Off-court at the 29th ARAG ATP World Team Championship in Dusseldorf, the eight competing nations and their players have been kept busy with a whole range of activities.
Saturday, 27 May 2006
Michael Kohlmann and Alexander Waske won the doubles classification following the conclusion of round robin action.
The German duo remained undefeated in all their three Red Group rubbers and conceded just one set. They will share the bonus money for first and second place of €12,000 and €10,000.
Croat Ivo Karlovic finished third cashing €7,000. Karlovic won two doubles together with Ivan Ljubicic in straight sets and defeated Chile�s Paul Capdeville-Adrian Garcia in his last doubles together with Mario Ancic in three sets.
While Kohlmann and Waske both had a tally of 43-31 games, Karlovic�s was 44-33.
The winning doubles in the final will receive an additional €10,000 and the Rheinische Post Doubles Cup.
Friday, May 25 2006
For the only the eighth time in the 29-year history of the ARAG ATP World Team Championship matches have had to be moved to the alternative site.
The weather conditions made the move necessary for the decisive match between Chile and Croatia.
The last move to the Ice Stadium was made in 2003, the first in 1983.
ACQUARIUM ADVENTURE
Ever played tennis with dolphins? That�s what Nicolas Kiefer did at Duisburg Zoo.
�Kiwi� played with the dolphins for one hour. He liked his new friends so much he admitted afterwards �I would have liked to take one with me and put it in a large pool behind the bench on the Center Court at the Rochusclub��
The dolphins showed their appreciation by saying goodbye to the German No. 1 with a kiss.
The promotion had a charity-related background, with Dietloff von Arnim, tournament director of the ARAG ATP World Team Championship, presenting a cheque for €1,200 for a new roof to the director of the Duisburg Zoo.
Thursday, May 24 2006
The ATP Doubles Revolution hit Duesseldorf, with American twins Bob and Mike Bryan participating.
Two amateur players drawn at random, from around 10,000 clubs, had the opportunity to play against the No. 1 team in the Stanford ATP Doubles Race on Court 6 at the Rochusclub.
Brothers Ario and Dino Harjosuwito drove through the German city in the ARAG ATP World Team Championship bus to the home of the event.
After the pro-am, the Harjosuwito brothers said: �Bob and Mike were really nice. It was a lot of fun.�
The Bryans added: �Though they are not yet fit for the ATP Tour, they play good tennis.�
GERMANS TOP OF STANDINGS
The German doubles Alexander Waske and Michael Kohlmann leads the doubles rankings of the 29th ARAG WORLD TEAM CUP after two of three round robin matches. Waske and Kohlmann are undefeated after their 6-2, 6-2 win over Italians Sanguinetti-Volandri and their 6-3, 6-3 victory over Argentines Nalbandian-Prieto. Croatia�s Ivan Ljubicic-Ivo Karlovic also have yet to concede a set. They defeated the No. 1 Stanford Doubles team of American twins Bob and Mike Bryan, and Spaniards Lopez-Verdasco by identical 6-3, 7-6 scores.
The best doubles player in the round robins will receive €12,000, the second-placed €10,000. Third and fourth place are worth €7,000 and €4,000; fifth and sixth place €2,000 and €1,000. The winning doubles in the final can cash an additional €10,000 and the Rheinische Post Doubles Cup.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Adrian Garcia celebrated his 28th birthday at the Duesseldorf Rochusclub on Thursday. The Chilean was presented a special birthday cake adorned with �Happy Birthday Adrian� by the Rochusclub organising team and serenaded by Conny Franke-Prasse and his staff. Garcia appreciated the cake and greetings very much and shared the cake with his team.
Wednesday, May 23 2006
Tournament organizers welcomed back three-times Wimbledon champion Boris Becker to the Rochusclub for the first time in seven years Wednesday.
Becker, who played for Germany five times between 1989 and 1999 winning the title two times in 1989 and 1998.
The 38-year-old entrepreneur seemed surprised that the German team had already won two ties at the 2006 championship, without the services of Tommy Haas.
�It doesn�t happen every day that Nicolas Kiefer defeats a French Open champion such as Gaston Gaudio on clay,� said Becker.
During the football World Cup, which starts on June 9, Becker will commentate for pay-TV channel Premiere.
The former ATP World No. 1 will then work for the BBC at Wimbledon because �the English think I have humor�.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Fabio Fognini was visibly moved by the 19th birthday present he received from the organizing committee.
They presented him with a jumbo pizza in the Italian national colors � green, white and red - and serenaded him with candles in their hands.
Tuesday, May 23 2006
Chile�s Fernando Gonzalez will not compete against the United States in Blue Group round-robin action on Wednesday due to a right thigh muscle injury.
Gonzalez, ranked No. 9 in the INDESIT Ranking, will be replaced by Nicolas Massu as the number one player against Andy Roddick. Paul Capdeville will meet the US number two, Robby Ginepri.
Monday, May 22 2006
The Fair Play Trophy was awarded to 26-year-old American James Blake at the �Night of the Champions� Gala night at the Staendehaus.
Blake, No. 7 in the INDESIT ATP Rankings, received the trophy worth approximately €25,000 and created by the Duesseldorf jeweller Georg Hornemann, from the hands of Dr. Paul-Otto Fassbender, Chairman of the Board of title sponsor ARAG, Claudia Hornemann and tournament director Dietloff von Arnim.
�I feel more at home with the tennis racquet than with a microphone�, Blake admitted in his speech. �I am honored and appreciate the award. I would like to thank everybody.� James Blake is competing for the third time in the ARAG ATP World Team Championship since 2002 and 2003.
The jury made up of national and international tennis media experts and the team captains of the eight participating nations expressed the appreciation for Blake�s exemplary conduct on and off the tennis court in their reasoning. His fairness, also in defeats, was particularly emphasised.
Blake was elected by a large margin and thus took his place among such famous players as Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras, Michael Stich and Patrick Rafter.
The ARAG Fair Play Trophy has been awarded during the World Team Championship since 1988. Sweden�s Jonas Bjorkman won The Fair Play Trophy in 2005.
PRESIDENTIAL APPROVAL
On Sunday, Chile�s Nicolas Massu played Fernando Verdasco of Italy at the same time as Chile�s President Michelle Bachelet made a speech to her nation live on TV.
The match was not broadcast live to the Chilean nation. But by the time the President stepped down from the podium, the focus shifted to Fernando Gonzalez�s second singles rubber against David Ferrer enabling tennis fans to watch Chile�s win over Spain live 14,000 kilometres away.
Sunday, May 21 2006
For the first time in the 29-year history of the ARAG ATP World Team Championships at the Rochusclub a player appeared for his match with a number on his shirt.
Germany�s Nicolas Kiefer played his opening match against Filippo Volandri of Italy with the number �69� on the back of his shirt, first on a red one, later on a green.
In homage to his favorite football club Hannover 96, from whom he received the shirt, Kiefer added he still has a dream.
�I would like to play football for Hannover 96 in the Bundesliga, even it will be for just one minute,� said Kiefer, ranked No. 13 in the INDESIT ATP Rankings.
Saturday, May 20 2006
The �Open Day� proved to be a washout with rain and thunderstorms ensuring the Rochusclub had to be closed to the public at 2:45pm.
The conditions did not deter approximately 50 steadfast tennis fans, who went down to the Ice Stadium in an attempt to see the stars of the tournament practice there.
American James Blake was kept busy Saturday night, first kicking-off an American Football match between Rhein Fire and Cologne Centurions at 7pm before heading off to the Players� Party.
Players, tournament officials and assorted guests headed down to Dusseldorf disco Sam�s, with the Spanish and Chilean team dancing the night away after food from Pasquale Palmieri.
