Blake, Nalbandian, Tsonga Still Alive for Shanghai

By Matthew Cronin, TennisReporters.net

Kantarian Leaving the USTA; ATP Job Next?
THURSDAY, OCT. 30 - Arlen Kantarian, the hard-charging CEO of Professional Tennis, announced today that he is leaving the USTA after nine years.
Sources said that Kantarian, who has expressed interest in the open ATP CEO and Chairman's job(s), was frustrated that he wasn't able to convince the board of directors to give him a substantial raise, as well as take a more entrepreneurial approach. While the former NFL and Radio City executive had a number of allies on the board of directors, he was said to be at odds with Executive Director Gordon Smith as well as some other high-level USTA activists. Some sectional and national officials also weren't pleased that a large amount of the USTA's resources were going toward professional tennis and Player Development, while grassroots funding was suffering.
Without question, since he joined the USTA in March, 2000, the ambitious Kantarian spearheaded tremendous growth for the USTA, increasing the revenues of the US Open by 80%. This year, the tournament raked in more than $200 million. A marketing wizard, Kantarian also played a significant role in the creation of the US Open Series, the introduction of instant replay, the prime-time US Open women's final and jazzed up the tournament as a whole. With Kantarian at the helm, the US Open became a must-attend event for even non- tennis fans, even though there are those who complain that the tournament is being over-sold.
He, along with his friend, former USTA president Franklin Johnson, also lead the USTA in successfully acquiring a portion of the Indian Wells , Cincinnati and New Haven tournaments, and were key in defending the US's tournament turf against hungry foreign investors who sought to move the events overseas. Under Kantarian and his allies, the USTA became once again a major power player in the sport internationally. Most recently, Kantarian oversaw the launch of the USTA's new Elite Player Development program, took a title in the department himself, and hired Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe to lead the effort. Kantarian is said to be intrigued by the ATP job as he wants to see just how popular the sport can be internationally. He is also exploring an opportunity outside of tennis.
"I have enjoyed one of the finest rides in sports and entertainment for the last 25 years - with the NFL, Radio City, and the USTA," said Kantarian, who will work through the end of the year helping in the transition phase. . "We have now accomplished all that we set out to do at the USTA, and I attribute that to one of the finest staffs in the business. The best time to move on is when the business is at an all-time high, and a solid foundation has been built for the future. I have no doubt the US Open, Olympus US Open Series, and the sport of tennis will continue to prosper and grow. Meanwhile, I am committed to working with the USTA to ensure a successful transition. And then, some time off with family before taking on the next challenge."

Say It’s So, Jo
SUNDAY, NOV. 2 - After he reinjured his right knee in May, it appeared possible that Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga could be just a flash in the pan, one of those extraordinary athletes who catches fire for a couple, of weeks and then finds himself back on the operating table without a realistic hope of duplicating his effort.
But Tsonga has more than proved that contention wrong over the past two months, coming back at the US Open and gradually regaining his footing and rhythm. On Sunday, he came alive once again, capping off a tremendous week in Bercy by winning his first Masters Series in Paris when he overcame the in-from Argentine David Nalbandian 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the final to clinch the last qualifying spot at the Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai.
The 23-year-old Frenchman, who also beat Andy Roddick and James Blake in Bercy, joined Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Nikolay Davydenko, Andy Roddick and Juan Martin del Potro as the eight players who will compete in the Masters Cup, which will start on Nov. 9.
After winning the contest when Nalbandian missed an easy backhand, and the always emotional Tsonga broke down in tears in front of a celebratory crowd. "It wraps up a very rich season for me,” said Tsonga, who fired 25 aces in the two hour match. “I played very well. The icing on the cake will be Shanghai.”
Tsonga served big, crushed his forehand and moved extremely well against the cagey Nalbandian, who would have qualified for Shanghai had he won the title.
Nalbandian's season is not over yet as he will play the Nov. 21-23 Davis Cup final with Del Potro against Spain in Mar del Plata, Argentina. "I am very happy to play this Davis Cup final, especially in Argentine," said Nalbandian.
With compatriot Gilles Simon ranked ninth and Tsonga seventh, France has two players in the top 10 for the first time since Yannick Noah and Henri Leconte in 1988.
The net-rushing Tsonga gave credit to his parents for giving him discipline, even though he hasn’t always been the hardest worker on tour. "My parents taught me not to complain, to always go forward," said Tsonga, who has a French mother, Evelyne, and a Congolese father, Didier "They taught me to always finish what I had on my plate. It seems ridiculous but these are little things that in the end make you stronger. I've got a bit of the eccentricity of Africa and a bit of Western calm. I love being able to pass from a feeling of euphoria to one of calm and serenity. I have both origins running through my blood. Sometimes, when I look at my mother, I can think 'well, you are on the court, stay calm, pick yourself up and go ahead."
While the men qualified a player for their round robin in China, the WTA qualified an alternate when Nadia Petrova beat Bethanie Mattek 4-6, 6-4, 6-at Tier III Quebec City.

Cynthia Lum/
WireImage.com
Nalby is Mr. Fall. A Perfect ATP Ending
SATURDAY, NOV. 1 - When the ATP decided to go with a points race to determine which eight men would qualify for its season-ending Championships, it only dared to dream that the final qualifier would be determined in the last match of the regular season. This year, the validity and the excitement of the race has never been higher, as TMS Paris has meant all that it could during its existence as on Sunday, the cankerous Mr. Fall, David Nalbandian of Argentina, will take on the leaping and personality–laden Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France in the final.
The winner of that match will secure the last Masters Cup spot, with Juan Martin Del Potro automatically qualifying after the inspiring Tsonga advanced with a 6-4, 6-3 defeat of James Blake. If if he had won the match, Blake would have qualified, but his mediocre season has now been concluded. Tsonga destroyed the American coalition in just over 24 hours, pocketing a dramatic 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(5) victory over Andy Roddick in the quarters and then thundering his way past Blake. Without a doubt, Tsonga is the most explosive and capable player France has on the male side since Yannick Noah. While his friend Richard Gasquet certainly has just as many weapons, he lacks Big Jo’s love of the fight and athleticism. France has a real threat on its hands and like he showed in reaching the Aussie Open final, if Tsonga can stay fit, he all the ingredients to become a top-5 player for the next few years.
"It's crazy. I'm there. In spite of the three hours (spent on court) yesterday I told myself 'I'm not tired, I'm strong'," said Tsonga, who needed almost three hours to beat Roddick. "I was lucky I broke serve early in both sets. Then I could just concentrate on my service games. I did not expect to play so well today. I hope I'll play another great match tomorrow."
Nalbandian has been there and done that and has some physical issues of his own. The odd thing with the often muted, occasionally boisterous Argentine is that he seems to click in during the fall, while many others fade. Perhaps it’s because there are no Slams post the US Open and he really doesn’t like the pressure of playing on the world’s four biggest stages. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t like playing as much in the wind and the sunshine as he does under artificial light with the predicable bounces of the ball that you get indoors. Maybe it’s his biorhythm, where his energy level takes a jump in October and November and dips during the other months of the year.
Whatever the case, he’s had done a great job this week of attempting to defend his title, knocking off the red hot Andy Murray and then winning a mental battle over the tricky Nikolay Davydenko 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 on Saturday. Even though Nalbandian is sure to up an immense wall in attempting win Bercy back to back, he still has not made up his mind as to whether he will travel to Shanghai if he wins on Sunday. The Davis Cup final seems to be taking on more importance. "I'm weighing the pros and cons," said the Argentine.