Black Tennis Pros

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL, USA - American Madison Keys added her name to the history books Monday, becoming the seventh-youngest player ever to win a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles main draw match.

Keys, who played her first professional event on the ITF Women's Circuit recently in Fort Walton Beach but fell first round, was a wildcard into The MPS Group Championships this week and made excellent use of that, beating world No.81 Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia, 75 64. She rallied from 5-2 down to win the first set and hit four aces in the second set - including one on match point.

"The last couple of days were just practice and getting ready for my first round, and after today I have to go back out and do the same thing for my next match," Keys said. "I don't really look past my next match. I just take it day by day."

Keys, originally from Chicago, now lives in Boca Raton and trains at the Evert Academy, coached by John Evert. Among her junior accomplishments are Under 12 titles at Eddie Herr and the Orange Bowl in 2007, and she lists clay as her favorite surface. At the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami two years ago, Portugal's Michelle Larcher de Brito became the seventh-youngest player to win a singles main draw match on the Tour; Keys beat her by just four days.

The following is a list of the 10 youngest players ever to win a main draw match in singles on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour:

1. Fernandez, Mary Joe (13 years & 6 months - 1985 Miami)
2. Capriati, Jennifer (13 years & 11 months - 1990 Boca Raton)
3. Graf, Steffi (13 years, 11 months & 10 days - 1983 Roland Garros)
4. Hingis, Martina (14 years & 1 week - 1994 Zürich)
5. Rinaldi, Kathy (14 years & 3 weeks - 1981 Amelia Island)
6. Austin, Tracy (14 years & 1 month - 1977 Portland)
7. Keys, Madison (14 years & 48 days - 2009 Ponte Vedra Beach)
8. Larcher de Brito, Michelle (14 years & 52 days - 2007 Miami)
9. Rehe, Stephanie (14 years & 2 months - 1984 Hershey)
10. Sabatini, Gabriela (14 years, 2 months & 2 weeks - 1984 Indianapolis)

Read the rest of this post...........

SINGLES

Round 1

Serena Williams defeated by Klara Zakopalova, CZE
6-4, 3-6, 6-1


Eliminated during singles qualifying rounds:

Danielle Mills, USA


SINGLES

Round 1

(WC)Madison Keys, USA defeated Alla Kudryavtseva, RUS
7-5, 6-4

Round 2

Madison Keys, USA defeated by Nadia Petrova, RUS
6-3, 6-2


DOUBLES

Round 1

Raquel Kops-Jones, USA and Abigail Spears, USA
defeated by
Kveta Peschke, CZE and Lisa Raymond, USA
7-5, 4-6 [2-10]

Mashona Washington, USA and Jill Craybas, USA
defeated by
Caroline Wozniacki, DEN and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, CZE
6-2, 1-6, [10-7]

Angela Haynes, USA and Liga Dekmeijere, LAT
defeated
Christina Fusano, USA and Alexa Glatch, USA
1-6, 6-4, [10-4]


Quarterfinal Round

Angela Haynes, USA and Liga Dekmeijere, LAT
defeated
Shuai Peng, CHN and Zi Yan, CHN
7-6(3), 6-4


Semifinal Round

Angela Haynes, USA and Liga Dekmeijere, LAT
defeated by
Chia-Jung Chuang, TPE and Sania Mirza, IND
4-6, 3-6


SINGLES

Round 1

James Blake, USA defeated by Guillermo Canas, ARG
6-4, 6-4

(Q)Scoville Jenkins, USA defeated Alexander Peya, AUT
0-6, 6-4, 6-3


Eliminated during singles qualifying rounds:

Donald Young, USA


DOUBLES

Round 1

James Blake, USA and Mardy Fish, USA
defeated
Amer Delic, USA and Robert Kendrick, USA
4-6, 6-4 [10/7]


Round 2

James Blake, USA and Mardy Fish, USA
defeated
James Cerretani, USA and Dick Norman, BEL
6-3, 7-6(0)


SINGLES

Round 1

Megan Moulton-Levy, USA defeated Ellie Yates, USA
7-5, 6-1


Round 2

Megan Moulton-Levy, USA defeated by Yuliana Fedak, UKR
1-6, 2-6


Eliminated during singles qualifying rounds:

Whitney Jones, USA


DOUBLES

Round 1

Megan Moulton-Levy, USA and Laura Siegemund, GER
defeated
Heidi El Tabakh, CAN and Story Tweedie-Yates, USA
6-4, 7-5


Quarterfinal Round

Megan Moulton-Levy, USA and Laura Siegemund, GER
defeated by
Kimberly Couts, USA and Sharon Fichman, CAN
2-6, 3-6


SINGLES

Round 1

(WC)Jarmere Jenkins, USA defeated by (Q)Vladimir Obradovic, SRB
4-6, 4-6

Nicholas Monroe, USA defeated by Matthias Bachinger, GER
3-6, 6-4, 4-6


DOUBLES

Round 1

Nicholas Monroe, USA and Ryler Deheart, USA
defeated by
Lester Cook, USA and Shane LaPorte, USA
2-6, 4-6


SINGLES

Round 1

Marcus Fugate, USA defeated Milos Raonic, CAN
7-6(6), 6-2

Todd Paul, USA defeated Luis David Martinez, VEN
6-0, 6-2


Round 2

Todd Paul, USA defeated Adrians Zguns
6-1, 6-2

Marcus Fugate, USA defeated M. Roberts, USA
6-4, 7-6(4)


Quarterfinal Round

Marcus Fugate, USA defeated by Matej Bocko, SVK
4-6, 4-6

Paul Todd, USA defeated by Tigran Martirosyan, ARM
6-7(5), 2-6


DOUBLES

Round 1

Marcus Fugate, USA and Nima Roshan, AUS
defeated by
Matthew Roberts, USA and Adrians Zguns, LAT
7-6(6), 6-7(4) [7-10]

Devin Mullings, BAH and Dennis Zivkovic, USA
defeated
Luis Diaz-Barriga, MEX and Antonio Ruiz-Rosales, MEX

7-5, 6-4


Quarterfinal Round

Devin Mullings, BAH and Dennis Zivkovic, USA
defeated by
Matthew Roberts, USA and Adrians Zguns, LAT
1-6, 7-6(10) [4-10]

Read the rest of this post...........

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Fourteen-year-old Madison Keys made her WTA Tour debut a memorable one, upsetting Russia's Alla Kudryavtseva 7-5, 6-4 on Monday in the opening round of The MPS Group Championships.

The teen from Boca Raton, Fla., fell behind 5-2 in the first set but used powerful groundstrokes to break Kudryavtseva twice and a serve that averaged 101 mph to win the set.

Keys lost the first game of the second set before going on a four-game run, and after the 81st-ranked Kudryavtseva fought back to 4-5, Keys won the match with an ace.

"The first two or three games I was nervous," she said. "It was kind of just the first few games of just hitting the ball and feeling it and really getting into a rhythm that made me feel a lot better."

Keys could face the tournament's top seed and the world's ninth-ranked player, Nadia Petrova, in the second round. The Russian opens play Tuesday against Olga Govortsova.

"I actually got into tennis because of Venus and Serena (Williams)," Keys said. "I was watching Wimbledon one year and Venus was playing and I really liked how she was playing but I also liked her outfit.

"I told my dad I wanted a dress like Venus' and he said 'only if you play tennis.' So, I went to Walgreen's, got a racket and started playing."

Keys gets press grilling after big win:

Read the rest of this post...........

Americans Serena Williams and James Blake are right back into competition for the week of April 6.

World No. 1 Serena is shown above arriving at the Puente Romano Tennis Club in Marbella, Spain for the clay court Andalucia Tennis Experience that will run April 6-12.

Officials say that Serena showed visible signs of being tired and has drawn back to rest after her long distance flight from Miami. Everything points towards her first appearance at the tournament which will be on Wednesday.

World No. 17 Blake will be in action at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship in Houston Texas April 6-12. Blake has a 16-8 record at this tournament and has reached the quarterfinal round or better in six of his eight appearances.

This morning Americans Donald Young and Scoville Jenkins played one another in an attempt to qualify for the main draw. Jenkins came out on top with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Young.

Read the rest of this post...........

After a couple of weeks on the grind at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, Venus and Serena Williams got in some real play time at the beach.

Read the rest of this post...........

WIMBLEDON, England (AP)—The All England Club is selling up to 2,500 Centre Court seats at Wimbledon in five-year blocks for $40,700 each.

Wimbledon officials say the right to one reserved seat on Centre Court for every day of the tournament between the years 2011-15 will raise about $87.3 million.

According to the club, the idea was first introduced in 1920 to purchase part of the present grounds and buildings.

This year’s Wimbledon tournament will be held June 22 to July 5. It will feature the new Centre Court sliding roof, which will help alleviate Wimbledon’s perennial rain delays.

Read the rest of this post...........

What can you say about the Family Circle Cup fans and the popularity of you and Serena in Charleston?

"I have enjoyed playing in Charleston. The fans are very knowledgeable about tennis and really seem to rally around the event. Over the years, I look forward to returning to markets where the fans are so excited about our sport."

Why do you think the fan support for you guys is different here?

"There is such a rich tradition of tennis with Charleston, and this market has seen so many of the very best players here. I guess Serena and I are seen as a continuation of the great history at the Family Circle Cup and we are proud of that. The event organizers and Family Circle also deserve a lot of credit for making sure that the fans and players continue to have a great experience."

What do you think you will be doing in 10 years?

"I hope that I have transitioned into a successful career that will focus on my fashion and design interests."

Why is charity work so important to you and what are the projects closest to your heart?

"I realize that my access to the media gives me a chance to help bring awareness to the good work that so many people are doing to help others. I am always impressed on the charitable projects that I work on to see people commit their time to selflessly help others who are in need. I have worked closely with the WTA to establish a gender equality initiative with UNESCO (which is a United Nations charitable organization) to help educate and empower women around the world. This has been a great experience. I have also lent my time to a variety of educational initiatives as well as supporting the Women's Sports Foundation."

When can we expect to see a Venus Starr Interiors outlet open in Charleston?

"Hopefully within the next 10 years."

What do you like so much about interior design?

"The creative process has always intrigued me. Every project is a new creative challenge and I really enjoy seeing my ideas come to life."

What are your favorite things to do in Charleston when you are not playing tennis or watching Serena play tennis?

"The restaurant and food scene is something that I always look forward to. I don't think many people know about how great the culinary tradition is in Charleston."

Why do you think there are not more Americans near the top of the WTA Tour rankings?

"Young people in America have so many options that pursuing a career in sports is not always the first priority. The educational system is great and there are so many great job opportunities. Having said that I have seen some talented young American players. I also believe that things come in cycles and we will see another generation of great American players before long."

Read the rest of this post...........

At a time when recreational tennis is on the rise in the United States an emphasis is being placed on recruiting youngsters, Americans are conspicuous by their absence in the late-round singles draws at most professional tournaments.

Officials of the United States Tennis Association say junior development has never been more organized, with national and regional training centers, dozens of former pros as salaried coaches (with Patrick McEnroe as the general manager of elite player development) and a serious commitment to finding future champions.

“There’s no secret formula, and that’s our strength,” says Martin Blackman, a former touring pro, college coach and now the senior director for talent identification and development with the U.S.T.A. He acknowledges a “paradigm shift in the late ’80s” that opened opportunities for players in Eastern Europe and in Latin America.

“What we’re doing at the national level now is complementary and inclusive,” Blackman said.

But critics like Robert Lansdorp, the California stroke guru, and Pete Fischer, who developed Pete Sampras’s serve and his tactical all-court game, say the focus is misguided.

“Everything is fragmented,” Fischer said during a recent telephone interview from California, citing conflicting coaching techniques and different competitive priorities as inhibitors to producing champions. “I don’t see one vision. The U.S.T.A. is graded on how their players do in I.T.F. events. Who cares about that? Short-term goals get in the way of long-term goals.”

Lansdorp, who prefers one-on-one coaching to academy and training centers, said he talked to McEnroe recently.

“He has the right ideas,” Lansdorp said, “but you don’t get a champion out of a group. You have to find talent. And then you have to develop that talent.”

In a phone interview, McEnroe acknowledged the appointment of José Higueras as a national director of coaching.

“The No. 1 important thing is to get a coaching philosophy in place for our program,” McEnroe said.

Of the top 100 ranked players on the WTA Tour as of March 23, only four were American, and two were in the top 10, the Williams sisters, Serena (No. 1) and Venus (No. 6). (The other two were No. 37 Bethanie Mattek-Sands and No. 85 Jill Craybas.) By contrast, 14 Russian women were ranked among the top 100, including 10 in the top 50 and five among the top 10.

The situation is little better on the ATP men’s tour. Spain has 14 players among the first 100, including at No. 1. France has 13. Of the seven Americans in the top 100, only one, Andy Roddick (No. 6), is in the top 10.

Ten years ago, four American women were in the top 10, and 15 among the top 100. Three men from the United States were in the top 10, and 12 in the top 100.

Historically, American tennis champions have developed through a combination of player skill and drive, parental pride and persistence, and the technically sound acumen of a dedicated coach.

For all of his eccentric off-court pronouncements, Richard Williams recognized his daughters’ natural gifts and work ethic, and extracted mechanical refinements and support from a number of quality coaches (Rick Macci and Nick Bollettieri, to name a few). The result: the Williams sisters have combined for 17 Grand Slam singles titles in the last 10 years.

Bollettieri, whose tennis academy in Florida produced Andre Agassi and Jim Courier among others, said players had to be ready to work 365 days a year.

“This is what it takes to be successful in tennis in America,” he said.

The latest examples of works in progress reflect the scope of the search.

Victoria Duval, 13, whose family is from Haiti, won the U.S.T.A. National 14s last year. She lives with her mother and grandmother in Bradenton, Fla., near Bollettieri’s academy, now owned by IMG Academies. Madison Keys, 14, was a finalist in the Orange Bowl 16s, and is scheduled to make her pro debut Monday at a WTA event in Ponte Vedra, Fla.

The Williams sisters played a limited age-group schedule until the age of 14 and tailored their tournament commitments. That may explain why they still have a competitive zest while other No. 1 pros like Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters and Martina Hingis left the game before turning 25. Clijsters is planning a comeback.

The notion that young Americans won’t pay the same price for success as Russians, Serbs or other Europeans — long hours on the court, weeks away from home, fighting through competitive qualifiers or satellite events in less-attractive places — is as much a topic for debate as whether United States tennis is losing the biggest and best athletes to college scholarships in basketball, soccer and even lacrosse.

“Kids should learn to play tennis exactly the way they learn to play basketball,” said Ray Benton, a lawyer based in Washington who has been involved in the sport for decades as a player, promoter and entrepreneur. He is now the chief executive of a regional training center in College Park, Md.

Recreational recruitment is growing. QuickStart Tennis, a format for three age levels announced last year, is in 1,200 facilities, according to the U.S.T.A. The youngest, 5 to 8, play on a 36-foot court with a foam tennis ball. For preteens, the court is expanded to 60 feet with low-compression balls. The third level plays on the standard court.

“You’re going to see a dramatic improvement in our junior players between 13 and 18 in three years,” Blackman said.

Pancho Segura, who is considered a tactical Yoda in the sport, seems more skeptical. Too many young Americans, Segura said, are using extreme Western-style grips, which yield tantalizing topspin but inhibit an ability to slice, volley and adequately cover low balls.

More important, he added, “They don’t know how to win tennis matches.”

Read the rest of this post...........