Passing shots

The Fed Cup tie between Japan and Argentina will be held in Kobe, Japan July 16-17. The event, scheduled to be played in Tokyo, had to be postponed because of the current crisis in Japan.

You can get to know Sloane Stephens. (One of her interview answers may surprise you.)

Yanina Wickmayer, Alisa Kleybanova, Peng Shuai, Jelena Dokic, Rebecca Marino, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, and Maria Kirilenko will all be competing in the Family Circle Cup in Charleston next month. The field also includes three former champions--Nadia Petrova, Sabine Lisicki and Sam Stosur. And yes, Patty Schnyder will be there!

And speaking of the Family Circle Cup: Alyssa D’Orazio, a junior at the College of Charleston, has been awarded this year's $5,000 Family Circle Cup scholarship. 

Caroline Wozniacki issues a challenge.

Dominika Cibulkova talks about racquets, strings, Lacoste outfits, and her game.

Babos & Stephens win Wimbledon junior girls doubles championship

The 4th-seeded team of Timea Babos and Sloane Stephens won the junior girls Wimbledon doubles championship today. They defeated top seeds Irina Khromacheva and Elina Svitolina 6-7, 6-2, 6-2. Babos is from Hungary, and Stephens is from the USA. They also won the junior girls French Open doubles championship.

Babos & Stephens win French Open junior doubles title

Timea Babos and Sloane Stephens have won the junior girls French Open championship. 5th-seeded Babos and Stephens defeated the Spanish team of Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino and Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor 6-2, 6-3. Babos is from Hungary, and Stephens is from the USA.

Sloane Stephens named to USA Fed Cup team

Captain Mary Joe Fernandez has selected Sloane Stephens as the fourth member of the USA Fed Cup team. However, as of now, she is not scheduled to play any matches. Julia Boserup is also in attendance in Birmingham.

Still no fourth member of USA Fed Cup team, but a decision should come soon

Sloane Stephens practiced in Birmingham's BJCC, the site of this weekend's Fed Cup semifinal, on Monday. Christina McHale, another possible USA team member, was at home catching up on school assignments; McHale made it to the third round in Charleston last week. Captain Mary Joe Fernandez says that she hopes McHale can come to Birmingham soon so she can observe her. She also indicated that there is at least one other player whom she wants to observe in the BJCC arena.

In terms of being able to handle the pressure of Fed Cup, I think McHale is the better choice of the two mentioned; I don't know who the other players are.

Venus Williams, after a hitting session on Sunday, told Fernandez that she felt "so-so."

Miscellany

The China Open will feature a retractable roof in the future.

Sabine Lisicki's illness in Beijing turned out to be food poisoning. She is now scheduled to play in Luxembourg.

Serena Williams is expected to know by the end of the year whether she will face additional disciplinary consequences over the U.S. Open incident.

Here are the first five entries of WTA Backspin's top 25 players of the last decade.

BEST (Blue Entertainment Sports Television) has signed a multi-year representation agreement with Sloane Stepens, who begins her first full year of professional play in 2010.

Miscellany

Ana Ivanovic is taking a short break from tennis, and will return to the tour to play at the end of the month.

Melanie Oudin and Sam Querrey helped open the New York Stock Exchange yesterday.

Flavia Pennetta has dropped only six games on her way to the U.S. Open round of 16.

The San Diego tournament will return in 2010, but there will be no more Los Angeles tournament.

Not only did Jelena Jankovic have to play the day after her grandmother died, but Sloane Stephens, who lost in U.S. Open doubles yesterday, received the bad news that her father had died in a one-vehicle accident. Stephens died yesterday in north Louisiana.

Thanks to After Atalanta or finding this piece on the Williams sisters and how they are described by various members of the sports media. After you read the story in The Atlantic, be sure you read the After Atalanta post, too.