Juan Martin del Potro, who is finally back in the Top 20, defeated Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-2 to win Stockholm for the second year in a row.
It was still a good week for Dimitrov, whose win over Fabio Fognini in the previous round ended with an extended moment at the net. As a friend put it, "even though it looked like a pleasantly happy chat [the unstable Italian] could have been threatening him for some slight through that smile and wink. congratulating him or threatening him." (Yes.)
Jo-Willie Tsonga was the winner in Antwerp, beating Argentine Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 7-5.
The win put the Frenchman in contention to still qualify for the year-end championships in London, and capped one of the most erratic years in tennis history.
Damir Dzumhur, who made tennis history last month in Russia by becoming the first Bosnian-Herzegovinian to win an ATP World Tour title, captured title No. 2 on Sunday, defeating Ricardas Berankis, 6-2, 1-6, 6-4, to win the VTB Kremlin Cup. "I really don't know, but there is something special here in Russia. Maybe the crowd, I don't know," said Dzumhur after the match.
Good for him. But I was kind of rooting for Berankis, who like my paternal grandfather's father hails from Lithuania ...
has my old bangs -- and some of the best gams on the men's tour.
Meanwhile, Julia Görges of Germany claimed her first singles title of 2017 at the VTB Kremlin Cup on Saturday, defeating Daria Kasatkina of Russia, 6-1, 6-2. Goerges captured the third singles title of her career, and her first in over six years. Worth noting that Maria Sharapova, fresh off her win last week in China, lost in straight sets in the first round to Magadalena Rybarikova, who then retired in her next match.
And finally,
Carina
Witthoeft of Germany defeated Monica Puig 6-3, 7-5 to win the title in Luxembourg. It was a solid performance for the Puerto Rican who has been on quite a losing streak since winning the Olympic gold medal in Rio. She dedicated her week to her people back home, who are still struggling from the effects of Hurricanes Maria and Donald.
The women are now in Singapore for the WTA Championships, but the tour already gave out its year-end awards -- perhaps undercutting the importance its own tour title. Happy to see that Garbine Muguruza
was named player of the year -- there's a good chance she will not end up No. 1 in the rankings, playing Petra Kvitova to Simona Halep or god forbid Elina Svitolina's Caroline Wozniacki circa 2011. Hingis/Chan were named doubles team of the year; French Open champ Jelena Ostapenko got most improved; CiCi Bellis was best newcomer and U.S. Open champ Sloane Stephens was named comeback player of the year.
All we can do now is hope Halep goes down in flames -- and that Muguruza plays like we know she's capable of. We really don't need another Slamless year-end number one.
With the holiday season just around the corner, what better time for Turntable Lab to release limited-edition Keith Haring t-shirts and slip-mats? Shop HERE.
Poor guy. This sheriff's deputy in Florida (where else?!) just wanted a little "interaction," so he invited a stripper he'd arrested over to his place for some "conversation."
Pretty good article about Martha Davis in the Orange County Register, written in conjunction with her four-day mini tour of Southern California. (Agoura Hills and Dana Point are tonight and tomorrow.) Although it kind of skip from when she shuttered the Motels after "Shame" (1985) and re-opened with new members for 2008's "This," it does capture the essence of one of our most underappreciated singer/songwriters, whom I've always thought of as a female Bob Dylan. Below is a track from the Motels's "If Not Now Then When" (2017), a recent collection of 27 rare tracks and demos including outtakes from Davis's solo albums "...So the Story Goes" (2004) and "Beautiful Life" (2008). Checked out the new Motels in 2008 and 2014 and feel overdue for another visit soon.
My blog is featured in Susan Olsen's tell-all about the ill-fated "Brady Bunch Variety Hour"!
The Web leads to an unexpected return to a house I grew up in.
Carlsbad, Calif. (2008)
Go Behind the Music of my high-school band, A La Plage
With Debbie Harry
With Gerard Butler on Saturday
With Robert Buckley
With Roger Federer
With Ed Burns
With the 'Ramas
With Belinda Carlisle
With Thomas Roberts
Click to revisit the heyday of Chelsea's 8th Avenue ...
Click the cover to order my acclaimed memoir on Amazon!
"Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful?" is available in NYC at Three Lives & Co.
Like my book on Facebook here.
