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Istanbul and Prague: both highly recommended. I was not sure exactly what to expect when, for the first time, I traveled to Istanbul for the WTA Championships, and then to Prague for the Fed Cup final between the Czech Republic and Serbia in late October. From afar, both cities fascinated me so I was pretty sure that as a standard tourist I would be more than pleased. Which was true and both cities are highly recommended. But I wasn’t so sure that the tennis would be as satisfying as the tourism. I have now reached triple digits in the number of tournaments that I’ve covered live, so my bar for a successful event is high. Serena found that Istanbul cared. Yet both events passed the test with more than flying colors—even exceeding many larger events in several ways. That was not just because the working conditions for the media were outstanding. (Believe me that influences my perception of a tournament, as it would anyone working on any job site in any capacity.) It was mainly because the energy level of the crowds was extremely high, inspiring the players and helping raise the level of tennis to great heights. The feeling…