Few US men making impact in pro tennis
’20 women’s champ falls in Aussie Open
The all-American matchup at the Australian Open between Taylor Fritz and Reilly Opelka ended in the middle of the night in the United States, which meant few back home saw their entertaining five-set marathon.
That’s nothing new — U.S. men’s tennis hasn’t been primetime material for years.
The last American man to win a Grand Slam tournament was Andy Roddick at the U.S. Open in 2003, and there’s no sign the drought will end anytime soon. Fritz, who rallied to beat Opelka in Melbourne on Wednesday, was the only seeded American man when the tournament began, and he’s 27th.
Only three Yanks are ranked in the top 50.
“For a country this big, with these resources, it doesn’t make sense,” said longtime coach Rick Macci, who helped develop Roddick, the Williams sisters and 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin. “But I don’t see it being what it once was ever again.”
Opelka, for one, isn’t surprised the United States has the same number of seeded men in Melbourne as, say, Bulgaria.
“It’s just not that big of a sport in the States,” Opelka said. “It’s just the reality of it.”
The sport enjoyed a higher profile when Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras and Jim Courier were winning championships, including four in a row at the Australian Open in the 1990s. But while countries in East
ern Europe and Asia have emerged as forces, the sport’s popularity has declined in the United States — especially among young boys who dream instead of winning trophies in the NFL or NBA.
The outlook is much rosier in women’s tennis. The United States had four seeded women in Melbourne, including Kenin and Serena Williams. Nine Americans are ranked in the top 50, among them 16-year-old prodigy Coco Gauff.
There are no Coco Gauffs on the men’s side.
“Tennis is still a delicious thing on the menu for a female athlete in this country,” Macci said.
“It’s different for the guys. If I had LeBron James at age 10, there’s no doubt in my mind I could have gotten him to No. 1 in the world.”
Macci, who runs a tennis academy in Boca Raton, Florida, questions the structure of the U.S. developmental program. He said future great athletes can be identified when they’re still in grade school, and recruiting them for tennis would be the best way to bolster the men’s game in America.
THURSDAY AUSSIE ACTION: Kenin’s bid to repeat as champion ended when she lost in the second round to big-serving Kaia Kanepi 6-3, 6-2.
Kanepi hit 10 aces, including on match point, and had 22 winners to 10 for Kenin, who went 0 for 7 on breakpoint chances.
Kenin’s run to her first Grand Slam title a year ago helped her break into the top 10 for the first time, and she entered this year’s tournament ranked a career-high No. 4.
Lots of upsets were anticipated, however, in a tournament where routines have been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, and three of the top nine seeded women have already lost. Kenin joined No. 8 Bianca Andreescu and No. 9 Petra Kvitova on the sideline.
No. 1-ranked Ash Barty avoided an upset, but she blew a big lead in the second set and survived a shaky tiebreaker to beat fellow Aussie Daria Gavrilova 6-1, 7-6 (7).
Other winners included former No. 1 Karolina Pliskova and American Shelby Rogers.
Feliciano Lopez, at 39 the oldest player in the men’s draw, rallied past No. 31 Lorenzo Sonego 5-7, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4. Lopez is appearing at his 75th consecutive Grand Slam singles event, a men’s record.
Barty lost only 10 points in the opening round, and her match against Gavrilova was equally lopsided until the wobbly finish. She led 5-2 in the second set but was broken twice serving for the victory.
Rogers reached the third round at the tournament for the first time by beating Olga Danilovic 6-2, 6-3. Rogers, 28, came into the event with a career record of 1-4 in Melbourne, but her fortunes have been on the rise of late.
Pliskova, seeded sixth, advanced by beating American Danielle Collins 7-5, 6-2. Pliskova lost serve twice in a seesaw first set but pulled it out and then pulled away to beat Collins, a 2019 semifinalist at Melbourne Park.
No. 11 Belinda Bencic outlasted Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, and No. 18 Elise Mertens defeated Zhu Lin 7-6 (8), 6-1.
In men’s play, No. 7 Andrey Rublev swept Thiago Monteiro 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (8).
TAMPA, Fla. — This is why people move to Tampa, isn’t it?
A boat, some friends, a few beverages and an 83-degree afternoon in mid-February.
It was all that, plus thousands of adoring football fans and the gleaming Vince Lombardi Trophy on Wednesday as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrated their Super Bowl 55 victory with a boat parade on the Hillsborough River.
Sure, Tom Brady has won a few Super Bowls, but sitting at the controls of his custom, 40-foot Vida A Vida — just call it the GOAT boat — in the perfect Florida sunshine with his son on his lap must beat doing this in icy Boston.
One boat back, Rob Gronkowski, Mike Evans and Cameron Brate danced on the bow of a smaller vessel, beers in hand. Brady bravely tossed over the Lombardi trophy — about 10 yards, underhand — and Brate’s reliable hands saved it from taking a dip. (No such luck for wide receiver Chris Godwin’s phone. He said receiver Scotty Miller dropped it in the river.)
“If I had dropped that? I think I would’ve had to retire,” Brate said of Brady’s trophy pass. “That was amazing. He pointed it at me. We talked about it earlier. It was a great throw. I mean, what do you expect from Tom Brady. A great throw.”
Organizers said a day earlier that fans were not allowed to participate in the boat parade. Fat chance. They cruised alongside players in bass boats, jet skis, yachts and one pirate ship called the Lost Pearl. Coast Guard boats kept watch.
Thousands of fans lined the Riverwalk, Some wore masks, as was required by mayoral order. Many did not.
“It’s Tampa, completely,” said Gulfport’s Tim Hershberger, 42, who showed up, masked, with beach chairs, an umbrella and a rolling cart of snacks. “It’s perfect.”
Brady did not speak after the parade, but was spotted walking in, with another man helping guide him. Some speculated the quarterback, famously intense about what he puts in his body, had let loose a little bit.
When ESPN posted a Tampa Bay Times reporter’s video of the scene on Twitter, Brady jokingly replied, ”Noting to see her … just litTle avoCado tequila.”
The Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) is encouraging people to exercise caution and educate themselves about the additional hazards, challenges and safety risks posed by winter recreation and offers the following recommendations:
■LEARN TO RECOGNIZE AVALANCHE TERRAIN.
Most avalanches occur on slopes between 25 and 60 degrees, but there are always exceptions. SFNF encourages backcountry skiers and snowshoers to take an avalanche safety course. The Taos Avalanche Center and American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education are good places to start. The Taos Avalanche Center also provides avalanche forecasts. If you’re ever in doubt, don’t risk it.
■CARRY THE RIGHT SAFETY GEAR.
An avalanche beacon, probe and shovel are all standard recommended equipment for travelling in avalanche terrain.
Dress appropriately for the conditions, take plenty of food and water, and invest in a good first aid kit. A flashlight/headlamp, matches, extra food and clothing, and even an emergency bivouac are all recommended if there’s any chance of getting stranded overnight.
■NEVER TRAVEL ALONE.
Avalanche beacons are virtually useless if you’re by yourself and in need of urgent help. If you are solo and suffer an injury in the backcountry, you do not have an immediate first responder or a critical communication channel for getting help as quickly as possible.
■KNOW THE TERRAIN.
Always carry a good map and compass, and know how to use them. Keep in mind that over-snow travel often takes much longer than it would to traverse the same terrain in summer. Pay attention to topographic lines that indicate steep features that could pose hazards.
Always check the weather forecast before you go since conditions within the forest, especially at elevation, will be significantly different than conditions in nearby towns and cities.
■KNOW YOUR LIMITS. If you have any doubts about your physical or technical capabilities, always err on the side of caution.
■HAVE A PLAN. Incorporate all of the above into a game plan that doesn’t just cover your “ideal” trip, but also considers the range of hazards and safety risks posed by winter backcountry conditions.
Set criteria for turning around in the face of such conditions, and stick to your plan.