Aussies Take 2-0 Davis Cup Lead; Sampras Beaten in Exo

It's apparently not a huge adjustment for the Chileans either.

"I'm happy for them that they're comfortable, and I think we're pretty comfortable as well on the grass." Blake said. "Especially, Andy, he's always very comfortable when he's playing on grass."

The Bryan brothers say their doubles against the reigning Olympic doubles champions is anything but a "gimme."

"They both have great first serves," said Bob Bryan. "Gonzalez has a huge forehand. Massu is really solid on both sides. They both fight really hard. Hopefully, we can expose some of their net play out on the doubles court. I know they like to stay on the baseline."

Last year Gonzalez beat big-serving Roddick clone Joachim Johansson en route to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, while Massu lost second round at Wimbledon, his only grasscourt event of the year.

"We will try to do our best," Massu said. "We don't have anything to lose. The USA have to win the tie."

Match-ups for Friday kicking off the tie will be Blake vs. Gonzalez, then Roddick vs. Massu.

Aussies Take 2-0 Davis Cup Lead; Fri-Sat Line-ups

Argentina at Croatia

Ivan Ljubicic vs. Agustin Calleri
Mario Ancic vs. David Nalbandian
Ancic/Ljubicic vs. Calleri/Nalbandian

Australia leads Belarus 2-0

Chris Guccione d. Max Mirnyi 7-6(4), 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4
Lleyton Hewitt d. Vladimir Voltchkov 6-2, 6-1, 6-2
Mirnyi/Voltchkov vs. Wayne Arthurs/Paul Hanley

Russia at France

Richard Gasquet vs. Marat Safin
Arnaud Clement vs. Nikolay Davydenko
Clement/Michael Llodra vs. Mikhail Youzhny/Dmitry Tursunov

Chile at U.S.

James Blake vs. Fernando Gonzalez
Andy Roddick vs. Nicolas Massu
Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan vs. Gonzalez/Massu

Sampras Loses in Exo Comeback, USTA Wins

The United States Tennis Association says its mission is "to promote and develop the growth of tennis," and the USTA lived up to that creed Thursday night with a "first-ever live webcast of a professional tennis match" with Pete Sampras returning after a 3-1/2 year hiatus to play an exhibition against 23-year-old American Robby Ginepri.

"I'm going to try and run him, take the legs and breath out of him," said Ginepri with a smile in a pre-match interview.

While Ginepri was smiling, Sampras gained confidence with the knowledge that Ginepri had been eliminated from the River Oaks draw earlier in the day, winning only three games off of unheralded Greek Vasilis Mazarakis.

Playing with the "Roger Federer racquet" as Sampras called it, the Wilson nCode, the record six-time year-end No. 1 rued the slow red clay in River Oaks during a 6-3, 7-6(10) loss to the No. 19-ranked American.

But the story was as much internet innovation as the return of a legend.

The broadcast's technical presentation, as expected with a first-time event, was shaky. And the on-air talent tripped beginning with the first interview of River Oaks Tournament Director Van Berry by John Granado, who had a Freudian slip calling Berry "the guy who bought -- uh, brought (Sampras) out of retirement." On the technical side the pull-back camera-shot during rallies appeared as if you were watching the match from the Goodyear blimp, and there was a perpetually-dark cloud in the lower left bottom of the picture.

The producers keyed a commercial during the first changeover of the match, but after it ran over into the second game of the match, the commercials were abandoned until 5-2.

To nit-pick, the graphics were suspect, with one showing Sampras at No. 2 in US Open titles behind Richard Sears, who played in the pre-Open Era (before 1968) when the Slams were filled with amateur players. The USTA is an arm of the International Tennis Federeration, which likes to pretend all tennis has been of the same level since the 1800s.

Tennis-wise it was as if River Oaks organizers set up a lose-lose situation for Sampras, whose classic aggressive game was nullified by the slow dirt. The 34-year-old American's second serve, which during his career gave him the opportunity to steal an ace or sneak in to the net, instead sat up like t-ball practice for Ginepri. Sampras showed he could still crack the forehand, but the muddy red dirt combined with Ginepri's quickness cut down on Sampras' winners.

Ginepri broke for 3-1 in the first, a fact which escaped the announcers who babbled on about the humidity and Sampras' fitness level, then ran to a 4-1 lead and a 6-3 win in the opener. A frequent feature of the first set was Sampras running side-to-side and up-and-back, then smiling with his hands on his hips after Ginepri finally put the ball away.

Talkative tour pro Paul Goldstein joined the booth announcers as Sampras held to begin the second set, and until Sampras held for a 4-3 lead, with Goldstein's mike going out for 30 seconds and sounding like they had locked him in a closet.

Ginepri went into "Exhibition Mode" in the second set, going for more short angles and cutesy passing shots to keep things close, but at 4-all with Sampras serving, Ginepri flicked the switch. Or tried to.

At 4-4, 15-all, Sampras came in behind what would have been in his heyday on hardcourts the moneymaker-serve down the middle, but it sat up on the dirt, and Ginepri flicked a backhand return down the line for a winner. A blown sitter volley and a passing shot later, Sampras was broken, but then broke back after fighting off a match point to even the set at 5-5.

Sampras amped up his serve in the 11th game, delivering an ace to earn a seat on the sidelines where he smiled at the opportunity to, if not win the set, simply catch his breath.

If Ginepri shifted down to fourth gear in the second set, he was having trouble finding fifth gear again, and after holding serve found himself down 2-4 in the tiebreak. The young American missed an easy match point volley at 9-8 in the breaker, failed to close it out again at 10-9, but then slapped a clay-slowed Sampras serve for a winner for an 11-10 lead, and won when Sampras netted the next service return.

"Actually I was a little bit winded at the end," Sampras understated after the match. "Second set I felt like I played a little bit better and served a little bit better. I didn't know what to expect. I was a little shaky and missing shots, I don't know if it was nerves or a little bit of rust. I had chances to win the second set but it didn't happen. I though I played pretty good, I didn't play great, I didn't play horrible...my main goal coming here was to have some fun for the people and I think we did that tonight."

Sampras was the people's champ in the end, showing flashes of brilliance amidst some huffing and puffing on the worst possible surface for a return to the spotlight.

But the biggest winner Thursday night was the USTA. The organization that has helped give U.S. tennis a shot in the arm over the past two years with the US Open Series blazed a new path with the first live webcast to fans around the world, featuring the "comeback" of the greatest player the game of tennis has known to date.

And as one Tennis-X staffer noted, "The webcast picture was better than when ESPN used to show Hamburg a few years back -- you could actually see the ball! I was waiting for the (USTA) server crash, and it never came."

Kudos to the USTA (with technical help from IMG) for, warts and all, truly bringing tennis into the 21st century. Now who will pay for the ATP's tennis broadband service of canned media clips when the USTA is dishing the real thing -- giving fans actual live tennis on the internet -- for free? The USTA has raised the bar.

Richard Vach is a senior writer for Tennis-X.com, was recently awarded "Best Hard News" story writer for 2005 by the United States Tennis Writers Association, and can currently be seen on The Tennis Channel's "Tennis Insiders: Super Insiders" episodes.

Rios Maintains Perfect Senior Record at Hong Kong

Marcelo Rios claimed sole possession of the No. 1 ranking on the Tennis-X.com Combined Senior Rankings Thursday with an opening round win at the Merrill Lynch Tour of Champions senior tour stop in Honk Kong, rolling past Anders Jarryd 6-3, 6-1 in their first-ever meeting.

Coming into the week Rios was tied with Jim Courier, who won the debut event on the Outback Champions Tour.

Rios is a perfect 5-0 in senior tour play without dropping a set in 2006, making his career senior debut with the title at Doha.

Other winners Thursday were Thomas Muster (d. Mark Kratzmann 6-3, 6-4), Cedric Pioline (d. Mark Woodforde 7-6(2), 6-3), and Pat Cash (d. Henri Leconte 6-2, 6-7(4), 10-7).

Scheduled for Friday in Hong Kong are Leconte vs. Kratzmann, Jarryd vs. Woodforde, Pioline vs. Rios, and Cash vs. Muster.

"I am going to try to be more aggressive this time," said Pioline on facing Rios after getting rolled by the Chilean in the Doha final. "Rios is very quick and he makes very few mistakes, so it won't be easy. But I beat Mark Woodforde today and he is pretty quick as well."

New UNICEF Ambassador Federer Says Sport Teaches Life Lessons

World No. 1 Roger Federer jetted straight out of Miami last weekend after winning the NASDAQ-100 Open Masters Series-Miami for New York, where he was officially named UNICEF's newest Goodwill Ambassador, lining up his personal ambitions to aid children all over the world with that of the worldwide organization.

"Roger Federer will bring extraordinary energy and talents to working with UNICEF to improve the lives of children throughout the world," UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman said on Monday. "Roger is not just a role model for aspiring athletes, but for all those who believe that we have the power and responsibility to make the world a better place for children."

Federer was joined by Grammy award winner Shakira, also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, with the sultry singer presenting the Swiss with his UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador's pin.

Federer joins Shakira, David Beckham, Youssou N'dour, Vanessa Redgrave, Roger Moore and the late Danny Kaye and Audrey Hepburn as celebrity ambassadors who bring attention to children suffering in parts of the world deprived of resources.

"I may have achieved a lot on the court, but I would also like to try to achieve more now off the court," Federer said. "That's one of my big goals in the future so I would like to thank Miss Veneman and Mr. Ogi for introducing me as the Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF and I am very, very honored and proud and it's really a privilege for me to continue this great tradition of UNICEF."

The Swiss said his achievements have made him even more aware of the suffering of children around the world, and have strengthened his desire to bring awareness to their plight.

"I have been lucky in life and able to pursue my passion for tennis," Federer said. "It's important to me to help the many children throughout the world who do not have the basic resources they need. My parents have always stressed the importance of giving back and I am fortunate to have the opportunity to do so with my foundation in South Africa - my mom being from South Africa, so it is one of my dreams to give something back to -- also off the court because I have been very fortunate to have made it in tennis."

Federer also spoke about his personal foundation and a recent trip to Africa.

"I had the opportunity to visit the South African Township last year to see for myself what the situation was like there and to see how my foundation has impacted the children involved," Federer said. "I learned so much and walked away even more inspired to help their cause. These children are so little but have so much hope, we want to give them school and the kids were singing and dancing welcoming me to South Africa. They had a shirt on with the motto: "I am tomorrow's future." They were so happy to see us there. And made me so emotional because I felt so welcomed."

Like other players such as former Wimbledon runner-up MaliVai Washington whose foundation runs a tennis and tutoring program for children, Federer says sport teaches valuable life lessons to be carried into the world.

"I share UNICEF's belief about sports teaching important life lessons about respect, leadership, cooperation," Federer said. "I believe that sport can help overcome justice and build bridges between cultures and nations. As a tennis player we have a unique opportunity. We are given a chance to visit so many different countries and cultures and interact with people from all walks of life. It is our responsibility to connect with the real world beyond our sport; use our fortune to make a difference in the lives of those who most need it."

HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports Announces Partnership with Beach Tennis

Phoenix, AZ -- April 6, 2006 -- HEAD/Penn Racquet sports announces that they are the official racquet and ball of Beach Tennis USA. The relatively new sport of beach tennis will kick off its much-anticipated 2006 National Tour in April with two weekend events in Southern California. The 11-city tour will culminate with the U.S. Beach Tennis Open Championship in Long Beach, New York in August.

"We are very excited to be promoting beach tennis. This partnership with Beach Tennis USA is a great fit for us and we are excited to have established this new connection to the sport of tennis," said Amy Wishingrad, National Promotions Manager for HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports.

Beach tennis is played on a regulation beach volleyball court. Using regulation tennis racquets, two players on each team try to hit a tennis ball back and forth, directly over the net, without letting it hit the sand. Only one hit per team is allowed on each volley and scoring is the same as in tennis: 15-30-40, with no-ad at deuce. If a player's serve hits the net and goes over, it counts-just as in beach volleyball.

X-CORRECT
The 2002 Davis Cup final was played at France.

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TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
Britain has passed on selecting the ill Andy Murray for Davis Cup singles on Friday, hoping he can compete Saturday in doubles with Greg Rusedski...Argentina looks to match Croatia's one-man band team, with David Nalbandian and Agustin Calleri scheduled in both the Friday singles and Saturday doubles...Defending Davis Cup champ Croatia is in trouble against Argentina today, with Ivan Ljubicic ill and now Mario Ancic suffering back problems...From Reuters: "A suspected gang member was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Thursday for the 2003 drive-by shooting death of the half-sister of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams. Edward Maxfield, 25, who prosecutors say was a member of the Southside Crips gang in Los Angeles, fired about 11 bullets from an assault rifle to protect a drug house before midnight in September 2003. One of the bullets struck the head of Yetunde Price, the 31-year-old half-sister of the tennis players, as she was driving past the house in the tough neighborhood of Compton, not far from the courts where the Williams sisters learned to play tennis...Serena Williams addressed Maxfield before he was sentenced. "I wasn't going to speak today because it's too hard for me to talk," she said, but she "wanted to let you know that this was unfair to our family, and our family has always been positive and we always try to help people."...From the AP on a level of mother-daughter partnering not normally seen on the WTA Tour: "(WTA player) Katerina Bohmova was arrested after she and her mother allegedly stole clothing and jewelry worth about $450 from a department store, a day after losing at the Bausch & Lomb Championships. The 19-year-old player from the Czech Republic had been held on a $5,000 bond but was released Thursday, WTA Tour officials said. Her 48-year-old mother, also named Katerina Bohmova and a former professional tennis player, was released from jail Thursday afternoon, authorities said. Bohmova and her mother were each charged with grand theft. A security guard at the Belk department store stopped both women Wednesday after watching them take items off a display rack, enter a dressing room and then leave the store without paying for the items concealed in two bags, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said. The items included two pairs of jeans, two sweaters, a shirt, earrings and other jewelry, the report stated."...Cliff Drysdale speaking with Tennis Week on the video replay challenge: "I make no apologies about television's effort to make tennis more exciting and more interactive for viewers because this is a professional game and the public and our viewers and the spectators, are as far as I'm concerned, after the fact that it's an athletic contest they (the viewers) are the main concern. Other sports are allowing this interactivity increasingly because your viewer does want to see more personalities on the court. It's not just forehands and backhands, there's a lot more to it that we have to try to introduce to our viewers. And I don't think anything I'm saying undermines the fact that it is an athletic competition..."...From the ATP: "Roger Federer leads an impressive group of professional tennis players nominated for this year's Laureus World Sports Awards. Federer, who was last year named World Sportsman of the Year (for his standout 2004 season), again has been nominated for one of the most prestigious awards in world sport. Rafael Nadal (Newcomer of the Year), Andy Murray (Newcomer), the Croatian Davis Cup team (Team of the Year), Kim Clijsters (Sportswoman of the Year, Comeback of the Year) and Martina Hingis (Comeback) have also been nominated for the 2005 awards." -- Hingis is up for "comeback" for 2005? For losing one match in one tournament?...Greg Rusedski speaking with reporters on the Brit Davis Cup team being without Andy Murray in their opener, with walking bad-luck charm Arvind Parmar (0-5 in Davis Cup) stepping in at the No. 2 singles: "I don't think it puts much pressure on me. It's a team event, Arvind has been practicing very well and we know Andy is going to be ready for tomorrow...I love the court, it's very similar to the one they had in Battersea in the 1990s, it's very quick. For 32 years old I think I'm in pretty good shape. The quick court allows us to play three matches in three days, unlike a clay court or a slow indoor court."