Wednesday, March 18, 2015

WORLD NEWS

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Back Injury Forces Gasquet To Skip Miami

Richard Gasquet has a history of back problems and the pain with the pain returning to such an extent that the Frenchman has been forced to withdraw from matches in his last two tournaments, the world no. 25 has now decided the wisest option is pulling out of next week’s Miami Open.

Gasquet was forced to quit as he trailed 7-6,4-6,3-1 against Germany’s Michael Berrer in the second round of the ongoing BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. Prior to that,  he withdrew from the Dubai Duty Free Championships after losing the first set of the quarterfinal to Roger Federer 6-1.

Rather than just head across the United States from California to Florida, Gasquet is making the long journey back to Paris for extensive examinations to his back. He also opted against representing France in the Davis Cup World Group first round tie against Germany in Frankfurt, citing lower back pain.

"The pain was very strong at Dubai, it's concerning, I won't say otherwise," said the 28 year-old who won his 11th singles title on the ATP World Tour at the Open Sud de France in Montepellier in February immediately after the Australian Open. "It's not a question of surgery, it's a lot of work with physios."

Gasquet was hit by excruciating back pain at last November’s Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London and there were questions about the state of his fitness as he lost in straight sets against Roger Federer in the decisive rubber of last year’s Davis Cup Final in Lille.

Now Gasquet has set the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters, starting on April 12 but he told the press in Indian Wells: “At the beginning of the third set against Berrer, it returned, I had like a knife in my back.

“I will likely have an injection, and keep working with the physio two or three hours a day.''

Murray Believes Wimbledon Win Won’t Get Him Knighthood

Andy Murray may have broken three-quarters of a century of disappointment when he won Wimbledon two years ago, but the Scot is not expecting any further accolades from his adoring public.

For that reason, Murray revealed at the Indian Wells Masters that he has no dream of ever being knighted, top honor for British sportsman. Not that the idea is unusual - not counting cricket and football, at least 50 athletes form sports ranging from yachting to rowing to tennis (Australian Sir Norman Brookes, 1939) have all been on the Queen's Honor’s list and received their gongs.

"I got asked about it a lot after I won Wimbledon.  But, the last couple of years it's not something that I would ever think about at all during the year," said Murray, "I don't sit and think about something like that.

Murray was not, however, denying that he would take a knighthood if someday one came his way. "In my view rather than the title, it's more the sort of recognition of what you've done in your field during your career.

"I wouldn't want or expect people to use that term ever towards me.  It's more just the recognition of what you've done for your country that that's what's nice about it for me. But I can't imagine ever being addressed that way (Sir Andrew)."

Bacsinszky Is Having A Great 2015

Timea Bacsinszky is trying not to over-think her current run of WTA success after winning her 14th straight match to reach the fourth round at the Indian Wells Masters. The WTA No. 26 picked up titles in the run-up, winning Acapulco and Monterrey and beat ninth seed Ekaterina Makarova in the desert.

The breakout Swiss remains pleasantly surprised at how well her tennis is suddenly jelling and has no real explanation for the performances. "My philosophy is not all the time to be playing well but to be efficient," said a player who was so disillusioned with her form a few seasons ago that she put her racquets aside and actually enrolled in a hotel school.

"I think this philosophy helps me, as well, for all my wins.  Because at the end, yeah, I can be brilliant on court sometimes, some days, but it's not happening every day."

After the ups and downs a journeywoman's career, the player of Hungarian heritage has experienced all of the possible tennis emotions. "Most of the days I feel pretty bad at some point on the court because I'm not hitting the balls where I want.  So I'm just patient. So far I will be patient, too, for the race to the Singapore year-end championships. If I do it, then it's cool.  If I don't, well, I'm going to work and I'm going to keep on playing and keep on enjoying what I'm doing.

"I won't be sad if I don't make it at the end of the year.  It's not a particular goal.  I'm just, yeah, trying to still enjoy what I'm doing, and I'm enjoying it really a lot."

PTR Reigniting Its ACE Program

The Professional Tennis Registry announces it is reigniting its ACE Program aimed primarily at increasing the number of tennis coaches of color in the United States.  The ACE Program, which featured Arthur Ashe as its spokesperson when it started in 1991, will travel to 33 cities across the country.

Advancing the Commitment to Education (ACE) is an invitation only program offering education and certification at a deeply reduced rate as a result of scholarships from PTR, participating USTA sections, and in some cases, their states/districts.  

The first three ACE workshops (Houston, Milwaukee and Columbia, SC) are full to capacity and we are expecting close to the same for the rest.  Participants must play tennis at a 4.0 or above level in order to participate and qualify for certification. 

“With the induction of Arthur Ashe into our PTR Hall of Fame, we thought what a better way to honor Arthur than by restarting a program for which he played a pivotal role,” said Dan Santorum, PTR CEO. “Our goal for the ACE Program is simple.  Increase the number of certified coaches of color in the United States.  Internally our goal is 33% of PTR membership to be coaches of color -- 33% in 3 years.”

PTR is dedicated to educating, certifying and servicing tennis teachers and coaches around the world in order to grow the game.

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We Hear - -

--that Nick Kyrgios has decided to skip Miami to concentrate on rehabbing his ankle.

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