May 26
Collins: U.S. star has struggled on clay but this French Open could be his best ever
May 25
PARIS - It would not be surprising if James Blake is getting good vibes this year at Roland Garros. Part of why could be the lack of pressure on him given his previous struggles on clay and at this major (read little is expected of him).
May 25
PARIS - It would not be surprising if James Blake is getting good vibes this year at Roland Garros. Part of why could be the lack of pressure on him given his previous struggles on clay and at this major (read little is expected of him).
May 25
Kei Nishikori was defeated 6-2, 7-5 by Simon Greul of Germany in the second round of the men?s singles qualifiers, bringing an abrupt end to his campaign at the French Open on Thursday.
May 25
Japanese teenager Kei Nishikori won the Delray Beach title in February, defeating James Blake. South African Kevin Anderson was runner-up in Las Vegas (l. …
May 24
Gilles Simon won the third title of his career on Saturday at the Grand Prix Hassan II. Simon defeated fifth-seeded Julien Benneteau 7-5 6-2 in an all-French championship match at the claycourt event.
May 24
Consequently, the 23-year-old becomes the second qualifier to win an ATP title this year, joining Japan's Kei Nishikori. Simon had not won on tour since …
May 22
Kei Nishikori came from behind to beat Juan-Martin Aranguren of Argentina 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the first round of the French Open men?s singles qualifiers on Tuesday.
May 19
Why are all the better Chinese pro players female? Most of these women are larger and taller than the average Chinese female, and can be almost as tall as some other WTA players, say 5’8”. This isn’t true of the Chinese guys. Most Chinese men are under 5’7”. For some reason, the height and weight differences between the Chinese female players as a group and female ‘civilians’ are much greater compared to that of the male players and male civilians, so the best female pros can be competitive on tour. But the male players are at a distinct physical disadvantage against their opponents in the ATP. This seems to be true of Asian males in general. There are no Asian males in the top ranks of the ATP. It’s a big, big deal in an Asian country when one of its players beats anyone in the top 20 or so. Instant fame and big endorsements. In the recent Del Ray Beach tournament before Miami, Japanese teen Kei Nishikori beat James Blake in 3 and became the first Japanese guy in nearly 16 years to win an ATP event. Other than that, he hasn’t done much, and Blake regained his sometimes-dubious senses and beat him routinely in Houston soon after that, but that one win at a challenger was enough for the boy to snag a Sony endorsement. Not too long ago, much was expected of Paradorn Srichaphan, who was an unusually big Thai guy, but he never broke into the top, faded away, then got married, and I’m betting we won’t be seeing him anytime soon. Few players improve their tennis rankings after getting married, after all. Too many new distractions, I guess.
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