Tennis.com

ATP finalizes sale of L.A. tournament to Bogota

The ATP Board of Directors has approved the sale of the Los Angeles tournament to a group in Bogota, Colombia. The new tournament will be staged at the Centro de Alto Rendimiento, the same locale that hosted an ATP event from 1997-2002.

The Bogota tournament will take place on outdoor hard courts from July 15-21, 2013. Consequently, the tournament in Atlanta will take place a week later, July 22-28.

It is unclear whether the Bogota tournament will remain in that same week in 2014, as organizers have expressed a desire to be part of the Latin American swing, which takes place in Febraury. However, there have been discussions within the ATP of moving the entire Latin American swing to the fall.

Min replaces Sanchez in USTA Wild Card Playoff

Former USC standout Maria Sanchez has been forced to withdraw from this week’s USTA Australian Open Wild Card Playoff, citing precautionary reasons related to knee tendinitis, Tennis Grandstand reports. The event will be held on December 14-16 at Life Time Athletic & Tennis at Peachtree Corners in Norcross, Georgia.

Sanchez becomes the third player to withdraw from the event, joining Jack Sock (who wants to continue off-season training) and Steve Johnson (shoulder trouble). Eighteen-year-old Grace Min will replace Sanchez, while Tim Smyczek and Chase Buchanan are replacing Sock and Johnson.

Eight men and eight women will compete in the fourth annual Wild Card Playoffs, with each winner earning a singles main-draw wild card into the 2013 Australian Open. The USTA and Tennis Australia have reciprocal wild-card agreements.

Other male players competing include Bradley Klahn, Rhyne Williams, Denis Kudla, Tennys Sandgren, Daniel Kosakowski, and Christian Harrison.

Also competing in the women’s field are Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Irina Falconi, Madison Keys, Alexa Glatch, Julia Cohen, Alison Riske, and Mallory Burdette.

Fans break down in tears when meeting Federer

In an interview with Tages Anzeiger, Roger Federer discusses how overwhelmed certain Brazilian fans have been when meeting him on his current exhibition tour of the country.

“I met more fans that collapsed in tears than elsewhere,” he said. “It was amazing how many were shaking, had great joy and began to cry, so I take to practically take them in [my arms] and had to say: ‘It’s okay, it’s okay.’ I’m sure they are glad to see me, it’s probably a certain euphoria…I have to constantly remind myself again about where I come from, and tell myself who I am. I also like the normal life still - back to reality, family, friends, just quiet, please. And then, sure, sometimes I dip into the other incredible life I have.”

Federer did not put Davis Cup or his hometown tournament in Basel on his 2013 schedule, which has caused a stir in certain circles of Switzerland.

“I’m not be afraid to make unpopular decisions,” he said. “I plan long term and hope to [play] Davis Cup maybe in two, three, four years. But no one thinks, because everyone is so [overtaken] by the moment. And they do not understand what I’ve been through everything. In some countries [Davis Cup] is not important and for others it’s very important. Such decisions I don’t make from my gut, but weigh them over months. Now I came to the conclusion that for me it was probably the only right decision is (not playing against the Czech Republic in early February). I could have played [Davis Cup] but then I would only have [scheduled] four or five Masters 1000 tournaments instead of eight or nine.”

McIlroy: Wozniacki flipped a switch in me

Top-ranked golfer Rory McIlroy says that his girlfriend, tennis player Caroline Wozniacki, pushed him to greater heights.

“Seeing how hard she works and how hard she practices and how dedicated she is, it definitely flipped a switch with me that I could be a little more like that,” McIlroy told the Telegraph. “She’s definitely been a great influence on me. I’ve always felt like I’ve been dedicated to the game and I’ve practiced hard and I’ve worked at it.

Report: IMG on the block

Variety reports that IMG, which manages sports events, represents athletes, and sells licensing and broadcast rights, is being prepared to be sold by Goldman Sachs in a deal that could fetch as much as $2 billion.

Forstmann Little acquired IMG in 2004 for around $700 million shortly after the death of IMG founder Mark McCormack. IMG has been a critical player in tennis since it was founded; among other things, it currently represents Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova, runs the Sony Open in Miami, and negotiates broadcast rights for Wimbledon and the WTA.

There have been rumors that the company would be sold since the death of Ted Forstmann in November 2011, who was a big tennis fan and grew close to Roger Federer. Federer and his agent, Tony Godsick, left IMG when their contracts ran out last June.

An IMG spokesman denied that the company is for sale.

Bob Hewitt responds to sexual abuse allegations

Former South African player Bob Hewitt, who was recently kicked out of the International Tennis Hall of Fame due to sexual abuse allegations, releases a statement in an attempt to refute some of them. Hewitt specifically responds to allegations made by Suellen Sheehan, saying that the only relationship they ever had was a professional one.

“She accuses me of starting to molest her from the age of nine years through 12 years. Well the fact is, my family and I were not even living in South Africa, but in Winter Park, Colorado, USA, until the end of 1979,” wrote Hewitt. “According Sheehan’s ID, she was born in June 1969, that would make her nine years old when I was playing full-time on the professional men’s tennis circuit and in the July of 1978, I won Wimbledon doubles with Few McMillan. The following year, when she was 10-years-old, Greer Stevens and I won the mixed doubles at Wimbledon. While playing from 1978 through to the end of 1980, I was coaching and playing some doubles tournaments with Heinz Guenthardt also full-time on the circuit. I retired from the circuit at the end of 1980. She was a girl that was brought into my tennis squad in 1981, which would’ve made her 12-years-old, by my assistant coach at the time. In an article in the Bedfordview Edenvale News dated January 16, 2012, she claims that I ‘spotted her at a tennis tournament at the age of nine years and offered to coach her.’ Impossible.”

Nadal: Rosol loss doesn’t compare to Soderling shocker

In an interview with Diario de Mallorca, Rafael Nadal says he first hurt his knee this season at Indian Wells in March, then it got worse when he was forced to retire against Andy Murray in Miami. He then competed with discomfort all the way until he stopped playing after Wimbledon.

Nadal said he took a risk in the semifinals of Roland Garros, where he posted a quick win despite playing with inflammation in his knee, but that he was solely focused on winning his seventh title there. He also said he was not surprised Lukas Rosol upset him in the second round of Wimbledon, because for the two weeks prior he was only able to train one hour a day, without running. “It was very bad, and I was playing with the knee asleep,” he said. “You always think you can do it, but it was not possible even though I did my best.”

Nadal added that his defeat to Rosol could not be compared to when Robin Soderling upset him at the 2009 French Open.

“There is no point of comparison,” he said. “Both have in common that my knee was bad, but I could compete at Roland Garros. In Wimbledon, no. The defeat to Rosol as was a death foretold for me.”

The 11-time Grand Slam champion added that being forced to pull out of the Olympic Games in London was worst feeling he has ever had when pulling out of an event. Nadal also pulled out of Wimbledon in 2009, where he would have been defending his title.

The 26-year-old has said that he is planning to play the 2016 Olympics in Rio, but has not thought beyond that.

Azarenka: 2012 success tough to repeat

Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka tells reporters in Brazil during an exhibition tour that that it will difficult to repeat her success in 2013.

“There’s more pressure as it will be a new year,” she said. “What happened in 2012, I established a high standard, it will be difficult to repeat. But at least I’m motivated to try, let’s take one day at a time and see what happens. … When I wake up, I start to wonder how I can improve my game, what the new day might bring. I like [being No. 1], I worked very hard for it, but it’s not all I see.”

Townsend secures year-end junior No. 1

With her 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (2) victory over Carol Zhao in the quarterfinals of the Orange Bowl, Taylor Townsend has secured the year-end No. 1 ITF junior ranking. Townsend is the first American girl to achieve that since Gretchen Rush in 1982.

“[Finishing No. 1] is not what she’s playing for,” her USTA coach Kathy Rinaldi told the Sun-Sentinel.

Townsend added: “If I just play well and do what I know I can do, everything will take care of itself.”

Hewitt advising troubled Tomic

Lleyton Hewitt tells Perth Now that he is in contact with Bernard Tomic and is attempting to help the troubled 20-year-old find his way.

Tomic was recently suspended from Australia’s first-round Davis Cup tie against Chinese Taipei in Taiwan by Tennis Australia and captain Patrick Rafter for his poor attitude. A Davis Cup stalwart, Hewitt says he agrees with Rafter’s decision, but will continue to advise Tomic.

“Pat Rafter has obviously made a stance where you have to live up to his expectations to be part of the Australian David Cup team,” Hewitt said. “Obviously Bernie has done a few things that haven’t agreed with Pat, especially over the past 12 months or so, and he’s going to have to pay a price for that. Pat’s come in a made some tough decisions, but Pat’s heart is in the right place in terms of getting Australian tennis where it belongs.”

Former No. 1 Hewitt said that he does believe Tomic can regain his stride.

“I think he feels that he can talk to me, which is a good thing,” Hewitt said. “I can definitely help him in certain areas of his game, for him to make that next stance and try to get back in the Top 30 in the world, potentially the Top 20 and maybe the Top 10…There’s no doubt he has exceptional talent, but he has to use it in the right way.”