By Jane Voigt Lleyton Hewitt hasn’t always been one of Australia’s favorite native sons.  Expectations from a country defined by its tennis and known for legendary heroes such as two-time Grand Slam great, Rod Laver, have landed far short. And it’s not because of his record.  Hewitt won the Men’s Doubles title in his first-ever…

By Jane Voigt September 1, 2012 — Well, Andy Roddick didn’t retire. Instead he won, extending life as he’s known it for twelve years thanks, in part, to a dreadful performance by Australian teen, Bernard Tomic. Tomic, in his press conference, faced pointed questions, first generally and then specifically, about his efforts on his first…

By Jane Voigt August 31, 2012 — It’s seem fitting, in an odd way, that Andy Roddick’s pending retirement came on his 30th birthday and on the heels of Kim Clijsters’ exit, which she announced months ago.   Andy wouldn’t have planned a retirement tour with all that associated fanfare he’d put himself and others…

By Jane Voigt August 30, 2012 — Kim Clijsters’ match last night on Arthur Ashe wasn’t her best but it was her last … we’re told.  She retired once in May, 2007, but couldn’t quash a lingering notion that maybe if she geared up big in the fitness department she could make a go. So…

By Jane Voigt No one expected Tommy Haas to win this Open — his fifteenth, and at the age of 34 the oldest man in the singles draw. And no one honestly expected Ernests Gulbis to come back from two sets down to defeat the German.  But he did, 46 46 75 64 64 in…

By Jane Voigt What if the usual suspects bombed out? Let’s say Serena Williams’ serve fell apart and her groundstrokes followed suit, and her attitude turned sour … nothing less than cranky.  It could happen, even though she’s the top pick for the majority of pundits’ to win yet another slam title, her 15th.  Same…

By Jane Voigt Fluttery bubbles of anticipation that circle first-round matches are probably more a part of fans’ experiences than for players. But don’t be fooled. Players are nervous, too, especially since the U. S. Open is the last major tournament of the year. They want to make a statement. They want to be heard.…

By Jane Voigt Here we go again. The USTA is about to unleash another of its monstrous and marvelously hyper-slams tomorrow.  It wants the two weeks to be a happy experience for ticket holders, players and sponsors, with no rain please. No leaking courts.  But the irate tennis pros that were pushed to argue for…