Images from Sunday's Action at Family Circle Cup

A beautiful Sunday of tennis at the Family Circle Cup.

Maria Sharapova Passes on Wildcard in Charleston

World No. 13 Maria Sharapova has rescinded her wild card entry, and will not appear in the 2011 Family Circle Cup.  The tournament continues to be highlighted by four Top 10 players including World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, World No. 5 Samantha Stosur, World No. 7 Jelena Jankovic, and World No. 10 Marion Bartoli, as well as former Cup champions Nadia Petrova and Sabine Lisicki.  Marking the tournament’s 39th consecutive year, the Family Circle Cup is scheduled April 2-10, 2011 at the Family Circle Tennis Center in the Best Tennis Town in America, Charleston, SC.

“Maria Sharapova is a superstar talent, and her presence in our player field will be missed by the tournament and the fans alike,” said Bob Moran, Family Circle Cup General Manager.  “We knew there was a chance she would withdraw depending on her performance in Miami when she accepted our wild card in January, and we congratulate Maria on her success at that event.  Despite the loss of one high profile competitor, our draw still boasts four of the Top 10 players in the world, as well as four Family Circle Cup champions and a host of other marquis players.”

Qualifying matches continue today and main draw action begins Monday.



Butler's Matt Howard's Proud Parents

He's tough he's scrappy and he epitomizes Butler Basketball.

Of course I'm talking about Matt Howard, the Mr. Everything for the Bulldogs.

He's a great story and so are his parents who seem to be everywhere at the Final Four.

Here's an interview with The Howard's following their son's heroic performance against VCU.

NCAA Final Four Plays of the Day: Butler and UCONN

The first game Saturday night is Butler and VCU.  I've been riding Butler the whole way and I'm not turning my back on the Bulldogs now.

They are favored by 2.5 points and it should be another close game with Butler pulling away at the end.

Trends for Butler include: 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games overall and an unbelievable 15-2 ATS in their last 17 neutral site games.  This is the Final Four after all.  The experience the Bulldogs got last year gives them a huge advantage on this big stage.

Take Butler!

The second game is all about Kemba Walker and UCONN.

UCONN is getting 2 points from a team they beat by 17 back in November.

The Huskies are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 neutral site games as an underdog and 9-1 ATS in their last 10 non-conference games.  Kentucky has a balanced attack, but the best player on the floor will be Walker and that will pull UCONN through.

Take UCONN and the 2 points and buckle up for a great game.

Butler Cheerleaders Relax By the Pool at Final Four

One of the most underrated factors at this year's Final Four is the Butler Cheerleaders.

Not only does the basketball team from this small school of about 4,000 keep up on the court with the likes of Big East, Big 10 and SEC teams, they keep up in the cheerleading department as well.

One of the local Indiana stations covering the goings on at the Final Four did a feature on the cheer squad in Houston.  Looks like they are enjoying the Houston weather as they are spending most of their time relaxing at the pool.  By the looks of the pool, they sure don't get the luxurious accommodations that the basketball teams get.  Can you say Motel 6?