It’s been a long year on the ATP World Tour, but there is one last event to be played and there are some tremendous story lines unfolding for the first edition of the Barclay’s World Tour Finals. Dubbed as the year’s 5th Grand Slam, there are 1500 ATP points up for grabs and players will be competing in the fabulous O2 Arena. The demand for the greatest tennis players in the world has never been higher with over 250,000 tickets sold, undoubtedly a testament to the diverse talent and personalities of the participants. The overwhelming theme of the event will be the quest to secure the #1 ranking. Roger Federer has a significant lead but a dominant performance from Rafael Nadal could catapult him into the premiere spot.
The round robin competition is divided into 2 groups. Group A has Federer, Murray, Del Potro, and Verdasco. Group B has Nadal, Djokovic, Davydenko, and Soderling. Group A starts things off Sunday with Group B beginning action Monday. The opening match today fittingly pits the pride of Great Britain, Andy Murray, against the US Open champion, Juan Martin Del Potro. Both of these young stars represent a new breed of tennis players. They are both big, strong guys that have the ability to combine offensive and defensive skills effectively. They have met 5 times with Murray winning 4 out of 5, including all 3 encounters on hard courts. Del Potro has struggled with motivation after his huge win at the USO while Murray has had some issues with a wrist injury. Regardless, this should be an exciting match of two of the games most talented and complete players (Update: Murray won 6-3, 3-6, 6-2).
The first evening session of the Barclay’s World Tour Finals gives us #1 ranked Roger Federer against a rookie to this competition, Fernando Verdasco. Federer has won all 3 of their matches to date, but an interesting development this week has Darren Cahill in London coaching Verdasco. Earlier in the year Cahill had a brief stint coaching Federer before they amicably decided it wasn’t the ideal fit. No one will know the Federer game as well as Cahill and it will be captivating to see if that familiarity yields dividends for the popular Spanish left-hander.
In the opening match for Group B on Monday, Nadal will seek revenge over Soderling who ended his supremacy at the French Open earlier this year. Nadal will need to keep the ball deep, mixing up spins and paces in order to keep Soderling off balance. Soderling excels on indoor surfaces, void of variables like the wind and sun. He is capable of hitting through any opponent with his uncanny power and accuracy. Djokovic and Davydenko close out the first round of matches on Monday night. They recently played in the semi-finals of the Masters 1000 event in Shanghai with Davydenko winning in a 3rd set tiebreak. However Djokovic has had success against the Russian including his final round victory over Davydenko at last year’s World Tour Finals. They have similar styles of play, hard-hitting ground strokes and nimble movement, but the variety of Djokovic should be the determining factor.
All and all the event should prove to be a combination of great tennis and exhilarating entertainment, exactly what tennis needs right now. I'll have more updates as the week unfolds. Tune into Tennis Channel to enjoy all of the coverage in the US.
~ Justin
Tour Finals website: http://www.barclaysatpworldtourfinals.com/
International broadcast schedule: http://tinyurl.com/ykgsyuc
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
AGASSI COMPLETELY "OPEN" IN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
I just finished reading Andre Agassi’s book, and my first impression is simply, WOW!
Andre sent me the book last week and I have been reading it in segments, partially because of time constraints, but more so because there is so much thought-provoking information that it needs to be absorbed gradually. I applaud Andre for his dedication to the process of documenting the complicated life he has lived. Some people are surprised and a bit shocked at the level of detail Andre gave to the project. I am not. When he commits to something, there is no hedging. It is completely parallel to the way Andre leads his life. If he is going to do something, he is going to go all the way. After all he is from Vegas, the home of the “all-in” mentality.
There has been a tremendous amount of controversy surrounding the book. I can understand how startling it is for fans of tennis, sports, and Andre to read and see a side of Andre they never knew. That being said, I am still a bit shocked at how emotionally people have reacted to some of the salacious revelations in the book. It demonstrates how people tend to idealize the lives of people in the public eye. Getting caught up with the scandals does the book a tremendous disservice. The book is so far beyond sensational anecdotes. I am by no means condoning drug use, tanking matches, and other emotionally unstable behavior. I just see those revelations as symptoms of a much more complicated journey.
“OPEN” is a story that delves into a tortured sole, a gifted genius searching for the unconditional love he wasn’t given at an early age. Andre is an extremely talented person, bestowed with tremendous gifts, and the book describes his process in trying to come to grips with everything, good and bad, that those gifts created. Andre made mistakes in his life, as have we all, but the amount of good he has bestowed upon society outweighs the flaws and missteps by an astronomical margin.
“OPEN” is also very well written. Set in the present tense, it does an excellent job of making you feel connected to the ever-winding journey Andre is going through. Having lived through many of the scenes Andre depicted, it is interesting to observe his reality; and, it is also important to realize just that, these are “his realities.”
While it is painful to read about his relationship with his father, the unsettling revelations about his 1st marriage, and his internal angst with the sport of tennis, above all I feel compassion for a sensitive soul that is constantly searching for answers. I’ve been fortunate enough to know Andre for 15 years and his generosity and thoughtfulness is unmatched. No doubt “OPEN” reveals information that is disappointing but there is nothing that could be revealed that doesn’t further demonstrate that no matter what anyone has accomplished professionally or how great their life may seem from the outside, that life presents harsh challenges. We are all flawed and we all have demons, but Andre’s journey demonstrates the power of the human spirit. In “OPEN” Andre Agassi illustrates how with enough dedication you can learn about yourself and thus unleash your greatest abilities in a positive way.
Andre sent me the book last week and I have been reading it in segments, partially because of time constraints, but more so because there is so much thought-provoking information that it needs to be absorbed gradually. I applaud Andre for his dedication to the process of documenting the complicated life he has lived. Some people are surprised and a bit shocked at the level of detail Andre gave to the project. I am not. When he commits to something, there is no hedging. It is completely parallel to the way Andre leads his life. If he is going to do something, he is going to go all the way. After all he is from Vegas, the home of the “all-in” mentality.
There has been a tremendous amount of controversy surrounding the book. I can understand how startling it is for fans of tennis, sports, and Andre to read and see a side of Andre they never knew. That being said, I am still a bit shocked at how emotionally people have reacted to some of the salacious revelations in the book. It demonstrates how people tend to idealize the lives of people in the public eye. Getting caught up with the scandals does the book a tremendous disservice. The book is so far beyond sensational anecdotes. I am by no means condoning drug use, tanking matches, and other emotionally unstable behavior. I just see those revelations as symptoms of a much more complicated journey.
“OPEN” is a story that delves into a tortured sole, a gifted genius searching for the unconditional love he wasn’t given at an early age. Andre is an extremely talented person, bestowed with tremendous gifts, and the book describes his process in trying to come to grips with everything, good and bad, that those gifts created. Andre made mistakes in his life, as have we all, but the amount of good he has bestowed upon society outweighs the flaws and missteps by an astronomical margin.
“OPEN” is also very well written. Set in the present tense, it does an excellent job of making you feel connected to the ever-winding journey Andre is going through. Having lived through many of the scenes Andre depicted, it is interesting to observe his reality; and, it is also important to realize just that, these are “his realities.”
While it is painful to read about his relationship with his father, the unsettling revelations about his 1st marriage, and his internal angst with the sport of tennis, above all I feel compassion for a sensitive soul that is constantly searching for answers. I’ve been fortunate enough to know Andre for 15 years and his generosity and thoughtfulness is unmatched. No doubt “OPEN” reveals information that is disappointing but there is nothing that could be revealed that doesn’t further demonstrate that no matter what anyone has accomplished professionally or how great their life may seem from the outside, that life presents harsh challenges. We are all flawed and we all have demons, but Andre’s journey demonstrates the power of the human spirit. In “OPEN” Andre Agassi illustrates how with enough dedication you can learn about yourself and thus unleash your greatest abilities in a positive way.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
The Long Season
Professional tennis in the Fall has one recurring theme, the ongoing debate over the length of the tennis season. Players, the media, fans, everyone loves weighing in on this topic and invariably the constant theme is the tennis calendar is too long. However it does a disservice to simplify the debate without an objective and detailed understanding of all the opposing forces that have created this long-standing issue.
There are a few ways of looking at this. The most obvious is that if something should be a certain way, just get it done and make it happen. Unfortunately, much like in life, tennis is complicated, and sometimes what should happen on the surface has a zillion moving parts and if one is tweaked there is a ripple effect on many other parts of the system.
I'm sure we can all agree that tennis is an incredibly physical sport with the additional component of its international nature leading to excessive travel across multiple timezones. Players need ample time to regenerate both physically and mentally. How many times have you returned home from a two week road trip and felt you needed a few days to recover from living out of a suitcase? Now imagine 32 to 40 weeks on the road each year. Even if a player can carve out 6 weeks off at the end of the season, very little of that time can be used to completely detach from the sport because so much time is required to build a physical base for the upcoming season. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that the main reason professional tennis is active 11 months a year is because of the demand for the product throughout the world. Tennis has prospered in regions like the Far East, South America, and Eastern Europe, creating more job opportunities for tennis players. The ATP WORLD TOUR has an obligation to all of its members, both players and tournaments alike, to create and foster job opportunities when possible. It is a difficult balance to moderate and one that obviously has a ways to go.
Fostering change in tennis is always a difficult proposition because of the many competing interests. Top players, who are carrying a disproportionate responsibility in the prosperity of the game, would certainly advocate a shorter schedule, thus creating more time to rest but also to allow more opportunity for lucrative “special events” like exhibitions where the work/reward ratio is tremendous. Lower ranked players will always push back against a shorter calendar, as they want the opportunity to play more and thus make more money.
We know one thing for sure, we want to encourage and foster an environment that enables and encourages our star players to stay active in the sport as long as possible. Hopefully we all can work together to find a balance that keeps both the players and sport healthy.
What do you think?
~ Justin
There are a few ways of looking at this. The most obvious is that if something should be a certain way, just get it done and make it happen. Unfortunately, much like in life, tennis is complicated, and sometimes what should happen on the surface has a zillion moving parts and if one is tweaked there is a ripple effect on many other parts of the system.
I'm sure we can all agree that tennis is an incredibly physical sport with the additional component of its international nature leading to excessive travel across multiple timezones. Players need ample time to regenerate both physically and mentally. How many times have you returned home from a two week road trip and felt you needed a few days to recover from living out of a suitcase? Now imagine 32 to 40 weeks on the road each year. Even if a player can carve out 6 weeks off at the end of the season, very little of that time can be used to completely detach from the sport because so much time is required to build a physical base for the upcoming season. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that the main reason professional tennis is active 11 months a year is because of the demand for the product throughout the world. Tennis has prospered in regions like the Far East, South America, and Eastern Europe, creating more job opportunities for tennis players. The ATP WORLD TOUR has an obligation to all of its members, both players and tournaments alike, to create and foster job opportunities when possible. It is a difficult balance to moderate and one that obviously has a ways to go.
Fostering change in tennis is always a difficult proposition because of the many competing interests. Top players, who are carrying a disproportionate responsibility in the prosperity of the game, would certainly advocate a shorter schedule, thus creating more time to rest but also to allow more opportunity for lucrative “special events” like exhibitions where the work/reward ratio is tremendous. Lower ranked players will always push back against a shorter calendar, as they want the opportunity to play more and thus make more money.
We know one thing for sure, we want to encourage and foster an environment that enables and encourages our star players to stay active in the sport as long as possible. Hopefully we all can work together to find a balance that keeps both the players and sport healthy.
What do you think?
~ Justin
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The Fall Tennis Season
For many the perception of professional tennis in the Fall is one of the players being on cruise control. That is hardly the case, quite the contrary actually.
The intensity and pressure reaches tremendous heights as players vie for 2 major goals. For the top echelon of players it is securing their place in the World Tour Finals, debuting in London this year, which promises to be an amazing event. The 2nd goal pertains to every professional tennis player, regardless of their ranking or stature in the sport, achieving the highest year-end ranking they possibly can.
The Fall schedule on the ATP World Tour calendar has a prestigious swing through Asia highlighted by 500 Series events in Beijing and Tokyo, followed by the inaugural Master’s 1000 event taking place at a mega facility in Shanghai. Following the Asian swing, players choose from numerous events in Europe, with the final Master’s 1000 event taking place in Paris before the top 8 players of the 2009 season participate in the 5th major, the World Tour Finals. So far Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal.
Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, and Juan Martin Del Potro have secured their places in London, but the final 3 spots are totally up for grabs. Andy Roddick, Fernando Verdasco, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Robin Soderling, Giles Simon and Nikolay Davydenko are the players best positioned to compete for the remaining spots. In addition to the ATP World Tour events, the Davis Cup final between Spain and the Czech Republic will take place in the beginning of December in Spain, as Spain will try to repeat as champions.
There are many intriguing story lines that will be answered in the last few weeks of the 2009 tennis year. How will Juan Martin Del Potro respond to the hero’s welcome he received upon returning to his native Argentina after winning the US OPEN? Rafael Nadal left the US OPEN with questions regarding his health after an abdominal injury and he will be looking to get back to his winning ways. Andy Murray had an enigmatic loss at the US OPEN and will be facing tremendous pressure coming back home to London for the World Tour Finals. Roger Federer looks to finish off his monumental year on a positive note. Novak Djokovic will be defending last year’s win in the World Tour Finals, while Andy Roddick will be trying to find the form that put him within points of the Wimbledon crown. Fernando Verdasco and Robin Soderling are trying to punctuate their breakthrough years by gaining their 1st berths in the World Tour Finals.
All and all there will be some scintillating tennis down the stretch of this already enticing 2009 season, so check it out, and enjoy.
The intensity and pressure reaches tremendous heights as players vie for 2 major goals. For the top echelon of players it is securing their place in the World Tour Finals, debuting in London this year, which promises to be an amazing event. The 2nd goal pertains to every professional tennis player, regardless of their ranking or stature in the sport, achieving the highest year-end ranking they possibly can.
The Fall schedule on the ATP World Tour calendar has a prestigious swing through Asia highlighted by 500 Series events in Beijing and Tokyo, followed by the inaugural Master’s 1000 event taking place at a mega facility in Shanghai. Following the Asian swing, players choose from numerous events in Europe, with the final Master’s 1000 event taking place in Paris before the top 8 players of the 2009 season participate in the 5th major, the World Tour Finals. So far Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal.
Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, and Juan Martin Del Potro have secured their places in London, but the final 3 spots are totally up for grabs. Andy Roddick, Fernando Verdasco, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Robin Soderling, Giles Simon and Nikolay Davydenko are the players best positioned to compete for the remaining spots. In addition to the ATP World Tour events, the Davis Cup final between Spain and the Czech Republic will take place in the beginning of December in Spain, as Spain will try to repeat as champions.
There are many intriguing story lines that will be answered in the last few weeks of the 2009 tennis year. How will Juan Martin Del Potro respond to the hero’s welcome he received upon returning to his native Argentina after winning the US OPEN? Rafael Nadal left the US OPEN with questions regarding his health after an abdominal injury and he will be looking to get back to his winning ways. Andy Murray had an enigmatic loss at the US OPEN and will be facing tremendous pressure coming back home to London for the World Tour Finals. Roger Federer looks to finish off his monumental year on a positive note. Novak Djokovic will be defending last year’s win in the World Tour Finals, while Andy Roddick will be trying to find the form that put him within points of the Wimbledon crown. Fernando Verdasco and Robin Soderling are trying to punctuate their breakthrough years by gaining their 1st berths in the World Tour Finals.
All and all there will be some scintillating tennis down the stretch of this already enticing 2009 season, so check it out, and enjoy.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Athletes don't retire, they just hibernate for a while
The news of Justine Henin’s possible comeback shouldn’t catch anyone by surprise. Athletes that prematurely retire quickly realize nothing they do in the next phase of their lives can replace the void left behind, it’s that simple. Thus they do the only thing they know, which is to come back in an attempt to recapture what they had tried and probably subconsciously hoped they could leave behind.
Elite athletes are almost programmed from a young age to achieve. Every minute of their day in some way is connected to them squeezing every ounce of potential out of their bodies, and once they decide that the work outweighs the rewards, they run toward normalcy. However it usually doesn’t take long for them to realize that what made them great in the first place was enjoying the effort and sacrifice aligned with high achievement. Factor in the adrenaline of competing, and the void of that no longer being a part of your life, then all roads point right back to the field or court that gives you the best chance to recapture the “fix” you have grown addicted to.
The sad reality is very little in the regular day life can compare to what goes on between the lines of elite competition and whatever normalcy is sacrificed is quickly deemed a worthy sacrifice once that normalcy becomes commonplace. Athletes have the cruelty of life’s greatest resource after their careers end, time. For most that is a luxury, but when you are struggling to find meaning in your life, as most do, it is torturous. It is the aberration, not the norm, for athletes to find peace in life after their playing careers, and those that do have most often been able to put their learned skill set and passion into another endeavor.
Look at two of the biggest symbols of not being able to let go. Brett Favre has tarnished his legacy with these emotionally charged retirement events that eventually segue into comical comebacks. Michael Jordan, perhaps the best basketball player in history, is so lost he spent most of his Hall of Fame induction speech mocking his former adversaries and dropping hints about a possible return at 50. It seems like some sort of undiagnosed disease afflicts certain athletes, “comebackitis” Even the most successful 2nd career athletes, i.e. Magic Johnson or Oscar De La Hoya, would most likely trade everything in just to be able to restart the cycle of competing.
I don’t know Justine Henin too well and it is fundamentally unfair to draw conclusions when you don’t have all the information, but hearing that she might come back, especially after her compatriot, Kim Clijsters just returned so triumphantly, is hardly surprising. It would be unique if she actually walked away from the game and never looked back.
Elite athletes are almost programmed from a young age to achieve. Every minute of their day in some way is connected to them squeezing every ounce of potential out of their bodies, and once they decide that the work outweighs the rewards, they run toward normalcy. However it usually doesn’t take long for them to realize that what made them great in the first place was enjoying the effort and sacrifice aligned with high achievement. Factor in the adrenaline of competing, and the void of that no longer being a part of your life, then all roads point right back to the field or court that gives you the best chance to recapture the “fix” you have grown addicted to.
The sad reality is very little in the regular day life can compare to what goes on between the lines of elite competition and whatever normalcy is sacrificed is quickly deemed a worthy sacrifice once that normalcy becomes commonplace. Athletes have the cruelty of life’s greatest resource after their careers end, time. For most that is a luxury, but when you are struggling to find meaning in your life, as most do, it is torturous. It is the aberration, not the norm, for athletes to find peace in life after their playing careers, and those that do have most often been able to put their learned skill set and passion into another endeavor.
Look at two of the biggest symbols of not being able to let go. Brett Favre has tarnished his legacy with these emotionally charged retirement events that eventually segue into comical comebacks. Michael Jordan, perhaps the best basketball player in history, is so lost he spent most of his Hall of Fame induction speech mocking his former adversaries and dropping hints about a possible return at 50. It seems like some sort of undiagnosed disease afflicts certain athletes, “comebackitis” Even the most successful 2nd career athletes, i.e. Magic Johnson or Oscar De La Hoya, would most likely trade everything in just to be able to restart the cycle of competing.
I don’t know Justine Henin too well and it is fundamentally unfair to draw conclusions when you don’t have all the information, but hearing that she might come back, especially after her compatriot, Kim Clijsters just returned so triumphantly, is hardly surprising. It would be unique if she actually walked away from the game and never looked back.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
US Open wrap up
Well it was certainly an amazing US OPEN, both between and outside the lines. Congrats to Juan Martin Del Potro and Kim Clijsters, well deserving champions. I admit when I am wrong, and while I always believed Del Potro would be a force in the game and a Grand Slam champion, I thought Andy Murray would beat him to the Grand Slam podium. Del Potro plays with a maturity that far surpasses his 20 years of age and his forehand is an absolute hammer. He started off nervously in the final which is understandable, but Federer showed he is actually human by giving him an opening when serving to go up two sets to love, and to Del Potro's credit he took it. It is great for the game to have another star in the mix, and Juan's humble nature is something that represents the sport of tennis very well.
There were 3 prevailing stories in the women's side of the event, two good and one not so much! Firstly, Kim Clijsters was simply amazing. She came back from being retired for two years, and in her third event back, won the US OPEN, seems like a movie script! Kim has always been a very amiable woman, a favorite of players and fans alike. The way she handled everything shines brightly on the sport - a championship tennis career with a young family in tow is a challenging balance to achieve.
Melanie Oudin was the breakout star of the US OPEN. She captivated the public with her tenacious attitude, bubbly spirit, and exceptional play. She has been burning up the talk show circuit with appearances on "The Tonight Show" and "The Ellen Degeneres Show" since the event ended.
Unfortunately, the US OPEN wasn't without controversy. Serena Williams' much publicized outburst was very disappointing and unfortunate. Since I have lived through the intensity of elite competition, I can firmly attest to the fact that one's character is NOT and should NOT be determined based on one incident under extreme competitive duress. I am by no means rationalizing or enabling Serena's behavior, she clearly was out of line and has acknowledged as such since. However, instead of maligning someone who has given back a tremendous amount to her sport, I prefer to examine her full body of work as opposed to this one incident. "To err is human, to forgive is divine."
~ Justin
There were 3 prevailing stories in the women's side of the event, two good and one not so much! Firstly, Kim Clijsters was simply amazing. She came back from being retired for two years, and in her third event back, won the US OPEN, seems like a movie script! Kim has always been a very amiable woman, a favorite of players and fans alike. The way she handled everything shines brightly on the sport - a championship tennis career with a young family in tow is a challenging balance to achieve.
Melanie Oudin was the breakout star of the US OPEN. She captivated the public with her tenacious attitude, bubbly spirit, and exceptional play. She has been burning up the talk show circuit with appearances on "The Tonight Show" and "The Ellen Degeneres Show" since the event ended.
~ Justin
Saturday, September 12, 2009
A Few Thoughts on the US Open
The US OPEN has been amazingly hectic, and I wanted to discuss some of the highlights so far.
Melanie Oudin has been the breakout star of the event, capturing the public's imagination with her spirited play. I had the pleasure of interviewing her during WImbledon and loved her personality and energy. She has a huge future in front of her, and besides the obvious on court skills that she has demonstrated through her 5 matches, her ability to process the pressure of tennis's biggest stage has been beyond impressive.
Caroline Wozniaki dismissed Melanie and she deserves a lot of credit for playing an excellent match in challenging circumstances. Caroline, who is sporting the new Stella McCartney line of Adidas sportswear, is an excellent player, sweet and friendly as can be. Caroline is a future champion and is great for the sport. Caroline will be playing Yanina Wickmayer is the semifinals and while I haven't seen much of her matches, what I have seen is an ability to generate a tremendous amount of pace no matter where in the court or what the score.
I can't say enough about Kim Clijsters and how she has handled everything upon her return to the WTA Tour. Kim has always been one of the most amiable elite athletes and it is great having her back in the mix. I'm not even going to go into Serena because she is such a stud, and it is tough to come up with enough superlatives to describe how amazing of an athlete she is. Should be a great women's semifinals.
Melanie Oudin has been the breakout star of the event, capturing the public's imagination with her spirited play. I had the pleasure of interviewing her during WImbledon and loved her personality and energy. She has a huge future in front of her, and besides the obvious on court skills that she has demonstrated through her 5 matches, her ability to process the pressure of tennis's biggest stage has been beyond impressive.
Caroline Wozniaki dismissed Melanie and she deserves a lot of credit for playing an excellent match in challenging circumstances. Caroline, who is sporting the new Stella McCartney line of Adidas sportswear, is an excellent player, sweet and friendly as can be. Caroline is a future champion and is great for the sport. Caroline will be playing Yanina Wickmayer is the semifinals and while I haven't seen much of her matches, what I have seen is an ability to generate a tremendous amount of pace no matter where in the court or what the score.
I can't say enough about Kim Clijsters and how she has handled everything upon her return to the WTA Tour. Kim has always been one of the most amiable elite athletes and it is great having her back in the mix. I'm not even going to go into Serena because she is such a stud, and it is tough to come up with enough superlatives to describe how amazing of an athlete she is. Should be a great women's semifinals.
I also want to congratulate Travis Parrott and Carly Gullickson for winning the 2009 USOPEN Mixed Doubles Championships. They played awesome tennis, and I am very happy for them."
More to come soon....Justin
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Welcome message from Justin
Hello everyone.
Welcome to my official website!
I am extremely excited about my website launching. I am a very passionate person whether it be about tennis, sports, or my new career in broadcasting, and I'm looking forward to using this website to communicate with the people that matter most, the fans. I am honored that you have taken the time to look around, and I encourage you to leave a comment or send an email to share your thoughts, even constructive criticism is welcomed.
I hope that you will come back again as we continue to add content over the next few weeks (maybe even months). I will also try to write a blog entry whenever I can and answer the Ask Justin questions at least twice a month. Bear with me as I adjust to the additional responsibility of being actively involved in my site and learning my way around the working parts!
Special thanks to Nick, Mallory and the rest of the team at IcarusKids for the site design and construction (and their patience in working with me and my crazy schedule). Also, a shout out to Nana for designing the banner. I appreciate what you did and especially how quickly you did it. Thank you.
Thanks for stopping by.
Sincerely, Justin
Welcome to my official website!
I am extremely excited about my website launching. I am a very passionate person whether it be about tennis, sports, or my new career in broadcasting, and I'm looking forward to using this website to communicate with the people that matter most, the fans. I am honored that you have taken the time to look around, and I encourage you to leave a comment or send an email to share your thoughts, even constructive criticism is welcomed.
I hope that you will come back again as we continue to add content over the next few weeks (maybe even months). I will also try to write a blog entry whenever I can and answer the Ask Justin questions at least twice a month. Bear with me as I adjust to the additional responsibility of being actively involved in my site and learning my way around the working parts!
Special thanks to Nick, Mallory and the rest of the team at IcarusKids for the site design and construction (and their patience in working with me and my crazy schedule). Also, a shout out to Nana for designing the banner. I appreciate what you did and especially how quickly you did it. Thank you.
Thanks for stopping by.
Sincerely, Justin
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