Tennis Channel | Tennis Panorama

McEnroe: Serena Williams and Nadal Have to Beat Themselves to Lose at French Open

(May 20, 2013) – John McEnroe agrees with the vast majority of tennis prognosticators that Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal are heavy favorites to win the upcoming French Open.

McEnroe spoke to media on Monday, ahead of next weeks’ French Open on a Tennis Channel conference call. McEnroe has served as an analyst for the network’s French Open coverage since 2007.

Asked about the chances of Serena being upset, McEnroe said:”I mean it’s been done before. I’ve done it myself, but you sort of have to beat yourself. The level she’s at when she’s playing well, I don’t think anybody can beat her. Anybody, no matter great they are, everybody has bad days.
“On clay, it’s her worst surface. The odds would increase. The pressure is greater obviously at the French because she’s only won it once. I would say at some stage in the event, it would be likely that she won’t have one of her best days. Depending on her opponent that day, someone might have a shot at her.”

McEnroe is impressed with Nadal’s comeback after being off the tour for seven months.

“It seems like he’s barely lost anything, if at all,” McEnroe said. “Right now he seems to be finally, he says, playing the best he’s been playing the whole year, which is sort of frightening for the other players.
“Unless something happens that’s unforeseen, it would be pretty hard‑pressed to make an argument for anyone other than Djokovic to beat him. It would have to be one of those swing‑for‑the‑fences type players like Soderling was that one year, and the conditions would have to be extremely heavy so his ball wouldn’t have the type of jump it normally does.”

Coming into the French Open, both Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal are on win streaks. World No. 1 Williams has won 24 straight matches which include Miami, Charleson, Madrid and Rome titles. Nadal, whose ranking has moved up to No. 4 this week, has captured his last three tournaments – Barcelona, Madrid and Rome.

The French Open begins on May 26.

Tennis Channel Announces 2013 French Open Broadcast Schedule

Filed Under: Features, Front Page News, On The Call, tennis news Tagged With: 2013 French Open, French Open, John McEnroe, Rafael Nadal, Roland Garros, Serena Williams, tennis, Tennis Channel, tennis news, Tennis Panorama News, TV schedule

Tennis Channel Announces 2013 French Open Broadcast Schedule

Tennis Channel to Dedicate 200+ Hours to French Open

LOS ANGELES, May 20, 2013 – Tennis Channel, will begin its first day of 2013 French Open coverage with nine consecutive hours of matches followed by a another nine hours of interview-and-encore show French Open Tonight. This daily balance – long blocks of competition followed by an all-night review of the day’s play – will be the template for much of the network’s two-week telecast, set to get underway Sunday, May 26. With plans for close to 70 live match hours, more than 65 hours of encore replays, and 114 hours of French Open Tonight, Tennis Channel will devote more than 200 hours of seemingly round-the-clock coverage to the world’s most prestigious clay-court event this year.

In its seventh year at Roland Garros, Tennis Channel’s live coverage runs from the first day of play through the men’s semifinal round and includes encore replays of the men’s and women’s singles quarterfinals, semifinal and championship competitions. The network’s most common daily schedule will offer live matches from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ET. From 3:30 p.m.-7 p.m. it will showcase the day’s best action via encore match replays, regardless of whether the matches originally aired live on Tennis Channel or broadcast partners NBC or ESPN2 (a complete schedule follows, below).

French Open Tonight, hosted by Bill Macatee (@BMacatee), will run from 7 p.m.-10 p.m. and then again twice throughout the late night and early morning. Since 2008 the show’s stage has overlooked the scenic Musketeer Plaza in the heart of the Roland Garros tournament grounds, with crowd bustle and spectator applause an ever present audio backdrop. As he has done since Tennis Channel’s first French Open in 2007, Macatee will bring his engaging interviewing approach into tennis fans’ homes each evening, encapsulating the day’s best through conversations with the players, coaches, and industry representatives who will write the history of this year’s tournament. Thirty-seven-and-a-half first-run hours of French Open Tonight are planned for 2013.

From 4 a.m.-5 a.m., Tennis Channel will run daily highlights provided by the event’s governing French Tennis Federation, before ESPN2 initiates a new day of match coverage at 5 a.m. Between Tennis Channel and ESPN2, viewers will have virtually non-stop, 24-hour coverage of the French Open. Since 2007, Tennis Channel has produced all telecasts for both channels, with each network cross-promoting the other’s telecast.

Broadband and Digital Coverage

Tennis Channel’s Web site, www.tennischannel.com, has offered free match streaming live and on demand since its first year of French Open coverage in 2007. Up to five simultaneous courts will be accessible to visitors from 5 a.m. ET through the end of the day’s play, with more than 300 hours overall. New for 2013, the network is launching a free mobile app – Tennis Channel Everywhere – that is available to all users of Apple or Android digital platforms. In addition to French Open matches, the app will include daily updates from Tennis Channel’s online video page with highlights, Court Report news and popular player Bag Check clips.

Tennis Channel’s Live 2013 French Open Match Schedule

(Men’s/Women’s Singles Unless Otherwise Specified)

Date Time (ET) Event

Sunday, May 26 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. First-Round Action

Monday, May 27 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. First-Round Action

Tuesday, May 28 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. First-Round Action

Wednesday, May 29 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Second-Round Action

Thursday, May 30 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Second-Round Action

Friday, May 31 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Third-Round Action

Saturday, June 1 5 a.m.-Noon Third-Round Action

Sunday, June 2 5 a.m.-1 p.m. Round-of-16 Action

Monday, June 3 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Round-of-16 Action

Tuesday, June 4 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Quarterfinals

Friday, June 7 7 a.m.-11 a.m. Men’s Semifinal

Tennis Channel’s encore coverage will include same-day replays of singles quarterfinals and semifinals, and the men’s and women’s singles championship matches after the tournament concludes (ET):

Wednesday, June 5 – 1 p.m.-7 p.m.: men’s and women’s singles quarterfinals

Thursday, June 6 – 2 p.m.-7 p.m.: women’s singles semifinals

Friday, June 7 – 5 p.m.-midnight: men’s semifinals

TBD: men’s and women’s finals

On Tuesday, June 11, the network will air the women’s doubles championship from 6 a.m.-8 a.m. ET and men’s doubles championship from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. ET.

Tennis Channel’s French Open Tonight Schedule

Viewers who miss Tennis Channel’s live or encore match coverage during this year’s tournament can tune into French Open Tonight Sunday, May 26-Thursday, June 6. Typically the show airs from 7 p.m.-10 p.m. (all times ET), followed by immediate repeats from 10 p.m.-1 a.m. and 1 a.m.-4 a.m. On Saturday, June 1, the show originally airs from 3 p.m.-6 p.m., followed by encores from 6 p.m.-9 p.m., 9 p.m.-midnight and 12 a.m.-3 a.m. The schedule on Sunday, June 2, sees a first run from 4 p.m.-7 p.m., then 7 p.m.-10 p.m., 10 p.m.-1 a.m. and 1 a.m.-4 a.m. Thursday, June 6, the show will air from 7 p.m.-11:30 p.m. and then 11:30 p.m.-4 a.m.

Filed Under: Front Page News, tennis news Tagged With: 2013 French Open, French Open, Roland Garros, tennis, Tennis Channel, tennis news, Tennis Panorama News, TV schedule

Tennis Channel Celebrates 10 Years with Yearbook-Inspired Special

LOS ANGELES, May 14, 2013 – As Tennis Channel celebrates its first 10 years this year, it will look back on a decade of memories and game changers with Tennis Channel Yearbook, an hour-long retrospective of the network’s history that premieres Wednesday, May 15, at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Hosted by Murphy Jensen, a 1993 French Open doubles champion and veteran Tennis Channel personality, the show will highlight the network’s progress and milestones in a yearbook-style format, beginning with its freshman year. The program’s high school environment will include tournament coverage highlights and excerpts from a series of original programming shows.

“Tennis Channel Yearbook is a testament to the network’s evolution over the past decade,” said Laura Hockridge, vice president of original programming. “From our first days on air to covering all four Grand Slams, there have been plenty of memorable feats as we’ve made our way in the worlds of tennis and television.”

It will feature interviews from celebrity fans and current top players, as well as early appearances from then rising stars, such as Roger Federer’s 2003 appearance on the network’s Center Court with Chris Myers, fresh after his first Wimbledon win. Additionally, the show will spotlight the network’s wide variety of on-air talent since its launch in 2003.

Filed Under: Events, Front Page News, tennis news Tagged With: tennis, Tennis Channel, Tennis Channel Yearbook, tennis news, tennis special

Tennis Channel to Air US – Sweden Fed Cup Tie This Weekend

LOS ANGELES, April18, 2013 – Tennis Channel will provide exclusive live coverage of the U.S. Fed Cup team’s playoff competition against Sweden in Delray Beach, Fla., this weekend, with telecasts Saturday, April 20, and Sunday, April 21. The United States must defeat Sweden to qualify for the 2014 Fed Cup tournament. Fifteen-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams will join her sister Venus, Sloane Stephens and Varvara Lepchenko as they fight for a spot in next year’s Fed Cup tournament after losing their first-round match in this year’s event to Italy in February.

The battle between the United States and Sweden will consist of two singles matches Saturday, and two singles matches and a doubles match Sunday. Tennis Channel will carry all matches live, beginning at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday and 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. The network will also offer same-day delayed coverage of this weekend’s Fed Cup semifinal between defending-champion Czech Republic and Italy.

Coverage from Delray Beach Tennis Center in Florida and Circolo del Tennis Palermo in Italy is as follows (subject to change):

Saturday, April 20:

2 p.m. -Live Singles #1-USA vs. Sweden

4 p.m. -Live Singles #2 – USA vs. Sweden

6 p.m. -Singles #1- Italy vs. Czech Republic

8 p.m. -Singles #2 – Italy vs. Czech Republic

Sunday, April 21:

1p.m. -Live Singles #3-USA vs. Sweden

3 p.m. -Live Singles #4 -USA vs. Sweden

5 p.m. -Live Doubles -USA vs. Sweden

7p.m. -Singles #3- Italy vs. Czech Republic

9 p.m. -Singles #4 – Italy vs. Czech Republic

11 p.m. -Doubles – Italy vs. Czech Republic

The United States and Sweden have faced each other four times in Fed Cup play, with the United States holding a 3-1 advantage. However, the two nations have not met since 1988, when Sweden captured its sole victory against the United States in Melbourne. The American squad must defeat Sweden in order to compete in the 2014 Fed Cup competition. The United States leads all nations with 17 Fed Cup championships, the most recent in 2000.

Retired tennis star Mary Joe Fernandez, a member of the winning U.S. Fed Cup team in 1996, will lead the United States Fed Cup team for her fifth year as captain. Williams, World No. 1, won her fifteenth Grand Slam singles title at the US Open last year and holds 13 doubles titles and three Olympic doubles gold medals with her sister Venus. Rising star Stephens reached a career-high ranking of World No. 16 following an impressive run at the 2013 Australian Open, where she defeated Fed Cup teammate Serena Williams in the quarterfinals. Lepchenko had a breakout season last year when she advanced the fourth round at the French Open and the third rounds at both Wimbledon and the US Open.

If Sweden wins this weekend it will qualify for a chance to play for the 2014 Fed Cup. Sweden’s team is captained by Lars-Anders Wahlgren and features Sofia Arvidsson, Johanna Larsson, Hilda Melander and Sandra Roma.

In addition to televising the United States and Sweden’s Fed Cup playoff this weekend, Tennis Channel will cover the 2013 Fed Cup semifinal match between reigning champions, Czech Republic, and Italy in Palermo, Italy. Although Italy has won four of its last five meetings against the Czech Republic, the two nations are tied all time at four wins apiece. The most recent competition was at the same stage of play last year, when the Czech Republic claimed a 4-1 victory over the Italian team. Tennis Channel’s coverage will consist of two singles matches on Saturday beginning at 6 p.m. ET, and two singles matches and a doubles match Sunday, beginning at 7 p.m.

Filed Under: Front Page News, tennis news Tagged With: Delray Beach Tennis Center in Delray Beach, Fla., Serena Williams, Sloane Stephens, tennis, Tennis Channel, tennis news, Tennis Panorama News, US Fed Cup Team, USTA, Varvara Lepchenko, Venus Williams, women's tennis

Tennis Channel to Air US vs Serbia Davis Cup Tie

LOS ANGELES, April 4, 2013 -Tennis Channel will provide exclusive coverage of the U.S. Davis Cup team’s quarterfinal competition against Serbia in Boise, Idaho, this weekend, with live and same-day, “Instant Encore” replays Friday through Sunday. Highlighting the competition, top-ranked American Sam Querrey will face six-time Grand Slam champion and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic. Rounding out the U.S. team is John Isner and World No. 1 doubles brothers Bob and Mike Bryan. Serbia will face the Americans for the first time since 2010, when it defeated the United States en route to its first Davis Cup title.

The meeting will consist of two singles matches on Friday, April 5, at 3:30 p.m. ET, followed by the doubles match Saturday, April 6, at 3 p.m. Tennis Channel’s coverage concludes with the remaining singles play Sunday, April 7, at 2 p.m. Each of the five matches is worth one point, with the team that wins at least three points advancing to the semifinals to face either Italy or Canada September 13-15. Each afternoon Tennis Channel will offer an encore presentation of the day’s Davis Cup action.

Coverage from Taco Bell Arena in Boise, Idaho, is as follows (all time ET):

Friday, April 5:

3:30 p.m. – Live Singles #1

6:30 p.m. – Live Singles #2

Saturday, April 6:

{12 p.m. – Instant Encore Singles #2}

3 p.m. – Live Doubles

{6 p.m. – Instant Encore Doubles}

Sunday, April 7:

{11 a.m. – Instant Encore Doubles}

2 p.m. – Live Singles #1

5 p.m. – Live Singles #2

{8 p.m. – Instant Encore Singles #2}

The United States and Serbia have met just once in Davis Cup play, with the Serbians holding the upper hand. In 2010 Serbia defeated the United States 3-2 in its first-round competition in Belgrade before eventually winning its first Davis Cup title. The Americans hope to avenge that defeat and reach the Davis Cup semifinals for the second-consecutive year. The United States enters this weekend’s match after defeating Brazil 3-2 in the first round. It leads all nations with 23 Davis Cup titles, the most recent in 2007.

Leading the U.S. team is Captain Jim Courier, who as a player helped the American squad win the Davis Cup in 1992 and 1995. Querrey became the top-ranked American male player last month when he defeated Marinko Matosevic in the BNP Paribas Open before falling to Djokovic. Isner enters this weekend’s competition after a third-round loss in the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 in Miami to Marin Cilic. The world’s top-ranked doubles team, twin brothers Bob and Mike Bryan became the most decorated in Grand Slam history when the pair captured their thirteenth title at the 2013 Australian Open.

Serbia is bidding to reach its first semifinal since 2011. The Serbian team enters this weekend’s matchup after a 3-2 victory over Belgium in the first round. Serbia is captained by Bogdan Obradovic and features Djokovic, Viktor Troicki, Ilija Bozoljac and Nenad Zimonjic.

Filed Under: Front Page News, tennis news, tournaments Tagged With: Davis Cup, Tennis Channel, US vs Serbia

Tennis Channel to Air Federer-Nadal BNP Paribas Open Quarterfinal Live Tonight

(March 14, 2013) Tonight on Tennis Channel, Roger Federer will take on Rafael Nadal in the quarterfianls of the BNP Paribas Open LIVE on Tennis Channel at 10 pm ET.

This is the 29th time these two have played, this Quarterfinal match-up is just their second match played prior to a semifinal. The only other time was their first match in Miami in the Round of 32 with Nadal winning 6-3, 6-3.

Filed Under: Front Page News, tennis news, tournament coverage, tournaments Tagged With: BNP Paribas Open, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Tennis Channel

340 Hours of BNP Paribas Open and Sony Open Coverage on Tennis Channel This Month

LOS ANGELES, March 5, 2013 – This March Tennis Channel will offer 15 days and close to 170 hours of live coverage at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., and the Sony Open in Miami, the sport’s two largest tournament fields (and extensive brackets) outside the four majors. With daylong telecasts, encore replays and a new half-hour daily intro show from a set on the grounds of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the network will devote more than 340 total hours to both events this month, each of which has been referred to as “The Fifth Slam” of tennis.

Coverage begins in Indian Wells this Friday, March 8, at 1:30 p.m. ET, a day earlier than Tennis Channel’s previous BNP Paribas Open on-air schedule. It is the first of six consecutive days of 12-hour live tennis windows. The network is also introducing a half-hour lead-in show hosted by Brett Haber and Hall of Famer Tracy Austin. Similar to Tennis Channel’s US Open intro show, Live at the BNP Paribas Open will offer news, interviews, analysis and conversation, and feature regular appearances by other network on-air talent. Based on the tournament grounds and surrounded by thousands of fans, the set will act as the hub of the channel’s daily activity.

In all, Tennis Channel will show almost 100 live hours from Indian Wells and more than 200 overall, given encore replays that run through both the men’s and women’s singles championships. Coverage in Miami takes a similar approach. Beginning on Friday, March 22, and anchored by four consecutive days of 12½-hour live match windows, the network will carry close to 70 live hours at the Sony Open this year. Encore replays expand the overall hours to 140, and run through the men’s and women’s singles semifinals. (Complete schedules for both Indian Wells and Miami follow.)

On-Air Talent

In addition to Haber and Austin, Tennis Channel’s BNP Paribas Open on-air team includes analysts Lindsay Davenport, who won two singles crowns and six doubles titles at Indian Wells in her playing days, and Mark Knowles, who picked up four doubles championships at the event in his career. They will be joined by Justin Gimelstob and Leif Shiras, former players whose play-by-play work and commentary form the backbone of Tennis Channel’s year-round tournament schedule.

After the desert, Davenport, Knowles, Gimelstob and Haber will head to Florida for Tennis Channel’s coverage of the Sony Open in Miami. Rounding out the team will be Rennae Stubbs, who won a doubles championship in South Beach (as did Knowles), and announcer Andrew Catalon. Most members of Tennis Channel’s on-air talent team can be followed on Twitter: @thetracyaustin, @LDavenport76, @rennaestubbs, @justingimelstob, @LShirock, @BrettHaber and @AndrewCatalon.

Online

Tennis Channel’s Web site, www.tennischannel.com, will feature interviews, live scores, daily highlights, photos, news and blogs during both the BNP Paribas Open and Sony Open. Fans can connect with the network via Facebook (www.facebook.com/tennischannel), Twitter (www.twitter.com/tennischannel) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/tennischannel). Also during this year’s BNP Paribas Open, Tennis Channel viewers will have the opportunity to follow Austria’s top-ranked player, Tamira Paszek, as she maintains a periodic video blog while she competes in Indian Wells. Meanwhile, KentuckySportsRadio.com’s Matt Jones and Drew Franklin will contribute a daily written, video and photo blog from the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, injecting Tennis Channel’s Web site with their wit and unique point of view.

Tennis Channel’s Live BNP Paribas Open Match Schedule

(Men’s/Women’s Singles Unless Otherwise Specified)

Date Time (ET) Event

Friday, March 8 1:30 p.m.-2 a.m. First Round, Second Round

Saturday, March 9 1:30 p.m.-12 a.m. Second Round

Sunday, March 10 1:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Second Round, Third Round

Monday, March 11 1:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Third Round

Tuesday, March 12 1:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Third Round, Round of 16

Wednesday, March 13 1:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Round of 16, Quarterfinals

Thursday, March 14 2 p.m.-8 p.m.;

10 p.m.-midnight Quarterfinals

Friday, March 15 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.;

9:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m. Quarterfinal, Semifinal

Saturday, March 16 8:30 p.m.-10 p.m. Men’s Doubles Final

Tennis Channel also will offer encore replays of the men’s and women’s singles semifinals and finals (ET):

Saturday, March 16 – Women’s Semifinals: 7 a.m.-11 a.m.; Men’s Semifinals: 10 p.m.-2 a.m.

Sunday, March 17 – Men’s Semifinals: 7 a.m.-11 p.m.; Women’s Semifinals: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.;

Women’s Final: 8:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m.; Men’s Final: 10:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.

Monday, March 18 – Women’s Final: 12:30 a.m.-2:30 a.m., 6 p.m.-8 p.m., 10 p.m.-midnight;

Men’s Semifinals: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Women’s Semifinals: 2 p.m.-6 p.m.;

Men’s Final 8 p.m.-10 p.m.

Tuesday, March 19 – Men’s Final: 12 a.m.-2 a.m.

Tennis Channel’s Live Sony Open Match Schedule

(Men’s/Women’s Singles Unless Otherwise Specified)

Date Time (ET) Event

Friday, March 22 3 p.m.-5 p.m.; 8 p.m.-10 p.m. Second Round

Saturday, March 23 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Second Round, Third Round

Sunday, March 24 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Second Round, Third Round

Monday, March 25 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Third Round, Round of 16

Tuesday, March 26 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Round of 16, Quarterfinals

Wednesday, March 27 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Quarterfinal

Encore coverage includes men’s and women’s singles semifinals (ET):

Friday, March 29 – Women’s Semifinals: 12 a.m.-4 a.m., 7 a.m.-9 a.m.;

Men’s Semifinals: 10 p.m.-4 a.m.

Saturday, March 30 – Women’s Semifinals: 8 a.m.-noon; Men’s Semifinals: 8 p.m.-midnight

Sunday, March 31 – Men’s Semifinals: 7:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Filed Under: Front Page News, tennis news, tournament coverage, tournaments Tagged With: BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, Miami, Sony Open, tennis, Tennis Channel, tennis news, tennis TV coverage

Tennis Channel Kicks Off World Tennis Day

LOS ANGELES, March 1, 2013 – In celebration of World Tennis Day, Tennis Channel will air the 2013 BNP Paribas Showdown/Hong Kong on March 4 from 6:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. ET, live from the Asia-World Arena in Hong Kong with a pair of tennis legends and two of the top 10 players on the WTA tour. John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl will kick off World Tennis Day with a renewal of their 30-year rivalry. Then, former world No. 1 player Caroline Wozniacki takes on 2012 Wimbledon finalist Agnieszka Radwanska.

“We are excited to be an integral part of the global festivities honoring World Tennis Day and look forward to continue to bring viewers the sport’s greatest moments from around the world,” said David Scott, vice president of programming, Tennis Channel.

Tennis Channel will keep the celebration of World Tennis Day going all day by airing encore presentations of the 2009, 2012 and 2013 BNP Paribas Showdown events. The network will show the 2012 competition between Wozniacki and Maria Sharapova from 9:30 a.m.-11 a.m. ET. Other highlights of the schedule include World of Tennis‘ exclusive interview with Rafael Nadal upon his return to the game a few weeks ago (at both 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET) and Road to the Showdown at 6:30 p.m., hosted by Rennae Stubbs. From 7 p.m.-10:30 p.m. ET, the network will rebroadcast the 2013 BNP Paribas Showdown/Hong Kong. The day will conclude with an encore presentation of the 2012 BNP Paribas match between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick at 11:30 p.m. ET.

“We are delighted to be expanding our relationship with Tennis Channel to include World Tennis Day,” said Jerry Solomon, who serves as executive producer of World of Tennis. “The goal of World Tennis Day, which grew from Tennis Night in America and our relationship with the USTA, is to encourage kids and adults to participate in the sport. WE hope the chance to see so many of the greats playing the game throughout one day will inspire people to do just that.”

World Tennis Day was created by StarGames and is held with the support of the International Tennis Federation to promote Tennis10s, which tailors the game to its youngest players with smaller racquets, lighter balls and modified scoring. The cornerstones of World Tennis Day are grassroots opportunities for young players to participate in the sport at the local level. The day is highlighted by BNP Paribas Showdown events in Hong Kong, as well as the annual event at Madison Square Garden in New York featuring Rafael Nadal, Juan Martin del Potro, Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka.

Radwanska, who is currently the No. 4 ranked player on the WTA Tour, takes the court in Hong Kong having won her three most recent matches with the tenth-ranked Wozniacki, despite Wozniacki’s 5-4 edge in the nine career meetings between the two players.

Lendl, who returned to the game last year to coach Andy Murray, compiled a 21-15 record against McEnroe from 1980-92, including a 7-3 record in Grand Slam events. In three classic Grand Slam Finals, Lendl defeated McEnroe twice – first at the 1984 French Open and then at the 1985 US Open Finals. In between those two defeats, McEnroe, who has been a member of Tennis Channel’s French Open, US Open and Davis Cup broadcast teams, upended Lendl at the 1984 US Open Finals.

Tennis Channel’s complete schedule of World Tennis Day activities can be found online at www.tennischannel.com/schedule.

Filed Under: Events, Front Page News, tennis news Tagged With: 2013 BNP Paribas Showdown, ITF, Madison Square Garden, StarGames, tennis, Tennis Channel, tennis news, Tennis Panorama News, The International Tennis Federation, World Tennis Day

2013 Fed Cup Coverage This Weekend on Tennis Channel

(February 7, 2013) Tennis Channel will provide exclusive live coverage of the U.S. Fed Cup team’s first-round competition against Italy in Rimini, Italy, this weekend, with complete telecasts Saturday, Feb. 9, and Sunday, Feb. 10. The battle is a rematch of the 2010 Fed Cup championship, won by Italy. The contest will feature two singles matches on Saturday, and two singles matches and the doubles match Sunday. Tennis Channel will carry all matches live, beginning at 9 a.m. ET on Saturday and 7:30 a.m. ET on Sunday.

Coverage from 105 Stadium Rimini, Italy, is as follows (subject to change):

Saturday, Feb. 9:

9 a.m. – Live Singles #1

11 a.m. – Live Singles #2

Sunday, Feb. 10:

7:30 a.m. – Live Singles #3

9:30 a.m. – Live Singles #4

11:30 a.m. – Live Doubles

The United States and Italy have faced each other eleven times in Fed Cup play, with the Americans winning the first nine meetings. However, Italy has defeated the United States in recent years, with back-to-back victories in the 2009 and 2010 championship rounds. The United States leads all nations with 17 Fed Cup championships, the most recent in 2000.

The 2013 U.S. Fed Cup team is captained for the fifth year by retired American tennis star Mary Joe Fernandez, who won the Fed Cup championship as a player in 1996. Melanie Oudin, will replace 2013 Australian Open semifinalist Sloane Stephens, who was forced to withdraw from the competition due to an abdominal injury. Fed Cup newcomer, Jamie Hampton enters this weekend’s matchup after an impressive third-round appearance at the Australian Open before losing to Azarenka. Varvara Lepchenko, who will also make her Fed Cup debut this weekend, had a breakout season last year when she reached the fourth round at the French Open and the third rounds at both Wimbledon and the US Open. Liezel Huber is currently the World No. 8 ranked doubles player, holding five Grand Slam doubles titles and winning the 2010 US Open mixed doubles title with Bob Bryan.

Italy, Fed Cup winner in 2006, 2009 and 2010, enters 2013 after losing to defending champions Czech Republic in last year’s semifinals. The Italian team is captained by Corrado Barazzutti and features World No. 7 Sara Errani, Roberta Vinci, Karin Knapp and Nastassja Burnett.

Filed Under: Davis Cup/Fed Cup, Front Page News, tennis news, tournaments Tagged With: Fed Cup, Italy, Tennis Channel, tennis news, Tennis Panorama News, TV coverage, US

After Seven Months Nadal Returns with Singles Win in Chile

(February 6, 2013) It’s been 222 days since Rafael Nadal was last on a tennis court playing singles, sidelined by a knee injury. The former No. 1 in the world made his return to singles on Wednesday on the clay courts of Vina del Mar Chile at the VTR Open.

Nadal first returned to the court on Tuesday winning a doubles match with Juan Monaco.

He opened his singles return with a 6-3, 6-2 victory Argentine Federico Delbonis. The Spaniard began the first set slowly, falling behind 0-2 but captured 6 out of the next seven games to capture the first set.

“The beginning was tough and Federico played at a very high level,” Nadal told media “I ran a lot and I’m happy because the knee held up well.”

After the first set Nadal was in complete control in front of the sellout crowd of 4500 in his debut in Chile.

“I’m interested in spending as much time as I can on court and a win allows me to play again on Friday,” said Nadal

Nadal is playing the “Latin American” Golden Swing on clay courts this month, participating in tournaments in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Acapulco, Mexico.

“If one day it (the knee) is worse, and one can’t compete at 100 percent, then it can’t be done,” he said.

Nadal will next play doubles on Thursday with Monaco versus Guillaume Rufin and Flippo Volandri.

He’ll play singles on Friday the winner of the Albert Montanes versus Daniel Gimeno-Traver match in the quarterfinals on Friday.

It’s been 222 days since Rafael Nadal was last on a tennis court playing singles, sidelined by a knee injury. The former No. 1 in the world made his return to singles on Wednesday on the clay courts of Vina del Mar Chile at the VTR Open.