USTA Nationals Entry Deadline Thursday; Keys Beats Serena; Lertcheewakarn, Capra Features
Thursday, July 16th at noon EDT is the deadline for entering the USTA National Championships. Every year it seems there is a player or two who would have been selected if only he or she had entered. But because they "forgot" to enter, they must ask for a wild card, and the USTA rarely awards them for that circumstance. If you want to play the Nationals, enter, via the TennisLink site. Now.
It's hard to know what to make of Madison Keys's 5-1 women's singles win over Serena Williams last night, when the Philadelphia Freedoms lost to the Wimbledon champion's Washington Kastles 19-18 in overtime. The Philadelphia papers didn't make much of it; the stories filed were about Serena, but there was no reporting on the actual competition between Keys and Williams. Tennis Week did cover it, although there's nothing in this story to indicate the writer was at the match.
There has been nothing like the aftermath of Laura Robson's 2008 girls Wimbledon title for 2009 champion Noppawan Lertcheewakarn of Thailand, at least not in the English-speaking press, but she is getting some attention for her singles and doubles titles at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. The Bangkok Post isn't too happy with the lack of financial support for the country's biggest junior tennis star. (You can also learn her favorite fruit in this story, a question I've never thought to ask in my interviews.) Her shopping habits are also thoroughly explored in this definitely non-tennis feature from The Nation. Chuck Kriese, who retired last year after 33 years as head coach of men's tennis at Clemson, took a player development position with the Thai federation, and he accompanied Lertcheewakarn to Wimbledon. She has spoken highly of his influence on her game, and James Beck, writing for the Charleston Post-Courier, filed this story on Kriese's life in Thailand and on what it meant to him to escort a Wimbledon champion to the ball.
For some reason the girls Wimbledon final is not available on nbc.com, but Sunday's boys final between Andrey Kuznetsov and Jordan Cox was recorded, and is available to watch on the website, in the July 5 archive. Unlike the Devin Britton - Alex Domijan quarterfinal, this one has commentary.
The Baltimore Sun spoke with Beatrice Capra about her recent success in the junior Grand Slams and with her mother about the college decision in this story. The Wimbledon match referred to in the story was not her second round win over Curovic but her first round encounter with An-Sophie Mestach of Belgium.
11 comments:
Following on from yesterdays comment - The USTA should be very concerned about the weak field in the Clay Courts. It seems that the USTA ppm ranking system especially in the 18's is becoming increasingly marginalized in favor or the Tennis Recruiting head to head class rankings. Head to head has obvious advantage one of which is not that it encourages kids to play a lot of matches. It seems like the draws in the upper age group USTA tournaments are becoming weaker and weaker. This is something the USTA needs to deal with in my view.
The Clay Courts National in Delray Beach is the worst run tourney in the country the last few years. After last year I vowed never to return. When it was in Rockville, MD, it is one of the best run tourneys anywhere, a true class act. My $0.02.
That comments need to be approved is a joke, why protect the USTA if they're doing a lousy job on some things? I've written 4 fact based responses in the last two months and not one has gotten through, this makes five!
But how can anyone reply to your particular comments if you keep using the "anonymous" option? How do I know which "anonymous" comments you are referring to?
It has been over 18 months since I decided not to allow comments from those using the "anonymous" button. It has nothing to do with protecting the USTA, it is a means of keeping track of who is saying what so that a dialogue can take place.
Simply use ANY name under that comment option (URL not necessary) and your opinion will be posted
Impressive victory for Tennys Sandgren over Steve Johnson yesterday. If he joins his brother at Tennessee for the second semester, they will definitely be a top 4 team with a potential lineup of...
1. JP Smith
2. Conkic
3. Rhyne Williams
4. Tennys Sangren
5. Fago
6. Davey Sandgren
OK, has WTT become like the Harlem Globetrotters vs the Washington Generals? First, Venus loses to Sloane Stephens, and now Serena gets waxed by Madison Keys? If I was a paying customer watching this (admittedly I was not there) I would be demanding a refund. Why should anyone pay good $$ to see the Williams sisters laying down either to total indifference, or some warped agreement with the USTA to give these young up and comers a confidence boost? I admit, I am not sure how "serious" the WTT league is, so perhaps nobody else sees anything fishy here?
justthefacts,
I made a comment about this the other day after our family had watched Venus throw her match. We are a family proud of its African American heritage and I am thrilled that my girls can see more and more players on tour who share a similar heritage. But I am disgusted when things like this happen. How can I teach my girls anything when their heroes are so happy to be frauds? Im also really sorry to say that this would not have happened had Venus or Serena been playing Burdette. People in the crowd knew it as well and it wasn't nice hearing what they had to say.
Also this does nothing to prove wrong all the claims that Venus and Serena throw matches against each other. I do love what they have done for our community but I hate the way they abuse the game we love and think that theyre above the rules.
Thomas, I had read your previous post, as well as this one, and agree with you 100%. The Keys victory is now all over the web on the sports pages, and to the non-tennis people out there it seems as it appears.."14 year old beats Serena". I see nothing beneficial out of this. There are so many things I admire about the Williams sisters! Obviously, the tennis ability, but also how they are so very well rounded as individuals outside of tennis. Richard Williams (and Oracene) deserve a tremendous amount of credit for this. However I also find myself disgusted that they DO NOT give 100% effort EVERYTIME they step inside the lines. This cheats fans, other players, and also themselves.
What i am sick of seeing in articles and hearing from people, is the race card being played. I find it hard to believe that Stephens and Keys honestly won the matches far. If you did put in Burdette, yes the outcome would have been different. The USTA needs to draw attention on the athletes and not the color. I donot think for one minute either girls thouhgt they actually won. The USTA needs to look at talent not color(i do think they have some talent). I am sick of the race card being shoved in my face. Look at Donald Young.
usta ranking mean nothing. it is all about kalazmazoo and ITF's now. that is where real players play. not usta national opens and sectionals, even supernationals, the exception being the ZOO.
Yep, and in my opinion its why we arent ranked high in the pros. Soft and coddled. Im just sick of seeing this greatly talented juniors bust on tour because they dont know how to win and adjust when faced with obstacles. Its happened too many times this decade.
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