Friday Tennis Blog: More Kyrgios Chaos; Tell a Story at #MyTennisMyGame

SHARE YOUR TENNIS STORY AT #MyTennisMyGame

Has the game of tennis had a major impact on your life? Ahead of the campaign to be launched during the US Open celebrating the stories of tennis and changed lives, you can share your story on social media with the hashtag #MyTennisMyGame or on the web at www.usta.com/found. During the US Open the USTA will launch a TV and social media campaign highlighting stories and inviting players to share. “We all know that tennis is more than just a sport,” says USTA National President Katrina Adams. “Everyone is involved for different reasons — everyone has a story. You are what make this organization and sport great.” Does Pete Sampras once needing to borrow my shoes count? Probably not life changing…at least for Pete. Share the story of how your life has been changed by tennis at #MyTennisMyGame or www.usta.com/found.

LEGEND CURTIS HONORED IN ATA HALL OF FAME

Bobby Curtis (center, in black) with USTA Florida staff and volunteers

Florida legendary junior tennis organizer Bobby Curtis and USTA National President Katrina Adams were honored during the 98th American Tennis Association Tournament in Fort Lauderdale this past week. “I think ‘legend’ pretty much sums up the induction of our own Bobby Curtis into the American Tennis Association Hall of Fame as a Regional Legend,” said USTA Florida Executive Director Doug Booth. “The comments made by Nick Bollettieri, Jean Desdunes, Bob Davis, and Al Tucker about Bobby and his impact were so special.” Curtis touched the lives of thousands of Florida juniors over the years, especially in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area, and including many who went on to pro careers such as Jim Courier, Andy Roddick and Mary Joe Fernandez. He helped launch what would become the USTA Junior Team Tennis program, and the careers of numerous college, pro, and life-long recreational players. “Bobby Curtis really has been junior tennis in Florida, ever since I’ve been alive,” Courier said in 2012. “He really does signify what’s good and true about tennis in Florida. He does it for all the right reasons — he cares about the kids, he cares about the sport, and he’s always ensuring that the whole of junior tennis is successful.”

MISCELLANY

The NCAA will install no-ad scoring beginning in 2016 at the Division I men’s and women’s tennis championships for “the health and well-being of student-athletes…”…Here’s the latest look at the glossy retractable roof superstructure being built over Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York…The Top 3 on the world’s highest-paid female athletes list are all tennis players…Ivo Karlovic hit his 10,000th career ace this week, joining former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic in an elite group…Lleyton Hewitt is not Nick Kyrgios‘ coach, but he is coaching him. Kyrgios for his part was fined $10,000 for his remarks and boorish behavior toward Stan Wawrinka on Wednesday in Montreal…Vania King is now living in Boynton Beach. The 26-year-old multiple Grand Slam doubles winner and U.S. Fed Cup member is making a comeback after a herniated disc, and training with USTA coaches in Boca Raton…Former Slam champ Petra Kvitova has mono, which has curtailed many a tennis career…Is match-fixing in pro tennis real? Ask Italians Daniele Bracciali and Potito Starace, who were just banned for life from the men’s tour…”Eat your Wheaties” has always been an old-school reference to health. Now you can drink your Wheaties.

Serena, Isner Wave U.S. Flag Entering Canadian Weekend

John Isner became the lone American man into the quarterfinals at the Rogers Cup in Montreal as his compatriots Jack Sock and Donald Young fell in third-round play on Thursday.

The No. 16-seeded Isner stopped the run of controversial Aussie Nick Kyrgios 7-5, 6-3 to move into the quarterfinals, where today he will meet France’s Jeremy Chardy.

Kyrgios, fined $10,000 for remarks aimed at Stan Warinka during their match, was booed off the court by Montreal fans following his loss to Isner. Sock on Thursday fell 6-2, 6-1 to world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, and Young lost to fellow qualifier Ernests Gulbis 6-4, 6-4.

The other Montreal quarterfinals in play on Friday will be Djokovic vs. Gulbis, No. 7 Rafael Nadal vs. No. 4 Kei Nishikori, and No. 2 Andy Murray vs. No. 10 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

World No. 1 Serena Williams, the lone American remaining at the Rogers Cup in Toronto, moved easily into the quarters on Thursday with a 6-3, 6-2 win over No. 16-seeded German Andrea Petkovic.

“I still think I have a tremendous amount of improvement to do off the ground and everywhere else,” Serena said. “I just felt off. Just gotta be more positive out there again. I just felt a little negative. So, I’m just going to get back in that positive attitude and go from there.”

In the Friday quarterfinals Serena will meet unseeded Italian Roberta Vinci. Other quarterfinals on the slate are No. 2 Simona Halep vs. No. 6 Aggie Radwanska, No. 15 Sara Errani vs. Ukraine qualifier Lesia Tsurenko, and No. 5 Ana Ivanovic vs. Swiss Belinda Bencic.

They Said It

“I interact with the crowd, I was talking to [Reilly Opelka’s] dad a lot; George [Opelka’s father] is a great guy.”
— Eventual tournament champion Frances Tiafoe on his match with Wimbledon Juniors champion Reilly Opelka last week at the USTA Boys’ 18s Hard Court Nationals

“[I’m like] a good vintage red wine — I’d say getting better with age, I hope.”
— Serena Williams this week at Toronto when told that not one player in the draw from her 2001 Toronto title was still playing on the WTA tour

“Nick’s young and maybe doesn’t realize what he is doing sometimes. That’s certainly something that he needs to grow out of and he needs to grow out of that sooner rather than later. There’s certainly no excuse for swearing. That’s just bad behavior, that’s ugly.”
— Aussie great Rod Laver on countryman Nick Kyrgios

Tennis on TV This Weekend

(times subject to change)

Friday
12:30-4:30pm — ATP/WTA Rogers Cup (live), ESPN2
7-9pm — ATP/WTA Rogers Cup (live), ESPN2
9-11pm — ATP/WTA Rogers Cup (live), Tennis Channel

Saturday
1-5pm — ATP/WTA Rogers Cup (live), ESPN2
6:30-8pm — ATP/WTA Rogers Cup (live), Tennis Channel
8-10pm — ATP/WTA Rogers Cup (live), ESPN2

Sunday
1-5pm — ATP/WTA Rogers Cup (live), ESPN2