MOTHER’S DAY: On Thursday, comeback queen Kim Clijsters (back after a two-year layoff and the birth of her daughter Jada) took out Svetlana Kuznetsova in three sets in Cincinnati, while fellow mom Sybille Bammer was a straight-sets winner over Serena Williams. Who says motherhood will hold you back on the court?
‘I AM WATCHED’: Jelena Jankovic sounded off on the ITF’s somewhat intrusive but highly effective drug-testing policy, telling IT, “Each day, if I’m at the tournament or I’m out, whether I’m just resting at home, I have to write each day where I will be at certain times for two-hour periods during the day, every day for 365 days. I have to tell them where I am in case they show up at my house…[If] I’m not there at 10 in the morning, it’s a miss. You miss three times, you fail. It’s a little bit too much for me…It’s really, really tough, you know? It’s not just at the tournament. They know where I am throughout the whole year. I am watched.”
SHOP ‘TILL YOU DROP: Maria Sharapova and Cole Haan will unveil a line of the Russian’s signature products on August 27 in New York. The launch includes a two-hour in-store shopping spree with Maria.
IT’S A DOG-EAT-DOG WORLD: When Serena Williams visited the White House in July she got a chance to schmooze with President Obama and the First Lady. When Andy Roddick stopped by 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, he only had a chance to meet the First Dog. Quipped Tom Tebbutt, “Serena got Barack and Andy got Bo.”
QUOTEBOOK
“I am the worst player. And I suck big time.” — Twitter message from Serena Williams after her loss to Sybille Bammer in Cincinnati
“Tennis has served me much better than I’ve been able to serve it. And if you watch my serve, you’d know what I mean.” — Broadcaster Ted Robinson
“I think I’ve been portrayed as every single type of person — good, bad, ugly, rude, nice.” — Andy Roddick
“The mindset in this country is way too soft.” — Melanie Oudin‘s coach, Brian de Villiers, on U.S. tennis
“He gives you the impression that he’s on the defensive, but he’s actually not. He wants you to attack and then he counter-attacks.” — Jeremy Chardy on Andy Murray, who handed the Frenchman a 6-4, 6-2 loss at the Rogers Cup
THE NUMBERS
1: Occasions on which the eight top-ranked players in the world reached the quarters at an ATP tournament since rankings were introduced in ‘73. It happened on Thursday at the Rogers Cup with Federer, Nadal, Murray, Djokovic, Roddick, del Potro, Tsonga and Davydenko all advancing to the Elite Eight in Montreal.
ODDS & ENDS
Monica Seles will play an exo doubles match in Toronto on Monday at the Rogers Cup.
