NEW : Pasadena City College arranges shelter for fire affected people

New Delhi, Aug 31, 2009: Pasadena City College arranges shelter fire affected people. Surging wildfire in California is threatening several neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Thousands of people have been asked to evacuate their houses and shift to safer places. Red Cross has set up shelters for people who leave their houses.
Earlier the evacuation orders were basically advisory in nature, but now local authorities have issued compulsory evacuation orders.
In the meantime Pasadena City College in the up-market Los Angeles area has also established shelter house for people being evacuated from their houses. They will give preference to their students living in the affected areas.

Pasadena City College is a community college located on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California, USA. PCC is the third largest community college campus in the United States.

The school attracts students from throughout southern California, enrolling a large percentage of student from outside of the bounds of the Pasadena Area Community College District, established in 1966.

The district includes the cities of Pasadena, South Pasadena, Altadena, San Marino, Temple City, La Canada Flintridge, Arcadia, Sierra Madre, and portions of Rosemead and El Monte.

Evacuations were in place for parts of La Canada Flintridge, Altadena and Pasadena, as firefighters try to get control of the 20,000-acre-plus Station Fire. A few miles to the east, the Morris Fire in San Gabriel Canyon, was 95 percent contained.

In the meantime two firefighting officials were killed while on their duty in the affected area. L.A. County Coroner's officials have confirmed that two firefighters were killed when their vehicle overturned in the Angeles National Forest, south of Acton, where fire crews anxiously worked to contain the monstrous Station fire. The 45,500-acre fire has destroyed 18 homes and threatened over 10,000 more residences, 500 commercial properties and 2,000 other structures. The blaze rained ash on cars as far away as downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, spreading in all directions in hot, dry conditions.

Meanwhile there were reports of three civilians suffering burns, including two who tried to ride out the fire by sitting in a hot tub.

So far the fire has destroyed an area of 140 square kilometres and at least 18 homes, the US Forest Service said. The fires are expected to spread amid hot temperatures and low humidity. More than 6,000 firefighters have been battling the blaze and trying to build more than 160km of fire protection lines.

In the meantime Pasadena Star news has reported that the more-than-42,500-acre Station Fire was within 1/2 mile of Mt. Wilson at 11:45 p.m. Sunday night, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The 5,710 foot peak is home to millions of dollars of communications equipment.

"Television, Department of Defense, radio, local law enforcement, it's all up there," said Justin Seastrand, a spokesman for the Forest Service. Crews have been digging breaks around the area for days, and much of the equipment was wrapped with protective coating, he said.

source : http://www.khabrein.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25583&Itemid=57&limit=1&limitstart=1

NEW : Excerpts from Rich Rodriguez's press conference

Rodriguez: First of foremost I want to tell everybody I am very proud of the way our players have worked the last seven, eight months. They've gave a tremendous commitment to this university, to this program, and to building a championship program. They're working hard in athletics and they're working hard in academics. As a coach I am very, very proud of them.

I also want to tell you that I feel it's an honor and a privilege to have Mike Barwis and his staff as part of our staff at the University of Michigan. Mike has been with me for many years. I have complete trust in him, and I think he is absolutely the best strength and conditioning coach in the country.

He's made an impact on our young men, not only in football but in (all of) our sports here. We've had several of our current professional and former professional players come back and work out with Mike that didn't even know Mike. We have several NHL players that played at the University of Michigan that Mike trains now on his own time. I believe they understand and appreciate all he and his staff does for them.

Mike truly, as everybody on our staff does, truly cares about every one of the young men and women that he has worked with, and to imply otherwise couldn't be farther from the truth. He has always complied with the rules, as has our entire staff.

We know the rules and we comply by the rules. We have a very transparent program. You guys that follow us know that; you've been out to practice several times.

We have a very open relationship with our compliance department. I think they're very proactive, they do a great job, and in fact even this spring and summer they met with Mike several times to discuss Mike's offseason program, summer program.

We have a great institution both athletically and academically. There's been many success stories here. But it is a challenge, and that's what the University of Michigan does, it challenges you athletically and academically, and many young men have reached that challenge. It's our job as coaches to help them achieve that. You could talk about (won-loss) records or whatever, but our young men academically are reaching that challenge, and they want to reach it athletically.

I had the seniors over at my house yesterday, and every one of them to a man, because we don't want to go through a season like last year, we're committed to getting it right and to uphold our great tradition, and they've shown that. That's why we try to challenge them.

That's why it's so important for our guys to have success on the field and do the things that prepare them for that, and they understand on their own to do that. That's why our young men understand the value of a Michigan degree, that's why they make the time to balance those two things. And I as a coach have never hindered that. Nobody on my staff would (ever) tell a young man to miss a class or miss a study session or miss a tutor appointment to do anything athletically --never have and never will.

I understand the importance of a degree; all coaches do. When I sit and recruit these guys or when our assistant coaches recruit these guys and sit in their parents' homes, they tell them we're going to challenge your son, we're going to make sure he puts in the work to get a Michigan degree, we're going to make sure we do all we can to help him achieve his goals.

I guess the thing that bothered me the most about the things that were recently written or said, or maybe some things in the last 18 months, is the perception that's out there that we did not care as much for our players' welfare, and that is disheartening. To say that is misleading, inaccurate and goes against everything that I have ever believed in coaching.

I love working with our staff. I love our players like I love my own family. My family loves our players. That's why they're at every practice. You guys that follow us know that. That's the way it is throughout our whole staff.

Coach Barwis will work with these guys any hours that they want to work with him. He'll go to church with them on Sunday. Our staff will do anything that our players want for us to do to help them achieve their goals.

When I left West Virginia I didn't leave my brains and my caring for my players when I came to Michigan. We're proud of the way our programs have been run. I've been a head coach for 16 years, and we've been fortunate to have eight league championships. But more than anything else, we've graduated a whole lot of guys, and a lot of them were first-generation college students. A lot of them were great success stories, and a lot of them still maintain contact with me and my staff to this day.

I know I'm at a great place, and my players and my staff are working every day as hard as we can to build the best program in America.

The former players that know how this program was built, on their hard work and dedication and commitment to team. They understand that, and so do the 120 young men on our football team. So I would ask that you focus on those guys, the 120 men that are making this commitment to have success.

When I have two young freshmen that come into my office yesterday upset, saying, "Coach, what did I do? What did we do? We just said we worked hard, and it was harder than it was in high school and we were committed to helping win a championship." I said, "You didn't do nothing wrong. You did nothing wrong."

Question: With everything you said there, there was no implicit denial of everything that went on.

Rodriguez: We completely complied by the rules, the hours and all that, always have and always will. Again, you must understand, again, it was misleading. Sometimes the players, when you ask them about hours, and understand the treatments, the medical treatments do not count, study hall does not count, other aspects of the hours do not count toward your hours allowance.

Question: The fact that you have certain players and their parents willing to basically call out your program, is there a potential disconnect there?

Rodriguez: The response from our parents, our current players' parents, has been overwhelmingly positive. I have not had a single parent or a single player ... we have an open door, and the parents always know that they can call. I've never had a single parent call me or player complain about anything.

Question: Can you explain your Sunday practices, what goes on on Sundays, what happened last year and what's the plan for this week?

Rodriguez: (I'll) just (say it) as politely as I can -- we want to talk about Western. As I said, we completely complied by the rules in all aspects.

Question: I'm not asking about the allegations, I'm just asking about Sunday practices in general.

Rodriguez: There's a day off that you have to (have). I've gone back and forth -- Sundays off and Mondays off -- and it really depends on the course schedule and what season schedule you have. Last year we had Mondays off because ... a lot of our guys had classes on Monday afternoon.

This year we've made a decision back early in the summer to have Sundays off because ... of the sense of urgency for the coaches to get ready for the next opponent with no open dates. I thought it would make our Monday, our first practice, more relevant.

(But) a Sunday practice, which will now be Monday's practice, has only ever been an hour, ever. It's only been an hour, and that's for as long as I've coached. Most teams will only practice for an hour because you don't have the whole game plan in. It's no more than an hour every Sunday and it'll be no more than an hour on Monday.

But at least an hour now with us -- the coaches having all day Sunday to watch more film -- I think we'll have a little bit better idea of the game plan. It won't be finalized, but it'll be a little better idea of the game plan.

Question: Why do you think there is so much drama?

Rodriguez: Probably because the attention the program has gotten over the years. If you have the winningest all time program and you've got the Michigan name, there's something there. As a coach I understand that.

But let's not get in the way of what's best practices. We've got tremendous tradition, but there needs to be something. Our former players understand that. The guys that played here understand that. What is the best practices as opposed to OK (practices).

I've read John Bacon's book on Bo Schembechler. I've studied it. Bo dealt with some things, too, as have all the coaches.

This is more public now, and I understand that. But ... what's that got to do with graduating with a degree and having success on the field? How does that relate to building a championship program? And if it doesn't relate, then you have to look and say, OK, is that helping us get here or is that hindering us?

source : http://www.detnews.com/article/20090831/SPORTS0201/908310404/1131/SPORTS0201/Excerpts-from-Rich-Rodriguez-s-press-conference

NEW : US Open Tennis 2009: Previewing the men's field

  Photo courtesy of CNNSI.com

It's tennis fans most exciting time of the year: the start of the 2009 US Open tennis tournament. All eyes are fixed on the grounds of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for what promises to be two wildly entertaining weeks of world class tennis.  This year's field will feature all of the usual favorites (Federer, Nadal, et al) as well as several strong contenders gunning for their first Grand Slam title, and a few dark horse candidates worth keeping your eye on. 

Here we will break down each player's chances for success over the course of the fortnight beginning with the favorites:

Roger Federer - Is there anything left for the mighty Fed to accomplish?  Fifteen major championships to his credit  - good for solo possession of the all time record, and the defending champion of the past five US Opens, you have to wonder at this stage in the game where he will draw motivation from.  A sixth consecutive title would be another record he would hold to himself, and after having systematically mowed down both Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic en route to claiming the Cincinnati Masters title I wouldn't bet against him here.

Andy Murray - Entering the dreaded realm of "Best Player Never to Win a Major".  Murray has surrounded himself with a fantastic supporting team this year, and the results have paid huge dividends on the court.  Has usurped Rafael Nadal as the world #2 and took home the Rogers Cup title in Montreal earlier this month.  Can be passive at times - often preferring to play cat and mouse tennis with his opponents which can get him into trouble, but still anything less than a semi-final appearance here would be surprising.

Rafael Nadal - Oh, what a difference a few months can make.  After having reduced Federer to tears following their five set Australian Open final - the kind of tears which clearly reflected the "I have no idea how I'm ever going to beat this guy again" mindset, and storming his way through the clay court season, it all started going wrong for Rafa in Madrid.  Losing in the final on his beloved clay surface to the Fed, then a shocking upset to Robin Soderling in the third round of the French Open, followed by a summer spent on the sidelines with wonky knees leaving him unable to defend his Wimbledon title, Rafa is still finding his form heading into this years Open.  With his athleticism, foot speed, and world class mental toughness however, it would surprise no one if he were the last man standing when the dust settles - even if he is standing on shaky knees.

Novak Djokovic - The Joker has flown under the radar a bit this year, at times having shown flashes of his world class game reaching the finals of four Masters series events and winning two events (Belgrade, Dubai), but has been somewhat absent on the grand stage. Playing well, but not quite in the discussion of being a real threat to take home the title.  He looked to be in top form at Wimbledon before crashing out in the quarters to a red-hot Tommy Haas, and I look for Djokovic to reach the quarters or the semis here so long as he can win back the crowd support he lost last year after his (in)famous post-match comments following his match with Andy Roddick. 

And speaking of Roddick, A-Rod heads the list of strong contenders poised for a breakthrough.  History is often pitiless to losers, but his epic Wimbledon five setter against Federer probably won him more fan support than he's ever enjoyed at any point in his career.  Having hired Larry Stefanki as his coach early in the year, Roddick shed 15lbs. and improved his previously shaky net game as well as his backhand to the degree that he now appears to have very little weakness or vulnerability anywhere in his game.  He desperately wants to add another major title to his resume and would love nothing more than to do it in front of the home crowd.  Other contenders worth watching are:

Juan Martin Del Potro - The 6'6" Argentinean with the huge bomb of a serve, backhand, and inside-out forehand plays well on hard courts, having taken home the Legg Mason title in Washington DC earlier this month, then immediately following it up by reaching the final of the Rogers Cup before running out of gas in the third set against Andy Murray.  If his fitness level is where it should be, watch out for the big man.

Sam Querrey - It's been the Summer of Sam, beginning with a finals appearance in Newport, RI and then catching fire over the next several weeks claiming the US Open Series points title. Along the way, Sam laid claim to the LA Tennis Open title and reached the finals in Indianapolis as well as the Pilot Pen in New Haven, CT this past week. With the points series title, Querrey will take home an additional 15k-1m depending on how he fares over the next two weeks. How's that for motivation?!

As for the dark horses worth keeping an eye on:

Nikolay Davydenko - Has quietly had a solid summer working his way back from a foot injury to a #8 world ranking. Looks to be in good form and will likely survive into the second week.

Fernando Verdasco - Has had a very up and down year. Began the year with a memorable run to the Australian Open semis, where he went toe to toe with Rafael Nadal for five incredible sets before disappearing into the backdrop for the next several months, only to thrust himself back into the spotlight with a win in New Haven, CT this past weekend.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - Will the real Jo-Willie please stand up?! The hard to predict Frenchman has one of the most athletic, aesthetically pleasing games on tour, but is maddeningly inconsistent with his results. He's capable of either pulling off a series of terrific matches and taking down the world's best along the way or crashing out in the first few rounds. Still, he's sure to make it entertaining to watch no matter what happens. And finally, for sentiments sake we have a couple of farewells you don't want to miss:

Marat Safin - The mercurial Russian and 2000 US Open champ is calling it quits after this season, and this is his swan song in Flushing Meadow. Whether he sticks around beyond the first round is anyone's guess, but here's hoping that he smashes at least one racquet on his way out the door. Perhaps one of the most uniquely gifted head cases the game has ever known. Marat, you will be missed. And speaking of players who will be missed, the man Pete Sampras once labeled "The Magician";

Fabrice Santoro is also hanging it up after the Open, drawing an end to a career that has spanned twenty years. His unique blend of slices, dices, two handed forehands, and drop shots, have driven the top players in the world absolutely crazy for the past two decades (perhaps no one more so than the above-mentioned Safin who holds a dismal 2-7 career record against the Frenchman), and the game is not likely to see his brand of tennis ever again. Au revoir, Fabrice. It has been an absolute joy to watch you torment your opponents over the years and we wish you the best of luck in retirement. There you have it folks.

Time to sit back, kick your feet up, and settle in over the next two weeks for the 2009 US Open Tennis tournament, our sports' version of the Super Bowl. Enjoy!

source : http://www.examiner.com/x-8182-Tampa-Tennis-Examiner~y2009m8d31-US-Open-Tennis-2009-Previewing-the-mens-field

HOT : Shocking! Disney Buys Marvel Entertainment!

It's a shocking deal no one saw coming in a million years. According to an official press release from the Walt Disney Company, Disney has bought Marvel Entertainment for the hefty price of $4 billion. Under the deal, Disney gains control of more than 5,000 Marvel characters, and Marvel gains their massive marketing infrastructure. 

"This transaction combines Marvel's strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four and Thor with Disney's creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories," said Robert A. Iger, President aof The Walt Disney Company. "Ike Perlmutter and his team have done an impressive job of nurturing these properties and have created significant value. We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney." 

So, there you have it. Marvel is now a Disney brand in all senses of the word. Obviously, this has just been announced, but the big question looms: What will this mean for all those upcoming Marvel movies? We've all marveled at the creative networking Marvel Entertainment has been doing, and the way Kevin Feige has been building little bridges of creative continuity throughout their cinematic universe. So far, they seemed to be doing everything right by fans, and creating movies that could draw in newcomers and hardcore geeks. What is it going to mean for the films when a behemoth like Disney takes control? Family friendly, mythology-be-damned, direct-to-DVD offerings? Or will it just mean a lot more Slurpee cups and action figures? Time will tell, but something tells me the future of the Marvel cinematic universe might have become a little less bright.


source : http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/31/shocking-disney-buys-marvel-entertainment/

HOT : 1,000-acre Oak Glen Fire laying down - for now

Firefighters appear to be gaining the upper hand on the Oak Glen Fire, but warn that triple-digit temperatures and high winds expected this afternoon could change fire behavior.
The blaze, which started at 1:36 p.m. Sunday south of Oak Glen and Potato Canyon roads, has charred about 1,000 acres of thick oak and chamise. The fire initially moved southeast away from apple orchards but made an overnight push to the northeast. No structures are immediately threatened.
Although humidity dropped overnight and firefighters had to contend with 60-foot flames that burned down to Oak Glen Road, Cal-Fire spokesman Bill Peters said "It's looking better, it's not putting up as much smoke." There is still no containment. Southern California firefighters numbering 1,043 are monitoring the fire and dousing hot spots that continue to flare up.
"Our goal is to do as much damage as we can to the fire before that 2 p.m. window," Peters said. "We want to hit it as hard as we can." Fire officials are bracing for 20 mph winds that were forecast early this morning. The winds would likely blow in the same direction that the fire is moving and help carry embers.
About 8 a.m., fire crews started a backfire just across from Riley's Farm to head off the blaze that was burning directly to the road.
"We had to start a backfire this morning so it wouldn't jump the road," said Cal-Fire Battalion Chief Charlie Dehart.
A mandatory evacuation for portions of Oak Glen remains in effect but officials say little more than 50 percent have left their homes and businesses.
"I'm not as nervous as one would think," said Ken Azzato, operations manager for the 14-acre Oak Tree Village that houses 131 animals.
Azzato has spent the day sitting on a wooden porch with a cup of coffee, watching airtankers make repeated drops on a line of fire that continued to flare up atop a ridge. "The firefighters are doing a really good job," he said.
An evacuation center has been set up at Yucaipa Community Center, 34900 Oak Glen Road. Only a handful of people were there this morning.
Oak Glen Road is closed from Chagall Street to Wildwood Canyon Road.
Large animals may be taken to the Yucaipa Equestrian Center, 13273 California St. Anyone needing assistance with animals may call San Bernardino Animal Control, (800) 472-5609.

source : http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_13239767

NEW : Today's forecast: Partly cloudy & warm

After a hot weekend, expect slightly cooler temperatures today. Highs will still be warm and above normal though, ranging from 103-108. Partly cloudy skies and light winds can be expected. There’s a slight chance of storms along the Mogollon Rim today, and in southeast Arizona.

Throughout the week, expect a slow increase of humidity, along with partly cloudy skies, and cooling temperatures. Highs will be closer to average by midweek, and at that time, we also pick up a slight chance of storms in the Valley. The best chance of rain, of course, remains in the higher elevations around us. Rain chances for the entire state increase by the end of the week, as we tap into the remnant moisture from Hurricane Jimena.

Jimena is currently a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds at 145 mph. Hurricane Jimena is moving NW at 8 mph, and is about 355 miles SSE of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The storm is expected to make landfall late Tuesday on the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula, where hurricane warnings and watches are already in effect. Hurricane Jimena will quickly lose strength over land, and as it slowly travels along the peninsula, is expected to eventually be downgraded into a remnant low pressure system by Friday.

 Get the latest information on the Tropics from the National Hurricane Center

By midweek, we will really start to feel the effects of Hurricane Jimena. Expect increasing clouds toward the weekend, along with a rise in humidity levels. Because of the increase in moisture and cloud cover, afternoon highs are expected to drop, and only warm to around 100 by the weekend.

The final track of Hurricane Jimena, will determine our rain chances in the Valley. As of now, we’ve got about a 30% chance of seeing rain on Friday and Saturday. If Jimena veers out into the Pacific sooner, those rain chances will diminish. But, if Hurricane Jimena continues on its current path, our rain chances could increase for the weekend.

To get the latest weather forecast go to our 24-hour weather channel, 12 News Weather Plus. You can find it on Cox Digital Cable 83, Qwest Choice TV 66, over the air 12.2, or on www.12news.azcentral.com.

12 News Weather Plus Valley Forecast:

Partly cloudy & warm with highs ranging from 103-108. Tonight will be partly cloudy and mild with overnight lows from 81-86.

12 News Weather Plus Forecast Temperatures for the state:

Phoenix 108/ 86
Tempe 106/ 83
Chandler 106/ 82
Mesa 107/ 83
Scottsdale 108/ 82
Gilbert 107/ 84
Apache Junction 105/ 82
Cave Creek 103/ 81
Surprise 108/ 83
Peoria 106/ 85
Glendale 106/ 84
Avondale 107/ 83
Buckeye 108/ 82
Casa Grande 109/ 77
Flagstaff 81/ 53
Prescott 91/ 61
Payson 95/ 62
Show Low 85/ 56
Globe 105/ 71
Florence 106/ 77
Bullhead City 110/ 83

source : http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles/2009/08/31/20090831webwx-CR.html

HOT : Trending: Jay-Z, Drake, and the Blueprint 3 album

Image credit: i am guilty

Twitter's Trending Topics can give a lot of insight on what people are talking about on the Internet, and what's worth knowing for Generation Y.  In this series of articles, we give you the Trending Topics on Twitter, and discuss what it is about them that has caused them to trend.

Jay-Z, Drake, and the Blueprint 3 album:  Jay-Z has a new album, Blueprint 3, around the corner, and a few songs have been leaked out to the Internet.  The songs that people are talking about include "Drake," "Reminder," and "Venus vs. Mars."

Jay-Z trends often with his listeners, and buzz surrounding an upcoming album is not unexpected.  The leak of "Drake" and "Reminder" have only added to the buzz, and pushed the talk about Jay-Z to the top of the trending charts.

This topic trended under "Jay-Z," "Drake," and "Blueprint 3."

source : http://www.examiner.com/x-19988-Dallas-Generation-Y-Examiner~y2009m8d28-Trending-JayZ-Drake-and-the-Blueprint-3-album

HOT : Daytime Emmy Awards 2009 | Winners

daytime emmy awards, daytime emmy awards 2009 winners, daytime emmy winners, emmy awards, emmy awards 2009, Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldber ,  Barbara Walters, Joy Behar, Sherri Shepherd, and Elisabeth Hasselbeck, won the 2009 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host.

The awards were held on August 30 in Los Angeles, and hosted by Vanessa Williams.

Winners of Daytime Emmy Awards presented at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles:

• Drama series: “The Bold and the Beautiful.”
• Lead actress in a drama series: Susan Haskell, “One Life to Live.”
• Lead actor in a drama series: Christian LeBlanc, “The Young and the Restless.”
• Supporting actress in a drama series: Tamara Braun, “Days of Our Lives.”
• Supporting actor in a drama series (tie): Vincent Irizarry, “All My Children,” and Jeff Branson, “Guiding Light.”
• Younger actress in a drama series: Julie Berman, “General Hospital.”
• Younger actor in a drama series: Darin Brooks, “Days of Our Lives.”
• Game-audience participation show: “Cash Cab.”
• Game show host: Meredith Vieira, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”
• Talk show-entertainment: “Rachael Ray.”
• Talk show-informative: “The Tyra Banks Show.”
• Talk show host: Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Sherri Shepherd, Barbara Walters, “The View.”
• Morning program: “Good Morning America.”
• Directing in a drama series: “One Life to Live.”
• Writing in a drama series: “General Hospital.”
• Performer in a children’s series: Kevin Clash, Elmo in “Sesame Street.”
• Lifetime achievement: “Sesame Street.”

source : http://www.panasianbiz.com/all-about-america/daytime-emmy-awards-2009-winners/

HOT : Devin Britton, the Ultimate Underdog

It was a wild weekend for the 18-year-old wild card Devin Britton, who learned shortly after noon Thursday that he would face Roger Federer, who is seeking his sixth consecutive United States Open title, in the first round Monday afternoon.

Britton, who received a wild card from the U.S.T.A. for winning the N.C.A.A. men’s title in May, has spent the past few days doing interviews with ESPN and the Tennis Channel, high-fiving Ana Ivanovic in an Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day mixed doubles match, trading jokes with the comedian Will Ferrell and practicing with Rafael Nadal.

A narrow ray of the tennis spotlight fell on Britton, a 6-foot-4 native of Jackson, Miss., when as an unseeded freshman at Mississippi, he became the youngest man to win the collegiate title. But the attention he has received in the past few days has him blinking with disbelief.

“It’s been crazy, I’ve never done this many interviews in my entire life,” said Britton, who as an unseeded qualifier reached the final of last year’s United States Open junior championships. “I’m definitely not used to it and I’m trying to adapt. But it’s really fun and I’m enjoying the attention.”

Britton signed a professional contract this summer at Wimbledon, where he reached the semifinals of the junior championships in singles and the quarterfinals in doubles. He has played only one main-draw ATP Tour match, last month in Indianapolis, losing in the first round to another American, Rajeev Ram. His four ATP points are dwarfed by Federer’s 12,040, and even his new management team at Octagon is just hoping for a good showing Monday at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“Hopefully it won’t happen too fast and he can engage and be competitive, enjoy the showcase, and then get ready for Round 2,” deadpanned Tom Ross, a senior vice president at Octagon. He quickly added: “Just kidding, a little joke. I wouldn’t want to offend the big guy.”

Britton may have one secret weapon: he serves and volleys, a style Federer and the other top players rarely encounter.

“Plan A is to serve and volley, maybe not on second serves, but on first serves,” said Britton, who added that he had received a lot of what he called “sarcastic” tactical advice.

“I’m going to need to serve really well, obviously. I’ll serve and volley to the backhand, but if I go
down quick I may change it up a little bit, try to mix it up, staying back and coming in.

“I’ve been asking guys for tactics, but nobody can come up with much except, ‘Hit it high and heavy to his backhand and hit a lot of winners.’ The coaches I’ve been working with at the U.S.T.A. have been telling me to play my game and go for my shots.”

There was not much strategic advice Nadal could offer Britton during their 90-minute practice session Saturday. Nadal has a 13-7 record against Federer while playing a style drastically different from Britton’s.

“He didn’t give me any pointers,” Britton said of their conversation. He then indulged in a little sarcasm of his own, adding, “I’ll just play like Nadal and hopefully, it’ll work out.”

source :  http://straightsets.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/junior-watch-devin-britton/