BIRMINGHAM TO HOST FED CUP: THIS WEEK IN TENNIS BUSINESS

By Justin Cohen

The USTA announced on Tuesday that the Birmingham –Jefferson Convention Complex Arena in Birmingham, Ala., will host the 2010 Fed Cup semifinal tie between the United States and Russia from April 24-26. “We are very excited to have earned this home tie and are thrilled to choose a community that is rampant in [...]

McENROE BOOK CALLED “HARDCOURT CONFIDENTIAL,” US OPEN NATIONAL PLAYOFFS TO DEBUT: THIS WEEK IN TENNIS BUSINESS

Bob Stockton is subbing for Justin Cohen this week for THIS WEEK IN TENNIS BUSINESS
* U.S. Davis Cup Captain, USTA General Manager of Player Development and ESPN Commentator Patrick McEnroe will have his book called “Hardcourt Confidential: Tales from Twenty Years in the Pro Tennis Trenches” come out on June 8, 2010.

FEDERER IS SECOND-MOST POPULAR ATHLETE ON FACEBOOK; SHARAPOVA’S $70 MILLION DEAL WITH NIKE: THIS WEEK IN TENNIS BUSINESS

By Justin Cohen
· According to Marca, Roger Federer is the second most popular athlete on Facebook. The current World No. 1 has 3.18 million Facebook fans.
· Maria Sharapova has signed an eight-year sponsorship deal with Nike, which is reportedly [...]

MONDAYS WITH BOB GREENE: BELGIAN TRIO DOMINATES!

STARS

Nikolay Davydenko beat Rafael Nadal 0-6 7-6 (8) 6-4 to win the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, Qatar

Kim Clijsters beat Justine Henin 6-3 4-6 7-6 (6) to win Brisbane International women’s singles in Brisbane, Australia

Yanina Wickmayer beat Flavia Pennetta to win the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand

Andy Roddick beat Radek Stepanek 7-6 (2) 7-6 [...]

BRISBANE: GREAT TENNIS, GREAT FUN

The Brisbane International starts off the New Year with a great line up, headlined as the return WTA event for the newly, un-retired Justine Henin. Joining Henin will be her fellow Belgian “comeback kid” Kim Clijsters as well as Ana Ivanovic. Andy Roddick, Gael Monfils and James Blake highlight the men’s field. This year marks [...]

MONDAYS WITH BOB GREENE: WHEN I MAKE A DECISION, I CONSIDER IT TO BE FINAL AND DEFINITIVE

SAYING

“We have a generation of athletes that is without doubt the best in the history of Spain. You know how to win with humility and elegance, you know how to play and fight during the tough moments and you have shown us how it’s done.” – Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, prime minister of Spain, on [...]

Mondays With Bob Greene: Wickmayer and Malisse to appeal against ban

STARS

Michael Berrer beat Dominik Hrbaty 6-7 (6) 64 7-6 (3) to win the men’s singles at the Ritro Slovak Open in Bratislava, Slovak Republic

Michael Russell won the JSM Challenger of Champaign-Urbana, beating Taylor Dent 7-5 6-4 in Champaign, Illinois, USA

Eduardo Schwank beat Jorge Aguilar 7-5 6-4 to win the Lima Challenger 2009 in Lima, Peru

Takao [...]

Mondays With Bob Greene: It’s magic. It’s fabulous.

STARS

Novak Djokovic beat Gael Monfils 6-2 5-7 7-6 (3) to win the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris, France

Rajeev Ram beat Dustin Brown 7-6 (2) 6-7 (5) 7-6 (2) to win the Lambertz Open by Stawag in Aachen, Germany

Jarkko Nieminen beat Stephane Robert 4-6 6-1 7-5 to win The Caversham International in St. Brelades, Jersey, Channel [...]

Mondays With Bob Greene: It’s difficult to play 11 months at a high level

STARS

Nikolay Davydenko beat Rafael Nadal 7-6 (3) 6-3 to win the Shanghai ATP Masters 1000 in Shanghai, China

Yanina Wickmayer won the Generali Ladies Linz, beating Petra Kvitova 6-3 6-4 in Linz, Austria

Samantha Stosur beat Francesca Schiavone 7-5 6-1 to win the Japan Women’s Open in Osaka, Japan

Marcos Baghdatis beat Denis Istomin 6-3 1-6 6-3 to [...]

Tennis great Jack Kramer dies at 88: This Week in Tennis Business

By Justin Cohen
From tennis legend Jack Kramer passing away at the age of 88 to a possible Justine Henin press conference this week to announce her comeback to US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro earning a winner’s paycheck of $1.6 million plus an additional $250,000 for finishing third in the Olympus US Open Series [...]

Mondays With Bob Greene: I can’t believe this happened

STARS
(US Open)

Men’s singles:

Women’s singles: Kim Clijsters beat Caroline Wozniacki 7-5 6-3

Men’s doubles: Leander Paes and Lukas Dlouhy beat Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles 3-6 6-3 6-2

Women’s doubles: Serena Williams and Venus Williams beat Cara Black and Liezel Huber 6-2 6-2

Mixed doubles: Carly Gullickson and Travis Parrott beat Cara Black and Leander Paes 6-2 6-4

Boys’ [...]

Clijsters Crashing Party at US Open

NEW YORK – Kim Clijsters may be like a bull in a china shop, crashing through the US Open party, but she no longer feels like an elephant.
Three months after giving birth to her daughter, Clijsters, then retired, went onto a tennis court to hit with a friend and former player, Caroline Maze.
“That was a [...]