Black Tennis Pros

FEDERER RECEIVES DOUBLE HONOUR

Roger Federer continues to shine as the fairest and most popular player on the ATP World Tour after the 2008 ATP World Tour Awards were announced in Miami today. Fellow players voted Federer the winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for a record fifth consecutive year. Only Edberg himself won the award five times (over eight years). And in a poll of fans, Federer for the sixth consecutive year was voted ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favourite.

Of his dual honours, Federer said: “It is great to receive two more awards. It is always important for me to be a good sportsman on the court and give the right example for others to follow and hopefully inspire the next generation. It also means the world to me to be the fans’ favourite player for the sixth year in a row. The support I receive from the fans around the world is so motivating and it is humbling to receive this award once again."

ATP World Tour Champion Rafael Nadal and ATP World Tour Doubles Team Champions Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic were announced as the Player of the Year and Doubles Team of the Year respectively.

James Blake won the prestigious Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year award for his many charitable efforts, including several fundraising initiatives for cancer research.


Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Of The Year

James Blake: In the summer of 2008, James Blake announced the creation of the Thomas Blake Sr. Memorial Research Fund at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, with the goal of raising $1 million for cancer research within 12 months. Important fundraising initiatives include his tennis charity exhibition Anthem LIVE! and the J-Block merchandise program. Blake also helps to raise funds for the Harlem Junior Tennis Program and hosts the organisation’s annual fundraising event each year.

KEY BISCAYNE, FL - MARCH 25: Serena Williams and other ladies of the WTA talk to the media during day three of the Sony Ericsson Open at the Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 25.

Serena Williams, USA

Jelena Jankovic, Serbia

Ana Ivanovic, Serbia

Venus Williams, USA

Vera Zvonareva, Russia

Photos by Al Bello/Getty Images

KEY BISCAYNE - MARCH 24: Fernando Gonzalez (C), Jo-Wilfred Tsonga (L) and Nenad Zimonjic (R) feed the dolphins at the Miami Seaquarium prior to the Sony Ericsson Open on March 24, 2009 in Key Biscayne, Florida.

WTA

SINGLES

Round 1

Serena Williams, USA vs. BYE

Venus Williams, USA vs. BYE


Round 2

Serena Williams, USA defeated (WC) Alexa Glatch, USA
6-2, 6-3

Venus Williams, USA defeated Shahar Peer, ISR
6-3, 6-3


Round 3

Serena Williams, USA defeated Shuai Peng, CHN
7-5, 6-2

Venus Williams, USA defeated Anna-Lena Groenefeld, GER
7-5, 6-3


Round 4

Serena Williams, USA defeated Jie Zheng, CHN
7-5, 5-7, 6-3

Venus Williams, USA defeated Agnieska Radwanska, POL
4-6, 6-1, 6-4


Quarterfinal Round

Serena Williams, USA defeated Na Li, CHN
4-6, 7-6(1), 6-2

Venus Williams defeated Iveta Benesova, CZE
6-1, 6-4


Semifinal Round

Serena Williams, USA defeated Venus Williams, USA
6-4, 3-6, 6-3


Championship Round

Serena Williams, USA defeated by Victoria Azarenka, BEL
3-6, 1-6



DOUBLES

Round 1

Sloane Stephens, USA and Christina McHale, USA
defeated by
Bethanie Mattek-Sands, USA and Nadia Petrova, RUS
2-6, 6-2, [10/2]

Raquel Kops-Jones, USA and Abigail Spears, USA
defeated
Klaudia Jans, POL and Alicja Rosolska, POL
6-4, 6-4


Round 2

Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears, USA
defeated
Alona Bondarenko, UKR and Kateryna Bondarenko, UKR
6-4, 6-4


Quarterfinal Round

Racquel Kops-Jones, USA and Abigail Spears, USA
defeated by
Kveta Peschke, CZE and Lisa Raymond, USA
6-3, 6-2



ATP

SINGLES

Round 1

Gael Monfils, FRA vs. BYE

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA vs. BYE

James Blake, USA vs. BYE


Round 2

Gael Monfils, FRA defeated Michael Russell
6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA defeated Agustin Calleri, ARG
6-1, 6-1

James Blake, USA defeated Julien Benneteau, FRA
6-4, 6-4


Round 3

Gael Monfils, FRA defeated Marat Safin, RUS
5-7, 7-5, 7-6(3)

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA defeated Robert Kendrick, USA
7-5, 6-4

James Blake, USA defeated by Tomas Berdych, CZE
4-6, 7-6(3), 3-6


Round 4

Gael Monfils, FRA defeated by Andy Roddick, USA
6-7(2), 4-6

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA defeated Gilles Simon, FRA
6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2


Quarterfinal Round

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA defeated by Novak Djokovic, SER
3-6, 4-6

In a move that will reverberate in both college athletics and professional tennis, the Pacific 10 Conference announced on Tuesday that Larry Scott, the chief executive and chairman of the Women’s Tennis Association, would become its new commissioner.

On July 1, Scott will replace Tom Hansen, who announced his retirement last year after a 26-year run in the job. Scott said it was difficult to leave the W.T.A., where he worked for equality in pay for women’s players, record sponsorship deals and an increase in worldwide television exposure.

Scott acknowledges that’s he’s not a traditional candidate, coming from outside college sports, but said his experience with both the W.T.A. and the men’s tour before that have prepared him for the job.

“They were looking for a different kind of leader from, let’s say, other conferences typical in this position,” Scott said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. “They see this as a turning point for the Pac-10 and are looking for a new approach to promoting and branding the conferences as well as television and sponsorships.”

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MIAMI - MARCH 23: American Venus Williams and Andy Murray of Great Britain play a game of traffic tennis on Ocean Drive prior to the Sony Ericsson Open on March 23, 2009 in Miami, Florida.

SINGLES

Round 1

Alexandra Stevenson defeated by Soledad Esperon, ARG
4-6, 3-6

ATP SINGLES - QUALIFYING

Round 1

Donald Young, USA defeated by Robert Kendrick, USA
2-6, 4-6