John McEnroe needs little introduction.  I should point out, however, that the fiery seven-time grand slam singles champion is working for ESPN for the first time this US Open.

I got to throw some questions John's way before his World Team Tennis appearance in Washington (which wound up including this throwdown). 

TDF: At this point in your career do you see yourself more as an athlete or an entertainer?

John McEnroe: Um…a combination.  There are obviously people who come to see me get pissed off, or whatever. But also I obviously hope I can show them that I can still play.  But the idea is to have people leave here thinking that they’ve gotten their money’s worth.

So I think it’s entertainment, certainly, when I’m playing senior events, exhibitions.  But I mean [in World Team Tennis] I’m playing with a group of other people that are playing for bonuses, standings, and all that.  From that standpoint, you want to play hard.  But also I don’t want to feel like I’m just having a miserable time if it’s not clicking.  This is the fourth day in a row I’ve played now, so it doesn’t get any easier.

TDF: I’ve heard talk that you may enter the U.S. Open doubles with Fabrice Santoro this year.  Is there any truth to that?

John McEnroe:  It’s true that there have been discussions.  It’s probably not going to happen because physically—well first and

foremost, I’m going to be commentating.  I’m working with ESPN for the first time, and I’ve been working with CBS for quite a few years.

I can’t promise you it won’t happen.  I’ve been having some issues with my body that, depending on how I feel…

You want to be able to go hard, from a physical standpoint. Obviously it’s a business.  We could lose first round, but I think we could also win the tournament.  It’s not impossible, as far as I’m concerned. 

But you have to be ready, and I don’t know if I am. I don’t feel like it’s probably going to happen.  It’s best to have guys who still really want to play.

TDF: Have you talked to your brother [US Davis Cup team captain Patrick McEnroe] about the Davis Cup loss to Croatia?

John McEnroe: Very, very briefly.  Obviously, where I was in Long Island over the weekend, I didn’t get Tennis Channel.  Not quite sure why that is yet.

So I missed seeing them, but I kept track of them, checking to see what happened.  The first day was the killer, obviously, with two matches that could have been won.

That’s another thing that has to be dealt with, Davis Cup.   And doubles.  To me they’re like on life support as it is.  Davis Cup and doubles were a big part of my life, and I don’t know where they’re going in the future.

They need to change the schedule, at least, among other things.  There’s a lot of things I’ve suggested that have been very well chronicled—none of which have been listened to.  And by the way I’m not the only person who’s been saying it for the past thirty years.  So this isn’t anything new.

TDF: Do you have any thoughts on Roger Federer donning that number "15" jacket after he won Wimbledon, since there was some controversy about that afterwards?

John McEnroe: What was the controversy?

TDF: People saying it was arrogant, not respectful to Andy Roddick…

John McEnroe: Do you think he would have put it on had lost?

TDF: Probably not. 

John McEnroe:  Probably not…I don’t know, I don’t make a big deal out of things. 

I would actually say that it was a gutsy move.  Because, me personally, I would say that it would be bad luck, or whatever.  It would put this sort of this "man, I’m actually thinking I’m going to do this." 

So that just shows you that he’s confident, and also that he’s not very superstitious.  Because superstitious people wouldn’t do that.

Billie Jean King, recently announced winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, needs no introduction.  Her 39 grand slam titles and pioneering work for women's sports has made her a legend in both the worlds of sports and civil rights.  The site of the US Open, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center was christened in her honor.

I got the chance to talk to Billie Jean King a couple times at World Team Tennis events in July, and ask her a few questions about American tennis, World Team Tennis (the league she founded), and mixed doubles (a discipline in which she won 11 grand slams).

TDF: You’ve become such a pillar of American tennis—I was wondering if you had any thoughts on the US Davis Cup team losing to Croatia.

Billie Jean King: No, I didn’t see it.  I have to be at home to get Tennis Channel, in New York, and I’ve been traveling around with World Team Tennis.

 You said the pillar of American tennis—you  were talking about Davis Cup?

TDF: No, I was actually talking about you...

BJK: Oh! Thank you, that’s sweet, I feel very strong now (flexes).

I think we have concerns always.  I think our guys gave their best, but it hurt us that we didn’t have Roddick.  When we lost both of the first singles matches in five sets—that was our opportunity.  I know our guys gave everything that they had, and that’s all you can do.

Our Davis Cup Captain Patrick McEnroe is trying to help juniors, bring them along as practice partners.  Even some young players who have been playing World Team Tennis for our team of juniors, the New York Buzz who we call the “Baby Buzz.”

TDF: Do you think he should put more young players like Sam Querrey on the team to get them experience?

BJK: Nah, you couldn’t have put Sam on the team.  I would get the top players.  I think the players respect that.  When I was Fed Cup captain, I always went by ranking.   Made it easy.

TDF: World Team Tennis has had some great attendance here in DC this summer—do you have any plans to expand next year possibly?

BJK:No, we decided not to expand, a larger size would be more difficult.  If someone wants to have a team, they’ll have to buy it from an existing owner.  That should help the franchise value go up.

TDF: So you’re capping the number at ten?

BJK: Yes, we’re capping because we actually dropped one last year [the late Delaware Smash].  OK? We’re trying to figure out how many we want.  We want every one of them to be a jewel, we want them very good, we want good tennis.  And we have a ways to go.  Like in Washington, we have a very good model with about three thousand people a night every single night, it’s great.

That’s our goal, to sell out every night.  And that’s how we want to keep operating.

And St. Louis does well also.  The bigger markets tend to do well, obviously they have more people.

TDF: You’ve said one of your favorite events to play when you were playing was mixed doubles—would you like to see mixed doubles expand to more non-grand slam co-ed tournaments, to tournaments like Miami and Indian Wells?

BJK:  Yes, definitely.  In the sixties, as amateurs we played singles, doubles, and mixed doubles.  And I loved it.  I loved to play.

But don’t have the five setters.  Too long.  They really wear our guys out.  If you have a few of those matches in your lifetime, like that Nadal-Federer match and Roddick-Federer this year…I don’t know what it does, but it takes so much out of you over time.

I think they retire too early because of it.  I’d rather keep a name—more great players in the game longer.  I miss them when they retire early.  Thirty years old and retiring is too soon.  I’d really prefer three sets.  Because I love to see the players, I love to see what they bring to the game.  I would like to see the players around a lot longer.

TDF: Do you think Venus and Serena will be able to last until they’re forty?

BJK: They haven’t played as much as some of the other girls, so they probably can last longer.  They did a great job with their time, they should be around.

TDF:  Where does this final rank against all the World Team Tennis finals you’ve seen?

BJK: I’m trying to think if it’s the best one or not, because that’s where my mind has been going.  But right now it’s the best since it’s current.

It just showed the format at its best.  The players were fantastic.  There was a lot of nervousness from the first shot, and I like it when they feel that this is a critical point. So it was really good, and the fans were great.  The Washington, DC fans are fantastic—we love them, and I thank them for their support.

As far as its ranking among all the past finals, it’s right up there.  And Scott Oudsema, he’s gotten so much better over the season from the first time I saw him a few weeks ago, and here he’s the MVP of tonight’s match—can’t ask for more than that.

WASHINGTON--The Washington Kastles and New York Sportimes, the two sides of one of the most contentious rivalries in the gentle history of the league, met Friday evening in the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2009 World Team Tennis playoffs.  The two teams had a much publicized fracas during their regular season match in Washington just eight days before, with players from each side pegging one another with shots, leading to verbal confrontations that resulted in the suspension of New York Coach Chuck Adams.

Before the match began, Leander Paes was named Male MVP of World Team Tennis for the 2009 season.  In accepting the honor he thanked his teammates, the fans, and the Kastles behind-the-scenes organization.  Vania King was awarded the Female MVP honor before the Western Conference Final, held concurrently in Springfield.

Though they did not have a home court advantage, the Sportimes' stronger regular season record gave them the power to set the order of the evening's events.  This power is most crucial in determining what the final event will be, as it should be what the decider considers their strongest event, so that it will be the match up used in case of any overtime.  The Sportimes chose to put men's singles last, banking on Robert Kendrick vs. Scott Oudsema to be the most favorable match up for their cause.

It's possible that the Sportimes decided to put their least favorable match up first intentionally just to get it over with.  Facing a combined fifteen grand slam doubles titles between Leander Paes and Rennae Stubbs, it was only logical for the Sportimes to get mixed doubles out of the way first. 

Mixed Doubles: Robert Kendrick/Abigail Spears (NYS) vs. Leander Paes/Rennae Stubbs (WAS)

Despite the Washington advantage on paper, it's the Sportimes who look more formidable early in the event.  Spears hits four winners at net to help Kendrick hold to 0, giving the Sportimes a good statement to start the match with.  Paes is immediately shaky on serve, double faulting to a game point, which he is able to save again.  Spears, Stubbs, and Kendrick all hold before Paes serves again, which is again a shaky affair that he just manages to hold on to through a game point.

Perhaps dismayed by blown opportunities, Spears' serve begins to falter, and she is broken at 2.  Stubbs then shows some uncharacteristic shakiness on her own serve, as she is broken at 2 as well to send the event to a tiebreak.

In the tiebreak, Kendrick double faults on the very first point.  The serving team wins each of the remaining points, and that one point gifted through a double fault gives the Kastles the edge they need to take the breaker 5-3, and the event 5-4. Washington Kastles lead 5-4.

Women’s Singles: Abigail Spears (NYS) vs. Olga Puchkova (WAS)

My pick for the Sportimes' most favorable matchup, American Abigail Spears vs. shaky Russian Olga Puchkova in women's singles, is next up.

Puchkova threatens to prove me wrong early, playing sharper than I had seen her play before to hold to 1.  She moves her opponent around with ease, finding short angles that the sluggish Spears cannot handle.  Spears is pushed to a game point on her serve, but manages to hold on for the hold and 1-1.

And then things got real ugly.

Puchkova, whose serve has been inconsistent the entire season, starts missing both first and second serves by yards, double faulting twice on her way to 0-3.  She then floats three soft first serves in, each of which Spears misplays badly.  On game point Spears gets a return in play, which surprises Puchkova enough to make her dump her next shot into the bottom of the net.

Spears returns the break quickly though, double faulting twice on her way to being broken at 1, leveling the event at 2-2.  Puchkova follows suit, throwing in two more double faults of her own to be broken again for 2-3.  It's pretty unimpressive stuff.

Spears double faults twice in her next game as well, but Puchkova doesn't come close to winning any of the other points, giving Spears a precious hold for 4-2.  Spears then breaks at 0 in the final game of the event on the back of another Puchkova double fault, taking the event for the Sportimes 5-2, and giving them a two-point lead overall.  New York Sportimes lead 9-7.

Men’s Doubles: Jesse Witten /Robert Kendrick (NYS) vs. Leander Paes/Scott Oudsema (WAS)

Men's doubles, the event that caused so much controversy last time, is next on the card.  Jesse Witten makes his first and only appearance in the two matches between these two teams in this event, replacing the absent John McEnroe. 

It's not an auspicious beginning for Witten, as he is broken to give the Kastles a 2-1 lead.  After the other three hold routinely, Witten is back serving again, this time able to hold to 2 to bring the Sportimes to 3-4.

But the one break of Witten proved to be enough, as Paes held with some ease to secure the event for the Kastles by the score of 5-3, and digging the team out of the hole Puchkova created to draw the match level at a dozen a piece going into halftime. Tied 12-12.

During half time, a swarm of insects of biblical proportions descended onto the court, flying in the faces of players and fans alike.  The bugs were swept off the court with brooms and racquets between points, but still annoyed just about everyone at court level.

Women’s Doubles: Abigail Spears/Christina Fusano (NYS) vs. Olga Puchkova/Rennae Stubbs (WAS)

Stubbs, who didn't have much positive to say about Puchkova's work ethic during her interview with The Daily Forehand, clearly is making an effort to make things work on court with the young Russian during this crucial juncture. 

Stubbs serves well throughout the first game, and shows restraint in her reactions to Puchkova's bad misses on a couple easy shots.  Stubbs manages to hold to 2, followed quickly by Spears holding to 0.

Puchkova's serving woes continue, but with encouragement from the veteran Stubbs she manages to steady herself, winning the game point for the hold and earning a big lifting hug from her Australian partner that catches Puchkova completely off-guard and seems to relax her considerably.

Puchkova played  the best she has all season, taking advantage of Fusano's weak serve and leading the team to the break for a 3-1 lead.

With a surprisingly large and vocal group of traveling friends and family supporting them, the Sportimes break back on Stubbs' serve, to bring the event to 2-3.  But Stubbs immediately came back firing to break Spears, giving Puchkova's serve a chance to close out the event for the Kastles.  Puchkova, playing much more freely since holding in her first service game, remained solid to close out the event 5-2 for the Kastles, giving them a three game lead heading into the deciding event. Washington Kastles lead 17-14.

The matchup the Sportimes had been banking on, between New York's 69th ranked Robert Kendrick and Washington's 553rd ranked Scott Oudsema, would be the one to decide which team would advance to the WTT Finals.  Oudsema needed at least two games to prevent Kendrick from winning the match before overtime or a super tiebreak, a task that seemed fairly tall given the disparity between the two's success on the ATP tour.

Both players held to 0 to open the event, with the 6'3'' Oudsema using his powerful serve to level the talent gap between the two.

Kendrick then double faulted twice in a row to bring up game point in his second service game, but an Oudsema return into the net let him hold on for the 2-1 lead.  Oudsema followed suit with some shaky play of his own, but was able to hold through a game point with a second serve ace that caused his bench of teammates and hometown fans to erupt.

Kendrick was not able to make any dent on Oudsema's serve in his third return game either, but in the fourth game a window of opportunity opened.  Oudsema double faulted at 2-2, giving Kendrick two chances to win the event.  But Oudsema steeled himself, serving and volleying effectively to fend off the first chance, and firing a big, unreturnable serve down the T on the second to bring the event to a tiebreak.  By winning the fourth game, Oudsema guaranteed himself at least an opportunity to serve a game for the win in overtime, with a chance to close out the match even before that in the tiebreaker.

In the tiebreak for the event, the two rode their serves as they had all along, with Kendrick winning the breaker 5-3 on only the third point won against serve.  Washington Kastles lead 21-19.

The Kastles had the lead after five events, but WTT rules mandate that a team must win the last game in order to win a match, so the men continued into overtime...

Overtime: Robert Kendrick (NYS) vs. Scott Oudsema (WAS)

The sides remain the same from the last event into any overtimes needed, so it was up to Oudsema to bring home the Eastern Conference Championship for the Kastles.  Luckily for him, all he had to do was win one game, and he had the opportunity to serve first.  

After Kendrick won the first point off of a lucky mishit that floated over Oudsema's racquet, Oudsema pounded three more big first serves that set up easy second shot winners.  On his first of three match points, Oudsema hit a would-be second serve ace that Kendrick half-heartedly challenged.  As the replay showed the ball just clipping the line, the team and its fans erupted, and Oudsema was mobbed at the net by his bench.  Washington Kastles win 22-19.

The Kastles celebrated on court as the Sportimes quietly exited.  They were joined by giddy owner Mark Ein, who was lifted into the air by Leander Paes while other Kastles hugged and laughed. 

The Kastles were awarded the 2009 Eastern Conference Championship banner by WTT Commissioner Ilana Kloss, posing for pictures behind it and grinning ear to ear.  Rennae Stubbs then led the team on a victory lap around the court, high-fiving fans and signing autographs the whole way around.

The 8-7 Kastles will face the 13-2 Springfield Lasers in the finals.  Lead by 2009 WTT Women's MVP Vania King and WTA doubles #1 Liezel Huber, the Lasers advanced to the final by beating the Newport Beach Breakers in the Western Conference Final, after King blew a four-point lead in the final event, but managed to recover to win the deciding super tiebreak).

The finals of the World Team Tennis 2009 season are Sunday, July 26th at 5 PM at Kastles Stadium in downtown Washington DC.  I'll be there, so stay tuned for The Daily Forehand's coverage and photos of that as well.

To see more photos from the Eastern Conference Final, visit The Daily Forehand's Picasa album of the event.

There are few current players who have been at the top of their craft as long as 38-year old Australian Rennae Stubbs has been.  The six-time grand slam doubles champion (Four women’s, two mixed) has been ranked #1 in the world in doubles, and is still inside the top ten (currently #8).  With new partner Samantha Stosur, Stubbs made it all the way to the finals of women’s doubles at Wimbledon earlier this month, losing a close match to Venus and Serena Williams to finish runner-up.

Rennae is in Washington, DC this month for World Team Tennis, playing for the Washington Kastles after being traded from the Sacremento Capitals.  Rennae was the women’s MVP in World Team Tennis in 2008, and her stellar play has continued into this season, leading the Kastles into the playoffs for the first time.

I got the chance to sit down with Rennae a week ago today (the day after this) for a pretty extensive interview on a multitude of topics.  We covered a whole lot of topics, so I’m breaking the interview up into two parts to make it a little more digestible .  The first part, which covers World Team Tennis, the incident, and her teammates, is here below. The second part, which covers Australian tennis and behind the scenes conflicts and drama in women's doubles, will be up in a few days.

TDF: You seem to really thrive in the World Team Tennis format—what do you think it is about it that suits you and your game so much?

Rennae Stubbs: So many things, really.  You know, in team tennis, you have to be super aggressive, I think, ready to go right away.  It lends itself to my personality, ‘cause I’m always  on the ready.  I work hard, I practice hard, and I’m an aggressive player, so I think sometimes that can be overwhelming for some girls.  Early in a set, they like to sort of work their way into the match, whereas I’m ready to go with aggressive stuff right away. 

And, you know, I’m experienced, so I’m used to the format.  I know what to expect.  I’m still playing full time, which makes it easier for me.

TDF: This is your first year playing for Washington after being traded from Sacramento.  How did the whole trade work—did you have to approve it?

Rennae Stubbs: Well, Ilana Kloss from the head office called me and just let me know that it was probably going to happen if I was okay with it.  And I said "do I really have a choice?" And she said "not really" (laughs).  So that’s the answer in a nutshell. 

Having said that, I’m really kinda happy that I ended up on the east coast.  And I ended up in Washington—I’ve never been here before, so me coming here—it’s been great.  And [Washington Kastles owner] Mark Ein is probably the best team owner in the league.  He does it right here.  

I think Sacramento’s a great team as well.  I think [Sacramento Capitals owner] Lonnie Nielson over there does a great job.  But, in the end, I just wanted to play for a team that wants me, and they wanted me.

TDF: Just a couple questions about your teammates here—you and Leander Paes have had great success.  You are two big names still active in main tour doubles.  What has it been like playing with him here? Have you ever played with him before?

Rennae Stubbs: Yeah Leander and I played Wimbledon last year, actually.  We lost first round, but we lost in a really good match to Jonas Bjorkman and Alicia Molik.  It was basically like a men’s doubles match—everyone was holding serve, there was one break in the third, and that was only because Jonas hit one of the greatest reflexes I’ve ever seen in my life, and then a shank forehand over Leander’s head.  And we remember that (laughs).

But I think if we played more we would have a lot of success.  But, you know, he has a regular partner.  The bottom line is: we know each other really well, we know each other’s games.  He knows what to expect from me, vice versa.

And the best part about it is that we understand the game so well.  We don’t really need to play a lot together to play well together.

TDF: So you’re not planning on playing the US Open together?

Rennae Stubbs: No, he’s playing with Cara Black, no.  But, you know, Leander and I train with the same trainer in Orlando, so we’ve known each other a long time, and we’re good friends.

TDF: Is it normal to have a fixed mixed doubles partner? Sometimes it seems like mixed doubles pairings are more random. Do you have a fixed mixed doubles partner?

Rennae Stubbs: Yeah, no.  I played a few years with Todd Woodbridge, played a little bit with Jared Palmer—those were my two grand slams.  But no, I’ve sort of been switching around the last few years.  Just trying to find someone you really like to play with is important.  And also success is obviously important.  No, mixed is a little bit different.  Sometimes you do see a lot of teams that do stick together quite a bit, and then some that just flip around.  Some of the guys don’t want to play some times.  So that’s how it goes…

TDF: What’s it been like playing with a young, sort of up-and-coming but struggling player like Olga Puchkova? She reached seed territory for slams and has since fallen out of the top 100.  What do you think it will take for her to get back to where she was?

Rennae Stubbs: A lot of discipline, a lot of hard work, and major commitment to being a professional tennis player.

TDF: You think her commitment is lacking?

Rennae Stubbs:  Um, I think at times it’s lacking, and I think that she needs to make a major commitment if she really wants to be back inside the top forty in the world.  She has to make a commitment to believing in herself, and working hard.  There’s nobody in the top thirty in the world that doesn’t work their ass off.  And it’s not possible to be good anymore and not practice harder than you play your matches.  And so I think that’s a really big thing for her. 

And for anybody out there that’s trying to make it.  You have to work really hard.  I mean, this is not easy to do for a living.  There’s one percent in the whole world that do this.  If anybody’s out there that has talent, I tell them if you really want to make it, really want to make it, you have to work beyond what you expect to be good.

TDF: What’s it like working with Murphy Jensen? Is it energizing or is it exhausting?

Rennae Stubbs: I love working with Murphy because, you know, he’s a combination of passionate about winning, but also passionate about enjoying the game.  So he’s kind of like the perfect combination for team tennis.  He brings out that aspect of entertainment, he brings that aspect of tennis knowledge.  You know, he’s been in big matches himself, so he knows how it feels to choke, he knows how it feels to win that big point.  And Murphy’s  a friend of mine, has been for twenty years.  It’s been really fun to have him on the team, I’m really glad he’s our coach.

TDF: A question about what happened last night during the men’s doubles.  What’s your take on what happened there, how did you see things unfold?

Rennae Stubbs: You know, to be honest with you, I was probably the quietest person—there’s no question I was the quietest person on our team.  You know, as far as I’m concerned, in that situation it was sort of like a little bit of a misunderstanding.  Boys were being boys, guys were tagging each other.  I thought what Robert did with the serve was a little bit uncalled for.  It’s like if you’re going to go for the tag, go for it in a point.  I didn’t agree with that situation—at all.

And quite frankly I thought McEnroe going on the other side of the net was just unbelievably unprofessional.  And I thought he decided that he was, once again, thought he was bigger than the game, by doing something like that, because he feels like he can do that and get away with it!  And it’s not OK.

If you have a problem with your opponents going at each other, say what you have to say, but don’t go around and get in front of people’s faces.  That’s just not OK.

I mean again, I sat there and I watched the whole thing, and I was kind of disgusted by everything that was going on.

I thought out of everything, out of everything, I thought [New York Sporttimes Coach] Chuck Adams, the coach from the opposing team, was probably the worst. Of everybody.  Because he insulted every single member of our team—verbally, and he verbally assaulted—he verbally said things to Olga, called her some derogatory things.  And he got into my face, and all I was doing was telling him to chill out.  He went at every single member of our team.  He went onto the court and said something to the guys, he said something to Olga, he said something to me.  And as the opposing coach, that’s just not OK.

And in the end, the worst part about it was that I’m the one that got the point penalty that cost our guys the first point in the tiebreak.  And all I did was go up to the umpire, in a very controlled manner, and tell him that the opposing coach just called my teammate something not OK.  And that was after we had gotten the code of conduct warning.  And I just didn’t think that was OK. I thought that there was so much stuff going on on the court, that if you were going to have an accumulative warning/point system, then they should have had a point [penalized] already. 

And the fact that we’re the ones that got a warning for Olga just talking to Robert, and saying stuff to him, and I’m the one that just went up to basically clarify that their coach has called her something.  And I’m the one who got the point penalty that cost our team.  That was really upsetting to me.  I did nothing to that umpire.  I didn’t abuse him, I didn’t say any swear words, he told me to sit down and I just said "look, I’m just going to tell you that the coach from the opposing team said this one of my teammates," and he gave me the warning for that.

So, as far as I’m concerned, all the stuff that was happening was ridiculous.  It was a circus.  And the fact that we’re the ones that got a point penalty is a disgrace.

And that umpire has a lot—I thought it was a personal vendetta against me from that umpire.

TDF: You’ve had previous encounters with him?

Rennae Stubbs: Yeah, and you know, if you want to give me a warning, give McEnroe a warning for the stuff that he says on the side of the court.  Just because he’s who he is doesn’t mean he’s allowed to get away with everything.  And if that’s the case, then everybody gets to get away with everything. 

And I had an umpire on that court, a linesman on that court, tell me what he saw, and that the reason we got that point penalty was ridiculous.  When you’ve got a linesman telling me that the umpire was out of control, you’ve got a problem.

Stay tuned for part two of The Daily Forehand's interview with Rennae Stubbs, which will be posted on Tuesday.

I had no idea the event was even televised.

The incredible PR team for the Washington Kastles was able to hook yours truly up with a one-on-one extended interview with five time grand slam champion Rennae Stubbs, which took place earlier today.

Rennae and I talked about World Team Tennis (including yesterday's newsmaking incidents), Australian tennis, and the "soap opera" (her words) that is doubles in the WTA.

We covered a lot of stuff in pretty good detail, so the interview will probably be split up into two parts when it is published on the new site, TheDailyForehand.com .

John McEnroe was in town with his World Team Tennis squad, the New York Sporttimes yesterday, causing all sorts of commotion during the contentious match between the two best teams in the Eastern Conference.

But before all hell broke loose, I got a chance to talk to him about a wide range of topics, including the entertainment aspects of tennis, Davis Cup, and even Roger Federer's "15" jacket.

That interview will be posted sometime soon after the new site, TheDailyForehand.com , goes live.

Stay tuned.

WASHINGTON—A contentious and drama filled match between the top two teams in World Team Tennis’ Eastern Conference made for an entertaining Thursday evening in the nation’s capital. With tensions peaking in the men’s doubles, the New York Sporttimes (starring John McEnroe) and Washington Kastles aimed blistering shots and blasting words at each other in a match that boiled over more than once.

Women’s Singles: Abigail Spears (NYS) vs. Olga Puchkova (WAS)

Known for her serving woes, it wasn’t much of a surprise when Olga Puchkova chose to return to open the match. The shakiness on serve first popped up at 1-2, when Puchkova double faulted twice to go down 0-3. The youngest Washington Kastle was able to fight back to 2-3, but a loose forehand put her down a break at 1-3.

Spears seemed to have caught some of Puchkova’s serving yips, which made things a little more interesting. Puchkova steadied her groundstrokes to rebreak for 3-4, but then blew a 3-1 lead at 3-4 to give Spears the game and the event. New York Sporttimes lead 5-3.

Between matches there’s a John McEnroe impersonation contest, which consists of three people in wigs shouting at New York Sporttimes player John McEnroe, screaming that he was a jerk. He didn’t seem to know quite how to take it.

Women’s Doubles: Abigail Spears/Christina Fusano (NYS) vs. Olga Puchkova/Rennae Stubbs (WAS)

After she and Spears held easily to open the match, Rennae Stubbs took over. Taking over involved hitting a shot that bounced up into Spears’ face, for which Stubbs apologized copiously, an example that would not be followed in the next event…

Fusano was broken for the second time to give the Kastles the event 5-2, and the overall lead. Washington Kastles 8-7.

And then things got interesting.

Men’s Doubles: John McEnroe/Robert Kendrick (NYS) vs. Leander Paes/Scott Oudsema (WAS)

Six fairly easy holds brought the event to 3-3. Then things got interesting.

After a long exchange on Paes’ serve, Paes ended the point with a drive into Kendrick, which he just barely managed to turn away from slightly, letting the ball strike him in the back. Paes was fired up and ran back to high five Oudsema, without the half-hearted apology customary in such a situation. Kendrick was having none of it, and stood over the net shouting "you’re not gonna apologize?"

Paes didn’t apologize, and so Kendrick’s partner John McEnroe walked around the net to get in Paes’ face. Kendrick and New York coach Chuck Adams joined him, with Washington coach Murphy Jensen coming over to monitor the situation.

Serving at 3-4, 1-0, Kendrick then drilled Paes, who was standing at net on the opposite side of the court, with a first serve. The Sporttimes won the point, and it was a long time until the next one.

As Oudsema and McEnroe argued at the net, Puchkova ran over to Kendrick and began yelling at him, leading Chuck Adams to come over to yell at her some. Rennae Stubbs didn’t think too highly of this, and began yelling back. Jensen and Adams both protested with the chair umpire, who gave a conduct violation warning to the Kastles, apparently for Puchkova’s behavior.

After the Sporttimes held for 4-4, more arguments with the chair erupted. Rennae Stubbs incurred a point penalty for something, giving the Sporttimes a 1-0 lead in the tiebreak before it even started. The Kastles seemed rattled and didn’t quite recover, losing the first three points to 4-0. A bloop off McEnroe’s racquet then gave Oudsema an opportunity to peg either one of his opponents, but he put it away softly, the crowd appreciative of his taking the high road.

But one point later it was over, the Sporttimes taking the tiebreak 5-1, and evening the match. Tied 12-12.

The tension continued into halftime, with Kastles owner Mark Ein joining Jensen on court for more arguing

Kendrick approached Ein, and seemed to make peace. The arguments stopped there, but the flame-up, a type of incident unheard of in World Team Tennis, cast a shadow over the night that would last the rest of the match.

A fun shadow, though.

Men’s Singles: John McEnroe (NYS) vs. Scott Oudsema

Surprisingly given Kendrick’s ranking inside the top 100, McEnroe played the singles event for the Sporttimes, taking on Washington’s Scott Oudsema.

It was a classic battle of experience and finesse vs. youth and raw power, with the finesse and court smarts winning with relative ease. The fifty-year old McEnroe conserved energy well, and reflected back Oudsema’s power at sharp angles that slid out of the23-year old’s reach.

The event ended on a game point at 2-4, with an Oudsema shot landing near the sideline. Both players thought they had won the game, and fist pumped. The challenge showed the ball to be just barely wide, giving McEnroe and the Sporttimes the event and the lead. New York Sporttimes lead 17-14.

Mixed Doubles: Robert Kendrick/Abigail Spears (NYS) vs. Leander Paes/Rennae Stubbs (WAS)

The close, tense match was to end on Washington’s forte—mixed doubles, with doubles stars Leander Paes and Rennae Stubbs combining their slam winning forces against the far less heralded team of Kendrick and Spears. Kendrick’s substitution in for the scheduled McEnroe (greeted by boos by the Washington crowd) was a sign of both the Sporttimes’ desire to win as well as McEnroe’s fatigue.

The Kastles had a chance to win the match right then and there if they were able to win the event 5-0 or 5-1, and they came close. They were unable to win either of Kendrick’s service games, however, winning the match 5-2 to force a match deciding super tiebreak. Tied 19-19.

Super Tiebreak: Robert Kendrick/Abigail Spears (NYS) vs. Leander Paes/Rennae Stubbs (WAS)

The sides remained the same from the last event into the deciding event. The tiebreak stayed close until the very end, when at 5-6 Kendrick was able to take advantage of a Rennae Stubbs serve to give New York the victory. New York Sporttimes win 20-19.

As McEnroe and the rest of the New York team rushed to celebrate with Kendrick and Spears, the dejected Kastles were left to compose themselves for the post match autograph section.

It will be interesting to see what if any fallout there is from the ugliness in the men’s doubles. I don’t know that suspensions or fines are ever doled out in World Team Tennis, but if they are, this would certainly seem to be an occasion for them.

To see photos from this event, visit The Daily Forehand's Picasa album of the event!

I got the incredible chance to speak with tennis legend Billie Jean King while she was in town to promote World Team Tennis yesterday, just before the Newport Beach Breakers vs. Washington Kastles match.

She had a lot of great answers on a wide range of topics, from World Team Tennis to Davis Cup.

I'll post the full transcript of my questions and her answers in a few days, after the site moves into its new home.

WASHINGTON—After a starting line up introduction of WWE proportions—complete with cheerleaders, pyrotechnics, and no less than three mascots (a medieval knight in full armor and a giant tennis ball of each gender)—the Washington Kastles and Newport Beach Breakers were set to battle in front of a sell-out crowd of over three thousand in Kastles Stadium, the venue for World Team Tennis in downtown DC.

There was little doubt whom the throngs had come to see: Serena Williams, fresh off her eleventh Grand Slam Singles title just ten days ago at Wimbledon. Though Serena Williams is the marquee player on Washington’s lineup, she plays only one of her four World Team Tennis matches in Washington, as the league makes an effort to get the fan favorite to as many of their locations as possible.

Though Serena is the main attraction, the fans will have to wait for her to take the court until the second half of the competition, with men’s doubles and singles serving as her opening acts.

Men’s Doubles: Kaes Van’t Hof/Ramon Delgado (NBB) vs. Scott Oudsema/Leander Paes (WAS)

The Kastles got off to a quick start in the first event of the evening, with the home team taking the first six points of the match on the back of the dominant play of the best doubles player on the court—Leander Paes. The momentum soon ran out though, with Newport Beach coming back with a six point streak of their own to gain complete control of the match-up.

Newport Beach won the event 5-2, with the Kastles only winning the games on Oudsema’s serve (as much due to Paes’ presence at net as Oudsema’s tough serving). Serena Williams and Olga Puchkova coped with the defeat as they coped with most everything else during the evening—by giggly chit-chat. Newport Beach Breakers lead 5-2.

Everybody on each team comes on the court to warm-up, as the crowd applauds the introduction of Redskins QB Jason Campbell, who, like almost everyone else, is here to watch Serena.

Men’s Singles: Ramon Delgado (NBB) vs. Scott Oudsema (WAS)

Based on their relative forms in the doubles, Delgado seems primed to take the singles rubber. But Oudsema gets off to the better start, breaking the Paraguayan in the third game for 1-2.

Oudsema’s demeanor on court is a strange cocktail of listless and fired up; he lackadaisically gives up on several points after hitting poor approach shots, yet shows an incredible amount of emotion after every big point won.

The instability of both players’ emotions makes for some pretty ugly tennis. Both are content to moonball back and forth, waiting for the other to change things up and inevitably make a mistake. With neither player having any success flattening out the loopy shots, it’s a style that pays dividends, however unattractive it is to see enacted.

The event goes to a tiebreak, with Oudsema jumping out to a 4-1 win and holding on for a 5-4 win, which makes the partisan crowd and Washington Kastles Coach Murphy Jensen extremely happy. Newport Beach Breakers lead 9-7.

With the men’s tennis out of the way, it’s time for Serena to take center stage.

Mixed Doubles: Kaes Van’t Hof/Julie Ditty (NBB) vs. Leander Paes/Serena Williams (WAS)

On paper, the mixed doubles is a mismatch of epic proportions. Leander Paes and Serena Williams have won a combined twenty grand slam doubles titles, which compares rather favorably with Van’t Hof and Ditty’s combined total of zero.

Not surprisingly, the matchup isn’t much closer on court than it looked on paper. Though Serena doesn’t even touch a ball for the first seven points of the match, the Kastles win them all. A few crowd-pleasingly grunted Serena Williams volleys later, the Kastles close out the event 5-0, and take the lead in the match. Washington Kastles lead 12-7.

Women’s Doubles: Marie-eve Pelletier/Julie Ditty (NBB) vs. Rennae Stubbs/Serena Williams (WAS)

This match-up doesn’t look much closer on paper than the mixed. Rennae Stubbs and Serena Williams have won a combined seventeen grand slam doubles title, and Pelletier doesn’t bring any more to the Breakers’ table than Van’t Hof did, leaving the Newport Beach total at zero.

Williams makes it seven games in a row for herself before Pelletier and Ditty take a game thanks to some nice touch from the front of the court. Williams and Stubbs are unfazed, and stay strong to win the event 5-1. Washington Kastles lead 17-8.

Rough day at the office for Julie Ditty, who won exactly one of her eleven games.

World Team Tennis founder and civil rights icon Billie Jean King comes on to the court to say a few words to the crowd, who show their respect for all that she’s done for tennis with the loudest applause of the evening.

Women’s Singles: Marie-eve Pelletier (NBB) vs. Serena Williams (WAS)

Though she made things look easy in her first two doubles events, Serena Williams hardly looks to be playing effortless tennis in her singles match vs. Quebecoise Marie-eve Pelletier. Williams labors to hold for 2-1, but then gets a relatively soft break to go up 3-1. But she digs herself a 1-3 hole in her next serve game, needing to lean on her big serve more than before to get to 4-1.

With Pelletier serving at 1-4, Serena jumps out to an 0-3 lead, giving herself four match points. But she manages to lose all four, spraying shots wide when trying to end the evening with an exclamation point. Pelletier is taking the ball early and taking advantage of Serena’s often slow first step, as she moves to 0-3 on Williams’ serve. But Serena holds on for the 5-2 with four big serves, carrying the Kastles to the "W" on the strength of her 15-3 record on the night. Washington Kastles win 22-12.

The victory brings the Kastles’ winning streak to five, and moves them into second place in the Eastern Conference. A matchup with the first place New York Sporttimes and John McEnroe looms for Thursday. The Kastles won’t have Serena, so they’ll have to rely on Puchkova and Stubbs to compensate for the lost fifteen points. Won’t be easy.

To see all the exclusive photos from Tuesday night's action, check out The Daily Forehand's Picasa Album.