Tennis Tidings

Sharapova Easily Dismisses Venus at Australia Open 2013

neilalan — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 08:00:00 +0000

Grand Slam winner Venus Williams has been playing very well this year at the Australian Open, that is until she met the number two seed, Russian Maria Sharapova.

In her first two rounds, the American had dominant performances against Galina Voskoboeva (6-1, 6-0) and Alize Cornet (6-3, 6-3).

Meanwhile, Sharapova had been flawless in her first two rounds, losing zero games to her first two opponents. She is playing great tennis and had no trouble dispatching the 7-time Grand Slam champion.

Australian Open 2003, Melbourne, Australia:

Second seed Maria Sharapova sent Venus Williams crashing out of the Australian Open Friday in a crushing straight sets defeat in the third round.

The Russian, who was champion at Melbourne Park in 2008, was in rampant form, winning 6-1, 6-3 in 79 minutes on Rod Laver Arena against the vastly experienced American….More at Maria Sharapova crushes Venus Williams to reach fourth round – NDTV

In an interview, Sharapova was quoted as saying, “I think when we both looked at the draw, it was a match-up we were both looking forward to.” “She's a tremendous athlete and a great champion.”

The 6-1, 6-3 win over Venus makes it likely that she will continue through her half of the draw and, if the seeds hold, would face either Victoria Azarenka or Serena Williams in the final.

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Caroline Wozniacki Loses to a Resurgent Kuznetsova in Sydney

neilalan — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The tennis season is just getting started, so it may be too soon to make predictions based on early results. The action right now is in Australia, as players compete in a few of the tournaments that prcedede the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open which begins on January 14th.

One of the first of the top ten female players to falter was the seventh seeded Caroline Wozniacki. She faced former top-five Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova at the Apia Sydney International tournament in the second round and came out the loser.

In the first round, the Russian, who had spent six months recovering from a knee injury, beat Julia Goerges 3-6 6-3 6-3 and followed it up with an upset of former world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki….More at Kuznetsova upsets Wozniacki, top seed Radwanska through to …

Kuznetsova, who is currently ranked at number 85, had to qualify for the main draw by getting past three qualifiers. She was able to defeat Julia Goerges in the first round before playing Wozniacki and winning 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-2.

In the nearly three hour match, the Russian veteran hit seven aces and obviously relied on her many years of experience in getting past the seventh seed from Denmark.

Kuznetsova next faces German Angelique Kerber in the quarterfinals of the Apia Open.

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Image by toga via Flickr

Serbia Open Tournament Cancelled By ATP

neilalan — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 01:06:50 +0000

Beginning in April-May of 2009, the ATP World Tour held a tournament in Novak Djokovic’s country of Serbia. It was played on outdoor clay and is the only men’s or women’s professional tennis tournament held in that country.

The Serbia Open was was owned and run by Novak’s family, who purchased the ATP tour date from the organizers of the previous Dutch Open in 2008 and then relocated it to Belgrade. They obtained the support of the Serbian government and state-owned enterprises helped to support it. Djokovic’s uncle Goran has been the tournament director from its inception.

This year, the tournament was scheduled to be played on April 29 to May 5. However, it has now been cancelled becuase of a lack of interest from the players. The event failed to attract any of the top tennis pros.

Djokovic’s Family Sport, the tournament organizer, says it “made the most rational decision considering the circumstances.”

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In 2012, the Serbia Open was won by Andreas Seppi of Italy over Frenchman Benoît Paire. Novak Djokovic won it in 2009, beating Lukasz Kubot 6–3, 7–6(7–0) and again in 2011 besting Feliciano Lopez 7–6(7–4), 6–2. In 2010, the final was played by two Americans; Sam Querrey winning over John Isner 3–6, 7–6(7–4), 6–4.

The future of the tournament is unclear at this time.

Stosur Wins Newcombe Medal, Headlines Brisbane International New Years Party

neilalan — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 18:55:39 +0000

The Brisbane International Tennis Tournament begins on December 30, 2012. This is one of the premiere warm up tournaments for the Australian Open 2013 event and features many of the top men and women tennis stars.

In the 2012-2013 tournament, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka, and Angelique Kerber are planning to attend along with Australia’s own Samantha Stosur, the number nine ranked WTA player

Recently, Stosur was the recipient of the Newcombe Medal awarded to the Australia’s most outstanding player in 2012.

The world No.9 – who recently won her third Newcombe Medal, awarded to Australia’s most outstanding tennis player – finished 2012 as a top-10 player for the third year in a row.

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Samantha will also be the guest of honor as the Brisbane International Tournament hosts a New Year’s Eve party.

World No.9 Sam Stosur will take centre stage at Pat Rafter Arena on December 31 to bring in the New Year with her fans at the Brisbane International.

“I look forward to celebrating the end of 2012 with my fans and welcoming in 2013.

Sam will also be on hand at the official draw ceremony.

Tennis fans will get the chance to see Stosur ahead of the Brisbane International at the official draw ceremony, which will be held at the Westfield Shopping Centre in Carindale from 10:30 am on Saturday 29 December 2012.

Read more about the events at Brisbane

Like the Australian Open, the Brisbane International event is always a fun time for players and fans. Everyone appreciates the friendly, mellow atmosphere that prevails at the tennis tournaments in Oz.

Photo by Chascow

Head Women’s Pro Tennis Bag is Practical and Stylish

neilalan — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 20:22:35 +0000

The Head Women’s Pro Tennis Bag looks great and will let you carry your tennis racquets and gear with style and comfort.

Racquet Bag with racquet compartment for 1 to 2 racquets

Racquet compartment with CCT racquet protection for 1-2 racquets.
Large accessory compartment with storage pockets.
Adjustable, padded shoulder strap carry handle.
All metal buckles for durability.
High quality, fashionable fabrics.

Advantage Triple Tennis Bag Has Room To Spare

neilalan — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 20:20:19 +0000

The Wilson Advantage Triple Tennis Bag is a well-made tennis bag that holds 2-3 racquets without covers.

Holds more than a racquet, June 18, 2011
By Sheldon on Amazon.com

This is a nice bag at a very reasonable price. Easily holds a couple of racquets or one racquet and some warmups. The small compartment is pretty deep for keys, wallet, cell phone, granola bars and even a small water bottle.

Looks well made, nice zipper, so it should last awhile. I looked at bigger bags, but since I’m not packing for the pro tour this one was just right at a much smaller price. I got mine at a sporting goods store, and compared to those cheap sleeves that only hold one racquet this was a bargain.

Wilson Hope Tennis Backpack Helps The Fight Against Cancer

neilalan — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 20:18:10 +0000

With the Wilson Hope Tennis Backpack you can help the fight against breast cancer and transport all your tennis gear on and off the court.

This stylish & sleek bag features a soft to the touch fabric, a main compartment for clothing and shoes, a front zippered pocket to hold as many as 2 racquets and a front accessories pocket.

The padded air mesh back and straps make this backpack comfortable to carry too. It is PVC free. Wilson is donating 1% of the sale of this HOPE product to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation in addition to their annual donation of a minimum of $100,000.

Dimensions: 18″ x 13″ x 9.5″.

Wilson Hope Triple Bag Hold Three Racquets and Benefits Cancer Research

neilalan — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 20:16:24 +0000

Exclusive Wilson HOPE Triple with soft to the touch feeling fabric. The main compartment holds as many as three rackets and there is also has a large side accessories pocket.

Wilson is donating 1% of the sale of this HOPE product to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation in addition to their annual donation of a minimum of $100,000.

For more information about BCRF, visit www.bcrfcure.org

Rafa Returns to Tennis in Dubai- Will He Be Ready For Melbourne?

neilalan — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Tennis fans have reason to rejoice. The King of Clay, Rafael Nadal has recovered from his knee injury and is once again ready to face down the top tennis stars.

World number four Rafa Nadal has confirmed he will return to competitive action at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi at the end of December after six months out with a knee injury.

The 11-times grand-slam singles champion has not competed since a shock defeat to Czech Lukas Rosol in the second round at Wimbledon in June….More at Nadal to return in Abu Dhabi this month | Firstpost

The question of course, is whether he will be at full strength for the 2013 Australian Open. Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and of course Roger Federer will be ready and waiting on the other side of the hard court in Melbourne and they will all wanting to make a statement in the first Grand Slam of the year.

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Serve Up Fun Tennis Gift Basket

neilalan — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 01:59:46 +0000

Serve up some fun with this delicious tennis gift basket for your favorite tennis fan or coach. Full of delectable treats, this gift will be a hit on or off the court.

For watching a big tournament or sharing with friends, this gift contains all the best match-watching munchies. They will love zesty popcorn, fresh roasted nuts, crisp cheese straws, decadent cookies, savory snack mix and scrumptious mini cookies.

Tennis Tidings

Sharapova Easily Dismisses Venus at Australia Open 2013

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Caroline Wozniacki Loses to a Resurgent Kuznetsova in Sydney

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Serbia Open Tournament Cancelled By ATP

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Stosur Wins Newcombe Medal, Headlines Brisbane International New Years Party

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Head Women’s Pro Tennis Bag is Practical and Stylish

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Advantage Triple Tennis Bag Has Room To Spare

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Wilson Hope Tennis Backpack Helps The Fight Against Cancer

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Wilson Hope Triple Bag Hold Three Racquets and Benefits Cancer Research

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Rafa Returns to Tennis in Dubai- Will He Be Ready For Melbourne?

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Serve Up Fun Tennis Gift Basket

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