Van Sias's Page

So probably the greatest thing in the world to me besides my family and friends is tennis. It's been that way ever since I started playing seriously as a teen more than 20 years ago. I mean, really, I can find absolutely no fault (pun not intended) with it. From going out to hit with a buddy, playing a USTA tournament or watching a Wimbledon final, there's almost nothing like it.



If I'm obsessed with it and hundreds of thousands of people around the world are, too, then why, why, WHY… Continue

So a lot of our favorite players have lost in the past couple of days, huh, tennis fans?



Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Maria Sharapova and Juan Martin del Potro have all been early-round casualties the past couple of days in Asia. For Tsonga, it's his first event in months, while del Potro is playing his second, both returning after injury-driven breaks. Sharapova's shoulder woes almost seem like an eon ago as she's been out there regularly competing. I'm lumping all three of them together,… Continue

How does she do it?



One of the craziest comeback stories in women's tennis keeps rolling along as Kimiko Date Krumm knocked off Maria Sharapova at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, mere hours before she hits the big 4-0.



Now looking at it on paper, you'd think Sharapova would be able to blast Date Krumm off the court, but obviously that's not the case because what Date Krumm lacks in power she makes up for with flat, penetrating groundies that can give a lot of players fits in… Continue

I love Davis Cup.



However, after last year's final, for the first time, <a href="http://www.tennistalkanyone.com/2009/12/something-you-probably-thought-youd.html">I started to have a little doubt about Davis Cup creep in</a>. The tie between Spain and the Czech Republic was so bereft of drama that I barely tuned into it.



But this weekend, my friends, wiped out any and all concerns I had about my favorite sporting event. From the World Group semis to the playoff… Continue

There, I said it.



I've been pondering that since he clinched the U.S. Open title over Novak Djokovic, adding his name to the short list of players with a career Slam and the even-shorter list of players with a career Golden Slam. It's obvious Rafa had an awesome year at the Majors, but the best ever? You're probably thinking, "Dudes win three Slams a year all the time. How many times has Roger Federer done it? Heck, Mats Wilander even did it." Or you might be saying, "What about the… Continue