Courtprolive - Tennis News

I've attended all of the summer ATP events in the U.S. and several of the European ones. I have to say that The Campbell's Hall of Fame ranks up there as one of my favorites. Due to its surface, location and timing, this tournament will never attract the top players that you see at the other International Series events. What it lacks in star power is more than made up for in ambiance, accessibility and charm. This is the only grass court tournament left in the United States.

So 36-year-old Michael Chang is engaged to married to 24-year-old WTA player Amber Liu, who he is coaching? Go Michael! Now they'll have to cancel pre-production for the 40-Year-Old Virgin II....

I am quite certain that at some point today, Thomas Muster, Sergi Bruguera and perhaps a few other former Grand Slam champions all scratched their head upon hearing the news that Michael Chang officially entered the Tennis Hall of Fame.

I tried to determine the toughest draws conquered at the respective events since the start of the 1988 season. The Australian Open did not have 1 draw that jumped out at me. The U.S. Open had several draws that stood out as quite difficult for the champion to navigate (1992, 1994, 1998, 2002). At any rate, these are the 4 draws I selected. Tell me and the rest of the Tennis-x readers what other draws were exceptionally deep and rough.

if I could magically teleport Muster onto Centre Court right now, I bet he would casually walk up to Nadal, press a finger against the outside of one nostril and blow snot at the guy's feet. Then he'd walk away with that ridiculous barrel-chested trot without saying a word.

The accolades continue to pour in after the majestic Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer Wimbledon final Sunday. TV ratings were up across the board from the match, and now, if you haven’t heard both players are featured on the cover on the latest issue of Sports Illustrated.

Nonetheless, this was a stellar day for curse beneficiary qualifier Rohan Bopanna. While beating Fish in the first set, fellow Indians, the Amritraj father and son were busy sending text messages of support. Who the messages were being sent to, I have no clue? It appears their help worked as Bopanna only needed two tiebreak sets for his Fish fry.

He had to cheer loudly to be heard over the crowd on center court watching Taylor Dent attempting a comeback against Canadian pretty-boy Frank Dancevic. Frank doesn't strike me as a pretty-boy name; like say for example, Taylor? Dent gave it a valiant effort but he won't be going home with the prize. No big deal says Taylor, "a year ago they told me I wouldn't ever play tennis again."

I had the opportunity to try out my strokes on the grass court this afternoon with Brian Battistone. He and his brother Dann have been creating some waves and gaining a following for their unusual style of play and even more unusual rackets. Called the "Natural One," the 29-inch racket has not one but two handles. The unique handle angle puts less stress on your elbows and helps the body balance better. I loved it so much I bought one.

I am not sure other words can really describe the quality of the 2008 men’s final. The nerve each man possessed to execute shots that no one else in the world can hit was amazing. It is one thing to hit those shots when crushing someone in an early round match in a smaller tournament; it is another to do it on the final Sunday at Wimbledon when your opponent is just waiting for an opening or a let down.