While most of the WTA and ATP players were off the courts this week, some used the Boodles Exhibition and Nottingham and Eastbourne tournaments to prepare for Wimbeldon.
This week in tennis:
5. Dominika Cibulkova storms through Ostapenko, Bondarenko, Radwanska, Puig, K. Pliskova 7-5, 6-3 to win Eastbourne. Playing quite a few three set matches, Cibulkova goes into Wimbledon match ready but maybe a little spent. And in Nottingham, American Steve Johnson edges out Pablo Cuevas 7-6, 7-5 for his first title.
4. @dkaplanSBJ claims Wimbledon will pay celebrities to tweet about the event this year as part of an aggressive marketing push in the US. Tennis continues ill advised ploys to grow its audience. Hopefully, the tournaments hire social media consultants who can deploy better strategies.
3. Doping continues to dominate sporting news. Is Sharapova’s legal team determined to keep her name in the headlines until WADA’s decision on 7/18? Sharapova is appealing her 2-year ban to CAS. This week, WADA President Craig Reedie said, “For me the only satisfactory element in Madame Sharapova’s case was that in one year she can earn more money than the whole of WADA’s budget put together.” Maria Sharapova’s attorney, John Haggerty, has requested an apology from Reedie.
2. World Olympians Association (WOA) calls for fully independent drug testing & says current system doesn’t work. WADA has suspended the accreditation of the anti-doping laboratory in Rio, effective June 22.
1. Wimbledon draw is available. Returning champs don’t necessarily have cake walks to the finals. There are so many match-ups I am looking forward to seeing. I expect to be sleep poor and match rich this week!
What were your top moments in tennis this week?
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