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RAFAEL Nadal concedes it is unlikely he will play tennis again in 2012.
Nadal has not picked up a racket since suffering a surprise second-round exit to Czech Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon in June.
Since then, the 26-year-old has missed the Olympic Games and US Open as he battles ongoing knee soreness.
"Impossible, no. But difficult, yes," Nadal said when asked whether he would make a comeback before the end of the season.
"I want to go day-by-day, I go every day to the gym, the swimming pool to continue with my recovery. I am trying not to think that far.
"It has been very, very tough for me because I feel that my knee didn't improve in the right way ... but the last couple of weeks the improvement in my knee is something that I can really feel.
"That helps me to keep working hard doing every day what I have do.
"I am working to try to come back to practice on the tennis court in a not very long period of time."
Nadal, an 11-time grand slam winner, has suffered his fair share of niggles over his career but very few long-term injuries and admitted he was unsure of how long this setback may persist.
"That is something I will know when my I feel my knee completely without pain when I start to practice," he said.
"I didn't have in the past this long period of time outside of the tennis court, outside of the competition.
"I can imagine when I come back I will need time to practice and practice more and more every day, maybe that will take one month and a half.
"The most important thing is to continue with the treatment ... when I don't feel nothing, hopefully that will happen soon, I will come back on the tennis court."
Tennis: Rafa Nadal admits injury likely to keep him out until next year - Other Sports, Sport - Independent.ie
Nadal has not picked up a racket since suffering a surprise second-round exit to Czech Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon in June.
Since then, the 26-year-old has missed the Olympic Games and US Open as he battles ongoing knee soreness.
"Impossible, no. But difficult, yes," Nadal said when asked whether he would make a comeback before the end of the season.
"I want to go day-by-day, I go every day to the gym, the swimming pool to continue with my recovery. I am trying not to think that far.
"It has been very, very tough for me because I feel that my knee didn't improve in the right way ... but the last couple of weeks the improvement in my knee is something that I can really feel.
"That helps me to keep working hard doing every day what I have do.
"I am working to try to come back to practice on the tennis court in a not very long period of time."
Nadal, an 11-time grand slam winner, has suffered his fair share of niggles over his career but very few long-term injuries and admitted he was unsure of how long this setback may persist.
"That is something I will know when my I feel my knee completely without pain when I start to practice," he said.
"I didn't have in the past this long period of time outside of the tennis court, outside of the competition.
"I can imagine when I come back I will need time to practice and practice more and more every day, maybe that will take one month and a half.
"The most important thing is to continue with the treatment ... when I don't feel nothing, hopefully that will happen soon, I will come back on the tennis court."
Tennis: Rafa Nadal admits injury likely to keep him out until next year - Other Sports, Sport - Independent.ie
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History-making Kei Nishikori was dumped out of the Shanghai Masters on Wednesday as Novak Djokovic cruised into the third round and defending champion Andy Murray was handed a walkover. As the tournament came to life with the introduction of the big guns, America's Sam Querrey sent Nishikori tumbling 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 just days after his opponent became the first Japanese player to win the Japan Open. Nishikori had treatment during the match on his right ankle, which he said had been bothering him since last week. “I tried to play but he had a good serve,” he said. “I broke him first in the third set but couldn't finish the match. It's disappointing but I was close to win with this injury. Nothing I can do,” he said.
The 22-year-old Japanese romped into a 4-0 lead at the start of the match and sealed the opening set despite a medical timeout late in the set. But a missed overhead early in the second set contributed to an early break for Querrey and the Japanese 14th seed lost his rhythm, showing his frustration as his rejuvenated opponent, ranked 22nd, levelled the match. In the third set Nishikori secured an early break but Querrey won five straight games from 4-1 down to seal the match against the Japanese, at a career high of number 15 in the rankings after his weekend win over Canada's Milos Raonic, his first on the Tour since 2008.
Djokovic, who has a shot at regaining the world number one ranking if he wins the title and Federer loses before the quarterfinals, dismissed Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 6-2 in just 54 minutes. “Very pleased with my serving in Beijing and obviously the first match today,” said the second seed, who lost just five of his service points. “So that's something that I've been working on, obviously. “Relying on the serve in today's tennis is a big advantage. So I try to get as many free points as possible.
Read More: Tennis: Nishikori crashes out, Djokovic cruises Pakistan Sports
The 22-year-old Japanese romped into a 4-0 lead at the start of the match and sealed the opening set despite a medical timeout late in the set. But a missed overhead early in the second set contributed to an early break for Querrey and the Japanese 14th seed lost his rhythm, showing his frustration as his rejuvenated opponent, ranked 22nd, levelled the match. In the third set Nishikori secured an early break but Querrey won five straight games from 4-1 down to seal the match against the Japanese, at a career high of number 15 in the rankings after his weekend win over Canada's Milos Raonic, his first on the Tour since 2008.
Djokovic, who has a shot at regaining the world number one ranking if he wins the title and Federer loses before the quarterfinals, dismissed Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 6-2 in just 54 minutes. “Very pleased with my serving in Beijing and obviously the first match today,” said the second seed, who lost just five of his service points. “So that's something that I've been working on, obviously. “Relying on the serve in today's tennis is a big advantage. So I try to get as many free points as possible.
Read More: Tennis: Nishikori crashes out, Djokovic cruises Pakistan Sports
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Swiss legend Roger Federer has consistently ripped up the record books during his glittering career but his latest landmark - 300 weeks at number one - is one of his proudest achievements.
The 31-year-old was forced to dig deep to reach his triple century, coming back from the brink of defeat to beat Davis Cup team-mate Stanislas Wawrinka on Thursday to make the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters.
For a long time it appeared that Federer, overtaken by younger rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, would never return to top spot - leaving him agonisingly short of Pete Sampras's record of total weeks at number one.
Used to regularly picking up Grand Slam wins, Federer went nine majors without a title, fuelling speculation he was a fading force.
But his Wimbledon triumph this year pulled him level with the American great on a record seven titles at the All England Club and catapulted him back to the top of the rankings. A week later he overtook Sampras's mark of 286 weeks.
"It's obviously an amazing number. I never thought of something like this when I was a little kid, that's for sure," said a relieved Federer after his narrow escape against Wawrinka.
"I was just hoping one day my dream was going to come true to play on the regular tour, play Wimbledon, maybe become world number one at some stage.
"So here I am at 300 weeks. It's pretty incredible. Probably one of my biggest accomplishments. I'm very proud of that record, no doubt about it."
Federer first became world number one in February 2004. For a record 237 consecutive weeks, until August 2008, he was top dog, dominating the sport with seemingly effortless grace.
Holder of a record 17 Grand Slam titles, the Swiss said he could still vividly recall the excitement of reaching the pinnacle for the first time.
"It's not one of those moments that happens and then you forget. It took me a lot of great performances to get there," he said.
"It was for me back then sort of the ultimate accomplishment next to winning Wimbledon. That all happened in a span of sort of nine months, which was so intense, huge relief in some ways, but a big satisfaction.
"Yeah, here I am eight years later, even more. It's pretty special. Obviously I lost the world number one ranking a few times but I also stayed a long time once I got there.
"I always felt tennis was easier for me playing as world number one than actually getting there."
Federer said reaching 300 weeks as number one - which he will achieve when the next rankings are released on Monday - was reward for all the hard work he had put in over the years.
"I never give up. Show up, tired, injured, doesn't matter how I felt mentally so many times over the years. It's gotten to this incredible number of 300. It's a great reward for me.
"I feel a great sense of satisfaction because of that incredible number and because of all the effort I've put into it. I know how much work it has been. It's not easy to stay at the top for so long."
Tennis: 300 weeks at No. 1 for proud Federer
The 31-year-old was forced to dig deep to reach his triple century, coming back from the brink of defeat to beat Davis Cup team-mate Stanislas Wawrinka on Thursday to make the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters.
For a long time it appeared that Federer, overtaken by younger rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, would never return to top spot - leaving him agonisingly short of Pete Sampras's record of total weeks at number one.
Used to regularly picking up Grand Slam wins, Federer went nine majors without a title, fuelling speculation he was a fading force.
But his Wimbledon triumph this year pulled him level with the American great on a record seven titles at the All England Club and catapulted him back to the top of the rankings. A week later he overtook Sampras's mark of 286 weeks.
"It's obviously an amazing number. I never thought of something like this when I was a little kid, that's for sure," said a relieved Federer after his narrow escape against Wawrinka.
"I was just hoping one day my dream was going to come true to play on the regular tour, play Wimbledon, maybe become world number one at some stage.
"So here I am at 300 weeks. It's pretty incredible. Probably one of my biggest accomplishments. I'm very proud of that record, no doubt about it."
Federer first became world number one in February 2004. For a record 237 consecutive weeks, until August 2008, he was top dog, dominating the sport with seemingly effortless grace.
Holder of a record 17 Grand Slam titles, the Swiss said he could still vividly recall the excitement of reaching the pinnacle for the first time.
"It's not one of those moments that happens and then you forget. It took me a lot of great performances to get there," he said.
"It was for me back then sort of the ultimate accomplishment next to winning Wimbledon. That all happened in a span of sort of nine months, which was so intense, huge relief in some ways, but a big satisfaction.
"Yeah, here I am eight years later, even more. It's pretty special. Obviously I lost the world number one ranking a few times but I also stayed a long time once I got there.
"I always felt tennis was easier for me playing as world number one than actually getting there."
Federer said reaching 300 weeks as number one - which he will achieve when the next rankings are released on Monday - was reward for all the hard work he had put in over the years.
"I never give up. Show up, tired, injured, doesn't matter how I felt mentally so many times over the years. It's gotten to this incredible number of 300. It's a great reward for me.
"I feel a great sense of satisfaction because of that incredible number and because of all the effort I've put into it. I know how much work it has been. It's not easy to stay at the top for so long."
Tennis: 300 weeks at No. 1 for proud Federer
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Andy Murray remained on course for a hat-trick of titles at the Shanghai Masters despite the best efforts of tricky Czech Radek Stepanek on Friday and now sets his sights on Roger Federer.
Third seed Murray, still on a high from winning the US Open last month, was out-foxed in the first set by the unorthodox Stepanek before recovering to win their quarterfinal clash 4-6 6-2 6-3.
Number one seed Federer, who is guaranteed to spend a 300th week on top of the ATP rankings, cruised past Croatia's Marin Cilic 6-3 6-4 to conclude the day's action at the Qi Zhong Tennis Center.
In the bottom half, Tomas Berdych proved too solid for Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, winning 6-3 7-6, while Novak Djokovic ended the run of Germany's Tommy Haas, winning 6-3 6-3.
Murray met his match early on against Stepanek - a player who relies on crafty angles, changes of pace and razor-sharp volleys to throw opponents off balance.
Stepanek, 33, pounced on some loose play from Murray to earn three break points in the fifth game of the opening set and although two were saved the Czech converted the third.
Stepanek hardly lost a point on serve in the first set but Murray gradually got to grips with his opponent and seized control at 2-2 in the second set, surging ahead to take the match into a decider.
The momentum briefly switched back to Stepanek when he broke to lead 2-1 in the third but Murray responded immediately.
The Scot began to dominate the baseline exchanges and broke serve in the eighth game before securing victory in two hours 18 minutes.
"It was quite a scrappy first couple of sets, but obviously the second set I managed to get a break, got a bit of momentum," said Murray, whose match against Federer will be eagerly anticipated after his thrashing of the Swiss at the London Olympics.
"I dictated a majority of the points at the end of the match and I needed to because he was playing with a lot of variety, making it hard for me."
Federer, who beat Murray in the Wimbledon final to earn a 17th Grand Slam title, was largely untroubled against Cilic although he did waver when attempting to serve out the match.
The Swiss squandered a match point at 5-3 and Cilic took advantage to break for the second time in the match.
Federer was not detained for much longer, however, earning two more match points in the following game and converting the first when Cilic fired a forehand long.
Djokovic denied Haas his 500th match victory with a clinical performance. "My return games were exceptional," the Serbian said.
He will be attempting to win his fifth title of the year, although Berdych will provide a stern test after the Czech's impressive display against Tsonga.
"I think it was a really solid game and solid performance from beginning until the end," Berdych said.
"I think the biggest difference between me and Jo was I was able to take the small chances during the first and especially the second set. It was not many of them, but I was able to keep it and convert it on my side."
Murray and Federer set up Shanghai semis |Tennis |chinadaily-com.cn
Third seed Murray, still on a high from winning the US Open last month, was out-foxed in the first set by the unorthodox Stepanek before recovering to win their quarterfinal clash 4-6 6-2 6-3.
Number one seed Federer, who is guaranteed to spend a 300th week on top of the ATP rankings, cruised past Croatia's Marin Cilic 6-3 6-4 to conclude the day's action at the Qi Zhong Tennis Center.
In the bottom half, Tomas Berdych proved too solid for Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, winning 6-3 7-6, while Novak Djokovic ended the run of Germany's Tommy Haas, winning 6-3 6-3.
Murray met his match early on against Stepanek - a player who relies on crafty angles, changes of pace and razor-sharp volleys to throw opponents off balance.
Stepanek, 33, pounced on some loose play from Murray to earn three break points in the fifth game of the opening set and although two were saved the Czech converted the third.
Stepanek hardly lost a point on serve in the first set but Murray gradually got to grips with his opponent and seized control at 2-2 in the second set, surging ahead to take the match into a decider.
The momentum briefly switched back to Stepanek when he broke to lead 2-1 in the third but Murray responded immediately.
The Scot began to dominate the baseline exchanges and broke serve in the eighth game before securing victory in two hours 18 minutes.
"It was quite a scrappy first couple of sets, but obviously the second set I managed to get a break, got a bit of momentum," said Murray, whose match against Federer will be eagerly anticipated after his thrashing of the Swiss at the London Olympics.
"I dictated a majority of the points at the end of the match and I needed to because he was playing with a lot of variety, making it hard for me."
Federer, who beat Murray in the Wimbledon final to earn a 17th Grand Slam title, was largely untroubled against Cilic although he did waver when attempting to serve out the match.
The Swiss squandered a match point at 5-3 and Cilic took advantage to break for the second time in the match.
Federer was not detained for much longer, however, earning two more match points in the following game and converting the first when Cilic fired a forehand long.
Djokovic denied Haas his 500th match victory with a clinical performance. "My return games were exceptional," the Serbian said.
He will be attempting to win his fifth title of the year, although Berdych will provide a stern test after the Czech's impressive display against Tsonga.
"I think it was a really solid game and solid performance from beginning until the end," Berdych said.
"I think the biggest difference between me and Jo was I was able to take the small chances during the first and especially the second set. It was not many of them, but I was able to keep it and convert it on my side."
Murray and Federer set up Shanghai semis |Tennis |chinadaily-com.cn
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Heather Watson edged past Chang Kai-chen of Taiwan at the Japan Women's Open tennis tournament on Sunday to become the first Briton in 24 years to win a WTA title.
The 20-year-old Watson, having played her first WTA final, squandered one match point leading one set and 5-4 hitting a double fault. She had to save four match points in the final set before winning 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (7/4).
She became the first Briton to win a WTA title since Sara Gomer at Aptos back in 1988.
Until a few weeks ago no Briton had even reached a WTA final in 22 years until Laura Robson broke the drought with her run to the final in Guangzhou, China.
Watson has also won three ITF titles, at Wrexham and Toronto in 2010 and at Frinton in 2009.
Watson, who received the winner's cheque of 37,000 dollars, will be back to the centre court later Sunday for the doubles final with Japan's Kimiko Date-Krumm against top seed Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears.
Watson will try to become the first Briton to win both the singles and doubles at the same WTA tournament since Anne Hobbs in 1985.
Tennis: Watson beats Chang to win first WTA title
The 20-year-old Watson, having played her first WTA final, squandered one match point leading one set and 5-4 hitting a double fault. She had to save four match points in the final set before winning 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (7/4).
She became the first Briton to win a WTA title since Sara Gomer at Aptos back in 1988.
Until a few weeks ago no Briton had even reached a WTA final in 22 years until Laura Robson broke the drought with her run to the final in Guangzhou, China.
Watson has also won three ITF titles, at Wrexham and Toronto in 2010 and at Frinton in 2009.
Watson, who received the winner's cheque of 37,000 dollars, will be back to the centre court later Sunday for the doubles final with Japan's Kimiko Date-Krumm against top seed Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears.
Watson will try to become the first Briton to win both the singles and doubles at the same WTA tournament since Anne Hobbs in 1985.
Tennis: Watson beats Chang to win first WTA title
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Novak Djokovic exacted revenge on Andy Murray for his US Open final defeat by saving five match points to outlast the Briton 5-7 7-6 6-3 to win the Shanghai Masters title on Sunday. The resilient Serbian fought back from the brink of defeat, trailing by a set and 5-3 before staving four match points in the tiebreak to force a tense decider. The world number two then broke Murray, winner in Shanghai for the last two years, in the seventh game and again at 5-3, prevailing on his third match point to triumph when his opponent went long. Djokovic had lost to Murray in their last two meetings, the U.S. Open final at Flushing Meadows in September in which the Scot secured his first grand-slam triumph, and the semi-finals of the Olympics in London.
“It was a thrilling match...very long - 3 1/2 hrs for best of three is quite long. But I have got used to it,” Djokovic said. “Whenever I play Andy I know it's going to be a gruelling fight, a lot of long rallies. It could have gone either way. “I could not say I dominated the match because all three sets were very close and he had some match points and opportunities to finish the match. I could have easily been a runner-up today but I'm very proud of my fight.”
An extraordinary topsy-turvy first set featured seven breaks, both players gaining an advantage before handing it straight back. Djokovic led 2-0, world number three Murray 3-2 and Djokovic again at 5-4. The decisive moment came when Djokovic went wide with a forehand volley to be broken for the fourth time and hand Murray a 6-5 lead. His emotions boiling over, the angry Serb obliterated his racket with three hefty smashes before tossing it towards his chair, receiving a warning in the process.
Murray appeared to have another Shanghai title at his mercy when Djokovic fluffed his lines again and was staring at defeat at 5-3 down in the second set. The Scot had match point on his own serve at 5-4 but a battling Djokovic dug deep, averted the danger and then seized his own chance to break back for 5-5. Like the first set, a pulsating tiebreak swung back and forth with Djokovic staving off four match points, including two at 6-4 down.
He then spurned three set points himself before finally prevailing 13-11, taking the set with a driving forehand volley. Murray had outlasted Djokovic at the US Open in a five-set thriller, but fortunes were reversed this time in the Chinese port city with the Serb finding the greater stamina and willpower. Sensing that his opponent was tiring, Djokovic broke to lead 4-3 in the decider, consolidated on his own serve and broke again to secure his fifth title of the season. He now leads Murray 9-7 in their head-to-head meetings. “It was a disappointing one to lose but I've lost tougher matches than that before, in the biggest events, so I'm sure I'll recover from it pretty well,” Murray said.
Tennis: Resilient Djokovic stuns Murray to take Shanghai title Pakistan Sports
“It was a thrilling match...very long - 3 1/2 hrs for best of three is quite long. But I have got used to it,” Djokovic said. “Whenever I play Andy I know it's going to be a gruelling fight, a lot of long rallies. It could have gone either way. “I could not say I dominated the match because all three sets were very close and he had some match points and opportunities to finish the match. I could have easily been a runner-up today but I'm very proud of my fight.”
An extraordinary topsy-turvy first set featured seven breaks, both players gaining an advantage before handing it straight back. Djokovic led 2-0, world number three Murray 3-2 and Djokovic again at 5-4. The decisive moment came when Djokovic went wide with a forehand volley to be broken for the fourth time and hand Murray a 6-5 lead. His emotions boiling over, the angry Serb obliterated his racket with three hefty smashes before tossing it towards his chair, receiving a warning in the process.
Murray appeared to have another Shanghai title at his mercy when Djokovic fluffed his lines again and was staring at defeat at 5-3 down in the second set. The Scot had match point on his own serve at 5-4 but a battling Djokovic dug deep, averted the danger and then seized his own chance to break back for 5-5. Like the first set, a pulsating tiebreak swung back and forth with Djokovic staving off four match points, including two at 6-4 down.
He then spurned three set points himself before finally prevailing 13-11, taking the set with a driving forehand volley. Murray had outlasted Djokovic at the US Open in a five-set thriller, but fortunes were reversed this time in the Chinese port city with the Serb finding the greater stamina and willpower. Sensing that his opponent was tiring, Djokovic broke to lead 4-3 in the decider, consolidated on his own serve and broke again to secure his fifth title of the season. He now leads Murray 9-7 in their head-to-head meetings. “It was a disappointing one to lose but I've lost tougher matches than that before, in the biggest events, so I'm sure I'll recover from it pretty well,” Murray said.
Tennis: Resilient Djokovic stuns Murray to take Shanghai title Pakistan Sports
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Novak Djokovic, who won the Shanghai Masters on Sunday, has closed the gap on Roger Federer at the top of the latest ATP rankings, as the Swiss player enters his 300th week as world number one. The Serb, who beat Britain's Andy Murray 5-7, 7-6 (13/11), 6-3 to take his 13th masters series title, is now just 195 points behind Federer, who was beaten in the semi-final of the tournament, and could even take his position in the coming weeks. Neither of the players is due to play in the three tournaments scheduled for this week in Moscow, Vienna and Stockholm. The only change in the latest world top 10, published on Monday, is Czech player Tomas Berdych and France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who a week after changing position to 7th and 6th, are again back to 6th and 7th respectively.
Berdych beat the French number one in the quarterfinal in Shanghai. Meanwhile, the former world number two, Tommy Haas, of Germany, makes a return to the top 20 at the age of 34, despite his career appearing to be over due to a succession of injuries. He has not been in the top 20 since May 2010. In the WTA rankings, Belarus' Victoria Azarenka remained on top after her victory in Linz, Austria, 1,800 points ahead of Russia's Maria Sharapova and 3,055 ahead of Serena Williams, of the United States. Heather Watson, meanwhile, jumped from 71st to 50th after giving Britain their first WTA tour victory since 1988 by winning in Osaka, Japan.
Tennis: Djokovic closes the gap on Federer Pakistan Sports
Berdych beat the French number one in the quarterfinal in Shanghai. Meanwhile, the former world number two, Tommy Haas, of Germany, makes a return to the top 20 at the age of 34, despite his career appearing to be over due to a succession of injuries. He has not been in the top 20 since May 2010. In the WTA rankings, Belarus' Victoria Azarenka remained on top after her victory in Linz, Austria, 1,800 points ahead of Russia's Maria Sharapova and 3,055 ahead of Serena Williams, of the United States. Heather Watson, meanwhile, jumped from 71st to 50th after giving Britain their first WTA tour victory since 1988 by winning in Osaka, Japan.
Tennis: Djokovic closes the gap on Federer Pakistan Sports
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Four former world No. 1-ranked tennis players will compete at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Palace as part of the PowerShares Series Champions Classic.
Jim Courier will face Pete Sampras in one semifinal, while John McEnroe will face Ivan Lendl in the other semifinal. The format gives some of the best former touring pros in the world a chance to visit a dozen U.S. cities in a series of one-day competitions. Each semifinal is one set, with the winners advancing to an eight-game pro-set championship match.
Courier spoke to the Free Press about the PowerShares series, his memories of playing tennis in Michigan and whether he still talks to some of the former tennis pros from Michigan.
• On the difference between the PowerShares tour and previous "seniors tennis" events: "The original incarnation of Champions tennis were multiday events, played typically outdoors over four days with eight players using a round-robin format. We did that for several years and then we had an a-ha moment talking to our players. How can we maximize getting a Pete Sampras, a John McEnroe, so more tennis fans around the country can see them? So we came up with the four-man, one-night shoot-out concept."
Read More: Powering up with former tennis champions at the Palace | Other Sports | Detroit Free Press | freep-com
Jim Courier will face Pete Sampras in one semifinal, while John McEnroe will face Ivan Lendl in the other semifinal. The format gives some of the best former touring pros in the world a chance to visit a dozen U.S. cities in a series of one-day competitions. Each semifinal is one set, with the winners advancing to an eight-game pro-set championship match.
Courier spoke to the Free Press about the PowerShares series, his memories of playing tennis in Michigan and whether he still talks to some of the former tennis pros from Michigan.
• On the difference between the PowerShares tour and previous "seniors tennis" events: "The original incarnation of Champions tennis were multiday events, played typically outdoors over four days with eight players using a round-robin format. We did that for several years and then we had an a-ha moment talking to our players. How can we maximize getting a Pete Sampras, a John McEnroe, so more tennis fans around the country can see them? So we came up with the four-man, one-night shoot-out concept."
Read More: Powering up with former tennis champions at the Palace | Other Sports | Detroit Free Press | freep-com
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Tori Nugent has three more years of high school tennis in front of her, but the Pennsville Memorial High School freshman girls tennis player might have trouble ever topping Wednesday's shining moment.
Nugent rallied from a set down to secure the deciding point in the final match, giving the Eagles a 3-2 win over Glen Ridge and a second consecutive NJSIAA state Group I title.
The Eagles' second singles player defeated Kendall Smith 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 — though the final set involved several deuce games the freshman was able to pull out, including the first game where Nugent secured a key early break.
“In between the second and third set, I asked Coach (Dan) LaMont 'How did doubles do?' and when he told me they lost, I knew it was up to me.
“I was a little bit nervous, but I just took a walk, cleared my head and just convinced myself I needed to win. I hate to lose. I've won a lot of three-set matches. I know I have to push myself to win. I just do it.”
View a post-match interview with Tori Nugent
LaMont and Nugent's teammates had supreme confidence in the freshman, who also notched the deciding point in the South Jersey final against Pitman and the Tri-County Conference Classic Division win over the Panthers.
“Tori's been in that position so many times,” said senior first singles Lauren Kiger, who secured the first Eagles' point in the final. “When she won that second set, I knew in my heart we were going to do it. I knew we were going to be state champs at that point.”
Glen Ridge rallied from a set down at first doubles and swept the second doubles match to take a 2-1 lead. But Pennsville third singles Brooke Coleman fought off a broken racket string and two set points to win the first set over Paige Moriarty, 7-5, then knotted the team score with a 6-0 second set.
Coleman had to borrow one of Nugent's rackets to finish the match.
“I thought 'Oh my God, I'm going to have to play with another racket, what am I going to do?'” said Coleman, who said she never broke a string before. “(Nugent's) racket was a little heavier. It took a while, but I managed it and it worked out well. Once I got used to the racket, I thought I got this. I'm going to come back and win.”
Pennsville won its second consecutive crown — and third overall — despite graduating its top five players from a year ago. Last year's second doubles team of Kiger and Coleman moved up to first and third singles, respectively, with Nugent sandwiched in between.
“I had this crazy, crazy, crazy vision, this weird feeling and all along I believed we could do it,” said LaMont. “Our style is unorthodox. I felt if we could get here, it's a style nobody really sees. It's just such a great feeling. They work so hard.
“After Tori won the first set, I told her I've seen you win eight three-set matches and lose none. She just has a knack. She's just a gamer and obviously a great addition to an already pretty good team. We lost our top five seniors, but we never really lost hope. This means a lot.”
And next year, they'll try to make it three.
“There's not a doubt in my mind we'll be back in the park and winning it again,” said Nugent.
Pennsville Memorial High School girls tennis wins second straight state Group I title - NJ-com
Nugent rallied from a set down to secure the deciding point in the final match, giving the Eagles a 3-2 win over Glen Ridge and a second consecutive NJSIAA state Group I title.
The Eagles' second singles player defeated Kendall Smith 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 — though the final set involved several deuce games the freshman was able to pull out, including the first game where Nugent secured a key early break.
“In between the second and third set, I asked Coach (Dan) LaMont 'How did doubles do?' and when he told me they lost, I knew it was up to me.
“I was a little bit nervous, but I just took a walk, cleared my head and just convinced myself I needed to win. I hate to lose. I've won a lot of three-set matches. I know I have to push myself to win. I just do it.”
View a post-match interview with Tori Nugent
LaMont and Nugent's teammates had supreme confidence in the freshman, who also notched the deciding point in the South Jersey final against Pitman and the Tri-County Conference Classic Division win over the Panthers.
“Tori's been in that position so many times,” said senior first singles Lauren Kiger, who secured the first Eagles' point in the final. “When she won that second set, I knew in my heart we were going to do it. I knew we were going to be state champs at that point.”
Glen Ridge rallied from a set down at first doubles and swept the second doubles match to take a 2-1 lead. But Pennsville third singles Brooke Coleman fought off a broken racket string and two set points to win the first set over Paige Moriarty, 7-5, then knotted the team score with a 6-0 second set.
Coleman had to borrow one of Nugent's rackets to finish the match.
“I thought 'Oh my God, I'm going to have to play with another racket, what am I going to do?'” said Coleman, who said she never broke a string before. “(Nugent's) racket was a little heavier. It took a while, but I managed it and it worked out well. Once I got used to the racket, I thought I got this. I'm going to come back and win.”
Pennsville won its second consecutive crown — and third overall — despite graduating its top five players from a year ago. Last year's second doubles team of Kiger and Coleman moved up to first and third singles, respectively, with Nugent sandwiched in between.
“I had this crazy, crazy, crazy vision, this weird feeling and all along I believed we could do it,” said LaMont. “Our style is unorthodox. I felt if we could get here, it's a style nobody really sees. It's just such a great feeling. They work so hard.
“After Tori won the first set, I told her I've seen you win eight three-set matches and lose none. She just has a knack. She's just a gamer and obviously a great addition to an already pretty good team. We lost our top five seniors, but we never really lost hope. This means a lot.”
And next year, they'll try to make it three.
“There's not a doubt in my mind we'll be back in the park and winning it again,” said Nugent.
Pennsville Memorial High School girls tennis wins second straight state Group I title - NJ-com
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Paris St Germain went to the top of Ligue 1 on Saturday after a Kevin Gameiro header clinched a hard-fought 1-0 home victory over Stade Reims.
Tennis great Rafa Nadal, who received a PSG jersey from striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic before kickoff, looked on as Reims wasted a chance to go ahead in the 40th minute when Diego's penalty was saved by keeper Salvatore Sirigu after Gregory van der Wiel had handled.
Gameiro, who scored twice last month in the only other league game he has started this season, then headed in a neat cross by Maxwell in the 65th minute.
PSG have 19 points from nine games, ahead on goal difference from Olympique Marseille who visit bottom club Troyes on Sunday (1900 GMT). Reims are seventh on 14 points.
"It was hard because the international break prevented us from working together," coach Carlo Ancelotti told reporters. "It is important to go top even if it's only for one night."
PSG struggled with an experimental midfield in the first half although Gameiro had an effort cleared off the line by full back Aissa Mandi in the 29th minute.
Reims twice went close at the end of the opening period, Diego failing to convert his penalty and Maxwell clearing a Pape Souare header off the line.
PSG upped the pace after the break and were unlucky when Blaise Matuidi and Jeremy Menez hit the woodwork before Gameiro finally broke through.
Reims almost snatched an equaliser as Julien Toudic's scissors-kick struck the crossbar with five minutes to go.
SOLO EFFORT
PSG and Marseille are three points clear of Toulouse who are third after crushing Evian Thonon Gaillard 4-0.
Franck Tabanou produced a superb solo effort to give Toulouse a 24th-minute lead. Emmanuel Riviere then scored either side of halftime before Daniel Braaten struck late on.
Valenciennes are fourth on 15 points after they recovered from conceding an early goal to destroy Lorient 6-1.
Lorient, who had Arnaud Le Lan and Innocent Emeghara sent off, are eighth in the table.
Benjamin Corgnet headed the visitors in front after seven minutes before Carlos Sanchez and Anthony Le Tallec replied for Valenciennes.
Gael Danic (penalty), Le Tallec again and a late double from Vincent Aboubakar wrapped up a convincing victory.
Le Lan was dismissed after 18 minutes for a bad tackle and Emeghara received his marching orders in the 76th.
Valenciennes are tied on 15 points with Olympique Lyon, who host Stade Brest on Sunday (1500), and Girondins Bordeaux who drew 1-1 with Lille on Friday.
Champions Montpellier, who host Olympiakos Piraeus in the Champions League on Wednesday, are down in 16th place after losing 2-1 at Stade Rennes.
Jean Makoun nodded the home team in front from a Julien Feret corner in the 13th minute and striker Mevlut Erding shot past keeper Laurent Pionnier to double the lead in the 52nd.
Younes Belhanda converted a penalty for Montpellier with 21 minutes left.
Second from bottom Nancy had Djamel Bakar sent off in a 1-1 draw with Sochaux while Nice v St Etienne ended in the same scoreline (Reporting by Gregory Blachier; editing by Tony Jimenez)
Tennis great Nadal watches Gameiro put PSG top | Reuters
Tennis great Rafa Nadal, who received a PSG jersey from striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic before kickoff, looked on as Reims wasted a chance to go ahead in the 40th minute when Diego's penalty was saved by keeper Salvatore Sirigu after Gregory van der Wiel had handled.
Gameiro, who scored twice last month in the only other league game he has started this season, then headed in a neat cross by Maxwell in the 65th minute.
PSG have 19 points from nine games, ahead on goal difference from Olympique Marseille who visit bottom club Troyes on Sunday (1900 GMT). Reims are seventh on 14 points.
"It was hard because the international break prevented us from working together," coach Carlo Ancelotti told reporters. "It is important to go top even if it's only for one night."
PSG struggled with an experimental midfield in the first half although Gameiro had an effort cleared off the line by full back Aissa Mandi in the 29th minute.
Reims twice went close at the end of the opening period, Diego failing to convert his penalty and Maxwell clearing a Pape Souare header off the line.
PSG upped the pace after the break and were unlucky when Blaise Matuidi and Jeremy Menez hit the woodwork before Gameiro finally broke through.
Reims almost snatched an equaliser as Julien Toudic's scissors-kick struck the crossbar with five minutes to go.
SOLO EFFORT
PSG and Marseille are three points clear of Toulouse who are third after crushing Evian Thonon Gaillard 4-0.
Franck Tabanou produced a superb solo effort to give Toulouse a 24th-minute lead. Emmanuel Riviere then scored either side of halftime before Daniel Braaten struck late on.
Valenciennes are fourth on 15 points after they recovered from conceding an early goal to destroy Lorient 6-1.
Lorient, who had Arnaud Le Lan and Innocent Emeghara sent off, are eighth in the table.
Benjamin Corgnet headed the visitors in front after seven minutes before Carlos Sanchez and Anthony Le Tallec replied for Valenciennes.
Gael Danic (penalty), Le Tallec again and a late double from Vincent Aboubakar wrapped up a convincing victory.
Le Lan was dismissed after 18 minutes for a bad tackle and Emeghara received his marching orders in the 76th.
Valenciennes are tied on 15 points with Olympique Lyon, who host Stade Brest on Sunday (1500), and Girondins Bordeaux who drew 1-1 with Lille on Friday.
Champions Montpellier, who host Olympiakos Piraeus in the Champions League on Wednesday, are down in 16th place after losing 2-1 at Stade Rennes.
Jean Makoun nodded the home team in front from a Julien Feret corner in the 13th minute and striker Mevlut Erding shot past keeper Laurent Pionnier to double the lead in the 52nd.
Younes Belhanda converted a penalty for Montpellier with 21 minutes left.
Second from bottom Nancy had Djamel Bakar sent off in a 1-1 draw with Sochaux while Nice v St Etienne ended in the same scoreline (Reporting by Gregory Blachier; editing by Tony Jimenez)
Tennis great Nadal watches Gameiro put PSG top | Reuters
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The Dolphins were not in the mood to play doubles this weekend.
As they did in the first round and semifinals, the Hilton Head Prep girls tennis team decided its match Saturday on singles alone as the Dolphins downed Porter-Gaud, 5-1, to win the SCISAA Class 3-A championship at the Palmetto Tennis Center in Sumter.
"Each player went out with a clear idea of what to do, and executed beautifully," Hilton Head Prep coach Job de Boer said. "They meant business."
Porter-Gaud (11-2-1) was playing in its fourth straight state final, including last season's 5-2 win over Hilton Head Prep. The teams had played twice already this season, with Prep winning once and they tied the other.
Playing without usual No. 2 singles player Kelly Dodd, who is sidelined by injury, the Dolphins jumped out to a 3-0 lead Saturday on wins by Ellie Czura, Taylor Childress and Katie Rankin at Nos. 4-6 singles.
Heavily taped Allie Burak, playing through a ligament issue in her ankle, made it 4-0 with a win at No. 1 singles over Porter-Gaud's Annie Hay.
Shannon O'Brien dropped her first match of the season in a nail-biter at No. 3 singles, falling to Cyclones eighth-grader Ann Martin Skelly.
No. 2 Kelly Mengel then brought the title back to Hilton Head Island.
Mengel, a Smith Stearns Tennis Academy player who joined the Dolphins this fall after moving from Pittsburgh, sat out much of the season while recovering from wrist surgery. She clinched the championship for the Dolphins with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Porter-Gaud sophomore Grace Robards.
"We were better prepared for the final this year," said Czura, referring to the Dolphins' loss to the Cyclones in last year's finals. "Last year's experience helped us today."
It would not be a shock if these two schools played for the state title once again next season. Only Hay will be graduating from the Cyclones' lineup, and Hilton Head Prep did not use a single senior on Saturday.
"We have a great team," O'Brien said, "and we are looking forward to even better years ahead."
SCISAA Class 3-A Girls Tennis Championship
Saturday, at the Palmetto Tennis Center, Sumter
Hilton Head Prep 5, Porter-Gaud 1
Singles: 1. Allie Burak (HHP) d. Annie Hay 6-2, 6-2; 2. Kelly Mengel (HHP) d. Grace Robards 6-2, 7-5; 3. Ann-Martin Skelly (PG) d. Shannon O'Brien 6-4, 7-6(5); 4. Ellie Czura (HHP) d. Lexi Steichen 6-1, 6-2; 5. Taylor Childress (HHP) d. Carlyle Williams 6-0, 6-1; 6. Katie Rankin (HHP) d. Madison McNeil 6-2, 6-1.
The Post and Courier (Charleston) contributed to this report.
Hilton Head Prep's Kelly Mengel, shown in the Dolphins' playoff win over Cardinal Newman earlier this week, capped off the SCISAA Class 3-A state title for Prep on Saturday in Sumter.
Read more here: State tennis championship won by Hilton Head Prep girls - Hilton Head Prep Stories - IslandPacket-com
As they did in the first round and semifinals, the Hilton Head Prep girls tennis team decided its match Saturday on singles alone as the Dolphins downed Porter-Gaud, 5-1, to win the SCISAA Class 3-A championship at the Palmetto Tennis Center in Sumter.
"Each player went out with a clear idea of what to do, and executed beautifully," Hilton Head Prep coach Job de Boer said. "They meant business."
Porter-Gaud (11-2-1) was playing in its fourth straight state final, including last season's 5-2 win over Hilton Head Prep. The teams had played twice already this season, with Prep winning once and they tied the other.
Playing without usual No. 2 singles player Kelly Dodd, who is sidelined by injury, the Dolphins jumped out to a 3-0 lead Saturday on wins by Ellie Czura, Taylor Childress and Katie Rankin at Nos. 4-6 singles.
Heavily taped Allie Burak, playing through a ligament issue in her ankle, made it 4-0 with a win at No. 1 singles over Porter-Gaud's Annie Hay.
Shannon O'Brien dropped her first match of the season in a nail-biter at No. 3 singles, falling to Cyclones eighth-grader Ann Martin Skelly.
No. 2 Kelly Mengel then brought the title back to Hilton Head Island.
Mengel, a Smith Stearns Tennis Academy player who joined the Dolphins this fall after moving from Pittsburgh, sat out much of the season while recovering from wrist surgery. She clinched the championship for the Dolphins with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Porter-Gaud sophomore Grace Robards.
"We were better prepared for the final this year," said Czura, referring to the Dolphins' loss to the Cyclones in last year's finals. "Last year's experience helped us today."
It would not be a shock if these two schools played for the state title once again next season. Only Hay will be graduating from the Cyclones' lineup, and Hilton Head Prep did not use a single senior on Saturday.
"We have a great team," O'Brien said, "and we are looking forward to even better years ahead."
SCISAA Class 3-A Girls Tennis Championship
Saturday, at the Palmetto Tennis Center, Sumter
Hilton Head Prep 5, Porter-Gaud 1
Singles: 1. Allie Burak (HHP) d. Annie Hay 6-2, 6-2; 2. Kelly Mengel (HHP) d. Grace Robards 6-2, 7-5; 3. Ann-Martin Skelly (PG) d. Shannon O'Brien 6-4, 7-6(5); 4. Ellie Czura (HHP) d. Lexi Steichen 6-1, 6-2; 5. Taylor Childress (HHP) d. Carlyle Williams 6-0, 6-1; 6. Katie Rankin (HHP) d. Madison McNeil 6-2, 6-1.
The Post and Courier (Charleston) contributed to this report.
Hilton Head Prep's Kelly Mengel, shown in the Dolphins' playoff win over Cardinal Newman earlier this week, capped off the SCISAA Class 3-A state title for Prep on Saturday in Sumter.
Read more here: State tennis championship won by Hilton Head Prep girls - Hilton Head Prep Stories - IslandPacket-com
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Serena Williams may silence some of her remaining critics if she caps a tremendous comeback year by regaining the title at the WTA Championships which start at the Sinan Erdem arena on Tuesday.
Having won Wimbledon and the US Open, and an Olympic singles gold medal for the first time in the last few months, Williams is unofficial favourite to deny top-seeded Victoria Azarenka and second-seeded Maria Sharapova at the women's tour's season-end event.
The 31-year-old Williams has achieved all this despite the blood clots in her lungs which endangered her life and contributed to a 12-month absence during 2010 and 2011.
Nevertheless dissent has been articulated, notably at the influential magazine Sports Illustrated, at suggestions that the American legend should win the WTA Player of the Year award for a third time in five years.
Williams' commitment to the tour is being questioned again after she missed two of this year's four premier mandatory tournaments - Indian Wells in March and Beijing last month.
Inevitably these absences have brought reminders of withdrawals which caused criticism in previous seasons.
As the WTA's four-year roadmap campaign places special emphasis on player commitment - to avoid upsetting spectators and sponsors - Williams' non-appearances may be regarded as relevant.
The roadmap has helped the tour's prize money to rise 51 per cent, its player participation to improve 34 per cent, and the achieving of record attendances and television coverage at some tournaments.
It may therefore also be a significant statistic that Azarenka, the world number one, the Australian Open champion, and the WTA Championships' top seed, has a superior record of matches played (75) and victories totalled (67) this year.
However, Williams, who has won 43 of her last 46 matches, struck a humble note after her startling recovery, claiming she now has "a whole new perspective on her life and career."
Certainly Williams has made a huge difference to the profile of women's tennis, but she does not have enough time left to climb back to become the year-end world number one.
Who gets that accolade will be decided over the next few days by Azarenka, who has been the ranking-topper for most of the year, and Sharapova, the former number one who achieved a career Grand Slam by winning the French Open in June.
Azarenka only needs to win two group matches to finish top, but if the Belarusian were unaccountably to win only one of these three round-robin encounters, Sharapova could snatch it away from her by taking the title.
Although the Russian celebrity remains the world's highest paid woman athlete, with an estimated annual income of $28 million, she has only won the WTA Championships once before, eight years ago during her breakthrough season aged 17.
Williams has won it twice, but the 23-year-old Azarenka's best so far is last year's runners-up position after losing a three-set final to Petra Kvitova.
Azarenka has also lost 10 of her 11 meetings with Williams, including at Wimbledon, the Olympics and the US Open this year, though she may take encouragement from having led 5-3 in the final set during the New York final.
In Sunday's draw, Azarenka gained an early chance to make up for her heartbreaker in the US Open final when Williams was drawn into her round-robin four, the Red Group, along with Li Na and Angelique Kerber.
This left Sharapova with a slightly less difficult looking quartet, even though the White Group includes Kvitova, as well as Agnieszka Radwanska and Sara Errani.
For the first time in the WTA Championships' 40-year history, the players come from eight different countries.
Kvitova, the former Wimbledon champion, is Czech, Radwanska, the Wimbledon runner-up, is Polish, and Li, the former French Open champion, is Chinese.
The two debutants, Kerber, a Wimbledon semi-finalist, and Errani, the French Open runner-up, are German and Italian respectively.
Tennis: Serena seeks to cap remarkable comeback year
Having won Wimbledon and the US Open, and an Olympic singles gold medal for the first time in the last few months, Williams is unofficial favourite to deny top-seeded Victoria Azarenka and second-seeded Maria Sharapova at the women's tour's season-end event.
The 31-year-old Williams has achieved all this despite the blood clots in her lungs which endangered her life and contributed to a 12-month absence during 2010 and 2011.
Nevertheless dissent has been articulated, notably at the influential magazine Sports Illustrated, at suggestions that the American legend should win the WTA Player of the Year award for a third time in five years.
Williams' commitment to the tour is being questioned again after she missed two of this year's four premier mandatory tournaments - Indian Wells in March and Beijing last month.
Inevitably these absences have brought reminders of withdrawals which caused criticism in previous seasons.
As the WTA's four-year roadmap campaign places special emphasis on player commitment - to avoid upsetting spectators and sponsors - Williams' non-appearances may be regarded as relevant.
The roadmap has helped the tour's prize money to rise 51 per cent, its player participation to improve 34 per cent, and the achieving of record attendances and television coverage at some tournaments.
It may therefore also be a significant statistic that Azarenka, the world number one, the Australian Open champion, and the WTA Championships' top seed, has a superior record of matches played (75) and victories totalled (67) this year.
However, Williams, who has won 43 of her last 46 matches, struck a humble note after her startling recovery, claiming she now has "a whole new perspective on her life and career."
Certainly Williams has made a huge difference to the profile of women's tennis, but she does not have enough time left to climb back to become the year-end world number one.
Who gets that accolade will be decided over the next few days by Azarenka, who has been the ranking-topper for most of the year, and Sharapova, the former number one who achieved a career Grand Slam by winning the French Open in June.
Azarenka only needs to win two group matches to finish top, but if the Belarusian were unaccountably to win only one of these three round-robin encounters, Sharapova could snatch it away from her by taking the title.
Although the Russian celebrity remains the world's highest paid woman athlete, with an estimated annual income of $28 million, she has only won the WTA Championships once before, eight years ago during her breakthrough season aged 17.
Williams has won it twice, but the 23-year-old Azarenka's best so far is last year's runners-up position after losing a three-set final to Petra Kvitova.
Azarenka has also lost 10 of her 11 meetings with Williams, including at Wimbledon, the Olympics and the US Open this year, though she may take encouragement from having led 5-3 in the final set during the New York final.
In Sunday's draw, Azarenka gained an early chance to make up for her heartbreaker in the US Open final when Williams was drawn into her round-robin four, the Red Group, along with Li Na and Angelique Kerber.
This left Sharapova with a slightly less difficult looking quartet, even though the White Group includes Kvitova, as well as Agnieszka Radwanska and Sara Errani.
For the first time in the WTA Championships' 40-year history, the players come from eight different countries.
Kvitova, the former Wimbledon champion, is Czech, Radwanska, the Wimbledon runner-up, is Polish, and Li, the former French Open champion, is Chinese.
The two debutants, Kerber, a Wimbledon semi-finalist, and Errani, the French Open runner-up, are German and Italian respectively.
Tennis: Serena seeks to cap remarkable comeback year
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Nic Wilson said having Ivan Lendl watch you play for the first time can be a little intimidating.
"Having him on the court when you're playing is just weird," Wilson said. "You can't even feel the racket for the first few minutes."
Wilson should know. As a student at Hilton Head Island's Ivan Lendl International Junior Tennis Academy, Wilson has had the opportunity to meet the tennis legend.
And now Wilson will have the opportunity to be the first former student to represent the one-year-old academy in college after committing to Virginia Tech last week.
"Being the first, that's just something you can't take away," the Bristol, Tenn., native said.
Wilson led the Tennessee High School Vikings to the 2011 Tennessee AAA state championship before enrolling in Lendl's academy in January 2012.
"I saw him play at Kiawah in October of last year," said David Lewis, the director of instruction for the Ivan Lendl IJTA. "I thought, 'he hits a very good ball,' and one thing led to another and he ended up at the academy. He's made very good progress since he's been here."
Even with that progress, Wilson considered returning to Tennessee but decided to stay. Lewis said Wilson came back this fall and picked up where he left off.
According to Lewis, the mental aspect of the game is where Wilson has improved the most.
"He's just maturing mentally," Lewis said. "He learned to accept that you're going to lose matches, and knowing how to deal with it and how to handle it on the court. The mental side is important in any sport, especially in tennis as an individual sport. It's a big area Nic has made strides in.
"His game has matured," Lewis said. "Physically, mentally, in every area, he's stepped up. He's a great kid, very coachable."
Wilson found the biggest difference between home and the academy, aside from the time spent on tennis, was the emphasis on constant improvement.
"It's on a daily basis, the push to improve," Wilson said. "The coaches, especially David (Lewis), put it in your head constantly to improve instead of the same old routine of rallying every day, just hitting balls."
When Wilson was deciding on colleges, the coaches -- head coach Jim Thompson and assistant Stephen Huss -- were a big reason Wilson chose Virginia Tech. He also liked the Blacksburg, Va., campus and the fact it was just a two-hour drive from Bristol.
Wilson, who completed high school online, is enrolling in January after graduation next month. He isn't sure if he'll play right away. If he's not clearly better than the competition at No. 5 singles, he says he'll be redshirted.
Back on the topic of Lendl, Wilson said he's different from the stoic competitor fans saw on the court.
Read more here: Lendl's tennis academy sends first to college with Wilson - Beaufort Sports - IslandPacket-com
"Having him on the court when you're playing is just weird," Wilson said. "You can't even feel the racket for the first few minutes."
Wilson should know. As a student at Hilton Head Island's Ivan Lendl International Junior Tennis Academy, Wilson has had the opportunity to meet the tennis legend.
And now Wilson will have the opportunity to be the first former student to represent the one-year-old academy in college after committing to Virginia Tech last week.
"Being the first, that's just something you can't take away," the Bristol, Tenn., native said.
Wilson led the Tennessee High School Vikings to the 2011 Tennessee AAA state championship before enrolling in Lendl's academy in January 2012.
"I saw him play at Kiawah in October of last year," said David Lewis, the director of instruction for the Ivan Lendl IJTA. "I thought, 'he hits a very good ball,' and one thing led to another and he ended up at the academy. He's made very good progress since he's been here."
Even with that progress, Wilson considered returning to Tennessee but decided to stay. Lewis said Wilson came back this fall and picked up where he left off.
According to Lewis, the mental aspect of the game is where Wilson has improved the most.
"He's just maturing mentally," Lewis said. "He learned to accept that you're going to lose matches, and knowing how to deal with it and how to handle it on the court. The mental side is important in any sport, especially in tennis as an individual sport. It's a big area Nic has made strides in.
"His game has matured," Lewis said. "Physically, mentally, in every area, he's stepped up. He's a great kid, very coachable."
Wilson found the biggest difference between home and the academy, aside from the time spent on tennis, was the emphasis on constant improvement.
"It's on a daily basis, the push to improve," Wilson said. "The coaches, especially David (Lewis), put it in your head constantly to improve instead of the same old routine of rallying every day, just hitting balls."
When Wilson was deciding on colleges, the coaches -- head coach Jim Thompson and assistant Stephen Huss -- were a big reason Wilson chose Virginia Tech. He also liked the Blacksburg, Va., campus and the fact it was just a two-hour drive from Bristol.
Wilson, who completed high school online, is enrolling in January after graduation next month. He isn't sure if he'll play right away. If he's not clearly better than the competition at No. 5 singles, he says he'll be redshirted.
Back on the topic of Lendl, Wilson said he's different from the stoic competitor fans saw on the court.
Read more here: Lendl's tennis academy sends first to college with Wilson - Beaufort Sports - IslandPacket-com
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Carlos Ferrero's singles career drew to an emotional end when he lost 7-5 6-3 to fellow Spaniard and close friend Nicolas Almagro in the Valencia Open first round on Tuesday (Wednesday, PHL time).
A former world number one who won the French Open in 2003 but was hampered by injuries throughout his career, Ferrero announced last month he would retire after playing his home event.
Sixth seed Almagro, 27, Ferrero's junior by five years, had too much power and speed for his mentor in an entertaining match in which the pair exchanged smiles and jokes.
The younger man seemed to be suffering from a right shoulder problem late in the second set but shrugged off the injury and sealed victory on his first match point when wildcard Ferrero netted a return.
The pair embraced at the net and the 32-year-old was given a rousing ovation by the crowd as he fought back tears before flinging his racket, shirt and various other personal items into the stands.
"It's been a long time since I enjoyed myself so much on a tennis court," said Ferrero who will join up with singles top seed David Ferrer in the doubles on Wednesday.
"It was an honor to finish my career playing you, I think you are a great champion," he told Almagro whose coaching staff he will join on a part-time basis next year.
"I simply want to thank everyone for all their support, not just this year but throughout all the years I have played here," Ferrero said. "It's always been a very special tournament for me and this year even more so."
Almagro paid tribute to his friend.
"Maybe it was the most bitter win of my career as a great tennis player is leaving us," he said.
"I hope he'll be with me for a few weeks next year and I think we'll have some fun. I still have a lot to learn from him."
Read More: Tennis: Ferrero singles career ends with defeat by Almagro | Sports | GMA News Online | The Go-To Site for Filipinos Everywhere
A former world number one who won the French Open in 2003 but was hampered by injuries throughout his career, Ferrero announced last month he would retire after playing his home event.
Sixth seed Almagro, 27, Ferrero's junior by five years, had too much power and speed for his mentor in an entertaining match in which the pair exchanged smiles and jokes.
The younger man seemed to be suffering from a right shoulder problem late in the second set but shrugged off the injury and sealed victory on his first match point when wildcard Ferrero netted a return.
The pair embraced at the net and the 32-year-old was given a rousing ovation by the crowd as he fought back tears before flinging his racket, shirt and various other personal items into the stands.
"It's been a long time since I enjoyed myself so much on a tennis court," said Ferrero who will join up with singles top seed David Ferrer in the doubles on Wednesday.
"It was an honor to finish my career playing you, I think you are a great champion," he told Almagro whose coaching staff he will join on a part-time basis next year.
"I simply want to thank everyone for all their support, not just this year but throughout all the years I have played here," Ferrero said. "It's always been a very special tournament for me and this year even more so."
Almagro paid tribute to his friend.
"Maybe it was the most bitter win of my career as a great tennis player is leaving us," he said.
"I hope he'll be with me for a few weeks next year and I think we'll have some fun. I still have a lot to learn from him."
Read More: Tennis: Ferrero singles career ends with defeat by Almagro | Sports | GMA News Online | The Go-To Site for Filipinos Everywhere
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Every streak has a beginning. The ending, however, is much more difficult to determine.
In Edina's case, its run of consecutive girls' tennis state championships had unspectacular origins, a 1997 team that went undefeated after a four-year tournament absence.
Championships began to build, one after another, until the streak itself became the thing.
Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen.
In the meantime, inquiries became assumptions. Victory was not only possible, but it was assumed. Pressure -- to win, to keep the streak going -- became inevitable.
Which explains the deafening shriek that filled the Baseline Tennis Center on the University of Minnesota campus Wednesday afternoon when the Hornets clinched their 16th consecutive Class 2A team title, beating Minnetonka 7-0 in the finals.
It was joy, no doubt, at winning a state championship. But it carried with it a large exhalation of relief. No. 16 was in the book.
"It's such a big relief," said senior captain Meghan Herring.
Her co-captain and doubles partner, Morgan Marinovich, expanded on Herring's thoughts.
"There is a huge amount of pressure," Marinovich said. "Not from our coach, but from expectations. But mostly from ourselves. No one wants to be the team that has the streak end."
Not that it was ever in jeopardy. After rolling over upstart Rochester Century in the semifinals, Edina had little trouble dispatching its Lake Conference rivals in the finals.
The No. 2-seeded Skippers were expected to put up a fight but instead went down without winning a set.
"We're not making any excuses, because Edina's a great team," said Minnetonka captain Sydney Baldwin. "But the legend of Edina got into our heads. You need to be more emotionally stable to beat them."
The streak struck again.
Sweet No. 16 carried with it additional heft. It put Edina alone in first place in the record books for the most consecutive girls' high school tennis team championships in U.S. history.
The Hornets had shared the previous record with very familiar name: Edina, which had won 15 in a row from 1978 through 1992.
"It was incredible last year," said Herring. "But this triples it."
Class 1A: Blake repeats
It was no contest, really.
Blake, with nine players remaining from its 2011 state championship team, left no doubt about who was the class of the smaller class.
The Bears swept three consecutive opponents, the last being a 7-0 drubbing of Annandale in the championship match, to reaffirm its status.
"I think winning 7-0 in all three matches proves that we were no fluke last year," said senior captain Maddy Hall. "We played our game through the entire tournament. I think we're just as good as Edina."
Even an electrical outage at the Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center, which delayed to finals for 50 minutes, had no effect.
Said Hall: "We had another team meeting after that. Our coach, Jeanette [Vickman], made us focus on things we could control."
Edina tennis hits Sweet 16 | StarTribune-com
In Edina's case, its run of consecutive girls' tennis state championships had unspectacular origins, a 1997 team that went undefeated after a four-year tournament absence.
Championships began to build, one after another, until the streak itself became the thing.
Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen.
In the meantime, inquiries became assumptions. Victory was not only possible, but it was assumed. Pressure -- to win, to keep the streak going -- became inevitable.
Which explains the deafening shriek that filled the Baseline Tennis Center on the University of Minnesota campus Wednesday afternoon when the Hornets clinched their 16th consecutive Class 2A team title, beating Minnetonka 7-0 in the finals.
It was joy, no doubt, at winning a state championship. But it carried with it a large exhalation of relief. No. 16 was in the book.
"It's such a big relief," said senior captain Meghan Herring.
Her co-captain and doubles partner, Morgan Marinovich, expanded on Herring's thoughts.
"There is a huge amount of pressure," Marinovich said. "Not from our coach, but from expectations. But mostly from ourselves. No one wants to be the team that has the streak end."
Not that it was ever in jeopardy. After rolling over upstart Rochester Century in the semifinals, Edina had little trouble dispatching its Lake Conference rivals in the finals.
The No. 2-seeded Skippers were expected to put up a fight but instead went down without winning a set.
"We're not making any excuses, because Edina's a great team," said Minnetonka captain Sydney Baldwin. "But the legend of Edina got into our heads. You need to be more emotionally stable to beat them."
The streak struck again.
Sweet No. 16 carried with it additional heft. It put Edina alone in first place in the record books for the most consecutive girls' high school tennis team championships in U.S. history.
The Hornets had shared the previous record with very familiar name: Edina, which had won 15 in a row from 1978 through 1992.
"It was incredible last year," said Herring. "But this triples it."
Class 1A: Blake repeats
It was no contest, really.
Blake, with nine players remaining from its 2011 state championship team, left no doubt about who was the class of the smaller class.
The Bears swept three consecutive opponents, the last being a 7-0 drubbing of Annandale in the championship match, to reaffirm its status.
"I think winning 7-0 in all three matches proves that we were no fluke last year," said senior captain Maddy Hall. "We played our game through the entire tournament. I think we're just as good as Edina."
Even an electrical outage at the Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center, which delayed to finals for 50 minutes, had no effect.
Said Hall: "We had another team meeting after that. Our coach, Jeanette [Vickman], made us focus on things we could control."
Edina tennis hits Sweet 16 | StarTribune-com
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American Serena Williams reached the semifinals at the WTA Tour Championships in Istanbul on Thursday (Friday, PHL time) with what is fast becoming a routine defeat of world number one Victoria Azarenka.
The Wimbledon and U.S Open champion recorded a 6-4 6-4 win at the season-ending event, her fifth triumph over the Belarusian this year. Williams also owns an 11-1 record in their career head-to-heads.
The win was Williams' third at the tournament and while she is guaranteed to top the round robin red group, Azarenka must now beat China's Li Na on Friday (Saturday, PHL time) to reach the last four.
The eighth-ranked Li ended German Angelique Kerber's participation in the event with a 6-4 6-3 triumph.
Italy's Sara Errani is also still in semifinal contention after a three-set win over Australian Samantha Stosur.
Errani faces a must-win match against Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska if she is to join world number two Maria Sharapova in advancing from the white group.
Williams has won 12 of the 13 sets she has played with Azarenka in 2012. Her earlier wins over the 23-year-old came at Madrid, Wimbledon, the Olympics and the U.S Open.
Azarenka's power troubles nearly every other player on the WTA Tour but Williams has a substantially bigger serve than most and an equally good return.
Williams was again let down by her serving, but she still managed 35 winners to just 15 for Azarenka, broke her five times and won the match when Azarenka doubled faulted for the ninth time.
"I had too many opportunities that I didn't use," Azarenka said.
"She played really well. I didn't execute well enough. For me, the key word today was discipline, which was missing."
The 31-year-old Williams was at a lost to explain her dominance over Azarenka.
"Maybe I'm doing the right things at the right time." Williams said. "I don't know what the edge is."
Azarenka admitted she struggled mentally against Williams but fancied one more match against her before the year was done.
"She's playing great tennis," Azarenka said.
"She's letting her tennis speak for itself. My biggest opponent is her right now. I'll do everything I can. I might still have a chance to play against her in this tournament [in the final], so we'll see."
Tennis: Serena downs number one Azarenka again | Sports | GMA News Online | The Go-To Site for Filipinos Everywhere
The Wimbledon and U.S Open champion recorded a 6-4 6-4 win at the season-ending event, her fifth triumph over the Belarusian this year. Williams also owns an 11-1 record in their career head-to-heads.
The win was Williams' third at the tournament and while she is guaranteed to top the round robin red group, Azarenka must now beat China's Li Na on Friday (Saturday, PHL time) to reach the last four.
The eighth-ranked Li ended German Angelique Kerber's participation in the event with a 6-4 6-3 triumph.
Italy's Sara Errani is also still in semifinal contention after a three-set win over Australian Samantha Stosur.
Errani faces a must-win match against Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska if she is to join world number two Maria Sharapova in advancing from the white group.
Williams has won 12 of the 13 sets she has played with Azarenka in 2012. Her earlier wins over the 23-year-old came at Madrid, Wimbledon, the Olympics and the U.S Open.
Azarenka's power troubles nearly every other player on the WTA Tour but Williams has a substantially bigger serve than most and an equally good return.
Williams was again let down by her serving, but she still managed 35 winners to just 15 for Azarenka, broke her five times and won the match when Azarenka doubled faulted for the ninth time.
"I had too many opportunities that I didn't use," Azarenka said.
"She played really well. I didn't execute well enough. For me, the key word today was discipline, which was missing."
The 31-year-old Williams was at a lost to explain her dominance over Azarenka.
"Maybe I'm doing the right things at the right time." Williams said. "I don't know what the edge is."
Azarenka admitted she struggled mentally against Williams but fancied one more match against her before the year was done.
"She's playing great tennis," Azarenka said.
"She's letting her tennis speak for itself. My biggest opponent is her right now. I'll do everything I can. I might still have a chance to play against her in this tournament [in the final], so we'll see."
Tennis: Serena downs number one Azarenka again | Sports | GMA News Online | The Go-To Site for Filipinos Everywhere
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Victoria Azarenka of Belarus will finish the year as world number one after a 7-6 6-3 win over China's Li Na in her final round robin match at the WTA Championships on Friday (Saturday, PHL time).
The Australian Open champion managed the two wins she needed in the round robin competition to end 2012 in top spot by beating Germany's Angelique Kerber on Wednesday and then Li.
Azarenka now faces world number two Maria Sharapova in the semifinals with the Russian, who beat Sam Stosur 6-0 6-3 on Friday (Saturday, PHL time), having already sealed first place in Group B before playing the Australian who could not reach the last four.
Poland's fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska will play Serena Williams in the semis after overcoming seventh-seeded Italian Sara Errani 6-7 7-5 6-4 in the longest match ever played at a WTA Championships, which lasted three hours, 29 minutes.
Azarenka becomes the 11th year-end number since the WTA began its rankings in 1975 and the fifth this century.
"It's kind of difficult to believe that a little girl from Belarus is on that list," the 23-year-old said. "But it's really an incredible achievement.
"When I started to play tennis I had this big picture in my head that I want to be there. Back then it was so far away. It was like pretty much touching the sky," added Azarenka.
The Belarussian broke Li when the eighth-ranked Chinese served for the first set at 5-4 and was forceful in the tiebreak, winning it 7-4.
Azarenka dominated the action off the ground for much of the second set and sealed the match after forcing Li into a forehand error in a hard hitting rally.
Brilliant response
Radwanska next faces 15-time grand slam champion Williams, who has yet to drop a set at the tournament.
Radwanska, who had lost to Sharapova in a three-hour and 12 minute marathon on Wednesday, had to pull out all the stops to get past the determined Errani.
The Italian won the first set 8-6 in the tiebreak after coming out ahead in a 34-ball rally and pumped her fist in delight while Radwanska angrily threw her racket to the ground.
Errani fought off four break points to hold for a 5-4 lead in the second but Radwanska responded brilliantly, winning 12 of the next 13 points to take the set 7-5.
"When I'd played for so long already I was thinking, just pretty much fight until the end," Radwanska said.
Errani troubled the Pole with a mix of heavy topspin and relentless retrieving but was unable to stay as mentally focused as the 2012 Wimbledon finalist, who nearly squandered a 3-0 lead in the third set but finally managed to defeat the Italian.
"She's a big fighter so she didn't give up," Radwanska said. "So I really had to play my best tennis until the end of the match."
Tennis: Azarenka seals year-end number one spot with win over Li | Sports | GMA News Online | The Go-To Site for Filipinos Everywhere
The Australian Open champion managed the two wins she needed in the round robin competition to end 2012 in top spot by beating Germany's Angelique Kerber on Wednesday and then Li.
Azarenka now faces world number two Maria Sharapova in the semifinals with the Russian, who beat Sam Stosur 6-0 6-3 on Friday (Saturday, PHL time), having already sealed first place in Group B before playing the Australian who could not reach the last four.
Poland's fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska will play Serena Williams in the semis after overcoming seventh-seeded Italian Sara Errani 6-7 7-5 6-4 in the longest match ever played at a WTA Championships, which lasted three hours, 29 minutes.
Azarenka becomes the 11th year-end number since the WTA began its rankings in 1975 and the fifth this century.
"It's kind of difficult to believe that a little girl from Belarus is on that list," the 23-year-old said. "But it's really an incredible achievement.
"When I started to play tennis I had this big picture in my head that I want to be there. Back then it was so far away. It was like pretty much touching the sky," added Azarenka.
The Belarussian broke Li when the eighth-ranked Chinese served for the first set at 5-4 and was forceful in the tiebreak, winning it 7-4.
Azarenka dominated the action off the ground for much of the second set and sealed the match after forcing Li into a forehand error in a hard hitting rally.
Brilliant response
Radwanska next faces 15-time grand slam champion Williams, who has yet to drop a set at the tournament.
Radwanska, who had lost to Sharapova in a three-hour and 12 minute marathon on Wednesday, had to pull out all the stops to get past the determined Errani.
The Italian won the first set 8-6 in the tiebreak after coming out ahead in a 34-ball rally and pumped her fist in delight while Radwanska angrily threw her racket to the ground.
Errani fought off four break points to hold for a 5-4 lead in the second but Radwanska responded brilliantly, winning 12 of the next 13 points to take the set 7-5.
"When I'd played for so long already I was thinking, just pretty much fight until the end," Radwanska said.
Errani troubled the Pole with a mix of heavy topspin and relentless retrieving but was unable to stay as mentally focused as the 2012 Wimbledon finalist, who nearly squandered a 3-0 lead in the third set but finally managed to defeat the Italian.
"She's a big fighter so she didn't give up," Radwanska said. "So I really had to play my best tennis until the end of the match."
Tennis: Azarenka seals year-end number one spot with win over Li | Sports | GMA News Online | The Go-To Site for Filipinos Everywhere
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Top-seeded David Ferrer reached the Valencia Open tennis final for a fourth time after defeating Ivan Dodig of Croatia 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 on Saturday.
Ferrer, the local favourite, will face the Ukraine's Alexandr Dolgopolov who downed Austria's Jurgen Melzer in the second semi-final.
After world No.5 Ferrer controlled the opening set, Dodig saved two break points to force a second-set tiebreaker, where he converted a third set point by forcing the Spaniard into netting a volley.
Ferrer grabbed a 3-1 advantage in the decisive set after Dodig double-faulted. He then hit a running approach shot to break Dodig again before serving out the win in two hours and 42 minutes.
Ferrer has a chance on Sunday to add the tournament to his five titles this season. He won in Valencia on the indoor hardcourts in 2008 and 2010 after losing the final in 2005 when the tournament was played on clay.
Ferrer v Dolgopolov in Spain tennis final - Yahoo! New Zealand Sport
Ferrer, the local favourite, will face the Ukraine's Alexandr Dolgopolov who downed Austria's Jurgen Melzer in the second semi-final.
After world No.5 Ferrer controlled the opening set, Dodig saved two break points to force a second-set tiebreaker, where he converted a third set point by forcing the Spaniard into netting a volley.
Ferrer grabbed a 3-1 advantage in the decisive set after Dodig double-faulted. He then hit a running approach shot to break Dodig again before serving out the win in two hours and 42 minutes.
Ferrer has a chance on Sunday to add the tournament to his five titles this season. He won in Valencia on the indoor hardcourts in 2008 and 2010 after losing the final in 2005 when the tournament was played on clay.
Ferrer v Dolgopolov in Spain tennis final - Yahoo! New Zealand Sport
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Even though she won four big titles during the year, Serena Williams will still end 2012 ranked number three behind Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova.
After backing up her victories at Wimbledon, the Olympics and the U.S. Open with the WTA Championships title on Sunday, Williams concurred with Sharapova and world number eight Li Na that she is in fact the world's top female tennis player.
"I think it's a true statement, without trying to sound full of myself or anything," Williams told reporters after overcoming Russian Sharapova 6-4 6-3 in the final of the season-ending tournament.
"I always said that if I'm playing well and I'm doing everything right it's really difficult to beat me. I still believe that."
Williams beat Sharapova each of the three times they met this year and also won all five of her matches against number one Azarenka of Belarus.
The American has ended the year with a 58-4 record and won seven titles but did not compete at two WTA mandatory events at Indian Wells and Beijing. Had she played the events she may have ended the year at number one.
"It's surprising to win two grand slams, the Olympics, Madrid and the Championships and to be number three," said Williams' coach Patrick Mouratoglou.
"If there is a bug somewhere, someone has to find it."
Williams said that her 2012 season comes a close second to her 2002 season, when she won three grand slam titles.
"I have to say number two only because I didn't win the Australian Open and French Open," she said.
"I faltered in the French and fell in the first round. I beat my record for 2002 match-wise. But it's close. It's neck and neck."
Mouratoglou believes that if she stays healthy, the 31-year-old American can win many more majors.
Williams herself said it was possible she can again achieve what she did in 2002-2003, winning four straight majors, which she nicknamed the "Serena Slam".
"I could," she said. "I have a chance. Hopefully.
Tennis: I deserve top ranking, says number three Serena | Sports | GMA News Online | The Go-To Site for Filipinos Everywhere
After backing up her victories at Wimbledon, the Olympics and the U.S. Open with the WTA Championships title on Sunday, Williams concurred with Sharapova and world number eight Li Na that she is in fact the world's top female tennis player.
"I think it's a true statement, without trying to sound full of myself or anything," Williams told reporters after overcoming Russian Sharapova 6-4 6-3 in the final of the season-ending tournament.
"I always said that if I'm playing well and I'm doing everything right it's really difficult to beat me. I still believe that."
Williams beat Sharapova each of the three times they met this year and also won all five of her matches against number one Azarenka of Belarus.
The American has ended the year with a 58-4 record and won seven titles but did not compete at two WTA mandatory events at Indian Wells and Beijing. Had she played the events she may have ended the year at number one.
"It's surprising to win two grand slams, the Olympics, Madrid and the Championships and to be number three," said Williams' coach Patrick Mouratoglou.
"If there is a bug somewhere, someone has to find it."
Williams said that her 2012 season comes a close second to her 2002 season, when she won three grand slam titles.
"I have to say number two only because I didn't win the Australian Open and French Open," she said.
"I faltered in the French and fell in the first round. I beat my record for 2002 match-wise. But it's close. It's neck and neck."
Mouratoglou believes that if she stays healthy, the 31-year-old American can win many more majors.
Williams herself said it was possible she can again achieve what she did in 2002-2003, winning four straight majors, which she nicknamed the "Serena Slam".
"I could," she said. "I have a chance. Hopefully.
Tennis: I deserve top ranking, says number three Serena | Sports | GMA News Online | The Go-To Site for Filipinos Everywhere
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The attorneys for Lois Ann Goodman have submitted the results to the district attorney's office by email suggesting that prosecutors reevaluate the case and consider dismissing charges against the 70-year-old woman.
The attorneys told The Associated Press on Monday that police wanted Goodman to take a polygraph test when she was first under investigation, but she refused on advice of her former counsel.
They say she has fulfilled that request. The test was administered by a well-known FBI-trained polygrapher.
A district attorney's spokeswoman says the office will not comment until the material is filed to court.
Read more: Lawyers: Tennis ref charged with murder passed polygraph - Tennis - SI-com