[gymnAnemoe]

Wow, Miles, that's amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I volunteered last year for the WTA tournament in LA, but it looks I was too late and they had everyone they needed, but they would consider me for next (this) year... But I'm no longer there

Looking forward to your next reports!!!

[KatoabamyHant]

OMG Miles. That's just beyond epic! You need to do a women's tournament!

Ain't that the truth. I'd love to be a fly hiding in the back window when Miles drives around Vika.

[Lebybynctisee]

ORDER OF PLAY - SUNDAY, JULY 25, 2010 - Los Angeles

SYCAMORE 1 start 12:00 noon

Qualifying - Ryan Harrison (USA) vs Chris Guccione (AUS)
Qualifying - Somdev Devvarman (IND) vs Dmitry Tursunov (RUS)

SYCAMORE 4 start 12:00 noon

Qualifying - Ze Zhang (CHN) vs [WC] Steve Johnson (USA)
Qualifying - [WC] Bradley Klahn (USA) vs Ilia Bozoljac (SRB)

SYCAMORE 2 start 12:00 noon

Qualifying - Tim Smyczek (USA) vs Kei Nishikori (JPN)
Qualifying - Giovanni Lapentti (ECU) vs Benjamin Balleret (MON)

SYCAMORE 5 start 12:00 noon

Qualifying - Jamie Baker (GBR) vs Nick Lindahl (AUS)
Qualifying - James Ward (GBR) vs Noam Okun (ISR)

[Lebybynctisee]

ORDER OF PLAY - MONDAY, 26 JULY, 2010 - Umag

CENTRE COURT start 5:30 pm

[6] A Dolgopolov (UKR) vs P Lorenzi (ITA)
Not Before 8:00 PM
[WC] F Skugor (CRO) vs F Volandri (ITA)
[WC] M Draganja (CRO) / D Marcan (CRO) vs T Bednarek (POL) / M Kowalczyk (POL)

GRANDSTAND start 5:00 pm

Qualifying - S Bolelli (ITA) vs J Semrajc (SLO)
R Ramirez Hidalgo (ESP) vs [8] J Chela (ARG)
J Hajek (CZE) / D Skoch (CZE) vs M Gonzalez (ARG) / S Prieto (ARG)

COURT 1 start 5:00 pm

Qualifying - C Stebe (GER) vs O Patience (FRA)

COURT 2 start 5:00 pm

Qualifying - K Bardoczky (HUN) vs [WC] G Melzer (AUT)

COURT 4 start 5:00 pm

Qualifying - S Vagnozzi (ITA) vs G Tosic (MNE)

[Lebybynctisee]

ORDER OF PLAY - MONDAY, 26 JULY, 2010 - Gstaad

CENTER COURT start 11:00 am

[WC] A Sadecky (SUI) vs [Q] Y Marti (SUI)
Not Before 12:30 PM
D Brown (JAM) vs [WC] M Lammer (SUI)
[Q] F Dustov (UZB) vs [7] R Gasquet (FRA)
F Gil (POR) vs [5] T Robredo (ESP)
[1] W Moodie (RSA) / D Norman (BEL) vs [WC] M Chiudinelli (SUI) / M Lammer (SUI)

COURT 1 start 11:00 am

J Brunstrom (SWE) / J Nieminen (FIN) vs D Gimeno-Traver (ESP) / A Montanes (ESP)
D Istomin (UZB) vs [Q] A Haider-Maurer (AUT)
D Brands (GER) vs P Luczak (AUS)
[WC] G Bastl (SUI) / D Brown (JAM) vs I Andreev (RUS) / M Youzhny (RUS) - After Suitable Rest
Not Before 6:00 PM
T Bellucci (BRA) / F Ferreiro (BRA) vs [4] M Melo (BRA) / B Soares (BRA)

[Amorsesombabs]

Ain't that the truth. I'd love to be a fly hiding in the back window when Miles drives around Vika.

By the end of the car ride Vika and I would either be engaged to be married or our chemistry might set off a nuclear fusion reaction. Either way it would be loads of fun.

Thanks everybody for the kind words. The best thing about Day 1 for was me to find a way to share my fun/luck in driving these players around with Scotty and Dry.

So last night was an exo for the Agassi foundation featuring Courier (who is getting married next month) and Jon Lovitz vs. Chang and Gavin Rossdale, followed by Agassi vs. McEnroe.

For the doubles, everyone was having fun except for Rossdale who was actually trying to win the match. Surprisingly he has a decent serve but no other strokes. No a fan, and am sure after last night, I never will be.

Next up was Agassi vs. McEnroe. Surprisingly the stadium was almost completely full for this exo. From the start it appeared both players were playing for real. Though I suspect McEnroe was playing to win while Agassi was holding back quite a bit but there was none of the usual hit and giggle banter, neither player was mic-ed. Agassi wins the first set 6-4, and is leading 4-0 in the second. McEnroe smashes a racquet in anger, his dampner flies off the strings.

Before going further, may I remind you this is an exo.

Someone in the crowd says something to him and McEnroe preceded to yell at them. Not sure of the exact words, but he used the F-bomb at least twice. He would curse out the fan, move to the service line, turn around and walk back in the direction of the fan and curse him out again. He did it three times in a row.

At the changeover he smashed another racquet. Before the final changeover he already starts stuffing his bag as if ready to leave. Finally after losing 6-2, he refuses to do the usual post charity banter interview with Wayne Bryan who was MC-ing the event and walks off the court without signing autographs. Agassi was left holding the bag to thank the fans for coming and supporting his charity.

Nice going McEnroe, it really was a disgusting display of character for this to have happened at a charity event.

OTOH, why is there drama in these exos every time Agassi is involved?

[Amorsesombabs]

Day 2 was scrub-tastic as it was the morning of the qualies. It was a "short" day in that I ran into Dudi Sela, Nishikori, and Jami Baker who are all about my height, which is no more than 5' 7".

It was a busy morning driving Karol Beck (whose mood seemed to have improved greatly and was actually talkative) and Gilles Muller in the same car from the hotel to the courts. Though Muller is really tall and needs the legroom, he chose to sit in the back with his wife and let Beck sit up front. Muller and his wife seem really sweet.

Next drove Nishikori to the Sycamore courts for his qualie match. In person he appears really young, short, quiet and shy.

Next picked up Santiago Giraldo from the hotel. Because of the way he is aging, he looks quite a bit older than he is and asked about the home prices in Bel-Air. A lot of the players seem obsessed with the Mercedes and home prices in LA.

Then took Jamie Baker to his qualie match. He was all alone, no coach, nothing. Gave him a bit of a pep talk telling him that he had prepared well, he is ready, now all he needs to do is just go out and win. And he won, despite dropping the first set. He is a very unassuming guy, liked him a lot.

Took Horacio Zeballos to the credential office since I knew there was no way he would find it himself. Though he has been on the tour a while, he is very unassuming and almost gentlemanly. When the player's girlfriend thanks you, you just know they haven't bought into their own success.

Picked up Horia Tecau at the hotel. I asked him why I did not know who he was, and he said he is Robert Lindstedt's doubles partner and suggested I didn't know him because I do not follow doubles that closely. True. I mean the guy just did make the doubles final at Wimby. Major egg on my face but he didn't seemed to mind.

Since he is Romanian I asked about the Hanescu match at Wimbledon. He said he was there for it and felt bad for Hanescu. Also mentioned that the umpire for that match was some British guy who is universally hated on the tour and also suggested the umpire falsified the match report as to the fans taunting Hanescu. His other thought on the match was that Hanescu made a huge mistake when he didn't call the tournament referee when the chair refused to make announcements for the fans to behave properly. Still at the end of the day, admitted that Hanescu should have never let the matter get to him on court.

Finally I had to drive a scrub who shall remain nameless and his girlfriend back to the hotel. But they wanted to eat lunch first. Surprisingly their choice did not include Subway. He wanted Mexican, she wanted burgers and so wanted to go to two different places. Finally they settled on burgers. Before getting out of the car they contemplated if they should eat inside (while I waited for them ) or bring it back to the car. Thankfully, in a momentary show of courtesy they decided to eat in the car. Now once inside th burger joint, the gf decides she wants pizza instead and takes forever getting her personal pizza from a place down the street. Her toppings of choice, lettuce and bacon. Stinks up the whole car. Worst of all, before getting out of the car, even as a cursory courtesy they fail to ask if I wanted anything. Parrott and Somdev can teach these two something. On the way back to the hotel, she is leafing through the tournament book, gets to the player/boyfriend's photo and coos "who's this handsome guy, oh it's you". This moment leaves me to swallow my own barf.

Anyway back at the tournament, Travis is practicing as I watch. As soon as he sees me, he smiles and says hello. Such an awesome guy.

A few minutes later, Clement and coach walk past me. As soon as Clement sees me, he starts sort of singing, "Scotty, Scotty, how is Scotty"? Even though he had just lost a match 6-4 in the third, you couldn't tell by the levity of the moment. In fact, it was the coach who gave me a thumbs-down signal letting me know Clement had lost.

So Day 2 not as exciting as Day 1 but with matches now starting, everyone is obviously a little more serious.

[Necedofer]

Great report Miles and don't feel bad, I've never heard of Horia Tecau either! Have fun.

[Aozenee]

Hell must have frozen over, since Miles just met Tipsy, AND said he was very nice (they even talked about 'the' shirt), AND took a photo with him.

[Mjypksun]

Thanks, Miles!

Glad to know Arnaud took it well, I've seen him flip out when losing matches. Next time you see him, you should teach him the song, "Scotty doesn't know!" Scotty will love it.

A friend of mine is (kind of) friends with Zeballos, he does seem to be a nice guy.

NAME THAT SCRUB!