World Tennis Magazine

Unique Tennis Perspectives

andrea petkovic

Wozniacki takes Brussels, Petkovic wins Strasbourg and Almagro victory in Nice – Mondays with Bob Greene

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STARS

 

Germany beat Argentina 2-1 to win the Power Horse World Team Cup in Düsseldorf, Germany

 

Caroline Wozniacki beat Peng Shuai 2-6 6-3 6-3 to win the Brussels Open by GDF Suez in Brussels, Belgium

 

Nicolas Almagro beat Victor Hanescu 6-7 (5) 6-3 6-3 to win the Open de Nice Cote d’Azur in Nice, France

 

Andrea Petkovic beat Marion Bartoli 6-4 1-0 retired to win the Internationaux de Strasbourg in Strasbourg, France

 

Mark Philippoussis beat Carlos Moya 7-5 6-7 (3) 10-4 (match tiebreak) to win the Seguros Bolivar Tennis Champions in Bogotá, Colombia

 

Bahamas and Venezuela were promoted to Americas Zone Group I for Fed Cup 2012 in competition held at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Andrea Petkovic

 

SAYING

 

“I’ve never been the overwhelming favourite going into the French Open because of Rafa’s great record here over the years. Last year here I was the defending champion.  The year before, and the years before that I was trying to win Paris for the first time.  I’ve always had that big cloud hanging over, and the ‘Am I ever going to win the French Open question.’ But that’s been answered.  This year, maybe (people) expect more from Rafa and Novak, and that could be a good thing for me and more pressure for them.” – Roger Federer, on having rivals Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic being the favourites to win Roland Garros.

 

“It’s always a strange feeling when somebody retires. We’re all rushing for the points and titles through the year, but you feel happy and sad at the same moment. I felt so sad for Marion, but also I was playing well and I wanted to finish this match normally.” – Andrea Petkovic, who won Strasbourg when Marion Bartoli retired from the match with a left thigh injury.

 

“The time for recovery (before Roland Garros) is really short, because I am playing on Monday. I’d say it’s time to pray for a miracle. But I guess having a dad as a doctor is very helpful. He is the most important person for me to talk to and find out if I can play. Hopefully I can get through my first match on Monday, just fight through it, and then I can hope for another day of recovery. Hopefully I’ll be alright to continue after that.” – Marion Bartoli, who retired from the Strasbourg final with a left thigh injury.

 

“I feel in good shape. I don’t feel tired at all. I am full of confidence.” – Carolina Wozniacki, who needed medical treatment on her left thigh in the third set before winning the Brussels Open.

 

“I had a great 2009 and winning tournaments became almost a habit, but when I won Fès this year I realized I hadn’t won one for more than a year. I’m enjoying the feeling of winning more because it’s not something I expected, but something I really wanted.” – Andrea Hlavackova, who teamed with Galina Voskoboeva to win the doubles in Brussels.

 

“Playing together for the first time we didn’t expect to win the title. We’re really happy. We were very relaxed and got the maximum reward.” – Galina Voskoboeva, after teaming with Andrea Hlavackova to capture the doubles title in Brussels.

 

“There are a lot of things going on in the world to get mad at and a few points in tennis isn’t one of them.” – Heather Watson, saying she has thrown her last racquet on a tennis court in anger.

 

“The balls are very, very fast, so it’s really difficult to control.  Maybe it’s going to favor the servers and the big hitters. But it still is clay and it still is best-of-five.  You have to rely on your physical ability, as well.” – Novak Djokovic, talking about the Babolat balls that will be used in the French Open.

 

“I have been doing everything that I can, so I cannot ask myself more. I am trying and I am doing very well, but one player is doing better than me. The champion in my opinion is not only be able to win every week; it is when they are able to wait at the right moments and I am waiting at every week, trying to find solutions, and we will see what is going on next time.” – Rafael Nadal, talking about Novak Djokovic.

 

“I love playing tennis and never wanted to stop playing, so this is the perfect opportunity for me.  Even though this isn’t the main ATP Tour, it’s something I’m really looking forward to because the standard of tennis is still really good and I know it’s going to be good fun.” – Carlos Moya, making his ATP Champions Tour debut in Bogotá, Colombia.

 

“I lost my singles match, but I came out strongly for the doubles and it’s great to have a happy ending.” – Philipp Kohschreiber, who teamed with Philipp Petzschner to win the decisive doubles match and lead Germany to victory in the World Team Championships.

 

“The truth is that when I saw the draw, it wasn’t very good for me, but I knew that with a little luck I’d win.” – Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, after upsetting 19th-seeded Marin Cilic on the first day of the French Open. Ramirez Hidalgo next will play fellow Spaniard Albert Montanes.

 

SPLITSVILLE

 

It didn’t take long for favorites to tumble out of the year’s second Grand Slam tournament. Three seeded players were eliminated on the opening day at Roland Garros. Varvara Lepchenko, who is ranked 85th in the world, upset 18th-seeded Flavia Pennetta of Italy 6-3 2-6 6-3. A native of Uzbekistan, Lepchenko now lives in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and represents the United States. Because her next opponent is Bethanie Mattek-Sands, the winner will be the first woman from the United States other than either Serena or Venus Williams to reach the third round at Roland Garros since 2006.

 

Ruben Ramirez Hildago, a 33-year-old Spaniard who had lost in the first round in 13 of his 14 previous Grand Slam tournament appearances, knocked off 19th-seeded Marin Cilic of Croatia 7-6 (5) 6-4 6-4. Cilic made 67 unforced errors in the match.

 

Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez overcame 19th-seeded Shahar Peer of Israel 7-6 (4) 6-1. It was Peer’s third first-round exit in her last four tournaments.

 

STAYING HOME

 

The Power Horse World Team Cup title played in Düsseldorf, Germany, is staying home. After losing his singles match, Philipp Kohschreiber teamed with Philipp Petzschner to win the doubles and lead Germany to a record fifth World Team Cup title, defeating Argentina 2-1. The two Philipps stopped Juan Ignacio Chela and Maximo Gonzalez 6-3 7-6 (5) in the decisive doubles battle. Florian Mayer gave Germany the lead by defeating Juan Monaco 7-6 (4) 6-0, before Chela pulled Argentina even with a 6-4 7-6 (4) win over Kohschreiber, setting the stage for the doubles. Argentina was playing in the final for the seventh time. All three of its losses in finals have come against Germany.

 

SHOWING HER METTLE

 

Caroline Wozniacki had never won a red clay tournament title until the inaugural Brussels Open. And it comes just in time for the only Grand Slam tournament played on red clay, the French Open. The top-ranked Wozniacki overcame a thigh injury and China’s Peng Shuai to capture the crown, 2-6 6-3 6-3, her fourth title of the year, the most on the WTA Tour. Wozniacki had medical treatment on her left thigh in the third set and played the remainder of the match with tape on her leg. But she said it wouldn’t affect her play at Roland Garros in Paris. “It is fine. There are no big problems. It was a small pain. I just didn’t want it to get bigger,” she said. Peng was more aggressive throughout the match, going for the lines and winners. Wozniacki mostly waited for her opponent to make errors, which she did. It was the fourth WTA Tour final for the 25-year-old Peng – her first Premier-level final. She has yet to win a title. Going into Roland Garros, Wozniacki and Peng lead the WTA Tour with match wins in 2011. Wozniacki’s record is now 38-7, while Peng is 34-12.

 

SAYS NOVAK MORE IMPRESSIVE

 

John McEnroe still holds the record – as of now – for the longest match winning streak to begin the season. In 1984, the American won his first 42 matches. But McEnroe believes the 37-match winning streak that Novak Djokovic has put together this year is much more impressive. “Given that there’s more competition, more athleticism and deeper fields now, I’d say his record is even more impressive than mine,” McEnroe said. “Especially given that in 1984 the major in Australia was played at the end of the year, whereas he had to win it (as part of his streak). I was coming into my first Grand Slam of the year at the French, where the streak was broken (in the final against Ivan Lendl). So things are different. Also, he came into the year at number three, an d to be able to dominate (higher-ranked players) the way he has, well, to put it mildly, it’s been quite amazing to see what he’s done and how much more confidently he’s playing.” McEnroe said he is pulling for Djokovic to break his record. “I’m quite excited that he might break my record at the French Open,” McEnroe said. “Records are made to be broken. It’s the definition of mixed emotions. I think I’ve pretty much lost every record that I had but, at the same time, I know that this has been a shot in the arm for our sport.”

 

SITE NOW KNOWN

 

Instead of playing in the year’s second Grand Slam tournament in Paris, France, Julie Cohen is seeking dollars and a title this week in Bangkok, Thailand. The American signed up for six events this week while hoping she would play in a seventh. Taking part in the qualifying event for the French Open, Cohen won her first-round match, beating Anais Laurendon of France 6-2 6-2 before losing to fellow American Sloane Stephenson 6-0 6-3. No problem. Cohen, who is ranked 169th in the world, is the top seed in a USD $25,000 tournament in Bangkok, Thailand, this week after withdrawing from other events in Changwon, South Korea; Grado, Italy; Itaparica, Brazil; Niigata, Japan, and Carson, California, USA.

 

SECURED SPORT

 

Novak Djokovic didn’t even wait for the French Open to clinch a spot in the season-ending 2011 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. The Serbian right-hander did just that with his win over Rafael Nadal in the final of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia a week ago. The world’s top eight players qualify for the season finale, which will be played November 20-27 in London. Djokovic qualifies for the Finals for the fifth successive year. He won the title in 2008 when it was held in Shanghai, China. Last year, he lost to eventual champion Roger Federer in the semifinals. Djokovic has not lost a match since going into the French Open. He became only the second player to qualify for the season-ending event before Roland Garros since 1990. In 2009, Rafael Nadal also qualified before Roland Garros.

 

SAYS NO MAS

 

Lleyton Hewitt pulled out of the French Open at the last moment. The Australian, who has won two Grand Slam tournaments in his career, withdrew from Roland Garros just hours before he was to play his first-round match against Albert Montanes of Spain. The 30-year-old won the US Open in 2001 and Wimbledon in 2002. He was ranked number one in the world for a total of 80 weeks. Hewitt has not played on the ATP Tour since March after undergoing foot surgery. “Lucky loser” Marc Gicquel of France replaced Hewitt and immediately lost to Montanes 6-4 6-4 6-2.

 

Russia’s Alisa Kleybanova cited illness when she withdrew from the French Open. Kleybanova had been seeded 23rd in the women’s draw. Her place in the field was taken by another Russian, Anastasia Pivovarova, a “lucky loser” who lost in qualifying. Last year, Kleybanova reached the third round at Roland Garros, beating 2008 champion Ana Ivanovic in the second round.

 

SPEAKS UP

 

Soggy grounds at the University Vermont forced the annual commencement ceremony indoors. So appropriate. The dais was at one end of the university’s indoor tennis courts and the commencement speaker was Billie Jean King, who also was the recipient of an honorary doctorate degree. King said she had “an epiphany” at age 12 that she would dedicate her life to “equal rights and opportunities for boys and girls and men and women.” Her breaking barriers for women athletes was among the reasons she was honored by UVM. In her speech, she recalled going to college in Los Angeles when she had to hold down two jobs to get through school while two male players – Stan Smith and Arthur Ashe – received full scholarships at the University of Southern California and UCLA, respectively. After concluding her remarks, the 67-year-old King grabbed a racquet and hit tennis balls into the crowd.

 

STEPPING UP

 

The Brisbane International will become a Premier level tournament on the WTA tour next year, strengthening the start of the women’s tennis season. The upgraded Australian tournament will have increased prize money of USD $655,000 in 2012 and USD $1,000,000 beginning in 2013. The Brisbane International along with the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand; the Medibank International in Sydney, Australia, and the Moorilla Hobart International in Hobart, Tasmania, will give the WTA a strong lead-in to the year’s first Grand Slam tournament, the Australian Open. Last year, WTA attendance was up five percent at Premier events and four percent at international events, while a record 19 players earned more than USD $1,000,000 for the year.

 

SIGNED UP

 

David Nalbandian has been awarded a wild card into the main draw of the AEGON Championships at The Queen’s Club, a grass court warm-up event for Wimbledon. A Wimbledon finalist in 2002, Nalbandian has been sidelined by injuries over much of the past 12 months. “It has been a frustrating time, but my recovery is going well and I expect to be in good shape for the tournament,” the Argentine said. “I enjoy playing on grass, and reaching the Wimbledon final in 2002 was a special moment in my career.” The Queen’s Club is celebrating its 125th anniversary.

 

SENIOR STOMPER

 

Mark Philippoussis is finding the senior circuit is just his speed. The Australian won his third straight ATP Champions Tour event by beating former world number one Carlos Moya 7-5 6-7 (3) 10-4 (match tiebreak). Philippoussis collected the Seguros Bolivar Tennis Champions in Bogotá, Colombia, to go along with his other two senior tour titles in 2011, in Delray Beach, Florida, USA, and Zurich, Switzerland. Moya, making his senior tour debut, was the favorite of the capacity crowd of 4,000. But in the deciding set Champions Tiebreak, Philippoussis raced to a 5-3 lead, then won four of the next five points for a 9-4 advantage and five match points. The hard-serving Aussie only needed one, closing out the match with a cross-court forehand return winner.

 

SPORTS CELEBRITY

 

Roger Federer may have slipped off the top perch, but he still is the leading tennis celebrity in the sports world. Federer is 25th on Forbes’ annual “Celebrity 100” compilation of the most powerful people or groups in the entertainment business. Golfer Tiger Woods is ranked sixth on the list, the highest of any of the 19 athletes who are named. Miami Heat star LeBron James is 10th and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant is at No. 14. Other tennis players on the list are Maria Sharapova (number 80), Serena Williams (84) and Venus Williams (86). Combined, Forbes said the 19 athletes on the list this year earned a combined USD $647 million. Lady Gaga tops Forbes’ overall rankings, followed by Oprah Winfrey, Justin Bieber, U2 and Elton John.

 

SAYS HE’S RETURNING

 

After a three-year absence, John McEnroe is returning to the AEGON Masters Tennis tournament being played November 30-December 4 at London’s Royal Albert Hall. The 52-year-old McEnroe says he is fitter now than he was eight years ago when he won his fourth and most recent title in London. “I’m really excited to be back playing at the AEGON Masters Tennis in London this year,” said the left-hander, who won the title in each of the first three years of the event – in 1997, 1998 and 1999. “The London tournament has always been one of my favorite events of the year; the crowds are really fantastic, the atmosphere is great and the Royal Albert Hall is one of the most spectacular arenas I’ve ever played in.” At the end of last year McEnroe defeated Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander and Guy Forget to win the title in Paris.

 

STARRING

 

Two players from Zimbabwe have been selected by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) for its 2011 national awards for Junior and Community Colleges. Mbonisi Ndimande was named ITA Player of the Year and Admire Mushonga was named ITA Rookie Player of the Year. Both play at Seminole State in Oklahoma. The ITA Player of the Year for women went to Sun Wen of Tyler (Texas) Junior College, a native of China. Katerina Mozolyuk of Santa Monica (California) College was named female ITA Rookie Player of the Year.

 

Cade Sherman of Jones County Junior College (men) and Gabriela Rodriguez of Pima Community College (women) were awarded the ITA/Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship. Sherman was named salutatorian of his senior class and received a Presidential Scholarship from the school. For the past four years Sherman has been an active volunteer in helping mentally and physically handicapped individuals compete in the Annual Special Olympics event held on the campus of JCJC. He will be enrolling at Mississippi State University in August where he will study civil engineering.

 

Rodriguez is a native of Mexico, where she participated three times in the Junior Olympics. At Pima Community College, she has a triple major – political science, communications and business – while playing number one singles. She is 27th in the nation in the Campbell/ITA College Tennis Rankings. She also serves as vice president of the International Student’s Club and is an active member of the University’s Student Government.

 

SINGERS ON CALL

 

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) will hold its annual open casting call on Tuesday, June 21, at the Apollo Theater in New York City to select children to perform at Arthur Ashe Stadium during night sessions of this year’s US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The auditions are free of charge and will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time.  Children 12 years of age and younger as of September 11, 2011, will be asked to sing “America the Beautiful” a cappella in front of a panel of celebrity judges from the music and entertainment industries.

 

SHARED PERFORMANCES

 

Brussels: Andrea Hlavackova and Galina Voskoboeva beat Klaudia Jans and Alicja Rosolska 3-6 6-0 10-5 (match tiebreak)

 

Nice: Eric Butorac and Jean-Julien Rojer beat Santiago Gonzalez and David Marrero 6-3 6-4

 

Strasbourg: Akgul Amanmuradova and Chuang Chia-Jung beat Natalie Grandin and Vladimira Uhlirova 6-4 5-7 10-2 (match tiebreak)

 

SURFING

 

Paris: www.fft.fr/rolandgarros/

Sao Paulo: www.grandchampionsbrasil.com.br

Prostejov: www.czech-open.com/

 

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

 

(All money in USD)

 

MEN and WOMEN

 

Roland Garros, Paris, France, clay (first week)

 

SENIORS

 

Grand Champions Brazil, Sao Paulo, Brazil, clay

 

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

 

MEN

 

Roland Garros, Paris, France, clay (second week)

$152,000 Czech Open, Prostejov, Czech Republic, clay

 

WOMEN

 

Roland Garros, Paris, France, clay (second week)

 

Venus Williams teaming up with Jamba Juice to develop more locations: This Week in Tennis Business with Justin Cohen

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Jamba Juice signs Venus Williams to develop at least five store locations

Jamba Juice and Venus Williams recently announced that they signed a non-binding letter of intent to form a joint venture to develop up to five Jamba Juice stores in the Washington, D.C./Maryland area over the next couple years. The venture will also provide a platform for a long-term relationship, which would provide Williams’ organization with the certain exclusive rights to franchise the Jamba Juice brand throughout the Washington D.C./Maryland marketplace. The terms of the arrangement are expected to be finalized within the next 60 days and the first store to open later this summer. “Venus is a legend in the sports world, an entrepreneur, and a role model who serves as an inspiration for anyone seeking to achieve new heights in their personal or professional lives,” said James D. White, Chairman, President and CEO, Jamba Juice Company. “In her we found a partner as committed as we are to enabling people to lead healthier, more active lifestyles and who wants to help people find simple solutions to eating better. “Regardless of her endeavor, Venus goes after everything with gusto and a motivation to win. And she is committed to helping others succeed too. Her support for a brand like Jamba that brings great tasting, better-for-you, convenience to eating healthier is a win for everyone.”

Venus Williams

Sharapova donates $250,000 to Chernobyl relief on 25-year anniversary

Former world No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam singles champion Maria Sharapova donated $250,000 to expand a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) that provides sports and physical activities for youth in the three countries affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, which occurred 25 years ago on April 26. The 24-year-old Russian native has been a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador since 2007 and runs a foundation under her name that awards five-year university scholarships to youth from the area. Last weekend, Sharapova delivered a recorded world-wide message about the tragedy. “Today, while the anniversary is filled with sadness, we also acknowledge that this is a time for hope, as we move forward in building a better future for all those whose lives have been changed by this tragedy,” said Sharapova. “At the same time my thoughts today are with the people of Japan who are facing a nuclear disaster.”

Where Champions Live” is new tagline for Tennis Channel

Starting this week, Tennis Channel will unveil its new tagline “Where Champions Live” after previously being known as the “Home of the Slams”. Tennis Channel has created a multi-tiered approach to unveil the new tagline, rolling it out through a series of promos, short-form pieces and ID spots in support of “Where Champions Live.”  The campaign launches this week and will unfold throughout the summer with promotional elements that feature several men and women who have tasted their share of on-court success.  Among these players are Billie Jean King, Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick, Lindsay Davenport, Novak Djokovic, Kim Clijsters, Andy Murray, Caroline Wozniacki, Sam Querrey, Ana Ivanovic, Fernando Verdasco, Jelena Jankovic, John Isner and Na Li. “Tennis Channel’s new tagline, “Where Champions Live,” characterizes both the year-round tournament finals we offer and the stars that consistently appear on our air,” said Robyn Miller, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Tennis Channel. One of the first IDs, with the all-time men’s Grand Slam singles champion Roger Federer, can be seen online now at http://goo.gl/aGKY0

Clijsters named to TIME’s Top 100 Most Influential People list

Former world No. 1 and four-time Grand Slam singles champion Kim Clijsters was recently named to TIME’s Top 100 Most Influential People list, along with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, actress Amy Poehler, Netflix CEO, Reed Hastings, economist Joe Stiglitz and Egyptian political activist Wael Ghonim. “Sure, it’s easier to balance work and family when you’re making a lot of money. But Kim has turned that balance into an art form,” wrote Martina Navratilova in TIME. “She has kept her feet on the ground and knows that her tennis skills do not make her a great person. Whenever there’s an opportunity for players to do something charitable, she’s the first to sign up. On the court, Kim doesn’t play any mind games. She won’t throw tantrums or call for bathroom breaks to throw off her opponent. Kim just gets on with it.”

US Open tickets sales extended for USTA members through April 29

USTA members can now purchase tickets to the US Open through April 29 at 11:59 p.m. ET in an extended members-only presale. This year’s US Open will be played from August 29-September 11 in Flushing Meadows, New York.

Isner signs up to play in ATP Winston-Salem Open

World No. 29 John Isner has agreed to play in the ATP Winston-Salem Open at Wake Forest University, which will be held from August 21-27. Isner, who grew up in nearby Greensboro and was a graduate of Page High School, is the second player to sign up to compete, joining fellow American Mardy Fish. Tickets to the inaugural ATP Winston-Salem Open go on sale to the public on May 10 and can be purchased through the official website at winstonsalemopen.com. “We’re incredibly excited to have two of the top five male tennis players in America as the first to sign on with the Winston-Salem Open,” said Bill Oakes, Tournament Director. “We’re also anticipating a groundswell of local fan enthusiasm for John since he grew up in the Triad and maintains many friendships here.” A current player on the U.S. Davis Cup team, Isner is well known in tennis circles as the only player in the Top 150 to attend college for four years, for being the second tallest player on tour (6’9″) and for his fast rise on the South African Airways ATP Rankings. He has one of the hardest serves among current pros and holds the record for the longest match ever played in tennis history. Isner’s epic battle at Wimbledon against Frenchman Nicolas Mahut lasted for 11 hours and 5 minutes, ending with his 70-68 victory in the fifth set.

Wozniacki might hire tennis legend Navratilova as consultant

Sporten DK is reporting that Caroline Wozniacki’s father, Piotr, said that the top-ranked women’s player might consider hiring tennis great Martina Navratilova as a consultant. Piotr is Caroline’s main coach, but she also uses the services of adidas coaches Sven Groenefeld and Mats Merkel. The asking price to hire Navratilova is around $300,000.

Petkovic hires Graf’s former coach on part-time basis

Rising German star Andrea Petkovic, who is currently ranked No. 15 in the WTA Tour, has hired Steffi Graf’s former coach Heinz Gunthardt. Gunthardt worked with Serbian Ana Ivanovic for a good portion of the 2010 season, but didn’t want to travel with her full-time. Petkovic and Gunthardt will work on a part-time basis, as Petar Popovic will remain her full-time coach. “The point is that I will incorporate my ideas and experiences and give an input,” said Gunthardt. “I will not be working with Andrea every day.”

Several top Serbian players issued diplomatic passports

Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic granted diplomatic passports to members of the Serbian Davis Cup team, which includes world No. 2 Novak Djokovic, as well as top women players Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic. Serbian authorities issued the diplomatic passports to the players because they said it would allow for easier travel.

Spanish tennis legends presented with Hall of Fame rings in Barcelona

Spanish tennis legends Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, Andres Gimeno and Manolo Santana were presented with one-of-a-kind Hall of Fame rings last week at the ATP Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell. The rings were given to them by Christopher E. Clouser, Chairman of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum, and Mark L. Stenning, CEO of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. “Arantxa, Andres and Manolo have won the most coveted titles in tennis and have achieved rankings among the best players in the sport, while serving as ambassadors for tennis worldwide,” said Clouser. “They have inspired many, and as a nation, Spain has always shown great appreciation and enthusiasm for the sport of tennis. We are very pleased to recognize their contributions during this important Spanish tournament. As Hall of Famers, Arantxa, Andres and Manolo are among an elite group of athletes and contributors. We are pleased to be able to recognize this achievement with this special ring, which only the most successful and influential individuals in tennis will have the honor of wearing.”

Serena tries her luck in the studio as a rapper

Former world No. 1 and 13-time Grand Slam Singles champion Serena Williams has already had success in the fashion and entertainment world, and is even a part-owner of the NFL Miami Dolphins. Now, Williams has taken it to a new level, trying her luck in the studio as a rapper. Just last week, TMZ.com learned that Williams laid down a few tracks in a recording studio owned by Minnesota Vikings player Bryant McKinnie. During the recording session, Williams worked with well-known hip-hop producer DJ Clue.

Teams announced for Junior U.S. Davis Cup and Fed Cup competition

The USTA recently announced the top American juniors who will represent the United States in the qualifying events for the Junior Davis Cup (16-and-under) and Junior Fed Cup (16-and-under) by BNP Paribas and the World Junior Tennis Competition (14-and-under). Each event features a four-team round robin competition April 29-May 1 in Merida, Mexico. Other nations participating include: Bahamas, Canada, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Puerto Rico. The top two teams from each division in the World Junior Tennis qualifying event in Mexico will advance to the 16-nation World Final, held August 1-6 in Prostejov, Czech Republic. The Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup World Finals will be held September 27-October 2 in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. As the host country, Mexico’s teams automatically qualify for the Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup Finals, meaning only one other team from each division will advance from the qualifying event in Mexico to the 16-nation World Final. The Junior Davis Cup roster includes Luca Corinteli, Nikko Madregallejo and Spencer Papa, while the Junior Fed Cup roster is filled by Gabrielle Andrews, Brooke Austin and Taylor Townsend. Dustin Taylor will coach the Junior Davis Cup team, while Kathy Rinaldi will coach the Junior Fed Cup squad. Stefan Kozlov, Frances Tiafoe, Henrik Wiersholm and coach Michael Sell were selected for the Boys World Junior Tennis team, while coach Troy Hahn will lead Jessica Ho, Julia O’Loughlin and Maria Smith for the Girls World Junior Tennis team.

Private concert with AMERICA to benefit the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum

On Sunday, May 29, International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum patrons are invited to celebrate four decades of AMERICA’s musical legacy in the intimate setting of the 300-seat historic Casino Theatre at the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum. This is an invitation only event. You will be required to enter a password when purchasing tickets. To get the password, call (401) 849-5329. Ticket prices range from $75-$250. For more information, visit www.tennisfame.com.

 

Mondays with Bob Greene: A Summary of the First Week of the Australian Open 2011

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STARS

Australian Open

(First Week)

Alexandr Dolgopolov beat fourth-seeded Robin Soderling 1-6, 6-3 6-1 4-6 6-2

Andrea Petkovic beat fourth-seeded Venus Williams 1-0 retired

Petra Kvitova beat fifth-seeded Samantha Stosur 7-6 (5) 6-3

Peng Shuai beat seventh-seeded Jelena Jankovic 7-6 (3) 6-3

Li Na beat eighth-seeded Victoria Azarenka 6-3 6-3

Stanislas Wawrinka beat eighth-seeded Andy Roddick 6-3 6-4 6-4

Flavia Pennetta beat 10th-seeded Shahar Peer 3-6 7-6 (3) 6-4

Miles Raonic beat 10th-seeded Mikhail Youzhny 6-4 7-5 4-6 64

SAYINGS

“It’s super-disappointing because this is just not how I envisioned my Australian Open being. I’ve never had to retire from a Grand Slam, especially after working so hard to pull out the match the other day. Just hoping for some magic that I could recover. But I have peace of mind that I really gave more than my best to be out there.” – Venus Williams, after an injury forced her to retire from her third-round Australian Open match.

“I know I’m not 100 percent. I knew it before walking on the court. That’s why I say there are no excuses. I decided to play not being 100 percent. It’s been difficult in the last three days on my elbow and I just did everything that I could that it will be OK, but it wasn’t enough.” – Justine Henin, after losing to Svetlana Kuznetsova.

“You can’t win a Grand Slam in the first week, but you can lose it.” – Roger Federer, after needing five sets to beat Gilles Simon of France in a second-round match.

“It wasn’t really that I was the best player in the world, but it’s all the Grand Slams I won. That’s what gives really the emotions.” – Justine Henin, speaking about players who have reached number one in the rankings without having won a Grand Slam tournament title.

Roger Federer

“It just wasn’t a good day at the office. – Maria Sharapova, after being upset by Germany’s Andrea Petkovic.

STOP THE PAIN

Screaming in agony, Venus Williams fought through a painful muscle injury to win her second-round match, downing Sandra Zahlavova of the Czech Republic 6-7 () 6-0 6-4. But the injury proved to be too much, and Williams retired from a Grand Slam tournament match for the first time in her career. The injury occurred on the final point of the first-set tiebreak. She took a medical timeout between sets and, when she returned to the court, Williams had her right thigh heavily taped. Despite grimacing in pain through the next two sets, Williams rode her big serve and power game to victory against Zahlavova. The seven-time Grand Slam tournament champion said she had strained a psoas, a lower back muscle with tendons linked to the spine and hip. “I think this is probably the most acute one that I’ve ever had,” Williams said when asked to compare the strain with other injuries in her career. Against her next opponent, Germany’s Andrea Petkovic, Williams called it quits after the first seven points. “I obviously couldn’t play,” said Williams, who was playing in her first tournament since injuring her knee at the US Open.

SODERLING SHOCKER

This was supposed to be the tournament where Robin Soderling would seriously challenge for a Grand Slam title. Alexander Dolgopolov had other ideas. The young Ukrainian pulled off the shock of the Australian Open so far when he ousted the fourth-seeded Swede in a five-set battle. Until meeting Dolgopolov, Soderling had not lost a set in 2011. That changed when Dolgopolov won the second set. Soderling jumped out to a 4-0 led in the fourth set, eventually winning 6-4 to level the match at two sets apiece. And he broke his opponent’s serve to begin the final set. But he lost his own serve in the very next game and Dolgopolov closed out the victory on his fourth match point.

STEPPING

Andrea Petkovic has danced her way into the second week of the Australian Open. Best known for being on the other side of the court when Venus Williams retired for the first time in her career from a Grand Slam tournament match, Petkovic has been best known for her on-court hip-shaking dance after her victories.  “It started off as a bet with my coach,” the 23-year-old German said. “Going into the US Open last year I was playing terrible. I got to the first round and he said, ‘OK,  if you win this, you have to do something special.’ I won 7-6 in the third (upsetting Nadia Petrova) and I wanted to flee the court. But my coach said, ‘Hey, the dance.’ So I did it. And it became popular. Also, I am superstitious – I have played much better since I do the dance. So the dance stays.” When she moved into the fourth round because of the injury to Williams, it was same old thing for Petkovic. At the US Open in September, she advanced to the fourth round when her third-round opponent, China’s Peng Shuai, withdrew after hurting her arm. “I hope I’m not jinxing the other girls,” Petkovic said. “I really feel terrible that everybody has to retire against me in the third round. I hope next time I will make the fourth round with playing the third round.”

SUCCESS DOWN UNDER

The Australian Open is one of Andy Murray’s favorite tournaments. Ever since he won the junior title at Flushing Meadows seven years ago, the Scot has said the tournament he loves most is the US Open. But his successes Down Under over the last two years has caused the Melbourne event to rise rapidly in his affections. Murray was a finalist at Melbourne Park 12 months ago when he played the best tennis of his life before losing to Roger Federer in the title match. Now, he has returned to the fourth round of the Grand Slam tournament with the loss of just 17 games, fewer than he has conceded in the first three rounds on any of his previous Grand Slam tournament appearances. “I like the surface here better than the US Open,” Murray said. “It’s slower and I prefer that. I do like the surface here. It’s very similar to the courts I practice on in Miami. I really enjoy this tournament. It’s definitely one of the easiest to get yourself ready for, because they make life really comfortable here.”

SPEAKER KING

Billie Jean King will give the 2011 commencement address at the University of Vermont on May 22. Known for both her accomplishments on the court and as a champion for equality in women’s athletics, King was recognized by Life magazine as one of the 100 most important Americans in the 20th century. In 1972, King was the first woman named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year. In 2009, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor. And the United States Tennis Association named the site of the US Open the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

SAYING THANKS

Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu visited Melbourne Park to thank all those involved with the Australian Open for their efforts in raising money for flood victims.  Joined by Australian tennis player Alicia Molik and others Baillieu commended the efforts of the tennis community in assisting people affected by the devastating floods throughout eastern Australia. “This has been one of the most extraordinary natural disasters in Australia’s history. It’s going to cost Australians an awful lot, and anything that can be provided to support individuals and families on the ground is going to be much appreciated,” he said. Tennis Australia’s “Rally for Relief” before the tournament began featured some of the biggest names in tennis, including Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Kim Clijsters, Samantha Stosur, Novak Djokovic, Lleyton Hewitt and Caroline Wozniacki. So far the campaign has raised USD $2.3 million.

STRAIGHT TALK

When Tennis Channel aired Caroline Wozniacki’s third-round victory at the Australian Open, announcer Bill Macatee fielded a text message from a “Chris in Florida” who wondered if the top-ranked Danish player “feels like the number one player in the world, never having won a Grand Slam?” Sideline reporter Lindsay Davenport asked, “That wouldn’t be the Chris from Florida who is a Grand Slam winner herself, would it?” It turns out it was former number one Chris Evert, who was watching the match on television. In the booth next to Macatee was led analyst Martina Navratilova, who agreed that the point Evert was making has become an issue for Wozniacki because she is started to get asked about it more and more. Davenport admitted that upon reclaiming the top ranking at one point in her career she didn’t feel like number one in the world since she had not won a Grand Slam title in some time. Evert, Navratilova and Davenport all won Australian Open singles titles during their playing days.

STOPPING PLAY

The start of Maria Sharapova’s third-round match against Julia Goerges of Germany was delayed because of a bubble on the court. When she was approaching the umpire’s chair for the coin toss before the match began, Sharapova noticed something under her left foot. “All of a sudden I looked down and there was a pretty big bubble there,” the Russian beauty said. Umpire Kerrilyn Cramer took a look and the warm-up was halted. Tournament officials called in a technician who used a cordless power tool to drill a couple of holes in the rubberized surface. With the problem fixed, the match went on. Sharapova won. “Maybe it was comical to you; it wasn’t really comical to us. We warmed up and had to sit and wait for a while,” she told reporters. “They took care of it pretty fast.”

STRAIGHT IN

Andre Agassi read aloud a love letter to his wife when she was inducted into the International Tennis hall of Fame. Now, the former world number one joins her in the Newport, Rhode Island, USA, shrine. The announcement of Agassi’s induction was made at a Las Vegas, Nevada, charter school named for the tennis star, the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy. The students, who range from kindergarten through Grade 12, joined Agassi to celebrate his being named to the Hall. Agassi is the sold 2011 inductee in the Recent Player category. Additional 2011 inductees in other categories will be announced at a later date. The induction ceremony will be held July 9 at the Hall in Newport in conjunction with the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, an ATP World Tour event. Now 40, Agassi’s 60 tournament titles include four Australian Opens, two US Opens and one victory each at the French Open and Wimbledon.  He also won the singles gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and had a career 30-6 record in Davis Cup play, leading the United States to Davis Cup titles in 1990 and 1992. When he won the French Open in 1999, he became the first male player in history to win all four Grand Slam tournament titles on three different surfaces: clay, grass and hard court.

SPECIAL PLAYERS

Pakistan’s Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and his doubles partner, Rohan Bopanna of India, have won the Willi Daume World Fair Play Trophy. The Indo-Pak Express will receive the prestigious award in Lausanne, Switzerland, on January 27. They also want to play an exhibition match across the Wagah border crossing between the two countries. Qureshi and Bopanna received the prize for their message of peace. The pair has been advocating peace between the two arch-rival countries, and their efforts have started to bear fruit with their: Stop War Start Tennis’ campaign. “A lot of good things have been achieved, the ITF is now supporting this, Peace and Sport is also supporting this,” Qureshi told Pakistani media.

STRUCK DOWN

Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli will be sidelined for six weeks after tearing a calf muscle during her second-round match against Vesna Manasieva. Bartoli, who raced through her first-round match 6-0, 6-0, lost to Manasieva 3-6, 6-3, 6-0. “It felt like an explosion inside my muscle when I pushed off at one point,” Bartoli said. “After that, it was very complicated because I couldn’t use my right leg. … The doctors asked me how I had managed to play another hour and a half. But I’m a competitor. I was up a set; it’s not easy to give up. It might not have been the best decision to take.”

SOUND THE ALARM

An exploded racquet enlivened one match at the Australian Open. Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland defeated 40-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm of Japan in a first-round battle, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, but not without an incident. With the 12th-seeded Radwanska leading 6-5, deuce, Date-Krumm served the ball. As Radwanska returned the serve, her racquet exploded, leaving the player with only a portion of the handle in her hands. The 21-year-old Radwanska grabbed another racquet and won the match three points later. Observers said Radwanska had been rapping her racquet on the court in anger during the third set, and that could have contributed to the racquet breaking.

SQUASHED

Dinara Safina’s game, at least, failed to show up for her first-round match. Third-seeded Kim Clijsters, the reigning US Open champion, hammered her Russian opponent 6-0, 6-0. It was just two years ago that Safina was ranked number one in the world before her career was derailed by a back injury. Playing on center court, Clijsters took only 44 minutes to trample her opponent. From midway through the first set, the only question was whether Safina could avoid the “double bagel.” She couldn’t. “I don’t know how to win a point … embarrassing,” Safina said of her performance, which came just a week after she lost 6-0, 6-1 to Marion Bartoli of France in the Moorilla Hobart International, an Australian Open warm-up tournament. ”Something was not right. I have to figure out the answers,” the 24-year-old said. “To lose two tournaments in a row 6-0, 6-1 and now 6-0, 6-0 – it’s really to scratch the head and thing, ‘What the hell am I doing?’ It’s not that I don’t want (to play). I want to come back and I want to play better. Definitely it hurts.”

SURE IT’S STEFFI?

Was it or wasn’t it Steffi? The man who won the auction to buy a plate from Andre Agassi and see a naked picture of Agassi’s wife said he is not positive the naked back in the photo belonged to Steffi Graf. While participating in the auction while he was in Taiwan earlier this month for an exhibition tennis match, Agassi spurred on the lagging bidding by holding up the plate and saying: “You pay more than $4,000 and I will show you a picture of my wife on my phone naked.” Franz Chen, chief executive of Taiwanese porcelain manufacturer Franz Collection, said he won the auction by bidding the equivalent of USD $7,000. Agassi showed him his phone which had a photo of the naked back of a blonde.

SWITCH

Just after Australia’s Jelena Dokic began her first-round Australian Open match against Zuzana Ondraskova, Channel Seven switched from the tennis to its 6 p.m. newscast. Television audiences were warned in advance that this would happen throughout the two weeks of the year’s first Grand Slam tournament. The conclusion of the Dokic-Ondraskova match could have been viewed on the digital channel 7mate until coverage resumed on Channel Seven at 7 p.m.

SERBIAN NO-NO

Ana Ivanovic can’t win even when she’s winning. Not only did the former world number one from Serbia lose her opening round Australian Open match, she also has been retired from the TennisReporters.net Sexiest Female Player reader poll. The reason? Because she’s a winner. Ivanovic won the poll five straight years, from 2005 to 2009, by such a large margin that tennis writer Matt Cronin, who co-owns the website, said they had little option but to take the Serbian beauty off the ballot. “She’s just plain unbeatable in that category. It was time to give other players a chance,” Cronin said. It wasn’t all grim news for the 23-year-old, however. In her honor the award has been renamed the “Ana Ivanovic Sexiest Player Award.” With Ivanovic no longer in the running, Russia’s Maria Kirilenko won the voting, followed by compatriot Maria Sharapova and Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki.

SAD NEWS

Jim McManus, a former player and founding member of the men’s tennis tour, is dead at the age of 70. The ATP said McManus died of complications following a battle with cancer. He was a member of the ATP’s original board of directors in 1972 and was employed by the tour for 28 years. ATP president Adam Helfant called McManus “a true pioneer of the game of tennis” and “one of its greatest and most significant figures.” McManus is survived by his wife and two children.

SNUBBED

Immigration officials have turned down Russian-born Arina Rodionova’s bid to become an Australian citizen, while at the same time approving the citizenship of her sister, Anastasia Rodionova. A glowing endorsement from Tennis Australia touting Arina failed to impress Australian officials, who in a letter of rejection said she was “not the same caliber as her sister.” The 21-year-old Arina has been living for the past five years in Melbourne with her older sister, who won two gold medals at the Delhi Commonwealth Games. But an application for a residency visa in August was denied by the Immigration Department. “She wants to be an Australian,” the 28-year-old Anastasia said. “We will appeal, and hopefully the government will see her a bit different. Maybe after her results here at the Australian Open they’ll see she has the potential.” The Rodionovas were the only sisters playing in this year’s Australian Open, a far cry from last year when there were four sets of sisters in the tournament. It is believed the Rodionovas are the first sisters to represent different countries in the same Grand Slam tournament since Manuela Maleeva of Switzerland and Katarina Maleeva of Bulgaria played in the 1990 French Open.

SAYONARA

Ecuador’s Nicolas Lapentti said he is retiring because injuries have impeded him from playing at his full potential. “It took me a lot to make the decision, I didn’t want to rush, I wanted to be 100 percent sure. I’m leaving tennis without regret,” said Lapentti. The 34-year-old was surrounded by his family when he made the announcement at the Tennis Club in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Last year Lapentti was hampered by several injuries. He currently has a tendon injury in one of his knees. “I’ll have a farewell match, but I don’t know when and against whom. I have to get over the injury first,” he said. Lapentti started his career in 1993 on Ecuador’s Davis Cup team when he was just 16 years old. He played his first ATP match in 1995 and won a Challenger in Santiago, Chile. His was ranked sixth in the world in November 1999.

SPONSORS

The Aegon International will be played at Eastbourne, England’s Devonshire Park until at least 2013. The venue has been the site of the tournament since 1974. The event began as a WTA-only tournament, but since 2009 has hosted a joint ATP and WTA event. “We’ve had a good track record with the women here,” said Roger Draper, chief executive of the34 Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). “We brought the ATP competition here a couple of years ago and we’re building on that. We’ve got a couple of things up our sleeve to keep the fans happy.” This year’s tournament will be held June 11-18.

SITES TO SURF

Melbourne: www.australianopen.com/en_AU/index.html

ITF: www.itftennis.com/

Tennis Australia: www.tennis.com.au/

Heilbronn: www.heilbronn-open.de/

Fed Cup: www.fedcup.com

Johannesburg: www.satennisopen.co.za/

Zagreb: www.zagrebindoors.com/

Santiago: www.movistaropen.cl/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN AND WOMEN

Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia, hard (second week)

MEN

$113,000 Heilbronn Open, Heilbronn, Germany, hard

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$486,500 PBZ Zagreb Indoors, Zagreb, Croatia, hard

$442,500 SA Tennis Open, Johannesburg, South Africa, hard

$358,250 Movistar Open, Santiago, Chile, clay

FED CUP

World Group

Australia vs. Italy at Hobart, Australia, hard

Russia vs. France at Moscow, Russia, hard

Slovak Republic vs. Czech Republic at Bratislava, Slovak Republic, hard

Belgium vs. United States at Antwerp, Belgium, hard

World Group II

Estonia vs. Spain at Tallinn, Estonia, hard; Slovenia vs. Germany at Maribor, Slovenia, clay; Serbia vs. Canada at Novi Sad, Serbia, hard; Sweden vs. Ukraine at Helsingborg, Sweden, hard

Group I

Europe/Asia Zone, at Eilat, Israel, hard, round-robin, four pools: Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Switzerland

Americas Zone, at Buenos Aires, Argentina, clay, round-robin, two pools: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru

Asia/Oceania Zone, at Nonthaburi, Thailand, hard, round-robin, two pools: China, Chinese Taipei, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Republic, New Zealand, Thailand, Uzbekistan

Group II

Asia/Oceania Zone, at Nonthaburi, Thailand, hard, round-robin, two pools: Hong Kong China, Indonesia, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Turkmenistan

Mondays with Bob Greene: Roger Federer Takes Doha Crown, Zvonareva Makes No.1 Bid Defeating Wozniacki

by

STARS

Roger Federer beat Nikolay Davydenko 6-3 6-4 to win the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, Qatar

Stanislas Wawrinka beat Xavier Malisse 7-5 4-6 6-1 to win the Aircel Chennai Open in Chennai, India

Robin Soderling beat Andy Roddick 6-3 7-5 to win the Brisbane International men’s singles in Brisbane, Australia

Greta Arn beat Yanina Wickmayer 6-3 6-3 to win the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand

Petra Kvitova beat Andrea Petkovic 6-1 6-3 to win the women’s singles at the Brisbane International in Brisbane, Australia

Ricardo Mello beat Rafae Camilo 6-2 6-1 to win the Aberto de Sao Paulo in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Vera Zvonareva beat Caroline Wozniacki 6-1 6-0 to win an exhibition tournament in Hong Kong, China.

United States beat Belgium 2-1 to win the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia.

SAYINGS

“I feel unbelievable, I’m so happy – I don’t even know what to say. It’s a dream come true.” – Greta Arn, after upsetting Yanina Wickmayer to win the ASB Classic.
“I wasn’t just disappointed at losing, also disappointed with my game today. Everyone wants to win, but I also wanted to play a good match today and I didn’t. … I had one bad day, but four good ones this week.” – Yanina Wickmayer, after losing to Greta Arn in the ASB Classic final.

Vera Zvonareva

“When he’s on, he’s easily Top 10 if not Top 5 potentially, and that’s why this is obviously a huge win, because I thought he was playing well. I thought the level of play was extremely high. I was very happy with, from my side, I was almost flawless, and I was able to play offensive when I needed to, and when I wanted to it all worked out. So I’m really pleased with such a great final.” – Roger Federer, who beat Nikolay Davydenko in the title match in Doha, Qatar.

“Today he was tough. Really played fast. He gave me no chance on the return, and also he was returning good. His first serve was very good. My tennis is OK, really. I don’t want to say I played bad today.” – Nikolay Davydenko, after losing to Roger Federer.

“I’m playing really well and it makes me really happy. I’ve never really played well in Australia before and now finally I won a tournament playing really good tennis. It gives me a lot of confidence for Melbourne. I’ve had the best possible preparation I could have with five good matches here, now I’ll have a week of rest and practice in Melbourne and I’ll be more than ready to go. I know I have a chance to do really well if I play good tennis like here.” – Robin Soderling, after beating Andy Roddick to win the Brisbane International men’s singles.

“It didn’t go my way today, but overall I feel like I should be prepared for Melbourne. I felt like I hit the ball well this week, I returned pretty well. I think I could serve a little better, but if there’s one thing that I don’t worry about as much as the rest when it’s not going well it’s my serve. I feel comfortable and feel like I got what I needed out of this week.” – Andy Roddick.

“Petra played a fantastic match from beginning to end. She was hitting winners all over. I felt heavy on the court – I felt like I was just 1% less ready than in my other matches, but it made such a big difference tonight. But

“I’ll still take a lot of confidence out of this week – the way I played and even today, how I stayed positive in the second set. That’s important for me.” – Andrea Petkovic, who lost the Brisbane International women’s final.

“We’ve known each other for so many years. We played doubles together in juniors, so it’s natural. Anastasia and I have a lot of fun on the court together, even though most of the time when we’re laughing it doesn’t have anything to do with tennis.” – Alisa Kleybanova, who teamed with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to win the Brisbane International women’s doubles.

“It’s a perfect feeling for me to win my third doubles title here in Doha after a not easy week for me. It’s a very positive thing to finish with a victory. I’m very happy for that and right now I’m going to work hard to try to be ready for the next tournament.” – Rafael Nadal, who teamed with Marc Lopez to win the ExxonMobil doubles title after being upset in the singles.

“It’s my third title with Rafa and it’s amazing for me and I’m very happy. … With my partner it’s too easy to win and I’m very happy.” – Marc Lopez, after teaming with Rafael Nadal to win the doubles in Doha, Qatar

SWEDISH DELIGHT

Robin Soderling has proven that he can beat the best in the men’s game and has reached the final at Roland Garros for the last two years. The 26-year-old Swede tuned up for the Australian Open by dismantling defending champion Andy Roddick 6-3, 7-5 in the final of the Brisbane International on a surface that’s identical to the one at year’s first Grand Slam event. Still, Soderling isn’t overconfident going into the Australian Open. “I fear everybody,” Soderling said. “I know that I have a good chance to do really well if I play good tennis like here. But I have to play well. Last year I showed I wasn’t at my best and I lost in the first round. You have to be really prepared for every match.” Soderling slammed 16 aces and never faced a break point against Roddick. “Now I have the best preparation I could have. Five good matches here and now I’ll have a week of rest and practice in Melbourne. I’ll be ready to go,” Soderling said. “These conditions, they should suit me really well. I don’t know why I haven’t played well here before. Now I’m finally showing myself I can play well here. I can play well on any surface, which is a really nice feeling.”

SPARKLING WEEK

It was a dream week for Greta Arn, whose stellar play was a nightmare for her opponents. The Hungarian won her second WTA tour title by defeating defending champion Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium in the final, 6-3 6-3. Earlier in the tournament, Arn upset top-seeded Maria Sharapova of Russia 6-2 7-5. And in the second round, she saved five match points against Sofia Arvidsson. Against Wickmayer, who had played three three-setters over the previous four days, Arn played aggressively, moving her opponent around the court. The plan worked to perfection as Wickmayer committed a string of unforced errors. “I feel unbelievable,” Arn rejoiced. “I feel so happy I don’t know what to say. My dream has come true.”

SO AT HOME

Australia is where Petra Kvitova plays her best tennis. And she has the titles to prove it. The 20-year-old Czech became the first unseeded player to win the Brisbane International when she beat Andrea Petkovic 6-1, 6-3. Her first career title came in Hobart, Australia, two years ago. “It’s strange, the first tournament in the season, I won Hobart and Brisbane,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s good preparation. I like Australia, but I don’t know why (I play so well here).” Kvitova beat third-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova to begin her dream run through the tournament. She also knocked off fifth-seeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

STRONG BID

Vera Zvonareva is making a strong bid for the number one ranking. After all, she needed only 56 minutes to thoroughly thrash top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki at the World Team Challenge. “It was a great match and I played some good tennis,” the 26-year-old said of her dominant performance. “I’m just happy to be back here in Hong Kong. … It was my first two matches out here to start the season, and I’m definitely excited about it.” Earlier in the exhibition event Zvonareva manhandled Venus Williams in straight sets. “The way I played those two matches, I’m very happy, so hopefully I can keep the form and play some good tennis in Australia,” Zvonareva said.

SCORCHING THE FIELD

Roger Federer is at the top of his game going into the Australia Open, where he is the defending champion. The Swiss star won the Qatar Open without dropping a set when he beat defending champion Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 6-4 in a 79-minute final and became the first three-time winner in Doha, following titles in 2005 and 2006.  “It is a great start to the new season,” Federer said. “I felt great all week here. I controlled the game from the first set and did well in the second, too.” Davydenko had upset top-seeded Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. Federer, though, was a different story. “I did not play bad. My tennis is good. It’s just that Federer did not give me a chance,” Davydenko said. “Today, I had no chance.”  When asked about his chances at the Australian Open this month, Federer said, “I am not ready now. I will be when I get there. But obviously, the wins here will help me build my rhythm (in Australia).”

Nadal, who appeared sick and listless in his semifinal singles loss to Davydenko, teamed with fellow Spaniard Marc Lopez to win the doubles  crown, stopping Daniele Bracciali and Andreas Seppi 6-3 7-6 (4) in the final.

SET FOR DUBAI

Roger Federer leads three of the world’s top-five male players, while seven of the top-10 women have confirmed their participation at the 2011 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. This year’s event will be played February 14-26 at the Dubai Tennis Stadium in Garhoud. Federer is a four-time former champion at Dubai, and will be joined in the men’s field by Andy Murray and two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic. Venus Williams is the women’s defending champion and holder of 41 WTA tour titles and two Olympic gold medals. Her main competition will come from world number one Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and second-ranked Vera Zvonareva of Russia.

SWINGING IN GUAM

Davis Cup competition will be played in Guam for the first time March 4-6 when the Pacific Oceania team plays host to Thailand. The Pacific Oceania team will consist of players from member nations of the Oceania Tennis Federation, which includes Guam. Last year, Michel Leong of the Solomon Islands, Cyril Jacobe of Vanuatu and Juan Langton of Samoa led Pacific Oceania to victory over Malaysia in a tie played in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

SITTING IT OUT

Britain’s Laura Robson will miss the Australian Open because of an upper thigh injury she suffered at Hopman Cup. Doctors have advised the 2008 Wimbledon junior girls champion to rest for three weeks. She had been scheduled to play in the qualifying tournament for the year’s first Grand Slam event. “The envelope surrounding the muscle is torn,” Robson’s coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, said. “She needs three weeks to recover well, so we decided not to play the Australian Open. The 16-year-old Robson will also withdraw from the British Fed Cup team to play in Israel next month.

SNAZZY OUTFIT

Nicolas Mahut found a way to get people to stop talking about that marathon match at Wimbledon. When France met the United States in the Hopman Cup, Mahut walked onto the court for a mixed doubles match wearing a women’s tennis dress that match the one worn by his partner, Kristina Mladenovic. The winning American duo consisted of Bethanie Mattek-Sands and John Isner, the winner of that marathon match.

STARK NAKED?

The hottest video on the Internet shows Andre Agassi auctioning off a nude picture of his wife, Steffi Graf. Agassi was in Japan to help host a charity auction. While holding up an autographed plate, the bidding was not going as well as he hoped.  So Agassi announced that “if you bid more than $4,000 on this, I will show you a picture of my wife on my phone, naked.” The bidding immediately intensified and the winner seemed satisfied when Agassi showed him his cell phone.

SHE SAID WHAT?

An on-court argument between Jamila Groth and her husband Sam resulted in expletives being televised from the Brisbane International tournament. Under WTA rules, players are allowed to speak to their coach once per set during matches, but under the condition that the coaches wear a microphone so television audiences can hear the exchange. After losing the first set to eventual winner Andrea Petkovic of Germany, Jarmila called her husband courtside and told him their game plan wasn’t working. When she lost her serve to fall behind 4-2 in the second set, she called her husband back on court. When he told her “the conditions are heavy, the ball is heavier,” she replied: “Don’t talk to me like a (expletive) tourist.” Further comments brought forth further expletives. Tennis Australia said it is not concerned about the public on-court argument between the married couple, but officials said Jarmila needs to stop letting her on-court emotions influence her tennis.

STRAIGHT IN

India’s Somdev Devvarman and Taiwan’s Chang Kai-chen have been awarded Australian Open wild cards. The 25-year-old Indian and the 19-year-old Taiwanese woman were handed the wild cards “as part of the Australian Open’s profile as the Grand Slam of Asia Pacific,” tournament organizers said in a statement. Devvarman is currently ranked 108th in the world, just outside the Australian Open cut-off of 105. This will be his debut in the main draw of the tournament.  Chang, ranked 117th, will be playing in her second Australian Open main draw. The organizers earlier awarded wild cards to the American pair of Ryan Harrison and Lauren Davies and the French duo of Benoit Paire and Virginie Razzano. Others who received wild cards were Australians Marinko Matosevic, Olivia Rogowska, Peter Luczak, Jelena Dokic, Matt Ebden and Alicia Molik.

SOME LIGHT, PLEASE

The ASB Classic will either have a brighter future or no future at all. It is widely believed that a WTA official considered banning night matches at the Auckland, New Zealand, tournament because of concerns over the lighting above the stadium. While tournament director Richard Palmer has played down the situation, he did confirm that there was an issue with the lighting, but he insisted there has never been a suggestion that they would not be able to hold a night session. Tennis Auckland has been told to improve the quality of its lights in time for next year’s tournament.

STARTING OVER

Wayne Odesnik has returned to tennis exactly one year and one day after he was arrested for importing into Australia eight vials of human growth hormone. The American was given a two-year ban by the International Tennis Federation, but the sentence was halved because Odesnik cooperated with anti-doping authorities. Odesnik won a wild card berth into this week’s USTA $10,000 Plantation Open Futures. “It’s been, obviously, the hardest six months of my life, this last year,” said Odesnik. “Thank god, I’m able to put it behind me. … “This experience has humbled me. I realize how lucky I am to be out here making a living on what we love to do, even if I have to start back again. I’m ready for it and looking forward to the challenge.”

STOP WAR START TENNIS

The Indo-Pak Express has started a new business. Rohan Bopanna of India and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan launched their official “Stop War Start Tennis” merchandise during the Aircel Chennai Open in Chennai, India. The “Indo-Pak Express,” as they are popularly known, became headline news around the globe at last year’s Wimbledon when they showed up with the peace message on the back of their T-shirts. “What started out as a simple statement has now become a world-wide campaign. This is a great opportunity for us to connect with our fans and we are thrilled to finally launch the merchandise,” Bopanna said. Qureshi said: “People all over the world have been supporting this cause and we hope that this venture will give them an opportunity to support and spread the message of peace.”

SHARAPOVA’S A-HEAD

Maria Sharapova has signed a multi-year endorsement deal with Head tennis racquets. The 23-year-old Russian previous endorsed Prince tennis racquets. Other top pros that are endorsed by Head include Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Robin Soderling. Despite her recent struggles on the court, Sharapova is still a major endorser and fashion icon. She appeared in Sports Illustrated’s popular Swimsuit Issue.

SETTING DATE

Mahesh Bhupathi and Lara Dutta plan to marry at a plush hotel in Goa, India, on February 19. Reports say the two will spend their holidays at Goa to make the wedding memorable. Bhupathi is recently divorced from Shweta Jaishankar, while Dutta has been in serious relationships with first Kelly Dorje and then with Dina Morea.

SPEAKING UP

Tennis Hall of Famer Monica Seles is now an author. The former world number one reportedly entertained offers from a number of publishers before selling a young-adult novel series to Bloomsbury. The New York Post reported that “The Academy” will follow a group of young athletic prodigies as they make their way through an elite sports academy, competing for recognition, love, money and fame. Seles honed her talents at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida. The first book in the series is due out next year.

SPONSOR

The WTA has extended through 2013 its partnership with vitamin and health supplement maker Usana Health Sciences Inc. Usana will remain the WTA’s official health supplement supplier, sponsor a number of WTA events, including its tournaments in China, and start a global advertising campaign, the company and the tour said in a statement. Financial details weren’t disclosed, although the WTA said the agreement’s terms were “significantly upgraded.” Players, including reigning US Open champion Kim Clijsters, French Open finalist Sam Stosur, Australian Open semifinalist Zheng Jie and former US Open quarterfinalist Melanie Oudin will become brand ambassadors for Usana, which first worked with the women’s circuit in 2006. “Tennis is such a global sport, and we’re in 15 countries around the world,” said Dan Macuga, vice president of marketing and public relations. The WTA hosts 52 events in 33 countries, including two tournaments in China.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Auckland: Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik beat Marina Erakovic and Sofia Arvidsson 6-3 6-0

Brisbane (men): Lukas Dlouhy and Paul Hanley beat Robert Lindstedt and Horia Tecau 6-4, retired

Brisbane (women): Alisa Kleybanova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova beat Klaudia Jans and Alicja Rosolska 6-3 7-5

Chennai: Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes def. Robin Haase and David Martin 6-2 6-7 (3) 10-7  (match tiebreak)

Doha: Marc Lopez and Rafael Nadal beat Daniele Bracciali and Andreas Seppi 6-3 7-6 (4)

Sao Paulo: Franco Ferreiro and Andre Sa beat Santiago Gonzalez and Horacio Zeballos 7-5 7-6 (12)

SITES TO SURF

Sydney: www.medibankinternational.com/

Auckland: www.heinekenopen.co.nz/

Hobart: www.hobartinternational.com.au/

Melbourne: www.australianopen.com/en_AU/index.html

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$372,500 Medibank International Sydney, Sydney, Australia, hard

$355,500 Heineken Open, Auckland, New Zealand, hard

WOMEN

$618,000 Medibank International Sydney, Sydney, Australia, hard

$220,000 Moorilla Hobart International, Hobart, Australia, hard

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN AND WOMEN

Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia, hard (first week)

Wozniacki and Surprises in Women’s Quarterfinals

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NEW YORK – Aided by her opponent’s 36 unforced errors, including nine double-faults, top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark grabbed a spot in the US Open quarterfinals Monday where she was joined by seventh-seeded Vera Zvonareva of Russia and two surprises – Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova and Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi.

Wozniacki, who reached the final here a year ago, outslugged former US Open champion Maria Sharapova 6-3 6-4 in a hard-hitting, error-filled baseline battle in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Dominika Cibulkova

“I felt like I was playing well out there. I made her do those errors,” Wozniacki said after her 6-3, 6-4 victory.

Cibulkova, at 5-foot-3 (1.61m) by far the smallest competitor still remaining in the year’s final Grand Slam tournament, knocked off 11th-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia 7-5 7-6 (4); Kanepi beat 15th-seeded Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium 0-6 7-6 (2) 6-1; and Zvonareva crushed Germany’s Andrea Petkovic 6-1 6-2.

In the quarterfinals, Wozniacki will play Cibulkova and Kanepi will meet Zvonareva. The bottom half of the draw pits defending champion Kim Clijsters, the second seed, against fifth-seeded Samantha Stosur, while two-time US Open winner Venus Williams, seeded third this year, will face sixth-seeded Francesca Schiavone, the reigning French Open champion.

“I knew I could win, but I knew it was going to be tough,” Wozniacki said of her battle against Sharapova. Time and again the two traded booming ground strokes from the baseline, moving each other from side to side, probing for an opening and usually finding none. These long points – many of them over 20 strokes long – usually ended in an error as each player, but especially Sharapova, tried to go for a little too much.

“I was doing whatever I felt like was working out for me,” Wozniacki said of the slugfest. “So I had some feelings and I was going for those shots I felt like I could go for.”

For Sharapova, it was like playing a backboard.

“I don’t think I did enough,” said Sharapova, who captured the title at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in 2006. “And that really allowed her to stand, you know, far back behind the baseline and keep retrieving balls. And that’s just what she does best.

“When she had the opportunity to step in, she took it and went for her shots. Then I was on the defense.”

Sharapova was her own worst enemy. She double-faulted on three consecutive points to give Wozniacki her first service break of the match.

In her first three matches Wozniacki had lost a total of three games, so dominant was she. Sharapova matched that in the opening set. In the second set the two battled evenly until Wozniacki took charge in the seventh game to break serve, thanks to another double fault from Sharapova.

“I knew that I had to be ready for the first ball,” Wozniacki said. “I knew she was going to try to attack me from the beginning. I knew she was trying to be aggressive. For me it was important to keep as many balls in the court but still try to move her around and try to dictate as well.”

Cibulkova also tried to be aggressive. It was a tactic that worked for her.

“I was really pumped for this,” she said. “I know my game and I know myself, so I knew I could make it. I could beat everybody in this tournament.”

Kuznetsova, who also won the French Open in 2009, grabbed early breaks in both sets, only to have Cibulkova rally. The Slovakian, who is ranked 45th in the world, the lowest ranked player still in the draw, captured the first set when Kuznetsova double-faulted at break point in the 12th game.

Cibulkova served for the match, but Kuznetsova staved off two match points. The Slovak dominated the tie-break to reach a Grand Slam tournament quarterfinal for just the second time.

“It’s the quarterfinals of the Grand Slam, so we’re going to fight for every point,” Cibulkova said.

After a horrendous first set, Kanepi grabbed a quarterfinal berth in her second straight Grand Slam tournament. She trailed 6-0 1-0 and was facing two break points on her serve when she finally put on display the game that had eliminated fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic in the previous round.

“I had a little luck,” Kanepi said. “I was 15-40 on my serve and I served two aces. I said to myself, ’15-40, just go for it.’ I relaxed. Then the match started turning around from my side.

She broke Wickmayer twice in the second set and dominated the tie-break. The third set was a romp.

“I think she played really well” in the opening set, Kanepi said of Wickmayer. “She was hitting very hard and near the lines. So everything worked for her.

“I didn’t think I hit so bad. Just a little bit tight, a little slow, and she played very well.”

Wickmayer agreed.

“I played a really good first set, but I felt she was not far,” Wickmayer said. “I mean, she played really good tennis first set. I won the set pretty easily on the score, but all the games were pretty tough and I had to fight for every point.”

Advancing to the quarterfinals in men’s singles were Gael Monfils of France, third-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia and fifth-seeded Robin Soderling of Sweden winner the early matches. The night’s final match pitted second-seeded Roger Federer against Austria’s Jurgen Melzer.

Monfils became the first Frenchman in 10 years to reach the US Open quarterfinals when he beat compatriot Richard Gasquet 6-4 7-5 7-5. Djokovic raced past American Mardy Fish 6-3 6-4 6-1; while Soderling held off Albert Montanes of Spain 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-3.

Wozniacki, Sharapova Set to Battle

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NEW YORK – Blustery winds, the aftermath of a hurricane-turned-tropical-storm that skirted the area the day before, blew away the hopes of some hopefuls at the US Open, but not the big favorites.

“It was very difficult to play. It was very windy conditions out there,” Caroline Wozniacki said. “But it was the same for both and I just have to adjust.”

Maria Sharapova

The top-seeded Wozniacki did just that, crushing Chan Yung-Jan of Taiwan 6-1 6-0 to advance into the fourth round where she will take on Maria Sharapova, who had an even easier time dominating 18-year-old Beatrice Capra 6-0 6-0.

“You go out and just try to win the match, and you worry about the next one when it’s over,” Sharapova said after her one-sided match over the American.

Jelena Jankovic, however, failed to handle the wind or her opponent. The fourth seed from Serbia was upset by Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi 6-2 7-6 (1).

“I had a hard time serving. You toss the ball and it was all over the place,” Jankovic said. “And then you hit the ball one direction, it goes another. You’re just getting ready to hit the ball and just moves away from you.”

Also advancing in day matches were 15th-seeded Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium, 7-6 (5) 3-6 7-6 (6) over Switzerland’s Patty Schnyder; Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia, , 6-0 6-1 over Lourdes Dominguez Lino of Spain; and Germany’s Andrea Petkovic, who gained a fourth-round berth when China’s Peng Shuai withdrew with an injury suffered in a doubles match Friday evening.

In third-round men’s matches, second-seeded Roger Federer breezed through with a 6-4 6-3 6-3 victory over Paul-Henri Mathieu of France; fifth-seeded Robin Soderling of Sweden stopped Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker 6-2 6-3 6-3; Albert Montanes of Spain advanced when Japan’s Kei Nishikori retired while trailing 6-2 2-1; France’s Gael Monfils ousted Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic 7-6 (4) 6-7 (4) 6-2 6-4; Richard Gasquet of France beat South Africa’s Kevin Anderson 6-4 7-6 (3) 7-5; and 19th-seeded American Mardy Fish outlasted Arnaud Clement of France 4-6 6-3 6-4 1-6 6-3.

Wozniacki and Sharapova have been two of the hottest players on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour since Wimbledon. The top-seeded Dane has won 17 of her 18 matches since the grass court Grand Slam tournament, while Sharapova has posted a 12-2 mark during the summer.

This will be their first meeting since 2008, when Wozniacki was just starting to move up the rankings. Sharapova, then ranked in the top five in the world, won both of their previous meetings, on hard court in Doha and on clay in Rome.

Saying those two matches won’t have any bearing on their next meeting, Wozniacki said,: “I think the next match will be a totally different match. You know, when we go out there, we both have 50 percent chance of winning. I just need to get those percentages for me.”

Pressed about playing Sharapova, who won the US Open in 2006, the second of her three Grand Slam tournament titles, Wozniacki was coy.

“I really don’t think too much who is on the other side (of the next),” she said. “I just want to do what I’m supposed to do out there on court, and I want to win. So it really doesn’t matter who’s on the other side. I feel like I’m playing well, so hopefully I can just keep my roll.”

Sharapova likewise sidestepped any rivalry questions.

“Every match is different,” she said. “You don’t worry about a match that’s two rounds away when you’re going into a particular match like today. You go out and just try to win the match, and you worry about the next one when it’s over.”

The Russian also noted Wozniacki’s experience on the hard courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

“She was the finalist here last year, so she’s accustomed to the court and the atmosphere,” Sharapova said. “She obviously knows how to play good tennis on the court. It will be interesting.”

Sharapova also said Saturday’s windy conditions were not that unusual.

“This is probably the toughest conditions we’re going to get,” she said. “But I think last year it was a similar situation. Third round, quite windy. I had a young opponent who came out and played great tennis. Today, I wanted to make sure I came out, concentrated and was consistent.”

How windy was it?

The wind blew Capra’s visor off her head, and several times lets were called because of wind-whipped napkins, hot dog wrappers and towels blowing across the court.

“Experience definitely helps,” Sharapova said. “But when you play someone coming up, young and eager, it’s always challenging, because they come out with nothing to lose and they can play some great tennis.”

Wozniacki has lost a total of three games in three matches.

“T think it just says something about how I’ve been playing and the level I’ve been playing on,” Wozniacki said. “It’s nice.”

For Roger Federer, the wind was just another tool in his arsenal.

“The wind was very strong,” he said. “Tough conditions to play in, especially if you’re down in the score. … That’s what the wind can do to you. It’s really hard to stay positive when you’re down and the wind is the way it is, like today.”

But Federer felt he had the advantage in the conditions.

“I kind of felt comfortable, you know, because you can also use it (the wind) to your advantage and play really great tennis. You have to be careful with it. Maybe not aim at the lines as much. After four games or so, I knew what I could do and what I couldn’t do.”

KUZNETSOVA SURVIVES, WILLIAMS CRUISES

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Svetlana Kuznetsova saved four match points, fought through a 90-minute rain delay and survived another day as reigning French Open women’s singles champion defeating Germany’s Andrea Petkovic 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in a dramatic second-round match Wednesday.

After taking the first set, the 41st-ranked Petkovic led 4-2 in the second and served for the match at 5-4. The German went ahead 40-love, but sent a backhand into the net, a forehand long, and a backhand wide to waste three match points. On her fourth, she put another backhand into the net.

Eventually, Kuznetsova, seeded No. 6, hit a backhand passing shot to break serve, part of a five-game run for the Russian.

Up 5-2 in the third, Kuznetsova had trouble closing it out. But she converted her fourth match point.

A businesslike Venus Williams advanced to the third round of the French Open Wednesday, clearly unfazed by the controversy surrounding her risqué lace tennis dress. Despite damp, cool conditions at Roland Garros, she had little trouble taking out Spaniard Arantxa Parra Santonja 6-3, 6-4.

“I played a really scrappy player today,” Venus explained to Tennis Channel’s Katrina Adams. “I didn’t get a perfect rhythm, but I think I played the bigger points well, especially on my serve.”

It’s been three years since the elder Williams has advanced beyond the third round in Paris, but Venus has a chance to take over the No. 1 singles ranking from her sister if she takes the title with Serena losing before the fourth round.

Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai continued her hot streak, taking out Angelique Kerber 6-2, 2-6, 6-3. Rezai, 23, wowed the partisan crowd with her powerful strokes and will take on another hard hitter, Nadia Petrova, in the third round.

No. 14 seed, Flavia Pennetta, advanced easily beating fellow Italian Roberta Vinci 6-1, 6-1.

Blair Henley contributed to this report

HENIN AND CLIJSTERS IN BRISBANE FINAL

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Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters will meet in a battle of the comeback queens at the Brisbane International event.

Both are former world number ones and Henin, playing her first event since May 2008, crushed Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic 6-3 6-2 in a little more than an hour. Here is match point –

[pro-player]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY8MoKEkP3M[/pro-player]

Clijsters, who made her own return from retirement to win last year’s US Open, had a similarly comfortable win against Germany’s Andrea Petkovic 6-4 6-2.

The Belgian duo have met 22 times, with with Henin holding a 12-10 advantage.

Playing her fourth match in five days, Henin proved her fitness levels were in excellent order and showed a glimpse of the form that saw her win seven Grand Slam titles.

“It’s a perfect situation for me as I’m in the final of my first tournament, it’s a great feeling,” she said after her victory on the Pat Rafter centre court.

Clijsters looked at one stage to be in for a more difficult afternoon when locked at 4-4 with Petkovic in the opening set, but proceeded to win the next six games and took complete control of the contest.

Looking ahead to Saturday’s final, which will be her first match with Henin since the 2006 Wimbledon semi-finals, she said: “I don’t think anyone around the world expected to see this again.

“I look forward to it. Back to the old days. We grew up playing under-12s and sharing rooms together and we have history together.”

Henin, meanwhile, remarked that her relationship with her compatriot had always been cordial and said: “There is so much respect between the two of us so, I know sometimes people would love to hear there have been problems between us but that’s not the case.

“We are so different but we have good memories. When we were younger we were travelling a lot together… but after that we grew up differently and went in different directions.”

In the men’s competition Czech Tomas Berdych edged out Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci 7-6 2-6 7-6 to join defending champion Radek Stepanek and Gael Monfils in Saturday’s semi-finals.

Top seed Andy Roddick booked his place in the last four with a 6-3 7-6 (7-5) success against Frenchman Richard Gasquet.