Black Tennis Pros

To ask Venus a question, visit the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour site here.


Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Hello again!

I played my first match tonight and it went well. I had a good time on the clay. It was my first match on clay in... a while. I'm getting the feel of it again.

This afternoon I relaxed. I watched a lot of programming. I didn't better myself at all. Some Smallville... I haven't started watching Grey's yet. As a rule, I watch programming when I'm in non-English speaking countries. I like Private Practice, and I really love Superman... the cartoon :) Yes, I watch cartoons. It's a bad habit I picked up from Serena. Avatar, Justice League... My favorite person in the Justice League is Superman but if they were real people, for sure it would be The Flash. I would definitely have a crush! Children watch cartoons but cartoons really aren't childish - my mom watches them, my sister watches them... there are some good episodes! I get so caught up in some of the stories.

For dinner we just hit the buffet. Quick and easy. Nothing too special... I did eat some barbecued goat though. I have to try everything once. I felt adventurous! It was good! On another note, as I started playing my matches today, I started carbs too... I downed lots of rice and pasta before the match. It drives me nuts. Brings my happiness level down.

I'll talk to you all again tomorrow... have a good night!

Venus

Who is with you in Acapulco? Mimie
Thanks for the question. Isha is here, my assistant Jessica is here, my hitting partner Dave is here... My mom and dad aren't home. Sometimes it's nice to be on the road without a coach. Quietness in your head with no one talking on the sidelines... My mom has been threatening to come this weekend. We'll see!

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Monday, February 22, 2010

Hey everyone, welcome back to my blog!

This is kinda like déjà vu... Last year I won Dubai, came to Acapulco and blogged. This year was a little better than the last because I didn't have as long a layover in New York, only two hours. The luggage took a little longer to come, though - it finally came this morning. But it didn't bother me. Until now I've never had a problem with it and everyone else has so I figured it was my turn :)

No jet lag. I'm okay. It's not a lot of time to adjust to the court surface and time zone but I feel like a pro on all grounds - not just tennis - so I have the whole schedule down, the method. I'll be strong for my first match tomorrow.

I talked about the breakfast buffet last year and I'm going to this year too. I love it! I always pile so much on my plate, even though I barely eat any of it. I started eating a little scoop of ice cream at night, too, but I had to stop. I don't really like carbs. I like meat. But a tennis player cannot live on meat alone. I've been taking a break from carbs the last few days but tomorrow I'll have to start back up. I just like meat so much, though. Steak... I like chicken, fried chicken... but overall I'm not a big eater. I'm not into the whole eating thing.

Right now I'm just winding down, it's around 10pm. All day I made sure I didn't fall asleep so I would be able to sleep at a normal time. What do I do to wind down? I'm a tennis geek, so I watch a ton of tennis. Not doing anything is so luxurious. We all know that feeling. Lying around without a care in the world until the next match or practice... I enjoy getting it done and the day being over!

I love keeping in touch with you all with the blog. I usually have more to say... Anyway, visit me on Twitter, Facebook and my website too!

Have a good night!

Venus

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Fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France advanced to the second round of the Barclay's Dubai Tennis Championships Tournament after fellow Frenchman Michael Llodra withdrew from their match after losing the first set.

Tsonga won the tie-break 11-9 before Llodra announced he was unable to continue, citing a hamstring injury.

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ACAPULCO, México - Although it was tougher than the scoreline might suggest, Venus Williams was relatively untroubled in her opening match of the Abierto Mexicano TELCEL, beating Mathilde Johansson, 62 63.

Williams, the No.1 seed and defending champion on the red clay of Acapulco, faced break points as she served in the first game of the match but held and wound up clinching the first set in 34 minutes. The first four games of the second set all went to deuce and it was Johansson who seemed more in form, breaking for 2-1 and holding a point for 3-1; but Williams rolled from there, winning five of the last six games to prevail in an hour and 25 minutes.

"I'm just trying to get my rhythm on the clay so it was good to win," Williams said. "I really had to work for this tournament last year. This time last year I played a really tough three set match before I won, so it's a little better today. But I still just want to take it round by round and hopefully win."

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ROUND 1

Singles

Venus Williams, USA defeated Mathilde Johansson, FRA
6-2, 6-3

Doubles

Mashona Washington, USA and Sharon Fichman, CAN
vs.
Edina Gallovitts, ROU and Mariya Koryttseva, UKR


ROUND 2

Singles

Venus Williams, USA vs. Kaia Kanepi, EST

Eliminated during singles qualifying rounds:

Angela Haynes, USA


ROUND 1

Doubles

Raquel Kops-Jones, USA and Sarah Borwell, GBR
vs.
Darija Jurak, CRO and Katalin Marosi, HUN

Eliminated during singles qualifying rounds:

Raquel Kops-Jones, USA


ROUND 1

Singles

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA defeated Michael Llodra, FRA
7-6(9), Ret'd


ROUND 2

Singles

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA vs. Ivan Ljubicic, CRO


ROUND 1

Singles

James Blake, USA vs. Taylor Dent, USA

Doubles

Jeff Coetzee, RSA and Scott Lipsky, USA
vs.
Jarkko Nieminen, FIN and Bobby Reynolds, USA

James Blake, USA and Ryan Kendrick, USA
vs.
Eric Butorac, USA and David Martin, USA

Eliminated during singles qualifying rounds:

(6)Donald Young, USA


ROUND 1

Singles

Phillip Simmonds, USA, vs. Artem Sitak, RUS
Nicholas Monroe, USA vs. Blake Strode, USA

Doubles

Phillip Simmonds, USA and Andrew Anderson, RSA
vs.
Arnau Brugues-Davi, ESP and Victor Estrella, DOM

Nicholas Monroe, USA and Gregory Ouellette, USA
vs.
Javier Herrera-Equiluz, MEX and Daniel Kosakowski, USA

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Press Release

WASHINGTON – February 11, 2010 – The Washington Kastles, the 2009 World TeamTennis Champions, are proud to announce that for the third consecutive season, world #1 ranked Serena Williams will lead the Kastles after protecting her rights and selecting her earlier today in the league’s Marquee Player Draft. In a move to bolster their 2010 title hopes, the Kastles, in a trade with the Philadelphia Freedoms, added Venus Williams to the squad. Serena will play four matches for the Kastles and Venus will play three.

Serena has played in front of sell-out crowds in her two prior trips to Kastles Stadium for the 2008 and 2009 WTT seasons. This summer, she will make one home appearance at Kastles Stadium, as will Venus for a different match.

Serena is the defending Wimbledon singles and women’s doubles champion and two-time defending Australian Open singles champion. Coming off her 2010 Australian Open championships in singles and women’s doubles, Williams now has 25 career Grand Slam titles, 12 in singles, 11 in women’s doubles and two in mixed doubles. Williams’ 12 Grand Slam singles titles tie her with American legend Billie Jean King for sixth all-time. She holds more Grand Slam titles than any other active female player and has won more prize money than any woman in the history of professional sports.

Venus has won 20 career Grand Slam titles, including five Wimbledon singles titles. She is the reigning Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open women’s doubles champion and holds a total of seven Grand Slam titles in singles, 11 in women's doubles and two in mixed doubles. She also has won three Olympic gold medals, one in singles and two in women's doubles.

With the addition of Venus, the Kastles roster now has a total of 61 Grand Slam titles including 19 women’s singles, 26 women’s doubles, six men’s doubles and 10 mixed doubles championships.

"I'm looking forward to returning to Washington, DC this summer and helping my Kastles teammates defend our WTT Championship title,” said Serena about her return to the nation’s capital. “There's something special about playing in the middle of downtown DC in that setting with the great support of our fans."

During the July 5 - 25 season, the Williams sisters and the Kastles will welcome opponents John McEnroe, who returns with their Eastern Conference rivals, the New York Sportimes, in a rematch of last season’s now infamous and hotly contested battle, and Anna Kournikova and the St. Louis Aces. Martina Hingis, making her return to professional tennis, will likely come to DC when another Eastern Conference foe, the New York Buzz, takes on the Kastles.

“The historic opportunity to have both Serena and Venus on our team is a thrill, both for the success of our team and for our fans, whose support has been so integral to our success,” said team owner Mark Ein. “They are the epitome of what is great about the sport of tennis and will lead an unprecedented collection of talent for us on the court in 2010.”

“It takes world-class talent to win championships and there are no more accomplished athletes than Serena and Venus,” said Kastles head coach Murphy Jensen, who guided the squad to the 2009 title in his first season coaching in the WTT Pro League. “Last summer was truly a dream season for us, and come July 5, the dream continues in D.C.”

The rest of the 2010 Kastles roster will be determined during the March 16 WTT Pro League Roster Draft.

“The hardest thing about winning our first title will be defending it, because everyone will be gunning for us,” continued Ein. “We want to keep the King Trophy right here in D.C. and in order to accomplish that, we’re going to put the most talented team possible on the court every single match, home and away.”

The Kastles are entering their third WTT season. In 2009, the Kastles earned the franchise’s first playoff berth before defeating their heated rivals, the Sportimes, at home in the Eastern Conference Finals. In an epic final, before a capacity Kastles Stadium crowd, the Kastles rallied from down three championship points to triumph over the Springfield Lasers 23-20 to win their first King Trophy.

Great season ticket packages can be purchased by visiting www.washingtonkastles.com or by calling 202-4TENNIS. You can also follow the Kastles on Facebook at facebook.com/washkastles and on Twitter at twitter.com/WashKastles.

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Press Release

WHO: Al Green, Rancho Cienega Tennis Club, largest African-American tennis club on West Coast since 1957

WHAT: Annual Blue Grey Tennis Tournament

WHEN: Saturday, February 27, 2010, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Swearing In Ceremony 12 p.m.

WHERE: Arthur Ashe Tennis Center, 5001 Rodeo Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90016


LOS ANGELES, CA - Singer Al Green will swear in the new board members of the Rancho Cienega Tennis Club during their annual Blue Grey Tennis Tournament taking place Sat. Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Arthur Ashe Tennis Center located at 5001 South Rodeo Blvd. in Los Angeles. With over 300 members, the Rancho Cienega Tennis Club has been the home of Blacks who love tennis in Los Angeles since 1957. The Blue Grey Tournament is the club's annual membership drive tennis tournament that encourages people of all skill levels who enjoy the sport of tennis to partner up with someone new. A fun tournament engages both high and low tennis players for an afternoon of fun and good sportsmanship. Annual membership dues for the club are $20 and can be made in person on Saturday or online at www.ranchotennisclub.org. Saturday's tournament is free and open to the public attend.

"As members of the Rancho Cienega Tennis Club, we show the community how much we appreciate tennis in our neighborhood and follow in a rich tradition of African-American tennis players in Los Angeles," explained board president Winston Brooks.

The incoming board officers and members of the Rancho Cienega Tennis Club are: Winston Brooks, President, Dottie Bly, Vice President, Charles Thomas, Secretary, Phylis Douglas, Recording Secretary, Eddie Anderson, Corresponding Secretary, Vanessa Paul, Member, Jasmyne Cannick, Member, Marion Lenoir, Member, Denise Self, Member, Lanrae Lawal, Member, and Phyliss Taylor, Member.

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Press Release

New York, NY, February 22, 2010 – Madison Square Garden and StarGames announced today that MSG Plus and ESPN2 will televise the 2010 BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean Cup on Monday, March 1, live with MSG Plus showing the semifinals and ESPN2 presenting the finals. The one-day, single-elimination tournament will include four of the world’s top female tennis players – Svetlana Kuznetova, Venus Williams, Kim Clijsters and Ana Ivanovic – at Madison Square Garden.

Starting at 7:00 p.m. ET, MSG Plus will televise two semifinal matches with World No. 17 Clijsters facing No. 23 Ivanovic and No. 4 Kuznetsova taking on No. 5 Williams. At 9:00 p.m. ESPN 2 will air the final match. All three matches will also be available on broadband ESPN360.com.

“It is exciting for us to have the BNP Paribas Showdown carried live by two prestigious networks,” said Jerry Solomon, President & CEO, StarGames Inc. “The combination of MSG Plus and ESPN2 gives us wall-to-wall coverage and ensures that fans all over the country who are celebrating Tennis Night in America with us, will have the opportunity to see these great players square off for the Billie Jean King Cup.”

For the second year in a row, the BNP Paribas Showdown will feature four of the top women in tennis. The four participants have a combined career record of 1630-493 and have won a total of 12 Grand Slams and 98 WTA titles. Three of the four women have been ranked No. 1 at least once in their careers; Kuznetsova reached the No. 2 ranking in 2007.

Both MSG Plus and ESPN2 will showcase leading on-air commentators during the event. One of the most respected broadcasters in sports, Ted Robinson, will call play-by play for the semifinals while former World No. 1 player and three-time Grand Slam winner, Lindsay Davenport, will serve as analyst. MSG’s Scott Lasky will handle reporter duties for the semifinal matches. ESPN2’s coverage of the final will feature two prominent tennis commentators: Chris Fowler, host of the network’s coverage of all four Grand Slam events, alongside seven-time WTA Tour winner Mary Joe Fernandez.

The BNP Paribas Showdown features a unique set of rules. The semifinal matches will consist of only one set while the final match will be best of three. There will be no ad scoring in either round. The four participants will compete for a $1.2 million prize pool.

The “BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup” is the featured element of the national “Tennis Night in America” promotion. Through “Tennis Night in America”, the USTA will continue its efforts to grow youth participation in the sport of tennis. “Tennis Night in America” is among the sports largest ever grass roots initiatives. The USTA has made this event a major component for its Youth Registration Night, where youth from all over the country can begin signing up for spring and summer league play beginning on Friday, February 26th through March 1st. To find a sign-up location please go to www.tennisnight.com.

Title partner BNP Paribas has returned for a second year, continuing their strong commitment to support the sport of tennis. BNP Paribas will be joined by Official Partners Caesars Atlantic City, Delta Air Lines, FIJI Water, Fila, FXDD, Jumeirah Essex House, Lexus, NASDAQ OMX, Optimum, Rums of Puerto Rico, Sportime Tennis Clubs, Steuben Glass, Tennis.com, Travelers Insurance, Ubisoft and Wilson.

At the 2009 event, Venus Williams defeated Jelena Jankovic and Serena Williams defeated Ana Ivanovic in the semifinal matches. Serena then defeated her sister 6-4, 6-3 for the inaugural championship.

Serena Williams, the Billie Jean King Cup’s defending champion, has withdrawn from the upcoming BNP Paribas Showdown, scheduled for Monday, March 1, 2010 at Madison Square Garden, it was announced today.

Williams, who qualified for the Showdown based on her 2009 victories at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon, has withdrawn due to a leg injury sustained during her recent run to the Australian Open Championships. This injury has also forced Williams out of WTA events in Paris and Dubai.

Former French Open Champion, Ana Ivanovic has been added to round out the field. Only current and former Grand Slam champions or year ending World No. 1 ranked players are eligible for the one night event.

"I'm very disappointed I won't be able to compete in the Billie Jean King Cup this year,” said Williams. “I loved playing in this event last year and was really looking forward to returning to New York and Madison Square Garden. Unfortunately I am still recovering from my leg injury in Australia and am not quite ready to compete at the highest level. I wish the event a great success and look forward to seeing my fans in New York in the fall."

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MARSEILLE, France (AFP) — Frenchman Julien Benneteau will seek to win the first tournament of his career on Sunday after beating second seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semi-finals of the Open 13 tournament here.

Eighth-seeded Benneteau beat his compatriot Tsonga 7-6 (13/11), 5-7, 7-6 (7/3) in a fiercely contested 2hr 57min match on Saturday.

He will now face compatriot Michael Llodra, who prevailed 6-1, 7-6 (7/3) over German Mischa Zverev.

Benneteau, who defeated world number one Roger Federer at the Paris Masters in November, will contest the fourth final of his career at the age of 28.

Defending champion Tsonga broke first in the opening set but Benneteau fought back to take it to a tie-break that he eventually won after a titanic tussle.

Tsonga levelled things up by winning the second set, battling back from 5-3 down to cancel out Benneteau's advantage, but the world number 39 refused to be cowed and sewed up victory in a tense deciding tie-break.

"Julien has really improved," said Tsonga, the world number nine.

"He makes fewer errors with his forehand. He deserves a first victory."

"It was a great match, an intense battle," enthused Benneteau. "I was afraid because I was leading 5-3 in the second set and I couldn't see it out.

"But I'm proud to have held on until the end. I'm not going to put crazy pressure on myself to win my first tournament though.

"I have to build on what I did here, where've I've gone after matches against players ranked higher than me."

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