Recent Stories of Interest from “Around the Pro Tennis Globe” (December 18)

• Top-ranked Rafael Nadal was honored on Wednesday as the International Tennis Federation’s World Champion for 2008. Daniel Nestor of Canada and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia were named the ITF World Doubles Champions after finishing the 2008 season as the top ranked doubles team.
  
  
• The Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Arena in Birmingham, Ala., will host the 2009 first-round Davis Cup tie between the United States and Switzerland on March 6-8. Roger Federer has already announced that he will play in the first-round tie.
  
  
• French star Sebastian Grosjean will be sidelined for four to six months due to shoulder surgery that he have on December 22nd. He hopes to return by the start of Wimbledon.
  
  
• On Friday December 19th at the USTA Training Center in Boca Raton, Donald Young, Wayne Odesnik, Jesse Levine and John Isner will take part in the Australian Open wild card play-off tournament. The winner of the three day tournament will receive a main draw wild card into the Australian Open in Melbourne.
  
  
• Marcos Baghdatis announced that he will take part in the ATP International Tennis Championships in Delray Beach on February 21-March 1. Tommy Haas and Mardy Fish are also scheduled to play in the South Florida tournament.
  
  
• American Mardy Fish recently donated $30,000 to the Pelican Island Elementary School in Florida to help 110 students receive free guitar, dance and drama lessons.
  
  
• On May 17th, Wimbledon will host an exhibition match to test out the new Centre Court retractable roof, so officials can “test the new roof and air conditioning system.” The Daily Mail newspaper reported that former Great Britain tennis star Tim Henman might take part in the match. Pete Sampras has declined the offer to play in this match.
  
  
• Former World No. 1 and two-time grand slam champion, Lleyton Hewitt and wife Bec welcomed their son Cruz into the world on December 11th. Hewitt and his actress wife already have a three-year-old daughter named, Mia.
  
  
• In shocking Davis Cup news, 59-year-old Modesto Vazquez has been named Argentina’s new team captain.
  
  
• Rafael Nadal finished third for the L’Equipe’s annual ‘Champion of Champions’ honor. Roger Federer had won the award the previous three years.