A Bad Knee

Serena Wiliams retired in her first round match today at the Madrid Open. She dropped the first set 4-6 then decided to give it up after she aggravated her right knee. Realizing that Roland Garros and the French Open are just around the corner, she needs to be in tip top contending shape. When it comes down to it, a grand slam title is far more important then tour points in the Madrid Open. Her opponent Francesca Schiavone gladly took the no. 2 seeds spot to advance to the 2nd round of the tournament in Spain.

Today's Champions and Yesterday's Greats

Pete Sampras is arguably the greatest tennis player to walk the earth. He holds 14 grand slam singles titles, the most of any professional tennis player. Not long ago the general tennis public thought Roger Federer would easily surpass this number. However, Federer is currently stuck one title behind the retired Pete Sampras with 13 grand slam titles. Federer’s top three competitors include Nadal, Murray, and Djokovic. He used to win tournaments and walk into the trophy presentation as if it was a cake walk but now he is struggling. His last 11 encounters with his top 3 opponents have left him winless. Commentary after losing matches place some of the blame on his recent back problems causing his serve to not be where he wants it. With the French Open in clear sight Federer will need to bring a full bag of tricks to tie the American Pete Sampras for most grand slam titles.

Blake Keeps Composure To Reach Final

James Blake took the number 2 seed Nikolay Davydenko to three long sets before advancing to the final in the Estoril Open. Not only was this an upset in tennis rankings, it extended Blake's winning streak against Russian Davydenko to 7-0. The semi-final match was carried over from yesterday due to bad light from the clouds and a rain delay. The final score was 6-7(3) 7-6(2) 6-3 as Blake took out the former Estoril Open clay court champion. He is also the first American to reach the final since 1999. His next match will be against the number 7 seed Spainard Albert Montanes. Blake will need to continue his dominance with his powerful serve to beat the younger extremely athletic opponent.

Tennis America Housekeeping

This Tennis America Blog focuses on events concerning professional American tennis players and events withing the states. Other blogs are available to help diversify your knowledge on tennis in the world. The following blogs are great sources to these kind of resources. A blog concerning asian tennis is located here. The WTA and general women's tennis is covered at the Women's Tennis Blog here. A more liberal view on tennis events and smaller more interesting and entertaining items are showcased at Tennis Served Fresh here. Craig Hickman's tennis blog has a viewpoint from a tennis fanatic and gives a new perspective to the sport here. Lastly, the Black Tennis Pro's blog has information including James Blake and other great african american tennis players here. All in all, these blogs are good sources to get outside the mainstream media and expand your knowledge on the great sport.

Eric and Scott Prevail On Clay

The American duo Eric Butorac and Scott Lipsky, have been on a good run lately. Today they continued this run at the Estoril Open winning straight sets against the Czech players Frantisek Cermak and Michal Mertinak during the the semi-finals. This ATP tournament also included Butorac and Lipsky squeaking by the top seeds Bruno Soares and Kevin Ullyett in the first round. This is the first ATP World Tour final together, and they are putting on a new name for American tennis. Both are 27 and have plenty of titles to clench for the USA before they retire.

AEGON Championships

The entry list for the prestigous AEGON Championships at the Queen's Club in London was released today. Among the top competitors Roddick was the lone American. Four time champion Lleyton Hewitt and Rafeal Nadal were among the other top players entered. The tournament has some of the best grass courts in the world, and the atmosphere is amazing. The Queen's Club was established in 1886 and was the first multisport complex to be built anywhere in the world. The name of the club was rooted from its first patron, Queen Victoria. This tranquil and charming site will be an excellent venue for this years AEGON Championship.

Tennis Greats Boost Tennis Participation

May is national tennis month for the United States Tennis Association. Tennis is celebrated as the fastest growing traditional sport in the U.S. With participation up 43% since 2000 families have been flocking to the public tennis courts. To kick off tennis month for the USTA, John McEnroe and Billie Jean King are in New York City today for appearances supporting the tennis initiative. A series of "Tennis Block Parties" will be running throughout the month, with free instruction by professionals, interactive games and attractions. The block parties and other festivites can be found on the USTA's website here.