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Federer, Fritz & Haas Attend Lakers Game In L.A.

  • Posted: Mar 05, 2016

Federer, Fritz & Haas Attend Lakers Game In L.A.

Taylor Fritz visits iconic Staples Center ahead of Indian Wells debut

Taylor Fritz took in a Los Angeles Lakers game on Friday night, ahead of his ATP World Tour Masters 1000 debut next week at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. It was an ATP invasion at the Staples Center, with fellow stars Roger Federer, Tommy Haas and Milos Raonic also in attendance for the Lakers’ 106-77 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

The Southern California native, who trains in nearby Carson, was given an exclusive tour of the facilities, including the locker room.

“It was so nice to check out the locker room and meet the players. I enjoyed the experience,” Fritz told ATPWorldTour.com. “It was weird. All those guys were definitely bigger than me. Some of them towered over me. I felt so small.

“It’s great to see some of those athletes taking an interest in tennis and what I do. That’s amazing. I look up to those guys a lot.”

Stars of Tomorrow: Taylor Fritz

Fritz had the opportunity to meet Lakers stars Roy Hibbert and Metta World Peace, along with head coach Byron Scott and ESPN broadcaster Mike Tirico. The youngest player in the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings, the 18 year old also had an unexpected encounter with Federer and Haas on the court.

“We talked about tennis, scheduling and what we’re up to. I chatted a little about soccer with Federer. They’re both really good guys. I definitely wasn’t expecting to run into them.”

Fritz was awarded a wild card into the Indian Wells main draw, where he will make his first appearance at an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event. Fellow American teen Frances Tiafoe was also given a wild card, along with Juan Martin del Potro, Rajeev Ram and Mackenzie McDonald.

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Murray brothers give GB Davis Cup lead

  • Posted: Mar 05, 2016
Davis Cup World Group first round: Great Britain v Japan
Date: 4-6 March Venue: Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham Coverage: Live on BBC TV, Radio 5 live sports extra and BBC Sport website

Andy and Jamie Murray joined forces in the doubles to give Great Britain a 2-1 lead in their Davis Cup first-round tie against Japan in Birmingham.

The Scottish brothers beat Yoshihito Nishioka and Yasutaka Uchiyama 6-3 6-2 6-4 to leave the holders one win from a quarter-final place.

Andy Murray will hope to secure victory when he faces Kei Nishikori on Sunday.

Nishikori, the world number six, was rested for Saturday’s doubles after beating Dan Evans on Friday.

Evans, ranked 157th, would line up against world number 87 Taro Daniel if a decisive fifth rubber were required.

Captain Leon Smith’s decision to play Andy Murray in the doubles resulted in a one-sided win, but it will only be fully vindicated if the British number one can overcome Nishikori on Sunday.

“I know who I’d want going out for my team – it’s Andy,” Smith told BBC Sport. “It’s going to be difficult, Kei’s a really good player.”

Murrays make short work of doubles

The British brothers did not face a single break point as they saw off Nishioka and Uchiyama in one hour and 53 minutes, taking their Davis Cup record as a doubles team to 5-0.

There was little tension for the majority of the 9,000 crowd to endure as the home side overcame some solid early resistance to dominate.

Both Japanese players are ranked outside the world’s top 300 in doubles, in stark contrast to the world number two singles and doubles players across the net.

It was singles star Andy Murray who made the initial breakthrough with a return winner for a 5-3 lead and it was one-way traffic from then on.

Two breaks of serve in the second set left Japan with a mighty task but they held their own in a tight third before Britain broke through at 4-4, Andy Murray sealing victory with an ace.

Andy Murray: “We know each other’s games extremely well – so that helps. When the ball goes into a certain part of the court I know what shot he will hit and vice-versa. My strengths and his strengths make a decent team. It was a good win today.”

Jamie Murray: “We played a great match from start to finish. We were very solid. It wasn’t easy because they played some good shots and gave us some tricky moments.”

Can Nishikori upset Murray?

Leon Smith, Davis Cup captain: “Andy’s playing great despite the fact he hasn’t played a lot of matches since the Australian Open final. Look at the last two days, he’s ready. You know what Andy’s going to do when he goes out; he’s going to give 100% again. I think he can do it.”

John Lloyd, former Davis Cup captain: “Sometimes a break is the best thing for you. Andy looks so eager out there and he’s going to run every ball down. I think it’s going to be one of the toughest matches possibly Andy has had in Davis Cup but I think he’s going to come through. I think he’s too good for Nsihikori.”

Miles MacLagan, former Davis Cup player: “I think it’s a tough match for Andy but even tougher for Nishikori. Andy has played two matches but neither have taken a lot out of him. He’s serving really well, which is a great sign. As great as Nishikori is, you’d want to have Andy Murray on your team.”

Jamie Baker, former Davis Cup player: “If Andy and Nishikori played in a best-of-five match 10 times, I’m thinking eight or nine times out of 10 Andy is coming through.”

Order of play:

Friday singles

Andy Murray beats Taro Daniel 6-1 6-3 6-1

Kei Nishikori beats Dan Evans 6-3 7-5 7-6 (7-3)

Saturday doubles

Andy Murray & Jamie Murray beat Yoshihito Nishioka & Yasutaka Uchiyama 6-3 6-2 6-4

Sunday reverse singles

Andy Murray v Kei Nishikori

Dan Evans v Taro Daniel

Listen to State of the British Game – a 5 live sport special

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Bryan Brothers Give U.S. Edge Over Australia

  • Posted: Mar 05, 2016

Bryan Brothers Give U.S. Edge Over Australia

Visitors lead 2-1 after Day 2 at Kooyong.

Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan have given the United States a 2-1 edge over Australia in their first-round Davis Cup tie after a clutch five-set win over Lleyton Hewitt and John Peers in Melbourne.

Making his debut as Davis Cup captain, Hewitt temporarily ended his recent retirement to play the doubles rubber after replacing an injured Nick Kyrgios in the four-man Aussie squad. Hewitt didn’t disappoint home fans with a spirted returning display – particularly on the backhand wing – and combined with Peers to push the Bryans to the limit.

Coming into the tie without a title in 2016, the Bryans were lacking some of their normal confidence. But Bob produced one of his best returning displays and Mike was sharp at net in the 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3 win on grass at the historic Kooyong venue in suburban Melbourne. 

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Bouchard ends Broady run in Malaysia

  • Posted: Mar 05, 2016

British number three Naomi Broady lost 6-4 6-3 to sixth seed Eugenie Bouchard in the Malaysian Open semi-finals.

World number 96 Broady, who beat former Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki in the previous round, was soon 3-1 down to 2014 Wimbledon finalist Bouchard.

And in only her second WTA semi-final, the 26-year-old lost the opening set to Canada’s Bouchard in 38 minutes.

Bouchard, the world number 52 who won the only previous meeting between the pair in 2012, triumphed in 76 minutes.

Broady had three break points in the eighth game of the second set to level at 4-4 but was unable to take them.

In the final, Bouchard will play second seed Elina Svitolina, the 21-year-old Ukrainian, ranked 19 in the world, who beat China’s Lin Zhu 6-3 6-3.

Elsewhere, British number two Heather Watson reached the semi-finals of the Monterrey Open.

The 23-year-old beat second seed Caroline Wozniacki 7-5 6-4 in the quarter-finals and will meet France’s Caroline Garcia in the last four.

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The Tennis World Pays Hommage To Bud Collins

  • Posted: Mar 05, 2016

The Tennis World Pays Hommage To Bud Collins

The tennis world pays tribute to Bud Collins following the passing of one of the game’s most celebrated journalists and historians

Donald Dell: “I loved Bud Collins and he was a special friend. We shared the same birthday as well. He was one of my closest friends along with Jack Kramer and Barry MacKay. We worked five Wimbledons on Centre Court together with Dick Enberg. We called one of the greatest Wimbledon finals in 1980 with Borg-McEnroe.  I was Davis Cup captain in 1968-69 and Bud was our official writer.  You can’t say enough about him because in the 1970s, 1980s he was a big promoter of tennis and was a helluva commentator. He was by far and away the best historian of the sport. Bud was a very good writer and commentator and he always wanted to bring a different dimension to the audience. He was the best, period.”

Mark Stenning, former International Tennis Hall of Fame CEO: “Bud was a frequent guest at Newport, and never turned down a request to help in any way.  He helped with appearances, presentations and with his friendship. When we were struggling to memorialize another Hall of Famer, Bud said, ‘Why don’t you just say that tennis never had a better friend.’ That is how I will remember Arthur “Bud” Collins – ‘Tennis never had a better friend.’”

Tony Trabert: “He did a great job writing and broadcasting and he was truly a Hall of Famer. He was popular with everyone and will be missed. He was a really good guy.

“One little story comes to mind is when Bud and I were doing commentary for the Italian Open in Rome. A baseline official missed a call and Bud said, ‘Luigi missed that call.’ We went to a commercial break and I asked him how he knew his name.  Bud said to me, ‘it was an Italian name and nobody knows either.’”

Raymond Moore, BNP Paribas Open CEO: “Not only was Bud a legend, and the most knowledgeable person about our sport, but he was colorful on top of it. And when I say colorful I mean rainbow colorful; which was unique, special and encapsulated everything we loved about Bud. We will miss him dearly.”

“On a personal level, Bud was partially responsible for launching my career and my partner Bob Lutz’s career. One of our first big wins was in Boston and Bud never let me forget how much he talked us up on the air and how much great promotion he gave us. And every time he reminded me, I was grateful to have been part of Bud’s memories. He was probably one of the most giving people that I met. He would do anything for people around the game, and he will be sorely missed.”

Stan Smith, International Tennis Hall of Fame president: “Bud made such a huge impact on our sport because he was one of the most knowledgeable people in tennis and he was so committed to always learning more about the sport and its characters. By combining his knowledge with his one-of-a-kind color, he really made the game fun and interesting for the fans and the players. He was responsible for growing interest in our sport tremendously.

Todd Martin, International Tennis Hall of Fame CEO: “Bud will be greatly missed, but his impact on the game will never be lost. He documented and commented on our sport’s great moments and history every day, and in doing so, he made history himself. As a player, one could count on Bud to be fair, easy to speak with, and able to see past the surface on any subject. His heart and passion for the sport were just as great as his pants were bold. He drew fans into our sport and he kept every one of us in the industry engaged in the news. 

“While we are saddened today, it is impossible to think of Bud and not smile. He will be greatly missed, but always remembered with happiness and admiration.”

Jimmy Connors: “When Bud was around tennis was a lot more fun. He will be sadly missed.”

Chris Kermode, ATP Executive Chairman and President: “The ATP family is deeply saddened to learn of Bud’s passing. Generous, gregarious and sharply witty, Bud was equally loved and respected by all in the tennis community. His impact on the sport was immense. His Encyclopedia remains to this day as one of the game’s defining literary works and reference sources. Bud’s legacy will live on for a long, long time.”

USTA Statement: The USTA is deeply saddened by the passing of legendary tennis journalist Bud Collins. Bud was larger than life, and his countless contributions to the sport helped to make it the global success that it is today. Bud was a mentor to many, and a friend to many more. Our sport was most fortunate to be associated with a man of such character and class, and we were privileged to have had the chance to honor his lasting legacy to the sport by naming the US Open Media Center in his honor last year. He will be sorely missed by all of us who loved him—and by the sport he loved so dearly.

Ken Solomon, Tennis Channel president: “With the rest of our industry and tennis fans everywhere, we at Tennis Channel are saddened by the passing of our friend and colleague Bud Collins, the game’s most passionate, pioneering voice, and the gentleman who introduced this great sport to so many over the decades.  Our network, televised tennis and sports coverage in general owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Bud’s effortless blending of traditional newsprint storytelling with a then nascent television medium as it gained ever increasing importance on the American cultural landscape.  In doing so he elevated tennis to a previously unimaginable plane of awareness and enjoyment for fans the world over.

“Tennis Channel was blessed to have benefited from his professional expertise on our air and online, but even more fortunate to know his kindness, friendship and generosity of spirit.  Our hearts and thoughts are with his wife Anita and their family and friends.  Bud will be sorely missed, but his humanity and mountainous achievements remains with us, always.”

Joel Drucker, journalist & Tennis Channel field producer: “No one will ever bring more of his heart and soul to tennis than Bud Collins.  A true original, Bud brought incredible passion and skill, bringing our sport to life in ways at once creative and insightful.  But even more: He was kind to a fault, a true man of the people – a big-time person who never big-timed anyone.” 

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Konta loses Monterrey quarter-final

  • Posted: Mar 05, 2016

British number one Johanna Konta was beaten by Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens in the quarter-finals of the Monterrey Open in Mexico.

Konta, ranked 27 in the world, was a set and a break down but broke back to level the second set at 5-5 before winning it in the tie-break.

However, she won only one more game as world number 73 Flipkens reached the last four 6-3 6-7 (2-7) 6-1.

Britain’s Heather Watson faces Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark in the last eight.

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In Memoriam: Bud Collins

  • Posted: Mar 05, 2016

In Memoriam: Bud Collins

Colourful media legend was walking encyclopedia of tennis; made mark on sport in print, on air

Bud Collins, the multi-faceted wordsmith who for more than five decades was as synonymous with the world of professional tennis as Breakfast At Wimbledon and the Continental grip, passed away on March 3 at his home in Brookline, Mass. He was 86.

A singular figure in his signature Day-Glo slacks and bow ties, baldpate and seemingly ever-present smile, Collins remains the most recognisable media personality the game has ever known. Equal parts broadcaster/writer/historian, he helped popularise the sport and for his efforts was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1994, joining only a handful of journalists enshrined at the Newport Casino, including Allison Danzig, Al Laney, Lance Tingay and David Gray.

Harvey Araton wrote in the New York Times, “In the press box, Collins was Google before it existed.”

Fellow broadcaster Dick Enberg once told Chris Evert, “Bud Collins remembers more about your life than you do.”

The tennis industry was quick to weigh in on Collins’ passing. Said Donald Dell, “You can’t say enough about him because in the ’70s, ’80s, he was a big promoter of tennis and was a hell of a commentator. He was by far and away the best historian of the sport. Bud was a very good writer and commentator and he always wanted to bring a different dimension to the audience. He was the best, period.”

“Bud made such a huge impact on our sport because he was one of the most knowledgeable people in tennis and he was so committed to always learning more about the sport and its characters,” said International Tennis Hall of Fame President Stan Smith. “By combining his knowledge with his one-of-a-kind colour, he really made the game fun and interesting for the fans and the players. He was responsible for growing interest in our sport tremendously.” 

Tennis Family Pays Tribute To Bud

Born in Lima, Ohio, on the eve of the Great Depression on June 17, 1929, Arthur Worth Collins, Jr. graduated from Baldwin-Wallace College and went on to serve with the U.S. Army. While a graduate student at Boston University in 1959, he began a five-year stint coaching the men’s tennis team at nearby Brandeis University. Among his players was future social activist/anti-war icon Abbie Hoffman. He officially launched his tennis journalism career in 1963, when he joined the Boston Globe, and later worked his way into radio with Boston’s PBS affiliate WGBH.

Collins broke into television with CBS Sports in 1968, regularly joined in the broadcast booth by serve-and-volley extraordinaire Jack Kramer. In 1972, Collins moved over to NBC, where he would become a staple over the next 35 years.  Generations of Americans welcomed him into their living rooms through the tennis-boom years of the 1970s and beyond via his Breakfast At Wimbledon broadcasts, as NBC brought live coverage of the fortnight across the Atlantic. Collins made us feel as if we there alongside him at the All England Club, and he was as much a part of the most prestigious of the four Grand Slams as a tumbler of Pims or a bowl of strawberries and cream.

He developed a unique rapport with players that allowed him to go beyond the usual post-match fodder. After falling to longtime rival Martina Navratilova in the Wimbledon final, Evert famously quipped, “Nice pants, Bud.” Before Collins could get off a question to Pam Shriver in 1978, the future Hall of Famer insisted, “First, turn off those pants.”

NBC cut ties with Collins in 2007, but he remained on the scene, working with ESPN and the Tennis Channel, while continuing to contribute to the Globe. At the 2011 US Open, he suffered a fall in his New York hotel room and was unable to cover the second week of the event. Although he was less visible in the ensuing years, in 2015, he attended his 61st U.S. Open along with his wife, the photographer Anita Ruthling Klaussen. He has covered more Grand Slam events than any other American reporter.

Also an accomplished player, Collins won the U.S. Indoor mixed doubles championship (with Janet Hopps) in 1961, and was a French Senior doubles finalist (with Jack Crawford) in 1975. He delighted in playing barefoot.

While Collins’ vibrant personality made him an ideal fit for TV, it was perhaps in his writing that his talent shone through the most. His prose often spoke as loudly as did his trademark Technicolor attire. He is credited with coining a host of player nicknames, including Basher of Belleville (Jimmy Connors), Bucharest Buffoon (Ilie Nastase), Fraulein Forehand (Steffi Graf), Ice Maiden (Evert) and Lithuanian Lion (Vitas Gerulaitis). In addition to his work with the Boston Globe, he authored three books, The Education of a Tennis Player, Evonne On the Move, and My Life with the Pros. In 1999, the Associated Press presented him with the Red Smith Award for his contributions to sports journalism. He was elected to the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame in 2002.

A cub reporter approaching his first-row desk in the media center at the US Open — a facility now named in his honor — would find an accommodating sage who regardless of deadline was rarely too busy to offer an obscure tennis factoid or a go-to quote, or even sign the latest update of his Tennis Encyclopedia, as essential a desk-side companion for tennis writers as a thesaurus or the AP Stylebook.

When the United States Tennis Association (USTA) unveiled the Bud Collins US Open Media Center last summer, Patrick McEnroe reflected, “He was so far ahead of his time in understanding that tennis was a great game, but that tennis also needed to be entertaining, and make the personalities and players entertaining. His passion for the game was second to none.”

ATPWorldTour.com presents a sampling of Collins’ colorful quotes from over the years:

“The Bryans aren’t surface-nervous. Put them on flypaper, peanut brittle, steaming coals, a plowed field.”

“Looking like a guy at a fraternity party (green madras Bermudas, polo shirt, baseball cap labeled ‘G — National Champs’), John Isner is as happy as a keg-tapper.”

“I’d say he went from punk to paragon.” — On Andre Agassi

• “Stick a feather in your cap and call it McEnroni.” — After John McEnroe lost the 1980 Wimbledon final to Bjorn Borg in five thrilling sets

“Federer left town feeling as though he’d fallen down the Spanish Steps, wondering if he’d encountered a lion left over from the Coliseum.” — After Italy’s Filippo Volandri upset Roger Federer at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Rome in 2007

“Whenever I think about Timothy Henry Henman the Crimean War comes to mind, and I picture him as the latter day, one-man Charge of the Light Brigade. Into the Valley of Centre Court he bursts: Roddick to the right of him, Hewitt to the left of him, Federer in front of him volleying and thundering. Stormed at with shots from hellish racquets. Is he ever dismayed? Never. His is not to reason why…but to do or be hung out to dry…Charging gallantly, failing nobly. ‘Our Tim’ nonetheless.”

“My uncle always described an unforced error as his first marriage.”

• “Rodney the L is what’s happening in tennis these days. He goes into the Longwood veldt this afternoon to resume a rain delayed pursuit of another professional singles championship, and if he wore a top hat you’d think he was Mandrake the Magician. Instead he’ll be wearing a crinkled white cloche that looks as though a flapper had slept in it. It was probably willed to him by Clara Bow, but it does the job…His eyes seem like a pair of blueberries in a tureen of borscht.” — On Rod Laver

• “It’s the only tropical forest in the Northern Hemisphere.” — On rainy Wimbledon

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Murray Gives Great Britain Early Lead

  • Posted: Mar 05, 2016

Murray Gives Great Britain Early Lead

ATPWorldTour.com reviews Friday’s play in Davis Cup World Group first-round ties

GREAT BRITAIN 1, JAPAN 0
Venue: Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham, GBR (hard – indoor)

World No. 2 Andy Murray, who is playing for the first time since his runner-up finish at the Australian Open, recorded his 28th match win for defending champion Great Britain with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 victory over Japan’s Taro Daniel in 90 minutes.

“The second set was tough – a lot of close games and some tough points, which was good for me,” said Murray. “I was getting a little out of breath but I played a good match, served well, missed a few second serves but the first serve went extremely well, so it was a nice start.”

World No. 6 Kei Nishikori will now look to level the tie against Great Britain’s Daniel Evans.

SERBIA 1, KAZAKHSTAN 0
Venue: Pionir Hall, Belgrade, SRB (hard – indoor)

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic extended his Davis Cup winning streak to 10 matches by giving 2010 champion Serbia the advantage with a comprehensive 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 win over Aleksandr Nedovyesov in one hour and 53 minutes.

Viktor Troicki will now look to hand Serbia a 2-0 lead against Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin in the second singles rubber.

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