Black Tennis Pros

American Lindsay Davenport must have been singing the classic "I can see clearly now the rain is gone....." as she came out on day two of Fed Cup play with a vengeance. Davenport played reversed singles today against Germany's Julia Goerges. Goerges was defeated 6-1, 6-2.

Davenport looked much better today, a lot more focused and aggressive than she was on Saturday in her loss to Lisicki.

Next up was Ashley Harkleroad, whoo, whoo whoo!!

This is Harkleroad's first effort in Fed Cup play and has she made a mighty contribution. Harkleroad saved the day on Saturday by winning her match against Malek, and brought the third win in today against Lisicki, thereby securing the next round of Fed Cup play for the USA. Way to go Ashley!!

It's on to the semifinals for the USA.

In the post match interview a jittery Harkleroad stated "I'm just happy that I could come through today.....(laughing) Well, right now I guess I'm 2 and 0 in Fed Cup so ahhh, I think that it's going to give me a lot of confidence coming out of here.

"I'm just truly excited to be here and be able to play."

When asked about how she would feel if Venus and or Serena Williams decided to play Fed Cup, more than likely her shot at going to Russia wouldn't be that strong, how disappointed would she be, Harkleroad stated "I wouldn't be disappointed at all, that means I can just continue to play tournaments and work on my ranking."

Whether she goes to Russia or simply continues to play on tour, Harkleroad has stormed her way into Fed Cup play and left her mark in 2008.

In the final rubber, Lisa Raymond and Lindsay Davenport won their doubles match 6-0, 6-2.

This is the scene at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club in La Jolla, California today.

Fed Cup play between the USA and Germany was of course, delayed until Monday. The rain did stop for a period of time, but organizers decided to hold off play until tomorrow.

This delay could be a blessing in disguise for the USA, giving the veteran on the team, Lindsay Davenport, a bit more time to get it together after her surprising loss to Germany's Lisicki on Saturday.

Tomorrow will begin the reverse rubbers (matches) with Lindsay Davenport playing Malek and Harkleroad facing Lisicki.

Come on ladies, get it together. USA, USA, USA!!!

The USA is even with Germany in the first day of Fed Cup play.

American Lindsay Davenport did not have a good day at the office at all. Davenport experienced her first loss in Fed Cup play since 1994.

Sabine Lasicki of Germany had an easy time bringing in the first match for her team. Lasicki defeated Davenport in straight sets 6-1, 7-5.

Davenport's game was lackluster and error filled just as it was when we last saw her during her loss to Maria Sharapova at the Australian Open. Davenport still seems so unsure of herself. She has not regained her dead-on shot making, or the ability to dictate the pace of the game.

The next match was American Ashley Harkleroad and Germany's Tatjana Malek. Much to my surprise Harkleroad came out on the money and took the match to Malek. Harkleroad defeated Malek 6-1, 6-3. PHEW!!!

Here are some excerpts from Davenport's post-match interview:

DAVENPORT: It wasn't happening for me today.

I was definitely not ahhh, seeing the ball as early as I wanted to and getting on top of the shots. At the same time the balls were comin', especially the serves were comin' so hard, I was never really on top of a rally. Ahhh, but luckily I got a little bit more warmed up, got a little bit more aggressive, but still just never felt like I was dictating or hitting the ball as cleanly as I would have liked. Some of that is definitely related to ahhh, footwork and getting in position. And obviously a lot of that has to do with the shots she was hitting to me, and me not being in position.

Q: Lindsay, can you remember the last time you came out and started so flat?

DAVENPORT: (groans) I have a hard time remembering the last time that, you know, a match went so one sided against me, a match that, ahhhh, you know, hopefully that's been my strength, is to take control of so, but ahhhh, hopefully that'll change.

Q: Any particular reason why today?

DAVENPORT: No, I don't know. I've had a great week of practice. I thought I was hitting the ball well. Ahhh, I don't know why. I think, I wish I did, and I'll have to figure out a reason tonight so it doesn't happen again tomorrow. Ahhh, but, you know, so far in the comeback I had been playing very well up until just very recently.

So, hopefully I can get my game back on track and, and start playing the kind of tennis I need to play to be successful.

Q: Lindsay, this is a followup to that. Any indication in your warmup that this would not be a good day?

DAVENPORT: No, I warmed up well, so ahhh, no, just some days it happens. You go out there, you're flat you're not hitting the balls you want to hit, ahhh, and unfortunately for the U.S. team, it was me today. And like I said, I think we, by no means feel we are out of it, we're obviously hoping to go one all into tomorrow. If we're down 0-2, ahhhh, you know, we still ahhhh, we still have a chance. so we look forward to hopefully a good day on Sunday.

Q: Is there something to be said perhaps for things coming maybe a little bit too easily for you since your comeback? If this match had been when you first came back maybe it would have been a little expected?

DAVENPORT: I don't know, I mean I was definitely, you know, a lot of people were talking about, you know, the U.S. dominance in Fed Cup. But I, I definitely thought that this was gonna be a tough tie and I was saying that all week. Ahhhh, I don't know, I mean, I was, it's so hard, it just happens. So, it's too hard to be too analytical about it right now. I mean, all I can say is that, you know, I tried. I did not play my best, and I get to try and go out there tomorrow and rectify that situation.

Hopefully, like I said, it's still enough for the U.S. team. But, obviously I feel bad for my teammates, and I'm hoping that it's just a little set back and not a huge bump in the road.

American Serena Williams has pulled out of the Paris Open women's tennis tournament starting on Monday because she needs dental surgery, organizers said on Friday.

The former world number one, who won the event in 2003, will be replaced as the second seed in the draw by Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova.

"I am very disappointed to have to pull out of the tournament due to needing surgery but I hope with all my heart to play in 2009," said Williams.

Russian world number seven Ana Chakvetadze is the top seed.

In the summer of 2005 Angela Haynes played Serena Williams in the third round of the Wimbledon Championships and came within a point of defeating her. It appeared that then 21-year old Angela would be one of the next big things to happen to women's tennis. Unfortunately, just a few months later, tragedy struck the Haynes family and took it's toll on Angela.

In late September, just a few days before Angela's birthday, her older brother Dontia died in a San Diego hospital from head injuries sustained when his motorcycle struck a car that had pulled out in front of him.

Angela was very close to her brother, who also played tennis. "We were like twins,'' Haynes said at the time. "If you saw me, you saw my brother. He was graduating this year and he was going to come out and be my hitter. … We talked about playing mixed doubles."

Angela dropped out of competition for a while thereafter, and is now working hard to return to the WTA Tour. She is currently ranked at 201, but was once ranked as high as 90.

In Arizona Republic, Arizona, at the the Coca-Cola Future Stars Tournament being held at the Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex, Angela, now 23, reached the final where she played Sesil Karatantcheva of Bulgaria and was defeated 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

"On this tour, it's all about points," she said. "You earn points on finishes, and points relate to world rankings. Tennis works on points, and right now, I need about 150 points to move to where I want to be."

Last year on this circuit, Haynes finished fifth among money winners, and earned $31,193, including winning four doubles titles.

"It gets very expensive to remain on tour," she added. "If you lose in the opening round of a major, you get $25,000, so that's the aim. We're all shooting to play in a major."

Haynes now splits her time between Los Angeles, where she lives, and Phoenix, where she practices with her coaches James Jack and Anne Smith. From Surprise, she said, she's off to Hawaii. By the end of the summer, she hopes to be in New York and the U. S. Open.

"You might say the road to the U.S. Open starts in Surprise," Williams said. "This tour is the starting point, the launching pad for future players. We want people in Surprise and the community to come to this event and say, 'I saw that player when she first started. Now, she's the winner of a Grand Slam event."

The AFP is reporting that Australian Open singles finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will make his Davis Cup debut for France in a first round clash against Romania next month.

Tsonga, 22, was included in a team that also comprises Richard Gasquet, Arnaud Clement, Michael Llodra and Gilles Simon for the February 8-10 trip to Sibiu.

The AP is reporting that Tsonga is looking into moving to Switzerland, based upon statements made on Tuesday by Swiss officials.

Tsonga reportedly requested residence papers to settle in the village of La Rippe, near the southwestern town of Nyon, said Philippe Pareaz, the president of the village.

The papers have not been signed yet, he added. But Pareaz said the 22-year-old player has taken a lease on a studio in La Rippe.

If Tsonga moves to Switzerland he will join a sizeable community of former and current French tennis players to settle here, including Amelie Mauresmo, Marion Bartoli, Richard Gasquet, Arnaud Clement, Fabrice Santoro and Guy Forget.

The same group of stellar young men that led the USA to Davis Cup victory in 2007 will make the same effort in 2008, beginning February 8 through 10.

Led by USA Captain Patrick McEnroe, the defending champions, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, will enter the first round against Austria in Ferry Dusika Hallenstadion, Vienna.

The USA and Austria have previously met on two occasions with the Americans winning both times. Their last encounter took place in 2004 when the USA won 5-0 in a first round tie in Uncasville, Connecticut.

USA, USA, USA!

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