Black Tennis Pros

Serena Williams blitzed her way into the third round with a display that combined discipline and bravura in equal measure. She saw off the South African journeywoman Chanelle Scheepers 6-1, 6-1 in 49 minutes.

“I’m always the favorite,” acknowledged Serena afterwards. “It’s been that way for the last three years and maybe years before that. So it can create pressure. But it’s OK – I’d rather it was that way.”

“I’m trying to figure out when this [press conference] is going to end,” she said. “I’m really losing focus up here. The longer these interviews go... Maybe that’s why at Wimbledon they have them long. This is getting... The questions change from tennis to Novak and then Rafa. It’s no longer about the match. Is this the last question?”



American Madison Keys, a winner last week in Eastbourne, took her winning streak to seven matches thanks to her 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-2 dismissal of 31st seed Klara Koukalova, the slight Czech who was out-gunned in the power stakes but who kept herself alive in the contest on Court 12 with speed, guile and anticipation.

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(CNN) -- Nelson Mandela, the revered statesman who emerged from prison after 27 years to lead South Africa out of decades of apartheid, has died, South African President Jacob Zuma announced late Thursday.

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MAKUENI, Kenya - Just over a year after visiting Kenya to open the Serena Williams Secondary School in Matooni, Kenya, Serena Williams returned to the country to follow up on her humanitarian efforts. Williams arrived on February 22 for a three day charity mission where she will inaugurate the Wee Secondary School in Makueni, Eastern Province, Kenya.

The new school lies roughly 50 kilometers from the first one. While in the country, Williams will follow up on the progress of the Matooni school and will hold a tennis teaching session with the students at both schools.

Williams has partnered with technology giant Hewlett Packard and the Build African Schools initiative. She is a global ambassador for the firm and has also worked with the Starfishgreatheart Charity for orphans in South Africa.

Hewlett Packard will equip the school with computers, printers and internet connectivity, while facilitating the training of the local teachers and students.

Ken Mbwaya, Hewlett Packard's managing director for East Africa, said: "As our ambassador, Serena was touched by the plight of children from these areas. This has made many keen to learn, even with daily challenges and limitations. Education is the best platform to invest in as it empowers whole communities.

"Sixty-two percent of Kenyans live in absolute poverty, which means that some very bright children are hindered from achieving their potential. This is an actual impediment to the realization of Vision 2030 and we need to tackle this before we seek IT penetration into rural Kenya. Education is the best platform to invest in as it empowers whole communities."

While in Kenya Serena visited Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka who lauded Serena's efforts in setting up Kenyan Schools.

Musyoka said her partnership with leading Computer manufacturer Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Charitable organization - Build African Schools, is set to transform rural communities by equipping them with school facilities as well as helping them attain computer literacy.

He made the remarks in his Jogoo house when the tennis superstar paid him a courtesy call.

The Vice President, who invited her to also partner with his Kalonzo Musyoka Foundation to provide scholarships to needy students, proposed that Ms Williams would be a worthy beneficiary of the proposed dual citizenship under the new constitution.

"She has definitely touched many Kenyan lives and is therefore worthy of such recognition if she so wishes,'' he said.

Ms Williams said she will continue to not only open and support schools in Kenya but also build and provide computers to other countries, in Africa.

She added that she was committed to contribute towards "putting a smile" on the faces of many unfortunate members of the society.

With a light touch, the champion welcomed the dual citizenship proposal, adding that her only problem would be the confusion at the International Airports on whether to fill her forms as Kenyan or American.

Ms Williams opened Wee Secondary School in Matiliku Location in Makueni district on Tuesday.

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American Megan Moulton-Levy has turned her world travels as a professional tennis player into an opportunity to get in some spectacular photography. Recently Megan's tournaments have taken her to the African and European continents. While there she visited various historic sites in Rome, Italy, the Giza Plateau, home to the Great Pyramids of Egypt, and a South African Lion Park among other places.

The former College of William and Mary student's photographic documentation of her travels is just incredible. When I asked her for permission to share some of the photos she said, "I really had a blast taking these pictures. I think photography will be my next profession after tennis!" When you look at the photos, you'll understand why that might be a future option. This is but a very few of the photos, it was so difficult to pick those to post, but you get the total gist of her trip as you view them.

Megan is now off to Romania, it must be nice.

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I'm back in Africa. For the first time I'm visiting Johannesburg - South Africa. I'm here as a Global Ambassador for Hewlett Packard (HP). As a Global Ambassador I am traveling to different countries to promote HP's products, as well as participating in local charities to help people. Earlier in March, I went to India to promote the new HP computers- the super compact designs! It was awesome fun!


Today I'm working as an HP Ambassador in Johannesburg and we are working with the Starfishgreatheart Charity. (Yes it is one word) This charity helps give aid, care, and housing to kids with AIDS. These kids are mostly born with AIDS and they don't have the care that they need or can live with. The kids I met today were orphans. It was so sad to see them in this situation. They had so much hope and love in their eyes, yet a ting of sadness behind their pupils bringing me to tears.

Today we had a clinic with the kids! It was so fun. By the end of the day all the kids were laughing, smiling, and having the time of their lives!!! I was so happy for them! I saw a girl that was sooo pretty. I kept thinking she is too pretty and her personality is too big to have AIDS. It was sad to see. You realize that AIDS has no discrimination and no barriers. It pained me to see such wonderful kids with sadness in their hearts, but hope and love in their eyes.

HP donated funding to the Starfishgreatheart Charity. They are such a great company to be involved with working with such wonderful charities. I hope to see these kids again, and I hope today that we affected their lives by bringing life into their eyes and into their souls. I'm going to be in Africa for a little over a week. On Thursday we are going to Kenya to do the same thing. Let us all appreciate each day we have, and love each day.

Check out the South Africa photos from the clinic...


All my love and more from South Africa!"

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