Lance Armstrong: It’s Not About the Bike (Or The Ball)
TENNIS ECHOES AND ARMSTRONG’S SHOCKING DECISION Lance Armstrong’s decision not to contest the doping charges which he faced brought to mind Maria Sharapova’s comment that the best thing about leaving...
View ArticleRemembering Audrey Hepburn and Other Memories and Musings from the U.S. Open
CAN WE LEARN TO LOVE VIKA: Australian Open champ Victoria Azarenka went on to win the BNP Paribas Open. She had a 26-match winning streak and brought home a couple of medals from the Olympics. Her...
View ArticleFrench Open: Nadal Survives First-Round Scare to Taste Victory
By Bill Simons Miracles happen in Paris. They do, they really do. Lovers meet. Smokers stop. And, get this, over in the 7th arrondissement the other evening, a waiter was outright friendly, more than...
View ArticleMidway Matters: Top 10 French Open Stories
By Bill Simons Now that we are a little more than halfway through the French Open, here are our top ten stories so far: 1. AMERICAN WOMEN ROCK: For the first time since the ’04 US Open, four American...
View ArticleFrench Open: Rafa Nadal and Joy of Suffering
By Bill Simons The birds were at last singing in the trees of Roland Garros. Parisian clouds had cleared, temperatures were sublime, breezes cool. Gone were the blankets, umbrellas, and sweaters of...
View ArticleEight is Enough: Nadal Scores Heroic French Open Triumph
By Bill Simons We like heroes. No, we adore heroes. Check that, we need heroes. We need to see them up close, know their foibles, and celebrate their triumphs. And these days men’s tennis has given...
View ArticleWimbledon: You Must Love Tennis—Darcis Imposes Shock Upset
Steve Darcis and Rafael Nadal shake hands after Darcis defeated Nadal in a stunning upset on the first day of this year’s Wimbledon. Photo: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images By Bill Simons You have to love...
View ArticleAustralian Open: Are You Crazy, and Ten Other Questions About the...
By Bill Simons JERZY (AND JERSEY) IN TROUBLE: When a voice called out in the press room, “Jerzy’s collapsing,” it had nothing to do with the faltering fortunes of New Jersey’s embattled Governor Chris...
View ArticleAustralian Open: The Hose Truth and Nothing But the Hose Truth
By Bill Simons FORGET AUSSIE RULES FOOTBALL, THIS IS PLASTIC RULES TENNIS… YET ANOTHER COMPASSIONATE MEDIA MESSAGE: After Sloane Stephens blasted Vika Azarenka in the crotch during the second set of...
View ArticleAustralian Open: One For the Ages—The Pete Sampras Interview
By Bill Simons It promises to be magic. Tonight’s showcase semi between Roger and Rafa, their 33rd meeting, should be scintillating. And part of the dazzle is that arguably the four best players of...
View ArticleAUSTRALIAN OPEN: STAN WAWRINKA’S SHOCKER FOR THE AGES
Stan Wawrinka is a pretty conventional Euro guy -kind of a regular fellow, a humble Dad. But to knowing hipsters, street folks and philosopher kings around the globe, he has to be No. 1 in the world....
View ArticleIn Praise of Ethiopian Backhands and Other Indian Wells Observations
By Bill Simons IN PRAISE OF ETHIOPIAN BACKHANDS: Writer Bill Dwyre noted, “We get so much nationalism shoved down our throats by NBC during any Olympics that occasionally rooting for somebody from...
View ArticleBNP PARIBAS NEWSFLASH: DJOKOVIC WINS, BUT ROGER FEDERER CAN STILL PLAY TENNIS
By Bill Simons Whether you call it the flavor of the week or the theme du jour. the collective wisdom was clear: The tide in our game was, at long last, turning. The times, they were a changin’. The...
View ArticleOpening Day at the French Open: The 20 Billion Dollar Blunder
By Bill Simons FRANCE’S $20 BILLION UNFORCED ERROR: France is known for its spiffy transit system, but the new $20 billion ultra-modern fleet of trains is too wide for many of the old stations in the...
View ArticleFRENCH OPEN: DIFFERENT FORMS OF ROYALTY AT ROLAND GARROS
By Bill Simons HIS PURPLE ROYALNESS IN THE HOUSE: The European Slams tend to attract royalty, but the notion of royals at the French Open took on a new flair when iconic pop star Prince attended Rafa...
View ArticleParisian Ode: Time and Again, The Left Bank Was the Right Place
By Bill Simons Grand Slam tennis fans can choose from numerous travel providers. Some offer luxurious service and on-site dining. Others offer tennis play and instruction as part of their packages....
View ArticleFRENCH OPEN: SHARAPOVA AND HALEP SET FOR A SATURDAY SHOWDOWN
By John Huston and Bill Simons MARIA MARCHES ON: It’s a constant theme, in life, and in sports, including tennis—the established star, knowing and supreme, falling victim to the fresh-faced wannabe....
View ArticleThe Buzz: Of Chrissie And Hilary And Boris And Judy And Amelie And Andy
CHRISSIE AND HILARY: Chris Evert is known for her successful fundraisers with George Bush, Sr., but when Inside Tennis recently asked who she’d most want to meet, she said Hilary Clinton, and explained...
View ArticleWIMBLEDON PREVIEW: TEN QUESTIONS FOR THE GENTLEMEN’S SINGLES
By John Huston WILL MURRAY AND MOMO FLY OR FLOP? In the brief window between Roland Garros and the talk of the tennis world has been Andy Murray’s selection of Amelie Mauresmo as his new coach. Going...
View ArticleThe Wimbledon Tea Room: A Haven and Tennis Heaven Like No Other
By Bill Simons Don’t you dare call it a sports cafeteria! It is a gathering spot like no other, a hang out you can only imagine, and it offers the best tennis view this side of Monte Carlo. It’s...
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