THINGS ARE LOOKIN’ UP: According to the USTA and TIA, tennis participation in the U.S. eclipsed the 30-million-player mark for the first time in more than two decades.
WHY DON’T YOU MULLET OVER?: Of Andre Agassi‘s confession that he sported a hairpiece, Sam Querrey said, “A fake mullet? Wow.”
TRIUMPHANTLY UN-IDIOTIC: Alex Pugsley called Agassi “a pyromaniac rebel who loves Celine Dion — he hates tennis but hates losing more — and it is the struggle to alternately contain and express contradiction that makes his picaresque journey so tormented, so compelling, and at last so resolutely and triumphantly un-idiotic.”
CLOWNING AROUND: Serb Ilija Bozoljac‘s nickname is “Bozo.”
BUCHHOLZ TO STEP DOWN: Butch Buchholz will vacate his slot as chairman of the Sony Ericsson Open after the 2010 tournament. Said Buchholz, “I’ve decided that this is the best time for me to step down.”
PUTTING A DENT IN THE RANKINGS: Nearly four years after a severe back injury all but ended his career, Taylor Dent is back inside the top 100 at No. 91 following his win at the Knoxville Challenger.
THE NUMBERS
5: Consecutive 6-0 sets won by the No. 100-ranked Varvara Lepchenko on the USTA Pro Circuit.
94: Matches played by No. 3 Novak Djokovic in ’09 (No. 2 Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, has played just 75; No. 1 Roger Federer, only 69).
QUOTEBOOK
“Parity, once the peculiar pride of the NFL, seems to have taken hold in men’s tennis. Kind of refreshing, isn’t it?” — Greg Garber
“All well and good that Agassi can position himself as more self-actualized, more dharma-prone. Sampras won more majors and I suspect that’s good enough for him.” — Jon Wertheim
“We’ve reconciled to the degree we can be.” — Agassi on his relationship with his father
“For everybody there are tough moments. Unluckily for me, this year mine came when I arrived at the most important tournaments in the worst possible condition.” — Rafael Nadal
