SF Tennis Freak

Archive for February, 2014

James Blake
(courtesy www.powersharesseries.com

World-class men’s tennis returns to Northern California tonight with the Champions Shootout: the next stop on the PowerShares Series 12-city tour.  Featuring a roster of tennis icons and legends, the PowerShares Series combines the best of competitive tennis and fan appreciation in a condensed format that’s fun for both the players and fans alike.

The last PowerShares visit to the Bay Area saw Jim Courier, John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, and Todd Martin battling it out for supremacy (and rankings points) in San Jose. This time around, Sacramento is the battleground. And stalwarts Courier and McEnroe are joined by Pete Sampras and series newcomer, James Blake.

McEnroe currently leads the rankings, followed by Courier and PowerShares newcomer Andy Roddick. Blake, however, is quietly making a run for the top spot after picking up his first PowerShares title with a 7-6 (5) win over McEnroe in Salt Lake City.

It’s hard to believe that Blake only just retired from the pro ranks this past fall at the ripe old age of 28. Hard to believe, maybe, but understandable given the toll that injuries have taken on his body over the years.

After struggling in qualifying rounds through most of the 2012 and 2013 seasons, Blake made his official retirement announcement at the 2013 US Open, after a first-round loss to Ivo Karlovic.

With pro tennis seemingly behind him, Blake looked ready finally enjoy some quality time with his wife and young daughter. But the lure of competition proved too strong, so five months later he’s back on the courts: hitting blistering forehands as though he never left, and having a good time with his old friends.

Blake’s first outing in Denver ended in a finals loss to Andre Agassi. His second was another finals loss to his good buddy Roddick in Houston. The third time definitely proved to be the charm, however, with his win in Salt Lake City. At this rate, McEnroe had better watch his back in Sacramento!

The Champions Shootout begins at 3PM with a special “Play with the Pros” on-court hitting session with Sampras and Blake, followed by a second session featuring McEnroe and Courier at 4PM. Semifinal match play begins at 6PM, with the winners advancing to the finals immediately afterward.

Hope to see you there.

Tonight I was humbled and honored that a tweet I sent for Jordan Davis’ parents was read on air to them by Lawrence O’Donnell on “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell”. My tweet represented one of thousands expressing support and heartache for these parents who lost their child in yet another example of the Florida’s racist “Stand your ground” law, and prosecutorial incompetence. I hope my simple sentiments, and those of everyone else who tweeted similar messages, helps to provide some solace in this hour of incredulous despair.

This is the clip of the segment when the tweet was read to his parents, Lucia McBath and Ronald Davis. It still makes me tear up when I watch it. When I mentioned how emotional it made me, my partner Steve hit the nail on the head by saying “You (basically) spoke directly to them. And you were able to tell them that you share their pain.”

I sent tweets and posted a status update about this yesterday, but also wanted to do a quick write-up on the San Francisco Spring 2014 Tennis Ladder, a new group for tennis ladder here in SF.

The ladder starts this Monday, Feb. 17 (President’s Day), and goes for 10 weeks. The thing that I find to be the biggest selling point is the $135 prize pot. That almost makes me want to cancel my engagements, load up on Advil for my knees, and join the fun. Tennis and money? What’s not to love?!

Though registration ends on Mar. 24, ladder founder Andreas Blachere, is hoping to have as many players as possible by the 2/17 start date. I had a chance to sit down with Andreas to talk about the ladder. He’s a very cool guy, and also pretty excited about the spring version after a successful fall inaugural season.

So if you’re interested, visit San Francisco Spring 2014 Tennis Ladder at http://sf-spring-2014.ladderplayer.com/. You have a day and a half left to register for the Monday start, so get to it and give yourself a chance to win some moola. 🙂