuesday.

Hurling down 25 clean winners, including seven aces, she had too much weaponry for Puerto Rico's Monica Puig in a 6-3 6-3 win.

"It feels really good. There was definitely a moment on Saturday where I was like, this would be awesome if it happened every week," she told reporters after the match, calling the title her "biggest milestone" to date.


His unorthodox approach is well known, yet today he took this to new heights in his 7-6(5), 7-5, 6-4 victory over Tunisian lucky loser Malek Jaziri.

Monfils complained of injury, chatted frequently between points with his supporters and at the change of ends with the umpire, vacillated wildly in his intensity levels – sometimes he wouldn’t even attempt to run for shots, other times he would fling himself about the court in mad pursuit of them – and also produced some jaw-dropping tennis.

“On grass is never easy for me. (So) I'm very relaxed. I'm just the coolest than ever on grass,” he explained. “Then is hard for me to play like solid tennis, I will say, because I can't move. Actually I can't move. I don't feel comfortable. So I try to play just some part of the match. It was fun, so it's good for me.”

Monfils, seeded No.24, recovered from deficits of 1-3 in the first set and 1-4 in the second, finishing the match with a tidy stats sheet reading 50 winners to just 24 errors along with 17 aces. “For me, it's like shot after shot, just focus on my serve. If the ball is very short, I try to hit it and come to the net,” he surmised.


Heather Watson became the third British player to reach round two with an impressive straight-sets win over Ajla Tomljanovic of Croatia at Wimbledon.

Watson came through 6-3, 6-2 on Court Three to follow up Monday's victories by Andy Murray and Naomi Broady.


Victoria Duval’s sugary manner and broad smile was understandable given she had won her debut match at Wimbledon, defeating 29th seed Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.

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Heather Watson of Great Britain against Na Li of China on day one of the 2012 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Two months after becoming the first British woman for 10 years to reach the third round at Wimbledon, Heather Watson lasted just 81 minutes on the first day of the US Open here yesterday.

The 20-year-old from Guernsey, who was overpowered 6-2, 6-3 by China's Li Na, held on until mid-afternoon thanks only to a lengthy rain delay.

If Watson took advantage of a favourable draw at the All England Club – her first two opponents were both ranked outside the world's top 50 –fortune was not on her side here. Li, the world No 8, has been the outstanding player on the north American hard-court circuit this summer, reaching the final at Montreal and then winning at Cincinnati to secure her first title since last year's French Open.

She had too much firepower for Watson, who never looked like threatening the 30-year-old Chinese in the way she had troubled Maria Sharapova last year, when the Briton went within six points of causing one of the shocks of the tournament. Striking the ball beautifully from the back of the court, Li cracked 28 winners to Watson's 10 and broke serve five times.

At least it will not be the end of the tournament for Watson, who is playing doubles here with New Zealand's Marina Erakovic. They have won two doubles titles together this summer, in Stanford and Dallas.

"I'm happy with how I played," Watson said afterwards. "I even feel I played better today than I did last year against Maria. I don't think it was Maria's best match last year, but today Li Na was on another level. She was hitting winners off balls I wouldn't think you could hit winners off, hitting lots of lines. She had a really high first-serve percentage and she just played better tennis. She played like a Grand Slam champion."

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British No. 1 Heather Watson in her 2012 Olympics first round match.

Britain's Heather Watson

After becoming the first British woman for a decade to reach the third round of the Wimbledon Championshps, on Monday British No. 1 Heather Watson continued her confidence and form at the 2012 Olympics with an impressive straight-sets first round win over Spaniard Silvia Espinosa-Soler, 6-2, 6-2.

"I'm very pleased with that win, I knew it wasn't going to be easy," said Watson.

"I've never played her before but I knew she is a great player and wasn't going to give me any free points. I played well today."

Of her upcoming meeting with Wimbledon quarter-finalist Maria Kirilenko of Russia, Watson stated, "She's been a top player for a long time. "I know she hits the ball hard. Typical Russian girl, tries to overpower and blast the ball. So I'm just going to play my game."

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(Upper left) Venus and Serena Williams, USA, (lower left) Sloane Stephens, USA, (center) Heather Watson, Great Britain, (right) Simone Pratt, Bahamas.

2012 USA Fed Cup Team

Americans Venus Williams and Captain Mary Joe Fernandez during press conference in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Sloane Stephens, USA during practice.

Great Britain's (r)Heather Watson during practice.

Serena Williams, USA and Victoria Azarenka, Belarus, at Official Draw Ceremony.

Simone Pratt, Bahamas also practicing.

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Maria Sharapova, RUS

Heather Watson made Arthur Ashe Stadium her stage as she pushed third seed Maria Sharapova all the way in an enthralling first-round match at the US Open.

The 19-year-old from Guernsey led by a set and a break early in the second set and kept battling with the 2006 champion right up until Sharapova clinched a 3-6 7-5 6-3 victory after two hours and 34 minutes. It was Watson's first appearance in the main draw at the US Open, two years after she won the junior title.

She said: "I had a lot of fun. It's what I want to do. I want to be out there on the big courts playing the top players. It was a really great match, very competitive. We played some really great tennis. I had my chances in the second set. You have to create the opportunity but also execute, and I was probably a bit too defensive on those important points."

Watson added: "But I always believed I could win. There's no point in my going out there if I don't believe that I can win.

"I just wanted to make every ball, make her play every ball, and just fight. Because Maria's a fighter. She's never going to give up. That's what makes her a champion. That's why she's won this tournament before.

"I absolutely loved the atmosphere. I thought everyone was going to be supporting Maria. She's won here before. She's been number one in the world. I had a lot of support. I heard some people calling me Cinderella, all sorts of stuff. And just when they were chanting my name, I kind of got the goosebumps. I thought, 'Stay calm, focus on the match.'"

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ROME, Italy - The WTA unveiled a new global ad campaign with the tagline "Strong is Beautiful", featuring 38 current and next generation stars of the sport. The campaign includes TV, print and digital ads along with social media applications and will be unveiled across 80 markets over the next two years.

Drawing upon athleticism and grace - a unique combination that has turned the stars of the WTA into the most recognizable and followed female athletes on the planet - the campaign places the personal stories, pressures and dreams of the players front of stage. The creative is designed to support the WTA's efforts to establish a deeper engagement with fans around the world and to promote both the sport's next generation of players along with current established names.


In addition to a WTA driven media campaign to promote women's tennis and the WTA Championships in Istanbul, the advertising is expected to be utilized by WTA events around the world, establishing a unified promotional message.
 

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Round 1


Serena Williams, USA defeated Alona Bondarenko, UKR

Round 2

Serena Williams, USA defeated Julia Goerges, GER

Round 3

Serena Williams, USA defeated Jie Zheng(Q), CHN
4-6, 6-3, 6-3

Quarterfinal Round

Serena Williams, USA defeated Lucie Safarova, CZE

Semifinal Round

Serena Williams, USA vs. Victoria Azarenka, BLR



Round 1

Raquel Kops-Jones, USA and Abigail Spears, USA
Barbara Zahlalova Strycova, CZE and Iveta Benesova, CZE

Round 2

Raquel Kops-Jones, USA and Abigail Spears, USA
Su-Wei Hsieh, TPE and Galina Voskoboeva, KAZ


Eliminated during singles qualifying rounds:

Heather Watson, GBR
Stephanie Foretz Gacon, FRA



Round 1

Gael Monfils (5) FRA, vs. BYE

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (13), FRA defeated Fabio Fognini,ITA

Round 2

Gael Monfils (5), FRA defeated Alex Bogomolov, Jr. (Q), USA

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (13), FRA defeated Bernard Tomic (WC), AUS

Round 3

Gael Monfils (5), FRA defeated Viktor Troicki (12), SRB

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (13), FRA defeated Roger Federer (3), SUI
7-6(3), 4-6, 6-1

Quarterfinal Round

Gael Monfils (5), FRA defeated by Novak Djokovic (1), SRB

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (13), FRA defeated Nicolas Almagro, ESP

Semifinal Round

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (13), FRA vs. Novak Djokovic (1), SRB


Round 1

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA and Stanislas Wawrinka, SUI
Alexander Dolgopolov, UKR and Dick Norman, VEL

Gael Monfils, FRA and Pablo Andujar, ESP
Sergiy Stakhovsky, UKR and Mikhail Youzhny, RUS

Round 2

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA and Stanislas Wawrinka, SUI
Robert Lindstedt, SWE and Horia Tecau, ROU
6-4, 6-3

Round 3


Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA and Stanislas Wawrinka, SUI
vs.
Max Mirnyi, BLR and Daniel Nestor, CAN

Eliminated during singles qualifying rounds:

Nicholas Monroe, USA

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Ladies' Singles 3rd Round

Serena Williams, USA (7) defeated Maria Kirilenko, RUS (26)


Gentlemen's Singles - 3rd Round

Gael Monfils, FRA defeated by Lukasz Kubot, POL

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA (12) defeated Fernando Gonzalez, CHI


Ladies' Doubles - 1st Round

Heather Watson, GBR and Jocelyn Rae, GBR
Sophie Lefevre, FRA and Evgeniya Rodina, RUS


Mixed Doubles - 1st Round

Heather Watson, GBR and Ross Hutchins, GBR
Rennae Stubbs, AUS and Marcelo Melo, BRA

Raquel Kops-Jones, USA and Wesley Moodie, RSA
Alicja Rosolska, POL and Rogier Wassen, NED

Dustin Brown, GER and Vania King, USA
Elena Baltacha, GBR and Kenneth Skupski, GBR

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Britain's Heather Watson and Ross Hutchins celebrate after their 6-7(5), 6-3, 8-6 round 1 Mixed Doubles win over Marcelo Melo, Brazil and Rennae Stubbs, Australia.

The partners both Tweeted about their win:

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Ladies' Singles 3rd Round

Serena Williams, USA (7) vs. Maria Kirilenko, RUS (26)


Gentlemen's Singles - 3rd Round

Gael Monfils, FRA vs. Lukasz Kubot, POL

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA (12) vs. Fernando Gonzalez, CHI


Ladies' Doubles - 1st Round

Heather Watson, GBR and Jocelyn Rae, GBR
vs.
Sophie Lefevre, FRA and Evgeniya Rodina, RUS


Mixed Doubles - 1st Round

Heather Watson, GBR and Ross Hutchins, GBR
vs.
Rennae Stubbs, AUS and Marcelo Melo, BRA

Raquel Kops-Jones, USA and Wesley Moodie, RSA
vs.
Dominika Cibulkova, SVK and Lukas Dlouhy, CZE

Dustin Brown, GER and Vania King, USA
vs.
Elena Baltacha, GBR and Kenneth Skupski, GBR

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Ladies' Singles - 3rd Round

Venus Williams, USA (23) defeated Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, ESP
6-0, 6-2


Gentlemen's Singles - 3rd Round

Gael Monfils, FRA (9) vs. Lukasz Kubot, POL
Rain Delay


Ladies' Doubles - 1st Round

Raquel Kops Jones, USA and Abigail Spears, USA
defeated
Johanna Larson, SWE and Jasmin Woehr, GER
7-5, 6-2

Heather Watson, GBR and Jocelyn Rae, GBR
vs

Sophie Lefevre, FRA and Evgeniya Rodina, RUS



Mixed Doubles - 1st Round

Raquel Kops-Jones, USA and Wesley Moodie, RSA
vs.

Doninika Cibulkova, SVK and Lukas Dlouhy, CZE

Dustin Brown, GER and Vania King, USA
vs.
Elena Baltacha, GBR and Kenneth Skupski, GBR
Rain Delay

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Ladies' Singles - 3rd Round

Venus Williams, USA (23) vs. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, ESP


Gentlemen's Singles - 3rd Round

Gael Monfils, FRA (9) vs. Lukasz Kubot, POL


Ladies' Doubles - 1st Round

Raquel Kops Jones, USA and Abigail Spears, USA
vs.
Johanna Larson, SWE and Jasmin Woehr, GER

Heather Watson, GBR and Jocelyn Rae, GBR
vs.
Svetlana Kuznetsova, RUS and Vera Zvonareva, RUS


Mixed Doubles - 1st Round

Raquel Kops-Jones, USA and Wesley Moodie, RSA
vs.
Doninika Cibulkova, SVK and Lukas Dlouhy, CZE

Dustin Brown, GER and Vania King, USA
vs.
Elena Baltacha, GBR and Kenneth Skupski, GBR

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WIMBLEDON - Although a bright future almost certainly lies ahead for Heather Watson, the British young gun narrowly lost her opening round match at The Championships. Playing against France's Mathilde Johansson on a packed No.3 Court, Watson battled an elbow injury and put up a brave fight before falling 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Those in attendance had plenty to be impressed about watching Watson, a compact, stylish player in the mould of Agnieszka Radwanska. She displayed great mental fortitude when pressed in her first service game, finally holding to level scores at 1-1 after almost 20 minutes on court.

Games continued on serve in the windy conditions, which the Brit used to her advantage. She threw a lob over the head of the net-bound Frenchwoman, which dropped just inside the baseline and helped her to level at two games apiece.

From there, Watson cruised. Her purposeful returns kept Johansson under pressure and several errors off Johansson's racket gave her the first break of the set. Watson's serve was also a major weapon - she landed two aces and two more powerful service winners to consolidate the break.

Watson lagged in the power department but her excellent court coverage frustrated her higher-ranked and more experienced opponent. She goaded Johansson into error and scored the second break of the match to lead 5-2.

Enjoying resounding applause when she returned to court after the changeover, Watson confidently pocketed the opening set in 42 minutes, her serve and forehand clicking.


The early stages of the second set mirrored the latter stages of the first. Wastson again demonstrated excellent use of the lob, finding the corner of the court and pouncing on the short reply from Johansson, smacking an off-forehand winner to bring up two game points. Two points later, she scrambled to retrieve a powerful Johansson drive, clinching the game after throwing up a sliced lob that Johansson smashed into the net.

The complexion of the match changed in the fifth game. Watson had fed the Frenchwoman a diet of short balls for the entire match, but now Johansson was finding the lines with her heavy groundstrokes and moved ahead 3-2.

Perhaps Watson remembered she was an experienced wildcard, or Johansson was sick of being made to look clumsy by a player seven years her junior and ranked 36 places lower. Whatever the reason, Johansson broke serve in the seventh game with several winners.

Things got worse for the local girl in the eighth game. Watson pulled up gingerly after a serve and required treatment on her right elbow at the ensuing changeover, returning to court with her arm heavily strapped. She played on seemingly unhindered, but was gradually worn down by Johansson's power, surrendering the second set 6-4 as another Johansson winner whistled into the corner.

"The injury didn't help," said Watson after the match."But my opponent played well. She was solid from both sides and was very aggressive. Got me on the defence quite a lot."

Against the tide, Watson broke serve and then held to lead 2-0 in the third set, before losing four consecutive games. As she put her hand to her forehead in frustration and disbelief, it all seemed to be slipping away for the youngster.

However, Watson broke serve in the seventh game and then followed this up with an impressive service hold to love, bringing the crowd to life once more. Could their girl get the job done?

Unfortunately, her inexperience showed. The finish line was in sight for both women yet it was Johansson who seized the moment - with scores locked at 4-4, 30-30, the Frenchwoman rifled a forehand winner down the line and held serve with the next point. She brought up two match points with yet another forehand winner.

Watson saved both, but a third match point proved one too many to handle. When the British girl's forehand found the net after a testing rally Johansson raised her arms in elation, the entertaining contest ending after two hours and 17 minutes.

"I am a fighter. I'm never going to give up," said Watson. "And the match is never over. People have lost after having had match points. It happens all the time, every week. I was fighting for every point. But it was disappointing at the end."

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Serena Williams, USA (7) defeated Aravane Rezai, FRA


"I'm not a crier," said Serena Williams.

 "I didn't expect to have any emotions," she said. "But it was definitely so emotional for me because, you know, throughout the last 12 months I've been through a lot of things that you guys don't even know about. It's just been a long, arduous road. To stand up still is pretty awesome.

"This was probably the most emotional I've gotten after a match. I think my first time, maybe, was when I won the US Open way back in '99. I think I got a little emotional then. But this was Centre Court; defending champion and it's Wimbledon. It doesn't get bigger than this."

"I don't think I played well," she said. "I could have done a lot of things. I had a lot of unforced errors. But it was all about going out there and doing what I could under a lot of pressure."




Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA (12)  defeated Go Soeda, JPN





James Blake, USA defeated by Marcos Baghdatis, CYP (32)


Asked if he thought this loss signaled the consideration of retirement, Blake responded, "That's going to be a decision that's going to take longer than one match, and I wouldn't want to make it within an hour, two hours, or even a day of a loss, especially because your head isn't where it's supposed to be at that time."

"I've lost over the years, probably, about a couple of hundred matches, and I'd say out of 200, about 198 of them I probably thought I should retire right after those losses.  But I'd come back the next day ready to play and ready to get better. I'm thinking this one will be the same."



Stephanie Foretz Gacon, FRA defeated by Andrea Petkovic, GER (11)





Heather Watson, GBR vs. Mathilde Johansson, FRA
Match postponed until Wednesday - Day 3

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