1. FAREWELL, BIG JAKE: When Hall of Famer Jack Kramer died in September, tennis lost arguably the most important figure in the sport’s history. Ruth, Robinson, Jordan, Gretzky and Tiger were all central to the their sports. But no one was as important to his/her game as Kramer was to his. Mr. Tennis was the best player of his generation, and a man who brought a new style to the game. But he was so much more. Plus, he promoted and played on a ragtag pro circuit that toured the American outback for years. He battled the old-school establishment, which zealously circled its wagons to block Open tennis. Kramer went on to co-found the ATP. He led the ‘73 Wimbledon boycott, which created the rankings system; was a broadcaster; an adept tournament director and marketing trailblazer. He was a tough businessman who founded clubs, was the go-to guy in SoCal tennis affairs, a caring mentor and a family patriarch.
2. NEW INDIAN WELLS BOSS: Oracle co-founder/CEO Larry Ellison bought the BNP Paribas Open from Charlie Pasarell, Ray Moore, and partners George Mackin, Bob Miller, the USTA, Pete Sampras, Chris Evert and Billie Jean King. “We put our baby in the best hands we can think of,” said Pasarell of Ellison. “He’s as passionate as we are and desires to continue with the vision and the goals we have established.” Moore called it “a fantastic coup for tennis,” and added, “People were taking a run at owning this event and moving it to the Middle East or China. We always wanted to keep it here.”
3. TROJAN WARHORSES: USC returned to the site of its last national championship, College Station, Texas, and pulled it off it once again, capturing the first NCAA title for head coach Peter Smith (the school’s 17th overall). The No. 8 Trojans beat No. 3 Ohio State 4-1 with tournament MVP Robert Farah taking out the nation’s No. 3 player Bryan Koniecko to clinch. “I’m in shock,” Smith said. “I thought, ‘We can never beat Ohio State.’ Then I realized that we could beat these guys.” USC’s last championship was in ‘02 in coach Dick Leach’s final year.
4. WTA RETURNS TO SAN DIEGO: In ‘05, SoCal sported four high-level women’s events, with the year-end WTA Championships in L.A., Tier I events at Indian Wells and San Diego, and a Tier II in Carson. The Championships headed oversees in ‘06, and the following year, after 24 successful years, owners of the Acura Classic sold its designation back to the tour. Then last year, the poorly attended Carson tournament let out its final breath and its owner, AEG, sold it to Octagon, which will move it to Carlsbad’s La Costa resort in ‘10 — the same locale which hosted the previous San Diego tournament.
5. NADAL, ZVONAREVA WHIP DESERT WINDS: There were few moments during the BNP Paribas Open in which Rafael Nadal was clicking on all cylinders. But it didn’t really matter, because even when he’s a bit out of his comfort zone and is forced to push himself, Nadal believes he’s the best player on the planet. That’s why the swaggering Spaniard was able to fight off five match points in a brilliant three-set victory over Argentine David Nalbandian in a fourth-round match that ended past 2 a.m.; crush Argentine up-and-comer Juan Martin del Potro in straight sets; handle the charged-up Andy Roddick in two sets in the semis; and in a windswept final, put a serious 6-1, 6-2 beatdown on Andy Murray. Women’s titlist Vera Zvonareva once wept in anguish, but after the 24-year-old won the biggest title of her career by overcoming 40-mph winds and besting defending champ Ana Ivanovic 7-6, 6-2, she shed tears of joy.
6. QUERREY ME THIS: Sam Querrey reached a career-high ranking of No. 22. The Thousand Oaks native opened the season by reaching the Auckland final. In July, he reached back-to-back finals at Newport and Indy before winning the L.A. Open. He became the first American to reach at least three ATP finals in a row since Andy Roddick in ‘04. In the fall, Querrey fell though a glass table and badly slashed his forearm, but he still believes he can become a truly elite player and make a major impact at a Slam. “I’ve got the game and I’ve beaten top-20 guys multiple times,” Querrey said.
7. KELLOGG ELECTED SCTA PRESIDENT: La Jolla’s Bill Kellogg was elected SCTA president. The La Jolla Beach & TC president competed on the collegiate level at Dartmouth, later became a teaching pro, referee and club manager, and has spent decades volunteering at every level of the sport. A former YTSD president, Kellogg was the driving force behind San Diego being chosen the Hall of Fame City of the Year in ‘96 and brought the Davis Cup and Fed Cup ties to La Jolla in ‘06 and ‘08.
8. ANOTHER SLAM FOR THE BRYAN BROS.: Camarillo’s Bryan Bros. won their third Australian Open doubles title with a 2-6, 7-5, 6-0 victory over Mahesh Bhupathi/Mark Knowles. While Bob and Mike didn’t win another Slam in ‘09, the 31-year-old twins captured six titles in 10 finals, and once again locked up the year-end No. 1 ranking (their fifth) at the ATP World Tour Finals in November.
9. GLATCH LEADS U.S. FED CUPPERS TO FINAL: Making her Fed Cup debut, Orange County’s Alexa Glatch led the U.S. to a nail-biting 3-2 semifinal win over host Czech Republic. Glatch followed her 6-1, 6-2 dismantling of Iveta Benasova with an equally impressive 6-2, 6-1 dismissal of Petra Kvitova in just 65 minutes. Once America’s top prospect, Glatch suffered misfortune in ‘05, when she broke her right wrist and left elbow. But the 19-year-old kept plugging and this year showed the strength and athleticism that once made her a player to watch.
10. BALL BOUNCING IN RIGHT DIRECTION: Newport Beach’s Carsten Ball was a fine SoCal junior and developed into a dependable Davis Cup player for his native Australia, but the 22-year-old had a week like no other at the L.A. Open, qualifying and reaching the final, before the ultra-attacking player fell to his old junior foe Sam Querrey. “A little confidence and self belief goes a long way,” said Ball, the son of former Aussie touring pro Syd Ball.
