Tag Archives: sports

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: ATP News Roundup

Leave a comment

This Week’s Tournaments:
Aegon Open – Nottingham, England
Wimbledon Qualifying – London, England

Lleyton Hewitt Receives Wimbledon Doubles Wildcard
We knew Lleyton couldn’t stay away from tennis for too long!  While he officially retired from singles at this year’s Australian Open, Lleyton has since suited up for Davis Cup doubles and he was just given a wildcard into Wimbledon.  Lleyton is teaming up with fellow Aussie Jordan Thompson in doubles.  Get your “c’mon!” cheers ready.

Dominic Thiem Hot Shots
Thiem has pretty much been a highlight reel lately.  Check out some of his hot shots from Halle.  We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, we are so on board #TeamThiem.

Herbert/Mahut Win Queen’s Club Title
The French duo picked up their 4th title of the season at the Wimbledon warm up.  We’re hoping to see them team up at both Davis Cup in July and the Olympics in August.  ALLEZ!

Andy Murray Wins Record 5th In London
Murray couldn’t have asked for better prep for Wimbledon.  With coach Ivan Lendl back on his team, Murray defeated Milos Raonic in a 3 set final.  He became the first man to win a 5th Queen’s Club Title.

Sascha Zverev Beats Roger Federer In Halle
Thiem isn’t the only young gun to have defeated Federer this season – 19-year-old Sascha Zverev took out Federer in 3 sets in the semi-finals in Halle.  We’re excited to see more from this #NextGen player this season!

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: ATP News Roundup

Leave a comment

We’re just a week away from Wimbledon qualifying!  Which means we’ve arrived to the two 500 level grass court tournaments, in Halle and London.  The Queen’s Club draw is particularly STACKED.  Isner vs Del Potro, Kyrgios vs Raonic & Lopez vs Cilic are all 1st round matches.  But could we get a little sunshine?  Please?   We’re pretty sure we’ve had rain delays every single day for the last month.

This Week’s Tournaments:
Gerry Weber Open – Halle, Germany
Aegon Championships – London, England

Dominic Thiem Wins 4th Title of 2016
Thiem continues to impress in 2016, and took home his 4th title of the season in Stuttgart.  He defeated Roger Federer on the way to his first grass court title.  Thiem has now won a hard court, clay court and grass court title in 2016, making him only the 9th active player to do so in the same year.  With the win Thiem surpasses #1 ranked Novak Djokovic in match wins this year – Thiem has 45 while Djokovic has 44.


Nicolas Mahut Wins 3rd Ricoh Open Title
Mahut is currently the #1 ranked doubles player in the world (usually teaming up with Pierre-Hugues Herbert), and he just added another grass court singles trophy to his name.  This is the third time Mahut has won the title in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

Keep Up With The  #NextGen
The ATP launched a dedicated #NextGen site, so you can keep up with all of your fave players!  Check it out here.   Taylor Fritz started a diary reflecting on his big year.  Fritz also had the chance to play with his dream doubles partner, Juan Martin del Potro in Stuttgart last week.

Thanasi Kokkinakis Delays Return To Tour
Kokkinakis was due to return this week, with a wildcard into the Aegon Championships in London, but he has pushed back his return to the tour.  He’s been out all of 2016 recovering from shoulder surgery, and will be out at least through Wimbledon.  We’re hoping he’ll be back in action for the US hard court swing this Summer!

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: Let The Grass Season Begin

Leave a comment

After a rainy couple of weeks, we made it through the clay court season and a history making Roland Garros.  Fittingly, the sun started to shine down on center court just minutes after the final point was played.   The tour has already shifted to the grass court season, with Wimbledon just 3 weeks away.

This Week’s Tournaments
Mercedes Cup – Stuttgart, Germany
Ricoh Open – s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands

Novak Djokovic Wins 4th Consecutive Major
Djokovic finally won his first Roland Garros title, completing a career grand slam in the process.  He also won his 4th consecutive major, and is the first player to win 4 consecutive majors since Rod Laver in 1969.   No doubt he has his eyes on completing the calendar slam this year!

Feliciano Lopez & Marc Lopez Win Men’s Doubles
Spain did not have a men’s singles champion this year, especially after the withdrawl of Rafa Nadal.  But Spanish players took home both the men’s doubles and women’s singles titles!  It was heartwarming to see veterans Lopez/Lopez (no relation) win a slam – the first for Feliciano and the second for Marc.  The Spainards are also the 6th different team to win a slam in the last 2 years.

Dominic Thiem Enters Top 10
Thiem continues to build on his impressive season.  He advanced to the Semi-Finals in Roland Garros, before losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic.  As a result, Thiem jumped to #7 in the world.  We’re sure we’ll be seeing him climb even higher.  We love his big game and his attitude and are #TeamThiem all the way.

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: Roland Garros Week 2

Leave a comment

It’s been an eventful week at Roland Garros since we last checked in … even with play being pretty much canceled 2 days in a row.  We’re doing an anti-rain dance so we can watch some tennis tomorrow!  (Or at least so the 4th round matches can get finished?)

manofthehouseraindance

Rain Rain, Go Away
Monday, May 29th was a complete washout, with all match play canceled for the first time since 2000.  Tuesday wasn’t much better, with a stop and go day, players got in just over 2 hours of play.  And unfortunately things aren’t looking much better for the rest of this week.  Djokovic took the rain in stride, carrying an umbrella sourced from the crowd in 1 hand and his racquet in the other.

Nadal Withdraws With Wrist Injury
We can’t even talk about this still.  After looking strong in his first 2 matches, Nadal called a press conference where he announced his withdrawal from the tournament due to a left wrist injury.   Not the best way to celebrate his big 30th birthday, on June 3rd!  Get well soon Rafa!!

Bottom-Half Quaterfinals Set
Richard Gasquet was impressive in taking out Kei Nishikori in the 4th round, reaching his 1st Roland Garros quarterfinal as the last Frenchman standing in singles.  He’ll take on Andy Murray, while defending champ Stan Wawrinka will take on Albert Ramos-Vinolas.  The top half will catch up.  Some day.

Wawrinka Hits With Ballkid
One of the reasons we love Stan – he stayed warmed up during a medical time out to hit with a ballkid.  He totally made this kid’s day/year/life!

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: Roland Garros Week 1

Leave a comment

After a rainy start, we made it through the 1st round of Roland Garros!  Here’s what you might have missed.

Roland Garros 101
Where to watch:  Tennis Channel and Tennis Channel Plus, NBC
Main draw play runs daily through the finals on Sunday, June 5th.
Social Media: #RG16 @rolandgarros

Murray, Wawrinka Survive Scares
Both Andy Murray and defending champ Stan Wawrinka were pushed to 5 sets in their opening round matches.  Murray’s 37-year-old opponent Radek Stepanek, who made it through qualifying, was impressive but couldn’t cross the finish line.  If Wawrinka had lost, it would have been the 1st time the defending champion lost in the 1st round at Roland Garros.

 

Seeds Out In Round 1
Marin Cilic, Fabio Fognini, Kevin Anderson, Phillip Kohlschreiber, and Stevie Johnson all lost their opening round matches.   And while he’s not seeded at this tournament, another disappointing loss from Grigor Dimitrov to Victor Troicki in 5 sets.

Nadal Off To Winning Start
Rafa was impressive in his defeat of Australian Sam Groth 6-1, 6-1, 6-1, in just 80 minutes.  And he just casually hit this tweener winner.

2nd Round Matches To Watch
We’re looking forward to Jack Sock vs Dustin Brown and Borna Coric vs Bernard Tomic.

 

#Merica Status Update
Jack Sock, John Isner and Bjorn Frantangelo all advanced to the 2nd round.   Stevie Johnson, Sam Querrey, Taylor Fritz, Brian Baker are all out of singles action.

Roof Coming in 2020
With the US Open debuting its completed roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium this year, Roland Garros will be the only slam without a roof.  Not for much longer!  Tournament directors announced they will have a roof on Court Philippe Chatrier by 2020.  While this is great for rain delays, how about some stadium lights so players don’t have to stop when it gets dark? (while rain is frequent, it does get dark every single night…)

Doubles Action Starts Wednesday
There are lots of doubles matches on the schedule for Wednesday, including reigning US Open champs and hometeam Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut.  Mahut has a chance of reaching the #1 ranking in doubles during Roland Garros.  #ALLEZ  Other pairs to watch include the Bryan Brothers, who just won the title in Rome, and Steve Johnson and Sam Querrey, who just won their 1st title as a team in Geneva.

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: Roland Garros Preview

Leave a comment

The second slam of the year is already underway, with qualifying action starting yesterday in Paris.  Here’s our list of everything you need to know!

Roland Garros 101
Where to watch:  Tennis Channel and Tennis Channel Plus
Draws will be revealed on Friday, May 20th
Main draw play starts Sunday, May 22nd daily through the finals on Sunday, June 5th.
Social Media: #RG16 @rolandgarros

Novak Djokovic Aiming for Career Slam 
While it seems like Djokovic has won pretty much everything over the last few years, there is 1 title that has eluded him – the French Open.  He beat Rafa in the Quarterfinals last year, then lost to an inspired Stan Wawrinka in the final.  Could this be the year he completes the career slam in Paris?
Rafa Going for #10
One man likely standing in Djokovic’s way is Rafael Nadal, the 9 time champion.  While Djokovic currently owns their head-to-head, Rafa has been re-gaining confidence and their last meeting in Madrid was close.
 #NextGen Americans To Watch
Taylor Fritz is playing in the main draw of Roland Garros for the 1st time, with his ranking high enough for direct entry.   Several Americans advanced through the first round of qualifying, including Frances Tiafoe, Ryan Harrison, and Jared Donaldson.  Tommy Paul, who defeated Fritz in the 2015 Junior Roland Garros final, also advanced on day 1.   Bjorn Frantangelo, winner of the USTA’s French Open wild card challenge, also received direct entry to the main draw.

Doubles!
It’s been a fun couple of years for doubles, with different teams winning each slam.  We’re sure the hometown team of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut will get tons of support – they’ve already won 3 Masters titles this year.  The Bryan Brothers just won the title in Rome, defeating Jack Sock and Vasek Pospisil in the final.
Vive Le France!
The last time a Frenchman won Roland Garros was Yannick Noah in 1983.  We’d love to see another French player win the title.  One thing is for sure – the French players are always entertaining to watch!  Gael Monfils, Richard Gasquet, Benoit Paire, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, Gilles Simon & more.  ALLEZ!
Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: ATP News Roundup

Leave a comment

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.

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: ATP News Roundup

Leave a comment

Qualifying for Roland Garros starts in 2 weeks (!!) and all of the sport’s top stars are in Spain this week grinding it out on the red clay.  Here’s our roundup of the tennis news to know this week.

This Week’s Tournaments:
Mutua Madrid Open – Madrid, Spain

Juan Martin del Potro Continues Comeback
Del Potro scored the biggest win of his comeback earlier today in Madrid, taking out one of the hottest players on tour right now, Dominic Thiem, in straight sets.  The win clearly meant a lot to an emotional Del Po.  WE’RE NOT CRYING YOU ARE.

Roger Federer Pulls Out Of Madrid Open
Federer has pulled out of yet another tournament in 2016, this time with a back injury.  It’s hard to believe he’s only been able to play in 3 tournaments this season.  We hope he’ll be back on tour soon!


Diego Schwartzman Wins 1st ATP World Tour Title
The 22-year-old Argentine rallied from behind to take out Grigor Dimitrov in the finals of the TEB BNP Paribas Instanbul Open.  His route to the final also included taking out the #1 seed Bernard Tomic.


Grigor Dimitrov’s On Court Meltdown
Speaking of Dimitrov, he had an epic meltdown in that final against Diego Schwartzman.  We haven’t seen one this bad in a long time. After frequently breaking his strings throughout the match, he smashed his racquet with the 3rd offense leading to loss of the game and therefore the match.  While we certainly can’t support his lack of sportsmanship in this case, haven’t we all had one of those days?


USA-Croatia Davis Cup Tie Announcement Coming Soon!
We’ve been very (im)patiently waiting for the location of the Davis Cup tie between the US & Croatia coming in July.  According to the Davis Cup Twitter, an announcement should be coming later this week.  Stay tuned!  Jack Sock is ready with his #Merica Babolat gear.

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: ATP News Roundup

Leave a comment

We’ve got less than a month to go until Roland Garros!  Our clay season started over the weekend as it’s finally Spring here in NYC and the courts are open!    Not everyone got the memo – the BMW Open in Munich has been delayed this week because of … snow.

This Week’s Tournaments:
Millinneum Estoril Open – Estoril, Portugal
BMW Open – Munich, Germany
TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Open – Istanbul, Turkey

Rafa Ties Guillermo Villas With 49 Clay Titles
Rafa has been having a terrific European clay season so far,  starting with winning the Monte Carlo Masters last week.  He kept the momentum going in Barcelona, defeating defending champion Kei Nishikori in the final to win his 49th career clay title.   The win ties him with Guillermo Villas for the all-time record.  We would definitely bet on Rafa surpassing it.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow
Rain delays are frequent on the tennis tour, but this week in Munich has brought on some new challenges:  snow delays!    The outdoor clay tournament has been hit with below freezing temperatures, and snow, much to the amusement of players who are used to chasing the sun around the globe!   (cue The Wanted song)  Or, if you’re Canadian like Vasek Pospisil, you just practice in the snow.

Bjorn Frantangelo Wins Savannah Challenger
The young American has had a great couple of months – earlier this year, he pushed Novak Djokovic to 3 sets in Indian Wells in an entertaining match.  Bjorn captured the Savannah Challenger title over the weekend, defeating fellow American Jared Donaldson in the final.  Because of the win, Bjorn is now first in the USTA Pro Circuit Roland Garros Wildcard Challenge Standings.  USA!  USA!

Sports, Tennis

Tennis Tuesday: Monte Carlo Roundup

Leave a comment

Tennis players are always chasing the sun and now that the weather is getting nicer in NYC, we can’t wait to play outside this Summer! It’s been a busy week in the tennis world so let’s get right to our Tennis Tuesday round up.

This Week’s Tournaments:
Barcelona Open BancSabadell – Barcelona, Spain
BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy – Bucharest, Romania

Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut Win Monte Carlo
The French duo won their 3rd straight Masters 1000 title of the season, securing themselves the #1 ranking in doubles in the process.  We love watching these two play and are thrilled to see them playing so well.  Also, see below one of the cutest post-match photos ever taken.

Rafael Nadal Reclaims Monte Carlo Title
The King of Monte Carlo won the title for the 9th time, defeating Dominic Thiem, Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray on the way to the finals.  The final between Rafa and Gael Monfils was one of the best matches of the year so far.  We hope both of them can carry the momentum to Roland Garros!

World Team Tennis Schedule Announced
The WTT schedule was announced last week, including matches with marquee players Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish, and Caroline Wozniacki.  We can’t wait to catch the New York Empires at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, including a match with both Andy and March August 9th!  Check out the full schedule at WTT.com.  Check with your local team as tickets go on sale this week!  And remember…Don’t fall asleep on a plane with Andy Roddick or Mardy Fish.