This year thus far has been the breakout year for John Isner – winning his first ATP title, reaching the round of 16 in Australia, and making a heroic Davis Cup debut this weekend in which he played all three days, including a great effort as a last-minute sub in the doubles and a valiant five-set [...]

Sam Cissell, recently named by the USTA as Alabama’s junior player of the year, also has the distinction of having been across the net from three-fourths of the U.S. Davis Cup team that plays in Serbia later this week.   The 16-year-old Cissell and friend Andrew Crumm last year won a doubles tournament that gave them the opportunity to [...]

Lost in much of the coverage of Federer the Great and Serena’s win in singles in the Australian Open were the feats by two sets of American siblings:  twins Bob and Mike Bryan won their eighth Grand Slam title, and Serena and Venus Williams won their 11th.  Americans may not win many singles titles these days, but [...]

I doubt most readers of this blog have been to an American dog track, where greyhounds run a frantic loop chasing an electronic rabbit that scoots along the rail.  In Sarasota, Fla., the announcer starts each race with a fevered, “Here comes lucky!” the dogs take off, and hundreds if not thousands of fans hold their [...]

If you think American tennis has had a long Grand Slam drought, consider Poland.  Stefan Dombrowski has the story here.

Andy Roddick fought back deep in the fourth set and dominated the fifth to overcome Fernando Gonzalez and his rowdy Chilean fans in Melbourne.  The biggest point of the match was a Roddick shot at set point that was called out but the review overruled and deemed it good, much to Gonzalez’s dismay, who had let the [...]

A very entertaining match last night/today in Melbourne:  An inspired and later cramping Marcos Baghdatis came back from two sets down to beat David Ferrer, cheered on by a singing band of flag-waving compatriots from his home country of Cyprus.  Baghdatis struggled through the final game, fighting a cramp in his left leg, and hopped and [...]

Ladies, Gentleman and others, Presenting Brian Long, champion of the first annual ECEGVTCRRI (Elvis Christmas Eve Green Valley Tennis Club Round Robin Doubles Invitational), and his trophy, the 1970 Elvis Christmas Album which he will have to defend in 2010.

Perhaps I’m writing a blog about men’s tennis in the wrong language.  Spain on Saturday won their fourth Davis Cup in this decade, securing their grasp on the claim on the world’s best tennis country of this century.  When you consider the Davis Cup quartet combined with the year-end rankings of nine players in the world’s top 50, [...]

Beyond the stories of crystal meth and his mullet toupee, here is the serious tennis fan’s summary of what Andre has to say:  His dad was an insane tyrant (this is the most convincing, believable part of the book); Nick Bollettieri took over as warden/slave driver (and doesn’t really know jack about tennis strategy or coaching); Pete Sampras [...]