TEAM ANNOUNCED
As expected the Spanish team will consist of JC, Moya, Nadal and Robredo. JC began training last week and as you know the others are still competing in Miami. The DC quarterfinal will take place April 9-11 in Palma de Mallorca against the Dutch team of Schalken, Van Lottum, Sluiter, and Verkerk.

Good to see that JC is well enough to play. Hopefully this will be the start to a great claycourt season. VAMOS!

>> article (in Spanish)

ARTICLE IN ENGLISH Spanish Aces Back for Cup Clash

Spain have recalled big guns Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Moya for their Davis Cup quarter-finals against Holland in Mallorca next month.

Ferrero and Moya missed Spain's opening round win over the Czech Republic through injury, but were successfully replaced by 17-year-old Rafael Nadal and Feliciano Lopez.

Nadal, who was the hero of the tie after scoring victory in the decisive rubber, has kept his place, but Lopez has had to make way for the return of Moya and Ferrero. Tommy Robredo completes the four-man team.

The quarter-finals will be a special event for both Moya and Nadal, who are from Mallorca and will have the chance to play in their home town.

Posted by nana at 11:09 PM

DC UPDATE
According to Rafael Nadal's post-match interview the Spanish team will be announced Tuesday. Hopefully JC is well enough to be included. And also, congratulations to Raf for defeating the world #1 yesterday ^^

>> Nadal's full interview

Posted by nana at 6:44 AM

This Week On the ATP Tennis Show

The climax of the Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells and how the results affected the standings in the Indesit ATP 2004 Race.

And, how the players deal with defeat.

Ok, no mention of JC but I gather from this rather unflattering picture they posted next to the Tennis Show summary that there will be clips of JC in the "how players deal with defeat" section ^^

>> broadcast schedule


DC UPDATE Though the next Davis Cup tie is soon approaching Spain has yet to decide which players will be participating. Moya and Nadal seem set but the G-3 stated that they will not nominate the players until 10 days before the tie (April 9-11). Apparently JC started training Thursday and the G-3 is watching his form as well as keeping an eye on the Miami results to see which players will be ready to compete against the Netherlands.

My guess is that the team will consist of JC and Moya with Nadal and Robredo playing doubles. But if JC isn't 100% they could replace him with Feli... maybe ^^

>> article 1
>> article 2

Posted by nana at 6:19 AM

ARTICLE Rubin, Ferrero latest to withdraw


KEY BISCAYNE · The Nasdaq-100 Open lost its fifth top-10 woman plus French Open winner Juan Carlos Ferrero on a Sunday that saw five more names erased from the tournament draw.

[...]

Later in the day, Ferrero, No. 2 in the world behind Roger Federer, was officially declared out with the chicken pox he contracted a week and a half ago, before the tournament at Indian Wells.

Ferrero was leading No. 3 Andy Roddick of Boca Raton by 125 points in the ATP rankings going into Indian Wells, but even if Roddick can't overtake him, and he probably won't when the new rankings come out today, he'll bump up to the No. 2 seed. That means if he faces Federer in what would be advertised as another blockbuster match, it would only be in the Nasdaq final.

>> full article

Posted by nana at 11:09 PM

MIAMI UPDATE JC is officially out of TMS Miami. They have yet to release a statement but it was announced today on ESPN that he is still recovering from the chickenpox and is unable to compete. Also his name is not on the updated Men's Entry List. Take care JC ^^

Posted by nana at 3:03 PM

UPDATE ON OPEN SEAT GODO The directors of the Open Seat Godo, Barcelona tournament, has announce that the extended invitation will be open until 1 week before the tournament begin. Taking into considerations as JC commitment for the 4 tournaments that he will play in 4 consecutive weeks before the Open Godo. As it is said that JC would play in Barcelona if he isn't doing well in Monte Carlos Masters.

>> article in Spanish

Posted by Unknown at 8:25 PM

UPDATE Seems like JC has opted to skip TMS Miami which begins next week. No official statement has been released yet but his name has been discreetly removed from the Miami player's list. This means JC's next appearance won't be until the DC tie vs. the Netherlands (April 9-11).

Posted by nana at 6:11 AM

NEWS JC has been extended an invitation to participate in the Open Seat Godó which commences April 27. He has yet to accept but other player expected to compete in Barcelona are Guillermo Coria, Carlos Moyá, David Nabaldián, Nicholas Massú, Tommy Robredo, Feliciano Lopez, Agustín Calleri, Albert Coast, Fernando González, Marat Safin, Dominik Hrbaty, Juan Ignacio Chela, Gastón Gaudio, Rafael Nadal and Felix Mantilla.

>> article in Spanish

Posted by nana at 2:35 AM

ARTICLE Ferrero not yet ruled out of TMS Miami


HE WILL UNDERGO MEDICAL TESTS TO SEE IF HE PARTICIPATES

Yesterday Juan Carlos landed in Valencia still recovering from the chickenpox. The Valencian, who had to withdraw from TMS Indian Wells because of the illness will do everything possible to be ready for the second TMS tournament of the year which commences in a week. For that reason, today and tomorrow he will undergo several tests to further examine his physical condition and to see if he will be able to be competitive in Miami.

Ferrero, along with Antonio Martinez Cascales and Víctor Lopez, flew back Sunday with warning from a doctor of the disease being contagious.

The world number two still "had chickenpox pox but for the last three days did not have a fever which makes us optimistic," confessed Mark the trainer of the Valencian. All the consulted doctors, including Angel Ruiz Cotorro, doctor of the RFET, advised not to rush the recovery process, which would call for skipping Miami. Nevertheless, "it will not be until the weekend before we know if he in the condition to travel to Florida," points Cascales. He would not have to play in the Nasdaq-100 until Friday 26 of March, but conditions in Miami, with very high temperatures accompanied by humidity can prove adversarial.

The precedent of Hewitt
Lleyton Hewitt was the last player of the circuit with chickenpox in January of 2002. The Australian contracted it and was eliminated during the first round of the Australian Open after which he rested for almost a month. But Jordi Arrese, captain of the Spanish Davis Cup team stated, "Ferrero will start in the quarterfinal against Holland's Verkerk, finalist in Paris last year." The tie will be from 9 - 11 of April in Palma.

>> original article in Spanish

Posted by nana at 12:44 PM

UPDATE JC is confirmed to defend his title in Valencia (April 10-18). Other Spaniards that have entered the draw are Costa, Corretja, Feli, as well as Felix Mantilla, David Sánchez, Albert Portas, Galo Blanco, Martín, David Ferrer and Fernando Vicente.

>> article in Spanish



VOTE VOTE VOTE The ATP will present the 2003 Player Awards next week during TMS Miami. JC is nominated for the ATP 'Fan Favorite' and needs your votes if he's going to win. So support JC and vote!! ^^

Also, JC will be presented with a Milestone Tenth Title award. Congrats!!

Posted by nana at 10:25 AM

-- A MOMENT OF SILENCE --
For all those affected by the terror stike in Madrid. Our hearts go out to you.


>> Madrid Bombs Kill 192; Purported Al Qaeda Claim (article)



INTERVIEW A nice interview where JC talks about his start to the year, Davis Cup, the return of Hewitt and Safin, and cutting some tournaments out of his calendar (yet to be decided which ones).

>> interview (in Spanish)
>> online translation service if needed

Posted by nana at 9:56 AM

TMS IW SCHEDULE The men get underway with qualifying on Wednesday and Thursday, with the newly-expanded, 96-player main draw kicking off on Friday, March 12. The Pacific Life Open continues through the finals on Sunday, March 21.

[NOTE: The draw will be made Tuesday. Also the top 32 seeded players receive a BYE for the 1st round so the earliest JC will play is on Saturday]

>> full tournament schedule

Posted by nana at 5:28 PM

PHOTO Just received the photo of JC touring Marseille. Thought there would be more but... *shrug* A brief description of his activities during the tour can be found below in TOURNAMENT TALES

pic: JC and poster of Zidane
credit: ATP

Posted by nana at 11:10 AM

ARTICLE
Drugs in Sport: Federer heads list of tested tennis players
By Nick Harris
27 February 2004

Roger Federer was the most frequently drug-tested player in men's tennis last year according to figures published by the ATP, which runs the men's tour. Last year's Wimbledon champion was tested 21 times in 2003, with 20 of his tests (two of them blood tests for EPO) conducted at tournaments, and one done out of competition, on 15 December.

The extent of tennis's testing programme puts most other sports in the shade. The majority of the world's top-30 tennis players were tested at least a dozen times each in 2003, with players more likely to be tested the more successful they were. Juan Carlos Ferrero was second to Federer, with 18 tests, followed by Carlos Moya (17), Mark Philippoussis (16) and Andy Roddick (16). Tim Henman, the British No 1, was tested eight times, including once out of competition.

Greg Rusedski was tested four times. His first test, in Indianapolis last July, came up positive for the banned substance nandrolone. He is waiting to discover whether he will face a ban for that finding. Two of his other three tests came within three weeks of the first. The fourth, out of competition, was on 10 December.

Altogether, there were 46 out-of-competition tests last year on 38 different players. Apart from one test on Andre Agassi on 10 July, all the other out-of-competition tests were done between September and December. Agassi underwent three out-of-competition tests altogether.
-------------------------------------------

UPDATES
JC dropped into the 4th place in the ATP Indesit champion Race with 127 points. (by monday 1 march 2004) He's being replaced by D. Hrbaty with 128 point.

Posted by Unknown at 12:10 AM

POEM Since JC is resting for the next 2 weeks there isn't much to update but found mention of JC in this winning entry submitted to the Jon Wertheim Mailbag's poetry contest.

When Roddick steps up to give service,
The line folk and ball kids get nervous
Returning is torture
For each is a scorcher
And old ladies cry, "Saints preserve us!"
The game of Juan Carlos Ferrero
Excites me like hearing "Bolero"
His artful display
Of lightning fast play
Delights me right down to my marrow
With Agassi, I am enthralled
For, like him, I shave myself bald
And some years past thirty
Just like salsa verde
His wall-like returns still can scald.

- Doyle Srader, Nacogdoches, Texas

>> read more entries here

Posted by nana at 1:32 PM

NEW BLOGGER AND LAYOUT

I'm pleased to announce a new blogger. Welcome to the blog Pim! *applause* For those who don't know Pim has been very helpful notifying me of any JC news that might have been missed these past few weeks. I'm sure she'll make a lovely addition to the JCFO T. Blog. =)

And a new layout. Going to try to make layout changes every month that feature the tournaments JC is scheduled to play but we'll see how long that plan holds up ^^;

Posted by nana at 7:55 AM