The word going 'round the Internets is that there have been at least four layoffs at the print arm of the pub, not including Peter Bodo + Steve Tignor who are said to be safe. The website will continue to run while print work is being outsourced to 10TenMedia.com.
I noticed the alarming lack of ad pages all the way back in September 2008 so this news doesn't come as a surprise. They did a really good job of getting this far in a tough economy but I don't think it'll go much further. I would bet by next year TENNIS will be fully online.
I'll make sure to update this post as more news becomes available. Feel free to contact me, though, if you have any more info at DownTheLineTennis[at]GMail[dot]com.
- Novak Djokovic + Gael Monfils guest star in DJ Martin Solveig's new video for his single 'Hello' which was partly shot in Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros. Fantastic Frenchie record producer and DJ Bob Sinclar also makes an appearance as Solveig's opponent.
- “Now I have to run around and be nice to everybody," saidMarat Safin about his current role as a Russian tennis official. He also had some words for his sister, Dinara, who's been troubled by a herniated disc in her back. "I think she needs to rest six months and think about the future," SexGawd says of his sister. “Don’t play two weeks here and two weeks there and get [re-]injured.”
- Steve Tignor offer his thoughts on the Fedal dominance at the Slams and wonders aloud how many more each baller will win - and who will end up with the most when all is said and done.
- Janko Tipsarevic and the very posey Biljana Šešević were married late last week and Serbian mag Story got the exclusive photos. I wonder if she forgot this photoshoot was actually for her wedding pictures?
- Enough with the injury talk and just play ball says Peter Bodo.
- Fierce Tennis gave me serious lulz with its fantastic take on Maria Sharapova's decision to play doubles with Yanina Wickmayer at the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford. Angry grrrls.
- With all the talk of Fernando Verdasco + Feliciano Lopez'sboat and beach bromance, it's strange to see Nando going it alone. Trouble in paradise, perhaps? But no worries, his better half was 'uncovered' by the ATP though not in the way you would really like. Ah, well.
- Juan Martin del Potropurchased a road in his hometown of Tandil connecting two recently purchased lands, which caused a rift with some of the town's residents. The U.S. Open champ, who's at the Mayo Clinic getting a check up on his wrist, confirmed the news via Twitter but said the move will keep the tourists away from his home.
- TOT: Nike released this t-shirt to celebrate Spain's first EVAH World Cup win!
UPDATE - I thought this piece of news would be an interesting tidbit to pass along: Stanislas Wawrinka will now be coached by Peter Lundgren. His past pupils include, of course, Roger Federer and most recently Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov. His reason for taking on the veteran Swiss? "When I asked what he wanted help with, he said he wants to return to the top 10," said Peter. "It's what you want to hear as a coach."
Did anyone else catch Steve Tignor's post-US Open article in his Concrete Elbow column at TENNIS.com?
I know I was pretty critical of his stance on Olympic tennis (something about being whiney, right?) but in most instances I truly appreciate his witty, dead-pan perspective on tennis and its never ending dramas.
In his post entitled "A Thank You and a Good-Bye" Tignor waxes poetically on the two weeks that were the US Open including his fave quote and matches from the fortnight (surprisingly Nole figures in twice), his anxieties after walking the grounds at dusk, getting inspired on his long trips to and from Flushing Meadow Park via the Long Island Railroad and "7" train, and concludes with a moving tribute to the late, great writer David Foster Wallace in which Tignor confides,
From one tennis player and tennis lover to another, I can only offer a sincere thank you, and a sickened good-bye.
It's a haunting, sometimes funny, introspective piece that hints of a sadness bubbling directly beneath the surface of the page.
Tennis journo Steve Tignor made his way to Indian Wells this week to cover the Pacific Life Open for his TENNIS.com column, Concrete Elbow. In his usually self-deprecating way, Tignor provides interesting, and sometimes hilarious, insights on our fave tennis ballers and the fans who love them:
On watching the Frenchies on the soccer field: "Watching [Arnaud] Clement’s fast feet, it’s clear that a soccer background has its advantages for tennis players, especially on clay. I’ve always thought basketball, with its jab steps, quick turns, and ready positions on defense, was the ideal preparation, but it doesn’t teach you to create with your feet the way soccer does."
On Ana Ivanovic: "[...] she struggles with the low forehand. Something about her grip or swing doesn’t let her get under it easily, and she sends a lot of balls flat and long. This looks like something that will always trouble her."
On fans watching Rafa practice with Tommy Haas: "There’s a genius in every crowd at these practice sessions, and he happens to be near me. He confidently tells a friend, “You see how they never hit the sweet spot? That’s what I mean, it’s hard to hit the sweet spot.” I walk away trying to imagine how good Rafael Nadal and Tommy Haas would be if they could actually figure out how to hit the sweet spot!"
On our theme for the day - uninspired tennis sponsorships: "My colleague Tom Tebbutt, the tennis writer of Canada, who's sitting with me, says that when [players walk on the court in matching outfits] the player with the lower ranking should change his shirt. Not a bad suggestion."
On Dani: "Does Daniela Hantuchova aggravate you with her inevitable, and seemingly so preventable, meltdowns? Go watch her in doubles—like Anna Kournikova, her natural tennis skill, her tennis IQ as they say, is allowed full play, with none of that pesky anxiety to drag her down."
On Federer's fashion of the day: "His outfit consists of a grey T-shirt—and his tuxedo pants [from Wimbledon.] They look completely out of place here; maybe he was out of laundry. Or who knows, maybe he wasn’t sure we would recognize him without them."
On how a tennis-loving mom speaks about her shy child: "A woman near me scolds her child for standing at the back of the autograph line for Nadal, then says to her husband: “He’s never going to get anywhere in the world being shy.” (I want to say he could become a tennis journalist, but then begin to wonder if that would prove her point.) "
What about being a tennis blogger? No worries - I've already prepared myself for getting nowhere doing this stuff...and I like it!
It seems the "wacky" behavior of Team Djokovic during Sunday's Australian Open final wasn't high on the list of many people - including Steve Tignor's. The TENNIS.com editor wants us to know he's fine with it now, but don't annoy him with anymore helpings of this cheese.
Tignor penned these thoughts in his Concrete Elbow column saying,
"As a fan, I’ve enjoyed the wacky Djokovic clan so far—their brazen cheesiness was refreshing on Sunday after the long, entitled reign of that sphinx of the sidelines, Mirka. But how will we feel about Srdjan and company as Djokovic continues to ascend? On Sunday we saw Djokovic as a future king of the sport for the first time, rather than an up-and-coming, attention-seeking class clown. Here’s a guess: His crew’s coordinated shirts and relentless cheerleading—not to mention his own “Yes, I have heart, it’s located here!” chest thumps—are going to wear extremely thin if Djokovic begins to dominate the sport. But we’re not there yet, and we should forgive him his over-the-top excitement this time."
Forgive him? We actually thought the men's final was fascinating not only for the tennis but also for the youthful energy and appreciation of the moment. We enjoyed watching Nole's chest-thumping and his box's enthusiasm and "brazen cheesiness"after countless matches watching the stoicness of Federer and his "sphinx of the sidelines" whispering encouragement from the stands.
We'll take fire in the eyes over a stone-cold stare anyday - so we'll forgive you, Steve Tignor.
(image via tennis.com & PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images)
