TENNISPUNK

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2009-11-22T13:01:00.013-06:00

Buy your TennisPunk t-shirts today! All shirts are $15 each and include shipping!
To order yours send an email to tennispunkclothing@yahoo.com, specify design and size. Once verified, I will email you a PayPal invoice for payment.

All t-shirts are 100% cotton, available in S,M,L,XL.

Hewitt's a Dad Again!

2008-12-16T12:18:00.007-06:00

Congratulations are in order for Lleyton Hewitt. He and his wife Bec, welcomed their 2nd child on December 11th, a boy named Cruz.

Hewitt and his wife already have a three-year-old daughter named Mia.

(Photo via AFP)

Jimmy Connors charged with Misdemeanor

2008-11-27T10:54:00.003-06:00

Jimmy Connors has been charged with a misdemeanor involving an altercation that took place last week before a basketball game between UC Santa Barbara and North Carolina.

Connors was charged Wednesday with disrupting campus activities and refusing to leave a university facility.

An unidentified man tried to pick a fight with Connors and his son before Friday night’s game and police asked him to leave. Jimmy was arrested after he said he wanted to wait for his son to finish watching the game.

Connors is “extremely disappointed and embarrassed” about the incident, his business manager says.

Jimmy Connors Arrested!

2008-11-22T16:24:00.008-06:00

BREAKING NEWS

Eight-time Grand Slam champ Jimmy Connors was arrested and taken into custody Friday outside the UC Santa Barbara campus after refusing to comply with an order to leave an area following a confrontation.

Complete story here.

Buzz on the Courts - Week Ending 11-16-08

2008-11-16T12:15:00.007-06:00

- Novak Djokovic crushed Nikolay Daveydenko 6-1,
7-5 to take Masters Cup singles title.

- Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic defeat the
Bryan Brothers to capture the Masters Cup doubles title and claim the year end #1 ranking.

- Jonas Bjorkman calls it quits after 17 years on tour. Story here.

- Serbia to host ATP event in 2009. Read more.

Kings of Tennis Tournament

2008-11-10T13:02:00.010-06:00

UPDATE: Event has been cancelled!

I know, wrong picture but it's the best I could do.

The “Kings of Tennis” tournament from Nov 14 to 16 is going to be huge and it is definitely on, promises organizer co-chairman Arianna Teoh. “Speculations about the event being cancelled are untrue," she said.

Top players like Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander, Stefan Edberg and Ilie Nastase will represent Europe, while Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Marcelo Rios and Roy Emerson will represent the United States.

The event will also be telecast live to 45 countries and consist of singles and doubles matches.

Count me in. I'll be in front of my TV watching.

Nadal Pulls Out

2008-11-04T07:57:00.002-06:00

Rafael Nadal pulled out of the season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai, citing fatigue and the need to prepare for the Davis Cup final. The world’s top-ranked player made the announcement on his Web site, describing his withdrawal as “one of the most difficult decisions in my career.”

Here's what he said:
“It has been a long and difficult year where I managed to obtain great results, both on a professional and on a personal level,” he said. “I have mentioned on various occasions that the tennis calendar has been extremely hard with practically all weeks playing and where it forces players to compete week in, week out, making it impossible for a top level player to be 100 percent” for each event.

Big Willie Seals the Deal

2008-11-02T10:47:00.011-06:00

I didn't think either one of these guys would end up in the finals, nor did I think the final four would be Tsonga, Davydenko, Blake and Murray - granted injuries occured. Still, it was actually nice to see someone other than the top 4 win a title.

Jo Willie Tsonga defeated David Nalbanian 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the BNP Paribas Masters final. Willie started out on fire, breaking Nalbandian in the first game of set #1 and stayed strong to take the first set.

Jo Willie petered out a bit in the 2nd set, committing 3 times as many errors as Nalbandian and Nalbandian was able to break at 4-5 to take it.

Onto the 3rd we go. Tsonga broke early go up. Nalbandian put up a great fight but was never able to get back in the match. By winning his first Master's shield, Tsonga also earns the final spot in the Tennis Master's Cup in Shaghai. He joins Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, Murray, Davydenko, Roddick and Del Potro.

Federer buys vacation home

2008-10-30T15:31:00.004-05:00

Looks like Roger Federer is putting his $40 some-odd million to good use. He has reportedly bought a vacation home in the eastern canton of Graubünden, wherever that is - Switzerland, I guess.

The home is located near the village of Lenzerheide, south of Chur. Roger also has a condominium in Dubai and in March moved to the town of Wollerau.

Wednesday's Aces

2008-10-29T16:14:00.007-05:00

Nadal, Federer, Nalbandian, Davydenko, Andy Murray, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Gilles Simon and James Blake all posted wins today in Paris.

With his win today over Igor Andreev, Gilles Simon now has one foot in the door of next week’s Masters Cup in Shanghai, while Wawrinka and Ferrer’s losses put them out of the running. Blake and Tsonga need to reach the final here if they are to overtake Simon.

Stanford Championship in Dallas

2008-10-26T14:23:00.013-05:00

Here are some pictures I took at the Stanford Championships in Dallas
this past weekend. If you have the chance to go to one of these, you should. They are smaller venues with small crowds, the players are great and you have plenty of access to get autographs or take pictures with your favorites.

Anna Kournikova was the main draw this weekend. The crowd was fairly small during the 1st match, then near capacity to watch Anna play a set of mixed doubles, yep only one set. She played with Thomas Enquist against some local players no one has ever heard of. After that, everyone left and the crowd was small again for the night matches.

Jim Courier and Thomas Enquist advanced to the finals, each with a 3-0 record.

Buzz on the Courts - Week Ending 10-26-08

2008-10-26T13:57:00.002-05:00

- Roger Federer defeats David Nalbandian to take Basel final.

- Robin Soderling captures 3rd career title beating Julien Benneteau to win Lyon.

- Andy Murray wins St. Petersburg title 2nd year in a row.

Michael Chang Marries

2008-10-22T16:15:00.003-05:00

Hall of Famer Michael Chang and former Stanford standout Amber Liu were married Saturday, Oct. 18 at Lake Hills Community Church in Laguna Hills, California.

The reception and dinner took place at the St. Regis Hotel in Dana Point, California.

Boris Becker Makes Outback Champions Series Debut Today in Dallas

2008-10-22T09:10:00.007-05:00

Three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker will make his debut on the Outback Champions Series tennis circuit at The Stanford Championships, to be played October 22-26 on the campus of SMU in Dallas, Texas. Becker will be competing in his first tournament in the United States since he played in the Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne, Fla., in 1999.

Tickets for the event are available now and can be purchased by calling 877-332-TIXX (8499). Ticket prices start at $12. Full ticket and event information can be found at http://www.championseriestennis.com/.

Agassi and Perry Rogers part ways

2008-10-20T11:11:00.006-05:00

Andre Agassi and his longtime agent-manager Perry Rogers have ended their business relationship effectively immediately.

Rogers, who was president of Agassi Enterprises Inc., had served as agent, manager and lawyer to Andre for the past decade-and-a-half overseeing all business and marketing operations of Agassi Enterprises, Inc.

The split seems amicable and looks to revolve around recent business deals that did not pan out. Mixing business and friendship is certainly hard to do - I hope these two can remain friends.

Read the complete article here.

Murray e-Murr-ges Victorious!

2008-10-19T11:17:00.005-05:00

Andy Murray celebrates winning the Madrid Masters title with a 6-4, 7-6 victory over Gilles Simon. This is Murray's 4th title of 2008 and 2nd Masters shield.

The most exciting part of this tournament was definately the semifinal matches where we saw each player add some much needed depth to the men's game and lay the foundation for an exciting 2009 season.

(Image via Pedro Armestre/AFP/Getty Images)

Who'd a Thunk it? #1 and #2 out of Madrid.

2008-10-18T12:56:00.008-05:00

Murray vs. Simon in Final

I didn't think Andy Murray would pull this one out but he kept his cool and overcame a lop-sided first set to take Federer in 3. Murray won the match 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Looks like Federer is extremely vulnerable these days. That being said, you can't win everything all the time and maybe not being #1 will take some of the pressure off. He's still the man to beat in my opinion.

Possibly the next PHENOM, Gilles Simon played a brilliant 2nd and 3rd set to get past a tired looking Nadal 3-6, 7-5, 7-6. Simon served for the match at 6-5 but was broken by Nadal to send it to the breaker.

Not too many can hang with the "never-say-die" Nadal but Simon did just that. Match point came when Nadal sent a forehand long which was called good, but overruled by Simon's challenge, clinching the victory. Thank God for Shot Spot!

I'm gonna give the final to Murray but it should be an entertaining matchup.
(AFP /Getty Images)

Andy does the Full Monty

2008-10-18T10:40:00.012-05:00

File this one under "I hope it's not true."

Not to be outdone by Raphael Nadal's recent naked butt shot, Andy Roddick joined Elton John at Atlanta's tennis event to fight AIDS (Advanta WTT Smash Hits) and auctioned off what was to be an hour session of private tennis tutoring.

In an attempt to get a higher bid, Andy said he'd take off his shirt during the session. That got the bid up to $11,000! Then, he said he'd do the lesson FULLY nude. That got him a final bid of $15,000 from one female fan.

Seriously, does this give a new meaning to the term "racket and balls."

2008-10-17T06:46:00.008-05:00

Becker, Courier and Martin Headline Outback Champions Series in Dallas

The Stanford Championships come to Dallas October 22-26 on the campus of Southern Methodist University.

Boris Becker leads the field, competing in his first tournament in the United States since 1999. Jim Courier, Wayne Ferreira, Karel Novacek, Todd Martin, Thomas Enqvist, Aaron Krickstein and Jimmy Arias round out the field.

Anna Kournikova will also compete in mixed doubles exhibition matches scheduled for Saturday. Tickets for the event are available now and can be purchased by calling 877-332-TIXX (8499). I'll be there - tickets are cheap.

Boris Becker to build Luxury Resort

2008-10-16T09:20:00.005-05:00

The Boris Becker Beach Resort and Tennis Academy will be built in the United Arab Emirates on the Al Marjan Island. The sprawling 2.5 million square-foot project offers a rare dual ocean-front advantage, with the estate stretching from one end of isle's shore to the next.

This recreational and residential master-development includes premier holiday homes, world class luxury resort and spa facilities, a five star hotel, and a world-class Tennis Academy.

Becker who holds a 50% partnership in the Academy, and part ownership in the rest of the Resort will play a significant role in the design of the Tennis Academy. The world class structure will feature 6 tennis courts with rebound-ace surfaces.

Nadal Drinking Game

2008-10-15T17:16:00.009-05:00

I made up a new drinking game and it’s super simple.

Step 1: Fill a shot glass with your favorite adult beverage. Jack Daniels works good.

Step 2: Drink a shot every time Nadal picks his butt.

Try this tomorrow during the Gasquet match. You’ll be loaded in no time. Bottoms up!

2008-10-14T10:45:00.011-05:00

Grand Slam for Children

Andre Agassi's 13th Annual Grand Slam for Children benefit concert was held at the Wynn casino October 11, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Foundation has focused on serving some of the neediest children in Las Vegas, by building and supporting the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy, the Andre Agassi Boys and Girls Club and other beneficiary organizations for at-risk youth. Now, the Foundation's mission is to transform education across the United States. The event has raised $70 million in it's last 12 years.

The event was attended by Mariah Carey, Nick Cannon, Donny Osmond, Emeril Lagasse and The Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson among others. The event included performances by Rod Stewart, Sheryl Crow, The Killers, Lifehouse, Ray Romano, David Spade and Natasha Bedingfield.
(Images via Getty)

2008-10-13T12:13:00.007-05:00

Bite Me!

Here goes Raphael Nadal biting another trophy. This one symbolizes his ranking as World No. 1 since August 18, 2008 and was presented at a ceremony celebrated during the Masters Series of Madrid.

I know it's his "thing" but does anyone else out there secretly wish one of these trophies would break off and start choking this guy. Sinister, I know.

2008-10-12T07:55:00.006-05:00

Buzz on the Courts - Week Ending 10-12-08

- Igor Kunitsyn defeated Marat Safin 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 to win the Kremlin Cup.

- David Nalbandian spanked Robin Soderling to capture the If Stockholm Open.

- Leyton Hewitt to make comeback at Sydney International in January.

- Bob and Mike Bryan jam with the Counting Crows in Tampa, FL.

- Max Mirnyi earns his International Law degree.

- Jonas Bjorkman wins his 1000th career doubles match.

On court this week: Master's Madrid

2008-10-07T18:25:00.012-05:00

Andy's Crib

Check out Andy Roddick's New York condo in the Gramercy Park neighborhood.

The pad boasts 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, high ceilings, exposed brick and southern exposures. Asking price $1,195,000.00.

Roddick's fiance, model Brooklyn Decker is based in NY. He also owns a home in Austin, TX.
(Image via realestalker.blogspot.com)

2008-10-05T08:17:00.025-05:00

Buzz on the Courts - Week Ending 10-05-08

- Tomas Berdych thrashes Juan Martin Del Potro 6-1, 6-4 to take the Japan Open.

- German Mischa Zverev and Mikhail Youzhny of Russia capture the Japan Open doubles title.

- Dmitry Tursunov defeats Paul Henri Mathieu to take L'Open de Moselle 7-6, 1-6, 6-4.

On court this week: Kremlin Cup, Stockholm Open, TennisTrophy Austria

2008-09-29T06:26:00.008-05:00

Fish catches a Bride!

Mardy Fish has done what other famous athletes have been doing for years, only he did it better.

Yep, Mardy married Case #2 (I mean Deal or No Deal beauty, Stacey Gardner) this past weekend in Beverly Hills. Lucky DAWG!
(Image via Zimbio)

2008-09-27T10:41:00.019-05:00

Is Patrick McEnroe the Ryan Seacrest of Tennis?

Ryan Seacrest is the hardest working man in show-business, but is Patrick McEnroe the hardest working man in tennis?

Let’s Review:

Ryan Seacrest is the host of American Idol

Patrick McEnroe is General Manager of elite player development for the USTA

Ryan Seacrest is the host of his own radio show

Patrick McEnroe is commentator for ESPN’s and CBS’s tennis coverage

Ryan Seacrest is host of E! News

Patrick McEnroe is coach of US Men’s Davis Cup

Ryan Seacrest is fill in host of Dick Clark’s New Year Rockin Eve

Patrick McEnroe is fill in coach for Andy Roddick

Ryan Seacrest guest hosts for Larry King

Patrick McEnroe guest hosts for the ESPN program "Pardon the Interruption"

Wow, this is just crazy! Leave your comments below.

2008-09-21T10:39:00.018-05:00

Hasta la Vista

Rafael Nadal guaranteed Spain’s berth in its sixth Davis Cup final, crushing Andy Roddick in a 6-4, 6-0, 6-4 ass-kicking for an unbeatable 3-1 lead over the 2007 champion United States. Nuff' said.

Spain will play either Argentina or Russia.
(AFP/Getty Images)

2008-09-19T20:12:00.013-05:00

No Spain, No Gain

The US team is down 2-1 in Davis Cup action against heavily favored Spain. Raphael Nadal outlasted Sam Querry 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in just over 3 hours, while Roddick lost to David Ferrer 7-6 (5), 2-6, 1-6, 6-4, 8-6.

The US team won Saturday's doubles match pitting Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan vs. Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco. To advance, the US needs to win both reverse singles featuring Roddick vs. Nadal and Querry vs. Ferrer on Sunday.

Let's be honest here, we don't stand much of a chance even if James Blake and Bob Bryan were able to compete, but at least the guys hung in there.

(Getty Images)

2008-09-13T08:58:00.014-05:00

All Bets are Off!

Nikolay Davydenko was cleared by the ATP of all wrongdoing on charges related to suspicious betting patterns related to a match he was accused of throwing over a year ago.

C'mon, it took this long to figure this crap out. The OJ trial took less time and there was no black glove. I'm just sayin.

I've got $100 on Daveydenko's next match!

(AP Photo/Stephen Chernin)

2008-09-09T18:38:00.011-05:00

Blake off Davis Cup Team

Sam Querry will replace James Blake, who was left off the defending champion U.S. Davis Cup team because of physical and mental exhaustion.

If by exhaustion, you mean having a less than spectacular summer season, then half this team should be replaced.

Last year, the US team captured their 32nd Davis Cup title. Their opponents, Raphael Nadal, David Ferrer, Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez headline the team from Spain.

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

2008-09-08T18:52:00.029-05:00

Lucky 13!

Finally! What has been a disappointing season by Roger Federer's standards, comes to a great end with a 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 victory over #6 seed Andy Murray.

Federer is one away from tying Pete Sampras's record of 14 Grand Slam titles and becomes the first man since 1924 to win 5 straight US Opens.
Congrats Roger!
(Getty Images)

2008-09-07T18:15:00.018-05:00

Great Scot!

Personally, I didn't think Andy would pull this one off. I fully expected Nadal, being the human backboard that he is, to come out guns-a-blazin and take it in 5. Murray's trying to become the first British man to win a major tennis championship since Fred Perry at the 1936 U.S. Open. He'll move to #4 in the rankings this week.

Look for Federer to win his 13th Grand Slam title tomorrow. Murray will be too overwhelmed on this occasion. Agree? Disagree? Leave your comments below and set your DVRs.

(AFP/Timothy A. Clary)

2008-09-06T18:35:00.003-05:00

Men's Schedule of Play

US Open play is scheduled to resume on your local CBS stations:

Sunday, 4PM EST (after NFL Football) - Conclusion of Nadal vs. Murray
Monday, 5PM EST - Men's Final

2008-09-06T15:06:00.028-05:00

Adios Djokovic! Hola Rain!

Roger Federer showed tons of emotion today in his 4 set win against #3 seed, Novak Djokovic.

Federer will play either Raphael Nadal or Andy Murray. Murray is up 2 sets to love and a break down in the 3rd against a struggling Nadal. However play has been suspended for the day due to rain. Good news for Nadal.

(AFP/Getty Images)

2008-09-06T09:28:00.007-05:00

Wonder Twin Powers Activate!

Form of a Grand Slam Champion!

Sorry, couldn't resist the Super Friends reference. Bob and Mike Bryan won their 2nd US Open title and 6th Grand Slam overall yesterday with a 7-6, 7-6 win over Leander Paes and Lukas Dlouhy.

The Bryans next head to Spain to help the US defend their Davis Cup title.

(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

2008-09-04T20:26:00.013-05:00

The Fed raises his game

Roger Federer dominated Gilles Muller today with a 7-6, 6-4, 7-6 win, advancing him to his 18th consecutive Grand Slam semi-final.

Let's see how it all went down:

1st Set - Federer wins tiebreak when Muller nets backhand. Crowd goes wild!
2nd Set - Fed breaks at 4-4 and then serves out the set. Crowd goes wild!
3rd Set - Another breaker. Muller nets it. Federer goes wild!

Does Federer still have it in him? Tune in to find out.

(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

2008-09-04T06:08:00.010-05:00

The Spaniard vs. The Scot

Semi Final #1 is set!

#1 Rafa Nadal takes on #6 Andy Murray, who ended Juan Martin del Potro's 23 match win streak. This should be a good matchup – both guys are playing the best tennis of their careers right now.

As for Del Potro, who's coming off four consecutive title wins, he will certainly move up in the rankings and has a bright future in the Men’s game.

(AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

2008-09-03T18:51:00.011-05:00

Bryans advance to Finals

Bob and Mike Bryan advanced to the finals with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Tommy Robredo and Sergio Roitman in less than an hour. The Bryans are 31-12 at the Open and captured the title in 2005.

The twins face Leander Paes and Lukas Dlouhy, winners over Maximo Gonzalez and Juan Monaco, who advance to their first Grand Slam final.

Chest bumps all around!
(Image via Getty)

2008-09-02T18:40:00.008-05:00

Battle of the 5 Setters

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic both struggled today in 5 set matches against Igor Andreev and Tommy Robredo. Federer was royally pissed off but showed lots of fight in the 5th. He needs to keep it up if he wants to win another slam.

Up next for Federer is the talented Gilles Muller who defeated Nikolay Davydenko in 4 sets.

(Images via Getty)

2008-09-01T21:22:00.008-05:00

Eight is Enough

The final eight matches are set for this year's US Open.
They are: (winners highlighted)

Raphael Nadal vs. Sam Querry
Andy Murray vs. Stan Wawrinka
Juan Martin del Potro vs. Kei Nishikori
Gael Monfils vs. Mardy Fish

(Tuesday matches)

Roger Federer vs. Igor Andreev
Andy Roddick vs. Fernando Gonzalez
Tommy Robredo vs. Novak Djokovic
Nikolay Davydenko vs. Gilles Muller

2008-09-01T08:27:00.010-05:00

No Djoke!

Novak Djokovic survived a strong challenge from 19 yr. old Marin Cilic of Croatia to advance to the round of 16. Novak won 6-7, 7-5, 6-4, 7-6.

Cilic's got mad skills and is one of the new crop of young guns emerging on the men's tour. Seriously, this guys's good.

(AP Photo/Ed Betz)

2008-08-31T16:25:00.009-05:00

A-Rod or A-Dud?

Roddick easliy advanced in 3 sets today over Andreas Seppi 6-2, 7-5, 7-6. But does he have what it takes to win another US Open? Having only a big serve and forehand just doesn't cut it these days.

Andy finally released his brother as his coach - smart move, as family members rarely make good coaches and is seeking the advise of Patrick McEnroe. He's taking steps in the right direction but it will be an uphill battle. Where's Brad Gilbert when you need him?

(Image via Getty)

2008-08-31T08:57:00.003-05:00

Go Fish!

Mardy Fish netted James Blake 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 to advance to the 4th round of the US Open for the first time in his career.

Doesn't hurt to have super-hot fiance, Deal or No Deal's Stacey Gardner, cheering you on either. Good catch Mardy!

(Image via Getty)