The American roster will also include the world No.1 doubles tandem of Bob and Mike Bryan against a Serb team of six-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic, No.44 Viktor Troicki, No.338 Ilija Bozoljac and doubles standout Nenad Zimonjic.

The winner of the April 5-7 matchup on an indoor hardcourt in the Rocky Mountain venue of Boise, Idaho, will face either Canada or Italy in a September semi-final tie.

The Americans, who defeated Brazil in the first round, lost their only prior Davis Cup meeting with Serbia 3-2 in the opening round at Belgrade in 2010, when Djokovic led Serbia to the title.

“This team fought hard in the first round against Brazil and we expect a stern challenge when we face the Serbians in the quarter-finals,” Courier said.

Querrey, 25, became the US No.1 last week and has jumped to 20th in the world rankings, passing 23rd-ranked Isner, 27. The Bryans, 34-year-old twin siblings, are 20-3 in Davis Cup history and won Olympic men’s doubles gold at London.

Their Masters Series final was memorable for him, forgettable for Sampras.

Agassi, his accurate groundstrokes far more efficient than Sampras’ serve-and-volley game, took a 7-6 (5), 7-5, 6-1 victory for his first title in 13 trips to Indian Wells.

After more than a decade of being half of one of tennis’ finest rivalries, Agassi still relishes the chance to play Sampras. Of course, beating him makes it even better.

“It’s incredible. I’ve been on the other end of it so many times with Pete. It’s more enjoyable at this stage of my career to play against him and actually to play well and win a big match,” said Agassi, at 30, one year older than Sampras.

“I feel proud of the way I played this week, and especially today. It feels wonderful.”

Sampras had beaten Agassi in the 1995 final for the second of his two titles at the desert event.

Sampras said his rival is at least as good as ever.

“He’s playing great, not missing much. He’s pretty much at a level like he was a number of years ago when he was No. 1 in the world,” said Sampras, who still holds a 17-13 overall edge in their matches, including an 8-6 mark in finals.

“You look at his game five years ago to today, it’s the same game. Maybe he’s even in a little bit better shape. He’s always been a great player in my mind,” Sampras said.

The two first played on the pro tour as teen-agers, with Agassi taking that 1989 match 6-2, 6-1 on a clay court in Rome.

He now has won three of the last four matches, including a five-set victory in the 2000 Australian Open, their last previous meeting.

Spraying shots long and wide much of the match, Sampras made 49 unforced errors, 39 more than Agassi.

Sampras’ normally dominant serve also was ineffective — he double-faulted 11 times, wasting his 14-4 edge in aces.

Many of Sampras’ problems were, of course, caused by the pressure of returning Agassi’s hard, well-placed groundstrokes, and also by Agassi’s ability to scramble and return volleys.

After neither broke service in the first set, Agassi won the final two points of the tiebreaker when Sampras hit a forehand out, then Agassi hit a backhand passing shot down the line to win the set.

Both continued to hold serve through the first 11 games of the second set, but Agassi broke Sampras in the 12th. He won the first point when Sampras volleyed a backhand into the net to end their brisk half-court rally, then finished the set off with a forehand return down the right line.

After that, Agassi took command. He broke Sampras in the second game of the third set, and again in the sixth. Agassi then served out, closing the match with a service winner.

Agassi won $400,000, Sampras $211,000.

Fans occasionally shouted “Come on, Pete!” and “Andre! Andre!” and cheered after good rallies. That was in sharp contrast to a day earlier, when Serena Williams was booed before, during and after her 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory against Kim Clijsters in the women’s final.

The fans’ jeers were the fallout of Venus Williams‘ last-minute withdrawal from Thursday night’s semifinal against her sister. Venus said she pulled out because of tendinitis in her right knee, and a trainer with the women’s tour said Venus was unable to play.

McEnroe has a full schedule of television broadcasting and senior events this year but did not rule out playing another ATP tournament.

“Maybe I can find some of the younger American guys to play with,” he said. “I’ve got to enjoy this for a little bit and then go back to where I belong on the seniors tour. We’ll see what develops.”

I’m seeing more of Jim than just about anyone else – not just because we had dinner last week, but because he is one of the lead Analysts for Australian television’s coverage of the Open. Each night after I get off the air for Tennis Channel, I go back to my hotel room and watch Jim work the night shift for Channel 7. As those of you know who have watched his commentary in the states, he has a legitimate gift for this TV thing. Kind of annoying to us mortals when a guy can be so good at so many things.

My take on the Australian Open so far, is that it has gone largely according to script, but has been punctuated by a handful of signature matches and personalities that have made it compelling – as it always seems to be down here. From the start, it seemed unlikely that we would surpass the drama that unfolded on championship weekend here a year ago, wherein Novak Djokovic survived 10 sets and over 10 hours of court time in his semifinal wins over Murray and Nadal to claim the title. But a couple of matches have come close. The Djokovic thriller against Stan Wawrinka in the fourth round has to go down as one of the most riveting tennis matches of the past several years. I am among those who thought Nole was on his way out when he trailed 6-1, 5-2 after about 75 minutes. But then he changed his shoes – and changed his level of play. The guy is a warrior. He is also incredibly flexible and fit and somehow able to survive these incredibly physical encounters over and over again. Full credit to Wawrinka, though. The guy has spent his life living in the very long Swiss shadow of Roger Federer, but he is an outstanding talent in his own right, and one hopes that match propels him into the top-10. His performance against Djokovic has spurred a fun discussion among the commentators down here – who has the best one-handed backhand in tennis today? Wawrinka certainly entered the conversation with that performance. Federer has always been part of it. If you saw Nicolas Almagro’s five-set epic in the quarterfinals against David Ferrer, you have to consider him as well. And of course, Richard Gasquet always gets some votes for technical beauty. What do you think?

I think in terms of breakout stars at this grand slam, there has been one man and one woman who fought through the clutter of 256 names and announced their arrival to the upper echelon of the game. On the men’s side it’s Jerzy Janowicz. The big-serving Pole has been on the periphery of the sport for several years. He had fantastic success as a junior, but never really accomplished much as a pro until he arrived, out of nowhere, in Paris last fall and made it to the final of the Masters-1000 event at Bercy. That vaulted him into the top-30 in the rankings and here in Melbourne he proved he belonged. He only made the third round, but he showed some moxie coming back from 2 sets down in the second round against seasoned pro Somdev Devvarmin, and he put a scare into Almagro stretching him to tiebreaks in their first two sets. Janowicz has a powerful and multifaceted game and a very compelling personal story. He is going to be around for a while.

So is Sloane Stephens. Depending upon how closely you follow tennis, you probably know a little about Sloane. You are about to learn a lot more. Even before her quarterfinal shocker, she was guaranteed to enter the top-20, now she will go even further. Her win over Serena in the quarters may turn out to be a seminal turning point in the timeline of American tennis – the moment the queen was dethroned by the next in the line of succession (okay, perhaps I’m taking the royal metaphor too far). However you want to phrase it, there’s no question that coming through that match was a huge milestone for Sloane. It’s never easy to beat someone whose poster once hung on your bedroom wall. Granted, Serena was physically compromised with back spasms during the match, but take nothing away from Sloane. She WON that match. Serena didn’t lose it. And what’s more about Sloane – she’s the complete package. She is talented, charming, smart, attractive, funny, engaging and personable. She is going to be a Madison Avenue megastar if/when she wins a slam. I actually she believe she will be the biggest female figure in all of American sports marketing. She’s that good. Hope your winter is off to a great start. I hope you’re enjoying the coverage on Tennis Channel. Hope to see you all soon.

So far it’s been a relatively mild event as far as extreme weather and memorable matches. We’re in the quarterfinals now and the only men’s matches that stick out are the Wawrinka/Djokovic epic and the Almagro/Ferrer comeback. Otherwise the top dogs have been cruising through as they usually do in these events nowadays. I’m looking forward to seeing Sloane Stephens play Serena Williams today. Sloane has a great smile and is a terrific player on her way up the rankings and Serena is simply Serena…awesome.

Many of my buddies from my playing days on the ATP Tour are here: Goran Ivanisevic, Pat Rafter, Pat Cash and many more of the guys are here playing in the Legends doubles event that takes place in the second week of the tournament. I have been hitting a few balls on the indoor courts when I’ve gotten the time with another tour buddy, Justin Gimelstob, who is here doing TV for the Tennis Channel.   Have to stay sharp.

I don’t get a chance to get away much from the courts as I’m working late most nights on TV but I did manage to get away to see The Killers in concert in Melbourne with fellow music aficionado, ESPN’s Chris Fowler, the other night. Melbourne is a fantastic city with a lot of great restaurants and a tremendous lifestyle so it’s nice to be able to sample it from time to time. The food in particular has really improved over the years. 

From here I will travel directly to Jacksonville for the Davis Cup Team’s first round match vs Brazil. Should be a good one. The Bryan’s are still here in Melbourne in search of another AO title and will be with us in Jax as well. Hopefully they can take the title and cruise on into D Cup with a lot of confidence.

Off to the courts. I’m calling the Federer-Tsonga match tonight. Hope it’s an epic.

JC

Hosted by Lesley Robins.

Click here to watch the video! http://www.younghollywood.com/videos/sports/sports-events/tennis-legends-showdown-at-powershares-tour.html

“I think it’s hard to get both,” he said. “ I think you’ll see just from the history of our sport in this country, which we can speak to, because [US Fed Cup captain] Mary Joe Fernandez and I lived it, there are a lot of extreme parents out there that have created some extremely good tennis players.

This is a hard sport to try to balance everything with. There are exceptions. I’m very biased when I say this – [Mary Joe and I] turned out to be pretty well-rounded people who have reasonable perspectives. That’s not always easy given the complexities of raising a child in a sport that’s not a team sport, where everything falls on their shoulders. If you want to raise a champion, I think history shows you need extreme commitment from the parents.

They’re not the parents who just watch, they’re the parents who watch and are on the court every day. They are the Yuri Sharapovs, Mike Agassis, Richard Williamses of the world who drive and drive and drive. I’m not saying [their children] are not well-rounded people, they all seem to be well-rounded now, but maybe in the heat of fire maybe they weren’t earlier in their career.”

Both of Fernandez and her husband Tony Godsick’s children play tournament tennis [Godsick is Roger Federer’s agent]. Fernandez says the she unexpectedly gets nervous when she watches her kids play.and is turned off when “Kids try to bully my kids, or parents get involved. I don’t remember it being quite as intense as it is now. It’s very not only competitive, but it just seems like it’s gone up so many notches in the intensity, how parents want to live through their kids. It’s the end all, be all.

My daughter is 10, my son is 8. You should see, some of these parents think it’s the finals of Wimbledon every time they go out there. I think the ideal tennis parent is someone who makes sure their children are enjoying the sport, gives them room and space, obviously support and guidance, but aren’t on top of them 24/7.”

Courier and Fernandez agreed that if a player doesn’t have high ranking in his or her section, that for parents to continue to drive them to be pros is likely a mistake.   

“You’re not going to make a living playing tennis if you’re 30 in your section.” Courier said. “At that stage it’s something more about developing character, learning about yourself, creating skill sets and traits that will translate into success in other areas of your life.”

Fernandez added: “How great it is for children to learn characteristics that they’re going to need later in life? But I think so many parents just have this false sense of what their child, the road they’re taking, what they can be. You have to start off with the well-roundedness as the principal goal. If you see your child is excelling, then that’s the time where I agree with Jim, you do need someone committed. I always tell everybody, if my dad didn’t take me to practice every day or on the weekends, sign me up for tournaments, I would have stayed home and watched cartoons. You do need that commitment and support from a parent. But to me being well-rounded is a lot more important.”

http://www.10sballs.com/2012/12/06/jim-courier-something-to-be-said-for-pushy-parents

Though Andy Roddick already had stepped aside in recent years, the Davis Cup stalwart is gone for good now, retiring at the U.S. Open. Mardy Fish has struggled with illness and injuries, leaving John Isner as Courier’s go-to guy.

Fernandez’s “new” era is about the return of Serena Williams, who was back on the team in 2012 for the first time since 2007, in part to become eligible for the London Olympics. Williams won all four of her singles matches in the USA’s two victories in 2012.

Fernandez and Courier spoke Wednesday in a conference call, looking ahead to the 2013 season.

“What we saw in Spain (loss in the semifinals) is probably the nucleus of what our team will be for the next couple of ties,” Courier said. “Isner, with (Sam) Querrey, with the Bryans (doubles specials Bob and Mike), until Mardy (Fish) gets up and running.”

Isner turned is some big performances last year, his first as the USA’s No. 1 guy, and Courier expects more of the same in 2013.  ”He is the most disruptive force in men’s tennis when he’s on his game,” Courier said. “He showed he has the ability to beat the top players.  He is one of those few guys that you look at and say he can win a major.”

Courier also praised Querrey’s progress in 2012, and listed among the other contenders for his team Donald Young Jr. and Ryan Harrison, and even younger players Steve Johnson, Denis Kudla and Jack Sock.

The team will be announced during the Australian Open, Courier said.

The USA’s first-round tie will be against Brazil, Feb. 1-3 in Jacksonville.

We’re proud of what 2012 ended up being for us given how challenging the draw was,” Courier said. “We’ve earned some home ties this year, which we’re really looking forward to, assuming we win our first one.”

Fernandez has a couple of up-and-coming stars that could be the future of the team, Christina McHale and Sloane Stephens. But, she also has Serena as the team leader.

“(Serena) enjoyed being on a team, and being a role model,” Fernandez said. “I think this fits into her schedule. If she’s healthy, I think we’ll see her there.”

Serena is expected to be in the lineup when the Americans travel to Italy to play on clay Feb. 9-10.

“As of now, we’re looking at Serena.” Fernandez said. “She’s so far said yes, she wants to go. Venus, if healthy, wants to go. I’m happy with the progress we’ve seen from Christina McHale and Sloane Stephens. Both in the top 40 now. Sloane had a breakthrough season. We’ve seen her ability. She’s getting mentally tougher, playing to her strengths much more.”

The USA is back in the World Group after being relegated a year ago.

Courier also face the challenge of getting Davis Cup and Fed Cup noticed on a busy sports calendar.  He would like the change the way Davis Cup is played, and is an advocate of a two-week, World-Cup-style finale at a single site with multiple teams, following a qualifying process.

Even so, he is a strong supporter.

“I’m very passionate about Davis Cup and I’d love to see it get equal to the other majors.” Courier said. “There are lots of different thoughts out there about how to get there. But given that it takes up four weeks on the calendar, I’d love to see it make a little bit more sense for the players, I’d love to see it make a lot more money for the ITF so they can do their good work spreading the gospel of tennis around the world.”

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/tennis/2012/12/05/davis-cup-fed-cup-jim-courier-mary-joe-fernandez/1748687

 Click below to watch!
http://milehighsports.com/2012/12/04/radio-interview-andre-agassi-with-andy-zodin