Kramer Memorial Today,
Amazing Date Through to Korea Final
Mal
Taam/MALTphotoAnabel Medina Garrigues looks
to keep Kimiko Date Krumm
from winning in Korea.SEPTEMBER
26 - It’s quite a notable
Saturday in the tennis world, with a large memorial being held at the
Straus Stadium at UCLA for Jack Kramer, and 38-year-old Kimiko
Date Krumm beating Maria Kirilenko 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 to reach
the final of Korea.
Plenty of tennis notables will be on hand for the Kramer memorial,
which will celebrate the life and times of the sport’s most
notable, and at times, most powerful male. Scheduled to attend and
speak are the LA Times’ Bill Dwyre, Pam Shriver, Tracy
Austin, Jim Curley, Donald Dell, Bill Kellogg, Eddie Merrins, Charlie
Pasarell, Barry MacKay, Inside Tennis’ Bill
Simons, as well as the Kramer family members.
Here’s a classic quote from Big Jake (Kramer), certainly one
of the best players ever: “People always ask me, could you
guys beat the kids today? I say, could they have played with us?
The kids today are sprinters. Our breeding was for the tougher distances."
Major props have to go out to Date, who not only wore down the scrappy
Kirilenko, but earlier in the weeks, bested Alisa Kleybanova and
Daniel Hantuchova after not have won a tour level match in her comeback.
She’ll face Anabel Medina Garrigues, who beat
Anna-Lena Groenefeld 2-6, 6-3, 6-1, and look become the second-oldest
player in the Open Era to win a singles title, after Billie Jean
King, who won Birmingham in 1983 at 39. Paradorn Schrichaphan has asked for a doubles wildcard
into Bangkok. He’s been sidelined for more than two years because
injuries....The frequently injured Joachim Johansson has
received a wildcard into Kuala Lumpur... Roger Federer pulled
out of Tokyo and the Masters Series Shanghai, which must have thrilled
the organizers of that new mandatory event. Facing fines and the loss
of points for not playing the so-called mandatory tour level events
is irrelevant to the stars. Always has been, always will be…Akgul
Amanmuradova and Shahar Peer will face off in the Tashkent
Open final…. Gael Monfils (a 6-4 6-3 winner
over Richard Gasquet) and Philipp Kohlschreiber will
play in the Metz final; while in Romania, Juan Monaco and Albert
Montanes will tee it up.
Spain v. Switzerland, US v. Serbia in
2010 Davis Cup WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 - The first round
of the 2010 Davis Cup World Group couldn't be more intriguing.
Archrivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer could go head to head as
Spain was drawn to face Switzerland at home March 5-7.
The US received a very difficult draw, as it will have to travel
to Novak Djokovic's homeland to face off against Serbia. It's the
first time the two nations have met and while top American Andy Roddick
has beaten Novak Djokovic in their last three meetings, none have
been on clay, a surface Serbia may very well choose as it has proven
to be the US’ Achilles Heel on a number of occasions. Serbia
has two competent No. 2 players in Janko Tipsarevic and up and comer
Victor Troicki, while US captain Patrick McEnroe might choose one
of his younger guns, Sam Querrey or John Isner, ahead of the declining
James Blake. The Bryan Brothers, who are former Roland Garros champs,
will have the edge in doubles against whomever they face.
Spain, which just beat Israel at home in the semis and have the upcoming
final at home against the Czechs, has received some very fortunate
draws over the years. Captain Albert Costa has to be quite pleased
that he will get a chance to pour out the red clay to potentially
welcome Federer and Stan Wawrinka with his phalanx of excellent dirtballers.
However, reigning Roland Garros champ Federer is stronger than anyone
Spain can trot out outside of Nadal, and Wawrinka has had excellent
success on the surface, too, so by any measure, should Federer compete – and
he has yet to commit to the tie – it should be a bang up tie.
France, which is led by Jo Tsonga, will host Germany, which will
surely play Philipp Kohlschreiber and maybe Tommy Haas. The Czech
Republic will face Belgium, while India will have to travel to Russia,
which will be without its spiritual leader, Marat Safin, who will
be retired by then. Argentina and USO champ Juan Martin del Potro
will head to Robin Soderling’s Sweden, while Israel will go
to Chile, and Ecuador heads to Croatia.
U.S. Open champ Kim Clijsters welcomed her old rival Justine Henin
back by saying, "Justine worked really hard in the past to achieve
great results that she recorded in her first career. For tennis it
is brilliant that she's back."
Former No. 1 Henin has confirmed her return to play in 2010, telling
Belgian TV: "These 15 months have been enriching... and then
there is a flame that rekindled. I thought it was extinguished forever." She
added that
Clijsters success in winning the U.S. Open in the third tournament
of her return “subconsciously it might have had an impact,
but it certainly was not the most important reason."
Notable winners in Metz were: Paul-Henri Mathieu, Kohlschreiber,
Sebastien Grosjean and Michael Llodra. Alberto Montanes won in Romania,
but Andrei Pavel fell in his final match in competition. He’ll
retire and might start and academy in Arizona…Winners in Korea
were Daniela Hantuchova, Kimiko Date Krumm, Anna-Lena Groenefeld,
Anabel Medina and Magdalena Rybarikova. Lum
photoJustine Henin: The
return of a legend still in the making.Allez
Cmon! Henin to Return in 2010
TUESDAY, SEPT 23 - Seven-time Grand Slam champ Justine
Henin will return to the tour in January, less than two
years after she retired due to burnout>
"I think it is a good choice, a big decision in my life," the 27-year-old
Belgian told Belgian TV on Tuesday. "The past 15 months I have been able
to recharge my physical batteries, mental batteries (and) emotional batteries.
The aim is to return (to the tour) in January in Australia. In any case it
will be during the 2010 season."
Henin, who retired in May 2008 and immediately gave up her top ranking,
said she was inspired by the comeback of Belgian compatriot Kim
Clijsters, her former Fed Cup teammate and often bitter rival
who won the U.S. Open just six weeks after she returned to competition
post having her first child. "Returning at that level so fast is
something I respect enormously," said Henin. The word off the court
is that Henin’s former coach, Carlos Rodriguez, will
rejoin her.
Henin to announce comeback Tuesday?
MONDAY, SEPT 22 - Belgian newspapers are reporting
that Justine Henin will announce her comeback on Tuesday,
which comes as no surprise as like her former Fed Cup teammate, Kim
Clijsters, Henin burned to compete year after year and really only
needed a break to emotionally and physically heal after a decade or
so of draining competition…Not surprisingly, Rafa Nadal pulled
out of Bangkok with his abdominal injury, which some say will take
a full 30 days to heal….The WTA had two surprise winners on Sunday,
when veteran Melinda Czink won her first title by
besting Lucie Safarova 4-6, 6-3, 7- 5 in Quebec, and Shahar
Peer took Guangzhou by besting Alberta Brianti 6-3, 6-4. ..Alicia
Molik, 28, returned to singles play and won a $25,000 ITF
event in Darwin, Australia. Molik retired last September before deciding
this summer to make a comeback. Taylor Dent won the
Oklahoma Challenger and rose to No. 122.
KARLOVIC DOESN'T COME UP ACES AGAINST STEPANEK
FRIDAY, SEPT. 18 - Leave it to Ivo Karlovic to fire a record 78 aces
and still lose. The towering Croat went down to the heroic Czech
Radek Stepanek 6-7(5) 7-6(5) 7-6(6) 6-7(2) 16-14 in five hours, and
59 minutes in a Davis Cup World Group semi in Porec, Croatia.
“It was like a lottery and I managed to seize my chances,"
said Stepanek. “It was a long and exhausting match but when you
play for your country it's worth it. It wouldn't matter if it lasted
for another few hours."
In the other World Group semifinal in Spain, Juan Carlos Ferrero and
David Ferrer gave the home nation a 2-0 lead over Israel. Playing on
clay, Ferrero seared Dudi Sela 6-4, 6-2, 6-0 after Ferrer blasted Harel
Levy 6-1, 6-4, 6-3. "We have a team that can perform well on any
surface but of course we feel more at home on clay,” Ferrero said.
Tommy Robredo and Feliciano Lopez will take on Jonathan Erlich and Andy
Ram on Saturday.
In play-off ties, Stanislas Wawrinka and Roger Federer both scored straight
set victories to put Switzerland up 2-0 over Italy. The Netherlands and
France are locked at 1-1 as Thiemo de Bakker (over Gael Monfils) and
Jo Tsonga both pulled off wins. Belgium leads the Ukraine 2-0, India
leads South Africa 2-0, Serbia leads Uzbekistan 2-0, and Romania and
Sweden are locked at 1-1. In a Euro/Africa Zone Group I play-off, Britaina
and Poalnd are squared at 1-1 as Andy Murray beat Michal Przysiezny 6-4,
6-2, 6-4 and Jerzy Janowicz took out 19-year-old Dan Evans 6-3, 6-3,
7-6(5).
