By Scoop Malinowski

Status: 1978 Roland Garros champion.

DOB: January 31, 1955 In: Campia Turzil, Romania

First Tennis Memory: “Fed Cup in 1973. First time Romania ever played in the competition. First time I was going out kind of Romania. And going all the way to the semifinal.”

Tennis Inspirations: “Ilie Nastase of course [laughs]. Tiriac, Nastase with the Davis Cup final against US in Romania. They were all an inspiration for me.”

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Alexander Zverev earned his first Masters Series title yesterday in Rome with a dominant 64 63 win over Novak Djokovic. It looked like a routine win with the German getting his breaks early in each set. The final point was a Djokovic return long and Zverev’s reaction was quite muted given the specialty of the occasion. I still remember Roger Federer crying after winning his first Masters Series title in Hamburg vs Safin.

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Even as Novak Djokovic was stunning Dominic Thiem in the semis ceding only one game and then suprisingly losing in straight sets to Sasha Zverev in the finals of Rome, Djokovic had the last hurrah, naming former world no. 1 Andre Agassi to be his new coach. It’s not clear yet whether Agassi will be only a sometimes coach at the slams the way Ivan Lendl is for Andy Murray or whether Agassi will be more hands-on. But always known for his quickness, Agassi is suddenly back and for the French, where Agassi might’ve had his greatest slam win back in 1999.

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By Scoop Malinowski

Dominic Thiem convinced me today that he is ready to win Roland Garros and I believe he will in a matter of weeks.

He showed today he can not only exchange brutal topspin rallies with Rafael Nadal on red clay but he can outplay, outsmart and out-grind the king of clay.

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Interesting changes coming to the ATP Tour. Take a look…

The ATP has announced a series of rule changes and innovations set to be tested at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan this November. The season-ending tournament will see the world’s top 21-and-Under players of the season competing for total prize money of US$ 1.275 million from 7-11 November.
The rule changes, aimed at creating a high-tempo, cutting-edge, and TV-friendly product, are geared towards attracting new and younger fans into the sport, while at the same time retaining the sport’s traditional fan-base. The following rule changes will be applied in Milan:

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An ATP elite is no longer and ATP elite when he stops beating top players. John Isner doesn’t have that identity crisis in 2017. Not after today’s round of sixteen thrashing of Stan Wawrinka in Rome in straight sets.

The 32 year old Isner has had an average year to date, going 8-8 on the season and coming off a heartbreaking 76 in the third loss to Ernesto Escobedo in Houston in his most recent tournament.

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By Scoop Malinowski

Playing serious competitive tennis for two decades has brought great pleasure, excellent fitness, improved play and also an entertainment factor of experiencing so many mind games from opponents.

Mind games and gamesmanship make tennis more intriguing and fun to play. Because you have to know how to properly handle these attempts to rattle your psyche.

I remember playing an older top player in Sarasota at Bath & Racquet Club in a set up match. I was leading 3-love in the third when the opponent on the changeover feigned total exhaustion. I still remember the image of his body draped over a waist-high fence, as if he might quit the match. Guess what?

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[caption id="attachment_7643" align="alignleft" width="169"] Dimitrov unleashes a serve.[/caption]Grigor Dimitrov finally appeared to be on the verge of his long-awaited journey to tennis greatness earlier this year in Australia. In the fifth set vs Nadal of the Australian Open semifinals, this was the perfect moment for Dimitrov to take the next step.

But Nadal wouldn’t let Dimitrov take that step. Nadal won 6-4 in the fifth and Dimitrov has suffered a severe downward spiral (though he did win his second title of the year in Bulgaria which was his next event after Australia).

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Ivo Karlovic, John Isner, Sam Querrey, Rajeev Ram commit to player field of
Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open

NEWPORT, R.I., May 11, 2017 – Defending Champion Ivo Karlovic, two-time champions John Isner and Rajeev Ram, and Sam Querrey, who was a finalist in 2009, are the first four players to commit to the player field for the 2017 Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open. The four players have a strong history at Newport’s annual ATP World Tour stop, having collectively appeared in six of the eight finals since 2009, and winning 5 singles titles among them in that time.

Isner · Ivo · Querrey · Rajeev