Speaking of tickets. For grins, I stopped by the Lacoste store on M St. to check out how the Roddick ticket give-away was going. There was a healthy and well organized line, with a few people also walking out with shopping bags to boot. Well done all around.

This is not a column about the color of tennis courts despite clay courts looking like the terrain of Mars and most hard courts at professional tennis events no longer being green. While covering the 2008 Indianapolis Tennis Championships, members of what looked to be a local scouting troop wearing hats saying “Environmental Team” were [...]

This year, Alexandra Stevenson, Vince Spadea, Travis Parrott, Phillip King, Nick Monroe, Ryan Sweeting, Donald Young have indicated they would be playing. Tommy Haas, Taylor Dent, the Bryan Brothers and Marcos Baghdatis have all been invited. Last year Tommy Haas came to the event, but did not play due to issues with the ATP, issues that have supposedly been worked out.

From tennis writer Chris Goldsmith of Sportingo: “Serena Williams is unhappy about still being No.2, even though she is the holder of three of the four majors at the moment.

Israel clinched the tie in the Saturday doubles when Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram stopped a comeback from former No. 1 Marat Safin and Igor Kunitsyn 6-3, 6-4, 6-7(3), 4-6, 6-4.

Can “Dr.” Ivo rain down the aces on clay? The nod goes to Croatia as Blake is 0-4 in live ties on clay and Fish has only one win in the same situation. Marin Cilic should dictate this tie, but the Bryan brothers will do their best to keep it a live tie by Sunday.

The sport has changed enough in a short period of time to ask if tennis fans can accurately compare eras right next to one another.

Serena Williams at the French Open: “I’m like one of those girls on a reality show that has all the drama, and everyone in the house hates them because no matter what they do, like, drama follows them. I don’t want to be that girl.”…

Unfortunately the meeting is not to be, as after Nalbandian won his match on Thursday, he withdrew from the event citing an injured hip.

“The clay court portion of the USTA Pro Circuit schedule has served players for much of the last three decades to develop specific aspects of their games to achieve the next level of world-class play,” said Brian Earley, Director, USTA Pro Circuit.