March 10th, 2017

Friday Tennis Blog: Serena Injured | Art of Underhand Serving | Fed Cup | More

U.S. FED CUP TO FLOURISH AGAIN IN FLORIDA?

The USTA this week announced that the U.S. Fed Cup team will return to lucky Florida and Saddlebrook Resort in the Tampa Bay area for the Fed Cup semifinals on April 22-23 against the powerhouse Czech Republic.

Why lucky? The U.S. Fed Cup team is 4-0 all-time in Florida. First in Aventure (1995), then three times in Delray Beach (2013,’07,’05). “Florida fans are very enthusiastic about tennis and we look forward to playing for them as they cheer on Team USA to victory,” USTA Chairman of the Board, CEO, and President Katrina Adams said.

The Czech Republic, which has won the Fed cup five of the last six years, will be without former Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova who was injured in a home invasion last December, but will lead with last year’s US Open runner-up Karolina Pliskova. To be held on green clay, the U.S. will have an abundance of talent to choose from in attempting to reach its first Fed Cup final since 2010 (rankings as of this week in parenthesis): (1) Serena Williams, (9) Madison Keys, (13) Venus Williams, (22) CoCo Vandeweghe, and in doubles world No. 1 Bethanie Mattek-Sands. Stay tuned for tickets to go on sale later this month.

SUPPORT OR START A NATIONAL JUNIOR TENNIS & LEARNING (NJTL) PROGRAM IN YOUR AREA

From left: Billie Jean King with the GACTA’s Anne Koterba and Addison Staples after the Gainesville Area Community Tennis Association was honored with the national NJTL (National Junior Tennis & Learning network) Chapter of the Year Award during last year’s US Open.

Florida school children who might otherwise fall through the cracks and never get an opportunity to play sports such as tennis benefit from the NJTL (National Junior Tennis & Learning) network, which provides quality tennis and education programming to under-resourced youth and individuals with disabilities. Florida NJTLs, funded by grants from the USTA national body and the USTA Florida Section Foundation, are:

Gainesville — Gainesville Area Community Tennis Association
Jacksonville — MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation
Miami — First Serve Miami
Naples — Greater Naples YMCA
Orlando — Hebni Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Tallahassee — Venom Foundation, Inc.
Treasure Island — KC’s Kamp for Kids
Vero Beach — Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation
Wellington — Blue Sky Foundation Inc.
West Palm Beach — First Serve

Last year the USTA Foundation awarded more than $2.8 million in grants and scholarships to more than 61 organizations nationwide, supported by funding from your USTA membership. Last year 32 NJTL chapters were added nationwide, increasing kids served to almost 80,000. Approximately 92 percent of scholarship recipients graduate college. Since 2010, USTA Florida and the USTA Florida Section Foundation have awarded more than $1 million in grants for tennis programming, many to NJTLs across the state. To volunteer or support Florida NJTLs click on the links above, or to learn more about the national NJTL program go to www.ustafoundation.com/njtl.

MISCELLANY

Pablo Cuevas sneaks a no-look underhand second serve on match point

If you’ve ever had that chokey I’m-going-to-double-fault feeling on a big point, the pros do it too. Here’s an underhand second serve on match point to win an ATP event…If you were planning the Williams sisters’ retirement party, put it on hold — they’re targeting a doubles gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020…20-year-old Ernesto Escobedo grew up playing on public courts, and is the only Mexican-American in the Top 500 on the ATP rankings. He’s ready to crack the Top 100 this month at Indian Wells and Miami…Seems everyone can identify with Serena Williams…Two Google Doodles this week honored International Women’s Day and tennis…Some players are looking forward to Maria Sharapova’s return to the WTA tour and other players — not so much…The WTA tour on Wednesday as part of International Women’s Day featured Caroline Wozniacki and other players and public figures in a 24-hour marathon live on Facebook from Indian Wells…March is a big month for USTA Leagues, find a league near you here.

American Women, Men’s Draws and Results at Indian Wells

Madison Keys (photo: Jose Medina)

The Tuesday withdrawal of Serena Williams (knee injury) means the younger Williams sister will lose her No. 1 ranking following Indian Wells, but a large contingent of American women will attempt to end a 15-year American title drought.

On the men’s side No. 23 Sam Querrey hopes to keep the momentum rolling from his title in Acapulco where he defeated Rafael Nadal in the final. Querrey is one of four American seeds, and is guaranteed an American opponent in the second round.

Here is a look at the progress or next-up opponents for Americans since the Wednesday start at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells:

Women:

(9) Madison Keys (USA) vs. (Q) Mariana Duque-Marino (COL)
(12) Venus Williams (USA) vs. Jelena Jankovic (SRB)
(20) CoCo Vandeweghe (USA) vs. Lucie Safarova (CZE)
Louisa Chirico (USA) d. (Q) Francesca Schiavone (ITA), next vs. (29) Irina-Camelia Begu (ROM)
Madison Brengle (USA) d. (Q) Tatjana Maria (GER), next vs. (26) Roberta Vinci (ITA)
(WC) Kayla Day (USA) d. Kurumi Nara (JPN), next vs. (32) Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO)
Lauren Davis (USA) d. Viktorija Golubic (SUI), next vs. (22) Anastasija Sevastova (LAT)
(Q) Varvara Lepchenko (USA) d. Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ), next vs, (25) Timea Babos (HUN)
Shelby Rogers (USA) d. (WC) Jennifer Brady (USA), next vs. (14) Elena Vesnina (RUS)
Vania King (USA) lost to Andrea Petkovic (GER)
Alison Riske (USA) lost to (WC) Donna Vekic (CRO)
(WC) Taylor Townsend (USA) lost to (Q) Magda Linette (POL)
CiCi Bellis (USA) lost to Kirsten Flipkens (BEL)
Christina McHale (USA) lost to (LL) Evgeniya Rodina (RUS)
(WC) Danielle Collins (USA) lost to Monica Puig (PUR)
(WC) Irini Falconi (USA) lost to Jelena Jankovic (SRB)
(WC) Nicole Gibbs (USA) lost to Heather Watson (GBR)
(WC) Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) lost to Kristyna Pliskova (CZE)

Men:

(17) Jack Sock (USA) vs. Borna Coric (CRO) vs. (Q) Henri Laaksonen (SUI) winner
(20) John Isner (USA) vs. (LL) Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ)
(23) Sam Querrey (USA) vs. Donald Young (USA) vs. (WC) Stefan Kozlov (USA) winner
(24) Steve Johnson (USA) vs. Kevin Anderson (RSA) vs. (Q) Federico Gaio (ITA) winner
(WC) Bjorn Fratangelo (USA) d. Bernard Tomic (AUS), next vs. (13) Tomas Berdych (CZE)
(WC) Taylor Fritz (USA) vs. Benoit Paire (FRA)
Ryan Harrison (USA) lost to Damir Dzumhur (BIH)
(WC) Frances Tiafoe (USA) lost to (Q) Dusan Lajovic (SRB)
(WC) Reilly Opelka (USA) lost to (Q) Peter Gojowczyk (GER)

They Said It

“I almost got to that mentality of ‘Screw it; I’m going to hit every ball as hard as I can and see what happens.’ Even on break point, if I missed it I was going on to the next point and thinking the exact same way.”
— Sam Querrey after beating Rafael Nadal to win the Acapulco title last week, speaking to ESPN

“I’m anti-anything that’s performance-enhancing, massively against it. I’m not the one to say what [positive-testing athletes] should — or shouldn’t — get afterwards, but it doesn’t make sense to support people who cheat.”
— Nick Kyrgios weighing in on giving major-tournament wild cards to players returning from doping bans

“I have not been able to train due to my knees and am disappointed I cannot be there. I will keep moving forward and continue to be positive. I look forward to being back as soon as I can.”
— Serena Williams in a statement after withdrawing from Indian Wells and Miami