Belgians Yanina Wickmayer and Xavier Malisse are still under the gun of the ITF despite a court in their homeland overturning a previous one-year bans.

Both players were suspended for one-year on November 5 after the ITF ruled that each had missed three testing dates during the year.

Under the rules players are required to be tested at random points throughout the year, but in this case the players failed to make an appearance three times warranting such a suspension.

Now, however, that a Belgian court suspended the ITF”s decision, the players are now trying to get the ITF to allow them to compete in the Australian Open which is run by the ITF!

Iedereen al gehoord van de hele whereabouts-historie? Nee? Lees het hier.

Ik heb al een hoop steunbetuigingen zien passeren voor tennissterren Yanina Wickmayer en Xavier Malisse. Maar dit is toch wel een originele:

Ene Monkeyboy maakte ‘een steunsong’ voor Wickmayer op het liedje Hey There Delilah van The Plain White T’s.
Op zich al leuk, nog leuker als je de tekst hoort, en gewoon super als je de foto’s bij de song ziet… Zeker eens checken.

De herfst is al een tijd in het land en met het vallen der bladeren is er precies ook een zekere droefheid neergedaald in ons sportief landschap. Nauwelijks hebben we wielrenner Frank Vandenbroucke begraven of er valt alweer een andere landgenoot te betreuren. Dimitri De Fauw, amper 28 jaar oud, stapte eergisteren plots uit het leven. Mentaal geknakt na een dodelijk wielerongeval tijdens de Zesdaagse van Gent eind 2006, toen hij ongelukkig in contact kwam met Isaac Gálvez, die later overleed. Triest!

Donderdag werden we dan weer opgeschrikt door de schorsingen voor Xavier Malisse, Yanina Wickmayer en Sugar Jackson, die nalatig waren geweest met hun whereabouts. Zij worden nu voor één jaar geschorst omdat ze de opgelegde regels hebben geschonden. Toen ik dit hoorde zakte mijn broek spontaan af. En ik denk dat hetzelfde gevoel bij meer mensen de ronde deed. Hoe kan je nu zo enggeestig zijn door steeds weer naar de letter van de wet te handelen en eens niet naar de geest?

Vlaanderen heeft zijn kneuterigheid op die manier weer dik in de verf gezet. Ten onrechte krijgen de gestrafte sporters nu het etiket ‘mogelijke dopingzondaar’ opgekleefd. Sportcarrières worden nu ‘on hold’ gezet, mogelijk zelfs beëindigd door deze uitspraak. Deze straf is gewoon ‘buiten proportie’. Ik vrees dat men in de toekomst nog meer Belgische sporters gaat schorsen op deze manier, maar het is zeer de vraag of dit soort ‘acties’ nu effectief iets oplevert. Bart Meganck (voorzitter van het Vlaams Doping Tribunaal) heeft bij deze een stevige nominatie op zak als ‘lul van het jaar’ in Humo’s Pop Poll 2010. Staakt het zoeken, we hebben een winnaar!

Yanina Wickmayer and Xavier Malisse, the Belgian Tennis players, have been suspended from tennis for 12 months after falling foul of doping regulations.

The Flemish Regional Tribunal confirmed that Wickmayer, a U.S. Open semi-finalist this summer, had failed to declare her whereabouts on three separate occasions.

This is in contravention of the standard required under the World Anti-Doping Agency rules.

Malisse had failed to declare his whereabouts twice and had also missed a test.

The bans take immediate effect with Wickmayer pulling out of her match at the Womens Tour event in Bali.

A spokesman for the International Tennis Federation said: “We cannot comment on doping cases until we have been notified in writing by the Belgian anti-doping agency. That has not happened as yet.”

This decision has been taken by World Anti-Doping Agency.

De schorsing van Wickmayer en Malisse is er toch wel zwaar over. Ik lees dat Sugar Jackson ook ‘van de lat’ heeft en een persconferentie gaat houden.

In de anti-doping is het al een tijdje zo ver gekomen dat vermoeden van onschuld niet meer telt. Zou er hier niet een of ander basisrecht geschonden zijn dat afdwingbaar is voor een hoger gerechtshof? Pas op, ik geef toe: toen Rasmussen zijn Tour-zege moest afgeven, was mijn (en die van de meeste mensen) reactie anders. Maar goed: die had ook echt gelogen over waar hij dan wel was. En dat is toch nog iets anders.

Wie op Facebook de atleten wil steunen, heeft ruime keuze, zie het overzicht van BVLG:
>> B.V.L.G.: Schorsing Wickmayer en Malisse op Facebook.

Je kunt ook fan worden van de Wickmayer of Malisse op hun Facebook Pages.

Op Facebook valt het wel op dat het vooral Wickmayer is die gesteund wordt. Verhaal is natuurlijk ook net iets frappanter. Ze komt net in dé fase van haar carrière, moet in Bali op de B-Masters als een dief in de nacht haar koffers pakken, … Malisse heeft al een parcours met en zonder brokken achter zich en was daarbij niet altijd de sympathiekste gabber van het circuit. Maar ook hij stond toch weer op een keerpunt in een comeback.

Get this: compatriots Xavier Malisse and Yanina Wickmayer have been summoned to appear before an anti-doping commission due to infringements.

Apparently it’s to do with that ‘whereabouts’ rule that Murray is always banging on about. Wicky has broken it three times in the past 18 months, Malisse twice, in addition to which he has missed a drug test. The hearings will take place on October 8th for Malisse and October 22nd for Wicky.

Rising American star Ryan Harrison was on court this weekend with veteran Xavier Malisse training before the qualies of the US Open. Both men will be in the qualifying draw of the US Open which comes out later today. Harrison is one of the top American youngsters in the world and calls the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy home. Malisse has been training at the Bollettieri Tennis Academy for many years and has been to the fourth round of the US Open twice in his career.

Here are some photos from their training session:

A few of Indy's past winners

I finally took some initiative and decided to do something with my summer. A few weeks ago I was on Twitter and found a link to volunteer sign-ups for the Indianapolis Tennis Championships that took place July 18th-26th at IUPUI. I decided it would be a lot of fun to see what goes on behind the scenes of a professional tennis tournament and at the very worst just get out of the house. Also there were some perks including unlimited admission and free tickets for the family that I did not want to pass up. Wimbledon runner-up Andy Roddick was also committed to compete before withdrawing with a hip injury the week before the tournament began. It was very disappointing when I heard he was not going to compete as the lineup was lacking behind him, but I was optimistic nonetheless.

The Indy Tennis Championships are the first stop each year for the US Open Series and past champions include Hall of Famers Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Pete Sampras, and Andre Agassi. Andy Roddick is also a former champion at the event. Even though the field was lacking without Roddick, world #24 Dimitry Tursunov (Russia), #30 Dudi Sela (Israel), and #34 Sam Querrey (USA) led a very competitive field in Indy. Other notables include Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) and former world #18 Vincent Spadea (USA).

My job title was Tournament Support Volunteer. It was my teams job to prepare the courts for play, monitor the courts during play, and basically run the entire operation when it rains. Some examples include cleaning the courts, supplying water and taking broken rackets to the player’s stringer.I was warned that our job gets really hard whenever it rains. Luckily my first day was as clear as it possibly could have been.

My first day mainly dealt with learning the ins and outs of the tournament and where to go for certain things. I did however get to spend a lot of time just sitting and watching tennis. While court monitoring my first match, my group got yelled at by the chair umpire for not getting one of the players some riper bananas. We were trying to find them, but the ones I found were not up to par according to my boss and it just took too long. This began my feelings toward some tennis players as to their attitude towards fans and workers.

Great view of the court pre-match

My favorite moment from the entire week was Monday when I was monitoring a match between American Jesse Levine, a great young American player that I had a great privilege of watching all week, and a fiery player by the name of Xavier Malisse from Belgium who holds a victory over Rafael Nadal from a few years ago. Lets just say Malisse was out to get anyone that annoyed him in any way imaginable. From the opening points he was mouthing off to the chair umpires over very small calls and it was easy to tell he was not in a good mood. He then was called for a foot fault on deuce in a 5-5 first set. For non-tennis watchers that is the equivalent of a last second basketball play where the ref is just supposed to let them play. It is a call an official never makes to let the players decide who wins and who loses. So I could have sympathized with the guy. However, he then went on a memorable tirade against the service line judge:

Malisse: “Are you joking?, Do you want to feel important?, I can get one of these journalists to get your name in the paper?, You don’t call that bullshit on deuce point!

Chair Umpire: “It is not like she made it up.”

(Malisse throws racket)

(Malisse paces for a few seconds and picks up racket)

Malisse: “This town is shit, the fans are shit, the calls are shit!”

He later went on to throw his racket a total of five more times and uttered some German curse words that I could not understand while putting down the crowd and the city throughout the match. He eventually lost the match and I assume left the city immediately. I later found out he only made $300 as it was a qualifying match to get into the main draw of the tournament.

Below is a more violent tirade by Malisse from a few years ago.

I think I avoided an International incident by remembering what kind of bananas were needed on the court from my ordeal the day before. Any added stress on that umpire or the other player could have been a disaster. Regardless it was a lot of fun, but added to my growing stereotype of tennis players and their general attitudes. They are waited on like babies and tend to throw fits if something doesn’t go exactly according to plan. I am not talking about all tennis players, but mainly ones who have been successful but are losing their touch or those who have language barriers with American workers.

Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy student and Serbian tennis sensation was on-court today practicing with longtime NBTA pro Xavier Malisse. Krajinovic and Malisse we working on the hard-courts and both looked good. At the age of 17, Karjinovic is already ranked #518 in the world in the ATP rankings and has been as high as #6 in the world in the junior rankings. He reached the semifinals at both the 2008 Junior Wimbledon and 2008 Junior US Open. When at the Academy, Filip is coached by Nick Bollettieri, David “Red” Ayme, and Chip Brooks. He also travels with NBTA coach Pablo Mayorga. He is one of the best young talents in the world, and we are very excited to watch him progress in the next couple of years.

Here are some photos from their practice session and to see more visit our Flickr page:

Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy student Ryan Harrison at the 2009 Sarasota Open

For the second straight day, 17-year old American Ryan Harrison has won a big three-set match. Coming off of a win over his good friend and fellow NBTA pro, Taylor Dent, Harrison took on top-230 player Victor Estrella in the second round of the Sarasota Open.

Estrella got off to a fast start winning the first set 6-2 and jumping ahead to a 4-2 lead in the second. Harrison kept his composure and never seemed rattled by the 28-year old veteran. He evened the match with a 7-5 victory in the second set, but there was still work to do. Once again, Estrella got out to a 2-0 lead in the third set but Harrison was able to fight back despite cramping and take the match 6-4 in the third.

This is Harrison’s first quarterfinal appearance at an ATP event and he will take on none other than Xavier Malisse (another Bollettieri pupil!) That match will take place tomorrow so stay tuned for updates.

Congrats to Ryan for a great victory today and we are really looking forward to the match tomorrow!

Ricardas Berankis training on clay at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy

This week, there is a Challenger tournament in Sarasota (the Sarasota Open) and the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy is very well represented. Two of our students – Ricardas Berankis and Bernard Tomic – came through qualifying, two others – Ryan Harrison and Xavier Malisse – received main draw wild cards and Taylor Dent is playing in the tournament as well.

The action begins today Australian Tomic playing Michael Yani and with Lithuanian star Berankis taking on second-seeded American veteran Vince Spadea. Dent will take the court tomorrow against fellow NBTA student Ryan Harrison and finally Xavier Malisse will face American Lester Cook in the opening round.

Stay tuned to the blog all week for updates throughout the tournament.

Today, ATP pros Tommy Haas and Xavier Malisse were practicing together on the indoor courts. Both players are coming off injuries, and both played well at the Australian Open. Here are some photos of them training together:

Once again, Nick’s Picks along with Tennis Week will bring you in-depth coverage of the Australian Open.  Check back everyday for insight leading up to the Open and then throughout.

Despite the loss to Andy Roddick, Malisse looked to be back to the old "X-Man"

When you think about adversity in tennis two players come to my mind – James Blake and Jelena Dokic.We all know how Blake has battled back and worked his way up the rankings. Now, Dokic is trying to do the same. The 25-year old Australian, who is playing in her first Grand Slam since the 2006 Aussie Open, got a big win over #17 Anna Chakvetadze 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3. Dokic now moves into the third round where she will face the young and uber talented #11 Caroline Wozniacki.  Dokic has proved one thing: Where there is a will, there is a way!

Joining Dokic in the winner’s circle were top seeds Jelena Jankovic, Dinara Safina and Ana Ivanovic. Jankovic looked excellent out on the court. She moved well and really seemed comfortable. I continue to think that she has a very good chance of winning this tournament.

Safina was impressive as well. First off, did you see those muscles? In the past she was covering them up, not anymore! She wanted everyone to see just how ripped she is and how much time she has spent in the gym. I have to give credit to her opponent, Ekaterina Makarova, because her groundstrokes were top-notch and she really put pressure on Safina. A good win for Safina and a big complement to Makarova as well.

Finally, I don’t know what to say about Ana Ivanovic. With the way she is currently playing it is going to be tough for her to win this tournament. Her serve is all over the place and she just doesn’t look in synch. Now, that can all change overnight, but right now I would think she needs to really get it going.

On the men’s side, I have to start with the Roddick/Malisse match because anytime one of my students is going I am very interested. I have to say that depsite being out with injuries and not having played much recently, Malisse looked like the old “X-Man.” His attitude was positive throughout and he had real chances at winning this match. I thought the big difference was Roddick’s backhand. After the second set finished, Malisse should have realized that hitting cross-court to Roddick’s backhand wasn’t working because he didn’t force Roddick to hit it on the run. In the tiebreaker in the third set, you saw Roddick’s experience come out. On the big pressure points, Roddick had the guns. I want to congratulate Malisse for playing so well and taking Roddick to four sets. This is an encouraging sign of things to come for Xavier.

One guy I was really impressed with yesterday was Marin Cilic. This kid is for real and everyone must understand that he is a contender to win any event he enters. He moves excepetionally well for a big guy, has a great serve, and can play both offense and defense. I really believe he has what it takes to make his way into the top ten.

I have to give a couple big congrats out to Fabrice Santoro and Amer Delic. Both won dramatic five set matches and both are fun to watch. Santoro, as you know, is one of my favorites. He is an absolute joy to witness and I am just upset that he is calling it a career at the end of 2009. He will be sorely missed. And Delic, great win for him. Just shows that even though you go to college you can still compete in professional tennis. He is a great inspiration for kids all across the US.

I’ve got third round picks coming soon, so stay tuned!

Once again, Nick’s Picks along with Tennis Week will bring you in-depth coverage of the Australian Open.  Check back everyday for insight leading up to the Open and then throughout.

David Nalbandian (ARG) vs. Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE)

Nalbandian picked up a four-set win over Marc Gicquel of France in the opening round. He has already captured a title in 2009, winning in Sydney just last week. He has been to the quarters here three times and the semis once.

Lu comes into the tournament ranked a career high of #61 in the world and has reached the second round of the Aussie Open for only the second time in five attempts. He is best known for his upset over Andy Murray in the first round of the Olympics last year, so you know the kid can play.

The Match-Up:

Nalbandian is 1-0 against in his career, with that win coming back in 2004 in Beijing. Nalbandian is not a guy who is going to come out and surprise you. He is extremely solid from the baseline, doesn’t make many mistakes, and will keep Lu pinned back on his heels with deep groundstrokes. Nalbandian returns the serve well and his serve itself is underrated. Lu is going to have to force the issue a bit in this match and try to keep Nalbandian off balance, which is not an easy thing to do. I look for Nalbandian to pull through.

Nick’s Pick – Nalbandian in 3 or 4 sets

Marin Cilic (CRO) vs. Janko Tipsarevic (SRB)

Cilic is one the top guys to watch over the next couple of years. He is only 20-years old and is already ranked #20 in the world. He came into the Aussie Open with a perfect 5-0 record on the year and a title in Chennai already under his belt.

Tipsarevic, aka “Tipsy”, played one of the great matches of the 2008 Aussie Open when he took Federer to five sets before falling 10-8 in the fifth. This is already his third tournament of the young season and he reached the quarters in Chennai a couple of weeks ago.

The Match-Up:

Cilic is 1-0 against Tipsarevic, with that win coming just a couple of weeks ago in Chennai. That match went three sets, with Tipsarevic winning the second set 6-0 and Cilic winning the third 6-4. Tipsarevic is a streaky player. One day he takes Federer to five sets and the next he is losing to Albert Montanes 6-2, 6-1. He needed five sets to win his first match, and that may have an affect on his energy level in this match.

Cilic plays a big game from both sides and has a great serve. His style of play translates well onto this court and he seems to thrive on the big stage. Tipsarevic has the ability to frustrate the best guys and I don’t think this is going to be an easy win for Cilic. I give the edge to the Croat, but this could go long.

Nick’s Pick – Cilic in 4, maybe 5 sets

Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Roko Karanusic (CRO)

Nadal is very different, he is truly one of a kind. The entire tennis world is lucky that we get to witness a player such as him right now. His engine never stops running and that is what makes him so special.

Karanusic comes into the Aussie Open ranked #92 in the world. His best result in a Grand Slam came at last year’ US Open where he reached the second round before falling to Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy student Kei Nishikori.

The Match-Up:

This is the first career meeting between Nadal and Karanusic. Nadal plays a style that very few others can match. He beats you up and then throws in a few more punches just for good measure. I am sure his team tells him to try and cut down long points by using a little less spin on his groundstrokes and also taking advantage of his lefty serve (especially out wide to the ad side). Karanusic cannot trade blows with the killer, he should talk himself into being a totally different play and do things he through would be impossible. If Nadal continues to play like he did against Rochus, this could be quick.

Nick’s Pick – Nadal in 3 sets

Andy Murray (GBR) vs. Marcel Granollers (ESP)

Murray was not tested in the first round because Pavel retired in the second set. Murray is the talk of the world, especially among the British fans and news-media, and for good reason. He has never had a better chance than now at winning a Grand Slam.

Granollers picked up a four-set victory over Teimuraz Gabashvili in the first round. He is currently ranked #51 in the world and just reached the semis in Chennai a couple of weeks ago.

The Match-Up:

Murray is 1-0 against Granollers, with that win coming a couple of years ago on clay in Barcelona. More than likely, Murray is going to win this match, but we must be careful not to overreact to all the publicity he is receiving. Granollers cannot keep the ball in play and expect Mr. Murray to make errors. He must take chances, say a few prayers, and pray for some kind of heat phenomenon. Look for Murray to continue his winning ways.

Nick’s Pick – Murray in 3 sets

Other matches of interest:

Here are some of the other matches that I will be keeping my eye on during the first round.

Andy Roddick (USA) vs. Xavier Malisse (BEL) – After qualifying for the tournament, NBTA alum, Xavier Malisse, won his opening round match against Michael Llodra. Everyone agree that Malisse has the type of game that could keep Roddick pinned back. Malisse has magnificent footwork and excellent techniques; he just needs to stay focused. If he can, which I think he will, he could put a scare in Roddick. I do give Roddick the advantage though because of Malisse’s recent lack of match-play. This should be a good one.

Fabrice Santoro (FRA) vs. Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) – I still am having a hard time coming to grips with the fact that Santoro is going to retire. He is the kind of the guy that is great for the tour, because he plays such a different game. If you compare apples to apples, Kohlschreiber definitely has the bigger guns in this match. If you look at the mental aspect and the knowledge of the game, Santoro has the edge. I urge everyone to watch the magician at work here, as this will be a great match.

Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. Jeremy Chardy (FRA) - Everyone is making a big deal about Djokovic’s racket change. He needs to accept the fact that he made the switch and needs to have complete confidence in his new tool. He was a little shaky early on in his first match with his forehand, but seemed to settle in as the match progressed. He can’t do that against Chardy, who is very talented. If you don’t know about Chardy, you will soon. He is currently #68 in the world and at 21-years old has a very bright future. He will go Djokovic a heck of a match, but in the end the Djoker will get the last laugh.

Bernard Tomic (AUS) vs. Gilles Muller (LUX) – Both of these guys are coming off of great wins. Tomic, the 16-year old Aussie, won his first Grand Slam main draw match, and Muller won a dramatic 16-14 five setter over Feliciano Lopez. No matter what anybody says it takes longer than one day to recover from a battle like Muller went through. He is a lefty with a good forehand, big serve, and not too many weaknesses. Tomic has excellent groundstrokes for a young kid, but to beat Muller he must gamble and take advantage of any defensive balls.

Gael Monfils (FRA) vs. Stefan Koubek (AUT) – Koubek is a fighter and can play on a very high level if he keeps his focus in line. Monfils must not be a dare-devil, and conserve his energy especially with the temperatures being so high. The Aussie fans really take to the character of Gael and this will help him throughout the tournament.

Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) – This is a must-see match. The big serving Ljubicic had to play a tough five setter, while Tsonga was nice to his opponent, letting Juan Monaco get out of the heat relatively quickly (losing only eight games).

Ivo Karlovic (CRO) vs. Mario Ancic (CRO) – I am sure these two Croats know each other very well. Karlovic must have a huge serving day, which includes using a variety of serves rather that just big booming ones. Karlovic must also be aggressive onm his returns, especially from the backhand side. He cannot only slice and chip. Ancic is solid in all areas; the only question mark is his physical health. He has great techniques and will present a great challenge for Karlovic. Not too many break of serves in this one…

Once again, Nick’s Picks along with Tennis Week will bring you in-depth coverage of the Australian Open.  Check back everyday for insight leading up to the Open and then throughout.

It was great to see Taylor Dent back on the tennis court at the Aussie Open!

Day 1 one of the Aussie Open is in the books, and it was a record-breaking day for the crowds as there were over 46,000 people there during they day and another 15,000 at night. WOW!  It was also a  great start if you were a seeded player. The bottom half of the men’s draw was in action on Day 1, and that included defending champion Novak Djokovic, three-time champion Roger Federer, and American Andy Roddick. All three of those guys won their matches without dropping a set, as did every other seeded man on the bottom half except for Feliciano Lopez (he lostto Gilles Muller 16-14 in the fifth set, it was an incredible match).

I was very interested to watch the Federer match to see how he looked in his opener. First thing I have to say is that if a line judge misses three or more calls of balls that are out by 16-18 inches, you have to find out if that person needs glasses!!! Watching Federer just reminded me again how great he is. Without a doubt, he is the best all-around player on the tour. His speed and anticipation are off the wall, and he can with any shot in the book. Brad Gilbert made a comment during the match that I agree with. He said that Federer’s return of serve is not as offensive as it was a couple of years ago, this may hurt him down the line. Federer is definitely not the biggest server on tour, but he is certainly one of the smartest and can come up with the ace when needed. Also, many people don’t realize how much action and how heavy Federer’s second serve is. If Seppi could have put pressure on Federer’s second serve then this match would have been much closer. Speaking of Seppi, he is a very good player and has a possibility to become the first Italian to be ranked in the top-20 in 30 years (since Corrado Barazzutti in 1978)! Seppi had chances to get even in this match, but he couldn’t convert on his break chances because he didn’t play aggressive enough. He waited for Federer to make mistakes, and you can’t do that when you play against this guy. It was a very solid start for Federer, and I will be watching him closely throughout the rest of the tournament.

It was not a good start for the American men. There were nine in action and only three (Roddick, Fish, and Delic) won. Among the losers were two of our better young guys, Sam Querrey and John Isner. Delic faced another American, Taylor Dent, who was playing in his first Grand Slam since the 2006 Aussie Open. The match went five set, with Delic winning 6-4 in the fifth.  After three back operations doctors said Dent had a 20% chance of getting back on the court, but he didn’t let that deter him. He followed his heart and didn’t let anything deter him. He truly is an inspiration and even the other guys like Roddick were happy see him back out there. “From the sounds of it, for a while, you didn’t think he was going to come back with how severe his injuries were,” Roddick said. “So it’s a testament to him wanting to get back.” Despite the loss, I am sure Dent was thrilled to be back out there and we are all rooting him on! Congrats to Taylor and we look forward to seeing him back at the Academy training soon.

A couple of other notes on the men…

• What a match between Muller and Lopez. There are two things you look for when a match goes long like this. The first is tired legs (which Lopez had) and the second is hitting low percentage shots (too many from Lopez). Those were the big deciding factors in this match. I also want to commend the umpire of this match for using his head wisely and allowing the guys to take more time between points and during breaks. Everyone was battling temperatures in the 100’s, and this can really take a toll on your body.
• Watch out for Nalbandian. He looked good and could give the top guys fits. He is one of those players that if he is hot, he is capable of anything.
• Nice to see Santoro and Xavier Malisse get wins. Santoro defeated JC Ferrero and X (after qualifying) beat Michael Llodra. Next up for Santoro is Philipp Kohlschreiber and X will take on Roddick.
• A lot of people have asked me about Andy Murray’s chances, you can read my thoughts here from The Indepedent newspaper in London and what makes him so difficult to beat is his movement and anticipation. It’s as if his opponent is playing on a much bigger court than he is, and because of this his opponent’s get impatient and over-hit. That is what makes Murray so dangerous.

On the women’s side, there were no big upsets. Both Jankovic and Ivanovic won their openers, as did Safina, Zvonareva, Petrova, Wozniacki and Cornet. I really think it is going to be difficult for Ivanovic to win this tournament if she continues to serve like she did in her opening match. Her toss is all over the place and is causing her to hit to the opponent’s forehand side almost 100% of the time. I suggest she relaxes her arm a bit, because right now it is as stiff as a board. If she gets that toss under control, her chances of winning go up dramatically. Jankovic played fantastic tennis, and it look as though the hard-work she put in during the off-season is really paying off. The one thing you notice right now about the women’s tour is that they really miss Sharapova and Henin. What’s missing is the feistyness and competitiveness of Sharapova and the variety from Henin. Neither of those girls can be replaced…

Overall it was a fantastic Day 1, and I am really looking forward to Day 2!

Japanese tennis sensation, Kei Nishikori, participated in the Mark Knowles Celebrity Tennis Invitational over the weekend in the Bahamas. Kei was joined by other pros such as: Mark Knowles, Alex Kuznetsov, Xavier Malisse, Hugo Armando, Ryan Sweeting, Don Johnson, Sabine Lisicki, and Michaela Krajicek. Kei won the Celebrity Pro-Am on Saturday, playing with amateur and local Bahamian businessman Jeff Everett. The event raised over $100,000 for three children’s charities!

Here are some pictures from the event with the photo credit going to Matt Dunn/Matt Dunn Photography:

Group Shot!

Once again the pros were out in full force today at the Academy, despite the fact that most of the courts are being taken up by juniors playing in the Eddie Herr. Today, most of the pros were indoors practicing on three courts next to each other. On one court you had Ivo Karlovic and Filip Krajinovic, on the court next to them you had Kei Nishikori and Xavier Malisse, and on the last court was Chris Klingman, Ricardas Berankis, Max Mirnyi, and Martin Damm.

Here are some photos from today, and if you want to see more be sure to visit our Flickr page!

It’s the first week of December, and for the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy that means two things. One, the Eddie Herr International junior tournament and the other is that pros from everywhere come to practice before the season begins again in January.

If you aren’t familiar with the Eddie Herr, it is one of the largest junior tournaments in the world. Last year over 1,260 players from 72 different countries came to the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy to participate and we are expecting those numbers again this year. Past champions of the event include: Marin Cilic, Dominika Cibulkova, Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic, Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick, David Nalbandian, Xavier Malisse, Michelle Larcher de Brito, Ivan Ljubicic, Anna Kournikova, and Marcelo Rios.

We will be updating the status of many of the Academy’s players this week during the Eddie Herr. Some of the players from the Academy to watch out for include: Emila Onila, Sachia Vickery, Victoria Duval, Bo Seal, Harry Fowler, Jordan Cox, Yuki Bhambri, Borut Puc, Christian Harrison, and many more.

While all that is going on, the Academy is also serving as the training ground for many of the best players in the world. Currently pro players such as Ivo Karlovic, Xavier Malisse, Max Mirnyi, Michaella Krajicek, Kei Nishikori, Filip Krajinovic, Sabine Lisicki, Nicole Vaidisova, Ricardas Berankis, Shuai Peng, Anastasia Pivovarova, are all here and there are more to come as the month goes on.

Here are some pictures of the players that are training here and for me, click here and go to page two!

It wasn’t easy for 15-year old NBTA student Michelle Larcher de Brito in her first match of the US Open qualifying draw, but she managed to pull through. She beat American Angela Haynes 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to advance to the second round. Both girls broke each other nine times in a match that lasted over two hours. Larcher de Brito will now face another American in Abigail Spears in the second round. Spears advanced with a straight-set victory over Karolina Sprem. The two have never faced before. Congrats and good luck to Michelle!

Two other NBTA players, Ricardas Berankis and Xavier Malisse, will take the court today for their first round qualifying matches. Berankis is first on Court 8 and Malisse is second on Court 10. Good luck to both of them!

Nick and Michelle Larcher de Brito

NBTA student Michelle Larcher de Brito will get a chance to qualify for the US Open beginning today. Her first round opponent will be American Angela Haynes. Larcher de Brito comes into the tournament having played great tennis as of late, and is ranked a career high of #131 in the world. The 15-year old Portuguese native is seeded 22nd in the qualifying draw, and is scheduled to play fourth on Court 11 today. We will keep you updated on her progress.

Three other players that train at the Academy are also in the qualifying draw, but aren’t scheduled to play today. They are Japan’s Kei Nishikori, Lithuania’s Ricardas Berankis, and Belgian veteran Xavier Malisse.

Nishikori, who is seeded 11th in the qualifying draw, will face American Todd Widom in the first round. Widom is a 25-year old who comes in ranked #266 in the world. Nishikori is ranked #125 in the world, and he beat Widom earlier this year at a Challenger in Nottingham.

Berankis, who is 18 years old and ranked #476 in the world, will face David Marrero of Spain. Marrero is ranked #200 in the world and is 28-years old.

Malisse, who has been to the fourth round here numerous times, will play Victor Estrella of the Dominican Republic. They have already played twice this year in Challenger events and Malisse won both of those matches.

Good luck to all!

First, some bits:

• Saw Juan Martin del Potro up close and personal playing doubles with munchkin partner Fabio Fognini.
• James Blake, who along with Frank Dancevic is a spokesguy for Evian, designed a facial spray bottle (“Brumisateur”) that’ll be sold throughout the U.S. Open Series. Pick it up at evian.com for $5.50.
• Maria Sharapova is leaving the athlete haven that is Manhattan Beach for the much more celeb-appropriate Topanga Canyon.

Donald Young’s white Nike Advantage Polo. See the subtle detail in the mesh backing. The 19-year-old took out Tommy Haas 6-2, 6-4 in the first night match.

Papparazi moved into the seats right behind me not during a changeover (boo) but waited until the changeover (yay) to start snapping pics of Kate Hudson, who sat next to Haas’ gf Sara Foster. Look at that bracelet!

Tommy had no less than three K-Swiss shirt changes, treating us to white/black and navy blue crewnecks plus a navy blue polo during the last game of the match.

Switcheroo: In case you didn’t notice — I didn’t until last night! — Xavier Malisse switched from K-Swiss to Lotto prior to Wimbledon. He wore the black Kontact tee with shiny screenprint against Carlos Moya. The Belgian had a shiny ring on his left middle finger to match.