Fish returns in Atlanta, Isner No. 1 seed

Originally posted on The Grandstand:
Two-time defending champion John Isner is the No. 1 seed this week at the BB&T Atlanta Open as he aims to make it a three-peat. Isner has a first-round bye along with fellow top-four seeds Vasek Pospisil, Jack Sock, and Adrian Mannarino. The 6’10” American will contest his opening match…

The Curious Case of Two Slumping Stars: Petra Kvitova and Simona Halep. What’s next in 2015?

Originally posted on My Posts:
Three grand slams are in the books, and for fans of Petra Kvitova and Simona Halep including myself of course, there are many reasons to feel unsatisfied at this point. Both have ran into a rough stretch during the past couple of months, with no indication of what lies ahead…

Fish’s final swim: American to retire at U.S. Open

Originally posted on The Grandstand:
Mardy Fish announced via Twitter on Wednesday that he will retire from tennis at this summer’s U.S. Open. Fish will wrap up his career with three more tournaments, a trio that also includes Atlanta and Cincinnati. My schedule this summer will be Atlanta, Cincinnati, and I will finish my career…

Tennis Player Builds 50 Preschools In Africa

Originally posted on The Feels:
Some of Roger Federer’s biggest—and youngest—fans are probably too tiny to know about his victories on the tennis court, and too touched by poverty to care much. They just know he’s the man behind the creation of preschools across southern Africa where now are learning and growing healthy, with a…

Appreciating Djokovic

Originally posted on The Occasional Sports Blogger:
Novak Djokovic is your 2015 Men’s Wimbeldon Singles Champion. In a masterful performance, he easily handled Roger Federer in the final, beating him three sets to one. Djokovic has one of the smoothest games in tennis, combining great power and athleticism with beautiful strokes and a great understanding…

Umag previews and picks: Seppi vs. Sousa, Kavcic vs. Rublev

Originally posted on The Grandstand:
Andreas Seppi and Joao Sousa will be aiming for a semifinal spot in Umag on Wednesday. Meanwhile, first-round action is wrapping up with a showdown between Blaz Kavcic and Andrey Rublev. Joao Sousa vs. (3) Andreas Seppi Seppi and Sousa will be going head-to-head for the first time in their…

Bastad, Umag, and Bogota previews and predictions

Originally posted on The Grandstand:
The grass-court season has come to an end and now it’s back to clay—at least in part—until the two U.S. Open Series Masters 1000 events set the stage for the final Grand Slam of the year. This week’s action on the red stuff will take place in Umag and Bastad.…

The countdown to Cincy has begun!

Originally posted on Author/ Writer Julie Young:
    Once upon a time, Indianapolis had a tennis tournament. It was held at the Indianapolis Tennis Center on the IUPUI campus and I remember attending it when I was a 12-year-old NJTL player. That was the year Boris Becker won Wimbledon for the first time at the…