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STARS

Andrey Golubev beat Jurgen Melzer 6-3 7-5 to win the International German Open in Hamburg, Germany

Mardy Fish beat John Isner 4-6 6-4 7-6 (4) to win the Atlanta Tennis Championships in Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Anna Chakvetadze beat Johanna Larsson 6-1 6-2 to win the Banka Koper Slovenia Open in Portoroz, Slovenia

Julia Goerges beat Timea Bacsinszky 6-1 6-4 to win the Nurnberger Gastein Ladies Open in Bad Gastein, Austria

Denis Gremelmayr beat Andrey Kuznetsov 6-1 6-2 to win the Poznan Porsche Open in Poznan, Poland

Mathilde Johansson beat Monica Niculescu 6-3 6-3 to win the ITF Roller Open in Petange, Luxembourg

SAYINGS

“This is as top as I’ve ever been. I’ve never won two tournaments in one year, I’ve never won two tournaments in a row, and on the ATP (World) Tour I’ve never won 10 matches in a row. It’s probably as good as it’s been.” – Mardy Fish, after winning the Atlanta Tennis Championships.

“It was my first final and I just wanted to enjoy it as much as possible. I didn’t put pressure on myself.” – Julia Goerges, after winning the Nurnberger Gastein Ladies Open.

“You want to win this tournament, but it was really pivotal I was able to get four matches under my belt. I had other things I was doing because of that stupid Wimbledon match I played.” – John Isner, who says he has spent too much time away from the court doing TV talk shows and other appearances after winning the longest match in history, a three-day, 183-game marathon at Wimbledon in June.

“It’s not something I try to do, but when I beat (Roger) Federer at Indian Wells I only served at 35 percent.” – Mardy Fish, who put just 40 percent of his first serves into play in his semifinal victory over Andy Roddick at the Atlanta Tennis Championships.

“In the morning I told myself just try to get to the final. It was my fifth chance and I did it. I was so happy to be in my first final that I was really relaxed against Timea, and the crowd was so supportive too. I got tight on one match point but closed it out well. I’m so happy to have my first title.” – Julia Goerges, after winning the Nurnberger Gastein Ladies Open.

“Serena Williams is one of our sport’s greatest champions, and we are very hopeful she will be back at the US Open. We communicate with her team frequently, and will continue to do so. We wish her a speedy recovery.” – Jim Curley, US Open tournament director.

“Martina (Navratilova) never allowed the status quo to guide her actions on or off the court, which makes her a fitting recipient of the Eugene L. Scott Award. Leaders and trailblazers like Martina should be recognized in order to encourage others to follow their own heart.” – Christopher E. Clouser, chairman of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum.

“It was like a big summer camp traveling around the world. It’s not easy. It’s not as glamorous as people would imagine. Being a professional athlete is a 24-7 job. It’s all about preparation, practice, training, physical preparation of your body.” – Anna Kournikova, talking about her time on the women’s tennis tour.

SIZZLIN’ HOT

Mardy Fish ran his winning streak to 10 straight matches and two consecutive tournament titles when he knocked off fellow American John Isner 4-6 6-4 7-6 (4) to capture the Atlanta Tennis Championships. It was his third final in his past four tournaments, beginning with a runner-up finish to Sam Querrey at The Queen’s Club in London last month. Fish had not dropped a set before the final in Atlanta, including his upset win over top-seeded Andy Roddick. In the decisive tiebreak, Fish won the first four points. Although Isner won the next three points, Fish held on to close out the victory on his second match point. “I’ve made four finals this past year and I’ve lost my last three, all in three sets,” Isner said. “That’s hard to swallow, but it hasn’t stopped me from progressing. I know if I keep putting myself in this position it’s going to happen, and I know I will keep putting myself in this position.”

SUFFERING SERB

Jelena Jankovic injured her ankle during her second-round match at the Slovenia Open, forcing her to retire. The Serbian right-hander was leading qualifier Anastasiya Yakimova of Belarus 6-1 2-1 when she twisted her ankle. After getting medical help, Jankovic continued to play, losing the set 6-3. When she lost the first game of the third set, she retired from the match. Jankovic, ranked second in the world, was playing her first tournament since Wimbledon, where she retired in the fourth round with a back injury.

SERENA SIGNS UP

Although recovering from deep cuts to her right foot, Serena Williams is planning on going after her fourth US Open women’s singles title in the year’s final Grand Slam tournament. Serena led the direct entries into this year’s field at New York’s Flushing Meadow as 99 of the top 100 women signed up. The only one missing is 12^th-ranked Justine Henin, a two-time US Open champion who withdrew after injuring her right elbow at Wimbledon. The cuts forced Serena to pull out of three hard-court tune-ups for the US Open. Besides Serena, other former US Open champions in the women’s singles field include older sister Venus Williams, defending champion Kim Clijsters, Maria Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova.

SPEEDY RECOVERY?

It’s uncertain whether Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro will defend his US Open men’s singles title this year. Del Potro underwent wrist surgery earlier this year and has repeatedly said he plans on returning to tennis for the Thailand Open in late September. But the United States Tennis Association (USTA) said del Potro has been included on the list of entrants for the tournament, which begins on August 30. In a statement, the USTA said: “Juan Martin del Potro … is expected to return to Grand Slam competition after missing the French Open and Wimbledon earlier this year.” The right-hander has not played since losing in the fourth round of the Australian Open in January. In May he announced he was undergoing surgery and would miss the remaining three Grand Slam tournaments.

SWEET VICTORY

It’s been a long time since Anna Chakvetadze took home the winner’s check at a tournament. Ranked in the top five in the world in 2007, Chakvetadze had fallen to 103^rd going into the Banka Koper Slovenia Open in Portoroz, Slovenia. When she beat Johanna Larsson 6-1 6-2 in the final, Chakvetadze had captured her eighth career WTA Tour title, but her first since Paris in 2008. In Portoroz, she upset three seeded players – Sara Errani, Vera Dushevina and Polona Hercog.

SITTING IT OUT

The Farmers Classic will be without Novak Djokovic. The Serbian withdrew from the Los Angeles, California, USA, tournament because of undisclosed personal reasons. Djokovic is ranked number two in the world behind Rafael Nadal. Top-seeded in the tournament now will be Andy Murray, who received a wild card into the ATP Tour event, followed by defending champion Sam Querrey and Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus. Also withdrawing from the tournament was 2007 winner Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic. Stepanek has been hampered most of the year with a knee injury.

SERENA ON TOP

For the second consecutive year Serena Williams has been voted America’s favorite female sports star in a poll by Harris Interactive. Sister Venus Williams finished second on the list. Other tennis stars – past and present — in the top 10 include Maria Sharapova at number five, Anna Kournikova at number six, and Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova, who tied for 10^th place. In the men’s poll, no tennis player reached the top 10, Golfer Tiger Woods and basketball star Kobe Bryant tied for the top spot, followed by baseball player Derek Jeter and two professional football quarterbacks, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning, in that order.

STRIKE UP THE BAND

Andrey Golubev became the first player from Kazakhstan to win an ATP Tour title when he knocked off third-seeded Jurgen Melzer of Austria 6-3 7-5 and captured the International German Open. The 23-year-old Golubev did not drop serve, saving five break points, and broke the 15^th-ranked Melzer once in each set. “I never expected that my first title would be on clay,” said Golubev, who was born in Russia but became a Kazakhstan citizen in June 2008. “I think the most important thing this week was that I believed in myself, I believed in my game, my forehand and backhand.” Golubev celebrated his 23^rd birthday by recording his first Top 10 win, beating sixth-ranked Nikolay Davydenko in the third round. He becomes the third first-round winner on the ATP World Tour this year, joining John Isner and Ernests Gulbis.

SO GROOVED

Julia Goerges needed to win twice on the final day, and she did just that, winning her first WTA Tour title. Because of rain, the 65^th-ranked German played her semifinal on Sunday, beating Alize Cornet of France 6-1 6-4. Then the repeated the score in the final, stopping Timea Bacsinszky 6-1 6-4 to win the Nurnberger Gastein Ladies Open in Bad Gastein, Austria. Goerges won the opening set of the final when Bacsinszky double-faulted on set point. Then, after Bacsinszky grabbed a 4-2 lead in the second set, Goerges ripped off the final four games for the title. “I’ve played really well all week,” Goerges said.

SCHEDULED TO PLAY

Having triumphed at both the French Open and Wimbledon, top-ranked Rafael Nadal is setting his sights on smaller fry. The world’s top-ranked player will play the Thailand Open in late September. Organizers of the indoor tournament said 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro also will be in the Bangkok tournament. Nadal was scheduled to play the Thailand Open last year but had to withdraw because of an abdominal injury. Del Potro has been sidelined for several months after undergoing surgery on his right wrist. He is scheduled to defend his US Open title beginning the end of August.

STRIKE

Andy Roddick could be trying out for a new career in another sport. The American threw out the first pitch at the Atlanta Braves-San Diego Padres baseball game. “I actually tried to throw it hard tonight and it went over the plate,” Roddick Tweeted. One journalist reported the ball was a low strike. Roddick has thrown out the first pitch at a New York Mets game during a US Open. Roddick was in the Georgia capitol to play in the Atlanta Tennis Championships.

SPORTLIGHT ON MARTINA

An outspoken trailblazer both on and off the tennis court for more than three decades, Martina Navratilova is this year’s recipient of the Eugene L. Scott Award. Given by the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum (ITHF&M), the award will be presented to Navratilova at the 30^th annual Legends Ball on Friday, September 10, in New York City. The special night of celebration will also honor a host of tennis luminaries, including the Hall of Fame Class of 2010, which features doubles specialists Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde as well as Gigi Fernandez and Natasha Zvereva, along with Owen Davidson, Brad Parks and Derek Hardwick. The Eugene L. Scott Award, presented annually since 2006, honors an individual who embodies Scott’s commitment to communicating honestly and critically about the game, and who has had a significant impact on the tennis world. Previous recipients of the ward have been John McEnroe (2006), Andre Agassi (2007), Billie Jean King (2008) and Arthur Ashe and his wife Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe (2009).

SET FOR LYON

France has selected a hard court in Lyon for its Davis Cup semifinal against Argentina. The French Tennis Federation announced the tie will be held at the Palais des Sports de Gerland from September 17-19. It will be the fifth time the city of Lyon has staged a Davis Cup, and the first time since the 1991 final when France defeated the United States 3-1. France has never lost to Argentina in their previous four meetings, but the teams have not played since 1982.

SODERLING OUT

Robin Soderling won’t be playing at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, DC, because of personal reasons. The hard-court tournament will feature Andy Roddick and Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych.

SWITCHING SPORTS

The best tennis player ever to come out of Thailand is preparing to begin a new career as a motorcycle racer. The 31-year-old Paradorn Srichaphan was once ranked number nine in the world. He retired this year after a chronic wrist injury kept him off the ATP Tour for three years. Srichaphan says he will remain involved in tennis, but right now he wants to indulge a lifelong passion for racing motorcycles. Paradorn briefly made a comeback in tennis last September when he lost a first-round doubles match at the Thailand Open. He planned a serious comeback for Wimbledon this year, but injured both arms and his left leg in a motorcycle racing accident in April. He plans to make his official tennis farewell at this year’s Thailand Open in September. He also will coach promising youngsters and captain Thailand’s Davis Cup team.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Atlanta: Scott Lipsky and Rajeev Ram beat Rohan Bopanna and Kristof Vliegen 6-3 6-7 (4) 12-10 (match tiebreak)

Bad Gastein: Lucie Hradecka and Anabel Medina Garrigues beat Timea Bacsinszky and Tathiana Garbin 6-7 (2) 6-1 10-5 (match tiebreak)

Hamburg: Marc Lopez and David Marrero beat Jeremy Chardy and Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-3 2-6 10-8 (match tiebreak)

Petange: Sharon Fichman and Monica Niculescu beat Sophie Lefevre and Laura Thorpe 6-4 6-2

Portoroz: Maria Kondratieva and Vladimira Uhlirova beat Anna Chakvetadze and Marina Erakovic 6-4 2-6 10-7 (match tiebreak)

Poznan: Rui Machado and Daniel Munoz-de la Nava beat James Cerretani and Adil Shamasdin 6-2 6-3

SITES TO SURF

Los Angeles: www.farmersclassic.com/

Gstaad: www.allianzsuisseopengstaad.com/e/

Stanford: www.bankofthewestclassic.com/

Istanbul: www.istanbulcup.com/