Black Tennis Pros

The Haloscan commenting system that has worked so well for Black Tennis Pro's is no longer in use and has been replaced with the new Echo system. Not only is this new here, but I've not encountered it on other sites, so this is truly a trial period.

According to Echo, it is "The next generation commenting system. It’s the way to share your content, and watch the live reaction. You can quickly embed Echo on WordPress, Blogger, or any website and turn your static pages into a real-time stream of diggs, tweets, comments and more."

We'll see...

The only issue that I have noticed thus far is that I've had to click on the 'comments' link two or three times before the window will pop up.

If you have any problems attempting to leave a comment, please email, Facebook or Twitter me so that I can address the issue.

Thanks!

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Before ever having a substantive conversation with Arthur Carrington, he sent to me what is now my tennis bible; his first compilation, Black Tennis An Archival Collection: 1890-1962. I am so in love with this book and what it represents, thank you so much Arthur.

This compilation is a work that sheds a very necessary light on African American tennis pioneers, tennis clubs and the American Tennis Association National Championships. It has to be virtually impossible to get this wealth of documentation all in one place anywhere else.

I'm going to share a few excerpts from the book here, but you'll have to get your own copy if you want to experience the full effect. Residing inside of this book are priceless historical jewels documenting the rich heritage of Blacks in tennis. (Click on photos for expanded view.)

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Marseille France - Big-hitting second seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga hammered 19 aces in a 7-6(9), 6-4 win over fellow Frenchman Josselin Ouanna to reach the quarter-finals of the Open 13, an ATP World Tour 250 indoor hard-court tennis tournament in Marseille.

Tsonga dropped just five points on his first serve and did not face a break point. Playing just his second tournament of the year – and first match since his semi-final run at the Australian Open – Tsonga advanced to meet Belgian Olivier Rochus. Tsonga had a bye in the first round.


No. 3 seed Gael Monfils blistered 18 aces before taking the win over Italian Andreas Seppi 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 7-6 (7-3). Monfils will now face off against fellow Frenchman Julien Benneteau in the quarters.

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DUBAI (AFP) - Venus Williams will have to play her semi-final in the two-million-dollar WTA Dubai Open on a distant outside court on Friday after beating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-3, 6-4 in the last eight here.

That is because the defense of her title has carried her to a meeting with Shahar Peer, the first Israeli ever to compete in the United Arab Emirates, who has been playing her matches on a low-profile court where security is more manageable.

It means that many of the 5,000 fans who have pre-booked centre court tickets in the hope of seeing one or more of the the world's best known players will be unable to do so, because the five-time former Wimbledon champion will be on a faraway court out by the trees and the shops.

"I guess I just want what is best for everyone," said Williams, after admitting that it was a long time since she had been scheduled to play on such a minor court. "And if this is the best decision then I support it."

Williams looked as though she might have a spot of bother when she went 1-3 down in the first set to an 18-year-old former world junior champion, who hit the ball like an express train and had the titleholder scrambling to contain her early on.

But the match changed mood after Pavlyuchenkova served a double fault in the sixth game and then played an indifferent point at 30-40 to allow a Williams break back.

It led to the champion taking six matches in a row and gaining such a hold on the match that she accelerated to 4-2 in the second set, with the teenager's error ratio rising to self-destructive levels.

However the potential danger of the fierce-hitting young Russian's game showed itself again near the end, when she began to put Williams under more consistent pressure again with raking drives.

Pavlyuchenkova even looked capable of breaking back in the final game, and Williams needed fully seven match points before she closed it out with a heavy service winner.

Earlier Peer scored her third victory over a seeded player, reaching the semis when Li Na retired after "suddenly feeling a click" in her back early in the second set.

Peer's 7-5, 3-0 success over the Australian Open semi-finalist nevertheless looked like a genuine victory, based again on tremendous consistency, rhythmic and varied driving, tenacious mobility and intense focus.

Needless to say, she wouldn't be phased by where she plays.

"I'm the only player that hasn't played on centre court," she said. "But whatever will be, will be. I'm not controlling it. I'm doing what I've been told, and wherever I need to play, I'll play on."

Asked if it would be a disadvantage if she reaches a final on centre court not once having played there, Peer answered: "I guess not, because I am winning. But you know I'm doing what I've been told. I'm not involved in the schedule.

"I just get it when my coach tells me where I'm playing, and I'm getting ready for the match."

Similarly Williams wouldn't admit to any disadvantage for her match on Friday, which will be the first time she has played away from the centre court this week.

"I am just focused on the semi-final and executing my game," she said.

"I have practiced out there before, but I have not played a match out there before. I will obviously try to make the experience I have gained from all these years count for me."

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Top-seeded Andy Roddick snapped a three-match losing streak to fellow American James Blake with a 6-3, 4-6. 7-6 (3) victory in the first round of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships on Wednesday night.

"We've played so many times, and he's beaten me, that there's going to be a sense of belief that most guys ranked 60th in the world probably aren't going to have as much as he has against me," Roddick said.

Blake, actually ranked 55th, broke Roddick's serve in the 10th game of the third set to pull even at 5-5. Both then held serve sending the match to the tiebreaker.

He went up in the tiebreaker when he broke serve on the fourth point as Blake hit a backhand wide down the line. Blake would end up with three unforced errors off the backhand in the tiebreaker.

"Whoever won was going to be pretty darn well-prepared for the rest of the tournament and feel good about their chances," Blake said. "It's tough to swallow.

"It just didn't go my way on a couple of points," Blake said of the tiebreaker. "A couple of missed backhands, and he kept the pressure on me the whole time."

As usual, Roddick used a strong serve, recording 22 aces and converting 75 percent of his first serves.

"I served well in the tiebreaker," Roddick said. "I served smart in the tiebreaker."

Roddick, the defending champion, was the only one of the top four seeds in the tournament to make it out of the first round. No. 2 seed Fernando Verdasco lost Tuesday night.

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