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Indian Wells

Tennis Channel Wins Historic Decision Against Largest Media Corporation: This Week in Tennis Business with Justin Cohen

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Tennis Channel wins landmark decision in Comcast carriage complaint

According to a press release distributed late on Tuesday afternoon, Tennis Channel has won its carriage complaint hearing against Comcast Cable Communications. The decision marks the first time ever that a cable operator has been found to violate the program carriage anti-discrimination rules that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) put into place back in 1993. Concluding that Comcast had engaged in a “serious violation of law” by “discriminat[ing] against Tennis Channel in favor of Golf Channel and Versus in terms and conditions of their distribution,” FCC Chief Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Richard L. Sippel issued a 54-page ruling Tuesday, December 20 that orders Comcast to discontinue its practice of discriminating against Tennis Channel in favor of its wholly owned, competing sports networks Golf Channel and Versus (set to be renamed NBC Sports Network on January 2, 2012) and, in the public interest, to forfeit the maximum penalty of $375,000 to the government. The FCC’s ALJ Order directs Comcast to “proceed as soon as practicable with remediation.” Noting that Comcast’s violations arose out of its “corporate policy of … favoring its affiliates vis-à-vis unaffiliated entities,” Chief ALJ Sippel ordered Comcast to provide Tennis Channel with the “same treatment in both terms and conditions that it gives to its and similarly situated Golf Channel and Versus.” This requires Comcast to carry Tennis Channel at the same level of distribution that it provides to these networks, with a limited exception for certain analog systems. As part of the FCC’s Order that Comcast treat Tennis Channel similarly to its Golf Channel and Versus, the ALJ ordered the operator to provide Tennis Channel with channel lineup placement equivalent to what it affords these networks (commonly referred to in the industry as “neighborhooding”). “This is a long-awaited day for Tennis Channel, and a watershed moment for independent programming networks and viewers who benefit from a true diversity of voices in the American media marketplace,” said Ken Solomon, Chairman and CEO, Tennis Channel. “Our request has been simple and clear since the beginning: we just want to be treated the same way major operators treat the networks they own that compete with us. From there we’re prepared to succeed or fail based on a level playing field.” After Comcast rejected Tennis Channel’s ongoing efforts to persuade Comcast to carry it fairly, Tennis Channel filed a complaint with the FCC on January 5, 2010. The complaint alleged that Comcast violated Section 616 of the Communications Act and the FCC’s program carriage rules by discriminating against the independent programmer in favor of its wholly owned and competing Golf Channel and Versus networks. On October 5, 2010, the FCC Media Bureau found that Tennis Channel had made a prima facie showing of Comcast’s discrimination, issued an order for a hearing before Chief ALJ Sippel and directed that the ALJ’s decision would “become effective upon (its) release.” The two parties’ eight-day hearing began April 25, 2011. On July 8, 2011, the FCC Enforcement Bureau filed comments recommending that the ALJ find against Comcast, require Comcast to pay the maximum monetary forfeiture to the government and make immediate changes to correct the discrimination in the terms and conditions of Tennis Channel’s carriage. Tennis Channel, which is the only 24-hour television channel dedicated to both the professional sport and tennis lifestyle, was represented by Covington & Burling LLP.

$1 million to be awarded to singles champions at BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells

Tournament Director Steve Simon announced on Tuesday that $1 million will be awarded to both the men’s and women’s singles champions at the BNP Paribas Open, which will be played at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden from March 5-18, 2012. The total prize money for the event in 2012 will increase to more than $11 million. In addition, the men’s and women’s singles finalists, semifinalists and quarterfinalists will now earn $500,000, $250,000 and $100,000 respectively. “The BNP Paribas Open has been raising the bar for the sport over the course of the past four decades, and today’s $1 million winners’ prize money announcement represents yet another historic milestone,” said Stacey Allaster, WTA Chairman and CEO. “The BNP Paribas Open is one of the cornerstone events in professional tennis exactly because of this attention to players and willingness to innovate and push the boundaries of success.” Just three years ago in 2009, the BNP Paribas Open granted equal prize money and had a total purse of $3 million. “Becoming the first combined ATP World Tour and WTA event to award $1 Million to each singles champion and reach these overall prize money levels is a testament to the growth and success of the event for more than 35 years,” said Simon.

Ian Ritchie out as Wimbledon Chief Executive

Ian Ritchie has left his post as Wimbledon Chief Executive at The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (AELTC) to take over as Chief Executive at England’s Rugby Football Union, which is the governing body of the rugby union in England. Ritchie had been the Wimbledon Chief Executive at the AELTC since 2005. “I am very proud to be taking up the role of chief executive at the RFU and am excited about the chance to further develop the potential that the RFU and the game offers,” said Ritchie. “The opportunity to lead an organization which I know has so many dedicated, talented people is one I relish.” Ritchie has been viewed as someone with “outstanding mix of business experience, leadership skills and the innate understanding of the sporting world.” “The decision to leave the AELTC was a difficult one. I have been fortunate to work for a wonderful organization and am extremely proud of what it has achieved over the past few years. I know that Wimbledon will continue to go from strength to strength with its exceptional leadership and fantastic management and staff.”

USTA awards $50,000 in Wheelchair Program Grants to 16 programs nationwide

The USTA announced last week that, for the fourth consecutive year, they have awarded $50,000 in USTA Grassroots Wheelchair Program Grants to 16 wheelchair tennis programs throughout the United States. Grants were awarded to local organizations that promote and develop the growth of wheelchair tennis and use the sport of tennis to build stronger, healthier communities. The USTA wheelchair tennis grant money has increased each year since the inauguration of the grants in 2008. Grant amounts were based on each program’s existing budget and the future programming needs of the organization. Recipients can use the award to fund a variety of needs, including coaching, court time, equipment, recruitment and events (tournaments, camps, etc.). “We are thrilled to again recognize local organizations across the country that are committed to promoting and growing wheelchair tennis,” said Dan James, USTA National Manager, Wheelchair Tennis. “These grants are just a part of our continued efforts in supporting important programs that reach out to the wheelchair community through tennis and assist in the development of the sport. The USTA is proud to honor these organizations that show such passion for wheelchair tennis.” Some of the 16 organizations that were awarded the USTA grants included the Barshop Jewish Community Center of San Antonio, Colorado Wheelchair Tennis Association, Gene Orlando’s Wheelchair Tennis Program, Georgia Tennis Foundation, Richmond Tennis Association, The Greater Cincinnati Tennis Association, Turnstone Center for Disabled Children & Adults, USTA Southern Arizona, Walton Foundation for Independence and the Wheelchair Sports Federation. Additional USTA Wheelchair Tennis Grant opportunities will be available in 2012. Organizations that are interested in starting a wheelchair tennis program or would like more information about wheelchair tennis, please email wheelchairinfo@usta.com.

McHale signs multi-year deal with Tourna Grip

New Jersey native Christina McHale, who is currently ranked No. 43 on the WTA Tour and is the second highest ranked American female player, has signed a multi-year deal with Unique Sports as part of the Tourna Grip team. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. McHale joins Victoria Azarenka and Vera Zvonareva as other WTA Tour players who endorse Tourna Grip.

Indian Wells’ Champions Volunteer Foundation awards $140,000 to non-profits

The Champions Volunteer Foundation, the principal beneficiary of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, awarded 42 local non-profit organizations a grand total of $140,000 during the recent 7th annual “Tis the Season to Give” breakfast at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Non-profit organizations that received money included the Armed Services YMCA 29 Palm, Boys & Girls Club, Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center, National Junior Learning Tennis Network and Sheltor from the Storm. Since its inception in 2002, the Champions Volunteer Foundation, which has more than 1,000 volunteers, has donated more than $1.2 million to charities in the Coachella Valley.

Ivanovic no longer working with Strength and Conditioning Trainer Scott Byrnes

TENNIS.com is reporting that strength and conditioning trainer Scott Byrnes has left Ana Ivanovic’s team. The Australian trainer worked with the former French Open champion from July 2006 to July 2009 and eventually found himself working with Victoria Azarenka before a second stint with Ivanovic. Currently in Australia with PGA Tour boyfriend Adam Scott, it is uncertain when the Serbian sensation will hire another trainer. Ivanovic finished the 2011 season ranked No. 22 in the WTA Tour rankings.

2012 Atlanta Tennis Championships to be played at new site in city’s midtown neighborhood

According to city officials, the Atlanta Tennis Championships will be played next year on courts constructed at Atlantic Station, which is a residential and shopping district in Atlanta’s midtown neighborhood. The tournament’s stadium court next summer will be constructed in the district’s Central Park, where a Christmas Tree is currently located. Andy Roddick, John Isner and Jack Sock have already committed to the 2012 event.

Bryan Brothers, Querrey commit to 2012 US Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston

Four-time champions Bob and Mike Bryan and 2010 singles finalist Sam Querrey just announced their plans to participate in the 2012 US Men’s Clay Court Championships at River Oaks Country Club in Houston, which will be played from April 9-15, 2012. In last year’s doubles championship match, the Bryan Brothers defeated Querrey and Juan Ignacio Chela. Querrey, who lost in the 2010 final to Chela, joins Top 10 player Mardy Fish in the singles main draw. “As a USTA national championship, it’s certainly important to us to have top American players in the tournament,” said Van Barry, Tournament Director. “The Bryans, Sam and Mardy are not only great players but good ambassadors for the game. We look forward to hosting them all at River Oaks in April.”

World No. 25 Kei Nishikori featured in two Wilson commercials

Kei Nishikori, who in 2011 became the highest ranked Japanese male player in history when he reached No. 24 in early November, has been featured two Wilson commercials shown on YouTube. You can preview the commercials here:  #1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv05BWkUqjk&feature=related #2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1qfiH0ZH-E&feature=related

ATP World Tour doubles stars endorse “Lessons From The Wild” Book

ATP World Tour doubles stars Mahesh Bhupathi, Leander Paes, Max Mirnyi and Aisam Qureshi have all endorsed the new book by their sports and exercise scientist Shayamal Vallabhjee called “Lessons from the Wild.” “Lessons from the Wild” ($14.95, New Chapter Press, available here on Amazon.com http://m1e.net/c?96018505-zBrx0n86BAXAs%407089626-DGUWTgYObMSj2 is a motivational book that draws inspiration from an inconspicuous group of wild animals, drawing a parallel between the animals’ struggles and the human race’s daily challenges. In addition to working with such players as Bhupathi, Paes, Mirnyi and Qureshi, Vallabhjee is a new age entrepreneur and lecturer who also has worked with the Indian and South African Davis Cup teams, the Indian National Cricket Team, the South African High Performance Cricket Team and many business leaders in Africa and Asia. “The is the first book of its kind and takes simple life lessons like courage, persistence and uses unique animal stories from the wild to exemplify that lesson,” said Vallabhjee. “’Lessons from the Wild’ will make an excellent gift for any person needing some light reading, college students, children and business people looking for alternate motivational sources.” Lessons and animals that are discussed in the book include fearlessness (the story of the Honey Badger), teamwork (the story of Snow Geese), courage (the story of the Bottlenose Dolphin), independence (the story of the Anaconda), effort (the story of the Beaver) and compassion (the story of the African Elephant) among others. Bhupathi, the Wimbledon, U.S. and French Open doubles champion, wrote the foreword to the book, saying, “’Lessons from the Wild’ opened my mind to a whole new world — a world were self-belief, preparation, confidence, determination, integrity and trust take on new meaning.” Said Paes, “As an athlete, the animal instinct is the most important ingredient – the ability to understand your opponent, be in-tune with the elements, recognize an opportunity or push your body and mind beyond its barriers. ‘Lessons from the Wild’ highlights this wild, natural instinct which, when coupled with intelligence, is very potent.” Said Qureshi, “’Lessons from the Wild’ has surely changed the way I look at animals and their behavior patterns. It has given me a new found respect and admiration for the trials and tribulations they face. It’s a must read for anyone who is trying to find motivation in their lives and seeking inspiration. Said Mirnyi, “’Lessons from the Wild’ is an all-inspiring account of useful life material. I’m positive that anyone who opens up and reads through these pages will find both useful and very encouraging material throughout the entire book. Shayamal has made a lot of input in my career and I’m sure through this book, he will help you as well.”

Latest Lisicki “over-the-limit” wild card explanation

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Updating the Sabine Lisicki wild-card situation and explaining why she is able to take an over-the-limit fourth wild card this year and still retain the points she has earned at Wimbledon:

A WTA source explained that there is a list of exceptions to the rule which limits players to three WTA main-draw wild cards per season, and that one of them pertains to Lisicki.

“Any player who is a past singles champion of a Grand Slam or Premier WTA Championship will be allowed an unlimited number of Singles Main Draw Wild Card nominations.” That would include Lisicki, who won the Premier event in Charleston, S.C., in 2009.

But while that appears to clear up the Lisicki situation, it doesn’t explain how at least three other players have managed to circumvent the wild-card rules — Christina McHale and Alexa Glatch of the U.S., and Olivia Rogowska of Australia.

In 2010, McHale, who has never won a WTA tournament, received main draw wild cards into Indian Wells, the French Open, Cincinnati and the U.S. Open, and was allowed to keep the few points she earned at her fourth wild-card event — the U.S. Open.

In 2009, Glatch received main draw wild cards into Indian Wells, Key Biscayne, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. And also in 2009, Rogowska received wild cards into Hobart, the Aussie Open, the French Open and the U.S. Open.

 

Novak Djokovic beats Rafael Nadal in gold-mine Key Biscayne final

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Maybe it wasn’t a classic, but it was just about everything else you could have hoped for in a Masters 1000 championship match and, if there is a broader tableau, it was visual evidence why men’s tennis right now is three full notches above the women’s game for drama, quality and story lines.

Novak Djokovic’s 26th consecutive victory (he’s 24-0 for the 2011 season) was reduced, as well it should have been, to a third-set tiebreak, which he won with a crackling forehand to the corner, well out of Rafael Nadal’s reach.

The final count in the Sony Ericsson Open final: 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4). Just like the Indian Wells 1000 final, where Rafa won the first set but lost the war.

Novak Djokovic wins the Sony Ericsson Open 2011

Here’s why this match was a gold mine:

  • It further authenticated Djokovic’s position as — at least right now — the best player in tennis, though the rankings on Monday will continue to show Nadal at No. 1 and Nole at No. 2.
  • Unlike the Indian Wells final, where Nadal contributed a boatload of service points with perhaps his worst serving game since his rise to the top of tennis, there were no significant contributions in this match. Djokovic needed to take the points, not have them handed to him, and he did.
  • Tension? More than enough, especially as the two men worked hard in extremely hot, extremely humid conditions down the homestretch of the final set. There were no breaks in the third set, but those last six games, before the tiebreak, you were hanging on every point, looking for one or the other to slip into position for a break point. It never happened.
  • We got three hours and 22 minutes of outstanding tennis from the two best players in the game.
  • The two men, as close as tennis adversaries can be off-court, got primo crowd support from some very noisy and very into-it fans at this second most important tennis tournament in the United States.
  • One last point. This sets up the clay court run-up to the French Open, beginning this week. Although Nadal holds a 9-0 edge over Djokovic on clay, who knows where we go from here. It’s obviously a new day in men’s tennis, and Djokovic has more than enough clay court skills to win Roland Garros. That doesn’t make him an early favorite, but it still presents a fascinating next six weeks.

The tiebreak started haltingly with neither player able to win a service point until Djokovic nosed ahead 4-2 when Rafa’s backhand return came up short and Djokovic immediately forced an error with his first ground stroke of the point.

There’s little doubt in my mind that probably at some moment late in the third set, Nadal was fading physically a bit. Not enough to keep him from racing to net to win a point in the tiebreak, but he just didn’t seem to be reacting as quickly on service returns. By degree, he had lost his quick twitch movement.

He also had abandoned his early game plan of crowding the baseline to take Nole’s services early, which was designed to keep Djokovic from seizing immediate command of the rallies. He was now standing well back of the baseline, even on second serves, and, in the deuce court, he nearly had both feet in the extension of the doubles alley.

That didn’t cause Djokovic one moment of consternation. On match point at 6-4 in the tiebreak, with Nadal protecting his backhand side, Nole went there anyway with his first serve and Rafa could muster only a short return. One sweep of Djokovic’s forehand from well inside the court and it was over.

Statistically, this match was won on second serve returns, where Djokovic rolled up a considerable edge.

Djokovic is taking a week off before playing his hometown tournament. Surprise. That would be Monte Carlo, not Belgrade, though he’ll be in Serbia for that clay court tournament as well. He’ll play four clay events before the French — those two, Madrid and Rome.

Unless he comes down with exhaustion, Nadal also will be at Monte Carlo, then play Barcelona, Madrid and Rome before the French.

This gripper of a final was in sharp contrast to the 6-1, 6-4 women’s final, in which Victoria Azarenka defeated Maria Sharapova.

Women’s tennis right now is searching for a focal point with the Williams sisters gone. Sharapova is doing her part by finally playing closer to her pre-injury standard. But after more than a year, it’s very questionable if she’ll ever return to the form that won three Slams.

Meanwhile, Kim Clljsters is still a solid drawing card, but she’s retiring at the end of the season (again) and she didn’t have a good Key Biscayne tournament.

The men, on the other hand, are at the cusp, it seems, of a new era if Djokovic plays even close to this level for the rest of the year. Nadal is, well, Nadal. Federer can still play elite tennis. And there is Juan Martin Del Potro, who — step by step — is regaining the form that won the U.S. Open a couple years ago.

Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal: A look back at their previous Miami match-ups

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KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. — Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will meet for the first time in North America in six years Friday in the semifinals of the Sony Ericsson Open. Ironically, the previous two North American meetings between the two tennis titans have come on the courts at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park in this island paradise in the shadow of the Miami skyline.

Rafael Nadal

In the first career meeting between the two, Nadal, then 17-years-old, defeated Federer in the Round of 32 in Miami 6-3, 6-3, while Federer turned the tide the following year in the final, coming back from two-sets-to-love down to win 2-6, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-1 back when this event boasted a best-of-five final.

Rene Stauffer, the esteemed Swiss tennis writer and author of the book ROGER FEDERER: QUEST FOR PERFECTION ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.RogerFedererBook.com), details the previous two Roger vs. Rafa clashes in North America here at the Sony Ericsson Open in his book. Below are the excerpts detailing the first two matches of this epic rivalry.

2004

An opponent that would bring Federer to his knees, however, appeared shortly after Indian Wells—illness. Immediately after the final, Federer began to run a fever and suffer from nausea and muscle pains. Despite his illness, he did not cancel his pre-arranged trip to Portland, Ore., the home of his clothing sponsor “Nike,” for a promotional visit, but en route to Miami for the next tournament, Federer was forced to stop and check into an airport hotel in Los Angeles to rest and try to recover. As he and Mirka finally arrived in Florida, he considered withdrawing from the tournament, but when rain gave him an extra day of rest, he decided to give it a go.

After he was able to muster up enough strength to negotiate a three-set win in his first match against No. 54-ranked Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, Federer next drew the highly-regarded Spaniard Rafael Nadal. The 17-year-old left-hander from Mallorca played what he described at the time as the best match of his life and dominated the listless Federer 6-3, 6-3. The loss was the most decisive defeat Federer experienced in a year. Nadal also became the youngest player to defeat the Wimbledon champion. Federer was not surprised that he lost since he was not yet recovered from his illness.

Nonetheless, he suspected that Nadal would be a dangerous rival coming of age. “He will become the most powerful left-hander in tennis in the coming years,” Federer prophesized.

2005

After defeating world No. 2 Lleyton Hewitt in the final of Indian Wells, Federer won the title in Key Biscayne, Fla., for the first time, defeating the young 18-year-old Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who defeated Federer decisively at the same event the previous year.

Entering Key Biscayne, Nadal moved to No. 6 in the year-to-date ATP Champions Race with victories in tournaments in Brazil’s Costa do Sauipe and in Acapulco in Mexico. His match winning streak hit 15 as he entered the Key Biscayne final with Federer. The burly left-hander played fearlessly in his first appearance on the big stage of professional tennis and to everyone’s amazement, he led Federer 6-2, 7-6, 4-1 after two hours of play. “I looked up at the scoreboard and only hoped that 6-1 would not appear there ten minutes later,” Federer explained. “I blew one opportunity after another and I thought, ‘This can’t be happening.’” In an earlier time in such a situation, Federer would have thrown in the towel but these days were well in his past. Somehow, he crawled back into the match and, came back from a two-sets-to-love deficit to win 2-6, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-1.

The Indian Wells/Key Biscayne “double” that went favorably for such players as Jim Courier, Michael Chang, Pete Sampras, Marcelo Rios and Andre Agassi before him, now garnered Federer 1,000 points in the world rankings, the equivalent of a Grand Slam title. He was now 2,245 points ahead of Hewitt in the No. 2 spot. The conversations that Federer may be in a “crisis” quickly faded. “This is a great moment in my career,” Federer said after his win over Nadal. “Making a two-set comeback against a player of his caliber and then winning it isn’t normal—even for me.”

Why Novak Djokovic is the best returner in tennis

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It was the opening point of the fifth game of the Indian Wells semifinal 12 days ago, and here was a quintessential example of why Novak Djokovic is the best returner in tennis.

Roger Federer had hit one of those perfectly placed, half-slice serves about an inch inside the sideline — a ball that does not come back against 99.9 percent of the players on the ATP Tour.

But there was Djokovic, his body already into an extreme lean a split-second after the serve was hit, and his racket so fully extended that he struck the return from beyond the doubles sideline. Not just struck it, but returned it with enough pace that Federer didn’t have a gimme second shot.

Novak Djokovic

Even though Federer’s back-up ground stroke had plenty of pace to the backhand corner, there was Novak, a bit off-balance from a mad dash but with sufficient power in his wrists to lash a cross-court pass for the winner.

David Ferrer? Great service returner. Very quick-twitch feet. Nikolay Davydenko? Superb serve returner. Makes you work for every point. Rafa Nadal? Well, what needs to be said about his returning.

But if you had to pick out just one player who is, today, the best returner in tennis, it’s Djokovic, who is, with very little doubt, also the toughest man to ace on the ATP Tour.

How tough? Federer had just one ace in that Indian Wells semifinal — an unheard of number for the former No. 1 player. One ace in a three-set match in which Federer had 13 service games.

In three matches this year against Djokovic, all losses, Federer has served 39 games for 11 aces.

A lot has been written about Djokovic’s precise serving, his court coverage and his metronomic ground stroking — all key facets of his game. But, for me, the single ingredient that has separated him from the pack in 2011 is his returning.

The inability to get free points off this guy not only makes him a threat to break in almost every opponent’s service game, but there is the added intimidation of his victims.

In the Indian Wells final, Nadal had perhaps the worst serving match since ascending to tennis’ elite — under 50 percent first serves in as he tried to pump up the speed to compensate for Novak’s returning. He lost in three sets.

The art of the service return doesn’t make too many TV sports replay segments, but if you value highly the more significant skills in tennis, you need to spend time watching Nole at work against a top server.

Wednesday at the Sony Ericsson Open, for example, Djokovic held tall, power-serving Kevin Anderson, who had 37 aces for the tournament coming into the match, to just four. And the first was, in fact, a fault which, for some odd reason, Nole refused to challenge.

It’s not just warding off aces that makes him the best returner in the game. Getting a racket on the ball is only one part of the equation, along with getting the ball into play and getting it back deep enough to get into the point. Djokovic has that entire package.

He’s had some matches this year in which he gave up a significant number of aces, but it was to players who are capable of rolling up big numbers on a hot-serving day. Tomas Berdych had nine aces against Nole at Dubai a few weeks ago and Feliciano Lopez had seven in the same tournament.

Two of the biggest servers in the game are Ivo Karlovic and Andy Roddick. Djokovic last played Ivo three years ago and gave up 20 aces, but you could argue that was another Djokovic in another time. The last four times he’s played Roddick, he’s given up 21 aces — well under Roddick’s average.

Great service returning requires fresh legs, even after three hours on court, and it’s amazing to see Nole is this heightened state of fitness, because he’s been going almost non-stop since last season, playing the Davis Cup final against France in the first week of December and then having very little time off to rest before preparing for 2011.

Yet he’s showing no signs of tiring. In these last two tournaments, both ATP 1000s (Indian Wells and Key Biscayne), Djokovic has played 10 matches and been aced just 21 times in 84 service games. That’s one ace every four serving games.

You won’t have any difficulty arguing that he has evolved into the best returner in tennis.

What is the fifth major?

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KEY BISCAYNE — Around this time of year – when the Indian Wells/Key Biscayne “double” takes place — fans, officials, players and media strike up the conversation of what tournament is considered “the fifth major?”

This begs the questions: what makes the majors, the majors?

The four major tennis tournaments that comprise of the “Grand Slam,” were the four tournaments that had the best player fields and thus, over the years, became the most prestigious. What gave the four majors – the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open – the best fields was that those four nations were the four most powerful tennis nations – the United States, Britain, Australia and France being the first four nations to win the Davis Cup. These national championships were usually held just before for just after the Davis Cup matches when each of these respective nations were the Davis Cup champions – or holders – and hosted the Davis Cup Challenge Round (or final) and some preliminary matches leading into the championship round. This guaranteed that a strong field of international players would pepper the tournament fields of these four events. It wasn’t until the 1930s when Australian Jack Crawford nearly swept all four in one year in 1933 and when Don Budge was the first player to turn the trick five years later, that the term “Grand Slam” came into being.

Sony Ericsson Open

It’s tough to consider the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne as a fifth major since they aren’t even the biggest tournaments in the United States. (Perhaps co-ed tournaments in Madrid and Rome should receive consideration). However, certain criteria establish these two premier events ahead of the pack in the discussion of the greatest tournaments on the grandest stages in the game.

Combined Event

The Sony Ericsson Open was the first tournament other than the Grand Slam tournaments to host a combined men’s and women’s event when it began in 1985. The tournament was first played over two weeks – like the other major events – and featured a 128-draw. The Sony Ericsson Open and the BNP Paribas Open, which more recently became a combined event, are now played over a week and half and feature 96-player fields.

Player Field

All healthy top players compete in both the Sony Ericsson Open and the BNP Paribas Open, with the glowing exception of the Venus and Serena Williams, who no longer compete at Indian Wells due to this ugly incident from 2001: http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/1811. The strong fields, match-ups and daily schedules of play make these events that much more attractive to fans, media and TV viewers.

Prize Money

The Sony Ericsson Open and the BNP Paribas Open have the most prize money of any event in tennis outside of the four major tournaments and the ATP World Tour Finals. Prize money for both events for 2011 sits at $3,645,000. The ATP World Tour Finals will offer $5,070,000 at the end of this year.

Great Venue

Part of the magic of the Sony Ericsson Open is its location – the island paradise of Key Biscayne, in the shadow of Miami, one of the great international cities of the world. The entire scene and vibe of the Sony Ericsson Open reflects the flavor and international feel of Miami and, in opinion, adds to its prestige. Views of the Miami skyline on television – especially those at night showing the night lights – add the aura of the event. The California desert in Indian Wells, while beautiful, relaxing and charming, does not emit the excitement that Miami does and does not measure up in this regard, in my opinion.

Tournament History/Former Champions

The tournament history of the Sony Ericsson Open dates back only to 1985, but with a combined list of veritable “who’s who” of tennis listed a former champions (Ivan Lendl, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Steffi Graf, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, etc.) Indian Wells has a similar list of stellar champions. Big-name players win big-time events. Fans certainly gravitate more to these events with their attention. I remember Greg Garber from ESPN.com telling me last year that the reason why they staff the Sony Ericsson Open for their website was the tremendous traffic the stories produce – meaning massive interest. This year, Garber told me that their web traffic is already up 100 percent from last year.

Tradition, Trophies, Rituals

Certain sporting events have traditions and rituals that separate it from other events. Take for instance, The Masters golf tournament is full of tradition, including the winner being awarded something very unique – the Green Jacket. Another tradition in golf that comes to mind is the Dinah Shore Golf Classic – one of the majors on the LPGA Tour – where the tournament winner annually jumps into the pond on the 18th green after holing out as the champion. Three of the four major tennis tournaments have “named” trophies (the US Open being the exception. The Sony Ericsson Open used to have a “signature” trophy – a round, bowl-like crystal trophy – but with the change to a new sponsor came a newly-shaped, also nameless trophy. Both tournaments are lacking a bit in this regard, but perhaps the introduction of a signature trophy to be given to the singles champions could be introduced, say “The Larry Ellison Bowl” for the winner of Indian Wells, in honor of its tournament owner, or, in Key Biscayne, perhaps the “Buchholz Trophy” in honor of the event’s founder and brainchild Butch Buchholz.

Agassi edges Sampras in Key Biscayne classic: On this day in Sony Ericsson Open History

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The Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla., is the biggest, most prestigious tennis tournament in the United States next to the US Open. Its history dates back to 1985 and is documented in pages in my book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com). The following are events that happened in the history of the tournament – also previously called the Lipton Championships, the NASDAQ-100 Open and the Ericsson Open – as excerpted from the book from March 26.

1995 – Andre Agassi dramatically defeats Pete Sampras 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3) in the final of the Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla., preventing Sampras from winning the title for a third straight year. Writes Robin Finn of the New York Times of the match and the Sampras-Agassi rivalry, “They embody a study in contrasts, Pete Sampras the classicist and Andre Agassi the iconoclast, but when their Lipton Championships final came down to a sudden-death third-set tie breaker this afternoon, they were a symphony of squeaking sneakers, smoking racquets and baggy shorts aflutter in the tropical breeze. Nobody else competes better. Rivals with a cause, the two American thoroughbreds are fast discovering that through each other they can goad themselves into reaching their athletic apex and, almost incidentally, revive tennis in the process.” The two rivals played the Australian Open final earlier in the year – won by Agassi – and the Indian Wells final – won by Sampras – and fight for the No. 1 ranking throughout the rest of the year. The two also play in the final of the Canadian Championships later in the summer, Agassi winning 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, while Sampras wins the most significant match between the two during the year – and perhaps their careers – in the U.S. Open final 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5.

1988 – Eighteen-year-old Steffi Graf defeats 33-year-old Chris Evert 6-4, 6-4 in 1 hour, 40 minutes to win the Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne, Fla., for the first of five Key Biscayne title in her career.

1998 – Seventeen-year-old Venus Williams upsets world No. 1 and fellow 17-year-old Martina Hingis 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 in the semifinals of the Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne, Fla. “I haven’t arrived yet,” says Williams following the match, a re-match of the U.S. Open women’s singles final the previous September. “I’m just coming. I’m on my way up.” Williams avenges her sister Serena, who loses to Hingis in a three-set thriller in the quarterfinals.

1999 – Sisters Venus Williams and Serena Williams each register semifinal victories at the Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne to set up a championship showdown between sisters – the first final-round match-up pitting sister against sister since the 1884 Wimbledon final between Maud and Lillian Watson. In the first semifinal, Serena Williams defeats world No. 1 Martina Hingis 6-4, 7-6 (3), while Venus Williams follows with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Steffi Graf. Says Richard Williams, the father of both finalists, “I always knew it would happen. I’ve been talking about it for years, planning for it, but now that it is here, I don’t even know what to think.”

1989 – Thirty-six-year-old Jimmy Connors leads Kevin Curren two-sets-to-love but fails to close out the hard-serving South African falling by a 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 margin in the fourth round of the Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne, Fla. Says Connors, “I’m still standing in the 15th round. Nobody’s knocking me out.” Says Curren, “It’s a tough way to make a living.”

The Sony Ericsson Open preview – Around the Corner

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By Mike McIntyre

After another dominating performance by Novak Djokovic in Indian Wells, the Masters 1000 level action continues this week in Miami at the Sony Ericsson Open.

Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, who battled for the title in Indian Wells, both have a first round bye along with the other top thirty-one seeds. Good thing too, as the top two players in the world headed straight to Bogota, Columbia to play in an exhibition match on Monday. Nadal gained a small dose of revenge as he won that match 7-6(5), 6-3. Of course that result is meaningless as both players were no-doubt trying to conserve energy for Miami.

Nadal has a tough opening section of the draw in Miami and will face the winner between Kei Nishikori and Jeremy Chardy. Either way I would say this is a tough opening match that could test a tired Nadal. Both Alexandr Dolgopolov and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are also in Nadal’s quadrant of the draw and they could present a threat in the fourth round.

Roger Federer

In the other section of the upper half of the draw are Roger Federer and Andy Roddick who could clash if they both progress through to the quarter-finals. Federer has a decent section to navigate with players like Radek Stepanek, Marcos Baghdatis and Juan Monaco present but not strong enough to threaten him.

Roddick could see Marin Cilic in the third round but the defending champion should be quite capable of winning his first few matches. It is about time that Roddick showed us what he can still do on the ATP World Tour. If he doesn’t come ready to play, the American veteran will likely find himself dropping out of the top ten in the rankings.

No longer even mentioned in the conversation of Grand Slam contenders, Roddick’s attitude is perhaps what needs the most adjustment. Physically his serve and other aspects of his game have not changed very much, however his confrontational nature seems at an all-time high. His verbal abuse towards the chair umpire in his loss to Richard Gasquet in Indian Wells was obnoxious and immature and did not endear himself towards any of the fans that surely wanted to support their country’s most recent slam winner.

In the bottom half of the draw we have a much tougher area of competition. Players like Robin Soderling, Andy Murray, Juan Martin Del Potro, Milos Raonic, Stan Wawrinka and of course Novak Djokovic are all going to be forced to battle within this section.

It will be interesting to see how Raonic reacts to suddenly being seeded and having more expectations placed upon him. He is now considered to be a favorite to move through the opening rounds. An Australian Open rematch against off-season hitting partner David Ferrer looms in the third round.

Soderling or Del Potro will likely advance to face the winner of the above mentioned match in the quarterfinals, while Gasquet and Wawrinka also linger. Look for Del P to continue his return towards the top ten as he showed us in Indian Wells that he is ready to resume his place near the pinnacle of the men’s game. Following his semi-final performance last week he has shot up 39 spots in the rankings to his current spot of no. 51.

In the other quarter, Andy Murray will be hoping to awaken and display some skill for the first time since his straight-sets defeat against Djokovic in Melbourne back in January. The fifth ranked player in the world has failed to win a match since then. His recent inconsistencies should favor big-serving John Isner whom he could face in the third round.

Djokovic should not have to face any serious opposition until the quarter-finals so expect his eighteen game winning streak to make it to at least the big 2-0.

With the tour getting ready to switch to clay courts, enjoy this last big tournament on the pavement.

 

Novak Djokovic to join Kei Nishikori for Japan disaster fund-raiser

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Indian Wells champion Novak Djokovic has gone immediately to South Florida to prepare for the Sony Ericsson Open, which begins Wednesday, and to join with fellow pro Kei Nishikori in orchestrating a fund-raising event for Wednesday night that benefits Japan earthquake/tsunami victims.

The event is being co-hosted by GR8 Miami, but won’t interrupt any top players, who have byes through the first round. Djokovic won’t play until Friday or Saturday.

Before an 8 p.m. dinner Wednesday night, Djokovic will join other ATP players in an exhibition soccer match against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

Following the dinner, GR8 is putting on an after-party silent auction with donations going to the American Red Cross Japan disaster relief efforts.

“Since we heard about the earthquake and all it’s consequences I wanted to do something to support the victims,” said Djokovic. “I have played last week with messages posted on my knee tape, but this is something different, since we want to raise money for the Red Cross to help people.

Tickets for the dinner can be purchased online at www.GR8Miami.com or by calling 415-225-5764 or 561-706-4276.

Novak Djokovic wears out Rafael Nadal for Indian Wells title

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It was, on the third point of the final set, nothing more complicated than a routine overhead and Rafael Nadal, as you would expect, was there, back foot on the service line, racket cocked and ready to hit an exclamation point.

Novak Djokovic

He whacked it into the net and you no longer had merely strong suspicions that he was going to lose this Indian Wells final. You could have wrapped it right there, despite the fact that there was 30 minutes of tennis left.

I’ve seen Nadal miss overheads from near the baseline, but never something this easy. This one said tired, mentally wasted, ready for 12 days off before the start of the Sony Ericsson Open on Key Biscayne.

But let’s also deliver enormous credit to Novak Djokovic for this 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory. He’s the one who, in large measure, wore Nadal out and, when the dust settled, Nole, who had a day earlier wrested the No. 2 ranking from Roger Federer, was 18-0 for the season with 20 straight wins dating back to last season and looking like the biggest story of 2011.

There was some brilliance in this match, and that was to be expected when you pit the two best players in tennis against each other. But, on balance, it wasn’t a particularly memorable match. It was splotchy and uneven in its execution, probably because these two men are so fabulously able to cover the court. The defense was a lot better than the offense.

How uneven, you ask? After being broken in the opening set, Nadal won 18 straight points on serve into the second set, his streak ending at 30-0 while he was on serve at 2-3 and while, incredibly, he hadn’t gotten a first serve in the entire second set to that point.

He lost that game, despite holding a 40-15 edge, but broke back when Djokovic double-faulted an 88 mph second serve a few inches beyond the T (more unevenness) into the ad court.

At that point, with Nadal on serve at 3-4, there was no suggestion of what was to come, but, in fact, everything for Nadal just declined from there, with the exception of some tough fighting in the final game of the second set, when Rafa parried away five set points, finally going down on the sixth.

A few moments later he was gaffing an overhead into the net and all those flag-waving Spanish fans on the stadium court looked particularly dejected. I suspect they, too, knew this was going to be a losing afternoon.

For Nole, it was only his fifth lost set of the season (Federer, Feliciano Lopez, Tomas Berdych and Ivan Dodig are the other four). I’ve seen his backhand a lot better than he displayed Sunday, but he also served with more authority than usual. His curlers into the deuce court were close to dominating.

And once he recovered from losing 18 straight service points, he reasserted himself from the baseline. You look at his hit pattern for this match and about 80 percent of his shots strike beyond the service line, and most of those within a few feet of the baseline.

I don’t care how good you are off the ground. When you have to return balls that deep, it’s limiting, and Nadal didn’t get anywhere near the usual number of shots at inside-out forehands he usually slashes for winners.

With a few exceptions, he didn’t look in Grand Slam champion form during this Indian Wells. He fought well up until this final and he played his best tennis vs. Juan Martin Del Potro. He’s got some heavy training to do to get back on course.

His game isn’t near 100 percent and, after the poor serving in this match, I’m not sure he’s as fit as some seem to think he is. Still, we’re nearly a couple weeks from Key Biscayne.

No question that Djokovic is the favorite at that next 1000 event, but I think you’ll see a better Nadal as well.

No surprise – Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic to play for Indian Wells crown

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No surprises. This is just how the tennis cognoscente had it doped out at the Indian Wells 1000.

Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic in the final.

If you’re going by the ATP rankings, that’s No. 1 Nadal vs. No. 3 Djokovic. Or, if you prefer real time form, I’d make that No. 1 Djokovic vs. No. 2 Nadal. You can rearrange those two any way you like, but one thing is undeniable. These are the two best players in the world right now, with Roger Federer a fading third.

Novak Djokovic

Nadal looked just super in a 6-4, 6-4 win over Juan Martin Del Potro, who continues to make stunning progress in his return from last year’s injury. Then, about two and a half hours later, the Djoker walked off the stadium court with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 win over Federer, and he’s not only now won three straight over Roger, but six of the last seven sets they’ve played.

I’ll get back to Rafa and Delpo in a bit, because there’s a lot to say about both, but there’s more grist to the win by Djokovic, who is now 17-0 for the season going into this final and, to be perfectly precise, he’s now won 19 in a row dating back to last year, counting a couple of impressive, straight-set wins over Gilles Simon and Gael Monfils in the Davis Cup final in December.

If I’d been watching this match a year ago, I would have chucked in Djokovic’s chances after he got a bit too defensive in the second set because mental strength with him had been a chronic problem. Had been.

But after Federer played his best tennis in Saturday’s middle set, I had no doubt that the new, mentally stronger Djokovic was going to steel himself for the third, and he did.

Once again, as Nole did to Federer in the Australian Open and at Dubai, he hurt Federer badly on service returns. For years, Federer has, well, fed off free points — aces and other unreturned serves.

In three losses to Djokovic this year, Federer has 11 aces in 39 service games. Of course he’s holding serve most of the time, but he’s also under pressure in most service games against Djokovic, and that’s having a major effect on his inability to build momentum.

The numbers in the final set Saturday paint a dramatic picture. Federer carried some powerful momentum into the third set, having won the second with a service break that allowed him to begin serving the third.

He was then broken three times. He got only 46 percent of his first serves in. He won only 29 percent of his second serves. For the match, Federer won just 41 percent of his second serves, well below his season average of 57 percent.

This is where Djokovic is dominating him. You’re not going to get 15 to 20 aces a match from Nole, who doesn’t rely on those free points to win. When he’s serving, he’s going to beat you with his superior backcourt game. When he’s receiving against Federer, he’s going to make you feel constant pressure.

That, for me, is the foundation of how he has surpassed Roger.

One final note on the Djokovic win. The publicity people, both at the ATP and in the television studios, are making a pretty big deal about Djokovic bumping up to No. 2 in the rankings ahead of now No. 3 Federer with this win.

Well, hold your water, folks. Between now and the French Open, Federer has 190 points to defend and Novak 550. Chances are strong he won’t be No. 2 very long.

Now, Nadal.

Considering where Del Potro is right now, this was a great matchup for Rafa. The one area where I don’t see Delpo quite approaching his peak is ground stroke pace, particularly on service returns.

There’s still a little too much air under the ball to start talking about him in terms of a Grand Slam final, though let’s not make this into a crisis. He has, after all, gone semis, semis, win, semis in four tournaments this year. He’s getting there, but he’s going to have to feel a higher confidence level to start ripping the ball a little harder to get back to his U.S. Open win form.

And against Nadal, the one thing you don’t want to do is put air under ground strokes and give him the necessary time to fire.

Rafa broke first at 2-2 in the opening set and it was classic Nadal the way he did it. Delpo at 30-40 hit a first serve down the T, forcing a weak return which he pasted into Nadal’s backhand corner.

You can go back and look at the tape of this one. On the dead run and with his legs spread as wide as they could go without doing the splits, Nadal produced one of those all-wrists two-handers up the line for a clean winner and the break.

His left foot was right on the extension of the singles sideline and his right foot very near at the extension of the doubles sideline.

Just three aces for Juan Martin in this semifinal. He pounded in 68 percent of his first serves, which is quite high for a big hitter, but won only 60 percent of those points, which is not good, but which tells you he’s not firing as hard as he can.

Today, Nadal and Djokovic play for the 24th time since the 2006 French Open — less than five years ago. Nadal has won 16 times and is 4-0 in finals. But the Djoker is on a 19-match win streak. So, can we coin-flip this one?

I’ll take Nadal. I’m not sure why. Intuition maybe. I do know this for sure, though. This is going to be a great match.

10 years ago today: Serena Williams’ trying day in Indian Wells

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It was 10 years ago today, March 17, 2001, where Serena Williams played what is likely her last match ever the now re-named BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. The ugly incident, documented below from the book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com), has resulted in Serena and older sister Venus Williams being absent from the event ever since, due to the negative fan reaction and alleged racist remarks.

Booed as she enters the court for her final round match against Kim Clijsters at the Tennis Masters Series –Indian Wells, Serena Williams withstands the harsh fan and media allegations of match-fixing, by defeating Clijsters 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. Fans react severely to the Williams family after Venus Williams abruptly withdraws from her semifinal match with Serena Williams the day before. “In the beginning, I was a little shocked,” Serena says. “Then I was like, ‘Wow, this is getting old. Move on to something new…I prayed to God just to help me be strong, not even to win, but to be strong, not listen to the crowd.” The withdrawal and aftermath came on the heels of tabloid story in the National Enquirer stating that Williams father Richard fixed the 2000 Wimbledon semifinal between the two sisters.

In the mean-time, the tennis world awaits Serena’s return to professional tennis, following two foot surgeries and a haematoma from a pulmonary embolism that nearly killed her.