Black Tennis Pros

American James Blake made easy work of fellow American Sam Warburg at the SAP Open on Tuesday. Blake defeated Warburg 6-3, 6-1, in as little as 55 minutes.

Blake will meet another American, Jesse Levine, in the next round.



Nice photo of Blake and little tennis fan.










American Donald Young, playing in the same event, was defeated in the first round by fellow American Wayne Odesnik 6-1, 5-7, 6-4.

Young was originally scheduled to play Korean Hyung-Taik Lee. Lee withdrew from the event prior to the match with a back injury.

Wayne Odesnik slid in as a "lucky loser."

Venus Williams defeated Karin Knapp of Italy 6-2, 6-2 in windy conditions due to a sandstorm that hit Doha early Wednesday.

"It was good to win in the desert," Williams said. "It was interesting to win like this. She is a pretty strong girl who hits deep shots, but I am happy I won."

Eight-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams will play for the new Washington Kastles during the 2008 World Team Tennis Pro League season.

According to the Kastles, the D.C. franchise of the league co-founded in 1974 by tennis legend Billie Jean King, Williams will play one home match and three away matches. She is expected to play both singles and doubles.

Williams is one of the most well-known female tennis players in the world. Both Williams and her older sister, Venus Williams, are former No. 1 ranked players.

The Kastles will play their home matches at a location in D.C. soon to be announced. The league's 2008 regular season runs from July 3 to July 23, with the World TeamTennis' championship weekend set for July 24-27 in Roseville, Calif.

The Kastles will play in the league's eastern conference, along with five other teams including the Delaware Smash and Boston Lobsters. The western conference has five teams such as the defending champions, Sacramento Capitals.

The league features several generations of tennis pros, both men and women, competing in communities throughout the United States each summer. The Washington Kastles represents the first D.C.-based team in the league's history.

American Venus Williams enters the tennis court in Doha in a traditional Qatari dress during the opening ceremony of the WTA Qatar Total Open on February 18, 2008. Venus is taking part in the 2.5 million dollar tournament in the Qatari capital.

Round 1 - Singles

Venus Williams, USA vs. BYE


Round 1 - Doubles

Venus Williams, USA (WC) and Caroline Wozniacki, DEN
vs.
Vera Dushevina, RUS and Elena Likhovtseva, RUS

*Stephanie Foretz, FRA and Selima Sfar, TUN
vs.
Ayumi Morita, JPN and Monica Niculescu, ROU

*Foretz and Sfar were defeated 6-4, 6-2.


Qualifying Rounds

American Stephanie Foretz was eliminated in round 1 of the singles by Tiantian Sun of China 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(5).



Qualifying Draw

American Raquel Kops-Jones was eliminated in round 1 of the singles by Nuria Llagostera Vives of Spain 6-3, 6-0.

Round 1 - Singles

James Blake, USA vs. Sam Warburg, USA

Donald Young, USA vs. Hyunk-Taik Lee, KOR


Round 1 - Doubles

Donald Young, USA and John Isner, USA
vs.
Mardy Fish, USA and Jurgen Melzer, AUT


Qualifying Rounds

American Scoville Jenkins was eliminated in round 2 of the singles by American Tim Smyczek 6-4, 6-1.



Round 1 - Doubles

Jeff Coetzee, RSA and Wesley Moodie, RSA
vs.
Jonathan Erlich, ISR and Andy Ram, ISR