KEY BISCAYNE, FLA — Like Ponce de Leon, an earlier adventurer in Florida, Butch Buchholz out of St. Louis arrived a quarter century ago, looking for a treasure. The Spanish explorer sought the Fountain of Youth. Buchholz searched for a place where talented youths swinging tennis rackets could charm the locals and acquire some treasure for their bank accounts. Buchholz … [Read more...] about BUTCH PLANTED HIS DREAM ON KEY BISCAYNE AND IT FLOURISHED
Tournaments
A SECOND ROUNDER TO REMEMBER, BETTER THAN MOST TITLE BOUTS
Why go on? The match of the tournament has already been played. I doubt that anything in the female precinct will top a second rounder sure to glisten and bounce about in my neural mush for years. That was Wednesday’s triumphant hello-again for the ex-champ Justine Henin, her 7-5, 7-6 (8-6), victory over Elena Dementieva, a fireworks display that lasted almost 3 … [Read more...] about A SECOND ROUNDER TO REMEMBER, BETTER THAN MOST TITLE BOUTS
OLD MAYBE BUT STILL RELIABLE IN CHASING AND CHASTENING THE KIDS
Puccini, the old Italian songwriter, would have loved Kimiko Date, the getting-older (but not noticeably) Japanese tennis player. Instead of his opera, “Madame Butterfly,” the tale of a Japanese lass betrayed by her American lover, Puccini might have created “Kid Butterfly,” the story of a world-cruising athlete who has not been daunted or betrayed by age. Remember “Float … [Read more...] about OLD MAYBE BUT STILL RELIABLE IN CHASING AND CHASTENING THE KIDS
IN A BATTLE OF MARIA’S, KIRILENKO SENDS SHARAPOVA HOME TOO SOON
“Hello” and “Goodbye” with not much time in between. Hardly the way to visit Melbourne, a beautiful city. Maybe a latte, perhaps a bagel. Work up a sweat for nearly 3 ½ hours, then head for the airport, and cross off Melbourne for another year. Was that any way to blow town, a town that she had owned only two years ago. Then she stuck around for two weeks, long … [Read more...] about IN A BATTLE OF MARIA’S, KIRILENKO SENDS SHARAPOVA HOME TOO SOON
ROGER HAS A GREAT IDEA AIMED IN THE DIRECTION OF STRICKEN HAITI
How do you sell out a tournament that doesn’t exist? It takes a little imagination and a big heart belonging to a guy named Federer. So the Australian Open which hadn’t opened its doors was nevertheless overflowing Sunday with thousands of witnesses to a non-event. Maybe you could call it Opengate, or a sudden Love-Haiti rush. Whatever the definition, 15,000 seat Rod … [Read more...] about ROGER HAS A GREAT IDEA AIMED IN THE DIRECTION OF STRICKEN HAITI