Slovakia stunned defending champions the United States at the Hopman Cup on Monday.
Dominik Hrbaty completed the surprise triumph with a three-set victory over James Blake after Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova had beaten Meghann Shaughnessy in the opening rubber.
Hrbaty and Cibulkova later completed a 3-0 whitewash of the US by winning the mixed doubles 6-4 7-6.
Read the rest of this post...........FEEL IT is one part of a global marketing overhaul for the ATP which also includes a full rebrand of the Tour, a new online approach and a global promotional campaign designed to better promote the sport globally and broaden the appeal of men’s professional tennis by making it easier for fans to follow. The changes have been made following two years of extensive and independent, global research of over 20,000 fans at all levels of tennis interest.
From January 2009 the Tour’s name and logo will change to ATP World Tour to reflect the unique, global nature of the men’s professional tennis circuit. In addition the tournament categories will be renamed to reflect the importance of the particular event. There will be three tiers of events:
• ATP World Tour Masters 1000
• ATP World Tour 500
• ATP World Tour 250
At the end of the season the world’s top 8 ranked men’s singles players and 8 doubles teams, based on their performance throughout the year, will qualify to compete in the season’s climax - the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. To be held at London’s O2 arena, the event will officially crown the 2009 ATP World Tour Champion and determine the final 2009 player standings.
To support and communicate these exciting changes to players, sponsors, media and fans, the ATP has developed a new, strong and distinctive ATP World Tour approach that will bring all 63 tournaments in 31 countries under one, exciting and accessible overarching brand. The logo, along with the respective tournament category will, for the first time, be included on the net at every ATP World Tour event from early 2009 as an easy way for fans at home to understand the new brand.
Phil Anderton, ATP Chief Marketing Officer, said: “When over 60% of fans tell you that they do not understand how your Tour works, then changes are needed. We are the world’s most global sporting circuit, attracting millions of fans, but it is clear that we can still achieve much more for men’s professional tennis. The marketing strategy announced today will help us to do just that by establishing a new, simplified, tour structure that tells the best story of our global tour: the best players, playing in the best stadia in the best territories at the right time. The ATP World Tour is undergoing huge change from next season, but it is change that will help unlock the huge potential within men’s professional tennis.”
Read the rest of this post...........
DOUBLES
Raquel Kops-Jones, USA and Abigail Spears, USA
defeated by
Julie Ditty, FRA and Carly Gullickson, USA
6-1, 6-3
SINGLES
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA vs. Agustin Calleri, ARG
DOUBLES
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA and Marc Gicquel, FRA
defeated
Mario Ancic, CRO and Paul Henri Mathieu, FRA
7-5, 4-6 [10/4]
SINGLES
Gael Monfils, FRA defeated Jan Hernych, CZE
6-2, 6-2
DOUBLES
Jeff Coetzee, RSA and Wesley Moodie, RSA
defeated
Igor Andreev, RUS and Jaroslav Levinsky,CZE
6-4, 2-6 [10/1]
Greetings Black Tennis Pro's Fam and Friends!
I guess I don't have to tell you that I took an extended holiday vacation, and was sworn off my computer during the entire time.
I had an absolutely amazing holiday season with family and friends. I have cooked, decorated, and wrapped to the limit. I don't think that I could have taken anymore. At this very moment my house is shockingly quiet - nice.
I hope that each of you were as richly blessed, and that your 2009 is filled with as much as your heart, head and hands can hold.
Oh well, back to the grindstone of Black Tennis Pro's 2009!
Leadership is the theme for World AIDS Day 2007 and 2008, promoted with the campaigning slogan, “Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise.”
Leadership encourages leaders at all levels to stop AIDS. Building on the 2006 theme of accountability, leadership highlights the discrepancy between the commitments that have been made to halt the spread of AIDS, and actions taken to follow them through. Leadership empowers everyone – individuals, organisations, governments – to lead in the response to AIDS.
In 2007, people around the world were encouraged to take the lead to stop AIDS. Campaigns took the shape of marches, leadership discussions, public awareness events and pledges from leaders. These events all helped to put leadership in the spotlight.
People have offered their leadership – now it is time to deliver. Promises must be kept, and people must feel empowered to act.
Why is 2008 important?
2008 marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. Since 1988, the face and response to AIDS has greatly changed. While many of these changes are positive, this anniversary offers us an opportunity to highlight how much more still needs to be done.
For example:
* Leaders in most countries from around the world now acknowledge the threat of AIDS, and many have committed to do something about it. As of 2007, nearly all countries have national policies on HIV. However, despite these policies, most have not been fully implemented and many lack funding allocations.
* While treatment for HIV and AIDS has improved and become more widespread since 1988, many still do not have access to it – in 2007 only 31% of those in low- to middle-income countries who need treatment received it.
* Despite HIV awareness now reaching nearly all areas of the globe, infection rates are still happening 2.7 times faster than the increase in number of people receiving treatment.
* While the number of countries protecting people living with HIV continue to increase, one third of countries still lack legal protections and stigma and discrimination continues to be a major threat to universal access.
* More broadly, real action on HIV and AIDS and human rights remains lacking. Legal barriers to HIV services still exist for groups such as women, adolescents, sex workers, people who use drugs, and men having sex with men, and programmatic responses promoting HIV-related human rights have yet to be prioritised.
World AIDS Day began in 1988 when health ministers from around the world met and agreed on the concept of the day as an opportunity for all of us to come together to demonstrate the importance of AIDS and show solidarity for the cause. In 2008, this underlining principle of solidarity and awareness remains the same.
We have only two years to go for “the goal of universal access to comprehensive prevention programmes, treatment, care and support by 2010”[1].”
To achieve this goal, leadership and action is needed now. Governments must deliver on the promises they have made. Communities must encourage leadership of its members. Individuals must feel empowered to access treatment, to know their rights and take action against stigma and discrimination, and to know and use methods of prevention against receiving and transmitting HIV.
Activity came to a stop in the sleepy village of Matooni on the foothills of Manooni hills as Serena Wiliams, the world number two ranked tennis player, opened a secondary school named after her in the area on Friday.
Williams, who was accompanied by the Minister for Education, Professor Sam Ongeri, and the area MP, Peter Kiilu, could not hide her joy for being involved in the project.
“I would like to contribute more to education projects in Africa, and I really want to thank the Hewlett Packard Company for choosing to partner with me in this noble project,” Williams told the ecstatic crowd.
The school, which has been named after the player, was built in record one month, and is fully equipped with a computer laboratory and Internet facilities for the students.
Ongeri lauded the tennis star for her efforts, and requested more people to contribute in making Kenya’s free secondary education a success, noting that secondary school enrolment had gone up in the country over the past three years.
Serena Williams, the world number two ranked tennis player, was quite at home on the court as she took children through the paces at Sadili Oval Tennis Academy in Nairobi on Saturday.Serena who was accompanied by Sports Minister Hellen Sambili to the venue in Langata, first watched the young players go through their practise session as she stood by to give them a few tips.
She then took to the court and gave instructions to a select group of girls and boys, after which they played a round of tennis doubles.
Serena, who played for the better part of the morning with children who range from the age of eight to 18 years, expressed her satisfaction at the reception that she has so far received in Kenya.
“Kenya has beautiful people and I plan to come back here to be a part of projects such as tennis coaching. The spirit of Kenyans is second to none,” she said.
The children who had the opportunity to play tennis with Serena only had praises for the sports star who took time to show them basic moves in the game.
“My dream has come true today. I always dreamt of playing with her on the same court, and possibly hit the ball down on her,” said 16-year-old Terry Odera, who had the rare chance to share the court with Serena.
“I will now focus on more serious training in order to make it in the sport like her. But I have also learnt that being a celebrity means living your life in the public life, which is not at all easy. That’s the part I did not quite enjoy.”
On her part, 17-year-old Sakina Nshirimana learnt plenty of skills during her half hour on the court with the fashion and tennis queen.
“I have learnt how to control the ball and make more rallies without making as many mistakes. My dream to see her has come more than true and now my focus is to be like her. I think it can come true too,” an elated Nshirimana said.
Serena enjoyed every moment on the court as she clapped and gestured happily to encourage the youngsters.
“She (Serena) makes the game look so easy to play,” commented one of the boys who train at the academy.
“She has proved to Kenyan youth that a person can succeed both academically and in sports with self discipline and trust in God,” said Sambili.
The Serena entourage leaves the country on Sunday for Senegal, where she will initiate the building of more schools. One school that she has built, and is named after her, is already up and running in Makueni District.
I have NEVER seen Russian Nikolay Davydenko this emotion filled at the end of winning any match that I've ever seen him play. You know Davydenko, he's pretty low key. When he wins he's pleased, and when he loses he pleased...comme si, comme ca, it's all good, right on.
Well, at least that's how he was before he was so brutally saddled with being the face of illegal betting inside of tennis. COME ON! Davydenko? I know that looks can be deceiving, but Davydenko?
In the wake of that pitiful investigation, Davydenko's game went south quick, fast and in a hurry. He had become one of my favorites on the tour, especially for being so nonchalant in scraping the court with his opponents behinds so unsuspectingly. The guy was just masterful at maintaining the most even temperament I'd ever seen on court.
Now that he's been cleared, looks like Davydenko has his groove back and this time with a passion! After defeating Britain's Andy Murray in straight sets 7-5, 6-2 in the semifinal of the Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai yesterday, Davydenko got his tennis yell on. I for one am glad to see it. I am glad that he's recovering his game, and this time putting some feeling into it... in yo face!
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Hounds Good
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