It’s a small world after all and now Mickey Mouse has a notable new neighbor showing a sixth sense: Justine Henin.

The former World No. 1, who retired from tennis in May, long-time coach Carlos Rodriguez and Pat Etcheberry, her strength and conditioning coach, reconvened to officially launch the American branch of their 6th Sense Tennis Academy at Mission Inn Resort and Club just outside of Orlando, Florida on Saturday.

“I’ve had a lot of good memories, good emotions and good moments playing here in the States. So coming from a little country like Belgium to bring our Academy over here to the States is a very good, exciting and interesting challenge,” Henin told Tennis Week. “We hope to bring something different to tennis here — a different philosophy — and we want to remind kids that tennis is a game. Before you can become a professional, it’s got to be a passion and it’s gonna be a human adventure that we do all together so it’s going to be really, really exciting to be here.” (more…)

Tennis Week staff, sponsors and friends raised the roof during the US Open. Tennis Week celebrated the US Open and Eastern tennis with the annual Tennis Week party held on the rooftop of the CityView tennis club in Queens providing guests with a spectacular view of Manhattan as well as an evening of festive fun and tennis insight provided by former US Davis Cup captain Tom Gullikson, legendary coach Nick Bollettieri and Tennis Week Editor-At-Large Richard Evans.

Evans and Gullikson discussed the Open’s biggest upset — 188th-ranked French qualifier Julie Coin’s 6-3, 4-6, 6-3  second-round shock of top-seeded Ana Ivanovic — and Bollettieri analyzed the games of Andy Murray, Juan Martin Del Potro and Kei Nishikori and later stated his case for why he believes “Saturday Night Fever” is the best album of the Open Era.

Evian served as the Presenting Sponsor of the Party and USTA Eastern, represented by President Dale Caldwell and several staffers, and Bollettieri were party co-hosts.

Nick’s Picks: TW publisher Randy Master, legendary coach Nick Bollettieri, TW  Editor Steve Legrice, the Mr. Roarke of the tennis world.

 
View From The Top

Brain Trust: Nick Bollettieri, TW Editor-At-Large Richard Evans and former US Davis Cup captain Tom Gullikson each spoke to the crowd.

The Evian bar (and staff) was a major attraction

 Life Of The Party (even on the rare occasions when they’re not at the party): TW Circulation Manager Brittney Lockerbie with Fashion Mini publisher and Queens native Louis Sarmiento 

 
Eastern President Dale Caldwell (standing at left) and TW contributor Scoop Malinowski (wearing fedora)

James Blake greeted guests at the door.

 
Bollettieri IMG Academy Multimedia Coordinator David Portnowitz (left) patiently ponders unidentified guest’s claim that every hour is happy hour during the US Open. 

 
Megan Callaghan, Director of Public and Business Relations for Nick Bollettieri and former University of Florida standout, with TW Editor Steve Legrice (pronounced “Le-Gree” for those of you wondering at home).

Last Men (and woman) Standing: TW photo Editors Dan Chivu (left) and Relu Bojan with wife Cynthia Bojan representing Romania by closing the party better than striker Mutu did on his failed penalty kick vs. Italy in EuroCup 2008 (prompting Dan to reach for another Heineken).

Ashley Harkleroad isn’t the only American tennis player to make a Playboy appearance.

Former Stanford standout Scott Lipsky, who partnered David Martin to beat the Bryan brothers in the San Jose final in February, joined Derek Rostagno, Jeff Tarango, Luke Jensen and Zack Fleishman in a charity doubles exhibition at the Playboy Mansion over the weekend.

Tarango, who coaches and plays the occasional doubles challenger, still plays “some sick doubles” according to some court-side observers.

All of the pros waived appearance fees and played the event for free. The event, which included a silent auction, raised more than $300,000 for diabetes research.

“I had never been there before; you see the Playboy Mansion in pictures and it was exciting to see it in person,” said Long Island native Lipsky, who now lives in California. “I didn’t get to go inside — we were kind of sequestered to the tennis court area — but it was a lot of fun. It wasn’t a real serious exhibition, we all made an effort to give the crowd a real good show.”

Playboy founder Hugh Hefner was on the grounds along with Kendra, one of his three girlfriends, but did not participate in the exhibition.

“The fact that it benefitted juvenile diabetes really makes you want to participate,” Lipsky said. “No one got paid for it, you do it out of the goodness of your heart and obviously going to the Playboy Mansion is a perk. It was a great time. We did see Hugh Hefner sitting out by the pool and that was cool.”

Doubles is often relegated to the outer courts of events, but has taken center stage with today’s news that Bob Bryan was forced out of this weekend’s Davis Cup semifinal suffering from a strained left serving shoulder. Lipsky and Martin clinched their first career ATP doubles title defeating top seeds and fellow Stanford University alumni Bob and Mike Bryan in an all-American final at the SAP Open, 7-6(4), 7-5, in February.

So how will Mike Bryan adjust on Saturday playing alongside probable partner Mardy Fish instead of Bob?  

“I think it’s gonna be tough for Mike — he’s been with his brother his whole life and it can be a difficult adjustment to play with a different partner, but obviously it’s even tougher when it’s your brother,” Lipsky said. “But I do believe Mike’s a good enough doubles player to adapt and Mardy plays similar to Bob: he’s got a very big serve and volleys pretty well though not as well as Bob. I think it’s gonna be tough because it’s on red clay, but Mike’s an excellent doubles player so hopefully he will adapt.”

“The Bryans, obviously what they’ve accomplished speaks for itself, Daniel Nestor is tremendous and Mark Knowles is one of the trickiest guys around,” Lipsky said. “He’s got unbelievable hands at net and great touch off the return he can hit lobs off a return and pick up half volleys and can still move really well. I think Leander Paes is still one of the best doubles players out there. We played against him at Wimbledon in ‘07 and wherever we hit the ball he was already there. His court sense and anticipation is amazing.”