Black Tennis Pros

In their quarterfinal match at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, Ohio on Friday evening, Frenchman Gael Monfils initiated an impressive game of tennis against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia, taking the first set 6-3.

Alas, 'twas not to last -- the rematch of their Montreal quarterfinal last week would slowly drift into the same direction.


Going into the second set with the same vigor, Monfils continued to vary his game and provide as much offense as defense. He was at the net more than I've ever seen him there, and with great efficacy.

By the end of the second set, which he lost, 4-6, Monfils had also begun to lose his intensity as he hit fewer winning shots, ran out of breath, and experience an overall game decline.

The final score was 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

It was good to see Monfils elevate his game to another level. Hopefully, we will see him maintain that level throughout entire matches in the future.

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During this year’s event, the late Arthur Ashe, for whom the U.S. Open’s showcase stadium is named, will be inducted into the U.S. Open Court of Champions, which celebrates the greatest singles champions in the tournament’s history.

His name is synonymous with integrity, dignity, and class. Arthur Ashe was a champion of extraordinary talent and a man of extraordinary grace. The first winner of this event in the Open era, he also was the first African-American man to claim a major title. One of tennis' greatest ambassadors, the man for whom the U.S. Open's grandest stage is named, will forever be recalled as a champion of sport and the epitome of the power of fortitude and courage.

The U.S. Open Court of Champions honors and celebrates the achievements of the event's greatest champions with an individual, permanent monument to serve as a lasting tribute to the legendary singles champions during the 126-year history of the event, whose talents have helped build this tournament into one of the world's top sporting events. The 9,000-square-foot outdoor pavilion, bounded by the South Entry Gate and the Arthur Ashe Commemorative Garden and Sculpture, also features a complete listing of all U.S. singles champions since the competition began in 1881.

To be eligible for the US Open Court of Champions, players must have won at least one singles title at the U.S. Championships and have been retired from singles at the U.S. Open in the last five years.

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Last evening at the Indianapolis Tennis Championships presented by Lilly, part of the Olympus U.S. Open Series, Russian Dmitry Tursunov held on to his existing title for this tournament a little longer by defeating American James Blake in the semifinal round. Tursunov won 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Blake made some wonderful shots and won the first set as Tursunov moped around. Tursunov made some wonderful shots and won the second set as Blake moped around. The third set was more weird, although it contained more great shot making; Blake seemed to mentally spaz out to somewhere else, Tursunov didn't and won.

Alrighty then, that's about what I saw. What did you see?

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