Tennis Prose




Feb/13

27

It’s Raining In Delray but some interesting things still happened today…

Blake and Sock went out to hit in the morning. Sock was wearing a backwards blue visor.

Dolgopolov was playing a high intense practice set with his compatriot Molchenkov, both were really going at it on court four. It was a bonus for the morning crowd while Levinsky and Lu played doubles on the stadium first match against Cerretani and Vasselin. Dolgo was playing harder with more sound effects and emotional outbursts than when he competes in live ATP matches, which was interesting. He showed frustrations and also a hop step and a light giggle when he converted a beautiful serve and volley to win a game, as he shuffled a semi-high celebratory shuffle to his chair. Molchenkov came over and gave a horizontal hand five. Dolgo is not here this week with Jack Reader, it seems his new coach is his dad Oleg. Mom is also here and son looks much more like her, similar facial features and hair style.

Dolgopolov also practiced last night on court four with his dad. After the practice he shared his memories of playing Federer in singles and doubles for my upcoming Federer book. Remember that doubles final he won with Malisse in Indian Wells vs. Fed and Stan? What an amazing display that match was, hopefully the Tennis Channel will replay that again sometime.

Go Saeda, who saved 3 MP’s yesterday vs. last year’s finalist Matosevic, was practicing with a Polish NCAA player from Chicago and Northwestern.

Remember Cyril Saulnier? He was in the crowd last night with some friends watching Nishikori vs. Dr. Ivo. He played Fed twice early in Fed’s career. I think I saw Ljubicic in the house but not 100% sure.

It’s nice to see Maylene Ramey here covering this event for another tennis site, she’s even nicer in person than she appears on the Tennis Channel.

Had the chance to speak with Aussie doubles player Nathan Healey about his match vs. Federer in a 16s tournament in Switzerland. Healey won it in three by the way.

Saw Matosevic leaving the tennis center, riding his bike in the rain back to his hotel in the early afternoon.

Denis Istomin was out early practicing again with his coach and mom. I didn’t know Istomin was in a car crash and did not play tennis for two and a half years. Istomin is ranked #42 now and has an impressive 12-5 record on the year.

So far this week I’ve been able to talk to many players about their memories of playing Federer, including Blake, Lu, Falla, Istomin, Sa, Phau, Dolgo, Healey.

Also had the chance to speak with a 16 year old named Chris Haushammer who served as John McEnroe’s sparring partner last week. I will post the interview with Chris next week. Apparently, Chris is a real up and comer as he said he played and decisively won a set off an ATP pro from Romania who has 9 ATP points.

No tags

9 comments

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 27, 2013 at 6:26 pm

    Sock’s volley form is better than the above photo shows )

  • Steve · February 27, 2013 at 7:00 pm

    No need to defend the photo –he’s mid karaoke step.

    “Remember that doubles final he won with Malisse in Indian Wells vs. Fed and Stan?” Absolutely. Amazing stuff. It’s on YouTube as is highlights of his singles match against Fed in Switzerland where Dolgo rolled his ankle/crashed and had to retire from the match.

    I always wanted to know how/why Dolgo gravitated towards an old box beam Wilson 95. Besides he and Fed, I wonder how many pros are using box beam.

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 27, 2013 at 7:27 pm

    Steve I will ask him or his dad about the Wilson. That doubles match is one of the best I’ve ever seen. Magical tennis.

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 27, 2013 at 7:36 pm

    Saw Sock and Malisse shooting hoops in the gym, and another player I didn’t know his name. X could ball. Also was speaking with a certain official who told me two absolutely astonishing separate stories about two non American former #1s off the court which are far too graphic to fully detail. One involved one player asking for a new Mercedes after crashing his previous one, which happened to be his third wreck total, and after getting rejected by the female rep he verbalized an unbelievable obscenity Well you can blank my blank, which cost him a $10,000 fine. The other player was known to befriend local hookers at tournaments and brought one into the hot tub in the gym in Memphis and was doing the wild thing, in plain view of at least one shocked official who had to walk by to get to where she was going.

  • Martin G · February 27, 2013 at 10:15 pm

    Hi Steve can you post link to that match?
    Thanks.

  • Steve · February 28, 2013 at 12:50 am

  • Harold · February 28, 2013 at 9:24 am

    Scoop, your next book could be “Locker Room Secrets of the ATP”

  • Steve · February 28, 2013 at 1:16 pm

    ^^ Hahahahaha

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 28, 2013 at 9:13 pm

    Harold, Dan and Spadea should do that one, bet Spadea knows a LOT more stuff than I do )

<<

>>

Find it!

Copyright 2010
Tennis-Prose.com
To top