Black Tennis Pros

Top seed Gael Monfils defeated fellow Frenchman Josselin Ouanna 6-4, 7-5 on Thursday in Johannesburg to book his place in the quarter-finals at the SA Tennis Open, an ATP World Tour 250 tennis tournament.

Ouanna managed to save 13 of the 16 break point chances he faced on serve, but it still did not prove enough to prevent his more experienced countryman from closing out the victory in one hour and 21 minutes.

Afterwards, World No. 13 Monfils admitted he had to work for the win against the 88th-ranked Ouanna. “I think he knows me well, and it’s hard all the time when players know you well,” he said. “Also, I just didn’t get the big serve. It was a bit tough. I needed to be focused to get back the return. Also, sometimes he can hit very hard with his forehand, so today was definitely harder than the first game.”

Monfils made an impressive tournament debut Tuesday, taking just 53 minutes to dismiss Slovakian veteran Dominik Hrbaty. The 23 year old is attempting to keep the Johannesburg title in French possession, after Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won the SA Tennis Open last year.

He will look to reach an ATP World Tour semi-final for the second time this season when he next plays seventh seed Yen-Hsun Lu. Earlier in the evening, after a 90-minute rain delay, Lu knocked out South African wild card Raven Klaasen 6-4, 7-5 in one hour and 56 minutes.

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As the highest-ranked player to ever emerge from Jamaica, 6’ 5” serve and volleyer Dustin Brown could feel entitled to a little more recognition in his sports-loving homeland. But in a country most famous for being home to the world’s fastest man, Brown accepts that, for now at least, he will fly below the radar.

“Five months ago I’d go to Jamaica and go through customs and it would be a hassle getting into my own country even though I am the No. 1 tennis player from the country,” he said. “If Usain Bolt comes, of course he’s a lot bigger than me, he probably doesn’t have to go through customs at all. Now that my ranking has gone to 140, 150 I have been getting a little more media attention in Jamaica; I have been on the TV once or twice on the news.”

Playing just his second tour-level event at this week’s SA Tennis Open in Johannesburg, 25-year-old Brown is one match win away from becoming the first player representing Jamaica to reach a semi-final of an ATP World Tour event. Doug Burke, whose best South African Airways ATP Ranking was No. 175, is the only other Jamaican player to reach a tour-level quarter-final, which he did at Wellington in 1989.

Watch Highlights of Brown's second-round win in Johannesburg



Tall, wiry and sporting dreadlocks, World No. 141 Brown commands attention on the court with his athletic, serve and volley game. And, ironically, the boy from the beach is making his breakout in Johannesburg at elevation, where his big serve pierces the rarefied air. Asked about his speed – a Jamaican trait – Brown replied: “Short distances from the net to the baseline I’m fine, but I don’t know if I would be doing 100m sprints against Usain. That wouldn’t look too good.”

Brown was born in Celle, Germany in 1984 to his Jamaican father Leroy and his German mother Inge and lived in the country until 1996, when he moved to Jamaica. After finishing high school Brown played Futures in Jamaica until 2004, when he moved back to Europe, driving himself to Futures and Challengers in a camper van bought for him by his parents. Brown said that his eight years in Jamaica had a significant impact on his personal and professional development.

“It was good to see a harder side of life. In Germany as a 10 or 11 year old you have a computer, a Gameboy, but in Jamaica…. It was good for me personally, mentally and also for my game to get a little tougher and not to whine about everything, which you tend to do if you get pampered all the time. In Jamaica there was not a lot of pampering.”

Before this week Brown’s lone main-draw ATP World Tour appearance came at Newport in July 2003, when he lost in three sets to five-time ATP World Tour Doubles Champion Bob Bryan.

Last year Brown broke through on the ATP Challenger circuit to compile a 29-16 match record, winning his first title at Samarkand, Uzbekistan in August while reaching four other finals -- Karlsruhe, Germany (as a qualifier), Almaty, Kazakhstan, and back-to-back events in November in Eckental and Aachen, Germany.

One year ago he was playing the Spain #4 Futures event (at which he reached the quarter-finals) and he was ranked No. 465. He finished last season a year-end best No. 144 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings.

In Friday's quarter-finals, Brown will meet eighth-seeded Frenchman Stephane Robert.

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The U.S. Fed Cup Team is in Lievin, France this week to open its 2010 season against the French team. U.S. Captain Mary Joe Fernandez is leading a team of Liezel Huber, Melanie Oudin, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Shenay Perry in what the team hopes will be the first victory on the way to the 2010 Fed Cup crown. During the days leading up to the competition on February 6-7, different team members will be blogging each day about practicing, their daily adventures, team bonding and more. After Huber started the week off, Perry follows in the second blog as she talks about the first team practice, the clay court and playing Charades. Check back each day to see who is writing next!


Shenay Perry - February 3, 2010

Hi Everyone! After Liezel's great leadoff blog yesterday, it is my turn today. The entire team has now arrived here in Lievin – we got here yesterday – and today was the first day of team practice, which I thought went pretty well. It was short this morning but we did do a few two-on-ones so it was a good, productive hit. I hit with both Melanie and Liezel and we did a few one-on-one circuit drills as well when one of us took a break.

This is the first time I have played Fed Cup since 2006 and my first with Mary Joe as captain but for me the team had already meshed before we even got here. This was the first day we have all been together but Bethanie and I both attended the same tennis academy as teenagers so we have been friends for a long time and I know both Melanie and Liezel pretty well. So I think it is going great so far with our team bonding.

Today was my first day out on the clay court at the stadium. It is indoors, which is a good thing since it poured rain yesterday and today. I think the surface is pretty similar to the one at Roland Garros. It plays a little quick, which I think will be good for us, and it had some good bounces for a clay court. As a whole, I feel all right on clay, I guess my results speak for themselves as I have played pretty decently on clay in my career. As long as I have the results, I feel comfortable!

I know the team has a tradition of playing Charades and/or Pictionary during Fed Cup week and I am a little nervous about it. I am just hoping someone will pick me for her team and if they do that I do not get booted for being too bad! I have heard there are plans in the works to play tonight for the first time so it looks like I will probably be forced into it. Wish me luck!

Shenay

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JOHANNESBURG (AFP) — Top seed Gael Monfils lost the toss and first two games before unleashing his service power to crush Dominik Hrbaty 6-2, 6-1 and reach the second round of the South African Open on Tuesday.

The 23-year Frenchman ranked 13 in the world was clearly stung by the early form of the veteran Slovak and lost just one of the remaining 13 games at the Montecasino entertainment centre in a leafy, upmarket northern suburb.

It was a floodlit match settled by serving with Monfils outstanding apart from an occasional double-fault blip while 32-year-old Hrbaty battled as his dream start swiftly transformed into a nightmare.

Long before the end of the first round tie the only issue was how long it would take Monfils to wrap up victory and the end came on 53 minutes and 36 seconds via a stinging first serve from the Switzerland-based Frenchman.

"I had a good game and hope to continue this form throughout the week as my ambition is to emulate compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and win the title," said Monfils.

"The altitude was not a big problem as I had two good days of practice and playing at night made it a little easier for me as there was less humidity," he added after a sweltering day in the South African financial capital.

Monfils, born in Paris to Caribbean parents and a huge fan of late American tennis great Arthur Ashe, has a second round date with compatriot Josselin Ouanna, who ousted Israeli Harel Levy in straight sets.

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Round 1

SINGLES

(1)Gael Monfils, FRA defeated Dominik Hrbaty, SVK
6-2, 6-1

Josselin Ouanna, FRA defeated Harel Levy, ISR
7-6(4), 6-2

(WC)Raven Klaasen, RSA defeated David Guez, FRA
6-4, 6-3

Dustin Brown, JAM defeated Marco Chiudinelli, SUI
6-4, 3-6, 6-4

DOUBLES

Jeff Coetzee, RSA and Rogier Wassen, NED
defeated by
Raven Klaasen, RSA and Izak Van Der Merwe, RSA
6-4, 2-6 [8/10]


Round 2

SINGLES

Gael Monfils, FRA defeated Josselin Ouanna, FRA
6-4, 7-5

(WC)Raven Klaasen, RSA defeated by Yen-Hsun Lu, TPE
4-6, 5-7

Dustin Brown, JAM defeated Laurent Recouderc, FRA
6-4, 6-4


Round 3

SINGLES

Gael Monfils, FRA defeated Yen-Hsun Lu, TPE
6-1, 6-4

Dustin Brown, JAM defeated by Stephane Robert, FRA
6-7(5), 3-6


Quarterfinal Round

DOUBLES

Raven Klaasen, RSA and Izak Van Der Merwe, RSA
defeated by
Karol Beck, SVK and Harel Levy, ISR
4-6, 6-2 [8/10]


Semifinal Round

SINGLES

Gael Monfils, FRA vs. Feliciano Lopez, ESP


Eliminated during singles qualifying rounds:

Julio Silva, BRA


Round 1

SINGLES

Angela Haynes, USA defeated Laura Siegemund, GER
6-1, 6-2

DOUBLES

(4)Angela Haynes, USA and Alina Jidkova, RUS
defeated
Shuko Aoyama, JPN and Miki Miyamura, JPN
6-4, 7-5

(WC)Brittany Augustine, USA and Courtney B. Dolehide, USA
defeated
Amanda Fink, USA and Elizabeth Lumpkin, USA
6-2, 6-2


Round 2

SINGLES

Angela Haynes, USA defeated Melanie South, GBR
6-2, 6-3


Quarterfinal Round

SINGLES

Angela Haynes, USA defeated by Tadeja Majeric, SLO
7-5, 2-6, 4-6

DOUBLES

(4)Angela Haynes, USA and Alina Jidkova, RUS
defeated by
Kimberly Couts, USA and Anastasia Pivovarova
4-6, 6-4 [6-10]

(WC)Brittany Augustine, USA and Courtney B. Dolehide, USA
defeated by
Lyudmyla Kichenok, UKR and Nadiya Kichenok, UKR
4-6, 2-6

Eliminated during singles qualifying rounds:

Sloane Stephens, USA
Brittany Augustine, USA


Round 1

SINGLES

(Q)Nicholas Monroe, USA defeated by Ryan Sweeting, USA
1-6, 4-6

Scoville Jenkins, USA defeated by (WC)Michael McClune, USA
3-6, 3-6

DOUBLES

Scoville Jenkins, USA and Jesse Witten, USA
defeated
Alex Kuznetsov, USA and Igor Sijsling, NED
4-6, 6-2 [12/10]


Round 2

DOUBLES

Scoville Jenkins, USA and Jesse Witten, USA
defeated by
Vasek Pospisil, CAN and Adil Shamasdin
wo.


Round 1

SINGLES

Marcus Fugate, USA defeated (Q)Younes Rachidi, MAR
6-2, 6-3

Phillip Simmonds, USA defeated by Eric Nunez, USA
1-6, 2-6

DOUBLES

Marcus Fugate, USA and Gregory Ouellette, USA
vs.
Bye


Round 2

SINGLES

Marcus Fugate, USA defeated by Matej Bocko, SVK
4-6, 2-6


Quarterfinal Round

DOUBLES

Marcus Fugate, USA and Gregory Ouellette, USA
defeated by
Taylor Fogleman, USA and Benjamin Rogers, USA
4-6, 4-6

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World No. 13 Gael Monfils, the top seed at the SA Tennis Open in Johannesburg, cast his eyes over South Africa’s 2010 FIFA World Cup preparations in a visit to the Soccer City stadium in Soweto on Monday.

The stadium, originally built in 1987, has been reconstructed into a 94,700 capacity stadium, dubbed the ‘Ring of Fire’ by the locals, that will host the opening and closing games of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Monfils, travelled to Soweto via police escort, and was clearly relishing the opportunity to visit the world cup venue, updating his twitter page en route, writing, “I'm going to soccercity (sic) stadium in soweto (sic)”.

Upon arrival at the Stadium, Monfils and his entourage were met by Venue Director, Jacques Grobbelaar, who led the crew on a 45-minute guided tour of the stadium. During the tour, Grobbelaar explained that the venue, only 20 days away from completion, is based upon the iconic African pot known as the calabash.

The stadium is mainly filled with orange seats, but there are also lines of grey seats, representing the road to the FIFA World Cup, the direction towards the other FIFA World Cup venues around South Africa, and two separate lines representing Germany and Brazil, the venues of the 2006 and 2014 FIFA World Cups.Half way through the tour, Monfils and his team ventured down to the 12m Rand (US$1.5m) pitch to see exactly where the dreams of the 32 competing nations will be played out. The pitch is generally off limits to people visiting the stadium, however a special exemption was given to Monfils, who proved that he was just as adept with a football at his feet than with a racquet in his hand.

“I am a big fan of football, but I don’t have a favourite team, I prefer to watch the soccer players as they are so talented,” admitted Monfils. “I used to play football when I was young, but also my dad was a professional soccer player, so I used to play a lot.”

Monfils was clearly impressed with the stadium saying, “It is amazing, it’s gorgeous, its huge, it’s very huge. I have been in the Stade de France in Paris, and I think this one is a little bit bigger, and has an amazing feel. I would love to come back for the World Cup, but it depends on my schedule, I think it is during Wimbledon, but if I can for sure I will do it."

The Frenchman also didn’t miss the opportunity to keep his fans updated by uploading pictures and video from his visit to his Twitter page. Monfils also sent the pictures to members of the French national team boasting that he had beaten them to the stadium, locker room and onto the pitch.

Grobbelar also explained that the stadium was also the venue for Nelson Mandela’s first mass rally after he was released from prison in 1990. With that in mind Monfils headed to the suburb of Orlando West, in Soweto, to Mandela House, the place where Mandela raised his family from 1946 until his imprisonment in 1962.

The two bedroom house, located at 8115 Vilakazi Street, Orlando West, Soweto, today stands as a museum aimed at providing an effective and meaningful experience to all visitors about the context of Mandela’s home life and his life as a whole.

The Frenchman was shown around the small house and was clearly moved by the experience.

“When the lady came and explained Nelson Mandela’s life, to know all the little details and where he used to live,” said Monfils, “it’s an amazing experience. It gives you a lot of emotion, and seeing the writing on the wall and the pictures and the gifts people gave him, it was a very good experience for me.”

Reflecting after the visit, Monfils added, “tennis is a sport, but this is history. I do like the Nelson Mandela story and what he came from and what he made, so for me it was one of my biggest experiences in my small life, and I wish maybe one day I will come back with my parents to show them exactly this, because this is very good.”

The last word of course comes via his Twitter page, with Monfils tweeting on the ride back to hotel, “unbelievable experience to visit Nelson Mandela’s house”.

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