STARS
Australian Open
Men’s singles: Roger Federer beat Andy Murray 6-3 6-4 7-6
Women’s singles: Serena Williams beat Justine Henin 6-4 3-6 6-2
Men’s doubles: Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan beat Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic 6-3 6-7 (5) 6-3
Women’s doubles: Venus Williams and Serena Williams beat Cara Black and Liezel Huber 6-4 6-3
Mixed doubles: Cara Black and Leander Paes beat Ekaterina Makarova and Jaroslav Levinsky 7-5 6-3
Boy’s singles: Tiago Fernandes beat Sean Berman 7-5 6-3
Girl’s singles: Karolina Pliskova beat Laura Robson 6-1 7-6 (5)
Boy’s doubles: Justin Eleveld and Jannick Lupescu beat Kevin Krawietz and Dominik Schulz 6-4 6-4
Girl’s doubles: Jana Cepelova and Chantal Skamlova beat Timea Babos and Gabriela Dabrowski 7-6 (1) 6-2
Men’s wheelchair singles: Shingo Kunieda beat Stephane Houdet 7-6 (3) 2-6 7-5
Women’s wheelchair singles: Korie Homan beat Florence Gravellier 6-2 6-2
Men’s wheelchair doubles: Stephane Houdet and Shingo Kunieda beat Maikel Scheffers and Robin Ammerlaan 6-2 6-2
Women’s wheelchair singles: Florence Gravellier and Aniek van Koot beat Lucy Shuker and Daniela Di Toro 6-3 7-6 (2)
Other
Michael Berrer beat Andrey Golubev 6-3 7-6 (4) to win the Heilbronn Open in Heilbronn, Germany
SAYINGS
“Now I feel, like, obviously I’m being pushed a great deal by the new generation coming up. They’ve made me a better player, because I think this has been one of my finest performances in a long time, or maybe forever.” – Roger Federer, after winning his fourth Australian Open men’s singles title.
“I can cry like Roger. It’s just a shame I can’t play like him.” – Andy Murray, explaining his tears after losing the final. Federer cried at the Australian Open last year after losing to Rafael Nadal.
“I feel like I have things to prove.” – Serena Williams, after winning her fifth Australian Open women’s singles title.
“I’m hungry to win one. I worked really, really hard to try to do it and give myself the opportunity. So far it’s not been good enough. But I’m sure one day it will be. When it comes, maybe because of the two losses, it will be even better.” – Andy Murray, after losing the men’s singles final.
“It’s been a very emotional two weeks for me. I thought it would never happen again. It’s been almost perfect. Just the last step, I couldn’t make it.” – Justine Henin, after losing to Serena Williams.
“I know he’d like to win the first for British tennis since, what is it, 150,000 years?” – Roger Federer, speaking of Andy Murray’s hope to become the first British man to win a Grand Slam tournament singles titles since Fred Perry in 1936.
“They’re still sleeping. They didn’t wake up. Someday they will wake up.” – Li Na, when asked why China has world-class women’s tennis players but few men.
“I thought maybe, if I retire now and come back … you know, Kim (Clijsters) and Justine (Henin) do that, then come back and win slams. Could have been an omen for me.” – Lleyton Hewitt, who underwent hip surgery and will be off the men’s tour until May.
“It’s the one that’s been eluding me. We said it since we started to play together. We talked about it last year. He promised. He made a promise to me we were going to get this one. He’s good at keeping his promises.” – Cara Black, who teamed with Leander Paes to win her first Australian Open title and complete a career mixed doubles Grand Slam.
“’She’s a real champion.’She plays the right shots at the right time.’” – Justine Henin, on Serena Williams.
“I feel good and I am only thinking now of recovering well. My main goal right now is to get ready again and fit to play the upcoming events once I am able to compete.” – Rafael Nadal, who will miss the next four weeks because of a knee injury.
“Play better.” – Venus Williams, when asked how she could beat her sister Serena.
“You don’t need to rub it in. They know.” – Roger Federer, when an on-court interviewer mentioned that he had beaten Lleyton Hewitt 15 straight times.
“My arm is pretty much my livelihood.” – Andy Roddick, who decided to continue his match against Marin Cilic after being assured by the ATP trainer that finishing the match would not cause any long-term damage to his arm.
“We play doubles because we enjoy it and just want to spend more time together. We just love being out there and we love the competition. More than anything, we have fun. We’ll smile and enjoy it… We were talking today about how we wish we played more when we were younger.” – Serena Williams, after she and her sister Venus won the women’s doubles.
“Given the competitive form of Zheng Jie and Li Na, what they have achieved in Melbourne is not surprising to us. Their success shows that Chinese tennis players can find their rightful place in the tennis world.” – Gao Shenyang, a director at China’s sports commission, after Zheng and Li both reached the Australian Open semifinals.
“I have everything bandaged.” – Serena Williams, who had taped her ankles, wrist, thigh and calf.
SWISS GOLD
It was business as usual for Roger Federer. His 6-3 6-4 7-5 victory over Andy Murray was the fourth time the Swiss superstar has won the Australian Open. It increased his men’s record to 16 Grand Slam tournament titles, two more than previous record-holder Pete Sampras. In addition, Federer has reached the semifinals in 22 consecutive tournaments and has played for the title in 17 of his past 18 Grand Slam tournaments, the only blemish being the 2008 Australian Open where he lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Novak Djokovic. He also is moving closer to Sampras’ all-time record for most weeks ranked number one in the world, a mark he would match if he remains in the top spot through the end of the French Open. Federer also becomes the only player who can win all four major men’s singles titles – a calendar year Grand Slam – in 2010. He is the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion, the next two Grand Slam tournaments.
SERENA THE GREAT
There’s something about Serena Williams and the Australian Open. She has never lost a final at Melbourne Park, not in singles or doubles. She won her fourth Australian Open singles title, the first woman in the Open Era to do so, snapping a five-way tie with Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles. Playing in her 41st Grand Slam tournament, Williams was in the title match for the 15th time. Her 12 major titles ties her on the all-time list with Billie Jean King and trailing Court, Graf, Helen Wills Moody, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. Serena also has won 11 women’s doubles Grand Slam tournament titles – all with sister Venus – and two mixed doubles, both with Max Mirnyi. And while she won the Australian Open a year ago, Serena looked at this year’s tournament in a different light. “I don’t come into a tournament trying to defend a title. I come into a tournament trying to win a title. That’s how I look at it,” she said after her win in the semifinals.
Venus and Serena now have four Australian Open women’s doubles titles, having also won in 2001, 2003 and 2009. They have also won one French Open (1999), four Wimbledons (2000, 2002, 2008, 2009) and two US Opens (1999, 2009). Plus the Olympics in 2000 and 2008.
STARS FOR HAITI
Spearheaded by Roger Federer, tennis has raised nearly USD $700,000 for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Top players gathered for a Hit for Haiti fundraiser the day before the Australian Open began, raising around USD $140,000 in gate receipts and public donations. Since then players have donated racquets that are being auctioned off, and tennis organizations – the ATP World Tour, Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, International Tennis Federation and the Grand Slam Committee – have supported the cause by raising the donations to USD $687,000.
STILL CLICKING
The mixed doubles champions have been in the winner’s circle before, but never in Australia for Cara Black. Leander Paes and the Zimbabwean teamed up to down Ekaterina Makarova and Jarosav Levinsky 7-5 6-3 in the final. It was the 11th Grand Slam tournament title for the 36-year-old Paes, tying him with Mahesh Bhupathi as India’s most successful Grand Slam player. For Black, the victory made her the third woman in the Open Era to win a career mixed doubles Grand Slam, joining Martina Navratilova and Daniela Hantuchova. Cara won the French Open in 2002 and Wimbledon in 2004, both with brother Wayne Black, and the US Open in 2008 with Paes. Three other women have accomplished the feat: Doris Hart, Margaret Court and Billie Jean King. Between them, Paes and Black have won 19 Grand Slam tournament doubles titles, including men’s, women’s and mixed.
SINO SUPERSTARS
Li Na and Zheng Jie both reached the final four at the Australian Open, the first time two players from China made it that far at a major. Actually, never before had two Chinese singles players ever been in the second week of a major at the same time. Although they both lost their semifinal matches – Li to eventual champion Serena Williams and Zheng to Justine Henin – the two know they have made a huge impact at home. Called “golden flowers” by Chinese newspapers, Li said, “I mean, was first time two Chinese player same time play semifinal in Grand Slam. Good for both players. Of course, I think also good for China tennis. I think if the children, they saw this time, maybe they have more confident. They think maybe someday they can do also, yeah. I think, how you say, [it] was [an] exciting day.” Her run to the semifinals also made Li the first Chinese player to be ranked in the top 10 in the world.
STASH GROWING
Twins Bob and Mike Bryan keep adding to their Grand Slam tournament stash. The Americans won their fourth Australian Open men’s doubles title by beating Canada’s Daniel Nestor and Serbia’s Nenad Zimonjic 6-3 6-7 (5) 6-3. They also won Down Under in 2006, 1007 and 2009. It was their eighth Grand Slam tournament title overall and they now trail only Australian due Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge, who won 11 Grand Slam tournament crowns.
SUPER IDOL
Three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten is the idol of the 2010 Australian Open junior boys champion. Like Kuerten, Tiago Fernandes is from Brazil and he sometimes practices with his hero. Fernandes, who turned 17 on the eve of the final, wasn’t surprised by his 7-6 6-3 win over Australia’s Sean Berman in the title match. “The weekend before, I was thinking I’d be in the final and be, you know, the champion,” he said. “But it’s a Grand Slam, and I’m really happy to be the champion.” Fernandes attributed his success in part to Guga, as Kuerten is known. “He’s an unbelievable guy – out of the court, inside the court,” Fernandes said. Kuerten retired two years ago.
SISTER SI, SISTER NO
Laura Robson could be excused if she thought she had to play the same player twice in a row. Robson played 17-year-old identical twins Kristyna and Karolina Pliskova in consecutive matches, besting Kristyna 6-3 6-1 in the semifinals of the girls’ singles, then losing the title match to Karolina 6-1 7-6 (5). It was the second straight year Robson has reached the girls’ final at Melbourne Park, only to lose in straight sets. Yet she can go home with her head held high. She played mixed doubles with Andy Murray as they reached the final of the Hopman Cup last month, losing to Spain. Karolina Pliskova was playing in only her second junior tournament since April 2007.
Li Na had the same problem in the women’s singles. Li beat Venus Williams 2-6 7-6 (4) 7-5 in the quarterfinals, then lost to eventual champion Serena Williams in the semifinals, 7-6 (4) 7-6 (1).
SURGERY FOR LLEYTON
It didn’t take long for Lleyton Hewitt to undergo surgery on his right hip. Australia’s top player lost to top-ranked Roger Federer in the fourth round, then underwent surgery. “At least I gave 100 percent and tried to block it out as much as possible,” Hewitt said of his performance at this year’s Australian Open. He said he injured the hip at the Hopman Cup last month and felt “a reasonable amount of pain” while playing in Melbourne. Hewitt said he hopes to play again at Roland Garros. “I’ll be back, ready for the French Open,” he said.
SIDELINED BY INJURY
Rafael Nadal will miss up to four weeks while he recovers from a knee injury that forced him to quit in the third set of his Australian Open quarterfinal match against Andy Murray. Nadal had his right knee checked in Spain and was advised to rest completely for two weeks. He then will undergo two weeks of medical treatment before returning to tournament play. Nadal said the injury was not a recurrence of the tendinitis that sidelined him for periods last year. He was unable to defend his Wimbledon title in 2009 and has not reached a Grand Slam tournament final since he beat Roger Federer in five sets at the 2009 Australian Open. MRI and ultrasound tests show a small tear at the back part of Nadal’s right knee.
STRINGING GAMES
Vera Zvonareva was leading 6-4 4-2 when Victoria Azarenka of Belarus went on a tear. Azarenka ripped off 10 consecutive games to post her first career victory over Zvonareva and reach the Australian Open quarterfinals for the first time. In their four previous meetings, Azarenka had never taken a set off Zvonareva. “I just tried to keep fighting even when I was down,” the seventh-ranked Azarenka said. “I knew I could stay with her. I just had to believe in myself.”
SKIPPING FED CUP
Neither Kim Clijsters nor Justine Henin will play for Belgium in the Fed Cup opening round against Poland. The Belgian tennis federation said Clijsters made it clear that she needs a period to build up training, while Henin said the international team competition comes too early in her return to competitive tennis. That leaves Yanina Wickmayer to lead the Belgian team. Wickmayer, who had to play qualifying to reach the main draw of the Australian Open, was ousted from the year’s first Grand Slam tournament by Henin in the fourth round.
STREAKING
With his Australian Open triumph, Roger Federer has caught up with Andy Roddick. When he won the tournament in Brisbane, Australia, last month, it was the 10th straight year that Roddick has captured an ATP World Tour title, tied for best among active players. Federer’s win at the Australian Open ran his streak to 10 straight years. The two are among the 14 players who have won titles for 10 or more consecutive years since the Open Era began in 1968. The leader is Ivan Lendl, who won at least one tournament for 14 consecutive years. Jimmy Connors is second with 13 years, while Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg are tied at 12 consecutive years. Lleyton Hewitt is also at 10 consecutive years and counting.
SURFACING AGAIN
Mario Ancic is back playing competitive tennis for the first time since May 2009. Once ranked as high as number seven in the world, Ancic has been hobbled by injury and illness over the last few years. The 25-year-old Croatian, who has won three ATP World Tour titles, returned to the tour at the Heilbronn Open, a Challenger event in Heilbronn, Germany. He lost in the first round of singles to Mikhail Kukushkin in three sets, but teamed with Levro Zovko to reach the doubles final, where they lost to brothers Sanchai and Sonchat Ratiwatana of Thailand 6-4 7-5.
SANIA SAYS NO
Citing incompatibility, Sania Mirza has ended her engagement to a childhood friend, Sohrab Mirza. “We were friends for five years but found ourselves incompatible during our engagement period,” the 23-year-old Indian tennis player said. “I wish Sohrab the best in life.” Sania’s father, Imran Mirza, said the end of the engagement would not impact the long friendship the two families have shared.
SHARED PERFORMANCES
Heilbronn: Sanchai Ratiwatana and Sonchat Ratiwatana beat Mario Ancic and Lovro Zovko 6-4 7-5
SITES TO SURF
Fed Cup: www.fedcup.com
Zagreb: www.zagrebindoors.com/indoors.htm
Johannesburg: www.satennisopen.co.za/
Santiago: www.movistaropen.cl/
San Jose: www.sapopentennis.com/index2.html
Rotterdam: www.abnamrowtt.nl/
Costa do Sauipe: www2.uol.com.br/tenisbrasil/brasilopen/
Paris: www.opengdfsuez.com/
Pattaya City: www.pentanglepromotions.com/pattaya-open.html
Midland: www.dowcorningtennisclassic.com
TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK
(All money in USD)
ATP
$572,250 PBZ Zagreb Indoors, Zagreb, Croatia, hard
$442,500 SA Tennis Open, Johannesburg, South Africa, hard
$398,250 Novistar Open, Santiago, Chile, clay
FED CUP
First Round
World Group
Ukraine vs. Italy at Kharkiv, Ukraine, hard
Czech Republic vs. Germany at Brno, Czech Republic, hard
Serbia vs. Russia at Belgrade, Serbia, hard
France vs. United States vat Lievin, France, clay
World Group II
Australia vs. Spain at Adelaide, Australia, hard
Poland vs. Belgium at Bydgoszcz, Poland, hard
Estonia vs. Argentina at Tallinn, Estonia, hard
Slovak Republic vs. China at Bratislava, Slovak Republic, hard
Group I – Europe/Africa
Round-robin at Cruz Quebrada, Portugal (four groups), hard: Austria, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Great Britain, Hungary, Israel, Latvia, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland
Group I – Americas
Round-robin at Lambare, Paraguay, clay: Brazil, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Paraguay, Puerto Rico
Group I – Asia/Oceana
Round-robin at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, hard: Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, New Zealand, Thailand, Uzbekistan
Group II – Asia/Oceana
Round-robin at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, hard: Hong Kong China, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Syria
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
ATP
$1,600,000 ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, hard
$531,000 SAP Open, San Jose, California, USA, hard
$442,000 Brasil Open, Costa do Sauipe, Brazil, clay
WTA
$700,000 Open GDF SUEZ, Paris, France, hard
$220,000 PTT Pattaya Open, Pattaya City, Thailand, hard
$100,000 Dow Corning Tennis Classic, Midland, Michigan, USA, hard