Martina Hingis vs Venus Williams WTT NY Sportimes

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Martina Hingis having a good time with WTT NY Sportimes

MIDDLETON — Normally, a player of Martina Hingis’ stature and ability will only play in a handful of matches during a World TeamTennis season.


But this summer, for the most part, if the New York Sportimes are competing, so is Hingis, and the five-time Grand Slam singles champion has looked good enough to still hold her own on the WTA Tour.


The former world No. 1 came into last night’s match with the Boston Lobsters with the second-highest winning percentage in women’s singles. She also ranked near the top in both women’s and mixed doubles.


Last night wasn’t her best performance, however. Hingis and Ashley Harkleroad suffered a 5-3 loss at women’s doubles to the Lobsters’ Irina Falconi and Carly Gullickson-Eagle. She was then substituted out of her singles match against Falconi before Harkleroad rallied for a 5-4 tiebreaker win.



Hingis did not compete in mixed doubles, as the Lobsters won, 22-20, at Ferncroft Country Club’s Joan Norton Stadium.


While her memories of last night’s match won’t be rosy, the ones of her days atop the WTA still are.


“Obviously my career was pretty cool to be up there, the No. 1 spot for so long. Playing the (Williams) sisters . . . Jennifer (Capriati), Lindsay (Davenport). That’s always been the best matches.


“Win or lose, no matter what, we’d bring the best out of each other.”


Hingis, 31, retired from the tour in November 2007 when she revealed that she’d tested positive for cocaine at Wimbledon the previous summer, although she maintained her innocence. While her International Tennis Foundation suspension was lifted in 2009, Hingis is happy not to grind through a full WTA season anymore.


“Sometimes the (WTA) schedule is pretty grueling,” she said. “I mean, it’s not after playing one or two matches. To win tournaments, you have to win five, six. That’s different. An exhibition is different. You play one match, and then you can take off the next two, three weeks.”


Hingis clearly enjoys playing for the Sportimes, as this is her fifth WTT season. She enjoys the team aspect of the sport.


“We’re all very competitive. Team tennis sometimes gets the best out of you because you want to win for the team,” she said. “And sometimes you’d probably give a little bit more and you’re just trying to fight until the last point. Even if things aren’t going that well, the team is there to lift you back up. It’s pretty cool.


“The tour is pretty selfish, right? You have your team to protect you and everyone’s around you to help you. I’ve always liked the team competitions, whether it’s the Hopman Cup — I never lost a match — or the Fed Cup — I barely lost one match. In doubles, that’s like the teamwork, so I always like that because you have responsibility and stuff like that. Yeah, you just fight harder and try to win the match.”


In a match last week against the Lobsters, Falconi pushed Hingis to a tiebreaker before falling 5-4. Hingis sees similarities between the two.


“I was very surprised that Irina beat Venus (Williams) 5-0 (in an earlier match against the Washington Kastles). She’s the kind of player that kind of fits my game,” Hingis said.


“We play very similar, so it’s kind of like playing your shadow. She’s a very good counterpuncher. She gets no points for free. She gets a lot of balls back and takes her opportunities. Yeah, it’s playing like myself a little bit.”


bostonherald

Kim Clijsters playing mixed doubles at London Olympics?

"If it were not for the mixed doubles I probably would never have gone to the Olympics but I tried anyway until the end."


Olivier Rochus was refused participation by the selection criteria of the Belgian Committee, thanks Kim Clijsters who has given him the opportunity to take part in his third Olympics:


"I saw Kim at the tournament in Hertogenbosch where she approached me about playing in the doubles together. It is outrageous that the number 60 in the world could not go to London, so it was nice of her. Together we reached the quarter-final at Wimbledon and also the Hopman Cup. We hope to get a wild card because the twelve teams present are very strong - there will be Mirnyi and Azarenka for example. "


If the two manage to get a wild card they will be inserted in the mixed doubles draw.


tennisworldusa.org

Roger Federer passes Olympic flag bearer duties to fellow Swiss countryman

World number one tennis player Roger Federer will not be the flag bearer of Switzerland’s contingent at the opening ceremony of London Olympics as the honour has been given to his fellow tennis player and close friend Stanislas Wawrinka.


Federer was offered to carry his country’s flag after he won the Wimbledon Championships and rose to the top of the world tennis rankings once again but the Swiss Maestro declined the offer, saying that he had already got this honour twice and would like someone else to have it this time.


The 17-time Grand Slam winner suggested Switzerland’s Olympic Committee to appoint Wawrinka as the flag bearer, with whom he had won the Gold Medal in the doubles category at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.


After getting the confirmation of being the flag bearer of Switzerland’s contingent, Wawrinka tweeted, “Thank you for giving me the honour of carrying the Swiss flag. It’s a moment of immense pride for me.”


Wawrinka is currently at the 26th position in ATP Rankings. The Swiss number two achieved his highest career ranking of number nine back in 2008.


The 27-year-old has won three titles in his career so far, with the biggest being the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event at Internazionali BNL d’Italia in 2008. His noticeable Grand Slam performances are reaching the quarter-finals at the 2010 US Open and 2011 Australian Open.


Tennis players have beaten athletes from all sports in the competition of carrying flag of their country at the London Olympics. Some of the most prominent players who will carry their country’s flag on the Olympics opening ceremony are the world number two men’s player Novak Djokovic of Serbia, world number two women’s player Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland and number three Maria Sharapova of Russia.


2008 men’s Gold Medallist Rafael Nadal was named to be Spain’s flag bearer but he was forced to withdraw from the Games with knee injury.


stevegtennis.com


Well that's disappointing but understandable, nice of Roger to share the honor.

Martina Hingis WTT Sportimes beat Lobsters

Nike celebrates Federer's return to #1 with limited edition shoes

On July 16, Roger Federer will enter the week as the world's top ranked tennis player for the 287th time. 


The mark is significant because it will break the record held by Pete Sampras, the man many considered the greatest tennis player - men's or women's - of all time until Federer came along. 


The debate between Federer and Sampras was settled long before this week, but the number 287 does put a sort of formality to the proceedings.


To celebrate the occasion, Nike has put together a special colorway of Federer's signature shoe, the Nike Zoom Vapor RF - which is a re-skinned Nike Zoom Vapor 9 Tour - that will be limited to only 287 pairs.

The black upper will be complimented by gold accents all throughout the shoe and will come with a special box and certificate of authenticity that is signed by Federer himself. 


Each serial number commemorates a week of Federer's reign and it looks like each shoe will come with a little news blip about that particular week.


The shoe will be available July 16 at 8am Eastern Time/5am Pacific Time at Nikestore.com for $287. Sizes will only be limited to 9, 10, 11 and 12.


examiner.com

Needles found in airplane food!

Washington (CNN) -- The FBI says it has launched an investigation into the discovery of sewing needles in four turkey sandwiches on separate Delta Air Lines flights from Amsterdam to the United States.


The objects were discovered in food on planes as they were en route Sunday from Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands to Minneapolis, Seattle and two flights to Atlanta, according to Delta spokeswoman Kristin Baur. Two of the needles were found by passengers, she said, at which point Delta told all 18 flights from Amsterdam to stop serving the sandwiches.


Unsavory truths about airplane food


Two more needles were discovered, including one found by a federal air marshal. One passenger on the plane going to Minneapolis was injured by the needle but declined medical treatment upon landing, according to Baur.


Federal agents have begun a criminal investigation, said Special Agent Stephen Emmett, an FBI spokesman in Atlanta.


Gate Gourmet, which provided prepared sandwiches to Delta, said the sandwiches originated at the firm's facility in Amsterdam. The company has been in business since 1992.


"This is a terribly upsetting situation," said Gate Gourmet spokeswoman Christina Ulosevich. "First and foremost is the safety of the traveling public. There's nothing more important to us at all than the safety of the passengers and crews."


Delta is now serving sealed prepackaged food on these flights instead of the sandwiches, and no other needles have been found, Baur said.





Airline drops salads from flights in food scare


The Transportation Security Administration says it notified all U.S. airlines with flights from Schiphol to the United States of the findings.


"TSA continues to closely monitor the review of the incidents as well as the security protocols being conducted by the air carrier and the airport authority," spokesman David Castelveter said.


"Delta requires all its in-flight caterers to adhere to strict criteria in order to offer our customers the very best onboard meals," Baur told CNN in a statement. "The safety and security of our passengers and crew is Delta's number one priority."


Delta says it has been in contact with the FBI, authorities in the Netherlands and Gate Gourmet and is fully cooperating with them in this investigation.


Why air travel snacks matter


Asked whether Gate Gourmet had taken any job action against any employee, Ulosevich said, "We don't have any comment. It's part of an active investigation."


"We are absolutely cooperating fully with federal and local authorities who are involved, and concurrent with that, we'll be conducting our own full-scale investigation."


Ulosevich said the company provides food to other airlines, "but we have received no other reports" of tampered products from other customers.


"We are monitoring every aspect of our operation," she said.


CNN.com


Like airplane food itself wasn't bad enough!.