Notebook: Tennis in 3D, Remembering Samaranch

REMEMBERING JUAN ANTONIO SAMARANCH: Former IOC chief Juan Antonio Samaranch — who died of a heart attack on Wednesday at age 89 — spent his final moments at home watching tennis before being taken to the hospital in Barcelona.  “He watched Nadal‘s match — he loved tennis — and after the game he wasn’t feeling [...]

Notebook: Lennon, Jagger and…

NUMBERS GAME: Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin will play an exo on July 8 in Brussels, where they’ll attempt to snap a 37-year-old attendance record of 30,492 that assembled for the Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs Battle of the Sexes at the Astrodome in ’73.  The event will be held at the 40,000-seat King [...]

Notebook: Lady GaGa’s the Embodiment of Class

Andy's Gold Standard...The Numbers...Quotebook

A FREE MAN: Jelena Dokic‘s troubled father, Damir, was paroled by a Serbian court one year after his conviction for threatening the Australian ambassador.  He was initially sentenced to 15 months, but the sentence was later reduced. DIZZY SPELL: Marion Bartoli retired from her match against Peng Shuai in Charleston, saying she “was feeling really [...]

Anarchy In the UK: Sony Ericsson Open Notebook

SAY IT AIN’TSO: Wayne Odesnik pleaded guilty to importing HGH into Australia prior to the Australian Open. He was fined $8,320 and could be banned for two years.  Said fellow American James Blake, “I’m glad they caught him.” (A bit odd, don’t you think, that Odesnik is being coached by Argentine Guillermo Canas, who himself [...]

Roger, Roger On the Wall…

Bryan Bros. Hit 58...Murray's Troubles...Quotebook

IVO THE RAT: Harvey Fialkov likened 6-foot-10 power server Ivo Karlovic to “Randy Johnson in shorts.” CHILE RECEPTION?: Despite the devastating earthquake that’s claimed the lives of more than 700 people, Chile still plans to host its Davis Cup tie against Israel in the port town of Coquimbo. ‘…AND INTRODUCING FERNANDO VERDASCO AS MAXIMUS’: Fernando [...]

A Fluffy, Green Tonsillectomy (and Other Revelations)

Murray's Tears...Serena Chases Fed...Quotebook

NOT GONNA GO THERE: Asked what the difference between Kim Cljsters and Justine Henin is, Serena Williams said, “Uhm, hmm, I’m going to keep that to myself.” SNOTTY LITTLIES IN TOW: The Age’s Linda Pearce marveled at Roger Federer‘s accomplishment in Melbourne, writing, “Fathers struggle to win major titles. It is supposed to be harder [...]

‘Nobody Beats Nikolay Davydenko 13 Times in a Row’

Serena's Swear-Box...Thanksgiving with the Agassis...Quotebook

IF HE’S PLAYSTATION, THEN WHO’S PONG?: Juan Martin Del Potro said Nikolay Davydenko — who handed him a 6-3, 6-4 loss at the ATP World Tour Finals — “plays like PlayStation.  He runs to everywhere.”  Added the Argentine, “He beat me in [a] good way.”  Is there such a thing? SIGNATURE STATEMENT: Asked how many [...]

Order Has Been Restored

Watson's No Murray Fan...Serena the Naughty No. 1...Quotebook

A NEW NO. 1: A combination of Dinara Safina‘s loss to wildcard entrant Zhang Shuai and Serena Williams‘ 6-3, 6-2 victory over Ekaterina Makarova at the China Open has put Williams back atop the WTA rankings at No. 1. The reigning Aussie Open and Wimbledon champ regains the top slot for the first time since [...]

Looking Ahead: Cilic vs. Del Potro

Breakthrough Win Sends Cilic to First Slam Quarterfinal

FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y. — Far from the emerald-green lawns of the All England Club, and the shouldering-a-nation pressures that come with being the British No. 1, Andy Murray has historically played his best tennis on this side of The Pond. He won his first Challenger title in the little seaside enclave of Aptos, Calif., back [...]

The Federer-Nadal Duopoly and Other Hitchcockian Insights

Marat to Marry?...Psycho...Quotebook

THE TENNIS CHANNEL VS. CABLEVISION: Newsday has reportedly rejected an ad from The Tennis Channel that takes a swipe at its parent company, Cablevision.  TTC’s “Thanks For Nothing, Cablevision” ad, which features a tennis racket smashing a cable box and takes aim at Cablevision’s refusal to include its programming among its offerings, has been accepted [...]