The Futures Is Now

The Futures tournament in Harlingen, Texas, is not the only Futures tournament going on. Futures tournaments are being played all over the world in Switzerland, Portugal, Israel, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Thailand, India and Nigeria.

The Futures series tend to have a total purse of $15,000 and usually have players with a world ranking around 300 or below -- the top seed in Harlingen, Jamie Baker, is ranked 268 -- and promising, young junior players.

Resources

Harlingen Futures

Futures Tournaments Worldwide

Steve G Results Page

Martin Verkerk: One More Run

Martin Verkerk, one of The Netherlands' most popular players, is looking for one more run. He became a folk hero making it all the way to the French Open final in 2003.

His current run in the Valley Baptist Health System Harlingen Country Club $15,000 Futures tennis tournament in Harlingen, Texas, is over. He lost to Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 2-6.

The Netherlands mourns the loss.

Resources:

Tournament Results

The Chips Fall in Harlingen

Noam Okun, the number two seed, was knocked out of the Valley Baptist Health System Harlingen Country Club $15,000 Futures tennis tournament in Harlingen, Texas. Nicholas Monroe beat Okun, 7-6 (9), 6-1.

Okun would be missed from the tournament because he gives great interviews with thoughtful comments about the game. "Tennis is a game of momentum," Okun was quoted in Harretz.com. "You know what to expect from your opponent, but you find out what will work and what will not work on a particular day only when you step on the court...

"If you play only to your opponents' weak spots, you will lose, because he will learn very quickly what you are trying to do and change tactics," he continued. "The smart player will play to the weaknesses especially at the critical moments - for example, at a break point and tiebreaker you have to keep in mind to approach the net on his weak side."

It is times like these, losing in the first round, that eat at tennis players. "It is very difficult to fly around the world alone, from one Challenger event to another," Okun said.

"About a year ago, I went through a period when I felt like I was playing well but I couldn't win. I would be winning a match, but I would lose... I started to get down on myself all the time. You find yourself asking if it is worth it to continue. I don't make a lot of money in the Challenger events and these are not the type of events for which you stay in the sport. At those times, I make a list, like in the movies, of the pluses and minuses - is it worth it for me to continue or should I retire? Fortunately for me, until now, the plus column has always been longer."

Nicholas Monroe. File photo by Tessa Kolodny.

Resources:

Tournament Results and Schedule

Noam Okun Unplugged

Jamie Baker's Hero: Tiger Woods

Jamie Baker -- the number one player in the Valley Baptist Health System Harlingen Country Club $15,000 Futures tennis tournament -- gains inspiration from golf great Tiger Woods.

'To dominate such an open, individual sport for so long takes unbelievable belief, determination, single-mindedness and hard work, all of which you need to succeed in tennis,' Jamie said about Woods in the UK Times.

Jamie Baker won the Brownsville Men's USTA Professional Tennis Tournament Sunday in Brownsville, Texas.

Resources:

An Intimate Look At Jamie Baker From A United Kingdom Perspective

Jamie Baker's Tournament Results including matches against David Nalbandian and Donald Young; and Davis Cup, Wimbledon, Australian Open and U.S. Open results.

Rivalry Between Jamie Baker and A Childhood Friend

Jamie Baker's Namesake Apparently Jamie Baker is a common name; this guy wants you to know he is not that Jamie Baker.

Jamie Baker Spars With Roger Federer

Jamie Baker, the champion of the Brownsville Men's USTA Professional Tennis Tournament, had a rendezvous with one of the world's great tennis players, Roger Federer.

Roger Federer -- for all his fame -- has a rather secretive training regimen. He lives and trains in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in the Middle East.

During his training he flies in numerous players, sort of like a boxer bringing in sparring partners. Jamie Baker was lucky enough to be a sparring partner.

Jamie Baker has moved on to play in the Valley Baptist Health System Harlingen Country Club $15,000 Futures in Harlingen, TX.

Resources:

Valley Baptist Health System Harlingen Country Club Schedule and Results

Futures Tennis

Kevin Anderson: A Bright Future

Kevin Anderson came up short at the Brownsville Men's USTA Professional Tennis Tournament, losing to Jamie Baker, 6-7 (1), 4-6, in the final. But Kevin Anderson has a bright future ahead of him.

Anderson is now a professional, but here is what his college coach Brad Dancer said about him: "His footwork continues to improve, his swing speed is improving, and his mental tenacity is improving. He's still got to work on all the little things, but each aspect of his game continues to improve, and I think with that path he's on he's going to continue to garner even more...honors."

Coach Dancer made his comments in the Daily Illini.

Kevin Anderson Left his Heart in Illinois

Kevin Anderson -- who made it to the finals of the Brownsville Men's USTA Professional Tennis Tournament -- left his heart in Champaign, Illinois. Kevin Anderson and his teammates at the University of Illinois had had an incredible run. Anderson's own tennis career -- playing in professional tournaments as well as college -- had also taken off. Kevin had a decision to make.

Kevin made the heart-rending decision of leaving his teammates and pursuing his dream of a professional career. 'Hands down this had been the toughest decision I have ever had to make,' Kevin said. 'In the end I had to take the team aspect out of the equation. If I had factored in the guys and the coaches, it would never have been a question of if I was leaving. But at the end of the day, I had to just think about the tennis and what was best for my career. My tennis career is what I have been working towards and I felt like this was the best decision for me at this time in my life.'

Kevin is on his way. He is through to the final in the Brownsville Men's USTA Professional Tennis Tournament.

Resources:

Brownsville Tournament Results

Kevin Anderson Turns Pro. Kevin Anderson's quotes in above story were first published in this story.

Brownsville Local TV Player Interviews

Top Seed Anderson Defeats Krajicek

Kevin Anderson, the number one seed in the Brownsville Men's USTA Professional Tennis Tournament defeated Austin Krajicek, 6-4, 6-4, in Brownsville, Texas.

Resources:

Tournament Results

All Eyes on Texas

The news media is descending on Texas. Politics is in the air. But tennis fans are less excited about politics and are more interested in the three pro tennis tournaments coming to Texas.

The Brownsville Men's USTA Professional Tennis Tournament started Monday, February 18 in Brownsville, Texas. The tournament is part of the United States Tennis Association futures series for lower-ranked professional players and up and coming juniors.

After the tournament ends Sunday, February 24, the series moves to Harlingen, Texas, February 25, and McAllen, Texas, March 3.

Resources:

Men's 2008 Pro Circuit Calendar

Brownesville Men's Singles Results

Lil Mo Tournament Postponed Due to Rain

The Arlington Tennis Center courts in Arlington, Texas, are currently unplayable due to rain and the start of the Maureen Connolly Little Mo Texas Sectional tournament is postponed. Depending on the weather, officials would determine when the tournament would start. It was scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, February 16 and 17.

For information, call the rain hotline at (817)459-6166.

Resources

Tournament Brackets, Seeds and Rain Info

Maureen Connolly Vintage Pictures, Films

Flashback: BBC Archive Report of Maureen Connolly Retirement (1955)

Tennis, Exercise Can Save Your Life

Recently, you may have read about a famous actor who died of an accidental over-dose from a cocktail of prescription drugs. Sadly, many people reach for the quick-fix of drugs to treat conditions. But in many cases certain illnesses can be prevented or managed through exercise, a healthy lifestyle and even rest.

The actor died from the effects of pain-killers, sleeping pills and anxiety pills. Of course, you should always follow your doctor's orders, but the Mayoclinic research center reports that exercise relieves pain, helps you get a good night's sleep and helps treat anxiety.

Ironically, the dead actor was discovered by his masseuse: massage is a relaxation technique to relieve pain and manage anxiety.

Resources:

7 Benefits of Exercise

Anxiety Coping Techniques

Exercise Takes The Edge Off

Don't Quote Me on This, But...(Obama)

A few days ago I made a brash prediction. I told you Barack Obama was going to defeat Hillary Clinton and eventually become president. I told you about the mood of the country -- the people are tired -- and a generation of young senators and governors around the country were campaigning for Obama in their individual states.

Middle America has spoken. Claire McCaskill, the first-term senator of Missouri, through sheer force of will delivered her state by the narrowest of margins to Obama.

There is still a lot of road to travel, but there is no mistaking the mood of the country: the country is ready to dispense with past (re: Clinton) and get on with the future.

The Tennis Hacker's Healthy Eating Guide

Tennis is a great form of exercise. However, the benefits of exercise are amplified when combined with healthy eating strategies. One healthy eating strategy is similar to the sports idea of substitutions.

In sports when a player is not performing well, the coach substitutes. Likewise, some foods are under-performers. You would do well to learn which foods are the under-performers in your diet and substitute them.

One example of an under-performer is ground beef. Ground beef is loaded with saturated fat which is bad for your heart and clogs up your veins. The next time you are making spaghetti and ground beef or a burger, substitute the ground beef with extra lean or lean ground beef, or chicken or turkey.

Resources:

The Mayoclinic's Substitution List

Don't Quote Me on This, But...(Superbowl)

The 'smart money' is on the New England Patriots against the New York Giants in the Superbowl. People who claim to know what they are talking about say the Patriots is one of the greatest teams of all time. With a victory, they could cap off a perfect, undefeated season.

I always go with the underdog. The Giants are enjoying an improbable run. There is something to say about momentum. In a single game - especially a Superbowl when players are taken out of their weekly routine - anything can happen.

Don't quote me on this, but the Giants will upset the Patriots.

Don't Quote Me on This, But...

(This is the text of an e-mail I sent to my brother -- who lives in The Bahamas -- explaining what is going on in American politics.)



Don't quote me on this -- I've been wrong before on many things -- but Barack Obama is going to beat Hillary Clinton and eventually become President. He is on to something that is just beginning to be reported because the press is national but U.S. elections is local.

It is not the Blacks although they might vote for him. He is unknown in the Black community until recently. It is the Whites who are pushing him. They are embarrassed about what America has become and they want to show that they are a cosmopolitan country and a progressive nation in the same way Atlanta and other cities elect Black mayors. (And he is getting young people and college students to vote who were disengaged from politics.)

But besides that he is not just a pretty face. He has an organization that works from the ground up -- and that is not just a slogan. Hillary Clinton has the most experienced and best organization money can buy but some how this guy has a 'ground team' that works at ground level gets results.

In U.S. politics you follow the money: Hillary Clinton has a guy who is more famous than Muhammad Ali -- Bill Clinton -- and yet unknown Barack Obama is raising more money than her.

Plus the U.S. is sick of the fighting and the politics and the division and somehow Barack has managed to transcend politics.

And what is not being reported, there is a generation of young Senators and Governors in important states that were elected as a change and dismissal of the Bush era and they are all actively supporting Obama in their individual states.

But I don't understand anything about American politics. After the disaster of the George W. Bush first term, I thought there was no way they would re-elect him and sure enough they did. But if I had a million dollars to bet and was forced to bet it one way, I would bet on Barack Obama.

And only a few months ago I would have paid my own way to go to work for Hillary Clinton simply because Bill Clinton is a beloved figure. But something has changed. Bill Clinton is starting to look like the problem.

Like a wise man once said, "I was married 17 years and I don't understand anything about women." I don't know anything about American politics.