(UPDATED) MEDIA MASHUP: Serena Williams sounds off. Again.

"Double OMG, Eva. I'm totes getting déjà vu!"

You would think Serena Williams would be tired of these controversies at the US Open but sometimes a girl just can't help herself.

Two years and a round later, ReRe got all in an uproar with chair umpire Eva Asderaki after getting penalized a point and going down a break for yelling out during play. She thought she hit a forehand winner and screamed "C'mon! but Sam Stosur got a piece of her racquet on the ball. Eva gave the point to the Aussie under the hindrance rule. ReRe was less than happy. Ok, she was fucking pissed.

In the end, the incident was more of an annoyance and did nothing to shake Sammy's focus. But it was like raw meat to the media sharks who couldn't wait to get right into it:

Q. Regardless of whether you thought it was right or wrong, the decision, do you think it's fair on the official to berate her like that?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Excuse me? To berate?

Q. Do you think it's fair on the official?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I think everyone is so intense out there. I was really intense, and everyone just wants to do great. I know I did. Um, yeah, just try my best, you know? It's like giving it 100%.

Q. What is your history with that chair umpire, and what episodes might you have had with her in the past?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, I don't know. I don't know. I just was out there trying to fight against a great player who played really, really well. I don't know.

Q. But between games, you referred to something that happened in the past with her. What were you referring to?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I can't think off the top of my head, actually.

Q. A match in Doha maybe where you were called for a similar penalty?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I promise you if I knew I would tell you, but I don't know off the top of my head.

Q. According to the ITF, a chair umpire has latitude in assessing a point or in replaying the point if the action was not deliberate. Did you deliberately hinder your opponent?

SERENA WILLIAMS: (Laughter.) No. I mean, I didn't, but I can't even -- you know, I think my opponent played really well. I actually thought it was a winner, but she did really good to even put her like racquet on it. I thought it was a clear winner. I thought it was the hat drop rule, where if you drop a hat you kind of replay the point. I don't know. I think for the most part it was just -- I don't know, I tried my best. As always, I gave my 100%.

Q. Do you regret at all what you said to the chair umpire?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I just am really excited to be here really and to have gotten so far. To get here has been a really great experience for me. I regret losing, but I think there was nothing I could do today. I think Sam played really, really well.

Q. Why would you not regret saying things like...

SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't even remember what I said. It was just so intense out there. It's the final for me, and I was just -- I have to go -- I guess I'll see it on YouTube. I don't know (Laughter.) I don't know. I was just in the zone. I think everyone, when they play, they kind of zone out kinda thing. I don't know, I'll see it later, I'm sure.

Q. Was there a part of you that said, I can't believe this is sort of happening again, this scene?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No, not at all. That is definitely different moments. So, no, not at all.

Q. You're one of our greatest champions and an elite athlete, a real role model. Do you think it's important for top level athletes, even in tremendous heat of the moment, to treat refs and officials with respect?

SERENA WILLIAMS: Um, I don't know. I think that, you know, when you're an athlete, whether you're looking at a basketball player or football player or tennis players, these athletes, we train all our lives since I was three -- and I lie about my age a lot, but I'm 29. (Smiling). You know, we live for these moments, you know. Everyone lives to be, you know, in the final of Wimbledon or the final at the US Open. Whatever happens in that moment, you live for them and we breathe for them, and hopefully I'll be back for them.

Q. Wouldn't that be the moment to be most respectful of all at that moment?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I honestly don't know the answer. Everyone, we athletes, give 2,000%. I know I do every time.

Nice try, press. It may be bait but she ain't biting.

UPDATE: She was fined $2K for verbally abusing the chair ump but won't face a suspension as it was not deemed a "major offense" said the USTA. Bigger question right now: What the hell did Mike Bryan do to deserve a $10K fine???

[Video via: OzBroadcasting]

(UPDATED) Roland Garros officials ban posting of transcripts - isn't that called 'censorship'?

I'm pissed. If you read this blog during the majors then you know I usually do a post called 'HE SAID/SHE SAID'. It's pretty popular with readers. Personally, I find it interesting to read through the post-match transcripts and pull quotes I think you guys might find interesting/funny/insightful/whatevah. And, usually, the quotes aren't the ones the mainstream media pulls for their stories because they 1) are going to be everywhere anyway 2) usually don't give you a real feel for the baller's personality and quirks. They're standard. Nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't serve the purposes of this blog or give you guys anything new to explore.

After the first day of play I went to the usual place on the RG site to begin reading transcripts. All I came up were the videos which had been edited. I thought they would post later, but when I went back to check they were not there. Next day, the same, and so on. Well, today, it came to light that the International Tennis Writers Association (ITWA) and a number of journalists sent in a request to the Roland Garros tourney organizers to stop posting the transcripts on their website. AND THEY COMPLIED. The blog Any Given Surface has a nice write-up about it and, in the comments sections, posted a email response from Sandra Harwitt, a member of the ITWA, explaining her views on the issue.

Of course, it got really REAL on Twitter with people completely and understandably outraged, including myself, about this action. Even the journos heard it from everyone with one, in particular, have a bit of a meltdown.

To me, this is censorship - a handful of people deciding what the masses get to read/hear about in the pressers. We're all getting screwed.

Listen, I understand there aren't many journos/media being sent to tourneys due to the economic times. So if this is the case, wouldn't it makes sense to find another way to get the interviews/quotes out such as feeding them to smaller websites, bloggers, social media outlets, etc.? Or what about a 24/48 hour embargo on the transcripts? How would either of these options hurt the tourney? But, in the end, it's all about control of information. The mainstream media want to horde the quotes for their own means and decide what we, the fans, get to read. Apparently, if others get to utilize the transcripts then their jobs will be in danger by - gasp! - a blogger or a tweeter. So they make a request to ban it all together and the RG tourney agrees. You know, compromise is usually a better option than censorship.

UPDATE: Here's the what the RG site said - "We are very sorry, we have been asked by the International Tennis Writers Association not to release transcripts of post-match interviews this year, so as not to disadvantage reporters here at the French Open. You can find many of the relevant quotes in the articles posted on our website." There's been talk they may change their decision because of all of the complaints.

(UPDATED) Patrick McEnroe wants an apology and gets one - so are we done here?

So Patrick McEnroe held a conference call with the media today to discuss - WHAT ELSE? - the controversy involving Donald Young and his now-infamous 'FUCK' tweet about the USTA. Essentially, he goes through in detail the help the USTA has given Donald over the years including coaching, wild cards and "substantial" grant money, though he wouldn't divulge how much (I'd LOVE to know the amount - wouldn't you?) PMac also says an apology is in order which he apparently got today. Rachel over at OnTheGoTennis has the full transcript which is longer than long so pop on over there if you're interested and have an hour of five to spare. Also, if you'd like to get a glimpse into baller development and assistance USTA-style then it's worth a read.

Here's my quick take on the brouhardyha: I think both sides looked foolish for airing their dirty laundry. From a PR perspective (for which I have years of experience) it's a complete and utter FAIL. Donald looks like the stereotypically spoiled and entitled pro athlete while the USTA and PMac look petty for going tit-for-tat with Donald in the public arena. Unfortunately, perception can sometimes substitute for reality in the media. Perhaps the USTA felt the need to go public since there was supposedly no communication going into or leaving the Young camp about this situation. In any case, neither side comes out looking great here.

Hopefully this drama is finally over and done now that they've kissed and made up. Oh yes, and this: Congrats Tim Smyczek on winning the wild card - BONNE CHANCE!!

UPDATE: Here's Diane Pucin's full article on the apology for the LA Times.

UPDATE #2: He speaks! Donald, that is. 

[Photo(s): Getty Images]

DAVIS CUP Chronicles: DENIED

The appeal by the Spanish tennis federation (RFET) concerning the court surface that will be used during their Davis Cup tie versus the U.S. was denied today by the ITF, tennis' world governing body. The RFET brought on the appeal because the courts manufacturer, Premier Courts, Inc., is not one of the 91 ITF-approved manufacturers. However, the ITF's Davis Cup committee found the court surface itself to be in accordance with DC regulations; the court surface name "Premiere Court" is considered a generic acrylic hard court . Moreover, there is "no requirement for specific brands" under DC rules. It was a unanimous ruling.

Here's the full statement from the ITF:

ITF Davis Cup Committee decision regarding RFET (Spanish Tennis Federation) appeal

The ITF's Davis Cup Committee unanimously agreed that the surface, "Premier Court", chosen by the United States for their quarterfinal tie against Spain, 8-10 July 2011 in Austin, Texas, complies with Rule 38 (a) of the Davis Cup Regulations for the Competition, "Surface of Courts."

The Davis Cup Committee determined that the court surface chosen by the Americans is of the type, "Acrylic", which is used in over 30 tour events and two Grand Slam tournaments. In the Davis Cup Regulations, Rule 38 (a) does not specify or imply a requirement for specific brands.

The Davis Cup Committee also confirmed that the ITF Classification of surfaces does not constitute any form of ITF Approval and is not a mandatory requirement of the court surface selection process for any ITF tournaments including Davis Cup.

The Davis Cup Committee also stated that the court must comply with rule 38 (b), "Court Pace Rating (CPR)," in order to ensure that the pace of the court is neither too fast nor too slow. CPR testing will be carried out by the ITF Science and Technical Department with the tie ball once the match court is laid and available for play.

The Davis Cup Committee is comprised of five members: Chairman Juan Margets of Spain, Armando Cervone of Argentina, Tom Gullikson of the United States, Geoff Pollard of Australia and Charles Trippe of Great Britain. Both Chairman Juan Margets and Tom Gullikson recused themselves from voting in this matter because of their national affiliations.

The court speed will be tested once the court is laid down and ready for play.

Rafael Nadal was asked about the ITF's decision in his post-match presser after reaching the quarterfinals in Barcelona:

The most important and the main thing is to see the court and see how it is. The fastest [courts] I've played on are in Tokyo and Montreal. If the Austin court is faster than these, then you have grounds for complaint, because it is illegal. But I know that the ITF has equipment to measure speed the ball and not allow it to violate the limits. However, we all know that when we play away, they always put in the fastest courts they can.

Spain's DC captain Albert Costa also chimed in:

What worries me most is not knowing exactly what the proposed court is. We must know what to expect. However, it is essential that the ITF takes it seriously and not allow irregularities.

I honestly think this brouhardyha over court surface isn't anything but a pre-tie bitchfest. When the court is finally installed and the test the speed I don't think they'll find any irregularities. I'm just hoping the tie is this dramatic. I mean, it BETTAH be after all this.

[Photo(s): Getty Images] 

Ugly incident mars Croatia-Serbia Davis Cup tie

Something wicked this way came. And it happened during the opening rubber of the Davis Cup tie today pitting former Yugoslav republics Croatia + Serbia against each other. Novak Djokovic defeated Ivan Ljubicic 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-1 in that match.

According to the AP (via Djangoo),

Croatia's fans booed and jeered and refused to stand when Serbia's national anthem was played, and some chanted "Kill the Serb" and other abuse at Djokovic.

"We had expected the heated atmosphere before we came here, but I'm sorry that some fans behaved the way they did at the start of the match," Djokovic said. "As the match progressed, things got a bit cooler probably because I was leading."

Ljubicic, a good friend of Djokovic, said he was also annoyed by the chants from the crowd. "They affected my concentration just as they did his," he said.

Just awful.

[Photo(s): Reuters]

(UPDATED) Capriati rushed to hospital after apparent drug overdose

More sad news for Jennifer Capriati.

The former top lady baller and 3-time Grand Slammer, whose tormented history in tennis and in her personal life is well documented, was rushed to the hospital this morning in an apparent drug overdose according to gossip site TMZ. The call came from a hotel in Riviera Beach, FL.

Her father, Stefano, told the site she is recovering well.

Thoughts go out to the Capriati family. Let's hope Jennifer recovers quickly and gets the help she needs.

I'll update this post as more news is release.

UPDATE: AP reporting J-Cap recovering from an "accidental overdose" of prescription medicine according to her spokesperson.

UPDATE #2: Who knew she was, or is, dating a porn star name Dale DaBone? Heh, I said DaBone. Oh, and he had something to say about J-Cap's latest drama.

[Photo(s): Getty Images]

(UPDATED) VIDEO VAULT: No spitting (at crowds) in tennis!

Victor Hanescu. Daniel Brands. Wimbledon third round. Tanking games. Something about spitting at the crowd. A sudden retirement. Now 4 spectators arrested afterward.

Something tells me those Wimby strawberries really are wonky.

More updates to come!

UPDATE #1: Here's how it went down according to SBNation.com. Han had pain in his hamstring and received treatment in the fourth. The crowd started chanting "Victor is weak!" and he complained to the umpire who did nothing. Now in the fifth. At this point he starts to tank his games and goes down 0-2. As he goes to serve in third game of the decider he walks over to the taunting spectators and does the spitting game in their direction and gets a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct.

He intentionally steps on the baseline while serving his final four points, which he loses, to receive foot faults. After Han loses the fourth point he walks over to the umpire, attempts to shake his hand, shakes Brands' hand and walks off the court. Score 6-7 (9), 6-7 (3), 7-6 (9), 6-3, 3-0 for Brands. Phew.

UPDATE #2: So it seems the arrests at Court 18 were not related to the Hanescu incident but were a completely separate occurrence. Also the official statement on the match says, "Victor Hanescu retired from the match due to a leg injury." Uh-huh. Let's keep Court 18 on lock down, shall we?

+ WEDNESDAY NETCORDS: Quick hits from around the grounds

- Wayne Odesnik was given a 2-year suspension after pleading guilty to possession of human growth hormone (HGH) in Australia. He has denied using the substance and never tested positive for it but the ITF charged him because he did not have a "therapeutic use exemption." His ban will be backdated to start Dec. 29, 2009, and will end Dec. 28, 2011. All his results from this year will be erased.

He released the following statement regarding the suspension:

"I accept the ITF's decision regarding my sanction for being in possession of a banned substance. I made an honest mistake and I regret the impact that my actions have had on the sport of tennis; a game that I have loved since childhood and one which has given me many great opportunities and memories. The sole reason I was in possession of this banned substance was under doctor's advice for treatment of a recurring shoulder injury. I was unaware at the time that this would be considered an anti-doping violation. I never have taken nor tested positive for any banned substance in my career. Finally, I want to thank all my family, friends, and fans who have been so supportive of me throughout this difficult time. During my time away from tennis, I will try to give back to the game in a positive way and use this experience to motivate me to work harder than ever."

- Juan Martin del Potro will not defend his U.S. Open title after undergoing surgery on his wrist earlier this month.

- So Rafael Nadal swept all the Masters 1000 tourneys on clay this season and defeated nemesis Roger Federer in the Madrid final. So doesn't that make him a lock for a fifth Roland Garros crown? Tom Perrotta ain't so sure.

- FOXSports.com has some big questions about the boys + the ladies at Roland Garros.

[Photo(s): Getty Images]

VIDEO VAULT: Latest scenes from "WTA Girls Behaving Badly" leaked!

Here are some leaked scenes from the tour's recurring drama-filled reality show "WTA Girls Behaving Badly" both starring - SHOCKER - Jelena Jankovic with appearances by Serena Williams + Ana Ivanovic.

Well don't just sit there - WATCH:



SCENE 1: The third set tie-break of their Rome semifinal. JJ goes to serve, ReRe raises her hand up to signal she wasn't ready to receive it. JJ wins the tie-break and the match. At their post-match handshake ReRe apologizes for stopping the Serb mid-serve and allegedly says in her defense, "I'm not Justine" referring to the infamous "Henin Handgate" that occurred during their contentious match at Roland Garros in 2003. Click here for a reminder of THAT one.


Original Video- More videos at TinyPic

SCENE 2: JJ defeats NaturAna in second round of Madrid for her first win on clay over her countrywoman. After the victory she's shown courtside grinning and performing fist-pumps and an uppercut that's supposedly in mockery of NaturAna's penchant for ridiculous amounts of that motion (causing fans to suffer what's now commonly known in tennis circles as FPF or "Fist Pump Fatigue." Thanks AI.) To the victor go the spoiled sportsmanships.

LOVE this show! That JJ is some kind of scene-whore, huh?

In any case, stay tuned for more scenes from "WTA Girls Behaving Badly." I mean, we still have half a season left. There's bound to be more drama 'round the corner. At least we can hope so.

*sets DVR*

(UPDATED) SIGHTING: Dashing Reeshard arrives in Lausanne for CAS hearing

Richard Gasquet arrived in Lausanne, Switzerland to face the Court of Arbitration Sport (CAS) for the testing positive for cocaine earlier this year.

An independent tribunal brought in by the ITF cleared the Frenchie in July - 2 1/2 months into his ban - and he was allowed to return to the ATP World Tour after claiming the substance entered his system through a tainted kiss. However, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have asked the CAS to ban Reeshard for one to two years.


I'm sure Reeshard is feeling a bit uneasy, and understandably so, after the recent 1-year bans received by Yanina Wickmayer + Xavier Malisse and the revelation by Andre Agassi that he lied about a positive drug test in 1997 and escaped a suspension.

On a positive note (no pun intended, swear) he's looking great for his court appearance. The second photo could be an ad for something though probably not this one for obvs reasons.

UPDATE: The ruling is expected to come in December.

(Photos: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images)

Wicky still looking to appeal while The X-Man hints at calling it a career

Yanina Wickmayer seemed none too pleased after getting approached by an Indonesian journalist at Nusa Dua in Bali a day after getting hit with a one-year ban for violating doping regulations. She voluntarily with drew from The Tournament of Champions today after learning the news.

Though she is still considering an appeal, the suspension would still stand during the process which would keep her out of the game for several months. Wicky would need to take her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The U.S. Open semifinalist's spokesperson, Rudi Kuyl, said her lawyers are considering asking the CAS to suspend the ruling which, "[t]hey have never done this, but apparently they can do it," he said.


Xavier Malisse broke down in tears at a press conference in Antwerp, Belgium while discussing his ban. The former Top-20 baller was handed the year-long suspension after missing a test and failing to inform his whereabouts twice to national anti-doping officials.

The X-Man sounded defeated in the presser and wasn't sure if he would fight the ban:

It is very hard to come back...in a year's time I will be 30 and a half. I will then have to play Challengers and Futures again. That is something I can't really see myself doing. It is hard to get a one-year suspension if you never used doping.

Tough times indeed. Stay tuned.

(Photos: Reuters, AP)

(UPDATED) THE LOW DOWN: Wicky + The X-Man slapped with one-year suspensions - is "Agassi Effect" in play?

Compatriots Yanina Wickmayer + Xavier Malisse were both handed shocking one-year bans today by the Flemish Doping Tribunal after both Belgian ballers violated doping regulations.

The U.S. Open semifinalist, who is currently in Bali competing in the Tournament of Champions, is reportedly being accused of failing to fulfill the ADAMS (Anti-Doping Administration and Management System) three times. Under this WADA policy ballers must notify their national anti-doping officials about their whereabouts for one hour every day over a 3-month period. The X-Man was accused of missing required drug tests and was therefore handed the ban.

Both ballers can appeal the ruling.

I'm curious to hear their explanations, particularly Wicky's reasons for failing to report her whereabouts three times. It's a tough measure but a one-year suspension seems pretty harsh. As for The X-Man, it seems he missed actual tests which is a whole, different story. His ban isn't so surprising in this case. It looks like they're viewing both offenses as being equal, however. Interesting.

On another note, I wonder if Andre Agassi's recent revelation that he lied to the ATP about a positive drug test and escaped punishment in 1997 is playing out here in any way. Are they possibly setting an example with the two Belgians?

UPDATE: Wicky has voluntarily withdrawn from Bali and is planning an appeal.

(Photos: Getty)

VIDEO VAULT: Bonnie D. Ford breaks down Serena + Andre

(Edit: To view the video click on the headline to open the post.)

One of my fave tennis journos, Bonnie D. Ford, talks to ESPN.com's Jennifer Williams and gives some good insight on two of the sports biggest and most controversial figures.

Bonnie discusses the effect of Serena Williams' Doha win on women's tennis and how it will effect her image after the US Open debacle.

She also talks Andre Agassi, who will give his first interview since the controversial admissions from his autobiography "Open" were released on 60 Minutes this Sunday. Set the DVR peeps.

(video via espn.com)

(UPDATED) THE LOW DOWN: Agassi's meth admission

In his forthcoming autobiography "Open" Andre Agassi admits to using crystal meth in 1997.

The first mention of this revelation was in a tweet by Sports Illustrated writer Richard Deitsch earlier today and was later confirmed by The New York Daily News who spoke to a publicist at Knopf, publisher of the book. Incidentally, the tweet by Deitsch has since been removed but was published here. Gotta love the internets.

Many people have found it to be surprising, even shocking, to hear this news. I wonder if it's the type of drug, crystal meth, that has people confounded. Maybe we'd all feel a little more indifferent if it was marijuana, or even cocaine, Andre admitted to using. We're used to those drugs in tennis.

Athletes are normal, albeit gifted, people living extraordinary lives which just means they have greater access to things we could or would do if given the opportunity. We don't like to like to imagine our heroes are prone to the same struggles and pitfalls we're all confronted with in our own lives. But they are.

I'd be more surprised if I peeked in and found only good, clean living over the span of an athlete's lifetime. This news? Not so much.

"Open" will be released on November 9.

UPDATE: Andre admits to lying to ATP officials after testing positive for crystal meth saying he ingested it by drinking from an associate's "spiked soda." The ATP reviewed the case and threw it out. He also admits he's always secretly hated playing tennis but lived in fear of his violent father.

UPDATE #2: Andre was asked about fan reaction to his drug use - "I was worried for a moment, but not for long. ... I wore my heart on my sleeve and my emotions were always written on my face. I was actually excited about telling the world the whole story." (via People.com)

UPDATE #3: WADA wants an explanation.

(Photo: Knopf)

QUOTE OF THE DAY: WOZZI

I could possibly have finished the match, but felt there was no way I could get ready for the second round on Thursday, so I chose the sporting way and let her go through. She's also [playing] at home.

- Caroline Wozniacki's explanation to Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet on her mid-match injury retirement against Anne Kremer in the first round of Luxembourg after leading 7-5, 5-0.

Papa Piotr also discussed the incident with the paper, which occurred during a live mic on-court coaching session, and told them "I said to her,'Caroline, whether it is 5-0, 4-1 or 3-2 at the next change of ends, you have to decide if you will be able to play the next match. Then make the right decision." The move has prompted the WTA to review a tape of the match after reports surfaced the conversation was posted online leading some bets to possibly be put on the homegirl.

I do think Wozzi was being a good sport knowing she would most likely not be able to play her next match due to the leg injury. But this incident does highlight the fact that the on-court coaching discussions can be easily heard by anyone and used for any purpose, including betting.

(Photo: Reuters)

THE LOW DOWN: Pim Pim outs Curlbis as "john" in Stockholm

Is Ernests Gulbis one of the two ballers who was detained over the weekend for soliciting sex from prostitutes in Stockholm, Sweden?

According to HCFoo, Joachim "Pim Pim" Johansson revealed in his blog that the Latvian lad had "already acknowledged" his involvement:

Monaco found out last night that he was accused in the Argentine press of being the player who bought sex during the weekend while Gulbis already acknowledged. He will probably have a difficult time before the match on Wednesday. I'll try to take advantage of it early in the match ...

No word yet on whether Pico has been confirmed as the other baller.

I guess boys will be boys. But why pay for it? I could point out a number of DtL readers (and one blogger) who'd probably give it up to them for free. They'd just have to pay for travel, hotel and expenses. Wait - is that still considered "whorish?"

(Photo: Zimbio)

THE LOW DOWN: Things are heating up Down Under

It seems Bernard Tomic won't be getting an invite to the Hewitt household for dinner any time soon.

Team Tomic, including Bernie, his father John, and their handlers, has caused a rift with compatriot Lleyton Hewitt stemming from a request made by the 2-time Grand Slammer during this year's Wimbledon. While preparing for a fourth round encounter with Radek Stepanek on the middle Sunday, Lleyton and his team reached out to the rising 16-year old and his camp.

David Drysdale, Lleyton's manager, discussed the incident with The Age:

As Team Hewitt tells it, several phone calls were made to Tomic, his father and an IMG agent on the Saturday evening, asking if Tomic would hit at 1pm the following day. There was no response, but the 16-year-old was present when Hewitt arrived to practice. His physiotherapist, Ivan Gutierrez, made the approach to the Tomic entourage.

''We turned up and saw the Tomics around and we thought, 'oh, maybe they got our message, and they were there to hit with Lleyton', so Ivan went over to Bernard's trainer at the time, Rudy [Sopko], and said; 'is Bernard here to hit'? Drysdale said.

''Rudy knew nothing of it, but said; 'look, Bernard's looking for a practice partner and I think Bernard would like to do it', but then the agent came in and said; 'no, he's not hitting with Lleyton, Lleyton's not good enough'.''

''They were his words: 'Lleyton's not good enough', and we just about dropped on the spot. We were pretty dumbfounded. Lleyton just could not believe it, and the more he thought about it the angrier he got about it.''

Drysdale then approached Juan Carlos Ferrero who happened to be courtside to discuss a possible practice session with Lleyton. The Spaniard told him,

'no, no, I've got a practice partner, but that young Australian kid Tomic, he just came and asked me to hit, why don't you ask him'?

Uh-oh. Of course, Bernie's agent Lawrence Frankopan denied all wrong doing:

The idea that an IMG agent would say that a multiple grand slam champion was not good enough to hit with a 16-year-old, that's just ridiculous. It's laughable.

When Frankopan was asked why Team Tomic would go to another right-handed baseliner he replied, "Unfortunately I wasn't necessarily involved in the dealings at that time.''

Gotta love the ol' "step around" right there. But those involved on Lleyton's side see one person as the culprit here: Papa John, who isn't afraid of a little controversy himself. In fact, last season he had to publicly apologize after having words with an umpire and pushing Bernie to default a match over accusation his opponent was being allowed to foot fault during the match.

Accoring to Drysdale,

There's no way Lleyton as a junior would ever had said 'no' in that situation … I know it's John Tomic who made the decision. We can't completely penalise Bernard for it … and I hope that [new Davis Cup coach] Todd Woodbridge can sort all this out, because I think that one of the problems with the Tomics is that Tennis Australia has been trying to pin their hopes on someone for so long, since Lleyton, and they're so desperate to get someone other than Lleyton, that they're allowing this guy to get away with far too much.

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out for Australia's opening Davis Cup tie next season and whether Bernie will be asked to join their country's squad. Unfortunately, we've all seen this scenario play out before in tennis with the father-as-coach wielding control over their son's or daughter's career in an unfortunate manner.

Let's hope Bernie doesn't pay the price for his father's mistakes. Again.

(Photos: AP, Getty)

USTA offers apology for Dinara dust up

The USTA has offered an apology for the handling of Dinara Safina's third round match which saw the top lady baller ousted by Petra Kvitova.

The Russian, whose match was first up that evening, was none too pleased about being moved to Louis Armstrong so James Blake's match could be started.


According to WTA tour CEO Stacy Allaster,

The U.S.T.A. has acknowledged they should have notified Dinara and the players much earlier in the process of what was going to happen. I think they’ve apologized for that and I think that what’s most important now is we move forward. They’re going to look at their procedures and try to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

Serena Williams was asked about the incident in her post-match presser and came to D's defense:

Q. Safina, because the day session ran long, her match was supposed to be the first on at night on Ashe got moved to Louis Armstrong. She was disappointed in that. She thought it was disrespectful that the women's match got moved. Any opinion on that? If placed in a situation like that, would you be upset?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, why didn't they move the men's match again? They were second on.

Q. She said they told her they wanted to give fans the chance to see a best of five set match and they moved her to Armstrong.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think that was just a good thing to tell her to silence her at that moment. But I have to take her side on this. I think that she was first on. She should've played at 7:00. They should have moved the men's match. Simple as that, that's how it should be done. If you're supposed to play a match, you're supposed to play it, and then you move the next match.

Firstly, nice to see the ladies' stick up for each other here even amongst all the smack talk that's been going around.

It was a total slap in the face to the top seed Dinara and I'm glad the USTA acknowledged their unfortunate mistake.

(Photo: Getty)

The Samurais extend HotHaas an olive branch...and a beer

The Samurais would like to make an amends with Tommy Haas Obama-style.

The German was visibly irritated by the rowdy supporters of eventual LA champ Sam Querrey during their semifinal bout and described the group as having "no class" afterwards.

But now the shirtless wonders are trying to calm the stormy waters, though they still disagree on the matter at hand:

First off, we would like to extend an apology to Tommy Haas for what he he believes was 'inappropriate' and 'classless' behavior.... Contrary to what Tommy Haas asserted, we were not cheering his errors and missed serves (our restraint is something we actually take pride in), but, simply applauding (yes, in a pretty boisterous fashion) the unbelievable effort from our former classmate and good friend, Sam Querrey. We understand that this line can easily be blurred in a competitive tennis match and therefore apologize to Haas for the confusion. To make up for it, we would like to follow in the steps of the White House, and offer to take Haas out for a beer (Beck's of course) and reconcile our differences at the upcoming U.S. Open Championships.... Again, we are simply trying to direct some passion and spirit toward the great game of tennis that we all love.... The Samurai.

Ah, just what tennis needs - a little back and forth. If the ladies can do it, why can't the boys?

Let's just say I can't wait for the rematch.

(images via getty)

Anti-doping officials now investigating Tamira - boobs to blame?

Hot on the heels of Richard Gasquet's kiss-and-tell cocaine drama comes word of an investigation into Tamira Paszek's medical treatment earlier this month which allegedly violates anti-doping rules..

The Austrian lady baller, who has been struggling with chronic back issues, received blood that had been taken for enrichment and then later injected which is not allowed.

The 18-year old alerted anti-doping officials after learning the procedure was possibly illegal from a reporter.

Ugh, this has to suck for Tamira. I give her credit for alerting the anti-doping officials as soon as she found out the procedure was illegal. Let's hope they take this action into consideration when determining her case.

But with regards to the back issues, I might be stating the obvious here but could the problems of the 5' 5" lady baller be caused by Exhibit Double D's?

Like, whoa.