Black Tennis Pros

NEW YORK — The United States’ female Olympians have been honored by WNBA with its Inspiration Award.

The women, who won 58 of the Americans’ 104 medals at the London Games, were celebrated at the league’s Inspiring Women Luncheon on Monday as WNBA President Laurel Richie praised them for their accomplishments

“You have captured the nation through your passion, dedication and hard work, and I suspect quite the bit of sacrifice,” Richie said. “You are an inspiration to the next generation of young girls who we know were glued to their TV sets and their iPads and iPods and all other devices, and they watched you compete. ... You have shown what women can be as athletes and what athletes can be as citizens.”

Tennis star Venus Williams — who earned her fourth Olympic gold, including her third in doubles with her sister Serena — credited Title IX and players such as Althea Gibson and Billie Jean King with paving the way for her opportunities.

“We all believe in women’s sports, we believe in women athletes,” Williams said. “Young women need to know they can achieve, and sports makes life better. It helps women be more successful, more confident. I am so proud to be amongst all these wonderful athletes who are role models.”

WNBA President Laurel Richie and American tennis superstar Venus Williams

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Raising a slam trophy for the 15th time is none other than Serena Williams, USA 2012 US Open Champion.

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2012 US Open Champion Serena Williams

There's not a lot more to be said about the winner in Serena Williams... she just is.

As both Venus and Serena Williams have done since the beginning, Sunday's 2012 Championship Match was not over, until it was over. Serena competed from the first to the last point. Aside from the fact that she is that caliber of a champion, her opponent, Belarusian Victoria Azarenka is no slouch either.

In what appeared to be yet another match that Serena would breeze through with the greatest of ease after the first set, it turned out to be anything but. After losing the first set 6-2, Azarenka turned her competitive level up a couple of notches and put Serena in the same defensive position that she had just endured. Thus enabling Azarenka to take the second set in the exact reverse 2-6.

The third set was just what it should have been, a battle for the title. A battle that Serena has faced on numerous occasions and come out on top. Here was where experience, confidence and an iron will made all the difference.

After surviving Azarenka serving for the match at 5-4 in the third set, Serena switched into another gear and in very short order, an emotional Serena lay supine on the court wrapping her mind around earning a fifteenth Slam title.

Azarenka said that when the match was at 5-4, "There was no other choice for her to do. In the back of my mind, I had that coming ... So that maybe was a little bit of hesitation for me. But I have to say Serena produced some amazing tennis. I feel like I could have done a little bit better, but there was nothing that I did absolutely wrong.”

Serena said, “I was preparing my runners-up speech."

"Nothing is more exciting than winning such a tight match in a Grand Slam final. I wonder if I have had one this tight. I'm not sure.”

“I think I competed really well. I never stopped competing, no matter what, and I think sometimes if you can just go out and compete, then you can continue to do well.”

“My motivation is so up there,” she said. “I'm so motivated to just stay focused. I just feel like I'm ready for the next tournament. I really want to be focused and do well there and just keep the dream alive."

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I should be enjoying this momentous occasion of  the 2012 US Open Women's Final between American Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus. Instead, during the first set at 4-2 Serena, I am furious at the fact that that CBS, Mary Carillo and John McEnroe found it necessary to open the match with negative video from Serena's career.

It was by far the worst manner in which I have ever personally witnessed a final, or any other match, begin. We who watch and love the sport of tennis are well aware of the positive and negative moments of many of the players careers. But NEVER has a player been beaten over the head so repeatedly with these moments than Serena Williams.

If that was the mode of the day, show negative moments from Azarenka's career, I've witnessed those too. Were they not as salacious, did you dislike her less in her moments than you disliked Serena in hers? Whatever the reason for that one-sided slap in the face that you gave Serena, it should not have occurred.

You absolutely ruined the beginning of this final for a lot of people that sat down to watch two professional women compete for the 2012 US Open title. How incredibly small of you.

MAJOR FAIL, CBS, MARY CARILLO AND JOHN MCENROE... MAJOR FAIL!!!

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(L-R) Serena Williams, USA, Sloane Stephens, USA, James Blake, USA, Venus Williams, USA and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, France all shown post-match on Day 4 of the 2012 US Open.

American Sloane Stephens, the youngest player in the top 50 at age 19, defeated qualifier Tatjana Malek 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 in Louis Armstrong stadium Thursday in a three-set match filled with momentum shifts and heavily contrasting styles of play.

After a slow start in the second set, the easy power and athleticism of Stephens dealt with the variety of spins and shots coming off the Malek racquet to advance to the third round, tying her best showing at the USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center.

Heading into his second round match against Marcel Granollers, James Blake knew it wouldn't be easy going up against the 6-foot-3 Spaniard. He'd lost to him before in the title match on the clay courts of Houston in 2008.

And so it was here, under the lights of Louis Armstrong stadium, where Blake's best tennis came through again, as he defeated Granollers 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 to advance to the third round here for the first time since 2010. Already waiting for him in the next round is a tall order, literally, as big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic will face off against him.

Serena Williams advanced a few steps in from the baseline and celebrated the point, bent over two balled fists and screaming “Come on!”

During her 6-2, 6-4 win Thursday over Spain’s Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in the second round of the US Open, many members of the crowd echoed this cry, trying to push the three-time Open winner on an afternoon when she fought through unforced errors – 24 in all -- inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.

In a huge upset, and a major head-scratcher, 23-year-old Martin Klizan of the Slovak Republic, ranked No. 52 in the world, took out the No. 5 seed Jo-Wilfred Tsonga of France, 6-4, 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.

Tsonga looked out of sorts for most of the match, enough for many to wonder about his health, to try to explain a lackluster performances at such a significant venue.

The big serving Tsonga showed less firepower throughout the match than his unheralded opponent, who has had most of his success on the pro tour on clay court Challenger events.

Klizan, more aggressive and determined throughout, had 5 aces to Tsonga’s 4, and hit 32 winners to Tsonga’s 28.

The second-round blockbuster between sixth seed Angelique Kerber and two-time champion Venus Williams was hyped as one of the matches to watch at the US Open. With a 12:19 a.m. finish on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the matchup lived up to its billing, as Kerber outlasted Williams 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 in a gripping battle.

The clash began with five straight breaks of serve, before the left-handed Kerber ended the streak in the sixth game to lead 4-2. Williams was unable to find a rhythm, hitting 36 percent of her first serves into play, committing five double faults and winning two of 14 points on second serve to lose the first set in 31 minutes. The American dropped all four of her service games.

Post match Venus said, "Today I felt American for the first time at the U.S. Open," Venus said. "So I've waited my whole career to have this moment, and here it is.

"I was fighting her today and, unfortunately, myself," Venus said afterward. "I couldn't put more than two points together without making a few errors. I didn't help myself out today."

"When you're ready, you're ready," Venus said of Roddick. "If I was out there and people were killing me, maybe time to hang it up. But I just have to find the answer within myself. I'm playing my game and eventually [the shots] will land."

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On Day Three of the 2012 US Open, Round One of Men's and Women's Doubles began and were completed as follows:

WOMEN'S DOUBLES

Venus Williams, USA and Serena Williams, USA
Megan Moulton-Levy, USA and Lindsay Lee-Waters
6-4, 6-0

Racquel Kops-Jones, USA and Abigail Spears, USA
Dominika Cibulkova, SVK and Daniela Hantuchova, SVK
4-6, 6-1, 6-2

Madison Keys, USA and Jessica Pegula, USA
Akgul Amanmuradova, UZB and Monica Niculescu, ROU
6-2, 6-2

MEN'S DOUBLES

Nicholas Monroe, USA and Donald Young, USA
Michael Llodra, FRA(7) and Nenad Zimonjic, SRB(7)
5-7, 6-3, 6-4

Raven Klaasen, RSA and Alex Bogomolov, Jr., RUS
Tatsuma Ito, JPN and Go Soeda, JPN
6-1, 6-3

Dustin Brown, GER and Christopher Kas, GER
Leander Paes, IND(5) and Radek Stepanek, CZE(5)
3-6, 3-6

James Blake, USA and Sam Querrey
defeated by
Treat Conrad Huey, PHI and Dominic Inglot, GBR
 6-1, 7(9)-6(7)

MIXED DOUBLES

Sloane Stephens, USA and Rajeev Ram, USA
defeated
Bethanie Mattek-Sands USA and Horia Tecau, ROU
6-2, 5-7, 1(10)-0(8)

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Serena Williams, USA after defeating American Coco Vandeweghe on Day 2 of the 2012 US Open.

Fourteen-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams continued the fine form that signified a stellar summer by defeating compatriot Coco Vandeweghe in a rematch of their Stanford final. The younger Williams sister advanced to the second round 6-1, 6-1 in less than an hour on a day in which Venus also won.

In the first set, Serena cruised to a 6-1 score in 24 minutes, benefitting from five double faults off her opponent’s otherwise big-serving game. Additionally, the top-ranked American struck nine winners, while converting all three of her break point chances.

After the match, the No. 4 seed discussed the windy conditions and reflected on her performance. "I mean, the match was so weird, the conditions were so tough, I couldn't really play my game. She couldn't really play her game. It's not the best opportunity to grade yourself."

With the win tonight, Serena’s record in first round Grand Slam matches improved to 48-1, having lost at the Roland Garros in the opening round earlier this year.

Early in the second set, Serena, last year’s runner-up to Samantha Stosur, consolidated on the tremendous play in the first to break Vandeweghe’s serve for a 2-1 lead. She wasted little time afterwards, wrapping up the match on her second match point after reeling off four more games.

With the win, Serena improved her record at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to 59-9, having won three titles in her career, including her first back in 1999.

Coming into the match Tuesday night on Arthur Ashe, Serena took titles at Wimbledon and the Olympics by winning a gold medal over Maria Sharapova at the All England Club. In doing so, Serena became the first tennis player to win the career “Golden Slam,” or claiming all four majors and a gold medal, in both singles and doubles. With the series of title wins, Serena notched a 19-match winning streak, which was eventually snapped in Cincinnati by surprise 2011 US Open semifinalist Angelique Kerber.

With five titles to her credit this year, Serena also leads the number owned by active players at 44 total.

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American Sloane Stephens after defeating Italy's Francesca Schiavone on day 2 of the 2012 US Open.

Judging by Sloane Stephens' performance on Louis Armstrong Stadium Tuesday evening, women's tennis is out with the old, in with the new. The 19-year-old American sensation stunned veteran Francesca Schiavone 6-3, 6-4 in an intense first-round matchup that saw her upset yet another seed in Flushing Meadows, in the same fashion as she did in her debut here last year.

Stephens has had a stellar year since making her presence known at this event last year, when she reached the third round as a wild card and upset two seeds (No. 23 Shahar Peer and No. 16 Ana Ivanovic) en route. In her 2012 season, Stephens has tallied career-firsts, reaching the semifinals of two events, at Washington and Strasbourg, as well as a fourth round appearance at Roland Garros, all of which have played a part in her catapult up the ranks to No. 44. As for former French Open champ Schiavone, who played in her 13th Open this year, the last time she made a first-round exit in New York was in 2001.

The matchup between the rising, fresh-faced American and the fiery, theatrical Italian had high expectations, and the two players didn't disappoint in rally exchanges. Schiavone, the No. 22 seed, began the match with a severe case of service woes, double-faulting five times in her opening service game to hand the early break to Stephens on a silver platter. But her level of play picked up after that, and both players showed off their amazing court speed throughout the match, trading angled drop shots and tracking them down in winning efforts, much to the disbelief of the animated crowd.

Schiavone used high-looping topspin shots to keep Stephens behind the baseline, but the teenager countered her opponent's heavy spin by flattening it out with down-the-line winners, drawing a roar from the crowd with every winner she struck. Faced with battling not only Stephens' power and speed, but also the pro-American crowd and the chair umpire (the two exchanged a few words after Schiavone was warned for losing her temper), the 32-year-old Italian began to commit a slew of unforced errors (36 in the match) that eventually cost her the match.

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