TennisToday

Arnaud Clement Watch - 1st Round Winner at Miami

ATP Masters Series 1000 - Miami First Round

Q Arnaud Clement d Dudi Sela - 63 63

My boy is thru to the 2nd round at Miami for the 9th time!

Whoops: He's only won 2 of those 9 matches tho.

He will next face youngster (26) Milos Raonic.

But hey, winning 3 matches (2 in quallies) will give him a nice bump.

Arnaud is currently #153 - he'll jump into the 130's.

Allez old guy. Allez.

Photo: Getty Images

Roger Federer Wins BNP Paribas Masters 1000 at Paris

BNP Paribas Masters Series 1000 at Paris - Final

3 Roger Federer d 6 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - 61 76(3)

Rog wins his maiden Paris Indoor title - without dropping a set this week.

This also marks his 18th Master 1000 title - 1 behind leader Rafael Nadal.

He also passed the 800 match win milestone earlier in the week: 802-186.

Roger bags his 69th career title - and 2nd in as many weeks.

With the O2 mere days away one must think he's a solid pick for #6.

The win will keep him at #4 - where he will probably finish the year.

Remember, he's defending points from winning at the O2 last year.

Rog also joins Andre Agassi in winning the 2 big title in Paris.

Well done Roger, see you next week.

Andre Agassi Covers Tennis View Magazine Ahead of His Hall of Fame Induction

Goodness, has it really been 5 years since his teary goodbye at the US Open?

Andre won 60 titles including 8 Slams and the Olympic gold medal in '96.

He also spent a total of 101 weeks atop the ATP tour rankings.

Andre was year-end #1 once in '99 and #2 on three occasions: '94, '95 & '02.

At 33 and 4 months he is the oldest man to hold the #1 ranking.

And spent 16 years in the top 10 - the most (tied with Jimmy Connors).

But he'll tell you that his great achievement is his prep school in Las Vegas.

Which boastes an incredible success rate.

Well done Andre. Newport is proud to have you.

Andre Agassi Selected for Hall of Fame Induction

Aptly, Andre will join wife Steffi Graf as an honoree in Newport.

The first time I saw him play live was a thriller at Indian Wells in 1988.

He was a brash punk-ass kid in demin shorts and rock star hair.

He was 17 and just making his name on the tour.

Andre found himself in tight semifinal tangle against Boris Becker.

And he took the 1st set. The stadium was rocking.

After all, Boris was the current 2-time Wimbledon champion.

And most hadn't ever seen Andre yet.

Boris took the 2nd set and then a trhiller ensued in the 3rd.

Final score that day: 46 64 75 for Becker.

Obs, I had no clue I was watching two future Hall of Famers...

Or that an 11 year rivalry was being born: H2H - 10-4/AA.

Oh, and I also remember the sunburn I absorbed that day.

***

Later that year he would advance to the Sf's at Roland Garros & US Open.

His storied career includes 8 Slams: 4 AO, 1 RG, 1 W, 2 US.

And an Olympic title won in Atlanta.

He & Pete Sampras gave tennis an historic rivalry - 20-14/PS.

But, Andre will tell you that his best work has come off of the court.

Tennis allowed him to open his prep school. That's his baby.

Andre tweeted today: Thank you everyone for all your support,

I'm truly honored to be recognized alongside the greatest players of tennis.

Well done Andre. And well deserved.

Elton John Lobs a Winner Over Steffi Graf & Andre Agassi

Let's hear it for the old boy!

 

He pulled this off last night at Billie Jean King's WTT Smash Hits AIDS event.

Hey, and is that Jan-Michael Gambill he high-fives at the end of the video?

Andre Agassi's 'Grand Slam Gala for Children' Video/Interview for TV Guide Network

Photo's from the Andre Agassi Foundation Fundraiser in Las Vegas Last Night

One word for Steffi and Jennifer: WOW.

Um, and then this happened...

Photos: Getty Images

 

Andre Agassi "Hate/Love" Tennis on Today Show

Can it really be 4 years already since he said goodbye?

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Roger Federer Wins ATP Title in Cincinnati

Cincinnati ATP Masters 1000 Winner

3 Roger Federer d Mardy Fish - 67(5) 76(1) 64

This match boiled down to a single break - of the last Fish service game.

With the win Roger gets his 2nd title of '10.

It's the latest in a season he's bagged a 2nd title since '01 when he only won 1.

This is Roger's 2nd straight & 4th overall title in Cincy - tying Mats Wilander.

It's also his 17th Masters title - equalling Agassi & 1 behind leader Nadal.

This ties him at #5 on the title leader list with Bjorn Borg with 63 titles.

He is 1 behind Pete Sampras who has 64.

Roger now heads to the US Open as the #2 seed & brimming with confidence.

Knew it: I wrote 2 weeks ago that Roger would turn up the heat this Summer.

***

Gotta feel for Fish tho. This might have been his best chance...

A few months ago the guy was ranked in the 100's. Tomorrow: the 20's.

Easily the most improved player of the year.

Photo: Getty Images

Sexy Couple: Andy Roddick & Brooklyn Decker Celebrate 1st Anniversary on Maui

They were photographed today frolicking on the beach together.

He looks nice and beachy...

But you'd think Sports Illustrated's swimsuit covermodel might wear a bikini!

Rest up Andy... it may be sand now but soon - clay and grass.

Photos: Splash News Online

DVR Alert: Bryan Brothers on '60 Minutes' this Sunday

This, from the Bryan Brothers Twitter page:

1. Check out this "60 minutes" tease on the CBS website: http://j.mp/9fmFfy And here's the "Open My Heart" cover art:

2. Agassi's book was the inspiration to write "Open My Heart." He was our idol growing up and the reason we had dreams to play on the tour. 

 

So Pete Sampras & Andre Agassi have a really weird moment at the Hit for Haiti event in Indian Wells

I thought this was a charity thing. Play nice boys.

'Hit for Haiti' Relief Benefit in Indian Wells - March 12th

I just got an exciting email from the fine folks who run the Masters Series 1000 in Indian Wells. Former champions Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi will take the court in a doubles match to raise money in a 'Hit for Haiti' exhibition.

It'll be a night match and tickets are still available: HERE.

The event is designed to raise at least a million dollars for the American Red Cross and will feature Roger Federer & Pete Sampras against Andre Agassi & Rafael Nadal.

Lopsided pairing, no? That's 30 Slam singles titles on one side of the net going up against only 14 on the other. More amazingly, it represents a whopping 15 Wimbledon titles - 15 of the last 18 actually, going back to Agassi's victory in 1992.

I may need to rearrange some plans and get out there a day earlier... if not, it'll be aired live on the Tennis Channel.

On Tennis.com's 10 Best Moment of the 00's

Lordy lordy lordy, who compiled this list? It's really bizarre.

Roger & Serena - 2009 Wimbledon Champs & best players of the decade.

Hands down the decade (which actually ends a year from tomorrow) belonged to Roger Federer. So then, how can they put Pete Sampras surpassing Roy Emerson with his 12th Slam by winning the 2000 Wimbledon title as #1? Yes it was monumental but watching Roger gather all 15 of his slams during this actual decade is surely deserving of the top spot here - um, no brainer people.

At #2 they have Jennifer Capriati's comeback effort at the 2001 Australian Open over the Serena Slam at #3. On the women's side the decade belongs to Serena and she should easily outrank Jen. In fact, if I were to scratch out my own list I doubt she would even make my top 20. To add insult to injury - at #5 they rank Jen's defeat of Serena in the 2004 US Open quarterfinals. It was a great match but really only historic for ushering in the wonderful challenge system.

At #6 they rank what many/most consider the greatest match ever played - Rafa's defeat of Roger in that epic '08 Wimbledon final. It doesn't get any better than this folks and just to thank these guys it should be no lower than #3 - right below Roger and Serena.

#8 is Andre Agassi's confessional biography, a blip in time that barely merits a mention - pass. And at #10 they squeeze in Serena's tantrum at this years US Open - UGH. The #10 spot would be better served by honoring Kim Clijsters' improbable run to the title. Not to mention being the first mom to win a Slam in a gazillion years.

Phew, got that off my chest.