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Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: News Roundup

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This Week’s Tournaments:
Rio Open – Rio de Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Delray Beach Open – Delray Beach, FL USA
Open 13 Marseille – Marseille, France

Last Week’s Winners:
Memphis Open – Ryan Harrison
ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament – Jo-Wilfred Tsonga
Argentina Open – Alexandr Dogopolov

Ryan Harrison Wins 1st ATP Title
24-year-old American Ryan Harrison won his first ATP title at the Memphis Open!   The win puts Ryan back up to his career high ranking of #43 in the world, which he first reached in 2012.  Since his breakout, Ryan has had a tough few seasons, but he never gave up.   Ryan made it to both the singles and doubles finals in Memphis, with partner Stevie Johnson.  Even though he lost in the doubles final, it means Ryan gets the full set of Memphis trophies:  a Gibson guitar as singles champion, and a gold record as doubles runner-up.   We’re glad to see Ryan playing well and hope he can keep the momentum going!

Juan Martin Del Potro Back In Action
Delpo is back this week, playing his first tournament of 2017 at the Delray Beach Open in Florida.  Delpo decided to take a longer off season to rest, after leading Argentina to the Davis Cup title in late November of last year.    Delpo’s 2017 campaign kicks off tonight against Kevin Anderson.  Vamos!

World Team Tennis Marquee Draft Announced
The Mylan WTT marquee player draft took place last week,   and we are already excited for what looks to be a fun season coming up this Summer!  Jack Sock was the first overall pick, tapped by the Springfield Lasers to head up their team.  Genie Bouchard, John Isner, and Mardy Fish will join the New York Empire, who are moving their home court from Forest Hills to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and US Open fan favorite Court 17.   Venus Williams, the Bryan Brothers, and Martina Hingis will play for the Washington Kastles, while Andy Roddick and Sloane Stephens join the Philadelphia Freedoms.  Stay tuned for additional player announcements and the full schedule coming up in March.  The dates for this year’s World Team Tennis season are July 16 – August 2nd, with the finals on August 5th.

Vasek Pospisil to Launch YouTube Channel
Canadian player Vasek Pospisil announced he will launch his own YouTube Channel this Friday, February 24th.  The channel, which he has been working on for some time, will take a look at Vasek’s life off the court.  You know we’ll be tuning in!  #AnythingIsPospisil

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQvmGSIjsMR/?taken-by=vasek.pospisil&hl=en

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: News Roundup

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This Week’s Tournaments:
Open Sud de France – Montpellier, France
Garanti Koza Sofia Open – Sofia, Bulgaria
Ecuador Open – Quito, Ecuador

Davis Cup Quarterfinals Set
It was a dramatic weekend of Davis Cup action, that lasted well into Monday.  The Argentina – Italy tie went to a decisive 5th rubber, with the final match pushed to Monday due to rain and darkness at the outdoor clay match in Buenos Aires.  Fabio Fognini defeated Guido Pella from 2 sets down, 2-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, in a 5 set match that won the tie for Italy and knocked out defending champions Argentina.

The Quarterfinals will take place April 7-9, so stay tuned for venue announcements!
USA vs Australia (host: AUS)
Italy vs Belgium (host: BEL)
France vs Great Britain (host: FRA)
Serbia vs Spain (host: SER)

Denis Shapovalov Defaulted In Canada-Great Britain Tie
The most dramatic moment of Davis Cup weekend happened in Ottawa, during a decisive 5th rubber between Canada and Great Britain.  17-year-old Canadian, Denis Shapovalov, playing in his first Davis Cup tie, hit a ball out of the court in frustration, accidentally hitting the umpire in the face.  The incident caused Shapovalov to lose the match, and Canada to lose the tie.  Let’s hope that ALL players learn from this – there have been way too many close calls in the past.

USA Defeats Switzerland 5-0
It was Team USA all the way this weekend, with a brand new Davis Cup squad defeating Switzerland 5-0.  The Bryan Brothers announced their retirement from Davis Cup earlier this year, making room for some new players to step in.  Captain Jim Courier selected John Isner, Jack Sock, Stevie Johnson, and Sam Querrey for the tie.  Team USA will head back to Australia in April for the Quarterfinals.  We hope we’ll see more of this American flag waving celebration in the future!

Dimitrov, Thiem Headline Sofia Open
Dominic Thiem is the #1 seed at the Sofia Open in Bulgaria this week.  The tournament’s #3 seed, Grigor Dimitrov, is playing a tournament in his home country for the first time since the Juniors.  Grigor receives huge support from Bulgarian fans no matter what country he is playing in, so we know the crowd will be fully behind him!   Grigor has been having an outstanding 2017 so far, winning a title in Brisbane and reaching the Semifinals in Australia.  Let’s go Grisha!

Ryan Harrison Wins Dallas Challenger Title
American Ryan Harrison is back into the Top 70 in the rankings for the first time since 2013.  He defeated #NextGen American Taylor Fritz in the final of the RBC Tennis Championships in Dallas, 6-3, 6-3, on Saturday.  The win puts Ryan at #62.   Ryan had won a title in Dallas before – the Little Mo tournament in 2000!   Andy Roddick was also a Little Mo champ in 1992.   Ryan took a moment to pose with this amazing banner showing he and Andy’s matching trophies and bowl cuts.

 

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: News Roundup

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This Week’s Tournament:
BB&T Atanta Open – Atlanta, GA

John Isner Seeking 4th Atlanta Title
Isner is not playing in the Olympics in Rio this year.  Instead, Isner is in Atlanta as he attempts to win the BB&T Atlanta Open for the 4th year in a row.  An American has won the tournament every year since it launched in 2010.  Besides Isner, past winners also include Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish.  You can still put your USA!  USA!  chants to good use in Atlanta this week.

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North Carolina with my buddy. #Magill

A post shared by John Isner (@johnrisner) on


Olympic Tennis Starts August 6th
While it seems the player entry list gets smaller every day, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Rafa Nadal are all scheduled to play in the Olympics in Rio.   Round 1 tennis action starts this Saturday, August 6th!   Be sure to check the ITF page for the most updated list.

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Con el equipo en #Rio!!

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World Team Tennis Action Underway
The WTT season started over the weekend.  Come out an support your local team!  The matches are a fun way to see some of your favorite pros up close in a more relaxed setting.  If you’re in NYC, you can catch the action at the historic Forest Hills Stadium in Queens! Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish will be playing against each other there on August 9th.  Check out the full schedule here!

Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: ATP News Roundup

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This Week’s Tournaments:
Citi Open – Washington, DC USA
Generali Open – Kitzbuhel, Austria
Konzum Croatia Open – Umag, Croatia
J. Safra Sarasin Swiss Open – Gstaad Switzerland

Davis Cup Semifinals Set
After a drama filled weekend, 4 teams advanced to the Davis Cup World Group semifinals:  France, Argentina, Croatia and Great Britian.  It was a shame for the home teams – all of the teams advancing were visitors.  Croatia rallied from 0-2 down to take the tie against the US in 5.  (We’re still not over it.)  The semifinals are set to take place in September, just after the US Open.  With #Merica out, we’ll be rooting for Team France.  ALLEZ!

It’s The Greatest Time Of Year
The American Summer hardcourt season officially starts this week, with the Citi Open in DC.   Lots of American players are in action, including top seed John Isner and #NextGen players Taylor Fritz and Francis Tiafoe.  Tune into Tennis Channel to watch all the action!  Also, heads up that the US Open starts in just 41 days!  Enjoy this A+ fangirl instagram of Grigor from the Citi Open.

Arthur Ashe Kids Day Lineup Announced
The US Open kicks off with the annual Arthur Ashe Kids Day event on August 27th.  This year’s performers included Flo Rida, Forever In Your Mind, Laura Marano and Troye Sivan.   Players Rafael Nadal & Novak Djokovic will be making appearances as well.  Click here for more info and to get your tickets now!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHxUvllg0rp/?taken-by=aakidsday

Meet Mr. and Mrs. Fritz
Taylor Fritz wed Racquel Pedraza on July 7th in his hometown of Rancho Santa Fe, California.  Fellow players in attendance included best man Reilly Opelka, groomsman Tommy Paul, Stevie Johnson and Mardy Fish.  Congrats Taylor & Racquel!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHxgQMhDJu0/?taken-by=taylor_fritz

 

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: ATP News Roundup

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This Week’s Tournament:
Internazionali BNL d’Italia – Rome, Italy

Portland To Host USA vs Croatia Davis Cup Tie
After much anticipation the USTA announced that Portland, Oregon will be the site of the next Davis Cup tie in July.  Portland is where USA won the cup in 2007, and we’re hoping for another victory against Croatia in July!  Stay tuned to the USTA website for ticket info!

Novak Djokovic Wins Record 29th Masters 1000 Title
Djokovic defeated Andy Murray in the Mutua Madrid Open final to capture his 3rd Masters title of 2016, and his 29th overall.

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😍😍😍 @djokernole 😍😍😍 #MMOPEN

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Why We Love Gael Monfils
If you’ve seen a Monfils match, you know that anything is possible.  He’s an incredible athlete who will jump, dive and go for every ball.  How does he jump so high?  In practice, he leaped over Davia Gavrilova.

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: Let The Clay Season Begin

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The clay season is officially underway, with the tennis world shifting to the red dirt until the big finale at Roland Garros in June.

This Week’s Tournaments:
US Men’s Clay Court Championship – Houston, TX USA
Grand Prix Hassan II – Marrakech, Morocco

Americans In Action In Houston
The US Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston is the only ATP clay court event in North America.  Most of the US men are in action this week – John Isner, Jack Sock, Stevie Johnson, Sam Querrey lead the pack along with rising stars Francis Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, and Reilly Opelka.

Indian Wells-Miami Double Winners
Winning the Indian Wells and Miami double is one of the toughest tasks in tennis.  This year,  5 of the 6 champions in Indian Wells also took home titles in Miami.  Novak Djokovic won the double for a record 3rd year in a row.  Victoria Azarenka was the first women’s singles player to pull off the double since Kim Clijsters in 2005.  The French duo Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut continue to impress and added the 2 Masters 1000 titles to their growing list.  American Bethany Mattek-Sands teamed up with Lucie Safarova this time to win Miami.

Davis Cup Venue Announcements
We’ve been (im)patiently waiting for news on where the next Team USA tie will be since they booked their spot in the quarterfinals in March.   Per the Davis Cup Twitter, the venue for the USA vs Croatia tie happening in July will be announced on April 25th! (fingers crossed for an East Coast spot!)

John Isner Splits with Coach Justin Gimelstob
Justin Gimelstob announced in a statement on his website he will no longer be working with top American John Isner for personal reasons.  The pair worked together for just over a year.  We’re looking forward to seeing who John adds to his team.

Friday Five, Tennis

The Friday Five: Our Favorite Tennis Players

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Changing things up for this week’s Friday Five!  This week we’re looking at our favorite tennis players.  If there is anything we like more than music, it’s tennis.  We’ve previously discussed how tennis is the ultimate fangirl sport.  Not only are these athletes extremely fit and excellent at what they do, but it seems like there is a requirement to be good looking to play in the ATP tournaments.

1. Grigor Dimitrov – @grigordimitrov
We like to call Grigor our “Bulgarian bon-bon” (sort of like Viktor Krum to Hermione Granger). It’s not surprising that his nickname is “baby Fed” because of his skill and precision during the game. Dimitrov’s one handed back hand is something to envy, as well!  He isn’t just good at tennis, he’s also really entertaining on Twitter. Grigor likes to share adorable photos of himself with puppies, enjoying the flowers, as well as this gem:

2. Richard Gasquet – @richardgasquet1
Here is another player with a really beautiful backhand (yes, backhand…..that’s all we’re implying….no innuendos here!!) Gasquet is French and plays the sport with an elegant flair.   Simply put, he’s just a beautiful player to watch.  When he gets frustrated, he throws his sweaty socks on the court because he can.  (At least he’s not smashing racquets?)  Sadly he doesn’t use Instagram as much as Dimitrov.

Richard Gasquet backhand gif

3. Rafa Nadal – @rafaelnadal
“For me, it will be a tough match for sure, no?”  Rafa is so humble about his game, even in first round matches where he is sure to bagel his opponents.  Rafa always fights his hardest and plays like it’s the final of a grand slam. He also gives the best acceptance speeches and press conferences, for sure.  And then there’s that Armani commercial where he just takes off his suit and puts on some jeans, because why not, no?

4. Ryan Harrison – @ryanharrison92
This kid is the next Andy Roddick, at least we think he has the potential! He needs to bring Andy back to be his coach (but it seems like Ryan is taking cues from Andy already). It also kind of freaks us out how much Harrison looks like Ryan Atwood from The O.C., or as We like to call him, Chino.  Can you tell who’s who?

Screen Shot 2014-04-17 at 7.54.43 PM

5. John Isner – @johnisner
JOOHNNYYYY!!!  At nearly 6’10”, we love that he plays tennis and didn’t go into basketball. John is super loveable and watching him play is always a joy, even during stressful tie-breakers.  Which he tends to play.  A lot.  During on court interviews, he literally dwarfs any other player and interviewer. We love when he teams up with fellow American & BFF Sam Querrey for doubles!  Go Quisner!

quisner

The Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters is happening right now – visit ATP World Tour for the latest scores, news & updates on your favorite players.

Boys We Like

Tennis: The Ultimate Secret Fangirl Sport

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We aren’t big on sports, but we do LOVE tennis!  The first grand slam of the year kicked off last week in Melbourne, Australia in record-high temperatures of 107F and up.  Now that’s HOT but not nearly as hot as some of the men that play tennis.

We could tell you all the reasons why we love the sport, but instead just enjoy some photos of our favorite young players.  And if you aren’t a secret fangirl of tennis yet, this just might be enough to convince you to tune in for week 2 of the Australian Open.

1.  Grigor Dmitrov
The 22 year old Bulgarian, dating Maria Sharapova, just made it to the 4th round of a slam for the 1st time in his career.  We’re hoping to see more of Grigor in the 2nd week, especially if it means him sharing more photos like this:
Screen Shot 2014-01-19 at 9.35.34 PM

2. Ryan Harrison
Or, as we like to call him “Chino,”  thanks to his uncanny resemblance to one Ryan Atwood of The OC.  The 21-year old Louisiana native, is also really great at Twitter and has a self-confessed love of the song “Call Me Maybe.”  He can call us anytime.
Screen Shot 2014-01-19 at 9.37.07 PM

3. Milos Raonic
Hypothetically, Milos would be the Seth Cohen to Ryan “Chino” Harrison, but technically he is not.  The 6-foot-5 Canadian does have a fast serve to rival Cohen’s quick wit.
Screen Shot 2014-01-19 at 9.40.02 PM

4.  Jack Sock
The 21-year old American has on edge over his fellow players – he an already call himself a Grand Slam champion, after winning the Mixed Doubles trophy with Melanie Oudin in 2011.  He also has an awesome name – “Advantage, Sock.”
Screen Shot 2014-01-19 at 10.10.43 PM

5.  Quisner
Just look at these lovable dorks and occasional doubles team.  Americans John Isner and Sam Querrey are bearing the flag of US Men’s tennis, following Andy Roddick’s retirement in 2012. (WE MISS YOU ANDY!!)
quisner

The Australian Open is airing now on ESPN and the Tennis Channel nightly from 7pm EST, with Men’s Quarterfinal action in play today.   The Men’s Singles Final will be played on Sunday, January 26th.