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October 16th, 2014

Friday Tennis Blog: Serena Appears in Singapore for WTA Finals

Friday Blog
"OK, keep drinking that water and avoiding eye contact with me"

“OK, keep drinking that water and avoiding eye contact with me”

BRING YOUR COACH, AND COMPUTER, ON COURT — The WTA tour allowing on-court coaching during matches was a controversial rule change that never migrated to ATP or Grand Slam events. Now the WTA will potentially take it a step further, voting later this year to possibly give coaches and players access to real-time match data during changeovers. Whether it’s a desktop pulled out of their typically-giant tennis bags, a laptop or a mobile device, players and coaches could view match data and make mid-match course corrections. “It underscores if they have a coach or don’t have a coach,” said Florida-based Eugenie Bouchard coach Nick Saviano, talking to USA Today. Maybe the WTA will let coach-less lonely players on court receive encouraging texts from fans? “Move your feet more LOL.”

disney-goofy-tennisWATCH TOP COLLEGIATES AT DISNEY ON ESPN — Mark your calendar for the end of October to support college tennis on TV by tuning in to ESPN3 streaming on the web, or the WatchESPN app, to catch the action at the third annual USTA Collegiate Clay Court Invitational at Disney in Orlando, Oct. 30-Nov. 2, 2014. Top 20-ranked men’s and women’s teams will include USC, Virginia, Florida, Columbia, UNC, Miami, Clemson, Baylor, Northwestern and more, approximately 40 schools in all. “As a former player, coach and now a fan of collegiate tennis this would be an event I would want to play,” said USTA Director of Community Development and Facilities Virgil Christian. See some of tomorrow’s U.S. tour players in action before they hit the ATP and WTA circuits.

Bryans_Oz2007

Bob’s got the beads on. We think.

BRYANS CEMENTING ALL-TIME STATUS — The Florida-resident Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike, last week captured the Masters Shanghai title. Not an unusual feat for the world No. 1 team, until you consider it made them the first team ever to win a “Masters Slam” (every single Masters-level tournament during their career) and locked-up the year-end No. 1 ranking for a record 10th year. The 36-year-old twins were 0-5 in Shanghai career in title attempts prior to his year. “It was really the last thing left for us to do,” Bob said. “We can definitely shut it down today and be happy guys.” Their 10 years clinching the year-end No. 1 ranking is ahead of the “Woodies,” Mark Woodforde-Todd Woodbridge, who did it five times. Shanghai was their 101st team title after claiming their landmark 100th at this year’s US Open, and their 8th title in 2014.


Sock Into Quarters in Stockholm; Serena Makes Her Appearance at WTA Finals

Jack Sock is the lone American alive this week in tour play, on Thursday advancing into the quarterfinals with a 7-6(3), 6-3 upset over No. 6-seeded Jeremy Chardy at theIf Stockholm Open in Sweden.

On Friday the unseeded Sock, who now lives and trains with John Isner in Tampa, will meet No. 2 seed Grigor Dimitrov.

The two remaining American women in action made their exits on Thursday at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow and the BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg Open.

Alison Riske, a first-time WTA title winner last week in China, lost 6-2, 6-2 on Thursday in second round play in Moscow to No. 6 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. In Luxembourg, No. 5-seeded Varvara Lepchenko was upset by Czech qualifier Denisa Allertova 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Meanwhile after speculation that world No. 1 Serena Williams would miss the year-ending WTA Championships with injury, on Thursday she showed up in Singapore, apparently marking her will to defend her title.

Posted by Rick Vach

Florida tennis news writer for USTA Florida

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