News, gossip and other items of interest from the world of tennis:
What’s been going on since the U.S. Open? In short, some ATP players participated in Davis Cup ties. Some won challengers (Congrats to Taylor Dent!). One had a parade thrown in his honor. Melinda Czink won her first WTA tour title in Quebec, while Shahar Peer won her first title in three years in Guangzhou, China. Meanwhile, the female triumvirate that captured the most attention at this year’s Open enjoyed some time off from tennis. In this edition of Backcourt, we’re focusing on Kim, Serena and Melanie.
Mugs and Kisses
In tennis, it’s more common to see a display of affection between a player and a trophy than a player and his or her significant other. So, how about that kiss between Kim Clijsters and her husband, Brian Lynch, after she won the U.S. Open? For me, it had just the right combination of passion and sweetness, and despite the duration (that was some serious lingering), I didn’t feel like turning away from the TV screen or shouting, “Get a room!” It was a fairy-tale seal to Clijsters’ fairy-tale run at the Open. But sure enough, once it came time to lift the trophy, Kim followed tradition and locked lips with the hardware. Life.com has put together a gallery of moments like this. Seeing these pictures of players smooching their prizes made me wonder: Who started this tradition? Who was the first athlete to kiss a trophy? Anyone?
Kim made the media rounds the day after her win, appearing on “Regis and Kelly” and The Today Show. Kim’s new-and-improved website also has a video of her celebrating with her coach, Wim Fissette, who had promised to shave his head if she won the U.S. Open. That whirring sound you hear is the electric clipper.
Working Girl
Serena Williams has been quite the busy overachiever since her abrupt exit from the Open. There’s a book tour for her memoir, On the Line, which included a “Regis and Kelly” appearance. She’s keeping fans informed of her in-store appearances (like at Borders in Tampa) through Twitter. If you aren’t willing to part with the listed price of $26.99, you can read an excerpt of the memoir, including the first pages of the chapter on her late sister, Tunde, here.
While it was no surprise that Serena showed up at the Gucci party during New York Fashion Week, I wasn’t expecting to see this look on her face in photos taken of her and Donald Trump. The Donald had posted on his Trump University blog that he hated seeing Serena apologize for her foot-fault tirade. “The line judge made a very evident mistake, and she is the one who should be apologizing,” he wrote. But here he looks more like a father chastising his disobedient daughter than a sympathetic supporter.
Serena was also on HSN last week hawking her signature jewelry line and clothing collection. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I actually stayed up ’til midnight to watch her. I was impressed. Talking nonstop for two hours about such things as “rings of bling” and “hand-woven leather” is not easy, and she worked it like a street vendor who’s been pushing product for years. However, after 10 minutes of hearing the HSN hostess’ refrain, “This item is going to sell out fast, ladies, so you better order now,” I’d had enough of “rings of bling.”
Media Mel
Since her run to the U.S. Open quarterfinals, Melanie Oudin has been on a wild ride through the media landscape. Last week, she appeared on Conan O’Brien and Ellen DeGeneres, handling their questions with the same maturity and girlish enthusiasm she showed in Arthur Ashe Stadium. This Saturday, she tossed out the ceremonial first pitch at a Phillies-Braves game and sat in the broadcasting booth with Atlanta announcers Ron Gant and Joe Simpson. When Oudin said tournaments in Japan and China were next on her agenda, Simpson reacted with a, “No kidding! Wow!” I don’t know how much Simpson follows pro tennis, but his was the kind of reaction a person gives when he doesn’t follow the sport on a weekly basis. Reminder to the casual fans out there: tennis is a world series in a literal sense. But I do give Simpson credit for not stumbling over Elena Dementieva’s name.
Back to Oudin, in the mlb.com piece on her appearance at the game, she said she found autographing baseballs easier than tennis balls. And there’s more… Oudin was also honored at the Panthers-Falcons game on Sunday. Here she is with the Falcons’ owner, Arthur Blank, holding up a No. 1 jersey. Will Oudin be No. 1 on more than a jersey someday? Let’s just hope that if that day comes, she will have won a major title. (Bonus clip: Oudin plays tennis with DeGeneres and Queen Latifah.)
Sarah Thurmond is an associate editor for TENNIS. Follow her on Twitter.