Mesh Tennis

Down 6-5 in the second-set tiebreak in the US Open mixed doubles final, 18-year-old Victoria Azarenka awaited the serve of her opponent, Meghann Shaughnessy. Shaughnessy’s partner, Leander Paes, was crouched at net, moving back and forth on his toes, making it clear, as he always does, that he was dying to get his hands on Azarenka’s return.

In this position, you would think that Azarenka would try and keep her return away from Paes, a man 16 years older than her, with seven Grand Slam doubles titles to his credit. He’s also known for his majestic volleys.

But Azarenka is no normal teenager, and certainly no typical mixed-doubles player. As Azarenka did all match, she drilled her return right at Paes. It was struck so hard Paes could only pop up his volley, and Max Mirnyi, Azarenka’s partner, moved in and put the ball away. Mirnyi and Azarenka, both from Belarus, went on to take the breaker, saving five set-points in the process, and with it the match 6-4, 7-6 (6).

For Mirnyi it was his seventh Grand Slam doubles title—he has now won four men’s doubles Grand Slams and three mixed—and the first US Open mixed doubles title since he won with Serena Williams back in 1998.

The win marks a memorable run for Azarenka at this year’s US Open. She reached the fourth round in the women’s singles draw, losing to the No. 4-seed Svetlana Kuznetsova. The mixed doubles crown marks her first Grand Slam triumph.
usopen.org

I’m always for getting people to read - if you’ve seen my Facebook profile, you know I am always reading a few books at once…

IMG Academy pro tennis player Nicole Vaidisova and internationally known coach Nick Bollettieri will visit youth attending the DeSoto Boys & Girls Club.

The appearance will be from 4 to 5 p.m. Monday at the club, 5231 34th St. W., Bradenton.

Vaidisova, the Women’s Tennis Association’s No. 14 player in the world, will promote the “Get Caught Reading” program, a nationwide public service reading campaign that emphasizes the joys of books and reading to children of all ages. The program is sponsored by the Association of American Publishers.
Herald Tribune

Good job, Nicole!

Richard Williams stood under a tree as his daughter Venus came in to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to practice yesterday before today’s semifinal against Justine Henin, but his mind was on his youngest, Serena.

“First and foremost, Serena shouldn’t have played this tournament,” Williams said. “She should have been wrapped up like a mummy. Her doctor told her not to play. I told her not to play.”

After losing Tuesday night to top-seeded Henin in a quarterfinal, he said Serena was en route to Florida, where she shares a home with her big sister. As he smoked a slim brown cigarette, Richard explained that Serena has a few different injuries, including a fractured thumb, a torn hamstring and a swollen knee. Richard said it might be a while before she plays again, but she could be ready for the Australian Open if she takes the time to heal.

After Serena’s last match, she was almost quarrelsome in her disappointment during a press conference. He explained that Serena’s comment about Henin getting “lucky shots” referred to her own inability to move, rather than Henin’s performance.

“(Serena) just meant she was lucky because Serena couldn’t move,” Richard said.

Serena told him she was going to try to bluff her way through the match, and that she was very upset with the loss. The Williams sisters both list their parents as coaches, and at times it can be hard to tell which hat Richard is wearing.

As a coach, he works with the women on the court. As a father, he may be trying to help his younger daughter in the court of public opinion.
thejournalnews.com

Considering the rumor is specifically quoting Richard as a source for the pregnancy rumor, it seems a bit odd he wouldn’t mention it here - he has a big mouth. I could be wrong though.

This rumor seems pretty tenuous at best, but it is starting to get a lot of attention, so I’ll post it also!

Here’s what is being said:

Y’all ain’t gonna believe this one. MediaTakeOut.com is hearing whispers that tennis superstar Serena Williams is pregnant!!!.

We haven’t yet been able to confirm it. But word around the U.S. Open is that Serena’s dad is telling everyone who will listen that his little tennis star is expecting.

Stay tuned guys and gals. We’ll keep you updated on this one…

EDITOR’S UPDATE: We’ve just got word that Serena’s longtime boyfriend actor Jackie Long is telling people that he has a baby on the way. Media Takeout

If it is true, I am sure we’ll be finding out soon enough…

This is the shortest interview I have seen yet. I can’t quite figure it out - the media seems to love the attractive Russians, and keeping them talking…

Q. Where do you think the match got away from you?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: I just played horrible. I mean, I didn’t expect it will be such a turnaround after this first set. You know, just couldn’t put the ball in the court. It’s very disappointing match for me. I mean, I didn’t know what did I do, you know. It was very tough condition because it was very windy. I just couldn’t handle with that wind. But I’m very disappointed the way I played today. I mean, I didn’t want to, you know, just win in straight sets or something like that, but at least play at least maybe more than 50% that I can. But that didn’t happen.

Q. Can you point to any reason why that didn’t happen?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: Well, if I would know why it happened, I would just play better. But it didn’t happen, so I don’t know why.

Q. When you took that ten minute break between the second and third set, where you able to regroup a little bit?
ANNA CHAKVETADZE: It didn’t help, as you saw.
usopen.org

I hope the people mentioned first in this article never end up sitting near me at a tournament - I’m probably a lot worse than some of the people they have run into at the US Open.

“This rock ’n’ roll business is horrible and loud and terrible, and who needs it?” said Lewis, 79, rushing to remove his hearing aids. “This whole tournament, this whole crowd, has completely changed since we started coming here. It’s a different world.”

The Lewises, New Yorkers who moved 11 years ago to Washington, say they have been coming to the United States Open since 1948, and have witnessed its evolution. Barbara Lewis said women used to wear the latest outfits to the matches. The spectators hushed when the players were on the court and adhered strictly to tennis etiquette. Loud music would have been sacrilege.

“It used to be very proper,” Barbara Lewis, 77, said. “Now people wear just anything. They are on their cellphones and up and down the aisles during the matches. They are passing around Champagne during the matches. You don’t see that at the other big tournaments, and we’ve been to them all.”

The United States Open is much different from the other three Grand Slam events: the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon. Tournament officials here like it that way. Arlen Kantarian, chief executive for professional tennis of the United States Tennis Association, said the boisterous atmosphere here was simply a reflection of the high energy of New York City. It also makes it more fan-friendly, he said, though traditionalists may disagree.

“Historically in tennis, you felt like you had to sit on your thumbs during changeovers or keep silent during matches, but now the fans are able to express themselves,” Kantarian said. “That’s good for everybody. It helps the athletes because it helps the adrenaline. People can also better connect with the athletes. To a large degree, that’s what brings people into the sport.”

In the upper tiers of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center stadiums, fans often did not wait for the changeovers to come and go. Even closer to the court, spectators stood, walked in and out, talked on cellphones and dealt with crying babies. During night matches they took flash photos. Some fans conversed with players, as several women did with Andy Roddick when he was on the court.

Here, it is all about keeping fans entertained, beyond the tennis. In 2001, the tournament added video screens to occupy the crowd and began piping in music.

“This is not the cathedral of tennis like Wimbledon is,” said the broadcaster Jim Courier, a four-time Grand Slam tournament champion. “This is a stadium filled with New York’s corporate elite, who are not necessarily hard-core tennis fans but are here more for the spectacle. So the energy is naturally going to be different, especially at night when there is what I call a Heineken-ized crowd.”

With matches played late into the night, beer and alcohol sales continue, and the crowd can become raucous. Partisan gatherings can also be rowdy.

At several matches featuring Jelena Jankovic and Novak Djokovic, fans waved Serbian flags and sang Serbian songs in the top tier of the stadium. During Jankovic’s quarterfinal match against Venus Williams, fans breached tennis etiquette by shouting while Jankovic served, and between her first and second serves.

She complained, and the chair umpire warned the fans. But they showed up for Djokovic’s match the next night, just as unruly.

“It’s great that people are not afraid to yell here, but there are times when it’s not appropriate because it’s distracting,” Jankovic said later. “But it’s O.K. We love it in New York. Here, it’s crazy, like you are performing on Broadway and you know you are part of the show.”

For the chair umpires and supervisors, keeping that show going without upsetting the game or its outcome can be a challenge.

It is like being a parent, said Michael Morrissey, one of the tournament’s Grand Slam supervisors and a former chair umpire. The officials do not want to scold too soon or too often.

“We used to be very persnickety about spectators sitting down during play, but a few years ago, we began to take a more liberal view of what the fans can and cannot do,” Morrissey said. “It was less, ‘Quiet please,’ because that sounded like we were treating them as naughty children. We were killing the energy. Now, I guess the issue is, ‘Are the players being disrupted by it?’ If not, then we let it go.” nytimes.com

Wimbledon is next!

Here’s the link to the page that hosts the video.

Q. Are you okay? What happened there in the second set where you had to have the trainer out?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Uhm, you know, I’m okay. I just was feeling dizzy, a little sick to the stomach. Was just having some energy problems. I’m not really sure what’s wrong with me. But, you know, credit to her for playing well.

Q. Did they give you something for it?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Normally when you get hurt or sick in a match there’s nothing that can be done. You have to just get through it. I did my best.

Q. Were you feeling that way at the beginning of the match? You took a quick bathroom break before the match actually started. Were you already feeling a little sick?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. I just had to have a bathroom break because I was really trying to stay hydrated throughout the whole tournament. But, yeah, I definitely was having some problems. You know, she played well.

Q. Probably just the heat today?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, it’s not the heat. It’s nothing compared to Florida where I was training. And by the time I got on the court it was shady.

Q. Is it like a stomach virus?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I’m not sure what’s wrong. I don’t know. I can’t — I don’t know.

Q. On the court how did it affect you? Seemed you were tired.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Tired. You know, at my height I really have to adjust. Like when I had that 40-Love game, you know, I have a short ball, I’m tall, my arms are long, I have to adjust. I’m just trying to push and tell myself, Fight, push, push, push. Just regroup every point and try to push through it. But it’s not easy.

Q. I know you have not played Justine for three and a half years. You said you’d been following her. Is this the best level you’ve seen her play?
VENUS WILLIAMS: She always plays well, so… Whether it’s today or any other day, she always plays a solid game. Definitely credit to her.

Q. Is it unfortunate the two best players had to meet in the semifinals instead of the final here?
VENUS WILLIAMS: It is what it is. I don’t see any unfortunate circumstances in anything in life. I just feel fortunate to be here. Wasn’t the case last year. I count all my blessings.

Q. When you broke her back at 3-5, did you think you might be able to turn it around at that point?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Always. Definitely always. I tried my best today. I’m very disappointed, obviously. I don’t feel the way I would feel if I had just played awfully and given it away. I just feel like I was fighting some circumstances that I couldn’t conquer. This is sports.

Q. Your volleying today. Considering the quality of your opponent, when have you volleyed this well?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, thank you. I don’t know. I just tried to get up there and make the point happen. Volley, overhead, whatever it takes.

Q. What is your goal in tennis now?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think my goal is just to feel better and to get ready to play again. I’m supposed to play in a couple weeks in Asia. Of course, always to be the champion of every tournament I play (smiling).

Q. Were you feeling like this at all in the last match?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah (laughter).

Q. Have you ever felt this way? Do you remember ever feeling this way before?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah. San Diego.

Q. Yeah?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

Q. So is it sort of a recurring thing this summer?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I’m not sure what’s wrong, but I’ll figure it out.
You know, just throughout the tournament, just try to keep my points short. It was definitely a challenge, of course, against Jankovic, and a challenge today. But, you know, I did my best, and I wish the players the best of luck in the final.

Q. This illness, do you think it’s something you need a full workup on or is it just an isolated thing?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I definitely know what part of it is. I got sick a little bit in the first week. I’m not sure what’s happening right now. But I’m just looking forward to getting healthy and then I can play lots and lots and lots and lots of long points.

Q. Did Serena tell you how to play after her quarterfinals?
VENUS WILLIAMS: She just told me I could do it. I mean, Serena was my opponent in the draw, too. I didn’t tell her how I was feeling (laughter). I never tell. I mean, I think she was having something and she didn’t tell me, and I found out like through someone else that she was having problems. We love each other, but we’re competing. We don’t tell each other what’s happening. So she never knew all these problems that I’m having (laughter). But, yeah, she told me I could do it.

Q. Do you think you’re going to have to stop and see a doctor, really sort of figure this out?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don’t know. I haven’t thought much about what I was going to do after the Open. I was definitely trying to concentrate on every match. Like they asked me if I wanted to play on Wednesday. I said, Sure. I need time to recover (smiling). I haven’t thought a lot about it because I was just trying to get through the tournament. I love playing. Hasn’t been as much fun playing under these circumstances, because when you don’t feel good, it’s not fun, as much fun. And I just want to feel good and have fun playing.

Q. Have you spoken to Serena since the match ended?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. It’s been like 30 minutes.

Q. Your father said she had gone back.
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah.

Q. Why didn’t she want to stick around?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I didn’t ask. I just let her make her own decisions.

Q. Does it make it any harder to take the disappointment of not winning this, considering she also beat Serena?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I mean, out on the court I was definitely trying to focus on trying to play aggressive and take the points. I wasn’t focused on who she had beat before. I’m disappointed obviously despite any circumstances. I feel like I should have found a way, despite anything.

Q. When you left the court before the match began, was that because of the illness?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No. I was just doing a lot of hydrating. Every time I see a player cramp, I drink like three Gatorades. I’ve been drinking so much. I was just overly hydrated.

Q. What does the experience of winning Wimbledon and then going as far as you have done here when you’re not feeling a hundred percent tell you about yourself that maybe you didn’t know before?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I felt okay at Wimbledon. I didn’t feel a hundred percent. But it’s definitely all about desire and will, you know. I really wanted it. I really wanted it here, too, but I fell short. You know, she played well. She deserved it.

Q. You still have a chance to get to the Madrid championships. Might have to play a fairly aggressive schedule. Are you prepared to do that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Right now I’m entered in two tournaments and one is part of my commitment to the tour. That’s definitely my focus, is to stay with my commitments and just figure out what I do from here.

Q. Which tournaments?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I’m playing in Korea and Bangkok.

Q. The trainer took your pulse and temperature. Do you have a temperature?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don’t even know what she said. I was like in a zone. But I just was hoping that she had like a magic pill. She gave me some sports jelly beans. I just tried to eat ‘em, but I was still feeling dizzy (laughter).

Q. Can you tell me what the big difference was between you and Justine?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think the big difference for me was definitely my footwork. You know, I have to be in position. I was a little slow. Definitely being able to push a little harder, stay in the points a little longer, and even to play aggressively takes a lot of energy. I think just all of that. But she hung in there and played tough, even when I broke her. She definitely hung in there after that, too.

Q. Does Henin play you the same way, meaning you and Serena?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I don’t know if she has a different approach against us. I think for sure when she plays us I think she tries to play extremely aggressive in comparison to maybe what she plays other people. But I think it’s with good reason.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports/usopen.org

FINISHED with reality television, Mark Philippoussis has declared his undying love for tennis and says he is desperate to play at the Australian Open next year.

He can already hear the doubters, but Philippoussis yesterday pledged to make a full-scale comeback to the ATP Tour and said his appearance at an over-30s tournament in Texas next month was merely an opportunity to test his fitness level after nine months recovering from knee surgery.

“I would love to get back and join the boys on the tour,” Philippoussis said from his US base in Las Vegas.

“The biggest thing for me is I love the game and I miss the game. I just miss playing it.”

Philippoussis, who turns 31 in November, has not played since tearing the lateral meniscus in his right knee at the Hopman Cup in Perth last December.

Since then, he has starred in the US reality series Age Of Love where women vied for the Scud’s affection.

The one-time world No.8 has plunged to 457 in the rankings.
SMH

Wow, this is a great artcile covering the multiple players who love fashion. I still haven’t seen anyone playing in Maria’s red dress yet…

“Whatever Maria is wearing sells well and this is no exception,” said Dave Limke, product manager for Midwest Sports in Cincinnati, a Nike distributor that sells a version of Sharapova’s dress online for $125 and has already sold out of some sizes. “She makes it look good.”

These days, players aren’t only concerned with how they play, but how they look when they play. At this year’s Open in New York, Roger Federer, considered by many the best player ever, is hitting groundstrokes and baffling opponents while wearing black “tuxedo” shorts. Rafael Nadal, No. 2 in the world, may be out of the tournament, but his fashion influence plays on — several men sported sleeveless shirts. (But not Nadal’s signature pirate shorts.)

The Williams sisters — well-known for their sense of style — made their own fashion statements. On the eve of the Open, Venus Williams announced the launch of her clothing line, EleVen, and she has been wearing clothes from her collection during her matches. Meanwhile, her younger sister, Serena, touts her new line, Aneres, in a commercial for Hewlett-Packard.

With few emerging American tennis superstars and the sport facing more competition for the public’s attention, officials are pleased their sport is getting noticed — even if it’s for how the players look.

“If Maria unveiling her new dress brings coverage to the sport, then we’re happy,” said Sarah Cummins, senior director of merchandising for the United States Tennis Association.

She said that while some purists may not like the focus on fashion, most fans understand it’s become part of the game.

“I think five years ago, some may have complained, but now I think people generally agree that it’s good for the sport,” said Cummins. “And I hear people all the time talking about who’s wearing what.”

The two-week tournament ends this weekend, with the women’s championship match Saturday and the men’s Sunday. Sharapova, Serena Williams and Nadal have been eliminated, but they racked up style points with viewers.

“I think the fans like it — I think they expect it from certain players — as long as it’s not too distracting,” said Erwin Ong of Tennis Served Fresh, a tennis and fashion blog.

Ong and other bloggers have had a field day making fun of American Bethanie Mattek, who wore a metallic gold dress and matching headband in her opening match — “she looked like Wonder Woman out there,” said Ong. She followed that with a leopard print ensemble and matching visor at her doubles match Tuesday.

Federer, who has become so well-known for his sense of style that he was on the cover of Men’s Vogue earlier this year, is also generating a lot of talk, according to Cummins.

Local fans have been paying attention. Deric Wanland, 13, plays tennis nearly every day at Rio Del Oro Racquet Club in Sacramento but has also found time to watch the tournament.

“At first, I didn’t like Federer’s outfit because I didn’t know how he would stay cool wearing all black — especially in the humidity,” said Wanland. “But obviously it doesn’t bother him.”

Many aren’t quite sure what to think of his black shorts with the tuxedo stripe down the side, along with his black socks and shoes. “I don’t think it’s that outrageous, but some people do,” said Cummins. Those who like the outfit, however, will not be able to buy it.

“It was made specifically for him,” said Jacie Prieto, media relations manager for Nike, which has deals with many of the top players.

In the old days, players were given bags of apparel. Nowadays, players get involved in every aspect of their attire, said Cummins. She said last year Sharapova became the first player to have a day and evening outfit. This year, several players followed suit.

The athletes work closely with designers in creating their outfits, Nike officials say.

“Sharapova was looking to make a statement,” said Prieto.

Sharapova’s evening dress was beaded with Swarovski crystals against a backdrop of the New York skyline. Prieto adds that the tennis star was concerned with more than how she looked. “She wanted something that was comfortable and cool.”

Not all players looked at ease with what they were wearing. In her first match, a frustrated Serena Williams tore the bow off her Nike dress which appeared to be getting in her way. Still, her brown dress with a pink strip across the top is selling well at $105.

“We wish Serena and Maria would have stayed in the tournament longer,” said Limke of Midwest Sports. He said the players will likely not wear those dresses again and will have new ones made for the next major.
sacbee.com

Here’s press info about the new clothing line that Venus has launched. I included pictures of her in this line in a previous post.

Tennis sensation Venus Williams has partnered with popular retailer Steve & Barry’s, to design and market a line of high-performance lifestye and active wear (including clothing and shoes). The new clothing line, entitled “EleVen,” is extremely affordable and will be priced at $19.98 and less.

Although Venus debuted some of the gear during the U.S. Open., the “EleVen” collection will not officially hit Steve & Barry’s shelves until November. The name “EleVen” means a lot to Venus, as it is the address where she grew up in Lynwood, California.

Venus joins a list of popular athletes and celebrities who have exclusive collections with Steve & Barry’s. She will appear in marketing promotions as well as make personal appearances.

Venus, 27, is no stranger to fashion. The tennis star studied fashion design at the Art Institute of Florida and previously designed clothing she has worn on-court, including a line for Wilson’s Leather.
blackprwire.com