Friday, October 26
Last updated at 12:20 am EDT
BRITISH PRESS
Top 50 great British losers - the Times
41) John Lloyd 4-1-3-3-2 = 52%More famous, perhaps, for being Mr Chris Evert, John Lloyd was Britain’s most successful tennis player until Tim Henman and Greg Rusdeski came along. He reached as high as world No 21, in 1978, and the previous year had lost the final of the Australian Open to Vita Gerulaitis. Naturally, it was a five-set thriller. Had some rehabilitation with three grand-slam mixed doubles titles in the 1980s with Wendy Turnbull.
...35) Greg Rusedski 5-1-2-3-2 = 52% The only British man to reach a grand-slam final in the past 30 years, Rusedski was often overshadowed by Tim Henman but while he did not match his compatriot’s repeated achievements at Wimbledon, the Canadian-born tennis player reached a high of world No 4 and lost the US Open final to Pat Rafter in four sets. It would be the pinnacle of his career.
...22) Bunny Austin 5-4-3-2-1 = 60% Fred Perry cast a shadow even in his own day. Austin was the nearly man of British tennis in the 1930s, twice reaching the final of Wimbledon, twice getting the final of the US Championships (as the US Open was then known) and once losing the French Open final. In the 1938 Wimbledon final he was beaten by Don Budge and won only four games, a small improvement on the 1932 Wimbledon final when he won six games. Was the last Brit to get to the final of Wimbledon.
...1) Tim Henman 4-5-5-5-4 = 92%
No more will we hear “come on Tim” in SW19 at the end of June – and how we will miss him. Henman was mocked by those who thought him too nice, but his killer edge came through in those mammoth five-setters that were a speciality of his. So what if he never won Wimbledon? He was a top ten player for years, got to six grand-slam semi-finals, won an Olympic silver medal and defeated most of the best players in the world to win the Paris Masters. Match that, Murray.
AMERICAN PRESS
"I think I've been a star on the rise for like five years. I'm 22 now," said Harkleroad, who is the No. 1 seed at this week's Comcast USTA $25,000 Women's Tennis Challenger at The Club at Raes Creek in Augusta. "I've been playing as a pro since I was 16, so it seems like it's been a while now."..."For my expectations, my year has been mediocre," she said. "I'm still in the top 100, and hopefully I'll finish the year strong, and my goal next year is to get back into the top 50. If that happens, then I'll readjust my goals." She didn't plan to play this week but decided to tune up at the local event before competing at a WTA stop in Quebec next week, where she hopes to continue her climb. "I had a week off and didn't know what to do. My boyfriend and I were visiting my parents last week, and since it was close, I decided to try to get a wild card here," she said. "It's really pretty here, and it reminds me of home."
...None was more publicized then her first-round appearance in the 2001 U.S. Open, when her tight, midriff-bearing outfit caused a stir. "I wore this outfit that I guess was too revealing. When I tried it on earlier that week it was fine, but when I was playing it kind of rode up on me," Harkleroad said. "Maybe it was too much, but everybody kind of took that and ran with it. I was 16 and I'd just lost in the first round, and they took me to the press room and there were like 75 people there asking me about it.
"I really didn't do it on purpose, and I had no idea it would cause that many problems. They say any press is good press, but I don't like that kind. I'm a little bit shy."
"I haven't quite captured the explosiveness I used to play with," Sampras concedes. "I'm not as limber. But I'll be a lot better (in Beaumont) than I was in Houston. It's been fun to get back in shape and to figure out my racket and my strings."Sampras, unbeaten in three starts on the Jim Courier's Outback Champions seniors tour, is playing with the Wilson racket first made popular by Roger Federer and using the popular gut-Luxilon combo.
"I regret not trying this 10 years ago, especially on clay," Sampras said. "I'm telling you, it makes a world of difference in my control."
AUSTRALIAN PRESS
HALF a century ago, Frank Sedgman was a pariah of Australian sport. As one of the first local tennis players to turn professional, he was accused of betraying his country and was banned from the Kooyong and Wimbledon clubs. Celebrating his 80th birthday at the RACV club yesterday, Sedgman was hailed by the sporting establishment as a trailblazing legend, all acrimony long forgotten.The surprise guest among the 400 people present was Jack Kramer, the American player-entrepreneur who lured Sedgman to the "dark side" of tennis in 1953. It was a coup for Kramer; Sedgman was the 1952 US and Wimbledon champion. He had also helped Australia win three consecutive Davis Cups.
Sedgman said he did not set out to be a trailblazer. "In those days I did need the money," he said. "I wasn't trained to go into business and I had to put the kids through school and set up my life."
According to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Sedgman was the first player to earn more than $US100,000 in a season, but he marvels at today's players "who become millionaires if they win just one tournament".
Philippoussis is eligible for a ranking of 112, but is yet to lodge the paperwork, despite hurting his knee 246 days ago.In the throes of moving back to San Diego from Las Vegas, where he has been working with Andre Agassi, Darren Cahill and Gil Reyes, Philippoussis last week returned to competition.
INTERNATIONAL PRESS
Duckitt, a former media co-ordinator of the environmental organisation, Planet Ark, spoke to Sportstar on how tennis’ governing body views the world outside the courts, the emergence of Asian players and how the sport impacts people’s lives.Websites
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