Back Porch FanHouse

30 Rock's Jenna Maroney Pimps 'Tennis Night in America'

Ryan Wilson — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Tennis

Tennis has long been an afterthought for most fans. It has a small but loyal following, but the reality is that it's a niche sport. Part of that has to do with the dearth of dominant players. Gone are the days of the transcendent stars; John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Chris Evert, Navratilova -- all distant memories.

Which is why selling the sport to a new generation of fans makes perfect sense: if the on-court product doesn't sell itself, commence with the marketing. And what better spokesperson for an international, high-brow sport than a countrified Jenna Maroney singing "Tennis Night in America."

Moving pictures ridiculousness after the jump.

30 Rock's Jenna Maroney Pimps 'Tennis Night in America' originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Anna Kournikova Beats Jimmy Fallon in Beer Pong on Late Night

Will Brinson — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Buzkashi, International Tennis, Sports of an Extreme Nature, Table Tennis, TV and Movies, Tennis, Current Events

Anna Kournikova isn't great at tennis. She was very good at being very attractive and thus very good at garnering attention from the media and endorsers, but never very good at tennis. Unfortunately for Jimmy Fallon, she's pretty decent at beer pong, as he found out last night. Or at least better than Fallon anyway. If it were anyone else, I would bite on "sandbagging," but not with Fallon. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my 400-count sheets (pantsless, natch) waiting for Conan to come back.

Anna Kournikova Beats Jimmy Fallon in Beer Pong on Late Night originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Federer Up Two Sets in U.S. Open Final

Shane Bacon — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:34:00 EST

Filed under: Tennis

Two sets are complete in the men's U.S. Open final and Roger Federer has taken both from Andy Murray in New York.

No. 2 Federer dominated the first set 6-2, with Murray showing his inexperience and a little frustration. Murray appeared to be outplaying Federer in the second set but the Great Swish Hero hung around and broke Andy in the last game to win the second 7-5. The 21-year-old Murray kept grabbing at his knee in the second set, and that wasn't the only negative variable.

The bad break for Murray came at 2-2 with Federer serving at 15-40. Roger hit a cut that appeared to be long, but with the no call Murray continued to play the point. The review process forces you to stop the point if you believe it to be out and after he lost the point, the review showed it was indeed out. Federer ended up winning the game in deuce to much chagrin from the outspoken Scot.

If Federer can hang on it will be his 13th grand slam title, just one back of the great Pete Sampras for most all-time. If Murray can somehow pull this out he will be the first tennis player from the UK to win a grand slam since Fred Perry in 1936.

If you are stuck at work, you can catch the solid live action here at USOpen.org. Also, just like the U.S. Open in golf, anytime a sports final wants to end on a Monday, I'm all for it.

Federer Up Two Sets in U.S. Open Final originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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U.S. Open: Andy Murray Upsets Rafael Nadal

Michael David Smith — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:47:00 EST

Filed under: Tennis

Rafael Nadal has won the French Open, Wimbledon and the Olympic gold medal this year, and in the process he looked absolutely unbeatable.

At least, he looked unbeatable until today at the U.S. Open, when someone beat him.

That someone was Britain's Andy Murray, who made his first Grand Slam final by beating Nadal 6-2, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4, starting the upset yesterday and then finishing Nadal off today after the rain finally stopped. By beating Nadal, Murray pulled off the year's biggest upset in men's tennis.

Tomorrow Murray will face Roger Federer, who suddenly isn't looking quite as washed up as everyone was saying he was, in the final. That they're still playing tennis and Nadal isn't part of it is a shock.

U.S. Open: Andy Murray Upsets Rafael Nadal originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tennis Fights Are The Best! Djokovic Slams Roddick On and Off the Court

Shane Bacon — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:46:00 EST

Filed under: Tennis

Last night's U.S. Open quarterfinal match between two of the better professional tennis players was one-sided nearly the entire time. And then after the match ended, the victor decided to continue his assault on his opponent.

Third-ranked Novak Djokovic defeated the last American standing, Andy Roddick, despite Djokovic suffering from a few choice injuries. Or 16. You know, depending on who you talk to.

Roddick was asked on Tuesday about Djokovic's injuries and had some sarcastic, mocking comments towards the Serbian's ailments that included "a back, a hip, a cramp, Bird flu, Anthrax, SARS, the common cough and a cold." After the fourth set giveaway by Roddick last night, Djokovic pounded his chest and pointed to his shoulders (?) and then had this to say to USA Network reporter Michael Barkann. Via the always great Awful Announcing ...

The best part of this entire interview and exchange was how Barkann initially sees the opportunity to land some face time on all major sports outlets by tossing Djokovic under the bus and then decides the guy is just digging himself a grave.

After his thermometer cooled off, Djokovic talked about his outburst.

"Unfortunately, Andy made a statement," Djokovic said. "I don't think it was intentional. I don't blame it on him. I did react on the court. Maybe I reacted bad in that moment. I apologize. It was impulsive. I made maybe a mistake by saying that in front of 20,000 people in his city and his favorite tournament."

Roddick, always quick to make the best point, humbly replied.

"I decided to make light of the situation. I'm sorry he took it that way. I don't think I was over the line. It wasn't my intention. Maybe I did him a favor tonight."

Actually, the favor you did him was getting broke in the fourth when serving for the set. It also could have been the 37 unforced errors. No, I'm going with the fact that you, the best server in the world, had as many aces, 15, as this goofball. Yep, that's the one.

Tennis Fights Are The Best! Djokovic Slams Roddick On and Off the Court originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:46:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Andy Roddick Mocks Novak Djokovic, Questions His SARS

Shane Bacon — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:04:00 EST

Filed under: Tennis

No matter what you think about Andy Roddick, the one thing everyone can agree on is his amazing ability to deliver a soundbite.

After his complete dominance of Fernando Gonzalez yesterday to reach the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open, Roddick was asked about his next opponent, Novak Djokovic. The third-ranked player in the world, Djokovic, is suffering from ankle and hip problems, and has sighed and winced his way through the first four rounds of this championship. Roddick, in a way only Andy can do it, cut the reporter off as the question was being pitched to him.

Roddick: Isn't it both of them? And a back and a hip?

Reporter: And when he said there are too many to count ...

Roddick: And a cramp.

Reporter: Do you get a sense right now that he is ...

Roddick: Bird flu.

Reporter: A lot of things. Beijing hangover. He's got a pretty long list of illness.

Roddick: Anthrax. SARS. Common cough and cold.

This is the kind of trash-talking we need more in sports. A tennis player known for his antics is doing the same song and dance and someone finally calls him on it. I have actually tried to play tennis before with the Bird Flu and serving the ball is somewhat managable, but boy does it get to you around the net.

Roddick followed that up with what he really thought of the injuries.

"If it's there, it's there," Roddick said. "There's just a lot. You know, he's either quick to call the trainer or he's the most courageous guy of all time. I think it's up for you guys to decide."

The two are set to play tomorrow night on Arthur Ashe Stadium and after this little jab at the Serbian, it should be a fairly testy exchange. Roddick has looked as good so far in this U.S. Open as he has in a long time, dropping only one set in four matches. If the 8th ranked player in the world wins here, he will most likely face his nemesis, Roger Federer, in the semi finals. No matter the outcome of this match, one thing we can bet on is that the press conference will be a must-watch.

Andy Roddick Mocks Novak Djokovic, Questions His SARS originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kelly Bruno: First Amputee U.S. Open Ball Girl

Michael David Smith — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 09:45:00 EST

Filed under: Tennis

An interesting video of Kelly Bruno, a woman who has a prosthetic leg and has earned the designation of the first amputee to be a U.S. Open ball girl:

Bruno, whose leg was amputated when she was six months old, does some incredible things. Her web site says she has completed two Ironman triathlons, so although this achievement is a noteworthy first, it's easy compared to her other athletic accomplishments. If Kramer can do it, Kelly Bruno obviously can.

Kelly Bruno: First Amputee U.S. Open Ball Girl originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Sun, 31 Aug 2008 09:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Julie Coin Beats Ana Ivanovic at U.S. Open, Biggest Upset in History

Michael David Smith — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:04:00 EST

Filed under: Tennis

Ana Ivanovic, the No. 1 player in the world, is out of the U.S. Open before the first weekend.

The 25-year-old Coin is ranked 188th in the world and has never played in a Grand Slam before, and this is already being called the biggest upset in U.S. Open history. Coin broke Ivanovic three times in a match that lasted nearly two hours, finally winning 6-3 4-6 6-3.

The Serbian Ivanovic looked like the next big thing in tennis when she won the French Open this year, but she has been disappointing since. She lost in the third round at Wimbledon, withdrew from the Olympics with a thumb injury and had a mediocre showing in a three-set win over Vera Dushevina on Tuesday. Now she's out of the U.S. Open.

Coin, who is from France but played NCAA tennis at Clemson, will play Amelie Mauresmo in the third round.

Julie Coin Beats Ana Ivanovic at U.S. Open, Biggest Upset in History originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fabrice Santoro Accuses Andy Roddick of Trying to Hit Him With His Serve

Michael David Smith — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:55:00 EST

Filed under: Tennis

Andy Roddick's U.S. Open win over Fabrice Santoro last night came to a strange ending, when on the next-to-last point, Roddick's serve almost hit Santoro. Santoro said it was intentional, and a dirty play. You be the judge:

Santoro was so upset that he refused to play the final point, and he had harsh words for Roddick after the match.
Santoro said:

"The match was over. I was a little bit disappointed with the way he served the point before....
"He served straight at me for sure," Santoro said. "That's a good strategy during the match, but it was almost over. He realized it was kind of a mistake." When told Roddick said he was aiming for the T, Santoro said, "Then it was the biggest mistake of his life. When he serves for the T, he gets the T."

Roddick said he wasn't trying to hit Santoro, and I believe him. Furthermore, I think it's bush league of Santoro to refuse to contest the final point. Roddick comes out of this little controversy looking a lot better than Santoro does, and not just because he won the match.

Fabrice Santoro Accuses Andy Roddick of Trying to Hit Him With His Serve originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Flushing, Federer and Olympic 'Festivities': FanHouse Catches Up With James Blake

Randy Kim — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:22:00 EST

Filed under: Tennis

Tennis star James Blake describes himself as "getting old" and being "a veteran on the tour," but as proven by his recent victory over Roger Federer in the Olympics, he's still got plenty of game left. So how does he feel about this year's U.S. Open? Who does he think is better, Federer or Nadal? And what are his thoughts on all the partying that went down in the Olympic Village? FanHouse talked to the native New Yorker about all this and more between matches at this year's Open. (For more from Blake, check out American Express' special Open coverage.)

Randy Kim: "So what are your expectations for this year's U.S. Open?"
James Blake: "Well, I just come in and try to prepare the best I can and be ready for anything, because I never try to set expectations in terms of getting to a certain round because I feel like sometimes that's out of my control. If a guy comes out and plays the best match of his life, you know, there's not much you can do. So I try to do my best and be ready for anything that comes my way."

Kim: "How are you feeling personally, though? Are you at the top of your game? Healthy, everything?"
Blake: "Yeah, I feel confident. I'm trying to take some positives out of the Olympics and the fact that I beat Roger Federer for the first time and won a few other pretty close matches, so I'm excited about that and I've definitely had some success this summer, so I'm definitely looking forward to this U.S. Open. Every time I get to the Open, it's a whole new shot of adrenaline for me, and the excitement of having my home fans here is just great."

Kim: "It's an obvious question, but being from New York, can you talk a little more about how special the U.S. Open is to you?"
Blake: "Yeah, for me, it's the one I circle on the calendar at the beginning of every year. It's the biggest event in tennis, in my mind, and I've been a fan of this tournament since I was a kid, so to come out here being a player, as well as a fan, is just incredible. It still gives me goose bumps walking out on to Arthur Ashe Stadium, and to get to play there and know that there's so many kids traveling down from Connecticut, up from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, just to see this event, and how many of them want to be pro tennis players, or want to be like their idols and I'm one of the people they're watching ... it's just thrilling to me."

Kim: "Did you attend the Open as a kid?"
Blake: "Always, yeah, every year I'd come down here. When I was young, I'd come with my parents, and as I got older some of my friends started getting their licenses, I'd come with them, and I would just come down here every year. Night matches, night sessions at the Open ... there's just really nothing else like it."

Kim: "And who did you root for back then?"
Blake: "I used to root for Stefan Edberg. I liked watching him, and I liked watching Jim Courier a lot as well. He had just that mentality of a worker. A guy that knew how hard he had worked, and knew he was going to out-work his opponent."

Kim: "You touched upon this, but how much of a highlight was beating Federer in the Olympics?"
Blake: "In my mind, there's a good chance he'll go down as the greatest player of all time. He'd beaten me eight times in a row, so to go out there and just keep persevering, and make sure every time you go in, you have the confidence that you can win that match even though he's beaten you so many times in a row ... he's obviously got tons of talent and ability and confidence, and to go out there and just play as well as I had to to win, and serve really well when I needed to at big times ... it was just something that boosts your confidence. Because I can go out and say as many times as I want to that I have confidence and feel like I can beat him, but until you go out there and do it, I don't think anyone really believes you."

Kim: "So it's a victory you'll carry with you for a long time?"
Blake: "Yeah, it's something I'll remember for a long time. Really, at the end of my career, I feel like that'll be one of the matches that to say that on an Olympic stage I beat possibly the greatest player of all time ... that's something that I'll be pretty proud of for a long time, I think."

Kim: "And where other pro athletes might be a little more indifferent, it was something that Federer wanted very badly; to win an Olympic gold medal."
Blake: "Yeah, I saw an interview with the IOC President Jacques Rogge, and he said that that'll be his enduring memory of this Olympics, to see Roger Federer crying on the Olympic medal stand. He's arguably one of the best known athletes internationally, and was one of the most accomplished athletes at the Olympics, and for him to win the doubles gold medal, which people might think is a consolation prize compared to the singles gold, but for him to win that and show the kind of emotion he did for his country and for his team ... it's something that's really special and it makes me know that he really did want to win badly in the quarterfinals of the Olympics singles tournament, and that he definitely gave it his all in terms of his competition with me."

Kim: "What do you think of the Federer vs. Rafael Nadal argument? Nadal's ranked No. 1, but is he truly the best?"
Blake: "Nadal's had a much better year this year than anyone else, so you've got to just tip your cap to him and say that he's improved and he's definitely shown incredible improvement from just a few years ago when I played him here at the Open. He's really improved his game on other surfaces besides clay, 'cause he's always had tons and tons of ability on clay, but he's really been able to adjust his game to the hard courts and to the grass courts."

Kim: "Does Nadal have the kind of talent to approach a Federer-type career?"
Blake: "It's possible. He's so young, and there's so many things that could happen. He could just continue to improve at the rate he's improving at, and then he could make this conversation about Roger kind of futile if he goes and surpasses it by a great margin, but he could also hit a plateau and not improve and have the rest of the tour catch up to him, so it's so hard to say when someone's that young. There's a million things that could happen. Injuries, just getting kind of bored with the situation, losing your confidence ... there's so many things that could happen negatively that if he keeps moving in a positive direction, then he could eclipse all of those records."

Kim: "So is it fair to say that focus might be more crucial in tennis than in other sports?"
Blake: "Yeah, definitely. We play 20-some-odd tournaments a year, and then you've got Davis Cup, the Olympics every four years, and there's just so many things that go into it. Your calendar is going from January to November, and if you lose focus for just a couple of months it can really affect you negatively, and there's really no time to rest and just kind of relax and get that focus back, so you've got to kind of do it on the run, and that's something that tennis players, if they're going to be successful, they've got to be pretty good at it. Obviously Rafael has done a great job so far, and Roger has done an unbelievable job being kind of the target for the last four years, so to deal with that is amazing."

Kim: "More about the Olympics ... I read on your blog that you were surprised at how much McDonald's all of the athletes ate. I was wondering if there was anything else about the Olympics Village that surprised you?"
Blake: "Well, that surprised me, because there's a huge dining hall, and there's a McDonald's right next to it, and I was surprised at how packed the McDonald's always was, and these athletes were always eating that. But overall it was awesome to see. Just to see how many people were just willing to sit down and chat with anyone on their team or on another team, and how different all these people could be. What different cultures they come from, and how they trained, how they got there, and all that kind of stuff was really a thrill for me to be a part of. And as a tennis player, we always seem to have next week. Any time you lose a match, you can always say, 'Well, I'll do better next week. I'll practice for next week,' but so many of these (Olympic) athletes don't have that. They say, 'We're going to practice for four years from now,' and that's a ton of pressure for them to deal with. I was proud to be a part of a U.S. team with so many athletes that competed at their highest levels and they really only get one shot at it, or two shots at it, in their career."

Kim: "I loved your line about how you would go to the D-Hall and see a gymnast next to a weightlifter and be blown away by it ..."
Blake: "(Laughs) Yeah, it was great people-watching, to see the different shapes and sizes of human beings."

Kim: "What about the reports of a party atmosphere at the Olympics Village? Did you see much as far as that goes?"
Blake: "Yeah, I think those people, like I said, they train so hard to get there for four years, that once they're done, they deserve to go out and enjoy themselves a little bit. Unfortunately, I didn't get to really partake in that because as soon as I was done I knew I had the U.S. Open to get ready for, so I got to hear about it, which was kind of par for the course. I'm used to (not partying as much) in terms of playing matches, especially late here in the U.S. Open and then other people tell me stories about how much fun New York City is at night here, and I don't get to be a part of it here or at the Olympics. I didn't get a real chance to, but I got enough partying out of my system when I was in college, so I'm getting old now. I'm a veteran on tour, so I don't need that as much anymore. But I heard about it in Beijing and I think they deserve that, and anyone who thinks differently, I think, is a little foolish, because I really believe they deserve everything they can and every bit of celebration. Even if they didn't get a medal, if they did their best there, then they deserve to go out and enjoy themselves."

Kim: "Yeah, either way it's four years in the making of either extreme disappointment or extreme elation."
Blake: "Exactly. So, either way, they've worked so hard, and to deal with that kind of pressure ... people in most situations, even in most pro sports, in most jobs, they don't deal with that kind of pressure. Your whole career coming down to 10 seconds on the track or 30 seconds in a swimming pool? Once you've set aside so much of your life to get ready for that, once it's all over you might want to enjoy yourself for a night or two."

Kim: "Or at least have a drink or two to take the edge off."
Blake: "Exactly."

(To find out more about special features at this year's U.S. Open, like handheld TVs that stream all of the action live to fans on the grounds at Flushing Meadows, check out American Express' special Open coverage.)

Latest U.S. Open Photos

NEW YORK - AUGUST 27: Thomas Johansson of Sweden serves against Ernests Gulbis of Latvia during Day 3 of the 2008 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 27, 2008 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Thomas Johansson

Getty Images

NEW YORK - AUGUST 27: Thomas Johansson of Sweden returns a shot against Ernests Gulbis of Latvia during Day 3 of the 2008 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 27, 2008 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Thomas Johansson

Getty Images

Lindsay Davenport, of the United States, returns to Alisa Kleybanova, of Russia, at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Lindsay Davenport of the US hits a return to Alisa Kleybanova of Russia at the US Open tennis tournament at Flushing Meadows, New York August 27, 2008. REUTERS/Jeff Zelevansky (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Lindsay Davenport of the US hits a return to Alisa Kleybanova of Russia at the US Open tennis tournament at Flushing Meadows, New York August 27, 2008. REUTERS/Jeff Zelevansky (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Lindsay Davenport of the US hits a return to Alisa Kleybanova of Russia at the US Open tennis tournament at Flushing Meadows, New York August 27, 2008. REUTERS/Jeff Zelevansky (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

NEW YORK - AUGUST 27: Ernests Gulbis of Latvia returns serves against Thomas Johansson of Sweden during Day 3 of the 2008 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 27, 2008 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ernests Gulbis

Getty Images

On Flushing, Federer and Olympic 'Festivities': FanHouse Catches Up With James Blake originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Andy Roddick And That Young Hot Girl He's Engaged To Are Really Going to Get Married

Shane Bacon — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:29:00 EST

Filed under: Tennis

It appears that one of the most eligible bachelors on the professional tennis tour (something I never thought I'd type) will be off the market come spring.

Andy Roddick and recently 21-year-old Brooklyn Decker are planning to spit out those wonderful "i dos" this spring in Texas, a place Roddick says they spend most of their time. According to Andy, the wedding will be a very small affair.

Roddick insists he's keen to keep the nuptials as intimate as possible: "It'll be very small, probably about 20 or 30 people.."

I'm a huge Roddick fan, but this thing just doesn't seem like it will last. The nearly 26-year-old Roddick has dated movie stars, fellow tennis players and has only been with Decker since 2007. Even the lovely Anna Kournikova seems a little skeptical of the decision.

"They're really young, but I hope it works out."

Whatever. The guy is a stud, and even though his tennis has fallen off the last few years, he seems to be happy with everything else and as he faces Fabrice Santoro tonight in his first round match at the U.S. Open, we can all agree there are worse things than having to marry a supermodel. I mean, he could have to marry just a regular model.

Andy Roddick And That Young Hot Girl He's Engaged To Are Really Going to Get Married originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Andy Roddick vs. The Undertaker

Michael David Smith — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:54:00 EST

Filed under: Pro Wrestling, Tennis

USA Network will show the U.S. Open tennis tournament followed by WWE's Monday Night Raw tonight, and if you think tennis and professional wrestling would be hard to market together, then you haven't met the creative geniuses at the WWE:

That was Andy Roddick taking on The Undertaker in the WWE's best promotional spot since they got Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain to appear together.

Andy Roddick vs. The Undertaker originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After 19 Straight, Del Potro Eyes the Open

Eric McErlain — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:20:00 EST

Filed under: International Tennis, Tennis, Breaking News

In a world dominated by always on broadband Internet connections, it's hard for any athlete to sneak up on sports fans anymore. But over the past few weeks, with the sports world focusing relentlessly on the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, a 19-year old Argentine may very well have put himself in the best position to win the Men's Singles Title at this year's U.S. Open.

The young man I'm talking about is 19th-ranked Juan-Martin Del Potro, and the reason to get excited about his prospects is that he hasn't lost a tennis match since he exited the second round of Wimbledon back on June 25. Toss in the fact that he's got the sort of looks that could win him a second career as a male model, and you can see why plenty of folks think he's ready to break out in a big way.

After an early exit from Wimbledon, Del Potro won a pair of clay court tournaments in Europe -- his first wins on the ATP Tour -- before decamping to the USA for the Countrywide Classic in Los Angeles where he beat Andy Roddick in the final in two sets. Here all week in Washington at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, it's been nothing but more of the same, as Del Potro ripped through his side of the bracket as the tournament's second seed, running his consecutive win streak to 18 matches. Meanwhile on the other side of the ladder, #1 seed Roddick was upended in the quarterfinals on Friday night by the unheralded Serbian Viktor Troicki, Del Potro's opposition in today's final.

The Serbian proved to be little more than a speed bump as Del Potro cruised to a 6-3, 6-3 victory, stretching his consecutive match streak to 19 and his tournament win streak to four. It's an astounding feat, as no other player has ever even won a second straight tournament after winning of the first of their career on the ATP tour, and now Del Potro has strung together four straight.

Now there are some, with more than a little bit of reason, who would say that we shouldn't get too excited about what Del Potro has accomplished. After all, as ESPN's Cliff Drysdale noted in the aftermath of Del Potro's semifinal victory yesterday over Germany's Tommy Haas, much of the world's tennis talent has eschewed the hardcourt U.S. Open Series in favor of a shot at Olympic gold in Beijing -- a fact of life that has denuded the talent pool playing stateside over the past few weeks.

Still, 19 wins in a row and four straight tournament victories is an impressive achievement no matter the level of the opposition. And while Del Potro may very well have passed up the chance to win an Olympic medal for Argentina, there's more than something to be said about putting yourself in the proper position to win your first grand slam.

So while Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are celebrating gold medals in Beijing, they've still got to fly half way around the world to get to Flushing Meadows in time, while Del Potro could walk from Washington and still get to the Open ahead of most of the world's top players. Something tells me he'll find a way to use all that extra time to his advantage.

After 19 Straight, Del Potro Eyes the Open originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spain's Rafael Nadal Wins Tennis Gold, Switzerland's Federer Wins Gold in Doubles

Michael David Smith — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 07:51:00 EST

Filed under: Tennis

Spain's Rafael Nadal showed once again that he's the best tennis player in the world today, defeating Chile's Fernando Gonzalez in straight sets to win the Olympic singles gold medal. Serbia's Novak Djokovic won the singles bronze.

For Nadal, who officially becomes the No. 1 ranked player in the world tomorrow, it's the latest achievement in a great year. Nadal has already won the French Open, defeated Roger Federer in the best Wimbledon final ever, and now has a gold medal around his neck. He'll also be favored to win the U.S. Open, which begins next week.

Nadal's ascension to the top of the tennis world has come at the expense of Federer, who has been the top-ranked player for 237 consecutive weeks, ending today. Federer did salvage something from the Olympics, as he and partner Stanislas Wawrinka won the doubles gold medal for Switzerland. Federer and Wawrinka defeated Sweden's Simon Aspelin and Thomas Johansson in the gold medal match; American twins Mike and Bob Bryan won the doubles bronze.

Spain's Rafael Nadal Wins Tennis Gold, Switzerland's Federer Wins Gold in Doubles originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Sun, 17 Aug 2008 07:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Olympic Tennis: Williams Sisters Win Doubles, Elena Dementieva Leads Russian Sweep

Michael David Smith — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 07:23:00 EST

Filed under: Tennis

Americans Venus and Serena Williams won the women's tennis doubles gold medal today, giving them their second doubles gold and Venus's third Olympic gold medal overall.

The sisters, who were both upset during the quarterfinals of the singles tournament, beat Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual 6-2, 6-0. Yan Zi and Zheng Jie of China won the bronze. Although the Williamses don't always make doubles a high priority, when they're on their game they're by far the best pair in the world. They are 10-0 playing together in the Olympics; they won the gold in 2000 but a Serena injury kept them out of the doubles draw in 2004.

Russia's Elena Dementieva, who defeated Serena Williams in the women's tournament, won the singles gold, beating countrywoman Dinara Safina in the gold medal match. Russian Vera Zvonareva beat China's Na Li in the bronze medal match to give the Russians a sweep of the women's singles medals.

Olympic Tennis: Williams Sisters Win Doubles, Elena Dementieva Leads Russian Sweep originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Sun, 17 Aug 2008 07:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rafael Nadal Beats Novak Djokovic in Olympic Tennis Classic

Michael David Smith — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:13:00 EST

Filed under: Tennis

Spain's Rafael Nadal defeated Serbia's Novak Djokovic in a classic today at the Olympic Green Tennis Center in Beijing.

Nadal, who entered the Olympics as the No. 2 seed, and Djokovic, seeded third, engaged in a back-and-forth battle. Nadal took the first set 6-4, playing the brand of tennis we've come to expect from him. But Djokovic did the unthinkable in the second set, whipping Nadal 6-1.

The third set came to a shocking end when Nadal broke Djokovic's serve. On the final point, Djokovic missed what should have been an easy overhand, hitting it wide and giving the match to Nadal, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.

Nadal, who will surpass Roger Federer to become the No. 1 ranked player in the world next week, will now take on Fernando Gonzalez of Chile for the gold medal. If Gonzalez wins it would represent perhaps the biggest upset in any sport so far in these Games. Djokovic will play American James Blake -- who accused Gonzalez of cheating by refusing to concede a point after they played this morning -- for the bronze.

Rafael Nadal Beats Novak Djokovic in Olympic Tennis Classic originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Like Basketball Players, Spanish Tennis Team Took Slant-Eyed Photos, Too

Michael David Smith — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:51:00 EST

Filed under: Tennis

Basketball players aren't the only Spanish athletes who took pictures of themselves pulling their eyes back to mimic the appearance of Chinese people.

The above photo, taken directly from the Spanish Tennis Federation's web site, shows Spanish tennis players and coaches in the "slant-eyed" pose before their Federation Cup match against China in April. It carries the caption, "Estamos preparados para China," or "We prepare for China."

The most stunning thing about this photo controversy, at least from my own American perspective, is that the reaction in Spain has been almost universally, "How dare you suggest we're doing anything wrong here?" But if Spain is going to have any chance of succeeding in its attempts to get the 2016 Olympics for Madrid, they're going to have to come up with a better response than that.

More at the Telegraph.

Previously on FanHouse:
Jason Kidd Calls Out NBA's 'Double Standard' for Ignoring Spain's Photo
Spaniards Meant the Slant-Eyed Photo to Be 'Loving'
Spanish Team Should Be Prepared to Get Called Into Principal's Office

Like Basketball Players, Spanish Tennis Team Took Slant-Eyed Photos, Too originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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McEnroe Tossed from Geezer Tennis Tournament

Eric McErlain — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 01:25:00 EST

Filed under: Tennis

For those of you who might not have been around in the 1980s, there were few things in professional sports more entertaining than a full-on John McEnroe tirade. Sure, the act didn't sit too well with the folks at Wimbledon, but the people running the ATP tour knew full well that McEnroe, along with fellow bad boy Jimmy Connors, were promotional gold.

When Nike decided it was time to dive whole hog into mega-athlete endorsements, it wasn't any surprise that McEnroe was the only tennis player they could possibly be interested in.

A couple of weeks ago I got to see McEnroe play in person for the first time since I was in the stands at Louis Armstrong Stadium at the 1981 U.S. Open Final. After spending an entire evening watching him play World Team Tennis for the New York Sportstimes against the Washington Kastles, it seemed clear to me that at least for one night, time had mellowed him.

Then again, maybe not.

Just a few hours ago, McEnroe defaulted in his opening match against Mal Washington at the Hall of Fame Champions Cup in Newport, Rhode Island. McEnroe lost it in the second set, trailing Washington 4-2, when he disputed a line call, ultimately triggering three penalties that gave Washington the set at 6-2. I'll let Bob Larson's Tennis News explain the rest:

According to the Outback Champions Series Code of Conduct, match defaults are a four-step process, with the first violation resulting in a warning. The second violation results in a point penalty, a third violation - a game penalty and a fourth violation - a match default. McEnroe's three violations gave Washington the second set 6-2 (the point penalty giving Washington the game for a 5-2 lead and the game penalty giving him the set by a 6-2 margin.) As McEnroe continued his tirade, fans at the Newport Casino became vocal and restless and began to yell at McEnroe to continue playing. McEnroe responded to the fans with a visible obscene gesture which resulted in a fourth code violation from Brodeur and McEnroe's immediate default from the match.

Now that my friends, would have been something to pay to see. But what's almost totally inexplicable, is that while McEnroe defaulted the match, he'll still be allowed to continue in the round robin tournament -- the organizers of which are probably thanking whatever higher power they worship for the oodles of free publicity McEnroe has generated for them.

The highest profile default of McEnroe's career came in the 1990 Australian Open against Michael Pernfors, but this isn't the only time Johnnie Mac lost his mind on the Champions Tour. The following video was taken back in March 2007, when McEnroe came unglued during a 2007 match against Pat Cash in Naples, Florida:

And if that's not enough, it can't get much nuttier than McEnroe losing it at a charity event -- a charity event! -- back in 2006:

At 49, the man is a tennis gift that keeps on giving.

McEnroe Tossed from Geezer Tennis Tournament originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Fri, 15 Aug 2008 01:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Upset Day in Olympic Tennis: Venus Williams Loses to China's Li Na

Michael David Smith — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:26:00 EST

Filed under: Tennis

First it was James Blake beating Roger Federer, and then it was Elena Dementieva beating Serena Williams, and now we have another big story coming out of Olympic tennis: China's Li Na pulled off a shocking upset, defeating Team USA's Venus Williams, 7-5, 7-5.

Williams, who won the golds in both singles and doubles in 2000, was widely considered a favorite to win gold again this year, but Li put on an inspired performance in front of a home crowd that cheered enthusiastically when the American and defending Wimbledon champ went down to defeat.

The Williams sisters are still alive -- and widely favored -- for the doubles gold. But if the Americans are going to win a singles medal in these Games, it will have to come from James Blake. Who would have suspected that?

Upset Day in Olympic Tennis: Venus Williams Loses to China's Li Na originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Serena Williams Out of Olympic Singles, Falls to Elena Dementieva

Michael David Smith — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:49:00 EST

Filed under: Tennis

American Serena Williams has been eliminated from the women's singles competition at the Olympic Games, falling to Russia's Elena Dementieva 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

It's not much of an upset -- Williams was seeded fourth; Dementieva was seeded fifth -- but it is a huge disappointment to Williams, who had high hopes for these Games after an injury forced her to stay home in 2004.

Williams and sister Venus remain alive in the doubles competition and are favored to win the gold, which they also won in 2000. Venus plays China's Na Li in singles today.

Serena Williams Out of Olympic Singles, Falls to Elena Dementieva originally appeared on Back Porch FanHouse on Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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