Jamie Hampton advances to Hammond 25k semifinals

Naomi Broady brought more drama to the court today in her quarterfinal match against Jamie Hampton in Hammond, Louisiana. There were not many people watching the match, but the crowd included Hampton's coach and a woman I presume was her mother. They cheered for Hampton after almost every shot she made, which irritated Broady to the point that she asked the umpire if it was "necessary" that Hampton's supporters "say something after every shot." The umpire quickly pointed out that Hampton's small entourage had not said anything inappropriate ("Nice shot, Jamie!" was the extent of it), and that there was nothing wrong with their cheering for her.

This interruption occurred in the middle of the last game of the first set, which Hampton won, 6-1. Hampton served very well, hit some good passing shots, and--most important--was aggressive from the moment she stepped onto the court. Every chance she had, she went forward, handling Broady's estimable backhand, and either smashing the ball or passing Broady.

Broady went up a quick break in the second, and I settled in for what I thought could be a three-set match. But Hampton never let up on the pressure, hitting a succession of drive volleys on the run, and generally breaking down Broady's game. She had plenty of help from her opponent. After Broady missed a ball that was nicely placed by Hampton, Hampton's supporters again cheered for her. Broady, obviously upset, told the umpire "It's unnecessary and unsportsman."

Hampton won the match 6-1, 6-4, and will play Kurumi Nara in the semifinals.

Broady advances to Hammond 25k quarterfinals

I spent part of the day at the Tangipahoa Tourism/Loeb Law Firm $25K Tennis Classic in Hammond, Louisiana today. We have had tropical storm-strength winds around here lately, as well as rain, so conditions have been tough for the players. Today was crisp and cold and very sunny, with intermittent--but not high--wind blowing on the courts.

I watched a really high quality 2nd round match between qualifier Naomi Broady and wild card Kimberly Couts. This match had a bit of everything, including some drama. At one point in the second set, Broady was so upset by the chair umpire's line calls (the chair umpire was in charge of calling the baseline and the service line) that she questioned whether her opponent was being given preferential treatment because she was American. The tournament supervisor came to the court and had a chat with both the chair umpire and Broady, and that appeared to settle things. In the second half of the match, however, it was Couts who argued continually with the chair umpire.

What everyone around me was talking about, though, was Broady's backhand, and with good reason. It's a one-hander, but it isn't "artistic," a la Henin or Mauresmo or Schiavone. Broady puts a very big burst of energy into the stroke, which she snaps, and it then cracks across the court with power and precision. If you saw the ball without seeing the stroke, you would assume it was delivered by a powerful two-handed backhand.

Broady won the first set, 6-3, and Couts--who played a very good match--won the second, 2-6. Broady went up 4-0 in the third, but Couts came back to make it 4-all. Broady broke again, though, then won the set (and the match) 6-4. I liked the authority she displayed when she served for the match. There was no messing around; indeed, there were two aces. Broady has a strong serve, and her preparation is reminiscent of Sharapova's.

Miscellany

Justine Henin has won another exhibition match, this time in Cairo. She defeated Nadia Petrova 7-6, 6-2.

Melanie Oudin defeated Serena Williams 7-5 in an exhibition match in Athens, Georgia.

Naomi Broady has now won three ITF tournaments in three weeks.

Unseeded Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski upset top seed Kristina Mladenovic in the final of the 18s singles final of the 2009 Orange Bowl.

Virginia Ruano Pascual will play doubles with Sania Mirza at the Australian Open.

On the Baseline has an exclusive interview with Martina Hingis.

LTA suspends top British junior player

Naomi Broady, Great Britain's national under-18 champion, has been suspended by the Lawn Tennis Association for violation of her contract. The specific reasons given for the suspension were "unprofessional behavior" and "lack of discipline." The LTA took this action after discovering Broady's photos and personal writings on a social networking site. Also suspended was the second-highest ranked junior male player, David Rice.

The LTA took away Broady's funding and her coach because of what is described by the BBC as "a lifestyle of partying, drinking and eating junk food." On her Bebo page, Broady wrote that she hates "hangovers after a good night owt" (doesn't do much for your spelling, either). Broady's Bebo pages (and Rice's) were unlocked, so anyone could view them.

Top British ATP player Andy Murray commented: "Being professional is the main thing that you need to get right. If you don't have that then you're never going to make it."