Sam and Pam: Do you really need us to explain this awesomeness? Pam Shriver sat down with Sam Querrey on Sunday afternoon at the Farmers Classic in LA for a little chatski on air for the ESPN broadcast. We were pretty shocked how long the two sat there chit-chatting (perhaps almost a half hour?), though we couldn’t ear out anything they were actually saying. Querrey was the two-time defending champ at UCLA, but is out indefinitely with an elbow injury. Below: Pam shows off her pearls before heading back courtside.
Sightings in the stands: We always forget that New Balance is in the tennis business. Their novelty tee for the season is this one, worn by a fan watching yesterday’s Fish/Harrison semi at the Farmers Classic in Los Angeles. Props to the layout and color choices — it’s white/blue for the summer and red/white/black for the fall — but a play on “playahs” (having “game”)? Give us something fresher and wittier next year, ok?
Buy: New Balance Summer Playah Tee, $16.99. Browse the rest of the NB line (including threads for Fall ’11) here.
Ryan’s rise: We noted last week that Ryan Harrison‘s run in Atlanta might mean something in the bigger picture and the Louisiana native continued his impressive streak by making his second straight ATP semifinal in Los Angeles this week. Mardy Fish stopped the 19-year-old both times, winning at the Farmers Classic yesterday in a tight 6-0 4-6 7-6 (3) semi. Fish noted both on court and in his press conference that is he could, he’d “buy stock” in Harrison. Which makes us curious: How high can this kid’s stock climb? Weigh in below.
And by doubles, we mean a two-for-one: shirtless AND tattooed.
Farmers Classic semifinalist Alex Bogomolov, Jr. showed TSF some love before his match-up against Ernests Gulbis yesterday. Alex was on the Grandstand court playing points with a decent-hittin’ tween. BTW: Gulbis won that match 6-2, 7-6 (4).
We already logged his right shoulder tat, and this is our first the Chinese characters on his left shoulder.
Remember when? Way back when it was called the Infinity Open (and then the Mercedes Benz Cup), an American named Michael Chang snatched the Los Angeles title twice — in 1996 and 2000. 1996 was quite the summer for Chang, who shrugged off a first-round loss to Albert Costa at Wimbledon and take titles in both DC and LA before making a run to the US Open final where he lost to Pete Sampras. Including Flushing Meadows, Chang would rack up a 22-3 record that summer, helping boost him to his career-high no. 2 in September. 2000 was somewhat of a different story for the 1989 French Open winner, taking the LA title with a surprise run that saw him beat Jan-Michael Gambill in the final (remember him?!). Chang also downed Justin Gimelstob in the semis to win what would be the last of 34 career titles.
Facing Fish:Ernie Gulbis hits with Canas a few hours before his final match against Mardy Fish at the Farmers Classic, being contested this week at UCLA. This is Gulbis’ second appearance in an ATP World Tour final; his first was at Delray Beach last year, where he won his first career title. Bracket: See how the men fared in Los Angeles.
What a trooper: Browse the goods from the Fall/Winter 2011 adidas Originals x Star Wars collaboration here (and grab the goods here. Our fave? The Flight Jacket and the AT-AT sweatshirt.
It’s summatime. You know, that part of the year that LFO loves when the girls stop by … and when they wear Abercrombie & Fitch. But what about the boys of summer? For the Americans, it’s so far been a rather decent one: John Isnerwon in Newport before Mardy Fishtook him down in Atlanta. This week in Los Angeles three of the four semifinalists — Fish, Ryan Harrison and Alex Bogolomov Jr. — were Yanks themselves. Sure, there was that whole Davis Cupthing, but as Mardy himself says, we don’t like to even think about it.
But Fish, who is set to expand his lead in the US Open Seriesstandings this week regardless of how he plays tomorrow, isn’t take much time off: he’ll play the Legg Mason Classic next week in D.C. (where, Fish noted, he has been guaranteed a Wednesday start) before going to both Masters events in Montreal and Cincinnati. If you include Davis Cup, that will mean Fish six weeks of solid tennis between Wimbledon and the US Open. A rather heavy sched, isn’t it, Mardy?
“It doesn’t feel like I’m on the road,” Fish said at the Farmers Classic, sighting sleeping in his own LA-area home with his wife Stacey and their dog, Charlie. “I’m hoping this week is going to feel like an off week … but I guess you can ask me about it again at the US Open.”
Fish isn’t the only one who has had success in his home country during the last few weeks. The aforementioned efforts of Isner haven’t gone unnoticed, though the North Carolina native did blow a match point in his final appearance at the Atlanta Tennis Championships. Harrison, too, has been loving the sun: his first two ATP semis have come in the last two weeks, both against Fish.
“I want to be in another semifinal,” Harrison said. “There are a lot of good players out there.”
Andy Roddick isn’t one of them — at least not in DC. The American has pulled out of the Legg Mason, siting an abdominal injury. After skipping the French, a lackluster performance in London and a devastating Davis Cup effort, Roddick is the one American that the question marks are really revolving around. Ah, how the stars have re-aligned themselves.
Bogolomov Jr. reached his first ATP semi with his effort in LA, and James Blake looked pretty good in his second-round loss to Juan Martin del Potro. Robby Ginepri‘s making a go at a return. Reason to celebrate? We’ll take it.
Fish (unsurprisingly) still tips his hat to Roddick as America’s top player, but might the other fellas be making their own cases this summer? You betchya.
So are we the only ones seeing more and more men wear their long hair in buns these days? Kinda loving it as a summer look…
Speaking of bun (and buns) Guillermo Canas has been popping in and out of our line of sight at this week’s Farmer’s Classic, where he’s been working with semifinalist Ernests Gulbis. The lanky Latvian booked his spot in the final four with that upset of second seed Juan Martin Del Potro 6-4, 7-6 (3), making this his first semi appearance since January in Sydney. Gulbis will play Alex Bogomolov, who staged his own upset in the Grandstand court in his quarterfinal against Thomaz Bellucci.
Tri, tri again? With this look, more is less. We actually love adidas’ over-use of the triangle on this adiZero Feather top seen on Thomaz Bellucci at the Farmers Classic in LA. Yes, there are plenty of triangles on the shirt itself, but the design is broken up by the white background and highlighted by the bright yellow/green triangles that dot the shirt. Furthermore, on Bellucci’s chest, adidas does good to melt the triangles into one another before the blue covers the shoulders.
What about Thomaz? Bellucci, the 4th seed in LA, breezed through his second round match (0 and 1 overAlejandro Falla) after a first-round bye. He now takes on Alex Bogolomov Jr., the American, in the quarters. Juan Martin del Potro should be lurking in the semifinals for whoever gets through today. | LA:Draw
“An Evening With Betty White” Coming To Farmers Classic Presented by Mercedes-Benz
A bit of a stretch, but we’ll go with it. (Hey — it’s all good press, right?) Betty White will be at UCLA’s Royce Hall on the Friday before the start of the Farmers Classic, also held on campus. She’ll give a talk about her career (including a Q&A portion!), moderated by her “Hot in Cleveland” co-star Wendie Malick.
She’s not cheap: Ticket info here to see Betty; you’ll have to fork over $50 for the nosebleeds.
The Farmers Classic — the ATP’s tour stop in Los Angeles — will have a different sched for 2011: the early rounds (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) will start at 2 p.m., allowing more fans to go about their days before heading to UCLA for the tennis. The tourney organizers have also combined the day/evening sessions for those three days, which means you only pay once. Loves.
TSF’s very curious to see how this’ll pan out.
More info: The Farmers Classic site. FYI, Delpo‘s already committed to playing the event.
I’m fine with it, BUT NOT ALL THE TIME, okay? (When in Southern California, do as the Angelenos do…)
Top seed (and wild card) Andy Murray is hobbling his way through the draw at this week’s Farmers Classic in Los Angeles. He needed to go to a tiebreak before brushing off Federer-killer Alejandro Falla 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 in the quarterfinals. He plays Feli Lopez in the semis. Lopez beat James Blake 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4.
Shop:adidas Competition Bermuda Short in Blue Beauty/Red, $45, adidas.com.
ORDER OF PLAY – SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2010
STRAUS STADIUM start 2:00 p.m.
[6] Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) vs [2] Sam Querrey (USA)
[1] Bob Bryan (USA) / Mike Bryan (USA) vs [4] Rohan Bopanna (IND) / Aisam Qureshi (PAK)
Evening Session – Not Before 7:30 PM
[1] [WC] Andy Murray (GBR) vs [4] Feliciano Lopez (ESP)
Ross Hutchins (GBR) / Jordan Kerr (AUS) vs Eric Butorac (USA) / Jean-Julien Rojer (AHO)
ORDER OF PLAY – FRIDAY, JULY 30, 2010
STRAUS STADIUM start 12:00 noon
Rainer Schuettler (GER) vs [2] Sam Querrey (USA)
[6] Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) vs [3] Marcos Baghdatis (CYP)
Not Before 4:00 PM
[4] Feliciano Lopez (ESP) vs [WC] James Blake (USA)
Evening Session – Not Before 7:30 PM
[1] [WC] Andy Murray (GBR) vs Alejandro Falla (COL)
Eric Butorac (USA) / Jean-Julien Rojer (AHO) vs [2] Robert Lindstedt (SWE) / Horacio Tecau (ROU)
GRANDSTAND start 3:00 pm
[4] Rohan Bopanna (IND) / Aisam Qureshi (PAK) vs Arnaud Clement (FRA) / Jonathan Erlich (ISR)
Tattoo Watch: Swede Robert Lindstedt is still in the doubles draw with Romanian partner Horia Tecau at this week’s Farmer’s Classic in Los Angeles. They were practicing a day before their match against the team of Butorac and Rojer. FYI, Rojer used to play for UCLA’s tennis team. (Draw:Doubles)
More: A closer look at Robert’s tattoo, which says “Et in asperrimis temporibus amor et spes adsunt“, in the gallery below.
We already know that Janko Tipsarevic is different from the average bear, but he has shown this even more so while in Los Angeles for the Farmers Classic ATP Tour Stop. Over at Sweet Spot, James LaRosa got some taxicab confessions out of our munchkin Serb (something about sheep looking at doors?).
And earlier this week he mentioned a racquet bag change via Twitter. He rolled out the new look for his opening dubs match with Feli.
They’ll resume their partnership for a match today against the team of Ross Hutchins and Jordan Kerr.
TSF missed taking a pic of Feliciano Lopez toting a Louis Vuitton dopp kit yesterday, but here he is looking equally as fab taking some practice time in before his doubles match tomorrow (with Janko; against Hutchins/Kerr).
FARMERS CLASSIC, LOS ANGELES, CALIF.
ORDER OF PLAY – THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2010
STRAUS STADIUM start 12:00 noon
[4] Feliciano Lopez (ESP) vs Dudi Sela (ISR)
Alejandro Falla (COL) vs [5] Erenests Gulbis (LAT)
Not Before 4:00 PM
[WC] James Blake (USA) vs Benjamin Becker (GER)
EVENING SESSION – Not Before 7:30 PM
[1] [WC] Andy Murray (GBR) vs [Q] Tim Smyczek (USA)
[1] Bob Bryan (USA) / Mike Bryan (USA) vs Ernests Gulbis (LAT) / Dmitry Tursunov (RUS)
GRANDSTAND start 4:00 pm
Feliciano Lopez (ESP) / Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) vs Ross Hutchins (GBR) / Jordan Kerr (AUS)
Last night’s eye-candy-filled doubles match between Tipsarevic/Lopez and Blake/Querrey (will I get a cavity in my cornea??) had no visible Sam-urai contingent, possibly contributing to the Americans’ 6-3, 6-3 loss in the opening round.
Meanwhile, Dudi Sela, now clad in Lacoste, took out shotmaker Xavier Malisse 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 in their first round singles match. He’ll next face the fourth-seeded Lopez.
The boot that was strapped on Serena Williams‘s foot recently (see above) might have the world’s top-ranked player out of the US Open Series and in doubt for the US Open, but it certainly hasn’t slowed down the social part of her life. Serena was spotted yesterday in LA, hanging out at the Farmers Classic while taking in James Blake‘s first round match.
The social engagements don’t end at tennis for ReRe. Last weekend she lunched with Olympic gold medal figure skater Evan Lysacek and the two have remained in touch via Twitter, Evan asking her about her injured foot and suggesting that they train together sometime (when Serena is better, of course).
She even added a girls’ night into her socializing repertoire, hanging out with pop star (can we say that if she hasn’t had a hit since 2004?!) Christina Milian. According to the UK Daily Mail, the two were out at “the swanky Madeo restaurant in Beverly Hills” over the weekend.
Spotted by the paps: We’re wondering about that stain on Christina’s dress… And why, oh why, is Serena sporting a single heel with her boot at the Farmers Classic?! The girl’s a trooper. (Or an idiot.)
And if socializing with those who she actually likes seems to get old, we’re told that Shino Tsurubuchi, the line judge that made the call heard around the world at last year’s US Open, was calling Blake’s match that Serena was in attendance for. A source said the lines people were “teasing Shino” in the tunnel as she exited. Maybe they went to Peet’s together afterward to catch up?
(la photo by TSF; millian photo via the daily mail)
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