Christian Harrison had a dilemma. Minutes before his doubles match with Jamie Cerretani vs Nick Gammons and Andre Goransson, Harrison realized he only had two Uomo Sport t shirts with a big logo on the front, he left his collared Uomo polos at home, thirty minutes south in Bradenton. His mom Susan didn’t have any Uomos in her car either. Hevwiujd not be allowed to play with a shirt with logos so big. So what was the solution? ATP officials would not even fine him, they wouldn’t let him on court with a shirt logo as big as a CD. I suggested to Christian to just wear the shirt inside out, which is what he did.
I asked Susan Harrison where son Ryan’s Roland Garros trophy is right now for winning doubles? She said Ryan recently moved back from Texas and it’s in a box and was recently polished. She added also that Pat Harrison also got a trophy as coach. I had never heard the tennis media say a coach also wins a Roland Garros trophy along with the winning players.
Steve Johnson was misunderstood by the chair umpire in his first round win vs Andrea Colkarini for saying after an error, “son of a biscuit.” The umpire thought Johnson said something more profane. People in the crowd defended Johnson and also told the umpire he said “biscuit.” Johnson beat Yosuke Watanuki in three sets tonight.
Sarasota Open announcer Ray Collins told me a funny story about Somdev Devvarman who is now coaching Sumit Nagal, who lost in singles to Jason Kubler. Nine years ago in 2013, Devvarman was playing Sarasota Open in Longboat Key and Collins was introducing Devvarman as a Miami Heat fan, infogleaned from the ATP bio on Somdev. Somdev corrected Collins saying it’s not true, he’s really not a Heat fan, but he asked Collins to keep saying it anyway because he’s winning. Devvarman won the doubles that year with Ilja Bozoljac.
Tennis fan Nina Schmidt, enjoying the action, is a former pro who even got to play against President Bush at Chris Evert’s charity event in Boca Raton. She said he was an okay player but the most competitive player she ever played against. Schmidt also said she was asked on a date by former NBA great Wilt Chamberlain. Schmidt revealed Wilt was a good tennis player and he really loved the sport but slices and lowballs were his kryptonite.
Rumor mill: Andre Agassi is a part time assistant coach for the UNLV tennis team.
Jack Sock and his wife were spotted at Siesta Key Beach today. Sock isn’t playing doubles this week.
The Sarasota Open has entered a long term deal with the city of Sarasota to stage the ATP Challenger event at the Payne Park venue. Announcer and former ABC anchor turned top real estate agent Collins is the force who set up the first lunch meeting of the tournament’s two owners with the Sarasota mayor.
Overheard… ATP supervisor to a ballboy in his 60s, “Get rid of the gum.” Ballboys are forbidden from chewing gum on court.
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