Tough opening-round match-ups include (6) Muller vs. Baghdatis, (7) De Minaur vs. Karlovic, and (5) Harrison vs. Mahut…

“In the end it didn’t go my way. That’s life, that’s tennis,” the 38-year-old Karlovic said. “That’s how it goes sometimes. I was not really moving well…Serve was good. Volleys were OK so I have to look at the positives and continue with my journey.”

“I love the backs-to-the-wall situation and we had to rally together to get the win,” said Hewitt, who saw the Aussies come back from 0-2 down in a Davis Cup match for the first time in 76 years. “You don’t get opportunities like this very often. This is what dreams are made of. The last three or four years, Davis Cup has been as big as any grand slam for me personally.”

Former world No. 2 Haas continues his comeback; Isner replaces Fish who is called for Davis Cup duty; Isner is 0-2 career in Newport, and Rochus is the only seed with a winning record in Newport; Fish won the title last year, and there are no former champs in the field that received direct entry; (1) Isner starts against the crafty Beck (winner to potentially meet Harrison), and (7) Berrer vs. (WC) Haas.

(1) Querrey starts against Levine in an all-American encounter, (3) Falla faces (WC) Mahut in a tough one, and (5) Fish renews his in-country rivalry with Russell; Ram (2009) and Dent (2002) are former champs in the field.

Seeds: 1. Mardy Fish, 2. Fabrice Santoro, 3. Sam Querrey, 4. Benjamin Becker, 5. Arnaud Clement, 6. Philipp Petzschner, 7. Kevin Kim, 8. Sergiy Stakhovsky

“Has anything changed?” said opponent MaliVai Washington. “I guess he has one of those explosive personalities, you could say. There are a lot of things I can deal with, disputed line calls, stoppage in play. I have an issue when my opponent starts berating people, fans, and umpires. I said something to the official. As players, we are in control of the match. Officials are in charge of the integrity of the game.”

I’ve attended all of the summer ATP events in the U.S. and several of the European ones. I have to say that The Campbell’s Hall of Fame ranks up there as one of my favorites. Due to its surface, location and timing, this tournament will never attract the top players that you see at the other International Series events. What it lacks in star power is more than made up for in ambiance, accessibility and charm. This is the only grass court tournament left in the United States.

So 36-year-old Michael Chang is engaged to married to 24-year-old WTA player Amber Liu, who he is coaching? Go Michael! Now they’ll have to cancel pre-production for the 40-Year-Old Virgin II….

Nonetheless, this was a stellar day for curse beneficiary qualifier Rohan Bopanna. While beating Fish in the first set, fellow Indians, the Amritraj father and son were busy sending text messages of support. Who the messages were being sent to, I have no clue? It appears their help worked as Bopanna only needed two tiebreak sets for his Fish fry.

He had to cheer loudly to be heard over the crowd on center court watching Taylor Dent attempting a comeback against Canadian pretty-boy Frank Dancevic. Frank doesn’t strike me as a pretty-boy name; like say for example, Taylor? Dent gave it a valiant effort but he won’t be going home with the prize. No big deal says Taylor, “a year ago they told me I wouldn’t ever play tennis again.”

I had the opportunity to try out my strokes on the grass court this afternoon with Brian Battistone. He and his brother Dann have been creating some waves and gaining a following for their unusual style of play and even more unusual rackets. Called the “Natural One,” the 29-inch racket has not one but two handles. The unique handle angle puts less stress on your elbows and helps the body balance better. I loved it so much I bought one.

Hi everyone, the Blonde girl with a computer is back. I had a terribly pleasant day watching lawn tennis amid blooming hydrangeas and geraniums from the shaded porch of a glorious Victorian Manor. The players in their crisp whites made a striking contrast to the lush emerald of the courts while I slowly sipped my Dunkin’ Donuts Iced Tea. Had you going there for a minute didn’t I. This was no figment of my imagination by any stretch; I might have just forgotten to mention a minor detail. I’m coming to you this week from Newport, RI, home of the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships or as I like to call it, the ersatz Wimbledon.

Before taking a break from French Open tennis, I want to express my appreciation for Rafael Nadal’s 26 consecutive French Open singles wins, Roger Federer’s 16 consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances and Novak Djokovic’s 5th straight Grand Slam semifinal appearance. If Federer beats Gonzo, it will be 16 consecutive semifinal appearances as well. These numbers demonstrate that the big 3 are really in their own galaxy at the moment even if other players can challenge and beat them on any given day. Consistency is a key factor in dominance.