Andy Murray battled back yet again at the 2016 French Open to stave off elimination Wednesday, mounting a comeback against French wild card Mathias Bourgue, 6-2, 2-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, in three hours and 34 minutes. Bourgue, ranked 164th in the world, was playing in just the second Grand Slam of his career. “Thanks to…
World number one Serena Williams made a winning start to her 2016 French Open campaign on Tuesday, cruising past Magdalena Rybarikova 6-2, 6-0 to reach the Roland Garros second round. Serena needed less than 45 minutes to get through Rybarikova, hitting 25 winners and committing just five unforced errors. She broke serve six times to…
Nine-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal looked the part in opening round action at the French Open, cruising into the Roland Garros second round with a routine 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 victory over Australia’s Sam Groth. Nadal’s serve was impenetrable, losing just five total points on serve, winning 84 percent of his serves. He hit 25…
Most college coaches are interested in recruiting players who compete in USTA tournaments. Tournament play really puts pressure on players, and it’s this type of pressure that allows for the feeling of both failure and success within this competitive format. If a player really wants to go on to the next level and play college…
Tenth-seeded Marin Cilic fell to Argentine qualifier Marco Trungelliti 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in opening round action Monday at the 2016 French Open. Trungelliti, ranked 166th in the world and making his Roland Garros debut, broke Cilic six times to earn his second win at a Grand Slam. Trungelliti moves on to face Albert Ramos-Vinolas…
In the final scene of “A Bronx Tale,” the story’s protagonist, Calogero Anello, says the greatest gift he received from his father Lorenzo was learning that the saddest thing in life is wasted talent. While that line was a parallel for life, the same parallel can be made in the venue of sports. The window…
Three years ago, Victoria Azarenka was on the verge of being the most dominant player in the women’s game. She had won two straight Australian Open titles (2012 and 2013) and had reached the number one ranking in the world. But an array of injuries over the next year would halt her success on the…
One of the age old questions our tennis academy students’ parents ask coaches around this time of the year is: How can our children improve their game this summer? Would it be beneficial to send my child to a tennis camp in Florida, California, Vermont or Europe? There are so many camps and different options available, that…
USTA Eastern recently hosted "I Am Tennis" at Queens College Tennis Center in Queens, N.Y. in celebration of Asian-American Heritage Month. Approximately 120 people of all ages and levels from the Queens, N.Y. area participated in the three-hour event. Free food was provided for those in attendance, as well as music and giveaways. "Our goal at USTA…
Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams both remain atop the men’s and women’s tours as we prepare for the second Grand Slam of the year, the 2016 French Open, May 22-June 5. The clay courts of Roland Garros will provide a challenge for some as Stan Wawrinka looks to defend his title and Serena…