U.S. Open Day 1 Recap

By Mike McIntyre

No major surprises on day one at the U.S. Open but a few of the top players did unexpectedly get pushed to the limit in the sweltering late August heat in New York.

Despite my mounting frustrations with ESPN's choice of featured matches during the day session it was nice to see the McEnroe brothers combination seeming more comfortable commentating together then they did a year ago.

In women's action, Kim Clijsters defeated a nervous Greta Arn, 6-0, 7-5. Why ESPN chose to stay with that sleeper of a first set is beyond me, but at least Arn showed up in the second by taking the early break and forcing Clijsters to actually play some tennis to close it out.

That was followed by birthday boy Andy Roddick's routine demolition of late-bloomer Stephane Robert of France by a score of 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.The 28 year old Roddick has bounced back nicely from a mild case of mono with recent wins over Robin Soderling and Novak Djokovic in Cincinnati.

The match I really would have liked to have watched in its entirety was the battle between Daniela Hantuchova the 24th seed and former world number one Dinara Safina. Despite the fact that Safina had defeated the leggy-blonde in their last four matches, including a week ago in New Haven, Hantuchova was the more poised player on this day. She marched to a straight set victory 6-3, 6-4.

Safina is still fighting her way back into form following a back injury that forced her to miss most of the 2010 season. She has struggled since her return and is currently ranked 59th in the world. While the match against Hantuchova was a great first rounder from a fans perspective, it was a shame that Safina could not have started off against a more manageable opponent.

It was a good win for Hantuchova meanwhile as she is a player who could have a decent run here in New York in a year where the women's title is very much up for grabs.

In terms of American women, both Melanie Oudin and Venus Williams were successful on day one. I really enjoyed watching the highlights of a confident Oudin rolling over Olga Savchuck 6-3, 6-0. Oudin rose to such premature fame a year ago with her quarter-final appearance and has been burdened with unrealistic expectations ever since.

Those expectations were clearly defined for me in a recent article by Matthew Cronin where he felt that Oudin's issues stemmed from, "her lack of maturity and her inability to toughen up in the face of expectations."

I realize journalists are not supposed to be on the bandwagon for up-and-coming players, but to offer such a harsh and negative assessment of the youngest player in the top one hundred seems like overkill to me.

Give this eighteen year old a chance to deal with her first year of full-time play on the WTA Tour and allow her the time to blossom into the great player she could certainly become.

A real test awaits Oudin in the second round where she will face 29th seeded Alona Bondarenko. 

Williams held on in her match after blowing an early first set lead to defeat Roberta Vinci 6-4, 6-1. It was the third seed's first competition since Wimbledon as she seeks her first U.S. Open title since 2001. If Venus had more match play under her belt this summer I'd have considered her the true favorite to win in New York, but I just don't feel like she is confident enough right now to challenge some of the top players.

On the men's side there were a couple of dandy five set matches on day one. Contender Robin Soderling blew a two-sets-to-none lead against qualifier Andreas Haider-Maurer before regrouping to win 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 5-7, 6-4. The previously unknown Haider-Maurer brought a lethal serve with him and revealed the danger of playing a guy who had already endured three qualifying matches prior to the start of the main draw.

Exciting Frenchman Gael Monfils also had to overcome stiff competition in order to advance to the second round. He barely got by American Robby Kendrick by a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7, 6-4. At 4-4, deuce, in the final set, Monfils had a controversial moment where he appeared to potentially make contact with the ball before it bounced just long of the baseline. Replays proved inconclusive but the chair umpire gave the key point to Monfils which for obvious reasons angered Kendrick. After the match Monfils admitted he was not sure whether he made contact with the ball or not before it bounced but that these things were a part of sports.

Roger Federer made his debut at night and easily dispatched of Argentina's Brian Dabul 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. Federer's performance was highlighted by a beautiful between the legs shot that landed in for a clear winner against a stunned Dabul. The world number two player lifted a finger to salute the appreciative crowd and brought back memories from his similar shot a year ago against Novak Djokovic. Regardless of which of those two shots were more impressive, the fact that Federer can seemingly concoct these shots at will is really something else.

Stay tuned on day two as Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Maria Sharapova and number one seed Caroline Wozniacki all make their U.S. Open debuts.

If you're looking for potential upsets, I feel that fellow Serb, Victor Troicki could test Djokovic. Troicki is ranked inside the top-fifty and we all know how Djokovic feels about playing in the heat.

Please feel free to follow us on Twitter as well as the tournament progresses.

Venus Williams Suffers Ironic Loss At Wimbledon

By Mike McIntyre

American Venus Williams, who had made 8 of the previous 10 Wimbledon singles finals, learned a hard lesson about irony today at the All England Club.

The number two ranked player in the world suffered a crushing defeat on the same day her book, "Come To Win" was released.

A few hours after being knocked off 6-2, 6-3 by Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria, Williams was already promoting her new release on Twitter where she offered followers a chance to read passages from her book.

It would seem however that it was the little-known Pironkova who came to win today and in the process advances to the semi-finals of Wimbledon where she will next face Vera Zvonareva - a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 winner over Kim Clijsters.

The 82nd ranked Pironkova - a sure-shot to break into the top-fifty regardless of her next result - defeated Williams much to her own surprise.

"If I have to be honest: no," she said about the possibility of making the final-four. "Coming here, I really just wanted to play a good game, to maybe win one or two rounds. But (a) semifinal looked, to me, very far."

Maybe the number 82 is somewhat of a kryptonite towards American tennis players, as Andy Roddick was defeated by the 82nd ranked male player in the world, Yen-Hsun Lu, the day before.

The early exit by Venus is especially surprising given the solid year she has put together so far in 2010. In her post-match press conference however, she failed to give much credit to her able opponent.

"Yeah, you know, it's very disappointing. I felt like I played some players along the way who played really well. You know, I think she played really well, too, but maybe not as tough as like my fourth round or my third round or even my second round." 

Instead she took a page out of her sisters book and claimed that her own short-comings were largely responsible for her early departure.

"You know, to not be able to bring my best tennis today and to just make that many errors is disappointing in a match where I feel like, you know, I wasn't overpowered, you know, hit off the court or anything; where I just kind of let myself exit."

In other women's action, sister Serena moved past Li Na 7-5, 6-3, while Petra Kvitova defeated Kaia Kanepi by a much more grueling score of 4-6, 7-6(8), 8-6 while saving five match-points against her in the process.

The odds now clearly favor Serena when examining the Grand Slam experience of the remaining four players. While the unknown factor of playing someone like Kvitova or Pironkova may offer some subtle challenges, the world's number-one player should advance towards the title with little intrigue standing in her way.

Perhaps Venus can take some solace if her younger sister comes to win in her place.

Shahar Peer Falls to Venus Williams but Triumphs in Dubai

By Mike McIntyre

Shahar Peer's magical run in Dubai came to an end on Friday with Venus Williams prevailing in their semi-final encounter by a score of 6-1, 6-4 on a remote outer court at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships. Williams attained her third career victory over Peer in as many attempts. Despite the loss, Peer's results this past week have become one of the feel-good stories of the 2010 professional tennis season.

After being banned from entering the United Arab Emirates a year ago, Peer has demonstrated great courage in showing up to compete and has made the most of her first trip to the country by advancing to the semi-finals. Along the way she has defeated some serious competition in the form of 13th seeded Yanina Wickmayer, 2009 finalist Virginie Razzano, top seeded Caroline Wozniacki and 8th seeded and Australian Open semi-finalist Li Na. Peer is certainly making up for lost time isn't she?

The road to the semi-finals has not been an easy one on and off the court. Aside from the tough opponents she has faced across the net, Peer has also faced much adversity and restrictions away from competition. This cinderella story is not without its less than ideal circumstances.

The world's 22nd ranked player has received no scheduling accommodations from the tournament, as each one of her matches have been played at 11:00am local time, despite the fact that often she has played in the doubles competition as well the day before. This is the first time-slot on the schedule and is played during the hottest period of the day as well.

Peer has only been allowed at the tournament venue to practice or play her matches - no viewing other matches or fraternizing with other players. In fact, fraternizing with her fellow competitors is next to impossible since the Israeli has not been allowed to use the players locker room. Instead, she has been secluded in her own separate change room the entire week.

That isn't the only area where Peer has been segregated from others. She is staying at her own hotel and apparently has an entire floor to herself due to "security concerns." Even her own coach is staying elsewhere. Peer has been forced to remain at the hotel at all times when she is not at the tournament site. She is not allowed out to see any of the city at any time. She has basically been treated like a prisoner during the times of the Roman Empire and only allowed out when it is her time to fight in front of the crowd. Except at least the gladiators were allowed to fight in the coliseum.

In Peer's case, she has been confined to the much smaller courts #1 for every match she has played. Even when facing off against top seeded Caroline Wozniacki she was confined to this court and this routine will continue on Friday against Venus Williams. Would tournament organizers have continued this ridiculous practice if she had made it to the finals? While this tactic has likely worked to Peer's favor, (as she has developed a comfort level with the court no-doubt) it also seems absurd to force two deserving semi-finalists to play in such a distant and obscure setting. And how about the limitations this places on tennis fans wanting to watch?

While I admire Shahar for deciding to make the difficult decision to show up in Dubai after the way she was discriminated against a year ago, I can't imagine how she has managed to endure the despicable manner in which she is being treated while in Dubai. I have not heard anything about the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour standing up for Peer in the face of such bigotry, nor do I expect that we will. A year ago they meekly fined the tournament $300,000 and threatened to pull the plug on the event if any player was refused entry in 2010. They lacked the ability to take a true stand then and it seems they are repeating the same cowardly mistakes again now.

If a WTA player is going to be admitted into a tournament, then she should be allowed to be present with the same privileges and freedoms as everyone else. No isolation treatment and no segregation from her fellow players. This is the Twenty-first century and all athletes on tour deserve better than this from their employer and from the tournaments that they chose to play in. If Dubai cannot put aside its blatantly racist attitudes then it is not worthy of hosting an event like this in the future. Time to move on and find another platform to showcase the best female tennis players the world has to offer - without exception.

Shahar Peer Ready for Dubai Debut

By Mike McIntyre

It was a year ago that Israel's Shahar Peer had the misfortune of becoming embroiled in one of the biggest controversy's in the history of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. While Serena-gate was quite the event at the U.S. Open, it pales in comparison to the seriousness of the political and racial tensions that surrounded Peer's situation in the United Arab Emirates last February.

Siting safety concerns, tournament organizers refused to allow Peer to participate in the event and she was denied her visa request into the country. Officially the Emirates has no diplomatic relations with Israel.

Despite the fact that Peer was not allowed into the tournament and the country, the WTA Tour decided to proceed with the event. While no female players pulled-out of the draw in defense of their fellow competitor, Andy Roddick refused to show up on the men's side. Tournament champion Venus Williams was quite vocal on the subject throughout the week and made a point of how she expected 2010 to be different when she made her victory speech on court.

I was in Dubai covering the event the day that Peer's exclusion was made official. I could not believe that such a decision was being upheld. Isn't this the 21st Century? Is this type of discrimination truly allowed to exist, so openly and blatantly in front of us? The event proceeded as if everything was normal - but everyone there felt a little bit uncomfortable about the situation and the lack of a tangible response.

The debate on whether more players should have refused to play is a tough one. This is their livelihood's and since the event was allowed to continue, they could have faced sanctions for withdrawing. The real shame should fall on the Tour itself, for allowing the event to continue despite one of its player's exclusion. Throwing a $300,000 fine at the tournament was an empty gesture that lacked any real backbone. I somehow doubt that contributed to Dubai's current economic strife.

Peer amazingly managed to keep her composure about the entire incident and spoke very calmly, yet firmly, about how the ordeal made her feel. She tried to look on the positive response that the situation evoked from observers around the globe.

"I didn't know it would be such a big thing in the media all over the world," Peer said, "but I'm really happy that it was, because it showed that sport and politics shouldn't be involved."

I have been waiting to see if the Emirates and tournament organizers would follow through on their promise to change the rules for the 2010 ladies event. The possibility of finding a loophole to deny Peer entry again this year was a very real one in my mind. Instead, Peer is set to begin her tournament with a first round match against rising Belgian star Yanina Wickmayer. The tournament is looking ahead, and so should we..

“There is no question that what happened last year was unfortunate on many fronts,” tournament director Salah Tahlak told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “Our focus today, however, is on looking forward, on continuing to building on our outstanding event.”

While enjoying the right to play in Dubai is an accomplishment in itself, Peer is focused towards her results on the tennis court. Those results may be tough to come by, as her match against Wickmayer will be a tough one. Wickmayer has been having some solid results so far this year, winning the tournament in Brisbane before making it to the fourth round of the Australian Open.

Regardless of her result, Peer is taking a giant step forward by appearing in Dubai. Some athletes might have backed down and refused to ever attempt to play in the event ever again. Some players have skipped other events for far less valid reasons - but not Peer. She has displayed incredible courage, confidence and grace in the manner she has handled this process and should be proud of the end result she has rightly achieved.

Australian Open Day Two

By Mike McIntyre

After one semi-completed day at the Australian Open we have already witnessed the shocking defeat of Maria Sharapova at the hands of 58th ranked Maria Kirilenko. What will day two have in store?

Featured Match: Roger Federer vs Igor Andreev

Why have I chosen this match as my feature for day two? Because Federer just happens to be the greatest tennis player that ever lived and we really need to put that into perspective on a more regular basis. I feel like we have all taken Roger's accomplishments for granted simply due to the fact that he makes it all look so darn easy. For the past six years this guy has dominated the sport like nobody else in such a short time span. Appearances in 22 straight Grand Slam semi-finals - are you kidding me??? Federer will turn 29 this year and we must realize that his reign will not last for an infinite period of time. Enjoy this guy while he is still hanging on to the top.

Federer is not going to be happy with the first round opponent he has drawn. Andreev can be tricky and pushed Roger to his limits the last time they met. Federer prevailed 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 at the 2008 U.S. Open against Andreev. If Roger isn't on top of his game he could get hurt in this match.

Upset of the Day: Lucie Safarova vs Venus Williams

I'm not jumping on the upset bandwagon in the WTA draw after yesterday's Kirilenko over Sharapova result, but I truly feel this is the potential upset of the day.

We all know that Venus has been on a slide since Wimbledon and her results away from grass courts are really nothing to write home about. Safarova has never beaten Williams in three tries, but has pushed the American to a third set in their previous two encounters.

Will Venus likely win this match - yes. It is a match she certainly should win. Her track record has never been amazing in Australia though and all the right ingredients are there for a potential upset to occur.

If you're looking for a more probably upset I would look at veteran qualifier Xavier Malisse to knock off 26th seed and clay-court specialist Nicolas Almagro.

Welcome Back to the Slams: Alicia Molik

Molik returns to the Grand Slam singles stage for the first time since the Aussie Open in 2008. Once ranked as high as number eight in the world and the Bronze medalist from the 2004 Athens Olympics, Molik was a top-level player before injuries hit her big-time.

She was hit by an inner-ear infection in 2005 that sidelined her for several months and retired in September 2008 after struggling with leg and elbow issues. Molik then announced in July 2009 that she was injury-free and ready to return to the tour. She impressed last year at the challenger level and received a wild-card from her home country to participate here in Melbourne.

She takes on Julie Coin from France in the first round.

Coin Toss: Mikhail Youzhny vs Richard Gasquet

Youzhny is seeded 20th in the tournament while Gasquet should be ranked inside the top-twenty but isn't because of his doping suspension last year. This is a great first-round match which could go either way. 

Youzhny leads their career head-to-head 2-1, but they have not played since 2007 where the Russian won in a tight five-setter during Davis Cup competition.

Gasquet has started 2010 playing well and made the finals in Sydney last week falling to Marcos Baghdatis in the finals. I'd give him the advantage in this one based on talent alone.

Grizzled Veteran Special: Carlos Moya vs Illya Marchenko

Moya missed most of 2009 due to injuries and at the age of 33 he is on his last legs on tour. He has played once so far this year losing in the first round in Chennai - one of his favorite tournaments - to Janko Tipsarevic. 

He's coming in against an opponent who, despite his ranking of 119th in the world, has already won two qualifying matches on the courts in Melbourne. Bottom line - don't expect Moya's stay in Australia to last long.

Women's 2010 Australian Open Preview

By Mike McIntyre

When was the last time the women's game had this much depth? I'm not knocking the WTA Tour, which in fact has had more depth in recent years than the men's Federer vs. Nadal show. When I look at the Australian Open draw though, I'm just floored with the amount of talent out there. This is a fantastic way to kick-off the 2010 Grand Slam calendar.

The Favorites:

Number one ranked Serena Williams has a pretty sweet ride to the quarter-finals from the looks of it. I don't expect her to drop a set for the first week that's for sure. There's simply nobody in her section of the draw that can keep up with her power, experience and winning-attitude. If she truly did tweak something against Elena Dementieva in Sydney, this draw gives her some time before she has to bring out her 'A' game. Williams will be the favorite to add to her existing collection of four Aussie Open titles, the most recent being a year ago.

A nice third round match-up in the top-half could include Vera Zvonareva against Ana Ivanovic. Either one of these players could use a good Grand Slam showing to correct their career progress after a disappointing 2009. Zvonareva started strong in 2009 with a semi-final showing in Australia, but after missing two months in the middle of the year with injury she never returned to top form. Ivanovic's season was a total disaster and it was hard to believe she was ever the number one ranked player in the world. One of these two should still be able to push through to the quarters.

U.S. Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki has a great path to perhaps a semi-final berth in Australia. Only Daniela Hantuchova may cause her some trouble before the quarters, although Hantuchova has not had a big win in quite some time.

Wozniacki may meet the winner of an intriguing fourth round match between Americans Venus Williams and Melanie Oudin. A Williams/Oudin match would give tennis fans a nice glimpse of the past, present and future of American tennis and perhaps that future is now. Oudin has some winnable matches early on while Venus has looked mediocre since Wimbledon and as she approaches thirty, is only a huge threat on grass.  

In the bottom-half don't get your hopes up for second-seeded Dinara Safina. The mentally fragile Russian attained the number one ranking for a period of time in 2009, but will most be remembered for tanking in two Slam finals in Australia and Paris, along with a brutal defeat in the semi's at Wimbledon. A back injury hampered the last portion of her season and was acting up again at the start of 2010 to keep her out of Brisbane. Safina does not have enough match-play under her belt to be considered a major threat here in Australia nor is her mental game ready to compete in this first Slam of the season.

There are plenty of other top-level players ready to contend for the title in the bottom section of the draw however, and the Belgians are leading the charge. 

Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin and Yanina Wickmayer are all in the same quarter of the draw, which is unfortunate because they could all have easily advanced quite far given their play of late. Clijsters has the most favorable path and should get past Svetlana Kuznetsova to make the quarter-finals. A second-consecutive Slam is a distinct possibility for her.

Henin, entered as a wild card, is not going to enjoy the same Grand Slam return that Clijsters had at the U.S. Open. After a first round match with up and coming Sorana Cirstea, Henin will most definitely face fifth seeded Elena Dementieva - the same Dementieva who just won in Sydney defeating Serena in the finals. Henin leads their head-to-head battles 9-2, but will have to fight hard to beat the in-form Russian. I think Henin can beat Dementieva, but expecting her to have a similar Cinderella-run like Clijsters did in Flushing Meadows is unlikely.

The third Belgian, and the future of tennis in that country, Yanina Wickmayer, has already fought through three qualifying matches in order to secure entry into the tournament. Wickmayer was not allowed to take the 16th seeded spot that she is due because of the timing of her return from a mishandled doping violation. She may face Italian Flavia Pennetta in the second round and either Henin or Dementieva in the fourth round. Regardless of how she fares here in Australia, the twenty year old has a bright future ahead of her.

In the very last quarter of the draw we've got the unpredictable Jelena Jankovic. Fairing no better than the fourth round of any Slam in 2009, Jankovic has much to prove this year. She has a nice section of the draw and should stay untroubled until the quarter-finals. Don't expect her to move much farther than that however, as the Serbian is not the huge threat she used to be.

Do keep an eye on Maria Sharapova to have a big Aussie Open. The talented Russian has come back admirably from shoulder surgery last year and has the power game to defeat anyone on tour. If she can keep her serve consistent and free of double-digit double faults, then she is more than capable of winning this tourney. If she does come up against Safina in the round of sixteen, I see Sharapova advancing with ease. There are more Grand Slam titles within her and this could be the next one on her list. 

Anticipated First-Round Matches:

Kimiko Date-Krumm vs Yaroslava Shvedova: The 39 year old veteran Date-Krumm has been very impressive since returning to the tour in 2008 and has worked herself back into being a dangerous player to face. Her return is even more impressive given the fact she was away from the sport for twelve years. She'll face a difficult player in Shvedova, who impressed in the late stages of 2009 with victories over Daniela Hantuchova in Toronto and Jelena Jankovic at the U.S. Open.

Caroline Wozniacki vs Aleksandra Wozniak: It amazes me how often these two near-identical names get paired together in so many tournaments. Unfortunately for the Canadian Wozniak, it rarely ends up in her favor. The fourth seeded Wozniacki has won five of their six meetings although the pair have usually produced closely contested matches. Wozniak is ranked 34th in the world right now, so this is a fairly strong first rounder.

Jelena Dokic vs Alisa Kleybanova: While it was nice to watch Dokic have her fairy-tale run to the quarter-finals in last year's edition, the same fate will be difficult to duplicate. Dokic faces hard-hitting Russian Kleybanova whom she defeated here in the fourth round last year by a tight score of 7-5, 5-7, 8-6. Kleybanova's court movement is limited due to her stature, but she can really hit the ball and was able to defeat Venus Williams, Vera Zvonareva and Jelena Jankovic (twice) in 2009.

 

 

U.S. Open Recap - Day 1

By Mike McIntyre

No shocking upsets on day one at the U.S. Open in New York, although there very nearly was. Third seeded American Venus Williams nearly suffered her first loss ever in the opening round at Flushing Meadows against Vera Dushevina of Russia before winning 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 6-3. Fighting a knee injury that seems to have been bothering her since at least Wimbledon, Williams was down a set and a break in the second set before self-correcting.

Meanwhile, defending champions Roger Federer and Serena Williams both advanced with ease. Federer over-matched NCAA champion Devin Britton 6-1, 6-3, 7-5 while Serena defeated fellow American Alexa Glatch 6-4, 6-1. Expectations for both Britton and Glatch were low, but for different reasons.

Britton is only 18 years old and has only played in one prior professional level tournament before today. The young American was clearly overtaken by nerves as he attempted to play his serve and volley game against the world number one. You have to give this kid credit though, he did manage to break Federer's serve in both the second and third sets. At 6'3'' he has some pop on his serve and seems more than willing to come to the net. We'll be hearing from him again down the road.

Glatch meanwhile has been bothered by a serious back injury lately. According to her coach, Kevin O'Neill, she has only been able to even hit a tennis ball for the past six days or so and had not played a tournament match since Wimbledon, failing to get past the qualifying rounds of both Stanford and Los Angeles. It was the 20 year old's fifth U.S. Open appearance. 

The $19,000 first round losers paycheck should help both Britton and Glatch cope with the tough draw they received this year.

Overall the day provided American players with a winning record of 9 wins and 7 losses. Not all that bad considering that two of the matches involved Americans facing off against each other.

While there were no big upsets, Mikhail Youzhny from Russia did knock off 26th seeded Paul-Henri Mathieu from France while Kai-Chen Chang of China defeated 25th seeded Kaia Kanepi of Estonia.

The "thanks for coming out award" goes to Rossana de los Rios who was defeated 6-1, 6-0 by 14th seed Marion Bartoli. 

The evening session began with a tribute to the humanitarian work Andre Agassi has done with the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy. Agassi gave a brief, but moving speech about the motivation behind his charity work and the success of its first-ever graduating class this past June. One hundred percent of the students made it to graduation and also gained acceptance into a college program. The tribute made no mention of Agassi's tennis achievements and instead gave fans some insight into the huge accomplishments the American champion has made off the court.

U.S. Open Set to Begin

The last Slam of the year kicks off tomorrow in New York - are you ready?

Here are John McEnroe's U.S. Open picks and another article that talks about the Andre Agassi celebration planned for Monday night.

As for day 1, things kick off on Arthur Ashe Stadium at 11am ET with Viktoriya Kutuzova up against the comeback kid, Kim Clijsters. Not before 1pm we'll get Devin Britton against five-time defending champion Roger Federer, followed by Serena Williams against Alexa Glatch.

In the evening, Venus Williams takes on Vera Dushevina at 7pm ET, followed by Andy Roddick versus Bjorn Phau.

Enjoy Day 1!

Mike

Venus Williams Withdraws from Australian Open

You knew this was coming, but still...it's too bad.

From The Age: Venus the latest out with a wrist injury

IT WAS not so much a matter of whether Venus Williams would withdraw from the Australian Open but of when, for she has played only one tournament since losing in the third round of her Wimbledon defence, and last month cancelled her appearance at the Hopman Cup.

Yesterday, a couple of hours before the qualifying draw was conducted at Melbourne Park, the WTA announced that Williams was not yet recovered from the left wrist injury that — combined with a variety of other arm ailments — crippled much of her season...

Venus and Serena Williams Talk to High School Kids

There's the Venus and Serena Williams you see through the lens of the tennis media (distant), and then there's the Venus and Serena you see when they're not around (fun-loving).  This article is full of the second.

From ESPN: Tennis titans show they're just regular folks

It wasn't supposed to be this way for Venus and Serena Williams. After all, two poor, black sisters growing up in Compton, Calif., aren't supposed to become world-champion tennis players, much less role models.

But here they stood in front of an auditorium brimming with students from Vance High School, doling out advice about life. For 20 minutes, they told their story and answered questions. The high school teens and eighth-graders in the crowd listened and learned...