1. SKIP TO MY LIU: Hall of Famer Michael Chang and his former pupil, two-time NCAA champ and former Stanford Cardinal Amber Liu, tied the knot in October in a Laguna Hills, Calif. ceremony attended by many a tennis VIP. Said Liu, “I’m very happy and it’s a very exciting time in my life. I’m looking forward to the future.”
2. A (GOLDEN) BEAR MARKET: In her first year at the helm, two-time NCAA doubles titlist Amanda Augustus led Cal to its first-ever appearance in an NCAA team final, where the Bears fell to Pac-10 foe UCLA. “I knew I had big shoes to fill,” said Augustus, who replaced her former coach Jan Brogan, who called it quits after 29 years as the face of the Cal women’s program. “But I knew that if I worked hard, I could bring something to the players.”
3. TENNESSEE HERE WE COME!: Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (which runs the SAP Open in San Jose) and Golden Set Holdings buy the Racquet Club of Memphis and the ATP and WTA Memphis tour stops.
4. BYE-BYE, BRAD: An estimated $2.3 million and some two years after inking a deal with the Lawn Tennis Association, Brad Gilbert bade bye-bye to Britain. The San Rafael resident went on to the LTA’s payroll in July ‘06 to coach Andy Murray. But Murray ditched Gilbert and the Winning Ugly author was then relegated to working with the underwhelming Alex Bogdanovic. He’s now back working for ESPN.
5. MOLESTATION CHARGES: Castlewood CC Henry Germain was arrested on numerous counts of child molestation. The 62-year-old father of three allegedly molested numerous girls ages 9 to 12 between ‘97 and ‘01. Court documents allege that the sex crimes happened on the club’s courts and in the pro shop, as well as in Germain’s home, car and pool “on hundreds of occasions.” Germain has been coaching at Castlewood for 16 years.
6. THE SWISS MISS AND THE GREAT DANE: Martina Hingis had rarely been seen in tennis circles since the five-time Slam champ tested positive for cocaine after the ‘07 Wimbledon. And Torben Ulrich, the Danish writer/musician/filmmaker (and father of Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich), who played on the tour from the late ‘40s through the ‘70s, is a more than elusive figure. But both reemerged at the Esurance Classic at Harbor Point Tennis and Swim Club.
7. THREE TIME’S THE CHARM: At age 26, Andy Roddick may not be as self-assured on court as he once was. But for a week at the SAP Open, he reminded fans just how powerful and ambitious he can be. He rarely played perfectly and came within two points of losing to Aussie Chris Guccione in the first round. But in the final, he pushed Radek Stepanek aside 6-4, 7-5. “If I’m struggling and pissed off and not hitting the ball well, it’s harder,” said Roddick. “To get through tough matches like I did this week, you have an opportunity to go on a hot streak and I think I got my foot in the door.”
8. OH, CANADA!: Some pundits might claim that Aleksandra Wozniak’s title run at the Bank of the West Classic was a fluke; that the Canadian qualifier only won the tournament because Serena Williams retired with an injury in the semis and a hip-hobbled Marion Bartoli could barely run in the final. But that would be entirely unfair to the 20-year-old, who kept her cool, expanded her repertoire and pushed aside Bartoli in the final 7-5, 6-3. “I guess I make them run too much because Serena pulled out and Marion got hurt,” said Wozniak. “I kept playing aggressive.”
9. THE RETURN OF PISTOL PETE: Pete Sampras hadn’t taken the court in San Jose since ‘99 (when an injury forced him to exit in the semis against Mark Philippoussis) and had already been in “retirement” for half a decade. But the all-time Slam leader returned to kick off the ‘08 SAP Open with an exo match against German Tommy Haas. The 37-year-old showed few signs of aging and was his old serve-and-volley self in an impressive 6-4, 6-2 win.
10. THE GOLD (STEIN) STANDARD: He enjoyed one of the most prolific junior/collegiate careers of all time (in ‘94, he became first player in 45 years to repeat at the 18s in Kalamazoo, and he went on to win four straight NCAA team titles at Stanford), yet few expected the 5-foot-10 righthander to do much damage on the ATP Tour. But Paul Goldstein proved a tenacious competitor during a 10-year pro run that saw him rise to a career-high of No. 58 and oust the likes of Djokovic, Hewitt, Blake and Rusedski. He even became the Crash Davis of the Challenger circuit, where he claimed an unequaled 11 titles. The San Franciscan announced his retirement and is now working for a Bay Area-based clean energy company.
