VIDEO: FROM KILLING FIELDS TO TENNIS COURTS

When I was in Phnom Penh a couple years ago I tried to avoid visiting the killing fields and the still horrific site of Security Prison 21, now the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. The thought of being a tourist gawking at another country’s genocidal past repulsed me. Thank God my phenomenal local guide took me [...]

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First Serve: Sept. 14?19

TENNIS.com's Monday morning quarterback recaps last week's pro tennis action?and offers his reaction.

Last Week's Tournaments

Davis Cup (ITF, Various)	Semifinal: France d. Argentina (5-0) Semifinal: Serbia d. Czech Republic (3-2)
Guangzhou, China (WTA, Hard)	Final: Jarmila Groth d. Alla Kudryavtseva Semifinal 1: Jarmila Groth d. Edina Gallovits Semifinal 2: Alla Kudryavtseva d. Shuai Zhang Brackets: Singles | Doubles
Quebec City, Canada (WTA, Carpet)	Final: Tamira Paszek d. Bethanie Mattek-Sands Semifinal 1: Bethanie Mattek-Sands d. Lucie Safarova Semifinal 2: Tamira Paszek d. Christina McHale Brackets: Singles | Doubles

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Llodra is unbeaten in Davis Cup this year and is 17-8 lifetime. (Jean-Philippe Ksiazek/AFP/Getty Images)

The Old Musketeers
Say what you want about Richard Gasquet, Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The three Frenchmen in their mid-20s are some of the most polarizing players in the game. Right now I?m down on this feast-or-famine trio. Gasquet and Monfils, for all their talent, are two of the most passive pros out there. When they met at this year?s U.S. Open, they each parked themselves so far behind the baseline that a court and a half separated them. As for Tsonga, he?s been out since Wimbledon, but his attitude has always struck me the wrong way. I watched him practically concede a match to Tommy Robredo at Flushing Meadows in 2008 (playing to the crowd, not his opponent), and earlier this year he complained about his scheduling at Roland Garros when he hadn?t played in the 10 previous days.

But make sure you say something about Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra, two forgotten Frenchman. The veterans secured France?s spot in the Davis Cup final with a doubles victory on Saturday and, like a fine Bordeaux, are getting better with age. Llodra, 30, is 5-0 in Davis Cup this year, including wins over Juan Monaco and Fernando Verdasco. Clement, 32, is coming off a third-round showing at the U.S. Open and is 7-2 lifetime in Davis Cup doubles matches, all with Llodra. They are one of only two doubles teams to ever defeat Bob and Mike Bryan in Davis Cup play.

France must be at its best if it?s to beat Serbia in Belgrade come December. Monfils, who defeated David Nalbandian on Friday, and Tsonga, a streaky but undeniably gifted player, will be popular picks to play. (Don?t expect Gasquet, whose commitment will always be in question, to get a nod.) But Clement and Llodra, who embody the spirit of the competition and embrace its challenges, shouldn?t be overlooked. With their track records, it would be wise to continue playing them?Llodra in both singles and doubles?no matter what higher-ranked options are at Les Bleus? disposal.

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This Week's Tournaments

Bucharest, Romania (ATP, Clay)	Brackets: Singles | Doubles
Metz, France (ATP, Hard)	Brackets: Singles | Doubles
Seoul, South Korea (WTA, Hard)	Brackets: Singles | Doubles
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (WTA, Hard)	Brackets: Singles | Doubles

Ed McGrogan is an assistant editor for TENNIS.com. Follow him on Twitter.

Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/tenniscom-features/~3/FUNJaOtkGVU/

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SASHAPOVA! MARIA SHARAPOVA IS ENGAGED TO LA LAKER SASHA VUJACIC

Maria Sharapova and Sasha Vujacic are getting married! Via the LATimes: Los Angeles Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic and tennis star Maria Sharapova are engaged to be married, the Slovenian athlete told reporters before an exhibition game on Thursday (Oct. 21). Prior to the Lakers-Warriors games, Vujacic said that the three-time grand slam tennis champ Sharapova [...]

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Vandeweghe to join U.S. Fed Cup team for final

WHITE PLAINS, New York (AP)?Teenager Coco Vandeweghe is joining Melanie Oudin, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and doubles specialist Liezel Huber on the U.S. team that will face Italy in the Fed Cup final.

With Serena and Venus Williams sidelined by injuries, U.S. captain Mary Joe Fernandez picked the 115th-ranked Vandeweghe on Tuesday for the Nov. 6-7 Fed Cup final on an indoor hard court at the San Diego Sports Arena.

The 18-year-old Vandeweghe is the niece of former NBA general manager Kiki Vandeweghe. Fernandez says her big serve, heavy groundstrokes and slice give the team ?a different sort of game to add.?

The United States hasn?t won a Fed Cup title since 2000 and lost to Italy in last year?s final.

Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/tenniscom-news/~3/cSPCgZ2kk58/

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Hantuchova, Date Krumm earn Bali wildcards

Daniela Hantuchova and Kimiko Date Krumm have received wildcards for the lower-tier WTA season-ender in Bali, joining Na Li, Aravane Rezai, Yanina Wickmayer, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Ana Ivanovic and Alisa Kleybanova in the field.

 

Places go to the highest-ranked players who won an International level tournament during the season and did not qualify for the WTA championships in Doha.

The recently-engaged Maria Sharapova opted not to play.

Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/tenniscom-news/~3/Wxw0gLB2QXs/

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Challengers: Mahut defeats Dmitrov, Riske wins

Last week's challenger results:

Nicholas Mahut won the $125,000 Orleans challenger with a 2-6, 7-6 (8), 7-6 (4) win over Grigor Dimitrov, the first finals loss of the Bulgardian teen's career. Dimitrov defeated top seed Michael Llodra in the semifinals 7-6 (4), 3-6, 7-5.

 

Yen-Hsun Lu won the $125,000 Seoul challenger 6-3, 6-4 against Kevin Anderson.

 

Alison Riske continued her winning streak, defeating Urszula Radwasnka 6-4, 6-2 in the $50,000 St. Raphael event to win her third challenger in a row.

Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/tenniscom-news/~3/8qgu7mTbDqA/

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Complete Player

The last time Esther Vergeer lost a match, it was windy. That?s what the 29-year-old wheelchair tennis No. 1 was thinking on court Thursday at the wind-strewn U.S. Open. In her straight-set match against France?s Florence Alix-Gravellier, Vergeer was down 4-5 in both sets before taking each 7-5. The victory brought the Dutchwoman?s winning streak to 394 consecutive matches over seven years.

Vergeer, who became paralyzed after a surgery as a child and who previously excelled at wheelchair basketball, has won 10 world championships in wheelchair tennis and three Paralympic singles gold medals. She?s done it all in the game, which may be why she took time off early this year to explore other interests, trying out other sports and even working an internship at a sports management firm. Now, of course, she?s back to her winning ways. I caught up with Vergeer after her opening-round Open match.

What makes you so unbeatable?

I?m mentally strong, that?s a big part of it. And besides that I try to be a complete player. I know my chair skills are quite good, because I use my chair every day. If you?re like an amputee, you don?t use your chair everyday. I work really hard on the physical part, as well. I think a lot of players don?t do that as much yet.

What do you do for your fitness?

I lift weights and I do a lot of core stability. There?s a lot of twisting in my lower back, of course, sitting in a wheelchair. And my lower back is my weakest part because that?s where my disability is, so I have to work hard on that.

You gave your opponent a nice hug over the net after the match. Are you close with the other women on tour?

Yeah, we are. Maybe friendship isn?t the right word. More like colleagues or whatever, but very close. We don?t usually travel with coaches or family because it?s just way too expensive. So we hang out with each other and have dinners and sometimes go to the movies. In New York, we had a Broadway show we went to with the whole group. Billy Elliot.

You work with Adidas player development coach Sven Groeneveld. Does he ever travel with you?

Sven travels with the able-bodied tour a lot, so he?s away. But whenever we?re playing Grand Slams, he?s there.

There are a lot of elite wheelchair players from the Netherlands. Is there a pioneer who brought the game there?

The one who started the game is an American, Brad Parks. But I think from the beginning there?s been a lot of Dutch wheelchair tennis players. Being part of the Dutch tennis association, we get the same treatment and the same rights and facilities.

Parks was just inducted into the Hall of Fame. Do you think about entering the Hall?

It is a dream of [mine]. If I would ever get that honor, that would be amazing.

So what?s next?

My focus is on the Paralympic games in London in 2012. I really want to win that fourth gold medal. After that we?ll see. I?m working on my foundation and I?m developing plans with a commercial Paralympic team I want to start in the Netherlands. I?m trying out a lot of things at the moment. I?ve had a boyfriend for a year and a half now, so it?s a lot fun of being at home. In two years, I don?t know, maybe I?ll start a family.

?Sarah Unke

Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/tenniscom-features/~3/0K62GbQL5zM/

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