Craig Hickman's Tennis BlogCraig Hickman's Tennis BlogIrrevent musings of a tennis fanatic. ATP, WTA, ITF. On the court. Off the court. Articles
Heard Around Indian Wells
2008-03-22 16:28:00 by Savannah (Pic by Roger fan Krist for RF.com) Rumor hot line was buzzing this past week. Sure an ATP Masters Series and a WTA Tier 1 event were taking place but who could resist wondering if Miroslava Vavrinec is pregnant? Tennis.com published it online about 3:00p eastern United States time. It was gone after 5:00p, again eastern United States time. By that time of course tennisheads around More About: Indian , Wells
Nadal Finally Beats Blake
2008-03-21 06:51:00 Defending champion Rafael Nadal got a step closer to another Indian Wells title with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 victory over James Blake at the Pacific Life Open. I didn't see the first two and a half sets of the quarterfinal slugfest. I was watching the scoreboard and then I bit the bullet and purchased another subscription to ATP Masters Series TV. Even though oil is $3.69 USD up from $2.59 USD from a More About: Finally , Beats
I'm Back And Missing Tennis
2008-03-20 17:56:00 I arrived home yesterday after driving 1,200 miles. Weather was foggy and rainy. By Maine, it had turned to snow and ice, and I almost wrapped myself around a tree five times. It's a good thing I grew up in Wisconsin and learned how to drive on snowy, winding, hilly roads. I saw no less than four cars disabled in snow banks off the side of the road. I needed every bit of experience and calm to More About: Tennis , Back , Missing
Seen Around The Pacific Life Open 3/17/08
2008-03-17 15:26:00 by Savannah When you've watched a player a long time you get to know his or her quirks, fan or not. You can tell from how the player sets up to serve whether he or she is nervous, prepared, or scared shitless. You can tell from how the player hits their shots if this is going to be a walk in the park or on the wild side. The fan picture above is from Dubai. I think her facial expression More About: Life , Pacific , Open
Open Thread
2008-03-13 22:45:00 I am in Milwaukee until next week with family to memorialize my father's death last year and don't know how much Internet access I will have. I won't be able to watch much of Indian Wells either. Please use this thread to talk amongst yourselves about all the action and the Pacific Life Open and other tennis news. Sorry I wasn't able to do my usual previews for this big event. I appreciate your More About: Thread
Querrey Wins First ATP Title
2008-03-10 21:19:00 I'm a day late and a dollar short. You can thank my ISP for that. Anyway, Sam Querrey rallied from behind to defeated South African wildcard Kevin Anderson 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to win the Tennis Channel Open, his first ATP title in his first ATP final. It took 40 tries, but the smiling American whom Andy Roddick called an after-school player has final realized some of his potential to hoist a trophy. More About: Title , Wins
Roddick Reigns In Dubai
2008-03-08 19:56:00 Andy Roddick stepped out of his comfort zone. He ditched the American hardcourt scene where he tends to beat up on “nobodies” and headed to the Middle East where the big boys play. And he came out on top. In the best match of the event, he rallied from behind and took out an inspired Feliciano Lopez 6-7(8), 6-4, 6-2 to earn the Dubai Championships crown in his debut appearance. Lindsay
Roddick Jacks Up Djokovic
2008-03-07 18:02:00 Andy Roddick put on another gutsy performance to knock out world No. 3 and Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic 7-6(5), 6-3 in an electric semifinal in Dubai. With his victory over Rafael Nadal yesterday, this becomes the first time in Andy's career that he's defeated the No. 2 and No. 3 players in the same event. And neither of them could break Andy's serve. I guess Jimmy Connors'
Roddick Topples Nadal
2008-03-06 18:12:00 In his biggest victory since I can't remember when, Andy Roddick beat world No. 2 and former Dubai champion Rafael Nadal 7-6(5), 6-2 in a stellar quarterfinal match that lit up the fans. The second game of the match felt like its own set. Rafa fought off five break points in a game that seemed to last 10 minutes. He fought off two more break points before taking a lead in the tiebreak. But
Roddick Versus Nadal: Who Will Win?
2008-03-05 21:02:00 Will it be a blockbuster quarterfinal in Dubai between Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick, or will it be a dud? Who will win? Tell us in the comments. More About: Versus
Federer Speaks About His Upset To Murray
2008-03-04 00:32:00 “Tough match, obviously. It was always going to be a tough draw. I knew that from the start. He’s played many matches already this season whereas obviously I come in a little bit cold. “My expectations are not sky-high at this point. Obviously I haven’t played much so you don’t go in with any expectations, actually. You hope to get past the first round, no matter if it’s a guy with no ranking More About: Federer , Upset , Murray
Lucky Loser Wins First ATP Final in Croatia
2008-03-02 17:10:00 Sergiy Stakhovsky, PBZ Zagreb Indoors Champion "I definitely surprised myself with my mental side that I could stand over to win the matches," said Stakhovsky. "It wasn't easy, to go when you serve for the match against against Karlovic, or Tipsarevic or any other player, in the far stages of the tournament such as the quarterfinals, semifinals or final. It's really not easy. I am just More About: Final , Croatia , Lucky , Loser , Wins
YouTube Highlights: Schiavone Defeats Henin
2008-02-29 03:16:00 Set 1 Highlights Set 2 Highlights Francesca Schiavone had never beaten Justine Henin. Henin had never lost a match in Dubai. All that changed today. [hat tip to rabbit] More About: Youtube
Indian Davis Cup Players Revolt
2008-02-26 19:33:00 All of this helps me appreciate more just how good a captain Patrick McEnroe has been for the American squad. Indian Davis Cup players have called for the ouster of captain Leander Paes for hurting team morale and confidence, a report said on Sunday. he Times of India reported that four players -- Prakash Amritraj, Rohan Bopanna, Mahesh Bhupathi and Karan Rastogi -- sent a letter to the All More About: Players , Revolt
Andy Roddick Knows The Way To San Jose
2008-02-25 04:06:00 Andy Roddick won a title and I didn't get to see it. An American event, no television coverage. Oh well. Today isn't Tuesday so I won't write a tirade. Today's other champions (minus one): Michael Llodra, ABN AMRO World Team Tennis Champion David Nalbandian, Copa Telmex Champion Maria Sharapova, Qatar Total Open Champion More About: San Jose , Andy , Jose
Mauresmo Ponders Retirement
2008-02-24 04:54:00 I guess she heard me when I said after Melbourne that a new job was in order. BBC Sport reports that two-time Slam champion Amélie Mauresmo is down in the dumps and is considering hanging up her racquet. France's former world number one has won just eight matches since losing her Wimbledon singles title last July. The 28-year-old told French sports daily L'Equipe: "I sometimes ask myself what More About: Retirement
Passions
2008-02-23 07:51:00 Tennis. Politics. Politics. Tennis. What to do? I've been choosing politics. It's not like there's tennis on the TV till the weekend anyway.
Photo Of The Day
2008-02-22 07:26:00 Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova in her press conference after upsetting Venus Williams in Doha. More About: Photo
Andy Murray: Charmless Man
2008-02-20 20:34:00 After winning last week's Open 13 in Marseille, Andy Murray suffered a first-round upset at the hands of homeboy and wildcard Robin Haase in straight sets at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam earlier today. Is my posting this rant from the Guardian kicking him when he's down? Can Andy Murray and Jamie Murray really be related? Sure, the two Scotsmen have physical similarities,
The Cream of the Crop
2007-11-05 22:47:00 Anna Chakvetadze, Ana Ivanovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Maria Sharapova, Justine Henin, Daniela Hantuchova, Jelena Jankovic, Serena Williams More About: Crop , Cream
Comment of the Week: Djoke's Aside
2007-11-05 11:13:00 From tristann in French Fried: All Djoko Djokes aside, I really do not think he tanked, he just did not play well. His fans claim he tanked when he lost to [Carlos] Moya in Cincy, that he was nervous at [Indian Wells] and at the USO finals, that he was green earlier in the year when he lost twice to Mikhail Youzhny. He was injured in Wimby, he was tired in Madrid and now tanked or whatever in More About: Week , Comment
The Man of the Hour
2007-11-04 19:28:00 by Savannah He's beaten Roger Federer twice. Rafael Nadal twice. In as many Masters Series events. As of now he is the first alternate for Shanghai. If anyone of the eight men who have qualified drops out, he's in. Congratulations to David Nalbandian. Paris Masters Champion 2007. More About: Hour , The Man
Who The Hell Is This Guy?
2007-11-03 20:20:00 by Savannah "He's way better than being ranked 25 in the world. I don't know what the hell he's doing at the other tournaments, but it worked these two." - Roger Federer after his loss to David Nalbandian in Bercy The folks who run the Bercy Masters were tired of their event being known as the one at the end of the year that no one comes to play in and went out to establish themselves as a More About: Hell
Gasquet Prevails; Positions Himself for Shanghai
2007-11-03 01:19:00 "Simply it's incredible. It's only if Baghdatis wins the tournament that I won't be able to go, or else I lose tomorrow. You know, the Seine is not far from me. I'll throw myself into it. He has to beat Nadal. I have many chances of being qualified. I didn't even hope for it. In Madrid I didn't play well. In Lyon I didn't play well either. I was 13 here. It is unexpected, completely unexpected. More About: Shanghai , Position
He Did It Again
2007-11-02 00:21:00 David Nalbandian defeated Roger Federer 6-3, 7-6(3) for the second time in a row to advance to the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris. This is the second time this year that Raja has lost back-to-back Masters Series matches to a player who hails from Argentina. But hey, the world No. 1 can cash his $1.5 bonus check for playing both Madrid and Paris and rest up to defend his
Hingis Retires After Testing Positive for Cocaine
2007-11-01 18:46:00 Former world number one Martina Hingis announced that she is retiring after testing positive for cocaine during this year's Wimbledon tournament. Reuters - The Swiss Hingis was expected to announce her retirement from professional tennis for a second time, after struggling to recover from a string of injuries and health problems. But the statement that she had tested positive for cocaine More About: Testing , Cocaine , Positive , Caine , Tire
French Fried
2007-10-31 18:03:00 I arrived in the Netherlands just in time to see Fabrice Santoro do it again. For the second time in as many weeks, The Magician upended a Top 5 player. This time his victim was Novak Djokovic who didn't stand a chance as the French man Santoroed him 6-3, 6-2. Before a screaming home crowd, the Frenchman came armed on All Hallow's Eve with a full bag of tricks. Even with a heavy wrapping on his More About: Fried
Off To The Netherlands
2007-10-30 19:10:00 I'm hopping a plane to Holland later today to visit the in-laws for a week. Not sure how much tennis I'll be following or if and when I'll get a chance to blog, but I'm sure I'll find a moment. Enjoy the rest of the Paris Masters and the beginning of the WTA championships in Madrid. More About: The Netherlands , Netherlands
Fatigued Venus Withdraws From Madrid
2007-10-28 22:09:00 Just when we thought the sisters would make their marks at the Season Ending Championships in Madrid , Wimbledon champion Venus Williams has announced her withdrawal due to fatigue. Her announcement means that Maria Sharapova won't need any favors from the WTA to qualify outright for the championships. Daniela Hantuchova tied Maria's race total with her victory in Linz today and theoretically
Grosjean Wins All-French Final in Lyon
More articles from this author:2007-10-28 18:39:00 Sebastien Grosjean defeated compatriot Marc Gicquel 7-6(5), 6-4 in front of screaming French fans at the Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon . After Fabrico Santoro, whom he defeated in the second round, Grosjean is the elder statesman of men's tennis in France, even though he lives in Florida. It's been a long time between drinks for Sebastien, who won the last of his four career titles five years ago More About: Final , Wins 1, 2, 3, 4 |
|
 |
|
 |
