Hey All,

I’ve been in NYC since Monday afternoon, so I thought it would be nice to check-in with you all and give you an update on how I’ve been doing.

As I said before, I’ve been in the Big Apple for almost a week now and have been hitting every day. I also got a friend in town with me, which is very cool.

Besides practicing, I’ve been doing interviews and activities with American Express and it has been a lot of fun. You should all check out www.nextcontenders.com for some great videos and cool content. I and Melanie Oudin also did a press conference for American Express Fresh Courts in Brooklyn. Fresh Courts is an initiative by American Express to renovate courts, and they already did an event in Washington DC with my good buddy John Isner.

Thursday night, I did the Royal Bank of Scotland exhibition event in a very nice country club in Rye with Mardy Fish. Following the exo, I went to the Taste of Tennis, a cooking event.  It was a great Thursday evening and I enjoyed cooking some delicious food with a bunch of top chefs.

One of the coolest things I did in New York thus far is that I got to host the US Open Players Party Friday night. The party was on the rooftop of the Empire Hotel. I of course had fun, and left at around midnight.

My schedule is less busy starting today. I’ll just be practicing and fine-tuning my game for the tournament. I love the US Open, and I’m very excited to start a hopefully great run.

I’ll talk to you soon,

Sam

Hey All,

I’ve been in NYC since Monday afternoon, so I thought it would be nice to check-in with you all and give you an update on how I’ve been doing.

As I said before, I’ve been in the Big Apple for almost a week now and have been hitting every day. I also got a friend in town with me, which is very cool.

Besides practicing, I’ve been doing interviews and activities with American Express and it has been a lot of fun. You should all check out www.nextcontenders.com for some great videos and cool content. I and Melanie Oudin also did a press conference for American Express Fresh Courts in Brooklyn. Fresh Courts is an initiative by American Express to renovate courts, and they already did an event in Washington DC with my good buddy John Isner.

Thursday night, I did the Royal Bank of Scotland exhibition event in a very nice country club in Rye with Mardy Fish. Following the exo, I went to the Taste of Tennis, a cooking event.  It was a great Thursday evening and I enjoyed cooking some delicious food with a bunch of top chefs.

One of the coolest things I did in New York thus far is that I got to host the US Open Players Party Friday night. The party was on the rooftop of the Empire Hotel. I of course had fun, and left at around midnight.

My schedule is less busy starting today. I’ll just be practicing and fine-tuning my game for the tournament. I love the US Open, and I’m very excited to start a hopefully great run.

I’ll talk to you soon,

Sam

Hey All,

I thought it would be nice if I’d hit you up with another blog post. I’m in Cincinnati right now.  I just got in town after playing in Toronto last week. 

I played my 1^st round match last week against Mike Russell. It was a pretty tough three-set battle, but fortunately, I won. I didn’t play my best tennis but I was glad to make it through.  Mike is always a tough competitor.  As you may know, I lost my next round match to Kevin Anderson.  We’ve played a couple of times this year already, most recently in LA.  He’s always hard to play against.  I feel that we both fought really hard, but this time, he got the better of me. 

My week in LA was a great one.  I was really excited to win the Farmers Classic in front of my hometown crowd, and I was proud of the way I played in the final against Andy Murray.  I had some tough matches along the way, but the crowd supported me the entire time.  After LA, I got into DC on Monday evening, and did an interview with American Express.  We did the interview while eating dinner, which was interesting, but it went really well and I had a good time.  After the interview, I went with a couple friends to check out the view from the roof-top restaurant where you were able to see most of DC.

On Tuesday morning, Bob & Mike Bryan and I went to the White House for a USTA event to promote Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative. I obviously had a great time, since it was fun being on the White House lawn, but it was especially cool when the President showed up unexpectedly. We were all really surprised and it was exciting to meet the President.  I have to say, he was pretty smooth and he definitely knows how to work a crowd!

I tried to practice as much as possible to get used to the really humid weather and conditions in DC, but it was tough. I played my match against Tipsarevic on Wednesday. This was the 2^nd week in a row that I played him. He’s a really good player, and he got me this time around. I was disappointed about the loss, but I spent a couple more days in DC. I practiced a good amount and then went to see the Ravens training camp on Friday which was a good time.

Anyway, it’s time to go now.  Wish me luck in Cincinnati next week, and I’ll check in again soon!

Later,

Sam

Hello All,

I thought I’d hit you up with a new blog post now that I have some free time.  I’m in London right now, and staying at a really cool apartment. My parents and sister are here with me as well.  It’s great to spend some time with my family because when I travel, I don’t get to see them a whole lot.  We’ve been hanging out at the house quite a bit which has been nice.

I had a great week at Queen’s Club last week.  It was very cool to win that event, especially considering how prestigious it is.  There are some other great American names on the trophy, so it’s nice to be beside them, and it has traditionally been one of the favorite tournaments of many players. After my win in Queen’s, we went to Mr. Chow’s, which is one of the best Chinese restaurants in London. It probably was the best Chinese I’ve ever had.

I have to give credit to my good friend Mardy Fish, who played world-class tennis. I think he came back from his injury in an impressive way, and he’s been playing at a top 20 level again. I suggest you guys keep an eye out for him next week too.

The apartment we’re staying in is in Wimbledon village, and everything is within walking distance. We’ve been eating out at restaurants and pubs. The people here are in World Cup fever, and the pubs are packed when the games are on, especially when England is playing. I sometimes watch the games, depending on my schedule of course. My Mom and sister went to Barcelona for the day yesterday, so it seems like that they’re having fun too.  I’ve also been playing a ton of Super Mario Cart on Wii back at the apartment. I haven’t been able to catch any of the Lakers-Celtics games since they’re on TV so late here, but I’ve been keeping up with the scores.  I’m fired up that the Lakers sent it to Game 7, and now it’s time to close it out! 

I took this Monday off, but yesterday, had a hit with Andy Roddick at the All England Club in the morning, and then had a work-out with my trainer Rodney in the afternoon. My practice sessions have been going really well, so I’m excited for Wimbledon to start next week. This is also the first time that I will be seeded.

Anyway, I better go now.  I’m heading out to the All-England Club today for another practice session.  Will check in again after Wimbledon!

Sam

Hey Everyone,

I’m back home in California now. I was in Houston last week, where I reached my first clay court final. Overall, it was a very good week. I’m now getting ready for a long trip to Europe. It’s nice to be home and it’s been a good mix of practicing and relaxing this. I’ve been practicing on clay twice a day, and playing some golf with my buddies.

I’ve been practicing this week with Ryan Harrison. Ryan and I get along well and he’s been a great hitting partner. I’m just trying to work hard to continue improving my game. I’ve been really happy with the way I’ve been playing, and now just want to focus on doing well during the European clay court season. I’m excited for the French Open this year.

Of course I’ve been mixing it up with some off-court training as well. Yesterday was nice – I went for a 5-mile run on the beach. It felt great. Yes, I know, the joys of living in California J.

A few days ago, I went to play golf at a country club in Westlake Village with Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish and Justin Gimelstob. I grew up playing on the tennis courts of this club. The course was tough, so we stopped keeping score and just kept it loose, but we had a good time out there. I also watched the opening home game of the Dodgers. I had tickets to the game, but I unfortunately couldn’t go that night, so I just watched it from home. I love the Dodgers…this is our year!

A few nights ago, I also went to the movies to watch Hot Tub Time Machine. It was funny, but I can’t rank it on the top of my list. I had good company though, so that always helps.

This weekend, my Dad and I are heading to the University of San Diego to watch my sister’s volleyball game. She goes to the University of Arizona, and they play USD tonight. I have not seen her play for quite a while now, so I’m pumped to watch her team play.

As you can see, it’s been a pretty laid-back week. I’ll check back in soon from Europe. Have a great weekend you all,

Sam

Hey Everyone,

After a few weeks on the road, I’m finally back home. I flew back to LA Tuesday night from Miami, and so far, I love being home. It’s nice being able to sleep in my own bed. I didn’t exactly sleep well in Miami, so it’s a nice change.  The night I flew back to LA I went to my aunt’s birthday dinner. My uncle, my cousin and one of my good friends were all there.  I don’t get to see my aunt and her family that often since I travel so much, so having everyone there was pretty cool.

I just practiced for the first time on clay yesterday after a long hard court season. I only played for an hour, but I felt good out there and I’m looking forward to the clay court season.  I’ll be heading out to Houston soon, and then to Europe.  I definitely think playing on clay is tougher than on hard courts, but I’ve gotten used to the surface and I’m hoping to do some damage this year in Europe!

I’ve been relaxing quite a bit since being home, but yesterday I went to the UCLA-Boise State tennis match. I always enjoy going to college matches.  Even though tennis is more of an individualistic sport, it’s cool to see how the college teams work together and support each other.  The only similar team feeling we get on the tour is during Davis Cup, and it gets intense cheering each other on.  College tennis is fun to watch for that reason.

Talking of teams, I’ve been following the NCAA basketball tournament lately.  I haven’t been able to watch too many of the games since I was in Miami during most of the tournament, but overall this year’s tournament has been incredible.  At least I’ll get to watch the Final Four games before heading out to Houston.  Baseball season is about to start this week. I am a die-hard Dodgers fan, of course, and I’m hoping to make it out to some games this year.  The countdown has officially begun - two more days and the Dodgers will be in action again!  

Anyway, not as much to report this time around, so that’s it for today.  Hope everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend. I will probably go out on an Easter egg hunt.  Right…just kidding. The Dodgers are playing!

Sam       

Hey there,

I am currently checking in from Miami, where I am playing the Sony Ericsson Open. I am just getting ready for my first match. I will be –yet again- playing Jeremy Chardy. This is the 2^nd tournament in a row that we face each other. Jeremy is a very tough opponent; I will have to play very well to beat him.

I got to Miami a few days ago. I took the really early morning flight from LA to Fort Lauderdale Wednesday. I had to get up at 4 am but I got over it, just needed some extra sleep that day.

I had a K-Swiss appearance Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale; it was great. The people who put it together were really nice and I appreciate everybody who came out. It is always great seeing my friends at K-Swiss.

My Wednesday was actually really busy because after the K-Swiss appearance, I drove to Miami, practiced for a few hours, and as if this wasn’t enough for me yet, I also did the 2010 US Open Summer Series commercial shoot. I won the series last year, so it was awesome doing a shoot for it this year. I was the last shoot of the day; I went right after my friend John Isner. I think I did better than him; we always find a way to compete.

Not only my Wednesday turned out to be busy, but all my other days here. Yesterday, in between my two practice sessions, I did another appearance, this time for BackOffice Associates. They are my recent partners, and along with Melanie Oudin, the Bryan Brothers and James Blake, we had a great time in the BackOffice Associates suite. I actually did a few interviews but mainly, we just hung out with the guys and Mel and the people from BackOffice Associates.

As a preparation for my match today, I practiced with Rafa Nadal yesterday. Man, that guy can make you work your butt off! He chases down every single ball during practice, which made me want to do better as well. We had a great rhythm, we played some points, and I found it extremely helpful.

Okay, I think this is it for now; I got to get ready to play Chardy very soon. Wish me luck.

Sam

Hello Everyone,

I’m checking in from Indian Wells. It’s been nice to be in the desert - my days have not really been crazy busy, which is one of the reasons why I actually like the BNP Paribas Open. It is pretty laid back, and players have time to do things outside the courts.

A few days prior to the event, I played the K-Swiss Desert Smash at the gorgeous La Quinta Resort, along with world #1 duo of Bob and Mike Bryan, and fellow American Mardy Fish. K-Swiss did a wonderful job organizing the event. It was pretty hot (the sun is crazy here), but we all had a good time.

The tournament started Thursday for the guys but since I was seeded, I did not have to play right away. Some of my friends from the LA area came down to cheer me on in my two matches, which was awesome. The Samurai Club is always fun, and I really like having them around. They are always loud, and make me proud, so thanks, guys!

As many of you may know, I lost to my good friend, fellow Davis Cup member John Isner. It is weird, we have been on Tour for a few years now, and we have not played each other once, and this is now the 2nd time in about three weeks. It is always hard playing a close friend, but I think we will have many more clashes to come in the future. I am already looking forward to it, so be ready, John!

I went to the player’s party the other night – it was cool that most of the other players showed up. We had a delicious dinner, then just hung out. As for socializing, I actually went to Kurt Russell’s house! The place is pretty neat, we hung out there for a few hours with some of my friends.

I will tell you a secret now but you must promise you won’t share it with anyone else. I just attempted to iron my new sponsor’s, BackOffice Associates’ logo on my K-Swiss shirt for our upcoming doubles match tonight, but I was kind of hopeless. I had to ask one of my friends to do it. It was funny, because the person had to call her Mom to ask how to do it. Those patches are tricky, I tell you. Plus I really don’t think I have ever ironed something on a nice shirt ever before, but we managed. BackOffice is a good partner, so it’s worth it.

I am getting ready to play doubles with John right now. I think we are making progress, and we like playing together. I am not leaving Indian Wells until the end of this week, which is cool. I’ll then fly to Miami for the Sony Ericsson Open. I am hoping that I will do a little better there, but the main thing is that I am comfortable with my game, and I feel like that I have improved. My goal is to keep on improving before the clay season in Europe.

I better get ready now to play some good tennis with John. Until my next check-in, thanks for all your support,

Sam

Hello Everyone,

I just got back from Belgrade, Serbia, where we played Davis Cup. Good trip overall – it would have been nice to walk away with a win, but overall our team is happy with the effort. We pushed them far and almost won the tie.

John Isner, Bob and Mike Bryan, Captain Patrick McEnroe and I got to Belgrade a few days before the tie. The Belgrade Arena was really impressive, and a bit intimidating. We already knew it was going to be filled with 20.000 fanatic fans. The fans were definitely intense (it’s not often that you hear that much noise between first and second serves).

The weather was chilly, and it even snowed a bit. One night we actually ate dinner at an ancient castle, overlooking Belgrade. It was a gorgeous view. The old town is beautiful as well. They have these cool little coffee shops, with pretty good tasting coffee. However, what surprised me is that you can still see some bombed buildings from the Balkan Wars; it was kind of scary and sad.

One night, we actually were invited to the US Ambassador’s Residency in Belgrade for a cocktail reception. We all wore suits and ties, but I accidentally forgot to change my socks! I ended up wearing a black suit with white socks – I looked a bit like Michael Jackson. It was a little embarrassing, but hopefully nobody caught any pictures of me, but of course I’ll continue to be reminded about this by my teammates. I was also fired up that my Dad came along for the trip – it’s always nice having him there. And I think that he and Mr. Isner had a good time together.

As for my matches, I am proud of the way I played against Djokovic. I knew he was going to give his all in front of his fans in his hometown, and I knew I had to give my best to even have a shot at beating him. The clay was a bit slow, but the balls bounced pretty high, so I was okay with the surface. I had my chances – it was a close match! I felt good about the win against Victor Troicki in the last match.

I would like to take a moment to congratulate John Isner - I am proud of you, buddy! He played two great singles matches, and helped out Bob Bryan in the doubles tremendously. It was unexpected for him to play in the doubles match, but after Mike came down with food poisoning, John stepped up, and did great. It was a good battle, and I can honestly say that we gave what we had in Belgrade. This time though, it was just not enough against this Serbian Team. But I am looking forward to our next tie in a few months.

I got into Indian Wells on Tuesday getting ready for the BNP Paribas Open. I played in the K-Swiss Desert Smash event at the LaQuinta Resort and Club, which was a lot of fun. I played doubles with Mardy Fish against Bob and Mike Bryan, and then a set against Djokovic. After this charity event, I’ll be playing at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. This is actually one of my favorite tournaments of the year because it is so close to Los Angeles, my hometown. Usually I have all my friends and family around for this event, so it is going to be awesome again this year too. Hopefully I will do well. I feel prepared and all ready to go.

Thanks for all your support during the weekend; I appreciate it, as always.

Till next time,

Sam

Hi Everyone,

It has been a pretty long time since my last blog entry. I know I’ve been out of touch for a while now, but from now on, I will try to check-in once a week or so. This is actually one of my New Year resolutions!

Anyway, I am still excited about my tournament win in Memphis last week. I had not won an ATP 500 before, so it’s safe to say that it was my biggest career win yet. It was not easy playing John in the finals since we’re really close friends. I’ve been saying that if it had to be anyone else to win the event, I’d want him to win, and I definitely mean that. We both understand that it’s competition and that there will be times when I win, and other times when he walks away with the victory. Clinching the doubles with him was an extra. We have played some decent doubles matches together, but never this well. We felt good that we were able to get the win, especially considering that we were a couple points away from being eliminated in the 2nd round (we were proud of our comeback in the 3rd set breaker in our first round match).

The Memphis tournament is always a good one. It’s nice that the hotel is so close to the tournament site, and you can’t beat the breakfast at Blue Plate! Is it strange that I ate there nearly almost every morning? Speaking of meals, John and I grabbed food at a steakhouse the night before the finals. We had a bet going, which is not very unusual for us, as we both love competing. I lost in credit card roulette, and I had to pay for the entire meal. John was of course ecstatic and is still rubbing it in. But, I am still better in poker!

My mother was with me the entire week. It was nice that she was able to come see me play. She does well to hide her nerves, even though it must not be easy. A special thanks to Mom, who has been always so supportive, and to my coach David, thanks for all your advice.

This week, I am in Acapulco, but I am a little worn out. I played a lot last week, and had some rough matches. Plus I had to play on clay in Mexico, which is a sudden switch. Acapulco is great though, and even though I already lost, I can still look forward to doubles with John (and beating him in poker at night). It is nice for us to get some matches on clay before heading out for Davis Cup next week. I can’t wait to get Serbia for our tie against them!

Well, I guess this is it for today; I’ll be back very soon. Till then, thanks for all your support; I truly appreciate it.

Sam