Tennis Prose




Jul/17

21

Newport Quotebook

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Tobias Kamke, Newport quarterfinalist who is 31 and had no ATP Tour main draw wins in 2017 before this week: “I was working hard even though the results were not that good. I kept on working on the things I thought were necessary to improve. Now, of course, if you get more wins, especially on the ATP Tour events, it feels very good. I feel comfortable moving here. I like my game on grass. I’ve been here once before, made the semis.”

John Isner on his fitness and ability to avoid injuries: “Everything I do is to keep my body as fit as I possibly can. I’m very fortunate to feel good and feel healthy and I’ve been healthy throughout my career. As long as I have that on my side I can just take the court with the right mindset, things will go my way…I always have someone at my disposal but that’s an investment I’ve made on my body and it’s paid off.”

Ivo Karlovic, age 39, after losing to Peter Gojowwczyk 67 76 67 in the QF to end his hopes of making four consecutive Newport finals: “It was a difficult match and it didn’t go my way. That’s life, that’s tennis. I was not really moving well. My reaction was not there. But the serve was good, volleys were okay, so I’ve got to look at the positives and continue with my journey. It was a good run here (three finals in a row including last year’s title win vs Muller). This year was a little bit short but hopefully next year will be a little bit more than this. Hopefully I will have my ranking up (25 right now) and I’ll be here next year. I just like (Newport) a lot so if I’m healthy and my ranking is up, I’m not going to stop (playing on the ATP World Tour).”

Peter Gojowczyk, on beating Karlovic for the third time in three tries on the ATP Tour: “I knew from the beginning it’s very tough to play against him, even on a grass court, so I’m very happy to beat him. I was focused on my serve and if I’m serving well, then it’s one or two points in the tiebreak. Maybe I was a little lucky in the first set tiebreaker because he double faulted on set point. Then I was a little bit nervous in the second because it’s only seven points.”

Bjorn Fratangelo, who has reached his first ATP QF this week, on his name: “It’s just my name. I don’t think about Borg. For me, it’s just my name. That’s what people call me. He was my dad’s idol growing up and they actually met him before I was born. And I guess they were picking some names and that was the one they went with.”

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11 comments

  • Scoop Malinowski · July 21, 2017 at 5:28 pm

    Scoop Malinowski writes:

    I watched Ivo lose to Gojo yesterday 67 76 67 and after the match Ivo went into the bleacher behind the one baseline and targeted an old fan about 60. Ivo was even pointing his finger at him and security came and escorted the old guy out. I was eavesdropping on the conversation with the supposed heckler who said he was only rooting for his guy. He seemed sincere and resigned to his fate of being thrown out and missing the Paes/Groth doubles match which was the final match of the day. Funny, I did not hear any heckling from this man who was about 30 feet to my left. But I can't imagine that Ivo would target an innocent old man and falsely accuse him of heckling him. Very strange.

  • Duke Carnoustie · July 21, 2017 at 6:45 pm

    Scoop, great story. I think we also have to believe Ivo because the idea that there was some diehard Gojowczyk fan at Newport is too far-fetched to fathom.

  • Dan Markowitz · July 21, 2017 at 8:27 pm

    Just sat through a whole match with Gilad Bloom who was coaching the 14-year-old my son was playing in his first 14’s match. My son lost 5 and 4, and Gilad said my son has a world class forehand, a national backhand and a sectional serve. Got to work on the serve. It’s hard for an 11-year-old to hold a good Continental grip.

    I spent an hour or more after the match with my son having practice kick serves to the backhand side of the boxes and then slices out wide and down the middle of the t.

    The match was at McEnroe’s in Eastchester (suburban New York City) and Gilad had come up from Riverdale where he coaches. My son’s opponent takes a two hour lesson every day with Gilad which costs like $600. And then I can only imagine what Gilad charged to come up to watch the match.

    I told him that Fritz Buehning who runs the McEnroe Eastchester club reached the finals of Newport with Peter Rennert, and Gilad said he won his second ATP point as a 16 year old beating Rennert, who was the no. 1 seed and a former top 70 player, at the Hawaiin Satellites. Afterward, he saw Rennert in a the hotel bar with like 20 cans of beer on his table in front of him. That’s one way of taking a loss. But I didn’t advise my son to take that route tonight.

  • Dan Markowitz · July 21, 2017 at 8:39 pm

    And Duke, btw, there was a T-Block fan base at Newport for Gojo. He has a huge fan base in Rhode Island. I hear in Providence he’s practically as big as Ernie DiGregorio.

  • Scoop Malinowski · July 21, 2017 at 8:54 pm

    Sometimes players are so enraged in battle or post battle they do odd things. An ex ballkid said moya threw a soaking wet nike shirt in his face. Nalbandians kick. Troicki chased a chair ump and had to be restrained by coach. I did not see or hear anything during the match and ivo made no issue of anything during the match except a disdainful hand flick when ballboy was slow to bring his towel after a lost point.

  • Andrew Miller · July 22, 2017 at 12:36 am

    Rios’ reaction to my telling him he was my favorite player was to turn around and walk away. Go figure.

  • Dan Markowitz · July 22, 2017 at 7:19 am

    Sometimes the tennis gods are looking after you. Brydan Klein got into the Atlanta qualis today when Frantangelo reached Newport semis and his first round match is against a 17 year old, Trent Bryde, who hasn’t won any kind of pro match. If Klein wins, he thinks he’ll have enough points to make US Open Qualis where the cut-off is this week.

  • Scoop Malinowski · July 22, 2017 at 7:25 am

    Scoop Malinowski writes:

    Bryde actually won a round in ATL two years ago at 15 but has done nothing since in the ATP or in juniors. So Klein should prevail.

  • Scoop Malinowski · July 22, 2017 at 7:27 am

    Scoop Malinowski writes:

    Andrew, we all know Rios was from another world. Maybe he had heard that line a million times and just tuned it out. A lot of illogical behavior from Rios.

  • Bryan · July 23, 2017 at 3:37 pm

    Newport is a fun tournament. With ITHOF ceremonies on Saturday I imagine there’s a lot of parties on the property.

    Roddick getting in was cool as 20013 and 2009 FO were epic. I wonder if only 1 major title warrants HOF induction though.

    Isner looks like he’s going to cruise through this final, the kid rn is a punching bag. This would be his first title of 2017 if I’m not mistaken.

  • Bryan · July 23, 2017 at 3:38 pm

    Meant to say: 2003 USO and 2009 FO were epic…

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