Tennis Tour Tidbits

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 11th December 2013

Tennis Tour Tidbits

epa03919577 Serena Williams of the US celebrates after beating Angelique Kerber of Germany in their match at the WTA Championships tennis tournament in Istanbul, Turkey, 22 October 2013. EPA/SEDAT SUNA |

A fake “Roger Federer” has managed to take advantage of widespread public gullibility in Shanghai, with the faux Federer – who looks, sounds or appears absolutely nothing like the Swiss real thing – passing himself off as the great man himself on the streets of the metropolis.

Shanghai-based prankster Donnie, managed to get the attention of hundreds of local tennis fans as he wandered around with a racquet in one hand and surrounded by a couple of bodyguards. The public somehow mistook the American interloper for the world-famed Swiss and mobbed him in a show of hero-worship which typically comes out each autumn at the Shanghai Masters when the actual Federer is in town.

Donnie wore Federer’s Nike gear and a headband and got a lot of attention, according to media reports, happily signing autographs for screaming teenaged girls as well as adults of both sexes.

ADDITIONAL NEWS

Juan Reque, the former fitness trainer of Maria Sharapova, is setting up shop in San Diego. Juan Martin Del Potro has won Clarin’s Sportsman of the Year award in Argentina. . . Tennis Australia hasn’t decided whether it will offer former world No. 4 Jelena Dokic a wild card into the Australian Open. . . Ex NBA player Jason Collins and tennis’ Martina Navratilova urged the International Olympic Committee to do more to support gay athletes at a special event for International Human Rights Day. . . The 2015 Singapore Games has axed tennis. . . The ASB Classic in Auckland has played the beauty card and given wild cards to Julia Goerges and Andrea Hlavackova. . . Blaise Bicknell became the first 12 year old from Jamaica to reach the semifinals of the Eddie Herr International.

We Hear —

— that World no.9 Angelique Kerber has appointed Iranian Benjamin Ebrahimzadeh as her new coach after splitting with Torben Beltz. The German failed to reach the quarterfinals of all four majors in 2013 and said on Facebook : “Torben is a great professional and I’m really thankful for everything he has done for me and my career in the past. I wish him all the best in his coming projects. It’s time now for me to try something different and see how it goes.”

We Hear —

–That Cathie Sabin will today become the first president of Britain’s Lawn Tennis Association who is a female when she takes over from Peter Bretherton.

Topics: 10sballs, Angelique Kerber, Atp, Jelena Dokic, Juan Martin Del Potro, Maria Sharapova, Roger Federer, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, Wta