Sayonara North America hardcourts. Hello, European clay. For the Americans, it’s a time of anguish, when even such simple matters as making a phone call or ordering dinner exacerbate the tensions of playing on a less than familiar surface.

Here at the Pacific Life Open on this wonderfully cluttered middle weekend, thousands of fans are milling into the side courts, the air is thin, the wind is blowing strong and top seeds like Rafael Nadal and Ana Ivanovic are grubbing their way through early round matches. Dozens more are practicing on the outer courts.

The Roger Federer vs. Pete Sampras sold-out exhibition at Madison Square Garden generated a tremendous amount of buzz,

An explanation for world No. 1 Roger Federer’s sluggish start to the 2008 season came to light on Friday when he told the New York Times he is shaking off the effects of mononucleosis.
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In February the Swiss fell ill for the third time in the last six weeks, and tests in Switzerland and Dubai revealed […]

Part One of this story addressed what happened with the women’s game in 2007 — and what I see is a powerful lesson to be learned by recreational adults, juniors, parents, and coaches.

Well, if Roger Federer was trying to fan the flames on the mind-numbing Greatest of All Time debate this off season, consider it mission accomplished.

About the only thing interesting to come out of the much-ballyhooed Roger Federer-Pete Sampras three-leg exo series thus far are some comments from Federer on Pete’s ability.

World No 1 Roger Federer gave out no early Christmas gifts in Seoul Tuesday in a 6-4, 6-3 win over Pete Sampras in the first of the three-series exhibition meeting tour in Asia.
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Sampras broke for a 4-2 lead in the first set before Federer won the next four games to close out the first set. […]

Tuesday of this week will be the first airing of three exhibition clashes between all-time Grand Slam title winner (14) Pete Sampras, and all-time great-in-waiting (12 Grand Slam titles and growing) Roger Federer.
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Tennis Channel will have live coverage (and prime-time replays) of the Asian exhibition tour, with the first match in Seoul airing Tuesday, Nov. […]

The next time Pete Sampras calls, Roger Federer needs to hang up the phone. If he’s knocking at the front door, Fed shouldn’t open it.