Fish named Davis Cup captain; no ex-Stanford clash

Mardy Fish warms up between sets during a Sacramento
Capitals home match in 2013. Photo by Paul Bauman 

   Mardy Fish, the runner-up in the 2009 SAP Open in San Jose and a former Sacramento Capital in World TeamTennis, was named the captain (coach) of the United States Davis Cup team today.
   Fish replaces Jim Courier, who stepped down in September after eight years.
   "It is something that is a dream job for me, something I won't take for granted," Fish, 37, said during a conference call. "To be the next Davis Cup captain is incredibly humbling."
   Fish retired in 2015 after battling an irregular heartbeat and severe anxiety. He competed in the Davis Cup from 2002 to 2012, won the singles silver medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics and reached a career-high No. 7 in 2011.
   Fish lost to Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic in the final of the 2009 SAP Open and played part-time for the Capitals in 2012 and 2013.
   The SAP Open ended a 125-year run in Northern California in 2013. The Capitals announced in February 2014 that they were moving to Las Vegas after 28 years in Sacramento and folded the following month.
   The Davis Cup will enter a new era this year. Instead of rounds being played months apart each year, an 18-team tournament is scheduled for Nov. 18-24 in Madrid.
   Australian Open qualifying -- Nicole Gibbs won't have to play a friend and former teammate for a berth in the main draw in Melbourne.
   The 18th-seeded Gibbs beat Paula Ormaechea of Argentina 7-5, 6-2 in the second round of qualifying, but Kristie Ahn lost to third-seeded Victorija Golubic of Switzerland 6-4, 6-4.
   Gibbs and Ahn played No. 1 and 2, respectively, on Stanford's 2013 NCAA championship team.
   Golubic, ranked No. 104, is 3-1 (2-1 on hard courts) against Gibbs, ranked No. 127. They last met in September, with Golubic winning 6-4, 6-2 in the second round of qualifying in Wuhan, China, on the WTA tour on an outdoor hard court.
   College rankings -- The NCAA defending champion Stanford women are No. 1 in the year's first rankings, and the Cardinal men are No. 10. Neither the Cal men nor women cracked the Top 25.

Serena rallies again, beats qualifier in U.S. Open

Serena Williams, shown in March, beat Kiki Bertens of the
Netherlands 7-6 (5), 6-3 in the second round of the U.S. Open.
Photo by Paul Bauman

   NEW YORK -- Once again, Serena Williams trailed a vastly inferior opponent.
   And once again, she rallied to win.
   The top-ranked Williams continued her bid for the first calendar-year Grand Slam since 1988 with a 7-6 (5), 6-3 victory over qualifier Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands today in the second round of the U.S. Open.
   Bertens, ranked No. 110, squandered leads of 5-3 in the first set and 4-0 in the tiebreaker.
   "Today I just said, 'One point at a time,' " said Williams, who's trying to become the first player to win all four majors in a calendar year since Steffi Graf. "When I get down, I tend to get really relaxed, and I start to play a little better."
   Translation: When Williams falls behind, it gives her more of a challenge and she doesn't get so bored.
   Williams, who turns 34 on Sept. 26, will meet fellow American Bethanie Mattek-Sands on Friday in the third round. Mattek-Sands clobbered countrywoman CoCo Vandeweghe, a Wimbledon quarterfinalist in July, 6-2, 6-1.
   Mattek-Sands has not won more than three games in a set in two career matches against Williams. Their last meeting came seven years ago in the fourth round at Wimbledon, where Williams won 6-3, 6-3.
   Williams is rather flamboyant, but Mattek-Sands makes her look like Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Mattek-Sands is known for her wild outfits and trademark knee-high socks, and she has an elaborate flower tattoo on the inside of her right arm.
   Mattek-Sands, 30, also happens to be very talented. She has won three Grand Slam doubles titles -- two in women's doubles this year with Czech left-hander Lucie Safarova and one in mixed doubles in 2012 with Horia Tecau of Romania -- and been ranked as high as No. 30 in doubles in 2011.
   In Wednesday's night session, 23rd-seeded Venus Williams defeated fellow American Irina Falconi 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-2, and top-seeded Novak Djokovic dismantled Andreas Haider-Maurer of Austria 6-4, 6-1, 6-2.
   Defending men's champion Marin Cilic, seeded ninth, and two-time U.S. Open winner Rafael Nadal, seeded eighth, won in straight sets.
   Only two men's or women's seeds, both low, lost today. No. 17 Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria fell to Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 6-3, 7-6 (2), 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, and No. 31 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia went out to qualifier Anett Kontaveit of Estonia 7-5, 6-4.
   No. 12 seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland saved three match points in a 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-3 victory over Japanese left-hander Misaki Doi. Bencic, 18, handed Serena Williams her only hardcourt loss of the year three weeks ago in Toronto en route to the title.
   Mardy Fish, a 33-year-old former Sacramento Capital in World TeamTennis, ended his career with a 2-6, 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 loss to 18th-seeded Feliciano Lopez of Spain. Fish, who reached a career-high No. 7 in the world in 2011, has battled an irregular heartbeat and severe anxiety for the past three years.
   Meanwhile, the top two seeds lost on the first day of men's doubles.
   No. 1 Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan bowed out to Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-3 in a match between California natives. All four players grew up in the Los Angeles area, and all but Johnson have Northern California ties. The Bryan twins starred at Stanford in 1997 and 1998, and  Querrey was born in San Francisco.
   It was only the second time the Bryan twins have lost in the opening round of a Grand Slam tournament since 2001 and marks the first season since 2004 that they haven't won at least one major.
   No. 2 Ivan Dodig of Croatia and Marcelo Melo of Brazil succumbed to Dominic Inglot of Great Britain and Robert Lindstedt of Sweden 6-7 (3), 7-5, 6-4.
   Other first-round doubles results involving players with NorCal ties:
   No. 8 seeds Jamie Murray of Great Britain and John Peers of Australia outclassed Americans Bjorn Fratangelo and Dennis Novikov (Milpitas resident) 6-3, 6-2.
   Santiago Giraldo of Colombia and Rameez Junaid of Australia outlasted Julio Peralta of Chile and Matt Seeberger (San Francisco native and former UC Santa Cruz star) of Canada 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
   American wild cards Nicole Gibbs (ex-Stanford star) and Taylor Townsend defeated Spaniards Silvia Soler-Espinosa and Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor 7-5, 6-2.
   U.S. wild cards Asia Muhammad and Maria Sanchez (Modesto product) beat Jarmila Gajdosova (Sacramento-based California Dream of WTT) and Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-2.
   No. 14 seeds Anabel Medina Garrigues (California Dream) and Arantxa Parra Santonja topped Janette Husarova and Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia 7-5, 6-3.

U.S. Open Day 1 recap: 2014 runner-up ousted

Fourth-seeded Kei Nishikori, the runner-up in last
year's U.S. Open, lost to Benoit Paire of France
today in the first round at Flushing Meadows.
2015 file photo by Paul Bauman

   NEW YORK -- Serena Williams had a short night at the U.S. Open.
   Kei Nishkori had a short stay.
   The top-ranked Williams, bidding for the first calendar-year Grand Slam since 1988, led Vitalia Diatchenko 6-0, 2-0 when the 25-year-old Russian retired with an ankle injury in the first of tonight's two matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
   Williams won 32 of the 37 points in the 27-minute match. Diatchenko, ranked 86th, had her left foot and ankle taped in the first set.
   Next for Williams on Wednesday is qualifier Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands. 
   During the hot, humid day session, the fourth-seeded Nishikori fell to Benoit Paire of France 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4 at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Nishikori, last year's runner-up to Marin Cilic, squandered two match points in the fourth set.
   Meanwhile, top-seeded Novak Djokovic, seeking his second U.S. Open title but first since 2011, crushed Joao Souza of Brazil 6-1, 6-1, 6-1.
   Six women's seeds lost, including three in the top 10: No. 7 Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, No. 8 Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic and No. 10 Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain.
   Ivanovic fell 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to Dominika Cibulkova, who avenged an opening-round loss to 15-year-old CiCi Bellis of Atherton in the San Francisco Bay Area in last year's U.S. Open.
   Also losing today was No. 30 Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2004 U.S. Open champion from Russia, 6-3, 7-5 to Kristina Mladenovic of France.
   Another former U.S. Open champ from Russia, third-seeded Maria Sharapova, withdrew on Sunday with a right leg muscle strain that has sidelined her since Wimbledon.
   The highest remaining seed other than Williams in her half of the draw is No. 12 Belinda Bencic of Switzerland. They could meet in the quarterfinals. Bencic, 18, handed Williams her second loss of the year en route to the Toronto title two weeks ago. 
   Men's seeded winners -- No. 1 Novak Djokovic, No. 7 David Ferrer, No. 8 Rafael Nadal, No. 9 Cilic, No. 10 Milos Raonic, No. 14 David Goffin, No. 17 Grigor Dimitrov, No. 18 Feliciano Lopez, No. 19 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, No. 23 Roberto Bautista-Agut, No. 25 Andreas Seppi, No. 26 Tommy Robredo, No. 27 Jeremy Chardy, No. 32 Fabio Fognini.
   Men's seeded losers -- No. 4 Nishikori, No. 16 Gael Monfils. 
   Women's seeded winners -- No. 1 Serena Williams (three-time defending champion), No. 12 Bencic, No. 13 Ekaterina Makarova, No. 15 Agnieszka Radwanska, No. 17 Elina Svitolina, No. 19 Madison Keys, No. 23 Venus Williams, No. 25 Eugenie Bouchard, No. 31 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
   Women's seeded losers -- No. 7 Ivanovic, No. 8 Pliskova, No. 10 Suarez Navarro, No. 21 Jelena Jankovic, No. 29 Sloane Stephens, No. 30 Kuznetsova.
   Stars and stripes -- U.S. women went 10-5, including two all-American matches. Anna Tatishvili, a native of Georgia in Asia who became a U.S. citizen last year, whipped Pliskova 6-2, 6-1. The 6-foot-1 (1.86-meter) Pliskova, 23, has never advanced past the third round in a Grand Slam tournament.
   U.S. men went 1-4. The only victory came from 33-year-old Mardy Fish, who will retire after the tournament. The former world No. 7 has battled an irregular heartbeat and severe anxiety for the past three years.
   Fast fact -- Nishikori became the first U.S. Open men's finalist from the previous year to lose in the first round since 1999.
   Northern California connection -- Pliskova reached the final of the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford this month, losing to Angelique Kerber of Germany but cracking the top 10 for the first time. 
   Australia's John Millman, who won the Aptos Challenger three weeks ago, lost to Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4. Stakhovsky stunned Roger Federer in the second round at Wimbledon two years ago, ending the Swiss' streak of Grand Slam quarterfinals at 36.
   Quote -- Djokovic: "With a dominant win like the one today, it adds to your confidence, your self-belief. But it's also making a statement for everybody that is out there watching. We are all watching each other's matches. We are all seeing how each other progresses. It's important you're out on the court with the right intensity and you're sending a good message, and I've done so.”
   Tuesday at Arthur Ashe Stadium -- Day session (beginning at 8 a.m. PDT, streaming on ESPN3 from 8 to 10 a.m., then shown on ESPN): Simona Halep (2) vs. Marina Erakovic, Caroline Wozniacki (4) vs. Jamie Loeb, Roger Federer vs. Leonardo Mayer.
   Night session (beginning at 4 p.m. PDT, ESPN): Andy Murray (3) vs. Nick Kyrgios, Petra Kvitova (5) vs.Laura Siegemund.

Fish falls in return; Serena to play after boycott

Mardy Fish, shown in 2013, played his first singles match
in more than 18 months on Thursday. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Everyone except Brett Favre, it seems, is making a comeback in the BNP Paribas Open.
   Mardy Fish began the parade on Thursday with a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (3) loss to fellow American Ryan Harrison in the first round at Indian Wells. Harrison saved two match points serving at 4-5 in the third set against the former part-time Sacramento Capital in World TeamTennis.
   It was the 33-year-old Fish's first singles match and second overall in more than 18 months. The former world No. 7 battled an irregular heartbeat and severe anxiety during his layoff.
   Tonight, Serena Williams is scheduled to make her first appearance at Indian Wells since a racially charged incident in 2001. The top seed and two-time champion, who received a bye in the opening round, will face Monica Niculescu of Romania in the second round. Tennis Channel will televise the match at 7 p.m. PDT.
   Also, Jack Sock (hip surgery) of Tampa, Fla., and reigning U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic (shoulder injury) of Croatia are set to make their season debuts today and Saturday, respectively.
   Meanwhile, Austrian left-hander Jurgen Melzer, yet another 33-year-old, beat Dennis Novikov, 21, of San Jose 6-4, 6-4 in a first-round matchup of qualifiers. Novikov had knocked off two seeds in qualifying to reach the main draw at Indian Wells for the first time.
   College result -- Utah State defeated Pacific 4-2 in Stockton. The Tigers (2-11) swept the doubles and won on Court 2 with Miguel Diaz. On Court 1, Dennis Baumgartner outclassed Alex Hamilton 6-3, 6-2 to help the Aggies improve to 14-4.

Beleaguered Fish withdraws from U.S. Open

Mardy Fish, a part-time member of the Sacramento
Capitals in World TeamTennis for the past two seasons,
has battled an accelerated heartbeat since February 2012.
Photo by Paul Bauman

   Mardy Fish could be near retirement.
   Fish tweeted today that he was withdrawing from the U.S. Open because of continuing health issues. The 31-year-old American has battled a heart condition for the past 18 months.
   "Friends, unfortunately my health won't allow me to compete this year at the US Open. Thank you for all your support," wrote Fish, who played part-time for the Sacramento Capitals of World TeamTennis for the second straight year last month.
   This year's last Grand Slam tournament is scheduled for Monday through Sept. 9 in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.
   Fish reached a career-high No. 7 in the world in August 2011 but underwent a procedure for an accelerated heartbeat in May 2012. He has made several comebacks since then, withdrawing before his fourth-round match against Roger Federer in last year's U.S. Open.
   Fish, one of the nicest and classiest players in the game, said earlier this year that he had retired in his mind "15 times."
   Unfortunately, he might make it official soon.
   U.S. Open qualifying --Fish's teammate on the Capitals, 17-year-old Taylor Townsend, trounced 11th-seeded Eva Birnerova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-2 in the first round of qualifying for the U.S. Open.
   Birnerova, who turned 29 last week, is ranked No. 117. Townsend, a Chicago native who trains in Boca Raton, Fla., is No. 334.
   Townsend in 2012 became the first American girl in 30 years to end the year as the No. 1 junior in the world. She will meet Samantha Murray of Great Britain on Thursday in the second round. The 190th-ranked Murray, who's not related to Andy Murray, beat Russian-born Australian Arina Rodionova 6-4, 6-1.
   Another 17-year-old, Mayo Hibi, advanced with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory over American Allie Kiick in a matchup of wild cards.
   Kiick's father, Jim, played running back on the 1972 Miami Dolphins, the only team in NFL history to go undefeated. The squad was honored at the White House on Tuesday.
   Hibi, who won the $50,000 FSP Gold River Challenger in the Sacramento area last month, plays for her native Japan but has lived in California since she was 2 1/2. She will face 13th-seeded Anastasia Rodionova -- Arina's older sister, also a Russian-born Aussie and a former Capital -- in the second round.
   American Madison Brengle, the runner-up in the Gold River Challenger, upset sixth-seeded Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-4. Brengle will play Erika Sema of Japan in the second round.
   Players must win three qualifying matches to advance to the main draw.
   U.S. Open National Playoffs -- Eric Roberson of Sacramento and Yasmin Schnack of Elk Grove in the Sacramento area edged Brian Battistone of Las Vegas and Nicole Melichar of Stuart, Fla., 6-3, 3-6, 10-6 in the first round of mixed doubles in New Haven, Conn.
   Roberson and Schnack will play Meghan Kelley of Falmouth, Maine, and Daniel Quiceno of Beverly, Mass., in Thursday's quarterfinals. Kelley and Quiceno received a bye in the first round.
   The tournament champions will earn a wild card in the U.S. Open mixed doubles main draw, which begins Aug. 28.

Fish hurt as Capitals suffer first loss

   The Sacramento Capitals lost Mardy Fish, then the match on Friday night.
   Fish, who reached No. 7 in the world in 2011, left with a groin injury at 3-3 against Boston's Amir Weintraub in men's singles.
   The match was tied 12-12 at that point, and host Sacramento went on to lose 23-19. It was the Capitals' first loss of the season after three wins. They play their first five matches at home.
   Fish, 31, returned to competition on Sunday in Sacramento's season opener after battling an irregular heartbeat for 17 months. He has played in only two tournaments, in March and April, since the U.S. Open last September.
   Ryan Sweeting, who has plunged from a career-high No. 64 in 2011 to No. 525, replaced Fish on Friday and lost to Weintraub 5-3.
   Megan Moulton-Levy and Taylor Townsend, 17, then won 5-4 in women's doubles to pull Sacramento within 18-17 entering the last set. But Knowles and the 6-foot-5 (1.96-meter) Sweeting lost to Eric Butorac, a former Capital, and Weintraub 5-2.

   Knowles, 41, and Sweeting, who turns 26 on Sunday, were both born in Nassau, Bahamas. Sweeting, though, moved to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., at 12 and became an American citizen in 2006. He won the U.S. Open junior boys singles title in 2005.

BOSTON 23, CAPITALS 19

In Citrus Heights, Calif.

   Mixed doubles -- Mark Knowles and Megan Moulton-Levy (Capitals) def. Eric Butorac and Katalin Marosi, 5-4.
   Women's singles -- Jill Craybas (Boston) def. Taylor Townsend, 5-4.
   Men's singles -- Amir Weintraub (Boston) def. Ryan Sweeting, 5-3. Sweeting substituted for Mardy Fish at 3-3.
   Women's doubles -- Moulton-Levy and Townsend (Capitals) def. Craybas and Marosi, 5-4.
   Men's doubles -- Butorac and Weintraub (Boston) def. Knowles and Sweeting, 5-2.

Capitals' Fish: 'I thought I was going to die'

Mardy Fish warms up between sets during the Sacramento
Capitals' match against Orange County in the Sacramento
suburb of Citrus Heights. Photo by Paul Bauman

   CITRUS HEIGHTS, Calif. -- After everything that Mardy Fish has been through, he deserves to have some fun.
   During the last set, men's doubles, of tonight's World TeamTennis match against the Orange County Breakers, Fish of the Sacramento Capitals somehow ran down a sharply angled volley and returned the ball with his two-fisted backhand.
   Fish's momentum took him almost to the sideline near the net. Instead of backtracking and joining partner Mark Knowles on their side of the court, which appeared to be a lost cause, Fish ran around to Treat Huey and Steve Johnson's side.
   Orange County promptly won the point with a putaway volley, but Fish and Knowles captured the set 5-1. 
   "I figured two against one wasn't going to work, and we were up pretty good in the match, so it was just instinctive, I guess," Fish said after Sacramento improved to 3-0 with a 22-14 victory at Sunrise Marketplace Outdoor Pavilion. "It was fun to be a part of that match."
   Fish was otherwise serious in the match, showing the power and quickness that carried him to career highs of No. 7 in the world in singles in 2011 and No. 14 in doubles in 2009. He picked up his first singles victory after two losses, beating Johnson 5-3, and improved to 3-0 in doubles.
   Johnson, 23, was impressed with Fish.
   "He made a lot of first serves and hit the big shots when he needed to," said Johnson, who has cracked the top 100 at No. 97 only one year after leading USC to its fourth consecutive NCAA team title and winning his second straight NCAA singles crown. "I haven't played guys in the top 10, but he sure looked good."
   Fish said he felt "a lot better" than in the Capitals' first two matches.
   "I haven't played a lot, and getting into real match pressure is something you can't duplicate in practice, so it's great to get these matches here," he said.    
   The 31-year-old resident of Westwood in the Los Angeles area has battled an irregular heartbeat since February 2012.
   "It's been by far the toughest thing I've ever had to deal with in my life," said Fish, one of the nicest, classiest men on the pro tour. "It's a new experience for me coming back from these types of health situations. We deal with ankles and knees and arms and things like that. There are timetables as well that you can usually rely on, and I haven't had one. That's been really tough."
  Fish, a right-hander who had two operations on his left wrist in 2005, underwent a procedure in May last year for extreme heart palpitations that would wake him in the middle of the night. He didn't want to elaborate on his ordeal, but he told USA Today in May last year: "It felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest. During days, I'm totally fine. I can track it and work out fine. But every time I would go to bed, my mind would start racing. Is this going to happen tonight? Is this going to be another night like that? It was super hard to go to sleep."
   The worst moment before his procedure came after a 6-1, 6-3 loss to Juan Monaco in the quarterfinals at Miami in March last year. Fish told USA Today that he awoke around 3:30 a.m. with his heart beating three times faster than normal.
   "I was completely panicking," Fish said of the 30-minute episode. "I thought I was going to die."
   Fish returned to the tour in late June last year at Wimbledon, reaching the round of 16, and played through the summer. He withdrew from his round-of-16 match against Roger Federer at the U.S. Open in early September for "precautionary measures," he said at the time.
   Since then, Fish has played in only two tournaments, in March and April. He returned to competition Sunday in the Capitals' season opener.
   Fish told reporters in Los Angeles in March that he still worries at night that the heart problem will return.
   "That is always going to be a part of me," he said.
   Fish, now ranked No. 61, said he will play in the Capitals' next two matches, at home on Friday and Saturday, and possibly two or three more next week. He plans to return to the ATP World Tour in Atlanta the following week.
   Fish's trauma has changed his perspective.
   "It showed me who's in my corner, who's most important to me, who was there for me when I was at rock bottom," said Fish, who's married with no children. "I went through a lifestyle change in 2009, lost a bunch of weight and turned my career around. ... I gained a lot of perspective then as well.
   "This is a lot different, obviously, but I'll have to get used to it and just work my way back."
   Kastles' streak ends -- The Texas Wild beat Washington 23-18 tonight in Irving, Texas, to end the Kastles' 34-match winning steak. Washington's last loss had come on July 22, 2010.
   The Los Angeles Lakers hold the record for the longest winning streak among major U.S. professional teams with 33 straight in 1971-72.

CAPITALS 22, ORANGE COUNTY 14

In Citrus Heights, Calif.

   Mixed doubles -- Mark Knowles and Taylor Townsend (Capitals) def. Treat Huey and Maria Elena Camerin 5-2. Knowles substituted for Mardy Fish at 1-0.
   Women's singles -- Townsend (Capitals) def. CoCo Vandeweghe, 5-3.
   Men's singles -- Fish (Capitals) def. Steve Johnson, 5-3.
   Women's doubles --Camerin and Vandeweghe (Breakers) def. Megan Moulton-Levy and Townsend, 5-2.
   Men's doubles -- Fish and Knowles (Capitals) def. Huey and Johnson, 5-1.

Fish arrives early as Capitals win season opener

   The Sacramento Capitals were missing one player Sunday night.
   But another unexpectedly joined them.
   The net result, so to speak, was a 22-17 overtime victory over the Texas Wild in Citrus Heights, Calif., in  a World TeamTennis season opener.
   Taylor Townsend was unable to arrive in time after reaching the Wimbledon junior girls singles final on Saturday. Meanwhile, marquee player Mardy Fish showed up three days early.
   Fish has battled an irregular heartbeat for the past 15 months, falling from a career-high No. 7 in the world in 2011 to No. 43. In his first official match since April, the 31-year-old veteran won 5-4 in men's doubles with his coach on the ATP World Tour, 41-year-old Mark Knowles, but lost 5-1 in men's singles.
   Townsend, a 17-year-old left-hander, in 2012 became the first American to hold the year-end world No. 1 girls ranking. She is scheduled to make her WTT debut in tonight's home match against the Philadelphia Freedoms (0-1) at 7:35.
   Replacing Townsend was Nicole Gibbs, who turned pro last month after winning her second straight NCAA singles title as a Stanford junior. She also won the 2012 NCAA doubles crown with Mallory Burdette.
   Gibbs triumphed 5-3 in women's singles and teamed with Megan Moulton-Levy, making her WTT debut at 28, for a 5-3 victory in women's doubles. Moulton-Levy, only 5 feet (1.52 meters), also earned a 5-2 victory in mixed doubles with Knowles.   
   It was the first match in Texas' history. The franchise moved from Kansas City, where it had played for 20 years, during the offseason.

CAPITALS 22, TEXAS 17 (OT)

In Citrus Heights, Calif.

   Men's doubles -- Mardy Fish and Mark Knowles (Capitals) def. Alex Bogomolov Jr. and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, 5-4.
   Women's singles -- Nicole Gibbs (Capitals) def. Eugenie Bouchard, 5-3.
   Mixed doubles -- Knowles and Megan Moulton-Levy (Capitals) def. Qureshi and Darija Jurak, 5-2.
   Women's doubles -- Gibbs and Moulton-Levy (Capitals) def. Eugenie Bouchard and Jurak, 5-3.
   Men's singles -- Alex Bogomolov (Wild) def. Fish, 5-1.
   Overtime -- Fish (Capitals) def. Bogomolov, 1-0.

Capitals have major concerns entering season

Mark Knowles, who reached No. 1 in the world in doubles
in 2002 and 2004, will return for his 12th season with the
Sacramento Capitals at age 41. 2012 photo by Paul Bauman

   For a team that came within three points of winning the World TeamTennis title last year, the Sacramento Capitals have an alarming number of concerns entering their 28th season.
   Topping the list is a women's lineup with zero WTT experience. Americans Taylor Townsend, 17, and Megan-Moulton Levy, 28, replace Asia Muhammad and Yasmin Schnack.
   Women are more important than men in WTT, with its no-add scoring and sets up to five games. Because women are less powerful, they are more likely to break serve and create leads.
   The Capitals' two full-time men have their issues, too. Mark Knowles, who reached No. 1 in the world in men's doubles in 2002 and 2004, is 41 years old. Ryan Sweeting's singles ranking has plummeted from a career-high No. 64 in 2011 to No. 293. 
   One of Sacramento's two marquee players, 31-year-old Mardy Fish, has missed most of the past 15 months with heart palpitations. He is scheduled to play three matches, all early in the three-week regular season that begins on Sunday night.
   Finally, there's no Kevin Anderson, Vania King or CoCo Vandeweghe to bail out the Capitals. All played part-time for Sacramento last year.
   The 6-foot-8 (2.03-meter) Anderson, ranked 23rd in the world, will play for Washington this season. Just what the Capitals and the rest of the league need -- for the Kastles to get stronger. Washington edged Sacramento 20-19 last year in Charleston, S.C., for its second consecutive WTT title and 32nd straight victory.

Under coach Wayne Bryan, the Capitals came within
three points of winning the World TeamTennis title
last season. 2012 photo by Paul Bauman

   King will return to the Springfield (Mo.) Lasers, with whom she won the 2009 WTT Female MVP award, after playing three full- or part-time seasons with the Capitals.
   The 6-foot-1 (1.85-meter) Vandeweghe, who reached the final of the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford last summer as a qualifer, will play for the Orange County Breakers. They're based in Irvine, about 90 minutes up Interstate 5 from her home in the San Diego suburb of Rancho Santa Fe.
   Not that all is lost for the Capitals, however.
   Townsend, a 5-foot-6 (1.68-meter) left-hander, ended 2012 as the No. 1 junior girl in the world. She became the first U.S. girl to hold the No. 1 year-end ranking since Gretchen Rush in 1982.
   Townsend also beat the world's 57th-ranked woman, Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic, in March.
   After falling in today's Wimbledon girls final, Townsend will miss Sunday's 7:35 p.m. season opener against the Texas Wild at Sunrise Mall in the Sacramento area and possibly Monday night's home match against the Philadelphia Freedoms.
   “Many tennis insiders think Taylor has potential to be the next great American women’s
player," Sacramento coach Wayne Bryan said when the Capitals drafted Townsend in March, although 18-year-olds Madison Keys and Samantha Crawford are also in the conversation.
   Nicole Gibbs, who turned pro out of Stanford last month after winning her second straight NCAA singles title as a junior, will replace Townsend.
   Moulton-Levy, a 5-foot (1.52-meter) doubles specialist, is ranked a career-high No. 57 in that department.     
   Marquee player Sam Querrey, the top-ranked American man at No. 19 in the world, will return for his second part-time season with Sacramento. The 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) San Francisco native is scheduled to play the Capitals' final four regular-season matches. He competed in six last year and finishing second in the men's singles standings.
   Because of their schedule, the Capitals could get off to a fast start and then cool off. They will play the first five of their 14 regular-season matches at home and seven of their last nine on the road.

CAPITALS’ SCHEDULE

(Home matches at Capitals Stadium, Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights)

   Sunday vs. Texas, 7:35 p.m.

   Monday vs. Philadelphia, 7:35 p.m.

   Wednesday vs. Orange County, 7:35 p.m. (Mardy Fish plays for Capitals)
   Friday vs. Boston, 7:35 p.m. (Fish plays for Capitals)

   Saturday vs. Washington, 7:35 p.m. (Fish plays for Capitals)

   July 14 at Texas, 5:35 p.m.

   July 15 at Orange County, 7 p.m. 

   July 17 vs. Texas, 7:35 p.m. (Bob and Mike Bryan play for Wild)
   July 18 at Springfield, 5:05 p.m.

   July 19 at Boston, 4 p.m. (Mark Philippoussis plays for Lobsters)

   July 21 at Orange County, 5 p.m. (Sam Querrey plays for Capitals)

   July 22 vs. Orange County, 7:35 p.m. (Querrey plays for Capitals)

   July 23 at Springfield, 5:05 p.m. (Querrey plays for Capitals)

   July 24 at Texas, 5:35 p.m. (Querrey plays for Capitals)

TICKETS

   $25-$70 (discounts for children). For more information, visit www.saccaps.com or call (916) 747-6728.

2013 CAPITALS

   Mardy Fish, 31, Westwood, Calif. ... Fifth World TeamTennis season (second with Capitals). ... Scheduled to play three matches for Capitals, all early in season. ... Has missed much of last 18 months with irregular heartbeat. Has played only two tournaments this year and none since April. ... Ranked No. 43 in world after reaching career-high No. 7 in 2011. ... Singles quarterfinalist at Australian Open (2007), U.S. Open (2008) and Wimbledon (2011). ... Has won six career ATP World Tour titles in singles and eight in doubles (including San Jose in 2004 with James Blake and 2010 with Sam Querrey). ... Won singles silver medal in 2004 Olympics in Athens, losing to Nicolas Massu of Chile 6-4 in fifth set after leading two sets to one. ... Seven-time U.S. Davis Cup team member. ... Named 2006 Comeback Player of Year after undergoing two operations on left wrist.  ... Has booming serve, excellent return of serve. ... Moved from native Minnesota to Florida at age 4 and lived with Andy Roddick in 1999 during high school.

   Mark Knowles (captain), 41, Bahamas. ... Twelfth WTT season (all with Capitals). ... Retired from ATP World Tour last September as one of best doubles players in Open Era (since 1968). ...  Reached No. 1 in world in doubles in 2002 and 2004. Finished in top 10 for eight straight years (2002-09). … In April 2010, became fifth player in ATP history to record 700 doubles match wins. … Has won four Grand Slam titles: three in men’s doubles with ex-partner Daniel Nestor (2002 Australian Open, 2004 U.S. Open and 2007 French Open) and one in mixed doubles with Anna-Lena Groenefeld (2009 Wimbledon). … Overall, has won 55 men’s doubles crowns (tied for 15th in Open Era). Won at least one in 19 of 20 seasons (1992-2012). … Five-time Olympian for Bahamas (1992-2008). ... Three-time WTT Male MVP (2001, 2005 and 2007), tied with ex-Capital Brian MacPhie (1996-98) for men’s record. ... Has coached Fish since March 2012. ... Possesses textbook volley and return of serve.
    Megan Moulton-Levy, 28, Washington, D.C. ... First WTT season ... Doubles specialist, only 5 feet (1.52 meters), is ranked a career-high No. 57 in that category. ... Recorded first Grand Slam doubles victory of career in 2013 Australian Open. ... Reached doubles semifinals in Auckland, Memphis, Charleston and s'-Hertogenbosch this year. ... Has captured 10 doubles titles and one singles crown in minor leagues. ... Four-time Colonial Athletic Association Women's Tennis Player of the Year at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va.
   Sam Querrey, 25, Las Vegas. ... Third WTT season (second with Capitals). ... Top-ranked American at No. 19 in world, down two spots from career high in 2011. ... Has won seven singles and four doubles titles in career. ...  Reached fourth round of U.S. Open in 2008 and 2010 and at Wimbledon in 2010 for best Grand Slam singles results. ... Member of U.S. Davis Cup team in 2008 and 2010. ... Gashed right (playing) arm in 2009 when glass table he was sitting on at Bangkok tournament collapsed. Narrowly missed damaging nerves, which could have ended career. ... Sidelined for three months after right elbow surgery in 2011.
   Ryan Sweeting, 25, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. ... Second WTT season (both with Capitals). Suffered back spasms in WTT debut last year and missed only other scheduled match for Sacramento. ... Has plunged from career-high No. 64 in 2011 to No. 293. ... Won his only ATP World Tour title on clay in Houston in 2011. ... Won 2005 U.S. Open junior title and reached No. 2 in world in juniors that year. ... Bahamas native became U.S. citizen in 2006 and attended University of Florida for one year before turning pro in 2007.

   Taylor Townsend, 17, Boca Raton, Fla.... First WTT season. ... Often compared to Serena Williams because she's stocky African-American but plays more like Martina Navratilova. Both are left-handed with strong volley. ... Became first American in 30 years to top world junior rankings in 2012. ... Won junior titles in 2012 Australian Open singles and doubles, Wimbledon doubles and U.S. Open doubles. ... Became first American to sweep the junior girls crowns in a Grand Slam event since Lindsay Davenport in 1992 U.S. Open. ... Made WTA main-draw debut at 16 in March, beating No. 57 Lucie Hradecka. ... Reach third round of women's doubles in 2011 U.S. Open at 15 with Jessica Pegula.
   Wayne Bryan, coach, Camarillo, Calif. ... Thirteenth WTT season (12^th with Capitals). ... Longest-tenured coach in the league. … Three-time WTT Coach of the Year (2004-06). … Has led Capitals to two of their record six league titles (2002 and 2007). … Father of identical twins Bob and Mike Bryan, who have won record 14 Grand Slam men's doubles titles. … Tennis’ unofficial ambassador. … Non-practicing attorney. … Author of 2004 book “Raising Your Child to be a Champion in Athletics, Arts and Academics.” … Front man for Bryan Bros. Band.

OTHER TEAMS

Western Conference

   Orange County – Maria Elena Camerin, Treat Huey, Steve Johnson, CoCo Vandeweghe, Liga Dekmeijere. Coach: Trevor Kronemann.

   Springfield (Mo.) Lasers – Andy Roddick, Rik de Voest, Vania King, Alisa Kleybanova, Jean-Julien Rojer. Coach: John Laffnie de Jager.
   Texas Wild – Bob and Mike Bryan, Jim Courier, Alex Bogomolov Jr., Eugenie Bouchard, Darija Jurak, Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi. Coach: Brent Haygarth.

Eastern Conference

   Boston Lobsters – Mark Philippoussis, Eric Butorac, Jill Craybas, Katalin Marosi, Amir Weintraub. Coach: Bud Schultz.

   New York Sportimes – John McEnroe, Anna-Lena Groenefeld, Kveta Peschke, Robert Kendrick, Jesse Witten, Abigail Spears. Coach: Claude Okin.

   Philadelphia Freedoms – Sloane Stephens, Samuel Groth, Liezel Huber, Jordan Kerr, Jessica Pegula, Maria Sanchez. Coach: Josh Cohen.

   Washington Kastles – Martina Hingis (2012 WTT Female MVP), Kevin Anderson, Anastasia Rodionova, Leander Paes, Bobby Reynolds (2012 WTT Male MVP). Coach: Murphy Jensen (2012 WTT Coach of the Year).

U.S. men hit new low, but it could have been worse

Sam Querrey, a San Francisco native and part-time player
for the Sacramento Capitals in World TeamTennis, became
the top-ranked American for the first time. He rose three
places to No. 20. Photo (2012) by Paul Bauman

   Congratulations, United States.
   You avoided being shut out of the top 20 in the men's world rankings for the first time.
   There's just one problem.
   You still hit a new low.
   By reaching the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells last week (including a first-round bye), Sam Querrey rose three places to No. 20 in the new rankings and became the top American for the first time.
   Querrey, a 25-year-old San Francisco native and part-time member of the Sacramento Capitals in World TeamTennis, replaced 6-foot-9 (2.06-meter) John Isner in the top 20.
   Isner, the runner-up in last year's BNP Paribas Open, dropped eight spots to No. 23 after losing to 32-year-old Lleyton Hewitt in the second round at Indian Wells.
   Querrey, a 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) right-hander, reached a career high of No. 17 in January 2011 before undergoing right elbow surgery that June and plunging to No. 125 the following September.
   How far has the United States fallen in men's tennis? In 1980, three of the top four players in the world and six of the top 10 were American. Here's the list:
   1. Bjorn Borg, Sweden; 2. John McEnroe, United States; 3. Jimmy Connors, United States;  4. Gene Mayer, United States; 5. Guillermo Vilas, Argentina; 6. Ivan Lendl, Czechoslovakia; 7. Harold Solomon, United States; 8. Jose-Luis Clerc, Argentina; 9. Vitas Gerulaitis, United States; 10. Eliot Teltscher, United States.
   On the bright side for U.S. men's tennis, Bob and Mike Bryan won a record 13th Grand Slam men's doubles title at the Australian Open in January. They are ranked No. 1.
   Women's rankings -- Mallory Burdette and Maria Sanchez have many similarities.
   Both are young, 5-foot-10 (1.78-meter) Americans with Northern California ties. And both could crack the top 100 in the world for the first time soon.
   After reaching the third round of the BNP Paribas Open as a qualifier, the 22-year-old Burdette jumped 21 places to No. 104 only six months after turning professional out of Stanford. The Macon, Ga., native knocked off then-No. 27 Tamira Paszek of Austria in the second round.
   Sanchez, a 23-year-old Modesto product, improved three notches to No. 109 by advancing to the second round at Indian Wells as a wild card. Sanchez's mentor, International Tennis Hall of Famer Chris Evert, attended the tournament.
   Both Burdette and Sanchez played in the main draw at Indian Wells for the first time.   
   Fish withdraws -- Mardy Fish suffered a setback in his latest comeback from an accelerated heartbeat when the former top-10 player withdrew from the Sony Open in Miami. The tournament began today.
   Fish, 31, missed 2 1/2 months last spring while undergoing a procedure, played throughout the summer, then sat out for six more months. He said he retired from tennis "15 times" in his mind during his second layoff but returned two weeks ago in the BNP Paribas Open.
   Fish drew a bye in the first round at Indian Wells and beat fellow 30-something American Bobby Reynolds, a qualifier, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in the second round before losing to eighth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 7-6 (6), 6-4 in the third round.   
   “Unfortunately I won’t be able to compete in Miami this year friends,” tweeted Fish, who's scheduled to return for his second part-time season with the Capitals in July. “Hope to be out there again soon! Thanks for the love and support in IW!”
   Fish has dropped from a career-high No. 7 in the world in 2011 to No. 33. A quarterfinalist in Miami last year, he will plummet further when the next rankings are released on April 1.

COLLEGE SCORES

Women

   No. 25 Tulsa def. USF 6-0 in San Francisco on Monday. No. 1 singles: No. 31 Samantha Vickers (T) def. No. 76 Andrea Ka 5-7, 6-4, 10-6 match tiebreaker. Records: Tulsa 11-5, USF 6-5.
   No. 25 Tulsa def. No. 52 Saint Mary's 4-3 in Moraga on Tuesday. No. 1 singles: No. 31 Samantha Vickers (T) def. No. 18 Jenny Jullien 6-7, 7-6, 6-2. Records: Tulsa 12-5, Saint Mary's 7-7.

Djokovic avenges loss; Federer, Nadal to meet

Novak Djokovic, shown in last year's BNP Paribas Open, seeks
his third Indian Wells singles title. Photo by Paul Bauman

   For the second straight meeting, Novak Djokovic drubbed Sam Querrey 6-0 in the first set.
   This time, however, Djokovic won the match.
   In a match that ended at 1:51 a.m. PDT Thursday, the top-ranked Djokovic eliminated No. 23 Sam Querrey 6-0, 7-6 (6) in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
   “It was very similar to Bercy," Djokovic said on www.bnpparibasopen.com, referring to his 0-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 loss to Querrey in the second round of the Paris Masters last October. "I had a few unforced errors, and he started to play better. That’s why he came back. But I felt throughout the whole match, I had control and was moving and hitting well, so I’m very happy with the performance.”
   Djokovic is 21-0 since the Paris Masters and 16-0 this year. The 25-year-old Serb, who won Indian Wells in 2008 and 2011, will meet eighth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France on Friday in the quarterfinals. Tsonga edged 17th-seeded Milos Raonic of Canada 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.
   Second-seeded Roger Federer and fifth-seeded Rafael Nadal will renew their storied rivalry Thursday at 7 (Tennis Channel) in the quarterfinals. It will be their earliest meeting since their first one, a 6-3, 6-3 victory by Nadal in the round of 32 at Miami in 2004. Nadal recently returned to the circuit after missing seven months with a knee injury and virus.
   Nadal, 26, leads the 31-year-old Federer 18-10 in their head-to-head series. Federer, though, leads 6-5 on hardcourts, including a 6-3, 6-4 victory in last year's semifinals at Indian Wells.   
   Querrey, a San Francisco native and part-time member of the Sacramento Capitals in World TeamTennis, will replace John Isner as the No. 1 American when the new rankings are released Monday.
   Querrey will return to the top 20 after reaching a career-high No. 17 in January 2011. Later that year, the 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) right-hander underwent right elbow surgery and plunged to No. 125.
   The 6-foot-9 (2.06-meter) Isner, ranked 15th, lost to 32-year-old Lleyton Hewitt in the second round at Indian Wells after reaching last year's final.
   Meanwhile, the comeback tournament of part-time Capital Mardy Fish ended.
   The wild-card team of Fish and fellow American James Blake lost to unseeded Treat Huey, a Washington, D.C., native who plays for the Philippines, and Jerzy Janowicz of Poland 7-5, 6-2 in the doubles quarterfinals. Janowicz is 6-foot-8 (2.04 meters), and Huey is 5-foot-10 (1.78 meters).
   Fish won the 2009 doubles title at Indian Wells with close friend Andy Roddick, who retired last September at 30, and upset Federer in the 2008 singles semifinals before losing to Djokovic.
   Seeded 32nd in singles this year, Fish lost to Tsonga in the third round on Tuesday.
   Fish, a 31-year-old Los Angeles-area resident, had been sidelined for six months with heart palpitations.

Capitals draft 16-year-old prodigy

   The future of U.S. women's tennis is coming to Sacramento.
   The Capitals selected Taylor Townsend, 16, of Stockbridge, Ga., in the second round of Tuesday's World TeamTennis roster draft.
   Townsend, a sturdy 5-foot-6 African-American, has been compared to Serena Williams. But as an aggressive left-hander, she plays more like her idol, Martina Navratilova.
   Last year, Townsend swept the girls singles and doubles titles in the Australian Open, added the girls doubles crowns at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open and ended the year as the No. 1 junior in the world.
   She became the first American to sweep the girls crowns in a Grand Slam event since Lindsay Davenport in the 1992 U.S. Open and the first U.S. girl to hold the No. 1 year-end world ranking since Gretchen Rush in 1982.
   Townsend debuted on the elite WTA tour last week as a wild card in the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. She beat No. 57 Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic before losing to former world No. 1 and 2008 champion Ana Ivanovic.  
   “Many tennis insiders think Taylor has potential to be the next great American women’s
player," Capitals coach Wayne Bryan said in a statement, although 18-year-olds Madison Keys and Samantha Crawford are also in the conversation. "She is good on the singles and doubles court and is very talented with a great personality.”

Mark Knowles, 41, will return for his 12th season with
the Sacramento Capitals in World TeamTennis.
Photo by Paul Bauman

   Sacramento also protected Mark Knowles of the Bahamas in the first round, picked American doubles specialist Megan Moulton-Levy in the third round and took Ryan Sweeting of the United States in the fourth and final round.
   Knowles, 41, retired from the ATP World Tour after last year's U.S. Open. But the three-time WTT Male MVP (2001, 2005 and 2007) will return for his 12th season in the league, all with Sacramento.
   Moulton-Levy, only 5-foot (1.52 meters) and 135 pounds (61 kilograms), is ranked No. 74 in the world in doubles. Sweeting, the 2005 U.S. Open boys champion, played one match for the Capitals last season but suffered back spasms and missed his other scheduled match.
   Mardy Fish and San Francisco native Sam Querrey are set to return as Sacramento's marquee players. Fish, who reached No. 7 in the world in 2011, is scheduled to play three of the Capitals' 14 regular-season matches, and the 23rd-ranked Querrey plans to play four.
   Missing from the roster after playing for Sacramento last year are 2012 part-timers Kevin Anderson, CoCo Vandeweghe and Vania King and full-timers Asia Muhammad and Yasmin Schnack.
   Anderson, a 6-foot-8 (2.03-meter) right-hander, underwent right elbow surgery in January after climbing to No. 28 one year ago. He and Muhammad are not scheduled to play team tennis this season.
   The 99th-ranked Vandeweghe, who lives in the San Diego area, was a roster-exempt selection by Orange County. King, the 2009 WTT Female MVP for Springfield (Mo.), went back to the Lasers in the roster-exempt draft after three seasons in Sacramento. Schnack, a 24-year-old doubles specialist, retired from professional tennis in November.
   Sacramento has won a record six WTT titles but none since 2007. The Capitals squeaked into the playoffs last season with an 8-6 mark and advanced to the WTT Finals, falling to the defending champion Washington Kastles 20-19 in Charleston, S.C. Washington has won 32 consecutive matches. 
   In the 2012 regular season, Sacramento finished third among eight teams in men's singles, fifth in women's singles, fourth in men's doubles, seventh in women's doubles and fourth in mixed doubles.
   The Capitals open the 2013 season on July 7 against the Texas Wild at Sunrise Mall in the Sacramento suburb of Citrus Heights.   
   Alisa Kleybanova, who was diagnosed with lymphoma in May 2011, was drafted first overall by Springfield. Kleybanova, a 23-year-old Russian, ascended to No. 20 in the world in singles and No. 10 in doubles in February 2011.
   Washington acquired Martina Hingis from the New York Sportimes for financial considerations. Hingis, 32, will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in July.
   BNP Paribas Open -- Querrey advanced to the fourth round at Indian Wells, ensuring that he will become the No. 1 American man and that the United States won't be shut out of the top 20 in the men's world rankings for the first time.
   Querrey, seeded and ranked 23rd, outlasted Marinko Matosevic of Australia 7-6 (5), 6-7 (7), 7-5 in the longest match of the tournament at 2 hours, 47 minutes.
   Querrey will return to the top 20 after reaching a career-high No. 17 in January 2011. The 6-foot-6 right-hander missed three months after undergoing right elbow surgery on June 16 that year and dropped to No. 125. He will replace John Isner as the top American.
    "It means a lot. It's a great feeling," Querrey, 25, said on www.bnpparibasopen.com. "I feel like I have worked hard to earn it. Everyone seems like they've got their shot with Andy (Roddick) and Mardy and James (Blake) and John, and so I feel like it's my turn now."
   Querrey will meet world No. 1 and two-time Indian Wells champion Novak Djokovic on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. PDT or later (Tennis Channel). Djokovic improved to 15-0 this year with a 7-6 (4), 6-1 victory over 31st-seeded Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria.
   Querrey is the last player to beat Djokovic, prevailing 0-6 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the second round of the Paris Masters last October. After the match, Djokovic told reporters: "It's unfortunate, but on the brighter side, I have a little bit more time to rest because I had really difficult period in the last couple of weeks. Some things happened and a lot of things on my mind."
   Djokovic, who's 4-1 against Querrey, seeks his third title of the year after winning the Australian Open and at Dubai.
   Meanwhile, eighth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France defeated the 32nd-seeded Fish 7-6 (4), 7-6 (0) in the third round. Fish, who returned to the circuit at Indian Wells after missing six months because of heart palpitations, led 4-0 in the second set and was broken at love serving for the set at 5-4.
   "I felt like I could have easily won the match," Fish said on www.bnpparibasopen.com. "Bunch of break points obviously in the first set, and the second set was what it was. Tennis wise, it's a good sign that it hasn't taken too long to get the form back. I usually don't lose 4-0 sets.  I can't remember the last one. Maybe just not being in that position I'm sure had something to do with it."

   Fish remains alive in doubles with Blake. The wild cards are scheduled to face Treat Huey, a Washington, D.C., native who plays for the Philippines, and Jerzy Janowicz of Poland on Wednesday in the quarterfinals. 
   Fish won the 2009 doubles title at Indian Wells with his close friend Andy Roddick.

COLLEGE SCORE

Men

   Sacramento State def. Montana State 7-0 in Sacramento. No. 1 singles: Marek Marksoo (SS) def. Niklas Brandes 6-1, 6-2. Records: Sac State 5-9 overall, 2-0 Big Sky Conference; Montana State 9-7, 5-1.

Schnack gives up promising pro career

Yasmin Schnack, shown in last summer's $50,000 FSP Gold River
Women's Challenger in the Sacramento area, lost in the second
round of singles but won the doubles title with Sacramento
Capitals teammate Asia Muhammad. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Yasmin Schnack was on her way in professional tennis.
   After 2 1/2 years on the circuit, the former UCLA All-American was headed toward the top 100 in the world in doubles. She played doubles at Wimbledon with her best friend, Vania King, and helped her hometown Sacramento Capitals come within two points of winning the World TeamTennis title.
   King, a two-time Grand Slam women's doubles champion with career highs of No. 3 in doubles and No. 50 in singles, said Monday that Schnack "is more talented than I am."
   None of it was enough. Weighed down by loneliness, financial considerations and family issues, Schnack retired from pro tennis last November at age 24.
   "I'd be going out (on the minor-league tour) for three, four, five weeks at a time, and I'd be meeting up with friends and players at tournaments, but as far as having someone there with me, my parents weren't there, I didn't have a trainer, I didn't have a coach or hitting partner," Schnack said earlier this month in Sacramento during the $2,000 Rio Del Oro Open, in which she won a three-team round robin in women's doubles with roommate and former Sacramento State standout Clarisse Baca. "After a while, it took a toll on me. I felt burned out and kind of lost that passion and competitiveness to be out there.
   "That was a big factor, and financially it's difficult. Your income is based solely on how you're doing. Some weeks I had great tournaments, and then for a few weeks there was nothing. You're paying for all your expenses -- air fare, hotel, food, equipment, stringing ... Everything just kind of adds up."
   Schnack also feels she needs to be at home.
   "My dad's 82, and his health is deteriorating, so my mom's at home taking care of him," said Schnack, whose Filipina mother, Candida, is almost 30 years younger than her father. "My sister is mentally handicapped, so my mom is really busy taking care of the family. ... My family is so important to me."
   Schnack's father, a retired physician named William, has Parkinson's disease.
   "It's still in the early stages, but I can really see differences with his health," she said. "Every minute I can be at home around him, it makes me feel better, and I know he appreciates me being at home and spending time with him."  
   Schnack, 5-foot-10 (1.78 meters), reached career highs of No. 140 in doubles and No. 371 in singles. She won 11 doubles titles and two singles crowns in tennis' minor leagues.
   In Schnack's Wimbledon main-draw debut last summer, she and King lost to eighth-seeded Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, both of the Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-1 in the first round. King won the 2010 Wimbledon and U.S. Open women's doubles titles with Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan.
   Schnack played full-time for the Capitals the last two years, along with King for 10 of 14 regular-season matches in 2011 and two during last year's march to the WTT Finals.
   King, also 24, has known Schnack since they were juniors.
   "I've always thought she had amazing potential from when we were little," the 5-foot-5 (1.65-meter) King said by telephone. "She never had proper coaching or support. She's more talented than I am.
   "She has the potential to be top 100 in singles and doubles, but things don't always work out the way everyone expects. 'Potential' is a very vague word. A lot of other things come into it."
   But gifted?
   "She has very clean strokes," King said. "She has a great body, great physical ability and an all-court game. She has all the tools. The game came naturally to her."
   Maria Sanchez -- a 23-year-old rising pro from Modesto, 77 miles (124 kilometers) south of Sacramento -- has known Schnack since they were in high school. They were cross-town rivals in college -- Sanchez was an All-American at USC -- and played doubles with and against each other in the pros.
   "She's a great player, so it's sad to see her go, and she's also a good friend of mine," Sanchez said last week after winning her singles main-draw debut in the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. "But you have to do what makes you happy."
   Even if you're approaching the top 100 in doubles.
   "Everyone was saying, 'Your ranking is steadily going up. Why are you stopping?' " Schnack said. "I guess I really didn't think about my ranking so much as how I was feeling. Did I feel good on the court? Was I having fun? Was I enjoying it? Was I competing?
   "Most of the time, I was just fighting myself. Tennis is so mental. You're putting yourself at a disadvantage if you're fighting yourself and not playing against your opponent."
   Schnack's case is reminiscent of Sam Warburg's. Also citing loneliness and financial struggles, the Sacramento product retired from professional tennis at 26 in 2009 after 4 1/2 years on the circuit.
   Warburg approached the top 100 not only in doubles with a career high of No. 117, but in singles, peaking at No. 132. He played five seasons for the Capitals, helping them win the last of their record six WTT titles in 2007.
   Both Warburg and Schnack won NCAA titles at Pacific-10 Conference schools and graduated. Warburg captured the 2004 doubles title with Stanford teammate KC Corkery, and Schnack helped UCLA earn its only women's team title, in 2008. Warburg graduated in communications, Schnack in sociology.
   Warburg, 29, works as a venture capitalist in the San Francisco Bay Area. Schnack plans to attend nursing school in the fall or next January.
   The biggest difference between Warburg and Schnack, who do not know each other well, is that Warburg vowed never to return to pro tennis. Schnack already is having second thoughts.
   "I'm sad to be gone from it," she admitted. "I really do miss it, which is why I've been playing these little opens, so I still can use the competitiveness that I have in me and go out and play and have fun."
   Schnack left the door open to returning to the tour.
   "I'm young enough and still have the time to go out and give it a little while, but I'm happy with where things are in my life, and I like the direction it's heading," she said. "I wonder if I do go back and play if it's going to be an emotional roller coaster again. Of course I'll have the highs and feel great and love that I'm back playing, but then there are going to be the lows, and I'll think, Why am I wasting my time?
   "You know that cycle. I've gone through that with tennis my entire life. I think it's nice to have consistency and routine and not this up-and-down struggle."
   BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells -- Kevin Anderson and Mardy Fish, two part-time Capitals in 2012 who are coming back from health problems, won Monday.
   Anderson, playing in his second tournament after undergoing right elbow surgery, routed 31-year-old Jarkko Nieminen of Finland 6-3, 6-1 in the third round. Anderson, a 6-foot-8 (2.03-meter) right-hander from South Africa, will face 13th-seeded Gilles Simon of France on Wednesday.  
   Fish is competing in his first tournament in six months after battling an irregular heartbeat. The wild-card team of Fish and fellow American James Blake reached the doubles quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Feliciano Lopez of Spain and Milos Raonic of Canada.
   Fish, seeded 32nd in singles, will meet eighth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France today in the third round.
   In a second-round doubles match consisting of the entire U.S. Davis Cup team that beat Brazil last month, top-seeded Bob and Mike Bryan dismissed 6-foot-9 (2.06-meter) John Isner and 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) Sam Querrey 6-3, 6-3. Querrey also played part-time for the Capitals last year.
   The 34-year-old Bryan twins, who grew up about a two-hour drive west in the Los Angeles area, seek their first Indian Wells title. 

COLLEGE SCORE

Men

   Pacific def. Texas-Arlington 4-0 in Stockton. No. 1 singles: Sem Verbeek (P) led Yauheni Yakauleu 7-6 (2), 1-0 (did not finish).

Fish wins in singles comeback after health scare

Mardy Fish, left, chats with close friend and doubles partner
Andy Roddick at last year's BNP Paribas Open. Roddick retired
last September, and Fish came close to following him. They won
the 2009 doubles title at Indian Wells. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Mardy Fish was just happy to be on the court.
   Winning was a bonus.
   In his first official singles match in six months, the 32nd-seeded Fish edged qualifier Bobby Reynolds 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 Sunday in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
   Fish is scheduled to return for his second part-time season with the Sacramento Capitals in World TeamTennis in July. He trailed by a break in the last set against Reynolds in a matchup of 30-something Americans but won the final four games. Reynolds embraced Fish after the match.
   Fish, who drew a bye in the first round, has battled an irregular heartbeat since last spring. He had not played since defaulting against Roger Federer in the round of 16 at the U.S. Open last September because of his heart problem.
   "It's been a tough few months, for sure," a subdued Fish, 31, told Tennis Channel analyst Justin Gimelstob. "You sort of feel like it was a win just to go back out there.
   "I retired (from tennis) about 15 times in my mind. Only a few people know what we went through. I say 'we' because it's a team."
   Ranked as high as No. 7 in 2011, Fish has dropped to No. 32. He defeated Federer in the 2008 semifinals at Indian Wells before losing to Novak Djokovic.
   Fish will meet eighth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France on Tuesday in the third round. Tsonga beat wild card James Blake of the United States 7-6 (6), 6-4.
   The wild-card team of Blake and Fish will play Feliciano Lopez of Spain and Milos Raonic of Canada today in the second round.
   Sam Querrey, who also played part-time for the Capitals last season, dispatched 6-foot-10 (2.08-meter) qualifier Ivo Karlovic 6-3, 6-4 in the second round.
   Querrey, ranked 23rd, almost certainly will replace John Isner as the top American when the new rankings are released next Monday. The 15th-seeded Isner, who toppled Djokovic in last year's semifinals at Indian Wells before losing to Federer, fell in the second round to 32-year-old Lleyton Hewitt, who won the title in 2002 and 2003.
   On the women's side, 13th-seeded Maria Kirilenko of Russia stopped qualifier Mallory Burdette of the United States 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in the third round.
   Burdette, who turned pro six months ago after her junior season at Stanford, will crack or approach the top 100 in the new rankings. She's currently No. 125.
   Kirilenko, a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon and Indian Wells last year, won the title at Pattaya City in Thailand last month. 

COLLEGE SCORES

Men

   No. 24 Cal def. No. 4 Duke 4-3 in Berkeley. No. 1 singles: No. 9 Henrique Cunha (D) def. No. 56 Ben McLachlan 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-4. Records: Cal 7-5, Duke 12-3.
   No. 49 Stanford def. Boise State 4-3 at Stanford. No. 1 singles: No. 30 Andrew Bettles (BSU) def. No. 45 John Morrissey 6-4, 7-6 (2).
   Nevada def. Sacramento State 4-3 in Sacramento. No. 1 singles: Victor Ouvrard (N) def. Aliaksandr Malko (substituting for injured Marek Marksoo) 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4. Records: Nevada 8-4, Sac State 4-9.
   Santa Clara def. Northern Arizona 5-2 in Santa Clara. No. 1 singles: No. 66 John Lamble (SC) def. Shaun Waters 6-3, 6-4. Records: Santa Clara 11-5, Northern Arizona 2-12.
   Texas-Arlington def. UC Davis 5-2 in Davis. No. 1 singles: Yauheni Yakauleu (TA) def. Toki Sherbakov 6-4, 7-5. Records: Texas-Arlington 5-4, UC Davis 6-8.

Women

   No. 20 Stanford def. No. 38 Texas 7-0 at Stanford. No. 1 singles: No. 87 Nicole Gibbs (S) def. No. 28 Aeriel Ellis 2-6, 6-4, 10-1 match tiebreaker. Records: Stanford 8-2, Texas 3-6.
   No. 49 Saint Mary's def. USF 6-1 in San Francisco. No. 1 singles: No. 18 Jenny Jullien (SM) def. Andrea Ka 6-2, 6-4. Records: Saint Mary's 7-6, USF 6-3.
   Sacramento State def. Northern Arizona 5-2 in Sacramento. No. 1 singles: Rebeca Delgado (SS) def. Ghizelene Doballah 6-1, 6-0. Records: Sac State 2-7, Northern Arizona 6-8.
   Cal State Northridge def. Pacific 4-3 in Northridge. No. 1 singles: Maria Pistalu (CSN) def. Iveta Masarova 3-6, 6-1, 6-0. Records: Cal State Northridge 6-3, Pacific 6-6.

U.S. qualifier shocks ex-SAP champ; WTT marquee draft

Qualifier Tim Smyczek signs autographs after stunning fifth
seed and 2010 champion  Fernando Verdasco in the first round
of the SAP Open on Tuesday night. Photo by Paul Bauman

   SAN JOSE -- Little Tim Smyczek gave the United States a big lift Tuesday night.
   Three Americans -- Ryan Harrison and wild card Jack Sock, both 20, and qualifier Ryan Sweeting -- fell in consecutive singles matches on the only court at HP Pavilion during the day session in the SAP Open.
   Combined with wild card Bradley Klahn's loss on Monday night, that brought the United States' singles record in the tournament to 0-4 with the big guns, second-seeded John Isner (6-foot-9, 2.06 meters) and third-seeded Sam Querrey (6-foot-6, 1.98 meters), and others yet to play.
    But in the last match of the night, the 5-foot-9 (1.75-meter), 145-pound (66-kilogram) Smyczek dismissed fifth-seeded Fernando Verdasco, the SAP Open champion in 2010 and runner-up in 2011, 6-3, 6-3 in the first round.
   "It's one of my best moments on a tennis court," Smyczek (pronounced SMEE-check) -- a 25-year-old qualifier from Milwaukee, of all places -- told the announced crowd of 3,418 afterward. "It's always great coming back to San Jose. I've had a lot of success here."
   A four-time qualifier in San Jose, Smyczek received a wild card in the 2011 SAP Open and reached the quarterfinals. He also has advanced to the second round of the last two Grand Slam tournaments, the Australian Open and the U.S. Open, as a qualifier.  
   Verdasco, a Spaniard ranked No. 24 in the world, is the second-highest-ranked player Smyczek has beaten. He knocked off then-No. 19 Jurgen Melzer of Austria in the first round at Delray Beach (Fla.) -- as a qualifier, of course -- last February before losing to Bernard Tomic of Australia in the second round.
   Smyczek, ranked No. 105, will face the winner of today's match between 6-foot-10 (2.08-meter) Ivo Karlovic of Croatia and American wild card Steve Johnson, who won the last two NCAA singles titles before completing his eligibility at USC.
   Win or lose, Smyczek likely will crack the top 100 for the first time when the next rankings are released on Monday.
   "It's a longtime goal," Smyczek said. "It's been a long road, and to almost be there is really exciting."

Bob Bryan, right, waits to return serve as Mike Bryan watches during their
first-round match against fellow Americans  Steve Johnson and Jack Sock.
Photo by Paul Bauman

   Before Smyczek and Verdasco took the court, top-seeded Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan edged U.S. wild cards Johnson and Jack Sock 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5) in the first round of doubles. Johnson and Sock won the first eight points against the Bryans, who were coming off a rare Davis Cup loss.
   "They came out on fire and caught us a little off guard," Bob Bryan said. " ... They were gunning for us, so  we had our hands full. I thought we started playing pretty well there and fought them off."
   The 34-year-old identical twins have won virtually every honor in men's doubles, including a record 13 Grand Slam titles, an Olympic gold medal and a Davis Cup title. But the Bryans have never won the SAP Open in nine attempts.
   They have reached one final in the tournament, losing to Scott Lipsky and David Martin five years ago in a matchup of four former Stanford players. The campus is 20 miles (33 kilometers) northwest of HP Pavilion, and the Bryans had many supporters in the stands Tuesday night.
   This is the Bryans' last shot at the title. The tournament, the second-oldest professional event in the United States behind the U.S. Open, will be replaced on the calendar by Rio de Janeiro beginning in 2014 after 125 years in Northern California.
   "It would be pretty satisfying to get this one," said Mike Bryan, who wore a Stanford cap at the postmatch news conference. "It's eluded us (almost) 10 times. We've been in the finals once or twice. It would be nice to check this one off, especially being from Stanford and having a lot of our friends come out. Now is the year to do it. It won't eat us alive if we don't do it, but we really want to try to play well here."
   The Bryans led Stanford to NCAA titles both years they attended the school, 1997 and 1998, before turning pro. On Monday, they returned to campus and visited their old coach, Dick Gould, and John Whitlinger, who took over in 2005 after Gould became Stanford's director of tennis.
   "Stanford was definitely two of the most fun years we've ever had playing this game," Bob Bryan said. "Playing for a team, it was a blast. To go back there and look at that stadium where we have so many great memories is awesome.
   "We went to the Stanford gift shop and dropped a few hundred dollars on Stanford gear to take home. It's fun to relive those memories and look up on the wall and see the national title plaques. Dick Gould has some amazing monuments there (commemorating every Grand Slam champion from Stanford), so it's kind of cool to see your name etched in the stone wall."
   WTT marquee draft -- The Sacramento Capitals of World TeamTennis protected their rights to Querrey and Mardy Fish, two of the top three Americans, in Tuesday's marquee draft.
   Querrey is scheduled to play the last week of the three-week regular season in July, and Fish plans to play two or three home matches on dates to be announced. However, Fish has been sidelined since last September with a heart problem. He underwent a procedure for an irregular heartbeat last April.
   Querrey (No. 20) and Fish (No. 32) are the second- and third-ranked Americans behind John Isner (No. 16). Querrey played six of Sacramento's 14 regular-season matches last year, finishing second in men's singles by winning 58.0 percent of his games, and Fish two.
   Neither competed in the playoffs as the Capitals fell to the Washington Kastles 20-19 in the WTT Finals.
   Bob and Mike Bryan of the new Texas Wild, which relocated to Irving after 20 years in Kansas City, will face their father, longtime Capitals coach Wayne Bryan, again on a date to be announced at Sacramento.
   Top pick Andy Roddick, who retired from the men's circuit last September, is scheduled to play five matches for the Springfield (Mo.) Lasers.
   Venus Williams will return part-time to Washington, and 19-year-old Sloane Stephens, who reached the semifinals of last month's Australian Open, will play a limited schedule for the Philadelphia Freedoms.  
   Teams will complete their lineups in the March 12 roster draft in Indian Wells. The 2013 schedule will be released during the week of March 4.

SAP OPEN

In San Jose

First-round singles

   Vasek Pospisil, Canada, def. Evgeny Donskoy, Russia, 7-5, 6-1.
   Lleyton Hewitt, Australia, def. Blaz Kavcic, Slovenia, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4).
   Benjamin Becker, Germany, def. Ryan Harrison, United States, 6-7 (3), 7-5, 6-3.
   Marinko Matosevic (7), Australia, def. Jack Sock, United States, 7-6 (5), 6-1.
   Denis Istomin (6), Uzbekistan, def. Ryan Sweeting, United States, 6-3, 6-4.
   Tim Smyczek, United States, def. Fernando Verdasco (5), Spain, 6-3, 6-3.

First-round doubles

   Matthew Ebden, Australia, and Michael Russell, United States, def. Benjamin Becker, Germany, and Flavio Cipolla, Italy, 6-3, 7-6 (6).
   Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan (1), United States, def. Steve Johnson and Jack Sock, United States, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5).

Today's schedule

Center Court

(Beginning at 9:30 a.m.)

   Flavio Cipolla, Italy, vs. Alejandro Falla, Colombia.
   Matthew Ebden, Australia, vs. Rik de Voest, South Africa.
   Philipp Marx, Germany, and Florin Mergea, Romania, vs. Lleyton Hewitt and Marinko Matosevic, Australia.
   Michael Russell, United States, vs. Donald Young, United States.
   Ivo Karlovic, Croatia, vs. Steve Johnson, United States.

(Not before 7 p.m.)

   Vasek Pospisil, Canada, vs. John Isner (2), United States.

   Jesse Levine, Canada, vs. Tommy Haas (4), Germany.

Courtside Club 16

(Beginning at 4 p.m.)

   Nicholas Monroe, United States, and Simon Stadler, Germany, vs. Mikhail Elgin, Russia, and Denis Istomin, Uzbekistan.

   Jamie Murray, Great Britain, and John Peers, Australia, vs. Xavier Malisse, Belgium, and Frank Moser (4), Germany.

Fish withdraws from SAP; rankings, TV, calendar

   Mardy Fish's career is in jeopardy, but he has far greater concerns.
   The 31-year-old American withdrew from the SAP Open in San Jose with ongoing heart issues, tournament officials announced this week.

Mardy Fish, shown at Indian Wells last March,
has not played since the U.S. Open in early
September. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Fish reached the SAP Open singles final in 2004, losing to close friend Andy Roddick, and 2009, falling to Radek Stepanek. He won the doubles title in 2004 with James Blake and 2010 with Sam Querrey.

   Fish underwent a procedure on May 23 for an accelerated heartbeat. He ended a two-month layoff in late June and played until early September, reaching the round of 16 at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open and competing in his two scheduled matches for the Sacramento Capitals of World TeamTennis. However, he has not played in a tournament since Flushing Meadows.
   Ranked a career-high No. 7 in 2011, Fish has dropped to No. 31.
   The SAP Open will be played for the 125th and final time Feb. 11-17 at HP Pavilion. The second-oldest men's professional tournament in the United States will be replaced on the calendar by Rio de Janeiro beginning in 2014.
   Heading this year's field are 15th-ranked Milos Raonic, the two-time defending champion from Canada, and John Isner, the top-ranked American at No. 16.
   For ticket information, visit www.sapopentennis.com.

PRO RANKINGS

   Following are this week's world rankings of professional players with Northern California ties (change from last week in parentheses):

Men

   Kevin Anderson, Sacramento Capitals (2012) of World TeamTennis -- No. 29 in singles (+2), No. 79 in doubles (+12).
   Nick Andrews, Cal All-American in 2012, resident of Folsom in the Sacramento area -- No. 1,069 in doubles (+2), No. 1,511 in singles (+5).  
   Bob Bryan, 1998 NCAA doubles champion from Stanford -- No. 2 in doubles (no change), unranked in singles.
   Mike Bryan, 1998 NCAA doubles champion from Stanford -- Career-high No. 1 in doubles (no change), unranked in singles.
   Mardy Fish, Capitals (2012) -- No. 31 in singles (-4), No. 725 in doubles (+6).
   John Paul Fruttero, Cal All-American in 2001 and 2002 -- No. 138 in doubles (-6), unranked in singles.
   Artem Ilyushin, resident of Granite Bay in the Sacramento area -- No. 1,100 in singles (+2), No. 1,512 in doubles (-5).
   Bradley Klahn, 2010 NCAA singles champion and 2011 NCAA doubles runner-up from Stanford -- Career-high No. 224 in singles (+31), No. 523 in doubles (+54).
   Alex Kuznetsov, Capitals (2012) -- No. 265 in singles (-46), No. 224 in doubles (no change).
   Scott Lipsky, 2002 NCAA doubles runner-up from Stanford -- No. 28 in doubles (-3), unranked in singles.
   Sam Querrey, San Francisco native, Capitals (2012) -- No. 22 in singles (no change), No. 45 in doubles (no change).
   Ryan Sweeting, Capitals (2012) -- No. 163 in singles (-10), No. 1,092 in doubles (+2).
   Ryan Thacher, 2011 NCAA doubles runner-up from Stanford -- No. 546 in doubles (no change), career-high No. 981 in singles (+6).
   Dmitry Tursunov, Folsom resident -- No. 123 in singles (-2), No. 285 in doubles (+4).
   Pedro Zerbini, All-Pacific-10 Conference first team at Cal (2009-11) -- Career-high No. 468 in singles (+14), career-high No. 549 in doubles (+57).

Women

   Mallory Burdette, NCAA singles runner-up in 2012 and NCAA doubles champion in 2011 and 2012 from Stanford -- No. 145 in singles (-1), No. 433 in doubles (-5). 
   Vania King, Capitals (2010-12) -- No. 28 in doubles (-8), No. 104 in singles (-28).
   Raquel Kops-Jones, 2003 NCAA doubles champion from Cal -- Career-high No. 13 in doubles (+1), No. 1,109 in singles (-1).
   Asia Muhammad, Capitals (2012) -- No. 164 in doubles (-3), No. 437 in singles (+33).
   Maria Sanchez, Modesto resident -- No. 114 in doubles (+1), career-high No. 117 in singles (+11).

   Yasmin Schnack, resident of Elk Grove in the Sacramento area, Capitals (2011-12) -- No. 174 in doubles (-7), No. 686 in singles (-135).

   Romana Tedjakusuma, Tracy resident -- No. 464 in singles (no change), No. 1,107 in doubles (no change).
   CoCo Vandeweghe, Capitals (2009, 2012) -- No. 99 in singles (no change), No. 495 in doubles (no change).

TV SCHEDULE
(All times PST)

   Today -- Australian Open women's final, Tennis Channel, 4-7 p.m. (repeat). 
   Friday -- Paris (women), Tennis Channel, 5:30-9:30 a.m. (live). Davis Cup, Brazil at United States, Tennis Channel, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (live); Czech Republic at Switzerland, Tennis Channel, 5-10 p.m. (delay). 
   Saturday -- Paris (women), semifinals, Tennis Channel, 5:30-9:30 a.m. (live). Davis Cup, Brazil at United States, Tennis Channel, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (live); Czech Republic at Switzerland, Tennis Channel, 5-8 p.m. (delay). 
   Sunday --Paris (women), final, Tennis Channel, 6:30-8:30 a.m. (live). Davis Cup, Brazil at United States, Tennis Channel, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (live); Czech Republic at Switzerland, Tennis Channel, 5-11 p.m. (delay).

CALENDAR

   Friday -- Sacramento State women open spring season at Arizona, 12:30 p.m., www.hornetsports.com.
   Friday-Sunday -- Davis Cup, first round, United States vs. Brazil in Jacksonville, Fla, www.daviscup.com.
   Feb. 9-10, 2013 -- Fed Cup, first round, United States at Italy, www.fedcup.com.
   Feb. 11-17, 2013 -- SAP Open, HP Pavilion in San Jose, www.sapopentennis.com. 2012 champions: Milos Raonic, Mark Knowles-Xavier Malisse.
   March 4-17, 2013 -- BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, Calif., www.bnpparibasopen.com. 2012 champions: Roger Federer, Victoria Azarenka, Marc Lopez-Rafael Nadal, Liezel Huber-Lisa Raymond.
   April 26-28 -- Big Sky Conference men's and women's tournament, Gold River Racquet Club, Gold River, Calif., www.bigskyconf.com.