Black Tennis Pros

I have nothing to say.

WHERE YOU AT JUAN, WHERE YOU AT WITH YOURS?

JUST GIVE IT TO ME FULL FORCE, I'M TAKING IT TODAY!!

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Well, I saw it this morning, so I KNOW that it did indeed happen. Yet, I am at a loss to accurately describe what happened. Suffice it to say that it appeared that Serena had no game plan, was asleep fifty percent of the time, and couldn't hit the side of a barn with all of the racquets in her bag. Yeah, that's about it.

Our lil' miss fashion plate will either sit in the stands or return to the good old U.S. of A., but she will not be pursuing the French Open title any further. A short while ago Serena Williams handed the fourth round of play to Slovenian Katarina Srebotnik on a silver racquet. Srebotnik's win came in at 6-4, 6-4.

That's not to say that Srebotnik did not play well, she did. However, Serena played so poorly that Srebotnik could have stood there with her racquet held out and won the match.

What does Serena's mom and coach have to say about it? “She was edgy. Her head just wasn't there and I can't explain why."

"She's been like that since she got here. She wasn't confident. She has been in a funk for a couple of weeks.”

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Round 1 - Men's Singles

Donald Young, USA defeated by Robby Ginepri, USA
2-6, 6-3, 6-7(4-7), 2-6

Gael Monfils, FRA defeated Arnaud Clement, FRA
7-5, 6-3, 6-1

Scoville Jenkins, USA defeated by Luis Horna, PER
4-6, 7-5, 3-6, 0-6


Round 2 - Men's Singles

Gael Monfils, FRA defeated Luis Horna, PER
7-6(7/5), 6-4, 7-5

James Blake, USA defeated by Ernests Gulbis, LAT
6-7(2/7), 6-3, 5-7, 3-6


Round 1 - Women's Singles

Stephanie Foretz, FRA defeated by Vera Zvonareva
2-6, 1-6


Round 2 Women's Singles

Venus Williams, USA defeated Selima Sfar, TUN
6-3, 4-6, 6-2

Serena Williams, USA defeated Mathilde Johansson, FRA
6-2, 7-5


Round 3 - Women's Singles

Serena Williams, USA defeated by Katarina Srebotnik, SLO
4-6, 4-6

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Yeowwwches! That is absolutely too much male fineness occupying a single space, DAMN! Alrighty then, moving right along...

French hope Jo-Wilfried Tsonga may be sidelined from Roland Garros, but the Australian Open finalist remains the great new hope of French tennis, which has not had a Grand Slam champion for 25 years.

Deuce Magazine has put together a few words on this rise of Tsonga.

France had more Top 100 players last year than any other country, yet on the 25th anniversary of Yannick Noah's celebrated Roland Garros victory in 1983, the nation still awaits its next Grand Slam champion. Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has emerged from the shadows of countrymen Richard Gasquet and Gael Monfils to become France's great new hope.

It was 6 a.m. on a January morning. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's plane began its descent towards the runway at Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris, at last concluding its 10,400-mile journey from Melbourne, Australia. There had been many such flights in Tsonga's life, but none could quite prepare him for what was to come this morning.

As Tsonga exited the plane, more than 100 people lined the corridors of the airport to greet him. Immediately, Tsonga was driven to the center of the French tennis universe - Roland Garros - for a press conference, where he charmed dozens of print and broadcast journalists.

In conversation, the 6' 2", 200-pound Tsonga is a gentle man, at times almost pensive, at others even cheeky, his small brown eyes kindly taking in what's around him, a sensitive quality that's a pleasing contrast with the equally charismatic and physical firepower of his game. His subdued speaking voice is the sign of reflection, an activity he engages in often when enjoying one of his favorite off-court passions, fishing.

Tsonga kicked off 2008 in grand style. In only the fifth Grand Slam of his career, he had splashed himself into history by reaching the finals of the Australian Open. Moreover, Tsonga had done it in an arresting manner, playing brilliant attacking tennis in beating such rough customers as Andy Murray, Richard Gasquet, Mikhail Youzhny and Rafael Nadal before losing a tight four-setter to Novak Djokovic. Over the span of a fortnight, Tsonga earned more prize money than he had in his entire career. "I was impressed with the way he plays," said Djokovic in Australia. "He's just living the dream. For him it's a great achievement."

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Is Technorati showing me a particular brand of love, or are others suffering too? I just want to know.

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Blake baby, Blake baby, Blake baby, ya' killin' me.

I declare this man is going to put me in an early grave supporting him. And yes, I will continue to support him. He thinks that "he" became frustrated today, what about me?

I don't completely know how to call this one though. Blake has the goods, and was making the effort, but world no. 80 Ernests Gulbis of Latvia also had the goods, made the effort and advanced to the next round to the tune of a 7-6(2), 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over Blake.

Now, clearly I realize that our American men haven't progressed particularly well over the years on clay, but it's a new year and a lot has happened in between. Yes, I know, I'm being a tad overly optimistic, but I'm not one to wallow in defeat unnecessarily or prematurely.

During his press conference, a very disheartened and visibly disappointed Blake said, "I haven't seen the stats yet, but I think that I was just poorly not within my game. I think I played the way ahhh, too many commentators think I should play." (Who? Patrick McEnroe? Cliff Drysdale? Chris Fowler? Why are you giving these people free real estate in your head when you have a coach that you pay?)

"Saying, you know, I probably didn't make very many errors and I didn't hit that many winners, and that's the way a lot of them think I should play, and I think today was a pretty good indication that's not the way that wins matches for me."

"I lost to a guy ranked 80 in the world that hit a lot more winners. Granted, he didn't play like he was 80 in the world, he played a lot better than that, but there's a lot of guys out there that can dictate play against me if I try to play like that, and that's just real frustrating for me to play a match like that when I know my game, I know what works best for me and I didn't necessarily do it effectively today."

Oh James, I'm going to leave you alone right now, as you really seem to require more support than admonishment. But as soon as I think that you're feeling better? Oh, it's on.

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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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