jelena jankovic

Mondays With Bob Greene: Spain Retains Davis Cup

December 7, 2009 by WTM

STARS

Michael Berrer beat Jarkko Nieminen 6-7 (4) 6-4 6-4 to win the Salzburg Indoors in Salzburg, Austria

Konstantin Kravchuk beat Marcel Granollers 1-6 6-3 6-2 to win the Yugra Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia

Pat Rafter beat Stefan Edberg 6-7 (5) 6-4 11-9 (Champions tiebreak) to win the AEGON Masters Tennis in London, United Kingdom

Spain beat Czech Republic 5-0 in Barcelona, Spain, to win the 2009 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas

SAYING

“It may look like routine but I think to win the Davis Cup two years in a row is spectacular. We need to talk about this a lot … we need to remember. It’s important.” – Albert Costa, captain of Spain’s victorious Davis Cup team.

“To finish the second half of the season with this ending is very important and nice, especially after all of the problems I had over those two months. You have to be sure to enjoy these moments when they happen because you don’t know when the next victory will come.” – Rafael Nadal.

“I feel privileged to be Spanish and to have teammates like these.” – Fernando Verdasco, who was half of Spain’s winning doubles team against the Czech Republic.

“I dreamt of this career, I dreamt of winning a Grand Slam title. I lifted trophies in every city in the world and I lived 10 magical and unbelievable years.” – Amelie Mauresmo, announcing her retirement from tennis.

“Amelie was one of the most gifted players we had to play the sport. She had all the shots and it was only fitting she realized her dream and talent by winning Wimbledon. We shared a great rivalry.” – Kim Clijsters.

“Amelie will go down in history as one of the best players of her generation and a terrific ambassador for women’s tennis. Amelie is an extraordinary player, one of the nicest and friendliest personalities on Tour, and a true champion both in tennis and in life.” – Stacey Allaster, WTA Tour chairperson.

“It’s a shame I couldn’t finish today because it was great tennis we were playing. I felt great, there was a great atmosphere and everything was just right. The day was right, the hour right, the moment right. Everything felt right except for my right leg.” – Goran Ivanisevic, who retired from a match against Patrick Rafter when he aggravated an existing hamstring injury.

“It’s not the way you want to win. We were actually having a really good match out there. We both went at it really hard. I was really pumped up and we both wanted to play really well. It was just one of those unfortunate incidents that happen with old men.” – Patrick Rafter.

SPANISH GOLD

Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer were spotless in leading Spain to its second straight Davis Cup title, this time blanking the Czech Republic 5-0 in the final. Nadal and Ferrer both won their two singles matches at the Palau Sant Jordi, and Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco teamed up to win the doubles as Spain became the first nation to retain the title since Sweden in 1998. Since Spain clinched the title with its doubles victory, the Czechs rested their top players in the reverse singles as Nadal beat Jan Hajek 6-3 6-4 and Ferrer beat Lukas Dlouhy 6-4 6-2. Hajek replaced Radek Stepanek and Dlouhy subbed for Tomas Berdych. Spain has now won 18 straight Davis Cup ties at home – a streak stretching back to 1999 – and 20 straight on clay. There have been 23 previous final sweeps, the last being Sweden’s 5-0 victory over the United States in 1997.

SAYING GOODBYE

Amelie Mauresmo has called it a career. The two-time Grand Slam tournament champion retired from tennis, saying she no longer had a burning desire for competition. “I don’t want to train anymore,” the 30-year-old Frenchwoman said. “I had to make a decision, which became evident in the last few months and weeks. When you grew older, it’s more difficult to stay at the top.” In 2006, Mauresmo won both the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Two years earlier, she reached number one in the world for the first time. She finishes this year at number 21. “It’s a bit sad, but this is the right decision,” Mauresmo said. “I was lucky enough to have an exceptional career and to experience very strong feelings on the court.” She played her last match at the US Open, where she lost in the second round to Canada’s Aleksandra Wozniak. Fittingly, Mauresmo’s 25^th and last singles title – her first in almost two years – came in Paris this year. She led France to the Fed Cup title in 2003 and won the season-ending WTA Tour Championships in 2005.

SLAPPED WITH FINE, PROBATION

Serena Williams was fined a record USD $82,500 for her tirade against a lineswoman at the US Open. She also could be suspended from the US Open if she has another “major offense” at any Grand Slam tournament in the next two years. Grand Slam administrator Bill Babock said if the world’s top-ranked woman player has another “major offense” at one of the four major tournaments during a two-year “probationary period,” the fine would increase to USD $175,000. Prior to this, the highest fine levied for a Grand Slam tournament offense was USD $48,000 assessed against Jeff Tarango in the 1990s. After the fine and probationary period was announced, Williams said in a statement: “I am thankful that we now have closure on the incident and we can all move forward. I am back in training in preparation for next season and I continue to be grateful for all the support from my fans and the tennis community.” The American earned USD $350,000 by reaching the singles semifinals at the US Open and has won more than USD $6.5 million in prize money in 2009, a single-season record for women’s tennis. Her career prize money tops USD $28 million. Babcock said the highest possible fine that Williams could face – USD $175,000 – was chosen because it is the difference in winnings between reaching the US Open quarterfinals and semifinals. The USTA already fined Williams USD $10,000, the reason she is paying half of USD $165,000 now.

SUPER SENIORS

It was just like old times for Pat Rafter, who teamed up with Stefan Edberg to put on a display of spell-binding serve-and-volley games in the title match of the AEGON Masters Tennis at Royal Albert Hall in London. And at the end, it was Rafter the winner, 6-7 (5) 6-4 11-9 (Champions tiebreak), in a match that showed fans how tennis used to be played. Age may have been a factor as the 36-year-old Australian outlasted his 43-year-old Swedish opponent. “This tournament has been unreal,” Rafter said. “It’s a great venue and I’ve been really excited to play here. At the same time it’s been great to catch up with my old mates again, and if they invite me back here next year I’ll be back.”

SENOR AWARD WINNER

The 2009 Davis Cup Award of Excellence has been presented to Manuel Orantes during a special on-court ceremony at the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group final in Barcelona, Spain. The award was presented to Orantes by the president of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), Francesco Ricci Bitti, and Hall of Famer Manolo Santana. “Manuel has always been one of the great ambassadors of tennis and we are proud to recognize his contributions to the game, and in particular to the Davis Cup, in which he competed for his country for 14 years,” Ricci Bitti said. Orantes was a member of the Spanish Davis Cup team from 1967 to 1980. He was ranked number two in the world in 1973 and won 33 tournaments during his career, including the 1975 US Open when he defeated Jimmy Connors in the final. Past recipients of the Davis Cup Award of Excellence include Neale Fraser, Pierre Darmon, John Newcombe, Santana, Miloslav Mecir, Goran Ivanisevic, Alex Metreveli, Stan Smith and Guillermo Vilas.

STARS IN NEW YORK

It was such a smashing success this year that the Billie Jean King Cup will return to New York City’s Madison Square Garden on March 1, 2010. Sisters Serena and Venus Williams will be joined by US Open champion Kim Clijsters and French Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova in the second edition of the one-day exhibition. There will be one-set semifinals followed by a three-set final, all with no ad scoring. In this year’s final, Serena beat her sister Venus. Serena won the Australian Open and Wimbledon, meaning the event will feature the winners of all four 2009 Grand Slam tournaments. The event offers USD $1.2 million in prize money.

SUPPORTS ANTI-TERRORISM

Sania Mirza of India has backed an anti-terrorism event held in New Delhi, India’s capital. Mirza was among a bevy of eminent figures from the worlds of sports, arts and civil society who took part in the hour-long ceremony, which was organized by India’s home ministry under the theme “A Nation In Solidarity Against Terror.” The event was held 12 months after a four-day terrorist siege across Mumbai resulted in at least 173 people killed and more than 300 injured. Besides Mirza, others supporting the measure include Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Kahn, Olympic gold medalist shooter Abhinav Bindra and violinist L Subramaniam. At the Australian Open in January, Mirza became the first woman from India to win a Grand Slam tournament title when she teamed with fellow Indian Mahesh Bhupathi to capture the mixed doubles. In 2008, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from a university in the city of Chennai.

SPECIAL HONOR

Gustavo Kuerten, a three-time French Open champion, is the recipient of the Cruz do Merito Desportivo (Cross of Sporting Merit), the highest honor a Brazilian athlete can receive. The 33-year-old Kuerten will receive the medal from Brazilian President Lula Da Silva and sports minister Orlando Silva at the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil. It is the second time Kuerten will receive the award, which is divided into two honors. He first received the medal in 2004, when he returned from representing Brazil at the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

SERENA TO SYDNEY

Serena Williams has confirmed her participation in the Sydney International, a lead-up to the Australian Open. The world’s top-ranked woman will be seeking to defend her Australian Open title in Melbourne, and will begin her warm-up by playing in Sydney. “Serena is a genuine superstar in world sport and we are delighted that she has re-confirmed her commitment,” said Sydney International tournament director Craig Watson.

SIGNED UP

Young American Melanie Oudin will begin her 2010 season at the Hobart International. Ranked 49^th in the world, Oudin joins Australians Alicia Molik and Jelena Dokic in the draw. Earlier this year Oudin reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and the quarterfinals at the US Open, and posted victories over two former world number ones, Jelena Jankovic and Maria Sharapova.

SWEENEY REPORT

The most popular sport in Australia is tennis. The latest Sweeney Sport Report showed the Australian public preferred tennis over any other sport with an interest level of 58 percent. Tennis also ranked first in television viewing, third in participation and tied for fifth in attendance in Australia. Sweeney has surveyed Australians’ sporting interests for the last 23 years and publishes the results twice a year.

SET FOR NEWPORT

Former champion Taylor Dent will be returning to Newport, Rhode Island, USA, to compete in the 2010 Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships. The July 5-11 tournament will be played at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, with the semifinals being held on the same day as the ceremonies for the 2010 inductees into the Hall. Dent won Newport in 2002, defeating fellow American James Blake in the final. But that was before he underwent several back operations. He is currently ranked 75^th in the world and, as a wild card entry, reached the third round of the US Open in 2009 where he lost to Andy Murray.

SAN JOSE-BOUND

Pete Sampras is heading back to San Jose, California, USA, yet again. SAP Open tournament officials said Sampras will kick off February’s tournament with an exhibition match against Spain’s Fernando Verdasco. The last two years, Sampras has played Tommy Haas in exhibitions at the tournament. Besides Verdasco, others already in the field include Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt, Mardy Fish and Haas.

SWINGING FOR $$$$

The largest annual international team competition in sport, the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas, also is a money winner. According to a report commissioned by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), Davis Cup generates an annual economic impact of USD $184 million. In 2009, the competition had 125 nations contesting 83 individual ties around the world. It also generates around USD $53 million in commercial income for the ITF and participating nations each year. The report, “The Davis Cup Economic Survey,” was produced by London-based independent financial forecasters Fathom Consulting.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Salzburg: Philipp Marx and Igor Zelenay beat Sanchai Ratiwatana and Sonchat Ratiwatana 6-4 7-5

Khanty-Mansiysk: Marcel Granollers and Gerard Granollers-Pujol beat Evgeny Kirillov and Andrey Kuznetsov 6-3 6-2

SITES TO SURF

Dubai: www.dubaitennis.com

ITF: www.itftennis.com/

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

(All money in USD)

WTA

$100,000 Farum ITF, Farum, Denmark, hard

$75,000 Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, hard

Mondays With Bob Greene: Caro, it does not matter whether it’s going to be 5-0, 4-1 or 3-2

October 26, 2009 by WTM

STARS

Mikhail Youzhny beat Janko Tipsarevic 6-5 (5) 6-0 6-4 to win the Kremlin Cup men’s singles in Moscow, Russia

Francesca Schiavone beat Olga Govortsova 6-3 6-0 to win the Kremlin Cup women’s singles in Moscow, Russia

Marcos Baghdatis beat Olivier Rochus 6-1 7-5 to win the Stockholm Open in Stockholm, Sweden

Timea Bacsinszky won the Luxembourg Open, beating Sabine Lisicki 6-2 7-5 in Luxembourg

Xavier Malisse beat Stephane Robert 6-1 6-2 to win the l’Open d’Orleans in Orleans, France

Eduardo Schwank beat Nicolas Massu 6-2 6-2 to win the Copa Petrobras in Santiago, Chile

SAYING

“I went onto the court and said to her: ‘Caro, it does not matter whether it’s going to be 5-0, 4-1 or 3-2. You can not play the next round, so you shouldn’t take the risk,”’ – Piotr Wozniacki, telling his daughter Caroline to retire from the match because her injury would prevent her from playing in the next round.

“We’re just looking into everything that happened in this match.” – WTA spokesman Neil Robinson, speaking about Caroline Wozniacki’s injury retirement from her match with Anne Kremer and a resulting surge in betting on Kremer to win

“So, people bet on my matches. Some win, others lose. I just know that I am clean. … And if anyone is in doubt about my injury, I can both produce scan from the hospital and a report from the tournament physiotherapist.” – Caroline Wozniacki.

“My ranking was down at 120. To finish (the year) near the top 50 is incredible for me.” – Olivier Rochus, who had right shoulder surgery in October 2008 but was a finalist at the Stockholm Open.

“When I got to 4-0 in the second set I looked at the trophy and said to myself, ‘I’m coming to get you!’” – Francesca Schiavone, after winning the Kremlin Cup women’s singles.

“It will be great to get back to playing competitive tennis again and with the strong field, the same court surface and a similar climate to Melbourne, it will be the perfect preparation leading into the Australian Open.” – Justine Henin, saying she will return to tennis at the Brisbane (Australia) International.

“Winning the doubles title here in Moscow is a nice way to end the season.” – Nadia Petrova, a native of Moscow.

“It’s great to win my first title. I don’t think I’ve realized what it means for me yet. For now I just want to stay focused because I have another tournament next week.” – Timea Bacsinszky, who won the Luxembourg Open in her first trip to a WTA final.

“It’s been a long time since I won an ATP tournament. The last one was in February 2007. I’m so happy right now. It’s been a tough couple of years and this title came when I least expected it, so it’s even better.” – Marcos Baghdatis, after winning the If Stockholm Open.

SUSPENSION, NOT

Apparently Yanina Wickmayer will only get a warning for failing three times to report her whereabouts to anti-doping officials. The 20-year-old US Open semifinalist from Belgium faced a suspension. Instead, the prosecutor at the anti-doping tribunal called only for a warning in principle. The tribunal is scheduled to rule on the case on November 5. In her defense, Wickmayer said she had troubles with her password in the computerized system overseen by the World Anti-Doping Agency. She also said registered mail to her home could not be signed off on since she was traveling to WTA tournaments. She noted that she never missed an anti-doping test and her samples were always negative.

SPARKING BETS

Caroline Wozniacki was leading her Luxembourg Open match 7-5 5-0 when she retired with a hamstring injury. What has caused tennis officials to investigate the move is what happened two games before the US Open finalist stopped playing. That’s when her father and coach, Piotr Wozniacki, told his daughter to retire because of her injury would keep her from playing in the next round. The father’s comments were picked up by microphones and broadcast over the Internet. That led to a surge in online bets for Anne Kremer of Luxembourg to win, which she did. “We’re just looking into everything that happened in this match,” said WTA spokesman Neil Robinson, who added that he believed the Tennis Integrity Unit will investigate.

SUFFERING SODERLING

The Stockholm Open lost its favorite son when top-seeded Robin Soderling withdrew from the semifinals with a right elbow injury. That gave Marcos Baghdatis a spot in the final, and he turned it into victory, winning the title. Soderling has been bothered by the sore elbow since July and said it’s been painful for the last few weeks. “I had an MRI and they told me that I have to rest two, three weeks to get well,” Sweden’s top player said. Ranked 10^th in the world, Soderling was the last seeded player left in the Stockholm Open. Earlier this year he reached the French Open final, while Baghdatis was a finalist at the 2006 Australian Open. Both lost to Roger Federer in their lone trips to a Grand Slam tournament title match.

STARTING BACK

Justine Henin will return to the WTA Tour at the Brisbane International, two weeks before the Australian Open begins. Fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters is also in the women’s draw, along with former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic. “After a 15-month absence I am pleased to begin my second tennis career at the Brisbane International,” said Henin, who has won seven Grand Slam tournament titles. Clijsters returned from retirement earlier this year and, in her third tournament back, won the US Open. Now 27, Henin says her goal is to win Wimbledon, the only Grand Slam tournament singles event she hasn’t won.

SAYS NO WAY

Martina Hingis will not be following in the footsteps of Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin. The 29-year-old Swiss star says she will remain in retirement. “I’ve got a nice house, my four horses,” Hingis said. “On the tour I had no life.” Hingis spent 209 weeks at number one in the world and won five Grand Slam tournament singles titles. She retired after she was banned for two years for testing positive for cocaine after losing in the third round at Wimbledon in 2007. She has denied using the drug. She had quit tennis once before, in 2002 because of foot and leg injuries. She returned to the WTA Tour in 2006, won two smaller tournaments, reached two Grand Slam tournament quarterfinals and finished the year ranked number seven. “If I had won the four Grand Slam tournaments, maybe I would have continued,” she said. “But I was on down slope. And I was suspended for two years, and that was it.”

SOLICITING

Swedish police detained two players in Stockholm for allegedly soliciting prostitutes. The two, in Sweden to compete in the Stockholm Open, were identified only as foreign citizens. The prostitution law in Sweden is unusual in that it punishes those who pay for sex but not the prostitutes.

SWEDISH SWITCH

Thomas Enqvist has replaced Mats Wilander as captain of Sweden’s Davis Cup team. Wilander, who quit the post, led Sweden to the Davis Cup semifinals in 2007. As a player, he was ranked number one in the world in the 1980s. Enqvist played for Sweden between 1995 and 2004, winning 15 of 26 matches. He was a member of the Cup-winning teams in 1997 and 1998 and also played in the 1996 final. Sweden will host Argentina in a first-round World Group tie March 5-7.

SET TO RETURN

Returning to the men’s tour will be David Nalbandian, who will end a nine-month layoff following hip surgery when he competes at the Heineken Open in Auckland, New Zealand, in January. The 27-year-old Argentine has been ranked as high as number three in the world, that coming in 2006. He was a finalist at Wimbledon in 2002 and won the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai, China, in 2005.

SEASON-ENDER

The field for the season-ending WTA Championships was completed when Jelena Jankovic qualified for the eight-player tournament in Doha, Qatar. Already in the elite field were Serena and Venus Williams, Dinara Safina, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Elena Dementieva, Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka. Vera Zvonareva and Agnieszka Rodwanska will be in Doha as alternates. Jankovic gained her berth in Doha when Zvonareva lost in the second round of the Kremlin Cup.

SOUTHERN STOP

John McEnroe is heading south – way south. In January the veteran left-hander will represent the Americas at the World Tennis Challenge in Adelaide, Australia. Others who are expected to be in the field include Pat Cash, Henri Leconte and Radek Stepanek. South Australian Tourism Minister Jane Lomax-Smith said it was coup for South Australia and Australian tennis to have McEnroe for the January 12-14 event. The World Tennis Challenge is in its second year. McEnroe will partner fellow American Robby Ginepri.

SWEDISH CHAMPION

A little time in the minor leagues has paid off for Marcos Baghdatis. The Cypriot won his first ATP World Tour title since February 2007 when he stopped Olivier Rochus of Belgium at the If Stockholm Open. The victory makes Baghdatis the 10^th unseeded player to win an ATP World Tour event this year. Baghdatis has been playing on the ATP Challenger circuit – tennis’ minor leagues – and last week won a title at Tashkent, Uzbekistan. His winning play there carried over into the Stockholm Open. The 24-year-old Baghdatis reached the Australian Open final in 2006, the year his ranking rose to number eight in the world. He was ranked 41^st in the world going into the Swedish event.

SMOKE, ANYONE?

European health organizations are furious that the main sponsor of the ATP World Tour 500 tournament in Basle, Switzerland, is connected with Britain’s Imperial Tobacco. The tournament is sponsored by Davidoff, a luxury brand that covers everything from cigarettes to cigars and aftershave. Imperial owns Davidoff’s cigarette brand. The European Union (EU) has banned all tobacco advertising in its member states since 2005, but Switzerland is not in the EU and tobacco sponsorship is legal. Unesco, which received a donation from the event’s organizers, has returned the money and demanded it no longer be associated with the tournament.

SERVING STRONG

To hear the First Lady tell it, President Barack Obama plays a mean tennis game. “He beats me quite often. That gets to be pretty annoying,” Michelle Obama said on NBC-TV’s “The Jay Leno Show.” She mentioned his tennis game when she was asked what was the president’s most annoying habit. In a brief skit, Leno pushed her to talk about her husband’s flaws. At first she said he has none, quipping: “He’s perfect.” Then she let it be known that it was their battles on the tennis court that get her peeved.

SURPRISE

The BGL Luxembourg Open was the first time Timea Bacsinszky had made it past the semifinals on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. She made her first appearance in the title match a victorious one, capturing her first tour crown by defeating Sabine Lisicki in straight sets. The unseeded Swiss player won the first four games of the match, then served for the title at 5-4 in the second set. But she lost her serve for the only time during the match before breaking right back to close out the battle.

SUPER IN STOCKHOLM

Zimbabwe’s Kevin Ullyett feels right at home in Sweden. The 37-year-old won his fifth Stockholm Open doubles title with his fifth different partner. This time he teamed with Bruno Soares to down Simon Aspelin and Paul Hanley 6-4 7-6 (4). “A lot of players have their favorite places to play, and for me Stockholm is one of them,” said Ullyett. “I feel privileged and happy to have won my fifth title here.” This is Ullyett’s final year on the ATP World Tour. The victory also extended Ullyett’s doubles title streak to 13 consecutive years. He won his first doubles crown at Shanghai, China, in 1997. And the victory kept alive the team’s chances of qualifying for the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Ullyett’s win in the semifinals was the 500^th of his career, making him the eighth active player on the ATP World Tour to register 500 career doubles match wins.

SAMPRAS WINS

It was just like old times when Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi battled each other on a tennis court. And just like the last time they met, it was Sampras who wound up the winner, besting Agassi 3-6 6-3 10-8 (match tiebreak) in an exhibition match in Macau. It was the first match between the two retired greats since Sampras won the 2002 US Open final for his then-record 14^th Grand Slam tournament singles crown. To make it even sweeter, Sampras closed out the match with an ace.

STREAKING

Czechs Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova put together a string of points at just the right time. The two were trailing fellow Czechs Vladimira Uhlirova and Renata Voracova 5-7 in the match tiebreak when they won five straight points. That gave them their second doubles title as a team, having won Stockholm last year. Benesova and Zahlavova Strycova each had won five WTA Tour title apiece.

STAVES OFF CHALLENGE

Tennis Australia president Geoff Pollard is staying in his post. Pollard fended off a challenge from former Australian Open tournament director Paul McNamee in secret balloting involving Tennis Australia’s 16 state and territory delegates. It was the first time Pollard has faced a challenge to his leadership since he succeeded Brian Tobin in 1989. Pollard says this will be his last year at the helm of Tennis Australia. McNamee had been supported by Australia’s leading player, Lleyton Hewitt. Both have criticized Tennis Australia’s administration, particularly concerning player development.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Moscow (men): Pablos Cuervas and Marcel Granollers beat Frantisek Cermak and Michal Mertinak 4-6 7-5 10-8 (match tiebreak)

Moscow (women): Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova beat Maria Kondratieva and Klara Zakopalova 6-2 6-2

Stockholm: Bruno Soares and Kevin Ullyett beat Simon Aspelin and Paul Hanley 6-4 7-6 (4)

Luxembourg: Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova beat Vladimira Uhlirova and Renata Voracova 1-6 6-0 10-7 (match tiebreak)

Orleans: Colin Fleming and Ken Skupski beat Sebastian Grosjean and Olivier Patience 6-1 6-1

Santiago: Diego Cristin and Eduardo Schwank beat Juan Pablo Brzezicki and David Marrero 6-4 7-5

SITES TO SURF

Doha: www.sonyericsson-championships.com/

Lyon: www.gptennislyon.com/

Vienna: www.bankaustria-tennistrophy.at/

St. Petersburg: www.spbopen.ru/eng/index.html

Chuncheon: www.tennis.co.kr

Poitiers: www.itfpoitiers.over-blog.org

Ortisei: www.itfvalgardena.com

Bali: www.commbanktennis.com/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

ATP

$966,000 Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon, Lyon, France, hard

$855,000 Bank Austria TennisTrophy, Vienna, Austria, hard

$750,000 St. Petersburg Open, St. Petersburg, Russia, hard

$125,000 Flea Market Cup Chuncheon Challenger Tennis, Chuncheon, Korea, hard

WTA

$4,550,000 Sony Ericsson Championships, Doha, Qatar, hard

$100,000 Internationaux Feminins de la Vienne, Poitiers, France, hard

$100,000 Internazionali di Tennis Val Gardena/Sudtirol, Ortisei, Italy, carpet

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

ATP

$3,032,000 Valencia Open 500, Valencia, Spain, clay

$2,636,000 Davidoff Swiss Indoors, Basel, Switzerland, hard

WTA

$600,000 Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions, Bali, Indonesia, hard

$100,000 OEC Taipei Ladies Open, Taipei, Taiwan, hard

Mondays With Bob Greene: It’s a special place for me

October 5, 2009 by WTM

STARS

Nikolay Davydenko beat Fernando Verdasco 6-4 7-5 to win the Proton Malaysia Open in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Maria Sharapova won the Toray Pan Pacific in Tokyo, Japan, when Jelena Jankovic retired while trailing 5-2

Gilles Simon beat Viktor Troicki 7-5 6-3 to win the PTT Thailand Open in Bangkok, Thailand

Jelena Dokic beat Eleni Danilidou 6-3 6-1 to win the Vogue Athens Open in Athens, Greece

SAYING

“I guess having to withdraw from Beijing is an appropriate ending to a very disappointing season.” – Ana Ivanovic, who withdrew from the China Open and ended her 2009 season because of an upper respiratory tract infection.

“It’s not an easy moment. I had a lot of chances in the third set but I just let it go. I didn’t play the way I should. I never took her out of her comfort zone. I didn’t do much to help myself.” – Dinara Safina, after losing her opening match in Tokyo to qualifier Chang Kai-chen of Taiwan.

“When my thoughts are on the court, I play at another level. That wasn’t the case in previous matches.” – Jelena Jankovic, after winning her quarterfinal match in Tokyo.

“I feel like I’m starting to get the feeling back of being able to figure things out automatically. Like knowing when you have to be patient and when you have to be aggressive.” – Maria Sharapova, playing in Tokyo.

“The more rounds you play, the tougher it gets. You’ve got to take it one match at a time and not think too far down the road.” – Maria Sharapova, who won the Toray Pan Pacific tournament in Tokyo, Japan, her first title in more than a year.

“I love playing doubles with Venus as we have so much fun on the court. This year we actually decided to put more emphasis on our doubles careers, and going to Doha has been on our mind all season.” – Serena Williams, after she and sister Venus qualified for the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships doubles.

“You just be happy for one day. There are going to be many more tough matches.” – Yu Mei-chuan, responding to her daughter, Chang Kai-chen, who called to tell her she had just upset the world’s number one player, Dinara Safina.

“I gradually played better throughout the week, but I was physically exhausted, and it took its toll.” – Mirjana Lucic, a former teen star who lost in the semifinals of an ITF tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada.

SHE’S BACK

It’s Tokyo, so it’s no surprise that Maria Sharapova emerged the winner. The Russian captured her first tournament title since returning from a 10-month injury layoff when Jelena Jankovic retired with an arm injury in the opening set of the Toray Pan Pacific final. Sharapova led 5-2 when Jankovic had her right arm examined by the trainer. The Serb, who had begun the match by winning the first two games, returned to the court and lost the first two points of the eighth game before retiring. Sharapova has won four of her 20 WTA Tour titles in Tokyo, including her first tournament as a professional in 2003. “It’s a special place for me,” she said. It was her first title since Amelia Island in April 2008. “These things happen, but I’ll certainly take it,” Sharapova, a three-time Grand Slam tournament champion, said after the abbreviated final. “It’s funny to win trophies again after thinking I might never be able to hit a tennis ball again. But I’m back and I’m hungry. I can do better than before and win more Grand Slams.”

SAYONARA

It wasn’t the ending she would have liked, but it was close. Playing in her final tournament, Ai Sugiyama’s career on the women’s tour ended when she and her partner Daniela Hantuchova lost the doubles final at the Toray Pan Pacific in Tokyo, Japan. The duo fell to Alisa Kleybanova and Francesca Schiavone 6-4 6-2. The last of Sugiyama’s record 62 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments resulted in a first-round loss at the US Open this fall. Sugiyama played her first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour event in Tokyo in 1990. Almost exactly 19 years later and in the same city, she played her final match. She retired in the first round of singles due to illness. Wayne Ferreira holds the men’s record for consecutive Grand Slam main draws played with 56.

SPLITSVILLE

Tennis great Chris Evert and golf star Greg Norman have separated after just 15 months of marriage. In making the announcement, neither said whether they planned to divorce. The two were married June 28, 2008, in the Bahamas. A month later, Norman was nine holes away from becoming golf’s oldest major champion at age 53 when he led the British Open, eventually winding up tied for third. In a statement, the couple said: “We will remain friends and supportive of one another’s family.” They also requested privacy for them and their families.

SLAMMIN’ SISTERS

Sisters Venus and Serena Williams will take their doubles act to the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships for the first time. The duo became the second team to qualify for the October 27-November 1 competition in Doha, Qatar. Cara Black and Liezel Huber are already in the elite four-team event. The world’s top eight singles players also will compete, and Serena has already qualified along with Dinara Safina, Elena Dementieva and Caroline Wozniacki. This year, the Williams sisters won the doubles at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open, as well as the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, California, USA. Overall, Venus and Serena have won 10 Grand Slam women’s doubles titles, the third-most successful Grand Slam partnership behind Martina Navratilova/Pam Shriver and Gigi Fernandez/Natasha Zvereva. The Williams sisters’ only defeat this year came in the French Open quarterfinals to Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Nadia Petrova.

SWISS MISS

Could Martina Hingis be the next former world number one player to return to the WTA Tour? Kim Clijsters ended a nearly two-year retirement by coming back and winning the US Open. Then another Belgium star, Justine Henin, announced she was ending her retirement. Hingis has not announced her future plans, but her two-year ban for failing a drug test is over and there are no other legal hurdles standing in her way to return. Of course, Hingis – who became the youngest Grand Slam tournament winner in the 20^th century when, at the age of 16 years, 3 months, 26 days she captured the 1997 Australian Open – is now 29 years old.

SEEKING HELP

The world’s top players have battled for the trophy and the big payday in Hong Kong. Now the tournament is asking the government for help – a USD $700,000 bailout actually. Tournament organizers are seeking help from the government after its main sponsor withdrew support for the exhibition event. “It’s unfortunate, but like many other companies, the JB Group has also been caught up in the financial tsunami,” tournament director Terry Catton told the South China Morning Post, referring to the Indian diamond group which pulled out as title sponsor. The Women’s Champions Challenge is not part of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, but top players such as Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters have all participated in the Australian Open warm-up event. Catton said the tournament would continue “whatever happens.”

SIDELINED

Young American Sam Querrey will be sidelined for at least four to six weeks after he suffered a freak accident in Bangkok, Thailand. After practicing for the Thailand Open, the 21-year-old Querrey sat on a glass table and fell through. The glass slashed his right forearm and required emergency surgery. The right-hander from Thousand Oaks, California, is ranked 25^th in the world.

SUSPICIOUS MOVE?

An anti-doping committee will question US Open semifinalist Yanina Wickmayer because she failed to report her whereabouts three times over the past 18 months. Rudi Kuyi, Wickmayer’s spokesman, said the young Belgian star did not miss a doping control, but conceded she may not have fulfilled all the regulations of the World Anti-Doping Agency, which requires players to tell their whereabouts at all times for out-of-competition testing.

SWEET RETURNS

While everyone’s talking about the top women who are coming out of retirement, two men rejoined the ATP tour. Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan ended a nearly three-year absence from the tour by playing doubles at the PTT Thailand Open with countryman Danai Umdomchoke. It wasn’t successful, however, as the Thai pair lost their opening match. At the Proton Malaysia Open in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sweden’s Joachim Johansson upset Lleyton Hewitt in his first match back before suffering a relatively tight three-set loss to Richard Gasquet.

SWAMPED

Organizers of the Toray Pan Pacific Open must have wondered what hit them as their top players were quickly hustled out of the tournament. Top-ranked and defending champion Dinara Safina was serving for the match when she double-faulted to give up a break. Before long, Safina had suffered yet another defeat, this time to Chang Kai-chen, an 18-year-old qualifier from Taiwan. Safina was followed out of the tournament by Venus Williams, who lost in straight sets to Anatasia Pavlyuchenkova. Also ousted on the same day were French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and local favorite Ai Sugiyama, who announced she is retiring after 17 years on the tour.

SORRY FOR WINNING

Leave it Kimiko Date Krumm. The Japanese veteran apologized for fibbing after she won her first WTA Tour title in 13 years and following a 12-year retirement. Her fib? When she returned to the tour, she warned that no one should expect a Rocky-style comeback. After winning the Korea Open the day before she turned 39, she decided to apologize. “I didn’t mean to tell fibs,” she said. “I just knew playing on the WTA Tour after a 12-year blank wouldn’t be a walk in the park. I didn’t know how far I could go. Then I started to get a hunger for winning again so I put my housewife duties on hold as tennis was my biggest priority. My husband understands.”

SHOUTING FOR JOY

Jelena Dokic crushed local favorite Eleni Danilidou 6-3 6-1 to win the Vogue Athens Open. Once ranked fourth in the world, Dokic had her best week since her remarkable and emotional run to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open in January. At the French Open this past spring, Dokic was a set and a break up against fourth-seeded Elena Dementieva when she hurt her back and spent the next three months on the sidelines. Since suffering a first-round loss at the US Open, Dokic has been playing on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) circuit.

SEMI CLOSE

Remember Mirjana Lucic? Well, the past week wasn’t as bright for Lucic, another former teen star. She ran out of steam in the semifinals of the Lexus of Las Vegas Open in Las Vegas, Nevada, and lost to unseeded Aniko Kapros of Hungary 6-3 5-7 6-4. A native of Croatia, the 27-year-old Lucic gave up tennis for almost five years. She’s had a rocky road this year, with victories coming few and far between. Not so, however, in Las Vegas. She had to qualify for the main draw by winning three matches. Then, playing with a heavily taped right thigh, Lucic reached the semifinals of the USD $50,000 tournament with three more wins, two of which went the three-set distance. Lucic was ranked as high as 32^nd in the world, but that was 11 years ago.

SIDELINED

A wrist injury caused Andy Murray to withdraw from the Japan Open. Murray suffered the injury at the US Open, and then aggravated the problem while playing for Britain in its Davis Cup tie against Poland. Earlier, Roger Federer pulled out of the tournament, citing fatigue.

STOPPED

An upper respiratory infection has caused Ana Ivanovic to withdraw from the China Open. The 21-year-old Serbian said her body was “quite fragile” after a combination of too much training and not enough recuperation. Ivanovic won the French Open in 2008 and has reached two other Grand Slam tournament finals, Roland Garros in 2007 and the Australian Open in 2008. But she reached only one tournament final this year, losing to Vera Zvonareva at Indian Wells, California, USA, in March. She has posted a record of 24-13 in 2009, and in a statement said it has been a very disappointing season. She reached the round of 16 at both the French Open and Wimbledon, but was upset in the first round of the US Open. Ivanovic blamed the series of minor ailments that have bothered her recently on being “over-trained” in the early part of the year. “Instead of being patient and accepting that my best form was almost impossible due to physical limitations, I was always over-thinking things and I never dealt with it very well,” she said. “If I had dealt better with these setbacks, I would have had a lot more success.”

SPANISH STALWART

Having recovered from an abdominal injury, Rafael Nadal says he is available to play for Spain in its Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic. Nadal said medical tests he underwent in Barcelona, Spain, show his stomach muscle has healed. He has not played since losing in the semifinals of the US Open to eventual champion Juan Martin del Potro. The Davis Cup final will be held December 4-6 in Spain.

SENIOR STOPPER

Former Wimbledon finalist Mark Philippoussis is returning to London. The Australian will compete in the AEGON Masters Tennis, which will be held December 1-6 at Royal Albert Hall. Also in the lineup for the season-ending event with Philippoussis will be Goran Ivanesvic, Pat Rafter and Stefan Edberg. The other players will be announced later. Philippoussis beat Andre Agassi on his way to the 2003 Wimbledon final where he lost to Roger Federer.

STREET TENNIS

Street tennis has resulted in Tennis Canada being honored at Toronto City Hall. Ana Ivanovic and Caroline Wozniacki played a match on busy Yonge Street in August to highlight the Rogers Cup tournament. The stunt, one of three global events this past summer in honor of Sony Ericsson, has been showed worldwide on CNN, the BBC, Eurosport and several Canadian media outlets. Michael S. Downey, president and CEO of Tennis Canada, thanked the City Council for allowing the stunt, which was watched by approximately 1,000 onlookers and 50 members of the media.

SELECTED

There are five finalists remaining in the running for the 2009 Heroes Among Us Program. The five – Tony Brock, Ella Brown-Hughes, Soniti Marathe, Jill Massie-Braun and Maureen Rankne – were selected by a panel that included Venus Williams, Sony Ericsson WTA Tour chairman and CEO Stacy Allaster, and S. Gulser Corat, UNESCO director of the Division for Gender Equality. The winner of the Heroes Among Us program will be selected by fan voting. Brock is director of the Safe Passage Tennis Program for underprivileged boys and girls ages 8-18. Born-Hughes provides training and education to the homeless. Marathe has been a high school teacher in India for over 20 years and operates a children’s library in her home. Massie-Braun is an advocate for children and families living with autism. Rankine, diagnosed with a neuromuscular disorder called Myasthenia Gravis, has started three non-profit tennis groups: Tennis Against Breast Cancer, the Montego Bay Tennis Program and the Association lf Minority Tennis Pros.

SPOTLIGHT ON SERENA

Serena Williams is featured in the inaugural “Body Issue” of ESPN The Magazine. Featuring nearly 80 athletes from a variety of sports, the magazine says the issue honors athletes of diverse shapes, sizes, genders and races within the boundaries of taste and frontiers of creativity. Other athletes pictured include shot putters Adam Nelson and Michelle Carter, NASCAR driver Ken Schrader, and golfers Sandra Gal, Anna Grzebien and Christina Kim.

STEADY DOES IT

After upsetting the world’s number one player, Dinara Safina, Chang Kai-chen of Taiwan called home to tell her mother about her second-round victory at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. Her mother, a fish store attendant, had her feet firmly planted on the ground. “You just be happy for one day,” Yu Mei-chuan cautioned, reminding her daughter that there were more matches to be played. Chang’s father travels to tournaments with his daughter, leaving his wife to run the shop. The mother has never seen her daughter play abroad in person. “I hope I can travel with my husband and daughter together to watch her play in a big international tennis tournament,” Yu said. A few more victories over top players could ensure they all will be able to travel together.

SCHWARTZ INDUCTED

Alan G. Schwartz, a former president of the United States Tennis Association (USTA), is the sole 2009 inductee into the Tennis Industry Hall of Fame. Schwartz built Midtown Tennis Club in Chicago, Illinois, USA, where he pioneered the four-inch baseline, indirect court lighting and cushioned playing surfaces. He also co-authored the National Tennis Rating Program, the sport’s standard for rating players. Midtown became the anchor club for Schwartz’s 45-club Tennis Corporation of America (TCA). And Schwartz wrote the USTA’s eight-word mission statement: “To Promote and Develop the Growth of Tennis.”

SITTING ON THE BOARD

The wife of the late Arthur Ashe, Jeanne Moutossamy-Ashe, is one of 10 new members of the board of directors of the International Tennis Hall of Museum. The new directors were elected at the Hall of Fame’s annual meeting held in New York City. Besides Moutossamy-Ashe, who is a photographer, other new members include Robert L. Bunnen Jr., founder of Bunnen Financial Management LLC; Juan Carlos Cappello, chairman and managing partner of Contemporanea LLC; Carlos Fleming, executive vice president at IMG; Dianne E. Hayes, director of global entertainment and sports marketing for Reebok International Ltd.; Kevin Kane, president and CEO of the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau; E. Ramone Segree, vice president for institutional advancement and foundation executive director for CUNY/LaGuardia Community College; Lee Sessions, a financial sector executive and returning board member; Vinayak Singh, president of International Strategy & Investment Group (ISI); and Lady Marion Weatherstone. In addition, Bill Phillips was named a Life Trustee.

SUPER

Thanks to a huge pledge during a benefit concert, nearly USD $8 million was raised to support Andre Agassi’s public charter school in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. The biggest chunk came from a pledge of USD $7.5 million over five years from the Engelstad Family Foundation. Officials say that money will be used to establish a campaign to try to raise student funding in Nevada. The school, which has children from kindergarten through high school, has about 600 students and graduated its first high school senior class this year. The concert featured among others country musician Tim McGraw, R&B singer Brian McKnight and rock band Daughtry. Agassi was honored at this year’s US Open for his work with the school.

STEP CLOSER

Amanda Avedissian of Bristol, Rhode Island, and Louis Desmarteaux of Hull, Massachusetts, won the women’s and men’s titles to move one step closer to representing the United States as a member of Team USA at the World Finals of the Kia Amateur Australian Open, which will be held in Melbourne, Australia, in January. Avedissian is a teaching professional at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. Avedissian and Desmarteaux advance to the US Finals to be held November 5-8 in Atlanta, Georgia, where they will compete against the winners of three other qualifying events being held around the country.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Tokyo: Alisa Kleybanova and Francesca Schiavone beat Ai Sugiyama and Daniela Hantuchova 6-4 6-2

Bangkok: Eric Butorac and Rajeev Ram beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and Mischa Zverev 7-6 (4) 6-3

Athens: Eleni Danilidou and Jasmin Woehr beat Timea Bacsinszky and Tathiana Garbin 6-2 5-7 10-4 (match tiebreak)

Kuala Lumpur: Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski beat Igor Kunitsyn and Jaroslav Levinsky 6-2 6-1

SITES TO SURF

Beijing: www.chinaopen.cn/

Tokyo: http://rakutenopen.rakuten.co.jp/en/index.html

Mons: www.ethiastro;phy.be/fr/news

Shanghai: www.shanghaimasters1000.com/2009/en/

Linz: www.generali-ladies.at

Osaka: www.hp-open.com/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

ATP

$3,337,000 China Open, Beijing, China, hard

$1,226,500 Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships, Tokyo, Japan, hard

$160,000 Ethias Trophy, Mons, Belgium, hard

WTA

$4,500,000 China Open, Beijing, China, hard

$100,000 Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships, Tokyo, Japan, hard

SENIORS

$150,000 Cancer Treatment Centers of America Tennis Championships, Surprise, Arizona, USA

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

ATP

$5,250,000 Shanghai ATP Masters 1000, Shanghai, China, hard

$125,000 Tashkent ATP Challenger, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, hard

WTA

$220,000 Generali Ladies Linz, Linz, Austria, hard

$220,000 HP Open, Osaka, Japan, hard

Wozniacki Ends Melanie’s Dream

September 10, 2009 by WTM

NEW YORK – Four straight unforced errors ended one dream and continued another.

Although the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd was loudly pulling for her, Melanie Oudin’s dream run at the US Open ended Wednesday night when she was overwhelmed 6-2 6-2 by ninth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki.

“She had a great run, beaten so many great players,” said Wozniacki, the first Danish player to reach the semifinals in a Grand Slam tournament Wozniacki made sure Oudin’s “great run” didn’t continue, instead controlling the points with her consistent baseline game, moving her 17-year-old opponent all around the court and finding answers to every problem the Marietta, Georgia, right-hander posed. In the final game, Oudin won the first point, then netted a forehand, attempted a backhand drop shot that didn’t even make it to the net, sailed a forehand long and was wide with a backhand on match point.

With a spot in the championship match awaiting the winner, Wozniacki will next take on Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium, who won her quarterfinal earlier in the day, 7-5 6-4 over Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine.

Oudin became the darling of America’s premier tennis tournament when she unexpectedly mowed down a series of Russians in her march to the quarterfinals. Although she had upset Jelena Jankovic en route to the fourth round at Wimbledon, she was a pleasant surprise here on the hard courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

The youngster started off by beating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, then followed that up with victories over fourth-seeded Elena Dementieva, 29th-seeded Maria Sharapova and 13th-seeded Nadia Petrova. With each successive upset, Oudin’s dream grew more vivid along with the expectations from growing legend of fans.

Only two years older than Oudin, Wozniacki never was in trouble against the American, repeatedly hitting with heavy topspin, making the ball jump up high to Oudin’s ground strokes. It was Wozniacki who was dictating the pace and the points.

“She’s such a strong player. She doesn’t give you anything for free,” Oudin said of Wozniacki. “She plays incredible defense. Makes me hit a thousand balls and really is a really great player.”

Unlike Oudin, Wozniacki wasn’t an unknown entity when she began the year’s final Grand Slam tournament. She was seeded ninth after entering the US Open having won the 56 matches, the most of any player on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour this year. And she has captured three titles this year, including the Pilot Pen in New Haven, Connecticut, the day before the US Open began its two-week run.

Wozniacki said she wasn’t bothered by the crowd’s overwhelming support of Oudin.

“It’s always tough to play against a home favorite,” Wozniacki said. “I had this experience in Australia this year where I played (Australian) Jelena Dokic.

“I knew how I was going to feel to be out there and the crowd, but I just used the energy and tried to convert it into some good tennis.”

Oudin’s never-say-die attitude, her big forehand and her constant pressure caused her Russian opponents to eventually collapse. Not so with Wozniacki.

“She beat some great players,” Wozniacki said of Oudin. “I knew that it was going to be tough and I knew that she was going to fight to the last point. I just thought about one point at a time, one ball at a time and tried not to think too much about the score.
“I’m a fighter, so I don’t give up. I fought to the last point.”

Like Wozniacki, Wickmayer is playing in a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time. Her lone WTA Tour singles title came on clay in Estoril, Portugal.

Wickmayer started the US Open by upsetting 16th-seeded Virginie Razzano. Since then she has not had to face another seeded player.

“Before this my best result was second round (in a Grand Slam tournament),” Wickmayer said. “So of course when you get to the third, fourth round, you start surprising yourself. But actually I’ve been staying pretty calm. I’ve worked really hard for this.”
Top-seeded Roger Federer advanced one step closer to a sixth consecutive US Open men’s singles title when he ended the night by dodging an inspired Robin Soderling of Sweden 6-0 6-3 6-7 (6) 7-6 (6).

It appeared as if Federer would sail through the quarterfinal against the man he beat in the French Open final. But Soderling stepped up his game in the third set, and after Federer swept out to a 4-0 lead in the tiebreak, Soderling roared back to win it 8-6.
The two battled evenly through the fourth set, Federer using his huge serve and Soderling his big ground strokes.

Then, suddenly, Soderling ripped a forehand crosscourt that sailed wide, the only mini-break in the tiebreak, but one that gave Federer the match at 8-6.

“It was so close towards the end, a great relief to come through,” Federer said. “The beginning was a bit too easy. But he showed what a great player he is.”

The Swiss superstar is in his record 22nd straight major semifinal – Ivan Lendl had the old mark at 10 – and is seeking to become the first man to win three consecutive majors in one season since Rod Laver completed the Grand Slam in 1969.

Federer also is bidding to become the first man since Bill Tilden in 1925 to win six consecutive US titles. He is the only man to win five or more successive titles at two Grand Slam tournaments, having won Wimbledon from 2003 through 2007.

In the semifinals, Federer will face fourth-seeded Novak Djokovic, a 7-6 (2) 1-6 7-5 6-2 winner over Fernando Verdasco.