Articles
Madrid Masters: Rafa Gets the Blues
Nadal Suffers a Humbling Home Defeat By Bill Simons Rafa Nadal is a totally different player on clay. Confident, calm and imposing, he becomes a force of nature. His topspin is brutal, his movement is astounding, his confidence unshakeable. He’s already pocketed six French Open titles. Fifteen of his record 20 Masters 1000 titles [...]
The Existential Burger (The French and Philosophy)
by Michael Mewshaw Ask the average American to discuss his philosophy and he’s likely to declare that he believes in rotating his tires every 10,000 miles. Ask a Frenchman to discuss tire rotation and he’s apt to produce a disquisition on cosmic verities, delivered in neat syllogisms complete with verbatim quotes from Descartes. The Gallic [...]
SAP Open To Close: Rio To Get Event
Barry MacKay, who ran the tournament for many years, with John McEnroe, one of the few tennis stars who remained faithful to the Northern California event. The jewel in the Bay Area’s tennis crown will soon vanish. The region’s premiere tennis event, the SAP Open, will be moving to Memphis to fill the void created [...]
The Latest Buzz
NEW RULE: The mid-match words of wisdom that Francesco Palpacelli provided his girlfriend and student Roberto Vinci sounded so rhythmic and lyrical that Ted Robinson said, “As far as I’m concerned, all on-court coaching should be in Italian.” 60 MINUTES WITH MIKE WALLACE: Trail-blazing Mike Wallace was courageous, confrontational, feisty, vain, brilliant and, like many [...]
Davis Cup Triumph: Big John Isner Leads U.S. Past France
We know what we know. Drop shots are for scramblers. Huge men can’t be quick. Brits don’t win Wimbledon. Spaniards love to grind. Americans get stuck in Euro clay. In fact the slow, sticky red dust of the continent is a kind quicksand for Americans. Just ask Jack Kramer, Stan Smith, Arthur Ashe, Pete Sampras, [...]
A Man Apart: Djokovic Downs Murray for Third Sony Ericsson Title
Novak claims his second big title of the year in MIami They have much in common. It wasn’t only that both Sony Ericsson finalists were tall and spindly and wearing modest white caps and outfits before a full house on a Miami Sunday. Both Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are in their-prime, 24-year olds who [...]
Big win on a big stage for Radwanska
photo by Art Seitz Polish Power: Asa Radwanska tops Sharapova to Win Sony Ericsson Going into the Sony Ericsson Open there were a boatload of big story lines. The return to WTA play of the beloved Kim Clijsters and the charismatic Williams sisters and the seemingly dominant play of Aussie and BNP Paribas Open [...]
Extraordinary: Federer Rules at BNP Paribas
The little ole tennis world was reeling. After all, this is the era of the big four. Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray dominate – end of discussion, thank you very much. (Now, can we please go on and debate whether global warming is real or not.) In tennis, what can you [...]
Victoria Azarenka: Tennis’ New Dominant Player Makes a Statement
As an unknown kid she was sponsored by hockey goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, who brought her to his Scottsdale home so she could get tough competition. She grunts like a wrestler. But young Victoria Azarenka, just 22, is all about tennis. Fierce expression, bouncy athleticism and power strokes in place, the Belarus player by way of [...]
John Isner’s Desert Storm
It was surprising. It rained in the desert. But, it was hardly surprising that in the semis of the BNP Paribas Open, the gentle giant – 6’ 9” 245 pound John Isner – rained down a torrent of serves, forehands and overheads to beat the semi-invincible Novak Djokovic 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 to crack the Top [...]