Wild, Wonderful World Team Tennis, Anyone? @WorldTeamTennis Serving Up 2020 Season in Style at Greenbrier Resort in WV

Posted by Admin on May 26, 2020
Posted in: World Team Tennis. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

WTT Stadium Court at The Greenbrier

Wild, Wonderful World Team Tennis, Anyone? WTT Serving Up 2020 Season in Style at Greenbrier Resort in WV

WORLD TEAM TENNIS SET TO HIT THE COURT AT THE GREENBRIER IN WEST VIRGINIA FOR ITS 45TH SEASON IN 2020 – JULY 12-AUG. 2

WTT logo

RANCHO SANTA FE, Calif. (May 26, 2020) – World TeamTennis announced it has committed to play the entirety of its 45th season at The Greenbrier “America’s Resort” in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. This will be the first major professional tennis league to resume operations since the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19.

All told, the 2020 World TeamTennis season will showcase a 63-match regular season over 19 consecutive days from July 12-30, with the WTT Playoffs to follow on Aug. 1 (WTT Semifinals) and Aug. 2 (WTT Final). The top four teams from WTT’s regular season standings will advance to the WTT Playoffs. CBS will air a regular season match on July 19 and the WTT Final on August 2. CBS Sports Network will carry 13 regular season matches and both semifinals on August 1.

World TeamTennis’ schedule will include at least three matches per day at The Greenbrier’s 2,500-seat outdoor stadium, with an indoor court to be installed as a backup option, for WTT’s nine franchises – the expansion Chicago Smash, New York Empire, Orange County (Calif.) Breakers, Orlando Storm, Philadelphia Freedoms, San Diego Aviators, 2018 and 2019 WTT champion Springfield (Mo.) Lasers, Vegas Rollers and Washington (D.C.) Kastles. The matches are scheduled to begin anywhere from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. ET (subject to changes in broadcast schedules).

In accordance with state health guidelines, WTT will allow up to 500 fans (20% capacity) to attend its outdoor matches. Ticket pricing and access points will be announced at a later date.

Participating players in the 2020 WTT season include 2020 Australian Open champion and World No. 4 Sofia Kenin (Philadelphia Freedoms), 2017 U.S. Open champ and 2018 French Open finalist Sloane Stephens (Chicago Smash), Grigor Dimitrov (Orange County Breakers), the Vegas Rollers’ Sam Querrey and Bob and Mike Bryan, the winningest and most accomplished doubles team in tennis history, Tennys Sandgren (Orlando Storm) and doubles specialists Rajeev Ram (Chicago), Jean-Julien Rojer (Springfield Lasers) and Neal Skupski (New York Empire), the 2019 WTT Male Most Valuable Player.

The 2020 World TeamTennis season will be powered by Universal Tennis Rating (UTR), the world’s most accurate tennis rating system. All WTT matches will count towards players’ UTR rating, and MyUTR.com technology will be used to set daily matchups by WTT team coaches and be integrated in WTT’s media broadcasts throughout the three-week competition.

All of WTT’s 2020 regular season and playoff matches will be televised or live-streamed on media partners CBS, CBS Sports Network, Tennis Channel, ESPN+ and/or WTT.com, the league’s official website. World TeamTennis’ complete regular season schedule and its daily broadcast schedule will be announced on WTT.com at a later date.

“All of us at World TeamTennis are extremely grateful to be able to play the 45th World TeamTennis season and present professional tennis to our sports-starved and tennis-starved audiences through our media partners at CBS Sports, ESPN and Tennis Channel,” WTT CEO Carlos Silva said. “The overwhelming feedback from our players is that they want to play WTT and are comfortable in doing so in a safe environment, which is our number one priority. West Virginia has among the nation’s fewest cases of COVID-19 and I’m grateful to The Greenbrier, the city of White Sulphur Springs, and Dr. Jill Justice for being so welcoming and allowing World TeamTennis to play on in 2020.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome World TeamTennis to West Virginia and The Greenbrier,” said Dr. Jill Justice, President, The Greenbrier. “America’s Resort has a rich history with professional tennis, and we’re excited to write another chapter and add to the storied history of World TeamTennis.”

World TeamTennis will follow the direction of local and state government officials in West Virginia while adhering to all health and safety protocols set forth by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and take every precaution to ensure the safety of its players, coaches and essential staff in executing the operation of its matches. WTT will engage with its teams and league and venue personnel in conducting all necessary testing and screening for COVID-19, as well as outfitting all parties with the personal protective equipment (PPE) necessary to conduct its 2020 season matches while preserving the health and safety of everyone at The Greenbrier over the three-week season.

In 2020, WTT is increasing its prize money to a record $5 million and an added $1,000,000 awarded in WTT Playoffs compensation, including a $500,000 bonus to the team hoisting the King Trophy on Aug. 2.

WTT introduced professional team tennis in 1974, with Billie Jean King serving ng as its co-founder. WTT is one of five active U.S. pro sports leagues which has been in operation for over 40 years, along with the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB. For more information on World TeamTennis, please visit WTT.com.

—S. Pratt

 

How’s Your Lockdown? Women’s Tennis Returns This Weekend as @AjlaTom @AnisimovaAmanda @Riske4rewards & Danielle Collins Chat Up @MyUTR Pro Match Series on @TennisChannel

Posted by Admin on May 20, 2020
Posted in: UTR Tennis, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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How’s Your Lockdown? Women’s Tennis Returns This Weekend as @AjlaTom @AnisimovaAmanda @Riske4rewards & Danielle Collins Chat Up @MyUTR Pro Match Series on @TennisChannel

Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic

With so much more than sports going on in the world right now, today’s UTR Pro Match Series press conference on Zoom was a little lighter than most. It was as if people were genuinely thrilled to talk to other people for a change. Who knew, right?

The UTR Pro Series returns for the women’s event this Friday through Sunday from a private court in West Palm Beach, Florida and will be broadcast on Tennis Channel. Danielle Collins, Amanda Anisimova, Alison Riske and Ajla Tomljanovic will compete in an environment that Tournament Director Stephen Amritraj said is filled with “excessive precautions,” including no fans, no ball kids, no ball sharing and nothing but a chair umpire.

Tennis Channel’s Steve Weissman served as moderator and kept the question and answers fast-paced.

These players, they’re just like us!

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Amanda Anisimova, the youngest of the four competitors, accidentally muted herself. I was surprised by this unenforced error by the teen, since my daughter knows her way around Zoom like the sixth-grade hallway at her school.

Anisimova tried to lower her personal expectations in this first dry run of a tournament in months. “I’ve still been training but I’m not going to be anywhere close to my best game. I really missed (competition) so I’m not going to care how I play or my A- game,” she said.  So, naturally, expect her to bring her A-game this weekend.

Danielle Collins is making good Indian food and completed one hell of a “bomb” bread pudding during the lockdown. The world #51, Collins says she missed “just competing the most, and aside from that the travel. Getting to see so many parts of the world. I enjoy going to different locations after my tennis tournaments and taking a little vacation. And really, just getting out of the house. The competitive side doesn’t go away just because you’re away from the tour.” And, she added, she misses “the money, too.” She gave a “50/50” chance that the tour would formally resume in 2020 and revealed that she’s been hitting with college players home for the summer.

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Ajla Tomljanivic was the only player who had a birthday during the lockdown and she wasn’t terribly impressed. She was the third in her family to celebrate such a birthday.  “It was a little bit of a letdown,” she said. “The first (family birthday) was great and it went downhill from there. Mine was the third one. I was a little bit let down but I got my cake.”

As for the weekend tournament, “it’s the closest thing we can get to competing nowadays. With all of the safety protocols, I feel comfortable going in,” she said. “My body started to hurt because I wasn’t doing anything so I started hitting with my dad and boyfriend (Matteo Berretini). Now (Berretini) found someone better to hit with!”

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Alison Riske is always in good spirits when talking to almost anyone, and today was no exception. She divulged that she “could lose (herself) online for hours” researching interior design and has enjoyed being around the house over the last couple of months. On the subject of player support for lower tier competitors coming from the titans of the sport, she demurred. “It can be a tough ask to force something upon a player and have to make that decision of forfeiting X amount to help someone, like top 500 players. A great initiative, but a tough ask,” she admitted, before adding that it might be more palatable for “a player to donate where they want.”

On that same question, Anisimova was equally equivocal. “Those in the top 100 are way more privileged,” she said. “I can see both sides, but I think the initiative is very nice.”

The schedules for the first two days of the three day event are listed below.

Let’s all give a big hand to the return of women’s tennis!

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UTR 2020

 

 

 

Yes, We’re Ready! Phased Reopening of Pro Tennis Begins With @MyUTR Match Series Next Week on @TennisChannel

Posted by Admin on May 1, 2020
Posted in: ATP, UTR Tennis, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Alison Riske, 2019 US Open (Photo: Tennis Atlantic)

Yes, We’re Ready! Phased Reopening of Pro Tennis Begins With Universal Tennis Match Series Next Week on Tennis Channel

UNIVERSAL TENNIS AND TENNIS CHANNEL PARTNER TO BRING PROFESSIONAL TENNIS BACK WITH THE UTR PRO MATCH SERIES FEATURING TOP ATP & WTA PLAYERS

May 1, 2020 (Palo Alto, CA) – Universal Tennis today announced the UTR Pro Match Series presented by Tennis Channel featuring top ATP and WTA players in tournament play. The UTR Pro Match Series presented by Tennis Channel will be broadcast live on Tennis Channel and will be the first top tier professional tennis events televised internationally since the global health crisis put a halt to tennis in March.

For fans like you and I, this is a godsend. I don’t know about you, but I’ve found myself watching sims play tennis on twitch.tv and, just like the player-controlled “Virtua Mutua” Madrid Open, it doesn’t even compare to the real deal of human competition. The last event I covered was the New York Open in February, and it feels like a year’s gone by since Kyle Edmund hoisted the hardware on Long Island. A big thank you to Universal Tennis and Tennis Channel is in order.

The UTR Pro Match Series showcases a vision for how tennis can be played locally and safely through one-on-one matchplay and counts towards a single global rating and ranking with UTR.

The first event of the series will be held May 8-10 with a four-player men’s round-robin event beginning at 12:00 noon ET each day with 3 hours of live coverage. The line up of competitors is as follows:

Reilly Opelka, 2019 New York Open Finalist (TennisAtlantic.com)

Reilly Opelka, 2019 New York Open Finalist (TennisAtlantic.com)


Matteo Berrettini – 2019 US Open Semifinalist, ATP #8, UTR 15.71 (#12)

Reilly Opelka – 3rd ranked American, ATP #39, UTR 15.51 (#25)

Tennys Sandgren – 5th ranked American, ATP #55, UTR 15.32 (#53)

Tommy Paul – 6th ranked American, ATP #57, UTR 15.31 (#58)

Tommy Paul, 2018 Charlottesville Challenger (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)

Tommy Paul, 2018 Charlottesville Challenger (Photo: TennisAtlantic.com)

A top-tier professional four-player women’s event follows May 22 – 24. The line up of competitors is as follows:

Alison Riske – 4th -ranked American, WTA #19, UTR 13.19 (#14)

Amanda Anisimova – 5th ranked American, WTA #28, UTR 13.04 (#33)

Danielle Collins – 8th ranked American, WTA #51, UTR 13.07 (#28)

Ajla Tomljanović – 2nd ranked Australian, WTA #56, UTR 12.85 (#68)

All matches will be held at a private court in the West Palm Beach, FL, area with no spectators or public access.
Ajla Tomljanovic (Photo: R. Limpert)

“We are excited to bring back the game to tennis fans and give players the opportunity to compete in a safe, competitive environment,” said Mark Leschly, Universal Tennis Chairman & CEO. “The world has changed and we must adapt and innovate. Local, individual and small group play will be the new normal for the foreseeable future. The UTR Pro Match Series showcases how tennis can be played locally, safely and have results count toward the UTR global rating.”

These are the first two events in what will be a continuing US and international series. UTR is partnering with others around the world to deliver UTR Pro Match Series events for players according to local guidelines as restrictions are lifted.

UTR Pro Match Series events are prize money competitions, not exhibitions, and have been reviewed by the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) to ensure strict compliance. Results from all Pro Match Series events will be included in a player’s Universal Tennis Rating (UTR), the most accurate international tennis rating system that provides real-time head-to-head rating comparisons based on performance.

UTR Pro Match Series events will follow enhanced safety precautions, going above and beyond the USTA health and safety guidelines, and implement strict screening, cleaning and social distancing measures for players, officials and staff. There will be no spectators, no handshaking, no ballkids and no line judges. One chair umpire will oversee the match, and the court and facility will be professionally disinfected before and after play. Each player will be provided with their own set of marked balls for use during the match. Players will provide their own drinks and towels, and each player will have their own separate area off the court.

“We’re excited to work with our longtime partners UTR to bring professional tennis and high-quality live sports coverage back to millions of tennis fans in the United States and Europe during this uniquely challenging moment,” said Ken Solomon, president, Tennis Channel.

Tennis Channel, partnering with Ross Mobile Productions, will show all matches live. Emmy Award-winning announcer Brett Haber will call play by play for Tennis Channel from the network’s Los Angeles studio during the event. He will be alongside former NCAA champion and professional tour player Prakash Amritraj. During coverage Friday, May, 8, former world No 1. And US Open champion Andy Roddick will also offer commentary via Skype. The four players competing in the tournament will have headsets and be able to interact with Tennis Channel’s studio during changeovers.

2020 @BNPParibasOpen Canceled Because of Global Nature of the Sport

Posted by Admin on March 9, 2020
Posted in: ATP. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

COVID19

2020 @BNPParibasOpen Canceled Because of Global Nature of the Sport

The hard edge of the Coronavirus finally collided with the tennis world last night as the 2020 BNP Paribas Open was canceled by tournament organizers, citing the health of players, fans and volunteers. But let’s face it: this happened because of the international nature of our sport.

“There is too great a risk, at this time, to the public health of the Riverside County area in holding a large gathering of this size,” said Dr. David Agus, Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Southern California, as quoted in the 2020 BNP Paribas Open obituary released by the tournament. He may be right.

Over the weekend, hundreds of college and professional sporting events went on as planned in the United States. Also over the weekend, a university in Baltimore closed its doors to fans for four Division III college basketball games that were only expected to draw a few hundred spectators.

Overseas, a handful of professional soccer matches were canceled in Italy. They were the outliers, and given that Division III basketball tournament host Johns Hopkins University is known as an international vanguard on public health, there may have been some brand considerations to go along with that decision.

But to cancel the fifth most important tournament in professional tennis is a quantum leap. It is either the decision of a hyper-vigilant public health officer or a sign of much worse to come.

The Indiana Pacers boarded a plane to fly to Texas to play the National Basketball Association’s Dallas Mavericks on Friday. Like all other teams in US domestic leagues, the fans travel relatively short distances and the players do too. The only international flight for an NBA team over the weekend was the Toronto Raptors flying to Sacramento.

Compare this to the players preparing to travel to Indian Wells. They were planning to come from Australia, China, England, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania and many other countries. Think about those players and their teams with connecting flights at airports all over the world and you’ll quickly realize that the decision to cancel Indian Wells was about protecting Riverside County, California from so many possibly infected players and coaches.

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We love tennis because of its international nature, and that is why it is being treated differently. As tennis can’t change its international composition, this bodes horribly for the rest of the tour leading up to Wimbledon. It’s ironic that as the US has been isolating itself from the rest of the world at the highest diplomatic levels over the last four years, tennis has been filling that void of international camaraderie for its fans, and this sport has just become the first major casualty precisely because of its global flavor.

—S. Fogleman

OPINION: As Much as Anything, COVID-19 Threatens Fan Experiences at 2020 Tournaments

Posted by Admin on March 6, 2020
Posted in: ATP, Charleston, Indian Wells, Miami, WTA. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

OPINION: As Much as Anything, COVID-19 Threatens Fan Experiences at 2020 Tournaments
Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic

Nicolas Mahut nicomahut • Instagram photos and videos

The BNP Paribas Open today announced measures to cope with the somewhat-sensationalized threat of the spread of the latest coronavirus infecting humans and destroying retirement accounts. Among them are guaranteed refunds, hand sanitizing stations, no one but players touching their own towels, gloved ball people, and this one: “Organized player and fan interaction will be limited at the tournament.”

For those of us who haven’t been frightened to death by round-the-clock coverage of this flu, this news will be a setback for fans planning to attend. In the midst of the current occupant of the White House running the country into the ground and other bad news on television every night, I know I’ve been plowing into sports as a refuge and I suspect there are millions more like me.

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Johns Hopkins University, located in Baltimore, is the host of the early rounds of the NCAA Division III basketball tournament. They made news yesterday by announcing that their games would be played without fans. If Baltimore was Beijing and if Indian Wells were instead Wuhan, I’d understand the drastic measures.

I suspect that the term “organized player and fan interaction” means more than a couple of autograph sessions. It is highly likely that the policy will curtail post-match, spontaneous “player and fan interaction” as well. Security guards love to boss around the teeming tennis masses as they ask for a selfie, and this will give the muscle another opportunity to exercise their snooty dominion over spectators and players. All of this portends for a poorer fan experience at the tournament, and the possibility that subsequent cities on the American mini-swing such as Miami and Charleston, will be forced to follow suit to prevent them being seen as insufficiently prepared.

If the measures taken at the Tennis Garden are in fact, in place to protect players, then why wouldn’t the sport already limit player/fan interactions? Illness to a player, even for a week, can potentially cost them hundreds of thousand of dollars in lost income. Influenza A is far more common than COVID-19, and if a fan sneezes on a player while requesting an autograph, the results could be equally problematic.

I can only hope that this will be the last time these policies are put in place at a professional sporting event in 2020. For those who have died from or contracted COVID-19 or any form of influenza, I feel great sorrow. This, though, seems to be going too far and will cause unnecessary anxiety on the most vulnerable of groups: children and the elderly. Let’s hope the only hysteria we are left with by the end of 2020 is directed on court on a rising star, like Coco Gauff, Bianca Andreescu or Leylah Fernandez.

The tournament’s full statement is below:

“Following the direction and guidance of Dr. David Agus, Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Southern California, and Martin Massiello, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Eisenhower Health, the BNP Paribas Open is taking action to continue prioritizing the health and safety of the fans, athletes, and everyone involved with the tournament.

First and foremost, any patron who has purchased tickets directly from the tournament may request a refund for the 2020 tournament, or a credit for the 2021 tournament. Patrons can visit http://www.bnpparibasopen.com/coronavirus to request a refund or credit.

Additional actions include:
More than 250 hand sanitizing stations have been placed throughout the facility

Players will be required to manage their own towel on court and ball kids will not touch or move player towels.

A chair will be placed at the back of the court for them to place their towel on for usage during the match.

Ball kids will wear gloves

Restaurant and food supply workers will wear gloves

Volunteers taking tickets at entrances will wear gloves

N95 masks are being secured for first aid and health personnel to be prepared for any circumstances that would necessitate the use thereof

Organized player and fan interaction will be limited at the tournament

All common areas throughout the facility will be cleaned daily with an antiviral application

Coordinating with local hospital and CDC approved testing for all individuals with symptoms

Further actions are being considered and evaluated on a daily basis in order to continue to ensure the safety of everyone associated with the event.”

Your First 2020 @NewYorkOpen Finalist is @Kyle8Edmund

Posted by Admin on February 15, 2020
Posted in: ATP, New York, New York Open. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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Your First 2020 @NewYorkOpen Finalist is @Kyle8Edmund
Steve Fogleman from Long Island

Both Miomir Kecmanovic and Kyle Edmund have been burning up the indoor courts of the New York Open this week, so it seemed fitting that both players wore neon orange on Stadium Court today in the first semifinal at the New York Open.

Edmund double-faulted to begin the match. He held his serve in that game, then broke Kecmanovic in the second and consolidated it in a lengthy third game. Kecmanovic would be broken again as Edmund breezed to a 6-1 opening set win.in just under 35 minutes.

Kecmanovic opened the second set with a service win. After an Edmund hold, the young Serb faced a couple of break points but held. Both players settled in for exchanging service games and waiting for their opponent to make a critical mistake. That mistake finally came in the form of the ninth game, where Kecmanovic was broken at love for the 5-4 Edmund lead and the match on his racquet. Edmund gladly received the invitation and served the match out at love to advance to the final, 6-1, 6-4.

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Before today’s loss, Kecmanovic beat Tommy Paul and Paolo Lorenzi in straight sets before his comeback win against Ugo Humbert in the quarterfinals.

Edmund’s run in New York began with him beating Yasutaka Uchiyamaand Dominik Koepfer in straight sets before outlasting Soonwoo Kwon in a three set quarterfinal match.

He’ll face the winner of tonight’s semifinal between Andreas Seppi and Jason Jung at 7:00 pm.

 

First @NewYork Open Semifinalists Emerge From Three Set Triumphs; @MioKecmanovic and @Kyle8Edmund Go Head to Head Tomorrow

Posted by Admin on February 14, 2020
Posted in: ATP, New York, New York Open. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Miomir Kecmanovic, 2020 New York Open

First @NewYorkOpen Semifinalists Emerge In Three Set Triumphs; @MioKecmanovic and @Kyle8Edmund Go Head to Head Tomorrow
Steve Fogleman from the home of the Long Island Nets

The wind kicked up and the cold came back to town in Uniondale, New York on Saturday for the New York Open. Inside the Coliseum, Ugo Humbert kicked up his service game and won a lopsided first set over Miomir Kecmanovic in the day’s first quarterfinal. Humbert won 94% of his first service points in the first set. Kecmanovic quickly regrouped and held the first game before breaking Humbert for the first time en route to the second set for the young Serb, 6-2.

It was hard to predict what was going to happen in the third set. Kecmanovic was flabbergasted by Humbert’s painting of the lines during the Frenchman’s service games. Kecmanovic lost a few close calls and after losing a challenge in the sixth game of the second set, he seemed to unravel, momentarily, and faced two break points. But he held.

In the eighth game of the final stanza, Humbert faced break point during his service. He held.

In the very next game, Kecmanovic found himself down 0-30.

Kecmanovic held from there and we all sensed a tiebreak was in order at that point.

We were wrong. Kecmanovic stunned his opponent by breaking Humbert at love to take the match, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Last week, I made some pre-tournament predictions and sadly, the only quarter I got right was Kecmanovic to play Humbert. They’re both still under the radar to many American fans and were virtually unknown two years ago.

It’s Kecmanovic’s second semifinal of the new year (Doha) and only the third semis showing in his career. In our interview, he said he’d like to finish the season in the top 30.

As for Humbert, he’s already won his first ATP tour title at Auckland in January, so his year is off to a good start as well.

Kyle Edmund will take on Kecmanovic in tomorrow’s day semifinal.

Kyle Edmund, 2020 New York Open

 

 

Soonwoo Kwon and Edmund also saw one player get off to a fast start. Kwon was up 6-3 and Edmund answered back with a 6-2 second set. Both players were firing on all cylinders for the third set. Like the third set before it, it also felt like an inevitable tiebreak. And this time, for once, we’d be right. Tragically, the match ended on a Kwon double fault at 5-6. Kwon’s third set tiebreak record is an abysmal 36%. Overall, it was a decent run for the 22-year-old South Korean.

Kyle Edmund, 2020 New York Open

Tonight, we’ll see Reilly Opelka try to take a step closer to defending his only title, while Jason Jung and Jordan Thompson try to get closer to their first ever tour level finals.