Hurray!

And check out this exchange between James Blake and Pam Shriver ... Ouch! Go to: http://tennis.fanhouse.com/2010/06/22/bounced-james-blake-blasts-espns-pam-shriver-at-wimbledon/.

Check out the following site for an interesting site discussing steroids and tennis: http://tennishasasteroidproblem.blogspot.com/.

This is a lot of fun, easy to play (but not easy to play WELL on higher difficulty settings), as well as possible to play while walking on the treadmill or riding the exercise bike.

Especially like the antics of the pros ... occassionally they'll start limping after hitting a bad shot, etc.

See it at: http://www.amazon.com/SPORTS-Grand-Slam-Tennis-Nintendo-Wii/dp/B001U2BMH2.

78 Aces ... and he still loses the match ... unbelievable display from Ivo Karovic and Radek Stepanek.

I guess I'll pick the USA, but they certainly have a tough road, with Cilic and Karlovic in their path. Read more at: http://www.tennis.com/features/general/features.aspx?id=179808.

Check out Travis Parrott's (ATP tourning Pro) nice video blog on tennis @ http://www.insidethegametv.com/.

My pro has a little joke ... "Have you ever heard of the guy who never lost at doubles ... It was his partner's fault!"

While I don't subscribe to that notion, I've encountered some that get dangerously close to that belief ... so here's a nice post from tennis.com on how to select a doubles partner: http://www.tennis.com/yourgame/instructionarticles/doubles/doubles.aspx?id=106270.

Just a random vido of John Isner vs Marat Safin ... and no, Mr. Rec player, you COULD NOT handle one of Isner's serves (or Safin's backhand, for that matter).

While I usually have a quiet chuckle when I overhear (in person or on the nets) someone stating that they could take a game/set off "x" professional player ... I found the following article an interesting discussion on the whole pro vs pro question (male vs female). Seems that back in 1998 Karsten Braasch, a German journeyman player out of the top 100 played both sisters one set a piece ... and prevailed, despite the pre-match "shandys" and cigarettes.

Read more at: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,543962,00.html. This was a friendly match, but the results and Braasch's commentary were interesting. 

Follow it at:

• www.tennis.com
• http://www.atpworldtour.com/1/en/home/default.asp
• http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/index.html

Interesting article, especially the renewed focus on clay as a training surface. Read more at: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/tennis/2008-11-05-USTA-overhaul_N.htm. Also interesting is their focus on finding players earlier ... 9-10 years old? Not sure how well that will work, as the player who is a phenom at 9 might get burned out, fail to grow, or get injured.