Tennis/tour news

[Alya10]

ATP Multi-Million 'Feel It' Campaign Launched
© ATP

The ATP, governing body of the men’s professional tennis circuit, today unveiled its new advertising campaign - ‘FEEL IT’. The multi million dollar campaign, featuring ATP stars including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick, Andy Murray and James Blake, will showcase the sport’s core values as a one on one gladiatorial battle, full of intensity and passion. Developed following extensive consumer research, ‘FEEL IT’ will pre-launch at the prestigious BNP Paribas Masters tournament in Paris before rolling out globally throughout 2008.

Created as a flexible and adaptable central resource that can be utilised in any of the ATP’s 63 tournament markets globally, the campaign has been specifically designed to include any player featured on the ATP Tour. The campaign has developed a full suite of above and below the line executions including TV spots, billboards, online banners, virals, merchandise, fan giveaways and PR stunts. Created by Canadian agency TAXI 2, the multi-media campaign uses wild animals, fire and waves as well as special effects to produce spectacular visuals and video footage that emphasises the power and intensity of the ATP Tour.

Photo Gallery of FEEL IT Campaign
www.atptennis.com/en/players/gallery/?Event=feelit

“Anyone who has sat a few yards away when a player like Andy Roddick or Roger Federer serves a tennis ball knows there are few sports that can rival men’s tennis for sheer excitement, intensity and power,” said Phil Anderton, ATP Chief Marketing Officer. “‘FEEL IT’ is a new global campaign designed to help our 63 tournaments use the raw excitement of our sport to connect with fans and encourage them to experience the unique sensation of live men’s tennis.”

Roger Federer, World No.1, who features in a creative showing past champions of the men’s game, said: “I think ‘FEEL IT’ is a very good idea and I like the legends aspect with all the other great players on my photo. It makes me proud as I'm not only playing against the current players but also against history. The ‘FEEL IT’ campaign looks good and we need something like this as there are a lot of new players coming up as well as players that are well established. I think it's great to try it as a test at the BNP Paribas Masters tournament in Paris.”

World No. 17 Andy Murray said: “I think ‘FEEL IT’ is a really good idea. Sometimes when you watch tennis on TV you don't understand the intensity that the players are playing with. This kind of campaign can really show that to the fans. I like the flames coming out of my racket. I like to think that when I hit the ball, there's a bit of fire coming off my racket!”

Argentina’s David Nalbandian, who features in one of the special effects virals, agreed: “’FEEL IT’ is a very good idea. It shows fans what we all feel for the sport and anything that can help the sport of tennis, whether it's through the ATP or the players, to attract more fans is excellent. The video showing me smash a giant racket into a bench is very funny.”

The ‘FEEL IT’ campaign will pre-launch in Paris at the prestigious BNP Paribas Masters tournament, featuring the world’s top 48 men’s players. The next two weeks will see a full execution of the campaign across Paris including city wide billboards, bus backs, player based stunts, unique merchandise, and TV spots for rights holding broadcasters.

Jean-Francois Caujolle, BNP Paribas Masters Tournament Director welcomed the ‘FEEL IT’ campaign’s role in promoting the prestigious Paris event: “‘FEEL IT’ is a central part of our promotional and marketing plan for the 2007 tournament. With a wide selection of executions in use across the city the campaign has already made a huge impact and is set to turn Paris into the home of men’s tennis next week.”

The ‘FEEL IT’ campaign is one part of a wider marketing initiative to support the wide-ranging changes being undertaken by the ATP. A new world wide calendar structure will launch in 2009, as the ATP undergoes its largest set of changes since its creation in 1990. As well as new tournaments, investment into facilities of over $800m and a record breaking level of prize money, the ATP will also introduce a new brand look and identity based on extensive consumer research and designed to make the Tour more fan friendly.

A number of ATP Tournaments are already interested in running the ‘FEEL IT’ campaign in 2008, with the prestigious Rogers Cup, a Masters Series event, among them. Michael Downey, Chief Executive of Tennis Canada said: ‘We can't wait to use ‘FEEL IT’ across all communication vehicles for our Rogers Cup in Toronto. The "FEEL IT’ campaign is a sports industry best practice. The ATP has created a world class, consumer tested campaign with built in flexibility to meet the different needs of their large tournament base."

[jenhatter06]

ATP head de Villiers would kick out match fixers, give drug cheats 2nd chance

By ROBERT MILLWARD, AP Sports Writer
November 1, 2007

LONDON (AP) -- The head of men's tennis would ban players for life if they are caught match-fixing, but would give a second chance to players who had doped.

ATP president Etienne de Villiers told a sports business conference in London on Thursday that tennis was being threatened by match fixing and gambling syndicates.

"It's definitely a threat and we take it very, very seriously, and the more you can do to tackle it the better it will be," he said.

The threat of match-fixing in tennis emerged in Poland in August. The online gambling company Betfair voided bets when fourth-ranked Nikolay Davydenko withdrew against 87th-ranked Martin Vassallo Arguello in the third set, citing a foot injury. Unusually large amounts were wagered on the lowly ranked Argentine throughout the match, even after he lost the first set 6-1. The ATP is investigating the match.

Since then, players have said they have been approached about influencing a match. Last month, Belgian player Gilles Elseneer said he was offered -- and turned down -- more than $100,000 to lose a first-round match against Potito Starace of Italy at Wimbledon in 2005. Arnaud Clement of France said on Monday he turned down money, although didn't elaborate.

De Villiers said that tennis players who are caught doping should be allowed back after serving their punishment.

"I would draw the distinction with doping," he said. "We have taken the view that also society takes, that you are allowed to make a mistake, you will serve your punishment, but come back into society. The punishment should fit the crime."

There would be no second chances for players who fix matches.

"Where it comes down to match-fixing we are categoric. There is no excuse for that," he said. "You are undermining the integrity of the sport, you are destroying a level playing field. As far as we are concerned in tennis, if they are involved in match fixing they will be thrown out."

The gathering of sports officials and business leaders also heard outgoing World Anti-Doping Agency chief Dick Pound say that some sports were making progress, but others were too slow to keep up with the drug cheats.

"We are dealing with 21st century problems with 19th century organizations," he said. "Out there with many Olympic federations the primary concern of international federation presidents is to be re-elected, not necessarily doing anything. If you want to do something like tackling doping it's a very complicated deal and I find that most of them don't have the stomach for the fight."

Pound said that cycling, and particularly the Tour de France, was paying the price for years of avoiding the problem.

"They have let the situation get out of control. The third tour in a row is a disaster and finally they get it," he said. "TV stations aren't covering it and sponsors are bailing out by the dozen. All of a sudden we are looking into an abyss here."

sports.yahoo.com/ten/news?slug=ap-atp-matchfixing&prov=ap&type=lgns

[davis]

Some interesting trivia:

The longest women's match

6 hrs, 31 min, Vicki Nelson-Dunbar def. Jean Hepner 64 76(11); in 1984 Ginny of Richmond. Just to make it clear: 2 (two) sets...!
The tie-break alone took one hour and 47 minutes. One point of the tie-break lasted 29 minutes, during which the ball crossed the net 643 times!!!!

[Dina]

unbelievable! by the way, today was a day off for me, didn't go to the hospital, so I enjoyed the final btw Justine and Masha: just incredible tennis! it lasted more than 3hrs(don't have the exact time!)
Masha struggled phisically at the end, the both really deserved! well done Jus!

[jenhatter06]

kinda amusing

Players Graduate from ATP University

Many of tennis' brightest young stars, including Gael Monfils, Benjamin Becker and Sam Querrey, can now call themselves graduates of ATP University following the conclusion of the three-day session held at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. A total of 36 players attended ATP University, held from November 27-30.

Administered by the ATP's Player Relations department, the ATP University featured classroom presentations made by ATP staff members and outside experts specializing in the fields of communications, finance, and medicine. The workshop covered topics including the history of the ATP, how to control personal finances, and the importance of the media and promoting the sport.

The players, who also had the opportunity to explore the Magic Kingdom after class, had high praise for ATP University.

Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga lauded it as "a great opportunity to learn a lot of things," and Croat Marin Cilic agreed, saying: "The ATP is introducing new stuff to us, including media, rules and regulations, anti-corruption...We had a lot of questions and the ATP explained to us how it's going and now we're better informed about that. I also had doubts about some things and now most of them are quite clear."

While many players pinpointed media training as their favorite session, Dutchman Robin Haase said: "The financial session for me was really important because I live in a country where I pay a lot of taxes, so that was really interesting and a lot of help. It's good to be here. It's educational and it's fun also with all the other tennis players here to have the feeling that we're doing it together."

"It's been great," said American Sam Querrey. "Really fun, really educational, it's nice to see these guy, the hotel's nice, the weather's nice. No complaints."

2007 ATP University Graduate List
Pablo Andujar (ESP)
James Auckland (GBR)
Benjamin Becker (GER)
Carlos Berlocq (ARG)
Alex Bogdanovic (GBR)
Ilia Bozoljac (SRB)
Eric Butorac (USA)
Paul Capdeville (CHI)
Marin Cilic (CRO)
Tobias Clemens (GER)
Brian Dabul (ARG)
Benedikt Dorsch (GER)
Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP)
Marcel Granollers-Pujol (ESP)
Ernests Gulbis (LAT)
Robin Haase (NED)
Ross Hutchins (GBR)
Evgeny Korolev (RUS)
Alex Kuznetsov (USA)
Jesse Levine (USA)
Scott Lipsky (USA)
David Martin (USA)
Michael McClune (USA)
Marcelo Melo (BRA)
Gael Monfils (FRA)
Mathieu Montcourt (FRA)
Jamie Murray (GBR)
Kei Nishikori (JPN)
Wayne Odesnik (USA)
Sam Querrey (USA)
Gilles Simon (FRA)
Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR)
Marcio Torres (BRA)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)
Sam Warburg (USA)
Jesse Witten (USA)

A fundamental concept of the ATP is that the players have an integral role in the direction, image and destiny of the men's game. In 1990 the ATP Player Council recognized that for the long-term growth of the game, it was essential to educate young players as they came onto the circuit. The ATP University is designed to make players more responsible tennis professionals.

Recognizing the long-term benefit to the players, the ATP and to the game, the ATP is firmly committed to the University program. All Division 1 ATP player members must pass through the University.

[jenhatter06]

and Paradorn got married

Srichaphan Marries Former Miss Universe in Bangkok





Paradorn Srichaphan and Natalie Glebova, a former Miss Universe, married in a private ceremony surrounded by honor guards on Thursday. The reception was held later in the day in the Grand Ballroom of the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand.

The newly weds have no immediate plans to go on their honeymoon, as they are going to spend the next few weeks with family and friends.

When asked about children, 26-year-old Natalie said: “It is up to fate, but hopefully in the next few years.”

They auctioned off replica commemorative dolls of themselves to raise money for charities that work with people who are HIV positive.

The pair danced their first dance to Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do, I Do It For You".

ATP players Danai Udomchoke and Sonchat and Sanchai Ratiwatana were also in attendance, as well as many Thai dignitaries and celebrities.

Srichaphan missed the last seven months of the 2007 season due to a right wrist injury. The 28-year-old went 1-5 in ATP play, with his last tournament coming at ATP Masters Series Miami in late March. ATP Profile

His Russian Canadian wife was crowned Miss Universe in 2005, and is an ambassador for many international companies.

The pair first met at the Thailand Open in September 2006 and announced their engagement in April this year.

[annie]

McEnroe fears mafia infiltrating tennis
sports.yahoo.com/ten/news?slug=afp-mafiatennisrususamcenroefixing&prov=afp&type=lgns

AFP
December 7, 2007
LONDON (AFP) - US tennis legend John McEnroe expressed his concern on Friday that organised crime, such as the Russian mafia, could be infiltrating tennis.

The former world number one believes that threats to tennis players or their families could be forcing them into throwing matches.

"The thing that worries me is that mafia types, like the Russian mafia, could be involved. That's potentially pretty dark and scary," McEnroe told The Daily Telegraph.

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"I think that's the side that people aren't really looking at with these match-fixing stories. Someone may have threatened the players, and they are put in a situation. I'm guessing that could happen. That would make more sense to me than top players throwing a match for money.

"Throwing a match for money would be stupid, as you would be risking losing what you've worked for your whole life. It seems crazy that players would take that risk for money. It would make more sense that they've been threatened in some way and that's why they're doing it."

Russian Nikolay Davydenko, the world number four, is being investigated by the ATP after a defeat in Poland in August while Italian Alessio di Mauro was suspended for nine months for betting on matches and Philipp Kohlschreiber has had to defend himself of accusations of match-fixing in the German press.

"With a high-ranked guy like Davydenko, he's making so much money to begin with that he'd be risking so much by doing it, as if you get caught you should be banned for life," McEnroe said.

"But it's pretty tough to prove that someone has thrown a match unless you're tapping the guy's phone or something."

But some of the lower-ranked players in men's tennis could be tempted by bribe money, McEnroe said.

"I think this issue has to be closely looked at, because it's very conceivable that it's happening. There are guys out there who are 100 in the world, 200 in the world, and they're making 50,000 pounds a year.

"And if someone says that they'll give you 50,000 pounds, so your entire year's money, I think there's a strong possibility that they have taken the money, without a doubt," McEnroe said.

"There is definitely temptation for people. It's becoming more of a drama because there's more money in sports."

[jenhatter06]

a fun little 2007 review A to Z:
www.atptennis.com/1/en/2007news/atoz.asp

2007 Player Highlights: A Look Back from A to Z

A - Andreev: Russian Igor Andreev rebounded from a knee injury last season to improve from No. 90 to No. 33, highlighted by his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Roland Garros.

B - Bryans: Twins Bob and Mike Bryan captured a personal-best 11 titles, the most by a team since the Woodies in 1996, and helped lead the U.S. to the Davis Cup title.

C - Canas: Argentine Guillermo Canas returns to the Top 20 for the first time in three years at No. 15 (from No. 143 in '06), highlighted by back-to-back wins over World No. 1 Roger Federer in Indian Wells and Miami.

D - Djokovic: Serbian Novak Djokovic won 68 matches, improved from No. 16 to No. 3 since last season by winning five ATP titles and reaching first Grand Slam final at the US Open.

E - Eschauer: Austrian Werner Eschauer, at 33, finishes in the Top 100 for the first time in his career (at No. 65) and reaches his first ATP final in Amersfoort.

F - Federer: Swiss superstar Roger Federer finished his fourth straight season as the No. 1 player in the world, and during his four-year reign has compiled a 315-24 match record (.929) with 42 titles. DEUCE: The Last Time... with Roger Federer

G - Gasquet: Frenchman Richard Gasquet finishes in the Top 10 for the first time (at No. 8) with a career-high 49 match wins and advances to his first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon.

H - Hanescu: Romanian Victor Hanescu, who was sidelined most of last season with injuries (falling to No. 643), makes the biggest jump in the Top 100 this year (566 spots) to finish at No. 77, highlighted by his first ATP final in Bucharest.

I - Isner: Big-serving American John Isner made a breakthrough in limited ATP level play, reaching his first final in Washington, highlighted by a non-Grand Slam record 144 aces, and advancing to the third round at the US Open.

J - Johansson: Swede Thomas Johansson finishes in the Top 100 for the 11th time in the past 12 years, reaching an ATP final for the 10th time in the past 11 seasons.

K - Karlovic: Towering Croat Ivo Karlovic captured three ATP titles on as many surfaces and led the ATP circuit in four Ricoh MatchFacts serving categories -- aces (1,318), service games won (94%), first serve points won (84%) and break points saved (75%).

L - Lee: Korean Hyung-Taik Lee posts a career-high 25 match wins and finishes as the No. 1 Asian player for the second consecutive year at No. 51. DEUCE: Lost in Translation

M - Moya: Spaniard Carlos Moya wins his 20th career title along with reaching two Grand Slam quarterfinals (Roland Garros, US Open) and at 31 finishes as the oldest player in the Top 20 (No. 17).

N - Nadal: Mallorca native Rafael Nadal leads the ATP with 70 match wins and becomes the first player to finish No. 2 for three consecutive years in the history of the ATP Rankings (since 1973).

O - Olivier: Belgian No. 1 Olivier Rochus, the shortest player on the ATP circuit at 5'6" (1.67m), finishes in the Top 50 for the third straight year at No. 49 and reaches his sixth final in Mumbai (l. to Gasquet).

P - Pavel: Romanian No. 1 Andrei Pavel, at 33, is part of the oldest ATP singles final of the season as he falls to 30-year-old Carlos Moya in Umag.

Q - Querrey: California native Sam Querrey improved his ranking by 64 spots (from 127 to 63) and advanced to his first ATP semifinal in Indiainapolis, firing a record 10 aces in a row in his three-sets quarterfinal win over James Blake.

R - Roddick: Top American Andy Roddick led the U.S. to its first Davis Cup title since 1995 by compiling a 54-16 record in singles during the season.

S - Starace: Italian No. 1 Potito Starace finishes in the Top 50 for the first time at a year-end best No. 31 and advances to his first ATP finals in Valencia and Kitzbuhel.

T - Tsonga: Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, after two injury-plagued seasons, finishes in the Top 50 at No. 43 highlighted by a 4th RD showing at Wimbledon and semifinal in Lyon.

U - Udomchoke: Thai native Danai Udomchoke finishes as his country's top player for the first time at No. 159 after former Top 10 Paradorn Srichaphan is sidelined most of the year with a wrist injury.

V - Verdasco: Spaniard Fernando Verdasco finishes in the Top 30 for the first time at No. 26 and wins 34 matches, the fourth straight season over 30 match victories.

W - Wawrinka: Swiss No. 2 Stanislas Wawrinka, who is sidelined for three months with a knee injury, returns to reach two ATP finals (Stuttgart, Vienna) and finishes in the Top 50 (at No. 36) for the second straight year.

X - Xavier: Belgian Xavier Malisse captured singles and doubles titles in Chennai and Delray Beach in the first six weeks of action but suffered a wrist injury, sidelining him most of the season.

Y - Young: American teenager Donald Young finished as the youngest player (18 years, 5 months) in the Top 100 by reaching four Challenger finals after the US Open.

Z - Zimonjic: Serbian Nenad Zimonjic captured a career-high five ATP doubles titles, finished a year-end best No. 5 and helped his country into the 2008 Davis Cup World Group.

[davis]

For all Peter Bodo-fans/-haters

Gapped closed on Fed in 2007
by: Peter Bodo

Well, it's official; there's nothing left to look forward to in pro tennis until the start of the new year. The good news is that the new year is less than a month away, and your loved ones would kill you if being glued to the tube, watching tennis, kept you from decorating the Christmas tree or getting your holiday shopping done.
We do have time, though, to review 2007. We'll look at the men today, and the women on Monday. The main story of the year has that "Groundhog Day" feel, because it's the same as the main story in 2006: Roger Federer dominates, winning every Grand Slam but the French Open. But unlike last year, when the subplots were thin (Can Roger win on clay?), in 2007 the story became a little more complex and compelling.

First off, "Can Roger win on clay?" morphed into, "Can Rafa (Rafael Nadal) win at Wimbledon?" That's a big difference, and a tribute to the strides Nadal made on surfaces other than clay in '07. That subplot came perilously close to becoming the main story-line, too, as Nadal pushed Federer to the limit in a five-set Wimbledon final for the ages.

Those who despair of Federer's domination of the men's game seem to forget that in early July, we were a point or two away from all hail breaking loose in the form of a Nadal victory at Wimbledon. So the Wimbledon final ranks as both the highlight of 2007 -- and the anti-turning point that kept the year from having more plot twists than a Robert Ludlum book.

Another subplot that captured the imagination was the emergence of Novak Djokovic as a guy who walks the walk; the callow, sometimes outspoken Serbian with the chia pet hair and sweetest service motion in the game matured in '07, positioning himself as a contender at the majors next year. Like Nadal, Djokovic closed the gap on Federer this year. It's funny, but which is a more seismic headline: "Djokovic Beats Federer in U.S. Open Final" or "Djokovic Wins U.S. Open?"

You see what the guy's up against …

Some of the subplots we anticipated this year went nowhere: Richard Gasquet once again did a brief impersonation of a Grand Slam contender. David Nalbandian, written out of the script for most of the year, stole some of the late scenes with big wins over big players in big events in the fall. David Ferrer suddenly appeared on the radar. (It wouldn't be pro tennis if there weren't at least one Spanish guy in the top 10 whom even serious fans couldn't pick out of a police lineup.)

Fernando Gonzalez got to the Australian Open final in January, then spent the rest of the year convincing us that it was all some kind of big, terrible mistake. Andy Murray kept getting hurt, and Marat Safin allegedly showed up in Canada and applied for asylum (he's a conscientious objector against playing tennis). Nikolay Davydenko finally found a way to fling off the mantle of obscurity, although not in a good way.

Andy Roddick? Well, he won the Davis Cup for the U.S. (with help from the Bryan brothers and James Blake), so he couldn't care less about Federer, Nadal or Djokovic. Not until January, anyway.

[davis]

Apparently this is going to be the next Roger (class of 2012 or so...):




www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22891954-11088,00.html (PLZ copy and paste the whole link)

Let's see if Bernard Tomic survives the hype and his Dad's pressure...

[davis]

www.tennis.com

A marriage license for Radek Stepanek and Nicole Vaidisova has been filed in Manatee County in Florida, reports the Bradenton Herald.

OMFG if that's really true Beauty and the beast... ;D

[annie]

Pfffffftttt!!! LMAO

[davis]

Across The Net 12.31.07: 2008 Men’s Tennis Preview
Posted by Dan Martin on 12.31.2007

A New Tennis Season Starts Next Week. I Look at 5 Potential Stories for 2008. Who is the Best Two Time Grand Slam Winner? Also, Roger Federer’s 10 Biggest Accomplishments in 2007.

Looking into the Crystal Ball for 5 Big Storylines for 2008

1. The New Surface in Australia Will Lead to Strange Results
The early word is that the surface may be slower than the Rebound Ace used down under for 20 years. A faster or slower court certainly tilts the odds of victory in various directions. Australia is a nation that has traditionally produced aggressive net attacking players, but for 20 years has used a slow hard court surface. I had hoped, especially with Wimbledon playing so slow, that a faster court would be an interesting development for tennis that would see more players work their way toward the net to finish points. The days of straight serve and volley tennis may be dead, but net play is still a good thing. A slow court in Oz may be all Rafael Nadal or David Nalbandian needs to unseat Roger Federer.

2. David Nalbandian will Challenge for a Major Prize.
Nalbandian has always had a lot of success vs. Roger Federer. He also whipped Nadal twice in fall 2007. Nalbandian may even have a chance at beating Nadal on clay. Certainly fitness has been a question mark for Nalbandian, but the last man to win Madrid and Paris back to back to close a year was Marat Safin in 2004. The big Russian built on that momentum by taking the 2005 Australian Open crown. No one can guarantee a Grand Slam victory, but Nalbandian has the game to contend at all 4 majors if his motivation and fitness are strong.

3. Richard Gasquet, Marcos Baghdatis and Andy Murray Face Big Years.
Thomas Berdych has never made the move many saw in his future when he beat Federer at the 2004 Olympics. It is not quite make or break for Gasquet, Baghdatis or Murray, but each man has struggled with health, consistency and toughness over the past 24 months. With a younger generation always entering the tour, these three promising players have to show they have the goods sooner rather than later.

4. Novak Djokovic Faces a Sophomore Slump.
Djokovic to me is an incredible talent. He has a game that can be effective on all surfaces. Djokovic looked impressive throughout 2007 nearly matching Federer and Nadal stride for stride until he hit October. At that point Djokovic started to look tired. At the Masters Cup, Nadal, David Ferrer and Richard Gasquet all destroyed Djokovic even though surfaces should have favored the Serbian. Everyone on tour has seen Djokovic play now and a book exists on how to play against him. This is an obstacle every elite player must face. If Djokovic can shake off his poor play from the Fall, then his game should grow as he faces the book on playing him and learns how to deflect that strategy. If Djokovic becomes Safin II, all bets are off.

5. Federer will Finish 2008 #1 but May Not Run the Table Every Week.
Roger Federer should still be able to pile up points during each phase of the nearly 11 month tennis season to finish the year #1. He is tennis' most complete player ever and that obviously includes the present season. If Federer stays healthy, he should be #1 when the dust settles in 2008. Nadal, Djokovic and maybe David Nalbandian have enough computer points from 2007 accumulated to claim the #1 ranking over a 52 week period. Roger Federer has held the #1 ranking for 204 consecutive weeks. That streak stands a 50-50 chances of being broken in 2008, but if Nadal does not claim #1 after an Australian Open win, Federer should continue his consecutive weeks mark at least through early July 2008.


Two Time Slam Winner Rankings for the Open Era

Some players are branded with the title "one slam wonder." Among the single slam winners one finds long shots such as Thomas Johansson and Gaston Gaudio as well as accomplished players such as Michael Chang and Thomas Muster. Some one slam winners rank ahead of two slam winners in my historical lists, but two time grand slam winners in general have cleared a hurdle that their one time brethren never did. Here are my rankings of the two slam winners:

1. Lleyton Hewitt – The feisty Aussie is not the most talented on this list, but he has spent 80 weeks at #1, won Wimbledon in 2002 and the U.S. Open in 2001, won the Masters Cup twice and was runner-up at the 2004 U.S. Open and 2005 Australian Open. Hewitt has any number of Grand Slam quarterfinal and semifinal appearances and tournament victories to go along with his consistent excellence between 2000-2004.*

2. Marat Safin – Had (has?) the talent to achieve much more. Safin won both the 2000 U.S. Open and 2005 Australian Open in impressive fashion. Safin was runner-up at the Australian Open in 2002 and 2004. Safin on his game has frustrated Federer, Sampras and Agassi. Too bad he has not been on his game more consistently. Safin reached the French Open quarterfinals in 2000 and the semifinals in 2002. He reached the 2001 Wimbledon quarterfinals and added a U.S. Open semifinal in 2001.*

3. Yevgeny Kafelnikov – The Russian would rank higher if doubles counted, but still he is the only player other than Hewitt to win his two slams on two markedly different surfaces. Kafelnikov won the 1996 French Open title with wins over Sampras and Michael Stich. He won the 1999 Australian Open as well. Kafelnikov thrived down under with a runner-up finish at the 2000 Australian Open, quarterfinal finishes in 1995 and 1996 and a Gold Medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Kafelnikov reached the French Open semifinals in 1995 and quarterfinals in 1997, 2000 and 2001. He reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 1995 and the U.S. Open semifinals in 1999 and 2001.

4. Patrick Rafter – His two U.S. Open victories were impressive especially his 1998 U.S. Open title where he beat Pete Sampras, Goran Ivanesevic, and Mark Philippoussis en route to his title. Rafter finished as the runner-up at Wimbledon in 2000 and 2001. He reached the semifinal round at the 1997 French Open, 1999 Wimbledon Championships and 2001 Australian Open. Rafter has more of a fighting spirit than Kafelnikov or Safin, but his results are slightly more sparse so he is placed fourth.

5. Sergi Bruguera – He launched the Spanish Armada by winning the French Open in 1993 and 1994. These victories ushered in a period of Spanish victories in Paris that continues today (See: Nadal, Rafael). Bruguera was also a French Open runner-up in 1997. He largely avoided Wimbledon despite reaching the 1994 round of 16 and pushing Stich to five sets in a Davis Cup match on grass in Germany in 1994. Bruguera never reached a quarterfinal at a Grand Slam not played on clay. He did win a Silver Medal on a hard court at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

[maryb]

'Has'

[jenhatter06]

how fun this would have been to see ....





Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova play exhibition match in Japan
3/15/2008 8:09:00 AM


TOKYO (AP) -Once again, Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova needed a tiebreaker to settle the score.

Playing ``Dream Match 2008'' before a sellout crowd at Tokyo's Ariake Stadium on Saturday, Graf defeated Navratilova 8-7 after winning a tiebreaker 10-5.

``It was great that it went to a tiebreaker,'' Graf said. ``It was a lot of fun playing Martina again. It brought back so many memories.''

In their first match in 14 years, Graf took a 6-3 lead before Navratilova tied the match at 6-6 and forced a tiebreaker.

``It was almost a surreal experience,'' Navratilova said. ``I felt like we went back in time. People always asked me who the toughest player to play against was and if it wasn't Steffi, I don't know who it was.''

Before retiring, Graf and Navratilova met 18 times and each won nine times. The last time the two greats met was at the 1994 Toray Pan Pacific in Tokyo, which Graf won 6-2, 6-4.

After defeating Navratilova on Saturday, Graf lost to Kimiko Date of Japan 6-2, 6-3. In an earlier match, Date beat Navratilova 8-6.

Date and Graf played a memorable Fed Cup match at the same venue in 1996, when Graf led 5-1 in the first set but Date rallied to win the set and match 7-6 (7), 3-6, 12-10.

``It's so much fun to be back in this stadium,'' Graf said. ``I have so many good memories of playing here and I hope the fans enjoyed today's matches.''

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