Starts in Brisbane, Auckland and Shenzhen.

Ivanovic has given Sears the heave-ho. I hope he ends up starving in a gutter someplace next to Pistolesi and they have to fight each other and the rats for scraps of food. Even better would be to see them coach players I really don't like.

Ivanovic has given Sears the heave-ho. I hope he ends up starving in a gutter someplace next to Pistolesi and they have to fight each other and the rats for scraps of food. Even better would be to see them coach players I really don't like.

He could coach Kirilenko again. They deserve each other.

Well Hogstedt found Wozniacki. Interesting IMO. He did a good job with Maria, and to be honest, he can't make Caroline any worse. If she allows proper coaching and no daddy, I can see this as a very positive move for her.

I hadn't heard the rumor about Dementieva being a coach. Should be interesting to see if she is a good one. Genie should probably find another one for the serving

MARION BARTOLI ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT
Marion Bartoli, who just weeks ago fulfilled her lifelong dream of winning Wimbledon, announced her immediate retirement from professional tennis at the Western & Southern Open on Wednesday.
Published August 14, 2013 12:05

CINCINNATI, OH, USA - Once it was over it seemed like just a big upset - Marion Bartoli falling to Simona Halep in the second round of the Western & Southern Open on Wednesday, 36 64 61. But it went much deeper than that later in the day as the Frenchwoman, who just weeks ago fulfilled her lifelong dream of winning Wimbledon, announced her immediate retirement from professional tennis.

"That was actually the last match of my career. Sorry," Bartoli said in her press conference after the match. "It's time for me to retire and call it a career. I feel it's time for me to walk away actually."

Maria Sharapova To Change Name To Maria Sugarpova
SEAN NEWELL Yesterday 11:10pm

According to several reports, Maria Sharapova has apparently been cast as the next femme fatale in the wildly popular James Bond franchise and will change her name to Maria Sugarpova. The name change will be for a two-week period coinciding with the U.S. Open, presumably as a publicity stunt for the film and [is handed note off-screen]—wait what? It's for a line of candy she owns? She's changing her name to hawk lollipops at the U.S. Open?

Personally, I like the Bond idea better.


Maria Sharapova Will Remain Maria Sharapova
JOHN KOBLIN 8/20/13 12:43pm

So, this stupid controversy—manufactured to create some buzz for her candy-line—is now over: Maria Sharapova is not changing her name for the U.S. Open. Her agent Max Eisenbud confirmed to ESPN that it just wouldn't be feasible. I'm sure all of this only dawned on them in the last couple of hours:

"Maria has pushed her team to do fun, out-of-the-box-type things to get the word out about Sugarpova," Eisenbud said. "In Miami, we're going to fill a glass truck full of candy and drive it around town. This was an idea that fell along those lines. But, at the end of the day, we would have to change all her identification, she has to travel to Japan and China right after the tournament and it was going to be very difficult."

In order to change her name, Sharapova — who is a Russian citizen but has a green card and resides in Florida — would have had to file a name change petition in the state, submit fingerprints, have a background check and have a hearing before a judge. If the judge signed an order, the name change would be official.
[ESPN]

Really pissed off that Sharapova has bagged Sven Groeneveld has her new coach.

Groeneveld was my no.1 choice of coach for Daniela for this year to have on a more permanent basis. He obviously has decided to screw the adidas training programme for Sharapova..

Hope Daniela finds a coach soon...there aren't many left!!

Robson's new coach is Nick Saviano, her coach from her junior days..