Black Tennis Pros

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World No. 13 James Blake believes the Davis Cup should take place as a one-off event rather than a competition lasting most of the year.

Blake, who was part of the USA team that won the trophy last month, said: "It would generate more excitement.

"As tennis players we see the Ryder Cup and how excited everyone gets and the patriotism and TV coverage. And to be honest, I'm a little jealous."

Sports

Tennis

James Blake

The Australian Open will have the strongest field in the tournament's 103-year history - all top-ranked 100 men and 99 of the top 100 women in January. Three-time champion Roger Federer heads the men's draw, while top-ranked Justine Henin - the 2004 champion - will be the women's No. 1 seed.

In the release of the first entry lists, the only omission from the top 100 women was Russia's Vera Dushevina, ranked 44th, who was forced to withdraw because of a right-foot injury.

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said he was thrilled with the strength of the lineup for the Jan. 14-27 tournament.

"At this stage, it's the strongest field in the event's history and we're sure this will equate to one of the most exciting tournaments yet," he said.

The men's field will be completed by 16 qualifiers and eight wild cards, while the women's field has 12 qualifiers and eight wild cards.

The women's field has five former champions in Henin, the Williams sisters - Venus and defending champion Serena - Amelie Mauresmo and Lindsay Davenport. The men's field includes three past winners - Federer, Thomas Johansson and Marat Safin.

Defending champion Serena Williams is fit and playing well, what are the odds that she can take home a fourth title? That Roger Federer will continue his dominance? Or that Novak Djokovic will make a surprise run. There will be a variety of odds wagered for the 2008 Australian Open and the other grands slams as well. You can find out more about Tennis odds at this premium source for Tennis Betting.

I'm looking forward to a thrilling Australian Open with odds in favor of Serena Williams and Roger Federer adding more trophies to their cases. Who are you in favor of?

Whether wearing the beads in her braids that popped like pearls at a party, the sleek Diane Von Furstenberg-designed dress she wore at the 2003 Wimbledon, the hoop earrings that orbit her ears like small satellites, the ever-present adhesive tape wrapping her wrists during matches, the bold black mini-skirt that’s part of her recently-launched EleVen By Venus line or the cap and gown she donned for the graduation ceremony while receiving her associate’s degree in Fashion Design from The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale last week, Venus Williams has always had her own singular sense of style.

It’s not enough for Venus to play great tennis, she wants to look great playing it.

Now the woman has complemented her decorating firm, V Starr Interiors, with the August launch her new clothing line, EleVen, has cracked a very exclusive top 10: Venus is in Vogue.

The four-time Wimbledon winner and dress designer makes her mark as one of the world’s best-dressed women in Vogue Magazine’s Top 10 Best Dressed List for 2007.

Venus joins Kate Bosworth, Kathryn Neale, Astrid Munoz, Georgina Chapman, Kelly Wearstler, Amy Greenspon, Caroline Sieber, Huma Abedin and Agyness Deyn on Vogue’s elite list.

Sports

Tennis

Venus Williams

Defending Australian Open champion Serena Williams has shaken off a knee injury in time to take her place in the Hyundai Hopman Cup at the Burswood Dome later this month.

Williams had to pull out of the season-ending tournament in Madrid early last month due to a recurrence of the knee complaint.

But the eight-times grand slam champion proved her fitness for the $1 million ITF Perth mixed teams international, starting in a fortnight, when she played at a charity event in the United States last weekend.

Williams played mixed doubles with Mardy Fish, who she will partner at Hopman Cup XX, and James Blake.

Blake and Williams are former winners in Perth, combining to beat Alicia Molik and Lleyton Hewitt in the final of Hopman Cup XV in 2002-03. It was the last time Williams played in the tournament.

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The USTA has announced that former doubles partners Zina Garrison and Mary Joe Fernandez will serve as Captain and Coach of the U.S. Fed Cup Team, respectively, for 2008.

In addition, it was announced that Fernandez will become the United States Fed Cup Captain in 2009. Fernandez will work closely with Garrison and the team for the 2008 Fed Cup campaign as she transitions from Coach to Captain. The La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club will host the 2008 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas quarterfinal between the United States and Germany on February 2-3 in La Jolla, Calif.

“I anticipate an exciting final year as Captain in the hopes of bringing the Fed Cup home to the U.S.,” said Zina Garrison. “Mary Joe and I are looking forward to building a strong transition as she evolves from Coach to Captain over the course of 2008. I can think of no better person to assist as Coach in 2008 and serve as Captain in 2009.”

“I am thrilled to be part of the U.S. Fed Cup team once again,” said Fernandez. “Fed Cup was one of the most important and memorable times of my career. I am excited to be working with Zina in 2008, and then taking on the Captain’s role in 2009.”

"We have a great history in this competition and one of our top priorities is to bring the Fed Cup back to the U.S.," said Jane Brown Grimes, USTA President and Chairman of the Board. "With Zina and Mary Joe working together, we like our chances in 2008."

Zina and Mary Joe have been two of the most committed Fed Cup competitors and certainly two of the greatest ambassadors for the sport today, and we’re thrilled they will be working together in 2008,” said Arlen Kantarian, CEO, Professional Tennis, USTA. “In addition, we are very pleased that Mary Joe - one of the classiest and most respected people in the game - has accepted the role of Captain for 2009.”

The La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, which hosted sold-out crowds for a U.S. Davis Cup first round tie in 2006, has been selected as the host site for the quarterfinal between the United States and Germany, February 2-3. The USTA will construct a temporary stadium for the two day, best-of-five match quarterfinal.

Fernandez, 36, helped the U.S. Fed Cup team reach the finals in four of her six years as a member of the U.S. Fed Cup team, including a title win in 1996. Overall, she posted a 16-10 Fed Cup record (12-8 singles) in 18 Fed Cup ties. Fernandez is a three-time Olympic medal winner, capturing a gold medal in doubles and bronze medal in singles in Barcelona in 1992, and a second doubles gold medal in Atlanta in 1996. In her pro career, she captured seven WTA Tour singles titles and 19 doubles titles. She won two Grand Slam doubles titles, one at the 1991 Australian Open and one at the 1996 French Open. Fernandez is a well-known ESPN
commentator and has been broadcasting US Open Series tournaments for the past four years. She also is one of the commentators for CBS Sports during its coverage of the US Open.

Garrison, 44, is the 18th U.S. Fed Cup Captain since the competition began in 1963 and first African-American Captain in the competition’s history. She debuted as the U.S. Fed Cup Captain in 2004, succeeding Billie Jean King, and has led the team to one runner-up and three semifinal finishes in her four-year tenure. As a player, Garrison spent eight years on the U.S. Fed Cup team (1984-87, 1989-91, 1994), helping the U.S. win three titles and posting a 22-5 overall record (7-4 singles) in 23 ties. Garrison also represented the U.S. at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, winning a gold medal in doubles and a bronze medal in singles.

Fed Cup by BNP Paribas is the world’s largest annual international women’s team competition with 86 countries competing in 2008. The United States leads all nations with 17 Fed Cup titles, the last coming in 2000, and is one of eight nations competing for the 2008 Fed Cup title as part of the Fed Cup World Group.

Sports

Tennis

Zina Garrison

Fed Cup