Hall of Fame

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.@RajeevRam & @JPatSmith Earn Semifinalist Berths @TennisHalloFame, @DreddyTennis Advances

Posted by Admin on July 16, 2015
Posted in: ATP, International Tennis Hall of Fame, Steve Fogleman. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

.@RajeevRam & @JPatSmith Earn Semifinalist Berths @TennisHalloFame, @DreddyTennis Advances
Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic

Brown & Querrey

Today in Newport, Dustin Brown won yesterday’s suspended second round match against Sam Querrey. For once, a match was over as quickly as expected. It was over less than 10 minutes after it started, as Brown held serve twice to head to the quarterfinals.

He indicated that he didn’t stay up all night thinking about the timing of the thunderstorms that caused him to pause en route to victory.

Dustin Brown, Newport

Dustin Brown, Newport

“It would have been nice if we could have finished last night but on the other side, maybe I would have lost if we finished last night”, he said. His girlfriend and a good friend are traveling with him, so the companionship may have helped him keep his mind off the match.

Asked about his new celebrity status, he stated “When you’re at a tournament, with my looks and my hair, it’s hard for me to hide. I wouldn’t necessarily call it celebrity status. I can still go to the supermarket without someone jumping me”.

Rajeev Ram

Adrian Mannarino jumped on Rajeev Ram early but Ram pounced late. In a match that lasted two hours and thirty minutes, Ram scalped a seeded player for the second time this week by winning the second and third set tiebreaks. He’s reached the semis for the third time here, and he saved match points against both Isner and Mannarino. He actually won this tournament as a lucky loser in 2009.

Tatsuma Ito

With their first ATP World Tour semifinal berth on the line for both players, Tatsuma Ito and John-Patrick Smith were expected to have a little case of the nerves. Ito sure didn’t look that way before the match, cool and composed and inviting me to take a photo, something that usually only irritates the pros pre-match. But that didn’t translate to an easy start for Ito. Ito calmed down and took the second in a tiebreak, but Smith broke him in the third and sailed away 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-3.

JP Smith

Tomorrow’s semifinal action includes Jack Sock against Jan Hernych and Ivo Karlovic takes on Dustin Brown. This is my last post from the tournament as I will be heading to the Islands tomorrow. Well, Block Island. See you in DC at Citi Open!

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Quarterfinalists March On @TennisHalloFame

Posted by Admin on July 15, 2015
Posted in: ATP, International Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport, Steve Fogleman. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Quarterfinalists March On @TennisHalloFame
Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic

Smith

Smith

J.P. Smith is causing a lot of problems this week. I told him as much at press. I mean, first you take out Tomic and now you do this to Jared Donaldson? “I wouldn’t say that”, he replied. “I did get off to a quick start toward the front of the match.” Smith noted that he was able to get in a lot more second serve points than he was used to doing on the tour as he eased past local favorite Jared Donaldson at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, RI earlier today.

Not giving Donaldson a lot of pace on the Court today paid off for Smith. “These courts are really conducive to slices and you can skid through. Sometimes, you don’t know what kind of bounce you’re going to get. The more you make them play, the more you can dictate the rallies like that. I kept my play unpredictable.”

Donaldson in Press

Donaldson in Press

Donaldson was definitely shell-shocked after the match but was kind enough to grant us a post-match 1-on-1. I look forward to seeing Jared win many matches like these in years to come.

The awesome Tommy Haas bowed out of the singles draw today after losing the third set of last night’s suspended match against Adrian Mannarino. While Tommy Haas gave lots of post-match autographs, Mannarino stopped for two before whining to the assembled children that he had another match to play. Whatever. It must have worked, as he won his second round match later against Edouard Roger Vasselin in three.

Mannarino....

Mannarino….

Rajeev Ram is a giant killer, and he keeps on killing. After knocking off top seed John Isner yesterday, he claimed Yuichi Sugita 6-4, 6-3.

Ito and Coach Celebrate

Ito and Coach Celebrate

Tatsuma Ito was cool and composed as he headed to the quarters by virtue of his workmanlike 6-4 6-4 victory over American Steve Johnson. Ito has JP Smith in tomorrow’s quarterfinal.

Jack Sock gave everyone a scare after the fans lost Isner to the Curse of the Cup yesterday. After an abysmal first set, Sock escaped a second set tiebreak before winning the third set 6-4.

And how about crusty old Jan Hernych, who at 36 has played more tennis than anyone here at Newport this week? His fifth consecutive victory at the tournament propelled the veteran player into the quarters. Take that, Tommy Haas and Mark Philippoussis.

Just starting are Dustin Brown and Sam Querrey. Ivo Karlovic and Malek Jaziri are already underway. It is pea soup in Newport right now, so don’t be surprised if some portion of a match needs to be completed tomorrow.

See you tomorrow in Newport!

An Interview with Dustin Brown (@DreddyTennis) from Newport (@TennisHalloFame)

Posted by Admin on July 15, 2015
Posted in: ATP, International Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport, Steve Fogleman. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

An Interview with Dustin Brown (@DreddyTennis) from Newport (@TennisHalloFame)
Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic

Dustin Brown, Newport

 

What do you think you need to do to follow up with big wins like the one against Nadal at Wimbledon?

The main thing is to go out there and try and play my tennis. Obviously, you don’t get to play on that stage and play those matches every week. Everyone keeps asking that but at the end of the day, it has nothing to do with that. If I go out here, I’m trying to do well at this tournament. It has nothing to do with how I did the last six months or how I played in February. I’ve got to go out there and try and win this match. At the end of the day, it’s great that I won that match but on the other side, it’s good for points, it’s good for money, but it doesn’t help me out here when I played Bossel today.

 

Dustin Brown

 

How has that Wimbledon win changed your lifestyle, if at all?

 

To be honest, I haven’t had time to do anything. I left the Wimbledon compound at 3 or 4 pm that day, got on a plane, and flew to Germany, played Bundesliga the next day, got in the hotel, slept and and then flew the next day to the States to be a little early to get used to the time change. So, basically, I’ve been going from match to match and tournament to tournament, so there was not a lot of time to change anything.

 

Have you ever thought about playing less agressively? You come to the net a lot.

 

If I were to do that, I would not be sitting here probably. I’ve said that playing futures and I’ll say it again: There are three or four hundred guys that play better from the baseline or do their type of game better. For me, It’s important that I play my game and that’s the game people don’t like and that’s what I can beat big guys with, which I’ve proven.  Obviously, I’m going to lose matches because of that but that’s my tennis and that’s what I’ve learned to accept.

 

Do you think Serve and Volley will ever make a comeback in the ATP?

 

There’s a bunch of guys playing serve and volley, so I’m not sure. It’s just not being taught as much, the courts are a lot slower, so it’s not that easy. I mean Radek Stepanek, Ivo Karlovic, me, Rajeev Ram. There’s a lot of guys who like to play that style but not enough tournaments where you can play like that.

 

 

What’s on Dreddy’s Beats right now?

 

Still the same song I listened to during Wimbledon the whole time (A$AP Rocky: “Canal St”). I normally have the certain song I listen to all day, and right now it’s the same one.

 

 

Isner Falls to the Curse of the Cup, Other Seeds Cruise @TennisHalloFame

Posted by Admin on July 14, 2015
Posted in: ATP, International Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Isner Falls to the Curse of the Cup, Other Seeds Cruise @TennisHalloFame
Steve Fogleman, Tennis Atlantic

Jack Sock, Newport (Photo: S. Fogleman)

Jack Sock is here to play ball at the Tennis Hall of Fame Championships in Newport, Rhode Island. Sock advanced over Old Man Steps in 58 minutes today 6-2. 6-0, and in so doing, put Newport on notice that he wants to be holding the Van Alen Cup come Sunday.

Sam Querrey, Newport (Photo: S. Fogleman)

American Sam Querrey followed suit, doing the ‘Tall Guy Thing’ to Matt Ebden: beating the qualifier in two consecutive tight tiebreaks, but John Isner followed that up with a Case of the Curse. Top seeds don’t fare well here, and Big John took it on the chin again and failed as a top seed. Rajeev Ram was patient, and after losing the first set tiebreak, held on for a victory over Isner, 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(8).

Lukas Lacko

Lukas Lacko

Lukas Lacko also held on for a win over Neils Desein 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to set up a meeting with Sock. Yuichi Sugita embarrassed Ryan Harrison 6-1, 7-5, 6-3. For his efforts, he has a wide-open draw and will meet Ram tomorrow.

Frenchman ERV won on Bastille Day versus Blav Kavcic 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 and qualifier Jan Hernych breezed past Tim Smyczek 6-3, 6-4 for his fourth straight victory in Newport this week. Malek Jaziri defeated Ante Pavic 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, sending home the Croatian after a nice run in qualifying. Jaziri sets up a match with Ivo Karlovic in Round 2.

But really, all eyes were on Court 1. The Phenomena that is Dustin Brown is bringing out everyone to have a look: children, elderly couples, and even security staff. Yes, he DOES look different than many of those who have been enshrined here at the Hall of Fame, but he played a patient game like the best of them today. Brown needed an hour to take the first set from qualifier Adrian Bossel, and then dismantled him in the second in a matter of twenty minutes. Brown will face a not-really-that-great-right-now Querrey and Brown better get him while he can, since Querrey usually improves throughout the summer as the game transitions to hard courts.

In press, Brown said he’s still listening to the same Dreddy’s Beats soundtrack from Wimbledon. Question is, will this be the Nadal-beating Brown or the one who fell to Vik Troicki in Round 3?

Dustin Brown, Newport

Dustin Brown, Newport

We’ll find out tomorrow. A brief rain interrupted the beginning of the Haas-Mannarino match which I imagine will be resumed tonight as there are still two hours of sunlight left in Newport and the rain has stopped.

The weather forecast for tomorrow doesn’t look great, with a chance of thunderstorms all day before good conditions return for the rest of the tournament. I may skip and return Thursday. Nothing drives a type A tennis fan like me crazier than a rain delay. You don’t want to be around me in a rain delay. No worries. I’ll be back.

What Would @IvoKarlovic Do (With Twitter Trolls)?

Posted by Admin on July 10, 2014
Posted in: ATP, Newport. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , .

Earlier today, after defending champ Nicolas Mahut lost his quarterfinal match against Sam Groth at the Hall of Fame Championships in Newport, he got a hate tweet. How did Nico deal with it? He tweeted it out, surely invoking the wrath of his fans against the angry loser of a bet.

Right after I saw that tweet, it was time to speak with 2 seed Ivo Karlovic. Now Karlovic is one of the funniest guys on twitter. But twitter clearly has a dark downside as well. So what would Dr. Ivo do when someone trolls him on twitter?

“There is a lot of them because they are betting and then when they lose the money, they are angry, but they should be angry at themselves, not at me. Usually, if it’s really mean, I block them, or I just answer about their mamas.”

Keep on tweetin’, Ivo!

And I don’t think you’ll have to block these girls anytime soon.

Karlovic Selfie

Australia’s @SamGroth Reaches 1st ATP Semifinal With Superb Serve and Volley Attack @TennisHalloFame

Posted by Admin on July 10, 2014
Posted in: ATP, Newport. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , .

Australia’s @SamGroth Reaches 1st ATP Semifinal With Superb Serve and Volley Attack @TennisHalloFame

Sam Groth

Nico Mahut

Sam Groth was called “the forgotten man of Australian Tennis” a few years back on a tennis fan site. He won’t be forgotten in Newport, as he made his first career ATP singles semifinal today by knocking out defending champ Nicolas Mahut. Groth executed a superb serve and volley attack plan to stun the Frenchman today. After the match, Groth reflected on his time away from the game, his faith in Coach Ben Mathias of the Australian Tennis Federation and the new faces of Australian tennis. On Saturday, Groth faces Ivo Karlovic for a spot in Sunday’s final.

Nico Mahut

Groth, Newport

Glamour Shots

Glamour Shot

Amazing @JohnIsner Fires 19 Aces @TennisHalloFame in Warm Up for Fenway Park Debut

Posted by Admin on July 8, 2014
Posted in: ATP, Newport. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , .

Amazing @JohnIsner Fires 19 Aces @TennisHalloFame in Warm Up for Fenway Park Debut

John Isner got through his first round match at the Hall of Fame Championships in Newport, Rhode Island today.

Down 2 break points in the second set, he fired off four aces in a row to get out of trouble against Wayne Odesnik and advance in straights to the final 16.

Isner Sock & Shark

After that, Jack Sock made a surprise media appearance to fire off a question to Isner. Isner said he couldn’t even concentrate on the question, what with a two-time Grand Slam champion doing the asking.

Big John will do double duty this Tuesday as he’s already on his way to Boston to throw out the first pitch at tonight’s Red Sox-White Sox game. The way the Red Sox have played this season, Isner might be offered a contract, especially if he can hit a baseball a tenth as good as he can hit a tennis ball. The Red Sox are really that bad this year.