Black Tennis Pros

In a very impressive display, Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga showcased his serving and shot-making ability against opponent Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany at the Sony Ericsson Open on Sunday.

After a seriously lackluster performance in the first set, Kohlschreiber made it a more competitive match in the second set; though nothing he did could bring a halt to the barrage of aces and powerful shots from Tsonga.

Tsonga inevitably won the match 6-2, 7-5.

Next up for the Frenchman in fourth round action on Tuesday is Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero.

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Former ATP pro MaliVai Washington, who has run the MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation that has promoted academic achievement and positive life skills to youth through the game of tennis since 1994, admitted “it was a great honour” to receive the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Of The Year award for 2009 at the Sony Ericsson Open.

I didn’t expect to receive the award. It was very humbling [at the presentation ceremony] and provides recognition to the foundation’s staff and volunteers for all their efforts and financial assistance over the years.”

During a decade-long pro career, between 1990 and 1999, former World No. 11 Washington reached the 1996 final (l. to Krajicek), captured four ATP World Tour singles titles and represented the United States at the 1996 Olympic Games and in three Davis Cup ties.

“I was one of the fortunate few to play pro tennis. It was a great pleasure and a great ride. I loved representing my country and I met some great people. The sport has and continues to open doors for me.”

But for Washington, “playing tennis was more than hitting a ball.”

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Inspired by the impact his father, William, had on young children from difficult backgrounds, long before he handed his son his first tennis racquet aged five, Washington’s passion was fuelled by talking to under-privileged children early in his tennis career.

“In the first few years when I was on tour, my father and I often had people come up to us asking if we could talk to small groups and big organisations looking for small amounts – like $1,000 – in cities around the United States,” he said.

“At first I was the fundraiser, writing the cheques out. But in 1997, when I was sidelined with a left knee injury, I found I had more time to build our own programs in Jacksonville [Florida] and build as an organisation.

“We have seen kids in the foundation undergo 180-degree transformations. Having got into fights in school they have gone on to receive scholarships and college education. Every student has potential; we have helped to bring it out.”

The MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation has since helped over 20,000 children in north-east Florida. Currently supporting around 150 children, the flagship Tennis-n-Tutoring program is an after-school youth development program that offers free homework assistance, tennis lessons and life skills classes.

In May 2008, assisted by financial help from Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Andy Roddick, the ATP and members of the tennis family, a 9,000-square-foot youth centre inclusive of eight tennis courts was opened in Jacksonville.

“Within the next 12 months the facility will be at capacity,” said Washington, who admits the foundation will be discussing this year whether it is viable to duplicate the program in other parts of town.

“In 10 years we’ll still be growing and will be offering support to children in Jacksonville. But if we are to expand into different towns our partners will have to be just as passionate, because anything we do, we want to do well.”

Washington had no significant weaknesses and an unflappable demeanor as a pro tennis player, always taking “the good with the bad” during an injury-plagued end to his career.

“I loved playing the Wimbledon final, but my goal was to win the title,” he admitted. “I had hoped to play a couple more years, to return to Wimbledon, but my left knee injury prevented me from doing so.

“In retrospect, my injury allowed me to grow the foundation, to bring it to Jacksonville and it has developed tremendously. I am a big believer that there is a plan for all of us.”

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The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour announced the 2009 winners of the annual Player Awards during a special ceremony Wednesday at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, Florida. Seven players were honored for their remarkable on and off court achievements during the 2009 season.

Serena Williams was voted the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour’s 2009 Player of the Year for the third time in her career, having previously earned the accolade for the 2002 and 2008 seasons. Serena had a stellar 2009 season, winning two Grand Slam singles titles (the Australian Open and Wimbledon), the prestigious year-end Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha, and reaching the final of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami.

Additionally, she was a semifinalist at five more Tour events and recorded 14 wins over Top 10 opponents during the season. Williams finished 2009 as the top ranked singles player in the world, marking the fifth time in her career that she ascended to the pinnacle of the rankings.

Serena and Venus Williams won the Doubles Team of the Year award for their collective achievements in 2009, highlighted by winning four titles which included three Grand Slams (the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open) and the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford. The pair ended the year with a 24-2 win-loss record.

“2009 was one of the best seasons of my career and winning the Player of the Year award for the third time is a great achievement for me,” said Sony Ericsson WTA Tour World No.1 Serena Williams. “2009 will always be memorable for me not just for my singles accomplishments, but because Venus and I won four titles together and I am thrilled to be sharing the Doubles Team of the Year award with my sister.”

“I love playing doubles with Serena as we have so much fun on the court together,” said Sony Ericsson WTA Tour World No.5 Venus Williams. “At the beginning of the 2009 season Serena and I decided to put a lot of emphasis on doubles and I am thrilled that we were able to achieve so much together.”

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The Washington Kastles's home schedule this season will feature uncommon star wattage, including a match between former world No. 1 players Venus Williams and Martina Hingis, who faced off for the 1997 U.S. Open title, clashing for the first time since 2006.

Venus was added to the roster of the defending World TeamTennis champion Kastles in the offseason, joining sister Serena, who has played for Washington's franchise its first two years.

As the Kastles' designated "marquee players," the Williams sisters make just one home appearance, each on different nights.

Venus will lead the Kastles against Hingis and the New York Buzz in a home match on July 7 and play for the squad the next night in Philadelphia.

Serena will join the Kastles at home for a July 14 match against the Kansas City Explorers and play three matches on the road.

Anchored by the strong doubles play of Leander Paes and Rennae Stubbs, the Kastles won the World TeamTennis championship in their second season last year.

Team owner Mark Ein re-signed Paes, ranked sixth in the world in doubles, and Stubbs, ranked 7th in doubles, along with current world No. 1 Serena Williams. To round out the roster, Ein traded for the No. 1 pick in Tuesday's draft. The Kastles used that pick to select Bobby Reynolds, who ranked as high as 63rd in the world in 2009, to shoulder the men's singles duties. Ein also acquired the rights to Angela Haynes from Sacramento.

All told, Kastles players have won 61 Grand Slam event titles among them.

The Kastles will play seven away matches and seven at home from July 5 through July 22, with John McEnroe and Anna Kournikova as the headliners scheduled to visit Washington.

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MIAMI (Reuters) - World number one Serena Williams has pulled out of next week's Sony Ericsson Open due to a knee injury, organizers said on Friday.

The American's withdrawal is another blow to the tournament after former Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova and world number two Dinara Safina had already pulled out.

Williams has won the Key Biscayne event five times.

Venus Williams and Svetlana Kuznetsova headline the women's field while the men's top three -- Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal are joined by American Andy Roddick and defending champion Andy Murray.

The men's competition will be without fifth-ranked Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina due to a wrist injury.

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The WTA Tour has reached a contract extension with Sony Ericsson that continues their relationship through the end of 2012 but drops the mobile phone company as a title sponsor of the women's tennis tour.

In 2005, Sony Ericsson became the global title sponsor for the WTA Tour under a US $88-million, six-year deal due to expire at the end of 2010. Now the circuit's name will just be "WTA Tour."

Sony Ericsson also no longer will have the title rights for the tour's season-ending championships.

Financial terms of the extension were not announced, but the tour said the "net profitability" will be the same as under the prior deal.

The new agreement is to be announced formally Monday.

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