Black Tennis Pros

Yesterday I watched the World Team Tennis Springfield Lasers play the Newport Beach Breakers in Newport Beach, California. Of course Lindsay Davenport was the star amongst these pro league players, but it was American Shenay Perry that caught my attention. In both Women's Doubles and Mixed Doubles she looked really good.

Perry has been sidelined by knee surgery that she underwent last year. I was just beginning to enjoy seeing her play when all of a sudden she was gone. According to commentator Corina Morariu, Perry anticipates playing singles again later in the year.

I'm just glad to see her back in the mix, and hope to see a lot more of her!

Last evening at the Indianapolis Tennis Championships presented by Lilly, part of the Olympus U.S. Open Series, Russian Dmitry Tursunov held on to his existing title for this tournament a little longer by defeating American James Blake in the semifinal round. Tursunov won 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Blake made some wonderful shots and won the first set as Tursunov moped around. Tursunov made some wonderful shots and won the second set as Blake moped around. The third set was more weird, although it contained more great shot making; Blake seemed to mentally spaz out to somewhere else, Tursunov didn't and won.

Alrighty then, that's about what I saw. What did you see?

This afternoon at the Olympus U. S. Open Series, Bank of the West Classic Tournament on the Stanford University campus, American Serena Williams had to withdraw from her semifinal match against Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak with a knee injury. The score at her retirement was 6-1, 3-1.

Serena was obviously not at her best from point one. Her movement was very poor, she was over hitting the ball and quite frankly, did not seem in the best of moods. After a short while of play, the reason became apparent; she was being bothered by a bad knee. The injury appears to be to the same knee [left] on which she had surgery in 2003.

As it should be, Wozniak was really not concerned about Serena's knee, she was playing as if Serena was firing on all cylinders. It was actually kind of amusing to watch. Wozniak took nothing for granted about a potentially injured Serena, she took advantage of the situation and played her game. I don't blame her! Taking it to Serena Williams is not an opportunity that other players often get, seize the moment.

Hopefully this is a small kink and Serena will be able to get healthy in short order and get back on the court.

Get well soon Serena!

Top seed and 2006 champion James Blake moved into the quarterfinals at the Indianapolis Tennis Championships presented by Lilly with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Korean qualifier Woong-Sun Jun on Thursday night.

The No. 2 American (behind Andy Roddick) reached the quarterfinals (or better) in Indianapolis for the third straight year after going winless in his first three tournament appearances. The 28-year-old Tampa, Florida resident also improved to 33-15 on the season by advancing to the quarterfinals for the ninth time in 14 tournaments.

Blake went up 5-3 when he capitalized on his fifth break point in the opening set. He then saved a break point in the next game before holding to close out the 35-minute set.

In the second set, Blake broke in the first game but then lost serve in the fourth game. Blake saved two set points at 4-5 before holding. He then broke Jun at 15-40 before serving out the one hour and 12 minute match.

Blake will take on Yen-Hsun Lu of Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals on Friday. Lu beat American wild card Rajeev Ram 6-1, 7-6(1).

While Big sister Venus was all glammed up and attending the ESPY Awards last night, American Serena Williams was busy toiling away at the Bank Of The West Classic at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California last night.

Top seed Williams played the feature night match and picked up right where she left off during her run to the final of Wimbledon, beating qualifier Michelle Larcher de Brito of Portugal, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. The 15-year-old Larcher de Brito came out on fire, hitting her big ground strokes to perfection in building a 6-4 2-0 lead; the more experienced Williams was far from finished in her career debut at the Bank of the West Classic, however, rallying to win in three sets under the lights.

"I never underestimate anyone, especially when they play me, because they'll always bring out their best game," Williams said. "In a way it was surprising, but you've just got to deal with it. I had a plan and I started playing better, and it's encouraging for me to bounce back after losing the first set."

"I started off really well; I slowed down a little bit, but overall I was playing well the whole match," Larcher de Brito said. "Obviously she played such a great game. She's Serena Williams. I didn't have anything to lose and I gave it my all.

"I was getting close to an upset, but now I have a lot of things to work on, and a lot of years ahead of me."

Although Serena Williams is playing the Bank of the West Classic for the first time, the Williams brand has done very well at the Tier II stop in the past. Venus made the final in six of seven trips to Stanford, winning the title twice, in 2000 (beating Lindsay Davenport in the final) and 2002 (beating Kim Clijsters).

"I've never been able to make it here," Williams added. "I'm happy that I'm here. There's a nice atmosphere and it feels good to play in Stanford."

Venus poses in the press room at the 2008 ESPY Awards held at NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE on July 16, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. The 2008 ESPYs will air on Sunday, July 20 at 9PM ET on ESPN.

Love the shoes (and the pedicure)! And I've got to agree with Serena, nice legs Venus!

Ben Monroe, coach and father of player Nicholas Monroe shared the following results:

CHALLENGER BANQUE NATIONALE
July 7-13, 2008
Granby, Canada

DOUBLES

Final Round

Nicholas Monroe and Alberto Francis, USA
defeated by
Peter Polansky, CAN and Philip Bester, CAN
2-6, 6-1, [10-5]


MONCTON CHALLENGER
July 14-20, 2008
Moncton, Canada

SINGLES

Round 1

Nicholas Monroe, USA defeated Nathan Thompson, USA
7-6 (0), 6-2