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U.S. Davis Cup: Backs to the Wall in the Balkans

U.S. Davis Cup:  Backs to the Wall in the Balkans

From Daviscup.com:  Novak Djokovic confirmed Serbia’s dominance over USA by beating Sam Querrey at the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group first round tie in Belgrade.
Playing in front of a passionate home crowd, Djokovic handed his team a commanding 2-0 lead on Friday. Despite a spirited fight back from Querrey in the third set, [...]

U.S. and Serbia Show Down Starts Friday

U.S. and Serbia Show Down Starts Friday

The Winter Olympics are over, but the Davis Cup, an event that has become more obscure than curling, has just begun.  To win, the U.S. has to get victories from John Isner and Sam Querrey over Victor Troicki, because they won’t be Novak Djokovic on clay.  The draw is out, with Isner making his Davis Cup [...]

“Ridiculous Hands” — Top Alabama Junior’s Take on the U.S. Davis Cup Team

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 [...]

American Young Guns to Get Chance at Davis Cup in Serbia

American Young Guns to Get Chance at Davis Cup in Serbia

A new era for American Davis Cup has begun, and it will be up to John Isner and Sam Querrey to step up and fill the shoes of long-time Davis Cuppers Andy Roddick and James Blake who are sitting out the competition this year.   The tall twosome — Isner is 6′9″ an Querey 6′6″ — have a [...]

American Siblings Dominate Doubles

American Siblings Dominate Doubles

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 [...]

Gambling and Pro Tennis — The Human Dog Track of the Future

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 [...]

Cilic Outserves, Outlasts Roddick — A T.O. Jinx?

Cilic Outserves, Outlasts Roddick -- A T.O. Jinx?

Marin Cilic served 20 aces to Andy Roddick’s 15, and although Roddick fought back from a two-set deficit to push it to a fifth, the lanky 21-year-old Croat came out on top in the quarters of the Australian Open, knocking Roddick out of the first Grand Slam of the year.
I have to think Terrell Owens jaunt [...]

Roddick Fights Back, Isner Cut Down

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 [...]

Red Hot Americans Roll on in Australian Open

The big servers with the big streaks came through on Friday in Australia.    John Isner started strong and finished well in the tiebreakers to beat Gael Monfils in four sets, and Andy Roddick survived a tough four-setter against Feliciano Lopez, placing each in the round of 16.
Roddick has been here many times before, but this [...]

Cramps, Cypriots and Agassi-Book Connections at the Australian Open

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 [...]