Black Tennis Pros

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The finals of the US Open National Playoffs will pit the defending champion Blake Strode against crafty veteran Nathan Healey, while an all-UCLA final between rising freshman Robin Anderson and recent graduate Yasmin Schnack was locked in on Saturday afternoon.

In the first men’s semifinal of the day, defending champion and No. 1 seed Blake Strode had little trouble in dispatching No. 4 seed Damon Gooch 6-1 6-1. Despite facing break points in three of his final four service games, Strode did not lose serve once all match as he easily advanced into the championship match.

“It was a lot closer than the score says,” said Strode. “He played well and there were a lot of long rallies out there, especially towards the end.”

Strode has dropped only six games in his three matches at the US Open National Playoffs, but he said that he has made sure to not get ahead of himself.

“I don’t ever think I’m the favorite when I go out there,” said Strode. “I just look at the person who’s in front of me as an obstacle and do my best to try and come through.”


In the second semifinal of the day, Anderson stormed out to a 5-0 lead in the opening set against No. 3 seed Macall Harkins and had the lead for the duration of the match, not losing her serve once throughout the contest.

“I thought I served really well out there,” said Anderson. “I started to revert back in the second set and play a little bit too defensively, but was able to hang on in the end.”

Earlier in the day, Anderson competed in her second round qualifying match at the New Haven Open, where she lost 6-0, 7-5 to Anastasia Rodionova of Australia. However, Anderson she was quickly able to put the loss out of her mind.

“I knew I had another match to get prepared for,” said Anderson. “I just put the loss right out of my mind and came out ready to play.”

Read the rest of this post...........

Defending US Open National Playoffs men's champion Blake Strode continued to dominate, advancing to the semifinals with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Tony Larson. Also reaching the semifinals were No. 2 David Martin, No. 4 Damon Gooch and Nathan Healey.

“The rallies were much longer today than in my first match yesterday,” said Strode. “He was hitting the ball really well and came out swinging from the first point. I was just able to hang in the rallies and come out on top for the most part.”

Strode has been in dominant form as of late, having dropped just four games in his two matches so far at the event. He also won his second USTA Pro Circuit singles title last week at a $10,000 event in Edwardsville, Ill., advancing through the draw without losing a set. Since winning the wild card into last year’s US Open Qualifying Tournament, he has climbed nearly 200 spots in the rankings to his current standing of No. 447.

“I think I’m doing almost everything better on the court than 12 months ago,” said Strode. “My forehand has more speed on it and my backhand has improved quite a bit. I’m happy with how things have progressed.”

Mashona Washington took a step closer to returning to the US Open on Day 2 of the US Open National Playoffs Men's and Women's Championships.

Washington's semifinal will pit her against No. 2 seed Yasmin Schnack, she beat No. 4 seed Amanda McDowell in straight sets. Washington is the only player remaining to have ever competed in the US Open with 13 previous appearances dating back to 1994, the most recent coming in the women’s doubles event in 2009.




Robin Anderson, who will be heading to UCLA this fall for her freshman year, continued her Cinderella run through the tournament after upsetting No. 1 seed Marie-Eve Pelletier in her first round match yesterday, putting on a clinic of counterpunching tennis as she dispatched Sylvia Kosakowski 6-3, 6-2.

Read the rest of this post...........

Seven women have been awarded women’s singles main-draw wild-card entries into the 2011 US Open Tennis Championships: Americans Jill Craybas, USTA Girls’ 18s champion Lauren Davis, Jamie Hampton, Alison Riske and teenager Sloane Stephens, along with Australia’s Casey Dellacqua and France’s Aravane Rezai. The 2011 US Open will be played August 29–September 11 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y.

One additional wild card will be given to the winner of the 2011 US Open Wild Card Playoff, an eight-player invitational event held by USTA Player Development at the Junior Tennis Champions Center, a USTA Certified Regional Training Center in College Park, Md., this week.

Both the men’s and women’s US Open singles champions will win $1.8 million in prize money with the ability to earn an additional $1 million in bonus prize money (for a total potential payout of $2.8 million) based on their performance in the 2011 Olympus US Open Series. The US Open Women’s Singles Championship is presented by JPMorgan Chase.

Craybas, 37, of Huntington Beach, Calif., has finished in the WTA top 100 for each of the past 10 seasons and has competed in the main draw of every Grand Slam event since the 2000 US Open, a streak of 44 tournaments. In 2005, she beat Serena Williams en route to the fourth round of Wimbledon, her best showing at a Grand Slam event. The 1996 NCAA singles champion has represented the United States in the Olympics (2008 Beijing) and Fed Cup.

Davis, 17, of Gates Mills, Ohio, won the USTA Girls’ 18s National Championships on Sunday to earn a wild card into the US Open women’s singles draw and will make her second career appearance in a Grand Slam event; she won a USTA Wild Card Playoff to earn entry into the 2011 Australian Open, where she lost to Samantha Stosur in the first round. Davis finished 2010 on a 32-match winning streak, capturing two USTA Pro Circuit singles titles and three international junior singles titles, including the Orange Bowl.

Hampton, 21, of Auburn, Ala., climbed more than 550 spots in the WTA rankings in 2010 by reaching the final at eight USTA Pro Circuit events, highlighted by four singles titles. In January, she successfully qualified for the main draw of the 2011 Australian Open and also qualified for WTA events in Indian Wells and Miami.

Riske, 21, of McMurray, Pa., enjoyed a breakthrough 2010, highlighted by a semifinal showing at the Wimbledon tune-up event in Birmingham, England, which earned her a main-draw wild card into Wimbledon. In October, Riske won three consecutive ITF Pro Circuit titles at the $50,000 level or higher in Europe, and earlier this year she reached the final of the USTA Pro Circuit $50,000 event in Indian Harbour Beach, Fla. She has also competed in the main draws of both Wimbledon and the Australian Open thus far in 2011.

Stephens, 17, of Plantation, Fla., is currently ranked No. 110 in the world. She is coming off her first-ever win over a top-20 opponent (Julia Goerges) en route to reaching the quarterfinals of the Olympus US Open Series event in Carlsbad, Calif. – her best finish at a WTA event. She made her Grand Slam debut at the 2011 French Open as a qualifier and has also qualified for Indian Wells, Miami, Charleston and Estoril thus far in 2011.

Dellacqua, 26, of Perth, Australia, received her wild card through a reciprocal arrangement with Tennis Australia, which will grant a women’s singles main-draw wild card into the 2012 Australian Open to a player designated by the USTA. She achieved a career-high WTA ranking of No. 39 in 2008 and reached the fourth round of that year’s Australian Open, her best showing at a Grand Slam event. She won the mixed doubles title at the 2011 French Open.

Rezai, 24, of St. Etienne, France, received her wild card through a reciprocal arrangement with the French Tennis Federation, which granted a wild card into the 2011 French Open to a player designated by the USTA (Irina Falconi, who won a USTA playoff). Rezai reached a career-high ranking of No. 15 in 2010 and has won four career WTA singles titles. She reached the round of 16 in her US Open debut in 2006, which equals her best-ever showing at a Grand Slam event (2009 French Open).

Read the rest of this post...........

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.
 

Read the rest of this post...........

Read the rest of this post...........

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.

Read the rest of this post...........

 

Read the rest of this post...........

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

Read the rest of this post...........