Tennis Confidential II
Subtitle: More of Today's Greatest Players, Matches, and Controversies
Publisher: Potomac Books Inc.
Published: May 8, 2008
Place of publication: Dulles, Virginia
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 272
ISBN-13: 9781597971737
Subjects: Sports & Recreation; Biography / Autobiography; Sports; General; Tennis; Biography; History; Tennis players
Description: Contact: Kevin Cuddihy
Phone: 703-996-1022	
Kevin@booksintl.com	Publication Month: April 2008

Tennis Confidential II
More of Today’s Greatest Players, Matches, and Controversies

By Paul Fein

978-1-59797-173-7     Cloth     $27.50     6 x 9     288  pages     10 B&W photos 

Award-winning tennis writer Paul Fein is back at his shot-making best with Tennis Confidential II: More of Today’s Greatest Players, Matches, and Controversies, the sequel to his highly acclaimed 2002 book, Tennis Confidential. Once again, Fein has collected his most perceptive, controversial and entertaining pieces into one book. “In a perfect world this book would be required reading for the game’s leaders and its followers,” praises Mary Carillo, a Peabody and Emmy Award–winning TV analyst for ESPN, CBS, HBO, and NBC.
 
Tennis Confidential II gives readers an insider’s look at the colorful characters, captivating story lines, and heated controversies that headline professional tennis, the world’s most popular individual sport.  Insightful and thought-provoking essays analyze The Great Debates of Tennis, such as:

•	Who is the greatest men’s player in history?  The greatest women’s player?
•	Is on-court coaching good for tennis?
•	Where have all the serve and volleyers gone?  And what can we do about it?
•	Should tiebreakers replace deciding sets?
•	Is it clever or counter-productive to let players challenge line calls? 
•	How can America produce tennis champions again?

Fein debunks conventional wisdom as only he can, and his extensive knowledge of the sport provides a welcome perspective. Whether you agree or disagree, you’ll think about these controversies in new ways. He treats readers to probing features about the people and trends that have changed the sport. Stories capture the career triumphs and travails of Maria Sharapova, Pete Sampras, and Andre Agassi. In-depth features chronicle the extraordinary evolution of women’s tennis, explore the “Russian Revolution” that has shaken the tennis world, and delve mischievously into the pleasures and pressures of doubles. Fein also re-creates with amusing anecdotes an era when tennis players rocked, recounts famous feuds in tennis history, and celebrates the fun-loving Australian dynasty of yesteryear.  

Revealing interviews with former stars Jim Courier, Stefan Edberg, Michael Chang, Mats Wilander, Martina Hingis, and Yannick Noah, as well as Tennis Hall of Fame contributor and authority Gene Scott, tell (almost) all about pro tennis on and off the courts.

Sprinkled throughout the book are tennis significa and trivia that will amuse and amaze readers. Which player hires her hitting partners on the basis of, “If you can beat me, you can hit with me”? Who did John McEnroe call “the next John McEnroe”? And what reason did Sharapova give in 2005 for not having a boyfriend? “Fascinating Facts” sidebars give you the answers.

This entertaining and compelling compendium of tennis interviews, features, and essays is sure to intrigue, inform, and enlighten. Anyone who enjoys tennis will find Tennis Confidential II a winner.
# # #
Paul Fein is a renowned tennis journalist and author. His articles have appeared in the United States and twenty-five foreign countries, and earned more than twenty writing awards. Fein’s diverse tennis background includes being a top-ten men’s open sectional tournament player, satellite tournament founder and director, USPTA teaching pro and coach, New England tournament consultant, cable TV commentator, and tennis club and council president. He lives in Agawam, Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.tennisconfidential.com and www.tennisquotes.com.  

Please send copies of any reviews or articles referencing this title to Kevin Cuddihy at the letterhead address. For an author interview or any additional information, please contact Kevin at 703.996.1022 or Kevin@booksintl.com.

Title: 	Tennis Confidential II: More of Today’s Greatest Players, Matches, and Controversies
Author:	Paul Fein
ISBN:	978-1-59797-173-7  
Price:	$27.50
Details:	6 x 9, 288 pages, 10 photos
Pub Date:	April 2008
Table of contents: title: Tennis Confidential II; title: Chapter 32     Jelena Jankovic: The Serb with Verve