Dmitry Tursunov the sometimes animated Russian who breaks opponents down with his hard hitting serve won the Open de Moselle over the weekend by defeating Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-6 (6), 1-6, 6-4. A great win for Tursunov who was the 2007 Indianapolis Tennis Championships winner as well as runner-up in this year’s Indianapolis Tennis Championships Presented by Lilly. Congratulations Dmitry!

At a time of an economic down fall. Professional sport leagues such as the MLB have continued to raise their ticket prices as much as 10.1 percent for an average league ticket price increase. The New England Patriots of the NFL have also raised the ticket price this year an amazing 29.6 percent from last season. I’m upset that Randy Moss hasn’t generated much fantasy points for me this year (mainly due to the absent of star quarter back Tom Brady) – I can’t image how the season ticket holders feel.

Andy Roddick was victorious over the weekend in Beijing at the 2008 China Open beating Dudi Sela 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3. Not only was this a great win for Roddick it was a true showing of the American tennis stars character.

After the contest Roddick announced that he will be donating $25,000 of his winnings to the China Tennis Association. The donated money will be used towards helping those still in need after the devastating earthquake that happened in Sichuan Province, China.

Congratulations Andy on a spectacular week of tennis and good luck throughout the rest of the year.

    I haven't blogged in over a week, which leaves me bitter and dissapointed in myself. I try to stay on topic of tennis most of the time, but frankly, I couldn't get motivated to talk about the long march uphill for the U.S Davis Cup squad once my US Open hangover wore off. 
     Having had a chance to reflect on the loss to Spain, I honestly don't think that this was a winneable tie anyway, but I do think, and perhaps more importantly, it was pivotal in the advancement of our Davis Cup team for the forseeable future. If Sam Querrey is the next star in the U.S. stable, which I believe he is, then it was time to get him in the fold and let him gain valuable experience. Injuries to James Blake and Bob Bryan forced the United States team out of its gameplan, but the time was now to take inventory of what we had and what we may need. 
     I'm not an expert on the Davis Cup, but as a professional tennis fan, I will say that I was extremely impressed with Sam's efforts against Nadal in the first rubber. He brought his usual composure into a match in Rafa's backyard and on his favored surface and with a rowdy crowd that was in his corner the whole way and still managed to steal a set from him in the meantime. 
     Sam can walk away from the experience with a great amount of confidence and Pat McEnroe can breathe easy knowing he has a guy that can play.That has to count for something.

After a tough showing at the Davis Cup, it is any wonder what the future holds for American players. Sam Querrey, Donald Young, and John Isner are the young Americans carrying a lot of weight for the feature, but what about those youngsters competing to become one of them?

The USTA Elite Player Development team has been created to identify and develop the next generation of American champions by surrounding the top junior players and young pros with the resources, facilities and coaching they need to reach their maximum potential.

Joining Patrick McEnroe is Jose Higueras, who recently has been working with Robby Ginepri and Roger Federer. He will work with McEnroe to develop future American champions.  He will provide on-court guidance and coaching to both coaches and players, with a mission to build and maintain an Elite Player Development coaching staff at a world class level.  

I can’t wait to see the next up and coming players for America! Between McEnroe and Higueras, you can only expect to see some great youngsters join the tour for America!

Ever heard of the Grapple in the Apple?  Well, my new friend Mike Karnuta at the Indiana Sports Corporation sent me this link to a Nike ad campaign that ran during the US Open.  Tennis needs more of this!  Check the Grapple in the Apple out.

This reminds me of Nike's great commercial in the streets of New York City with Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras.  Men's tennis needs more companies like Nike spending money to advertise the stars, rivarlies and personalities of tennis.  I'm thinking the Indianapolis Tennis Championships needs to 'steal' some of these ideas to help expose some of the mini-rivalaries in the game today.

Thanks to Mike for sending this great creative my way and thanks to Nike too!

 I was walking our Hall of Champions today and stopped at Patrick Rafter's picture.  Back when we were the RCA Championships, Patrick was a mainstay in our lineup. 

Patrick played in Indy three times.  In 1993, he was a semi-finalist losing to Boris Becker.  In 1995, he was a quarterfinalist.  Near the end of his career, he captured the Indy title in 2001.  He beat another crowd favorite, Gustavo Kuerten.  I have found memories of that victory.  I remember walking out of the transportation office soon after the final to find Patrick sitting on the curb.  He was still in his sweaty clothes and was on his cellphone, obviously talking about his victory.  He quickly hung up when he saw us and thanked us for a great week.  Yes, he thanked us for a great week.  So that got me to thinking - where is he now?

Patrick continues to support charitable efforts, primarily in his native Australia.  In 2006 he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.  He continues to play World Team Tennis.

Little known fact - Patrick's last championship before retiring came right here at the RCA Championships (now the Indianapolis Tennis Championships Presented by Lilly). 

Please come out of retirement Patrick.... 

 I noticed that Carmel's own Rajeev Ram is making a tour through the ATP Challenger Series in Waco, Texas this week.  Ram, seeded eigth, lost a tough three set match to Nicholas Monroe.   

The ATP Challenger Series is set up as a great developmental opportunity for young players.  The Series is to men's professional tennis what AAA baseball is to the major leagues.  If you look through the draw in Waco, you will notice many familar faces.  I counted ten guys who have played in Indianapolis at one point, including Bobby Reynolds and John Isner. 

Ram is definitely an Indy favorite.  He first competed in the RCA Championships (now the Indianapolis Tennis Championships Presented by Lilly) in 2002.  His best results were in 2005 and 2008 when he reached the round of 16.

Not only is Ram loved by the crowds here but he is loved by the volunteers and staff.  He is a true gentleman and always willing to sign autographs, talk with sponsors and meet with the press. 

The next stop on Ram's Texas tour is probably the Lubbock Challenge.  Go Rajeev!

So who is this young American, Sam Querrey, that is set to face Rafael Nadel in the opening round of the Davis Cup today? 

Sam is 21 years old and hails from California.  He is one of the tallest players on the ATP Tour at 6'6".  Sam started playing tennis at the age of four.  He turned pro in 2006, loves playing basketball, tennis and golf.

Currently ranked 39th in the world, he has had a great run this year.  He won the Las Vegas event, was a semi-finalist in Delray Beach and here at the Indianapolis Tennis Championships.  He first played in Indy in 2006 where he reached the round of 32.  In 2007, he was a semi-finalist losing to eventual champion, Dmitry Tursunov.

Good luck today Sam!

Men's professional tennis has now hit the big time with the release of the 2009 ATP World Tour 2009 Calendar.  Even if you aren't a fan of these type of things, you have to admit that it is good publicity for men''s tennis. 

2007 Indianapolis Tennis Champion, Dmitry Tursunov is one of the players showcased.  Also within the calendar pages are Paradorn Srichaphan, another Indy Tennis favorite as is Tommy Hass.  The number one doubles team in the world, Mike and Bob Bryan represent the United States. 

Each region of the world is represented and in total players from 12 countries are showcased.  To check out the calendar, 2009 ATP World Calendar.

My hats off to the ATP for showcasing some of the lesser known players and a different 'side' to men's professional tennis

    The reigning US Open Doubles Champs and current World #1 Doubles team will have a slightly different look two days from now as Bob Bryan will sit out this weekend's Davis Cup tie with Spain due to a shoulder injury. US Open quarterfinalist and all-around awesome guy Mardy Fish will step in in Bob's absence. Mardy was not on the original U.S. team, but has been serving as a hitting partner with the singles players.

    When reached for comment, Mike Bryan was quoted as saying " It'll be nice playing with Mardy for a change. I mean, sure, I love Bob and everything, but we're around each other like 20 hours a day or something. We live together, too."
Mardy Fish offered the following regarding the new pairing: " Yeah....which one are you again?Oh, right, Mike! Gotta remember that. Mike, Mike, Mike."

    This weekend's tilt will be a challenge for Team USA, already working Sam Querrey into the mix after James Blake withdrew from the competition. USA faces off with Spain in Madrid, on clay, and featuring a young upstart named Rafael Nadal. This weekend's contest, along with Argentina vs. Russia should provide us Racquetheads with some outstanding professional tennis matches.
    
    Complete information regarding both Davis Cup Semis available here

As the summer tennis leagues come to an end and the fall leagues get started. Check out these tennis tips to improve your game. I welcome anyone to provide there own tips as we all could use some every now and then. Best of luck!

Over the weekend, Gilles Simon, beat Carlos Moya 6-3, 6-4 to take the BCR Open Romania title.  What is significant about Simon's victory?  Well, Gilles is the reigning Indianapolis Tennis Championships Presented by Lilly champion and has significantly boosted his chances of qualifying for the Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai event.

Simon was virtually unknown when he arrived in Indianapolis.  He was Indy's number two seed but to be honest, I even had no idea who he was.  Since his victory in Indy's men's professional tennis tournament, Simon has had an impressive run.  The 23 year old went on to defeat Roger Federer in Toronto and advanced to the semi-finals.  This has undoubtably been his best year - with three titles so far. 

Simon moved up three spots and is now number 12 in the ATP race.  Gilles has played more tournaments than the 11 players ranked ahead of him.  There are two Masters Series event left before Shanghai so let's cheer for Indy Tennis Championships' Gilles Simon! 

Now that the US Open is finished, all tennis eyes will focus on the upcoming Davis Cup matches.  The Davis Cup is to men's professional tennis what the Ryder Cup is to golf.  The only exception being that the Davis Cup goes on all year long.

Blake is physically and mentally exhausted from the summer.  He played a full schedule (including participating at the Indianapolis Tennis Championships), the Olympics and the US Open.  Blake's replacement is Sam Querrey, another Indy Tennis favorite. 

Querrey has practiced with the US Davis Cup team and has had a strong showing on clay.  He was a quarterfinalists in Monte Carlo (clay) and reached the round of 16 at the US Open.  The American's will face a strong team from Spain on outdoor clay September 16-21 in Madrid. 

Our man Sam Querrey will make his debut for the U.S. Davis Cup team against Spain next week, replacing James Blake, who had played in every Davis Cup tie for the United States since 2005 and helped the team to its first title in 12 years last December. US Davis Cup Captain, Patrick McEnroe, said James was tired and mentally exhausted from the season and needed a break, so they met his request and replaced him with Querrey.

What an awesome opportunity for Querrey, first he got to represent the US at the Olympics and now for the Davis Cup Team.

Querrey is having a breakthrough season in just his second full year as a pro.  He won his first ATP title in March and defeated then No. 9 Richard Gasquet and former French Open champion Carlos Moya on red clay en route to the quarterfinals in Monte Carlo.  This summer, Querrey made his Olympic debut in Beijing and had his best finish at a major, reaching the Round of 16 at the US Open. 

Querrey will be  the first rookie on the U.S. team since Robby Ginepri made his debut in the 2004 First Round.  Congrats Sam!

Not much to comment on this morning, so have at it! Leave your caption in the comment section below. I'll even get it started for you.



"Santoro warned me about this"
"See, man..I told you I could use the force!"
"Dude, are you seeing this? It's like a little, tiny sun just floating there...aww, man I'm freaking out." 

...well guess what? you were wrong.

    I'm supposed to win every slam, every year..right? Well, I didn't. Apparently there ARE other talented players out there who, on occasion, win tournaments.
Does that make me old, irrelevant..finished?

    Apparently the throngs of tennisfolk that were waiting to pen my eulogy will have to wait a little longer. I'm not done yet. And I won't be for awhile.

    Yeah, Australia was a letdown...try going to work with Mono sometime.I've had better times, but I did it anyway.

    Roland Garros was disappointing, but I was good enough to make the final. Rafa's pretty good on dirt, if you haven't noticed.

    Remember that Wimbledon final? Greatest match ever? I played in it.That could have gone either way on any given day, but that day was Rafa's....

    
    But I'm the King of New York. Have been for five straight years.Traffic stops when I cross the street and even Donald Trump asks for my autograph. It's an A-List affair anytime I step into Arthur Ashe Stadium. Quick..think of a celebrity..yeah, they've seen me play. They may not have paid for the ticket, but they weren't asked to attend either.

I'm probably not done yet this year. Madrid, Paris, Shanghai? It's on.

 

The Olympus US Open Series bus made its final stop of the year at the US Open in Fleshing Meadows, N.Y. Congratulations to Rafael Nadal for becoming the 2008 Olympus US Open Series Champion. It wasn’t long ago that the Olympus US Open Series kicked off in Indianapolis when the Olympus bus made its first official stop at the 2008 Indianapolis Tennis Championships Presented by Lilly July 14 – 20. Just a few months back Gilles Simon captured the Indy crown and went on to defeat then ranked #1 in the world Roger Federer a  week later.Hats off to all the athletes who competed in this year’s US Open Series and I look forward to catching you at the 2009 Indianapolis Tennis Championships Presented by Lilly which will take place July 18 – 26.

I know I should be writing about men's tennis and the Indianapolis Tennis Championships but I feel I should devote some space to Serena Williams.  It seems you either love her or hate her.  How can any sports fan or general fan not be able to applaud her performance at the US Open?

After five years and one month, Serena is now the number 1 ranked women's professional tennis player in the world.  She beat Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 7-5 to take the US Open crown.  What an achievement.  Not only did she win a major, the major tennis tournament in the world but she moved into the number 1 ranking.

She has gone the longest period between the top ranking by any player since the early 70s.  I don't care if you aren't a tennis fan, you have to applaud her unbelievable effort and perservance to comeback and take the US Open crown and ascend to the #1 ranking.

Go Serena!!!

Since I'm still in the dumps about my recent US Open picks, I not going to recount last night's tennis match.  Roddick was not mentally prepared.  Hats off to the Williams sisters, though.  That has to be a tough stage to be playing your sister on the national stage for a semi-final spot at the US Open.  The greatest tennis event in the world!

I want to grip about the Indianapolis Star's coverage of the US Open.  I am a faithful reading of the Sports page every morning before work.  This morning, I was excited to read about last night's mens tennis match, todays matches and other general comments from the US Open.  Yes, the largest standalone sporting event in the world!  I expected the Colts to get the front page and the US Open to be on the inside of the front page.

I read through the Colts, high school football, NFL, baseball, transactions/AP info and then finally found the US Open information.  How can this huge event on the sports calendar be regulated to the back page - especially when the Indianapolis Tennis Championships feeds into the US Open.  There is a men's professional tennis tournament in Indianapolis - there are fans of tennis in Indianapolis.  How can the US Open, generating $200 million in revenue, be slammed to the bag page?

In further investigation, I decided to check out www.indystar.com for the lastest US Open news.  After much searching, I found a blurb about US Open highlights under the National News section-at the bottom and fifth on the list.  It even appears after a story about Marion Jones being released from prison early.  Game, Set and Match - how can tennis compete with a convict being released from prison early.