I collected the perspective of Peter Haas, father of Tommy, of Roger Federer for my “Facing Federer” book…

Peter Haas (Father of Tommy Haas): “I know Roger very well. Tommy trains with him sometimes in Switzerland and other places. I’m a total, big-time Federer fan. Basically speaking, Tommy plays just like Roger, they both have the same old school backhand. That automatically makes me a Federer fan. They basically have the same basic type of game from an aesthetic point of view.”

"It's almost unbelievable that this type of person exists"

I was reading Jack Kramer’s old bio this weekend and one chapter had the former great American champion discussing the hypothetical Earth vs. The Universe Davis Cup team.

Right now, I’d select Djokovic and Nadal

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Whaddaya say, people? All I hear from the Steve’s and the adp’s and the Mitch’s and Harold’s on this site is that I don’t know nuthin’ about tennis. And then I come to you good folks at the beginning of this very same week and tell you I just watched Kei Nishikori, yes the same Kei who’s shown game for around 4 years now, manhandle Jurgen Melzer, and I told you that Kei was hitting a nasty ball and ready for a breakout performance.

Kei Stuns the King

I ran into Richard Williams in the VIP parking lot at the Sony Open in Miami, about 20 minutes after his daughter Serena won the title defeating Maria Sharapova. I gave him a copy of my Rios book, which he thanked me for, and then he voluntarily shared his compliments for Rios, a player he obviously respects highly.

“Marcelo Rios, in my opinion, is one of the greatest guys to play tennis.

"Rios was unreal"

Andy Murray broke through last year after losing in his first three slam finals. The only other current player to reach a slam finals without yet winning one is Jo-Willy Tsonga. So who will be the next slam-less player to win a slam? I say it’s not going to be Tsonga, Del Po, Berdych or Raonic. I don’t even think the suddenly mildly-formidable Richard Gasquet is the answer or the ageless Tommy Haas. I believe you’ve got to look at the No. 15 and No. 16 players in the rankings to find your answer.

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A lot of tennis fans are not too pleased that Jimmy Connors has went public with the story that he impregnated Chris Evert during their previous romantic relationship, early in their professional careers. Astonishingly, Jimbo also revealed details that his former lover had an abortion. Chris Evert, nicknamed The Ice Maiden and Chris America, of [...]

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The Challenger Tour is in Tallahasse this week, Jack Sock lost to Christian Harrison in the first round. Christian also beat Steve Johnson last week in Savannah in the first round. Brother Ryan, who won Savannah last week, defeating Facundo Arguello, and is now ranked #81, survived a three setter in first round in Tallahassee and will play Donald Young next.

Rhino on the rebound · Sock slumps

Status: 2012 U.S. Olympian. Has career wins over Wozniacki, Bartoli, Kuznetsova, Petrova, Hantuchova and Azarenka. Trains at Gordon Uehling’s Court Sense Facility in Tenafly, N.J.

DOB: May 11, 1992 In: Teaneck, N.J.

First memory of tennis: My first memory of tennis was playing with my older sister Lauren at the tennis courts at our apartment complex in Hong Kong. I was probably around six or seven years old.

Tennis inspirations: My tennis inspirations growing up were Venus and Serena.

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I went yesterday afternoon out to Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York with my 6-year-old son (soon to turn 7 on May 9) and my (she wouldn’t like it if I say her age so I won’t) mother. I had just taught two hot yoga classes, the first one with 50 students in it, the next with 27, so I was a bit tuckered. But we drove over the Whitestone Bridge with no traffic tie-ups and then parked (as you or I never can when the US Open is in session, right outside the back entrance to the National Tennis Center) and walked into the indoor facility where they were holding a tennis fair with a lot of camps, clothing and racquet designers there.

Tennis Obsession

Status: Winner of 1995 Australian Open and
Favorite Movies: “Funny movies, anything that makes me laugh.

Early Tennis Memory: “The first day I started. The pro at the club asked me how long I’ve been playing. And it was only like 45 minutes. And he said, ‘No, no, how long have you been playing?’ I said, ‘Yeah, just 45 minutes.’ He couldn’t believe it. It was kind of special because he put me right in with the kids who had already been playing.”

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