TRIVA ANSWER

Tennis (lawn tennis) was part of the Summer Olympic Games program from the inaugural 1896 Summer Olympics, but was dropped after the 1924 Summer Olympics. After two appearances as a demonstration sport, it returned as a full medal sport at the 1988 Summer Olympics and has been played at every edition of the Games since then. In 1896, 1900, 1904, 1988, and 1992, semifinal losers shared bronze medals. In all other years, a playoff match for the bronze medal was staged. Starting from the 2004 Athens Olympics, results from the Olympics count towards both the ATP and WTA world rankings.

100M ANDY

2009 to be big year financially for Andy Murray. Andy Murray will start the new year as the hottest property in tennis, with the promise of £100 million from the management companies that are vying for his signature. The world No 4’s present representative, Ace Group, is in danger of losing its most prominent client as Creative Artists Agency (CAA), a subsidiary of Simon Fuller’s 19 Entertainment empire that is bursting with enthusiasm to sign him, IMG, the recognised No 1 management company in sport, and Lagardère Group, a French conglomerate with interests in aerospace, publishing and sport, brandish their chequebooks.

There may be all sorts of restraints on such spending in an era of downturns and depressions — it is understood that Reebok, the clothing manufacturer, may be forced to pull out of its deal with Jelena Jankovic, the world’s No 1 woman player from Serbia, because of financial cutbacks. However, where Murray, who has played in only one grand-slam final, the US Open in September, is concerned, the money can be mustered. +The Times

TENNIS TRIVIA

What year was tennis originally introduced as an Olympic sport?

Choose Your Answer:

A: 1896

B: 1924

C: 1968

D: 1988

the first four people to answer this post correctly will get a tennis prize!

Florida Tennis Jobs

I must admit my newest endeavor is interesting and express that it makes me feel like a good tennis patron. Although the economy is tough on the rest of the job market I dont think it has hit the tennis industry too hard. My new site has caught the attention of two major tennis magazines and hopefully a few others will follow suit in order to draw more traffic to the site or bring in advertising revenue.

Did you know that some tennis jobs offer benefits, salaries, meal plans, percentages of income, gauranteed working on court hours, medical plans, and a dental plan? I did not. I got curious recently and wanted to see what else was out there beyond the Gainesville scope. I began first looking throughout the United States and there is a lot out there but I am pretty much attached to Florida because the majority of my family is in the state and would like to stay here if possible.

So...I built a website called http://www.floridatennisjobs.com/ that any tennis players, pros, etc can view existing and open jobs and contact them. It is a combination of hotjobs, juju, careerbuilder, monster, PTR, USPTA, google searches, aol-jobs, tennisjobs.com, snoooz.com, and several other websites all onto one easy sight to navigate and view so you dont have to bounce around from site to site. Not every job is on this site, but I think a good amount are on there and if I am missing any please let me know. I believe this is one of the more selfless acts that I have done in tennis because it has not made me a profit yet, and I still have no plans for it except to hope it does pan out into something greater.

I do call or email to verify if the job is still open because there are a lot of job postings that have been filled, so that is one thing my site is on top of. Anywho, please take a look at the site, let me know if you know of any other openings and have a good one!

Frying Pan Roddick

Format: Tiebreaker.
Surface: Clay.
Weather: Partly cloudy, low 70s, slight breeze.
Roddick's utensil: Generic (Stainless Steel Professional Fry Pan).
Score: 7-4 Frying Pan Wins

Stupid Contest winner, Chris Wetzel got the chance to play a tie-break against the 2003 US Open Champion and lost. Down 3-1 Roddick switched frying pans and ended his bad luck. The match took place in Boca Raton as a charity fundraiser. You can catch the video on youtube or espn.com.

USPTA

USPTA announces 2009 certification exams for tennis-teaching professionals:

The United States Professional Tennis Association, the world’s leader in tennis-teaching certification, provides tennis-teaching professionals with the opportunity to earn the sport’s most respected certification by participating in one of more than 110 USPTA Certification Exams scheduled nationwide in 2009 (see schedule). Additional dates will be added. USPTA’s Certification Exam includes an on-court evaluation of tennis strokes and playing skills, stroke and grip analysis, private and group lesson instruction, and other skills needed in the tennis-teaching profession. The exam also includes a two-hour written test covering teaching, playing and business management skills, rules, club activity programming and other topics. Applicants can now opt to take the written exam and the grip exam online after completing the on-court portions of the certification exam.

The exam process also offers a Certification Review Course that covers test topics. The CRC can be taken at Regional Testing Centers, which offer tests every other month on the same weekends, or it can be taken online. The course is also useful to current USPTA members who wish to review specific exam areas before upgrading their certification ratings. CRC topics include student psychology, developing student rapport, class organization, lesson progression and a review of teaching techniques.

“A tennis-teaching professional’s success in becoming certified through the USPTA demonstrates that the individual has the skills necessary to excel in the game, and business, of tennis,” said USPTA CEO Tim Heckler. “We know that tennis players and club owners and managers hold tennis-teaching professionals to the highest standard in regard to professionalism and knowledge and we expect our certification and education process to prepare them to live up to and surpass that standard.”

Contact USPTA at 800-877-8248 or e-mail membership@uspta.org to register for an upcoming exam, or for further details. Advanced registration is required. The total fee for the exam and CRC application is $175, plus prorated USPTA membership dues.

South African Tennis

I did some research on some of the most overrated tennis countries and I came up with South Africa. Wayne Ferreira, Wesley Whitehouse, Liezel Huber, and Cliff Drysdale are the only names that you may have heard of but even most of these you probably never heard of unless you are an avid tennis fan. It is ungodly how few tennis players this country has had in its history. I wonder if I played tennis in that country if I would be the best player in that whole country. Maybe they should just stick to being radio announcers because of their cool sounding voices but I can't think of much more a south african could provide to tennis. Bottom line, South Africa just does not have a quality tennis program or tennis players. You would think in such a beautiful country with adventurous people that their coaches would produce better tennis players but they just do not. They probably flee to the US to just get paid, but seriously stay oversees. What are your thoughts on some of the worst or best countries that produce high quality tennis that is unexpected or countries that should be producing better tennis. You would think since the ATP throws around the South African name so much that better tennis would be coming out of there. Let me know your thoughts.

Best and Worst

Best and Worst Moments in Tennis in 2008

Best of 2008:

1. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal Wimbledon Final Match

2. All William's Sister Wimbledon Final Match

3. Ashley Harkleroad in Playboy

4. Boris Becker's Engagement

5. Jump Volleyball Serving Battistone Brothers

Worst of 2008:

1. Davydenko cleared on the Gambling Scandal

2. Sexual Assault Charges at the Australian Open

3. Maria Sharapova's Tuxedo Look at Wimbledon

4. Chris Evert and Greg Norman's Marriage

5. Olympic Tennis at Five in the Morning

Picture of the Day

Where is this tennis court?

Who Am I?

This child is now an ATP professional tennis player? Who Am I?

Who Am I?

Who is this Tennis Star made out of wax in Madame Tussauds Museum?

Best of the Best

Kantarian was the CEO of USTA for the past nine years. As much as I follow the tennis industry I was not in the know, or lame, on the information on who the CEO was for the USTA. In fact, I knew of the executive director in Florida but did not think twice of anyone higher than that. In August of 2007 I had the privilege of travelling from Jacksonville to Cincinnati to attend the Cincinnati Masters Series representing Tennis Life Magazine based out of Tampa, Florida. I must say, I have had some issues with Tennis Life Magazine before this trip and after but I was treated reasonably well during. Besides the fact of not being shipped first class and staying in a two star hotel, the rest was great. Let me tell you one crazy thing about the Cincy Master Series. The Cincinnati airport is in Kentucky. The Cincinnati tournament is in Mason, Ohio. So, after figuring out the geographic cure I began to show up to the venue everyday early. I mean, very early so I could watch the players train when no one was there. Anywho, I wandered into this area restricted for only professional tennis players, campers, coaches, and select others. I literally walked into Guillermo Vilas and several other old time pros. I end up chatting with the "TENNIS GURU" for about an hour who keeps pointing into the bleachers saying, "that's Arlen Kantarian." Truth be told, I pretended to know what he was talking about and he mentioned this several times. The Tennis Guru was one of the directors to a fantasy camp taking place during the Cincinnati Master Series tournament at the same venue with its own restricted playing area. Fortunately, I had a badge that basically gave me access to everything, press conferences, players lounge, like I said I got hooked up in that regard. So this guy Kantarian, I locked eyes on who he was and then forgot about it and continued to chat with the tennis guru. About 15 minutes later I noticed a lot of other people around him, I believe it was his family. He walked by me, smiled, shook my hand and asked me how I was doing. He didn't introduce himself, but did stop to say hello and neglected to give any attention to the tennis guru, which I liked. I still didnt know who this guy was and I didnt care, he was old and friendly. Months later I recognized the name in the press and this guy was the CEO of USTA, cool. If I had only known, I would have picked his brain and built in a connection. Lesson learned. Anywho, according to the press we are losing a leader who made the USTA a ton of money, and helped promote the sport to all new levels. It seems that another tennis CEO is following suit and retiring onto bigger and better things, whatever they may be...If anyone is interested I would be interested in the CEO position at the ATP or USTA, I don't discriminate, so either would be great. ATP preferred because of PVB in Florida. Would be happy to furnish a resume if necessary.

Welch Tennis

Over the past weekend I was in Jacksonville, Florida for a clay court maintenance seminar. It had a ton of GOOD INFORMATION to say the least with a cast of tennis characters from all over the state of Florida including Tennessee (because Welch does not leave Florida for seminars). The seminar gave detailed information on how to maintain clay courts and since I am interested in this stuff I went. It was $159.00 to get myself a seat and even before I got there the one of the directors had rubbed me the wrong way by calling me way to many times and misplacing my check and my registration information. It was very disappointing and almost ruined the entire experience before I even went. I was so frustrated that I thought that if this is how they run their organization I don't want to go at all. After several phone calls later and tracking down my payment and registration information I arrived on time. I was told it would start at 8:30, but it did not really start until 9:00 (sigh). I was disappointed once again so I stuffed myself with the food there which was a decent breakfast and perfect for a fat man. I was given a folder with some information but it was mostly stuffed with sales information which I was not there for. I was there to further my education and make it official as opposed to shop for new tennis court toys. The morning was rough but extremely informative and did make it worth the trip with valuable information to the die-hard tennis person. I only wish I had taken more notes. For example the only place in the US to get har-tru is up in Virginia and essentially WELCH is a middle man in the clay game. The whole session was a little quirky, let me rephrase that. The whole session was very quirky. The people who worked for Welch were all quirky and a little odd and just seemed sheltered like they had never met people before. My questions seemed to annoy some of them and several were ducked or the answers were just unknown and I had to ask several employees before I got what I wanted. I had to consult other maintenance people to get some more answers that I wanted. The afternoon was rough with terrible weather. We were only able to go outdoors for maybe an hour in the rain and could not use all the tools because the courts we were too soggy and the demonstrations were tragic because of this. The club in its entirety was not the best selection, and due to the lack of outdoor demonstrations I gave the whole seminar a fair rating. After complaining through a survey with my name on it, I was offered attendance to another seminar for free due to inclement weather, so at least their customer service had good quality. There were a lot of strange people there, it was like your typical maintenance guy, not 28 year old cool guys. It was mostly old fat men, out of shape and just kind of gross. All in all Welch does do great tennis work and their construction is supposed to be some of the best in the world http://www.welchtennis.com/ and this served true in many of their final photos. The classroom education was solid, the food was great (breakfast & lunch), they hooked up a lot of people with mugs and hats and a number of other souvenirs through trivia questions. I am looking forward to attending the outdoor session of the seminar in the future to learn more. Here is a fun fact, clay is not really clay. Clay is basalt granite mixed with gypsum and that giant rock weighs 17,400 pounds and was brought down from Virginia to place in front of the Welch offices.

Fools Gold

The first time ending the year as number one is Jelena Jankovic. Jelena debuted at number one in August between the French Open and the US Open. Jankovic did not win a major, she reached one major final, the US Open and won just four tournaments all year. Three of the tournament wins came in the post season when there is less money on the line. Jankovic is 23, has played a ton of matches this season, more than the average bear. This is the angle for coming in the backdoor through the rankings. On the other hand, Nadal had to overcome the Great Fed winning the French, and Wimbledon (Olympic Gold) and getting deep into the Australian and US Open. The two end the year at number one, yet come from completely different angles. Jankovics ranking is still the number one ranking but it does not feel real. Its like when I played juniors or even some of the kids who play the pro circuit in futures. The kids who play more and more tournaments tend to get better rankings but its only because they are playing more tournaments. I dont know if there is a flaw in the ranking system but I would sure like to interview the Ranking and Prize Money Coordinator for the ATP and WTA and ask where the system could be improved.

Murray Madness

Viva Espana. Andy Murray beat Gilles Simon in straight sets to win the Madrid Masters. The Brits finally have something to cheer about. The US Open finalist is the first Brit to win four titles in a season and the first Brit to finish the year at number four since Fred Perry in 1936. A couple of Brits have reached number four but never finished the year there. Murray won two Master Series Events, Cincinnati and Madrid and two other titles in Doha and Marseille. Murray beat Federer in the semifinals while Simon defeated Nadal and will be bumped up to number nine in the rankings.

Where Am I?

PICTURE OF THE DAY...WHERE IS THIS LOCATION?

ATP Doubles

Belarusian Max Mirnyi and Spaniard Tommy Robredo beat Agustin Calleri of Argentina and Spaniard David Ferrer 6-3, 6-4 in 63 minutes at the Mutua Madrilena Masters Madrid on Tuesday.

Feel The Speed of ATP Doubles...

DOUBLE THE INTENSITY

DOUBLE THE FEROCITY

DOUBLE THE SPEED

DOUBLE THE PASSION

ATP doubles has never been hotter! With a deep roster of world-class teams, a new promotional campaign and series of innovations being rolled out at tournaments, there's never been a better time to watch doubles. Capturing that momentum is the ATP Doubles Feel It campaign, which promotes and celebrates the intensity, ferocity, speed and passion that is inherent in the game.

Among the initiatives: Fastest Hands Challenge: Teams will go head-to-head in volleying exchanges with a winner-take-all cash prize. Fans will get the chance to play against a winning team immediately after matches. Doubles-only courts - including show courts - at selected events. Production of a doubles book to celebrate the game and promote the marquee teams. Free live web streaming of ATP Masters Series doubles finals on ATP Masters Series TV. Doubles brochures given away at ATP Masters Series events to promote the top 12 teams at each event. New Doubles Feel It merchandise including t-shirts, caps and wristbands
Make sure you follow the world's best doubles teams on ATPtennis.com and get to a tournament to watch live doubles!

http://www.atptennis.com/

Ace Authentic

Bascially there is now an EBAY for TENNIS. This site could be used for gifts for tennis enthusiasts or for collecters. There are several categories to choose from on the site such as experiences, framed memorabilia, match used shirts, dresses, memorabilia, trading cards, and more. It is an interesting little website at http://www.tennisaceauctions.com/. Ace Authentic is a sports card manufacturing company based in Duluth, GA. It is the only company that produces tennis cards and has rights to over MOST of the tennis players. It is also the larget tennis memorabilia company in the world, having exclusive agreements with all the Grand Slams and Davis Cup teams. Ace Authentic entered the card market in 2005. Check it out.

String King

Stringing Tip 101: DO NOT leave your racquets in the trunk of your car when there are extremes in temperature! This will significantly degrade the life of your strings. (RSI)

I have been recently studying for certifications through the USRSA (United States Racquet Stringers Association) located on 330 Main Street, Vista, CA 92084, http://www.usrsa.com/. You can find local certified stringers on this website. There are two certifications available within the professional organization. MRT (Master Racquet Technician) which is apparently quite difficult and requires studying from a 22 page supplement that can be found on their website and a school-like textbook, 2008 Stringer's Digest, and an RSI (Racquet Sports Industry) magazine which is really intriguing and has really detailed and informative articles. I am officially a member which does have its benefits besides the prestige, it allows me access expensive tennis websites (instructional, classified, business, etc). The rumor is that the CS exam is easy and the MRT exam is very difficult. The rumor is that the MRT requires extensive studying and memorization of several topics i.e. frame technologies, string lengths, and a bunch of other things I never thought of as important. I believe the knowledge gives myself an edge over uncertified stringers, so goes as they say "knowledge is power."

Today I spoke with Dave Bone, Executive Director, CEO of the USRSA and was slightly shocked how easily I was able to obtain his cell phone number. This may sound odd, but over the years I have read many many articles with his name attached to it through TENNIS MAGAZINE and TENNIS.com and this guy is sort of famous in the tennis industry. It was like meeting one of my favorite pro tennis players now I have his cell number in my phone, cool. Anways, he reinforced my thoughts on the USRSA and I look forward to further studying and becoming a part of the organization. I suggest any tennis enthusiast interested in stringing skills to do the same.

Factory Floor

TV program to show how a tennis ball is made. It will air on National Geographic on Thursday, October 9th, at 4pm. It will take the viewer on a tour through a tennis ball factory showing how a tennis ball is made. Host Marshall Brain will explore how a pressurized tennis ball is designed, manufactured and tested.

For further information check out their website:

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/tv-schedule#200810022100

If you find out or know the local listing or what channel National Geographic is on in Gainesville, 32606 please let me know.

List of Demands

This is the one of the sickest videos I have ever seen, so I thought I should share it with you. It gets me so amped up to want to go work out, smash tennis balls, or just to be or do better. In case you have not seen it before here it is. Nike used it as theirs for a while to promote their products. The song is by Saul Williams and it is called List of Demands in case you are interested in downloading it. The true video is a little odd, and ruined the song for me. The Nike Video does it true justice. The intro is with Ladanian Tomlinson in case you were curious. The video is sharp, arrogant, and competitive. I enjoyed the video so much I looked up the lyrics. Here is 60 seconds of the lyrics...

I want my money back. I'm down here drowning in your fat. You got me on my knees praying for everything you lack. I ain't afraid of you. I'm just a victim of your fears. You cower in your tower praying that I'll disappear, I got another plan, one that requires me to stand. On the stage or in the street, don't need no microphone or beat. And when you hear this song, if you ain't dead then sing along. Bang and strum to these here drums til you get where you belong. I got a list of demands written on the palm of my hands. I ball my fist and you're gonna know where I stand. We're living hand to mouth! You wanna be somebody? See somebody? Try and free somebody? I gotta list of demands written on the palm of my hands. I ball my fist and you're gonna know where I stand. We're living hand to mouth! Hand to mouth!

World Famous

Tennis players are world famous. They are not just well known in the United States or their home countries. The top players are known all over the face of the Earth. Although the sport of soccer aka futbol is known to be the most popular sport across the world, people forget how unpopular it is here in the US. Names like Kaka don't ring a bell to the average joe here in the states. Rafael Nadal on the other hand is world famous.

Player Profile: Rafa was born June 3, 1986. His birthday is during the French Open. Nadal has won five Grand Slam titles and an Olympic Gold Medal. Nadal's record against Roger Federer is 12-6 and 4-2 in Grand Slam finals. He also owns the longest single surface winning streak in the open era, having won 81 consecutive matches on clay. His uncle taught him how to play left handed even though he is naturally right handed. His girlfriend is hot. The damage this kid has done on the tour is unforgivable.

The Russians, Serbians, and Spaniards have taken over men's and women's tennis and the sport of American tennis has been lagging, always and forever resting on Roddicks shoulders for how many years now. We will always miss the Capriati's and Seles', Hingis' of the past where our lessons have been learned in that regard of how tragic drug use can be.

Nike Tennis Code

Funny Nike Tennis Ad - The funniest videos clips are here

Player Ratings

Player Ratings for club players are usually between 2.5 and 5.5. Tennis pros, top juniors, national players, pro circuit players, and collegiate players are usually rated closer to the 5.5 levels. Here are the characteristics required to compete at the league levels.

1.5 You have limited experience and are working primarily on getting the ball in play.

2.0 You lack court experience and your strokes need developing. You are familiar with the basic positions for singles and doubles play.

2.5 You are learning to judge where the ball is going, although your court coverage is limited. You can sustain a short rally of slow pace with other players of the same ability.

3.0 You are fairly consistent when hitting medium-paced shots, but are not comfortable with all strokes and lack execution when trying for directional control, depth, or power. Your most common doubles formation is one-up, one-back.

3.5 You have achieved improved stroke dependability with directional control on moderate shots, but need to develop depth and variety. You exhibit more aggressive net play, have improved court coverage and are developing teamwork in doubles.

4.0 You have dependable strokes, including directional control and depth on both forehand and backhand sides on moderate-paced shots. You can use lobs, overheads, approach shots and volleys with some success and occasionally force errors when serving. Rallies may be lost due to impatience. Teamwork in doubles is evident.

4.5 You have developed your use of power and spin and can handle pace. You have sound footwork, can control depth of shots, and attempt to vary game plan according to your opponents. You can hit first serves with power and accuracy and place the second serve. You tend to overhit on difficult shots. Aggressive net play is common in doubles.

5.0 You have good shot anticipation and frequently have an outstanding shot or attribute around which a game may be structured. You can regularly hit winners or force errors off of short balls and can put away volleys. You can successfully execute lobs, drop shots, half volleys, overhead smashes, and have good depth and spin on most second serves.

5.5 You have mastered power and/or consistency as a major weapon. You can vary strategies and styles of play in a competitive situation and hit dependable shots in a stress situation.

6.0 to 7.0You have had intensive training for national tournament competition at the junior and collegiate levels and have obtained a sectional and/or national ranking.

7.0You are a world-class player.

Davis Cup

USA vs Spain, Friday to Sunday. Welcome to Slaughter House 5. It looks to be a losing effort but crazier things have happened. Nadal a beast on the red clay will face Querrey a bonafied hustler makin his name right off the bat. Querrey replaces James Blake who is still depressed from his performance or lack thereof in the US Open. Roddick will face Ferrer, no easy task, and then the singles will flip flop. Basically, Roddick and Querrey NEED to burn the Ferrer'i or take a piece of the pie from Nadal. It is likely that the two could burn Ferrer and the American's could come out unscathed. There are plenty of what if scenarios going on here so it will make for an interesting match up. I am interested in seeing Querrey making a big statement beating the Beast on the red clay. I hate to admit this but Sam looks like such a geek, someone who got beat up in High School or had a lot of zits and was that tall goofy smart kid. My hitting partner in HS, Rip, looked just like this guy. Hopefully Sam can get HOT this weekend though.

Lopez and Verdasco are no pushovers themselves but I dont think they have a shot against the Fish-man and the Twin. I think that just based on adrenaline they will win and with an oddball doubles matchup instead of the "usual" it will be exciting for them and will be a thrilling victory.

Draw for this weekend's United States-Spain Davis Cup semifinal in Madrid, on clay at the Las Ventas bullfighting ring...

Friday Sam Querrey vs. Rafael Nadal Andy Roddick vs. David Ferrer
Saturday Mike Bryan/Mardy Fish vs. Fernando Verdasco/Feliciano Lopez
Sunday Andy Roddick vs. Rafael Nadal Sam Querrey vs. David Ferrer

Quantum Leap

This Tour Player Has A Jump Serve Volley Ball Style

WHO AM I?

Chicken Balls

Ladies, here’s a hint. If you’re up against a girl with big b/o/o/bs, bring her to the net and make her hit backhand volleys. That’s the hardest shot for the well-endowed.Billie Jean King

Interviewer: So, are you enjoying New York?

Roger Federer: It’s OK for two weeks.

He can’t cook.” (Michael Chang, on being asked to list Pete Sampras’s weaknesses)

The trouble with me is that every match I play against five opponents: umpire, crowd, ball boys, court, and myself.” (Goran Ivanisevic)

Upon gaining a wildcard bid to the US Open Tennis Championships: That’s great - I’m only seven wins away from my first grand slam title.- Justin Gimelstob

Suisse Cheese

POSTED BY LEE ABBAMONTE

It has been a tumultuous year for the best tennis player of all time but Monday, Roger Federer was able to wrap up his fifth consecutive US Open championship and 13th overall major title. He thoroughly manhandled Brit Andy Murray who was making his grand slam final debut after his convincing win over top ranked Rafael Nadal. As a huge Federer fan, I was delighted to see him back on top after losing the past two major finals to Nadal. Combine those finals with his Aussie Open semifinal appearance and his semifinal major streak reached 18-which is unbelievable and has never even been approached and probably never will be. Federer’s “off” year, which would be anyone else’s best year was punctuated by this historic win as he sets his sights on regaining the top ranking by the end of the year.

Federer has some making up to do but with two Masters Series stops left in Madrid and Paris along with the season ending Masters Cup in Shanghai in November. He will also be appearing in the Stockholm Open for the first time along with his hometown tournament in Basel. If he wins out he will regain the top ranking no matter what Nadal does and can afford a few slip ups as well. I look forward to the rest of the race this season.

This years US Open saw the emergence of several young stars. First and foremost, Andy Murray finally capitalized on his considerable talent by beating Nadal and reaching number four in the world. Juan Martin Del Potro also emerged as a force making the quarters along with Luxembourg ace Gilles Muller. American Sam Querrey, who you can’t help but root for, beat Ivo Karlovic and then gave Nadal all he could handle before succumbing but made the fourth round for the first time and set the table for next year. Finally, Mardy Fish made the quarters and also gave Nadal a run for it but continued his high and low play this year-hopefully he can turn it around next year and stay consistent.

This years US Open went according to form for the most part with the worlds top four players making the semi’s but in the end order was restored to the world and Roger Federer is still champion in New York.

Sports Psychology

Sports Psychology 101: Setting Goals and priorities is healthy not just in the game of tennis. I believe in goals more than I believe in many things in life. Here are some of my priorities and beliefs...

1. Power Greater than Myself

2. Family and Friends

3. Career and Finances

Setting goals, objectives, and priorities are ways to fast forward life to get where you want to be. Personal goal setting is more valuable than you can dream of. I am a dreamer and I think most of us are dreamers. Find direction and live life your way. Goal setting is powerful and creating an ideal future motivates myself to find joy in the present. I believe in the philosophy that if you want anything bad enough you can get it. Whether it be a Ferrari, earn a billion dollars, get that A, win the US Open, be famous, or to have perfect teeth. Letting people know about your goals will help keep you accountable because accountability is extremely important. Sometimes I say things or set goals and then forget I said them until someone repeats them to me. It happens often in my teaching lessons and when my students remember that makes me feel like a success. Emphasizing education during my lessons has been one of my goals because knowledge is power.

Once I achieve a few smalls goals it helps me build confidence and builds it fast. Sometimes I am on cloud 9 and feel like I can do anything. One thing I learned from Pete Sampras was that he knew early on he was going to be a professional tennis player. He did not plan on being number one, but he planned on improving all the time and planned to do that with his life. The earlier you figure out your goals the sooner you will achieve them. I am turning 28 very soon and I have set goals to meet before the age of 30 so I am getting nervous.

Whether it be to improve your ranking, win a tournament, own a club, reduce unforced errors, improve your net game, add 10mph to your serve, beat a certain person, increase your rating, develop a brilliant approach shot, setting goals to do this has great value. Placing deadlines on goals is the best advice I can pass on. Setting deadlines will allow you to measure your success (or failure) and to either extend the goal or move along.

Open Sesame

NYC 2008: Love him or hate him. He is in the final...again. Roger Federer has been in the final of 3 out of the 4 majors and the semifinal in the other. Not bad of a year for someone who allegedly is on the fall and down and out. Today I am posting in his defense. He has beaten the tricky Stepanek, Andreev gave him a run for his money, he smoked Muller's dream run with ease, and dominated the impressionist nole djokovic to close the door.

Rafa is not in the best place to make it, and his dominance is not as in depth on the hard courts. I didn't expect Rafa to get past Mardy Fish, and I think if I had stayed up past the first set he wouldn't have. Murray does play well, he is a bit of a grinder who makes few errors. Federer is not the "Federer" we have grown to know, but is still good enough to beat Murray, not that I will be rooting for Rog. Not to count my chickens before they hatch, but Rafa still has a slim shot and will be making a statement if he rallies back from this deficit. I think he has a slim chance and slim just left town. Did you know that no male current playing on the tour has won a grand slam past the age of 27? Food for Thought...

Fish and Sticks

What a night! What a tournament! J-Block was in the house. Fish Tank was on the golf course. Buddy Ball was in effect. James Blake, the ninth seed choked up a third set tie-break handed off a pretty big upset, and willing to accept misfortune to his long time pal Mardy Fish. Not an entirely unpredictable upset but nevertheless still an upset. Fish advances to the fourth round to face Frenchman Gael Monfils who's best run previously was only into the second round also. It must have been tough for Blake to die-hard because he usually goes deep into the Open and is a solid hard court player. It's like that movie Wimbledon where he has to close out on his best friend in the third round and he does it with the girls help and goes on to win Wimbledon. We can only hope that this kid has the same luck. I think "the girl" affects every man's game depending on the totality of the circumstances. Fish is getting married next month and Blake is in the wedding as a groomsman. My first thought was that Blake might throw this match for Fish just for that reason. On the other hand Mardy may have been thinking this is my time to make my mark. Remember when Andy Roddick got engaged and beat Federer down like the next day for the first time in forever. Either way, as close as they are Fish will have bragging rights for the rest of his career with a beat down in straight sets over Blake. Mardy Fish has been on a decent tear this summer on the hard courts and hopefully it will extend into the quarters which he would inevitably face foe Rafael Nadal a fearless warrior on the court. Let's not totally overlook the lanky Frenchman who stretch's the court and does cartwheels between forehands. Could this be the real life movie of Wimbledon? Only time will tell...

Hurricane Nadal

Pete Sampras, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Roger Federer, Bjorn Borg, Andre Agassi, Boris Becker will all be humbled in a couple weeks by superstar phenom Rafael Nadal. None of these players won the French, Wimby, and the Open in a calendar year. The last was Rod Laver's Grand Slam in 1969. Nadal owned the French from day one. He conquered grass through strength and will. One year ago Federer left the Open as champion and known as the greatest player of all time, just short of the Sampras' record. Fed became the first player to win the Open four years in a row along with Wimby. In 2008 Federer has only won 2 of 14 events he has entered. Nadal is just more motivated than Federer. Nadal takes cold showers before matches. Between points he will not touch the lines similar to a baseball player. He changes racquets every eighth game, and keeps two water bottles, one cold and one warm under his chair. He asks for three balls everytime when serving and gets rid of one. Jimmy Connors is quoted saying that "Nadal plays like he's broke." I dont know if that is true, but it sounds hilarious. It's tough to make a prediction in the womens' game. The serbians will probably be in the finals. Keep an eye on Safina, Williams Girls, and Dementieva (Olympic Gold).

Authors Predictions...Rafael Nadal and Jankovic. Your Predictions?...

U.S. Open Details...
When: Monday through Sept. 7
Where: Flushing, N.Y.
Men's top seed: Rafael Nadal
Women's top seed: Ana Ivanovic
2007 men's champion: Roger Federer
2007 women's champion: Justine Henin
Highest-seeded U.S. men: Roddick (8), Blake (9)
Highest-seeded U.S. women: Serena (4), Venus (7)
TV coverage: USA, CBS
Online: usopen.org

Breaking News

Etienne de Villiers, Executive Chairman and President of the ATP, governing body of the men's professional tennis circuit, announced today that he will not be renewing his contract at the end of the 2008 season. Executive Chairman since June 2005, who replaced Mark Miles. Villiers has been one of the most controversial Chairman's that tennis has seen. Increased prize money, new tournaments, changed the calendar, new brand look and so on. There were bold changes in the sport. The ATP remembers him in their articles as a genius. The newspapers are saying he was pressured out. Either way the South African is stepping down. The players just did not get along with him in my opinion and he knew it. Villiers will fulfill his current three year term as ATP Chair that ends December 2008. He will now assist the ATP Board in their recruitment of a successor.

Top Gun

THE NUMBER ONES
Here is a list of the 24 players who have ranked No. 1 for the first time in the history of the South African Airways ATP Rankings (since 1973):

Player (Country) Reached No. 1 Age Total Weeks
Rafael Nadal (ESP) Aug. 18, 2008 22 year, 2 months 1
Roger Federer (SUI) Feb. 2, 2004 22 years, 5 months 237
Andy Roddick (USA) Nov. 3, 2003 21 years, 2 months 13
Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) Sept. 8, 2003 23 years, 6 months 8
Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) Nov. 19, 2001 20 years, 8 months 80
Gustavo Kuerten (BRA) Dec. 4, 2000 24 years, 2 months 43
Marat Safin (RUS) Nov. 20, 2000 20 years, 9 months 9
Patrick Rafter (AUS) July 26, 1999 26 years, 8 months 1
Yevgeny Kafelnikov (RUS) May 3, 1999 25 years, 2 months 6
Carlos Moya (ESP) Mar. 15, 1999 22 years, 6 months 2
Marcelo Rios (CHI) Mar. 30, 1998 22 years, 3 months 6
Thomas Muster (AUT) Feb. 12, 1996 28 years, 4 months 6
Andre Agassi (USA) Apr. 10, 1995 24 years, 11 months 101
Pete Sampras (USA) Apr. 12, 1993 21 years, 8 months 286
Jim Courier (USA) Feb. 10, 1992 21 years, 5 months 58
Boris Becker (GER) Jan. 28, 1991 23 years, 5 months 12
Stefan Edberg (SWE) Aug. 13, 1990 24 years, 9 months 72
Mats Wilander (SWE) Sept. 12, 1988 24 years, 1 month 20
Ivan Lendl (CZE) Feb. 28, 1983 22 years, 11 months 270
John McEnroe (USA) Mar. 3, 1980 21 years, 15 days 170
Bjorn Borg (SWE) Aug. 23, 1977 21 years, 2 months 109
Jimmy Connors (USA) July 29, 1974 21 years, 11 months 268
John Newcombe (AUS) June 3, 1974 30 years, 11 days 8
Ilie Nastase (ROM) Aug. 23, 1973 27 years, 1 month 40

Viva Espana

Is he on steroids? Sharapova is out (baby). Blake beat Federer for the first time in his career in 8 tries (took you long enough). Blake whines (again) after his semifinal loss. McEnroe gets kicked out of a tournament for making obscene gestures to the fans (wish i was there). Nadal wins the gold (no surprise). Federer loses his first place rank he has held for 4 years (237 weeks) tomorrow. Williams sisters won gold (whatever). Dementieva finally won something, it was gold(who?). Safina finally lost match (a bulldog looking russian). US Open starts next week (eh). Olympic tennis was on at 4 in the morning (didnt see a match). Djokovic won the bronze (flying under the radar). The Bryan Brothers lost to who....? The Fed in doubles (thats kinda funny). Bryan Brothers get the bronzer (blah blah). Phelps won 8 gold medals (spitz is out). Del Potro is on a ridiculis tear beating the snot out of a whole lot of players and winning tournaments. (US Open dark horse sleeper?) I think so....

German Icons

Former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker is planning to marry his late manager's daugher, who is 16 years younger than he. If it were reverse it would be called "cougar style." A German newspaper picked up the feed and reported the story. Becker is 40 years old and has a total of three children. Two with Barbara Becker who he divorced 7 years ago, and another daughter with model Angela Ermakova. Becker's fiance Sandy Meyer-Woelden, 24 is the daughter of former Becker manager Axel Meyer-Woelden who died in 1997. Sandy is a jewelery designer who dated German tennis star Tommy Haas for years. How do you go from Tommy Haas to Boris Becker?? Haas is young and GQ model look alike still in his prime and Becker is a washed up old man. He must be doing something right though, look at her photo. Why would Tommy Haas let her go?

Beijing Tennis

Is anyone watching Olympic tennis? I have not watched a single game yet. I have watched swimming and gymnastics with awe and that amazing swimming race when USA won by a finger tip. I did get to see the opening ceremony and some of the tennis pros smiling and laughing with their respective countries which was very cool to see them happy and off the court. Are the Olympics all hype? The Olympics is only every four years, so why isn't anyone watching? What shocks myself is how many people are in the stands in China, like 5. There are almost none at times. No one really cares about it. The courts are 45 minutes away from everything else. The finals will be on Sunday and hopefully we will catch another Federer Nadal match, but will anyone be there to see it. The Olympics will be cast in London four years from now. The tennis will be at Wimbledon also known as the All England Club. How exciting!?!?! This is more of a relevant stage than many others. When I think about tennis, I think about Grand Slam, I don't think about going for the gold. I think about going for the gold in gymnastics, swimming, running etc. I took a hard look at this, and now respect more of what some of the players are doing by passing on the Olympics to train for the true event, as in the US Open. Will you watch the final on Sunday? I will try and plan to if I can, I wonder if I will even look to find out the time it is on, probably not. So, is anyone watching? Are you? Your thoughts?

Daytona Beach

Warning, Warning. Tennis is addictive. Players travel all over the state of Florida and dump hundreds of dollars into the local economy to maintain the addiction. Whether it is through equipment, gas, fees, food, beer, hotels etc, it can cost a pretty penny.

Dayton Beach: City officials propose cutting off the city's staff at the tennis center from eight to four in the next budget year. The facility brings a lot of tourism to the city through USTA. Daytona Beach is home of NASCAR and the LPGA, but also tennis, host of USTA's Florida Tennis Center. This is the final destination for players before nationals. The city is required to keep 24 clay courts, maintenance and staff. This past weekend 500 ment travelled from Gainesville, Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, and so on to play in the Adult Sectional Tournament. The weekend was full of tennis, restaurants, Sports Authority and beer.

USTA moved from Pompano Beach seven years ago. The tennis association pays a 75K lease for the center and up to an additional 20K per year. The city has let the facility go with lack of maintenance and the everything is looking a little crapped up according to the USTA Executive Board. The center tried to sell last year losing many members. The center has not made money since it has opened. With a 1.2 million loan still unpaid from the beginning, cuts were made to compensate losses.

Hopefully the city can get funding straightened out because it booms the hotel business seasonally for the city. On a good tennis note, the city has budgeted a complete renewal of the courts for the upcoming year. Happy Tennis!

Del Potro

Juan Martin Del Potro dominated former U.S. Open Champion and number one seed Andy Roddick in the final at Los Angeles 6-1, 7-6 played in UCLA. Del Potro has won his last three tournaments and 14 matches in a row. He is a young, lanky and awkward looking with long stringy arms at 6 foot 7. The guy's arms are so long that it is like he does not have to move much to cover the whole court. If you have ever watched Sharapova play LIVE they are similar because they both look too tall for tennis and move very awkwardly on court. Roddick couldn't hold serve in the first set and Del Potro was not phased at all by his monster service speeds. Roddick held his own in the second set until he got smoked in the tie-break. He was complaining at 4-1 in the first set about back pain which was probably more of a mental thing then a real thing. Allegedly Roddick beat Del Potro in a friendly set a day earlier 7-5. This is officially the second time I have seen Del Potro and the first time he was just god awful. This time he was not terrible but not great. Roddick looked like he took amphetamines before the match because he was twitching and looked so ancy in the first set it looked kind of scary and he eventually snapped by cracking his racquet which is always very cool in my book.

Roddick passed on the Olympics to prepare for the Open and I will be rooting for him. He reminds me of just another dude who is really good at tennis. Fish also had a decent run after being in the dumps in singles (winning in doubles though). I was hoping for a Fish Roddick final (all american) but this Argentinian kid (who should be playing soccer) was unstoppable and is continuing to climb the ranks.

TEAM USA

Olympic Tennis August 10 - 17
Olympic Green Tennis Center
Beijing, China
Men's Singles & Doubles
Women's Singles & Doubles

James Blake
Bryan Brothers
Sam Querrey
Robby Ginepri

Williams Sisters
Lindsay Davenport
Liezel Huber

The United States of America has participated in each edition of the Olympic Games, with the exception of the 1980 Games in Moscow, which it boycotted. It has hosted the Games on four previous occasions, in 1904 in St Louis, in 1932 and 1984 in Los Angeles and in 1996 in Atlanta.

Stamp Model

Olympic athletes don't get paid to do anything. Athletes tend to rake in endorsement deals after the Olympics. Ana Ivanovic is currently the second ranked women's tennis player in the world. Her native Serbia clearly believes she has more to accomplish, as an image of her was recently placed on a postage stamp in her home country in honor of the approaching Beijing Games.

Sharapova Out

Maria Sharapova, of Russia got medical treatment for her shoulder against Poland's Marta Domachowski during second round action at the Rogers Cup tennis match Wednesday, July 30, 2008 in Montreal. The three time grand slam winner announced she is pulling out of the Olympics and the US Open. She has a torn rotater cuff tendon and will go to Arizona to get rehab and treatment and strength work. I can relate to this because when I don't hit the gym enough and do maintenance on my muscles (especially my shoulders) they become weakened and loose and have a tendancy to tear and/or dislocate. In order to fix this, surgery or strengthening the shoulder muscles are required.

Amelia Sawgrass

I actually got to attend the Bausch and Laumb event that just past and got to sit front row right behind the players for nearly the whole tournament that Russian Maria Sharapova defeated rising star Dominika Cibulkova in the final. It's actually a really cool tournament and since I was sporting a Florida Gator Tennis shirt the ballboys loved it and hooked me up with the players drinks out of their hopper next to their chairs all tournament long. I met a lot of the WTA players and coaches because they would just walk around the tournament grounds like they were just watching the tournament. I even nearly persuaded Amelie Mauresmo and another American doubles girl to hit with me. It was not like the Cincinnati Masters where the players were more protected. It was like when Lincoln just walked around the community without security and anyone could approach him. The gossip around the tournament was that they were going to lose their prestige and not take any players in the top 10 next year because they were going to reduce the prize money from pressure of the WTA and that means only less ranked players would be playing in the tournament. In laymens terms, the tournament was going to be lame next year and this was the last good year to go.

An added twist hit the media recently and the Sawgrass Club in Ponte Vedra Beach is vying for the event. It would be a minor shame because the centre court at Amelia is one of the most beautiful sites and courts I have ever been to with a giant tree partially covering the stands and the court with the sun rising from the far side of the court early in the day. It was an incredibly great aesthitic view with great value. The tournament has been played in Amelia since 1980. The catch is to find a new sponsor to cough up at least 700,000 a year and sign at least a 3 year contract, which is what Bausch and Laumb was under for the past 22 years. This is not definite yet and I am sure Amelia will fight and hustle to keep the tourney but the word is out and PVB (Ponte Vedra Beach) is trying to make it happen and probably will.

Battistone Brothers

Dann, 31 and Brian, 28 Battistone, the flying doubles playing brothers who received wildcards at the ATP events in Newport, RI and Indianapolis, IN are getting a ton of publicity in the last month. The pair feature a running and jumping happy gilmore volleyball type serve, and both play with two-handled racquets, which are legal on the tour. These brothers are finally winning some professional tournaments in doubles tennis. They are playing with a revolutionary two handled racquet which is key to their 135mph volleyball type serve in which he leaps high in the air and smashes the ball.

I actually got the privilege of watching the brothers play doubles and singles with little to no crowd. I was able to speak to them after their match because I thought it was really odd to be playing with that racquet and thought he had some sort of disability because he was playing a really awkward game. He was crushing serves and jumping and hitting one handed forehands on each side and sometimes two handed on either side. There was no rhyme or reason to it I guess they were just playing on feel but the singles match I did watch in full was with the taller brother with the big serve who was playing I think it was a midget (seriously). So I was not sure if this was even a real match. It was at Wesley Chapel, Florida at a pro tournament that I tried to play in but had more fun socializing with these guys, Thomas Blake, and many others. I am not sure if this racquet will catch on but I when I saw them play I asked for one for free because no one was even watching the match much less was I going to be willing to pay for something so random looking. I then was going to buy it off of them but they wanted $200 so I said no thanks. I rarely pay for my racquets and if I pay for them it is a good deal. I told them I would send them business but they didnt really care so I took a card and their phone number and was on my way. Now eight months later they are in magazines, websites, winning, and galore. Good for them.

You can actually order one of these freakish racquets at http://www.naturaltennis.com/.

Battle of the Sexes

Steve Bellamy has done it again. Bellamy is a former rocker, musician, and now a tennis entrepreneur and a decent role model for anyone conducting business within the industry of tennis. Bellamy, Founder of the Tennis Channel and a lot of other cool stuff, is hosting a tennis tournament in Los Angeles and it is an idea that I absolutely love. The event is today from 3pm-6pm West Coast time so pack a bag if you're game right now.

Players like Tommy Haas, Vincent Spadea, Sam Querrey, Donald Young, Ashley Harkleroad and Alexandra Stevenson are competing in the inagural tournament called the Shotgun 21 World Champiosnhips, where men and women will play each other. It will be a one-day tournament lasting less than 3 hours and offers a purse of more than 20K in prize money, and 10K going to the champ with a limited edition Fender Stratocaster. There is a 32 player draw with 28 selected and a qualifier for the bottom 4 spots that is open to the public at the Palisades Tennis Center.

The rules are different and are genius in my opinion. No overhand serve, second serves or lets, and the winner is the first to 21 with no ad or deuce scoring. It is not win by 2 either, just first one to 21, keeping it simple. All serving is drop hit from below the waist. The players in the field include celebs like Gavin Rossdale, Sara Foster and others. Haas is the obvious favorite to win this but it will not be easy since he cannot serve regularly. Women are just as consistent as men and generally keep the ball in play longer off the ground which is why the rules level the playing field.

The first tournament where men and women played each other was in 1973 in a match between old washed up and retired sugar daddy Bobby Riggs and superstar Billie Jean King at the peak of her game who won easily in three straight sets.

Tennis Wise

WHERE WAS THIS PHOTO TAKEN?

10-4 Roger's Out

The obvious and big story in tennis today is that Roger is on his way out. The big Fed is about to lose his reign as number that he held now for 235 weeks. That is a long, long, time. There are only 52 weeks in a year. With a brutal loss to Ivo Karolovic the tallest man in tennis in a third set tiebreak has to be crushing and demoralizing for him. I was fortunate enough to attend this tournament last year and Fed won it by a landslide ripping Blake in the final. His game has gone for bad to worse and bad just skipped town.

Here is the deal...If Nadal reaches the semifinal he will be the eventual number one. If he wins at Cincy he will be number next Monday. If he reaches the final he will be number one the following week. Players lose points from last year because the calendar rankings shift as the year goes on. Even a semifinal will gaurantee Nadal the number one spot after the Olympics no matter how either of them do at the Olympics. It is inevitable. Say hello to the new champ in tennis. I have a feeling he won't let it go for a very long time.

In a press conference at Cincy Fed was asked about the possibility of losing his No. 1 ranking, Federer said, "I don't care."

Hard Courts

Rafael Nadal criticized the ATP on Thursday for promoting a court surface he said was the toughest on the players' bodies. The Spaniard said the sport's governing body was not paying enough attention to the effect of hard courts on injuries.

The top management of the ATP are always thinking about playing more tournaments on this kind of surface. It's not good because if you look at the locker room and the trainers' room, everybody has problems. It's the hardest surface on the body for sure. Not everyone has the same injury but a lot of players have problems in the knees and feet. Everybody is taped up. Five of the nine Masters Series are hard court tournaments and so are two of the four Grand Slams, although Grand Slams are not part of the ATP Tour. Of the 52 tournaments below Masters Series status, 26 are on hard courts (eight indoors) but players usually feel they cannot afford to miss them as they build up to playing in the bigger events on the surface.

Get A Real Job

I feel the need to address this issue. I did go to law school for a year before realizing that I didnt agree with any of it, but it was there that I was taught what an issue is. An issue is more or less a question. The second step after an issue is to apply a rule. Once the rule is applied it is necessary to apply the analysis and then draw a conclusion. It simple terms or laymans terms...we must locate an issue, apply the rule, make an analysis of applying the rule to the facts and the issue, then come to a conclusion.

Issue - Rule - Analysis - Conclusion

I have been in the tennis industry also known as the "service industry" for long enough now to have heard it all. Over and over again I am asked these infamous words...when are you going to get a real job? This makes me laugh and sad at the same time because my first thought is...is this a fake job? My father did work for 25 years in a 9-5 job in a shirt and tie. He coached all of my sports teams and made a lot of money. Is that a real job? I dont know, but that is what they say is. I have read about billionaires who have never attended a business meeting in anything more than jeans and a t-shirt so is it about the clothes or not? Maybe its the shoes...Anywho, I have been asked this plenty of times and one time it got to me. Well let me rephrase that, it always gets to me. I thought, damn I should get a real job so one time I went on 7 interviews with a major financial company. These people were fat, overpaid, boring, no personality and lame. I tried desperately to gel with these people but I dont think its in my cards. Here we go...The issue is whether or not a tennis pro is a real job. What is the rule? Im not really sure what the rule is for this one and I dont really care. I guess it just comes down to the money game. What I do know is that I love what I do and it is called a passion. People have jobs they hate all the time and do it to conform to society. Maybe one day that will be true for me but I dont think so. So for all those people who say get a real job...well *&^*&%& you!

Macau

Roger and Bjorn plan to team up for a special doubles event in November, possibly against the men who ended their famous Wimbledon streaks. They will face McEnroe and either Rafa or Blake at the Venetian Macau Tennis Showdown on November 20th in a Tour of Champions Event. Roger and Bjorn each won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles. Nadal ended Feds run this month and McEnroe snapped Borg's in 1981. McEnroe's partner will come from the country that loses the Davis Cup semifinal between US and Spain in September. The showdown will start with a one set match between Borg and McEnroe, followed by a best of three set between Fed and Nadal or Blake. The two set doubles match will be decided by a 10 point tie break if necessary.

Gator Bait

Not completely tennis related but The University of Florida has been named the No. 1 party school in the nation. The rankings come out each year from the Princeton Review and this is the first time the state's flagship university has been named in the top spot. The Gators came close in 1999 when the school was No. 2 and 1998, when it was third. It was fourth last year.Florida also came in first this year in the categories of students who study the least and students who pack the stadiums.

The only other Florida school making the list was Florida State, which ranked 10th.The rankings come from the 2009 edition of the Princeton Review's annual college guide, "The Best 368 Colleges," which goes on sale Tuesday.