TENNIS BITS & PIECES – Bouchard to miss Washington. Stephens hires a new coach. Florian Mayer will miss the US Open. Argentina concerned for their Davis Cup tie in Israel and Bernard Tomic is back in the top 100. Angelo Lo Conte
Wimbledon runner-up Bouchard withdraws from Citi Open
Wimbledon runner-up Eugenie Bouchard withdrew Thursday from the Citi Open next week.
Tournament officials didn’t provide a reason for Bouchard’s decision to pull out of the Washington event. The No. 7 in the world hasn’t played on tour since losing to Petra Kvitova in the final at Wimbledon on July 5. Wimbledon semifinalist Lucie Safarova will replace Bouchard as the Citi Open’s top seed.
Stephens working with Thomas Hogstedt
Sloane Stephens has stopped working with Paul Annacone following an eight-month partnership, from now on she will be coached by Thomas Hogstedt. A statement from Stephens’ management company called the split “amicable,” and the 21-year-old American called it an opportunity for a “fresh start.” Reports at Wimbledon said Annacone and Stephens would end their coaching relationship, and Stephens said the decision had been taken following the tournament.“Based on the conversations Paul and I had after Wimbledon, we both feel like it would be a good idea for me to have a fresh start leading into the summer hard-court swing,” Stephens was quoted as saying. “I’ve learned a lot over our past eight months together and now just need to meld them into my long-term plan. Paul is one of the top coaches in the world and will remain a close friend and confidant. I can’t thank him enough for his time and continued support.” Annacone, who had most recently worked with Roger Federer, cited Stephens’ up-and-down play as a reason for the break, and said the timing would allow Stephens to adjust. The new Stephens’ coach Thomas Hogstedt is an established trainer on the WTA tour, including recent stints with Maria Sharapova (for three years) and Caroline Wozniacki (for three months).
Florian Mayer pulls out of U.S. Open.
Florian Mayer has pulled out of the U.S. Open. The 62nd-ranked German hasn’t played since March, when he withdrew from his match against Novak Djokovic at Key Biscayne because of a groin injury. He missed the French Open and Wimbledon. His withdrawal from the U.S. Open was announced Thursday.
Argentina requests change of venue for Davis Cup tie vs. Israel
The Argentine Tennis Association (AAT) has requested a change in venue for its Davis Cup playoff tie against Israel in September. With the tie scheduled to be played at Tel Aviv, the AAT says it has security concerns about the region because of the growing conflict in Gaza.“We are concerned. We have communicated with the ITF, which promises to make a decision about Davis Cup by Friday,” said AAT president, Arturo Grimaldi, speaking to sports channel TyC Sports. There were “two possibilities” if the location of the tie is changed, he said. “One is that Israel will give up home advantage if we cede ours in future. The other is that the location is changed to Greece [Athens] or Cyprus.” However, added Grimaldi, the Argentine team will play the tie wherever the ITF decides. “We will wait till Friday and if they say the tie is in Tel Aviv, we will [play],” he said.
Tomic back in ATP Top 100
Bernard Tomic is back in the ATP top 100 in style. After his Wimbledon performance dropped him to No. 124, the 21-year-old Australian rose 54 spots in the rankings to land at No. 70 after winning his first title of the year in Bogota, Colombia. Tomic’s tournament victory, the second of his career, came the same week he missed the cut-off for the main draw of the U.S. Open and was dropped by his management company. With just 55 points to defend over the summer, he should put himself in good position for a U.S. Open wild card.
