Kuhlman (right) with ‘Bobby Curtis’ Tournament Director Andy Gladstone and his spectacular shorts
Next month the only USTA Section junior championships tournament that has spawned four world No. 1 players, the USTA Florida ‘Bobby Curtis’ Junior State Championships, will get underway in the Sunshine State, where one alumni is making waves this week on the pro circuit. Josie Kuhlman of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., is into the quarterfinals at the USTA Women’s Pro Circuit event in Sumter, S.C., where today she will face her future University of Florida teammate Brooke Austin. Kuhlman, formerly coached by one-time world No. 3 Brian Gottfried, won the Girls’ 14 division in 2009 (beating current pro Allie Kiick) and was a finalist in the Girls’ 16 division at the ‘Bobby Curtis’ in 2010 at the age of 14.
The tech website Mashable posted video this week of Roger Federer and his coach Stefan Edberg knocking the tennis ball around while sporting Google Glass, the wearable computer with the optical head-mounted display disguised as regular(-ish) glasses. In a visit to Google’s Silicon Valley campus they hit around before taking photos and signing autographs for fans. You have to wonder if the Google crew also showed “Fed-berg” the “Don’t Be a Glasshole” video on Google Glass etiquette.
Miloslav Mecir (Sr.) back in the day
Four Americans remain alive as of Friday in the French Open qualifying at Roland Garros. Tim Smyzcek, the only American man remaining in the third round of qualifying among the six Americans in the draw, faces Miloslav Mecir on Friday with the winner receiving a spot in the main draw. Not the former world No. 4 who won gold at the 1988 Olympic Games, but his son, Milo Jr. On the U.S. women’s side, three players will compete in 2nd round play on Friday: Floridian Allie Kiick vs. Lesia Tsurenko (UKR), Grace Min vs. Ayumi Morita (JPN), and Melanie Oudin vs. Kiki Bertens (NED).
Florida’s Keys Seeks 1st WTA Final at Strasbourg
Two American women remained in the title mix yesterday at the Internationaux de Strasbourg in France, where on Thursday unseeded Madison Keys and Christina McHale advanced into the semifinals.
In Friday morning play McHale lost to Spanish qualifier Silvia Soler-Espinosa 5-7, 7-6, 6-3. Keys later this morning was set to face off against fellow Florida-trained Monica Puig of Puerto Rico.
On Thursday Keys outlasted unseeded unseeded German Julia Goerges 6-2, 2-6, 6-2, while McHale had an easier advancement when opponent Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan retired trailing 2-6, 1-3 citing a hamstring injury.
“[Goerges] has a great forehand, so I was definitely trying to stay away from that,” Keys said. “So I was just trying to play my game, play to her backhand more, and wait for the right opportunity.”
Keys, who lost to Puig last year at the French Open, is seeking her first berth in a WTA final today.
The last American man exited the Open de Nice Cote d’Azur ATP stop in France on Thursday when top-seeded John Isner was upset by No. 7 seed Federico Delbonis of Argentina 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(6).
Tennis on TV This Weekend
Friday
3-7pm — ATP Nice (delay), Tennis Channel
7-11pm — ATP Dusseldorf (delay), Tennis Channel
11pm-3am — WTA Strasbourg (delay), Tennis Channel
Saturday
1-7pm — WTA Nurnberg (delay), Tennis Channel
7-9pm — ATP Nice (delay), Tennis Channel
9-11pm — ATP Dusseldorf (delay), Tennis Channel
11pm-1am — WTA Strasbourg (delay), Tennis Channel
Sunday
5-10am — French Open (live), ESPN2
10am-7pm — French Open (live/delay), Tennis Channel
Noon-3pm — French Open (live), NBC
7pm-4am — French Open Tonight (repeat), Tennis Channel
