Ron Silver RIP
I’m a little late on this but Ron Silver, the acclaimed Tony Award-winning actor, died on March 15 at the age of 62. I mention Silver’s passing here because he played the role of Bobby Riggs in the ABC television movie “When Billie Beat Bobby,” the story behind the 1973 Battle of the Sexes match between Riggs and Billie Jean King (with a bulked-up Holly Hunter playing King). I tried to find a clip of Silver as Riggs on YouTube. Instead, I found some highly amusing footage of the real Riggs in a classic “60 Minutes” segment that aired before the big event. (The clip includes Don Budge and Pancho Gonzalez.) I also stumbled upon this commercial, in which BJK demonstrates how to use the “new” Sunbeam Mist-Stick curling iron.
Tennis Courts, You’re Fired
With the closing of The Tennis Club, Manhattan will soon have fewer tennis courts. (Thanks to TENNIS.com’s Ed McGrogan for bringing this to my attention.) The Tennis Club, which consists of two courts located in New York City’s Grand Central Terminal, has for years been where famous people go to play poorly, shielded from the unforgiving camera lenses of the paparazzi. Donald Trump held the lease for 30 years, but must hand it over to Metro North on Memorial Day. The Tennis Club will become a waiting area for employees and storage space for retailers.
Age is Just a Number?
And just like that, Maria Sharapova is two years younger! The folks at the WTA Tour sent out an email last week saying they had goofed up Sharapova’s date of birth in the 2009 tour media guide. It was printed as February 28, 1985, while the 21-year-old Sharapova was actually born on April 19, 1987. And the player who was born February 28, 1985? Another Nick Bollettieri graduate, Jelena Jankovic.
Courting Controversy
Not since Renee Richards’ sex-change revelation in 1976 has tennis had a story like this. Sarah Gronert, a 22-year-old German player who was born with the reproductive organs of both sexes and is now legally a woman after she chose to have the guy parts removed, is facing some resistance regarding her right to play on the women’s tour. Some think she has super male powers that give her an advantage over the girls. I don’t know what the big deal is. She’s currently ranked No. 555. It’s not like she’s a threat for any majors. Not yet anyway.
Bottlenecking
Before the Sony Ericsson Open kicked off this week, Venus Williams and Andy Murray demonstrated that, yes, they can indeed play on any surface (look, they’re volleying atop cars!). In the process, they probably annoyed a bunch of the city’s residents for tying up traffic on Ocean Drive. I’m digging Williams’ colorful, frilly dress. Murray’s outfit, as usual, is ho-hum.
Coupling, Tennis-Style
He’s known for his baldness and deadpan delivery of the score. She’s known for her quick-as-a-whip line calling. Together, they’re the fantastically accurate umpiring duo, Norm and Palma Chryst. Check out a feature on the couple by the Sun-Sentinel’s Harvey Fialkov.
Charity Begins on the Court…
Nice story out of Pensacola, Fla. The 7th Annual Pink Ribbon Tennis Tournament was held last weekend. The event, founded by Lori Perkins, whose mother survived breast cancer, has raised thousands of dollars for breast cancer research and awareness. And the participants get really cute t-shirts. Nice to see a tournament using tennis for a greater purpose.
…And Off It
Justine Henin is sort of becoming the Jimmy Carter of retired tennis players. She’s not building homes or using her diplomatic skills to help with world peace, but the former No. 1 has been uber-active in the charity world since leaving the WTA Tour last year. Henin, who is reportedly set to host a comedy show on Belgian TV, runs the 6th Sense Tennis Academy with her coach, Carlos Rodriguez, and just launched a new charity, Justine For Kids, to help children with serious illnesses and their families.
No Diva Here
Russian veteran Vera Zvonareva finally won a big title at last week’s event in Indian Wells. She also won the doubles title with Victoria Azarenka. I interviewed Zvonareva over the phone last year and found her to be incredibly friendly, sweet and articulate. She was home in Russia and had to cut short our interview because of guests unexpectedly arriving. She told me to call her back the next day. I did, and she not only remembered me, but she apologized profusely about having to get off the phone the day before. And then she spoke to me for at least another 20 minutes.