Monday Round-Up (05/12/08)
Here are some interesting tidbits from across the world of tennis:
- There is a 50k Challenger in Bradenton this week. A couple of the players that train at the Academy are playing in it. American Jesse Levine is the third seed and will face Carsten Ball in the opening round. Also, 15-year old Filip Karjinovic received a wild card into the tournament and plays American Tim Smyczek in the first round. Here is a good article about Filip with some quotes from Nick (from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune).
- On a side note about the Bradenton tournament, former French Open finalist, Mariano Puerta, is playing in it. If you remember, Puerta was suspended for eight years for steroids back in 2005 and then had his sentenced reduced to two years in 2006. He is currently ranked #208 in the world.
- The US Open and US Open Series are getting more coverage. Starting in 2009, ESPN and the Tennis Channel will join CBS in showing the tournaments. Under the new deal, the US Open will receive 200 hours of total coverage, an increase of over 50 hours — the most in US Open history. This marks the first time that the Series and the US Open will be carried by the same cable broadcast partner — creating a more consistent TV package for the sport. For 2008, USA Network will remain the US Open’s exclusive cable broadcaster. This is great news for the sport!
- Henin, Mauresmo, Safina all pull out. The world’s top ranked player, a former Grand Slam champion, and last week’s winner in Berlin have all withdrawn from this week’s tournament in Rome. Another bad string of pull-outs from a big tournament. Recently, we have heard Nadal, Djokovic, and Sharapova speak about the rigorous schedule, and it appears it is taking its toll once again.
- Madrid will be the site for the US vs. Spain Davis Cup semi later this year. This decision was not welcomed by the Spanish team, which said that Madrid’s 2,100-foot altitude will remove the team’s home-court advantage and they accused federation president Pedro Munoz of favoring the capital city because of sponsorship money. Seems like if the team wanted a different site because they thought it was going to help them win, you would put them there. I would think that is how it works?
- NBTA student Sachia Vickery featured on Forbes.com. After winning the Easter Bowl and Gator Bowl, the 12-year old American was featured in a list of “America’s Most Promising Young Athletes.” Congrats to Sachia!
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