Tennis Random, Random

[JTContinental]

And now for something completely different:

http://www.thetennisspace.com/opinio...-uncle-dmitry/

[Ti-Amie]

The 2013 WTA Calendar showing the new tournaments in Brazil.

http://www.wtatennis.com/SEWTATour-A...endar_2013.pdf

[Ti-Amie]

...The French Tennis Federation has just announced that the new Davis Cup captain will not be announced before the end of the summer. This does not come as a surprise,since finding a captain who can fill Guy Forget’s shoes is a difficult task, andone which should take time,if anythingbecause of how many solid candidates need to be considered for the job.

Named Davis Cup captain in 1999, Forget helped his team win the 2001 Davis Cup and reach three other finals (1999, 2002 and 2010). As a former top-4 player and charismatic captain, Forget has been very popular among French tennis fans but also among his players and the French Tennis Federation (FFT) executives. Pleasing everyone is never easy, but Forget managed to do it year after year. Even when the French team did not perform well in the years following the traumatizing loss in the 2002 Davis Cup final against Russia in Paris, the captain was sometimes criticized, but his position was never truly threatened by the FFT.

Forget probably has his players to thank for that. Through good performances and unexpected losses, French Davis Cup players have constantly showed they supported and trusted their captain,often going out of their way to make that very clear both to the media and the FFT. Because the players’ opinion is traditionally very important in France, it has a huge impact on Fed Cup and Davis Cup-related decisions, and it may have helped Forget stay away from trouble on a few occasions. But the situation has changed now, as Forget himself has decided to move on – he will become the director of the BNP Paribas Masters, the ATP Masters 1000 tournament played in Paris in November –and a new captain will replace him, whether the players like it or not.

Still, many would have assumed that the same players would eventually pick Forget’s replacement, effectively meaning that there would be little change. This was, however, before FFT President Jean Gachassin explained in this morning’s interview with L’Equipe that things will be very different now when it comes to the Davis Cup, the players’ commitment to the competition and their involvement in the choice of a new captain:
« We will all sit together around a table at the FFT : The technical director, the manager of men’s professional tennis, the elected VP in charge of the technical direction, myself and the players. We will speak together and decide who the next Davis Cup captain should be. Players won’t be the only ones to decide.» The very fact that Gachassin had to clarify the situation by sending such a message to the players shows how political the decision announced this summer will be.

Some candidates have already come forward, thoughnot all of them match the FFT’s idealprofile: the Federation is looking for a former top-level player who has clearly showed how much the Davis Cup means to him, and who is accepted and appreciated by the current squad. One candidate emerges as an obvious favorite: Arnaud Clément. But two other players of the same generation, Nicolas Escudé and SébastienGrosjean, also stand out as solid challengers. Henri Leconte, CédricPioline, Lionel Roux and AmélieMauresmo are also among the contenders. Let’s have a closer look at their background, their chances of becoming captain, and what could help them or hinder them in the selection process.


Arnaud Clément - 40%
Clément, 34, was ranked 10th in 2001, the year he reached the Australian Open final and won the Davis Cup. He is still playing on the ATP Tour butis (very conveniently) about to retire from professional tennis,and was in Monaco last weekend, possibly to have talks with key people and consolidate his position.A Davis Cup regular over a decade,he was decisive on several occasions. He has openly stated that he was extremely excited at the possibility of becoming Davis Cup captain.
Pros: His candidacy is openly backed by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and MichaëlLlodra; He has never declined to play Davis Cup ties and has shown great fighting spirit and attachment to the Davis Cup values.
Cons: He has never coached before.


Nicolas Escudé – 25%
At 35, Escudé is the current captain of the French Fed Cup team, which has not been doing too well these past few years both on and off the court. With Marion Bartoli choosing not to participate in the Fed Cup and both Alizé Cornet and AravaneRezaienjoying fractious relations with the side, Escudé has failed to find solutions to these diplomatic issues, even though they were not necessarily his to solve. He has a career-best ranking of 17, is the hero of the 2001 Davis Cup final won by France and has an 18/5 win/loss ratio in Davis Cup. The FFT appreciates his negotiation skills and his ability to find compromises.
Pros : Experienced team captain; Davis Cup record
Cons: Poor Fed Cup performances; Failed to solve player-related crises


Sébastien Grosjean – 20%
Grosjean is 33, and found work as a TV consultant and a coach – having collaborated with Richard Gasquet for a year – after quitting professional tennis in 2010. He was a semifinalist at the 2001 Australian Open, the year he won the Davis Cup with the French team, where he was a regular member between 1999 and 2007. He was ranked n°4 in the world in 2002 and also matches the criteria set by the FFT.
Pros: Top-5 player; Experienced coach; Davis Cup record; Players appreciate him
Cons: He lives in Florida; He doesn’t really like being in the spotlight; Lacks charisma


Henri Leconte – 5%
Leconte, 48, publicly announced he was a candidate yesterday. He starredin France’s 1991 Davis Cup victory by upsetting Pete Sampras. Former Davis cup captains Yannick Noah and Guy Forget were his teammates that year. He was a French Open finalist in 1988, is a former n°5 player and is currently managing a tennis club and working as a tennis consultant for Eurosport France. His passionate attitude about tennis sometimes borders on tactlessness, and he is consequently not very popular in the world of French tennis.
Pros: Top-5 player; Passion for tennis and Davis Cup
Cons: Strong character; not popular with either the players or the public


Amélie Mauresmo – 5%
Mauresmo retired from professional tennis two years ago and has become the co-director of Paris’ Open GDF SUEZ while working as a TV consultant. She also recently joined the team of Victoria Azarenka after working part-time with MichaëlLlodra. At 32, she is the best player in the history of French tennis (2 Grand Slam titles and n°1 player in the world) and is therefore highly respected by officials and players. She is very active in the world of tennis but seems more likely to become the French Fed Cup team captain before she turns to the Davis Cup.
Pros: Her results as a player; Advised and assisted players; Appreciated by the current squad
Cons: She is a woman; Already involved in several other projects; Expected to captain Fed Cup team first


Lionel Roux – 3%
At 38, Roux is the least famous of the contenders even though he was the Davis Cup coach under captain Guy Forget for three years. He is therefore very close to the current Davis Cup players and knows Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, GaëlMonfils and Richard Gasquet and their specificities very well. As a player (1991- 2003), he reached his best ranking (48th) in 1995 and has limited top-level experience. He may be interested in staying in the team but as a coach, not a captain.
Pros: Very good knowledge of the Davis Cup players and issues; Appreciated by players
Cons: Limited Davis Cup experience as a player; Not a famous figure in French tennis


Cédric Pioline – 2%
Pioline, 42, did not really come forward but because of his background, he is considered a potential candidate. He is the former co-director of the BNP Paribas Masters (ATP Masters 1000) and works as a tennis consultant for French TV.A former n°5 player in 2000, Pioline was the highest-ranked French player for 10 years and a Wimbledon and US Open finalist before retiring from tennis in 2002. Despite that experience, he may not have what the FFT and the players are looking for in a captain.
Pros: Top-5 player
Cons: Not a regular Davis Cup player; Not necessarily interested


There are many questions left to answer. Will one of the contenders get the support of both the FFT officials and the players during the talks leading to the French Davis Cup selection? Will today’s obvious choice still be in pole position come September? Which – if any -new candidates will emerge? Will the FFT really have the final word on the choice regardless of what – and who – the influential players want? With still five more months to go, there is plenty of time for the situation (not to mention the selection process) to change…


Cécile Verin

http://www.ubitennis.com/english/spo...d_forget.shtml

[JTContinental]

Wow, I haven't heard the name Lionel Roux in a long time...

[munchin]

I love Amelie to death, but "the best player in the history of French tennis?" What!?!

[Jason11E]

I love Amelie to death, but "the best player in the history of French tennis?" What!?!

I guess Suzanne Lenglen is all but forgotten (and Mary Pierce a distant third)

[MeganFernandez]

I love Amelie to death, but "the best player in the history of French tennis?" What!?!

Recent history? Really recent?

[Ti-Amie]

That is an unfortunate statement.

[munchin]

I guess Suzanne Lenglen is all but forgotten (and Mary Pierce a distant third)

And since it's a co-ed list, it seems it's shortchanging the Four Musketeers, as well.

[munchin]

Fun video of a momentous tennis event I hadn't seen before:

http://blogs.tennis.com/thewrap/2012...len-wills.html

Lenglen is super charismatic, isn't she? The stories are probably true.

[shtexas]

Fun video of a momentous tennis event I hadn't seen before:

http://blogs.tennis.com/thewrap/2012...len-wills.html

Lenglen is super charismatic, isn't she? The stories are probably true.

Great! Thanks for posting this, munchin!

[Ti-Amie]

Ireland’s top ranked tennis player, Conor Niland, has announced his retirement with immediate effect due to a persistent hip injury.

The 30-year-old Limerickman, who in December 2010 reached a career high ranking of 129, began his professional career in 2005 after completing a tennis scholarship at the University of California in Berkeley.
Following a glittering career as a junior, Niland took up the offer of the scholarship in California before turning professional in 2005.

He had a distinguished career for the Irish Davis Cup team winning 17 of the 29 matches he played since making his debut in 2000.

He won three events on the ATP Challenger Tour, the most recent being the Salzburg Indoor Championships in November 2010 and won five ITF Futures events.
In 2011 Niland made history by becoming the first Irishman in more than a quarter of a century to qualify for the main draw at Wimbledon.

His five set loss in the first round to Adrian Mannarino deprived him of a match with the 16-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer.

Later that summer Niland qualified for the US Open and faced the World Number One Novak Djokovic in the first round. A bout of food poisoning forced his retirement at the end of the second set against the eventual champion.
Niland said: “I am today sadly announcing my retirement from professional tennis. I have been suffering from labral tears in both hip cartilages and this has resulted in pain and restricted movement for the past nine months.
“Despite several cortisone injections and intensive physiotherapy during this time the condition has progressively worsened and has prevented me from training and competing at the levels required for professional tennis. I have considered the possibility of hip surgery but have been advised of a lengthy recovery time without any guarantee of a successful outcome.”
Niland, whose sister Gina is a former Irish number one ranked player, played his last competitive match last Friday when he competed for Ireland in a Davis Cup match against Egypt in Cairo.

Niland added: “I would like to thank my family, in particular my parents, for their phenomenal support throughout my tennis career. I would not have been able to achieve the things I did without them.”

http://www.rte.ie/sport/tennis/2012/...tennis-career/

[kandi]

I'm sorry to see Conor go -- hip injuries are the pits to deal with. I had wondered if there was a problem, after seeing the DC results from this past weekend, his results were not as good as expected (by myself anyway).

[morct]

I'm sorry to see him go too.

[TalkAboutTennis]

Jennifer Capriati elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame
A former world No. 1, Capriati won three Grand Slam tournament titles and an Olympic gold medal during her career.

NEWPORT, R.I., USA, April 13, 2012 — American tennis star and former world No. 1 Jennifer Capriati has been elected to receive the highest honor in the sport of tennis– induction to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In addition to her world No. 1 status, Capriati’s successful career featured an Olympic gold medal, three Grand Slam titles, a Fed Cup title with the United States team, and an ability to stage remarkable comebacks. Capriati cracked the world top-10 in 1990, her first season on tour, and in October 2001, she became the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) World No. 1, a position she held for a total of 18 weeks.

"I am thrilled to learn that I have been elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. This is a dream come true and an extraordinary tribute. I love this game and am incredibly honored by the Hall of Fame's vote. Tennis has been my passion and dedication for my entire life, and to be acknowledged for this passion and dedication is truly icing on the cake,” said Capriati. “Finally, to all of my fans: You mean so much to me. I am, and have always been, blessed beyond words by your support both during and after my playing days. You unquestionably made this game so memorable for me and I miss you all so much. I can't wait to go to Newport to express my sincere appreciation to my fans, and celebrate with them, my family, my coaches, and everyone else in the tennis community. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I truly feel humbled to be a part of history and am honored to be considered among the greatest of all time."

Capriati has been elected to the Hall of Fame in the Recent Player Category, and she is the final member of the Hall of Fame Class of 2012 to be announced. The previously announced members of the Class of 2012 are former world No. 1, Brazilian tennis star Guga Kuerten; Spanish tennis legend Manuel Orantes; tennis administrator and promoter Mike Davies; and wheelchair tennis star Randy Snow, who will be honored posthumously. The Class of 2012 Induction Ceremony will be held on July 14, 2012 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island.

“Jennifer Capriati had one of the most accomplished and exciting tennis careers in recent years, and she is most deserving of the honor of Hall of Fame election. We look forward to celebrating this achievement with her and her fans,” said Christopher E. Clouser, chairman of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Capriati, 36, is originally from New York, N.Y., but she has been a long-time resident of Tampa and West Palm Beach, Fla.

In her first season on the WTA, 1990, Capriati reached the finals of two of her first three pro events, losing to Hall of Famers Gabriela Sabatini and Martina Navratilova, and she advanced to the semifinals of the French Open before falling to eventual champion Monica Seles. She also captured her first career title in her first season on tour, defeating Zina Garrison at Puerto Rico.

In 1992, Capriati won the Olympic gold medal at the Barcelona games, defeating both the second-seeded Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario and the top-seeded Stefanie Graf. She was a member of the championship United States Fed Cup team in 2000.

Capriati took a break from tennis in 1994-95 and 1997-98, staging a successful comeback in the 1999, 2000, and 2001 seasons.

At the Australian Open in 2001, Capriati defeated top seed and world No. 1 Martina Hingis in straight sets to win her first Grand Slam title. Having entered the tournament seeded No. 12, she was the lowest seed to ever win the title, a record that still stands today. She then entered the French Open seeded No. 4, and defeated No.1 seed Hingis in the semifinals and No. 12 seed Kim Clijsters in the final to win her second consecutive Grand Slam title. She was the only player that year to reach at least the semifinals of all four of the Grand Slam tournaments.

In 2002, Capriati advanced to her second consecutive Australian Open final, this time as No. 1 seed. Once again facing Hingis, Capriati fought back from 6–4, 4–0 down and saved four championship points, in brutally hot weather, to eventually prevail 4–6, 7–6(7), 6–2, to claim her third Grand Slam title. The match was widely regarded as one of the greatest comebacks in tennis history, and it was named one of the ten best matches of the decade by Tennis magazine. The dramatic match earned Capriati the 2002 ESPY Award for Comeback Player of the Year, for which the other nominees were Hockey Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux and Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan.

Capriati stopped playing at the end of the 2004 season, having compiled a career record of 430-176 and having won 14 career singles titles and 1 doubles title.

Eligibility & Voting
The International Tennis Hall of Fame elects people in three categories— Recent Player, Master Player, and Contributor. Capriati has been elected in the Recent Player Category. Eligibility criteria for this category is as follows: active as competitors in the sport within the last 20 years prior to consideration; not a significant factor on the ATP World Tour or WTA within five years prior to induction; a distinguished record of competitive achievement at the highest international level, with consideration given to integrity, sportsmanship, and character. A panel of International Tennis Media vote on the Recent Player nominee. A 75% favorable vote is required for election.

Located in Newport, Rhode Island, the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history of tennis and honoring its greatest champions and contributors.

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