Black Tennis Pros

ROME, Italy - The WTA unveiled a new global ad campaign with the tagline "Strong is Beautiful", featuring 38 current and next generation stars of the sport. The campaign includes TV, print and digital ads along with social media applications and will be unveiled across 80 markets over the next two years.

Drawing upon athleticism and grace - a unique combination that has turned the stars of the WTA into the most recognizable and followed female athletes on the planet - the campaign places the personal stories, pressures and dreams of the players front of stage. The creative is designed to support the WTA's efforts to establish a deeper engagement with fans around the world and to promote both the sport's next generation of players along with current established names.


In addition to a WTA driven media campaign to promote women's tennis and the WTA Championships in Istanbul, the advertising is expected to be utilized by WTA events around the world, establishing a unified promotional message.
 

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In their quarterfinal match at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, Ohio on Friday evening, Frenchman Gael Monfils initiated an impressive game of tennis against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia, taking the first set 6-3.

Alas, 'twas not to last -- the rematch of their Montreal quarterfinal last week would slowly drift into the same direction.


Going into the second set with the same vigor, Monfils continued to vary his game and provide as much offense as defense. He was at the net more than I've ever seen him there, and with great efficacy.

By the end of the second set, which he lost, 4-6, Monfils had also begun to lose his intensity as he hit fewer winning shots, ran out of breath, and experience an overall game decline.

The final score was 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

It was good to see Monfils elevate his game to another level. Hopefully, we will see him maintain that level throughout entire matches in the future.

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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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