Midwest Sports Tennis Blog

2009 US Open Tennis TV Schedule

 Monday, August 31, 2009

Monday, August 31	11:00 am - 7:00 pm	Opening Round, Tennis Channel
Monday, August 31	1:00 pm - 6:00 pm	Opening Round, ESPN2
Monday, August 31	6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	US Open Scoreboard, ESPN2
Monday, August 31	7:00 pm-11:00 pm	Opening Round, ESPN2
Monday, August 31	11:00 pm - 12 am	US Open Tonight Tennis, Channe1

Tennis Corruption through Twitter?

Tennis Integrity United is a joint creation of the International Tennis Federation, the ATP World Tour and the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour with the common goal of ending the threat of corruption in tennis. What is threatening to corrupt the sport? Twitter.

Former Police detective and now Director of the Tennis Integrity Unit, Jeff Rees, sent an email to all US Open contestants to notify them that their tweets could be violating the sport’s anti-corruption rules on “the passing of inside information.” The players were also informed that their tweets would be monitored throughout the US Open.

The Director warned that tweets including “sensitive information” in relation to their or other players matches – like injuries or other ailments that could release the likelihood of a player participating – were potentially corruptive.

Information that is considered ‘inside information’ is defined as ‘information about the likely participation or likely performance of a player in an event or concerning the weather, court conditions, status, outcome, or any other aspect of an event which is known by a covered person and is not information in the public domain.’

According to the USRSA, players, their coaches, agents and their families and all tournament staff are considered ‘covered persons’.

DailyTennisNews@racquettech.com

Connors back in the tennis world

Jimmy Connors, once considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, is coming back to tennis.  No, this 56-year-old former world no. 1 is not going to be playing tennis, rather he will be a lead analyst for the Tennis Channel’s first-ever coverage of this year’s US Open.

The Tennis Channel’s coverage will feature 72 live match hours as well as 240 hours of dedicated tournament programming. This will be the first time in over 20 years that Connors will be an American commentator.

Connors has been keeping a low profile in the tennis world since ending his professional relationship with Andy Roddick a year and a half ago – after 21 months of coaching. The five time US Open champion has told USRSA Daily Tennis News that he is excited to be a part of the US Open for the Tennis Channel.

DailyTennisNews@racquettech.com

Tennis on a bigger scale

You may remember when tennis found its way to Kings Island here in Cincinnati for Sony Ericsson’s “Fountain Tennis” stunt but their next stunt is going to be a little bigger. The Yale Bowl – a historic football stadium – has been converted into the world’s largest tennis court, to celebrate the start of the 2009 Pilot Pen event in New Haven, Conn.

At this event, World No. 10 Flavia Pennetta and defending champion Caroline Wozniacki will take over the Yale bowl for some “Football Tennis”. This historic American football stadium is considered a treasure of American sports and while it has found football history inside its walls, the stadium has never held a tennis match.

This is the third stunt Sony Ericsson has hosted this summer including “Street Tennis” in Toronto where Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki took over Yonge Street in a spur-of-the-moment tennis match and of course Cincy’s very own “Fountain Tennis” when Kim Clijsters and Elena Dementieva “played tennis” in the fountain that is in front of the “Eiffel Tower”.

DailyTennisNews@racquettech.com

Look out for new ATP Champions Tour event in FL

Until now, the ATP Champions Tour has not had a tournament in the United States. The tour happens in Spain, Brazil, Portugal, France, China, Italy, Luxembourg and England, but now it will host a new event in the U.S. for 2010. Next February, John McEnroe, Mats Wilander and Pat Cash will all be in Florida at the Delray Beach International Tennis Championship.

This new event is to be a 9-day tennis extravaganza, lasting from February 20-28. It will be a unique showcase of tennis’ greatest talents while also simultaneously hosting the ATP Champions Tour and the ATP World Tour at the Delray Beach Stadium and Tennis Center.

The Delray Beach Championships are planned to begin with the 8-player, 4-day ATP Champions Tour event and then end with the ATP World Tour tournament that has occurred in Delray Beach for the past 12 years. Zurich, Switzerland will also join Florida as a new ATP event in 2010.

DailyTennisNews@racquettech.com

Dementieva’s win over Sharapova pushes her into first

After her second career US Open Series tournament title, No. 4 seed Elena Dementieva moved to first place of the Women’s Standings with a 6-4 6-3 victory against unseeded Maria Sharapova.

Sunday’s final in Toronto gave Dementieva 100 total points and, with only one week remaining, placed her ahead of Flavia Pennetta of Italy. Pennetta will attempt to win the US Open Series overall title in New Haven.

DailyTennisNews@racquettech.com

Nestor and Zimonjic Take the Doubles

After saving eight championship points in the match tie-break, Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic took the doubles title of the 2009 Western and Southern Financial Group Masters from 2003 and 2008 champions, Bob and Mike Bryan 3-6 7-6(2) 15-13.

When the Bryans broke in the fourth game of the match, they gained the advantage they needed to claim the opening set 6-3. The second set came with a tie-break that Nestor and Zimonjic were able to easily claim 7-2 on a Zimonjic service winner.

In the match tie-break, the Bryans were able to extend their 5-4 lead by winning four points consecutively to receive championship points at 9-4. Nestor Zimonjic won six points in a row to extend the match tie-break and eventually defeat their opponents 15-13.

This is Nestor’s record fourth Open Era title in Cincinnati and the first for Zimonjic. Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde are the only other two players with four Open Era titles in Cincy.

(www.cincytennis.com)

Federer Wins at W&SFG Masters

Tennis World No. 1 Roger Federer won his third title at the W&SFG Masters when he defeated No. 4 Novak Djokovic 6-1 7-5. Federer has now joined Mats Wilander, Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras as the only players to win at least three Open Era titles in Cincinnati.

In the match, Djokovic fended off six break points before the No. 1 broke him in a 13-minute game.  Only 23 minutes into the second match Federer again broke the Serb to take a 4-0 lead. Djokovic was finally able to hold until Federer closed out the set 23 minutes in at 6-1 after surrendering just three points on his serve.

In the first service game of the second set, Federer faced three break points to push Djokovic up 2-0. These break points were the first Federer had faced since Thursday’s match against David Ferrer.

In the 11^th game, Federer took first advantage of a break chance to go up 6-5. This was the advantage Federer needed as he closed out the match.

(www.cincytennis.com)

This is the 61^st win of Federer’s career and his 16^th at an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament. This is also the eighth time the No. 1 player in the world has won the title in tournament history.

Federer takes on Djokovic today...

Today is the day!  The Western and Southern Financial Group Masters Final will be played today.

Come out to see Roger Federer take on Novak Djokovic!

Then prepare for an exciting doubles final battle between Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan and Daniel Nestor /Nenad Zimonjic.

It looks like a great day for tennis… singles final begins at 12:30 and will be followed by the doubles final!

(www.cincytennis.com)

The Final Tennis Match is set for tomorrow!

He has done it again.  Roger Federer will be playing in tomorrow’s final match at the Western and Southern Financial Group Masters, this is the third time in five years he has made it this far.

Federer beat Andy Murray this afternoon 6-2 7-6(8).

The 2005 and 2007 champion in Cincinnati, Federer will play Novak Djokovic in the final on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.

If Roger Federer wins in tomorrow’s final match, he will be the fourth player in the Open Era to win the Cincinnati title at least three times.  This elite title is only shared by Mats Wilander, Andre Agassi, and Pete Sampras.

Novak Djokovic won’t be an easy opponent though.  This is the second year in a row that Djokovic has reached the finals at the Western and Southern Financial Group Masters.  Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal with a 6-1 6-4 win tonight.

Djokovic is ranked fourth in the world while Federer is ranked number one.

Djokovic has reached these finals for the second year in a row, and is the first player to do so since Andy Roddick in 2005 and 2006.

Prepare yourself for a phenomenal day of tennis tomorrow!