TUNISIA’S ONS JABEUR – FOREHANDS AND FASTING
Michael Mewshaw Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, dozens of Eastern European men players negotiated the obstacle course created by Communist regimes. More recently, a constellation of Serbian stars...
View ArticleL’INTERVIEW WITH LE COACH
A Street Corner Conversation With Patrick Mouratoglou PARIS – For a journalist, there are few things that are more sweet than prepping for hours for an important interview and then seeing the hard work...
View ArticleTHE MYSTERY OF NOVAK DJOKOVIC – The Game’s Biggest Enigma
Bill Simons PARIS – A year ago in the seventh game of the NBA Championships, deep into crunch time, Steph Curry was about to finish off a fast break with a layup. But a sprinting Lebron James swatted...
View ArticleMONET MORNINGS IN PARIS – Musings on the Tones and Textures of the French Open
By Michael Mewshaw Plus ca change, as they say in Paris, the more things remain the same. Roland Garros is a great example of this truism. As it expands its grounds and adds new courts and facilities,...
View ArticleHIT REFRESH: A Breath of Latvian Fresh Air Enlivens Tennis
PARIS— You’re tired of the same old faces. “Serena, you’re fab, but how about someone new?” you sigh. Well, say hello to Jelena Ostapenko. You’ve had it: “The heck with all those stone-faced,...
View ArticleMURRAY MANIA – Love and Angst On the Battlefield
Bill Simons PARIS — The Wimbledon press box is magical – a sublime enclave. At the US Open, there are a handful of courtside press seats just by the umpire’s stand. You sit there and bathe in the...
View ArticleFRENCH OPEN: JELENA OSTAPENKO AND THE PURITY OF SPORT
Bill Simons PARIS – She has a big game, but little fear. Jelena Ostapenko was an unknown and is now a star. She’s the 100-to-1 shot who, on this happy Parisian afternoon, lifted a shiny French trophy....
View ArticleRAFA’S MASTERPIECE – A PERFECT 10
Bill Simons PARIS – The ten commandments are the “Thou Shalt Not Mess Around” foundation of Western religion. Ten Downing Street is a weighty symbol of British power. A perfect “10” is said to be the...
View ArticleFIFTY SHADES OF PURPLE – Remembering Poet and Troubador Frank Deford
For the second time in a year, mourners came to New England churches to celebrate the passing of a beloved sports writer. Last year, hundreds went to Boston to recall the life of the singular tennis...
View ArticleWIMBLEDON PREVIEW – An Oasis of British Peace Amidst the Storm
BILL SIMONS I have an curious tendency to arrive in Britain just as earth-shaking events are happening. When I first came to the island in 1966, Britain was about to beat Germany to claim the World Cup...
View ArticleDJOKOVIC OPENS UP ON HIS INNER PATH – Material Success Isn’t Everything
Novak Djokovic was first taught by a woman. He emerged out of war-stricken Serbia, did hilarious imitations and practices a gluten-free diet. More recently, he has worked with a Spanish teacher, Pepe...
View ArticleNEWSFLASH: Wimbledon Cancels the Revolution and Other Notes from the Tennis...
LONDON – ALL IS WELL IN THE TENNIS KINGDOM: Roger Federer – elegant in white – is back on court on Wimbledon’s Centre Court. There is peace in the valley. JUST WONDERING: Is it some kind of record that...
View ArticleA RARE LOOK – Novak Djokovic Like You’ve Never Known Him
LOVE & HARMONY: SOUNDING LIKE A SPIRITUAL TEACHER, NOVAK SPEAKS OF LOOKING WITHIN, CALMING THE MIND AND FINDING PERSPECTIVE Novak Djokovic has always been a seeker – a person who takes different...
View Article‘HELP ME, HELP ME, HELP ME’– THE PAIN AND AGONY OF A BUBBLY, BRILLIANT CHARACTER
A BRITISH INSIGHT ON AN AMERICAN ORIGINAL: The BBC said Bethanie Mattek-Sands “is such a bright, bubbly character.” DARKNESS ON A SUNNY DAY: The day started out bright and hopeful for Bethanie...
View ArticleWIMBLEDON BUZZ: Bored on the Fourth of July
GIVING NEW MEANING TO THE PHRASE ‘BIG FOUR’: Forget Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray. For Inside Tennis “The Big Four” at this year’s Wimbledon relates to the four TV screens we have in front of our...
View ArticleWIMBLEDON’S SUPER SATURDAY – The Buzz
A FEDERER TREAT: Instinct, technique, timing, anticipation, rhythm, grace – what a treat to behold the beauty of Roger Federer on the world’s most beautiful tennis court. ANOTHER VICTORY: The crowd...
View Article‘BLOOD, TOIL, TEARS AND SWEAT’– Wimbledon’s Top 10 Week One Stories
WIMBLEDON – “Intriguing plot lines are blossoming all over the grounds as we reach the end of a fascinating, sunshine-blessed first week at The Championships.” – British writer Ian Chadband 1. THE BIG...
View ArticleTHE WIMBLEDON SAGA OF RAFA NADAL – TRIUMPH AND DEFEAT IN THE DUSK
Wimbledon – Bill Simons Certain things were clear. Rafa Nadal was in a zone. He hadn’t lost a Grand Slam set since the last excruciating set of the Aussie Open. He’d reached the finals at Indian Wells...
View ArticleBRITAIN KONTA BELIEVE – THE WIMBLEDON BUZZ
GEN V: F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote of the Lost Generation. Tom Brokaw wrote of the Greatest Generation. Cultural critics have long dissected Gen X. Now tennis celebrates Gen V – that would be Venus...
View ArticleSAM QUERREY – ‘LIVING THE WIMBLEDON DREAM’
BILL SIMONS WIMBLEDON— We Americans, we’re rude. We’re rowdy. We’re rebels. And, worst of all, we don’t know our place in life. Well, that’s how the Brits see us – crude Americans – such rabble, such...
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