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Q: How to batch convert .csv to .xls/xlsx I am looking for a way to quickly convert a directory of .csv files into the .xls or .xlsx format (would be nice if I could do either/or).
Is there an easy way to do this or do I need to install a third party program?

A: Assuming you like and have Python (for some reason), you could use this script I whipped up:
import os
import glob
import csv
import xlwt # from http://www.python-excel.org/

for csvfile in glob.glob(os.path.join('.', '*.csv')):
    wb = xlwt.Workbook()
    ws = wb.add_sheet('data')
    with open(csvfile, 'rb') as f:
        reader = csv.reader(f)
        for r, row in enumerate(reader):
            for c, val in enumerate(row):
                ws.write(r, c, val)
    wb.save(csvfile + '.xls')

Ran in the directory with all the CSV files, it will convert them all and slap a ".xls" onto the end.
For Excel 2007+ (xlsx files) supporting up to about 1 Mrows:
import os
import glob
import csv
import openpyxl # from https://pythonhosted.org/openpyxl/ or PyPI (e.g. via pip)

for csvfile in glob.glob(os.path.join('.', '*.csv')):
    wb = openpyxl.Workbook()
    ws = wb.active
    with open(csvfile, 'rb') as f:
        reader = csv.reader(f)
        for r, row in enumerate(reader, start=1):
            for c, val in enumerate(row, start=1):
                ws.cell(row=r, column=c).value = val
    wb.save(csvfile + '.xlsx')

A: I sympathise with you! I had to do this same conversion. I was trying to manipulate data using openpyxl but for some reason it wasn't doing what I wanted with with csv files so had to convert to xlsx first.
I used Python and Pandas. I am using Python 3.
import pandas as pd
import os

for (dirname, dirs, files) in os.walk('.'): #source directory
for filename in files:
        if filename.endswith('.csv'):
            df = pd.read_csv(filename)
            df.to_excel(filename + '.xlsx')
            os.remove(filename)  #deletes csv file

A: Here is a perl script that supposedly does it, but it does seem like a lot of work to do something that is already built into Excel.

A: There is a lot left unsaid in your question.
Assuming that your CVS files are in a directory structure similar to
c:\randompath\CSV\
    a.csv
    b.csv
    c.csv
      :
      :
    z.csv

and you want to end up with
c:\randompath\XLS\
    a.xls
    b.xls
    c.xls
      :
      :
    z.xls

I can think of three routes to go depending on the ratio of upfront work to clean-up work you are willing to do.

*

*No Precoding:    Use Windows Explorer to navigate to the CSV files use whatever method works best to select the files to be converted (lasso, ctrl+a, ctrl+click, shift+click) then right click one of the selected files and click on Open.  This will open all the files in Excel. Then for each file you can select "File" and "Save as" and finally choose the new file format you want it saved to.

*A Simple Batch File:    That batch file could use wild cards and/or a for each loop structure to open each of the CSV files for you and then you could manually process them as before.

*Create a VBA program within an Excel Spreadsheet:    VBA could automatically opens each CSV file and then saves it to an Excel format. You could even add a simple message box that offers a choice of either xls or xlsx as each file is opened.

Note that I haven't written any code to do these things (yet) I am just offering ideas for a starting point. Perhaps if you could give more details about what you want you could get more detailed explanations for how to handle approach from me or another forum member.

A: For Windows?  CoolUtils "Total CSV Converter" command line version supports many output formats including JSON, Access, DBF, XML & SQL and is only $40. It can recurse sub-directories, delete original CSV files, combine all files to one document, and more.
http://www.coolutils.com/TotalCSVConverter
CSVConverter.exe <source> <destination> <options>

"Advanced CSV Converter" ($40-200) is a portable EXE that can do it quickly and without Excel having to be installed.
http://www.dbf2002.com/csv-converter/commandline.html
"c:\Program Files\CSV Converter\csvcnv.exe" c:\base\*.csv c:\exports\ /TOXLSX /SRCHDR

SoftInterface's "Convert XLS" can use Excel (but is not required) and is more expensive ($500+), but supports more formats and has more options.
http://www.softinterface.com/Convert-XLS/Convert-XLS.htm
"c:\Program Files (x86)\Softinterface, Inc\Convert XLS\ConvertXLS.exe" /V /S"c:\base\*.csv" /T"c:\exports\*.xlsx" /F6 /C51 /M2

"Gnumeric" is an open-source spreadsheet program that can perform a direct conversion, but it was discontinued for Windows in Aug 2014.
http://www.gnumeric.org/
ssconvert file.csv file.xlsx

If you have Python installed, "csv2odf" is a open-source option and uses a templated approach to generate ods, odt, html, xlsx, or docx files.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/csv2odf/
csv2odf data.csv template.odt output.xlsx

A: With Node 8+ and bash:
npm install -g pguardiario/csv2xlsx

for file in *.csv; do csv2xlsx "$file"; done

A: The Easy way: open your csv file from Microsoft Excel, convert text to columns (select the cells/text, click Menu - Data - Text to Columns) set your option to convert.

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The Honeywell 360 Surround Heater provides energy savings, excellent safety features and the ability to control your comfort all at a reasonable price. Designed to provide all-around warmth, this 360° portable heater is perfect for small to mid-sized rooms and offers superior all-around room heating. The safety features include a 360° SafetyTIP, which shuts the heater off if it is tipped in any direction, overheat protection and a sturdy base. The addition of two different heat setting modes and an adjustable thermostat allow for complete control over the heating process.


Norwegian is not shy about its plans for expanding long-haul LCC operations. This week brought about further insight into where that expansion may come, and it is not just about Scandinavia or London any more. The carrier has acquired slots at Paris-Orly airport for the coming summer with plans to fly to Los Angeles 6x weekly from there for the summer season.
There are also reports suggesting that Rome and Barcelona could see Norwegian long-haul service starting up. One report even suggests that Barcelona will see a crew base established and planes based at the airport to support the growth planned there.
Norwegian is scheduled to take on four new 787s this year and another 25 or so after that. This leaves open many potential destinations for future growth. It also raises questions about the seasonal demand of the carrier's operation with the heavy focus on leisure markets. Already Norwegian is pushing the bounds of creativity in terms of markets and demand with its flights from US gateways to Martinique and Guadeloupe during the winter season rather than grounding some 737s. The massive growth in the long-haul fleet may be easy to support in the peak summer season but a dearth of demand or destinations in the winter, coupled with the fixed costs associated with owning so many new aircraft, will likely continue to put financial pressure on the company. This is just one of many interesting things about Norwegian to watch these days.


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Home » ITEQ Corporation Announces the Launch of IT-988G Ultra Low-Loss Halogen-Free Product for Channel Data Rates Beyond 56Gbps
ITEQ Corporation Announces the Launch of IT-988G Ultra Low-Loss Halogen-Free Product for Channel Data Rates Beyond 56Gbps
ITEQ Corporation, a Taiwan-based global leader in the development and manufacture of copper-clad laminates for printed circuit boards (PCBs), announced today the introduction of its next generation halogen-free low-loss product for ultrahigh-speed signal transmission. The product is available in two formats, as IT-988G with E-Glass, and IT-988GSE with low Dk Glass. At 28 Ghz, the typical Dk and DF for IT-988G (at 60% resin content) are 3.46 and 0.0025, respectively, while the typical Dk and DF for IT-988GSE are 3.28 and 0.0016, respectively. Both products will be available with ultralow profile copper. The glass transition temperature is in excess of 230° C and the product has very low expansion at ~2.5% (50-260° C range). Initial signal integrity tests on industry standard test vehicles show a 38 -50% lower insertion loss in a side-by-side comparison to incumbent competitive products with similar glass and copper.
Tarun Amla, Chief Technology Officer and EVP, noted, "IT-988G and IT-988GSE are first mover products that promise to enable higher than 56 Gbps per channel. This ultralow-loss product provides the market with a great option for building the high transmission rate technologies of the future. The attributes have been carefully tailored to make sure that the products can be seamlessly adopted into existing processes and platforms. It is our endeavor at ITEQ to be first to market with the best-in-class products and this is the latest manifestation of that philosophy."
Passive Plus, Inc., Offers Extended Value Ranges for Traditional HI-Q/Low ESR Capacitors
Ansys Launches HFSS Mesh Fusion, Redefines Product Development by Enabling Design of Entire Systems
ART-Fi announces first-ever "Compliance Bot" for FCC SAR regulation
The product will be manufactured in ITEQ's state-of-the-art facility in Taiwan and distributed globally. It is available for signal integrity sampling and building test vehicles with customers.
About ITEQ Corporation
Based in Hsinchu, Taiwan since its founding in 1997, ITEQ Coproration is a global leader in the development and manufacture of copper-clad laminate materials used for printed circuit boards (PCBs). The company has always been committed to developing the highest quality and most reliable laminate material products, through dedicated and focused cutting-edge research and development and state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and methods. ITEQ has grown to become one of the largest manufacturers of copper-clad laminates and its products are used for advanced multilayer printed circuit boards that go into a wide range of applications, including automotive, aerospace, servers, storage, mobile phones, communications, and other electronic equipment. For more information about ITEQ please visit www.iteq.com.tw
Rogers Corporation Introduces RO1200™ High Speed, Extremely Low Loss Laminates
ZTE becomes the exclusive supplier of beyond 100G OTN for Telefonica Mexico Movistar
Renesas Enters FPGA Market with the First Ultra-Low-Power, Low-Cost Family Addressing Low-Density, High-Volume Applications

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If technology and music are your life, brace yourself- Moldover is about to reformat your soul. Hailed by more than 1,000,000 YouTube viewers as "The Godfather of Controllerism", Moldover is a new breed of music icon. Combining the charisma of a rock star, the mad genius of a basement inventor, and the radical inclusiveness of the DIY internet generation, Moldover is "literally throwing away the rule book and reinventing the wheel" (Remix Magazine). Witness his balls-to-the-wall live show at a club, experience one of his jambox multiplayer instruments at a festival, or pick up and play the "light theremin" packaging of his debut album and understand why the next paradigm for music is a one-man-brand called Moldover.
Since the release of his long-awaited debut album in 2009, Moldover has become a viral internet phenomenon. This all-original compositional masterpiece lays a bed of electronic brain-dance and funk-infused rock, beneath lingering, soulfully melodies. His award winning album artwork redefines what it means to "play" an album- the packaging IS a musical instrument. Presenting an answer to declining record sales, industry icon Bob Lefsetz suggests "How about that guy Moldover, with the theremin built into his CD case?" Press the button and wave your hand in the air to create and endless array of giggle-inducing bleeps, bloops, and whomps. Sonic State's Mark Tinley calls it "utterly brilliant" and Engadget senior editor Thomas Ricker simply says "you will believe".
Moldover's success as a producer and performer comes only after years of work founding the principles of controllerism. This new cultural movement, now the most quickly growing force in electronic music, is an ingenious and accessible formula for live sound manipulation: Computer + Controller = The New Instrument. Moldover fuels this new craft by designing completely new kinds of music controllers. His multi-player music jamming station "The Octamasher", tours to music festivals, college campuses and private parties, putting controllerism into the hands of everyone. His commercially available performance controller, "The Mojo" combines elements of traditional instruments, DJ hardware and video game controllers, offering unparalleled ergonomic tactility to other serious controllerists. Next on the horizon is a new multiplayer instrument\ called "The SyncoMasher" and a Do-It-Yourself version of Moldover's hacked up performance monster, "The Frankentroller".
Currently Moldover is touring the US and Europe in support of his self-titled album. Uniting his talents as a musician, artist, and inventor, he is an emissary of controllerism culture, and an evangelist for self expression and inclusiveness. Find more of Moldover's ever-accelerating innovations at moldover.com.


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Marie-Eve Pelletier
London Showcase Set For Kick-Off: Tennis in the Commonwealth
By Leigh Sanders
The final line-up for the ATP World Finals Championship in London, England, next week has been confirmed following the conclusion of the Paris Masters. Nikolay Davydenko and Fernando Verdasco secured the last two berths following their performances on the hard courts of Paris. Eight players went in to the week's play knowing a victory there could secure a place at the prestigious event but after the twists and turns had unfurled Davydenko and Verdasco won through after Robin Soderling and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga failed to advance past the quarterfinals.
However, with Andy Roddick having missed five weeks with a knee problem he has announced that he is unable to participate, allowing Soderling the opportunity to take his place in the event for the first time.
"I have not fully recovered from my knee injury and I won't be able to compete," said Roddick. "One of my goals in 2010 will be to qualify for this event again."
The round-robin stage of the tournament has been drawn (seeds in brackets) and Group A sees career Grand Slam winner Roger Federer (1), Britain's Andy Murray (4), US Open winner Juan Martin del Potro (5) and Fernando Verdasco (7) vying for qualification. Group B consists of 2009 Australian Open Champion Raphael Nadal (2), the 2008 winner Novak Djokovic (3), Nikolay Davydenko (6) and Robin Soderling (8).
In the doubles at Paris, Polish duo Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski took the final berth at the tournament with an emphatic win over the Bryan brothers in Paris. That victory prevents South African Wesley Moodie and his partner Dick Norman taking part. The round robin groups have also been drawn. Group A sees world No. 1 and No. 2 Daniel Nestor of Canada/Nenad Zimonjic (1), India's Mahesh Bhupathi/Mark Knowles (3), Frantisek Cermak/Michal Mertinak (5) and Max Mirnyi/Andy Ram (7). Group B will consist of the Bryan brothers (2), Lukas Dlouhy/Leander Paes of India (4), Lukasz Kubot/Oliver Marach (6) and Mariusz Fyrstenberg/Marcin Matkowski (8).
*Great Britain's Murray crashed back down to earth in Paris following his victory at the Valencia Open last time out. He failed to progress past the third round in Paris, sluggishly going down 6-1, 3-6, 4-6 to Radek Stepanek just sixteen hours after he had seen off James Blake in the previous round in a match that went on till the early hours of last Thursday.
* Daniel Nestor of Canada clinched his ninth doubles title of 2009 with partner Nenad Zimonjic after the pair beat the Spaniards Marcelo Granollers and Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-4 in the final of the Paris Masters. The world No. 1 and No. 2 have now stretched their rankings lead over the Bryan brothers to 830 points. It follows on from their recent win in the Davidoff Swiss Indoors Basel. Aussie Jordan Kerr reached the third round with American Travis Parrott before they eventually went down 6-2, 6-4 to the in-form Czech-Slovak partnership of Frantisek Cermak and Michal Mertinak. In the previous round, Kerr/Parrott had halted doubles specialist and fourth seed Leander Paes of India and partner Lukas Dlouhy. The exit of South African Wesley Moodie and Belgian Dick Norman in round two to the eventual finalists Granollers/Robredo means they miss out on a place at the ATP World Tour Finals. Another Aussie, Paul Hanley, and his Swedish partner Simon Aspelin also fell foul of the Spaniards in round three after they had beaten India's Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles, seeded No. 3, in round two. South Africa's Jeff Coetzee lost with his partner Marcelo Melo of Brazil in the opening round to the ever-impressive French duo Julien Benneteau and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
*In this week's ATP World Tour Rankings for singles (16/11) there was no movement for any Commonwealth tennis star ranked in the Top 100 in the world. India's Somdev Devvarman climbs two to 122 and Canada's Frank Dancevic is down nine to 132. Australians Carsten Ball and Chris Guccione also saw falls this week, five and 12 respectively.
*In the doubles rankings (16/11) Canada's Daniel Nestor extends his lead as the world's No. 1 but there are no other changes for the other Commonwealth players ranked in to Top 10. Australia's Paul Hanley is down a place to 28 while his compatriot Jordan Kerr climbs one to 30. Fellow Aussie Ashley Fisher is down two to 43. Despite falling in the singles rankings Carsten Ball is up one to 57 and Chris Guccione drops to 66. Following their recent leaps and bounds up the rankings Britain's Ken Skupski (3) and Colin Fleming (4) see falls in their rankings. Countryman Jonathan Marray drops one to 92. Pakistan's Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi sees a jump of six and is now ranked at 60. Jeff Coetzee of South Africa sees the biggest fall of all as he drops 12 to 68 while Rohan Bopanna of India climbs five to 90.
*The final WTA rankings for 2009 have been decided following the closing tournaments in Bali and Doha for the top players of the year. There were no Commonwealth players in the Top 10, Australia's Samantha Stosur the highest ranked at 13. Canada's Aleksandra Wozniak (35) is the only other player in the Top 50. Next up is another Australian, Jelena Dokic, at 57 while Sania Mirza of India is below her in 58. It's been a bad year for British tennis but Katie O'Brien will be delighted to end the year as British No. 1 as her end of season form sees her end up in 88, one ahead of Elena Baltacha in 89. Anne Keothavong's long injury sees her drop to 98 in the end-of-season rankings.
*The final doubles rankings or 2009 have also been decided. Australians Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs finish the year joint No. 7 and Sania Mirza of India is the third-highest ranked Commonwealth star at 37. Canada's Marie-eve Pelletier ends the year ranked 66 while her compatriot Sharon Fichman is 96. British No. 1 Sarah Borwell is at 76. Natalie Grandin of South Africa, ranked No. 78, makes it only seven Commonwealth players in the Top 100 at the end of 2009.
*In a review of the British sporting "crown jewels" which decides which sporting events are to be aired on free-to-air television, it has been decided that Wimbledon should be kept on the list beyond 2017. The review, carried out by the Independent Advisory Panel for Listed Events, always causes arguments between satellite broadcasters and sports authorities but it is no question that the British public will be delighted that the prestigious tennis tournament is kept where everybody can view it without subscribing to satellite providers. The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has already expressed concern at the decision as they believe it hampers investment in tennis. It seems money truly does talk in all sports.
*Australian tennis fans are celebrating the news that former Australian Open finalist and crowd favourite Marcos Baghdatis will return to play the Medibank International Sydney in 2010 alongside Aussie Lleyton Hewitt, Gael Monfils, Tomas Berdych and Stanislas Wawrinka. While at the Brisbane International, Frenchman Gilles Simon has announced he'll begin his 2010 season by making his tournament debut. Both provide warm ups to the Australian Open.
*Former world No. 8 Alicia Molik of Australia won on her return to court in the first round of the Cliffs Esperance International. After a shaky start she saw of compatriot Monika Wejnert 3-6, 6-1, 6-1.
*The All England Tennis Club and the LTA have announced that the 2009 Wimbledon Championships raised a total of £29.2 million which will be invested in to British tennis. The aim this year is to improve tennis facilities throughout the country so that all communities have access to quality coaching and future players coming through the youth ranks will be of a higher calibre. It would also mean that top players like Andy Murray wouldn't have to seek the level of coaching they require abroad.
*British tennis starlet Heather Watson has qualified for the Tevlin Challenger $50k event in Toronto, Canada, despite losing in the final of the Qualifying Tournament to American Macall Harkins. Two competitors from the main event have withdrawn allowing Watson to progress as a lucky loser.
*British No. 7 Jade Curtis reached the semifinals of the $10k AEGON Pro-Series Women's singles event in Jersey before going down 4-6, 1-6 to No. 6 seed Matea Mezak of Croatia.
Posted in Lead Story, Tennis People | Tagged Aleksandra Wozniak, Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, Ashley Fisher, Australian Open, Bryan Brothers, Daniel NEstor, Fernando Verdasco, Frank Dancevic, Gilles Simon, James Blake, Jelena Dokic, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Juan Martin del Potro, Julien Benneteau, Leander Paes, Leyton Hewitt, Lleyton Hewitt, Marcelo Melo, Marcin Matkowski, Marcos Baghdatis, Marie-Eve Pelletier, Max Mirnyi, Michal Mertinak, Nenad Zimonjic, Nikolay Davydenko, Novak Djokovic, Radek Stepanek, Rennae Stubbs, Robin Soderling, Roger Federer, Samantha Stosur, Sania Mirza, Somdev Devvarman, Stanislas Wawrinka, Tomas Berdych, US Open, Wimbledon
Mondays With Bob Greene: I'm Recharged
Published August 31, 2009 | By Bob Greene
Caroline Wozniacki beat Elena Vesnina 6-2 6-4 to win the women's singles at the Pilot Pen in New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Fernando Verdasco beat Sam Querrey 6-4 7-6 (6) to win the Pilot Pen men's singles in New Haven
Tatjana Malek won the EmblemHealth Bronx Open, beating Kristina Barrois 6-1 6-4 in The Bronx, New York, USA
"Now it's my time. It's my turn to win some tournaments. I just feel I've had a great year. I'm so happy that it's my name coming up a lot of times now." – Caroline Wozniacki, after successfully defending her Pilot Pen Tennis women's singles championship.
"I never got a chance to go back there to defend my title in 2006 because I was injured with my left wrist and then pregnant in 2007. So while this does feel like a new beginning, I am looking forward to walking through those gates again for the first time in four years." – Kim Clijsters, who won the US Open in her last appearance at the year's final Grand Slam tournament.
"I am number three in the world, and the number three in the world should have a chance to win, no?" – Rafael Nadal, on his chances to win the US Open.
"I have to take it as a positive that I will have more time to get ready for the Open. It's been a really busy summer for me so I'll just take advantage of these (early losses) and keep training and preparing for the Open." – Venus Williams, talking about early exits from her last two tournaments.
"I'm recharged. I know I can play and move well and compete with the top players as good as I was, if not better. The US Open is my main goal." – Jelena Jankovic.
"With every tournament I feel physically I'm getting better and getting a good sense of the court, but it's still a work in progress. I'd like to forget I was gone for a long time but you have to put things in perspective." – Maria Sharapova, noting her chances of winning the US Open this year are slim.
"This year I equaled my best result in Australia (last 16), did two rounds better than I ever did at the French (quarterfinals) and got further than I have done at Wimbledon (semifinals). So now the slam is the last thing I need to do. I believe that I can do it." – Andy Murray, saying he's one of the favorites to win the US Open.
"Andy's not under the radar anymore and that's probably a good thing. Now that the expectations are there I think he's ready to handle it. He is definitely one of the six guys capable of winning." – Brad Gilbert, speaking about Andy Roddick.
"One of the important things he has over everyone, and he has it more than any other player I've seen since (Jimmy) Connors, is his love for the sport. Real love. He loves to be out there, to be around tennis, everything about it." – John McEnroe, talking about Roger Federer.
"I've never had a normal life, so I don't know what a normal life means." – Fabrice Santoro, who, playing in his 20th season on tour, will retire after the US Open.
"I just look to be prepared for the Open. This is my first important thing for me is to just get there and be prepared for a fight." – Flavia Pennetta.
"I think I've learned, especially in the last year, that it's a lot simpler than I realized, playing professional tennis. There are no secrets. You got to do what you do well and you have to bring that to the table every day." – Rajeev Ram, who won his first ATP Tour title earlier this summer…
"I don't think I am going to do anything special because it is my last Grand Slam. I am not planning it. But you never know what can happen. I know I am not going to win, there is no chance. So we will just see." – Marat Safin, the 2000 US Open champion who will retire at the end of this year.
"For the next year or so I'm not going to put any pressure on myself. I just want to stay healthy and enjoy my tennis." – Katarina Srebotnik, whose US Open appearance is her first tournament in 10 months because of injuries.
"She was just playing with me like a pussy cat, one corner to other corner. In the second set I started to be more aggressive and I started serving a lot better." – Elena Vesnina, after her three-set semifinal win over Amelie Mauresmo in New Haven.
"I elected to go with disaster control and the high powder-puff. Everyone asks did you bounce it. I just threw it over the catcher." – Andy Roddick, talking about throwing out the first pitch at a New York Yankees baseball game.
"I contemplated things like whether I would be able to accept myself for not being on the level that I was in my teens, twenties, and when I was 25; whether I would be able to accept losing, moreover be able to accept a losing streak. I did spend a lot of time contemplating about this. Yet, after I made my decision to be back on court again and challenge myself, I haven't really thought about it." – Kimiko Date Krumm, who returned to the WTA Tour after a 12-year retirement.
"It makes for something special. You sit in the players' lounge and you wait. It doesn't rain so often here so I don't think they should change anything." – Dinara Safina, saying she thinks something might be lost if a roof is installed over Arthur Ashe Stadium and there were no rain delays to sit though.
"I've peeked at the draw and seen where some of the qualifying spots are. I'd love to play a Federer or Nadal or a Roddick. We'll see. I just want to play in there." – Michael Yani, who at age 28 qualified for his first US Open, pointing at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
S'WONDERFUL
Twice Andre Agassi closed out the US Open by winning the men's singles. This year, he is the headliner on opening day, being honored for "giving back." In 1994, the year he won his first US Open title, Agassi established the Andre Agassi Foundation, which is dedicated to transforming public education in Las Vegas, Nevada. As part of the Opening Night celebration, the USTA is recognizing the 40th anniversary of the National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL), which was founded in 1969 by Arthur Ashe, Charlie Pasarell and Sheridan Snyder as a network of community tennis organizations seeking to develop the character of young people through tennis and education. Besides Agassi, others honored on opening night include Mia Hamm, David Robinson and Doug Flutie.
Andre Agassi's autobiography, "Open," will be published in November. The eight-time Grand Slam singles champion writes about his start in tennis, his relationship with his father and his failed marriage to actress Brooke Shields.
SAM THE MAN
There could be a USD one million dollar payday in Sam Querrey's future. By winning the US Open Series, the American has a chance to earn a bonus of between USD $15,000 and $1 million, according to how he finishes in the US Open. Querrey reached the final of the Pilot Pen in New Haven, Connecticut, before falling to Spain's Fernando Verdasco 6-4 7-6 (8).
SHHHHH!!
The US Open wants players and their entourages to be careful about what they post on the social networking site Twitter. Signs at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center warn that Twitter messages could violate the sport's anti-corruption rules. The signs say tweeting is not allowed on court during matches and warns about using Twitter away from the court, saying information about players, weather, court conditions, status, outcome or any other aspect of an event could be determined as the passing of "inside information." The warnings say they apply to players, coaches, agents, family members and tournament staff.
SEMFINAL SWITCH
Because of tropical storm Denney, the semifinals of the Pilot Pen tournament in New Haven, Connecticut, were moved indoors. After waiting in vain most of Friday for the steady rain to cease, the women's semis were switched from a 13,000-seat stadium to an indoor college court where only 300 fans were able to be squeezed into the building and leaned over a balcony that overlooked the court or stood on adjacent courts. There, Caroline Wozniacki beat Flavia Pennetta and Elena Vesnina downed Amelie Mauresmo. The men's semis followed suit Saturday morning, with Sam Querrey stopping Jose Acasuso and Fernando Verdasco defeating Igor Andreev. Both finals were played outdoors late Saturday as the storm finally subsided and the hard courts were dried.
SITTING IT OUT
Dominika Cibulkova won't be able to match her French Open performance at this year's final Grand Slam tournament. The semifinalist at Roland Garros pulled out of the US Open because of a rib injury. Her withdrawal allowed Alberta Brianti of Italy to move into the main draw, while Agnes Szavay becomes the number 32 seeded player.
SORE BUT THERE
Several players are nursing injuries as they begin their US Open run. Marion Bartoli retired from her match at the Pilot Pen in New Haven, Connecticut, because of a left thigh strain. A hand injury forced Agnieszka Radwanska to retire before the third set of her match in New Haven. And Nikolay Davydenko needed a doctor to look at his right wrist midway through his quarterfinal final loss to Sam Querrey in the Pilot Pen men's singles. Davydenko said his wrist became sore from the force of Querrey's serves hitting his racquet. Sabine Lisicki, who has been sidelined with a shoulder injury, will play in the US Open.
India's Sania Mirza received acupuncture treatment on her right wrist before heading to New York and the US Open. The 22-year-old underwent wrist surgery in April 2008, but the problem flared up again at the Beijing Olympics, forcing her to miss the last year's US Open. She had reached the semifinals of a challenger event in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, when she again felt pain in her right wrist. So she flew home to Hyderabad, India, to get treatment. "I'm much better now, but not absolutely pain-free," she said.
Katarina Srebotnik is making her comeback at the US Open. She was ranked as high as number 20 in the world in singles and number four in doubles, and had posted victories over Serena Williams at Roland Garros and Svetlana Kuznetsova at the US Open a year ago. But pain in her Achilles tendon and a shoulder injury forced her off the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour for 10 months. It's called the luck of the draw, and for Srebotnik it's bad luck. Her first-round opponent will be 13th-seeded Nadia Petrova.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE?
Ivo Minar of the Czech Republic has denied deliberating taking a banned substance. The 25-year-old tested positive for a derivative of the banned stimulant pseudo ephedrine following a Davis Cup quarterfinal match against Argentina in July. "I have never consciously taken a banned substance," said Minar, who is ranked 66th in the world. "This is why I rejected the accusation of doping in my reaction sent to the ITF." Minar cited an injury when he withdrew from this year's US Open.
SERENA, THE AUTHOR
Serena Williams says she is telling all in her autobiography, "Queen of the Court," which is going on sale during the US Open. Serena says it was important for her to give an honest account of her life because she has not been as open as she should have been since the shooting death of her sister, Yetunde Price. She said that while she told the press injuries kept her from playing, she was also beset by depression because of a delayed reaction to Tunde's death. Serena says three things got her out of her depression: seeing a therapist, going to Africa where she began a school, and winning the 2007 Australian Open over Maria Sharapova. "It opened up a lot of doors I left closed to the public and to myself," Serena said of writing the book.
SENSITIVITY COURSE ALUMNI
Brydan Klein promises to be on his best behavior after completing a racial sensitivity course. The former Australian Open junior champion was banned for six months and fined USD $10,000 by the ATP after making a racial slur against a black South African player during a tournament in England in June. The 19-year-old Klein has a history of clashes with officials, having been suspended from the Australian Institute of Sport for repeated on-court misbehavior. Ranked 223rd in the world, Klein said he has apologized to fellow player Raven Klaasen for the slur. He also said he cannot afford to slip up again. "I'm definitely on my last warning," he said. "This has been a step back for me and it hasn't been a nice experience."
John McEnroe has always been a big man in New York City, but this is ridiculous. A 100-foot high by 35-foot wide (30.48m by 15.24m) banner of McEnroe hangs on the side of Madison Square Garden promoting prostate cancer screening guidelines. McEnroe's father was diagnosed with the illness in 2006 but is now doing well. Now 50 years old, the younger McEnroe says he knows many men his age are reluctant to get screened for cancer for the same reason they don't like to ask for directions: they may view it as a sign of weakness.
Billie Jean King and actor Alec Baldwin will be the spokespeople for the expanded environmental initiatives at the National Tennis Center named in her honor. The two will join the United States Tennis Association (USTA) in encouraging US Open fans and others to help preserve the environment. Expanded 2009 initiatives will include a site-wide recycling effort placing more than 500 recycling receptacles across the 42 acres of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. There also will be on sale an exclusive organic t-shirt designed by two-time US Open champion Venus Williams.
STRONG VENUS
Venus Williams has been named to the first Power List of O, the Oprah Magazine. Selecting "20 remarkable visionaries who are flexing their muscles in business and finance, politics and justice, science and the arts," the magazine picked Venus Williams as "The Power of Female Strength." Noting her Grand Slam and Olympics medals as well as her voice in the lobbying effort to win equal prize money for female players, the magazine said: "Both on and off the court, Venus Williams embodies a perfect marriage of power and grace. In the singular artistry of her play, we see that beauty and brawn aren't mutually exclusive."
The US Open logo – a flaming tennis ball – accounts for about 42 percent of all sales at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center during the year's final Grand Slam tournament. Sarah Cummins, the USTA's managing director for merchandising, told Bloomberg News that clothing, hats and other gear bearing the US Open logo brought in almost USD $14 million during the two-week tournament last year.
SPIRITED CLOTHES
When James Blake debuts his new Fila line of clothes at the US Open, he will be thinking about his father. The logo on Blake's new clothing is "TR," and the line is called Thomas Reynolds, the first and middle names of his late father, who died in 2004. Fila will help capture the lessons instilled in James by his father through print ads and through hang tags on the line. While Blake will be wearing the clothes on a tennis court, there are plans for the Thomas Reynolds brand to be on golf, fitness and leisurewear as well. "I wanted to be part of something that wouldn't necessarily have to always be tied to me and be more about the spirit that father embodied," Blake said.
STEPPING DOWN
Following her third hip surgery, Jamea Jackson is retiring from the women's tour and will become assistant tennis coach at Oklahoma State University. The 22-year-old from Lafayette, Louisiana, USA, will also be a student at OSU. Jackson was a member of the United States Fed Cup team.
STANDING FOR OFFICE
John Alexander's new game is politics. The former tennis player and commentator has joined the Liberal Party and is running for a seat in the Australian parliament. Alexander is an advocate for preventive health and believes the decline of public tennis courts and other facilities in Australia has contributed to childhood obesity and health problems. He said he joined the Liberal Party at the invitation of a friend, who told him he would be more effective in securing change by trying to be part of a government. Ranked as high as eighth in the world, Alexander was the youngest player to represent Australia in Davis Cup. He played Davis Cup from 1968 to 1980 and has been captain of Australia's Fed Cup team.
STEADY SHOW
The US National Championships, known since 1968 as the US Open Tennis Championships, is the second oldest of the four Grand Slam tournaments and is the only one to have been played each year since its inception in 1881. This is the 129th version of America's premier tennis event and has been played on three different surfaces: grass, clay and hard court. The tournament has been held on hard court at Flushing Meadows since moving from Forest Hills in 1978. The only major sporting event in the United States older than the US Open is the Kentucky Derby, which began in 1875.
New Haven (men): Julian Knowle and Jurgen Melzer beat Bruno Soares and Kevin Ullyett 6-4 7-6 (3)
New Haven (women): Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez beat Iveta Benesova and Lucie Hradecka 6-2 7-5
The Bronx: Anna-Lena Groenfeld and Vania King beat Julie Coin and Marie-Eve Pelletier 6-0, 6-3
US Open: www.usopen.org
Kim Clijsters: www.kimclijsters.be/
Roger Federer: www.rogerfederer.com/en/index.cfm
Rafael Nadal: www.rafaelnadal.com/nada/en/home
Serena Williams: www.serenawilliams.com/
Venus Williams: www.venuswilliams.com/
Andy Roddick: www.andyroddick.com
Andre Agassi Foundation: www.agassiopen.com/
ATP and WTA
US Open (first week), New York, New York, USA, hard
US Open (second week), New York, New York, USA, hard
$120,000 Genoa Open Challenger, Genoa, Italy, clay
Posted in Lead Story | Tagged Agnes Szavay, Agnieszka Radwanska, Alberta Brianti, Amelie Mauresmo, Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, Arthur Ashe, Arthur Ashe Stadium, Australian Open, Beijing Olympics, Billie Jean King, Brad Gilbert, Brooke Shields, Brydan Klein, Caroline Wozniacki, Charlie Pasarell, Davis Cup, Dinara Safina, Dominika Cibulkova, Elena Vesnina, Fabrice Santoro, Fernando Verdasco, Flavia Pennetta, Flushing Meadows, French Open, Grand Slam, HEAD, Igor Andreev, Iveta Benesova, Ivo Minar, James Blake, Jelena Jankovic, John McEnroe, Jose Acasuso, Julie Coin, Jurgen Melzer, Katarina Srebotnik, Kevin Ullyett, Kim Clijsters, Kimiko Date, Kristina Barrois, Madison Square Garden, Marat Safin, Maria Sharapova, Marie-Eve Pelletier, Marion Bartoli, Michael Yani, Nadia Petrova, New York City, Nikolay Davydenko, Nuria Llagostera, Nuria Llagostera Vives, Rafael Nadal, Raven Klaasen, Roger Federer, Roland Garros, Sabine Lisicki, Sam Querrey, Sania Mirza, Serena Williams, Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Tennis, US Open, US Open Series, US Open Tennis Championships, USTA, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Vania King, Venus Williams, Wimbledon, WTA
Newport Beach Breakers Clinch Advanta World TeamTennis Pro League Playoff Berth With 21-20 Supertiebreaker Win Over Rival Sacramento At Breakers Stadium At Newport Beach Country Club
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., July 19, 2009 – The toughest games to win in tennis are typically the ones that close out a match or, in Sunday's instance with respect to the Newport Beach Breakers, the games that clinch an Advanta World TeamTennis Pro League playoff berth. For Breakers coach Trevor Kronemann, there is no better money player and closer in World TeamTennis history than Ramon Delgado.
Thus, the Breakers' WTT playoff-clinching celebration ensued in dramatic fashion as reigning WTT Male MVP Delgado rallied his team with a final-set victory in regulation and one-game overtime and Supertiebreaker wins that capped a 21-20 victory over the rival Sacramento Capitals at Breakers Stadium at Newport Beach Country Club.
The Breakers (8-4) clinched the Western Conference's final playoff spot with the four-match season sweep of Sacramento. The Breakers last made the playoffs in 2006, the last of three consecutive years in which the team reached the WTT Finals. The Breakers last won the King Trophy (WTT championship) in 2004.
"Once again, Ramon is just unbelievable in this format," Kronemann said. "Amazing. Absolutely amazing. At some point, you're a skeptic and you wonder how many times he can come back. Now I'm a believer. I've been around World TeamTennis for 20 years and I've never seen anything like it. He's the greatest World TeamTennis player that's ever played. He skipped the Davis Cup to play WTT this year. We recognize that and we want to do it for him, too."
The Breakers will play at the Springfield Lasers (11-0), WTT's only perfect team, in the WTT playoffs' Western Conference final on July 24. The teams met in Springfield on July 6 as the Lasers pulled off the second-largest comeback in WTT history, rallying from a 20-12 deficit heading into the final set and emerging victorious, 22-21 in a Supertiebreaker. Springfield then topped the Breakers two days later at Breakers Stadium, 22-17 in overtime.
"We were up eight games. I don't think we do anything different," Kronemann said. "If they run the table and go 14-0, all the pressure is on them. We want to redeem ourselves. It's going to come down to who wants it more."
Down 16-14, the match was left on the racket of Delgado, the only holdover from the Breakers' 2004 WTT title team who had already beaten Michael Chang, Sam Querrey and Andre Agassi over the past week. Facing Sacramento's Sam Warburg, Delgado fended off two break points and won three consecutive points, capped by an ace, to win the first game of the set. Warburg fought off three set points-against to force a tiebreaker, which Delgado controlled and won, 5-1.
Delgado's win forced overtime on Warburg's serve, which was broken by Delgado at deuce (also Sacramento's match point with no-ad scoring) with a running forehand down the line past the charging Warburg. Tied 20-20, the Breakers played their third Supertiebreaker of the season. Delgado again proved too good for Warburg and clinched the Breakers' playoff berth with a 7-3 Supertiebreaker triumph.
"I am really stressed out there. Really nervous. Really anxious. At least it looks like I am in control out there," Delgado said. "I think (the win over) Querrey was a real turning point for me. Querrey gave me the confidence, and when I am playing like this, I feel like I can compete with anybody in World TeamTennis. My priority is to beat Springfield and then go to (Washington) D.C. (for the WTT finals)."
Trailing 15-9 after Sacramento (5-7) won the first three sets of the match by 5-3 scores, the Breakers' comeback attempt began with Julie Ditty and Marie-Eve Pelletier in women's doubles. The tandem stormed through Sacramento's Coco Vandeweghe and Angela Haynes to win 5-1 – the set highlighted by Ditty returning three consecutive reflex volleys, the last of which broke Sacramento to increase their set lead to 4-1.
"We knew we had to perform well tonight," said Ditty, the first-year Breakers player. "We took it to them. You have to have positive energy out here."
Knowing it had to win to keep its playoff hopes alive against a Breakers team that won 11 of the 15 sets through the teams' first three meetings this season, Sacramento was all business from the start as Capitals coach Wayne Bryan (father of Mike and Bob Bryan, the world's No. 1 men's doubles team) led the cheers.
Wimbledon mixed doubles champion Mark Knowles and Irvine's Angela Haynes broke the service of the Breakers' Kaes Van't Hof and Ditty at 3-3 – the Breakers double-faulted on game-point at deuce – and captured a close first set in mixed doubles, 5-3.
Then, 17-year-old Vandeweghe, the niece of ex-UCLA and NBA standout Kiki Vandeweghe, avenged an earlier women's singles loss this season to Pelletier and put together her best set of tennis of the team's four season matchups in a 5-3 singles win. Again, the set was tied 3-3 before Vandeweghe broke Pelletier and closed out the set with a big first serve.
The Breakers dropped the match's middle set, 5-3 in men's doubles, a set typically owned by Delgado and Van't Hof and typically dropped by Sacramento. Before Sunday, Sacramento sported the worst men's doubles win percentage in WTT while the Breakers' dynamic duo had won nine of their last 10 sets and was WTT's top doubles team (53-of-89 games won, 60%).
Mixed Doubles – Mark Knowles/Angela Haynes (S) def. Kaes Van't Hof/Julie Ditty (NB), 5-3
Women's Singles – Coco Vandeweghe (S) def. Marie-Eve Pelletier (NB), 5-3
Men's Doubles – Sam Warburg/Knowles (S) def. Ramon Delgado/Van't Hof (NB), 5-3
Women's Doubles – Ditty/Pelletier (NB) def. Haynes/Vandeweghe (S), 5-1
Men's Singles – Delgado (NB) def. Warburg (S), 5-4 (5-1 tiebreak)
Overtime – Delgado (NB) def. Warburg (S), 1-0
Supertiebreaker – Delgado (NB) def. Warburg (S), 7-3
Final: Newport Beach Breakers 21, Sacramento Capitals 20 (STB)
Limited tickets are available for the Newport Beach Breakers Series Finale Presented by HOM Real Estate Group – Tuesday, July 21 against John McEnroe and the WTT Eastern Conference champion New York Sportimes (9-3) and Wednesday, July 22, in which Maria Sharapova will play for the Breakers against the Kansas City Explorers. Tickets are $60 for general admission or $45 for the top three rows, and can be purchased by calling 714/352-6301 or visiting www.newporteachbreakers.com.
The Breakers encourage the community to drop off old, unused cell phones at Breakers Stadium on July 21 and July 22 to support soldiers needing cell phones overseas through the Wounded Warrior Project, which raises awareness, program funds and aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women. All used cell phones will be collected at the Wounded Warrior Project expo booth on-site. Each cell phone donated will grant one entry to win a trip to the 2009 Smash Hits on Dec. 8 in Baton Rouge, LA. The Smash Hits is Elton John and Billie Jean King's annual event that raises money for the fight against HIV and AIDS.
The Breakers are in their third year of operation under the auspices of Hoag Hospital Foundation, which has been granted the rights to manage the Breakers through 2009 by WTT with profits from the team's season operations benefiting Hoag Hospital. Breakers Stadium (capacity 2,000) is located at Newport Beach Country Club along Pacific Coast Highway, with views overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Breakers supporters can congregate online and expand the team's fan base through the team's official fan pages on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Newport-Beach-CA/Newport-Beach-Breakers/73887254402?ref=ts), MySpace (www.myspace.com/newportbeachbreakers) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/nbbreakers). Register to become a fan or follower of the Breakers at each fan page and use them to meet and chat with new friends and tennis fans and stay up to date on all team and player information related to the Breakers.
About Newport Beach Breakers
The Newport Beach Breakers are one of 10 nationwide teams that make up the World TeamTennis (WTT) Pro League and are co-owned by WTT founder Billie Jean King. In July 2009, the Breakers will play seven home matches at Breakers Stadium at Newport Beach Country Club, and will be managed by Newport Beach-based Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian through the 2009 WTT season. Profits from the team's operations for the season will go towards Hoag Hospital Foundation, the Breakers' primary beneficiary. Hoag Hospital's expert involvement with professional sports also extends to its organization of the PGA Champions Tour's Toshiba Classic held annually in March. For tickets, sponsorship and more information, visit www.NewportBeachBreakers.com or call 714/352-6301.
Posted in Featured Columns | Tagged Andre Agassi, Angela Haynes, art, Billie Jean King, Bob Bryan, Coco Vandeweghe, Davis Cup, Elton John, Facebook, fashion, HEAD, John McEnroe, Julie Ditty, Maria Sharapova, Marie-Eve Pelletier, Mark Knowles, Michael Chang, Mike and Bob Bryan, new york sportimes, real estate, Sam Querrey, Sam Warburg, Tennis, Tennis History, Twitter, UCLA, UN, Wayne Bryan, Wimbledon
DELGADO OUTDUELS CHANG, NEWPORT BEACH BREAKERS BEAT SACRAMENTO FOR THE THIRD TIME, 22-16, IN ADVANTA WORLD TEAMTENNIS PRO LEAGUE ACTION AT BREAKERS STADIUM AT NEWPORT BEACH COUNTRY CLUB
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., July 11, 2009 – A titanic clash between two Advanta World TeamTennis Pro League Western Conference playoff contenders reached the ultimate climax at the midpoint of the season when reigning WTT Male MVP Ramon Delgado and 1989 French Open champion and International Tennis Hall of Famer Michael Chang took the court with second-place in the conference on the line.
For the second consecutive night, Delgado beat Chang in men's singles, and for the third time this season, the Newport Beach Breakers stymied the Sacramento Capitals and strengthened their hold on second place in the West with a 22-16 victory at Breakers Stadium at Newport Beach Country Club.
At the season's midpoint, the Breakers (5-2) lead the Capitals (3-3) by 1½ games for second in the West and remain 1½ games behind the Springfield Lasers (6-0), WTT's only unbeaten team. A night after Delgado beat Chang 5-4 in Sacramento, Delgado closed out tonight's match with a 5-1 set over Chang.
The Breakers holding a slim 17-15 lead heading into the final set, the intensity and shot-making Delgado and Chang exhibited over the final set of men's singles was a notch above anything seen at Breakers Stadium this season. Chang may have retired from the ATP Tour in 2003, but the grunting and fist-pumping returned Saturday night.
Each player dug deeper and raised their game. Serves and baseline winners were crisper than anything each had hit earlier in their doubles set. All groundstrokes were fiercely chased down, whether or not they were returned. In the end, it was Delgado who reigned supreme as his groundstrokes moved Chang side to side and were hit too well and too deep. The two shook hands at the match's end after a hard-fought set.
"There's definitely respect there," Breakers coach Trevor Kronemann said. "Kaes (Van't Hof), on the bench, said it to me perfectly when he said this is as close to a WTT rivalry as it gets. Ramon continues to be the World TeamTennis stud that he has been and will be."
Added Delgado, who was 1-1 vs. Chang on the ATP Tour: "It was very intense. To me, it's an honor to play against him. I practiced with him last week and it was great. He's a legend and a great champion. I was happy with the score. Against him, I wanted a bigger lead (going into the final set). I have some tough matches coming up; I've got Robert Kendrick. I've got Andre Agassi. But I'm feeling good. If I feel like this, I think I can compete against anybody."
BREAKERS DEFEAT SACRAMENTO FOR THE THIRD TIME THIS SEASON, 22-16
The Breakers hosted their first marquee player of the season Saturday with Chang, an Orange County resident and former World No. 2. Chang partnered with Mark Knowles in men's doubles to win the third set, 5-4, and pull the Capitals within 14-10 after three sets. Chang, 37, made his WTT debut Friday in a defeat to the Breakers and has enjoyed his WTT experience these past two nights.
"It's great. I had a fun time last night, although we got munched pretty bad," Chang said. "It's nice to be back playing close to home. This is really my backyard. I'm not from the home team, but I feel like I'm a hometown player here. It's been a fun format. Takes a little bit of getting used to. But it's nice to play in a team format, which is something, obviously, we don't get a chance to see that much out on tour, other than playing Davis Cup or maybe a couple other events. Obviously, now being retired, I have a little more flexibility on my time schedule. Billie Jean has been asking me for a long time to be able to come out and play World TeamTennis."
The Breakers, which won eight of the ten sets played in the teams' first two meetings, got off to a first-set victory for the first time at home this season through its new mixed doubles combination of Newport Beach native Kaes Van't Hof and Breakers first-year player Julie Ditty, who entered the mixed doubles lineup for the first time Friday night at Sacramento. The Breakers tandem triumphed 5-3 in the set against Irvine's Angela Haynes and Knowles, who won the mixed doubles championship at Wimbledon last week.
As Ditty has taken over mixed doubles duties, teammate Marie-Eve Pelletier has assumed the women's singles role for the Breakers and improved to 2-0 in her singles sets this season after downing 17-year-old Coco Vandeweghe, niece of former UCLA basketball and NBA standout Kiki Vandeweghe, 5-2. On Friday, Pelletier took a singles set from Sacramento's other female player, Haynes.
"You've got to make decisions and we're lucky it's kind of worked," Kronemann said. "We're just looking for that positive energy, that fire. It's a confidence issue and Marie-Eve has played very good singles the last two nights. We've got a team, and it's cohesive and it's working."
Haynes and Vandeweghe followed up the Chang-Knowles doubles win in the third set with a rally of their own, winning the last four games to take the fourth set, 5-3, trim the Breakers' lead to 17-15, and set the stage for a Delgado-Chang, fifth-set showdown.
Mixed Doubles – Kaes Van't Hof/Julie Ditty (NB) def. Mark Knowles-Angela Haynes (S), 5-3
Women's Singles – Marie-Eve Pelletier (NB) def. Coco Vandeweghe (S), 5-2
Men's Doubles – Michael Chang/Knowles (S) def. Ramon Delgado/Van't Hof (NB), 5-4 (5-2 tiebreak)
Women's Doubles – Haynes/Vandeweghe (S) def. Ditty/Pelletier (NB), 5-3
Men's Singles – Delgado (NB) def. Chang (S), 5-1
Final: Newport Beach Breakers 22, Sacramento Capitals 16
The Breakers' next home match is at 7:05 p.m. Friday, July 17 against Andre Agassi and the Philadelphia Freedoms. The July 17 match is sold out, but a limited amount of tickets for the Breakers' final three home matches of the season – July 19 vs. Sacramento, July 21 vs. New York Sportimes, and July 22 vs. Kansas City – and team information can be obtained at www.NewportBeachBreakers.com or by calling the ticket sales office at 714-352-6301.
Meanwhile, the Breakers hit the road for three matches in three days, beginning with a Monday meeting in New York against John McEnroe and the Sportimes. On Tuesday, July 14, the Breakers play against Serena Williams, last week's Wimbledon women's singles champion, and the Washington Kastles in Washington D.C. On Wednesday, July 15, the Breakers play at the St. Louis Aces.
Breakers supporters can congregate online and expand the team's fan base through the team's official fan pages on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Newport-Beach-CA/Newport-Beach-Breakers/73887254402?ref=ts), MySpace (www.myspace.com/newportbeachbreakers)
and Twitter (www.twitter.com/nbbreakers). Register to become a fan or follower of the Breakers at each fan page and use them to meet and chat with new friends and tennis fans and stay up to date on all team and player information related to the Breakers.
About Advanta WTT Pro League
The 34th season of the Advanta WTT Pro League runs July 2-26, concluding with the Advanta WTT Finals on July 26 in Washington, D.C., where teams battle for the coveted King Trophy.
WTT is well known for introducing innovative elements to tennis including instant replay, co-ed format, multi-colored courts, cumulative and no-ad scoring, on-court coaching, Supertiebreakers and names on the back of players' shirts.
Team matches consist of five events, with one set each of men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. The first team to reach five games wins each set. A nine-point tiebreaker is played if a set reaches four-all. One point is awarded for each game won. If necessary, Overtime and a Supertiebreaker are played to determine the winner of the match.
Advanta is the title sponsor of the Advanta WTT Pro League. Official Advanta WTT Pro League sponsors for the 2009 season include DecoTurf, FirmGreen Energy, GEICO, Turfer Athletic and Wilson Racquet Sports. The United States Tennis Association is a minority owner and promotional partner of World TeamTennis. WTT and the USTA are teaming up on number of initiatives, including development of the youth market through junior team tennis programs.
For more information on the Advanta WTT Pro League, visit www.wtt.com.
Posted in Featured Columns | Tagged Andre Agassi, Angela Haynes, ATP, Billie Jean King, Coco Vandeweghe, French Open, HEAD, IMG, International Tennis Hall of Fame, John McEnroe, Julie Ditty, Marie-Eve Pelletier, Mark Knowles, Michael Chang, Robert Kendrick, Serena Williams, Twitter, UCLA, USTA, Wimbledon, WTT
When in Montreal, do as the French do
Published July 30, 2008 | By Erwin Ong
Nadia Petrova has switched from being a form for Venus' EleVen line to wearing a mustard top from Babolat at the 2008 Rogers Cup. She beat local Marie-Eve Pelletier 6-0, 6-1 in the first round.
Babs isn't exactly known for its clothes, so we'll take what we can get – piping detail, graphic on the lower front – from this French gearmaker.
(photo by Getty Images)
Posted in TSF | Tagged Marie-Eve Pelletier, Nadia Petrova, Venus Williams
Mondays With Bob Greene: Fabrice Santoro Wins Newport
Published July 14, 2008 | By Bob Greene
Juan Martin del Potro won the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, Germany, by defeating Richard Gasquet 6-4 7-5
Victor Hanescu beat Igor Andreev 6-3 6-4 to capture the Allianz Suisse Open in Gstaad, Switzerland
Tommy Robredo won his second Catella Swedish Open title by beating Tomas Berdych 6-4 6-1 in Bastad, Sweden
Fabrice Santoro won the Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, Rhode Island, defeating Prakash Amritraj 6-3 7-5
Jesse Huta Galung beat Diego Hartfield 6-3 6-4 to win the Siemens Open in Scheveningen, Netherlands
Mariano Puerta defeated Ricardo Hocevar 7-6 (2) 7-5 to win the Seguros Bolivar Open in Bogota, Colombia
Alize Cornet won the Gaz de France Grand Prix in Budapest, Hungary, by beating Andreja Klepac 7-6 (5) 6-3
Sara Errani beat Mariya Koryttseva 6-2 6-3 to win the Internazionali Femminili di Tennis di Palermo in Palermo, Italy
"This win is more important than the first one. In 2006 I played the best tennis of my life. I was in better shape. This year I did not play very good in the beginning of the year. This gives me confidence again." – Tommy Robredo, after winning the Swedish Open for the second time in three years.
"This is incredible. I've dreamed of winning a tournament since I've been a kid, and now I also get a car." – Juan Martin del Potro, who received a check and a new white convertible Mercedes for winning the Mercedes Cup.
"I congratulate Juan Martin, but he'd better be careful. It's a fast car." – Richard Gasquet, who lost in the Mercedes Cup final.
"When you start a career at 16 years old, never, ever can you imagine you'll win a tournament 20 years later." – Fabrice Santoro, who at age 35 won the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships.
"Yes, I won the Wimbledon title, but it's not such a big success for me as it's only a junior title after all. I'll be really satisfied when I win a men's tournament of such magnitude." – Grigor Dimitrov, who became Bulgaria's first Wimbledon champion when he won the boys' singles.
"Obviously I was happy for her. I wouldn't want her to lose any other time – unless she lost against me." – Serena Williams, talking about her sister Venus, who won her fifth Wimbledon title by beating Serena in the final.
"It is with a lot of sadness that I take this decision because playing for my country (in) my last Olympic Games meant a lot to me." – Amelie Mauresmo, who decided to skip the Beijing Olympics when she was selected to play doubles only.
"I'm so happy. This is like a dream come true." – Victor Hanescu, after winning his first ATP title in Gstaad, Switzerland
"I am obviously very happy to have won the title here in Bastad once again. … I am not even going to say that I will be back next year because everyone knows that I will." – Tommy Robredo, after winning the Catella Swedish Open for the second time in three years.
"The standing ovation after the match was fantastic. I had to swallow hard a few times. I'm usually a very emotional person and I was very moved. I even forgot to do my signature Brussels step." – Jonas Bjorkman, who won the Swedish Open doubles in his final trip to Bastad before he retires.
"When you're 17 years old and you're playing Grand Slam tournaments, you're not thinking, `If I win this, I'll be the youngest Grand Slam champion ever.' … I don't think it really sunk in until probably a couple of months after it took place." – Michael Chang, about his winning the French Open in 1989.
SUISSE SWEET
Victor Hanescu won his first career ATP title and became the first Romanian since Ilie Nastase in 1973 to capture the Allianz Suisse Open in Gstaad, Switzerland, when he beat seventh-seeded Igor Andreev 6-3, 6-4. In the second round, Hanescu saved three match points in the third-set tiebreak, edging Ivo Karlovic 6-7 (4) 7-6 (3) 7-6 (11), then upset world No. 10 Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland in the semifinals. Prior to the Gstaad tournament, the 26-year-old Hanescu had not won consecutive ATP matches since he reached the final at Bucharest, Romania, last September. Hanescu is the first ATP tournament winner from Romania since Andrei Pavel won in Montreal, Canada, in 2001.
SERVE, SET AND MATCH
Sara Errani had to wait for the umpire before she won her first WTA Tour singles title. At match point, Errani's serve was called long. But the umpire got out of the chair, checked the mark and ruled Errani had served an ace, giving her a 6-2 6-3 victory over Mariya Koryttseva at Palermo, Italy. Errani, who had never been to a tour final of any kind before this week, became the first Italian to win the singles crown in Palermo. She then won the doubles title, teaming with Nuria Llagostera Vives.
SPARKLING CAREERS
Michael Chang, one of only three American men to win the French Open singles in the Open Era, was one of the three latest inductees into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. Chang became the youngest player to win a Grand Slam men's title when he upset top-seeded Ivan Lendl in the fourth round, then eclipsed third-seeded Stefan Edberg in the final in 1989. His victory snapped a 34-year drought by American men on the Roland Garros clay. Also inducted into the Hall as contributors were Gene Scott, founder and publisher of Tennis Week magazine as well as a top player, promoter and tournament director, and Mark McCormick, a sports executive who was founder and CEO of International Management Group (IMG). Established in 1954, the International Tennis Hall of Fame now has 207 inductees.
SENIOR SANTORO
When Fabrice Santoro successfully defending his Hall of Fame Tennis Championships title, he moved into elite company, becoming only the second player since 1990 to win an ATP event after his 35th birthday. Santoro became the oldest player to win the grass court tournament in Newport, Rhode Island, and joined Andre Agassi as champions after reaching the age of 35. With his sixth career title, Santoro won his 451st match, fourth among active players behind Roger Federer, Carlos Moya and Lleyton Hewitt.
SWEDE AND STEADY
Making his final appearance at Bastad, Jonas Bjorkman teamed with Robin Soderling of Sweden to win his seventh Swedish Open doubles title. Bjorkman, who announced his intention to retire at the end of this year, previously won the doubles at Bastad in 1994, 1995, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006, teaming with Todd Woodbridge of Australia, Mahesh Bhupathi of India and fellow Swedes Jan Apell, Joachim Johansson and Thomas Johansson. Bjorkman has a remarkable 33-3 record at Bastad. It was the first doubles final for the 23-year-old Soderling.
STAR NADAL
OK, it's not a star, but a recently discovered asteroid has been named after Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal, according to the EFE news agency. Previously known as 128036, the Rafael Nadal asteroid is four kilometers in diameter and is located between Mars and Jupiter. The Astronomical Observatory of Majorca discovered the planetoid in 2003. The decision to name the asteroid after Nadal, a native of the Majorcan town of Manacor, was taken by the International Astronomical Union in response to a request by the Spanish observatory, which said its goal is to pay tribute "to one of the greatest tennis players of all time."
SEMIFINAL STEADY
By upsetting third-seeded Novak Djokovic and eventually reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon, Marat Safin became the 20th player in the Open Era to reach the semis or better at all four Grand Slam tournaments in his career. The other active men to achieve the feat are Djokovic, Roger Federer and David Nalbandian.
STEPPING GINGERLY
Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal pulled out OF the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, Germany, and said he won't play again until he no longer has pain above his right knee. "My doctor said I need a few days off. I will have a checkup and treatment and won't return to the court until I am 100 percent," Nadal said. "The calendar is hard on us players. I have played four, five months without a break. I have to recover."
SITTING ON TOP
Canada's Daniel Nestor is ranked number one in the world in doubles for the fifth time in his career. His latest move to the top of the rankings came after he teamed with Nenad Zimonjic to win the Wimbledon doubles, their third title of the year. Nestor surpassed American twins Bob and Mike Bryan, who had led the rankings since April 16, 2007.
SHANGHAI BOUND
Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are the first three players to clinch spots in the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup, which will be played in Shanghai, China. The elite eight-player tournament will be held for the fourth year at Qi Zhong Stadium from November 9-16. The first two doubles places in Shanghai were seized by Wimbledon champions Daniel Nestor of Canada and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia, along with American twins Bob and Mike Bryan. Federer will be playing in his seventh consecutive Tennis Masters Cup. He has reached the final the past five years, winning consecutive titles in 2003-04 and again in 2006-07. This is the sixth straight year that Nestor has qualified for the season finale, winning it last year with long-time partner Mark Knowles.
SUPER PRIZE
The men's and women's champions at the U.S. Open this year will each take home USD $1.5 million as the year's final Grand Slam tournament increases its total prize money to a record USD $20.6 million. The overall payout is USD $1 million more than in 2007, matching the largest single-year jump in the hard-court tournament's history. Adding in the bonuses available to the leading finishers in the summer circuit U.S. Open Series, the overall prize money could eventually be more than USD $23 million. If a player wins both the summer series and the U.S. Open, as Roger Federer did last year, they would earn USD $2.5 million. A year ago Federer took home the largest paycheck in tennis history, USD $2.4 million.
Mardy Fish tried out another sport while playing at the Hall of Fame tournament in Newport, Rhode Island. A self-described big Minnesota Twins baseball fan, Fish threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Boston's Fenway Park before the Red Sox played host to the Twins. The two sporting events were only about 90 miles apart.
SERENA'S BACK
Three days after she lost the Wimbledon singles final to her sister, Serena Williams was back on court, this time playing for the Washington Kastles of World Team Tennis. She won her singles, beating Marie-Eve Pelletier, and teamed with Mashona Washington to beat Pelletier and Raquel Kops-Jones in the women's doubles. But she and Justin Gimelstob lost to Jan-Michael Gambill and Kops-Jones, and the Kastles lost their home opener to the Boston Lobsters 22-19. Venus also returned and played WTT for Philadelphia Freedoms.
STARTING OVER AGAIN
Australian Mark Philippoussis is making yet another comeback. This time, though, he'll be competing on the Outback Champions Series, the international tennis circuit for men 30-and-over. Philippoussis, who lost to Roger Federer in the 2003 Wimbledon final, will join Jim Courier, Todd Martin and Wayne Ferreira at The Championships at The Palisades, to be played September 24-28 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Four other players will be announced later to complete the eight-player field.
SAN DIEGO HALL
Brian Teacher, who won the Australian Open singles title in 1980, is one of the newest members of the San Diego Tennis Hall of Fame. Teacher and four others will be inducted into the hall August 23 at the Balboa Tennis Club. The others are age-group champion Jim Perley and three administrators: Franklin Johnson, a former president of the U.S. Tennis Association; William J. Kellogg, president of the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club since 1989; and Jean Kremm, long active in the San Diego community junior tennis. The five were selected by a panel. Teacher was born in San Diego and was an All-American while helping UCLA win two NCAA championships. He beat Kim Warwick in straight sets in the 1980 Australian Open final.
Amelie Mauresmo is the latest star to skip the Beijing Olympics, saying she wants to prepare for the U.S. Open. Mauresmo said that her being passed over by the French Tennis Federation for the women's singles competition was a major factor in her withdrawal from the Games. Mauresmo, who had been selected to compete only in doubles, lamented that she was missing a chance to join the 2008 Olympiad. She won a silver medal in the singles in Athens four years ago.
SINO OFFICE
Acknowledging the rapid rise of Asian tennis and the emergence importance of Asia, the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour has opened its newest office in Beijing, China. The women's tour has its main headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida, and its European office in London, England. David Shoemaker will head the Asia-Pacific and is charged with growing the WTA Tour's presence in the region as well as assuming overall leadership of all Asia Pacific staff. He will maintain his role as General Counsel as well as other executive responsibilities for the Tour.
STATEHOOD DAY SNUB
Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas skipped the Statehood Day ceremonies in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, saying he had not prepared for it. However, Kirkilas found time to play in a tennis tournament the same day. The Lithuanian Tennis Federation confirmed Kirkilas was at the Dubingial Open tournament, where the prime minister and tennis player Danielius Lencina-Ribes lost to Sarunas Marciulionis and Gabriele Masillute-Lencina. Lithuania's president spoke at the Statehood Day festivities, while Lithuania's ambassador to Great Britain, Vygaudas Usackas, diplomats from Russia's embassy in Lithuania, Defense Minister Juozas Olekas as well as members of the 1998 gold medal-winning USSR basketball team, including Arvydas Sabonis, were at the tennis tournament.
SLAVE TREATMENT?
A Pakistani student is in court alleging he was treated as a slave when he worked as a security guard at the Australian Open earlier this year. The Press Trust of India (PTI) reported that Faisal Durrani filed a statement of claim at the Melbourne Magistrates Court, alleging he was paid 200 Australian dollars for the 150 hours he worked at the tennis facility. Durrani claimed that at least four other security guards from the sub-continent also received a small payment for their work. Durrani's lawyer, Andrew Weinmann, called the action "slavery." Durrani is seeking about USD $4,000 in wages, along with interest, court costs and penalties through the Workplace Relations Act that could run into millions of dollars.
Britain's Chris Eaton, who got into Wimbledon qualifying on a wild card, worked his way into the main draw where he reached the second round before falling to 25th-seeded Dmitry Tursunov. And while he earned more than USD $43,000 for his fortnight, Eaton says he will continue to drive his modest Vauxhall Astra, complete with taped-up side mirror. "Maybe I'll buy some better Duct tape," Eaton said of his big payday.
SERVING STRONG
Now that he has won two Grand Slam junior boys doubles titles, Taiwan's Yang Tsung-Hua is planning on turning pro next year. He is the world's top-ranked junior, having also won the boys singles at the French Open. Yang and his partner, Hsieh Cheng-Peng, will compete in an upcoming tournament in India as well as the U.S. Open boy's doubles. Hsieh, the younger bother of Hsieh Su-Wei, who competes on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, and Yang teamed up to win the boys doubles at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
SURPRISE – NOT
Andy Ram and Yoni Erlich won the Israel Open doubles title as expected, beating Sergei Bubka and Michail Elgin 6-3 7-6 (3) in the Saturday final. The Israeli duo was the only world-class team in the USD $50,000 challenger tournament play at Ramat Hasharon, Israel. They didn't drop a set all week. The singles winner was Marsel Ilhan of Turkey, who beat Slovakia's Ivo Klec 6-4 6-4.
SWITCHING SIDES
It turns out the newest British tennis star, Wimbledon girls champion Laura Robson, is really a new Brit. Newspapers in England report that the 14-year-old has had a British passport for just four months. Until February, she played all of her matches representing her native Australia, although she has lived in Britain since the age of six. Her father, Andrew Robson, obtained his British passport in February, which allowed Laura to apply for citizenship in the United Kingdom.
Stuttgart: Christopher Kas and Philippe Kohlschreiber beat Michael Berrer and Mischa Zverev 6-3 6-4
Gstaad: Jaroslav Levinsky and Filip Polasek beat Stanislas Wawrinka and Stephane Bohli 3-6 6-2 11-9 (match tiebreak)
Newport: Mardy Fish and John Isner beat Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi 6-4 7-6 (1)
Bastad: Jonas Bjorkman and Robin Soderling beat Johan Brunstrom and Jean-Julien Rojer 6-2 6-2
Bogota: Xavier Malisse and Carlos Salamanca beat Juan Sebastian Cabal and Michael Quintero 6-1 6-4
Scheveningen: Rameez Junaid and Philipp Marx beat Matwe Middelkoop and Melle Van Gemerden 5-7 6-2 10-6 (match tiebreak)
Budapest: Alize Cornet and Janette Husarova beat Vanessa Henke and Ioana Raluca Olaru 6-7 (5) 6-1 10-6 (match tiebreak)
Palermo: Sara Errani and Nuria Llagostera Vives beat Alla Kudryavtseva and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 2-6 7-6 (1) 10-4 (match tiebreak)
Istanbul: www.tedclub.org.tr
Stanford: www.bankofthewestclassic.com
Bad Gastein: www.generali-ladies.at
Scheveningen: www.siemens-open.nl
Toronto: www.rogerscupmen.com
Poznan: www.porscheopen.pl
San Marino: www.atpsanmarino.com
Los Angeles: www.eastwestbankclassic.com
Portoroz: www.sloveniaopen.sl
$890,000 Austrian Open, Kitzbuhel, Austria, clay
$525,000 Indianapolis Tennis Championships, Indianapolis, Indiana, hard
$525,000 Dutch Open Tennis, Amersfoort, The Netherlands, clay
$525,000 ATP Studena Croatia Open, Umag, Croatia, clay
$600,000 Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, California, hard
$175,000 Gastein Ladies, Bad Gastein, Austria, clay
Turkcell Legends Cup, Istanbul, Turkey, hard
(July 18-20)
Americas Zone
Group III: Aruba, Barbados, Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Puerto Rico at Tegucigalpa, Honduras, hard
Group IV: Bermuda, Costa Rica, Haiti, US Virgin Island at Honduras
Europe/Africa Zone
Group II Playoffs: Luxembourg vs. Finland at Hanko, Finland, clay; Hungary vs. Greece at Thessaloniki, Greece, clay
Group II Second Round: Denmark vs. South Africa at Johannesburg, South Africa, hard; Algeria vs. Monaco at Monte Carlo, Monaco, clay
$2,615,000 Rogers Cup, Toronto, Canada, hard
$100,000 Porsche Open, Poznan, Poland, clay
$100,000 San Marino CEPU Open, San Marino, clay
$600,000 East West Bank Classic presented by Herbalife, Los Angeles, California, hard
$145,000 Banka Koper Slovenia Open, Portoroz, Slovenia, hard
Posted in Lead Story, Mondays with Bob Greene | Tagged Alize Cornet, Amelie Mauresmo, Andy Ram, Brian Teacher, Chris Eaton, Diego Hartfield, Fabrice Santoro, Hsieh Su-Wei, Igor Andreev, Jan-Michael Gambill, Jesse Huta Galung, Jim Courier, Juan Martin del Potro, Laura Robson, Marat Safin, Mardy Fish, Mariano Puerta, Marie-Eve Pelletier, Mariya Koryttseva, Mark Phillippoussis, Mashona Washington, Michael Chang, Michail Elgin, Novak Djokovic, Olympics, Outback Champions Series, Prakash Amritraj, Rafael Nadal, Raquel Kops-Jones, Ricardo Hocevar, Richard Gasquet, Roger Federer, Sara Errani, Serena Williams, Sergei Bubka, Todd Martin, Tomas Berdych, Tommy Robredo, Tsung-Hua, Venus Williams, Victor Hanescu, Wayne Ferreira, World Team Tennis, Yoni Erlich


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