Featured Articles – July 2010 Archive (25)

Keep It Going, JB!

That was a tough loss for James Blake to Feliciano Lopez this evening in Los Angeles.

I assume, though, Blake must be thinking that a quarterfinal run at a tournament never felt so good. With his recent run of bad form, pretty much brought on by injury, the threat of the "R" word has popped up a lot coming from him in the past few months. He's definitely one of the veterans on tour now and his body has had some wear and tear put on it. But Blake's forehand and even-slightly diminished… Continue

Added by Van Sias on July 30, 2010 at 8:00pm — 1 Comment

Ana Ivanovic - On and Off

Ana Ivanovic had a breakthrough in tennis as she won her first WTA title in 2005. She went on to perform to her highest standards and made it…

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Added by TennisEarth on July 30, 2010 at 5:21am — No Comments

Two Sports in One? Tennis Live vs. on TV

After a prolonged sojourn in Europe, live tennis returns to California with tournaments in Stanford and San Diego. While we prepare to visit those consecutive events, we reflect upon a few of the most striking differences between the spectator experience on TV and at the venue. Be aware that these comments are highly subjective, so a different observer might leave a…

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Added by Sharapovanovic on July 26, 2010 at 3:29pm — No Comments

California Girls (A Preview of the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford)

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Added by Tennis News on July 24, 2010 at 6:17pm — No Comments

Is Scheduling Still Keeping Nikolay Davydenko From Winning a Slam?

So aside from the tournament in Atlanta this week, the men are also playing at the German Open in Hamburg, where Nikolay Davydenko is the top seed and defending champ. He's still trying to work his way back into form after missing months out of the season due to injury.

But what I'm wondering is that instead of playing in Hamburg, should he be down in Atlanta gearing up for the U.S. Open? Or if getting a jump on the hard courts isn't his priority, should he just be taking off this… Continue

Added by Van Sias on July 20, 2010 at 7:57pm — No Comments

5(+1) Plotlines to Ponder: US Open Series Edition

Spearheaded by American #1 Roddick, the fledgling Atlanta event initiates the US Open Series today. Similar to the “Road to Roland Garros,” these eleven tournaments (six ATP, five WTA) attempt to serve the dual purpose of affording players ample preparation for the…

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Added by Sharapovanovic on July 20, 2010 at 12:30am — No Comments

A weekend supporting tennis sponsors, sort of

INDIAN WELLS,CA- MARCH 11: Chanda Rubin of the USA and Anastasia Myskina from Russia open the door of a Whirlpool refrigirator filled with tennis balls as Larry Scott Chairman and CEO of the WTA Tour looks on at the announcement of Whirlpool as the WTA premiere European sponsor at the Pacific Life Open on March 11, 2004 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)

A friend of mine recently remarked that for all my talk of supporting tennis, he has never seen me consciously make the decision to support tennis sponsors. Sure I buy tennis rackets (and I have a bone to pick with Steffi and Andre about that piece of crap called “the Youtek Three Star” that Head put out with their endorsement -- but I digress).… Continue

Added by tennischick on July 16, 2010 at 5:12pm — No Comments

Those who can’t, teach?

NEW YORK - AUGUST 31: Scoville Jenkins hits a shot to Rafael Nadal of Spain during the second round of the US Open at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on August 31, 2005 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

...In my history of being obsessed with everything tennis, Scoville Jenkins remains the only tennis player for whom I flew all the way to Costa Rica. Now granted I also went to see that beautiful country and have my first experience of sliding down tree tops. But I also went to see Scoville. The event was the Copa Del Café. He didn’t win. But I witnessed… Continue

Added by tennischick on July 15, 2010 at 8:41pm — No Comments

To Have and Have Not: Ernests Gulbis

Moving from the WTA to the ATP and from defense to offense, we respond to a pre-Roland Garros request for a profile on the “little Safin,” Ernests Gulbis. After a hideous 2009 campaign, this longtime underachiever finally began chipping into the vast iceberg of his talent during the spring of 2010, when he scored a possibly career-redefining victory over Federer en route to the Rome semifinals. The scion of an affluent Latvian family, Gulbis was named after American author Ernest Hemingway,…

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Added by Sharapovanovic on July 15, 2010 at 12:41am — No Comments

In search of Rafa’s belly-button

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 26: Rafael Nadal of Spain changes shirt during his match against Philip Petzschner of Germany on Day Six of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 26, 2010 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Right about now Spain is feeling all kinds of wonderful. And my Venezuelan abuelita is probably turning over in her grave that I dared to go against Paul the Prognosticating Pulpo and voted for a giant-toppling Netherlands victory. If she were still alive she would probably slap me upside the head with a chancla. And I would deserve it too. I… Continue

Added by tennischick on July 14, 2010 at 3:59pm — No Comments

Tennis Season: A Monthly Review of 2010 (Part 2)

This comes from my personal blog at

http://tennisnewsnow.wordpress.com/. Please check out my blog and comment on it if you…

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Added by Tennis News on July 13, 2010 at 2:41pm — No Comments

The Weekend That Was

You ever find yourself thinking, "Wow, a lot sure happened on the pro tours this weekend, and there wasn't even a Slam final being played"? That's where I am right now, and there was a lot that went down to provoke the old thoughts. For example:

* It was Davis Cup quarterfinal time, and tons went down in the team competition: Spain got knocked out by France (as I mentioned on my Twitter page, I think Fernando Verdasco and David Ferrer are worn… Continue

Added by Van Sias on July 12, 2010 at 8:37pm — No Comments

"Pushing" Upward: Caroline Wozniacki

As Spain exchanges the Davis Cup for the World Cup, we shift from our match-oriented analyses to another article in our series of player profiles. Turning 20 today (July 11), Caroline Wozniacki already has embedded her name among the WTA elite, yet the engaging Dane still struggles to shed the label of “pusher.” Employed to characterize counterpunchers…

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Added by Sharapovanovic on July 11, 2010 at 10:17pm — No Comments

Will the Vuvuzela make a US Open appearance?

June 27, 2010 - South Africa - Football - Germany v England FIFA World Cup Second Round - South Africa 2010 - Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa - 27/6/10..General view of kids playing with vuvuzelas.

One of the more hilarious misapplications of the vuvuzela appears in a video put out by Deadspin blog. The author of this hysterical entry inserts the annoying sound of the vuvuzela into several iconic cultural and historical moments,… Continue

Added by tennischick on July 9, 2010 at 9:30pm — No Comments

Five to Frame: Top Five ATP / Top Five WTA Matches of the First Half

Three of the four Slams complete, we’re precisely halfway through the 2010 tennis season, so it’s time to reflect upon the most momentous and meaningful achievements of the first half. We count down the top five on both the men’s and women’s sides, not all of which went to a final-set tiebreak (although a few did) but all of which were laden with meaning for the second half of 2010…

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Added by Sharapovanovic on July 8, 2010 at 4:04pm — No Comments

Ratings and what those numbers mean?

General Characteristics of Various NTRP Playing Levels

1.5

You have limited experience and are working primarily on getting the ball in play.

2.0

You lack court experience and your strokes need…

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Added by Pawan Mahabir on July 8, 2010 at 1:37pm — No Comments

Toas Berdych: Reborn at 24

At 24, Tomas Berdych is enjoying the best phase of his career. Seven years after turning professional on the ATP circuit with a momentary elevation in form that resulted in a Masters event in Paris in…

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Added by TennisEarth on July 7, 2010 at 12:22pm — No Comments

English Class: Grading Wimbledon (As, Bs, Cs, Fs)

Standing head and shoulders above their respective challengers (figuratively in Nadal’s case), the two #1s asserted their authority with emphatic victories in Wimbledon’s final weekend. As the victors bask in the glow of their well-deserved triumphs, we present report cards for the principal contenders as well as those who surprised us, for better or for worse.…

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Added by Sharapovanovic on July 4, 2010 at 11:30pm — 3 Comments

2010 Wimbledon - Surprise to Supremacy

Another Grand Slam fortnight witnessed a successful finish with some of the best tennis players (ever) walking away with the silverware. Despite it's completion, the magic of Wimbledon will continue to enthrall the fans in the form of fond memories that will be long cherished.

It is…

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Added by TennisEarth on July 4, 2010 at 2:32pm — No Comments

Breakfast at Wimbledon 2010

Wow what an amazing tournament was Wimbledon in 2010! On the women's side there was the surprise defeat of Venus Williams as I thought the women's final would feature both sisters. Serena's final proved to be just another day at the office with… Continue

Added by Kathryn Thibault on July 4, 2010 at 9:59am — No Comments