Williamses still first family of U.S. tennis

The future of American tennis might be the likes of Coco Vandeweghe, a 15-year-old playing in the junior division of the U.S. Open yesterday. The sport could use a bright personality who has a big serve (120 miles per hour), big name (her grandfather and uncle played for the Knicks) and big dreams.

“I want to be No. 1 in the world,” said the teenage Long Island native who once was a 5-year-old wrestling champion in Locust Valley, beating the boys.But the future is a pretty good way off, considering Vandeweghe didn’t even qualify for the main draw. She still is too shy to say a spontaneous “hi” to one of the two players who represent the recent past and present of American tennis.

Once, she ran across Serena Williams and needed someone to introduce her. “She was very nice,” Vandeweghe said.Serena and her sister Venus still are the heart and soul of the game around here – male or female – and the sport needs every ounce of them it can get. And that’s not always all that much.

The two took hold of Arthur Ashe Stadium yesterday, each pummeling a solid opponent and generating electricity like no one else can. “When we walked on the court, it was amazing how much support she got,” said Ana Ivanovic, who lost to Venus, 6-4, 6-2, late yesterday afternoon.

“Well, you know, I like the entertainment, of course,” said Marion Bartoli, who lost to Serena, 6-3, 6-4, early in the afternoon. “When they play some tough matches against some top players . . . the electricity and the battle going on, it’s really exciting to watch.”

No one can dispute that. Certainly not the 23 million Americans who watched the Williamses in the first-ever prime time U.S. Open women’s final six years ago, a TV audience that beat a Nebraska-Notre Dame football game that night.

The problem is that there isn’t a Williams somewhere near the final of every tournament every week. Tennis has gaping dry spots between majors because the sisters don’t play much and no one else can pick up the slack.

Go ahead, name another American man or woman who will make you tune in to a tennis match. Serena and Venus aren’t as good or as big as Tiger Woods is, but they do make you raise the comparison.

Golf and tennis both have trouble getting the big guns interested in anything but the majors. Players are so accomplished and wealthy, they don’t have to show up at the Anywhere Invitational.

Serena and Venus are seeded 8 and 12 here, respectively, because they have not played enough lately to be 1 and 2. Each has won a Grand Slam event this season (Australian Open and Wimbledon, respectively), then each missed time because of an injury (Serena’s thumb, Venus’ wrist).

But each also is chronically distracted by all kinds of things, such as designing clothes and being celebrities. Serena tacitly admitted that yesterday when she talked about her thumb injury: “I felt like, you know, I finally dedicate myself and this happens.”

Concentration is not always Serena’s strong suit. During her news conference yesterday, she forgot a comment she had made about three minutes earlier. “Oh, I can’t keep up with what I say on a daily basis. I might have just been jabbering at my lips,” she said.

Still, this Open is getting interesting enough to keep anyone’s attention, even Venus and Serena. Each got stronger during her match yesterday.
Tennis needs stars who can inspire a New York bus driver to stop his vehicle, jump out and run to meet them (true story from a Williams shopping jaunt this week).

Glamour will get a nice welcome at any tour stop. Maybe that will eventually come from Vandeweghe, who has decided (with her father’s blessing) to go with the maiden name of her mom, Tauna, a former Olympic swimmer. Smart move. Who would be noticing a kid named Coco O’Shea?

Coco, who moved to San Diego nine years ago, has stories to tell. She learned how to box out from grandpa Ernie. She learned how to wear high heels from her grandma, the former Colleen Hutchins, Miss America, 1952. “Heel to toe,” the young Vandeweghe said, “shoulders back. Look like you own the place.”

Tennis-Mirza’s grand slam disappointment continues

NEW YORK, Sept 1 (Reuters) – Sania Mirza’s grand slam disappointment continued when she was ousted from the U.S. Open in straight sets by Anna Chakvetadze on Saturday.

The Russian sixth seed needed only 53 minutes to defeat Mirza 6-2 6-3 and remain unbeaten in four career meetings against India’s top player.”I didn’t play an ugly match,” said the 26th seed Mirza. “It was just she didn’t allow me to play well. I was always on the move. I was always running.

“She was very rarely running. She was dictating play. I like to dictate play. That’s how I play. When I can’t do that I start putting pressure on myself.”Mirza, who has largely failed to live up to her billing since turning pro in 2003, landed only 48 percent of her first serves and had only nine winners.

Chakvetadze blasted only three aces but kept the 20-year-old Mirza off-balance by mixing up her serves while connecting on 65 percent of her first attempts.

RIGHT THINGS

“I think she served really well,” said Mirza, who used to play doubles with Chakvetadze when they were juniors. “She improved her serve in the last month.” “She’s very hard to play for a lot of players. I feel like I’m not doing the right things. I’m playing like she wants me to play.

“I had to do something different to play her and I didn’t.”Mirza has reached the fourth round of a grand slam tournament only once, the 2005 U.S. Open. She bristled when questioned about her record in the majors.

“I just lost to a player that is top 10 in the world,” she said. “I don’t think I have to worry too much about it. It’s the third round of a slam. It’s not easy.”In the last six or seven weeks I lost to three or four top 10 players everytime I’ve lost a match. You are going to meet those kind of players in a slam.

“Yes, you have to find a way to win but there are very few grand slam champions and very few grand slam finalists.”

Second Seed Nadal Advances at US Tennis Open

Men’s second seed Rafael Nadal of Spain has reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York. Nadal posted 7-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory Sunday against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France.The Spaniard will next play 15th-seeded compatriot David Ferrer, who was stretched to five sets before advancing past David Nalbandian of Argentina, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6, 7-5.

Three other matches also ended as five-set marathons. Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina, seeded 20th, upended 12th-seeded Croatian Ivan Ljubicic, 6-4, 6-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland defeated American Robby Ginepri, 5-7, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Spaniard Carlos Moya survived Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4.

Juan Monaco of Argentina had an easier win over compatriot Agustin Calleri, 7-6, 6-2, 6-4.

The day’s biggest surprise in men’s singles action came in the final match when 88th ranked Ernests Gulbis of Latvia easily ousted eighth seeded Tommy Robredo or Spain 6-1, 6-3, 6-2.

Third seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia also breezed into the fourth round with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 win over Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro.

Among the women, American Serena Williams has reached the quarterfinal round. Eighth-seeded Williams posted a relatively easy 6-3, 6-4 victory over 10th-seeded Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli.

After Serena won, her older sister Venus Williams also advanced. Twelfth-seeded Venus upset number-five Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, 6-4, 6-2. Top-seeded Justine Henin of Belgium swept past Russian Dinara Safina, 6-0, 6-2.

And third seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia needed three sets to get by 19th seeded Sybille Bammer of Germany 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.

Meet The Men Saving Indian Cricket

 They say that Kapil Dev’s Indian Cricket League will live or die on the quality of the stars it manages to attract. Some of the names being touted about make the competition a mouth-watering prospect for any cricket fan…

Bruce Wallop, Australia

Recently-retired Aussie Test stalwart who gave up international cricket to spend more time with his family. Excited about the ICL and ‘the prospect of spending more time with his money’.

Lance Ordinary, New Zealand

Massively exciting lower-middle order bat and there-or-thereabouts trundler who is sure to become a folk hero if he replicates his ODI form. During his career, Ordinary plundered 357 runs in 95 matches at an average of 4 and with a turnstile-ticking strike rate of nearly 21. Took four wickets in a match on no fewer than zero occasions.

Bakkies van der Bung, South Africa

Controversial twirlyman and entrepreneur forced into retirement due to a ‘misunderstanding’ with a bookmaker, an over of 47 wides that cost his country an ODI against the Ivory Coast and a satchel full of used notes. Says ‘he couldn’t resist this exciting opportunity.’

Faisal al-Greedy, Pakistan

Devout Muslim who is participating in the tournament for the greater glory of Allah and not in any way because there’s a load of cash on offer.

Cuthbert Feetup, West Indies

Former Caribbean batting great who has slightly let himself go in the fitness department since his early Eighties pomp. Has to bat with (and be carried to the crease by) a runner due to his 24 stone frame, but declares himself ‘very excited about all the naan bread opportunities on offer.’

Kevin Chirpy, England

Traditional English bits-and-pieces joker signed up to add ‘a bit of character’ to the competition – i.e. hilarious impressions of Wasim Akram’s batting stance, Ravi Shastri’s moustache, Shilpa Shetty’s off-spin etc. May yet pull out of the ICL to take partner Jade Goody in Celebrity Big Brother Hairdressing On Ice.

Brad Brett, Australia

Massively talented Queenslander who is quite literally a household name in his house in Queensland. The least well-known of the three Brett cricketing brothers, he was signed at the last minute when older brothers Brad and Brad turned down the chance.

Garth Niggle, Australia

Former Aussie pace bowling great whose capture has been a huge PR coup for the ICL, although there have been concerns that his 36-year-old knees (the result of a transplant in 1971; Niggle himself is actually 56) may not be up to it. Stop press: Niggle had to withdraw due to a side strain he picked up while signing his ICL contract.

BCCI to reveal Twenty20 plans in 10-15 days: Pawar

Leeds, Sept. 3 (PTI): Turning the heat on the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL), BCCI President Sharad Pawar said the Board would announce its own Twenty20 plans in the next 10-15 days.

Pawar, who watched India beat England in the fifth one-dayer here at Headingley yesterday, derided ICL, calling it a “purely commercial proposition” and said the Board would soon make its own Twenty20 plans public.

“The BCCI has been working for the past two years on this tournament that will involve current players, new-comers, retired players and foreign players. We will be announcing our plans in the next 10-15 days,” he said.

Pawar also dismissed ICL as an outright business venture and dismissed any potential threats from the breakaway league.

“We don’t see any threat from the ICL,” he asserted, adding “The ICL is a purely commercial proposition. It doesn’t do what the BCCI does for cricket at all levels in India.”

The BCCI chief also repeated the warning to defecting players that joining ICL would close the Team India door for them.

“The players associated with the BCCI have to choose in which direction they want to go,” he said.

Happy with the way Team India is performing in the absence of a permanent coach, Pawar, said the Board was not in a hurry to fill the void left by Greg Chappell, especially with bowling and fielding coach Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh doing a decent job.

“Our experience with the present team of two coaches, one for fielding and one for bowling, together with the senior players is that it has delivered good results and we are happy with that,” he said.

Murali’s manager denies ICL link

Muttiah Muralitharan’s manager Kushil Gunasekera insists the Sri Lanka spinner has “absolutely no reason” to sign up for the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL).

Kushil Gunasekera claims Murali is “angry” at reports linking him with the breakaway league and remains fully committed to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).

“Murali was surprised and angry as to how and why his name has been linked with ICL at this stage,” said Gunasekera. “He categorically denied the report.

“He is still a contracted player with Sri Lanka Cricket and his priorities are to play for his country. There is absolutely no reason for him to sign with ICL.”