BETTER THAN A DESK JOB — American Sam Querrey says that as a tour rookie, life on the pro tour hasn’t surprised him much — except how surprisingly tiring it can be losing first round week after week traveling through Europe. “It’s not really a surprise, but kind of that trip to Europe, April-May,” Querrey said after losing first round at the US Open. “Took two five-week trips. Came back. Went back to six weeks. It can be long and tiresome, especially when you lose first round every week like I did. You lose on Monday. You wait six days. You lose on Monday, wait six days. That kind of just gets tiring, a little lonely. Other than that, it’s pretty fun. I’d rather be doing this than have a job or be in school.”

BLACKOUT — Look for an equipment change from Martina Hingis, who is without her ever-present Yonex gear at the US Open and playing with a blacked-out racquet: “I’m not talking about this subject right now,” Hingis said. “Yup, it’s a black frame. Testing racquet.” Hingis also lamented being one of the veterans on tour since her comeback and trying to keep up: “I think the game evolves all the time, so you have to think you’re a better player today,” Hingis said. “I mean, maybe some things, the experience kicks in. I used to recover faster when I was younger. It’s kind of ongoing [Energizer] bunny, like in the ads, because I used to play so much more. When I think of ‘97 I was 85-5 and played also doubles matches along with all the singles. I just really played a lot of tennis at that time.”

GO YANKEES – The New York Yankees are such an institution that they’re attracting fans such as Svetlana Kuznetsova, who is still grasping the rules of the sport. “I like the hats,” said Kuznetsova in response to the cap she donned in her Tuesday post-match conference when asked if she was a Yankees fan. “The same question in New Haven. They kid me about it. I live in Europe most of the time. I wish I could follow Yankee and follow this, but I didn’t. I’ve been once to Blue Jays/Yankee game here in 2005. I don’t know the rules of baseball more or less. I know they hit like this, and if you hit it far you got to go run. But then another one catches. I know more or less, but I don’t know how to count. Then I met this big player and he goes, ‘Yeah, come to watch the match and we go after for drink or something.’ I go, ‘Okay. What time you want me to come?’ He goes, ‘5:00 p.m.’ I said, ‘When it’s finish?’ He says, ‘11:00.’ I said, ‘No way, forget it. I cannot just sit and watch you hit this ball and you never make it. So I’m sorry.’..But I am in love with hats. I have many hats different design, and like this one and I love New York.”

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 28th, 2007 at 4:41 pm and is filed under Kuznetsova, Martina Hingis, Sam Querrey, Uncategorized.