In 2008, I attended my very first live tennis match. It was the final of the Binghamton Challenger, and featured Rajeev Ram versus Chile's Paul Capdeville. Now, four years later, with both of these having entered their late twenties, they'll face off in the second round of an ATP 250. This matchup, and others like it, were made possible by the Olympics and the chaos that they have brought to the ATP World Tour schedule. The Farmers Classic in Los Angeles is typically one of the strongest 250 events of the year. In 2010, Sam Querrey defeated Andy Murray in one of the best matches one could hope to see at the 250 level. But with the Olympics starting in London next week, the tournament is in an unfortunate spot. None of the 64 elite players in the men's singles draw want to play on another continent the week before such a big competition, so Los Angeles has ended up with the weakest ATP-level field in recent memory.
Sitting at the top position in the draw is Frenchman Ben...
Found July 25, 2012 on
In the Tramlines:
PLAYERS:
Rajeev Ram,
Paul Capdeville,
Sam Querrey,
Andy Murray,
James Blake,
Brian Baker,
Bjorn Phau,
Nicolas Mahut,
Xavier Malisse,
Igor Andreev
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