Czar's schedule includes trip to Australian Open

   Coming soon to NorCal Tennis Czar:

   This month

   1. A big feature story on the Sacramento Clay Court League, clay courts in general and league Commissioner Ben Combs.
   2. Serbs Dusan Vemic, a member of the Sacramento Capitals in World TeamTennis for the past two seasons, and Ilija Bozoljac, the runner-up in the Aptos Challenger in July, discuss countryman Novak Djokovic and their country's unlikely rise to power.
   3. The first annual Slammies: 2011 awards in Northern California tennis.

This month or early next year

   1. Why tennis is better than golf (unless I sell this puppy to a major publication or national Web site for big bucks).
   2. The fate of the Capitals following owner Bob Cook's declaration of bankruptcy.  

   3. Photos with stories. 

January

   1. Preview of the Stanford, Cal, Sacramento State, UC Davis and Pacific men and women.
   2. Tennis Down Under: Playing in Sydney and attending the Australian Open. 

February

   1. Milos Raonic of Canada defends his stunning title in the SAP Open in San Jose.

Meanwhile

   After the first round of the prestigious Orange Bowl on clay in Plantation, Fla., unseeded Connor Farren of Hillsborough is the only player with Northern California ties left in boys or girls 18 singles.
   Farren, who beat Vlad Victor Cornea of Romania 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 Monday, is scheduled to face 16th-seeded Hassan Ndayishimiye of Burundi on Wednesday. Ndayishimiye advanced with a 6-0, 6-4 victory Tuesday over John Harrison Richmond of Pawleys Island, S.C.
   (If tennis doesn't work out for Cornea, there's always ophthalmalogy.) 
   Trey Strobel, a Bradenton, Fla., resident headed to Stanford, and Piedmont's Mackenzie McDonald lost to seeds  Tuesday. Strobel fell to No. 5 Kyle Edmund of Great Britain 6-2, 7-5, and McDonald succumbed to No. 7 Patrick Ofner of Austria 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.
   Top seeds Dominic Thiem of Austria and Eugenie Bouchard of Canada won their first-round matches in straight sets Tuesday.
   Farren, Strobel, McDonald and Stanford-bound Krista Hardebeck, who lost to third-seeded Indy De Vroome of the Netherlands 7-5, 6-3 Monday, are scheduled to play their first-round doubles matches in the 18s Wednesday.
   (If tennis doesn't work out for De Vroome, there's always auto racing.)
   The unseeded team of Hadley Berg, from Greenbrae, and Mary Closs, from Menlo Park, are set for their second-round match in girls 16 doubles after advancing by walkover.
   Closs lost to eighth-seeded Anna Maria Heil of Austria 6-3, 6-2 Monday in the first round of 16 singles. Berg is playing doubles only.