Break Points is a daily roundup of tennis news, videos, links, and tweets. If you have something you think I should include, email me at amy@changeovertennis.com.
Today’s notable results:
- Winston-Salem: Jarkko Nieminen d. Mardy Fish, 7-5, 6-7(3), 3-2 (ret.)
- Winston-Salem: Steve Johnson d. Andreas Seppi, 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-5
- US Open Qualifying: Mikhail Kukushkin d. Federico Delbonis, 6-4, 6-2
- New Haven: Elena Vesnina d. Angelique Kerber, 6-2, 6-4
- US Open Qualifying: Victoria Duval d. Teliana Pereira, 6-1, 6-3
- US Open Qualifying: Ksenia Pervak d. Shahar Peer, 6-4, 7-6(3)
News and Links:
This piece from Sports on Earth on Sloane Stephens’ father is interesting:
One of the greatest rookie running backs in NFL history played only five years beyond his first season. Someone who had a reputation for toughness developed a phobia for contact on the football field after leaving another player paralyzed forever. A man whose generosity and down-home personality won over friends and teammates was guilty of sexually assaulting one woman, and at the time of his crash faced 80 years on charges of forcibly raping another. And as a father who didn’t raise her, didn’t speak to her until she was 13 and didn’t really know her at all, he simply could not stop raving about his daughter, who just might be the next great American tennis player.
“She sure is strong, just like her daddy,” he’d tell friends and family members.
Maria Sharapova is not legally changing her last name to Sugarpova. Glad we cleared that one up.
After what her agent calls serious consideration, the tennis player has decided not to change her name to Sugarpova for the US Open next week.
The Times of London reported that the tennis player was set to change her name to the name of her candy company for the final Grand Slam tournament of the year, but her agent, Max Eisenbud, told ESPN on Tuesday that “we ultimately decided against it.”
“Maria has pushed her team to do fun, out-of-the-box-type things to get the word out about Sugarpova,” Eisenbud said. “In Miami, we’re going to fill a glass truck full of candy and drive it around town. This was an idea that fell along those lines. But, at the end of the day, we would have to change all her identification, she has to travel to Japan and China right after the tournament and it was going to be very difficult.”
The Daily Mail posted a Q&A with Tomas Berdych.
Irina Falconi is blogging at New York Times’ Straight Sets blog as she attempts to qualify for the US Open.
Tennis on Twitter:
“@cfcmatchshirts: @timsmyczek Why are you so bad at tennis? Set and break up and you just collapse. Useless wanker.” so no dinner next week?
— Tim Smyczek (@timsmyczek) August 21, 2013
You know I'm about the details – had to share the back of my @usopen dress #LookGoodPlayWell pic.twitter.com/mxwHkyG9v7
— EleVen by Venus (@EleVenbyVenus) August 20, 2013
Can be only a good practice with the "big star" thanks @GrigorDimitrov @GTGAcademy @usopen … pic.twitter.com/C5TTPCnLiz
— Stanislas Wawrinka (@stanwawrinka) August 20, 2013
I wonder how Grigor reacts to those quotation marks.
omg add this! these keep getting better!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZf8MzWtmjc&feature=player_embedded