Baker, Harrison and Querrey Get Wildcards into Cincy

The first men's wild cards for the 2012 Western & Southern Open have been awarded to Americans Brian Baker, Ryan Harrison and Sam Querrey. Their countrywoman Venus Williams had previously been announced as the first women's wild card recipient for the August 11-19 tournament at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason.

Baker is enjoying success following a remarkable comeback from five surgeries that kept him from the game for six years. The 2003 French Open junior finalist, Baker underwent left hip surgery in 2005, a sports hernia operation in 2006, and in 2008 underwent Tommy John surgery in addition to operations on both his left and right hips. While rehabilitating, Baker served as an assistant coach at Belmont University in his native Nashville. He returned to pro tennis in 2011, and this season reached his first career final in Nice and the Round of 16 at Wimbledon to approach the Top 75 in the rankings.

Harrison travels back to Wimbledon this week to represent the United States in the 2012 London Olympic Games. The 20-year-old attained a career-high ranking this month after reaching three ATP World Tour semifinals this season - at Newport, Eastbourne and San Jose. Last year he was a two-time semifinalist during the Emirates Airline US Open Series. Earlier this year he played his first Davis Cup ties, and in April was the first US teenager to play a live rubber since Andy Roddick in 2001.

Querrey is a past quarterfinalist at the Western & Southern Open who began 2011 in the Top 20. Early last summer he underwent right elbow surgery, and his comeback from that injury was realized in June when he reached the semifinal at Queen's Club prior to Wimbledon. This week he is competing at the Emirates Airline US Open Series event in Los Angeles where he is a two-time champion.

The addition of these three wild cards brings the men's entries to 47 for the 56-player field. Williams is the 38th player named for the 54-player women's field. Additional wild cards will be announced for both the ATP World Tour and WTA fields, in addition to further players being added to the fields via the qualifying tournaments that will be held August 11-12.

The complete player lists as well as ticket information for the Western & Southern Open can be found online at www.cincytennis.com.

Hewitt, Haas Score Wimbledon Wildcards

Former champion Lleyton Hewitt, former world No. 2 Tommy Hass and Belgium's David Goffin, the lucky loser who took a set off Roger Federer at the French Open, have been given wild cards for this year's Wimbledon tennis championships.

Virginie Razzano, the Frenchwoman who beat Serena Williams in the first round in Paris, received one of the women's eight wild cards as did Kazakhstan qualifier Yaroslava Shvedova who reached the French quarter-finals after ousting champion Li Na.

Other wildcards went to British players.

Men's wildcards:

1. Jamie Baker (GBR)

2. David Goffin (BEL)

3. Oliver Golding (GBR)

4. Josh Goodall (GBR)

5. Tommy Haas (GER)

6. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)

7. James Ward (GBR)

8. To be announced

Women's wildcards:

1. Naomi Broady (GBR)

2. Johanna Konta (GBR)

3. Virginie Razzano (FRA)

4. Laura Robson (GBR)

5. Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ)

6. Heather Watson (GBR)

7. To be announced

8. To be announced

Wildcard Wednesday in Baseball

Both National and American League wild card races will go down to the last day of the regular season after Tampa Bay and Boston won on Tuesday while St Louis caught up with faltering Atlanta.

If the teams finish tied after their regular season finales on Wednesday, a one-game playoff will decide who advances to the postseason later this week.

Crucial games tonight include:

Boston at Baltimore

N.Y. Yankees at Tampa

Philadelphia at Atlanta

St. Louis at Houston.

I predict we will have one, if not two playoff games tomorrow.  All the games will be on ESPN channels.