Tennis Tour Tidbits

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 14th May 2013

Tennis Tour Tidbits

epa03697643 Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal serves a ball to Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka during their Madrid Open tennis tournament final round match at the Caja Magica pavilion in Madrid, central Spain, 12 May 2013. Nadal won 6-2 and 6-4. EPA/JUAN CARLOS HIDALGO |

Rafael Nadal tells CNN that his perfect hotel room has to have enough space “especially for me because normally we have a lot of things in the room, a lot of racquets (and) I need the space for massage table. I like to feel that everything is completely clean. It’s important to feel that the bed is good.” . . . Roger Federer and Andy Murray say that if a male player came out as gay he would not face a problem on tour. “I don’t think it’s a problem, to be honest,” Federer said. “We are relaxed and don’t play team sport and mix a lot, not with the girls, but with the guys and we’re very open. Murray added: “I would hope there are no issues on the tour. You know, there have to be some players who are probably gay but I don’t think other players have any issues with it and hope tennis deals with this well. . . Sloane Stephens, Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sharapova, Caroline Wozniacki and Laura Robson were named to SportsPro’s 50 Most Marketable Athletes list. . . Chef Lauren Von Der Pool, the founder and CEO of Von Der Pool Gourmet, which specializes in exotic, vegan, and raw food cuisine, is traveling with and cooking for the Williams sisters. She is also a chef in First Lady Michelle Obama’s obesity prevention campaign. . . Chase Buchanan, former Ohio State All-America, now ranked in the top 350, will train at Ivan Lendl International Junior Tennis Academy May 20-24 with his former coach, Todd Tucker, newly hired Director of Programming and Competition at the academy. . . The Southern California Open has announced that Victoria Azarenka, and Agnieszka Radwanska will both be competing at the La Costa Resort and Spa on July 27-August 4. The tournament lost its title sponsor, Mercury Insurance and is in search of a new one. . . Serena Williams tells SI.com why she chooses not to dine with other players. “Only because, I get along with a lot of players, but I get too emotionally involved,” she said. “ I start liking people too much and it gets too hard to beat them. I feel sorry for them and then when I play them, I get depressed.”