Black Tennis Pros

When your sister is one of the greatest tennis players of all time, it can be difficult to get together with her for a little family time. When both you and your sister are world-caliber tennis stars—Olympic gold medalists and past US Open champions—it is nearly impossible. But when Venus, 31, and Serena, 29, find that time, it is filled with silliness and laughter, an easy, familial banter as quick as their on-court volleys. As the US Open approaches, both women are keen to hoist another trophy at center court in Arthur Ashe Stadium while at the same time laying the groundwork for their post-tennis careers, including college degrees, charity initiatives, an interior design company, fashion collections and the rightful ownership of a little dog named Harold—or is that Jerry? 

Read full article at Hamptons Magazine

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Frenchman Gael Monfils advanced after defeating German Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-2, 6-2 in his third-round match Thursday evening. He won 84 per cent of his first serve points and broke his opponent four times from six chances.

Monfils will next play Serbia's Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals for a second straight week.



American James Blake had to endure the agony of defeat on Thursday. Former World No. 1 Roger Federer prevailed 6-4 6-1.

Blake, former World No. 4, missed most of 2010 due to injuries, and has played most of 2011 on the pro circuit.



Newly minted World No. 10 Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was upset by qualifier Alex Bogommolov on Wednesday. Tsonga, a semi-finalist at Wimbledon, fell to the 28-year-old Florida-based, Moscow-born Bogomolov 6-3 6-4.

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USTA Player Development announced the eight men and eight women who will participate in the second annual US Open Wild Card Playoff, being held at the Junior Tennis Champions Center, a USTA Certified Regional Training Center in College Park, Md., August 18-20.  The winners will receive main draw singles wild cards into the men’s and women’s draws at the 2011 US Open.

Madison Keys, USA

The men’s field includes top-seeded Bobby Reynolds (Acworth, Ga.), a former All-American at Vanderbilt who has been as high as No. 63 in the world on the ATP World Tour and is currently No. 120; and Bjorn Fratangelo (Plum, Pa.), who in June became the first American since John McEnroe in 1977 to win the French Open boys’ singles title.

The local favorites will be Denis Kudla (Arlington, Va.), and Mitchell Frank (Annandale, Va.), who both train at the Junior Tennis Champions Center.  Kudla, who reached the quarterfinals of the Hall of Fame Championships in Newport, R.I., in July, is currently ranked No. 325 in the world and was the US Open boys’ singles runner-up last year. Frank, an incoming freshman at the University of Virginia, was the runner-up at the USTA Boys’ 18s National Championships last week.

Four of last season’s top collegians round out the men’s field. Daniel Kosakowski (Huntington Park, Calif.) turned professional after his freshman year at UCLA and recently won his first Tour-level match at the Farmers Classic in Los Angeles. Tennys Sandgren (Gallatin, Tenn.), a rising junior at the University of Tennessee, recently won back-to-back Futures titles on the USTA Pro Circuit.  Rhyne Williams (Knoxville, Tenn.), the 2011 NCAA singles runner-up for the University of Tennessee, turned pro after winning his second professional title in June at the USTA Pro Circuit Futures in Innisbrook, Fla.  Bradley Klahn (Poway, Calif.) won the 2010 NCAA men’s singles title and will be a senior at Stanford this fall.

The women’s field includes top-seeded Julia Cohen (Philadelphia), a former All-American for the University of Miami who in May reached the final of an ITF Pro Circuit $25,000 event in Thailand; and local favorite Beatrice Capra (Ellicott City, Md.), who won this event last year and subsequently reached the third round of the 2010 US Open.

The women’s field also includes two former USTA Girls’ 18s National Champions in 2007 champion Ashley Weinhold (Austin, Texas), and 2008 champion Gail Brodsky (Brooklyn, N.Y.), as well as two-time USTA Girls’ 18s runner-up Nicole Gibbs (Santa Monica, Calif.), who as a freshman helped lead Stanford to the final of the 2011 NCAA women’s team championships.

Rounding out the field are Madison Keys (Boca Raton, Fla.), who won her first professional title in 2010 at the USTA Pro Circuit $10,000 event in Cleveland; Jessica Pegula (Boca Raton, Fla.), who reached her first professional final in January at the USTA Pro Circuit $25,000 event in Lutz, Fla.; and Ahsha Rolle (Miami Shores, Fla.), a 10-time champion on the USTA Pro Circuit who reached the third round of the 2007 US Open.

Seeding for the event is based on this week’s ATP World Tour and WTA Rankings, and there will be media availability with the players on Wednesday, August 17.  For additional information including ticket pricing, please visit www.jtcc.org.

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Might as well!

ESPN "sports broadcaster" Chris Fowler brings entirely too much speculation, scuttlebutt, innuendo, partiality and outright foolishness to tennis commentary. While he's certainly not alone, his sneaky delivery just makes it nastier.

Sounds like these insipid reality shows to me!

Take this morning prior to the start of the first Western and Southern Open match. He found it necessary to go in on Serena Williams withdrawing from the tournament yesterday with a "mysterious toe injury," and "yet she could go on a roller coaster ride. Huh?!?!?!

And went on to talk about others who are out, including Kim Clijsters, seemingly accepting their reasoning for being out as legitimate; I'm guessing because they had not been to a theme park.  All the while sporting a Cheshire Cat grin and laughter that I'm guessing supposedly makes it okay.

I'd have more respect for the guy if he just came straight out and said he didn't believe that Serena has an injury than to punk out behind silly suggestives.

New commentator please -- fifteenth request!

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Q.  What do you think about playing James Blake next?

ROGER FEDERER: Fun.  I’m really looking forward to it.  He’s a good friend of mine, and it’s been hard seeing him go through challenges and surgeries and injuries and so forth.  He’s back on the big stage where he belongs, especially here in the States.  It’s going to be a tricky, tough match.

I don’t know if the last match we played against each other was the Olympic match, but that was obviously a pretty big match for me to lose as well.  May be getting a chance for some revenge.  I’m looking forward to it.

Seems like he’s playing well.  Definitely going to be ready for it.  Had a great finals here years ago, and hope we can make something similar happen.

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EAST HANOVER, N.J. (Aug. 17, 2011) – After months of rumors, speculation, and excitement, the most anticipated cookie on the planet has finally arrived.

In early May, word of the yet-to-be released TRIPLE DOUBLE OREO cookie reached the Internet and within hours, OREO fans were buzzing throughout social media about this new take on the iconic cookie.   At long last, the wait is over.  The TRIPLE DOUBLE OREO cookie, which combines two layers of OREO creme, one chocolate and one original, with three layers of crunchy, chocolaty OREO cookies, is available in stores nationwide.

“Our fans’ passion and enthusiasm has challenged us to raise our game. With the TRIPLE DOUBLE OREO cookie, we set out to take OREO to another level by adding a new twist,” said Jessica Robinson, associate director of consumer engagement, Kraft Foods. "We are looking forward to engaging with OREO fans as they share their twisting, licking and dunking moments with the new TRIPLE DOUBLE OREO cookie.”

One Global Cookie, Many Unique ‘Twists’

The new TRIPLE DOUBLE OREO cookie is another way in which OREO is creating fun new ways for people to enjoy the moment of childlike delight when twisting, licking and dunking an OREO cookie in milk.  This iconic ritual is enjoyed throughout the world, from the United States to France to China.  In fact, the TRIPLE DOUBLE OREO cookie is a new twist on Argentina’s OREO “x3” (pronounced “Por Tres”) cookie, introduced in 2010.  Similar to the TRIPLE DOUBLE OREO cookie, the OREO x3 features three layers of cookie, and two layers of creme.



“The birthplace of OREO is America, but it’s one global cookie,” says John Ghingo, senior director of global marketing, OREO.  “We’re excited when we can take a popular idea in one country and share it with other OREO fans around the world.  It’s ideas like this that have made OREO the world’s favorite cookie.”

Team DSRL and OREO Fans Tackle TRIPLE DOUBLE OREO Challenge

To help launch the new cookie, the OREO Brand has enlisted the help of both OREO fans and Team DSRL, including Shaquille O’Neal, Eli Manning Venus Williams, Apolo Ohno and of course, Stufy, the DSRL mascot.  New OREO Double Stuf Racing League TV advertising will begin airing in early September.  DSRL veteran Shaquille O’Neal loves the challenge that the new cookie poses to his team, and wants to know if OREO fans are game.

“Now that I am retired I can spend more time perfecting my twist, lick and dunk skills, and with an added layer of creme and a third cookie, it’s clear that I am going to need the practice,” said O’Neal.  “I am obviously the dunking expert, but I am working with the rest of Team DSRL to figure out the best way to compete with the TRIPLE DOUBLE OREO cookie.”

(READ FULL PRESS RELEASE HERE)

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On Wednesday morning organizers stated that former world number one, Serena Williams has pulled out of the Western and Southern Open, Cincinnati, Ohio with a toe injury.

Yet, anyone watching her match against Lucie Hradecka, CZE on Tuesday could see just how fatigued Serena was.

Williams was due to face Australian 10th seed Samantha Stosur in the second round, in a rematch of the Toronto Cup final she won on Sunday.

The 13-times grand slam champion suffered an "aggravation of a right toe injury" a statement from the organizers said.

Williams has won her last two tournaments since returning to competition in June after 11 months out with injuries and health problems.

After her straight sets victory over Czech Lucie Hradecka on Tuesday, Williams said she was wary of becoming tired before the U.S. Open later this month.

"I definitely don't want to overdo it. My main goal right now is obviously to do well," said Williams.

"And nothing against Cincinnati or Toronto or the Stanfords that I played, but this is all preparation. Everyone is preparing for the U.S. Open. So I have to be smart and make sure it's not too much."

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Too much too soon?

"I'm going to have to figure that out," responded Serena with regard to whether she is overplaying. "Nothing against Cincinnati or Toronto or the Stanfords that I've played, but everyone is preparing for the U.S. Open. I have to be smart and make sure it's not too much."

Serena is currently topping the U.S. Open Series Leaderboard with 170 points, having won the last two titles. On Tueday at the Western and Southern Open, Cincinnati, Ohio, she began to rack up even more points with a first-round-straight-sets win over the Czech Republic's Lucie Hradecka, 3-6, 6-7 (5).

At the same time, the match took a gradual toll on Serena that was very evident in her play and body language as well. It appeared towards the end of the second set that she would either be withdrawing, or calling for the trainer. In typical Serena fashion though, neither occurred -- she trudged along and found a way to win.

Hopefully a good night's rest will do the trick for play on Wednesday... wouldn't want to see her have to drop out of the Series -- and definitely not the U.S. Open!


Jo-Wilfried Tsonga used a powerful serve and a spotless return game to pick up his first career win at the Western & Southern Open, 6-3, 6-4 over Marin Cilic in the first round on Tuesday.

Serving near 130 mph, Tsonga hit nine aces and took advantage of more than 20 unforced errors by Cilic. "It was really a fluid match," Tsonga said. "Like everything was easy for me today, to serve and everything."

"This morning in warmups, I was feeling really good," said Tsonga, who has been battling an arm injury. "And during the match I felt really good."

After beating Cilic for the first time in his career, Tsonga next will play qualifier Alex Bogomolov Jr. in the second round today or Thursday.


American wild card James Blake will meet Switzerland's Roger Federer in a repeat of the 2007 Cincinnati final. Federer holds a 9-1 record against the former World No. 4, with his only loss coming in the quarter-finals of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Blake, who currently stands at No. 84 in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings, comfortably rolled past Italian Fabio Fognini 6-4, 6-2 in 58 minutes as he converted three of his five break points.

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