REUTERS/Michael Fiala via Daylife
It’s the incredible shrinking draw! Juan Martin Del Potro and Fernando Gonzalez are both confirmed “nos” for Indian Wells. Gonzalez, who is playing Davis Cup in Chile this weekend, has decided to stay in his country to help with earthquake relief (his efforts reportedly include organizing a Hit for Chile in Miami [...]

Juan Martin del Potro is reportedly joining Andy Roddick, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal (likely, but not confirmed) on the Davis Cup sidelines this March. He tweaked the wrist injury that’s been hampering him since October during a practice session on Thursday, and will now miss at least four weeks on tour, the BBC reports. [...]

Back when we were joking about possible names for Baby Federer – Roland, Wimby, Rafalito – we forgot an obvious contender: Laureus. Like many Major titles, Roger Federer has won the prestigious Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award multiple times. If history holds, he’ll win it for a record 5th time next month.
The 2010 [...]

Today was the start of Round of 16 action Down Under. It must stink to lose in the fourth round – so close to the final weekend yet so, so far. Let’s see who made it over the hump and who’s humping it back home.
Nadia Petrova isn’t happy just making it halfway. She backed up [...]

Let’s be honest, Day 5 Down Under kind of sucked.
I typed that sentence before listening to Kim Clijsters’s press conference. She confirmed it:
“I was completely off. Just, you know, I think tennis‑wise, I didn’t feel the ball at all. . .It sucks that it has to happen at this stage of this tournament at [...]

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INTENSE. That’s the only way to describe the evening hours in Melbourne park on Wednesday. And it’s how Justine Henin described it after beating Elena Dementieva, 7-5, 7-6, in 2 hours and 50 minutes on Rod Laver Arena. “My heart was there 200%” Justine said. We didn’t hear from Dementieva court [...]

A strange start to the Australian Open: rain, cold and an upset. As in really upset. Maria Sharapova went out in three sets and over three hours to Maria Kirilenko: 6-7, 6-3, 4-6. She smacked a total of 76 unforced errors on her way out of the tournament. Sharapova hasn’t lost in the first round [...]

Kooyong Chaos – doesn’t that sound like the latest trendy cocktail? (Make it a double, barkeep!) But alas, it’s the best way to describe the final days of this week’s AAMI Kooyong Classic exhibition tournament in Melbourne.
In what Australia’s The Age newspaper calls a “cotton wool approach” to Australian Open preparation, both Juan Martin [...]

Why so serious, guys? Sad that Roger pulled out?

REUTERS/Mick Tsikas via Daylife
The top guys did press on Tuesday in advance of the Kooyong AAMI Classic exhibition tournament, which starts on Wednesday. The line-up is led by Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin del Potro along with Robin Soderling, Fernando Verdasco, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Fernando Gonzalez, and Tommy [...]

Enough turkey, it’s back to tennis! Too bad the 2009 season is over. Here are a few of the loose threads begging to be tugged or tied:
All hail Nikolay Davydenko, King of Tennis! (At least for a month or two. . .) Yes, round robin makes for a different tennis ball game and the end [...]

Who’s the daddy?
After one of those evil twin starts, Big Poppa Federer arrived at the O2 arena on Tuesday evening, spanking Andy Murray in the final two sets of their round robin match at the ATP World Tour Finals: 3-6, 6-3, 6-1
This win improves Roger’s record against his Scottish nemesis to 4-6, and it’s the [...]

Yes! The ATP World Tour Finals can’t start before the requisite Men in Suits photo session. Along with the British press, another overlooked benefit of hosting the ATP World Tour Finals in London is seeing Federer, Nadal and the rest of the top guys in bespoke tailoring (at least I’ll pretend it is.) Here are [...]