Boris Becker + Polo Ralph Lauren join forces for Legends Clinic

Clothing giant Polo Ralph Lauren is hosting its first ever Legends Clinic to celebrate its fifth year as Official Outfitter for next week's Wimbledon. The live interactive virtual tennis clinic will be held on Thursday, June 17, at 11 am EST and will feature 3-time champion Boris Becker answering e-mailed questions, demonstrating techniques and offering tips on how to improve your game.

The clinic will be streamed exclusively over at RalphLauren.com/Wimbledon. You can also submit your questions to the tennis legend at the site as well!

[Photo(s): Ralph Lauren]

VIDEO VAULT: Murray up to his old (and really new) tricks again

Andy Murray busts out his bag of tricks in this promo spot for HEAD.

Now if only Muzz could pull these out in a Grand Slam final. His opponent would be dust.

Ah, well. Reality bites.

Sharapova to The Guardian: "I had so many excuses...it would have been easy to walk away."

The Guardian has a revealing interview with a philosophic Maria Sharapova on the eve of Wimbledon, a tourney she grabbed as a tall yet slight 17-year old with a ball-bashing game. She gives us insight into the questions she faced while dealing and recovering from the injuries to her shoulder and elbow, the strain of being separated from her parents while building her game at the Nick Bollettieri Academy in Florida and that special day in 2004 when she defeated Serena Williams to become the Wimbledon champion.

On deciding to return to the WTA tour while dealing with her injuries:

I had so many ways I could have got out. I had so many excuses I could have made that it would have been easy to walk away. I could have said that no one else in tennis has ever come back from a serious rotator-cuff injury to their shoulder. I could have said I've made enough money to last me the rest of my life. I could have said I've done this and done that.

My family and I built my whole career from scratch. It wasn't like I had a famous boyfriend who made my career. I didn't have a magazine that made my career. So I could have chosen to stop playing because we did it ourselves. But I love the sport too much to wake up and say I no longer want to do it. I missed it. It got to the point where I would look at books and pictures of some great moments I had on court just to remember what it felt like.

On being separated from her mom, Yelena, during the Bollettieri years:

I didn't see my mom for two years. Back then there were no cell phones and, oh my goodness, no email! All I had was a pen and some paper, and so I wrote letters that would arrive back home a month later.

I was young and happy. I was in Florida, in the sunshine, learning a new language and playing tennis. But it was very difficult for my mom to lose her husband and daughter.

It was very tough for her. She was about 27 when I left for America with my dad. I'm not far off that age myself now and so I can imagine what it must have been like for her.

On her experience at the Nick Bollettieri Academy:

I was much younger than the other girls who boarded at the Academy. I was teased a lot by them. I was never a part of their groups. But [t]hat's the way it was. It was really tough but it was also a good learning experience. It matured me in many different ways. It made me realise at a young age that, sometimes, you have to be on your own. There are going to be tough times but you'll get through it. And then you'll see your dad on the weekend and it'll be easier then. I think I came out of it much stronger.

I didn't have much time to socialise but there's no doubt I had my share of tough days when you don't quite know why you feel so bad. Why didn't I play as well? Why did I lose when I should've won? But those lows are important. If everything was going smoothly you would never build your character.

On winning Wimbledon as such a young age:

It was a shock to me. I never thought I was physically and mentally ready to last two weeks and seven matches against all kinds of opponents. And looking back at that moment of victory, when I was just so happy after beating Serena Williams in the final, I also think how fearless I was. To win Wimbledon at 17! Sometimes in life you get these little door openings and I just took it and played some great tennis.

On the value of learning:

I started taking French lessons when I was out with the elbow injury. I went to a language school every morning and it was really fun. I have my homework with me right now in this thick folder. I'm keeping up with it.

[Boyfriend Sasha Vujacic will] try to come over for Wimbledon but I'm doing my homework until then. I love it. I had to get my high school diploma via the internet and I remember being so excited when I got my books at the start of it. And before that, when we were reunited as a family, my mother made me do a lot of school work. I would study history and even mathematics in Russian. I'm so grateful now.

I hit a ball for a living, but I have that passion to keep learning. I have those values my parents gave me, and they constantly remind me that the first thing is to be a good person and the second is to be a professional – without even having the word 'tennis' in front of it. It's been a tough journey, but I wouldn't change anything about it.

[Photo(s): Getty Images]

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Fran

For Schiavo, nothing is impossible for sure but I don't know what will happen.

- Francesca Schiavone on her Wimbledon prospects after losing her opening round match at Eastbourne to Sorana Cirstea

Normally I'd find someone speaking in the third person about their own rallying cry a bit corny. But with Fran it somehow seems, eh, just right.

Give that girl a pass.

[Photo(s): Getty Images]

Dementieva pulls out of Wimbledon with injury

Elena Dementieva has pulled out of next week's Wimbledon with the calf injury she sustained in her second round match at Roland Garros. The Russian was forced out of her semifinal against eventual winner Francesca Schiavone because of the injury, her first retirement in 43 major appearances.

I still have fond memories of that epic Wimby semifinal last year between Elena + Serena Williams, the best ladies' match of 2009. *sigh* The World No. 5 will take a huge hit in the rankings since she won't be able to defend those points.

Can you imagine a WTA Top 10 without a single Russian holding court? Bizarro.

[Photo(s): Getty Images]

Samurai, Lleyton and Li get their grass-court games in gear for Wimbledon

Sam Querrey became the first baller to win a title on three different surfaces this season after defeating compatriot Mardy Fish 7-6 (3), 7-5 at Queen's Club. He won his first title of the year on hard at Memphis, second on clay in Belgrade and this week on grass. It's a tremendous win for Samurai especially when you consider who was in the draw at the start of the week: World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Andy Roddick to name just a few. He seems primed to do better than his career-best second round appearance at Wimbledon.


Lleyton Hewitt decided 15 straight losses were enough and shocked Roger Federer 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4 at Halle where the Swiss holds a lifetime contract. It was the Aussie's debut at the tourney and, more importantly, his first win over the 16-time Grand Slammer since he beat Fed in five sets at Davis Cup in 2003. As for Fed he lost for only the second time in his last 78 matches on the slick stuff, the only other one being the epic Wimbledon final in 2008 against Rafa.

Lleyton will be, what's the word, RELIEVED to have that monkey off his back and he'll no doubt like his chances to make a good run at Wimby now. But what about Fed, who hasn't won a title since capturing the Aussie Open in January? Well, he's on his best surface entering the tourney he loves the most so he should be feeling good about that. But his confidence isn't living at its usual heights (as evidenced by his recent losses) which might make him vulnerable early on at Wimby. He's an expert at managing his game over the two weeks of a major, though, so if he gets through the first one relatively unscathed he could still go all the way.


Li Na went one further this year in Birmingham but needed to defeat Maria Sharapova again to get there. The Chinese lady baller, who ousted Shrieka last season in the semifinals but lost in the final, once again bested the Russian 7-5, 6-1 to claim the crown. Nice win for Li and a good effort by the former Wimby champ to get to another final. But Shrieka threw down 7 DF's in the match after smacking 12 aces in the semifinals which shows real inconsistency in her serve. She'll be looking at another early round loss at The All England Club if she doesn't get that part of her game under control.

Noticeable Notables:

Dinara Safina lost her fifth straight match going down this time to Magdalena Rybarikova 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of 's-Hertogenbosch. I'm not feeling too good about her chances to defend the Wimby semifinal appearance from last year or even make it past the first week, and that could mean a big tumble down the rankings. Like out of the Top 30 even.

Novak Djokovic & Jonathan Erlich were REALLY happy about the men's doubles title they won at Queen's Club:


Let's hope they double up s'more.

[Photo(s): Getty Images]

My latest column over at S & S is up!

Just a pause as I bring you a self-promo moment courtesy of my friends over at the tennis site.

My newest "Who's Hot?" column is up and it features one of my fave tennis wags. Click here to find out who.

Here's a hint: Like me, she's into real joysticks. Not the Playstation kind boys.

Nadal + Murray beaten at Queen's Club, Top 6 seeds now out

Rafael Nadal is out.

Andy Murray is out.

The Top 6 seeds at Queen's Club are now out. Ugh.

Rafa fell to compatriot Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (5), 6-4 while Muzz completed his match that postponed for darkness yesterday (under controversy) and lost 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (2) to Mardy Fish. The American played his quaterfinal match afterward defeating Michael Llodra 6-4, 6-4.

So it's Fish versus Feli and Sam Querrey, who beat Xavier Malisse 6-3, 7-5, versus Rainer Schuettler, who ousted Dudi Sela 7-5, 6-4, in the semifinals.

Not the final four anyone would've predicted. At all.

[Photo(s): Getty Images]

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Rafa

I felt something after he handled it.

- Rafael Nadal discussing the injury scare to his Rafarse at Queen's Club today

'Something'? The word is 'fulfilled' Rafa.

Trust.

[Photo(s): AFP/Getty Images]

Big boys take a beating at Queen's Club

"Look Ma! I can fly!"

Many of the top ballers have been struggling this week as the tour's moved from the long clay-court season to the short-as-all-hell grass tour. Just ask Andy Roddick, Novak Djokovic and Marin Cilic.

Fourth seed A-Rod made his earliest exit from Queen's Club since his first round exit in 2001 when he was shocked 6-4, 7-6 (8) by Israel's Dudi Sela in the third round today. To his credit Dude played exceptionally well mixing up his backhand and blocking back the American's booming serve to neutralize his advantage. But A-Rod seemed like he left his aggressive stance in his Babolat bag, playing too much from the back court and not imposing his bigger game on Dude.

Afterward, he told the press he won't take a WC into Eastbourne next week:

I'm not gonna go into a panic mode and start doing that stuff. I'll try to get some practice in. I'll probably get more time on the track or in the gym. Maybe I'll figure out if there's some shows or a concert to kind of get away and take my mind off the fact that I'm not playing here.

Since winning the Sony Ericsson Open back in March A-Rod has played five matches and won three (2 - Roland Garros, 1- QC.) Let's hope he gets some really, I mean REALLY good practice sessions in with all the points he needs to defend as last year's Wimby finalist. An early round loss could mean a big drop in the rankings for the World No. 7.


Second seed Novak Djokovic was booted by Xavier Malisse 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 and complained that the playing conditions were dangerous:

The whole match you can feel the rain and the court was extremely slippery. A couple of times I could have injured myself, to stretch the muscle or something like that.

Let's hope his loss has more to do with the conditions than with his game, particularly any lingering effects from his quarterfinal loss to Jurgen Melzer at Roland Garros. I thought he might take that loss hard which, if true, would put a second week appearance at Wimby in serious jeopardy.


And fifth seed Marin Cilic went down 7-6 (2), 6-2 to Michael Llodra who is consulting with Amelie Mauresmo this grass season. Nice win for this newly formed team. I'd say Momo has given him some good advice based on this result. Good on ya Frenchies.

Plus, did you hear about the drama between Andy Murray + Mardy Fish during their match? Check it here, if you're into that kinda thing.

[Photo(s): Getty Images]