Tennis on CSI, Nole Imitates Guga, and Federer’s Schedule
While Justin Gimelstob was primping his curly mane for a role in an upcoming CSI episode, we were compiling the latest and greatest stories from around the tennis world.
Yes, the commentator extraordinaire will make his on-camera debut along with hall-of-famer Chris Evert and gold medalist Lindsay Davenport. The January episode of the hit crime drama will center around the death of a – wait for it – tennis player! Mark your calendars.
Those of you who got a little teary-eyed at the conclusion of the World Tour Finals got one last dose of tennis this weekend with the 100th Davis Cup final in Prague. The tie between Spain and the Czech Republic came down to 11th-ranked Nicolas Almagro and No.31 Radek Stepanek. Unbelievably, the 33-year-old Stepanek clinched the title for the Czechs in four sets, becoming the oldest player to win the deciding fifth rubber in Davis Cup Final history. Stepanek is also known for his one-time engagement to Martina Hingis and his current marriage to former tennis phenom Nicole Vaidisova, ten years his junior. Stepanek clearly has skills on the court and off.
It’s a sad day for Argentine tennis fans as 27-year-old Gisela Dulko has unexpectedly announced her retirement. The former doubles No. 1 said this on her website, quote: "The reason why I have decided to retire from tennis is because I now have other priorities on which I want to focus. As a result, I don't have the same desire or ability to make the sacrifices which are necessary to live the life of a tennis professional."
Gustavo Kuerten came out of retirement briefly to beat world No. 1 Novak Djokovic 7-6, 7-5 in an exhibition match in Brazil Saturday attended by over 10,000 spectators. I know you’re incredibly surprised to hear that Djokovic entertained fans by dancing and putting on a “Guga”-style curly wig. Later Djokovic joined Kuerten for a charity soccer match where both tennis stars scored goals.
Roger Federer announced his schedule for 2013, and there are a few noticeable holes. Federer won’t play any warm-up tournaments before the Australian Open, and he will also skip play on the slow courts at the Sony Open after Indian Wells. And it looks like he won’t show up at his home tourney in Basel next year after rumors suggested Federer’s management was looking for near double his current $540,000 appearance fee.
Let’s get a debate going in the comment section…do you think Federer should take less money to play in his home tournament? Is he being greedy by asking for more? Let us know!