Black Tennis Pros

Q: Mr. Eslami said that you are the best coach that he had ever worked with, who had he already worked with in making that comparison?
A: Mr. Eslami's daughters have worked some with Larry Stefanki (who coached John McEnroe, Marcelo Rios, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Tim Henman and is currently coaching Fernando Gonzalez), Robert Lansdorp (Maria Sharapova, Tracy Austin, Lindsay Davenport, etc.) and Nick Bollettieri, to name a few.

Q: Why aren't you training the Eslami sisters since Mr. Eslami seems to like your coaching so much?
A: Mr. Eslami is currently trying to find investors in order to be able to pay for coaching, and to provide for all of the other costs associated with playing the circuit. It is strictly a matter of money.

Q: Why is Ali Eslami attempting to politicize the USTA; why does he call the USTA a failure?
A: The USTA has politicized itself! To get this, you would have to be in and around the USTA for some time and/or need their assistance as a parent or player.

The USTA is a giant clique. As for why he has called it a failure is something that you would have to ask him directly. But consider this: where are the consistent and continuous American champions and No. 1's? Why is the coaching coming out of the USTA's player development department so sub-par? Did you know that the player development department has never, EVER produced a top 10 pro player? Top 25? Top 50? Lindsay Davenport and Chanda Rubin spent time in the USTA's player development program and quit the program. Once they quit and hired their own private coaches, their respective rankings took off and the rest is history. Get it?

Q: Have any Black tennis touring pros approached you about coaching them?
A: No!

Q: Do you prefer to coach men or women? Pros or juniors?
A: No preference regarding gender; but pros over juniors.

Q: Are you a part of Black Tennis Pro's?
A: All Black tennis pros are a part of Black Tennis Pro's. However, it is the baby and undertaking of its creator and owner Shelia. My baby is called MAGIAN World Class Tennis (www.magian10S.com).


Q: Do you honestly think that the lack of Black coaches in tennis is due to racism as opposed to Black athletes choosing not to coach tennis?
A: Yes. Most viewers of this blog site did not know that I existed until this interview. Explain that! Who controls the mainstream media that supposedly gets the word out to the public?

MAGIAN players at Melbourne, Florida

USTA Men's Open Designated Tournament (1997)

(L to R)

Then 16 yrs. old Edmond Dramou (Guinea, West Africa),

NCAA I player Rusty Oca (U.S.),

Coach Morris King, Jr.

(Dramou won the tournament)

Q: What is the country club environment in Jacksonville, Florida like now?
A: Legally they cannot exclude anymore. Other than that...

Q: Why do you persist in pursuing coaching tennis if you feel that the environment is so negative and racist?
A: "A winner never quits and a quitter never wins!" What kind of world class coach would I be if I quit, when I'm required to teach and train players how to go into (tennis) combat and to never, ever give up the fight?

Also, I come from a legacy of people who don't give up or in. Where would we be as a people if Martin had quit? Malcolm? Harriet Tubman? Medgar Evers? Stokely Carmichael? and countless others who gave their very lives?

Q: To your knowledge, how many Black tennis coaches are there available?
A: Not counting me, or Black parents who coach their kids, I know of at least five that are available to coach at the pro circuit level.

Q: No offense, but I've seen Ahsha Rolle play, and I don't think that she's that talented.
A: Okay, that's your opinion. Ahsha Rolle has a skill set that can be readily plugged into advanced level tactics and strategies. She just does not have anyone to coach her on how to plug-in her skill set. Also, Ahsha's physical conditioning is visibly lacking. Ahsha is currently being coached by one of the USTA player development (or high performance) coaches. Need I say more?

Q: Are you concerned with distancing yourself from the USTA because of your criticisms?
A: No. I've only reiterated truths that have been written about and discussed over and over by many, for many years.

Q: Why did you stop working with Venus and Serena?
A: Mission accomplished. Besides, it's the Richard Williams Show, not mine.

Q: What did you like the most and the least about working with Richard Williams and his daughters?
A: The opportunity itself is what I liked the most. What I liked the least I cannot say due to the agreement. But I will say that I don't like the fact that the sisters, since having reached their majority age (meaning that they make their own decisions due to adulthood) ONLY hire whites, unless the person is a family member.

I am one of those Blacks that was arrested in the 60's for protest marching so that there could be a Venus and Serena Williams as world champions. I was a mere 12 years old when I went to jail (juvenile shelter) so that our people could have the opportunity to achieve success. Does anyone actually believe that I and others placed our lives on the line so that Black folk could have opportunity, then, in turn, give away any resulting opportunities to others, when there are exceptionally competent, talented and professional Black folk available who need a break??? This is a very obvious manifestation of a hidden and deeper self-hatred.

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Round 1 - Men's Singles

James Blake, USA defeated Rainer Schuettler, GER
6-4, 6-1, 7-6(4)

Josselin Ouanna, FRA defeated by Juan Martin Del Potro, ARG
3-6, 2-6, 3-6


Injury

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, France - Knee


DOUBLES DRAW - MEN'S

Round 1

Gael Monfils, FRA and Josselin Ouanna, FRA
vs.
Dominik Hrbaty, SVK and Hyung-Taik Lee, KOR

Jeff Coetzee, RSA and Wesley Moodie, RSA
and
Jurgen Melzer, AUT and Alexander Pey, AUT


Round 1 - Women's Singles

Venus Williams, USA defeated Tzipora Obziler, ISR
6-3, 4-6, 6-2

Serena Williams, USA defeated Ashley Harkleroad, USA
6-2, 6-1


DOUBLES DRAW - WOMEN'S

Round - 1

Stephanie Foretz, FRA and Olga Savchuk, HUN
vs.
Dinara Safina, RUS and Agnes Szavay, HUN

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As usual, the very fashion conscious and fashion forward Williams sisters have arrived in Paris at Roland Garros ready to play tennis - and look good doing it.

Serena displayed her Nike style in a lovely "Doubles Women's Tennis Dress" in "chalk/dark obsidian/dark obsidian" (unless they have a men's tennis dress, why call it a 'women's tennis dress?' we know! *shoulder shrug*).

I'm really liking the fabric on this dress. If you'll notice Serena in action, the dress isn't crawling up or bunching anywhere. Those of you who want to look "cute" yet get your tennis on know that clothes crawling all over you during play is most annoying.

Plus, if your game truly sucks, they'll be so busy admiring your fashion sense, your game won't get beat up on so bad (yeah right).


Nike also offers the "Paris Women's Tennis Dress" in a "dark obsidian chalk/chalk" option for those who wish to be a bit more daring.

*Black Tennis Pro's has no Nike affiliation, just letting you know how to cop this style if you wish.


Venus on the other hand is rockin' part of her very own collection, EleVen, which opened to big fanfare and high praise. I personally love it and own a couple of pieces. Venus' entire collection can only be purchased at Steve and Barry's. There are some very nice coordinates in a variety of styles. It's well worth the look!

I tend to like some structure in athletic attire, the polos in this collection are incredible. If you just must sweat, ehhh "glow" and carry on, you might as well look well put together throughout the process.


*Black Tennis Pro's has no EleVen or Steve and Barry's affiliation. Once again, just letting you know how to cop the style.

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Wicked! Wicked! Wicked!

A very clean shaven American James Blake appears to be taking no prisoners in Paris at Roland Garros. Blake is cocked, locked and ready to rock!

Playing German Rainer Schuettler today, Blake was focused and had both rockets, forehand and backhand, firing on all cylinders, it was a thing of beauty. His 6-4, 6-1, 7-6 (3) victory over Rainer Schuettler made him the first American man to reach the second round at Roland Garros since 2006.

Blake won the first set on the first break of serve in the match, and then raced out to a 5-0 lead in the second set. In the third, Blake led 5-1 but his German opponent won five straight games to go ahead 6-5. Unfortunately, to no avail. Blake won the next set and then took the tie-break.

Way to go Blake!!

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Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga held a press conference at 6 pm on Saturday in a hotel in Paris to announce that he was withdrawing from the French Open Tournament. This year's Australian Open finalist will have to have an operation on his right knee and will also miss Wimbledon.

The No.14 seed will be replaced by lucky loser Luis Horna of Peru who will face American qualifier Scoville Jenkins in the first round.

Sounds like this young man is going to need some 24/7 TLC to get back into shape. Mmmkay.

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Round 1 - Men's Singles*

Donald Young, USA vs. Robby Ginepri, USA

Gael Monfils, FRA vs. Arnaud Clement, FRA

Scoville Jenkins, USA vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA

James Blake, USA vs. Rainer Schuettler, GER


*Eliminated during the qualifying rounds:

Josselin Ouanna, FRA
Julio Silva, BRA


Round 1 - Women's Singles*

Stephanie Foretz, FRA vs. Vera Zvonareva

Venus Williams, USA vs. Tzipora Obziler, ISR

Serena Williams, USA vs. Ashley Harkleroad, USA


*Eliminated during the qualifying rounds:

Raquel Kops-Jones
Ahsha Rolle
Chloe Babet


*Men's and Women's doubles draw will be available on Monday, May 26.

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Serena Williams

Richard Gasquet

Goran Ivanisevic

Amelie Mauresmo

Venus Williams

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Right on time after the Wednesday Coaches Corner, friend and sista blogger Blogpassion of "We Need to Stop: Black blog on African American issues, news, celebrity gossip and more," working an end of tennis that I generally don't address, the umpires. It's all tennis, it's all relative and I'm glad to have a break. Thanks BlogPassion!
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Didn’t like that one call during one of your favorite tennis matches or thought the chair umpire was sleeping through the match, and perhaps you can do a better job? The opportunities are there for those interested in becoming a USTA match officiator. You must know and study the rules of tennis and obtain professional certification.

Here are requirements for certification:
20/20 vision or corrected to 20/20 vision
Pass a written test for the area you will umpire in
Successfully complete a certification program at an approved school
Submit an official’s data card which is a record work and official’s application
Have USTA membership and certification
Number of tournaments: must officiate a minimum number of tournaments each year
Code of Conduct: officials must adhere to these rules

There are specific certification requirements for every official position. The various areas of certifications are for: provisional umpires, provisional referees, sectional and USTA officials, sectional umpire, sectional chair umpire, sectional referee, USTA roving umpire, USTA line umpire, USTA chair umpire, USTA referee, USTA chief umpire, national line umpire, national chair umpire, national referee, national chief umpire, professional line umpire, professional chair umpire, professional referee, professional chief umpire, and intercollegiate umpire.

Now that is a lot of officiating. There are umpire clinics where less experienced certified USTA umpires may attend to get on-court training. The various types of on court tennis officiating includes line umpire, rover, or chair umpire. In addition, umpires may pursue a tennis tournament administrator position such as referee or chief umpire.

Roving officials monitor multiple courts. Solo chair umpires are the lone umpire responsible for everything that takes places before and during one match. Line umpires work a line and call line shots on a tennis court. Referees supervise all aspects of play including making the drawing and substituting alternates.

• Here is a link to the USTA OFFICIALS CAREER GUIDE
• Here is a link to “The Rules of Tennis” the 317-page guidebook, officials must study and be proficient in.
• Here is the USTA link for additional information:
• Here is a link to The 2008 USTA Officials Department Chair Umpire Availability Program so you can have an idea of how the vacancies for tournaments are advertised and expenses covered.
• Tennis Umps Charge Racism, Sexism, CBS News
  

Sample pay compensation:

ITF White Badge Chair Umpire- $100/day
ITF Bronze Badge Chair Umpire- $110/day
ITF Silver/Gold Chair Umpire- $120/day
Associate Supervisor (ARS) - $210/day
Deputy Referee/Supervisor (DRS) - $175/day

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