Inside update

'Game Changers'

World's Best Player Pound-for-Pound

Definition of Sport

US Tennis and the Economy

Michael Duranceau

APS Tennis California

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Misa Tennis Academy

ITS Kids 10s - Quick Start

Nat.Jr Tennis & Learning

ITS Teaching Philosophy

ITS Swiss History

rolandgarros.com May 26, 2014 Dan Imhoff Paris, France - The weight of expectation as a new Grand Slam champion took the ultimate toll on a nervous Stan Wawrinka on Monday, the No.3 seed tumbling out to unheralded Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 6-0 on the back of 62 unforced errors. The usual playmaking brilliance from the talented Swiss was nowhere to be seen in the two hour 23 minute boilover, with the 41st-ranked Spaniard dominating the battle of the single-handed backhands. Full article

rolandgarros.com May 26, 2014 By Kate Battersby Paris, France - Maybe Rafael Nadal should play on Suzanne Lenglen Court more often. Many observers became very huffy on the Spaniard’s behalf when he was assigned to open the defence of his title somewhere other than Philippe Chatrier Court, but Nadal himself appeared to find the location most productive throughout his first round encounter against Robby Ginepri. The eight-times Roland Garros champion demolished the American 6-0, 6-3, 6-0 in an hour and 42 minutes. Read more

rolandgarros.com May 26, 2014 By Kate Battersby Paris, France - Ksenia Pervak walked out on to Philippe Chatrier Court for her first-round match against Maria Sharapova clad in a tracksuit printed with an army camouflage design, rather as if she expected to find herself imminently engaged in high-level warfare. But it was Pervak, ranked 156, who ended up with a bad case of combat fatigue. There would be no shock victory to help her celebrate her 23rd birthday tomorrow; instead she was steamrollered beneath her Russian compatriot’s groundstrokes. Sharapova emerged victorious 6-1, 6-2. Full article

rolandgarros.com May 26, 2014 Dan Imhoff Paris, France - Stranded courtside waiting for yet another shower to pass, cracking open a pack of cards or checking how many new Twitter selfies Tomas Berdych had posted was not an option for Novak Djokovic on Tuesday. Intermittent rain delays are beyond anyone’s control, but are enough to test any player’s patience. So when the world No.2 stood within a game of securing the second set in his opening round assignment with Joao Sousa on Philippe Chatrier Court, he found a novel way to pass the time – swapping his racket for the ballboy’s umbrella and striking up a conversation with the teenage Frenchman as the rain came down. “We had a nice chat. He's a tennis player, so I asked him how long he's playing, and how he's enjoying his time as a ball kid,” Djokovic said after his 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 dismissal of his Portuguese opponent. “Something unusual for the Grand Slams, but we waited for around 10 minutes in the pouring rain on the court, so I felt there's something I should do and make a new friend. He accepted the offer to sit down, which I didn't think he would do, but he did. So he's very spontaneous little boy and I hope I see him my next match.” Full article

rolandgarros.com: May 25, 2014 Kate Battersby Sometimes you know it’s just not going to be your day. Actually it hasn’t been Lukas Lacko’s day on clay for three years now, as he hasn’t won a match on the red dirt since 2011. Ten successive defeats is a lot of baggage to carry into any match, so perhaps he would at least have been familiar with the sense of doom when he drew Roger Federer for his opening joust of this year’s tournament. The Swiss hasn’t lost in the first round of a Slam for 11 years, and this proved no exception. The combined forces of clay and the 17-time Grand Slam champion were enough to seal Lacko’s fate. The 2009 champion won 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 in 84 minutes. Read more 

rolandgarros.com: May 25, 2014 Kate Battersby To look at the scoreline from Serena Williams’ opening match of Roland Garros 2014, you wouldn’t be able to see a problem. The defending champion saw off her good friend, the world No.138 Alize Lim of France 6-2, 6-1. The clue came in the match duration – 78 minutes, a lot for so clear a margin. One glance at the unforced error count revealed the story; Serena racked up 23 in the first set alone. Against Lim, making her Grand Slam debut at the age of 23, it did not matter so much. But it could have – it is only two years since Virginie Razzano, then ranked 111th, forced Serena out in the first round here in the most humiliating defeat of her career. “I was a little nervous, like always in the first round,” said Serena afterwards. “It’s always hard for me to shake those nerves.” Full article

rolandgarros.com: May 25, 2014 - Kate Battersby There were no shock defeats among the men on the opening day of Roland Garros 2014, but there were a couple of close calls. Mikhail Youzhny, the former world No.8 and a quarter-finalist here four years ago, was in danger of becoming the first seed to go out when he found himself two sets down to Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta. The Russian No.15 seed has been known to find it difficult retaining his cool at such times, but on this occasion he managed admirably, not only surging back to take the last three sets but closing out the decider 6-0.  At least one Frenchman was bound to go out today as Jo-Wilfried Tsonga faced Edouard Roger-Vasselin. The No.13 seed – who lost an epic quarter-final to Novak Djokovic two years ago – was tested before emerging the 7-6(4), 7-5, 6-2 victor. Another Frenchman fell, facing John Isner. It sometimes seems the big-serving American barely feels he is in a match unless he plays five sets, but he contented himself here with a long three-setter against Pierre-Hugues Herbert, winning 7-6(5) 7-6(4) 7-5. More inside