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Exclusive Biofile with Sarasota Open Official Photograther Janet Combs!
5 Comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Bios
By Scoop Malinowski
Status: Official Photographer Elizabeth Moore Sarasota Open. Photojournalist for Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Your Observer and USA TODAY Network and Sarasota Scene Magazine.
First Memory Of Sarasota Open: My first memory of the Sarasota Open was photographing in 2010 and seeing how hot and miserable Kali and Charlie because I signed them up to be ball kids during August at the Longboat Key Club.
Favorite Photographer: Wade Thomas is my favorite photographer because he constantly gets photos with balls on the strings (okay his camera does shoot 24 frames in 1 second!)
Greatest Sarasota Open Moment: My greatest moment covering the Sarasota Open was when I got a phone call telling me that my shot of Kei Nishikori was going to be on the cover of a Japanese tennis magazine!
Funny Sarasota Open Memory: My funniest memory of the Sarasota Open is when Liam Draxl missed a shot and screamed, “Oh my God, I don’t believe it!”
Embarrassing Sarasota Open Memory: When I missed photographing the winners of the doubles finals (2025) because I was at my desk editing tennis photos from the previous days.
Favorite Sarasota Open Player To Photograph: Federico Gomez because of his split-shots – he slides across the clay and ends up in a split – and he is a big boy!
Funniest Sarasota Open Players: The ones who laugh at themselves and make funny comments out loud after a bad shot.
Why Do You Love The Sarasota Open: I love the Sarasota Open because it is filled with athletes who demonstrate how a healthy body in motion works and how the mind strategically thinks, plans and executes. Watching the body and mind working together in every player on our courts shows what we are capable of.
(Top photo: Janet Combs action photo by Ray Collins.)
Janet Combs Photographer contact photogsrq@gmail.com
The Sarasota Open Experience book is now available at amazon books for $9.99!
Federico Gomez · Janet Combs · Kei Nishikori · Liam Draxl · Sarasota Open
Steve · April 17, 2025 at 8:04 am
She really understands the essence of tennis
Scoop Malinowski · April 17, 2025 at 4:41 pm
And to my knowledge, Steve she is not a player. But she gave a terrific Biofile from her unique perspective.
catherine · April 19, 2025 at 5:30 am
You don’t have to be a player.You just need to be a good photographer who understands the basics of the game and has an eye for action and/or inaction.
One of the photographers on our magazine years ago won a prize for his pictures but his expertise on court was nil.
Scoop Malinowski · April 19, 2025 at 8:20 am
It’s true, some of the most astute experts in boxing and tennis were not very good players. The non players can see things maybe the best players don’t. Like in boxing, Muhammad Ali made some terrible predictions of major fights – like predicting Ken Norton would beat George Foreman and Michael Spinks would beat Mike Tyson. Norton lost by KO 2 and Spinks lost by KO 1. Even when I was first starting as a serious player back in mid 90s I somehow could see young Marcelo Rios would be a great player and predicted he would be no. 1.
Scoop Malinowski · April 21, 2025 at 8:02 am
Ben Shelton’s gf and soccer star Trinity Rodman is actually the daughter of NBA great Dennis Rodman https://mrbiofile.com/2022/02/15/biofile-dennis-rodman-interview/