Friend or Foe
Before they faced off in a match, both the doubles pairings of Belgium's Olivier Rochus and Ruben Bemelmans, and Dimitrov and Great Britain's Ken Skupski, practiced together in a jovial, light-hearted warm-up. It has been high fives all around lately for the young Bulgarian, as Rochus and Dimitrov even exchanged a celebratory one after collaborating on a rally. The high five was perchance nothing but a ploy to get Dimitrov off-guard, as the Belgians won the actual meeting, 6-4, 6-4.
If the ATP Thing Doesn't Work Out...
He's only 19, but Ryan Harrison is a master of many trades. Or so the precocious teenager, who was outplayed today by the quick and versatile Arnaud Clement, suggested to chair umpire Ali Nili at the conclusion of his match. Harrison, who is becoming known for his temper, came unhinged in the second set of his 4-6, 1-6 loss, getting irritated not only with himself, but with the placement of ball kids and with line calls. While some of the calls in the match were perhaps less than perfect, Harrison's tirade to Nili after the final shots was almost comical. The American provided a list of actions the umpire is responsible for overseeing, from the line calls to silencing cell phones, repeating, "That's your job." He kept quietly berating Nili as the two walked off the court together.
And We Thought Gambling Was Prohibited
The Newport Casino, a national historical landmark, is situated next door to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. But, for the French contingent at the Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championship, the casino is right in the middle of the players' area. Nicolas Mahut tells the media he and his compatriots are in a game of belote, a complicated game involving partnerships and, yes, bidding. Who's up? The leader is Arnaud Clement, but things may turn around yet. "After him, I'm there," says Mahut.
Wimbledon Revisited
John Isner and Nicolas Mahut's heads must be spinning from answering questions about their matchups at Wimbledon, questions about whether they are tired of answering questions about their matchups at Wimbledon, and questions about their potential future matchups. For what it's worth, if the two were to meet here, it would be in the Final, and both Mahut, the 2007 Newport Runner-up, and Isner, who had won his first match in three attempts, say they would love to see the other across the net on Sunday.
Isner admitted to being disappointed after losing in the Second Round of Wimbledon for the second year in a row. "Usually, my game picks up as I go along in a tournament," he said. "I don't know why it didn't there," Isner lamented about his four-set loss to Spain's Nicolas Almagro. He took some time off and went to Florida to train for the hard-court season before receiving a wildcard into Newport.
Both he and Mahut are good sports about the situation. Today, after both won their simultaneous first round matches in around an hour ("A lot shorter than we're used to," joked Isner), the two were interviewed by Justin Gimelstob, and then signed autographs together inside the International Tennis Hall of Fame, right next to Mahut's gear from that longest match in history at the 2010 Wimbledon. Their friendship is no fake – Isner was telling Mahut about his hometown, Greensboro, North Carolina, among other things, as they obliged a never-ending line of fans wanting a piece of history.
A Little Bit Softer Now
"The grass plays soft," is the common euphemism from the players for the surface here in Newport. "Everyone who comes here knows about the grass... No, this is not like the grass in Europe," was Mahut's version of the polite way to describe the surface. Another player remarked that the surface resembles his own lawn at home.
Waiting for Andre
Excitement is building for what is perhaps the main event of this week, Andre Agassi's induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday. For some, this could be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet the American legend. Some such as Isner, who says he "doesn't think" he'd ever met Agassi before.
To see more photos from Tuesday, click HERE
